General Motors partners with Google for Android-powered cars?

Not one day after General Motors said they’d found a mysterious technology partner to help extend the Chevy Volt’s futuristic OnStar functionality do anonymous sources step in (as usual) to ruin the surprise. Though we thought RIM made a fine contender, Motor Trend says it’s actually Google that’ll reportedly “sell its Android operating system for in-car use.” Last we heard, Google wasn’t in the business of selling Android, but that wouldn’t stop GM from using the open-source OS anyhow — in fact, we already knew Android cars were on the way, and one’s already in production. Let’s just hope GM doesn’t take the integration too far: we fear the day will come when our “engine” app spontaneously decides to force close.

General Motors partners with Google for Android-powered cars? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What is HTML5, and Why Should You Care?


Part of being a good user and consumer is understanding how technology works, why we use it the way we do, and what that barrage of acronyms and PR jargon means. We’re here to help you make sense of it all, and to give you a better appreciation of how those transistors, pixels, and antennas work together to deliver the conveniences of the modern world to your living room or office.

What is HTML5?

We’re sure by now you’ve heard the term “HTML5” thrown around by the likes of Apple and Google. This is the next evolution of HTML, or Hyper Text Markup Language, which forms the backbone of almost every site on the Internet. HTML4, the last major iteration of the language, debuted in 1997 and has been subsequently poked and prodded so that it can handle the demands of the modern Web.

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What is HTML5, and Why Should You Care? originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 11 May 2010 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft confirms Natal launch in October (update: Microsoft responds)

We’ve heard it before, now Microsoft’s Syed Bilal Tariq is repeating the October launch date for Natal. Speaking to GamerTagRadio, Microsoft’s marketing manager for Saudi Arabia says that the Natal launch,

“is going to be somewhere in October and we will be in a position to confirm the date at E3, which is in June, but definitely it is going to be October 2010.”

So there you have it. While we’d prefer to see an official press release on the topic, there’s little reason to doubt what you can hear for yourselves after the break.

Update: It’s not as clear-cut of a statement as we’d probably, but Microsoft has responded via email, telling G4, “Syed Bilal Tariq is not a [Microsoft] employee… He is a vendor employed through a third-party company on behalf of the Microsoft subsidiary in Saudi Arabia.” Sure, that downplays his realm of knowledge, but it doesn’t completely discredit. No comment was given as to the October date. At least E3’s a few hours closer now, right?

Continue reading Microsoft confirms Natal launch in October (update: Microsoft responds)

Microsoft confirms Natal launch in October (update: Microsoft responds) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 May 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gamesindustry.biz, Joystiq  |  sourceGamerTagRadio, G4  | Email this | Comments

Mozilla shares tentative vision for Firefox 4

Our first glimpse of Firefox 4 was limited to a few tasteful mockups; this time, Mozilla‘s main man Mike Beltzner has revealed the company’s plans for its next generation web browser in its entirety. While exact features and dates are sketchy, his presentation reveals Mozilla would like to hold the Firefox 4 beta in June, before unleashing a CSS3, partially HTML5 compliant web browser with multitouch support, background updates, geolocation, Firefox Sync (aka Mozilla Weave) and a greatly streamlined UI this holiday season. The presentation has “PLANS MIGHT CHANGE” written all over it in large red letters, so trust us when we say none of this is for sure, but we like the direction Firefox is going and we’ll be happy to see more. Video presentation at our source link, full slideshow after the break.

Continue reading Mozilla shares tentative vision for Firefox 4

Mozilla shares tentative vision for Firefox 4 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 22:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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webOS-based HP Hurricane tablet rumored for Q3

Shortly after announcing a blockbuster deal to acquire Palm, HP confessed that it would be “doubling down on webOS,” with near-term plans to “scale it across multiple connected devices.” We took the liberty at that point to assume this meant that a larger webOS-based device was at least sitting around in the rear of someone’s mind, and now it sounds as if Palm loyalists may actually have something tangible to look forward to. According to an unsubstantiated report over at the Examiner, an “insider at HP” has informed the site that “a webOS tablet under the code name HP Hurricane could be released the third quarter of this year.” This all lines up well with what we’ve heard over the past few weeks: HP pledged to take webOS to places it has never been, strong whispers emerged that the HP Slate was being shelved, and now, people close to the HP camp have given a name to a purported webOS tablet slated for Q3. There’s obviously no telling if this is simply hot air being blown, but we wouldn’t be shocked to see HP nail down a webOS slate in time for the sure-to-be-rockin’ 2010 holiday buying season. Or maybe we’re just crossing our fingers, humming aloud and praying to our lucky stars that this all pans out.

[Thanks, Mike and Trever]

webOS-based HP Hurricane tablet rumored for Q3 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 May 2010 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Pre Central  |  sourceExaminer  | Email this | Comments