| PSA: If you purchased extra Gmail storage, your Google Drive just got bigger Apr 24th 2012, 18:08  5GB, huh? Not quite enough for you? If you were wise enough to up the capacity of your Gmail inbox + Picasa allotment before today, your Google Drive experience just got a lot more awesome. A trio of editors here at Engadget HQ managed to upgrade their Gmail boxes a couple of years ago, and at the time (read: it's no longer an available option), Google was offering an extra 20GB for use across its properties for a mere $5 per year. Upon loading Google Drive today, we each found a healthy 25GB waiting to be filled, with no expectation of additional payments to Google. Be sure to let us know if you're seeing a similar boost in capaciousness down in comments below, particularly for those who splurged on one of the more current Gmail add-on plans. PSA: If you purchased extra Gmail storage, your Google Drive just got bigger originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight review Apr 24th 2012, 18:00  It's a plague against modern marriage, turning husband against wife, and tearing families apart. It's America's number one problem in the bedroom (according to handy stat sheets passed out by Barnes & Noble, at least): light. Spouses are leaving the light on, attempting to read past their designated bedtime, keeping their partners awake and putting a potentially insurmountable strain on their marital bonds. The solution: Divorce? Trial separations? Mariticide? A clunky, clip-on reading light? Until now these were the best -- nay, only -- solutions to the problem of reading after dark. All of that is about to change, thankfully, as Barnes & Noble readies the release of the new Nook Simple Touch, with the company's patent-pending GlowLight technology. The addition of after-dark reading capabilities is the most significant update to the company's e-reader, which otherwise remains largely unchanged from last year's model. Is it enough to keep the Nook on top of the e-reader heap for another year? Meet us past the break to find out -- that is, if you're not afraid of the dark. Continue reading Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight review Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight shipping this week, B&N warns of limited supply Apr 24th 2012, 18:00  So much for waiting until May to get your hands on some glowing, Nooky goodness. Barnes & Noble let us know today that the admittedly somewhat clunkily named Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight is slipping out ahead of schedule. The light up e-reader starts shipping this week for those who've already pre-ordered a unit and will continue to ship throughout the month. Apparently in-store units will be a bit fewer and further between, however -- the company announced that the device will be available in "limited quantities" when it hits stores early next month. So, if you don't want to make your mom cry this Mother's Day, the company's recommending that you jump on the pre-order bandwagon soonish. Of course, it couldn't hurt to give our review a peek first, just to make sure. Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight shipping this week, B&N warns of limited supply originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Google Drive vs. the competition: pricing plans and perks, compared Apr 24th 2012, 17:53  Sometimes a table says a thousand words. Now that Google has finally announced its cloud service, Google Drive, we're sure more than a few of you are crunching the numbers in your head in an attempt to figure which is the best deal. Far be it for us to tell you which service to use when we've barely had a chance to poke around Drive, but for now, better if we lay out those gigabytes and dollars in number form, rather than squeeze them into a crowded paragraph, don'tcha think? Follow past the break for a brief breakdown of what you'll get from Google, along with Dropbox, Microsoft SkyDrive and iCloud. Continue reading Google Drive vs. the competition: pricing plans and perks, compared Google Drive vs. the competition: pricing plans and perks, compared originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | ITC judge finds Apple in violation of Motorola WiFi patent Apr 24th 2012, 17:36  Motorola scored a win with the US International Trade Commission this week in its on-going patent battle with Apple. The commission's Judge Thomas Pender ruled that Cupertino is in violation of a Motorola WiFi patent -- one of four patents included in a complaint filed by the RAZR maker back in October 2010. Before the ITC actually goes so far as blocking the import of Apple products, however, the ruling is subject to review by the commission. The decision follows another patent win for Motorola, handed down by the ITC yesterday in a dispute with Microsoft. Update: Motorola sent along the following, not surprisingly chipper statement on the matter: We are pleased that the ALJ's initial determination finds Apple to be in violation of Motorola Mobility's intellectual property, and look forward to the full commission's ruling in August. Our commitment to innovation is a primary reason why we are an industry-leader in intellectual property, and our focus continues to be on building on this strong foundation to enhance the user experience. ITC judge finds Apple in violation of Motorola WiFi patent originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  Bloomberg | Email this | Comments | | New Sony iOS docks promise clearer sound thanks to magnetic fluid Apr 24th 2012, 16:57  You can only skim through so many iPad/iPod/iPhone docks before things start to get predictable, and when a speaker dock stands out, it's usually for a retro design or a little mood lighting. Sony's two newest iOS docks, the CMT-V50iP and the CMT-V75BTiP, may look like your standard options, but they aim to break the mold by using magnetic fluid instead of speaker dampers to move sound. Sony says this technology provides clearer audio with less distortion, and no dampers means a slimmer design. If your music collection extends beyond your iDevice, you can take advantage of the CD player and built-in DAB and DAB+ radio, or -- if you've migrated to the digital age -- stream over Bluetooth on the CMT-V75BTiP or connect via USB on the CMT-V50iP. Sony just announced these yesterday, and pricing info remains MIA, though The Verge reports that both models will drop in the next few months. New Sony iOS docks promise clearer sound thanks to magnetic fluid originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  The Verge | Sony Europe | Email this | Comments | | MIT gets musical with Arduino-powered DrumTop, uses household objects as a source of sound Apr 24th 2012, 16:35  Everyone's favorite microcontroller has been a boon among hobbyists and advanced amateurs, but it's also found a home among the brilliant projects at MIT's Media Lab, including a groovy instrument called DrumTop. This modern take on the drum pad delivers Arduino-powered interactivity in its simplest form -- hands-on time with ordinary household objects. Simply place a cup, or a plastic ball, even a business card on the DrumTop to make your own original music. The prototype on display today includes eight pads, which are effectively repurposed speakers that tap objects placed on top, with an FSR sensor recognizing physical pressure and turning it into a synchronized beat. There's also a dial in the center that allows you to speed up or slow down the taps, presenting an adjustable tempo. DrumTop is more education tool than DJ beat machine, serving to teach youngsters about the physical properties of household objects, be it a coffee mug, a CD jewel case or a camera battery. But frankly, it's a lot of fun for folks of every age. There's no word on when you might be able to take one home, so for now you'll need to join us on our MIT visit for a closer look. We make music with all of these objects and more in the video after the break. Continue reading MIT gets musical with Arduino-powered DrumTop, uses household objects as a source of sound MIT gets musical with Arduino-powered DrumTop, uses household objects as a source of sound originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | |
