Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Samsung's own Facebook page shows Galaxy Note wearing Ice Cream Sandwich

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/samsung-galaxy-note-ice-cream-sandwich-leak-facebook/

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Hard to believe we're mere months from learning all about Android 5.0, and the lion's share of Android devices haven't even heard of v4.0. That said, Samsung already promised that its polarizing Galaxy Note would be grabbing ICS in the second quarter of this year, and it looks as if the company's designers already have an inkling as to what that'll look like. Shown here at Samsung Mobile USA's official Facebook portal, we have one Galaxy Note sporting Ice Cream Sandwich, but there's no fuss made about (officially, anyway) in the description below. We'd probably still hope for late Q2 based on history, but perhaps the update really is closer to seeing the light of day than we'd been led to believe.

[Thanks, Binyamin]

Samsung's own Facebook page shows Galaxy Note wearing Ice Cream Sandwich originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Lucid becomes official on Verizon, can be yours March 29th for $80

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/lg-lucid-verizon-lte-official/

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That LG Lucid we've heard so much about lately? Yep, it's real, and Verizon is now ready to publicly acknowledge its existence.The LTE-capable device resides in the mid-range, but for $80 (with a two-year commitment and after a $50 mail-in rebate) you're getting a 4-inch display covered in Gorilla Glass, 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, 5MP rear-facing camera with 1080p video capture and a front-facing cam of unknown resolution. And for the folks keeping track at home, the Lucid will be shipping with Gingerbread installed, though Verizon is quick to admit that ICS is in the works. Sound like your cup o' tea? You won't have to wait long -- it's heading your way on March 29th.

Continue reading LG Lucid becomes official on Verizon, can be yours March 29th for $80

LG Lucid becomes official on Verizon, can be yours March 29th for $80 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung launches Switch Grip QF20 WiFi camcorder, shoot with both guns

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/samsung-launches-switch-grip-qf20-wifi-camcorder/

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Samsung trotted out a cluster of new video shooters back at CES, including a refresh of its hand-impartial HMX-Q10 movie maker. Now, it looks like sinister filmmakers can finally get their (left) paws on the WiFi enabled QF20. The debut also brings with it mention of a few minor details that we didn't hear about in Vegas, namely an on board "BGM" background music tool, a 230,000 pixel count on the LCD viewfinder, and news that the sensor is a 5-megapixel BSI CMOS affair. If this sounds like the answer to your camera-handling dreams, Samsung wants 449,000 (about $395) no matter which hand you reach for your wallet with.

Samsung launches Switch Grip QF20 WiFi camcorder, shoot with both guns originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSamsung Tomorrow  | Email this |&n! bsp;Comments

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Novatech Ultrabook range goes to nFinity, well, at least four

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/new-novatech-ultrabook-nfinity-series/

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Novatech has just put its own spin on the Ultrabook theme, outing its new nFinity line of svelte, 14-inch, portables. The base model is driven by an i3 chip, 2GB of RAM, and 64GB of SSD storage, for a £430 (about $687) asking price. If you want a little more pep, however, there are naturally i5 and i7 options too (£580 / $926 and £699 / $1,117 respectively), both of which get a RAM upgrade to 4GB, and double the SSD at 128GB. There are a few things which might dampen your purchasing flame, such as the lack of USB3.0, and perhaps the plastic finish. But when you're fully booted in the (claimed) 15 seconds, and still going 7 hours later, maybe that won't seem so bad a trade-off. The range lands on the 30th of this month, so not long to wait, or click on past the break for the promo video.

Continue reading Novatech Ultrabook range goes to nFinity, well, at least four

Novatech Ultrabook range goes to nFinity, well, at least four originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Netbook News  |  sourceNovatech  | Email this | Comments

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Kinect for Windows version 1.5 to be released in May

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/kinect-for-windows-version-1-5-to-be-released-in-may/

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Seems like it was only yesterday that Microsoft took the wraps off version 1.0 of Kinect for Windows, putting the power of voice and gesture controls in the hands of the hoi polloi. Now, the gang in Redmond has said that version 1.5 will be coming in May, and will bring 10-joint skeletal tracking to let the sensor bar work while users are seated. The update also includes Kinect Studio, an app that allows devs to record, play and debug clips of users to fine tune their applications. Additionally, it brings language support for French, Spanish, Italian and Japanese, plus there's added support for regional dialects in those languages and English as well. Lastly, Microsoft is promising a whole slew of new countries around the globe will be getting Kinect for Windows in May and June, so to see if your homeland made the cut, check out the source below.

Kinect for Windows version 1.5 to be released in May originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Next at Microsoft  |  sourceKinect for Windows blog  | Email this | Comments

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Healthcare Is The Hottest Sector For Startup Funding

Source: https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/welcome


Business Insider Intelligence is a new research and analysis service for real-time insight and intelligence about the Internet industry. The product is currently in beta. For more information, and to sign up for a free 30-day trial, click here.

Healthcare took the largest percentage share of angel funding last year with 33.8 percent of funding dollars, according to a new report by Silicon Valley Bank. The internet, broadly defined, had the second largest share with 27.2 percent of funding dollars. However, as a percentage of deals completed, the Internet led with 33.8 percent followed by healthcare with 24.1 percent

There are several takeaways from the findings:

  • Many people (including some very influential investors) vew healthcare as a staid industry ripe for disruption;
  • Generally speaking, it costs more money to get a healthcare company off the ground than a web startup;
  • Early stage investors are very bullish: the median angel round was up 40 percent from 2010.

Click here to read our note on how the way companies are getting financed is completely changing →

Angel Funding By Sector

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HTC One X for AT&T benchmarked: impressive, most impressive

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/htc-one-x-for-atandt-benchmarked-impressive-most-impressive/

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The One X is not officially here... yet. That hasn't stopped someone from putting the new superphone through the benchmarking wringer, however. Turns out, that dual-core Snapdragon S4 SoC may be all it's cracked up to be, as screencaps have popped up online showing scores that blow away damn near every mobile device under the sun. Apparently, an AT&T employee put the One X through its paces, and if the scores are to be believed, it smoked the Galaxy Nexus in Quadrant and handily outperformed even the quad-core Transformer Prime in Vellamo. So, it seems that Peter Chou's new favorite phone has the guts to match its handsome exterior, but don't take our word for it, see for yourself at the source below.

HTC One X for AT&T benchmarked: impressive, most impressive originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 02:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Mobile Syrup  ! |  sourceAndroid Central forums  | Email this | Comments

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Can the $900 Panasonic GH2 Produce Better Video Than the $3,500 Canon 5D Mark III? [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5896434/can-the-900-panasonic-gh2-produce-better-video-than-the-3500-canon-5d-mark-iii

The Panasonic GH2 is a mid-range micro four thirds camera that runs about $900. It is a decent product, but would never be expected to compete with professional DSLR's. Right? Wellllllllllll...

Turns out, the GH2 has one unsuspecting video feature that beats out the current standard of DSLR videography, the Canon 5D Mark II, not to mention its recently reviewed successor, the 5D Mark III. Amazingly, the GH2 cranks out video with detail and sharpness clearly superior to either of the 5Ds. The results are visible in the test video above, conducted by EOSHD, along with a detailed analysis.

So does that mean you should run out and buy a GH2 whilst laughing in the face of those who just dropped thousands for a 5D? Well, no, not exactly. The thing is, detail and sharpness are not the whole story of what makes a great video camera. In almost every other benchmark, a 5D is going to win out—especially the Mark III. Low light performance, audio controls, shallow depth of field, lens options, all of these contribute to your ability to make a kick-ass movie.

EOSHD goes off on Canon for its inability to improve on this spec in the 4 years between the release of the 5D Mark II and Mark III. Point taken. But there is a bigger picture. The GH2 may produce a clearer image, but if you are looking for a professional tool with well-rounded capabilities, the cost of a 5D might be worth it.

Of course, the talk about the Nikon D800's performance is heating up the debate. We haven't seen any direct video comparisons between that and the Mark III yet, but they will surely be flooding the internet soon. [EOSHD]

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Sunday, March 25, 2012

Callnote Records Skype Calls and Saves the Audio to Evernote Automatically [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5895808/callnote-records-skype-calls-and-saves-the-audio-to-evernote-automatically

Callnote Records Skype Calls and Saves the Audio to Evernote Automatically Win/Mac: We've discussed a few ways to record Skype calls in the past, but they tend to be pretty hit-or-miss. As long as the audio is the only part you're worried about, CallNote can record your calls and then save the audio file to your Evernote account immediately as soon as it's finished recording.

Callnote is pretty simple to use. Fire up the app, head over to the Evernote tab to log in to Evernote, and while Skype is open and running click to record, stop recording, or play back what's been recorded, so you can test before your call or podcast begins. The app allows you to record up to eight participants, and includes a note when the audio is uploaded to Evernote with the attendees names and the call time and duration included. You can set the process to take place automatically—as in the app starts recording as soon as the call begins, stops when it ends, and uploads immediately after it stops, or you can toggle triggers in between so you can manually select the destination notebook.

The app is free, and can be downloaded directly from the developer or directly from the Skype App Store. Do you record Skype calls, or use a different method? Share your alternatives and suggestions in the comments below.

Callnote | Kanda Software via Guiding Tech

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Liquid-Cooled Laptops Can Handle Overclocked Processors Without Overcooking Thighs [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5896149/liquid+cooled-laptops-can-handle-overclocked-processors-without-overcooking-thighs

Most laptops can barely handle a late-night YouTube session without reaching sperm-scorching temperatures. So if you dabble in over-clocking, you'll be frying eggs in no time. That is unless you've got Asetek's new liquid-cooling system for laptops.

Liquid cooling is already inherently more efficient than air-based systems because liquids have much greater thermal mass. But Asetek has another trick up its sleeve. Most laptops use separate heat sinks for each processor which means that unused cooling potential from the CPU can't be used to cool the GPU if it needs it more. So Asetek's liquid system combines them into one unified, heat-dispersing apparatus. This means that cooling potential can be used wherever it's needed most, regardless of its origin.

Judging from the size of the 'laptop' in the video, it's safe to say that this technology won't be coming to an ultrabook near you. At least any time soon. But in the mean time, serious overclockers can rejoice over the fact that they'll no longer have to lug around a bookshelf-sized desktop to all their LAN parties (do people still do those in person?). No word yet on pricing or availability. [Asetek via Technabob]

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Motorola Connected Home Gateway home automation all-in-one hits the FCC with Verizon tags

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/23/motorola-connected-home-gateway-home-automation-fcc/

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We first got our eyes on Motorola's Connected Home Gateway home automation box during CES 2012, and now that it's passed through the FCC it should be ready to do its all-in-one magic in real consumer's homes sometime soon. What makes this device special is its ability to speak more than one of the various wireless home control protocols currently in use, easily connecting to, controlling and spitting out macros to make multiple things happen with a minimum of user interference or setup. Want to dim the lights, lower the temperature and turn on security cams as soon as you step outside your door? It can do that. This will all be a part of Verizon's Z-wave based Home Monitoring and Control system at some point, if you're still wondering what possibilities are out there, check out our CES demo video embedded after the break.

Continue reading Motorola Connected Home Gateway home automation all-in-one hits the FCC with Verizon tags

Motorola Connected Home Gateway home automation all-in-one hits the FCC with Verizon tags originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 23:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA CEO suggests Kepler GPUs could be headed to future 'superphones'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/24/nvidia-ceo-suggests-kepler-gpus-could-be-headed-to-future-super/

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NVIDIA looking for a piece of next-generation smartphones shouldn't come as much of a surprise to anyone, but CEO Jen-Hsun Huang dropped a few details in a recent email to staffers that's sure to spur at least a little excitement. As AnandTech reports, in addition to marking the launch of the company's new Kepler-based GeForce GTX 680 graphics card, he also looked towards future possibilities for the GPU, noting that "today is just the beginning of Kepler," and that "because of its super energy-efficient architecture, we will extend GPUs into datacenters, to super thin notebooks, to superphones." Not surprisingly, that's about as specific as things got as far as mobile devices are concerned, with no mention whatsoever as to when we might see such Kepler-based "superphones."

NVIDIA CEO suggests Kepler GPUs could be headed to future 'superphones' originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 01:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Phone Arena  |  sourceAnandTech  | Email this | Comments

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Apogee MiC review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/24/apogee-mic-review/

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It's no secret that a few of us here at Engadget HQ have an affinity for mobile recording tech. Perhaps you could blame some of our fledgling amateur music careers, but at any rate, we love to get our hands on tech that allows us to lay down tracks on-the-go. It's also no surprise that Apogee would offer up another product that would look to do just that. As a complement to the outfit's Jam guitar adapter, the Apogee MiC is the latest foray into mobile recording. Much like its guitar specific counterpart, the MiC is both iDevice and Mac compatible and its compact stature won't take up precious real estate in your travel pack. But, as you may expect, staying mobile comes at a premium. So, is the $249 price tag a deal breaker for the MiC? Is it a small price to pay for adding a solid microphone to your mobile recording setup? Journey on past the break to find out.

Continue reading Apogee MiC review

Apogee MiC review originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrome OS coming to ARM?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/24/chrome-os-coming-to-arm/

ImageMany moons ago, Google made it quite clear we wouldn't be seeing its browser-based OS on any tablets or phones, but it never said Chrome OS wouldn't run on devices powered by similar silicon. In fact, the issues tracker at the Chromium OS project shows that work's being done to get Chrome OS compatible with ARM architecture, and in particular a Samsung Exynos 5250 chip. That Sammy silicon appears to be inside a new bit of hardware, codenamed "Daisy," but deeper digging failed to provide further details about the mystery device. While it certainly seems like Google's working on a new ARM-powered gadget, it's important to note that the Chromium project functions largely via user contributions, so the work might not be directed by Mountain View. You don't have to take our word for it, though. Head on down to the source link to see the evidence first hand, and feel free to form your own opinion.

Chrome OS coming to ARM? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 14:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Liliputing!  |   sourceChromium OS  | Email this | Comments

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XBMC Eden officially steps out of beta, available for download now

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/24/xbmc-eden-officially-steps-out-of-beta-available-for-download-n/

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Been snacking on popcorn with the beta build of XBMC 11.0 Eden since it got released last December? If, you'll be pleased know that the full-on release version is now officially available for download. In case you don't recall, this latest build of the media center house many new features, not limited to Addon Rollbacks (in case you hate their new builds), a plethora of speed-improvements, official "in- sync support" for iOS devices, AirPlay functionality and UI tweaks. There's also good news for Ubuntu users, as XBMCUbuntu Final has been officially announced as the successor to XBMC Live. Excuse the pun, but if you're ready to taste the fruit now that it's ripe, you'll find the full details for both and the download link for Eden at the source link below.

XBMC Eden officially steps out of beta, available for download now originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 20:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceXBMC  | Email this | Comments

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