iSuppli: OLED panel shortage a concern for Android smartphone makers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/isuppli-oled-panel-shortage-a-concern-for-android-smartphone-ma/

Everyone wants an OLED display on their cellphone, right? Ok, maybe not everybody, especially when compared to regular AMOLED, but we certainly want, no demand, a 4-plus inch Super AMOLED on our next Android smartphone. Problem is, there just aren't enough to go around according to iSuppli. An issue compounded by the fact that Samsung, the world's largest AMOLED panel manufacturer, gets first crack at its displays in support of its massive growth plans for 2010, leaving companies like HTC to look elsewhere as we've already heard. That leaves LG, the only other source for small AMOLED panels, to shoulder the burden until the two can ramp up production, or until more players can enter the market. Samsung hopes to significantly boost production in 2012 when it brings a new $2.2 billion AMOLED facility on-line. Meanwhile, Taiwan-based AU Optronics and TPO Display Corp. plan to introduce AMOLED products by the end of 2010 or early 2011. Until then there's always the venerable LCD which will continue to dwarf AMOLED shipments for many years to come. See the numbers after the break.

Continue reading iSuppli: OLED panel shortage a concern for Android smartphone makers

iSuppli: OLED panel shortage a concern for Android smartphone makers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 05:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrome to Phone Sends Links, Text, and Numbers to Android Almost Instantly [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5581392/chrome-to-phone-sends-web-and-map-links-to-android-almost-instantly

Android (2.2) with Chrome/Firefox: For certain web searches, your desktop is better than Android, but you still want that data on your phone. Install Chrome to Phone and you can shoot links, Maps, and copied text directly to your Android phone.

Chrome to Phone is a two-part installation: an app for your Android phone (version 2.2, or "Froyo," required), and an extension you can install in Chrome—or, technically, with this Firefox add-on, too. The Chrome and Firefox extensions are one-click utilities, after you register your phone through the Android app and set your preferences in Chrome or Firefox. When you're on a web page or Maps location that you want to send to your phone, hit the Chrome to Phone button, and your phone will quickly open the link in a browser or the Maps application. If you copy a phone number and hit the extension, your phone's dialer will pre-load with that number to dial. Copy text, and it goes right to your phone's clipboard, which you can then paste anywhere with a long press.

The pass-along speed varies from link to link, but I found it generally pretty tolerable—if you were sending yourself directions as you headed out the door, you'd have them by the time you got to your car. Other times, it's near-instant, as shown in the video demonstration above.

Chrome to Phone is a free download for Android phones running 2.2—which, at the moment, is only a Nexus One and a few others. It's a handy and very overlooked Android feature that we hope makes it to more phones soon.

Chrome to Phone [Google Code via Android and Me]

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YouTube's New Mobile Web Site Is HTML5-Friendly, Higher Quality than iPhone's Native App [Cellphones]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5581773/youtubes-new-mobile-web-site-is-html5+friendly-better-than-native-apps

YouTube just rolled out a new version of their mobile site at m.youtube.com, featuring an arguably better interface and higher quality video playback than what's offered in the iPhone's native YouTube application.

Putting aside the drama of Google releasing this as an in-your-face move to Apple (iOS devices all have a native YouTube app built in that lacks a lot of the features you can get in the new mobile version, and the new mobile site actively prompts you to add it as a home screen bookmark), the new mobile YouTube site works on both iPhone and Android devices and is a nice step forward for mobile browsers supporting HTML5.

Nice features you can now get from the mobile site (that you can't get from the native iPhone application) include auto-suggest search results and playlist creation. More importantly, though, web apps can iteratively upgrade in small doses at any time, so YouTube's main access point (the site) remains universal across devices and consistent with the desktop site. (As TechCrunch notes, the iPhone app still uses YouTube's out-of-commission five-star rating system rather than their new Like/Dislike judgments.)

YouTube's currently rolling out the update across its servers. I was able to access it right away, but other writers at Lifehacker weren't, so your mileage may vary. In a few days, it should be available to everyone.

YouTube Mobile gets a kick start [Official YouTube Blog]

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Jumping Ship from iPhone to Android: A Switcher's Guide [Android]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5581029/jumping-ship-from-iphone-to-android-a-switchers-guide

If you're sick of Apple's walled garden but have yet to make the jump from the iPhone to an Android handset, here's what to expect, how to adjust, and how to cope with certain app withdrawal.

Let me preface all of this by saying that for many—not all—the switch from iPhone to Android will feel like being covered in band-aids and ripping each one off over the course of a few weeks. This is not because there's anything particularly wrong with either mobile operating system, but because they have different paradigms. Android and iPhone feel different, look different, and accomplish things in sometimes very different manners. Nonetheless, they're both mobile operating systems with touch interfaces, so it's hard to avoid comparing the two and finding similarities between them. If you decide to ditch your iPhone and give Android a try, be prepared for a little culture shock.

The Good

While some things are worse and others just different, there are quite a few things Android does best, and you'll want to be sure to check them out.

You've Arrived with Google Maps Navigation
Welcome to getting to your destination safely, courtesy of Android's phenomenal free turn-by-turn navigation. As much as I love beating a dead horse, I won't go on endlessly about the fantastic Google Maps Navigation app. The app has found new routes to places I frequent that save 5-10 minutes over what I learned from my iPhone. It's great, it's built-in, and it costs you nothing.

Your Voice
Voice capabilities are also new and exciting. The iPhone's Voice Control exists, but it's limited to music, apps, and a few other areas of the phone. Android gives you surprisingly accurate voice search that lets you enter text into any field with your voice, get directions while you're driving, make calls to businesses just by saying their names, or find pretty much anything on the web.

Freedom of Choice
On the iPhone you have the App Store; on Android you have the Android Marketplace. One of the reasons you may want to switch to Android is the choice of carrier and hardware it provides, along with its much more open app market. This has its disadvantages, which we'll talk about it later, but the upside is the freedom developers have to bring you all kinds of apps. There are apps that look exactly like their iPhone counterparts, but also apps that dig a lot deeper into the OS, letting you customize all sorts of uses and notifications, and have a seductive level of control over what you can do.

Instant Web
On Android, the web is here. On your iPhone, you have to bring it to you. If you're an eager Google service user and you supply your Android phone with your Google credentials, you'll quickly find your phone is filled with all sorts of information. You'll have e-mail, calendar items, contacts, bookmarks and more. I found out I had calendars and contacts in Google I didn't know existed. You can also connect to Facebook and Twitter to pull even more information into your phone. When Android detects contact information that should belong to an existing contact, it'll suggest you link it. While the way it displays everything isn't so great, and you don't always have easy handles on what you don't want to see, information is in constant sync with your web apps.

Passively Notified
If you were asked to pick just one complaint about the iPhone's interface, there's a good chance it's about how it handles notifications. Nobody loves frequent pop-ups, and it's almost bizarre that Apple has implemented such an archaic notification system. Android handles notifications passively, allowing you to check when you want and be otherwise uninterrupted—but, if you'd like, set specific notifications to ring, vibrate, or flash your trackball light for attention. If you're new to Android, you might not know where to find these updates. Just drag the down on the status bar up top and you'll pull down your notifications drawer.

The Bad

It's not all good news when you switch. Android has its issues, too. Fortunately, you can work around most of them.

Spyware
Apple insists their walled garden of an App Store is necessary to keep everyone safe—and, infamously, offer freedom from porn—and in some ways they may be right. The Android Marketplace has begun to see a spyware problem. How big of an issue it is may be up for debate, but it exists. When you download an Android app, you'll need to consider its source and note the warnings about the sorts of data it can access. Be prudent and think before you install.

It is worth noting that Apple's App Store isn't bereft of spyware; it just hasn't grown to the projected proportions of the Android Marketplace.

Blame the Manufacturer
Carriers and hardware manufacturers can sometimes add to the Android experience, but in most cases you'll wish you could get rid of that Sprint Nascar app (for example). HTC likes to add their Sense layer on top of the standard Android experience, as a means of beautification and betterment, but you might find it more cumbersome than helpful. Of course, you may be the minority that loves mandatory carrier apps and added interface layers. If not, you can relegate carrier apps to the app drawer by simply dragging them from the home screen to the trash (and then further banishing them through the "Manage Applications" section of Settings/Applications). Better still, if you don't like the home screen, change it.

Low Battery Warning
Certain Android phones (that'd be you, Evo) have embarrassing battery life. While the iPhone's battery isn't endless (even though it's more battery than phone nowadays), due to Android's true multitasking, the battery life falls a little short. You may be able to eke out a little more longevity by utilizing apps like TasKiller (see #6) to quit processes you don't want running, or the buggy-but-brilliant JuiceDefender app to cut back on data and screen usage. There's a debate over TasKiller's efficacy, and you don't want to abuse its power in fear of killing off an important background task you actually want running, but I've found it helps me keep the phone on a little bit longer. If you don't want to take such extreme measures, just make sure you actually quit apps when you're done with them. Unlike the iPhone, you need to be a little more active in your app management.

The Uncomfortable

The good and bad aside, you'll most likely be uncomfortable until you hit the other side of the learning curve. Switching from one OS to another isn't supposed to be, so stay patient and stick with it.

Bad Touch
There's something about (multi)touch on Android that isn't quite as elegant as the iPhone. The animations aren't as smooth, touch doesn't always respond the same way and things just don't feel right. In some cases you'll find yourself adjusting to the little differences, such as sliding down to unlock your phone rather than left to right (as you're used to with the iPhone). In other cases you may find things just don't feel the way you hoped, like when scrolling and you hit a hard stop at the bottom of a page (whereas an iPhone will bounce a little to let you know you've reached the end). How hard it is to adjust to the touch, the feel of cotton Android will depend on you, but remember this: It's different. It's not an iPhone, so don't expect one.

Different Strokes
When you buy a new keyboard for a computer, the displacement of a single button can become very frustrating. Once you memorize key locations it's hard to switch, because they're embedded in your muscle memory. Depending on the Android phone you choose, you'll either be adjusting to a physical keyboard with its own layout, or you'll be presented with a familiar but notably different touch keyboard. The number/symbol selector may be on the right side (it varies), your spacebar is a bit smaller, and you have a microphone button that will let you speak what you want to type instead of typing it. It's slightly different and you'll slip up, but you'll adjust with practice. But once you get the hang of it you'll discover keyboard shortcuts that'll help you type faster. Here are a few shortcuts, but note that they may or may not work based on your hardware:

• Alt + Spacebar lets you insert special characters
• Alt + Delete will delete an entire line
• Pressing Shift twice will initiate caps lock.
• Menu + X will cut all text, Menu + C will copy it, Menu + V will paste clipboard text and Menu + A will select everything in the current field.
• Alt + Q inserts a tab space.

The upside to Android? If you want to try a keyboard that's vastly different, like the gesture-based Swype, you have that option as well.

Consistent Expectations
Consistency of the interface is another piece of culture shock. Maybe staring at a grid of iPhone apps felt like staring into your probable future as a member of the Apple occult, but at least you knew what you were getting. On Android, you have several pages with different items and you may find yourself swiping around blindly. Just like you would with a grid of apps with no real immediate notification of what's what, you'll get used to the differing pages of your home screen. If not, you can always replace it with a nifty app like SlideScreen (something the iPhone could really use).

Localized Settings
On the iPhone you've come to expect some of your app settings in, well, the global Settings app. In Android, you'll always find them in the actual application. To get to any app's settings, you'll need to go into the app, hit your phone's Menu button, and then hit "Settings." This applies not only to apps your downloads from the Android Marketplace, but settings for your text messages, email accounts, and other features you may think of as part of the OS.

Real (or Unreal) Buttons
Speaking of the menu button, you'll find that navigating an Android phone requires the use of those four buttons below the screen. This can be very off-putting at first. You might wonder what purpose is served by offering dedicated buttons which, on some handsets, aren't really even buttons at all. As you get used to them and memorize where they are, you'll adapt, but initially you may want to pull your hair out wondering why everything isn't part of the touch screen. Simply put, iPhone apps have been designed for some time now as single environments with multiple screens to page through, while Android apps function a bit more like traditional desktop apps—a single screen, with buttons and options, made to be switched into and out of regularly.

Out of Sync
What about syncing? One of the benefits of Android is that, for the most part, you won't need to sync. You can copy media from your computer over USB if you need to. But do you miss the painful tethered syncing of iTunes? Then get doubleTwist (here's our first look), which can be described pretty accurately as iTunes for Android. If you don't like Android's media player, doubleTwist offers an alternative. If you're longing for iTunes after the switch, a couple of downloads should have you covered.

Storage Options
Storage on an iPhone is a sealed deal (much like the battery), but on Android it's expandable. On one hand this is great because you essentially have no limits, but it also means purchasing an additional MicroSDHC card (or two) in order to fit everything you want. Generally you only start with 8GB. Whether you go out and grab a 32GB card or a few smaller ones, you may have to start considering your storage a bit differently.

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Have you switched from iPhone to Android? What was painful, pleasant, or something in-between?

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Solid-State Systems Could Sequence a Genome For $100 [Genome]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5581377/solid+state-systems-could-sequence-a-genome-for-100

Drawing individual strands of DNA through nanoscopic pores in a chip could do in a matter of minutes what the human genome project took more than a decade to achieve – sequence an entire human genome.

Known as solid state nanopore sequencing, the technique identifies DNA base pairs by measuring their electrical properties as they pass through a tiny hole – relying on the fact that DNA nucleotides each possess distinct electrical signatures. It marks a radical move away from the traditional biochemical and optical approaches to genome sequencing, and according to IBM and Roche Applied Science, who are teaming up to develop the technology, it could slash the cost of sequencing a genome from over $10,000 to as little as $100.

The technique was developed by Stanislav Polonsky's team at IBM's Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York state. They built a 10-nanometre-thick membrane, composed of three layers of titanium nitride separated by insulating layers of silica, then punched a 3-nanometre-wide hole through it.

When a voltage is applied across the membrane the negatively charged strands of DNA are drawn towards it and one passes into the pore, says Polonsky. Once trapped, the voltage is shut off and an electric field is applied across each metal layer, trapping a base pair in the central layer to identify it. Finally, by flipping the field's polarity the DNA strand is ratcheted along so the next base pair sits in the central layer for identification.

To date, the team has built the membrane and shown that DNA molecules can be drawn into the nanopore – they have yet to classify the base pairs, however. "But our modelling shows that it is doable," says Polonsky. Furthermore, preliminary unpublished experiments with DNA suggest the ratchet mechanism works, he says.

Nanopore sequencing is by no means a new idea. Research groups in the US and UK have spent 15 years developing and improving versions of the technology. In the UK, Hagan Bayley's work at the University of Oxford has spawned a company – Oxford Nanopore – that is now in the process of trying to commercialise nanopore sequencing.

But Oxford Nanopore, and others in the sector, use biological mechanisms to fashion the nanopores and thread DNA through them. Oxford Nanopore's technology involves an enzyme called alpha hemolysin (AHL), which sits on the membrane's surface, chopping off DNA base pairs one at a time and feeding them through the pore to be measured, says the company's CEO Gordon Sanghera.

"But they cannot control the speed," says Ulrich Schwoerer of Roche Applied Science in Branford, Connecticut. "It is dependent upon the speed of the enzyme." A non-biological, solid-state approach should make it possible to process DNA strands at rates of 1000 base pairs per second, per pore – a 30-fold increase on the enzyme approach, he says. Furthermore, because pores can be packed densely, several strands could be read simultaneously.

The advantages of solid-state systems are encouraging Oxford Nanopore to explore replacing its protein pores with non-biological versions, says Sanghera. "If it can be made to work, this really is a significant leap in the industry," he says.

New Scientist reports, explores and interprets the results of human endeavour set in the context of society and culture, providing comprehensive coverage of science and technology news.

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Motorola Charm official for T-Mobile: portrait QWERTY Android at long last

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/motorola-charm-official-for-t-mobile-portrait-qwerty-android-at/

The rumored Charm has just gotten a proper unveiling from Motorola -- and while it's not getting nearly the media fanfare its Droid X corporate cousin did, it's arguably even more unique. The phone features a full portrait QWERTY keyboard placed directly below a 2.8-inch landscape touchscreen, but for most operations, you don't have to touch it if you don't want to because you've also got a touchpad mounted on the back of the phone (the so-called "Backtrack") much like AT&T's Backflip. Not only is this the first widely-launched Android phone to employ such a form factor, it's also the first to run Android 2.1 with Blur -- and interestingly, they've carried over the old version's general look and feel rather than going with the Droid X's updated skin. It's got a 3 megapixel camera (with Kodak co-branding, something we haven't seen on a Moto in a long time), WiFi, and a noise-canceling second microphone. Pricing and availability haven't been announced, but T-Mobile customers can expect it "this Summer."

Motorola Charm official for T-Mobile: portrait QWERTY Android at long last originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How-to: Install Flash on your jailbroken iPad (for real)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/how-to-install-flash-on-your-jailbroken-ipad-for-real/

We just saw Flash 10.1 ported to the iPad demonstrated in video form by Comex, and now you can get in on the action too, as long as your iPad is jailbroken. It's called Frash, and while the plugin is still pretty early and doesn't do video playback yet, you can definitely play games and other animations right now, and we're told video support is forthcoming. Okay, so let's try this out, shall we? It's not point-and-click simple, but it's not that hard, either. Full instructions after the break.

Continue reading How-to: Install Flash on your jailbroken iPad (for real)

How-to: Install Flash on your jailbroken iPad (for real) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android 2.2 (Froyo) versus iOS 4: the browser showdown (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/froyo-versus-ios-4-the-browser-showdown-video/

A little while back Google boldly claimed that Froyo would have the world's fastest mobile browser, but the lack of final software back then meant we'd had to tie up our itchy hands until now. And boy, it sure looks like it was worth the wait -- Ars Technica's JavaScript benchmarks show that not only is Froyo's browser almost three times faster than its Éclair counterpart, but it also beats iOS 4's Safari by at least two-fold. That said, numbers alone don't always reflect real-life performance -- especially with Froyo supporting iPhone's much-missed Flash -- so we went ahead and conducted our own browser speed test. Read on for our videos and results after the jump.

Update: for those who were concerned about the battery affecting the Nexus One's performance, we did use Android System Info to verify that the CPU was still clocked at 1GHz. We were also able to reproduce the same results with a full battery. Either way, it's still a win for Android.

Continue reading Android 2.2 (Froyo) versus iOS 4: the browser showdown (video)

Android 2.2 (Froyo) versus iOS 4: the browser showdown (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon's graphite Kindle DX now shipping

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/amazons-graphite-kindle-dx-now-shipping/

Amazon promised that its new, Pearl display-equipped graphite Kindle DX would start shipping today and, as a helpful tipster informs us, the first shipping notices are now indeed going out. What's more, unlike some past Kindle debuts, the e-reader is also still listed as in stock, so it looks like you're not out of luck if you didn't get your pre-order in. Of course, it's not clear if that's due to increased supply or reduced demand -- although, at $379, we'd have to guess it's moving a bit slower than the regular $189 Kindle.

Amazon's graphite Kindle DX now shipping originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile and HTC to launch first 21Mbps HSPA+ smartphone in September

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/t-mobile-and-htc-to-launch-first-21mbps-hspa-smartphone-in-sept/

T-Mobile might be busy expanding its we-swear-it's-like-4G HSPA+ network to all sorts of metro areas in the US, but those theoretical 21Mbps speeds have been limited to those wielding WebConnect Rocket data cards, not any actual phones. It looks like that's about to change, though: a spokesman for T-Mobile parent company Deutsche Telekom told Light Reading that an HTC-built Android phone capable of HSPA+ speeds will launch in September, followed by another device in the fourth quarter sometime before the holidays. That lines up with what we've been hearing, as we've been told that the first device will actually be the leaked HTC Vision QWERTY slider (pictured above) that's been popping up in the wild lately. We're not so sure what the second phone will be, but we'll get there -- for now we're just stoked that another high-end Android set with a hardware keyboard will be making the scene.

[Thanks, Rod]

T-Mobile and HTC to launch first 21Mbps HSPA+ smartphone in September originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Intercept for Sprint now totally official: July 11 for $100

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/samsung-intercept-for-sprint-now-totally-official-july-11-for/

Well, that didn't take long, did it? Just earlier today we were talking about how the Intercept was starting to make its way into bits and pieces of Sprint's system, but now, the announcement's here and it's the real deal. Most notably, the Android-powered landscape QWERTY slider will go to market for under $100 (by a penny, anyway) on contract after rebate, making it a value-oriented alternative for the monsters like the EVO 4G and Epic 4G that Sprint is pushing on the high end. Of course, if you pay a midrange price, you're going to get midrange features; the 3.2 megapixel cam with video capture, isn't going to blow anyone away, and amazingly, Sammy has gone with an EV-DO Rev. 0 radio (as opposed to Rev. A) which means you'll be limping along with slower data speeds than you'd expect from your average modern CDMA smartphone. Look for it to hit Sprint's site and stores starting this Sunday, July 11. Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Samsung Intercept for Sprint now totally official: July 11 for $100

Samsung Intercept for Sprint now totally official: July 11 for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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125cc motorcycle + DIY fiberglass fairing = 214mpg, super cool looks

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/125cc-motorcycle-diy-fiberglass-fairing-214mpg-super-cool-l/

While the quest for alternate fuels goes on, so too other peoples' search for the ultimate in economy while running on good 'ol petrol. Allert Jacobs DIY creation reaches near the pinnacle of two-wheeled efficiency, almost doubling the stock Honda Innova 125i's 114mpg rating. He hand-crafted the fiberglass shell above, which slides forward to allow easy egress and looks rather close to the dustbin fairings post-WWII race bikes used to achieve incredible speeds -- before they were banned in 1958 due to crosswind instability. No word on what Jacobs' creation is like to ride in a stiff gale, but we must say his bike looks rather more badass than the stock model.

[Photo credit: Hans Pieterse]

125cc motorcycle + DIY fiberglass fairing = 214mpg, super cool looks originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mamiya churns out 33 megapixel RZ33 digital camera: yours for $18k

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/mamiya-churns-out-33-megapixel-rz33-digital-camera-yours-for-1/

It's sort of affordable by Mamiya standards, but the $17,990 asking price affixed to the outfit's new RZ33 large-sensor digital camera kit is still apt to detract all but the most professional of professionals. Boasting a 33 megapixel CCD sensor, CompactFlash support and a promise to produce mind-blowing images, this beast-of-a-digicam is said to offer "cable-free digital operation [that's] just as smooth and trouble-free as shooting with film." As you'd expect, it's fully compatible with all RZ system lenses, viewfinders and (most) accessories, and you'll also find rack and pinion bellows focusing, inbuilt vertical-horizontal rotation and an optional interchangeable power winder. Hit the source link for the nitty-gritty, but only if you've got the cheddar to cover the biggest impulse buy of your life.

Mamiya churns out 33 megapixel RZ33 digital camera: yours for $18k originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entelligence: The evolution of the TV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/entelligence-the-evolution-of-the-tv/

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

>

In a world of connected screens, the venerable TV continues to wait in isolation while the personal computer and the cell phone have become ubiquitously connected. Sure, there have been experiments in interactive TV -- gadgets like WebTV and modern game consoles are connected devices, and set-top boxes like the Roku and TiVo add connected components -- but most TVs in the US remain blissfully ignorant of the internet. There's arguably more TV content viewed on PCs than there is web content consumed on TVs. Here's why the TV remains disconnected and how that might change.

First, the PC and TV don't get along well. It's been a match that's been tried for more than a decade. It would seem like a no brainer: take a device with great connectivity and pair it with the TV. In the 90s Gateway introduced a line of Destination PCs that were designed for living room use, Microsoft later built some of the best TV and PC integration with their Media Center efforts, and even Apple has added a ten foot user experience to Mac OS with its Front Row UI. None of these efforts ever went mainstream. Why? Simple: PCs are designed for smaller screens, mice and keyboards, and TVs aren't. No matter what shell you layer on top, you're still stuck with a PC OS underneath that's not optimized for the TV experience.

Continue reading Entelligence: The evolution of the TV

Entelligence: The evolution of the TV originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YouTube launches Leanback, mobile site gets HTML5 revamp (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/youtube-launches-leanback-mobile-site-gets-html5-revamp-video/

Looks like YouTube's having quite the day. The site has officially rolled out Leanback, its television-friendly interface first espied during Google TV's big unveiling. The interface works via keyboard arrow keys -- sorry, no option to use the mouse -- letting you scroll through your feeds / recommendations, categories, playback options, and search bar. Videos encompass the entire browser menu and will crank up the HD when available. So far, we're seeing snappy response with navigation, and some utter embarrassment at the (unfortunately accurate) suggestions YouTube is throwing our way.

Meanwhile on the handheld front, YouTube's also pushed live a new mobile site. New touted features include a more touch-friendly UI, further incorporation of the main site's elements such as favorites and ratings, and a generally speedier existence. YouTube also promises to work at bringing update parity across its desktop and portable kin, "unlike native apps which are not updated as frequently" (come on, tell us how you really feel, guys). Since the TV season is in a bit of a lull anyway, might as well grab your iPhone, Android device, HTPC remote, laptop, or whatever other screen you have and play catchup with your viral videos. Promotional footage after the break.

Continue reading YouTube launches Leanback, mobile site gets HTML5 revamp (video)

YouTube launches Leanback, mobile site gets HTML5 revamp (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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