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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Microsoft Flight reinvents itself as free-to-play simulator (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/29/microsoft-flight/

Microsoft's Flight Simulator has long prodded gamers to splash out on hardware upgrades and insane joysticks. Like Madonna, it's reinvented itself for the 21st century as a single-named free-to-play game for those who want to zoom around the skies of Hawaii. The company will make its money by selling premium add-ons including new aircraft and "adventure packs." The game is now ready for download (at the source link) and, if it proves popular, Redmond should expect a nice gift basket from AMD and NVIDIA this Christmas.

Continue reading Microsoft Flight reinvents itself as free-to-play simulator (video)

Microsoft Flight reinvents itself as free-to-play simulator (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba Excite 10 LE gets March 6th launch date, confirmed $530 price, yet another name

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/29/toshiba-excite-10-le-launch-details-confirmed/

Toshiba Excite 10 LE gets March 6th launch date

First it was the AT200, then the Excite X10, and now it's the Excite 10 LE. But behind the onion-like layering of names sits a singular and rather beautiful slate, with a 10.1-inch LED backlit display, a 7.7mm (0.3-inch) chassis and a righteous 1280 x 800 resolution. Toshiba says it'll arrive at select US retailers on March 6th, which happens to coincide pretty closely with another possible technology incident. And since there could well be some tough buying dilemmas on the horizon, let's recount just a few more specs: The $530 version of the 10 LE has 16GB of storage, while 32GB can be had for $600. Both variants are WiFi-only and will run Android 3.2 out of the box, but they'll be upgradeable to ICS sometime in the spring. The 1.2GHz TI OMAP 4430 processor will whirr for up to eight hours on a charge; connectivity includes micro-USB, HDMI and microSD; the rear camera shoots 1080p video and 5-megapixel stills. There, does that make things any easier? No? Then there's a full press release after the break. Gosh, you're demanding.

Continue reading Toshiba Excite 10 LE gets March 6th launch date, confirmed $530 price, yet another name

Toshiba Excite 10 LE gets March 6th launch date, confirmed $530 price, yet another name origina! lly appe ared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Craziest Jeans Company Is Making Silk Denim, Hemp Denim, Gauze Jeans and Reverse Red Dye Pants [Fashion]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5889111/the-craziest-jeans-company-is-making-silk-denim-hemp-denim-gauze-jeans-and-reverse-red-dye-pants/gallery/1

Naked and Famous Denim, the craziest jeans company in the world, is getting even wonkier. Along with other jeans, Naked and Famous is releasing Japanese raw denim woven with silk, hemp or gauze and a ridiculously awesome pair of jeans that'll fade red as you wear it (rather than white).

Naked and Famous, if you don't remember, is the same denim company that previously made the glow-in-the-dark and raspberry scratch-n-sniff jeans. The whole Spring 2012 line consists of 12 different styles of denim but these are easily the weirdest pants around. [Naked and Famous]

Silk Blend Denim: The raw Japanese denim is woven with 30% silk to make the pants softer and stretchier and not the typical raw stiff stovepipe jeans. $180

Hemp Blend Selvedge Denim:Same idea as the silk denim but made with hemp instead. The hemp adds a tinge of brown to the otherwise dark denim. Good for the lovers of grass, I'd imagine. $165

The Craziest Jeans Company Is Making Silk Denim, Hemp Denim, Gauze Jeans and Reverse Red Dye Pants Gauze Double Weave: If you're a weirdo and don't like jeans because they're too rough, these Gauze Double Weave jeans are lined with gauze to make it super soft. Won't chafe the jewels. $155

Red Core Selvedge Denim: Now this is where it gets prettttttty awesome. Unlike normal jeans that fade to white as you wear them more (because the indigo loses it color), this pair of jeans will reveal a red. The yarn is core dyed red an then the rope dyed indigo. 14oz denim. $210

Picarro's Emissions Maps Are Street View For CO2 [Science]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5889092/picaros-emission-maps-will-finally-show-your-citys-impact-on-global-warming

Here's the thing about the emissions which cause global warming: You can't see them. Picarro wants to use a Google Street View-like fleet of vehicles loaded with the company's technology to drive around cities measuring emissions so that the gasses can be plotted onto detailed 3-D maps.

It turns out that while we have data about emissions at the atmospheric scale, measuring them at a small scale is actually really hard. That's where Picarro's CRDS analyzer comes in, reports TreeHugger. The CRDS analyzer is basically an infrared sensor that can "see" the emissions from a particular source. Take for example, the above visualization of emissions in San Francisco. As the emissions-sniffing cars drive around a city, analyzer on board, they beam information back via satellite. This information can then be used to make crazy maps that show the way emissions are ejected from sources over time.

To test the technology—and show it off to the world—Picarro launched the City Carbon Project last month at the World Economic Forum by measuring the impact of the event itself. The surprise? Emissions in Davos actually went down during the forum. [Picarro via TreeHugger]

New Banking Hack Chats with You as It Empties Your Account [Security]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5889157/new-banking-hack-live-chats-as-it-steals

Recent attempts to separate a user from his banking credentials have employed some highly advanced methods. But this new take on the Man in the Browser attack just seems downright dastardly—we're talking mustache-twirling levels of deviousness.

The hack works like this. The attacker will target business and online commercial banking customers by infecting their systems with the Shylock malware platform. Once the mark visits his bank's website, Shylock suspends the session for several minutes to purportedly run "security checks." It then notifies the mark that a customer service rep will be contacting him to verify account information before popping a web-chat screen—the hacker playing the role of "customer service rep." The attacker will then extract the mark's login information through social engineering and proceed to commit the fraud while he's still web-chatting with the victim.

As web security firm Trusteer explains,

This web injection is followed by an elaborate web-chat screen, which is implemented in pure HTML and JavaScript. Within two to three minutes, if the user's login is valid (we believe), the fraudster engages in a live online chat session with the victim. This exchange is apparently used to gather more information from the victim. The session may even be used to perform real time fraud by enticing the victim to sign/verify fraudulent transactions that Shylock is initiating in the background.

So not only is the victim getting robbed, he also is shamed for having been dumb enough to freely give away his company's banking information to start with. [Trusteer via The Reigster]

Image: jamdesign / Shutterstock

Sprint TV Brings Cable Networks to the iPhone—Still Insists on Bundling Channels [Streaming]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5889183/sprint-tv-brings-cable-networks-to-the-iphonestill-insists-on-bundling-channels

Sprint TV Brings Cable Networks to the iPhone—Still Insists on Bundling Channels $10 a month to get Comedy Central and ESPN streaming live on my iPhone? Woot! But I have to subscribe to Fox News and MTV to get them? Dammit.

Sprint announced an exclusive offering to its iPhone customers (you know, the one's it paid $15.5 billion for)—SprintTV, a streaming service that features live programming from some of cable's biggest networks.

After downloading the app from iTunes, users will have access to ESPN Mobile, Disney, ABC, NBC, CBS and others. For $10/month, Sprint TV adds Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, and Fox News. Sprint is offering 40 paid packages in total including a spanish-language bundle for $7/month and children's-programming for $5/month. Users will also need an unlimited data plan in order to use the app though it is compatible with both the iPhone and iPad.

But seriously, how dense can Sprint be? Consumers have been complaining for years about cable's absurd requirements to subscribe to unwanted channels in order to obtain the programming the consume actually wants and here's Sprint. Doing the exact same damn thing on a new platform. It's like they're trying to fail. [Sprint via 9 to 5 Mac]

You Can Now Buy This Tiny Computer for $35 (Updated) [Computers]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5889218/you-can-now-buy-this-tiny-computer-for-35

You Can Now Buy This Tiny Computer for $35 (Updated) Over the past year, we've seen a lot to get excited about over this tiny computer, the Raspberry Pi. It can stream video via Airplay, can run Quake III, yet only costs $35. Fortunately, now you can buy it.

The Model B Raspberry Pi is just finishing production in China, but is now available for pre-order. It features an ARM11 processor, 256MB of RAM, 2 USB ports, a LAN port, an SD card slot, audio-out and HDMI-out. It's capable of running an Ubuntu install or a version of Xbox Media Center, but nothing comes per-installed so you'll be spending some time at a command line.

But the best bit is: it costs $35. Thirty. Five. Freakin'. Dollars. This thing is incredibly cheap, and a great way to get you—or your kids—into coding. In fact, the beauty of the Raspberry Pi business model is that all the profits will be pushed into a charity set up to encourage kids to get into coding, an initiative which will itself use these tiny computers.

You can buy Raspberry Pi online from Premier Farnell or RS Components.

Update: Demand is proving high, and the Farnell and RS websites are struggling to deal with the demand. Patience, young grasshopper.

Samsung pairs Qualcomm and ARM DRM to get HD content on Galaxy Note Media Hub

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/28/samsung-qualcomm-arm-drm-media-hub/

Samsung's going to bring "premium HD video content" to Media Hub after pairing up Qualcomm's StudioAccess and ARM's TrustZone DRM systems. The first device that will benefit from the rollout is the Galaxy Note thanks to its enormous 1280 x 800 HD display. Owners of the large phone / small tablet hybrid will find HD content appearing alongside SD editions of your favorite movies and shows -- previously unavailable because of copyright concerns. There's PR after the break, but we'd suggest reading it only if you enjoy paragraph upon paragraph of executives praising DRM to the hilt.

Continue reading Samsung pairs Qualcomm and ARM DRM to get HD content on Galaxy Note Media Hub

Samsung pairs Qualcomm and ARM DRM to get HD content on Galaxy Note Media Hub originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A closer look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/28/a-closer-look-at-the-samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-video/

The last time we showed you the Galaxy Note 10.1, we had time for a few hands-on shots, but not quite enough to get to know the tablet, to warm up to the idea of interacting with one of our favorite 10-inchers using a ~~stylus~~ pen. Now that we've had a chance to park ourselves at Samsung's Mobile World Congress and get acclimated to the various S Pen apps, we wanted to hit back with one more hands-on, this time focusing on what makes the Note 10.1 so special: the writing experience. Meet us past the break and we'll share some early impressions, along with a walk-through video. Only have a minute to spare? Consider those photos below your Cliff's Notes.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 hands-on

Gallery: Galaxy Note 10.1 and the Galaxy Tab 10.1, compared

Continue reading A closer look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (video)

A closer look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exent's GameTanium Mobile launches for Android tabs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/28/gametanium-mobile-launches-for-android-tabs/

OnLive users may have been dining at the all-you-can-eat gaming table since December, but now it's time for the GameTanium crew to pull up a chair. Game provider Extent has brought its subscription platform to Android tablets and offers unlimited access to titles such as Fruit Ninja, Baseball Superstars and T-Racer HD. The service rolls in at a cent under six dollars a month, and there's a three-day free trial for those with commitment issues. The new mobile service is available right away via a direct .apk, so if you want in, skip past the Android Market and take a peek at the press release after the break instead.

Continue reading Exent's GameTanium Mobile launches for Android tabs

Exent's GameTanium Mobile launches for Android tabs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 ready for May takeoff, pre-orders start March 1st

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/28/parrot-ar-drone-2-0-shipping-in-may/

It's been a few weeks since we stumbled upon the AR.Drone 2.0's unattended self-promotion back at CES. And, shortly thereafter took it for a spin. Now, Parrot's finally announcing its $299 next-gen quadrocopter will be ready to take off in May, with you early adopters being able to pre-order as soon as March 1st. The company's also added two fresh bits that were absent during our time with the 720p-packing drone in Vegas, one of which will let you bust out a barrel-roll move while in flight. The other is the inclusion of a USB port that'll let you grab whatever ~~creepy~~ amazing pics and vids you've been shooting with it and record them on any jump drive. You still have a couple months to go before you can grab one of these, in the meantime be sure to check out the glamorous press shots and PR below.

Gallery: Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 press shots

Continue reading Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 ready for May takeoff, pre-orders start March 1st

Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 ready for May takeoff, pre-orders start March 1st originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raspberry Pi credit-card sized Linux PCs are on sale now, $25 Model A gets a RAM bump

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/29/raspberry-pi-credit-card-sized-linux-pcs-are-on-sale-now-25-mo/

The good news is that Raspberry Pi's highly anticipated teeny-tiny Linux computers are on sale now, just barely making the promised February launch window (good thing it's a leap year). The better news, is that the $25 Model A version has gotten an upgrade from the planned 128Mb of RAM to 256Mb matching the Model B, which still throws in an extra USB port and an Ethernet hookup for $10 more. Unfortunately there is some bad news as well, while the Model A is going into production "immediately", cheapskates will have to hold off a little, as the Model B is the only one on sale right now. Built on a Broadcom BCM2835 700MHz ARM11 processor, they're intended as a cheap computing option that require only a keyboard and RCA or HDMI-connected display to give a full desktop experience including gaming and HD video playback . The team also announced it has secured manufacturing and distribution agreements that should guarantee a steady supply, without the previous limitation of 10,000 at a time batches. Need more technical details? Hit the FAQ page below, or put down a few Hamiltons -- they can be ordered directly from distributors Premier Farnell / Element 14 and RS Components -- and find out how it runs (Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux are currently supported) for yourself.

Update: It appears the servers of both retailers are completely crushed by traffic at the moment, and we're told RS will ship in the UK only. Good luck in your struggle with that most difficult of questions: Keep mashing F5, or get some sleep and try again in the morning?! Raspber ry Pi's Twitter account reports Farrell appears to have already sold out, so keep that in mind. A press release and video demo from BBC follow after the break.

Continue reading Raspberry Pi credit-card sized Linux PCs are on sale now, $25 Model A gets a RAM bump

Raspberry Pi credit-card sized Linux PCs are on sale now, $25 Model A gets a RAM bump originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Envia's GM-backed battery delivers huge energy density, lower costs, headaches for competitors

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/29/envias-gm-backed-battery-delivers-huge-energy-density-lower-co/

If you're one of those worried about the battery on your expensive EV running out, look away now. Envia has unveiled a new cell that boasts a record-breaking energy density of 400Wh/kg (most currently offer between 100 and 150). It's estimated that when commercialized, this could bring the cost of a 300-mile range EV down to as little as $20,000. The performance gains come from a special manganese-rich cathode and silicon-carbon nano-composite anode combination. The battery maker is also partly owned by GM, which unsurprisingly means we're likely to see these very cells in its EVs in the future. Perhaps with the right choice of upholstery, we might see even better savings? Want to know more? Tap the fully charged press release parked just after the break.

Continue reading Envia's GM-backed battery delivers huge energy density, lower costs, headaches for competitors

Envia's GM-backed battery delivers huge energy density, lower costs, headaches for competitors originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 02:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dr. Augustine Fou Moderator; OMMA Metrics Panel: Trending the Analytics Business

Dr. Augustine Fou moderating panel at OMMA Metrics in New York City - Trending the Analytics Business

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

This Is the iPad 3 Hiding In Plain Sight [IPad 3]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5888989/this-is-the-ipad-3-hiding-in-plain-sight

Apple just flashed their new iPad 3 on their Wednesday 7 event invite. You can clearly see the new Retina display in all its glory. Compare the top (invitation) to the bottom (a photo of iPad 2).

The top has a lot more definition. It's clear on the typography in the Wednesday, the spacing in relation to the icon and the edges of the icon itself.

Not only that, but there seems to be NO home button, which explains the mention of the "And touch." in their invitation. How do we know? First, the photo they are showing is on portrait mode. You can't achieve that icon spacing in the landscape mode (which is the only explanation for the lack of home button). Moreover, the icon falls right onto the same water drop that the current iPad 2 falls while in portrait mode. It's clearly a photo of the iPad in portrait mode. And there's no button to be seen.

Additional reporting by Adrian Covert.

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