Filed under: Fun, Games, Time-Wasters
Defend Yourself is a basic tower defense style game. You have a cannon at the bottom of the screen, and balls are dropping from the top of the screen -- blast away and deflect the oncoming balls in order to keep them from touching down at the base of the screen.
You don't have infinite ammo. There's an ammunition bar that runs out as you fire, and you need to pause every now and then to let it recharge (recharging is actually fairly speedy). As with any tower defense game, the oncoming enemies get quicker and tougher until you lose.
What's interesting to me is that there are no explosions or fancy graphics, but the game is still fun to play and it ran incredibly smoothly on my Chrome Canary. My score isn't all that impressive, so feel free to show off in the comments by posting screenshots of your final score!
ed note: iPad users: Does this game work for you? Is it fun to play on an iPad?Defend Yourself is a quick HTML5-powered Time-Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Logitech's F540 gaming headset connects to three consoles, wirelessly
Look at you, you platform agnostic, making room for three current gaming consoles in your entertainment center, looking down with a rueful smile upon those who would waste time arguing about superiority. All three receive your equal love, and so shouldn't all three get equal share of your ears? They could if you had the F540 Wireless Gaming Headset from Logitech, a new entrant that, at $150, costs about the same as the G930 we recently enjoyed, but does so with mere stereo instead of 7.1 surround. Here you're paying for the inputs instead of the outputs, with a base containing 3.5mm and RCA plugs enough for three separate sources, plus the necessary outputs to pump voice chat to an Xbox 360 and a PS3. The headset itself has volume and mute controls built-in and charges over USB, offering up to 10 hours of disturbance-free playtime. You can pre-order yours now ahead of an October shipment domestically, or November for European followers of Thomas Huxley.
Gallery: Logitech F540 Wireless Gaming HeadsetContinue reading Logitech's F540 gaming headset connects to three consoles, wirelesslyLogitech's F540 gaming headset connects to three consoles, wirelessly originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 09:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Logitech | Email this | Comments
Gallery: Logitech F540 Wireless Gaming HeadsetContinue reading Logitech's F540 gaming headset connects to three consoles, wirelesslyLogitech's F540 gaming headset connects to three consoles, wirelessly originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 09:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Logitech | Email this | Comments
LSI LINEAR TECHNOLOGY . LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS
MAINGEAR SHIFT Super Stock custom gaming PC channels the hot-rod spirit
MAINGEAR has never exactly shied away from over-specifying its gaming PCs, but now the company is hoping to pull in some custom attention with their new Super Stock options. �Available on the MAINGEAR SHIFT, the new customizations will include overclocking the Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition processor up to 4.5GHz, together with specifying a 3-way SLI NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 array with a total of 4.5GB of GDDR5 video memory.
There’s also liquid cooling, which can be paired with acoustic dampening if it’s still not quite quiet enough for you, and then there are various car-finish hand painted case color options (which you can see in the gallery below). �They can be matched with interior LED lighting, if that’s to your taste.
The MAINGEAR SHIFT kicks off at $2,299, but as you might expect you can easily push that far, far higher by ticking a handful of options boxes. �For instance, upgrading to the i7-980X Extreme adds $991.
Press Release:
MAINGEAR REVS UP THE SHIFT WITH SUPER STOCK OPTIONS
MAINGEAR launches Super Stock options on their award-winning SHIFT desktop with jaw-dropping performance features including an overclocked CPU, liquid cooling and auto custom paint options
Kenilworth, New Jersey ? September 27, 2010 – MAINGEAR, an award-winning PC system builder offering custom desktops, notebooks, workstations and media centers, proves there is always room for more. Bolstering the SHIFT with new Super Stock performance and personalization options, MAINGEAR continues to pioneer the ever-changing horizon of extreme personal computing, by utilizing the best possible configurations with eye catching designs.
Every MAINGEAR Super Stock upgrade is hand-picked and specialty tuned to push the already award winning SHIFT desktop with improvements in performance and design choices built to give the best high-performance PC experience. With maxed out performance including liquid cooled overclocked CPU processor and 3-way SLI� that is perfected in an aesthetically unique designed chassis, this system will turn heads in performance and looks.
Uncompromising Performance: With MAINGEAR?s Redline? CPU overclocking, PC enthusiasts will be able to enjoy fast and stable CPU performance with Intel� Core? i7-980X Extreme Edition processor overclocked up to 4.5GHZ. Along with 3-way SLI� NVIDIA� GeForce? GTX 480, totaling to 4.5GB GDDR5, performance and everyday users can enjoy vivid movies, 3D games, entertainment and even get some 3D CAD or rendering processed in the background with this combination of ultimate performance.
Custom Liquid Cooling Excellence: MAINGEAR?s Super Stock option will also offer LiquidX 2700 and 2900 Supercooler Package which is a highly tuned watercooling loop built from the best components available that is hand-cut and wrapped. It uses no-dye liquid, Koolance CPU-360 Waterblock with compression nozzles, and is shipped with the liquid coolant pre-filled. And, if that isn?t enough, MAINGEAR also offers Acoustic Dampening to further minimize any other potential noise.
Custom Paint Job: The Super Stock option package offers six high gloss custom paint colors, both painted interior and exterior that gives the SHIFT system a special uniqueness yet shows a familiarity that is still unmistakably MAINGEAR. The system is hand-painted using high quality auto paint in luxurious colors in such as Root Beer and Brandywine, you can mix and match nearly 200 different color combinations.
Super Stock Highlights:
MAINGEAR SHIFT exclusive patent pending* advanced vertical heat dissipation chassis with window
Nearly 200 color combinations for the interior and exterior of the chassis of professional car paint colors in colors to fall in love including: Brandywine, Cobalt Blue, Frost White, Organic Green, Root Beer and Burple
Internal LED lighting to match your interior and exterior colors
Redline? CPU overclocking up to 4.5GHZ with the Intel� Core? i7-980X Extreme Edition processor
MAINGEAR LiquidX 2700 and 2900 Supercooler Package, which is a hand-built, highly tuned watercooling loop
Front-mounted 3 drive hot swappable bays to make it easy to pull hard drives in and out
1.5KW Silverstone Strider Modular Industrial power supply
Performance chassis cooling upgrade fan to 180mm, 1300rpm, 150 cfm
� Acoustic Dampening to lower the overall system noise
� Unique Super Stock Out-of Box accessories including MAINGEAR branded t-shirt, toolkit, mousepad, and branded beanie hat
� Starting at price of SHIFT is $2,299
?The MAINGEAR SHIFT with Super Stock Options provides a unique and differentiated opportunity for overclockers to take advantage of the Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition – the world?s fastest, smartest PC processor. Intel?s world class manufacturing helps deliver industry-leading performance to allow PC Enthusiasts the ultimate gaming & media experience.? Chris Tobias ? Director, Channel Desktop Marketing – Intel
?MAINGEAR is good at what they do, continually offers offering unique options and performance capabilities where it counts, which makes them one of the premier system integrators in the country,? said Ujesh Desai, vice president of GPU business at NVIDIA. ?With NVIDIA three � 3-way SLI NVIDIA� GeForce? GTX 480s under the hood running in a 3-way SLI configuration, MAINGEAR customers , 4.5GB GDDR5 is designed to offer gamers can be assured of incredible scalability in their graphics performance and an awesome overall PC gaming experience, no matter their game of choice.?
?The MAINGEAR SHIFT with Super Stock options and Microsoft Windows 7 are representing a whole new generation of performance and personalized user experiences for hardcore gamers and PC enthusiasts alike.? said Eddie O?Brien, VP of Microsoft US OEM.
All of MAINGEAR products are supported with lifetime labor and phone support with one to three year hardware warranty.
Relevant Entries on SlashGearMaingear Shift supercomputer adds ATI HD 5970 to options listMaingear SHIFT gets Fermi video card optionMAINGEAR reveals eX-L 18 gaming notebookMaingear crams new GTX 460 video card into gaming PCsMAINGEAR announces ePhex Elite gaming PC
There’s also liquid cooling, which can be paired with acoustic dampening if it’s still not quite quiet enough for you, and then there are various car-finish hand painted case color options (which you can see in the gallery below). �They can be matched with interior LED lighting, if that’s to your taste.
The MAINGEAR SHIFT kicks off at $2,299, but as you might expect you can easily push that far, far higher by ticking a handful of options boxes. �For instance, upgrading to the i7-980X Extreme adds $991.
Press Release:
MAINGEAR REVS UP THE SHIFT WITH SUPER STOCK OPTIONS
MAINGEAR launches Super Stock options on their award-winning SHIFT desktop with jaw-dropping performance features including an overclocked CPU, liquid cooling and auto custom paint options
Kenilworth, New Jersey ? September 27, 2010 – MAINGEAR, an award-winning PC system builder offering custom desktops, notebooks, workstations and media centers, proves there is always room for more. Bolstering the SHIFT with new Super Stock performance and personalization options, MAINGEAR continues to pioneer the ever-changing horizon of extreme personal computing, by utilizing the best possible configurations with eye catching designs.
Every MAINGEAR Super Stock upgrade is hand-picked and specialty tuned to push the already award winning SHIFT desktop with improvements in performance and design choices built to give the best high-performance PC experience. With maxed out performance including liquid cooled overclocked CPU processor and 3-way SLI� that is perfected in an aesthetically unique designed chassis, this system will turn heads in performance and looks.
Uncompromising Performance: With MAINGEAR?s Redline? CPU overclocking, PC enthusiasts will be able to enjoy fast and stable CPU performance with Intel� Core? i7-980X Extreme Edition processor overclocked up to 4.5GHZ. Along with 3-way SLI� NVIDIA� GeForce? GTX 480, totaling to 4.5GB GDDR5, performance and everyday users can enjoy vivid movies, 3D games, entertainment and even get some 3D CAD or rendering processed in the background with this combination of ultimate performance.
Custom Liquid Cooling Excellence: MAINGEAR?s Super Stock option will also offer LiquidX 2700 and 2900 Supercooler Package which is a highly tuned watercooling loop built from the best components available that is hand-cut and wrapped. It uses no-dye liquid, Koolance CPU-360 Waterblock with compression nozzles, and is shipped with the liquid coolant pre-filled. And, if that isn?t enough, MAINGEAR also offers Acoustic Dampening to further minimize any other potential noise.
Custom Paint Job: The Super Stock option package offers six high gloss custom paint colors, both painted interior and exterior that gives the SHIFT system a special uniqueness yet shows a familiarity that is still unmistakably MAINGEAR. The system is hand-painted using high quality auto paint in luxurious colors in such as Root Beer and Brandywine, you can mix and match nearly 200 different color combinations.
Super Stock Highlights:
MAINGEAR SHIFT exclusive patent pending* advanced vertical heat dissipation chassis with window
Nearly 200 color combinations for the interior and exterior of the chassis of professional car paint colors in colors to fall in love including: Brandywine, Cobalt Blue, Frost White, Organic Green, Root Beer and Burple
Internal LED lighting to match your interior and exterior colors
Redline? CPU overclocking up to 4.5GHZ with the Intel� Core? i7-980X Extreme Edition processor
MAINGEAR LiquidX 2700 and 2900 Supercooler Package, which is a hand-built, highly tuned watercooling loop
Front-mounted 3 drive hot swappable bays to make it easy to pull hard drives in and out
1.5KW Silverstone Strider Modular Industrial power supply
Performance chassis cooling upgrade fan to 180mm, 1300rpm, 150 cfm
� Acoustic Dampening to lower the overall system noise
� Unique Super Stock Out-of Box accessories including MAINGEAR branded t-shirt, toolkit, mousepad, and branded beanie hat
� Starting at price of SHIFT is $2,299
?The MAINGEAR SHIFT with Super Stock Options provides a unique and differentiated opportunity for overclockers to take advantage of the Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition – the world?s fastest, smartest PC processor. Intel?s world class manufacturing helps deliver industry-leading performance to allow PC Enthusiasts the ultimate gaming & media experience.? Chris Tobias ? Director, Channel Desktop Marketing – Intel
?MAINGEAR is good at what they do, continually offers offering unique options and performance capabilities where it counts, which makes them one of the premier system integrators in the country,? said Ujesh Desai, vice president of GPU business at NVIDIA. ?With NVIDIA three � 3-way SLI NVIDIA� GeForce? GTX 480s under the hood running in a 3-way SLI configuration, MAINGEAR customers , 4.5GB GDDR5 is designed to offer gamers can be assured of incredible scalability in their graphics performance and an awesome overall PC gaming experience, no matter their game of choice.?
?The MAINGEAR SHIFT with Super Stock options and Microsoft Windows 7 are representing a whole new generation of performance and personalized user experiences for hardcore gamers and PC enthusiasts alike.? said Eddie O?Brien, VP of Microsoft US OEM.
All of MAINGEAR products are supported with lifetime labor and phone support with one to three year hardware warranty.
Relevant Entries on SlashGearMaingear Shift supercomputer adds ATI HD 5970 to options listMaingear SHIFT gets Fermi video card optionMAINGEAR reveals eX-L 18 gaming notebookMaingear crams new GTX 460 video card into gaming PCsMAINGEAR announces ePhex Elite gaming PC
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sony teases Internet TV (aka Google TV)
Since Google TV was announced, we have been waiting for some concrete products that will have the software. The Logitech Revue is nice, but for Google TV to really change the way we watch TV, it has to be imbedded into the actual TV you buy and not another set-top box. Sony has stepped up to the plate by teasing its Internet TV, which it proclaims as "the world's first HDTV incorporating the Google TV platform."Details on the specs of the TV itself are sparse, and any hint of a release date or price are also absent. However, it is probably safe to assume Sony would love to have this out for the holiday shopping season, and they had them on hand at Google IO last spring. We will all just have to wait until October 12th to find out more. Click on to the source link to read all the (vague) details (and some old videos). [Sony]Posted originally at Android CentralSponsored by Android Cases and Accessories
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64-bit Linux kernel exploit in the wild, allows local user root escalation
Filed under: LinuxIf you're running a 64-bit Linux kernel, update it now.
There's a new local root exploit, and it seems like Ksplice has yet again managed to get their advertisement fix onto the front page of Slashdot. Normally such an arcane bug wouldn't be an issue, but the example exploit leaves an open backdoor even after the bug has been patched -- lovely.
It's an escalation exploit, so a user still needs to gain local user access to the system -- but still, you're encouraged to update any and all 64-bit Linux systems that you own, especially if they're public, shared servers.64-bit Linux kernel exploit in the wild, allows local user root escalation originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
There's a new local root exploit, and it seems like Ksplice has yet again managed to get their advertisement fix onto the front page of Slashdot. Normally such an arcane bug wouldn't be an issue, but the example exploit leaves an open backdoor even after the bug has been patched -- lovely.
It's an escalation exploit, so a user still needs to gain local user access to the system -- but still, you're encouraged to update any and all 64-bit Linux systems that you own, especially if they're public, shared servers.64-bit Linux kernel exploit in the wild, allows local user root escalation originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
YouTube Time Machine helps you reminisce with YouTube videos from a certain year
Filed under: Video, web 2.0
YTTM apparently stands for "YouTube Time Machine," although that's not specifically mentioned on the site. What it does is very easy to understand, though. You move a slider to a specific year between 1860 and 2010, and you get a bunch of YouTube videos related to that year. Yes, I said 1860 (that's not a typo).
Not all hits are spot-on, though. When I chose 1972, I got a video from 1970. So, I guess you could say YMMV with YTTM (sorry, couldn't help myself there). But for the most part, the hits are relevant. I think it just takes the year from the video's name on YouTube.
You can narrow your search down by categories, such as Video Games, Television, Commercials, Current Events, Sports, Movies, and Music. I'm afraid there are not many video game related videos from the 19th century, though.
One detail which annoyed me was that toggling a filter reloads the entire page. It's as if AJAX was never invented - you click a button, and suddenly the whole page blinks out and reloads. I hope they get that fixed.
Notwithstanding this one quirk, YTTM is a nice way to travel through time. Just dial in a year, and watch the videos. When you've had enough of a certain clip, you can just click Watch next video and be transported to the next one - no searching involved.YouTube Time Machine helps you reminisce with YouTube videos from a certain year originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
YTTM apparently stands for "YouTube Time Machine," although that's not specifically mentioned on the site. What it does is very easy to understand, though. You move a slider to a specific year between 1860 and 2010, and you get a bunch of YouTube videos related to that year. Yes, I said 1860 (that's not a typo).
Not all hits are spot-on, though. When I chose 1972, I got a video from 1970. So, I guess you could say YMMV with YTTM (sorry, couldn't help myself there). But for the most part, the hits are relevant. I think it just takes the year from the video's name on YouTube.
You can narrow your search down by categories, such as Video Games, Television, Commercials, Current Events, Sports, Movies, and Music. I'm afraid there are not many video game related videos from the 19th century, though.
One detail which annoyed me was that toggling a filter reloads the entire page. It's as if AJAX was never invented - you click a button, and suddenly the whole page blinks out and reloads. I hope they get that fixed.
Notwithstanding this one quirk, YTTM is a nice way to travel through time. Just dial in a year, and watch the videos. When you've had enough of a certain clip, you can just click Watch next video and be transported to the next one - no searching involved.YouTube Time Machine helps you reminisce with YouTube videos from a certain year originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Motorola S10-HD Bluetooth stereo headset is sweat-resistant
The Motorola Oasis isn’t the only Bluetooth headset coming out of Motorola this morning; the company also has a stereo model called the S10-HD. �Billed as�sweat-proof and water-resistant, the S10-HD has “hydrophobic acoustic mesh” covered speakers, silicone seals around the ports and seams, and a rubber flap for the microUSB charging port.
The headset will also work as a hands-free kit, pausing music automatically whenever a call comes in, then resuming playback when they end. �Battery life is tipped at up to eight hours of audio or nine hours of voice calls, or alternatively up to ten days of standby, and there are buttons to control playback and calls.
As with the Oasis, the Motorola S10-HD will be priced at $79.99 when it drops on October 24th. �It’ll be available in Best Buy and online.
Relevant Entries on SlashGearCES 2008: Bluetooth SIG picks winners of Best of CESBluetrek X2 water resistant bluetooth headsetSamsung Modus HM3500 Bluetooth headset debutsJabra HALO Stereo Headset & SP200 SpeakerphoneApple Bluetooth headset approved by FCC
The headset will also work as a hands-free kit, pausing music automatically whenever a call comes in, then resuming playback when they end. �Battery life is tipped at up to eight hours of audio or nine hours of voice calls, or alternatively up to ten days of standby, and there are buttons to control playback and calls.
As with the Oasis, the Motorola S10-HD will be priced at $79.99 when it drops on October 24th. �It’ll be available in Best Buy and online.
Relevant Entries on SlashGearCES 2008: Bluetooth SIG picks winners of Best of CESBluetrek X2 water resistant bluetooth headsetSamsung Modus HM3500 Bluetooth headset debutsJabra HALO Stereo Headset & SP200 SpeakerphoneApple Bluetooth headset approved by FCC
Android Quick App: JellyBalls
New on the Market from Hyperbees, JellyBalls is a simple ball popping game with a very cool twist. Rotating your Android phone changes the direction the new balls drop from. It's funny how a small change like that makes such a difference in the gameplay. JellyBalls includes five different gameplay modes, uses Scoreloop for a global online leaderboard (hit me up: gbhil), and has a groovy soundtrack. I'm really loving the new breed of easy, time filler games on Android, and this one's a perfect fit. If I can wrestle it away from my wife, that is. Grab it from the Market for £ 0.99 (about $1.50 USD).If you're into casual gaming like I am, you'll like JellyBalls. Check out the video, and download links after the break. Thanks Tom!
appid:
com.jgrzesik.JellyBalls
Posted originally at Android CentralSponsored by Android Cases and Accessories
appid:
com.jgrzesik.JellyBalls
Posted originally at Android CentralSponsored by Android Cases and Accessories
FAIR ISAAC FACTSET RESEARCH SYSTEMS F5 NETWORKS EPICOR SOFTWARE
iPad live tonight! 6pm PT/9pm ET/2am BST
You know the drill. Come time, we’ll be talking about everything iPad. We’d love to talk with you, so come by, chat, and share you views.
We’ll be talking iOS 4.2. Be there!
6pm PT/9pm ET/2am BST
We’ll be live on:
http://www.tipb.com/live/
So click on through, we start setting up 15 min. before show time. Chat with you soon!
iPad live [...]iPad live tonight! 6pm PT/9pm ET/2am BST is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
We’ll be talking iOS 4.2. Be there!
6pm PT/9pm ET/2am BST
We’ll be live on:
http://www.tipb.com/live/
So click on through, we start setting up 15 min. before show time. Chat with you soon!
iPad live [...]iPad live tonight! 6pm PT/9pm ET/2am BST is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Editorial: For the umpteenth time, copy 'protection' only hurts people who actually buy your product
It's been said so many times, but I just got stung hard by the DRM bug, and since there's a "Senior Associate Editor" next to my name somewhere I get to complain about it. Now, if you're a regular consumer with a modicum of common sense, nothing I'm going to say here will come as a surprise or revelation. You're welcome to come along for the ride, but I'm pointing my quivering pen today at the media execs and their willing technologist accomplices that have the nerve in 2010 to enforce HDCP and other completely inane DRM and copy protection schemes to "protect" their content from theft:
You idiots.Continue reading Editorial: For the umpteenth time, copy 'protection' only hurts people who actually buy your productEditorial: For the umpteenth time, copy 'protection' only hurts people who actually buy your product originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 12:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
You idiots.Continue reading Editorial: For the umpteenth time, copy 'protection' only hurts people who actually buy your productEditorial: For the umpteenth time, copy 'protection' only hurts people who actually buy your product originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 12:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Entelligence: Begun these tablet wars have
Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.
Apple may have validated the tablet market with the successful launch of the iPad, but the competition won't simply cede that space to Cupertino. From the Samsung Galaxy Tab and a host of other Android-based products, to HP's ethereal Slate and rumored WebOS tablet to a potential "BlackPad" from RIM, everyone wants a piece of the tablet market. The net result? We're going to see a whole host of devices starting in the fourth quarter of this year well into the first quarter of 2011, and based on what we've seen from various public leaks and vendor conversations, these products are going to be all over the place. Sadly, it appears many haven't learned the lessons why 'tweener devices failed in the past, and most of these devices will not do well in the market. Many of these efforts appear rushed to market before the holidays and few will be remembered by this time next year. It's one thing to clone a successful product but imperfect clones usually tend to work out for the worst.Continue reading Entelligence: Begun these tablet wars haveEntelligence: Begun these tablet wars have originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 18:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Apple may have validated the tablet market with the successful launch of the iPad, but the competition won't simply cede that space to Cupertino. From the Samsung Galaxy Tab and a host of other Android-based products, to HP's ethereal Slate and rumored WebOS tablet to a potential "BlackPad" from RIM, everyone wants a piece of the tablet market. The net result? We're going to see a whole host of devices starting in the fourth quarter of this year well into the first quarter of 2011, and based on what we've seen from various public leaks and vendor conversations, these products are going to be all over the place. Sadly, it appears many haven't learned the lessons why 'tweener devices failed in the past, and most of these devices will not do well in the market. Many of these efforts appear rushed to market before the holidays and few will be remembered by this time next year. It's one thing to clone a successful product but imperfect clones usually tend to work out for the worst.Continue reading Entelligence: Begun these tablet wars haveEntelligence: Begun these tablet wars have originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 18:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Google shutting down Reader's page change tracker for sites with no RSS feed
Filed under: Web services, Google
You may not have known about it, but Google Reader has a pretty slick feature that allows you to subscribe to any page -- even one without an RSS feed. When the page is updated, it'll appear in your unread Reader items. At least, it will until September 30th.
Google has announced that they're shutting down the tracker service, and it's not a complete shocker. My results with it were never that good -- pages I had subscribed to often changed multiple times, and I never received an alert.
If you're looking for an alternative, check out Jay's post -- he rounded up 10 ways to keep tabs on a Web page without using RSS a while back.Google shutting down Reader's page change tracker for sites with no RSS feed originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 08:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
You may not have known about it, but Google Reader has a pretty slick feature that allows you to subscribe to any page -- even one without an RSS feed. When the page is updated, it'll appear in your unread Reader items. At least, it will until September 30th.
Google has announced that they're shutting down the tracker service, and it's not a complete shocker. My results with it were never that good -- pages I had subscribed to often changed multiple times, and I never received an alert.
If you're looking for an alternative, check out Jay's post -- he rounded up 10 ways to keep tabs on a Web page without using RSS a while back.Google shutting down Reader's page change tracker for sites with no RSS feed originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 08:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
HyperDock puts some Win7 in your OS X Dock
My shocking day job revelation: I write enterprise Java software using Windows. There, my secret shame is finally out.
Now that's off my chest I have something to confess about Windows 7: Microsoft must be doing something right because I hate it considerably less than any other version of Windows. For example, it might have taken it eight years to bring the draggable reorder feature from OS X 10.0's Dock into the Windows Taskbar, but they got there in the end and I'm a happier user for it.
One of the things I quite like is Aero Peek. Suppose you are juggling three PowerPoint presentations because you are a SRS BSNS enterprise user so obviously you're not doing anything fun. You move your cursor down to the PowerPoint icon in the taskbar and three medium sized thumbnail icons pop up, each showing the current window contents of the three PowerPoint windows you have open. This visual cue makes task switching more efficient. It sounds small but it's quite a neat little time saver.
Sadly OS X doesn't have anything like this. We've previously covered using Exposé in the Application Switcher, but it's clunky. Wouldn't thumbnails in the Dock be a nice addition to OS X? I certainly think so, and it seems Christian Baumgart agrees with me because he's written free-in-beta utility HyperDock to do just that. You can see how it works in the screenshot above: in this case, I moved my mouse over to the Firefox icon, and it presented me with previews of the three browser windows I had open.
But that's not all it does -- check out some more of HyperDock's features on the next page.TUAWHyperDock puts some Win7 in your OS X Dock originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Now that's off my chest I have something to confess about Windows 7: Microsoft must be doing something right because I hate it considerably less than any other version of Windows. For example, it might have taken it eight years to bring the draggable reorder feature from OS X 10.0's Dock into the Windows Taskbar, but they got there in the end and I'm a happier user for it.
One of the things I quite like is Aero Peek. Suppose you are juggling three PowerPoint presentations because you are a SRS BSNS enterprise user so obviously you're not doing anything fun. You move your cursor down to the PowerPoint icon in the taskbar and three medium sized thumbnail icons pop up, each showing the current window contents of the three PowerPoint windows you have open. This visual cue makes task switching more efficient. It sounds small but it's quite a neat little time saver.
Sadly OS X doesn't have anything like this. We've previously covered using Exposé in the Application Switcher, but it's clunky. Wouldn't thumbnails in the Dock be a nice addition to OS X? I certainly think so, and it seems Christian Baumgart agrees with me because he's written free-in-beta utility HyperDock to do just that. You can see how it works in the screenshot above: in this case, I moved my mouse over to the Firefox icon, and it presented me with previews of the three browser windows I had open.
But that's not all it does -- check out some more of HyperDock's features on the next page.TUAWHyperDock puts some Win7 in your OS X Dock originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Google shutting down Reader's page change tracker for sites with no RSS feed
Filed under: Web services, Google
You may not have known about it, but Google Reader has a pretty slick feature that allows you to subscribe to any page -- even one without an RSS feed. When the page is updated, it'll appear in your unread Reader items. At least, it will until September 30th.
Google has announced that they're shutting down the tracker service, and it's not a complete shocker. My results with it were never that good -- pages I had subscribed to often changed multiple times, and I never received an alert.
If you're looking for an alternative, check out Jay's post -- he rounded up 10 ways to keep tabs on a Web page without using RSS a while back.Google shutting down Reader's page change tracker for sites with no RSS feed originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 08:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
You may not have known about it, but Google Reader has a pretty slick feature that allows you to subscribe to any page -- even one without an RSS feed. When the page is updated, it'll appear in your unread Reader items. At least, it will until September 30th.
Google has announced that they're shutting down the tracker service, and it's not a complete shocker. My results with it were never that good -- pages I had subscribed to often changed multiple times, and I never received an alert.
If you're looking for an alternative, check out Jay's post -- he rounded up 10 ways to keep tabs on a Web page without using RSS a while back.Google shutting down Reader's page change tracker for sites with no RSS feed originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 08:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
ELECTRONIC DATA SYSTEMS ELECTRONIC ARTS ECLIPSYS EASTMAN KODAK CO
Suzuki e-Let?s Electric Scooter Developed in Conjunction with Sanyo
Today, Sanyo announced and unveiled their brand new creation: the Electric Drive System, which the company worked exclusively with Suzuki to develop. The EDS is utilized within the brand new e-Let’s, an electric scooter that combines a high level and high-performance control circuit, with a high-performance in-wheel motor, which were primarily created by Sanyo. The scooter was created to save space, and not waste any parts, and weighs in at only 74kg, including the battery.
Sanyo implemented their own lithium-ion batteries in the e-Let’s, as well as including a dedicated charger and a brand new battery system used specifically for electric motors. The new scooter weighs just a little less than the petrol-engine version, but it’s enough to be noticeable. And, as with many electric scooters, the e-Let’s offers up a soundless drive, low vibration, zero emissions, and smooth acceleration.
You can charge the e-Let’s from a 100V household outlet, and it will give you a range of 30km after a four hour full charge. The scooter is a single-seater, though, so you won’t be taking any dates around on this thing. No word on when Sanyo or Suzuki will market the e-Let’s, or where, or for how much.
[via FarEastGizmos]
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Sanyo implemented their own lithium-ion batteries in the e-Let’s, as well as including a dedicated charger and a brand new battery system used specifically for electric motors. The new scooter weighs just a little less than the petrol-engine version, but it’s enough to be noticeable. And, as with many electric scooters, the e-Let’s offers up a soundless drive, low vibration, zero emissions, and smooth acceleration.
You can charge the e-Let’s from a 100V household outlet, and it will give you a range of 30km after a four hour full charge. The scooter is a single-seater, though, so you won’t be taking any dates around on this thing. No word on when Sanyo or Suzuki will market the e-Let’s, or where, or for how much.
[via FarEastGizmos]
Relevant Entries on SlashGearBMW C1-E electric scooter reinvents the motorcycleSuzuki XL7DIY Electric off-road skateboardLawnmower Scooter is Perfect for a Small YardSuzuki Neutron 701 MNI touchscreen netbook with 4GB RAM
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Jeffrey Zucker Leaving NBC Universal After Comcast Takeover Finalizes
NBC Universal is in the processes of being taken over by Comcast Corp., and it seems that a change in management is first on the company’s agenda. In an email sent out to employees, and independently confirmed by NBCU’s parent company, General Electric Co., Jeffrey Zucker will step down from his position once the takeover finalizes, which is expected to complete by the end of 2010. Zucker is currently 45, and he has only ever worked at NBC, so it is more than likely a big blow for the current Chief Executive Officer.
Zucker informed NBCU employees of the decision and movement in an email he sent out to everyone. GE then sent out an internal memo to the company, basically putting the last nail into the coffin for Zucker’s carrer at NBC Universal. Comcast is expected to finalize the takeover of NBCU, after it finishes purchasing 51 percent of NBCU, by the end of the year. Zucker has been in the Chief position for the company since 2007, which oversees cable channels like SyFy, as well as the Universal theme parks, and Universal Pictures studio.
As should be expected, until his departure from the company, Zucker will be working with the new CEO of NBCU, making sure that the transition is smooth. No announcements have been made for the replacement, but it’s believed that the new Chief of NBCU will be someone from Comcast.
[via BusinessWeek]
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Zucker informed NBCU employees of the decision and movement in an email he sent out to everyone. GE then sent out an internal memo to the company, basically putting the last nail into the coffin for Zucker’s carrer at NBC Universal. Comcast is expected to finalize the takeover of NBCU, after it finishes purchasing 51 percent of NBCU, by the end of the year. Zucker has been in the Chief position for the company since 2007, which oversees cable channels like SyFy, as well as the Universal theme parks, and Universal Pictures studio.
As should be expected, until his departure from the company, Zucker will be working with the new CEO of NBCU, making sure that the transition is smooth. No announcements have been made for the replacement, but it’s believed that the new Chief of NBCU will be someone from Comcast.
[via BusinessWeek]
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Sony PS3 v3.50 Firmware Update Disabling Some USB Peripherals
If you have a PlayStation 3, then you’ve probably updated your home video game console to the latest and greatest firmware version from Sony. If you’re not already taking advantage of the 3D support for Blu-ray discs, or looking forward to looking at 3D panoramic photos, then perhaps you’ve been kicked in the shin with the latest update. Consumers are beginning to report that the update to version 3.50 has caused some USB peripherals to lose their functionality, including many “counterfeit” PS3 controllers.
Sony is cracking down on their system. They began by making sure that the “other OS” feature was removed, and subsequently made sure that jailbreaking or hacking your PS3 was not only frowned upon, but out-right disabled. And now it seems that Sony is cracking down on counterfeit controllers. While it hasn’t been out-right confirmed that this firmware update specifically is designed to do just that, Sony has said (coincidentally enough, on the same day that the v3.50 update was released) on their blog, that subsequent firmware updates would mean that those counterfeit controllers, as well as some other hardware devices, would no longer be compatible with the console.
If you have a third-party controller that’s been officially licensed by Sony, then there doesn’t seem to be any problems. However, several PS3 owners are reporting that peripherals like the Yobo PS3 Joybox, the XCM Cross Battle Plus Adapter, and the USB controller SplitFish FragFX are losing their compatibility, too. And SCEA has been busy informing those that the company “does not support continued functionality of unlicensed controllers.” Are you having your own problems with the v3.50 firmware update? Let us know in the comments.
[via 1UP]
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Sony is cracking down on their system. They began by making sure that the “other OS” feature was removed, and subsequently made sure that jailbreaking or hacking your PS3 was not only frowned upon, but out-right disabled. And now it seems that Sony is cracking down on counterfeit controllers. While it hasn’t been out-right confirmed that this firmware update specifically is designed to do just that, Sony has said (coincidentally enough, on the same day that the v3.50 update was released) on their blog, that subsequent firmware updates would mean that those counterfeit controllers, as well as some other hardware devices, would no longer be compatible with the console.
If you have a third-party controller that’s been officially licensed by Sony, then there doesn’t seem to be any problems. However, several PS3 owners are reporting that peripherals like the Yobo PS3 Joybox, the XCM Cross Battle Plus Adapter, and the USB controller SplitFish FragFX are losing their compatibility, too. And SCEA has been busy informing those that the company “does not support continued functionality of unlicensed controllers.” Are you having your own problems with the v3.50 firmware update? Let us know in the comments.
[via 1UP]
Relevant Entries on SlashGearSony Reissues PS3 Firmware v3.41, Fixes Hard Drive Installation ProblemSony releases 2.41 update for the PS3Sony Alpha A700 gets a Firmware Update to 3.0Sony releases PS3 firmware version 2.0PSP 2.71 Firmware Cracked
FINISAR FEI COMPANY FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR INTERNATIONAL FAIR ISAAC
Android-based AlessiTab home tablet gets November release, higher price
Eager to get your hands on that Stefana Giovannoni-designed AlessiTab home tablet first announced back in April? Then it looks like you'll have to wait a bit longer, and shell out a bit more cash than first expected. According to Design Boom, the device is now set to roll out in Italy sometime in November (instead of this month), and it will run €399, or about $535 (a full hundred euros than previously expected). Otherwise, the Android 2.1-based tablet looks to be the same as we've seen before, including a 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen, a DVB-T digital TV tuner, built-in WiFi, and a webcam for video calls. Notably absent, however, is access to the Android Market, but Alessi promises it'll provide a selection of its own apps specifically designed for the home environment. Android-based AlessiTab home tablet gets November release, higher price originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 20:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink SlashGear | Design Boom | Email this | Comments
Verizon CEO confirms plans for tiered data pricing
We told you so. The Wall Street Journal has updated its recent article detailing disclosures from Verizon Wireless chief Ivan Seidenberg, and the latest news is as bad as it is predictable: VZW plans to consign unlimited data plans to the annals of history over the next four to six months, to be replaced by tiered, consumption-based pricing. Seidenberg says Verizon's prices will surely differ from what AT&T recently introduced, noting that his company values data differently to the competition -- though he wouldn't say whether that means costs will be higher or lower. Either way, Droidsters, enjoy your last few months in the unlimited sun.
[Thanks, Tyler]Verizon CEO confirms plans for tiered data pricing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 05:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Wall Street Journal | Email this | Comments
[Thanks, Tyler]Verizon CEO confirms plans for tiered data pricing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 05:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Wall Street Journal | Email this | Comments
StarDunk going to a free demo model
StarDunk is one of my most favorite apps recently, ever since I covered it back for Daily App a little while ago. It's an amusing little 2D basketball game, made even more impressive by the fact that it juggles online multiplayer across the world -- as you throw baskets, you're also playing in real-time against other users, and competing with various powerups and stunts for as many points as possible. The game was also notable for being one of the first titles integrated into Game Center, back when that service first arrived on the iPhone.
But the app hasn't been doing as great as it could be, according to developer Godzilab -- first, they had some issues with piracy, and now they're saying that the game's just not selling as many copies as they'd hoped.
So the game has gone free -- kind of. You can pick it up right now in the App Store for free, and play ten games without paying a single cent. Once you've played those games, then you have the option to buy the whole app via in-app purchase for $2.99. That's not exactly freemium (it's more of a demo version), but at least players will be able to get a feel for the game and how it works before laying down their three bucks. Personally, I still recommend the game -- I bought it on my own and still enjoy a quick game (even though I usually land in the middle of the rankings). But if you've been waiting for a chance to try it out, definitely take advantage of the new model.TUAWStarDunk going to a free demo model originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
But the app hasn't been doing as great as it could be, according to developer Godzilab -- first, they had some issues with piracy, and now they're saying that the game's just not selling as many copies as they'd hoped.
So the game has gone free -- kind of. You can pick it up right now in the App Store for free, and play ten games without paying a single cent. Once you've played those games, then you have the option to buy the whole app via in-app purchase for $2.99. That's not exactly freemium (it's more of a demo version), but at least players will be able to get a feel for the game and how it works before laying down their three bucks. Personally, I still recommend the game -- I bought it on my own and still enjoy a quick game (even though I usually land in the middle of the rankings). But if you've been waiting for a chance to try it out, definitely take advantage of the new model.TUAWStarDunk going to a free demo model originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY METHODE ELECTRONICS MENTOR GRAPHICS MCAFEE
Panasonic Toughbook U1 Ultra Unveiled, Available Now
Panasonic’s done well for themselves in the Toughbook line-up, and now they’re hoping to get a few more customers interested in the ultra-tough computer options, thanks to the addition of the Toughbook U1 Ultra. Designed with the same mentality of all the other Toughbook lineage members, the new U1 Ultra is meant to take a beating and keep on ticking, while offering plenty of PC power under the hood to make sure that usage time isn’t unbearable.
Inside, you’ll find a 64GB Solid State Drive (SSD), and 2GB of memory. The processor is an Intel Atom Z530, clocked at 1.6GHz. Panasonic has gone with Windows 7 as the Operating System of choice. Panasonic has also made sure that you can see what you’re doing, courtesy of the TransflectivePlus feature, which offers up to 6000 nit viewability while in the sun on the 5.6-inch WSVGA display. Panasonic says that your battery life should be an estimated 9 hours while on the go. And the whole thing weighs 2.3lbs, with the strap and batteries installed.
Panasonic says that you can drop the Toughbook U1 Ultra from up to six feet off the ground, and from any angle, and it will remain in tact and function. They also based the new portable on a fanless design, which makes it water and dust resistant. The U1 Ultra is available right now through participating Panasonic retailers, and you can pick one up for $2,799.
Press Release
SECAUCUS, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Panasonic Solutions Company, provider of collaboration, information-sharing and decision-support solutions for government and commercial enterprises, today announced the newest member of its Toughbook� U1 ultra-mobile PC product family, the Toughbook U1 Ultra. All Toughbook U1 products combine the portability of a handheld computer, the benefits of a full Windows OS, the durability needed for enterprise applications and a suite of available integrated features. The new Toughbook U1 Ultra is equipped with a TransflectivePlus display for up to 6000 nit viewability in direct sunlight, 64GB solid state hard drive, 2GB of memory, an Intel� Atom Processor (Z530 1.6Ghz) and Windows 7�. The device is ideal for highly mobile jobs such as direct store delivery (DSD), eCitation and vegetation management in markets like supply chain management, public safety and utilities.
The Toughbook U1 family of handheld replacement computers has also undergone a number of usability and navigation enhancements, including enlarged screen icons, programmable ?right click? onscreen button, a larger soft keyboard, a ?zoom and pan? mode ? allowing users to simply navigate robust content and a soft ?Ctrl-Alt-Del? button for log-on access.
The optional 2 megapixel camera features updated software to offer faster auto-focus and improved white balancing, while the optional barcode reader has been improved with new software that allows for onboard, data and symbology configuration.
Companies can also take advantage of the optional embedded features available for the Toughbook U1, including GPS, barcode readers (1D, 1D/2D), fingerprint reader and mobile broadband to drive greater levels of productivity.
Besides being able to run the latest Windows 7 software, the Toughbook U1 Ultra is ideally suited to run legacy mobile device applications, with solutions available to run Windows Mobile and Windows CE software in the Windows 7 environment. The solution, tWinrunner? by Clearview Software International, allows companies to maximize their legacy handheld device software investment while creating a migration path to a full Windows OS device.
?The ability to provide your mobile workforce with a reliable, powerful and adaptable handheld computer running a full Windows OS is critical for organizations attempting to stay ahead of the competition,? said Kyp Walls, director of product management, Panasonic Solutions Company. ?Relying on a single-purpose device that runs a pared-down or proprietary OS is no longer acceptable in environments where information is critical and computing solutions must deliver a clear ROI. The Toughbook U1 Ultra, running Windows 7 and incorporating an impressive list of available integrated features, is the ideal handheld mobile computing solution for companies with an eye on future success.?
Most Rugged Toughbook
The Toughbook U1 line up is certified by an independent third-party test lab to meet MIL-STD-810G and IP65 standards for environmental conditions. The device can withstand a drop of 6 feet from any angle, and its fanless design keeps out water and dust while reducing weight and eliminating a common point of failure.
Embedded Wireless Connectivity
The Toughbook U1 family includes a variety of embedded wireless technologies, including Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth� 2.1 and optional Gobi2000? mobile broadband technology from Qualcomm. Gobi simplifies complex multi-carrier wireless deployments for IT departments and allows mobile employees improved connectivity options while traveling at home or abroad. The Toughbook U1 will be certified on the Verizon Wireless, Sprint and AT&T Wireless networks, allowing workers to stay connected at all times.
“The market for field mobility solutions is currently at a crossroads where field mobile workers are being tasked with an ever expanding list of requirements,? said David Krebs, director of the mobile and wireless practice at VDC Research. ?As a result the mobile computers deployed to support these work flows need to be designed to not only maximize performance but also to be delivered in a highly ergonomic and portable package. Panasonic’s next generation U1 handheld device – including its full Windows OS and its myriad integrated I/O and communications options – addresses these requirements with a functionality and performance optimized design.”
Panasonic Toughbook U1 Ultra: Select Features and Specifications
Genuine Windows 7� (with XP downgrade option)
Intel� Atom? processor Z530 (1.6GHz)
2GB RAM
64 GB Solid State Drive SSD
5.6? WSVGA sunlight-viewable touchscreen using TransflectivePlus technology with up to 6000 nit viewability
Circular polarizer with anti-glare and anti-reflective screen treatments
LED backlighting
Up to 9 hour battery life
Twin hot-swappable batteries
2.3lbs. (with both batteries and strap)
Fully-Rugged
Magnesium alloy chassis ? encased in polycarbonate
MIL-STD-810G certified (6 foot drop)
IP65 certified sealed all-weather design
UL1604 (Class 1, Div 2) certified model
Reinforced flex-connect Solid State Drive (SSD)
Embedded Connectivity
Optional integrated WWAN / Gobi2000? mobile broadband (EV-DO and HSPA)
Intel� Wi-Fi Link 5100 802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth� v2.1 + EDR
Integrated Options
Global positioning system (GPS) receiver
1D barcode reader
2D barcode reader (also 1D capable)
Fingerprint reader
2.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with dual LED lights
Numeric keypad with large buttons including navigation
2.2? (H) x 7.2? (W) x 5.9? (D)
Toughbook U1 Product Family
With the introduction of the Toughbook U1 Ultra, the product family now includes two devices to meet varying mobile workforce needs. The Toughbook U1 Essential (original Toughbook U1) features the Windows XP OS, up to 32GB SSD, 1GB RAM, a 300nit transmisive display and an Intel Atom (Z520/1.33GHz) processor. The Toughbook U1 Essential is suited for basic mobile computing needs and is an ideal alternative to Windows Mobile ruggedized PDAs and handheld devices.
The new Toughbook U1 Ultra features the Windows 7 OS, 64GB SSD, 2GB RAM a TransflectivePlus (up to 6000nit) direct sunlight viewable display and an Intel Atom (Z530/1.6GHz) processor. The Toughbook U1 Ultra is designed for highly mobile outdoor applications, including direct store delivery (DSD), eCitation and vegetation management. For more details on the Toughbook U1 family of products, go to: http://www.toughbook.com
Optional Numeric Keypad
The Toughbook U1 Ultra is also available with an optional 29-key numeric keypad for quick data entry and easy navigation. The numeric keypad also has a single ?Ctrl-Alt-Del? button, making one finger operation simple while on the move. The numeric keypad is ideal for warehousing and forklift-like applications where high volume quantity input is useful and for other users that find the QWERTY keyboard unnecessary.
Pricing and Availability
The Toughbook U1 Ultra is available in the United States starting at an estimated street price of $2,799. The Toughbook U1 Essential is available in the United States at an estimated street price of 1899. Both devices can be purchased through authorized Panasonic resellers and distributors. All Toughbook mobile computers include a standard three-year limited warranty.
Relevant Entries on SlashGearPanasonic updates Toughbook lineNew Toughbook tablet from PanasonicPanasonic teams up with Verizon Wireless for Embedded EV-DO in Toughbook linePanasonic ToughBook goes ultra-mobile – now you can throw it across the room and hit a few keysVideo of New Panasonic ToughBooks Lineup
Inside, you’ll find a 64GB Solid State Drive (SSD), and 2GB of memory. The processor is an Intel Atom Z530, clocked at 1.6GHz. Panasonic has gone with Windows 7 as the Operating System of choice. Panasonic has also made sure that you can see what you’re doing, courtesy of the TransflectivePlus feature, which offers up to 6000 nit viewability while in the sun on the 5.6-inch WSVGA display. Panasonic says that your battery life should be an estimated 9 hours while on the go. And the whole thing weighs 2.3lbs, with the strap and batteries installed.
Panasonic says that you can drop the Toughbook U1 Ultra from up to six feet off the ground, and from any angle, and it will remain in tact and function. They also based the new portable on a fanless design, which makes it water and dust resistant. The U1 Ultra is available right now through participating Panasonic retailers, and you can pick one up for $2,799.
Press Release
SECAUCUS, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Panasonic Solutions Company, provider of collaboration, information-sharing and decision-support solutions for government and commercial enterprises, today announced the newest member of its Toughbook� U1 ultra-mobile PC product family, the Toughbook U1 Ultra. All Toughbook U1 products combine the portability of a handheld computer, the benefits of a full Windows OS, the durability needed for enterprise applications and a suite of available integrated features. The new Toughbook U1 Ultra is equipped with a TransflectivePlus display for up to 6000 nit viewability in direct sunlight, 64GB solid state hard drive, 2GB of memory, an Intel� Atom Processor (Z530 1.6Ghz) and Windows 7�. The device is ideal for highly mobile jobs such as direct store delivery (DSD), eCitation and vegetation management in markets like supply chain management, public safety and utilities.
The Toughbook U1 family of handheld replacement computers has also undergone a number of usability and navigation enhancements, including enlarged screen icons, programmable ?right click? onscreen button, a larger soft keyboard, a ?zoom and pan? mode ? allowing users to simply navigate robust content and a soft ?Ctrl-Alt-Del? button for log-on access.
The optional 2 megapixel camera features updated software to offer faster auto-focus and improved white balancing, while the optional barcode reader has been improved with new software that allows for onboard, data and symbology configuration.
Companies can also take advantage of the optional embedded features available for the Toughbook U1, including GPS, barcode readers (1D, 1D/2D), fingerprint reader and mobile broadband to drive greater levels of productivity.
Besides being able to run the latest Windows 7 software, the Toughbook U1 Ultra is ideally suited to run legacy mobile device applications, with solutions available to run Windows Mobile and Windows CE software in the Windows 7 environment. The solution, tWinrunner? by Clearview Software International, allows companies to maximize their legacy handheld device software investment while creating a migration path to a full Windows OS device.
?The ability to provide your mobile workforce with a reliable, powerful and adaptable handheld computer running a full Windows OS is critical for organizations attempting to stay ahead of the competition,? said Kyp Walls, director of product management, Panasonic Solutions Company. ?Relying on a single-purpose device that runs a pared-down or proprietary OS is no longer acceptable in environments where information is critical and computing solutions must deliver a clear ROI. The Toughbook U1 Ultra, running Windows 7 and incorporating an impressive list of available integrated features, is the ideal handheld mobile computing solution for companies with an eye on future success.?
Most Rugged Toughbook
The Toughbook U1 line up is certified by an independent third-party test lab to meet MIL-STD-810G and IP65 standards for environmental conditions. The device can withstand a drop of 6 feet from any angle, and its fanless design keeps out water and dust while reducing weight and eliminating a common point of failure.
Embedded Wireless Connectivity
The Toughbook U1 family includes a variety of embedded wireless technologies, including Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth� 2.1 and optional Gobi2000? mobile broadband technology from Qualcomm. Gobi simplifies complex multi-carrier wireless deployments for IT departments and allows mobile employees improved connectivity options while traveling at home or abroad. The Toughbook U1 will be certified on the Verizon Wireless, Sprint and AT&T Wireless networks, allowing workers to stay connected at all times.
“The market for field mobility solutions is currently at a crossroads where field mobile workers are being tasked with an ever expanding list of requirements,? said David Krebs, director of the mobile and wireless practice at VDC Research. ?As a result the mobile computers deployed to support these work flows need to be designed to not only maximize performance but also to be delivered in a highly ergonomic and portable package. Panasonic’s next generation U1 handheld device – including its full Windows OS and its myriad integrated I/O and communications options – addresses these requirements with a functionality and performance optimized design.”
Panasonic Toughbook U1 Ultra: Select Features and Specifications
Genuine Windows 7� (with XP downgrade option)
Intel� Atom? processor Z530 (1.6GHz)
2GB RAM
64 GB Solid State Drive SSD
5.6? WSVGA sunlight-viewable touchscreen using TransflectivePlus technology with up to 6000 nit viewability
Circular polarizer with anti-glare and anti-reflective screen treatments
LED backlighting
Up to 9 hour battery life
Twin hot-swappable batteries
2.3lbs. (with both batteries and strap)
Fully-Rugged
Magnesium alloy chassis ? encased in polycarbonate
MIL-STD-810G certified (6 foot drop)
IP65 certified sealed all-weather design
UL1604 (Class 1, Div 2) certified model
Reinforced flex-connect Solid State Drive (SSD)
Embedded Connectivity
Optional integrated WWAN / Gobi2000? mobile broadband (EV-DO and HSPA)
Intel� Wi-Fi Link 5100 802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth� v2.1 + EDR
Integrated Options
Global positioning system (GPS) receiver
1D barcode reader
2D barcode reader (also 1D capable)
Fingerprint reader
2.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with dual LED lights
Numeric keypad with large buttons including navigation
2.2? (H) x 7.2? (W) x 5.9? (D)
Toughbook U1 Product Family
With the introduction of the Toughbook U1 Ultra, the product family now includes two devices to meet varying mobile workforce needs. The Toughbook U1 Essential (original Toughbook U1) features the Windows XP OS, up to 32GB SSD, 1GB RAM, a 300nit transmisive display and an Intel Atom (Z520/1.33GHz) processor. The Toughbook U1 Essential is suited for basic mobile computing needs and is an ideal alternative to Windows Mobile ruggedized PDAs and handheld devices.
The new Toughbook U1 Ultra features the Windows 7 OS, 64GB SSD, 2GB RAM a TransflectivePlus (up to 6000nit) direct sunlight viewable display and an Intel Atom (Z530/1.6GHz) processor. The Toughbook U1 Ultra is designed for highly mobile outdoor applications, including direct store delivery (DSD), eCitation and vegetation management. For more details on the Toughbook U1 family of products, go to: http://www.toughbook.com
Optional Numeric Keypad
The Toughbook U1 Ultra is also available with an optional 29-key numeric keypad for quick data entry and easy navigation. The numeric keypad also has a single ?Ctrl-Alt-Del? button, making one finger operation simple while on the move. The numeric keypad is ideal for warehousing and forklift-like applications where high volume quantity input is useful and for other users that find the QWERTY keyboard unnecessary.
Pricing and Availability
The Toughbook U1 Ultra is available in the United States starting at an estimated street price of $2,799. The Toughbook U1 Essential is available in the United States at an estimated street price of 1899. Both devices can be purchased through authorized Panasonic resellers and distributors. All Toughbook mobile computers include a standard three-year limited warranty.
Relevant Entries on SlashGearPanasonic updates Toughbook lineNew Toughbook tablet from PanasonicPanasonic teams up with Verizon Wireless for Embedded EV-DO in Toughbook linePanasonic ToughBook goes ultra-mobile – now you can throw it across the room and hit a few keysVideo of New Panasonic ToughBooks Lineup
Friday, September 24, 2010
The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 3:30 ET!
We're kicking things off a little early today... and we've got a special guest. A very special guest.
Hint: his name rhymes with "Pilay Natel."
Give up? The answer's after the break.Continue reading The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 3:30 ET!The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 3:30 ET! originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Hint: his name rhymes with "Pilay Natel."
Give up? The answer's after the break.Continue reading The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 3:30 ET!The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 3:30 ET! originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
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Will you marry me? ? iPhone movie style!
What do you do when you’re an iPhone junkie and need to find an epic way to propose to your girlfriend? You make an awesome iPhone video your girlfriend with think is a commercial, coax the threatre you had your first date in to play it before a movie, and surprise the pants off your [...]Will you marry me? – iPhone movie style! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
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Adobe Illustrator HTML5 add-on pack released, lets you export CSS3, SVG and HTML directly
Filed under: Developer, Adobe, Browsers
A new beta 'Labs' add-on from Adobe adds a ton of HTML5-specific features to Adobe Illustrator CS5. This follows the release of an HTML5 add-on for Dreamweaver CS5 that shipped at the end of August.
This add-on actually allows users of Illustrator to export their designs directly into HTML5 code. Instead of shipping off finished designs to be re-rendered in HTML and CSS by a Web designer, Illustrator can now export images as a combination of SVG and CSS3. The exported Web resource, according to Adobe, will be compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Safari and hopefully IE9.
Technologizer, presumably extrapolating from the add-on's download page, says that the HTML5 code produced by Illustrator will work seamlessly across the platforms; on PCs, tablets and smartphones. I guess that has something to do with the infinite scalability of vector graphics, but as I don't have a copy of Illustrator I can't confirm it.
This marks a major deviation for Illustrator, and it definitely shows that Adobe, despite its huge investment in Flash, is trying its best to stay contemporary -- or at the very least, ensuring the customers of its Creative Studio cash cow stay happy.Adobe Illustrator HTML5 add-on pack released, lets you export CSS3, SVG and HTML directly originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
A new beta 'Labs' add-on from Adobe adds a ton of HTML5-specific features to Adobe Illustrator CS5. This follows the release of an HTML5 add-on for Dreamweaver CS5 that shipped at the end of August.
This add-on actually allows users of Illustrator to export their designs directly into HTML5 code. Instead of shipping off finished designs to be re-rendered in HTML and CSS by a Web designer, Illustrator can now export images as a combination of SVG and CSS3. The exported Web resource, according to Adobe, will be compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Safari and hopefully IE9.
Technologizer, presumably extrapolating from the add-on's download page, says that the HTML5 code produced by Illustrator will work seamlessly across the platforms; on PCs, tablets and smartphones. I guess that has something to do with the infinite scalability of vector graphics, but as I don't have a copy of Illustrator I can't confirm it.
This marks a major deviation for Illustrator, and it definitely shows that Adobe, despite its huge investment in Flash, is trying its best to stay contemporary -- or at the very least, ensuring the customers of its Creative Studio cash cow stay happy.Adobe Illustrator HTML5 add-on pack released, lets you export CSS3, SVG and HTML directly originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
RESEARCH IN MOTION ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS SAIC SATYAM COMPUTER SERVICES
iPads complement primary computers, threaten secondary ones
Here's a bit of news that you might have already figured out for yourself. Your primary computer doesn't need to feel threatened by your iPad. Sure, your Mac (or PC) probably felt a little uneasy when you brought that slim, trim, shiny, and lets not forget - magical - little number into your home, but it knew, oh yes it did, that you would come crawling back sooner or later. And you did, didn't you? In fact, you came crawling back straight away because you needed your primary computer to get your iPad up and running, didn't you?
As noted by Macsimum News, according to market research firm Technology Business Research (TBR), the iPad will displace many consumers' secondary computers, but not their primary ones, creating a third category for personal computing and connectivity (laptop, smartphone, and tablet).
TBR's study points to Apple's success with the iPad, noting that consumers want quick, easy access to their email and the Web in a device that's more portable than a laptop while providing instant-on and more usability than a smartphone. In light of this, TBR believes the market will support all three device styles with only some ground lost by laptops to tablets.
To illustrate this point, Macsimum News reports that analyst Shaw Wu of Kaufman Bros. has informed clients that the iPad is "slightly cannibalizing" the entry level MacBook, but otherwise Mac sales for the September quarter could hit a record 3.8 million.
So, there's no sign of Mac sales slowing down despite the introduction of the iPad. And, for now, your primary computer can hold onto its rightful place in your digital life / family.
Photo by mapgoblin. Flickr : ccTUAWiPads complement primary computers, threaten secondary ones originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
As noted by Macsimum News, according to market research firm Technology Business Research (TBR), the iPad will displace many consumers' secondary computers, but not their primary ones, creating a third category for personal computing and connectivity (laptop, smartphone, and tablet).
TBR's study points to Apple's success with the iPad, noting that consumers want quick, easy access to their email and the Web in a device that's more portable than a laptop while providing instant-on and more usability than a smartphone. In light of this, TBR believes the market will support all three device styles with only some ground lost by laptops to tablets.
To illustrate this point, Macsimum News reports that analyst Shaw Wu of Kaufman Bros. has informed clients that the iPad is "slightly cannibalizing" the entry level MacBook, but otherwise Mac sales for the September quarter could hit a record 3.8 million.
So, there's no sign of Mac sales slowing down despite the introduction of the iPad. And, for now, your primary computer can hold onto its rightful place in your digital life / family.
Photo by mapgoblin. Flickr : ccTUAWiPads complement primary computers, threaten secondary ones originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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How to use MobileMe iDisk for easier iWork for iPad file transfer
Apple’s MobileMe News has posted a helpful entry on using MobileMe’s iDisk for easier file transfer for the just-updated iWork apps for iPad.
With the latest Keynote, Pages and Numbers for iPad, you can now transfer your documents directly to and from your MobileMe iDisk so you can work on them anywhere you have [...]How to use MobileMe iDisk for easier iWork for iPad file transfer is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
With the latest Keynote, Pages and Numbers for iPad, you can now transfer your documents directly to and from your MobileMe iDisk so you can work on them anywhere you have [...]How to use MobileMe iDisk for easier iWork for iPad file transfer is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Thursday, September 23, 2010
HP Slate prototype caught in the wild, booted to Windows 7
HP has done plenty of its own teasing of the HP Slate, but in-the-wild spottings are few and far between. Now our favorite YouTuber and yours, x313xkillax, has a video of an HP Slate prototype. (There's some speculation that this is a fake, but from everything we know about the tablet we're pretty sure this is the real deal.) The hardware looks similar to what we've seen before, though perhaps a bit further along than version Conecti.ca "reviewed" back in April. We're pleased with the boot time of the device and seemingly fine Flash performance, and x313xkillax calls the touchscreen very responsive, but as you can see in the video after the break, Windows 7 still isn't really designed for finger operation. Just like HP seemed to realize when it bought Palm and bumped this tablet from a consumer launch to a niche enterprise product.Continue reading HP Slate prototype caught in the wild, booted to Windows 7HP Slate prototype caught in the wild, booted to Windows 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink John Gruber (Twitter) | | Email this | Comments
PlayStation Move accessories charge controllers, keep your pesky imagination in check
If there's anything Microsoft's Kinect has over the PlayStation Move -- neither seem to have a killer app -- it's that peripheral manufacturers (hopefully) won't be able to generate wave after wave of cheap plastic junk to wave in front of a camera. As you can imagine, PlayStation Move peripheral purveyors have no such problem, and Nyko, Mad Catz, Interworks, CTA Digital, PDP and more are pumping out plenty of plastic shells and chargers for those ball-tipped motion controllers. Hit the links below to just see how far we haven't come.
Read - GamingBits
Read - IGN
Read - AmazonPlayStation Move accessories charge controllers, keep your pesky imagination in check originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Read - GamingBits
Read - IGN
Read - AmazonPlayStation Move accessories charge controllers, keep your pesky imagination in check originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Direct3D 10 and 11 API now natively supported by Linux via Gallium3D
Filed under: Developer, Games, Linux, MicrosoftIn one fell swoop, it seems like proper, contemporary 3D gaming could be coming to a Linux distro near you.
Unlike Wine, this implementation of Direct3D under Gallium3D is an actual, native port of the DirectX APIs. There's no emulation involved -- Gallium3D just acts as a 'very thin wrapper,' allowing developers easy access to Direct3D's goodies.
Luca Barbieri, the developer behind this new code commit, has a lot to say about Direct3D versus OpenGL, which might pain some open source advocates: "Thanks to a very clean and well-though design done from scratch, the Direct3D 10/11 APIs are vastly better than OpenGL and can be supported with orders of magnitude less code and development time."
Then speaking about why Direct3D will be the graphics API of choice, when developing for Linux, Luca continued the barrage: "A mature Direct3D 10/11 implementation is intrinsically going to be faster and more reliable than an OpenGL implementation, thanks to the dramatically smaller API and the segregation of all nontrivial work to object creation that the application must perform ahead of time."
As I understand it, Wine can't yet take advantage of this new development -- but as it stands, you can now leap right in and start programming a 3D Linux application using Mesa and the Direct3D state tracker. Direct3D 10 and 11 API now natively supported by Linux via Gallium3D originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Unlike Wine, this implementation of Direct3D under Gallium3D is an actual, native port of the DirectX APIs. There's no emulation involved -- Gallium3D just acts as a 'very thin wrapper,' allowing developers easy access to Direct3D's goodies.
Luca Barbieri, the developer behind this new code commit, has a lot to say about Direct3D versus OpenGL, which might pain some open source advocates: "Thanks to a very clean and well-though design done from scratch, the Direct3D 10/11 APIs are vastly better than OpenGL and can be supported with orders of magnitude less code and development time."
Then speaking about why Direct3D will be the graphics API of choice, when developing for Linux, Luca continued the barrage: "A mature Direct3D 10/11 implementation is intrinsically going to be faster and more reliable than an OpenGL implementation, thanks to the dramatically smaller API and the segregation of all nontrivial work to object creation that the application must perform ahead of time."
As I understand it, Wine can't yet take advantage of this new development -- but as it stands, you can now leap right in and start programming a 3D Linux application using Mesa and the Direct3D state tracker. Direct3D 10 and 11 API now natively supported by Linux via Gallium3D originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
New study questions extent of iPod-induced hearing loss
digg_url = 'http://www.tuaw.com/2010/09/22/new-study-questions-extent-of-ipod-induced-hearing-loss/';
Have you heard? Apparently iPods cause hearing loss. A Journal of the American Medical Association study published in August found that 14.9 percent of teenagers aged 12-19 suffered from hearing loss from 1988-94; 19.5 percent of the same age group had hearing loss from 2005-06. Throw in another statistic, a 100 percent increase in the number of iPods in existence from 2005-06 as compared to 1988-94, and it's clear what's behind this statistically significant rise in teen hearing loss.
Or maybe it's not so clear, after regarding a meta-study from the University of Minnesota. Researchers there found that 15 percent of the university's marching band members suffered from hearing loss, but after tracking them for a year and averaging out multiple test results, researchers found that more than half of the noise-induced hearing loss disappeared. Those same researchers said that false positive results can account for around 10 percent of the 14.9 percent hearing loss discovered in the 1988-94 JAMA study.
Listening to anything at a high volume for a long enough period of time will induce hearing loss. That goes for your car stereo, speakers blaring at a concert, and yes, iPods. Are more people listening to music via headphones now versus 1988-94? Probably. Is a portion of that increase due to the iPod's popularity? Almost definitely. Does that automatically mean there's an epidemic of iPod-induced teen deafness? It certainly sounds like a plausible theory, but with one study already questioning the JAMA results, the question is far from settled.
I will say that I'm occasionally astonished at the volume of music bleeding from people's white earbuds as they pass by. I can't listen to music on my iPhone at more than about 60 percent of maximum before it starts to hurt my ears, so I can't imagine what kind of damage these people are doing to their hearing. There's really no excuse for it, either. If you've got a child with an iPod, setting a volume limit on it is trivial. And if you're just trying to drive away the noise of the outside world, a decent set of canalphones is a whole lot cheaper and more convenient in the long run than a hearing aid.
[via Cult of Mac]TUAWNew study questions extent of iPod-induced hearing loss originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Have you heard? Apparently iPods cause hearing loss. A Journal of the American Medical Association study published in August found that 14.9 percent of teenagers aged 12-19 suffered from hearing loss from 1988-94; 19.5 percent of the same age group had hearing loss from 2005-06. Throw in another statistic, a 100 percent increase in the number of iPods in existence from 2005-06 as compared to 1988-94, and it's clear what's behind this statistically significant rise in teen hearing loss.
Or maybe it's not so clear, after regarding a meta-study from the University of Minnesota. Researchers there found that 15 percent of the university's marching band members suffered from hearing loss, but after tracking them for a year and averaging out multiple test results, researchers found that more than half of the noise-induced hearing loss disappeared. Those same researchers said that false positive results can account for around 10 percent of the 14.9 percent hearing loss discovered in the 1988-94 JAMA study.
Listening to anything at a high volume for a long enough period of time will induce hearing loss. That goes for your car stereo, speakers blaring at a concert, and yes, iPods. Are more people listening to music via headphones now versus 1988-94? Probably. Is a portion of that increase due to the iPod's popularity? Almost definitely. Does that automatically mean there's an epidemic of iPod-induced teen deafness? It certainly sounds like a plausible theory, but with one study already questioning the JAMA results, the question is far from settled.
I will say that I'm occasionally astonished at the volume of music bleeding from people's white earbuds as they pass by. I can't listen to music on my iPhone at more than about 60 percent of maximum before it starts to hurt my ears, so I can't imagine what kind of damage these people are doing to their hearing. There's really no excuse for it, either. If you've got a child with an iPod, setting a volume limit on it is trivial. And if you're just trying to drive away the noise of the outside world, a decent set of canalphones is a whole lot cheaper and more convenient in the long run than a hearing aid.
[via Cult of Mac]TUAWNew study questions extent of iPod-induced hearing loss originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
ColorPicker is a powerhouse JavaScript control for working with color
Filed under: Design, Developer, Web
This one's for the Web developers in the audience. ColorPicker is a very powerful JavaScript ... color picker. Okay, so maybe the name isn't very original (or searchable, for that matter), but it is very descriptive.
In the demo shown on the page, ColorPicker pops up as you click a text field that needs to be filled with a color value (think #ff00ff format). But what you get feels like a full-fledged application; you can populate multiple swatches, specify your color using hue/saturation/brightness (HSB), RGB, CMYK or HEX number, drag the window around, select it using a swatch spot or a hue slider, and that's just one possible look for the control!
As the screenshots on top of the page show, the control is incredibly configurable. You can add and remove UI elements, change its size, skin it, etc. And it's compatible with pretty much everything from IE 5.5 all the way to the newest Chrome and Opera (Firefox included, of course).
One interesting note is that this thing is totally self-sufficient; it doesn't use MooTools or prototype or anything like that. It's all "native code," as they say on the page. I'm not sure that's a plus, but it certainly makes deploying it easier. It's definitely an impressive piece of code!ColorPicker is a powerhouse JavaScript control for working with color originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 19:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
This one's for the Web developers in the audience. ColorPicker is a very powerful JavaScript ... color picker. Okay, so maybe the name isn't very original (or searchable, for that matter), but it is very descriptive.
In the demo shown on the page, ColorPicker pops up as you click a text field that needs to be filled with a color value (think #ff00ff format). But what you get feels like a full-fledged application; you can populate multiple swatches, specify your color using hue/saturation/brightness (HSB), RGB, CMYK or HEX number, drag the window around, select it using a swatch spot or a hue slider, and that's just one possible look for the control!
As the screenshots on top of the page show, the control is incredibly configurable. You can add and remove UI elements, change its size, skin it, etc. And it's compatible with pretty much everything from IE 5.5 all the way to the newest Chrome and Opera (Firefox included, of course).
One interesting note is that this thing is totally self-sufficient; it doesn't use MooTools or prototype or anything like that. It's all "native code," as they say on the page. I'm not sure that's a plus, but it certainly makes deploying it easier. It's definitely an impressive piece of code!ColorPicker is a powerhouse JavaScript control for working with color originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 19:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Sharp prepares XV-Z17000 3D DLP projector for 2011 release
Sharp just announced its first 3D projector, the XV-Z17000, at CEDIA. Due early next year, the company is holding back pricing information until CES but wasn't shy about mentioning mentioning it works with active shutter glasses using either DLP Link or IR syncing technology by bouncing an IR signal off the screen the picture is projected onto. It packs two HDMI 1.4a inputs and specs include a measured 30,000:1 contrast ratio and 1,600 ANSI lumens brightness. Check the press release after the break for the rest of the details currently available, we'll be taking another careful look at this one in January.Continue reading Sharp prepares XV-Z17000 3D DLP projector for 2011 releaseSharp prepares XV-Z17000 3D DLP projector for 2011 release originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 20:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
INTERDIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS INTEL INSIGHT ENTERPRISES INGRAM MICRO
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Ask Mozilla a question
Filed under: Mozilla, BrowsersInstead of my usual abode deep in the lush green forests of south England, I'm currently in San Francisco. I was here for the Internet Explorer 9 beta launch (which was very cool!) Yesterday I visited Google -- and later today I will be seeing the wonderful people at Mozilla.
I have a lot of things I want to ask them, but I figured you guys might also have a few clever questions up your sleeves! So, if there's something you've always wanted to ask Mozilla, leave a comment and I'll do my best to pose your questions to the right people.Ask Mozilla a question originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
I have a lot of things I want to ask them, but I figured you guys might also have a few clever questions up your sleeves! So, if there's something you've always wanted to ask Mozilla, leave a comment and I'll do my best to pose your questions to the right people.Ask Mozilla a question originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
TUAW's Daily App: Undercroft
Undercroft is an iPhone RPG that's reminiscent of the old Elder Scrolls games; it's turn based, and seen from a first-person perspective (even though you actually play a party of adventurers). This is strictly fantasy fare, and it doesn't do a lot that's new. For the first few quests, you're fighting rats and spiders, and you'll need to level up, deal with loot, and do lots and lots of exploring and quest completing before getting anywhere. But as traditional as it is, it's actually a lot of fun, and the retro format translates well to the iPhone's touchscreen. We've seen elsewhere that the iPhone can do next-gen games, but it's nice to see older forms like this finding a tidy home on the App Store.
And what the heck, ... it won't cost you anything. The game is sponsored by developer Jagex's Runescape at the moment, so you can download and play the whole thing for free. With that news in the equation, there's really no reason not to try this one out. Make a party, go kill some monsters, and see if it doesn't take you right back to a much simpler fantasy RPG time.TUAWTUAW's Daily App: Undercroft originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
And what the heck, ... it won't cost you anything. The game is sponsored by developer Jagex's Runescape at the moment, so you can download and play the whole thing for free. With that news in the equation, there's really no reason not to try this one out. Make a party, go kill some monsters, and see if it doesn't take you right back to a much simpler fantasy RPG time.TUAWTUAW's Daily App: Undercroft originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
McAfee launches a -- yawn -- short URL service
Filed under: Internet
McAfee has decided to get in to the short URL game. Why? Possibly because they were looking for an additional reason for techies to loathe them -- if there's one thing more hated than craptacular software, it's yet another URL truncator.
The theory is that people will use McAfee's short URL service because the links are managed by a trusted recognized security company. I'll say this for mcaf.ee: their landing page sure is salmon-colored. Beyond that, this is just another ho-hum link shortener -- they're not even the first provider to offer "safe" links. Bit.ly has been working with Websense and Sophos since late last year.
I don't know about you, but if I was McAfee I'd be more concerned about making sure my next definition update didn't brick corporate computers. Or maybe I'd work a little harder to ensure my security suite actually gets certified by AV-Test -- you know, like Webroot managed to do.
ed note: I'm guessing they mean "blacklist," not "blackist." Proofreading: another reason you know you picked the right security company.McAfee launches a -- yawn -- short URL service originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 08:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
McAfee has decided to get in to the short URL game. Why? Possibly because they were looking for an additional reason for techies to loathe them -- if there's one thing more hated than craptacular software, it's yet another URL truncator.
The theory is that people will use McAfee's short URL service because the links are managed by a trusted recognized security company. I'll say this for mcaf.ee: their landing page sure is salmon-colored. Beyond that, this is just another ho-hum link shortener -- they're not even the first provider to offer "safe" links. Bit.ly has been working with Websense and Sophos since late last year.
I don't know about you, but if I was McAfee I'd be more concerned about making sure my next definition update didn't brick corporate computers. Or maybe I'd work a little harder to ensure my security suite actually gets certified by AV-Test -- you know, like Webroot managed to do.
ed note: I'm guessing they mean "blacklist," not "blackist." Proofreading: another reason you know you picked the right security company.McAfee launches a -- yawn -- short URL service originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 08:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Porsche stuffs modern NAV into retro radio, tips hat to loyal 911 owners
Porsche knows better than anyone that it'll take a miracle for owners of many older 911s to upgrade, so rather than crying over it, it's figuring out a new way to milk stale customers. The head unit you see above is described as the "Classic Radio Navigation System," and apparently, it's designed to fit within the dashes of 911 motorcars built between 1963 and 1977. In short, it offers a modern-day navigation experience within a radio that still fits the motif of those gorgeous pieces of iron, and at €595 ($776), it shouldn't be a tough sell to any true collector. Word on the street has it that it'll hit Porsche dealers next month, ensuring that you'll finally be able to make that Thanksgiving jaunt to grandmother's house without getting turned around. Now, if only we knew what kind of mapping software it'll ship with...Porsche stuffs modern NAV into retro radio, tips hat to loyal 911 owners originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 02:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Autoblog | Porsche | Email this | Comments
Virgin Mobile scooping up Samsung Intercept
One great thing about being owned by Sprint is that you can sneak a handset here and there into your own lineup, which is exactly what Virgin Mobile has done in adding the midrange Intercept from Samsung to its range. Actually, it's not in the range just yet -- Virgin's Facebook page says that we should "stay tuned over the next few weeks" to find out the details, which leads us to believe we might see a launch (or at least a launch date announcement) around CTIA early next month. Not the awesomest Android phone in the world, sure, but for a carrier traditionally dominated by low-end prepaid gear, it's a solid addition, we'd say.
[Thanks, Brian]Virgin Mobile scooping up Samsung Intercept originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Virgin Mobile USA (Facebook) | Email this | Comments
[Thanks, Brian]Virgin Mobile scooping up Samsung Intercept originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Virgin Mobile USA (Facebook) | Email this | Comments
After 18 months of courtship, did Facebook leave Ping at the altar?
Apple and Facebook were in discussions for 18 months before ultimately failing to come to terms on integrating the world’s most popular social network with Apple’s upstart Ping music service.
While we don’t know the details of their discussions, it makes sense that Apple may have wanted to build Ping as a music-tracking and [...]After 18 months of courtship, did Facebook leave Ping at the altar? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
While we don’t know the details of their discussions, it makes sense that Apple may have wanted to build Ping as a music-tracking and [...]After 18 months of courtship, did Facebook leave Ping at the altar? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
NewerTech's Guardian MAXimus mini RAIDs your data in real time, armed to the teeth with tiny drives
To think it's been three years since the NewerTech Guardian MAXimus debuted. How time flies. But also too the pace of technology, which is why it's time to upgrade. The new Guardian MAXimus mini claims to do everything its ancestor did but with a pair of far smaller drives, making for a 1.5 pound package of RAID storage little bigger than a single 3.5-inch hard disk standing all by its lonesome. The brushed aluminum fanless unit connects via eSATA, USB 2.0 and both FireWire 800 and 400 in sizes up to 1.5TB, starting at $250 for a pair of 500GB, 5400RPM drives, but if you're the go-big-or-go-home type you'll also find a wallet-obliterating $3,300 package with two 400GB SSDs to make your files fly by. Strangely though, there's no USB 3.0 to be had even for that price. Perhaps next time? PR after the break.Continue reading NewerTech's Guardian MAXimus mini RAIDs your data in real time, armed to the teeth with tiny drivesNewerTech's Guardian MAXimus mini RAIDs your data in real time, armed to the teeth with tiny drives originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 02:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink SlashGear | NewerTech | Email this | Comments
Zune Pass expanding to U.K. and Europe, more nations get movie rentals and purchases
Filed under: Audio, Video, MicrosoftMicrosoft has announced a new expansion for Zune services. The news is a touch bittersweet for me, since it didn't involve the arrival of Zune Pass in Canada. Maybe next time...
Those of you who live in the U.K., France, Italy, and Spain, however, can now enjoy the Zune Pass music subscription service for £8.99 or 9.99 Euros per month. That's only a tad pricier than the $14.99 U.S. residents pay for all-you-can-eat music via Zune. The "keep 10 MP3s per month" option remains U.S. only, unfortunately.
Those four countries -- along with Germany -- can also now buy music via Zune, and movie rentals and purchases have been extended to even more countries. Here's how the video expansion breaks down:
Rentals: U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Mexico, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
Purchase: U.K., France, Germany, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
This is great news for anyone who owns an Xbox 360 or plans on purchasing a Windows Phone 7 device -- but it's also good news for Windows users in general. There's plenty of good content to be had on Zune, and it never hurts to have one more option for purchasing downloadable music and video content.
Hit up the official Microsoft press release for full details.Zune Pass expanding to U.K. and Europe, more nations get movie rentals and purchases originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Those of you who live in the U.K., France, Italy, and Spain, however, can now enjoy the Zune Pass music subscription service for £8.99 or 9.99 Euros per month. That's only a tad pricier than the $14.99 U.S. residents pay for all-you-can-eat music via Zune. The "keep 10 MP3s per month" option remains U.S. only, unfortunately.
Those four countries -- along with Germany -- can also now buy music via Zune, and movie rentals and purchases have been extended to even more countries. Here's how the video expansion breaks down:
Rentals: U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Mexico, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
Purchase: U.K., France, Germany, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
This is great news for anyone who owns an Xbox 360 or plans on purchasing a Windows Phone 7 device -- but it's also good news for Windows users in general. There's plenty of good content to be had on Zune, and it never hurts to have one more option for purchasing downloadable music and video content.
Hit up the official Microsoft press release for full details.Zune Pass expanding to U.K. and Europe, more nations get movie rentals and purchases originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Stevemail smackdown on student strikes sparks
On Friday, Gawker ran the story of Chelsea K. Isaacs and her claimed email back-and-forth with Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Now it's all the buzz.
Isaacs, a self-described "renowned college journalist, artist and social fixture" (also apparently North America's "most desirable hand model" at the age of 12, which is, if accurate, rather creepy), didn't get the replies she sought when she reached out to Apple's media relations team over and over for answers relating to a class assignment. Since her three iPad-related questions were apparently the key to her getting an A on her classwork, and she felt that she'd been ill-treated by the silence, she took her case to El Steve.
The exchange was spicy enough to get covered all over the place, from New York Magazine to the UK's Guardian newspaper. Apparently, when a CEO bothers to answer his email at all, she thought he'd be friendly and helpful -- not say things like "Our goals do not include helping you get a good grade" and "Please leave us alone." Curt and more than a little rude? Sure, but a) that's our Steve, and b) she kind of had it coming.
I'm not sure how much Ms. Isaacs knows about Apple, but if she was expecting a prompt and thorough response to any question that began "I'm working on a college assignment" from the PR folk, she's not living on the same planet as any journalist or blogger who covers the company. From the bottom to the top, Apple employees hold their cards close to the chest, and often as not a request for comment goes unanswered -- even from major media outlets, to say nothing of college seniors.
Calling repeatedly and desperately with the three mystery iPad questions, rather than rolling with a placid "Apple's representatives were not available for comment" or seeking out other sources of info, doesn't speak for her journalistic acumen. Emailing the CEO to complain that nobody would help her with her schoolwork? Well, that's just sophomoric. One thing's for certain, though, she's got her good grade in Brand Promotion 101 -- although who knows how well it will serve her out in the job market.
Of course, from a media relations perspective, far better if Steve had skipped replying at all, or come back with a simple "Sorry, can't help" rather than getting in that satisfying but unnecessary dig about her grades. Then again, she's fortunate he didn't get really ticked off and go all ninja on her.TUAWStevemail smackdown on student strikes sparks originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Isaacs, a self-described "renowned college journalist, artist and social fixture" (also apparently North America's "most desirable hand model" at the age of 12, which is, if accurate, rather creepy), didn't get the replies she sought when she reached out to Apple's media relations team over and over for answers relating to a class assignment. Since her three iPad-related questions were apparently the key to her getting an A on her classwork, and she felt that she'd been ill-treated by the silence, she took her case to El Steve.
The exchange was spicy enough to get covered all over the place, from New York Magazine to the UK's Guardian newspaper. Apparently, when a CEO bothers to answer his email at all, she thought he'd be friendly and helpful -- not say things like "Our goals do not include helping you get a good grade" and "Please leave us alone." Curt and more than a little rude? Sure, but a) that's our Steve, and b) she kind of had it coming.
I'm not sure how much Ms. Isaacs knows about Apple, but if she was expecting a prompt and thorough response to any question that began "I'm working on a college assignment" from the PR folk, she's not living on the same planet as any journalist or blogger who covers the company. From the bottom to the top, Apple employees hold their cards close to the chest, and often as not a request for comment goes unanswered -- even from major media outlets, to say nothing of college seniors.
Calling repeatedly and desperately with the three mystery iPad questions, rather than rolling with a placid "Apple's representatives were not available for comment" or seeking out other sources of info, doesn't speak for her journalistic acumen. Emailing the CEO to complain that nobody would help her with her schoolwork? Well, that's just sophomoric. One thing's for certain, though, she's got her good grade in Brand Promotion 101 -- although who knows how well it will serve her out in the job market.
Of course, from a media relations perspective, far better if Steve had skipped replying at all, or come back with a simple "Sorry, can't help" rather than getting in that satisfying but unnecessary dig about her grades. Then again, she's fortunate he didn't get really ticked off and go all ninja on her.TUAWStevemail smackdown on student strikes sparks originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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EtherCodes is an interesting code editor for real-time collaboration
Filed under: Developer
Finally, someone has gone and done it: EtherCodes is a mashup of EtherPad and Skywriter (formerly known as Bespin). In simple terms, it's a collaborative, real-time, Web-based code editor, with syntax highlighting for C, C++, C#, Java, PHP, Python, JavaScript, Ruby (yay!), and HTML.
It's currently in alpha, but I've played around with it, and it feels quite solid. It really feels like a hybrid. The familiar EtherPad interface surrounds a text area that is actually Skywriter. And Skywriter has its own command line, which lets you do all sorts of things to your code (convert all tabs to spaces, for example).
You don't get code completion, though, which is a shame. Also, for some reason, EtherCodes won't play nice with Opera -- it wants you to use Firefox 3.5+, Chrome 2.0+, or Safari 4.0+. I'm not really sure why, because Opera has a blazing-fast JavaScript engine. But all in all, I really like this mashup. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, it takes two established technologies and pairs them elegantly.
The mind behind EtherCodes is Gary Yao, who co-authored CKEditor (a well-regarded Rich Text editor for Web applications). I can only hope that EtherCodes will have the same kind of success. It is a much needed product, indeed.EtherCodes is an interesting code editor for real-time collaboration originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 20:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Finally, someone has gone and done it: EtherCodes is a mashup of EtherPad and Skywriter (formerly known as Bespin). In simple terms, it's a collaborative, real-time, Web-based code editor, with syntax highlighting for C, C++, C#, Java, PHP, Python, JavaScript, Ruby (yay!), and HTML.
It's currently in alpha, but I've played around with it, and it feels quite solid. It really feels like a hybrid. The familiar EtherPad interface surrounds a text area that is actually Skywriter. And Skywriter has its own command line, which lets you do all sorts of things to your code (convert all tabs to spaces, for example).
You don't get code completion, though, which is a shame. Also, for some reason, EtherCodes won't play nice with Opera -- it wants you to use Firefox 3.5+, Chrome 2.0+, or Safari 4.0+. I'm not really sure why, because Opera has a blazing-fast JavaScript engine. But all in all, I really like this mashup. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, it takes two established technologies and pairs them elegantly.
The mind behind EtherCodes is Gary Yao, who co-authored CKEditor (a well-regarded Rich Text editor for Web applications). I can only hope that EtherCodes will have the same kind of success. It is a much needed product, indeed.EtherCodes is an interesting code editor for real-time collaboration originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 20:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Monday, September 20, 2010
No Comment: The iPhone of night clubs
Um, yeah. That seems about right. San Francisco local blog SFist spotted this one outside of a nightclub over on Polk Street in that fair city, and we'll go ahead and repost it here for your smirking amusement with no comment. Even if you're fine with your iPhone's reception, you have to admit that's an excellent pun.
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.tuaw.com/2010/09/20/no-comment-the-iphone-of-night-clubs/';
tweetmeme_source = 'tuaw';
We will say kudos to Red Devil -- it's a rare company that can fess up to providing crappy service. A rare company indeed.
[via TDW]TUAWNo Comment: The iPhone of night clubs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.tuaw.com/2010/09/20/no-comment-the-iphone-of-night-clubs/';
tweetmeme_source = 'tuaw';
We will say kudos to Red Devil -- it's a rare company that can fess up to providing crappy service. A rare company indeed.
[via TDW]TUAWNo Comment: The iPhone of night clubs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Adobe patches security hole in Flash Player 10.1 for Android
Adobe has patched a critical security flaw in Flash Player 10.1, closing a gap that could have allowed an attacked to gain access to your phone. Version 10.1.95.1 fixes the following:A critical vulnerability exists in Adobe Flash Player 10.1.82.76 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Solaris, and Adobe Flash Player 10.1.92.10 for Android. ... This vulnerability (CVE-2010-2884) could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system.Props to Adobe for turning around the fix less than a week after the vulnerability was announced. Now we can all tend to our Farmville farms without worry. [Adobe]Posted originally at Android CentralSponsored by Android Cases and Accessories
Minox PX3D concept camera produces 3D images viewable sans glasses
The doors of Photokina open in a matter of hours, and we'll most definitely be venturing over to Minox's booth in order to have a look at the PX3D. According to the barebones teaser release, this here concept camera will be able to capture 3D images that are viewable sans glasses. It should be noted that the world's first consumer-oriented 3D cameras haven't exactly seen the fondest of reviews, but tossing the glasses requirement may just flip things on its head. It's still unclear what kind of display / digital photo frame will be required to view the effect (we're guessing a parallax barrier panel will be thrown up for display), but we'll be barging in soon in order to get the full skinny.Minox PX3D concept camera produces 3D images viewable sans glasses originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Sep 2010 22:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Slashgear | PhotographyBLOG, Press Anzeiger | Email this | Comments
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Firefox Friday: can Firefox hold off Internet Explorer 9 and Chrome?
Filed under: Internet, Mozilla, BrowsersHappy Firefox Friday, friends! In the lead up to an exciting winter, things have been heating up at Mozilla.
There's strong competition from all sides. The IE9 beta launches next week and we'll soon see whether Microsoft can transform its excellent developer previews into something which can make the end-user salivate. Chrome's hardware acceleration currently leads the pack, and will presumably find its way to the beta build very soon. Does Firefox 4 have what it takes to hold onto its wavering market share?
This war, kicked off by Google's intent to push Chrome from nerdy obscurity into the mainstream, has forced Mozilla to roll with the blows. After almost completely avoiding innovation with Firefox 3.6 -- yay, Personas! -- we're now seeing a delicious glut of additions rolling out with each and every beta build of Firefox 4.
These past two weeks have been the busiest I've ever seen Mozilla, in terms of bug fixes, new features, and new out-reach and research projects. Let's tuck in!
Firefox debuts new JagerMonkey JavaScript engine, now on the tail of Chrome and IE9
JavaScript has long been a weakness of Firefox -- or rather, it became a sore point after the initial release of Chrome showed the world just how fast JavaScript can be. With JagerMonkey, Firefox 4's JS performance will be very close to the competition.
From conversations with developers at Mozilla, I also get the feeling that raw JavaScript performance isn't their prime concern. Benchmarks are notoriously bad at depicting real-world applications -- and JavaScript can still only perform as fast as the layout engine lets it.
It's safe to say that FF4 will run your JavaScript-intensive games and Web apps just fine.
The outlook of in-the-browser 2D and 3D games is sunny
JavaScript performance certainly isn't the only measure of what a browser can do, but it is very important when it comes to browser games and calculation-intensive Web apps. Which brings me neatly on to this week's release of Mozilla Labs Gaming. Mozilla usually manages to drum up a lot of interest with its competitions and design challenges, but usually these take the form of concept brainstorms, or mock-ups for new browser features. I'm not sure whether the slower-moving and slightly-less-hip-than-it-used-to-be Mozilla can pull off a gaming competition -- but I hope I'm wrong.
Mozilla certainly has plenty of academic ties, and what with it being the start of a new school year, perhaps Open Web Gaming will be on the curriculum? In fact, looking at the sheer number and variety of today's 'open' technologies, you could create an entirely open-source curriculum! Are you listening, universities? Open video, audio, WebGL, JavaScript, SVG, geolocation.
Gamers and developers, you should take a look at Rocket Engine
I intend to do a full write-up of Rocket Engine, but in the meantime here are my initial thoughts: OMG. The website is intentionally vague, but it looks like it's a pure JavaScript games engine with an in-the-browser SDK and editor. Watch the video and have your mind blown.
It should be immediately apparent how potentially awesome a JavaScript games engine is. Rocket Pack (the developer) pulls no punches by showing the same game running on a PC, netbook and iPad -- apparently you can even design games on an iPad.
But that's not the best bit: Rocket Engine can be used to build MMOs like FarmVille. I've seen a few HTML5 and JavaScript game engines, but this is certainly the first to offer such a wide range of features. Just scroll down and have a look at what's on offer -- crazy.
Which reminds me... what's happening to that Mozilla Web App Store?
What can developers do with their games after they write them? Self-publish? Publish their game on Steam?
Everyone and their mother is working on an app store at the moment -- but not Mozilla. All of this talk of building upon Open Web technologies and shunning proprietary platforms like Native Client, yet the only outlet Firefox developers have is AMO! And that's for add-ons!
I'm certain Chrome's Web Store will open first -- not to mention the tie-in it will have with Google TV and Chrome OS installations! -- and Microsoft has spent the last few months pushing developers to write apps for IE9... but Mozilla is still only testing the waters.
If Mozilla built it, game developers would come.
This week's Firefox release round-up
To finish, here are the latest Mozilla releases, along any significant changes:
Firefox 3.6.9 -- the stable build of Firefox received a ton of bug fixes (67!) and patched no less than 14 security vulnerabilities
Firefox 3.5.12 -- yup, tons of people are still running Firefox 3.5. Some security and stability issues were fixed
Firefox 4.0 beta 5 -- and finally, FF4 beta 5 was released this week, with hardware acceleration turned on by default and the inclusion of the new Audio Data API. The hardware acceleration -- if it can be called that -- actually doesn't seem to work right now. I've asked Mozilla about it, but I haven't had a response yet
Thunderbird 3.1.3 -- yes, Thunderbird is still going! This is just a standard point release that fixes some bugs and stability issues
Firefox Friday: can Firefox hold off Internet Explorer 9 and Chrome? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
There's strong competition from all sides. The IE9 beta launches next week and we'll soon see whether Microsoft can transform its excellent developer previews into something which can make the end-user salivate. Chrome's hardware acceleration currently leads the pack, and will presumably find its way to the beta build very soon. Does Firefox 4 have what it takes to hold onto its wavering market share?
This war, kicked off by Google's intent to push Chrome from nerdy obscurity into the mainstream, has forced Mozilla to roll with the blows. After almost completely avoiding innovation with Firefox 3.6 -- yay, Personas! -- we're now seeing a delicious glut of additions rolling out with each and every beta build of Firefox 4.
These past two weeks have been the busiest I've ever seen Mozilla, in terms of bug fixes, new features, and new out-reach and research projects. Let's tuck in!
Firefox debuts new JagerMonkey JavaScript engine, now on the tail of Chrome and IE9
JavaScript has long been a weakness of Firefox -- or rather, it became a sore point after the initial release of Chrome showed the world just how fast JavaScript can be. With JagerMonkey, Firefox 4's JS performance will be very close to the competition.
From conversations with developers at Mozilla, I also get the feeling that raw JavaScript performance isn't their prime concern. Benchmarks are notoriously bad at depicting real-world applications -- and JavaScript can still only perform as fast as the layout engine lets it.
It's safe to say that FF4 will run your JavaScript-intensive games and Web apps just fine.
The outlook of in-the-browser 2D and 3D games is sunny
JavaScript performance certainly isn't the only measure of what a browser can do, but it is very important when it comes to browser games and calculation-intensive Web apps. Which brings me neatly on to this week's release of Mozilla Labs Gaming. Mozilla usually manages to drum up a lot of interest with its competitions and design challenges, but usually these take the form of concept brainstorms, or mock-ups for new browser features. I'm not sure whether the slower-moving and slightly-less-hip-than-it-used-to-be Mozilla can pull off a gaming competition -- but I hope I'm wrong.
Mozilla certainly has plenty of academic ties, and what with it being the start of a new school year, perhaps Open Web Gaming will be on the curriculum? In fact, looking at the sheer number and variety of today's 'open' technologies, you could create an entirely open-source curriculum! Are you listening, universities? Open video, audio, WebGL, JavaScript, SVG, geolocation.
Gamers and developers, you should take a look at Rocket Engine
I intend to do a full write-up of Rocket Engine, but in the meantime here are my initial thoughts: OMG. The website is intentionally vague, but it looks like it's a pure JavaScript games engine with an in-the-browser SDK and editor. Watch the video and have your mind blown.
It should be immediately apparent how potentially awesome a JavaScript games engine is. Rocket Pack (the developer) pulls no punches by showing the same game running on a PC, netbook and iPad -- apparently you can even design games on an iPad.
But that's not the best bit: Rocket Engine can be used to build MMOs like FarmVille. I've seen a few HTML5 and JavaScript game engines, but this is certainly the first to offer such a wide range of features. Just scroll down and have a look at what's on offer -- crazy.
Which reminds me... what's happening to that Mozilla Web App Store?
What can developers do with their games after they write them? Self-publish? Publish their game on Steam?
Everyone and their mother is working on an app store at the moment -- but not Mozilla. All of this talk of building upon Open Web technologies and shunning proprietary platforms like Native Client, yet the only outlet Firefox developers have is AMO! And that's for add-ons!
I'm certain Chrome's Web Store will open first -- not to mention the tie-in it will have with Google TV and Chrome OS installations! -- and Microsoft has spent the last few months pushing developers to write apps for IE9... but Mozilla is still only testing the waters.
If Mozilla built it, game developers would come.
This week's Firefox release round-up
To finish, here are the latest Mozilla releases, along any significant changes:
Firefox 3.6.9 -- the stable build of Firefox received a ton of bug fixes (67!) and patched no less than 14 security vulnerabilities
Firefox 3.5.12 -- yup, tons of people are still running Firefox 3.5. Some security and stability issues were fixed
Firefox 4.0 beta 5 -- and finally, FF4 beta 5 was released this week, with hardware acceleration turned on by default and the inclusion of the new Audio Data API. The hardware acceleration -- if it can be called that -- actually doesn't seem to work right now. I've asked Mozilla about it, but I haven't had a response yet
Thunderbird 3.1.3 -- yes, Thunderbird is still going! This is just a standard point release that fixes some bugs and stability issues
Firefox Friday: can Firefox hold off Internet Explorer 9 and Chrome? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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