Selasa, 15 Maret 2011

What's new on SlashGear.com

What's new on SlashGear.com

Google Search App Unleashed For iPhone

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 03:00 PM PDT

Google today announced a new Google Search App to replace its Google Mobile App for the iPhone and iPod touch. The app will be faster and easier to use while sporting a brand new look along with a host of additional features. It will make targeting search results much simpler on the go.

When browsing search results or looking at webpages, you can swipe down to see the search bar or change settings. Mobile versions of other Google products can also be readily accessed at the bottom of the screen. A new toolbar can be opened by swiping left to right to reveal an easier way to filter your search results.

The app also brings several improvements to Google Goggles, Voice Search, Search with My Location, Gmail unread counts, and more. A simple help feature is included with the app to help you explore all the new enhancements. The app is available now for download free from the iTunes App Store.

[via Google Mobile Blog]

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Apple Accepting Old iPads For Donation To Teach For America

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 02:35 PM PDT


If you’ve been yearning for the new iPad 2 but feeling guilty about your gluttony since your original iPad is still working just fine, then here’s a solution. Apple Stores are now accepting donations of old iPads to be given away to the Teach for America program. Now you can get the new iPad 2 and still feel good about yourself.

The Teach for America program places well-trained teachers into 39 urban and rural regions across the country to work with low-income and disadvantaged students. Volunteers in the program agree to a two-year placement aiming to bring higher-quality education to low-income areas.

Teach for America is a 501(c)(3) corporation meaning that your donation may be tax deductible. Simply drop off your old iPad at an Apple Store when you head over to pick up your new iPad 2. The device will then be sent to the Teach for America program, where it will be redistributed to the volunteer teachers for use in their classrooms.

[via Ars Technica]

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Google Buys Video Tech Company For Better YouTube Videos

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 02:09 PM PDT

All those blurry mobile videos you upload to YouTube will start looking better now that Google acquired Irish video tech company Green Parrot Pictures. The 6-year-old company makes “cutting-edge video quality improvement technology that has been used in major studio productions from Lord of the Rings to X-Men to Spider-Man.” Their tools not only make videos look better but also reduce bandwidth and improve playback speed.

YouTube says that about 35 hours of video gets uploaded to their site very minute and while some are beautifully shot, many are low quality videos shot from mobile phones. On their blog post, they say the following about the new acquisition:

Take, for example, videos of recent protests in Libya. Although emotionally captivating, they can be jerky, blurry or unsteady. What if there was a technology that could improve the quality of such videos — sharpening the image, reducing visual noise and rendering a higher-quality, steadier video — all while your video is simply being uploaded to the site? You can imagine how excited we were when we discovered an small, ambitious company based in Ireland that can do exactly this.

[via YouTube Blog]

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Nintendo Reveals First 3DS TV Commercial For North America

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 01:45 PM PDT

Nintendo promises to bring a ground breaking glasses-free 3D gaming experience with its new 3DS portable gaming device that is slated for a March 25th UK launch and a March 27th US launch. And to ramp up more excitement ahead of time, Nintendo has just released a TV commercial for the 3DS.

The 30-second spot is made for the North American market and uses creative edits to successfully convey the 3D immersive experience that’s very difficult to capture in 2D. The commercial shows off various games including augmented reality games but mainly focuses on the 3D experience.

Other features of the 3DS that were not highlighted in the commercial include the ability to challenge other 3DS gamers as well as share your information simply by being near another 3DS, the dual cameras on the back side for augmented reality games, and the ability to create custom Miis.

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Plumen 001 CFL Bulb Wins Design of the Year Award

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 01:15 PM PDT

The Plumen 001 lightbulb, which has been described as the “world’s first designer energy saving light bulb”, has won the Design of the Year Award at the 2011 Brit Insurance Design Awards today. This super-stylish bulb was selected from over 90 shortlisted products on display at the Design Museum in London. So why did the CFL lightbulb win the day?


Stephen Bayley, the 2011 Jury Chair said of the bulb “The Plumen light bulb is a good example of the ordinary thing done extraordinarily well, bringing a small measure of delight to an everyday product.”

Where often CFLs can be glaring and unpleasant, this lightbulb actually looks warm and inviting, adding to the decor rather than taking away from it.

In another praise for the bulb, Deyan Sudjic, Director of the Design Museum said: “A worthy winner that is both beautiful and smart. It does away with the superfluous to achieve maximum economy of means. It’s a bulb that doesn’t need a shade and so goes a long way to make up for the loss of the Edison original.”

Plumen bulbs are currently available in the UK and Europe. They will be available in the US and the rest of the world soon, according to their website. They sell in the UK for £19.95, or about $32. What do you think? Would you want them in your house?

[via TreeHugger]

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HTC Arrive Hands-On and Unboxing

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 12:52 PM PDT

Today we’ve received a package from Sprint that’s contained no less than the newest Windows Phone 7 handset in the world, the HTC Arrive! This is a piece of hardware that you’ll never forget you’ve held. It’s got not only a unique hinge revealing a full QWERY keyboard under its head, it’s one of the most substantial and hardcore smartphones we’ve ever laid eyes on. It’s got metal pieces and speakers all over the place, smoothly placed HTC and Sprint logos at the top of it’s face with a classic Windows logo down below, and a giant heavy screwed-down battery cover on the back. Take a journey with us through the opening, handling, and holding of this lovely phone.

Before we continue, I must tell you that this is the first Windows Phone 7 phone I’ve ever held. I’ve used and reviewed my share of Android phones in the time they’ve existed, but WP7 has until now evaded me. That time has ended! This review will truly come from a fresh set of eyes, ladies and gentlemen, yours truly, a person who does know a thing or two about devices such as this, but will be giving this phone the test of an everyman, an everyman with distinct tastes!

First Impressions

This is a heavy phone. That said, compare it to phones on the average a few years ago, and it’s just a normal weight phone. It’s not a phone that weighs more than a smartphone of today should, but it’s definitely up there. It’s substantial as its mostly metal, and you’ve definitely got a device that looks like it’s worth the money you’ve payed for it. Then there’s the hinge. It’s such an odd hinge. This is a hinge that’s so weird, I’d say it’s stranger than the hinge I last saw on the G2. Take a look at that, then take a look at this. Weird – and incidentally, totally refreshing.

Handling

The phone handles like a dream thus far. Holding the phone feels like you’re really holdings something fabulously expensive, or at least filled with lead. This is a masculine phone, if you’d have to decide between that or feminine, and it’s made to get things done quick. Windows Phone 7 is all about making things uber-simple, or so they say, and having a phone like this to run such an operating system is going to amplify that effect without a doubt. Typing is fast, the hinge slides in and out without a problem, and the screen is top-notch responsive.

I’ll be working with this phone for a few days in order to give everyone a full review, and you can be sure we’ll be testing out ev-ry-thing. Stay tuned to SlashGear.com for a real deep dive.

Bonus facts! This is Sprint’s first Windows Phone 7 device, a rebranded version of the HTC 7 Pro – well played, HTC. This makes Sprint the first US carrier to pick up the HTC 7 Pro, and it’ll be out on the market on March 20th, 2011.

It’s so fancy!

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Eye Robot: Teeny Robot Swims Through Eyes, Delivers Treatments

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 12:45 PM PDT

Recently, we reported on a millimeter-scale computer that can be implanted in the eye to treat glaucoma. Now, there is more technology that can help patients suffering from macular degeneration. The Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS) has developed a new tiny robot that can be steered through your eye.


And this new technology is likely to be available to the public soon.

Researchers at North Carolina State University have been able to make micro-bots do U-turns in a fluid on command, and another group has developed one that can clear blood clots in the the blood vessels of the eye. Michael Kummer at IRIS has brought the technology even further. Kummer is a specialist in robotics and thermodynamics in emerging technologies, and he researches precision control of microbots using magnetic fields.

The robots the Kummer has developed are injected into the eye with a needle and are electro-magnetically controlled. This eliminates the need for on-board fuel. The team hopes that these robots can treat macular degeneration by injecting a drug slowly over a period of months. Thus far, these robots have been tested only on pig’s eyes from cadavers. Live animal testing is planned soon. The applications for technology like this are virtually limitless, and could possibly someday be used throughout the body to deliver treatments and clear blood clots.

[via PCWorld]

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Lexar Introduces Industry’s First 128GB Pro SDXC Memory Card

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 12:35 PM PDT

Lexar Media announced today that it is releasing two new professional SDXC memory cards, including one that is the industry’s first to boast a 128GB capacity. Both the 64GB and 128GB cards should come to the delight of photographers and videographers as they are high-capacity and high-speed.

The Lexar Professional 133x SDXC memory cards will be perfect for capturing extended lengths of 1080p HD video and for shooting continuous rapid-fire images. The 133x rating means that the cards guarantee a minimum transfer speed of 20MB per second, which will significantly accelerate workflows when transferring images and HD videos from memory card to computer via a SDXC-enabled card reader.

These SDXC memory cards also include the latest version of the Image Rescue software to help recover lost or deleted photo and video files. Both the 64GB and 128GB versions are available now for $199.99 and $329.99 respectively at B&H Photo and Video, Adorama Camera, and on Lexar.com. We here at SlashGear will be getting our hands on the 64GB card at CTIA later this month, so make sure to check back for our extensive review.

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Nokia Gets Design Patent for (MeeGo?) Tablet

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 12:06 PM PDT

There have been plenty of rumors and speculation about a possible Nokia MeeGo tablet, and now there is some solid evidence. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has just published a design patent granted to Nokia for a tablet device.


The patent was applied for on May 28th, 2010, and the device does bear some resemblance to a larger N8 phone. The tablet would probably be 9 or 10 inches. More of the sketches included on the patent application are included in the gallery below. But if you’re getting your hopes up, be warned. We’ve heard talk that European carriers which Nokia showed a tablet to – either this one or a different model – were singularly unimpressed, and opted not to range it.


[via Engadget]

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Harman Debuts New Gaming Headset AKG GHS-1

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 11:58 AM PDT

Harman has just unleashed a new portable gaming headset, the AKG GHS-1, for a truly immersive gaming experience. The headset promises high-output digital sound reproduction such that grenade explosions and rumbling jet engines will feel like they’re happening in your very own room.

Winner of the Red Dot award for outstanding product design, the GHS-1, not only looks cool but fits comfortably for long hours of gaming. The headset is light weight and features passive noise reduction to seal out most ambient sound. It also features a cardioid or directional boom microphone that delivers your voice signal clearly without background noise.

The GHS-1 also features the patented AKG 3D-Axis2 folding mechanism that allows it to be folded away flat for easy portability. The headset comes in three designs and is available now at Harman for $79.95.

Press Release:

HARMAN Debuts AKG® GHS-1 Headset Offering Realistic, Dynamic Sound for Ultimate Gaming Experience

STAMFORD, Conn. – HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE:HAR), today announced the launch of the new AKG® GHS-1 portable gaming headset. Grenade explosions and rumbling jet engines will seem as if they are in your very own room when you have the brand-new portable gaming headset on your ears. Winner of the coveted Red Dot award for outstanding product design, the new GHS-1 headset brings PC gaming to a whole new level of realism, excitement, portability and comfort.

"When you're in an all-immersive entertainment experience such as gaming, we understand how important high-quality, realistic sound plays in the overall experience," said David Slump, president, HARMAN Consumer Division. "The new GHS-1 headset is designed specifically for the gamer and features our innovative audio engineering built into a distinctive, long-lasting and intuitive design for the ideal gaming experience."

Lightweight and designed for long-wearing comfort, the headset features a boom microphone that filters out background noise. Passive noise reduction effectively seals out most ambient sounds, providing for an undisturbed overall listening and gaming experience. The headset also features a cardioid (directional) boom microphone that filters out background noises, delivering a clear voice signal for every user.

The in-line microphone is also intelligently designed so that the volume can be conveniently adjusted right on the cable, which reduces the need for players to interact with the game console or other source throughout the game.

Availability

The AKG GHS-1 portable headset is available now in three color combinations: black and orange; white and green; and camouflage and blue for $79.95. For more information, please visit: www.harmanaudio.com/AKG-GHS1.

Product Features

· Lightweight, comfortable – allows for hours of continuous uses and reduces ear fatigue
· Cardioid (directional) boom microphone brings clear voice signal and filters out most background noises

· In-line volume control and microphone and on/off switch brings convenience by reducing the need to interact with the game console or other source
· 3D-Axis2 folding headband features easy portability by folding to compact size
· Passive noise reduction offers undistracted listening by effectively sealing out most ambient sounds

About HARMAN

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the 12 months ended December 31, 2010. The company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

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ASUS: U36JC and U31JG Getting Sandy Bridge Soon

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 11:31 AM PDT

According to an exclusive by Swedish tech blog TechNYTT, ASUS will be updating its U31JG and U36JC series to Sandy Bridge chips. The new models may also have “better graphics and a better hard drives,” according to ASUS. The prices on the new models will stay the same. According to ASUS, the launch of the two new models will happen in April or May.


Right now, the ASUS U36JC and U31JG models have Core i3-370M, 380M or Core i5 460M chipsets and Core i3-380M, 390m or Core i5 460M/480M-chips. They also include up to 8GB SDRAM and 4GB of SDRAM. The U36JC Series has a NVIDIA GeForce 310M chip. The U31JG uses Intel chips and integrated graphics devices. The Sandy Bridge’s powerful graphics unit will be a big improvement for the U31JG.

[via TechNYTT]

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Qik Video Connect PLUS [Mini Review]

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 11:30 AM PDT

We’re taking a peek at the brand new [released today!] app from Qik called Qik Video Connect Plus. This app is made for iPhone, iPod Touch (4th Generation,) and iPad 2, and allows you to stay connected to your pals and family and whoever else you’d like to connect with via video. This is what they’re saying is the first and only video chat service that incorporates its own video mail, and the first video chat app to include real time effects. Weird! Super neat!

We’ve got our hands on this app for iPhone 4 right this moment and other than a small glitch with Twitter (it doesn’t appear to be able to share to Twitter at the moment.) This app basically makes it easy for you to do everything you’ve been doing with your photo camera forever, but with video. But wait, you say, isn’t there more to video than there is to photo? Won’t I want to do more with editing and whatnot? Of course you will.

You can edit video inside Qik Video Connect Plus, and it’s really well made. Of course if you still want to use the other brand-spanking-new (to iPad, anyway) software iMovie (which incidentally is also awesome on iPad,) feel free! In this version of Qik you can also add real-time effects in both live video and video chat, Video sync which will easily add your Qik-filmed videos to your device’s camera roll for syncing to your desktop. Then there’s the HD quality video (which sometimes doesn’t keep 100% of its quality in upload to 3rd party sites, but is still lovely.)

This app is [available in the Apple App Store in iTunes for $2.99] OR if you’d like to just try out a limited version of the app, you can go for the free version [which will be available in the app store soon!]

Worth it!

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HTC Prime Windows Phone 7 With Slideout Keyboard Revealed

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 11:19 AM PDT

Another of the leaked renderings today from Chinese website xda.cn purported to be upcoming HTC devices, is one called the HTC Prime. Very similar in appearance to the HTC Ignite, this handset will also be running the Windows Phone 7 OS, but will feature a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

The HTC Prime is said to feature a 480×800 resolution 3.7-inch touch screen, 512MB RAM, a 5MP camera with auto focus and LED flash. The device will support WiFi and Bluetooth. It seems like the specs and overall appearance are almost identical to that of the HTC Ignite, the other rumored phone, except for the additional slide-out keyboard.

HTC has yet to make any official announcements about these devices. At the recent MWC, HTC’s focus was on the HTC Incredible S, HTC Wildfire S, HTC Desire S, and two Facebook phones, the HTC Cha Cha and HTC Salsa. So, it will be interesting to see whether or not the HTC Prime, HTC Ignite, and HTC Pyramid (all leaked renderings from xda.cn) will be officially announced later this year.

[via XDA]

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Seagate Unveils Pulsar Line of Enterprise-Grade SSDs

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 11:06 AM PDT

Seagate Technology has just revealed a new lineup of performance-optimized solid-state drives (SSDs) for enterprise customers. The Pulsar.2 and the Pulsar XT.2 drives will use Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) 6Gb/s interface. According to Seagate, the Pulsar.2 can
“automatically detect and correct a multitude of data errors than can occur during normal drive operations to deliver the highest levels of enterprise-class data integrity and endurance.”


Seagate claims a 0.44% annual failure rate (AFR) and a 2 million hour meantime between failure rating for the two SSDs. The Pulsar.2 supports both 6Gb/s SAS and SATA 6Gb/s interfaces, and comes in 100GB, 200GB, 400GB and 800GB capacities.

The Pulsar XT.2 is SLC NAND-based and is available in 100GB, 200GB, and 400GB capacities. It features native SAS 6Gb/s interface. According to Seagate: “The Pulsar XT.2 is the fastest drive in the Seagate portfolio, with sustainable random reads at 48K and writes at 22K IOPS and sequential reads at 360MB/s and writes at 300MB/s.”

The Pulsar XT.2 is currently shipping to OEMs, and both of the SSDs will be available beginning in Q2 2011.
[via Xbit Laboratories]

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The State of Tech in Japan’s Recovery

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:56 AM PDT

We’ve already written about the terrifying situation in Japan this past week, and how SlashGear readers can help the ongoing aid effort. Now, Japanese manufacturers are beginning to add up the impact the earthquake and tsunami have had on tech production, affected both by physical damage to facilities as well as ongoing power shortages and transportation break-down. Components used in everything from Apple’s iPad 2 through digital cameras, mobile devices and computers have been impacted, with some estimates putting recovery several quarters out. Read on for more details.

Flash storage, DRAM, LCD panels, microcontrollers and other materials will all be impacted, according to iSuppli, though high existing stock levels of some components are expected to smooth the transition somewhat. Semiconductors, for instance, are only expected to be delayed by weeks, whereas NAND and DRAM are already seeing price surges of around 10- and 17-percent respectively. Solar panel production has also been affected, with AUO owned M. Setek shutting down its facilities as it investigates damage.

Texas Instruments has confirmed that its Miho plant – responsible primarily for analog and DLP wafer production – suffered substantial damage, and doesn’t expect full shipment capability until September 2011. Panasonic’s LCD fab has been more moderately impacted, though will suffer downtime due to its proximity to the most affected areas. Hitachi – which supplies displays for LG phones and Nintendo’s DS – has halted production as it assesses damage, while eight Sony production facilities have been similarly frozen while assessments take place. These include CD and Blu-ray production, Li-Ion battery manufacture and other components. Toshiba [pdf link] has warned its NAND production could drop by up to 20-percent, Apple being one well-known client of the flash storage, while it has also closed its CMOS image sensor plant which supplies Nokia among other clients.

Meanwhile, power shortages are impacting areas less physically affected by the earthquake, with TI reporting its attempts to shift production to other facilities are being delayed by the absence of stable power. Several undamaged Sony facilities are voluntarily offline in an attempt to conserve electricity, while Hitachi, Fujitsu, Toshiba and others are shutting down various levels of production, business operations and electronic signage in response. Specific products affected include Fujifilm’s X100 camera, according to reports, manufacture of which has temporarily ceased.

Even if production levels are stable, actually shipping components to OEMs remains an issue. Transport links have been heavily impacted, in addition to preventing employees from reaching production facilities. Although it’s easy to dismiss tech manufacture as a luxury amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis, Japan’s economic recovery is essential if the population is to get the long-term assistance and support it needs. That includes not just the sizable donations from Japanese businesses this past week, but stable employment moving forward.

It bears repeating, though, that the various aid, relief and rescue operations ongoing in Japan continue to need support today. You can find out more on how you can help here.

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HTC Ignite Windows Phone 7 Images Leaked

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:50 AM PDT

Renderings purported to be upcoming HTC devices have been leaked today on Chinese website xda.cn. The first of the series is the HTC Ignite, which is slated as a Windows Phone 7 handset featuring a smooth and sleek form factor similar to the HTC Thunderbolt but slightly more rounded along the edges. And, the buttons towards the bottom of the touchscreen are limited to three for an even cleaner look.

The phone is said to feature an 480×800 resolution 3.7-inch resistive touchscreen, with a Qualcomm 800MHz processor, 512MB RAM, and a 5MP camera with autofocus and LED flash. The post even goes further to say that the phone’s fastest upstream speed is 2Mbps and fastest downstream speed is 7.2Mbps.

None of the details are for certain right now and HTC has yet to make official announcements. It is also difficult to say how accurate the specs are considering that it seems strange that a Windows Phone 7 device will be sporting a resistive rather than a capacitive touchscreen.

[via XDA]

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Nintendo 3DS loading times significantly slower than DS

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:43 AM PDT

Usually, you would expect the latest and greatest version of a device to deliver faster loading times, but in the case of Nintendo’s 3DS, loading times are actually slower than the regular DS. The 3DS does offer glasses-free 3D video, but loading times for old DS games are not so great. GameSpot was able to get a 3DS when it was released in Japan on February 26th, and compared loading times on several different games with the DS Lite.


According to GameSpot: “On average, the Nintendo 3DS took 35 percent longer than the Nintendo DS Lite to get to the in-game menu. Performance didn’t seem to suffer once we started to play the games, though. Frame rates seemed normal across all the games we played.”

The Nintendo 3DS has significantly better internals than the original handheld, including a 200MHz PICA200 GPU, but it may need more processing power due to the higher resolution. GameSpot concludes, “We’re guessing that the software emulation hoops the Nintendo 3DS needs to jump through to run DS games bog it down a bit.” Is the longer loading time worth it, in order to have the 3DS be backward compatible?
[via Red Ferret]

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Despite Twitter’s Claims, Non-Official Clients Still Widely Used

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:25 AM PDT

We have been reporting on Twitter’s efforts to put a lid on “non-official” Twitter clients, like TweetDeck and UberTwitter (now UberSocial). Last week, Twitter’s Ryan Sarver claimed that, according to Twitter’s data, “90% of active Twitter users use official Twitter apps on a monthly basis.” “Official” mean applications that Twitter owns and operates. This data seems to clash with findings in previous studies by Sysomos, that there were significantly more Twitter users using “non-official” sites and apps.


The difference in data seems to come down to spin. Ryan Sarver saying that 90% of active Tweeps use official apps on a monthly basis does not account for how many actual tweets are being sent out, and from where. Even those who mostly use TweetDeck, or other clients probably still use the official Twitter site occasionally, monthly even.

Sysomos reviewed a sample of 25 million tweets on March 11 (the day Twitter unveiled its new API policy). Their data shows that 42% of tweets were made by non-official apps, which is more than four times the amount claimed by Twitter. Twitter’s official app accounts for 58% of tweets. The most popular apps were TweetDeck, UberSocial, and Echofone. Twitter had focused on total number of users in their analysis, which could prove misleading. There are many Twitter “active” users who are not tweeting very much. The more enthusiastic the Twitter user is, the more likely it is that they are using a non-official service.

According to Sysomos: “Our June 2009 study showed that 55% tweets were made using non-offical apps, and the number now stands at 42%. With Twitter's introduction of official mobile apps, acquisition of Tweetie, and redesign of Twitter.com, the market share of official apps is indeed growing, albeit slowly.” Twitter’s efforts in this seem counterproductive and likely to cause resentment among users. What do you like to use when you tweet?
[via Sysmos Blog]

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HTC Pyramid Revealed as Android 3.0 Honeycomb Phone

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:14 AM PDT

Take a peek at a phone that’s basically blowing the doors off of the Android world with it’s unconventional release of itself stocked with Android 3.0 Honeycomb. This version of Google’s mobile OS is only supposed to be for tablets, it being released recently with the Motorola XOOM. This phone, on the other hand, is giant, but it’s not quite tablet sized. This phone instead is much closer to the upcoming HTC ThunderBolt or the recently released HTC Inspire 4G – it’s like they’re all made by the same manufacturer!

Inside this lovely phone, you’ll find a 1.2GHz processor that’s yet unnamed, a big huge 8-megapixel camera on the back, and a tiny camera on the front for video chat sized to the tune of 1.3-megapixels. The back also features autofocus and a single LED flash. The display on this phone is a 4.3-inch Super-LCD touchscreen with 960 x 540 pixel resolution. Also inside you’ll find Wifi along unknown bands, Bluetooth of an unknown version, and a suite of apps we imagine won’t be unlike its close relatives.

Let’s discuss for a moment what this phone having Android 3.0 Honeycomb could mean for the user. First of all, Honeycomb was designed with fragments, these fragments for all intensive purposes making Honeycomb a diverse enough situation to be able to work on this small a phone, but, as a person who’s used this operating system on a tablet, I must say it’ll be a little odd having it function on such a small screen. Buttons meant to be big, and all that. On the other hand, it might just be that the original source for this information added 3.0 instead of 2.3, which would be Android 2.3 Gingerbread, which would make a whole lot more sense.

We shall see!

[via Android Community]

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Study: Children Under 5 Are Spending More Time Online

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 09:51 AM PDT

Of the children under 5 in the United States who use the Internet, 80% use it on a weekly basis, according to a new report by the non-profit Joan Ganz Cooney Center and the Sesame Workshop. The report, titled “Always Connected”, put together data from seven recent studies, and shows that small children are using all types of digital media, often using more than one type of media at once.


Internet use still pales in comparison to the ever-present TV, as television use accounts for 47% of the time that children spend on all types of media. The analysis of the studies found that most children spend at least three hours a day watching television, and television use among preschoolers is at an eight year high.

In fact, what most children are doing on the internet is – you guessed it – watching videos. In one study, parents indicated that over 60% of children under 3 watch videos online. As a parent, I can tell you that my kids (2 and 5) love YouTube, and also will watch our silly JibJab holiday video repeatedly and year-round. As children get older, that percentage decreases, most likely because school age children are, well, at school for most of the day. However, even children 8 to 18 report that of the video content they watch, about 20% of it is online, on cellphones, or on other portable devices. Also, 36% of children age 2 to 11 watch television and use the internet at the same time, according to a 2010 Nielsen study.

The “Always Connected” report did not attempt to tackle the question of whether all this media consumption is good for children, but encourages balance. In a press release, Dr. Lewis Bernstein, executive president of Sesame Workshop said, "My mother used to say that too much of anything isn't good for you, whether it be eating only protein, shooting hoops all day or 'always being connected' to the digital world.” One interesting finding: time spent reading books has remained constant, even with screen time increasing. 90% of 5 to 9 year olds spend at least an hour a day reading printed books.

[via The Joan Ganz Cooney Center]

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Amazon App Store shelves stocked ahead of Android launch

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 08:39 AM PDT

The first sign of apps populating Amazon’s new App Store has been spotted, with forty-eight titles – complete with pricing details – caught online already. Visiting amazon.com/apps offers twelve pages of suggested apps, AndroidNews.de discovered, though currently none have individual product pages.

Instead, clicking them takes you back to the Amazon homepage. We found you need to be logged out of your Amazon account in order to see them, too, otherwise the usual recommendations take the apps’ place.

As for how the prices hold up against the official Android Market, some quick comparisons show that there’s no clear winner in the bargain stakes but that a few pennies savings can be had if you don’t mind flipping between the two. Amazon hasn’t confirmed when its App Store will arrive on Android, but it did announce earlier in the week that Angry Birds Rio would be exclusively distributed through the new system.

[via Android Community]

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Samsung Turbo View robo-vacuum packs live video streaming

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 08:02 AM PDT

Samsung has bred a Roomba robot vacuum cleaner with a WowWee Rovio and come up with the Tango View VC-FL87W, an autonomous cleaner which can beam live video back from its onboard webcam. If you’re the paranoid type and you’re not going to give up your mistrust of the home help even if you’ve replaced them with robots, then you can log in remotely via your smartphone or tablet and see what the Samsung Tango View is up to.

There’s also a microphone, so that you can hear what people near the vacuum are saying, along with low-light video support. Noise during cleaning is apparently 48dB, and there are various vacuum modes including edge and turbo.

Samsung expects the Tango View to be priced at 799,000 won ($703) when it goes on sale, which is about double what you’d pay for a Roomba. Of course, with iRobot’s vacuum you can never be sure if it’s slacking off and drinking your liquor while you’re out of the house.

[via Akihabara]

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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti offers mid-range grunt

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:39 AM PDT

NVIDIA has outed its latest video card, the mid-range NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti. Expected to come in at around $149, the GTX 550 Ti packs 192 CUDA cores, a 1,800MHz clock speed and a 900MHz graphics clock, along with 1GB of GDDR5 memory, good for DirectX 11 support, OpenGL 4.1 and 3D Vision support.

A PCI Express 2.0 card, the GTX 550 Ti supports HDMI 1.4a and Dual-Link DVI, with one of the former and two of the latter as standard. There’s also PhysX and SLI support for pairing multiple cards together in the same system.

As for performance, NVIDIA reckons the GeForce GTX 550 Ti will best the GTS 450 it effectively replaces, but it still falls well short of the GTX 560 Ti announced in January 2011. It will support up to 1680 x 1050 resolution, and we should be seeing the first examples from manufacturers shortly.

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Sony Blu-ray range gets VUDU 2D/3D streaming

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:22 AM PDT

VUDU‘s streaming movie service can now be found on Sony’s latest Blu-ray players, with a choice of 1080p 2D and 3D pay-per-view titles available. Promising 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound and, in many cases, availability on the same day as DVDs go on sale, the VUDU movies can be watched in 3D on Sony’s 3D-enabled hardware.

The Sony BDP-S280, BDP-S380, BDP-S480, BDP-S580, BDP-S780, BDV-E280, BDV-E580 and BDV-E780W have all been confirmed as having VUDU support, though Sony’s entire Blu-ray line in 2011 will apparently get the service. VUDU pushed its updated UI to the PS3 earlier this year, with the promise of Move control coming later on.

Press Release:

VUDU Goes Live on Sony 2011 Connected Blu-ray Disc Players

Santa Clara, CA – (March 15, 2011) – VUDU, the leader in HD streaming, today announced that its steaming movie service is shipping on the 2011 line of Sony connected Blu-ray Disc™ Players, offering instant access to the extensive VUDU library of Hi-Definition movies from all major Hollywood studios and leading independent distributors.

VUDU, a subscription-free service, provides consumers with the highest quality cinematic experience via instant streaming of 1080p movies with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The VUDU library boasts the most extensive collection of HD and HDX movies from all major Hollywood studios, offering most titles the same-day as DVD release. On Sony's 3D enabled devices, users can also access 3D content.

All 2011 Sony Blu-ray Disc Players and Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Systems feature VUDU, including:

· BDP-S280

· BDP-S380

· BDP-S480

· BDP-S580

· BDP-S780

· BDV-E280

· BDV-E580

· BDV-E780W

"From the newest Hollywood blockbusters to our extensive library of classics, VUDU continues to give people more options to discover and enjoy the highest quality movie experience in their living room," said Edward Lichty, General Manager of VUDU. "By adding Sony Blu-ray Disc Players to our roster of top tier connected devices we provide yet another avenue to for anybody to enjoy a great movie, with a simple click of a button."

VUDU-enabled 2011 Sony Blu-ray Disc Players are available now in select stores and will be shipping nationally in March. Models include connected and 3D capable devices.

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Intel readying 6-8 Android x86 devices for April reveal?

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:15 AM PDT

Intel may be invested heavily in MeeGo, but the chip company is also a realist; according to the latest reports, it is working with 6-8 notebook manufacturers – including Inventec and Compal – on a number of x86-based Android devices for an unveil next month. According to DigiTimes‘ sources, Intel is aiming to showcase the new Android devices at IDF Beijing.

Like with MeeGo, Android’s absence of licensing fees makes it a popular platform for system developers looking to minimize production costs. Android support for Intel processors isn’t new, but previously Intel has not taken particular interest in the project itself.

Meanwhile, the company is also believed to be “working aggressively” with Google on Chrome OS based notebooks. Google has so far pushed out the Cr-48, based on an Intel Atom CPU, but models from Samsung, Acer and ASUS are all expected in the second half of this year.

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Best Buy HDTV with TiVo may be in testing right now

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 06:05 AM PDT

Smart TVs and connected TVs are doing pretty well it the market right now. These sets give users access to web content on their TV without needing a new box or other device. Typically, you can stream things like Netflix and other online content with most connected TVs.

One thing that the Best Buy Insignia brand is lacking is connected TVs and according to sources cited by Zatz Not Funny a HDTV packing in TiVo tech for Insignia might be in testing right now. TiVo and Best Buy announced last year that they would be working together on TiVo TVs and as of now, nothing has surfaced. The hint that the set might be in testing right now comes from the logs of a networked TiVo game with the string “has-recording-storage = false listed”.

Zatz Not Funny reckons it could be a TiVo extender, but the TiVo TV for Insignia is more likely. However, there are some rumors that a powerline or MOCA TiVo extender might be in testing right now. The source on that extender testing also claimed that it will be only for newer TiVo hardware and existing S3 and HD models won’t support the extender.

[via Zatz Not Funny]

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HTC Thunderbolt hits Verizon March 17 with free 4G hotspot

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 05:48 AM PDT

Verizon’s much-anticipated HTC Thunderbolt – the first 4G LTE smartphone to hit the carrier – has finally been priced and dated. The 4G handset will arrive on March 17 for $249.99 with a new, two-year agreement; to sweeten the deal, Verizon will throw in complementary mobile hotspot use until May 15.

Video demo after the cut

After that, using the Thunderbolt as a hotspot access point will cost $20 per month for 2GB of data. That’s on top of the regular (and mandatory) data and voice packages, which start at $29.99 and $39.99 per month respectively (for unlimited on-device 4G). Verizon reckons the LTE support is good for 5-12Mbps downloads and 2-5Mbps uploads in 4G coverage.

As for the phone itself, there’s a 4.3-inch WVGA touchscreen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor and 8GB of onboard storage, together with a pre-loaded 32GB microSD. Twin cameras – 8-megapixels on the back and 1.3-megapixels on the front – along with a built-in kickstand round things out. More details in our hands-on.

HTC Thunderbolt hands-on:

[via Android Community]

Press Release:

The Thunderbolt™ By HTC, The First 4G LTE Smartphone For Verizon Wireless Arrives March 17

ThunderBolt™ by HTC Available Beginning March 17

03/15/2011

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless and HTC today announced that the ThunderBolt™ by HTC, exclusively from Verizon Wireless, is available on March 17 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $249.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.

Powered by Android™ 2.2, the ThunderBolt by HTC is the first smartphone to take advantage of Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network. The ThunderBolt by HTC features the latest version of the HTC Sense™ experience, which offers enhancements including new personalization options, a consolidated e-mail inbox, and unique camera effects and filters. The ThunderBolt by HTC is equipped with support for Google Mobile Services, including Gmail™, YouTube™ and Android Market™ with thousands of free apps. Additionally, the ThunderBolt by HTC will feature 4G LTE optimized apps such as EA's Rock Band, Gameloft's Let's Golf, Tunewiki and Bitbop.

Additional features:

4G LTE – customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G Mobile Broadband coverage area
4.3" WVGA display
8-megapixel rear facing camera and HD (720p) video recording
1.3-megapixel front facing camera with video chatting capabilities
Newest generation of the 1GHz Snapdragon processor
Mobile Hotspot capability – share 4G connection with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices
8 GB of onboard memory and a pre-installed 32 GB microSD card (Actual formatted capacity will be less)
Built-in kickstand for easy media viewing
With the ThunderBolt by HTC, customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan and a 4G LTE data package. Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 monthly access and an unlimited 4G LTE data plan start is $29.99 monthly access. Mobile Hotspot allows users to connect up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the nation's fastest wireless network via an application available on the ThunderBolt by HTC.

Mobile Hotspot will be included through May 15 for no additional charge. After May 15, customers may choose to activate Mobile Hotspot for $20 for 2 GB of data per month. Customers can track their data usage by downloading the My Verizon app available in Android Market or by logging on to their My Verizon accounts online at www.verizonwireless.com/myverizon.

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Interpret reports Nintendo 3DS has a fight on its hands for gamers dollars

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 05:19 AM PDT

There are many gamers looking forward to the launch of the new Nintendo 3DS. Some may think with the popularity of the DS on the market today that the 3DS is a sure fire winner for Nintendo. According to research firm Interpret, the 3DS has a tough fight on its hands to win the dollars of gamers around the country and the world.

The 3DS has a lot of competition coming with the likes of the Sony NGP, Xperia Play phone and hoards of Android devices coming to market that will run the PlayStation Suite for gaming. According to data offered by Interpret, 79% of the gamers that say they intend to purchase the 3DS already own a handheld gaming device including offerings from Sony, Nintendo, and Apple.

The firm says that the 3DS needs to differentiate in order to make it in the market. The 3DS will also see competition from the iPad 2. “Though the Nintendo 3DS distinguishes itself from the competitive set with its unique 3D entertainment features, it faces the challenge of entering an oversaturated market and overcrowded consumer pockets,” said Michael Cai, Interpret’s VP of Games & Technology. “Nintendo succeeded with its Blue Ocean strategy for the Wii, but in the portable and mobile gaming market, the water is deeper and muddier.”

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Apple undermining Web Apps in App Store push claim developers

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 05:15 AM PDT

Apple has been accused of undermining web app performance in an attempt to pressure developers into coding for its App Store, selectively enabling JavaScript engines in and out of the mobile Safari browser so that web apps launched from the homescreen are penalized. Web apps run in Safari, The Register discovered, are 2-2.5x faster than those run from the homescreen, as they get to use the new Nitro JavaScript engine included in iOS 4.3.

“Apple is basically using subtle defects to make web apps appear to be low quality” one unnamed developer suggests, “even when they claim HTML5 is a fully supported platform.” Home screen web apps also lack access to the HTML5 Application Cache, and are rendered with the older “synchronous mode” system instead of the newer “asynchronous mode.”

Whether Apple has intentionally left web app developers at a disadvantage is unclear; it’s claimed the company’s mobile Safari team is aware of the issues – which also affect some of the company’s own web-centric apps – but has suggested they will not be addressed. Calculated or not, it seems likely that more developers will look to the App Store – or rival platforms – in the search for the greatest performance and strongest user-experience.

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Progressive Snapshot hardware details revealed

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 05:07 AM PDT

I bet you have heard the commercials on TV and on the radio for the Progressive Snapshot discount program. Progressive Insurance many will send the driver a Snapshot device that they can plug into their car and the device will gather details on how they drive and then share the details with Progressive. If the insurance company likes what they see likes what they see you can get up to a 30% discount on insurance rates.

The snapshot hardware is a little box that you plug into the OBDII port under your steering wheel on your car. It records information automatically and will then share it. Progressive says that the device is looking for things like gentle braking and driving fewer miles than the average driver in your state.

The device also looks at how much you drive during peak hours of midnight to 4am. The hardware won’t be used to up your rates according to the company and it takes about 30 days for any earned discounts to show up. Progressive says the device captures no speed data or GPS information.

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