Silicon Valley venture capitalists like to crow that it's now cheaper than ever to establish a startup company. While that may be true for internet firms, the amount of money required to fund a Silicon Valley green tech startup can be mind-boggling.
Case in point is fuel cell maker Bloom Energy...
http://qz.com/83730/startup-bloom-energy-has-now-raised-1-1-billion
Sent via Flipboard
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/10/nokia-lumia-928/
If you've heard enough of Nokia's near future plans for its Lumia range, sorry -- there's more. While the company's official event isn't until next Tuesday in London, that hasn't stopped it from announcing the Lumia 928 on Verizon. Again. Nokia's latest installment supplants the Lumia 822 and HTC's 8X for the US carrier, matching the camera specifications (Carl Zeiss f/2.0 lens, 8.7-megapixel sensor) we saw in the Lumia 920 and pairing it all with a potent xenon flash. There's also high-amp mics and a 4.5-inch OLED (1,280 x 768) display protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass. Inside, you'll find a capable 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 2,000mAH battery and 32GB of storage for all those low-blur photos. As for the phone itself, compared to the bright (admittedly chunky) looks of its predecessor, we're looking at a toned-down refresh, in black and white options, with a more squared design aiming to complement those Windows Phone Live Tiles.
Contactless charging and NFC are both built in, as are all those extra Nokia software additions, including Here maps and Nokia Music. It'll launch in the US on May 16th, priced at $99.99 with a mail-in rebate, while you'll also pick up $25 of credit for Windows Phone apps and games if you decide to sign up. Nokia's got an officially sanctioned hands-on after the break -- expect to see our opinions on it next week.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia
Source: Nokia Conversations, Verizon
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/10/samsung-SM-C1010-bluetooth-sig/
Slapping Android on a point-and-shoot worked surprisingly well for Samsung with the Galaxy Camera, but the device did have flaws -- not least its size and inability to make phone calls. A rumor that originated on SamMobile a few days ago suggested that the South Korean handset maker is working on a sequel called the SM-C1010 (or possibly "S4 Zoom") that adds an ear piece and shrinks the screen down to 4.3-inches from the original model's 4.8-inch display. Another rumor at Hi-Tech.Mail.Ru hints at a smaller 10x zoom, instead of 21x.
Now, this very same SM-C1010 model number has cropped up on the Bluetooth SIG's website, leading us to believe that something is up. The rumors also point towards this mysterious handset having a 16-megapixel sensor, qHD AMOLED display, 8GB of built-in storage along with a microSD card slot and Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy support. At first glance, a smaller screen with fewer pixels may not sound too appealing, but if it results in a cheaper, longer lasting and more pocketable device, then we might be persuaded.
Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Mobile, Samsung
Via: Unwired View
Source: Bluetooth SIG, SamMobile, Hi-Tech.Mail.Ru (translated)
Source: http://lifehacker.com/flayvr-automatically-sorts-your-photos-and-videos-into-498901939
iOS/Android: Flayvr organizes your photos and videos into moving-picture albums on your device that can then be easily shared with friends via the web.
The app is actually slightly reminiscent of HTC Share in that you get a collage of pictures and videos, and the images animate to make your albums feel more active and alive. Flavyr differs from Gallery replacement apps like QuickPic in that it doesn't pull up every photo you've ever taken, but instead attempts to curate them into related collections. You can also share a Flayvr album by uploading it to the web and sending your friends a simple simple link, similar to Vine or Instagram (minus the social network aspect).
Flayvr (Free) | Google Play via Addictive Tips
Flayvr (Free) | iTunes App Store
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/10/open-government-data/
Remember Data.gov? The President does, and he has issued an executive order that should give the information portal a shot in the arm. Starting this week, new and modernized Government information systems should use open and machine readable formats by default, adhering to the guidelines of a new Open Data Policy. The policy requires agencies to use open, machine readable formats that are non-proprietary, publicly available and unrestricted, and aims to put useful data in the hands of US companies while increasing privacy and security.
According to the White House blog, this means new data will be served in CSV, XML, JSON and other machine readable formats, and will even be accessible via API in some situations. The White House hopes the new policy will help foster innovation. "There are private companies using open data to fight credit card fraud; consumers using open data to save on their energy bills; families leveraging open data to compare health care options; and a host of new apps and tools in areas ranging from public safety, to financial planning, to education, and more," the blog explains. "We are very excited about the path ahead and can't wait to see what new ideas and yet to be imagined innovations can be unlocked by increased access to open data." Head past the break to read the executive order for yourself, and check out the source PDF for a peek at the new Open Data Policy.
Source: White House (1), (2), PDF (3)
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/09/instrument-map-diving-demo-for-chrome-like-a-google-io-keynote/
Let's be honest: it's doubtful we'll ever get to directly recreate the skydiving antics of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote. Some of us on the I/O 2013 floor, however, could get the next best thing. As part of a Google Maps API showcase, Portland-based Instrument has developed a Map Diving game for Chrome that has players soaring over real locations to reach Pilotwings-style checkpoints. The version that will be at the event links seven instances of Google's web browser, each with its own display; gamers fly by holding out their arms in front of a motion camera like the Kinect or Wavi Xtion. Sergey Brin probably won't be waiting for anyone on the ground once the demo's over, but Instrument hints in a developer video (after the break) that there could be a take-home version of Map Diving after the code is tuned for a single screen. Either way, we can't wait to give it a spin.
Filed under: Gaming, Internet, Software, Google
Via: The Verge
Source: Instrument
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/bergs-inception-maps-of-manhattan-2013-5
London-based design firm BERG created these two 3D maps of Manhattan, which look like a scene out of "Inception" (via Curbed NY).
Called "Here & There," the horizon-less maps make it appear as if the city is curling up and over you. One view looks uptown from 3rd and 7th, and the other downtown from 3rd and 35th.
It was made with "a combination of city manipulations in modeling software" and both maps are now a part of the MoMA's permanent collection.
"The ability to be in a city and to see through it is a superpower," BERG explains about the project. "It's how maps should work."
The images are both three feet tall and two feet wide, and are still available to purchase at BERG London for roughly $150.
SEE ALSO: The 25 Best Skylines In The World
Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/09/amazon-developing-smartphone-with-3d-display/
Remember the EVO 3D? Swap out the HTC logo for an Amazon one, and you just might be onto something. According to a new Wall Street Journal report, one of the world's most famed forkers of Android is looking to expand its mobile portfolio by adding the one crucial device it lacks: a phone. As the story goes, the company has been toiling on a pair of smartphones as well as an "audio-only streaming device," all to "expand its reach beyond its Kindle Fire line of tablet computers." If you'll recall, we've heard that Amazon was dabbling in similar works since at least 2010, but the notion of expanding the Amazon ecosystem is now more pertinent. One of those phones is a higher-end device that offers up a glasses-free 3D display -- it's bruited that it would use "retina-tracking technology" to enable visuals that "seem to float above the screen like a [Tupac?] hologram." In fact, that eye-scrolling technology that was initially rumored to be a part of the Galaxy S4 may instead make its debut on Amazon hardware.
Of course, rumors of an Amazon phone have been running just about as long as rumors of a Facebook phone, but it seems that the company is (still) making a very concerted effort to further expand into the hardware arena. We're told that the prototypes are being nurtured within Amazon's Lab126 facility in Cupertino, "where each of the devices have been under development, the efforts are known as Project A, B, C and D, or collectively as the Alphabet Projects." If all goes well, Amazon could release at least some of these products in the coming months, but there's also the chance that every last one of 'em could be "shelved because of performance, financial or other concerns." Come to think of it, it's been a hot minute since Amazon threw a launch party for anything -- what say we change that, Jeff?
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile, Amazon
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/09/cyberthieves-atm-hack-millions-stolen/
It has the makings of a film -- but the fallout from one of the world's most sophisticated ATM heists is very real. The New York Times is reporting that a massive team of criminals worked in concert in order to grab some $45 million in a matter of hours over the course of two operations. The sheer scope of the project is hard to wrap one's mind around, involving trained personnel positioned in over two dozen countries.
Earlier today, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn "unsealed an indictment charging eight members of the New York crew, offering a glimpse into what the authorities said was one of the most sophisticated and effective cybercrime attacks ever uncovered." In essence, the hackers were able to infiltrate various credit card processing companies and raise withdrawal limits on prepaid accounts -- from there, cashing crews hit thousands of ATMs, socking away millions in the process. Hit up the source link for the full read; it's a wild one, for sure.
Filed under: Internet
Source: The New York Times
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/09/open-compute-project-eyes-accessible-scalable-network-switches/
Facebook's two-year-old Open Compute Project is fast becoming a potential cure-all for servers, with efforts underway that tackle efficiency, storage and monolithic design. Its next target: the frequently closed-source, small-scale world of network switches. The OCP team wants networking devices as open and scalable as the servers underneath them, and it's teaming up with heavy hitters such as Broadcom, Intel and VMware to make that happen. Unlike past initatives, though, there isn't an obvious template to work from. When development starts at the OCP Engineering Summit on May 16th, the alliance will be starting from scratch -- which suggests that we'll be waiting a long time to see what truly flexible switches can do.
Filed under: Networking, Intel, Facebook
Via: ZDNet
Source: Open Compute Project
World of Warcraft may still be the world's leading subscription-based MMORPG, but the allure seems to be fading: 1.3 million players logged off between January and March, Activision Blizzard revealed today. The game's subscriber base now stands at 8.3 million — down from the 9.6 million fi...
http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/8/4313434/world-of-warcraft-loses-1-3-million-subscribers-three-months
Sent via Flipboard
Source: http://gizmodo.com/scorecleaner-notes-instantly-compose-whatever-tune-pop-496745551
Whether you're a virtuoso musician or the tone-deaf bane of karaoke night, there's probably been at least one point in your life where you've felt almost certain that the little ditty you just randomly hummed could be the song to end all songs. But just as quickly as these blasts of inspiration hit us, they'll slip away into nothingness no matter how hard we try to grasp on. With ScoreCleaner Notes for iOS, though, you'll be able to turn your every musical vision into an eternal tune, be it for better or worse.
Developed by Sven Emtell as part of his computer engineering master's degree at Stockholm Music University, the app allows you to notate any song you sing without any musical background required. Simply hum the tune into the device's microphone, and the app will immediately display the notated version on the screen with accompanying key, tempo, and time signature. You're then free to share your masterpiece over the social media sites of your choice.
Simply humming a tune from memory is highly unreliable, and even if you make a voice recording, it's near impossible to recreate your exact original intent. When a tune is written out, however, you're providing yourself or the music-maker of your choice with a perfectly laid out map into your mind's musical ambitions. And while you don't necessarily need to know how to read music to use the app, for those that do, a handy directory offers the first few notes of each piece so you can find what you're looking for and quickly.
ScoreCleaner Notes, Download this app for: iOS, $1
The Best: No musical experience required... technically
The Worst: Written music not quite as useful after the fact if you can't, you know, read it
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/08/letv-super-tv-x60/
Quad-core smart TVs? Move over, Samsung and Haier, because another company's now joining the party. At a press event in Beijing yesterday, Chinese video content provider LeTV announced its first TV series dubbed "Super TV." Despite the cheesy name, there are a handful of big names behind it: Kai-Fu Lee's Innovation Works, Qualcomm, Foxconn and Sharp. The last two aren't surprising considering Foxconn's parent company, Hon Hai, is an investor of Sharp as well as LeTV. It's also worth noting, though, that Hon Hai already has a deal with RadioShack to make and sell a 60-inch TV, the RS60-V1, in China since January.
The flagship X60 (pictured above at GMIC Beijing) features an aluminum alloy body that encases Sharp's 10th-generation 60-inch 1080p panel -- as featured on the RadioShack TV -- with 120Hz 3D, on top of a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Prime MPQ8064 (with 2GB of RAM and Adreno 320 graphics), dual-band WiFi and S/PDIF optical output. You can also add an optional 2.4GHz gyroscopic remote control and a PrimeSense motion sensor just for giggles. But most importantly, LeTV now streams over 2,000 TV apps as well as some 90,000 TV episodes and 5,000 movies for free (LeTV claims to own the rights to 95 percent of the video content). So, the ¥6,999 or $1,140 price tag seems a steal for the X60. There will also be a 39-inch 1080p (likely 2D only), dual-core S40 model priced at ¥1,999 or about $330, and both TVs will be available by the end of June.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Via: Engadget Chinese
Source: LeTV
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/09/google-earth-android-street-view/
Google Earth's desktop version added Leap Motion controls in version 7.1, and now its Android counterpart has picked up a few new features. Available today, version 7.1 introduces Street View which lets users take Pegman from space to your neighborhood with the power of a double tap. Search is also enhanced with updated location suggestions and improved directions that displays routes for transit, walking, biking and driving in 3D. Rounding out Earth's new feature set is a revamped interface that lists layers like Panoramio Photos, 3D buildings and Wikipedia on a slide-out pane. So, if you're having trouble figuring out where your good friend Waldo is, perhaps this refreshed app will assist you with your quest. Swing by the source link below for more details.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Google
Source: Google Play
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/09/samsung-galaxy-tab-3-fcc/
Just a little over a week after Samsung introduced the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3 to the world, and it's already made its way to the FCC for approval. There's not much to say here that we don't know about, but as expected, this particular model is WiFi-only, with no LTE or voice-enabled bands mentioned in the documentation. As a reminder, the Tab 3 has relatively modest specs with a WSVGA (1,024 x 600) TFT screen, a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 8GB or 16GB of storage (expandable up to 64GB), a 4,000 mAh battery, a rear 3-megapixel camera and a front 1.3-megapixel one. It's set to ship with Android 4.1 some time this month, with a 3G version following in June. Though we're not sure of its exact drop date, we hope it's after a certain tech conference next week for the sake of our sanity.
Filed under: Tablets, Mobile, Samsung
Source: FCC
Posts
