Eric Schmidt: Chrome OS aimed at keyboard based solutions, Android optimized for touch
November 15, 2010 No Comment
We’ll be the first to admit that we’ve been slightly confused about where Google’s Chrome OS will fit in with Android becoming the OS of choice for tablet manufacturers , so naturally we took the opportunity to ask Google CEO Eric Schmidt about the two operating systems while he was on stage at the Web 2.0 summit. Schmidt confirmed that Chrome OS will officially be out in the next few months in Intel and ARM-powered netbooks while also adding that the OS was primarily “designed around something with a keyboard.” Of course, that doesn’t mean Chrome OS couldn’t pop up on tablets — he added that because it’s open source anything can happen, but he definitely stressed that Chrome is meant for clamshell devices with keyboards and Android tailored for those with touchscreens. Sounds good to us Schmidt, now we’ll just be needing the details on those Chrome-books… Eric Schmidt: Chrome OS aimed at keyboard based solutions, Android optimized for touch originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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This is no photoshop — it really is an Android browser that lets you tilt web pages, but there’s more than meets the eye. The folks at Access have just launched this free NetFront Life Browser, which packs a few interesting features that caught our attention. Let’s hold hands and walk through them together. Upon launching the app for the first time, we were taken to a “unified navigation” landing page that consists of two sections: the top half displays live thumbnails of opened windows, and swiping left or right gives you a smooth 3D transition between them; whereas the bottom half shows you stacks of pages
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It’s not like The Beatles are lacking in legacy and cultural saturation, but we have to lament the generation of kids that have yet to hear the Fab Four in album form — at least, in legally-obtained album form — thanks to the group’s conspicuous absence from the largest music retailer in the US . Now, a mere seven and a half years after Apple launched the iTunes store, with countless hopeful rumors in-between, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that The Beatles catalog is a lock for tomorrow’s iTunes announcement . This is according to WSJ ‘s “people familiar with the matter,” and matches with what Billboard calls “the best bet” from what it’s managed to scrounge up. Even with such an imminent announcement, WSJ ‘s sources warn that plans could change at the last minute, and that the talks between Apple, Beatles reps, and EMI were taking place as recently as last week. Still, we just have to believe this is going to happen, cross our fingers, and wear our lucky socks tomorrow — because really, who wants to wait another seven years? WSJ: Apple bringing Beatles to iTunes after a seven year wait originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …We had a feeling Eric Schmidt would be doing something surprising at the Web 2.0 summit, and the man didn’t disappoint — he just showed off the Nexus S, and revealed it has NFC features. Developing… Eric Schmidt shows off a Nexus S at the Web 2.0 summit originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Android 2.2 update starts rolling out to unlocked Dell Streaks, includes Stage UI
November 15, 2010 No Comment
We’ve pretty much been waiting on the Dell Streak’s Android 2.2 update for as long as the 5-inch tablet / phone has been on the market, and it looks like the time has finally come… well, at least for owners of unlocked Streaks. Word is that Dell has started to push out its over-the-air Froyo update to unlocked Streaks; those that purchased devices locked to a carrier will see the update hit those 5-inch screens sometime in December. (Note: Streaksmart also reports that Dell will start selling an unlocked Streak in the US with Froyo preloaded in the next couple of weeks.) There are details on the entire upgrade process at the source link below, but just as we’d heard, the update includes Dell’s new Stage UI , which we’ve been told will eventually be included as a software layer on all of Dell’s consumer devices. We got a chance to see the interface a few weeks ago, and have to say the widget-based UI looks really slick. Those who prefer their Android untouched will be happy to know you can turn off the layer. We’ll be doing an in-depth preview of the updated software once it hits our AT&T and O2 Streaks, but until then you can check out a few pictures of the new Froyo goodness below. Gallery: Dell Streak with Android 2.2 / Stage UI Android 2.2 update starts rolling out to unlocked Dell Streaks, includes Stage UI originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Microsoft accounting shuffling resulted in higher sales for Windows division
November 15, 2010 No Comment
Microsoft’s Windows division has been on something of a roll recently , but a deeper look into the company’s financials seems to indicate that the reported numbers might look better than reality. Information Week has done some deep digging into Microsoft’s recent SEC filings and found that several bookkeeping changes resulted in significantly increased reportings of profits in the company’s Windows division. Revenues that had been assigned in previous quarters to other divisions within the company — mostly the Entertainment and Devices unit which includes highly successful businesses such as Xbox — were, in this past quarter, re-assigned to the Windows operating system division. So just how much money was moved? Well, according to Information Week and the relevant SEC filings statements, about $259 million, or a boost of 6.5% in profit to the division overall for a total of $4.24 billion rather than the $3.98 billion originally stated for Q1 2010. This also resulted in a 25% reduction in profits for EDD, while the total profits — $12.92 billion — stayed exactly the same. Of course, all these bookkeeping maneuvers mean that Redmond’s Windows division looked like it was making a decent amount more cash than it actually was, and when taking into account another complex move — that of deferring $1.5 billion in upgrade revenues from Windows Vista machines sold in Q4 2009 to Windows 7 in Q1 2010 — the resulting picture is a bit different than it would appear on the surface. Ultimately, it looks like Microsoft raked in an 11% increase in Windows profits rather than the 66% reported, when removing both the bookkeeping changes from other units and the upgrade deferrals. Of course, this is all apparently technically on the up-and-up, in terms of financial reporting is concerned, but it does give some insight into the stunning profits recorded in the Windows division as of late. Microsoft accounting shuffling resulted in higher sales for Windows division originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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You remember that ASUS Eee Tablet that was unveiled back at Computex in June, right? Of course you do, it looked like a pretty great e-reader / note-taking gadget, but oddly we haven’t heard a peep about it since. Obviously, the “tablet” with its 2,450 dpi touchscreen and quick 0.1 second page turns missed its September release date, however, according to ASUS it’s still kicking and is being renamed — we hear Digital Note and Eee Note are potential choices. So, when will you finally be able to take notes on its 8-inch 1024 x 768 pixel panel ? ASUS tells us that it will be demoed at CES and officially launched in the first quarter of 2011 — although, it may be available in Europe slightly earlier depending on local content partnerships. No confirmation on that “under $599″ price we had heard whispers of, but here’s hoping we hear a bit more on this one before we touch down in Vegas. ASUS Eee Tablet to be renamed, will head to market in early 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sony Ericsson LiveView now available in Europe; if you had a LiveView, you’d know that already
November 15, 2010 No Comment
Look, the future is in hyper-informed wrist accessories. If you don’t know that by now, what do you know? Not that, assuredly. Sony Ericsson’s Android-augmenting, Bluetooth-tethered LiveView accessory is now available in some European countries, including some fan faves like the UK, Germany, and France. Prices seem to vary from country to country, with a UK version going for
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Though Sanjay Jha is clearly the more visible of Motorola’s two co-CEOs, it was his stealthier counterpart, Greg Brown, who mentioned during an analyst conference today that they’re looking to wrap up the company’s split in January of next year. Brown had already been tapped to head up Motorola Solutions — one half of the post-split aftermath with $5.3 billion in cash and $2.9 billion in debt — and he’s saying that his company’s independent identity “effectively starts today.” The handset guys over at Motorola Mobility, meanwhile, have been filing devices with the FCC under their post-split name for a while , but let’s be honest: we’re still going to know all this stuff as “Motorola”… and that’s probably exactly how they want it. Motorola targeting January to finalize split originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …FCC, Justice Department look to prevent Comcast from hogging NBC’s online video all for itself
November 15, 2010 No Comment
Ready or not, Comcast and NBC will walk down the aisle in matrimony — but it’ll not be without a few conditions. According to The Wall Street Journal , both the FCC and the Justice Department are expected to impose conditions on how NBC online video is distributed online, to ensure the cable operator (with online video distribution channels of its own) doesn’t withhold or threaten to withhold NBC Univeral content from rivals — both Netflix and Apple are specifically cited by WSJ . The FCC is additionally considering restrictions on Comcast slowing down / blocking “legal traffic” from its internet network, maintaining a pro-net neutrality stance. Chairman Julius Genachowski is currently meeting with staffers twice a week on the deal, with the timetable of circulating proposed conditions by mid-December — narrowly avoiding sweeps week, unless 30 Rock has an idea or two up its Kabletown-owned sleeve. FCC, Justice Department look to prevent Comcast from hogging NBC’s online video all for itself originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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