Thursday, January 17, 2013

Lenovo adopts Chrome OS, intros ThinkPad X131e Chromebook for schools

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/17/lenovo-intros-thinkpad-x131e-chromebook/

Lenovo adopts Chrome OS, intros ThinkPad X131e Chromebook for schools

The Chromebook world has really amounted to a two-horse town: you've had to like either Acer's designs or Samsung's if you've wanted Chrome OS on the move. Lenovo is at last pushing out the borders, however slightly, with the ThinkPad X131e Chromebook. As suggested by the name, it's a subtle adaptation of the existing X131e to Google's platform, where the only real hardware difference is AMD's removal from the options list. The software really is the point, though -- Lenovo sees the combination of a rugged, 11.6-inch laptop with web-only software as being perfect for schools that don't want headaches with damage, security or storage. Accordingly, the only ones buying as of the February 26th launch will be institutional customers making volume bids. The Lenovo Chromebook won't affect most grown-ups as a result, but it could shake up an OS ecosystem that has remained tiny for more than two years.

Continue reading Lenovo adopts Chrome OS, intros ThinkPad X131e Chromebook for schools

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Source: Lenovo

Read More...

Is This HTC's New Flagship Phone?

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5976688/is-this-htcs-new-flagship-phone

Is This HTC's New Flagship Phone?According to Evleaks, on UnwiredView, this is a render from a start-up video for the much-rumoured new HTC M7. Rumours suggest that the flagship phone will pack a 4.7-inch 1080p screen, along with a 1.7GHz quad-core chip backed by 2GB of RAM and LTE.

According to the latest leaks, the M7 will also bring back the humble IR port, allowing the phone to act like a learning remote. We're expecting to see the phone in the flesh come the Mobile World Conference next month, and HTC presumably hopes that it will turn the company's declining fortunes around.

The lack of branding and distinct screen borders suggest that this isn't exactly the design HTC is expected to debut at MWC, but it does, perhaps, give an indication of what's to come. It looks good— and, um, an awful lot like the iPhone 5. If the leak's accurate, HTC could have something big on its hands. [UnwiredView]


Is This HTC's New Flagship Phone?Our newest offspring Gizmodo UK is gobbling up the news in a different timezone, so check them out if you need another Giz fix.

Read More...

Samsung now pushing out more updates to address Exynos security vulnerability

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/17/samsung-exynos-security-updates/

Samsung now pushing out more updates to address Exynos security vulnerability

About two weeks ago, Samsung started rolling out a fix to help Galaxy S III owners in the UK with that previously acknowledged Exynos issue. Fast forward to today, and the Korean electronics giant is now delivering an over-the-air update to T-Mobile's Galaxy Note II, which, according to the changelog, "improves security and provides bug fixes" to the famed handset. Meanwhile, Sprint, too, has pushed out a software update, though this one in particular being for the carrier's Galaxy S II Epic Touch 4G -- and it brings security updates that should take care of any existing Exynos vulnerabilities, plus there's also the inclusion of "Sprint Connections Optimizer." Surely, we can expect similar patches for more devices in the days to come, as we're all well aware that Samsung's working hard on solving the problem.

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

Via: Android Central

Source: Sprint, T-Mobile

Read More...

AMD unveils Open 3.0: an Opteron 6300 platform for the Open Compute Project

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/17/amd-unveils-open-3-0-a-very-scalable-opteron-6300-server-platform/

AMD Opteron

The Open Compute Project is pushing hard for servers that are both very scalable and streamlined, and AMD is more than willing to help with the launch of its Open 3.0 server platform. The framework combines two Opteron 6300 processors with a motherboard that contains just the essentials, yet scales to meet just about any need in a rackmount system. Among the many, many expansion options are 24 memory slots, six SATA ports for storage, as many as four PCI Express slots and a mezzanine link for custom components. Open 3.0 isn't as flexible as a decentralized, Intel-based prototype being shown at the same time, but it's also much closer to practical reality -- a handful of companies already have access, and on-the-ground sales should start before the end of March. If all goes well, companies will have a Lego-like server base that solves their problems with precision.

Continue reading AMD unveils Open 3.0: an Opteron 6300 platform for the Open Compute Project

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Source: AMD

Read More...

LG has found 300 homes for its $20K, 84-inch, 4K TV in Korea so far

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/17/lg-has-found-300-homes-for-its-20k-84-inch-4k-tv/

LG has found 300 homes for its $20K, 84inch, 4K TV so far

Throwing a $20k Ultra HD TV set onto the market when there's no 4K content of any kind in sight is quite the leap of faith, but LG told ChosunBiz (and confirmed to us) that it's already found 300 deep-pocketed videophiles in Korea for its 84-inch 84LM9600 since it went on sale. Judging by CES 2013 the industry is all-in on the tech, so that news hopefully bodes well for the near future of UHDTV. It's safe to say that consumer interest has been piqued by the pixel-rich screens, but whether that'll translate into the kind of numbers we've seen recently for run-of-the-mill HDTV will likely depend on the all-important sticker price -- which will have to be much, much lower than recent models.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Via: The Verge

Source: ChosunBiz (translated)

Read More...

Google dreams up laser projection system to control Project Glass

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/17/google-project-glass-laser-projector-patent/

Google seeks patent for a laser projection system to control Project Glass

A virtual touchpad projected onto limbs and other everyday surfaces? That's the type of crazy idea we'd normally expect to see from Microsoft Research, not Google. Heck, maybe we even did. But Google has applied to patent the concept specifically in relation to Project Glass. The system would use a tiny laser projector mounted on the arm of the spectacles to beam out QWERTY and other buttons, and then the built-in camera and processor would try to interpret finger movements in the region of those buttons. Hey presto! No more fiddling with your face.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: USPTO

Read More...

How to stop the Zorpia spam

If you got this message, seemingly from someone you know... and you clicked on the button .. 


and you accidentally gave Zorpia access to your gmail and contact list by clicking on the following blue button



you need to immediately go into your google account and REVOKE access, otherwise it will continue to have access. 







Read More...

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Facebook's Open Compute Project splits up monolithic servers with help from Intel, more

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/16/facebook-open-compute-project-splits-up-monolithic-server-designs/

Facebook's Open Compute Project splits up monolithic server design with help from Intel, more


As much as it's important to have every component of a PC stuck together in a laptop, that same monolithic strategy is a major liability for server clusters: if one part breaks or grows obsolete, it can drag down everything else. Facebook and its Open Compute Project partners have just unveiled plans to loosen things up at the datacenter. A prototype, Atom-based rackmount server from Quanta Computer uses 100Gbps silicon photonics from Intel to connect parts at full speed, anywhere on the rack. Facebook has also garnered support for a new system-on-chip connection standard, rather affectionately named Group Hug, that would let owners swap in new mini systems from any vendor through PCI Express cards. The combined effect doesn't just simplify repairs and upgrades -- it lets companies build the exact servers they need without having to scrap other crucial elements in the process. There's no definite timeframe for when we'll see modular servers put to work, but the hope is that a cluster's foundations will stay relevant for years instead of months.

Continue reading Facebook's Open Compute Project splits up monolithic servers with help from Intel, more

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Open Compute Project

Read More...

Listen to 150,000 Different Animal Sounds in This Humongous Online Library

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5976446/listen-to-150000-different-animal-sounds-in-this-humongous-online-library

Listen to 150,000 Different Animal Sounds in This Humongous Online LibraryThis is more or less like the grown-up, nerded-out scientist version of those spinny roulette toys you had as a kid that taught you that The Cow Goes Moo. Except the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library tells you that the katydid goes, uhhh, "dial-up modem noise"?

More or less. The Macaulay Library just went live with 150,000 sounds (7,500 hours-worth) from 9,000 different animals—totally centered around birds, as you'd expect from an Ornithology department. The library also contains almost 50,000 videos—and you can contribute your own field recordings too. It's a perfectly geeky way to waste an hour or 7,000 today. [Cornell via PopSci]

Image Credit: Dan Kitwood / Getty Images News

Read More...

Fusion-io brings Fusion ioScale SSD to small, speedy server clusters

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/16/fusion-io-brings-fusion-ioscale-ssds-to-smaller-servers/

Fusionio brings 32TB Fusion ioScale SSDs to sma server clusters

Fusion-io has made a name for its Fusion ioDrive solid-state drives by selling them to the largest of enterprises -- the sort that crave thousands of servers. Not everyone wants that level of computing muscle, though, which is why the pro-grade storage firm is now selling the Fusion ioScale to a much wider audience. Cloud service hosts and other, smaller companies just have to buy a (relatively) paltry 100 or more of the PCI Express-based drives, which include both slim 1.6TB and full-size, 3.2TB versions. Neither will be cheap for datacenters when prices start at $3.89 per gigabyte, although Fusion-io is vowing better deals for those buying in buik. We also suspect that the time saved by moving to fast flash storage could be worthwhile in itself.

Continue reading Fusion-io brings Fusion ioScale SSD to small, speedy server clusters

Filed under:

Comments

Source: Fusion-io

Read More...

Samsung Chromebox Series 3 pops up in online stores with a Core i5

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/16/samsung-chromebox-series-3-pops-up-in-online-stores-with-core-i5/

Samsung Chromebox Series 3 2012

No one would accuse Samsung or other Chrome OS supporters of hardware overkill: the Chromebox Series 3 and other Google-based PCs often carry just enough processing grunt to browse the web properly. Imagine the resulting surprise when a Liliputing reader discovers an unannounced Core i5-equipped model listed as in stock at multiple retailers. The XE300M22-A01US carries a 2.5GHz, Sandy Bridge-era dual-core chip on top of the usual 4GB of memory and 16GB solid-state drive. That's far from cutting edge, but more powerful than the creaky Celeron reserved for those who didn't receive a Google I/O edition. Samsung hasn't confirmed the existence of the quicker Chromebox, and there's some question as to whether the system incorporates the sleeker 2013 redesign or sticks to the tried-and-true 2012 layout; we've reached out to both Google and Samsung and will let you know if there's more concrete information. Quoted prices suggest there's a premium over the original at $405 or more, as of this writing. It's a lot to pay for a PC without native apps, although those who want only the unfettered web might have something close to their dream desktop.

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

Via: Liliputing

Source: Amazon, CompSource

Read More...

Want To Replace Your Bank? Use This

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5976146/want-to-replace-your-bank-use-this

Want To Replace Your Bank? Use This The bank-less service you've never heard of but should know about, Simple, finally has an Android app.

The new Simple app for Android comes nearly a year after the launch of the iOS version and was built from the ground up in collaboration with Two Toasters, the same dev shop behind GateGuru and Airbnb's apps. Like the iOS app that came before it, you can deposit checks by snapping a photo with your smartphone. Another neat feature of the hybrid banking service, includes the "Safe-to-Spend balance" that simply shows you how much dough you have to spend that isn't allocated towards existing goals, future payments or pending transactions. You can even find all the ATMs around you or set up recurring and one time payments through the app.

Think of Simple as a hybrid of Mint and your existing bank but with only the good stuff, like goal oriented spending and depositing checks with your smartphone. I just started using it but more on that later. Unfortunately, for now, the service is still invite only but sign up here if you're interested. [Simple via Two Toasters]

Read More...

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

11 Apps That Will Make You Wish You Had An Android Phone (GOOG)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/android-exclusive-apps-2013-1

sony xperia z ces 2013With more than 700,000 available apps, the Google Play store for Android has quickly risen to match Apple's iPhone app selection.

While Apple's store is usually the first choice for developers to launch their apps, others know that Android is the platform to push hardware and software to the limit.

Browsing through Android's massive app library can be difficult as there are many apps that simply aren't very useful.

But if you look a little harder you can find apps like BetterBatteryStats, which helps you to manage apps are draining the most power.

Check out the rest of the Android-exclusive apps we rounded up. They'll change how you use your Android, for the better.

DeskSMS makes sure you'll never miss a message again.

DeskSMS is a nifty app that allows you to forward text messages (and picture messages) from your Android smartphone to your desktop via Gmail, Google Talk, and the Chrome Web browser.

Price: Free



WiFi Analyzer lets you determine how strong a wireless network is in your vicinity

Have you ever been st! uck on a slow wireless network?

WiFi Analyzer lets you see how strong networks are around you, helping you to pick the fastest, most reliable one.

Price: Free



Weather Bomb gives a data-intensive view of the weather on your Android device

Weather Bomb is an extremely detailed weather app that gives users seven days of data.

There are various views, but our favorite is the graph view, which gives the week's rain, wind, and cloud forecast at a glance.

Other data includes rain, wind, cloud, temperature, pressure humidity and wave height.

Price: Free



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow SAI: Tools on Twitter and Facebook.



Read More...

The Plan to Catch Drugstore Cowboys With GPS Chips Hidden in Prescription Bottles

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5976077/the-plan-to-catch-drugstore-cowboys-with-gps-chips-hidden-in-prescription-bottles

The Plan to Catch Drugstore Cowboys With GPS Chips Hidden in Prescription BottlesAddictive prescription drugs are flying off the shelves—And not in the hands of paying customers. Pill robberies are becoming such a problem that the NYPD wants to start planting fake prescription drug bottles with embedded GPS chips in pharmacies to help the cops bust thieves after heists.

The plan will be announced by New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly at Bill Clinton's Health Matters Conference today. In addition to the high-tech tracking, the cops are also providing individual consulting on security measures to the 6,000-odd pharmacies in New York City. [AP/WaPo via Betabeat]

Image via jordache/ Shutterstock.com

Read More...

If You Don't Think 4K TV Is Freaking Awesome, There's Something Wrong With You

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5975060/if-you-dont-think-4k-is-freaking-awesome-theres-something-wrong-with-you

If You Don't Think 4K TV Is Freaking Awesome, There's Something Wrong With YouCES is mostly useless, sure, and most of the trillion dinky things trotted out like chrome and plastic show chihuahuas will wind up in landfills. But CES is worth it just to give 4K, Ultra HD TV its big debut. And if you're not amazed by it, I'm afraid you're an idiot.

The entirety of CES was both an ornate celebration and obnoxious whine-fest about 4K television. The charges are simple:

4K is too expensive for anyone to afford.
4K doesn't have any firm release dates, so we don't even know when we can buy it.
4K doesn't have any content, so it's pointless to even think about buying one.
I already have a TV, so why would I care about another TV?

Ergo, 4K sucks and is irrelevant. CES sucks! This sucks!

That attitude couldn't be less appropriate, or more disheartening. There's no doubt that 4K is all of these bad things right now, and out of reach. But it's also, retina for retina, one of the most amazing things my eyes have observed, ever. It's technology that makes you smile because of how impressive it is. It's technology that doesn't seem possible—looking at Sony's OLED 4K was almost giggle-inducing, it seemed so fantastic compared to what we have now. Colors aren't supposed to look like that! You're not supposed to be able to see the details in someone's hair this way! But you can—or rather, you will, as soon these televisions are put on shelves with price tags that align themselves with our actual livelihoods.

If You Don't Think 4K TV Is Freaking Awesome, There's Something Wrong With You

And it will. I promise you, it will. I know because the exact same thing already transpired in the history of technology. The exact same thing. We're quick to sink into forgetfulness and cynicism, but turn your clocks back to 1998 if you can, the year in which the New York Times published this article: HDTV: High Definition, High in Price

AFTER more than a decade of research and political debate, most of the world's consumer-electronics manufacturers have announced their plans and prices for the new high-definition television sets that go on sale in September. And talk about sticker shock: the least expensive ones will cost $8,000.

That $8,000 number is almost $12,000 in today's inflated dollars, and keep in mind the enormity of these impending 4K sets, which dwarf any early HDTV predecessors. The display technology is also massively more sophisticated, too. Still: the most impressive, amazingly vivid picture anyone had ever seen was something almost nobody could afford. At first. And why bother? Everyone was still renting VHS movies anyway. It's almost as if we were faced with a brand new technology of unprecedented visual amazement that cost too much, didn't have any available content, and seemed entirely impractical.

Now department stores try to liquidate this same technology every Black Friday.

This cycle will repeat. You will be able to afford something absolutely mesmerizing to replace the TV you have now—a TV that'll make watching Chinatown, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, and Downton Abbey more enjoyable than it's ever been. A TV that'll make viewing your huge DSLR photos more gratifying than they've ever been. A dazzling, bright screen for doing dazzling video things that haven't even been invented yet. And how can anyone be anything but thrilled for that? Are any of you so cynical that you'd rather throw up your hands and tilt your nose back at a technology that hasn't even had a chance yet? This is science fiction stuff—screens that approach reality! Kick yourself in the ass if that's not something that makes you grin, even if it'll only make sense in 2022.

If You Don't Think 4K TV Is Freaking Awesome, There's Something Wrong With You

Until then, let yourself be amazed and excited. This isn't some bullshit buzz melange, a better cloud or faster stream or bigger screen. This is a genuine leap forward toward a big rectangle that will sit in your house and stimulate your brain's pleasure areas. The bleeding tip of tech has always been a little aspirational, so let's let it be. We shouldn't spend the years between us and 4K as drooling, ogling consumers, but we shouldn't spend them as eye-rolling skeptics, either. Let's just smile, wait, and let our geeky corneas sizzle in anticipation. It'll be worth it—I promise you.

Read More...