Anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has returned home to Iraq from his self-imposed exile in Iran, delivering a speech urging support for the new Maliki government and resistance against the U.S.—but not necessarily through armed struggle. —JCL Reuters: Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr urged a sea of rapturous followers Saturday to resist all occupiers of Iraq and oppose the United States, but not necessarily with arms. In his first speech since his homecoming Wednesday after years of self-imposed exile in Iran, the one-time firebrand burnished his anti-U.S. credentials and urged supporters to give Iraq’s new government led by Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki a chance. “We are still fighters,” said Sadr, who led two uprisings against the U.S. military after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and has called for an earlier U.S. withdrawal than the agreed deadline of the end of this year. Read more Related Entries December 30, 2010 New Year’s Call for a Border Reboot December 27, 2010 The Case of the Missing Murder
Continue reading …SteelSeries trots out Spectrum 7xb headset, Siberia Neckband for iPod, iPhone and iPad
January 8, 2011 No Comment
SteelSeries is on hand here at CES, and as with Sleek Audio , Turtle Beach and hordes of others, it’s also introducing new cans at the show. First up is the Spectrum 7xb wireless headset for Xbox 360, which touts a retractable microphone, four-piece breakdown for travel and interchangeable cloth and leather earcups. You’ll also get in-game volume controls along the right earcup, LiveMix technology — which balances in-game audio with voice communication — and the new ExactSND feature, a quick-button option that allows users to switch between three settings that have been preconfigured for different sounds. It’ll ship in Q2 for $149.99. Moving on, the Siberia Neckband is making a triumphant return, this time with innate support for the iPod, iPhone and iPad via an inline three-button remote. More details on specifics are embedded after the break, with a ship date of today and a price tag of $79.99. Continue reading SteelSeries trots out Spectrum 7xb headset, Siberia Neckband for iPod, iPhone and iPad SteelSeries trots out Spectrum 7xb headset, Siberia Neckband for iPod, iPhone and iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 14:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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New drama over WikiLeaks has come to light. The U.S. government has subpoenaed Twitter to secretly hand over details of five accounts on its site thought to be related to leaked classified information, suggesting a wide-ranging trawl for other evidence online. WikiLeaks has demanded Google and Facebook admit to any subpoenas they received as well. It is commendable that the U.S. government used the appropriate mechanism for obtaining evidence, rather than the Patriot Act-enabled spying we have been accustomed to. —JCL The Guardian: WikiLeaks has demanded that Google and Facebook reveal the contents of any US subpoenas they may have received after it emerged that a court in Virginia had ordered Twitter to secretly hand over details of accounts on the micro-blogging site by five figures associated with the group, including Julian Assange. Amid strong evidence that a US grand jury has begun a wide-ranging trawl for details of what networks and accounts WikiLeaks used to communicate with Bradley Manning, the US serviceman accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of sensitive government cables, some of those named in the subpoena said they would fight disclosure. “Today, the existence of a secret US government grand jury espionage investigation into WikiLeaks was confirmed for the first time as a subpoena was brought into the public domain,” WikiLeaks said in a statement. Read more Related Entries December 30, 2010 New Year’s Call for a Border Reboot December 27, 2010 The Case of the Missing Murder
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Dissent is rippling through the ranks of the Republican Party. Some prominent right-wing groups have announced that they will not attend a major party event next month due to the presence of gay groups and others perceived to be at odds with conservatism. —JCL Los Angeles Times: Some prominent right-wing groups say they will not attend a major Republican gathering in Washington next month, objecting to the presence of gay groups and other organizations whose aims they say are incompatible with conservatism. An estimated 10,000 people are expected to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, to hear aspiring presidential candidates and vote in one of the first straw polls of the 2012 cycle. Among the missing will be the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian group and once a sponsor of CPAC; the Heritage Foundation; and the American Family Assn., which opposes same-sex marriage. Read more Related Entries December 30, 2010 New Year’s Call for a Border Reboot December 27, 2010 The Case of the Missing Murder
Continue reading …Microsoft suggests Windows Phone Live will get more Kin Studio-like features
January 8, 2011 No Comment
Microsoft’s Kin may have been a failure of spectacular proportions , but it did introduce a few interesting ideas — namely, the Kin Studio web-backup service. Now it looks like Microsoft may be set to revive at least some elements of the service on Windows Phone 7. Speaking with the Seattle Times , Microsoft’s Aaron Woodman said that the company has made “very, very small baby step with Windows Phone Live,” and added that it’s “definitely part of the road map to have enriched services that make the phone more meaningful, and the Web more meaningful.” Woodman also apparently suggested that those services would be one way Windows Phone can “continue to compete” with Android, but unfortunately didn’t get very specific about a rollout date for the upgrades. Microsoft suggests Windows Phone Live will get more Kin Studio-like features originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 14:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We spotted Sleek Audio’s Platinum headphones when we interviewed 50 Cent yesterday, but we followed up with the company to see what more we could find out about the upcoming cans. We were bummed to learn that the only functioning pair at the show were the ones around 50′s neck, but we got a full rundown of the deets from one of Sleek’s reps. First off, these are ‘Wireless Hybrid’ headphones, which means they’ve got Kleer technology built in for 16-bit lossless, cordless streaming, though you can jack in a wire (with inline microphone) if you run out of juice. Each earpiece has music controls — one handles play / pause, the other does volume — and there’s a microUSB charging port as well. We still couldn’t squeeze out a release date, but we’re told that they will probably be somewhere in the $350 to $400 range — whether that includes the Kleer 3.5mm dongle is still unknown, though we’d hope it’s included given that wireless is a standout feature. The company’s promised us a pair as soon as they’re available so we can get some real ears-on, but for now the carbon fiber eye-candy is all yours to enjoy. Bonus shot of the dongle after the break. Gallery: Sleek by 50 Cent Platinum headphones hands-on Continue reading 50 Cent Platinum headphones by Sleek Audio hands-on 50 Cent Platinum headphones by Sleek Audio hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 14:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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For those who’ve been wondering what Altec Lansing’s got up its sleeves for this year, we stopped by its CES booth to check out its forthcoming range of speakers and iPod docks. Most notably, a few of the new models bear the same ID as the Octiv Duo , featuring a curved face with a central ridge running lengthwise across the speakers. Come Spring, European folks will get to pick up the VS2721 2.1 system and the VS2720 2.0 kit, with the former besting its predecessor — the trapezium-shaped VS2621 — with a wired remote for volume, tone, and mute controls. Meanwhile, US buyers will still be seeing the current VS2620 and VS2621 desktop speakers instead of the aforementioned twosome, but they’ll also have the BXR1321 budget 2.1 system sporting the new ID, as well as the BXR1320 USB-powered 2.0 speakers. More after the break. Gallery: Altec Lansing Q1 2011 product line hands-on Continue reading Altec Lansing Q1 2011 product line hands-on Altec Lansing Q1 2011 product line hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 13:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Android getting ported to the iPhone may be old news by now, but Android 2.3 (a.k.a. Gingerbread ) getting ported to the iPhone? Well, that’s something… new, if entirely expected . As before, it’s the iPhone 3G doing the honors, and the port is still based on the iDroid project, which means you can hang onto iOS in a dual-boot configuration so you won’t be left in the cold when the less-than-stable port decides not to cooperate. And, yes, this once again means that the iPhone has gotten the latest version of Android before many Android devices have. Head on past the break for a video. Continue reading Android 2.3 gets ported to the iPhone 3G, breaks hearts left and right Android 2.3 gets ported to the iPhone 3G, breaks hearts left and right originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 13:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It’s not exactly what we’d call a easy jailbreak, seeing as how it requires a soldering iron, a NAND format procedure, and a Logitech Revue that’s never even been powered on, but it looks like it is possible to root a Google TV box after all. GTVHacker has a thirteen-step walkthrough to cracking the Logitech Revue — and physically crack the case you must — after which point custom firmware can let it download, install and run apps from Android Market and bypass pesky television network blockages . Risky? Definitely. Worth it? Depends on how patient you are. [Thanks, Jason W.] Continue reading Logitech Revue hack brings Android Market, requires brute force Logitech Revue hack brings Android Market, requires brute force originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 12:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Among tons of generic GPS devices at its booth, Garmin had the new GTU 10 GPS locator out for the world to see on the CES floor. If you need a refresher, this little tracker connects to AT&T’s network and and lets you keep tabs on anything you choose to hook it onto. The signage showed the compact locator on a dog collar, though there’s also a carabiner attachment so you can attach it to pretty much anything. We spotted the tracking app running on a Galaxy Tab, so it looks like Android support is definitely on the table — we’re still in the dark on compatibility with other mobile operating systems. Other than that there’s not much to say, but feel free to peruse our shots of the discreet black blob in our gallery below. Gallery: Garmin GTU 10 GPS locator hands-on Garmin GTU 10 GPS locator hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 12:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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