Friday 6 May 2011

DRIVER NEEDED: ASUS P1-P5945GCX (Windows 7)

DRIVER NEEDED: ASUS P1-P5945GCX (Windows 7): "Forum: Network Adapter Request Board
Posted By: Brazucauk
Post Time: 05-05-2011 at 09:31 PM"


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Acer's 3G-equipped Iconia Tab A100 up for pre-order on Amazon UK for £400

Acer's 3G-equipped Iconia Tab A100 up for pre-order on Amazon UK for £400: "

When we first caught wind of the pending release of Acer's Iconia Tab A100 WiFi version, we were amazed by its Amazonian pre-order promise of Android 3.0 for a mere £300. Now, a second version of the seven-inch slate has hit the same site with a May 14 release date, a sprinkling of 3G, and the cut-rate cost of its cousin has been replaced with a £400 ($660) price tag. Unfortunately, the extra hundred pounds takes the A500's 3G baby brother out of the bargain basement, but you didn't think you'd get all those G's for free, did you?

Acer's 3G-equipped Iconia Tab A100 up for pre-order on Amazon UK for £400 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 00:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Carrypad | sourceAmazon UK | Email this | Comments"



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Chrome Canary comes to Macs for fearless browser enthusiasts

Chrome Canary comes to Macs for fearless browser enthusiasts: "
Chrome CanaryUntil now, Mac users who like to live their digital lives on the edge have had to make do with Chrome's dev channel while their Windows counterparts were flying by the seat of their pants with the Canary build. Well, be jealous so more OS X fans -- you can now run your own untested, pre-developer build of Google's web browser. The Canary release is updated at an almost alarming rate and frequently adds and drops features without warning. Sure, you could opt for the open-source Chromium, but then you'd miss out on niceties like built-in Flash and PDF support. Don't get too freaked out though: Canary can run alongside your existing (and more stable) Chrome install. So, throw caution to the wind, embrace the crashes, report those bugs, and hit up the source link to download.

Chrome Canary comes to Macs for fearless browser enthusiasts originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 01:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TUAW | sourceChrome Early Access Release Channels | Email this | Comments"



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Keepin' it real fake: Sony NGP with Xbox 360 livery shows up in China

Keepin' it real fake: Sony NGP with Xbox 360 livery shows up in China: "

Look away now, Kaz, because it looks like this KIRF NGP is on track to beat the real deal to market. Known as the iReadyGo RG on Chinese forum CNGBA, this shameless rip-off is set to be a near-carbon copy of Sony's upcoming console with the same 5-inch touchscreen, though it isn't clear whether this will also be of OLED nature or of identical resolution. Other differences include the missing touchpad on the back, as well as the buttons' color scheme that's no doubt 'inspired' by the Xbox 360 controller. The rest of the rumored specs include a 1GHz Cortex-A8 CPU, 720p camera, HDMI-out, and video playback compatibility for MP4, WMV, AVI, and many more. But what's most interesting is that apparently we'll be seeing some Android love here, and indeed, iReadyGo is currently recruiting six senior Android developers. No word on pricing or availability yet, but we'll probably wait for Sony's quad-core offering, thank you very much. Head past the break for a shot of the RG's glossy back.



[Thanks, rrw]

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake: Sony NGP with Xbox 360 livery shows up in China

Keepin' it real fake: Sony NGP with Xbox 360 livery shows up in China originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 02:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Obscure Handhelds | sourceCNGBA | Email this | Comments"


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HTC Sensation 4G hits the FCC, shows off T-Mobile-friendly AWS radio

HTC Sensation 4G hits the FCC, shows off T-Mobile-friendly AWS radio: "

As always, the FCC continues to tease our gadget lust with another upcoming smartphone. This time we have the HTC Sensation 4G, aka PG58100, which is believed to be launching in early June and will ride on T-Mobile's very own AWS waves. Frankly, the label above is the only interesting eye candy you'll find here as the lab photos remain hidden under HTC's confidentiality request, but it's not like we haven't seen the 1.2Ghz dual-core in its full glory before. What remains uncertain is whether T-Mobile's offering will come with Sense 3.0 -- the carrier has a habit of delivering vanilla Android devices these days, like the G2 and G2x (though the latter's from LG). Place your bets now, our operators are standing by.

HTC Sensation 4G hits the FCC, shows off T-Mobile-friendly AWS radio originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 03:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Central | sourceFCC | Email this | Comments"


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Samsung SENS-240 Navigation Tablet is strange and familiar

Samsung SENS-240 Navigation Tablet is strange and familiar: "

It's been a few years but iriver just released an updated version of its NV GPS navigator with SPINN UI. Wa... wait a second, that's a Samsung logo. Sorry, this is the Samsung SENS-240, a hybrid car navigation system / tablet that plays nice with your Android-powered Samsung smartphone or, uh, tablet. According to Akihabara News, the SENS-240 uses Bluetooth to take over your voice, data, voice search, and even 'video features' from your smartphone when driving. You can then control the SENS-240 using your smarpthone or tablet as an 'advanced' remote when idle. The details behind how this works, or why you'd want to do it, is a mystery. We do know that the SENS-240 comes packing 256MB of RAM, USB-host mode, and an SD slot in addition to a 1.43GHz processor (of unknown origins) said to be powerful enough to handle 3D maps, video, or DMB TV on that 7-inch, 800 x 480 pixel display. Oh, and it's Korea-only for now.

Samsung SENS-240 Navigation Tablet is strange and familiar originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 03:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceAkihabara News | Email this | Comments"




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iOS 5 updates expected to be carried over-the-air, at least for the Verizon iPhone

iOS 5 updates expected to be carried over-the-air, at least for the Verizon iPhone: "

Having spent a good part of our day yesterday negotiating with iTunes and downloading a whopping 666.2MB file to update our iPhone to version 4.3.3 -- a version, we might add, whose sole claim to fame is the removal of things -- we know well the pains of updating Apple's mobile software. Those aches, however, may soon be coming to an end. 9to5Mac has multiple sources informing it that Apple and Verizon are scheming to start delivering iOS updates over the air from this fall, or just as soon as iOS 5 is made available. Untethered OS updates are a familiar feature to users of other smartphone operating systems and even the iOS-infused Apple TV, but getting Apple's mobile devices up to date has so far always required going through the company's own cable and software.



There's no reason to believe this wireless update feature will be limited to Verizon, mind you -- that's just where the informants are coming from in this instance -- though Apple will almost certainly have to alter the file sizes of its updates. We can't think of many carriers who'll be happy to push more than half a gigabyte of data per user per update. Additionally, since iTunes currently acts as the major backup hub, 9to5Mac speculates Cupertino must be working on a cloud backup service as well, which would seem a very sensible idea. Of course, that doesn't paint a very happy or busy future for iTunes, but so what?

iOS 5 updates expected to be carried over-the-air, at least for the Verizon iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 04:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source9to5Mac | Email this | Comments"


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The Daily generated 800,000 downloads, $10 million loss in first quarter of operation

The Daily generated 800,000 downloads, $10 million loss in first quarter of operation: "

It's still too early to pass judgment on News Corp's daring venture into tablet-only newspapers, The Daily, but at least we now have an idea of how much it costs to get a project like this off the ground. Having spent $30 million developing the concept before launch, the company's latest quarterly reports indicate another $10 million loss was incurred on the early operations of The Daily. That's resulted in 800,000 total downloads of the iPad-only app, though a breakdown of how many of those were just trying out the free trial and how many have stuck around for the paid version hasn't been forthcoming. News Corp stresses that The Daily is still a work in progress, one that we've heard may also be making its way onto Android tablets, and looks very much committed to seeing its plan through to the end. So if this digital-only, subscription-paid news idea fails, it won't be for lack of trying.

The Daily generated 800,000 downloads, $10 million loss in first quarter of operation originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 04:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista | sourcepaidContent.org | Email this | Comments"



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Apple updates 2011 MacBook Pro firmware to v1.4, fixes stability, Thunderbolt, and Turbo Boost issues

Apple updates 2011 MacBook Pro firmware to v1.4, fixes stability, Thunderbolt, and Turbo Boost issues: "

In spite of the 'Pro' in its name, Apple's 2011 MBP got off to a bit of a bumpy start for many users. Some encountered problems when outputting video through the Thunderbolt port to their Cinema Displays, while others found the new MacBook Pro freezing up when processing loads got that little bit too intense. The good news is that Apple now has a software update geared to remedying all these maladies, with changes specifically designed to improve graphics stability, 3D performance, and support for external displays and Thunderbolt devices. You can grab the download at the source link below or use Mac OS' built-in Software Update utility to freshen up your laptop with the latest code.



[Thanks, Mats]



Update: A separate EFI Update (version 2.1) has also been rolled out. This one fixes the perplexing issue some reviewers had reported of seeing Intel's Turbo Boost disabled on some machines. Turns out the problem was related to Boot Camp and Apple has now resolved whatever was causing it. Click below for more info. Thanks, Francesco!

Continue reading Apple updates 2011 MacBook Pro firmware to v1.4, fixes stability, Thunderbolt, and Turbo Boost issues

Apple updates 2011 MacBook Pro firmware to v1.4, fixes stability, Thunderbolt, and Turbo Boost issues originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 05:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceApple (Software Update 1.4), (EFI Update 2.1) | Email this | Comments"


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Gmail now stores up to 25,000 contacts for the insanely popular

Gmail now stores up to 25,000 contacts for the insanely popular: "

Are you quietly proud of the girth of your social circle? Do you think having 146 Facebook buddies is impressive? Snap out of it, saddo. Some Gmail users have thousands upon thousands of contacts in their list -- so many, in fact, that they've been begging Google to increase its 10,000 limit. The Big G has now obliged these jabbering fiends, yanking the limit up to 25,000 and also boosting available cloud storage to 128KB per contact instead of 32KB. We imagine this could be of some help to business users perhaps, or those nice strangers who send out stock tips. But for the rest of us, the gesture is about as inconsequential as the professionally good-looking.

Gmail now stores up to 25,000 contacts for the insanely popular originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 06:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceThe Official Gmail Blog | Email this | Comments"



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Facebook, Google rumored to be vying for Skype deal

Facebook, Google rumored to be vying for Skype deal: "



Like two knights jostling for the hand of a fair maiden, both Facebook and Google appear to be courting the graces of Skype. A source close to Facebook recently told Reuters that CEO Mark Zuckerberg is thinking about buying Skype outright, as part of a deal that could be worth $3 to $4 billion. A second source, meanwhile, claimed that both Facebook and Google are more interested in forming a joint venture with the teleconferencing company, which has yet to issue an IPO. With discussions still in a nascent stage, both suitors are playing their cards close to their chests, while Skype, rather coyly, has declined to comment on the speculation. At this point, details are still hazy and rumor-infused, though it's certainly not shocking to hear these kinds of murmurs buzzing around. Skype's been integrating Facebook more deeply into its software for a while now and has gradually branched out to Android, as well (albeit with mixed results). Both Facebook and Google would also stand to benefit from Skype's millions of users and all the targeted advertising potential they'd offer. Until we receive more substantiated reports, however, all discussions of possible unions remain restricted to the realm of conjecture.

Facebook, Google rumored to be vying for Skype deal originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 06:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceReuters | Email this | Comments"


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Clearwire posts Q1 loss amid record subscribers, decides not to sell spectrum after all

Clearwire posts Q1 loss amid record subscribers, decides not to sell spectrum after all: "

You know you're having a wacky quarter when it involves a resigning CEO, lawsuits, and rumors that one of your wholesale partners is courting your potential replacement. But can you still come out on top? Clearwire answered this question during yesterday's Q1 2011 earnings report to investors, and the answer is just as intriguing as the quarter itself. Though it posted a substantial revenue of $242 million, the company was also inflicted with a net loss of $227 million. Don't worry, it gets crazier -- Clearwire experienced record subscriber growth, seeing an increase of 533 percent year-over-year from Q1 2010. Sounds like a contradiction, right? A few factors led to the loss, such as higher costs from network expansion and writing off the 'abandonment of projects that no longer fit within management's strategic network plans.' A loss is a loss, but at least the future looks brighter; Clearwire predicts it will end the year with nearly a million more subs than originally forecasted (9.5 million, up from 8.8). Saving the best news for last, CEO John Stanton announced his company is no longer feeling the pressure to sell off some of its spectrum, primarily due to its recent $1 billion deal with Sprint. The deal will add enough cash flow to sustain network operations for the next year, so Clearwire just needs to make sure it uses some of the extra cash to buy us all something pretty. The full press release can be found after the break.

Continue reading Clearwire posts Q1 loss amid record subscribers, decides not to sell spectrum after all

Clearwire posts Q1 loss amid record subscribers, decides not to sell spectrum after all originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 07:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink All Things D | sourceClearwire | Email this | Comments"



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G-Form Extreme Sleeve gives new reasons to throw a MacBook out a window (video)

G-Form Extreme Sleeve gives new reasons to throw a MacBook out a window (video): "

Extreme products make people do extreme things -- take, for example, all of those phones we've dumped in glasses of water and various things we've run over with cars. When it comes to demonstrating ruggedness, G-Form is no slouch. After dropping a bowling ball on its iPad case (iPad inside, naturally), the company hit YouTube again to toss a MacBook encased in a new Extreme Sleeve from a 20 foot balcony -- a fall it survived unscathed. These heavy-duty cases are made up of PORON XRD, a flexible material that absorbs 90 percent of impact energy, which the company also uses it to make things like skateboarding knee pads and biking accessories. The laptop case starts shipping on May 31st for $69.95, so heads up when walking under windows this summer. Extreme press release and video of gadget abuse after the break.

Continue reading G-Form Extreme Sleeve gives new reasons to throw a MacBook out a window (video)

G-Form Extreme Sleeve gives new reasons to throw a MacBook out a window (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 07:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Red Ferret | sourceG-Form | Email this | Comments"



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Blocklets' Arduino-powered trebuchet could be your cat's worst nightmare (video)

Blocklets' Arduino-powered trebuchet could be your cat's worst nightmare (video): "



We don't do a whole lot of reporting on ancient weaponry here, because, well, it's a little dated -- but throw in an Arduino and a servo, and you've got our attention. Take, for example, this miniaturized trebuchet. Constructed from a series of click-in-place pieces known as Blocklets, the little launcher is basically a standalone slingshot. With the addition of the aforementioned components, however, it becomes a motorized annoyance for anyone and anything that stands in its way. The folks behind the tiny trebuchet tested its capabilities against a sculpture similarly built from Blocklets, but we prefer the challenge of a moving target. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait to get all medieval with this thing, as Blockets haven't quite made it out of the funding stage yet.

Blocklets' Arduino-powered trebuchet could be your cat's worst nightmare (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 08:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceBlocklets | Email this | Comments"



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TAT-astic native PlayBook development discussed and demoed on video

TAT-astic native PlayBook development discussed and demoed on video: "




Yesterday at BlackBerry World 2011 we were fortunate to sit down and chat with Chris Smith, Senior Director of the BlackBerry Developer Platform, along with Rasmus and Karl from The Astonishing Tribe. One of RIM's recent acquisitions, TAT is known for some rather, well... astonishing user interface designs, and for infusing a bit of magic into some of the PlayBook's apps, such as the bundled picture viewer and calculator. We were shown a number of demos, including the downloadable Scrapbook app, a rather nifty contact list, and a location-aware news reader. Over the years, TAT has built an engine and framework that make it easy for developers to create powerful and attractive UIs, and some of this will be making its way into the PlayBook's native software development kit sometime this summer. Along with support for Open GL ES 2.0, SQLite, cURL, and POSIX (amongst others), this NDK will provide API's to control the audio system, the cameras, and the sensors -- possibly even code to enable stereoscopic 3D output over HDMI, as demonstrated before. We know that's a lot of exciting stuff to sink your teeth into, so be sure to get a taste of it by watching our video.

TAT-astic native PlayBook development discussed and demoed on video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 08:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments"


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Ultra-thin handheld microscope could sniff out skin cancer, forged documents

Ultra-thin handheld microscope could sniff out skin cancer, forged documents: "

It may not look like it, but that sleek black thing pictured above is actually a microscope. Designed by engineers at Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF, this little guy boasts a 5.3mm optical length, rendering it slim enough to fit in the palm of your hand, yet powerful enough to deliver images at a scanner-like resolution of five micrometers, over a wide surface area. Fraunhofer's researchers achieved this balance by essentially tossing out the manual on traditional microscope design. Whereas most devices slowly scan areas and construct images on a piecemeal basis, this handheld uses several small imaging channels and a collection of tiny lenses to record equal sized fragments of a given surface. Unlike conventional scanner microscopes, all of these 300 x 300 square micrometer imaging channels are captured at the same time. With a single swipe, then, users can record 36 x 24 square mm shots of matchbox-sized objects, without even worrying about blurring the images with their shaky hands. The prototype is still two years away from going into production, but once it does, engineers say it could help doctors scan patients for skin cancer more easily, while also allowing bureaucrats to quickly confirm the authenticity of official documents. We can only imagine what it could do for Pac-Man. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Ultra-thin handheld microscope could sniff out skin cancer, forged documents

Ultra-thin handheld microscope could sniff out skin cancer, forged documents originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 09:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET | sourceFraunhofer-Gesellschaft | Email this | Comments"



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Motorola intros dueling portrait QWERTY Android options for Sprint: XPRT and Titanium

Motorola intros dueling portrait QWERTY Android options for Sprint: XPRT and Titanium: "

It took 'em long enough, but it seems as if The Now Network has managed to snap up Motorola's Droid Pro... just seven months after Verizon Wireless did so. For whatever reason, Sprint's dubbing its version the XPRT, with the same 3.1-inch HVGA touchpanel, full QWERTY keyboard, 1GHz CPU and Android 2.2 loaded. It'll go for $129.99 on a two-year contract starting June 5th, but giving that the Pro hit the bargain bin long ago, we're having a hard time believing anyone will pony up for Sprint's iteration. Moving right along, the Titanium gets off on the wrong foot by shipping with Android 2.1, and while it's hailed as the first iDEN device to combine Nextel Direct Connect and Eclair, the G'zOne Commando has somehow managed to show its brawn while stepping up to v2.2. For those interested nonetheless, there's a 3.1-inch touchscreen and a chassis that's built to MIL-SPEC 810G for dust, shock, vibration, low pressure, solar radiation, high temperature and low temperature. She's unpriced for the moment, but the full release can be found just after the break.

Continue reading Motorola intros dueling portrait QWERTY Android options for Sprint: XPRT and Titanium

Motorola intros dueling portrait QWERTY Android options for Sprint: XPRT and Titanium originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 09:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceMotorola (1), (2) | Email this | Comments"



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Intel refreshes Wireless Display with support for DRM-protected DVDs, Blu-rays

Intel refreshes Wireless Display with support for DRM-protected DVDs, Blu-rays: "We were bowled over from the start by Intel's Wireless Display technology, which lets you stream HD content from select laptops to an HDTV (with the help of a small adapter, of course). But while WiDi's been good for watching The Colbert Report on Hulu and streaming flicks stored on your hard drive, it hasn't played so nice with DVDs and Blu-rays. At last, though, Intel is supporting HDCP-protected discs (along with some online content) through a free driver update. One catch: it only applies to Sandy Bridge laptops, which just started shipping this spring. If your notebook's a few months too old, well, using an HDMI cable isn't the worst consolation prize.

Intel refreshes Wireless Display with support for DRM-protected DVDs, Blu-rays originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 10:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear | sourceIntel | Email this | Comments"




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SOFT Rockers combine solar panels and moving furniture to charge your gadgets

SOFT Rockers combine solar panels and moving furniture to charge your gadgets: "
SOFT Rocker

Wander through MIT's Killian Court and you'll spot something distinctly modern nestled amongst its classical buildings -- a set of solar-powered lounge chairs called SOFT Rockers. These curved, solar-panel-covered seats rotate on an axis to keep them facing the sun, generating additional energy from the rocking motion created when people climb inside. All that harvested electricity can be used to recharge gadgets plugged into the three USB ports and to illuminate a light strip on the inside of the loop. The teardrop-shaped charging stations were created by professor Sheila Kennedy and a team of students for the Festival of Art+Science+Technology (FAST) as an antidote to 'conventional 'hard' urban infrastructure.' Plus, they seem like a great place to charge your phone while evading Dean Wormer and riding out double secret probation. Check out the gallery below for more images.

Gallery: SOFT Rocker

SOFT Rockers combine solar panels and moving furniture to charge your gadgets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 11:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink DVICE | sourceMIT | Email this | Comments"

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