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Windows Phone 8 update coming this summer with CalDAV and CardDAV support

Posted by Gsurface on May 14, 2013 No comments

We already got word from Nokia about some new Windows Phone features that’d be trickling out in a forthcoming update, and Microsoft has now filled in some more details on what other phone users can expect. In addition to FM radio support, an update said to be coming to Windows Phone 8 devices “later this summer” will add the previously-promised support for CalDAV and CardDAV to ensure your phone will continue to work with Google’s new sync protocols. Otherwise, you can look for the company’s Data Sense feature to support more carriers (no word on specific ones yet, though), and also expect some minor tweaks to Xbox Music. We’ll keep you posted if we hear more about a specific rollout date.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft

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Via: @BenThePCGuy

Source: Windows Phone Blog

BlackBerry Messenger coming to iOS and Android this summer

Posted by Gsurface on May 14, 2013 No comments

During BlackBerry‘s Live event in Florida today, the company announced that its popular BlackBerry Messenger service (a.k.a. BBM) will be heading to iOS and Android later this summer. The app will support cross-platform messaging, meaning that users on BlackBerry can talk with iOS and Android users with the BBM app. The BBM app will support

BlackBerry To Launch BBM On Android And iOS Summer Of 2013

Posted by Gsurface on May 14, 2013 No comments

Today Today at BlackBerry Live, CEO Thorsten Heins announced BBM will launch this summer on Android and iOS. The messaging app will launch globally this summer. “It is a state of confidence,” Heins explained. “The BB10 platform is so strong and the response has been so good that the time is right for BBM to become an independent mobile messaging platform.” Developing…
TechCrunch

BlackBerry Q10 coming to Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile this summer

Posted by Gsurface on May 14, 2013 No comments

We’ve gotten word of a new BlackBerry smartphone today, and we now also have some news about familiar one. Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile have all confirmed that they’ll soon be carrying the BlackBerry Q10, although some are being more specific with details than others. Verizon is saying that it will be available sometime in June (with pricing still to be announced), while Sprint will only go as far as to say “late summer.” T-Mobile will also be rolling out the phone sometime in June, and has confirmed that it will run $ 99.99 down with its new plan structure, or $ 579.99 if you want to buy it outright — that follows business registation for the device, which began last month. We’ve yet to hear anything more from AT&T, but it has already committed to the device and will presumably be launching it in roughly the same timeframe as well.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, Blackberry, T-Mobile

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Source: Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile

Nexus 7 refresh tipped for summer; how it differs from the original

Posted by Gsurface on May 12, 2013 No comments

The original Google Nexus 7 tablet (as manufactured by ASUS) has been tipped to be getting a refresh with new hardware and a launch time around June or July. This updated piece of equipment would, if this set of predictions turns true, have the tablet ready to be re-introduced at Google I/O 2013, the company’s

Salesforce Summer '13 release to focus on Chatter, customer ideas

Posted by Gsurface on May 3, 2013 No comments

Salesforce.com's upcoming Summer '13 release of its cloud-based CRM software will feature a slew of enhancements to the Chatter social collaboration tool as well as many improvements that are the result of customer suggestions, according to a set of official release notes.
Computerworld News

Samsung May Launch A Rugged Galaxy S4 This Summer, Could Counter New Moto Phones

Posted by Gsurface on April 26, 2013 No comments

Samsung is working on a dust-proof and water-proof Galaxy S4, which will essentially resemble the S4 but with environmental superpowers, says the Wall Street Journal. The paper also reported that Samsung is launching its next-generation Galaxy tablet in June, as well as a compact S4 at “just” 4.3-inches in size (this still seems large to me, but maybe I’m just old). Samsung has always been keen on capitalizing on flagship branding by diversifying its line with a variety of offshoot devices, so the news should come as no surprise.
TechCrunch

DirecTV adding voice search to its iOS and Android phone apps, beta coming this summer

Posted by Gsurface on April 23, 2013 No comments

Now that it’s finally got an Android tablet app to speak of, DirecTV is returning its attention to phones: the company announced today that both its iOS and Android applications will be receiving voice search starting this summer. As the company describes it, the app is meant to address the age-old problem of there being “nothing on TV.” (And also, the fact that searching for things on your television is damn tedious.) In particular, you can use the app to search by person, title, channel show time or genre, using commands such as “find comedy movies,” etc. Like other voice-control services, too, you can give follow-up instructions like, “with Bill Hader” and it’ll know to narrow down your results instead of starting a new search. Considering DirecTV whipped up its own search algorithm from scratch, it seems to work intuitively. Still, the fact that the landing page is filled with sample queries suggests there’s very much a right and wrong way to ask for what you want.

If you’re using the app away from home, you can set your DVR to record different shows. When you’re on your home network, though, you can have the search results show up on your television, at which point your phone transforms into a remote you can use to scroll through menus and the like. With the TV, too, you can wade through various programs, as well as search for sports content or ask the app to switch to a certain channel (saying either the channel name or number will work). You can even tell the app to go back through menus, but you can’t use your voice to access features like the settings menu. No word on when the beta will roll out, except that it’ll happen sometime this summer.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD

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LyX Joins the Google Summer of Code 2013

Posted by Gsurface on April 14, 2013 No comments

Hamburg writes “LyX joined this year’s Google Summer of Code (GSoC 2013) as a mentoring organization. The LaTeX based open-source GUI LyX has been accepted to the GSoC for the first time. With LyX one can start using LaTeX without being used to ‘program’ documents. So it’s an important entry point to the (La)TeX world, and a bridge between GUI word processors and LaTeX. This is a great opportunity for its development, now student developers can get financial support for contributing new features: successful contributions will earn a stipend of 5000 USD for the student and 500 USD for the organization, in this case the LyX project, who provides mentors to the students. There are already many project ideas, for example a GUI for editing layouts, a presentation mode, EPUB export, an outliner tool for intuitive writing, retina screen (HiDPI) support, and interactive concurrent editing. Would you like to take part, or do you have further ideas for improvements or features? Send your proposals to the lyx-devel mailing list, or simply comment here, what can be suggested to the LyX mentors.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

NOAA: Arctic Likely Free Of Summer Ice By 2050 — Possibly Much Sooner

Posted by Gsurface on April 13, 2013 No comments

Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have published research into the shrinking levels of sea ice in the Arctic. They wanted to figure out how long it would take before summer sea ice disappeared entirely. Since there’s no perfect model for predicting ice levels, they used three different methods. All three predicted the Arctic would be nearly free of summer sea ice by the middle of the century, and one indicated it could happen as early as 2020. Two of the methods were based on observed sea ice trends. If ice loss proceeds as it has in the past decade, we get the 2020 timeframe. If ice loss events are large, like the 2007 and 2012 events, but happen at random some years, the estimate is pushed back to 2030. The third method uses global climate models to ‘predict atmosphere, ocean, land, and sea ice conditions over time.’ This model pushes the timeframe back to 2040 at the earliest, and around 2060 as the median (abstract). One of the study’s authors, James Overland, said, “Rapid Arctic sea ice loss is probably the most visible indicator of global climate change; it leads to shifts in ecosystems and economic access, and potentially impacts weather throughout the northern hemisphere. Increased physical understanding of rapid Arctic climate shifts and improved models are needed that give a more detailed picture and timing of what to expect so we can better prepare and adapt to such changes. Early loss of Arctic sea ice gives immediacy to the issue of climate change.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

EE plans to double 4G spectrum allocation, will boost speeds in first ten cities by summer

Posted by Gsurface on April 9, 2013 No comments

While EE scrambles to spread its LTE network far and wide before the other UK carriers get into the 4G business, it also wants to flex some spectrum muscle. The network’s announced it’s planning to double the LTE allocation on its 1800MHz band (from 2 x 10MHz to 2 x 20MHz), which it claims will increase download speeds to an average of 20 Mbps, topping out at 80 Mbps. Ten of the 11 original 4G launch cities will be seeing this bandwidth boost first: London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield. EE doesn’t want you to think it’s done expanding, though, and says it’ll continue to make use of its MHz and GHz by rolling out boring, normal LTE in new areas whilst doubling up in others. The first ten cities are due to receive “double-speed” 4G by summer, which we assume means around the time summer is supposed to happen.

[Image credit: Lazygamer, Flickr]

Filed under: Wireless, Mobile

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Sony FMP-X1 4K Media Player coming over the summer

Posted by Gsurface on April 8, 2013 No comments

Sony has just announced the pricing and release date for its 55-inch and 65-inch 4K Ultra HD LED TVs, however, to completely take advantage of the TVs’ beautiful displays, you’re going to need a media player capable of playing 4K media. That’s where the Sony FMP-X1 4K Media Player comes in. The FMP-X1 is set

Apple ‘iRadio’ service set for summer release, rumors suggest

Posted by Gsurface on April 4, 2013 No comments

The rumor mill is heralding the introduction of Apple radio this summer — but it may be too little, too late.

Apple will reportedly launch iRadio by Summer

Posted by Gsurface on March 31, 2013 No comments

Apple is reportedly gearing up to launch its own web-based music streaming service, and one that will rival Pandora. The new music service will be called iRadio, and will follow Pandora’s example of music streaming. Music services like Spotify and Pandora provide a great revenue stream for music labels. According to the labels, Pandora accounted

Windows 8 update coming this summer

Posted by Gsurface on March 26, 2013 No comments

Like a blushing fiancé eager to step up to the altar, Microsoft picked a date and sent out invitations for the latest Build developer conference on Tuesday, where the Windows giant is likely to announce early availability of an update to the Windows 8 operating system.

Aggressive Florida mosquito set to spoil summer, scientist says

Posted by Gsurface on March 10, 2013 No comments

If you live in Florida, a large, aggressive mosquito with a painful bite may soon be coming to a place near you.

Sony’s Chairman Howard Stringer set to retire this summer

Posted by Gsurface on March 9, 2013 No comments

Sony Entertainment’s Chairman Howard Stringer has announced that he will be retiring this coming June. He gave the notice earlier today in a public statement at Japan Society in New York, with plans to step down set to take place at the company’s shareholder meeting this summer. Previously Stringer, who is 71, was Sony’s President

Firefox phones coming this summer

Posted by Gsurface on February 26, 2013 No comments

Firefox phones coming this summer; yet another hopeful alternative to Apple and Google.

Firefox to auto-block third-party ad cookies by summer

Posted by Gsurface on February 25, 2013 No comments

Mozilla will automatically block third-party cookies starting with Firefox 22, which is slated to ship this summer, according to the Stanford University researcher who coded the change.
Computerworld News

iPhone Mini launch this summer makes sense, analyst says

Posted by Gsurface on February 22, 2013 No comments

Morgan Stanley says new iPhones, including one for emerging markets, could launch this summer, while the iPad will likely be refreshed by the middle of the year. [Read more]

CNET News

Microsoft to open five more retail stores by summer

Posted by Gsurface on February 5, 2013 No comments

Microsoft will open five new retail stores by summer, including one it’s transmuting from a “pop-up” outlet created last year to drive holiday sales.
Computerworld News

Multicolored iPhones this summer?

Posted by Gsurface on January 4, 2013 No comments

The latest iPhone rumor has hit the Internet, suggesting that the next incarnation of the device will be available in six colors.

Ask Slashdot: Setting Up a Summer Camp Tech Center?

Posted by Gsurface on December 15, 2012 No comments

First time accepted submitter michaelknauf writes “I’m running a large summer camp that’s primarily concerned with performing arts: music, dance, circus, magic, theater, art, and I want to add some more tech into the program. We already do some iOS game design with Stencyl. We also have an extensive model railroad and remote control car program and a pretty big computer lab (about 100 Apple machines). Our program provides all materials as part of tuition, so I’ve stayed away from robotics as a matter of cost, but I’d love to buy a 3D printer and do classes with that and the Arduino is cheap enough to make some small electronics projects sensible… where do I find the sort of people who could teach such a program as a summer gig? What projects make sense without spending too much cash on a per project basis but would be cool fun for kids and would teach them?”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Continue reading Apple, other thin laptop makers pass latest round of EPEAT tests after summer mini-drama

Apple, other thin laptop makers pass latest round of EPEAT tests after summer mini-drama

Posted by Gsurface on October 14, 2012 No comments

Apple gave eco-friendly computer fans a brief jolt this July after it backed out of EPEAT certification, only to restore most devices just days later. While we can’t say we’re completely shocked at the follow-up, EPEAT has confirmed that at least one “ultra-thin” laptop from Apple has just cleared the verification process. The as yet unnamed system is more likely to be a Mac that had already earned the recycling-friendly rating in the past, such as the MacBook Air, rather than a sudden turnaround for the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. The look wasn’t exclusively devoted to the Mac side, though — EPEAT cleared Apple’s computer as part of a wider test that also greenlit extra-thin portables from Lenovo, Samsung and Toshiba. We’ve reached out to get a more definitive list, but the approvals should ease the minds of those worried that ever-slimmer laptops are forcing us to give up our green efforts.

Filed under: Laptops, Apple, Samsung, Lenovo

Apple, other thin laptop makers pass latest round of EPEAT tests after summer mini-drama originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Oct 2012 08:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget

Google knows what you did this summer, shares it with the world

Posted by Gsurface on September 15, 2012 No comments

What we wouldn’t give to have access to Google’s treasure trove of human wonderings. Every day millions of folk tell the search giant exactly what they are thinking about, without even realizing it. It’s not all take take take, though, as Mountain View has just released some data letting us all know what we and our (geographical) neighbors did this summer. By compiling popular search terms used in Google Maps between May and September, we can see that, while Canadians and the Spanish were looking for the beach, Britons were more partial to a game of Squash, or a trip around Trafalgar Square. Back home, Death Valley, Redwood and Yosemite National Parks were earning the most interest, while Paintball was the top activity — but we’re hoping the two are unrelated. Want to see how the Dutch like to unwind, or how Indians like to cool off? Jump on the ~~tour bus~~ source link to find out more.

Filed under: Internet

Google knows what you did this summer, shares it with the world originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 08:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget

After A Summer At Harvard Med School, Rock Health’s Third Class Shows Off Its Goods

Posted by Gsurface on September 10, 2012 No comments

Back in June, Silicon Valley’s health-focused startup accelerator, Rock Health, kicked off its third program. What was notable about this third batch — other than the encouraging fact that a health-only accelerator has made it to its third batch (props also to Blueprint Health in NYC, now on its second) — was the promise of its future academic pedigree. That is to say, Rock Health co-founder Halle Tecco told us that it was the first time a health incubator had sent its startups into a hospital to learn about the industry first-hand.

The third batch spent the summer building their businesses in Boston and gaining experience at the Harvard Medical School — in what I’m calling the “Rock Health Residency.” Yesterday, back from the east coast, the startups participated in Rock Health’s third “Demo Day” in Mountain View, showcasing their businesses to a house full of investors and entrepreneurs.
TechCrunch

TechCrunch’s Picks: The Top 5 Companies From StartX’s Summer 2012 Demo Day

Posted by Gsurface on September 7, 2012 No comments

18 companies presented at the StartX summer demo day today. The summer 2012 class is StartX’s seventh and largest class; the accelerator, started in 2010, has now had over 90 companies in its history, about 85 percent of which have received funding.

If you’re unfamiliar with StartX, it’s a non-profit startup accelerator and a part of Stanford Student Enterprises, a student-run, independent organization at the school. StartX companies own their intellectual property and StartX does not take equity in the companies. In order to apply to StartX, at least one co-founder, who owns significant equity, needs to have enrolled at Stanford within the last three academic quarters.
TechCrunch

Drought and Heat Disrupt Energy This Summer

Posted by Gsurface on August 18, 2012 No comments

Weather and drought have caused disruptions to power generation, made oil drilling harder, and could affect corn ethanol production.

High temperatures and drought have made the business of energy harder this summer, affecting everyone from grid operators to oil drillers and corn farmers.

Technology Review RSS Feeds

Fido hops on the LTE bandwagon, gives Canadians frugal 4G this summer

Posted by Gsurface on July 27, 2012 No comments

Rogers was the first with LTE in Canada. Its budget brand Fido has largely been left out of that 4G fiesta, but the gap is closing today with official plans to give the yellow doghouse some LTE of its own. The initial deployment this summer will largely overlap Rogers’ fledgling network, starting with benchmark cities Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, St. John’s, Toronto and Vancouver. Only a Fido Mobile Hotspot with 10-device sharing will kick off the hardware selection; if you’re impatient, though, any compatible and (usually) unlocked LTE device will do with a relevant SIM card. About 20 million Canucks will potentially have the high-speed option by the end of the year — and with Fido’s plan costs expected to stay the same, that coverage could make the provider a de facto choice for fast data in the Great White North. Click past the break for the official word and the full 2012 expansion list.

Continue reading Fido hops on the LTE bandwagon, gives Canadians frugal 4G this summer

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Fido hops on the LTE bandwagon, gives Canadians frugal 4G this summer originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 03:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget

US launches first commercial tidal power project this summer, Maine to reap moon’s gravitational benefits

Posted by Gsurface on July 26, 2012 No comments

Solar may be the green energy source that’s been hogging the headlines lately, but there are other fossil-fuel free ways that can help meet society’s electrical needs. One of these is tidal power, and the US is set to start harnessing the ocean’s electricity-generating potential this summer with the TidGen Cobscook Bay project — the first such commercial project in the States. Located just off the coast of Eastport, Maine, turbines will be placed in 50-100 feet deep water to take advantage of the 100 billion tons of water that flow in and out of Cobscook Bay each day. When the project goes live, it’ll feed into the public power grid and generate enough juice to power between 75 and 100 homes, and the plan is to eventually install enough turbines to generate 3MW of power — which should cover the needs of over 1,000 homes and businesses. There’s more info, plus plenty of political self-congratulation in the source below.

US launches first commercial tidal power project this summer, Maine to reap moon’s gravitational benefits originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 23:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Inhabitat, TreeHugger | source US Department of Energy | Email this | Comments
Engadget

Record summer heat brings out the bugs

Posted by Gsurface on July 25, 2012 No comments

If you’re feeling extra mosquito-bit this summer, you’re not alone. According to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), record hot summer temperatures are bringing out the bugs.

FOXNews.com

Steam Summer Sale enters final day

Posted by Gsurface on July 23, 2012 No comments

This is it, folks. The Steam Summer Sale has entered its eleventh and final day, so in less than 24 hours, it’ll be time to say to goodbye. While that will likely be a relief for most Steam users, there are some tempting featured deals on offer for those who haven’t purchased quite enough yet.

ESA Summer of Code In Space 2012

Posted by Gsurface on July 20, 2012 No comments

phyr writes “The European Space Agency is looking for student coders to join the Summer of Code in Space. ESA will pay 4000 Euros to each student for contributing to a space related open source project for the summer. Accepted student applicants are paired with a mentor from the participating projects, thus gaining exposure to real-world software development scenarios. Mentor organizations have been selected. Students now have until July 27 to submit their applications. Check out the ideas pages of each project such as for the NEST SAR Toolbox”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Microsoft announces Summer of Arcade freebies

Posted by Gsurface on July 13, 2012 No comments

Five years ago, Microsoft launched an idea to generate buzz around its Xbox Live Arcade platform during the dog days of summer by creating a weeks-long promotion in which new games would be featured every week and special deals and promotions would encourage gamers to download new content at a time of the year when

Exclusively for CNET Members: Get ready for your summer road trip with great savings from Accessory Genie

Posted by Gsurface on July 12, 2012 No comments

This week, CNET Exclusives is pairing with our friends from Accessory Genie to bring the CNET audience excellent deals on everything you need to tech out your summer road trip. Join CNET Exclusives today to grab these awesome deals while supplies last!
[Read more]
CNET News

Sun erupts with strongest summer solar flare yet

Posted by Gsurface on July 10, 2012 No comments

The most powerful solar flare of the summer so far erupted from the sun Friday, July 6 — the latest in a string of powerful storms this week from our nearest star, space weather experts say.

FOXNews.com

School’s In For Summer At Udacity

Posted by Gsurface on July 7, 2012 No comments

theodp writes “Forget about his self-driving cars. CNN reports that Sebastian Thrun’s Udacity — where you and 159,999 fellow classmates can take a free, Stanford-caliber online course together at the same time — just might be the future of higher education. Interestingly, of all the students taking Thrun’s AI class globally and at Stanford, the top 410 students were online; the 411th top performer was a Stanford student. ‘We just found over 400 people in the world who outperformed the top Stanford student,’ Thrun said.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.