Warner Bros. expands movie rentals via Facebook with five more high profile titles
March 27, 2011 No Comment
After dipping a toe in the waters with The Dark Knight , starting tonight Warner is offering five more movies for streaming on Facebook including Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone , Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , Inception , Life as We Know It and Yogi Bear . The deal remeains the same, with United States viewers able to pay for a 48-hour viewing window instantly in Facebook credits them enjoy the flick with full functionality on the page, and pause/resume tied to their login on the site. Even with an increasing number of movie titles including recent ones like Yogi Bear that just debuted last week , it’s hard to see any VOD service seriously challenging the current video rental incumbents like iTunes and Netflix, especially one that offers only SD rentals viewable on the PC. What it does offer however is a quick way for Warner to monetize the significant Facebook communities around popular movies , which may be enough to keep this program growing for the foreseeable future. Either way, the pages should be live starting at 1 a.m., check the press release after the break if you need more details. Continue reading Warner Bros. expands movie rentals via Facebook with five more high profile titles Warner Bros. expands movie rentals via Facebook with five more high profile titles originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Warner Bros. expands movie rentals via Facebook with five more high profile titles
March 27, 2011 No Comment
After dipping a toe in the waters with The Dark Knight , starting tonight Warner is offering five more movies for streaming on Facebook including Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone , Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , Inception , Life as We Know It and Yogi Bear . The deal remeains the same, with United States viewers able to pay for a 48-hour viewing window instantly in Facebook credits them enjoy the flick with full functionality on the page, and pause/resume tied to their login on the site. Even with an increasing number of movie titles including recent ones like Yogi Bear that just debuted last week , it’s hard to see any VOD service seriously challenging the current video rental incumbents like iTunes and Netflix, especially one that offers only SD rentals viewable on the PC. What it does offer however is a quick way for Warner to monetize the significant Facebook communities around popular movies , which may be enough to keep this program growing for the foreseeable future. Either way, the pages should be live starting at 1 a.m., check the press release after the break if you need more details. Continue reading Warner Bros. expands movie rentals via Facebook with five more high profile titles Warner Bros. expands movie rentals via Facebook with five more high profile titles originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …WSJ: Google teams with MasterCard and Citigroup for NFC payments, also files patent app
March 27, 2011 No Comment
Ever since the Nexus S and its nifty little NFC chip hit the market, there’s been speculation that El Goog was planning a foray into the mobile payment arena currently occupied by the likes of Charge Anywhere . Now, it looks like that plan may be in high gear, as the Wall Street Journal reports that Google’s secretly partnered with MasterCard and Citigroup to test out just such a system. According to the publication, the early demo pairs “one current model and many comping models of Android phones” with existing Citigroup-sponsored credit and debit cards, and is using the phones’ NFC chips with those VeriFone readers we recently heard about. What’s more, a newly-published patent application from the crew in Mountain View may hint at the software behind such things. The application describes a service that sets up Google as a third-party broker who receives the shopping cart info of customers placing orders via a device (including those of the mobile variety), allows them to select shipping and other options, and provides the total order cost. It then collects payment, coordinates shipment, and forwards order information to the seller to complete the transaction. So companies can have Google handle all their payment-taking needs in return for getting a sneak peek at what folks are buying — something that the WSJ’s sources say might be a component of the setup Google’s testing right now — as opposed to other third-party services, like Paypal, that only obtain and exchange payment info with merchants. Looks like Alma Whitten (Google’s Director of Privacy) has her work cut out assuaging the concerns such a system will inevitably create in an increasingly privacy-minded populace . Sean Hollister contributed to this report. WSJ: Google teams with MasterCard and Citigroup for NFC payments, also files patent app originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 23:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Hanwha unleashes HDMI / USB adapter for iPad, iPhone 4, and fourth-gen iPod touch
March 27, 2011 No Comment
Feel the desire to watch your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch (fourth gen) videos on the big screen, but looking for something with a little more girth than Apple’s HDMI solution ? Hanwha’s latest dongle might do the job. As you can see above, in place of the original adapter’s dock connector port is a USB 2.0 socket — compatible with cameras supporting mass storage connection — alongside the 720p-friendly HDMI port, but you’ll have to use the switch to toggle between the two modes. And that little mini-USB port on the far right? Well, it’s there to provide some juice to “reduce battery drain,” but probably not enough to charge up your iDevice. If you’re still interested and have a friend in Japan, Hanwha’s charging
Continue reading …Inhabitat’s Week in Green: LAVA’s geodesic home, solar skyscraper glass and fear of nuclear power
March 27, 2011 No Comment
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green. This week Inhabitat showcased several groundbreaking feats of high-tech architecture – starting with plans to transform the United States’ tallest skyscraper into a soaring solar farm . We also saw a vision for a geodesic home of the future that is popping up in China this year, and we learned that scientists in Qatar are developing a series of solar-powered artificial clouds that will cool the country’s stadiums during the 2022 World Cup. It was a big week for energy news as well as Germany and Italy announced plans to abandon nuclear power in the wake of the crisis in Japan . Tata & MIT also announced a breakthrough technology for generating power from water , and we saw solar energy reach new heights as Suntech set off to install the world’s tallest solar plant on the Tibetan Plateau . Speaking of soaring green designs, we watched a brand new electric vehicle take to the skies as the solar-powered Elektra One airplane successfully completed its maiden flight. This week we also showcased several cutting-edge examples of wearable technology including an app that instantly transforms any drawing into a made-to-measure dress . We also learned that Virgin Atlantic now offers passengers bespoke shoes while they wait, and we took a look at a futuristic pregnancy belt that offers an inside look at the womb. Finally, we saw several amazing examples of recycled design – Chinese artist Wing Wah has created a set of scrap metal transformer robots that look just like the movies, and designer Mati Karmin has transformed defused land mines into an edgy set of interior furnishings . Inhabitat’s Week in Green: LAVA’s geodesic home, solar skyscraper glass and fear of nuclear power originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 21:09:00 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. When Apple introduced the iPad , it had but a smattering of third-party applications, but the company stressed its own. As Apple iPhone software SVP Scott Forstall stated in the iPad introduction video, “We looked at the device and we decided: let’s redesign it all. Let’s redesign, reimagine and rebuild every single app from the ground up specifically for the iPad.” Compare this to the strategy employed by RIM, makers of the upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. One year after the iPad’s debut, Apple’s head start in apps has proven an formidable advantage against the onslaught of slates announced by its competitors in the smartphone world. Some have chosen to latch onto Android and attain backwards compatibility with over 200,000 existing smartphone apps. HP, with its TouchPad, will circle its wagons of PCs and printers around the webOS platform. However, the announcement this week that RIM, too, will support Android apps says much about how the company sees its position in the tablet wars. Continue reading Switched On: The PlayBook polyglot Switched On: The PlayBook polyglot originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 20:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Sprint may not be the only US carrier spreading its wings with an HTC tablet this summer, oh no — promotional materials obtained by PocketNow point to the HTC Flyer launching with T-Mobile as well. Though the marketing mockups don’t prove that Madam Magenta will actually be offering the 7-inch Gingerbread tablet with Scribe stylus (or distinguish between T-Mobile USA and its European counterparts, for that matter), the carrier’s clearly given it a lot of thought, and HTC’s spec sheet for the Flyer has indeed listed the AWS bands necessary to carry T-Mobile USA’s 3G data since day one . Sneak a peek at what T-Mobile’s in-store tablet kiosks might look like at our source link below. HTC Flyer headed to T-Mobile, according to marketing scrapbook? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 19:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sonos Controller for Android delayed until April, heartbreak available now
March 27, 2011 No Comment
Is it really the end of March ? That’s debatable, but if you’ve been wondering where Sonos’ Controller for Android app is, well… wonder no more. Rather than cutting it loose within the next week (as promised earlier in the year), the outfit’s vice president of quality has informed the world that it won’t be available until next month. The exact quote? “We know you’re anxiously awaiting the Sonos Controller for Android. Unfortunately, testing the app is taking a bit longer than we anticipated. The latest addition to our free controller line-up won’t arrive until April, but when it does, it is going to rock.” But will it rock as much as the image above? Time will tell, friends. Sonos Controller for Android delayed until April, heartbreak available now originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Panasonic Lumix GH2 review roundup: impressive video recording, murky still images
March 27, 2011 No Comment
In case you’re still wondering if Panasonic’s mirrorless Lumix GH2 is worth your $900, we’ve rounded up a handful of reviews to provide a pointer for your next big purchase. While most reviewers agree that this Micro Four Thirds camera appears to be very similar to its predecessor , they universally praise the subtly improved ergonomics, speedy liveview autofocusing, and refined image quality, especially with its 1080p AVCHD video recording (although Digital Camera Resource Page did notice some artifacting in its clips). Noise is also a non-issue up to about ISO 800 or 1600, though it’s apparent that the 16 megapixel stills are comparatively dull and, like those from many other MFTs, aren’t quite on par with DSLRs — expect plenty of manual processing work here, as demoed by the good folks over at Digital Photography Review . All in all, the GH2 is a great kit for high quality video capturing, bundled with a pretty good still performance that requires some extra TLC afterwards — kinda ironic in a way, but hey, this isn’t a problem for lovers of video bokeh. Head over to the links below for some in-depth analysis and walk-through before you leave a small dent on your bank account. Read – Digital Photography Review Read – Photography Blog Read – Camera Labs Read – Digital Camera Resource Page Read – Let’s Go Digital Panasonic Lumix GH2 review roundup: impressive video recording, murky still images originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 16:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Though it won’t be the first Verizon LTE device to share its white-hot connection over WiFi (that honor goes to the recently-launched Thunderbolt ), Samsung’s SCH-LC11 — announced back at CES — is shaping up to be the network’s first dedicated hotspot to hit retail. We’ve just been dropped the carrier’s internal equipment guide showing a launch date in all channels (stores, telesales, and online) this coming Thursday, March 31st; pricing is an open question, but carriers tend to price these modems pretty aggressively on contract since they know they’re going to eat you alive with the data plan for the next two years. Of course, in this case, we’re more than willing to get eaten alive if it means we’ve got a 20Mbps WiFi connection in our pocket at all times. [Thanks, anonymous tipster] Verizon’s Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot launches March 31st originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 13:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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