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Friday, March 16, 2012

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The Engadget Show is live, here at 6:00PM ET!

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 02:40 PM PDT

The Engadget Show is live, here at 6:00PM ET!


The Engadget Show is live, here at 6:00PM ET!
Are you strapped in? Got your helmets on? Good, because you're gonna need 'em this time out. We've got one action-packed, high-flying episode of The Engadget Show coming your way this month. We'll be testing the latest GoPro and Contour cameras in the deserts of Nevada and the skies above them, paying a visit to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and checking out the latest new 'bots from iRobot....

T-Mobile retires Sidekick 4G, but brand will return

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 02:40 PM PDT

T-Mobile retires Sidekick 4G, but brand will return


T-Mobile retires Sidekick 4G, but brand will return
While the fires that burn inside the hearts of Sidekick fans will probably never go out, the venerable Android slider is being put out to graze. T-Mobile announced last week that the Sidekick 4G was to be discontinued, but it's now added that it's not leaving that pervasive brand behind....

Flipboard Gets Retina-Ready, But Will Users Spend More Time In App?

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 01:53 PM PDT

Flipboard Gets Retina-Ready, But Will Users Spend More Time In App?


Flipboard Gets Retina-Ready, But Will Users Spend More Time In App?
Good news, new iPad users: everyone's favorite iPad news magazine Flipboard (OK, my favorite, but I hear the Flipboard / Zite battles get fierce) is now retina-ready. I know, we all thought the enhanced app would be approved by tonight, but, as it turns out, the update was shipped a bit earlier. Consider this your PSA. However, in the brief note Flipboard sent me about the update, something struck me as interesting: company...

SpaceX Dragon will dock with the ISS in May, for realsies this time

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 01:53 PM PDT

SpaceX Dragon will dock with the ISS in May, for realsies this time


SpaceX Dragon will dock with the ISS in May, for realsies this time
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell has announced that the company's Dragon craft has a NASA-approved date to dock with the International Space Station. With the original mission postponed from November last year, it's now penciled in for launch on April 30th, arriving at the ISS's front door on May 3rd, packed to the gills with fresh supplies....

Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2 hits Apple's Developer website, brings more ro...

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 01:53 PM PDT

Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2 hits Apple's Developer website, brings more roar to your Friday


Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2 hits Apple's Developer website, brings more roar to your Friday
Exactly one month ago, Apple pulled back the kimono revealing its next Mac OS release would be called Mountain Lion and debut come summer. It also let eager developers registered in the Mac Developer Program partake in the fun. For the latter camp, Cupertino's back with a second helping today, aptly named Developer Preview 2....

Lithium-ion battery costs to fall by a third by 2017 as demand jumps

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 01:07 PM PDT

Lithium-ion battery costs to fall by a third by 2017 as demand jumps


Lithium-ion battery costs to fall by a third by 2017 as demand jumps
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants The cost for lithium-ion batteries used in electric-drive vehicles will fall by about a third between now and 2017 as battery-production technology improves, lithium supply increases and battery packs are sold in higher volumes, green-technology research firm Pike Research said in a report released this week. Lithium-ion battery packs for electric vehicles will fall to an "installed price" of about $523 per kilowatt hour, Pike predicts....

Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET!

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 01:07 PM PDT

Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET!


Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET!
It's another edition of the Engadget Mobile Podcast, and we're ready to rock the mics by discussing the latest and greatest -- and in many cases, the worst -- of what the wireless world has to offer. So join us at 5PM ET! March 16, 2012 5:00 PM ESTContinue reading Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET!Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET!...

Under the microscope: a closer look at the new iPad

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 01:07 PM PDT

Under the microscope: a closer look at the new iPad


Under the microscope: a closer look at the new iPad
Sure, you can take us on our word that the new iPad really is that much sharper than its predecessor -- or, you can opt for a more scientific approach, and peek at that Retina display under a microscope. Our own Richard Lai slid his 64GB WiFi iPad under a USB scope, going far beyond the naked eye for a close-up look at those gorgeous high-density subpixels....

Fisker responds to 'whistleblower' claims it rushed Karma to market

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 01:07 PM PDT

Fisker responds to 'whistleblower' claims it rushed Karma to market


Fisker responds to 'whistleblower' claims it rushed Karma to market
Was the car of the future not ready for primetime?

iPad review (2012)

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 12:20 PM PDT

iPad review (2012)


iPad review (2012)
What's in a name? Or, more importantly, what's in a digit? Would that which we call an iPad by any number less than 2 be less sweet? That's the question Apple posed for us indirectly when it unveiled the new iPad and relegated its future slates (and, presumably, phones) to a numeral-free future....

Samsung And RIM Rumored To Be Tied Up In BB10 Licensing Talks

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 12:20 PM PDT

Samsung And RIM Rumored To Be Tied Up In BB10 Licensing Talks


Samsung And RIM Rumored To Be Tied Up In BB10 Licensing Talks
How does that old saying go again? "Everything old is new again?" That exactly how I feel about the RIM rumors that have been making the rounds today. According to a bit of analyst chatter, Samsung has their eyes on Waterloo-based RIM, and more specifically the new mobile operating system they've got cooking in the oven right now....

China may ship more smartphones than the the US this year

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 12:19 PM PDT

China may ship more smartphones than the the US this year


China may ship more smartphones than the the US this year
The rapid modernization of China shouldn't really come as a shock anymore. But, you might be a bit surprised to hear that the venerable IDC is predicting the world's most populous country will soon surpass the US in smartphone shipments. The research agency is predicting the People's Republic will account for 20.7 percent of the global smartphone market by the end of 2012, narrowly edging out the US by 0.1 percent....

Toyota Prius C outsells monthly totals of Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf in three days

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 11:32 AM PDT

Toyota Prius C outsells monthly totals of Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf in three days


Toyota Prius C outsells monthly totals of Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf in three days
Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota Toyota is pretty sure that its expanded Prius family will drive up sales of the world's best-selling hybrid, and the early sales returns indicate that the company is right, right, right. After the Prius V sold about 8,400 units in the U.S. in the first ten weeks, the smaller, cheaper and more efficient 2012 Toyota Prius C is also getting a lot of attention....

Microsoft says there will be 'no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon'

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 11:32 AM PDT

Microsoft says there will be 'no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon'


Microsoft says there will be 'no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon'
Sony has already confirmed that we won't be seeing a next-generation PlayStation at this year's E3 trade show, and now Microsoft has also come out and dampened any expectations about a new Xbox possibly making its debut. In a statement published by Kotaku (following a report on Twitter from Bloomberg's Dina Bass), a Microsoft spokesperson says flatly that "while we appreciate all the interest in our long-range plans for the future,...

'This American Life' issues retraction episode over FoxConn report

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 11:32 AM PDT

'This American Life' issues retraction episode over FoxConn report


'This American Life' issues retraction episode over FoxConn report
This American Life is airing a new episode today titled "Retraction." The title and show are a direct response to January 6th edition of the popular public radio program titled "Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory," an adaptation of a one-man show that helped put Cupertino's involvement with Foxconn back in the public spotlight....

Samsung shareholders approve spin-off of LCD business

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 11:32 AM PDT

Samsung shareholders approve spin-off of LCD business


Samsung shareholders approve spin-off of LCD business
It's been less than a month since Samsung confirmed that it would be spinning-off its LCD business into a separate company, and it looks like things are proceeding along speedily. The company's shareholders have now approved the spin-off, paving the way for the tentatively-titled Samsung Display Co. to come into existence on April 1st....

Samsung Rugby Smart review

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 10:42 AM PDT

Samsung Rugby Smart review


Samsung Rugby Smart review
Not every smartphone stakes its claim on speedy processors, huge gorgeous screens or slim and sexy physiques. Some take a relatively modest set of specs and add a little wrinkle to make them stand out from the crowd. The Samsung Rugby Smart is one such device. Though it adds Android to what we'll now refer to as the Rugby Dumb, we can already tell you this handset isn't for the spec...

Google to end support for cookie-free log-ins on mobile devices

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 10:42 AM PDT

Google to end support for cookie-free log-ins on mobile devices


Google to end support for cookie-free log-ins on mobile devices
Chances are this won't affect you but, just in case, we figured we'd give you a little heads up -- Google will soon end app support for mobile browsers that don't support cookies. This primarily means that older phones, most of them in Japan as the web giant points out, will no longer be able to log in to Google services....

Zynga No Longer Has The Biggest Game on Facebook By Daily Users. OMGPOP Does.

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 10:42 AM PDT

Zynga No Longer Has The Biggest Game on Facebook By Daily Users. OMGPOP Does.


Zynga No Longer Has The Biggest Game on Facebook By Daily Users. OMGPOP Does.
Here's a crazy turn of events. Zynga no longer has the biggest game on Facebook by daily active users. OMGPOP, the New York-based casual gaming company that has had a huge comeback in the last month, now has the top spot for daily usage with its Pictionary-like game Draw Something. In the last couple of days, Draw Something just edged past Zynga's Words With Friends to take the top spot for a game on...

After 15 months, driver loves life with his electric Nissan Leaf

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 10:42 AM PDT

After 15 months, driver loves life with his electric Nissan Leaf


After 15 months, driver loves life with his electric Nissan Leaf
Saving money and time.

AAA adds plug-in vehicle charging stations to TripTik map services

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 09:53 AM PDT

AAA adds plug-in vehicle charging stations to TripTik map services


AAA adds plug-in vehicle charging stations to TripTik map services
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in AAA is getting ready for the EV era. After announcing roadside charging assistance for electric vehicles last summer, the company announced today that it is going to add charging station locations to its TripTik services, either online or with an app. It's all part of the brand's history of helping drivers, as the press release helpfully points out....

Google To Release New Ice Cream Sandwich Update For Nexus S

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 09:53 AM PDT

Google To Release New Ice Cream Sandwich Update For Nexus S


Google To Release New Ice Cream Sandwich Update For Nexus S
I don't blame Nexus S users for feeling a bit forgotten — for a device ostensibly meant to be on the cutting edge of Android updates, the Nexus S hasn't had much luck on the Ice Cream Sandwich front. If Engadget's sources hold true though, that may all change very shortly....

Nokia applies for skin-friendly haptic material patent, hints at notification sy...

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 09:53 AM PDT

Nokia applies for skin-friendly haptic material patent, hints at notification system


Nokia applies for skin-friendly haptic material patent, hints at notification system
If US patent application 20120062371 is to be correctly understood, Nokia has at least thought about a topical haptic notification system. The first claim covers "An apparatus comprising: a material attachable to skin, the material capable of detecting a magnetic field and transferring a perceivable stimulus to the skin, wherein the perceivable stimulus relates to the magnetic field." It then goes on to clarify its relation to telecommunications messages and communications...

Samsung NX20 WiFi gets unofficial reveal

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 09:53 AM PDT

Samsung NX20 WiFi gets unofficial reveal


Samsung NX20 WiFi gets unofficial reveal
Dutch site Focus Media got its hand on Samsung's new mirrorless camera. While it's labeled up as pre-production model, that didn't stop it getting the once-over. A larger frame than the existing NX11 apparently makes space for a new 20.3-megapixel APS-C sensor now capable of 1080p video. Other specification bump-ups include a new max ISO of 12800, a minimum shutter speed now reaching 1/6000 of a second and WiFi connectivity to...

SendHub Crosses Messaging Platforms To Get Real Stuff Done — And Starts To Take Off

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 09:53 AM PDT

SendHub Crosses Messaging Platforms To Get Real Stuff Done — And Starts To Take Off


SendHub Crosses Messaging Platforms To Get Real Stuff Done — And Starts To Take Off
There are plenty of companies trying to create new forms of group texting or social networking. There are far fewer who are trying to offer a messaging service that crosses the web, email and mobile devices in a seamless way. Facebook is perhaps the most obvious example, but its utility is social — you might not want to use it for work, or for organizing your kids' little league game, or...

The Engadget Show is live tonight with Douglas Rushkoff, Sony, iRobot, MWC and a...

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 09:03 AM PDT

The Engadget Show is live tonight with Douglas Rushkoff, Sony, iRobot, MWC and air combat!


The Engadget Show is live tonight with Douglas Rushkoff, Sony, iRobot, MWC and air combat!
We hope you're having a nice March. Ours has been pretty swell so far. We've been hanging out in Barcelona, flying over the skies of Nevada, playing around with robots in New England, interviewing Sony bigwigs and four-wheelin' through desert sandstorms. Thankfully, all it hasn't been in vain -- we've got a heck of an Engadget Show for all of our hard work....

Wanna take a trip into space and back on a solid rocket booster? (video)

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 09:02 AM PDT

Wanna take a trip into space and back on a solid rocket booster? (video)


Wanna take a trip into space and back on a solid rocket booster? (video)
Ever reminisce about NASA's space shuttle launches by watching them on its Ascent iOS movie app? The footage was shot by cameras attached to the solid rocket boosters that pushed the craft heavenward and provides one of the best ways of experiencing what all that rocket thrust feels like. We're stilling getting over the intestine-tugging video and in awe of those who strapped themselves in for the trip, but soon there...

Apple's second slide-to-unlock case against Samsung stayed in Germany

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 09:02 AM PDT

Apple's second slide-to-unlock case against Samsung stayed in Germany


Apple's second slide-to-unlock case against Samsung stayed in Germany
Nothing like a little drama in the ongoing never-ending saga between Samsung and Apple to spice up your Friday morning, eh? As legions of consumers are cashing in a vacation day in order to pick up one of Apple's newest iPads, a court in Mannheim, Germany has stayed Apple's second slide-to-unlock case....

Honda Civic Hybrid small claims lawsuit winner trying to stop class-action suit

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 08:14 AM PDT

Honda Civic Hybrid small claims lawsuit winner trying to stop class-action suit


Honda Civic Hybrid small claims lawsuit winner trying to stop class-action suit
Filed under: Etc., Green Culture, Hybrid, Honda Heather Peters really, really doesn't want anyone to settle with Honda. Peters is the woman who went her own way earlier this year, suing Honda in small claims court in Torrance, CA instead of joining a class-action lawsuit against the automaker over allegations that the company promoted misleading fuel economy numbers for the Civic Hybrid, model years 2003 to 2009....

Engadget Giveaway: win one of two ASUS Transformer Primes, courtesy of NVIDIA!

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 08:14 AM PDT

Engadget Giveaway: win one of two ASUS Transformer Primes, courtesy of NVIDIA!


Engadget Giveaway: win one of two ASUS Transformer Primes, courtesy of NVIDIA!
Boom. Just like that, another giveaway materializes out of the ether, and it's a doozy. There's a particular tablet getting a whole bunch of attention today, and NVIDIA has a sinister idea to distract you from the newest slate on the block: offer up a couple Tegra 3-powered ASUS Transformer Primes, complete with keyboard docks!...