Rabu, 23 Maret 2011

What's new on SlashGear.com

What's new on SlashGear.com

Ford Focus Electric Connects Wirelessly With AT&T

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 02:50 PM PDT

Ford has announced that its all-electric version of the popular Ford Focus will stay connected to users with AT&T's wireless service. The embedded wireless connection allows the car to receive and transmit information from its owner through Ford's own MyFord Mobile app, which can be accessed through your smartphone or through a secure Ford website.

The MyFord Mobile app lets owners check the car's state of charge, locate charging stations, plan trips, remotely lock/unlock doors, use the GPS-system to locate the car, and receive alerts. A separate 240-volt charging station is also available that will let you charge the Ford Focus Electric at home and will only take 3-4 hours to fully charge the car. The Ford Focus Electric was unveiled at CES earlier this year and will be on sale by the end of 2011.

"With a wireless connection, we're putting battery charge and vehicle range information, along with an interactive, data-driven trip planning app, directly at the fingertips of our customers," said Ford Connected Services product and business manager, Ed Pleet. "This technology will keep drivers connected to vital information, enhancing their electric car ownership experience. The AT&T network is an important part of this equation, and we're pleased to have AT&T on board."

[via CNET]

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Starbucks Card Mobile Payment App Is A Winner

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 02:28 PM PDT

In the beginning of the year, we reported that Starbucks had launched a nationwide mobile payments program with the Starbucks Card Mobile iPhone and BlackBerry apps. Despite warnings of a security flaw, the app has remained popular. In fact, its so popular that the company revealed today at a shareholders meeting that more than 3 million people have paid using the Starbucks Card Mobile.

“Starbucks now offers the nation’s largest mobile payment network,” said vice president of Starbucks Brady Brewer. The program is a “touch to pay” system, where customers pay by simply holding up the app’s barcode to the scanner at the register. Piloted in select stores back in September 2009, the program didn’t fully launch nationwide until this past January to 6,800 company-operated stores.

This over 3 million users milestone was presented today by chairman and CEO Howard Schultz during Starbuck’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Schultz also said that the past financial quarter was the best performing in the company’s 40-year history with 22% of all transactions coming in from the Starbucks Card Mobile program. Have you tried the app?

[via USA Today]

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Netflix and Linux Don’t Play Well Together

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 02:00 PM PDT

I just signed up for Netflix for the first time. I know, I’m way past the freshmeat boat on that one, but I never wanted it for anything until last week. Much to my chagrin, I went to instant-play and found that Linux wasn’t a supported operating system. Most of the time these days, when a website says such a thing it’s not really that big of a deal. There’s often some kind of “do it anyway” link to click on. After spending a couple of minutes looking for such an option, I didn’t find it. I turned to the interweb to see if anyone else had run into this issue and to see if there were some workarounds available. I started doing a little digging and found out about this sordid story involving Microsoft’s Silverlight, Novell’s open source Moonlight, and Digital Rights Management.

Silverlight is Microsoft’s answer to Adobe’s Flash. Moonlight is Novell’s Open Source implementation of Silverlight, it’s available as a plugin for both Firefox and Chrome. You can pick up Moonlight from Novell’s mono-project website. The problem is, Moonlight doesn’t really work, as of course Microsoft won’t release the workings for the PlayReady DRM component into the open source community. Why does this matter for Netflix? The instant-streaming application isn’t Flash based like Hulu, Youtube, vimeo and pretty much every single other streaming site out there. Netflix’s service is implemented using Silverlight, leaving it currently out of the hands of the Linux desktop user. All of these services work wonderfully in both Chrome and Firefox on my system. Needless to say, I canceled my service the next day.

[via Tech Republic]

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Ancient Astronomical Calculator Reconstructed

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 01:38 PM PDT

Michael T. Wright, a former curator at the Science Museum in London, reconstructed a model of an ancient astronomical calculator named the Antikythera Mechanism. It gets it’s name from the Greek island where it was found. For fifty years after it was recovered by a sponge diver in 1902, researchers had no clue as to it’s possible function. By that time the ravages of two thousand years of being at the bottom of the ocean took it’s toll through the effects of corrosion and mineral deposits. It wasn’t until HP took reflectance imaging scans of the device there became clear enough picture to construct a working model. Wright’s reconstructed model has the capability to predict the yearly motion of the sun, moon, and five planets, and is also a calendar.


We haven't found anything on the instrument that suggests it was used for astrology, which was suggested in the past,” he said. “I think the maker was showing off a huge amount of knowledge and skill. They demonstrated that you could take these theories about how astronomical bodies move, and make a machine that would calculate them. That was a completely revolutionary idea.
- Wired

Wright’s reconstruction in 2007 couldn’t have happened without Hewlett Packard. They got involved in the study of this ancient astronomical calculator by providing for it to be scanned using a technique called Reflectance imaging. This technique uses multiple photos of stationary objects with a moving light source. This technique allows the computer to construct a texture map of an object that would otherwise be difficult to photograph. You can check out HP’s scans of the Antikytheria here.

The first video is Wright’s live demonstration of the model via New Scientist. The second is a rendering animation that breaks the calculator down into it’s components and shows how they all fit together. Mogi Vicentini, a friend of Wright’s, rendered this video. It starts from an exploded view of the mechanism and collapses it together over the course of a few minutes into a rendering of the finished box. I reccommend pausing and then skipping around through the video to see the different still renderings. The final video is a Lego reconstruction of the predicting device by Andrew Carol, he builds complex lego devices and and posts them up on the Woz’s site.

[via Intel Free Press]

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BMW Launches DriveNow Car Sharing Program

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 01:28 PM PDT

BMW has partnered with rental car company Sixt for its own car sharing service called DriveNow. The two German companies will be providing a "premium" car sharing service with a fleet of BMW's sub brand BMW i and MINI vehicles. The service is open to all drivers, but if you're between 18 and 21 you'll have to take an extra driving safety test before you can use a use a car.

Using the service is quite simple as all you'll need is a chip that will be attached to your driver's license with a sticker, no need for keys with DriveNow. You can locate a DriveNow vehicle with either a mobile phone app or a website and you unlock the vehicle by waving your license over the sensor. Inside a Dell Streak is attached to dashboard and you will enter your PIN number to verify yourself. Once all that's done you can start the car and start driving.

Prices are fixed and users begin with a start-off fee of €29 and for each minute of use it'll cost you 29 cents. If you choose a MINI Cooper fees are capped at €14.90 an hour, you can also hold any car for 10 cents per hour when you aren't driving. All BMW cars will be the 1 series to start out. You can drop off the car wherever you'd like, as long as it's within the city, and the parking within the city is free. It's a pretty cool way of car sharing and the cars certainly are premium compared to many other car sharing services we've seen.

The program will start in Munich with 300 BMW and MINI vehicles, and will expand to Berlin with 500 vehicles. DriveNow is hoping that no user will be more than 500 meters from a hire car. BMW wants to expand to other cities in Europe and eventually other continents, with the goal of having one million DriveNow members by 2020.

[via AutoExpress]

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Yahoo Revamps With Search Direct, Instantaneous Search Results

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 12:26 PM PDT

In the search engine world Google is king and the dethroned Yahoo has been trying to regain its spot for quite some time. Yahoo may be on to something with its new Search Direct feature that gives users instantaneous results. Search Direct predicts search results as the user types and changes in real-time with answers that "goes beyond a list of blue links."

What sets Search Direct apart from Google's instant search service is that you don't have to leave the search engine page. As you type a small window pops up with possible search results and answers. Senior vice president Shashi Seth says Search Direct's focus is "direct answers—not the search result page."

The beta rolls out today across the U.S. and will be available in other Yahoo products and markets later in the year. Within Search Direct there is trending searches that show the top 10 search items at that moment once you click in the search box. This is updated every 10 minutes so that the search stays current. Search Direct allows you to see weather, sports results, movie times, stocks, and shopping information without having to leave the search inquiry box. It's a nice twist Yahoo has added to instant results searching. We'll have to wait and see how much this helps Yahoo grab more of the search engine market, but it's good to see Yahoo evolving.

[via ReadWriteWeb]

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Apple Considers AirPlay Licensing To Expand Video Streaming

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 12:21 PM PDT

Apple is considering plans to expand its video streaming beyond Apple TVs. According to Bloomberg, sources familiar with the situation, say that the company may license AirPlay for video streaming to TV makers.

AirPlay was launched as a way for audio and video to be streamed from iPhones or iPads to Apple TVs. But currently, Apple only licenses AirPlay for audio streaming, which allows manufacturers to integrate the technology so that music can be streamed from i-devices to various audio players. If Apple licenses AirPlay for video streaming as well, then users will no longer be limited to Apple TVs.

This could also encourage users to download more videos and movies from iTunes knowing that they can be easily streamed to a variety of TV sets, with or without an Apple TV set top box. Although Apple doesn’t normally license its software to other manufacturers, doing so for the AirPlay for both audio and video streaming, would make their iPhone and iPad devices along with their iTunes movie store an even more integral part of daily media consumption.

[via Bloomberg]

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Microsoft develops phone app that creates 3D models

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:20 AM PDT

Some may have issues with Windows, and the Zune may get a few snickers. But Microsoft’s R&D arm is always thinking outside the box and creating killer apps that are just plain fun to play with. And their latest gem is a phone app that can create a 3D model out of a series of cellphone camera photographs.

“We want everybody with a cell phone or regular digital camera to be able to capture 3-D objects,” says Eric Stollnitz, one of the Microsoft researchers who worked on the project.

The new Phone app is based on the same technology developed for PhotoSynth, that killer app which captured the inaugeration of President Obama and used thousands of photographs sent to Microsoft by people on the scene. PhotoSynth would take images that were uploaded to it’s servers and then would then encode each position in 3D space to create an amazing kaleidoscope of images of that exact moment. Researchers have taken the next step and used images from a cellphone to create a 3D model. The phone app takes several pictures of an object at different angles … say a car. It then uploads those images to a server and the software processes it and assembles the 3D model.

The more images, the more accurate the model. A detailed 360 view of a car would take about 40 images, says Stollnitz. The software compares the photos, calculates depth from the stereo effect, and works out where the angles are in 3D space. Then, it breaks the image apart and molds it into a 3D model in virtual 3D space. Once processed, Users can then download the model and navigate around it with a flick of a finger, navigating around as if they were walking around the object.

Very cool.

[via Technology Review]

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Baidu, The Chinese Google, Plans Own Mobile OS

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:41 AM PDT

The feud between China and Google just doesn’t end. Not only is China now allegedly blocking Gmail, the country’s leading search engine, Baidu, is planning its own mobile OS. According to Baidu CEO Robin Li, the company plans to develop a lightweight operating system for smartphones and tablets that will have advantages to eventually lure away users from competing services, such as Google.

However, Baidu’s direction for their OS is quite different from Android. Li envisions a lightweight mobile OS that takes just a second to boot up and features only a searchbox on the home screen. That search box would be used to navigate to everything else. Li says that the development of the new system could take three to five years as they want to first create a “wide range of other uses” for its search box before it moves on to tackling a mobile OS.

Baidu currently dominates 70 percent of the China internet search market, with a 26 percent share of the mobile search market. It’s offering may seem too simplistic and slow to launch to possibly compete with Android, but could still thrive in the large Chinese market, where a lower per capita income has a different set of demands for mobile computing.

[via Business Insider]

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Sprint Introduces Instant Google Voice Integration on All CDMA Phones [video]

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:37 AM PDT

At this second Sprint event, the focus was definitely Google Voice. In their initial presentation, Sprint noted Google’s one number, online voicemail, transcriptions, custom greetings, international calling, and recording of calls. One single voicemail on one single number, all of this accessible in the cloud on the web. Integration with SMS, a brand new feature, and the ability to pick up a call halfway through a voicemail message being left, a feature we’ve not had since the old voicemail boxes of yore! Google Voice, launched just two years ago, we know to be integral to more people’s lives than just our own – from the onset, this presentation was like a silent bomb.

This presentation left a completely different taste in our mouth than yesterday, today’s presentation hosting less than 50 people in the audience while yesterday was 3 times that amount. Sprint customers here can use their Google Voice number without switching their number. Automatic integration. Your Sprint number IS your Google Voice number. Every feature you’ve had with your Google Voice number is now available instantly with your Sprint number.

Initial Google Voice / Sprint Integration Ad Spot

Google Voice integration will be available on ALL Sprint CDMA phones soon. Where before it took several steps for people to move from one phone to another, one carrier to another, all of that’s down to only a couple of steps. All phones, not just high-end Android devices, will have this instant integration. Take a peek at the video to see the process you’ve got to go through to get a look at the simplicity that appears to be going on – this is a KEY move for Sprint, and an excellent step directly in the correct direction for reaching new customers and retaining the ones they’ve already got.

Basic walkthrough of the process via Google Voice in-browser

This move by Sprint has a lot of potential to win them a lot of customers, especially those who’ve got ease of use in mind. Keeping your number has been a big deal ever since cellphones became well used around the world – with Google Voice, you’ve got the opportunity to take a number with you to whichever device you’ve got, and it does it from a browser interface, from your phone, wherever you need it. This integrated at such a base level with Sprint is not just a big deal for Sprint, it’s a big deal for Google because it’s another big grip on the ROOTS of mobile.

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Amazon Android tablet rumors won’t go away

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:15 AM PDT

It started innocently enough. Amazon published a job listing looking for Android developers for their Kindle division. That led to speculation that maybe the Kindle was going to evolve into an Android based ebook reader ala the NOOKcolor. And with devs taking the NOOKcolor and rooting it into a full fledged and very affordable Android Tablet, people started to see the possibilities even more. And then the Amazon Store for Android was announced and the rumors started to gather steam.

While the company is still only selling simple Kindle e-readers, Amazon has quietly built all the tools it needs to compete against Apple and the other tablet makers with its own Android-based tablets.

It’s more than just a few fans and bloggers getting out the rumor. It’s analysts like Dan Frommer of the Business Insider. It’s a conclusion that’s echoed by Sarah Rofman of Forrester who believes that with Amazon’s Android Store, it’s one-click check out, and vast distribution network, that Amazon is primed to not only released an Android tablet, but do so at a very low price since they have no middle man. So what’s keeping Amazon from diving into the deep end of the pool?

Well, it could be that Amazon is reticent to kill the Kindle. The eBook reader is very popular because of it’s lifetime wireless access to book and low energy screen that has amazing battery life. But let’s face it, the Kindle needs to evolve. And it may be that’s what Amazon is waiting on … a low energy color screen which Qualcomm has spent billions to develop and manufacture for what they call “a major client.” Is that Amazon? It’s speculation at best, but it could very well be. And with Amazon putting an Apple-esque App store in place, bolstering their Kindle division with Android developers, and major analysts connecting the dots, this rumor is looking more and more credible every day. Very iPad like, no? And we all know how that’s played out.

[via Android Community]

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Jabra FREEWAY intelligent triple speakerphone hits US

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 09:49 AM PDT

Jabra has given its latest Bluetooth accessory a US launch, this time a speakerphone rather than a headset. The Jabra FREEWAY is apparently the first to include three speakers and be HD Voice compliant; that, the company reckons, makes it ideal not only for hands-free calls in the car, but for use with an iPod, smartphone or other PMP thanks to Bluetooth A2DP support.

As for HD Voice, as long as you have a compatible phone you should see higher quality audio during calls. The FREEWAY has voice recognition – to control making, answering, ending, redialing or rejecting calls – as well as automatic power control that can bring the speakerphone out of standby mode when you get into the car, and then shut it down again at the end of your journey.

There’s also spoken caller ID, and a year’s bundled subscription to Voice Assist, which allows you to send and respond to emails, SMS, Facebook and Twitter messages. The Jabra FREEWAY will hit US shelves in May, priced at $129.

Press Release:

JABRA LAUNCHES INDUSTRY-FIRST SPEAKERPHONE WITH THREE SPEAKERS AND HD VOICE READY TECHNOLOGY

Take Calls & Listen to Music Anywhere You Are With the Jabra FREEWAY;
Partnership with Voice Assist Creates the Ultimate Hands-Free Solution

Orlando, FL – March 23, 2011– Jabra today announced the Jabra FREEWAY, a revolutionary new speakerphone that features industry-first innovation and expands the Company's wide offerings in the category. Taking audio quality to a whole new level, the Jabra FREEWAY features a ground-breaking new three speaker system – a first-ever in the category – along with HD Voice Ready, ensuring superior audio quality on both ends of a phone call. The Jabra FREEWAY provides unique versatility as both a device to be used inside or outside the car and for both calls as well as listening to music with any device – an iPad, iPod Touch, iPhone, mp3 players or video game console. The Jabra FREEWAY will be showcased at CTIA Wireless show this week in Orlando, Florida, prior to the North American launch in May.

The Jabra FREEWAY features an intuitive design and a complete hands-free experience for users, allowing them to focus on the task at hand. Once the Jabra FREEWAY is clipped to the car's visor, it automatically turns on when the car door is opened and then helps the driver pair the device to a mobile phone. Drivers can then sit back with their hands on the wheel and focus on the road ahead and use their voice to solicit all kinds of commands – making, answering, ending, redialing or rejecting calls – without touching their phone. And once a conversation is finished or a destination reached, the FREEWAY automatically shuts off so there is no need to worry about saving battery life for the next use.

The Jabra FREEWAY also comes with a free one year subscription (valued at $59) to Voice Assist, a voice controlled app that can be used with any type of mobile phone or IP-connected device. With Voice Assist, calls and commands can be performed all by voice controlled communication, allowing users to call, send or respond to emails and text messages, or post to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, all by voice.

Those features combined with Voice Guidance, which communicates pairing instructions, battery level and connection status, and Caller ID, an easy and safe way to know who is calling by announcing the name of the caller or the phone number if the caller is not in your phonebook, provide a truly hands-free experience.

Other industry-leading features include Virtual Surround Sound, delivering superior audio quality and rich, crisp, full stereo sound anywhere your day takes you – at home, in the car or at a friend's house – and A2DP for playing music and podcasts or listening to GPS directions, long talk and stand-by times, connection to more 2 Bluetooth devices at same time, and auto on/off.
The Jabra FREEWAY was recently named a winner of the 2011 red dot awards for product design, and is currently a finalist in the CTIA 2011 Emerging Technology (E-Tech) Awards Program.
For more information on Jabra's line of mobile products, visit http://www.buyjabra.com/US, like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Jabra.US or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jabra_us. The Jabra FREEWAY will be available in May for a suggested retail price of $129. The FREEWAY is already available in Europe and Asia-Pacific retail stores

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TEROOS shoulder robot sneers at your taste in clothes [Video]

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 09:24 AM PDT

Life-streaming cameras aren’t new, but seldom do they have eyelids. Keio University‘s TEROOS prototype does, however; the shoulder-mounted webcam is in fact a telecommunication avatar, controlled by a remote viewer with not only six axis of movement to play with but a set of eyes that can show different expressions.

Video demo after the cut

The idea, the Japanese researchers suggest, is that you can now take a friend shopping with you, even if they’re thousands of miles away. A directional speaker funnels their comments into your ear, and a microphone means they can hear you too. Skype is used for the audio and video streaming, while the robot’s movements are managed by a smartphone over a Bluetooth link.

Right now the whole thing looks a little cumbersome, and we’re not sure we’d want to go on a mammoth shopping binge with a heavy ‘bot on our shoulder. Still, with video calling finally gaining traction, perhaps there’s room for a smartphone app with on-screen eyes.

[via CrunchGear]

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Apple voice navigation service could oust Google Maps suggests analyst

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 08:48 AM PDT

Apple is considering using its North Carolina data center – due to come online before the end of 2011 – for a voice interface and navigation service to take on Google Maps Navigation, according to the latest batch of theories from Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi. Detailed in a recent research note, reports AllThingsD, the service could use technology from early-2010 Apple acquisition Siri together with earlier acquisitions in mapping and public data sets, and potentially use crowd-sourced traffic data to intelligently modify calculated routes.

“The iOS device user-base could then potentially periodically upload anonymous information on routes travelled and speeds encountered, perhaps even in real-time, which would allow Apple to report back traffic conditions to its user-base” Toni Sacconaghi, analyst, Bernstein

Such a move would reduce Apple’s reliance on Google for Google Maps on iOS devices, an app which is looking increasingly underwhelming in comparison with the advances offered on Google’s own Android platform. Siri had developed a “virtual personal assistant” that could blend y speech recognition, natural language processing and semantic web searches, all useful in understanding navigation requests (and other commands) expressed in various ways.

Alternatively, the analyst suggests, Apple could turn the data center’s powers to iAd servers, a MobileMe refresh that could accommodate an influx of new users if the service, as is predicted, goes free, or indeed an iTunes subscription service, either offering an “online locker” of cloud access and online backup or a full streaming catalog. Finally, Sacconaghi ponders whether Apple might offer an “aggressively priced” video streaming service to take on Netflix and others.

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Pioneer DJM-900nexus recalled over headphone flaw; availability now April

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 08:10 AM PDT

Bad news if you’ve been holding out for a new Pioneer DJM-900nexus mixer; the company has announced it is delaying availability – and recalling all units currently in the wild – after spotting a problem with the headphone system. According to Pioneer, “connecting certain headphones from other manufacturers with the volume set high can trigger a protective circuit to unnecessarily power down the unit.”

The company has already addressed the issue at the production line, but it does mean that any units already in the wild in the US and Europe will have to be returned and swapped for a new model. According to Pioneer, that swap should happen at the retailer, but with availability now pushed back until early April it’s probably worth ringing ahead to make sure they’ve an updated version for you.

The Pioneer DJM-900nexus has am integrated 24bit/96kHz USB sound-card, four audio channels and two mic channels. It has an X-Y controller and can connect to up to four CDJ-2000s/900s (or alternatively software sources) simultaneously. MRSP is $2,399.

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Sharp AQUOS Quattron LE830 Series HDTVs now shipping with extra pixels

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:29 AM PDT

Sharp has begun shipping its latest Smart TV sets, the AQUOS Quattron LE830 Series. Available in four sizes – 40-, 46-, 52- and 60-inches – each LE830 model packs integrated WiFi along with CinemaNow, Netflix and VUDU streaming, and DLNA support.

As for the displays themselves, the four sets use edge-lit LED X-Gen LCD panels and Sharp’s Quattron Quad Pixel Technology. The latter adds in a dedicated yellow pixel to the usual red/green/blue trio, making yellow-hued pictures more lifelike and allowing more light through the panel so that the HDTV as a whole is brighter.

Four HDMI ports round out the key specs, and pricing kicks off from $1,299.99 for the 40-inch Sharp AQUOS Quattron LC-40LE830U. The LC-46LE830U has an MSRP of $1,499.99, the LC-52LE830U has an MSRP of $1,899.99, and finally the 60-inch LC-60LE830U has an MSRP of $2,799.99.

Press Release:

Sharp Ships Four New AQUOS Quattron LED LCD TVs in March

AQUOS Quattron LE830 Series TV models are available in 60-, 52-, 46- and 40-inch screen size classes
Quattron Quad Pixel Technology
Each provides built-in WiFi and a suite of network features including CinemaNow™, Netflix®, VUDU™, DLNA® video streaming and AQUOS Advantage Livesm customer service

Sharp Electronics Corporation is shipping all four of the LE830 Series AQUOS Quattron LED LCD TV models it introduced at CES in March, including models in 60-, 52-, 46- and 40-inch screen size classes. All models employ Sharp's proprietary edge-lit LED X-Gen LCD panels and Quattron Quad Pixel Technology for the widest color palette available from LCD TVs and brighter images. Built-in WiFi in all models delivers wide network functionality such as video streaming from the Internet and throughout the home, as well as Sharp's best-in-class AQUOS Advantage Live customer service.

Each AQUOS Quattron model features Sharp's proprietary Quad Pixel Technology that adds the color Y (yellow) to the three colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) of the traditional television pixel structure. This technology enables the reproduction of colors that have been difficult to portray using conventional LCD displays, such as the brass color of musical instruments. The addition of the yellow sub-pixel also allows more light to pass through to the panel. Sharp's advanced pixel control technology minimizes light leakage while offering a wider aperture to let more light through. The combination of these factors results in brighter, more vibrant images. Sharp's LE830 Series models also employ Quad Pixel Plus to improve image resolution.

These models also offer built-in WiFi and access to Netflix, VUDU and CinemaNow, as well as four HDMI inputs for simple connections to multiple HD components. An attractive slim and narrow bezel design provides a great complement to any home theater viewing environment.

The new Sharp AQUOS Quattron LCD TVs boast extremely low power consumption and are ENERGY STAR 5.1 qualified, the highest energy efficiency specification.

Last week, Sharp Electronics Corporation announced it had been selected to receive a 2011 Excellence in Energy Efficient Product Design Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ENERGY STAR® program. This award recognizes Sharp's ongoing commitment to promoting energy-efficiency amongst the consumer electronics and business products' trade and consumers, as well as the company's efforts to lead by example in the execution of its business operations.

Pricing and Availability
The LC-60LE830U has an MSRP of $2,799.99
The LC-52LE830U has an MSRP of $1,899.99
The LC-46LE830U has an MSRP of $1,499.99
The LC-40LE830U has an MSRP of $1,299.99

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chumby8 up for pre-order ahead of April 5 release

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:19 AM PDT

chumby has announced preorders for its latest desktop widget display, the chumby8, which as the name suggests is fronted by an 8-inch touchscreen display. The 800 x 600 panel can show various internet-connected widgets from chumby’s 1,500-strong catalog, including streaming media, photos, RSS, weather and content subscriptions.

Inside there’s an 800MHz Marvell ARMADA 166 processor, 2GB of memory on an upgradeable microSD card, 128MB of RAM and WiFi b/g. There are stereo speakers, a microphone input and headphone socket, along with a backup battery and interchangeable fascias.

There’s also two USB and various memory card slots, for hooking up external peripherals and directly loading content from digital cameras, and we’re guessing the whole thing will be just as hack-friendly – and chumby encouraging of hacks -as previous models. The chumby8 is currently up for pre-order, priced at $199.95. It will begin shipping from April 5. For more details, check out our hands-on from CES 2011.

Press Release:

Introducing the chumby8: the World’s First Stand-Alone App Player Just Got Bigger and Better

Next gen chumby arrives April 5 for $199, pre-orders begin today

SAN DIEGO, March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — chumby industries today announced the release of the chumby8, the much-anticipated next generation chumby device. Officially launching on April 5, the chumby8 is priced at $199 and available today for pre-orders at chumby.com/store. With a sleek new design, an 8-inch LCD touchscreen, enhanced features, and over 1,500 free apps, the chumby8 delivers a personalized stream of your favorite apps in addition to serving as a digital photo frame and music player.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110323/LA70095)
“The chumby8 truly marks an evolution of the chumby device and software platform, creating a more personalized and user-friendly Internet streaming device that will complete any connected home or office,” said Derrick Oien, CEO of chumby industries. “We’ve taken the time over the past year to listen to chumby fans and owners and incorporate their feedback into the new chumby8 and created a great multi-purpose connected device capable of tailoring to all.”
New features of the chumby8 include:
New, modern industrial design available in black and red. Customized skins available from Skinit
8-inch 800×600 touchscreen LCD
Two USB ports, CF and SD slots make it possible to upload pictures, music and other personal media of your choosing turning your chumby8 into a personalized digital photo frame and music player
New web browser support, allows you to access links within apps
Revamped UI and streamlined navigation allows you to manage apps and channels directly from the device. The chumby8 comes preloaded with ready-to-play themed channels showcasing the best chumby apps in entertainment, news, humor, games, kids, sports and more
Updates to share features make it easier to send photos, videos and apps to friends and family
Robust Internet radio offers over 10,000 internet radio and podcast stations, including Napster, Pandora, SHOUTcast, iheartradio, Mediafly, New York Times and CBS, with more to come
Full alarm system allows you to wake up to your favorite music stations and apps
Task scheduler allows you to perform a routine task on your device like entering night mode at a certain time or playing music.
Flash Lite 4 update to support AS3 coming soon

The chumby8 has access to over 1,500 free applications— ranging from music and social networking sites, news and entertainment gossip, to video clips and sports scores. Content is available from well-known media sites including: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MTV Networks, Groupon, People.com and many others. Users can monitor their social networks, view and share their photos from sites like Flickr and Photobucket, watch sports clips, play games, or choose from a multitude of clock applications to display on the touchscreen device.
About chumby industries
chumby industries, based in San Diego, California, is a software company that works with consumer electronics OEMs to bring a rich and personalized Internet experience to a multitude of connected products, ranging from devices as simple as clock radios to high-definition televisions. The open chumby platform enables developers to easily create Flash content for chumby-powered devices resulting in a constantly growing catalog of more than 1,500 applications. For more information visit chumby.com or follow us on twitter @chumby.

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Samsung denies Galaxy Tab stockpiling & imminent price slash

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 06:54 AM PDT

Samsung has denied plans to drastically slash Galaxy Tab pricing in the face of a huge stockpile of unsold units, describing market speculation as “absolutely groundless.” Questioned about claims that inventory currently totaled several hundred thousand units, Samsung spokesman James Chung told Reuters that while the company generally wouldn’t comment on rumors, the talk is unfounded.

“We don’t comment on market speculation but such talk is absolutely groundless,” Chung insisted. ”Our tablet strategy is offering a broad product range with different sizes to support wider customer choice.”

It’s not the first time Samsung has been forced to react to speculation regarding Galaxy Tab sales performance. Back in February the company denied reports of 18-percent return rates, having earlier blamed a mis-heard spokesperson for suggestions that sales of the 7-inch slate were “quite small.”

Yesterday, Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1, new 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch Android 3.0 Honeycomb slates which are described as being, at 8.6mm, the world’s thinnest.

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Apple software chief Bertrand Serlet steps down

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 06:14 AM PDT

Apple has confirmed that Senior VP of Mac Software Engineering Bertrand Serlet is to leave the company, having worked with CEO Steve Jobs for 22 years. Serlet was responsible for developing products both NeXT and Apple, and will be replaced by current VP Craig Federighi.

“At this point, I want to focus less on products and more on science” Serlet said; the executive holds a doctorate in Computer Science, but is yet to confirm his next project.

The news will likely refuel controversy over Apple’s intentions toward OS X, which many have predicted will “dumb down” to the point where a more structured platform, like iOS, replaces it. The company is expected to release OS X Lion (aka OS X 10.7) later this year, having pushed out a developer preview back in February.

Press Release:

Bertrand Serlet to Leave Apple

CUPERTINO, California—March 23, 2011—Apple® today announced that Bertrand Serlet, Apple's senior vice president of Mac® Software Engineering, will be leaving the company. Craig Federighi, Apple's vice president of Mac Software Engineering, will assume Serlet's responsibilities and report to Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. Federighi is responsible for the development of Mac OS® X and has been managing the Mac OS software engineering group for the past two years.

"I've worked with Steve for 22 years and have had an incredible time developing products at both NeXT and Apple, but at this point, I want to focus less on products and more on science," said Bertrand Serlet, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering. "Craig has done a great job managing the Mac OS team for the past two years, Lion is a great release and the transition should be seamless."

Federighi worked at NeXT, followed by Apple, and then spent a decade at Ariba where he held several roles including vice president of Internet Services and chief technology officer. He returned to Apple in 2009 to lead Mac OS X engineering. Federighi holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Serlet joined Apple in 1997, and has been involved in the definition, development and creation of Mac OS X, the world's most advanced operating system. Before joining Apple, Serlet spent four years at Xerox PARC, then joined NeXT in 1989. Serlet holds a doctorate in Computer Science from the University of Orsay, France.

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Linux Foundation Unveils MeeGo Smart TV Work Group

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 06:01 AM PDT

With Nokia pulling back from the MeeGo on smartphones, I guess it makes sense that Intel and others working on MeeGo would be looking to get the OS into other venues since its future in the smartphone world is murky at best. The Linux Foundation has announced that it has set up a MeeGo Smart TV working group. The working group hopes to drive the evolution of MeeGo within the TV ecosystem and provide an open framework.

Participants in the working group include industry heavyweights Intel, Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks, and several other companies. MeeGo will be used on set top boxes to allow TV fans to view all sorts of entertainment content from the web on their TV, just as the other smart TV platforms already on the market allow.

The working group will start by defining software components and providing platform standardization. At the same time, it will work to give devs the ability to focus on competitive differentiation within the TV market. The first meeting of the working group will be held next month.

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Cricket Wireless lands LG Optimus C

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 05:51 AM PDT

Pre-paid carrier Cricket Wireless has announced the addition of a new Android phone to its line. The new phone is called the LG Optimus C and it is the third Android device to hit the network. The Optimus C has some nice features like a 3.2″ HVGA resolution touchscreen.

The smartphone has a 3.2MP camera that can shoot video and still shots. It also features an integrated music player and a microSD card slot for expanding storage. The processor running the show is a 600Mhz unit and it has an onscreen keyboard.

The OS on the Optimus C is Android 2.2 and the smartphone supports the Cricket 3G network. The smartphone sells for $199.99 after rebates with no contract needed. The phone is also designed to work on the all-inclusive $55 monthly Android plan with talk, text, and data.

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Sony NEX-FS100 pro interchangeable-lens camcorder revealed

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 05:44 AM PDT

Sony has outed its latest interchangeable lens camcorder, the Sony NEX-FS100, a professional version of the NEX-VG10 and the production evolution of the NXCAM concept. Fronted by an Exmore Super 35mm CMOS sensor and an E lens mount, the FS100 shoots 1920 x 1080 Full HD in AVCHD, has a pair of XLR inputs and a detachable 3.5-inch LCD 1920 x 480 preview display.

There’s also the choice of using an uncompressed HDMI output (complete with time-code) or the integrated Memory Stick, SD or optional HXR-FMU128 flash memory storage, and a lens adapter for using other formats. The E18-200mm lens is included in the box, with F3.5-F6.3, autofocus and optical SteadyShot zoom. Fast and slow motion recording is supported, at up to 50fps at Full HD resolution.

The camera’s design is modular, so the handgrip, viewfinder, LCD and other components can be detached and/or repositioned depending on how you’re shooting. The Sony NEX-FS100 is priced at $6,550; availability is expected in July 2011.

[youtube 0S7AYpqZi2g]

[via SonyAlphaRumors and via crews.tv]

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Glu Mobile offers free premium game on Amazon Appstore today

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 05:15 AM PDT

Yesterday I mentioned that the Amazon Appstore was launching to bring a new app source for Android fans that want games and other apps to put on their smartphones. The first of the features developers on the Appstore is Glu Mobile. Glu has some of the coolest mobile games around.

The game publisher is talking up some of its most popular titles that are available to download right now on the Appstore. The titles include World Series of Poker Hold’em Legend , Diner Dash 2, Guitar Hero : Warriors of Rock and Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2. Glu has announced that as the featured developer they are offering a free game download, and its one of their premium titles.

Android users can hop over to the Appstore and grab World Series of Poker Hold’em Legend at no cost today only. “We are excited to be a featured developer in the launch of Amazon’s Appstore for Android,” said Niccolo De Masi, CEO of Glu. “The launch of the Amazon Appstore will introduce new players to our top premium Android games, and over the long term support our goal to bring rich 3D Social Mobile gaming experiences to new audiences.”

[via Android community]

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Alltel grabs HTC Merge: priced and pre-order dated

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 05:00 AM PDT

Alltel has become the first carrier to publicly commit to the HTC Merge, promising pre-orders for the QWERTY smartphone will kick off from March 28. The Android 2.2 Froyo device has a 3.8-inch display and is a World Phone, meaning it has both CDMA and GSM radios for use on Alltel and when roaming abroad.

There’s also a 5-megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording and an 800MHz processor, with HTC Sense running on top of Froyo. GPS, Bluetooth and WiFi round out the key specs.

The Alltel Merge will be priced at $124.99 with a new, two-year agreement and following an unspecified mail-in rebate. Alltel is yet to confirm exact launch dates, so there’s no telling quite how long the pre-order phase will last.

[via Android Community]

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Digifit outs new accessories for getting fit with tech

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 04:57 AM PDT

Digifit has announced that it is updating its health app for iPhones with some new features and adding a couple new accessories for those trying to get fit that want to use tech. The company has unveiled the new Digifit Connect 2 and the Digifit Bike case. The app is now at version 3.11 and adds in some new features.

The new features include a Web Locker Sync and blood pressure tracking tool. The company also notes that voice feedback in QuickStart workouts is coming in the next app update. The Digifit Connect 2 is a small ANT+ adapter that can record time intervals and offers voice feedback to help you guide your workouts for a specific heart rate in your target zone. It also offers updates on metrics like speed and distance.

The new AN T+ adapter is 60% smaller than the previous offering. The other new accessory is a water-resistant bike case for the iPhone and Digifit Connect receiver is built-in. The case lets the person riding a bike for workouts keep track of their workout data without fearing rain will kill their iPhone.

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EchoStar SlingLoaded HDS-600RS up for pre-order now

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 04:42 AM PDT

EchoStar’s SlingLoaded HDS-600RS freesat+ DVR has gone up for pre-order, priced at £349.99 ($570). The 500GB STB includes twin-tuners for SD/HD satellite reception, along with integrated Slingbox functionality for streaming live and pre-recorded content to a SlingCatcher or one of the company’s mobile apps.

Deliveries of the HDS-600RS are expected from March 28 2011, though it’s worth remembering that you’ll need a satellite dish to plug the DVR into. EchoStar promised that owners will see regular updates, too; from the outset the STB supports BBC iPlayer, but more IPTV services will be added in later.

As well as watching locally and streamed via the Sling apps, you can also tune in via the free webpage and watch online from your browser. For more on the SlingLoaded HDS-600RS, check out our hands-on report from earlier this week, along with the video demo below.

EchoStar SlingLoaded HDS-600RS demo:

[Thanks Dave!]

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Kingston adds new 16GB microSDHC Class 10 card to line

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 04:32 AM PDT

Kingston has a bunch of different storage offerings in its line from flash drives to memory cards for the digital camera and other devices. Kingston has added a new storage capacity to its line of class 10 microSDHC cards. The line already had 4GB and 8GB capacities.

The new card has 16GB of storage space and Kingston notes that in Q2 it will add an even larger 32GB microSDHC card to its line. Both of the cards have Class 10 speeds with 10MB/s. The card ships with an adapter that allows it to be used as a SDHC card. It uses the Fat32 file format and has a lifetime warranty.

The 16GB Class 10 card and SD adapter sell for $139. The Class 10 16GB microSD card without the adapter is $138. The 8GB version is $38 and the 4GB is $23, both with the SD card adapter.

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Visioneer Mobility cordless scanner scans anywhere

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 04:01 AM PDT

If you are a business type that needs to be able to scan all sorts of things from documents to receipts on the go a portable scanner is essential .Visioneer has a new scanner that is perfect for the mobile pro called the Visioneer Mobility. This cordless scanner needs no computer, cables, or drivers to scan documents and other media. It scans directly to a SD card or a USB flash drive rather than a PC.

That means you can just scan your content through and then it is stored on the SD card. The scanner measures in at 2″ x 2.75″ x 11.5″ making it portable and sized for normal sheets of paper. It also comes with a 2GB SD card, a rechargeable battery, and a carry case. Use is simple requiring the SD card or flash drive to be installed, the document put in the feeder and the press of a single button.

The scanner can also scan directly to mobile devices like Android, Windows, and Blackberry devices. You can connect the scanner to a computer and it is recognized as a storage device allowing you to copy files to and from the SD card or flash drive connected to it. If you put an Eye-fi card inside the device, you can scan directly to online sites like Facebook or Shutterfly. The scanner is available now for $199.99.

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Toshiba unveils cool portable USB-powered 14-inch LCD

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:50 AM PDT

I work in my office most of the time with a gigantic LCD that lets me get all sorts of stuff on the screen at one time. I can hardly work on a screen under 24-inches without getting frustrated at having to move windows around all the time. I really don’t like traveling and having to work from a laptop with the tiny screen I am forced to use.

Toshiba has a new portable LCD called the Mobile LCD monitor that will make working from a notebook or netbook a bit easier thanks to extra screen space. The little LCD is a 14-inch unit and it is inside a little leather case that will prop it up for easy viewing. The coolest part about the LCD is that it needs no AC adapter.

The screen gets all the power it needs from the USB port on your computer. That USB port also sends the video out to the screen as well. The resolution of the 14-inch screen is 1366 x 768 and the screen is the same panel that Toshiba uses inside its 14-inch notebooks. The USB video is powered by DisplayLink tech. The Mobile Monitor is available to buy right now for $199.99.

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Bing grabs second spot in online video

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:39 AM PDT

Google is still the dominant player in search in the US by a wide margin. Google also serves up more online video views than anyone else thanks to YouTube. The only competition in the search and online video realm trends to come further back in the pack and the number two spot is at times hotly contested.

Bing finally beat Yahoo for the second place spot in global search, even though it was still far behind Google. The latest results from comScore for video mix shows that Bing is doing very well in online video too. Apparently, Bing grabbed the second place spot from Yahoo for video viewing in February 2011.

The numbers show that Google (thanks to YouTube) dominated with 141.1 million unique viewers to its video portal. People also spent the most average time using YouTube as well with almost 4.5 hours viewing video during the month. Microsoft racked up a comparably small 48.8 million viewers, but that was enough to put it ahead of Yahoo with 46.7 million viewers. Facebook was in almost a dead heat with Yahoo for the month. Hulu was way down the list with 27.2 million viewers.

[via PC World]

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