Friday, July 24, 2009

Chromegestures Adds Mouse Gestures to Google Chrome [Downloads]

Chromegestures Adds Mouse Gestures to Google Chrome [Downloads]

Windows only: The experimental chromegestures extension for Google Chrome adds a full set of mouse gestures to those using the development releases of Chrome.

Installing the gestures requires first switching to the development channel, modifying your Google Chrome shortcut to include the --enable-extensions parameter, and then heading over to the download page to install the extension (by simply clicking on the ChromeGestures.crx link).

Once you've installed the extension and restarted the browser, you should be able to hold down the right mouse button and swipe the mouse right or left to navigate back and forward, Down -> Right for a new tab, or even up to search with the selected text. If you get stuck, you can use Up -> Right -> Down -> Left -> Down to open up the help file, or you can do Up -> Down to open the options dialog and tweak the sensitivity. If you're a big fan of mouse gestures, this is definitely worth the effort of getting it installed.

chromegestures [Google Code via gHacks]


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Card.ly Creates Attractive Online Business Cards in a Jiffy [Address Book]

Card.ly Creates Attractive Online Business Cards in a Jiffy [Address Book]

Web site Card.ly allows you to collect all of your contact information—online and off—into one simple, linkable "business card" you can share with anyone.

The site's pretty simple. You just sign up, fill in whatever information you want to pull into a centralized "business card", and you're ready to go. When you're finished, you'll get a personalized link that looks something like http://card.ly/lifehacker. You can simply share that link with anyone you want to stay updated with you, or, if you really like it, Card.ly provides various embeddable options for placing your vCard on your web site, in your email, or anywhere you want to include it.

Even though this is the sort of thing that it seems most people use the likes of Facebook for these days, Card.ly is a fun and simple idea executed well. Still, we'd recommend grabbing your own domain and making a simple nameplate site if you're really interested in this kind of thing.



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Samsung LED LCD UN46B7000 HDTV Lightning Review: Avoid! [HDTVs]

Samsung LED LCD UN46B7000 HDTV Lightning Review: Avoid! [HDTVs]

Generally, I love LED LCDs. The UN46B7000 is Samsung's set with 120Hz refresh and internet widgets. It's not backlit, like the XBR8, but sidelit, and is as thin as two of your fingers. You should avoid buying this set.







The Price: $3000

The Verdict: The problem is that this set dims the sidelights whenever the program material gets dark, and it does it in the most ungraceful way ever. Check out the menu that I popped on screen, merely to show you what happens to w! hite mat erial on screen when the backlight is dimmed to increase black level.

See how everything white goes dark, too?

So, if there's a scene in a movie where there's a moonlit night, the lighting in this set would crank everything down, including the moon itself. Backlit LED tvs can turn off individual lights to increase blacks, yet keep LEDs lit in the area around the on screen moon; this set idiotically turns everything off. (*Some other sets do this for energy savings, but there's always a way to set the backlight to a consistent brightness level.)

I didn't even benchmark the set after this, as there was no need for me to measure other features when the set had such a glaring problem, which Samsung claims is not a bug. Oddly, many technical reviewers glossed over this fact, giving this set editor choice awards while brushing away the issue.

My impressions of the rest of the set are here, however:
• The TV's colors are inflated like a lot of LCDs but the picture and motion handling are pretty damn comparable to any modern late model LCD.
• There are no buttons on the set, so if you lose your remote, you're fucked.
• The TV is about 1.2 inches thick, and all the ports are tucked nicely away on the side. But because the case is so thin, the speakers sound terribly thin. Worse than on an old 22 inch TV I have in the back of the house.
• The case's translucent edges are among the best designed cases of any modern gadget, in my opinion.
• The internet widgets and content take a long minute to boot up and include Flickr, twitter and weather apps. They aren't worth the $150-$200 over the 6000 series which eliminate these extras. There's a media streamer (which I didn't test) recipes, simple video games, exercises, art and animated children's songs, like this really freaky one about having the munchies.

• Off axis viewing isn't great, but isn't bad.
• If you have noise reduction on on this set, it will strip the grain from movies, practically, making everything look like it was shot on a cheap digital camcorder. Turn it off.
• It's worth repeating that this set is generally gorgeous.
• Like all LED sets, they're energy efficient. But again, there's no localized dimming with this set, which is side, not backlit.

The good news is that Samsung can fix this dimming issue by firmware. The bad news is that I haven't heard they even believe its an issue yet. I've never been so irritated by such a beautiful TV and recommend you steer clear.

A nice picture

Super thin

Dimming sidelight issues.

Sounds thin

Expensive




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Video: WiTricity is back, promises wireless power within 18 months

Video: WiTricity is back, promises wireless power within 18 months


What started out as an MIT project two years ago has now progressed into a full-fledged company -- ladies and gentlemen, meet WiTricity Corp. Auntie Beeb (that's the BBC for you Yanks) has grabbed the firm's CEO Eric Giler to discuss some pretty aggressive plans for bringing wireless power to the masses. Yes, we're talking actual through-the-air wireless as opposed to something like Palm's Touchstone, which requires physical contact between charger and chargee. Based on magnetic induction, the magical technology is apparently mature enough to be deployed in the relatively near future, and if all goes to plan, "near future" could translate into "18 months from now." Also of note, Intel is hard at work developing the original concept, and if the parallel engineering of the same idea by two companies isn't enough to get your skepticism dialed down and your browser to the video past the break, what is?

Continue reading Video: WiTricity is back, promises wireless power within 18 months

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Video: WiTricity is back, promises wireless power within 18 months originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nvidia's Tegra-Based Netbook Christened "Firefly" [Unconfirmed]

Nvidia's Tegra-Based Netbook Christened "Firefly" [Unconfirmed]

Nvidia seems to be shopping around a teeny netbook running the company's Tegra ARM chipset and, of all things, Windows CE. It looks very barebones, since Tegra is really meant for smartphones, and nobody seems too thrilled with it.

Tegra is a huge strength for tiny devices like the upcoming Zune HD, but in a full-sized netbook, it'll have a hard time running media or multitasking. OS is a problem too—does anybody actually like Windows CE? Maybe a Linux distro (or Chrome OS) could work, but even that's kind of pushing it. Regardless, it's rumored to have a September release date, though of course we hardly know anything about the product and don't have any particular reason to trust that date. Come on, Nvidia, just stick the Tegra in a bunch of smartphones where it belongs! [Semi-Accurate News via Crunchgear]




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HTC Hero review

HTC Hero review


The HTC Hero has been an object of lust for some time now for gadget enthusiasts. Even from the earliest days of leaked hardware shots and blurry demo videos of its UI, smartphone fans seemed to agree that the company had finally achieved what has been missing in the world of Android. Namely, a polished and attractive device -- polished enough to go head-to-head with the iPhone -- that kept its open source heart. So, here we are months later with an actual, bona fide Hero in our midst. Yes the reports were true, it is a beautiful device, both inside and out (though of course opinions differ on that chin). But does being a beautiful device mean Android is about to move to a bigger stage? Is HTC's spit-shine enough to overcome some of the hurdles that have plagued the platform? That question -- and more -- is answered in the text below, so read on for the full review.

Continue reading HTC Hero review

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HTC Hero review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Viewsonic goes all out with new nettops, netbooks, media PCs and media players

Viewsonic goes all out with new nettops, netbooks, media PCs and media players


Viewsonic may still be best known as a monitor company, but it looks to be doing its best to change that with its latest batch of products, which run the gamut from handhelds to media PCs. The bulk of the new offerings are in the small form factor PC category, and include the Atom-based VOT 120 / 121 and 130 / 132 nettops (pictured above), as well as the more beefed-up Core 2 Duo-based VOT 530 / 550 media PC (complete with Blu-ray drive and remote control). Launched alongside those are Viewsonic's fairly standard VNB 100 / 101 netbooks, and the company's all new VPD 400 and 500 media players, which pack a 4.3-inch and 5-inch screen, and 8GB and 16GB of storage, respectively. Check out the gallery below for a look at the whole lot, and hit up the link below for a rundown of all the specs.

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Viewsonic goes all out with new nettops, netbooks, media PCs and media players originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget HD puts the new Samsung LED edge-lit LCD TV to the test

Engadget HD puts the new Samsung LED edge-lit LCD TV to the test

Samsung UN46B7000

If you've been wondering how the latest LED edge-lit LED TVs from Samsung look, now's your chance to find out. The crew over at EHD got their hands-on the 46-inch UN46B7000 and spent the time to write all about it. We'd like to warn you that If you don't click through you'll be missing out on all the fun, like all the internet connectivity features like DLNA and Yahoo Widgets. But even if you don't care about all the extras, there is still come great information that'll help try and figure out how much of a premium a 2.1 inch TV is worth.


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Engadget HD puts the new Samsung LED edge-lit LCD TV to the test originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android-powered HTC Click rumored to be crazy cheap unlocked

Android-powered HTC Click rumored to be crazy cheap unlocked


One more note about that Android-powered HTC Click that we saw in a gloriously-framed shot yesterday morning: it's going to be cheap. It had been said all along that the Click would mark HTC's first Android entry into the low-end fray (joining the Touch Viva on WinMo), meaning the sticker price would be kept to a minimum -- but the Vietnamese forum that first brought you this picture is saying that we're looking at somewhere between 5 and 6 million dong, which works out to $280 to $336 unlocked. That's cheap enough to ensure that it's free on contract virtually anywhere in the world where it's sold, bringing Android to a whole new demographic. Now, just call us when the Hero's down to $280, eh?

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Android-powered HTC Click rumored to be crazy cheap unlocked originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Mini 5101 netbook approved for use by mini executives

HP Mini 5101 netbook approved for use by mini executives


The Mini 5101, or Mini Executive as HP would have it, is now available to purchase, with prices starting at $399.99. While still a netbook at heart, the 5101 has an impressive array of accoutrements: aluminum and magnesium shell for lightweight (2.64 lbs) sturdiness, flat chiclet keyboard, 10.1-inch LED-backlit display, and at an extra cost, 128GB SSD and 1366 x 768 resolution upgrade options. The build quality and keyboard got high marks from us when we handled the machine back in June, and now a couple of online scribes have put together timely in-depth reviews of the device. They share the impression that HP has a strong business product on its hands, highlighted by a class-leading WiFi signal of 37.7 Mbps at 15 feet, though they were also concerned that neither pricing nor battery life (between 5 and 7 hours) are the best available. Hit up the read links for all the delectable details.

[Thanks, Knifex4]

Read - HP product page
Read - Laptop Mag review
Read - PC Mag review

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HP Mini 5101 netbook approved for use by mini executives originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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