Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Freebox v6 Revolution set-top box brings calling, TV and gaming together

Freebox v6 Revolution set-top box brings calling, TV and gaming together

Pay-TV operators have been tossing out "quadruple play" bundles for the better part of three years now, but we dare say that none of 'em have come close to nailing it like this. France's own Free, a well-known ISP in the nation, has just introduced the Freebox v6 Revolution, a newfangled set-top box designed by Philippe Starck and engineered to handle just about all of your home entertainment needs. It's stuffed with 250GB of hard drive space, an internal 802.11n WiFi module, Blu-ray drive, inbuilt web browser and Intel's Atom CE4100 media processor. It also ships with a motion-sensing remote, and in short, it's designed to provide live / streaming television options, internet (fiber or DSL is supported), gaming (via a streaming service similar to OnLive) and at-home calling to boot. Free's also planning to dabble in mobile telephony starting in 2012, hence the plans for a quadruple play offering in the not-too-distant future. We're told that a joystick (presumably for getting your game on) is thrown in, as are a pair of powerline adapters in order to easily network it through your abode's power network. The Revolution is up for pre-order now, and depending on how long you've had your current Free STB, it could cost as little as €59.99 or as much as €119.99. The "basic" Freebox service will run €29.99, and once Free goes mobile in 2012, you can add a mobile line for another €29.99.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Freebox v6 Revolution set-top box brings calling, TV and gaming together originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Millennial: Android And iOS In Deadlock Again For Monthly Smartphone Impression Share

Millennial: Android And iOS In Deadlock Again For Monthly Smartphone Impression Share

Mobile ad network Millennial Media is releasing its monthly data on mobile devices and OS marketshare for November today. Millennial’s ads reach 63 million of a total of 77 million mobile web users in the U.S., or 81 percent of the U.S. mobile web.

Similar to last month’s report, Android tied with iOS as the largest Smartphone OS on the network for November, with both mobile operating systems sharing 38 percent of ad impressions on the network. Both Android and iOS’s share increased by one percent from last month. RIM followed Android and iOS with a 19 percent impression share in November, down one percent from October.

One of the more interesting data points from the network’s report is that Android apps represented 54 percent of all apps on the Millennial network and are averaging 10 percent growth month-over-month over the past 4 months. Apple was second on the list with a 38 percent share. Additionally, Android was named the leading platform that publishers/developers intend to support in 2011, with the iPad and Windows Phone 7 tied for second on the list.

General smartphone impression share decreased by 3 percent month-over-month and accounted for 58 percent of the mobile phone impression share in November. Feature Phones and WiFi Connected Devices (i.e. the iPad) experienced a 1 percent and 2% increase in impression share month-over-month, respectively. Together, they represented 42% of impressions in November.

Millennial also reported that Apple continued its reign as the top manufacturer on the Millennial network (as it has been for the last 14 months), representing 25 percent of the network’s impression share by manufacturer in November. In terms of actual devices, the iPhone and iPod touch made up the top two individual mobile devices.

Samsung came in second in terms of manufacturers, followed by Motorola with a 15 percent impression share Motorola had three devices in Millennial’s network—Droid, Droid 2 and Droid X). RIM devices represented five of the Top 30 Mobile Devices on Millennial’s network, with a combined impression share of 11 percent in November.

While Android is eating away at the smartphone marketshare that Apple and RIM once commanded, there’s the possibility that Android’d rampant growth could be slowing down. The OS only posted a 1 percent increase in impressions share on Millennial’s network versus an 8 percent increase in October.

It will be interesting to see if Android can manage to surpass impression share in December. According to a new IDC report, Millennial is the third largest network behind Google AdMob and Apple’s iAd, so a shift in share on Millennial’s network would be significant.



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Integrate Raises $4.25 Million For Its Cross-Media Advertising Platform

Integrate Raises $4.25 Million For Its Cross-Media Advertising Platform

If you’re an advertiser, you probably know full well that there are a lot of places for you to run your ads: billboards, radio, TV, print, and the web come to mind, each of which can be fine-tuned to hone in on certain verticals and demographics. And given the broad range of choices for advertisers, it isn’t surprising that running these multi-media campaigns can be a time-consuming and difficult task.

That is, unless you can turn to a platform that can handle all of them at once. That’s the promise offered by Integrate, a startup that launched in February of this year that allows advertisers to purchase placement on everything from billboards to the web from a single site. Today, the company is announcing that it’s closed a $4.25 million funding round led by the Foundry Group.

Integrate’s system allows advertisers to place their contextual ads into multiple ad networks without having to deal with each one individually; it can also place ads on TV, on billboards, and through other channels.

All of Integrate’s transactions are done on a performance basis — you pay based on how well your ad is converting. The system does this by assigning unique 800 numbers (or web URLs) to each ad campaign, allowing Integrate to determine how many potential customers have been acquired as a result of the ad (calls are all recorded to verify accuracy). Founder Jeremy Bloom says that since launch, the company has run over 1,000 campaigns.

Integrate also provides a platform where advertisers and publishers can discuss possible deals. For example, an advertiser could log into the platform, specify which regions they wanted their ads to appear in and to whom, and state that they’re willing to spend $10 per acquisition. A publisher can then say which of these requests they can fulfill, and can also say whether they’d like a price adjustment. Integrate takes a cut of each transaction, but it varies depending on the vertical and the size of the allocation.

All of these negotiations are done on Integrate’s platform, and while there’s a chance advertisers and publishers could scheme to finalize their deal elsewhere (so as to avoid giving Integrate its cut), Bloom says that these conversations are all reviewed by the company’s employees, and that everyone in the system is credible to begin with because of a vetting process.

Bloom says that some of the platform’s functionality is available through other systems, but that this is the only one that offers this flexibility on a performance basis, as opposed to CPM. Other players in this space include Right Media Exchange.

Also worth noting: Bloom has a pretty incredible resume. He’s a two-time Olympian, three-time World Champion, and eleven-time World Cup gold medalist snow skier. He also played NCAA football at the University of Colorado and was drafted into the NFL.



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Power Yourself Up For 8 Hours With Milwaukee's M12 Heated Jacket [Apparel]

Power Yourself Up For 8 Hours With Milwaukee's M12 Heated Jacket [Apparel]

Power Yourself Up For 8 Hours With Milwaukee's M12 Heated JacketRunning off the very same Red Lithium battery which charges Milwaukee's power tools, this heated jacket can hold a charge for eight hours. That's a full working day of cozy heat, spread across three carbon fiber heating zones.

It's probably one for those who lead active lives away from the TV and computer, but you know what? Huddled up against my heater, wrapped in a blanket, I'm thinking it could suit a blogger very well too. Get it now, for around $130 from Amazon or $119 from The Home Depot. [Uncrate]

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Someday, This Robot Will Run Faster Than Us All [Video]

Someday, This Robot Will Run Faster Than Us All [Video]

What happens when you outfit a robot with a pair of prosthetic blades and fourteen artificial, pneumatic-powered muscles? You end up with a bipedal humanoid who researchers hope will have the ability to run like a sprinter.

Someday, This Robot Will Run Faster Than Us AllSimply referred to as Athlete, it is the pet project of Japanese researcher Ryuma Niiyama, who began working on the mecha-sprinter while completing his PhD at the University of Tokyo (he's since moved onto post-doctorate work at MIT). According to IEEE, Athlete has seven muscles in each leg, and each of those muscles has anywhere from one to six actuators, providing enough air power to replicate our own muscle system. In addition, the robot is outfitted with touch sensors on each foot, and an inertial metering system to help it stay upright.

Currently, Niiyama and his team are busy trying to teach the robot how to run, which involves analyzing the timing and patterns in which human muscle sets contract and relax. Right now, Athlete can only cover about three steps (at 1.2 meters/sec) before collapsing, which, BTW, is up there with the Big Dog on the creepiness scale. Niiyama hopes to get Athlete out on a real track someday. [IEEE]

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Get This Bluetooth-Enabled, iPhone-Compatible, Meat Thermometer so You Don't Screw Up the Christmas Ham [Cooking]

Get This Bluetooth-Enabled, iPhone-Compatible, Meat Thermometer so You Don't Screw Up the Christmas Ham [Cooking]

Get This Bluetooth-Enabled, iPhone-Compatible, Meat Thermometer so You Don't Screw Up the Christmas HamUnlike other meat thermometers, this iGrill meat thermometer will connect to your iPhone via Bluetooth, so that you can check the status of whatever meat you're cooking from any room in the house. Also, I just like saying meat thermometer.

The $100 meat thermometer features a range of 200 feet, will register temperatures up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and if you don't have an iPhone, you can also use the simple display box that comes with it. Furthermore, if you purchase a second meat thermometer for an extra $20, the iGrill app will track both foods cooking at once, in what is termed as "MULTI-PROBE CAPACITY." (Exciting!)

Aaaaaaand now that I'm completely unsure whether or not I'm describing a culinary aid or some cutting-edge sex toy, I'll just leave you the link and shut the hell up. [iGrill]

Get This Bluetooth-Enabled, iPhone-Compatible, Meat Thermometer so You Don't Screw Up the Christmas Ham

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Kingston's DataTraveler Mini Fun USB flash drives: they're small and thrilling

Kingston's DataTraveler Mini Fun USB flash drives: they're small and thrilling

Tired of lugging around that boring flash drive? Kingston feels your pain, and it's hoping to add a fair amount of "pizazz" and "spice" to your mobile storage needs. One look at the new DataTraveler Mini Fun G2 all but confirms that there's oodles of joviality brimming beneath the colorful plastic, with a trio of hues to choose from (based on model). These guys can also be connected together for kicks and giggles, with 2GB, 4GB and 8GB models available to bring smiles to the faces of those you know and love. Pricing is set for £4.58 ($7.26), £5.04 ($7.99) and £9.00 ($14) from least capacious to most, with no surcharge to be placed on your favorite color -- in other words, bonus fun is provided gratis. Beat that.

Continue reading Kingston's DataTraveler Mini Fun USB flash drives: they're small and thrilling

Kingston's DataTraveler Mini Fun USB flash drives: they're small and thrilling originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, December 13, 2010

Clear iSpot gets easy web-based 'jailbreak'

Clear iSpot gets easy web-based 'jailbreak'

For hackers, Clear must have known that its iSpot mobile hotspot would be hard to resist -- $100 for the device contract-free plus unlimited WiMAX for $25 a month is a pretty insane deal, after all, and the only catch is that they try to lock non-iOS devices out of the action. Indeed, it took mere hours for unlocks to start coming out of the woodwork, but now it's easier than ever: the developer of one of the original iSpot hacks has circled back to create a new unlock that requires nothing more than a couple link clicks while you're on a machine connected to the hotspot. How is that possible? Turns out there's a vulnerability that makes it possible to execute arbitrary commands on the iSpot through web code, and Clear hasn't yet updated the firmware to patch it. On that note, the developer tells us that there are actually some iPads that aren't able to connect to the iSpot without the hack, ostensibly because Apple is using some MAC addresses that the iSpot's current firmware isn't expecting -- so ironically, you might need this "jailbreak" just to use the thing the way Clear intended. As always with these sorts of things, proceed with caution -- we don't have an iSpot lying around to try this ourselves, so let us know how it goes.

Clear iSpot gets easy web-based 'jailbreak' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 13:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eLocity A7 tablet finally shipping, $399 still buys you Froyo and Tegra 2

eLocity A7 tablet finally shipping, $399 still buys you Froyo and Tegra 2

Looking for a bargain bin tablet without the bargain bin stigma? We told you around three months ago to look Stream TV's way, but it seems that the same message could be applied today. For whatever reason, the 7-inch eLocity A7 tablet actually didn't ship in September, but according to a fresh piece of PR, that's being remedied today. The A7 -- complete with Android 2.2 and NVIDIA's Tegra 2 silicon -- has started shipping today to those who placed a pre-order, and it's also found a safe and secure spot on Amazon's website. 'Course, it's listed as "out of stock" for the time being, but as soon as the factory lines start cranking at a decent clip, the $399 slate should make an appearance at Walmart, NewEgg, BJs, Tiger Direct and Micro Center (among other places). Emphasis on should.

Continue reading eLocity A7 tablet finally shipping, $399 still buys you Froyo and Tegra 2

eLocity A7 tablet finally shipping, $399 still buys you Froyo and Tegra 2 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roku drops new firmware in time for the holidays, XR gets 1080p, Hulu optimization for all

Roku drops new firmware in time for the holidays, XR gets 1080p, Hulu optimization for all

Roku drops new firmware in time for the holidays, XR gets 1080p, Hulu optimization for all
If you're an owner of one of the early Roku XR units and have been left on the 720p bench while the newer models step up to full HD, it's time to get in the game. Roku has released a firmware update (2.9-b1509) that unleashes the necessary pixels on the XR, also including some niceties for those models that can already do 1080p. The full list is at the source link, but look for improved performance for viewing Hulu along with a suite of bug fixes. Leave your box running and it'll update itself, or if you want it now you can grab it manually under "Settings," "Player Info," "Check for Updates." Yeah, you know you want to.

Roku drops new firmware in time for the holidays, XR gets 1080p, Hulu optimization for all originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Zatz Not Funny!  |  sourceRoku Forums  | Email this |!  Comments

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Eizo announces more detail on glasses-free 3D DuraVision LCD, releases more pics of this BBW

Eizo announces more detail on glasses-free 3D DuraVision LCD, releases more pics of this BBW

Eizo announces more detail on glasses-free 3D DuraVision LCD, releases more pics of this BBW
You admired its bezels two weeks ago when Eizo released the first details to the world, now wonder at its full specs and more details. The company has released a spec sheet confirming the 1920 x 1080 resolution and 23-inch size, also detailing how it works. The monitor uses a directional backlight and a time lag to effectively hit each eye individually through the same pixel, enabling that high resolution in a small panel but still delivering glasses-free performance. Eizo pledges no moiré, color distortion, or other issues typically seen in glasses-free displays, but this tech will surely not come cheap when it ships in the second quarter of 2011. How do we know? Anticipated applications for the FDF2301-3D include scanning electron microscopes and semiconductor inspections -- playing Killzone 3 is sadly not listed.

Eizo announces more detail on glasses-free 3D DuraVision LCD, releases more pics of this BBW originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 10:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Over Two-Thirds of U.S. Broadband Internet Connections Aren't Technically Broadband [Internet]

Over Two-Thirds of U.S. Broadband Internet Connections Aren't Technically Broadband [Internet]

Over Two-Thirds of U.S. Broadband Internet Connections Aren't Technically BroadbandA recent report by the FCC shows that more than two-thirds of so-called broadband internet connections in the U.S. don't actually meet the minimum speed requirements of 4Mbps downtream and 1Mbps upstream to be considered broadband.

In real terms, this means that over 90 million people in the US are linked up with substandard broadband service. Furthermore, 56% of those connections didn't even reach downstream speeds above 3Mbps. DSL Reports believes it has something to do with the lack of competition among broadband providers, allowing them to cruise by without upgrading their networks.

You can read the entire report here. [FCC via DSL Reports via Engadget]

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