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Sunday, April 8, 2012

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Switched On: Not weaned from Windows

Posted: 08 Apr 2012 02:47 PM PDT

Switched On: Not weaned from Windows


Switched On: Not weaned from Windows
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. This recent announcement that Dell would not be pursuing new smartphones for the time being following the retirement of its Venue Windows Phone devices raised the spotlight on PC companies -- at least those other than Apple -- and why they have struggled so mightily in the US smartphone market....

Donated Think EVs idled because of improper recharging?

Posted: 08 Apr 2012 02:00 PM PDT

Donated Think EVs idled because of improper recharging?


Donated Think EVs idled because of improper recharging?
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Th!nk (Think) "So about those free cars you donated to us..." The city government of Evansville, IN, which was given five all-electric City cars by now-bankrupt electric-vehicle maker Think USA, says that only one is functional because the other four vehicles' computer memories were erased because of improper recharging, the city's NBC affiliate reported on its website. Evansville, which received the cars seven months ago, is using only one car -...

Microsoft discounts Xbox Live for Windows Phone games for Easter, offers iOS / A...

Posted: 08 Apr 2012 02:00 PM PDT

Microsoft discounts Xbox Live for Windows Phone games for Easter, offers iOS / Android prices


Microsoft discounts Xbox Live for Windows Phone games for Easter, offers iOS / Android prices
If your smartphone Sunday lacks the holiday flair you were hoping for, Microsoft is serving up a basket full of economically priced Easter eggs. Seven Xbox Live Windows Phone games have shed their premium pricing for the weekend, letting patient gamers pick up titles like Angry Birds and Max and the Magic Marker for the standard 99 cents....

Gates Foundation collaborates with Manchester University to develop potable toil...

Posted: 08 Apr 2012 12:26 PM PDT

Gates Foundation collaborates with Manchester University to develop potable toilet water


Gates Foundation collaborates with Manchester University to develop potable toilet water
It's an unsettling thought, having to drink water from that bowl in your bathroom, but if the need ever arose, wouldn't you be glad to know it was clean and safe? Dr. Sarah Haigh, a researcher into the properties of nanomaterials at Manchester University, is currently pursuing this goal with a $100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation....

Fly Or Die: Swivl

Posted: 08 Apr 2012 12:26 PM PDT

Fly Or Die: Swivl


Fly Or Die: Swivl
You've met the Swivl before. Back in November, Satarii debuted the Swivl (formerly known as the Star), and we went hands-on with the substitute camera-man around Christmas. Good times. But today is judgement day. Actually, today is Easter, but let's just roll with it. Matt and I sat down in the studio to discuss whether this camera dock is worth it's $179 price tag?...

Android Open Kang Project brings hyper-customization to your nav bar (video)

Posted: 08 Apr 2012 10:50 AM PDT

Android Open Kang Project brings hyper-customization to your nav bar (video)


Android Open Kang Project brings hyper-customization to your nav bar (video)
Still dallying at the corner of Custom ROM Road? Then maybe the forthcoming update from Team Kang (AOKP Build 30, no less) will entice you onwards. The preview clip after the break reveals a new level of freedom for the ICS navigation bar, including the ability to add up to five buttons, assign them to apps or actions as you wish, modify their icons and add separate long-press functions....

PSA: Nokia Lumia 900 available today

Posted: 08 Apr 2012 09:18 AM PDT

PSA: Nokia Lumia 900 available today


PSA: Nokia Lumia 900 available today
Did our thorough Lumia 900 review convince you that a mix of polycarbonate hardware and Metro UI is where your smartphone future lies? Well, it's time to head to your nearest AT&T vendor because Nokia's latest effort to break America is here. Just don't forget those 100 bucks.PSA: Nokia Lumia 900 available today originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Apr 2012 12:03:00 EDT....

Netflix explains its recommendation system, can't find a reason for Adam Sandler...

Posted: 08 Apr 2012 08:30 AM PDT

Netflix explains its recommendation system, can't find a reason for Adam Sandler's last movie


Netflix explains its recommendation system, can't find a reason for Adam Sandler's last movie
In case you've been wondering why Netflix tends to recommend the movies it does, there's a post on the company's Tech Blog breaking down the various levels of its system. Remember the Netflix Prize contest? Teams of researchers produced competing algorithms capable of more accurately predicting how members would rate movies, but while some of the early winning efforts are still in use, the million dollar solution was never implemented because...

US Navy Fire Scouts will automatically spot pirates, give 30 seconds to comply

Posted: 08 Apr 2012 06:55 AM PDT

US Navy Fire Scouts will automatically spot pirates, give 30 seconds to comply


US Navy Fire Scouts will automatically spot pirates, give 30 seconds to comply
War. What is it good for? Well, if new use of technology by the US Navy has anything to do with it, finding Pirates for a start. By upgrading its existing Fire Scouts with new 3D laser imaging tech, it's hoped that the drones will be able to recognize the small ships used by these unscrupulous seafarers....

Honda opens solar hydrogen station in Japan's Saitama Prefecture

Posted: 08 Apr 2012 06:09 AM PDT

Honda opens solar hydrogen station in Japan's Saitama Prefecture


Honda opens solar hydrogen station in Japan's Saitama Prefecture
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Green Culture, Hydrogen, Solar, Honda, Japan For those of you who struggled with high school chemistry, this one's a doozy. Honda has opened up a hydrogen station in Saitama, Japan that converts sunlight into hydrogen that may be used to power fuel-cell electric vehicles such as the Honda FCX Clarity. The station, which uses both juice from the grid and solar power, can produce 1.5 kilograms of hydrogen in 24...

Everything old is new again: NVIDIA rebrands Fermi-based GT 520 and 510 into 600...

Posted: 08 Apr 2012 03:49 AM PDT

Everything old is new again: NVIDIA rebrands Fermi-based GT 520 and 510 into 600-series


Everything old is new again: NVIDIA rebrands Fermi-based GT 520 and 510 into 600-series
NVIDIA may have trotted out a brand new beast, ripe with fresh Kepler architecture, but that doesn't mean it put Fermi to bed. Allow us to introduce you to the GT 520 and the GT 510, or as they now prefer to be called, the GeForce GT 620 and GeForce 605, respectively....

Max Payne to rampage on iOS April 12th, Android April 26th

Posted: 08 Apr 2012 12:45 AM PDT

Max Payne to rampage on iOS April 12th, Android April 26th


Max Payne to rampage on iOS April 12th, Android April 26th
Are you a smartphone user with an itchy trigger finger? Listen up. Rockstar Games has announced that the one and only Max Payne will begin terrorizing your iOS and Android devices in the very near future. The wares will be available for Apple-branded gear (iPhone 3GS, 4 and 4S, along with the iPod touch 4 and all iPad iterations) on April 12th, and Google's implements two weeks later on the 26th....

Origin PC EON15-S and EON17-S gaming laptops available now, priced from $1,525

Posted: 07 Apr 2012 09:45 PM PDT

Origin PC EON15-S and EON17-S gaming laptops available now, priced from $1,525


Origin PC EON15-S and EON17-S gaming laptops available now, priced from $1,525
In the market for a beastly portable gaming rig that won't break the bank? Origin PC today announced availability of its EON15-S and EON17-S gaming laptops, with pricing starting at $1,525 and $1,576, respectively. You'll of course still be able to hand over an arm and a leg depending on how you opt to build out your system, but considering that the base model is priced at nearly half the amount...

Nokia takes over Times Square for Lumia 900 launch event (video)

Posted: 07 Apr 2012 09:00 PM PDT

Nokia takes over Times Square for Lumia 900 launch event (video)


Nokia takes over Times Square for Lumia 900 launch event (video)
We're still not exactly sure what Nicki Minaj has to do with Nokia's new Lumia 900, but the company put her at the center of its promotional efforts in a launch event Friday night that took over Times Square. Oh, you missed it? For just the visual effect of what went on including CGI dancers on massing LED displays and coordinated effects on the tourist destination's many video boards (been there,...

Ask Engadget: best NYC wireless carrier?

Posted: 07 Apr 2012 07:29 PM PDT

Ask Engadget: best NYC wireless carrier?


Ask Engadget: best NYC wireless carrier?
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 from is from Is from MigFig who's relocating to the five boroughs and is worried about his cellphone service. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com....

Mobile Miscellany: week of April 2nd, 2012

Posted: 07 Apr 2012 04:30 PM PDT

Mobile Miscellany: week of April 2nd, 2012


Mobile Miscellany: week of April 2nd, 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 past week, CyanogenMod gained a new logo, Google acquired a mobile payments company and we learned that the HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint will include an embedded SIM card....

Universal Studios' films now available on iCloud, Fox still grounded

Posted: 07 Apr 2012 03:43 PM PDT

Universal Studios' films now available on iCloud, Fox still grounded


Universal Studios' films now available on iCloud, Fox still grounded
Back in early March, it became clear that content from Fox and Universal Studios would be held back from being available in the all-encompassing iCloud, presumably due to the HBO release window stranglehold impacting both libraries. Today, however, the tides of change are having an impact of their own. Mac Rumors is reporting that Universal titles no longer boast the unfortunate warning that they used to, allowing iTunes users to enjoy...