Google tests Flight Explorer tool, offers more visual and powerful ticket searches

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/14/google-flight-explorer/

Google may have updated its flight search tool for tablets just a couple of months back, but it's been a while since its desktop counterpart saw a refresh. Currently being tested under the call sign "Flight Explorer", the outfit has a new offering that provides a more customizable and visual interface to help root out a suitable plane ticket. While the filters are pretty much the same as the existing Google Flights search engine, there's a new slider to choose trip length, an upfront indication of the best available ticket price for the selected timeframe, along with handy graphs that show price over time, and which yield up specifics when you hover over them with your mouse pointer. There's every chance that these new additions will be merged into Google Flights once any crinkles have been ironed out, but in the meantime there's nothing to stop you using it at the link below. And hey, send us a postcard!

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Via: WebProNe! ws, The Next Web

Source: Google Flight Explorer

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Lava Xolo A800 reaches India, delivers big screen and dual SIMs on a budget

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/14/lava-xolo-a800-reaches-india-delivers-big-screen-and-dual-sims/

Most of us who know Lava's Xolo badge will associate it with one of the first Atom-based smartphones, the Xolo X900, but it's branching out to models that don't require an Intel Inside label. Its just-launched, India-oriented Xolo A800 is all about keeping the cost of a big-screened phone down through a low-cost ARM processor: the Android 4.0 smartphone combines a 1GHz, dual-core MediaTek MT6577 chip with a 4.5-inch, 960 x 540 IPS display that you won't often find in this device class. There's a few other surprises in store. While the dual 2G and 3G SIM slots aren't unusual given local market tastes, the A800 also stuffs in a very modern backside-illuminated 8-megapixel rear camera, a front VGA camera and a total of 12GB of storage out of the box. The grand total for Indians buying today is just 11,999 rupees ($220) off-contract -- a good deal that makes us hope Lava takes the A800 abroad.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: Infibeam

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Free online tool creates images with adjustable depth of field from standard DSLR video

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/14/dof-changeable-images-using-DSLR/

We've seen a couple of ways to change the depth of field (DOF) in pictures after they've been shot, but those methods have all featured specific hardware for the job. Knowing that most aren't inclined to fork over the notes for such luxuries, online auteurists The Choas Collective have released a free online tool for creating DOF-changeable images -- and all you need is a basic DSLR that shoots video. Instead of fancy in-camera tech that captures all the focal range data in one instance, their method requires you to shoot a short, steady video of the subject scene while you manually change the focus from one extreme to another. Upload the clip, and the Collective's neat tool cuts each frame into a 20 x 20 grid and works out what's in focus. The result is an embeddable image which allows you to play around with depth of field on the fly. We know you're probably eager to try this out right now, but before you go looking for your camera, head to the source link for full instructions and tips for shooting the clip. Alternatively, if you're sans DSLR, check out the example of a DOF-changeable image we've hidden below the fold.

Continue reading Free online tool creates images with adjustable depth of field from standard DSLR video

Filed under: Cameras, Internet, Software

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Source: The Chaos Collective

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Acer Iconia W700 review: a Core i5 Windows 8 slate that doesn't skimp on battery life

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/14/acer-iconia-w700-review/

Until PC makers figure out what consumers want in their Windows 8 PCs, they'll be throwing different designs at the proverbial wall to see what sticks. One thing's for sure, though: laptop / tablet hybrids have already made it. So far, we've seen a mix of models, some with low-power Atom processors, and others with laptop-grade Core i5 CPUs inside. Basically, a choice between amazing horsepower and long battery life.

In Acer's lineup, specifically, we've already had a chance to play with the Iconia W510, an Atom-powered device with a keyboard dock. Now we're taking a look at the Iconia W700 ($800 and up), an 11-inch tablet that's essentially an Ultrabook with no keyboard attached. Based on that brief summary you'd think it had the same form factor as the smaller W510, but you'd be wrong. Whereas the W510 has a keyboard dock with a built-in battery, the W700 has a cradle with a modular kickstand you can use you to prop up the tablet in landscape or portrait mode. There's no battery inside the dock, and the keyboard is a standalone product; you'll have to pack it separately if you decide you need it on a trip. So is there any advantage to having a design with so many different pieces? And how does that Core i5 processor fare, anyway? Let's see.

Gallery: Acer Iconia W700 review

Continue reading Acer Iconia W700 review: a Core i5 Windows 8 slate that doesn't skimp on battery life

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, Acer

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Facebook for Android 2.0 arrives with much faster load times, in-feed photo browsing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/13/facebook-for-android-2-0-arrives-with-much-faster-load-times/

Facebook users running Android have been clamoring for speed updates, and it looks like they'll at least get some of what they desire today. A version 2.0 revamp moves partly to native code and is purportedly twice as fast at loading the Timeline and photos, on top of simply being faster to start. The upgrade also lets us quickly flip through photos without having to shift attention away from the news feed. Google Play isn't yet carrying Facebook 2.0 as of this writing, but it's promised within hours -- check the source link at the right time and you may get a speed kick that many have been craving for months.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Facebook

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Via: Facebook (1), (2)

Source: Google Play

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