Friday, June 8, 2012

Your 2 hourly digest for Engadget

Engadget
Engadget
IDC: Nokia moved just 2.2 million Lumias this winter, but stay tuned
Jun 8th 2012, 07:14

IDC Nokia moved just 22 million Lumias this winter, but stay tuned

Although we know that Nokia had a wince-inducing first quarter, the company was hush hush on how many of its Windows Phone-packing Lumias had shipped out. We still don't have official word, but IDC estimates that Nokia delivered 2.2 million of the devices to shops (not necessarily to customers) between January and March. If the total is accurate, Lumias would represent less than a tenth of the 11.9 million smartphones shipped by Espoo over the season and wouldn't have Apple or Samsung quaking in their boots just yet. The research team is careful to warn that the spring and summer will be the real litmus tests: a healthy Lumia 900 launch in the US could easily spike that number. Our one certainty is that Nokia will still have to sell a lot of 808 PureViews if it wants to keep its smartphone sales humming in the short term.

IDC: Nokia moved just 2.2 million Lumias this winter, but stay tuned originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 03:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNew York Times  | Email this | Comments

ZoomTether shares your phone's connection, tethering plan optional
Jun 8th 2012, 06:51

ZoomTether shares your phone's connection, tethering plan optional

If you don't want to cough up for a dedicated tethering plan, there are some illicit ways to share your phone's data connection with other devices. Of course, most of them require you to root your handset, which might not be something you're interested in doing. Another option is to buy a wireless router from Zoom (specifically the 4501 or 4506), install ZoomTether and plug your phone into the back. Rather than turn your smartphone into a hotspot itself, Zoom's standalone routers do the heavy WiFi lifting, which means you get the full 330 yards you've come expect from an 802.11n radio and, perhaps, a little longer battery life from your mobile. The ZoomTether-compatible routers even have batteries so that you can use them as truly portable hotspots. This little gem isn't available in Google Play just yet. You'll have to side load it by first updating your router's firmware, then transferring the app from the router to your phone. The fun and convoluted directions are available at the source. Just remember, if your carrier catches on and hits you with a hefty bill, don't blame us.

ZoomTether shares your phone's connection, tethering plan optional originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 02:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceZoom Telephonics 1, 2  | Email this | Comments

DIY cyborg appendage is less exciting than it sounds (video)
Jun 8th 2012, 06:32

DIY cyborg appendage is less exciting than it sounds (video)

When we envision our transhumanist future, it's a little more profound than simply adding a sixth finger... but we suppose you've gotta start somewhere. Instructables user and employee Frenzy gave himself a rather primitive extra digit as part of a project for an Electronics and Robotics class at San Francisco State University. Sadly he doesn't provide step-by-step instructions for building your own cyborg appendage, but it doesn't seem too difficult. Frenzy borrowed heavily from other projects, using EMG sensors to trigger a servo controlled by an Arduino, which he strapped to the back of a glove. Like we said, doesn't seem particularly hard, once you figure out how to get the microcontroller to play nice with the sensors. Obviously this is just one small step step for DIY cyborgs. Next, we need to graph on a few extra arms to make one-man liveblogging a much simpler endeavor. To see Primitive Transhumanism #2: Sixth Finger in action, head on past the break.

Continue reading DIY cyborg appendage is less exciting than it sounds (video)

DIY cyborg appendage is less exciting than it sounds (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 02:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceFrenzy (Instructables)  | Email this | Comments

TI demos Windows RT on OMAP 4470, we go hands-on (video)
Jun 8th 2012, 05:58

TI demos Windows RT on OMAP, we go handson

It seems like every ARM chip manufacturer wants a piece of Windows 8 here at Computex 2012 -- and for good reason. Hot on the heels of Asus' Tegra 3-equipped Tablet 600 and Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4-based development tablet, Texas Instruments is showing Windows RT on its very own OMAP 4470-based system. The 1.5GHz dual-core SoC features a PowerVR SGX544 GPU and leads the competition with a dual-channel memory interface. We chatted with Bill Crean, Product Manager of the OMAP Processor Business Unit who showed us Microsoft's latest OS running on TI's development tablet. The demo looked snappy enough, providing some insight about what to expect from some of Toshiba's upcoming devices. No word yet on a quad-core version. Enjoy our hands-on gallery below and take a peek after the break for our demo video.

Continue reading TI demos Windows RT on OMAP 4470, we go hands-on (video)

TI demos Windows RT on OMAP 4470, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 01:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda Fit EV rated at 118 MPGe, will get you 82 of those on one charge
Jun 8th 2012, 05:54

Honda Fit EV rated at 118 MPGe will get you 82 of those on one charge

Honda's perky little Fit EV has just been marked and measured by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA has rated the dinky 'lectro-wagon at 118 MPGe, which Honda claims is the best ever score. Our friends over at Autoblog aren't so sure, noting that the Tesla Roadster eked out 119 MPGe in its testing. That said, the Fit does best the Roadster on its city rating (132 over 124 MPGe) so perhaps there's some gentle number massaging going on. With performance like that, however, we won't hold it against them. In fact we're off to buy one now. Oh wait.

Continue reading Honda Fit EV rated at 118 MPGe, will get you 82 of those on one charge

Honda Fit EV rated at 118 MPGe, will get you 82 of those on one charge originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 01:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Autoblog  |  sourceHonda  | Email this | Comments

Apple closes in on $2.25 million settlement in Australia for disputed 4G iPad claim
Jun 8th 2012, 05:29

The legal drama surrounding Apple's 4G labeling of some iPad models in Australia might be coming to an end. The Australian reports that Apple has agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle claims that the company's use of the term "Wi-Fi + 4G" was misleading because the tablet doesn't work with the country's 4G networks. Apple already offered to provide refunds to consumers who felt deceived by the labeling. The company also renamed the aforementioned model to "iPad WiFi + Cellular" in several territories. Apple hasn't quite made it across the finish line, however -- the settlement still requires court approval before it can be finalized and the Judge has adjourned the case until Wednesday to gather more information.

[Thanks, Matt, Clayton]

Apple closes in on $2.25 million settlement in Australia for disputed 4G iPad claim originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 01:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Next Web  |  sourceThe Australian (subscription required), The Age  | Email this | Comments

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