In a wholly unexpected move, Eric Schmidt is stepping away from his position as Google CEO to make room for co-founder Larry Page. Schmidt will move into an Executive Chairman role. But why? And what does it mean for you? More »
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What Does Google’s New Boss Mean For You? [Google]
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Study Gives Extra Credibility to Your Coffee and Aspirin Hangover Cure [Hangovers]
We’ve looked at various hangover cures, separating myth from fact, but one recent study gives a little extra credibility to one simple combo: coffee and aspirin. More »
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New Type Of Memory Could Boot Your Computer Instantly [Science]
Imagine turning on your computer from a powerless state and instantly seeing your desktop without having to wait through a lengthy loading process. NC State researchers have developed a device that could make that happen. More »
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Earth may soon have a second sun [Space Porn]
The red supergiant star Betelgeuse is getting ready to go supernova, and when it does Earth will have a front-row seat. The explosion will be so bright that Earth will briefly seem to have two suns in the sky. More »
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Wendy’s may sell Arby’s
Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Inc. says it is considering selling its struggling Arby’s fast-food business.
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S. Korea accepts N. Korean call for defence talks
South Korea says it has accepted a North Korean offer to hold high-level defence talks.
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Microsoft Offers PS3 Hacker A Present [Geohot]
George Hotz hacked Sony’s PS3, and then told everyone how to do it. That pissed Sony off, and the company is taking him to court. Rival Microsoft is ready to play nice, though. With a gift. More »
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Android turns average man into El Vendor! (video)
You might not know Greg Bell by name but you’ve certainly been affected by his work. The man who directed Logitech’s amusingly creepy Lonely TV viral ads has returned with a series of videos meant to promote Android. The premise is, of course, absurd: middle manager, trapped beneath a fallen vending machine, continues to work because his Android powered smartphone allows him to be productive even without the full use of his hands. In a bit of video magic, the handset with a 32-day battery is the
Nexus S running Gingerbread… but only when shot from the front. Otherwise it’s a Nexus One when shot from the back, presumably because this was filmed before the S’ launch. Regardless, the result is a series of clever videos encapsulating an everyman’s transformation into nerd superhero, El Vendor — we dare you to not click all five.Continue reading Android turns average man into El Vendor! (video)
Android turns average man into El Vendor! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 03:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Kongregate app pulled from Android Marketplace, CEO hopes it’s just a misunderstanding
We’ve heard of apps getting 187’d from the iTunes App Store ad nauseum, but Google’s Android Marketplace? That’s pretty novel. In what is probably the most high profile bait-and-switch since the mobile platform’s launch, Kongregate found its eponymous software pulled on the very same day it came out. As CEO Jim Greer tells Joystiq, the app was pulled due to the “claim you can’t use their app store to distribute another app store.” Which is all well and good until you realize that what Kongregate the app does is simply serve as a portal for Kongregrate the mobile site — Greer says it’s the same experience as visiting m.kongregate.com to play its free Flash games — with the option for offline mode. “It’s all essentially cached content delivered in a browser,” he said, “which to me is just bizarre that that would be considered an ‘app store,’” he said.
The Android Market Developer Distribution Agreement says, “you may not use the Market to distribute or make available any Product whose primary purpose is to facilitate the distribution of Products outside of the Market,” with Product defined broadly as “Software, content and digital materials created for Devices in accordance with the Android SDK and distributed via the Market.” When we talked to Google, the company pointed out the same clause and said, “Applications in violation of our policies (like Kongregate) are removed from Android Market.”
Greer adds that a number of people in Google had seen it previously and liked the app (not the ones who ultimately pulled it), and he hopes this is all some grand misunderstanding. We’ll see, but in the meantime, the app is still available for side loading care of Kongregate’s website. Nothing like a backup plan, eh?
Kongregate app pulled from Android Marketplace, CEO hopes it’s just a misunderstanding originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 22:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Xbox 360 mandatory update restores boot to disc, detains Call of Duty pirates for a tad
The story of the Trojan Horse must be a favorite among video game console manufacturers, because software updates these days often come with more than bargained for — today, Microsoft issued a mandatory Xbox 360 update, reportedly for a single bugfix, but which seems to have coincidentally halted scores of pirates and hackers from playing Call of Duty: Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 on the console. Members of the Xbox-Scene forums noted the update was taking suspiciously long to download, discovered that backup copies of these games ceased to work, and presently believe that Microsoft included a patch for these two games to enable an anti-piracy feature that specifically targets burned copies. What does the mandatory update do for you if you’re not part of the hacking scene? It merely enables the console to automatically boot a pre-inserted game when you power it on, a feature that was accidentally disabled in November.
[Thanks, Brian]
Xbox 360 mandatory update restores boot to disc, detains Call of Duty pirates for a tad originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Gasoline predicted to reach $1.20 in 2 months
An energy consultant is warning Canadian consumers to brace for higher gasoline prices in February or March.
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See more views with the new Google Maps widget
When we launched Google Maps, we had one layer — the map. Since then, we’ve added more than ten different ways to explore the world around you, including photos, transit and traffic information, as well as satellite and terrain views. We’ve now updated the design so that you can more easily see and switch between the various viewing options that are available.Suppose you’re planning to meet your friend for a concert at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, and you want driving directions to plan your trip from your apartment in San Francisco. When accessing Google Maps, you’ll see a new widget in the upper right corner that allows you to easily select from either the Maps, satellite or Earth view. In addition, the single widget icon showcases all the different layers available to you, enabling you to quickly see more detailed information just by mousing over the ones you want.
Since it’s nearly rush hour and traffic information would be useful, you select that layer by clicking on it in the widget:
Unfortunately, the traffic layer shows that there are heavy delays along your route. You wonder if taking public transit is a better option, so you turn off the traffic layer by clicking on it again, and turn on the transit layer instead:
Ah, it looks like there’s a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station near your apartment and one near the Greek Theatre. Public transit it is! If you also want to find a local spot to grab dinner after the show, you could search for [restaurants] in the same Google Maps window. Your recently viewed searches will appear in the new widget, enabling you to easily see both your destination and search results at the same time. This makes it easy to find a place nearby.
We hope this new all-inclusive widget for accessing map types, layers and recently viewed searches improves your experience exploring and navigating to the places you want to go!Update (11/20): Sorry for the delay, but the new widget for viewing map types, layers and recent searches will be available soon. We’ll update this post again when the widget is live.Posted by Amanda Leicht, Product Manager -
How to Install Non-Market Apps on Your Android Device
Although the Android Market offers thousands upon thousands of applications to choose from, sometimes you’ll want to break free and install applications that aren’t available on the Market. Read on to learn how.
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How to Pick Your Next Android Phone: The Specs That Matter (and the Ones That Don’t) [Android]
Manufacturers are constantly popping out new Android phones, and it can all be a bit overwhelming when it comes time to buy a new phone. Here’s how to avoid getting overwhelmed and narrow down your buying decisions. More »
