US Navy explains basic mechanical principles of a fire control computer — in 1953 (video)
March 14, 2011 No Comment
Bits, bytes and silicon transistors? Boy, you have it good — back in 1953, state-of-the-art computers were made of gears, sprockets, chains and cams, and we trusted them to accurately wreck lives with ginormous naval guns. If you’re wondering how that could possibly work, you don’t have to go far — a series of seven videos after the break show you how it was done, and which might even ingratiate you with the grizzled old neighbor who desperately wants you off his lawn. Continue reading US Navy explains basic mechanical principles of a fire control computer — in 1953 (video) US Navy explains basic mechanical principles of a fire control computer — in 1953 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 21:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Sure, Danger’s servers are going away , but the Sidekick brand belongs to T-Mobile — and that particular component of the teen-friendly smartphone ecosystem pioneer isn’t going anywhere. Of course, the carrier’s been saying for a couple months now that it’d be relaunching Sidekick on Android, but they’re making the device very official today with the unveiling of the Samsung-sourced Sidekick 4G. Though it lacks a swiveling display, T-Mobile is quick to note that the phone’s got a “pop-tilt” mechanism that should still be pretty unique in the market — and this is the first Sidekick with a touchscreen (3.5 inch WVGA, to be exact). The Android 2.2-based unit has a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 3 megapixel primary cam, and a pretty fierce-looking user interface (dare we say a tad Kin -like?) that comes loaded with a couple Samsung staples — Samsung Media Hub, notably — along with Qik video calling, DriveSmart texting-while-driving lockout functionality, and Sidekick Group Text and Cloud Text, which together form some manner of cross-platform messaging tool. Pricing and availability are a little murky at this point, but we can expect it “later this spring” in your choice of black or “pearl magenta.” Follow the break for the full press release. Continue reading T-Mobile Sidekick 4G from Samsung announced, coming ‘later this spring’ T-Mobile Sidekick 4G from Samsung announced, coming ‘later this spring’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …OCZ buys Indilinx, probably has designs on building its own SSD controllers
March 14, 2011 No Comment
Indilinx, the company responsible for designing the Barefoot SSD controller , has today agreed to hand its future over to the capable lads and ladies of OCZ Technology in exchange for $32 million in common OCZ stock. The companies have announced a definitive agreement for the chipmaker’s acquisition, which OCZ is performing in order to gobble up a set of 20 yummy patents and patent applications while also expanding its presence in embedded, hybrid storage and industrial markets. Indilinx will continue its current operations, including providing controllers and firmware to other OEMs, and OCZ too will continue to use others’ wares, namedropping its long-term partner SandForce as among the outside companies that will be supplying it with SSD goodies. So it’s business as usual unless and until this partnership spawns some lightning-fast combination of software and hardware that forces us to hear that cursed “exclusive” word again. Ah well, best of luck of luck to them. Continue reading OCZ buys Indilinx, probably has designs on building its own SSD controllers OCZ buys Indilinx, probably has designs on building its own SSD controllers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 23:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …HTC Arrive up for $50 pre-order at Wirefly, requires new Sprint account and two-year contract
March 14, 2011 No Comment
Windows Phone 7′s first landscape QWERTY slider handset is a mere five days away from its launch on Sprint, but already there’s an online retailer keen to undercut everyone else for your business. Wirefly is currently offering the HTC Arrive (aka the 7 Pro outside the US) for $49.99 in upfront costs when bought in conjunction with a new two-year service plan from Sprint on, importantly, a new account. Eligible upgraders will have to shell out $149.99 for the privilege, though that’s still less than Sprint’s own $199.99 pricing. If you find it any cheaper elsewhere, do make sure to let us know. HTC Arrive up for $50 pre-order at Wirefly, requires new Sprint account and two-year contract originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 22:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Jon Bon Jovi accuses Steve Jobs of putting a shot through the heart of music
March 14, 2011 No Comment
Steve Jobs, according to musical legend Jon Bon Jovi, is “personally responsible for killing the music business.” This strident (and economically false ) accusation comes from an interview he conducted with Britain’s Sunday Times , where he candidly sets out his dismay at this century’s move away from music distribution on physical media and toward ubiquitous download portals . Bon Jovi’s nostalgia shines through in his detailed account of the “magical” experience of picking up records and enjoying their sweet touch and soothing analog tones — though we’re not sure how he missed out on the fact that CDs, not downloads, were the first to stab a dagger of digital convenience through the hole in his record collection. Still, Bon Jovi thinks Apple’s iTunes success is to blame for the loss of our collective innocence and bright-eyed enthusiasm for music. What do you think? Continue reading Jon Bon Jovi accuses Steve Jobs of putting a shot through the heart of music Jon Bon Jovi accuses Steve Jobs of putting a shot through the heart of music originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Wirefly: ‘no Skype’ on Thunderbolt, but simultaneous 3G voice and data is a go; ships on March 17th
March 14, 2011 No Comment
Wireless retailer Wirefly is pushing ahead with pre-orders for the beleaguered HTC Thunderbolt starting at midnight Pacific Time this evening with the promise that they’ll start shipping this Thursday, the 17th; that lines up with a whole lot of noise we’ve heard recently, so we can’t really argue with it at this point. They’re also confirming a couple rumors that have been floating around since the phone’s January debut: first, they’re saying “no Skype ,” which we’re taking to mean that the promised Skype video calling app won’t be installed out of the box. We’re also assuming (or at least hoping) that you’ll be able to install the standard voice-only version. Secondly, they’re saying that the phone definitely does simultaneous voice and data over 3G, a feature that was just recently made possible on Verizon’s CDMA network through software upgrades — and the Thunderbolt, it seems, will be the first retail device to have the pleasure of taking it for a spin. Wirefly: ‘no Skype’ on Thunderbolt, but simultaneous 3G voice and data is a go; ships on March 17th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play ad: gross human thumbs stitched onto robots, drugged clubgoers, not much more we can say
March 14, 2011 No Comment
Is this the creepiest ad ever produced to introduce a new video game console? That’s a high bar to pass — but is it the creepiest ad for a new smartphone ? Perhaps. The minute-long spot for Sony Ericsson’s upcoming Xperia Play called “The Donor” appears to explain the backstory behind its last ad , relaying the tale of a young gentleman who was clubbing with friends, met an attractive woman, took her home, and woke up the next morning to discover that his thumbs were stone cold gone (notice the dirty, poorly-bandaged stumps on the table as he tells his tale of woe to a local law enforcement official). Cut to the next scene, where we’ve got our cute, lovable Android bot waddling around town… oh, and he’s got human thumbs crudely sewn onto his arms . Go ahead, recoil in horror, vomit in the trashcan next to your desk, then cue the inevitable increased desire in owning this phone. Follow the break for the video, if you dare. Continue reading Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play ad: gross human thumbs stitched onto robots, drugged clubgoers, not much more we can say Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play ad: gross human thumbs stitched onto robots, drugged clubgoers, not much more we can say originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Well, it hasn’t reached Eee PC levels of confusion just yet, but it looks like ASUS’s Eee Pad line is well on its way to filling store shelves with numerous different models. One of those has now hit the FCC under the guise of the Eee Pad TF101, although it’s also referred to as the EP101 in some of the documents. Assuming nothing has changed with ASUS’ naming scheme (always a possibility), that would peg it as the Transformer — a tablet / keyboard dock combo that we first got our hands on back at CES (and later at CeBIT ). Unfortunately, ASUS wasn’t able to give us a release date then, and that still hasn’t changed, although the FCC certification does certainly suggest that it could be coming sooner rather than later. ASUS Eee Pad Transformer passes through the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Æsir’s Yves Béhar-designed phone starts at just €7,250, plenty left for mortgage on the summer home
March 14, 2011 No Comment
Okay, okay, €7,250 (about $10,150) sounds positively exorbitant for a phone with a microscopic 2-inch display that dares to boast of “200 calendar entries” as a “feature,” but hear us out — that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the €42,000 ($58,800) you’ll pay for the gilded version. That’s right: for €7,250 you get nothing more than common stainless steel coating the front and rear of your
Continue reading …Microsoft reportedly kills off Zune hardware, will focus on software instead
March 14, 2011 No Comment
Details are still emerging on this one, but it looks like Microsoft has finally killed off the Zune — or the hardware side of things, anyway. According to Bloomberg , a “person familiar with the decision” has confirmed that Microsoft won’t be producing any new Zune media players, and that the company will instead focus solely on the Zune software that already has a foothold on the Xbox 360 and Windows Phone devices (it’s not clear if the name will stick around). Microsoft will apparently continue to sell its existing Zunes as long as it has stock of them. More as we get it. Microsoft reportedly kills off Zune hardware, will focus on software instead originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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