Vlingo co-founder explains data-collection issues

With Carrier IQ and O2's most recent data-snooping, people's vigilance about what information cellphones transmit is increasing. Using a Galaxy Note, AndroidPit found that every four minutes, Vlingo's voice-recognition app was sending a packet of data to an unencrypted server. The packet contained your GPS co-ordinates, IMEI (unique device identifier), contact list and the title of every song stored on your device -- without proper warning in the privacy policy you agree to when starting up the app. We spoke with co-founder John Wynn, product marketing head TJ Leonard and communications manager Erin Keleher, who gave us a full and frank discussion about what's going on and the steps it's taking to remedy the situation

Samsung's earnings call liveblog

Do you like numbers? What if we said those numbers were amounts of money -- very large sums of money? If we've caught your attention, then perhaps you'd like to join us as we bring you Samsung's earnings call live, straight into your eye holes courtesy of our fancy new liveblog viewer. Click on through and join on. We promise your net fun ratio will be in the positive.

Samsung 2011 Q4 earnings official: $42 billion in sales, $4.7 billion operating profit

It might not be making as much money as the competition in Cupertino, but that doesn't mean Samsung isn't raking in cash at an astonishing clip. We reported earnings estimates a few weeks ago, but now it's official that the firm posted a 5.3 trillion won ($4.7 billion) operating profit in Q4 2011. That represents over a 2 trillion won ($1.8 billion) increase year over year. In all, it pulled in 47.3 trillion won ($42 billion) in sales, thanks in no small part to the over 300 million phones Sammy sold last year. While mobile accounted for roughly 40 percent of company sales and half of its operating profit (2.6 trillion won, or $2.3 billion), its semiconductor business did almost as well, raking in 2.3 trillion won ($2 billion) in profit over the same period. Samsung's Display Panel business outperformed 2010 -- buoyed by strong sales in LED televisions -- as sales were up almost 20 percent, to 8.55 trillion won ($7.6 billion).

Well the call just finished up, and Sammy provided some prognosication for 2012. It anticipates the mobile business to continue to grow, with LTE and and new market segments (read: Galaxy Note) helping drive sales. TV sales are also expected to remain on the uptick, as Samsung anticipates demand to continue growing due in part to the London Olympics and roll-out of more Smart TVs.

Toshiba announces color e-reader in Japan, hopes people buy more e-books from its store

If you're gonna be late to a party, you should at least be fashionably late. That's the mindset behind Toshiba's entry into the dedicated e-reader space with its new 7-inch BookPlace DB50. Toshiba hopes adding an e-reader alongside its existing AT200 and Thrive tablets will push more eyeballs towards the 100,000 or so titles in its BookPlace online bookstore. The ¥22,000 ($284) BookPlace DB50 sports a TFT-LCD screen with an LED backlight, a 1GHz Freescale i.MX535 processor, 8GB of internal flash memory and a microSD slot. The device also measures 120mm wide, 190mm tall, 11mm thick and weighs 330 grams (11.6 ounces), with battery life rated at up to 7.5 hours. Toshiba did not mention the operating system in its release though the hubbub in the Interwebs is that it will use customized versions of Linux and Android Gingerbread. The Japanese debut is pegged for February 10th and the company is apparently considering a release outside the country, too.

Did the Galaxy S III just pop up on Samsung's support site?

Seriously, we can't caveat this one enough -- there is no way of knowing if this is in fact the Galaxy S III or, if it is, when it might come to market -- but, it looks like Samsung's "next big smartphone" just made a cameo on the company's support pages. Listed as the GT-i9300, the mystery device reared its head over at the Global Download Center of the United Arab Emerites site. If Sammy is to keep with its naming scheme i93XX would be a flagship device -- the i90XX line was the Galaxy S, i91XX represents the S2 series, while the i9250 and i9220 are the Nexus and Note respectively. As we warned before though, this could be some mid-range device and Samsung could be changing its naming conventions. Or, perhaps, its yet another variation of an existing model. Still, we'll take this as a good sign that Seoul squad has something interesting brewing.

Lenovo's 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p launches with Radeon HD 7690M GPU

Who knew a "p" packed so much punch? Just weeks after Lenovo cut loose with a boatload of new machines, the outfit has quietly slipped out an even newer model tailored for gamers. The 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p looks just about like the existing Y470, but swaps out the middling NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M for a far more potent Radeon HD 7690M. (For those wondering -- yep, that's the same chip in HP's new Envy 15.) There's also a 2.2GHz quad-core Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, an optional 1TB HDD, JBL speakers and a native 1,366 x 768 screen resolution. The unit tips the scales at 4.85 pounds with a six-cell battery, which is supposedly good for up to four hours of usage (in presumably ideal conditions). Other specs include a Blu-ray Disc drive, a two-megapixel webcam, HDMI out and USB 3.0. For now, at least, it looks as if eager beavers can get one headed their way for as low as $799, but the more specced-out models are reaching well over $1,200.

Switched On: You tell me it's the institution

Apple rose to dominate sales of digital music by more or less mirroring the way consumers acquired music in the physical world -- that is, purchasing songs, but providing a greater degree of granularity. This worked well for music and has also held true for apps and best-selling books, but hasn't been as in step with consumer media acquisition habits for other content.

For example, before Apple brought sales of video material to iTunes, most consumers did not generally own TV shows except for perhaps a few cherished series on DVD. They either watched them as they aired as part of a cable-like subscription or paid a flat monthly fee for the privilege of recording them on a DVR to be viewed after they aired. Furthermore, both Blockbuster physical stores and later Netflix's DVD by mail feature relied on a system of one-time consumption via rental or subscription that eschewed ownership of movies. And today, Vevo.com offers free streaming of many music videos that Apple still seeks to sell.

Google updates ToS, shares your data across its services

You're you, right? Of course you are. If you have an Account, Google knows that too and now, with an updated and streamlined Google Terms of Service, you're even more you than ever before. The company is consolidating most of its more than 70 separate privacy documents into a single Privacy Policy that is so important it gets capitalized. The biggest change? If you have a Google Account, your information will now be shared across the company's many services. Scary? Don't fear -- the company is taking this time to re-iterate its pledge to never sell your personal information, never share it externally and to continue to support the Data Liberation Front. Viva transparency.

Cisco unveils Linksys HomePlug AV Powerline solutions, converts outlets into network connection points

Looking to boost network range in remote areas of your humble abode? Cisco is now offering an option that turns your electrical outlets into wired network connections with speeds up to 200Mbps. Each Linksys HomePlug AV Powerline option includes an Ethernet adapter that connects to your router and a second adapter for your wired devices elsewhere -- both of which are plugged into sockets of your choosing to get things started. The Powerline then uses your home's electrical wiring for the system, saving the headache of hiding cables for that home office. The company says that the kit will play nice with most household appliances and 1-port and 4-port adapters are available now for $100 each. Want to connect sans wires? A Powerline 1-port Wireless Extender is coming in March that will create a WiFi signal for the HomePlug system. Hopefully wandering peepers won't be able to monitor activity remotely. Fingers crossed.

Canonical bringing HUD to Ubuntu 12.04, company's assault on menus continues

Canonical -- shepherd of the popular Linux distribution Ubuntu -- generally doesn't rock the boat with its LTS releases, but things are going to be different this time around. With 12.04LTS the company is taking its assault on contextual menus to the next level by launching HUD. Mark Shuttleworth's obsession with simplifying user interactions began with the controversial Unity UI in Ubuntu 10.10, and will continue with the Head-Up Display. "Menus require you to read a lot when you probably already know what you want," the distro's founder wrote, "HUD solves many of these issues." Those that have used the search feature in Apple's "Help" menus, or launcher apps like Quicksilver and Alfred, will immediately recognize the goal -- to keep a user's fingers on the keyboard, remove clutter and facilitate quick access to available actions. Listening to music and in the mood for The King? Invoke HUD, type the artist's name and you're presented with your Elvis catalog. It also uses "fuzzy matching" and will remember the actions you most commonly perform to further refine your experience. If you're having a hard time envisioning how HUD works, fear not; there is a three minute video demo awaiting your inspection after the break. Death to menus!

Panasonic intros a pair of 12.1-inch Let's Note Laptops

Panasonic Japan's quirky range of chunky Let's Note laptops has swelled by a factor of two, thanks to a pair of 12.1-inch units ousted today. The stock models come with a 1280 x 800 display (extra cash will get you a 16:9 1600 x 900 screen with a built-in 720p webcam). By default, you'll get an Intel Core i5 2450M chip, USB 3.0, WiFi (and WiMax!), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, HDMI-out and on the SX edition, an optical drive. Build-to-order options include swapping in an SSD and a battery pack that promises an unbelievable (i.e. we don't) twelve seventeen hours of life on the road. There's no mention of when they'll be available beyond "Spring," nor any indication of the cost, so instead let's think about that crazy circular track-pad, eh?

Belfry brings Stocks and Weather, other native iPhone apps to jailbroken iPads

Rounding out the honeymoon period with that freshly jailbroken iPad 2? Well now we have some new apps for you to play with, and you may already be acquainted. iOS hacker Ryan Petrich's most recent project, dubbed Belfry, lets you install stock iPhone apps that are otherwise absent from both versions of Apple's tablet including Clock, Voice Memos, Stocks, Calculator, Compass and Weather. As to why these aren't included already is beyond our knowledge, but at least there's an alternative. Users can install Belfry directly within Cydia for free from the BigBoss repository. If you're looking for proof to seal the deal, you can catch the bashful Belfry

Apple's iBooks 2 e-textbooks pack tons of info, take up tons of your iPad's memory

Apple just got done unveiling its new iBooks 2 platform, letting us in on its plan to revamp education (in part) through its fancy new e-textbooks. These digital volumes look beautiful and come at a relatively meager monetary cost ($14.99), but a quick perusal of the textbooks available in iTunes reveals they'll take a sizable chunk of your iPad's memory. The current lineup of eight texts range in size from 800MB to 2.77GB, so folks looking to grab a full semester's worth of materials may have to carry an extra iPad or three to get the job done. Not an ideal solution, but a few Apple slates are still easier to schlep across campus than those massive texts you're used to, right?

iBooks 2 lets authors set textbook prices in exchange for Apple exclusivity

Were you wondering about the economics behind Apple's new e-textbooks? Well, it turns out that Cupertino is giving authors the ability to set their own prices as long as they remain $14.99 or under. In exchange, Apple takes a 30 percent cut, and requires authors take an oath of fealty to Tim Cook -- ok, not really, but any e-textbook author that wants access to the iPad-toting masses must make his or her work an exclusive to iBooks 2. So there you have it folks, if you want to take a gander at these awesome new e-textbooks, you'll have to jump on the iOS bandwagon

Federal prosecutors shut down Megaupload file-sharing site, founders charged

Details are still somewhat light at the moment, but reports are now coming out that the popular Megaupload file-sharing site has been shut down by Federal prosecutors in the US, and that the site's founders and other individuals have been charged with violating piracy laws. According to The New York Times, the indictment says that the company has cost copyright holders some $500 million in lost revenue, and that the site was at one time the 13th most popular on the internet. As the Times also notes, this news comes a day after Megaupload voluntarily blacked out its website to protest the SOPA and PIPA anti-piracy legislation now being considered by Congress.

Google's Q4 results: $2.71 billion profit, $8.13 billion in revenue, Wall Street disappointed

Google just released its fourth-quarter 2011 results, and man, Wall Street is not pleased. The company reported $2.71 billion in profit (up from $2.54 a year earlier), net revenue of $8.13 billion and earnings of $9.50 per share, excluding some one-time charges. That's less than the $10.49 per share and $8.40 billion financial analysts were expecting and, as Reuters notes, it's the first time in nine quarters that Google hasn't beaten revenue estimates. Of course, the company spun its results the best it could, emphasizing that its gross revenue jumped 25 percent to $10.58 billion, making this the first time the company's raw sales exceeded $10 billion in any given quarter. Of course, that figure doesn't reflect the myriad costs associated with boosting web traffic, and investors are more concerned with that $8.13 billion in net revenue. Needless to say, Wall Street is none too impressed -- as of this writing, the company's stock was down almost nine percent in after-hours trading.

That's not to say Google is struggling. The outfit actually logged a sharp increase in clicks on its search ads, but said the fee it receives from those ads was down eight percent from both the previous quarter as well as the fourth quarter of 2010. Plus, by all metrics, Android is still on quite the tear. In a conference call with investors, the company said there are now 250 million Android devices, up 50 million from the last quarter. Some more tidbits: 7000,000 devices are being activated per day and more than 11 billion items have been downloaded from Android Market (it hit the 10-billion mark last month). Finally, Google+ now has 90 million worldwide users, more than double the figure from three months earlier. Need a deeper dive on the numbers?

Time Warner Cable app streams live TV to iPhones, no longer iPad-only

After finally issuing a version of its TWC TV app for Android tablets and phones (sans-live TV streaming, for now) Time Warner Cable has finally made its iOS version, which launched last March on the iPad, compatible with the iPhone and iPod Touch. There's no additional charge for the app which allows for the aforementioned live TV viewing (as long as you're on your home WiFi) and DVR scheduling, and the accompanying blog post reveals the available list of channels has reached 196. We should probably mention that the app is unlikely to play nicely with any jailbroken iOS devices it encounters, so some extra hackery may be in order to get things working there. Otherwise, Time Warner customers can grab it now from iTunes

Microsoft acknowledges Xbox 360 color space problem in last update, is working on a fix

While we found a lot of things to like in the last Xbox 360 dashboard upgrade, not everyone was happy after it finally rolled out in early December. We've received word from multiple owners who saw and reported color output problems since the beta began, and today Director of Programming Larry Hryb aka Major Nelson tweeted that the company is "aware of the color space issue w/ some Xbox video apps & are working on a fix". While that should take care of some issues, more recent reports also indicate problems with the HDMI output having HDCP authentication problems with certain TVs or receivers that blocks video output, as well as reports confirmed by Eurogamer that 1080p output appears to be downscaled to 720p internally. We're waiting for a response from Microsoft about these or any other issues and will let you know when we hear more.

NetLED WiFi-enabled, app-controllable, LED light tubes come to Japan

Because deep down, all you've ever really wanted are smartphone adjustable WiFi-LED light tubes controlled by a remote server out in the ether. Snarkiness aside, that's exactly what Japan's Net LED Technology Corporation has done with a lighting system it lovingly calls NetLED. The setup isn't for frugal types as, before even purchasing lights, you'll need to plunk down 60,000 yen (around $780) for a netLED router that serves as an intermediary between those fixtures and the company's remote server. The addition of that hardware enables the 19,800 yen (around $260) WiFi-equipped 40W LED arrays to be monitored and adjusted remotely via a web browser or an iPhone app. And, if WiFi tubes are too rich for your blood, each WiFi-toting fixture can be paired with up to three cheaper WiFi-less slaves that cost 14,000 yen (around $182). It's complex and pricey stuff, yet the company estimates you'll cut energy consumption by half after you amass 200 units. Those brave enough to find out, can take the plunge February 20th when it all goes on sale -- just let us know how you fare, cool?

Sony unveils Walkman B170 Series, promises to boost your bass

Sony has unveiled a slate of new Walkman MP3 players today, with the launch of its B170 Series. Available in both 2GB and 4GB varieties, these new devices weigh in at just 28 grams, but apparently pack plenty of punch, providing up to 18 hours of listening on a full charge. If you're pressed for time, though, you can just plug it in for three minutes, which, in turn, will give you a full 90 minutes of listening time. There's also an onboard equalizer, voice recorder and USB port, as well as a dedicated "Bass Boost" that, as you may have guessed, will boost your bass. No word yet on pricing, but Sony says its new Walkmans will be available sometime this month.

Engadget Distro Issue 24: CES Roundup, OK Go's Andy Ross and SOPA comic relief

We've spent the past week recuperating and reflecting, and while we're ready to put CES 2012 behind us, we're bring you this special roundup edition to cover all of our consumer electronics bases. In this issue, we'll dive deep into product categories that were overlooked in our previous CES editions, like audio, and flesh out those categories that dominated this year's coverage. Also in this issue, OK Go's Andy Ross takes on the Distro Q&A, we bring you a visual breakdown of Engadget's CES Vital Stats and Box Brown takes a comic look at the SOPA / PIPA debate. So join us in grabbing a cold one and get to downloading.

Alesis brings a pair of new musician-friendly iPad docks to NAMM

If there's been one must have accessory at NAMM this year it's been the iPad. That's right, no mixer, instrument or microphone is stealing the show, it's Apple's 9.7-inch slab of touchability that everyone is after. Alesis is just one of many companies creating compelling musical offerings around the iOS tablet with its latest products, the AmpDock and DM Dock. The DM Dock turns your iPad into the thumping, bumping and crashing heart of an electronic drum system. You can tap out rhythms and build drum sets with the touchscreen, but it's when you start plugging triggers into the 13 1/4-inch inputs that it really comes to life. The AmpDock, as you may have guessed, turns that A5 processor's attention towards your axe. There's a standard 1/4-inch jack as well as a combo XLR / 1/4-inch plug for connecting a second guitar or a mic. The AmpDock also has a separate pedalboard that allows you to control some program parameters while keeping the tablet safe from stray stomps.

Eye-Fi CEO slams SD Association's eerily similar Wireless SD card standard, says his IP is being violated

Yuval Koren is not pleased. For those unaware, he's the CEO of Eye-Fi, the company that has practically written the rules on embedding WiFi into SD cards. If you blinked last week, you probably missed the SD Association's announcement that it had created a new Wireless LAN SD standard that would effectively give just about anyone the ability to add Eye-Fi abilities to their SD cards. As it turns out, Eye-Fi's none too pleased about it, and Koren has gone so far as to publicly admit that the standard is seriously infringing upon highly valuable Eye-Fi technology. To quote: "As [the SDA's standard is] currently written, essential Eye-Fi patented technology would be violated by anyone implementing this draft specification." Bold.

He goes on to explain that his company has invested "tens of millions of dollars and several years to create unique technology that lets people wirelessly transfer photos and videos directly from their camera and mobile devices," and calls the SDA protocol "flat out misrepresentation." He's effectively calling for the SD Association to either pony up and license Eye-Fi's tech, or scrap the "standard" and rewrite it using something else altogether. The full letter is posted up after the break, with absolutely no elation to be found.

TouchTV comes to LG Smart TV, iPads: catch news clips at home, on the go

If you swing past your local Best Buy and pick up one of those new-fangled LG Smart TVs, you'll find TouchTV's news-clip collection platform available inside. That way you'll be able to watch the trendiest (or at least the most watched) current-affairs clips without having to wait the twenty seconds or so before your rolling news channel of choice displays similar. TouchTV also announced today an iPad app that'll let you grab those newsy clips from your Apple-based slate of choice. The app's available gratis from the store (link below) and we've got the official words and pictures from the company about both products after the interval.

Sony VAIO series get minor processor refresh, Z series grabs LTE option on the way

Ahead of any possible Ultrabook announcements, Sony's looking to give its existing VAIO catalogue a (relatively underwhelming) shot in the arm with a bundle of hardware retweaks. The Z series looks to gain the most out of the Spring refresh, with a new off-white Carbon Fiber Silver color option set to be offered up alongside an optional LTE modem. The series also gets a processor step-up, with new Intel Core i5 and i7 options rounded off with the choice of SSD storage. Including the connectable drive, prices for the series refresh will start from $1,950. Meanwhile, both the S (13-inch, $800, 15-inch, $980)and E series will get a similar bump to Core i7 processors, with both the S and aforementioned Z series able to lock into an extended sheet battery accessory. If minor processor improvements, more battery options and LTE connectivity warrant forking over your cash, you can expect the revitalized units to arrive early next month.

Acer's Aspire One 722 kitted with HSPA+, sold by AT&T

Sleek and svelte Ultrabooks and tablets might have stolen the limelight from ye old netbook, but that doesn't mean the less glamorous category is completely bereft of all signs of life. Take for example, Acer's Aspire One 722. Sure, the 1GHz AMD C-50 powered, Radeon HD 6250 wielding netbook's internals got more pizzazz in an updated Europe-only edition, but that didn't stop AT&T from taking the original and giving it a new beginning thanks to shiny new internal WWAN module. Up-to-date silicon it is not, but it could be yours for just $40 a month -- provided you sign your life away on a two-year, 3GB per month, contract. Or alternatively, the HSPA+ redux can be had for the unsubsidized price of $450. Decisions, decisions.

All News Reviews Reviews Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 Micro Four Thirds camera review By Zach Honig posted Jan 23rd 2012 at 2:00PM Review It's no surprise that the mirrorless interchangeable lens camera category is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. These compact, pro-featured ILCs undoubtedly have a strong future, with mass consumer appeal and a widening assortment of price points. We're particularly taken with the technology's compact footprint -- we're focusing our camera reviews on mirrorless models, and even outfitted our entire CES team with Sony's NEX-C3. But long before the likes of Sony and Fujifilm launched their first cameras, Olympus and Panasonic dominated the then-infant mirrorless category, developing the Micro Four Thirds sensor standard, that, for better or worse, has failed to catch on among other manufacturers. Surprisingly, Panasonic's pioneering days were far stronger than those of recent past, with the company's GF1 melting the hearts of compact-seeking professionals. But following that successful first model, Panasonic opted to take the GF series in a different direction, launching a dumbed-down GF2 (and later GF3) in what was likely an attempt to appeal to the much larger amateur category. This left the GF1 faithful without a worthy successor -- until now. Panasonic's Lumix line gets a lot more crowded Panasonic Lumix GX1 Micro Four Thirds camera surfaces in leaked photos Panasonic launches Lumix DMC-GX1 Micro Four Thirds camera, we go hands-on The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 looks pretty standard on paper: there's a 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor, a choice of body colors, RAW shooting, HD video and a top sensitivity of ISO 12,800. Just as it did with the GF2 and GF3 body designs, Panasonic took a different direction with its new X-series lenses, swapping the traditional manual zoom for a motorized version, enabling a much more compact footprint. The difference when positioned alongside the NEX-C3's 18-55mm zoom is staggering, but Panasonic didn't arrive at this slick design without compromise, particularly noticeable when it comes time to swallow the $950 kit price. Still, one look at the hardened matte black metal body is all it takes to know that this is no GF4 -- this is it, the long-awaited successor to the GF1 has finally arrived. So, will the GX1 be our new top pick for the mirrorless category? Join us past the break to find out. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 review READ MORE 98 Leave A Comment 15 Epson's iProjection wireless projection app: wireless projection using an app By Daniel Cooper posted Jan 23rd 2012 at 1:27PM Facetious headlines aside, Epson's produced iProjection: an app that lets you display those awkward holiday snaps on any wirelessly connected (Epson branded) projectors from your iOS device. All you need is to make sure your iPod/Pad/Phone is on the same network as the projector, launch the app and make sure the first thing on show isn't that candid shot of you on a beach. You'll be able to pull PDF, JPEG and PNG image files from your handheld, Dropbox and Gmail from the cloud and via Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Keynote files from the desktop. It's available today for free from the App store (you can assume the projectors will require actual cash) and after the break you'll find a press release cooling on the window. READ MORE 75 Leave A Comment 22 web coverage App Store KDDI putting ads in the notification bar on Android phones By Terrence O'Brien posted Jan 23rd 2012 at 12:55PM Imagine you're walking down the block when, suddenly, your phone goes off. You take it out of your pocket, unlock that sucker and pull down the notification bar to reveal... an ad! The idea ... Read the full post on mobile.engadget.com 451 Leave A Comment 34 PSP games get ESRB rating for PlayStation certified devices, coming soon to Sony phones and tablets? By Mat Smith posted Jan 23rd 2012 at 12:26PM It looks like Sony's been reading our daily email missives, bemoaning the state of its PlayStation certified gaming selection. The message appears to be getting through, with several PSP titles getting spotted over at the Entertainment Software Rating Board with PlayStation certification. Ahead of any official fanfare, there's no big hitters here just yet, but titles like Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror and Daxter are likely to be more resonant with gamers than the pitiful offering we've seen so far from its PS Store app. Alongside Syphon Filter and Daxter, PS3 port Fl0w and Pinball Heroes were also spotted getting their contents okayed by the ESRB. Unsurprisingly, there's no detail here on release dates or technical requirements -- something that we reckon could be important, given the technical gap between the Xperia Play and the dual-cored innards of Sony's tablets. It's also worth noting that Pinball Heroes is already available on the Tablet P. Sorry Sony, but we'd still trade all of what's been leaked here for a portable version of the original Metal Gear Solid -- without hesitation. PlayStation Lifestyle sourceESRB 49 Leave A Comment 5 web coverage Joystiq Sony's new cameraphone CMOS jams bigger gear into the same space (video) By Daniel Cooper posted Jan 23rd 2012 at 11:56AM Sony's done gone and developed a new back-illuminated CMOS designed to improve the state of your casual camerawork. Traditional units mount a merged pixel-sensor and circuit on a supporting substrate -- the innovation here is to produce the two separately and layer them without any additional material. This makes manufacturing easier and without a mount, you're able to lever-in bigger kit into the same space. It's also packing HDR Movie, which like the still-image version, will produce better moving pictures in tricky light. An eight-megapixel version will ship to cellphone producers in March, with a 13-megapixel edition following in June and if Sony's really successful, it might earn enough to buy a copy of Photoshop rather than producing release images in MS Paint. READ MORE 74 Leave A Comment 18 Supreme Court says police must get search warrant to use GPS tracking devices By Donald Melanson posted Jan 23rd 2012 at 11:30AM The US Supreme Court ruled today that police must first obtain a search warrant before using GPS devices to track a suspect's vehicle, agreeing with an earlier appeals court ruling but rejecting the Obama administration's position on the case. In delivering the decision, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that the court holds "that the government's installation of a GPS device on a target's vehicle, and its use of that device to monitor the vehicle's movements, constitutes a 'search,'" and therefore violated the individual's Fourth Amendment rights. The case itself concerned a Washington DC nightclub owner and suspected drug dealer, Antoine Jones, who had his car's movements monitored for a month and was eventually sentenced to life in prison, only to see that conviction overturned by the aforementioned appeals court on the grounds that the police did not have a search warrant when they placed the GPS tracking device on his vehicle. [Image courtesy Wired] Washington Post sourceUS Supreme Court (PDF) 299 Leave A Comment 56 web coverage Wired Theat Level Mystery Sony-branded Arc appears in Resident Evil trailer, Umbrella Corp. doesn't comment on rumor or speculation (video) By Mat Smith posted Jan 23rd 2012 at 10:59AM While most rumors of a high-definition Arc were laid to rest with the reveal of the LTE'd Xperia Ion and the sumptuous Xperia S at CES, it hasn't quite stopped smartphone fans poring over ... Read the full post on mobile.engadget.com 81 Leave A Comment 9 Olympus turns to Sony to help it get its feet back on the ground (updated) By Daniel Cooper posted Jan 23rd 2012 at 10:35AM Olympus might have some good news soon: it might have found a hero to rescue it from its woes. The "troubled" (read: it hid $1.7 billion worth of accounting losses, was nearly de-listed from the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is currently suing its leadership team for fraud) company is reportedly about to negotiate a capital-and-business alliance with Sony. The TSE gave the optics-maker three years to clean up its act, which it's hoping Big S (that already owns a 0.03 percent stake in the company) will assist with some know-how, a big pot of cash, and maybe loaning them a competent accountant, or something. Whatever happens, the rumors are that all will be revealed at a press conference next week, we're just hoping Will Smith turns up to announce it. Update: The Nikkei is reporting that Sony could be interested in buying up between 20 and 30 percent of Olympus in order to get at its medical imaging business. It also mentioned that it's not a done-deal just yet, Fujifilm and (medical gear maker) Terumo are still circling in the hope of biting off a piece of the action. TechCrunch sourceDiamond.jp (translated) 85 Leave A Comment 19 web coverage TechCrunch PSA: Pantech Element and Burst get bundled together at AT&T, $250 on contract By Mat Smith posted Jan 23rd 2012 at 10:03AM In case you forgot, both Pantech's new dual-core smartphone and waterproof tablet have arrived and Ma Bell's bundled the pair together to form some kind of middleweight Android tag-team. The price of a matching tablet and smartphone? Expect to pay $250 on contract, and you'll need plans for both the Element and Burst. Those feeling flush can grab the full details at the source. Pantech (Twitter) sourceAT&T 49 Leave A Comment 12 Canadian researchers aim to build a more life-like robot, one piece at a time By Donald Melanson posted Jan 23rd 2012 at 9:13AM It may not be all that human-like in its current state, but a team of researchers at the University of Ottawa are promising that this robot will get there sooner or later. Dubbed "Pumpkin," the bot will apparently have its parts replaced piece-by-piece with more life-like counterparts over time, including parts that make use of a new artificial skin the researchers have developed. It not only includes the usual array of sensors that give the robot some degree of tactile sensitivity, but a network of tubes that circulate hot water to actually increase the temperature of the skin. According to the researchers, the eventual goal is to have a robot that appears and behaves naturally enough to make humans feel at ease when they're interacting with it, but it might get a bit worse before it gets better -- the next step is to replace the head with an anatomically correct model of the human skull, which will have the aforementioned artificial skin stretched over it. [Thanks, Jeff] READ MORE sourceCBC, University of Ottawa 50 Leave A Comment 18 Brutus 2.0 electric bike appears with moody paint job, helmet and goggles not included By Mat Smith posted Jan 23rd 2012 at 8:51AM Electric bikes just got a cool new poster boy. This deceptively battery-powered bike is a sequel, matching the five-speed transmission found on the original, but now gifted with a shadowy new look and some appealing chrome licks. The Brutus 2.0 also plumps for a lithium battery over the lead battery of earlier models. A chain setup replaces the belt of its predecessor, which presumably helps it power through 0-60 in just under five seconds. Top speeds remain as dark and mysterious as the bike's paint job, but the maker promises that the 500 pound beast will easily blast past the 100 mph mark, with a range of over 100 miles per charge. The electric bike is still being worked on, but until we hear more on a retail-ready model, you can gawp at the moody non-moped in action right after the break. READ MORE AutoBlog sourceBrutus 91 Leave A Comment 16 Pew: Tablet, e-reader ownership nearly doubled over the holiday season By Amar Toor posted Jan 23rd 2012 at 8:29AM The number crunchers over at the Pew Research Center have released another batch of market statistics today, this time, with a focus on tablets. According to the Center's latest survey, 19 percent of all adult Americans now own some form of tablet, marking a nearly twofold increase over figures from a poll conducted in mid-December. E-reader ownership, meanwhile, increased by exactly the same margin over this period, jumping from 10 percent to 19 percent. These numbers also signal a healthy acceleration from the middle of this year, when the slate and reader markets apparently stagnated, ahead of the holiday shopping rush. Overall, about 28 percent of US adults own either a tablet or an e-reader, up from 19 percent last month. You can find more stats and breakdowns at the source link below. The Verge sourcePew Internet 148 Leave A Comment 29 RIM's Thorsten Heins formally introduced: liveblogging the media call By Darren Murph posted Jan 23rd 2012 at 7:58AM If you missed it, RIM attempted to interrupt the Giants vs. 49ers matchup last night by dropping a wee bit of news: it's co-CEOs are gone, and taking the solo CEO badge is former COO Thorsten Heins. The new head honcho will be formally introduced in a media call slated to begin at 8:00AM ET on January 23rd, 2012, and we'll be liveblogging every moment of it for those who can't tune in. We've already learned a fair amount about the gentleman's plans courtesy of an introductory video, but we'll be listening in for any hints as to future QNX plans, PlayBook ambitions or BlackBerry wizardry. Join us after the break for the play-by-play! Monday, January 23, 2012 6:30:00 PM READ MORE 1 Leave A Comment 12 YouTube hits 4 billion views per day, deals with 60 hours of uploaded content every minute (Update: Count it in nyans)

It looks like that redesign was worth it. The Google-owned video site has recently revealed that it's now streaming 4 billion videos every day, up 25 percent on daily views from eight months earlier. According to Reuter's report, the site now has to deal with around 60 hours of uploaded video every minute. As long as those education videos are kept separate and the cat content keeps coming, we'll be happy.

Update: Check out the official stats on Google's YouTube blog post, in the video embedded after the break, or a site chock-full of relevant visualizations the company has put together at OneHourPerSecond.com

Google, MIT bestow App Inventor to the unwashed masses

Google must be feeling generous: it donated Sky Map to undeserving armchair astronomers and it's letting the great unwashed get at its App Inventor development platform. The software toolset was cooked up in partnership with MIT: a web-based interface that lets anyone build Android apps without getting elbows-deep in code. Those Massachusetts king-geeks won't be accepting submissions just yet, however: it's still got to work out how it's going to deploy the public server and foster a "robust and active open-source project" under its new name: the moderately unimaginative MIT App Inventor.

NBC News grows a digital publishing arm, plans 30 titles for 2012

Because you can never have your fingers in too many media pies, the powers that be at NBC News are now extending their reach into the eReader space. Under the company's newly minted NBC Publishing imprint, coverage related to current events, docs and bios, in addition to content culled from other NBC Universal divisions, will get a second life as either digital singles (think: longer than an article, shorter than a few chapters) or straight-up eBooks, with about 30 titles slated for this year. The venture, spearheaded by GM Michael Fabiano, will also reportedly serve as a platform for indie authors that rely heavily upon NBC's own archives for sourcing in their work. So, will this brave, new embrace of a 21st century business model manage to wean news junkies off that 24/7 cable drip and back into the Peacock's greedy eager arms? Hard to say until that first title hits virtual stands next month. But when it does, here's to hoping it's more Brian Williams: A Man Mad About Lana Del Rey, than Telemundo: Inside the Telenovela. Just sayin'.

Kindle Fire firmware update 6.2.2 brings full-screen browsing

The fine folks over at Amazon have further flushed out the firmware on its fiercely popular Fire tablet. Upgrading your Kindle Fire to version 6.2.2 will bring a handful of small performance tweaks, bugs fixes and, most notably, add a full-screen mode to the device's Silk browser. If you've gone ahead and rooted your Fire, applying the firmware bump will kill superuser access -- although a fresh build of BurritoRoot 2 should get you back on the straight and narrow. The new code is being pushed out over-the-air as we type, while those that enjoy the endorphin rush associated with instant gratification -- and know how to manually update a Kindle -- can find a link to the 6.2.2 firmware file below. Happy updating!

Top Stories Sony Ericsson swallows $317 million pre-tax loss as end draws near 5 hours ago Kindle Fire firmware update 6.2.2 brings full-screen browsing 18 hours ago LightSquared says obsolete devices used in 'rigged' testing of its LTE network 20 hours ago Google, Wikipedia and others protest SOPA / PIPA 1 day ago Alienware announces X51 small form factor gaming PC, starting at $699 1 day ago All News Reviews Reviews Live from Apple's education event! By Tim Stevens posted Jan 19th 2012 at 9:50AM Live Blog Apple Ready to get smart in the Big Apple? We are, and so is Apple. Since announcing today's event we've heard talk of a focus on digital books and personal publishing tools. Basically, Apple's looking to do to the textbook publishing market what it did to the music industry with iTunes. Is today a day that will change history for trees worldwide? Join us as we find out. We'll be starting at the time below. Thursday, January 19, 2012 8:30:00 PM 0 Leave A Comment - Hack breaks Hulu Plus free from supported device chains, embraces Androids of every shape and color By Joseph Volpe posted Jan 19th 2012 at 9:42AM It's not TV, it's Hulu Plus and it's coming to the Android device of your choosing -- somewhat, unofficially. While the main ad-supported, streaming video site may have failed to seek ... Read the full post on mobile.engadget.com 1 Leave A Comment - Shogun Bros. Ballista MK-1 Gaming Mouse totes new sniping system, looks like it'll hit the spot By Mat Smith posted Jan 19th 2012 at 9:05AM The latest gaming mouse from Shogun Bros. doesn't double as a gamepad, but it does carry a heady list of extra features for sharpshooting gamers. These include independent X and Y DPi settings to stabilize targeting, thumb selector for speed shooting, 5,700 DPI accuracy and 11,570 frames per second movement tracking -- sidestepping those pesky jumps and stutters when moving that cursor in the midst of a melee. Indicators include X, Y and refresh rate, while you'll find 11 extra macro keys across the rubberized surface. There are 20 customized DPI settings for any game genre you'd care to mention -- oh and a desktop setting, yawn. Expect to shoot the wings off a CGI fly some time in Q2 2012. READ MORE 17 Leave A Comment 3 Genuis DX-ECO wireless mouse has no battery, charges in three minutes anyway By Sean Buckley posted Jan 19th 2012 at 8:46AM Hip on recharging your wireless rodent every single day? How about if it only takes three minutes? A single day's juice per charge might be unacceptable for most peripherals, but we're ready to make an exception for Genuis' DX-ECO wireless mouse. This adjustable 800 / 1600 DPI clicker swaps out a recharge battery for a "gold," or electric double-layer capacitor -- you may know it as a super, or ultracapacitor. A step towards a battery-free existence not enough for you? Fine, bask in the knowledge that the DX-ECO also features a carpet, marble and sofa friendly "BlueEye" sensor. Read on for the official PR. Us? We're off to fantasize about battery free electric vehicles. READ MORE The Verge 25 Leave A Comment 4 Virgin Mobile targets March 23rd to throttle data, take candy from children By Zachary Lutz posted Jan 19th 2012 at 8:23AM It's been a long time coming, but after much backpedaling, Virgin Mobile is throwing down the gauntlet -- it'll begin throttling data speeds come March 23rd. Like expected, each month that ... Read the full post on mobile.engadget.com 33 Leave A Comment 4 Prada Phone by LG 3.0 arriving on T-Mobile UK next month By Mat Smith posted Jan 19th 2012 at 8:01AM Brits dripping in Prada won't have to wait much longer to get their smartphone fix. The awkwardly-named Prada Phone by LG 3.0 is looking to set sail from its native Korea -- where it's already launched -- and will be available on T-Mobile, half of the Everything Everywhere duo, some time in February. Sidling up to the UK carrier's coming soon page, the salient selling points appear to be that Prada styling and LG's 4.3-inch NOVA plus display. That subtle monochromatic skinning of the Gingerbread OS won't hurt its chances either. No word on a precise launch date or price, but we expect to see a review model pretty soon -- once we're dressed well enough to be seen with it. Unwired View sourceT-Mobile UK 32 Leave A Comment 1 TSMC profits down 22.5 percent, still able to afford a new yacht By Daniel Cooper posted Jan 19th 2012 at 7:29AM It's not been a great year for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company: the chip foundry behind Qualcomm and NVIDIA's silicon (amongst others) saw profits slump by 22.5 percent in the last quarter of 2011. Like everything in this world, however, trouble is relative: the business still made a net profit of just over a billion US dollars. CEO Morris Chang pointed a wealthy digit toward customers clearing out old inventory and said that new orders for phone and tablet CPUs would arrive shortly -- thanks to a 28-nanometer factory that opened its doors around the same time. He then casually mentioned that a 20-nanometer facility will open its doors towards the end of this year, followed by a 14-nanometer block by 2014. We've got the report on the financials -- for those with a currency convertor and some spare time to hand -- after the break. READ MORE PC World sourceTSMC 12 Leave A Comment 2 Sing hello to the iRig PRE, turns iOS devices into on-the-fly mic preamps By Edgar Alvarez posted Jan 19th 2012 at 6:45AM IK Multimedia's never fallen short of giving you some of the better tools for all your on-the-go music-making utilizing your beloved iOS device as the main rig. Now, the peripheral connoisseur's taking the wraps off its iRig PRE, which aims to help you digitally process those glorious vocal chords by allowing you to plug in any XLR mic into it without the need for other adapters or cables. Furthermore, the dongle features a 3.5mm jack for audio monitoring, gain control and can squeeze a runtime of up to 40 hours (dynamic microphones) or 15 hours (phantom powered condenser mics) from a standard 9V battery. The PRE amp will also come included with two of iRig's usual suspect apps (iRig Recorder and VocaLive) to help you get started in your quest to be the next idol. We know you can't wait to get your singing on, but you'll have to wait until "early Q2" to do so, for a moderate price of $39.99 -- perhaps the iRig Mic can get you through the days in the meantime. READ MORE 14 Leave A Comment 11 ZTE Tania arrives in the UK: a budget phone for budget buyers By Daniel Cooper posted Jan 19th 2012 at 5:40AM ZTE's showing off its new global ambitions, the OEM-smartphone maker brought a party bus to London and asked Professor Green (everyone's favorite nasally-challenged Grime MC) to spread the ... Read the full post on mobile.engadget.com 76 Leave A Comment 2 Microsoft spoiling Canadians, Germans as Xbox Live gets more local stations By Daniel Cooper posted Jan 19th 2012 at 4:42AM Remember when Microsoft couldn't stop dropping names of companies it was partnering up with to bring media to your Xbox 360? Well, days after CES drew to its natural conclusion, Redmond's ... Read the full post on hd.engadget.com 29 Leave A Comment 6 Sony Ericsson swallows $317 million pre-tax loss as end draws near By Daniel Cooper posted Jan 19th 2012 at 3:58AM Sony Ericsson's tearful breakup continues with more woe as as the venture had to eat a pre-tax loss of €247 million (roughly $317 million). Bosses cited "unfavorable macro-economic conditions" and the Thai flooding as the reasons for the loss. Ericsson probably won't mind having such an unfavorable penultimate quarter with the company, given that it's set to receive €1.05 billion (around $1.9 billion) when Sony buys out its share of the joint telecoms business within the next month. READ MORE 80 Leave A Comment 8 GM teams with Future Lab on interactive Windows of Opportunity, MI:4 tech lives on By Billy Steele posted Jan 19th 2012 at 3:02AM Wishing your vehicle had a better-integrated entertainment system than the iPad you're forced to futz with in the backseat? If GM has its way, you may be in luck. The auto manufacturer has joined forces with the Future Lab at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel to transform boring rear windows into interactive touchscreens. Since there are no plans to work the tech into production models right now, R&D gave the students a blank... er, clear canvas on which to create solutions. The results include apps that allow an animated character to respond to scenery outside the window and finger drawing on window steam. Two other applications enable a look into users' windows worldwide and a music stream-and-share with your mates on the road. "Traditionally, the use of interactive displays in cars has been limited to the driver and front passenger, but we see an opportunity to provide a technology interface designed specifically for rear seat passengers," said Tom Seder, GM R&D lab group manager. Check out the apps in action or the particulars in the PR after the break. GM Windows of Opportunity applications READ MORE sourceGM 31 Leave A Comment 26 Transformer Prime quietly gets GPS update, root killer By Sean Buckley posted Jan 19th 2012 at 1:52AM If you're not quite ready to take up ASUS on its refund offer (or if you simply don't live in the UK), you're probably holding out for additional updates to dry your tears. Fortunately, Asus hasn't forgotten about you and your ilk. Early this morning, the Transformer Prime quietly received an OTA update that not only unroots the tablet, but also kicks the slab's GPS version up to 6.9.13. The folks on the XDA developers forums have restored their roots easily enough, and seem to be reaping the benefits of updated GPS drivers, as well. Engadget's own tests lean on the positive side -- lounging indoors, in a spot where GPS reception was previously all-dark, we snagged sight of 12 satellites on a freshly rebooted Prime with WiFi disabled. Although the response seems generally positive on the XDA developers forums, not everybody is seeing our success. Either way, this update certainly didn't make things worse; a step in the right direction to be sure. sourcexda-developers 117 Leave A Comment 12 Kodak files Chapter 11 bankruptcy, expects to complete restructuring by 2013 By Richard Lawler posted Jan 19th 2012 at 12:45AM Breaking News Apparently suing Samsung (again) wasn't the only pressing business for Kodak today, as it just announced it has -- as expected -- filed for Chapter 11 business reorganization in New York. You can read the details in the press release after the break or at the Kodak Transforms website, where Chairman and CEO Antonio Perez is quoted saying he hopes Kodak will "emerge a lean, world-class, digital imaging and materials science company". The company has obtained $950 million debtor-in-possession financing, which it claims will provide the liquidity needed to continue operations during the restructuring. As far as its recent parade of lawsuits against Samsung, Apple and HTC, Perez comments on "monetizing non-core IP assets" so we'd assume its lawyers will stay busy going forward. READ MORE sourceKodak Transforms 125 Leave A Comment 34 Behringer outs three iPad-housing USB mixers By James Trew posted Jan 18th 2012 at 11:43PM When it's not bringing the crazy that is iNuke, Behringer turns out some pretty serious audio gear. The latest offering? Three new mixers that throw an iPad into the EQuation. A dedicated app serves as an interface, while the iPad provides the brains and the power source. They're no dumb terminals though, as you'll also find a dedicated audio interface, mic pre-amps and a new dual-engine KLARK-TEKNIK FX processor, complete with 32 configurable "studio grade" presets (reverb, chorus, flange and so on). The trio comes in three sizes: 16 channels for the iX1642, 24 on the iX2442, and 32 for the big ole iX3242. Behringer's keeping the volume down on pricing and availability right now, but they'll be on display at NAMM this week if you want to have a fiddle. Not going? Then fade-in the press release after the break for more info. READ MORE Music Radar 85 Leave A Comment 28 China wants microbloggers to register with the government, hand over real identity By Terrence O'Brien posted Jan 18th 2012 at 10:56PM Thought that Facebook's and Google+'s requirements that you use your real name were draconian? Just be thankful you're not a weibo addict in China. The government is planning to expand a ... Read the full post on alt.engadget.com 107 Leave A Comment 18 iPads replaced with clay, sold to unsuspecting Canadians By James Trew posted Jan 18th 2012 at 9:47PM That fuzzy sensation we get when unboxing a new toy gadget is the fuel that keeps us going at Engadget. A feeling a few unlucky Canadian's were deprived of, after buying what they believed to be an iPad 2 actually turned out to be a slab of clay. In a calculated scam, crooks purchased real iPads, replaced them with terra-cotta tablets, then returned them to the store in re-sealed boxes. The fakes then found their way back on to the shelves, and into customer's baskets. It was Mark Sandhu who first reported the incident after gifting his wife something a little too slate-like on Christmas Eve. Initially Future Shop wouldn't refund Sandhu, possibly believing him to be the scammer; it was only after taking the story to CTV, and up to ten other cases coming to light -- including some from Best Buy -- that the retailer took the claim seriously. Future Shop has since issued a refund, and given Mark a real iPad 2 for his troubles. Next time, he might want to try an official retailer -- or not. TekGoblin sourceCTV 405 Leave A Comment 73 Facebook launches Timeline Apps platform, socialites rejoice By Andrew Munchbach posted Jan 18th 2012 at 8:46PM Facebook, along with its launch partners, has finally let loose its Timeline Apps platform, setting Open Graph apps free to roam the web. Announced at the company's f8 conference in September, Timeline Apps allow third-parties to build Facebook applications that facilitate information sharing amongst users and their social network. While FB initially focused on the music and movie genre, Zuckerberg & Co. seem to have keyed-in on a variety of markets for today's launch, from travel (TripAdvisor) to cuisine (Foodspotting), and even ticketing companies like ScoreBig, Eventbrite, StubHub, TicketFly and Ticketmaster. So now everyone will know immediately when you scored those backstage passes to Ricky Martin because you're living la vida loca with Timeline. Get the full story from Facebook at the source and PR from ScoreBig awaits after the break. READ MORE sourceFacebook 46 Leave A Comment 19 web coverage Kobo, Ticketfly SnapStream TV monitoring now lets OS X users keep tabs on amusing video-blunders By Daniel Cooper posted Jan 18th 2012 at 8:38PM The Daily Show and Colbert Report famously rely upon SnapStream's high-power Windows DVR software to monitor the insanity at the fringes of America's cable spectrum. The media-monitoring software is also used by news services, educators and shadowy government agencies to keep tabs on the subjects discussed on TV. The latest edition (version five) opens the platform up to OS X users, enabling them to run it in Firefox without messy virtualization. The OS X web player comes with a plugin to watch MPEG-2 streams that'll happily sit on top of Snow Leopard or Lion and will even let you set up customized alerts for whenever inappropriate euphemisms emerge from Oprah's mouth. GigaOm sourceSnapstream 12 Leave A Comment 7 RIM and Turkcell partner to bring NFC payments to Bold 9900, Turkish pazars By Andrew Munchbach posted Jan 18th 2012 at 7:38PM Turkcell subscribers looking to make a purchase from their favorite Istanbul bazaar now have one extra payment option -- if they're a BlackBerry Bold owners, that is. Research In Motion and ... Read the full post on mobile.engadget.com 33 Leave A Comment 12 Adlink launches fanless quad-core Intel Core i7 computers, keeps its cool with mobile connectivity By Mat Smith posted Jan 18th 2012 at 6:20PM Adlink's announced a new series of quad-core computers that laugh in the face of overheating. Apparently forgoing the need for fan installation, its Matrix MXE-5300 line-up covers Intel Core i7, i5, and i3 processor setups and are tweaked especially for wireless optimization with 3G, WiFi, Buetooth and GPS. The MXE-5300 is peppered with six USB ports, four serial ports, ethernet, two Mini-PCIe and a single USIM slot. The embedded PCs are geared towards in-vehicle multimedia systems and the ever-so-slightly less interesting likes of factory automation. Well, something has to tell those robots what to do. READ MORE sourceAdlink 90 Leave A Comment 21 AT&T to adjust data plans January 22nd, offers more gigs for more money By Brad Molen posted Jan 18th 2012 at 5:32PM Good news and bad news here, folks: the good news is that AT&T will begin offering new data plans with a higher monthly allotment. The bad news is that, once again, it's going to cost you more. The plans, which will offer 300MB of data for $20, 3GB for $30 and 5GB (including mobile hotspot access) for $50, will take effect beginning this Sunday. Are you still on one of the older plans? Fortunately, you're still grandfathered in and won't have to change unless you absolutely want to. But remember that once you move to the new data rate, there's no going back; the only legacy plan sticking around is AT&T's 250MB tablet feature for $15. The change in plans appears to be priced the same as Verizon, though the two higher rate plans on AT&T have an advantage in that it hooks you up with an extra gigabyte of data capacity. The question is, will it be worth paying an additional $5 per month for that extra gig? Oh, and we're still waiting on that shared data plan in the meantime, Ralph. READ MORE 552 Leave A Comment 19 web coverage AT&T Kodak says smile Samsung, you're being sued for infringing five digital imaging patents

Kodak's been in a bit of a financial bind lately, and has been exploring various options to maximize profitability and get its balance sheet back in the black. After recently filing actions against Apple and HTC in the International Trade Commission, Kodak's legal team now has Samsung in its sights. According to a press release, Kodak has filed a federal suit in the Western District of New York alleging that several Sammy slates are infringing five of Kodak's digital imaging patents. The patents in question claim various image capture and transmission technologies, from taking and sending images via email to transferring digital pictures over a cellular network. We haven't gotten a peek at the complaint just yet to see which devices allegedly run afoul of Kodak's IP

Behringer outs three iPad-housing USB mixers

When it's not bringing the crazy that is iNuke, Behringer turns out some pretty serious audio gear. The latest offering? Three new mixers that throw an iPad into the EQuation. A dedicated app serves as an interface, while the iPad provides the brains and the power source. They're no dumb terminals though, as you'll also find a dedicated audio interface, mic pre-amps and a new dual-engine KLARK-TEKNIK FX processor, complete with 32 configurable "studio grade" presets (reverb, chorus, flange and so on). The trio comes in three sizes: 16 channels for the iX1642, 24 on the iX2442, and 32 for the big ole iX3242. Behringer's keeping the volume down on pricing and availability right now, but they'll be on display at NAMM this week if you want to have a fiddle. Not going?

Sony Ericsson swallows $317 million pre-tax loss as end draws near

Sony Ericsson's tearful breakup continues with more woe as as the venture had to eat a pre-tax loss of €247 million (roughly $317 million). Bosses cited "unfavorable macro-economic conditions" and the Thai flooding as the reasons for the loss. Ericsson probably won't mind having such an unfavorable penultimate quarter with the company, given that it's set to receive €1.05 billion (around $1.9 billion) when Sony buys out its share of the joint telecoms business within the next month.

Sing hello to the iRig PRE, turns iOS devices into on-the-fly mic preamps

IK Multimedia's never fallen short of giving you some of the better tools for all your on-the-go music-making utilizing your beloved iOS device as the main rig. Now, the peripheral connoisseur's taking the wraps off its iRig PRE, which aims to help you digitally process those glorious vocal chords by allowing you to plug in any XLR mic into it without the need for other adapters or cables. Furthermore, the dongle features a 3.5mm jack for audio monitoring, gain control and can squeeze a runtime of up to 40 hours (dynamic microphones) or 15 hours (phantom powered condenser mics) from a standard 9V battery. The PRE amp will also come included with two of iRig's usual suspect apps (iRig Recorder and VocaLive) to help you get started in your quest to be the next idol. We know you can't wait to get your singing on, but you'll have to wait until "early Q2" to do so, for a moderate price of $39.99 -- perhaps the iRig Mic can get you through the days in the meantime.

Live from Apple's education event!

Ready to get smart in the Big Apple? We are, and so is Apple. Since announcing today's event we've heard talk of a focus on digital books and personal publishing tools. Basically, Apple's looking to do to the textbook publishing market what it did to the music industry with iTunes. Is today a day that will change history for trees worldwide? Join us as we find out.

Samsung to release Galaxy Tab 7.0N in Germany, with new form factor

Samsung has yet to receive a verdict on its lawsuit-circumventing Galaxy Tab 10.1N, but the manufacturer apparently feels pretty confident about its chances. Today, Samsung announced a new, Germany-specific version of its Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, with the launch of the Galaxy Tab 7.0N. Slated to hit the market later this month, this seven-inch slate features many of the same specs you'll find on its Honeycomb-coated predecessor, save for a front-facing speaker upgrade and, of course, a redesigned form factor. For now, it's only slated to launch in Germany, where it'll retail for about €600 (about $770).

Nokia Lumia 900 coming to retail on March 18?

Did the "next few months" announcement from the unveiling of the Nokia Lumia 900 leave you wanting? Perhaps a March 18th pronouncement will sate your own personal gadget knowledgebase. That's the date being tossed around by Windows gurus Paul Thurrott and Mary Jo Foley, who joined forces on TWiT to discuss the presence of a March date in the latest Nokia developer newsletter. But that wasn't good enough for Paul, who said the specific date is March 18. Go ahead and mark your calendars, but we'd recommend you use pencil -- just to be safe.

Google, LG to team up on 'Google TV Nexus' edition for next release?

While not all of Google's aims to change cellphones with its Nexus brand program may have been achieved, it has created some admirable devices in cooperation with HTC and Samsung (way to pass on that one Sony Ericsson). According to Bloomberg, its next step may be to do the same with LG for TVs. As product manager Rishi Chandra mentioned in an interview with us, the next focus for Google TV will center around increasing its ability to personalize the user experience and further enhance content discovery, and anonymous sources indicate LG could get first crack at it later this year. What's odd about this development is that on TVs, so far the two versions of hardware that have debuted already featured software largely free of manufacturer customizations, unlike phones. At this year's CES LG, along with Vizio, is among the first to show a custom skin for the software, along with its new remote. However, the original aim of the Nexus was to work "even more closely with our partners to bring devices to the market that are going to help showcase very quickly the we're working on" so if this can help cut down the long window we saw before the last Google TV update, we're all for it.

WOWee and MicroVision offer 200-inch viewing and 'booming sound' on your mobile

Despite all the product rivalry at CES, a little romance was inevitable -- and not just in the Engadget trailer. WOWee, purveyor of the ONE portable speaker, has paired up with MicroVision and its dashing PicoP laser projector technology (shown above) to create a "marriage of sight and sound." It looks like the two companies will start out by simply bundling their respective wares, which will be available together in 120 countries from this quarter, rather than rushing to announce a hybrid device straight away. A wise decision, no doubt

Matias One: hammer out an iPhone masterpiece on the best keyboard of the '90s

Between touch-screens and rubber-backed keyboards, we're getting further away from the tactile, mechanical keyboards we grew up with -- except for gamers, who have embraced mechanical keyboards for the improved response times and, of course, the great noise they make. Canadian peripherals maker Matias is adding to its line of Apple Extended Keyboard-inspired typing-decks with the Tactile One: with Bluetooth iPhone control. Imagine how fast (and how noisily) you'd be able to hammer out a text message on one of these things, because it's all we can do right now. A Mac / PC edition will be available in April for $200 and you can pre-order it from the store right now.

Motorola website points to January 26th launch for Droid RAZR Maxx

Motorola didn't provide a launch date for the Droid RAZR Maxx when it officially announced the consonant-heavy phone at CES earlier this week, but it's now filled in that little detail on its website. Assuming it's not a mistake of some sort, you can look for the latest addition to the RAZR family to be available on January 26th from both Verizon and Motorola itself. If you missed the announcement, the Maxx is mostly identical to the existing Droid RAZR, with the notable exception of a longer-lasting battery that promises 21 hours of use on a charge, and 32GB of storage instead of the standard 16GB. It'll also set you back $100 more than the standard RAZR.

Nook Tablet bootloader bypassed, Android 4.0 takes its first steps onto the platform

No points for calling this one, but it looks like Android 4.0 is well on its way to the Nook Tablet -- in a decidedly unofficial manner, of course. Just a few days after the tablet's bootloader was bypassed, developer Brandon Bennet (aka Nemith) has now apparently managed to get an early version of the Android 4.0-based CyanogenMod 9 up and running on the device, although you'll still have to wait a bit longer for something that's actually useable. What's more, some other developers have also managed to get the tablet to boot from a microSD card, and there's been some progress with Ubuntu on the tablet as well. Hit the links below for all the details and the latest from the xda-developers forum.

TI's wireless charger for tablets does amazing things with electrons, sticky tape

Either TI has the hots for Arduino in a big way, or its latest wireless charging kit isn't quite ready for mass production. When it does arrive, however, it promises to do away with those cumbersome specialized sleeves and back covers that are currently needed for inductive charging. Instead, it'll deliver efficient in a package that's small enough to be installed as part of a device's internal circuitry. In addition to the Qi-standard 5W version we glimpsed a while back, the company is also working on a 10W variant for the iPad 2 and other tablets, which could wipe the smile off LaunchPort's face and perhaps make MicroUSB 3.0 superfluous before it even gets here.

LightSquared's LTE hopes dashed by federal agency report

When it was first mooted that LightSquared's LTE technology might interfere with GPS equipment, the firm was quick to deny it. Since then, the company has tried to mitigate the issue, but the nine agencies making up the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Executive Committee (PNT ExComm) all agreed that the problems are real and any attempts at mitigation are futile. This comes only days after Sprint reneged on a resource sharing deal, issuing a further blow to the company's plans for a terrestrial network. LightSquared's reaction is naturally not a happy one, claiming that the testing process is not only flawed, but that the agencies have a bias in favor of the GPS industry. By our reasoning, this only leaves the stage of depression before final acceptance of the grief-ridden situation.

Google's Matias Duarte reveals design standards for Android 4.0 at CES 2012

Looking for a little more consistent UI experience with your Android devices? Google is looking to make that happen as the folks in Mountain View has revealed that the upcoming Ice Cream Sandwich OS will be the first Android software to institute design standards for developers. Android Design is a online repository for the UI guidelines and blueprints for version 4.0, which we learned would unify smartphones and tablets back at Google I/O. This set of information should make things all neat and tidy for ICS devices, keeping user interface characteristics a bit more cohesive from app to app. Here, devs will find all the basic info and elements that are native to platform in order to make the best applications possible for the OS. Mr. Duarte warns that if you choose to not follow the style guide, your software will stand out -- and not in a good way. He also quipped that these are indeed guidelines, not mandates. And that they will gain value as more folks adopt them. Yeah, we know... the competition from Cupertino has been doing this for a while now, but a bit more structure in the Android universe certainly won't draw any complaints from us.

Hydromechanical watch concept pumps away the hours for horologists

Vincent Perriard and crew have apparently gone from overseeing the Concord C1 QuantumGravity watch and its fluorescent liquid battery gauge to designing another high end watch that combines mechanical action and fluid measurement with the HYT H1. This hand-wound timepiece has a 65 hour power reserve and displays the time via pumping bellows that push bright green fluorescine past the time markers. A rendered video embedded after the break does more to explain how the watch works, but may not help you figure out its rumored $45k price tag.

All News Reviews Reviews Motorola Smart Controller now available for $99, drive your Xyboard without holding it (video) By Dante Cesa posted Jan 12th 2012 at 7:59PM Hands-On We first caught wind of Motorola's wireless pointing device, the Smart Controller, back in October when we played with a small army of Droid RAZR accessories. Whilst paired with phones, the Bluetooth remote control also moonlights as a handset that can receive and make calls, thanks to a dedicated call button on its backside. Naturally, it can also be paired with Moto's family of tablets, which is how we encountered it here, wirelessly tethered to a Xyboard 8.2 at CES. Featuring a trackpad and the same four Android nav buttons you'd encounter on a Motorola handset, tracking was generally good, although occasionally jumpy especially as we neared the end of web pages. You could chalk that up to a less than ideal demo environment, but at least we can report its build quality was top notch. Clicking on the trackpad was also nice, as your thumb's treated to a wee bit of travel before clicks actuate. It's a niche device, sure, but with full navigation and pinch to zoom, this add-on could make for a nice couch browsing experience while your tablet's tethered to your TV. If you're jonesin' for one, they're available now for a cool Benjamin from Moto or Verizon. Motorola Smart Controller hands-on READ MORE 11 Leave A Comment 7 Two Sony MirrorLink car stereos coming in Q2, along with compatible Samsung smartphones (hands-on video) By Zachary Lutz posted Jan 12th 2012 at 7:37PM Hands-On For everybody who's waited with bated breath for the widespread arrival of MirrorLink, take heed because the smartphone / car stereo integration technology is about to make a significant splash in the first half of this year. Along with the Sony XAV-601BT and the XAV-701 HD -- two MirrorLink-enabled Sony head units set for a Q2 arrival -- we've also just learned Samsung will introduce MirrorLink support for its smartphones during this time frame as well. Even Sony Ericsson's jumping into the fray, although the company wasn't able to provide any additional details regarding availability. Be sure to read on for our impressions of the new toys, along with a video of the same. Sony MirrorLink deck units hands-on READ MORE 17 Leave A Comment 8 Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Qualcomm (update: video embedded) By Brian Heater posted Jan 12th 2012 at 7:16PM Interview Join us for a discussion with Qualcomm's Rob Chandhok to talk about the chipmaker's role in the mobile and tablet space, beginning at 6:30PM ET. Update: Interview video is now embedded. READ MORE 9 Leave A Comment 7 BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9981 hands-on (video) By Brad Molen posted Jan 12th 2012 at 7:13PM Hands-On Porsche Design's executives use BlackBerry religiously, so when the time came for the luxury brand to consider adding smartphones to its portfolio, Research in Motion was a natural -- and perfect -- fit. Problem is, BlackBerry phones don't necessarily exude the luxury look and feel necessary to attract Porsche Design's customer base, so CEO Juergen Gessler got in touch with RIM to see if the two companies could collaborate on a phone that would take the best of BlackBerry and combine it with Porsche's premium design. Presto, the device now known as the P'9981 was born. We had the chance to behold the phone with our own eyes and hold it in our hands, so go past the break to read more about what we thought. BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9981 READ MORE 313 Leave A Comment 25 Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with HTC

Supercharged specs are key, but give us a slick, smooth and satisfying UI to really seal the deal. We chew the fat with Drew Bamford, HTC's director of user experience to delve into the depths of the mobile experience. Join us live on stage at 12:30PM ET.

Update: Interview video now embedded.

CTL refreshes 2go Classmate PC range with new convertible tablet, laptop models

It's been quite a while since we've seen a new Classmate PC from the folks at CTL, but the company's now back at CES with a pair of new models. Those include the 2go Classmate PC NL3 convertible tablet (above), and the 2go Classmate PC E12, which takes on a more traditional laptop form-factor. Both models pack a 10.1-inch screen (with the NL3 employing a resistive touchscreen to accommodate a stylus), and each boast some relatively similar specs across the board, including a 1.6GHz Atom N2600 processor, 1GB of RAM, and your choice of either a standard hard drive or SSD for storage -- plus the same ruggedness found on the company's earlier Classmate PCs. Look for both to be available early next month, with the NL3 starting at $499 and the E12 coming in at $349

ViewSonic unleashes ViewPad 10pi, 10e and ViewPhone 3 at CES

It wasn't enough for ViewSonic to bring just one tablet to CES 2012, the company had two ten-inchers in tow as well, though, neither the 10pi or 10e sport the lust-worthy Ice Cream Sandwich. The 10pi is a dual-booting machine with an Oak Trail z670 pushing your choice of Gingerbread or Windows 7 to a 1280 x 800 IPS panel. The 10e is a 9.1mm-thin Android 2.3 device running on a 1GHz Cortex A8. Both the 10pi and 10e will be available later this month for $849 and $299, respectively. The company also announced that the ViewPhone 3 would be coming to Latin America, as expected, later this quarter for $279

JVC's 4K camcorder begins making throat-cutting motions towards the RED Scarlet

We've been lusting after the commercial version of JVC's 4K camcorder for longer than we'd care to admit. It's powered by a Falconbird LSI chip, toting a 10 x optical zoom and a 0.5-inch 8-megapixel CMOS that'll record footage at a resolution of 3840 x 2160. The chip's USP is its ability to process the footage as it's being recorded rather than storing it for post processing later. It'll compress the video down enough, in real time, that you'll be able to store up to two hours of 4K video on sufficiently equipped SDHC card. You can also crop out images on the 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen. It'll set you back $5,000 when it arrives in March and at that price, we'll take two