Monday, April 30, 2012

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Logitech introduces spill resistant keyboards for the feds, prevents Bauer flip-out
Apr 30th 2012, 14:59

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Logitech might be in the midst of a corporate revolution, but it still has time to produce peripherals just for the G-men (and women). The Swiss company has produced a keyboard and mouse that satisfy all TAA guidelines and, most importantly, answered "no" when asked if they are, or were ever a member of the communist party. The pairing can be picked up by federal IT buyers for $35 and are fully "spill resistant," so we can't blame the forthcoming robopocalypse on a wayward cup of coffee.

Continue reading Logitech introduces spill resistant keyboards for the feds, prevents Bauer flip-out

Logitech introduces spill resistant keyboards for the feds, prevents Bauer flip-out originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cyanogenmod 9 struts its stuff on HTC's One X
Apr 30th 2012, 14:32

Cyanogenmod 9 struts its stuff on HTC's One X

So you've procured yourself HTC's new super slim, 4.7-inch halo phone: the One X. By now, you probably have the device set up just the way you like it: applications configured, widgets in place and Adele ringtone set. But there's just something else left to do, isn't there? If (like some of us) you're a smartphone user who just can't leave well enough alone, you'll be excited to learn that a build of Cyanogenmod 9 for the Uno Equis has been made available via the MoDaCo forums. The ROM will deliver that stock Android experience, and all those CM9 accoutrements, to those that don't fancy the panache of Sense 4.0. The forum post does caution that the One's camera, and hotspot functionality, aren't currently working, so interested parties best proceed with caution. If all that doesn't phase you, grab a cup of coffee, get the Android SDK all warmed up and take this ROM for a spin!

Cyanogenmod 9 struts its stuff on HTC's One X originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge  |  sourceMoDaCo Android  | Email this | Comments

Acer Iconia Tab A510 review
Apr 30th 2012, 14:00

Hardware

Tablet design is unoriginal -- a complaint we've issued before and one we'll steer clear of in this review. So, consider this: when a manufacturer excises any emphasis on how something looks, the only thing left to focus on is how it feels. Though the A510 is flush with silicon at 1.5 pounds (680 grams), we're inclined to forgive that extra heft, since we get some jaw-dropping runtime in return (spoiler alert!). Besides, overweight or no, it manages to feel reassuringly grippy in-hand, at 10.2 x 6.9 x 0.43 inches (260 x 175 x 10.95mm). Sure, if you hold it in landscape mode the sharp edges feel a wee bit too sharp, but even so, it feels rigid, formidable. Much like the A200 before it, the tab's smooth back is made of a soft, matte plastic and studded with bumpy dots that should eliminate any worries you might have about dropping it. Curiously, the company's also slapped the Olympic logo next to its own, smack dab in the center of the back cover, underneath which lies that hearty 9,800mAh battery. Clearly, it's a case of pimping out public awareness of its London 2012 partnership, but here it just seems awkward and unnecessary; a scarlet letter of sponsorship instantly dating this debut.

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The Olympic branding here seems awkward and unnecessary; a scarlet letter of sponsorship instantly dating this debut.

Above that collision of corporate branding is a 5-megapixel rear camera -- the same one used on the A500, only this time it's lacking an LED flash. On the opposite end there's a logo for the Dolby Digital Plus audio compression powering the dual speakers tucked into the tablet's bottom edge. Hardware keys and ports are sprinkled around the perimeter of the A510, leaving no side untouched. A micro-USB socket and recessed reset button take up residence on the lower edge, a power button and 3.5mm headphone jack lie on the left, a volume rocker and orientation lock up top and, finally, HDMI-out and a covered microSD slot sit on the right. Acer isn't throwing in any external storage to complement the tab's built-in 32GB, so if you plan on heavy media consumption you'll want to supply your own card.

The A510's front face is the usual mix of bezel, branding and camera, although in this instance Acer's downgraded that module from the 2 megapixels found on the A500 to a measly 1 megapixel. We don't have to spell out for you what that means in terms of imaging performance, so take care to check your disappointment before we continue on to the camera section below. Once you've powered on the device and completed the initial setup process, the A510's speed becomes readily apparent, as does the relative excellence of the screen. Yes, the 1280 x 800 TFT LCD display has remain unchanged in this hardware refresh, bringing with it fairly good viewing angles that are, more often than not, occluded by its propensity for incredible amounts of glare. Wake the tablet from a dead sleep and you'll see the cold boot time hovers in the 30-second range. Even a year ago we were seeing tablets that could best this, but otherwise, the rest of the user experience here is surprisingly nimble and fast-paced.

Software


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What more can be said about Ice Cream Sandwich at this point, especially when that Android UI's dressed up in Acer's familiar UX? Yes, the interface here has been altered to include the same uninstallable ring launcher we previously saw on the A200. Nothing has changed in the jump from that lower-end slate to this one: you can still pull up that circular shortcut menu from the bottom of the homescreen, as well as access the gallery, browser, settings, bookmarked tabs or snap screenshots. We did notice, however, that while performance is generally zippy, this one particular enhancement suffers from uneven performance, waffling between an immediate and somewhat delayed response time. The lockscreen also features the company's subtle modifications, adding the ability to set shortcuts for specific apps.

As you might've come to expect, navigation throughout the five homescreens is carried out with a refreshing briskness that blessedly spills over into the app drawer, as well as the various menus peppered throughout Android 4.0. Browsing takes on the same rapid pace, with page load times ranging between 15 and 30 seconds for full desktop sites. Pinch to zoom also feels amazingly responsive, though we did notice some tiling and blank gray spaces as we waited for pages to scale.

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You want an Android slate, you get some bloat. So, when you boot up the A510 and are greeted by a dozen-plus apps filling up its drawer, try to feign surprise and righteous indignation. It's all rather rote at this point. Acer's shoveled only a couple of its own applications onto the internal storage, along with various third-party offerings like Amazon's Kindle, MP3 and Appstore trio; Netflix; Polaris Office; Evernote; SoundHound; HW Solitaire; and TegraZone. Thankfully, at least, purists can easily uninstall all of these in the settings menu.

Performance and battery life

Acer Iconia Tab A510 ($450)

ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 ($379)

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 ($250) Acer Iconia Tab A200 ($350)
Quadrant (v2) 3,754 3,695 2,840 2,053
Linpack single-thread (MFLOPS) 47.8 41.70 37.1 37.2
Linpack multi-thread (MFLOPS) 120.5 89.83 61.3 60.4
NenaMark 1 (fps) 62.8 60.3 57.6 45.6
NenaMark 2 (fps) 55.8 46.9 30.4 20.4
Vellamo 1,500 1,320 978 1,290
SunSpider 9.1 (ms, lower numbers are better) 1,850 2,120 2,239 2,251

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Benchmarks can be a mixed bag, offering up quantifiable performance that doesn't necessarily match a product's real-world experience. With the Iconia Tab A510, though, you can sweep away all of that uncertainty. Pitted against the Transformer Pad TF300, another recently released Tegra 3 slate, as well as dual-core contenders like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and the lower-end A200, this girthy tablet absolutely dominates. There's no doubt about the massive processing power of its 1.3GHz SoC and 1GB of RAM. In nearly every category, the A510 leapt ahead with decisive, crushing victories -- a string of wins that repeated themselves over and over in everyday use.

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Its dominance may be unchallenged, but don't confuse the A510's top-dog ranking with consistently fluid performance. A quad-core CPU is not some magic wand an OEM gets to wave over its offspring to eradicate performance hiccups. As we saw with Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) at MWC and the ASUS Transformer Pad we've just finished reviewing, there will be moments, fleeting though they may be, when the OS hesitates to execute an action. It's ever-so slight, but you will notice and wonder why, with all that horsepower under the hood, this forward-facing combination of Tegra 3 and ICS should stumble at all.

Tablet Battery Life
Acer Iconia Tab A510 10:23
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 12:01
Apple iPad 2 10:26
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime 10:17 / 16:34 (keyboard dock)
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 9:55
Apple iPad (2012) 9:52 (HSPA) /
9:37 (LTE)
Apple iPad 9:33
Pantech Element 9:00
Motorola Xoom 2 8:57
HP TouchPad 8:33
ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 8:29 / 12:04 (keyboard dock)
Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet 8:20
Acer Iconia Tab A200 8:16
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus 8:09
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 8:00
Amazon Kindle Fire 7:42
Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 7:38
RIM BlackBerry PlayBook 7:01
Acer Iconia Tab A500 6:55
T-Mobile Springboard (Huawei MediaPad) 6:34
Toshiba Thrive 6:25
Motorola Xyboard 8.2 5:25
Acer Iconia Tab A100 4:54

By no means will you be disappointed with the juicepack Acer's included in the Iconia Tab A510. Rated for 12 hours of video playback, the 9,800mAh battery should get you through bouts of heavy use with a charge to spare and then some. The lightest of users will probably wonder when they ever actually have to plug the tablet back in, given that it only fell to half capacity after three days of infrequent browsing. Put through the paces of our formal rundown test, the A510 fell a couple of hours short of the company's claim, but still kept a smile firmly planted on our faces as it racked up an impressive total of 10 hours and 23 minutes, putting it on par with Apple's iPad 2 and the Transformer Prime. Mind you, that's with brightness set to medium, Twitter syncing at 15 minute intervals, one push email account activated and WiFi enabled.

Camera

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Taking photos with tablets not only looks silly, but it feels ridiculous. We throw that caveat out there because camera quality on Android slates is one of those areas best met by lowered expectations. To say the module on the Iconia Tab A510 is serviceable would be far too generous. Its 5-megapixel shooter takes decent shots with an acceptable level of detail that diminishes as soon as you start to zoom in. Colors -- reds in particular -- are rendered in an oversaturated, unnatural way, while other parts of the image appear dull in comparison. As for Acer's custom camera app, it delivers an uneven experience that demands a fair amount of juggling while you attempt to access the various options scattered about the screen. And you can forget the robust array of scene modes offered in other slates: the feature set here is plain and straightforward, almost as if it's acknowledging how useless it really is.

The A510 is also capable of 1080p video, but the finished product doesn't necessarily translate into the full HD experience you'd expect. Given the camera's lack of image stabilization, the shaky quality makes the video almost unwatchable, with the occasional crisp frame when the slate was being held still. What did blow away our expectations was the phenomenal power of its Dolby Digital Plus compression technology. As you'll hear in the sample video, the sounds of a far-off saxophone make a distinct cameo, as do pieces of various off-camera conversations. The downside to this stellar feature is the inconsistency with which it renders your intended audio -- namely, your own voice. We shot several sample videos and noted occasional elements of distortion as the tablet attempted to parse all that background noise.

The competition

So you're ready to take the plunge into the wild world of tablets, but where to start? a doubt, lots of first-timers are going to end up taking their credit cards and flinging them in Apple's direction. $500 for a 16GB iPad may be a steep price tag to swallow for some, but the simplicity of iOS make for a wise newb purchase. You could also buck any pressure to have the next best thing and fork over four Benjamins for a 16GB iPad 2, though we've gone on record saying newcomers are better off splurging on that high-res Retina display.

But maybe you're not exactly a post-PC virgin, or you simply prefer Android to iOS. Luckily for you, you've got a plethora of options to choose from. For the sake of helping all the overwhelmed shoppers out there trying to make sense of the market, we'll narrow the field down to similarly priced 10-inch tablets running Android 4.0. For $400, the Transformer Pad TF300 is, in many ways, the A510's direct competition, loaded up with unskinned ICS, a Tegra 3 SoC and 32GB, though this, of course, is offered with an optional keyboard dock. The only downside preventing us from steering you directly to the Transformer is battery life. Though it managed eight-plus hours on a charge (12, if you count the $150 docking station), it's no match for the A510's ten-plus hours of runtime.

Meanwhile, if you cut the built-in storage to 16GB, lower the number of cores from four to two and keep the Android 4.0 software there's Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1). It costs $400, the same as the 32GB Transformer Pad TF300, and twenty dollars more than the Transformer with 16GB of storage. Cast in that light, it's not quite as compelling a purchase, is it?

Spec for spec, you're really left with only two contenders: the A510, which costs $50 more, or Transformer Pad TF300. Shoppers hell-bent on heavy multimedia consumption should probably stick with what Acer's selling, if only for the phenomenal performance of that 9,800mAh battery. Android purists and folks intrigued by the idea of a laptop replacement, on the other hand, might want to jump on ASUS' bandwagon.

Wrap-up

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We can still hear the echoes of NVIDIA's CEO teasing the prospect of $300 Tegra 3 tablets, but while the promise of that affordable future isn't quite a reality yet, impatient consumers eyeing quad-core performance have a readily available option: the Iconia Tab A510. Acer's succeeded in building a superb Android 4.0 tablet, and it's one consumers with a penchant for media consumption might want to consider. Alright, so it isn't the immaculate Tegra 3 conception Acer (or NVIDIA) might've wanted it to be, prone as it is to brief software fits, though we'll confess we've noticed similar bumps on the similarly priced ASUS Transformer Pad TF300, as well as the dual-core Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. So should those stifled hiccups enough to put you off the A510's Olympic-branded trail? They shouldn't. With its bleeding-edge quad-core performance, exceptional battery life and all the benefits of Ice Cream Sandwich, this is a 10-incher worth its slightly heavier weight. For those of you intrigued by the idea of a tablet that can also double as a netbook replacement, we still heartily recommend the well-performing, reasonably priced Transformer TF300. But if you're willing to invest in a dependable tablet and it's exceptional battery life that you're after, those $450 bucks stop here.

Acer Iconia Tab A510 review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alienware's new gaming laptops get matching Ivy Bridge processors
Apr 30th 2012, 14:00

Alienware's new gaming laptops get Ivy Bridge processors

Alienware is crossing the Ivy Bridge, less than a week since announcing its refreshed family of gaming laptops. Intel's latest hardware will now lend itself to all three models, the M14x (from $1100) M17x (starting at $1500) and M18x (from $2000), replacing the existing Sandy Bridge architecture in the models we saw earlier this month. Starting with the smallest, the M14x will be powered by an Intel Core i7-3820QM (up to 2.7GHz), while larger models will get their processors nudged up to the 2.9 GHz Core i7-3920XM (M17x) and 2.9GHz Core i7-3920XM (M18x). Alienware reckons these new additions will lend a 15 percent increase to the rigs' performance (depending on use), augmenting improvements seen with new PCI Express 3.0 support, mSATA cached storage and the latest generation of NVIDIA graphics. Dell's now ready to take your order -- alongside a mind-boggling number of customization options -- at the source link below.

Continue reading Alienware's new gaming laptops get matching Ivy Bridge processors

Alienware's new gaming laptops get matching Ivy Bridge processors originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Commercial space shuttle prototypes fly through wind tunnel testing
Apr 30th 2012, 13:32

Commercial space shuttle prototypes fly through wind tunnel testing

A pair of companies developing their own commercial space shuttles are presumably trying to flatten their hair after some rigorous wind tunnel testing. First up, Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos (the guy behind Amazon), a company that's remained pretty quiet on its efforts to shuttle astronauts to the International Space Station. Its Space Vehicle setup will plump for a biconic shape (seen above), with a flattened side and a split flap. According to Blue Origin's president, Rob Meyerson, the shape allows greater volume than traditional designs, but forgo the "weight penalty" of winged craft. Compared to earlier capsules, the Space Vehicle's shape, with its fuselage flap to generate lift, should also give it better control on re-entry to earth.

Juggling for wind tunnel time, Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser has also been blasted with smoke to test its own air resistance credentials. Its module would lauch from the top of the rocket, and glide (as much as anything that costs this much can) back to earth like NASA's own space shuttles. The Dream Chaser is planning its first flight for this fall. You can check out its more traditional take on the future of space travel after the break -- and decide which of the two you'll want sending your children to the mines.

[Picture credit: Blue Origin, SNC]

Continue reading Commercial space shuttle prototypes fly through wind tunnel testing

Commercial space shuttle prototypes fly through wind tunnel testing originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceWired  | Email this | Comments

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Ceton's Media Center mobile apps are for all, app and Echo extender beta signups open now
Apr 30th 2012, 13:01

Ceton's Media Center mobile apps are for all, app and Echo extender beta signups open now

If you're a Windows Media Center fan and have been drooling over the treats Ceton showed off at CES like its mobile companion apps (whether on WP7 or other platforms like iPhone and Android) and Echo extender we've got good news and better news. The good news is that the apps have been rebranded simply as Ceton Companion Apps and they will be available for all Windows Media Center 7 users when they launch, spreading their guides, file browsing and remote DVR management options throughout the land. The better news is that you'll be able to get your hands on the apps and / or Echo extender relatively soon, since there are beta tests coming soon for both. While the app beta is planned to start May 25th on all of the previously listed platforms, the Echo extender will be a paid beta where users can keep the hardware once its over. More details on the latter should be available soon, for now interested users should hit the link below to get on the list or check out an... interesting promo video embedded after the break.

Continue reading Ceton's Media Center mobile apps are for all, app and Echo extender beta signups open now

Ceton's Media Center mobile apps are for all, app and Echo extender beta signups open now originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceCeton Beta registration, Ceton blog  | Email this | Comments

Peter Jackson unfazed by 'Hobbit' footage pushback, but will stick to 24 fps for trailers
Apr 30th 2012, 12:44

peter-jackson-hobbit-48fps-complaints-24fps-trailer

Calm down, cinema-goers. It just takes time to "settle in" to the strange new ultra-realistic world of high frame-rates, according to Peter Jackson, who's been responding to audience's rather strong panning of 48fps rough cuts from his upcoming 3D epic, Hobbit. Viewers' main beefs were the surprising appearance of the higher cadence footage, which almost looked like it was shot on video, as well as blemishes on actors and sets which were all-too-visible without the crutch of motion blur. But Jackson insists that the footage lacked special effects and color correction, and that the showing was perhaps too short to judge the frame-rate -- which is why he also says there'll be no 48 fps trailer. He even adds that he's now "very aware of the strobing, the flicker and the artifacts" when he's watching regular 24fps cinema -- so the real struggle for audiences might not be adjusting to the new way, but going back to the old.

Peter Jackson unfazed by 'Hobbit' footage pushback, but will stick to 24 fps for trailers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceThe Hollywood Reporter  | Email this | Comments

LG launches LG Cloud, blows raspberries at S-Cloud
Apr 30th 2012, 12:18

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Four days before the purported launch of Samsung's cloud service, Korea's other technology giant has unveiled LG Cloud. The eponymous service offers 5GB free space as standard, while owners of LG's Smart TVs or smartphones will get 50GB free for six months. It'll push content between your devices, appropriately compressed for the medium, so high definition images on your TV will be slimmed down to save your phone's data cap. The free beta begins in South Korea and the US from May 1st, with a global rollout pencilled in for next year -- but don't worry, the company made it clear you'll be able to use it on your holidays, if you can find a signal.

Continue reading LG launches LG Cloud, blows raspberries at S-Cloud

LG launches LG Cloud, blows raspberries at S-Cloud originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  sourceLG Cloud  | Email this | Comments

15-inch Samsung Series 7 laptops follow big brother across Intel's Ivy Bridge
Apr 30th 2012, 11:41

Image15-inch Samsung Series 7 laptops follow big brother across Intel's Ivy Bridge

Intel's bridge is a popular one and, while we don't know just what the toll to cross is, today the gatekeeper has a little extra change jingling in his pocket. Samsung is announcing that its 15-inch Series 7 Chronos laptops now offer Ivy Bridge processors, joining the 17-inch models that have already have made their way across. Thanks to a Samsung Canada leak last week, we knew the slightly more portable flavor wouldn't be far behind. NVIDIA graphics are onboard, joining the Core i7 processors and 1TB hard drives plus other pleasantries like backlit keyboards. No word on when these machines and their "uncompromised performance" will arrive at retail, but we hear getting over that bridge is the tricky part, so it shouldn't be long now.

15-inch Samsung Series 7 laptops follow big brother across Intel's Ivy Bridge originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Sammy Hub  |  sourceSamsung (translated)  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft invests $300 million in new Barnes & Noble 'strategic partnership'
Apr 30th 2012, 11:21

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Well, that's an interesting end to all those legal tussles. Microsoft and bookseller Barnes and Noble have decided to buddy-up in the face of competitors like Amazon and Apple. The strategic partnership -- Microsoft loves 'em -- would come in the form of a new Barnes and Noble subsidiary that deals with all things Nook, in addition to its education business. The bookseller would hold onto the lion's share at 82.4 percent, with the remaining 17.6 percent in Microsoft's control. The first benefit posited would be a Nook app for the incoming Windows 8. Barnes and Noble's Nook Study software would also benefit from a friendly boost on all that Windows hardware. Maybe all those other legal matches will resolve in similar warm-and-fuzzy business hook-ups -- but we doubt it.

Continue reading Microsoft invests $300 million in new Barnes & Noble 'strategic partnership'

Microsoft invests $300 million in new Barnes & Noble 'strategic partnership' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch  |  sourceMicrosoft  | Email this | Comments

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LightSquared founder Philip Falcone to step down 'eventually', attempts to dodge the bankruptcy bullet
Apr 30th 2012, 10:56

In an effort keep the troubled LightSquared from the brink of defaulting on its debt, its founder will step down from the company. While it doesn't look immediate, (people "familiar with the negotiations" are using the word "eventually") it's Philip Falcone's latest attempt to extend a debt-term violation that expires this morning. According to the same sources, if the initial extension is okayed, Falcone and LightSquared's lenders are aiming for a greater period of around 18 months to repay $1.6 billion in loans and pass the FCC's requirements for its network. The company's board is still deliberating on whether to accept the deal, which would stop the company filing for bankruptcy protection. Unfortunately, it looks like those new 4G network dreams just got hazier.

LightSquared founder Philip Falcone to step down 'eventually', attempts to dodge the bankruptcy bullet originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  sourceWSJ  | Email this | Comments

Amazon to collect sales tax, create 2,500 jobs in Texas
Apr 30th 2012, 10:22

Amazon to collect sales tax, create 2,500 jobs in Texas

If Amazon's been your internet safe haven from the ravages of sales tax, you may want to sit down. As part of a settlement with the great state of Texas, Bezos' baby will start collecting the state's requisite 6.25-percent sales tax on July 1st. The settlement resolves the online retailer's ongoing dispute with the Lone Star state, which claimed that Amazon owed $269 million in back taxes. In addition to taking up collection, Amazon has agreed to create at least 2,500 jobs and invest a minimum of $200 million in capital investments, though it admits no fault, and believes "the assessment was without merit," according to its latest SEC filing. Grouped in with Kansas, Kentucky, New York, North Dakota and Washington, this agreement makes Texas the sixth state to collect sales tax from Amazon -- and California, Nevada and Arizona will join the collection club in due time. Check out the source links below for the Texas Comptroller's official statement and more reading on Amazon's tax agreements across the nation.

Amazon to collect sales tax, create 2,500 jobs in Texas originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge, GeekWire  |  sourceTexas Comptroller, SEC  | Email this | Comments

Huawei throws R&D dollars at gesture control, cloud storage, being more 'disruptive'
Apr 30th 2012, 09:40

Huawei throws R&D dollars at gesture control, cloud storage, being more 'disruptive'

Undeterred by the fact that even humans struggle to interpret certain gestures, Huawei says it's allocating a chunk of its growing R&D budget to new motion-sensing technology for smartphones and tablets. The company's North American research chief, John Roese, told Computerworld that he wants to allow "three-dimensional interaction" with devices using stereo front-facing cameras and a powerful GPU to make sense of the dual video feed. Separately, the Chinese telecoms company is also putting development cash into a cloud computing project that promises to "change the economics of storage by an order of magnitude." Roese provided scant few details on this particular ambition, but did mention that Huawei has teamed up with CERN to conduct research and has somehow accumulated over 15 petabytes of experimental physics data in the process. Whatever it's up to, Huawei had better get a move on -- others are snapping up gesture recognition and cloud patents faster than you can say fa te ne una bicicletta with your hands.

Huawei throws R&D dollars at gesture control, cloud storage, being more 'disruptive' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear  |  sourceComputerworld  | Email this | Comments

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Foursquare adds NFC to its BlackBerry app, hopes you'll touch base
Apr 30th 2012, 09:02

Foursquare adds NFC to its BlackBerry app, hopes you'll touch base

Hot on the heels of a recent update for its Twitter app, BlackBerry users can now grab a refreshed version of everyone's favorite check-in network. While there's no news of the beleaguered phone manufacturer offering up free Butterfingers (yet), the geographical social app has cranked up the app's load speeds and also transplants its notifications to your BlackBerry inbox. It's all looking to be a pretty tasty NFC carrot to dangle in front of BlackBerry World attendees later this week in Orlando. If you're Florida-bound (and even if you're not), you can grab the update from from the source below.

Foursquare adds NFC to its BlackBerry app, hopes you'll touch base originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBlackBerry App World, Foursquare  | Email this | Comments

BBC's Planet Earth returns as a live simulcast next week -- but not in the US (video)
Apr 30th 2012, 08:14

BBC's Planet Earth returns as a live simulcast next week -- but not in the US (video)

For fans of HD and / or nature documentaries, the BBC Planet Earth series is the unquestioned champion, and to provide a proper followup the Brits are improving it the only way they know how: doing it live. What the broadcaster calls its "most ambitions global wildlife series ever" will air simultaneously in 140 countries (more on that bit later) starting Sunday May 6th, then every Thursday and Sunday for three weeks. The plan is to track animals in seven different locations around the world in real time as they struggle for survival and broadcast it all in HD. One segment features Top Gear's Richard Hammond following a pride of lions across southern Kenya, while another will track black bears in Minnesota. The bad news? If you're in the US or Canada you're not on that 140 country list and won't be seeing any of this live. We're not sure if there's time to make this a campaign issue in the 2012 presidential election but we figure that, or at least bugging BBC America (while we're on the subject -- where's our global iPlayer?) is worth a try. Check after the break for a press release with all the details on where and when it is airing, as well as a trailer.

Continue reading BBC's Planet Earth returns as a live simulcast next week -- but not in the US (video)

BBC's Planet Earth returns as a live simulcast next week -- but not in the US (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBBC Planet Earth Live, YouTube  | Email this | Comments

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Nokia could sell luxury Vertu brand to VC firm for $265 million
Apr 30th 2012, 07:04

Nokia could sell luxury Vertu brand to VC firm for $265 million

As much as it'd be interesting to see Windows Phone running on a gold-plated cigar lighter, that's probably never going to happen. According to the UK's Financial Times, Nokia has been trying to hive off its luxury Vertu brand for months already, and has finally found a suitor with the right cash / sense ratio. Although still far from a done deal, we're told that venture capitalist firm Permira is willing to contribute up to $265 million to Nokia's needy coffers -- which might sound like a lot, but is mere costume jewelry to a manufacturer that just lost $1.7 billion.

Nokia could sell luxury Vertu brand to VC firm for $265 million originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge  |  sourceReuters  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft Research wants to automate your house, introduces HomeOS
Apr 30th 2012, 06:03

microsoft-research-home-automation-homeOS

Ever wondered if you could control your house's climate, security, and appliances -- along with your PCs and peripherals -- using Microsoft software? That day may soon dawn, as its Research arm has started testing its home automation software, called HomeOS, in twelve domiciles over the past few months. The budding system views smartphones, printers and air conditioners as network peripherals, controlled by a dedicated gateway computer. The project even has a handful of apps in play, which perform functions like energy monitoring, remote surveillance and face-recognition. This growing list of applications, available through a portal called "HomeStore", will allow users to easily expand their system's capabilities. So how does it all work out in the real world? Head past the break, and let Redmond's research team give you the skinny.

Continue reading Microsoft Research wants to automate your house, introduces HomeOS

Microsoft Research wants to automate your house, introduces HomeOS originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  sourceMicrosoft Research (PDF)  | Email this | Comments

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