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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

drag2share: HP Wireless Audio streams audio from your PC, arrives next month for $100 (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/16/hp-wireless-audio-streams-audio-from-your-pc-arrives-next-month/

Yep, HP's on a tear today. In addition to unleashing a trio of redesigned Envy laptops, a refreshed dm4 and one aggressively priced Ultrabook, it has some news to share on the accessories front. The outfit unveiled its Wireless Audio system, which lets you stream audio files from your PC to as many as four compatible speakers. In terms of setup, that photo up there says almost everything: you plug a thumb-sized dongle into your USB port and a larger receiver into the speaker. In the box, you'll also find a software CD to fill in the missing UI piece. The only caveat here (aside from the relative messiness of connecting two intermediary pieces of equipment) is that the system only works with speakers that are compatible with KleerNet's wireless audio technology, and it's likely yours are anyway. In all, the system uses three frequencies (2.4, 5.2 and 5.8GHz) to cut latency and interference, and also supports 5.1 audio. You can pair it with up to four speakers, as we said, so long as they're within 100 feet of your laptop. It'll go on sale next month for $100, with one receiver and transmitter per box. If you're curious, we've got the full PR after the break, along with a short promo video.

Continue reading HP Wireless Audio streams audio from your PC, arrives next month for $100 (video)

HP Wireless Audio streams audio from your PC, arrives next month for $100 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: HP refreshes the Pavilion dm4 with a subwoofer, unveils requisite Beats Edition

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/16/hp-refreshes-the-pavilion-dm4-with-a-subwoofer-unveils-requisit/

It's shaping up to be a wild day for HP: in addition to revamping its Envy laptops and announcing its first Ultrabook, the outfit went and refreshed the mid-range Pavilion dm4. While it has the same metal-heavy design that bowled us over in our review, it trades Altec Lansing audio for Beats and gains a subwoofer. Otherwise, its entry-level specs -- a Core i3 CPU, 6GB of RAM and a 640GB 5,400RPM hard drive -- closely match the starting config available today.

And, while the company was at it, HP also announced a red-and-black-spangled Beats Edition. An inevitable move, if you ask us: HP has been pushing its partnership with Dr. Dre so heavily that it went so far as to redesign its Envy laptops with a prominent Beats dial. Then again, this is the first time HP's given the Beats special edition treatment to anything other than a top-shelf machine. In any case, you better be pretty sweet on that red backlit keyboard -- the gussied-up, Dre-approved version starts at $900 (headphones not included). Then again, at least you get beefier specs for the money: a Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive. If nine hundred bucks isn't what you had in mind, the classic dm4 starts at $630. Both will be available December 18th. If you're curious, find the full PR after the break, along with some rubbernecking hands-on shots below.

Gallery: HP Pavilion dm4 and dm4 Beats Edition

Gallery: HP Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition hands-on

Continue reading HP refreshes the Pavilion dm4 with a subwoofer, unveils requisite Beats Edition

HP refreshes the Pavilion dm4 with a subwoofer, unveils requisite Beats Edition originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: HP Folio 13 Ultrabook official: starts at $900 with a 128GB SSD and backlit keyboard (hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/16/hp-folio-13-ultrabook-official-starts-at-899-with-a-128gb-ssd/

And just like that, HP joined the Ultrabook party. After announcing the Folio in Australia yesterday, the company went and made it official here in the states too. And man, do we get the feeling the outfit's been watching the competition very closely: this guy starts at $900 and comes standard with a 128GB mSATA SSD and a backlit keyboard. Provided it comes close to matching its promise of nine hours of battery life, it could give the identically priced Toshiba Portege Z830 a run for its money. Not to mention, it undercuts the MacBook Air ($1,299 and up), along with the ASUS Zenbook UX31 and Lenovo IdeaPad U300s, both of which start at $1,100 with a 128GB SSD and no backlit keyboard. Good on ya, HP.

What's that, you say? You want more specs? Rounding out the list, the Folio has a 13.3-inch (1366 x 768) display, optional TPM circuitry and comes standard with a Core i5-2467M processor, 4GB of RAM, a six-cell battery and HP's CoolSense technology. Additionally, it offers a fairly robust selection of ports, including HDMI, Ethernet, USB 2.0 and 3.0, a memory card reader and a combined headphone / mic socket. The trade-off, though, is a slightly thicker chassis than what other Ultrabooks are offering: 3.3 pounds and 18mm (0.7 inches) thick. It'll be available in the US starting December 7th, but we've already managed to snag a few minutes with it, which means we've got photos, video and impressions for you to peek now. So what are you waiting for? Meet us after the break for our hands-on preview.

Gallery: HP Folio 13 Ultrabook

Gallery: HP Folio hands-on

Continue reading HP Folio 13 Ultrabook official: starts at $900 with a 128GB SSD and backlit keyboard (hands-on)

HP Folio 13 Ultrabook official: starts at $900 with a 128GB SSD and backlit keyboard (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: WiFi Direct and DLNA get friendly, make streaming media a little bit easier

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/16/wifi-direct-and-dlna-get-friendly-make-streaming-media-a-little/

WiFi Direct

DLNA and WiFi Direct are both pretty sweet technologies on their own but, together, they offer the promise of simple, wireless media streaming without the need for that pesky router middleman. The Digital Living Network Alliance has officially incorporated WiFi Direct into its interoperability guidelines, which means you could soon be streaming movies and music between devices (like your laptop and smartphone) without connecting to a home (or public) network. And don't forget, only one part of the equation needs to be WiFi Direct certified -- so don't worry that your aging computer doesn't support it, as long as your smartphone does you're golden. Check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading WiFi Direct and DLNA get friendly, make streaming media a little bit easier

WiFi Direct and DLNA get friendly, make streaming media a little bit easier originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Researchers increase charging capacity, speed of lithium ion batteries by a factor of ten

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/16/researchers-increase-charging-capacity-speed-of-lithium-ion-bat/

It's not every day that we get to write about advancements in battery technology -- much less one as potentially groundbreaking as what a group of engineers at Northwestern University claim to have pulled off. In fact, Professor Harold Kung and his team say they've successfully managed to increase both the charging capacity and speed of lithium ion batteries by a factor of ten. The key, according to Kung, is the movement of the lithium ions nestled between layers of graphene. The speed at which these ions move across a battery's graphene sheets is directly related to how fast a device can recharge. To speed up this process, Kung decided to poke millions of tiny, 10-20nm-sized holes into a mobile battery's graphene layers, thereby providing the ions with a "shortcut" to the next level. As a result, Kung's perforated batteries were able to charge ten times faster than traditional cells, going from zero to hero in 15 minutes.

Not satisfied with that achievement alone, Kung and his squad then set about increasing their battery's charging capacity, as well. Here, they increased the density of lithium ions by inserting small clusters of silicon between each graphene slice. This approach allows more ions to gather at the electrode and, by taking advantage of graphene's malleable properties, avoids some of the silicon expansion problems that have plagued previous attempts at capacity enhancement. The result? A battery that can run on a single charge for more than a week. "Now we almost have the best of both worlds," Kung said. "We have much higher energy density because of the silicon, and the sandwiching reduces the capacity loss caused by the silicon expanding and contracting. Even if the silicon clusters break up, the silicon won't be lost." There is, however, a downside, as both charging capacity and speed sharply fell off after 150 charges. But as Kung points out, the increase in charge retention would more than make up for this shortcoming. "Even after 150 charges, which would be one year or more of operation, the battery is still five times more effective than lithium-ion batteries on the market today," he told the BBC. For more technical details, hit up the links below.

Researchers increase charging capacity, speed of lithium ion batteries by a factor of ten originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: University gets $188 million AMD-based supercomputer, free copy of Norton

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/16/university-gets-188-million-amd-based-supercomputer-free-copy/

It used to be that you only needed a bachelor's degree and elbow patches to be taken seriously as an academic, but now it's all about that 50-petaflop supercomputer with 500 petabytes of storage whirring away in the basement. The University of Illinois used to shop with IBM, but it's just about to have a brand new Cray XK6 installed instead, so it can continue providing computing power to the National Science Foundation's Blue Waters project. It's not all about inciting gadget envy, of course: the machine's unlikely truce of AMD Opteron 6200 16-core processors and NVIDIA Tesla GPUs will help more than 25 teams of scientists to model and understand real-world phenomena, from the damage caused by earthquakes to the way viruses to break into cells. Breakthroughs from these projects will -- hopefully, one day -- make the $188 million total cost of Cray's products and services seem like a bargain. Full details in the PR after the break.

Continue reading University gets $188 million AMD-based supercomputer, free copy of Norton

University gets $188 million AMD-based supercomputer, free copy of Norton originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Vizio's M-Series Theater 3D TVs are officially available, at last

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/16/vizios-m-series-theater-3d-tvs-are-officially-available-at-las/

Last CES Vizio announced a slew of new LCD HDTVs with its passive glasses-compatible Theater 3D capabilities and Vizio Internet Apps built in, and now it's finally ready to announced the M-series midrange lineup is shipping nationwide. M3D models in various 40- and 50-inch sizes have been popping up over the last few weeks, featuring edge LED backlighting for between $1,039 (42-inch) and $1,649 (55-inch). Need something bigger on your wall? There's also a 65-inch version on the way in 2012, with a pricetag of $2,099. As usual, Vizio's displays bring a rather complete line of features without an ultra-high price tag, but there'd be more reasons to share the included four pairs of 3D glasses with friends if the NBA season would just ever start. As is, buyers will have to make do with whatever videogames and college sports they can find for now -- check after the break for more specs and prices.

Continue reading Vizio's M-Series Theater 3D TVs are officially available, at last

Vizio's M-Series Theater 3D TVs are officially available, at last originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: This 3D Display Actually Works In All 3 Dimensions

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/burton-3d-laser-display-2011-11

Check out this "true 3D" display reported on by Popular Science.

This system focuses lasers in three-dimensional space instead of tricking your eye while you look at a 2D surface. There's not even a screen -- images appear in the air and you can walk 360 degrees around an image to see all sides of it.

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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

drag2share: Google Programming Language is Go for 2012 launch

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/google-programming-language-is-go-for-2012-launch/

Compared to the gamut of conversational languages, the programming variety shifts at lighting-fast speed. And next year, a new language will get the official nod from Google, which first introduced Go in 2009. With its new language, Mountain View set out to create a programming environment that's easier and faster to use, without sacrificing efficiency. Programmers may need to wait until early 2012 for Go to launch out of experimental status, but you can buy that cute Gopher mascot (in furry plush form) over at the Google Store today.

Google Programming Language is Go for 2012 launch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: This Ecko Spraycan Is Filled With Speakers, Not Paint [Speakers]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5859626/this-ecko-spraycan-is-filled-with-speakers-not-paint

This Ecko Spraycan Is Filled With Speakers, Not Paint Deciding that form is the better way to make a name for themselves in the crowded Bluetooth speaker market than function, Ecko UNLTD's new Spray speaker looks like a can of spraypaint, but that's where the novelty ends.

A Bluetooth 2.1 connection lets the speaker pair with any A2DP compatible device, while a built in microphone also provides speakerphone functionality if you're using it with a smartphone. A pair of 40mm, 3 watt drivers hidden behind a metal grill should provide a decent amount of sound, and its lithium ion rechargeable battery can be easily swapped out, extending your listening pleasure past the ten hour mark if you carry a spare.

Instead of buttons, the can's dome can be rotated to control the volume or skip tracks, and pressing the nozzle lets you play and pause your music, or answer an incoming call. There's no word on pricing or availability yet, but that should all be revealed when it's officially unveiled at CES. So if you were hoping to become the Banksy of sound with it, check back in the new year for more details. [Griffin PR via Chip Chick]

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drag2share: Gartner's Q3 2011 smartphone figures: Samsung on top globally, Android tops 50 percent share

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/gartners-q3-2011-smartphone-figures-samsung-on-top-globally-a/

Yahtzee! Now that Canalys, IDC and Strategy Analytics have had their turn, it's Gartner's go to serve up its summary of the smartphone world as seen in Q3 2011. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the headlines aren't changing much, with Samsung becoming the number one smartphone manufacturer worldwide with sales reaching 24 million, and Android's quarterly market share inching over 50 percent to best iOS, BlackBerry OS, etc. We also (re)learned that Apple shipped 17 million iPhones in the quarter, which represents an annual uptick of 21 percent, but a 3 percent drop from Q2 2011 due to the looming iPhone 4S release; predictably, Gartner's predicting that Apple's Q4 2011 will be its strongest yet with the 4S on the market. Breaking the operating system share a bit, we found that Symbian is (strangely) still being included, and that Android managed to soar from 25.3 percent in Q3 2010 to 52.5 percent today. iOS actually lost a bit of ground (16.6 percent a year ago compared to 15 percent today), but in fairness, so did BlackBerry OS and Bada. Curious about Microsoft? It's claiming just 1.5 percent of the worldwide pie, a fairly precipitous drop from the 2.7 percent it had a year ago. Far more fun facts and figures await you after the break.

Continue reading Gartner's Q3 2011 smartphone figures: Samsung on top globally, Android tops 50 percent share

Gartner's Q3 2011 smartphone figures: Samsung on top globally, Android tops 50 percent sha! re o riginally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Netflix reveals new user interface experience for Android tablets, iPad counterpart coming soon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/netflix-reveals-new-user-interface-experience-for-android-tablet/

You've already had a peek at it in the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet, but it seems that redesigned user interface is going to be hitting more than just the holiday's most-talked about duo. Netflix has made official a newly redesigned user interface experience for Android tablets -- one that "makes browsing and instantly watching unlimited TV shows and movies streaming from Netflix better than ever." The new look provides multiple rows of titles with larger artwork to scroll through, with Neil Hunt, chief product officer at Netflix, noting that the company has seen a "threefold increase in how long Netflix members are watching on their tablets." As of today, interested consumers can simply update their Netflix app in the Android Market, while iPad users are being asked to wait "a few weeks," after which the new tablet experience will be dubbed Tabster and led on Twitter by a 17-year old methamphetamine addict.

Continue reading Netflix reveals new user interface experience for Android tablets, iPad counterpart coming soon

Netflix reveals new user interface experience for Android tablets, iPad counterpart coming soon originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Microsoft outlines Code Space, looks to include Kinect in conference rooms, PTA meetings (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/microsoft-outlines-code-space-looks-to-include-kinect-in-confer/

If there's one thing that's certain about the Kinect, it's this; Microsoft wants it to be versatile. Case in point, Code Space -- the next extracurricular activity for the gaming controller which sees it teaming up with smartphones and laptops to present information on a shared screen. The project is aimed at presenting and exchanging code in developer meetings using a large display and simple hand gestures, though we could easily see this being adopted in both the classroom and the boardroom as well. In other news, the Kinect will be able to paint your house this spring, even if you may not be crazy about the final color...

Update: We realize it's a bit slow at times, but if you'd like to see Code Space in action, just hop the break. You'll discover the magic. [Thanks, Andrew]

Gallery: Code Space Gallery

Continue reading Microsoft outlines Code Space, looks to include Kinect in conference rooms, PTA meetings (video)

Microsoft outlines Code Space, looks to include Kinect in conference rooms, PTA meetings (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Adobe brings Touch Apps family to Android tablets, Creative Cloud looms on the horizon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/adobe-brings-touch-apps-family-to-android-tablets-creative-clou/

Back in October, as you may recall, Adobe unveiled its Touch Apps family -- a collection of six tools designed to make life easier and more tactile for tablet-using creative types. Today, those apps are finally available on the Android Market, for tablets running Android 3.1 or higher. The sextet includes Photoshop Touch, Collage and Proto, among other Adobe products, each of which is priced at $9.99. These applications will also play a central role in Adobe's forthcoming Creative Cloud initiative, which will allow users to share, view and transfer files across multiple devices. That isn't expected to launch until the first half of next year, while the full suite of Touch Apps for iOS users should be released by "early 2012" (Adobe Ideas is the only member currently available on iTunes). Android slate wielders can get their hands on all the Touch Apps now, though Adobe says they'll need at least an 8.9-inch, 1280 x 800 display to get the most out of it. Check out the source link below for more details, or head past the break for the full PR treatment.

Continue reading Adobe brings Touch Apps family to Android tablets, Creative Cloud looms on the horizon

Adobe brings Touch Apps family to Android tablets, Creative Cloud looms on the horizon originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 01:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: RIM unveils BlackBerry Bold 9790, Curve 9380, hitting the market within weeks

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/rim-unveils-blackberry-bold-9790-curve-9380-hitting-the-market/

Now that we've seen all the leaks and heard all the rumors, RIM has finally announced the BlackBerry Bold 9790 and Curve 9380, welcoming two new members to the OS 7 family. Picking up where the Bold 9780 left off, the comparatively higher-end 9790 boasts a 2.44-inch touchscreen display with 360 x 480 resolution, and is powered by a 1GHz CPU. The QWERTY-equipped handset also ships with 8GB of onboard memory and features a microSD slot that offers up to 32GB of additional space. The Curve 9380, meanwhile, is an all touchscreen affair, with a 3.2-inch, 480 x 360 display and a five megapixel camera. RIM hasn't offered any other details on the 9380's specs, though the company did specify that both devices will offer NFC and augmented reality support, and will come pre-loaded with BlackBerry Messenger, Documents To Go Premium, and BlackBerry Protect. No word yet on pricing or availability, though RIM says to expect a launch "over the coming weeks." Find more details in the full PR, after the break.

Continue reading RIM unveils BlackBerry Bold 9790, Curve 9380, hitting the market within weeks

RIM unveils BlackBerry Bold 9790, Curve 9380, hitting the market within weeks originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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