One Liter Limited

Source: http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/02/04/one-liter-limited/

1ℓimit faucet looks more like an elegant test tube inverted on top of a tap. The glass tube holds exactly one liter of water, sufficient for a quick handwash. The theory being that we waste almost six liters of water and use only one, while washing hands. Once the stored one-liter is used up, you have to turn-off the tap till the next one liter fills up the tube. A cumbersome rationing process that will hopefully drive home the point of conservation!

Designers: Yonggu Do, Dohyung Kim & Sewon Oh

----------

Yanko Design
Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Yanko Design Store - We are about more than just concepts. See what's hot at the YD Store!

Ricoh CX5 reviewed: only marginally better than the CX4

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/04/ricoh-cx5-reviewed-only-marginally-better-than-the-cx4/

Well, isn't this just cute? If you'll recall, Ricoh's CX4 was found to only be "slightly superior" the CX3 that came before it (and the same with the CX2 / CX3 before that). Fast forward a few months, and it's the same song and dance all over again... but with different model numbers, of course. The fine folks over at Photography Blog recently put the similarly styled CX5 through its paces, and autofocus aside, it's essentially the same camera as the CX4. The lone standout feature on the new guy is the Hybrid AF feature, which most certainly improves autofocus times, but critics were quick to point out that the focus time on the CX4 was never really an issue to begin with. In fact, the following line just about sums it up: "The CX5 is virtually indistinguishable from the slightly older CX4 in terms of its design, image quality and feature set, with only the faster AF system to get truly excited about." Furthermore, the rest of the point-and-shoot world has evolved quite a bit during all of this time, making the CX5 an even less compelling option than the CX4 was during its own launch window. Feel free to hit the source link for the whole shebang, but don't expect to leave feeling any warmer about that impulse buy you just made.

Ric! oh CX5 r eviewed: only marginally better than the CX4 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Photography Blog  | Email this | Comments

The First Great Android Tablet May Be On Sale Feb. 24th [Unconfirmed]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5751837/the-first-great-android-tablet-may-be-on-sale-feb-24th

Either whoever manages the Grand Rapids South Best Buy Facebook page has a fertile imagination, or the Motorola Xoom is going on sale there in just a few weeks. That's not long to wait for the first real iPad fighter.

According to the store's Facebook Page, Xoom will hit Best Buy on 2/24. That doesn't mean that the store is correct, or that Best Buy will have the first wave of shipments (Verizon might prefer to have an exclusive for a few days or a week). But what a treat that the best new tablet we've seen lately will also, hopefully, be the first one to arrive. [Facebook via Droid-Life]

Aava Mobile reportedly set to reveal Medfield-based Android / MeeGo phone at MWC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/03/aava-mobile-reportedly-set-to-reveal-medfield-based-android-me/

Eager for a way to forget about Moorestown? We wouldn't be shocked if Intel was in the same camp, and if this here rumor pans out, it could be Medfield acting as the amnesia at Mobile World Congress. If you'll recall, Intel briefly showed off a Medfield-based phone late last month, and now we're hearing that Aava Mobile -- the same company responsible for a WoW-crunching Moorestown demonstration at Computex -- is poised to release a real stunner in Barcelona. Slashgear has it on good authority that Aava's second-generation Core design will be officially rolled out in a matter of days, complete with Intel Inside, an 8.9mm-thick chassis, Android and MeeGo. You read correctly -- both mobile operating systems will be supported. It's said that Aava doesn't actually plan on hawking these to consumers; instead, they'll be shuttled off to developers in order to promote its integrated ACPU and modem platform. Hard to say if the shell we'll (hopefully) see at MWC will remain final, but you can bet we'll be digging for more once the show floor opens.

Aava Mobile reportedly set to reveal Medfield-based Android / MeeGo phone at MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Slashgear  | Email this | Comments

Dell Venue ready to order now for $500 unlocked, shipping February 18th

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/03/dell-venue-ready-to-order-now-for-500-unlocked-shipping-februa/

In classic Dell fashion, the company's most legitimately appealing Android handset yet has just gone up for sale with nary a peep marking its arrival. If you'll recall, the US announcement for the Venue wasn't exactly overloaded with facts and figures, we were basically told that it's coming, and hey, here it is now! A cent under $500 buys you an unlocked Android 2.2 device -- with either AT&T or T-Mobile 3G bands, your choice -- equipped with a 4.1-inch WVGA AMOLED display, an 8 megapixel camera, and some of the best looks on any smartphone yet. The preliminary shipping date we're seeing is February 18th, let's hope that's a much more concrete number than we've experienced with the Venue Pro, eh?

[Thanks, Spiridon and Tanjot]

Dell Venue ready to order now for $500 unlocked, shipping February 18th originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Dell  | Email this | Comments

Verizon 4G LTE might offer $30 unlimited data plan, if you're lucky

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/03/verizon-4g-lte-might-offer-30-unlimited-data-plan-if-youre-lu/

The mobile rumor mill has been abuzz about Verizon's potential move away from unlimited data plans for a long time now, but we're not putting the rumors to rest. In fact, we're just fanning the flames -- according to the folks at Droid Life, Big Red's $30 unlimited data plan could be coming to 4G LTE. The site's sources point out that this might mean $30 plus $15 for 4G data, and that pricing structures are likely to change as the LTE Juggernaut powers ahead. Considering the first Verizon 4G phones haven't even made it to market yet, unlimited data might be around for sometime to come ... then again, it might not -- don't you just love speculation?

Verizon 4G LTE might offer $30 unlimited data plan, if you're lucky originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Droid Life  | Email this | Comments

Google Chrome 9 update brings speed, WebGL, and apps

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/04/google-chrome-9-update-brings-speed-webgl-and-apps/

You're probably a lot like us: more handsome and socially adept, naturally, but with a similar fear of robots and penchant for living fast and loose with pre-release developer builds. As such, the latest changes to the stable release of the Chrome browser won't be of much use to you. Nevertheless, Google's official window to the web was just injected with a speed bump, 3D WebGL graphics, Google Chrome Instant search results, and the Chrome Web Store already available in Chrome's beta channel. If nothing else, please, we beg you, do the right thing and inform the local luddite.

Google Chrome 9 update brings speed, WebGL, and apps originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 02:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Chrome Blog  | Email this | Comments

Next-gen Ford GT supercar to be a hybrid, still weigh 500lb less than predecessor?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/04/next-gen-ford-gt-supercar-to-be-a-hybrid-still-weigh-500lbs-les/

Ford's GT came back to life in the mid 2000s to give the brand a much-needed halo car and to re-kindle the fires of those who watched the GT40 trounce the Ferraris at Le Mans in the late '60s. It didn't live long, but rumors of its re-resurrection are growing stronger. Latest comes courtesy of Auto Express, which indicates this generation GT will weigh right around 3,000lbs -- a massive 500 lighter than its predecessor despite this new model supposedly packing a hybrid system. It'll offer a supercharged V8 paired with an electric motor driving the front wheels, not unlike the setup in the Porsche 918 RSR and its street-going version, the 918 Spyder. If these rumors prove true it'll hit that target thanks to an all-aluminum chassis, composite body panels, and an aggressive diet.

Next-gen Ford GT supercar to be a hybrid, still weigh 500lb less than predecessor? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 04:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Autoblog  |  Auto Express  | Email this | Comments

Motorola Xoom coming to Best Buy on February 24th, HTC Thunderbolt on the 14th

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/04/motorola-xoom-coming-to-best-buy-on-february-24th-htc-thunderbo/

We're already fatigued of reporting launch dates for devices announced at this year's CES -- it seems like each one has had at least four different potential release points -- but when you get one of Best Buy's official Facebook pages blabbing about when the Moto Xoom and HTC Thunderbolt will be arriving... well, you sum up the strength to do it one more time. Contrary to earlier insider leaks pinning the Xoom to a February 17th launch, Best Buy is now promising to have the vanguard of the Honeycomb tablet revolution on February 24th. That's exactly a week later than our earlier info, so perhaps somebody somewhere decided to push things back a bit. We have no doubt, however, that Motorola is nearly ready with its slate -- there have been plenty of them spotted around the Super Bowl this week. In the meantime, HTC's LTE-equipped 4.3-incher seems to have finally settled down on Valentine's Day as its time of reckoning, a day after the similarly sized Inspire 4G hits AT&T.

Motorola Xoom coming to Best Buy on February 24th, HTC Thunderbolt on the 14th originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 03:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use! of feed s.

Permalink Droid-Life  |  Best Buy Grand Rapids South (Facebook)  | Email this | Comments

LG Optimus Pad (aka G-Slate) coming to MWC 2011 with Honeycomb, Tegra 2 and 3D display

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/04/lg-optimus-pad-aka-g-slate-coming-to-mwc-2011-with-honeycomb-a/

The T-Mobile G-Slate may be fully official now, but the rest of the world needs love too, and LG's just announced it intends to deliver said loving at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona a few days from now. The Optimus Pad, as this 8.9-inch tablet will be known outside the US, will offer Android Honeycomb as its OS, along with a 3D-capable 1280 x 768 display, dual-core Tegra 2 processor, a front-facing camera plus a pair of imagers on the back allowing for 3D picture-taking, 32GB of onboard storage, and a 6,400mAh battery. We should be getting to grips with the device at MWC in due course -- look for it to launch alongside or shortly after its US twin hits retail in March.

LG Optimus Pad (aka G-Slate) coming to MWC 2011 with Honeycomb, Tegra 2 and 3D display originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Unwired View, Android Community  |  Hankyung  | Email this | Comments

Mitsubishi creates giant curved OLED, probably won't fit in your living room (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/04/mitsubishi-creates-giant-curved-oled-probably-wont-fit-in-your/

Display companies like Mitsubishi still don't make a big-screen OLED we can buy, yet look at this, a curved display created by the company that looks to be about four feet tall and maybe 10 feet around. Okay, so a 3mm pixel pitch wouldn't look too great standing anywhere within about 20 feet of the thing, but that's why it's designed for malls and big stores, places where its 1,200 nit brightness can shrug off ambient light. It was unveiled at ISE 2011 and there's a video of it doing its thing after the break, but surely it won't be long before they're all over Las Vegas.

Continue reading Mitsubishi creates giant curved OLED, probably won't fit in your living room (video)

Mitsubishi creates giant curved OLED, probably won't fit in your living room (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 10:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  OLED-Display.net  | Email this | Comments

Storify Raises $2M From Khosla Ventures To Blend Social Media With Storytelling

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/03/storify-raises-2m-from-khosla-ventures-to-blend-social-media-with-storytelling/

Now more than ever, social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are a integral part of real-time storytelling and journalism. Launched at TechCrunch Disrupt last fall, Storify debuted its content curation platform that brought together Tweets, Facebook Status Updates, videos and more from social networking sites to create a realtime view into a story or issue. Today, the startup is announcing that it has raised $2 million in new funding from Khosla Ventures.

Storify, which is still in private beta, allows you to build and embed a story around a gathering of Tweets, Flickr photos, Facebook status updates, YouTube videos and more (We should note that Twitter offers its own technology to embed Tweets). Within Storify’s platform, you can simple search and drag content into your Storify story. Once you create a story with all of this curated content, you can then embed the actual story in your blog or content management system via single like of Javascript.

It’s fairly simple and easy to read, as you can see from the sample embedded story we’ve placed in this post about Storify’s funding (here’s a Storify post about the recent protests in Egypt) Readers can also Tweet and share from Storify posts. And although in private beta, Storify has signed a number of high-profile partnerships with media organizations, including the Washington Post, Seattle Times, NPR, and Al Jazeera. Since last fall, 10,000 Storify stories have been created by partners, with the stories attracting 4.5 million views.

The new funding will be used to build out new capabilities and publishing options, says the company’s co-founder Burt Herman (who is actually a former journalist). Already, Storify is connected to blogging platforms Posterous and Tumblr, so users can publish stories directly in Storify to Posterous and Tumblr.

And for any journalists or media organizations who are interested in using Storify, the startup’s platform should be opened to the public in the next few months, says Herman.

Storify demo from Burt Herman on Vimeo.

CrunchBase Information

Storify

Information provided by CrunchBase

The Best Travel Apps for iPhone [Ios]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5750431/the-best-travel-apps-for-iphone

Your iPhone is always with you, so it makes for a great travel companion when you need all kinds of information about the places your visit on your vacations. Here are our favorite travel apps to help make your vacations a breeze.

For the flip side of the smartphone travel app selection, check out the best travel apps for Android.

Kayak

While we really like Hipmunk for flight search, they have yet to release an iOS app. Kayak, on the other hand, is good alternative and has a really nice (and free) mobile app. While I've always found the Kayak web site a little cumbersome, I find the iOS app much easier to use. Everything is cleaner and simplified. It doesn't do much more than search for flights and provide your with your options, but what else do you really want?

Kayak | iTunes App Store

TripIt

TripIt is a really great webapp, and the iOS app is an excellent extension. TripIt can connect to your Gmail (or Google Apps) account to import trip data, or you can just forward itineraries you get from booking sites or airlines to TripIt and it'll parse the information into a more useful, readable format. The mobile app makes it easy to keep all your itineraries with you and keep on top of your flights and hotel bookings. While TripIt Pro (a subscription service, not a paid version of the app) offers additional features, we think you'll find regular TripIt useful enough and won't really need to upgrade.

TripIt (Free) | iTunes App Store

PackTM

You might wonder why you'd need an app to help you pack your bags, but just wait until a bad TSA worker steals something from your or your bag gets lost. Having an inventory will suddenly seem worth the trouble. PackTM is a very simple bag-packing app that'll let you put together your bag inventories for multiple trips. To avoid re-entering items, you have a master catalogue to keep track of the items you pack. While PackTM will cost you $2, if you only need to keep track of one trip at a time the free version (Pack Free) will work just fine.

Pack TM ($2) / Free | iTunes App Store

Travel #s

Travel #s is a free directory of business numbers that'll assist you in renting a car, booking or changing a flight, and getting a room at a hotel. While it's probably easier to just book your flight online most of the time, when you're actually on vacation you might need these numbers to change reservations or get information when you don't have the comfort of all your technology. There really isn't much else that Travel #s does, but it's free and a handy bit of information to keep with you when you're on vacation.

Travel #s (Free) | iTunes App Store

Help Call

While there have been multiple occasions where I've nearly been killed on vacation, I've never had the need to call an emergency number. Still, I may be the only person I know who hasn't. While we want our vacations to go well so they're fun and problem-free, you can't always avoid an accident or unexpected emergency. Help Call is a $1 app that will connect your iPhone with emergency numbers no matter where you are. You can even set a number to dial when you shake the phone in the event you can't press the button yourself. Help Call's interface is very simple and features just a set of four buttons: police, fire, ambulance, and friend. Hopefully you'll never need it, but it's good to have for peace of mind.

Help Call ($1) | iTunes App Store

FlightBoard

For some reason, flight-tracking apps are a little bit pricy on iOS. While not the cheapest, FlightBoard is certainly not the most expensive. $4 gets you what is one of the best flight tracking apps. It's frequently updated, has a nice and simple interface (it's based on the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris), and lets you get a lot of flight information at a glance. FlightBoard is a combo app, meaning you get a native version for both your iPhone and iPad. While there are certainly other ways to get flight information, FlightBoard is about as quick and easy as it gets.

FlightBoard ($4) | iTunes App Store

Last, as noted in the Android counterpart, Skype is a must to have on hand if you're traveling internationally and want to make cheap calls back home. Any great travel apps you think should've made the cut? Share 'em in the comments!

---

You can contact Adam Dachis, the author of this post, at adachis@lifehacker.com. You can also follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

How Do I Block Unwanted Text Messages on My Cellphone? [Ask Lifehacker]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5750717/how-do-i-block-unwanted-text-messages-on-my-cellphone

Dear Lifehacker,
I'm getting stupid texts from people I don't even know and I can't get them to stop. It's costing me money! What can I do to block them from texting me?

Sincerely,
Terrified Texter

Dear Terrified Texter,

The easiest way to block text messages is to block them entirely, which you can do by calling your cellphone provider's customer support number. It'll actually save you a lot of money and probably improve your use of the English language. Here are some popular US cellphone provider contact numbers should you want to take this more extreme approach:

• AT&T: 1-800-331-0500
• Verizon: 1-800-922-0204 (and other numbers)
• Sprint: 1-888-211-4727
• T-Mobile: 1-877-453-1304 or chat online

But let's say you actually like texting with other people and would prefer to just ditch these weirdos who keep sending you bizarre messages. In that case, there are some other things you can try. Let's break this up between smartphone options and any phone options.

Smartphone Options

If you can/want to/do use Google Voice as your main phone number, you can block calls/texts and report them as spam. Google Voice gives you so many great options and so much control over how you use your phone that you don't get with your cellphone provider that it can really be worth the switch. You can even send messages from Chrome with the wonderful new Google Chrome browser extension. Then you can just cancel your cellphone text messaging plan and use Google Voice instead.

But Google Voice isn't for everyone, so what else can you do? Well, not much if you're not on an Android phone. There are a couple of exceptions, though. Jailbroken iPhone users can grab iBlackList), and Symbian and Windows Mobile users can grab Norton Smartphone Security. If you are running Android, you've got a couple of options:

• PrivacyStar ($3/month, or less if you prepay)
• Handcent SMS (Free)
• Anti SMS Bomber (Free)

There are quite a few more, but those should be enough to get you started.

Any Phone Options

If you don't have a smartphone, sometimes you can call your carrier and have them blacklist specific phone numbers. If you keep getting texts from new numbers, ignore them. When you reply to spam text messages they know they're reaching you and will keep trying. Your best defense other than blocking is to never reply.

Most spam text messages come from the internet, too. Whether you're aware of it or not, you're assigned an email address that will send SMS messages to your phone (like 4445551234@vtext.com). Generally spammers will just guess your number by trial and error (which is why replying can be so bad, because then they know you exist). Many carriers will offer you the option of creating an alias and use that instead of your phone number (so it could be myspamfreesmsportal@vtext.com instead, for example). That can often do away with most of the spam you'll run into, unless you you start posting that email address all over the web. David Pogue, over at the New York Times, elaborates on this process and provides specific carrier information to help you out.

Those are your options! Also, if you ever start getting calls you don't want, here's how to block those as well. Hope that helps!

Love,
Lifehacker

---

You can contact Adam Dachis, the author of this post, at adachis@lifehacker.com. You can also follow him on Twitter and Facebook.