Chrome adopted by US State Department as optional browser, IE8 prepped for mid-March release (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/05/us-state-department-adopts-chrome-as-certified-browser/

State department workers frustrated with their dated web browsers will get some relief very soon. At the latest town hall meeting, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was questioned on the update roll-out of secure, state-certified browsers and -- prefacing with a chuckle -- she announced that Google's Chrome had started already begun its roll-out last month. For now, it's an optional web browser for those not enamored with Internet Explorer -- the only browser compatible with the full breadth of the Department of State's IT system. Governmental workers that are fans of that big blue 'e' also got some good news -- they'll be seeing the roll out of Internet Explorer 8 from March 20th, with the department planning to leap over version 9 and straight into the loving embrace of Internet Explorer 10. Judging by the whoops and applause during the announcement (included after the break), we wouldn't be shocked if those public servants hugged their updated PCs outright.

Continue reading Chrome adopted by US State Department as optional browser, IE8 prepped for mid-March release (video)

Chrome adopted by US State Department as optional browser, IE8 prepped for mid-March release (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook Messenger for Windows app now officially official

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/05/facebook-messenger-for-windows-app-now-officially-official/

The fact that Facebook had a dedicated messaging app up its sleeve for Windows will go down as one of the worst kept secrets in the history of techdom. In fact, after the client leaked back in December, Zuck and Co. unceremoniously dumped the executable on the web, opened up the help page and did so without an ounce of fanfare. Now the program is getting a proper launch, complete with a landing page and a press release (which you'll find at the source). There's not much here to shock or surprise -- Messenger for Windows allows you to chat with your Facebook friends in a simple tabbed interface, check your news feed and delivers notifications to your desktop. Hit up the source link to download it now.

Facebook Messenger for Windows app now officially official originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DisplayLink powers SIIG USB 3.0 to HDMI adapter with audio, now shipping in the US for $130

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/05/displaylink-siig-usb-3-hdmi-adapter/

Looking to use a USB 3.0 port to connect to that fancy new HD monitor or television? You're in luck. SIIG has just announced its USB 3.0 to HDMI adapter complete with audio -- making multi-tasking during that Justified marathon a breeze. The tech makes use of DisplayLink's DL-3500 USB virtual graphics chip to employ the speed of your PC's 5 Gb/s USB connection. Don't fret, though, the kit is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0, should you need it. You'll find standard and widescreen aspect ratios with resolutions up to 2,048 x 1,536 without the need for extra audio cables. And if that's not enough, you can connect up to six of these bad boys at the same time thanks to the latest DisplayLink software. The adapter is available now in the US for $129.99 with UK shipping expected in the next few weeks. Still on the fence? Hit the full PR below before jumping on the source link to snag one (or six) of your own.

Continue reading DisplayLink powers SIIG USB 3.0 to HDMI adapter with audio, now shipping in the US for $130

DisplayLink powers SIIG USB 3.0 to HDMI adapter with audio, now shipping in the US for $130 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tobii's IS-2 eye tracker is cheaper, 75 percent smaller than its predecessor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/05/tobiis-is-2-eye-tracker-is-cheaper-75-percent-smaller-than-its/

Of all the things we saw at CES, Tobii's eye-tracking Gaze interface was one of the most memorable, even if the execution was a bit flawed. Now the company's back with a next-gen sensor that fits on a single board and is 75 percent smaller than the iteration we saw at CES -- a milestone that will presumably allow it to accommodate a wider range of devices. Tobii also says the IS-2S eye tracker consumes 40 percent less power than its predecessor and will be cheaper to implement, though the company doesn't specify how much it'll cost. It's also unclear which Windows PC and tablet makers will take a chance on the technology, though that won't necessarily stop us from getting an early demo at CeBIT this week.

Gallery: Tobii IS-2 eye tracker

Continue reading Tobii's IS-2 eye tracker is cheaper, 75 percent smaller than its predecessor

Tobii's IS-2 eye tracker is cheaper, 75 percent smaller than its predecessor originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will the Nexus Tablet Come From⦠Asus? [Rumor]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5890483/will-the-nexus-tablet-come-from-asus

Skip the grain and go straight to a full salt-lick for this one. Android and Me claims claims trusted sources have confirmed that Asus will be making a quad-core, 7-inch Google Experience tablet for $199. Why the hell not?

The story goes like this. At CES this year Asus announced a 7-inch, $250 tablet that was powered by Nvidia's quad-core Tegra 3 processor. Supposedly Google was so impressed that they approached Asus and were like, "Hey, wanna build one for 50 bucks cheaper and then slap our name on it?" and Asus was all like, "Sure bro. That sounds tight!" Or something like that.

It would make sense on some levels. Clearly Asus is already almost there in terms of price-point and features Google was looking for, and Android and Me speculates that to get it down to $199 they would just shave off some of the built-in storage and instead have an SD card slot for users to provide their own. Amazon's Kindle Fire has almost certainly been the best-selling Android tablet to date, but because it uses Amazon's version of the software Google isn't getting any of that mobile ad money. They want to fix that, and a $200 quad-core tablet with Google's full ecosystem would certainly tempt a lot of people.

At the same time, you've got to wonder why would Google buy Motorola Mobility if they weren't going to use them for making Nexus devices. Seems like a good fit, no? They built the OG Droid, and the Xoom, which debuted Android 2.0 (Eclair) and 3.0 (Honeycomb), respectively. But then again, the Xoom was a pretty major flop, so maybe it would make sense for them to go to Asus after all. The Asus Transformer series has been very well received. The rumor also speculated that there could be a ten-inch version for $300, but I've already exceeded my recommended daily allowance of sodium. [Android and Me via Unwired View]

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Mercedes slaps sheet of LEDs on the side of an F-Cell, turns car into a chameleon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/04/mercedes-f-cell-gets-led-camouflage/

It's not often that folks want to hide the fact that they're driving a Mercedes, what with plenty of them being among of the finest motorcars on the road. However, as part of a marketing plan to call attention to its zero-emissions F-Cell model, the German marque swathed a side of one in LEDs to give it the ultimate in camouflage. You see, in addition to that makeshift display, a Canon 5D Mark II was mounted on the other side of the car so that video of its surroundings could be shown on the LED bodywork -- rendering the car all but invisible to onlookers, as long as they're staring at the left side, of course. Go ahead, head on down to see the magic of digital camo for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Mercedes slaps sheet of LEDs on the side of an F-Cell, turns car into a chameleon

Mercedes slaps sheet of LEDs on the side of an F-Cell, turns car into a chameleon originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Mar 2012 19:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OLED Lights Will Make Future Audis Glow Like Jellyfish [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5890141/oled-lights-will-make-future-audis-glow-like-jellyfish

Like a bioluminescent creature rising from the depths, these OLED lighting concepts from Audi are simply otherworldly. Eat your heart out, KITT.

Audi demonstrated the new lighting today at the Audi Electronics Center in Ingolstadt. As you can see, the R8 and Q7 both feature flat-panel OLED displays running the length of the vehicle—eight segments alone create the flashing turn indicator strip.

According the Stephan Berlitz, Head of Lighting Technology and Electronics at Audi, OLED is a natural extension of Audi's own pioneering efforts integrating LED lighting into its vehicles,

This homogeneous visual effect would not be possible with today's LEDs. These are individual points of light that need additional optical devices – reflectors, optical conductors or scatter optics. OLED surfaces are themselves the source of light, and the thin plates also look attractive. They weigh little, light up extremely fast, develop only a small amount of heat, last for several tens of thousand hours and don't consume any more energy than conventional light-emitting diodes. OLEDs suit Audi perfectly because they combine high-end technology, maximum precision and super design!

This technology is still a few years from the showroom floor and Audi still needs to overcome the lights' 80-degree Celcius temperature limit. As soon as that's sorted, Berlitz expects these lights to begin showing up as white daytime running lights (just as the LED's did before them) before being integrated into the larger signal sets. The company is even rumored to be exploring a 3D OLED feature. [Eurocar News via OLED Display]

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ASUS Eee PC Flare 1025C netbook up for preorder, ships March 10th for $299

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/02/asus-eee-pc-flare-1025c-netbook-up-for-preorder-ships-march-10t/

If netbooks are your cup of tea and you've been waiting to get your hands on an ASUS Eee PC Flare 1025C like we did back at CES, you're in luck. Matte Black and White color options are up for preorder now from Amazon. Get ready to part with $300 for one of the available schemes, as the kit is set to ship out next week. If you recall, the 10.1-inch netbook packs a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N2600 dual-core processor, 1,024 x 600 LED display, 1GB of DDR3-1333 memory, a 320GB 5,400RPM hard drive and weighs-in at just under three pounds. The PC's six-cell, 56WHr battery touts a 12.5 hour life span, giving you ample time to submit those TPS reports sans outlet. If you're looking for all the fine details, hit the coverage link below before committing.

ASUS Eee PC Flare 1025C netbook up for preorder, ships March 10th for $299 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple name-drops Corning as iPhone glass manufacturer, we feign surprise

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/02/apple-name-drops-corning-as-iphone-glass-manufacturer-we-feign/

For a company so focused on secrecy, Apple never really did all that good of a job keeping its connection with Corning under wraps. We've always suspected that the company enlisted the Gorilla Glass maker for the iPhone, though it didn't really go out of its way to admit it -- even going so far as omitting the New York-based company from its 2011 suppliers list. Cupertino offered it a little love today, however, giving Corning a nod in its chipper job creation report. While it didn't actually mention Gorilla Glass by name on the page, Apple was happy to talk up the "Corning employees in Kentucky and New York who create the majority of the glass for iPhone."

Apple name-drops Corning as iPhone glass manufacturer, we feign surprise originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgin Media TiVo rolling out Red Button interactive TV services for Premier League and more

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/03/virgin-media-tivo-rolling-out-red-button-interactive-tv-services/

While there's no doubt that Virgin Media customers have taken well to the company's TiVo HD DVR offering, so far switching has meant giving up certain interactive TV services supported elsewhere. they're getting one back now, as the company announced it's kicking off the rollout of Red Button interactivity to the TiVo on Sky Sports HD, letting footy fans catch more extended highlights of Premier League games. There's more on the way too, with support planned for the upcoming F1 channel and BBC services in April. Check out the press release after the break ffr more details on what will be supported and when, assuming one will be watching the games on TV instead of diving into hooliganism, or whatever it is fans of football do, we'll keep our handegg thank you very much.

Continue reading Virgin Media TiVo rolling out Red Button interactive TV services for Premier League and more

Virgin Media TiVo rolling out Red Button interactive TV services for Premier League and more originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Mar 2012 04:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Splashtop THD lands on ICS Tegra 3 tabs, ready to stream full-screen Skyrim

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/02/splashtop-thd-lands-on-ics-tegra-3-tabs/

Splashtop is one of the premier remote desktop apps out there and, at CES, we got a pretty sweet demo of it pushing full screen games and HD video from a Windows 7 PC to a Tegra 3 tablet. Now that version (THD) is available for download in the Android Market for $6.99. Of course, you'll need a Tegra 3 slate running Ice Cream Sandwich to take advantage, while playing Skyrim in full screen has the added requirement of PC sporting a GeForce GPU. Once you've gotten those basic requirements out of the way you'll still want to make sure you've got a solid and quick wireless connection -- all the processing power in the world won't be able to compensate for a lack of bandwidth. Check out the video after the break to see it in action and hit up the source link to buy it yourself.

Continue reading Splashtop THD lands on ICS Tegra 3 tabs, ready to stream full-screen Skyrim

Splashtop THD lands on ICS Tegra 3 tabs, ready to stream full-screen Skyrim originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Intel Ivy Bridge i5 details leaked in Intel sales book

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/02/new-intel-ivy-bridge-i5-details-leaked/

Word on the street is Ivy Bridge has been delayed, but that doesn't mean you have to wait till June to get the low down on some of the shiny new silicon Intel has in store for you. Chipzilla posted a sales book, presumably on accident since it's been pulled, with details about upcoming i5 and i7 refreshes. The only page we were able to find was loaded with Core i5s, including third generation parts like the 3.4GHz 3570K which packs the new HD4000 and, most likely, an unlocked multiplier. Most of the rest of the lineup, save the 3475S, is rocking Intel's HD2500 IGP, while the lone dual-core part is the 3470T, which is also the only chip to sport Hyper-Threading and ship with only 3MB of cache. Now, as far as when you can buy these processors or how much they'll cost, we're still in dark, but at least we've got a better idea of what we'll be shopping for. Head on after the break for a slightly better look at the new parts.

Continue reading New Intel Ivy Bridge i5 details leaked in Intel sales book

New Intel Ivy Bridge i5 details leaked in Intel sales book originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Option announces new 4G chipset compatible with Windows 8

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/02/option-announces-new-4g-chipset-compatible-with-windows-8/

Belgian wireless outfit Option has produced a 4G modem that takes up the same space inside a netbook or tablet as the company's previous 3G-enabled model. The GTM801 is based around Qualcomm's universal-standard Gobi MDM9215 and, even better, is already designed to support Windows 8 -- so we can at least hope that the first or second wave of tablets for Microsoft's new OS will be able to access 4G natively, for when we need to work Facebook on the go. Given that all of Option's tech is Gobi-based, you'll also have backwards compatibility with pretty much every standard ever invented, which is good if you don't live in the middle of a LTE zone.

Continue reading Option announces new 4G chipset compatible with Windows 8

Option announces new 4! G chipse t compatible with Windows 8 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 09:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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KIRF MacBook Air is the prettiest netbook we've seen today

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/02/kirf-macbook-air-is-the-prettiest-netbook-weve-seen-today/

This is the Netbook Navigator NAV13X Windows 7 Ultrabook and if we're honest, we think it's a very attractive looking device. That said, we're not so sure it's going to be on sale for too long, which is a genuine shame. Despite being called an Ultrabook, it's not an Intel-sanctioned device, which won't go down well with Santa Clara's lawyers. Secondly, it's actually a Netbook running a 1.86GHz dual-core Atom CPU with 2GB of RAM and a 32GB SSD, with build to-order options running to larger memory and storage. Thirdly, we're fairly sure we've seen industrial design like this before, and given the litigious nature of the company involved, we expect a metric ton of cease-and-desist notices to be delivered to Navigator's New Jersey HQ before the weekend's over. However, if it can survive the barrage of paperwork from two of the industry's biggest companies, it'll arrive very soon, setting you back a slight $500 sans OS or $600 with Windows 7 Home Premium.

KIRF MacBook Air is the prettiest ! netbook we've seen today originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unofficial VLC beta hits Android, no video format is safe

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/02/unofficial-vlc-beta-hits-android-no-video-format-is-safe/

VLC is the Swiss Army knife (nope, not you Perian) of media players and it has never baulked at any of the increasingly weird and wonderful formats we've thrown at it -- which is good because now it's available on Android. The unsupported, unofficial beta by user adridu59 is tailored to run on selected Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich handsets. It's available to grab from the source link, with the caveat that as an unofficial build, it'll require a little bit of tinkering at your end

Unofficial VLC beta hits Android, no video format is safe originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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