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Saturday, February 11, 2012

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Big Cuts at Airy Labs, Ex-Employees Blame Management

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 02:54 PM PST

Big Cuts at Airy Labs, Ex-Employees Blame Management


Big Cuts at Airy Labs, Ex-Employees Blame Management
Airy Labs, an educational gaming startup backed by Google Ventures and others, has eliminated the vast majority of its 20-person staff, leaving only a skeleton crew to keep the company going. That's what I've been told by former employees, and when you bring up the "team" page of the Airy Labs website, you now get a 404 error message....

Oregon Scientific announces MEEP! Android tablet for Kids, Wile E's ears prick up

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 02:54 PM PST

Oregon Scientific announces MEEP! Android tablet for Kids, Wile E's ears prick up


Oregon Scientific announces MEEP! Android tablet for Kids, Wile E's ears prick up
While this might not be the first kid-centric tablet we've seen, it's certainly got the coolest name. All we know about the MEEP! kiddie-slate right now is that it's made by Oregon Scientific, has a 7-inch touchscreen display, WiFi, an SD card slot, a "G-sensor" for improving viewing angle -- and runs on an as yet unspecified version of Android....

10 foods that make you smell

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 02:54 PM PST

10 foods that make you smell


10 foods that make you smell
What you eat can directly affect how you smell, and in more ways than just your breath. 

Next Tesla Roadster delayed until after mass-market EV launch

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 02:12 PM PST

Next Tesla Roadster delayed until after mass-market EV launch


Next Tesla Roadster delayed until after mass-market EV launch
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Tesla Motors With the demise of the Lotus Elise in the United States, the Tesla Roadster's fate was sealed. With no chassis rolling out of Hethel, Tesla had to end production of the Roadster and shift its focus to the Model S and the just-revealed Model X. But some kind of Roadster successor has always been in the cards and as Tesla's SEC filings revealed two years ago, the new...

Four Mistakes Publishers Make When Bringing Content to Tablets

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 01:30 PM PST

Four Mistakes Publishers Make When Bringing Content to Tablets


Four Mistakes Publishers Make When Bringing Content to Tablets
Editor's note: Mitch Lazar is the CEO of news reader startup Taptu. He was the founder or co-founder of CNN.com, CNN Mobile, and Cartoon Network Mobile. Many revolutions have been televised, but the publishing revolution has already become digitized, and now, mobilized. There's no doubt that the second half of 2011 was a difficult period for newspaper and magazine publishers....

Mobile Miscellany: week of February 6th, 2012

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 12:07 PM PST

Mobile Miscellany: week of February 6th, 2012


Mobile Miscellany: week of February 6th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This week, we've learned that T-Mobile is offering some of its best phones free after rebate (today only), and we've also spotted a new power management feature that seems destined for BlackBerry 7.1 OS....

Top 10 first date bars in the U.S.

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 12:07 PM PST

Top 10 first date bars in the U.S.


Top 10 first date bars in the U.S.
We've found the top 10 bars across the country for a first date, where a drink or two could turn to dinner or something more. 

Toyota city car concept headed for Geneva

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 12:07 PM PST

Toyota city car concept headed for Geneva


Toyota city car concept headed for Geneva
Hybrid for the masses?

ComScore report finds drastic shift from web-based to mobile email among younger...

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 10:42 AM PST

ComScore report finds drastic shift from web-based to mobile email among younger users in past year


ComScore report finds drastic shift from web-based to mobile email among younger users in past year
ComScore released its annual US Digital Future in Focus report this week, offering a year-end wrap of many of the trends its tracked throughout the past year and a look towards the next. One of the more telling stats concerns email use among those in their teens and twenties. According to the report, web-based email use among 12-17 year olds dropped 31 percent in the past year, while use among those...

Game changers: Egyptians and their gadgets in 2012

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 08:35 AM PST

Game changers: Egyptians and their gadgets in 2012


Game changers: Egyptians and their gadgets in 2012
Is there such a thing as revolutionary technology? Many Egyptians believe there is. A year ago, they used mobile phones, social networking and banned TV channels to spread word of the protests in Tahrir Square. Hearing the news, thousands of young people risked their lives to join in and overthrow the dictator Hosni Mubarak....

Passive solar for beginners

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 08:35 AM PST

Passive solar for beginners


Passive solar for beginners
Heat by design.

Motorola Droid 4 Review: Initial Impressions (Video)

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 07:52 AM PST

Motorola Droid 4 Review: Initial Impressions (Video)


Motorola Droid 4 Review: Initial Impressions (Video)
Before we chat out the Droid 4 there's a bit of other news we need to address right quick. As you'll surely notice, we're doing smartphone reviews a little differently now. That said, this video and my basic hands-on impressions are just the first in a three-part series reviewing the phone....

Arris brings Moxi HD DVR sales to an end, plans to cut off guide data after 2013...

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 07:09 AM PST

Arris brings Moxi HD DVR sales to an end, plans to cut off guide data after 2013... maybe


Arris brings Moxi HD DVR sales to an end, plans to cut off guide data after 2013... maybe
While Moxi may live on in spirit as a white label multiroom HD DVR for cable companies, parent company Arris announced on its website this week the retail boxes and extenders are no longer being sold. Initially, a note on the company's home page indicated tech support and guide data would come to an end at the end of 2013 as noted by Zatz Not Funny, but references to that have...

Toyota teases FT-Bh concept hybrid city car ahead of Geneva

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 05:43 AM PST

Toyota teases FT-Bh concept hybrid city car ahead of Geneva


Toyota teases FT-Bh concept hybrid city car ahead of Geneva
Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota, Geneva Motor Show Most concepts you'll see on the show stands of the Geneva Motor Show will come packing some manner of sci-fi powertrain and ultra-expensive chassis and body materials. That's where the Toyota FT-Bh concept stands apart. Toyota is calling it a "full hybrid city car study," so the FT-Bh isn't destined for production....

Spray-on antenna revealed: best thing to come in a can since Easy Cheese (video)

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 04:19 AM PST

Spray-on antenna revealed: best thing to come in a can since Easy Cheese (video)


Spray-on antenna revealed: best thing to come in a can since Easy Cheese (video)
Ever found yourself without a signal and wished you could just spray one on like magic? Well, maybe soon, you'll be able to do just that. Chamtech Enterprises has developed a spray-on antenna it says is more lightweight and energy-efficient than current technology. Revealed at Google's inaugural Solve for X shindig, the antenna can be "painted" onto almost anything, including trees, walls and fabrics....

aTV Flash update adds automatic backups, new playback options to jailbroken Appl...

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 02:55 AM PST

aTV Flash update adds automatic backups, new playback options to jailbroken Apple TVs


aTV Flash update adds automatic backups, new playback options to jailbroken Apple TVs
The FireCore team has been busy updating its pay-to-play ($30) aTV Flash software package for jailbroken Apple TVs and just rolled out the latest bundle of updates in version 1.3. Now it can automatically perform backups, speaks more languages, supports more remote commands, reads more subtitles and the list goes on....

Spotify iOS app update brings 320kbps music to mobiles

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 11:27 PM PST

Spotify iOS app update brings 320kbps music to mobiles


Spotify iOS app update brings 320kbps music to mobiles
Enjoying your Spotify tracks on the go just got a little better, at least on iOS, where an app update to v0.4.23 gifts users "very high quality" 320kbps music streaming (for Premium subscribers) and syncing, up from the previous max of 160kbps. Enabling the higher quality streams -- though heavy listeners may want to mind those bandwidth quotas -- is as simple as ticking the "Extreme" box in the settings, as...

Foursquare adds NFC support for Android 4.0, wants to touch base

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 09:26 PM PST

Foursquare adds NFC support for Android 4.0, wants to touch base


Foursquare adds NFC support for Android 4.0, wants to touch base
We knew the folk at Foursquare had been trying NFC out for a while, and Symbian's had it since November, but now tap check-ins are available for Android 4.0. Okay, so that means it's pretty much limited to Galaxy Nexus owners at the minute, but the chosen few can now share their Venue, Lists, Me pages, initiate friend requests and, of course, check-in at the touch of a phone....

Motorola Droid 4 advertises 16GB internal storage, only reports 8GB -- here's why

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 08:44 PM PST

Motorola Droid 4 advertises 16GB internal storage, only reports 8GB -- here's why


Motorola Droid 4 advertises 16GB internal storage, only reports 8GB -- here's why
After the numerous leaks that preceded the Droid 4's launch, you'd think we'd have a handle on every detail (read the review here) but some day one buyers have one more question. While the spec sheets indicate 16GB of internal storage, a few readers noticed their units only report 8GB....

HP Veer 4G, Pre 3 and TouchPad celebrate a melancholy birthday

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 07:23 PM PST

HP Veer 4G, Pre 3 and TouchPad celebrate a melancholy birthday


HP Veer 4G, Pre 3 and TouchPad celebrate a melancholy birthday
Just one year ago, HP officially introduced the TouchPad, Pre 3 and Veer to its lineup. Much has happened in the 365 days since that time, which marked the end of the Palm brand, the discontinuation of the company's webOS hardware development and the decision to open source the crown jewel, webOS....

Motorola Droid 4 review

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 06:02 PM PST

Motorola Droid 4 review


Motorola Droid 4 review
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. For a phone that single-handedly resuscitated the business prospects of its parent company, gave a much-needed boost to Google's fledgling Android and finally added a compelling product to Verizon's lineup, the Droid can't get no respect. Initially billed as the anti-iPhone, the OG flagship embodied an aggressively tech for tech's sake design ethos, with its masculine, hard-edged build, geeky OS and Lucasfilm-licensed moniker.That was all...

2012 Toyota Prius C [w/video]

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 05:21 PM PST

2012 Toyota Prius C [w/video]


2012 Toyota Prius C [w/video]
Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, First DriveBaby Of The Family Will Play A Big Role Toyota's new 2012 Prius C doesn't look like a math problem, but that's what it is. Hidden behind its attractive hatchback body and Toyota Synergy Drive hybrid powertrain, the Prius C is just a bunch of numbers....

Amazon prepares Kindle Touch for April launch in Japan?

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 05:21 PM PST

Amazon prepares Kindle Touch for April launch in Japan?


Amazon prepares Kindle Touch for April launch in Japan?
According to one of Japan's big dailies, The Nikkei, Amazon will attempt to brave the tricky e-reader waters of Japan, aiming to launch its Kindle Touch as the flagship device in April. The newspaper reports that the device will land for less than 20,000 yen ($260), teaming up with Japanese mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo for 3G access to the Kindle's online store, gratis....

FCC Fridays: February 10, 2012

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 05:21 PM PST

FCC Fridays: February 10, 2012


FCC Fridays: February 10, 2012
We here at Engadget tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there individually, we've gathered up an exhaustive listing of every phone and / or tablet getting the stamp of approval over the last week....

Tesla Debuts Electric Crossover

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 03:59 PM PST

Tesla Debuts Electric Crossover


Tesla Debuts Electric Crossover
New EV is based on the Model S and sports "Falcon Wing" doors.

Engadget Podcast 280 - 02.10.2012

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 03:59 PM PST

Engadget Podcast 280 - 02.10.2012



Engadget Podcast 280 - 02.10.2012
You can pretend you care about cameras, tablets, and browsers all you want. But we'll still know you're here for the Lazer Tag news.Host: Brian Heater, Dana Wollman, Terrence O'brienProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: Orbital - Never00:02:35 - Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 review (global edition) 00:14:09 - Kodak to shutter digital camera production this year 00:23:40 - Nikon confirms 36.3-megapixel D800, we go hands-on 00:29:03 - Sony Alpha NEX-7 mirrorless camera review 00:34:21...

Look Out AT&T Customers, Your Upgrade Fee Doubles On Sunday

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 03:17 PM PST

Look Out AT&T Customers, Your Upgrade Fee Doubles On Sunday


Look Out AT&T Customers, Your Upgrade Fee Doubles On Sunday
If you're an AT&T customer coming off of a contract and looking to snap up a new phone, you should probably get on that right now. According to an AT&T memo obtained by BGR, AT&T will be raising their device upgrade fee from $18 to $36 as of February 12, which means you've got until Sunday to swap phones before your first post-upgrade bill gets even bigger. The memo states that the...

Fiat will start building battery-electric 500 this year, CEO tweets

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 03:17 PM PST

Fiat will start building battery-electric 500 this year, CEO tweets


Fiat will start building battery-electric 500 this year, CEO tweets
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Chrysler, Fiat Fiat will start building a battery-electric version of its 500 compact this year, marking the Italian automaker's entrance into the EV production market. So said Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne in an official Chrysler tweet recently that said: Marchionne: at Chrysler we are working on an electric version of the Fiat 500 that we'll begin manufacturing later this year. As you can read, Marchionne didn't say how many EVs would...

Mattel Apptivity hands-on (video)

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 03:17 PM PST

Mattel Apptivity hands-on (video)


Mattel Apptivity hands-on (video)
Mattel thinks it has the secret to succeeding where so many others have failed in bridging that divide between the virtual and the physical -- and it might be right. While plenty of other toy companies have tried pairing hunks of plastic with apps in the past, Mattel has gone the extra mile, incorporating its recognizable brands and partnering with top tier developers....

AT&T doubling its upgrade fee to $36 on February 12th (update: confirmed)

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 03:17 PM PST

AT&T doubling its upgrade fee to $36 on February 12th (update: confirmed)


AT&T doubling its upgrade fee to $36 on February 12th (update: confirmed)
What do you do after reporting "blow-out" earnings and instituting larger, pricier, data plans? If you're AT&T, why not go for the jugular by doubling upgrade fees? Per the above leaked memo, that's exactly what Ma Bell plans to do come February 12th, upping the existing $18 fee to a new high of $36....