Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Sunday, July 03, 2011

Galaxy Tab 10.1 update coming soon, ushers TouchWiz into the Honeycomb era

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/03/galaxy-tab-10-1-update-coming-soon-ushers-touchwiz-into-the-hon/

Galaxy Tab 10.1 Update

That "future software upgrade" Samsung promised us for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is "coming soon" according to the company's site, though, when exactly "soon" might be is anyone's guess. When it does start trickling its way on to Sammy's slate, it'll be bringing with it a host of new features, including that Honeycomb edition of TouchWiz that's sure to be just as divisive as its smartphone ancestor. It does, however, pack in some nice functionality, like a multimedia clipboard for copying and pasting pictures and videos as well as text, and a Live Panel widget for pulling in news, weather, and updates from your social networks. Other features that you're used to on Samsung devices are also coming along for the ride, including the Media Hub for purchasing videos and the latest, intense version of Swype. There's also a remote tracking and wipe function for those who have a tendency to leave their gadgets behind at Starbucks, and it unlocks USB, SD card, and HDMI functionality -- with the appropriate accessories of course. Check out the source link for a few more details.

Galaxy Tab 10.1 update coming soon, ushers TouchWiz into the Honeycomb era originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jul 2011 20:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon data charges leak continues, $30 tethering for 4G customers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/02/verizon-data-charges-leak-continues-30-tethering-for-4g-custom/

The scan above purports to show a Verizon customer brochure that will appear in stores next Thursday, revealing nothing beyond the detailed leaks we've already reported but at least providing some reassuringly crinkled corroboration of the salient details. New customers will barred from the happy land of unlimited data, and will instead have to cough up tiered monthly fees ranging from $10 for 75MB up to $80 for 10GB, plus an extra $20 for tethering rights. In a separate turn to this tale, we hear that customers who want to tether to a 4G handset will have to pay $30 per month to keep Big Red happy. This might come as a shock if you've been living it up on the free tethering offer that ends next week, but we had a strong inkling it was coming. Besides, it's not all bad: those 30 bucks will get you unlimited data on the fastest LTE network around, whereas $20 crew must make do with a mere 2GB monthly.

[Thanks, Verizon Guy]

Verizon data charges leak continues, $30 tethering for 4G customers originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jul 2011 15:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook to launch in-browser video chat powered by Skype?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/02/facebook-to-launch-in-browser-video-chat-powered-by-skype/

Microsoft's $8.5 billion acquisition of Skype hasn't closed yet, but it looks like Redmond is already working behind the scenes to make the service even more ubiquitous. According to an anonymous source interviewed by TechCrunch, Facebook is going to introduce video chat next week, and that service will be powered by none other than Skype. And while the service will be browser-based, it's also said to include a desktop component. We'd say none of that sounds too fantastical -- video calls would be a logical extension of Facebook chat, and let's not forget about the $240 million Microsoft invested in the site back in 2007. What's more, Facebook sent out invites for an event next week, where Mark Zuckerberg was clear the outfit would unveil a new product from its Seattle team. That's in Microsoft's backyard, of course, the invites themselves have chat icons on 'em, and, most tellingly, that Seattle office has been snapping up engineers specializing in desktop software. All told, that adds up to a likely true story to us, but we won't know for sure until the long, beachy weekend is through.

Facebook to launch in-browser video chat powered by Skype? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jul 2011 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype 2.0 hotfix enables video chat on Sprint's Nexus S 4G

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/03/skype-2-0-hotfix-enables-video-chat-on-sprints-nexus-s-4g/

Looks like some of the Skype crew might've had a sleepless night to please owners of the Nexus S 4G. If you'll recall, June 30th saw a major update to its Android app enabling video chat on four devices; although the Nexus S was part of the club, its door was locked for Sprint's 4G variant. That's quickly changed, however, as the team's set loose a hotfix to grant it access -- this despite initially stating we'd have to wait for a "future release." You can grab the app from the Android Market if you haven't yet, and be sure to let us know how it goes in comments. Oh, and for those anxious Thunderbolt owners? We'd recommend not holding your breath until after the 4th of July holiday.

Skype 2.0 hotfix enables video chat on Sprint's Nexus S 4G originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jul 2011 00:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Android Central | source

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Friday, July 01, 2011

World of Fourcraft brings battle of the boroughs to Foursquare

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/01/world-of-fourcraft-brings-battle-of-the-boroughs-to-foursquare/

World of Fourcraft

There's a war on in New York City. The lines of loyalty were drawn way back in 1898 and, ever since, it's been battle for borough superiority. A team of hackers has ushered this county rivalry into the internet age, turning the Big Apple into a giant Risk board where check-ins replace dice rolls and armies are gathered on Foursquare. In World of Fourcraft users pledge fealty to a particular locale then, for the honor of their homeland, check-in to wrest control of neighborhoods from their residents and defend their own turf from potential usurpers. The whole project was whipped up last weekend during a hackathon at New York's General Assembly. At the moment it does little more than tally check-ins, but the creators plan to add new features in the future. Now, go forth and do battle for your block but, don't stray too far -- to the north and east of the Boogie Down Bronx, and the south and west of the Slums of Shaolin, lies The Waste Land.

World of Fourcraft brings battle of the boroughs to Foursquare originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

USA Today | source

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AT&T to enable BlackBerry Bridge support before sundown

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/01/atandt-to-enable-blackberry-bridge-support-before-sundown/

Most tablets function just fine on their own, but RIM's BlackBerry Playbook introduced a unique, yet restrictive interface that limits Bluetooth tethering to a similarly-branded handset. This feature, called BlackBerry Bridge, lets your tablet piggyback on a handset's 3G data connection, also enabling access to productivity apps like email and calendar, which are still otherwise unavailable on the PlayBook. Unfortunately, this option hasn't been made available for AT&T users, but that's about to change, as the feature will be added to App World today. While the Bridge suite is totally gratis, enabling the AT&T 3G data connection requires a monthly tethering plan of $45, which means anyone grandfathered into the unlimited data feature will need to decide if it's worth the jump. Bridge not sounding like your cup of tea? Don't worry -- at least you can take comfort in knowing that the days of pining for native email are numbered.

AT&T to enable BlackBerry Bridge support before sundown originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scientists develop algorithm to solve Rubik's cubes of any size

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/01/scientists-develop-algorithm-to-solve-rubiks-cubes-of-any-size/

A computer solving a Rubik's cube? P'shaw. Doing it in 10.69 seconds? Been there, record set. But to crack one of any size? Color us impressed. Erik Demaine of MIT claims to have done just that -- he and his team developed an algorithm that applies to cubes no matter how ambitious their dimensions. Pretty early on, he realized he needed to take a different angle than he would with a standard 3 x 3 x 3 puzzle, which other scientists have tackled by borrowing computers from Google to consider all 43 quintillion possible moves -- a strategy known simply as "brute force." As you can imagine, that's not exactly a viable solution when you're wrestling with an 11 x 11 x 11 cube. So Demaine and his fellow researchers settled on an approach that's actually a riff on one commonly used by Rubik's enthusiasts, who might attempt to move a square into its desired position while leaving the rest of the cube as unchanged as possible. That's a tedious way to go, of course, so instead the team grouped several cubies that all needed to go in the same direction, a tactic that reduced the number of moves by a factor of log n, with n representing the length of any of the cube's sides. Since moving individual cubies into an ideal spot requires a number of moves equal to n², the final algorithm is n²/log n. If we just lost you non-math majors with that formula, rest assured that the scientists expect folks won't be able to apply it directly, per se, though they do say it could help cube-solvers sharpen their strategy. Other that, all you overachievers out there, you're still on your own with that 20 x 20 x 20.

Scientists develop algorithm to s! olve Rub ik's cubes of any size originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vizio Tablet goes up for limited pre-order, starts shipping mid-July

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/01/vizio-tablet-goes-up-for-limited-pre-order-starts-shipping-mid/

Can't wait to get your hands on Vizio's upcoming budget tablet? Good news, beginning today, you can put your $400 where your mouth is, by pre-ordering the device straight from the company's site, starting at 1:30PM ET. That amount will get you the Gingerbread tablet, along with a 16GB MicroSD card, and a folding folio case. Pre-ordered devices will start shipping on July 18th. Those who snoozed and therefore lost will be able to pick one up in stores that same week.

Update: Let the pre-orders begin!

Vizio Tablet goes up for limited pre-order, starts shipping mid-July originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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French pilot sets big speed record in tiny electric airplane (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/01/french-pilot-sets-big-speed-record-in-tiny-electric-airplane-vi/

It may not be all that fast in the broader world of aircraft speed records, but French pilot Hugues Duval still has a fair bit to boast about with his latest accomplishment. Not only did he actually fly the aircraft pictured above -- which weights just 200 pounds and has a wingspan of 16 feet -- but he manged to hit a top speed of over 175 miles per hour, breaking his own record for the fastest all-electric airplane by about 15MPH. Not surprisingly, the plane itself (powered by two 35 horsepower electric motors and a pair of 1.5 kWh batteries) is better suited for short hops and the odd record attempt than any long-haul flights, as it's not able to fly for much more than 25 minutes at a time even at a more reasonable 65 miles per hour. Video after the break (en Français, of course).

Continue reading French pilot sets big speed record in tiny electric airplane (video)

French pilot sets big speed record in tiny electric airplane (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HAL exosuit takes a Cybernic approach to disabled tourism

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/01/hal-exosuit-takes-a-cybernic-approach-to-disabled-tourism/

Cybernics -- it's not a typo, it's a completely new field that mixes cybernetics, mechatronics, and informatics with an all-human core. Pioneered by Tsukuba Univeristy designer Yoshiyuki Sankai, the Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) exosuit originally created to aid Japan's eldery has now found an even nobler mission -- assisting disabled tourists. Through detection of weak muscular bioelectrical impulses in the legs, this RoboCop-like lower body suit boosts its wearer's load-bearing abilities by a whopping 176 pounds. The exoskeleton tech first helped paralyzed Seiji Uchida nearly tackle Switzerland's Breithorn peak in 2006 and is now getting another go at the disabled traveler's bucket list. This time 'round, Uchida hopes his ride atop a HAL-outfitted human will successfully carry him to the top of Normandy's rugged Mont Saint-Michel, paving the way for other similarly handicapped travelers to do the same. Although the robotics in question here is more mech suit than say, dental training real doll, it's still a huge leg up for the nascent research industry that got its kick-start making a wish come true.

HAL exosuit takes a Cybernic approach to disabled tourism originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PhysOrg | source

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Swidget Replaces Banner Ads on the Web with Widgets [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5817288/swidget-replaces-banner-ads-on-the-web-with-widgets

Firefox/Chrome/IE: Swidget is a browser add-on that swaps banner and box ads for useful widgets, like the weather, news headlines, or even your Facebook feed.

Swidget works on Windows or Mac OS, but only supports Firefox on the Mac. On Windows, Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox are all supported. Once installed, the add-on places a button at the top of banner and block ads to click that replaces them with a widget that you choose.

The gallery of widgets is broad: you can choose weather, stocks, clocks, headlines, and more. The only downside is that Swidget doesn't work automatically: you have to click to replace each ad on the page one at a time.

Swidget | via MakeUseOf

You can reach Alan Henry, the author of this post, at alan@lifehacker.com, or better yet, follow him on Twitter.

Tumblr for iPhone 2.0 Makes Managing Tumblr Blogs Easier on the Go Than on the Web [Download Of The Day]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5817308/tumblr-for-iphone-20-makes-managing-tumblr-blogs-easier-on-the-go-than-on-the-web

iOS: If you don't have a Tumblr blog, it might be time to get one. Tumblr for iPhone 2.0 launched earlier this week with a new interface that makes it easier than ever to follow popular blogs and post messages, photos, and video to your own.

The new Tumblr app sports a new interface with buttons on the home screen that let you share photos, video, music, or links on your Tumblr blog with two taps. You can read blogs you follow, follow new ones, see liked posts, or access your dashboard just as easily.

If you're not a current Tumblr user, you can even sign up right through the mobile app. It's been a long time since we talked about Tumblr, but it's still a great and easy way to share on the Web. Tumblr for iPhone 2.0 is free in the iTunes App Store.

Tumblr for iPhone 2.0 | iTunes App Store via ReadWriteWeb

You can reach Alan Henry, the author of this post, at alan@lifehacker.com, or better yet, follow him on Twitter.

Plnnr Generates Free, Customized Itineraries for Your Next Vacation [Travel]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5817344/plnnr-generates-free-customized-itineraries-for-your-next-vacation

Plnnr is a neat webapp that saves you the trouble of hiring a tour guide for your next vacation by providing you with smart itineraries that are customized based on criteria you provide. It'll even recommend a convenient hotel in your price range.

You start by signing up and providing a little information about your interests. Plnnr doesn't support every city you might want to visit, but it offers a number of popular destinations. Once you select where you headed, you let it know what kind of places you want to see, how many days you have to see them, what kind of hotel you're looking for, and a few other details. Next, it puts all that information together and comes up with an itinerary and you can check it out. Before you commit, you can tell it how you feel about each choice. If there's something you don't like, veto it. If it's at a bad time in the itinerary, say so. If you just don't know what it is, click on its name and you'll get an explanation along with photos. Once you're done, print it out and take it with you on vacation.

Plnnr is completely free to use, so go give it a try if you're looking for things to do next time you travel.

Plnnr | via USA Today

You can follow Adam Dachis, the author of this post, on Twitter and Facebook. Twitter's the best way to contact him, too.

Samsung announces 32GB microSD card capable of 12MBps write speeds

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/30/samsung-announces-32gb-microsd-card-capable-of-12mbps-write-spee/

Go shopping online for a microSDHC card and you'll find that while manufacturers don't hide the speed specs, they're not exactly crowing about 'em either. Make no mistake, though: Samsung is mighty proud of its new 32GB number, which boasts a class 10 speed rating and read / write rates of 24MBps and 12MBps -- ideal numbers for those of you who plan on making good use of your phone's 1080p camera. If you're a storage buff, you know that class 10 is the highest speed category for SD cards at the moment, and that it sits above classes 4 and 6 -- the tiers covering many other microSDHCs on the market. No word just yet on pricing, but we think it's safe to say you'll be dishing out a premium.

Continue reading Samsung announces 32GB microSD card capable of 12MBps write speeds

Samsung announces 32GB microSD card capable of 12MBps write speeds originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint updating the Samsung Galaxy Tab with Gingerbread on July 5

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/30/sprint-updating-the-samsung-galaxy-tab-with-gingerbread-on-july/

It's hard out there for a Samsung Galaxy Tab owner, watching Honeycomb slates hit the market by the bushel, with a lucky few stepping up to Android 3.1 and its resizeable widgets. Sprint, at least, is still giving the 'ol Tab some love -- according to an anonymous tipster, the Now Network will push out an update to Gingerbread, something Tab owners overseas have already been enjoying. The upgrade's expected to roll out starting July 5th, and will include not just Android 2.3, but a step up to HID Bluetooth as well. Oh, and while it's at it, Sprint will also release a fix for a bug in the Samsung Transform that has interfered with PRL and data profile updates. Sounds like as fine a way as any to beat the post-holiday weekend blues.

Sprint updating the Samsung Galaxy Tab with Gingerbread on July 5 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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