Monday, February 20, 2012

Intel Launching New Atom-Based Processors With Digital Wi-Fi [Intel]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5886463/intel-launching-new-atom+based-processors-with-digital-wi+fi

Intel Launching New Atom-Based Processors With Digital Wi-FiIf you thought Intel's Atom processor line was dead, think again: the company is launching a new version of the silicon, code named Rosepoint. Don't be too quick to dismiss it, either, because it sounds like the new mobile processor could mean business.

Wired reports that the new line of chips should bring significant reductions in power, cost, and size to Intel-powered smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Perhaps most interestingly, the chip has Wi-Fi built in as part of the digital chip. Current Wi-Fi chips tend to be analog, and a digital version should in theory be easier—and cheaper—to scale down. Indeed, Intel Chief Technical Officer Justin Rattner told Wired that the digital Wi-Fi chip should scale with Moore's law and has "state of the art power efficiency."

Even though Intel is officially announcing the chip in San Francisco this week, it won't be commercially available for at least two years. Given that it currently supports just 2.4GHz and Wi-Fi, that seems a little odd—though apparently versions with cellular data and built-in radio antennas are in development. [Wired]

Read More...

Could This Be The iPad 3's Guts? [Rumors]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5886465/could-this-be-the-ipad-3s-guts

Could This Be The iPad 3's Guts?Last week we saw what might be the iPad 3's high-res display. Now, MacRumors is suggesting that the logic board of the new iPad is out in the wild. How likely it is to be real is, obviously, up for debate.

This photo, originally posted at Chinese site WeiPhone, shows what is claimed to be the iPad 3's logic board, including an "A5X" system-on-a-chip. We're expecting a new processor in the next iteration of the iPad—though we thought an A6 would be the next logical step. If this photograph is real, the A5X model name may suggest that this piece of silicon is a bridging step.

According to Mac Rumors, the date code on the chip—"1146"—indicates that it was "manufactured in the 46th week of 2011, which would have corresponded to November 14-20". Elsewhere on the board are a pair of 16 GB flash memory chips from Hynix and a rectangular Apple-branded chip similar to the power management chips found in previous iPads.

As ever, it's difficult to say whether we can definitely expect the A5X chip to appear in the new iPad. One thing is certain: there isn't long to wait in order to find out. [Mac Rumors]

Read More...

Sunday, February 19, 2012

GuitarJack Model 2 review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/18/guitarjack-model-2-review/

As recovering amateur musicians, some of us still fancy well-made mobile recording gear from time to time. The ability to simultaneously record guitar and vocals using an iPhone 4S is what made the GuitarJack Model 2, in particular, catch our eye. We've taken iPad recording accessories for a spin in the past, but the compact stature of this kit, along with its ability to transform a smartphone into a 4-track recorder seemed quite compelling indeed. At $149, this generation of the GuitarJack costs a full Grant more than Apogee Jam -- excluding the added expense of well-suited apps, of course. So is that hefty investment worth it? Read on to find out.

Continue reading GuitarJack Model 2 review

GuitarJack Model 2 review originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 flexes its imaging muscle (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/18/qualcomms-snapdragon-s4-flexes-its-imaging-muscle-video/

Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 flexes its imaging muscle (video)
While we already know that Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 will offer a quad-core variant, incorporate LTE and use a 28nm manufacturing process, the company posted an article to its media blog ahead of Mobile World Congress showcasing the new features provided by the chipset's Image Signal Processor. You're likely familiar with some of the imaging functionality available in Qualcomm's existing Snapdragon processors -- technology like Scalado's Rewind (pictured above) which we've covered before. The new SoC cranks things up a notch with support for up to three cameras (two in the back for 3D plus one front-facing), 20-megapixel sensors and 1080p HD video recording at 30fps. In addition to zero shutter lag, the Snapdragon S4 includes proprietary 3A processing (autofocus, auto exposure and auto white balance) along with improved blink / smile detection, gaze estimation, range finding and image stabilization. Rounding things off are gesture detection / control, augmented reality and computer vision (via Quacomm's FastCV). Want to know more? Check out the source link below, then hit the break for video demos of the S4's image stabilization and gesture-based imaging chops.

Continue reading Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 flexes its imaging muscle (video)

Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 flexes its imaging muscle (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 23:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceQualcomm  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

LG Optimus Vu officially revealed ahead of MWC with stylus, 1.5GHz CPU (Updated)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/19/lg-optimus-vu-5-inch-4x3-mwc-2012/

Similar to its pre-CES reveals, LG just couldn't wait for Mobile World Congress to get underway on the 27th before showing off its new Optimus Vu handset. These new pics offer a much clearer look at its 4x3 aspect ratio, 1024x768 res, stylus-friendly 5-inch IPS LCD display, while the official specs confirm rumors it would pack a 1.5GHz dual core CPU, 8MP camera, LTE, 2080mAh battery and Android 2.3 in a slim 8.5mm thick frame. An upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich is promised within three months of its launch, currently scheduled for March on Korean carriers SK Telecom and LG+. Check the gallery for a few more glamour shots of this new Galaxy Note competitor, and see if wider truly is better.

Update: You'll find a few more official pictures in the gallery below and the English PR with details on its "QuickClip" hotkey for one-button screenshots and memos and the "Rubberdium" stylus after the break.

Gallery: LG Optimus Vu

Continue reading LG Optimus Vu officially revealed ahead of MWC with stylus, 1.5GHz CPU (Updated)

LG Optimus Vu officially revealed ahead of MWC with stylus, 1.5GHz CPU (Updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Feb 2012 01:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceLG  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Remote-Controlled Drug Device Could Deliver Chemo at Home [Science]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5886073/remote+controlled-drug-device-could-deliver-chemo-at-home

Remote-Controlled Drug Device Could Deliver Chemo at HomeSeven women suffering from osteoporosis got the chance to avoid their usual visits to the doctor for their injected medicines. Instead, their physician administered treatment remotely through an implant that pumped meds into their systems on demand while the patients rested at home.

As part of a clinical trial, the women received abdominal implants made by MicroCHIPS, a company in Waltham, Massachusetts. Over a period of four months, they delivered 20 daily doses of a hormone treatment called teriparatide, which improves bone formation and reduces the risk of fracture. The study, which was performed in Denmark, showed that the remote injections worked just as well as in-person injections.

The work was presented on the first day of the enormous annual American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting, which started yesterday in Vancouver, B.C. The research is published in the February 15 issue of Science Translational Medicine. The device has to clear two more FDA clinical trials before it's approved, which the company hopes will happen by 2016.

This seems in lots of ways like a fantastic idea. It could work for multiple sclerosis, cancer, and chronic pain, making it a lot more convenient for patients to get treatment. It also allows doctors to deliver more precise doses of medicine over time. (They say it won't work for insulin, though, to treat diabetes because the doses are too large).

I might feel a little freaked out though to have a device implanted inside my body that someone on the other side of town can control. What if someone sits on the button by accident or forgets to push it altogether? Part of the idea is that the patient is freed from having to remember to take his or her medicine, which would be really great for elderly people. I think I would like it better if I could control it myself. [AAAS via Financial Times]

Image: MicroCHIPS

Read More...

WSJ: Safari loophole lets Google track Apple users through web ads

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/wsj-safari-loophole-lets-google-track-apple-users-through-web-a/

Stanford researcher Jonathan Mayer has discovered a curious Safari loophole that allows Google to track a user's browsing activity via cookie-laced web ads. As it turns out, Apple's browser normally accepts cookies from sites that a user visits, but automatically blocks them from third-party advertisers. As Mayer found out, though, advertisers can still circumvent this filter by enticing users to interact with ads in different ways. In the case of Google, the search giant embedded a "+1" button on ads produced with its DoubleClick technology, as part of an opt-in feature for Google+ users. If a user was logged in to Google+ and had agreed to see +1 ad displays, he or she would have a cookie planted on their device, thanks to a system that sent invisible forms from Apple computers or iPhones. This made it seem as if a user actually submitted the form intentionally, thereby convincing Safari to allow cookies. These cookies were only temporary, with shelf lives of up to 24 hours, but they could open the door for many more, since Safari allows sites to plant them after having received access to install at least one.

After the Wall Street Journal notified Google of this loophole, the company promptly disabled it and duly apologized, adding that it didn't realize that its +1 system would plant tracking cookies on a user's device. "We didn't anticipate that this would happen, and we have now started removing these advertising cookies from Safari browsers," Google's Rachel Whetstone ex! plained. "It's important to stress that, just as on other browsers, these advertising cookies do not collect personal information." An Apple spokesperson, meanwhile, issued the following statement: "We are aware that some third parties are circumventing Safari's privacy features and we are working to put a stop to it."

WSJ: Safari loophole lets Google track Apple users through web ads originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceThe Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Acer Iconia Tab family to be given Ice Cream Sandwich treatment, rolling out to A200 now

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/acer-iconia-tab-family-to-be-given-ice-cream-sandwich-treatment/

Acer's revealed that it'll be bringing Android's latest and greatest version to its existing tablet family. The update is rolling out (as promised) on the Iconia Tab A200 now, but version 4.0 will also make an appearance on both its seven inch (Iconia A100) and 10 inch (Iconia A500) relatives in April. The update adds all those ICS features, including refreshed widget design and improved multitasking, but leaves the manufacturer's own Android addition -- the Acer launcher ring -- intact.

Continue reading Acer Iconia Tab family to be given Ice Cream Sandwich treatment, rolling out to A200 now

Acer Iconia Tab family to be given Ice Cream Sandwich treatment, rolling out to A200 now originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Emai l this | Comments

Read More...

More HTC Endeavor whispers: SLCD display, thin chassis, 32GB and no microSD

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/more-htc-endeavor-whispers/

Months of rumors about the HTC Endeavor (aka the One X, Edge, Ville) have layered up to provide a pretty complete (if not totally reliable) picture of the forthcoming Tegra 3-powered Android handset. There's room for a few more brush-strokes, however, and one of MoDaCo's tipsters is happy to paint them. We're told the new handset will have a Super LCD display, despite earlier rumors of HTC flirting with AMOLED (again). This could be no bad thing, judging from the stunning 1280 x 720 panel on the Rezound, but the Endeavor is expected to have a larger 4.7-inch screen and hence a slightly lower pixel density. The thinness of the Endeavor's chassis will reportedly be a major selling point, as will be the 32GB of onboard memory that will come as standard. However, this storage won't be expandable -- the tipster says there's no microSD on the back, just a microSIM slot and an 1800mAh battery that may or may not be removable. Again, the provenance of these reports is unknown, but MoDaCo's reports have so far tallied closely with what we saw in a leaked Endeavor ROM. Assuming it's all accurate, will it be enough to give HTC the differentiating leg-up it so badly needs? We're not sure, but we do know that mor! e Beats Audio or a music streaming service won't cut it.

More HTC Endeavor whispers: SLCD display, thin chassis, 32GB and no microSD originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Community  |  sourceMoDaCo  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

New Swype beta fulfills the Ice Cream Sandwich promise

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/new-swype-beta-adds-ice-cream-sandwich-support/

New Swype beta fulfills the Ice Cream Sandwich promise
It may be here a bit later than the 140-character box promised, but this fresh beta version of your favorite third-party keyboard app brings along a treat you'd been begging for. Swype's latest gift to the early-adopting crowd brings along some much requested Ice Cream Sandwich support. And, although all you Gnex-rockin' folks are getting what you wanted, the beta also adds other bits like accuracy improvements, add-ons with DragonGo! as well as downloadable languages for slates. We figured all that tapping's got you fatigued, so we're hooking you up with a clickable link to the download below.

New Swype beta fulfills the Ice Cream Sandwich promise originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Droid Life  |  sourceSwype  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Amazon elbows past Samsung for No. 2 tablet spot in Q4, according to IHS

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/amazon-elbows-past-samsung-for-no-2-tablet-spot-in-q4-apples/

EDIT Amazon elbows its way past Samsung for No. 2 tablet spot
Amazon had some serious trombone action going on last year -- what with all the horn tooting it did about Kindle Fire demand. Turns out Amazon was on to something, as the company has apparently grabbed the No. 2 spot from Samsung for tablet sales in the last quarter, according to research firm IHS iSuppli. Based on its numbers, Amazon sold 3.89 million tablets during the fourth quarter, eclipsing Samsung's 2.14 million units. The numbers equal a 14 percent share of the tablet market for Amazon while Samsung grabbed an 8 percent share, down from 11 percent in the third quarter. The brisk sales came at a price for Amazon, which saw fourth-quarter profits drop since it sold Kindle Fire tablets at a loss. Amazon's tablet sales also were still below the 15.4 million iPads sold by Apple for the period. All the competition is apparently taking a bite out of Apple's market share, however, which fell to 62 percent in 2011, compared to 87 percent in 2010. Samsung did manage to hold on to the No. 2 spot for the year, but with rumors already swirling about ne! w iPads< /a> plus the Galaxy Note 10.1, the tablet wars aren't likely to cool off anytime soon.

Amazon elbows past Samsung for No. 2 tablet spot in Q4, according to IHS originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Bloomberg Businessweek  |  sourceIHS Inc.  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Alleged iPad 3 Retina Display examined under a microscope

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/alleged-ipad-3-retina-display-examined-under-a-microscope/

iPad 3 screen
There are no shortage of iPad 3 rumors out there. Quad-core A6, LTE radio, Retina Display -- we've heard it all, but haven't actually seen much in the way of evidence. Now MacRumors claims to have gotten its paws on part of the mythical beast. The site has a 9.7-inch LCD, in the same aspect ratio as the iPad and iPad 2 that certainly appears to be rocking a full 2048 x 1536 resolution. Without a way to power the screen its a little tough to be certain, but the same area of the alleged iPad 3 panel does seem to house twice as many pixels as its predecessor when viewed under the same magnification. Could this in fact be the Retina Display destined to put iOS 5.1 in the hands of millions of tablet fans? We'll just have to wait for Tim Cook to reveal of its secrets to us, which should be happening sooner, rather than later.

Alleged iPad 3 Retina Display examined under a microscope originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:55:00 EDT. Pleas! e see ou r terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMacRumors  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Congress passes bill opening up TV spectrum to next-gen WiFi networks

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/congress-passes-bill-opening-up-tv-spectrum-to-next-gen-wifi-net/

It may seem a bit odd to see tech industry groups like the CTIA and CEA praising the passage of the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 by Congress, but that rather mundane-sounding bill has provisions attached to it that both groups and others have been pushing for years to happen. In an effort to cover the cost of the payroll tax extension, the bill also sets aside a large block of so-called unlicensed spectrum for auction, which is expected to bring in upwards of $25 billion. That spectrum had previously been used for TV broadcast use, but is now being eyed by various parties for next-generation WiFi networks, which could cover greater distances and potentially be used to bolster existing wireless networks. As part of the bill, Congress has also set aside a slice of spectrum that will be used as part of a nationwide network for public safety agencies. As The New York Times notes, however, it will see be quite a while before anything trickles down to consumers, with the auctions themselves at least a year or two away. The CEA and CTIA's statements can be found after the break.

[Tower photo via Shutterstock]

Continue reading Congress passes bill opening up TV spectrum to next-gen WiFi networks

Congress passes bill opening up TV spectrum to next-gen WiFi networks originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceCIO  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Lytro video camera 'a possibility', would need more processing muscle

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/lytro-video-camera-a-possibility-would-need-more-processing-m/

While we impatiently await a Lytro to call our own -- or at least rigorously review -- it looks like the light field technology could be used for video. Ren Ng, CEO of Lytro and the man behind the camera's focus-dodging optical wizardry, mentioned that the main barrier between the curious camera lens and video recording is the amount of processing power required to manipulate all that fully-lit input. He also mentioned that Lytro is continuing to develop the wireless connectivity within the device, something that wasn't fully baked during our hands-on. If it's a processing power issue, those incoming quad-core smartphones might be able to help squeeze some video out of that f/2.0 lens...

Lytro video camera 'a possibility', would need more processing muscle originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceTechCrunch  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Google's Dart lands in Chromium tech preview

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/googles-dart-lands-in-chromium-tech-preview/

Leaves weren't the only things flying around Mountain View last Autumn if you remember, Google also unleashed its Dart programming language. Now, developers can get their hands on a tech preview version of Chromium, with the Dart virtual machine baked right in. There are Mac and Linux binaries available today, but no details about other platforms (ahem Windows) at this time. The preview lets you run your programs directly on the Dart VM, skipping the separate compilation stage. While it's just for developers at the minute, there are plans to include this in standard Chrome releases in the future. Aim at the source link after the break for the full details.

Google's Dart lands in Chromium tech preview originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  sourceChromium Blog  | Email this | Comments

Read More...