Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

T-Mobile leak divulges return of unlimited WiFi calls, may add Name ID and Voicemail-to-Text

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/t-mobile-leak-divulges-return-of-unlimited-wifi-calls-may-add-n/

What's shaping up to be an epic week in tech news may be about to become even more exciting for T-Mobile fans. Internal employee docs are giving out some serious vibes that the company is ready to push out three important features to many of its phones as early as tomorrow. The first one to put a smile on your face is unlimited WiFi calling, which should be available as a free add-on to the Even More, Even More Plus, and 4G Do More plans. We're glad to see the service come back as a freebie, much better than the $9.99 per month asking price when it was hotspot@home. As if that isn't good enough by itself, the other services getting prepped for tomorrow's lineup include Name ID -- a caller ID service that shows the name, number, city, and state of anyone not listed in your contacts -- and Voicemail-to-Text, a new enhancement to the existing Visual Voicemail service that transcribes the full message into text form on select devices. Keep in mind that while these docs certainly do look official, it's all mere speculation until we hear actual word from T-Mobile about these new programs. With that said, we've got screenshots above and below, so feel free to glean as many details as possible from them.

Continue reading T-Mobile leak divulges return of unlimited WiFi calls, may add Name ID and Voicemail-to-Text

T-Mobile leak divulges return of unlimited WiFi calls, may add Name ID and Voicemail-to-Text originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 09:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atoms rumored to ditch Intel graphics for PowerVR

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/atoms-rumored-to-ditch-intel-graphics-for-powervr/

Cedarview w/ PowerVR graphics

When Intel wanted to take a serious stab at the tablet market it turned to PowerVR, the company already providing the graphical muscle for its embedded chips that power the Logitech Revue and other set top boxes. Now, the folks at VR-Zone claim that Intel will be adopting the company's tech across the Atom line and ditching its own integrated graphics for the upcoming Cedarview platform. Specifically, it's rumored that Chipzilla will stick the SGX545 (an upgraded version of the pixel pusher inside Samsung's Hummingbird platform and Apple's A5) in all Cedar Trail processors. The switch will bring support for DirectX 10.1 and OpenGL 3.2 to the low-power CPUs while improving HD video decoding. Sure, when the next-gen Atoms land the graphics chip it will already be almost two years old, but its low power and robust Android support make it a natural match for Honeycomb -- Intel's best bet for tablet success now that Nokia is distancing itself from Meego.

Atoms rumored to ditch Intel graphics for PowerVR originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 11:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OCZ unveils Agility 3 and Solid 3 SSDs for thrifty speedsters

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/ocz-unveils-agility-3-and-solid-3-ssds-for-thrifty-speedsters/

Now that OCZ has shifted its corporate focus away from the DRAM market, the company has begun deepening its lineup of solid state drives with two new additions: the Agility 3 and Solid 3. The pair of 2.5-inch SSDs, announced today, run on the SATA III 6Gbps interface (unlike their SATA II predecessors) and come strapped with a SandForce SF-2200 processor that allows for some pretty speedy performance. The Agility 3 boasts a maximum read rate of 525MBps, a write speed of 500MBps and can crank it up to 60,000 IOPS. The Solid 3 ain't no slouch, either, with a 500MBps read rate, 450MBps writing capabilities and a max IOPS of 20,000. Granted, they won't deliver quite the same punch as the Vertex 3 Pro, but they also won't cost you quite as much. On the high end of the price spectrum is the 240GB Agility 3, at $480, with the 60GB and 120GB versions priced at $135 and $240, respectively. The Solid 3, meanwhile, is available in both 60GB ($130) and 120GB ($230). Not exactly chump change, but still cheaper than OCZ's heavier hitters. Hit the source links for more details.

OCZ unveils Agility 3 and Solid 3 SSDs for thrifty speedsters originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 11:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android Market launches movie rentals, thousands of titles available to your PC, phone or tablet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/android-market-launches-movie-rentals-thousands-of-titles-avail/

Google just announced movie rentals in the Android Market at its I/O conference. Chris from the Android services team just hit the stage at Moscone and demonstrated renting movies on the Android Market from your phone, tablet or PC with a single click. "Pinning" mirrors the experience with apps and books, you can select it on your PC and download to the device in the background for offline viewing. Movies are live in the market right now, support on all Android 2.2 or higher devices is expected "in a couple of weeks" and tablets will get support bundled with their upgrade to Android 3.1. On the PC, it ties back to the recently expanded YouTube rental service with the same restrictions (30 days to watch, 24 hour window once you start watching) and pricing, making that per-movie VOD price a bit easier to swallow with its cross-platform support and we even spied a few HD selections for $4.99. Keep an eye on the liveblog for more information.

Gallery: Android Market movie rentals

Android Market launches movie rentals, thousands of titles available to your PC, phone or tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 12:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google gives away 5,000 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets to devs at I/O

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/samsung-galaxy-tab-10-1-launching-in-about-a-month-google-giv/

Hey, who said we'd only get software news at Google I/O? The Android maker just reminded us that Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet (the thin version) will be launching in a month's time, and to whet appetites, a white-backed version of the device was shown off on stage. It's described as a limited edition, potentially because it looks to be running stock Android without the TouchWiz UI layer on top, and will be given away to the gathered crowd of 5,000 conference attendees. They'll get it with Honeycomb 3.0 on board, but an update to 3.1 will be forthcoming over the next couple of weeks as well.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition

Google gives away 5,000 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets to devs at I/O originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 12:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Music Beta versus the titans of the streaming music space: a chart

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/google-music-beta-versus-the-titans-of-the-streaming-music-space/

It feels like just yesterday we charted the streaming music landscape, but it's already changed in a big way -- Google is muscling in on the likes of Rhapsody, Pandora and particularly Amazon with its Google Music Beta. Being able to take 20,000 of your personal tunes, stream them over the web and cache them locally on your device isn't functionality to sneeze at, so it's time we updated our charts. After the break, see how the big streaming services stack up.

Continue reading Google Music Beta versus the titans of the streaming music space: a chart

Google Music Beta versus the titans of the streaming music space: a chart originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eyes on with the VT30, Panasonic's flagship 3D plasma

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/eyes-on-with-the-vt30-panasonics-flagship-3d-plasma/

The latest and greatest (and largest) 3D plasmas from Panasonic are finally shipping, including the flagship, THX-certified Viera VT30 sets with their single sheet of glass panels and Infinite Black Pro2 filters. We first caught a glimpse of these bad boys back at CES and we've been impatiently waiting for a chance to blast our retinas with their PDP goodness in all three dimensions. The company was nice enough to invite us over recently to have a little TV powwow that featured an uncomfortable amount of Avatar on Bluray. Keep reading after the break for all the not-so-gory details.

Gallery: Panasonic 2011 3D TVs

Continue reading Eyes on with the VT30, Panasonic's flagship 3D plasma

Eyes on with the VT30, Panasonic's flagship 3D plasma originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 18:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google's Prediction API lets Fords learn all about you, tell you where to go

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/googles-prediction-api-lets-fords-learn-all-about-you-tell-you/

Earlier today, Google revealed plans to make our abodes more efficient and user friendly through Android automation, and it turns out they're helping Ford to do the same for our automobiles. You see, our driving habits affect the gas mileage we get, and if our cars could predict our preferred travel patterns they could optimize powertrain performance to max out our MPGs. That's why the Blue Oval Boys plan to use Google's Prediction API to learn our driving habits and combine that data with real time traffic info to make its cars increasingly efficient. The system isn't yet ready for showrooms, as there is work to be done securing the personal data and location awareness information it collects, but hopefully it won't be long before every new Ford can help us get from here to there with minimal fuel consumption. Here's hoping William Daniels is the one doling out the directions.

Gallery: Google and Ford Prediction API

Continue reading Google's Prediction API lets Fords learn all about you, tell you where to go

Google's Prediction API lets Fords learn all about you, tell you where to go originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photoshop Touch iPad Apps Now Ready for Download [Photoshop]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/#!5800305/photoshop-touch-ipad-apps-now-ready-for-download

The first three Adobe Photoshop iPad apps are now available at the app store. I've been using them for a while (full review to come later) and they are really really good.

The price is right on the mark too: Adobe Eazel, my favorite both because of the media simulation and the five finger interface, comes for $5. That works as a standalone paint application and connects to Photoshop, sending images that get automagically scaled to whatever resolution you want.

Adobe Color, which will mostly get used by designers to create color themes on the go, is available for $3. Adobe Nav, which allows you to control Photoshop files and tools from the iPad, is available for $2. I'm getting them all.

Google Music to stream 20,000 songs for free, launches at I/O later today

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/google-music-to-stream-20-000-songs-for-free-launches-at-i-o-la/

It's not quite official but there's little doubt that Google will launch its Google Music service at its big I/O event later today. While the Wall Street Journal couldn't get a Google spokesman to admit it, Peter Kafka over at All Things D got Jamie Rosenberg, Director of Android Product Management, to spill the details a bit early. Google's service will essentially mimic the music locker functionality of Amazon's Cloud service, albeit without the ability to sell songs direct to consumers. Ouch. Unfortunately, Google's plans to launch a more feature-complete service were derailed when discussions with the labels broke down. According to Rosenberg, "A couple of the major labels were less focused on the innovative vision that we put forward, and more interested in an unreasonable and unsustainable set of business terms." So, rather than putting the service on hold, Google will launch its music service with the ability to store up to 20,000 of your own uploaded songs for free which you can then stream over the web to your desktop or Android phone or tablet -- any device that supports Flash (don't worry iOS users, your time will come). Amazon's service, by comparison, offers just 5GB of free storage for about 1,200 songs stored at a mediocre bitrate. Google will also best Amazon with a! feature that automatically creates playlists. Google expects to roll out the service to its US users within "weeks" with Music Beta invites going out later today to Verizon Xoom owners (others will be able to sign up at music.google.com). Keep it right here because we'll be bringing you the announcement live.

Google Music to stream 20,000 songs for free, launches at I/O later today originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 02:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Powercolor expected to unveil double-barreled Radeon at Computex

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/powercolor-expected-to-unveil-double-barreled-radeon-at-computex/

An unnamed, undressed dual-GPU prototype of AMD's latest in southern-island graphics cards surfaced over the weekend. Flaunting twin Bart chips with 1,120 stream processors a pop, this card totals up at 2,240, with each GPU packing its own memory for a total of 2GB of GDDR5. Although PowerColor is staying tight lipped on specs and official name until Computex in June, two DVI ports, double mini DisplayPorts, and one HDMI-out paint obvious similarities to the existing Radeon HD 6870. One last notable difference? The unknown soldier is powered by two eight-pin PCIe connectors, as opposed to the HD 6870's six-pin variant. We're probably looking at the latest in the Radeon HD 6800 series, we'll know for sure in about a month.

Powercolor expected to unveil double-barreled Radeon at Computex originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 04:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Graphene-powered web could download 3-D movies in seconds, give MPAA nightmares

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/graphene-powered-web-could-download-3-d-movies-in-seconds-give/

Graphene modulator

Graphene, is there anything it can't do? Researchers are already trying to put it in processors, fuel cells, and batteries -- now your internet connection might get ten-times faster thanks to the silicon successor. Researchers at UC Berkeley have created tiny, one-atom-thick modulators that could switch the data-carrying light on and off in a fiber-optic connection much faster than current technology. In addition to running at a higher frequency (the team believes it will scale up to 500GHz -- modern modulators run at about 1GHz) the smaller, 25-micron size means thinner cables could be used, reducing capacitance and further boosting speeds. Labs have already crossed the 100 terabit threshold and graphene could push that even higher, yet we're still stuck staring at a buffering screen every time we try to Netflix Degrassi.

Continue reading Graphene-powered web could download 3-D movies in seconds, give MPAA nightmares

Graphene-powered web could download 3-D movies in seconds, give MPAA nightmares originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 May 2011 05:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, May 09, 2011

Google's Music Service Will Be Announced Tomorrow and Is Expected to Be Similar to Amazon Cloud Drive [Unconfirmed]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/#!5800231/googles-music-service-will-be-announced-tomorrow-and-is-expected-to-be-similar-to-amazon-cloud-drive

AllThingsD is reporting that Google's long awaited Cloud Music Service will be unveiled tomorrow at Google I/O. That's not too surprising. What's a teensy bit surprising is that it's expected to be pretty much what Amazon Cloud drive already is.

Reports had previously pegged Google with loftier intentions for their music service (think streaming music like Rdio or Spotify) but it looks like Google will have to settle and just act as a 'music locker' where users users can upload their songs to the cloud and stream them down to their devices. Which is what Amazon Cloud Drive already does. The problem for Google is that they don't sell music to users. Amazon does. However! One advantage that Google is expected to have over Amazon is that they'll launch with 20GB of free storage (as opposed to Amazon's 5GB).

It's sorta sad to see record labels get in the way of a potentially game changing cloud music service. Jamie Rosenberg, who oversees digital content and strategy for Google's Android platform, said:

"Unfortunately, a couple of the major labels were less focused on the innovative vision that we put forward, and more interested in in an unreasonable and unsustainable set of business terms"

We'll see what happens tomorrow. [All Things D]

HP unveils Elite L2201x: super slim 22-inch monitor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/09/hp-unveils-elite-l2201x-super-slim-22-inch-monitor/

During our Monday morning HP deluge, we managed to overlook this rather slender 22-inch monitor. Buried beneath a slew of other announcements in the outfit's latest press release is the Elite L2201x: an LED-backlit display, measuring just 0.4-inches thick. It offers a 1920 x 1080 display, 5000:1 contrast ratio, and a DisplayPort for hooking up. It may not be the slimmest screen we've ever come across, but we'd say it's a mighty fine monitor, and for $250, it's a relatively cheap date to boot. The Elite L2201x lands stateside June 1st.

Gallery: HP Elite L2201x

HP unveils Elite L2201x: super slim 22-inch monitor originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 May 2011 21:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Eee PC 1015PX netbook now shipping, Atom N570 included

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/09/asus-eee-pc-1015px-netbook-now-shipping-atom-n570-included/

Heads up, netbook enthusiasts: the ASUS Eee PC 1015PX is now available for stateside delivery. Essentially an upgrade to last year's 1015PEM, this puppy rocks a 10.1-inch, 1024 x 600 display and houses a 1.66Ghz Intel Atom N570 dual-core CPU. It also comes equipped with a 250GB hard disk, up to 2GB of DDR3 memory, Bluetooth 3.0 capabilities, LAN and VGA ports, and a 0.3-megapixel camera. Buyers have the choice between two models: the MU17, which promises a ten hour battery life and the PU17, designed for an eleven hour run. Despite their battery-related differences, both models weigh 2.76-pounds and are available on Amazon for $320 and $390, or on Newegg for $330 and $350, respectively. Hit the source links for more details.

ASUS Eee PC 1015PX netbook now shipping, Atom N570 included originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 May 2011 11:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Laptoping.com | source

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