Daily Crunch: Walking Through The Sleepy City Edition

Blunt Umbrellas Reduce The Possibility Of Rain-Related Impaling ?Condor? Supercomputer Made Of 1,716 PS3s Now Online Woah, This Robobird Really Flies Like A Bird ? Like, With Wings Time Waster: Play Old Handheld LCD Games In Your Browser Twimal: Super-Cute Twitter Toy Pet Reads Tweets For You (Video)

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/03/26/daily-crunch-sleepy-city/

NCR

Daily Crunch: Walking Through The Sleepy City Edition

Blunt Umbrellas Reduce The Possibility Of Rain-Related Impaling ?Condor? Supercomputer Made Of 1,716 PS3s Now Online Woah, This Robobird Really Flies Like A Bird ? Like, With Wings Time Waster: Play Old Handheld LCD Games In Your Browser Twimal: Super-Cute Twitter Toy Pet Reads Tweets For You (Video)

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/03/26/daily-crunch-sleepy-city/

DELL

U.S. Cellular gets the Samsung Gem for just $29.99 after rebate, contract

It's been seen on Alltel, Bluegrass Cellular and deep inside Verizon stores, and now US Cellular has the Samsung Gem. As you'll recall, it's a mid-range 3.2-inch (WQVGA display) Android 2.2 device with a 3.2MP camera and 800MHz processor.

The Gem will be available on April 1 for a mere $29.99 after $80 mail-in rebate. [US Cellular]

U.S. Cellular gets the Samsung Gem for just $29.99 after rebate, contract posted originally by Android Central

Sponsored by Android Cases and Accessories

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/WJN1BqT5cfc/us-cellular-gets-samsung-gem

AMKOR TECHNOLOGY

Microsoft files antitrust complaint against Google in Europe, showdown imminent

Microsoft, citing Google's tyrannical 95% share of the European search market, has lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission. It's not like Microsoft is breaking any ground here -- the European Commission has been investigating Google's alleged violation of European competition law since November 2010 -- but there's no doubt that the addition of Microsoft's gravitas will affect the proceedings.

Microsoft's complaint reads like a sincere and plaintive cry for help against the Google Overlord. Microsoft lists no less than six damning reasons why Google's behavior is anti-competitive -- from Windows Phone 7's incompatibility with YouTube, to its nefarious handling of Google Books -- and finishes with a wide-eyed plea to the European Commission to please find Google guilty.

For those of you that have been following Microsoft's own antitrust troubles over the last decade, don't worry: MS is quick to point out the irony in the situation. "There of course will be some who will point out the irony in today's filing. Having spent more than a decade wearing the shoe on the other foot with the European Commission, the filing of a formal antitrust complaint is not something we take lightly. This is the first time Microsoft Corporation has ever taken this step. More so than most, we recognize the importance of ensuring that competition laws remain balanced and that technology innovation moves forward."

It sounds like Microsoft, having well and truly gone through the wringer, wants Google to be held similarly accountable. That's fair enough, right?

Microsoft files antitrust complaint against Google in Europe, showdown imminent originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 05:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/microsoft-files-antitrust-complaint-against-google-in-europe-sh/

UNITED ONLINE

Like a Gizmodo Staff Member? Here's How to Show It [Promotion]

After reading our posts day after day, you've probably grown to like—or maybe hate—a few of us. Well, we'd love it if you'd express any positive feelings by showing us just how much you like us on our Facebook pages. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/zvXuJudzsUM/like-a-gizmodo-staff-member-heres-how-to-show-it

MANTECH INTERNATIONAL

Watch-controlled robo-tot grasps small objects, the meaning of life (video)

It may seem like there's an abundance of robot news lately, but we're just trying to please our mechanical overlords deliver the latest in gadget and technology news. What we've got here is an Arduino-based robo-gripper that serves only to move around and use its 3D printed claws to grab tiny objects that we'd otherwise be too lazy to pick up ourselves. The robot, infused with a Texas Instruments CC1110 dev kit, is controlled using an accelerometer-based Chronos watch and can move in all directions by simply tilting the timepiece. If you want to take a gander at this little guy in action, check out the video past the break -- it's always warming to see humans having the upper hand against the machine.

Continue reading Watch-controlled robo-tot grasps small objects, the meaning of life (video)

Watch-controlled robo-tot grasps small objects, the meaning of life (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Hack A Day  |  Gadget Dreams  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/30/watch-controlled-robo-tot-grasps-small-objects-the-meaning-of-l/

GOOGLE

Netflix beefing up service center in preparation for globa launch

It's no secret that Netflix has grand plans to expand its global footprint that now feeds media to some 20 million North American subscribers. Hell, the company was boasting of the "significant dollars" allocated to its 2011 international expansion plans just four months ago. While nothing's official yet, we've unearthed a few tantalizing openings posted to the Netflix job site over the last few days that could point to an imminent launch. Notably, Netflix's customer service call center in Hillsboro Oregon is gearing up to expand its scope of operations beyond North America. Two new job postings for a Training Supervisor and Quality Assurance Analyst both mention the need to prepare for "rapid" international expansion and "will support a specific country / region outside of North America." The Training Supervisor is being hired specifically to educate customer services reps in preparation for that international growth. Neflix is looking for fluency in English in addition to Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazilian and European), and Spanish (Latin American and European), leaving things pretty wide open with regard to the countries targeted for initial launch. However, we do know that Netflix had plans to launch in the UK way back in 2004 -- plans that were ultimately scrapped in order to focus on its core US business (and later Canada). But if not the UK then we should at least expect to see Netflix target the European continent first if a statement attributed to CEO Reed Hastings from way back in January of 2010 still rings true: "the big market for Hollywood content (after the U.S.) is Europe...Third is Asia. Fourth is the rest of the world." Fingers crossed.

[Thanks, Chico]

Netflix beefing up service center in preparation for globa launch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 02:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Netflix (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/31/netflix-beefing-up-service-center-in-preparation-for-globa-launc/

TIBCO SOFTWARE

WordPress enables new iPad-optimized layout for its 18 million blogs

WordPress has just announced the introduction of a 'pure HTML5' iPad-optimized theme. It has been automatically activated for all 18 million WordPress.com blogs, and self-hosted WordPress.org users can download and install the plug-in manually.

The iPad-optimized layout, which was developed with tablet publishing specialist OnSwipe, supports touch interactions, swiping, rotation and 'many other features of the iPad,' all with the power of HTML5. The theme is highly configurable, too. You can change the font typeface, choose from nine different 'skins' to match your existing blog theme, and you can set a 'cover' image. Of course, if you want visitors to simply see your normal blog theme, you can just disable the new iPad plug-in.

WordPress, which claims that it powers over 10% of the Web, says that it currently serves 750,000 pages views a day to iPad users -- a number that will surely explode over the next few years. What we're seeing here, first with Flickr last week, and now with the WordPress juggernaut firmly embracing tablet computing, is a resounding acknowledgment of a post-PC world. It's a very good sign of things to come, too; we expect there'll be a lot of tablet-optimized websites in 2011.

WordPress enables new iPad-optimized layout for its 18 million blogs originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/24/wordpress-enables-new-ipad-optimized-layout-for-its-18-million-blogs/

FAIR ISAAC

Harvard physicist puts fires out with electrified wand, hopes to share on HarvardConnection

Okay, so maybe Ludovico Cademartiri will be forced to share the good news on Facebook (or ConnectU, if he's into playing the role of rebel), but at least he's bound to see over a couple of hundred hits. According to The Harvard Crimson, the aforesaid physicist and a smattering of other researchers have stumbled upon a novel way to extinguish flames: electricity. The idea is eventually enable firefighters to squash fires without having to douse a home or object with water and foam -- if hit with a beam of juice, there's at least a sliver of a chance that something can be salvaged. While the specifics of the project are obviously far above our heads, the gist of it is fairly simple -- flames contain soot particles, which become "electrically charged during combustion." Given that those very particles react to electrical fields, a strong enough beam can twist things until it's extinguished completely. Quite honestly, it's a hands-on experience we're desperately trying to arrange, but till then, it looks like another round of Harry Potter will have to do.

Harvard physicist puts fires out with electrified wand, hopes to share on HarvardConnection originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink NPR, Switched  |  The Harvard Crimson  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/30/harvard-physicist-puts-fires-out-with-electrified-wand-hopes-to/

ARIAN SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT

Microsoft job posting teases Windows Phone Mobile Studio, requires thinking cap to grok

A conclusion for Captain Obvious to draw, this is not. As with most mega-corp job postings, the wording in Microsoft's latest is just obfuscated enough to keep us guessing, but a few key phrases have us (as well as ZDNet's Mary-Jo Foley) on edge waiting for the next big thing in cloud storage. Judging by the rousing reception seen by Amazon's Cloud Drive, we're guessing that the folks in Redmond haven't forgotten completely about Kin's one positive feature: Kin Studio. Based on a new job request, there's a Windows Phone Mobile Studio brewing, and the leading thought is that this is really Kin Studio... but for WP7 devices. Granted, this may be nothing at all like it sounds -- we could be looking at a future home for apps, or simply another aspect of Zune that'll make music management a wee bit easier. That said, we'd love to see Microsoft bust out a world-class streaming / storage service for its mobile platform, and you can bet we'll be prying for details at MIX next month.

Microsoft job posting teases Windows Phone Mobile Studio, requires thinking cap to grok originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink ZDNet  |  Microsoft  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/30/microsoft-job-posting-teases-windows-phone-mobile-studio-requir/

NIKON

Microsoft job posting teases Windows Phone Mobile Studio, requires thinking cap to grok

A conclusion for Captain Obvious to draw, this is not. As with most mega-corp job postings, the wording in Microsoft's latest is just obfuscated enough to keep us guessing, but a few key phrases have us (as well as ZDNet's Mary-Jo Foley) on edge waiting for the next big thing in cloud storage. Judging by the rousing reception seen by Amazon's Cloud Drive, we're guessing that the folks in Redmond haven't forgotten completely about Kin's one positive feature: Kin Studio. Based on a new job request, there's a Windows Phone Mobile Studio brewing, and the leading thought is that this is really Kin Studio... but for WP7 devices. Granted, this may be nothing at all like it sounds -- we could be looking at a future home for apps, or simply another aspect of Zune that'll make music management a wee bit easier. That said, we'd love to see Microsoft bust out a world-class streaming / storage service for its mobile platform, and you can bet we'll be prying for details at MIX next month.

Microsoft job posting teases Windows Phone Mobile Studio, requires thinking cap to grok originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink ZDNet  |  Microsoft  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/DQvb1M_-4i4/

HEWLETT PACKARD CO

Cloud Storage Faceoff: Windows Live SkyDrive vs. Dropbox vs. Amazon Cloud Drive [Lifehacker Faceoff]

With Amazon's recent entry into consumer cloud storage, we've got quite a few competitors offering great and varying options—but which one is the best? Here's a look at Windows Live SkyDrive, Dropbox, and Amazon Cloud Drive, and our top pick for storing you files in the cloud. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/_R5YHO-gG7E/cloud-storage-faceoff-windows-live-skydrive-vs-dropbox-vs-amazon-cloud-drive

SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS

Kinect hacked to work with PlayStation 3, plays Killzone 3 badly

Microsoft's Kinect, the fastest-selling gadget ever, has now been hacked to work with the PlayStation 3.

The Kinect isn't directly plugged into a PS3, though (that would be too awesome). Instead, it's plugged into a conventional PC laptop, where PrimeSense's first-party drivers are used to interface with Kinect. The data from Kinect is then converted into a format that the PS3 can understand, and output directly to the console using using diyps3controller, which lets the laptop USB controller interface with the PS3.

There's a video of the developer logging in and playing Killzone 3 on his PS3 using the Kinect after the break. Well, attempting to play Killzon 3, we should say. It seems like the hack has a little way to go before it's actually usable...

Continue reading Kinect hacked to work with PlayStation 3, plays Killzone 3 badly

Kinect hacked to work with PlayStation 3, plays Killzone 3 badly originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/21/kinect-hacked-to-work-with-playstation-3-plays-killzone-3-badly/

ADVANCED SEMICONDUCTOR ENGINEERING

Nintendo says 3DS sets day-one handheld sales record, doesn't quantify it

How many Nintendo 3DS handhelds got sold stateside after Triforce Johnson got one? Enough for Nintendo to boast: "U.S. day-one sales numbers for Nintendo 3DS were the highest of any Nintendo hand-held system in our history," the company claimed today, adding that the volume of tech support calls it received was also "well below the rate experienced during past hardware launches," and that there are no widespread issues with the handheld. That may sound a bit premature, considering Nintendo won't provide actual sales figures until April 14th, but we're willing to consider the possibility that the Virtual Boy's legacy is done: perhaps this time, the only major headaches Nintendo's handheld will create are for the likes of Sony and Microsoft.

Nintendo says 3DS sets day-one handheld sales record, doesn't quantify it originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq, Shacknews, USA Today  |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/np_5QxLuup8/

PALM