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Saturday, September 10, 2011

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Special edition Smart Fortwo Brabus by WeSC headed to Frankfurt

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 02:07 PM PDT

Special edition Smart Fortwo Brabus by WeSC headed to Frankfurt


Special edition Smart Fortwo Brabus by WeSC headed to Frankfurt
Filed under: MPG, SMART, Frankfurt Motor Show, Lightweight, Europe/EU Smart has teamed with Swedish clothing firm WeSC to create the special edition Smart Brabus tailor (yes, another one) to be revealed at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Based on the Smart Fortwo, the WeSC edition is powered by a 101-horsepower turbocharged gasoline engine and features a matte and high-gloss golden exterior from Brabus....

Carnegie Mellon robot jumps up, jumps up and glides down (video)

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 02:07 PM PDT

Carnegie Mellon robot jumps up, jumps up and glides down (video)


Carnegie Mellon robot jumps up, jumps up and glides down (video)
We can handle the imaginary terror of UFOs and nightmarish, flying mammals. But, robots that can jump like a human and then glide like a colugo? Now you're just filling Mr. Spielberg with even more sci-fi, end of days fodder. Carnegie Mellon researchers Matthew Woodward and Metin Sitti have crafted a prototype jumping and gliding bot at the university's NanoRobotics Lab that springs into action using a pair of human knee-like...

Spotify to lay down beats for Ford

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 02:07 PM PDT

Spotify to lay down beats for Ford


Spotify to lay down beats for Ford
It's only been two months since Spotify made its stateside debut, and it's already getting in bed with an American staple. No, it hasn't struck a deal with Beyonce or Britney, but the fine folks at Autoblog are reporting that the streaming music service will make its way into vehicles sporting the Ford SYNC AppLink system "in the near future." Details are otherwise vague, but we'd be interested to hear how...

Sharp Aquos SH8298U 3D smartphone goes under the knife, comes out in China

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 01:27 PM PDT

Sharp Aquos SH8298U 3D smartphone goes under the knife, comes out in China


Sharp Aquos SH8298U 3D smartphone goes under the knife, comes out in China
Same phone, different market -- that's pretty much what we're looking at above with Sharp's "new" 3D Aquos SH8298U. We first got our hands-on this device's twinner -- the Aquos SH-12C -- back at Computex, with that model sporting the Japan-only 1seg receiver, FeliCa (NFC) and 800MHz / 2100MHz bands....

Smozzy dodges T-Mobile data plans, delivers mobile web over text

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 12:10 PM PDT

Smozzy dodges T-Mobile data plans, delivers mobile web over text


Smozzy dodges T-Mobile data plans, delivers mobile web over text
Paying for your mobile internet data can be such a drag on the wallet. Luckily, there are Android apps like Smozzy that'll get you away from the pricey tiers, and onto the information highway via text -- no data plan required. You'll have to be a member of the Magenta brigade to use it, and you'll need an unlimited messaging plan, but after that, it should be smooth sailing and a...

FPV servo controlled plane grabs epic vacation footage, puts old family videos t...

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 11:30 AM PDT

FPV servo controlled plane grabs epic vacation footage, puts old family videos to shame (video)


FPV servo controlled plane grabs epic vacation footage, puts old family videos to shame (video)
By the time winter rolls around, Alistair Roberts will probably remember his summer vacation a heckuva lot better than the rest of us. Why? Because he brought an FPV plane to record his mountain biking holiday in the Spanish sun. With a GoPro camera mounted on the servo-powered cradle, Alistair piloted the plane by moving his head and using a remote control -- all while streaming first person video from the...

Flywheel hybrid test vehicle nets 22.4% improvement in fuel economy

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 10:11 AM PDT

Flywheel hybrid test vehicle nets 22.4% improvement in fuel economy


Flywheel hybrid test vehicle nets 22.4% improvement in fuel economy
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Hybrid, MPG Improvements in fuel economy of up to 22.4 percent on the ARTEMIS test cycle (pdf), which represents typical real-world usage, have been demonstrated by a research vehicle fitted with a flywheel hybrid system that includes stop-start technology. Developed by a consortium of British firms as part of the UK government-backed Flywheel Hybrid System for Premium Vehicles (FHSPV) program, the mechanically-driven flywheel system delivers a claimed 80 horsepower...

AT&T files response to DOJ suit, says regulators just don't understand

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 10:10 AM PDT

AT&T files response to DOJ suit, says regulators just don't understand


AT&T files response to DOJ suit, says regulators just don't understand
It's no secret or surprise that AT&T is unhappy with the DOJ's decision to try and block its merger with T-Mobile. But issuing public statements is one thing, officially filing papers in court is another. Ma Bell submitted a 25-page document arguing that the Justice Department's claims represent a misunderstanding of the market and dismisses competition from "innovative upstarts," like MetroPCS and US Cellular....

The Fragmented Mobile Information Race

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 09:30 AM PDT

The Fragmented Mobile Information Race


The Fragmented Mobile Information Race
Mobile devices are shifting many individual computing behaviors, perhaps none more significant than how we search for and receive information. Right now, it's moving at warp speed. In between the time I finish this draft and its posted, it's entirely possible another company or service launches in this space. Every time we "swipe open" our mobile devices, we seek out dopamine hits from receiving new emails, texts, notifications, or other bits...

Insert Coin: Teagueduino solderless electronic board

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 09:30 AM PDT

Insert Coin: Teagueduino solderless electronic board


Insert Coin: Teagueduino solderless electronic board
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. We've seen the Arduino platform used to do some very, very cool things....

Mobile Miscellany: week of September 5, 2011

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 08:11 AM PDT

Mobile Miscellany: week of September 5, 2011


Mobile Miscellany: week of September 5, 2011
This week, as always, was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of September 5, 2011: It appears that Sprint employees are being informed that vacation requests anytime between September 30th and October 15th, due to "the possibility of a major phone launch...

mLogic mDock blocks select MacBook ports while extending others, leaves us mBaffled

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 07:31 AM PDT

mLogic mDock blocks select MacBook ports while extending others, leaves us mBaffled


mLogic mDock blocks select MacBook ports while extending others, leaves us mBaffled
If you're trying to make a name for yourself in the incredibly crowded portable storage space, you can innovate and create something totally awesome, or you can do this. The mDock from mLogic is an external hard drive, port extender and port blocker all rolled into one pricey coffin-like chamber of fail....

Ford Transit Connect CNG taxis starting to swing into action across U.S.

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 06:12 AM PDT

Ford Transit Connect CNG taxis starting to swing into action across U.S.


Ford Transit Connect CNG taxis starting to swing into action across U.S.
Filed under: Transportation Alternatives, Ford, Natural Gas, USA The next time you hail a cab in Los Angeles, CA you could be jumping into the back seat of a vehicle that's fueled by clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG). That's because California Yellow Cab of Orange County has become the state's first taxi company to put CNG-fueled Ford Transit Connect vans into service....

Judge rules in favor of employees fired over Facebook post, orders them back to...

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 05:32 AM PDT

Judge rules in favor of employees fired over Facebook post, orders them back to work


Judge rules in favor of employees fired over Facebook post, orders them back to work
The National Labor Relations Board has weighed in on the role of social networking at the office, determining that employees can't be fired for what they post on Facebook -- as long as they use the platform to talk about improving their workplace. The NLRB's ruling, announced on Wednesday, stems from an incident last year, when an employee at the Hispanics United of Buffalo non-profit organization went on Facebook to complain...

Scientists build WiFi hunter-killer drone and call it SkyNET... Viene Tormenta!

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 03:34 AM PDT

Scientists build WiFi hunter-killer drone and call it SkyNET... Viene Tormenta!


Scientists build WiFi hunter-killer drone and call it SkyNET... Viene Tormenta!
You'd think scientists would proscribe certain names for their inventions -- you wouldn't be taken seriously if your supercomputer was called HAL 9000, WOPR or Proteus IV would you? Well, a team from the Stevens Institute of Technology isn't listening, because it's developing an aerial drone and calling it SkyNET....

UK book seller Waterstone's to enter the e-reader race

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 12:57 AM PDT

UK book seller Waterstone's to enter the e-reader race


UK book seller Waterstone's to enter the e-reader race
Waterstone's isn't exactly the biggest name in book sales (at least not stateside), but it knows that to survive in this market it's gonna have to get on the e-book train. The British company's managing director, James Daunt, told Radio 4 that it planned to enter the market with both an electronic book store and an actual reader by spring of 2012....

Honda Ridgeline, We Hardly Knew Ye

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 11:39 PM PDT

Honda Ridgeline, We Hardly Knew Ye


Honda Ridgeline, We Hardly Knew Ye
Why Honda's midsize pickup is driving off into the sunset.

Big Big Cursor: the tablet stylus that's also a fridge magnet

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 11:00 PM PDT

Big Big Cursor: the tablet stylus that's also a fridge magnet


Big Big Cursor: the tablet stylus that's also a fridge magnet
The stylus, as you might have noticed, is making a slight comeback this year, and it's now also moved into throwback territory with the Big Big Cursor. Available in both arrow and pointer varieties, the cursor is designed for use on capacative touchscreens, and it packs some handy magnets that let you affix it to certain magnet-friendly tablets or cases -- or your fridge, for that matter....

New Mediaroom clients to bring Microsoft's TV platform everywhere this year

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 08:29 PM PDT

New Mediaroom clients to bring Microsoft's TV platform everywhere this year


New Mediaroom clients to bring Microsoft's TV platform everywhere this year
The days of being tied to a traditional TV to watch your favorite shows is becoming less and less of a dream -- at least for Mediaroom 2.0 users, like those who subscribe to AT&T U-Verse. It hasn't even been a full year since Xbox 360 owners were first able to launch a U-Verse blade to watch TV, but it has been about nine months when we first heard rumors of...

Corsair Flash Voyager, GT, Survivor get a USB 3.0 boost

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 07:13 PM PDT

Corsair Flash Voyager, GT, Survivor get a USB 3.0 boost


Corsair Flash Voyager, GT, Survivor get a USB 3.0 boost
Call us jaded, but most USB flash drives just don't get the juices flowing like a new tablet or smartphone. Nonetheless, they've become a critical component of many a workflow, and for a device where speed is key, a USB 3.0 boost is certainly welcome. And Corsair did just that with its Flash Voyager, Flash Voyager GT, and "adventure-proof" Flash Survivor lines....

LG Marquee caught on candid camera, is this Sprint's Optimus Black?

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 06:34 PM PDT

LG Marquee caught on candid camera, is this Sprint's Optimus Black?


LG Marquee caught on candid camera, is this Sprint's Optimus Black?
Is this a case of smartphone identity crisis, or just a repurposed chassis? Whatever the case may be, LG's got a Marquee handset ready to shore up Sprint's future line-up. The leaked shot comes courtesy of a now private video spotted by Android Central, and was taken at a Dallas-based Radio Shack Business Summit....

After Ice Cream Sandwich Comes… Jelly Bean

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 05:56 PM PDT

After Ice Cream Sandwich Comes… Jelly Bean


After Ice Cream Sandwich Comes… Jelly Bean
In case you've lain awake nights wondering what tasty treat will follow Ice Cream Sandwich in Google's sweet parade of Android versions, allow me to set your mind at ease. According to a "trusted source" speaking to This is my next, it's going to be Jelly Bean. More importantly, this source says that some of the "game-changing stuff" that was going to hit with ICS is being pushed out to Jelly Bean....

Autocar drives electric Mia microbus, calls it "sheer novelty"

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 05:18 PM PDT

Autocar drives electric Mia microbus, calls it "sheer novelty"


Autocar drives electric Mia microbus, calls it "sheer novelty"
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, UK Pictured here is the three-seat electric microbus from French-German firm Mia Electric that was on display at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show and this year's Challenge Bibendum. With a central driving position, twin sliding doors, a rear-mounted electric motor and dent-resistant plastic panels, the Mia is oddly unique....

Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman Android phone gets busted open by the FCC

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 05:18 PM PDT

Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman Android phone gets busted open by the FCC


Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman Android phone gets busted open by the FCC
Somebody's not wasting anytime. Just last month we reported on the musically minded Android handset, and now what looks to be a decidedly darker version of Sony Ericsson's Live with Walkman has made its way through the FCC and come out the other end in pieces -- literally. Since the outfit didn't hold back much in its initial announcement, we won't be making any big discoveries here, but if you're into...

Only 600 electric Scion iQ to be produced in 2012; 100 coming to U.S.

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 04:39 PM PDT

Only 600 electric Scion iQ to be produced in 2012; 100 coming to U.S.


Only 600 electric Scion iQ to be produced in 2012; 100 coming to U.S.
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Scion, Toyota Back in July, Toyota officially confirmed that the electric Scion iQ will hit U.S. dealerships in 2012. A few weeks later, the Japanese automaker revealed that the electrified Scion iQ will be a fleet-only vehicle. Now, there's word that Toyota will only ship 100 electric iQs from Japan to the U.S....

Nintendo on price reduction: no glasses required to see 3DS sales boost

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 04:39 PM PDT

Nintendo on price reduction: no glasses required to see 3DS sales boost


Nintendo on price reduction: no glasses required to see 3DS sales boost
The Big N has today confirmed our suspicions: people buy more things when they're cheaper, and in turn, the laws of economics are still sound. The longer version is after the break.Continue reading Nintendo on price reduction: no glasses required to see 3DS sales boostNintendo on price reduction: no glasses required to see 3DS sales boost originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:17:00 EDT....

Tempting f8

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 04:39 PM PDT

Tempting f8


Tempting f8
We're now less than two weeks away from Facebook's f8 conference. While it's later than usual this year, Facebook uses the event to lay out their vision for the upcoming year and beyond. Typically, the event is big for developers, but this year may feature a few user-facing surprises as well....

ICANN's .XXX domain names have arrived, Frankie says relax

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT

ICANN's .XXX domain names have arrived, Frankie says relax


ICANN's .XXX domain names have arrived, Frankie says relax
Let's try to be sensible about this. When one or more persons love each other very much -- no, erm, let's start again. The controversial move to segregate websites of an adult nature to the .XXX domain has begun. The process is staggered across three months to ensure nothing untoward can happen....

Now showing: Netflix 1.4 brings playback to 'all Android 2.2 and 2.3 devices'

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT

Now showing: Netflix 1.4 brings playback to 'all Android 2.2 and 2.3 devices'


Now showing: Netflix 1.4 brings playback to 'all Android 2.2 and 2.3 devices'
You heard right, film aficionados -- Netflix has just updated its Android app in order to bring one major, major change: "expanded support for phones." Previously, the app only worked on a smattering of smartphones, but as of today, v1.4 brings playback to "all Android 2.2 and 2.3 devices." Congratulations -- your weekend just got a lot better....

Chevy Reveals More Camaro ZL1 Details

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT

Chevy Reveals More Camaro ZL1 Details


Chevy Reveals More Camaro ZL1 Details
ZL1 will be the most powerful production Camaro to date.