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Sunday, June 19, 2011

Google trademarks Photovine, hints at new photo-sharing service

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/19/google-trademarks-photovine-hints-at-new-photo-sharing-service/

Well, it looks like Google's got the online rumor mill churning with its latest trademark application. Back on June 7th, El Goog filed a USPTO application for the name Photovine, sending sparks flying down the, er, grapevine about a possible photo-sharing program. The application cites a service dedicated to the "transmission of visual images and data by telecommunications networks, wireless communication networks, the Internet, information services networks and data networks." Unsurprisingly, it looks like the internet giant's also picked up the corresponding domain name. So is Google getting ready to add photo storage to its recent suite of cloud services? Or is it looking to up its social media cred? And where does Picasa fit into all of this? One things for certain: we won't be responsible for letting this round of speculation whither on the vine.

Google trademarks Photovine, hints at new photo-sharing service originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Jun 2011 01:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fusible | source

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Saturday, June 18, 2011

Real Racing 2 HD wireless, dual-screen gaming with iOS 5 on iPad 2 hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/17/real-racing-2-hd-wireless-dual-screen-gaming-with-ios-5-on-ipad/

It's just one week after Nintendo unveiled dual-screen gaming on the Wii U at E3, but Apple's iOS 5 beta is already bringing a very similar experience to the living room -- many months before Nintendo's latest console is expected to ship. We installed iOS 5 on an iPad 2 and Apple TV, and took the latest version of Real Racing 2 HD for a test-drive, which enables dual-screen gameplay over AirPlay without the need for Apple's $39 AV adapter. Other games, like Angry Birds, simply mirror the iPad's display (and aspect ratio) on your HDTV, but Real Racing streams 16:9 HD video.

For this game (and we imagine many more to come), you use the iPad as the controller -- both while navigating through menus and in race mode -- while the game appears only on your TV (though the tablet does display some vitals, and a map of the track). There's noticeable lag between the iPad and Apple TV when using AirPlay, which may be an issue for games where timing is important, such as Rock Band, but didn't seem to set us back while playing Firemint's racing game. Overall, AirPlay offered a seamless gaming experience without a single hiccup -- surprising, considering iOS 5 just hit beta last week. It's difficult to do this hands-on justice without a video demo, so jump past the break for an exclusive look at wireless, dual-screen gaming on the iPad and Apple TV.

Continue reading Real Racing 2 HD wireless, dual-screen gaming with iOS 5 on iPad 2 hands-on (video)

Real Racing 2 HD wireless, dual-screen gaming with iOS 5 on iPad 2 hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alleged shot of Sony Ericsson Xperia Duo surfaces

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/17/alleged-shot-of-sony-ericsson-xperia-duo-surfaces/

There's not really much more than the image above to go on with this one, but what you're looking at is purported to be the as-yet-unannounced Xperia Duo, which may or may not be Sony Ericsson's first dual-core phone. As you can see, it bears some resemblance to the Xperia Arc, with what appears to be a large, edge-to-edge display and a UI that's apparently been tweaked a bit from what we've seen previously on SE phones, including a different weather widget and media player controls under the dock. Of course, it is still just a single image, so we'd recommend taking it with the usual grain of salt for the time being.

[Thanks, Daniel N]

Alleged shot of Sony Ericsson Xperia Duo surfaces originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xperia Blog, Pocket Now | source

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LG Revolution review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/17/lg-revolution-review/

The army of high-speed broadband phones is actively seeking new recruits to join its rapidly-growing force, and the LG Revolution is the latest to graduate from boot camp. We've witnessed the emergence of three Verizon LTE handsets in as many months, beginning with the HTC Thunderbolt and the Samsung Droid Charge a few weeks later. As if this wasn't enough choice to tempt your tastebuds already, the LG Revolution -- the entertaining climax to the classic 4G trilogy -- was born one full moon after that. With three options, all so close to each other in dimension and features, it's natural to compare all of 'em and make the call on which one is the best of the bunch. Is LG's first crack at Verizon's LTE network truly a game-changer, as its name suggests? Or does this Revolution fail to even get its feet off the ground? Read on after the break to find out.

Gallery: LG Revolution Overview

Continue reading LG Revolution review

LG Revolution review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix's day: Sony pulls movies, new bandwidth options, no more DVD API access and a lawsuit

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/17/netflixs-day-sony-pulls-movies-new-bandwidth-options-no-more/

In an apparent ode to Rebecca Black, Ice Cube and any number of body switch movies, Netflix has had an incredibly active Friday, so sit back while we get you up to speed. Sony Pictures movies from Starz Play are no longer available (on any device, not just the Xbox 360 this time) due to a "temporary contract issue" according to the official blog. According to NewTeeVee, the problem is an "IP distribution cap" that was reached due to Netflix's explosive growth, but with no word on when the movies will be back, you'll be missing The Other Guys. Up next was the National Association of the Deaf, which has filed a lawsuit in Springfield, MA against Netflix, claiming that its failure to provide closed captions on all streaming content puts it in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Netflix last claimed 30 percent of titles were subbed with plans to reach 80 percent by the end of the year, but the press release (and captioned YouTube video) make the case that as a leader in streaming video, it should do better.

Netflix also quietly gave US subscribers access to the same bandwidth management options provided to Canadians a few months ago. The new Manage Video Quality settings (shown above) can be found in the Your Account section, and if you're trying to stay under bandwidth caps or just keep seeing buffering, they should help you out at the cost of a few pixels. As if that wasn't enough, the Netflix Tech Blog squeezed in news that it was ending access to "DVD-related features" for apps using its Open API later this year. The move is apparently preparation for expanded international streaming, so if you're trying to manage discs through a third party things may change soon.

Netflix's day: Sony pulls movies, new bandwidth options, no more DVD API access and a lawsuit originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 23:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hacking Netflix, (2) | source

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