drag2share: HP replaces the Slate 500 with the Slate 2, adds Swype and cuts the starting price to $699

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/02/hp-replaces-the-slate-500-with-the-slate-2-adds-swype-and-cuts/

Until Microsoft gives Win8 the final seal of approval, the Windows tablet show must go on, right? Right. HP just refreshed its enterprise-friendly, Windows 7-flavored Slate 500 with the Slate 2, and took the opportunity to knock the starting price down a hundred bucks to $699. In terms of design, there's nothing much to see here -- it's the same 8.9-inch tablet that's been on sale for the past year. Only this time, HP added Swype, refreshed the CPU with Intel's Atom Z670 and proffered a smaller 32GB SSD option to appease the IT guys who are going to heavily lock these down anyway. Speaking of security, it also packs TPM circuitry and Computrace Pro for tracking lost or stolen laptops and then deleting the data remotely. It'll be available worldwide this month -- just in time for corporate to buy you a lil' somethin' somethin' for the holidays.

Gallery: HP Slate 2

Continue reading HP replaces the Slate 500 with the Slate 2, adds Swype and cuts the starting price to $699

HP replaces the Slate 500 with the Slate 2, adds Swype and cuts the starting price to $699 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Stanford program cracks text-based CAPTCHAs, shelters the replicants among us

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/02/stanford-program-cracks-text-based-captchas-shelters-the-replic/

CAPTCHAs. In the absence of a Voigt-Kampff apparatus, they're what separate the humans from the only-posing-to-be-human. And now three Stanford researchers have further blurred that line with Decaptcha, a program that uses image processing, segmentation and a spell-checker to defeat text-based CAPTCHAs. Elie Bursztien, Matthieu Martin and John Mitchell pitted Decaptcha against a number of sites: it passed 66% of the challenges on Visa's Authorize.net and 70% at Blizzard Entertainment. At the high end, the program beat 93% of MegaUpload's tests; at other end, it only bested 2% of those from Skyrock. Of the 15 sites tried, only two completely repelled Decaptcha's onslaught -- Google and reCaptcha. So what did the researchers learn from this? Randomization makes for better security; random lengths and character sizes tended to thwart Decaptcha, as did waving text. How long that will remain true is anyone's guess, as presumably SkyNet is working on a CAPTCHA-killer of its own.

Stanford program cracks text-based CAPTCHAs, shelters the replicants among us originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: HP's 3115m is the Pavilion dm1z rebadged for the business set, starts at $429

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/02/hps-3115m-is-the-pavilion-dm1z-rebadged-for-the-business-set-s/

You've seen that laptop before. You know you have. Stumped? Okay, here it is. HP just announced the 11.6-inch 3115m for the business market and it is, for all intents and purposes, a rebadged Pavilion dm1z being marketed to a more buttoned-up kind of customer. For starters, it looks just like the newly redesigned dm1, flush trackpad and all. A dual-core AMD E-450 APU, 1366 x 768 display, Beats Audio and battery rated for 11.5 hours come standard. At the entry level, you'll also get a modest 2GB of RAM and 320GB 5,400RPM HDD. Oddly, 5,400RPM drives are as good as it gets here, whereas with the dm1 7,200RPM disks are the gold standard and you can even upgrade to an SSD. IT guys might prefer the this one, though, because it comes with HP's Keyed Cable lock and a Computrace Pro module for tracking and remotely wiping lost or stolen laptops (you'll need to activate this feature yourself). It'll go on sale in the Americas on November 11th with a starting price of $430 -- a thirty-dollar premium over the dm1z. Glossy press shots below -- you know, in case you need a refresher on what this thing looks like.

Gallery: HP 3115m

Continue reading HP's 3115m is the Pavilion dm1z rebadged for the business set, starts at $429

HP's 3115m is the Pavilion dm1z rebadged for the business set, starts at $429 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Amazon Prime adds new reading option with Kindle Owners Lending Library

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/02/amazon-prime-adds-new-reading-option-with-kindle-owners-lending/

Amazon's home page has a new message for Prime members from CEO Jeff Bezos, indicating that their membership plan has a new bonus: free books. The Kindle Owners Lending Library service offers up to one book per month from a selection of thousands of titles, including "over 100 current and former New York Times Bestsellers" with no due dates. That's in addition to the free two-day shipping and access to TV shows and movies offered through Prime Instant Video as a part of the $79/year package. Of course, it also serves to the platform lock-in tighter between a suddenly very compelling subscription entertainment service, and its hardware (you will need a Kindle device, from what we're reading the apps won't work), including the upcoming Kindle Fire. Fans of the E inked word can check out the press release after the break for a few more details.

[Thanks, Straton & Abbas]

Continue reading Amazon Prime adds new reading option with Kindle Owners Lending Library

Amazon Prime adds new reading option with Kindle Owners Lending Library originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 23:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Jawbone Up detailed: tracks activity, food intake and sleep cycles, available November 6 for $100 (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/03/jawbone-up-detailed-tracks-activity-food-intake-and-sleep-cycl/

Back in July, Jawbone did something puzzling. The company, best known for its Bluetooth headsets, teased a photo of a colorful wristband called the Up -- a deceptively simple thing that could purportedly track your eating, sleeping and exercise habits. The outfit left out a few teensy details: the price, shipping date and, the biggest riddle of all, how it works.

At last, the company's ready to talk specifics. We just got word the Up will be available in the US November 6th for $100, and will continue its world tour on the 17th. With that price, it's well-matched against the clip-on Fitbit Ultra tracker, and indeed, they have some key features in common -- namely, a step counter and a few requisite social networking features. But with a sensor that knows when you're in deep sleep and a mobile app that can identify photos of food, it has a few unexpected tricks that could give devices like Fitbit a run for their money. We'll be getting one to test very soon, but in the meantime, join us past the break to learn more.

Gallery: Up by Jawbone

Continue reading Jawbone Up detailed: tracks activity, food intake and sleep cycles, available November 6 for $100 (video)

Jawbone Up detailed: tracks activity, food intake and sleep cycles, available November 6 for $100 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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