Wednesday, January 18, 2012

drag2share: Nielsen: Android still top dog, but Q4 buyers preferred iPhone 4S

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/18/nielsen-q4-ratings-smartphone/

Nielsen crunched Q4 numbers today, and the results will likely have Apple analysts jumping up and down. The findings, focused on those who've purchased a smartphone within the previous three months, indicate a huge spike -- from 25 percent in October to 45 percent in December -- in iPhone purchases since October as an obvious result of the launch of the 4S. Conversely, the number of recent Android buyers fell by 14 percent in the same period. Of course, these numbers are directly affected by Apple's latest product launch and by no means should be any indicator that Apple is poised to win the battle against its bitter rival, as iOS continues to trail Android by over 16 percent in market share. Looking at the war for the third spot, RIM's US market share declined by 2.9 percent from Q3 to Q4, falling to 14.9 percent -- not a surprise, since it only captured the hearts of six percent of recent buyers this quarter -- and Windows Phone slightly increased from 1.2 to 1.3 percent. Full press release and chart can be found after the break.

Continue reading Nielsen: Android still top dog, but Q4 buyers preferred iPhone 4S

Nielsen: Android still top dog, but Q4 buyers preferred iPhone 4S originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms ! for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

drag2share: Updated: The Best Video Player for Windows [Video]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5876964/updated-the-best-video-player-for-windows

Updated: The Best Video Player for WindowsWe're once again changing our Windows App Directory to include PotPlayer as the best video player for Windows. KMPlayer, our former favorite, went through a major update, including a number of features that make it into more of a media center than a video player—not to mention PotPlayer (which is by the same developer as the old KMPlayer, which we loved) is much lighter weight on your CPU, includes a 64-bit version, and doesn't try to install a bunch of crapware along with the player. PotPlayer's still young, but the new version of KMPlayer pushed us over the edge to replace it with PotPlayer as our default video player. It should give you great video playback right out of the box, though you'll have tons of options to tweak your video playback to your liking. You can find the full review over at the App Directory. [The Best Video Player for Windows]

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drag2share: BMW's Designworks USA, Thermaltake reveal Level 10 M gaming mouse concept

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/17/bmw-designworks-usa-thermaltake-reveal-level-10-m-gaming-mous/

Themaltake and BMW's DesignworksUSA are apparently a design-team match made in PC gaming heaven. After previously partnering up for the elegant (and functional) Level 10 modular PC case, the two are back it again -- this time with a focus on peripherals. While details are sparse, the Level 10 M mouse concept you're looking at is the first of the bunch to be revealed, and it's said to arrive sometime during the spring. It's not exactly a shoe-in for MadCatz's Rats, but considering the wire and an aggressively breathable design, it's clearly aimed pro-gamers. Sadly, key specs like its DPI rating and details about any macro functionality are currently non-existent, however, it does appear to be of the optical variety. Here's to hoping it'll perform just as good at as looks to the eyes, and for now, hit up the press release past the break for totally vague description.

Continue reading BMW's Designworks USA, Thermaltake reveal Level 10 M gaming mouse concept

BMW's Designworks USA, Thermaltake reveal Level 10 M gaming mouse conc! ept originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: LG makes Optimus Pad LTE official, 8.9-inch IPS tablet coming first to South Korea

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/17/lg-announces-optimus-pad-lte/

You've already seen this little guy in the wild, but LG has gone ahead and made its first LTE tablet very official -- ladies and gentlemen, meet the Optimus Pad LTE. The 9.3mm thin slate packs a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm CPU and an 8.9-inch 1280 x 768 IPS display, along with an 8 megapixel camera on the rear and a 2 megapixel option up front. Users can expect an SD card slot that supports modules up to 32GB, and there's also HDMI connectivity and DLNA certification for good measure. It's powered by a 6,800mAh battery, but out of the gate, it'll ship with Android 3.2 -- no word on when the latest Pad hopes to grab a bite of Ice Cream Sandwich. It's set to arrive first in LG's home territory of South Korea, but for those interested in a more complete rundown, be sure to check the PR after the break.

Continue reading LG makes Optimus Pad LTE official, 8.9-inch IPS tablet coming first to South Korea

LG makes Optimus Pad LTE official, 8.9-inch IPS tablet coming first to South Korea originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Oregon Scientific's Portable WiFi Projector comes with a hinge, flirts with your ceiling

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/16/oregon-scientific-portable-wifi-projector-with-hinge/

A projector from Oregon Scientific, you say? Nope, it's not one of those clock and weather projectors, but rather an actual DLP pico projector. At CES 2012, the company was kind enough to show us an early prototype of its Portable WiFi Projector that'll handle FWVGA (854 x 480) at 1,000:1 contrast and a good 80 lumens of brightness (50 if powered by USB alone). Apparently at 3.2 meters from the wall, such combination should produce a clear 120-inch wide picture in total darkness, so we shall see. The final unit -- dummy pictured above -- will be slightly smaller than the working prototype, yet it'll pack a 90-degree hinge (not a first, of course), a focus slide, a 3.5mm headphone jack and some buttons for brightness, power and volume.

Continue reading Oregon Scientific's Portable WiFi Projector comes with a hinge, flirts with your ceiling

Oregon Scientific's Portable WiFi Projector comes with a hinge, flirts with your ceiling originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Sony's Micro Vault MACH thumbdrives move fast, look good doing it

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/17/sonys-micro-vault-mach-thumbdrives-move-fast-look-good-doing-i/

Sony Micro Vault MACH
120 MB/s reads and 90 MB/s writes are far from the fastest in the thumbdrive game, but they're nothing to sneeze at either. While Sony's Micro Vault MACH may not lead the pack in raw speed, it holds its own and looks damnably good doing it. The USB 3.0 stick is cased in a brushed aluminum shell and sports a red indicator LED that, if it moved, might make it look like you had a Cylon attached to your PC. The drives should be available later this month in 16, 32 and 64GB varieties, though, pricing is still a mystery. Check out the gallery below and PR after the break.

Continue reading Sony's Micro Vault MACH thumbdrives move fast, look good doing it

Sony's Micro Vault MACH thumbdrives move fast, look good doing it originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: VantagePoint delivers 132 inches of multitouch to HP's business customers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/17/vantagepoint-delivers-132-inches-of-multitouch-to-hps-business/

HP VantagePoint
There are those out there that laugh at the idea of a 10-inch multitouch screen, and even some chuckle the thought of settling for a mere 40 inches. For those with such demanding requirements (primarily retailers and businesses), there's HP's VantagePoint. The main point of interaction with the video wall is six 47-inch Ultra-Micro Bezel displays that combine to offer 132 inches of diagonal real estate with a 4098 x 1536 resolution. That rather generous pile of pixels is pushed to the Gorilla Glass-fronted panels by a Z800 workstation, while a separate desktop is dedicated to audio and color processing. As you might expect, the set up doesn't come cheap -- businesses will have to cough up around $125,000 for the pleasure of such a beastly interactive installation. Check out the PR and data sheet at the source and some videos of it in action at the more coverage link.

VantagePoint delivers 132 inches of multitouch to HP's business customers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: This Drone Is One New Secret Weapon Realtors Are Using To Sell Luxury Homes In A Stagnant Market

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/this-drone-is-the-new-secret-weapon-realtors-are-using-to-sell-luxury-homes-in-a-stagnant-market-2012-1


helicopter drone

This aerial drone isn't a new piece of military technology--it's a piece of equipment being used by high-end realtors to sell luxury homes without much curb appeal, according to the Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Miller.

The drone, essentially a remote-control helicopter with a camera attached, is being used to snap photos and video of multi-million dollar homes from the sky. It's one of a number of novel selling techniques brokers are testing to move homes in the stagnant luxury market, the Hollywood Reporter says.

Owned by aerial photography company HeliMalibu, the drone has been used to shoot photos of Paramount CEO Brad Grey's Holmby Hills residence, listed at $23.5 million, among others. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the company charges up to $1,800 for video footage of a house and $500 for stills.

It's still far cheaper than the alternative of chartering a helicopter, which can cost up to $4,000, the Hollywood Reporter notes.

Now check out the 15 prettiest homes on the super luxury market right now >

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drag2share: Motorola Mobility brings RAZR to Land of the Rising Sun

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/17/motorola-razr-coming-to-japan/

Motorola Mobility has announced its intentions to bring the super-thin RAZR smartphone to the shores of Japan. The handset will look very similar to the device released here in the states -- 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, 1GB of RAM, an eight megapixel shooter with 1080p video capture and 32GB of storage -- only minus the LTE radio and Droid branding. The handset will be available in "shadow black" or "glacier white" and land on KDDI's network at an undisclosed date for an undisclosed price. The full press release awaits your scrutiny after the break.

Continue reading Motorola Mobility brings RAZR to Land of the Rising Sun

Motorola Mobility brings RAZR to Land of the Rising Sun originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Pantech next to sign Android patent deal with Microsoft

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/17/pantech-android-patent-microsoft/

Microsoft may have already signed patent licensing agreements with 70 percent of the US Android manufacturers, including some of the biggest names in the market, but that doesn't mean Redmond's about ready to hit the brakes anytime soon. Next up on the block is Pantech, according to a company spokesperson talking with Yonhap News. No specific details have been decided yet, so we'll have to wait for the official word and see what happens.

Pantech next to sign Android patent deal with Microsoft originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Virsto Has Better Storage Virtualization for VMware, HyperV

Source: http://www.readwriteweb.com/cloud/2012/01/virsto-has-better-storage-virt.php

Back last summer, Virsto announced the beta support of vSphere for what it is now calling its storage hypervisor. That has now been released, along with a second version of its HyperV product. Both Virsto products automatically thin provision your storage repositories, and also make your storage vastly scalable and easier to replicate, backup and clone.

Sponsor

This is no small accomplishment, and can have big implications. One of their customers has saved a million dollars per year using their software. That is because virtual storage pools often waste a lot of the room in the process. What is impressive about both products is how carefully the Virsto engineers have adopted the native management frameworks: The vSphere version integrates into the vCenter management console and comes with rapid provisioning wizards to make setup easier. And the HyperV version integrates into the Microsoft Management Console interface. V2 for HyperV has an updated user interface, supports storage tiers, and has a utility that makes it easier to recover a snapshot of the entire Virsto environment for disaster recovery purposes. It also includes better integration with Veeam's VDI product line.
Virsto-Deploy.jpg
Both make it easier to clone VMs, taking minutes rather than hour with competing products. Above is a screencapture showing the VDI deployment utility. In tests using IOmeter, Virsto's storage delivered nearly a 10x performance improvement in terms of I/O response time. Pricing starts at $15,000 per terabyte managed.


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drag2share: 87% Of Connected Consumers Prefer Websites & Mobile Sites Over Apps

Source: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/87_of_connected_consumers_prefer_websites_mobile_s.php

smiling_middle-aged_woman-150.jpgWelcome to the connected consumer. This person most likely has a tablet and smartphone, and is constantly connected to their friends via Facebook. Today, more than 60% of 25-34 year-olds (Gen-Y) own a smartphone. One in three online consumers will buy a tablet by 2014. That's a lot to digest at once, right? A new survey from Zmags investigates the connected consumer and their digital habits.

Only 4% of these consumers use branded apps. Eighty-seven percent prefer to use websites and mobile sites. This is good news for the so-called tablet commerce revolution (can a consumer movement be rightly called a "revolution"? I shudder), which suggests that tablet owners are using tablet-optimized websites like Amazon.com. But this connected consumer is not a Gen-Y. She is...wait for it...a 40-something-year-old woman.

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The survey also cites Facebook as an untapped opportunity: More than 75% of connected consumers are also active Facebook users. We have written before about how Facebook is not and will not become a mall. Even though 50% of consumers are logged into Facebook while shopping on an e-commerce site and 40% are engaged with brands' fan pages, this doesn't mean they'll start shopping on Facebook. Meanwhile, social commerce sites like Fab.com growing quickly, attracting a design-focused audience.

The survey found that 87% of consumers relied on their PCs and laptops for browsing, researching and purchasing. Most consumers shopped on their tablet from the couch or from their smartphone.

According to the survey, a total 52% of connected consumers are women with a mean age of 40 and a household income of approximately $63,000. More than 43% of connected consumers own smartphones, and 16% own a tablet. The connected consumer prefers to shop via a website from a PC/laptop, not for a smartphone app.

The connected consumer is also on Facebook; in fact, 34% of tablet owners who are also connected consumers shop on Facebook from their tablet. This is pretty meaningless though, considering that only 9% of connected consumers visit a website from their tablet.

Connected-Consumer-usage.png

The Zmags survey is based on a relatively small sample size of 1500 people in the United States. It does not mention anything about their age, race, gender or location.

Image of the typical connected consumer via NutritionBreakThroughs.com.

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Monday, January 16, 2012

drag2share: Surface 2.0 now shipping, packing PixelSense and Gorilla Glass

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/16/surface-2-0-now-shipping-packing-pixelsense-and-gorilla-glass/

Surface 2.0
Samsung's SUR40 has been a long time coming. The 40-inch next-gen Surface was unveiled at CES 2011, but it's only just now starting to ship, following the 2012 edition of that gadget show. It finally went up for pre-order in mid-November for $8,400, but at the time we still had no clear date for shipments. Those of you waiting impatiently to get your table-PC can rest easy however, as the AMD-based Win7 machine should already be en route to your doorstep -- provided you coughed up the cash one of course. We guess it was just a matter of finally getting that sensor-in-pixel tech worked out. Head on after the break for the full PR.

Continue reading Surface 2.0 now shipping, packing PixelSense and Gorilla Glass

Surface 2.0 now shipping, packing PixelSense and Gorilla Glass originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Here's Google's Latest Weird Gimmick For Logging Into Your Google Accounts (GOOG)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-googles-latest-weird-gimmick-for-logging-into-your-google-accounts-2012-1


larry page

Open Sesame: Google will let you log into your Google accounts — like Gmail and Calender — on any device if you just scan a barcode over at one of their websites.

Here's how it seems to work — you check out the site and then scan the code with your mobile device. That then sends a signal to Google, which lets you unlock your account on whichever device you are viewing the barcode.

It's probably safer than typing in your password in at a public computer, which could be running programs to log your keystrokes and could lead to someone stealing your account information.

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drag2share: Is a Crappy Wi-Fi Signal Ruining Your Netflix Streams? Hy-Fi Routers Promise to Fix That [Internet]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5876043/is-a-crappy-wi+fi-signal-ruining-your-netflix-streams-hy+fi-routers-promise-to-fix-that

Is a Crappy Wi-Fi Signal Ruining Your Netflix Streams? Hy-Fi Routers Promise to Fix ThatThe nerdiest thing our Matt Buchanan ever wanted was an awesome powerline router. I'll see your nerdiness, Matt, and raise you one. Hy-Fi Routers crossbreed Wi-Fi, ethernet, powerline, and MoCA to give you a mutant baby of ultimate internet reliability. The dream of consistently fast 100Mbps internet all over my apartment is so close I can almost taste it.

Hy-Fi is basically a hybrid of all the different ways we connect to the internet at home. Wi-Fi and ethernet you probably know. Powerline transmits data through the electrical wiring already in your house—yes, those standard electrical outlets—so it essentially give you your own isolated, wired home network. Hy-Fi can use all of those together to give you a super reliable data-stream. If your wi-fi suddenly sucks (like it does sometimes) it'll adapt to pull more from powerline. If powerline is spread too thin, it'll take more from wi-fi or ethernet. You'll never know it's doing all of this. All you know is that is that movie you're streaming is playing just like it should.

Hy-Fi (not to by confused with Hyphy) is starting to gain ground, thanks to a new standard that was recently blessed by the IEEE. The standard aims to ensure that your Hy-Fi devices will play nicely together regardless of brand, etc. Qualcomm Atheros has been one of the companies working hard at developing this newer technology, and their new QCA6410 chip should make powerline/Hy-Fi gear smaller, cheaper, and better. I stopped by the Qualcomm Atheros booth at CES to see this gear in action, and it did something extremely surprising: it made me legitimately excited about home networking.

Is a Crappy Wi-Fi Signal Ruining Your Netflix Streams? Hy-Fi Routers Promise to Fix ThatWatching the software in action was like seeing a symphony being conducted by a robot. The demo was pulling four separate video streams at once using a Hy-Fi router with Qualcomm guts. The information could be coming through Wi-Fi, ethernet, and powerline all at once, though they only had Wi-Fi and powerline set up for the demo. They would introduce interference, but data rates instantly adjusted, and performance remained consistent. Soon Qualcomm chips will also be incorporating MoCA (MoCA (multimedia over Coax Alliance, which is pretty much same thing as powerline, but with the coaxial cable you already have in your walls).

My TV is on the far side of my apartment from the office where my router lives. When Netflix streaming craps out on me, I curse TimeWarner. But often if I go closer to the router, it turns out I was just having Wi-Fi problems. I want those days to be behind me, now. Qualcomm is updating all of its new and existing Hy-Fi devices to the new standard this quarter, and others will be hot on their heels. Hopefully more and more devices will be made with this this in mind. And yes, I recognize that I am a total and complete geek right now. I've made my peace with that, but please don't pants me. [Qualcomm Atheros]

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