LightSquared and Sprint reportedly close to $20 billion LTE agreement, John Deere watching closely
June 2, 2011 No Comment
Well, we already know that a certain tractor manufacturer isn’t particularly fond of LightSquared and its GPS-bustin’ LTE technology , but other companies with yellow logos apparently harbor a much different sentiment. Really, though, who wouldn’t be smiling when there’s a supposed $20 billion in it for you? According to the ever-familiar “people familiar” with the story, as quoted by Businessweek , LightSquared is getting closer to a long-rumored 15-year deal that would pay Sprint $20 billion in exchange for piggy-backing on its aggressive network expansion. This would help LightSquared get up to speed much more quickly, get Sprint access to some lovely LTE, and together completely revitalize the paper maps industry. LightSquared and Sprint reportedly close to $20 billion LTE agreement, John Deere watching closely originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 23:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Defamation settlement requires Malaysian man to apologize 100 times on Twitter
June 2, 2011 No Comment
The punishment, the saying goes, should fit the crime. When working within the legal system, however, it can be pretty tough to come up with a truly appropriate sentence. Settlements, on the other hand, offer a little more room for creativity, and after a Malaysian political aide / social activist used Twitter to air a grievance about a pregnant friend’s employer, the publishing company turned to the social network for inspiration. Fahmi Fadzil tweeted an apology shortly after, but BluInc Media wasn’t satiated. The two parties finally reached an elementary school-esque out of court decision, requiring Fadzil to apologize for his initial statement 100 times on the microblogging service. He began the apology today at 9:00AM his time, and will continue on until June 4th, as per the rules of the agreement. Those looking to inject a little diversity into their Twitter stream may want to wait a bit before following the guy. Defamation settlement requires Malaysian man to apologize 100 times on Twitter originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 22:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Apple is always filing patents for strange and fantastic things that never seem to find their way into actual products. But an application published today details some interesting tech that we could actually see getting jammed into a future iPhone (for better or worse). By pairing an infrared sensor with the camera already on board, portable devices could receive data from transmitters placed, well, wherever. Beyond simply blasting out text and opening links like a glorified QR code , transmitters could disable certain features, such as the camera, to prevent recording at movie theaters and music venues. If completely shutting off the cam seems a bit heavy-handed, watermarks can also be applied to photos identifying businesses or copyrighted content. Some potential uses are a little less Big Brother, like museums beaming information about exhibits to a user’s or launching an audio tour. Obviously third parties would have to get behind the IR push and there’s no guarantee that Apple will put this in a future iProduct. Still, we’re a little worried that the days of blurry YouTube concert videos may be coming to an end. Apple camera patent could stop smartphone bootleggers in their tracks originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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With E3 2011 just around the corner, expectations for Nintendo announcements are mighty high, but you can get a glimpse at the heat Sony’s packing before another day goes by. The official PlayStation.Blog spat out some footage of the quad-core NGP in action, and it’s not just playing last-gen games ; rather, there’s yet another glimpse at Uncharted , a brand new platformer called Sound Shapes where you build levels with a music sequencer (and which procedurally generates tunes as you play) and a taste of the cross-platform PS3 vs. NGP wireless racing you can expect in Wipeout HD. There’s definitely a lot of dual-analog action here, but demonstrators are also taking advantage of that five-inch touchscreen, and Wipeout will apparently use the front-facing camera to beam taunt-filled pictures and video of the victor to the losers in each race. You’ll note that Sony’s focusing on software over hardware here, and that’s not by accident — the company’s careful to state that we’re looking at early dev units. “They’re the right size, but they don’t possess that final PlayStation-quality fit and finish,” says the official blog, “What you’ll eventually be able to pick up in a store will look a heck of a lot better.” Two more vids after the break. Continue reading Sony NGP soaks up the pre-E3 glitz in official demo videos Sony NGP soaks up the pre-E3 glitz in official demo videos originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Google admits sensitive email accounts have been hacked, some users knew months ago (update: US says no government accounts compromised)
June 2, 2011 No Comment
The Contagio security blog posted evidence back in February of targeted attacks against government and military officials on Gmail. Today, nearly four months later, Google has finally admitted this is true: hundreds of personal accounts have been compromised by hackers it believes to be working out of Jinan, the capital of China’s Shandong province. The accounts include those of “senior U.S. government officials, Chinese political activists, officials in several Asian countries (predominantly South Korea), military personnel and journalists.” The hijackers’ aim appears to have been to spy on their targets using Google’s automatic forwarding function. But unlike the PSN fiasco , Google insists its internal systems “have not been affected.” Instead it seems the hackers used a phishing scam, possibly directing users to a spoof Gmail website before requesting their credentials. Google says its own “abuse detection systems” disrupted the campaign — but in a footnote right down at the bottom of their official blog page they also credit Contagio and user reports. Update : And in comes China’s response , courtesy of Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hong Lei. “Allegations that the Chinese government supports hacking activities are completely unfounded and made with ulterior motives.” Ok then, that settles that. Update 2: And the saga continues… According to an AP story published earlier today, the Obama administration has stated that the FBI is looking into allegations that hackers broke into Google’s email system, but denied that any official government accounts were compromised. A White House spokesman went on to say that government employees are free to use Gmail for personal purposes, and can not be sure who in the administration might have been affected by the attack. Let’s just hope they know how to leave the sensitive stuff at the office. Google admits sensitive email accounts have been hacked, some users knew months ago (update: US says no government accounts compromised) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Since the dawn of Kinect hacking, we’ve seen cameras strung together (or rotated) to create 3D, video game-like environments, while others have tweaked it for headtracking . Others, still, have used it for teleconferencing (albeit, the flat, two-dimensional variety). Now, a team of researchers have gone and thrown it all together to achieve 3D video chats, and if we do say so, the result is greater than a sum of its parts. The group, based out of UNC-Chapel Hill, uses 3D mapping (and at least four Kinects) to render the video, and then employs headtracking on the receiving end so that people tuning in will actually see the live video in 3D, even without wearing 3D glasses. The result: a tableau that follows you as you move your head and spin around restlessly in your desk chair waiting for the meeting to end. That’s mighty impressive, but we can’t help but wonder: do you really want to see your colleagues in such lifelike detail? Have a gander at the video and decide for yourself. Researchers hack Kinect for glasses-free 3D teleconferencing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …OnLive outs universal wireless controller, seamless Facebook integration and more — we test the tablet experience on an HTC Flyer (video)
June 2, 2011 No Comment
We told you that OnLive was coming to tablets, TVs, and other devices a while back, but perhaps you were vexed by the thought of controlling Duke Nukem via touchscreen or IR remote. Well, worry no more, as OnLive’s made a Universal Wireless Controller to give you console controls on any OnLive-compatible device. The company’s secret sauce lets it connect directly to your slate or smartphone, and there’s also a USB dongle for use with PCs and non-Vizio TVs. We asked company CEO Steve Perlman what was in his wireless witches’ brew, but all he would tell us is that the black magic isn’t Bluetooth. We got to see the new controller in person, and there’s no discernible difference between it and the one that comes with the MicroConsole — they look the same and they play the same, plus the new gamepad has an 802.15.4 radio for backwards-compatiblity with the MicroConsole, too. Unfortunately, that dongle’s not yet ready for prime time, but we’re that it’ll be a “little bit bigger” than Logitech’s tiny Unifying Receiver . When we went hands-on with the new controller, it was paired with the HTC Flyer . We’d been waiting to see OnLive’s service on HTC’s new tablet, and the experience didn’t disappoint — in our brief time with the device, gaming was as good on the Flyer as it is on a PC, with little lag and the same quality graphics. In addition to the Flyer and Vizio’s VIA hardware , many more devices are set to join the OnLive family this year, though Steve wouldn’t tell us who’s manufacturing them. He did say that no matter what brand-name is on the front of the box, the company hopes to have 50 million Blu-ray players and 25 million internet TVs shipped with the service on board by the end of the year. To hit that goal, the company has partnered with Intel to bring streaming gameplay to devices packing Atom CE4100 silicon starting this fall. Hot hardware not getting your gaming juices flowing? Well, how about some seamless integration with The Social Network? That’s right, OnLive’s been playing footsie with Facebook and will let users launch games directly from their profile pages. There’s also automatic “Brag Clip” video uploads (to share your greatest gaming hits) and wall posts to let folks know when you start playing — with accompanying links so they can watch or join in. All these new goodies will be on display at E3 next week, but if you’re starving for more details right now , video and PR are after the break. Gallery: OnLive on HTC Flyer and OnLive Universal Wireless Controller Continue reading OnLive outs universal wireless controller, seamless Facebook integration and more — we test the tablet experience on an HTC Flyer (video) OnLive outs universal wireless controller, seamless Facebook integration and more — we test the tablet experience on an HTC Flyer (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’re not sure how many of you happen to own both a Galaxy S II and a Samsung Smart TV but, if you do, you’ll probably want to download Smart View from the Android market. Like now — don’t worry, we’ll wait. This handy app lets you stream content from your set to your smartphone over WiFi, and can even be used as a controller for games from the Samsung app store. Unfortunately, you’re limited to either mirroring the content shown on the TV or watching an optional second stream from a Sammy-branded Blu-ray player but, hey, at least you won’t have to miss a single second of Game of Thrones just because that box of Cheez-Its keeps whispering your name. Like any good TV-connected app, Smart View can also act as a remote with a program guide and the ability to change channels, and even more functionality is promised for the future. Eventually, it will make its way to Galaxy Player, Galaxy S, and Galaxy Tab owners but, while you wait, check out the gallery and PR below. Gallery: Samsung Smart View for Android Continue reading Samsung Smart View shrinks Smart TV down for your Galaxy S II Samsung Smart View shrinks Smart TV down for your Galaxy S II originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Oh, Sony — not again . We’ve just received numerous tips that Lulz Security has broken into SonyPictures.com, where it claims to have stolen the personal information of over 1,000,000 users — all stored (disgracefully) in plain text format. Lulz claims the heist was performed with a simple SQL injection — just like we saw the last time around . A portion of the group’s exploit is posted online in a RAR file, which contains over 50,000 email / password combos of unfortunate users. We’ve downloaded this file (at our own risk, mind you) and can verify these sensitive bits are now in the wild, though it remains unclear if what’s published matches reality. In addition to user information, the group has blurted out over 20,000 Sony music coupons, and the admin database (including email addresses and passwords) for BMG Belgium employees. Fresh off the heels of the PlayStation Network restoration , we’re guessing the fine folks in Sony’s IT department are now surviving solely on adrenaline shots. [Thanks to everyone that sent this in] Sony Pictures hacked by Lulz Security, 1,000,000 passwords claimed stolen originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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There was a bit of confusion over what sort of backwards compatibility the Sony NGP would have when it was announced earlier this year, but it looks like that particular mystery’s now been cleared up. Eurogamer reports that the NGP (or whatever it’s eventually called) will be indeed compatible with existing PSP games — of the downloadable variety only, of course. What’s more, the site says that it has actually seen Resistance: Retribution demonstrated on the handheld, and that all PSP games are run via a software emulator that will let you turn upscaling on or off to suit your preference — games will also be able to take advantage of the NGP’s dual analog sticks (to control your character’s view in Resistance , for instance). As Eurogamer notes, that sounds similar to Sony’s remastering effort for PSP titles on the PS3, which also promises to add cross-device playability. Might the NGP also get in on that act? We should know more at E3 next week. Sony NGP confirmed to be backwards compatible with downloaded PSP games originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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