Engadget

Samsung's Learning Hub demonstrates a commitment to education, profits

Daniel Cooper — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:57:00 EDT

Samsung's R&D department has been working overtime as it strives to break the idea it copies wholesale ideas from its competition. Yesterday we heard word about its planned new cloud service and today it's announced that it'll be unveiling a unique education-focused app for Galaxy Tabs 8.9 and 10.1. Learning Hub will provide free materials from 30 major educational establishments from elementary schools through to universities, although there's no word on what certificates you'll be able to earn at the end of your course. The program will expand to other devices in the Galaxy family later on, once the company's done showing off the software at MWC.

Samsung's Learning Hub demonstrates a commitment to education, profits originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aakash lurches toward another crisis as India loses patience with DataWind

Daniel Cooper — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:37:00 EDT

The conflicts and behind-the-scenes drama surrounding India's Aakash project once again threaten its existence. Despite a record-breaking 1.4 million pre-orders gained in under a fortnight, maker DataWind has only shipped 10,000 units to nearly universal derision. Early adopters have found the processor too slow, battery life too short and the resistive touchscreen difficult to use. Kapil Sibal's Human Resource Development ministry now plans to re-open tendering for a replacement contractor and withdraw DataWind's deal for a further 90,000 units. An anonymous ministry official has said that they've seen "sufficient interest [...] to get better specifications at the same or lower price."

In response, DataWind has claimed that its development-partner, the Indian Institute of Technology, pulled a bait-and-switch, demanding at the eleventh hour that the tablet meet US military criteria for durability -- including being able to withstand four inches per hour of "sustained rain." Work has been on hold since then but neither party can afford another delay. DataWind promised it would sell the commercial version of the slate this month, while Kapil Sibal has promised that a second edition of the Aakash would be announced in April.

Aakash lurches toward another crisis as India loses patience with DataWind originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia's social apps coming to Android and iOS: lions expected to lie down with lambs shortly

Daniel Cooper — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:55:00 EDT

Nokia's Pulse app looks and smells familiar to anyone who's ever used Google Latitude. The difference being that the Finnish handset maker has the benefit of Navteq's $8 billion geolocation technology that it picked up back in 2008. Now the Haus of Elop is opening a Boston skunkworks that'll port the app, as well as future social software over to Android and iOS. It's part of a wider project to coax users toward Windows Phone by getting them hooked on a suite of features hoped to be "more than the sum of its parts." What do you think dear readers, will it work?

Nokia's social apps coming to Android and iOS: lions expected to lie down with lambs shortly originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bing's two new 'death to print, death to retail' features get detailed

Daniel Cooper — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:16:00 EDT

Ever felt like Bing wasn't for retail stores or print journalism? The two latest Windows Phone updates won't dispel that fantasy, sadly. Bing Vision been update so it can read Barcodes, CD, DVD and Book Covers so you can find out how much cheaper the item in your hand is if ordered online. Image Matching for Newspapers won't arrive until March, but you'll be able to snap a photo of an article you've seen in a local rag and, if its in Microsoft's database, you'll be linked directly to the original version of the article online. That's brick and mortar retail and newspapers taken care of, we'll be waiting around to see what's next on Bing's hit-list -- orphanages, probably.

Bing's two new 'death to print, death to retail' features get detailed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Simulated NASA mission to ask 'Are there snacks on Maaaaaaarrrrrs?'

Daniel Cooper — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:55:00 EDT

When we've been forced to travel to an alien world, the one thing that makes us more likely to turn feral and murder our crew-mates than anything else is a lack of variety at mealtimes. Fortunately, Cornell University has teamed up with the University of Hawaii to build a simulated Mars mission to determine which foods people don't mind constantly consuming, given that there are no In-N-Out Burger franchises on the red planet. The mock base will be constructed in the midst of a Hawaiian lava flow, with the crews dressed in "spacesuits" and eating a mix of NASA-issue rations and shelf-stable foods like flour, sugar and freeze-dried meat. Applications for the four-month program remain open until the end of the month, so if you fancy all the free (bland) food you can manage, head on down to sign up!

Continue reading Simulated NASA mission to ask 'Are there snacks on Maaaaaaarrrrrs?'

Simulated NASA mission to ask 'Are there snacks on Maaaaaaarrrrrs?' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Office for iOS gets blurrycam treatment in weird party-room

Daniel Cooper — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:51:00 EDT

What you see before you is a single image purporting to be Microsoft's new Office app for iOS. We can certainly believe such an app exists, and according to The Daily, the UI is similar to OneNote with an added dash of Metro. You'll be able to produce and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files locally and online, but the app is still to run the Cupertino's approval gauntlet. The report also claims an Android version is isn't in the works ~~and~~ but that a Metro-styled refresh of OneNote is due in "the coming weeks." That said, we're not sure what sort of place doesn't take the plastic off its carpets, leaves big "product of Spain" crates lying around with leopard-print plushies and USS Enterprise logos hanging on the wall -- but perhaps we've underestimated Redmond's capacity for a good party.

Update: We incorrectly reported that an Android version was forthcoming, we've edited to correct our mistake -- please accept our sincere apologies.

Microsoft Office for iOS gets blurrycam treatment in weird party-room originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barnes & Noble 2012 Q3 Report: loss-making Nook generates sales, tears

Daniel Cooper — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:17:00 EDT

It's that time of the year when Barnes & Noble's accountants reveal the figures for the quarter to determine if the age of print is over. Turns out there's some good news for bookseller. Overall sales for the chain increased five percent: the company took $2.4 billion through the cash registers. That was split $1.49 billion (up two percent) in high-street retail, online sales took $420 million (up 32 percent year-on-year) and the Nook in all its forms and glories took $542 million (up 38 percent). The only grey cloud was that sales in college-only stores dropped three percent, thanks in part to renting textbooks to impecunious freshmen. They're probably all using that money on buying digital content on their Nooks: digital content purchases increased by 85 percent in a single quarter. Like rival Amazon, it wouldn't release how many devices were sold, except to say it likely maintained its market share.

However, all of that (pretty) good news is a bit of a smokescreen: B&N won't reveal its profits after interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization has been deducted. Pre ITDA income dropped 12 percent from the same period in 2011 and the company has revealed that the BN.com and Nook businesses made a combined loss of $94 million, with annual income looking to be in negative figures.

Update: A tidbit from the conference call, the company believes the device currently holds around 30 percent of the overall e-reader market: using numbers direct from the publishers themselves.

Continue reading Barnes & Noble 2012 Q3 Report: loss-making Nook generates sales, tears

Barnes & Noble 2012 Q3 Report: loss-making Nook generates sales, tears originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's iCloud rival delayed after in-house service deemed 'unsuitable'

Daniel Cooper — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:53:00 EDT

Korean newspaper ETNews is developing a reputation for bold claims, the latest being that Samsung's "answer" to iCloud, S-Cloud has been significantly delayed. SDS, the conglomerate's IT infrastructure division had originally been tasked to build the network, but its work was found to be "unsuitable." After the setback, Samsung's Media Solution Center had to enlist KT, operators of public cloud services in Korea and Amazon to help move things forward. An unnamed "cloud industry" source who spoke to the daily pointed out that one of the burdens of releasing so many (oh so many) devices is that the company has to work a lot harder to ensure all of them are compatible with any unified cloud service -- but them's the breaks, eh?

Samsung's iCloud rival delayed after in-house service deemed 'unsuitable' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG busts out a trio of L-series phones in the run up to MWC

Daniel Cooper — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 04:22:00 EDT

LG's gotten all excited and spilled even more beans ahead of MWC as to what offerings we'll see at the big Iberian shindig. The L-Series is a trio of phones we're already part-way familiar with, given that the budget L3 was leaked back in January. The L5 and L7 are aimed at the mid-range and premium ends of the market, running ICS and packing 4-inch and 4.3-inch displays respectively. Whilst there's no further detail about specs, we know that the L-series shares the same DNA as the Prada Phone 3, so we'd imagine that as a good benchmark. The PR boasts of "five aesthetic elements," all of which seem to emphasize that the phone's going to be quite thin. After the break we've got that brief statement in full and the nagging sense that there's no surprise forthcoming when LG takes to the stage next week.

Continue reading LG busts out a trio of L-series phones in the run up to MWC

LG busts out a trio of L-series phones in the run up to MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 04:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's GT-i9300 is probably not the Galaxy S III, as revealed by its low-res screen

Daniel Cooper — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:16:00 EDT

Straight from the Dana Scully school of debunking, Android Community has poured cold water on the notion that the GT-i9300 is the quasi-mythical Galaxy S III. Having happened upon the user agent profile of the device bearing that codename, the stats reveal a lackluster 1024 x 600 resolution display that's easily beaten by the Galaxies Nexus and Note. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled at Mobile World Congress and hope that Samsung isn't planning to ruin the pedigree of the handsets that have previously born that code: the i9200 was the Galaxy S II and the i9250 was the Galaxy Nexus, after all.

Samsung's GT-i9300 is probably not the Galaxy S III, as revealed by its low-res screen originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic's new Eluga smartphone: pretty phone, ugly name

Daniel Cooper — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:55:00 EDT

We knew it was coming to that broad area we like to call Europe sometime soon, and now Panasonic's sharing the details on its Android-based return. Details about the 3.6 ounce (103 gram) device include that it's packing a 4.3-inch qHD (960 x 540) screen that's wrapped in a dust and water-proof shell. It'll also be able to throw audio, video and web content to HDTVs of the same branding. Of course, a device like this deserves an equally enticing name, so you'll be delighted to hear that the handset's going to be called, oh, really? Eluga? Wow.

However, that's not where the story ends, because we also received details about a phone that's just arrived on Japan's NTT DoCoMo. The Next Series P-04D is a "deep purple" (hush, now) handset that measures and weighs the same, has a 4.3-inch qHD OLED display, is running a 1.0GHz dual-core OMAP 4430 CPU and was also manufactured by Panasonic. We might not be so bold as to suggest both handsets are the same, but we might think about importing the P-04D just so we never have to say Eluga out loud.

Mat Smith contributed to this report

Panasonic's new Eluga smartphone: pretty phone, ugly name originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujitsu's super-slim, super-powerful phones could come to Europe

Daniel Cooper — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:35:00 EDT

We've been enviously eyeing Fujitsu's super-thin, super-powerful phones for a very long while. At CES, we were able to swing an early look at its unnamed Tegra 3 Arrows prototype and the question we asked, over and over, was if we'd ever see these devices in the west. A knowing smile followed with the response that it would "depend on the carriers involved." A report in the Financial Times seems to confirm that the company's planning to take Europe by storm as it unveils the finished model at next week's Mobile World Congress -- albeit with the same caveat that carriers are still yet to sign on. The report adds that Fujitsu will include biometric security, NFC and LTE in all future handsets: just more teasing for those nations still to adopt the standard.

Fujitsu's super-slim, super-powerful phones could come to Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ABC's Nightline goes inside Foxconn's Apple factory (video)

Daniel Cooper — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:12:00 EDT

Nightline's Bill Weir managed to get his feet inside manufacturing behemoth Foxconn: the infamous plant where iPads, Xboxes and Kindles are constructed. Following multiple explosions and employee suicides, the factory is being inspected by the Fair Labor Association to examine working conditions exposed by the efforts of journalists like Liu Zhiyi. In the show, we learn that on a quiet day, 3,000 prospective employees will linger outside the factory in the hope of earning just $1.78 an hour. Weir himself manages to coax the concession from company advisor Louis Woo that the multiple tragedies were a belated catalyst for change in the company's working conditions. The full special will air on ABC tomorrow but we've got a sneak peek for you after the break.

Continue reading ABC's Nightline goes inside Foxconn's Apple factory (video)

ABC's Nightline goes inside Foxconn's Apple factory (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad 3 logic board with 'A5X' chip purportedly snapped by Mr. Not-so-Blurrycam

Daniel Cooper — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 05:09:00 EDT

Well, if it looks real, sounds real and is halfway logical, we probably should distrust it all the more. Yes, it's the time when all the rumors, photoshops and general hysteria around Apple's next slab reaches its apex. The photo above was grabbed by the steady hand of sas126, a blurrycam snapper in name only, and posted to Chinese site Weiphone, purporting to be the logic board for the iPad 3. The big news (if true) is the "A5X" silicon, suggesting we'll see an incremental enhancement rather than the wholesale revolutions evident in the A4 and A5 chips that accompanied its predecessors. The SoC (with the Apple logo, to the right of the two Hynix memory modules) carries a date-stamp of 1146, suggesting it was produced in the 46th week of last year. Of course, now that we're getting so close to the actual event, whatever Tim Cook whips out on stage will never match whatever we'd conjured up on our own hearts: so try to dampen down that rampant excitement because we've still got 17 days left to wait.

iPad 3 logic board with 'A5X' chip purportedly snapped by Mr. Not-so-Blurrycam originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 05:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you change Sony's Vaio F?

Daniel Cooper — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:32:00 EDT

Let's say you bought Sony's VAIO F Series laptop at the end of last year. Would it be a stretch to say you liked how cheap it was and that games played well as long as you dialed down those display settings? Were you not too impressed by the battery life or that touch button on the trackpad? Well, at least you agree with our review of the "desktop replacement" device. But we'd like to know more, dear friends: what gremlins have you uncovered in the numerous hours logged using this unit? What are the nice surprises? If Kaz Hirai was reading this intently waiting for your opinion, what would you tell him you'd like to change?

How would you change Sony's Vaio F? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: Best expedition planning software?

Daniel Cooper — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 22:33:00 EDT

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Martin, who's planning an expedition and wants something more sophisticated than a cork-board to manage it. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

Hi Engadget, I'm about to start planning for a big expedition. There's plenty of forward planning required and I need some software to handle my to-do lists, notes, phone numbers, mail conversations, images, PDF-files etc. Best case scenario is something that syncs with my Macbook and iPhone but I'd also use a good offline solution if it was available. Is there a consumer-friendly app that suits my needs out there?

Project management software? Novice-friendly database? Something entirely better? If you just happen to know the one package that'll solve Martin's woes, do the decent thing and share it with the world.

Ask Engadget: Best expedition planning software? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 22:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei Ascend G 300 doesn't settle down at the FCC as it's only for tourists

Daniel Cooper — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:53:00 EDT

Huawei was cycling past the FCC's ominous Washington bunker and dropped off a basket of muffins and its latest phone. The Ascend G 300 U8815 is the latest handset to undergo the Area-51 style autopsy by our boys in blue. Sadly they weren't feeling generous enough to take the usual array of pictures, so we've had to do with pouring through the test reports. We've gleaned that it's running GSM 850/1900 and 900/2100 3G bands as well as the usual WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth gear. Those who know your bands will have noticed that the phone isn't compatible with the 3G in the us, so it probably won't arrive on sale on these shores -- except in the shirt pocket of the odd trans-continental traveler.

Huawei Ascend G 300 doesn't settle down at the FCC as it's only for tourists originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's new SD cards look too good to hide inside a DSLR

Daniel Cooper — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EDT

We've never been too fussed with how our storage looks -- it's rare that our SD cards linger too long outside the camera anyway. However, for you genius-level aesthetes who demand your internals are as beautiful as your externals, Samsung's got your back. It's releasing a line of SD and microSD cards with a stylish brushed metal body in silver or black that, frankly, looks shinier than whatever they'll be nestled inside. Just like Ryan Gosling, the cards are both pretty and pretty tough -- able to withstand 24 hours in water, 3,200 pounds of pressure or being left in an MRI machine with a power of 10,000 gauss, which we're always doing. After the interval, we've got pricing and stats for each unit (speed improves greatly if you plump for a 4GB card or higher) plus a little PR paperwork.

Continue reading Samsung's new SD cards look too good to hide inside a DSLR

Samsung's new SD cards look too good to hide inside a DSLR originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barclays releases Pingit mobile payments app, we go hands-on

Daniel Cooper — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:32:00 EDT

Barclays Bank has unleashed Pingit, an iOS, Android and BlackBerry app that lets you send up to £300 ($470) a day to family, friends or technically-aware muggers. UK mobile number and bank account holders can get started in minutes as long as they've got one of the Barclays-branded PINSentry tools. You'll be asked to come up with a five-digit code that will lock the app to anyone but yourself (or, you know, that mugger) and then you can start spreading your cash around, baller-style. We set up our own account through the app and if you're curious about our impressions, you can find out what we thought after the break.

Gallery: Barclays Pingit iOS App

Continue reading Barclays releases Pingit mobile payments app, we go hands-on

Barclays releases Pingit mobile payments app, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW My Remote app arrives in the US, 3-Series with stinger missiles due soon

Daniel Cooper — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:24:00 EDT

BMW's My Remote iOS app has been available here in Europe for a while. Reenacting the car park chase from Tomorrow Never Dies is one of the principal ways to let off steam on a weekend. Sadly, the company has brought our exclusive fun to an end by releasing the app in the USA -- albeit without the weaponized vehicles from the movie. Once installed on an iPhone, you'll get remote locking, horn and headlights as well as a positioning app so you never get lost in a parking lot. The age and model of your Beemer will decide what features you'll be able to use (full details after the break) but remember Bond: you have a license to kill, not to violate the traffic laws.

[Thanks, Mark]

Continue reading BMW My Remote app arrives in the US, 3-Series with stinger missiles due soon

BMW My Remote app arrives in the US, 3-Series with stinger missiles due soon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 probably gets a thumbs-up from the FCC

Daniel Cooper — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:38:00 EDT

Unless Samsung's produced yet another 7-inch tablet that's unannounced, we can be reasonably sure that the slate seen departing the FCC's underground bunker is the Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0). Eagle-eyed viewers will notice the back plate in the image above resembles the Tab 7.0 Plus -- but don't write in just yet, as the documents confirm the GT-P310 (Plus) schematic was used to disguise this new GT-P3113. The usual multimeter-and-ruler prodding revealed there's a Broadcom radio module with 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0 tucked inside. It jibes with what we've heard about an initial UK release for the device in March, but perhaps the company is ensuring it has worldwide approval, or that the USA can start getting excited about the budget ICS device a little sooner than expected.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 probably gets a thumbs-up from the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T's hungry eyes turning toward Leap, Dish or MetroPCS?

Daniel Cooper — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 06:44:00 EDT

Publicly, at least, AT&T is bursting at the seams as it runs out of space to put all of its customers. The failed $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile was all about trying to match (or better) Verizon's reserves of wireless spectrum. Given the FCC's blocking of LightSquared and stymieing of future spectrum auctions for the time being, AT&T needs to make some more acquisitions -- the $1.9 billion purchase of Qualcomm's small slice of the airwaves isn't enough. If the Wall Street Journal is to be believed, there's a whiteboard in Whitacre Tower with Dish, Leap and MetroPCS written all over it. Reportedly, a purchase of Leap is the nearest to fruition, with "under the table" talks already underway. However, the Cricket Wireless operator would only provide a short-term solution to Ma Bell's very long-term woes. The other big target is Dish Network's reserved spectrum, kept back for its own planned broadband network, but if it fails to get Government approval, it might look to offload it. Third on the roster and marked as "highly unlikely" is a purchase of MetroPCS. The carrier was bitterly opposed to the T-Mo merger and pouted at the idea of purchasing some of Big Blue's divested assets, so if those two met around a table, they'd have a lot of awkward apologizing to do.

Image courtesy of Fierce Mobile Content

AT&T's hungry eyes turning toward Leap, Dish or MetroPCS? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 06:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer Financials: meager 2011 Q4 profit, massive annual loss

Daniel Cooper — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:33:00 EDT

Acer was hoping for the gloom to lift after two bad quarters, but it can hardly call its latest financials stellar. It scraped a slender $2.4 million profit in the quarter, which wasn't enough to prevent the company posting an overall annual loss of $212 million. It blamed one off charges and operational and strategic adjustments (though no mention of the impending war with Lenovo over Gianfranco Lanci) for the bad year. The terse release (after the break) claims the business is becoming "more healthy and stable," which is a good way to paint a quarter-on-quarter drop of 98.4 percent turnover.

Continue reading Acer Financials: meager 2011 Q4 profit, massive annual loss

Acer Financials: meager 2011 Q4 profit, massive annual loss originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Van Gogh's Starry Night modded into beautiful interactive light and sound show (video)

Daniel Cooper — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:36:00 EDT

This is one of those little projects you wish you could just play with the second you've seen it. Greek Artist Petros Vrellis coded an interactive light and sound show into Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night -- that you can control with your fingers. With a swipe of a single digit (or hand) you can pull the particles of the artists paint daubs to redirect the swirling mass of night sky in any direction, making music as you do so. After the break we've got video that you really, really should watch -- and afterward start begging the creator to get this onto people's iPads as soon as he can manage it.

Continue reading Van Gogh's Starry Night modded into beautiful interactive light and sound show (video)

Van Gogh's Starry Night modded into beautiful interactive light and sound show (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Love and Hate tweets collected on 3D 'Love Will Conquer' site

Daniel Cooper — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:49:00 EDT

Valentines Day might have passed you by, but for many it's a day of conflicting emotions. Some of you may be screaming EB Browning's Sonnet 43 from the rooftops, others talking about how much you hate smug couples. Either way, if you're tweeting your feelings then (innovative marketing firm Imperial Leisure's) Love Will Conquer will record it. Geotagged tweets are being mapped, in real-time onto a 3D Earth, where an perpetually growing tree maps out who's feeling what and when. If you tell someone you love them freely and the tree will swell with red leaves, whereas hate causes cold blue ones to sprout instead. If you want to watch the world venting its ardor, point your WebGL browser (Chrome and Firefox 10.1 both work) at our source link.

Continue reading Love and Hate tweets collected on 3D 'Love Will Conquer' site

Love and Hate tweets collected on 3D 'Love Will Conquer' site originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC phones getting PlayStation Suite certification in 2012?

Daniel Cooper — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:21:00 EDT

Anonymous sources have told Pocket-lint that Sony will be allowing rival smartphone maker HTC to have PlayStation Certification for its devices. An official announcement is expected at MWC at the end of the month, with devices able to play PSOne games and access to the Android-flavor of the Sony Entertainment Network. Former SCE Chairman (now company president) Kaz Hirai introduced the program open to non-Sony devices at AsiaD last year, possibly to the raised eyebrows of those in the company's revamped mobile division.

HTC phones getting PlayStation Suite certification in 2012? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSJ: Apple testing 8-inch iPad

Daniel Cooper — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:56:00 EDT

The invites haven't even been sent out and yet the frenzied speculation about what Tim Cook will whip out on stage at next month's purported announcement has begun. The Wall Street Journal believes Cupertino's planning to produce a smaller, 8-inch slate to partner its 9.7-inch flagship. Unnamed sources at the company's suppliers say it'll pack a screen with a resolution close to the 1024 x 768 display on the current model. This jibes with what we've heard about the iPad 3 toting a Retina Display -- unless the smaller unit is aimed at budget buyers. The report claims test panels are being produced by AU Optronics and LG Display and that this model might also run on LTE. It's probably fair to point out that Apple is famous for producing prototypes in a wide variety of sizes that will never see the light of day, so don't get your hopes up too soon.

WSJ: Apple testing 8-inch iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry PlayBook Dock revealed in back room of DevCon

Daniel Cooper — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:11:00 EDT

Somewhere, in a dark room at the back of DevCon, someone was showing off a bundle of PlayBook gear marked "Top Secret." BlackBerry Czech was able to grab some pics (more at the source link) of a keyboard case that handles multi-touch and the long-desired docking station for the currently moribund slate. According to the site, the dock offers HDMI-out, three USB ports and even an ethernet jack to let you surf without WiFi. Apparently it's got a hefty wireless receiver / speakerphone that would allow you to make VoIP calls from your PlayBook. What's not mentioned is if we can expect to see this available for some cold, hard currency any time soon (hint: get it on shelves). On the same post, there's also a mention of the mythical 10-inch second generation edition of RIM's device, but no photos were allowed -- so we'll just have to file that under "Hmmm" until we get closer to MWC, shall we?

BlackBerry PlayBook Dock revealed in back room of DevCon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia Lumia 800's CDMA cousin coming to China Telecom in March?

Daniel Cooper — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:45:00 EDT

An employee of the Qingzhou branch of China Telecom went a bit camera-happy over the weekend, but we'd do the same if we were handed a CDMA Nokia Lumia 800. The since-pulled images and text confirmed our feeling that it's arriving in early Spring (i.e "March"). The tipster revealed to WMPoweruser that both the 800 and 710 would arrive at the same time, potentially joined by the 900 in April -- and that all three handsets would be available in black, cyan and white, as well as coming preloaded with Tango as standard. We'll take the latter claims with a pinch of salt until we see 'em, okay? As you were, China.

Nokia Lumia 800's CDMA cousin coming to China Telecom in March? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Googleplex expansion plans hint at Project X lab, wireless testing facilities

Daniel Cooper — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:25:00 EDT

Google's eyeing up some vacant space at the end of its lawn to throw $120 million at a Grand Designs-style extension to its Mountain View campus. Residents will soon see the @Home lab, purportedly to test fully formed consumer devices and whatever secret home entertainment / wireless communications gear we've heard rumblings about. The new development will enable Project X (the interesting one with the James Bond-gizmos, not the lecture series website) to move into a meatier facility where they can perfect projects like Majel and the self-driving car. The most notable development (according to business-types, anyway) is the "Experience Center," a 120,000 square foot private museum / demonstration space for Google to schmooze its most important clients in style (wait, aren't we the most important clients?). VIPs will be invited to play with the newest toys the company can produce before gorging themselves on canapés, or something. Californians wandering past 1600 Shoreline Blvd down the road from the Googleplex, might also notice a new building that's not covered in official branding -- because it's going to be a new wireless testing facility that's being shielded from external signals. At least, that's where we'll be pitching a tent with a couple of long lenses when it opens for business.

Googleplex expansion plans hint at Project X lab, wireless testing facilities originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you change the T-Mobile Springboard?

Daniel Cooper — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:56:00 EDT

What's in a name? That which we call a T-Mobile Springboard by any other name, like the Huawei Mediapad, would smell as sweet. Multiple names aside, the Honeycomb slate was teasingly cheap as it coaxed you to a two year marriage with the pinky/purple (magenta, okay) mobile network. It had some great build quality but our issue stemmed more from the pricey contract you had to sign up to alongside it -- but we figure thousands of you picked one of these up and you've had a couple of months happy or horrible surfing under your belt. You've gotten under the skin of the device, you know what its foibles are, it's strengths and weaknesses, what do you love, what do you hate and most importantly, what would you change?

How would you change the T-Mobile Springboard? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: Best tablets for students?

Daniel Cooper — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:15:00 EDT

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from a pair of guys called Joe on opposite sides of the planet that both need a tablet-based solution for their higher education woes. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

Joe from New Zealand writes:

I'm a second-year university student with a health issue that means I can't carry round heavy textbooks. I've been looking at tablets that I can use as a replacement for textbooks and paper notes. I think I need a tablet, pen and software combo that'll let me read, edit and annotate ebooks, PDFs and PowerPoints, have a day-long battery life, display A4 sheets and a camera that can take pictures of textbook pages -- but I've only got a budget of $600. Thanks!

Joe from America writes:

I'm enrolled in a class where my professor won't post his power points and talks too fast to handwrite notes. I'd type on a laptop, but I don't wanna be that guy. Is there a physical keyboard that's silent, or an on-screen keyboard that'll work as well as a real one?

Our thoughts skipped to the solid if underwhelming ThinkPad Tablet, which has a stylus input, decent camera and eight hour battery life. If you could get it to play nicely with Thanko's Silent EX keyboard, then both Joes would be happy -- but what do we know? They asked us so we could ask you guys, share your wisdom in the comments below.

Ask Engadget: Best tablets for students? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eurocom Panther 4.0 is the mirror universe's version of an Ultrabook

Daniel Cooper — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:27:00 EDT

Eurocom, like its chassis-brethren Maingear and Clevo, just lives to jam over-sized Sandy Bridge E hardware into mumpsy laptops. Find yourself in front of the Panther 4.0 and you'll be staring into a 17.3-inch 1920 x 1080 display (you can choose between matte, glossy and 3D) as you work or game away on a choice of GeForce GTX 580M, Quadro 5010M or Radeon HD 6990M graphics kit. There's space for four terabytes of SATA 3.0 storage and 32GB of RAM. It's weighing in at 12.1lbs, so a quick warning to anyone whose muscles have atrophied with excessive Ultrabook usage: it's wise to do some reps down at the gym. When it arrives in March, it'll cost you $2649 for the base model -- from there, you can upgrade as far as your wallet / procurement budget will allow.

Gallery: Eurocom Panther 4.0 Press Images

Continue reading Eurocom Panther 4.0 is the mirror universe's version of an Ultrabook

Eurocom Panther 4.0 is the mirror universe's version of an Ultrabook originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Phones 4u 'JUMP' plan lets you swap phones every six months, for a price

Daniel Cooper — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:44:00 EDT

Britons! Dedicated followers of fashion! If your clothes are loud (but never square) and you've just gotta keep up with the latest trends, then Phones 4u should be your next stop. The independent phone retailer is offering customers JUMP (short for "Just Upgrade my Phone"): a 24-month deal that'll let you upgrade your handset every six months. Rather than signing a vanilla deal with your carrier, you plump for a cheaper plan and then rent-to-buy the handset from the store. It's a little more complicated -- and costly -- than your average contract, so keep a calculator handy as you try to follow the math (sorry, 'maths') after the break.

Continue reading Phones 4u 'JUMP' plan lets you swap phones every six months, for a price

Phones 4u 'JUMP' plan lets you swap phones every six months, for a price originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Voice offers VoIP, but only to Canadians

Daniel Cooper — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:25:00 EDT

Dell's teamed up with Fongo to offer Dell Voice, a VoIP app that's available exclusively in Canada. It's currently available for Android, iOS and Windows (Desktop), enabling everyone to shoot the breeze about Dustin Penner without charges. You'll get a local phone number that'll let you call all the big cities (and most of the smaller ones), caller ID, voice-mail, 911 service and long-distance calling for no additional charge. Call credit costs 2c per minute, with each call averaging out to 1MB of data. Canadians clutching to their BlackBerries will be relieved to know that the app will roll out on RIM's handsets next month.

[Thanks, Steven]

Continue reading Dell Voice offers VoIP, but only to Canadians

Dell Voice offers VoIP, but only to Canadians originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lytro Light Field Camera's guts get spilled on the FCC's dancefloor

Daniel Cooper — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:35:00 EDT

There's a scene in Robocop 2, where our eponymous hero is set-to with an angle grinder and dumped in pieces outside the Detroit Police station. Now replace the cybernetic Alex Murphy with the Lytro Light Field camera and you'll know what was found on the sidewalk opposite from the FCC's concrete bunker this morning. Interesting tidbits revealed in the government-sponsored autopsy included a questionably small Zoran imaging chip and Marvell Avastar W8787 wireless SoC -- but the company's already swiftly denied it'll have WiFi capability. Still, the infinite-focus device is certainly on for that early 2012 launch date if it's passed through the FCC without derision. We like to treat you right, dear readers, so below you'll find a cornucopia of galleries to hunt through before these units arrive in your hands. What do you think? Should we equip all our staffers with Lytro cameras for our future hands-ons?

Gallery: Lytro Light Field Camera Manual

Gallery: Lytro Light Field Camera External Shots

Gallery: Lytro Light Field Camera Internal Shots

Lytro Light Field Camera's guts get spilled on the FCC's dancefloor originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paul McCartney: 'You can keep free streaming for the birds and bees, now give me money'

Daniel Cooper — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:57:00 EDT

A wise man once told Engadget that streaming and bought music services could live side-by-side like a piano keyboard. It looks like impoverished multi-millionaire Sir Paul McCartney didn't hear that particular song, as he's withdrawn all of his music from streaming service Rhapsody, after doing the same to Spotify some time ago. He's the latest in a long line of impecunious artists including Adele, Coldplay and Tom Waits, who have done the same as they feel they're not getting fair compensation for their labors. It would be cynical to point out that McCartney's move comes just ahead of a live performance that's exclusively streamed on the iTunes music store and Apple TV, so we won't.

Continue reading Paul McCartney: 'You can keep free streaming for the birds and bees, now give me money'

Paul McCartney: 'You can keep free streaming for the birds and bees, now give me money' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney considering 28-day rental window, because 'On Stranger Tides' was that good

Daniel Cooper — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:46:00 EDT

That sound you can hear is the studios dashing around as they look for a new scapegoat. Disney's got Redbox and Netflix in its sights as it declares plans to impose a 28-day window before it'll make its titles available for rental. Despite conceding that the studio hadn't seen any impact on overall DVD sales, CEO Bob Iger pointed to a 16 percent drop in quarterly revenue compared to 2010 as the motivation. It's also collecting splinters in its backside as it watches to see how well digital locker service UltraViolet fares with consumers before committing to join the program. Of course, given the legitimacy of First Sale Doctrine, it's possible Redbox will do as its done with Warner titles and just buy 'em at retail -- as long as it can cover its costs as it does so.

Disney considering 28-day rental window, because 'On Stranger Tides' was that good originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia: 'We don't have a Plan B'

Daniel Cooper — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:45:00 EDT

Wander into Nokia's corporate HQ and, if Victor Saejis is to believed, you'll be hard pressed to find any manilla folder bearing the legend "Plan B." The handset maker's European Manager told Swedish financial daily Dagens Industri that the company has no contingency plan in the event that Windows Phone loses out to Android and iOS saying that "Plan B is that Plan A is to succeed." It's a pretty unequivocal statement that Espoo's betting the farm on consumers embracing Microsoft's OS. Commenting on the company's recent troubles, the winding down of Symbian and the demise of MeeGo, he said "it's like starting all over again. But we must succeed in the U.S. if we are to succeed in the world" -- pretty honest, if a little disappointing to anyone who hoped there was an Android-powered white N9 lying in a Finnish skunkworks.

Nokia: 'We don't have a Plan B' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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$60 Aakash Tablet to cost no-cash?

Daniel Cooper — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:27:00 EDT

Kapil Sibal's not resting after the explosion of interest that followed the initial launch of the $60 Aakash education tablet. He's now pushing to get the rebadged DataWind Ubislate 7 into the hands of students free of charge, rather than the $35 they currently pay. The plan is to offer a 50 percent government subsidy for each unit, with education institutions fronting the other half, but only if inclined to do so. He's also pushing for the tablet to be manufactured domestically rather than imported -- hoping that the comforts of home will enable it to spread nationwide. See? We got through that without making any "cash" puns.

$60 Aakash Tablet to cost no-cash? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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