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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Starbucks rolls out mobile payment app for Android users, java junkies

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/15/starbucks-rolls-out-mobile-payment-app-for-android-users-java-j/

After having already introduced its own iOS app, Starbucks has now decided to bring mobile mocha payments to Android users, as well. With the free Starbucks for Android app, all you have to do is add credit to your mobile Starbucks Card, scan the app's barcode at the cash register, and that triple shot skinny latte will be yours to pound. Available on devices running Android 2.1 or above, the service will also locate all outlets within your immediate vicinity, while offering even more coffee-based incentives, via Starbucks' rewards program. Thus far, there are about 6,800 stores that support mobile payments, though the company is planning to add an additional 1,000 locations, this July. Coffeeholics can find more information in the PR after the break, and can download the app from the source link, below.

Continue reading Starbucks rolls out mobile payment app for Android users, java junkies

Starbucks rolls out mobile payment app for Android users, java junkies originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 06:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer lowers forecast for tablet, notebook shipments, blames limping European economy

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/15/acer-lowers-forecast-for-tablet-notebook-shipments-blames-limp/

Acer had high hopes for 2011, but it looks like its expectations may have been a bit too optimistic. Today, the company issued revised forecasts for shipments of its tablet PCs, predicting to move between 2.5 and three million units by year's end -- down from the five to seven million it projected earlier. Acer chairman J.T. Wang expects current quarter notebook shipments to dip by ten percent from their Q1 levels, before stabilizing or slightly increasing during Q3. According to the new-look firm, these downward revisions are largely due to lagging economic growth in Europe, though its Asian and US markets "remain healthy." European inventories are expected to decrease to normal levels by the end of this month, which should allow the company's market share to rebound during the second half of this year. It's certainly not a dire outlook, but it's probably not the start new Corporate President Jim Wong was looking to get off to, either.

Acer lowers forecast for tablet, notebook shipments, blames limping European economy originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 07:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11.5 updates your Facebook, turns your iPhone into a wireless mic

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/15/dragon-naturallyspeaking-11-5-updates-your-facebook-turns-your/

Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11.5

All your sci-fi dreams of being able to talk to your gadgets and have the do your bidding are slowly becoming a reality. Nuance, the company behind Dragon NaturallySpeaking, has been at the forefront of the technology since 1997 and, with the release of 11.5, it has added a few neat tricks to its dictation-taking repertoire. On the desktop side, new widgets allow you to post updates to your Facebook and Twitter accounts simply by saying "post to" you social network of choice before spouting off your status update -- perfect for drunk tweeting when those beer goggles make it hard to hit the keys. Nuance also released the Dragon Remote Mic App for iOS, which turns your Apple device into a wireless mic that beams commands and dictated notes straight to your PC. We're pretty excited for all this voice control stuff -- so long as our computers don't start refusing our requests in a detached monotone. Check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11.5 updates your Facebook, turns your iPhone into a wireless mic

Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11.5 updates your Facebook, turns your iPhone into a wireless mic originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 09:54:00 EDT.! Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon prolongs its free hotspot party on 4G LTE phones, but then what?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/15/verizon-prolongs-its-free-hotspot-party-on-4g-lte-phones-but-th/

If you've been maxing out on Verizon's mobile hotspot offer that came with your new Samsung Droid Charge, HTC Thunderbolt or LG Revolution, then do carry on. The offer has been extended again, letting you use your 4G LTE handset as a WiFi hotspot for free until July 6th. On that miserable day, a software update will pull the plug and then who knows how much you'll have to pay? Verizon says its $20/GB tethering charge won't apply to 4G LTE phones, but it doesn't state exactly how much it will cost. Oh well, who needs 12Mbps anyway?

Verizon prolongs its free hotspot party on 4G LTE phones, but then what? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 10:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google and Slooh Space Camera make today's lunar eclipse viewable worldwide

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/15/google-and-slooh-space-camera-make-todays-lunar-eclipse-viewabl/

As you may or may not be aware, there's a lunar eclipse today, and it turns out Google's decided to do something a little special this time for those not able to see it outside for themselves -- or those that simply prefer to stay indoors. It's teamed up with Slooh Space Camera to make the rare 100-minute long eclipse viewable online through a variety of means, including a live stream on YouTube, in the Sky layer on Google Earth, and in Slooh's Android app and Google App Engine-based website (which comes complete with narration from actual astronomers). It all gets started at 11:20AM PDT or 2:20PM EDT -- hit the source link below to choose your viewing preference.

Google and Slooh Space Camera make today's lunar eclipse viewable worldwide originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 10:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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These Aerial Super Tankers Drown Forest Fires With 20,000-Gallon Waterfalls from the Sky [Monster Machines]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5810842/these-aerial-super-tankers-drown-forest-fires-with-20000+gallon-waterfalls-from-the-sky

389,000 acres. That's how much of Arizona the Wallow fire has consumed since May 29th. With the blaze 0% contained, authorities have called in some of the largest air tankers in the world to help.

Aerial firefighting employs airplanes and helicopters to combat wildfires from above. Originally developed from WWII bombers, air tankers are built in a variety of capacities; from the single-seat 800-gallon Air Tractor AT-802F to the gargantuan Evergreen Super Tanker—a converted Boeing 747 that holds over 20,000 gallons. Firefighting helicopters, based on the S-64 Skycrane and Bell UH-1 Iroquois designs, have also been in service since the early 1990s.

The two largest air tankers currently operating in the US are the Evergreen Super Tanker and a converted McDonnell Douglas DC-10 with the call-sign, Tanker 910. Both are stationed at the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, CA, about 20 miles North of San Bernardino. Tanker 910 can drop 12,000 gallons of water from its three underbelly-mounted storage tanks in as little as eight seconds. It can also spread that same load over an area 300 feet wide and one mile long from as low as 300-500 feet.

The Evergreen 747 Super Tanker is the Big Daddy of aerial firefighting. With a 20,500 gallon capacity, it is the single largest Air Tanker in the world, and represents the next-generation of Super Tankers. Development of the $40 million project began in 2002, spurred by the crashes of both a Lockheed C-130A Hercules and a Consolidated PB4Y-2 that year. The plane made its maiden voyage in 2004 and was in service by 2009. The Evergreen can dispense either water or fire-retardant gel and foam. Its advanced release system allows the pilot to control the rate of dispersal; as gently as natural rain to an overwhelming, near immediate evacuation under high pressure. Its able to lay down a path of fire retardant three miles long and 160 feet wide.

[Evergreen 747 Wiki - Tanker 910 Wiki - Air Tanker Wiki - 10 Tanker Airlines - Evergreen Airlines - Top Image Courtesy: Getty Images - Side Image Courtesy: AP Images]

Monster Machines is all about the most exceptional machines in the world, from massive gadgets of destruction to tiny machines of precision, and everything in between.

There Is Too Much Electricity in the Northwest [Power]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5811818/there-is-too-much-electricity-in-the-northwest

After this long winter, spring's warmth has begun to melt all that pesky snow. In the Northwest, the resulting runoff helps power everyday life. Only this year there's too much power for them to handle.

The waters that came with spring went on to overwhelm the Federal Columbia River Power System, creating so much electricity that it's threatening service and rates for the millions of customers in the region. So what did the Bonneville Power Administration, power provider to a full third of the Northwest, do? They cut wind power, deciding it was the easiest and safest way to solve the overgeneration problem.

Wind power advocates are pissed, as the disruption of wind power hurts their bottom line:

Since May 18, the decision has disrupted operations at 35 wind farms with more than 2,000 turbines stalled almost daily in the Columbia Gorge along the border of Oregon and Washington. Those generators have contracts with BPA to transmit wind power. Now, they are tallying ongoing losses already in the millions.

They argue that BPA's policy, even in the midst of a bad situation, only stands to benefit. What's more, rural communities suffer from the loss of revenue from wind farms. Even salmon are harmed by excess water being allowed to flow over dams.

Both sides are still at loggerheads on how to solve the issue. It seems the federal government will soon have to step in. [The Atlantic, Image via Shutterstock]

More Evidence For an iPad 3 Retina Display [Apple]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5811993/more-evidence-for-an-ipad-3-retina-display

Twitter made its way into iOS 5 and its code may have inadvertently coughed up information about the next generation iPad.

This rumor was started when someone was poking around the SDK and found images in the Twitter.framework that have a retina-like resolution of 1,536 x 2,048. This is far from a confirmation, but we have seen that resolution tossed around before.

Apple may be secretive about a retina display, but its rival and supplier Samsung is embracing the technology. The Korean company recently introduced a retina display for tablets with a 2560x1600 resolution and it looks fantastic. [Techunwrapped via MacRumors]

How Are 20% of Human Genes Patented? [Factoid]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5811899/how-are-20-of-human-genes-patented

How Are 20% of Human Genes Patented? John Sulston, along with Sarah Chan and John Harris, write that scientific process is being stymied due to excessive ownership of scientific intellectual property. One of the more troubling statistics? Private companies have patented nearly 20% of human genes.

For example, it is estimated that some 20% of individual human genes have been patented already or have been filed for patenting. As a result, research on certain genes is largely restricted to the companies that hold the patents, and tests involving them are marketed at prohibitive prices. We believe that this poses a very real danger to the development of science for the public good.

Essentially, if any group wants to conduct research on certain types of genes, they have to pay the patent holder to formally carry out the experiment. And then, of course, there are the pharmaceutical companies, who will buy up expiring patents to prevent potential competitors from infringing on the market territory of their status quo drug.

All of this, according to Sulston and co., means we're limiting the best possible scientific breakthroughs. Instead, we're stuck waiting for the ones which prove most profitable. That sucks. [Guardian via Open Science]

Image via Shutterstock

Hackers Broke Into Citigroup and It Was Easy [Security]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5811949/why-hacking-citigroup-was-a-cinch

In one of the ballsiest bank break-ins in recent memory, a team of hackers based in Eastern Europe managed to crack open Citigroup's massive store of their customers' personal financial data. Just by hacking Citi's customer website.

The hackers broke in by impersonating legitimate credit card holders on the Citibank website:

Once inside, they leapfrogged between the accounts of different Citi customers by inserting vari-ous account numbers into a string of text located in the browser's address bar. The hackers' code systems automatically repeated this exercise tens of thousands of times - allowing them to capture the confidential private data.

As per usual, it's not clear just how much damage the hackers did. Citi is resolute in stating that the mess was "rectified immediately." However, what is know is that the ill-gotten credit card information was most likely taken from one of the many illegal "online bazaars" that have risen in Eastern Europe. In hacker communities like HackZone.ru, cyber criminals broker for stolen credit cards to buy merchandise and rake in profits. A Citi security expert even confirmed the breach originated in the region.

The demand for stolen credit card information is also on the rise, resulting in in thieves getting bolder in the search for new accounts. Banks will have to improve their security practices, if only to keep up. [NYT, Image via Shutterstock]

23-Inch NEC MultiSync EX231Wp makes desktop displays a little bit greener

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/14/23-inch-nec-multisync-ex231wp-makes-desktop-displays-a-little-bi/

NEC EX231Wp

If you remember last year's EX231W (note the lack of "p") then you pretty much know all you need to about the company's latest business-class 23-incher, the EX231Wp. It's got the same 14.6mm bezel, 250-nit brightness, 25,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and 1920 x 1080 resolution. It even kept the pair of sensors for measuring ambient light and detecting meatbags sitting in front of it, which allow the screen to adjust its brightness and conserve energy. Really, the only big difference is that NEC has managed to trim the power consumption from an already respectable 31W to just 27W under normal use. The display will start shipping in July for $319 and you'll find more spec fun in the PR after the break.

Continue reading 23-Inch NEC MultiSync EX231Wp makes desktop displays a little bit greener

23-Inch NEC MultiSync EX231Wp makes desktop displays a little bit greener originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brando's iPad 2 telescope is perfect for watching the next Apple keynote

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/14/brandos-ipad-2-telescope-is-perfect-for-your-next-apple-keynote/

If you're like us, you've spent entirely too much time wondering how the movie Rear Window might have played out differently, had someone just handed Jimmy Stewart's character an iPad to play with. With the introduction of the Super Gear Telescope, it seems that the plot would've been mostly the same, just as soon as he finished beating Angry Birds. The Brando add-on brings 6x zoom to the iPad 2 and generally looks far less awkward than its iPhone predecessor. All in all, $26 seems like a small price to pay to see what the neighbors are looking at on their own iPads.

Brando's iPad 2 telescope is perfect for watching the next Apple keynote originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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D-Link MainStage WiDi 2.0 adapter puts your laptop on the TV, is less dangerous than it sounds

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/14/d-link-mainstage-widi-2-0-adapter-puts-your-laptop-on-the-tv-is/

D-Link MainStage

It was only a matter of time before D-Link entered the WiDi fray. Even though Intel is pushing manufacturers to pack the wireless display tech into practically every laptop (and even a few tablets), options for actually getting that feed on your TV have been scarce. The decidedly nondescript MainStage adapter gives you at least one more choice and, since it boasts WiDi 2.0, you can beam 1080p video and 5.1 surround sound to your home theater from up to 33 feet away -- all while you continue to browse and chat on the small screen. You can find them now in all the usual places (Newegg, Best Buy, Amazon, etc...) for $129.99, but our neighbors to the north in Canada will have to wait till July to get their hockey-loving mittens on one. Check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading D-Link MainStage WiDi 2.0 adapter puts your laptop on the TV, is less dangerous than it sounds

D-Link MainStage WiDi 2.0 adapter puts your laptop on the TV, is less dangerous than it sounds originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 23:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo Wii U console shown off in its bright, minimalistic entirety

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/15/nintendo-wii-u-console-shown-off-in-its-bright-minimalistic-ent/

Nintendo hasn't been too keen on letting us mere mortals stroke the Wii U, as no amount of coins could unlock the console's cabinet at E3. Surprisingly though, Inside Games managed to get up close and personal to this white box outside its little cave, and then came home alive with a few clear shots. Mind you, there's hardly anything exciting here: we're just gazing at some air vents on the side and back, plus a few ports -- including HDMI -- on the latter. As pointed out by our brethren over at Joystiq, only time will tell whether this curvy Wii U will come with an attachment to imitate its predecessor's vertical standing. Check out the backside after the break.

Continue reading Nintendo Wii U console shown off in its bright, minimalistic entirety

Nintendo Wii U console shown off in its bright, minimalistic entirety originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 01:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

#ExperientialMarketing Like I said here - http://bit.ly/lEvdt8; Tiffany & Co. Suite at St. Regis - http://bit.ly/lwlTcA

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