Motorola Atrix 4G already rooted, and it's not even out yet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/19/motorola-atrix-4g-already-rooted-and-its-not-even-out-yet/

If you thought the lack of root on the Atrix 4G was going to save you a couple hundred bucks next week... well, we hate to break the bad news, but you're going to need to find another excuse not to buy it (more on that in a second). Long story short, the phone's already been rooted by a gentleman over on the ever-resourceful xda-developers forums, which means you can do all the normal things that require root access like enabling the standard Froyo mobile hotspot feature, using root apps like Titanium Backup (pictured above), and generally looking 1337 compared to your friends locked up in their walled gardens. Now, the bad news: the bootloader remains firmly locked and encrypted, so custom kernels are still just a dream -- but hey, where there's a will, there's a way. Keep the faith!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Motorola Atrix 4G already rooted, and it's not even out yet originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  xda-developers  | Email this | Comments

How That Impossible Escher Waterfall May Have Been Built [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/#!5764700/how-that-impossible-escher-waterfall-may-have-been-built

Remember this? Still pretty crazy! But maybe a little less so after taking a look at David Goldman's theory of how exactly this contraption was put together:

It's amazing what a little forced perspective and careful editing can do. Remember, though, that this is pure speculation. There's still a distinct possibility that the real answer is magic. [BoingBoing]

HTC Incredible S auto-rotating buttons explained? (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/18/htc-incredible-s-auto-rotating-buttons-explained-video/

We were quite bedazzled by the HTC Incredible S after our hands-on at MWC, but it's the auto-rotating icons for the capacitive buttons that left us most intrigued. So we went back to the HTC booth to try to make sense of it all. From what we were able to observe, there's some optical trickery happening here: the icons appear to be glittering and shimmering depending on viewing angle as if lit through a prism, half-mirror or grate of some kind. We think that a pair of LEDs are used to project the intended icon onto the glass surface via either a combination of prisms and half-mirrors, or via horizontally and vertically polarized grates. Watch our video after the break, and let us know in the comments how you think this actually works.

Continue reading HTC Incredible S auto-rotating buttons explained? (video)

HTC Incredible S auto-rotating buttons explained? (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Dell Rosemount tablet will have Intel's Oak Trail inside, stylus, removable battery and remote wipe

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/17/dell-rosemount-tablet-will-have-intels-oak-trail-inside-stylus/

Dell means business with its upcoming Windows 7 slate, if the whispers we're hearing are true -- we have it on good authority that the recently-leaked Rosemount will be a Latitude. An inside source says that the 10-inch tablet will not only sport Dell's storied business brand but will be geared towards enterprise through and through, with features like serviceable components (including a removable battery), software encryption and the ability to perform a remote wipe, and that it'll have a dual-digitizer to support both touch input and a stylus for fine details. We don't know about performance or battery life quite yet, but the slate will reportedly use an Atom chip, specifically Intel's Oak Trail, so we'll let you imagine the possibilities.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Dell Rosemount tablet will have Intel's Oak Trail inside, stylus, removable battery and remote wipe originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 22:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

The Met's upcoming opera to boast glasses-free 3D effects that nobody requested

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/17/the-mets-upcoming-opera-to-boast-glasses-free-3d-effects-that-n/

We don't mean to sound negative or anything, and we're not 3D naysayers by any means. But the news that the Metropolitan Opera's upcoming production of Siegfried will include mind-blowing 3D background effects is, well, mind-blowing. While you're undoubtedly familiar with 3D effects, you may not be acquainted with Wagner's 1876 opera which portrays the story of Sigurd, a hero of Norse mythology. Robert Lepage, the director of the operation, expects theater-goers to find themselves engulfed in a three-dimensional world of his creation, which will be projected on the 45-ton set. Lepage, who is directing Wagner's entire Ring cycle at the Met, worked with Geodezik -- famous for the stage shows of famed opera performers Pink and Justin Timberlake -- to create the show's effects. The 3D you'll be seeing if you hit the theater won't be like the technology you're familiar with, however, as it makes use of fractals, and the moving parts of the set to 'trick' your eyes into seeing in three dimensions. We don't want to say this sounds like a bad idea until we've seen if of course, but we've got our reservations. Hit up the New York Times link to see one rather small image of the set.

[Image: Lincoln Center]

The Met's upcoming opera to boast glasses-free 3D effects that nobody requested originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo  |  New York Times  | Email this | Comments

Imagination Technologies unveils Series 6 PowerVR GPUs -- promises desktop caliber graphics in mobile devices (update)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/18/imagination-technologies-unveils-series-6-powervr-gpus-promis/

Imagination Technologies may not be a household name, but they created the PowerVR GPUs that are the gold standard in mobile graphics, and are a part of the ARM SoCs you find in mobile devices like the iPhone 4, Galaxy S, and the Droid 2. Not one to rest on its laurels, the company unveiled its new Series 6 PowerVR chips -- affectionately known as "Rogue" -- that are 20 to 100 times more powerful than its previous handheld offerings. That's right, these GPUs will have the same horsepower as today's desktop computers while needing only a milliwatt of juice to deliver face-melting graphics -- the catch is that this bit of black magic won't be showing up in devices for a few years. Guess we'll just have to settle for the Series 5 chips -- like the quad core beast found in the Sony NGP and the upcoming OMAP 5 platform -- which the company promises will make their way into select smartphones "within three months." Be still, our gaming hearts.

Update: Three months? Hardly, ST-Ericsson has announced a series of new SoC processors, including the Nova 9600 that has "Rogue" baked in. The chip delivers HD video at 120 frames per second and can pull off pro-quality 3D video recording as well. Press release is after the break.

[Thanks, Rich]

Continue reading Imagination Technologies unveils Series 6 PowerVR GPUs -- promises desktop caliber graphics in mobile devices (update)

Imagination Technologies unveils Series 6 PowerVR GPUs -- promises desktop caliber graphics in mobile devices (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 01:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Pocket Gamer, Linux Devices  |  Imagination Technologies  | Email this | Comments

Apple maintains lead in mobile app store revenues, but its share is shrinking fast

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/18/apple-maintains-lead-in-mobile-app-store-revenues-but-its-share/

Growth. You don't have to be Gordon Gekko to recognize that exponential growth in revenues is the mark of both a buoyant industry and, on an individual level, a healthy participant within it. Kudos must, therefore, be handed out to all the top four app stores globally, as each one expended its total revenues by over 130 percent between 2009 and 2010. Interestingly, Apple's growth looks to be slowing down as the App Store begins to reach a saturation point on smartphones, while Nokia's Ovi Store and Google's Android Market blossomed during 2010 by multiples of 7.2 and 8.6 times their 2009 size. Apple's share at the top has shrunken as a consequence, a trend that looks likely to continue when Windows Phone 7's Marketplace and the Ovi Store are melded into one through this year and beyond.

Apple maintains lead in mobile app store revenues, but its share is shrinking fast originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 07:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink All About Symbian  |  CNET  | Email this | Comments

Netgear unveils a pair of 42Mbps HSPA+ routers, and one for LTE

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/18/netgear-unveils-a-pair-of-42mbps-hspa-routers-and-one-for-lte/

We're not sure how they feel in lands where fiber optic connections flow like wine, but in most of the developed world a up to 42 megabit per second internet connection feels mighty fine. Fine enough, in fact, that it can make sense to share it with your peers, and that's why Netgear's new MBR1310 and MBR2000 routers are here. They're quad-band DC-HSPA+ units that dole out that precious 3G data over 802.11n WiFi or via four 10/100 wired ethernet ports, with the MBR2000 adding ADSL2+ for a wired backup option. If you're lucky enough to be working with LTE in Europe, there's the MBR1517 as well, virtually identical to the model announced for Verizon but presumably with different carrier support. No word on when, where, or how much any of these fallback connectivity options will cost. PR after the break.

Continue reading Netgear unveils a pair of 42Mbps HSPA+ routers, and one for LTE

Netgear unveils a pair of 42Mbps HSPA+ routers, and one for LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink HotH! ardware< /a>  |  Netgear  | Email this | Comments

NoteSlate teased with new product shots, moves one step away from vaporware status

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/18/noteslate-teased-with-new-product-shots-moves-one-step-away-fro/

Look, you can't say no to a $99 electronic ink drawing tablet, but to believe that that his here NoteSlate has any chance of retailing at that price you'd also need the naiveté of a child who accepts free candies from strangers. While we remain skeptical, said tablet's website has just been updated with a new stash of product shots and an in-depth walkthrough, which are kinda convincing if you ignore the price tag. The mono-color models are here to stay as well, though we should point out that there's a $30 alternative, already available, from Improv Electronics for those who need nothing more than just doodling. Otherwise, keep an eye out for the NoteSlate come June.

[Thanks, Eddie]

Filed under: Tablet PCs

NoteSlate teased with new product shots, moves one step away from vaporware status originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  NoteSlate  | Email this | Comments

Latest Android Gingerbread release brings NFC and Bluetooth together for tappable sharing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/18/latest-android-gingerbread-release-brings-nfc-and-bluetooth-toge/

Sending a webpage from an HP Pre 3 to a Touchpad is as easy as tapping them together, a technique we've not previously seen -- but something that's now possible in the latest flavor of Gingerbread: Android 2.3.3. This adds some expanded functionality for working with the NFC chip found in the Nexus S (and, presumably, others soon) enabling, among other things, NFC to work with Bluetooth. As demonstrated a few weeks ago, the NFC chip can be used to send networking and establish a connection when the two phones touch, so no more manual pairing required, just sweet tapping and sharing.

Latest Android Gingerbread release brings NFC and Bluetooth together for tappable sharing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  MobiSocial News  | Email this | Comments

Motorola Atrix 4G pegged for February 21st pre-order delivery

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/18/motorola-atrix-4g-pegged-for-february-21st-pre-order-delivery/

Current pre-orders appear to be looking at early March delivery, but AT&T has gone on record saying that folks that elected to pre-order the mighty Motorola Atrix 4G by the 17th will receive it on the 21st of February -- next Monday -- and if they chose to have their unit sent to a store, they'll be able to get it there on the 21st as well. The rest of us will need to check out the store on the 22nd and hope for the best. We've gotten confirmation from a tipster that his pre-order has shipped with a scheduled delivery on Monday, so it's looking like they're on time. Who's standing in line next Tuesday?

[Thanks, Shaun C.]

Motorola Atrix 4G pegged for February 21st pre-order delivery originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Samsung Epic 4G officially signed up for Froyo starting February 21st

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/18/samsung-epic-4g-officially-signed-up-for-froyo-starting-february/

Weary Epic 4G owners, wonder no more about your phone's long-overdue update to Android 2.2, because the rumors were true: it's nearly here. Sprint has thrown up a support page detailing the build EB13 upgrade that will kick off on February 21st, saying that all customers "should" have it by the 25th through a phased over-the-air rollout. Besides the usual Android 2.2 goodies, the update promises "GPS enhancements," which is something that pretty much every Galaxy S owner around the world is always on the lookout for with every new firmware version. Of course, we'll believe this all when it actually starts happening -- but it's a good sign.

Samsung Epic 4G officially signed up for Froyo starting February 21st originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Sprint Community  | Email this | Comments

Nokia giving developers free E7 and Nokia WP7 handsets

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/18/nokia-giving-developers-free-e7-and-nokia-wp7-device-when-availa/

Nokia's fighting an uphill battle to retain its community of developers as it switches focus to Windows Phone and Microsoft's Windows Phone Developer Tools from what was a joint Symbian / MeeGo smartphone strategy unified under the Qt development framework. As such, Espoo just notified its Launchpad members that they'll be receiving about $1,000 in free hardware in the form of Nokia's new flagship E7 QWERTY slider and a "Nokia WP7 device" just as soon as it's available. Nokia's also tossing in a few other incentives like free access to the next Nokia World / Nokia Developer Summit, three months free tech support for all Nokia technologies (limited to 10 tickets), a free User Experience evaluation for one app, business development assistance, and help publishing apps on the Ovi store. This is also great news for us as the chance of seeing leaked pics of that first Nokia WP7 device have just increased dramatically.

Nokia giving developers free E7 and Nokia WP7 handsets originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 07:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink @stroughtonsmith (Twitter)  |  SlashGear &n! bsp;|&nb sp;Email this | Comments

Motorola posts specs for GSM and WiFi-only Xoom, indentical to original save the radios

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/17/motorola-posts-specs-for-gsm-and-wifi-only-xoom-indentical-to-o/

What's the difference between a WiFi-only Xoom tablet and one equipped with EV-DO Rev. A or HSPA bands? Just $200 and the radio chip within. Motorola just released the full spec sheets for its full lineup of Android Honeycomb tablets, and they're otherwise exactly the same inside. That goes for the Tegra 2 SOC, of course, but also surprisingly the GPS, which is often baked right into the cellular radio in mobile devices like these. Good on Motorola for keeping the functionality in!

[Thanks, David W.]

Motorola posts specs for GSM and WiFi-only Xoom, indentical to original save the radios originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 09:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Motodev Forums  |  Motorola  | Email this | Comments

OCZ Vertex 3 Pro hits the test bench, sets the new single-drive speed benchmark at 550MBps

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/17/ocz-vertex-3-pro-hits-the-test-bench-sets-the-new-single-drive/

We're becoming somewhat repetitive in our writing about SSDs -- every next one is that extra little bit faster or better and the crown just keeps exchanging hands -- but we couldn't be happier for it. Solid state storage is still one of the most exciting and rapidly developing areas of modern technology, a fact evidenced perfectly by the recent introduction of OCZ's Vertex 3 Pro drive. It touts a mad 550MBps maximum read and 500MBps maximum write speeds, mostly thanks to the brand spanking new SandForce SF-2500 controller chip it has onboard. It's been put through the benchmarking wringer by a number of sites today and the resulting conclusion has been lucid and unequivocal: the Vertex 3 Pro is the new champion among standalone 2.5-inch SSDs. AnandTech goes so far as to say it's "the first drive that really needs a 6Gbps interface." The V3Pro isn't yet on sale and the hardware looked at it in these previews was not final, but the next generation of SSDs looks to be keeping the breakneck pace of development that's characterized the storage medium so far. Lovely!

OCZ Vertex 3 Pro hits the test bench, sets the new single-drive speed benchmark at 550MBps originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  AnandTech, Hot Hardware, Legit Reviews, PC Perspective  | Email this | Comments

NEC busts out an Android Netbook, the LifeTouch Note

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/17/nec-busts-out-an-android-netbook-the-lifetouch-note/

NEC has debuted its first Android netbook, the humbly-named LifeTouch Note, in Japan. Spec-wise, the Note runs Android 2.2, has an NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU, up to 8GB of memory, a 7-inch backlit (800 x 480 resolution) resistive touchscreen LCD, GPS, WiFi, SD and SDHC slots, and a 2 megapixel webcam. There will also be a 3G variety for a little extra cash, of course. Other than that, there's no word of when this will be available in Japan, but we do know that it start at around ¥45,000 (that's somewhere in the neighborhood of $540). Video demo is after the break, hit up the source for a huge, attractive gallery.

Continue reading NEC busts out an Android Netbook, the LifeTouch Note

NEC busts out an Android Netbook, the LifeTouch Note originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Akihabara News  | Email this  ;| Comments

Developer gets Kinect working on Android, rains on Microsoft's WP7 parade (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/16/developer-gets-kinect-working-on-android-rains-on-microsofts-w/

Windows Phone 7 is getting a lot of extensions this year and, while we wouldn't say Kinect interoperability is anywhere near as important as third-party multitasking, it could be fun. Still, we haven't seen proper Kinect interop, the sort that would see you controlling WP7 games with a Kinect -- the sort that is apparently possible on Android. YouTuber HirotakaSter has managed to hook a Kinect up to Android hardware, what looks to be an Armadillo 500 FX development platform, and get everything to play nice. He's using openFrameworks and, while at this point the software isn't doing much other than showing a video stream from the camera, the possibilities from here are quite simply infinite.

[Thanks, Muhammad Ali]

Continue reading Developer gets Kinect working on Android, rains on Microsoft's WP7 parade (video)

Developer gets Kinect working on Android, rains on Microsoft's WP7 parade (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 22:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Geekword  |  KirotakaSter (YouTube)  | Email this | Comments

Kno says some tablets will ship within 60 days, doesn't explain pre-order delay

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/17/kno-says-some-tablets-will-ship-within-60-days-doesnt-explain/

We were somewhat taken aback when Kno confirmed its textbook tablet had been delayed without a word on when production would resume, but the company now says pre-orders will experience up to two months' delay before they ship out, and not all of them will. eBookNewser and CrunchGear report that shipments could be delayed until as late as April 14th, and that the first shipment will be restricted "to a limited number of students and teachers." Kno still hasn't provided a reason for the delay, but we think that the newly closed-off website says a lot. "You now need an invitation to get a Kno," it reads, "There aren't enough to go around."

Kno says some tablets will ship within 60 days, doesn't explain pre-order delay originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 04:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CrunchGear  |  eBookNewser  | Email this | Comments

Sony announces 17-inch and 25-inch Trimaster EL professional OLED monitors

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/17/sony-announces-17-inch-and-25-inch-trimaster-el-professional-ole/

The last we heard of a reasonably sized Sony OLED display was way back in June, even though it was just the panel itself rather than a full package like the XEL-1 OLED TV. But yesterday, Sony unveiled a couple of new OLED monitors for its Trimaster EL professional range: on the left we have the BVM-E250 25-incher, accompanied by the BVM-E170 17-inch sibling on the right. The "Super Top Emission OLED" panels on both models boast an RGB 10-bit driver, 100 cd/m2 standard luminance, 1920 x 1080 resolution, plus an impressive 178-degree viewing angle both vertically and laterally. We'll save the rest of the technical details for you video nuts in the press release (along with a video) after the break, but let us warn you that these don't come cheap: the E250 will be available in mid-April for around ¥2.4 million ($28,910), and the E170 in June for around ¥1.3 million ($15,710).

Continue reading Sony announces 17-inch and 25-inch Trimaster EL professional OLED monitors

Sony announces 17-inch and 25-inch Trimaster EL professional OLED monitors originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AV Watch, MacWorld, OLED-Display  |  Sony  | Email this | Comments

GSMA and Cloudmark cooking up an SMS spam reporting system

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/17/gsma-and-cloudmark-cooking-up-an-sms-spam-reporting-system/

If you get just five spam text messages a day then consider yourselves lucky, as a Chinese mobile user could easily amass at least 30 messages daily, according to Cloudmark. Fortunately, said company has been working with GSMA and various network operators on building an SMS spam reporting system, which should help drastically reduce worldwide cellphone spam. The idea is rather simple: in a multi-country trial that ended last December, participants from AT&T, Bell Mobility, SFR, Sprint, Vodafone, Korea Telecom, and the Korean Internet & Security Agency forwarded suspect spam to "7726," which is short code for "spam." Cloudmark's cloud-based system would then be able to identify and block these messages in the future, be it scams, linkbaits, or just ads from perverse companies. While this sounds like a perfect solution, it's not entirely clear how much this service would cost the operators, but hey, it's never too early to start a petition if you need it that badly.

GSMA and Cloudmark cooking up an SMS spam reporting system originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 07:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  PC World  | Email this | Comments

SlideShare Moves Into Virtual Meetings With Zipcast

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/16/slideshare-zipcast/

Why go through online slides alone when you can do it with other people? If you are one of the 45 million people who go to SlideShare every month to check out slide presentations like this one from Mary Meeker on mobile Internet trends, you are probably going to like Zipcast. Slideshare is launching the new service today with Zipcast buttons on every public slideshow that turns the slides into a Webcast with video, audio and chat.

There are plenty of virtual meeting services on the Web—everything from Cisco’s WebEx and Citrix’s GoToMeeting to Adobe’s Acrobat.com, which have been out for years. But Zipcast is, well, zippier. It doesn’t require a software download or plug-in, and it doesn’t take over your entire screen. Instead, it is just a tab in your browser (thank you, HTML5 Websockets).

Zipcast is also stripped down compared to other existing virtual meeting products. There are the slides, a one-way video stream of the person hosting the meeting, a conference call line for audio, and a text chat window. And if you are board during the presentation, you can skip ahead through the slides on your own. That’s it, and that’s all most people probably need for giving a pitch, presentation, or remote talk.

And to share the slideshow meeting, all you have to do is pass out a regular link—every SlideShare user will get a customized link that looks something like www.slideshare.net/erick/meeting and that can be used over and over again for every meeting that person hosts. Participants can sign in with Facebook and can choose to send their chat comments out to their Facebook streams, along with a link back to the meeting, which is a good way to gather an audience for live events. Zipcast will have its own page with an activity stream showing what meetings are going on right now , along with comments, which could also drive more people into public meetings.

There is no limit to how many people can join a meeting, Meetings can be public or private, but anyone with the link can view the presentation.

If you are a SlideShare Pro member, which starts at $19/month, you can get password protected meetings, along with other bells and whistles. Zipcast will be bundled in with the other SlideShare Pro features such as analytics and removing ads. SlideShare just launched subscriptions a few months ago, and paid subscribers are “doubling every month,” says CEO Rashmi Sinha. She plans on rolling out more premium features for Zipcast such as two-way video and the ability to embed Zipcasts.

With Zipcasts, you can see how SlideShare will start to fold in new products to tackle the enterprise market from the ground-up, using its installed base of loyal SlideShare users to spread the word about new products. Socialtext founder Ross Mayfield recently joined the company as VP of business development to help pursue this strategy.

CrunchBase Information

SlideShare

WebEx

Information provided by CrunchBase