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Monday, December 26, 2011

drag2share: Sony sells its stake in Samsung LCD team-up for $939 million

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/26/sony-sells-its-stake-in-samsung-lcd-team-up-for-939-million/

Sony and Samsung have decided to part ways on their seven-year-old LCD venture. Possibly due to Sony's recent struggles in the increasingly competitive world of TV division, Samsung will buy up its 50 percent share for around $939 million. The Japanese company has agreed to a new strategic agreement to source Sammy's LCDs in the future and, according to Sony, will continue "cooperative engineering efforts focused on LCD panel technology." Its full explanation follows after the break.

Continue reading Sony sells its stake in Samsung LCD team-up for $939 million

Sony sells its stake in Samsung LCD team-up for $939 million originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Dec 2011 01:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

drag2share: Swype gets a new beta, adopts Dragon Dictation for speech to text (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/25/swype-gets-a-new-beta-adopts-dragon-dictation-for-speech-to-tex/

Swype Beta

Look, either you love or hate Swype -- there's just no two ways about it. Those that can't imagine life without the gesture-based virtual keyboard will probably only fall deeper in amour with it when greeted with the latest beta. Eagle-eyed observers might notice the microphone key in that image above has been replaced with a tiny flame logo that should be familiar to any fan of Nuance's voice-to-text apps. Swype now has Dragon Dictation baked right in -- a development we could have guessed was coming after the October buy out. Check out the epic video after the break for a few more details.

Continue reading Swype gets a new beta, adopts Dragon Dictation for speech to text (video)

Swype gets a new beta, adopts Dragon Dictation for speech to text (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Dec 2011 12:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Notre Dame heralds paint-on solar cells, wants to smear your home with its goop (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/25/notre-dame-heralds-paint-on-solar-cells-wants-to-smear-your-hom/

Leave it to the Fighting Irish to take a stab at solving the world's energy woes. Notre Dame researchers have successfully developed solar cells that can be easily painted on to any conductive surface. Imagine, for a moment, applying this solution to your home rather than attaching solar panels to the roof. The paint mixture incorporates quantum dots of titanium dioxide, which is then coated with either cadmium sulfide or cadmium selenide, and is then suspended in mixture of water and alcohol to create a spreadable compound that's capable of generating electricity. While its efficiency isn't currently much to crow home about -- which hovers around one-percent -- scientists are now actively pursuing ways to improve this aspect while making a more stable compound. Most importantly, the paint can be made cheaply and in large quantities, which suggests that even if efficiency remains in the doldrums, it may be a very worthwhile pursuit. Touchdown Jesus is already watching the video after the break.

Continue reading Notre Dame heralds paint-on solar cells, wants to smear your home with its goop (video)

Notre Dame heralds paint-on solar cells, wants to smear your home with its goop (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Dec 2011 14:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Chinese hackers target U.S. Chamber of Commerce, sensitive data stolen

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/24/chinese-hackers-target-u-s-chamber-of-commerce-sensitive-data/

According to sources close to The Wall Street Journal, Chinese hackers are at it again, this time hitting the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and capturing information from three million members. Those familiar with the matter told the WSJ that hackers stole around six weeks worth of emails regarding Asian policy, but may have had access to sensitive correspondences for as long as a year. The Chamber only learned it was under attack when the FBI sent an alert that servers in China were stealing information, although the exact amount of data stolen is unknown. After confirming the breach, the Chamber shut down and destroyed parts of its computer network, proceeding to revamp its security system over a 36-hour period. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time the U.S. of A has fallen victim to Chinese hackers, as both Google and NASA have experienced breaches over the past few years. The Chamber is currently investigating the attack, hoping to find some digital clues that might reveal the details of who done it and why.

Chinese hackers target U.S. Chamber of Commerce, sensitive data stolen originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Dec 2011 06:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: MIT researchers locate genes that help underlie memory formation, zap some mice

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/24/mit-researchers-locate-genes-that-help-underlie-memory-formation/

Over time, the neurons in your brain are going to change. And that's only natural. When you experience a new event, your brain encodes the memory by altering the connections between neurons, which is caused by turning on several genes within these neurons. Recenty, a team of neuroscientists at MIT published their findings in the Dec. 23rd issue of Science in which the group was able to pinpoint some of the exact locations of memory formation within the brain. The team, led by Yingxi Lin, found that the Npas4 gene is especially active in the hippocampus, a brain structure known to be critical in forming long-term memories. Once engaged, the Npas4 gene turns on a series of other genes that modify the brain's internal wiring by adjusting the strength of synapses, or connections between neurons. The findings were obtained by studying the neural activity of mice which underwent mild electric shocks when they entered a specific chamber. Upon receiving the shock, researchers noted that Npas4 is turned on very early during this conditioning. The research is still in its early stages and while the researchers have identified only a few of the genes regulated by Npas4, they suspect there could be hundreds more that help with the memory formation ! process. The lesson learned: stick to it and if you have any questions, mildly shock some mice.

MIT researchers locate genes that help underlie memory formation, zap some mice originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Western Digital releases Android app to control set-top boxes remotely

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/24/western-digital-releases-android-app-to-control-set-top-boxes-re/

This week, you'll be able to control your Western Digital set-top box with a free Android app. And you'll love it. Only days after releasing an equivalent app for iOS, Western Digital has just released WD TV Remote, a free Android app that connects to your Western Digital set-top box over a WiFi connection and allows you to control it from any Android-based device. The app includes one-touch access to every online service available, keyboard entry using Android's on-screen keyboard, a gesture pad for quick navigation and the ability to connect multiple Android devices at once. WD TV Remote requires Android 2.1 or later to install, as well as a WiFi network and third-generation WD TV Live Hub or TV Live system to run. In other news, development on an Android app to paint your house via gesture controls is proceeding quite nicely.

Western Digital releases Android app to control set-top boxes remotely originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Dec 2011 20:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: The Best Remote Desktop App For iPhone And iPad Is Free Today

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/logmein-app-2011-12

logmein ios app

LogMeIn, arguably the best way to access your computers from an iPhone or iPad, is now free to download from the App Store.

Until now, it would've cost you $30 to gain remote access to your spreadsheets, applications, and other files using LogMeIn.

If you need advanced features like video/audio streaming, printing, file managing, and photo management, you can upgrade via an in-app purchase.

Grab the free app here, and download the desktop LogMeIn client here for Mac and Windows.

Don't Miss: Here Are The Best iPhone And iPad Apps You Missed This Week >

Please follow SAI: Tools on Twitter and Facebook.

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Friday, December 23, 2011

drag2share: Rambus, Broadcom sign licensing deal, agree to share toys

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/23/rambus-broadcom-sign-licensing-deal-agree-to-share-toys/

It never hurts to stop arguing, hug it out and agree on a patent licensing deal. Today, Rambus -- which has a history of litigating against chip makers it feels are have violated its intellectual property rights and filed a complaint against Broadcom to the International Trade Commission in 2010 -- signed a licensing deal that resolved previous claims for Broadcom's technology. In the statement, Rambus said it will license its patent for integrated circuits used in chips made by Broadcom. The company did not disclose any financial details related to the deal, or which technology would be part of the agreement, though Broadcom is typically renowned for its wireless networking chips which are often found in WiFi, Bluetooth and cellular-capable devices. In other news, Rambus and Broadcom have added each other as Xbox Live friends and gotten to level 36 in Modern Warfare 3 co-op gameplay.

Rambus, Broadcom sign licensing deal, agree to share toys originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Stream TV launching glasses free Ultra-D 3DTV tech at CES, again

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/23/stream-tv-launching-glasses-free-ultra-d-3dtv-tech-at-ces-again/

We don't recall seeing Stream TV's Elocity 3T autostereoscopic 3D TV on shelves after our CES demo last year, but to be fair, we don't get out much. Not to worry however, as the company will be back at CES 2012, this time touting Ultra-D "next generation 3D without glasses display technology" that it claims will surpass all 3D experiences to date. Lofty claims, but it's also banking on its tech for realtime 2D-to-3D conversion of any video content, with plans for the brand to reach TVs, converter boxes, tablets, PCs and more. Check out the press release after the break to drink in more hype, we'll be in line to see what's real at its press conference January 9th.

Continue reading Stream TV launching glasses free Ultra-D 3DTV tech at CES, again

Stream TV launching glasses free Ultra-D 3DTV tech at CES, again originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 05:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Codecademy Builds âLabs,â A Web-Based Code Editor

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2011/12/22/codecademy-launches-labs-a-web-based-code-editor/

Smoking hot startup Codecademy, a service which teaches you how to program online has launched its Labs feature today, as a sign of things to come.

Codecademy founder Zach Sims tells me that Codecademy, and specifically new hire Amjad Masad, built the feature because it wanted people to be able to play with what they’ve learned on Codecademy without having to download a desktop-based code editor or integrated development environment (IDE). He says that most other online code-learning environments (like Treehouse) don’t yet offer a way for students freeform write and run the code they teach in-browser.

In addition to Javascript, which Codecademy already offers courses in, the interactive coding console allows you to program in both Python and Ruby as a way to practice languages and implement curriculum you may have learned elsewhere. Sims tells me that the startup plans on offering Python and Ruby lessons in addition to Javascript eventually.

In addition to editing, Codecademy Labs allows you to run, and download executable files so your programs can run elsewhere. “It eliminates the biggest hurdle. When they’re learning code, people want a super easy way to go do something with it,” Sims says “Labs makes it really easy to continue along the path of learning stuff without any of the complications that go along with programming.”

Codecademy recently received $2.5 million from an impressive array of investors including Union Square Ventures, O'Reilly AlphaTech, SV Angel, Yuri Milner, Chamath Palihapitiya, Founder Collective, CrunchFund, Joshua Schachter, Dave Morin, Naval Ravikant and others.

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

drag2share: AMD Radeon HD 7970 review roundup: supremely fast, relatively efficient

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/22/amd-radeon-hd-7970-review-roundup-supremely-fast-relatively-ef/

AMD's next flagship graphics card was only announced a few hours ago, and it won't arrive on the gaming public's plate until January, but already the tech punditry has tasted it, tested it and spat out a soggy little piece of paper that reads: "the fastest single-GPU card in the world." What we're really looking for, though, is the type of performance that beats older rivals like NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 580 without blowing the house up like a dual-GPU product. As it turns out, most reviewers agree that is exactly what this new $549 Radeon delivers, albeit with the few caveats summarized after the break.

Continue reading AMD Radeon HD 7970 review roundup: supremely fast, relatively efficient

AMD Radeon HD 7970 review roundup: supremely fast, relatively efficient originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Google Books for Chrome gets offline support, one less excuse for not reading the 'classics'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/22/google-books-for-chrome-gets-offline-support-one-less-excuse-fo/

Google Books Offline

So, you can read all those tomes you've picked up through Google Books offline on your smartphone and tablet, but what about on your laptop? Well, if for some reason you've got the desire to power through Finnegans Wake in your browser (though, we're not really sure why you'd do that to yourself) we've got good news -- the Google Books app for Chrome now caches your titles for local reading. To download a book, just hover over the cover in library view and select "make available offline" from the pop-up. Then, even when you can't get your Chromebook connected, you'll be able to sit back and relax with a classic novel or seedy romance tale.

Google Books for Chrome gets offline support, one less excuse for not reading the 'classics' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Samsung releases CES 2012 teaser, hints at upcoming Smart TV products (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/samsung-releases-ces-2012-teaser-hints-at-upcoming-smart-tv-pro/

It's certainly not much, but with just a few words at the end of a YouTube clip, Samsung hopes to grab your interest. The Korean electronics giant has just released a "through the years" style clip that encapsulates over 50 years of advances with its television systems (i.e., the switch to color, rabbit ears, higher resolutions, DVR, 3D TVs, etc.). The clip concludes with the words "Experience the Future of Smart TV" and highlights the company's upcoming presence at CES next month. And yes, we'll be there too. Take a gander for yourself after the break.

Continue reading Samsung releases CES 2012 teaser, hints at upcoming Smart TV products (video)

Samsung releases CES 2012 teaser, hints at upcoming Smart TV products (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Samsung Captivate Glide review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/samsung-captivate-glide-review/

The QWERTY slider hasn't exactly gone the way of the dinosaur, but it's definitely approaching giant panda status. That is to say, it's become rare for a major device manufacturer to output anything other than candybar touchscreen smartphones. And why not? Slimmer, faster, beastlier is the mobile motto as of late and that's precisely what consumers seem to gravitate towards. But for diehard fans of tactile feedback, Samsung's birthed the Captivate Glide, a handset that marries the best of both form factors. Sitting just below its high-end brethren, Sammy's 4-incher runs along AT&T's 21Mbps HSPA+ network and bundles an 800 x 480 Super AMOLED display with a dual-core 1GHz Tegra 2 processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a 1,650mAh battery, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, a 1.3MP front-facing camera and an 8MP rear camera capable of 720p video capture. At $150 on a two-year contract, it's just half a Benjamin short of the top-tier, LTE-capable HTC Vivid. With that small of a price divide, you have to wonder: is the downgrade really worth it for the Captivate Glide's (comparatively) slower speeds and physical buttons? Are you willing to trade-in thin and sleek for messaging convenience and a bit of bulk? Follow on past the break as we deliver the answers to those burning questions.

Gallery: Samsung Captivate Glide review

Continue reading Samsung Captivate Glide review

Samsung Captivate Glide review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: CES 2012 to feature 94 startup companies in 'Eureka Park TechZone'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/ces-2012-to-feature-94-startup-companies-in-eureka-park-techzon/

CES hasn't exactly been known as the place where small startup companies catch their big break, but the CEA seems intent on changing that notion this time around. The organization announced today that its new 'Eureka Park TechZone" will feature 94 startup companies occupying some 9,000 square feet of floor space at The Venetian -- up considerably from the 28 companies that were signed on when the new area was first announced this summer. As CNET's Daniel Terdiman notes, digital imaging companies look set to have a particularly big presence in the area, including the likes of smartphone accessory-maker Kogeto (its Dot device pictured above) and the Cornell Research offshoot Mezmeriz, which is focused on pico projector technology. Needless to say, we'll be there next month to see what comes out of it.

Continue reading CES 2012 to feature 94 startup companies in 'Eureka Park TechZone'

CES 2012 to feature 94 startup companies in 'Eureka Park TechZone' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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