Monday, November 21, 2011

drag2share: Norwegian bookseller begins selling e-books on memory cards, for some reason (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/21/norwegian-bookseller-begins-selling-e-books-on-memory-cards-for/

Literary changes may be afoot in Norway, where one bookstore is looking to drastically revamp the e-book medium. Last week, Norwegian retailer Norli Libris announced that it would begin selling books on small plastic memory cards that can be inserted into the backs of e-readers. Each card, known as the Digi Short, would contain a single file, allowing users to devour one publication at a time on their customized, Android 2.1-laced Kibano Digi Readers. Doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose of an e-reader? It certainly seems like it, though Norli Libris' Caroline Heitmann says the idea is to simply convert e-books into physical commodities, like their ancestors. Because of this, these one-hitters would be exempt from VAT duties within Norway, though Norli Libris says they'll likely be priced on par with their downloadable counterparts, which won't help the consumer much. The company hopes that this system will be adopted as an industry standard, though it's only available at Norli Libris for the moment. Head past the break for a rather obvious demo video.

Continue reading Norwegian bookseller begins selling e-books on memory cards, for some reason (video)

Norwegian bookseller begins selling e-books on memory cards, for some reason (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink BoingBoing  |  sourceDigi.no (Translated)  | Email this | Comments

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drag2share: Five Best Online File Storage Services [Hive Five]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5861176/five-best-online-file-storage-services

Five Best Online File Storage Services Working with the same files in multiple places used to be a hassle. You'd have to make sure to bring the file with you, email it to yourself, or save it in a place you could get to it later. Now, there are a number of online file storage and syncing services that will make your data available on as many computers as you like. Here's a look at five of the best of those services.

Earlier in the week, we asked you which services you used to store your files online, or to at least make your data available so you could get at it anywhere you went. You responded with tons of great suggestions, and while we expected you to highlight Dropbox, we knew it isn't the only service out there that you use. Here's a look at the top five, based on your nominations.

Five Best Online File Storage Services

Dropbox

Dropbox is clearly the juggernaut of the file storage and syncing service. Its combination of 2GB of free storage just for signing up and huge bonuses for referring friends to sign up as well makes for an attractive and useful file syncing service that gets the job done and encourages you to spread the word about it. Dropbox will deliver your files to you on your Mac, Windows, or Linux system or your BlackBerry, iOS, or Android device with little hassle, and the service offers public and photo folders you can use to store and share galleries or other files with select individuals you share them with or with the world. Dropbox is also host to a wealth of third-party plug-ins and services that integrate with it to extend its features (thanks to its wide open API), and has great LAN support so you can change your files on one computer on your home network and have it instantly on another.


Five Best Online File Storage Services

Box.net

Box.net starts you off with 5GB for free. Install the Box Sync app to sync your files with the web, and install the mobile apps to get access to your files on your iOS device, Android device, Blackberry, Touchpad, or Playbook. Otherwise, you can upload your files to your Box.net account and access them via the web. Download them whenever you like, or use the service as a replacement for (or supplement to) other cloud-based services like Google Apps. Box.net combines the best things about a file syncing service with the best things about a web-based productivity suite.


Five Best Online File Storage Services

Windows Live SkyDrive

Windows Live SkyDrive starts you out with 25GB for free (and allows you to sync 5GB), and with Live Mesh you can sync your local files and folders with your SkyDrive account. If you have a Windows Live account, you already have a SkyDrive account that you can make use of. SkyDrive is especially useful for Windows users, who can configure it to automatically sync any folder on their system (like your My Documents folder, for example) to the cloud for safe keeping, or automatically upload any Microsoft Office documents you create. You can also use SkyDrive and Live Mesh as a remote access utilty, so you can get to files even if they're not being synced.


Five Best Online File Storage Services

SugarSync

SugarSync is probably Dropbox's leading competition. The service gives you 5GB for free. The service works just as well (if not better) than Dropbox, and will sync your files and folders from your desktop to the cloud with ease. You can access your data on the go via the web or on your mobile device with the SugarSync apps for iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, and even Symbian devices. SugarSync even aggressively keeps revision histories of your files so you can get old versions of files you may have accidentally changed. SugarSync also makes it very easy to stream music, video, or other media from your account on the web or other devices so you can enjoy it anywhere you go. SugarSync also gives you more control over your files on the web, allows you to open and edit files directly, or password protect individual files or folders.


Five Best Online File Storage Services

SpiderOak

Spideroak is probably one of the most versatile and flexible file syncing and storage solutions available. The service gets you started with 2GB of space, and then puts it to the test by allowing you to sync not only your desktop, but files on your mobile device (not just access via your mobile device, but sync from your device as well), even files on network shares and external hard drives. Refer your friends, and you get an incredible 1GB referral each, which is more than any of the other services offer. Connect SpiderOak with your Mac, Windows, or Linux system, and download the mobile apps for your iOS or Android device, and leave the rest to the service. SpiderOak also keeps revision histories, and metadata for all of your files so you can see when they were created, uploaded, and modified.


Now that you've seen the top five, as always it's time to put them to a vote.


What's The Best Online File Storage Service?

Honorable mentions this week go out to Wuala, LaCie's file sync and storage service available for Mac, Windows, Linux, and mobile devices. Free users get 2GB of storage. Also among the runners up is Minus, a service that used to be a simple image host (and most of its users still use it that way), but has grown to a full-fledged drag-and-drop file storage and sharing service that's completely free and gives its users 10GB of storage to play with.

Have something to say about one of the competitors? Did your favorite miss the cut and you want to tell the world about it? Let's hear it in the comments below.


You can reach Alan Henry, the author of this post, at alan@lifehacker.com, or better yet, follow him on Twitter or Google+.

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drag2share: Nokia's latest EDoF camera demonstrates improvement with macro shots

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/20/nokias-latest-edof-camera-demonstrates-improvement-with-macro-s/

Nokia's second generation Extended Depth of Field (EDoF) camera was recently put through the wringer by the folks at All About Symbian, and for a technology that traditionally fails at macro shots, we're happy to see that the engineers in Espoo have made dramatic advances with this second go-around. Using the same lens and sensor as before, we're told the improvements come from a refined image processor alone. In a side-by-side comparison, this business was card snapped from 12-inches (30cm) away, first with a C7 and then a 701. While the new setup isn't perfect, the difference is certainly appreciable. Of course, Nokia has all but ditched EDoF in its high end smartphones -- as evidenced by our reviews of the N9 and Lumia 800 -- but the technology remains very much alive within its lower-end affairs, and really, who doesn't like to see improvement? For a complete breakdown of the new technology, be sure to hit up the source link below.

Nokia's latest EDoF camera demonstrates improvement with macro shots originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink My Nokia Blog  |  sourceAll About Symbian  | Email this | Comments

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drag2share: Developer creates proxy server for Siri, controls thermostat with his voice (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/21/developer-creates-third-party-proxy-server-for-siri-controls-th/

Now that Siri's protocol has been freshly dissected and laid bare for the world to behold, hackers have been busy finding ways to move Apple's personal assistant beyond the realm of the iPhone 4S. That task may be getting easier, however, now that a developer has created his very own third-party proxy server, designed specifically for Siri. The dev, known by his Twitter handle @plamoni, demonstrated his brainchild in a recent video clip, using a plug-in to control a WiFi thermostat with only voice commands. As @plamoni explains, the hack won't require users to jailbreak their iPhone 4S, but it won't let them port Siri over to earlier iPhones or iPod Touch models, either -- not yet, at least. The idea, according to the developer, is to make it easier for other hackers to experiment with and build upon Siri's functionality. Head past the break to see the demo video for yourself, or if you're up for it, grab the source code and instructions on how to create your own server, at the source link below.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Developer creates proxy server for Siri, controls thermostat with his voice (video)

Developer creates proxy server for Siri, controls thermostat with his voice (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 02:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink iJailbreak.com, iPhone Hacks  |  sourceGithub.com  | Email this | Comments

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Saturday, November 19, 2011

drag2share: Freescale Home Health Hub wants to usher in the era of connected medical devices

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/19/freescale-home-health-hub-wants-to-usher-in-the-era-of-connected/

Home Health Hub
Freescale has its little silicon hands in all sorts of things: e-readers, smartphones, tablets, even refrigerators. Now the manufacturer is looking to make a dent in the healthcare industry with a connected platform called Home Health Hub (HHH). The i.MX28-based HHH isn't an actual product, but a reference platform for others to build on. The ARM9 processor is connected to a host of networking interfaces, including WiFi, Bluetooth (as well as its low-power implementation), Zigbee, sub-1GHz and Ethernet. The Hub is supposed to be just that, a central point for connecting various medical devices like blood pressure monitors or glucometers that then feeds data to a tablet. Developers and other interested parties can get their hands on the reference platform from Digi International as the iDigi Telehealth Application Kit for $499. Check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Freescale Home Health Hub wants to usher in the era of connected medical devices

Freescale Home Health Hub wants to usher in the era of connected medical devices originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:07:00 EDT. Plea! se see o ur terms for use of feeds.

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