Study: Verizon Wireless and HTC most eager to provide Android 2.2 updates
January 13, 2011 No Comment
Look, if you buy a carrier-branded Android handset, you should know good and well that you may never see the first Android update. It ain’t easy to hear, but as mama always said, the truth ain’t always painless. That said, there’s still some research you should do before picking a phone and carrier, and ComputerWorld has seemingly done just that for you. The methodology is all explained down in the source link, but the long and short of it is this: in the last half of 2010, Verizon upgraded 33 percent of its sub-2.2 phones to Froyo, while Sprint updated just 28.6 percent of its stable and T-Mobile blessed only 12.5 percent of its phones with the new digs. AT&T bashers should take note, as Ma Bell didn’t update a single one of its nine Android phones during the June-December 2010 time period. Yeah, ouch . Over on the handset side, we’ve got HTC gifting half of its devices with Froyo, while Motorola comes in second with 15.4 percent and Samsung third with 11.1 percent. No matter how you slice it, it’s a depressing study to look at, and it probably makes your decision to skip over a Nexus One seem all the more idiotic in retrospect. But hey, at least there’s the Nexus S to console you… if you’re willing to sign up with T-Mob, that is. Study: Verizon Wireless and HTC most eager to provide Android 2.2 updates originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Last night Boxee users apparently noticed they were unable to stream YouTube videos via their app or Boxes as noted above by TheNewTVRepublic , leading to some speculation that we were seeing a repeat of licensing related blocking that once shut down access on Popcorn Hour hardware . Fortunately that’s not the case, as the official YouTube account just tweeted out a notice that it’s only a glitch which it is working to address “quickly.” We’ll return to DEFCON level 4 pending an actual fix, but until then the latest series of Vote 4 Bieber My YouTube entries will just have to wait. YouTube streams are down on Boxee, but not blocked originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 16:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Buffalo’s PC-TV1/HD adapter brings Intel Wireless Display support to Japan
January 13, 2011 No Comment
So, you did it. You went out and purchased a WiDi -enabled laptop. Congratulations. Trouble is, you have no way to get those wireless transmissions to your television, and that’s where Buffalo comes in. We’ve already seen a handful of Wireless Display adapters hit the market here in the US, but mama always said that more made things merrier. Buffalo’s PC-TV1/HD is fairly simple; just plug it into your television via HDMI or composite video cords, sync it with your WiDi computer, and enjoy the spoils of watching (mostly) lag-free HD content flow from your laptop to your HDTV. Check it this March for
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Well, it was fun while it lasted, but it looks like Virgin Mobile customers in the US will soon have to make do without their truly unlimited $40 data plan . Starting on February 15th, that will be replaced with a new plan that gives you 5GB of unhindered data use, and throttled bandwidth for anything used beyond that limit. For its part, Virgin says that most customers who use the BB2Go plan for ” internet surfing and reasonable downloading will likely not be impacted/notice any difference,” but we’re sure there’s plenty of folks out there that will beg to differ. As you may recall, T-Mobile also introduced some bandwidth throttling of its own this past year, but it actually did so in lieu of overage charges , which is a bit easier to accept than throttling slapped on top of a once unlimited plan. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Virgin Mobile abandons unlimited data in favor of throttled 5GB plan originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 15:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …JVC’s 4K camcorder inches closer to reality, getting smaller all the time
January 13, 2011 No Comment
This most definitely isn’t the first 4K camcorder to leak out of JVC’s stable , but it sure feels like the company is getting further from fantasy and closer to reality. At CES last week, the outfit’s latest prototype was as small as we’ve ever seen, with that object shown here being capable of logging clips at 3840 x 2160 pixels. It’s just barely bigger than the 1080p models already on store shelves, and it’s equipped with new internal processors that are over twice as fast as the silicon used in the firm’s current lineup. Sadly, we’re no closer to learning a release date or price, but the results shown down in the source link have us all kinds of hopeful for something within the next dozen months. Right, JVC ? JVC’s 4K camcorder inches closer to reality, getting smaller all the time originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 15:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …IBM’s Watson supercomputer destroys all humans in Jeopardy practice round (video!)
January 13, 2011 No Comment
So, in February IBM’s Watson will be in an official Jeopardy tournament-style competition with titans of trivia Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. That competition will be taped starting tomorrow, but hopefully we’ll get to know if a computer really can take down the greatest Jeopardy players of all time in “real time” as the show airs. It will be a historic event on par with Deep Blue vs. Garry Kasparov, and we’ll absolutely be glued to our seats. Today IBM and Jeopardy offered a quick teaser of that match , with the three contestants knocking out three categories at lightning speed. Not a single question was answered wrongly, and at the end of the match Watson, who answers questions with a cold computer voice, telegraphing his certainty with simple color changes on his “avatar,” was ahead with $4,400, Ken had $3,400, and Brad had $1,200. Alright, a “win” for silicon for now, but without any Double Jeopardy or Final Jeopardy it’s hard to tell how well Watson will do in a real match. What’s clear is that he isn’t dumb, and it seems like the best chance the humans will have will be buzzing in before Watson can run through his roughly three second decision process and activate his buzzer mechanically. An extra plus for the audience is a graphic that shows the three answers Watson has rated as most likely to be correct, and how certain he is of the answer he selects — we don’t know if that will make it into the actual TV version, but we certainly hope so. It’s always nice to know the thought processes of your destroyer. Stand by for video of the match, along with an interview with David Gondek, an engineer on the project. Update: Video of the match is up, check it out after the break! Gallery: IBM’s Watson supercomputer destroys all humans in Jeopardy practice round Continue reading IBM’s Watson supercomputer destroys all humans in Jeopardy practice round (video!) IBM’s Watson supercomputer destroys all humans in Jeopardy practice round (video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The NAMM trade show — also known as the musician’s candy store — is kicking off today out in Anaheim, which means that audio-focused press releases are starting to pour in. Headset and mic manufacturer Shure is beefing up its line with the introduction of three new models — a set of buds plus two cans. On the bud side, the SE 215 slots in predictably beneath the SE315 , offering a budget-friendly single driver in your choice of black or fancy translucent casing; it comes in at a retail price of $99, some $100 less than the SE315. Moving to cans, the SRH550DJ (pictured center) is — as the name implies — targeted at DJs with a “super-aural design” for full isolation and a 90-degree swiveling headband for flexible wearing positions; this one will set you back $99 on the store shelf. On the upscale side, the SRH940 is billed as a reference set with a premium padded headband, and you’ll pay for it: it’s $299 at retail. All three models will be available this spring; follow the break for the press releases. Continue reading Shure adds SE215 buds, cans for DJs and studios alike Shure adds SE215 buds, cans for DJs and studios alike originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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You might recall that VMware has teamed up with LG to separate the “work” and “life” environments on your Android phone into two distinct, secure platforms, which has some pretty obvious benefits — as more people want smartphones in their personal lives, IT departments can still manage the content on their work phones without necessitating two separate devices. Seriously, who wants to carry around two phones? (Don’t answer that.) Anyhow, RIM’s getting into the game with today’s announcement of BlackBerry Balance at an enterprise-focused event in Boston, a tool that’ll allow the computer nerds in your office to manage, wipe, and encrypt the work-related content on your BlackBerry while leaving your personal content unscathed. Of course, not everyone wants a BlackBerry as their personal smartphone — but for those that do, this should make you feel a little more confident that the IT dude isn’t going to spontaneously delete your mom’s contact record. No word on availability just yet. BlackBerry Balance announced, gives your phone a split personality originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …BlackBerry Curve ‘Apollo’ leak provides image, details, no relationship status
January 13, 2011 No Comment
“Lower-mid end of the lineup… decent specs… aggressively priced.” Not exactly the descriptors which dreams are made of, but that’s the wording BGR is using to describe its other leaked BlackBerry device today ( Dakota being the other). A 480 x 360 resolution screen of unknown size, 800MGhz Tavor MG-1 CPU, 512MB RAM, a 5 megapixel camera with HD video recording, 1050 mAh battery, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, NFC, GPS, and BlackBerry OS 6.1 to put everything in check. It all serves quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE and tri-band UMTS / HSPA 7.2Mbps. The keyboard, we’d assume, is pretty darn snappy. The price and release date, should this apparent leak come to fruition, is still unknown. BlackBerry Curve ‘Apollo’ leak provides image, details, no relationship status originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Wikipedia celebrates 10th anniversary, co-founder Jimmy Wales opines on app stores
January 13, 2011 No Comment
Did you know that Wikipedia is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week? It is, on January 15th! It’s hard to believe that the ‘edited by the everyman’ encyclopedia has been around that long… or maybe we’re just getting old. Either way, co-founder of the site (and man of many personal appeals) Jimmy Wales took the opportunity to answer some questions about the past, present and future of Wikipedia, and, when asked about the growing prevalence of mobile apps and app stores, well, Wales had plenty to say, including that models such as the iTunes app store can represent a dangerous “chokepoint” and that they could be “a threat to a diverse and open ecosystem.” He also added that mobile devices are owned by people, and those people should control their own devices. We can see where Jimmy’s coming from in some ways — apps are a wholly new, untested way of ingesting content, but we have a hard time swallowing wholesale that the app store model could threaten internet freedom more than an issue such as net neutrality. But you know, if you ask us nicely, Jimmy, we might just take your word for it. Hit up the ‘more coverage’ link to check out a video of Jimmy Wales waxing philosophical about the birthday celebration. Wikipedia celebrates 10th anniversary, co-founder Jimmy Wales opines on app stores originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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