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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

drag2share: Lenovo LePhone K2 to arrive with 4.3-inch IPS display, 1.5GHz dual-core chip

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/30/lenovo-lephone-k2-to-arrive-with-4-3-inch-ips-display-1-5ghz-du/

Frankly speaking, the phones that Lenovo have announced so far this week haven't been all that exciting (unless, of course, you're somehow aroused by its 5-inch tabletphone), but it turned out the folks had a little surprise for us: the LePhone K2. What we got here is a 4.3-inch IPS display (resolution of which not yet announced), a powerful dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 chip, 1GB RAM, 1GB ROM and an eight megapixel 1080p camera. Sadly, like the S2 and the S760, this crouching tiger also packs Android 2.3.5 instead of Ice Cream Sandwich, but without a price or a release date, perhaps there's still a small chance that we'll see it eventually launching with the newer OS. Anyhow, that's just our wishful thinking. Chinese hands-on video after the break.

Gallery: Lenovo LePhone K2 to arrive with 4.3-inch IPS display, 1.5GHz dual-core chip

Continue reading Lenovo LePhone K2 to arrive with 4.3-inch IPS display, 1.5GHz dual-core chip

Lenovo LePhone K2 to arrive with 4.3-inch IPS display, 1.5GHz dual-core chip originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds! .

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drag2share: Stradivarius violin recreated from CAT scan, 'sounds amazingly similar'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/30/stradivarius-violin-recreated-from-cat-scan-sounds-amazingly-s/

We've seen all kinds of crazy things being printed -- from bones to blood vessels -- and now you can add antique violins to that list. Music loving Radiologist Steven Sirr popped his into a CAT scanner to see what it was made of, then showed the results to a violin-making friend. Curiosity soon led them to scan everything from guitars to mandolins, so when the chance to take a peek inside a 307-year-old Stradivarius came up, how could they resist? 1000 scans later, the files were converted to 3D CAD format and another violin maker enlisted. Crucially, the images show the density of the wood all the way through, allowing a CNC machine to carve out copies of each section, with different woods used to match the differing densities. With all the parts in place and a lick of varnish, the replicas were complete. Sirr claims the copies sound "amazingly similar" to the original, but we are unsure if he plans to make it open-source.

Stradivarius violin recreated from CAT scan, 'sounds amazingly similar' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: New Samsung chip has two of everything: two cores, 2GHz, 2560 x 1600 graphics

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/30/new-samsung-chip-has-two-of-everything-two-cores-2ghz-2560-x/

Sammy's current Cortex A9-based chips are hardly slackers -- the Galaxy Note already proved that to any lingering doubters. Nevertheless, the next-gen Exynos 5250 SoC promises to double that sort of performance, by harnessing two Cortex-A15 chips clocked at 2GHz each, along with a GPU that can output resolutions of up to 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA). It's like big.LITTLE computing, except without the LITTLE. Samsung reckons it'll start mass producing the 5250 for use in high-end tablets by the second quarter of next year, which should be just in time to stop NVIDIA from getting too cocky.

New Samsung chip has two of everything: two cores, 2GHz, 2560 x 1600 graphics originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 07:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

drag2share: Acer, Lenovo looking to release Tegra 3-equipped tablets in early 2012

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/29/acer-lenovo-looking-to-release-tegra-3-equipped-tablets-in-earl/

For now ASUS' Transformer Prime is the lonely king of the quad-core tablet hill, but as we'd heard a few weeks back, it looks like it'll have company soon enough. Insider sources have reported to DigiTimes that you'll be able to snag a nifty Android tablet with a quad-core GPU for between $459 and $599 in 2012. Acer and Lenovo are apparently set to target Apple's iPad tablet as well as ASUS with NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 GPU tablets running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) in the first quarter of 2012. These sources also stated that since neither Acer nor Lenovo have a direct advantage over Apple or Amazon's tablet devices, they'd only be competing for about 10 to 15 percent of the total PC tablet market. And yes, there are mathematical formulas that prove that owning a reasonably priced tablet with a quad-core GPU does make you the coolest kid on the block.

Acer, Lenovo looking to release Tegra 3-equipped tablets in early 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Verge | source

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drag2share: Lenovo LePad S2005 vs. Dell Streak 5... cuddle!

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/29/lenovo-lepad-s2005-vs-dell-streak-5-cuddle/

It's inevitable that these two 5-inch tabletphones -- the Dell Streak 5 on the left and the Lenovo LePad S2005 on the right -- are to meet in the Chinese capital. With the exception of the slightly taller body on the S2005 everything else are suspiciously similar, especially the button and camera layout. Well, there's a good explanation for this: we've been informed that this new tabletphone hails from the same ODM, Qisda, as Dell's counterpart. Too bad Lenovo decided to keep the same screen resolution though.

According to Stone Ip from Engadget Chinese, he found that the S2005 has a nicer grip than the Streak, and he also digs its more masculine appearance -- obviously this is open to debate. Performance-wise this slate responded well to our input, but the lack of promise on an Ice Cream Sandwich update will probably make potential geeky buyers think twice. Well, good thing we have some awesome modders around the interwebs these days.

Gallery: Lenovo LePad S2005 vs. Dell Streak 5... cuddle!

Lenovo LePad S2005 vs. Dell Streak 5... cuddle! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Nielsen's Q3 numbers are out: Android's still atop the OS chain, Apple remains number one manufacturer

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/29/nielsen/

Another quarter has come and gone, and you know what that means: Nielsen ratings are out again. The latest batch of numbers don't reveal anything wildly new, but they're still just as telling nonetheless: 44 percent of mobile subscribers in the US use a smartphone in the US. Of those, 71 percent are in possession of an Android device or an iPhone. Additionally, 56 percent of all phone purchases during the third quarter were smartphones. And -- this probably won't come as a surprise to anyone -- at a decisive 42 percent, Android remains the number one smartphone OS while Apple is still perched firmly on top as the leading manufacturer (28 percent). Check out the source link below and graph above for more of the tiny details.

Continue reading Nielsen's Q3 numbers are out: Android's still atop the OS chain, Apple remains number one manufacturer

Nielsen's Q3 numbers are out: Android's still atop the OS chain, Apple remains number one manufacturer originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Samsung Galaxy Nexus torn down, Ice Cream Sandwich gets everywhere

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/29/samsung-galaxy-nexus-torn-down-ice-cream-sandwich-gets-everywhe/

What sorts of mysteries does the Samsung Galaxy Nexus hold? Only the folks at iFixit and their trusty screwdrivers know for sure. Thankfully, the site is willing to share. Check out a teardown of one of the year's most eagerly anticipated smartphones. Thrill to the 1.2GHz dual-core processor, marvel to the five megapixel rear-facing camera and be astonished by the NFC antenna in the source link below.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus torn down, Ice Cream Sandwich gets everywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Verge | source

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drag2share: Motorola Xoom 2 unboxing and first impressions (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/29/motorola-xoom-2-unboxing-and-first-impressions-video/

What's this oddly curved box we see before us? Ah, yes, it's Motorola's (joint) second attempt at the Android tablet game. The Xoom 2 is another 10.1-inch widescreen Honeycomb offering, looking to make up for the lost opportunities of its predecessor -- slimmer, faster and certainly packing more vertices. While we put it through its paces, we thought you'd appreciated some close-up shots with what appears to be the final retail model. First impressions? Those corners certainly do help keep it in our hands, and performance seemed suitably speedy. It's worth noting that -- at least on first impressions -- Motorola hasn't tampered excessively with the Honeycomb, something we weren't too happy about on Moto's Droid RAZR. We also suspect that splash-proof nanotech coating could also be acting as fingerprint magnet. Delve into the secrets of the fitted retail box, some tablet comparisons and a touching reunion with its smartphone sibling in our gallery below, or catch a brief video tour after the break.

Gallery: Motorola Xoom 2 unboxing

Continue reading Motorola Xoom 2 unboxing and first impressions (video)

Motorola Xoom 2 unboxing and first impressions (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Get Mail Merge in Gmail with This Google Docs Template [Gmail Tip]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5863338/get-mail-merge-in-gmail-with-this-google-docs-template

Get Mail Merge in Gmail with This Google Docs Template Want to send a bunch of emails personalized to each recipient? Sending mass emails is easy using Microsoft Word's mail merge, less so with Gmail. This Google Docs template, however, brings email merging to Gmail.

The free template is provided by consulting firm IT4SmallBusiness and includes in-depth instructions on the first tab. It's similar to a another Google Docs template we've previously highlighted for mail merge in Gmail except this one lets you lets you do a test mail merge run before sending and is a little easier to write the email text in thanks to the layout. This template, however, doesn't include the Gmail contacts importing that the previous one does.

To start using this template, log into Gmail, open the MailMerge Google Docs template, and make a copy of it to your Google Docs account (under File > Make a copy...). Write your email on the second sheet, "Email text" and add the special fields like <>. Then go to the third sheet to add the data that will replace those special fields (e.g., the list of email recipients, their names, and other personalized info).

Note that you'll probably want to send your mass emails in batches, lest Google label you a spammer. Mail merge with Gmail would be handy for a lot of uses, from mailing clients/customers to sending party invitations with custom instructions, as the example shows.

MailMerge | via CNet

You can follow or contact Melanie Pinola, the author of this post, on Twitter or Google+.

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Monday, November 28, 2011

drag2share: ARM launches Android development kit with focus on power efficiency

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/28/arm-launches-android-development-kit-with-focus-on-power-efficie/

ARM Development Studio 5 Community Edition

Everyone and their mother has an Android development kit nowadays. So, it's only natural, being that it's chips power the vast majority of Android devices, that ARM wants in on the action too. With the release of Development Studio 5 Community Edition, the company has expanded its dev kit's repertoire to include not just Linux, but Google's Linux-based mobile OS. (Really showing its versatility there.) What makes DS-5 special is it's focus on optimizing apps, not just for performance, but for energy efficiency -- provided you're running on ARM chips, of course. It also claims to produce code that is up to four times faster than Java, but we'll have to take the company's word on that one for now. DS-5 even integrates with the standard Android SDK as well as Eclipse IDE. Check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading ARM launches Android development kit with focus on power efficiency

ARM launches Android development kit with focus on power efficiency originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalin! k&nb sp;

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drag2share: Insert Coin: Prototype peripherals incorporate no moving parts, multitouch functionality and freaking lasers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/28/insert-coin-prototype-peripherals-incorporate-no-moving-parts/

When in doubt, strip out the moving parts and see what you wind up with. This is the idea inventor Jason Giddings is following as he turns to Kickstarter to help fund the prototype creation for a glass keyboard and mouse, both sporting multitouch functionality. The design uses the same biometric systems that currently capture fingerprints on assorted trackpads and keyboards, and uses a technique known as Frustrated Total Internal Reflection -- which incorporates a series of LEDs on the bottom of a device -- to bounce infrared light beams around the inside of the glass. This process is interrupted when a finger touches the glass, wherein a simple embedded camera captures the event, processes where the keystroke, mouse click or gesture took place and relays the signal to the computer.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Prototype peripherals incorporate no moving parts, multitouch functionality and freaking lasers

Insert Coin: Prototype peripherals incorporate no moving parts, multitouch functionality and freaking lasers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More bad news for brands - Switching to Private Label Products is Accelerating and Irreversible (data, pics) - http://bit.ly/tVm2FV

drag2share: Toyota's Insane Concept Car Has Giant Touch-Screen Doors [Cars]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5863017/toyotas-insane-concept-car-has-giant-touch+screen-doors

Meet the Toyota Fun-Vii, a futuristic concept car that Toyota's president described as "a smartphone on four-wheels." Smartphone screens have certainly been growing, from 3.5-inches, to 4-inches, to 4.5-inches but holy crap, is this the logical conclusion?

Toyota's concept of the future is a whimsical one, where people would get out of their cars and use the giant touch screen to do some internetting. Also, do you know how expensive body work already is when someone side-swipes your parked car? Now imagine adding the cost of a gigantic, curved, back-lit touchscreen. Kill me now. Maybe you could subsidize the cost by making the side of your car into a mobile billboard.

Toyota's Insane Concept Car Has Giant Touch-Screen Doors But you know what, screw reality. Ignoring all of the obvious impracticalities, the Fun-Vii is beautiful. I hate seeing concept cars that look just like the shit we have already. We need more sci-fi in our future, not because things like this are great ideas, but because they are creative, and they inspire a sense of awe and possibility. Don't you want to live in a world were wild ideas like this are practical? I sure as hell do. [PhyOrg]

Image credit: AP/Koji Sasahara

You can keep up with Brent Rose, the author of this post, on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter.

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drag2share: AT&T officially adds LG Nitro HD to its LTE fold on December 4th for $250

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/28/atandt-officially-adds-lg-nitro-hd-to-its-fold-on-december-4th-for/

This may take a bit of steam out of LG's announcement this Thursday night, but AT&T has gone ahead and clicked "submit" on its press release for the LG Nitro HD, its version of the Optimus LTE. As we were expecting, the new arrival on AT&T's network offers a 4.5-inch HD (1,280 x 720) IPS display, a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm APQ8060 CPU, LTE and an 8MP camera with a 1.3MP front-facing cam. The device, measuring 10.4mm thick, should be showing up in stores and online December 4th for $250 with a two-year commitment. So, did AT&T just steal LG's thunder here, or should we be expecting something completely unrelated? Full presser's after the break.

Continue reading AT&T officially adds LG Nitro HD to its LTE fold on December 4th for $250

AT&T officially adds LG Nitro HD to its LTE fold on December 4th for $250 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: MacBook Air Owners Unite! Here Is The Solution To All Our Peripheral Woes (AAPL)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/macbook-air-docking-station-2011-11

If you have a MacBook Air and a second monitor, you probably have a morning routine similar to mine.

I come into the office and I set it on a plastic stand. Then I root around the back of my desk (or under it) and find the cord that attaches the Air to my monitor. Then I do the same thing four more times for my power cord, ethernet cord, earphones, and USB hub.

Did you know we don't have to live this way?

Or rather, soon, we won't?

That's because a guy named Kitae Kwon has designed something called the LandingZone – a really handy docking station for MacBook Air users.

You snap your laptop into it, and BOOM!, it's hooked up to your monitor and the rest of your peripherals.

It's a literal snap, people.

Here's a demonstration video:

The LandingZone doesn't actually exist in production yet because it's just a Kickstarter project. Kwon says he needs $50,000 to change that. So far he has $12,000 or so.

Contribute $139 toward the goal, and you get one once Kwon starts producing them at scale.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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