Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Monday, January 17, 2011

RIM: PlayBook is a 'great standalone tablet,' not 'reliant on a BlackBerry'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/17/rim-playbook-is-a-great-standalone-tablet-not-reliant-on-a/

We're sure RIM would still prefer that you own both a BlackBerry smartphone and a PlayBook, but it looks like it's now going some way to address the potential misconception that you actually need a BlackBerry for the tablet to be of any use. Speaking with Forbes, RIM senior product manager Ryan Bidan insisted that "on its own, this is a great standalone tablet," and that "this is not a device that is reliant on a BlackBerry." As Forbes notes, however, it is true that the PlayBook needs to be tied to a BlackBerry for most PIM functions like contacts and calendar management, but Bidan says those features will come to the PlayBook separately "as the platform evolves" -- he didn't get much more specific than that, unfortunately.

RIM: PlayBook is a 'great standalone tablet,' not 'reliant on a BlackBerry' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday, January 16, 2011

Starr Labs AirPower, Missing Link adapters take MIDI into the wild world of wireless

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/15/starr-labs-airpower-missing-link-adapters-take-midi-into-the-wi/

Ah, MIDI. How we love thee. You're older than dirt itself, but still totally relevant -- something we could only hope to one day be. But now, it's time to make a move. A move to a world where copper wires and insulated cabling aren't necessary. A world where wireless rules. Create Digital Music has a new report out on two of the most prominent options when it comes to wireless MIDI, with the both of 'em distributing bleeps and bloops over totally different airwaves. The Starr Labs AirPower relies on a proprietary 2.4GHz communications protocol, enabling MIDI guitarists to finally get their groove on without worry over cable ejections. 'Course, with a $425 (upgrade) / $250 (MIDI-only) price tag, it's far from being affordable, and that $250 dongle is needed in addition to the $425 adapter for any instrument not made by Starr. The Missing Link relies on traditional WiFi waves, enabling phones and tablets to easily tap into its potential. You'll need to be aware that even the slightest bit of WiFi interference could ruin a live gig, but at just $150 (limited first run), it may be worth the risk. Head on past the break for a live demonstration of the latter, and tap that via for more dirt on the duo.

Continue reading Starr Labs AirPower, Missing Link adapters take MIDI into the wild world of wireless

Starr Labs AirPower, Missing Link a! dapters take MIDI into the wild world of wireless originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 03:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Notion Ink Adam clears FCC, begins shipping 'around Wednesday'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/15/notion-ink-adam-clears-fcc-begins-shipping-around-wednesday/

We don't see it in the FCC database yet but Notion Ink's charming Rohan Shravan just penned a post on the company's blog with news that Adam has official clearance from the US government. That's right, after several delays the tiny startup will finally condense its occasionally vapory molecules into a solid slab of shipping tablet starting "around Wednesday" after the hardware receives its FCC tattoo. Remember, Adam was that tablet good enough to earn a Best of CES 2011 honorable mention at an event absolutely flooded with tablets from a who's who of consumer electronics companies. While our first impressions of the production unit were positive, we're holding off on making a final judgement until we've had the chance to perform a full review. Having said that, Adam's final NI3421A01 product code is so nerdy -- the "3421" continues Rohan's tradition of numbering product iterations along the Fibonacci number sequence -- that we're almost tempted to place an order ourselves. Almost.

[Thanks, John]

Notion Ink Adam clears FCC, begins shipping 'around Wednesday' originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 04:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NTIA says LightSquared proposal could pose national security threat

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/15/ntia-says-lightsquared-proposal-could-pose-national-security-thr/

Last summer it looked like Philip Falcone's LightSquared was on the path to a democratic LTE solution: a coast-to-coast network, incorporating satellite connectivity to cover the entire country. It's an ambitious goal to be sure -- perhaps too ambitious. In a letter to the FCC, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) warned that the wholesaler's wireless network, which would operate on the MSS spectrum, could interfere with systems like Department of Defense communications. Here's the snag: last year the FCC approved the company's initial proposal to create a network that would incorporate both terrestrial and satellite services. Now LightSquared wants to offer the option of terrestrial-only phones to their clients. According to the NTIA, such a system would require far more land-based stations, causing potential MSS overcrowding and increasing the risk of interference with everything from aeronautical emergency communications to Federal agency systems. The FCC has yet to make a decision on the revised proposal, and LightSquared hasn't made a peep, leaving us to wonder whether it was all too good to be true.

NTIA says LightSquared proposal could pose national security threat originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 08:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Research shocker! Keyless car entry systems can be hacked easily, elegantly

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/16/research-shocker-keyless-car-entry-systems-can-be-hacked-easily/

We know you are vigilant enough not to trust your car's security to a wireless system, but plenty of other folks like the convenience of putting away the metallic keys and getting into their vehicles with a bit of Bond-like swagger. Professor Srdjan Capkun of ETH Zurich found himself perched on the fence between these two groups when he recently purchased a vehicle with a keyless entry system, so he did what any good researcher would: he tried to bypass its security measures. In total, he and his team tested 10 models from eight car makers and their results were pretty conclusive: each of the tested vehicles was broken into and driven away using a very simple and elegant method. Keyless entry systems typically work by sending a low-powered signal from the car to your key fob, with the two working only when they're near each other, but the wily Zurich profs were able to intercept and extend that signal via antennas acting as repeaters, resulting in your key activating your car even when it's nowhere near it. The signal-repeating antennae have to be pretty close to both the key and the car, but that's why heist movies stress the importance of teamwork. Hit the source link for all the chilling details.

Research shocker! Keyless car entry systems can be hacked easily, elegantly originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 19:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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