Saturday, October 27, 2012

Ubuntu lands on Nexus 7 slates with Canonical's one-click installer

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/27/ubuntu-nexus-7-installer/

Ubuntu lands on Nexus 7 slates with Canonical's one-click installer

If you'd rather not let your Nexus 7 live out its life as a Jelly Bean-toting device, Canonical's freshly minted Ubuntu Nexus 7 Desktop Installer can help. Instead of allowing Ubuntu to ride shotgun with Android, the installer requires unlocking the device's bootloader, which wipes the slate clean. Once the Nexus 7 is unlocked, started in fastboot mode and connected to an Ubuntu machine, the one-click installation software takes care of the rest. Roughly 10 to 15 minutes later, your tablet will be running full-blown Ubuntu. Since development is currently focused on getting the core of the desktop OS up and running, there's no tablet-specific Unity UI to see here. However, Raring Ringtail is set to flesh out the mobile experience with an emphasis on sensors, memory footprint and battery life, among other features. Those who regret ousting Google's confection-themed operating system can simply reload their device with stock Android. For the entire walk through, hit the first source link below.

[Thanks, Keith]

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Ubuntu lands on Nexus 7 slates with Canonical's one-click installer originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Oct 2012 14:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Lost the Nexus 4 in a Bar

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5955385/google-lost-the-nexus-4-in-a-bar

Google Lost the Nexus 4 in a BarIn a very, heh, familiar story, Google apparently lost the upcoming Nexus 4 in a bar last month. Yes, the LG Nexus phone we expect to be unveiled next week. Yes, the phone that's probably going to take the crown as the best Android phone available when it comes out.

The phone, which was lost at the 500 Club in San Francisco's Mission District, was found by Jamin Barton, the bartender who discovered it. It was locked, had no SIM card and had a Google logo and an explicit 'not for sale' sticker on the back.

When Barton showed the phone to a tech-savvy regular, he immediately knew it was the next Nexus and contacted Google, who promptly freaked out and started an epic chase sequence that seems straight out of the movies. Google dispatched Brian Katz, global investigations and intelligence manager at Google, who's described as "pushy" and "military"-like to retrieve the phone. Wired says:

By the time Katz was speeding north to the Mission District, Barton says, he had already agreed to hand the phone over to Google the next day, at noon, on the sole condition that the guy coming to get it could prove he actually worked for Google. "What was I supposed to do, look for the guy with Google shirt? How did I know this guy didn't work for Apple?"

There was a bit of a cat and mouse game being played, with Barton avoiding Katz (since Katz refused to admit he worked for Google) and a riot thrown in there for good measure but in the end Google got its phone back. Google offered Barton a free phone if he would keep quiet about its embarrassing episode but thankfully he declined, so we have another lost phone at a bar story to laugh at. Read the whole entertaining situation over at Wired. [Wired]

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LG E960 support manuals confirm Nexus 4 name, 8GB and 16GB configurations

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/26/lg-nexus-4-manual-8gb-16gb/

LG E960 support manuals confirm Nexus 4 name, 8GB and 16GB configurations

The information leaks ahead Google's Android event next week continue to flow, with the latest thanks to support manuals on LG's Australian and UK websites. While we're already familiar with the phone's hardware thanks to a detailed Belarusian review, the manuals confirm it is going to be called the Nexus 4, and that along with the 8GB version we've seen there will definitely be a 16GB edition available. As you can see above, it also includes an induction coil for wireless charging and excludes any microSD slots for additional storage. This all comes after two separate Nexus 10 leaks earlier today, as well as a report by Wired of a lost Nexus 4 recovered in a San Francisco bar (sound familiar?) last month. Hit the source link below to check out the LG E960 PDF for yourself (you may need to select the "show all" radio button), although there's only a few diagrams and support info waiting within.

[Thanks, Tim aka Zurginator]

Continue reading LG E960 support manuals confirm Nexus 4 name, 8GB and 16GB configurations

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LG E960 support manuals confirm Nexus 4 name, 8GB and 16GB configurations originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 22:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, October 26, 2012

Samsung launches $250 Exynos 5-based Arndale community board for app developers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/26/samsung-launches-arndale-community-board/

Samsung launches $250 Exynos 5based Arndale community board for app developers

If you're looking to create that perfect multi-threaded, NFC, GPS-based OpenCL app (and who isn't?), but found your development board options too limited, Samsung has good news. It's just launched the Arndale community development board around its Exynos 5 Dual SoC, with the ARM Cortex-A15 dual-core CPU and ARM Mali T604 GPU. Those specs give the board "an order of magnitude lift in performance" from the last model and full profile OpenCL capability, according to Samsung, on top of NFC, GPS and camera sensor features. That'll let developers go to town on new games, security and multimedia apps next month for $250 -- if that's you, check the PR after the break or coverage below.

Continue reading Samsung launches $250 Exynos 5-based Arndale community board for app developers

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S amsung launches $250 Exynos 5-based Arndale community board for app developers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 10:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pi Crust Is a DIY Breakout Board to Expand Interfacing Options on Your Raspberry Pi

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5954810/pi-crust-is-a-diy-breakout-board-to-expand-interfacing-options-on-your-raspberry-pi

Pi Crust Is a DIY Breakout Board to Expand Interfacing Options on Your Raspberry PiThe Raspberry Pi is a great little cheap computer, but it doesn't have a lot of interfacing options to connect external peripherals. If you want a low-footprint solution that looks great sitting on the Raspberry Pi itself, DIYer Joe Walnes outlines how to make the "Pi Crust" breakout board.

Walnes' design is pretty simple and sits inside the surface area of the Raspberry Pi itself. It adds a wide variety of i/o options provided you're willing to do a little soldering. You order a custom PCB (which Walnes provides the layout file for), and a few other parts amounting to less than $20. Once you've got it running, the Pi Crust works with any low-level peripheral, which means you can expand your DIY electronics projects beyond the standard i/o of the Raspberry Pi. Head over to the Pi Crust main page for a list of parts and directions.

Pi Crust | via Hacker News

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LG's 84-inch 4K TV goes on sale in the US for $19,999, home mortgage optional

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/26/lg-84-inch-4k-tv-goes-on-sale-in-the-us-for-19999/

LG 84LM9600 84-inch 4K TV

Sony might have beaten LG to the punch in the 84-inch 4K TV wars with its XBR-84X900 pre-orders, but you've got to be on the field to win -- and the first to show up for battle is LG's 84LM9600, which is officially on sale and in stores as of today. Anyone who can find a retailer carrying the Ultra High-Definition LCD can drop $19,999 to get what will undoubtedly be the centerpiece of the room, even if there's hardly any content to fully exploit those six million extra pixels. LG does have a $5,000 price advantage over the Sony 4K set shipping next month, although we won't kid ourselves here. Anyone who can see themselves spending five digits on bleeding-edge TV technology is either wealthy enough not to mind or busy explaining to the family why home refinancing is totally worth it.

Continue reading LG's 84-inch 4K TV goes on sale in the US for $19,999, home mortgage optional

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LG's 84-inch 4K TV goes on sale in the US for $19,999, home mortgage optional originally appeared on Engadget! on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 02:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, October 25, 2012

Open webOS-powered HDTVs said to be on the way from... LG?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/25/open-webos-lg-connected-tv/

If you were wondering what was next for webOS now that it's gone all open source on us, webOS Nation chimes in with word that Gram is working with LG to bring it to connected HDTVs. Several names from the HP / Gram team are dropped as being involved in the effort, which reportedly was under way even before HP revealed it would spin the project off as an independent. Of course, when we actually saw Open webOS 1.0 it was already stretching to fill the space of an HP TouchSmart computer screen (project architect Steve Winston specifically mentioned hotel kiosks as a possibility, a market LG is all over) so it makes sense that larger displays have been a target. With LG supposedly both looking to replace its existing NetCast smart TV platform and unhappy with Google TV based on its rate of adoption and Google's terms, engineers have been working to port the software to its dual-core L9 chipset. In the past LG has pursued voice and motion control, the aforementioned Google TV integration and even Plex support to make its smart TVs more appealing, and has founded the Smart TV Alliance for cross platform apps. We only have to wait until CES 2013 to see if webOS is next up to power its efforts, stay tuned.

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Open webOS-powered HDTVs said to be on the way from... LG? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 02:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp announces first TVs with Moth-Eye technology: the AQUOS XL series

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/25/sharp-moth-eye-AQUOS-XL-TVs/

Sharp announces first TVs with Moth-Eye technology: the AQUOS XL series

Sharp may look like it's in trouble, but that's not stopping it bringing new displays to the market, including today's announcement of the AQUOS Quattron 3D XL TV line. Behind the mouthful of acronyms, these LED-backlit LCD panels are the first to feature Sharp's Moth-Eye technology, designed to reduce glare and pump out bright colors, as well as a deep black. The company's 'four primary color' tech is partly responsible for the rich output, which squeezes a yellow sub-pixel in with the standard R, G and B. All the panels run at 1,920 x 1,080, as you'd expect, sport a 10 million to 1 contrast ratio and use five speakers to deliver audio. Prices aren't fixed, but the 46-, 52- and 80-inch models will be released in Japan on December 15th, while the 60- and 70-inch variants will come slightly earlier, on November 30th. You're going to have to be quick on launch day, though -- only 10,000 units are expected to be available in the first month.

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Shar! p announ ces first TVs with Moth-Eye technology: the AQUOS XL series originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 04:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TSMC's 28-nanometer process pays off as it rakes in $1.68 billion profit in Q3

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/25/tsmc-q3-2012/

TSMC's 28nanometer process is paying off as it rakes in $168 billion profit in Q3

Everything is relative, so when a chip foundry like TSMC (which produces gear for the likes of NVIDIA) has a bad quarter, that means it only made a $1 billion in profit. Today's numbers reveal that the company has managed to rescue its halting fortunes after turning over $4.8 billion and making a tidy $1.68 billion in profit. The cause of this upswing was that orders for its coveted 28-nanometer process doubled in the period -- repaying some of the $8.5 billion spent developing it and keeping profits just a little over that of its close pal, Qualcomm.

Continue reading TSMC's 28-nanometer process pays off as it rakes in $1.68 billion profit in Q3

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TSMC's 28-nanometer process pays off as it rakes in $1.68 billion profit in Q3 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 05:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexus 4 appears early at Carphone Warehouse, October 30th release date

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/25/lg-nexus-4-appears-release-date/

Nexus 4 appears early at Carphone Warehouse, October 30th release date

Whoa there! The next Nexus just got an early reveal over at UK retailer Carphone Warehouse. Delivery is currently pegged for October 30th and apparently it's got brand new Android 4.2 (or Android 4.1.2 -- the listing mixes in both). The preorder screen confirms plenty of details we've already heard, including that 4.7-inch 1,280 x 768 display, Snapdragon S4 processor and 8-megapixel camera. Unfortunately, at least according to the phone seller, there's only 8GB of storage and no microSD card slot. Other curious parts include a "360-degree camera", whatever that is, and an on-screen render that's been previously been identified as a custom ROM. Diving into the supposed feature list, we're intrigued to see whether "gesture typing" will form a part of Google's new Android build -- the Carphone Warehouse compares it to Swype's finger-dragging input method.

Price-wise, it looks like you could get the handset for free on contracts over £31 per month, with both O2 and Vodafone named as prospective networks for the device in the UK -- but no news here on whether the 4G-capable EE will offer an LTE iteration. Excited? Good, because we're going to hear plenty more on this next week.

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Nexus 4 appears early at Carphone Warehouse, October 30th release date originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 06:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why the Moon Looks Bigger on Some Nights than It Does on Others

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5954460/why-the-moon-looks-bigger-on-some-nights-than-it-does-on-others

The moon looks HUGE some nights, right? Well, yes, sort of, to you—but only because your tiny human brain contextualizes it as larger sometimes than others. It's never actually any closer. It's just a confluence of a few different optical illusions screwing with your head.

So here's what happens. First, the moon seems larger, usually, when it's near the horizon. One reason for the is that there are more reference points, like trees and buildings, to compare to the moon. When it's just sitting alone, high in the night sky, the moon just looks "regular" sized. It's the Ebbinghaus effect—you look taller standing next to a child than you would standing next to Shaq. The other thing is that our brains are used to things on the horizon shrinking, since that typically means they're farther away. So when the moon doesn't shrink as it crosses the horizon, years of understanding perspective kicks in and tells us the moon got humongous. So there you go. Your brain is dumb, and the moon is just the moon. [YouTube]

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China Finally Cracks Apple's Secret iPhone 5 Cable: Here Come the Cheap Clones

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5954542/china-finally-cracks-apples-secret-iphone-5-cable-here-come-the-cheap-clones

China Finally Cracks Apple's Secret iPhone 5 Cable: Here Come the Cheap ClonesApple doesn't want you buying cables for your iPhone 5 (or new iPads) from anyone other than Apple, because it charges a fat $20 for each one. Luckily, we can now confirm a flood of cheap knockoff cables are real.

We already know there's a tiny security chip inside every Lightning cable that's mandatory—the cable won't work without it, and only Apple makes these chips. Ergo, Apple holds a monopoly on the cables, and can charge $20 a pop.

Until now. Say what you want about China, but it has the determination required to bootleg, knockoff, counterfeit, and reverse engineer whatever the hell it wants—and it's happened again. Suppliers have successfully cloned the Lightning chip, according to our pal Peter at Double Helix Cables, who got his hands on a counterfeit Lightning and carefully dissected it. The results are mixed: a fake cable (seen charging an iPhone above) definitely works, costs less than half as much as Apple's, but you are getting your money's worth. That is, a knockoff cable that is very, very much a knockoff:

The cable has a similar feel as the apple one, maybe slightly dingier, and the plug housing is sized differently.

The plastic white housing is securely glued on with a glue that doesn't melt easily (without damaging the rest of the connector potentially) so it was cut into two pieces and removed very unwilingly. Very similar to the Apple shell in how it's attached.

The strain relief coming out of the plug was trimmed away, showing that the USB cable is not very secure and will likely suffer the fate that previous third party favorites of yours endured, like that dock cable that lasted a week.

Opening the plug up, with the plastic shell removed, we see a large amount of injected silicone. This is all the strain relief and protection that we've got. It is easily cut away once heated slightly to soften it.

China Finally Cracks Apple's Secret iPhone 5 Cable: Here Come the Cheap ClonesSilicone removed, we can see exactly what you think that is in the pic. Masking tape. That's right, it's not just for painting anymore. This is a far cry from the steel-armored interior of the Apple cable.

Masking tape removed, we can see that the plug and board are not very obscured - it's one neat, easy to remove little assembly. The wires are easily desoldered. Looking at it from the front, solder contacts facing up, we have V+ D+ D- V- aka pins 1 3 2 4 from the USB-A connector as viewed from the front, also solder contacts facing up.

There's a few resistors and one unobscured chip. I will continue the teardown to expose the chips here. The one unobscured chip reads EHD 148. This bears a strong resemblance to the small EHD 210 chip seen in Chipworks' teardown of the stock Lightning cable.

I tried to solder some of my own wires to this plug to see if I could make my own Lightning cable. The tiniest pressure on the solder pad once a wire was attached lifted the trace off the board like plucking the wing off a moth. The quality is not there on these boards, because I've never seen a trace lift in all of my DIY adventures.

Suppliers have warned me that the cloned chips might not function after later Apple software updates. They quoted me a cost of about $4.50 per piece for 100 of the plugs on their own with board and lightning end. They told me the price would be "two to three" times as high if I wanted the original Apple chips from Apple's supplier and not the cloned ones.

China Finally Cracks Apple's Secret iPhone 5 Cable: Here Come the Cheap ClonesTo recap: the cables are shoddily constructed (masking tape!), and there's a chance a future iOS update could totally nuke them. But for now, these cheap-o cables from the dark recesses of some spoof Chinese lab will let you charge and sync your phone just like anything you'd cop at an Apple Store. Peter expects cloned cables to hit the likes of eBay and Amazon within the next couple of weeks—but he certainly doesn't think you should buy one:

It is ridiculous to purchase a third party Apple cable at this time. Besides the fact that the consumer has no guarantee that the chip isn't cloned and thus carries the potential for non-functioning later [after an iOS update], the strain relief is not quite as good on this cable and it may not last as long.

Of course, this comes with the territory when you're talking reverse-engineered Chinese electronics. Whether that's worth saving ten bucks or so is your call. For under $10, I'll take my chances with China, thank you. [Double Helix Cables, cable via @magnus_hanso]

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MartinLogan's New Headphones Look Like a Thousand Bucks But Don't Cost It

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5954540/martinlogans-new-headphones-look-like-a-thousand-bucks-but-dont-cost-it

MartinLogan's New Headphones Look Like a Thousand Bucks But Don't Cost ItMartinLogan: Because somewhere out there an audio obsessed nut needs $25,000, five-foot-tall electrostatic speakers. Or at least that was the case until recently. With the new Mikros 90 on-ear headphones, the legendary brand now makes two products that don't cost thousands of dollars. That's cause for celebration, and just look at these things. They're so beautiful they're giving me palpitations.

Like the $150 Micros 70 in-ear monitors that MartinLogan announced over the summer, the $300 Micros 90s are intended to be reference headphones. That means that you can expect super clear sound reproduction from the 35mm drivers. Given MartinLogan's track record, we're willing to bet that they sound pretty darn good. And if that leather trim, and the pillowy earpads are anywhere near as luxurious as they look, these might actually, be worth the price. Yes, the price: That $300 sounds inexpensive compared to thousands but doesn't exactly slide into your average budget. We'll find out if they're worth it when the Mikros 90s come out in November. [MartinLogan]

MartinLogan's New Headphones Look Like a Thousand Bucks But Don't Cost It

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New Mac Mini Torn Down and Benchmarked: Ivy Bridge Kicks Ass

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5954633/new-mac-mini-torn-down-and-benchmarked-ivy-bridge-kicks-ass

New Mac Mini Torn Down and Benchmarked: Ivy Bridge Kicks AssThe folks at Mac Mini Vault have benchmarked and torn down the new Mac Minis. The Mac Mini's $600, 2.5GHz Core i5 Ivy Bridge configuration racked up a Geekbench score of 7433 straight out of the box. That's impressive considering last year's Sandy Bridge i5 Mac Mini refresh has a standing average of 6323 on the Geekbench.

In fact, that score is higher than Sandy Bridge 13-inch MacBook Pro and even both configurations of the Ivy Bridge MacBook Air released in the summer. These results make sense, but it just goes to show what a big difference a little spec bump can make. These are powerful little computers. As for the way the guts look under the hood; the new Mac Mini's have unchanged, aluminum unibody cases, and everything looks pretty much the same inside. [Mac Mini Vault via 9to5Mac]

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MIT researchers use algebraic equation that improves WiFi and LTE data streams: boosts speed, reduces network congestion

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/24/mit-researchers-algebraic-equation-to-weave-wifi-and-lte-signals/

MIT researchers use algebraic equation to weave WiFi and LTE data streams to boost speed, reduce network congestion

Dodging the issues of spectrum auctions and more cell towers, researchers at MIT have discovered that they can use an algebraic equation to improve data speeds by reducing dropped packets. It's these dropped packets that can build up congestion across a wireless network, as devices attempt to recoup these missing data nuggets. But instead of sending typical packets, MIT's Research Laboratory of Electronics created an equation that describes a series of packets. If a packet fails to deliver, then the receiving device is apparently able to "solve" the missing chunk, with the processing load on phones, routers and base stations apparently negligible.

The tech, which can also seamlessly transition a data stream between wireless internet and LTE, has already been tested on WiFi networks over at MIT; when two percent of data packets were dropped, speeds were boosted from 1Mbps to 16Mbps. If five percent of packets were being lost, the researchers then saw bandwidth increase from 0.5Mbps to 13.5Mbps. Companies are apparently already licensing the tech, although MIT isn't revealing more on this just yet. Muriel Medard, project lead, said that there were currently "very severe inefficiencies that should be remedied before you consider acquiring more resources" -- namely more spectrum and hardware, although the gains seen in these early tests are yet to be replicated in real life. There's more on the science and development at the source link below.

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MIT researchers use algebraic equation that improves WiFi and LTE data streams: boosts speed, reduces network congestion originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 07:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nuance Dragon Mobile Assistant launches on Android, but only on ICS for now

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/24/nuance-dragon-mobile-assistant-launches-on-android/

Nuance Dragon Mobile Assistant launches on Android

Dragon Go! has been given the elbow, with the slightly more professional sounding Dragon Mobile Assistant taking its place. Nuance has expanded on its predecessor's verbal commands, with new functionality for maps (you'll be able to bark direction requests at the new app and it'll plan the route), alongside a hands-free wake-up feature activated by saying "Hi Dragon" -- we hope you have a high embarrassment threshold. Other Siri-esque features include weather updates and dictated SMS and email responses. The beta app can be downloaded below, although compatibility is limited to Android Ice Cream Sandwich and above for now. Nuance is promising more features and increased availability later this year.

Continue reading Nuance Dragon Mobile Assistant launches on Android, but only on ICS for now

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Nuance Dragon Mobile Assistant launches on Android, but only on ICS for now originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDragon mobile app, Dragon Mobile Assistant (Google Play)  | Email this | Comments

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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Samsung Galaxy Note II for T-Mobile review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/update/samsung-galaxy-note-ii-usa/

Samsung Galaxy Note II for TMobile review

The Samsung Galaxy Note II is coming to America, and unlike its predecessor, it's not being as quiet about the move. In a completely unprecedented feat, the mammoth smartphone not only won over the hearts of four national American carriers and one regional network, it did so without having to make sacrifices in its design, specs or even its name. This is a considerable amount of progress when taking into account the fact that only two mobile operators adopted the original Galaxy Note -- the inaugural phablet, if you will -- and they did so months after its global launch. Heck, T-Mobile released its variant of the Note just three months ago, which likely will be a sour point to early adopters for a long time to come.

As you may have seen in our review of the global Note II, there's a reason for all of the buzz circulating around this new flagship device; it's good. It's very good. Once you get used to the idea of a 5.5-inch smartphone with an included st ylus S Pen, you'll take heed of the incredibly fast quad-core processor, the latest version of Android, the high-end camera and the litany of other top-notch features that have helped the device become worthy of our praise.

This review, as you see it today, discusses our impressions of T-Mobile's version of the Note II and how it sizes up against the global model (the N7100), but we're changing things up this time around. Since there will be very few differences across the five different versions offered on US carriers, we're simply going to add our reviews of each carrier-specific unit to this space as we go along. The idea is that this review will encompass every Galaxy Note II sold stateside. Enjoy the galleries below, and continue past the break as we dig into Samsung's latest flagship... again.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Note II for T-Mobile review

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Samsung Galaxy Note II for T-Mobile review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Store now has Lightning to HDMI and VGA adapters at $49 a pop, souped-up iPad charger

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/24/apple-store-lightning-adapters-camera-hdmi-vga/

Apple Store now has Lightning to HDMI and VGA adapters at $49 a pop, soupedup iPad charger

We noticed during the iPhone 5 launch that Apple had a big caveat with its Lightning to 30-pin adapter: no video or iPod out support. Now that the new iPads are here with that same connector, the problem's been partially rectified -- for a sum. Namely, you can grab the Lightning to VGA or digital AV (HDMI) adapters for a rather princely $49, though there's no sign of any iPod support yet. If you're still holding out for generic models instead, you may want to rethink that plan, as there's a control chip inside each, and so far only Apple holds the authentication keys. Also, a new $19 12W USB power adapter (which connects directly to the Lightning port) has also appeared for the 3rd and 4th generation iPads, bumping the previous version's 10W -- meaning your slate might get charged a bit quicker.

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Apple Store now has Lightning to HDMI and VGA adapters at $49 a pop, souped-up iPad charger originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 09:38:00 EDT. Please see o! ur terms for use of feeds.

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Broadcom's 2012 Q3 sees $2.13 billion sales turn into a $220 million profit

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/24/broadcom-q3-2012/

Broadcom's 2012 Q3 sees $213 billion sales turn into a $220 million profitIf you need to borrow a couple of bucks to tide you over until payday, then the folks over at Broadcom should be feeling altruistic. The chip maker's latest financials show that it pulled in $2.13 billion turnover and a cool $220 million profit. While that's more than the $160 million it pulled in in the second quarter, it's a little off the $270 million it made in the same period last year. Given that the company's innovating with both 802.11ac chips and branching out into the wireless headphone business, they might even lend you some cash next month, too.

Continue reading Broadcom's 2012 Q3 sees $2.13 billion sales turn into a $220 million profit

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Broadcom's 2012 Q3 sees $2.13 billion sales turn into a $220 million profit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 10:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hummingbird is a 'pre-Arduino' for kids (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/24/hummingbird-is-a-pre-arduino-for-kids-video/

Humminbird is a 'preArduino' for kids video

It's an Arduino -- you know, for kids. Or, as BirdBrain Technologies' chief robot design Tom Lauwers put it, a "pre-Arduino." It's never too early to get kids into robot building -- or so goes the thought process behind this nectar-loving kit. At its center is a custom controller that can be used to manipulate a slew of different sensors, motors and lights, a number of which are included in the box. Getting started is extremely simple -- don't believe us? Check the video after the break, in which Lauwers connects two wires to get the whole process underway.

The kit's also reasonably priced at $199 a piece. On top of the controller, you get a handful of LEDs, two vibration motors, four servos and light, temperature, distance and sound sensors. The kits are currently available through the company's site (click on that source link). Lauwers tells us that his company (which you may remember from last year's MakerFaire NYC) is working on a slightly more affordable option priced at around $130, which scales back a bit on the in-box components.

Check out a conversation with Lauwers -- and a pretty awesome cardboard dragon -- below.

Continue reading Hummingbird is a 'pre-Arduino' for kids (video)

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Hummingbird is a 'pre-Arduino' for kids (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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System76 debuts Sable Complete all-in-one PC with Ubuntu pre-installed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/24/system76-debuts-sable-complete-all-in-one-pc-with-ubuntu-pre-ins/

System76 debuts Sable Complete allinone PC with Ubuntu preinstalled

Sure, it's not too much trouble to install Ubuntu on the all-in-one PC of your choice, but those looking for an out-of-the-box option now have a new one to consider courtesy of System76. The company has today added the Sable Complete to its Linux-minded line-up, an all-in-one PC that starts at $799 and comes pre-installed with the recently released Ubuntu 12.10. As for hardware, that base model offers a 21.5-inch 1920 x 1080 display (behind edge-to-edge glass), a 2.9GHz Core i5 3470S processor, integrated Intel HD Graphics 2500, 4GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. Those looking for an optical drive can add a slimline model for $45, and you'll also somewhat curiously have to shell out an extra $35 for built-in WiFi. Naturally, there's also a number of other configuration options available that can push the price well over $1,000. You can check out those and get a closer look at the system at the source link below.

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System76 debuts Sable Complete all-in-one PC with Ubuntu pre-installed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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