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Tuesday, April 17, 2012

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Advanced vehicle battery costs drop 14% in the past year; down 30% since 2009

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 01:36 PM PDT

Advanced vehicle battery costs drop 14% in the past year; down 30% since 2009


Advanced vehicle battery costs drop 14% in the past year; down 30% since 2009
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants Electric-vehicle lithium-ion battery-pack costs fell 14 percent during the past year and are down 30 percent from three years ago because of technological improvements and increased production capacity, Bloomberg News reports, citing a study from its sister entity Bloomberg New Energy Finance. EV battery costs fell to $689 per kilowatt hour (kWh) during the first quarter, down from $800 per kWh a year earlier....

Sharp readying 1/2.3-inch, 20.2-megapixel CCD destined for noisy point-and-shoots

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 01:36 PM PDT

Sharp readying 1/2.3-inch, 20.2-megapixel CCD destined for noisy point-and-shoots


Sharp readying 1/2.3-inch, 20.2-megapixel CCD destined for noisy point-and-shoots
As you probably know, megapixels aren't everything. In fact, the more of them you cram into a smaller space, the noisier your images will be. So, you'll forgive us if we don't exactly shout from the mountain tops that Sharp has managed to stick a whopping 20.2 megapixels into a CCD only 1/2.3 inches in size....

New material brings semiconducting to the graphene party

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 01:36 PM PDT

New material brings semiconducting to the graphene party


New material brings semiconducting to the graphene party
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee have cooked up a new graphene-based material that could provide a speed boost for all electronics. We've seen the carbon allotrope turn up in circuitry and transistors before, but the new chemical modification -- graphene monoxide -- is said to be easier to scale up, and most importantly is semiconducting, unlike the insulating or conducting forms that have preceded it....

Apple and Samsung CEOs set to sit down, attempt to settle disputes

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 12:43 PM PDT

Apple and Samsung CEOs set to sit down, attempt to settle disputes


Apple and Samsung CEOs set to sit down, attempt to settle disputes
With countless suits filed across the globe, the CEOs of Apple and Samsung surely have a lot to talk about. Thankfully, they'll be getting the chance to do exactly that (with lawyers in tow, naturally) at some point over the next 90 days, according to FOSS Patents. Both sides are apparently "willing to participate" in a sit down overseen by a magistrate judge....

Google Offers update brings revamped UI, faster browsing speeds

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 12:42 PM PDT

Google Offers update brings revamped UI, faster browsing speeds


Google Offers update brings revamped UI, faster browsing speeds
We know Google Offers is still slowly rolling out to US folks, but Big G's doing all it can to at least keep its current users content. This time around, the Mountain View crew has handed its Offers application a somewhat hefty refresh.Version 1.2 of the cash-saving app brings with it an all-new UI (which Google describes as "crisp") as well as more deals in more cities....

2013 Dodge Dart to Start at $16,790

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 12:42 PM PDT

2013 Dodge Dart to Start at $16,790


2013 Dodge Dart to Start at $16,790
The reborn Dodge Dart is expected to be in dealer showrooms in June.

TWC TV Android app finally updated with live TV streaming

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 12:42 PM PDT

TWC TV Android app finally updated with live TV streaming


TWC TV Android app finally updated with live TV streaming
Time Warner Cable users who prefer Android to iOS can finally enjoy live TV streaming on their Ice Cream Sandwich-enabled tablets and phones. As we learned when it debuted, DRM requirements are making live TV streaming an Android 4.0-only (devices that have been rooted however, are not invited) affair, but at least it's here....

JVC demos GY-HM600, launches HM650 Mobile News Camera with WiFi and FTP at NAB

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 12:42 PM PDT

JVC demos GY-HM600, launches HM650 Mobile News Camera with WiFi and FTP at NAB


JVC demos GY-HM600, launches HM650 Mobile News Camera with WiFi and FTP at NAB
Sure, you can always roll up with a full-blown sat truck or a camera tethered to a ViaSat SurfBeam 2 Pro Portable, or you can pick up the JVC GY-HM650, which lets you beam those video bytes back to base with any ole hotspot. The company's Mobile News Camera packs a trio of 1/3-inch 1080p 12-bit sensors, a 29-667mm lens, 3.5-inch LCD, SDXC compatibility and HD-SDI outputs, but it also includes...

Chrome For Android Gets Desktop View, Home Screen Bookmarks, File Downloads

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 12:42 PM PDT

Chrome For Android Gets Desktop View, Home Screen Bookmarks, File Downloads


Chrome For Android Gets Desktop View, Home Screen Bookmarks, File Downloads
Chrome for Android is becoming somewhat of a flagship mobile app for Google, but given that it's only available on phones and tablets running Ice Cream Sandwich, its reach is pretty limited. It's still one of the best mobile browsers on the market, though, and Google is adding a number of cool features to it today....

Sprint and LG launch Optimus Elite: entry-level specifications, planet-saving hopes

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 12:42 PM PDT

Sprint and LG launch Optimus Elite: entry-level specifications, planet-saving hopes


Sprint and LG launch Optimus Elite: entry-level specifications, planet-saving hopes
The successor to 2010's Optimus S, LG's readied another low-middleweight smartphone. Main features on the Optimus Elite include Android 2,3, a 3.5-inch screen, an 800MHz processor, NFC and a five-megapixel camera. So there's nothing particularly thrilling, but 50GB of free storage from Box could sweeten the deal for some. Eco-friendly nods include sustainable build materials, with 50 percent made from recycled plastic, with the hazardous likes of mercury, PVC and halogens...

CNG option on GM pickup trucks priced at $11,000

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 12:42 PM PDT

CNG option on GM pickup trucks priced at $11,000


CNG option on GM pickup trucks priced at $11,000
If you want to join the fight against imported oil, you'll have to pay to enter.

Sprint Goes Green (Yet Again) With The Eco-Conscious LG Optimus Elite

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 11:52 AM PDT

Sprint Goes Green (Yet Again) With The Eco-Conscious LG Optimus Elite


Sprint Goes Green (Yet Again) With The Eco-Conscious LG Optimus Elite
Well, Sprint certainly seems hell-bent on making this Earth Day one to remember. Not only have they decided to launch the LTE-friendly LG Viper and Galaxy Nexus on April 22, Sprint has announced that they have chosen that same day to release the new eco-friendly LG Optimus Elite. Unlike the flashier handsets launching alongside it, the Optimus Elite is unlikely to turn too many heads....

Google updates Chrome for Android with added language support, home screen bookm...

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 11:52 AM PDT

Google updates Chrome for Android with added language support, home screen bookmarks


Google updates Chrome for Android with added language support, home screen bookmarks
It's still only available for Ice Cream Sandwich, but those not bound by an older OS can now download a fairly significant update to Google's Chrome for Android web browser. In addition to some added language support and broader availability, it brings with it the ability to select desktop versions of websites, save bookmarks to your home screen as a shortcut, download files to your device, and options to choose which...

Windows Phone OS mod speeds up app load times, knows you'll play Monopoly on you...

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 11:52 AM PDT

Windows Phone OS mod speeds up app load times, knows you'll play Monopoly on your break (video)


Windows Phone OS mod speeds up app load times, knows you'll play Monopoly on your break (video)
Microsoft Research has revealed some of its latest work into mobile app optimization -- and it's called the contextual solution, Falcon. Fast App Launching with Context aims to improve "key OS services" including memory management, scheduling and security. It does this by using location and sci-fi-sounding "temporal access patterns" -- when you use the app -- to pre-load programs before you've even decided to use them, which dramatically reduces perceived loading...

Is The Lumia 900 Headed To T-Mobile?

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 11:52 AM PDT

Is The Lumia 900 Headed To T-Mobile?


Is The Lumia 900 Headed To T-Mobile?
The Lumia 900 is an excellent handset, whether or not European carriers like it. But it's hard to imagine how Nokia and Microsoft plan to achieve a high level of penetration with the phone on a single carrier (AT&T). Luckily for the partnership, it would seem as though T-Mobile will be getting the Lumia 900 over the course of the summer as well....

Canon shows off prototype 30-inch 4K reference display, won't put a price tag on...

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 11:52 AM PDT

Canon shows off prototype 30-inch 4K reference display, won't put a price tag on love


Canon shows off prototype 30-inch 4K reference display, won't put a price tag on love
With 4K cameras suddenly popping up everywhere we look at NAB 2012, it's little surprise that Canon is showing off this matching 30-inch prototype intended for the very professionals tasked with mastering video shot by its latest hardware. Like the retina display, it produces an effect where no matter how close you're standing it's still impossible to pick out the individual pixels, and easily matched what we'd seen from a prototype...

The Gear Race Is On

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 11:52 AM PDT

The Gear Race Is On


The Gear Race Is On
How are 8- and 9-speed transmissions affecting the cars we buy?

More layoffs at Fisker; Delware plant is 'absolutely empty'

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 11:02 AM PDT

More layoffs at Fisker; Delware plant is 'absolutely empty'


More layoffs at Fisker; Delware plant is 'absolutely empty'
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, Fisker Last we heard, Fisker Automotive was still "committed" to building the recently revealed Atlantic sedan at the former GM plant in Delaware. A few years ago, Fisker announced that site would be the company's new domestic production home (the Fisker Karma extended-range plug-in hybrid is made by Valmet in Finland)....

Physicist uses math to get out of a traffic ticket, publishes findings

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 11:01 AM PDT

Physicist uses math to get out of a traffic ticket, publishes findings


Physicist uses math to get out of a traffic ticket, publishes findings
When most folks get ticketed for running a stop sign, most people wind up writing the court a check. UC San Diego physicist Dmitri Krioukov wrote a mathematical paper instead. Rather than throw his fallible human opinion on the mercy of the court, Krioukov uses a series of equations and graphs to prove that the accusing officer confused his car's real space-time trajectory "for a trajectory of a hypothetical object moving...

Gmail down for many, Hotmail users feel free to gloat (update: back for some!)

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 11:01 AM PDT

Gmail down for many, Hotmail users feel free to gloat (update: back for some!)


Gmail down for many, Hotmail users feel free to gloat (update: back for some!)
Having trouble accessing your Gmail? You're not alone. Far from it, as a matter of fact. Widespread reports of "Temporary Error 500" are sweeping the Twittersphere and, indeed, many fine members of Engadget are seeing the above when attempting to log in. We've seen numerous outages of Google's insanely popular email service in the past but this one seems to take the cake....

ARM announces new quad-core Cortex-A15 Hard Macro variant

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 10:07 AM PDT

ARM announces new quad-core Cortex-A15 Hard Macro variant


ARM announces new quad-core Cortex-A15 Hard Macro variant
It's pretty much a year to the day that we reported the possibility of a quad-core Cortex-A15 from ARM, and look what just came across the wire! It's the Cortex-A15 Hard Marco -- the first design from ARM we're aware of that packs four A15 cores. The Hard Macro edition is of particular interest as it aims to help manufacturers bring products to market more quickly and at a lower cost....

Report: Wearable Computing Will Soon Intensify The Platform Wars

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 10:07 AM PDT

Report: Wearable Computing Will Soon Intensify The Platform Wars


Report: Wearable Computing Will Soon Intensify The Platform Wars
Google made quite a splash with its Project Glass video earlier this month. While Google's vision of wearable computing still looks a bit like science fiction today, a new report by Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps argues that "in three years, wearables will matter to every product strategist" and that smart developers should start experimenting with applications for wearables on the "big five" platforms (Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook) today. In...

Lito Green Motion's electric Sora zooms into sight, promises to arrive this summer

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 10:07 AM PDT

Lito Green Motion's electric Sora zooms into sight, promises to arrive this summer


Lito Green Motion's electric Sora zooms into sight, promises to arrive this summer
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, On Two Wheels, North America It's been a year since we first saw computer-generated renderings of the Sora electric motorcycle from Lito Green Motion and we've been (less-than-patiently) waiting to see it in action ever since. Happily, that wait is now over. On the eve of its exhibition to the well-heeled hordes at the Top Marques show in Monaco, the company has released footage of its mean green machine cruising...

Apple eMate 300 prototype pops up on eBay, buy it now for $8,500

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 10:07 AM PDT

Apple eMate 300 prototype pops up on eBay, buy it now for $8,500


Apple eMate 300 prototype pops up on eBay, buy it now for $8,500
At this point we kind of just expect vintage Apple machines to surface on eBay: just last month we came across a WALT prototype, followed by a Macintosh 128k a few days ago. Now, the fresh face at eBay's auction party is Apple's eMate 300, which is said to be in "good working order" and showing no signs of wear....

Happly For iPad Helps Curious Kids Discover The Web…Safely

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 10:07 AM PDT

Happly For iPad Helps Curious Kids Discover The Web…Safely


Happly For iPad Helps Curious Kids Discover The Web…Safely
iPad guilt? There needs to be a technical term for that feeling in the pit of a parent's stomach that arises from handing over the iPad to their kids, only to watch them play brain rotting Outfit7 games or level after level of Angry Birds. Fortunately, some startups are focusing on developing more educational content for the iPad to help parents assuage some of their guilt over their kids' ever-increasing screen...

Prince of Persia source code freed from floppies, posted online

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 10:07 AM PDT

Prince of Persia source code freed from floppies, posted online


Prince of Persia source code freed from floppies, posted online
You wouldn't think it would take more than two weeks to extract some source code from a pile of 3.5-inch floppies and post it online, but getting files from 1989 to play nice with a MacBook Air is no simple feat. That's why we're so appreciative of Jordan Mechner, who put the time and effort into freeing his creation, Prince of Persia, from its magnetic prison....

Ivy Bridge-packing HP EliteBook gets reviewed, scores well in early tests

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 10:07 AM PDT

Ivy Bridge-packing HP EliteBook gets reviewed, scores well in early tests


Ivy Bridge-packing HP EliteBook gets reviewed, scores well in early tests
Hear that? That, friends, is the sound of someone in Intel's PR department banging his head against a desk. Though we've read more than a few rumors about the company's forthcoming Ivy Bridge chips, Intel has steadfastly declined to share many official details, and has controlled the flow of information so tightly that laptop makers won't even use the words Ivy Bridge when talking about upcoming systems....

Space Shuttle Discovery salutes Washington on historic final flight

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 10:07 AM PDT

Space Shuttle Discovery salutes Washington on historic final flight


Space Shuttle Discovery salutes Washington on historic final flight
As historic flights go, this has to be right up there with the best of 'em. Space Shuttle Discovery performed a final fly-by over the capital, and created a trail of excited spotters as it did so. Perched atop a Boeing 747, the iconic craft was flying at a relatively low 1,500 feet according to NASA....

New Mustang Shuns Boomers, Goes Gen-Y

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 10:07 AM PDT

New Mustang Shuns Boomers, Goes Gen-Y


New Mustang Shuns Boomers, Goes Gen-Y
Ford may drop Mustang's retro look to appeal to younger buyers.

Leaked benchmarks suggest Motorola is working on a Snapdragon S4 phone

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 08:19 AM PDT

Leaked benchmarks suggest Motorola is working on a Snapdragon S4 phone


Leaked benchmarks suggest Motorola is working on a Snapdragon S4 phone
You slave away on your company's Next Big Thing, of course you want to see how it performs. And we're glad that you do decided to dabble, hypothetical engineer, because we can pore over those numbers for a glimpse at what's coming next. According to benchmarks discovered by Blog of Mobile, Motorola might be looking to move on from the Texas Instrument chipsets it's used in the past....