Reality Bites
By Joe Wilcox, Betanews
Mobile devices defy the traditional view platforms fail without applications — killer all the better. But user experience matters more, because the devices are so personal. Coupled with existing smartphone economies of scale, Android tablets will eventually dominate the market if the UX is good enough.
Leave it to the Senate to crush the military’s fragile dreams. All the Navy ever really wanted was a giant ship-based laser that could be used to shoot down missiles. Despite some record breaking stats, however, the latest defense authorization bill handed down from the Senate Armed Services Committee throws a giant congressional wet blanket on the free-electron laser. The project, it seems, has simply proven too expensive — among other things, the laser’s researchers haven’t found the ideal method for powering the weapon from a ship. According to the current timeline, the project was not likely to have been completed before 2020, and as such the Navy’s request for further funding was, somewhat ironically, ultimately shot down.
Senate denies Navy’s missile-destroying laser funding, puts the kibosh on annoying Dr. Evil impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Jun 2011 13:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
We’re big fans of BitTorrent. It’s the fastest way to download files quickly without lining up for an HTTP download or opening an FTP client, and it’s a great way to host large files without having to provide all of the bandwidth on your own. Here’s a look at five of the most popular BitTorrent applications. More »
If you didn’t download Seek Droid the last time we mentioned it, now you have a chance to grab it free of charge. The developers behind the app, which allows you to find your lost Android phone whether it’s in your home or in the back of a cab, remotely lock or wipe it, or just view it on a Google Map so you can go get it, are making the app available for free today and tomorrow in the Amazon App Store. More »
The WebOS nuts at PreCentral have received an anonymous tip-off that HP’s imminent slate won’t be able to edit Office docs out of the box. As much as we’d like to dismiss this as a retaliatory rumor put out by BlackBerry, it emits an unfortunate whiff of truth. While HP has previously made a big deal of the TouchPad’s inclusion of the Quickoffice app, it has only said it’s “working with Quickoffice” to include document editing, and it has never demoed editing in action. The company has recently been trying to boost its app count, but perhaps it should have put more effort into securing core functionality instead. A glimmer of hope, though: the same tip-off also suggested that at least some editing capabilities will be introduced “via a downloadable update in Q3 2011”. Hey, what’s the rush?
HP TouchPad rumored to lack document editing at launch originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Jun 2011 09:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Not only do American military satellites have to put up with the constant threat of ultrasonic space droppings, now they must also suffer the prying lenses of a couple of Frenchmen. Thierry Legault and Emmanuel Rietsch have spent the past two years turning consumer-grade components into a system that can keep up with the zippy and supposedly secret movements of craft like the X-37B space plane and the NROL-49 low-Earth orbit spy sat. Hit the source link and you’ll see videos of the International Space Station, which they also managed to capture with steady-ish focus as it hurtled through space-time. Looks like nothing will thwart these guys, except maybe nano-satellites.
Spy satellites become reluctant space celebs, get their own paparazzi originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Jun 2011 07:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Well, it looks like Google’s got the online rumor mill churning with its latest trademark application. Back on June 7th, El Goog filed a USPTO application for the name Photovine, sending sparks flying down the, er, grapevine about a possible photo-sharing program. The application cites a service dedicated to the “transmission of visual images and data by telecommunications networks, wireless communication networks, the Internet, information services networks and data networks.” Unsurprisingly, it looks like the internet giant’s also picked up the corresponding domain name. So is Google getting ready to add photo storage to its recent suite of cloud services? Or is it looking to up its social media cred? And where does Picasa fit into all of this? One things for certain: we won’t be responsible for letting this round of speculation whither on the vine.
Google trademarks Photovine, hints at new photo-sharing service originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Jun 2011 01:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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There has been no formal announcement by Samsung as to where the upcoming 16GB Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be available. Actually there has not been a confirmed launch date too. What we do know is that both Best Buy and Future Shop put this tablet up for pre-order for $499.99 with an estimated June 22nd availability. It also seems that Staples will be a chosen retailer of this Android 3.1 tablet as they too have this pre-order status. The date follows the other but boldly states this “Product available July 22nd”.
Source: Staples
(Thanks Ben!)
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In what may be an interesting development for the future of Google TV, the folks at Mountain View have purchased SageTV. The HTPC software has been doing its media center thing on multiple platforms since 2002, and according to a note on its homepage the developers “believe our ideas will reach an even larger audience of users worldwide on many different products, platforms and services.” While there’s no word on exactly what Google has planned, SageTV has long included DVR and placeshifting features that the Google TV product lacks by itself. The bad news for current users is that the store links on SageTV’s page have suddenly stopped working, so hopefully you snagged the software already if you’re interested. If your main question is “What is SageTV?” check out a demo video created by user jaredduq that is embedded after the break.
[Thanks, Jason, screenshot courtesy GeekTonic]
Continue reading SageTV HTPC software acquired by Google, next stop Google TV?
SageTV HTPC software acquired by Google, next stop Google TV? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink @SageTV (Twitter) | Sage TV, Forums | Email this | Comments
Nintendo’s tablet-esque Wii U controller raised a few questions when it was announced at E3. Questions like, “What kind of crazy games are going to use that thing,” and “How much will a second controller cost me?” The latter, at least, has been answered. Nothing. You don’t need one. Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata recently said in an interview that games enlisting more than one Wii U controller aren’t being considered just yet — although they are possible. Our very own Ittousai tells us that Iwata told Diamond Online that the Wii U can technically support multiple screen-controllers, but that additional slabs would be too expensive to sell on their own. Iwata went on to say that the console would ship with only one, and that game developers should design titles under the assumption that each console will use a single Wii U controller. Player two will have to settle for a good ‘ol Wiimote, and even Satoru himself admits that there are plenty of those around.
Nintendo says one Wii U controller per console, robs player two of extra screen originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
You guys voted (and we agree) that a custom-built home theater PC is by far the best set-top box for on-demand video. Whether you’ve built yourself an XBMC machine, a Boxee box, or a Windows Media Center PC, here are our ten favorite ways to turn it into a media-watching powerhouse. More »
According to Steve Anderson, a retired brigadier general who served as Gen. Petraeus’ chief logistician in Iraq, the Department of Defense spends $20 billion air conditioning tents and temporary structures for the military. That’s more than NASA’s entire $19 billion annual budget. More »
Space weather gets nasty when the sun starts shooting plasma into the cosmos, and these solar storms wreak havoc on both satellites and gadgets here on earth. Scientists want to predict the sun’s eruptions so we can protect our gear (and know the best time to go tanning), and George Mason University researchers have made a discovery that may help us do so. By examining images from NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory spacecraft, Professor Jie Zhang and grad student Xin Cheng determined that magnetic ropes are causing coronal ejections. The ropes are formed by several magnetic fields wrapped around each other, and scientists believe they can carry electrical currents strong enough to cause the plasma bursts. Prior to an eruption, Zhang observed a low-lying channel with unique electromagnetic properties (believed to be a magnetic rope) heat a portion of the sun’s surface up to 10 million degrees. Once hot enough, the spot spewed forth copious amounts of the plasma and magnetic energy that gives GPS units and phones fits. Now that we know what gets Helios all riled up, we just need to find a way to calm him down. Close-ups of the sun in its tizzy are after the break.
Sun’s coronal ejections caused by magnetic ropes, galactic weathermen to predict solar storms? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 09:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Continue reading Kobo eReader Touch Edition goes on sale in the US and Canada
Kobo eReader Touch Edition goes on sale in the US and Canada originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 07:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Almost three months following Firefox 4’s release, Mozilla has posted final builds for Firefox 5 ahead of the official release date of June 21. The new accelerated release schedule Mozilla is using for Firefox development will see the next version of Firefox, Firefox 6, go into beta about two weeks…
Microsoft gets antitrust okay for Skype purchase, readies shockingly large wire transfer originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 23:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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In an apparent ode to Rebecca Black, Ice Cube and any number of body switch movies, Netflix has had an incredibly active Friday, so sit back while we get you up to speed. Sony Pictures movies from Starz Play are no longer available (on any device, not just the Xbox 360 this time) due to a “temporary contract issue” according to the official blog. According to NewTeeVee, the problem is an “IP distribution cap” that was reached due to Netflix’s explosive growth, but with no word on when the movies will be back, you’ll be missing The Other Guys. Up next was the National Association of the Deaf, which has filed a lawsuit in Springfield, MA against Netflix, claiming that its failure to provide closed captions on all streaming content puts it in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Netflix last claimed 30 percent of titles were subbed with plans to reach 80 percent by the end of the year, but the press release (and captioned YouTube video) make the case that as a leader in streaming video, it should do better.
Netflix also quietly gave US subscribers access to the same bandwidth management options provided to Canadians a few months ago. The new Manage Video Quality settings (shown above) can be found in the Your Account section, and if you’re trying to stay under bandwidth caps or just keep seeing buffering, they should help you out at the cost of a few pixels. As if that wasn’t enough, the Netflix Tech Blog squeezed in news that it was ending access to “DVD-related features” for apps using its Open API later this year. The move is apparently preparation for expanded international streaming, so if you’re trying to manage discs through a third party things may change soon.
Netflix’s day: Sony movies pulled, new bandwidth options, no more DVD API access and a lawsuit originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 23:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Hacking Netflix, (2) | Netflix Blog, Netflix Tech Blog, NAD | Email this | Comments
Scott Jones says he was just trying calm his girlfriend down after they both had been beaten on by Vancouver police when the now-famous photos of them lying in the street was taken in the midst of Wednesday night’s riot.
There was a time when RIM owned the smartphone space with its revolutionary push email-equipped BlackBerrys. And there are still plenty of folks who can’t live without a good physical keyboard and BBM. But, despite the company’s $4.9 billion in revenue and $695 million in profits from Q1 2011, RIM’s stock has tumbled to its lowest price in five years. What’s changed since those heady days when it seemed like there was a Pearl in every pocket? As many of you know, Androids and iPhones have carved out a big chunk of the smartphone market, largely at RIM’s expense. Sure, Blackberry 7 OS is coming and the PlayBook is rolling out to help the company gain ground on Android and iOS, but only time will tell if these latest efforts from Waterloo can stem the rising tide of iPhones and little green bots.
RIM shares hit a five-year low: oh, how the mighty have fallen originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
A restaurant worker who witnessed the story behind the ‘kissing couple’ image describes what happened as a young woman got trapped between rioters and Vancouver police officers in riot gear.