Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Virtual HR Company TribeHR Scores Another $2.5 Million In Funding

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/virtual-hr-company-tribehr-funding-2012-7

Joseph Fung of TribeHRTribeHR, a company that provides virtual HR services, just announced it has raised $2.5 million in funding, bringing its total to $3.6 million.

The company provides HR software to small and medium-sized businesses. It provides support in recruiting, managing vacation days, remembering salary history, and other tasks. The price range from $2 to $10 a user per month.

The round was led by Relay Ventures with Matrix Partners also participating.  

"This new round of funding will allow us to enhance our solutions by adding both social and mobile features which will lead to increased effectiveness of the HR manager,” said TribeHR CEO Joseph Fung.

TribeHR is based in Kitchener, Ontario. The company had previously raised a seed round from Matrix Partners.

Fung cofounded Lewis Media, an online provider of website-building tools.

 



Please follow Business Insider on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Read More...

House of Lords wants UK TV to go fully online and leave airwaves clear for cellphones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/01/house-of-lords-internet-tv-spectrum-plan/

House of Lords wants UK TV to go fully online to leave the airwaves clear for cellphones

The UK House of Lords' Communications Committee has suggested that all broadcast TV should be moved to the internet to free up wireless spectrum for cellphones. In its report, the panel found that whilst such a network would be cheaper and more efficient in the long run, it would also require extensive re-building of the country's archaic communications infrastructure. Given that the analog-to-digital switchover is currently in progress, it seems unlikely that a further transition will be timetabled -- especially since there are still concerns over the cost of bringing fiber-optic broadband to rural areas. Any change in the plan will need to be rubber-stamped by Government, but perhaps it'd be more amenable if they saw how good 8K video looks on one of those connections.

Filed under: , ,

House of Lords wants UK TV to go fully online and leave airwaves clear for cellphones originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 02:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Guardian  |  sourceHM Communications Committee  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Kinect Toolbox update turns hand gestures into mouse input, physical contact into distant memory

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/01/kinect-toolbox-update-turns-hand-gestures-into-mouse-input/

Kinect Toolbox update turns our frantic gestures into mouse input

Using Microsoft's Kinect to replace a mouse is often considered the Holy Grail of developers; there have been hacks and other tricks to get it working well before Kinect for Windows was even an option. A lead Technical Evangelist for Microsoft in France, David Catuhe, has just provided a less makeshift approach. The 1.2 update to his Kinect Toolbox side project introduces hooks to control the mouse outright, including 'magnetic' control to draw the mouse from its original position. To help keep the newly fashioned input (among other gestures) under control, Catuhe has also taken advantage of the SDK 1.5 release to check that the would-be hand-waver is sitting and staring at the Kinect before accepting any input. The open-source Windows software is available to grab for experimentation today, so if you think hands-free belongs as much on the PC desktop as in a car, you now have a ready-made way to make the dream a reality... at least, until you have to type.

Filed under: ,

Kinect Toolbox update turns hand gestures into mouse input, physical contact into distant memory originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 03:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Eternal Coding  |  sourceCodePlex  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

New TI power chips save energy, move towards universal charging

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/01/new-ti-power-chips-save-energy-move-towards-universal-charging/

New TI power chips save energy, move towards universal charging

TI isn't just in the business of making ARM-based processors. The company makes all manner of components and chips. Amongst the things in its vast repertoire of silicon are charging controllers. Texas Instruments' latest offering, the UCC28700, not only draws an impressively low sub-30mW when idle (meeting new five-star rating requirements from the European Commission), but does so in a tiny package that eliminates the need for an opto-feedback circuit or other external components. A second new controller, the TPS2511, tackles the problem of multiple chargers by moving to a 5V universal system for tablets and smartphones using the USB Battery Charging 1.2 specification. This could mean not only lower electricity bills (if only nominally so), but smaller wall warts that can be used across numerous devices. For more, check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading New TI power chips save energy, move towards universal charging

Filed under:

New TI power chips save energy, move towards universal charging originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 03:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

CHART OF THE DAY: Smartphones Are Still For The Young And Rich

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-smartphone-demographics-still-skew-young-and-moneyed-2012-7

This chart comes from Business Insider Intelligence, a new research and and analysis service focused on the mobile and Internet industries. Sign up for a free trial here.

Smartphone adoption is highest among young consumers with more disposable income.

According to Nielsen, Americans aged 25 to 34 earning more than $100,000 a year have the highest smartphone usage, with penetration at an astounding 81 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, even the highest income Americans over the age of 65 "only" have 42 percent adoption, well below national penetration (which Nielsen measured at 55 percent in June).

Most interesting though is that Americans aged 18 to 24 making less than $50,000 a year still have 59 percent penetration, indicating that they view smartphones as a necessity.

chart of the day, smartphone usage by age and income, july 2012

Follow the Chart Of The Day on Twitter: @chartoftheday


Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Read More...

This Wireless Home Theater System Always Makes Sure You Have the Best Sound [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5930661/this-wireless-home-theater-system--always-makes-sure-you-have-the-best-sound

Wireless audio is supposed to make our lives easier. Between the little Airplay and Bluetooth speakers out there it does—Sort of. There are drawbacks. This home theater system is wireless audio the way it should be, but it'll cost you.

The Aperion Intimus 4T Summit Wireless Home Theater Speaker System is the most seamless and intelligent concept of its kind we've seen. The 5.1 channel surround sound system uses no speaker wire and configures itself automatically for the best sound. Rather than run cables from a central A/V receiver, the signal from you DVD player, CD player, etc feeds into a wireless transmitter from which it's beamed to the powered speakers. (Each speaker needs to plug into your house's power.)

That's already more than what anything else offers, but what's really exciting is the system's brain. It detects where you've placed each of the speakers a room, and automatically beams the correct sound channel to each of them. No configuration necessary. And it gets better because using the system's included remote, it can detect where you are sitting, too, and it adjusts the levels of each channel so that it's perfectly balanced for your location.

Oh, and Aperion Audio promises banging sound. The system supposedly transfers uncompressed 24-Bit, 96 KHz audio wirelessly. That could be incredible, but we'll believe it when we hear it.

This Aperion system is so sophisticated it's practically self-aware, but of course, we have no idea how well it works or sounds. Maybe it'll flop, but it's nice to see wireless design pushing the boundaries. There are plenty of AirPlay speakers out there for your smartphone, thank you very much. But be warned, the innovation will cost you: The Intimus 4T Summit Wireless Home Theater System costs three grand and it's available for order now. [Aperion Audio]

This Wireless Home Theater System Always Makes Sure You Have the Best Sound

Read More...

Crucial outs v4 SSD for solid-state storage on a budget

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/01/crucial-v4-budget-ssd/

Crucial outs v4 SSD for solidstate storage on a budget

Solid-state drives cost just a fraction of what they did a few years ago, but with prices that can still exceed $1,000, you could hardly label them as cheap. Crucial still aims to put solid-state storage within reach of those on a budget, however, releasing its 2.5-inch v4 drive with pricing that starts at $50. That entry-level model will net you just 32 gigs of storage -- hardly a lust-worthy sum -- but the series is also available in configurations of 64GB ($70), 128GB ($100) and 256GB ($190), offering read speeds of up to 230 MB/s and write speeds of up to 190 MB/s with SATA 2-capable desktops and laptops. The v4 joins Crucial's higher-end m4, which offers much speedier performance and Ultrabook-friendly configurations to boot. You'll find full details in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Crucial outs v4 SSD for solid-state storage on a budget

Filed under:

Crucial outs v4 SSD for solid-state storage on a budget originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 01:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceCrucial  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Rogers LTE Rocket Hub supports up to 15 simultaneous users, requires electrical outlet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/01/rogers-lte-rocket-hub/

Rogers LTE Rocket Hub supports up to 15 simultaneous users, requires electrical outletLooking for a mobile hotspot that's a bit less mobile? Rogers' exclusive LTE Rocket Hub may be the pick for you, delivering 40 Mbps average download speeds with support for up to 15 simultaneous wireless device connections. LTE service is currently available in 28 cities above the border, but locales without the latest network can hop on HSPA+ to get connected. The device is set to ship beginning August 2nd, and unlike the carrier's existing Rocket Mobile Hotspot, this larger flavor will require an electrical outlet -- but with more than a dozen connections and a 10 gig LTE cap (which we presume applies here as well), you will need to unplug once in a while. More details at the source link below.

Filed under: ,

Rogers LTE Rocket Hub supports up to 15 simultaneous users, requires electrical outlet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 01:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MobileSyrup  |  sourceRogers  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Gmail for iOS adds option to save photos, becomes a smoother operator

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/31/gmail-for-ios-adds-option-to-save-photos/

Gmail for iOSGoogle's Gmail app for iOS has been docked by some potential adopters for feeling like a poor cousin to other native apps. It may be worth revisiting: the 1.3 update has just arrived with a much-requested ability to save common image attachments to an iOS device's photo collection. Should that not be enough, Google has smoothed out animations and scrolling for iPhone and iPod touch owners. The new version has pushed live for everyone, leaving just a quick download between us and saving our parents' vacation photos for posterity.

Filed under: ,

Gmail for iOS adds option to save photos, becomes a smoother operator originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 13:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink 9to5 Mac  |  sourceApp Store  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Energy Sistem beefs up its budget i8 slate with Ice Cream Sandwich inside

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/31/energy-sistem-beefs-up-its-budget-i8-slate-with-ice-cream-sandwi/

Energy Sistem

Low-cost tablets are a dime a dozen in the Android world, what with no name offerings from Ainovo to budget stalwarts like Archos. But there's always room for more competition and Energy Sistem seems intent on elbowing its way to a prominent place at the bottom. A mild update to its existing slate lineup, the Energy Tablet i8 keeps the same 8-inch LCD display and 1,024 x 768 resolution (in 4:3 aspect ratio) of its Gingerbread-baked predecessors, but this time packages it with Ice Cream Sandwich onboard. The tab also comes equipped with an Arm Cortex A8 processor clocked at 1GHz, VGA front-facing / 2-megapixel rear camera setup, 8GB of storage (expandable to 64GB via microSD), 1GB RAM, HDMI-out, a 3,800mAh battery and support for WiFi b/g/n. It's up for pre-order now on the company's site, with an official release slated for this August 23rd. But at €185 (about $227), you might be better off saving up a few extra bills and shelling out for the more premium Nexus 7. Official PR after the break.

Continue reading Energy Sistem beefs up its budget i8 slate with Ice Cream Sandwich inside

Filed under:

Energy Sistem beefs up its budget i8 slate with Ice Cream Sandwich inside originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Verizon to stop blocking tethering apps, settles with FCC for $1.25 million

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/31/verizon-to-stop-blocking-tethering-apps-settles-with-fcc-for-1/

Verizon to stop blocking tethering apps, settles with FCC for $1.25

In May of last year, our free ride came to an end. US carriers started blocking third party tethering apps in the Android Market. Not long after, the built in feature was turned off on most phones. Our fortune may be reversing, however. The FCC has ruled that Verizon violated the rules governing the C Block of LTE spectrum by preventing consumers from using any application of their choice. The end result: Big Red will have to open up its airwaves and allow customers to circumvent its $20 a month tethering plan using apps from the Play store -- so long as you're on a "usage-based pricing plan." Though it's not explicitly stated, we assume that means those of you lucky enough to be grandfathered in to the unlimited data plans are left out. In addition to unblocking apps such as PdaNet and Barnacle, Verizon must pay a $1.25 million settlement to put an end to the investigation. For a few more details of the plan put in place to ensure compliance with the ruling, check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Verizon to stop blocking tethering apps, settles with FCC for $1.25 million

Filed under: ,

Verizon to stop blocking tethering apps, settles with FCC for $1.25 million originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 15:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink GigaOM  |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Yahoo's IntoNow TV companion app for iOS adds screen grab, music recognition and chat features

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/31/intonow-tv-music-sync-capit-chat/

Yahoo's IntoNow TV companion app for iPad and iPhone adds screen grab, music recognition and chat features

At CES 2012 we were promised that Yahoo would integrate IntoNow's SoundPrint technology with its backend to pull up useful extra content about whatever TV program was being watched and now it's delivered that and more. IntoNow 3.0 for iOS (no upgrade yet for the Android version) enhances the app's TV companion experience in three key ways: TV / Music Sync, "CapIt" screengrabbing and finally Group Chat. The TV and music sync brings not only the associated info we'd heard about before, but also brings Shazam-style information about any music that might be playing. CapIt can pull screenshots from the cloud of any of the TV shows IntoNow's backend is monitoring, which adds up to about 13 million frames a day, then pops them up ready for meme creation and sharing. Group Chat does exactly what it sounds like, and lets you talk to friends or set up circles of fans around particular shows.

We gave the app a try and found it worked as advertised, quickly identifying what was playing whether live or on DVR and popping up episode info, cast listings and Wikipedia links. The CapIt feature (shown above) pulls frames with surprising speed and ease, even on live broadcasts, and allows users to scroll backwards or refresh for new freezes to grab just the right one. It doesn't monitor what you're watching live, but punching the green TV icon in the upper left corner causes it to sync right away, which also creates an entry of what w! as being watched and when.

Continue reading Yahoo's IntoNow TV companion app for iOS adds screen grab, music recognition and chat features

Filed under: ,

Yahoo's IntoNow TV companion app for iOS adds screen grab, music recognition and chat features originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 19:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceiTunes, Yahoo Blog, Yahoo Developer blog  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Twitter quietly adds clickable stock symbols

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/31/twitter-adds-clickable-stock-symbols/

Twitter adds clickable stock symbols  quietly

It might not pack the same thrill as the rumors of in-feed video, but Twitter has added clickable stock symbols on tweets. This now throws up search results for both the stock and the company, using a new 'cash' tag, like $FB, to differentiate from typical links and tags. As noted by TNW, it's bad news for the founder of StockTwits, a service that offered similar functionality to gather tweet-based financial nuggets. The new feature is live across Twitter's web client -- though it hasn't hit TweetDeck just yet -- and should make discovering exactly how many millions companies have made (or lost) all a bit faster.

Filed under:

Twitter quietly adds clickable stock symbols originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 05:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch, TNW  |  sourceTwitter  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

First GHz Edition Radeon HD 7970 hits shelves, throws $699 wrench into AMD's pricing strategy

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/31/sapphire-ghz-edition-radeon-hd-7970/

First GHz Edition Radeon HD 7970 hits shelves, throws $699 spanner into AMD's pricing strategy

The GHz Edition was supposed to deliver a significant mid-cycle performance bump to AMD's flagship 7970, without any attendant rise in cost. Instead, according to AnandTech, it looks like third-party vendors are looking to exploit the GE has a chance to max out every other spec in addition to the updated silicon and then charge a premium. Sapphire's new Toxic card is a case in point -- a 6GB double-helping of VRAM and a "Lethal" BIOS mode that takes base clock up to 1150MHz and memory clock to 6.4GHz (compared to 6GHz on the stock card). Those who can splutter up $699 will surely love it, but it's no substitute for the $499 upgrade that AMD originally intended.

Filed under: ,

First GHz Edition Radeon HD 7970 hits shelves, throws $699 wrench into AMD's pricing strategy originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 05:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AnandTech  |  sourceNewegg  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Panasonic Photosynthesis System converts carbon dioxide to organic material with plant-like efficiency

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/31/panasonic-artificial-photosynthesis-system/

Panasonic Artificial Photosynthesis System converts carbon dioxide to organic material with plantlike efficiency

Greenery may fulfill a superficial need to improve the landscape aesthetic, but plants play a much more critical role in regular life function, converting carbon dioxide to oxygen through a process called photosynthesis. Panasonic is among the companies attempting to replicate this natural procedure through artificial means, and it looks like the Japanese electronics maker is well on its way towards a viable solution. Presenting at the International Conference on the Conversion and Storage of Solar Energy this week, Panasonic announced the development of an Artificial Photosynthesis System, which uses a nitride semiconductor to convert water and carbon dioxide -- a byproduct of factories and power plants -- into an organic material called formic acid, which is used in the manufacturing of dyes and fragrances. Covering the planet in formic acid wouldn't necessarily represent progress, but assuming demand isn't exceeded, it certainly beats CO2. Best yet, Panasonic claims that the system converts the substances at plant-like efficiency rates, or 0.2 percent. Hit up the PR after the break for a more granular look at the company's creation.

Continue reading Panasonic Photosynthesis System converts carbon dioxide to organic material with plant-like efficiency

Filed under:

Panasonic Photos! ynthesis System converts carbon dioxide to organic material with plant-like efficiency originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 06:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge  |  sourcePanasonic  | Email this | Comments

Read More...