Monday, November 30, 2009

From the Tips Box: iPhone Stylus, Touchpad Middle-Click, and Focused Browsing [From The Tips Box]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/xj3hxBkhFMI/

Readers offer their best tips for using touch screens in the cold winter months, middle-clicking with your laptop's touchpad, and staying focused on your work when that work is in your browser.

Don't like the gallery layout? Click here to view everything on one page.

About the Tips Box: Every day we receive boatloads of great reader tips in our inbox, but for various reasons—maybe they're a bit too niche, maybe we couldn't find a good way to present it, or maybe we just couldn't fit it in—the tip didn't make the front page. From the Tips Box is where we round up some of our favorites for your buffet-style consumption. Got a tip of your own to share? Add it in the comments or email it to tips at lifehacker.com.

Use a AAA Battery as an iPhone Stylus

Logan shows us a quicker way to use touch screens in the winter:

Wearing winter gloves means having to pull them off every time you want to use your iPhone. There are a few stylus products out there, but I found that the negative (flat) end of AAA batteries, even when remote controls have exhausted them, are conductive enough to act as a stylus. Because it's flat it doesn't scratch the screen, but it works through light fabric too if you're hesitant about the whole metal-on-glass thing.



AA batteries should work just as well and may be easier to come by for most.

Middle Click With a Two Button Touchpad

Photo by! CLF.

Chinmay tweaks his settings to allow for quick middle clicking on his laptop:

It's simple really: since you can already left-click by tapping the touchpad and drag by double-tap dragging, set your left-click button to middle-click. Really helps while browsing. I use middle-click all the time for opening links in new tabs and closing tabs.


Access Facebook and Twitter From Gmail

Felipe tells us how he keeps his favorite social networking sites handy in Gmail:

I just found out you can add iGoogle gadgets to Gmail. Since that is not what they are originally made for, they can look a little weird or just not be of any use at all. But these two gadgets I found work wonders!

The Twitter gadget is actually made for Gmail, and the great thing is that it goes "fullscreen", that is, instead of your email you see tweets! The same goes for Facebook, although it's originally made for
iGoogle. But it also goes fullscreen, you just have to click on "Expand" inside the gadget box.

To install them, just do the following:

1. Go to Settings –> Labs, find "Add any gadget by URL" and activate it.
2. Find a XML gadget for Gmail or iGoogle.
3. Go to Settings –> Gadgets, enter the gadget URL into the text box and click Add.

These are the gadget URLs:
Twitter - http://twittergadget.appspot.com/gadget-gmail.xml
Facebook - http://hosting.gmodules.com/ig/gadgets/file/104971404861070329537/facebook.xml


Stay Focused in Your Browser

Ryan lets us know how he stays distrac! tion-fre e when working in his browser:

I frequently find myself wasting time browsing the internet, specifically some of my favorite bookmarked sites, when I should be getting work done. I found that by simply opening the few tabs I actually need (such as Gmail and RTM), pinning them in Chrome, and hitting Ctrl + b to hide my bookmarks bar, the problem is solved! Just the act of seeing no bookmark bar there that I am so used to seeing serves as a reminder that I should be doing something productive. Simple, yet effective tip.

I don't know about Windows, but on a Mac you can take this even further by hiding your address bar if you don't need it too much, by clicking the button in the upper right hand corner of the window.




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INFLU: The Flu Collector⢠[Health]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/WNEOroIKouM/influ-the-flu-collector

Swine flu: do you have it yet? No? Well why not? You need to get yourself an INFLU mask, stat.

The INFLU is like any of the others masks the paranoid public is wearing to combat H1N1, except that it's not for total pussies:

Plan your sickness, develop antibodies for the flu and strengthen your immune system the natural way. The INFLU flu collector mask increases the prospect of getting the Swine flu (H1N1) as well as the regular seasonal flu with several hundred percent.

Your planned immunity comes by way of a battery-powered fan, which "increases the intake of viruses in ambient air through the respiratory system."

There is no flaw with this: the plan, or the joke. [INFLU via Nerdcore via Neatorama]




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LG Expo: It's Got a Pico Projector Bolted to the Back, Of Course [Smartphones]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/39unOwt1Yqc/lg-expo-its-got-a-pico-projector-bolted-to-the-back-of-course

Sure, the LG Expo is the first 1GHz phone in the US, but what really matters is that it has an optional pico projector you can slap onto the back with an 8-foot projection distance.

The projector adds another 1.8 ounces, and as you can see, a bit of an ass to it. Besides the 1GHz goodness, the slider's running Windows Mobile 6.5, has a 3.2-inch touchscreen and a 5MP camera for $200 on contract. Specifically a "minimum $69.99 plan." The projector add-on's $180, though it'll follow the phone's Dec. 7 drop date by a few weeks.

AT&T AND LG MOBILE PHONES ANNOUNCE THE FIRST 1GHZ SMARTPHONE IN THE UNITED STATES, THE LG EXPO

7.2 HSPA-capable Smartphone from AT&T and LG Mobile Phones Packs a Powerful Punch, Features Optional Mobile Projector

DALLAS, November 30, 2009 - AT&T* and LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc., today announced the LG eXpo will be available online beginning December 7. Featuring the first 1 GHz processor in the United States, the LG eXpo allows business professionals to meet their demanding data sharing needs while on the go. Available exclusively for AT&T customers, the handset will be compatible with AT&T's High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 Mbps technology, which provides a considerable speed boost to the nation's fastest 3G network.

The LG eXpo is the first device in North America to support an optional integrated pico projector. The LG Mobile Projector snaps onto the back of the device and allows users to share presentations, slideshows and even online videos straight from their mobile phone. Weighing only 1.8 ounces and small enough to fit into the palm of your hand, the LG mobile projector provides users with powerful new technology in a compact design, featuring a projection distance as far as eight feet

"LG eXpo adds to our growing portfolio of smartphones that operate on the latest upgrade to our 3G networ! k and of fer customers a great choice," said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "As we move to HSPA 7.2 technology, it is crucial to provide our customers innovative and future-proof smartphones."

With the upgrade to HSPA 7.2 technology, AT&T continues its investments to deliver the nation's fastest 3G network. AT&T plans to deploy HSPA 7.2 initially in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami by the end of the year. The company plans to deploy HSPA 7.2 in 25 of the nation's 30 largest markets by the end of 2010, and to reach about 90 percent of its existing 3G network footprint with HSPA 7.2 by the end of 2011.

LG eXpo also eliminates the need for pin codes and passwords with the exclusive "Smart Sensor" fingerprint recognition from AuthenTec, which delivers a new level of added smart and personal security unlike any other mobile phone in the market. AT&T is the first to offer U.S. subscribers a smartphone that leverages the features and functions of a smart sensor. The Smart Sensor complements the touchscreen user interface of the eXpo by also providing precise cursor control for text editing, 4-way menu navigation, and AuthenTec's unique turbo-scroll feature for rapid browsing of long emails, contact lists or websites.

The LG eXpo is loaded with Windows Mobile® 6.5 Professional to help power users stay more connected with email, calendar and Microsoft® Office Mobile. The phone's projection feature allows users to display Web pages, documents, photos and videos on the go.

"LG eXpo is the perfect balance of mobile innovation and design" said Ehtisham Rabbani, vice president of product strategy and marketing for LG Mobile Phones. "Enabling users to meet their professional and personal computing needs from the palm of their hands, LG eXpo makes on-the-go communication an effortless luxury."

Boasting a 3.2-inch external touchscreen with 16M color, LG eXpo features a sophisticated slider design with a fu! ll size QWERTY keypad. For the dynamic multi-tasker, LG eXpo provides users with powerful functionality that supports an RSS Viewer, Podcast and aGPS. In addition to a crystal clear 5.0 megapixel camera with built-in auto flash, LG eXpo can support up to a 16GB removable microSD memory card for premium music and photo storage.

Beginning December 7, LG eXpo will be available to enterprise customers and for purchase online at www.att.com/lgexpo for $199.99 after mail-in rebate. Pay $299.99 and after mail-in rebate receive a $100 AT&T Promotion Card. Two year agreement on a minimum $69.99 plan required. The LG Mobile Projector will be available in the coming weeks for $179.99.

For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com.

For more information and detailed disclaimer information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at http://www.att.com/newsroom.




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Spectacular Wave Door Is Deceptively Complex [Architecture]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/z_dEulggFFo/spectacular-wave-door-is-deceptively-complex

If you're going to have a door as elaborate and beautiful as this, you'd better have a damned impressive house for it to open into. Otherwise, it's all disappointment once you cross the threshold.

This door, created by Matharoo Associates for a diamond merchant in India, is flat-out crazy. It's 17 feet tall, five and a half feet wide, and is made up of 40 sections of Burmese teak. The door uses a counterweight, 80 ball bearings and 160 pulleys to create the incredible effect of reconfiguring into a sinusoidal curve when you push on any one section. Amazing.

[Architectural Review via FastCompany]




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Dolphin Browser Gives Droid the Multitouch It Should've Had From the Start [Android Apps]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/W0eQA2l43cM/dolphin-browser-gives-droid-the-multitouch-it-shouldve-had-from-the-start

As far as phones go, the Droid is an olympian. A supermodel. A movie star. But without multitouch, it's a movie star with rickets, and awkward inflection. That is: mildly disappointing! That's where the Dolphin browser comes in.

At first glance the browser is a bit of a mess: its Android Market listing is subliterate, and its interface—the tabs, specifically—look kind of assy on the Droid's higher-resolution screen. Beyond the glitches, though, it's a capable browser, with gesture support, RSS integration and yes, multitouch.

Dolphin's multitouch implementation works on a number of handsets aside from the Droid, from the Hero, which supports multitouch out of the box, to Cyanogen-modded G1s and MyTouch 3Gs, which don't. It works much better on faster hardware though: where it's a bit laggy on a stock Hero, it's surprisingly smooth on Motorola's speedier terminator phone. At any rate, it's free, and available now in the Market, so, go. [Dolphin via Engadget Mobile]




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First Made-For-Google Manhunt in Progress (Updating Live) [Crime]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/wV16kfsKRbQ/first-made+for+google-manhunt-in-progress-updating-live

A Google Wave started by the Seattle Times is being used to track information about the search for a man suspected of killing four police officers. It's the first Google-supported manhunt and finally a decent use for Wave. Update 6.

Due to Google Wave's real time updating capabilities, this is actually a rather fitting use. People are posting everything they know, from information about the suspect (right down to his old pictures and Twitter accounts) to news from police scanners. A Google Map of the manhunt is also being maintained with the major events of the search.

We'll keep updating as new details appear for those wanting to keep up (and those without a Google Wave account). [Google Wave via Techcrunch]

Update 1:

Officers on alert at "every exit route out of Washington" looking for officer shooting suspect (source: @seattlepi)

Update 2: Miscellaneous information currently known about the suspect:

Suspect Description:
Maurice Clemmons
(Suspect may be using alias w/fake WA ID for Carsile Dawson)

2004 photo
Twitter photo

Suspect Vehicle Description:
green 1997 Mazda Millenia, WA license [License plate number removed, see update 5]
(vehicle is registered to suspect's wife)

Twitter account

Update 3: Note that a tip line is open for anyone with information regarding the shooting or the suspect's whereabouts: 866-977-236

Update 4:

Suspect reported near 13th and Lander.

Update 5:

Police no longer looking for '97 Mazda Millenia - WSP Trooper Brandy Kessler says it was sold 2 months ago (source: @KIRO7Seattle)

Update 6: The 13th and Lander report was deemed unrelated to this search.




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ASUS Motherboard Can Be Tweaked With A Bluetooth-Enabled Phone [Motherboards]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/3A7S_rbT7pk/asus-motherboard-can-be-tweaked-with-a-bluetooth+enabled-phone

Looks like ASUS' newest Maximus III Extreme motherboard brings Bluetooth control.Yes, you read that right. You'll really be able to tweak settings and parameters such as speeds and temperature using a Bluetooth-enabled phone.

Aside from the phone-control feature, this motherboard will come with support for up to 5 PCIe x8 connections, SATA 6G, and USB 3.0 technology. Unfortunately there's no release date or pricing information yet. [Asus via PC Perspective via Engadget]




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Rocketfish WirelessHD Adapter snips an HDMI cord for $600

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/30/rocketfish-wirelesshd-adapter-snips-an-hdmi-cord-for-600/

When Belkin killed its FlyWire, it also put a serious hurtin' on the hopes of wireless HDTV ever truly taking off in the near term. Granted, the device was horrifically overpriced, but it was easily the most well-known product in the fledgling sector. Now, however, it seems that a few other players are sneaking into the limelight, with Philips recently introducing its sub-$1,000 Wireless HDTV Link and Sony pricing its DMX-WL1 for the everyman. Today, Best Buy's own Rocketfish has introduced its WirelessHD Adapter, a two-piece set that enables a single HDMI device to be connected to an HDMI-enabled HDTV sans cabling. You simply plug your source into one box and your HDTV into another; so long as the two are within 33 feet of one another, 1080p content can be slung without wires. It's up for order right now at $599.99, which -- amazingly enough -- is actually more expensive than that 30-foot Monster HDMI cable you were secretly eying.

Rocketfish WirelessHD Adapter snips an HDMI cord for $600 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Hot Hardware  |  sourceBest Buy  | Email this | Comments

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ASUS shows off Congo / Ion-based Eee PC 1201T netbook

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/30/asus-shows-off-congo-ion-based-eee-pc-1201t-netbook/

ASUS' Eee PC 1201HA just went on sale here in the States earlier today, but already it seems that the debatable father of netbooks is looking to one-up its own with the 1201T. Shown off recently at an event overseas, this 12.1-inch netbook gets powered by AMD's Congo platform and NVIDIA's heralded Ion graphics unit, a tandem that should lead to a fairly nimble and multimedia-friendly machine. The 1.6GHz MV40 CPU was at the helm, followed along by 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 250GB hard drive, 6-cell battery and an enclosure that looks pretty much like every other Eee PC announced within the past six months. Mum's the word on price and availability, but we're guessing both of those will clear themselves up in short order.

ASUS shows off Congo / Ion-based Eee PC 1201T netbook originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Notebook Italia  |  source52Hardware  | Email this | Comments

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Chrome OS 'Diet' version fits on a 1GB USB key, brings more WiFi support

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/30/chrome-os-diet-version-fits-on-a-1gb-usb-key-brings-more-wifi/

Not everyone has a 4GB USB key or SD card just lying around, which was required to run Hexxeh's first build of Chromium OS, and we'd say that 8GB keys are exponentially more rare, which is what Dell requires with its build of the Chrome OS open source variant. Well, you can cancel that Fry's run, because Hexxeh is back with a Chrome OS Diet flavor, which cuts the fat and gets the OS onto a 1GB drive. It supposedly doesn't cut anything features-wise, and actually improves WiFi support since it's based on a newer build -- check out that compatibility list source link for the full story on that.

Chrome OS 'Diet' version fits on a 1GB USB key, brings more WiFi support originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceHexxeh's Chrome OS build, Dev hardware list  | Email this | Comments

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Lancerlink pico proj features ARM processor, Windows CE

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/30/lancerlink-pico-proj-features-arm-processor-windows-ce/

If you're a fan of both Windows and projectin' stuff, this is your lucky day! Hot on the heels of news that LG's WinMo-powered pico projector-packin' eXpo is heading for AT&T, Lancerlink has announced a little something called the MPJ-104WCE. This 5.5-inch long projector ships with Windows CE 5.0, 4GB memory, 64MB flash storage, an ARM9 (400MHz) CPU, a USB port, and two 0.5 watt speakers. This guy will project your various docs (including PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WMV, and and MPEG-4) at 640 x 480 resolution, but only in Japan for the time being. We'll keep our eyes peeled for domestic price and street date.

Lancerlink pico proj features ARM processor, Windows CE originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Pico Projector Info  |  sourceAkihabara  | Email this | Comments

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Samsung Behold II review

Source: http://mobile.engadget.com/2009/11/30/samsung-behold-ii-review/


It was but a year ago that Samsung graced us with the original Behold. At the time it was more or less positioned to win the hearts of folks who wanted a luscious touchscreen but had no real truck with smartphones. So what do we have here? With the Behold II, the company has switched things up a bit: instead of a respectable feature phone, you not only get Android 1.5, but a 3.5mm headphone jack and WiFi as well. At least this shows that Sammy has been paying attention! Still, a couple questions come to mind: how does this one compare to the original? And how does it stack up as a Google Android device? Engadget has put her through the paces and our findings are sure to shock or surprise you (or maybe not). Continue reading below.

Continue reading Samsung Behold II review

Samsung Behold II review originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Maximus III Extreme mobo lets Bluetooth cellphones tweak settings

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/30/asus-maximus-iii-extreme-mobo-lets-bluetooth-cellphones-tweak-se/

ASUS has been giving its motherboard owners ways to tinker with their wares for years now, but it sounds like things are about to get seriously amped up with the Maximus III Extreme. The P55-based board, which falls into the growing Republic of Gamers lineup, adds a new feature to the existing ROG Connect overclocking system: Bluetooth control. You heard right -- ASUS claims that this mainboard actually "enables users to tweak system settings wirelessly over Bluetooth via a mobile phone." More specifically, RC Bluetooth allows users to "review the status of their systems' hardware and tweak parameters wirelessly from a Bluetooth-enabled PDA phone," with examples like controlling music playback and dealing with Skype conversations given. There's no specific mention of a price or release date, but you can bet we'll be digging for specifics on the limits and functionality baked in here.

ASUS Maximus III Extreme mobo lets Bluetooth cellphones tweak settings originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PC Perspective  |  sourceASUS  | Email this | Comments

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ClearPlay introduces first content filtering 1080p upscaling DVD player

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/30/clearplay-introduces-first-content-filtering-1080p-upscaling-dvd/

ClearPlay -- remember those guys? You know, the outfit who garnered all sorts of attention years ago by having their content filtering DVD players yanked from store shelves, only to be vindicated by Congress itself? Amazingly enough, these cats are still hanging around, and they've just pushed out their first filtering DVD player to upscale content to 1080p over HDMI. As expected, the $99.95 deck still sports the same filtering technology that gives dutiful parents the ability to block objectionable content based on customizable settings, but now you can rest easy knowing that any slip-up in blocking a steamy bedroom scene will be viewed by your impressionable youngster in glorious high-definition. Huzzah.

ClearPlay introduces first content filtering 1080p upscaling DVD player originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSewell Direct  | Email this | Comments

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Sunday, November 29, 2009

Archos 5 gets Android Market, Gmail and Maps for that Google-blessed experience

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/28/archos-5-gets-android-market-gmail-and-maps-for-that-google-ble/

Since it's not a phone and transgresses in all sorts of other Google-pleasing areas, the Archos 5 Internet Tablet hasn't had a full shot at Android thus far, being relegated to merely the open source aspects of the OS. However, with phones like the Droid out and about and making high-resolution compatibility a must for Android developers, not to mention some diligent work from the hacking community, there are now downloadable versions of Android Market, Gmail, Maps and some other Google-specific Android goodies for the Archos 5. Use them at your own risk, of course, but it's not like the Archos 5 is a testament to stability in its current incarnation anyway.

Archos 5 gets Android Market, Gmail and Maps for that Google-blessed experience originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcejkkmobile  | Email this | Comments

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