|  |  |  | | | | | Engadget | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Microsoft has confirmed via multiple mainstream media outlets that today is the day for several more high-profile video apps to appear on its Xbox 360, namely Comcast Xfinity TV, HBO Go and MLB.tv. There's not a lot of detail on the apps themselves, although the HBO Go and MLB.tv services are familiar due to their availability on other platforms, while we've already heard the Xfinity TV app will mirror the experience and content already seen on the PC. All three naturally include significant Kinect integration, and bring the total number of video apps (already including recent additions like Verizon FiOS and YouTube) available to 36. Interestingly, another stat Microsoft is focusing on is that the time spent using its consoles to watch online video is now over half, outpacing the time users are spending playing its games for the first time. Head of marketing and strategy for Xbox Yusuf Mehdi is quoted by the LA Times as saying usage is up 30 percent from a year ago. We're not sure if that just reflects gamers powering through to (and possibly being disappointed by) the ending of Mass Effect 3, but we'll be keeping any eye on our dashboards all the same. Xbox 360 Comcast, HBO and MLB.tv apps arrive today on consoles used more for video than games originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 01:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  Variety, USA Today, LA Times, The Hollywood Reporter | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Shortly after introducing its entry-level TX-NR515 and TX-NR616 receivers, Onkyo is taking the wraps off of a fresh pair of souped-up, pricier AV boxes. Both part of the TX-NR family, the TX-NR717 ($999) and TX-NR818 ($1,119) are carrying on the 7.2-channel audio tradition seen on their lower-priced siblings, while a Qdeo processor handles all video upscaling duties -- yes, 4K included. The 3D-ready couple is also packing THX Select 2 Plus certification, a whopping eight HDMI ports on each box, DTS-HD Master Audio / Dolby TrueHD decoding and a revamped 1080p GUI. Onkyo's also said iOS and Kindle Fire variants of its Android Remote App are in the works, though mum's the word on when they'll be up for grabs. Either of these good enough for your home setup? They won't hit shelves until May, which may (baller status) or may not (Average Joe) be enough time to save up. Continue reading Onkyo intros a new pair of TX-NR AV receivers, prices start at $999 Onkyo intros a new pair of TX-NR AV receivers, prices start at $999 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Onkyo (1), (2) | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Could Google Instant suggest you out of a job? According to one Japanese man's claims, that search algorithm is precisely what landed him a pink slip and permanent spot on the unemployment line. The Kyodo News Agency is reporting that a string of unflattering searches performed by the plaintiff's former employer allegedly linked him to a host of illegal and unflattering behavior, leading to his eventual termination. Baseless claims of a paranoiac? One Tokyo court doesn't think so, as the search giant's been issued an injunction that temporarily bars the use of autocomplete in the country. So far, Mountain View's refused to bow down to the order and maintains its service is consistent with user privacy policies. Our currently jobless John Doe-san would beg to differ and had previously sought the company's assistance in deleting the offending queries before seeking judicial aide, albeit to no avail. Should be interesting to see how this case plays out, seeing as the infraction is the first of its kind and could potentially alter the legal parameters of internet queries. We'll keep you posted on further developments as this courtroom drama continues to play out. Japanese court orders Google to halt Instant search for suggesting one man be fired originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  ABC News | Kyodo News Agency | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Game of Thrones
HBO's hottest new series is back with a new season, and there should be plenty of action in all forms coming along with it. Whether it's through betrayal, all out warfare or political intrigue everyone is making a grab for power in the land of Westeros and of course -- winter is coming. If you're the only person who hasn't watched the show yet, there's a trailer for season two embedded after the break.
(April 1st, HBO, 9PM)
NBA
With the playoffs rapidly approaching we've got a slew of great games this week, including a finals rematch between the Heat and Mavericks, and a West coast battle between the Thunder and Lakers. We're finally getting to the part of the season where the games mean something, and they should at least give hoops fans a quick taste while we wait for the Final Four games this weekend. Continue reading Must See HDTV (March 26th - April 1st) Must See HDTV (March 26th - April 1st) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Have you linked your personal data to HTCSense.com's cloud? Did you even know that was possible? Well, tough luck Johnny-come-latelies because it's too late now, anyway, as that feature is destined to sunset at the end of next month. Users who'd previously opted-in for that remote storage have begun to receive notices via email regarding the company's plans to pull the plug on April 30th and have been urged to download and back up all pertinent info before it heads for the recycle bin. The transition is reportedly part of a service overhaul, with an enhanced consumer-facing experience in the works for an unspecified future launch. Just what those service enhancements entail we can't say for sure, as the OEM's staying relatively mum on the subject. We did, however, reach out to the company for an official comment which you can read after the break. Continue reading HTCSense.com to shutter service April 30th, facelift on the way HTCSense.com to shutter service April 30th, facelift on the way originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink DigitalTrends | HTCSense.com | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Fisker Automotive hasn't exactly had the smoothest of launches for its all-electric Karma sedan, and it's now been dealt yet another small setback. As Wired Autopia reports, Fisker now plans to replace the battery packs on nearly all of the Karmas that have rolled off the assembly line -- apparently due to the same issue that caused the car to break down during Consumer Reports' test of the car. That includes some 640 cars in all (up from 239 in an earlier recall), although Fisker notes that it has only seen the issue on a "handful" of vehicles. If you're the owner of one of those, you can expect to receive a notice in the next few days, along with a software update (unrelated to the recall) that promises improvements on everything form the powertrain to infotainment system. Fisker plans to replace the battery packs on 640 Karma sedans originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Wired Autopia | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | A 7.1.1 update to the Windows Phone SDK has just hit Microsoft's servers today with tools tailored for Tango's lowered memory support in tow. According to the company's Windows Phone Developer Blog, this refresh "doesn't add much in the way of new features to [the] WPSDK," mostly addressing emulation for 256MB handsets, compatibility for Windows 8, a patch for Visual Studio, bug fixes for the Advertising SDK, additional language support and an ability for IntelliSense to switch between RAM configurations. It's a hefty 300MB download, since the package accommodates both OS images (512MB and 256MB), and should take about 15 minutes for a complete install. Consider yourself part of the mobile dev pack? Then hit up the source below to get a head start creating those Metro-style apps. Microsoft releases update to Windows Phone SDK, adds support for 256MB devices originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Windows Phone Developer Blog, Microsoft | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Invasion of the One S chassis snatchers? That certainly seems to be the case here, as a render and listing for the T328w -- what is supposedly HTC's Wind -- has popped up over on Chinese site, Tenaa. The dual-SIM 4-inch handset, sporting an uncanny resemblance to its mid-tier look-alike, will purportedly occupy a lower rung on the smartphone scale, toting a single-core 1GHz CPU, 512MB RAM, a rear 5 megapixel shooter and WCDMA bands with support for HSDPA and HSUPA. From that list of internals alone, the unit sounds more like a dressed-up, specced-down One V, albeit without that idiosyncratic lip. On the software side, we're looking at Ice Cream Sandwich smothered in Sense 4a -- presumably, a localized variant of the OEM's newest UX. With a global rollout for the One line slated for this spring, our friends to the East could be seeing this device breeze its way onto retail shelves sooner than later. HTC T328w to be the Wind beneath Chinese consumer wings? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink AndroidCentral | Tenaa | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  Remember the hoo-hah OnLive cooked over some supposedly fast-and-loose Windows licensing? Well Nivio's been quietly rolling out its own, proudly licensed, version of a cloud-based Windows desktop. Its minimum requirement is the ability to handle HTML5, meaning that a Microsoft-powered OS can be used across iPads, Android phones, MacBooks and everything else in between. Nivio offers up a cloud storage platform alongside a Windows 7- style (it's based on the Windows 2008 R2 Server; same building blocks) OS that allows the user to sync up to 10GBs across devices. What else does it have? Microsoft Office -- on your tablet or smartphone of choice and all licensed through Redmond's very own Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA). The service launched in February, and is currently clearing a backlog of users on its books, attempting to gauge how people are using the service before exploding any servers. It's also started making its first steps in Europe, so we decided to take a look while its makers were in London. Continue reading Nivio brings the Windows desktop to your iPad and Galaxy Nexus, we go hands-on Nivio brings the Windows desktop to your iPad and Galaxy Nexus, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Nivio | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | There's plenty of people bothered by the dossiers of data companies like Facebook and Google can (and do) compile on their users, particularly in places across the pond. Now, the Federal Trade Commission has come up with a privacy framework to help address consumer concerns and provide companies with best practices to proliferate better privacy policies. This new plan is articulated in the FTC's recently released privacy report, and seeks to persuade companies to adopt a Privacy by Design ethos. Companies can do this by building in simplified privacy controls throughout product development and making info collection and practices transparent to users.
In order to meet these goals, the FTC came up with a five-pronged approach. First up is the widespread implementation of a Do Not Track system -- for which the W3C is currently creating an international standard -- that has already made its way into Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome to make it easy to opt out of targeted ads. Mobile services are also a priority, as the FTC wants concise, meaningful privacy disclosures to make them easy to digest when on smaller screens. Next, the FTC wants consumers to be able to easily find what personal info is held by data brokers, and is pushing those data brokers to create a centralized website to that end. ISPs, social networks, operating systems, and other so-called "large platform providers" are also under scrutiny for their ability to comprehensively track consumers, and the FTC will have a public workshop later this year to "further explore" issues related to that capability. Lastly, the Commission is working with the Department of Commerce to create business sector-specific codes of conduct, and pledges to continue to take action against companies that don't abide by their own policies.
In order to assuage fears that its framework puts too big of a financial burden on small businesses, the FTC made clear that it doesn't apply to companies that collect data from less than 5,000 customers and don't share that data with third parties. Sounds like a good plan, fellas, but we won't get too excited until we see the big boys actually implementing it. FTC wants new privacy framework: asks for simple controls, transparent policies originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Techmeme | FTC (PDF) | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Tablets have fared far better than smartphones under Ice Cream Sandwich's Lady Liberty embrace. While the market's seen a paucity of smaller-screened Android 4.0 devices, the opposite is true of its slate cousins. And Archos appears determined to further spread Google's latest OS love to the people with a G3 update to its budget-minded Arnova line. A tab bearing the model number A9G3 -- presumably the outfit's 9.7-incher -- has recently sailed through the FCC's gates with radios for WiFi b/g/n on board. As this particular unit's currently under confidential lock and key until early May, we weren't able to glean much insight into its spec underbelly, however, we were able to discern a dual speaker setup on its back. Judging by the French outfit's leaked roadmap, this low-end entry could be on track for a debut in 2012 and will reportedly retail for up to 150 Euros (about $199US). Need to know more? Then hit up the source below to meander through the Commission's filings. Archos Arnova A9G3 tablet bares its backside for the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | FCC | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Four days ago TiVo abandoned its protracted patent litigation against Microsoft and we sighed in relief at the idea that people were learning to just get along. Our respite was short lived, however, when the company revealed it was lobbing litigation-shaped grenades over the fence toward Motorola Mobility and Time Warner Cable. The lawsuit, filed in the Patent Troll haven of Texas' Eastern District, concerns patents 6,223,389, 7,529,465 and 6,792,195. The first of that trio is the contentious Time Warping patent that's been argued over so much we'd like to slice it in two, King Solomon style. Details beyond that are few and far between, but something tells us we'll be hearing more about the tiff in the future... whether we want to or not. TiVo sues Time Warner Cable, Motorola Mobility in fresh patent assault originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Forbes | SEC | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | It's been a while since we've heard the name SyncTV 'round these parts, but perhaps we'll be seeing a bit more of it now that HTC has a stake in the streaming video company. As part of a deal with Intertrust, HTC has purchased 20 percent of its new partner's subsidiary. In addition, the Taiwanese manufacturer has licensed a broad portfolio of patents from the Sunnyvale firm, primarily dealing with DRM. Unfortunately we have no specifics about how HTC plans to leverage its new media property, but hopefully they're working on some fun surprises even as we speak. (Though, most likely, we're just looking at one more piece of manufacturer-installed bloatware.) Check out the brief, and ultimately not very informative, PR after the break. Continue reading HTC partners with Intertrust, buys 20 percent of SyncTV HTC partners with Intertrust, buys 20 percent of SyncTV originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  We're back in our old digs, and boy do we have a lot of show for you. Tim and Brian kick things off in style with a high flying segment involving planes, all-terrain vehicles, a desert sandstorm and ultra-rugged cameras from Contour and GoPro. HD senior editor Richard Lawler sits down with Sony Electronics president Phil Molyneux to discuss the company's home entertainment strategy. Next up, we take a look at some of the month's hottest gadgets, including the new iPad, the Lytro camera and Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1, before heading to Bedford, MA to check out the latest devices from iRobot. Mat Smith, Sean Cooper and Myriam Joire are your tour guides on our trip through this year's Mobile World Congress, and we wrap things up with a visit from media theorist Douglas Rushkoff to discuss his book, Program or be Programmed. Hosts: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater Special guests: Douglas Rushkoff, Phil Molyneux Producer: Guy Streit Director: Michelle Stahl Executive Producers: Brian Heater, Joshua Fruhlinger and Michael Rubens Download the Show: The Engadget Show - 031 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 031 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) / The Engadget Show - 031 (Small) Subscribe to the Show: [ iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (MP4). [ Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (MP4). [ RSS MP4] Add the Engadget Show feed (MP4) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically. [ HD RSS] Get the Engadget Show delivered automatically in HD. [ iPad RSS] Get the Engadget Show in iPad-friendly adaptive format. The Engadget Show 31: Douglas Rushkoff, Sony, iRobot, MWC and air combat originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  Limber up those thumbs gaming gurus, because a new challenge may be on its way to your PlayStation 3 console: photo editing. PCWorld is reporting that Sony will be rolling out some new "photo editing software" for the PS3 early this week. Tweaking photos aside, the software's ultimate purpose will be to provide access to and allow the sharing of digital stills through the company's PlayMemories Online (and your other Sony portable media devices), which is set to launch later this year. The report states that the software will be on sale here in the US on Tuesday and carry a price tag of $18 -- a 30-day trial will also be available. What say you PlayStation Legion? Are you ready to retouch your stills with a D-pad? Sony to add photo editing to PlayStation 3's repertoire this week? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | PCWorld | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The last thing you want when things are getting hot in the battlefield, is for things to start heating-up under your desk too. Digital Storm's been back in the lab, looking for ways to prevent just that, and thinks it's cracked it with the new Aventum system. It's the first to be kitted out with the PC-maker's Cryo-TEC liquid cooling mechanism, and boasts a thermal exhaust, five software-regulated "zones" and no less than 13 configurable fans. The range starts with an Intel i7 2700K core, 16GB RAM, 120GB SSD (1TB HDD) and a GeForce GTX680 for $3,859. If your pockets are even deeper, then you might fancy the 2x dual Xeon E5-2630 hexacore-totin' system with 32GB DDR RAM, and three-way SLI (with the same GeForce GTX680) for a jaw dropping $7,856. With a price like that, however, it's probably your credit card that'll need cooling down. Digital Storm are taking orders as of today, and full details of the range in the PR after the break. Continue reading Digital Storm launches Aventum range with Cryo-TEC cooling system Digital Storm launches Aventum range with Cryo-TEC cooling system originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Now here's a little righteous indignation to liven up your Monday. It's the sorry and admittedly one-sided tale of Galaxy Nexus-owner Sahas Katta, who claims he beat a "Get Smoked" Windows Phone challenge at a Microsoft store yesterday, but was denied his prize. To win a $1,000 laptop, he simply had to complete a task on his personal phone quicker than a store employee who was using a Windows Phone. It so happened that the task chosen for Sahas's contest suited him perfectly: he was told to cold boot and then bring up the weather in two different cities, and by a stroke of luck he already had to two separate weather widgets for San Jose, CA and Berkeley, CA running on his Nexus' home screen. He also had his lock screen disabled, which goes against Google's own security advice but which he says gave him the "split second" edge he needed. The principle of justice, meanwhile, was smothered with lock screens, because Sahas was promptly informed that he'd just been "smoked" by a Windows Phone, even though he'd been quicker. At first he was told that the Windows Phone won because it "displays the weather right there", then he was told it was because both his cities were "in the same state", and finally he just gave up. A Microsoft insider has since tweeted that he'll "make it right" for Sahas, but will it be the kind of right that includes a $1,000 laptop?
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]World demands justice for Galaxy Nexus owner who 'beat' Windows Phone originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 08:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Skattertech, Ben Rudolph (Twitter) | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  If you hadn't heard, there are two rival nano-SIM designs going around, but only room for one of them to become an industry standard. Nokia, Motorola and RIM sit together in one corner, and we've already covered why they think their design is superior. On the other side of the ring sits Apple, which has its own tactics for bringing ETSI, the European Telecoms Standards Institute, over to its way of thinking. According to a legal letter shown to FOSS Patents by a "perfectly reliable source", Apple is prepared to license its nano-SIM design royalty-free, so long as it becomes the new standard and all other nano-SIM patent holders reciprocate the gesture. Such a gambit may not appease Cupertino's rivals and it certainly doesn't address their technical concerns, but it might show that Apple isn't looking to profit out of this particular format war and is simply continuing its quest for greater clarity on FRAND licensing terms. Then again, it could all just be lawyer-speak. Apple ready to license its nano-SIM design for free, on one not-so-nano condition originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 06:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | FOSS Patents | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | If you hadn't heard, there are two rival nano-SIM designs going around, but there's only room for one of them to become an industry standard. Nokia, Motorola and RIM sit together in one corner, and we've already covered why they think their design is superior. On the other side of the ring sits Apple, which has its own tactics for bringing ETSI, the European Telecoms Standards Institute, over to its way of thinking. According to a legal letter shown to FOSS Patents by a "perfectly reliable source", Apple is prepared to license its nano-SIM design royalty-free, so long as it becomes the new standard and all other nano-SIM patent holders reciprocate the gesture. Such a gambit may not appease Cupertino's rivals and it certainly doesn't address their technical concerns, but it might show that Apple isn't looking to profit out of this particular format war and is simply continuing its quest for greater clarity on FRAND licensing terms. Then again, it could all just be lawyer-speak. Apple ready to license its nano-SIM design for free, on one not-so-nano condition originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 06:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | FOSS Patents | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | We bet that when you decided to skip AT&T's regular Galaxy S II in favor of the 4.5-inch LTE Skyrocket variant, you hadn't counted on being left behind by the ICS wave. But that's what's happening, despite the fact that an official ICS build for the handset as apparently been in existence since March 14th. How do we know that? Because RootzWiki reckons it has the leaked release along with full installation instructions and download mirrors at the source below. It doesn't get along with those larger GS II variants from T-Mobile or Rogers, but on AT&T handsets it brings the full works, including NFC and Google Wallet functionality. Go ahead -- patience may be virtuous, but then so is Android 4.0. ICS upgrade leaks for AT&T's Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | RootzWiki | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Huawei just can't catch a break -- first the US blocks it from being a part of its first responder wireless network, and now, Australia is following suit. According to the Australian Financial Review, the Shenzhen-based outfit has been barred from tendering contracts for the country's A$43 billion National Broadband Network on the advice of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization. Alexander Downer, of Huawei's Australian board directors, called the situation "ridiculous," postulating that "the whole concept of Huawei being involved in cyber-warfare is based on the company being Chinese." This isn't the first time Huawei has had to combat suspicions of espionage, last year the outfit assured the US government that a "thorough investigation will prove that Huawei is a normal commercial institution and nothing more." Cheer up, Huawei, the smartphone market still loves you. Huawei hardware won't be part of National Broadband Network, says Australia originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 02:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink The Register | Australian Financial Review (1), (2), (3) | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | |  | |  | |  |
