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Wednesday, April 04, 2012

NTT forces you to pay attention during a video conference (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/03/ntt-video-conferencing-technology/

NTT figures out how to make you pay attention during a video conference

Video conferencing solved the "you talkin' to me?" problem ages ago, when business execs first started using sophisticated telepresence suites to share moisturizing tips. The thing is, catching a person's eye somehow has greater instinctive impact when you actually see them turn around to face you. That's exactly the sensation that NTT engineers have tried to replicate with the MM-Space conferencing system. It's demoed after the break by a pleasant-looking (Oil of Olay?) Japanese woman -- and even though you can't hear a word she says, the rotating, nodding translucent screen definitely lends her some extra gravitas.

Continue reading NTT forces you to pay attention during a video conference (video)

NTT forces you to pay attention during a video conference (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Upstart SugarCRM Raises Another $33 Million To Take On Salesforce And Microsoft (CRM, MSFT, ORCL)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/sugarcrm-upstart-raises-another-33-million-to-take-on-salesforce-and-microsoft-2012-4

sugar spoons

SugarCRM is up against a couple of noisy competitors -- Salesforce and Microsoft love to talk about their products and spend oodles on marketing every year.

But the seven-year-old company has carved out a nice niche for itself: it's been cash flow positive since 2010, and has more than one million end users, making it the third-largest CRM vendor. Billings were up 67% last year, and almost doubled in the fourth quarter.

Now, it's about to get bigger with a $33 million funding round led by NEA.

So how do they do it?

Focus. All they do is CRM. They're happy to let partners fill in all the other pieces that a business needs.

As CEO Larry Augustin told us, "We're not going to do like Salesforce has done. We're not pushing Heroku, Force.com, Rypple, Site.com or any of those things."

As far as Microsoft goes, "They have a solution that's an add-on to SharePoint, Exchange, and Office. If your goal is to live in Microsoft's world, that's naturally where you're going to go. Today, a lot of companies have a more heterogeneous environment. A lot of people have Google Docs, or mobile solutions that are not just Windows solutions. That's where we shine."

Another big difference: while Salesforce and Microsoft want customers to run in their clouds, SugarCRM wants customers choose their own cloud computing provider. The app can run on Amazon Web Services, IBM SmartCloud, Rackspace, a company's private data center or -- ironically -- even Microsoft's Windows Azure platform.

"We do host, we have a multitenant data center. But our emphasis is moving product out to other cloud services. If I never bought another server I'd be very happy."

Augustin also told us that the CRM market is far from full. Most of the company's customers so far have been smaller businesses, and about 60% of them are moving from makeshift solutions for tracking customer relationships, like storing data in Excel or Google Docs.

But SugarCRM is moving upmarket, and sought this funding round to make sure it had the cash to cover the longer sales cycles that enterprises require. It's also planning on making some "small tuck-in acquisitions" that help its core product.

The round was led by NEA, and NEA partner Brooke Seawell will join the board. The round also included new investments from Silicon Valley Bank and Gold Hill Capital.

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Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Dropcam HD WiFi monitoring camera now shipping for $149

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/03/dropcam-hd-wifi-security-camera-now-shipping-pricing-details/

Dropcam HD WiFi monitoring camera now shipping

We've had the opportunity to spend time with an early version of the Dropcam HD WiFi monitoring camera prior to its CES unveiling, and now the company is finally ready to get the product out to the masses. Starting today, the bantam security camera is shipping from the outfit's site for $149, with that tally netting you a USB-powered camera with automatic night vision, HD-quality video, two-way audio support, optional DVR-style recording ($9.95+ per month) and always-on access. As stated in our review, users can access a live stream of what it's watching (or they're watching, if using multiple cams) from any web browser, iPhone or Android-based device, and privacy advocates should know that all streams are "encrypted with bank-level security, and streamed through the cloud, not your computer, so it's safe in case of any computer trouble or theft." Head on past the break for the full spiel, or hit the source link to get your order in.

Continue reading Dropcam HD WiFi monitoring camera now shipping for $149

Dropcam HD WiFi monitoring camera now shipping for $149 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel: Your Next Laptop Will Be a Touchscreen Clamshell [Computers]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5898609/intel-your-next-laptop-will-be-a-touchscreen-clamshell

Intel: Your Next Laptop Will Be a Touchscreen Clamshell Things are certainly changing in personal computing: laptops are getting smaller and slimmer; tablets are becoming more useful productivity tools; and the whole sector can't quite reach a consensus over what the future holds. But then, Intel drops into conversation that it firmly believes in the one technology most people have dismissed: Clamshell touchscreens.

Speaking to PCWorld, Intel product manager Anand Kajshmanan explained that Intel "fundamentally believe in the concept of touch, and touch on a clamshell," adding that the firm is "strongly encouraging our partners" to add touchscreens to their ultrabooks.

Well, well. We've seen a clamshell tablet from Sony, and it was awful. What's to make a touchscreen laptop better? Not a lot. Steve Jobs famously dismissed the idea—after Apple had conducted tests of the concept—over the fact that vertical touch surfaces lead to fatigue. Without some startling innovation—which is of course possible, and I'd love to be proved long—that isn't set to change.

Elsewhere in the interview, Kajshmanan made an interesting comment over Windows versus OS X, too. Windows, he explained, is itself a prime differentiator when it comes to buying a laptop, calling it "the operating system users have come to love." He has a point. I'm saying he's right, but he has a point. [The Verge]

Image by Travis Isaacs under Creative Commons license

Canon EOS 60Da: the DSLR for that astrophotographer in your life

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/03/canon-eos-60da-dslr-astronomy-night-shooting-price-release-date/

Canon EOS 60Da DSLR

What if all the answers to the universe resided in the stars? What if your real home was in space? What if you had a camera engineered specifically to capture the beauty of the night sky? You do. Canon has just outed the proper successor to the EOS 20Da, with the 60Da "catering to astronomers and hobbyists" who'd rather spend their clicks on galaxies than flowers and Earthlings. According to Canon, there's a "modified infrared filter and a low-noise sensor with heightened hydrogen-alpha sensitivity" -- something that presumably means the world to astronomers. In more understandable terms, it's packing an 18-megapixel CMOS sensor (APS-C), a 3-inch Clear View LCD (you know, the flip-out kind), a nine-point autofocus system and TV-out support. The Silent Shooting feature that we already praised on the EOS 5D Mark III is here as well, as is a native ISO ceiling of 6,400 and an expandable range that reaches 12,800. Canon also throws in its RA-E3 remote controller adapter -- a vital accessory for those looking to shoot timed exposures greater than 30 seconds -- as well as an AC adapter kit for those all-night sessions. It'll hit select dealers later this month for $1,499, and no, this is not a joke.

Gallery: Canon EOS 60Da DSLR press photos

Continue reading Canon EOS 60Da: the DSLR for that astrophotographer in your life

Canon EOS 60Da: the DSLR for that astrophotographer in your life originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony PMW-100 camcorder brings 50Mbps bitrate in an itty-bitty package

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/03/sony-pmw-100-camcorder/

Sony PMW-100 camcorder brings 50Mbps bitrate in an itty-bitty package

When is full 1920 x 1080 footage not really HD? When a broadcaster rejects it for not meeting its 50Mbps bitrate criteria. There's only a few handheld cameras that can capture video with such gentle compression, and a lot of those require a third-party add-on recorder to achieve it -- but not Sony's new XDCAM shooter, the PMW-100. It has a 1/2.9-inch Exmor sensor sitting behind a 40-400mm (35mm equivalent) zoom lens and outputs 1080p, 1080i, and 720p at up to 50Mbps using MPEG HD422 compression. SxS cards are the primary media, but there's HD/SD-SDI output too should you still need it. Sound recording is equally data-heavy, letting you hear interviewees dodge questions in four channels of glorious 24-bit uncompressed 48kHz audio -- unless of course your diminutive kit fools them into thinking you're harmless. The PMW-100 should start shipping in May for an as yet undisclosed price, but in the meantime you'll find more specs in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Sony PMW-100 camcorder brings 50Mbps bitrate in an itty-bitty package

Sony PMW-100 camcorder brings 50Mbps bitrate in an itty-bitty package originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ARM seeks better security for connected devices, teams up Gemalto and Giesecke & Devrient

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/03/arm-seeks-better-security-for-connected-devices-teams-up-gemalt/

ARM seeks better security for connected devices, teams up Gemalto and Giesecke & Devrient

ARM is famous for its low-power chip designs, Gemalto is known for its NFC security features, and Giesecke & Devrient brings some nice nano-SIM notoriety to the table. As a trio, these companies are seeking regulatory approval for a new security standard that could be used on a wide range of web-connected devices, including tablets, smart TVs, game consoles and smartphones. There's little detail on the new technology itself, other than that it's based on ARM's TrustZone hardware-based security, which has been around for a while and is built into every ARM Cortex-A series processor. In any case, creating the technology is the easy bit these days -- it's the approval and licensing issues that'll get you unstuck.

Continue reading ARM seeks better security for connected devices, teams up Gemalto and Giesecke & Devrient

ARM seeks better security for connected devices, teams up Gemalto and Giesecke & Devrient originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, April 02, 2012

HTC One X review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/02/htc-one-x-review/

HTC One X review

HTC One X hands-on at MWC 2012 (video)

HTC Sense 4 review

HTC One S review

It's been a difficult year for HTC. After several successful quarters, things have started looking less rosy in recent months with the company facing stiff competition and suffering from apparent brand dilution -- the results of launching too many handsets with forgettable names, making too many compromises for the carriers, continuing to rely on Sense, and lacking an iconic flagship to take on Samsung's mighty Galaxy S II. We knew something important was coming for Mobile World Congress after HTC timidly revealed the Titan II at CES -- after all, the company has a long history of innovation.

A few days before flying to Barcelona and after being sworn to secrecy, we were quietly whisked into a San Francisco conference room with clear instructions: no pictures or video. There, in the middle of the table, was a white phone that instan! tly caug ht our eye -- the HTC One X. To write that we came away impressed after briefly using it is a massive understatement. This was obviously a halo device made for geeks like us, something designed to take on the Galaxy Nexuses of the world, something with the mother of all spec sheets, something running Ice Cream Sandwich with a significantly thinner and lighter version of Sense. Better yet, there were two other handsets with the same impeccable attention to detail -- the One S and the One V. HTC was finally showing some vision again with strong branding, gorgeous design and a polished user experience. While first impressions go a long way, there's a lot to be learned about a product by living with it for a few days. So is the One X truly HTC's comeback device? Are we still delighted? Is this the Engadget phone? Hit the break for our full review.

Gallery: HTC One X review

Continue reading HTC One X review

HTC One X review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 03:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Sense 4 review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/02/htc-sense-4-0-review/

HTC Sense 4.0 review

Over the last year, HTC has established a reputation for fragmenting its proprietary Sense UI even within the same version of Android. Why, Gingerbread alone is the foundation for at least three different iterations (2.1, 3.0 and 3.5) of the firmware. The bump to Ice Cream Sandwich is no different, with legacy devices getting an update to Sense 3.6 and the One series (and presumably any future devices) benefiting from version 4.0.

HTC One X review

HTC One S review

Sense 3.6 preview

When we previewed Sense 3.6, we were disappointed at its similarity to previous versions and the sloppiness of its integration with key features in ICS. Even though it marked an improvement in functionality and performance, it seemed as if the OS and customized UI were at war with each other.

Sense 4 is a different story. It's lighter, cleaner and much more visually appealing than older versions of the user interface, and it has the full suite of ICS goodies to go along with it. HTC also throws in its own imaging technology, dubbed ImageSense, to offer some cool new enhancements to the camera. Ultimately, HTC has successfully tweaked Sense's design in a way that keeps the spirit of stock Android 4.0 alive, while still offering ! somethin g familiar to loyal HTC fans. The tour is about to begin, so park yourself in your favorite chair and join us.

Gallery: HTC Sense 4 home, lock and notifications

Continue reading HTC Sense 4 review

HTC Sense 4 review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 03:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel 330 SSD leakage hints at bargain price tag, perhaps just $149 for 120GB

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/02/intel-330-ssd-leakage-hints-at-bargain-price-tag-perhaps-just/

Intel 330 SSD leakage hints at bargain price tag, perhaps just $149 for 120GB

A number of online retailers listed an Intel 330 SSD over the weekend, which would have been cool except that the drive was supposed to remain in the shadows until given a proper announcement. Some sellers pulled their listings pronto, but not before giving us a good glimpse at the drive's likely specs. These include the arrival of the SATAIII 6Gbps interface in this budget line, the same 25nm NAND fabrication process used for last year's 320, and promised sequential read / write speeds of up to 500MB/s and 450MB/s. None of this is especially thrilling, perhaps, when you recall that a similarly-specced SSD, the SanDisk Extreme, topped even the premium Intel 520 in recent benchmarks, but it all starts to make sense when you look at the pricing. SabrePC lists $149 for the 120GB variant, which is a full $40 cheaper than SanDisk's rival, $60 cheaper than the Intel 320, and only enough to pick up 60GB-worth of Intel 520. There are also 60GB and 180GB flavors, listed at $89 and $234 respectively. Assuming these prices hold tight, and that there's no repeat of the 320's firmware issues, this could be a bargain drive worth waiting for.

Update: Amazon UK helpfully lists April 13th as launch day.

Intel 330 SSD leakage hints at bargain price tag, perhaps just $149 for 120GB originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 09:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung throws in free extended battery with VZW Galaxy Nexus, applies to new purchases only

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/02/samsung-direct-verizon-galaxy-nexus-free-extended-battery-promotion/

Samsung must be keenly aware that the Galaxy Nexus' battery life takes a hit on Verizon's LTE network: for a limited time, the outfit's throwing in a free 2,100mAh extended battery for first-time buyers (sorry, current Nexus owners are out of luck). To take advantage of the promotion, you'll have to purchase it through Samsung Direct (link below), which means you'll be paying $300 for the device and agreeing to a two-year contract. As Android and Me notes, though, you'd save quite a bit of money picking up the VZW Nexus and accompanying battery pack at Amazon for a combined $134. Suffice to say, then, this isn't a stellar deal, but those of you who disagree can avail yourselves through May 10, or while supplies last.

Samsung throws in free extended battery with VZW Galaxy Nexus, applies to new purchases only originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday, April 01, 2012

CrowdCall Is a Simple Way to Make Group Calls from Android and iPhone [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5897735/crowdcall-is-a-simple-way-to-make-group-calls-from-android-and-iphone

CrowdCall Is a Simple Way to Make Group Calls from Android and iPhone iOS/Android: Group calling isn't something most of us need to do often, but it comes in handy when you're trying to make plans with a bunch of people or when you're making the rounds for holiday calls. CrowdCall simplifies the process by making it easy to make calls to up to 20 people directly from your iPhone or Android phone.

The nice thing about CrowdCall is that only one person needs the app to use it so you don't have to worry about getting everyone set up in front of a computer or having their apps in order. To set up a call you tap a plus symbol and start adding people from your contacts list. You can save that list for later so you can quickly bring up sets of people. CrowdCall is supported by ads and with that comes a slightly annoying text message that follows the call, but as an annoyance to an otherwise free app and service it's a reasonable trade-off.

CrowdCall | via The Next Web

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Amazon stores 1,700 human genomes in the cloud

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/31/amazon-stores-human-genomes/

Amazon stores 1,700 human genomes in the cloud

Not content with speeding up web browsing and hosting federal data, Amazon Web Services are now helping in the fight against disease. Bezos' crew is donating a chunk of free cloud storage to the 1000 Genomes project, which aims to make it easier for scientists to search for genetic variations linked to diseases. These gene-hunters can also use Amazon's Elastic Cloud Compute service to analyze data and discover patterns, although those functions won't come gratis. The DNA sequences of 1,700 mostly anonymous Homo sapiens from around the world have already been logged, but the project needs another 1,000 samples before it meets statistical requirements. Perhaps a free USB gene sequencer and a Prime subscription might entice fresh volunteers?

Amazon stores 1,700 human genomes in the cloud originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 09:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, March 30, 2012

HTC One X and One S on sale now in Germany, flagship gets unboxed in France (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/30/htc-one-x-and-one-s-on-sale-now-in-germany-flagship-gets-unboxe/

Itching to get your hands on HTC's new breed of smartphones? Best get yourself over to Germany then, as a batch of the flagship One X and its (slightly) smaller brother, the One S, are up for sale -- early. Mediamarkt is where you'll need to go, with several stores also providing HTC One X models on the shop floor to play with. Better still, some excited Frenchmen have already performed the requisite packaging autopsy on the new plastic capsules, revealing (amongst other things) a new SIM pin that's -- logically -- shaped like a micro-SIM. You can marvel at all the rubber bands and plastic bags after the break.

Continue reading HTC One X and One S on sale now in Germany, flagship gets unboxed in France (video)

HTC One X and One S on sale now in Germany, flagship gets unboxed in France (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DoubleTwist adds Google Music support, gets an alarm clock app

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/30/doubletwist-adds-google-music-support-gets-an-alarm-clock-app/

DoubleTwist Alarm Clock

DoubleTwist is certainly still one of the better music management options for Android, and it just keeps improving. Two days ago the player app got an update and now it can hook into Google Music, though, it only recognizes songs that you've checked for offline access from within the Google app. An unfortunate restriction, but at least your tracks don't disappear into the ether if you prefer to play back your tunes via DoubleTwist. There's also new functionality coming to what is now less an app than an ecosystem, thanks to the just released DoubleTwist Alarm Clock. The functionality is pretty much what you'd expect -- set a time and pick a song from your DoubleTwist library to gently rouse you from your slumber (or kick your butt out of bed). The Alarm Clock is just $0.99 in the Play Market right now for the first 10,000 customers. After that it'll go up to $1.99. So don't waste any time, go download it now.

Gallery: DoubleTwist Alarm Clock

DoubleTwist adds Google Music support, gets an alarm clock app originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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