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Sunday, May 13, 2012

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Switched On: And smartplayers for all

Posted: 13 May 2012 03:01 PM PDT

Switched On: And smartplayers for all


Switched On: And smartplayers for all
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. A few weeks ago, Switched On noted the challenges that even wildly popular, highly penetrated devices such as MP3 players and portable GPS devices have faced in the era of the converged device. Some of these devices, such as digital cameras, still hold on because of genuine advantages such as better image quality or optical zoom. For others devices, though, such as MP3 players and portable GPS devices, the grim news is that one of the main reasons consumers use them is to save smartphone battery life.Continue reading Switched On: And smartplayers for allSwitched On: And smartplayers for all originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Zero Motorcycles prove resilient in crash-marred TTXGP weekend, take top three s...

Posted: 13 May 2012 01:15 PM PDT

Zero Motorcycles prove resilient in crash-marred TTXGP weekend, take top three spots


Zero Motorcycles prove resilient in crash-marred TTXGP weekend, take top three spots
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, On Two Wheels, Racing Last weekend's TTXGP motorcycle races were proof that sometimes, slow and steady wins the race. Not that the four "eSuperstock" Zero S ZF9s were slow - ok, they are a bit sluggish compared to their superbike upperclassmen - but their reliability conquered all, allowing them to sweep the podium. How's that? TTXGP is holding two races at each event and aggregating the scores. Michael Barnes easily won the first race on his "flying banana" from Lightning Motors but suffered from a malfunction in the second and retired, resulting with him finishing the weekend with 25 points. Tim Hunt, riding the #89 Lightning bike, had a DNF in the first race and won the second, scoring 25 points as well. Martin Szwarc, Kenyon Kluge, and Kyle Schumacher finished each contest in 2nd, 4th, and 5th, respectively, giving them more points than the Lightning riders. And the trophies. It seems eSuperstock is not a separate class, as we supposed in our pre-race post, but rather, a "production specification category." Yeah, it's confusing. However bad the Lightning crew might have felt after being shut out, they still fared better than Brammo. After putting down a few laps quicker than last year's record pace, rider Steve Atlas high sided on turn seven. While able to walk away from the crash, Atlas had six fractured vertebrae and was in no condition to continue. Luckily for the team, the bike was soon race-ready and Steve Rapp stepped up to the plate. It was shaping up to be an exciting race with the former Mission Motors rider running close behind the Lightning machines, when disaster struck again in turn seven and the Brammo Empulse RR went down on the low side. Steve #2 suffered a broken wrist and the weekend was over for the team. Such is racing. Hopefully, the field will be a bit more crowded when the North American edition of the TTXGP gets to the Portland International Raceway on June 23. Besides a recovered Steve Atlas, Shelina Moreda will be joining the Brammo boys. In the meantime, scroll below for footage of the first race from the bike of weekend winner Martin Szwarc, as well as an additional video featuring Michael Barnes riding the Lightning in qualifying.Continue reading Zero Motorcycles prove resilient in crash-marred TTXGP weekend, take top three spotsZero Motorcycles prove resilient in crash-marred TTXGP weekend, take top three spots originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 13 May 2012 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Acer Liquid Glow hits the FCC, keeps its secrets

Posted: 13 May 2012 01:15 PM PDT

Acer Liquid Glow hits the FCC, keeps its secrets


Acer Liquid Glow hits the FCC, keeps its secrets
Acer's Liquid series phones only occasionally reach the FCC, so it's with some surprise that we've just spotted the still-fresh Liquid Glow getting the US agency's approval under its E330 model name. Details are scarce as to whether or not there's been any changes made to the Android 4.0 phone on its way out of Taiwan, however: there's no telltale signs like cellular frequencies or carrier badging. If anything, Acer is hoping to keep information hush-hush by stamping a 180-day confidentiality seal on the manual and photos. It's entirely possible that this is the international GSM model with no 3G support for North American carriers, so we wouldn't get worked up about local release plans. Even so, knowing Canadian carrier Rogers' tendency to offer Acer phones, there's still a possibility that a version of the Liquid Glow might go on sale this side of the Pacific.Acer Liquid Glow hits the FCC, keeps its secrets originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | FCC | Email this | Comments

Seraku's Android mirror lets you reflect on your operating system

Posted: 13 May 2012 10:54 AM PDT

Seraku's Android mirror lets you reflect on your operating system


Seraku's Android mirror lets you reflect on your operating system
Phones, watches, TVs and in-car entertainment. Android has been put to work in many corners of our technological world. Now, it's reached another, less expected one -- mirrors. The Verge spotted itself the Smart Wash Basin prototype at Smartphone and Mobile Expo, and took a good look into it. The heavy lifting is done by a hidden Android tablet, and the reflective display is actually a separate monitor with a semitransparent piece of reflective glass. If you're thinking "smudges," hang fire, as RF proximity sensors are used, so you interact with it without smearing your paws across the shiny surface. The show prototype had water monitoring functions, and was coupled up to a set of scales in the floor. The manufacturer hopes one of the uses for the invention could be reading the news at the hairdresser. What we want to know is, when did salons suddenly go all futuristico?Seraku's Android mirror lets you reflect on your operating system originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink The Verge | Seraku (Japanese) | Email this | Comments

ATD: Yahoo's CEO Scott Thompson to step down amidst degree scandal

Posted: 13 May 2012 09:42 AM PDT

ATD: Yahoo's CEO Scott Thompson to step down amidst degree scandal


ATD: Yahoo's CEO Scott Thompson to step down amidst degree scandal
While thousands upon thousands of Americans are celebrating graduation weekend with degree in hand, it looks as if the CEO of one particular internet company will be wondering why he lied about his. After weeks of investigating, word on the street has it that freshly appointed (as in January 4th) CEO Scott Thompson will be "stepping down." In other words, he's being canned. The news comes from an All Things D report on the matter, with the official word expected soon. The scandal took hold a few weeks back, with the official Yahoo bio listing a computer science degree that he allegedly didn't even have. The company line is that he's bolting for "personal reasons," but seriously -- what are the chances these "reasons" would've emerged sans scandal? It's bruited that Yahoo's global media head Ross Levinsohn will be filling Scott's shoes for now, but there's no word yet on who the firm's next CEO will be. It's a shame, but it sure feels like a revolving door in Yahoo's corner office.ATD: Yahoo's CEO Scott Thompson to step down amidst degree scandal originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 12:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | All Things D | Email this | Comments

WSJ: LightSquared 'preparing' for bankruptcy protection filing, final decision c...

Posted: 13 May 2012 08:31 AM PDT

WSJ: LightSquared 'preparing' for bankruptcy protection filing, final decision coming tomorrow


WSJ: LightSquared 'preparing' for bankruptcy protection filing, final decision coming tomorrow
Can't say it's striking us as any sort of surprise, but the seemingly destined-to-fail LightSquared just might be out of options. After getting a high-five from Sprint and plenty of attention for its initiatives in bringing yet another wireless option to America, those blasted GPS interference issues (or "supposed" issues, depending on who you ask) eventually became too much to overcome. According to a breaking report out of The Wall Street Journal, Philip Falcone's venture is seriously teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, as "negotiations with lenders to avoid a potential default faltered," according to the ever-present "people familiar with the matter." Purportedly, the two sides have until 5PM tomorrow to strike a deal that'll keep the firm out of bankruptcy court (if you'll recall, it owes over $1.6 billion dollars to various entities), but given just how far apart these sides remain, its fate seems all but sealed. We'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more, but don't go placing bets on yet another debt-term violation waiver.WSJ: LightSquared 'preparing' for bankruptcy protection filing, final decision coming tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | The Wall Street Journal | Email this | Comments

Ferrari chairman reveals hybrid Enzo will come this year

Posted: 13 May 2012 08:31 AM PDT

Ferrari chairman reveals hybrid Enzo will come this year


Ferrari chairman reveals hybrid Enzo will come this year
We've seen both the fast, and the furious, when it comes to hybrid cars -- but we've yet to see a battery-packing Ferrari roll out of concept, and onto the forecourt. Well, according to Luca di Montezemolo -- the firm's chairman -- we'll finally be able to strike the latter off the list as soon as this year. A limited special edition Enzo was announced at the tail end of the supercar manufacturer's recent financial report. No further details at this time, but the optimistic among you might want to start getting trade-in quotes on that Prius now. Catch the full report is after the break.Continue reading Ferrari chairman reveals hybrid Enzo will come this yearFerrari chairman reveals hybrid Enzo will come this year originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 11:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Autoblog | | Email this | Comments

NEC tablet with GSM and HSPA breaks cover at the FCC

Posted: 13 May 2012 06:45 AM PDT

NEC tablet with GSM and HSPA breaks cover at the FCC


NEC tablet with GSM and HSPA breaks cover at the FCC
Regular readers will know that the FCC is a bit of a virtual whistle-blower, alerting tech-hungry Americans to when new goodies might soon be landing on their shores. Other times it coughs up the odd thing we weren't even waiting for. Today's offering appears to be a 3G tablet from NEC. There's little in the way of specification, or even pictures, but we do know it's sporting GSM and HSPA radios along with the standard WiFi. The device measures 222.6 mm across, which strongly points to a display somewhere in the 7-inch region. The KMP7R4D1-1A model number isn't ringing any bells right now, but we do remember a few Japanese models that bear a passing resemblance not that long ago.NEC tablet with GSM and HSPA breaks cover at the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 09:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | FCC | Email this | Comments

Renault execs say the Zoe will outsell the Nissan Leaf in Europe

Posted: 13 May 2012 06:09 AM PDT

Renault execs say the Zoe will outsell the Nissan Leaf in Europe


Renault execs say the Zoe will outsell the Nissan Leaf in Europe
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, Renault, Europe/EU, UK When it comes to battery-electric vehicle sales across the pond, Renault's Zoe will get the better of the sibling rivalry against the Nissan Leaf. That's what Renault is expecting will happen when it starts selling the Zoe later this year, according to Automotive News and, to make sure vehicles will be available, Renault will have an annual production capacity for the Zoe of as many as 150,000 vehicles. To compare, Nissan will be able to build just 25,000 Leafs at its Sunderland, UK plant when that comes online early next year. Globally, Nissan will be able to make over 200,000 Leafs a year once all its plants go into operation. The Zoe is about eight percent shorter than the Leaf and, more importantly, about half the price thanks to a battery lease program of around $110 a month. Renault debuted the production version of the Zoe at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and spelled out a price of less than $21,000 in France (in U.S. dollars, after government incentives) and about $21,400 in the UK. Those lower price tags should attract plenty of EV customers, even though the Zoe will have a single-charge driving range that's about 30 percent shorter than the Leaf's. Despite relatively low sales of the Renault Kangoo utility EV so far, Thierry Koskas, Renault's EV project director, said that he still expects EVs to account for 10 percent of new cars in Europe by the end of the decade.Renault execs say the Zoe will outsell the Nissan Leaf in Europe originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 13 May 2012 08:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Panasonic racks up a record loss for 2012, looks forward to profits and a partne...

Posted: 13 May 2012 04:25 AM PDT

Panasonic racks up a record loss for 2012, looks forward to profits and a partner for OLED TVs


Panasonic racks up a record loss for 2012, looks forward to profits and a partner for OLED TVs
Panasonic's yearly earnings are in and the red ink added up to a record $9.7 billion net loss for 2011. Number one on incoming president Kazuhiro Tsuga's list is turning around the company's TV division, where its heavy investments in both plasma and LCD manufacturing resulted in heavy losses. Currently the company expects a better result in both next year after 2011's write downs and restructuring, although its projections see total sales falling from 17.3 million last year to 15.5 million. Panasonic is expected to follow Samsung and LG into large screen OLED HDTV production and outgoing prez Fumio Ohtsubo mentioned it would likely look for a partner there. Sumitomo has been rumored as a potential ally in the past, though a preference for run-flat tires could not be confirmed at press time.Panasonic racks up a record loss for 2012, looks forward to profits and a partner for OLED TVs originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 06:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Reuters, Nikkei (registration required), Panasonic 2012 FY earnings | Email this | Comments

PayPal Gets Its Own Share Of The Yahoo Diaspora, Hires JavaScript Icon Douglas C...

Posted: 13 May 2012 03:51 AM PDT

PayPal Gets Its Own Share Of The Yahoo Diaspora, Hires JavaScript Icon Douglas Crockford


PayPal Gets Its Own Share Of The Yahoo Diaspora, Hires JavaScript Icon Douglas Crockford
The reorganizing and downsizing at Yahoo -- and possibly the executive scandal at the very top of the pyramid -- are leading to a wave of talent departures at the company: the latest in that story is that Douglas Crockford, a trailblazing Java guru most recently at Yahoo, is joining eBay's payment giant PayPal. The news was announced by Bill Scott, PayPal's senior director of UI engineering, on his own blog, yesterday. Scott himself had also worked at Yahoo years ago.

Arduino mechs learn RobotC, plot assimilation with Lego Mindstorms

Posted: 13 May 2012 02:07 AM PDT

Arduino mechs learn RobotC, plot assimilation with Lego Mindstorms


Arduino mechs learn RobotC, plot assimilation with Lego Mindstorms
Arduino boards have smoothed the creation of lots of eccentric thingamajigs, but robotics and controllers are still not for the faint of heart. Luckily, RoboMatter is coming to the rescue of would-be roboticists with a public beta version of its C-based RobotC language for Arduino. Joining Lego Mindstorm and other bots, Arduino will get RobotC's straightforward sensor and motor controls, along with a debugger and sample program library, while still keeping its native Wiring language. So, if you want to be a Kickstarter magnate , or just out-weird everyone else, rolling your own droid is now a bit easier.Arduino mechs learn RobotC, plot assimilation with Lego Mindstorms originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 04:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | RobotC | Email this | Comments

Fry's stocks unlocked Nokia N9, is slightly misinformed about its specs

Posted: 12 May 2012 11:55 PM PDT

Fry's stocks unlocked Nokia N9, is slightly misinformed about its specs


Fry's stocks unlocked Nokia N9, is slightly misinformed about its specs
Sure, Nokia's Lumia 900 and 808 PureView may have garnered much of the spotlight lately, but lest we forgot about its flagship MeeGo handset. If you've been anxiously hoping to somehow score an unlocked N9 in the US sans gray-market importers, apparently Fry's Electronics has you covered. Phone News spotted a listing for the phone in the store's latest weekly ad -- although upon closer inspection, it appears that the retailer isn't too sure about its actual specs. Aside from describing the 3.9-inch slab of polycarbonate as a 4.3-inch device, it's also flubbed on the OS, calling it "Mego." Perhaps the most interesting error, however, is that the handset's ClearBlack AMOLED display is listed as Super AMOLED -- Samsung's competing technology. Assuming these are merely copy errors, you'll be able to pick one up for a spendy $600. Hit up the source link below to view the full ad.Fry's stocks unlocked Nokia N9, is slightly misinformed about its specs originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 02:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Phone News | Fry's | Email this | Comments

Adobe changes tune on CS5 updates, won't seek paid CS6 upgrade to patch vulnerab...

Posted: 12 May 2012 09:35 PM PDT

Adobe changes tune on CS5 updates, won't seek paid CS6 upgrade to patch vulnerabilities


Adobe changes tune on CS5 updates, won't seek paid CS6 upgrade to patch vulnerabilities
Things have gotten interesting in the world of CS updates. Recently, Computerworld reported that Adobe had informed folks using an older version of its famed Creative Suite -- CS5 and CS5.5, to be exact -- they'd have to shell out the CS6 upgrade fee in order to get a fix for some recently discovered bugs. Apparently, Adobe took notice to its customers' dissatisfaction and updated its initial blog post with a changed tune, stating, "We are in the process of resolving these vulnerabilities in Adobe Photoshop CS5.x, and will update this Security Bulletin once the patch is available." The same is true for both Illustrator and Flash. This kerfuffle started after Adobe handed out warnings for eight "critical" vulnerabilities found in certain versions of the three applications -- some of which are said to be exploitable and could potentially be used to "take control of the affected system." We'll see how it all plays out over the upcoming days, but in the meantime hit the links below to see if you need to take any action. James Trew and Joe Pollicino contributed to this post.Adobe changes tune on CS5 updates, won't seek paid CS6 upgrade to patch vulnerabilities originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 May 2012 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Computerworld, Adobe, (2), (3) | Email this | Comments

Ask Engadget: best smartphone for the over fifties?

Posted: 12 May 2012 08:25 PM PDT

Ask Engadget: best smartphone for the over fifties?


Ask Engadget: best smartphone for the over fifties?
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 Daniel (no relation), who wants to upgrade his parents cellphones. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "My parents (aged 52 and 57) are long-time Nokia (dumbphone) users who aren't savvy at all. I told them about how me and my girlfriend's Android phones automatically sync calendars and they want something similar. My father's eyes aren't the best and he's a carpenter, so I thought about a dust-proof handset like the Lumia 800 or the Galaxy Xcover, but I'm worried Android's too technical for them. We're in Europe, so carriers are no problem, but any help you can give would be great. Thanks!" We're all getting older, so let's try to work out a great handset for those who need a little help. We speak from personal experience when we say it's probably not going to be the Samsung Galaxy Y -- trust us. If you think you've got a better idea, throw it down in the comments below.Ask Engadget: best smartphone for the over fifties? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 May 2012 22:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 7th, 2012

Posted: 12 May 2012 06:03 PM PDT

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 7th, 2012


Mobile Miscellany: week of May 7th, 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, Sprint reassured us with optimism for Windows Phone 8, and T-Mobile's CEO found a new partner to continue the fight against Verizon's AWS acquisition. 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 May 7th, 2012.Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of May 7th, 2012Mobile Miscellany: week of May 7th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 May 2012 20:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

MIPS unveils new Aptiv mobile chip design, vows more speed in a tiny space

Posted: 12 May 2012 04:54 PM PDT

MIPS unveils new Aptiv mobile chip design, vows more speed in a tiny space


MIPS unveils new Aptiv mobile chip design, vows more speed in a tiny space
MIPS has only had a slight amount of traction in smartphones and tablets given that its best friend is Ainovo. It might get a better footing in an ARM-dominated world with a new range of processors in the Aptiv line. The highest-end chip of the bunch, the ProAptiv, is reportedly much smaller than its ARM opponents across the aisle while managing the same speed, goosing the floating-point math, memory addressing and multi-core support to where it's as much as 75 percent faster over the previous generation. That's good news for mobile devices and set-top boxes where space is tight. MIPS isn't leaving embedded gear like 4G LTE modems alone, either, as the mid-size InterAptiv and tiny MicroAptiv are getting similar improvements. If you're eager to get cracking on a processor of your own, you can license MIPS' new work right away -- and us plebeians who simply buy the devices can expect Aptiv to be ready for gadget use by the middle of the year.Continue reading MIPS unveils new Aptiv mobile chip design, vows more speed in a tiny spaceMIPS unveils new Aptiv mobile chip design, vows more speed in a tiny space originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 May 2012 19:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | MIPS Aptiv | Email this | Comments