|  |  |  | | | | | Engadget | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | You can already watch TED talks on any number of devices via the web or the various apps available, but the oft-debated conference / organization has now added another fairly big feather to its cap: it's streaming on Netflix. That includes around 200 talks to start with, which have been grouped into 14 different "shows" with titles like Space Trek, Cyber Awe, Building Wonder and Video & Photo Mojo. Those are naturally all available in HD, and they can be seen in Canada, Latin America, the UK and Ireland in addition to the US. TED expands its reach with streaming talks on Netflix originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | If a recent FCC pit stop is to be believed (and it should), Roku's third-gen HD box may very well be on its way. Physically, the miniature device keeps the same form factor as its siblings save for the purple splash on its base -- much like a color-flipped LT. Still, the main highlight isn't its minimal makeover, but instead the resurgence of composite outputs, which had been absent since the first HD-flavored Roku. Furthermore, FCC docs reveal a Broadcom BCM7208 CPU alongside 2GB of flash memory in the box's innards, while it lacks the microSD slot found in the current model. More info is sure to spill over the next few days; in the meantime, give the source link below a click to check out the rest of the Federal treatment. New Roku HD shows up at the FCC, looks like a fusion of current boxes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  Wireless Goodness | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | If a recent FCC pit stop is to be believed (and it should), Roku's next-gen HD box may very well be on its way. Physically, the miniature device keeps the same form factor as its siblings save for the purple splash on its base -- much like a color-flipped LT. Still, the main highlight isn't its minimal makeover, but instead the resurgence of full-sized composite outputs, which had been absent since the first HD-flavored Roku. Furthermore, FCC docs reveal a Broadcom BCM7208 CPU alongside 2GB of flash memory in the box's innards, while it lacks the microSD slot found in the current model. More info is sure to spill over the next few days; in the meantime, give the source link below a click to check out the rest of the Federal treatment. New Roku HD shows up at the FCC, looks like a fusion of current boxes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Wireless Goodness | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Wireless tethering, free of any carrier-imposed data shackles, is something of a reward for the well-informed smartphone buyer. Save for a sprinkling of Android handsets that natively include the feature -- specifically, Google's Nexus line -- only Windows Phone Mango offers users that same option, should the operator and OEM choose to enable it. So, it wasn't much of a surprise when Nokia unleashed its Lumia 800 and 710 to the market without internet sharing switched on. Their lil' bro the 610, on the other hand, stands poised to be the first to offer that WiFi hotspot access right out of the box. From an operator standpoint, the move make sense -- power users are less likely to claim the low-specced, wee handset as their own and, thus, sidestep potential network congestion. Will this knowledge force your credit card-wielding hand at the virtual register? Probably not, since most of our geek eyes are set firmly on that 900. Still, it's a good show of faith from 'ol Espoo. Lumia 610 to ship with internet sharing enabled, smartphone first-timers to be none the wiser originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 21:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Phone Arena | Nokia | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Sparrow's made a name for itself over on the Mac desktop side, and now it's doing its darnedest to do the same on iOS. The email-client-that-could has launched its long-awaited iPhone edition into the App Store today, with $2.99 netting you a highly polished program that integrates a "pane navigation" concept, a unique threading system and full IMAP support. In other words, Gmail, Google Apps, iCloud, Yahoo, AOL and custom email addresses are fine to use here, but there's no support for POP or Push notifications just yet. The latter is apt to put off the power users, but more casual readers may appreciate the unified inbox, direct-attachment feature and plenty of other details that provide for an overall delightful experience. It's available now in the source link (or the App Store, if you're up for a search), and we're told that localization, landscape mode, a built-in browser and 'Send and Archive' will be coming in future builds.
Psst... hit the More Coverage link to read Sparrow's explanation of why Push is being left out. If you couldn't guess, it's about privacy.Sparrow for iPhone released: just a POP and Push away from email perfection originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink TUAW | iTunes Store | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Sometimes when you start heading downhill, it can be hard to stop. Take LightSquared for instance -- not only were its LTE plans repeatedly contested and eventually shot down, but now Sprint, its long time partner, will be cutting ties with the wireless start-up. According to the Wall Street Journal, the move will officially be announced on Friday, leaving LightSquared alone with its dreams. A representative from the start-up says its filing a 150-page defense of its network on the same day, hoping to refute the Feds' claims that its network interferes with GPS signals. The outfit made no comment on Sprint's plans, but mentioned that it has enough funds to operate on its own for several quarters. We'll let you know when Sprint officially drops the ball. Sprint kicks LightSquared to the curb as it contests FCC ruling originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Wall Street Journal | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Remember those autonomous sea-faring robots we saw back in November? Well, it looks like their self-propelling paddles have slowly waded them into the record books. The bots have traveled a distance of 3,200 nautical miles (2,876 land miles), cutting the previous record of 2,500 adrift -- not bad considering there's no fuel involved. The quartet of data-hunting droids initially set off from San Francisco, before completing the first leg of their journey in Hawaii four months later. The quadrumvirate are now set to split, with two heading off to Japan, crossing the Mariana Trench (believed to be the deepest place on earth) while the other pair head south to Australia, with both duos aiming to reach their final destinations later this year. Swimming robots break wave-powered distance record, don't even stop for high-fives originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 18:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink BBC | Liquid Robotics (PDF) | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The company formerly known as Sony Ericsson applied for a patent in 2010 that's yet to be granted, but you never know, one day it might wind up in a handset near you. Having recently introduced the "floating touch" Xperia Sola that doesn't require your hands to make contact with the display, the next logical step is to make the whole thing controlled just with the movement of your head. Wearing a Bluetooth earpiece with a motion sensor, you then map a custom motion onto a phone action, so shaking your head could answer a call, nodding up and down ends it and going from side-to-side will fire up an app. Designed for when it's not safe to jab at your phone (i.e. driving) we think it's a pretty neat idea, unless you're the sort who, even on the phone, nods in agreement to what the other person is... oh, nope, hung up again. Sony applies for 'head control' patent to frustrate non-verbal communicators originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 18:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | USPTO | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Never mind what PayPal has just unveiled today -- look at these mobile phone credit card readers from China instead. If you ask Square CEO Jack Dorsey, we're sure he'll have to a thing or two to say about these familiar-looking dongles (and not to mention the various weibo microblogging services that were inspired by Jack's Twitter platform). Coincidentally, all three of these pictures above showed up on Sina Weibo earlier today, albeit from different accounts with very little detail in each post -- we'd like to think they're trying to make a point one after the other. So who's behind these little plastic bricks from the Far East?
Starting from the left (courtesy of Xiaomi Vice President Li Wanqiang) we have Lakala, a well-known Chinese payment service provider whose POS terminals are featured in major supermarkets and convenience stores. We spoke to the company's CEO Sun Taoran who assured us that this is a booming business in China, as credit cards are more popular than you'd expect these days (most large earteries, supermarkets and even karaoke bars in domestic cities will happily accept them); and of course, he'd certainly want a slice of that massive smartphone pie over there. The Beijing-based company also said its dongle will function even without a phone client installed, but it wouldn't further elaborate at this point. Expect to see Lakala's product launch in May. Continue reading Square gets a few more Chinese clones, Jack Dorsey may or may not be flattered Square gets a few more Chinese clones, Jack Dorsey may or may not be flattered originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Sina Weibo (1), (2), (3) | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Need inspiration for a wallpaper refresh? Then you'll find plenty of treats at the source link below, which displays 51 examples of how artists customize their desktops when they just can't resist a tabula rasa. They were collected by Mac-centric creative type Adam Cruces, who wanted to echo an earlier project from 1997 (called "Desktop Is") that has since decayed into mess of broken links. Some of these new desktops are mesmerizing while others are surely too impractical to be real -- but then, who's to say? This is what artists do with their desktops originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Rhizome | Desktop Views | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Well, it looks like you won't have to wait until 8:00am tomorrow to possibly get your hands on the new iPad after all. Walmart has now confirmed that it will begin selling the 16GB WiFi-only model tonight at 12:01am local time at all of its 24-hour stores. That includes both the black and white versions, as well as the now $399 iPad 2 if the whole Retina display thing isn't for you. Of course, there's no guarantees that you'll get one if you show up -- Walmart says it only has a "limited supply." Walmart to start selling new iPads at midnight local time originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The Samsung SPH-L700. It may sound like a silly combination of letters and numbers, but it just so happens to be the model number for Sprint's version of the Galaxy Nexus -- and it's officially made it through the prying eye of the FCC, still on track for a launch in the first half of 2012. It sports LTE band 25, which is the 1900MHz flavor Sprint has chosen to use when it launches its take on the next-gen network in the near future. The latest variant of the Nexus also keeps in line with the measurements on its Verizon counterpart and offers support for 850 / 1900 CDMA, Bluetooth and NFC. It doesn't offer up many more secrets, but how often do FCC docs slip up and spill all the beans? With the government's approval in the rear view mirror, we're hoping this means we'll be seeing the real deal quite soon. Sprint Galaxy Nexus gets approved by FCC, one step closer to daylight originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | FCC | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | As we saw the iPhone 4's release, a massive bump in screen resolution means that plenty of apps need to be updated to fully take advantage of all those extra pixels, and today has seen a few big name ones get optimized for the new iPad's Retina display. The biggest of those is Amazon's Kindle app, which now promises sharper fonts than ever, along with a few other changes including the ability to switch between books stored on your device and in the cloud. Also getting a Retina-friendly update is Evernote, which also now offers improved text editing in addition to the display tweak, plus the otherwise unchanged Vimeo, and Weather Pro, which now boasts high-resolution maps. Of course, those are just among the first of many -- we're guessing you won't have to wait too long for most of your favorites to be similarly updated. Kindle, Evernote, Vimeo and more get optimized for the iPad's Retina display originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Cult of Mac (1), (2), iLounge | iTunes | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | It's a tired promise for too many gadgets: Ice Cream Sandwich, just like the Gingerbread man before it, is coming... soon. You have to hand it to Acer, then, for bypassing those vague release schedules and actually pushing out a software update to the A200 on schedule. And though its specs are fairly run-of-the-mill (a 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 display and 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 SoC), it could nonetheless be a tempting deal -- after all, you don't see too many $330 10-inchers running Android 4.0.
The problem is, better things are around the corner, and the price wars rage on in the meantime. As it is, the A200 went relatively unnoticed at CES as Acer unveiled the Tegra 3-toting A700. The existence of that next-gen tab alone should raise a few red flags for consumers thinking of hopping aboard the Android tablet train. What's more, NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang has already promised sub-$300 Tegra 3 tablets are on the way (ASUS even confirmed one!). So is this just a case of bad timing for what is an otherwise respectable tablet? Should you hold onto those hard-earned greenbacks until the market becomes flush with affordable quad-core slates? Or will its immediate availability and reasonable price make for an irresistible purchase now? Join us after the break as we tackle those very questions and give this tablet the fair shake it deserves.
Continue reading Acer Iconia Tab A200 review Acer Iconia Tab A200 review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Archos has been pushing out an array of slates ranging from kid-friendly to Prime contenders, leaving you with a plethora to choose from. One of which, is a souped-up variant of that 80 G9 we showed you a while back. The Archos 80 G9 Turbo ICS, to call it by its full name, is now ready to leave its warehouse status behind and head toward your front door. Perhaps, its main selling point is the ICS treat it brings along (shockingly, this inclusion is still a relative rarity) , but it's also packing a 1.5GHz OMAP4 CPU, a 720p front-facing shooter as well as an 8-inch, 1024 x 768 display. Additionally, the G9 Turbo comes in two flavors: 8GB and 16GB , both priced at around $310 and $380, respectively. Folks looking to snag one of these turbolicious tabs can head over to the source link below. Archos 80 G9 Turbo slate shipping now, Ice Cream Sandwich on board originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Android Central | Archos | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Hear that? That's the sound of coins hitting the mental floor at a breakneck pace, and if PayPal's meteoric success is any indication of how it'll do in mobile... well, stockholders should be pleased. Nearly three years after first hearing of Jack Dorsey's Square (formerly 'Squirrel') project, the most hated division of eBay is coming out with a rival. President and CEO of eBay John Donahoe took the wraps off of the device at Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco today, with an aim to bring PayPal to "merchants in the offline world." The plastic triangle module plays a familiar role: pop it into an iPhone, load up an app and swipe until you just can't sell anything else. We're hearing that PayPal will charge merchants 2.7 percent (just 0.05 percent less than Square), but further details -- and even the thing's name -- are still developing.
As much as we jest about PayPal's polarizing nature, we've been victim to one too many unjustified account freezes to become overly joyous here, but we won't kvetch about a little competition. Here's hoping we see rates and fees on the decline thanks to another major player stepping up to bat, but something tells us those kinds of dreams are dreamt only by fools. That aside, the fact that famed designer Yves Behar (profiled here on The Engadget Show) and Fuseproject were tapped to engineer it gets a major thumbs-up from us.
Update: Looks like it'll go by the name Here. PayPal Here. Moreover, the hardware and app will be gratis, and shipments will begin to go out in the US, Hong Kong, and Australia today. Everyone else will need to sit tight for a few weeks, and we're still digging for information on compatibility beyond the iPhone. PayPal Here mobile card reader: it's like Square, but with way more frozen accounts originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink mike_isaac (Instagram), The Verge | CNET | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | You might know Kevin Rose from his days at TechTV, as the cofounder of the social news website digg.com, or from his awesome drunken (and sometimes quotable) ramblings on his former video podcast diggnation. However, per AllThingsD, it appears that Rose, and perhaps a bunch of his cohorts at his latest gig, Milk, have been poached to work at the Google mothership. That comes merely a day after Milk shuttered its first product, Oink -- an app enabling users to rate experiences rather than venues, think Yelp but for things. As to what Rose and any coworkers that come with him will be doing once in Mountain View is currently unknown, but unfortunately it looks like Milk's headed to the deadpool, folks. AllThingsD: Google diggs Kevin Rose originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | AllThingsD | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Originally filed in the halcyon days of 2010, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has just published a web browser-centric patent application from the fine folks in Redmond. Microsoft's "Branded Browser Frame" app details a "computer-readable storage media" that can be specifically executed (presumably by surfing over to a website that's capable of handling said execution), and then used to present a varying interface based on what the underlying instructions are telling it to do. According to the independent claims put forth, we're told about a "control layout area... wherein one of the selected controls comprises a website-branded control that serves as a website's homepage button, and a navigation control that provides an input field."
In lay terms, that sounds a lot like a browser function that would enable many of the typical graphical elements we see atop our URL bars today to be adjusted and dynamically tweaked based on inputs from whatever address it was currently on. We aren't putting words in the applicant's mouth, but we're envisioning a top bar in Internet Explorer that turns red and features DVDs as the forward and back buttons when surfing over to Netflix.com (perhaps a stretch, but you catch the drift). Naturally, it'll take some time to see if this here app is actually granted, and it's possible that it'll look / function quite differently in its final form, but there's no doubt that someone at Microsoft is dreaming about a sexier (if not more sellable) browser bar. Microsoft patent application details branded web browser frame originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | US Patent & Trademark Office | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | A new project from DARPA could successfully bring satellites to the same throwaway status as paper cups and Charlie Sheen's income (#winning). At $500,000 a pop, the orbitals would hardly be chump change, but the Pentagon insists these airborne systems could provide reconnaissance within 90 minutes of deployment and would deliver valuable tactical information to areas not covered by current satellites. Known as SeeMe, the systems would be launched in groups of 24 -- which equates to a $12 million cluster -- and would remain in orbit for 60 to 90 days, at which point they'd burn up upon atmospheric re-entry. Currently, DARPA is seeking contractors that can manufacture the systems rapidly at low costs, which can also "develop advanced technologies for optics, power, propulsion and communications to keep size and weight down." It's said to further discuss the project at a March 27th event known as Proposers' Day. In the meantime, we're going to hit the junkyard and see what we can cobble together. DARPA envisions disposable SeeMe satellites for on-demand reconnaissance originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink BBC News | DARPA | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  The truth in advertising is that there is none -- it's mostly all smoke and mirrors. But sometimes those illusory promises have real-world criminal intent behind them, like this latest ruling from the Korean government's corporate regulator. In a decision handed down earlier today, that governing body found mobile phone makers LG, Samsung and Pantech, in addition to operators KT, SK Telecom and LG Upius guilty of price fixing. In what's been framed as a case of consumer fraud, the OEMs reportedly inflated the associated costs of handsets, which were then marketed with supposed discounts by the colluding carriers. Collectively the group's been ordered to pony up about 45.3 billion won (or $40.2 million) in fines, with the largest of those penalties belonging to Samsung at 14.2 billion won (about $12.6 million) and SK Telecom at 20.2 billion won (about $18 million). Adding further insult to this public injury is the FTC, which has taken the extra step of imposing sales restrictions that are intended to prevent the involved parties from committing future infractions. Check out the source below for the full scoop on this corporate back-scratching. Samsung, LG and Pantech, among others, fined $40 million in Korean price fixing scam originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Unwired View | Korea Times | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Need something to keep you occupied as you wait in line for the latest iPad? What better way to wile away the time waiting for its 8AM release in your part of the world than watching someone else tear apart their brand new tablet? iFixit has already managed to get its hands on the "resolutionary" new product with help from some time zone trickery, and is digging into the slate as we speak. The site has only posted the above image at present, but we'll hit you with the link as soon as we get it. Stay tuned.
Update: And it begins! Check out the source link below to follow all of the fun. Looks like the site got its hands on a 4G model, courtesy of a store in Melbourne, Australia. So far there's nothing super shocking inside -- it's packing that dual-core A5x processor and a 9.7-inch display, which looks like it may have been crafted by Samsung, according to the site. iFixit begins surgery on new iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | iFixit | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | It looks like Apple isn't the only company that has some boasting to do for its app store. Meizu, the company behind the eponymous Meizu MX smartphone and the Flyme OS (based on Android), has just shouted from the figurative rooftops that its Flyme Store has now surpassed 100 million downloads. Most impressive about this achievement is that of the total sum, a full 90 million took place in the last year alone. Unlike Apple's App Store, which now contains more than 550,000 titles, the Flyme Store currently offers just 10,000 applications, which makes the achievement all the more impressive. To mark the event, Meizu rewarded its 100 millionth customer with a 10,000 yuan credit for the Flyme Store -- which means a shopping spree is definitely in order. You'll find the celebratory PR after the break. Continue reading Meizu Flyme Store surpasses 100 million downloads, now boasts 10,000 apps Meizu Flyme Store surpasses 100 million downloads, now boasts 10,000 apps originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Whatever Google can do, Amazon can do... too? Sure seems it, as the latter is celebrating a rather momentous occasion by giving back to the people that have brought it this far: you (and you, and you!). The Amazon Appstore for Android has officially been alive and kicking for 12 months, and Bezos and co. are slashing prices for a week instead of tossing one forgettable party. We're told to expect rock-bottom rates on iconic titles such as Fruit Ninja, Wolfram Alpha, Splashtop Remote Desktop, Dr. Seuss's The Shape of Me and Other Stuff, TuneIn Radio Pro, TETRIS, PAC-MAN, The Lost City, MONOPOLY, AccuWeather Platinum and more. Birthday deals start today with one of the top paid apps, Plants vs. Zombies, at 67 percent off, and you can expect to see more in the coming days. Crack open that dusty wallet and hit the source link, vaquero. Continue reading Amazon Appstore for Android celebrates a year of life, deals for a week Amazon Appstore for Android celebrates a year of life, deals for a week originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Amazon | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  In a quick peek behind the curtain at what life can be like as an Android developer, Netflix's Tech Blog has posted details of the testing process for each iteration of its app. According to Netflix's own stats, after being initially released for just a handful of phones nearly a year ago it now streams to "almost around 1,000" different devices daily. The situation of building one app for different hardware, software (including CM7 and CM9), screen sizes and and other variations like hardware or software decoding presents many challenges, but the team has filtered down to 14 devices (10 phones, 4 tablets) that give maximum coverage for their daily tests. Add in an HTML5 frontend for the native video video player, and suddenly the staggered rollout across devices starts to make more sense. Hit the source link for more info on how it all gets put together and shaken down through both automated and human testing, while Apple fans can wait for a similar breakdown of the iOS process that's on the way. Netflix reveals Android app tests that keep it running on 'around 1000' devices daily originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Netflix Tech Blog | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  While we've been telling jaded partners and family members for ages, it looks like there's some -- slightly obscure -- proof. The researchers reconstructed their own levels, forcing gamers to choose between one of two paths, with a mix of power-ups, health items and enemies that created a "logical statement". If you can complete the level with that particular combination, then it would resolve the Boolean satisfiability problem -- a logic puzzle that squares variables against whether a statement is true, and whether the same can be said of all similarly composed statements. While the theory sounds trickier than the first stage of Mario, Nintendo's flagship title -- as well as Donkey Kong, Legend of Zelda, Metroid and the Pokémon series -- were categorized as NP-hard. This means deciding if a player can solve a certain part of the game is at least as hard as the most difficult problems in NP; a classification that involves easy-to-check, difficult-to-solve propositions. While you figure out what that means, we're hitting up Nintendogs 3D. Because we like a challenge. Scientists: 'Games are hard' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | New Scientist | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | We're still not sure what inspired Dish Network to choose a kangaroo theme for its new multiroom DVR setup -- going as far as bringing out a live baby 'roo during its CES 2012 unveiling -- but if there's room in your home and heart for the Hopper (XiP813) and Joey (XiP110) boxes, they're available now. As we saw in our hands-on in January, they have a UI similar to the previous 922 boxes, with a few new screens added for new features and icon-based tile navigation. The Hopper DVR itself packs a 2TB drive which is put to use by PrimeTime Anytime, a feature that records three hours of network programming every night (using only one of its three tuners, thanks to the magic of satellite transponders) and stores them for eight days, just in case you missed something. The Joey multiroom extender boxes bring the video to other spots in the house and can be wired up over the existing coax thanks to MoCA technology. The price for all of this is a whole home DVR fee of $10 per month for the Hopper, and $7 per month for each Joey, while subscribers on the America's Top 200 plan or higher can get a free installation with up to three extenders. The folks over at SatelliteGuys.us got some early hands-on time and have posted detailed impressions, hit the link below for those or check out the press release and our CES video demo after the break. Oh, and the Exede-powered satellite broadband package that was announced at CES? We're hearing that's still on the slate for this summer, although the potential LTE portion may have to wait a while.
[Thanks, Mr. Brightside]Continue reading Dish Network starts rolling out Hopper / Joey multiroom DVR setup today (video) Dish Network starts rolling out Hopper / Joey multiroom DVR setup today (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Dish Network, SatelliteGuys.us | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Neutrinos may not travel as fast as we first hoped, but then they have other special abilities to make up for it. Being almost massless, they can penetrate the thickest barriers, which ought to make them ideal message carriers. To illustrate the point, scientists sent the word "Neutrino" on a beam of particles through 240 meters (800 feet) of solid stone and received it loud and clear on the other side. The same approach could potentially be used to send a message right through the center of a planet, making it possible, according to one of the researchers, to "communicate between any two points on Earth without using satellites or cables." The experiment required the latest particle accelerators at Chicago's Fermilab, which flung the neutrinos over a 2.5 mile track before firing them off at an underground receiver, but it proved the principle: Shrink the accelerator down to the size of a smartphone and neutrino messaging could be huge. Or it could die in a format war with quantum teleportation. Neutrinos can transmit messages through walls, mountains, planets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 08:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | PhysOrg | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | If you were paying very close attention during Samsung's IFA announcements last year, you may have caught wind of a 3.6-inch PMP, fittingly called the Galaxy S WiFi 3.6. Now, Samsung has confirmed that this elusive entry-level Gingerbread handheld will finally be making its way to North America, with a 3.6-inch 800 x 480-pixel display and 1GHz Hummingbird processor in tow. There's no question that this isn't going to be a must-have gadget for power users, but for children and those new to Android or portable media players, the 3.6 will suit just fine. It's still a capable device, though on a more modest scale than pricier models -- there's a rear-facing 2-megapixel camera with a VGA snapper up front, a 1500mAh removable battery, a microSD slot for memory expansion, micro-USB and headphone ports on the bottom, and a power button and volume rocker on the side.
We had a chance to go hands-on with the 3.6 ahead of its U.S. launch during a visit to Samsung HQ in South Korea. The first thing we noticed is its size -- the compact design and light weight make single-handed operation quite feasible, even for those with smaller hands. The relatively high-res display (given the size) is of the LCD variety, as with other Galaxy Players, though with the same amount of screen real estate as larger devices, you should have no problem using the PMP for occasional email and basic web-browsing. Surprisingly, we also didn't have any issue using the keyboard, even in portrait mode with fairly stocky fingers. Navigation was noticeably sluggish compared to higher-end Samsung Galaxy devices, but not out of the ordinary for a mid-tier gadget. We wouldn't necessarily recommend purchasing the Galaxy S WiFi 3.6 if your everyday device has a large, gorgeous AMOLED display and plenty of processing power under the hood, but if you're looking for a PMP to compliment your prepaid feature phone, this budget offering should fit the bill. We're still awaiting confirmation of U.S. pricing and availability, though it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect it to land within the $150-200 range. Jump past the break for our video hands-on. Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S WiFi 3.6 hands-on (video) Samsung Galaxy S WiFi 3.6 hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 08:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | It's been a while since we've heard about iHome's iW2 AirPlay speaker, but that all changed Wednesday, when the company announced that its wireless system will begin shipping on April 1st. Standing at a little under six inches tall, this setup is about 25 percent smaller than its predecessor, the iW1. It's also a bit cheaper, at about $200, though it won't come with a built-in rechargeable battery. For more details and insight, check out the PR after the break. Continue reading iHome's iW2 AirPlay speaker to begin shipping this April, for $200 iHome's iW2 AirPlay speaker to begin shipping this April, for $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 07:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink CNET | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Nokia design chief Marko Ahtisaari wasn't going to be drawn on details and release dates, but he has revealed that a tablet from the (predominantly) phone-focused company was definitely in the works -- and taking up a fair chunk of his time. In an interview with Finnish magazine Kauppalehti Optio, Ahtisaari said that he was looking to create a new device that would stand out from the increasingly packed tablet crowd. The full interview isn't online just yet, but the teaser adds that the head of design is also involved in a new 'revolutionary' user experience that means you wouldn't have to be constantly arched over your phone -- whatever that involves. A Nokia spokesperson told Reuters that they "continue to eye the tablet space with interest, but have made no specific announcements." However, we're sure Nokia will have plenty more to say about these nebulous ideas in the near future. Nokia design chief spending a third of his time on future tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 06:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Reuters | Kauppalehti (translated) | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Last week's trip to iRobot's headquarters in Bedford, Massachusetts wasn't just about tossing battlefield 'bots about. We also had the opportunity to check out some of the company's more domestic offerings. The Scooba 390 is the latest addition to the iRobot's line of floor cleaners. The mopping 'bot offers a couple of enhancements to its older sibling -- rather than considering it a full refresh, the company's referring to it as an "update to respond to customer feedback." The biggest difference here is improved battery life -- a welcome change in any device. According to iRobot, the 390 should provide users with around 30 percent more battery life than its predecessor, covering up to 450 square feet per cleaning session. Continue reading iRobot Scooba 390 hands-on iRobot Scooba 390 hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 06:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Clinging desperately to the last vestiges of your beloved Flip? Well, as the December 31st, 2013 deadline to rescue your vids approaches, you're running out of time to pick a successor to your FlipShare affections. Sharing service Givit hopes to be the platform that takes the reins to your video-sharing heart. In order to lure in new users, it's integrating (however briefly) with FlipShare to offer you one click exporting of your clips from the doomed Cisco property. Users who log into FlipShare will see a link offering them 25GB 2GB of free storage if they move their movies to Givit as well. All in all, not a bad deal. If you want to give it a test run before handing over the keys to your memories, hit up the source link.
Update: Givit reached out to correct an error in the original release they sent us. New members will only get 2GB free, but those signing up from FlipShare will received double the normal amount of storage on premium accounts. Continue reading Givit video sharing service offers easy export of FlipShare clips Givit video sharing service offers easy export of FlipShare clips originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 06:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Givit | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.  The fine folks at Mech Warfare have a problem: their robots are a little too awesome. The housing tents made from PVC pipes and canvas just aren't cutting it. The crew needs a cool $6,000 to provide their 'bots with the modular lexan & aluminum-armored arena they deserve -- because the last thing you want to do is upset a team of weaponized fighting robots, right? Mech Warfare has promised to offer up the plans for the arena online, while using any extra money for networking equipment, so that you can enjoy the inalienable human right that is robot fighting from the comfort of your own home. Pledge $10 or more, and you'll get your name on the Sponsors page -- pledge more than $5,000, and the crew will help coach you in designing a battling 'bot of your very own. Check out some sweet robot fighting action in the video after the break. Continue reading Insert Coin: Help some dudes make a robot fighting ring Insert Coin: Help some dudes make a robot fighting ring originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 05:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Slashgear | Kickstarter | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | A search engine should be about more than just keywords. MC Hammer believes that passionately and Google must do too, because over the next few months and years it'll gradually adjust its own algorithms to put greater emphasis on "semantic search". Under this system, search queries are run through a vast knowledge database that discovers relationships with other words and facts. A Mountain View exec explained it thus: If you search for "Lake Tahoe", you won't just get ranked websites containing those two words but also key attributes about the lake, such as its location, altitude, average temperature and Bigfoot population. If a piece of knowledge isn't the in the ever-expanding database, the search engine will still use semantic search to help it recognize and evaluate information held on websites. In doing this, Big G hopes to compete with social networks that are amassing their own valuable (and sometimes intrusive) databases full of personal information, while also encouraging people to stay longer on its site and see more targeted ads. Google, who is Viviane Reding? Google to switch on 'semantic search' within months, emphasize things as well as words originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 04:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | WSJ | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | RIM's handsets won't be getting BlackBerry 10 until later this year, but once they do, the PlayBook will be next in line. That's according to Rob Orr, RIM's VP of product management, who confirmed the news to TechRadar. "We've said publicly a number of times that our first BB10 handset will be available towards the end of 2012, and that's still firmly the case," Orr said. "At some point after the launch we'll bring BB10 to our PlayBooks, yes." Orr apparently didn't get any more specific than that, though he did mention that RIM has seen a spike in updates to PlayBook OS 2.0, which came out just last month. According to the exec, about 50 percent of all users made the jump on the day it came out, which just goes to show how great e-mail is. BlackBerry 10 coming to the PlayBook, RIM confirms originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 03:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink N4BB | TechRadar | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  AU Optronics has had its name bandied about in the courtroom before, most recently in a 2009 group suit where it was targeted for LCD price fixing. 'Course, LCD price fixing has been quite a popular pastime for a smattering of outfits, but it looks like AUO will be seeing the wrong end of the decision process here in the States. A US court found the Taiwanese company guilty in a case that could see it hit with a fine totaling as much as $1 billion. Yeah, with a b. As it goes, the outfit was charged as part of an alleged price-fixing group that operated between 1999 and 2006, but it was the only Asian LCD maker in that lot to plead not guilty. This here ruling comes after LG agreed to pay a $400 million fine in 2008, while Samsung talked itself into an early deal to sidestep prosecution. A pair of AUO execs were also found guilty, but its former CEO L.J. Chen (who is still hanging around in the top brass) was not. We're told that the company plans to appeal -- a process that could last as long as a year -- but that hasn't kept its stock price from sinking in the interim. First comes sliding LCD margins, and now the looming thought of a $1 billion slap on the wrist; suddenly, your woes don't seem so bad, huh? AU Optronics found guilty of US price fixing, appeal already in the works originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 02:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink PCMag | Reuters | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Version 1.4 of Wolfram Alpha has just landed in Apple's App Store, and in addition to a visual refresh for weather queries and the ability to procure items from Best Buy, users will also discover a new in-app purchase option that brings image analysis and manipulation to the venerable analytics platform. For $0.99, the new Image Input feature allows users to add filters, perform color processing and OCR recognition, detect features and view EXIF and histogram information of their photos. The Wolfram Alpha app itself will set you back $2.99, so if you've yet to hop aboard, you can expect to plunk down just shy of $4.00 for the app and its add-on -- no doubt a small price for true photo junkies. Wolfram Alpha in-app purchase for iOS adds advanced image processing capabilities originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 02:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink iLounge | iTunes, WolframAlpha Blog | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | |  | |  | |  |
