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Saturday, June 30, 2012

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Honda will start limited Fit EV leases at $389 a month

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 02:49 PM PDT

Honda will start limited Fit EV leases at $389 a month


Honda will start limited Fit EV leases at $389 a month
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Honda, USA OK, if you're keeping score on leasable electric vehicles, you know that $249 a month gets you a 62-mile single charge range, $289 a month gets you 74 miles, and now $389 a month gets you 82 miles. That last vehicle is the new Honda Fit EV, which the Japanese automaker says will be available for lease starting on July 20 in California and Oregon for $389 a month (originally, this was supposed to be $399). Earlier this week, Mitsubishi said it would begin leasing its Mitsubishi i starting at $249 a month, with a $3,498 down payment. That lease, which will be run through Ally Financial, values the i at an MSRP of $30,675, or about $6,000 less than the Fit EV. The i has a 62-mile single-charge range. Earlier this month, Nissan, whose Leaf can go 74 miles on a single charge, decreased the monthly lease payment amount for the Leaf by $60 to $289 a month, though the term was extended by three months to 39 months and the down payment was increased by $1,000, to $2,900. General Motors leases the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in through Ally starting at $369 a month. The upshot of the Honda lease? No initial down payment. The downside? No option to buy it after the lease is up. And they're only making about 1,100 of them for starters. The EPA earlier this month gave the 123-horsepower Fit EV a 118 miles-per-gallon equivalent rating - the second-highest ever to the now-discontinued-in-the-U.S. Tesla Roadster's 119 MPGe. Rear our Fit EV review here.Continue reading Honda will start limited Fit EV leases at $389 a monthHonda will start limited Fit EV leases at $389 a month originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

NFC Is Great, But Mobile Payments Solve A Problem That Doesn’t Exist

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 02:49 PM PDT

NFC Is Great, But Mobile Payments Solve A Problem That Doesn't Exist


NFC Is Great, But Mobile Payments Solve A Problem That Doesn't Exist
For the past few years, we've been told over and over again that NFC will eventually replace the common wallet. And yes, NFC is a great technology. Parts of Europe and China are using it for public transport transactions, and the sharing of content between devices is incredibly cool (just check out this commercial). And moreover, the ability to ditch all of your loyalty cards and combine them in one place (potentially) PassBook-style would be highly convenient. But where mobile payments are concerned, there is no problem to be solved. Let's just start with the small stuff. For one, the motion itself should be no different. It's not like contactless payments via mobile is a more physically efficient form of living and transacting. You grab your credit card out of your wallet in your pocket, and swipe it through the reader (or in some cases tap it, just like the phone). In the case of NFC, you grab your phone out of your pocket, open Google Wallet (or whatever), and tap it to the reader. It's the same exact motion. But that doesn't even matter when we start to consider the real obstacles for NFC mobile payments. There are two issues: the smaller is that, along with not being any faster or easier physically, no one is actually getting rid of their wallet. For one, everyone needs an ID and an ID isn't safe in a pocket or loose in a bag. So, until I can use my phone as a form of identification at the airport, with the police, or to go to a Dr.'s appointment, my wallet will still remain. And it's fair to assume that at least some people prefer to have a little cash on them, just in case. I took a quick Twitter poll using PopTip (a newly launched TechStars company), and it turns out that the few respondents I had mostly feel comfortable without any cash. But, I also assume that the majority of my Twitter followers are generally tech-savvy early adopters, so I still stand behind the fact that you'll continue carrying a wallet, or some other carrier of small, valuable pieces of paper like insurance cards, IDs, etc. Moreover, all merchants would need to be set up for NFC transactions to allow the consumer to ditch their wallet, not just forward thinking giants like American Eagle, Macy's and OfficeMax. It's not like

Honda will start limited Fit EV leases at $389 a month

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 02:15 PM PDT

Honda will start limited Fit EV leases at $389 a month


Honda will start limited Fit EV leases at $389 a month
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Honda, USA OK, if you're keeping score on leasable electric vehicles, you know that $249 a month gets you a 62-mile single charge range, $289 a month gets you 74 miles, and now $389 a month gets you 82 miles. That last vehicle is the new Honda Fit EV, which the Japanese automaker says will be available for lease starting on July 20 in California and Oregon for $389 a month (originally, this was supposed to be $399). Earlier this week, Mitsubishi said it would begin leasing its Mitsubishi i starting at $249 a month, with a $3,498 down payment. That lease, which will be run through Ally Financial, values the i at an MSRP of $30,675, or about $6,000 less than the Fit EV. The i has a 62-mile single-charge range. Earlier this month, Nissan, whose Leaf can go 74 miles on a single charge, decreased the monthly lease payment amount for the Leaf by $60 to $289 a month, though the term was extended by three months to 39 months and the down payment was increased by $1,000, to $2,900. General Motors leases the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in through Ally starting at $369 a month. The upshot of the Honda lease? No initial down payment. The downside? No option to buy it after the lease is up. And they're only making about 1,100 of them for starters. The EPA earlier this month gave the 123-horsepower Fit EV a 118 miles-per-gallon equivalent rating - the second-highest ever to the now-discontinued-in-the-U.S. Tesla Roadster's 119 MPGe. Rear our Fit EV review here.Continue reading Honda will start limited Fit EV leases at $389 a monthHonda will start limited Fit EV leases at $389 a month originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

NFC Is Great, But Mobile Payments Solve A Problem That Doesn’t Exist

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 02:15 PM PDT

NFC Is Great, But Mobile Payments Solve A Problem That Doesn't Exist


NFC Is Great, But Mobile Payments Solve A Problem That Doesn't Exist
For the past few years, we've been told over and over again that NFC will eventually replace the common wallet. And yes, NFC is a great technology. Parts of Europe and China are using it for public transport transactions, and the sharing of content between devices is incredibly cool (just check out this commercial). And moreover, the ability to ditch all of your loyalty cards and combine them in one place (potentially) PassBook-style would be highly convenient. But where mobile payments are concerned, there is no problem to be solved. Let's just start with the small stuff. For one, the motion itself should be no different. It's not like contactless payments via mobile is a more physically efficient form of living and transacting. You grab your credit card out of your wallet in your pocket, and swipe it through the reader (or in some cases tap it, just like the phone). In the case of NFC, you grab your phone out of your pocket, open Google Wallet (or whatever), and tap it to the reader. It's the same exact motion. But that doesn't even matter when we start to consider the real obstacles for NFC mobile payments. There are two issues: the smaller is that, along with not being any faster or easier physically, no one is actually getting rid of their wallet. For one, everyone needs an ID and an ID isn't safe in a pocket or loose in a bag. So, until I can use my phone as a form of identification at the airport, with the police, or to go to a Dr.'s appointment, my wallet will still remain. And it's fair to assume that at least some people prefer to have a little cash on them, just in case. I took a quick Twitter poll using PopTip (a newly launched TechStars company), and it turns out that the few respondents I had mostly feel comfortable without any cash. But, I also assume that the majority of my Twitter followers are generally tech-savvy early adopters, so I still stand behind the fact that you'll continue carrying a wallet, or some other carrier of small, valuable pieces of paper like insurance cards, IDs, etc. Moreover, all merchants would need to be set up for NFC transactions to allow the consumer to ditch their wallet, not just forward thinking giants like American Eagle, Macy's and OfficeMax. It's not like

Pebble smartwatch outs SDK preview at Google I/O, gives developers a kickstart o...

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 01:06 PM PDT

Pebble smartwatch outs SDK preview at Google I/O, gives developers a kickstart on apps


Pebble smartwatch outs SDK preview at Google I/O, gives developers a kickstart on apps
If you invested in the Pebble e-paper smartwatch -- and who didn't? -- you'll be happy to hear that the firm has unleashed a preview of the Kickstarter darling's SDK at Google I/O this week. That'll give developers a head start on creating apps for the ARM-powered e-paper device, allowing them to learn exactly how it receives data from Mountain View's robot OS. The company said the new kit supports multiple program languages to boot, allowing developers of all skill levels to create Pebble-enabled apps. The document is still a work in progress, of course, but advances like this should help keep it from getting trampled by the cavalcade of smart wrist devices now coming out. Check the source link if you want to grab it.Pebble smartwatch outs SDK preview at Google I/O, gives developers a kickstart on apps originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 15:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink The Verge | Pebble | Email this | Comments

2012 Jeep Wrangler Freedom Debuts

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 01:06 PM PDT

2012 Jeep Wrangler Freedom Debuts


2012 Jeep Wrangler Freedom Debuts
Available in red, white and -- you guessed it -- blue.

Panasonic's Eluga V for NTT DoCoMo swings past the FCC

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 10:50 AM PDT

Panasonic's Eluga V for NTT DoCoMo swings past the FCC


Panasonic's Eluga V for NTT DoCoMo swings past the FCC
Panasonic's Eluga V smartphone arrived at NTT DoCoMo back in May and now the company has dropped one of its handsets off at the FCC's underground bunker. The Ice Cream Sandwich-running phone has a 4.6-inch, 1280 x 720 display, wireless charging, the same water and dust proofing that we saw in its two brothers, HSPA, Bluetooth 3.0 and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi. Don't let the news of governmental approval get your hopes up for a stateside launch however, this one's just to ensure that tourists won't have the handset seized as soon as they reach customs.Panasonic's Eluga V for NTT DoCoMo swings past the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 13:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | FCC | Email this | Comments

BBC introduces Red Button to the internet, thinks they'll be great pals

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 09:12 AM PDT

BBC introduces Red Button to the internet, thinks they'll be great pals


BBC introduces Red Button to the internet, thinks they'll be great pals
Since 1999, the BBC's Red Button feature has delivered alternative camera angles, sports scores and the like over broadcast spectrum, but it's now set to become internet enabled. Channel surfers shouldn't expect a full-blown web experience, however, as the Beebs stresses it's not about to include everything and the kitchen sink in terms of functionality. Rather, their Connected Red Button aims for simplicity. Punching the clicker could bring up the iPlayer to catch previous episodes of shows or save recipes from a cooking program for later viewing on a computer or smartphone. Companion screen experiences such as the Antiques Roadshow app, which is slated for a September release, are also part of their web-connected roadmap. Mum's the word on when these new features might roll out, but we're promised the BBC's Olympics coverage will give us a taste of what's to come.BBC introduces Red Button to the internet, thinks they'll be great pals originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 11:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | BBC | Email this | Comments

BAE Systems' NAVSOP does positioning without GPS, makes sure the only jammin' go...

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 07:34 AM PDT

BAE Systems' NAVSOP does positioning without GPS, makes sure the only jammin' going on is yours


BAE Systems' NAVSOP does positioning without GPS, makes sure the only jammin' going on is yours
Just in case GPS and GLONASS didn't make for enough of an acronym soup, BAE Systems wants to add one more to the navigation broth. NAVSOP (Navigation via Signals of Opportunity) uses some of the basic concepts we know from cell tower triangulation and WiFi location-finding to lock down a position, but goes much further to geolocate from nearly anything that pushes out a signal, such as nearby radios and TVs. It doesn't even need to know what kind of signal it's looking at, and it can get its position in places there's no GPS to work from, whether it's in an urban canyon or the natural kind. BAE is most excited about the prospects of ending GPS jamming against soldiers and UAVs, once and for all: not only is the new technology mostly impervious to attempts to block its signal, it can use the jamming attempt itself to get the position fix. Thankfully, the company's roots in defense aren't precluding use for civilians, so there's a chance that future smartphones might never have to use guesswork to get their bearings -- provided that governments around the world sign off on the idea, that is.BAE Systems' NAVSOP does positioning without GPS, makes sure the only jammin' going on is yours originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 10:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink BBC | BAE Systems | Email this | Comments

Users reporting BBM down, joins Instagram in being less social

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 07:02 AM PDT

Users reporting BBM down, joins Instagram in being less social


Users reporting BBM down, joins Instagram in being less social
First Netflix, then Instagram, now BBM? We're getting reports along with plenty of Twitter noise that the popular BlackBerry service has headed south. This makes for one heck of an anti-social weekend if you're a photo-sharing, BBM-er for sure. Let us know if you've been affected by the service, in the meantime why not read up on some tech news? We've plenty!Users reporting BBM down, joins Instagram in being less social originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 09:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Twitter | Email this | Comments

Gear4 speaker dock supports USB audio for Jelly Bean at Google I/O 2012 (hands-o...

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 06:28 AM PDT

Gear4 speaker dock supports USB audio for Jelly Bean at Google I/O 2012 (hands-on video)


Gear4 speaker dock supports USB audio for Jelly Bean at Google I/O 2012 (hands-on video)
Another day, another speaker dock. We initially dismissed Gear4's latest accessory at Google I/O 2012 until we noticed that the attached Nexus 7 was playing audio via the USB port instead of the headphone jack (or wirelessly over Bluetooth for that matter). It turns out that Jelly Bean supports USB audio, a feature that's bound to spearhead a whole new generation of accessories for Android devices. Gear4's universal speaker dock with alarm clock radio is the first to handle USB audio. While the sound for any app can be routed to the USB port in Jelly Bean, the functionality is missing from older versions of Android. Thankfully, Gear4 includes an app with its accessory that can be used to set alarms, sync time, tune the radio and play media over the USB port on legacy versions of Android. Want to know more? You'll find our gallery below and our hands-on video after the break.Gallery: Gear4 speaker dock at Google I/O 2012Continue reading Gear4 speaker dock supports USB audio for Jelly Bean at Google I/O 2012 (hands-on video)Gear4 speaker dock supports USB audio for Jelly Bean at Google I/O 2012 (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 09:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Opel Ampera is Europe's best-selling passenger 'EV'

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 05:55 AM PDT

Opel Ampera is Europe's best-selling passenger 'EV'


Opel Ampera is Europe's best-selling passenger 'EV'
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, GM, Opel, Europe/EU Lost in translation? Opel, General Motors' European unit, says its Ampera - the better-looking sister vehicle to the Chevrolet Volt - is Europe's best-selling passenger electric vehicle, accounting for more than one in five EVs sold in the continent. Opel, citing May sales numbers, says the Ampera has accounted for more than half the EVs sold in the Netherlands through the first five months of the year, while accounting for 44 percent of Switzerland's EVs this year and more than a third of Germany's EVs. Percentages are good, but Opel didn't disclose how many Amperas have been sold in Europe this year. Whether the Ampera qualifies as an "EV" is a matter of semantics, as it's generally been referred to as either an extended-range plug-in or a plug-in hybrid here in the States. As far as competition across the Pond, the Ampera has apparently beat out models such as the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi i-MiEV (it's the "i" in the U.S.) and Renault's small stable of cars and utility vehicles. In March, the Ampera, along with the Volt, won the 2012 European Car of the Year award. As with the Volt, the Ampera can go about 35 miles on a full electric charge before its on-board gas-powered generator kicks in.Continue reading Opel Ampera is Europe's best-selling passenger 'EV'Opel Ampera is Europe's best-selling passenger 'EV' originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 08:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

NASA's NuSTAR probe snaps first X-ray image of feeding black hole

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 04:49 AM PDT

NASA's NuSTAR probe snaps first X-ray image of feeding black hole


NASA's NuSTAR probe snaps first X-ray image of feeding black hole
It was Bret Easton Ellis who coined the phrase, "The better you look, the more you see," and it appears the folks down at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab agree. In what's considered a "first," the agency's latest space-scouring probe, the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, has turned on its X-ray vision to capture focused images of a black hole, dubbed Cygnus X-1, feeding on a nearby giant star. By tuning into these high-energy frequencies, scientists are getting a peak into a previously unseen side of the heavens at 100 times the sensitivity and 10 times the resolution of any preceding tech. The space agency plans to use the observatory's powerful sight to suss out other known areas of mass X-ray activity like 3C273, an active quasar located two billion light years away and even explore G21.5-0.9, the fallout from a supernova within the Milky Way galaxy. NuSTAR's first tour of galactic duty will span two year's time, during which it'll attempt to record imagery from "the most energetic objects in the universe, " as well as track the existence of black holes throughout the cosmos. Impressed? Yeah, us too.Continue reading NASA's NuSTAR probe snaps first X-ray image of feeding black holeNASA's NuSTAR probe snaps first X-ray image of feeding black hole originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Wired UK | | Email this | Comments

Sony Smart Wireless Headset pro hits retail with $150 price in tow

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 02:32 AM PDT

Sony Smart Wireless Headset pro hits retail with $150 price in tow


Sony Smart Wireless Headset pro hits retail with $150 price in tow
Don't let the name fool you, Sony's Smart Wireless Headset pro won't clip on your ear. That's because it looks and functions more like a traditional MP3 player, using its powers of Bluetooth 2.0 to communicate with compatible Android devices. The two-tone peripheral comes with a headset, four sets of earbuds, USB cables and a 2GB microSD card pre-installed (expandable up to 32GB) to let you store music. If the feature set stopped right there, this accessory would be just another underwhelming PMP, but factor in its text-to-speech functionality and you get a PDA of sorts to keep you abreast of incoming emails, texts and social media updates. The device will also let users receive incoming voice calls and even dial-out using a recent call list. It's hitting Sony's online and retail shops now, so if you've got a spare $150 and a taste for extraneous peripherals -- by all means, take the plunge.Continue reading Sony Smart Wireless Headset pro hits retail with $150 price in towSony Smart Wireless Headset pro hits retail with $150 price in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 05:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

10 Gigabit per-second connection between US and China demoed

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 12:48 AM PDT

10 Gigabit per-second connection between US and China demoed


10 Gigabit per-second connection between US and China demoed
You, sir or ma'am, should probably not get too excited. Chances are, this trans-Pacific 10 Gigabit link won't do you any good, personally. On the other hand, researchers working together across the oceanic divide have tons to cheer about. The China Education and Research Network, the National Science Foundation and Indiana University worked together with BGI, one of the largest genomics organizations in the world, to christen the connection by transferring 24 Gigabytes of genomic data from Beijing to UC Davis in under 30 seconds. As a benchmark, the same file was sent between the same locations over the regular ol' Internet and it took over 26 hours. The high-speed link should prove to be a major boon for genetic research and DNA sequencing.10 Gigabit per-second connection between US and China demoed originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 03:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Phys.org | Email this | Comments

Android Army: US soldiers to leverage portable battlefield network and smartphones

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 11:10 PM PDT

Android Army: US soldiers to leverage portable battlefield network and smartphones


Android Army: US soldiers to leverage portable battlefield network and smartphones
Smartphones: the future of wartime communication? That is the goal of the US Army through the development of its portable wireless network, dubbed Warfighter Information Network-Tactical or WIN-T. The Army hopes to leverage WIN-T to bring near-instant digital communication to the battlefield by outfitting soldiers with Motorola Atrix handsets running a heavily modified version of Android. An exposé by Wired explains that the system's main goal is information and intelligence sharing; between both soldiers and central command. Friendly troop positions, suspicious vehicles or persons and surveillance video from unmanned areal vehicles (UAVs) can all be mapped and shared with servicemen and women in the field. It's been a dream of the Pentagon since the mid-nineties, but has only recently become monetarily and technologically feasible due to advances in smartphone processing power. It's nerdy, it's fascinating... and this is the stuff the Army is willing to talk about. Hit the source link for the full write-up.Android Army: US soldiers to leverage portable battlefield network and smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 01:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Wired | Email this | Comments

Don't worry, you're not the only one: Netflix is currently down, admins hard at...

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 09:28 PM PDT

Don't worry, you're not the only one: Netflix is currently down, admins hard at work


Don't worry, you're not the only one: Netflix is currently down, admins hard at work
What to do on this Friday night? If your answer to that age old question was "Netflix," then you likely received a bit of a rude shock this evening upon discovery that the company's video streaming service is currently out-of-whack. For its part, Netflix has acknowledged the issue via its Twitter account, to which it states, "We're aware that some members are experiencing issues streaming movies and TV shows. We're working to resolve the problem." So, there you have it. Now the only question that remains is whether you'll break out one of those red envelopes, fire up Hulu Plus or venture out to the theater to satiate your movie desires. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Don't worry, you're not the only one: Netflix is currently down, admins hard at work originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 00:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | @Netflixhelps (Twitter) | Email this | Comments

FEMA and National Weather Service launch Wireless Emergency Alert System

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 08:21 PM PDT

FEMA and National Weather Service launch Wireless Emergency Alert System


FEMA and National Weather Service launch Wireless Emergency Alert System
While it's a little later than expected, the free SMS emergency notification system has now gone live. Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) messages will be delivered to cell towers in affected areas, which will then broadcast them to all compatible devices in their range. While the system is looking to cover over 97 percent of the country, it's being gradually rolled out across carriers. Sprint and Verizon are both apparently ready for action and while we haven't heard about the status of T-Mobile or AT&T, the National Weather Service has stated that hundreds of smaller carriers haven't yet enabled the broadcasts. However, not all phones -- especially the more elderly bricks still in circulation -- will work with the system. To check whether your weighty cellular still passes muster, hit up the compatible device list at the CTIA link below.FEMA and National Weather Service launch Wireless Emergency Alert System originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 22:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Information Week | Email this | Comments

Scientists develop flush-efficient toilet system that can turn waste into energy...

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 07:13 PM PDT

Scientists develop flush-efficient toilet system that can turn waste into energy, sort before it recycles


Scientists develop flush-efficient toilet system that can turn waste into energy, sort before it recycles
Scientists from Singapore's Nanyang Technological University aren't keen on being wasteful -- that's why they've developed a toilet that uses 90% less water than other commodes and is capable of generating energy. Aptly named the No-Mix Vacuum Toilet, the porcelain pedestal's pot divides waste between two partitions -- one side for liquids, the other for solids -- and uses vacuum tech reminiscent of airline lavatories. Flushing fluid and solid wastes with 1 and 0.2 liters of H2O, respectively, the can will be able to route refuse to external processing facilities. Fertilizer ingredients such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous would then be harvested from liquids. Similarly, methane can be coaxed from solids for conversion to electricity or as a replacement for other natural gasses. Two of the university's restrooms are slated to have the toilets installed in the near future, and the team expects the thrones to roll out worldwide within three years. [Thanks, Yuka]Scientists develop flush-efficient toilet system that can turn waste into energy, sort before it recycles originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 21:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Inhabitat | Nanyang Technological University | Email this | Comments

University of Tokyo builds a soap bubble 3D screen, guarantees your display stay...

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 06:04 PM PDT

University of Tokyo builds a soap bubble 3D screen, guarantees your display stays squeaky clean (video)


University of Tokyo builds a soap bubble 3D screen, guarantees your display stays squeaky clean (video)
There are waterfall screens, but what if you'd like your display to be a little more... pristine? Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a display that hits soap bubbles with ultrasonic sound to change the surface. At a minimum, it can change how light glances off the soap film to produce the image. It gets truly creative when taking advantage of the soap's properties: a single screen is enough to alter the texture of a 2D image, and multiple screens in tandem can create what amounts to a slightly sticky hologram. As the soap is made out of sturdy colloids rather than the easily-burst mixture we all knew as kids, users won't have to worry about an overly touch-happy colleague popping a business presentation. There's a video preview of the technology after the jump; we're promised a closer look at the technology during the SIGGRAPH expo in August, but we don't yet know how many years it will take to find sudsy screens in the wild.Continue reading University of Tokyo builds a soap bubble 3D screen, guarantees your display stays squeaky clean (video)University of Tokyo builds a soap bubble 3D screen, guarantees your display stays squeaky clean (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 20:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | New Scientist | Email this | Comments

HTC teases something 'Incredible' for the US in July, we think a 4G LTE Droid mi...

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 05:32 PM PDT

HTC teases something 'Incredible' for the US in July, we think a 4G LTE Droid might fit the bill


HTC teases something 'Incredible' for the US in July, we think a 4G LTE Droid might fit the bill
HTC has been leaving Verizon subscribers hanging on just when they would get the Droid Incredible 4G LTE ever since we saw it in New Orleans last month. The company just dropped a not-so-subtle hint that the wait is about to come to an end -- a Twitter update from HTC's US branch is promising some "special fun" coming to us next week that will be "incredible," which we're pretty sure doesn't involve refurb sales of the 2010 original. While the clue is still a bit cryptic, it lines up with internal documents pointing to a July 5th release. We'd advise against partying too hard on Independence Day if you want to line up early for Big Red's adaptation of the HTC One line.HTC teases something 'Incredible' for the US in July, we think a 4G LTE Droid might fit the bill originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 20:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | HTC USA (Twitter) | Email this | Comments

Tesla owner gives top 10 11 reasons why he loves his Model S

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 04:57 PM PDT

Tesla owner gives top 10 11 reasons why he loves his Model S


Tesla owner gives top 10 11 reasons why he loves his Model S
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Tesla Motors, VideosKonstantin Othmer loves his Tesla Model S. The serial entrepreneur was one of the lucky few who took delivery last Friday at the car's official launch and as such, he is one of just a handful of people who have had more then a mere ten minutes behind the wheel. He has spent that time well. Besides giving rides to friends and family, he's also taken the opportunity to share with the world at large what it is, exactly, that he likes about his new all-electric ride in an entertaining video. We won't give it all away, but will say that he does touch on a couple of our favorite themes. No gas needed, along with lots of performance. Enough performance, in fact, that his camera person (understandably) let's out an expletive or two during some acceleration demonstrations. Luckily for those at work or sensitive to such coarse outbursts, he's just put up a family-friendly version. We've seen initial media impressions of the Model S, as well as those from reservation holders. Now, scroll below and see what an owner makes of America's first electric performance sedan.Continue reading Tesla owner gives top 10 11 reasons why he loves his Model STesla owner gives top 10 11 reasons why he loves his Model S originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 19:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Windows 8 renames Windows Explorer, File Explorer to help you find files instead

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 04:57 PM PDT

Windows 8 renames Windows Explorer, File Explorer to help you find files instead


Windows 8 renames Windows Explorer, File Explorer to help you find files instead
Come gather 'round PCs, wherever files roam, and admit Windows Explorer, simply has to go. And accept it that soon, your OS'll be Metro. If your file finding time is worth savin' -- then you better get used to File Explorer instead, for the times they are a-changin'.Windows 8 renames Windows Explorer, File Explorer to help you find files instead originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 19:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink The Verge | | Email this | Comments

Black Boxes: Fact Versus Fiction

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 04:57 PM PDT

Black Boxes: Fact Versus Fiction


Black Boxes: Fact Versus Fiction
What do the data recorders riding shotgun actually do?

FCC Fridays: June 29, 2012

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 04:22 PM PDT

FCC Fridays: June 29, 2012


FCC Fridays: June 29, 2012
We here at Engadget tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there individually, we've gathered up an exhaustive listing of every phone and / or tablet getting the stamp of approval over the last week. Enjoy!Continue reading FCC Fridays: June 29, 2012FCC Fridays: June 29, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Quick Spin: 2013 Honda Fit EV

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 03:51 PM PDT

Quick Spin: 2013 Honda Fit EV


Quick Spin: 2013 Honda Fit EV
Honda's latest electric car delivers excitement - but for only a few people.

Apple lands preliminary ban against Samsung Galaxy Nexus in the US

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 03:50 PM PDT

Apple lands preliminary ban against Samsung Galaxy Nexus in the US


Apple lands preliminary ban against Samsung Galaxy Nexus in the US
It hasn't been Samsung's best week. Just days after Judge Lucy Koh granted a preliminary ban on sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, she's following it up with a similar granted request on the Galaxy Nexus. Judge Koh had already signaled that she thought Apple's lawsuit over four patents might have merit, but it's only now that she's deciding the potential damage is worth halting sales of the phone until there's a final trial verdict. Samsung will no doubt try to appeal the dispute, which centers on Android 4.0's slide-to-unlock mechanism (among other elements), but there's a lot more urgency here than with the outgoing Tab 10.1: the Galaxy Nexus is still a current-generation device, and just became Google's Android 4.1 phone flagship. Samsung's odds aren't great given that Apple has already used one of the patents to give HTC grief with its imports.Apple lands preliminary ban against Samsung Galaxy Nexus in the US originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 18:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Dan Levine (Twitter), Reuters | Email this | Comments

Dan Neil eats crow, donates $1,000 to charity on behalf of Tesla CEO Elon Musk

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 03:12 PM PDT

Dan Neil eats crow, donates $1,000 to charity on behalf of Tesla CEO Elon Musk


Dan Neil eats crow, donates $1,000 to charity on behalf of Tesla CEO Elon Musk
Filed under: Etc., EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Tesla MotorsDan Neil, he of the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism fame, has made a decent living peddling his automotive snark, and for good reason, as Neil is unquestionably one of the best and funniest at what we do. Tesla CEO Elon Musk - also an outspoken salesman of some merit - differs from Neil in one primary respect, which is that Musk is worth some $2 billion and thus doesn't have to drive someone else's cars around. When these two agreed to resolve their disagreement over Tesla's seemingly pie-in-the-sky production plans by means of a wager, those of us familiar with both affable egos were deeply amused. Neil most certainly did not expect to lose his end of the bet: That Tesla would fail in its promise to deliver its second model on time. What with the prevailing view at the time being that Tesla's game plan was merely to get bought out by some larger entity and that the Model S was just vaporware, a means to that end, we probably would have gone with Neil had someone forced us to take sides. Of course, we can all learn a lesson here, which is that you don't bet against the guy who owns the casino. Musk and Tesla clearly kept up their end of the bargain, so Neil's public mea culpa ran in Friday's Wall Street Journal. He states that he's made his $1,000 contribution to Doctors Without Borders, the penalty for the loss being far less than Musk's promised $1 million debit. Neil's pride is likely hurting more from the comeuppance than the cash outlay dented his savings account, but as he writes, "I lost, and happily so. As a proponent of electric mobility, I have said many times that I wanted to lose the bet... As a critic, I'll reserve judgment on the Model S until I get a chance to drive it."Dan Neil eats crow, donates $1,000 to charity on behalf of Tesla CEO Elon Musk originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Visualized: The iPhone five years after launch

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 03:12 PM PDT

Visualized: The iPhone five years after launch


Visualized: The iPhone five years after launch
In case you somehow missed it, today is an important milestone in technology nostalgia: it's the fifth anniversary of the original iPhone's launch. We'll let you explore the memories of that insane day on your own terms, but ComScore has produced a visual breakdown of just how ownership has grown and shifted over the years. It's not hard to see that adoption has been on an accelerating curve, especially after the 2010 launch of the Retina display-toting iPhone 4: as of this past May, about three quarters of owners have either the iPhone 4 or the iPhone 4S. And the 2007 edition? Only two percent of all iPhone owners are still actively holding on to the aluminum-clad debut model, which suggests most would rather have Siri than reminisce. Whether you're a fan or have since moved on to a competitor, the chart is a reminder of just how far one of Steve Jobs' biggest projects has come.Visualized: The iPhone five years after launch originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | ComScore | Email this | Comments