Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today, we have our very own Senior HD Editor, Richard Lawler.
This picture was taken in 1985 and despite the time that's passed, the excitement I felt then holding that Atari joystick returns each and every time I plug in, boot up, or log on to find something new. Like so many other geeks of the era, the world of videogames found in reams of bootlegged games contained on Verbatim 5.25-inch floppies were early training in the value of knowing my way around computers. The initial desire to play The Last Starfighter / Solaris without needing anyone to set it up for me would years later lead to long sessions of editing .bat and .ini files to hear sound effects in Wolfenstein 3D and after that, easy work setting up and fixing computers. Still, as great as using technology is, it's nothing without spirited discussions amongst like-minded individuals and after the schoolyard debates over 8-, 16- and 32-bit console wars ended (fortunately, Sega is out of the hardware game now or I would have to recuse myself from any news or reviews) I headed online to make myself heard.Continue reading Growing Up Geek: Richard LawlerGrowing Up Geek: Richard Lawler originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Daily Crunch: Desert Surveillance Edition
At Last You Can Fabricate Your Minecraft Creations The Gem Hsin Topaz Speakers Do Multifunction Right Scientists Create Microscopic, Lens-less Camera This Case Lets You Attach An SLR Lens To Your iPhone The Gem Hsin Topaz Speakers Do Multifunction Right
Video of the World's First Realistic Simulation of the Creation of Our Galaxy [Video]
Astrophysicists from the University of Zurich working with UCSC's astronomers have created the world's first realistic simulation of the formation of the Milky Way. It's amazing that all this clockwork perfection came out of such a galactic Charlie Foxtrot. More »
Google holds back on open-sourcing Honeycomb, heralds massive shift for Android
Google, in an interesting but not entirely unexpected twist, will not be open-sourcing Android 3.0 Honeycomb for the foreseeable future.
Historically, Android is usually open-sourced via the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) a few days or weeks after the code is finalized. While this departure from the norm won't affect OEMs like HTC and Motorola that have access to internal builds of Android, small-time developers will likely have to wait months before rolling their own distributions.
As to why Google is holding back Honeycomb, its reasons are actually rather rational. Honeycomb, while originally intended to run on all mobile form factors, is only ready for deployment on tablets. "To make our schedule to ship the tablet, we made some design tradeoffs," says Andy Rubin, the head of Google's Android group. "We didn't want to think about what it would take for the same software to run on phones. It would have required a lot of additional resources and extended our schedule beyond what we thought was reasonable. So we took a shortcut."
In other words, Google wants to prevent OEMs and homebrew developers like Cyanogen from rolling their own smartphone versions of Honeycomb -- it doesn't want to see the same bitter-tasting tabletified bastardization that occurred with Android 2.1 and 2.2 last year.Continue reading Google holds back on open-sourcing Honeycomb, heralds massive shift for AndroidGoogle holds back on open-sourcing Honeycomb, heralds massive shift for Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Historically, Android is usually open-sourced via the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) a few days or weeks after the code is finalized. While this departure from the norm won't affect OEMs like HTC and Motorola that have access to internal builds of Android, small-time developers will likely have to wait months before rolling their own distributions.
As to why Google is holding back Honeycomb, its reasons are actually rather rational. Honeycomb, while originally intended to run on all mobile form factors, is only ready for deployment on tablets. "To make our schedule to ship the tablet, we made some design tradeoffs," says Andy Rubin, the head of Google's Android group. "We didn't want to think about what it would take for the same software to run on phones. It would have required a lot of additional resources and extended our schedule beyond what we thought was reasonable. So we took a shortcut."
In other words, Google wants to prevent OEMs and homebrew developers like Cyanogen from rolling their own smartphone versions of Honeycomb -- it doesn't want to see the same bitter-tasting tabletified bastardization that occurred with Android 2.1 and 2.2 last year.Continue reading Google holds back on open-sourcing Honeycomb, heralds massive shift for AndroidGoogle holds back on open-sourcing Honeycomb, heralds massive shift for Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Toyota smashes EV record on Nurburgring, speed rivals gas-powered cars (video)
Last week, Toyota's racing team set out to break the current EV record on the Nordschleife track, part of Germany's infamous Nürburgring -- and they've done it, clocking a swift 7:47.79 seconds with the P001 electric racing car. The Peugeot EX1 EV's previous 9:01.338 record seems like a distant memory as the new contender shaved more than a minute off the time, giving even gasoline-powered vehicles a run for their money. Toyota's car is no slouch as it can reach 260km/h (174mph), with a track time that rivals the Radical SR8 LM's record breaking time of 6:48. Beating its predicted goal of eight minutes, Toyota hopes the victory will bring new awareness to electric racing and perhaps to help sell custom race cars in the future -- yes, you too might be able to cop a car with the same guts (albeit different body and chassis) as a Radical Sportscar some day. Check out the full PR after the jump.Continue reading Toyota smashes EV record on Nurburgring, speed rivals gas-powered cars (video)Toyota smashes EV record on Nurburgring, speed rivals gas-powered cars (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Autoblog | | Email this | Comments
Fujifilm X10 Photos and Specs Leaked
Just like its big brother the X100, Fujifilm’s X10 is not so much launching as leaking out a drip at a time. Now we have some proper product shots and specs for the high-end digicam intended to go up against the Canon G12, the Nikon P7100 and the Panasonic LX5.
The biggest similarity to the retro-styled [...]
The biggest similarity to the retro-styled [...]
Twist ?n Sparkle ? Make your own soda without cluttering the counter
I was watching a rerun of Dr. Oz yesterday, which had a segment on kitchen gadgets. One of the products that caught my attention was the iSi Twist ‘n Sparkle beverage carbonation system. Instead of using a kitchen counter cluttering appliance like the SodaStream product that I reviewed 2yrs ago, it just uses an easy [...]
Samsung Epic 4G Touch training docs leaked, likely to have 4.5-inch display?
Like many other highly-anticipated product announcements, a few bits of information have leaked out mere hours prior to tonight's reveal of the Samsung Galaxy S II. This time, we have a new piece of 411 about the Epic 4G Touch, Sprint's weapon of choice. According to leaked training documents that surfaced today, it appears the device will match the Hercules in screen size, receiving a healthy bump up to a 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display. True or not, we don't have much longer to wait before Sammy lets us in on all of the secrets these three Galaxy S II models have been keeping for so long.Samsung Epic 4G Touch training docs leaked, likely to have 4.5-inch display? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink AndroidCentral | Samsung Mobile | Email this | Comments
Daily Desired: Let the Force Protect Your iPad in this Case [Desired]
The iPad's a joy for reading, but you're screwed for writing anything longer than: "rad man, I'll see u ther. Excuse my brevity and any typos but touchscreens suck for typing, ok?" That's why I want a ClamCase. Star Wars-style. More »
Nokia Exec Leaves After 21 Years To Start ?Vision+? Fund, Promptly Partners With Nokia
Nokia this morning announced that Tero Ojanper�, former CTO and currently Executive Vice President and a member of the company's 'Leadership Team', is leaving the flailing phone manufacturer at the end of this month, after serving Nokia for 21 years.
He will take on a new role as managing partner of a new investment fund called Vision+. Amusingly, Vision+ has already formed a deep partnership with Ojanper�'s former employer.
He will take on a new role as managing partner of a new investment fund called Vision+. Amusingly, Vision+ has already formed a deep partnership with Ojanper�'s former employer.
JawBone Icon HD And Its New Friend, The Nerd
You’re still going to look like a total dork if you wear it, but at least you won’t go crazy with frustration when you use the new JawBone Icon HD Bluetooth headset, and its accompanying dongle, the Nerd.
The Icon HD is the same as the existing Icon, only with a bigger, better speaker inside — [...]
The Icon HD is the same as the existing Icon, only with a bigger, better speaker inside — [...]
Cobra Tag review
Phone, keys, wallet. Discovering that you're missing any of these three items could easily trigger a panic attack, yet they're all so easy to misplace. How many times have you spent twenty minutes looking for keys that were buried between the couch cushions? The Cobra Tag may help you win that losing battle. Acting as a Bluetooth device that attaches to your key ring and connects to your phone, it gives you the opportunity to find the missing item if it's less than 30 feet away. It can also send notifications when the two devices are out of range from each other. The concept sounds convenient, but how does it work in practice? Let's find out.
Gallery: Cobra Tag ReviewContinue reading Cobra Tag reviewCobra Tag review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Gallery: Cobra Tag ReviewContinue reading Cobra Tag reviewCobra Tag review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
The $40 Million Delivery Blimp [Airships]
The Ice Road Truckers may soon have themselves some competition if Canadian specialty aviation company, Discovery Air, has its way. They want to deliver supplies to the Great White North's most remote locales via dirigible by 2014. More »
Index Leads $4 billion Valuation Round In Dropbox
Dropbox is finally moving to close that massive valuation venture round we've been talking about all summer. According to multiple sources, Index Ventures will lead the round, which values Dropbox at around $4 billion.
At some point I hope that the entire story comes out about this round. Nearly everyone in Silicon Valley has taken a look. There was early interest at valuations of $8 billion or more, although one source says that it may have been firms who threw out huge numbers just to get a look at the company's financials. As of a couple of weeks ago I had "firm" information that the round would close at $5 billion or more.
At some point I hope that the entire story comes out about this round. Nearly everyone in Silicon Valley has taken a look. There was early interest at valuations of $8 billion or more, although one source says that it may have been firms who threw out huge numbers just to get a look at the company's financials. As of a couple of weeks ago I had "firm" information that the round would close at $5 billion or more.
Zurb?s Reel Lets You Get Instant Feedback On PowerPoint Presentations
Think back to the last time you put together a PowerPoint presentation. Try not to shudder.
If you're like me, you probably had a few moments when you wondered if the slide you were working on made sense ?�or if it was even worth including at all. You may have turned to a coworker to get their opinion, but they didn't have any context about the rest of the presentation and were eager to get to lunch, so their input probably wasn't a big help.
If this sounds familiar, then a nifty new app called Reel may be just what you need. It's the latest app to come from interaction design firm ZURB, and it lets you get near-instant feedback on every slide or photo in your presentation.
If you're like me, you probably had a few moments when you wondered if the slide you were working on made sense ?�or if it was even worth including at all. You may have turned to a coworker to get their opinion, but they didn't have any context about the rest of the presentation and were eager to get to lunch, so their input probably wasn't a big help.
If this sounds familiar, then a nifty new app called Reel may be just what you need. It's the latest app to come from interaction design firm ZURB, and it lets you get near-instant feedback on every slide or photo in your presentation.
Galaxy S II finally lands on American shores for Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T
Well, it's been a long time coming, but you fine folks living in the good ol' U-S-of-A are finally getting blessed with Galaxy S IIs to call your own. Conspicuously missing from the party is Verizon, but Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T are all getting in on the Super AMOLED Plus action under the guise of the Epic 4G Touch on Sprint and just plain old Galaxy S II on AT&T. As we had heard earlier the Epic 4G Touch is sporting a slightly larger 4.52-inch screen as will the T-Mobile variant (which has yet to score a name or a release date), while AT&T is sticking with the 4.3-inch panel found on the international model. Sprint customers will be first to get their shot at owning one on September 16th for $200, with the other carriers to follow at a later date. Otherwise there are very few surprises here, with a 1.2GHz Exynos pushing Gingerbread and TouchWiz to each gorgeous screen. All are packing 16GB of internal storage and being pitched as 4G handsets -- with WiMax on board the Sprint model and HSPA+ for T-Mo and AT&T. Ma Bell's is specifically championing it's variant as the "thinnest 4G smartphone," which might have something to do with the smaller 1650 mAh battery inside (the Epic 4G Touch is sporting an 1800 mAh pack).
Developing...
Gallery: Samsung Galaxy S II for Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&TContinue reading Galaxy S II finally lands on American shores for Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&TGalaxy S II finally lands on American shores for Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Developing...
Gallery: Samsung Galaxy S II for Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&TContinue reading Galaxy S II finally lands on American shores for Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&TGalaxy S II finally lands on American shores for Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Android Wallpaper Review: Koi Live Wallpaper
There's a live wallpaper for everyone, and if you're looking to be soothed by a tranquil, digital koi pond, then this is the one for you.Koi Live Wallpaper does exactly what the name implies: puts up a koi pond with fish swimming around in it. At first glance it's just decent. The background image doesn't look quite right and the fish look a little too pixelated and on the foreground for it to settle correctly. Fortunately, once you actually select the wallpaper, it's harder to notice those details.You're able to create ripples on the screen by tapping, although it doesn't do much (anything) to the fish. A double-tap drops some food flakes into the water and all the fish come out to eat some grub. It's a nice little bit of interactivity that at least offers some moments of entertainment.One of the strongest parts of the wallpaper is its settings menu. The settings menu is only available if you buy the donate version, but it's pretty comprehensive. From the settings menu you can choose your ideal background, modify things like rain speed (if any), plants in the water (if any), and edit your fish.The fish editing is probably the coolest single option, if only because it showcases how many different koi you can have, and you can edit their sizes, too. The wallpaper defaults you around six fish (and only two or three colors) when you first download, but I quickly changed that.The Koi Live Wallpaper is free in the Android Market, or, if you've just gotta have access to the settings menu, 99 cents. We've got download links and more screenshots after the break.
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Never Complain Of the Couch Eating the Remote Again With the L5 Remote
The L5 Remote, released by L5 Technology and debuted in 2010, can be used with your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. �It connects to your device with a universal dock connector. � L5 Remote is a tiny�accessory�and free app (from iTunes App Store) that acts as a �powerful universal remote, helping you control the cable [...]
The Great Big Camera is very big, pretty great
Darren Samuelson made a really large camera -- some might even go so far as to say he made a "great big camera." The thing weighs 70 pounds and takes a lot of maneuvering and math to operate everything from the lens to the old timey accordion-style bellows. In spite of such difficulties, however, Samuelson embarked on a tour of the US with the monstrous rig in tow, shooting this country from coast to coast in black and white. After the break, check out video of the camera in action at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. You can also see some of his progress and photos in the source link below.Continue reading The Great Big Camera is very big, pretty greatThe Great Big Camera is very big, pretty great originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 09:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Darren's Great Big Camera | Email this | Comments
Nobody Has Any Idea What the Hell This Mysterious Crashed Drone Is [Airplanes]
An (allegedly) American drone just crashed in Pakistan. That's not altogether surprising—we fly drones over them all the time to hunt militants. But this one's different. It's tiny. And, uh, it's shaped like a bird. What is it? More »
British royal family announces iOS and Android wedding app
To celebrate the imminent marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Royal Collection will release an Android an iOS app that chronicles the last seven royal marriages, including Queen Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert in 1840.
Ironically, the app won't actually feature anything to do with William and Kate's marriage -- rather, it will focus on the "tradition, splendor and romance" that are intrinsic to British royal marriages. "[The app] will share the stories of past royal weddings and offer a wealth of historical context for the ceremony on April 29."
Unfortunately, the app, which has been lumbered with the fantastically creative name of 'Royal App,' won't be available until April 18 -- just 11 days before Kate's big day. It won't be free, either: it'll cost the rather princely sum of £1.79, or three of your Tea Party-loving dollars. The money will go to the Royal Collection, though, which is a good cause!British royal family announces iOS and Android wedding app originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ironically, the app won't actually feature anything to do with William and Kate's marriage -- rather, it will focus on the "tradition, splendor and romance" that are intrinsic to British royal marriages. "[The app] will share the stories of past royal weddings and offer a wealth of historical context for the ceremony on April 29."
Unfortunately, the app, which has been lumbered with the fantastically creative name of 'Royal App,' won't be available until April 18 -- just 11 days before Kate's big day. It won't be free, either: it'll cost the rather princely sum of £1.79, or three of your Tea Party-loving dollars. The money will go to the Royal Collection, though, which is a good cause!British royal family announces iOS and Android wedding app originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Mac OS X Lion Preview 2 released, introduces mega exciting leather bound iCal skin
This is one of those posts that could probably be condensed into a tweet: Apple has released the second Preview of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. If you're running Preview 1, it looks like you'll first receive a small update via Software Update, and then you can download Preview 2 from the Mac App Store.
There has been some speculation that Apple is getting close to a release or Golden Master build, but judging by 9to5 Mac's initial findings there's definitely some way to go. The Golden Master will probably appear at, or just before, the Apple WWDC in June.
So far, it's looking like the only changes in Preview 2 are the leather bound iCal skin that you can see above, and the main iChat window now combines your AIM, Bonjour and Jabber contacts, like Adium. We're sure that more details will emerge throughout the day, though, and there's bound to be lots of invisible changes, too. We'll update this post when we find out more.Mac OS X Lion Preview 2 released, introduces mega exciting leather bound iCal skin originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 05:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
There has been some speculation that Apple is getting close to a release or Golden Master build, but judging by 9to5 Mac's initial findings there's definitely some way to go. The Golden Master will probably appear at, or just before, the Apple WWDC in June.
So far, it's looking like the only changes in Preview 2 are the leather bound iCal skin that you can see above, and the main iChat window now combines your AIM, Bonjour and Jabber contacts, like Adium. We're sure that more details will emerge throughout the day, though, and there's bound to be lots of invisible changes, too. We'll update this post when we find out more.Mac OS X Lion Preview 2 released, introduces mega exciting leather bound iCal skin originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 05:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Deal of the Day ? Dell Latitude E6420 14? Laptop with ?Sandy Bridge? CPU
Today?s LogicBUY Deal is a business-equipped 14? Dell Latitude E6420 laptop with Core i5-2410M 2.3GHz ?Sandy Bridge? cpu, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive for $664.� Features:� Intel HD 3000 graphics or optional NVIDIA NVS 4200M (DDR3 512MB) discrete graphics with Optimus, up to 8GB DDR3 memory, Tri-metal casing, powder-coated base, and spill-resistant keyboard.� The E6420 [...]
Listen to Gizmodo's Soundtrack: Goldfrapp [Video]
Many of you may not know Goldfrapp, but it's the soundtrack of my Apple events articles, all written at hypersonic speed. When the adrenalin is pumping, it's either that or the fast tracks of Exile in Main Street by the Rolling Stones. More »
Monday, August 29, 2011
Fake 'Droid Bionic' Twitter is fake
There's more controversy surrounding the Motorola Droid Bionic, as PC Mag's Sascha Segan has confirmed that the "official" @DroidBionic Twitter account isn't so official after all. According to Sascha, both Verizon and Motorola have come forward and stated that the account is not an official feed from either company. So who is it? We have no idea. Just a heads-up to take those "official" September 8 launch details with the proverbial grain of salt.Source: @phonescooper, PC Mag
Seniors, Women Embracing Tablets, E-Readers
If you thought tablets were being used only by Angry Birds-flinging youngsters or guys between 25 and 34, think again. Turns out tablets are all the rage with women and seniors.
There hasn’t been much change in who’s using smartphones — they’re still most popular among the 20- and 30-something set — tablet and ereader ownership [...]
There hasn’t been much change in who’s using smartphones — they’re still most popular among the 20- and 30-something set — tablet and ereader ownership [...]
Motorola Droid Bionic to include Webtop accessories
Back when we first caught a glimpse of the Droid Bionic, we speculated that the post-Atrix placement of the micro-USB and micro-HDMI ports might make it compatible with the updated Photon Webtop dock and accessories. Judging by the screenshot grabbed by Droid Life, we might have a winner as the add-ons look to be interchangeable, possibly a first step towards CEO Sanjay Jha's promised improvements. The product page also says the accessories will be "affordable" for those "curious about the Webtop application" -- count us in.
[Thanks, Chris]Motorola Droid Bionic to include Webtop accessories originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Droid Life | Email this | Comments
[Thanks, Chris]Motorola Droid Bionic to include Webtop accessories originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Droid Life | Email this | Comments
Corel releases VideoStudio Pro X4, we go hands on (video)
Corel seems to be on a roll lately; after releasing WinZip System Utilities just last week, this morning the company announced VideoStudio Pro X4.
VideoStudio Pro is aimed at home users and small business professionals who want to create professional-looking videos, but without the hassle, steep learning curve and price of Adobe Premiere Pro and the likes.
This new version introduces several features:
Stop motion animation: You can now capture still frames using a webcam, camcorder or DSLR and use them to produce an animation. Tools such as "onion skin view" let you compare the previous image in the sequence with the current one and make the animation as smooth as possible.
Processor optimization: Corel says the app is optimized for Intel's new Sandy Bridge systems, and have shown us some graphs with very impressive numbers. We've been unable to test this particular point, but if you have a recent-generation Intel or AMD Fusion system, VideoStudio performance should be blazing. Even on our older test system performance was quite impressive.
Customizable workspace: You can drag the video preview window to your secondary monitor (if you have one) and tweak just about any other element in the window layout. Once done, you can save your ideal workspace in one of three slots.
Share-to-Web: VideoStudio Pro X4 hooks directly into YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and Flickr, so you don't even have to launch a browser to upload your final product. Edit, produce and share from within the app itself.
Smart Package: Video projects typically consist of many files; Smart Package lets you bundle all video assets for a given project into one ZIP file which you can password-protect and keep in a safe place once you're done editing.
I've had a chance to play around with a pre-release version for a few days, and have put it through its paces editing a short video for my day job. Overall, I've been impressed with how easy it was to create pro-looking results. If you do any sort of video editing but are leery of the investment other apps require (both in dollars and effort), VideoStudio Pro is well worth checking out. To see a bit of the interface itself and what the app can do, watch the video after the jump.
Note: We'll be running a give-away of ten VideoStudio Pro X4 licenses later today, each worth $100 USD. Keep your eyes peeled for the giveaway post!Continue reading Corel releases VideoStudio Pro X4, we go hands on (video)Corel releases VideoStudio Pro X4, we go hands on (video) originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
VideoStudio Pro is aimed at home users and small business professionals who want to create professional-looking videos, but without the hassle, steep learning curve and price of Adobe Premiere Pro and the likes.
This new version introduces several features:
Stop motion animation: You can now capture still frames using a webcam, camcorder or DSLR and use them to produce an animation. Tools such as "onion skin view" let you compare the previous image in the sequence with the current one and make the animation as smooth as possible.
Processor optimization: Corel says the app is optimized for Intel's new Sandy Bridge systems, and have shown us some graphs with very impressive numbers. We've been unable to test this particular point, but if you have a recent-generation Intel or AMD Fusion system, VideoStudio performance should be blazing. Even on our older test system performance was quite impressive.
Customizable workspace: You can drag the video preview window to your secondary monitor (if you have one) and tweak just about any other element in the window layout. Once done, you can save your ideal workspace in one of three slots.
Share-to-Web: VideoStudio Pro X4 hooks directly into YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and Flickr, so you don't even have to launch a browser to upload your final product. Edit, produce and share from within the app itself.
Smart Package: Video projects typically consist of many files; Smart Package lets you bundle all video assets for a given project into one ZIP file which you can password-protect and keep in a safe place once you're done editing.
I've had a chance to play around with a pre-release version for a few days, and have put it through its paces editing a short video for my day job. Overall, I've been impressed with how easy it was to create pro-looking results. If you do any sort of video editing but are leery of the investment other apps require (both in dollars and effort), VideoStudio Pro is well worth checking out. To see a bit of the interface itself and what the app can do, watch the video after the jump.
Note: We'll be running a give-away of ten VideoStudio Pro X4 licenses later today, each worth $100 USD. Keep your eyes peeled for the giveaway post!Continue reading Corel releases VideoStudio Pro X4, we go hands on (video)Corel releases VideoStudio Pro X4, we go hands on (video) originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9. Seriously?
Clearly, any non-iPad tablet is currently doomed. They’re shifted off to the side in electronics stores (just like Macs used to be) and nobody is buying them. People don’t say “I want a tablet. Let’s go to the store to see what they have.” Nope, people say “I want an iPad.” And then they buy [...]
The Dell Studio XPS 8300 Is Your Gamer Family's Deal of the Day [Dealzmodo]
After I moved out not too long ago, my family found themselves in need of a new computer. Obviously, they have a host of options, but they happen to be PC people and don't want to spend too much on just the essentials. BUT my little sister likes MMOs, so that threw much ever so slightly. The Dell Studio XPS 8300 should handle them nicely. It's got a fast Core-i7 processor, a decent 1GB Radeon HD video card, and 12GB of RAM. All for $900. Not too shabby. -KO
Top Deals
? Dell XPS 8300 Quad Core i7-2600, 12GB RAM, 2TB 7200RPM HDD, 1GB Radeon HD 6770 for $900 with free shipping (normally $1100 {Savings of $200 / 18% off} - use coupon code 671VS4WJW25$V?) More »
Top Deals
? Dell XPS 8300 Quad Core i7-2600, 12GB RAM, 2TB 7200RPM HDD, 1GB Radeon HD 6770 for $900 with free shipping (normally $1100 {Savings of $200 / 18% off} - use coupon code 671VS4WJW25$V?) More »
Anonymous Is Helping Time Warner Make Money [Anonymous]
Anonymous would have you believe that they're about the little guy, going after oppressive governments and major corporations both online and IRL. But who quietly benefits when they mount a protest like their recent one against BART? Time Warner. Wow. More »
Hurricane Irene Has an OK Cupid Profile [Irene]
And it's very clever. I guess hurricanes need love, just like the rest of us. Check out Irene's OK Cupid page. More »
HP's Tablet Failure: Big Fun for FOSS Fanatics
There may be life yet for the seemingly defunct HP TouchPad. The company has discontinued its development of all webOS devices, leading retailers to drastically mark down prices on the TouchPads they have in stock. Some buyers have been able to score one for as little as $100 -- that's $400 off the initial asking price when the device entered the market a couple of months ago.
Walk and Talk For Hours Using Shoe Power
Taking the stairs could mean more time between charges for your phone.
Researchers at University of Wisconsin at Madison have developed a shoe insert that uses the impact of your strides to generate electricity for your phone. The prototype “footwear-embedded harvester”�consists of two pouches filled with nanoparticle liquid metal called galinstan. It generates electrical current as [...]
Researchers at University of Wisconsin at Madison have developed a shoe insert that uses the impact of your strides to generate electricity for your phone. The prototype “footwear-embedded harvester”�consists of two pouches filled with nanoparticle liquid metal called galinstan. It generates electrical current as [...]
Bing begins roll out of HTML5-enhanced search interface
Bing's new HTML5-and-CSS3-enhanced search interface, which was first demonstrated back in September 2010 to showcase the power of IE9, has started to roll out.
The most notable addition to the new interface is is smooth page transitions -- the fade in and out -- and navigation tabs (maps, images, videos, etc.) now persistently float at the top of the page. WinRumors is also reporting that a feature reminiscent of Google Instant search is being added to Bing, with page elements smoothly transitioning in and out as you type in your search query.
If you want to try out the new Bing UI, your best bet is to set your locale to United States - English and pray that you're part of the initial roll out. Alternatively, just wait a few days until MIX 2011, Microsoft's Web developer conference, which is when the new Bing UI should be officially launched.Bing begins roll out of HTML5-enhanced search interface originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The most notable addition to the new interface is is smooth page transitions -- the fade in and out -- and navigation tabs (maps, images, videos, etc.) now persistently float at the top of the page. WinRumors is also reporting that a feature reminiscent of Google Instant search is being added to Bing, with page elements smoothly transitioning in and out as you type in your search query.
If you want to try out the new Bing UI, your best bet is to set your locale to United States - English and pray that you're part of the initial roll out. Alternatively, just wait a few days until MIX 2011, Microsoft's Web developer conference, which is when the new Bing UI should be officially launched.Bing begins roll out of HTML5-enhanced search interface originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The Funniest Ipad Apps On The Market
One of the nicest things that we all love doing in our iPad is checking out different apps. Do you have any favorites? Well, here are the top funniest apps in the app store. If you want to laugh and have fun, check these out! Top 5 iPad humor applications 5 ? Jokes! – Indigo Penguin Limited The top tenth spot goes to the app called Jokes! This application is a simple application that will definitely make you laugh every [...]
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple
I just popped open my Macbook Air to check email and RSS feeds and the first item that caught my eye was a shocker (at least to finally see it in text)… It’s been announced that Steve Jobs has resigned as CEO of Apple. After stock market trading ended this afternoon, Steve sent out a [...]
HTML5 MP3 player lets you listen to your music library inside your browser
While this slick little HTML5 audio player might not pack all of the features of your favorite desktop media application, it's still a very cool demonstration of what a Web app can do with access to local resources -- like MP3 and OGG files.
Just fire up http://antimatter15.github.com/player/player.html in your HTML5-compatible browser and browse to the topmost folder in your music library. The app will quickly build an index of all your tunes and let you start listening right inside your Web browser. Click on the filter library text, and you can enter a search string -- results load as you type.
There's a volume control, shuffle mode, play/pause control, and you can click and drag to skip forward or rewind during playback. As OMG! Ubuntu points out, you can even save the app to your hard drive and run it offline, which is pretty darn cool.
Not all browsers are equal when it comes to HTML5 implementation, of course. We found that Chrome worked the best, and Firefox was OK. It's also worth noting that this music player comes from the same developer that created one of our favorite restartless Firefox 4 add-ons, drag2up.HTML5 MP3 player lets you listen to your music library inside your browser originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Just fire up http://antimatter15.github.com/player/player.html in your HTML5-compatible browser and browse to the topmost folder in your music library. The app will quickly build an index of all your tunes and let you start listening right inside your Web browser. Click on the filter library text, and you can enter a search string -- results load as you type.
There's a volume control, shuffle mode, play/pause control, and you can click and drag to skip forward or rewind during playback. As OMG! Ubuntu points out, you can even save the app to your hard drive and run it offline, which is pretty darn cool.
Not all browsers are equal when it comes to HTML5 implementation, of course. We found that Chrome worked the best, and Firefox was OK. It's also worth noting that this music player comes from the same developer that created one of our favorite restartless Firefox 4 add-ons, drag2up.HTML5 MP3 player lets you listen to your music library inside your browser originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Windows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-style
For what seems like an eternity, Download Squad readers have reacted to news of security exploits targeting Adobe Reader with a common sentiment: why doesn't Microsoft build its own secure PDF reader into Windows? Apparently the Windows 8 team agrees, and they're working away at an application called Modern Reader which is exactly that.
From the handful of screenshots Paul Thurrott has shared, it's clear that Modern Reader has been built with Metro in mind. You can see the Reader back button in the top-left corner of the yellow image and the minimal page navigation bar on the right. We've posted some larger images we managed to scrape from Google's cache after the break.
Thurrott also mentions that Modern Reader is the first program spotted which is built using AppX -- a packaging technology that may allow developers to roll a single build to both Windows 8 desktops and Windows Phone 8 mobile devices.Continue reading Windows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-styleWindows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-style originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
From the handful of screenshots Paul Thurrott has shared, it's clear that Modern Reader has been built with Metro in mind. You can see the Reader back button in the top-left corner of the yellow image and the minimal page navigation bar on the right. We've posted some larger images we managed to scrape from Google's cache after the break.
Thurrott also mentions that Modern Reader is the first program spotted which is built using AppX -- a packaging technology that may allow developers to roll a single build to both Windows 8 desktops and Windows Phone 8 mobile devices.Continue reading Windows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-styleWindows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-style originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Google remains committed to TV business, expects more partners soon
Wondering what Mountain View has in store for Google TV -- that half-baked content platform available on only a small handful of devices? Well, it's not going away, apparently, and may even cross the Atlantic into Europe next year. Google Chairman Eric Schmidt is currently making waves in Scotland, giving Edinburgh International Television Festival attendees a rather vague overview of what the next generation of Google TV may look like. Schmidt said that the service has yet to take off because it's currently integrated with (a rather limited selection of) TVs, which we don't tend to upgrade more than once or twice a decade. He added that additional hardware and content partners will be coming soon, though, and didn't deny that Google TV could end up on Motorola cable boxes -- an obvious move, given the company's recent acquisition announcement. With widespread implementation and many more content partners, Google TV could definitely be a hit, but with ABC, NBC and CBS still unwilling to come onboard, the struggling service likely has a very rocky road ahead before it can be deemed a success.Google remains committed to TV business, expects more partners soon originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Reuters | Email this | Comments
Original Apple TV Becomes Elegant Nixie Clock
Way back in the misty depths of 2009, we brought news of Daniel Kurth’s concrete Nixie clock. Now Kurth has been at it again, only he’s using an even more dead and useless base for his clock than the original concrete: Behold, the Apple TV Nixie Clock.
Kurth’s project uses the original, giant-sized Apple TV with [...]
Kurth’s project uses the original, giant-sized Apple TV with [...]
Nissan's Leaf rollout speeds up in Chicago this fall
Oprah may have left town and packed up her "You get a car!" philanthropic ways, but that's not stopping Nissan from injecting the windy city with a little auto excitement. Responding to an overwhelming customer demand for its all-electric Leaf vehicles, the Japanese car maker is accelerating the line's rollout to Chicago residents, with the first models to be available this fall. The launch will be bolstered by a planned 280 EV charging stations, funded in part by a pledged $1 million from the state and an additional $1 million grant. If you're living in the second city to our north and haven't yet hitched your ride to the electric hatchback caravan, now might be the time.Continue reading Nissan's Leaf rollout speeds up in Chicago this fallNissan's Leaf rollout speeds up in Chicago this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Green Car Reports | | Email this | Comments
Hurricane Irene Has an OK Cupid Profile [Irene]
And it's very clever. I guess hurricanes need love, just like the rest of us. Check out Irene's OK Cupid page. More »
Listen to Gizmodo?s Soundtrack: The Weeknd [Video]
If you live somewhere on the Eastern Seaboard, fill your fridge with food, grab a dozen bottles of wine, and download The Weeknd's Thursday—or their previous album House of Balloons. More »
Adblock Plus developer pokes holes in Mozilla's new add-on performance tests
Wladimir Palant, developer of the most popular add-on in the world, Adblock Plus, is also an active contributor to the Planet Mozilla blog community. Over the last few days, in response to Mozilla's new name and shame list of slow add-ons, Palant has been investigating whether Mozilla's testing methods are actually accurate.
Rather surprisingly, it turns out that Mozilla's numbers could be significantly wrong -- and if they're not wrong, the factors that Mozilla uses to tabulate an add-ons final score should definitely be made more transparent.
In the first set of tests, Palant shows that FlashGot's position in the top 10 is probably due to a fault in Mozilla's testing setup, and that add-ons can perform very differently depending on which operating system they're being tested on. In the second analysis, Palant uncovers an irregularity that doesn't seem to have an obvious cause -- but it could be due to an I/O bottleneck on Mozilla's test machines. Basically, even though performance testing of Read It Later is disabled because of a bug, it still (somehow!) manages to record a 14% slow-down on Windows 7.
Palant concludes both analyses by scolding Mozilla for going public with the performance data before its testing methods had been confirmed accurate. It definitely looks like Mozilla has been more than a little reckless, considering the importance of Firefox's add-on ecosystem.Adblock Plus developer pokes holes in Mozilla's new add-on performance tests originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 05:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Rather surprisingly, it turns out that Mozilla's numbers could be significantly wrong -- and if they're not wrong, the factors that Mozilla uses to tabulate an add-ons final score should definitely be made more transparent.
In the first set of tests, Palant shows that FlashGot's position in the top 10 is probably due to a fault in Mozilla's testing setup, and that add-ons can perform very differently depending on which operating system they're being tested on. In the second analysis, Palant uncovers an irregularity that doesn't seem to have an obvious cause -- but it could be due to an I/O bottleneck on Mozilla's test machines. Basically, even though performance testing of Read It Later is disabled because of a bug, it still (somehow!) manages to record a 14% slow-down on Windows 7.
Palant concludes both analyses by scolding Mozilla for going public with the performance data before its testing methods had been confirmed accurate. It definitely looks like Mozilla has been more than a little reckless, considering the importance of Firefox's add-on ecosystem.Adblock Plus developer pokes holes in Mozilla's new add-on performance tests originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 05:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Why Do Idiots Keep Trying to Outrun Speeding Trains? [WTFriday]
Well, it was a big week for morons and trains. There is clearly some kind of locomotive Darwinism at work, but miraculously both of these dipshits survived. We hope these serve as a warning to not ever be this stupid. More »
F-22 Jets Allowed to Fly Just to Escape Irene [Hurricane Irene]
Like its more expensive cousin, the F-35, America's F-22 fighter fleet at Langley Air Force Base has been grounded due to malfunctioning parts. Surprise! Not at all. But they're taking to the skies again!—just to avoid a hurricane. More »
How Your False Sense of Security Might Get You Killed During Irene [Hurricane Irene]
I have to admit. Despite some widespread panic, the first ever evacuation of NYC, and the threat of billions of dollars being lost, part of me wouldn't be surprised if Irene just struck us a glancing blow. That perception gap is a problem. More »
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Let it Slide is an engaging, difficult puzzle game
I have a thing for physics games, and I've been known to post the occasional platformer or action game here and there. But Let it Slide is one of the brainiest games I've posted to date.
The idea is very simple, and far from original: You get a board with pieces arranged in a particular pattern; you have to slide those around until you get the special piece into its target location.
It's not even about finding out where the target location is - you can just hover over "dim tiles" and instantly see where you're supposed to bring the special piece. But getting it there is a whole different story.
There are five tutorial levels, which I strongly recommend you do. Then there are twenty "beginner" levels, but that's really a misnomer. If those are the beginner levels, I don't want to know what the intermediate and advanced levels look like!
Every time you finish a level you get a score based on how many clicks it took you - each level has a "par" (the minimum number of clicks it could be completed in), and your performance is compared to that gold standard. Because it's such a brainy game, getting it right is quite satisfying. I was downright proud of myself when I managed to finish a few levels. All in all, quite recommended, especially if you've got a few minutes of quiet. It might actually help you focus better later on.Let it Slide is an engaging, difficult puzzle game originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The idea is very simple, and far from original: You get a board with pieces arranged in a particular pattern; you have to slide those around until you get the special piece into its target location.
It's not even about finding out where the target location is - you can just hover over "dim tiles" and instantly see where you're supposed to bring the special piece. But getting it there is a whole different story.
There are five tutorial levels, which I strongly recommend you do. Then there are twenty "beginner" levels, but that's really a misnomer. If those are the beginner levels, I don't want to know what the intermediate and advanced levels look like!
Every time you finish a level you get a score based on how many clicks it took you - each level has a "par" (the minimum number of clicks it could be completed in), and your performance is compared to that gold standard. Because it's such a brainy game, getting it right is quite satisfying. I was downright proud of myself when I managed to finish a few levels. All in all, quite recommended, especially if you've got a few minutes of quiet. It might actually help you focus better later on.Let it Slide is an engaging, difficult puzzle game originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Stick-On Cardstick, One Twelfth of a Yardstick
Many things claim to be credit-card sized, but none can be more perfectly exact than the Cardstick, a ruler that sticks onto your actual credit card, and is therefore atom-for-atom the exact same size as that card (if you ignore the fact that it adds a little depth to one end of the card).
Further, because [...]
Further, because [...]
ChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryear
Have you ever wondered what the Web was like before the Mosaic Web browser? If you were born in the last 20-odd years, or you only discovered your inner geek recently, did you miss out on monochrome monitors and the dial-up BBS era? Well, here's your chance to get a sneak peek at history: grab the ChromeLite extension and marvel as the entire Web is transformed into ASCII characters.
Now, ChromeLite isn't really all that functional. For the most part, it simply strips images and converts text into a monospaced terminal font. There are a few Easter eggs inserted -- such as a fun message at the bottom of YouTube (image after the break) -- and some fun ASCII art, but that's about it. Rather oddly, most JavaScript continues to work -- so you can still enjoy Google Instant Search!
ChromeLite was actually made by Google as an April Fools' joke -- and indeed, an annoying 'you can uninstall this!' message appears at the top of every page -- but we're kind of hoping that Google, or another developer, takes ChromeLite and turns it into a real ASCII browsing extension with configurable settings. If anything, it will provide an easy way to save bandwidth and CPU time.Continue reading ChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryearChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryear originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Now, ChromeLite isn't really all that functional. For the most part, it simply strips images and converts text into a monospaced terminal font. There are a few Easter eggs inserted -- such as a fun message at the bottom of YouTube (image after the break) -- and some fun ASCII art, but that's about it. Rather oddly, most JavaScript continues to work -- so you can still enjoy Google Instant Search!
ChromeLite was actually made by Google as an April Fools' joke -- and indeed, an annoying 'you can uninstall this!' message appears at the top of every page -- but we're kind of hoping that Google, or another developer, takes ChromeLite and turns it into a real ASCII browsing extension with configurable settings. If anything, it will provide an easy way to save bandwidth and CPU time.Continue reading ChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryearChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryear originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
HTC Vigor poses for a couple of spy shots, reveals little
So it turned out that render of HTC's Vigor on a Dutch online store wasn't exactly kosher; but what might be are two spy shots that Droid Life obtained today, providing us with what would seem to be the first legitimate glimpse of the Verizon-bound, LTE-toting smartphone. Gracing its derriere is a texturized backplate, which sports the usual self-explanatory "WITH HTC SENSE" label along with a large lens plus dual LED flash; whereas on the other side we see a front-facing camera along with four capacitive buttons. Whether or not it'll arrive with the also rumored 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage remains to be seen, but you'll know more when we do.HTC Vigor poses for a couple of spy shots, reveals little originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Phandroid | Droid Life | Email this | Comments
Photographer Makes Huge 8 x 10-Inch Digital Camera Back
Only in the world of photography could a piece of gear that costs “equal to the cost of a good size house ? before the housing crash” be considered a money saver. But that’s exactly what photographer Mitchell Feinberg claims for his 8 x 10-inch digital camera back.
After months of calling around, Feinberg managed to [...]
After months of calling around, Feinberg managed to [...]
Amazon Registers Domains ? Re Kindle the Rumours
Amazon recently registered the domain names Kindlescribe.com and Kindlescribes.com. �This adds to their KindleAir and KindleSocialNetwork domain names they registered earlier this month. � We’ve all heard the rumours about a tablet based device but what else does Amazon have planned ? An ebook writer ? A light weight aluminum e-reader ? � A competitor [...]
Ten One Design Announces new Pogo Sketch Pro Stylus
Do you enjoy making art with your iPad or Android tablet? If so, you probably prefer using a stylus instead of your finger when drawing. There are quite a few capacitive styli on the market, and now there’s another. Ten One Design, the company that has brought us the Pogo Stylus has just announced the [...]
FCC Fridays: August 26, 2011
We here at Engadget Mobile 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, we've gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don't need). Enjoy!
Update: It appears the FCC is doing some work on its website, which means some of the links may show up as an error for the next few days.
Phones
Read - Huawei G3512
Read - Huawei U8652
Read - Huawei U5200
Read - RIM REM71UW
Read - Samsung GT-S7250 Wave
Read - Samsung GT-I8150 Galaxy W
Read - Samsung GT-I9100P
Read - Samsung GT-C3330
Read - Samsung SGH-T989 Hercules
Read - Samsung E110S
Read - Vertu RM-681V (Constellation T)
Read - Fujitsu TSI11FCC Fridays: August 26, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Update: It appears the FCC is doing some work on its website, which means some of the links may show up as an error for the next few days.
Phones
Read - Huawei G3512
Read - Huawei U8652
Read - Huawei U5200
Read - RIM REM71UW
Read - Samsung GT-S7250 Wave
Read - Samsung GT-I8150 Galaxy W
Read - Samsung GT-I9100P
Read - Samsung GT-C3330
Read - Samsung SGH-T989 Hercules
Read - Samsung E110S
Read - Vertu RM-681V (Constellation T)
Read - Fujitsu TSI11FCC Fridays: August 26, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
F-22 Jets Allowed to Fly Just to Escape Irene [Hurricane Irene]
Like its more expensive cousin, the F-35, America's F-22 fighter fleet at Langley Air Force Base has been grounded due to malfunctioning parts. Surprise! Not at all. But they're taking to the skies again!—just to avoid a hurricane. More »
How Secure is My Password lets you know just that
We've all heard it before; you need to select a lengthy password, one that's hard to guess. Not a dictionary word. And it has to have some capital letters in it too, and some digits, and a symbol or two won't hurt either.
That's a handy set of rules to keep in mind, but How Secure is My Password helps us understand why they're important.
It's basically like a full-screen version of one of those password-strength meters websites sometimes use. But instead of showing you a bar going from "weak" to "strong", it shows you an estimation of how long your password would take to crack. That's a much more visceral way to understand why your password is strong.
For example, when I entered "rabbit", it came back with "your password is one of the 500 most common passwords. It could be cracked almost instantly". "rabbit5" would take two hours, "$rabbit5" would take 38 days, and "$rabbitZ5" would take 237 years. It's quite enlightening to see what a difference three simple characters can make.How Secure is My Password lets you know just that originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
That's a handy set of rules to keep in mind, but How Secure is My Password helps us understand why they're important.
It's basically like a full-screen version of one of those password-strength meters websites sometimes use. But instead of showing you a bar going from "weak" to "strong", it shows you an estimation of how long your password would take to crack. That's a much more visceral way to understand why your password is strong.
For example, when I entered "rabbit", it came back with "your password is one of the 500 most common passwords. It could be cracked almost instantly". "rabbit5" would take two hours, "$rabbit5" would take 38 days, and "$rabbitZ5" would take 237 years. It's quite enlightening to see what a difference three simple characters can make.How Secure is My Password lets you know just that originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Get Prepared for Hurricane Irene with the FEMA App for Android [Android Apps]
The ever so timely FEMA just released an app for Android phones that'll get you prepared for that bitch of an Irene. The app will give you checklists to build an emergency kit, maps of disaster recovery centers, information how to stay safe and more. You're going to need this this weekend (if you live on the east coast, at least). [Android Market] More »
Courier Rising, Fox Falling, and Other Stories We Didn't Post [Left Behind]
So much news passes before our collective eyes every day that we couldn't possibly cover it all. Mostly because much of it isn't worth covering! But here are a some borderline tidbits we passed on, just in case. More »
Friday, August 26, 2011
AVG launches LiveKive cloud sync and backup tool
A while back, we told you about AVG's new LiveKive service, a new cloud synchronization and backup tool which appears to have been named after a vat in which mash is made during the brewing process. But enough about AVG's odd choice of monikers -- LiveKive has launched and is now ready to accept your files into the AVG cloud.
LiveKive takes aim at services like Dropbox and SugarSync, though at the moment it's lagging behind in terms of features. As it stands, LiveKive is only compatible with Windows and OS X. There are no mobile clients yet, though with AVG's strong presence on Android we wouldn't be surprised to see an app arrive in the near future.
The company is offering a heck of a deal right now, however. If you sign up for a paid account during the launch phase, you can score unlimited storage for $80 for a whole year. You can't even score 50GB per year at that price from Dropbox, so if cost and space are more important to you than cross-platform availability, LiveKive might be worth checking out.
If you're not interested in ponying up any cash at the moment, you can still get a 5GB account free of charge. Just head on over, and create a LiveKive account.AVG launches LiveKive cloud sync and backup tool originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
LiveKive takes aim at services like Dropbox and SugarSync, though at the moment it's lagging behind in terms of features. As it stands, LiveKive is only compatible with Windows and OS X. There are no mobile clients yet, though with AVG's strong presence on Android we wouldn't be surprised to see an app arrive in the near future.
The company is offering a heck of a deal right now, however. If you sign up for a paid account during the launch phase, you can score unlimited storage for $80 for a whole year. You can't even score 50GB per year at that price from Dropbox, so if cost and space are more important to you than cross-platform availability, LiveKive might be worth checking out.
If you're not interested in ponying up any cash at the moment, you can still get a 5GB account free of charge. Just head on over, and create a LiveKive account.AVG launches LiveKive cloud sync and backup tool originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Elephant Quest is an addictive, deep platformer
When someone tells me about a "platformer", my first thought is that it's probably a simple game that mainly revolves around running and jumping around, with a minimal plot. [Play a Zelda game! -Ed]
Elephant Quest is one platformer that managed to prove me completely wrong. Yes, you do run and jump around, and you also shoot at stuff. But the game has much, much more going for it.
Basically, as you run, jump and shoot, you gain experience points and level up. Hitting Space brings you into an interface where you can convert your experience points into Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Dexterity points. Once you've "specialized" your points, you then get to pick what exact skills you'd like to enhance in each field. For example, you could use your dexterity to enhance your weapons or increase your swiftness.
The game is played in a huge maze; you go through rooms using doors, and there's a large map. As the name implies, there are quests you can take, too. For example, one quest had me searching all over the place for ten balloons.
The bottom line is that this is a surprisingly deep game that just might ensnare you for a good bit longer than you intended to play. Beware!Elephant Quest is an addictive, deep platformer originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Elephant Quest is one platformer that managed to prove me completely wrong. Yes, you do run and jump around, and you also shoot at stuff. But the game has much, much more going for it.
Basically, as you run, jump and shoot, you gain experience points and level up. Hitting Space brings you into an interface where you can convert your experience points into Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Dexterity points. Once you've "specialized" your points, you then get to pick what exact skills you'd like to enhance in each field. For example, you could use your dexterity to enhance your weapons or increase your swiftness.
The game is played in a huge maze; you go through rooms using doors, and there's a large map. As the name implies, there are quests you can take, too. For example, one quest had me searching all over the place for ten balloons.
The bottom line is that this is a surprisingly deep game that just might ensnare you for a good bit longer than you intended to play. Beware!Elephant Quest is an addictive, deep platformer originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Razer Blade: hands-on with 17 inches of gaming greatness
Something big's been brewing over in Carlsbad, and the time has finally come for it to be revealed to the world: the Razer Blade. The onyx aluminum beaut before you is the culmination of over three years of work by a stealth team of engineers -- many of them absorbed from the former OQO team. Despite being only 0.88 inches thick (thinner than another 17-incher we know...), the svelte number still packs a punch with a 2.8GHz Core i7-2640M CPU and GeForce GT 555M graphics replete with 2GB of GDDR5 video memory. All that graphical horsepower will splay your exploits on a 17.3-inch LED 1920 x 1080 full HD panel with an HD webcam nestled above. Rounding out the package is 8GB of RAM, three USB ports (one of the 3.0 persuasion), HDMI-out and a 60Wh integrated battery. And it could all be yours for $2,799 when it debuts in Q4 of this year.
That's dandy, but we're more stoked on the 480 x 800 LCD trackpad just to the right of the backlit keyboard. It works either as a multitouch-enabled input device or as an additional display for in-game info when the urge to slay demons with an external mouse strikes. North of that hotness lie ten fully customizable buttons, both in appearance (courtesy of a separate LCD) and in function. The keys and trackpad are running a custom Switchblade UI -- inspired by the company's oh so sexy Switchblade concept that we saw at CES. And just like the concept, Razer's used a custom lighting panel to ensure you can see those keys clearly from an angle -- people don't look straight down at their keyboards, after all. Follow on past the break for more impressions, video and PR.
Gallery: Razer Blade Gallery: Razer Blade previewContinue reading Razer Blade: hands-on with 17 inches of gaming greatnessRazer Blade: hands-on with 17 inches of gaming greatness originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Razer | Email this | Comments
That's dandy, but we're more stoked on the 480 x 800 LCD trackpad just to the right of the backlit keyboard. It works either as a multitouch-enabled input device or as an additional display for in-game info when the urge to slay demons with an external mouse strikes. North of that hotness lie ten fully customizable buttons, both in appearance (courtesy of a separate LCD) and in function. The keys and trackpad are running a custom Switchblade UI -- inspired by the company's oh so sexy Switchblade concept that we saw at CES. And just like the concept, Razer's used a custom lighting panel to ensure you can see those keys clearly from an angle -- people don't look straight down at their keyboards, after all. Follow on past the break for more impressions, video and PR.
Gallery: Razer Blade Gallery: Razer Blade previewContinue reading Razer Blade: hands-on with 17 inches of gaming greatnessRazer Blade: hands-on with 17 inches of gaming greatness originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Razer | Email this | Comments
Amazon Cloud Player review: functional, not mind blowing, and still US-only
It's hard to believe: our world-spanning network, our Internet, which is the cornerstone of free speech and free society -- which, on a good day, is capable of causing populist revolutions -- is still crippled by banal geolocation restrictions. We are, of course, talking about Amazon's two latest offerings, both of which are only available in the United States. Last week it was the excellent Android Appstore for Android, and today it's the Amazon Cloud Player for Web and Android.
Along with Cloud Player, Amazon also launched Cloud Drive, which is basically just like any other cloud storage digital locker. It's not particularly feature rich, and there's no real reason to use it over something like SugarSync or SkyDrive -- it does work outside the US, however.
Its primary purpose, as far as we're concerned, is that it stores your your Cloud Player music in a subdirectory. You get 5GB of Cloud Drive storage for free, and then it's $1 per gigabyte per year if you need more space.
The Amazon Cloud Player itself will not, to put it bluntly, blow your mind. It works, but it's very much an early, and possibly rushed, release. Let's dive in to the Web and Android players for a closer look.Gallery: Amazon Cloud Player and Cloud Drive: on Web and AndroidContinue reading Amazon Cloud Player review: functional, not mind blowing, and still US-onlyAmazon Cloud Player review: functional, not mind blowing, and still US-only originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Along with Cloud Player, Amazon also launched Cloud Drive, which is basically just like any other cloud storage digital locker. It's not particularly feature rich, and there's no real reason to use it over something like SugarSync or SkyDrive -- it does work outside the US, however.
Its primary purpose, as far as we're concerned, is that it stores your your Cloud Player music in a subdirectory. You get 5GB of Cloud Drive storage for free, and then it's $1 per gigabyte per year if you need more space.
The Amazon Cloud Player itself will not, to put it bluntly, blow your mind. It works, but it's very much an early, and possibly rushed, release. Let's dive in to the Web and Android players for a closer look.Gallery: Amazon Cloud Player and Cloud Drive: on Web and AndroidContinue reading Amazon Cloud Player review: functional, not mind blowing, and still US-onlyAmazon Cloud Player review: functional, not mind blowing, and still US-only originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
I Wish I Had the Balls to Risk My Life Like This Man [Video]
Swiss climber Ueli Steck is one of my personal superheroes. Watch this video of him beating a climb speed record on the Eiger—a 13,025-foot mountain in the Bernese Alps—to understand why. More »
How Jules Verne Predicted Cell Phones in the 1870s [Humor]
What? Everybody knows Jules Verne totally called the Cellular Revolution back in 1874—wrote a book about it called 'The Camera-Phone" and everything. There's even a write up about it here, in The Onion. More »
Dell Vostro 360 unveiled in China, a decently priced all-in-Yuan
Dell's Chinese site just took the wraps off the Vostro 360 all-in-one, which we already glimpsed in some prematurely released support documents. The product page actually calls it the 'Vostro Success 360' to hammer home its productivity focus, as if the inclusion of Windows 7 Professional Edition wasn't enough. Other specs are pretty much as expected: a choice of touchscreen or non-touchscreen variants of the 23-inch Full HD WLED display, Intel i3 or i5 processors with the H61 chipset and up to a terabyte of 7200RPM storage. There's also a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M for those out-of-hours LAN parties. The 4,999 Yuan price tag for the base model translates to a respectable $780, but we've no clue as to when this office beauty will arrive outside the Chung Kuo.
[Thanks, Czar]Dell Vostro 360 unveiled in China, a decently priced all-in-Yuan originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Dell [Chinese] | Email this | Comments
[Thanks, Czar]Dell Vostro 360 unveiled in China, a decently priced all-in-Yuan originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Dell [Chinese] | Email this | Comments
The HTC Omega Might Be the First WP7 Handset You Actually Crave [Windows Phone]
PocketNow has a leaked photo of the upcoming HTC Omega and it looks like there's a front facing camera. WP7 has lagged on that so it's great to see them reach some feature parity. Oh and using a 1.5Ghz Snapdragon processor doesn't hurt either. More »
Stick-On Cardstick, One Twelfth of a Yardstick
Many things claim to be credit-card sized, but none can be more perfectly exact than the Cardstick, a ruler that sticks onto your actual credit card, and is therefore atom-for-atom the exact same size as that card (if you ignore the fact that it adds a little depth to one end of the card).
Further, because [...]
Further, because [...]
Google Chrome now uses SPDY HTTP replacement, halves page load time
We're not entirely sure of the time line here, but it looks like Google has now rolled out the SPDY HTTP replacement to its full bevy of Web services, including Gmail, Docs, and YouTube. If you're currently using Google's Chrome browser you're probably already using SPDY.
We originally reported on SPDY way back in November 2009, when Google introduced it as yet another experiment in making the Web faster, like Go, Native Client and speculative pre-connections. Over the last 18 months, though, SPDY support has found its way into the stable build of Chrome.
SPDY is basically a streamlined and more efficient version of HTTP. At its most basic, SPDY introduces parallel, multiplexed streams over a single TCP connection -- but at the same time, SPDY allows for prioritization, so that vital content (HTML) can be sent before periphery content (JavaScript, video). All in all, the SPDY protocol can halve page load times, which is obviously rather significant.
The best bit, though, is that SPDY is an open-source project. HTTP 1.1 is a lumbering beast that needs to be replaced before low-latency real-time computing really becomes a reality, and SPDY is one of the best options currently on the table. To be honest, we're not sure why SPDY hasn't received more coverage -- it's awesome in every way. At the moment, though, the only way to help speed up SPDY's proliferation, is with an experimental Apache mod.
As far as actually 'trying it out,' your best bet is downloading Chrome, hitting up some Google sites, and then checking chrome://net-internals to see your active SPDY sessions. SPDY is a transparent replacement for HTTP, though, and as such it's rather hard to see its effects. Google's sites definitely feel fast in Chrome, but there are more technologies than just SPDY at work.Google Chrome now uses SPDY HTTP replacement, halves page load time originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
We originally reported on SPDY way back in November 2009, when Google introduced it as yet another experiment in making the Web faster, like Go, Native Client and speculative pre-connections. Over the last 18 months, though, SPDY support has found its way into the stable build of Chrome.
SPDY is basically a streamlined and more efficient version of HTTP. At its most basic, SPDY introduces parallel, multiplexed streams over a single TCP connection -- but at the same time, SPDY allows for prioritization, so that vital content (HTML) can be sent before periphery content (JavaScript, video). All in all, the SPDY protocol can halve page load times, which is obviously rather significant.
The best bit, though, is that SPDY is an open-source project. HTTP 1.1 is a lumbering beast that needs to be replaced before low-latency real-time computing really becomes a reality, and SPDY is one of the best options currently on the table. To be honest, we're not sure why SPDY hasn't received more coverage -- it's awesome in every way. At the moment, though, the only way to help speed up SPDY's proliferation, is with an experimental Apache mod.
As far as actually 'trying it out,' your best bet is downloading Chrome, hitting up some Google sites, and then checking chrome://net-internals to see your active SPDY sessions. SPDY is a transparent replacement for HTTP, though, and as such it's rather hard to see its effects. Google's sites definitely feel fast in Chrome, but there are more technologies than just SPDY at work.Google Chrome now uses SPDY HTTP replacement, halves page load time originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Zoho Docs 2.0 adds iPad support
Zoho has offered an iOS app for a while now -- at least for the iPhone and iPod touch. Those of you who have been wanting to use the Zoho app on your iPad were out of luck, but that's no longer the case.
Zoho Docs 2.0 has landed in the App Store, and the most notable change is that it's now a universal app. Now you're able to take advantage of the app's mobile productivity powers on your larger iOS device. Retina display support has also been added, as have document sharing options -- which you can utilize in both the viewer and collaboration modes.
Just like the basic Zoho service, the app is available totally free of charge. Paid subscriptions get you additional storage space and start at $3 per month for professional use.Zoho Docs 2.0 adds iPad support originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 22:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Zoho Docs 2.0 has landed in the App Store, and the most notable change is that it's now a universal app. Now you're able to take advantage of the app's mobile productivity powers on your larger iOS device. Retina display support has also been added, as have document sharing options -- which you can utilize in both the viewer and collaboration modes.
Just like the basic Zoho service, the app is available totally free of charge. Paid subscriptions get you additional storage space and start at $3 per month for professional use.Zoho Docs 2.0 adds iPad support originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 22:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The Last Footage of DARPA's Hypersonic Aircraft before It Vanished into Oblivion [Video]
DARPA's several hundred million dollar quest to build an airplane that can nuke anything within an hour isn't going so well. It's lost both launched prototypes, mysteriously disappearing (and presumably burning up and crashing into the ocean). Here's video. More »
Thursday, August 25, 2011
New York's Subway May Not Survive Nicole Irene [Irene]
Ok, it's that time of the year again. Read this and go riot before is too late! More »
Ness Serves Up Their First Personal Search App Catering To Restaurant Discovery
Last night I went out to dinner. But I didn't pick where I was going, Ness did. The place was good. Score one for Ness.
We previously covered Ness Computing in July, talking about the technology that would power their eventual apps (as well as their funding). Today, the first such app has gone live in the App Store, called simply, Ness. It's a personal search engine catering to restaurants. And it's good.
Whereas most food and restaurant recommendation apps focus on ratings from the general population, Ness is tailored around social as well as your own tastes. Others have tried this before as well, but Ness seems to have it nailed thanks to a ton of data they've already been pulling in before the app even launched.
We previously covered Ness Computing in July, talking about the technology that would power their eventual apps (as well as their funding). Today, the first such app has gone live in the App Store, called simply, Ness. It's a personal search engine catering to restaurants. And it's good.
Whereas most food and restaurant recommendation apps focus on ratings from the general population, Ness is tailored around social as well as your own tastes. Others have tried this before as well, but Ness seems to have it nailed thanks to a ton of data they've already been pulling in before the app even launched.
iSites overhauled, now lets you publish cloud-based HTML5 iPhone apps in minutes
iSites -- a zero-code cloud-based 'app creator' -- can now generate HTML5 apps that work on iOS devices. With this new feature, dubbed 'InstantApp', you can now design a single app in your browser and publish it natively on Android and iOS, and as an HTML5 iPhone app.
We haven't looked at iSites before, but it shot to fame last year when it launched with native iOS and Android support. Self-publishing Android apps wasn't a problem because Google does very little moderation of the Market, but iSites ran into trouble with its iOS apps. Thousands of people signed up for the service after it was featured on Mashable and TechCrunch, and you can imagine Apple's chagrin as thousands of cookie cutter apps flooded its approval queue.
Genwi, the developer behind iSites, realized something had to be done -- it had to circumvent the App Store approval process. Genwi, of course, turned to HTML5 Web apps -- which can be pinned to the iPhone home screen and which can be shoehorned into almost behaving like native apps.
Read on for our experiences with iSites' new InstantApp HTML5 iOS app creator.Gallery: iSites InstantApp HTML5 iPhone app creationContinue reading iSites overhauled, now lets you publish cloud-based HTML5 iPhone apps in minutesiSites overhauled, now lets you publish cloud-based HTML5 iPhone apps in minutes originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
We haven't looked at iSites before, but it shot to fame last year when it launched with native iOS and Android support. Self-publishing Android apps wasn't a problem because Google does very little moderation of the Market, but iSites ran into trouble with its iOS apps. Thousands of people signed up for the service after it was featured on Mashable and TechCrunch, and you can imagine Apple's chagrin as thousands of cookie cutter apps flooded its approval queue.
Genwi, the developer behind iSites, realized something had to be done -- it had to circumvent the App Store approval process. Genwi, of course, turned to HTML5 Web apps -- which can be pinned to the iPhone home screen and which can be shoehorned into almost behaving like native apps.
Read on for our experiences with iSites' new InstantApp HTML5 iOS app creator.Gallery: iSites InstantApp HTML5 iPhone app creationContinue reading iSites overhauled, now lets you publish cloud-based HTML5 iPhone apps in minutesiSites overhauled, now lets you publish cloud-based HTML5 iPhone apps in minutes originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Scrabble Helper helps you improve your Words With Friends gameplay
If you play Scrabble (or a scrabble-like game) from time to time, you may want to check out Scrabble Helper. This simple website is a godsend when you're at a loss for words. Simply enter whatever letters you have, and the word you'd like to connect with. Scrabble helper comes up with a whole bunch of suggestions sorted by score.
The site lets you select one of five dictionaries - Scrabble International/US, Lexulous International/US, and Words With Friends. Some people might say this constitutes cheating -- I think if the other side knows you're doing it, it's definitely not cheating. And it doesn't take the challenge out of the game, because implementing Scrabble Helper's suggestions and deciding which words you'd like to connect with still takes a fair bit of thought.
Very handy, though perhaps not one for the Scrabble puritans in the crowd.Scrabble Helper helps you improve your Words With Friends gameplay originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The site lets you select one of five dictionaries - Scrabble International/US, Lexulous International/US, and Words With Friends. Some people might say this constitutes cheating -- I think if the other side knows you're doing it, it's definitely not cheating. And it doesn't take the challenge out of the game, because implementing Scrabble Helper's suggestions and deciding which words you'd like to connect with still takes a fair bit of thought.
Very handy, though perhaps not one for the Scrabble puritans in the crowd.Scrabble Helper helps you improve your Words With Friends gameplay originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Amazon Now Offers Kindle Daily Deals [Dealzmodo]
If you have a Kindle (or a PC/iOS/Android device), and like cheap books (I assume you do, but who knows, maybe you derive pleasure from hemorrhaging cash), Amazon now offers a daily deal for books. More »
BattlePaint is an addictive geometric shooter game
In BattlePaint, you play a cube. In fact, you're not even a cube -- just a square. But boy, are you fast! And you can shoot in all directions. That's important, because there are baddies coming in from all over the place.
The "baddies" are swarms of other squares, in all sorts of pretty colors. They track you all over the screen, and you run around very quickly and just shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. If that doesn't sound very emotionally deep, it's because it isn't. But it's fun!
After you shoot a baddy, it splashes paint as it disappears. You need to skate across this blob of paint and "eat it up" to get points. This game is fast. It clocked in at around 60-70 FPS on my system, and was loads of fun to play. It does tend to insult you when you die, though, but don't be offended -- I don't think it's personal.BattlePaint is an addictive geometric shooter game originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The "baddies" are swarms of other squares, in all sorts of pretty colors. They track you all over the screen, and you run around very quickly and just shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. If that doesn't sound very emotionally deep, it's because it isn't. But it's fun!
After you shoot a baddy, it splashes paint as it disappears. You need to skate across this blob of paint and "eat it up" to get points. This game is fast. It clocked in at around 60-70 FPS on my system, and was loads of fun to play. It does tend to insult you when you die, though, but don't be offended -- I don't think it's personal.BattlePaint is an addictive geometric shooter game originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
How to Buy a Hard Drive: An Essential Guide [Guts]
Do you need gigabytes or performance? Laptop upgrades or a screaming new gaming PC? We walk you through what you need to know to pick the right storage solution for your PC. More »
Heated Bike Grips Keep the Feeling In Your Fingers
It’s winter, and you’re on your bike. The snow is coming down, the wind is finding its way in through even the tiniest gaps in your clothing, and it is bitterly cold. Thanks to your heated handlebar grips, though, you hands and fingers remain soft and warm.
Then, the batteries fail, and the temperatures plunge as [...]
Then, the batteries fail, and the temperatures plunge as [...]
Daily Crunch: VR Drone Edition
Giant VR Helmet Is Very 90s, Yet Way Cooler Europe Launching Gigapixel Probe To Map Milky Way Effectology: Paranormal Spooooky Sounds Do A Barrel Roll: AR.Drone Challenges You To Become A Great Drone Pilot Kid-Tested, Grant Imahara Approved: Hexbrite Open Source Flashlight
CouchSurfing Raises $7.6 M; Will Users Cry ?Sell Out??
CouchSurfing International is one of those rare Web companies-- like Mozilla or Craigslist-- that has eschewed the normal Silicon Valley values of growth, greed and venture capital.
It's one of those startups that uses the word "community" to mean people that have lasting, real-world connections to one another, not just the new industry jargon for "eyeballs."
And its CEO Daniel Hoffer still talks a bit like a man running a combination of an ashram or an online dating service: "We specialize in creating meaningful connections."
But as of today, CouchSurfing is going all corporate on us.
It's one of those startups that uses the word "community" to mean people that have lasting, real-world connections to one another, not just the new industry jargon for "eyeballs."
And its CEO Daniel Hoffer still talks a bit like a man running a combination of an ashram or an online dating service: "We specialize in creating meaningful connections."
But as of today, CouchSurfing is going all corporate on us.
Ask DLS: What's your favorite mobile app at the moment?
The mobile app marketplace is exploding; there are now hundreds of thousands of apps on the iOS, Android and BlackBerry app markets. Heck, even Windows Phone 7 just crossed the 10,000 mark!
But alas, not all apps are created equal; some are way, way better than others. Which leads me to today's Ask DLS question: What is your favorite mobile app at the moment?
We don't necessarily mean the latest craze; we'd like to hear about apps that have stood the test of time on your device, apps that are among the first you install on a new smartphones, apps that have earned their place on your home screen and in your heart.
So, what are some of these apps? Bonus points for links to screenshots in the comments!Ask DLS: What's your favorite mobile app at the moment? originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
But alas, not all apps are created equal; some are way, way better than others. Which leads me to today's Ask DLS question: What is your favorite mobile app at the moment?
We don't necessarily mean the latest craze; we'd like to hear about apps that have stood the test of time on your device, apps that are among the first you install on a new smartphones, apps that have earned their place on your home screen and in your heart.
So, what are some of these apps? Bonus points for links to screenshots in the comments!Ask DLS: What's your favorite mobile app at the moment? originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
WTF Are These Phone Names, Samsung? [Phones]
Samsung's unveiled four new Gingerbread handsets, along with a brand new—and fairly psychotic—naming structure. There are also new classes of phone, with Pro designating a physical keyboard, Plus an upgrade, and LTE, well, LTE. More »
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Beef Jerky-Potato Chip Hybrid Is the Pinnacle of Human Innovation [Food]
Inventors: You can stop trying now. Your laptops cannot feed the world. Your smartphones are not crunchy AND meaty. The masterminds behind Cherkees have beaten you. More »
The Gizmodo Computer Lab For Kids Who Can't Tech Good [Charity]
We all take things for granted. Like having a school. Or a computer. That's why Gizmodo and some friendly gadget companies are teaming up with Surf For Life, a non-profit that lets people help local causes while on vacation. More »
Acer loses $234 million in worse-than-expected Q2
It may be the second largest computer manufacturer in the world, but things are not looking good for Acer. The Taiwanese company lost 6.79 billion New Taiwan Dollars (TWD), about $234.1 million, in Q2, far more than the already sizable anticipated shortfall of 3.3 billion TWD (around $114.7 million). That's a dramatic drop off from the 1.19 billion TWD profit the company posted in Q1. Things are expected to improve in Q3, but Acer still expects to operating in the red until at least Q4. Some of the problems can be blamed on recent restructuring that has the vendor increasingly focused on mobile devices and less on netbooks, which were successful for the company but have quickly declined in popularity. The extremely brief PR can be found after the break.Continue reading Acer loses $234 million in worse-than-expected Q2Acer loses $234 million in worse-than-expected Q2 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Reuters | Email this | Comments
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