iCub crawls closer toward the Robopocalypse (video)

Another day, another augur of doom for humanity — iCub has been spotted in the wilds of the IROS Expo in San Francisco. The cute (in a Demon Seed sorta way) robot is designed to replicate the trial-and-error learning process of a three year-old. We’ve already seen it learning how to speak and shoot arrows, and now it wants to show off it’s… erm, recently improved crawling abilities. Head down after the break and you can see it slowly navigating the dangerous carpets of the convention floor. That’s iCub, SkyNET drones, Cyborg Rats and Robotic Bulls all in the last month. Does anyone else think the Robopocalpyse will hit before Christmas?

Continue reading iCub crawls closer toward the Robopocalypse (video)

iCub crawls closer toward the Robopocalypse (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First ‘Nexus Prime’ photo leak shows buttonless device with 720p display

Nexus Prime (image credit: GSMArena)

Who said it was iPhone day? Here we have what looks like the first leaked photo of the next Nexus device, the Samsung 'Nexus Prime', powered by the next version of Android, codename Ice Cream Sandwich. The shot, obtained by GSMArena, appears to confirm rumors of a device with Honeycomb-style software buttons in place of the traditional hardware keys used by current Android phones.

The leaked photo would also seem to back up reports of the Prime shipping with a 720p (1280×720) display, apparently in a 4.6-inch chassis, according to GSMArena. As you'll see in the image, that makes for an ample DPI of 320, all but matching the iPhone 4's Retina Display, which manages 326 DPI.

That's about all we can tell for sure given the small size of the image. If we were to speculate further, we might say the trim around the chassis seems more metallic than that of the Nexus S. Perhaps it'll ship with a metal or plastic chrome back, or maybe it's just a trick of the light. Only one thing's for certain — all will be revealed at Samsung's Unpacked event next week at CTIA.

Source: GSMArena

Microsoft delivers official Hotmail app to Android Market

I guess it’s better late than never. Microsoft just released the official Hotmail app, and they loaded it with features:

  • With push email get messages on your phone without delay
  • Synced calendar and contacts
  • View your folders in Hotmail, including sub folders
  • Send pictures from your phone using Hotmail
  • Supports multiple Hotmail accounts
  • Send, receive and view attachments

Android Market Link

Microsoft delivers official Hotmail app to Android Market

Zune is dead, long live Zune

Like Zune’s own Business Development Manager once said, all consumer electronics products have a lifespan, and today the (not so long) lineage of dedicated Zune hardware expires not with a roar, but with a promise to honor its warranties. Tucked away in the inner chambers of the Zune support site lies a page spelling out Microsoft’s final words on the device, “Windows Phone will be the focus of our mobile music and video strategy,” it says, “we will no longer be producing Zune players.” The Zune HD is survived by the Zune music service, which will continue to function with straggling standalone media players, as well as the Windows desktop, Windows Phone and Xbox platforms.

Zune is dead, long live Zune originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 23:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flash 11 and AIR 3 landing tonight and delivering 7.1 surround sound to connected home theaters

Adobe Flash Platform

Later tonight Adobe Flash 11 and AIR 3 will hit the tubes delivering with it a host of new features, including hardware acceleration for 2D and 3D graphics — at least for desktops. Stage 3D support will be added to the mobile variants for Android, iOS and BlackBerry at a later date. AIR 3 will also be sprucing up connected entertainment devices, like Samsung SmartTVs, with the ability to deliver Flash-based games and content to your home theater system. What’s more, Adobe has baked in support for both Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound. That means both 5.1 and 7.1 sound can be built into an AIR app, whether it be a game or streaming video, and pumped out at up to 512Kbps though your Blu-ray player or other connected theater component. For more, including a demo of a Flash app on a phone and a TV communicating, check out the trio of press releases and video after the break.

Continue reading Flash 11 and AIR 3 landing tonight and delivering 7.1 surround sound to connected home theaters

Flash 11 and AIR 3 landing tonight and delivering 7.1 surround sound to connected home theaters originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Door Edge Protector

I hope this becomes available for all vehicles soon. I can’t believe how inconsiderate and unaware people are when getting in and out of their vehicles. Great for the kids too!



RBC Mobile app for Android now available


For all the Royal Bank customers who have an Android device your day has finally arrived. The official RBC Mobile for Android is now available to download, it’s free and only compatible with devices that run OS 2.1 or higher. The basic banking features are available, such as checking account balances, transferring funds, finding ATMs and paying bills. The app is available in both English and French and you can grab it here via the Android Market.

Related posts:

  1. TD Canada Trust poll says only 8% of Canadians use mobile banking
  2. RBC Mobile Banking app for Android coming this Fall
  3. ING DIRECT Android app now available for download

Rumour: Images surface of BBM for Android


Apple has iMessage, Samsung has ChatOn and there are a boatload of other 3rd party Instant Messaging apps out there, namely Kik, Whatsapp, Beluga, Beejive and Fuse. One of the more popular Instant Messaging services is RIM’s BlackBerry Messenger, which is used by over 55 million on a daily basis.

A few months ago a report in the Wall Street Journal noted that Google didn’t want to be the only without a native messaging app and was rumoured to be deep in development, “Google Inc., whose Android software is the most popular operating system on smartphones, has also recently worked on a messaging application, a person familiar with the matter said”. Since the report no other news has surfaced. However, Techradar has posted a few screenshots of what looks to be RIM’s BBM ported to an Android device. As you can see by the images there’s the famous BBM icon, the users display name, PIN, message and status. Apparently the images came from a RIM employee who says the BBM for Android app is currently in beta testing, estimated to be launching by 2012.

Techradar did state that “As far as the screengrabs go, there’s no real way for us to verify them until BBM for Android launches so it’s possible that someone is giving our leg a good yank – but with the app almost certainly in development, we’re cautiously optimistic about the whole thing being legit.”

What do you think? Real or Fake? Good move for RIM to have BBM on other platforms?

Update: Looks like this is fake, the same image was featured on the BlackBerry site, specifically for BBM SDK Demo. Sucks.

Source: Techradar
Updated via AC Tweet

Related posts:

  1. Unreleased BlackBerry 8980 images surface
  2. Images of the LG “B” Android leak out… thinnest smartphone on the planet?
  3. Images of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 surface online again

Voltage Pictures dismisses 90 percent of defendants in Hurt Locker file-sharing lawsuit

That record-breaking Hurt Locker lawsuit may not be so impressive after all, now that Voltage Pictures has slashed a major chunk of defendants from its file-sharing complaint. Last week, the company voluntarily dismissed about 90 percent of the 24,583 defendants originally named in the suit, according to documents filed with the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The dismissals were made without prejudice, meaning they could theoretically be re-targeted in the future, though the number of those that reached settlements with Voltage remains unclear. The company also identified some of the alleged file-sharers by name, but acknowledged that 2,278 IP addresses remain anonymous. For more details, check out the coverage from TorrentFreak, where you’ll find the full list of dismissed IP addresses, along with the recently-named defendants.

Voltage Pictures dismisses 90 percent of defendants in Hurt Locker file-sharing lawsuit originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 05:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update video leaks, tours Metro in silence




Last month, we sat down with Microsoft for a quick look at the Xbox’s upcoming Dashboard update — it was sleek, searchable, and extremely camera shy. A quick trip to Europe seems to have cured it of its bashful ways, however, and the budding update can now be seen in a slightly blurry piece of French cinema. This leaked video shows a Dashboard with a smidge more polish than the demo we saw in September, and silently plods on without so much as a bleep or bloop. Our mute host briefly peeks at the Xbox Live Marketplace, casually glances at the Bing search page and scrolls leisurely through the new Dash’s very Metro menu. The whole shebang is en français, of course, and the update's snappy voice-control gimmick is sadly absent. Sure, there's not a lot of depth here, but if you want a glimpse of what's coming when the update drops later this Fall, it's definitely worth a look.

[Thanks, John]

Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update video leaks, tours Metro in silence originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 02:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S II is the reigning Android king

As of this past September, the Galaxy S II sold more units on contract than any other Android device ever. It’s no wonder, seesing as how the Galaxy phone has taken the weekly sales lead for the past thirty successive weeks (February 21st – September 16th). Samsung is now planning to further the gap, launching a £12m ”Galaxy Family” marketing campaign this week in preparation for this holiday season. Samsung UK and Ireland Mobile MD Simon Stanford said in a statement:

We’ve seen phenomenal sales of the Galaxy S II globally [10 million units] and in the UK specifically we’ve achieved record sales of Galaxy S II in recent weeks – ahead of all other Android devices. We have ambitious plans for the Galaxy family over the coming months evidenced by a £12m marketing campaign which will launch next week.

Samsung’s ramping up of advertising just adds to my  excitement for what we may see at their unpacked event October 11th. We’ll be serving up plenty of news about that you can be sure.

Samsung Galaxy S II is the reigning Android king

Google Chrome Gearing Up To Launch On Android

The first thing I asked myself when I started with Android was where is Chrome? I’m sure plenty of you asked yourselves the same question, or like me, just shrugged it off assuming the underlying core of the stock browser really was Chrome. The truth of the matter was Android and Chrome were separate teams entirely with really no interaction between the two. It seems Google now has a build target revision up meaning an actual Chrome browser for Android should be right around the corner. There’s mention on the Chromium revision log that Chrome for Android will include a lot of the features that you’re accustomed to on the desktop version. It will also have support for the open source Skia 2D graphics library. It’s unknown exactly how Google plans to position Chrome for Android and I wonder to what extent, if any, they will allow the desktop version to communicate with the mobile and if Chrome extensions will exist on mobile. Maybe the Nexus Prime will give us a taste of Chrome with ICS at the Unpacked event in Oct. Wishful thinking I know, but in either case we should be seeing some Chrome on Android love very soon. Hit us up with your thoughts right down there in the comments. How do you think Google will implement Chrome to Android and will it crush the current stock browser?

Google Chrome Gearing Up To Launch On Android

Android 2.3.5 Rolling Out To Samsung Galaxy S II Via KIES

Android 2.3.5 is currently being pushed via the Samsung Kies software for the Galaxy S II. The update seems to be the same KI3 leak from a few days ago and brings some performance improvements on an already blazing fast phone. One notable visual change is the bouncing effect is gone when scrolling to the end of a list and is now highlighted in color like many other Gingerbread versions. This change may be due to respecting Apple’s copyrights for scrolling effects. Keep your eyes peeled for the OTA soon and you can catch a shot of the over scroll glow after the break.

Read More…

Android 2.3.5 Rolling Out To Samsung Galaxy S II Via KIES

Fewer asteroids are menacing Earth than we thought — and we know where 90 percent of them are [Space]

NASA recently repurposed a satellite called WISE that had completed its mission with all instruments intact and quite a bit of fuel. Renaming the mission NEOWISE, the space agency gave the satellite a new job: map the entire volume of space in the vicinity of Earth’s orbit around the sun, looking for every possible rock, boulder, or planetoid that could possibly smack into our Blue Marble. What they discovered caused them to build an entirely new model of the space debris in our immediate area (see image above).

More »

SwiftKey X for Android hits v2.1, fingers party everywhere

Rejoice, virtual keyboard aficionados! SwiftKey X 2.1 for Android tablets and smartphones just became available today, and brings a bunch of new features and bug fixes to your favorite touchscreen device. Since our hands-on with v2.0, TouchType has updated its on-screen keyboard using the feedback it gathered from its 25,000+ VIP members. The new version of SwiftKey X adds blog personalization, insights about your typing (shareable with friends), heat-map visualization (see screenshot above), localization / language enhancements, and an auto caps toggle. We’ve been using the final build of SwiftKey X 2.1 on our Nexus S for the past couple of days and noticed some improvements in terms of typing speed and accuracy. Pricing remains $4.99 for SwiftKey Tablet X and $3.99 for SwiftKey X. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading SwiftKey X for Android hits v2.1, fingers party everywhere

SwiftKey X for Android hits v2.1, fingers party everywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, packing 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and coated in Honeycomb

Samsung has just unveiled a rather unexpected addition to its fleet of tablets, with the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. Available in both 16GB and 32GB varieties, this new slate is fueled by a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, runs Android 3.2 Honeycomb and features a seven-inch LCD with 1024 x 600 resolution. It also packs a two megapixel front-facing camera, along with a three megapixel shooter that supports 720p video, boasts 1GB of RAM and ships with Sammy’s TouchWiz UI baked-in. In terms of connectivity, you’ll find support for quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, 3G with 21Mbps HSPA and the usual smattering of Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS capabilities. In addition, this little guy offers WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, along with support for channel bonding and apt-X Codec for Bluetooth. Pricing has yet to be announced, but the 7.0 Plus is slated to hit Indonesia and Austria by the end of October, before rolling out internationally. Slide past the break for more details, in the full PR, or check out the gallery below for more images.

Continue reading Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, packing 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and coated in Honeycomb

Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, packing 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and coated in Honeycomb originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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