Kindle subscription to the New York Times will net you free web access as well
March 29, 2011 No Comment
Can’t get enough New York Times over your Whispernet? Worry not, dear Kindle reader, for Amazon’s on a roll with its announcements today, the latest of which is that a subscription to the NYT on its world-conquering e-reader will also grant users access to the paywall-protected NYTimes.com online portal. No complex rules or conditions, you’ll just one of the insiders who get unfettered access to all the fine old school journalism practied at Times towers. See Amazon’s press release after the break or hit the source link to learn more about the $28-a-month subscription. Continue reading Kindle subscription to the New York Times will net you free web access as well Kindle subscription to the New York Times will net you free web access as well originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 07:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Kindle subscription to the New York Times will net you free web access as well
March 29, 2011 No Comment
Can’t get enough New York Times over your Whispernet? Worry not, dear Kindle reader, for Amazon’s on a roll with its announcements today, the latest of which is that a subscription to the NYT on its world-conquering e-reader will also grant users access to the paywall-protected NYTimes.com online portal. No complex rules or conditions, you’ll just one of the insiders who get unfettered access to all the fine old school journalism practied at Times towers. See Amazon’s press release after the break or hit the source link to learn more about the $28-a-month subscription. Continue reading Kindle subscription to the New York Times will net you free web access as well Kindle subscription to the New York Times will net you free web access as well originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 07:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Japan sends Kounotori 2 spacecraft on suicide mission to study re-entry process
March 29, 2011 No Comment
An unmanned cargo ship built by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is set to go up in flames tomorrow in the name of interplanetary research. Along with a load of space station junk, the Kounotori 2 spacecraft is packing something akin to a black box , also known as a Re-entry Breakup Recorder (REBR), that will collect and transmit data about the ship’s final moments. The space station’s crew will activate the REBR before Kounotori 2 begins its final assignment. As soon as it starts showing signs of re-entry, the sensor will begin to collect data including temperature, acceleration, and rotation rate, and will then break away from the craft for a final free fall to Earth, at which point the REBR will dump its findings. Scientist hope the device will help answer questions about exactly what happens when things fall apart during re-entry. If all goes according to plan, the REBR will plunk down in the ocean sometime later, but its host will never be seen again… farewell, Kounotori 2. Japan sends Kounotori 2 spacecraft on suicide mission to study re-entry process originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 06:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Is your Motorola Droidphone hungry for some Gingerbread? Well, the lucky little guy can now get its taste with the recently released Android 2.3 builds for Droid X and Droid 2 from My Droid World . Droid Life’s got all the details, including a hands-on video (provided after the break) and complete instructions for rooting your device and downloading the OS. Gingerbread brings you the new blue Blur, a customizable dock, an app management shortcut, an overhauled camera app, and super fast navigation speeds, among other things. So for you eager beavers who just can’t wait for an official release, follow the source links below and feed your phone. Continue reading Droid X and Droid 2 get unofficial Android Gingerbread 2.3 Droid X and Droid 2 get unofficial Android Gingerbread 2.3 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …The Thinking Machines flashes back to 1968 for a lesson in computer logic, sideburns (video)
March 29, 2011 No Comment
Another dusty gem’s emerged from the vintage gold mine that is AT&T’s Tech Channel archive, and this one’s packed full of useful information and some classic Jetsons -style animation. The Thinking Machines pits man against computer to explain how the things reason, and it does so with a soundtrack that’s straight out of, well, 1968. Unsurprisingly, the film’s populated by giant, button-laden switchboards, early computer graphics, ladies sporting beehives, and gents rocking unfortunate facial hair, but if that doesn’t do it for you, it also offers genuine pearls like this: “Best of all, they never get bored. Like other machines, they can do the same monotonous chores all day long without complaining.” Someone should tell that to the disgruntled Roomba residing in our hall closet. Check out the full video in all its dated glory after the break. Continue reading The Thinking Machines flashes back to 1968 for a lesson in computer logic, sideburns (video) The Thinking Machines flashes back to 1968 for a lesson in computer logic, sideburns (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 03:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Nokia promises strong Symbian devices through Windows Phone transition, major OTA update this summer
March 29, 2011 No Comment
Nokia loves telling the world about the 150 million Symbian handsets it will ship in the years to come. Problem is, that’s far from a factual statement — it’s a goal, a hope, and something that will only be possible if developers and fans don’t abandon the platform wholesale as the company transitions from Symbian to Windows Phone smartphones over the next two years . As such, Nokia is desperately trying to convince us that Symbian and the Qt developer framework are far from dead. In an open letter of encouragement to developers from Purnima Kochikar, VP of Nokia Forum & Developer Community, Purnima attempts to coax devs into fine-tuning their Qt skills in preparation for a “strong portfolio” of new Symbian products with “GHz+” processing and faster graphics coming in 2011 and 2012. Presumably she’s talking about the T7 , X7 , and E6 leaks among others. And because Symbian is still the leading smartphone platform in markets like China, India, Russian, and Turkey, she hints that Nokia will likely continue to support Symbian well beyond the transition to Windows Phone, at least in select markets. Of course, hardware has never really been Nokia’s issue so it’s nice to hear Purnima commit to a first major Symbian user experience update this summer that includes the new home screen, icons, browser, and navbar we’ve already seen , in addition to a “fresh look and feel” to the Ovi Store and Maps with the latter also getting a integrated social media services update. The Symbian update — some of which has already been seen on the C7 Astound — will come to “all users” over the air. Too late to save the platform but just in time for the Symbian faithful. Nokia promises strong Symbian devices through Windows Phone transition, major OTA update this summer originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 03:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Surely you remember the Kyocera Echo , that dual-screen Android 2.2 phone that Sprint unveiled way back in February. Well, if it managed to pique your interest, then you’ll be glad to know that Sprint’s thrown up quite the unique reservation page that will let you reserve the phone now for $200 (after a $100 mail-in rebate) to ensure you’ll have it on its April 17th release date. The company warns that there’ll be limited quantities, so if you want to be the only one in town rocking a dual-screen smartphone, hit the source link and punch in your info — and don’t forget to try your hand at a game of Bottle Bustin’ Bandits while you’re there for a chance to win one of these phones. Sprint begins Kyocera Echo reservations, challenges you to a ‘dual’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’d heard March 31st for this thing , but hey — are we about to complain when it goes on sale early? That would be a definitive “no,” and we’re happy to report that Samsung’s SCH-LC11 Mobile Hotspot with 1x, EV-DO Rev. A, and LTE compatibility on Verizon’s network is now being offered on the carrier’s website for $99.99 on contract after a $50 instant discount. That makes it the cheapest way to get five devices attached to some of the fastest wireless broadband around — sure, you can do it with a Thunderbolt , but it’ll run you a little more upfront and you need a voice plan. Who’s in? [Thanks, Nick R.] Verizon’s Samsung LTE Mobile Hotspot goes on sale: $100 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 01:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Oh snap! Look who just ate Apple’s and Google’s lunch here? Amazon has just pushed out its very own music streaming service, which is conveniently dubbed the Amazon Cloud Player. Existing customers in the US can now upload their MP3 purchases to their 5GB cloud space — upgradable to a one-year 20GB plan for free upon purchasing an MP3 album — and then start streaming on their computers or Android devices. Oh, and did we mention that this service is free of charge as well? Meanwhile, someone will have some catching up to do, but we have a feeling it won’t take them too long. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: As some readers have confirmed, it appears that the Cloud Player will support music purchased from iTunes as well. Amazon Cloud Player goes live, streams music on your computer and Android originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Netflix Canada announces new bandwidth management settings for capped users
March 28, 2011 No Comment
The second bit of news for Canadian Netflixers in less than 24 hours deals with the other pressing issue facing the service in the Great White North: bandwidth caps. While they exist in the U.S., many Canadian ISPs have set the max amount of data allowed at much lower levels and they may cut further if a recent CRTC decision on usage-based billing stands . In response, starting today Netflix.ca accounts all have a new Manage Video Quality setting that lets users select Good / Better / Best bitrates as defaults for their video streams. According to CPO Neil Hunt’s blog post, previously watching 30 hours of Netflix would typically consume up to 30GB of data, while now it can be as low as 9GB under the “Good” setting. Of course, dropping bitrate means lowering picture quality accordingly, despite promises that “the experience continues to be great.” Even with HD and 5.1 audio available, PQ probably isn’t your highest priority if you’ve turned to streaming, but it remains to be seen if customers find the compromise suitable, and whether a similar option comes to U.S. users facing similarly limited connections . [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Netflix Canada announces new bandwidth management settings for capped users originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 23:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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