Thursday, November 17, 2011

drag2share: SIM-based NFC gains global support from 45 mobile carriers, all huddled around GSMA's standard

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/17/sim-based-nfc-gains-global-support-from-45-mobile-carriers-all/

You knew that NFC hardware can be embedded into SIM cards, right? Right? Regardless of whether you've been paying attention, the practice is about to become a whole lot more common, as 45 of the world's largest mobile operators have extended their support for the GSM Association's standard. Among the networks, you'll find heavy hitters such as China Mobile and China Unicom (which account for nearly 800 million subscribers between the two), along with familiar names such as America Movil, AT&T, Deutsche Telecom, KPN, Orange, Rogers, SFR, SK Telecom, Softbank, Telus, Verizon and Vodafone. Even Isis, the unholy mobile payment lovechild of AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, has pledged its support... in hopes of taking your money, that is. The new standard is expected to drive the proliferation of NFC across the globe, with Anne Bouverot, Director General of the GSMA commenting, "Mobile operators, working together, are ideally positioned to roll out services based on the requirements published by the GSMA, providing proven security and interoperability, global reach and customer care for consumers and businesses and a secure platform for service providers." Now, as you'd expect, we just wanna see it happen. For a complete list of the cooperating carriers, check out the PR after the break.

[SIM card photo via Shutterstock]

Continue reading SIM-based NFC gains global support from 45 mobile carriers, all huddled around GSMA's standard

SIM-based NFC gains global support from 45 mobile carriers, all huddled around GSMA's standard originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 03:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Amazon releases Kindle Fire source code, devs figure out how to install Android Market

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/17/amazon-releases-kindle-fire-source-code-devs-figure-out-how-to/

The Kindle Fire's nascent hacking community is heating up, now that Amazon has released the source code for its new Android tablet. Homebrewers, of course, will first have to root the device before tweaking with the Fire's Gingerbread-based build, but fortunately for them, there's already a guide for that. Once that's taken care of, you can also load the Android Market and a slate of other Google apps, using a handy how-to guide published on xda Forums. It certainly doesn't seem like the simplest of processes, but several xda users have posted successful reports. Check out the links below for the full guide, along with the source code download.

Amazon releases Kindle Fire source code, devs figure out how to install Android Market originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Brief Mobile, Netbook News &n bsp;|  sourceKindle Source Code (Download), Xda Forums  | Email this | Comments

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drag2share: ASUS U32U with Fusion innards surfaces online, likely coming to the US for $449 and up

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/17/asus-u32u-with-fusion-innards-surfaces-online-likely-coming-to/

No, it's not a Zenbook, but for those of you not in the mood to spend $1,000-plus on your next laptop, it looks like ASUS will soon be selling something at a more... palatable price point. The U32U's been popping up on the interwebs lately, and it would seem the outfit's been cooking up a 13.3-incher powered by AMD's E-4 Fusion APU. Other specs include ATI's Radeon HD 6320 GPU, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, three USB ports (two of the 3.0 variety) and an 8-cell, 5,600mAh battery promising up to 12 hours of runtime. Unlike the ASUS U24e, the U32U seems likely to make it to the U.S. given the poster, which lists the price in US dollars: $509 for the Windows 7 Home Basic model, and $449 for the DOS version. More details at the source link, though we suspect you'll want to bide your time until next week's Black Friday scramble anyway.

Continue reading ASUS U32U with Fusion innards surfaces online, likely coming to the US for $449 and up

ASUS U32U with Fusion innards surfaces online, likely coming to the US for $449 and up originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unannounced Samsung 'Hercules' headed to T-Mobile, bearing demigod-like specs? -- Engadget

source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/17/unannounced-samsung-hercules-headed-to-t-mobile-bearing-godli/

Unannounced Samsung 'Hercules' headed to T-Mobile, bearing demigod-like specs?

The Samsung Infuse 4G is a beautiful 4.5-inch tabletphone, but it's not for the spec junkies of the world -- a single-core processor and Android 2.2 just don't impress such folk these days, regardless of actual performance. However, This is my next reports Samsung's cooking up a $350 handset that ticks all the boxes on the superphone list -- a beast of a smartphone it's tentatively calling the "Hercules." Mind you, we're still in rumor territory, bu! t feast your inner speed demon on the possibility of these: a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8060 processor (the same as the HP TouchPad), a 42Mbps HSDPA radio, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of flash storage and Android 2.3, along with the same 4.5-inch 800 x 480 Super AMOLED Plus display as the aforementioned Infuse 4G. The same whispers say it'll have a 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video capture, MHL support and NFC, and should play for T-Mobile... assuming the buyout doesn't succeed. Our existing smartphones are already preparing to seethe with jealousy.

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drag2share: Navigon 2.0 arrives for iPhone with new name, lets users download maps by state (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/17/navigon-2-0-arrives-for-iphone-with-new-name-lets-users-downloa/

Navigation junkies have been pining for Navigon's latest MobileNavigator application ever since our sneak preview at CTIA, but that wait is now over -- at least for iPhone constituents. To mark its arrival, the app was re-branded as Navigon 2.0, and yes, it's a free upgrade for current users. Most notably, the software now enables individuals to selectively load maps into their iPhone on a state-by-state basis -- thereby creating extra headroom for more important uses. Additionally, Navigon fans will also discover a completely re-designed user interface along with an in-app purchase function that delivers quarterly map updates. Now through November 30th, new users may purchase Navigon 2.0 for $20 off the normal price of $49.99 for the United States or Canada, and $59.99 for all of North America. Curious to see it in action? We've included a demo video and the full PR just beyond the break.

Continue reading Navigon 2.0 arrives for iPhone with new name, lets users download maps by state (video)

Navigon 2.0 arrives for iPhone with new name, lets users download maps by state (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: ASUS' Origami-like Transformer Prime Smart Cover hits Amazon, sporting luxurious folds

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/17/asus-origami-like-transformer-prime-smart-cover-hits-amazon-sp/

The Eee Pad Transformer Prime has yet to start shipping, but when it does, you'll be able to wrap it up in this specialized Smart Cover, from ASUS. Spotted on Amazon's German site, this Origami-like accessory will prop up your Prime in either a vertical or horizontal lying position, much like some of those other intelligent covers we've seen. The folds look decidedly ornate, but we'll have to wait a little longer before trying it out for ourselves. It's available now for €39 (about $53), though at the time of this writing, it's also out of stock.

ASUS' Origami-like Transformer Prime Smart Cover hits Amazon, sporting luxurious folds originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Hardware Companies Will Have To Quit The Tablet Market In 2012

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/hardware-companies-will-have-to-leave-the-tablet-market-in-2012-2011-11


hp touchpad 5

Because hardware companies like Dell, HP, and Acer have so few advantages over companies that offer content as well, DigiTimes reports that they may be getting out of the tablet game entirely next year.

Content companies like Amazon or Barnes & Noble can subsidize their tablets like crazy -- they'll make their money back after the fact as customers buy content to make the tablets more useful.

Consider the $200 Kindle Fire -- Amazon has no problem selling it at a loss because it can pull itself back into the green with e-book sales.

This will essentially turn the tablet market into a game of chicken to see who can price their tablet the lowest. DigiTimes' sources believe that all the hardware will eventually be free.

Selling tablets at full price without a content platform to continue profiting from, the HPs and Acers of the world will be forced to make their exit.

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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

drag2share: Host Web Pages for Free within Dropbox with DropPages or Pancake.io [Dropbox]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5860139/host-web-pages-for-free-within-dropbox-with-droppages-or-pancakeio

Host Web Pages for Free within Dropbox with DropPages or Pancake.ioLooking for a free and simple way to get a basic website up? Here are two webapps that can help. Both DropPages.com and Pancake.io use a shared Dropbox folder to host your web pages, making creating and editing your pages very quick.

Pancake is the simpler and more basic of the two services. To create your web page, simply save a plain text file with your web page content to the Pancake folder within Dropbox. You don't need to know HTML to format the page, but can instead use simpler Markdown formatting (see the Markdown cheat sheet). You could also save HTML, PDF, or Microsoft Office files in the Pancake folder for others to access in their browsers.

You can get started with Pancake.io in minutes, really, and the biggest benefit is that when you want to edit your pages, you just do them on your computer and, thanks to Dropbox magic, the site will be quickly updated. To link to your Pancake.io-powered website, you can embed the Pancake Javascript snippet for your site in another website or just link directly to the pages created in Pancake.io (the URLs look a little awkward now, but the developers say a custom domain name option will be coming soon).

DropPages works similarly but adds a few different features, such as website themes, friendly URLs (yourname.droppages.com), auto-generation of navigational elements (so all your pages in the DropPages folder are linked), and custom domain names (you can use IWantMyName.com to buy a custom domain and point it at DropPages or configure the CNAME record at your domain registrar to do that; a custom domain and up to 1GB of space costs 5 pounds a month). Pages are formatted using Markdown, but you can also use HTML.

Note that with both services, you're subject to Dropbox limits on data transfers. For free users, it's 10GB per day and for Pro, 250GB. Users whose Dropbox public links go over these limits will be automatically suspended. So these webapps may be really cool for hosting a small site (perhaps something you just share with friends or co-workers), but not for a major website.

Pancake.io | via How-To Geek

DropPages


You can follow or contact Melanie Pinola, the author of this post, on Twitter or Google+.

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drag2share: OpenFilesView Kills Programs Causing the "File In Use" Error in Windows [Windows Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5860327/openfilesview-kills-programs-causing-the-file-in-use-error-in-windows

OpenFilesView Kills Programs Causing the "File In Use" Error in WindowsIf you've ever tried to delete or use a file but gotten an error saying it was "in use" by another program—even if you've already closed it—OpenFilesView will help you easily solve the problem by letting you close the locked file from a menu.

OpenFilesView is one of those little portable apps that's great to keep around on the occasions you run into this error (which for me, frankly, is more often than I'd like). It'll show you a list of all open and locked files in the system, so you can find the offending file handle and close it—or kill the entire process behind it, freeing you up to go on with your work without restarting. It's simple, and may not be something you need every day, but it can save you a lot of hair pulling when this common problem arises.

OpenFilesView is a free download for Windows only. Note that there's a 32-bit and a 64-bit version; you'll have to grab the one that matches your system type. The 64-bit version requires you to turn on Driver Signing Test Mode, which you can turn off via the OpenFilesView help menu.

OpenFilesView | via How-To Geek


You can contact Whitson Gordon, the author of this post, at whitson@lifehacker.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.
 

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drag2share: Ledo's Lustworthy LED Lights Are Another Reason To Hate Incandescents [Lightbulbs]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5860117/ledos-lustworthy-led-lights-are-another-reason-to-hate-incandescents

Ledo's Lustworthy LED Lights Are Another Reason To Hate IncandescentsThey're not quite as traditional looking as Panasonic's recently developed incandescent bulb replacement, and that's exactly why I love what German LED maker Ledo has done with their new retrofit LED lights. With a design that's as lustworthy as the sleekest smartphone, they give consumers yet another reason to make the switch.

All in all there are three different bulb designs in Ledo's Bulled series. The 'Classic', pictured on the right, features a set of aluminum fins for dissipating heat, while the 'Modular', pictured in the middle, uses smaller fins on a series of cones, forming air ducts to cool the electronics. And finally the 'Star' uses synthetic materials instead of aluminum, so it's even lighter than the other two models, while still effectively cooling the components using a passive heatsink approach.

The arrangement of the LEDs also allows each bulb to disperse light in a full 330 degrees, providing similar illumination to a 60 watt incandescent, while only drawing about 11 watts. According to Ledo's site the 'Classic' LED replacement is coming soon, and even though I'm sure it will be extremely expensive, with a lifespan of close to 80 years with conventional use, it could very well be the only bulb you ever buy. [Ledo via designboom]

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drag2share: HANDS ON: Check Out The Brand New Nook Tablet! (BKS)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/nook-tablet-hands-on-photos-2011-11


nook tablet home screen

Just a day after Amazon's Kindle Fire launch, Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablet is officially here.

Click here for photos of the Nook Tablet >

The new Nook Tablet looks and feels nearly identical to its predecessor the Nook Color. But the OS has a nice new overhaul and includes some great apps for streaming content like Netflix and Hulu Plus.

We'll have a full review of the Nook Tablet next week. But keep reading for some great new hands-on photos and first impressions.

Barnes & Noble kept the same box design as the Nook Color



The Nook Tablet is slightly thinner and lighter than the Nook Color



It still has that sill loop in the corner. What's it for?



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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drag2share: The Founder Of Zappos Is Back With A New Startup

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/rnkd-2011-11


rnkd

Zappos founder Nick Swinmurn is back with a new startup, RNKD (pronounced "ranked").

With RNKD, users are supposed to upload the clothes in their closet. As they upload different clothing and brands, they get points and badges, similar to Foursquare's badges and leaderboard. As users get more points and more badges, they will get deals and discounts.

For now, Swinmurn is just starting out with Zappos gift cards to users. Down the road he hopes to get brands on board and have them offer deals to consumers.

The idea for RNKD started when Swinmurn tried to do his own small clothing label. He realized he was having trouble connecting his brand with consumers. The idea behind RNKD is to connect brands directly with their customers.

Swinmurn is paying for the whole operation out of his own pocket. It's just a three man operation. He'd rather grow RNKD into something viable, then approach VCs.

We're not sure people really want to hand over personal data to a site that's designed with brands in mind, but Swinmurn, disagrees. He thinks it will work because this isn't terribly personal information, and it's good for the consumer. They will get discounts from their favorite clothing companies.

The site is launching in beta today.

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drag2share: This Isn't an Animation [Image Cache]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5859782/this-isnt-an-animation

This Isn't an AnimationHave you ever wondered what the visuals look like on hallucinogens? This isn't far off (um, I've read). This is not an animated gif, and nothing is actually moving. It's all in your head. Your trippy, trippy head.

Sadly, I do not know who created this incredible optical illusion—I lost the trail somewhere in the bramble of the internet. But whomever he or she is deserves high praise. You can focus on one swirl and it's stationary, but the other swirls in your periphery start to undulate and twist. Switch to another one, and the same thing is repeated. It's exquisitely executed. I should warn, however, that if you're actually on acid, you will either see nothing moving at all, or the effect will be so powerful that your mind will turn to tapioca. Consider yourself warned. Thanks to Gregger for the tip. Click for the image below for the full-sized version. [Bookofjoe via OhGizmo!]

This Isn't an Animation


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drag2share: Revealed! Every Evil Atom of the H1N1 Flu Virus [Science]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5859830/revealed-every-evil-atom-of-the-h1n1-flu-virus

Revealed! Every Evil Atom of the H1N1 Flu VirusThe H1N1 flu pandemic killed 17,000 people across the globe between 2009 and 2010. Pretty terrifying. To prevent that from ever happening again, scientists have created a super-detailed computer model of the killer virus.

Researchers at the Institute of Process Engineering at the Chinese Academy of Sciences generated the first computational model of H1N1 at the atomic level, reports Popular Science. The Chinese scientists used molecular-dynamics simulations, their Mole-8.5 supercomputer, and 2,200 graphics processors to build the model.

We actually created an 'electronic pet' in the computer, which we can experiment with under many different environments and conditions with a variety of drugs, and we can know every detail of the change in the virion, says Dr. Wei Ge, a professor of chemical engineering at CAS-IPE and a principal in the H1N1 modeling effort, told PopSci via email. Therefore, we believe it could provide a possible way to bridge virology, epidemiology, and drug design on the molecular level.

They can use their nasty little pet to simulate how the virus will behave in various conditions, including when treated with a potential drug. And it can all be done without stepping foot inside a laboratory and risking potential exposure to the bug. The simulation moves relatively slowly now, but they hope to get the speed fast enough that they could create vaccines on the fly as pathogens crop up.

This is definitely one time when a virtual pet is better than the real thing. [Popular Science]

Image: CDC


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drag2share: HTC Zeta rendered, rumored to pack 2.5GHz quad-core CPU and Ice Cream Sandwich

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/htc-zeta-rendered-rumored-to-pack-2-5ghz-quad-core-cpu-and-ice/

Ready for today's grain of salt? We just got handed imagery and specs of a possible HTC device in the works codenamed the Zeta. It's a quad-core handset, much like the Edge that was leaked last week, but it has a much faster 2.5GHz APQ8064 CPU along with 1GB of RAM running the show, on a 4.5-inch 720p HD display. According to our source, the uniquely shaped smartphone will come with Ice Cream Sandwich pre-installed with Sense UI (version 4.0 wasn't specified, but we'd be surprised to see it any lower on an ICS device) and have 32GB of internal storage space, an 1,830mAh battery, Beats Audio, Bluetooth 4.0, an 8MP rear camera with dual LED flash, 1080p video capture and a 1.3MP front-facing cam. Dimensions? We have those, too: the Zeta is said to measure at 109.8 x 60.9 x 9.8mm (4.32 x 2.4 x 0.39 inches) and weigh 5.15 ounces (146g). Pricing and availability aren't known, and we're still digging for more info. It certainly has an intriguing look; the sharp corners would be a huge departure from HTC's recent design choices, though it appears to have HTC's signature unibody build in the back. So are we just looking at a cool concept or is this the next flagship phone? We're hoping it's the latter.

[Thanks, Wysiest]

HTC Zeta rendered, rumored to pack 2.5GHz quad-core CPU and Ice Cream Sandwich originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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