Workaround brings Netflix to more (rooted) Android users

We’ve already had some success getting Netflix for Android up and running on an officially unsupported phone (a Droid X), but those not able to get it to work simply by transferring and installing the .APK now have another option. As some folks on XDA and Reddit have discovered, you can apparently just edit a few system settings to make your phone (or Nook Color, for that matter) think it’s actually an HTC G2, which is apparently all it takes to satisfy the Netflix app. It doesn’t work with every phone, of course, but quite a few seem to have had success with it. Unfortunately for some, you’ll also need to first root your phone in order to make those changes, but the steps are fairly simple once you’ve done that. Hit up the links below for all the details, and let us know how it worked out for you in the comments below. Just remember: when in doubt, back up.

Workaround brings Netflix to more (rooted) Android users originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 15:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Techland  |  sourceReddit, xda-developers  | Email this | Comments

Why the world will end on May 21 [Apocalypse]

Over at Salon, there’s a great article by Peter Finocchiaro about all those mysterious billboards and ads online about how the world is going to end on May 21 – a week from tomorrow. Apparently, they’re the work of a splinter group of Christians who follow Harold Camping. Though decades ago Camping incorrectly identified 1994 as the year that the world would end, that hasn’t deterred him or his followers. They are convinced now that May 21 is the day. Here’s Camping’s evidence, as summed up by Finocchiaro: More »

Fix Your Sleeping Position to Feel Better While Awake [Health]

Everyone knows that a bad night’s sleep leads to a terrible day after, but not everyone pays attention to the position they wind up in while getting there. Health Magazine’s laid out the best and worst of sleep positions over at CNN Health, and some of the findings might make you second-guess your own sleeping habits. More »







HP unveils WiFi Mobile Mouse and Link-5 wireless tech to free your USB

We don’t usually go wild for wireless mice, but HP has revealed a new rodent that controls your PC pointer via WiFi that’s piqued our interest. Dubbed the HP WiFi Mobile Mouse, it’s got five programmable buttons and a four-way tilt scroll wheel for nuisance-free navigation, plus a nine-month battery life from dual AAs. In addition to the WiFi wunderkind, HP is rolling out its Link-5 wireless connection technology — similar to Logitech’s Unifying Receiver — with compatible keyboards and mice as well. Link-5 lets you connect up to (surprise, surprise) five devices through a single diminutive USB dongle. So instead of pedestrian peripherals, you can connect something a little more awesome. Vid’s after the break.

Continue reading HP unveils WiFi Mobile Mouse and Link-5 wireless tech to free your USB

HP unveils WiFi Mobile Mouse and Link-5 wireless tech to free your USB originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 03:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear  |  sourceHP  | Email this | Comments

Samsung and LG to showcase high pixel density LCD panels for tablets at SID 2011

It’s a well-known fact that LG’s already dominated the pixel density race in the smartphone market thanks to the Retina Display inside the iPhone 4, but we’ve yet to see similar technologies making their way to larger devices. That could change very soon, however, with Samsung and LG both announcing larger high-density panels to be showcased at SID 2011 next week. From Samsung we’ll be seeing its 10.1-inch 300ppi prototype LCD panel, which rakes up an astonishing resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 under the battery-friendly PenTile RGBW matrix (not to be confused with AMOLED and Super AMOLED’s RGBG arrangement). What’s more, Samsung also teases “commercial availability” for this technology later this year.

Things are a bit vague with LG — no specific resolutions are mentioned in the pre-show announcement, but we’re told that the company will introduce “a full line-up” of “ultra-high resolution” Advanced High Performance In-Plane Switching (AH-IPS) products, including 3.5-, 4.5-, 7-, 9.7, 55-, and 84-inch panels, with a “greater number of pixels than the PPI that can be recognized by the human eye at a typical distance” — a proclamation typically reserved for the iPhone 4’s 326ppi Retina Display. Of course, LG could be misleading here — the 9.7-inch panel brought up in the press release could just be the exact same 1,024 x 768 IPS display on the iPad, but we’d be surprised if LG doesn’t have a similarly-sized prototype to fire back at Samsung’s 10.1-inch 300ppi panel. Well, keep an eye out for our SID 2011 coverage next week and we’ll let you know what goodies we find.

Continue reading Samsung and LG to showcase high pixel density LCD panels for tablets at SID 2011

Samsung and LG to showcase high pixel density LCD panels for tablets at SID 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 02:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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‘3 Dreams of Black’ is the trippiest WebGL interactive music video you’ve seen all day

Perhaps you had your fill of WebGL yesterday after playing Angry Birds from dawn till dusk, but there was an even more graphically intensive Chrome browser experience unveiled at Google I/O this week: “3 Dreams of Black” by Rome. Simply put, it’s an music video that runs in your browser window, starring the talents of Danger Mouse, Daniele Luppi and Norah Jones, but instead of watching Norah serenade you from a stage or set, you’re thrust into dreamlike, interactive 3D worlds. It’s a fantastic tech demo for WebGL and the games it might inspire… and it’s also something you’ll want to experience for yourself. Find it (and the copy of Chrome Canary you may need for it to run well) at the source link below.

‘3 Dreams of Black’ is the trippiest WebGL interactive music video you’ve seen all day originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 23:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZeroTouch ‘optical multi-touch force field’ makes a touchscreen out of just about anything

The rise of tablets and smartphones has made the touchscreen a rather ubiquitous interface, but they aren’t everywhere quite yet. A group of students from Texas A&M intend to change that, however, with the invention of ZeroTouch: a seemingly empty picture frame that lets you turn any surface into an interactive touchscreen. It might not look like much, but ZeroTouch is packing a series of pulsing LEDs and infrared sensors that turn that blank space into a highly sensitive surface. Basically, the strategically placed LEDs cover the open area in a sheet of invisible light. When a hand or stylus enters the picture (or lack there of), those beams are interrupted, providing cues to a piece of software that tracks the object's movement — and boom! You've got a touchscreen. Of course, this isn't the sort of thing that's going to make it to market anytime soon, but you can check out ZeroTouch rocking the rippling water effect in the video below.

Continue reading ZeroTouch ‘optical multi-touch force field’ makes a touchscreen out of just about anything

ZeroTouch ‘optical multi-touch force field’ makes a touchscreen out of just about anything originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 17:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink NewScientist  |  sourceInterface Ecology Lab  | Email this | Comments

Flash Player 10.3 hits Android with optimizations, bug fixes aplenty (update: desktops too)

It’s been saying that it was coming “soon” since March, and Adobe has now finally delivered Flash Player 10.3 to compatible Android devices. As expected, it brings mostly bug fixes and optimizations, the biggest of which appears to be NEON optimizations for OMAP4 (or Cortex A-9) processors, which should be good news for BlackBerry PlayBook owners (and those that eventually get their hands on an Optimus 3D). Otherwise, you can expect to find the usual batch of security improvements, and a few fixes for specific problems on Galaxy S phones, the HTC Evo, and various Motorola devices.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: Adobe’s also now brought the desktop version of Flash Player 10.3 out of beta for Windows, Mac and Linux, and it’s confirmed that the Android update does indeed include support for Android 3.1. Hit up the links below for the complete details.

Flash Player 10.3 hits Android with optimizations, bug fixes aplenty (update: desktops too) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 16:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAdobe , Flash Platform Blog  | Email this | Comments

Ashton Kutcher to Replace Charlie Sheen on ‘Two and a Half Men’

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UPDATE: The Hollywood Reporter has just confirmed that Ashton Kutcher will replace Charlie Sheen on ‘Two and a Half Men.’ The Hollywood trade reported that “two sources close to the deal-making (said) that the actor is putting the final touches on a deal to replace Charlie Sheen … The exact dollar figure he will be paid is not known but a source says Kutcher is getting a ‘huge payday’.”

Earlier: The soap opera known as ‘Two and a Half Men’ keeps getting better and better. No, we don’t mean the TV show, we mean the behind-the-scenes casting show.

TV Squad previously reported that Brit Hugh Grant had been in negotiations to replace errant Charlie Sheen in the blockbuster series that has been gilding Warner Bros.’ and CBS’ coffers for years. The latest news, however, is that Grant is out and — ready for this? — Ashton Kutcher is next in line for the role.

Grant’s name reportedly came up about a month ago and CBS boss Les Moonves and CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler thought it was a good idea. Talks began and, allegedly, Grant was offered $1 million per episode (though later, insiders at WB downplayed that figure). Grant was close to sealing a deal when the thought of the grind of TV series work made him reconsider and he backed away.

 

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