Surfing and downloading from the internet is about to get more expensive for many Canadians as internet companies Shaw and Primus have announced plans to impose new fees and caps on net usage.
Audiovox to buy Klipsch, we can’t help but worry
It’s true. Audiovox, a relative no-name in terms of consumer end products in the music industry, has just signed a non-binding term sheet to purchase all of the shares of Klipsch Group and its worldwide subsidiaries. We’re told that the transaction is subject to a number of contingencies, “including satisfactory completion of due diligence, negotiation and signing of definitive agreements and requisite approvals,” but we can’t imagine anything popping up to stop the inevitable. No hard financial terms were revealed, and there’s no estimated closing date for the deal. Oddly enough, Klipsch was here at CES unveiling a smattering of new products, and Audiovox was also here showing off far, far less interesting gear. We’re hoping and praying that Audiovox allows Klipsch to continue working as its own entity rather than swallowing ’em whole and stifling innovation with corporate bureaucracy (similar to how Disney lets ESPN run its own show), but we’ll be honest — we’re feeling a little uneasy about it. Klipsch is definitely one of our favorite audio companies around, and the last thing we’d want is to see a good company get hit with an undue amount of heavy-handed corporate control. Here’s hoping for the best!
P.S. – If you missed our Klipsch headquarters walkthrough from a year ago, feel free to have a peek.
Continue reading Audiovox to buy Klipsch, we can’t help but worry
Audiovox to buy Klipsch, we can’t help but worry originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 18:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Starz Confirms Second Season of ‘Spartacus: Blood and Sand’
Marisa Guthrie
Starz is going ahead with what will be the second season of “Spartacus: Blood and Sand.”
read…
Full story at The Live Feed
Never Worry About Expired Food Again [Food]
I throw out more expired food than I like to admit, but half the time, it’s because I can’t remember when I bought it, and can’t tell if it’s spoiled or not. This new, “intelligent” plastic could fix that. More »
Kno single and dual-screen tablets hands-on (video)
You know about Kno right? Yep, it’s that giant dual-screen tablet up there that’s meant for students, and while we had seen an early version of it and its single-screen brother about six months ago, we figured we’d take a closer look at the shipping versions here at CES. Our first impression of the thing is that it’s one awesome tablet for taking notes. Both the dual-screen and single-screen versions come with a magnetic stylus, which not only latches onto the side of the screen but provides an incredibly smooth inking experience. As you will see in the video below, you can write over text in a textbook and even create a Post-it note. The palm rejection is also top notch, and considering your entire wrist has to rest on the display to take notes at the top of the screen, it’s pretty clutch. The rest of the hardware is equally as first rate — the metal make obviously makes ’em both quite heavy (the single tablet is 2.6 pounds and the dual-screen one 5.6 pounds), but they feel very rigid and we really dig the etched edges, which were designed specifically to mimic pages in a textbook. The bright 1440 x 900-resolution IPS displays provide very wide viewing angles.
So, how’s the Linux-based software interface? Unlike the version we saw a while back, it was pretty responsive and intuitive. You’ve got the My Apps section, which contains links to web applications, and the My Library section, which is where you’ll be able to purchase books and open them. The browser supports multiple tabs and the on-screen keyboard is obviously quite wide. At this point there’s no way to convert handwriting to text, so you’ve got to use the keyboard within web apps. We’ve got to say, Kno has made a solid piece of hardware with an equally impressive textbook reading and note-taking experience, but we’re still not convinced that anyone out there wants to carry around one, nevertheless two 14-inch touchscreens. (Kno claims that students actually carry more weight around than that between textbooks, laptops, etc.) But hey, the only way we know how to find that out is to get one of these, throw it in the backpack, and try using it in real life. Until that happens, hit the break for a hands-on video.
Continue reading Kno single and dual-screen tablets hands-on (video)
Kno single and dual-screen tablets hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Ford Announces Focus Electric with Value Charging, Data Cellphone
LAS VEGAS – Ford joined the electric car fray today with the announcement of the Ford Focus Electric. Ford's first electric car ships late this year and will be more like the Nissan Leaf than the Chevrolet Volt because it's an electric-drive-only car. And it will employ an enhanced version of Ford Sync and MyFord Touch with an embedded cellular modem, the first for a Ford Sync vehicle, that lets the car search for the cheapest recharging rates. The delivered price will likely be under $25,000. The range will be around 100 miles.
Enhancements to MyFord Touch 
With the Focus Electric, Ford rolled out new dashboard technology to help drivers maximize their range while driving, customize the instrument panel view, and communicate with the car and the charging process when they’re away from the car. The MyFord Touch touchscreen display already on other Fords and Lincolns gets enhancements applicable to electric driving such as customize (called MyView) their driving-range display or give feedback on regenerative braking performance (Brake Coach) which boils down to: Long, gentle braking regenerates more energy than race-car stops. As on other Fords, the MyFord Touch interface comprises an eight-inch center stack touchscreen display and two 4.2-inch displays flanking the speedometer.
MyFord Touch Driver Connect Technology Embeds a Cellphone
This is the first MyFord Touch vehicle with an embedded cellular phone. It lets the driver monitor the car's charging from afar. It's necessary because the core Ford Sync technology of the past three years (Bluetooth, music connectors, free emergency crash notification) uses the driver's paired cellphone. You can't have one phone be in the car while it's parked as well as in the hands of the driver who is elsewhere. Ford calls the embedded phone plus data services MyFord Touch Driver Connect technology. It's free for the first three years of ownership or lease and the price after that – as is often the case when automakers say "free for the first X years" – is TBD. Ford crosses that bridge when they come to it. Since Ford has made a point of beating competitors' feature sets (mpg, charging time) it would likely have to be under the $200 a year GM charges for its basic OnStar service, Safe & Sound.
Value Charging Powered by Microsoft for Cheapest Electric Rates
The Focus Electric anticipates the advent of time-of-day electric pricing in more areas of the U.S. We don’t have enough generating power on a hot summer afternoon and too much late at night. When offered cheaper rates in the early morning hours, consumers may want to defer electric car charging and dishwasher operation. Ford calls this “Value Charging by Microsoft” because you-know-who is part of the equation.
Via an online search (through Microsoft), the car searches for the best and cheapest time to charge the Focus Electric. According to Ed Pleet, product and business manager for connected services, “Value charging allows our customers to reduce their electricity costs by taking advantage of off-peak or other reduced rates from their utility without a complicated set-up process.” The driver needs to key in the time he or she needs the car the next morning; Value Charging figures out when to start charging based on how empty the batteries are, and when within the late night / early morning hours electricity is cheapest.
Value charging won’t matter until your electric company actually offers time-of-day pricing, and that entails installing a smart meter at the house, and possibly a two-way connection if there’s a pricing-plus feature that negotiates a cap on usage during peak hours in exchange for lower overall rates.
Eco Routing via Onboard Navigation
In conjunction with the Focus Electric navigation system, drivers will get the option for an "EcoRoute option based on characteristics of efficient EV driving." If you're going to out-drive the range of the Focus Electric – range being one statistic Ford didn't yet announce – you can get a list of public charging stations through Ford Sync's Traffic, Directions and Information (TDI) service.
Match and Raise You on Statistics: Quicker Recharge, More MPG than Leaf 
The Focus Electric isn’t the first to the party but Ford says it will be better than the competitors in several ways. The available 240-volt household charger will fully recharge the Focus Electric in 3-4 hours, half that of the Nissan Leaf, Ford says. (To be meaningful, the Focus Electric would need to have equivalent range.) Ford also says the Focus Electric will offer a 1 mpg equivalent better than Chevrolet Volt “and [be] competitive with other battery electric vehicles.” In electric mode, most lightweight cars (meaning Volt and Leaf) get around 100 mpg equivalent, factoring in the cost of using power generated by an electric company vs. burning fossil fuel in an internal combustion engine. A 1 mpg savings is a rounding error.
If Ford is competitive on price as well, the selling price would be in the low thirties, no more, and $25,000 or less after a $7,500 federal tax credit. The Leaf stickers at $32,780, or $25,280 after the tax credit. The Volt lists for $41,000 but the gasoline engine makes it a different car, one that could be used for all kinds of driving including vacation trips. One indicator on Ford’s possible pricing aggressiveness is the price of the 240-volt home charger: $1,500 sold through Best Buy. Most other 240-volt chargers are about $2,000. 120-volt household chargers are cheaper still, but they take overnight to fully charge an elecric car.
Ford said the charger plug was designed for easy use, including indicator lights on the jack to indicate proper connections and a quick read on state-of-charge.
But How Long Will It Run? 
The information Ford presented leading up to the announcement didn’t go into detail on range. The closest competitor, the Nissan Leaf, like the Focus a roomy compact-class car, is good or about 100 miles, meaning as little as 50 miles under adverse conditions or if treated like a sports car; as much as 125 miles driven by a hypermiler. (See Nissan Leaf First Drive: Groundbreaking Electric Car.) So expect a similar range. Ford now says the range will be “up to 100 miles depending on driving style.”
The Chevrolet Volt, our reigning Digital Drive Car of the Year, is a plug-in hybrid meaning it runs on battery power only for 25-40 miles (depending on conditions) then switches to a small gasoline internal combustion engine using a nine-gallon fuel tank.
Second CES Automaker Keynote in 2 Days
The Ford Focus Electric was rolled out at a CES 2011 keynote speech by Ford CEO Alan Mulally. It was the second automaker keynote in two days, following a keynote by Audi CEO Rupert Stadler that some found a snooze (it wasn’t) because the Audi keynote was short on brand-new-product information. It was meaningful for those who listened carefully to Audi’s commitment to alternative-fuel vehicles, to closer alliances with the CE and PC industries (the announcement it will use nVidia’s Tegra 2 chip to control dashboard functions), and to make sure in-cockpit infotainment systems won’t be rendered obsolete before the car’s mechanicals give way. That is a huge issue for automakers and is only now starting to be addressed as we near a decade of life with iPods.
Ford Announces Fuel Economy Figures for 2011 F-150 EcoBoost V-6
Ford’s all-new 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 for the 2011 F-150 has been officially rated by the EPA at 16/22 mpg city/highway for two-wheel drive trucks and 15/21 mpg for four-wheel drive models.
Those numbers give the twin-turbo six-cylinder yet another boost in credibility as Ford positions the engine as a suitable replacement for larger V-8 engines, which have long been the traditional mills used for max towing and hauling duties but are known for being thirsty at the fuel pump. Using regular gas, the EcoBoost makes 365 horsepower and 420 pounds-feet of torque.
Ford has already shown that the EcoBoost engine can outperform competitors’ V-8s in a towing test at Davis Dam in Arizona. Ford has also demonstrated the EcoBoost’s durability by torture testing a line-built engine on the dyno, pulling logs in Oregon, towing more than 11,000 pounds for 24 hours straight on a racetrack and competing in the Baja 1000 off-road race.
We’ve driven EcoBoost-equipped 2011 F-150s several times and have been impressed with its diesel-like performance – 90 percent of its torque band is available from 1,700 rpm to 5,000 rpm – and almost unnoticeable turbo lag.
The flat power curve also enables EcoBoost F-150s to run with the tallest (numerically lowest) rear axle ratios of any Ford half-ton, as low as 3.15. That helps enable the high fuel economy numbers, especially on the highway, without sacrificing much performance.
The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 is paired with Ford’s updated 6R80 six-speed transmission, which is standard across the 2011 F-150 lineup. The transmission features a new manual shift mode for 2011 that allows the gearbox perform like a manual transmission as long as it isn’t redlined. The 6R140 also features Progressive Range Select for every engine, which allows a driver to reduce the number of available gears so it’s easier to tow up a grade and hold a specific top gear, like 5th, without worrying about the truck upshifting and getting bogged down.
The 2011 F-150 with the EcoBoost V-6 is expected to go on sale before the end of winter with a $750 premium over Ford's 5.0-liter V-8 and a $1,750 premium over the entry-level 3.7-liter V-6.
[Source: Ford]
U.S. Harry Potter lawsuit dismissed
A U.S. federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing author J.K. Rowling of copying ideas for her blockbuster Harry Potter boy wizard series from an earlier book.
Ballmer: Microsoft will eventually support Kinect on PC
Now that Kinect competitors have begun to spring up, Microsoft’s tipped its hand — CEO Steve Ballmer told the BBC that his company will officially support the depth camera in Windows PCs at some undisclosed point in the future, confirming earlier suspicions. Whether that will just be part of a risky new operating system or just another notch in Games for Windows‘ belt is hard to say, but it’s nice to know that there will be uses for those eight million cameras when we’re done hacking and dancing our hearts out.
Ballmer: Microsoft will eventually support Kinect on PC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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“Paul” – Trailer
ComScore: Android jumps ahead of iOS in total US smartphone subscribers
We’ve seen plenty of data to show that Android is the hottest-selling smartphone OS among US buyers today, but now we have a stat point to show that it’s doing pretty well in cumulative terms as well. According to ComScore’s latest estimates, Android had 26 percent of all US smartphone subscribers in the quarter ending November 2010, bettering Apple’s iPhone for the first time. The major victim of Android’s ascendancy has actually been RIM’s BlackBerry, whose lead at the top contracted by 4.1 percentage points (nearly 11 percent less than the share it had in the previous quarter). Guess those Verizon iPhones and dual-core BBs had better start arriving pretty soon.
ComScore: Android jumps ahead of iOS in total US smartphone subscribers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 10:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Global Spam Volume on the Decline, Report Shows
Hey, here’s some good news: it looks like spam is on the decline. According to Symantec’s latest State of Spam and Phishing report, the volume of spam and junk mail in circulation around the world has been decreasing steadily since August, and dropped noticeably around Christmas. No one has a concrete explanation for the drop-off, but Symantec’s Eric Park suggests that the demise of major botnets may have played a role.
The notorious Rustock botnet, for example, virtually disappeared after December 25th. Once the most powerful botnet in all the land, Rustock now accounts for less than 0.5-percent of all the world’s spam. Two other big-time botnets, the Lethic and the Xarvester, have also gone mysteriously quiet in recent weeks. So, why did these botnets suddenly stop spamming? No one knows. But, until they start up again, we should all enjoy our (relatively) clean inboxes while we can.
Global Spam Volume on the Decline, Report Shows originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Let’s See The PlayStation Phone In Action [Video]
China Is Using a New Method to Mass Produce Healthier Water [Water]
In an effort to produce mass quantities of healthier H2O, Chinese scientists have come up with a new method to change water’s chemical composition. It involves making light water. More »
Samsung Series 9 hands-on preview (video)
Do we deliver or what? Just as promised, we went back for seconds with the Samsung 9 Series laptop, and man, it is one beautiful laptop. As you already know, it is incredibly thin, but it also has a very rigid construction thanks to its duralumin build. (Fun fact: apparently they build planes out of the same stuff.) As you will see in the video below, the design is very clean and the sharp edges have been designed to make the system look even slimmer. The lead designer of the system YeoWan Yun told us that the 9 Series was inspired by nature’s beauty, including waves, leaves, and water. But it’s not just the outside of the system that’s beautiful — the matte 400nit, 13-inch display is incredibly bright and crisp and the viewing angles are just top notch. Below that screen is one very nice chiclet keyboard with matte keys. Sammy’s gone with a single button ClickPad, which in our short time with the laptop seemed fine for navigating with our index finger while keeping our thumb on the bottom. Naturally, we weren’t able to get a real sense of the Core i5 performance, but we did notice that the system resumed from sleep rather quickly thanks to its 128GB SSD. Truth is we haven’t been this excited about a Windows ultraportable since the Dell Adamo XPS, we just hope the 9 Series really brings the brawn and battery life with the beauty.
Gallery: Samsung Series 9 hands-on
Continue reading Samsung Series 9 hands-on preview (video)
Samsung Series 9 hands-on preview (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Ford SYNC Destinations hands-on (video)
There was a time when we studied maps to figure out where we were going. Then there was a time when we went online and printed out directions before we left. Now we pretty much just jump in our cars and put all our faith in the Lady of the Dash (clad in shimmering samite), but Ford wants to give you a little more control over her. Back when it was still 2010 (barely) the company announced SYNC Destinations, enabling you to plan your route in detail before you even get in the car. Now we got a chance to play with it and, while it’s simple, it certainly does seem useful. Check out the video after the break.
Ford SYNC Destinations hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tears Are a Turn-Off for Men
Even a slight whiff of a woman’s tears can dampen a man’s libido.
Russian juniors booted off plane
An unruly Team Russia was booted from a flight at the Buffalo, N.Y., airport while trying to get home after winning gold at the world junior hockey championship.
How to Import Your Delicious Bookmarks into Google Bookmarks in One Easy Step [Bookmarks]
Instead of dealing with the Google Bookmarks browser toolbar and lack of direct importing, a new open source tool allows Delicious users to transfer bookmarks and tags in a quick, one step process to their Google accounts. More »
Skype buys video service Qik in $100 million deal
Skype said Thursday that it had acquired streaming video service Qik for an undisclosed amount, believed to be around $100 million USD. The VoIP provider says it plans to use Qik’s technology to enhance its own video calling functionality.
Qik was founded in 2006 and is compatible with about 200 phones across several platforms including the iOS, Android, Blackberry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile platforms. The company has also struck several partnerships to have its applications come preloaded on select devices.
The concept is simple: the user shoots video with his or her camera phone, which is then uploaded to Qik’s servers and delivered in near real time via the company’s website. The user also has the option to share the video via social networking.
“Qik’s deep engineering capabilities and strong mobile relationships will be an impressive complementary fit with Skype,” Skype CEO Tony Bates said in a statement. The company did not disclose whether it planned to continue offering Qik’s standalone application or fold its capabilities into Skype.
Bolstering Skype’s video sharing capabilities seems like a solid move considering the increasing popularity of such applications including Apple’s FaceTime and other video sharing apps like Knocking and UStream.
In related news, Skype also announced its own video capabilities had been improved. The application will now support videoconferencing for up to 10 parties for $8.99 per month, as well as announcing new partnerships with Sony and Vizio to build Skype into televisions and other consumer electronics.
