The Motorola Xoom is a huge product this year for two reasons: it’s a major first tablet from a major Android manufacturer, and it’s the flagship device for Honeycomb , an OS that’s been announced for dozens of other tablets here at the show, but not actually shown running on any of them. The only problem is that Motorola isn’t really showing Honeycomb on the Xoom, either. Instead they’re showing a demo video of the UI, which is actually running on top of real Honeycomb. For a glimpse under the covers, Jacob snagged a quick illicit peek at a totally unpopulated home screen, the gallery app, and even the task switcher the other day. We’ll just keep that between us, however, and until we get a full-on official look at the UI, we thought we’d walk you through that demo UI video Moto is running on the actual tablet and pretend like we’re actually using the thing, which should clear up some of the confusion on this brand new tablet OS while simultaneously stoking our egos. Check it out after the break. Update : Here’s the gallery of the non-pretend and very real UI shots we peeked in the first hands-on post (including a shot of the task switcher in its current form). Gallery: Motorola Xoom Honeycomb UI photos Continue reading Motorola Xoom: pretend UI hands-on walkthrough (video) Motorola Xoom: pretend UI hands-on walkthrough (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 22:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …After all the presents have been unwrapped, and those Yuletide carols have all been sung, millions of folks around the world suddenly find themselves with a withering young pine tree in their living-room whose time has come. Sadly, most of these old Christmas trees, so beloved and cherished just a few weeks earlier, end up unceremoniously cast to the curb to be made into mulch. But for some of the most famous Christmas trees, like the ones adorned each year in New York City’s Rockefeller Center, the passing year brings with it a new life — providing something a bit more lasting than holiday cheer…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes, seldom-used rookie James Starks ran for 123 yards and the Green Bay Packers beat Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles 21-16 in an NFC wild-card game Sunday. (Jan. 9)
Continue reading …Ever wish you could bring the palpation-indusing bass, disorienting mids, and ear-rupturing highs of a concert with you whenever you drive? That your ears would still be ringing the morning after cruising home from the grocery store? That’s the idea behind the Fender premium car audio system, which will be debuting on Volkswagen ‘s new sub-$20k Passat — which, by the way, is built at a new plant in Chattanooga, TN. The in-car audio system is the result of a partnership with Panasonic that was announced way back in 2007 . VW hasn’t quite fully unveiled the car in the flesh to the world yet (that’s coming tomorrow), but it did see fit to host an event teasing the car, issuing a press release that states the system will “bring the raw emotion of live music to the driving experience.” We’ve tried to capture that experience in the video below, which makes us very excited for the company’s latest sedan indeed. Gallery: Volkswagen’s new Passat Continue reading VW teases new Passat with Fender audio system to make driving more like rocking out (video) VW teases new Passat with Fender audio system to make driving more like rocking out (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 22:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Click here to view this media Rep Trent Franks of Arizona made the rounds on the Sunday talk show circuit today and he did his best to make believe he’s really a very civil guy. The right is frantically trying to silence the criticism of the over the top rhetoric and violent activities during president Obama’s brief time in office that has emanated from the RWNM. I watched him on Meet the Press and then CNN. He certainly wasn’t too happy with Sheriff Dupnik’s comments about the hate that has filled our country and he cited Arizona as being the ‘Mecca for prejudice and bigotry.’ Dupnik: “When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government,” he said. “The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on this country is getting to be outrageous and unfortunately Arizona has become sort of the capital. We have become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry.” Crowley: Wow, the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry. Franks: Even in these circumstance, first of all I think our focus should be upon the tragedy that occurred here and I think it’s unfortunate to inject the comments that the Sheriff did in this case because he has been heavily involved in the whole immigration issue and he found himself in this case at ends even different than Miss Giffords. And I think that he’s carrying on that debate even in this tragic moment and I think it’s unfortunate. Crowley: Probably should say that you all have been personally affected by this and that sometimes you say things you might not want to. The point being that there is now going to be this conversation about “why?” And right now we are seeing “the political conversation is terrible, it is heated rhetoric, we are seeing unhinged people to do things.” Do you see a link between increased sharp rhetoric, sometimes aggressive rhetoric, violent rhetoric, whatever you want to call it, in the political forum and this type of heinous activity. Frank: Sometimes in any human dynamic there are so many factors that it becomes difficult to really analyze it. But sometimes you can see a central element, and that central element is this unhinged lunatic that had no respect for human life was willing to make some grand statement, I don’t know if he even knows what grand statement he was willing to make to take the lives of his fellow human lives to do it. And there is the problem, a lack of respect for innocent human life. It’s a lack of respect for the constitution, for freedom . Many of the Tea Party candidates that won and lost during the midterm elections crossed the line of civility during the HCR debates a long time ago and they were backed up by the shock jocks and their FOX News friends. It would be naive to think that no matter how unhinged Loughner is, you have to ask the question. Where did he hear about the US and the gold standard? It’s not a common thread among many in this country. I think you know. However, what kind of behavior did Trent Franks put on display during 2009? Does calling President Obama a n enemy of humanity fit his definition of respect for human life? It’s interesting that he would say that. And even more interesting that Crowley didn’t think to ask him about this comment of his at last year’s How To Take Back America conference: Obama’s first act as president of any consequence, in the middle of a financial meltdown, was to send taxpayers’ money overseas to pay for the killing of unborn children in other countries…there’s almost nothing that you should be surprised at after that. We shouldn’t be shocked that he does all these other insane things. A president that has lost his way that badly, that has no ability to see the image of God in these little fellow human beings, if he can’t do that right, then he has no place in any station of government and we need to realize that he is an enemy of humanity There is no comparison of how the left and right conduct themselves. What’s sad but expected is how the MSM is trying to equivocate both sides when the right has been just throwing gasoline on the fire that they started during the general election of 2008. At C&L we obviously have focused on the extreme right wing vitriol. You can search some of our many tags to see how much hate and crime is being perpetrated because of this vitriol. Here are two… http://crooksandliars.com/taxonomy/term/3952 http://crooksandliars.com/taxonomy/term/11838 You can also check out this excellent piece that documents many vitriolic rhetoric as well as violent criminal acts that have occurred in the last few years. Insurrectionism Timeline I ask again. How many acts of violence does it take for the media to stop calling this a lone nutjob and reveal there is a well established pattern of behavior that has taken over the country and it is led by the Conservative/Tea Party/John Birch followers and transmitters?
Continue reading …2011-01-10 09:16:21.0Tunisian govt says 14 killed in clashes with policeTunis,clash,police11004220Global General2@webnews/enpproperty–> TUNIS- Fourteen civilians have been killed in clashes with Tunisian police, official media and the government said, in the worst violence in the country for decades. The latest incidents, which took place in three towns and were reported on Sunday, were the deadliest in a wave of unrest which has lasted nearly a month. Those taking part say they are angry at the lack of jobs for young people, but officials say the…
Continue reading …There’s been no shortage of glasses-free 3D at CES but we can’t’ say we expected Steam TV , makers of those Elocity tablets, to be showing off wares of its own. While the company is promising lots of spectacle-free TVs with parallax screens in the next year, at its booth there was just a 42-inch 1080p 3T1 panel on the show floor. We’ve got mixed feelings about this one; as you can see in the gallery below, the display looks very grainy and the converted HD 2D-to-3D content, while it did look three dimensional (as much as you can say), it didn’t appear to be high definition by any means. However, there was one nature clip that was apparently shot in 3D, which looked incredibly crisp. Yeah, it was almost like we were watching that waterfall from a helicopter overheard. We can’t say the three-dee experience is as jaw-dropping as the one provided with active shutter glasses, but it is impressive to think you don’t have to wear a piece of $100 technology on your face to get images jumping into your living room. Viewing angles were actually pretty impressive — at least in comparison to the other glasses-free 3D displays we’ve seen — and tilting our head slightly didn’t throw off the 3D effect too much. Steam TV is planning to release the 3T1 in May along with a 52-inch version and then 56- and 60-inch versions in September — that will have ‘em beating Toshiba to market , but we’re not quite sure in quality . Gallery: Stream TV Elocity glasses-free 3D eyes-on Steam TV Elocity 3T glasses-free TV eyes-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 21:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …By Mr. Fish Related Entries January 9, 2011 Bless You January 7, 2011 Mr. Fish’s New Year’s Dissolution
Continue reading …By Mr. Fish Related Entries January 9, 2011 Bless You January 7, 2011 Mr. Fish’s New Year’s Dissolution
Continue reading …Photo: diveofficer / CC Many adjectives come to mind when thinking about ants, but ‘idle’ likely isn’t among them. But recently biologists discovered that after a lifetime of service in their namesake occupation, older leaf-cutter ants eventually decided to hang their hats, enjoying a retirement of sorts in their golden years. While the study may not appear to have overt real-word implications, researchers insist it may help us better understand our own notions of productivity, especially later in life. “This study… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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