The highway robbery gets worse - shame on you Facebook: 5 display ads per page (pics) - http://bit.ly/cXpcO3
Thursday, December 16, 2010
LG Optimus 2X: first dual-core smartphone launches with Android, 4-inch display, 1080p video recording
LG Optimus 2X: first dual-core smartphone launches with Android, 4-inch display, 1080p video recording
A 4-inch WVGA display is along for the ride along with 8GB of on-board storage (expandable with up to 32GB of microSD) and a 1,500mAh battery -- no larger than most single-core smartphones these days, so it'll be interesting to see if the final retail units hold up through a day of typical use. Unfortunately, the Optimus 2X is launching out of the gate with Android 2.2, but LG's already committing to releasing Gingerbread updates "in due course." It hits first in LG's home market of Korea next month, followed by Europe and other Asian locales in the coming weeks; we're sure you can hardly wait, so why don't you check out some eye candy from our preview while you pass the time? Follow the break for the press release.
LG Optimus 2X: first dual-core smartphone launches with Android, 4-inch display, 1080p video recording originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Emai! l this | CommentsWednesday, December 15, 2010
Engadget for iPad now available!
Engadget for iPad now available!
All of your news-reading, podcasting-listening, video-watching, comment-posting, Engadget-tipping fantasies are about to become reality, and the application supports sharing via Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, and email, while also allowing you to save articles to the iPad (in-app), Instapaper, Read It Later, and Evernote. Quite frankly, it's awesome. The iOS 4-compatible app is available right now in the App Store, so don't wait one more second... go get it!
And before you ask -- yes, updates are coming for all of our other apps as well, including a new iPhone app with iOS 4 support, a BlackBerry update with OS 6 support, and for all you Windows Phone fans... a WP7 app for your new phone!
Engadget for iPad now available! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google TV gets a major update with new Netflix, movable Dual View, Android remote app support
Google TV gets a major update with new Netflix, movable Dual View, Android remote app support
Google TV gets a major update with new Netflix, movable Dual View, Android remote app support originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 11:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The New TV Republic | Official Google TV Blog, BLogitech | Email this | Comments
MetroPCS brings its LTE network to Boston, Sacramento, and New York City
MetroPCS brings its LTE network to Boston, Sacramento, and New York City
Regional carrier MetroPCS is ticking three more checkboxes today as it keeps pushing its ongoing LTE network rollout, and they're big ones: on top of Sacramento, they've added Boston and none other than New York City. That makes the carrier second to launch LTE in the Big Apple -- Verizon's already there -- but you can't take away from the fact that MetroPCS beat the big guys with their first live commercial markets by several months. As for hardware, it's the same as usual: the Samsung Craft dumbphone is your only option, which means that if you're looking to blaze on your notebook with a next-gen USB stick, you're still going to have to head to Verizon anyway. Follow the break for the full press release.Continue reading MetroPCS brings its LTE network to Boston, Sacramento, and New York City
MetroPCS brings its LTE network to Boston, Sacramento, and New York City originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 12:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsVideo: Shorts-Wearing Japanese Sprinter-Bot Runs Like a Human on Robotic Legs
Video: Shorts-Wearing Japanese Sprinter-Bot Runs Like a Human on Robotic Legs
The Japanese robot, named "Athlete," does not quite have the balance of a human yet
Japanese researcher Ryuma Niiyama's robot is quite literally making strides in the field of robotics. His running robot, named Athlete, can only make three to five steps before falling down, but the bipedal robot's gait is remarkably un-robotic, stemming from a musculoskeletal design that mimics human biology. With some further refinement, Niiyama may just create a robot sprinter that moves with agility and explosive speed of a human runner.
Athlete's legs each contain seven sets of artificial muscles with up to six pneumatic actuators each, each one designed as an analog to a muscle in the human leg. The lower legs are less complex though still scientifically sophisticated; each leg is fitted with the prosthetic sprinting "blades" worn by amputee runners. Completing his human mimicry, Athlete dons a pair of black running shorts.
An inertial measurement unit mounted on the torso helps Athlete keep its "body" oriented properly, while touch sensors on each foot give the 'bot a sensory feeling for where its feet are in a stride. Unlike traditional humanoids that run by changing the position of their joints, Athlete runs more like a human or animal, using its "muscles" and "tendons" to bounce off the ground and propel itself forward. Niiyama and colleagues are currently refining Athlete in the lab with hopes of moving their tests to an actual running track soon. So as you'll see in the video below Athlete is no Aimee Mullins, but it's taking steps in the right direction.
IBM's TriviaBot Watson to Take on Ken Jennings in Man Vs. Machine Episode of Jeopardy
IBM's TriviaBot Watson to Take on Ken Jennings in Man Vs. Machine Episode of Jeopardy
Alex, I'll take "OMG So Excited!!!" for $2,000
Watson, an artificial intelligence program created by IBM (and named after Thomas J. Watson, IBM's founder, not Sherlock Holmes's roommate), is designed as a question-and-answer bot, able to interpret and respond to questions posed in normal human language patterns. The natural use for such a program is, of course, the greatest game show that ever was or ever will be: Jeopardy!. In February, Watson will be facing off against two of Jeopardy!'s toughest competitors ever: Ken Jennings, whose 74-day winning streak was the longest in the show's history, and Brad Rutter, whose $3.3 million winnings are the show's highest.
Creating an AI that can compete on Jeopardy! is an incredibly difficult task for any programmer. The venerable show poses questions not only as simple shows of trivia knowledge, but also puns, various forms of wordplay, trick questions, riddles, and other complex queries. It takes uniquely flexible and quick thinking to succeed at Jeopardy!, placing Watson on a pedestal with chess-playing robot (and IBM sibling) Deep Blue.
On February 14th, Watson will go head-to-head-to-head on a very special episode of Jeopardy!, playing against trivia legends Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. (In case you were wondering, Watson's spot at the challenger podium will be taken by an avatar--no word on what strained anecdote Trebek will coax out of him and then casually mock.) Watson has been prepping for the battle by sparring with other Tournament of Champions competitors, though neither IBM nor Jeopardy! has released the trivia-bot's record against human competitors. You can see in the video above that some wordings can trip him up, so nobody knows exactly how capable a competitor he'll be.
The winner will receive $1 million--if Watson wins, IBM will donate the money to charity, and both of the human competitors have pledged to donate half the prize if either wins.
Unreal Engine 3 dev kit adding iOS support tomorrow, Infinity Blade clones coming Friday
Unreal Engine 3 dev kit adding iOS support tomorrow, Infinity Blade clones coming Friday
Unreal Engine 3 dev kit adding iOS support tomorrow, Infinity Blade clones coming Friday originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 10:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PermalinkTUAW, Joystiq | Wall Street Journal, @MarkRein (Twitter) | Email this | Comments
Meizu M9 christens site launch with full specs list
Meizu M9 christens site launch with full specs list
Meizu M9 christens site launch with full specs list originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 11:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PermalinkMicgadget, Meizu Me (1), (2) | Meizu | Email this | Comments
How To Watch Streaming Video Anywhere in the World [Howto]
How To Watch Streaming Video Anywhere in the World [Howto]
Getting Started
Watching geographically restricted content can be tricky. Streaming services like Hulu and Netflix (as well as other network sites) employ geotracking software to make sure nobody outside of the US can dip in to watch The Office or Exit Through the Gift Shop. And it's not just Americans who have this problem: Foreigners traveling to the US can't watch their obscure racing leagues and alternative ball sports. It's lame, really. But don't fret. There are fairly quick ways to get around these pesky barriers—namely, by using either a proxy or VPN service. Both of these options reroute your computer's network connection and change your IP address to make it look like it's coming from somewhere else—like, say, the US. They work in slightly different ways.
Think of the proxy server as a kind of browser-based filter. In simple terms, it sends your traffic through another IP address that is located somewhere else. Then, when you fire up Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Chrome, web pages are routed to you via the proxy server with whatever benefits are associated with it—security, speed, geographic location etc. VPN ( which stands for Virtual Private Network), on the other hand, actually encrypts and reroutes all of your Internet access, effectively replacing your local ISP. We'll go over both options for the expat or jetsetter jonsin' for his home-cooked entertainment.
The Proxy Method
Netflix, Hulu, and sites like ABC.com look at your IP address to determine where in the world you're browsing from. But fooling them isn't all that hard. If you want a quick and easy way to bypass these annoying roadblocks, you can sign up for a proxy service like IP Hider. There's a free trial version of the software you can try, although it's PC-only. If you use Firefox, it'll provide an easy way to change your settings so that once you have IP Hider up and running, you can appear to be anywhere on the connected planet.
THE PROXY METHOD
What it is: Software that redirects your Internet traffic through anonymous servers.
What you'll need: A PC, an internet connection, and strong yearning to watch geographically-restricted content.
What it costs: Nothing! All you need is the trial version of IP Hider and you're ready to rock.
What it is: Software that redirects your Internet traffic through anonymous servers.
What you'll need: A PC, an internet connection, and strong yearning to watch geographically-restricted content.
What it costs: Nothing! All you need is the trial version of IP Hider and you're ready to rock.
Here's how to do it:
• Download the free trial of IP Hider; install it on your PC.
• Click on the country you want to change your IP address to (might we suggest the United States?). Click the 'Check IP button.
'
• If it doesn't work (or the connection is super slow), click the 'choose next' box to switch a (hopefully) a faster proxy connection.
• Browse the ole WWW and watch videos as you normally would.
The VPN Method
Going with a VPN service is another way to access your favorite content back home. It's also the most general-purpose way to view video content that has been restricted online. For one thing, proxies that support video must be custom coded to support each site so, for the most part, only the biggest sites will work. Unlike a proxy, a VPN will grant you a secured connection for all the programs you use, whether it's ICQ, email, or anything else. The only downside is that you usually have to pay for it if you want any kind of decent speed.
What it is: Essentially, a second ISP. Like a proxy, you get a new IP address to show the world.
What you'll need: Again, an Internet-connected computer is your ticket.
What it costs: Free versions limit you to crappy bandwidth. A good, publicly accessible VPN will cost around $10/month.
What you'll need: Again, an Internet-connected computer is your ticket.
What it costs: Free versions limit you to crappy bandwidth. A good, publicly accessible VPN will cost around $10/month.
Here's how to do it:
• First, choose a reliable (and well-established) VPN service. We like StrongVPN or HideMyAss Pro.
The former offers accounts from $7/month, while the latter will cost you $11.50/month. You'll get better deals if you opt for longer time periods. Both are Mac, PC and Linux compatible.
• Choose your time length and sign up for service.
• On a Mac, open up your System Preferences. Click on Network.
• Click the '+' button to add a VPN (PPTP) connection.
• Enter the server, username and password you received in your greeting email
• Click 'Connect' button and then 'Apply.'
• Almost done. Next, go to Network Preferences and click the advanced button. Select Session Options and check the "Send all traffic over VPN connection" checkbox.
• You can check the speed of the VPN servers here.
A quick note: Just because we showed you how to do this, doesn't mean we endorse it. Please consider this guide a useful thought exercise—and nothing more.
My Bike Keeps Me Juiced Up
My Bike Keeps Me Juiced Up
I think the I-Green concept is brills. Designer Fandi Meng already has an iF and Good Design award for previous work so I’d expect nothing less. The I-Green is a small bike peripheral that turns kinetic energy into electrical to charge nearly any portable device. I like to ride my bike with my phone to track my progress but the GPS sensor kills the battery. This seems like an awesome idea to keep my phone juiced up. I’ll take one but please but, maybe in another color?
Designer: Fandi Meng
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Further Narrow Down Duplicates in iTunes with the Option Key [ITunes]
Further Narrow Down Duplicates in iTunes with the Option Key [ITunes]
The problem with iTunes' default "show duplicates" feature (for some) is that it shows anything that might be construed as a duplicate—which means live tracks, bootlegs, alternate recordings, or tracks that show up on compliation albums are all shown as duplicates even if they're different tracks. This means you'll narrow down your choices, but it'll still be a lot to sift through, especially if you have a big library. Reader Sikstik, though, shows us how to narrow the search for duplicates down to exact duplicates only:
To see all Exact Duplicates in iTunes, Click File from the iTunes menu and then hold down the Option key. Display Duplicates should now change to Display Exact Duplicates, which should result in a shorter list of duplicates.
If you're on Windows, you can do the same thing by pressing the Shift key instead of Option. This feature may have been there for awhile, but we hadn't seen it before, so we thought we'd share. It's just another example of the great features that Option key keeps hidden away for you.
[via #tips]
FlashVideoReplacer Replaces Flash Videos with Windows Media, QuickTime Equivalents [Downloads]
FlashVideoReplacer Replaces Flash Videos with Windows Media, QuickTime Equivalents [Downloads]
After installing FlashVideoReplacer in Firefox, any time you go to YouTube, Vimeo, or Blip.tv, your videos will stream through a plugin other than Flash (QuickTime on the Mac, QuickTime or Windows Media on Windows, and a slew of other plugins on Linux). Not only will this reduce the strain on your computer, but these plugins are also usually more cooperative than certain Flash video players that can be temperamental (Vimeo). I was surprised at how well it worked on my Mac—just install the extension and watch some videos. They play remarkably smoothly, and you can even choose your preferred YouTube resolution in the extension's settings.
Note that you still need flash installed for this to work; it just won't use Flash to play the entire video. So you can't use the Gruber method of going completely Flash-free here, though you could still easily use a Flash blocking plugin to block all other sites but those that are compatible with FlashVideoReplacer.
FlashVideoReplacer is a free download, works wherever Firefox does.
Man Officially Cured of HIV [Hiv]
Man Officially Cured of HIV [Hiv]
Strangely enough, the diagnosis that most concerned Timothy Ray Brown in 2007 was acute myeloid leukemia. HIV has been increasingly thought of as a manageable disease, though certainly a terribly burdensome one. What brought the 42-year old Brown under the care of Germany's Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin hospital was the more immediate threat his cancer posed.
The treatment Brown underwent was aggressive: chemotherapy that destroyed the majority of his immune cells. Total body irradiation. Finally, a risky stem-cell transplant that nearly a third of patients don't survive—but that appears to have completely cured Brown of HIV.
Doctors were savvy when they chose a stem cell donor for Brown. The man whose bone marrow they used has a particular genetic mutation, present in an incredibly small percentage of people, that makes him almost invulnerable to HIV. With Brown's own defenses decimated by treatments, the healthy, HIV-resistant donor cells repopulated his immune system. The initial indications that the virus had abated were promising. But only just now, having taken no antiretroviral drugs since the transplant, and following extensive testing shows no signs whatsoever of HIV, have his doctors given the official word:
He's cured.
What does this mean for the future of treatment? It's not as though every HIV patient can or would want to go through the tremendous suffering that was prelude to Brown's recovery, or be able to afford the procedure if they could or did. But for the first time, we know that HIV can be cured, not just managed. It opens new avenues of research—gene therapy, stem cell treatments—that may otherwise have been thought dead ends. [AIDS Map]
Heel Worn Down? Nevermind, Just 3D Print a New One [3D Printers]
Heel Worn Down? Nevermind, Just 3D Print a New One [3D Printers]
I suppose it's like going to the cobbler to get a heel replaced—instead of tossing the shoe out completely, you make do and mend. In Dutch shoe designer Marloes ten Bhömer's case, she 3D prints replacement parts. This also ensures the shoe fits its wearer perfectly, as every measurement can be input to CAD and printed out in minutes.
This particular shoe, the Rapidprototypedshoe (made like it says on the tin, I suppose) is made from various parts which slot together, so when they're worn out from much trampling, they can be replaced easily. It's on display at the Design Museum Holon in Israel now, as part of the "Mechanical Couture" exhibition. [Marloes ten Bhömer via Dezeen]
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