Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, July 01, 2011

Google+ code reveals intent to unleash Games and Questions to the social world

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/30/google-code-reveals-intent-to-unleash-games-and-questions-to-th/

Having a difficult time getting your honeydew list checked off because you're trying to level up in Mafia Wars? You may want to just chuck the whole sheet of paper in the trash. Buried deep in Google Plus' source code are a few curious references to at least two new services that may very well be destined for the invite-only social networking suite. The first is Google Games, the tech giant's first venture into the world of social gaming. While this isn't a big stunner -- recent job postings insinuated that this feature would come around sooner or later -- it makes perfect sense for it to be included as part of the Google+ experience to help strengthen Mountain View's bid against the likes of Facebook.

Also on the company's white board is Questions, a likely love child of Google's $50 million acquisition of Aardvark. When the source code offers up hints like "you might try rephrasing or tagging your question to make it easier for someone to answer," along with the utterance of sharing questions with others and commenting on answers, nothing could be more indicative of a social service. There still isn't a strong indication that we'll see these two features pop up anytime soon, but the hamster wheels are definitely turning right now, and we're piecing the clues together. At the rate things are going, these services may easily be ready before we all get invites.

[Thanks, Ian]

Filed under: Software

Google+ code reveals intent to unleash Games and Questions to the social world originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's S1 tablet spotted in the wild, S2 captured briefly on video

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/30/sonys-s1-tablet-spotted-in-the-wild-s2-captured-briefly-on-vid/

We've already seen press shots and teaser videos of Sony's S1 Honeycomb tablet and dual-screen S2 (and had our eyes on them ourselves), but Germany's Golem website managed to spend a bit of time with both of the devices at an event in Munich, and has now provided what's surely the best look at them to date. Unfortunately, that's still not exactly a thorough look -- there's just the single image of the S1 above, and an 18 second video of the S2, which you can check out after the break.

Continue reading Sony's S1 tablet spotted in the wild, S2 captured briefly on video

Sony's S1 tablet spotted in the wild, S2 captured briefly on video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crunch Gear | source

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Acer planning a sliding Android tab for the holidays, won't fit in your stocking

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/30/acer-planning-a-sliding-android-tab-for-the-holidays-wont-fit/

Rumor has it that ASUS wont be the only company with a sliding Android tablet this holiday season -- DigiTimes claims to have it on good authority that Acer will be launching its own 10.1-inch slate with a peekaboo QWERTY stashed behind the screen. The ARM-powered device is reportedly being manufactured by Compal, but beyond that your guess is as good as ours. By the time it lands we should be getting our first taste of Ice Cream Sandwich, but it's a pretty safe bet if this unnamed device does ship later this year, it'll do so with Honeycomb on board.

Acer planning a sliding Android tab for the holidays, won't fit in your stocking originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pic3D sheet brings glasses-free 3D to iPhone for $25

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/30/pic3d-sheet-brings-glasses-free-3d-to-iphone-for-25/

Many of us are perfectly content viewing only 2D content on our mobile devices, but if you've been dying to add a bit more depth to your smartphone's display, Global Wave may have just what you're looking for. At the 3D and Virtual Reality Expo in Tokyo, the Japanese company demoed its Pic3D sheet, which converts your Windows-based desktop or laptop, or iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into a 3D display. The sheet uses a lenticular lens system instead of a parallax barrier for a smoother, more consistent image, yielding a reported 90-percent transmission level and 120-degree field of view. The company's Windows and iOS apps output video in a side-by-side format, simulating a 3D image. The software also allows you to view side-by-side content from the web, submitting the YouTube URL of a compatible video, for example -- perhaps not the most elegant solution, but a good start, if it works. Prices range from ¥2,000 (about $25) for an iPhone or iPod touch sheet, all the way up to ¥15,000 (about $186) for a 23-inch desktop version. We'll be on the lookout for Pic3D at the Tokyo Game Show in September, but in the meantime, you can get Diginfo TV's take in their video after the break.

Continue reading Pic3D sheet brings glasses-free 3D to iPhone for $25

Pic3D sheet brings glasses-free 3D to iPhone for $25 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netbook News | source

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Edge HD2 Mini PC is an HTPC that hides behind your TV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/30/edge-hd2-mini-pc-is-an-htpc-that-hides-behind-your-tv/

When it comes to home theater PCs, size matters -- and it doesn't get too much smaller than Sapphire's original Edge HD mini PC, pictured above. In fact, Sapphire saw no reason to fiddle with the Edge's diminutive form factor when designing the HD2, and instead poured itself into improving the HTPC's specs. Not only is the updated mini-rig small enough to mount behind your HDTV, but it also packs a 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Atom, 2GB RAM, and a 320GB hard drive. All this (and 1080p VGA / HDMI out, of course) at 30W, "20 times less power than a typical desktop PC," according to Sapphire. No word on price (or pics, for that matter), but feel free to jump past the break for an official press release with full specifications.

Continue reading Edge HD2 Mini PC is an HTPC that hides behind your TV

Edge HD2 Mini PC is an HTPC that hides behind your TV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Inquirer | source

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