How-To: XBMC 11 the XBMCbuntu way May 23rd 2012, 19:00 For all intents and purposes, the original Xbox, with its NVIDIA GPU, 8-10GB hard disk and custom Pentium III processor was a high-end PC for its time -- albeit, one that connected to a television. What Microsoft didn't realize back then, though, was that when you put that kind of hardware in the hands of hackers and enthusiasts, it's only a matter of time before people start doing more than just playing Halo. Fast forward to 2003, the year the Xbox Media Center was born. Nowadays, it's simply referred to as XBMC, since it runs on more than just your Xbox. In brief, XBMC is an open-source software solution that enables a plethora of media streaming capabilities on all sorts of devices. What once was limited to the original Xbox, can now be put to use on everything from a bare-bones Linux desktop to an Apple TV. In this how-to, we'll show you how to build a simple XBMC setup using XBMCbuntu. Catch us after the break for the full step-by-step. Continue reading How-To: XBMC 11 the XBMCbuntu way How-To: XBMC 11 the XBMCbuntu way originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | GameStop's annual EXPO opens up to general public, monitor tan required for entry May 23rd 2012, 18:30 Outdoor concerts, European music festivals, keggers -- whatever your concept of summer fun is, GameStop's adding its own EXPO to the list. Previously the exclusive province of its own employee horde, the gaming retailer's opening up its annual conference to the pasty-faced public for the first time this year. You'll have to be a PowerUp Rewards member to get an invite for the video game-centric shindig, but after that, entry is merely a two-tiered level of commitment away -- general admission costs a mere $35, while the VIP perks'll ring up at a $100 premium. The happening's set to take place during the Dog Days of August -- the 29th to be exact -- in San Antonio, Texas, where interested gamers can gawk and, presumably, play upcoming releases, rub shoulders with notable industry types and just feel like a member of a greater geek community. Sure, it's no Lilith Fair Redux, but you gotta take what you can get. Official presser after the break. Continue reading GameStop's annual EXPO opens up to general public, monitor tan required for entry GameStop's annual EXPO opens up to general public, monitor tan required for entry originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | HTC One XL coming to Germany, drags LTE with it May 23rd 2012, 18:13 In the US, Asia and Australia they've already had their fill of the HTC One XL. But, in Europe, they've had to make do with the lame ol' HSPA+ One X. That is, until now. German carrier Vodafone has announced that it'll be the first to bring the XL home, complete with triband LTE in tow. Just like the American "One X," the new Euro XL ditches the quad-core Tegra 3 for a 1.5GHz dual-core S4, primarily because the NVIDIA solution doesn't support LTE. Though, as an added bonus, we're sure it helps extend the life of that 1,800 mAh cell inside. Vodafone will get the handset first in early June in a nice matte black, while Deutsche Telekom and O2 Germany will score the device later -- potentially in white. If you want yours contract free, it'll cost you €699 from Vodafone or €659 from HTC. HTC One XL coming to Germany, drags LTE with it originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 14:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Unwired | | Email this | Comments | Jury issues verdict in Android suit, finds that Google doesn't infringe Oracle patents May 23rd 2012, 18:05 It appears that the jury has come to a conclusion in the Oracle v. Google trial, determining that Android does not infringe Oracle patents. Judge William Aslup of the US District Court for Northern California exonerated the search giant following a trial that lasted three weeks, ruling that Google did not infringe on six claims in US Patent RE38,104, along two claims in US Patent 6,061,520. Jurors were dismissed following today's ruling, with the trial's damages phase reportedly set to begin on Tuesday. According to The Verge, the jury did determine that Google was responsible for two counts of minor copyright infringement, relating to the order of Java APIs and several lines of rangeCheck code, which could be matched with a maximum penalty of $150,000 for each count. Regardless, it appears that the lawsuit, which dates back to 2010, when Oracle filed against Google for copyright and patent infringement related to Sun's Jave code, could finally be coming to a close. Jury issues verdict in Android suit, finds that Google doesn't infringe Oracle patents originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 14:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink The Verge, CNET | US District Court | Email this | Comments | AT&T begins refarming 2G spectrum in New York City May 23rd 2012, 17:57 As mobile operators continue to move toward the promised land known as "the future," it grows ever more important for them to make some room for it. AT&T announced today that it has started the process of refarming its 2G 1900MHz spectrum in New York City, which should alleviate some of the growing demand on the carrier's 3G and 4G networks within the city. AT&T isn't volunteering specific details on how long the transition will take, and it's only saying that the freed-up bandwidth will be used for high-speed services. There are still plenty of customers on 2G-only devices that will be affected by the transition -- they may still have service for now, but it will likely degrade as the process goes forward -- but the company is reaching out to them and offering alternative options, such as free 3G-capable phones. Let's just hope those don't come with fresh contracts attached. Drift your eyes below for the full press release. Continue reading AT&T begins refarming 2G spectrum in New York City AT&T begins refarming 2G spectrum in New York City originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 13:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Fierce Mobile | Email this | Comments | GameFly to begin publishing smartphone apps, will launch its own Android game store May 23rd 2012, 17:18 Having already made headway into the digital frontier last year, video game subscription service GameFly is now ready to expand its sphere of influence into the world of mobile. The company's aspiring for greatness, announcing this morning that it plans to begin publishing iOS and Android titles as early as this summer. And that's not all, folks: we can expect to see the GameFly GameStore, a gaming-oriented competitor to the Play Store and Amazon AppStore, sometime this fall. In addition to its goal of being the biggest and baddest kid on the block, GameFly intends to don the role of philanthropist, setting aside a fund to assist struggling devs who might just need a few extra bucks to finish the next mobile masterpiece. If you fall in this category, the company's already accepting submissions, so read through the press release below to get all the necessary details. Continue reading GameFly to begin publishing smartphone apps, will launch its own Android game store GameFly to begin publishing smartphone apps, will launch its own Android game store originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 13:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. 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