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Sunday, April 29, 2012

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Chevy Volt takes a dip in the pool at Coachella. With bikinis.

Posted: 29 Apr 2012 03:04 PM PDT

Chevy Volt takes a dip in the pool at Coachella. With bikinis.


Chevy Volt takes a dip in the pool at Coachella. With bikinis.
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chevrolet The PR department for the GM Western Region swears there's Chevrolet Volt in the image above. We think we can spot it, but we're not sure. The still is taken from a promotional video for the Volt Recharge Lounge at the Coachella music festival in California recently. Called "Voltchella: The Chevy Volt Pool Party," the clip is a minute of attractive people in bathing suits alongside a Volt floating in a pool. Seriously. There's not much else to say about it, because all the video shows are the people - including celebrities like Paris Hilton and some actor from The Hunger Games - and the car. The coolest part? When we see a tall crane shot of the Volt being lifted into place. The rest? Well, it's not the most pointless Volt video we've ever seen, but it's pretty close. See for yourself down below.Continue reading Chevy Volt takes a dip in the pool at Coachella. With bikinis.Chevy Volt takes a dip in the pool at Coachella. With bikinis. originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Switched On: Big kicks not all for starters

Posted: 29 Apr 2012 03:04 PM PDT

Switched On: Big kicks not all for starters


Switched On: Big kicks not all for starters
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. The end of last week's Switched On left doubt for the future of dedicated devices that tread on the turf of smartphones. After all, funding is key to every major new product initiative and, despite the vast fortunes of many Silicon Valley engineers that have been accumulated via IPOs and acquisitions, few wish to take on the risk of fronting a new consumer device themselves.(In 2007, the handheld FlipStart PC was hatched from FlipStart Labs, funded by Vulcan Ventures, the investment arm of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.) Most venture capitalists abhor the device business; it is a rare device that makes it to the spotlight of startup debutante balls such as DEMO, TechCrunch Disrupt, or Launch. Even most of the 94 companies at CES' Eureka Park were not developing end-user devices Where, then, can a device entrepreneur go for funding and pick up some publicity in the process?Continue reading Switched On: Big kicks not all for startersSwitched On: Big kicks not all for starters originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Mozilla dispatches Firefox 3.6, fills its chair with version 13 beta

Posted: 29 Apr 2012 01:16 PM PDT

Mozilla dispatches Firefox 3.6, fills its chair with version 13 beta


Mozilla dispatches Firefox 3.6, fills its chair with version 13 beta
If you've been defiantly clinging onto Firefox 3.6 by your fingertips, bad news. Mozilla is officially putting it to sleep -- whether you like it or not -- by auto-updating users to version 12. You've still got a few days to bid your emotional farewells, with the switchover being pegged as early May. But, the browser's creators stop short of setting a date for you to get the flowers delivered by. Official support for the 2010 release finished this week, and the final bout of security fixes was back in January. At the other end of the spectrum, Firefox 13 wobbled up onto its beta legs yesterday, bringing a new homepage, Google's new SPDY protocol and tab extra features with it. If you're making the leap, don't panic if you find some old friends missing.Mozilla dispatches Firefox 3.6, fills its chair with version 13 beta originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Electronista, Computer World | Mozilla (1), (2) | Email this | Comments

Acer releases app to hurry the ICS-ification of Iconia slates (video)

Posted: 29 Apr 2012 12:06 PM PDT

Acer releases app to hurry the ICS-ification of Iconia slates (video)


Acer releases app to hurry the ICS-ification of Iconia slates (video)
Patience, they say, is a virtue. Try telling that to a tech-savvy tablet owner, whose friend already got an ICS update. Acer started pushing out an Android 4 update to lucky Iconia 500 owners earlier in the week, but for those who've yet to receive it, all is not lost. The tablet maker has taken the unusual step of releasing an app dedicated to getting you the upgrade asap. Can't wait a moment longer? Point your slate at the Play store and search for "Acer" and then simply look for the free Iconia Tab Update Enhancement app. Virtues are overrated anyway.Continue reading Acer releases app to hurry the ICS-ification of Iconia slates (video)Acer releases app to hurry the ICS-ification of Iconia slates (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Droid Life | Google Play | Email this | Comments

Maingear reveals more heat-dissipating desktops, keeps those new Ivy Bridge inte...

Posted: 29 Apr 2012 09:44 AM PDT

Maingear reveals more heat-dissipating desktops, keeps those new Ivy Bridge internals cool


Maingear reveals more heat-dissipating desktops, keeps those new Ivy Bridge internals cool
Maingear gave us a quick nudge to say something was coming. Now it can reveal that -- alongside Intel's third-generation processors inside all of its desktops and laptops -- it's further updated two of its tower models. The F131 ($1,049), the middleweight option, now houses the same vertical heat-dissipating design found on Maingear's Shift model, alongside hot-swappable storage. It's followed by the Potenza ($899), the company's "mini-ITX gaming solution." It's 45 percent smaller than the F131 with the same heat dissipation design, but still capable of squeezing in NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680 and support for a liquid cooling setup on the side. Phew. So pick your size, pick your processor and hit up the source for all the custom desktop options.Continue reading Maingear reveals more heat-dissipating desktops, keeps those new Ivy Bridge internals coolMaingear reveals more heat-dissipating desktops, keeps those new Ivy Bridge internals cool originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 12:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Maingear | Email this | Comments

Animated video shows Orion spacecraft in orbit

Posted: 29 Apr 2012 08:34 AM PDT

Animated video shows Orion spacecraft in orbit


Animated video shows Orion spacecraft in orbit
NASA may have pushed back the Orion spacecraft's test flight to 2014, but you can get an early glimpse of the capsule in orbit thanks to this animated video from Full Werks studio. You'll see the capsule circle the planet before touching down in the Pacific -- all with a much better view than you can expect when that actual launch date rolls around. The animation features audio clips from the original Apollo and, as any NASA-related video worth its salt should, includes a vintage voiceover from space sage Carl Sagan.Continue reading Animated video shows Orion spacecraft in orbitAnimated video shows Orion spacecraft in orbit originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 11:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Full {Circle} Werks | Email this | Comments

Some cars to be as clean as electric train travel by 2020

Posted: 29 Apr 2012 06:18 AM PDT

Some cars to be as clean as electric train travel by 2020


Some cars to be as clean as electric train travel by 2020
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, MPG Ex-Ford engineer Richard Parry-Jones is now chairman-designate of the UK's Network Rail. Having looked into the futures of both car and train development, he believes that by the end of this decade the most Earth-friendly internal-combustion engine cars will be about as polluting, on a per-passenger basis, as high-speed electric trains. Parry-Jones says carmakers are targeting 40g/km of CO2 tailpipe emissions by 2020. If the "average" occupancy of 1.6 people-per-vehicle stays the same in eight years, that would equal 25 gm per person per kilometer and put such cars in the same environmental category as the cleanest mass transit. Since the emissions of electric cars and trains is usually given as zero, we're assuming he means diesel-electric high-speed trains; life-cycle emissions wouldn't be a valid comparison since those aren't factored into a car's tailpipe number. According to The Guardian's table of emission numbers by transport, right now you'd have to load four folks in a small diesel topped up with ultra-low sulphur fuel to get down to 42 grams per passenger per kilometer (gpkm), which would put you right with one of Virgin's Voyager class diesel-electric trains at 75-percent capacity. If you want to go all the way low, though, you'll need a 50cc two-stroke and a passenger: at that point you're rocking just 19.5 gpkm. Slowly.Some cars to be as clean as electric train travel by 2020 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Digital Storm locks and loads Ivy Bridge into its new recruits

Posted: 29 Apr 2012 06:18 AM PDT

Digital Storm locks and loads Ivy Bridge into its new recruits


Digital Storm locks and loads Ivy Bridge into its new recruits
Digital Storm has announced that its premium-priced (and not so premium-priced) gaming PCs will soon be touting Ivy Bridge processors. This means, going forward, all machines will come with the Intel's third generation Core architecture, with the PC maker already claiming it's managed overclocks at 4.8GHz. Like its machines, Digital Storm is keeping cool on when the systems will find their way from workshop to LAN, or what effect (if any) there'll be on pricing. Keep the cross hairs focused on the source link for more info.Continue reading Digital Storm locks and loads Ivy Bridge into its new recruitsDigital Storm locks and loads Ivy Bridge into its new recruits originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Digital Storm | Email this | Comments

MIT develops fog resistant, glare-free glass, it's clearly amazing (video)

Posted: 29 Apr 2012 04:28 AM PDT

MIT develops fog resistant, glare-free glass, it's clearly amazing (video)


MIT develops fog resistant, glare-free glass, it's clearly amazing (video)
It sounds like it's not just us that spend half our sweet time with lint-free cloth in hand. Researchers at MIT have developed a new type of glass that "virtually eliminates" reflections, and is also water-repellent. By using techniques from the semiconductor industry, conical nano-textures etched into the layered surface that give the wonder-glass its fog, glare and self-cleaning properties. The hope is that the technology will find its way into our many daily screens and even windows. It's not all about gadget vanity though; solar panels lose efficiency over time through residual surface build up, and using the new glass could go some way to eliminate that issue. If they can just remember where they put the ultra-clear test sample that is.Continue reading MIT develops fog resistant, glare-free glass, it's clearly amazing (video)MIT develops fog resistant, glare-free glass, it's clearly amazing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 07:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink SlashGear | MIT | Email this | Comments

America’s best small towns for food

Posted: 29 Apr 2012 02:45 AM PDT

America's best small towns for food


America's best small towns for food
These are not just our favorite towns to stop along your next road trip; these are towns we'd want to spend some time in.

GameStop to offer Android tablet and smartphone trade-ins, give you another excu...

Posted: 29 Apr 2012 02:12 AM PDT

GameStop to offer Android tablet and smartphone trade-ins, give you another excuse to upgrade


GameStop to offer Android tablet and smartphone trade-ins, give you another excuse to upgrade
If you've been looking for a reason to replace your aging device with something a tad more contemporary, your local pawnshop GameStop is happy to oblige. According to Gadget Experts, the games retailer is looking to bolster its Android offerings with Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Nexus S and Samsung Infuse 4G trade-ins at select GameStops this summer, expanding to all locations by the end of the year. Have a device that's not on this short list? Don't worry, Gadget Experts says the firm plans to fill out its touchable trade-in inventory with more devices in the future. So, what's a Galaxy Tab worth to gaming's favorite pawn star? We'll let you know when GameStop drops the official details.GameStop to offer Android tablet and smartphone trade-ins, give you another excuse to upgrade originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 04:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Technobuffalo | Gadget Experts | Email this | Comments

Rocketfish's Sound Prism is triangu-lovely

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 11:22 PM PDT

Rocketfish's Sound Prism is triangu-lovely


Rocketfish's Sound Prism is triangu-lovely
Cunning design is a wonderful thing, and this triangular bundle of smarts is almost meta! Rocketfish's Sound Prism is exactly what it says it is, a three-sided speaker bar with a twist (metaphorically speaking.) Inventors, CRE8 Design studio, cooked up the clever idea of using the empty space created by a folded Apple Smart Cover. This fella neatly slips into the cubby-hole of the folded case, and attaches itself magnetically. It's Bluetooth, so can pair up with any compatible device, but won't look quite so snug as when used as nature -- or rather its creators -- intended. How much for a slice of the Pythagorean action? That'll be 80 rectangular dollars, sir.Rocketfish's Sound Prism is triangu-lovely originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 02:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Technabob | Rocketfish | Email this | Comments

NVIDIA unleashes GeForce GTX 690 graphics card, loads it with dual Kepler GPUs,...

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 11:22 PM PDT

NVIDIA unleashes GeForce GTX 690 graphics card, loads it with dual Kepler GPUs, charges $1k


NVIDIA unleashes GeForce GTX 690 graphics card, loads it with dual Kepler GPUs, charges $1k
Would you look at that? NVIDIA hinted it would be coming today, and it looks like the tease is living up to the hype. The company stormed into the weekend at its Shanghai Game Festival by unleashing its latest offering, the GeForce GTX 690 -- and oh yeah, it's packing two 28nm Kepler GPUs! Trumping the recently released GTX 680 as the "worlds fastest graphics card," it's loaded with a whopping 3,072 Cuda cores. The outer frame is made from trivalent chromium-plated aluminum, while you'll find thixomolded magnesium alloy around the fan for vibration reduction and added cooling. Aiding in cooling even further, the unit also sports a dual vapor chamber and center-mounted fan. It'll cost you a spendy $1,000 to pick up one these puppies come May 3rd, and you'll likely be tempted to double up -- two can run together in SLI as an effective quad-core card. With that said, NVIDIA claims that a single 690 runs 4dB quieter and handles about twice the framerate as a duo of GTX 680s in SLI -- impressive, but we'll reserve judgement until we see it for ourselves. check out the press release after the break if you'd like more information in the meantime (...and yes, it runs Crysis -- 2 Ultra to be exact -- at 57.8fps, according to NVIDIA). [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Continue reading NVIDIA unleashes GeForce GTX 690 graphics card, loads it with dual Kepler GPUs, charges $1kNVIDIA unleashes GeForce GTX 690 graphics card, loads it with dual Kepler GPUs, charges $1k originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Origin PC joins the 11-inch, rebadged gaming laptop party, outs the EON 11-S

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 11:22 PM PDT

Origin PC joins the 11-inch, rebadged gaming laptop party, outs the EON 11-S


Origin PC joins the 11-inch, rebadged gaming laptop party, outs the EON 11-S
Last week may have drawn to a close, but the march of Clevo news continues. On the heels of Maingear announcing an 11-inch gaming notebook, Origin PC is throwing its own ultraportable into the ring: the EON 11-S. Though this is a new model for the company (the smallest laptop it's ever sold, in fact), it's not quite fresh to us: this is the same exact Clevo-made notebook Maingear unveiled two days ago, only re-badged under Origin PC's brand and available in a wider range of colors. As far as performance goes, then, that means you can expect Ivy Bridge processors, a 2GB NVIDIA GT 650M GPU, Optimus graphics-switching technology and a battery rated for 6.5 hours of runtime. In Origin PC's case, the laptop starts at $999 (compared with $1,099 for Maingear), though you'll have to head over to Origin's site for a breakdown of what specs you'll be getting at that lower price.Gallery: Origin PC EON 11-SContinue reading Origin PC joins the 11-inch, rebadged gaming laptop party, outs the EON 11-SOrigin PC joins the 11-inch, rebadged gaming laptop party, outs the EON 11-S originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Origin PC | Email this | Comments

Ask Engadget: best 'money is no object' laptop?

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 11:22 PM PDT

Ask Engadget: best 'money is no object' laptop?


Ask Engadget: best 'money is no object' laptop?
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 coming to us from Chris, who simply has too much money to blow on a super-laptop. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I sold my business and I want to replace my laptop [HP Pavilion G6] with a completely unreasonably expensive top of the line machine. I want it to do everything I do (gaming, coding, web design) all at the same time. Apart from the fact I need two hard drive bays, I'm completely open-minded, so what should I be buying? Thank you!" Quell your gnashing teeth, members of the 99 percent, he's done well for himself and now he needs our help. We were able to trick out an Alienware M18x to full capacity for $6,700 -- with an over-clocked 4GHz Intel Core i7 CPU, 32GB of RAM, two 2GB NVIDIA GTX 675M GPUs in SLI mode and 1.2TB of SSD RAID storage. That's the benchmark, folks: who out there can find something more powerful?Ask Engadget: best 'money is no object' laptop? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Apr 2012 23:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Mobile Miscellany: week of April 23rd, 2012

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 11:22 PM PDT

Mobile Miscellany: week of April 23rd, 2012


Mobile Miscellany: week of April 23rd, 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, we learned that ZTE intends to release a phablet of its own, and Samsung unseated Nokia as the world's largest supplier of mobile phones. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of April 23rd, 2012.Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of April 23rd, 2012Mobile Miscellany: week of April 23rd, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Apr 2012 22:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Is this RIM's BlackBerry 10 development device?

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 11:22 PM PDT

Is this RIM's BlackBerry 10 development device?


Is this RIM's BlackBerry 10 development device?
You know the drill -- grab yourself a spoonful of Morton's and get ready for another supposed leak of a gadget. This time around, you're looking at what's claimed as being one of Research In Motion's BlackBerry 10 "Development Alpha" devices that'll be handed out during next week's BlackBerry Jam -- just like the company promised a month ago. Images of the device first surfaced over at Crackberry's forums and, as the site points out, the touchscreen candy bar seems to share its design DNA with the PlayBook. Keeping in mind that it's likely to remain a testing device for devs, don't bank on it ever hitting store shelves. That said, we're now curious how pivotal a roll RIM's famous tactile keyboards will play on its next-generation phones -- if any. Head over to the source links below if you'd like to catch more photos from Mr. Blurrycam and extra information in the meantime.Is this RIM's BlackBerry 10 development device? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | CrackBerry | Email this | Comments

Sony's Alpha A37 and NEX-F3 pose for the camera, reveal more angles, details

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 11:22 PM PDT

Sony's Alpha A37 and NEX-F3 pose for the camera, reveal more angles, details


Sony's Alpha A37 and NEX-F3 pose for the camera, reveal more angles, details
Well, well, talk about déjà vu! It was just yesterday that a corner of Sony's 16.1 megapixel NEX-F3 leaked onto the interwebs and now more photos have surfaced, along with a previously unannounced shooter, the Alpha A37 SLT. The pictures come courtesy of Yang Canggih, which says it had a chance to demo the two devices yesterday at Sony's Partner's Conference in Jakarta (curiously, the NEX-F3 post isn't live as of this writing, but Sony Alpha Rumors has the images up). Starting with the F3, the mirrorless camera has lost a smidgen of the curves found on its older sibling, the C3, adopting a slight bit of the angular edges that once made the NEX-7 the badass standout in the lineup. You'll notice that the shutter button and grip have an uncanny resemblance to the 7's, not to mention that it's clearly gained a pop-up flash -- a first for the lower-end NEXs. Past that, the rumored -- and self-portrait friendly -- 180 degree tilt-screen is also present, which'll likely give the C3 an edge over its siblings when it comes to composing shots. Also worth note, some of the buttons on back have been slightly repositioned. Moving along, those hoping for a successor to the A35 will apparently have their wish granted with the 16.1 megapixel A37. According to Yang Canggih, it features the articulating display from last generation of NEX cams, Auto Portrait Framing (first introduced with the A57), four more effect modes than the a35 (up from 11) and an ergonomic grip in the vein of the A77. Sadly, that's about all that's currently known, so hopefully we'll get an official introduction to the cameras soon. Head past the break for a shot of the A37 and then check out the links below for even more of both.Continue reading Sony's Alpha A37 and NEX-F3 pose for the camera, reveal more angles, detailsSony's Alpha A37 and NEX-F3 pose for the camera, reveal more angles, details originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Sony Alpha Rumors (1), (2) | Yang Canggih (translation) | Email this | Comments

Apple and Samsung set to meet May 21st, hug it out over 48 hours

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 11:22 PM PDT

Apple and Samsung set to meet May 21st, hug it out over 48 hours


Apple and Samsung set to meet May 21st, hug it out over 48 hours
These two brawlers were given until July to come together and mediate over their numerous globe-spanning patent lawsuits, but it appears neither side needs to wait that long. According to Foss Patents, May 21st and 22nd have been circled on the calendar of a certain San Francisco courthouse, where Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero will attempt to arbitrate in a calm, soothing voice for two days straight. Presenting himself as a confidant who sits outside of the main litigation being conducted in San Jose, Spero has already asked both parties to open up and provide "candid" statements about the strengths and weaknesses of their own cases, as a first step towards identifying areas of compromise. Fortunately, he still has a few weeks in which to devise further cunning plans.Continue reading Apple and Samsung set to meet May 21st, hug it out over 48 hoursApple and Samsung set to meet May 21st, hug it out over 48 hours originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Apr 2012 19:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink The Verge | Foss Patents | Email this | Comments