It’s a short and sweet disclosure from BGR this morning as multiple sources have apparently informed the news outlet that RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook will make its debut on store shelves on April 10th. The BlackBerry Tablet OS will reach Gold Master status on March 31st, according to the same soothsayers, which is late enough in proceedings to necessitate it being delivered as an update upon first booting up your device. We too have heard of a late March / early April launch for the PlayBook, which RIM itself promised for the first quarter of 2011, though the intrigue of what carriers will be providing you with connectivity on this 7-incher remains. You’ll know more as soon as we do. BlackBerry PlayBook to be released on April 10th? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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After seeing many atrocious attempts , it seemed factory iPad integration was something that simply shouldn’t happen. Now, in Volkswagen’s Bulli concept, we’re seeing something that makes sense — something we’ve wanted to see for a while now . The tablet sits in a custom cradle in the center of the dash, extended on a pivoting arm so that it can turn toward driver or passenger. It then provides center stack duties, letting front-seaters manage the climate controls, play some music, and of course get directions. Naturally we’d like to see something a little more platform-neutral if it’s going to be a factory option, but we’re guessing that if indeed this new-age Vanagon ever sees production its interior will look nothing like this anyway. So, no point in getting too worked up about it, then. VW’s Bulli van concept does iPad integration right, shockingly originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …inPulse Bluetooth smartwatch gets Facebook Places check-in app for Android (video)
March 2, 2011 No Comment
Ever since Allerta released an SDK for its well-hyped inPulse smartwatch, it was only a matter of time before we start seeing more practical applications that take this Bluetooth peripheral beyond the BlackBerry ecosystem. For instance, the latest example comes from the inPulse’s very own Lead Designer Eric Migicovsky, who happens to be a fan of Facebook Places and possibly an Android convert. Rather than having to pull out his Nexus One for every check-in, Migicovsky can now use his simple app on his inPulse to grab a list of nearby locations off the phone, and then check in with just a click of a button. Pretty neat, eh? For those interested, you can grab the project code off inPulse’s website and get programming. inPulse Bluetooth smartwatch gets Facebook Places check-in app for Android (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …The Engadget Interview: Ryan Bidan, BlackBerry PlayBook senior product manager
March 2, 2011 No Comment
RIM held a little PlayBook party here in New York yesterday, giving us a chance to hang out with Ryan Bidan, the company’s senior product manager for the seven-inch tablet. In addition to chatting with us about battery life, connectivity, and pricing, Ryan clarified the PlayBook’s app development model — athough devs can choose to work with native code, Java, Adobe Air, and HTML5 / WebWorks, the idea is for the ultimate user experience to be seamless, and RIM is considering offering standard UI widgets for each environment. We also had to ask about those swirling rumors of Android support , and while we commend Ryan for his practiced non-answer, we can’t help but feel we detected a hint of a smile on his face. Or was that just another tray of snacks going past? Check the video and decide for yourself. The Engadget Interview: Ryan Bidan, BlackBerry PlayBook senior product manager originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Bing advances past Yahoo! to become world’s second most used search engine — with 4.4 percent
March 2, 2011 No Comment
How far we’ve come from the heady days when Microsoft was willing to splash $44 billion to acquire Yahoo! Since then, the online portal has done whatever the opposite of going from strength to strength is, and today it’s suffered the somewhat predictable ignominy of losing its second spot in search to Microsoft’s upstart Bing. Statcounter places the February global share of search at 4.4 percent for Microsoft and 3.9 percent for Yahoo! (the Redmond giant can actually lay claim to a bigger slice since Bing “powers” Yahoo! search results in some countries), neither of which should give Google much reason for concern while it’s sitting pretty with a share of just under 90 percent. It’s the first time Google has dipped below the 90 percent mark for a long time, but Statcounter says “it shows little sign of losing its global dominance any time soon.” So that settles that. Continue reading Bing advances past Yahoo! to become world’s second most used search engine — with 4.4 percent Bing advances past Yahoo! to become world’s second most used search engine — with 4.4 percent originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It’s not enough that you’ll soon be able to make in-app purchases on Android , Google wants to give you an outlet for your app spending online as well. The search giant is hard at work turning last year’s acquisition of Jambool and its Social Gold software into a web-based in-app payments platform it can call its own. Jambool’s proprietors have word that Google’s system is now in beta, which has led it to close new signups for the Social Gold offering, ahead of halting payment processing entirely on May 31st. That should serve as a pretty reliable guide for when to expect Google to flip the switch on its in-app purchasing service, which we’re hearing will include some level of integration with Google Checkout and Google accounts. As TechCrunch points out, the next Google I/O gathering is scheduled for May 10th — sounds about the right time for us to be introduced to this new, app-based way for separating us from our hard-earned cash. Google adding web-based in-app payments, probably some time in May originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Cox breaks return cable upload record with Motorola’s help, subscribers still waiting for their cable guy
March 2, 2011 No Comment
There’s a somewhat narrow category here, but Cox Communications just set a benchmark for bandwidth on its Las Vegas network thanks to an RX48 DOCSIS 3.0 receiver from Motorola. That rate is 356Mbps on a 5 – 85MHz return path, which correlates to upstream performance on a cable modem. The company says the tests “demonstrate that Cox’s HFC networks are much more future proof than many have believed” and that they “have the capability to support much higher data speeds than today without the need to replace any of the amplifiers, taps or cables.” That will naturally leave Cox subscribers with just one question: how long until my uploads are that fast? Continue reading Cox breaks return cable upload record with Motorola’s help, subscribers still waiting for their cable guy Cox breaks return cable upload record with Motorola’s help, subscribers still waiting for their cable guy originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Olympus SZ-30MR and SZ-20 cameras record 1080p video; Tough TG-810 is ‘crushproof’
March 2, 2011 No Comment
Olympus just loosed a trio of compact cameras. Let’s start big with the €329 SZ-30MR. According to Olympus, the 30MR packs a backlit CMOS sensor with 24x (25-600mm) optical zoom and Dual Engine TruePic III+ processing. It also lays claim to being the first to simultaneously record 1080p video while shooting 16 megapixel stills — a feature Oly dubs, Multi Recording. The SZ-20 lacks the MR and dials back the zoom to 12.5x but costs a relatively modest €219. Olympus also announced a silver or black TG-810 compact for €299. First and foremost is the cam’s claim for ruggedness: crushproof at a weight of 100kg (220 pounds); waterproof to 10 meters (32.8 feet); shockproof at a distance of 2 meters (6.56 feet); and freezeproof a temps to -10 degree celsius (14 degrees F). Otherwise, it boasts a 14 megapixel CCD sensor, a 5x (28-140mm) optical zoom, 720p movie mode, TAP control (for gloved use), GPS, and an electronic compass. All three cameras feature a 3-inch LCD; HDMI; high ISO and sensor-based mechanical image stabilization; smart panorama, 3D photo, pet detection, and beauty modes; and SDXC and Eye-Fi card compatibility. Look for them to hit retail in March. Continue reading Olympus SZ-30MR and SZ-20 cameras record 1080p video; Tough TG-810 is ‘crushproof’ Olympus SZ-30MR and SZ-20 cameras record 1080p video; Tough TG-810 is ‘crushproof’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 07:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Olympus SZ-30MR and SZ-20 cameras record 1080p video; Tough TG-810 is ‘crushproof’
March 2, 2011 No Comment
Olympus just loosed a trio of compact cameras. Let’s start big with the €329 SZ-30MR. According to Olympus, the 30MR packs a backlit CMOS sensor with 24x (25-600mm) optical zoom and Dual Engine TruePic III+ processing. It also lays claim to being the first to simultaneously record 1080p video while shooting 16 megapixel stills — a feature Oly dubs, Multi Recording. The SZ-20 lacks the MR and dials back the zoom to 12.5x but costs a relatively modest €219. Olympus also announced a silver or black TG-810 compact for €299. First and foremost is the cam’s claim for ruggedness: crushproof at a weight of 100kg (220 pounds); waterproof to 10 meters (32.8 feet); shockproof at a distance of 2 meters (6.56 feet); and freezeproof a temps to -10 degree celsius (14 degrees F). Otherwise, it boasts a 14 megapixel CCD sensor, a 5x (28-140mm) optical zoom, 720p movie mode, TAP control (for gloved use), GPS, and an electronic compass. All three cameras feature a 3-inch LCD; HDMI; high ISO and sensor-based mechanical image stabilization; smart panorama, 3D photo, pet detection, and beauty modes; and SDXC and Eye-Fi card compatibility. Look for them to hit retail in March. Continue reading Olympus SZ-30MR and SZ-20 cameras record 1080p video; Tough TG-810 is ‘crushproof’ Olympus SZ-30MR and SZ-20 cameras record 1080p video; Tough TG-810 is ‘crushproof’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 07:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …HTC ChaCha to be known as ChaChaCha in Spain, somebody didn’t do enough market research
March 2, 2011 No Comment
As it turns out, the word “chacha” is used as a term of disparagement in the Spanish language. Coincidentally , perhaps after somebody hit HTC’s marketing genii with a Spanish phrasebook, the HTC ChaCha will hereafter be known as the ChaChaCha in the land of sun, sand and siestas. This follows mobile search engine ChaCha suing for trademark infringement a couple of days ago and serves as an instructive example of why one should do one’s market research before deciding to use one’s internal codenames as retail product nomenclature. HTC ChaCha to be known as ChaChaCha in Spain, somebody didn’t do enough market research originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 07:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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