Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Virgin Mobile lets Android run Blur-free on the Motorola Triumph

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/12/virgin-mobile-lets-android-run-blur-free-on-the-motorola-triumph/

Motorola hopes to rescue its tarnished MOTOBLUR UI with a name-change. We, however, think the rust runs deeper than that -- and it seems we're not alone. Virgin Mobile has decided to give its prepaid customers the "true Android experience" from now on, which means you'll find no proprietary shell whatsoever sitting atop its new Motorola Triumph handset. Aside from a few bits of Virgin bloatware, the Triumph escapes with a relatively standard install of Android 2.2. Meanwhile, MOTOBLUR will still be foisted on pay-monthly customers who buy a Photon 4G or XPRT from Sprint, Virgin Mobile's parent company. Some of them might like the shell and its add-ons, but others will be better off without such OS contamination.

Virgin Mobile lets Android run Blur-free on the Motorola Triumph originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Jun 2011 04:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

PCMag | Email this | Comments

Post-it sized computer does dual HD decoding (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/12/post-it-sized-computer-does-dual-hd-decoding-video/

We've seen some tiny PCs, but the (deep breath) Habey SOM-6670 E6XX Tunnel Creek QSeven computer module (phew...) has managed to impress even this crew of jaded tech bloggers. The tiny, Post-it sized board carries an embedded E600 series Atom processor which features the GMA600 integrated GPU -- the same HD video decoding core at work in the Boxee Box and Logitech Revue. This little guy is capable of handling not one, but two 1080p videos at once. Don't believe us? check out the video after the break -- then apologize to Habey for doubting them. On the downside, to actually put some ports on this thing and connect it to a display, hard drive, keyboard, and mouse you'll need a carrier board that adds quite a bit of bulk. Don't concern yourself with it too much though, the SOM6670 isn't exactly aimed at consumers. PR after the break.

[Thanks, Bin]

Continue reading Post-it sized computer does dual HD decoding (video)

Post-it sized computer does dual HD decoding (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Jun 2011 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Friday, June 10, 2011

Sanyo expands Eneloop battery offerings with Pro for more power, Plus for less heat

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/10/sanyo-expands-eneloop-battery-offerings-with-pro-for-more-power/

If you love Sanyo's ever-so-practical Eneloop rechargeable batteries, you'll be smitten with its two latest AA additions. First into the battery compartment is the 2400mAh Eneloop Pro; it's loaded with twenty-five percent more juice than the standard model, and is a perfect match for your power-draining Nikon Speedlight -- not quite as formidable as the 2,500mAh XX series, though. Moving onto the next slot is the Eneloop Plus, which adds a positive temperature coefficient thermistor -- a resistor that prevents the batts from reaching skin-scorching heat levels in kids' toys. Blazing Hello Kitty anyone? Both will come in packs of two or four, and also as bundles with a charger. Residents of Japan will be able to pick up the batteries at varying points this year, but aside from the ¥1,260 (about $15) Pro two-pack, pricing remains open. If your heart's beating like the pink bunny's drum, check out the source link below for the details and some fancy infographics.

Sanyo expands Eneloop battery offerings with Pro for more power, Plus for less heat originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 02:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

Sanyo | Email this | Comments

Thursday, June 09, 2011

You Can Now Keep Two Google Voice Numbers, for a Price [Google Voice]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5810249/you-can-now-keep-two-google-voice-numbers-for-a-price

Plenty of people have been porting phone numbers to Google Voice lately, but part of that process has always been saying farewell to your old Voice number, and sending it back to Google for recycling. That process allowed 90 days more use of the old number so you could get everyone to use the new one, but now you can extend that period to the realm of forever by just paying $20 to make the old number permanent. Your caller ID will show your new number whether you ported it to Google or just had it changed from an old one, but friends and family who refuse to update their address books will still be able to reach you at the old number indefinitely.

Make your secondary Google Voice number permanent | Google Voice Blog

T-mobile, WildTangent to bring 25-cent game rentals to Android devices, harken back to arcade days

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/09/t-mobile-wildtangent-to-bring-25-cent-game-rentals-to-android-d/

Test driving an app isn't entirely unheard of -- Apple introduced its lackluster "Try Before You Buy" system last summer and the Android Market's got a 15-minute return policy. Now T-Mobile's teamed up with mobile gaming outfit WildTangent to bring a novel approach to looking under the hood of gaming apps: rentals. The partnership promises to bring 25 cent game rentals to your phone or tablet (considering your a T-Mo faithful rocking an Android device), giving you the opportunity to see what a particular game is working with before you commit. The new service also lets users play games for free with advertisements, and applies the cost of rentals to future purchases -- rent-to-own style. So it won't bring the same juvenile thrills as the arcade, but it will let you get your game on at 25 cents a pop. No word yet on when the service will go into affect, so don't go breaking that piggy bank quite yet.

T-mobile, WildTangent to bring 25-cent game rentals to Android devices, harken back to arcade days originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 06:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink