Wall Street Journal releases Android Tablet Edition app, phones need not apply

Given that the first truly respectable Android tablet just came out, the Wall Street Journal is timing its Tablet Edition app release pretty much perfectly. It aims to offer a faithful reproduction of the printed version of the paper while augmenting it with full-screen video, market data, customization options, and the ability to save articles for offline reading. $3.99 will net you a week's worth of access on both Android and iPad Tablet Editions along with subscriber privileges on WSJ.com. The app itself is free, so if you have a Galaxy Tab just hanging around (it doesn't work on phones, we've already tried on a Desire Z) you can give it a test-drive -- it's certainly what we intend to do, check back later for our impressions!

Continue reading Wall Street Journal releases Android Tablet Edition app, phones need not apply

Wall Street Journal releases Android Tablet Edition app, phones need not apply originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 08:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jolibook is the official netbook of Jolicloud, coming this month?

Just a few weeks ago, we got word (by way of a few Tweets) that Jolicloud was seemingly -- if the images were any indication -- in the final stages of developing a netbook of its own. Well, we've just gotten some official news on just that topic. The Jolibook, as it's going to be known, is of mostly unknown specifications at this point, but here's what we do know: the Jolicloud 1.1-powered laptop will boast an Atom N550 CPU, and a 250GB hard drive. Jolicloud also says that the netbook's display will boast a "gorgeous" screen and an affordable price. Sadly, that's all we know for now, though the company is promising that all this is going down this month, so we're going to keep our eyes peeled for you.

Jolibook is the official netbook of Jolicloud, coming this month? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boxee Box gets the requisite teardown; would you look at that heat sink!

Lest you forget, the Boxee Box is a capital C computer, just like Google TV. In fact, both products share nearly identical processors, with the Intel CE4110 in Boxee and the CE4150 in Google TV, each clocked at 1.2GHz. Turns out, much of the mass of the Boxee Box is used for the heat sink and fan that are cooling that sucker, as revealed in iFixit's timely teardown of the media powerhouse. Other things they found inside include 1GB of RAM, 1GB of flash memory, and a digital-to-analog audio converter to allow for 1080p video out of HDMI while still using legacy audio hardware. Sounds like some good stuff -- so, after years of hacking the Apple TV for Boxee use, who will be the first to repay Boxee the favor and get something else running on here?

Boxee Box gets the requisite teardown; would you look at that heat sink! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 09:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Need help crossing the Grand digital Canyon? - http://bit.ly/cT0r3s

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Not 1, Not 2, Not 3, But 4 Display Ads Per Pageview: Shame on You Facebook for systematically robbing advertisers - http://bit.ly/cXpcO3

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How to Google-ify Your iPhone [Video]

Got Android envy? Just wish Apple handled sync, the web, and openness a bit better? You can't have it all, but if you want to bring more Google paradigms to your iPhone, here's how to do it.

Despite the title, this isn't just about Google-ifying your iPhone but really any iOS device you might own. If you're an iPad or iPod touch owner, we've got you covered too. That said, let's take a look at the ways you can bring more Google to your device.

Set Up Google Sync

Google Sync for iOS will let you push your contacts, calendars, and mail to your iPhone (or other iOS device). The functionality is similar to what you'd get with MobileMe, except it works through the Microsoft Exchange protocol. Google Sync requires iOS 3.0 or higher, but iOS 4.0 or higher will let you add multiple Exchange so you'll want to make sure you've upgraded if you need multiple exchange accounts on your device. The setup instructions get pretty detailed so we're not going to get into them here, but it's definitely not a hard process. Google walks you through the process, step by step and you'll be pushing your mail, contacts, and calendars in just a few minutes.

Get Your Google Docs

Like most Google apps, you can access your Google Docs through the web browser, but if you want to start saving them to your iPhone and have a native app experience you should grab a copy of GoodReader. While it's not the only Google Docs option in the app store, it's inexpensive ($2 for iPhone, $2 for iPad) and comes with a lot of added functionality. In addition to syncing Google Docs you can pull documents from tons of other sources, like WebDAV and Dropbox. It makes for a great document reader and allows annotations on PDFs. Getting your Google Docs is really simple. You just open Good Reader, tap Web Downloads, tap Connect to Servers, tap Google Docs and then enter your Google account information. Once you do that it'll save your Google Docs as a file location and you can download your documents right to your iOS device.

Goodreader for iPhone and iPad | iTunes App Store

Get the Google Mobile App

Although it probably goes without saying, you can't really have a Google-ified iPhone without the Google Mobile app. If you're not familiar with it, Google Mobile gives you quick access to popular Google services but also makes searching a lot easier by allowing you to use your voice and location. It also includes Google Goggles, which lets you take a photo and use it as a search query. For example, take a picture of a book you like or a nearby restaurant and Google will find it. If you want to bring up any previous searches, Google Mobile tracks your search history so you can quickly find things again. It's free in the iTunes App Store and brings a ton of great search functionality missing in iOS.

Google Mobile | iTunes App Store

Use Google Voice

When and if Google Voice will ever find its way to iOS in app form is anyone's guess, but that doesn't keep you from making use of many of its features on your iPhone right now. You no longer need an invitation to sign up and it's free to use. With the service you get a single number that can ring everywhere and an online voicemail box that includes (somewhat poorly but often funny) transcribed messages. It'll also let you screen and block callers, which can be a huge benefit if you're hounded by telemarketers. All of these features are available just by using the service. Hopefully more will come in the future if Apple and Google can get the Google Voice app into the iTunes App Store, but if you want a little extra right now you can always check out GVMobile. It's $3 in the iTunes App Store

GV Mobile | iTunes App Store

Use the Google You Already Have

For simplicity's sake, it's worth noting that the Google webapps—accessible through Mobile Safari—are really good. Google has also added instant search to iOS (and other mobile devices) so you don't want to discount their usefulness. You can always save an iPhone bookmark to your home screen for quick access of any Google webapps you frequently use. While native apps can be great, Google really does an excellent job with their mobile browser-based offerings. Using them feels pretty much identical to any native app anyway.

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Got any great ways of added more Google to your iOS device? Let's hear 'em in the comments.

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OK Go's Amazing New Video Is 2,430 Pieces of Toast Long [Video]

I can't imagine the pressure of being in OK Go, having to constantly churn out jaw-dropping videos. Fortunately, I don't have to. I get to just sit back and enjoy the stunning results, like this stop-motion story told with toast.

The look of this video for "Last Leaf" is so pared down, so simple, but my god the animation must have been complex. And shot entirely on a Micro Four Thirds camera—the Samsung NX100. It may not be as boisterous as a Rube Goldberg warehouse or as amusing as hordes trained dogs. But it's beautiful. And delicious. [Twitter]

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The Magic Fiddle iPad App Will Have You Making Sweet Music In Minutes [Video]

Smule, the maker of the popular Magic Piano iPad app, has just shared its new Magic Fiddle app with us. It's cleverly designed, produces lovely sounds, and will only briefly frustrate the hell out of those with non-existant musical talent.

Despite being initially frustrating for a beginner, the app will actually leave you fiddling a mellow tune in little time. Magic Fiddle guides you through the proper way to hold your iPad—yes, you're supposed to rest your chin on it—and then gradually walks you through some simple songs. Once you're confident in your fiddling skills, you can compete against folks around the world and work your way up the Magic Fiddle leaderboards.

The app's gonna cost you three bucks and is available in the iTunes store now. [iTunes]

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Amplify the iPhone 4's Volume Without Power: the Griffin AirCurve Play [IPhone Accessories]

One of the simplest gadgets ever is also one of my favorites. I'm talking about Griffin's original AirCurve, the acoustically-shaped amplifier that docks and increases the iPod/iPhone's volume. It's now been updated for iPhone 4s, increasing music 10dB louder.

Working specifically with iPhone 4s, it no longer sits the iPhone in the docked position, instead just resting it neatly inside (with a rubber area underneath to protect it). There's also now a metal kickstand for holding it either vertically or horizontally, and luckily the price hasn't changed either—it's $20. [Griffin via GearLog via OhGizmo]

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Lenovo slips out 12.5-inch IdeaPad U260 ultraportable, hopes you'll notice

Well, what have we here? In the sea of me-too ultraportables, it looks as if Lenovo is doing its darnedest to mix things up with a somewhat unorthodox screen size. The leaked IdeaPad U260 hasn't been confirmed by the mother company, but word on the street has it rocking a 12.5-inch display, 0.71-inch thickness and a total weight of just 3.04 pounds. Naturally, it's living life sans an optical drive, and we're told that it'll ship with an Ultra Low Voltage Core i3 or Core i5 CPU. There's no ExpressCard slot, but you will spot a four-cell battery, Bluetooth 2.1, VGA / HDMI outputs, WiFi, 4GB of memory, a 320GB hard drive and a couple of semi-vivacious color options (Mocha Brown and Clementine Orange). Mum's the word on a price, but you can catch one more glimpse of the heretofore unannounced rig just after the break.

Update: Ah, ha! Looks as if Lenovo has confirmed this one after all in a new PDF of its IdeaPad lineup. Still awaiting a product portal for purchasing, though. Thanks, Curtis!

Continue reading Lenovo slips out 12.5-inch IdeaPad U260 ultraportable, hopes you'll notice

Lenovo slips out 12.5-inch IdeaPad U260 ultraportable, hopes you'll notice originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 07:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple buys Wi-Gear, getting into the stereo Bluetooth headset game?

Apple hasn't always exactly been on the forefront when it comes to Bluetooth support, over the years creating quite an opportunity for third-party companies to make A2DP adapters for iPods and the like. One of those companies was Wi-Gear, which also made a stereo headset called the iMuffs and invited you to "Cut the cord and truly be free!" Sadly the use of such a device does not free you from the various responsibilities of modern day-to-day life, but an apparent acquisition appears to have helped the company's founders shed some of theirs. According to 9to5Mac, Apple has purchased Wi-Gear and brought the company's tech, and at least one of its co-founders, in-house. Michael Kim lists himself as an "iOS Bluetooth Engineer" at Apple now, while Wi-Gear itself has ceased operations according to its site. What's coming next remains to be seen, but if an Apple-branded stereo Bluetooth headset isn't the fruit of this partnership we'll eat our old A2DP dongles.

Apple buys Wi-Gear, getting into the stereo Bluetooth headset game? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 reviewed: 'what the GTX 480 should have been'

You saw the key specs slip out a little ahead of time, now it's the moment we've all been waiting for: the GeForce GTX 580 has been thoroughly benchmarked to see if its claim to being "the world's fastest DirectX 11 GPU" stands up to scrutiny. In short, yes it does. The unanimous conclusion reached among the reviewers was that the 580 cranks up the performance markedly relative to the GTX 480 -- with some citing gains between 10 and 20 percent and others finding up to 30 percent improvements -- while power draw, heat emissions, and noise were lowered across the board. ATI's AMD's Radeon HD 5870 wasn't completely crushed by the newcomer, but it was consistently behind NVIDIA's latest pixel pusher. Priced at $499, the GTX 580 is actually praised for offering good value, though its TDP of 244W might still require you to upgrade a few parts inside your rig to accommodate it, while current online prices are closer to $550. Anyhow, the pretty comparative bar charts await at the links below.

Read - HardOCP
Read - Tech Report
Read - Legit Reviews
Read - Bit-tech
Read - PC Perspective
Read - Hot Hardware

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 reviewed: 'what the GTX 480 should have been' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 09:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Beautiful Modeler' app turns iPad into multitouch 3D sculpting device

Sure, it might not make for as good of an R&B album title as Nilay Patel's "Beautiful Handcuffs," but Interactive Fabrication's "Beautiful Modeler" iPad app is probably a bit more useful (though not as useful with the ladies). The concept is to use the iPad's multitouch screen as an input for multi-finger 3D modeling on a computer, while the tablet's tilt sense lets you navigate around the object. Sure, it's not as slick or precise as, say, the Axsotic 3D mouse, but it also looks a whole lot more "tangible." Unfortunately, the app is currently unavailable on the App Store, and we have no idea if it's ever headed for a computer near you -- Interactive Fabrication is all about the high concept stuff, leaving the execution to individuals -- but there's some freely available GPL-licensed source code if you want to take a crack at compiling and making a real product out of this. Check out a video of the sculpting in action after the break.

[Thanks, Danil]

Continue reading 'Beautiful Modeler' app turns iPad into multitouch 3D sculpting device

'Beautiful Modeler' app turns iPad into multitouch 3D sculpting device originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 13:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Razer Sixense controller becomes virtual camera for your next machinima epic (video)

Fan of machinima? Then you're used to static shots in which a character walks into the scene, says his line, makes a silly joke, and then walks off again. Panning and smooth, flowing shots are not the forte of films created in a virtual world, but the repurposing of some Razer Sixense controllers could let the director really get into the scene thanks to researchers at Abertay University. They borrowed an idea from Avatar, in which James Cameron commissioned cameras with motion-tracking viewfinders so that he could see the virtual world through which the actors were moving. The team at Abertay uses Sixense controllers similarly to control a virtual camera, which would let gamers find dramatic, sweeping angles for their replays. Or, you know, just get a super closeup of that post-melee victory dance.

Continue reading Razer Sixense controller becomes virtual camera for your next machinima epic (video)

Razer Sixense controller becomes virtual camera for your next machinima epic (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 18:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rough edges cut deep: Android still facing years-old unlock screen bug, Gmail 2.3 attachment woes have Google stumped

So, that new 2.3 version of Gmail that launched in September? Yeah, we'd steer clear if you haven't nabbed it yet. Google's currently trying to track down a bug that's leaving many users (including our own hapless Chris Ziegler) unable to download any attachments. Interestingly, or disconcertingly if you're of the pessimistic sort, Google actually has a "Gmail attachment issues investigation" page set up to allow highly technical users to submit debug reports of the problem. Sure, we're all for crowd sourcing, but we also wouldn't mind a big sturdy "hey guys, we've got this" on an issue of this magnitude. The worst part? You can't revert to the old version of Gmail if you've got the latest OTA update on your fancy new T-Mobile G2.

Interestingly, while we were discussing this issue, ensconced in the Engadget HQ jacuzzi, adult beverages in hand, we got a tip from some poor soul detailing a bug that's been in Android since the G1 days. Basically, if you fail at the pattern unlock too many times, the phone will ask you to enter your Google account info to unlock your phone. Sounds like a smart security feature, but unfortunately it doesn't work. The insanely detailed thread on Google's Android bug tracker reads like a history of the Android platform and the futility of man rolled into one, with various workarounds being discovered for different phones, and many desperate users resorting to wiping their phones and starting over. Sure it's minimal in the grand scheme of things, and plenty of platforms have outstanding bugs years after release, but we figured a little *bump* couldn't do anyone any harm. This one's for you, Dylan R.

Rough edges cut deep: Android still facing years-old unlock screen bug, Gmail 2.3 attachment woes have Google stumped originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 20:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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