Friday, February 24, 2012

Fraunhofer's Full-HD Voice brings high fidelity VoLTE to Android smartphones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/24/fraunhofer-full-hd-voice-for-volte/

Fraunhofer's Full-HD Voice brings high fidelity VoLTE to Android smartphones
The audio nerds at Fraunhofer are set to raise the bar for Voice over LTE next week in Barcelona, as the company has announced a new technology known as Full-HD Voice. By leveraging the AAC-ELD codec, Fraunhofer claims that consumers will experience audio quality that rivals the experience of chatting face-to-face. Technically speaking, it's said the codec offers four times the audio bandwidth of regular phone calls and twice the bandwidth of HD voice services, all without an increase in bit rate. The technology will only be available for Android phones initially, but that seems like a fine place to start. The full PR is after the break -- presented in Full HD, of course.

Continue reading Fraunhofer's Full-HD Voice brings high fidelity VoLTE to Android smartphones

Fraunhofer's Full-HD Voice brings high fidelity VoLTE to Android smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel joins the Document Foundation, pimps LibreOffice

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/24/intel-joins-the-document-foundation-pimps-libreoffice/

LibreOffice
You're forgiven if you missed this little blip on the news radar: Intel has joined the advisory board of the Document Foundation and added the coalition's LibreOffice to the AppUp market. What's more, Chipzilla actually worked with SUSE to help optimize the free and open source office suite for Intel hardware and, as part of the advisory board, will be providing the project with significant monetary support. This is good news for fans of LibreOffice, but it's probably not sitting well with Microsoft -- normally Intel's ally and current king of the office suite hill.

Intel joins the Document Foundation, pimps LibreOffice originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OMAP 5's dual A15 cores wipe the floor with four A9s in browsing benchmark

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/23/omap-5s-dual-a15-cores-wipe-the-floor-with-four-a9s/

OMAP 5
We've seen Texas Instrument's OMAP 5 in action, but we haven't been able to pit it directly against a competitor. The Dallas company must be growing more and more confident in its product however, as its posted a video demoing its pair of A15 cores alongside an unspecified quad-core A9 part -- presumably the Tegra 3. The video shows the next-gen TI part powering through the EEMBC BrowsingBench in 95 seconds, while its opposition takes a whopping 201. What's more, this thrashing was performed by an 800MHz part -- the four A9s were clocked at 1.3GHz. Of course, Tegra 3s are already in shipping products, while the OMAP 5 might not find a home in consumer devices before 2013. It's also unclear just how much of a hit these new high-powered ARM cores will have on battery life or how much the pair of M4 companion cores helped in the benchmark. Head on after the break to watch a pair of tablets load up 20 websites in quick succession.

Continue reading OMAP 5's dual A15 cores wipe the floor with four A9s in browsing benchmark

OMAP 5's dual A15 cores wipe the floor with four A9s in browsing benchmark originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lumus' OE-31 optical engine turns motorcycle helmets, other eyewear into wearable displays

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/23/lumus-oe-31-optical-engine-turns-motorcycle-helmets-other-eyew/

After showing off a duo of wearable, see-through displays at CES, Lumus is back with a second optical engine -- one that could be used in any style of frames, from prescription glasses to ski goggles. Available in binocular and monocular configurations, the tiny OE-31 sensor weighs just 10 grams (.35 ounces), allowing it to accommodate a variety of form factors besides your run-of-the mill (and quite dorky-looking) 3D glasses. As always, Lumus' hook is its ability to combine head up content, augmented reality and see-through displays, though this time around the sensor allows for a 19-degree field of view and a full-color, 640 x 360 picture. Though that's not as impressive as the 720p, 3D-capable frames on offer at CES, the company argues it should be adequate for reading text, particularly since the viewing experience will be comparable to staring at a 40-inch screen from 10 feet away. No word, of course, on what products might incorporate these discreet head up displays, though maybe, just maybe, we'll catch a demo in Barcelona. For now, we've got photos below along with a handful of demo videos after the break.

Continue reading Lumus' OE-31 optical engine turns motorcycle helmets, other eyewear into wearable displays

Lumus' OE-31 optical engine turns motorcycle helmets, other eyewear into wearable displays originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google, Microsoft and Netflix want DRM-like encryption in HTML5

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/23/google-microsoft-and-netflix-want-drm-like-encryption-in-html5/

HTML5 is supposed to set the web free. Free to deliver and shape online media in any web browser. However, several of the standard's greatest champions want to be able to restrict the use of audio and video tags through encrypted media extensions. A draft proposal has been submitted by Google, Microsoft, and Netflix to the W3C -- the curators of HTML5 -- to add encrypted media extensions to the web standard's spec. The proposed system works using a key-based content decryption system controlled by applications, thusly providing the copy protection that so many content owners desire. Naturally, the proposal specifically states that "no DRM is added to the HTML5 specification" if it's adopted, but letting apps lock up audio and video content sure sounds like digital rights management to us. However, there's already some discord amongst the W3C's members as to whether the proposal will work as promised, so its addition to HTML5 is far from assured. You can read the full proposal at the source below, and check out the more coverage links for some added perspective.

Google, Microsoft and Netflix want DRM-like encryption in HTML5 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google+ Circles heading to Google Voice, creepers heading straight to voicemail

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/23/google-circles-heading-to-google-voice-creepers-heading-straig/

If you've spent some quality time with Google+, we're sure you've encountered Circles. You know, the feature that enables you to control who sees your G+ posts and who doesn't. Now, the folks in Mountain View have added the social network management tool to Google Voice. You can organize your contacts into groups who can actually ring your Galaxy Nexus and those who are sent straight to voicemail. Custom greetings can also be added to each Circle, should you feel the need to offer some Punch Brothers instead of the boring ol' standard ringback. Looking to take 'er for a spin? Hit the Groups & Circles tab in your Voice settings in order to customize your sets of contacts, but take note that your existing Google+ Circles are getting cozy there already.

Google+ Circles heading to Google Voice, creepers heading straight to voicemail originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung demos new 32nm quad-core Exynos ahead of MWC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/23/samsung-demos-new-32nm-quad-core-exynos-ahead-of-mwc/

Exynos
If you were lucky enough to be at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference, then you might have caught a glimpse of Samsung's latest sliver of mobile silicon. The as yet unnamed Exynos parts will come in dual- and quad-core configurations running at up to 1.5GHz. Perhaps the most important change though, is the switch from a 45nm manufacturing process to 32nm. That means smaller parts that draw less power, while delivering better performance. The A9 cores are paired with Sammy's own GPU, an OpenGL ES 2.0-capable chip with four pixel processors. According to the company, the new CPUs deliver a 26 percent boost in performance and up to a 50 percent increase in battery life. Of course, we'll have to wait to run our own benchmarks to confirm that lofty claim. Who knows, maybe we'll see it show up in some phones at MWC.

[Thanks, Vlad]

Samsung demos new 32nm quad-core Exynos ahead of MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Unwired View  |  sourceEE Times Asia  | Email this | Comments

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Turn Your Android Device into a Portable Workstation in a Pinch [Android]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5887589/turn-your-android-device-into-a-portable-workstation-in-a-pinch

Turn Your Android Device into a Portable Workstation in a Pinch If you're lucky enough to have an Android device running Ice Cream Sandwich, like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the folks at ExtremeTech have a great walkthrough on how to turn your handset into a fairly powerful workstation. You'll need a couple of items to get started, but the end result is that your phone can turn into a desktop almost anywhere you go.

The source article makes no bones about the fact you'll need a display to connect to if you want the full effect, but they suggest you pick up an HDMI-to-mini-HDMI converter for a few bucks to get video out from your device, and pair a bluetooth keyboard or trackpad to your phone, and call it a day. Even though most people only think to pair bluetooth keyboards or trackpads to their tablets, the process is the same with a handset, and works just as well. Connect the HDMI adapter into any nearby TV or monitor, and you're all set. The end result is a pretty snappy workstation that you can control from a mouse and keyboard and work on a nice large screen.

Plenty of other Android devices have this capability buit-in, even if they don't have Ice Cream Sandwich—if your phone has an mini HDMI output, you may be able to do the same thing, and if the thought of running Android on a huge screen doesn't totally appeal to you, you can always try the same procedure with the upcoming Ubuntu for Android.

Would you give this a shot? Pack up a bluetooth keyboard and trackpad and an HDMI cable for your trip and leave the laptop—or your tablet behind? Or is this a solution looking for a problem? Whatever you think, share your thoughts in the comments below.

How to Use the Galaxy Nexus as a Desktop Replacement | ExtremeTech

OnLive Desktop Plus Hands On: They Put Windows on My iPad [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5887484/onlive-desktop-plus-hands-on-they-put-windows-on-my-ipad

How impressive is the Desktop Plus version of OnLive's iPad software? For $4.99 a month it basically lets you run full Windows on your iPad, and at blazing speeds to boot. This is the cloud done right. Mostly.

OnLive is a cloud-based gaming company, and what it has done is to take the same technology that shoots first person shooters to your screens and apply it to running apps over the cloud. The company leverages countless servers in data centers connected to gigabit ethernet to run various programs for you—including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Internet Explorer—and then it sends that video to your iPad. Essentially, it turns your iPad into a display for one of its servers.

What's that mean in practice? First and foremost it means you can have Office on your iPad right now, today, and free, which was the promise of the original OnLive Desktop. You can edit documents, run video in PowerPoint presentations and basically do anything that you could if you were using Office on a desktop. You can use a software keyboard for input (which includes a Windows-centric keyboard layout) or hook up a bluetooth keyboard. It also recognizes handwriting, which is a neat trick.

OnLive Desktop Plus takes that functionality and adds something that feels magical: the Internet. Because OnLive is sending full-fledged version of IE to your iPad, you can use web apps like Dropbox or Gmail or, well, just about anything else. Flash video works everywhere, because again, it's being handled by remote servers and sent from their to your tablet. You're never kicked to a mobile site. You get to see videos on Hulu or Disney or anywhere else, exactly as they're meant to be presented.

The entire premise is that OnLive doesn't deliver all the data that its servers are crunching, just what you need to see on your screen. It's not sending you entire web pages, fully rendered. It's also not compressing video, so there's no buffering. Think of it as a video of your computer's display, where the stuff going on off-screen has been not only cropped out, but isn't delivered. (Audio, however, does come through even in the background.)

I was a little skeptical at the demo. Surely this was rigged, right? There's no way to download and display artifact-free video that quickly. But at home, things were mostly the same as they were at OnLive's offices.

Word was responsive and I was frankly amazed at how well the handwriting recognition worked (although it's still far slower than using a keyboard). Hitting Windows from my iPad felt little different than from my laptop, although the navigation was admittedly trickier.

Hulu, however, had some hiccoughs. The video wasn't synced to the audio at one point, and there were some noticeable artifacts. I was less impressed with that than I was with the apps. But for the most part Flash, typically a buggy experience even on a desktop, performed flawlessly. And it's amazing to see videos fire more or less the instant you load them, which happens thanks to OnLive's fat pipes and robust machines on the back end. Even over my sometimes janky WiFi connection, this thing took off. A 35 MB PDF file, for example, downloaded and displayed in 9 12 seconds on OnLive Desktop's browser. When I tried downloading the same file from my Dropbox app over Wifi, it took 24 seconds.

The company is also bringing an enterprise version to market in the near future. They showed me a version of Maya running on that today. To be able to run a $5000 program on your $500 iPad? That really is priceless.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Google Docs for Android Adds Collaborative Editing [Video]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5887396/google-docs-for-android-adds-collaborative-editing

The latest update to the Android version of Google Docs adds what might be the best feature of all: collaborative editing. While you've always been able to edit a document along with many other people in the web app, now Android users can join in via the native app on their phones or tablets. Additionally, this update brings rich text formatting so you can add things like ordered and bulleted lists, color variations, and standard text styles like bold and italic. Check out the video above for a quick look at these new features, or just download the app to try them out for yourself.

Collaborate and edit anywhere with the updated Google Docs for Android | Official Google Blog via Engadget

Fujitsu readies its 'final model' quad-core smartphone for reveal next week

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/22/fujitsu-readies-its-final-model-quad-core-smartphone-for-revea/

We laid our hands on Fujitsu's quad-core prototype at the start of the year, it now looks like the phone's now ready to show itself outside the confines of a perspex box. Wielding a Tegra 3 chipset, there's still no official name for the incoming handset, but we're promised admirable battery life and those increasingly typical (for Japan, at least) water resistant credentials. We've also been told that this will be close to -- if not the -- final model of the handset, so we should get to test out that fingerprint sensor in person. Sure, it's not the only quad-core device we're expecting to see at MWC, but we'll welcome it with open arms -- if it does make the journey outside of Japan.

Fujitsu readies its 'final model' quad-core smartphone for reveal next week originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pivothead video glasses offer impressive quality, we go hands-on (sample video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/22/pivothead-video-glasses-hands-on/

There's a new adventure video capture company in town, and both Zeyez and GoPro would have good reason to be afraid. You may not have heard of Pivothead -- the company has had a remarkably quiet push to market over the last few months -- but the video recording eyewear startup could very well become a household name after its first products hit the market this April for $349. Aurora, Durango, Moab and Recon may offer distinct exterior designs, but they're virtually identical under the hood. Each model includes an eight-megapixel Sony sensor (that reportedly captures higher quality images than the iPhone 4S cam), a four-element glass lens, 8GB of built-in storage, a 440mAh battery (with about an hour of shooting time) and three video modes: 1080/30p, 720/60p and 720/30p. We had a chance to go hands-on with Pivothead earlier today, and took the glasses for a spin on the streets of New York City. You'll find that sample video, along with our impressions, just past the break.

Continue reading Pivothead video glasses offer impressive quality, we go hands-on (sample video)

Pivothead video glasses offer impressive quality, we go hands-on (sample video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Docs presentations slides out of preview, adds import and comment options (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/22/google-docs-presentations-slides-out-of-preview-adds-import-and/

The slide-making masses have spoken and Google's dutifully listened. After launching presentations for Docs as a preview last October, the search giant's making that editor ready for prime time with a few user-suggested tweaks in tow. In addition to the recently introduced slew of transitions, themes, tables and collaborative options, Mountain View's now tossing in the ability to make, edit and resolve comments, send email notifications, as well as control read / write privileges for outside users. And don't worry about your old documents getting lost in the shuffle; a new import setting will enable those visual gems to benefit from this new facelift. Check out the source below for a fuller walk-through or catch the instructional vid after the break.

Continue reading Google Docs presentations slides out of preview, adds import and comment options (video)

Google Docs presentations slides out of preview, adds import and comment options (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SanDisk makes 128-gigabit flash chip, crams three bits per cell, takes afternoon off

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/22/sandisk-makes-128-gigabit-flash-chip-crams-three-bits-per-cell/

SanDisk has developed a chip that earns it membership in the exclusive 128-gigabit club. Not content with simply matching the Micron / Intel effort, SanDisk and its partner Toshiba claim their new memory uses 19- rather than 20-nanometer cells in the production process. Shrinking the size is one thing, but SanDisk's new chips also use its X3 / three-bit technology. Most memory stores just two bits per cell; cramming in another means fewer cells, less silicon, more savings, cheaper memory, happier geeks. Analyst Jim Handy estimates that the price per gigabyte for the tri-bit breed of flash could be as low as 28 cents, compared to 35 for the Micron / Intel equivalent. Full details in the not-so-compact press release after the break.

Continue reading SanDisk makes 128-gigabit flash chip, crams three bits per cell, takes afternoon off

SanDisk makes 128-gigabit flash chip, crams three bits per cell, takes afternoon off originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Insanely Strong Molecular Glue, Inspired by Flesh-Eating Bacteria [Science]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5887250/insanely-strong-molecular-glue-inspired-by-flesh+eating-bacteria

Insanely Strong Molecular Glue, Inspired by Flesh-Eating BacteriaIf you've ever stuck your fingers together with super glue, you know pain. But imagine sticking them together with glue that bonds materials at the molecular level: that's real pain. It's also what scientists are doing, with the help of flesh-eating bacteria.

A team of researchers from the University of Oxford has created a molecular glue inspired by Streptococcus pyogenes, which can cause flesh-eating diseases, reports PhysOrg. In fact, the team was interested in a single protein: one which the bacterium uses to bind and invade human cells. "The protein is special because it naturally reacts with itself and forms a lock," explains Dr Mark Howarth, one of the researchers.

Taking that single protein as a design cue, they've developed a molecular glue which uses the same concepts. Their new protein forms covenant bonds when it comes into contact with a partner protein. The bonds it forms are so strong that, when they tested a sample, the equipment used to measure the strength broke before the glue.

As well as being incredibly strong, the technology can be used to make highly selective adhesives: the binding proteins adhere to themselves, but not to other entities. All that remains is to develop ways of incorporating the proteins into other molecular structures in order to create insanely strong, selective glues. [PhysOrg; Image: Will Fuller]

Find the Equivalent Wattage of CFL, LED, and Halogen Bulbs with This Cheat Sheet [Household]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5887073/find-the-equivalent-wattage-of-cfl-light-bulbs-with-this-cheat-sheet

Find the Equivalent Wattage of CFL, LED, and Halogen Bulbs with This Cheat SheetCFL bulbs can help you cut quite a bit of energy usage in your home, but you can't measure brightness by looking at wattage levels, like you can with incandescent bulbs. This chart will help you figure out the brightness of those newfangled bulbs.

Find the Equivalent Wattage of CFL, LED, and Halogen Bulbs with This Cheat SheetHome-centric weblog Apartment Therapy put this chart together to measure wattage equivalents in lumens, which are a measurement of light output (unlike watts, which is actually a unit of power). Some CFL and LED bulbs will put their wattage equivalents on the box, while many don't—so this chart should help give you a good idea of how bright your new bulb is going to be. You can also check out EnergyStar's official chart, which includes the actual wattage of equivalent CFL bulbs (if you're curious). Remember, though—not all light fixtures are suitable for CFL bulbs, so make sure you're using them in safe housings before you buy. Hit the link to read more.

How to Buy the Right CFL: A Cheat Sheet | Apartment Therapy

Make a Super Thin, Portable, and Cheap Boombox for Your Smartphone or Music Player [DIY]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5887082/make-a-super-thin-portable-and-cheap-boombox-for-your-smartphone-or-music-player

Make a Super Thin, Portable, and Cheap Boombox for Your Smartphone or Music PlayerNeed a portable boombox for your smartphone or music player? Industrial design student and Instructables user MTriest has a great, minimalist design that's easy to carry around. It was designed for the iPhone, but you should be able to adapt it to accommodate any similarly-shaped device with a headphone jack. If you want to give it a try, here's what you'll need:

  • 1/2 and 1/4 inch medium-density fibreboard (both boards should be at least 14 x12)
  • 1/4 inch clear acrylic
  • 5/8 inch dowels
  • A mini rocker switch
  • A 5mm LED
  • One AAA battery pack
  • An Altec Lansing IMT227 OrbitM Speaker
  • 1/2" cloth elastic band
  • Electrical wire
  • 1/4w 62 OHM resister

Aside from the speaker (which you can buy here), all the materials are pretty common and easy to come by. Although putting this project together requires a bit of time and some tools (mainly to cut the fibreboard and acryllic), the result is pretty cool. If you don't want to cut the materials yourself, you can always seek out someone on Etsy who regularly cuts these materials and ask for a custom job. Either way, to get the instructions for this project, hit up the full post on Instructables.

iPhone Boombox | Instructables

New Snapdragon Chip With Integrated LTE Will Save Your Battery [Guts]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5887205/new-snapdragon-chip-with-integrated-lte-will-save-your-battery

New Snapdragon Chip With Integrated LTE Will Save Your BatteryQualcomm's next-generation system-on-a-chip is set to turn up inside consumer devices at the Mobile World Congress—and judging by its rumored speed and integrated LTE technology, it could cause quite a stir.

Qualcomm has announced that the new chip—MSM8960, or Snapdragon S4 to its friends—will debut in several handsets next week in Barcelona. Whilst only dual-core, the exciting news is that Qualcomm has been able to roll LTE connectivity into the chip.

Currently, phones have a separate LTE processor that both adds bulk and kills battery performance. An integrated system should help alleviate those issues by sharing resources.

AnandTech has also had an opportunity to benchmark the new processor, and the results look promising, with the chip trumping the highest results from any currently shipping devices by a factor of two. In real-world tests, they found that compared to a Galaxy Nexus, the Snapdragon S4 helped reduce web page loading times by 0.3 seconds with the cache disabled or 1.4 seconds with it turned on. That is massive.

Qualcomm is planning to launch a quad-core version of the processor too, which should be interesting. [GigaOm and Anandtech via The Verge]

Another Way to Get a Headache: The LG Optimus 3D Max [Phones]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5887209/lg-takes-optimus-3d-to-the-max-even-if-you-dont-want-it

Another Way to Get a Headache: The LG Optimus 3D MaxLG's shown that it still thinks 3D phones are the future by unveiling yet another new phone pre-MWC. The beefed up Optimus 3D Max is the successor to the world's first 3D phone and aims to continue the headache-inducing pocket 3D experience we all know and love.

The Optimus 3D Max apparently packs "true performance muscle" - I'll leave you to make your own mind up about that one. It comes equipped with a 1.2GHz dual-core OMAP chip backed up by 1GB of RAM; 8GB of storage; a 1,520mAh battery; a dual lens five-megapixel 3D cam, and a 4.3-inch 3D WVGA display covered in the new Gorilla Glass 2.

Unfortunately the Max is saddled with Gingerbread, but it's got NFC, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to keep you connected, while being only 9.6mm thick. LG's also touting 3D up-conversion for apps like Google Maps, Google Earth and "other road views" using an enhanced 3D converter.

The phone will be officially shown off at MWC next week, and will apparently see an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich "shortly after launch". It'll launch in Korea in March and the rest of the world soon after. I'm not convinced 3D on phones is the answer, but if you are you'll have another option to pick from soon. [LG]


Another Way to Get a Headache: The LG Optimus 3D MaxOur newest offspring Gizmodo UK is gobbling up the news in a different timezone, so check them out if you need another Giz fix.

Asus Transformer Bootloader Unlock Available for Download [Android]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5887218/asus-transformer-bootloader-unlock-available-for-download

Asus Transformer Bootloader Unlock Available for DownloadWhen the Asus Transformer Prime launched, there was outcry from developers over the fact that its bootloader was locked. Asus eventually crumbled, and announced that they would remove the restrictions. Now, almost two months later, you can download the fix.

The news means that those who wish to do so can now install customs ROMs on their Transformer. Asus is, however, keen to point out just how bad an idea it thinks that is, saying:

"It is strongly advised that you avoid activating this App unless you fully understand and accept the risks that may arise."

Yeah, yeah. Shut up, Asus. [Asus]

NYT: Google to sell Android-based heads-up display glasses this year

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/21/nyt-google-to-sell-android-based-heads-up-display-glasses-this/

It's not the first time that rumors have surfaced of Google working on some heads-up display glasses (9 to 5 Google first raised the possibility late last year), but The New York Times is now reporting that the company is not only working on them, but that it's set to release them by the end of this year. Citing "several Google employees familiar with the project," the paper's Nick Bilton reports that the glasses will be based on Android, pack 3G or 4G connectivity, plus GPS and a range of sensors, and cost "around the price of current smartphones," or somewhere between $250 and $600. They're also said to include a low-resolution camera that can monitor your surroundings in real time and overlay relevant information, although Google is said to be paying attention to potential privacy concerns, and "wants to ensure that people know if they are being recorded by someone wearing a pair of glasses with a built-in camera."

What's more, the Times says that none other than Sergey Brin is a "key leader" on the project, with another being Google engineer Steve Lee, the creator of Latitude. Notably, Bilton also says that Google sees the project as an "experiment that anyone will be able to join," and that the company is not currently thinking about potential business models for the glasses, which could suggest that they may be more of a small-scale hobby than part of a major push into consumer hardware.

NYT: Google to sell Android-based heads-up displa! y glasse s this year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceThe New York Times  | Email this | Comments

LG Optimus 3D Max is a slimmer sequel, world's first phone with 3D video editing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/21/lg-optimus-3d-cube/

We're not sure if the world was anxiously awaiting a follow-up to LG's Optimus 3D (the AT&T Thrill 4G here in the states), but here it is: the LG Optimus 3D Max -- or Optimus 3D Cube, depending on your country. The latter's been announced for Korean carrier SK Telecom, with the former rolling out to Europe later. The Optimus 3D Max is slightly thinner than its predecessor at 9.6mm vs. the Thrill 4G's 11.9mm, with a faster 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and 16GB of storage built-in, confirming most of the rumors we'd heard previously. According to LG, it will also be the world's first that can handle 3D photo and video editing right on its glasses-free 4.3-inch screen, all shot by the dual 5MP cameras mounted on the back. It also has NFC baked in to support the new LG Tag+ stickers that change the phone's settings when swiped, just like the Optimus LTE Tag. It's scheduled for release in early March with Android 2.3, but we're promised an Ice Cream Sandwich makeover soon after launch, just like its cousin, the Optimus Vu. Check out the full list of specs after the break and expect to us to get a firsthand look when Mobile World Congress kicks off on the 27th.

Update: It looks like it'll also arrive in Europe with a new name; the Optimus 3D Max. Check the full English PR release below.

Continue reading LG Optimus 3D Max is a slimmer sequel, world's first phone with 3D video editing

LG Optimus 3D Max is a slimmer sequel, world's first phone with 3D video editing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Select' PS Vita apps hit the US PlayStation Store: Netflix, LiveTweet and Flickr (Update: video hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/22/select-ps-vita-apps-hit-the-us-playstation-store-netflix-liv/

Did you just brave the lines of a midnight launch party and snag yourself a PS Vita in the US? Good news ye early adopters, Sony's PlayStation.Blog.US has just announced that select free apps will be available as part of today's PlayStation Store update. Currently, you'll find Netflix, LiveTweet and Flickr, but there's still nary of trace of Facebook or Foursquare among the bunch (nor any official word on release dates for that matter). We gave each app a download and quick spin prior to them being officially listed without much in the way of hiccups -- however, Netflix does take its sweet time to start-up. Disappointingly, Vita's 20MB cap on 3G data is totally in effect on Netflix, as switching to our cellular connection denied us any access to the service. We're giving the apps some extended use to bring you our initial impressions shortly, but for now, you'll find more info at the source link below.

Update: We've added a brief video hands-on just past the break to let you grab a taste of each app before downloading them for yourself.

Continue reading 'Select' PS Vita apps hit the US PlayStation Store: Netflix, LiveTweet and Flickr (Update: video hands-on)

'Select' PS Vita apps hit the US PlayStation Store: Netflix, LiveTweet and Flickr (Update: video hands-on) or! iginally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell XPS 13 manuals leak, spill the Ultrabook's guts all over the internet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/22/dell-xps-13-manuals-leak-spill-the-ultrabooks-guts-all-over-th/

Perhaps you've had your eye on Dell's XPS 13 since we showed you a pre-production model last month, but were looking to learn a bit more about it before buying one? Well, you're in luck, because a spate of manuals for the thing has shown up online, giving you plenty of info on the Ultrabook before its official debut. The owner's manual is of particular interest, as it shows you how to do your very own iFixit teardown -- with pictures and instructions on how to remove many of the Dell's parts, including the keyboard, battery, and even the I/O board, too. Naturally, there's also a quick start guide and a full spec sheet available for download as well, so what are you waiting for? Head on down to the source link for a heavy dose of all the newest, slimmest Dell has to offer.

Dell XPS 13 manuals leak, spill the Ultrabook's guts all over the internet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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