A next-generation robotic dog will help soldiers.
After BigDog, LittleDog, and Petman, we now have a glimpse of the newest intimidating robot from Boston Dynamics: AlphaDog.
Monthly Archives: September 2011
Blog – Just What Soldiers Need: A Bigger Robotic Dog
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Pantech Breakout Review [Verizon 4G LTE]
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Are you ready to breakout from the norm and try a new smartphone by Pantech offering 4G LTE for a low price? If so you’ll want to check out the Pantech Breakout. This brand new Verizon 4G LTE Android smartphone comes packed with everything we love about Android along with some blistering fast speeds and [...]
SlashGear
TC Cribs: Sliding Through YouTube’s Double Rainbow (Gnomes!)
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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We’re back with a new episode of TC Cribs, and it’s featuring one of the most tricked-out offices yet: YouTube.
Yes, the world’s biggest archive of cute cat videos (among other things) invited us to take a stroll through their halls, which are brimming with nifty artifacts, viral video memorabilia, and gnomes. A lot of gnomes.
There’s also a big surprise that comes around two-thirds through the episode that had me hurting for a couple of days. Don’t miss it!
TechCrunch
AT&T Wants Their Competitors’ Antitrust Suits Dismissed
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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By now, we all know that the US Department of Justice filed an antitrust suit to block the AT&T/T-Mobile merger. Sprint and C Spire Wireless (formerly known as the Cellular South) have filed suits to that same effect, but AT&T has asked the court to reject those companies’ complaints.
The reason? AT&T believes that Sprint and C Spire are fighting for their own sakes, and not for the public’s best interests.
TechCrunch
Apple removes iPod Classic click-wheel games from iTunes
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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This is the 10th birthday for Apple’s iconic mp3 player, the iPod Classic, and it will likely be its last. Following recent rumors that Apple will be discontinuing both the iPod Classic and the iPod Shuffle, it’s been discovered today that Apple has removed the section in iTunes that was devoted to games made for [...]
SlashGear
Microsoft “Accidentally” Tags Chrome As Malware
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Oh, Microsoft! You are so cunning. With IE market share plummeting and many users opting for “alternative” web browsers like Firefox and Chrome, your base of power is crumbling. We thought you would succumb to melancholy and accept your fate. But you had a plan all along. Clever girl.
Yes, Microsoft has found a way to staunch the hemorrhaging of its users to other browsers: label them as malware in the built-in Security Essentials suite!
TechCrunch
Facebookers Are Not In Hawaii
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Aloha! You know where I wish I were right now? That’s right, Maui! You know who else is in Maui? Some of the Googler Social team. Note: I am really jealous of anyone who is a Googler in Maui right now, because it sure beats being someone who has to write about being a Googler in Maui right now.
According to unpaid blogger Michael Arrington, I’m not alone in my jealousy, as some other people who worked on Google+ apparently weren’t included in the Maui offsite, and “wish they were.” Makes sense.
TechCrunch
Verizon appeals net neutrality rules, let the legal wrangling begin
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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We told you it was only a matter of time and, honestly, it took a bit longer than expected. Verizon has officially filed an appeal to the FCC’s net neutrality rules, which are set to take effect on Novemeber 20th. It wasn’t until the regulations were published in the Federal Register on September 23rd that they became fair game for legal challenges — a technicality that resulted in Verizon’s previous attempt to block the rules being tossed out by the US Court of Appeals in April. While Verizon senior vice president and deputy general counsel, Michael E. Glover, assures netizens that the company is “fully committed to an open Internet,” it none-the-less takes issue with the FCC’s attempt to institute new “broad” and “sweeping” regulations on the telecommunications industry. We’re sure this is only the first of several cases that will be brought before the courts challenging the commission’s authority. Stayed tuned to see if and when MetroPCS re-enters the fray, and to find out the ultimate fate of net neutrality here in the US. Check out the brief statement from Verizon after the break.
Continue reading Verizon appeals net neutrality rules, let the legal wrangling begin
Verizon appeals net neutrality rules, let the legal wrangling begin originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Engadget
Blog – Amazon Silk is the First Step in Giving Mobiles Unlimited Computing Power
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Linux programmer Reiser requests new murder trial
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Hans Reiser, who was convicted of killing his wife in a bizarre 2008 courtroom drama, is demanding a new trial. The main claim in his rambling 117-page filing is that his attorney forced him to take the stand against his will.
CNET News.com
The Engadget Mobile podcast Sunday edition, live at 2PM ET!
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Schedules, schedules, schedules… they always seem to get in the way, and this time our favorite Friday activity needs to be put on the back burner. Not wanting to deprive you of the weekly news — and let’s face it, there was a lot that took place this week — we’ll be pushing our mobcast back to Sunday afternoon at 2PM. Same place, same opining, same bat channel, just on a different day. So if you have some time freed up on the weekend, come join Myriam and Brad at 2PM ET (11AM PT) on SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!
The Engadget Mobile podcast Sunday edition, live at 2PM ET! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Engadget
Cellphone Carriers Keep Personal Data Up to 7 Years, Report Says
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Google launches paid premium version of Analytics
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Google has developed a paid version of its Analytics website usage monitoring service that offers better performance, more sophisticated features and broader technical support than the free product, the company said on Friday.
Computerworld News
Amazon In Talks With HP To Buy Palm
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Nemilar writes with this excerpt from VentureBeat:
“Who will save what’s left of Palm from HP’s bumbling? It could be Amazon, as the online retailing giant is in serious negotiations to snap up Palm from HP. No other company seems as fitting a home for Palm and its webOS software. It’s worth noting that former Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein, who now holds a vague ‘product innovation’ role at HP’s Personal Services Group, joined Amazon’s board late last year.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Wi-Fi Hotspot App Connectify Gets New Funding From ITQ – The Firm That Finds New Tech For CIA
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Remember Connectify? The downloadable software that turns PCs into Wi-Fi hotspots in just a few minutes? It looks like the company now has a new investor: In-Q-Tel (IQT), which just so happens to be the strategic investment firm that seeks out new technologies for the U.S. Intelligence Community, including the CIA.
Mac clone maker may take fight with Apple to Supreme Court
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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A U.S. appellate court this week rejected an appeal by Mac clone maker Psystar in a long-running case related to copyright infringement of Apple’s Mac OS X operating system.
Computerworld News
Virgin Mobile postpones data throttling until 2012
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Virgin Mobile has decided to postpone its original plans to throttle smartphone data speeds for its heaviest data users. Back in July, the carrier revealed that data throttling would begin in October, but today it announced that those plans will be delayed until 2012. But the company did not give any specific dates as to [...]
SlashGear
Apple unleashes iTunes 10.5 Beta 9 to developers
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Apple has just released to developers iTunes 10.5 Beta 9, which is a required update for syncing with the beta version of the iTunes Match service that’s expected to launch with the upcoming iOS 5 and iCloud. This beta update includes several bug fixes, performance enhancements, and some iTunes Match interface tweaks all wrapped in [...]
SlashGear
Rumor of 64GB iPhone re-emerges
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Will the next iPhone bring a little more storage for big time storage hogs? That’s the latest revitalized rumor, with one outlet suggesting we’ll see a 64GB model.
CNET News.com
64GB iPhone rumor re-emerges
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Will the next iPhone bring a little more storage for big time storage hogs? That’s the latest rumor, with one outlet suggesting we’ll see a 64GB model.
CNET News.com
Blog – Fermi Bubbles Are Burps from a Star-Eating Black Hole
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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…and they may also explain the cosmic ray “knee” problem, one of astronomy’s biggest mysteries.
Last year, astronomers analysing data from NASA’s orbiting Fermi Gamma Ray Telescope made an extraordinary announcement. They said that Fermi had spotted two giant bubbles emanating from the centre of the galaxy, stretching some 20,000 light years above and below the galactic plane.
Best Buy To Cut The HTC Flyer Tablet To $299 On October 1st
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Watch out for falling tablet prices! No, seriously, don’t get burned by price cuts. The HTC Flyer is the latest tablet to see a major price reduction. Starting tomorrow, October 1st, Best Buy will lower the price of the 7-inch Android 2.3 tablet from $ 499 to $ 299. This follows the PlayBook, Xoom, and most notable, the TouchPad.
The Flyer is nearing its 6 month birthday and hasn’t fared very well in the marketplace. This is mainly because it attempted to compete directly with the iPad while offering a smaller screen and dated OS. However, had it launched at $ 299, the Flyer might have own over more fans because it is a capable tablet with several fun tricks including an active digitizer stylus.
TechCrunch
Widespread MobileMe Outage Knocks Apple Services Offline
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Ask They Might Be Giants About Almost 30 Years of Music
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Back in 1982, John Flansburgh, John Linnell, and a drum machine formed They Might Be Giants. Over the last 29 years TMBG have released 15 studio albums, won 2 Grammy Awards, and have become one of the most nerd-loved bands ever. In addition to projects like Dial-A-Song, TMBG were one of the first bands to create their own online music store, and have been making podcasts on a semi-monthly basis since 2005. The band has agreed to answer all your questions about the naming conventions of Turkish cities, building spiritual bird houses, and the music business. As usual, ask as many questions as you’d like, but please keep it to one question per post.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Cancer, Then a Calling, for ‘e-Patient Dave’
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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High Fidelity 3-D Images Created Using KinectFusion
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Researchers Hack Voting Machine for $26
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Carmakers Unveil New Types of Hybrids
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Alternative approaches replace the battery with compressed air or a flywheel.
Hybrid cars normally combine conventional engines with battery-powered electric motors. But many carmakers are developing alternative types of hybrids—some of which were on display this month at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany.
Samsung Announces The Dual-Core Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Despite the fact that Apple has found a way to block sales of the latest two Galaxy Tabs, Samsung is going to try try again.
The company officially announced the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus this morning, a 7-inch, HSPA+, dual-core slate. With the 7.0 Plus, Samsung has basically covered every size tablet there is: two 10.1-inch models, an 8.9-incher, a 7.7-inch tab, now a straight up 7-incher, along with the 5.3-inch smartphone/tablet hybrid Galaxy Note.
TechCrunch
Amazon reportedly trying to buy Palm
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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A source tells VentureBeat the retail giant is in ‘serious negotiations” to pick up what’s left of Palm from HP.
CNET News.com
SwiftKey X 2.1 Keyboard for Android Hands-on [Video]
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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It’s time for an update to one of the most powerful third-party keyboards available for Android today, SwiftKey X. This version is 2.1 and includes an upgrade to both the smartphone version and the tablet version of the app. In addition to a slew of performance and memory usage improvements, there’s been layout and interface [...]
SlashGear
Report: HP Still Looking To Offload Palm, Amazon Named As Top Contenter
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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The Kindle Fire announcement set the interwebs ablaze as Amazon burst into the tablet scene. But the retailer-turned-CE player might be looking to go a different way in the future. Amazon has been named as Palm’s current top suitor among “a handful of contenders” as HP looks to rid itself from the TouchPad/webOS disaster.
It’s unclear from VentureBeat’s leaks why Amazon is interested in Palm. Ditching Android for webOS after building an ecosystem around Android seems foolish and shortsighted. This move, if it’s really happening, could be more about hardware development and patents than reviving a dead operating system. Sorry, fanboys.
TechCrunch
RIM Changes Stance On PlayBook’s Android Support
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
No comments
hypnosec writes “It hasn’t been long since the BlackBerry maker Research In Motion announced that its QNX based tablet device, the PlayBook, will be supporting Android implementation on it. However, it has been revealed now that a sizable portion of Android apps will be cut off from running on the moderately successful tablet device. The news thus leads us to a situation where Android developers might not be interested anymore in coming up with new apps for the QNX powered gadget. The Android apps that won’t be working in the PlayBook include Android Live Wallpapers; apps that contain more than one activity tied to the launcher, the Android text-to-speech engine, and Android cloud-to-device messaging service, amongst a few others.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Ask Slashdot: Best Way To Destroy Hard Drives?
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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First time accepted submitter THE_WELL_HUNG_OYSTER writes “I have 10-15 old hard drives I want to trash, some IDE and some SATA. Even if I still had IDE hardware, I don’t want to wait several weeks to run DBAN on all of them. I could use a degausser, but they are prohibitively expensive. I could send them to a data destruction firm, but can they be trusted? What’s the fastest, cheapest DIY solution?”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, packing 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and coated in Honeycomb
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Samsung has just unveiled a rather unexpected addition to its fleet of tablets, with the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. Available in both 16GB and 32GB varieties, this new slate is fueled by a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, runs Android 3.2 Honeycomb and features a seven-inch LCD with 1024 x 600 resolution. It also packs a two megapixel front-facing camera, along with a three megapixel shooter that supports 720p video, boasts 1GB of RAM and ships with Sammy’s TouchWiz UI baked-in. In terms of connectivity, you’ll find support for quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, 3G with 21Mbps HSPA and the usual smattering of Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS capabilities. Pricing has yet to be announced, but the 7.0 Plus is slated to hit Indonesia and Austria by the end of October, before rolling out internationally. Slide past the break for more details, in the full PR, or check out the gallery below for more images.
Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus
Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, packing 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and coated in Honeycomb originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Sharp Showcases 4K LCD TV (3,840×2,160 Resolution), To Sell It 2012
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Full HD resolution (1,920×1,080 pixels) isn’t enough for Sharp. The company has developed [JP] a TV that’s capable of producing images with 3,840×2,160 resolution and is ready to show the device to the public during the CEATEC 2011 exhibition that takes place next week near Tokyo.
The 60-inch 4K TV has been developed in cooperation with the I3 (I-cubed) Research Center in Kawasaki. I am assuming Sharp will share more detailed specs when they bring the prototype to CEATEC (so far, only the size and resolution have been revealed).
TechCrunch
Spies Can Hide Secret Messages in Bacteria, Scientists Say
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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RIM calls report of PlayBook’s demise ‘pure fiction’
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Research in Motion said Thursday that it remains committed to the PlayBook tablet and the tablet market, discounting an analyst’s report that said the death of the tablet is imminent.
Computerworld News
Top 1% of iOS Game Developers Make a Third of All Revenue
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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donniebaseball23 writes “The top one percent of iOS game developers earn over a third of the gaming revenue made on the App Store, according to a new survey of iOS developers. The survey, set up by Canadian indie developer Owen Goss, found that the bottom 80 percent of iOS developers are splitting a mere three percent of all App Store game revenue.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
How Google Drove Samsung Away
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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itwbennett writes “The patent licensing agreement between Microsoft and Samsung this week set off a firestorm of childish tit-for-tat between Microsoft and Google. But more telling is what Samsung had to say about its relationship with Google: ‘Samsung knows it can’t rely on Google. We’ve decided to address Android IP issues on our own,’ a Samsung official told The Korea Times. The only good news to come from all of this, says blogger Brian Proffitt, is that we may be headed for a courtroom showdown over just what patents Microsoft believes are in violation, which really is what should have happened to begin with.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
DHS Says Utilities and Industries Face Rising Number of Cyber Break-Ins
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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U.S. utilities and industries face a rising number of cyber break-ins by attackers using more sophisticated methods, a senior Homeland Security Department official said during the government’s first media tour of secretive defense labs intended to protect the U.S. power grid, water systems and other vulnerable infrastructure.
When Specific Media (And Justin Timberlake) Bought Myspace …
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Myspace savior Specific Media laid off 8% of its staff yesterday, about 50 people. Those laid off were mostly Myspace employees, according to one source, presumably eagerly awaiting their severance package; “The people that [sic] got let go were celebrating because Specific Media doesn’t have a clue what to do.”
In the past three months Specific Media had gone from the excitement of new acquisition smell to post partum depression it seems like, recently scaling back this summer’s grand Myspace relaunch plans because of unfavorable progress.
TechCrunch
Facebook tracking prompts call for FTC probe
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Facebook’s tracking technology has landed the social network in hot water, with two lawmakers calling for a Federal Trade Commission investigation.
Computerworld News
Intel grabs Telmap for cross-platform AppUp location services
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Intel has acquired navigation and location-based software specialist Telmap, and will use the company’s technology for cross-platform local services in its AppUp system. Eventually, Intel is planning to offer developers coding for AppUp a set of standardized location-based services (LBS) APIs, with which they’ll be able to integrate potentially complex mapping, local search and other [...]
SlashGear
Kindle Fire or…iPod Touch? (Ask Maggie)
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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The Kindle Fire’s $ 200 price tag will no doubt shake up the tablet market, but how does it stack up against Apple’s iPod Touch?
CNET News.com
Dell launches new ultrathin laptop first in China
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Dell launched a new ultrathin laptop in China on Friday called the XPS 14z, which is slated to arrive in other markets later this year to take advantage of the coming holiday shopping seasons.
Computerworld News
Former HP CEO Apotheker to get more than $9.6 million
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Outgoing Hewlett-Packard CEO Leo Apotheker will get a severance payment of US$ 7.2 million, plus a $ 2.4 million performance bonus and additional stock benefits, according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday.
Computerworld News
Some cable companies are pushing for unbundled channels — but not for you
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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Sick of paying for cable TV channels you don’t watch? Reportedly some operators are looking for a way — through negotiation or regulation — to end channel bundling, where to get certain channels (like MTV) they’re compelled to pack others (like TV Land) owned by the same company into their basic lineups. According to Reuters, smaller operators like Suddenlink and Mediacom are leading the charge, while even bigger companies like Comcast, Time Warner and DirecTV are feeling squeezed in retransmission fee disputes. However, as the LA Times points out, it’s still doubtful you’ll be able to pick and choose specific channels for a cheaper bill. What may be available however are cheaper packages of smaller bundles, like the lineup shown above that Comcast is testing in certain areas. What’s stopping true a la carte programming choices? Hybrid cable and content companies, like Comcast with NBC Universal and Time Warner, and sports — someone has to pay for that billion dollar ESPN Monday Night Football deal.
Some cable companies are pushing for unbundled channels — but not for you originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Engadget
Pavegen To Tap Pedestrians For Power In the UK
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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An anonymous reader writes “Several years ago Laurence Kembell-Cook unveiled Pavegen floor tiles, which capture kinetic energy from footsteps and convert it to electricity. Now after two years of product testing and picking up a slew of awards across the U.K., Pavegen has received its first commercial order — to light up the new Westfield Stratford City Shopping Centre.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Galaxy cluster research supports Einstein’s Theory of Relativity on a cosmic level
Posted by Gsurface
on September 30, 2011
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In one small win for Einstein, one giant win for mankind, scientists at the Niels Bohr Institute have proved his General Theory of Relativity on a cosmic scale through their research of large galaxy clusters. Accordingly, the clusters — which are the largest known gravity-bound objects — have such a strong pull that they should cause light to “redshift,” or proportionally increase in wavelength, shifting towards the red end of the visible spectrum. To test it, researchers measured beams from 8,000 clusters, revealing that they do indeed cause a change in light’s wavelength, supporting Einstein’s theory to a T. One good turn deserves another, right Albert? Armchair cosmologists can hop on over to the source link to learn more.
Galaxy cluster research supports Einstein’s Theory of Relativity on a cosmic level originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 02:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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