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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Dry ice makes graphene cheaper, greener, and by the (relative) boatload

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/21/dry-ice-makes-graphene-cheaper-greener-and-by-the-relative-b/

Dry ice isn't just great for keeping steaks cold and filling your bathtub with fog, it may also play a major role in producing the miracle ~~metal~~ material graphene. Researchers at Northern Illinois University have discovered that burning magnesium in frozen carbon dioxide produces a thin layer of the hyped-to-the-lattices carbon nanostructure. The so-called dry-ice method has several advantages over previous techniques, not the least of which is the ability to pump out the relative of pencil lead on a much larger scale. It also happens to be faster, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly compared with the lengthy processes involving hazardous chemicals used in most graphene production. It's pretty great news but, honestly, all we want to know is when the stuff is going to start powering super-fast internet connections -- that complete Flying Circus collection isn't going to download itself.

Dry ice makes graphene cheaper, greener, and by the (relative) boatload originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Physorg | source

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Seesmic Twitter app drops BlackBerry support, RIM's frown sags even lower

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/21/seesmic-twitter-app-drops-blackberry-support-rims-frown-sags-e/

The third-party app experience has always seemed like an afterthought for RIM. Lousy selection and a half-baked install process are just some of the issues plaguing BlackBerry owners and developers, but there's no blow stronger in the app world than when a dev drops support for a platform, after dedicating the resources necessary to bring a product to market in the first place. That's exactly what Seesmic has done with its popular social media app -- effective June 30th, the company will drop support for BlackBerry, "in order to focus development efforts on (its) most popular mobile platforms." It goes so far as to suggest that users "try out Seesmic for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 7," which would of course mean replacing that BlackBerry with another, more app-friendly device. The move doesn't necessarily indicate that other devs will follow suit, but if jumping ship does become a trend, it could put a significant damper on RIM's future earnings, to say the least.

Seesmic Twitter app drops BlackBerry support, RIM's frown sags even lower originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 hitting Sprint on June 24th, bring your own 4G

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/21/samsung-galaxy-tab-10-1-hitting-sprint-on-june-24th-bring-your/

Samsung wouldn't get any more specific than "mid-summer" when it revealed that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 would be coming to Sprint, but it turns out you don't have to wait much longer to pick one via the carrier. Sprint has just announced that the WiFi-only tablet will be available through its website and other channels starting June 24th for the same $499.99 it demands elsewhere (though you'll have to wait until July 24th to get one at a Sprint retail store). It also not-so-subtly notes that the tablet is "even more amazing" when paired with an Overdrive Pro 4G mobile hotspot or Novatel MiFi -- sold separately, of course. Full press release is after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 hitting Sprint on June 24th, bring your own 4G

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 hitting Sprint on June 24th, bring your own 4G originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Firefox 5 is officially released, how are you liking it?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/21/firefox-5-is-officially-released-how-are-you-liking-it/

Why it seems like only yesterday that our little Firefox had its last major upgrade. As expected, the browser turned 5.0 today, and you can celebrate by downloading it now from Mozilla's site. We'd like to know how your test drive of the update is going so far. Let us know in the poll and the comments below.

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Firefox 5 is officially released, how are you liking it? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft upgrades SkyDrive, reminds us of its place in the cloud (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/21/microsoft-upgrades-skydrive-reminds-us-of-its-place-in-the-clou/

Microsoft is sending out a subtle reminder this week that, despite all of the fanfare surrounding its newly announced service, Apple isn't the only game in the cloud. Redmond has unveiled updates to SkyDrive, including speed boosts, a revamped UI, and improvements to photo viewing. The latest version of the almost four-year-old service has cut wait time on actions like clicking folders, from six to nine seconds down to 100 to 300 milliseconds. The updated software also features H.264 video playback, a navigation system more akin to desktop browsing, and a single view for files, docs, and photos. Let Microsoft hold your hand through a video tour of its cloud below.

Continue reading Microsoft upgrades SkyDrive, reminds us of its place in the cloud (video)

Microsoft upgrades SkyDrive, reminds us of its place in the cloud (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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