Sunday, July 31, 2011
WD's 9.5mm Scorpio Blue 1TB laptop hard drive gets benchmarked
These days, it's hard to shake the urge to pop a solid state drive into your next laptop, but even if you're down with dropping the requisite coin, the restrictive capacity choices may make it darn near impossible for pack rats to bite. For those fitting squarely into that category, there's Western Digital's newest laptop drive: the 9.5mm 1TB Scorpio Blue. It's one of the first in this form factor (read: the one that slips into most everything smaller than a Clevo) to hit the 1TB milestone, and at just $99, it's a veritable bargain. The benchmarking gurus over at Hot Hardware threw it through the usual gauntlet of tests, pitting it against a 500GB Scorpio Black and a 640GB Seagate Momentus. As you'd likely expect, the 1TB spinner bested the competition in SiSoftware, ATTO and CrystalDiskMark tests, though not by a tremendous margin. Still, taking performance up a notch while also boasting a full terabyte of space makes it somewhat of a no-brainer for capacity freaks, and you can hit the source for a barrage of charts proving as much.WD's 9.5mm Scorpio Blue 1TB laptop hard drive gets benchmarked originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 21:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Hot Hardware | Email this | Comments
This Turntable Probably Costs More than Anything in Your House and Weighs More than You [Audio]
At $90,000 and 250 pounds, the Walker Reference Proscenium Black Diamond III turntable is not a purchase to be decided upon lightly. But those who can afford it look to Walker for some of the best audio equipment around. More »
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet gets an August 23rd release
Lenovo had a bit of an issue saving the date for its summer tablet launch, but no longer. Confirmed via a product page on the company's site, its Honeycomb-flavored ThinkPad Tablet will finally hit retailers' shelves on August 23rd. If you're not into waiting that long, you can always snag the IdeaPad K1 -- we hear Lisa Stansfield recommends it.
[Thanks, Jeff]Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet gets an August 23rd release originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Lenovo | Email this | Comments
[Thanks, Jeff]Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet gets an August 23rd release originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Lenovo | Email this | Comments
Concert footage from LG's 'Bring Your World Alive' event in Hell's Kitchen now on Youtube
LG's mighty proud of the Thrill 4G, and we can't say we blame them -- check out the hands-on and see why. To celebrate the launch, they threw a big bash on July 25 in New York with musical guest Jane's Addiction, and the concert footage from the party is now on line for every one to have a look at. At their ComeAlive Youtube channel, they've dropped nine videos of the band having a loud good time, as well as the crowd. Maybe even more interesting to us Android fans, on Aug. 4 they will be uploading a full documentary shot in 3D with the LG Thrill 4G to their channel. Should make for a great look on any stereoscopic 3D device, like the Optimus 3D or the EVO 3D. Of course with word that the LG Thrill may be delayed, it's may be a few weeks until you can actually watch in on a Thrill. In the meantime, check out the band at the source link.Source: ComeAlive via @LGUSAMobile
Of Course a Cop Can Fail a Breathalyzer Test and Potentially Get Off Scot-Free [Law]
Billings, MT police office Samantha Puckett was caught speeding above the legal alcohol limit. She even admitted to being under the influence of alcohol. But after fighting the results of her breathalyzer test, she got them to call it a mistrial. How the hell? More »
Forget the Canned Air ? Use Giottos Rocket Air Blasters to Keep Your Electronics Clean
We recently noticed a lot of spots in pictures we were taking with our Nikon D80 camera. �A quick Google search suggested we needed to clean dust off the mirrors and the other internal components. �”Canned air” works well for cleaning dust out of nooks and crannies that all electronic devices have, but there are [...]
British royal family announces iOS and Android wedding app
To celebrate the imminent marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Royal Collection will release an Android an iOS app that chronicles the last seven royal marriages, including Queen Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert in 1840.
Ironically, the app won't actually feature anything to do with William and Kate's marriage -- rather, it will focus on the "tradition, splendor and romance" that are intrinsic to British royal marriages. "[The app] will share the stories of past royal weddings and offer a wealth of historical context for the ceremony on April 29."
Unfortunately, the app, which has been lumbered with the fantastically creative name of 'Royal App,' won't be available until April 18 -- just 11 days before Kate's big day. It won't be free, either: it'll cost the rather princely sum of £1.79, or three of your Tea Party-loving dollars. The money will go to the Royal Collection, though, which is a good cause!British royal family announces iOS and Android wedding app originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ironically, the app won't actually feature anything to do with William and Kate's marriage -- rather, it will focus on the "tradition, splendor and romance" that are intrinsic to British royal marriages. "[The app] will share the stories of past royal weddings and offer a wealth of historical context for the ceremony on April 29."
Unfortunately, the app, which has been lumbered with the fantastically creative name of 'Royal App,' won't be available until April 18 -- just 11 days before Kate's big day. It won't be free, either: it'll cost the rather princely sum of £1.79, or three of your Tea Party-loving dollars. The money will go to the Royal Collection, though, which is a good cause!British royal family announces iOS and Android wedding app originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
New software uses facial recognition to defend against prying eyes
Having the right programs and hardware to keep the information on your display safe from prying eyes is never a bad idea, and new software from Oculis Labs offers a very interesting take on how to do just that. It's called PrivateEye, and it utilizes facial recognition to automatically pixelate the contents of your display when you look away.
If you step away from your system and someone else decides to sit down and poke around, PrivateEye will present a confusing jumble of garbled text. It'll even notify you if someone tries to peek over your shoulder -- and display a picture of your peeping Tom, throw up an alert, or sound an alarm.
Check out the video embed after the break, and share your thoughts in the comments!Continue reading New software uses facial recognition to defend against prying eyesNew software uses facial recognition to defend against prying eyes originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
If you step away from your system and someone else decides to sit down and poke around, PrivateEye will present a confusing jumble of garbled text. It'll even notify you if someone tries to peek over your shoulder -- and display a picture of your peeping Tom, throw up an alert, or sound an alarm.
Check out the video embed after the break, and share your thoughts in the comments!Continue reading New software uses facial recognition to defend against prying eyesNew software uses facial recognition to defend against prying eyes originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Daily Crunch: Rained Out Lunch Edition
Video: Complete Hand Recognition With 5-Finger Mouse Amenbo (Video) Konapun: Making Tiny, Inedible Food For Fun And Profit (?) The UNISROBO Robot Looks A Lot Like NEC?s PaPeRo ThinkGeek Now Selling The FastMac U-Socket, The USB Wallplug Gunbrella Will Get You Shot For Sure Audyssey Lower East Side Speakers Attempt To Mimic The LES In [...]
Opera 11.10 gets HTML5 File API support, IMAP improvements
The crew in Oslo keeps plugging away at Opera 11.10, and the latest snapshot build includes a number of improvements to Opera's built-in email client -- as well as HTML5-related additions.
On the IMAP front, Opera now supports special folders like sent items, spam, and trash. It also better handles duplicate items in Gmail -- such as those which appear in all mail and under your custom labels.
Opera 11.10 now partially supports the HTML5 File API as well, which means your favorite Web apps (like Gmail) may soon begin adding Opera to the list of supported browsers.
You can download the latest Opera 11.10 snapshot for Windows, Mac, or Linux from the official release post.
Update: The Opera 11.10 RC is now available, as pointed out by SlashZaku in the comments. Thanks!Opera 11.10 gets HTML5 File API support, IMAP improvements originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
On the IMAP front, Opera now supports special folders like sent items, spam, and trash. It also better handles duplicate items in Gmail -- such as those which appear in all mail and under your custom labels.
Opera 11.10 now partially supports the HTML5 File API as well, which means your favorite Web apps (like Gmail) may soon begin adding Opera to the list of supported browsers.
You can download the latest Opera 11.10 snapshot for Windows, Mac, or Linux from the official release post.
Update: The Opera 11.10 RC is now available, as pointed out by SlashZaku in the comments. Thanks!Opera 11.10 gets HTML5 File API support, IMAP improvements originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
YouTurn Brings Car-Style Turn Signals to Bicycles [Gadgets]
If you're a "biker" you probably know what hand turn signals mean and use them daily. But if the people behind you don't know them, they're essentially useless. That's where the YouTurn turn signaling glove comes in. More »
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Forget the Canned Air ? Use Giottos Rocket Air Blasters to Keep Your Electronics Clean
We recently noticed a lot of spots in pictures we were taking with our Nikon D80 camera. �A quick Google search suggested we needed to clean dust off the mirrors and the other internal components. �”Canned air” works well for cleaning dust out of nooks and crannies that all electronic devices have, but there are [...]
Why not come into our store and have a look?
Buy direct from TabletBuzzBlog.com and enjoy the security of the Amazon Marketplace. We have sourced the best products and prices for you on iPad 2 cases, iPad stylus, iPad 2, original iPad,iPhones,Tablets and many iPad accessories.
How Chaos Really Works [Video]
According to this explanation, the butterfly effect used to explain chaos theory is just a big exaggeration. Watch the video for a much better understanding of how it works and why we can't predict the outcome of these complex systems. More »
Chrome 11 beta adds new experimental APIs for proxies, Web navigation
Google Chrome 11 -- which just recently made the move to the browser's beta channel -- has received a minor update that gives developers access to two new APIs.
The first is a full-featured proxy API, which will, for example, allow users to set different proxy servers for normal browsing and Incognito mode. Proxy auto-config scripts are also supported by the API.
The second -- Web Navigation Extension -- is a bit more expansive. This API will allow devs to build everything from more powerful safe browsing extensions -- like Traffic Light -- to data analysis and reporting extensions.
Both APIs are currently experimental, so you'll need to enable them on the about:flags page to try out any relevant extensions. Apart from a proxy example built by Google and shipped with the Chromium source, we're not aware of any examples just yet, however. We'll let you know when we spot any slick, new extensions which do surface.Chrome 11 beta adds new experimental APIs for proxies, Web navigation originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The first is a full-featured proxy API, which will, for example, allow users to set different proxy servers for normal browsing and Incognito mode. Proxy auto-config scripts are also supported by the API.
The second -- Web Navigation Extension -- is a bit more expansive. This API will allow devs to build everything from more powerful safe browsing extensions -- like Traffic Light -- to data analysis and reporting extensions.
Both APIs are currently experimental, so you'll need to enable them on the about:flags page to try out any relevant extensions. Apart from a proxy example built by Google and shipped with the Chromium source, we're not aware of any examples just yet, however. We'll let you know when we spot any slick, new extensions which do surface.Chrome 11 beta adds new experimental APIs for proxies, Web navigation originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet gets an August 23rd release
Lenovo had a bit of an issue saving the date for its summer tablet launch, but no longer. Confirmed via a product page on the company's site, its Honeycomb-flavored ThinkPad Tablet will finally hit retailers' shelves on August 23rd. If you're not into waiting that long, you can always snag the IdeaPad K1 -- we hear Lisa Stansfield recommends it.
[Thanks, Jeff]Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet gets an August 23rd release originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Lenovo | Email this | Comments
[Thanks, Jeff]Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet gets an August 23rd release originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Lenovo | Email this | Comments
Caltech researchers devise acoustic diode that sends sound one-way, could harvest energy
Sound has this habit of traveling in more than one direction -- useful in most circumstances, but not so welcome when a person in one room is looking for a little peace and quiet while someone in the next is blasting music. Sound-proofing is one solution to that problem, but some researchers at Caltech say they've now come up with a better one: an acoustic diode that can be tuned to allow sound to pass through in only one direction. As you might expect, however, that's all still very much in the early stages, but the researchers say the technology could eventually allow for "true soundproofing," or even be used for other purposes, like scavenging sound energy from structural vibrations and turning that into electricity. The official announcement with some of the finer details is after the break, and the researchers' full paper is published in the July 24th issue of Nature Materials.Continue reading Caltech researchers devise acoustic diode that sends sound one-way, could harvest energyCaltech researchers devise acoustic diode that sends sound one-way, could harvest energy originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 02:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Gizmag | | Email this | Comments
British judge doesn't like the cut of Newzbin 2's jib, orders BT to block it
Shiver-me-timbers, it looks like the movie studios' latest legal broadside just scored a direct hit against the big bad pirate ship. A UK judge has ordered telecoms giant BT to block its subscribers from visiting Newzbin 2, a site which aggregates Usenet downloads, on the simple basis that BT knows some of its customers are using the site to breach copyright law and therefore has a duty to stop them. This counts as an unprecedented victory for the Motion Picture Association, who brought the case, and it potentially arms them with a new weapon to force ISPs to block other sites in future. Could that be Newzbin 3 we spy on the horizon?British judge doesn't like the cut of Newzbin 2's jib, orders BT to block it originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink BBC News | High Court ruling [PDF] | Email this | Comments
TweetDeck to launch as HTML5 Web app, now accepting beta testers
When TweetDeck landed in the Chrome Web Store, it seemed like an indication that it might eventually evolve into a pure HTML5 Web app. Now it looks as though that's exactly what's going to happen, with TweetDeck announcing that a new, not-just-for-Chrome Web client is ready for beta testing.
It's a natural progression for TweetDeck, especially since its originally Adobe Air app is practically all Web code. TweetDeck Web will sport a feature set which is nearly identical to the Chrome app, with the notable exception of Twitter streaming.
Initially, TweetDeck is targeting Firefox 4 and 3.6, Google Chrome, and Safari. Opera and Internet Explorer 9 won't be invited to the dance until a bit later on.
If you'd like to get in on the TweetDeck Web beta, head on over and register -- or sign up using your existing TweetDeck account.TweetDeck to launch as HTML5 Web app, now accepting beta testers originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
It's a natural progression for TweetDeck, especially since its originally Adobe Air app is practically all Web code. TweetDeck Web will sport a feature set which is nearly identical to the Chrome app, with the notable exception of Twitter streaming.
Initially, TweetDeck is targeting Firefox 4 and 3.6, Google Chrome, and Safari. Opera and Internet Explorer 9 won't be invited to the dance until a bit later on.
If you'd like to get in on the TweetDeck Web beta, head on over and register -- or sign up using your existing TweetDeck account.TweetDeck to launch as HTML5 Web app, now accepting beta testers originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
YouTube Live now streaming select partners in real time
Not content with limiting its dominance in streaming uploaded videos, YouTube is now ready to take on competitors like Justin.TV and Ustream. The new YouTube Live service is being rolled out to select YouTube partners and will enable real-time broadcasting. In its official announcement, Google states that "The goal is to provide thousands of partners with the capability to live stream from their channels in the months ahead."
You can check out live broadcasts at http://www.youtube.com/live, where you'll also find a schedule of upcoming episodes from beta partners like Revision3 and Destructoid. You're also able to subscribe to YouTube Live broadcasts -- which will ensure you're notified when a new episode is coming up.YouTube Live now streaming select partners in real time originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
You can check out live broadcasts at http://www.youtube.com/live, where you'll also find a schedule of upcoming episodes from beta partners like Revision3 and Destructoid. You're also able to subscribe to YouTube Live broadcasts -- which will ensure you're notified when a new episode is coming up.YouTube Live now streaming select partners in real time originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Mozilla publishes name and shame list of slow Firefox add-ons, cracks down on tardy devs
Mozilla, continuing its year-long crusade to speed up Firefox startup and shutdown times, has published a name and shame list of the Firefox's slowest add-ons.
The list is just one part of Mozilla's new efforts to highlight slow add-ons, and to help developers make their add-ons more efficient. Over the next two weeks, 'slow performance warnings' will be introduced in the add-on gallery so that users can see, before installation, which add-ons will slow down their browser. If that isn't enough to spur developers into cleaning up their add-ons, Mozilla has also begun reaching out to developers of slow add-ons with tips on how to improve add-on performance. Finally, add-on developers will soon have the ability to perform 'on-demand performance testing,' so that they can test their add-on before it's deployed publicly.
Mozilla reports that the average Firefox add-on slows down Firefox's start-up time by 10% -- which means, if you install 10 add-ons, you will double your start-up time. On fast desktop PCs that kind of slowdown might be negligible, but on older computers, laptops and smartphones, it could be the difference between a 5 and 10 second startup. Mozilla has obviously realized that while massive performance gains might've been made with Firefox 4, the addition of third-party add-ons can destroy any user-perceived improvements.
In other news, Mozilla says that a future build of Firefox will block the installation of add-ons (such as toolbars) by third-party software. Add-ons and toolbars that are bundled in this way will require explicit approval when you next open up Firefox. Hooray!Mozilla publishes name and shame list of slow Firefox add-ons, cracks down on tardy devs originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 05:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The list is just one part of Mozilla's new efforts to highlight slow add-ons, and to help developers make their add-ons more efficient. Over the next two weeks, 'slow performance warnings' will be introduced in the add-on gallery so that users can see, before installation, which add-ons will slow down their browser. If that isn't enough to spur developers into cleaning up their add-ons, Mozilla has also begun reaching out to developers of slow add-ons with tips on how to improve add-on performance. Finally, add-on developers will soon have the ability to perform 'on-demand performance testing,' so that they can test their add-on before it's deployed publicly.
Mozilla reports that the average Firefox add-on slows down Firefox's start-up time by 10% -- which means, if you install 10 add-ons, you will double your start-up time. On fast desktop PCs that kind of slowdown might be negligible, but on older computers, laptops and smartphones, it could be the difference between a 5 and 10 second startup. Mozilla has obviously realized that while massive performance gains might've been made with Firefox 4, the addition of third-party add-ons can destroy any user-perceived improvements.
In other news, Mozilla says that a future build of Firefox will block the installation of add-ons (such as toolbars) by third-party software. Add-ons and toolbars that are bundled in this way will require explicit approval when you next open up Firefox. Hooray!Mozilla publishes name and shame list of slow Firefox add-ons, cracks down on tardy devs originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 05:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Friday, July 29, 2011
Google wants to speed up your site, while resisting the urge to sell you stuff
Google has plenty of things going for it, but patience has never really been high on the list -- not surprising, really, for a company that employs scooters to get around the halls of its offices. The search giant has taken a similar approach to the web, offering up a number of services to help speed things up around the old tubes. Page Speed Service is the latest simply named initiative on that front, which has apparently offered up speed improvements of 25 to 60 percent in its early testing phases. How does this magical quickening work? Google grabs content from your servers, rewrites pages with performance best practices, and sends them out through its own servers. The service has raised a few eyebrows, but Google insists that Page Speed Service is all about improving performance, not collecting information for future advertising opportunities.Google wants to speed up your site, while resisting the urge to sell you stuff originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink All Things D | Google | Email this | Comments
HP tells developers to start submitting apps for Pre 3, still on track for summer launch?
Summer's whittling away folks, and with it the promised window for Palm's HP's Pre 3. Last we heard, the flagship device would miss its launch window, but a new directive from the company suggests its release isn't too far off. Registered webOS developers received an email about an updated emulator and deets regarding the App Catalog's newfound acceptance of Pre 3 submissions. Speaking of digital storefronts, the company also noted the latter's expansion into the following territories: Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore. Get this far? Hop on past the break and read the full communiqué yourself.Continue reading HP tells developers to start submitting apps for Pre 3, still on track for summer launch?HP tells developers to start submitting apps for Pre 3, still on track for summer launch? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Google+: A Social Network Even Geeks Can Love?
Google+ may still be in its invitation-only early days, but with all the wild excitement and skyrocketing numbers of users, it's awfully hard to tell. Quibbles about real-name policies notwithstanding, eager users from virtually every walk of life seem to be flocking to the new social network -- even those of us who are perhaps less than entirely socially minded.
Alien Bike Creeps the Shriveled Testes Out of Me [Bikes]
I wonder what HR Giger would say about this horrendous bike created by Roo Roongrojna Sangwongprisarn, a Bangkok man who apparently sells them to people all over the world. More »
Engadget Podcast 250 - 07.29.2011
Yes yes, y'all: it's the Engadget Podcast. We're brimming this week, as usual, with the low down on what's going down with all the new stuff. We've got the killer combo of lots of streaming news and a dearth of optical drives. We've got shaky earnings calls translating into big deals on the floor at Best Buy. And boy, do we have a little bit of Android news? We do! It's all here, as usual. Enjoy.
Host: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater
Guests: Dana Wollman, Richard Lawler
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Beethoven's 5th
02:24 - Mac mini review (mid 2011)
03:20 - Editorial: Apple's officially over the optical drive, for better or worse
09:16 - MacBook Air review (mid 2011)
16:10 - Netflix adds Mad Men in the US today, CBS content in Canada and Latin America later
16:34 - Amazon Prime Instant Video is adding CBS TV shows, including all of Star Trek
17:50 - Amazon strikes movie streaming deal with Universal, adds 'Fear and Loathing' to free shipping
24:17 - The Engadget Show - 023: We tour a headphone factory, talk record labels, and look at They Might Be Giants' favorite gadgets
25:36 - Nintendo posts earnings, drops 3DS from $249 to $169 August 12th, current owners get 20 free games
28:47 - Logitech CEO steps down after money losing Q1, Revue price slashed to $99
37:15 - Toshiba Thrive review
39:52 - HTC Status review
44:46 - Windows Phone 7.5 Mango in-depth preview (video)
46:20 - HTC CFO says it's time to 'figure it out' with Apple
48:52 - Two more fake Apple Stores spotted by officials in China, two get the smackdown
50:40 - Listener questions
Hear the podcast
Subscribe to the podcast
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).
[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.
[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace
Download the podcast
LISTEN (MP3)
LISTEN (AAC)
Contact the podcast
Send your questions to @tim_stevens.
Leave us a voicemail: (423) 438-3005 (GADGET-3005)
E-mail us: podcast at engadget dot com
Twitter: @tim_stevens @bheater @danawollman @rjccFiled under: PodcastsEngadget Podcast 250 - 07.29.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Host: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater
Guests: Dana Wollman, Richard Lawler
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Beethoven's 5th
02:24 - Mac mini review (mid 2011)
03:20 - Editorial: Apple's officially over the optical drive, for better or worse
09:16 - MacBook Air review (mid 2011)
16:10 - Netflix adds Mad Men in the US today, CBS content in Canada and Latin America later
16:34 - Amazon Prime Instant Video is adding CBS TV shows, including all of Star Trek
17:50 - Amazon strikes movie streaming deal with Universal, adds 'Fear and Loathing' to free shipping
24:17 - The Engadget Show - 023: We tour a headphone factory, talk record labels, and look at They Might Be Giants' favorite gadgets
25:36 - Nintendo posts earnings, drops 3DS from $249 to $169 August 12th, current owners get 20 free games
28:47 - Logitech CEO steps down after money losing Q1, Revue price slashed to $99
37:15 - Toshiba Thrive review
39:52 - HTC Status review
44:46 - Windows Phone 7.5 Mango in-depth preview (video)
46:20 - HTC CFO says it's time to 'figure it out' with Apple
48:52 - Two more fake Apple Stores spotted by officials in China, two get the smackdown
50:40 - Listener questions
Hear the podcast
Subscribe to the podcast
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).
[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.
[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace
Download the podcast
LISTEN (MP3)
LISTEN (AAC)
Contact the podcast
Send your questions to @tim_stevens.
Leave us a voicemail: (423) 438-3005 (GADGET-3005)
E-mail us: podcast at engadget dot com
Twitter: @tim_stevens @bheater @danawollman @rjccFiled under: PodcastsEngadget Podcast 250 - 07.29.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Software Update Causes Headaches for Some Droid Customers
A software update is supposed to deliver the latest and greatest features to your device. It's not supposed to cripple your device. And yet that's exactly what happened to a number of customers who received the most recent update to their Droid X phones.
O'Reilly helps Japan, offers entire e-book catalog for 50% off, today only
O'reilly make some of the best computer books in the world. They also sell them as DRM-free e-books in a bunch of formats, including PDFs and Mobi for Kindle.
They usually offer one "Deal of the Day", which is a 50% discount code for a book chosen for that one day. But just for for today, they've created a discount code -- DDJPN -- that gives you a 50% discount on their entire catalog, and they give a part of the proceeds to aid Japan relief efforts.
So far they've raised over $60,000, and the day is still young. So if you've been recently hankering after some nerdy book (or three), now would be a great time to grab one.O'Reilly helps Japan, offers entire e-book catalog for 50% off, today only originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
They usually offer one "Deal of the Day", which is a 50% discount code for a book chosen for that one day. But just for for today, they've created a discount code -- DDJPN -- that gives you a 50% discount on their entire catalog, and they give a part of the proceeds to aid Japan relief efforts.
So far they've raised over $60,000, and the day is still young. So if you've been recently hankering after some nerdy book (or three), now would be a great time to grab one.O'Reilly helps Japan, offers entire e-book catalog for 50% off, today only originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Drug Could Let The Hereditary Blind See [Science]
There's a terrible hereditary eye disease called Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy that affects men in their twenties. It's a mitochondrial disease inherited from your mother that leads to total blindness within six months of onset. More »
The Isostick Makes A Mockery Of Optical Disk Hegemony
In the old days, you used to have to put something called "optical media" into a "DVD drive" to install software and operating systems. Those days are long over thanks to an odd little USB key called the Isostick.
Although the project doesn't officially exist - it's almost funded on Kickstarter - the IsoStick promises to allow you to load any ISO disk image from any computer just as if it were loading it from an optical disk. Why would you want to do this? Well, some computers can't boot directly from a USB thumbdrive and the IsoStick solves this by masquerading as an optical drive first and a thumb drive second. Almost any PC will boot from an optical disk, which makes the Isostick so useful.
Although the project doesn't officially exist - it's almost funded on Kickstarter - the IsoStick promises to allow you to load any ISO disk image from any computer just as if it were loading it from an optical disk. Why would you want to do this? Well, some computers can't boot directly from a USB thumbdrive and the IsoStick solves this by masquerading as an optical drive first and a thumb drive second. Almost any PC will boot from an optical disk, which makes the Isostick so useful.
Google Voice Search learns Latin American Spanish, Indonesian, and Malaysian
Google Voice Search has just introduced localizations for Latin America, Indonesia and Malaysia, enabling native language search for hundreds of millions of users.
Google's official blog post offers some interesting insights into the process of collecting and analyzing the speech data needed to expand support. Thousands of hours were spent gathering voice samples and choosing key regional accents to analyze, and International Program Manager Linne Ha is clearly very appreciative of the Google users who helped the company complete the expansion. Without an enthusiastic base of users to lend a hand, Google Voice Search's polyglot powers would have been nearly impossible to deliver.Google Voice Search learns Latin American Spanish, Indonesian, and Malaysian originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Google's official blog post offers some interesting insights into the process of collecting and analyzing the speech data needed to expand support. Thousands of hours were spent gathering voice samples and choosing key regional accents to analyze, and International Program Manager Linne Ha is clearly very appreciative of the Google users who helped the company complete the expansion. Without an enthusiastic base of users to lend a hand, Google Voice Search's polyglot powers would have been nearly impossible to deliver.Google Voice Search learns Latin American Spanish, Indonesian, and Malaysian originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Motorola Mobility announces second-quarter financials, Android leads the way again
Motorola Mobility is in the process right now of announcing their second-quarter financials and things looking quite alright for them, even more so when you look at their Android based numbers. Overall, Android once again led the way for Motorola in terms of sales and profit:Mobile Devices net revenues in the second quarter were $2.4 billion, up 41 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. The GAAP operating loss was $85 million compared to operating earnings of $87 million in the year-ago quarter. The non-GAAP operating loss was $31 million compared to an operating loss of $109 million in the year-ago quarter. The Company shipped a total of 11.0 million mobile devices, including 4.4 million smartphones and 440,000 Motorola XOOM™ tablets. In the second quarter of 2010, the company shipped 8.3 million mobile devices, including 2.7 million smartphones.We're still poking through the numbers and Phil is tuned into the live call and Q&A but Motorola has issued most of the news in their press release -- you can find that past the break.Source: Motorola
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Thursday, July 28, 2011
Sony, Sharp and Fujitsu earnings all bring bad news, only Toshiba says something nice
Plenty of Japanese earnings news today and, as with Nintendo, most of it's pretty dire. Sony's hit from the earthquake and PSN outtage has inevitably contaminated this quarter, but it's suffered from slow Bravia TV, PC and camcorder sales too. Together, these factors contributed a hefty ¥15.5 billion ($200 million) loss in the three months to the end of June, compared to a ¥25.7 billion profit for the same quarter last year.
Meanwhile, Fujitsu also lost ¥20.4 billion, which it largely attributed to a 6.7 percent decline in Japanese sales following the disaster. However, sales in other countries also fell 5.3 percent, reflecting a stronger yen and general lack of consumer demand.
Despite everything, Sharp managed to make an operating profit of ¥3.5 billion -- but this was down an eye-watering 84.4 percent on the same period last year. Like Sony, the company is suffering from weak demand for TVs, and says it's switching one of its main TV panel plants to make smaller panels for mobile devices instead -- including the iPhone and iPad.
There was some more upbeat news from Toshiba, however, which has managed to stay in the green. It reported a slight rise in net quarterly profit to ¥470 million due to demand for its power systems and home appliances. At least that's a note worth ending on.Sony, Sharp and Fujitsu earnings all bring bad news, only Toshiba says something nice originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Sony, Sharp, Fujitsu, Toshiba | Email this | Comments
Meanwhile, Fujitsu also lost ¥20.4 billion, which it largely attributed to a 6.7 percent decline in Japanese sales following the disaster. However, sales in other countries also fell 5.3 percent, reflecting a stronger yen and general lack of consumer demand.
Despite everything, Sharp managed to make an operating profit of ¥3.5 billion -- but this was down an eye-watering 84.4 percent on the same period last year. Like Sony, the company is suffering from weak demand for TVs, and says it's switching one of its main TV panel plants to make smaller panels for mobile devices instead -- including the iPhone and iPad.
There was some more upbeat news from Toshiba, however, which has managed to stay in the green. It reported a slight rise in net quarterly profit to ¥470 million due to demand for its power systems and home appliances. At least that's a note worth ending on.Sony, Sharp and Fujitsu earnings all bring bad news, only Toshiba says something nice originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Sony, Sharp, Fujitsu, Toshiba | Email this | Comments
You aren?t a real geek unless you solder your own watch
The Solder : Time from Spikenzielabs is an easy to solder wristwatch kit that has a laser cut acrylic casing that allows you to see the internal PCB, electronic components and battery (CR2032). There’s a velcro wrist band included, but you can also wear it as a badge with optional badge clip. This looks like [...]
Deal of the Day ? TomTom GO 2535TM 5? Portable Bluetooth GPS with Lifetime Traffic and Map Updates
Today?s LogicBUY Deal is $30 off the TomTom GO 2535TM 5? portable GPS for $269.95. Features:� 5? 480X272 touchscreen LCD, Bluetooth, 4GB built-in memory, USB connectivity, free lifetime traffic and map updates. $299.95 – $30 coupon code = $269.95 with free shipping.� This is the current lowest price for this item, and it is $14 [...]
Twitter?s Adam Bain Talks Promoted Tweets In Timelines ? Why You?ll See Them, And Why You?ll Like It
Earlier today, Twitter formally announced�that you may start to see Promoted Tweets in your main Twitter timeline. In other words, ads will enter the stream in a truly significant way for the first time.�As this news began to trickle out over the past few weeks, there was some concern that this may cause user backlash. But Twitter's head of global revenue, Adam Bain, doesn't see it this way at all. In fact, he believes it will be a win-win for both brands and users. Shortly after the announcement, we had the chance to talk with Bain.
"It's no secret that as Twitter has grown, companies have flocked to it," Bain says, noting that marketers and brands have been there since practically day one. "We've found that 20 to 40 percent of users follow one or more brands on Twitter," he continues, noting that this is extremely important (the stat is based on third-party research and is so wide because the definition of "brand" varies). "Users want to be updated when brands have updates or exclusive content. The one problem we've heard from users is that when there is exclusive content or deals, there's a chance they might miss them," he says. "If the brand tweets at 9 AM, and the person comes in at 9:15 AM, they'll miss them."
Hence, Promoted Tweets in timelines.
"It's no secret that as Twitter has grown, companies have flocked to it," Bain says, noting that marketers and brands have been there since practically day one. "We've found that 20 to 40 percent of users follow one or more brands on Twitter," he continues, noting that this is extremely important (the stat is based on third-party research and is so wide because the definition of "brand" varies). "Users want to be updated when brands have updates or exclusive content. The one problem we've heard from users is that when there is exclusive content or deals, there's a chance they might miss them," he says. "If the brand tweets at 9 AM, and the person comes in at 9:15 AM, they'll miss them."
Hence, Promoted Tweets in timelines.
BBC releases 'global' iPlayer app for European iPads, ?7 per month
The wonders of iPlayer are no longer the reserve of the Brits. As of today, iPad users in 11 other countries across Europe can subscribe to the service for €7 per month or €50 per year. That equates to $10 -- just about living up to the Beeb's promised maximum price. The subscription grants access to a wealth of TV classics, like Fawlty Towers and Only Fools & Horses, as well as unwitting comedies like EastEnders. Some sort of motoring series by the name of Top Gear is also available, for those who like cars and middle-aged men in pointy shoes. The app will allow for downloading as well as streaming, and marks a "pilot phase" for the service, which should hopefully reach the former colonial outpost of America before too long. Full details in the PR after the break.Continue reading BBC releases 'global' iPlayer app for European iPads, ?7 per monthBBC releases 'global' iPlayer app for European iPads, ?7 per month originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 05:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Elephant Quest is an addictive, deep platformer
When someone tells me about a "platformer", my first thought is that it's probably a simple game that mainly revolves around running and jumping around, with a minimal plot. [Play a Zelda game! -Ed]
Elephant Quest is one platformer that managed to prove me completely wrong. Yes, you do run and jump around, and you also shoot at stuff. But the game has much, much more going for it.
Basically, as you run, jump and shoot, you gain experience points and level up. Hitting Space brings you into an interface where you can convert your experience points into Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Dexterity points. Once you've "specialized" your points, you then get to pick what exact skills you'd like to enhance in each field. For example, you could use your dexterity to enhance your weapons or increase your swiftness.
The game is played in a huge maze; you go through rooms using doors, and there's a large map. As the name implies, there are quests you can take, too. For example, one quest had me searching all over the place for ten balloons.
The bottom line is that this is a surprisingly deep game that just might ensnare you for a good bit longer than you intended to play. Beware!Elephant Quest is an addictive, deep platformer originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Elephant Quest is one platformer that managed to prove me completely wrong. Yes, you do run and jump around, and you also shoot at stuff. But the game has much, much more going for it.
Basically, as you run, jump and shoot, you gain experience points and level up. Hitting Space brings you into an interface where you can convert your experience points into Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Dexterity points. Once you've "specialized" your points, you then get to pick what exact skills you'd like to enhance in each field. For example, you could use your dexterity to enhance your weapons or increase your swiftness.
The game is played in a huge maze; you go through rooms using doors, and there's a large map. As the name implies, there are quests you can take, too. For example, one quest had me searching all over the place for ten balloons.
The bottom line is that this is a surprisingly deep game that just might ensnare you for a good bit longer than you intended to play. Beware!Elephant Quest is an addictive, deep platformer originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Corel VideoStudio X4 giveaway
This morning, Corel released VideoStudio X4. We've already published a quick overview and hands-on of the application, and now is the moment you've all been waiting for: We're giving away ten full licenses of this new version, each worth $99.99!
To enter our random draw, you just have to leave a comment. Full terms and conditions are after the break.Continue reading Corel VideoStudio X4 giveawayCorel VideoStudio X4 giveaway originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
To enter our random draw, you just have to leave a comment. Full terms and conditions are after the break.Continue reading Corel VideoStudio X4 giveawayCorel VideoStudio X4 giveaway originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Mac OS X Lion Preview 2 released, introduces mega exciting leather bound iCal skin
This is one of those posts that could probably be condensed into a tweet: Apple has released the second Preview of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. If you're running Preview 1, it looks like you'll first receive a small update via Software Update, and then you can download Preview 2 from the Mac App Store.
There has been some speculation that Apple is getting close to a release or Golden Master build, but judging by 9to5 Mac's initial findings there's definitely some way to go. The Golden Master will probably appear at, or just before, the Apple WWDC in June.
So far, it's looking like the only changes in Preview 2 are the leather bound iCal skin that you can see above, and the main iChat window now combines your AIM, Bonjour and Jabber contacts, like Adium. We're sure that more details will emerge throughout the day, though, and there's bound to be lots of invisible changes, too. We'll update this post when we find out more.Mac OS X Lion Preview 2 released, introduces mega exciting leather bound iCal skin originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 05:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
There has been some speculation that Apple is getting close to a release or Golden Master build, but judging by 9to5 Mac's initial findings there's definitely some way to go. The Golden Master will probably appear at, or just before, the Apple WWDC in June.
So far, it's looking like the only changes in Preview 2 are the leather bound iCal skin that you can see above, and the main iChat window now combines your AIM, Bonjour and Jabber contacts, like Adium. We're sure that more details will emerge throughout the day, though, and there's bound to be lots of invisible changes, too. We'll update this post when we find out more.Mac OS X Lion Preview 2 released, introduces mega exciting leather bound iCal skin originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 05:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Piano Keyboard for iPad Teaches You to Tickle Those Ivories
Here’s one for all the luddites who whine that “the iPad doesn’t have a proper keyboard.” Piano Apprentice is an external keyboard for your tablet, only instead of adding QWERTY, it brings do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do.
The keyboard comes with a free iPad companion app which plugs in via the 30-pin dock connector. With these two parts, you can [...]
The keyboard comes with a free iPad companion app which plugs in via the 30-pin dock connector. With these two parts, you can [...]
Libra for Android helps you track your weight using The Hacker's Diet system
I'm getting fat; that's what you see on the screenshot to the right -- my gradual move from chubby to portly. But never mind the numbers, look at the pretty graph!
If you've ever read The Hacker's Diet, this graph should be instantly recognizable. Each point shows the weight for a given day, while the trend line lets you see if you're gaining or losing weight.
When I use my "main" PC, I have a homebrew solution for creating and maintaining this graph. But I've had to find a temporary solution for Android, and Libra is it.
It's a beautifully simple app, very true to the spirit of The Hacker's Diet. You can create a shortcut on your homescreen that brings you right into the data entry screen, so you just tap the shortcut every morning, feed in your weight for the day and hit OK, and then you get to see your progress (or lack thereof) on the graph.
The app remembers the previous day's weigh-in, which makes it easy to enter today's weight (as they're usually not too different). The graph is zoomable and scrollable, and most importantly, you can export the data to CSV so you're not locked into the app.
If you ever need to track your weight using an Android device for any period of time, Libra is one excellent solution.Libra for Android helps you track your weight using The Hacker's Diet system originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
If you've ever read The Hacker's Diet, this graph should be instantly recognizable. Each point shows the weight for a given day, while the trend line lets you see if you're gaining or losing weight.
When I use my "main" PC, I have a homebrew solution for creating and maintaining this graph. But I've had to find a temporary solution for Android, and Libra is it.
It's a beautifully simple app, very true to the spirit of The Hacker's Diet. You can create a shortcut on your homescreen that brings you right into the data entry screen, so you just tap the shortcut every morning, feed in your weight for the day and hit OK, and then you get to see your progress (or lack thereof) on the graph.
The app remembers the previous day's weigh-in, which makes it easy to enter today's weight (as they're usually not too different). The graph is zoomable and scrollable, and most importantly, you can export the data to CSV so you're not locked into the app.
If you ever need to track your weight using an Android device for any period of time, Libra is one excellent solution.Libra for Android helps you track your weight using The Hacker's Diet system originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Why Newspapers Suck at the Internet [Humor]
Seriously guys. We like you, we'll even pay you. This internet thing isn't that hard! [Brad Colbow] More »
Daily Crunch: Landscape Portrait Edition
Meet The Robostir, A Robotic Soup Stirrer Must-Have For Minecraft Fans: Grass Block Mousepad Review: ThinkGeek iCADE iPad Arcade Game Bowers & Wilkins Announce The Tiny PM1 Audiophile-Class Compact Loudspeaker Do Not Swallow: Olympus Releases Tiny E-PL Promotional Cameras
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Elephant Quest is an addictive, deep platformer
When someone tells me about a "platformer", my first thought is that it's probably a simple game that mainly revolves around running and jumping around, with a minimal plot. [Play a Zelda game! -Ed]
Elephant Quest is one platformer that managed to prove me completely wrong. Yes, you do run and jump around, and you also shoot at stuff. But the game has much, much more going for it.
Basically, as you run, jump and shoot, you gain experience points and level up. Hitting Space brings you into an interface where you can convert your experience points into Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Dexterity points. Once you've "specialized" your points, you then get to pick what exact skills you'd like to enhance in each field. For example, you could use your dexterity to enhance your weapons or increase your swiftness.
The game is played in a huge maze; you go through rooms using doors, and there's a large map. As the name implies, there are quests you can take, too. For example, one quest had me searching all over the place for ten balloons.
The bottom line is that this is a surprisingly deep game that just might ensnare you for a good bit longer than you intended to play. Beware!Elephant Quest is an addictive, deep platformer originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Elephant Quest is one platformer that managed to prove me completely wrong. Yes, you do run and jump around, and you also shoot at stuff. But the game has much, much more going for it.
Basically, as you run, jump and shoot, you gain experience points and level up. Hitting Space brings you into an interface where you can convert your experience points into Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Dexterity points. Once you've "specialized" your points, you then get to pick what exact skills you'd like to enhance in each field. For example, you could use your dexterity to enhance your weapons or increase your swiftness.
The game is played in a huge maze; you go through rooms using doors, and there's a large map. As the name implies, there are quests you can take, too. For example, one quest had me searching all over the place for ten balloons.
The bottom line is that this is a surprisingly deep game that just might ensnare you for a good bit longer than you intended to play. Beware!Elephant Quest is an addictive, deep platformer originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Wreck This for iPhone and iPad Lets You Kill Time By Scribbling Like a Sloppy Kid Again [App Of The Day]
At its heart, the iPad is supposed to be fun. Hell, life is supposed to be fun! Wreck This is an app that gives you silly tasks to accomplish on the iPad screen with nary a reason why. Sure I'll scribble all over this More »
Vintage iPod Doubles as Cigarette Case
What does one do with one’s tired old HDD-based iPod now that it has been replaced with an iPhone, iPod Touch or teeny, tiny iPod Nano? If you haven’t succumbed to peer pressure, and you still like to keep the tar level in your lungs topped up, you could make a cigarette case.
That’s what Marianne [...]
That’s what Marianne [...]
Watch Out! International Space Station To Crash Into The Pacific After 2020 Retirement
Better lay your millions on the table now and reserve your spot on the ISS now. Russia, NASA, and the rest of the ISS' partners announced today that they are going to allow the ISS to crash into the atmosphere after it's decommissioned in 2020. The reason? Space doesn't need more junk.
The first ISS component launched in 1998 and has slowly grown into a large space station with 15 units. The original plan was to bring the ISS down in 2015 but the European Space Agency extended its life to 2020. But it can't stay up there forever.
The first ISS component launched in 1998 and has slowly grown into a large space station with 15 units. The original plan was to bring the ISS down in 2015 but the European Space Agency extended its life to 2020. But it can't stay up there forever.
Bing begins roll out of HTML5-enhanced search interface
Bing's new HTML5-and-CSS3-enhanced search interface, which was first demonstrated back in September 2010 to showcase the power of IE9, has started to roll out.
The most notable addition to the new interface is is smooth page transitions -- the fade in and out -- and navigation tabs (maps, images, videos, etc.) now persistently float at the top of the page. WinRumors is also reporting that a feature reminiscent of Google Instant search is being added to Bing, with page elements smoothly transitioning in and out as you type in your search query.
If you want to try out the new Bing UI, your best bet is to set your locale to United States - English and pray that you're part of the initial roll out. Alternatively, just wait a few days until MIX 2011, Microsoft's Web developer conference, which is when the new Bing UI should be officially launched.Bing begins roll out of HTML5-enhanced search interface originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The most notable addition to the new interface is is smooth page transitions -- the fade in and out -- and navigation tabs (maps, images, videos, etc.) now persistently float at the top of the page. WinRumors is also reporting that a feature reminiscent of Google Instant search is being added to Bing, with page elements smoothly transitioning in and out as you type in your search query.
If you want to try out the new Bing UI, your best bet is to set your locale to United States - English and pray that you're part of the initial roll out. Alternatively, just wait a few days until MIX 2011, Microsoft's Web developer conference, which is when the new Bing UI should be officially launched.Bing begins roll out of HTML5-enhanced search interface originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
TribeHR Raises $1 Million To Help Small Businesses Manage Human Resources
TribeHR, a company that develops a human resources software for small businesses, has raised $1 million in seed financing from Matrix Partners.
TribeHR offers a human resources software designed specifically for small and medium businesses. The SaaS simplifies and automates companies' ability to track employee development, new employees, vacation and sick time, job postings, goal setting and much more.
TribeHR offers a human resources software designed specifically for small and medium businesses. The SaaS simplifies and automates companies' ability to track employee development, new employees, vacation and sick time, job postings, goal setting and much more.
iStandard Clock for iPad now available
eFUSION has released a new clock app for the iPad. iStandard Clock” is designed for everyone looking for simplicity and functionality as iPhone standard clock application to fill the gap of missing clock application on their iPad. Analog clock. City wise time display. Clock color changes on evening and morning. Weekly/daily alarm repeat function Alarm [...]
Daily Crunch: Finish Line Edition
Thanko Sells Underwater Video Camera Goggles The Pringle?s Can Antenna Is Now 10 This Wood Bike Looks Like It Came Out Of Minecraft ? In A Good Way Laser Research Company TeraDiode Starting Humble, But Hopes To Make Ray Guns Soon Card-Case Speaker Is A Speaker Like A Card Case
Forget carbonite. Encase your favorite smuggler (or droid) in ice with these.
Oh, the references abound.� Ice world of Hoth.� There isn’t enough life on this ice cube to fill a space cruiser.� Frozen in carbonite.� My joints are almost frozen.� Now you can have just the right addition to your cantina cocktails for that Jabba the Hutt party you’ve been planning with the Han Solo in [...]
Google Chrome now uses SPDY HTTP replacement, halves page load time
We're not entirely sure of the time line here, but it looks like Google has now rolled out the SPDY HTTP replacement to its full bevy of Web services, including Gmail, Docs, and YouTube. If you're currently using Google's Chrome browser you're probably already using SPDY.
We originally reported on SPDY way back in November 2009, when Google introduced it as yet another experiment in making the Web faster, like Go, Native Client and speculative pre-connections. Over the last 18 months, though, SPDY support has found its way into the stable build of Chrome.
SPDY is basically a streamlined and more efficient version of HTTP. At its most basic, SPDY introduces parallel, multiplexed streams over a single TCP connection -- but at the same time, SPDY allows for prioritization, so that vital content (HTML) can be sent before periphery content (JavaScript, video). All in all, the SPDY protocol can halve page load times, which is obviously rather significant.
The best bit, though, is that SPDY is an open-source project. HTTP 1.1 is a lumbering beast that needs to be replaced before low-latency real-time computing really becomes a reality, and SPDY is one of the best options currently on the table. To be honest, we're not sure why SPDY hasn't received more coverage -- it's awesome in every way. At the moment, though, the only way to help speed up SPDY's proliferation, is with an experimental Apache mod.
As far as actually 'trying it out,' your best bet is downloading Chrome, hitting up some Google sites, and then checking chrome://net-internals to see your active SPDY sessions. SPDY is a transparent replacement for HTTP, though, and as such it's rather hard to see its effects. Google's sites definitely feel fast in Chrome, but there are more technologies than just SPDY at work.Google Chrome now uses SPDY HTTP replacement, halves page load time originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
We originally reported on SPDY way back in November 2009, when Google introduced it as yet another experiment in making the Web faster, like Go, Native Client and speculative pre-connections. Over the last 18 months, though, SPDY support has found its way into the stable build of Chrome.
SPDY is basically a streamlined and more efficient version of HTTP. At its most basic, SPDY introduces parallel, multiplexed streams over a single TCP connection -- but at the same time, SPDY allows for prioritization, so that vital content (HTML) can be sent before periphery content (JavaScript, video). All in all, the SPDY protocol can halve page load times, which is obviously rather significant.
The best bit, though, is that SPDY is an open-source project. HTTP 1.1 is a lumbering beast that needs to be replaced before low-latency real-time computing really becomes a reality, and SPDY is one of the best options currently on the table. To be honest, we're not sure why SPDY hasn't received more coverage -- it's awesome in every way. At the moment, though, the only way to help speed up SPDY's proliferation, is with an experimental Apache mod.
As far as actually 'trying it out,' your best bet is downloading Chrome, hitting up some Google sites, and then checking chrome://net-internals to see your active SPDY sessions. SPDY is a transparent replacement for HTTP, though, and as such it's rather hard to see its effects. Google's sites definitely feel fast in Chrome, but there are more technologies than just SPDY at work.Google Chrome now uses SPDY HTTP replacement, halves page load time originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Jailbreak iOS 4.3.1 on OS X or Windows with PwnageTool or Sn0wbreeze
A jailbreak of iOS 4.3.1 is now possible with both PwnageTool on Mac, and Sn0wbreeze on Windows. RedmondPie -- who else? -- has some handy guides that you can follow for all iOS 4.3.1 devices on Windows, for iPhone 4 on OS X, iPad 1 on OS X, iPhone 3GS on OS X, and iPod touch 4G and 3G on OS X.
All iOS 4.3.1 jailbreaks are still tethered, meaning you'll have to jailbreak your device after every reboot. An untethered jailbreak is slated for release sometime in the next week -- but 4.3 was meant to have an untether, too, and that never emerged.
Maybe Apple's updated security mechanisms will finally keep hackers at bay!Jailbreak iOS 4.3.1 on OS X or Windows with PwnageTool or Sn0wbreeze originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
All iOS 4.3.1 jailbreaks are still tethered, meaning you'll have to jailbreak your device after every reboot. An untethered jailbreak is slated for release sometime in the next week -- but 4.3 was meant to have an untether, too, and that never emerged.
Maybe Apple's updated security mechanisms will finally keep hackers at bay!Jailbreak iOS 4.3.1 on OS X or Windows with PwnageTool or Sn0wbreeze originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Keepin' it real fake: the iPhone 4 has a fan in China (video)
With competition like the Samsung Galaxy S II showing us just how thin a phone can be, the iPhone 4 isn't quite looking as svelte as it once did. How's an Apple-loving gadget fiend supposed to stay faithful in a time like this? Why, by holding their handset next to something much, much thicker. Enter the "iPhone 4," which actually isn't a phone, rather a powered fan that serves to keep you cool, not connected. As you can see after the break, the Home button won't kick you out of an app, instead kicking that ducted air-mover into high gear, and while you won't find it in your local Apple Store, stumble across one of these plastic bricks in Shenzhen and it'll only cost you $10 or so to take it home. Small price to keep your handset feeling good about itself -- until September, anyway.
[Thanks, Chris]Continue reading Keepin' it real fake: the iPhone 4 has a fan in China (video)Keepin' it real fake: the iPhone 4 has a fan in China (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | M.I.C. Gadget | Email this | Comments
[Thanks, Chris]Continue reading Keepin' it real fake: the iPhone 4 has a fan in China (video)Keepin' it real fake: the iPhone 4 has a fan in China (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | M.I.C. Gadget | Email this | Comments
INTERNATIONAL GAME TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES (IBM)
Swear Words Look Less Offensive When They Are Pretty [Typography]
Goddamn swear words never looked more beautiful than in this typography clusterfuck. Check this shit out, you cockfaces! They make excellent cellphone backgrounds. You can get more at [Beautiful Swear Words via Swissmiss] More »
Electric Propeller Adds Awesomeness to Paper Planes
I’m pretty good at paper airplanes. With the right design and a few extra creases (a Concord-like bent beak at the nose, and a raising of flaps at the back end of the wings) you can make a plane that flies straight and true, and doesn’t loop-the-loop as soon as you throw it. In combination [...]
Tarzan Ball is a tricky hook-and-pull physics game
So, you're a ball. A Tarzan Ball, to be precise. You've earned the nickname thanks to your astonishing ability to shoot out a lengthy 'vine' (I hope it's a vine) at objects, and then pull yourself towards those objects.
That's a handy ability to have, especially since you've got no legs, no arms, and no other means of transportation. In Tarzan Ball, the rope is everything. But you don't just swing around the screen aimlessly - that wouldn't be much of a game now, would it?
Instead, your goal in life is to collect "targets". Each level has one of these "targets" hidden away somewhere on the screen, usually behind some kind of barrier. Once you navigate close enough to the target, you can shoot your rope at it and just reel it in. That's when you pass the level.
You can't die in this game, but it can still be very frustrating. It's actually one of the tougher games I've posted recently. Still, if you enjoy physics games, this one is quite nicely made.
[This is actually the sequel to IQ Ball, which we covered last year! -Ed]Tarzan Ball is a tricky hook-and-pull physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
That's a handy ability to have, especially since you've got no legs, no arms, and no other means of transportation. In Tarzan Ball, the rope is everything. But you don't just swing around the screen aimlessly - that wouldn't be much of a game now, would it?
Instead, your goal in life is to collect "targets". Each level has one of these "targets" hidden away somewhere on the screen, usually behind some kind of barrier. Once you navigate close enough to the target, you can shoot your rope at it and just reel it in. That's when you pass the level.
You can't die in this game, but it can still be very frustrating. It's actually one of the tougher games I've posted recently. Still, if you enjoy physics games, this one is quite nicely made.
[This is actually the sequel to IQ Ball, which we covered last year! -Ed]Tarzan Ball is a tricky hook-and-pull physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Shot Shot Pirate is a fun, simple physics game
Shot Shot Pirate is very satisfying, because each level is short and to the point. You know what you have to do and you just do it.
As you may have gathered from the name, you're cast in the role of a pirate. Your goal is to shoot at a diamond and make it fall off a tower of bricks. The height of the tower changes as you progress through the levels. It's not enough to just make the diamond fall off the tower of bricks - it has to fall below a certain line (drawn on the screen) for the level to be completed.
There are also different kinds of bricks, with some heavier than others, and different kinds of ammo. You only get a certain amount of ammo for each level, and when it's gone, you lose. But don't worry! If you don't make it on the first try, it's very easy to restart the level and just give it another shot (or three).
All in all it's a cute game. I've seen similar games with better graphics and music, but the game delivers on its main promise - a few minutes of pure time wasting!Shot Shot Pirate is a fun, simple physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
As you may have gathered from the name, you're cast in the role of a pirate. Your goal is to shoot at a diamond and make it fall off a tower of bricks. The height of the tower changes as you progress through the levels. It's not enough to just make the diamond fall off the tower of bricks - it has to fall below a certain line (drawn on the screen) for the level to be completed.
There are also different kinds of bricks, with some heavier than others, and different kinds of ammo. You only get a certain amount of ammo for each level, and when it's gone, you lose. But don't worry! If you don't make it on the first try, it's very easy to restart the level and just give it another shot (or three).
All in all it's a cute game. I've seen similar games with better graphics and music, but the game delivers on its main promise - a few minutes of pure time wasting!Shot Shot Pirate is a fun, simple physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Now You Can Admire EXIF Data On Google Images [Blip]
Taking a page from Flickr, Google has added EXIF data to photos appearing on Google Images, so you'll never again be wondering about the exposure on that goatse shot you've been admiring. [Google Operating System via PetaPixel] More »
Facebook launches unified mobile site, announces 250 million mobile users
Facebook has announced that its two mobile sites -- m.facebook.com and touch.facebook.com -- have been unified, bringing a simpler mobile experience to Facebook users. And there are a lot of those -- a quarter billion, according to Facebook.
Smartphone users won't be losing any functionality because of the consolidation. If your phone supported the enhacned features offered by touch.facebook.com, the new site will automatically flip the switch when you visit.
Rolling the sites together helps simplify things for Facebook's developer team. Now changes can be pushed to a single site instead of two separate sites, which makes it easier to ensure that all mobile users receive a nearly identical experience regardless of the device they're using.
The new Facebook mobile can also check to see if your phone supports geolocation. If it doesn't, you won't be seeing much of Facebook Places -- which obviously relies heavily on geolocation. Images can also be optimized on the fly to keep page performance from suffering on less powerful devices. You can see the three different versions of the share button below, courtesy our friends at TechCrunch.
Facebook launches unified mobile site, announces 250 million mobile users originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Smartphone users won't be losing any functionality because of the consolidation. If your phone supported the enhacned features offered by touch.facebook.com, the new site will automatically flip the switch when you visit.
Rolling the sites together helps simplify things for Facebook's developer team. Now changes can be pushed to a single site instead of two separate sites, which makes it easier to ensure that all mobile users receive a nearly identical experience regardless of the device they're using.
The new Facebook mobile can also check to see if your phone supports geolocation. If it doesn't, you won't be seeing much of Facebook Places -- which obviously relies heavily on geolocation. Images can also be optimized on the fly to keep page performance from suffering on less powerful devices. You can see the three different versions of the share button below, courtesy our friends at TechCrunch.
Facebook launches unified mobile site, announces 250 million mobile users originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
MIDI Mobilizer II stores your musical stylings, plays nice with CoreMIDI apps
Much music making progress has been made since we first saw Line 6's MIDI Mobilizer -- namely, Apple put MIDI APIs in iOS and iPads started slinging super funky synthesized songs on the regular. In order to embrace the Cupertino-curated CoreMIDI standard, Line 6 has unveiled the MIDI Mobilizer II dongle. It looks like the original and uses the same MIDI Memo Recorder app to store and dispense your sonic musings, but this $70 piece of kit only works with the 3rd and 4th gen iPod touch, the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, and the iPad and iPad 2. Most importantly, the MIDI Mobilizer is compatible with GarageBand and all the latest CoreMIDI apps the kids are crazy about. Still not sold on the device's ability to help you make a dope digital ditty? Peep the PR and video after the break to learn more.Continue reading MIDI Mobilizer II stores your musical stylings, plays nice with CoreMIDI appsMIDI Mobilizer II stores your musical stylings, plays nice with CoreMIDI apps originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 07:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Line 6 | Email this | Comments
"How do I insert a CD to the iPad 2?" [Humor]
This new iPad owner is either a pitiable fool or a brilliant troll. Apparently he's been "trying for the past few hours" and is on the verge of giving up. Readers, do you have any advice for him? [Apple Support via TheNextWeb] More »
Monday, July 25, 2011
CrunchGear Week in Review: Animal Shots Edition
Here are some stories from the past week on CrunchGear: ?Rotary Mechanical? Cell Phone Concept Isn?t Practical, But It Looks Great Lomo?s New La Sardina Camera Is Cheap And Sardine-Can-Like Panda Itazura Bank: Super-Cute Piggy Bank (Video) Meet The Robostir, A Robotic Soup Stirrer SugarSync Adds Mobile Device Management To Send Files To Devices From [...]
RIM axes 2000 jobs, changes managers in effort to halt decline
Just a month after a disgruntled employee accused RIM's managers of failing to make bold decisions, the latter have responded by boldly sacking 11 percent of their workforce. The company says it will notify affected employees in North America and some other countries this week. It also announced a number of changes to its executive team, with Thorsten Heins taking on the expanded role of COO, Product and Sales. Other personnel changes were generally confined to sales, marketing and operations, which leaves us wondering what, if anything, will change in the way RIM comes up with new products.RIM axes 2000 jobs, changes managers in effort to halt decline originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Reuters, StreetInsider | Email this | Comments
Facebook just released a dedicated iPad app, except it didn't
Mark Zuckerberg ruffled some feathers when he said the iPad "isn't mobile" enough to deserve a dedicated Facebook app. But now it's U-turn time. TechCrunch just revealed that not only has Facebook created a fully-fledged iPad app, they've even released it -- albeit in secret. The code lies buried in yesterday's update to the iPhone app and it's entirely executable on jailbroken tablets. What's the software like? Well, TechCrunch reckons the left-sided navigation system and use of overlay menus is "great," as is the ability to chat with buddies while simultaneously doing other Facebook tasks in landscape mode. There's also a ton of screen grabs at the source link which tell much of the story. However, it surely won't be long before we can make our own minds up.Facebook just released a dedicated iPad app, except it didn't originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 06:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | TechCrunch | Email this | Comments
Banshee music player now works in Windows, supports Amazon MP3 downloads
A few moments ago, version 2 of the Banshee music player for Linux was released, bringing with it a whole slew of new features, and the addition of an official -- but alpha-quality -- Windows build. The Mac OS X build of version 2 is due later today.
The most notable new feature is support for the Amazon MP3 store -- you can buy and download music from within Banshee -- but unfortunately it's only available in the Linux build at the moment (OS X and Windows support are planned, however). There have also been some significant improvements to artist, album, and queue interactions -- and yes, you can finally right click a track, album or artist and select 'play after' to insert it into the queue.
Beyond actual playback, the user interface has been tidied up -- it now looks a whole lot smarter -- and the Ubuntu One Music Store and SoundMenu extensions have been made official. For a complete list of changes, additions and bug fixes, check the change log.
When Windows support initially appeared in February, we found it rough around the edges and fraught with stability issues. With version 2, Banshee for Windows is still a bit unstable, but it's shaping up to be a good alternative to Winamp, iTunes, or whatever other music library manager you use. It's almost as attractive as its GNOMEish brother, too!
Download Banshee 2 for Linux and Windows (Mac OS X coming soon)Banshee music player now works in Windows, supports Amazon MP3 downloads originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The most notable new feature is support for the Amazon MP3 store -- you can buy and download music from within Banshee -- but unfortunately it's only available in the Linux build at the moment (OS X and Windows support are planned, however). There have also been some significant improvements to artist, album, and queue interactions -- and yes, you can finally right click a track, album or artist and select 'play after' to insert it into the queue.
Beyond actual playback, the user interface has been tidied up -- it now looks a whole lot smarter -- and the Ubuntu One Music Store and SoundMenu extensions have been made official. For a complete list of changes, additions and bug fixes, check the change log.
When Windows support initially appeared in February, we found it rough around the edges and fraught with stability issues. With version 2, Banshee for Windows is still a bit unstable, but it's shaping up to be a good alternative to Winamp, iTunes, or whatever other music library manager you use. It's almost as attractive as its GNOMEish brother, too!
Download Banshee 2 for Linux and Windows (Mac OS X coming soon)Banshee music player now works in Windows, supports Amazon MP3 downloads originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Tasty Planet is a fun flash game where you eat everything in sight
So this professor comes up with a new toilet cleaner that works by "eating" the dirt; or so he thinks. That's how the plot starts for Tasty Planet. You play the role of the toilet cleaner, but you're not really a toilet cleaner after all -- you're a blob of gray goo that can eat anything that's smaller than yourself.
As you chomp away, you grow -- and as you grow, you can eat bigger and bigger stuff. The first level pits you against microscopic particles; by the time I stopped playing, I got all the way to eating cats and dogs. I know that sounds disturbing, but it's a really cute game, and there's no gore or anything like that.
Supposedly you keep growing and growing until you're able to eat whole planets (hence the name). The challenge factor comes when you realize you can't touch any critter larger than yourself - you'll get "bitten" and become smaller. In the beginning you're so small, that a single touch can kill you. Later on, you're big enough that touching larger animals doesn't kill you on the spot, but it does reduce your size. Each level is timed, so if you're not large enough by the time your clock runs out, you need to start again. As long as you don't touch the larger animals, you should be fine.
All in all, a fun, addictive little game. It's available for iOS, too.Tasty Planet is a fun flash game where you eat everything in sight originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
As you chomp away, you grow -- and as you grow, you can eat bigger and bigger stuff. The first level pits you against microscopic particles; by the time I stopped playing, I got all the way to eating cats and dogs. I know that sounds disturbing, but it's a really cute game, and there's no gore or anything like that.
Supposedly you keep growing and growing until you're able to eat whole planets (hence the name). The challenge factor comes when you realize you can't touch any critter larger than yourself - you'll get "bitten" and become smaller. In the beginning you're so small, that a single touch can kill you. Later on, you're big enough that touching larger animals doesn't kill you on the spot, but it does reduce your size. Each level is timed, so if you're not large enough by the time your clock runs out, you need to start again. As long as you don't touch the larger animals, you should be fine.
All in all, a fun, addictive little game. It's available for iOS, too.Tasty Planet is a fun flash game where you eat everything in sight originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The Engadget Show returns today, July 25th (update: we're booked out!)
After a month-long slumber, the Engadget Show is back! We're taping today, on Monday, July 25th at 6:00pm ET! You can read up on what to expect right here, and if you're looking for plans in just a few hours, we've got a smattering of seats still available. Read below for all the nitty-gritty, and if you're angling to attend, drop an email to darren *at* engadget *dot* com with your name, how many guests you're hoping to bring (if any) and a contact number.
Update: The remaining seats have been claimed! Don't worry, though -- the show will be online soon after it's edited down, and we'll be doing it all again next month.
If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com.
Subscribe to the Show:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.The Engadget Show returns today, July 25th (update: we're booked out!) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 10:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Update: The remaining seats have been claimed! Don't worry, though -- the show will be online soon after it's edited down, and we'll be doing it all again next month.
If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com.
Subscribe to the Show:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.The Engadget Show returns today, July 25th (update: we're booked out!) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 10:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
MayBe The ipad 2 Plus
Don’t Overlook that the unique iPad�tablet continues to be� little more than a 12� months old and also the Apple iPad�tablet 2 is merely a few months old, a brand� new iPad is without a doubt in route. Having a minor redesign of the iPad tablet� 2, as well as brand new components, the ?iPad [...]
T-Mobile looks to go back-to-back, offers Angels fans tablet rentals
Looking to enhance that in-person baseball experience with one more technological distraction? Well, the wait is over, thanks to T-Mobile and its new tablet rental program at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The company will not only offer the slates to patrons, but it'll also push out customized content to enhance the superfan's game-day stat overload -- something we've seen before over at Safeco Field. Fans get to choose between a T-Mobile G-Slate or a Samsung Galaxy Tab, and the rental will only set you back a cool Hamilton, which is likely easier on the wallet than a decked-out hotdog. In addition to the tablet, you'll also get your game-day program, a library of magazines for browsing between innings, T-Mobile TV and network access. So if you're the casual baseball fan who scored free tickets, you can work on your Cut the Rope skills for a few hours... looking up to catch the home run jacks, of course.Continue reading T-Mobile looks to go back-to-back, offers Angels fans tablet rentalsT-Mobile looks to go back-to-back, offers Angels fans tablet rentals originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Jul 2011 08:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Kobo eReader Touch Edition
Kobo now has a touch screen version of their eReader called the Kobo eReader Touch. It is very similar the Nook Touch, but has no hardware buttons, and is a little narrower. The key specs are: 6″ Pearl high contrast E Ink display Infrared touch screen 2 GB of storage Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n SD Card slot [...]
Google acquires PittPatt, wants to know you on a face-to-face basis
Google's quietly pitter-pattering its acquisitive ways back into the controversial realm of facial recognition technology. To do that, the company busted out its oversized wallet to fold Pittsburgh-based PittPatt into the Mountain View borg. Founded by a trio of PhD's from Carnegie Mellon University, this three-man strong outfit specializes in the sort of object recognition software you've come to know as "tagging." Is this a reversal of the Do No Evil tech giant's prior waffling on the dubious visioning tech, or just another massive weapon in its social networking crusade against Facebook? We'd err on the side of both, although the company's new employees aren't exactly playing their cards for us to see. A brief statement on the triumvirate's site makes vague mention of "computer vision technology" being core to Google's products and points to the tech's planned integration in photo, video and mobile applications. So, basically, expect to see Picasa, Goggles, YouTube and Google+ watch you as you flaunt your internet celebrity ways to that front-facing camera.Google acquires PittPatt, wants to know you on a face-to-face basis originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Jul 2011 11:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Wall Street Journal Blogs | PittPatt | Email this | Comments
Win a Captain America Costume!
I know it’s not Halloween yet, but Captain America is hot right now with the movie premier this Friday. I know you wish that you could dress up like him so that you can wreck havoc on the baddies in your neighborhood. Now you can, IF you are lucky and win this contest from HalloweenCostumes.com. [...]
Deal of the Day ? Dell Vostro 460 ?Sandy Bridge? Core i7 Mini Tower with 4GB Memory and 1TB Hard Drive
Today?s LogicBUY Deal is a 2011 Core i7 Dell Vostro 460 mini tower desktop for $489.� Features:� Intel Core i7-2600, 4GB dual channel DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz memory (supports up to 16GB), 1TB serial ATA 7200rpm hard drive. $899 – $60 off – $350 coupon code = $489 with free shipping This deal expires July 22, [...]
Sunday, July 24, 2011
A Simple Picture Depicting a Small Miniaturized Child Being Attacked by a Rhinovirus [Art]
The poor little sap. He got miniaturized and the first thing he went and did with his new ability was interact with a deadly virus. Wait, what? This is just ADA and it's an interactive charcoal drawing art piece? Hrm. More »
BlackBerry Bold 9790 Bellagio offers unsanctioned tutorial (video)
Well BlackBerry fans, yet another variation of the Bold is now making the rounds on the internet: it's the 9790, otherwise known as the Bellagio. Although the device was first leaked in late May -- where we learned it would feature BlackBerry 7 OS, 8GB of internal memory, a touchscreen, and NFC -- RIM's latest QWERTY companion has remained below the radar ever since. Now, it's reappeared in some official tutorials, which reveal a familiar user interface. Also, two other videos offer views of the handset's exterior profile and a quick peek beneath the battery cover. Why are Lazaridis and Balsillie prepping this for sale when the Bold 9900 has yet to reach consumers? All we need is one, and the similar hardware and specs aren't building a compelling argument. Sure, RIM said it would be releasing seven upcoming smartphones in the coming months, but haven't its leaders learned that less is more? Follow the source for an extended peek at the redundancy.BlackBerry Bold 9790 Bellagio offers unsanctioned tutorial (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Jul 2011 06:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Stuff.tv | CrackBerry | Email this | Comments
Sand Trap is a fun and difficult physics maze game
Sand Trap is one of those games that at first seem too hard to bother with, but when you try to stop playing it you discover you're hooked.
The goal is to get as much sand as you possibly can out of the maze and into the bucket at the bottom of the screen. You need to rotate your maze every which way to get the sand rolling around it. You then try to direct the sand to one of the exits of the maze, and hopefully into the bucket. It took me several tries to actually get sand into the bucket, but that might be due to the fact that I didn't even realize the bucket was there at first. Things improved significantly after that.
As you level up, the mazes get more complicated, with moving parts and other things making your life more difficult. Once you manage to get through all these obstacles and get enough sand into your bucket, you can move on.
As I mentioned, this is not an easy game, but it's highly addictive. The graphics remind me of some long lost game from the 80s, but this just proves that you don't need super graphics and crazy sound to make a game work. There's a soothing guitar track playing in the background and that's it, as far as I could hear, and you can enjoy it just as much with no sound at all.
If you like a fun physics challenge, don't miss out on this one!Sand Trap is a fun and difficult physics maze game originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The goal is to get as much sand as you possibly can out of the maze and into the bucket at the bottom of the screen. You need to rotate your maze every which way to get the sand rolling around it. You then try to direct the sand to one of the exits of the maze, and hopefully into the bucket. It took me several tries to actually get sand into the bucket, but that might be due to the fact that I didn't even realize the bucket was there at first. Things improved significantly after that.
As you level up, the mazes get more complicated, with moving parts and other things making your life more difficult. Once you manage to get through all these obstacles and get enough sand into your bucket, you can move on.
As I mentioned, this is not an easy game, but it's highly addictive. The graphics remind me of some long lost game from the 80s, but this just proves that you don't need super graphics and crazy sound to make a game work. There's a soothing guitar track playing in the background and that's it, as far as I could hear, and you can enjoy it just as much with no sound at all.
If you like a fun physics challenge, don't miss out on this one!Sand Trap is a fun and difficult physics maze game originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Giant body of water found in space, black hole claims it was just hydrating
Is that an intergalactic wave pool, or just a hungry, hungry quasar? Turns out it's a bit of both -- well, not the wave pool bit, but it's watery. A NASA-funded peep into the farthest reaches of the cosmos has uncovered this "feeding black hole" 12 billion light years away. APM 08279+5255, as this compacted mass of inescapable doom is affectionately known, has been gorging on water vapor and spewing out energy. How much H2O exactly? It's only the "largest and farthest reservoir of water ever detected in the universe," and it weighs in at 140 trillion times the amount in our oceans. Located via the cooperation of two teams of astronomers and their star-gazing equipment -- the Z-Space instrument at California Institute of Technology's Submillimeter Observatory in Hawaii and the Plateau de Bure Interferometer in the French Alps -- this aqueous discovery proves the wet stuff is more universally omnipresent than we once thought. Also, surfing aliens, right?Giant body of water found in space, black hole claims it was just hydrating originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Jul 2011 12:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | NASA | Email this | Comments
Mitoza is a fun, freaky Web toy with an artistic look
While not a game per se, I found Mitoza intriguing enough to spend quite some time with it. You start off with a seed, and are then presented with two choices: you can either click a flower pot, or click a cute little birdie.
If you click the flower pot, a flower pot appears and the seed is planted inside. You're then presented with two further choices -- a water can or a bottle of fertilizer. Each choice you make causes your creation to morph, and presents you with two other choices.
There's no winning or losing, really. Each "game" usually lasts around four or five choices, at which point the plant/animal dies in some creative (but not too gruesome) way. At this point you instantly start over with a new seed.
The graphics are captivating; the whole thing has a cinematic feel to it, with a bit of artificial camera shake added for style.
All in all, it's a fun, peaceful way to spend a few minutes, and it might even make you think a little bit while you're at it.Mitoza is a fun, freaky Web toy with an artistic look originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
If you click the flower pot, a flower pot appears and the seed is planted inside. You're then presented with two further choices -- a water can or a bottle of fertilizer. Each choice you make causes your creation to morph, and presents you with two other choices.
There's no winning or losing, really. Each "game" usually lasts around four or five choices, at which point the plant/animal dies in some creative (but not too gruesome) way. At this point you instantly start over with a new seed.
The graphics are captivating; the whole thing has a cinematic feel to it, with a bit of artificial camera shake added for style.
All in all, it's a fun, peaceful way to spend a few minutes, and it might even make you think a little bit while you're at it.Mitoza is a fun, freaky Web toy with an artistic look originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The Best Videos of the Week [Video]
Maybe you skipped town this past week to avoid the heat and you missed your favorite Gawker Media sites. Or maybe you just installed a shiny new A/C unit and you're ready for a distraction. Well, whatever the case, we've got you covered. Here are some of the most amusing and entertaining videos we watched during the hot-as-hell week that was. More »
Windows 8 welcome screen revealed, looks very Metro
It's not really a secret the Microsoft had planned on bringing bits of Windows Phone 7's Metro UI to Windows 8, but we haven't seen a lot of really telling evidence. However, with the Windows 8 milestone 3 build now available to Microsoft Connect partners, it was really just a matter of time before we started to get a peek.
Thanks to Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott, we've now had a glimpse at what the Windows 8 welcome screen will look like. As you can see, the typography is very Metro indeed. Within Windows also mentions that the background image is customizable, and we're wondering if it might not pull from your current Windows 8 theme. This particular shot shows the CTRL + ALT + DELETE login option, but we imagine you'll still be able to log in by clicking your account picture tile as well.
Rivera and Thurrott also mention that the tablet version of the welcome screen will allow you to log in by swiping a pattern on the screen -- as you can on current Android devices.Windows 8 welcome screen revealed, looks very Metro originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Thanks to Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott, we've now had a glimpse at what the Windows 8 welcome screen will look like. As you can see, the typography is very Metro indeed. Within Windows also mentions that the background image is customizable, and we're wondering if it might not pull from your current Windows 8 theme. This particular shot shows the CTRL + ALT + DELETE login option, but we imagine you'll still be able to log in by clicking your account picture tile as well.
Rivera and Thurrott also mention that the tablet version of the welcome screen will allow you to log in by swiping a pattern on the screen -- as you can on current Android devices.Windows 8 welcome screen revealed, looks very Metro originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Google Talk Guru answers questions via your IM app
Bots -- like the kind which automate IRC rooms and Google Wave -- are a good thing to know about. There are plenty of useful bots worth knowing about, too, including the Google Talk Guru.
Just add guru@googlelabs.com to your GTalk buddies, and you can start firing off questions. Lifehacker suggests that the same types of queries supported by Google SMS will work, though we didn't have any luck getting a response out of the Guru with phrases like "score detroit red wings" or "sushi R3N 1Y1."
Still, Guru does answer a good variety of questions and it works right within your favorite IM app. It's well worth adding to your friend list, especially for getting answers on the go on your mobile device of choice.Google Talk Guru answers questions via your IM app originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Just add guru@googlelabs.com to your GTalk buddies, and you can start firing off questions. Lifehacker suggests that the same types of queries supported by Google SMS will work, though we didn't have any luck getting a response out of the Guru with phrases like "score detroit red wings" or "sushi R3N 1Y1."
Still, Guru does answer a good variety of questions and it works right within your favorite IM app. It's well worth adding to your friend list, especially for getting answers on the go on your mobile device of choice.Google Talk Guru answers questions via your IM app originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Daily Crunch: Landscape Portrait Edition
Meet The Robostir, A Robotic Soup Stirrer Must-Have For Minecraft Fans: Grass Block Mousepad Review: ThinkGeek iCADE iPad Arcade Game Bowers & Wilkins Announce The Tiny PM1 Audiophile-Class Compact Loudspeaker Do Not Swallow: Olympus Releases Tiny E-PL Promotional Cameras
Saturday, July 23, 2011
RIM?s Android App Player Gets an Early Debut
RIM can’t seem to get its act together. First, it rushed the release of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, a product that many agreed felt unfinished. And this morning, the company accidentally released an incomplete version of its app player for running Android software.
PlayBook makers Research in Motion posted the Android application player to its website, [...]
PlayBook makers Research in Motion posted the Android application player to its website, [...]
TweetDeck to launch as HTML5 Web app, now accepting beta testers
When TweetDeck landed in the Chrome Web Store, it seemed like an indication that it might eventually evolve into a pure HTML5 Web app. Now it looks as though that's exactly what's going to happen, with TweetDeck announcing that a new, not-just-for-Chrome Web client is ready for beta testing.
It's a natural progression for TweetDeck, especially since its originally Adobe Air app is practically all Web code. TweetDeck Web will sport a feature set which is nearly identical to the Chrome app, with the notable exception of Twitter streaming.
Initially, TweetDeck is targeting Firefox 4 and 3.6, Google Chrome, and Safari. Opera and Internet Explorer 9 won't be invited to the dance until a bit later on.
If you'd like to get in on the TweetDeck Web beta, head on over and register -- or sign up using your existing TweetDeck account.TweetDeck to launch as HTML5 Web app, now accepting beta testers originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
It's a natural progression for TweetDeck, especially since its originally Adobe Air app is practically all Web code. TweetDeck Web will sport a feature set which is nearly identical to the Chrome app, with the notable exception of Twitter streaming.
Initially, TweetDeck is targeting Firefox 4 and 3.6, Google Chrome, and Safari. Opera and Internet Explorer 9 won't be invited to the dance until a bit later on.
If you'd like to get in on the TweetDeck Web beta, head on over and register -- or sign up using your existing TweetDeck account.TweetDeck to launch as HTML5 Web app, now accepting beta testers originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8
If you used Windows XP for a long time (who didn't?), one of the biggest changes when moving to Windows 7 or Vista was the massively-altered Explorer. While the new Explorer introduces some useful new features, it also removed just as many -- which is where Classic Shell comes in!
We've covered Classic Shell before, but here's the crib note: Classic Shell restores almost every Windows XP-era Explorer feature. The best change, in our opinion, is the reemergence of the 'up' arrow, meaning you now navigate without using the Windows Vista/7 'breadcrumbs' address bar. The status bar yet again shows the total size of your selection, and -- praise be! -- the diabolical Windows 7 Copy File 'copy and replace?' dialog has been replaced with a Windows XP lookalike (image after the break).
New to the most recent version of Classic Shell is the ability to make IE9 look like IE8. With Classic Shell the title bar yet again has a caption, so you can see the full title of Web pages. The current security zone and loading progress indicator have been put back into the status bar, too. If you enable 'Show tabs on a separate row,' it's almost like using IE8.
Finally, Classic Shell replaces the omnipotent Windows 7 Start Menu with the age-old 'classic' Windows 2000/XP-style Start Menu. Classic Shell makes the Start Menu skinable, too, if you're into the kind of thing.
As awesome as it sounds, we've only touched on a small section of Classic Shell's feature set. Check the Classic Shell site for a complete list. There's a few more images of Classic Shell in action after the break.
Download Classic Shell for WindowsContinue reading Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
We've covered Classic Shell before, but here's the crib note: Classic Shell restores almost every Windows XP-era Explorer feature. The best change, in our opinion, is the reemergence of the 'up' arrow, meaning you now navigate without using the Windows Vista/7 'breadcrumbs' address bar. The status bar yet again shows the total size of your selection, and -- praise be! -- the diabolical Windows 7 Copy File 'copy and replace?' dialog has been replaced with a Windows XP lookalike (image after the break).
New to the most recent version of Classic Shell is the ability to make IE9 look like IE8. With Classic Shell the title bar yet again has a caption, so you can see the full title of Web pages. The current security zone and loading progress indicator have been put back into the status bar, too. If you enable 'Show tabs on a separate row,' it's almost like using IE8.
Finally, Classic Shell replaces the omnipotent Windows 7 Start Menu with the age-old 'classic' Windows 2000/XP-style Start Menu. Classic Shell makes the Start Menu skinable, too, if you're into the kind of thing.
As awesome as it sounds, we've only touched on a small section of Classic Shell's feature set. Check the Classic Shell site for a complete list. There's a few more images of Classic Shell in action after the break.
Download Classic Shell for WindowsContinue reading Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Google celebrates Alexander Calder and spinning things with HTML5 doodle
How to honor the life's work of an artist who has been dead for more than a quarter-century? Why, an HTML5 doodle on the Google homepage, of course. The search giant paid homage to Alexander Calder, the celebrated inventor of the mobile sculpture with its first doodle created entirely in HTML5 canvas. Those using a laptop with an accelerometer and an updated browser can move the coded sculpture around with their curser. Ironically, we had some difficulty playing around with the image on our mobile devices.Google celebrates Alexander Calder and spinning things with HTML5 doodle originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 22:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Official Google Blog | Email this | Comments
Interlocked is a three-dimensional brain teaser
Back when I was a kid, I used to love crafting ornate puzzle boxes out of Lego. There would be just one way to open the box, by carefully shifting and rotating a bunch of pieces. Well, either that, or breaking the box in frustration.
Interlocked takes that spirit and turns it into a beautiful Flash game. It's a good thing the soundtrack is soothing, because the game itself can get pretty frustrating.
At the start of each level, you're presented with a box built out of blocks in different colors. You can click and drag the mouse to rotate the box any which way. Once you decide you want to shift a part of the box, hit SPACE to switch into "move" mode. You can then click any part of the box and drag it. Of course, you can only move a part as long as nothing is in its way. So it becomes a matter of understanding how the box is built, and what parts you need to move around so you could eventually take the box apart.
It's a tricky, difficult game, but it's a great brain teaser -- and definitely a keeper.Interlocked is a three-dimensional brain teaser originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Interlocked takes that spirit and turns it into a beautiful Flash game. It's a good thing the soundtrack is soothing, because the game itself can get pretty frustrating.
At the start of each level, you're presented with a box built out of blocks in different colors. You can click and drag the mouse to rotate the box any which way. Once you decide you want to shift a part of the box, hit SPACE to switch into "move" mode. You can then click any part of the box and drag it. Of course, you can only move a part as long as nothing is in its way. So it becomes a matter of understanding how the box is built, and what parts you need to move around so you could eventually take the box apart.
It's a tricky, difficult game, but it's a great brain teaser -- and definitely a keeper.Interlocked is a three-dimensional brain teaser originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Daily Crunch: Dome Edition
E3 2011 Is A Wrap! The Beercan Bot: Frighten Your Drunk Friends DIY Geodesic Dome On Kickstarter Weekend Giveaway: A B&N Nook Japanese Robo-Drone Will Interrogate Your Leia Will iCloud Fly Or Die? (TCTV)
Words With Friends for Android updated, promises "smoother game experience"
As several of you noted in the comments to our post asking for cross-platform iOS/Android games, Words With Friends for Android does not provide the smoothest gaming experience... and that's being rather charitable.
You might be happy to hear that a couple of days ago Zynga released an update which promises to solve many of the Android-specific issues, such as notifications not popping up.
Sadly, installing the update is not a smooth experience; you have to manually uninstall the previous version, and then go to the Android Market and install it. What's nice is that it doesn't lose your saved games - this screenshot shows a game I've started before the update and continued after updating.
How's the new update working out for you? Let us know in the comments!Words With Friends for Android updated, promises "smoother game experience" originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
You might be happy to hear that a couple of days ago Zynga released an update which promises to solve many of the Android-specific issues, such as notifications not popping up.
Sadly, installing the update is not a smooth experience; you have to manually uninstall the previous version, and then go to the Android Market and install it. What's nice is that it doesn't lose your saved games - this screenshot shows a game I've started before the update and continued after updating.
How's the new update working out for you? Let us know in the comments!Words With Friends for Android updated, promises "smoother game experience" originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Google says goodbye to browser toolbar, drops support for Firefox 5
Google Labs isn't the only thing winding down in Mountain View, it seems Google's Firefox toolbar is also kaput. Citing exponential growth in the browser space, the outfit declared that the Google toolbar for Firefox is no longer necessary -- modern browsers are just too darn capable. Support will continue for older versions of the browser, but Firefox 5 will have to stand on its own. Still, El Goog admits that dropping the toolbar kills more than a few features, and is offering a list of similarly featured add-ons to users via the defunct toolbar's help page. Not enough? Head on over to the announcement's comment page and join the peanut gallery, a few clever legumes seem to have uncovered a FF5 workaround. As for the rest of us, it's not like we didn't know Google had its own browser (and interests) to take care of, right?Google says goodbye to browser toolbar, drops support for Firefox 5 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 06:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Google (1), (2) | Email this | Comments
Cueboy Quest is an adorable 8-bit style physics game
Yes, that's right, I said adorable. Because Cueboy Quest really is!
You play an 8-bit cowboy whose goal on each level is to get to the door (and thus to the next level), but the door is often locked. To get it to open, you must shoot at one or more targets, and those targets aren't always in your line of sight. For example, on one level the the target is a balloon which is stuck all the way at the other end of the screen. You must first nudge it free, and then watch it float up and try to shoot it before it floats clear off the screen. Your bullets are chunky pixels that have some weight - the have arcing trajectories, so you don't always hit exactly where you aim.
There's another level where you must jump on the balloon as it floats up, use it as a platform to get to the other end of the screen, and then turn to shoot it very quickly before it flies away. Each level is very short, and most of them are quite easy. And not only are the graphics 8-bit blocky, but they're large too. Simply beautiful!Cueboy Quest is an adorable 8-bit style physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
You play an 8-bit cowboy whose goal on each level is to get to the door (and thus to the next level), but the door is often locked. To get it to open, you must shoot at one or more targets, and those targets aren't always in your line of sight. For example, on one level the the target is a balloon which is stuck all the way at the other end of the screen. You must first nudge it free, and then watch it float up and try to shoot it before it floats clear off the screen. Your bullets are chunky pixels that have some weight - the have arcing trajectories, so you don't always hit exactly where you aim.
There's another level where you must jump on the balloon as it floats up, use it as a platform to get to the other end of the screen, and then turn to shoot it very quickly before it flies away. Each level is very short, and most of them are quite easy. And not only are the graphics 8-bit blocky, but they're large too. Simply beautiful!Cueboy Quest is an adorable 8-bit style physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Android deals just got weird: free phones for pants, free flights for phones
Next time you're trying on a pair of (non musical) jeans, why not snag a free Android phone to help fill their roomy pockets? And while you're shopping for that big trip you've got planned, you can let "HTC Airlines" book that flight for you. Honest, it's no trouble at all. Well, it's a little trouble. Wet Seal's "try on some pants and get a free phone" deal comes attached to a two-year contract, and those flights? Still free, but only if you happen to be picking up your HTC Status or Salsa in Germany. You didn't expect them to offer a free ride to just anybody, anywhere, did you?Android deals just got weird: free phones for pants, free flights for phones originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 07:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink TamsAndroid | HTC, Wet Seal | Email this | Comments
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