Residents of Slave Lake, Alta. who didn’t lose their houses in the May 15 wildfire can go home Friday.
Windows tablet OS preview coming next week?
We’ve heard an awful lot about a Windows tablet OS this past year, with stirrings of a 2012 launch — heck, even Steve Ballmer’s fanned the flames of speculation — and now the rumor mill’s been set in motion with word of an impending preview expected next week. According to Bloomberg, three sources have confirmed Microsoft’s plan to flaunt the much-anticipated UI, possibly at upcoming appearances at AllThingsD and Computex. The showcase is supposedly set to run the touchscreen-enabled software on a Tegra-equipped machine. We’d previously reported on stirrings of a June demo. Considering all the evidence that’s stacked up over the past few months, we’d say 2012 is looking like a rather practical target.
Windows tablet OS preview coming next week? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 20:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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NASA commits to Orion-based Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle for space exploration
There’s been a lot of talk of things coming to an end at NASA lately, but there are also some new beginnings, and the space agency has now officially filled in one big gap. It’s announced that the so-called Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (or MPCV) will be its go-to space exploration vehicle for missions beyond Low Earth Orbit — presumably, the individual spacecraft will get names more up to the level of boldly-named vehicles like Endeavor and Atlantis. If it looks a little familiar, that’s because the MPCV will be based on the Orion spacecraft that was developed under the now-canceled Constellation program and, like it, it will be built by Lockheed Martin. Once its put into service, the spacecraft will be capable of carrying four astronauts on missions up to 21 days, and it could even be used as a backup for cargo and crew delivery to the ISS — to actually get into space, it would blast off atop a heavy lift rocket, and then splash down Apollo-style in the Pacific Ocean. Head on past the break for NASA’s official announcement.
Continue reading NASA commits to Orion-based Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle for space exploration
NASA commits to Orion-based Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle for space exploration originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 19:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Target Announces First Zellers Canada Stores That Will Be Converted!
Target announced today what stores will be the first of the Target launch in Canada! There will be 105 stores spanning across most provinces.
Manitoba
• Shoppers Mall, Brandon
• Grant Park, Winnipeg
• Kildonan Place Shopping Centre, Winnipeg
• Polo Park Shopping Centre, Winnipeg
• Southdale Centre, Winnipeg
New Brunswick
• McAllister Place, Saint John
Newfoundland and Labrador
• Corner Brook, Corner Brook
• Cabot Square, St. John,s
Saskatchewan
• Northgate Mall, Regina
• The Centre, Saskatoon
Alberta
• Chinook Centre, Calgary
• Forest Lawn Shopping Centre, Calgary
• Market Mall, Calgary
• Shoppes at Shawnessy, Calgary
• Signal Hill Centre, Calgary
• Sunridge Mall, Calgary
• Bonnie Doon, Edmonton
• Kingsway Garden Mall, Edmonton
• Mill Woods Town Centre, Edmonton
• Prairie Mall, Grande Prairie
• Bower Place, Red Deer
• St. Albert Centre, St. Albert
• Sherwood Park Mall, Sherwood Park
Nova Scotia
• Bedford Place, Bedford
• Mic Mac Mall, Dartmouth
Ontario
• Durham Centre, Ajax
• Aurora Shopping Centre, Aurora
• Bramalea City Centre, Brampton
• Shoppers World Brampton, Brampton
• Trinity Common, Brampton
• Burlington Mall, Burlington
• Millcroft Centre, Burlington
• Cambridge Centre, Cambridge
• Woodbine Centre, Etobicoke
• Gates of Fergus, Fergus
• 175 Stone Road W., Guelph
• Centre Mall, Hamilton
• South Hamilton Square, Hamilton
• Hazeldean Mall, Kanata
• Cataraqui Town Centre, Kingston
• Lindsay Square Mall, Lindsay
• Masonville Place, London
• Westmount Shopping Centre, London
• Milton Mall Shopping Centre, Milton
• Erin Mills Town Centre, Mississauga
• Square One, Mississauga
• Meadowlands Shopping Centre, Nepean
• Upper Canada Mall, Newmarket
• 1899 Algonquin Ave., North Bay
• Centerpoint Mall, North York
• Orillia Square Mall, Orillia
• Place D,Orleans, Orleans
• Five Points Mall, Oshawa
• Bayshore Shopping Centre, Ottawa
• Billings Bridge Plaza, Ottawa
• RioCan St. Laurent, Ottawa
• Hillcrest Mall, Richmond Hill
• Bridlewood Mall, Scarborough
• County Fair Mall, Smiths Falls
• Niagara Pen Centre, St. Catharines
• Stratford Mall, Stratford
• Sudbury Supermall, Sudbury
• Intercity Shopping Centre, Thunder Bay
• Cloverdale Mall, Toronto
• Shoppers World Danforth, Toronto
• East York Town Centre, Toronto
• Flamborough Power Centre, Waterdown
• Conestoga Mall, Waterloo
• Taunton Gardens Power Centre, Whitby
• Devonshire Mall, Windsor
Prince Edward Island
• Charlottetown Mall, Charlottetown
Quebec
• Galeries d,Anjou, Anjou
• Faubourg Boisbriand, Boisbriand
• Carrefour Angrignon, Lasalle
• Mega Centre Notre-Dame, Laval
• Galeries Chagnon , Levis
• Place Longueuil, Longueuil
• Place Alexis Nihon, Montreal
• Place Vertu, Montreal
• Terrarium Shopping Centre, Pointe Claire
• Les Galeries De La Capitale, Quebec City
• Place Fleur De Lys, Quebec City
• Place Laurier, Quebec
• Le Carrefour Rimouski, Rimouski
• Promenades Saint-Bruno, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville
• Carrefour Saint-Georges, Saint-Georges
• Carrefour Richelieu, Saint- Jean sur-Richelieu
• Carrefour du Nord, Saint Jerome
• Carrefour de L,Estrie, Sherbrooke
• Les Rivieres Shopping Centre, Trois Rivieres
British Columbia
• Abbotsford Power Centre, Abbotsford
• Metropolis at Metrotown, Burnaby
• Discovery Harbour Shopping Centre, Campbell River
• Cottonwood Mall, Chilliwack
• Coquitlam Centre, Coquitlam
• Driftwood Mall, Courtenay
• Tamarack Mall, Cranbrook
• Scottsdale Mall, Delta
• Willowbrook Shopping Centre, Langley
• Haney Place Mall, Maple Ridge
• Nanaimo North Town Centre, Nanaimo
• Pine Centre, Prince George
• Oakridge Shopping Centre, Vancouver
• Village Green Mall, Vernon
• Tillicum Mall, Victoria
Are you looking forward to the change?
Sony Confirms PlayStation 4
With Wii 2 due to be shown at E3 and hints of new Microsoft hardware abound, it was only a matter of time before Sony dropped hints about its plans for the next gen. Sony’s executive vice president and chief financial officer Masaru Kato has confirmed that the company is putting together a “future platform” – the almost assured PlayStation 4. He referred to Sony’s next console during a conference call to investors when asked to clarify an increase in research and development costs, according to Eurogamer.
Kato said:
“For the home equipment the PS3 still has a product life but this is platform business, so for the future platform – when we’ll be introducing that product, I cannot discuss that – but our development is already under way, so the costs are incurred there.”
The news contrasts claims made by Sony Computer Entertainment chief Kaz Hirai earlier this year, who said that the firm was “not deliberating” a PS4.
Introducing the people widget
Posted by Zohair Hyder, Software Engineer
(Cross-posted on the Google Enterprise Blog)
Email is just as much about the people you communicate with as it is what you communicate about. We think it can be helpful to view relevant information in context, which is why over the next two weeks we’re rolling out a new people widget located on the right hand side of your messages. The people widget surfaces content from friends, family and colleagues that is already available to you but may be hard to find and makes it easier to connect with them.
Next to every email message you can now see contextual information about the people in that conversation including recent emails you received from them, relevant Buzz posts, shared documents and calendar events. You also have quick access to a variety of ways to communicate with individuals, start a group chat or schedule a meeting with groups of people.
We hope the people widget will improve your Gmail experience and we’re eager for you to try it out.
5 Great Experimental Features You Should Enable from the Google Maps Laboratory [Google Maps Labs]
Perhaps you haven’t noticed, but we’ve been highlighting the best of Google Labs all week. Today we’re taking a look at five great experimental features you can enable in Google Maps that solve a few annoying problems and make using the service easier, too. More »
2 Target stores to open in Sask.
Giant U.S. retailer, Target Corp., has announced the locations of 105 stores it plans to open in Canada, including two in Saskatchewan.
The Moon may have as much water as Earth does [Video]
Today, a group of scientists announced that beneath the surface of the Moon there may be as much water as we have on Earth. This revelation could change everything we know about the Moon — and pave the way for lunar colonies in the next twenty years. More »
Google Wallet vending on Nexus S hands-on
We just got done watching the unveil of how Google is going to revolutionize the way you pay for denim shorts at the mall, and we just got to try it in a slightly different way — buying a Coke out of a vending machine. The process is as easy as can be: just select your beverage and, when you’re ready to pay, swipe your phone. In a few seconds out pops your frosty beverage and somewhere Santa Claus laughs merrily. It’s retail bliss and a lot easier than fishing filthy coins out of your skinny jeans. Check out the short video after the break — the break that refreshes.
Gallery: Google Wallet Hands-On
Continue reading Google Wallet vending on Nexus S hands-on
Google Wallet vending on Nexus S hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 13:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Motorola on the XOOM OS 3.1 upgrade: “Our best estimate… in the next couple of months”
Even though the Motorola XOOM with Wi-Fi is now widely available across Canada, those owners want the latest Android OS 3.1 upgrade. Motorola Canada noted on Facebook a couple weeks back that it should be “coming soon”, but gave no clear date. We reached out to Motorola for a bit more insight on when the update might be available and they stated “We know you are eager to update to Android 3.1 software. We are working with Google to make this happen as quickly as possible. When we have more details, we will post them. Our best estimate is that it will be available in the next couple of months.”
Hopefully they are kidding around when they say 2 months because then it’s not really “coming soon”.
Update: Motorola has now put this quote on Facebook
Related posts:
- Motorola says Xoom upgrade to OS 3.1 “is coming soon”
- Quick contest: Win a Motorola XOOM Protective Gel Case
- Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi available in April and “XOOM 3G will also be available in Canada mid-year”
Video Game Movies by the Numbers [Infographic]
Video game based movies are a tough sell and the numbers reflect that. Gamers want a movie that captures the spirit of the game and non-gamers want a movie they can get into without playing the game first.
It’s a mixed bag and the infographic above shows that things don’t always work out for the studios. Even the most popular/best grossing of game-based movies still do poorly in comparison to other Hollywood films.
[via IGN]
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Teachers to withdraw voluntary services
Job action will continue next week in the contract dispute involving the province’s 12,000 teachers, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation says.
Coming soon: make your phone your wallet
(Cross-posted on the Google Commerce Blog and Google Mobile Blog)
Today in our New York City office, along with Citi, MasterCard, First Data and Sprint, we gave a demo of Google Wallet, an app that will make your phone your wallet. You’ll be able to tap, pay and save using your phone and near field communication (NFC). We’re field testing Google Wallet now and plan to release it soon.
Google Wallet is a key part of our ongoing effort to improve shopping for both businesses and consumers. It’s aimed at making it easier for you to pay for and save on the goods you want, while giving merchants more ways to offer coupons and loyalty programs to customers, as well as bridging the gap between online and offline commerce.
Because Google Wallet is a mobile app, it will do more than a regular wallet ever could. You’ll be able to store your credit cards, offers, loyalty cards and gift cards, but without the bulk. When you tap to pay, your phone will also automatically redeem offers and earn loyalty points for you. Someday, even things like boarding passes, tickets, ID and keys could be stored in Google Wallet.
At first, Google Wallet will support both Citi MasterCard and a Google Prepaid Card, which you’ll be able to fund with almost any payment card. From the outset, you’ll be able to tap your phone to pay wherever MasterCard PayPass is accepted. Google Wallet will also sync your Google Offers, which you’ll be able to redeem via NFC at participating SingleTap™ merchants, or by showing the barcode as you check out. Many merchants are working to integrate their offers and loyalty programs with Google Wallet.
With Google Wallet, we’re building an open commerce ecosystem, and we’re planning to develop APIs that will enable integration with numerous partners. In the beginning, Google Wallet will be compatible with Nexus S 4G by Google, available on Sprint. Over time, we plan on expanding support to more phones.
To learn more please visit our Google Wallet website at www.google.com/wallet.
This is just the start of what has already been a great adventure towards the future of mobile shopping. We’re incredibly excited and hope you are, too.
Posted by Rob von Behren and Jonathan Wall, Founding Engineers on Google Wallet
Google Wallet mobile payment service, Google Offers announced
It may not be as big a surprise as Google hoped it would be at this point, but the company has now officially announced its NFC-based Google Wallet mobile payment service, complete with backing from a number of retail and financial partners including Subway, Macy’s, Walgreens, Toys ‘R Us, First Data, Citibank and MasterCard — plus Sprint on the carrier side. In the case of MasterCard, that partnership means Google Wallet will be fully compatible with the PayPass contactless payment system that’s already widely in place today. Trials are beginning immediately in New York and San Francisco, with a full release planned for this summer. Initially, the Sprint Nexus S 4G will be the only compatible phone, but support for more phones is promised “over time,” and Google even suggested that phones without built-in NFC could simply use an NFC sticker (the Google Wallet app itself will work on non-NFC phones as well). You’ll also have to use either a Citi MasterCard or Google Prepaid Card with the service, although the latter can obviously be funded from any other card.
Also announced today is Google Offers, which will deliver an “offer of the day” to your inbox, and let you seek out other offers from retailers. Of course, it also ties into Google Wallet, and you’ll be able to both redeem offers and receive loyalty rewards from retailers with just a tap of your NFC-enabled phone. As far as Google is concerned, however, mobile payments and special offers are just the beginning for Google Wallet. It eventually sees everything from boarding passes to tickets to IDs (and even keys) being stored on your phone. Not surprisingly, all of this is US-only for the time being, but Google is apparently working on international expansion. Head on past the break for a video and the complete press release.
Gallery: Google Wallet
Gallery: Google Offers
Continue reading Google Wallet mobile payment service, Google Offers announced
Google Wallet mobile payment service, Google Offers announced originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 12:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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This the most distant object in the universe [Space Porn]
A massive explosion that was spotted in 2009 has been declared, by some at least, to be the most distant object ever seen. It’s ninety-six percent of the way to the visible limit of the universe. More »
Smart Rotator Restricts Android Screen Rotation to Specific Apps
If your phone’s auto-rotate feature is a bit too sensitive, Smart Rotator allows for selective application-by-application rotation.
Many people turn off the auto-rotate feature on their phones because it flips the screen at awkward times. Smart Rotator allows you to specify which programs you want to rotate and which should stay in portrait mode. It’s a simple application that stands to save a lot of frustration. You simply install it, flag the apps you want to rotate, and it runs in the background automatically toggling the auto-rotate feature based on which apps are in focus.
Smart Rotator is a free app, Android 1.6+.
Smart Rotator [Android Market via Lifehacker]
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Crazy geniuses charge electric car by towing with pickup truck [Video]
Nissan’s all-electric Leaf has given its owners freedom from gasoline while presenting new challenges for avoiding dead batteries. Leave it to the Dutch to discover how to freeload a charge with a pickup and a tow hook. More »
How to Receive Your Android Phone’s Alerts on Your Desktop Computer
Ever leave your Android phone around the house while doing some work only to find missed calls and text messages? With Android Notifier, your phone’s alerts will pop up on your computer. It’s free and it even supports Growl!
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Kingmax flaunts world’s first 64GB microSD card
In case you’d forgotten (and who could blame you), Kingmax used to have a thing for setting small records — even if it meant one-upping itself. Four years later, the king is back and he brought a 64GB microSDXC card with him; the world’s first, wouldn’t you know? If history repeats itself, we can expect similarly sized storage from SanDisk and other manufacturers soon. We love passing storage milestones, but don’t get too excited: only a handful of devices currently have the architecture to support microSD cards bigger than 32GB, so make sure you have a compatible device before you empty your wallet. Don’t have one? Don’t sweat it; there’s no word yet when the new cards will be available, so you have plenty of time to upgrade. Head past the break to check out the press release.
Continue reading Kingmax flaunts world’s first 64GB microSD card
Kingmax flaunts world’s first 64GB microSD card originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 04:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.