Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Rock Band ticks off 40 million tracks sold, $1 billion in revenue

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/26/rock-band-ticks-off-40-million-tracks-sold-1-billion-in-revenu/

That's a lot of dollars. Also? A lot of Mötley Crüe. Seriously, people, calm down. As of right now Rock Band has 614 songs on offer, 269 different artists, 11 full albums, more revenue than any other game in 2008, $1 billion total in North American retail sales, 40 million tracks sold, and unhindered wallet access to countless deluded human beings who think they're rock stars.

Filed under: Gaming

Rock Band ticks off 40 million tracks sold, $1 billion in revenue originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype Now #1 International Call Carrier [Skype]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/CZsVK4oiPIY/skype-now-1-international-call-carrier

Skype has just overthrown AT&T as the number one long distance call handler. Unfortunately for Skype, they don't pull in that much profit from international calls; eBay said they only made $550 million in 2008. [Ars Technica]

Next Android Device (G2?) Gets Flash Support [Android]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/8eh3iLMZ9fE/next-android-device-g2-gets-flash-support

BSQUARE just announced that it's going to port a version of Adobe Flash to Android for a "global Tier 1 carrier." This most likely means T-Mobile, if our guess is right.

We've no idea from the press release whether or not Flash will be usable on the G1 that's already available, but it seems like the next phone (the G2?) should almost certainly, definitely, probably, most likely have it. Maybe. [Bsquare via Engadget]

Samsung gets official with 8 megapixel SCH-W740

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/25/samsung-gets-official-with-8-megapixel-sch-w740/

We first caught wind of Samsung's SCH-W740 way back on Halloween of last year, and at long last the handset has gone official over in South Korea. Matching up with LG's Renoir, Nokia's N86 and a slew of other emerging 8 megapixel phones, the W740 packs a pretty stellar camera along with a 3.3-inch touchscreen, HSUPA, Bluetooth 2.0, an e-dictionary, T-DMB TV tuner and loads of haptic feedback. As for the camera itself, it features face detection, scene modes, a Xenon flash and a smile shutter for good measure. Word on the street has it surfacing soon for ₩900,000 ($660).

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung gets official with 8 megapixel SCH-W740 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wireless water meters on the loose in New York City

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/25/wireless-water-meters-on-the-loose-in-new-york-city/

On the environmental tip, Mayor Bloomberg has announced that New York City will install 826,000 wireless water meters by 2011. Under the new system, readings will be sent to a network of rooftop receivers throughout the city every six hours, enabling the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to bill property owners every month with exact water usage -- with the bill available online. Under the current system, water use is estimated and folks are billed every three months. The system will cost taxpayers $250 million, and installation (free for property owners) is already underway in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. When it is fully installed, New York will be the largest city in the world to use wireless water metering. According to the New York Times, it's estimated that a 5 to 10 percent reduction in water use could save the city up to $90 million annually.

[Via Vos Iz Neias; Thanks, Yossi]

Filed under: Wireless

Wireless water meters on the loose in New York City originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vuzix dips toes in augmented reality, makes video eyewear cool again

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/25/vuzix-dips-toes-in-augmented-reality-makes-video-eyewear-cool-a/

Nintendo ain't the only company making waves at the Game Developers Conference this year -- oh no, we've also got Vuzix gettin' down and dirty with a brand new addition to its video eyewear segment. Said outfit has teamed up with metaio in order to showcase a new Augmented Reality Accessory Kit for the VR920 head-mounted display. The bundle will include the CamAR -- a clip-on USB camera that is designed to accurately track objects and the user's position in three-dimensional space -- along with the PhasAR wireless augmented reality input controller. When these are used in unison, users are able to simultaneously see what's going on in the Matrix and in the display. For instance, imagine reading a book that's tied into a program on the VR920; as you read along, images can pop up and complement the text. Far out, right? The full release is after the break, and we've been told that the attachment should sell for around $100 on top of the $399 VR920 when it ships around mid-Summer.

Continue reading Vuzix dips toes in augmented reality, makes video eyewear cool again

Filed under: Displays, Wearables

Vuzix dips toes in augmented reality, makes video eyewear cool again originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai BLUE-WILL plug-in hybrid concept debuts in Seoul

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/25/hyundai-blue-will-plug-in-hybrid-concept-debuts-in-seoul/

Hyundai recently broke a few molds with its dolphin-inspired cellphone, and it now looks to be doing the same with its latest plug-in hybrid concept, which is set to make its public debut at the Seoul Motor Show next week. Of course, Hyundai isn't just letting the car, dubbed the BLUE-WILL, get by on those eye-catching lines alone, with it also cramming a direct-inject 1.6-liter gas engine with a CVT transmission and a 100kw electric motor under the hood, and taking a number of other measures to make the vehicle even more eco-minded. That includes some solar cells on the panoramic roof, which you can still see through, and some eco-friendly plastics throughout, including headlamp bezels made from recycled plastic bottles, and other plastics derived from plant extracts. No word about it actually going into production, of course, but you can get a bit of a closer look by hitting up the link below.

Filed under: Transportation

Hyundai BLUE-WILL plug-in hybrid concept debuts in Seoul originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia shows off song-inspired Bluetooth headset designs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/25/nokia-shows-off-song-inspired-bluetooth-headset-designs/

It didn't exactly cause that big a stir when it was first announced, but it looks like Nokia's Music Almighty headset design competition still managed to attract a respectable 6,000 entrants, and Nokia is now showing off the five winners that have been manufactured as fully-functional, one-off headsets. The hook of the contest is that all of the headsets had to be inspired by a song, which expectedly drew a whole range of designs from the stylish Daft Punk "Robot Rock" set above to feat of subtlety that is the R. Kelly "I Believe I Can Fly" headset after the break. Hit up the link below to check out the remaining winners, including not one but two Michael Jackson-inspired sets, and look for the whole lot to make their way to the Nokia Regent Street Flagship store in London next month.

[Via Core77]

Continue reading Nokia shows off song-inspired Bluetooth headset designs

Filed under: Portable Audio, Wearables

Nokia shows off song-inspired Bluetooth headset designs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flash coming to Android courtesy of BSQUARE

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/25/flash-coming-to-android-courtesy-of-bsquare/

The fine folks at BSQUARE have announced that they'll be porting Adobe Flash to Google's Android on behalf of a "global Tier 1 carrier." Whether or not that implies this "global Tier 1 carrier" will have exclusive access to Flash out of the gate remains to be seen. Details are otherwise very scarce, and it's unclear how this relates to the demo of Flash Andy Rubin showed off at Adobe MAX last year. However, BSQUARE bought NEC's Adobe(R) Flash(R) Technology Consulting and Distribution business 12 months ago, and has done Android work for other customers, so the expertise should certainly be there -- and naturally we wouldn't expect them to go shouting about this if they didn't have Adobe and Google's blessing in one form or another.

[Thanks, Peter R.]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Flash coming to Android courtesy of BSQUARE originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo's IdeaCentre A600 now available to order, should ship soon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/25/lenovos-ideacentre-a600-now-available-to-order-should-ship-soo/

Lenovo's breaking some serious molds with the IdeaCentre A600, and if you've been waiting anxiously ever since we got up close and personal with one back at CES, the patience has (nearly) paid off. As of now (like, right this very moment in time), three varients of the all-black machine are up for ordering, with base prices sitting at $699.99, $799.99 and $999.99. They each show that shipping won't happen for another few weeks, but we'll bet Lenovo's just being conversative.

Filed under: Desktops

Lenovo's IdeaCentre A600 now available to order, should ship soon originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon Alias2 leaks out, features dynamically changing button layout

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/25/verizon-alias2-leaks-out-features-dynamically-changing-button-l/

Verizon's original Alias U740 dual-hinge phone may not have rocked any worlds, but it was a clever attempt to provide the best of both a QWERTY keypad and a standard clamshell number pad in a single device -- and it sounds like the Alias 2 we're seeing leaked here improves on that concept by using dynamically-changing button labels to hammer home the mode switches. It's not clear what tech is being used to switch layouts -- there are some whispers that it's an E-Ink display, since the labels apparently remain even without power -- but given this phone's expected price point, we'll say we're expecting more along the lines of one of those segmented LCDs found in cheap universal remotes. In other words, garbage. Hopefully we'll be proven wrong at CTIA, we'll let you know. Slightly bigger pic after the break.

Continue reading Verizon Alias2 leaks out, features dynamically changing button layout

Filed under: Cellphones

Verizon Alias2 leaks out, features dynamically changing button layout originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EcoDrain heat exchanger makes good use of warm waste water

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/26/ecodrain-heat-exchanger-makes-good-use-of-warm-waste-water/

File this one directly in the "why didn't I think of that?" folder. As the bathroom gets more and more eco-friendly, the EcoDrain is stepping in to take advantage of all the hot water that goes to waste each time you shower. Put simply, this user-installed heat exchanger transfers heat from hot shower waste water to cold incoming water, essentially cutting water heater usage by as much as 40 percent. Of course, we've never seen a plumbing job that was anything close to simple, but for savings like this, it may just be worth the trouble.

[Via Inhabitat]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

EcoDrain heat exchanger makes good use of warm waste water originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Forever Plus finally takes a pico projector to 720p

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/26/forever-plus-finally-takes-a-pico-projector-to-720p/

Well, would you look at that! It's not 3M, Dell, Toshiba or any other mega-corp taking the totally tired pico projector from lackluster to 720p -- oh no, it's, um, Forever Plus. Said beamer has been around the block a time or two, but given the native 1,280 x 768 native resolution, we couldn't help but take notice. Reportedly, the 0.49- x 0.59- x 0.19-inch box outputs via HDMI and packs a lamp life of 30,000 hours, but we definitely have serious doubts about the quality. And the actual availability, for that matter.

Filed under: Displays

Forever Plus finally takes a pico projector to 720p originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 06:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

RichCopy Enhances Windows File Copying with Advanced Rules [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/f15eTOecvok/richcopy-enhances-windows-file-copying-with-advanced-rules

Windows only: If you're looking for extremely granular control over file copying, and fewer failures, you don't want to miss RichCopy.

We're big fans of replacing the default and clunky Windows file copier with more speedier solutions, like Teracopy or FastCopy. If you're looking for speedy transfer and detailed control over all manner of things, like what files should be copied or overwritten based on age, size, attributes, or even the security settings for the directory they are in, RichCopy has you covered.

RichCopy doesn't have shell integration, unfortunately, like many of our favorite replacements, but given the kind of detailed tweaking you can do in RichCopy, you'll likely be opening the application to tinker in the sub-menus anyhow. RichCopy was previously an internal tool for Microsoft developers to use, but now has public release. There's no serious support for the tool, and it falls into the as-is category. That said, I didn't have any problem copying 15GB of data from one drive to another in a matter of minutes, thanks to RichCopy's snappy multi-threading support. RichCopy is freeware, Windows only.

RichCopy [via Digital Inspiration]

Google Voice to Allow Number Porting [Google Voice]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/1dcx6KTYRv4/google-voice-to-allow-number-porting

We've been very excited about Google Voice ever since we gave it a closer look, but our biggest cause for hesitation (and the biggest complaint of many of our readers) is that you have to change your main number to take full advantage of Google Voice—a process that's always a pain for both you and your contacts. If you feel the same way, we've got good news: Reader Reid points out a Google support page explaining that number porting may be offered in the near future.

UPDATE: Reid writes back to point out that Google already allows you to take your Google Voice number with you to another provider if you decided to leave Google Voice at some point down the line.

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