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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

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Siri Is Only The Beginning

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 02:55 PM PST

Siri Is Only The Beginning


Siri Is Only The Beginning
Dag Kittlaus was co-founder and CEO at Siri, which was acquired by Apple in 2010. For decades, Hollywood has been portraying machines that humans can converse with, delegate tasks to, and command. Remember the HAL 9000, KITT the car, COMPUTER from Star Trek, or even the brilliantly conceived and visualized Apple "Knowledge Navigator" from over 20 years ago?...

Microsoft strikes deal with 24/7, promises to 'redefine' customer service

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 02:55 PM PST

Microsoft strikes deal with 24/7, promises to 'redefine' customer service


Microsoft strikes deal with 24/7, promises to 'redefine' customer service
A partnership between Microsoft and customer service company 24/7 may not exactly sound like the most exciting proposition on the face of things, but the two are making some fairly lofty promises, and Microsoft seems to be making a serious investment in the initiative. As ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley reports, part of the deal will see Microsoft send at least some of the 400 employees it brought on in its 2007...

Nissan Reveals Upgraded 370Z

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 02:55 PM PST

Nissan Reveals Upgraded 370Z


Nissan Reveals Upgraded 370Z
Mildly upgraded, that is – the new Z is much like the old Z.

The Wrong Way: Path Uploads iOS Users’ Address Books Without Permission

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 02:13 PM PST

The Wrong Way: Path Uploads iOS Users' Address Books Without Permission


The Wrong Way: Path Uploads iOS Users' Address Books Without Permission
What started as a bit of aimless tinkering for developer Arun Thampi ultimately unearthed something very surprising about personal life-sharing service Path. As a fan of the app, Thampi took it upon himself to look at the API calls that the app made to Path's service and found that his "entire address book (including full names, emails and phone numbers) was being sent as a plist to Path." Puzzled, Thampi created an...

Pentax refreshes its rugged camera lineup with the Optio WG-2 series

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 02:13 PM PST

Pentax refreshes its rugged camera lineup with the Optio WG-2 series


Pentax refreshes its rugged camera lineup with the Optio WG-2 series
Exactly twelve months after the unveiling of the Optio WG-1 family, Pentax is now introducing the successors to its colorful and ruggedized shooters. And while its macho design hasn't changed much, the newcomers usher in a host of predictable spec bumps. The new all-terrain shooters are sporting a 16-megapixel, back-illuminated CMOS sensor, 1080p (30fps) movie mode, micro-HDMI for when you feel like sharing your adventures and a 3-inch, 460,000 -dot LCD...

Canon unveils two AirPrint printers, thinks you should print more stuff from you...

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 02:13 PM PST

Canon unveils two AirPrint printers, thinks you should print more stuff from your iPad


Canon unveils two AirPrint printers, thinks you should print more stuff from your iPad
Want to print stuff from your iPad, but hate drivers and cords and stuff? Good news, Canon's offering up the Pixma MX512 and MX432, two all-in-one inkjets that offer up Apple AirPrint support, letting users wirelessly prints photos, docs and the like from their iPad, iPhone and iPod touches running iOS 4.2 or later....

Electric vehicles spur concerns over range, fire, Consumer Reports says

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 01:29 PM PST

Electric vehicles spur concerns over range, fire, Consumer Reports says


Electric vehicles spur concerns over range, fire, Consumer Reports says
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, USA More than three-quarters of the American public say limited driving range is a point of concern when considering an electric vehicle, while almost 30 percent indicated that they thought EVs were more dangerous than conventional vehicles, Consumer Reports said, citing responses to its 2012 Car Brand Perception survey. Pedestrian risk stemming from the nearly silent motors on EVs and crash protection were also areas over concern....

Top 10 aphrodisiacs: foods to put you in the mood

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 01:29 PM PST

Top 10 aphrodisiacs: foods to put you in the mood


Top 10 aphrodisiacs: foods to put you in the mood
Raw oysters sucked right out of their shells. Buttery foie gras melting on the tongue. Here are some sexy treats that may have magical, mood-enhancing properties.

Chrome Beta for Android hands-on (video)

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 01:29 PM PST

Chrome Beta for Android hands-on (video)


Chrome Beta for Android hands-on (video)
So, Google is finally making the move we've been expecting for some time now and bringing Chrome to Android. Now, you'll need a device running Ice Cream Sandwich to get the new mobile browser up and running but, thankfully, we happened to have a Galaxy Nexus on hand. As you might expect, mobile Chrome (much like its desktop sibling) is fast -- a little buggy perhaps, but fast....

Reminder: Vote for the 2011 Engadget Awards!

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 01:29 PM PST

Reminder: Vote for the 2011 Engadget Awards!


Reminder: Vote for the 2011 Engadget Awards!
We've sorted through the nominations and now we're relying on you to determine the real tech winners from 2011. So, if your smartphone of choice didn't get all the love you hoped it would, hop on over to the voting page and cast your vote. Keep in mind you have until 11:59PM ET on Monday February 20th to let your voice be heard....

Want An In-App Notification Center? There’s A SDK For That

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 12:44 PM PST

Want An In-App Notification Center? There's A SDK For That


Want An In-App Notification Center? There's A SDK For That
Today, mobile promotion and discovery service AppsFire is launching a new toolkit for developers called App Booster. Meant to boost user engagement and retention, two of the toughest challenges developers face today, the App Booster SDK (software development kit) introduces a suite of tools for things like in-app notifications, user feedback, analytics and mobile app cross-promotion. According to AppsFire co-founder Ouriel Ohayon, mobile app engagement is not optimal today because developers don't...

Sony Tablet P's product manager shows off prototypes, tells the clamshell story

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 12:43 PM PST

Sony Tablet P's product manager shows off prototypes, tells the clamshell story


Sony Tablet P's product manager shows off prototypes, tells the clamshell story
Still baffled by the Tablet P's existence? Well, Sony's here to help! Earlier today, our brethren over at Engadget Chinese met up with Takeshi Goto, the head honcho of VAIO and mobile product producing, to learn how the Android clamshell went from several mockups (one of which was made out of a $4 wallet) right after the PDA era to the final product today....

Urbanspoon: Traffic Up 80% In 2011, Mobile Growth Faster Than Web

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 11:59 AM PST

Urbanspoon: Traffic Up 80% In 2011, Mobile Growth Faster Than Web


Urbanspoon: Traffic Up 80% In 2011, Mobile Growth Faster Than Web
Popular restaurant app Urbanspoon is releasing new data today related to its growth over the course of 2011. The company says its traffic is up by 80%, with mobile growth outpacing the web. The site is now seeing 28 million visits per month, with traffic now split roughly half and half between mobile and web. On the mobile side, Urbanspoon has seen 112% year-over-year growth, while on the web side, it's at...

Microsoft and British agency create child-friendly version of IE9

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 11:59 AM PST

Microsoft and British agency create child-friendly version of IE9


Microsoft and British agency create child-friendly version of IE9
As the entry age for web access heads ever southwards, preventing young minds from the perils of the internet is a growing concern for parents. For this reason, Microsoft teamed up with the UK-based CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center) to create a special kid-friendly version of its IE9 browser....

Raspberry Pi's Linux computer nears completion, should ship by end of February

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 11:59 AM PST

Raspberry Pi's Linux computer nears completion, should ship by end of February


Raspberry Pi's Linux computer nears completion, should ship by end of February
Raspberry Pi's commercial future became a little clearer yesterday, with an announcement that the first batch of its Model B Linux computers will be finished by February 20th. The $35 board went into production last month, but has been beset with delays in bringing it to market. In a post on its site, the UK-based manufacturer expressed some regret over the setback, attributing it to a hiccup it encountered while trying...

BMW nixing 335d in favor of new 3 Series Hybrid?

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 11:13 AM PST

BMW nixing 335d in favor of new 3 Series Hybrid?


BMW nixing 335d in favor of new 3 Series Hybrid?
Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid, BMW According to a number of reports, BMW has given up on diesel power for the 3 Series in the United States. Why would BMW turn its back on the torquey and efficient 335d? The reason is supposedly two-fold. It's no secret the automaker is bringing an ActiveHybrid 3 Series to market in the fall of this year....

Sony Xperia Sola appears at US Patent Office, forgets to mention its codename

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 11:13 AM PST

Sony Xperia Sola appears at US Patent Office, forgets to mention its codename


Sony Xperia Sola appears at US Patent Office, forgets to mention its codename
So far, the extent of Sony's 2012 smartphone portfolio for the US extends only to the AT&T-bound Xperia Ion, with no word just yet whether the see-through banded Xperia S will arrive on American shores. What happens if it was called the Xperia Sola? That very name's showed up at the US Patent and Trademark Office, although that's largely it....

Microsoft Star Wars Xbox 360 bundle coming to a galaxy close to here, April 3rd

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 11:13 AM PST

Microsoft Star Wars Xbox 360 bundle coming to a galaxy close to here, April 3rd


Microsoft Star Wars Xbox 360 bundle coming to a galaxy close to here, April 3rd
Come spring you'll finally be able to get your grubby paws on that droid-based console you've been looking for. Microsoft's Major Nelson let slip in a series of tweets that the Star Wars Xbox 360 Kinect bundle will land on April 3rd. The set, which was first unveiled, fittingly, at Comic Con, is dressed up like R2-D2 and ships with a C-3P0-themed controller, a white Kinect sensor and the games Star...

Sandy Bridge E squashed into $3,000 Clevo P270WM gaming suitcase

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 10:25 AM PST

Sandy Bridge E squashed into $3,000 Clevo P270WM gaming suitcase


Sandy Bridge E squashed into $3,000 Clevo P270WM gaming suitcase
If you thought Intel's super-charged Core i7 CPUs were only for desktops, then AVADirect reckons it can change your mind. The company's Clevo P270WM notebook comes strapped to the back of either a six-core i7-3930K or an over-sized i7-3960X, while still leaving plenty of room for dual GeForce GTX 580M graphics, a Bigfoot Killer WiFi adapter, three hard drives and four memory slots offering up to 32GB of RAM....

Google Chrome browser arrives on Android (video)

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 10:25 AM PST

Google Chrome browser arrives on Android (video)


Google Chrome browser arrives on Android (video)
The latest step in bringing Google-based unification has arrived. The Chrome browser is here on Android. This beta version is currently only available for that elite crowd of ICS phones and tablets and like its desktop progenitor, the synced settings and bookmarks are all in tow. Expect to see a new, more natural mobile view of the tab system....

Elevate aims high, agrees to become Sprint's newest MVNO

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 10:25 AM PST

Elevate aims high, agrees to become Sprint's newest MVNO


Elevate aims high, agrees to become Sprint's newest MVNO
Another MVNO is going live on Sprint's network, and this time Elevate is the one signing the dotted line. The company, known primarily for providing digital services such as VoIP, wireline and wireless broadband in 22 markets across the country, is now aiming to expand its portfolio by using the Now Network to provide both postpaid and prepaid mobile plans for its customers....

Nikon D800 short lets you experience miracle of birth, motorcycles

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 09:42 AM PST

Nikon D800 short lets you experience miracle of birth, motorcycles


Nikon D800 short lets you experience miracle of birth, motorcycles
Few experiences in life can match the miracle of birth, but sweet bikes and D-SLRs are probably right up there, right? Now you can experience all three in a six minute film. There are no doubt some good takeaways from "Joy Ride," which was shot using the newly announced Nikon D800, but the most important has to be the fact that some things just shouldn't be captured in HD....

Panasonic prices, dates some of its 2012 HDTVs (VT, GT, ET) and accessories in J...

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 09:42 AM PST

Panasonic prices, dates some of its 2012 HDTVs (VT, GT, ET) and accessories in Japan


Panasonic prices, dates some of its 2012 HDTVs (VT, GT, ET) and accessories in Japan
If Panasonic's CES 2012 lineup of plasma and LCD HDTVs interested you, it's time to dig into more details it's just released about their Japanese cousins. Those "Infinite Black Ultra Panel" plasmas will arrive April 20th as the VT5 series and AV Watch reports the 60-inch will be priced at about 500,000 yen ($6517), while the 50-inch is 360,000 yen ($4694)....

Arizona lawmaker proposals per-mile electric-vehicle tax

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 08:59 AM PST

Arizona lawmaker proposals per-mile electric-vehicle tax


Arizona lawmaker proposals per-mile electric-vehicle tax
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Legislation and Policy Because nothing says environmental sustainability like a per-mile tax on electric vehicles. That's what some Arizona legislators are proposing as a way to raise funds on the backs of those not paying taxes usually associated with fuel purchases. Arizona Representative Steve Farley is proposing HB #2257, which would tax drivers of electric vehicles as much as 1.43 cents per mile....

Hasbro reinvents Lazer Tag for the smartphone generation, lets you live out your...

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 08:59 AM PST

Hasbro reinvents Lazer Tag for the smartphone generation, lets you live out your Doom-fueled fantasies


Hasbro reinvents Lazer Tag for the smartphone generation, lets you live out your Doom-fueled fantasies
Xappr and appBlaster are fine weaponizers for your smartphone, provided you don't care to share your violent tendencies with your friends. Thankfully, Hasbro is bridging the gap between new-school AR shooter and that teenage classic -- laser tag. The NERF Lazer Tag system is getting an update for 2012 that lets you pair your blaster with an iPhone or iPod touch....

Nokia 801 adds one part Belle, one part polycarbonate body for 100 percent possi...

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 08:15 AM PST

Nokia 801 adds one part Belle, one part polycarbonate body for 100 percent possibility


Nokia 801 adds one part Belle, one part polycarbonate body for 100 percent possibility
See that up there? That slick-looking, Belle-operating beaut is most definitely not Nokia's rumored 801 handset. No, what you're looking at above is simply a mock-up based on recent rumors circling the web, which peg this 12 megapixel-toting unicorn as the successor to the N8 and 701. It's hard to tell which considering the supposed bits of borrowed specs and chassis conspire to blend the polycarbonate stylings of the Lumia 800...

Olympus OM-D E-M5 leaks continue, 'super fast' AF and 3D tracking system on the...

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 08:15 AM PST

Olympus OM-D E-M5 leaks continue, 'super fast' AF and 3D tracking system on the way?


Olympus OM-D E-M5 leaks continue, 'super fast' AF and 3D tracking system on the way?
A certain purported Olympus Micro Four Thirds shooter has been anything but shy prior to its official unveiling (whenever that happens). Now, 43 Rumors is keeping the intel flowing with tidbits it received from a "super European source." The fresh bits suggest the E-M5 could sport a "super fast" autofocus and 3D tracking system, an external "weather-sealed" GN10 flash and additional filters....

12 drinks on Starbucks' 'secret menu'

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 07:30 AM PST

12 drinks on Starbucks' 'secret menu'


12 drinks on Starbucks' 'secret menu'
Starbucks has quite a lot of off-the-menu items you can order, like Green Eyes and Double-Dirty Chais, Zebra Mochas and Crunch Berry Frappuccinos.

Dimension Data Buys Telecom Expense Management Software Maker Xigo

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 07:30 AM PST

Dimension Data Buys Telecom Expense Management Software Maker Xigo


Dimension Data Buys Telecom Expense Management Software Maker Xigo
Telecom expense management (TEM) solutions company Xigo, which Greg likened to a Billshrink for large companies, has been acquired by one of its partners, IT services and solutions provider Dimension Data for an undisclosed sum. Dimension Data says the acquisition of Xigo, formerly known as Invoice Insight, will enable them to offer enterprise customers an integrated cost optimization solution for spend analysis, sourcing, provisioning and invoice processing. The company adds that it will...

Dwolla Raises $5 Million Series B From Union Square Ventures & Others

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 07:30 AM PST

Dwolla Raises $5 Million Series B From Union Square Ventures & Others


Dwolla Raises $5 Million Series B From Union Square Ventures & Others
Disruptive payments network Dwolla confirmed today it has raised $5 million in Series B financing in a round led by Union Square Ventures. Also participating in the round are Village Ventures, Thrive Capital, Artists and Instigators and Paige Craig of Betterworks. As a part of the deal, Albert Wenger of Union Square Ventures will join Dwolla's board. The company says that additional funding will be used to continue product development, expand its...