Friday, February 11, 2011

Via NFC: Japanese Social Network Mixi First To Let Users âShareâ Real-World Items

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/11/via-nfc-japanese-social-network-mixi-first-to-let-users-like-real-world-items/

Japan has always been the land of mobile. As such, it’s no big surprise that the country’s biggest social network, Mixi (JP, 23 million members), sees 25 of its 29 billion monthly page views coming from cell phones. And according to Mixi, it’s now the first social network that lets users share information with friends through NFC technology on Android handsets.

Last year already, Mixi added two functions to its mobile site, which NFC is supposed to boost:

  • Mixi Check In (which works much like Facebook Places)
  • Mixi Check (essentially the same as Facebook’s Share function)

The NFC-powered versions are named “Mixi Real Check In” and “Mixi Real Check”. NFC (Near Field Communication) technology makes it possible to exchange data between devices in close proximity to each other.

Mixi Real Check In allows you to check in to places by tapping their Android phone on an NFC tag in the real world to share your location with your Mixi friends in real-time. These tags, which cost a few cents and can contain any kind of information (i.e. a URL or Twitter handle), can be attached to a wall or poster in a store or restaurant, for example.

As Mixi Real Check In is based on NFC, a GPS signal (which can be weak in certain areas, like underground) isn’t necessary. The tags can also contain information on where exactly the user is located (for example, to broadcast to your friends in which section of a department store the tag was scanned).

Mixi engineer Kyosuke Inoue demonstrates Mixi Real Check In in the company’s HQ in Tokyo:

Mixi Real Check is potentially more interesting: this function allows users not only to share websites with friends but any object in the real world that has an NFC tag attached to it. Tapping or waving the phone near NFC stickers found on i.e. books or posters is enough to share the information on Mixi, in real-time. This could be anything from further information on the products to details on promotion campaigns a brand wants to run on Mixi.

Bringing social functionalities to the real world is a great idea for a social network, but there are two downsides at this point: Mixi users interested in these new functions must own a Nexus S (the only Android device with the necessary hardware for NFC so far) and have Taglet (a special NFC app for Android) installed. The Nexus S isn’t even officially available in Japan currently, which means almost all Mixi users still must wait for the future.



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Zipzoom Raises $2.2 Million To Help Connect Shoppers And Local Businesses

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/11/zipzoom-raises-2-2-million-to-help-connect-shoppers-and-local-businesses/

Exclusive - Zipzoom, an Ontario, Canada-based startup building an online marketplace where consumers can hook up with local and/or national businesses, has scored $2.2 million in angel funding from a number of private investors, we’ve learned.

The company recently launched the beta version of its service, which aims to connect ‘ready-to-buy’ shoppers with ‘ready-to-sell’ businesses.

Registered users say submit queries (i.e. communicate what it is they need), and are supposed to get a lot of quotes from local vendors they can easily choose from. They can do so anonymously, and completely free of charge.

Of course, this is a tried and tested Internet business model, so innovative Zipzoom is not.

And of course, everything depends on how whether Zipzoom can ramp up both the supply and the demand side of the equation, which I reckon requires far more capital than a couple of million dollars.

Note that they basically have to convince people to stop using Google or Bing to find local businesses and email them for personalized quotes and head on over to the Zipzoom site instead – good luck with changing consumer behavior at significant scale.



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The World's First Programmable Nanoprocessor Takes Complex Circuitry to the Nanoscale

Source: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-02/worlds-first-programmable-nanoprocessor-takes-complex-circuitry-nanoscale

Nanocomputers have been around for decades as a concept, but in actual practice they've been harder to come by. Now, engineers collaborating at Harvard and the MITRE Corporation have taken a huge step forward for the field of nanocomputing by creating the world's first programmable nanoprocessor.

Enabled by a series of advances in the design of nanowire building blocks and the way they are synthesized to create completed nanocircuitry, the method allows for far more complex circuits to be assembled at very small scales. Described in a paper publishing today in the journal Nature, these super-small nanocircuits can be electronically programmed to carry out a variety of mathematic and logical functions.

Further, the technology is scalable, meaning that while is is now possible to program a tiny nanoprocessor to carry out simple functions, its architecture allows for the creation of much larger circuits capable of ever larger functions. Coupled with the low power consumption inherent in the circuits' efficient transistor switches, and this new nanoprocessor breakthrough could mark the beginning of a shift toward smaller and smaller consumer electronics and sensor tech, not to mention far less-dense computers with increased capacity to compute.

All that, naturally, is a ways off. As with all big nano breakthroughs (can a nano breakthrough be big?), this tech will take time to smooth out and refine. But the idea of electronically programmable nanocircuitry is tantalizing. Once harnessed, such nanotech building blocks have the ability to create complex circuits at scales and with materials that current manufacturing approaches simply can't achieve. That, in turn, could breed a whole new kind of electronics.

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Bloomberg: Apple working on 'cheaper, smaller' and dual-mode iPhones, trying to kill SIMs along the way

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/bloomberg-apple-working-on-cheaper-smaller-and-dual-mode-iph/

Bloomberg is citing -- you guessed it -- "people who have been briefed on the plans" as saying that Apple is hard at work on taking the iPhone downmarket with a new model that's roughly one-third smaller than the existing iPhone 4, possibly with the intent on delivering it midyear using mostly carryover components from the iPhone 4 to keep pricing down. Thing is, Bloomberg says that Apple is looking at launching the "cheaper" model at $200 off contract, which would be the same as the 16GB iPhone 4 on contract currently. Let's not understate the fact that $200 off contract is dirt cheap by modern smartphone standards, which means Apple would have to be using every scrap of its enormous economies of scale to pull that off. In all likelihood, in fact, it'd have to abandon the 3.5-inch Retina Display -- it might be too big for a "smaller" model anyhow. The pub goes on to say that the device could've been delayed or scrapped altogether since its source saw the device last year, but it's something to keep an eye on; after all, Apple's probably leaving money on the table right now by failing to go after the midrange with a current-generation handset, so this could be its golden opportunity.

Moving on, they're also saying Apple's working on a dual-mode iPhone that'd work on both CDMA and GSM -- not a surprise at all, really (if anything, it was a little surprising to us that Apple didn't kill off the existing GSM iPhone 4 and replace all SKUs with CDMA / GSM ones when it announced the Verizon model). There's no mention of whether this model would have any manner of 4G support, but CDMA, GSM, and LTE in a single phone -- with at least five bands, if not more -- would be pretty wild indeed.

Finally, Bloomberg says (and our own sources have corroborated) that Apple's working on a so-called "Universal SIM" technology that would eliminate physical SIMs altogether and make using the iPhone on different networks a simple matter of provisioning, not unlike American CDMA networks today. Of course, this rumor's been through the mill before -- and has already been killed off -- so it's hard to say whether this is something Apple is actively working on or has been shelved. The device independence afforded by the SIM has been one of the chief advantages of GSM networks around the world over the past twenty years, and we'd hate to see Apple succeed in killing that off in favor of some sort of locked-up iTunes nonsense, but let's be honest: if anyone could pull off that kind of coup, it'd be Cupertino. More on all these rumors as we hear it.

Bloomberg: Apple working on 'cheaper, smaller' and dual-mode iPhones, trying to kill SIMs along the way originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC prepping VoLTE-enabled smartphone for MetroPCS

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/htc-prepping-volte-enabled-smartphone-for-metropcs/

Hot on the heels of Verizon's completion of a test call using voice over LTE on its LG Revolution, the word on the street is that MetroPCS is hooking up with none other than HTC for its own VoLTE-capable phone -- though it's not MetroPCS making the announcement: instead, the GSM Association's technology director broke the news, which was followed by a swift "no comment" from the carrier itself. As PCMag points out, there's a sense of urgency for MetroPCS to deploy VoLTE in short order because it's using AWS bandwidth for its LTE services -- the same bandwidth it uses for CDMA -- whereas Verizon has LTE deployed down by its lonesome in the newish 700MHz space, which means MetroPCS could open up 4G bandwidth by migrating away from CDMA voice as quickly as possible. No word on when we might see this mysterious HTC device surface just yet.

HTC prepping VoLTE-enabled smartphone for MetroPCS originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thermaltake Level 10 GT case polishes up a classic, available now for $280

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/thermaltake-level-10-gt-case-polishes-up-a-classic-available-no/

The Thermaltake Level 10, arguably the sweetest-looking enclosure to ever hit the mass market, has managed to find a chassis worthy of being called its successor in the shape of the behemoth you see standing before you, the Level 10 GT. It softens the aggressively modular aesthetic of the original, but in exchange delivers a more performance-focused design, replete with three 200mm fans, air filters everywhere you look, a neat little window so you can peek inside your full-sized tower of doom, and enough space to fit the very largest of modern graphics cards. Thermaltake is asking for $280 on its online store and you can order one up today. Video awaits after the break, though we wouldn't skip out on the Flickr gallery below, either.

Continue reading Thermaltake Level 10 GT case polishes up a classic, available now for $280

Thermaltake Level 10 GT case polishes up a classic, available now for $280 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan unveils sexy ESFLOW concept EV sports car

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/11/nissan-unveils-sexy-esflow-concept-ev-sports-car/

Concept cars always promise the car of tomorrow, but they only get us hot and bothered for fantastical design elements that rarely make it to production due to trivial concerns like "cost" and "the laws of physics." Undaunted by these limitations, Nissan has rolled out a new futuristic EV called ESFLOW -- with a roofline inspired by modern Z cars and an elongated bonnet reminiscent of the original 240Z -- to titillate our inner gearhead. Scheduled for a Geneva Motor Show debut in early March, the coupe is powered by children's dreams and whimsy dual electric motors driving the rear wheels and can take residents of imagination land from 0-100kph (0-62mph for us Yanks) in less than five seconds. If the ESFLOW is where Nissan's going with its EV designs -- the Leaf isn't exactly a looker -- we're all for it, but don't expect to see it on the road anytime soon as it's only a concept after all. Vid's after the break.

Continue reading Nissan unveils sexy ESFLOW concept EV sports car

Nissan unveils sexy ESFLOW concept EV sports car originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 04:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, February 10, 2011

Fooducate App Explains Just How Unhealthy That Frozen Dinner Is [Apps]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/#!5756914/fooducate-app-explains-just-how-unhealthy-that-frozen-dinner-is

Fooducate App Explains Just How Unhealthy That Frozen Dinner IsHere's a handy app for calorie (and sodium, and carb, and vitamin) counters: Fooducate, which grades any package in your grocery aisles, gives you its contents' nutritional high(and low)lights, and provides healthier alternatives.

The 200,000 products in its database might sound like a lot, but that's going to leave plenty of blind spots. And it's not entirely clear what separates a "good" from a "bad" product in some cases. But better to have a limited dietitian in your pocket than none at all! And as long as it doesn't tell me what exactly goes into my cheese curls orange dust, I'm happy for the help. [iTunes via NY Times]

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Set Up Google's Two-Step Verification Now for Seriously Enhanced Security for Your Google Account [Google]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/#!5757059/set-up-googles-two+step-verification-now-for-seriously-enhanced-security-for-your-google-account

Set Up Google's Two-Step Verification Now for Seriously Enhanced Security for Your Google AccountGoogle just launched two-step verification for all Google accounts, a system which makes your Google/Gmail account—the account possibly containing the lion's share of your private communication online—considerably more secure. In fact, we'd encourage everyone who uses Gmail (the @gmail version or your Google Apps version) as their primary email provider to start using this feature as soon as possible. Here's why, and then how.

What's Two-Step Verification?

The only thing standing between a hacker and your Google account—and more importantly, your sensitive information—is your password. Even if you had the strongest password you could possibly randomly generate, if someone were able to discover that password, they'd be in.

Two-step verification offers a more secure way for Google to verify that you are who you say you are when you're logging into your Google account on a new web browser, through a new application, or on a new mobile device. With two-step verification, your password isn't enough by itself. As Google put it:

2-step verification requires two independent factors for authentication, much like you might see on your banking website: your password, plus a code you only use once.

Those two factors are:

  1. Your password (just like always)
  2. A single-use verification code that Google sends to your phone in one of three ways: 1) Using the Google Authenticator app available for Android, iPhone, and BlackBerry, 2) via SMS, or 3) through a voice call (meaning you could even use a landline if you didn't have a cellphone—basically the call would read off the code to you).
Like many new feature releases from Google, two-step verification is a gradual rollout, available to everyone in the coming few days starting today. If you don't see the Using 2-step verification link immediately, it should be there soon.

Both your password and the single-use verification code are required to log in on a new browser. You can then tell Google to remember your log-in for 30 days.

How to Set Up Two-Step Verification

If you're convinced that you want the added security, or you at least want to give two-step verification a try, just log into your Google account and point your browser to your Google accounts page. (Google Apps users will need to go to their domain-specific control panel to enable two-step verification. If you're not the Google Apps admin, talk to yours about it.)

Set Up Google's Two-Step Verification Now for Seriously Enhanced Security for Your Google AccountOn the right side of the page, under Personal Settings > Security, click the Using 2-step verification link (you can bookmark that link if you like).

Set Up Google's Two-Step Verification Now for Seriously Enhanced Security for Your Google AccountNow walk through Google's two-step verification setup guide. It's pretty simple: Essentially you have to add a new phone that you want to use for your two-step verification, confirm that it is indeed your phone (you do this in different ways depending on what method you're using. Using the Google Authenticator app for Android or for iPhone, for example, you verify by scanning a QR code and then testing the verification code it generates. Just follow along with the wizard for whatever method you're using.

Once you've set up your phone, you can also add a backup—a trusted number you can also access if, for example, you lose your phone—so you can still access your account. You can even print off a few backup codes to carry in your wallet or somewhere safe.

Using Two-Step Verification

The process for logging into your Google account from a new browser will now look something like this:

  1. You visit a Google sign-in page, like this one.
    Set Up Google's Two-Step Verification Now for Seriously Enhanced Security for Your Google Account
  2. You enter your username and password, like always.
  3. You're now prompted to enter a code, which is tied only to a phone number you provide. You can receive this code on your phone using one of the Google Authenticator apps available for Android, iPhone, and BlackBerry, via SMS, or through a voice call (or, I suppose, using one of your printed backup codes).
  4. You enter the code, optionally checking the box to Remember verification for this computer for 30 days, click Verify, and you're in.

It's fairly simple, but it does add a little bit of hassle to your login. Personally, I think the added security is well worth it.

The other thing you'll need to get used to involves logging into your Google account from third-party applications—like, say, a desktop email client. Since those clients don't support Google's two-step verification, you actually have to create single-use passwords first time you log into any new third-party application that needs to access your Google account. You'll only need to generate the new password for each application once—unless you decide to revoke access to that device. Here's how it works:

Set Up Google's Two-Step Verification Now for Seriously Enhanced Security for Your Google AccountPoint your browser to this page (I'd actually recommend bookmarking it, but you can also find the link on your Account settings page under Security > Authorizing applications & sites. Here you'll see all the webapps that you've allowed access to your Google account via Oauth (which uses the verification process above); below you'll see the Application-specific passwords section, which is where you generate new passwords for devices that can't support the two-step verification. To do so:

  1. Type in the name of the device or application that you want to generate a single-use password for.
  2. Click Generate password.
  3. Google will return a new 16-digit (plus four spaces) password for you to use on that device. Once you hide it, you have no way to retrieve it again (a good thing).

Set Up Google's Two-Step Verification Now for Seriously Enhanced Security for Your Google AccountUnlike the two-step process for logging into your Google account on the web, you only have to enter an application-specific password once; it remains active with that single-use password indefinitely. You can, however, revoke any password/device/application from accessing your Google account at any time—which I've done for the password I generated in the screenshot above. (Hands off my Google account!) From the device configuration page, you can also clear your phone info and all printable codes, should you lose your phone or misplace a printed code.


Two-step verification has been available for a while now to Google Apps users—specifically for the paid Google Apps accounts. This update makes it available to all users of Google's free products, including free Google/Gmail accounts and free Google Apps accounts.

Been using Google's two-step verification on your Google Apps account before this? Share your tips in the comments. Otherwise, let's hear if you're planning to use the new two-step verification with your Google account.

You can contact Adam Pash, the author of this post, at tips+adam@lifehacker.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

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Sonos Controller for Android with voice search will blow you away (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/sonos-controller-for-android-with-voice-music-will-blow-you-away/

You can exhale Sonos fans, it's finally happening. The Sonos Controller for Android is official. After almost a year in development, the free WiFi music remote finally gives Sonos owners control over their whole-home audio system from any Android 2.1 and above device with a screen size of HVGA 320 x 480, WVGA 480 x 800 or WVGA 480 x 854. At least it will when it hits the Market at the end of March. Better yet, it trumps the Sonos iOS controller with music controls mapped directly to the buttons on your Android hardware. As such, you can control the volume of your Sonos system with the physical volume rocker on your Desire Z or use the search button on your Droid X to forage for that certain artist, track, or album. Oh, and the Sonos Controller for Android also supports voice search -- take that iOS app. Sorry, Sonos isn't announcing anything related to an Android tablet-equivalent of the Sonos controller for iPad today as the company is waiting to see how that market develops and which screen sizes and resolutions gain the most traction. Nevertheless, we'll be getting our first hands-on opportunity of the handset controller at Mobile World Congress next week. So, until then, why not wipe the tears from your $349 Sonos CR200 controller and watch the video preview after the break.

Continue reading Sonos Controller for Android with voice search will blow you away (video)

Sonos Controller for Android with voice search will blow you away (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Th u, 10 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RunCore USB 3.0 Express SSD offers 64GB of storage and two ports in one killer device

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/runcore-usb-3-0-express-ssd-offers-64gb-of-storage-and-two-ports/

RunCore USB 3.0 Express SSD stores 64GB of birds with one, USB 3.0-having stone
Let's say you have a laptop. It has an ExpressCard slot but, because it's a little old, it doesn't have USB 3.0. Also, it just doesn't have enough storage to suit your needs any more. Oh, and the keys are kind of worn and shiny, especially H for some reason. RunCore can't help with that last problem, but it certainly has a tidy solution for the other two, a solution with a highly appropriate name: the USB 3.0 Express SSD. It offers 64GB worth of SSD storage plus a pair of cerulean USB 3.0 ports poking out the side just waiting for something -- like maybe another SSD. No word on price or availability, but we're hoping for soon, because this ExpressCard slot here isn't going to fill itself.

RunCore USB 3.0 Express SSD offers 64GB of storage and two ports in one killer device originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 10:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pelican Imaging's prototype array camera could make your pictures better, phones thinner (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/pelican-imagings-prototype-array-camera-could-make-your-picture/

Pelican's prototype array camera could make your pictures better, phones thinner (video)
If you want to look for life on another planet you don't build one radio telescope that's miles wide, you build a bunch of smaller ones and create an array out of them. As it turns out that basic idea works for capturing visible wavelengths as well. It's called a plenoptic camera, using an array of very small lenses that, when combined, can create an image as good as a larger one. Pelican Imaging is largely interested in the slim factor this kind of system could offer, potentially allowing for thinner phones, but this could also open the door to some interesting effects. Check out the video after the break for an example of the dynamic aperture control this sort of setup can allow, where you can change the focal plane of an image after it was taken. Given the small size of the array here you probably couldn't do anything too crazy, like take a picture through a tree, but the days of poorly focused cameraphone shots might finally be at an end -- whenever this actually comes to market.

Continue reading Pelican Imaging's prototype array camera could make your pictures better, phones thinner (video)

Pelican Imaging's prototype array camera could make your pictures better, phones thinner (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm gets official with TouchPad-powering Snapdragon APQ8060 processor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/qualcomm-gets-official-with-touchpad-powering-snapdragon-apq8060/

HP already put out the first official word about Qualcomm's new Snapdragon APQ8060 processor yesterday when it revealed that its TouchPad was based on it, but Qualcomm's now also come out and properly announced the new processor itself. That's, of course, a dual-core processor, and comes paired with an Adreno 220 GPU that Qualcomm says helps to deliver "unprecedented processing and 3D graphics performance." What's more, while the TouchPad is the first device to use the processor, it obviously won't be the last, and Qualcomm has now also given us an idea of what sort of capabilities those devices (including smartphones in addition to tablets) might have -- namely, cameras up to 16 megapixels, and the ability to capture and display 1080p stereoscopic 3D video or 8 megapixel stereoscopic still images. Head on past the break for the complete press release.

Continue reading Qualcomm gets official with TouchPad-powering Snapdragon APQ8060 processor

Qualcomm gets official with TouchPad-powering Snapdragon APQ8060 processor originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Obama announces plan to free up 500MHz of spectrum, invest in 4G for rural areas, and build out nationwide public safety network

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/obama-announces-plan-to-free-up-500mhz-of-spectrum-invest-in-4g/

We knew the White House was on board with the FCC's desire to free up an additional 500MHz worth of spectrum over the next decade from private and federal holders, as announced last year, and now Obama has announced the plan to do it. The plan is to incentivize the current spectrum squatters with a share of the revenue gained from auctioning off the spectrum -- mostly for mobile broadband use -- which only seems fair, and for now it seems those auctions will be voluntary. But that's just the tip of the iceberg: the plan also includes a $5 billion investment in constructing 4G networks in rural areas (with a goal to reach at least 98 percent of Americans with the service), a $3 billion fund for 4G R&D to help the rollout, and $10.7 billion for a wireless public safety network. The beauty of this plan is that all these proposed costs are offset by the spectrum auction, which is estimated to raise $27.8 billion, of which $9.6 billion will be dedicated to deficit reduction. Oh, and the best news? The government has already found 115MHz worth of Federal spectrum that it can free up by using its other spectrum more efficiently, and has another 95MHz worth in its sights. Hit up the source link to see President Obama's speech on the subject, which has just begun, or check it out embedded after the break.

Continue reading Obama announces plan to free up 500MHz of spectrum, in! vest in 4G for rural areas, and build out nationwide public safety network

Obama announces plan to free up 500MHz of spectrum, invest in 4G for rural areas, and build out nationwide public safety network originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CBC News  |  sourceWhite House Press Release  | Email this | Comments

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