Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Cowon D3 firmware update brings Android 2.3, now treats your fingers as well as your ears

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/13/cowon-d3-firmware-update-brings-android-2-3-now-treats-your-fin/

Hey there, high roller. If you splurged on Cowon's beautiful, profoundly expensive D3 Plenue, you've probably wondered when you'd get an upgrade from Android 2.1. Well, that day is today, as the company's released an updated, Gingerbread-based firmware. The new code adds some miscellaneous new features - a sleep timer for the music app, some more music search options, and VoIP - and ought to improve system stability. It also promises better touch responsiveness, which we hope alleviates the sluggishness that made the little PMP so difficult to use. If similar frustration with your D3 rendered it an elegant paperweight, glide over to the source link to see if the update soothes your pain.

[Thanks, Stefan]

Cowon D3 firmware update brings Android 2.3, now treats your fingers as well as your ears originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Anythingbutipod  |  sourceCowon  | Email this | Comments

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Pandora ditches Flash, opens up the HTML5 box for redesign

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/13/pandora-ditches-flash-opens-up-the-html5-box/

Looks like Adobe has lost yet another ally to the silky smooth allure of HTML5. Internet radio service Pandora has traded in the once ubiquitous Flash for the increasingly adopted web standard, citing, among other things, the ability to lop precious seconds off the site's load time. The upgrade is part of a major redesign for the service, said to have been inspired by the company's own iPad app. The old features are largely intact, but many, like Twitter and Facebook integration, have been revamped. The update will be rolled out to Pandora One subscribers soon, in something of a limited testing mode, with other users following later. Those with browsers that aren't fully HTML5-friendly will still be able to access Flash features as backup.

Pandora ditches Flash, opens up the HTML5 box for redesign originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  sourceTechCrunch  | Email this | Comments

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Sony S1 and S2 hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/13/sony-s1-and-s2-hands-on/

Now that Sony has spilled the carrier-exclusive beans on at least one of its tablets, the S2 clamshell, the company kindly gave us a chance to get some long-awaited hands-on time with both it and its sibling, the S1 slate. And at time when it feels like we handle a new Honeycomb Android tablet every other day, these at least usher in some pretty unusual form factors. On the one hand, you've got the S1, a 9.4-inch number whose rounded wedge profile was designed to mimic a folded magazine. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there's the S2, which opens to reveal twin 5.5-inch displays -- all the more of a novelty since we've barely seen Android 3.0 running on devices that don't have 10-inch displays. Alas, we only had a few minutes to poke around, and in particular we would have loved to spend more time sinking our teeth into Sony's spin on Honeycomb. For now, though, enjoy those close-up shots below and head on past the break for some early impressions.

Continue reading Sony S1 and S2 hands-on

Sony S1 and S2 hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Google Spam Filtering Now Works for Your Phone [Google Voice]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5820476/google-spam-filtering-now-works-for-your-phone

Google spam filters have been a godsend to my inbox, eliminating the 500 or so unwanted emails I receive per day before they ever sully my inbox. Now, Google's doing the same to telemarketers.

The new "Report Spam" button in Google Voice does exactly what the "Report Spam" button does in Gmail— it keeps the riff-raff out of your inbox. Using both their own filtering algorithms and users' feedback, Google Voice now automatically intercepts and redirects known bunk numbers directly to the spam folder— that means no more unsolicited calls, voicemail or texts.

To activate this feature, simply go to the Calls tab in Google Voice settings and select Global Spam Filtering. And, just like Gmail, messages incorrectly tagged as spam can easily be corrected with the "Not Spam" button. [via Google Voice Blog]

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The TouchPad 4G Is Faster in Every Way [Tablets]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5820500/the-touchpad-4g-is-faster-in-every-way

The TouchPad 4G Is Faster in Every WayThe TouchPad 4G is just like the TouchPad I wanted to love so badly—but it's got a faster 1.5GHz processor and it's on AT&T's sorta-4G network (with GPS powers too).

No word on pricing—or availability, though I'd guess "soon"—but for the love of god, avoid the two-year contract on this and every other tablet, people. [Palm]

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Take a Stunning Five Day Cruise in Just Five Minutes [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5820559/take-a-stunning-five-day-cruise-in-just-five-minutes

It takes the Norwegian Coastal Express 134 hours to get from Bergen to Kirkenes, a journey that's filled with lush islands, plush sunrises, and hushed twilights. With this remarkable time-lapse video, it'll take you five minutes.

The shot is the (extremely) compressed version of a marathon live broadcast by Norwegian Public Service broadcaster NRK. It's the fastest way to go 2600km asea, no Dramamine required. [livejamie via The Daily What]

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Above France for iPad: It's Like the Tour de France Without Any of the Sweaty Cycling or Crashes [App Of The Day]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5820599/above-france-for-ipad-its-the-tour-de-france-without-any-of-the-cycling

Above France for iPad: It's Like the Tour de France Without Any of the Sweaty Cycling or CrashesMaking fun of France is as American as apple pie but it doesn't mean we don't think it's a beautiful country (what? there's more than Paris?). Above France is an app from National Geographic Traveler and Fotopedia that shows off the beauty of the rest of the country. It's a series of jaw dropping photographs that were taken on a helicopter tour around France.

What's it do?

Like their previous collaborative effort, Dreams of Burma, National Geographic Traveler and Fotopedia have teamed up to show users of the app a fresh take of a world unseen. Of course, France isn't as mysterious as Burma but by photographing the countryside from the view of an helicopter, you sort of get the feeling that you're flying around with them, doing something that normal people don't get to. There's castles, mountains, villages, rivers, beaches, lakes, waterfalls and more, all from an angle you've probably never seen and probably would never see again.


Why do we like it?

Because you get to see a different side of France (the side we never make fun of)! More seriously, it's photography at its very best. It sort of lets you capture the same feeling of seeing it in person. Yes, it's only a smidgen of that same emotion but the pictures collected by Frank Mulliez are absolutely spectacular. It's like Google Maps on steroids. Discovery Channel at its finest. Traveling without walking. Touring France without biking. Etcetera. On top of that, you can build a "virtual tour" with the app's Trip Builder to semi-organize and role play the helicopter ride.

GIF Shop

Download this app for:

The Best

Gorgeous pictures!

The Worst

Needs decent Internet speed

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Your Android Tablet Just Got Better: What's New in Android 3.2 [Android]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5820527/your-android-tablet-just-got-better-whats-new-in-android-32

Your Android Tablet Just Got Better: What's New in Android 3.2Android 3.2 is an unexpected little update, especially with Ice Cream Sandwich coming later this year. But good on Google for making its less-than-amazing Android tablets a little bit better all the time until that major new hotness happens.

So! Here's what's new and better in Android 3.2, which is already rolling out to Motorola Xooms—other tablets will probably follow suit pretty shortlyish.

Zooming In

Android phones apps have, up to now, tended to squash and stretch themselves out to take advantage of all the disparate screen layouts you'll find on tablets. It's been a mess. With 3.2, that problem will be sort of rectified with the new zoom feature. Your Android Tablet Just Got Better: What's New in Android 3.2

Think of how iPhone apps behaved on the iPad when it was first released. You had the option of choosing a 2x mode that scaled the app up the iPad's screen. Low-res and none too attractive, but functional. It's the same here. Apps that are known to struggle will, by default, have a button in the system bar that will allow users to toggle between "Stretch to fill screen," which is the same stretching business the app would have normally done, and "Zoom to fill screen," which will scale what you're looking at to your screen.

It Brings Everyone to the Party

Android 3.2 will finally go where no Honeycomb's gone before: seven-inch tablets. Where you once had an interface designed for 4-inch screens, now you have one that's actually designed for tablets. A blessing for everybody with an HTC View 4G, for example. It also supports new Qualcomm chips that'll be powering Android tablets in the near future—which means more tablets from more folks.

It's Just Better

In addition to all that goodness, Android 3.2's also got a ton of bug fixes and crowd-pleasers like improved hardware acceleration—faster faster kill kill—and proper SD Card support. Plus, updates to Movie Studio, Movies, Music and widgets to make them better.

[Android Developer Blog, This Is My Next]

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Social x-ray glasses can decode emotions, make your blind dates less awkward

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/12/social-x-ray-glasses-can-decode-emotions-make-your-blind-dates/

You may consider yourself a world-class liar, but a new pair of "social x-ray" glasses could soon expose you for the fraud you really are. Originally designed for people suffering from autism, these specs use a rice grain-sized camera to pick up on a person's 24 "feature points" -- facial expressions that convey feelings of confusion, agreement and concentration, among others. Once recognized, these signals are analyzed by software, compared against a database of known expressions and then relayed to users via an attached headphone. If their date starts to feel uncomfortable, a blinking red light lets them know that it's time to shut up. Rosalina Picard, an electrical engineer who developed the prototype with Rana el Kaliouby, acknowledged that her algorithm still needs some fine tuning, but told New Scientist that the glasses have already proved popular with autistic users, who often have difficulty deciphering others' body language. No word yet on when these social specs could hit the market, but they'll probably make us even more anti-social once they do.

Social x-ray glasses can decode emotions, make your blind dates less awkward originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 04:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  sourceNew Scientist  | Email this | Comments

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Tokyoflash's Kisai Kaidoku LCD watch arrives 12 years too late for Neo, Trinity

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/12/tokyoflashs-kisai-kaidoku-lcd-watch-arrives-12-years-too-late-f/

There's something to be said about someone who'd rather strap an LCD full of words on their wrist instead of a tried-and-true pointer-based timepiece. Comically enough, that description is likely to flow across the LCD of Tokyoflash's new Kisai Kaidoku. This limited run watch is available with a black or white strap, and shockingly enough, was designed by a 15-year old by the name of Tynan Mayhew. The whole thing's water resistant, and the EL backlight enables nighttime viewing; unfortunately, it's hard to know just how long that CR2016 battery will last, but those who'd rather not think about such trivial matters can snag one now for $139.

Continue reading Tokyoflash's Kisai Kaidoku LCD watch arrives 12 years too late for Neo, Trinity

Tokyoflash's Kisai Kaidoku LCD watch arrives 12 years too late for Neo, Trinity originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 06:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zoom H2n portable recorder touts five internal mics, adjustable recording range

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/12/zoom-h2n-portable-recorder-touts-five-internal-mics-adjustable/

We'd hazard a guess that just a couple of things evolved in the portable audio world from the year 2007. That's when the original Zoom H2 SD launched, and it's become somewhat of a staple in the years since. Now, some four years later, it's time for a refresh. The outfit's launching the Zoom H2n today, complete with a bolder design, five "studio-quality" microphones and a foursome of recording modes: Mid-Side (MS) stereo, 90° X/Y stereo, 2-channel and 4-channel surround sound. The standout feature, however, is its ability to widen and narrow one's recording range on the fly. For reporters, you can hone in on the interviewee and block out other reporters / crowd noise, while concert goers can adjust to target audio from just the singer. Other specs include a 1.8-inch LCD, built-in reference speaker, USB 2.0 connectivity and a thing for pushing through for 20 full hours on a single set of AA cells. It'll sell for $199 when it ships this September, but you'll see that figure head north should you decide to pick up an optional accessory pack with windscreen, tripod, protective case, and remote control.

Continue reading Zoom H2n portable recorder touts five internal mics, adjustable recording range

Zoom H2n portable recorder touts five internal mics, adjustable recording range originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceZoom  | Email this | Comments

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Freescale expands its family of i.MX50 chips, goes beyond e-readers this time

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/12/freescale-expands-its-family-of-i-mx50-chips-goes-beyond-e-read/

We had a feeling that Freescale was onto something when it debuted the i.MX508, a system-on-a-chip that carried the promise of $150 e-readers (and the reality of $129 ones). Given that, we can see where the execs at Freescale would be feeling a bit heady, and might wonder where else they could help push down prices. That's exactly what we have here: the outfit is trotting out three new i.MX50 processors and, as you can see in that handy chart up there, they all sit even lower in the lineup than the low-cost i.MX508. Like the i.MX508, they all pack an 800HMz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, among other similar specs. The new i.MX507, in particular, resembles the i.MX508 in that it's designed to work with E Ink displays, though it lacks graphics acceleration, and Freescale imagines it'll instead find a home in outdoor signs and smart labels. Moving on down the line, the i.MX502 and the i.MX503 were both intended for devices with LCD -- not electronic paper -- displays, with the latter offering OpenVG graphics acceleration. If Freescale's predictions are on the money, you'll find the lower-end i.MX502 in DECT phones and vending machine displays, and the i.MX503 in personal navigators and medical monitoring tablets, among other use cases. For now, companies are sampling the chips, but they'll start shipping later this quarter for a song -- less than $10 for the i.MX502 at volume cost. Full PR after the break, and lots more technical details at the source link.

Continue reading Freescale expands its family of i.MX50 chips, goes beyond e-readers this time

Freescale expands its family of i.MX50 chips, goes beyond e-readers this time originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink ARMdevices.net  |  sourceFreescale  | Email this | Comments

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LG Optimus Pro surfaces, dressed for your next business meeting (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/12/lg-optimus-pro-surfaces-dressed-for-your-next-business-meeting/

Poor RIM -- everybody wants a piece of the BlackBerry pie, as the company attempts to maintain its position as the face of business-minded smartphones in an era ruled by iPhones and Android devices. It's tough to avoid mentioning the company when looking at these shots unearthed by Italy's Android World blog of the forthcoming LG Optimus Pro, whose form factor ought to prove comfortably familiar to BlackBerry devotees. According to the site, the Gingerbread device has a 2.8 inch screen, a three megapixel camera, an 800MHz processor, and will run €179 ($249) in that country. Not much more info is available at present, but there's a video after the break, and the source link has a few more shots, if you need help imagining it in your hand at your next board meeting.

Continue reading LG Optimus Pro surfaces, dressed for your next business meeting (video)

LG Optimus Pro surfaces, dressed for your next business meeting (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Community  |  sourceAndroid World (Translation), Android HD Blog (Translation)  | Email this | Comments

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HP TouchPad 4G coming to AT&T this summer with 1.5GHz CPU, won't support LTE

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/12/hp-touchpad-4g-coming-to-atandt-this-summer-wont-support-lte/

Funny what a number can do, eh? Just last month, we heard that a 3G model of HP's TouchPad would be coming to AT&T this summer, and now we're being told that it'll actually be called the TouchPad 4G. 4G as in HSPA+. Not 4G as in LTE. Got that? Good. Aside from the basics -- 32GB of internal storage, integrated GPS and HSPA+ / WiFi radios -- a newfangled 1.5GHz processor (up from 1.2GHz) will make its debut, hopefully improving those performance issues we saw during our review. Sadly, no one's spilling details on pricing or release, with the carrier simply affirming that it'll be on sale prior to the "back to school" season. We're guessing the Summer of 2011 is going to be quite the confusing time to be an in-store AT&T employee -- how exactly do you sell an actual 4G hotspot when you've got HSPA+ devices calling themselves the same? Oh, nomenclature.

Continue reading HP TouchPad 4G coming to AT&T this summer with 1.5GHz CPU, won't support LTE

HP TouchPad 4G coming to AT&T this summer with 1.5GHz CPU, won't support LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceThe Official HP Palm Blog  | Email this | Comments

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Transparent graphene speakers printed with inkjets, lo-fi musical windows are on their way

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/12/transparent-graphene-speakers-printed-with-inkjets-lo-fi-musica/

Transparent Graphene Speaker
Add that magical material known as graphene to the list of things you can make with inkjet printers alongside OLEDs, solar panels, and light-bending metamaterials. Scientists at the Seoul National University used printers and a technique known as vapor deposition to leave a thin film of the graphite-based conductor on sheets of PVDF (poly vinylidene fluoride). By sandwiching the the PVDF between graphene electrodes and applying a current from a sound source researchers were able to create a flat and transparent loudspeaker that could be integrated into windows or screens. Don't expect this low-power sound source to replace your hi-fi though -- since it relies on the distortion-prone piezoelectric effect, it probably won't sound much better than the earpiece on your cellphone.

Transparent graphene speakers printed with inkjets, lo-fi musical windows are on their way originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Graphene-Info  |  RSC  | Email this | Comments

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