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CyanogenMod 7 update brings WiFi, sound and accelerometer support to TouchPad (video)

Oh, sure — HP’s webOS may be one of the most sophisticated tablet operating systems in existence, but with a permanently stagnant market, The CM Team has decided that your fire sale TouchPad may be better off running Android. You know, from a long-term perspective. All jesting aside, the crew has been pounding the pavement on a new (and vastly improved ) CyanogenMod 7 for Android, with this build providing functional WiFi, access to the Android Market, audio (albeit a bit fast) and an operational accelerometer. There’s no code being released just yet — the team’s still working to cull the aforesaid Hamsterdance effect — but you can catch a sneak peek of everything in action just above. CyanogenMod 7 update brings WiFi, sound and accelerometer support to TouchPad (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 11:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Refresh Roundup: week of September 12, 2011

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy! Official Android updates The HTC Merge on US Cellular can now be bumped up to Android 2.3.4. It appears to be a manual install, so visit here to download the file and learn exactly how to update your device. [via UnwiredView ] HTC has added another device to its growing list of phones and tablets that now support the HTCDev bootloader unlock tool. [via PocketDroid ] The LG Optimus S on Sprint is now on the receiving end of an OTA Gingerbread rollout. [via UnwiredView ] Great news, Samsung Infuse 4G users: you’re getting an update. The bad news: it’s a maintenance fix, rather than a full-out Gingerbread upgrade. Still, it may be worth the download if you have the time or opportunity. [via AndroidCentral ] Samsung has released the kernel source for the Epic 4G Touch . [via PocketNow ] Sprint’s certainly getting a lot of love this week, and we’re not done yet: the Motorola Photon 4G is beginning to push out another smallish bug fix meant to curb WiFi issues experienced by a few users, and appears to be a gradual rollout. [via SprintFeed ] The original Motorola Droid X is expected to receive a maintenance refresh as early as tomorrow, which is intended to resolve a widespread issue with the keyboard. If you’re in this category, definitely keep a close eye out on this space. [via Droid-Life ] We’re hearing that the Droid 2 R2-D2 update to Gingerbread, which we originally reported on last week, is officially rolling out to eager fanboys and fangirls countrywide. [via AndroidCentral ] Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery Those CyanogenMod7 builds for the HTC Sensation and EVO 3D we were talking about last week? They’re now available. As extremely early builds, download and flash at your own risk. [via AndroidCentral ] Since we’re talking so much about HTC, here’s one more thing: you can now grab a ROM for your HTC Desire HD that enables the beats audio technology. [via GSMArena and Android Community ] A dev has been hard at work pulling various Motorola Atrix ROMs and porting them over to the Droid X2. The first one available is plain vanilla Android 2.3.4, if you’re just not feeling up to using MotoBlur (aka the now-nameless Moto UI). [via Droid-Life ] The initial build of the Motorola Droid Bionic bootstrap is available for install, which essentially will enable you to bootstrap your recovery and create backups on your device. Custom ROMs still aren’t around for the Bionic yet (although early builds of CM7 began showing up this week), but the bootstrap is a big step toward achieving that goal. [via Droid-Life ] Other platforms Symbian’s Anna update is continuing to expand support to more countries, including Italy, Switzerland, Taiwan and Turkey. The refreshes for the US, Canada and Australia — according to an email from Nokia — is expected to arrive within the next two weeks. [via MyNokiaBlog ] Refreshes we covered this week AT&T Windows Phone 7 devices to receive Mango this fall BlackBerry PlayBook to get OTA update next month that will offer native email, calendar Refresh Roundup: week of September 12, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Honeywell and Opower team up for cloud-connected smart thermostat

Normally we wouldn’t get too excited about a thermostat , even a so-called smart one. But, unlike what normally passes for a “smart” home heating solution, Honeywell’s upcoming touchscreen devices are going to be paired with some real brains courtesy of Opower. Details of the partnership are still a little thin, but we do know that customers will be able to program and monitor energy usage, not just from the thermostat itself but, via internet connected devices like smartphones. Opower will even provide suggestions for trimming energy bills. The first trials are expected to begin in the next few months through utility companies, but Honeywell eventually expects to offer the devices through broader retail channels. Check out the full PR after the break. Continue reading Honeywell and Opower team up for cloud-connected smart thermostat Honeywell and Opower team up for cloud-connected smart thermostat originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 06:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Canon’s 8-inch CMOS sensor can record SPACE at 60fps

For whatever reason, Canon seemed more concerned with showing off its engineering prowess than finding a use for the giant 8-inch CMOS sensor it created last year . Fortunately, the super-powerful snapper has found its way into the 105-centimeter Schmidt Telescope at the University of Tokyo’s Kiso Observatory. The sensor’s size makes it a perfect fit to record in low-light; capturing the wonders of the universe in 0.3 lux at 60 fps. The University will premiere footage from the experiment, possibly with nibbles, after September 19th — presumably in a theater with a blanket ban on people muttering the introduction to Star Trek as it plays. Continue reading Canon’s 8-inch CMOS sensor can record SPACE at 60fps Canon’s 8-inch CMOS sensor can record SPACE at 60fps originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 03:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Toyota officially unveils production Prius plug-in hybrid, available March 2012 for $32,000

Prius fans, that long road to a promised plug-in hybrid’s coming to an end. Toyota rolled out its production model PHV at the Green Drive Expo, announcing a March 2012 availability for the car, and a $32,000 price tag for the base model. The partial EV will be offered in two trim versions with a touchscreen audio / navigation display and Toyota’s Entune in-car entertainment system to come standard, with the Heads Up display reserved for the advanced models. Expect to get about 87 MPGe with the auto in combined drive mode, and 49MPG when it switches to hybrid. As for that old NiMH battery, the new 4.4kWh Li-ion replacement gains a full charge after about three hours on a 120v source, and can re-up the juice in less than two hours on a 240v connection. You can dive into the PR for all the details after the break, and look forward to our in-depth hands-on in a few. Continue reading Toyota officially unveils production Prius plug-in hybrid, available March 2012 for $32,000 Toyota officially unveils production Prius plug-in hybrid, available March 2012 for $32,000 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Apple strikes settlement with NYC vendors accused of selling counterfeit products

Remember that lawsuit Apple filed against a pair of Queens stores accused of selling fake iDevice accessories? Well, it looks like it’s coming to a close. According to Reuters , Cupertino has reached a settlement with the two Chinatown-area retailers, both of which have agreed to hand over all products emblazoned with the Apple name or logo. If the settlement is approved, the two vendors, Fun Zone and Apple Story, will have five days to clear all counterfeit iPod and iPhone accessories from their inventories, along with any allegedly trademark-infringing promotional materials. The defendants, who maintain their innocence, would also be barred from destroying any records of sales, manufacturing or distribution of the unauthorized cases and headphones — presumably as part of Apple’s ongoing crusade against counterfeiters. Apple Story, meanwhile, would have to change its name, which bears an obvious similarity to another well-known outlet . The proposed settlement was filed with a Brooklyn District Court on Thursday and now awaits the approval of US District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto. Neither Apple nor the defendants have commented on the case. Apple strikes settlement with NYC vendors accused of selling counterfeit products originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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‘Arduino: The Comic’ will teach you to stop worrying and love programming

Ever wanted to learn DIY programming on the Arduino , but aren’t interested in trawling through stacks of dusty technical manuals? Then pay attention: artist Jody Culkin has produced a paneled primer that explains electrical engineering from Ohms all the way through to building your own dimmer switch. Friendly, informative and most importantly, brief, by the time you’ve finished it, you’ll be dashing down to IKEA to build your own Luxo Jr . ‘Arduino: The Comic’ will teach you to stop worrying and love programming originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Samsung Illusion gets pictured on Verizon, convincing us it’s not a figment of our imagination

We can’t put all of our focus on Verizon’s LTE lineup , lest we forget that there’s plenty of 3G phones that need some attention too. The one shown above is a leaked image of the Samsung Illusion, also known to some as the Viper or the SCH-I110 , a conceivably lower-end Android device with Gingerbread. It’s difficult to pin down any more hard details on the device, as the components inside the phone seem to be even more of a hallucination than the phone itself; speculation, however, points to at least an 800MHz CPU, a 480 x 320 HVGA smaller-screen display and a few eco-friendly features (as indicated by its Sustainable Product Certification). Persuaded yet? Yeah, we didn’t think so. Samsung Illusion gets pictured on Verizon, convincing us it’s not a figment of our imagination originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 00:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Hands-on with Toyota’s Prius plug-in hybrid (video)

Yesterday we attended Toyota’s Green Drive Expo where we were given the opportunity to take the production version of the Prius plug-in hybrid (PEV) — and its smorgasbord of technology — for a spin. We spent a couple hours driving interfacing with the computers aboard the Advanced model, which besides being outlet-friendly, includes some unique features within the Prius lineup. Explore our gallery below, and hit the break for our impressions and hands-on videos with the latest incarnation of Toyota’s iconic vehicle. Gallery: Toyota Prius production plug-in hybrid Continue reading Hands-on with Toyota’s Prius plug-in hybrid (video) Hands-on with Toyota’s Prius plug-in hybrid (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 21:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Ask Engadget: best ‘real’ 11- to 13-inch laptop, with a focus on thin?

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Raymond, who seems to have the ultraportable itch. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com . “Hey, what’s the best thin 11- to 13-inch laptop for portability? I need to bring it everywhere but it has to be light!” Light. Light like that question. The world of ultrabooks is about to crack itself wide open, but if you’re not looking to wait, what’s the best non-netbook in the 11- to 13-inch category? Anyone have a particular rig that they’ve fallen for? Chime in below! Ask Engadget: best ‘real’ 11- to 13-inch laptop, with a focus on thin? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 22:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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