A woman testifies at Kim Walker’s murder trial that days before a fatal shooting, Walker told her he’d like to blow James Hayward’s head off.
Next-next-gen Atom will be a system on a chip called ‘Silvermont,’ pack 3D transistors?
Last week, we were treated to an earful about Intel’s plans for its future chips — most notably, that it’s committing to 3D transistors across the board. Well, that trickle of information hasn’t run dry just yet — today’s tidbit gives us a peek not into the next-generation of Atom, but the one already in the works to come after that. The new processor, codenamed “Silvermont,” will be a system-on-a-chip and is reportedly slated to ship sometime in 2013. CNET also cites unnamed sources who claim that it will be designed specifically to take advantage of Intel’s 22nm technology and 3D transistors. As it stands, though, they boost the cost of wafers by two to three percent, so here’s hoping that premium comes down before the netbooks of the future hit the market — if we have netbooks in the future.
Next-next-gen Atom will be a system on a chip called ‘Silvermont,’ pack 3D transistors? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 14:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Brain Controls Next Step After Kinect
The Kinect was an innovation in motion interface technology, but it begs the question: what does the future have in store for motion control?
During our interview with Victor Zordan, expert in video game technology, we raised the issue.
GameFront: Regarding interfaces like the Kinect, where do you think we’ll be 5 years from now? 10?
Victor Zordan:
I think we’ve just seen the beginning. In 5 years, we’ll be doing many other interesting things with motion interfaces — not even just playing games. They will be the natural way to do a lot of different activities. More and more people of diverse backgrounds and ages will be able to interact because it’s a very natural way to do so. We’re going to see more people interacting who haven’t traditionally been labeled as “gamers.” This is already happening with the Wii, and it will continue.
In 10 years, we may have moved beyond motion interfaces. I have a prototype headset that is a direct brain interface; it’s in its infancy, but it’s being used for games. We’re developing our own first applications on these direct brain tools. They are essentially headsets with sensors on them that directly measure the brain activity, which is transformed into commands for the game.
As this technology matures, we may no longer use our body as an interface; we may just use the brain and directly control the game with our thoughts.
Follow this link for the full interview with Victor Zordan.
A flock of apps storming the Chrome Web Store
They are coming. They are angry. Protect your pigs.
Angry Birds, the most popular game for mobile devices, has arrived in the Chrome Web Store. Built using the latest technologies, Angry Birds is as much fun on the web as on your phone. In addition, you can try beating the new web-only, Chrome-inspired levels.
While firing up that slingshot, you may also want to try out some of the other apps that were recently added to the store. To keep up with the world of finance, you can install the Reuters and Fortune 500 apps. ESPN Cricinfo brings the latest cricket news straight to your new tab page. For the photo enthusiasts among you, LiveShare helps aggregate your friends’ photos from events you attended together.
In addition to the new apps added today, popular apps such as Springpad and Graphicly have been updated to work offline. This makes them even more useful, especially to those of you who snap up one of our new Chromebooks.
Finally, for those of you who prefer to surf the web in a different language, we’ve made the Chrome Web Store available in 41 languages. This is just a first step towards launching the store in 15 more countries with locally relevant applications. Some, like SKY for the UK and EXAME for Brazil, have already appeared in the store.
To play with all of these goodies and the more than 19,000 other items in the Chrome Web Store, you can start by downloading Google Chrome at google.com/chrome.
Posted by Rahul Roy-chowdhury, Product Manager
Staples ramping up tablets… will sell the ASUS 10.1-inch Android Eee Pad Transformer and the Acer Iconia 10-inch
Staples wouldn’t be my first choice to pick up any sort of tablet but ever since they went bonkers on promoting the BlackBerry PlayBook I’ve become more aware of their offerings. Seems they are going to be selling more tablets too and expanding past the BlackBerry PlayBook. Up next are a couple Android 3.0 Honeycomb […]
Related posts:
- Android 3.0 Acer Iconia tablet has estimated release date of May 13th
- Acer to release a 4.8-inch Android device “April 2011″
- Samsung announces 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab and declares they have the “World’s Thinnest Mobile Tablets”
Facebook admits hiring PR firm to smear Google
It seems like the ongoing rivalry between Facebook and Google has taken a turn for the subversive. Last night, a spokesman for the social network confirmed to the Daily Beast that Facebook paid a top PR firm to spread anti-Google stories across the media and to encourage various outlets to examine allegations that the Mountain View company was violating user privacy. The PR firm, Burson-Marsteller, even offered to help blogger Chris Soghoian write a critical op-ed piece about Social Circle — a service that allows Gmail users to access information on so-called “secondary connections,” or friends of their friends. Social Circle, in fact, seems to have been at the epicenter of Facebook’s smear campaign. In a pitch to journalists, Burson described the tool in borderline apocalyptic terms:
“The American people must be made aware of the now immediate intrusions into their deeply personal lives Google is cataloging and broadcasting every minute of every day-without their permission.”
Soghoian thought that Burson’s representatives were “making a mountain out of a molehill,” so he decided to prod them about which company they might be working for. When Burson refused to spill the beans, Soghoian went public and published all of the e-mails sent between him and the firm. USA Today picked up on the story, before concluding that any claims of a smear campaign were unfounded. The Daily Beast‘s Dan Lyons, however, apparently forced Facebook’s hand after confronting the company with “evidence” of its involvement. A Facebook spokesman said the social network hired Burson to do its Nixonian dirty work for two primary reasons: it genuinely believes that Google is violating consumer privacy and it also suspects that its rival “may be improperly using data they have scraped about Facebook users.” In other words, their actions were motivated by both “altruistic” and self-serving agendas, though we’d be willing to bet that the latter slightly outweighed the former. Google, meanwhile, has yet to comment on the story, saying that it still needs more time to wrap its head around everything — which might just be the most appropriate “no comment” we’ve ever heard.
Facebook admits hiring PR firm to smear Google originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 07:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
ViewSonic 7x shrinks Honeycomb to 7 inches for the tiny handed
Well, it looks like ViewSonic is finally digging its Android tablets out of the Froyo doldrums and, what’s more, it may be first to market with a Honeycomb slate of the seven-inch variety. According to Pocket-lint, the company will debut the Tegra 2-powered ViewPad 7x at Computex later this month. The 7x will supposedly pack WiFi, HSPA+, and an HDMI port while weighing in at a svelte 0.84 pounds. Oh, and it’s got a design on the back that is supposed to make it look “funky”… or something. There’s no word on price but, it’s rumored to hit shelves in June.
ViewSonic 7x shrinks Honeycomb to 7 inches for the tiny handed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 01:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Accused drew bloody cross on dead man: witness
A Yorkton, Sask., woman has told a murder trial that she saw her father shoot and kill her boyfriend – and then draw a bloody cross on his forehead.
Samsung Series 5 Chrome OS laptop hands-on at Google I/O (update: video!)
We never had much doubt about what Samsung would be showcasing at tonight’s finale event at Google I/O 2011, but now it’s official — the outfit’s first-ever Chrome OS ultraportable is making its debut in San Francisco, and we’ve been fortunate enough to grab a bit of hands-on time. Slated to ship to consumers, businesses and educational institutions on June 15th, the 12.1-inch Series 5 is a strikingly svelte machine, and there’s no doubt that holding a 0.79-inch rig gives us all kinds of chills. The company took a bit of time to play up its “Power Plus” battery technology, lasting up to 8.5 hours with “active use,” or 5 hours of straight video. There’s also a new hitch in the Verizon Wireless data deal — 100MB will be tossed in each month on the 3G model, but contrary to what we’d heard earlier, that ends after two years (rather than lasting for the life of the product).
The hardware feels tremendous — stiff, solid and well appointed, much like Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition. It outclasses the other sub-$450 netbooks we’ve seen in both style and rigidity, and while we’ll always have a special place in our heart for the CR-48, it’s pretty clear that this particular unit was in the oven for some while. We’ve hoping to spend some serious time with this guy in the middle of next month, but for now, here’s what we can tell you — the 1280 x 800 display is both crisp and sharp, with shockingly great viewing angles for a machine of this price. The keyboard’s far from cramped, and if you’ve had your doubts on the 12.1-inch form factor, we’re guessing one touch of this would have those running for cover. Oh, and the trackpad? One of the best we’ve felt in the PC universe, and one that we hope crops up elsewhere in the near future. It’s right about on par with the one found on the CR-48 (post update), which is also stellar compared to most netbooks.
Obviously, we aren’t here long enough to test the ultra-longevous battery (said to be good for over 1,000 cycles — perfect for education and business users who are apt to adopt it), but we’ll be sure to do our best once we settle down with a production unit. We’re told that it’ll be available in Titan Silver or Arctic White, provide a chiclet style keyboard, a multi-gesture trackpad (which supports two-finger scrolling) and “instant” wake from sleep.
Update: More impressions and video are after the break, and a head-to-head with a current-gen 11-inch MacBook Air is below!
Continue reading Samsung Series 5 Chrome OS laptop hands-on at Google I/O (update: video!)
Samsung Series 5 Chrome OS laptop hands-on at Google I/O (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 May 2011 21:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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New flood emergency declared in Estevan area
With reservoirs full and water rising, the rural municipality of Estevan has declared a new state of emergency.
Google: ‘no plans’ for Chrome OS on tablets, any other form factors
Google’s second (and final) day of I/O 2011 was all about Chrome, and unfortunately for those yearning for a Chrome OS tablet, it looks as if your dreams will remain unfulfilled. Sundar Pichai, Senior VP of Chrome, spoke candidly about the company's intentions during an executive Q&A session follow this morning's keynote, and he didn't bother to mince words:
“[Chrome OS] is a new experience we’re working on. It’s hardware agnostic in a sense. We are fully, 100 percent focused on laptops. Most of the web usage — greater than 90 percent — is on laptops. That’s what we’re working on today, and we have no other plans on any other form factors.”
Any other form factors outside of the Chromebox, we’re surmising. Goog’s been pretty steadfast in its approach to Chrome OS; it’s being marketed as a software + hardware package, with both working in lockstep to provide a (more or less) guaranteed user experience. To that end, the outfit’s obviously not interested in cannibalizing any Android slate sales with the addition of Chrome OS, and while we’re bummed in a way, the promise of Ice Cream Sandwich helps to numb the pain (a little). In related news, Sundar also addressed questions regarding the company’s decision to rely on both Chrome OS and Android. When asked to “reconcile [Google’s] two big strategic visions,” he hit us with the following:
“There are a variety of experiences out there, and the web model is very different. We’re comfortable seeing them coexist. Google Movies and YouTube have web versions — when you use a Chromebook, you see how it’s different, and they’ll naturally coexist. These are very different models — if we didn’t do something like Chromebooks, I’m pretty sure someone else would.”
That last line is most telling, and it begs the question: if not Google, then who? There’s no question that companies are crowding the cloud bandwagon, but would Microsoft or Apple really have the desire to bust out a totally connected operating system? Makes you wonder if Chrome OS won a race that never actually began…
Google: ‘no plans’ for Chrome OS on tablets, any other form factors originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 May 2011 19:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Editorial: Google clarifies Chromebook subscriptions, might have just changed the industry
Following Google’s second I/O keynote, we were ushered into a room where a number of the company’s executives were on hand to field questions from the press. Or in other terms, dodge bullets and tell us what we’re probably not looking to hear. All jesting aside, the Chrome team was rather forthright during the session, and a number of details surrounding the outfit’s (potentially game changing) subscription model were unearthed. Details on contract terms, what’s included / not included and where the line is drawn between enterprise and consumer lie just after the break, along with our take on how this monumental announcement may or may not change the way we buy computers.
Editorial: Google clarifies Chromebook subscriptions, might have just changed the industry originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 May 2011 19:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It’s Official – Cell Phones are Killing Bees
Scientists may have found the cause of the world’s sudden dwindling population of bees – and cell phones are to blame. Research conducted in Lausanne, Switzerland has shown that the signal from cell phones not only confuses bees, but also leads to their death. Over 83 experiments have yielded the same results. With virtually most of the population of the United States (and the rest of the world) owning cell phones, the impact has been greatly noticeable.
Read the rest of It’s Official – Cell Phones are Killing Bees
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Post tags: bee decline, bees, cell phone signals, cell phones, Daniel Favre, Lausanne
Sitting is killing you
Shanghai’s robotic lightsaber battles are very lovely this time of year [Video]
Japan’s Yaskawa Corporation is a firm whose starry-eyed goal is to arm robots with laser swords. After teaching their Motoman robots to dance with lightsabers, Yaskawa has now taught two robotic arms to duel Jedi-style. More »
Google TV shows off new Honeycomb UI, plans for Market, SDK; opens up remote app source code (video)
Google I/O is still ongoing and at the session for teaching developers how to build Android apps for Google TV the team has just shown off a quick peek of the new Honeycomb-based UI that will be released later this year. Shown above you can quickly compare it to the original UI to see how different, and hopefully improved it is. The new icon layout should make getting back to live TV a simpler process, while there’s also that large space above for widgets and support for notifications. Developers will be able to run their ADBs on devices later this summer, but prior to that it will have a “Fishtank” program for some devs to take home their internal test units to run apps on now — no hardware modification necessary.
The team also just announced that the source code to the existing Google TV remote app for Android is being open sourced, so anyone who thinks they can do better (it wouldn’t be difficult) can have a crack at building their own. Also available is code for the Anymote Protocol it runs on so developers can make tablet or phone apps that integrate with and control the Google TV — both are linked below. Other features mentioned included support for 3D, and game controllers using Android 3.1’s expanded USB compatibility. There were no product announcements before the session ended, and no word on the rumored and expected ARM base for new products, but the project manager confirmed new product announcements “later this year.” Google TV will need new product announcements if it’s going to receive a boost over other smart TV technology, but the potential of the market and availability of open source code is still providing a tantalizing vision of the promise it’s failed to capitalize on so far.
Update: The entire presentation is now available on YouTube, check it out after the break as well as an earlier Bootcamp presentation on the same subject.
Google TV shows off new Honeycomb UI, plans for Market, SDK; opens up remote app source code (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 May 2011 16:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Motorist impaled by pole through head survives [Video]
After Andrew Linn fell asleep at the wheel during a Thanksgiving visit to Las Vegas last year, he drove into a yard and through a chain-link fence, forcing a pole through the windshield of his car. Emergency responders said Linn was conscious when they arrived, and was even trying to use his cell phone to call for help — which was surprising, considering he had a pole through his head. That’s his X-ray. More »
New ways to discover great apps on Android Market
We’ve seen tremendous growth in Android Market lately. With over 200,000 apps supporting over 300 Android devices, we’ve had 4.5 billion applications installed to date. But with so many apps available, how do you find the ones you really want? Whether you’re looking for the most popular apps, hot new apps, or just the very best apps available, we want to help make sure that you find what you’re looking for.
Today, we’re excited to announce 5 new features for Android Market focused on helping you find apps you’ll love.
- New top app charts – We’ve revamped our top app charts to be fresher and country-specific, so you get the most current, relevant results. We’ve also added top new free, top new paid, and top grossing lists, all right on the Android Market home page.
- Editors’ Choice – These are some of the very best apps available for Android, as chosen by the Android Market staff. They span everything from games to productivity and beyond.
- Top Developers – We’re also recognizing those developers creating the highest quality, most popular, and most notable apps available on Android Market. They’ll get a special icon on our Android Market website, appearing wherever the developer name is shown, starting today for an initial set of over 150 developers.
- Better related apps – On the left side of an app page, you’ll now see two groups of related apps: apps frequently browsed by people who viewed this app, and apps that people tend to install alongside this app. For example, people who view ScoreMobile, my favorite sports score app, often also view other sports score apps, while those who install ScoreMobile tend to also install apps for specific sports leagues or teams. We’ll also show you related apps once you decide to install an app.
- Trending apps – Finally, we’ve added a new section to the Android Market homepage showing trending apps – those apps that are quickly growing in daily installs. Look here to stay ahead of the curve and find new apps as they get hot.
We hope you find these features helpful as you explore the many greats apps available on Android Market. These new features are available now on http://market.android.com, and will be coming soon to Android Market on phones and tablets.
Posted by Fernando Delgado, Product Manager, Android Market
Will Viagra Condoms Convince Men to Use Rubbers? [Sex]
Some men—and women too—dislike condoms so much that they can't fully enjoy sex because rubbers affect them psychologically and physically. This may change soon with a new condom designed to maintain long-lasting, stronger erections. Why? More »
Over a Billion Tons of Food Wasted Annually
The amount of food lost or wasted every year is equivalent to more than half of the world’s annual cereals crop.