While Acer wasn’t willing to let us power on its forthcoming Android tablets at its press event last month , it looks like the company just doesn’t have the same kind of control over its partners or employees. Three videos of what appears to be Acer’s 10-inch Android tablet have popped up on YouTube, and not only is the slate powered on, but the footage provides a pretty clear look at some of Acer’s custom Android apps. The entire UI looks like it’s still in a beta stage and the video itself looks like it is some sort of internal test demo — don’t forget Acer is planning to ship these with Honeycomb in April — but the company seems to be messing around with gyroscope-based page turns and some unique zoom gestures within the photo / e-reader application. We’re assuming the tablet is running Froyo as there’s a quick peek at the homescreen and app drawer in the first video, but other than that we’re really at a loss for details here. Hit the break for the trio of videos and to see it all for yourself. Oh, and Acer, if you send us one, we promise to go easier on the screen ( see 0:12 of video three ) than this lady… just sayin’! Continue reading Acer’s Android tablet (and its gyroscope) previewed on video Acer’s Android tablet (and its gyroscope) previewed on video originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Fathers Martin O’Hagan, Eugene O’Hagan and David Delargy talk about their festive album and working with The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan (Dec. 22)
Continue reading …The AP takes a look back at some of the most influential newsmakers of 2010. (Dec. 22)
Continue reading …What’s better than using Skyfire on a 3.5-inch screen ? Using it on a 9.7-inch one, of course! After tinkering with the new iPad browser, we’ve noticed that it has the same feel as its iOS brother and Android cousin, with a modified look to it. Features like private browsing, mobile or desktop view and bookmarks remain present — and rest assured, the ability to watch Flash videos is still as easy as tapping a button. What’s perhaps the most salient addition in this rendition is the social network integration. When the app is opened, you’ll notice right away that it’s got eight buttons along the bottom, four of which are Facebook related. These buttons, referred to as “quick view” by the peeps at Skyfire, give you, well, a quick view of the button you’ve tapped. For example, when the Facebook button is pushed, you’re presented with a trimmed down version of the social network. The same goes with Twitter and Google Reader. The app also features Fireplace, which allows you to view specifically the links your Facebook friends have shared, and ‘Popular’, which shows all the related links your friends have shared based on what website the browser parked on, and of course a dedicated ‘Like’ button. The Share function lends you an easy way to share links via various popular networks. As for the browsing experience itself, the devs at Skyfire did a great job ironing out the kinks that we stumbled upon in the iPhone version. Pages render nicely and quickly, pinch-to-zoom works as well as it does on Safari, scrolling is buttery smooth and Flash videos play noticeably quicker in comparison to what we experienced on the iPhone. The app is sadly not available in the App Store just yet, but hang tight, it’s been submitted for approval and should hit virtual shelves soon. Update : Video’s now after the break! Continue reading Skyfire for iPad hands-on (video) Skyfire for iPad hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …It’s not iPad nano watch money — seriously, what is? — but with hours to go before the final bell, USB sniffer OpenVizsla has exceeded its initial funding goal by more than 400 percent. That’s over $70,000 as of this writing, with about 510 backers including Stephen Fry, who was pretty vocal about his support (that must help). If you’ll recall, the project — from iPhone dev team and Twiizers virtuosos pytey and bushing — aims to make a cheap USB analyzer that can help decode proprietary devices, the popular anecdote being it’s the same concept used in the Kinect hack how-to . It’s not too late to pledge, of course, and doing so will get you some special goodies. Need more convincing? We’re gonna embed Alma the dog’s video debut after the break. Continue reading OpenVizsla USB sniffer meets its funding goal, and then some OpenVizsla USB sniffer meets its funding goal, and then some originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Mikael Colville-Anderson is as entertaining in video as he is at Copenhagenize.com. He explains in this TED talk why he thinks bicycle helmets promote a culture of fear, that pedestrians and drivers have far higher rates of head injuries but nobody tells them to wear helmets, and that cycle helmets are a conspiracy by the auto makers to scare people off bikes and into cars. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …Image via TED Video TreeHugger has always been an advocate for share systems — things like tool libraries, clothes swaps, car-sharing, and product-as-a-service systems like Netflix. The fewest products possible shared among the most people is very green indeed. The trends toward this networking of products has grown over the years, but author Rachel Botsman thinks its about to revolutionize the way we live. Not only will we shift to a collaborative consumerism, but our reputation for sharing on such networks will … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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