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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

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Plug-In 2011: Coulomb working with TomTom to let EV drivers find charging stations

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 03:17 PM PDT

Plug-In 2011: Coulomb working with TomTom to let EV drivers find charging stations


Plug-In 2011: Coulomb working with TomTom to let EV drivers find charging stations
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Plug In Conference At the Plug-In 2011 Conference in Raleigh, NC, last week, Coulomb Technologies announced it will partner with TomTom to provide tools to help EV drivers locate charging stations. Some manufacturers have built brand-specific charging point location into the navigation systems included on their vehicles and the Coulomb solution will spot stations that are part of their own ChargePoint Network. The TomTom partnership is one of...

Ion Piano Apprentice plays nice with your iPad, lights up your life

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 03:17 PM PDT

Ion Piano Apprentice plays nice with your iPad, lights up your life


Ion Piano Apprentice plays nice with your iPad, lights up your life
It's not enough anymore to simply cram a single-octave keyboard into the bottom of a Nintendo DS, effective piano instruction requires at least twice as many keys -- and an iPad. The Ion Piano Apprentice (when coupled with a compatible iDevice and companion app) offers aspiring Tchaikovskys octave-selectable free play, lessons on reading sheet music, and even a view of award-winning piano instructor Scott Houston's handsome hands....

Vonage Extensions makes mobile international calling a free-of-charge affair

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 02:46 PM PDT

Vonage Extensions makes mobile international calling a free-of-charge affair


Vonage Extensions makes mobile international calling a free-of-charge affair
Hey Vonage customers, your VoIP service of choice is about to get a bit of a mobile value-add. Announced today, the company's new Extensions service links your existing home internet calling plan to extra phone numbers -- like a cellphone-- for free, so you can make that long-distance call to Tante Lulu in Gstaad on-the-go....

Sprint’s Nexus S 4G Gets Final Price Cut: Free At Best Buy, A Penny At Amazon

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 02:46 PM PDT

Sprint's Nexus S 4G Gets Final Price Cut: Free At Best Buy, A Penny At Amazon


Sprint's Nexus S 4G Gets Final Price Cut: Free At Best Buy, A Penny At Amazon
Less than two weeks ago, Sprint cut the price of its Google Nexus S 4G by half to just $99 on-contract. That had me pink in the cheek with barely controlled glee, so you can only imagine my reaction when I saw that both Best Buy and Amazon were offering the device for free (and nearly free). Best Buy promises all the Google phone you can handle for free as long as...

Nissan seeks your input on official Leaf wave

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 02:15 PM PDT

Nissan seeks your input on official Leaf wave


Nissan seeks your input on official Leaf wave
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan Because "saying hello to a Leaf owner isn't just an act of kindness, it's a sign of camaraderie," Nissan is asking, "How do you say hello?" That's how a recent post on the official Facebook page for the Nissan Leaf is asking drivers to submit a photo of suggested hand signals so that Nissan can determine which Leaf gesture "waves supreme." Submissions must be in by Thursday, July 28....

NASA iPad app helps you discover life on Earth

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 02:15 PM PDT

NASA iPad app helps you discover life on Earth


NASA iPad app helps you discover life on Earth
Focusing on the extraterrestrial all day can probably make it pretty easy to forget about all that's going on here on Earth. NASA has shifted its focus a bit for its new iPad app, taking a look at the goings-on of the world around us. The app features videos, stories, and images explaining things like climate change and plant life from the vantage point of the organization's satellites....

Verizon just keeps the LTE train chugging, new and expanded markets coming on Au...

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 01:43 PM PDT

Verizon just keeps the LTE train chugging, new and expanded markets coming on August 18th


Verizon just keeps the LTE train chugging, new and expanded markets coming on August 18th
We can't remember a single new WiMAX market being lit up in 2011, meanwhile Verizon just keeps lighting LTE fires all across the country. We've actually given up trying to keep a tally of how many new markets Big Red has launched this year -- there are only so many fingers and toes between the Engadget staff....

Microsoft releases Mango SDK Beta update for developers

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 01:43 PM PDT

Microsoft releases Mango SDK Beta update for developers


Microsoft releases Mango SDK Beta update for developers
Windows Phone developers are getting one step closer to the fresh, fruity tang of Mango's RTM build with a newly released SDK update. The one month-in-the-making "Beta 2 Refresh" tweaks the previously issued Windows Phone SDK 7.1 and is available now for download, packing an improved profiler, locked application platform APIs, an emulator-based screen cap feature for your apps and a "peek at the Marketplace Test Kit." Microsoft's also thrown devs...

Ultrabooks to start arriving in September, more expensive than expected

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 01:12 PM PDT

Ultrabooks to start arriving in September, more expensive than expected


Ultrabooks to start arriving in September, more expensive than expected
Looks like those skinny Ultrabooks Intel was trying to sell us on at Computex will all be hitting the market at roughly the same time. Despite earlier suggestions that HP would beat ASUS's planned September launch, DigiTimes reports the Palo Alto company's Air competitor may not actually ship until as late as Q1 of 2012, thanks to LCD supply issues....

Xperia Arc Comes To US Without Carrier Support

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 01:12 PM PDT

Xperia Arc Comes To US Without Carrier Support


Xperia Arc Comes To US Without Carrier Support
Ever since it was first spotted this past winter, we've wondered how long it would be before we'd have an Xperia Arc of our own to not notice in our pockets. For months rumors flew about which U.S. carrier would be lucky enough to nab the svelte smartphone, with AT&T emerging as the fan favorite....

Beware of "zero waste-to-landfill" claims

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 12:40 PM PDT

Beware of "zero waste-to-landfill" claims


Beware of "zero waste-to-landfill" claims
Filed under: Etc., Manufacturing/Plants It seems like all automaker's tout their zero-waste scheme, right? But is zero-waste all that it's cracked up to be? Take, for example, Honda. In mid-July, Honda announced that ten of its 14 facilities in North America achieved zero-waste-to-landfill status. An accomplishment worthy of mention, right? Well, maybe not. According to BioCycle magazine columnist, Eric Lombardi, the phrase "zero-waste-to-landfills" is often assumed to mean, well, zero waste....

ASUS confirms Eee Pad Transformer will get Android 3.2 update tomorrow

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 12:40 PM PDT

ASUS confirms Eee Pad Transformer will get Android 3.2 update tomorrow


ASUS confirms Eee Pad Transformer will get Android 3.2 update tomorrow
No leaks this time around, but Eee Pad Transformer users don't have to wait much longer to get their Android 3.2 fix. ASUS has now confirmed that the update will be rolling out tomorrow, July 28th. Unlike Galaxy Tab 10.1 owners, Transformer users shouldn't expect too many surprises in store here considering ASUS is sticking with stock Honeycomb, although there will hopefully be a few fixes included in addition to the...

Motorola considering Nike+ SportWatch contender?

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 12:40 PM PDT

Motorola considering Nike+ SportWatch contender?


Motorola considering Nike+ SportWatch contender?
It looks like Motorola might be prepping to give the Nike+ SportWatch a run for its money. An intrepid tipster sent along a screenshot from a recent survey showing off what looks like a tricked out nano watch. Described as an "all-in-one fitness and music personal fitness device" (redundant much?) that packs a GPS for "accurate performance tracking," the as of yet unnamed gadget also sports a "smart music player" that...

Mission Motors Rapps up TTXGP/FIM e-Power race at Laguna Seca

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 12:09 PM PDT

Mission Motors Rapps up TTXGP/FIM e-Power race at Laguna Seca


Mission Motors Rapps up TTXGP/FIM e-Power race at Laguna Seca
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, On Two Wheels, USA, Racing Steve Rapp of Mission Motors conquers all on the Mission R During a weekend that was everything we thought it would be, Steve Rapp handed Mission Motors a very convincing win at the TTXGP/FIM e-Power International Championship race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca....

IBM Selectric Typewriter turns 50, yells at tablets to get off its lawn

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 12:09 PM PDT

IBM Selectric Typewriter turns 50, yells at tablets to get off its lawn


IBM Selectric Typewriter turns 50, yells at tablets to get off its lawn
Imagine all of the waiting rooms and typing classes it's seen in its half-century on earth. IBM this week is celebrating the 50th birthday of its best-selling Selectric line of office typewriters. First introduced in 1961, the line featured a rotating typeball that increased typing speed and could be changed for italics, symbols, and different fonts and languages....

Netflix adds Mad Men in the US today, CBS content in Canada and Latin America later

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 11:37 AM PDT

Netflix adds Mad Men in the US today, CBS content in Canada and Latin America later


Netflix adds Mad Men in the US today, CBS content in Canada and Latin America later
We're not sure how Don Draper would have sold a 60 percent price increase on your most popular service package but maybe Netflix executives can make a guess after they start watching the first four seasons of Mad Men today on Watch Instantly. Netflix's Lionsgate deal will keep reruns flowing for years to come, while a new agreement with CBS International is bringing its programming -- including Showtime shows like Dexter...

MotoGP: A First-Timer's View

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 11:36 AM PDT

MotoGP: A First-Timer's View


MotoGP: A First-Timer's View
There is one word for top-level bike racing, and that word is 'wow!'

Report: General Motors looking to launch 2nd-gen EN-V by 2020

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 11:05 AM PDT

Report: General Motors looking to launch 2nd-gen EN-V by 2020


Report: General Motors looking to launch 2nd-gen EN-V by 2020
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, On Two Wheels GM EN-V concepts - Click above for high-res image gallery General Motors is reportedly working on the second-generation EN-V electric and aims to offer a mass-produced version by 2020, according to Autocar. Modifications to be made to the second-gen EN-V include enlargement of the vehicle's pod-like exterior structure and more interior space....

Samsung to roll out Galaxy Tab 10.1 TouchWiz UX update on August 3rd in NYC, and...

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 11:05 AM PDT

Samsung to roll out Galaxy Tab 10.1 TouchWiz UX update on August 3rd in NYC, and NYC only


Samsung to roll out Galaxy Tab 10.1 TouchWiz UX update on August 3rd in NYC, and NYC only
Everyone else will get it eventually, of course, but Samsung is once again giving folks in New York City first dibs on its latest Galaxy Tab wares. In this case, it's the previously announced update that brings the TouchWiz UX to the tablet, and adds things like Samsung's Live Panel, Mini Apps, and a newly redesigned Media Hub interface....

Amazon tablet rumors flare on leaked supplier parts list

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 11:05 AM PDT

Amazon tablet rumors flare on leaked supplier parts list


Amazon tablet rumors flare on leaked supplier parts list
Last time on Days of our Rumored Amazon Tablets' Lives: Bezos teased us with a "stay tuned" cliffhanger, but shook his head at the notion of a color E Ink Kindle this year. While DigiTimes spilled its cup of beans about the devices' possible use of Fringe Field Switching displays and fabrication by Quanta Computer, the Wall Street Journal threw its two cents in with a report pegging a couple of...

Mazda reveals electric Demio prototype in Japan

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 10:32 AM PDT

Mazda reveals electric Demio prototype in Japan


Mazda reveals electric Demio prototype in Japan
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Mazda, Japan 2010 Mazda Demio - Click above for high-res image gallery Though trailing competitors General Motors and Nissan, Mazda will eventually enter the plug-in vehicle segment in 2012. The Japanese automaker intends to launch a battery-powered subcompact based on the Demio (aka Mazda2) in spring 2012. With the debut of the production electric hatchback still nearly two years away, Mazda decided to wheel out two prototypes of the Demio...

Verizon's version of the Samsung Galaxy S II will support LTE

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 10:32 AM PDT

Verizon's version of the Samsung Galaxy S II will support LTE


Verizon's version of the Samsung Galaxy S II will support LTE
The jury's still out on when Verizon will get around to releasing the Samsung Function -- its own version of the highly covetable Galaxy S II -- but that hasn't stopped Big Red from whetting our appetite. The country's largest carrier has taken to the Twitterverse to confirm that its upcoming pride and joy will include an LTE radio, answering quite possibly the most perplexing mystery concerning Verizon's take on the...

Qualcomm’s Awesome Augmented Reality SDK Now Available For iOS

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 10:31 AM PDT

Qualcomm's Awesome Augmented Reality SDK Now Available For iOS


Qualcomm's Awesome Augmented Reality SDK Now Available For iOS
Back around July of last year, Qualcomm launched a software development kit for building Augmented Reality apps on Android. The idea was to allow Android developers to build all sorts of crazy AR stuff (like games and apps that render things in live 3D on top of a view pulled in through your device's camera) without having to reinvent the wheel by coding up their own visual-recognition system....

Ceres defending 60-mpg CAFE standard for 2025, attacks Auto Alliance

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 09:59 AM PDT

Ceres defending 60-mpg CAFE standard for 2025, attacks Auto Alliance


Ceres defending 60-mpg CAFE standard for 2025, attacks Auto Alliance
Filed under: MPG, Legislation and Policy, USA With the proposed 56.2 mile per gallon corporate average fuel economy standards standards by 2025 under attack by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, there was a need for someone to defend high mpg calls. In stepped Ceres, a nonprofit that leads a coalition of organizations and public interest groups to address sustainability and global climate change....

Android Market seen running on BlackBerry PlayBook (video)

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 09:59 AM PDT

Android Market seen running on BlackBerry PlayBook (video)


Android Market seen running on BlackBerry PlayBook (video)
We've already seen the Android App Player leak out, and now the BlackBerry PlayBook has taken one more (unofficial) step towards being a full-fledged, psuedo-Android tablet. While it's described as a "proof of concept," the video above from CrackBerry forum member Lawguyman shows that the tablet is at least capable of running the Android Market and downloading apps, albeit with a few PlayBook-induced obstacles -- check out the furious swiping around...

Rdio To Offer Family Unlimited Plan, Broke Music Fans Rejoice

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 09:59 AM PDT

Rdio To Offer Family Unlimited Plan, Broke Music Fans Rejoice


Rdio To Offer Family Unlimited Plan, Broke Music Fans Rejoice
It was just last week that Greg brought us a first look at Rdio's forthcoming iPad app, and now the streaming music contender has dropped another bombshell on us. Last night, Rdio CEO Drew Lerner let slip that in addition to their current line up of plans, they will launch an "Unlimited Family" plan that lets users "share an account with multiple people at a discounted rate"....

Report: Global Nissan Leaf sales top 10,100

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 09:27 AM PDT

Report: Global Nissan Leaf sales top 10,100


Report: Global Nissan Leaf sales top 10,100
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, Europe/EU, Japan, USA While unveiling Nissan's China growth strategy in Beijing, Nissan chief executive officer, Carlos Ghosn, stated: We see a clear need for cars that are affordable, practical, spacious and zero emission. Nissan is clearly the global leader in zero emission mobility, now with more than 10,100 electric Nissan Leaf vehicles already sold worldwide. So, 10,100 it is....

It’s Dangerous To Go Alone: SimpleGeo And Urban Airship Partner Up For Location...

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 09:27 AM PDT

It's Dangerous To Go Alone: SimpleGeo And Urban Airship Partner Up For Location Notifications


It's Dangerous To Go Alone: SimpleGeo And Urban Airship Partner Up For Location Notifications
Over the past couple of years, push notifications have become a vital part of the mobile picture. There are so many apps, and so much that you can do on smartphones, that you need a system to alert you when something comes up that you'll want to know about. But these notifications are still not a particularly easy thing for developers to wrap their heads around and implement....

Editorial: Apple's officially over the optical drive, for better or worse

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 09:27 AM PDT

Editorial: Apple's officially over the optical drive, for better or worse


Editorial: Apple's officially over the optical drive, for better or worse
I don't like it. Not one iota. But frankly, it doesn't much matter -- Apple's officially done with the optical drive, and there's no evidence more strikingly clear than the mid 2011 refresh of its Mac mini. Last year, that bantam box arrived with a $699 price tag, pep in its step and a personality that could charm even the most hardened desktop owner....

The Seemingly Unanswerable Question: Can The Government Use Location Data To Hun...

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 08:55 AM PDT

The Seemingly Unanswerable Question: Can The Government Use Location Data To Hunt Us Down?


The Seemingly Unanswerable Question: Can The Government Use Location Data To Hunt Us Down?
You remember Locationgate, right? It was that massive national scandal that left both Apple and Google at the center of our discontent, after two German researchers discovered that the iPhone tracks and stores location data automatically. The scandal has spurred numerous investigations into where we should draw the line when it comes to location tracking, and one in particular garnered the wisdom of the NSA's Matthew Olsen, National Counterterrorism Center lead...