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Sunday, June 3, 2012

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Switched On: Cisco's hard-luck hardware

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 01:48 PM PDT

Switched On: Cisco's hard-luck hardware


Switched On: Cisco's hard-luck hardware
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. When you think about companies that dominate specific technology markets, alongside names such as Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Intel. SAP and Oracle, you would no doubt include Cisco Systems. Founded in 1984, the networking giant, which has grown largely via acquisition over the years, earned $43 billion of revenue in 2011. That placed it at #64 on the 2011 Fortune 500. Cisco has a current market value of about $113 billion. Linksys, acquired in 2003, has remained among the top-selling home networking brands, and Cisco recently moved to bolster its TV service provider business -- formerly known as Scientific Atlanta -- with the acquisition of NDS. But for all the success that Cisco has had building connections among network endpoints, the company has had a tough road when it's come to selling end-user devices directly to end-users over the last few years.Continue reading Switched On: Cisco's hard-luck hardwareSwitched On: Cisco's hard-luck hardware originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 16:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Audi spells out A3 e-tron pilot project in Colorado

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 01:15 PM PDT

Audi spells out A3 e-tron pilot project in Colorado


Audi spells out A3 e-tron pilot project in Colorado
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Audi, Videos Pikes Peak Challenge, this is not.Audi has posted a video detailing its so-called e-tron pilot project, in which a handful of drivers get to test the battery-electric version of the A3 hatchback. The two-minute video shows the test-drivers - based in Golden, CO - testing the car along mountain roads and talking about their reasons for signing up for the project. And let's just say the driving pace is all rather leisurely. Still, Audi is making good on its latest test project. The German automaker said in February that it would launch a test fleet of electric A3s in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver and Washington, D.C., later this year, though didn't say how many would be deployed. The A3 e-tron has a single-charge range of about 90 miles as well as an electric motor that provides about 130 horsepower. Check out the video below.Continue reading Audi spells out A3 e-tron pilot project in ColoradoAudi spells out A3 e-tron pilot project in Colorado originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Canonical tag teams with Humble, wraps up Indie Bundle installation with bow (vi...

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 01:15 PM PDT

Canonical tag teams with Humble, wraps up Indie Bundle installation with bow (video)


Canonical tag teams with Humble, wraps up Indie Bundle installation with bow (video)
Love your Linux games, but hate painful installs? Ubuntu maker Canonical understands, and has kicked the usual, less snappy, procedure to the curb creating a new approach for the Humble Indie Bundle. The company already expanded Linux gaming, recently adding EA titles to its Ubuntu Software Center, and now you can download the Humble quintet from there as a single file, and install it in one go. In true open source style, you can pick the price you'd like to pay at Humble's site and even juggle how that sum is distributed to the games' developers and charities. So with the install obstacle gone, trundle on past the break and see if the promo video seals the deal.Continue reading Canonical tag teams with Humble, wraps up Indie Bundle installation with bow (video)Canonical tag teams with Humble, wraps up Indie Bundle installation with bow (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 16:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | ExtremeTech | Email this | Comments

iCade Mobile, The Gaming Adapter For iPhone, Now Shipping

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 01:15 PM PDT

iCade Mobile, The Gaming Adapter For iPhone, Now Shipping


iCade Mobile, The Gaming Adapter For iPhone, Now Shipping
Good news, everybody! The iCade Mobile, a Bluetooth case that slides around your iPhone, allowing you to play games using a trackpad and read buttons, is now shipping for $80. The iCade Core, an arcade joystick for the iPad, is also shipping. It costs $100. Announced a few months ago, folks have been waiting breathlessly to play Megaworm with a trackpad. The devices should be available at ThinkGeek and you can check them out here. You can check out the Core here.

We're liveblogging Nintendo's pre-E3 press event today at 6PM ET!

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 12:43 PM PDT

We're liveblogging Nintendo's pre-E3 press event today at 6PM ET!


We're liveblogging Nintendo's pre-E3 press event today at 6PM ET!
Are you ready for E3? Too bad, it's already here, a couple of days early, thanks to the overzealous folks at Nintendo, who just couldn't wait until Tuesday to hold their press event. The company is holding a pre-E3 event, helmed by president Satoru Iwata today at 6PM ET. The broadcast will likely revolve around games, but perhaps Nintendo had more surprises than it could contain in a single event. Find out by following along here.We're liveblogging Nintendo's pre-E3 press event today at 6PM ET! originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 15:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Pocket God’s Other Success: Digital Comics

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 12:43 PM PDT

Pocket God's Other Success: Digital Comics


Pocket God's Other Success: Digital Comics
Pocket God is best-known as a hit game for iOS and other smartphone platforms, but Dave Castelnuovo, head of developer Bolt Creative, says the story and characters have been embraced in another medium, too — namely, comic books. Ape Entertainment started publishing the Pocket God comic series (both in print and on iOS) in August 2010, with a total of 16 issues so far, plus a digital-only series featuring bonus content. All told, the series has sold more than 600,000 digital copies, Castelnuovo says, with issue number one seeing more than 200,000 sales.

Sony: 4K isn't just about the resolution

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 11:36 AM PDT

Sony: 4K isn't just about the resolution


Sony: 4K isn't just about the resolution
With M. Night Shyamalan already shooting his next movie -- After Earth -- on the F65 4K camera, Sony's PR machine is going all out to assuage remaining doubters in the film industry. One of the more curious aspects of the awareness campaign is that it doesn't focus solely on the exorbitant resolution -- in fact, it gives almost equal weight to other visual promises that Sony hopes will persuade producers, directors and cinematographers to make the leap before anyone else does. What might those eyeball treats be? Philippe Ros, a DoP hired by Sony to shoot a 4K promo film, put it succinctly at a showing we attended in London this week: "Only the first row in the cinema may notice the resolution, but I'm more interested in the colors than in the 4K." According to Ros, every terrabyte that floods out of the F65 per hour of filming contains color and dynamic range info way beyond what you normally get when shooting digital. The end result? Crews on the ground can relax just that little bit more, knowing that any mundane-looking scenes can be given far greater impact later. Now, even bearing in mind that Ros couldn't have said anything bad about 4K without things getting awkward, it's still interesting that he admits to being skeptical of the resolution itself. But if others on independent shoots discover the same post-production flexibility that he did, then the push for 4K might come from filmmakers rather than those further down the food chain.Sony: 4K isn't just about the resolution originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 14:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Hot Android To-Do List App, Any.DO, Comes To iOS And Web

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 09:53 AM PDT

Hot Android To-Do List App, Any.DO, Comes To iOS And Web


Hot Android To-Do List App, Any.DO, Comes To iOS And Web
Any.DO, the gorgeous to-do app for Android, has finally made its way to the iPhone and the web today. Developed by the team behind Taskos, one of the most popular to-do list applications on the Android Market, Any.DO launched last November backed by $1 million in angel funding, making a few iPhone users (ahem *clears throat*) jealous of something on Android for a change. Besides the basics of t0-do list management, the app supports gestures, auto-predictive text, and voice-to-text recognition, all of which are packaged in easy-to-use and attractive interface.

Sony Xperia P review: a confident, middle-sized smartphone waiting for Android 4.0

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 09:21 AM PDT

Sony Xperia P review: a confident, middle-sized smartphone waiting for Android 4.0


Sony Xperia P review: a confident, middle-sized smartphone waiting for Android 4.0
More Info Sony Xperia S review Sony announces the Xperia P: Aluminum unibody, shipping Q2 Sony pushing ICS to more devices next week, confirms Xperia Play won't be upgraded As the middle child from Sony Mobile's NXT family, the Xperia P steps out from behind the Xperia S' shadow with its own 4-inch screen -- and a touch of WhiteMagic. Screen technology aside, the phone's design follows a path very similar to Sony's latest flagship and picks up a few quirks of its own on the way. The see-through button strip is actually touch-sensitive on Sony's 2012 middle-weight -- a curious oversight on the bigger model. It packs Sony's 8-megapixel Exmor R camera sensor (likely to be the same one found in the Xperia Arc S), a dual-core 1GHz processor and just under 13GB of user-accessible storage. But there's one unfortunate Xperia trait here -- we're still playing with Android Gingerbread, even while its ancestors begin to dip their toes into Ice Cream Sandwich. Does anyone want an incrementally smaller Android phone from Sony? And what exactly is WhiteMagic and what does it mean for the battery life? Continue reading Sony Xperia P review: a confident, middle-sized smartphone waiting for Android 4.0Sony Xperia P review: a confident, middle-sized smartphone waiting for Android 4.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 12:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Microsoft buys every 'Smart Glass' domain it can think of, E3 goers nod approvingly

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 09:21 AM PDT

Microsoft buys every 'Smart Glass' domain it can think of, E3 goers nod approvingly


Microsoft buys every 'Smart Glass' domain it can think of, E3 goers nod approvingly
A wise thing to do right before you launch a new product? Vacation, if we're being honest. But if we're being forced to pick another, we'd say registering domain names germane to said product ain't a half bad idea, either. Microsoft has seemingly snapped up a healthy few "Smart Glass"-related domains, giving us more reason to believe that the whispers we've been hearing about a wireless streaming doodad have some merit. With E3 festivities kicking off this evening, we're guessing it's just a matter of time before the list (shown after the break) stops forwarding to Bing and starts forwarding to... well, awesomeness. Refresh fingers ready?Continue reading Microsoft buys every 'Smart Glass' domain it can think of, E3 goers nod approvinglyMicrosoft buys every 'Smart Glass' domain it can think of, E3 goers nod approvingly originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 11:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Fusible | Email this | Comments

HUBO 2 has articulated hands, can walk 2 km on a charge: yours for $400k

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 08:48 AM PDT

HUBO 2 has articulated hands, can walk 2 km on a charge: yours for $400k


HUBO 2 has articulated hands, can walk 2 km on a charge: yours for $400k
HUBO has come so far from mastering the basics of mobility. The latest from KAIST is HUBO 2, a robot with flexible limbs that allow it to bend down and even do push-ups. The HUBO 2's hands are another big improvement, now allowing the humanoid to open car doors, operate a gear shift and hold up to 7 kg. KAIST used "individually actuated" fingers that adapt to the shape of whatever HUBO 2 is holding, a la Honda's new ASIMO. The robot can walk 2 km on a charge, and it looks like it's a little less of a slow poke now, too: KAIST increased its running speed to 4 kph from 3 kph. Check out the source link and video below to see the HUBO 2 in action -- if you're impressed, it can be yours for a cool $400,000.Continue reading HUBO 2 has articulated hands, can walk 2 km on a charge: yours for $400kHUBO 2 has articulated hands, can walk 2 km on a charge: yours for $400k originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 11:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Plastic Pals | TechTalks.tv | Email this | Comments

BMW, Daimler compete in by-the-minute car-sharing service

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 06:33 AM PDT

BMW, Daimler compete in by-the-minute car-sharing service


BMW, Daimler compete in by-the-minute car-sharing service
Filed under: Transportation Alternatives, BMW, MINI, SMART, Europe/EU, Germany, Daimler So if you see a Smart ForTwo and a Mini racing down the streets of Berlin, here's why. Parent companies Daimler AG and BMW are competing for car-sharing customers in the German capital and now offer car-sharing by the minute, Bloomberg News reports. When you're being charged in 60-second increments, that's enough to make most anyone hit the pedal a little harder. Daimler's Car2Go and BMW's DriveNow charge 29 cents a minute (or about $17 an hour) to rent their SmartForTwos, BMW 1-series sedans and Minis. Daimler has 1,000 ForTwos to share in Berlin, while BMW has 500 vehicles as part of its service. The two German automakers are competing in a car-sharing market that's expected to surge during the next few years. The number of European car-sharing users will jump to 15 million in 2020 from 700,000 last year, according to Frost & Sullivan. BMW launched DriveNow last year with Sixt AG, and the service has 9,500 subscribers in Berlin, Bloomberg said. Daimler launched its 1,000-vehicle car-sharing fleet - the world's largest - in Berlin in April.BMW, Daimler compete in by-the-minute car-sharing service originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

E3 predictions: what to expect when you're Electronics Entertainment Expoing

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 06:33 AM PDT

E3 predictions: what to expect when you're Electronics Entertainment Expoing


E3 predictions: what to expect when you're Electronics Entertainment Expoing
Happy June! We're out holding things down in sunny, smoggy downtown Los Angeles, preparing for the on-coming storm of video game goodness. It's shaping up to another exciting year for all things Electronic Entertainment Expo, albeit one a bit less focused on the hardware side. Things unofficially kick off on Monday, with press conferences from two of the big three -- Microsoft and Sony. Nintendo will round things out on Tuesday morning, officially opening the show. So, what sort of action can we expect to see over the week in LA? We've compiled a quick list of what we're looking forward to over the next several days.Continue reading E3 predictions: what to expect when you're Electronics Entertainment ExpoingE3 predictions: what to expect when you're Electronics Entertainment Expoing originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 09:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

ROCCAT's new Lua three-button mouse is thirty dollars away from your FPS

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 05:26 AM PDT

ROCCAT's new Lua three-button mouse is thirty dollars away from your FPS


ROCCAT's new Lua three-button mouse is thirty dollars away from your FPS
How many buttons does a gaming mouse need? If you ask ROCCAT -- for today at least -- the answer is three. Evidently not happy with the current choice of tri-buttoned peripherals, it's launching a new "Lua" model at both Computex and E3. As well as the aforementioned triplet of clickable appendages, it houses a Pro Optic R2 sensor which will let you jack the DPI setting from 250 up to 2000 and back again on the hop, battlefield, or wherever you may be. The ambidextrous device launches internationally sometime in late July early August, with a $30 price-tag.Continue reading ROCCAT's new Lua three-button mouse is thirty dollars away from your FPSROCCAT's new Lua three-button mouse is thirty dollars away from your FPS originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 08:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

GAEMS announces new Sentry Xbox 360 suitcase, teases Project Vanguard

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 03:44 AM PDT

GAEMS announces new Sentry Xbox 360 suitcase, teases Project Vanguard


GAEMS announces new Sentry Xbox 360 suitcase, teases Project Vanguard
How could we forget the GAEMS personal gaming environment? Looking something like a cross between a laptop from the eighties, and a bomb disposal unit, the all-in-one Xbox system was always going to make an impression. Well, with E3 just around the corner, it looks like there might be another model on the way. All we know at the moment is that it's called "Sentry," and will have more of a personal entertainment leaning. This being based on the fact that on top of the Xbox gaming, GAMES only went as far to tease that services like Netflix, HULU and YouTube will be increasingly central to it. The firm is also revealing a new device with the working title "Project Vanguard," about which it's even more secretive. Either way, better make more room on that luggage rack.Continue reading GAEMS announces new Sentry Xbox 360 suitcase, teases Project VanguardGAEMS announces new Sentry Xbox 360 suitcase, teases Project Vanguard originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 06:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

SteelSeries announces Sensei Major League Gaming edition, keeps palms eager unti...

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 02:03 AM PDT

SteelSeries announces Sensei Major League Gaming edition, keeps palms eager until August


SteelSeries announces Sensei Major League Gaming edition, keeps palms eager until August
For most of us, the humble mouse is but a tool for effective computer navigation, for gamers though, it's a matter of life and (virtual) death. SteelSeries knows this, and hopes its new Sensei Major League Gaming edition mouse will keep a few more of its faithful out of the MASH. It looks like much of the credentials of the original Sensei have been kept intact, the same 10.8-megapixel sensor, the 150 inches per second movement detection, 32-bit ARM processor, LCD display and so on. What's new then? For the main part, the CPI, which can now go from one to 8,200, or all the way to 16,400 if you use the double CPI feature. You'll have to wait until August to get your hand on it, with pre-orders (but no price as yet) set to open at the MLG Championship next week.Continue reading SteelSeries announces Sensei Major League Gaming edition, keeps palms eager until AugustSteelSeries announces Sensei Major League Gaming edition, keeps palms eager until August originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 04:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | SteelSeries | Email this | Comments

Agility 4 SSD from OCZ announced, already in stock at $150

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 12:54 AM PDT

Agility 4 SSD from OCZ announced, already in stock at $150


Agility 4 SSD from OCZ announced, already in stock at $150
SSD makers often try to wow us with raw MB/S, but OCZ is talking up "enterprise-level" reliability, ops per second, and throughput equally with its new SATA III 6Gbps Agility 4. The 64GB / 128GB / 256GB / 512GB drives -- with Marvell-built Indilinx Everest 2 controllers -- have middling max read/write throughput of 400 MB/s and 48,000 IOPS / 85,000 IOPS, respectively. But with Indilinx Ndurance 2.0 technology and no data compression, they claim that the NAND memory will last "well beyond" the manufacturer's specs -- without backing that up with actual figures. Prices seem steep at Amazon next to the competition, but could drop when they hit the streets in volume. So, if you're after an all-rounder instead of a sprinter, check the PR after the break.Continue reading Agility 4 SSD from OCZ announced, already in stock at $150Agility 4 SSD from OCZ announced, already in stock at $150 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 03:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Hot Hardware | OCZ | Email this | Comments

NTT DoCoMo launches free Concier mail translation app for Android devices

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 11:11 PM PDT

NTT DoCoMo launches free Concier mail translation app for Android devices


NTT DoCoMo launches free Concier mail translation app for Android devices
Not content to simply dabble in double-sided transparent touchscreens, Japanese mobile provider NTT DoCoMo continues its efforts to break the language barrier -- this time with a new Android app. "Mail Honyaku Concier" (honyaku means "translation" in Nihongo, while that last word is a play on "concierge") is a free app that lets users translate text into different languages. The software is compatible with smartphones and tablets sporting Android 2.2 or higher and accepts both keyboard and voice input for text. As part of its translation, the app sends a copy of the source material in its original language -- you know, just in case the thing does a Sheldon Cooper and coughs up "Oxen are in my bed." In addition to working with NTT DoCoMo's "sp Mode Mail" service, the software also plays nice with other apps. Languages supported so far are Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean. No word on whether "Engrish" will be added to that list as well.NTT DoCoMo launches free Concier mail translation app for Android devices originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 01:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Gadget Tsushin (Japanese) | NTT DoCoMo (Japanese) | Email this | Comments

NTT DoCoMo launches free Concier mail translation app for Android devices

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 10:38 PM PDT

NTT DoCoMo launches free Concier mail translation app for Android devices


NTT DoCoMo launches free Concier mail translation app for Android devices
Not content to simply dabble in double-sided transparent touchscreens, Japanese mobile provider NTT DoCoMo continues its efforts to break the language barrier -- this time with a new Android app. "Mail Honyaku Concier" (honyaku means "translation" in Nihongo, while that last word is a play on "concierge") is a free app that lets users translate text into different languages. The software is compatible with smartphones and tablets sporting Android 2.2 or higher and accepts both keyboard and voice input for text. As part of its translation, the app sends a copy of the source material in its original language -- you know, just in case the thing does a Sheldon Cooper and coughs up "Oxen are in my bed." In addition to working with NTT DoCoMo's "sp Mode Mail" service, the software also plays nice with other apps. Languages supported so far are Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean. No word on whether "Engrish" will be added to that list as well.NTT DoCoMo launches free Concier mail translation app for Android devices originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 01:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Gadget Tsushin (Japanese) | NTT DoCoMo (Japanese) | Email this | Comments

Maingear's 11.6-inch Pulse 11 gaming laptop starts shipping

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 09:31 PM PDT

Maingear's 11.6-inch Pulse 11 gaming laptop starts shipping


Maingear's 11.6-inch Pulse 11 gaming laptop starts shipping
Alienware's M11x may be history, but as these things tend to go, there's always someone willing to carry the torch. Maingear's recently-introduced 11.6-inch Pulse 11 just so happens to be that rig in this here story, and those that've been waiting won't have to twiddle their thumbs any longer. The company is shipping the bantam gaming rig in the US starting this week, offering a Core i7 CPU (or a Core i5, if you'd rather), NVIDIA's Optimus graphics switching (tied to a GeForce GT 650 'Kepler' GPU), 11.6-inch LED-backlit panel (1366 x 768), up to 16GB of DDR3 memory, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a 9-in-1 card reader, six-cell Li-ion battery and plenty of ports. It's starting at just $999, but speccing it out all proper like will send the asking price well north of that. (But trust us, it's worth it.)Continue reading Maingear's 11.6-inch Pulse 11 gaming laptop starts shippingMaingear's 11.6-inch Pulse 11 gaming laptop starts shipping originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Maingear | Email this | Comments

Facebook to put privacy changes to vote thanks to policy group, its own rules

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 08:25 PM PDT

Facebook to put privacy changes to vote thanks to policy group, its own rules


Facebook to put privacy changes to vote thanks to policy group, its own rules
A vote on Facebook privacy rules prompted by 45,000 comments plastered on its governance page is likely to trigger consequences -- maybe some not intended. With Max Schrems' Our Policy site easily egging the number past the 7,000 threshold, the now-public social company must wait to see if 30 percent of its user base will object to the seemingly modest revisions. With the flock now numbering nearly 800 million, it seems unlikely that 230 million of them will bother to even vote, let alone strike the changes down. Given that and Facebook's privacy Czar Erin Egan saying that it will now revisit the vote policy, it's possible the only result will be a change in terms which could stymie future privacy efforts. Want to have your say? Check the more coverage link to find out where to go.Facebook to put privacy changes to vote thanks to policy group, its own rules originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 23:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Tech Crunch | Email this | Comments

LG launches 13.3-inch X Note Z350 laptop with third-gen Intel Core power, WiDi a...

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 07:51 PM PDT

LG launches 13.3-inch X Note Z350 laptop with third-gen Intel Core power, WiDi and an SSD


LG launches 13.3-inch X Note Z350 laptop with third-gen Intel Core power, WiDi and an SSD
Evidently, "Ultrabook" isn't a "thing" in South Korea. Or, at least not in the translated press release we've just gotten our mitts on. LG is getting the weekend started right with a proper successor to the Z330, and the X Note Z350 is absolutely a looker. It's a 13.3-incher that does its best to appear just like every other Ultrabook currently on the market, boasting a typical silver motif with black chiclet keys and a glossy LCD. A smattering of palm rest stickers work to further mar things, but the third-gen Intel Core i5 / i7 within makes up for most of that. We aren't told what kind of GPU is under the hood (we're putting our bucks on Kepler, for the record), but there's room for an SSD and a built-in Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) module to beam out 1080p content sans cabling. Pricing, battery life and most other particulars are being kept under wraps for now, but we'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more.LG launches 13.3-inch X Note Z350 laptop with third-gen Intel Core power, WiDi and an SSD originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 22:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | LG (translated) | Email this | Comments

Monetizing Mobile Requires More Than Just Waiting For Ad Dollars

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 07:51 PM PDT

Monetizing Mobile Requires More Than Just Waiting For Ad Dollars


Monetizing Mobile Requires More Than Just Waiting For Ad Dollars
Mary Meeker's presentation this week on mobile shone light on the mobile monetization problem and argued that "ad $ follow eyeballs, it just takes time." However, she failed to address the reason for the mobile monetization issue and missed the clear implications for anyone looking to seize the opportunity. Mobile is exploding. Over 100 million people in the US have smartphones, consumers are spending over 60 minutes a day consuming media on these devices, and people glance at their phone about 40 times a day. That is a massive and very active user base. You would think that advertisers would be rushing to take advantage of this untapped goldmine of an opportunity to reach consumers. However, as Meeker showed there is a huge discrepancy in the amount of time people spend on their phones and the number of advertising dollars allocated to mobile. The mis-equilibrium numbers vary, but estimates range between consumers spending 10% to 24% of their media time on mobile and advertisers putting only 0.5% to 1% of their budgets there.

Ask Engadget: best cheap external Macbook Air monitor?

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 07:18 PM PDT

Ask Engadget: best cheap external Macbook Air monitor?


Ask Engadget: best cheap external Macbook Air monitor?
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 Neil, who wants a display for his Macbook Air that costs less than a cinema display. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Dear Engadget, I use my Macbook Air in clamshell mode 95% of the time. I use an Acer V223W 22-inch monitor, but connected over Mini Displayport to DVI, it looks dull and fuzzy. I know an Apple Cinema Display is fantastic, but I don't want to splurge over $1000 for one. Can you suggest something a little more reasonably priced please? Thank you!" The first thing that came to our mind was one of Dell's high-end offerings, the 27-inch U2711 is available for $815 (a little cheaper) and comes with the same 2560 x 1440 IPS panel. But we suspect there's an even better option out there, tucked away in the brains of our commenters. So why not share your knowledge with the group and add a note below?Ask Engadget: best cheap external Macbook Air monitor? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 22:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 28th, 2012

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 06:12 PM PDT

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 28th, 2012


Mobile Miscellany: week of May 28th, 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 of another possible prepaid destination for the iPhone (hint: it's a subsidiary of Sprint), and Samsung announced a combined sales total of 50 million Galaxy S and Galaxy S II smartphones. 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 28th, 2012.Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of May 28th, 2012Mobile Miscellany: week of May 28th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

PicPlz shutting down permanently on July 3rd, all photos to be deleted pre-firew...

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 05:04 PM PDT

PicPlz shutting down permanently on July 3rd, all photos to be deleted pre-fireworks


PicPlz shutting down permanently on July 3rd, all photos to be deleted pre-fireworks
Already prepping to share oodles of horribly blurry and underexposed Independence Day photos via PicPlz? Go ahead and burst your own bubble, bub. The aforesaid photo sharing app / site has decided to throw in the towel, with a brief blurb posted on its site today describing that July 3rd will be its final day of operation. To quote: "On July 3, 2012, picplz will shut down permanently and all photos and data will be deleted. We have provided download links for existing users to save their photos. Thank you for your support of picplz and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you." Users are encouraged to login prior to that day in order to download their photos, including those ones of you shooting Instagram and Facebook Camera in the face. Violence isn't cool, but who are we judge how your grieve?Continue reading PicPlz shutting down permanently on July 3rd, all photos to be deleted pre-fireworksPicPlz shutting down permanently on July 3rd, all photos to be deleted pre-fireworks originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink TechCrunch | PicPlz | Email this | Comments

Nintendo can't wait for its own E3 press conference, schedules pre-E3 broadcast...

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 05:04 PM PDT

Nintendo can't wait for its own E3 press conference, schedules pre-E3 broadcast for tomorrow


Nintendo can't wait for its own E3 press conference, schedules pre-E3 broadcast for tomorrow
Remember that wall of coverage Nintendo promised for next week's E3 festivities? Yeah, well, apparently that extends to scooping itself a bit with a Pre-E3 event, two days ahead of its official, real deal Tuesday press conference. Tomorrow, the company's president Satoru Iwata will be hosting a web broadcast with information about the Wii U. According to Nintendo, the early bird event will offer up some more info with regards to games for the much awaited next generation console -- and we'll be liveblogging the news, for your reading pleasure at 6PM ET, so get those plumber caps ready.Nintendo can't wait for its own E3 press conference, schedules pre-E3 broadcast for tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 19:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Twitter, Nintendo | Email this | Comments

Keep your bands straight with Adafruit's Ohm Sweet Ohm cross-stitch kit (video)

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 03:59 PM PDT

Keep your bands straight with Adafruit's Ohm Sweet Ohm cross-stitch kit (video)


Keep your bands straight with Adafruit's Ohm Sweet Ohm cross-stitch kit (video)
Doesn't it just seem like yesterday when Grandma used to embroider your resistor charts for you? But now that you're grown up, Adafruit wants you to cross-stitch the Ohm Sweet Ohm color band guide yourself with their handy kit (dog not included). Spec-wise, it's loaded up with 16 skeins of floss, two size 24 tapestry needles, 15 x 18-inch 14-count aida cloth and a 6-inch "super grip lip" embroidery hoop, all for $29.95. You'll also get a full color printed pattern with instructions on making the project, then how to mount it on the wall or sew it onto Spot's favorite pillow. So if you can never remember whether yellow in the C-band is four significant figures or five, and want an Ohm-y reminder -- then check the video after the break for more info.Continue reading Keep your bands straight with Adafruit's Ohm Sweet Ohm cross-stitch kit (video)Keep your bands straight with Adafruit's Ohm Sweet Ohm cross-stitch kit (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 18:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Adafruit | Email this | Comments