Google+ Events leaks out through Google Calendar, will let your knitting circle schedule a Hangout

Google has been on another one of its Google+ feature addition streaks lately, and it's so eager to please that it's spoiling other features early. More than a few people visiting Google Calendar have been given an introduction to "Events in Google+" in recent hours despite the extra component (and its splash page) being absent. From what we know, Events will provide the obvious Facebook-like option to create and track events among Google+ circles, but it will also let organizers slot in a Hangout video chat in advance as well as pool together photos and videos associated with an event. The Google+ app for Android has even been showing an empty button that's speculated to be a dedicated Events section. Google hasn't sent any official word as to when Events will go live, although we suspect it won't be long before everyone from photographers through to grandmothers knitting scarves can use Google+ to coalesce.

CompuLab to serve fanless AMD PC-3's stuffed with minted penguin

With the Ubuntu variant Mint roaming free as one of the more attractive Linux breeds, why not lock it up in its own mini-case? That'll happen soon thanks to mintBox, a joint venture with CompuLab, which will put the OS in two of its fanless PC-3's -- the T40N and T56N -- priced at $476 and $518, respectively. That might seem steep for the tiny 6 x 6 x 1-inch AMD G-series boxes, but with a Radeon HD 6290 APU and USB 3.0 / eSata ports, power is above par for its class. CompuLab will give some of the proceeds to Mint's team, so if you maybe want to throw some cash at the so fresh, so clean Linux distro, hit the source for more details.

Kabel Deutschland sets record with 4.7Gbps download speeds

About a year ago, Arris teased a system capable of 4.5Gbps downloads, and while that technology was in the proof-of-concept phase last June, it's beginning to look more like a real possibility. German network provider Kabel Deutschland just notched a new download speed record using Arris' C4 CMTs and Touchstone CM820S cable modems: a mind-blowing 4,700 Mbps (4.7 Gbps). The cable operator set that world-record rate in the city of Schwerin, where it recently updated its network to 862 MHz. The network may be capable of delivering those 4.7Gbps speeds, but the company noted that current laptops and modems can't even process such blazing data transfer rates. And before you North Americans get too excited, note that KD uses the EuroDOCSIS specification on the 8MHz channel, while the DOCSIS uses the 6MHz scheme in the US and beyond. Still, that's not to say that other cable providers like Verizon FiOS have been slacking lately -- 300Mbps downloads are nothing to scoff at.

Sharp shows off IGZO LCD and OLEDs including a 13.5-inch QFHD screen

Sharp announced earlier this year that it was starting to crank out LCD panels based on new indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) technology and now it's ready to show some off at the Society for Information Display show in Boston. Currently sized for phones and tablets, the first prototypes include a pair of LCDs, one a 4.9-inch 720x1280 display, and the other coming at 6.1-inches with a resolution of 2560x1600. As an example of what will be possible further down the line, it also has a pair of OLED panels, one 13.5-inch 3840x2160 QFHD panel based on White OLEDs with RGB color filters (similar to the LG HDTV recently introduced), and a flexible 3.4-inch 540x960 screen (shown above). According to Sharp the new tech means screens with higher resolutions, lower power consumption, narrower bezels and higher performance touch screens because it enables even smaller thin-film transistors than the ones currently in use. The Associated Press reports it expects to apply the upgrade to production lines in this fiscal year, for now you can hit the source link for a few diagrams and examples of crystalline structures or check the gallery for pics of the other displays.

Google to hold Maps event ahead of WWDC, hopes to make Apple sorry for dropping it

According to rumors, Apple will soon ditch Google Maps for a service of its own (reportedly to launch in iOS 6), but far be it from the search giant to take that snub silently. The company will reportedly hold an event to give the press a "behind-the-scenes look at Google Maps and share our vision" on June 6th. According to the invitation, Google will demo new features that "will get people where they want to go -- both physically and virtually." That shindig will go down just five days before Apple's WWDC, where Cupertino will likely announce its own Google Maps replacement.

Google: Ice Cream Sandwich now accounts for 7.1 percent of Android user base

Well, it's about time that Ice Cream Sandwich made some headway -- even if the process is much slower than consumers deserve. According to the Android developer hub, Android 4.0 now accounts for 7.1 percent of all Android smartphone and tablet installations, which is a sharp and welcome increase over the 2.9 percent figure that we reported just two months ago. Naturally, Gingerbread users still account for the lion's share of the Android ecosystem with 65 percent, but it's worth pointing out that this segment also grew during the last month -- no doubt at the expense of Froyo and Eclair. Don't know about you, but we like our desserts fresh, thank you very much. Go ahead and hop the break to see the full breakdown.

Pentax makes K-30 official with weatherproofing and 1080p video

Pentax didn't wait long after a rather conspicuous leak to make the details official: welcome the K-30, the company's spiritual successor to the long-serving K-r. The camera makes its biggest numerical jump in sensor size, from 12.4 megapixels to 16, but you're primarily shelling out for a much tougher body that's both resistant to rain as well as to dust and temperature extremes; one of the cheapest cameras to do so, if you go by Pentax's word. We're slightly down on the light sensitivity being unchanged from three years ago at ISO 100 to 25,600, though you can now shoot video at a much higher 1080p at 30 frames per second -- and that French catalog was wrong about a drop in burst speeds, which still top out at a healthy 6 fps. Should you be committed to the K-mount ways, stores will have the K-30 in July at $850 body-only and $900 for an 18-55mm kit. While you're in the shop, there will also be a new 50mm f/1.8 prime lens to pick up for $250.

Koubachi WiFi Plant Sensor takes your cactii's temperature, sends it to your iPhone

Plants, like pets, need to be constantly cared for, but not everyone's blessed with the requisite green thumb. So, for those of you imbued with what we'll call the bad, brown touch, Swiss outfit Koubachi's got a cloud-based solution to sidestep those negligent ways and keep your window garden thriving. Dubbed the WiFi Plant Sensor, this wireless peripheral nestles into the soil of any potted flora or fauna, sending relevant vitality data off to the company's servers where it's then analyzed and beamed back to your handset (via iPhone app) or online account with care instructions in tow. You'll have to cough up £99 (about $156 USD) for the currently available European-only, golf club-like device, but that's about all -- access to the company's apps and services are free for users. So, if you've been dying to pull back the curtain on the secret life of plants or just sick of shelling out to replace your withering window collection, hit up the source below to get your order on.

Hulu delivers 10 new original shows for summer, iOS app update with iPad retina display support

As the temperatures heat up, the availability of new network TV programming is falling off as it does every year, and Hulu is taking advantage of the lull to amp up its offerings of original content with ten new shows this summer. The shows include selections like Kevin Smith's Spoilers which is a chat about the summer's films, travel series Up To Speed and playground basketball comedy We Got Next. All ten shows are set to debut throughout the summer on both the free Hulu and paid Hulu Plus services. One thing subscribers don't have to wait for however, is a freshly updated version of the Hulu Plus app for iOS, which features a "re-engineered, optimized video player", new iPad GUI, support for retina display on the iPad and improved handling of AirPlay mirroring and HDMI video out. Version 2.5 can be found on iTunes

Verizon's Viewdini for Android hunts streaming video on Comcast Xfinity, Hulu and Netflix, strains our 4G

Verizon is clearly looking to make itself the front door for Internet video this year. Bolstering its tie-inswith Color and Redbox, it's now kicking off Viewdini, a carrier-specific Android app that will help you find video across multiple services: along with Internet-only providers like Hulu Plus, mSpot and Netflix, it will sift through the online component of Comcast's Xfinity brand, taking a little bit more advantage of that cross-sales deal coming out of the proposed spectrum handover. Even Verizon's ownFiOS video will be late to its own party, coming "soon." Viewdini will only be available for 4G LTE-equipped Android phones and tablets later this month, with "other operating systems" and services due in the future -- given the currently very short list of non-Android 4G devices, we have a few ideas as to where the app might go next. Either way, get ready to collide with bandwidth caps faster than usual if you love what Verizon plans to offer.

Xfinity Voice 2Go bridges the gap between mobile, VoIP and home phones

Comcast took the opportunity at The Cable Show 2012 to introduce some new features for its Xfinity Voice service, dubbed Voice 2Go. The end goal is to bring the perks you enjoy with your smartphone to your landline. It all starts with an app that's available on iOS and Android (in both phone and tablet-friendly formats) that functions similarly to Google Voice. The Xfinity Connect Mobile app allows you to send and receive texts on your mobile device through your home phone number and forward incoming calls to multiple devices, including your cellphone, so you'll never miss a call again. What's more, your Xfinity account can be used to place VoIP calls from any connected device over WiFi, 3G or 4G. For more check out the video after the break.

Samsung Chromebox gets a premature outing, $330 price tag (video)

Samsung has been almost completely silent regarding its Chromebox since its CES outing, so we were taken aback when we were tipped off that it was hiding in plain sight on TigerDirect's web store. Sure enough, a product listing provides a lot more detail about the tiny Chrome OS desktop than Samsung gave us in January, including its use of a 1.9GHz, dual-core Celeron B840, 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 16GB solid-state drive and six (not five) USB ports. We haven't seen mention of the promised wireless keyboard and mouse bundle, although the retailer's configuration might reflect a stripped-down trim level: at $330, it's a lot less than the $400 we were quoted at the start of the year. We wouldn't count on the store listing staying up -- at least, not until Google I/O -- but you can get a whirlwind tour of the Chromebox's core features through the hilariously awkward video below, which strips out the price if you're not watching from TigerDirect itself.