| Samsung intros 'world's thinnest' external DVD writer, tries to convince you to pack it with your tablet Apr 26th 2012, 10:08  Generally, a new optical disk drive is nothing to write home about, but how about one that's specifically purposed for tablets and Ultrabooks? That's the pitch Samsung is selling for its SE-218BB DVD / CD writer, which the company also notes as being the world's thinnest external ODD -- because what better to go with your svelte computing devices than more pluggable doohickeys. Cynicism aside, Samsung says this $60 add-on is just 14mm tall, "18 percent thinner than conventional DVD writers" and eight percent less weighty than its standard DVD ODD. The bus-powered unit connects via USB, and it'll work with Macs, PCs and devices running Android 3.1 and up. Oddly fascinated? The drive is currently on-sale worldwide if you're willing carry it along with you. You'll find full details in the press release after the break. Continue reading Samsung intros 'world's thinnest' external DVD writer, tries to convince you to pack it with your tablet Samsung intros 'world's thinnest' external DVD writer, tries to convince you to pack it with your tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 06:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | EnStream to bring mobile wallet to Canadians, make loonies obsolete (video) Apr 26th 2012, 09:50  A joint venture of Canadian carriers Rogers, Bell and Telus called EnStream is in final talks with the country's leading banks (likely CIBC, TD, RBC, Scotiabank and BMO) to bring a mobile wallet solution to the Great White North within six months. The system, which was demoed at the CWTA Wireless Showcase last September, enables mobile payments by storing a user's financial credentials on the SIM located inside their NFC-capable phone. It aims to replace credit and debit cards at first -- perhaps even driver's licenses and loyalty programs down the road. Carriers plan to charge banks a flat rate instead of a per-transaction fee. According to Almis Ledas, EnStream's COO, "banking machines will become the payphones of the future". While we command this attempt to standardize mobile payments in Canada, the time frame seems rather optimistic in light of the slow progress AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have made with Isis in the US so far. Different countries, different rules of course -- still, we think it's going to take quite a while to make loonies obsolete. Maybe this is the perfect window of opportunity for Google Wallet and Square to jump across the border, eh? Time will tell. Check out EnStream's mobile wallet in action on video after the break. Continue reading EnStream to bring mobile wallet to Canadians, make loonies obsolete (video) EnStream to bring mobile wallet to Canadians, make loonies obsolete (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  MobileSyrup |  Reuters | Email this | Comments | | Box releases new API for developers, announces 15 more OneCloud apps Apr 26th 2012, 09:27  It's been quite a week for cloud storage, with Dropbox rolling out a significant new update, Microsoft's SkyDrive getting a new Windows Phone app, and Google Drive making its long-awaited debut. Now Box is getting in on the act, announcing the release of a brand new API that is says makes it easier than ever for developers to integrate the Box platform into their products. Along with it, the company has also announced 15 more Box OneCloud apps for iOS devices, and teamed up with the NYC-based General Assembly and TechStars in an effort to "drive innovation in enterprise software." You can get a quick rundown of the new API in the video after the break, and find all the details on how to get started with it at the links below. Continue reading Box releases new API for developers, announces 15 more OneCloud apps Box releases new API for developers, announces 15 more OneCloud apps originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Yahoo! News / Mashable | The Box Blog, The Box Developer Blog | Email this | Comments | | TSMC 2012 Q1 results: profits down again as 20-nanometer process proves expensive Apr 26th 2012, 09:15  Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has offered up its first quarter results for the year, revealing yet another middling quarter. While turnover was NT$105.51 billion ($3.6 billion) and net profit was NT$33.47 billion ($1.1 billion), that's still 7.7 percent down on the NT$36.28 it made in the same quarter last year. On the upside, the chip foundry, which produces silicon for plenty of the world's biggest electronics companies, managed to claw back some of those profit dips from Q4 of last year, suggesting milder climes may lie ahead. The company is also encouraged by strong demand for its new 28-nanometer chips, which should offset the $8.5 billion spent on developing them, alongside a forthcoming 20-nanometer facility. 28-nanometer hardware still only equates to 5 percent of overall revenue, which should grow as companies use up their older inventory. If you've got a currency convertor to hand, head on past the break for the detailed breakdown. Continue reading TSMC 2012 Q1 results: profits down again as 20-nanometer process proves expensive TSMC 2012 Q1 results: profits down again as 20-nanometer process proves expensive originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink PC World | TSMC | Email this | Comments | |
