Jumat, 18 Februari 2011

What's new on SlashGear.com

What's new on SlashGear.com

UberMedia Updates Mobile Twitter Apps in Face of Eternal Ban

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 03:05 PM PST

Just a little bit ago we let you know that the reason you’re having trouble working on your phone with UberTwitter, twidroyd, and Echofon were because Twitter was banning them today. Not just today, either, forever, or as long as they continued to defy Twitter’s set of rules which include rules about privacy and trademark infringement, both of which Twitter says were besmirched. Because having their apps completely banned were probably going to put a dampener on their success, UberMedia appears to have been swift in their attempt to work with Twitter to have them active once more.

It might be important to note that although UberMedia owns UberTwitter and twidroyd, they do not (yet) own Echofon or any other Twitter clients that appear to have been banned for the same reasons as these two. Twitter legal sent out a note today that called out only the two biggest of the Tweetlaw breakers, both of them UberMedia owned and operated. What Twitter said was that these two apps were violating rules regarding trademark infringements and privacy in order to further monetize their services.

Now UberMedia has taken action as fast as they can with two new versions, one for UberTwitter, the other for twidroyd, sent to Twitter to peek at in order to gain back their rightful position as masters of mobile Twitter aggregation. Meanwhile, Twitter is letting everyone know that it’s completely fine to download their new version 2.0 official Twitter app while they cry about their favorite 3rd party apps being taken down. The tears are falling.

Which one do you use? Do you use a different 3rd party client for Twitter? Or perhaps you don’t use twitter on your mobile at all? Or not at all ever?!

Unthinkable.

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Apple Major Product Launch Possible for Next Week

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 02:55 PM PST

It appears that a source “familiar with the matter” has come forth to AppleInsider to spill the dish on some big fat Apple news about what might be a product launch next week. This release might have to do with inventory levels of the MacBook Pro or because Apple fans are ravenous as ever, either way it appears that rumors for two weeks from now are bunk, and next week is the source of heavenly Apple light. This meeting or press conference might well be the place where the next generation of MacBook Pros originate, and that’d be alright with yours truly as this 2007 MacBook is just about to hit the bin.

Included in the hints handed to our pals over at AppleInsider today were notes on the possible inclusion of Sandy Bridge processors as well as enhancements to the notebook line that include a unibody chassis redesign. Furthermore, Italian tech blog iSpazio has received part numbers for several new notebooks to be released by Apple including two 13-inch models, three 15-inch models, and one 17-inch model. The numbers iSpazio received where the following: MC720, MC721, MC723, MC724, and MC725.

An interesting additional note from AppleBitch includes a change in shipping times to customers, moved from 24-hours to between 1 and 5 days. The change from one to five is being seen in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Malaysia. AND earlier this month, again according to AppleInsider, US customers were beginning to hear of a wait time of between 4 and 6 weeks for replacements to build-to-order machines, with custom-configuration replacement requests possibly having to wait for up to eight weeks.

What does it all add up to? Some sweet new laptops with bright shiny screens, faster processors, and some sort of extra feature that will blow everyone’s socks off. Or it could just be a new line of laptops that are just a little bit better, maybe with some sort of cosmetic improvement. Whatever it is, it’s coming inside two weeks, maybe one. Get your waiting caps on and make sure you have plenty of bandwidth for all the Apple blogging you’ll be doing.

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Two Germans Drive Across Southern Australia In Wind-Powered Electric Car

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 02:18 PM PST

Hybrids and full electric cars have been the rage in the automotive industry for the past few years and hydrogen fueled cars are picking up momentum as well. The next "green" technology in automobiles could be wind-power. Two German adventurers have created the "Wind Explorer" and drove the wind-powered electric car across Australia's southern coast.

Dirk Gion and Stefan Simmerer developed the Wind Explorer to inspire ideas about limiting the bad effects of traffic, while staying mobile. The lightweight vehicle resembles old open top roadsters, except this one has a 20-foot bamboo mast and houses lithium-ion batteries, a wind turbine, and steerable kites. The car weighs in at approximately 450 pounds, only 150 pounds more than Dirk and Stefan combined. The car would be pulled for hundreds of kilometers with the steerable kites and the wind turbine would charge the batteries in the process.

The Wind Explorer looks like an extremely extravagant soapbox racer on bicycle wheels, but it is so incredibly efficient that its wind turbine can generate enough power for a daily distance of 250-400 kilometers. The Wind Explorer can travel 100 kilometers on half the amount of electricity you use to wash and dry a load of laundry. For their entire 18-day trip it cost them less than $15.

[via LA Times]

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Google To Invest Millions On Celebrity Youtube Channels

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 01:32 PM PST

The recent boom of YouTube stars may get pushed aside by established Hollywood stars. Google is looking to entice established celebrities with $5 million dollars for their own YouTube channel of original content. The money would cover salaries, production values, and the celebrity would get full ownership of the show. Google hopes to get twenty celebrity channels, which equals to a $100 million investment. They can afford the price tag by making it back quickly with the premium advertising they plan to run on the channels. The move mirrors what AOL and Yahoo are doing with personal celebrity channels, but YouTube has a much larger footprint and distribution network.

Established independent YouTube stars aren't excited about the new development, but understand that it makes business sense for Google to do this. Many of the more popular YouTube stars are now YouTube partners with the company meaning they get a check from YouTube for their number of views and subscriptions. These independent stars can make up to six figures a year through their YouTube channels.

With the influx of celebrity channels may give independent YouTubers less of chance to get popular. "I'm not really expecting handouts from Google, but I feel that they should definitely contribute more to people that have a proven track record of being consistent and devoted to the site from the beginning, rather than people that are using it just because they're getting some money thrown at them,” says one independent YouTube star, Alex Negrete (keeptheheat).

[via Business Insider]

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Microsoft May Allow More Open-Source Apps In Windows Phone Marketplace Later On

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 01:17 PM PST

A Microsoft spokesperson just confirmed that the company is considering allowing more open-source licensed apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace. The response was in light of inquiries about their most recent Application Provider Agreement which bans a majority of open-source apps licensed under the GNU GPLv 3, GNU Affero General Public License version 3, the GNU Lesser General Public License version 3, and “any equivalents to the foregoing.”

Given the popularity and widespread adoption of the Android OS thanks to open-source support, it seems odd that Microsoft isn’t trying harder to court the open-source development community. When contacted by ZDNet about this situation, a Microsoft spokesperson responded that the current Application Provider Agreement does allow for certain open-source licenses and that additional open-source licenses may be supported in future revisions of the agreement.

"The Windows Phone Marketplace supports several open source licenses, including BSD, MIT, Apache Software License 2.0, MS-PL and other similar permissive licenses. We revise our Application Provider Agreement from time to time based on customer and developer feedback, and we are exploring the possibility of modifying it to accommodate additional open source-based applications in upcoming revisions," said the spokesperson.

[via ZDNet]

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Twitter Suspends Ubermedia’s Twidroyd And UberTwitter

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 12:58 PM PST

Twitter posted earlier today that it has suspended the 3rd party clients Twidroyd and UberTwitter for violating policies. All are owned by Ubermedia, which claims to have over 3 million smartphone users accessing Twitter through their apps and web-based services.

"Today we have suspended several applications, including UberTwiiter, twidroyd, and UberCurrent, which have violated Twitter policies and trademarks in a variety of ways. These violations include, but are not limited to, a privacy issue with private Direct Messages longer than 140 characters, trademark infringement, and changing the content of user's Tweets in order to make money," said Twitter's spokeswoman, Carolyn Penner.

Twitter also said that it had been in communication with UberMedia since April 2010 about these allegations. Since these apps are some of the most popular for Android, Blackberry, and iPhone users, UberMedia should be working hard to get its apps back up and running.

[via TechCrunch]

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Samsung Galaxy S 4G Hands-on via Android Community

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 12:18 PM PST

Android Community has their hands on the lovely new Samsung Galaxy S 4G here and while it’s definitely not revolutionary, it’s certainly evolutionary. This phone is essentially the original Samsung Galaxy S with a little Android 2.2 Froyo love flowing through its veins out of the box. What else could Samsung do to improve the undisputed best selling set of Android phones in the world? Not much. Wanna see what they DID do anyway? Let’s have a look.

Android Community’s not only got some lovely photos of this unit, they’ve continued our insertion of the cool Android toy series man, this one from the second series that’s not even out for sale yet! We picked up a few whilst out in Barcelona. This phone has HSPA+ support on T-Mobile’s USA network, has a very similar row of your usual touch-sensitive keys under the display, and comes with the ability to download Inception from a hub out of the box. So weird!

Galaxy S 4G comes with Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface, though we’re apt to switch to something like ADW Launcher asap as TouchWiz really isn’t our favorite. Have a look over at Android Community for a fuller look at the phone, and stay tuned there for a full review — we should be getting our unit for review any day now!

[via Android Community]

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Springpad Announces Spiffy New Features And Tips

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 12:00 PM PST

In case you’re unfamiliar, Springpad, is fast becoming one of the major life-organizing note repository services such as Evernote. And having just passed the 1 million user mark, Springpad is announcing the release of several new features including a web app, chrome extension, and iPhone and iPad apps. They promise even more spiffy new features to come within the next few months.

There are many ways you can access Springpad and they’ve recently made improvements to them all. You can login via Springpadit.com where you can now set a custom background image, recover deleted items from trash, search using advanced filters, and save filters. The chrome extension allows you to create and find notes on the fly while you browse the web. Their iPhone and iPad apps let you create voice memos, rearrange your notebooks, and even post updates to Twitter and Facebook. Improvements to their Android app are on the way.

Besides the new features, Springpad also offers some new tips on how you can use Springpad to help organize your household. Some of the things you can do with it include creating weekly meal plans, using it for GTD, Organizing take-out menus, and creating a home inventory. And for one last fun tip, Springpad explains that you can instantly push notes to your Android phone using their “Send to Phone” feature under Quick Links. For details check out the Springpadit blog.

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Photos From Obama’s Tech Dinner

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 11:26 AM PST

The White House has released photos of President Obama's tech leader consortium at a dinner last night. The dinner was attended by most of Silicon Valley's top CEO's and people who generally manage and direct your digital lives.

At the dinner Obama wanted to talk with the CEOs about the "promoting of American innovation, and discuss his commitment to new investments in research and development, education, and clean energy," said a White House official.

Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg nabbed the prime seats, each flanking the President. The other invitees included: Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, Cisco CEO John Chambers, Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz, Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, Genentech Chairman Art Levinson, Stanford University President John Hennessy, and former state controller and venture capitalist Steve Westly.

[via TNW]

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NYT Debunks iPhone Nano Rumors, Concepts Continue To Surface

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 10:29 AM PST

The New York Times has just reported that the iPhone nano rumors are false, contrary to what Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal reported last week of a possible iPhone nano for under $200 without contract. However, it’s unlikely that reports either direction will stop creative iPhone enthusiasts from churning out more amusing concepts for a nano version as shown below.

The NYT article says that Apple is focused on the iPhone 5, which will be of similar size to the iPhone 4 and that making multiple sizes of the iPhone is not feasible in terms of efficient development and integration. They also say that Apple plans to improve voice command features and will roll out a free version of MobileMe more versatile than the paid version to allow customers to sync across all iOS devices.

Nonetheless, pictured above is yet another iPhone nano concept called the iPhone 4K that features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The K stands for keyboard and the overall look is based on the previous generation iPod nano. The designer, Long-Nong Huang, specs the design with a 3.2-inch Retina display, 800×400 resolution, 800Mhz CPU, and a 5MP camera.

[Via Unwired View]

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BillToMobile Signs Sprint Deal, Now Three Major US Carriers For Mobile Payments

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 09:48 AM PST


BillToMobile has just signed a deal with Sprint to allow the carrier's customers to purchase items with their mobile phones. With this deal BillToMobile now has three of the four major carriers in the U.S.–their previous deals with Verizon and AT&T. T-Mobile is the only major carrier to not have a deal with the company thus far.

BillToMobile’s majority shareholder is South Korean Danal Corp., a leader in carrier billing in Asia where mobile payments are quite popular. BillToMobile lets subscribers charge items directly to their phone bill by using their mobile handset. Right now all the items available to purchase are digital items like songs or video games. Expect to see physical items in the future when it can lower the fees to be more reasonable.

Hopefully mobile payments will take off in the future with advancements of NFC (near field communications) technologies and be as ubiquitous and easy to use as in Asia. With the Sprint deal BillToMobile now has a reach of 240 million subscribers in the U.S. through the three carriers. Sprint's implementation is expected to come within the next few months.

[via All Things Digital]

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Investigation Clears Toyota Electronics, Still Blames Mechanical and Driver Error

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 09:48 AM PST

The saga of the “runaway Toyotas” last year that was the cause of several injuries and deaths, 11 million recalled vehicles and a circus show of Toyota bashing now has some “sort of” new developments. After a year’s worth of investigation, the authorities have pretty much gone full circle to conclude once again that Toyota’s electronics are not to blame. Yes, it was just the floor mats and sticky pedals all along. Oh, and maybe driver error.

Toyota had originally blamed mechanical problems such as shifty floor mats and sticky gas pedals for the sudden accelerations. But at the time, authorities believed this was just a cover-up for faulty electronics. However, in August 2010, investigations showed that in 35 of 58 accidents they studied, the vehicle’s data recorder showed that brakes had not been applied by the driver. Panic may have caused the drivers to stomp on the gas pedal instead of the brake and then floor mats getting wedged along with sticky gas pedals could have contributed to the problem.

And now after a year of investigation, the verdict brings us right back to what Toyota initially reported–mechanical problems with shifty floor mats and sticky pedals, not faulty electronics. So the problem wasn’t faulty electronics, nor a cover-up. The investigation was conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) along with Toyota engineers and the input of NASA and the National Academy of Sciences. But surprisingly, the root cause of the error is still believed to be driver error of hitting the wrong pedal, termed “pedal misapplication.”

[via Discovery]

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FTC And Department of Justice May Investigate Apple’s Subscription Model

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 09:08 AM PST

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple’s new subscription model is catching the attention of U.S. antitrust enforcers. The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission plan to delve into the situation but may not develop any formal investigation or any action against the company. Many publishers including music streaming service, Rhapsody, have criticized Apple’s new subscription policy, even saying it is “economically untenable.”

Apple’s subscription service requires a 30 percent cut on all revenue from online subscriptions. It also sets up restrictions that steer customers away from directly subscribing via the publisher’s website–the only way publishers can avoid the 30% fee and acquire important customer sales and billing data. On top of this, publishers are not allowed to offer a lower subscription price on their websites than what they offer in-app. And there’s even less wiggle room when you consider that subscription content can only be delivered to iPads, iPhones, and iPods via iTunes.

Apple has had a brush with federal regulators before for similar anti-competition strategies. In May 2010, the FTC and the Justice Department made inquiries on Apple’s developer agreement in that seemed to be anti-Android. That situation restyled in Apple announcing greater developer freedoms. So it will be interesting to see whether Apple loosens its grip on the new subscription model.

[via Cult of Mac and Reuters]

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inPulse Smart Watch finally shipping

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 06:52 AM PST

It’s taken inPulse a little longer than expected, but the company’s Bluetooth watch for remotely controlling a BlackBerry smartphone is now finally shipping. Priced from $149.99, the watch has now opened up its horizons to other platforms, too, including certain Android phones and jailbroken iPhones.

Functionality ranges from previewing incoming messages, email and caller ID, to remotely controlling iTunes and PowerPoint presentations and even monitoring server ping times. inPulse also offers a free SDK for Windows, OS X and Linux, so that owners can write their own code.

As for the hardware, there’s a 1.3-inch 96 x 128 resolution color OLED display, Bluetooth 2.1, vibration motor, 52MHz ARM7 CPU and 32KB of storage for apps. The 150 mAh battery is good for up to four days use, and recharges by microUSB.

[via BerryReview]

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LG Optimus 3D gets hefty price ahead of April release

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 06:39 AM PST

LG’s Optimus 3D was always going to fall on the expensive side, with its dual 5-megapixel camera array and glasses-free 3D screen, but we’re still a little surprised by retailer Expansys‘ pre-order price. According to the listing, the Optimus 3D will be £514.99 ($835) when it arrives on April 25.

That’s the SIM-free and carrier-unlocked price, naturally, so if you head down to your carrier of choice they’ll probably be heavily subsidizing it in return for a two-year agreement. Still, from our hands-on with the Optimus 3D at MWC 2011 earlier this week, we’re not sure the 3D functionality is quite worth the expense.

[via Android Community]

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Sony Ericsson’s 4G Android tablet prototype spotted

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 05:59 AM PST

We were only just talking about Sony Ericsson’s Android tablet plans, and now shots of what could be the company’s 4G prototype have emerged from deep in the TDIA MWC 2011 booth. NieuweMobiel spotted the slate – branded with the TD-LTE 4G used by China Mobile, the carrier which Sony Ericsson has already said it is working with – complete with a front-facing 3.0-megapixel webcam and what’s estimated to be a 6 to 7-inch touchscreen.

Full specifications are unknown, but TDIA did confirm that the slate runs – or will run; it’s not clear if it’s a functional unit or not, and was shown turned off – an unspecified version of Android. TD-LTE is also being trialled in Germany, so this might not be solely a device for the Chinese market.

In fact, the Sony Ericsson slate may not be released at all; it could well only be a test device. That’s probably not a bad thing, given the bulky casing and the fact it apparently has a resistive touchscreen.

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DIY cyborg costume gives you Borg eye [Video]

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 05:50 AM PST

As DIY costumes go, Ryan Sturmer’s cyborg masquerade mask is all kinds of awesome. Constructed from the salvaged - and still functional – parts from a digital camera, the mask uses the zoom lens as an eyepiece (complete with a Terminator-style red LED) and reacts to breathing to run through some suitably Borg-like movements.

Video demo after the cut

The nosepiece hides a thermistor, which tracks increasing heat – such as when you exhale strongly – and triggers the camera lens’ power and self-check procedure. The schematic for the whole thing is actually printed onto the mask, while the microcontroller for the thermistor is also mounted to the side of the open eye hole. Unfortunately you can’t actually see through the camera lens – nor take photos – but it’s geekily great all the same.

[via Hack a Day]

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Sony Ericsson: LTE phones and Android tablet incoming, but no WP7

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 05:38 AM PST

Sony Ericsson has said it is “advanced” in its development of an LTE handset, and revealed that it has plans to release an Android tablet. CTO Jan Uddenfeldt told Fierce Wireless that the company has been “holding discussions with Sony” regarding the tablet, though declined to give further details as to timescales or specifications. It’s unclear if this is related to the leaked Sony S1 gaming tablet reported earlier this week.

As for the LTE device, the first handsets are likely to be for China Mobile, with Sony Ericsson partnering with the carrier and with ST-Ericsson to produce TD-LTE voice and data enabled phones. However, it’s possible that future versions could be for the US market.

Meanwhile, Uddenfeldt confirmed that Sony Ericsson has no current plans to release Windows Phone 7 devices, since Android still occupies so much carrier and consumer mind-share.

“On the other hand, we have not released any new windows products for the last nine months or 12 months. It’s still a possibility that we could, but we don’t see any real reason for it because Android is growing so dramatically, and it has an attractiveness when it comes to the user-friendliness and market growth, and the carriers are loving it. But we don’t close our eyes on other things” Jan Uddenfeldt, CTO, Sony Ericsson

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Nokia giving developers free E7 and free WP7 device

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 04:39 AM PST

Nokia’s decision to switch from Symbian to Windows Phone 7 might not have been met with glee from many developers, but the company looks to be addressing its coding community in a decent way. SlashGear has been passed details of an email sent to Nokia Launchpad program members, in which they’re promised a free Nokia E7 together with “one free Nokia WP7 device, as soon as it becomes available.”

Launchpad is Nokia’s mobile app development program, usually priced at €300 annually but currently free for the first year. Membership is available – on an approved application basis – for individuals and companies, and regularly includes early access to APIs and SDKs, promotions in the Ovi Store and invitations to training events.

As well as free devices, however, this new change will see free tech support on all Nokia technologies for the next three months (limited to ten tickets at most) and a free “user experience evaluation” of any apps developers have coded. There’s also the promise of extended business development support. More on the Nokia change in our Stephen Elop interview from MWC 2011 this week.

[Thanks Anonymous!]

18 February 2011

Dear Launchpad member,

In light of the strategy announcement made by Nokia and Microsoft last week, we are writing to you today to assure you that our commitment to you and your work to develop innovative apps for Nokia devices remains as strong as ever.

We understand that you have a lot of questions, and want to reassure you that we understand and we are here to listen to your feedback and provide you with information. We encourage you to visit Nokia Conversations where you can find a great deal of information regarding the news http://conversations.nokia.com and which can help to answer some initial questions.

We are very energized by recent developments, and believe the opportunities to develop for Nokia devices are as exciting and lucrative today as they have ever been. In addition to the opportunities coming soon with Nokia and WP7, we have several new benefits to share with you today, intended to help accelerate your app business to reach the 225 million app-hungry Nokia smartphone owners worldwide today.

Today, Qt developers can target more than 100 million Nokia devices for their apps and we have announced that we plan to sell an additional 150 million Symbian devices. Nokia will continue to provide free Qt trainings to help you learn how to make the most of this sophisticated cross-development platform. We're enthusiastically meeting the demand, so please let us know whether you'd like a training set up in your area.

We are also excited to offer you one free admission to the next Nokia World/Nokia Developer Summit later this year. We will take care of the registration costs.

To assist you with your development activities in the near-term, we will ship one free Nokia E7 device to all program members. Additionally, we will send to you one free Nokia WP7 device, as soon as it becomes available.

To accelerate your mobile app development, we will provide free tech support on all Nokia technologies for the next three months (up to 10 tickets). Equally, if you would like to take advantage of a free User Experience evaluation of one of your apps, please let us know and we will work with you to make those arrangements.

We will also be extending our business development support to all Nokia developer and content program members who are currently developing apps for Nokia devices, and we will assist in publishing those apps in Nokia's Ovi Store. We will continue to offer ideas and guidance for ways to fully promote your published apps so that you can reap the rewards of your hard work.

If you have any questions, or need any help from us in the days ahead, we want you to know that you can count on us to be there for you. We are truly excited about working with you to discover new opportunities that will lead to future successes.

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Apple files patent app for better battery

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 04:38 AM PST

One of the most important things in the tech world for gadgets, computers, and even cars and lots more are batteries. Innovations in battery design and construction will bring us gadgets that run longer on a charge, more powerful devices, and EVs that can drive further with a charge. Battery tech has huge potential to change the tech world for the better.

Apple has filed a patent app that outlines a new battery that hope to make notebooks run longer. The app is titled, “Increasing Energy Density in Rechargeable Lithium Battery Cells.” The crux of the app is a way to make a battery that uses what the Apple calls multi-step constant-current constant-voltage charging technique.

That means that the power capacity of the battery could be increased while the size of the battery would remain the same. The technique described in the patent app would allow the thickness of the anode material inside to be increased in volumetric and gravimetric energy density. Sounds cool and it boils down to more power for the same battery size.

Via AppleInsider

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Fujitsu HOPA-2 learns to erase a whiteboard

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 04:24 AM PST

Of all the awesome things, you could teach a robot to do, why would you decide to teach one to erase a whiteboard? A chalkboard would make sense, no one likes getting chalk dust on their hands after all. Some geeks from the Italian Institute of Technology and Tokyo City University have worked together to teach a Fujitsu HOAP-2 robot to erase the whiteboard.

The team attached a small eraser to the robots hand and then a human instructor guided it in a variety of sweeping motions. A force-torque sensor in the robots wrist recorded the patterns, forces applied other hand to erase the board, and then the robot was able to replicate the motions.

The cool part there isn’t that the bot learned to erase the whiteboard, but that the machine learned by being show what to do rather than being programmed. When you look at it from that point of view it’s a really cool project. Check out the video below to see Mr. Roboto in action.

via PlasticPals

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Audi connect makes your car a hotspot and more

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 04:09 AM PST

If you have ever been cruising along in your car and wished you could get online for surfing the web and share that connection with other devices in the car you are not alone. You can do this with smartphones and other devices, but that sucks down your battery. Audi has a new service called Audi connect that does this without having to rely on another device in the car.

Audi connect is an interesting platform that allows the user to do all sorts of things in the car using a mobile broadband connection. The driver can access Google Earth and that content can be integrated into the navigation system the car uses. The connectivity will also give the driver access to a POI database.

Audi connect also has a hotspot function hat allows the sharing of the internet connectivity with up to eight other devices in the car. The system will also be expanded in some markets this summer to add online traffic information and expanded voice control. Carmakers are finally seeing the light when it comes to connectivity and entertainment on the road.

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AeroViroment develops operational unmanned aircraft for DARPA that looks like a hummingbird

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 03:57 AM PST

A company called AeroVironment has developed an awesome unmanned aircraft for DARPA that is tiny and designed to look like a hummingbird. The little flying machine uses two wings that flap to hover in the air and fly in any direction. The total weight of the aircraft is two-thirds of an ounce and that includes batteries and a camera.

How awesome is that? It can be remotely controlled for precision flight and has its own power source inside. The device is dubbed the Nano Hummingbird and is a milestone as part of the Phase II contract awarded by DARPA to design and build a flying prototype. I can see this thing being used to spy on criminals and flown around just for fun.

The prototype is handmade and has a wingspan of 6.5 inches and a flying weight of 19 grams. That is less than the weight of an AA battery according to the firm. That lightweight is very impressive when you consider it includes all flight systems, batteries, communications, and the camera. The aircraft is larger than a hummingbird, but weighs less. I want one of these!

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Nextreme Thermobility solution turns heat into power for mobile devices

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 03:47 AM PST

A company called Nextreme has a really interesting mobile wireless power generation system that might one day find its way into the gadgets we all know and love. The solution is called Thermobility and it reminds me a bit of a CPU cooler from the inside of a computer.

Thermobility devices use heat as a way to generate power and are appropriate for low-power wireless products. The power generator will work in any device where there is adequate heat according to the company and the design will run for “decades” without maintenance.

The Thermobility WPG-1 has a constant voltage output of 3.3, 4.1, or 5 Vdx to electrical loads of 15kΩ or higher. The device itself is about the size of a golf ball and has a pin-fin heat sink, circuit boards, and the Nextreme eTEG HV56 thermoelectric power generator module. Future version will have integrated energy storage for devices that have variable heat sources. The WPG-1 generator is available now for evaluation for $495.

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Ford replaces 50K light fixtures to go green and save money

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 03:33 AM PST

Ford has a bunch of different properties in Dearborn, Michigan where it does much of the work for its line of vehicles. Ford Land Energy Efficiency and Supply Office has announced that it will be changing out 50,000 light fixtures in its facilities in Dearborn to eliminate a massive amount of CO2 emission and save big money.

According to Ford, changing out the light fixtures from incandescent will cut 11,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions and save Ford about $1.3 million annually. The reduction in energy usage from the new fixtures will save an estimated 18.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, which is enough power for about 1,648 residential homes each year.

In addition to changing out the light fixtures, Ford will also be optimizing the use of day lighting, replacing incandescent exit signs with LED versions, and controlling unoccupied areas with occupancy sensors. Ford will be using both compact florescent and LED bulbs in the project.

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Tenba Vector bags have style and features

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 03:21 AM PST

Anytime I have to shop for electronics, gadgets, or accessories for gadgets with my wife things get dicey for me. I am a function over form type of guy, I like my gear to look cool but it had better work first. My wife on the other hand will pick an inferior product just because it’s cuter. Rarely does the style she wants and the specs and performance I want meet.

Tenba has a new line of bags for cameras that is called the Vector line. Style and functionality seem to coexist pretty well in these bags. They come in a number of sizes and styles that should mean they will work with everything from the cheap point and shoot that my wife uses (and complains about, but it’s pink) up to my DSLR that is not that attractive, but actually works.

The bags can be had in Krypton Green, Carbon Black, Cadmium Red, and Oxygen Blue. The bags are light and made from water-resistant fabric for protection in all weather. The larger bags have a WeatherFlap, which is an all weather cover that will prevent water damage to your gear if you caught outside in the rain. Prices for the bags range from $12.95 to $79.95.

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Induro unveils new Adventure AKP Tripods

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 03:06 AM PST

If you shoot with a DSLR camera on manual, you know that sometimes when exposures are long you need a tripod or your image will be a blurry mess. The catch is that a lot of the tripods on the market are big, bulky, and heavy making them less than ideal if you are shooting in the outdoors. A new series of tripods from Induro called the Adventure AKP Series have launched and they are light and easier to take with you.

The series includes several models with support for different cameras and in different sizes. They all share the same features like a wide stance for stability and a magnesium alloy spider. The magnesium makes the tripod strong and lightweight at the same time. The legs have rapid action quick locks for fast setup.

The Panheads on the tripods are 3-way and the handles fold for easy packing when on the go. The center column is reversible for low angle shooting and the tripods come with a carry bag and a strap. There are many other features for the line as well. The AKP range is available now with prices running from $164 to $219.

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Sprint eyeing LTE future?

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 02:57 AM PST

WiMax appears doomed in the US with Clearwire shutting down retail operations and LTE networks coming online as we speak. Sprint banked on a massive lead in the market for WiMax to offset the slower speeds compared to LTE and that significant lead didn’t get Sprint where it hoped to be. According to PCWorld Sprint is now looking at the future of 4G and eyeing LTE.

This is no surprise Sprint, changed some of its commitments months ago to allow it the possibility of using LTE in the future. PC World reports that at MWC Sprint Senior VP Bob Azzi hinted strongly that Sprint and its infrastructure partners are poised to start rolling out LTE networks in the near future. The three infrastructure partners for Sprint include Altec-Lucent, Samsung, and Ericsson. All three of those firms build both LTE and WiMax gear and some of that gear can support either network type.

Sprint has plenty of wireless spectrum to carry LTE with 120Mhz of spectrum in its bag for the 1900MHz band nationwide. I say it’s not a question of if Sprint will do LTE, but when. The company has likely known for a while the bet on WiMax was the wrong one and the problem now is that it has users on WiMax in some areas with devices and significant investment. Azzi reckons an LTE network to complement the WiMax one run by Clearwire is the route to take. I still don't see WiMax customers with devices in hand being happy that WiMax will be limited to what is existing if Sprint goes LTE. That is nothing a free handset upgrade won’t fix though.

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Chevrolet introduces MyLink interface for smartphones

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 02:29 AM PST

For a long time now, Ford vehicles have been coming with an awesome Sync system that allows you to control all sorts of things inside the car using your voice. The feature that I like most about Sync is the heavy integration you can get with your smartphone for calls and more. Chevy has been a bit behind the times relying on OnStar for its connectivity in cars for the most part, but the carmaker has now announced MyLink that is powered by Nuance.

Interestingly Nuance also powered Sync for Ford as well. Chevrolet MyLink will land in the 2012 Volt and Equinox SUV to start with and I would imagine it would come to other vehicles in the Chevy line down the road as well. The system allows the user to use their voice to initiate phone calls, change radio station, and select portable media devices (again exactly like Sync).

The MyLink will support apps using your voice with Pandora and Stitcher SmartRadio support (broken record here, Sync does this too). MyLink has Gracenote capability as well to identify the music collection of the driver on their smartphone or MP3 player and then puts the cover art and other details about the music on the MyLink screen, this is the first thing that Sync doesn’t offer and its really pretty cool.

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Scosche goBAT II portable battery charger for USB gear ships

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 02:15 AM PST

Scosche has announced that it is now shipping the goBAT II portable battery charger and back up battery device. The little gadget is an external battery that has 5000mAh of power inside and has dual USB ports. That means that the gadget can charge two gadgets at the same time.

The only downside to having a battery that has a USB port is that you need to take your charge cables with you to charge. According to Scosche, a dead iPhone 4 can be charged 2.6 times on a fully charged goBAT II. The battery has enough oomph to charge the iPad more than halfway as well.

One of the USB ports on the device has 2.1 amps and the other is a 1-amp port. The time to charge the battery inside the sleek little goBAT II is 6-8 hours. You can order one up right now directly from Scosche for $89.99.

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