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Sunday, September 18, 2011

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Switched On: The great slate debate of Windows 8

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 03:15 PM PDT

Switched On: The great slate debate of Windows 8


Switched On: The great slate debate of Windows 8
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Just as Windows Phone 7's "touch-only" interface threw away the past to create a streamlined, more approachable experience, Microsoft is creating a "touch-first" experience for Windows 8 that has more in common with its new phone software than previous versions of Windows....

NOAA finds air pollution plummets by up to 90% when ships switch to low-sulfur fuel

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 02:37 PM PDT

NOAA finds air pollution plummets by up to 90% when ships switch to low-sulfur fuel


NOAA finds air pollution plummets by up to 90% when ships switch to low-sulfur fuel
Filed under: Diesel, Etc., USA In 2010, a team of researchers led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) mounted instruments on an aircraft and the vessel Atlantis to capture emissions from container ships off California's coast. The team found that as container ships shifted from bottom-of-the-barrel bunker fuel to low-sulfur fuels, air pollution plummeted, with some pollutants dropping by as much as 90 percent....

Tiny infrared LEDs could find a home in ultra-thin multitouch screens

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 02:37 PM PDT

Tiny infrared LEDs could find a home in ultra-thin multitouch screens


Tiny infrared LEDs could find a home in ultra-thin multitouch screens
A company called Osram Opto Semiconductors has created a new infrared LED that can be used in conjunction with detectors to create ultra-thin touchscreens. We've seen infrared used in touchscreens before, most notably in Microsoft's Surface and recent e-readers from Barnes & Noble and Kobo. But, Osram's solution is complex enough to work in a multitouch tablet, while being as space-saving zForce....

Google Wallet Likely Launching Tomorrow

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 01:59 PM PDT

Google Wallet Likely Launching Tomorrow


Google Wallet Likely Launching Tomorrow
Last week, Google posted an awesome teaser video for Google Wallet featuring George Costanza. The implication: Google Wallet would finally be launching soon. Now we think we know when: tomorrow. As you can see in the above image, documentation is being sent around to partners stating a September 19 launch day....

'What Was Here' project adds a pinch of history to augmented reality

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 01:22 PM PDT

'What Was Here' project adds a pinch of history to augmented reality


'What Was Here' project adds a pinch of history to augmented reality
So, it works as such. You dig up ancient photos -- a few generations prior, or even a few decades ago -- scan 'em in, and tag them to their rightful place on Google Maps. Then, folks who visit the 'What Was Here' project website or download the iOS app (all linked below) will be able to see what kind of world they'd be living in if Uncle Rico's time machine...

Sony releases XBA balanced armature headphones, eleven times over

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 12:44 PM PDT

Sony releases XBA balanced armature headphones, eleven times over


Sony releases XBA balanced armature headphones, eleven times over
This dizzying array might seem like overkill, but Sony's premium "Experience Balanced Armature" (XBA) 'phones are carefully targeted at different price points and types of listener. You've got the entry-level XBA-1 containing a single full-range driver. Add a woofer for bigger bass and you get the XBA-2. The XBA-3 also squeezes in a tweeter for high-freq perkiness, while the XBA-4 rounds it all off with a super woofer....

Lego's augmented reality at IDF, eyes-on (video)

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 12:07 PM PDT

Lego's augmented reality at IDF, eyes-on (video)


Lego's augmented reality at IDF, eyes-on (video)
It's not as cool as Chipzilla's other augmented reality project, but at least this one exists out in the real world. Present at select storefronts, the camera-based AR tech uses image recognition on Lego boxes to superimpose their brick-ladden contents in fully animated form. New at IDF was the second generation of the already existing product, which despite being functionally identical to its predecessor, has now been miniaturized thanks to second...

Samsung countersues Apple in Australia, claims iPhone / iPad 2 violate its patents

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 11:29 AM PDT

Samsung countersues Apple in Australia, claims iPhone / iPad 2 violate its patents


Samsung countersues Apple in Australia, claims iPhone / iPad 2 violate its patents
Man. Exciting stuff, here. Stuff like lawyers yelling at each other in varied continents because "your stuff looks too much like my theoretical stuff." The long, winding and increasingly mind-numbing battle between Samsung and Apple has taken yet another turn in Australia, with the former slapping the latter with a bold countersuit....

LG myTouch phones make brief YouTube appearance?

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 10:52 AM PDT

LG myTouch phones make brief YouTube appearance?


LG myTouch phones make brief YouTube appearance?
T-Mobile's myTouch smartphones have -- until now -- been an exclusively HTC affair, but both of the phones captured here appear to be LG-made. Phandroid is reporting that a video posted briefly on T-Mo's official YouTube channel labelled this duo as the myTouch and myTouch Q by LG. We got wind of two new LG handsets headed to T-Mobile back in May, called the Maxx and Maxx Q, but there's no...

Renault-Nissan, Daimler working on pair of electric vehicles for 2014 debut

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 10:15 AM PDT

Renault-Nissan, Daimler working on pair of electric vehicles for 2014 debut


Renault-Nissan, Daimler working on pair of electric vehicles for 2014 debut
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Mercedes Benz, Nissan, SMART, Renault, Daimler There's now word that the Daimler AG and Renault-Nissan tie-up, a collaborative deal that was made official back in April of 2010, is set to expand to include a compact Infiniti model that will feature a platform developed by Mercedes-Benz as well as a pair of electric vehicles....

AT&T flips 4G LTE live, nearly 97 percent of America wonders where the party is

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 09:37 AM PDT

AT&T flips 4G LTE live, nearly 97 percent of America wonders where the party is


AT&T flips 4G LTE live, nearly 97 percent of America wonders where the party is
According to Ma Bell, AT&T covers 97 percent of all Americans. Of course, that's including those "one bar of EDGE" places that are uncovered so far as reality's concerned, but regardless of all that -- there's no denying that AT&T's LTE launch is on the subdued side. With Verizon rolling out five times more LTE markets this month than AT&T is even launching with, the country's largest GSM carrier definitely has...

CyanogenMod 7 update brings WiFi, sound and accelerometer support to TouchPad (v...

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 08:59 AM PDT

CyanogenMod 7 update brings WiFi, sound and accelerometer support to TouchPad (video)


CyanogenMod 7 update brings WiFi, sound and accelerometer support to TouchPad (video)
Oh, sure -- HP's webOS may be one of the most sophisticated tablet operating systems in existence, but with a permanently stagnant market, The CM Team has decided that your fire sale TouchPad may be better off running Android. You know, from a long-term perspective. All jesting aside, the crew has been pounding the pavement on a new (and vastly improved) CyanogenMod 7 for Android, with this build providing functional WiFi,...

Opera Mobile on Android x86 at IDF 2011 (video)

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 07:44 AM PDT

Opera Mobile on Android x86 at IDF 2011 (video)


Opera Mobile on Android x86 at IDF 2011 (video)
We discovered this little gem hidden deep within the recesses of the show floor at IDF 2011. It's none other than Opera Mobile running on a Honeycomb tablet -- not just any tablet, mind you, but Intel's Oak Trail-powered (Atom Z670) Green Ridge device. That's right, you're looking at Opera's web browser, compiled using the latest Android NDK and running natively on top of Android x86....

Book Review: 'What the F Should I Make for Dinner'

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 07:05 AM PDT

Book Review: 'What the F Should I Make for Dinner'


Book Review: 'What the F Should I Make for Dinner'
A cookbook about potty mouths and pans.

Refresh Roundup: week of September 12, 2011

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 06:27 AM PDT

Refresh Roundup: week of September 12, 2011


Refresh Roundup: week of September 12, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix....

Getrag reveals two-speed, dual-clutch transmission for electric-drive vehicles

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 05:49 AM PDT

Getrag reveals two-speed, dual-clutch transmission for electric-drive vehicles


Getrag reveals two-speed, dual-clutch transmission for electric-drive vehicles
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Frankfurt Motor Show German transmission specialist Getrag used the floor of the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show to reveal its groundbreaking, dual-clutch transmission for electric-drive vehicles. Dubbed 2eDCT600, Getrag's two-speed unit is supposedly ideal for pure electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and range-extended automobiles. Getrag claims the 2eDCT600 can cope with a maximum electric motor input torque of 369 pound-feet and an output torque of up to 4,425 lb-ft. The German firm...

Honeywell and Opower team up for cloud-connected smart thermostat

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 03:54 AM PDT

Honeywell and Opower team up for cloud-connected smart thermostat


Honeywell and Opower team up for cloud-connected smart thermostat
Normally we wouldn't get too excited about a thermostat, even a so-called smart one. But, unlike what normally passes for a "smart" home heating solution, Honeywell's upcoming touchscreen devices are going to be paired with some real brains courtesy of Opower. Details of the partnership are still a little thin, but we do know that customers will be able to program and monitor energy usage, not just from the thermostat itself...

Canon's 8-inch CMOS sensor can record SPACE at 60fps

Posted: 18 Sep 2011 12:45 AM PDT

Canon's 8-inch CMOS sensor can record SPACE at 60fps


Canon's 8-inch CMOS sensor can record SPACE at 60fps
For whatever reason, Canon seemed more concerned with showing off its engineering prowess than finding a use for the giant 8-inch CMOS sensor it created last year. Fortunately, the super-powerful snapper has found its way into the 105-centimeter Schmidt Telescope at the University of Tokyo's Kiso Observatory. The sensor's size makes it a perfect fit to record in low-light; capturing the wonders of the universe in 0.3 lux at 60 fps....

Samsung Illusion gets pictured on Verizon, convincing us it's not a figment of o...

Posted: 17 Sep 2011 09:36 PM PDT

Samsung Illusion gets pictured on Verizon, convincing us it's not a figment of our imagination


Samsung Illusion gets pictured on Verizon, convincing us it's not a figment of our imagination
We can't put all of our focus on Verizon's LTE lineup, lest we forget that there's plenty of 3G phones that need some attention too. The one shown above is a leaked image of the Samsung Illusion, also known to some as the Viper or the SCH-I110, a conceivably lower-end Android device with Gingerbread....

Ask Engadget: best 'real' 11- to 13-inch laptop, with a focus on thin?

Posted: 17 Sep 2011 07:43 PM PDT

Ask Engadget: best 'real' 11- to 13-inch laptop, with a focus on thin?


Ask Engadget: best 'real' 11- to 13-inch laptop, with a focus on thin?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Raymond, who seems to have the ultraportable itch. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hey, what's the best thin 11- to 13-inch laptop for portability?...

Hands-on with Toyota's Prius plug-in hybrid (video)

Posted: 17 Sep 2011 06:28 PM PDT

Hands-on with Toyota's Prius plug-in hybrid (video)


Hands-on with Toyota's Prius plug-in hybrid (video)
Yesterday we attended Toyota's Green Drive Expo where we were given the opportunity to take the production version of the Prius plug-in hybrid (PEV) -- and its smorgasbord of technology -- for a spin. We spent a couple hours driving interfacing with the computers aboard the Advanced model, which besides being outlet-friendly, includes some unique features within the Prius lineup....

Stepping into the Polaroid Matrix at Maker Faire (video)

Posted: 17 Sep 2011 05:50 PM PDT

Stepping into the Polaroid Matrix at Maker Faire (video)


Stepping into the Polaroid Matrix at Maker Faire (video)
Sometimes it's the simplest questions that lead to the most important innovation -- other times it's more that they're just plain fun to answer. Take the one asked by Grand Rapids, MI-artist, Sam Blanchard: what would the Wachowski Brothers' bullet-time effect look like, were it shot on, say 20 Polaroids, instead of a room full of expensive digital devices?...

Did a white iPhone 4S just pop up in AT&T's inventory system?

Posted: 17 Sep 2011 04:35 PM PDT

Did a white iPhone 4S just pop up in AT&T's inventory system?


Did a white iPhone 4S just pop up in AT&T's inventory system?
Judging from the clandestine screenshot you see above, it most certainly seems like that's the case. A helpful tipster sent us this tasty morsel, from AT&T's internal system, listing the "iPhone 4s White" beneath a handful of already familiar Apple handsets. Could it be? Is Cupertino actually planning on bringing a white version of its next iPhone out at launch?...

Dean Kamen files patent application for an inflatable, illuminated wind turbine

Posted: 17 Sep 2011 03:57 PM PDT

Dean Kamen files patent application for an inflatable, illuminated wind turbine


Dean Kamen files patent application for an inflatable, illuminated wind turbine
Inflatable wind turbines may not be an entirely new idea, but prolific inventor Dean Kamen has detailed one of a slightly different sort in a recently published patent application. In addition to generating energy for general use, the turbine would also be able to power a set of LEDs adorning the turbine itself, which could be used to display advertising or other information using a persistence of vision effect....