Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

NPD Q1 2012: Apple still king of the mobile computing hill thanks to iPad

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/22/npd-q1-2012/

NPD DisplaySearch is declaring Apple to be the undisputed champion of the mobile PC business for the first quarter of the year. The fruity phone flinger shipped (shipped, not sold) 17.2 million mobile PCs in the time, a figure that contentiously includes the iPad. Second place was taken by HP, which packed off 8.9 million units -- enough to put it at the top of the Laptop-only chart.

It's a familiar story over on the tablets leader-board, too. Cupertino pushed out 13.6 million iPads to maintain first place, while Samsung took the silver medal after packing off 1.6 million of its numerous Galaxy slates. Surprisingly, Amazon only needed to ship 900,000 Kindle Fires to take third, although given that the bookseller never discloses its numbers, we have to take that last number with a dash of disbelief.

Continue reading NPD Q1 2012: Apple still king of the mobile computing hill thanks to iPad

NPD Q1 2012: Apple still king of the mobile computing hill thanks to iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 17:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon Drive! lets you take the wheel, while Nuance takes dictation

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/22/dragon-drive-lets-you-take-the-wheel-while-nuance-takes-dictat/

Do you like your cars smart? Are you itching to drive something a bit more K.I.T.T. than KIA? Well, this summer the glory of your Hasselhoff-soaked, '80s dreams will become reality, thanks to the folks at Nuance. Utilizing the same natural-language voice software currently employed across select mobile phones and TV sets, the outfit's hatched a new platform, dubbed Dragon Drive!, specifically for connected autos. The hands-free tech will support six languages at launch, with more to come throughout the year, giving drivers the ability to dictate texts and emails, as well as manage multimedia and navigation without ever lifting a finger from the wheel. So far, the company hasn't outed any initial partners for the voice recognition service. But if you're in the market for a high-end vehicle and your very own virtual Synergy, rest assured, your needs are going to be met. Hit up the break for the official presser and video tour.

Continue reading Dragon Drive! lets you take the wheel, while Nuance takes dictation

Dragon Drive! lets you take the wheel, while Nuance takes dictation originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 18:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIA Technologies outs $49 APC Android barebones, nods towards Raspberry Pi

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/22/via-technologies-outs-49-apc-android-barebones/

Android might have already spilled over into the desktop world in one form or another, but what if you want something a little more project-friendly? VIA Technologies has developed the APC, a Neo-ITX-based barebones system running a custom version of Android 2.3 optimized for mouse and keyboard input. The board is compatible with Mini-ITX and MacroATX form factors, and comes with a VIA 800MHz processor, 512MB RAM, 2GB flash memory, and built-in (up to 720p) graphics. HDMI, VGA, 4 x USB, audio out / in, microSD and Ethernet come along for the ride too, for a reasonable spread of connectivity. Best of all? The whole lot will only cost $49. No word on when pre-orders will open, but drop your email in over at the source link to find out when they do.

VIA Technologies outs $49 APC Android barebones, nods towards Raspberry Pi originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 18:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ion launches Air Pro WiFi, helps you document your morning commute (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/22/ion-air-pro-wifi/

Ion's officially releasing its Air Pro camera that we put through its paces back in March. The sports shooter is designed to be strapped to a helmet or extreme-sports gear to document your extreme adventures in high definition. It'll also come with 8GB of free storage from MiMedia to share your death-risking achievements over the internet. Budget models are available starting at $230, but for the full package (with the WiFi module) it'll set you back $350 from today. Oh, and if you'd like to see what you're expected to do with the gear, you can head past the jump for test footage.

Continue reading Ion launches Air Pro WiFi, helps you document your morning commute (video)

Ion launches Air Pro WiFi, helps you document your morning commute (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 19:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hillcrest Labs takes its TV motion control system to China, becomes TCL's new best friend

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/23/hillcrest-labs-tcl-v7500-freespace/

It's only been a few days since Hillcrest Labs open sourced its Kylo web browser for TVs, and now the company's back with yet another announcement. Well, this time it's more about TCL who's just declared its top TV market share in China. Much like the Roku 2 and LG TVs with Magic Motion remote, Hillcrest's Freespace engine has been outted as the enabling technology behind TCL's recently announced V7500, a 3D smart TV series featuring a heavily customized Android 4.0.3 and a 7.9mm-thick bezel. This means users can interact with and play games on this slim TV via motion and cursor control on the remote (there's also voice control here but it doesn't look like Hillcrest has anything to do with it). There are no dates or prices just yet, but TCL better be quick as Lenovo's got something very similar ready to ship soon.

Gallery: Hillcrest Labs takes its TV motion control system to China, becomes TCL's new best friend