Android 3.1 update for Acer Iconia Tab A500 leaks out in China, can be downloaded worldwide
June 27, 2011 No Comment
If you have an Iconia Tab A500 and an unbridled passion for running the latest Android software, we’ve got good news for you. Acer’s 3.1 update for the 10-inch Tegra 2 slate has actually slipped out a little early and can now be downloaded at the source link below. It brings the resizable widgets and other goodies that Xoom and Eee Pad Transformer users have been savoring for a while , though that’s naturally not been enough for some and there are already custom ROMs built off this leak that augment the upgrade with superuser privileges. Alternatively, should you be disinclined to flash your own tablet, you can just wait for Acer to start beaming Android 3.1 over the air to its European A500s on July 5th. Android 3.1 update for Acer Iconia Tab A500 leaks out in China, can be downloaded worldwide originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 04:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Solid as HTC’s Thunderbolt may be from a software perspective, its battery life has proven to be less than striking — unless you’ve been rocking it with that ultra-chunky extended battery . In comparison, its streamlined and Qi -certified battery cover was slated as another option, but there’s been nary a mention of it since that accidental tease on Verizon’s website in April. According to Droid Life , it’s actually now available from Verizon retail locations for about $30 to complement the $70 charging base — great for users who: a. hold disdain for cables, b. don’t mind a few extra charges, or c. wear skinny jeans. There’s no mention of when we’ll see the hopefully convenient accessory pop up on Verizon’s website, but at least it’s out there somewhere for those willing to look. Verizon stores struck by HTC Thunderbolt Wireless Charging Battery Cover originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 01:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It came with a bang, but even Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play seems to have already become yesterday’s treasure in a world swamped with dual-core superphones. Still, the Play remains the only Android phone on the market with a full-on slide-out gamepad, and while the library’s still lacking, there’s oodles of promise here. And that, friends, is where you come in. For those that forked over whatever it took to snag one, we’re anxious to know how you’d do things differently. We’re guessing that SE didn’t sink an absurd amount of resources into this thing without a successor in mind, so what are you hoping to see in Revision B? A higher-res display? A few more buttons to mash? Ice Cream Sandwich ? Get as crazy as you wanna be in comments below, won’t you? How would you change Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 23:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Why hello Nokia, we can see you’ve lost a few buttons and gussied yourself up with a new version of MeeGo. Very nice. That new outfit is a one-off affair , you say? Not to be repeated? We’re a little sorry to hear that , although we have to admit — those metro threads don’t look half bad on you either. We wonder what your adoring public will think? Shall we ask? Yes, let’s. View Poll Nokia N9: are you buying one? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 22:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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For the past 50 days we’ve been disrupting and exposing corporations, governments, often the general population itself, and quite possibly everything in between, just because we could…it’s time to say bon voyage. –LULZSEC, short for Lulz Security, a collective of fearless hackers who exposed security breaches in the networks of Sony, PBS and the CIA,
Continue reading …Inhabitat’s Week in Green: ’round the clock solar plants, USB camping pot and wave energy farms
June 26, 2011 No Comment
Green transportation soared to new heights this week as Inhabitat showcased the world’s first true hybrid-electric airplane , and we spotted plans for a zero-emission hypersonic jet capable of traveling from London to New York in a single hour. Meanwhile, Japan gave the green for the construction of a blazing fast 313 MPH maglev train line , and we spotted a crazy high-speed rail concept that would allow passengers to change trains while speeding along the tracks. We also watched as an 11-year-old student piloted a 1,325 MPG hypermiling supercar and we saw an 8-ton Volkswagen beetle sculpture sink into the sea to start a new life as an artificial reef. It’s been a scorching summer for solar power as Torresol opened the world’s first 24/7 solar plant in Spain, and Samsung unveiled the first photovoltaic-laden laptop to be sold in the US. We also saw Aquamarine Power break ground on a massive wave energy farm in Orkney, while Germany hatched a plan to store excess wind power in abandoned coal mines . Finally, we spotted several novel incredibly odd new energy-generating gizmos — a t-shirt that converts rock music into electricity and a power-generating USB camping pot that charges your gadgets as you cook. Speaking of renewable energy, this week we caught a first look at the amazing EDV-01 shelter — a high-tech solar-powered building with a luminous LED facade that is capable of doubling its capacity with the flick of a switch. We also brought you Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill’s plans for the world’s 4th tallest skyscraper , and we showcased an ultramodern paperless office in the Netherlands that looks like a meteor fallen from space. Last but not least, we took an exclusive first look inside BIG’s mountainous green-roofed eco village in Copenhagen, and tech expert Peter Rojas tackled the question of whether it’s better to turn your laptop off or set it to sleep in our Ask a Tech Geek column. Inhabitat’s Week in Green: ’round the clock solar plants, USB camping pot and wave energy farms originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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There’s only one way to make leaked blurrycam images appear even less legit: shoot ‘em in black and white. That’s exactly what we have here with the claimed leak of a new Olympus camera — the E-P3, according to Photo Rumors — in all its Micro Four Thirds glory. The camera appears to be a hybrid of both the E-P2 and E-PL2 , including a P2-style button layout, but with a pop-up flash and sloping top plate reminiscent of the PL2. The new cam is also rumored to include a new 12 megapixel sensor, a max sensitivity of ISO 12,800, a high-res touchscreen, much-needed AF improvements, and an updated UI. Photo Rumors expects Olympus to announce the E-P3 on June 30th, along with an E-PL3 and E-PM1. That last model would be the first in the rumored Pen Mini series. We don’t expect the E-PM1 to best the new Pentax Q’s record-breaking small size, but with a significantly smaller sensor, the Q will be no match for any of Olympus’s new Micro Four Thirds offerings. Is this the Olympus E-P3? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 19:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On , a column about consumer technology. Last month, Switched On discussed two of the Android expansion initiatives announced at Google’s I/O conference — the relatively easy to execute Android Open Accessory program and the relatively difficult to execute Android@Home initiative . In support of the latter, which would seek to wedge a new home networking standard among wireless systems such as Zigbee, Z-Wave and Insteon. In making the case for Android@Home, Google showed off a new LED light bulb from Lighting Science Group that included the necessary data radio embedded in the bulb. The advantage versus traditional lighting controls is that it removes the requirement for an electrician (or at least advanced DIYer) to build the radio into the wall plate. NXP Semiconductors has also shown off both compact flourescent and LED bulbs that can be controlled wirelessly via smartphones and other devices. But in a quest to tackle two staples of the smart home in one flip of a switch,, speaker house Artison has teamed up with lighting company Sylvania. to create MusicLites. As its name suggests, MusicLites combines lighting controls and multi-zone distributed audio in in a single product, but is it an approach you’ll buy into? Continue reading Switched On: Light music Switched On: Light music originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Our friends over at the FCC have somehow both scored and already torn asunder Nokia’s new flagship MeeGo development phone. Slicing and dicing Espoo’s latest confirms the watered-down N9 specs we’d previously heard about , except for one: a 12-megapixel camera. An intriguing addition, as the N950′s official specs list an 8-megapixel shooter, which the Finnish firm touted as “different” than the unit in its brother . Perhaps different means the additional 4-megapixels we spotted earlier this year ? Sure, last minute component changes aren’t unheard of, but if you ever manage to convince the Finns to throw one your way, do us a favor and let us know what it’s packing. Ok? Nokia’s N950 splayed by FCC, 12-megapixel camera lurking within originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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And here you were assuming the tried-and-true PMP was dead. Au contraire. Cowon’s not giving up on its dream quite yet, but after the D2 hung around at the company’s low-end for the better part of four years , it’s an alphabetic step backwards that’s taking over as the successor. The diminutive C2 is about as simple as a PMP gets — design wise, anyway — but it’s actually capable of supporting both music and video on its 2.6-inch resistive touchpanel. And then there’s the purported 55 hours of battery life, included microSD card for expansion and the company’s world-class audio quality. Still, $135 goes a long ( long !) way in the portable music industry these days — does the C2 pack enough punch to make your short list? Head on past the break to find out. Gallery: Cowon C2 hands-on and unboxing Continue reading Cowon C2 portable media player review Cowon C2 portable media player review originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 14:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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