Lydia Leavitt

Mobile By Lydia Leavitt

Navteq traffic to launch on Garmin devices using HD radio technology

The state of morning gridlock just got a little more real with the introduction of Navteq's real-time traffic via HD radio -- to be included with Garmin's nüvi 3490LMT personal navigation device. The service is said to be four to ten times faster than other similar offerings, updating details every 30 seconds for 270,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper goodness. Lucky for us, the feature will be available on other nüvi devices as well, using the Garmin GTM 60 adapter. Push past the break to check out the full PR.

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Technology By Lydia Leavitt

Device warns of catastrophic failure in lithium-ion batteries, robots celebrate

"Catastrophic lithium-ion battery failure" are five words Malfunctioning Eddie never wants to hear, and may not have to, thanks to a new sensor developed by the folks at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Despite the popularity of lithium-ion batteries in everything from consumer electronics to hybrid and electric vehicles, they have been associated with a phenomenon called "thermal runaway" -- known to cause overheating and potentially, fire. The newly developed device measures the electrical parameter of the cell, which is an indicator of whether the internal layer temperatures are getting too toasty. The best part? The warning comes before the heat can reach the surface and cause catastrophic failure, perhaps saving our electronics from a fate like the one in the video after the break.

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Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity By Lydia Leavitt

Chinese hackers target U.S. Chamber of Commerce, sensitive data stolen

According to sources close to The Wall Street Journal, Chinese hackers are at it again, this time hitting the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and capturing information from three million members. Those familiar with the matter told the WSJ that hackers stole around six weeks worth of emails regarding Asian policy, but may have had access to sensitive correspondences for as long as a year. The Chamber only learned it was under attack when the FBI sent an alert that servers in China were stealing information, although the exact amount of data stolen is unknown. After confirming the breach, the Chamber shut down and destroyed parts of its computer network, proceeding to revamp its security system over a 36-hour period. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time the U.S. of A has fallen victim to Chinese hackers, as both Google and NASA have experienced breaches over the past few years. The Chamber is currently investigating the attack, hoping to find some digital clues that might reveal the details of who done it and why.

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News

News By Lydia Leavitt

Arduino hack lights up the tree with every email, spammers get in spirit

The holidays are all about eggnog, ugly sweaters and disconnecting from the internet just long enough to reassure the family you still care. For those of us with web separation anxiety, the folks at MAKE have hooked us up with an easy way to stay hip to incoming emails -- by connecting the holiday fir to the Internets. It works as such: using an Arduino and PHP script, the tree will check for incoming emails and light up if the number has increased. The set-up can be tweaked based on your most valued type of alert like YouTube comments, texts or changes in the weather. To the family, it will look like unparalleled holiday cheer rather than your cue to ditch the sing-a-long and get back to Gmail. Check out the video after the break. [Thanks, Matt]

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Tablets

Tablets By Lydia Leavitt

Motorola Xoom tablet gets an Ice Cream Sandwich makeover with 4.0.3

Only a day after Google released Android version 4.0.3, one XDA developer has already installed it on his Motorola Xoom WiFi tablet -- making it the first slate to run the frosty Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade. Of course, trendsetting is nothing new for the Xoom, which was also the first to ship with Honeycomb's sweetness back in February. Being first does have its disadvantages, though, as some of the features like the camera don't work, and there seems to be a green overlay on the screen from time to time. If you're willing to overlook these early adopter flaws, head on over to the source to satisfy your ICS-inspired sweet tooth and try it for yourself.

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Big Tech

Big Tech By Lydia Leavitt

Square snags one million merchants, liberates the cashless

For those of us addicted to plastic, "I love you" hardly holds the same clout as those three magical words: "we accept credit." Taking the dream one step closer to plastic payment monogamy is the mobile checkout service, Square. According to founder Jack Dorsey, the company has hit a milestone today, signing up over one million small business owners ready to swipe. For merchants, all it takes is a Square reader and an iPhone, iPad or Android to start processing the plastic of the cash-o-phobic -- practically rendering those ATM pit stops pre-taco run or flea market excursion useless.

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Google

Google By Lydia Leavitt

Google gives the gift of gab, extends free domestic calling in Gmail

Just in time to thank Grandma for that polyester blend sweater, comes more free domestic calling in Gmail for the US and Canada. In the spirit of holiday giving, Mountain View has decided to extend its gratis VoIP program for another year of free chatter. Of course, we're not sure if the holiday cheer will last forever, which may once again give us a valid excuse to avoid Uncle Lester's calls.

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Technology By Lydia Leavitt

Spectral Layers takes a cue from Photoshop, offers visual audio editing

Seemingly cooked up in the Law and Order squad room comes Spectral Layers, a Photoshop-inspired audio editing software from Divide Frame. The visual tool allows users to isolate, enhance and chop sounds using multiple layers and channels -- giving them complete control over individual voices, instruments and background noises. The whole process takes place within a 3D real-time display with commands reminiscent of the tried and true photo correcting staple. The software will set you back $695 for a single Mac or PC download, or $2199 for multiple licenses -- a small price to pay for musicians, sound junkies or Benson and Stabler wannabes. Check out the video after the break.

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Mobile By Lydia Leavitt

Leaked draft shows LightSquared's network interferes with 'great majority' of GPS receivers, company pushes back

According to leaked reports from government test drafts, LightSquared's technology causes "harmful interference" to the majority of GPS receivers. Addressing the allegations, LightSquared called the conclusions "patently false." It added, "We are outraged by the illegal leak of incomplete government data to news organizations. This breach attempts to draw an inaccurate conclusion to negatively influence the future of LightSquared and narrowly serve the business interests of the GPS industry." The company believes tests are inconclusive because they were completed at power levels up to 15 times higher than those that would be used in practice. By ignoring its commitment to work at a lower level to minimize interference, the company believes the conclusions are erroneous. It's important to note, however, that the NTIA will make the final determination about how many devices passed or failed, rather than the documents makers. And that assessment has not yet been made. Despite the ongoing dispute, the company has already managed to secure 30 partners ranging from Sprint to Best Buy, all hoping to cash in on a promised $7 per gigabyte price point. The FCC has given LightSquared the go-ahead to build the network, but will not allow for activation until approving the final round of government testing. Amar Toor contributed to this report.

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Tablets

Tablets By Lydia Leavitt

UK courts to introduce tablets, vow to cut back on tree killing ways

It may not be retiring the powdered wigs just yet, but according to The Guardian, the British government is ready to replace traditional paper documents with tablets in UK courtrooms. Starting in April, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will give slates to Welsh and English prosecutors to store all forms and evidentiary items, later extending the offer to judges, jurors and defense lawyers. To start, administrators will give 35 Hewlett-Packard tablets to prosecutors in Norfolk as a test for the bigger roll out, which is estimated to save around £50 million (or around $78 million) in dead trees across the UK. There's no word yet which tablet HP has in mind, but chances are it will not be the discount rack TouchPad -- perhaps a Windows tablet is more in order in this court.

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Mobile By Lydia Leavitt

AT&T 4G LTE now working in parts of New York City

We got a taste of AT&T's 4G LTE action last night in the Big Apple with the introduction of its LG Nitro HD, and today, the company has apparently flipped the 4G "on" switch in the City That Never Sleeps -- confirming its promise from November. According to tipster reports, some speed tests are showing downloads as fast as 27 Mbps and uploads of 15 Mbps, confirming that the LTE network has indeed gone live in parts of New York City. Update: To be clear, this is not an official deployment of LTE in NYC by AT&T. So, if you can't get signal, or if your signal stinks, don't take it out on them. It's still in testing! [Thanks, @SamSavitt]

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Mobile By Lydia Leavitt

MasterCard and mFoundry partner to offer NFC payments within mobile banking apps

Hoping to add more punch to the standard mobile banking app, mFoundry has announced that it will be making MasterCard's NFC feature PayPass available in its financial apps. What that translates to for the mobile banking user is a quick and easy way to pay without having to use an additional service like Google Wallet or whatever Isis has up its sleeve. mFoundry currently provides mobile banking services for more than 560 financial institutions and credit unions including PNC, Bank of America and Citi -- so chances are, if you're using a mobile banking app, it's powered by mFoundry. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the extremely limited amount of NFC phones that can actually support the feature. Perhaps having the option within a standard banking app will help the trend take off -- at least amongst those with NFC phones.

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Apple

Apple By Lydia Leavitt

Apple's founding documents go up for auction, estimated to bring in $150k

Sure, your OG iPhone may look like a relic from Apple's past, but for a true bite of old skool memorabilia you may want to consider bidding on the company's original founding documents signed by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. The three-page treasure, which established the Apple Computer Company way back in 1976 won't come cheap, though, as they're expected to go for a cool $100,000 to $150,000. Besides the starting papers, Sotheby's New York is throwing in Ronald Wayne's Statement of Withdrawal as part of the package, a document that gives up his ten percent stake in the biz -- what some may call a $2.6 billion dollar mistake. Check out the source for more auction details.

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Buying Guides

Buying Guides By Lydia Leavitt

Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: accessories

Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. As any technophile will tell you, accessories make the getup when it comes to complementing your favorite gadgets. Whether you're decking out a smartphone, computer, tablet, gaming system or just looking for some good old-fashioned holiday kicks, we're here to help you pick from our favorite accessories of 2011. Jump past the break to find out which ones made the "Nice" list.

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Streaming

Streaming By Lydia Leavitt

LightSquared teams with Soundtracker, gives access to 11 million tunes on-the-go

Nothing puts a pep in our step like streaming a little LMFAO radio on our smartphone and busting out a move or two. Until, of course, we see the astronomical data charges from our personal dance party at the end of the month. Hoping to lessen the blow to our wallets while keeping the party pumping, broadband network provider LightSquared is teaming up with internet radio purveyor Soundtracker to give customers access to 11 million songs stored in the cloud. The bundle will give dancing fools a portal into the world of music from wherever they are, without having to worry about racking up the ridiculous data charges associated with streaming radio -- something we can all get down to. We assume this means the cost of bandwidth will be folded in with the subscription costs, but neither party's spilling the beans on how much that'll be. Check out the full PR after the break.

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Google

Google By Lydia Leavitt

Google sets execution dates for Wave, Knol, Friend Connect and more

In what Google is calling its "off-season spring cleaning series," the mega company is finally setting some end dates for many of its lukewarm services, most notably the once-hyped Wave, Knol and Friend Connect. Sitting on Death Row for some time now, Mountain View has slowly phased out the less-than-successful products, most recently announcing that it would kill seven APIs including Translate and Video Search. The sweep is part of Google's VP of Product Management Bradley Horowitz' overall plan to "[do] less of throwing things against the wall," focusing instead on "doing fewer things well." Besides the aforementioned services to receive the axe, Google will also be putting an end to Bookmarks List, Gears, Search Timeline and its Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal initiative. The company says the overhaul is part of the effort "to build a simpler, more intuitive, truly beautiful Google user experience" -- in other words, "it's not me... it's you." Check the source for more details.

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Robotics

Robotics By Lydia Leavitt

Wave Glider robots set out to explore the seven seas, break the Guinness record

It's a bird, it's a plane, nope, it's Liquid Robotic's four Wave Gliders on a mission to snag the Guinness World Record for longest distance traveled on Earth by an automaton. Setting out today from the San Francisco Bay, the autonomous sea-faring crafts will travel far and wide to gather data about the world's oceans. Powered by the water's movement, the vessels are fuel-free, using "flapping" wings to move forward without human command. Tricked out with various solar-powered sensors, the robots can capture location, weather, temperature, wave height, barometric pressure and more throughout their travels. The 198.4 pound machines cost between $250,000 and $500,000 each depending on how many sensors are built-in -- a small price for scientists or commandeering pirates hoping to learn more about the 95 percent of ocean that has yet to be explored. Let's just hope they don't run into one of these guys.

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News

News By Lydia Leavitt

The North Face announces Avalanche Airbag Safety System (ABS) vest and pack, we go hands-on (video)

Imagine hitting the slopes for the ultimate free ride down the edge of a cliff. Now picture being caught in an avalanche with only a shovel to free you from hundreds of pounds of snow -- the odds don't look too good. The North Face hopes to change all that by integrating an Avalanche Airbag Safety System (ABS) into its tried and true backpacks with the launch of its ABS Patrol 24 Pack and ABS Vest, two new body-worn fixtures that inflate to protect your from falling snow much like the airbags in your car. Add two new fabrics into the mix, FlashDry and Thermoball, and it seems like we've come a long way since the days of working out in our college sweats. We go hands-on with pro snowboarder Xavier de Le Rue after the break to see how it works.%Gallery-139505%

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News

News By Lydia Leavitt

Shimano showcases the Ultegra Di2 electronic bike gears, we go for a ride

How much would you spend for an upgrade to smooth shifting on your next road bike? If $4,000 to $8,000 is in the ballpark, then a Shimano-powered electronic bike may be in your future. We took the cycling giant's latest gear for a spin in Central Park, drawing envious glances from various spandex-clad bikers during the ride. Outfitted with the company's newest Ultegra 6770 Di2 series of gears, the shifters gave us a taste of technology normally reserved for Tour de Francers -- at new, more affordable pricing. So what was it like to be the envy of cyclists everywhere? Jump past the break to find out. %Gallery-139351%

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Laptops

Laptops By Lydia Leavitt

Intel and MasterCard to offer Ultrabook users 'safer' NFC checkout via PayPass, impulsive shoppers rejoice

Entering a 16-digit credit card number may be a thing of the past with a new initiative from MasterCard and Intel, which allows users to checkout online by tapping a PayPass-enabled card, tag or smartphone to their Ultrabook. Calling the checkout "safer" and "simpler," Intel is bringing its Identity Protection Technology to the potluck, giving shoppers two-factor authentication and chip-based display protection when forking over that hard earned cash. Here's how it all works: when you tap a NFC smartphone or other PayPass-enabled device, it will communicate with the Ultrabook, generating a six-digit code from the embedded processor or from within the Manageability Engine. The ME hardware, encrypted with third-party algorithms, then transacts with the e-commerce site, hopefully offering shoppers more protection than standard software solutions. Since using the feature requires an NFC-connected device as well as the Ultrabook and a username and password, forgetful folks who tend to misplace their phone or computer won't have to worry about unwarranted spending. Sadly, the solution won't protect your wallet from the perils of a late night shoe shopping spree. Check out the full PR after the break.

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Reviews

Reviews By Lydia Leavitt

MOD and MOD Live Android ski goggles give extreme analytics, we go eyes-on (video)

Straight out of Q's closet of goodies are Recon Instrument's brand new MOD and MOD Live ski goggles, giving bikers, skiers and snowboarders a glimpse into the digital extreme with a tiny built-in LCD micro display -- powered by an itsy bitsy Android ARM Coretex-A8 600 MHz computer. The 428 x 240 WQVGA screen allows the hardcore to tune into things like speed, jump analytics, distance, pre-loaded trail maps, height and GPS location, while keeping MOD Live users connected to calls and texts via Bluetooth. Running Android 2.3, the LIVE variety will let you see who's calling, answer calls, receive texts and even respond to them with pre-programmed responses. Users can switch between screens using the included remote, attachable via wristband or headstrap. Since the display is so tiny, the amount of Android apps athletes will be able to use will be limited -- so, sorry kids, no Angry Birds while mountain biking off a cliff. If that doesn't sound distracting enough, the manufacturer promises future third-party camera and video recorder integration to capture all the jumps, dives and spills associated with shredding the gnar. Sadly, the current model only has 512Mbs of storage and 256MB of RAM, so you won't be able to store too many Sean White-worthy feature films on them. Giving these bad boys a go, they transported us into what seemed like the future with details of our personal best performances staring us in the eye from the corner of the screen -- rad. Flexible and bendy, the eye shield easily pops out of the frame to reveal the display itself, along with the computer's guts. Of course, the extreme flexibility and bulkiness of the goggles doesn't bode well for those of us who actually use goggles to protect our eyes -- giving us the impression that they would not offer much cushion with a severe spill. The enviable eyewear will retail for $299 with the Android smartphone-connected version available for $399. Check out the video and full PR after the break. %Gallery-138853%

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Technology By Lydia Leavitt

Virtual MIDI piano glove even makes MJ's sparkly one look tame (video)

When a piano necktie or keytar just feel too showy, why not opt for the more subdued wireless MIDI piano glove? An excellent choice for daytime or night, the hand accessory allows you to tickle the virtual ivories without putting a finger to a real eighty-eight. It works as such: wired with resistive flex sensors, move a finger and the glove will send an electrical current through a voltage divider and microcontroller to create the corresponding MIDI note. The result? Single notes or chords of musical greatness truly worthy of a bad karaoke singalong. Check out the MIDI throwback video after the break.

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Mobile By Lydia Leavitt

Nokia to bear NFC guns in US, create its own mobile wallet?

Nokia is still champing at the bit when it comes to creating the so-called three horse race, but the Finnish mainstay has another three word secret weapon up its sleeve: NFC. In an interview with Electronista, the company's VP of Location and Commerce, Michael Halbherr, said the manufacturer plans to "equally support" NFC in the US, while remaining "accommodating and open" to various mobile payment schemes like Isis. He mentioned that it was "not clever" to commit to one payment system at this point, implying instead that Nokia may create its own version of the mobile wallet down the line. Although we're not sure which Nokia phone will be first to hit the States, looks like we won't have to hold our breath until we're blue... er... cyan in the face for NFC. Check out the source for the full interview.

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Science

Science By Lydia Leavitt

Hyperspectral camera captures 1,000 colors, identifies contaminants

Putting our dinky point-and-shoots to shame, researchers at Tel Aviv University have created a hyperspectral HSR camera that detects more than 1,000 colors -- something that can be used to pinpoint contaminants or hazards in the environment. According to lead scientist Professor Ben-Dor, different elements produce different colors, helping researchers identify hazards or contaminated soil without being forced to bring samples back to the lab. It works as such: the sensor analyzes sunlight as it bounces off an object, which it then interprets. The shooter is so sensitive that it can read samples anywhere from 0.4 inches to 500 miles away, meaning it could operate from weather balloons or even one of these -- rendering Joseph and his amazing technicolor dreamcoat most jealous. Check out the full PR after the break.

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Technology By Lydia Leavitt

TBCP-II tank robot climbs walls with gecko-inspired feet (video)

Taking a cue from nature and perhaps Geico, researchers at Simon Fraser University Burnaby have created a gecko-inspired robot, the Timeless Belt Climbing Platform (TBCP-II), capable of climbing smooth walls or across ceilings with lizard-like foot pads. The feet, made out of fibrillar adhesive polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), act as grip thanks to a small mushroom cap design 17 micrometers wide and 10 micrometers high for maximum surface exposure. The 240g tank-like machine is also somewhat independent, using sensors to detect its surroundings to change course based on obstacles in its way, taking us one step closer to... the inevitable. Check out the video and full PR after the break.

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