Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

RIM launches three new handsets, Torch 9810, Torch 9860 and Bold 9900, we go hands-on!

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/03/rim-launches-three-new-handsets-torch-9810-torch-9850-and/

Here they are folks. Months after we first got our hands on pre-release Torch and Bold Touch handsets, RIM is finally ready to show off its latest hardware. They're all powered by a 1.2GHz processor, have 768MB of onboard RAM and -- most importantly -- run the latest operating system BB OS7.

RIM claims its new OS is 40 percent faster at browsing compared to OS6-based smartphones, and 100 percent faster than OS5 handsets. It also supports RIM's Liquid Graphics technology, which uses a dedicated graphics processor for smoother scrolling, zooming and panning.

Hands-on impressions and video follow after the break.

Gallery: Blackberry Torch 9810 hands-on

Gallery: Blackberry Torch 9860 hands-on

Gallery: Blackberry Bold 9900 hands-on

Gallery: BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860, 9810 press shots

Continue reading RIM launches three new handsets, Torch 9810, Torch 9860 and Bold 9900, we go hands-on!

RIM launches three new handsets, Torch 9810, Torch 9860 and Bold 9900, we go hands-on! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, August 01, 2011

PhoneGap 1.0 lets devs write apps for seven platforms (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/01/phonegap-1-0-lets-devs-write-apps-for-six-platforms-wp7-not-inc/

Until now, mobile app developers have followed a pretty predictable MO: develop for iOS first, Android second, and everyone else after that. Since last year, many of you code monkeys out there have been tapping into Nitobi's PhoneGap, a project that makes it easier to churn out apps for almost every OS, all at once. It's been picking up steam, with about 40,000 downloads per month, 600,000 in total, and a steady stream of donations. That all culminated this weekend with the release of PhoneGap 1.0, which lets devs use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to write and deploy apps for iOS, Android, BlackBerry, webOS, Bada, and Symbian. ~~That's a long list indeed, but we see one glaring omission: Windows Phone 7.~~ Hit the source link to download it for free and check out the promo video below for an oh-so quick overview.

Update: Oops! Looks like WP7 is included! Our apologies, and feel free to celebrate accordingly.

Continue reading PhoneGap 1.0 lets devs write apps for seven platforms (video)

PhoneGap 1.0 lets devs write apps for seven platforms (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon Wireless to tie American Express' Serve into mobile numbers, keep your credit card holstered

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/01/verizon-wireless-to-tie-american-express-serve-into-mobile-numb/

Good news online shopaholics, your tchotchke-buying ways are getting a couple of enablers in the form of American Express and Verizon Wireless. The two titans of industry have teamed up to integrate AMEX's PayPal-like Serve platform into the operator's phones and tablets in the next few months. The service will work by linking your existing mobile number to a Serve account, speeding up the checkout process and ensuring you never second-guess that impulse buy. Sure, this isn't the NFC-chipped, Isis future Big Red promised, but it's a good stopgap for virtual spendthrifts.

Continue reading Verizon Wireless to tie American Express' Serve into mobile numbers, keep your credit card holstered

Verizon Wireless to tie American Express' Serve into mobile numbers, keep your credit card holstered originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adobe's Edge tool promises Flash-like animation through HTML5

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/01/adobes-edge-tool-promises-flash-like-animation-through-html5/

Even as plenty have declared HTML5 adoption the beginning of the end for Adobe's once ubiquitous Flash platform, the company has embraced the web standard, through properties like its Creative Suite and Wallaby. Adobe will be taking things a step further with Edge, an HTML5 design tool that promises to let "web designers to bring animation, similar to that created in Flash Professional, to websites." The software is currently in public preview mode, available a free download for web designers, in hopes of getting some feedback that will help shape its final release.

Continue reading Adobe's Edge tool promises Flash-like animation through HTML5

Adobe's Edge tool promises Flash-like animation through HTML5 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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4.5 million fps microscope camera powered by ultra-fast X-ray flash

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/01/4-5-million-fps-microscope-camera-powered-by-ultra-fast-x-ray-fl/

X-ray undulator

Remember those rugged gadgets we smashed to bits in super slow-mo? Well that spectacular footage was shot at around 1,500 frames per-second. A new camera system being built for the European XFEL (X-ray Free-Electron Laser) facility will record stunning clips of viruses and cells at an almost unimaginable 4.5 million fps. The camera is, in part, powered by a high speed flash created by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, that blasts its microscopic subjects with ultra-bright X-rays. The flashes themselves last as little as two femtoseconds, or 2x10^-15 seconds for you math nerds out there. When the whole apparatus is fired up in 2015 it could provide amazingly detailed, 3D images of individual molecules and answer some questions about the behavior of viruses and cells.

4.5 million fps microscope camera powered by ultra-fast X-ray flash originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MuteTab Lets You Know Which Chrome Tab Is Making That Racket [Genius]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5826545/mutetab-lets-you-know-which-chrome-tab-is-making-that-racket

Say you're just bouncing around on the internet. Suddenly one of your thousand open tabs starts making noise. Now you're annoyed, but you can't find the tab. MuteTab helps you find it before you go crazy and hurt yourself.

Jared Sohn designed this Chrome extension to give you better control of which webpage you actually want to hear. Like if you've left an ad-laden site on but want to watch something on Netflix. All you have to do is right click and MuteTab provides you with a menu for muting what might be causing your ears to bleed.

One problem, though, is turning off the sound for different plug-ins can get complicated, resulting in this workaround using some guesswork to get at a noisy tab. And turning off the sound for a Flash game you want to get back to could wind up restarting the game. Problematic.

Still, this is a step in the right direction. Sohn just needs plug-in makers to get behind the idea. [MuteTab via Slashdot]

Apple TV Updated to Stream All the TV Shows You Bought Off iTunes [Apple]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5826586/apple-tv-updated-to-stream-all-the-tv-shows-you-bought-off-itunes

Daring Fireball is saying that a new software update for Apple TV has hit and it's a good one: you can finally buy TV shows from your Apple TV and stream any TV shows you've previously purchased from iTunes.

This is great. The stuff you bought is no longer trapped in the purgatory of iTunes and can now conveniently be watched on the big screen. It's all working in "the cloud" and is pretty damn convenient for anyone who has bought a lot of TV shows from iTunes. No support for movies yet though. Additionally, the update has added support for Vimeo. [Daring Fireball]

BMW unveils new i3 and revamped i8 concepts, we await our automotive future (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/30/bmw-unveils-new-i3-and-revamped-i8-concepts-we-await-our-automo/

BMW's been teasing us with its vision for electric motoroing for years, and today, folks, the trend continues. The German automaker has unveiled two concepts from its upcoming i sub-brand: the city-dwelling i3 and a rehashed version of its i8. This is the first time we've officially seen the smaller of the two, as the car formerly known as the Megacity had only been spied in an official render and during routine testing at the arctic circle. It'll haul four peeps with its 150km range (around 100 miles) and accelerate from 0-60mph in around 8 seconds. As for those with range anxiety, the German company will soothe such fears with an optional range-extending motor dubbed "REx." Either variant could land in your garage in 2013, where you'll be able top them up in 6 hours with a standard socket, or up to eighty percent in an hour if you're rocking a spiffy high capacity charger.

The i8, which you'll recall for its radical aerodynamic design and hybrid diesel-electric drivetrain, has received a bevy of aerodynamic tweaks and junked its oil burner, opting for a gasoline one instead. Engine swap aside, the sporty coupé apparently drinks only 2.7 liters per 100km -- 87 mpg (!) for yanks -- which is unreal in a car that'll accelerate to 62mph in 4.6 seconds. Sound too good to be true? We'll have to wait until 2014 to see if München can make good on those promises, but in the meantime feel free to peruse the galleries, videos, and PR after the break.

Gallery: BMW i Family

Continue reading BMW unveils new i3 and revamped i8 concepts, we await our automotive future (video)

BMW unveils new i3 and revamped i8 concepts, we await our automotive future (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix plugin for ChromeOS hits v1.0.2, is an official release around the corner?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/31/netflix-plugin-for-chromeos-hits-v1-0-2-is-an-official-release/

When Google Chromebooks started arriving without the Netflix streaming we'd been promised we were predictably bummed, but that may be rectified soon. While Chromebook owners attuned to beta channel updates first noticed an entry for a Netflix plugin last month, it still couldn't actually play movies and didn't appear on older, single-core Atom powered Cr-48 laptops. Fast forward to the present, where one of our friendly comment moderators, masterofrandom has spotted this updated v1.0.2 plugin lurking in the depths of his murdered out 12-incher. There's still no playback to be had, but we're figuring Netflix didn't update the version number past 1.0 because it's finally figured out the perfect queue management system. Chromebook owners or prospective owners (and by extension, Linux users) still awaiting Watch Instantly streaming -- your alert level is at Vermilion.

[Thanks, masterofrandom]

Netflix plugin for ChromeOS hits v1.0.2, is an official release around the corner? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Logitech officially drops Revue price to $99 today, clarifies 'more returns than sales' remark

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/31/logitech-drops-revue-price-to-99/

Google TV not worth 300 bones to ya? How's about a cool Benjamin? As promised, Logitech has slashed the price of its Revue set-top box from $299 to $99 on its own site and at retailers like Best Buy, giving prospective customers something awfully tempting to consider alongside the prospect of running Honeycomb on their TV right away. Oh, and the much-reported nugget from its earnings about "returns exceeding sales"? It should probably be noted that wasn't about returns from end users, which the company claims "have averaged at levels comparable to other Logitech products", but from the distributors and retailers it sells most of its hardware to. So, you in, or are you still holding out for the 90 percent off sale that may or may not ever materialize?

Continue reading Logitech officially drops Revue price to $99 today, clarifies 'more returns than sales' remark

Logitech officially drops Revue price to $99 today, clarifies 'more returns than sales' remark originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WD's 9.5mm Scorpio Blue 1TB laptop hard drive gets benchmarked

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/31/wds-9-5mm-scorpio-blue-1tb-laptop-hard-drive-gets-benchmarked/

These days, it's hard to shake the urge to pop a solid state drive into your next laptop, but even if you're down with dropping the requisite coin, the restrictive capacity choices may make it darn near impossible for pack rats to bite. For those fitting squarely into that category, there's Western Digital's newest laptop drive: the 9.5mm 1TB Scorpio Blue. It's one of the first in this form factor (read: the one that slips into most everything smaller than a Clevo) to hit the 1TB milestone, and at just $99, it's a veritable bargain. The benchmarking gurus over at Hot Hardware threw it through the usual gauntlet of tests, pitting it against a 500GB Scorpio Black and a 640GB Seagate Momentus. As you'd likely expect, the 1TB spinner bested the competition in SiSoftware, ATTO and CrystalDiskMark tests, though not by a tremendous margin. Still, taking performance up a notch while also boasting a full terabyte of space makes it somewhat of a no-brainer for capacity freaks, and you can hit the source for a barrage of charts proving as much.

WD's 9.5mm Scorpio Blue 1TB laptop hard drive gets benchmarked originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 21:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyocera Echo Gingerbread update bringing WiFi calling, NFC support? (update: sadly not)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/31/kyocera-echo-gingerbread-update-bringing-wifi-calling-nfc-suppo/

Um, okay? Hot on the heels of rumors that Kyocera's Echo would see its first major Android update on August 1st, in flies an updated page over at the company's own website detailing the impending changes. Unless someone at Kyocera's pulling a fast one, it looks as if the imminent Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) update will bring a downright staggering list of new features, making an already unique handset capable of even rarer feats. Interest piqued? We're told that the refresh will provide pinch-to-zoom support in the browser, gallery, Maps and Sprint Navigation, an improved downloads app and an upgrade to the Swype 3.0 virtual keypad, with Tap Correction and Horizontal Word Choice list.

But that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg -- the real kicker is the addition of "internet calling over WiFi" as well as "an NFC reader to interact with posters, advertisements, products, etc." You heard right, WiFi calling and a previously unmentioned NFC chip -- hopefully of the UMA variety, rather than just SIP. As of now, the only major US carrier to support WiFi calling is T-Mobile, and neither Sprint nor Kyocera have mentioned any secretive Near Field Communications module to us. The luckiest of the early adopters should see their over-the-air update swing through as soon as a half-hour, so be sure to let us know if this all proves true in comments below. Naturally, we'll be watching for the update on our own set and updating accordingly.

Update: Bah, humbug! A Kyocera rep contacted Brief Mobile and explained that the feature page shown here went up prematurely, and that the WiFi calling and NFC support in particular weren't supposed to be listed. Consider our hopes dashed, and our dreams crushed.

[Thanks, Brain_ReCall]

Kyocera Echo Gingerbread update bringing WiFi calling, NFC support? (update: sadly not) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy launches Insignia connected TVs with DVR-less TiVo

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/01/best-buy-launches-insignia-connected-tvs-with-dvr-less-tivo/

Right on schedule, Best Buy's announced it's good and ready to ship two Insignia-branded connected televisions with TiVo's UI -- minus the whole DVR thing, that is. The two 1080p sets, available in 32- and 42-inch flavors, are landing months after the retailer said it was buddying up with TiVo to borrow its user interface -- and only that, there's no indication these will play nicely with Premiere DVRs and their multiroom streaming at launch -- for searching content and also just getting up and running easily. As you'd expect, folks perusing these sets can watch movies from Netflix, CinemaNow, and YouTube, as well as stream from Pandora and Napster. Rounding out the list of apps are Facebook, Twitter, Photobucket, and Chumby, with more to come, Best Buy tells us. In addition to the easy access to content, the story here is that the UI plays nice with existing cable boxes, making the installation easy even if the person holding the remote doesn't happen to have a lengthy serial number on hand. Look for the 32-inch number for $499, with the 42-incher fetching $699. Find the full PR and some b-roll video after the break, along with a smattering of hands-on shots of what should be an all-too-familiar interface.

Gallery: Insignia TVs with TiVo's UI

Continue reading Best Buy launches Insignia connected TVs with DVR-less TiVo

Best Buy launches Insignia connected TVs with DVR-less TiVo originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ViewSonic reveals 24-inch V3D245 3D monitor, ships this month for $500

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/01/viewsonic-reveals-24-inch-v3d245-3d-monitor-ships-this-month-fo/

Still lookin' for that perfect 3D display, are you? ViewSonic would be absolutely thrilled to make your short list, with the 24-inch V3D245 making its debut this morning. Unsurprisingly, this one's arriving with a 1080p LED-backlit panel, and it'll be joined by an inbuilt NVIDIA 3D Vision wireless emitter and a pair of 3D Vision glasses. You'll also get a 120Hz refresh rate, two millisecond response time, HDMI 1.4 socket and 300 nits of brightness, and the three-year limited warranty should help quell any fears about longevity. Of course, NVIDIA would prefer that focused on the 550 (and growing) 3D titles available on its Vision Live website, but at least you've got until "mid-to-late August" to determine if the whole shebang is worth your $499.

Continue reading ViewSonic reveals 24-inch V3D245 3D monitor, ships this month for $500

ViewSonic reveals 24-inch V3D245 3D monitor, ships this month for $500 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bedphones put tunes in your ears, won't come between you and your pillow

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/01/bedphones-put-tunes-in-your-ears-wont-come-between-you-and-your/

Bedphones

There are two types of people in this world -- those who need absolute silence to sleep, and those who need background noise to carry them off to sleepy land. Unfortunately, when these people share a room or, worse yet, a bed, wars can ensue. Sleeping with a pair of headphones on is, at best, uncomfortable. That is, unless you happen to own a pair of Bedphones -- or so its creator Eric Dubs claims. These ear-hook style buds are extremely thin and held in place by a length of moldable memory wire. There's even a Bedphones app that can turn the screen of your Android phone into a giant play/pause button, slowly lower the volume as a timer counts down, or shut off completely when you fall asleep (as determined by how much you move) in "smart mode." We wouldn't expect this tiny pair of phones to produce the greatest sound, but they're probably more than adequate for drifting off to an audiobook or podcast. They're available at the source link for $30.

Bedphones put tunes in your ears, won't come between you and your pillow originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 09:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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