Rabu, 13 April 2011

What's new on SlashGear.com

What's new on SlashGear.com


HP Omni 100 All-In-One PC Dealpalooza From Logic Buys

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 03:08 PM PDT

If you’re in the market to buy a new PC, and especially an all-in-one type of PC, then you don’t want to miss this offer from Logic Buys. The HP Omni 100 All-In-One PC is a true space saver and now it’s also a money saver. Using the coupon codes at Logic Buys can net you up to $130 in savings.

The HP Omni 100 sports a 20-inch LED backlit LCD non-glare display with tilt and swivel adjustment, built-in webcam and mic, integrated 6-in-1 card reader, six USB 2.0 ports, integrated Super Multi DVD burner, and premium stereo speakers. All this in the body of the sleek monitor with no additional PC tower to waste space.

There are three different options to choose from and determines how much you save. There are two basic configurations, one with AMD 100z processor and the other with Intel 100t processor. The recommended higher end configuration features AMD 100z processor and includes 3GB memory with 500GB hard drive.

The deal expires on April 16, just a day after you finish filing your taxes. You can check out the Logic Buy deal page here.


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Hammacher Schlemmer Electric Comfort

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 03:03 PM PDT

Hammacher Schlemmer is selling this sweet bike on their website. It’s designed like a standard Cruiser. I’ve seen a lot of old Schwinn’s with a similar design. This bike features big baloon tires, a fatty padded seat, and a powerful electric motor to help you cruise around town without breaking too much of a sweat. This baby has 500 Watts of power assist driven by a 36 volt L-ion battery pack providing up to 30 miles of electric boost. That’s more than enough. Hammacher Schlemmer’s Electric Comfort Bicycle will get you where you need to go, in style, and it’s eco-friendly.

This bike can boost you to 20mph using the electric motor alone. Just twist the right handle and it’ll power up and release the stored energy into the bike’s drivetrain. If that’s not fast enough you can supplement with pedal-power to achieve even greater speeds.

Most electric bikes are going to cost you a pretty penny. This Hammacher Schlemmer bike is going to run you $2,800 or so from their website. Get one here if you are so inclined.

[via Earth Techling]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Angry Birds For Windows Phone 7 Launching May 25th

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 02:33 PM PDT

We had just mentioned that Rovio is working on a project to allow the Angry Birds game to sync across all platforms, and now we can definitively add to that the Windows Phone 7 platform. Despite some bad blood between Microsoft and Rovio previously, the two companies have reconciled and promised an Angry Birds version to hit WP7 very soon. Today, Microsoft confirmed the game will be arriving on May 25th.

The Angry Birds phenomenon has dominated the iOS and Android gaming charts and will now take WP7 by storm. This new version of Angry Birds will feature 195 action-packed levels of larcenous pig busting. The game will be featured in the XBox Live segment of the WP marketplace for your downloading pleasure.

It was originally expected to launch on WP7 in February but was delayed by legal matters. Now the issues seem to be all cleared up, and Microsoft chose to confirm the launch date during their keynote at the MIX 11 event in Las Vegas today. During which they also announced multi-tasking coming this Fall to their new WP7 version codenamed Mango.

[via TechRadar]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Google Safe Browsing, New Feature

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 02:21 PM PDT

Google Safe Browsing offers a service to just about everyone on the internet. They offer a blacklist that will help to keep you from stumbling onto malware unaware. Most of us have seen this screen pop up a time or two. Whenever there are rubes to phish, crackers will continue producing new sites to grab whatever information people are willing to provide. Google is working on a new feature that checks downloaded files against this same blacklist. It should offer slightly more protection for those users who need it.

This service automatically checks websites you browse against Google’s blacklist. It’s integrated into Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. What this feature aims to do is add another layer of defense against malware installations. Google keeps a database of known malware URLs. Every time you click a link, Google checks it out and lets you know if everything’s okay. If it’s bad, you’ll see something like this.

If you use one of these browsers, every page you browse to is checked against Google’s database, and if it finds a match it’ll throw you an error. If you want to turn this service off or on, here’s the way to do it in Chrome or Firefox.

Chrome – browse to chrome://settings/browser

Firefox – Edit > Preferences

[via Chromium Blog]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



T-Mobile Press Event Invites Tease G2x and G-Slate

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 01:57 PM PDT

We’re the recipients of a press event invite that no less than tells us what’s going to be inside, both the T-Mobile G2x and the LG G-Slate. These are two devices that are sure to blast forth from the edifice of Android and fall directly into the homes of thousands and millions of homes across America, creating enjoyment for those who receive them. We’ve had looks at both devices in one way or another in the past, and here we’re sure to get yet another.

Also inside this event will be a couple of musical groups, one of them called Dev and the Cataracs, the other by the name of DJ Chachi. Without a doubt this event is set to totally relax us in the sun with fine drinks and snacks, right? No way, man! We’re going to be scrambling with super authoritative skill to get you all the details you need to be informed first! Then YOU can do the relaxing for us.

What we’ll be seeing, again, if you’re not familiar with these devices, is the LG G-Slate and the T-Mobile G2x. To see information on either of those devices, simply click their name and you’ll be brought to a portal with all the information we’ve got on either. Quickly though, one of the most important factoids about both is that they’re packed with NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 dual-core processor. That’s tight!

Seeya there!


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Motorola XOOM Contest via SlashGear!

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 01:47 PM PDT

Oh my goodness were you unaware of the fact that we were giving away a couple of Motorola XOOM Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets? Why, you’ve got to know! And you’ve got to enter because everyone has an equal chance at winning! And not only that, we’ve got a total of FIVE tablets up for grabs, the other three sitting pretty over on our sister site Android Community. That’s a who lotta’ tablets for you to be winning!

Take a peek at the limited ruleset here, and if you’d like to know everything there is to know about this contest, head back to the original [contest post]. Then enter! Enter your heart out!

To win one of these fabulous tablets, you must:

1. “like” us on Facebook: facebook.com/slashgear.com
2. Comment on the FACEBOOK wall saying something nice like “SlashGear and NVIDIA are ever so generous and kind with their dual-core generosity.”

Contest begins April 11, 2PM PST, and ends April 24, 2PM PST. A winner will be announced every Monday @ 5PM PST here in the main news feed and at our official Facebook page.

WINNERS will be given the opportunity to submit a review of their XOOM and have it posted on the front page of SlashGear.com!

*Reviews may be edited or modified before publication and are considered works for hire under the 1976 Copyright Act. Submissions will be ineligible for payment or remuneration.

Contest provided by SlashGear/Android Community. Prizing provided by NVIDIA. Any questions regarding this contest should be directed to chris@androidcommunity.com.


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



What is GNOME 3.0? Major Linux Desktop Redesign

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 01:21 PM PDT

Have you heard of Ubuntu? Of course you have. It’s the top Linux distribution worldwide. Ubuntu is the first project that made it easy for regular users to really run Linux on the desktop. Ubuntu uses GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment). GNOME is a desktop environment package that allows a single software package to take care of just about everything your GUI hands could ever desire. The GNOME Project recently announced a major version overhaul. This is like the Linux equivalent of a jump from XP to Windows 7.

Many people think of Linux as if it’s an operating system in competition with Windows. This isn’t really the case. There are some vocal users among the community that live to fight against the corporate machine, but most of us, we just like choices. Linux itself isn’t an operating system in the strictest sense of the word. Linux is just an idea about how an operating system works. The easiest way to think about it is as if every individual installation of Linux is it’s own operating system. That’s the principal difference between Windows and Linux. With Microsoft in your corner, you are playing their game. You’re in their Twilight Zone. Linux on the other hand… it’s all you baby.

With a little bit of effort the user can customise anything. Enterprising and generous hackers package their customized systems into distributions, each with a distinctive flavor. In fact, we love to call the various distributions different flavors of Linux. That’s a key term. There won’t be a quiz. Linux comes in as many flavors as there are programmers with a desire for something different from what’s out there. That’s it’s strength. Look up any of these to see some of the different possibilities; Linux Mint, Ubuntu, Crunchbang, E-Live, Debian, Red Hat, SUSE.

GNOME isn’t a distribution. It isn’t a flavor. So what is it?

GNOME is a lot of things really. It’s an expansive project that aims to provide a wide array of software tools. It’s meant to be an all-in-one automagic software package that you can install on any Linux system to get a functional and diverse desktop environment. The 3.0 Release changed a lot of the look and feel of the GNOME system. GNOME The new release is designed with the cloud in mind. It took them five years, and here it is.

Right now the new version of GNOME is supported by the openSUSE and Fedora projects. Those are Linux distributions, or distros for the cool kids. You can browse to here to try it out on a USB stick or a LiveCD.

[via Linux Journal]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Angry Birds To Get Game Syncing Across All Platforms

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 01:12 PM PDT

Angry Birds parent company Rovio announced via Twitter today that they are in the works to make the hugely popular game sync-able across all platforms. This is awesome news for all you Angry Birds addicts out there because this means you no longer have to start the game from scratch if you switch devices.

Rovio Mobile tweeted today that the plan is to sync across all platforms which is indeed a pretty big project, but they auspiciously added that they are getting close.

So normally, when you switch devices, say you’re upgrading your current iPhone to a new Android phone like the HTC Sensation, you would lose the levels you’ve beat and start the game all over. Rovio is trying to eliminate this problem.

It’s a move that other game makers should take note of as well. It’s not certain when they plan to unleash this new feature or how they plan to implement it except that it will likely launch before Summer.

[via Android Community]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



iPad Arcade Cabinet “iCade” By Ion Audio To Bring Retro Fun In May

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 11:58 AM PDT

Here’s a neat little accessory to turn your Apple iPad into a retro mini arcade machine. Ion Audio first showed off this iPad arcade cabinet called the iCade at CES earlier this year but had not confirmed a date of availability. Today, the accessory just passed through the FCC signaling an on time launch for May 31. Watch the video demo after the cut.

The iCade is designed to sit on top of your table and has an arcade style joystick with six numbered buttons and two “enter” blue buttons. You simply slide your iPad into the front of the iCade and connect them via Bluetooth to start playing your favorite classic arcade games.

Well, you do have to go and download the games, which are thankfully free, from Apple’s App Store. The Atari Greatest Hits app is configured to work with the iCade and you can download additional games via the app.

However, the iCade relies on 2 AA batteries, which can get gobbled up rather quickly as you play hours on end of Space Invaders. It would be nice if there was a plug-in or rechargeable option. But nonetheless, a fun little accessory to show off in your geek lair if you have an extra $100 sitting around.

[via Wireless Goodness]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Mogi Grumbles – End Of Line (Tron Re-Score)

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 11:48 AM PDT

This is already making my day. Mogi, or Mr. Grumbles depending on how formal you’re feeling, has been making “…blarg house music for house music blargspots”(sic) for an unspecified number of time-units. Anyway, yeah, this is perfect. It’s an hour-long re-cut of the original Tron set to a new Daft Punk-esque series of beats that is currently rocking my face. This is exactly what I needed to brighten my day. How can you have a frown on your face when you have lightcycles, giant evil tanks, the MCP, and phat beats?

I don’t really remember the original score to the original Tron, and I still haven’t seen the 2.0. I am no Tron expert or Tron fanatic telling you to watch this and enjoy because I love everything Tron. Really, I don’t like Tron much at all. Just between you and me, I hate Tron.

I like this in spite of it being Tron. j/k I’m ambivalent.

It’s cold up there in Ann Arbor where Mr Grumbles is a French / Disco House DJ. Keeping dancefloors stocked with sweaty gyrating bodies is his cap and trade. I really hope he has a Mr. Grumbles cap. Just so I could know for sure when I saw him that he was in-fact the man in fact. If you are so inclined to find more of his music after enjoying this he also has a Myspace page with some tracks up there for a listen.

Now here’s the really cool part. This dude is just giving this thing away for donations. This video below is the entire recut and rescore, and it’s just up there on Vimeo waiting for you to enjoy. And hey! Mogi has a donation link posted up on moodgadget. Browse on over and throw him a bone!

End of Line is an original re-score of the movie Tron (1981), created by Ann Arbor native French / Disco House antihero Mogi Grumbles. End of Line is a 100% independent composition that lives wholly outside the original film score by Wendy Carlos and Annemarie Franklin.

The result of a live collaboration between Alex Taam and video editor Christian Silbereis, a re-cut of the film featuring the Mogi Grumbles re-score has been released as a companion piece for your viewing pleasure. End of Line is being released digitally as a name-your-price offering, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the artist.

[via iso50]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Apple Unveils Final Cut Pro X, Now 64-Bit Awesomeness

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 11:14 AM PDT

We mentioned before that Apple may be making a “jaw-dropping” announcement at the SuperMeet during the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) event in Las Vegas this week. And now our dreams have come true. Apple just unveiled Final Cut Pro X, a much needed update to the industry’s flagship film editing software. It’s been rebuilt into a 64-bit application on Apple’s Cocoa framework with a brand new interface and support for full background rendering.

The most prominent improvement is that the new Final Cut Pro has been rebuilt as a 64-bit application, which will enable it to surpass the 4GB memory available to 32-bit applications.

“Final Cut Pro Ten will no longer be hamstrung by the 4GB of memory that are available to 32-bit applications, and can now take advantage of as much memory as you can throw at the application,” said Peter Steinauer, Architect of Final Cut Pro. “What this means in technical terms is larger, more complex projects, larger formats, larger frames of memory, deeper and richer effects decks, basically all of the things that are ridiculously memory intensive now have full run of all the memory you can throw at the problem.”

The rebuild takes full advantage of Mac OSX Snow Leopard features including OpenCL, Quicktime X, Grand Central Dispatch, and Core Graphics/Animation to enhance performance. The support for background rendering will significantly improve work flow as editors will no longer need to wait for certain parts to be rendered before continuing. In fact, editing can continue even as clips are being imported.

Final Cut Pro X also picked up some new features adapted from its consumer bretheren iMovie 11. Content analysis such as face and people detection as well as wide, medium, or close-up shot range detection have been added as a Smart Collections feature. A Compound Clips feature allows for easy video nesting and a new Magnetic Timeline automatically syncs a video clip with its primary audio clip. You may be able to kiss PluralEyes goodbye now.

Natively, the application can now handle up to 4K resolution-independent playback, non-destructive image stabilization and color balancing, automatic audio cleanup, scalable rendering, and more.

And perhaps most awesome of all is that the new Final Cut Pro X comes unbundled at only $299. Compare that to the current Final Cut Pro version that is available only in a studio bundle with Color, Motion, and Soundtrack Pro for $999. It’s not certain right now whether there will be a studio package for the new version, but Apple promises that more information on those other apps will be announced in the coming weeks. Final Cut Pro X is scheduled to be available in June.

[via ArsTechnica]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Windows 8 Early Version LEAKS

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 10:30 AM PDT

It seems that the first Windows 8 build has leaked, and from what we can tell, this leak does indeed appear to be verified as legit. This is a very early non-complete version of the newest version of Windows, and it does appear to have a very Windows 7 feel to it. Why would this be? Because in early versions of updates to Windows, the big changes come in what’s called “Milestone 3,” while this leaked release is definitely along the lines of “Milestone 1.” Have a peek at this sneaky leaky and decide for yourself if it’s worth diving into, or if it should still be left in the developing pit for a few more months.

You’ll more than likely be able to find this “Milestone 1 Build 7850″ of Windows 8 in all the usual FTP and torrent sites, but beware – this is a fresh breeding ground for viruses and hacks that’ll lead the devil right into the heart of your PC. That said, why don’t you just have a quick peek here instead and go ahead and leave it alone? Sounds great!

Build Information:

Build leak: Windows 8 Build 7850 Milestone 1 Build
Build String: 6.1.7850.0.winmain_win8m1.100922-1508_x86fre_client-enterprise_en-us.iso
Size: 2.45 GB (2,637,101,056 bytes)
MDA Hash: EA2DCFADA6BBA517A0A0649D15E1EB3D
CRC: N/A
SHA-1: N/A

Some new features included in this early unofficial release are as listed here: Windows App Marketplace (check this out [here]), SmartScreen Security Filter, Aero Auto-Colorization (Auto color-changing theme colors, and more customization options), the ability to mount ISOs, and a Built-in AppX PDF Reader and IE9 Tile-based Metro UI. Take a peek at some screenshots below.

And again, we’re not providing links to the torrents or other downloads of this build because it’s a: insecure, and b: not exactly legal to have. Not to mention that it’s so very incomplete that it might have your computer running laps until it dies. SO rejoice that we’re a step closer to a final build, and be careful if you try to see it early!

[via Windows 8 Center]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Why Cisco Shut Down the Flip Business

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 10:07 AM PDT

Cisco’s shutting down of their Flip business after only two years says not just a great deal about Cisco but about consumer markets as a whole. Primarily that they are very hard to succeed in and should be entered only with adequate strategies. Cisco had primarily acquired Flip and the Pure Digital team in order to gain a jump start to their consumer business strategy.

This included not only the Pure Digital team which started and successfully built the Flip business but also the retail and channel relationship’s Pure Digital had acquired. There may have been some technology aspirations with Cisco’s networking efforts but the consumer expertise Flip brought to Cisco was the real value.

That being said the shutting down of the Flip business by Cisco shows how difficult it is to succeed in consumer markets. Especially when consumers aren’t your core business. Cisco has made a comfortable living as a solutions provider for networking infrastructure. How you orient and design your business to go after certain verticals is no trivial thing and Cisco was built to sell to big business not to consumers.

The move also shows the declining market for stand alone video camera’s. In a world where technology is being integrated at a rapid level into nearly everything we touch stand alone devices are falling by the way side. Could this be a sign for E-Readers?

One other element factoring into the decision is what several other analysts have speculated around the desire for Cisco to begin a renewed focus on their core markets. Cisco has seen their core business threatened by HP in particular. By returning resources back to the core business Cisco can begin to ward of threats with a renewed focus and vigor.

We have seen time and time again in this industry how hard it is to be successful selling to both enterprises and consumers. The tried and true strategy continues to be: Focus on a customer base and build your business to cater to their needs.


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Google Places Rolling out NFC Stickers in [at least] Five US Cities

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 09:55 AM PDT

It appears that Google has chosen Identive’s ACIG Technology subsidiary as their exclusive supplier of NFC stickers for at least one of the five major US cities receiving NFC window decals across America. ACIG Technology will be in charge of supplying these stickers while they’re manufactured by another Identive Group company by the name of Smartag, which is based in Singapore. These stickers are approximately 80x50mm and are currently being handed out in a big push in Austin to re-promote the Places environment.

Cities with these stickers already spreading through them include Las Vegas; Madison, Wisconsin; and Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as Portland and Austin, which’ve been with the program for a slightly longer. What the groups involved hope this service will do is make the process of both checking in at locations as well as getting and distributing deals, coupons, and etcetera much easier to engage in.

Bernardo Hernandez, senior director of consumer marketing for Google has made comments on the situation, noting that Google is considering these NFC-enabled stickers to be an integral part of their outreach efforts (in Austin, at least,) with “local” businesses. Because “20% of all searches on Google are for local information,” Hernandez is hoping that NFC technology delivered by Smartag smart stickers will tie Google into the exchange between businesses and their customers implicitly.

What do you think? Tags for all?

Check out our gigantic NFC Portal for more information on the expansion of said technology!

[via NFCommunications World]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



HP webOS 3.0 LEAKED

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 09:10 AM PDT

It appears that the folks over at PreCentral have gotten themselves an early hands-on with the newest version of webOS, version 3.0. This is the version that’ll be on all their brand spanking new products in this summer season, and what a whopper of a system it’ll be. What this preview amounts to is a breach of contract between a developer and HP, where they were given an SDK to work with for app creation purposes, but leaked it instead to the media. Shame! PreCentral took the opportunity and ran with it – Let’s take a look at a list of new features, shall we?

The first important point to consider is the fact that HP will not be including Google Maps as webOS has in the past. Instead there’ll be a new version of Microsoft’s Bing Maps – think of the ramifications of that.

Next, take a peek a this extended list of updates as constructed, again, by those sneaky folks over at PreCentral, and note that all of these features are said to be NEW, meaning there’s certainly a batch of items that’ll be carried over from the older versions of webOS, with these smacking you in the face with their shiny fresh glory:

• Launcher: An arrow/home button on the bottom right brings up a new tabbed launcher with tabs labeled “All” and “Favorites”
• Rearranging apps: press and hold now launches an “edit mode” where apps can be moved, deleted, or removed from a customized launcher page. Press “done” to complete the process.
• Just Type: webOS’s universal search feature is now tabbed, like the launcher, and muted gray in appearance. Recent searches and the virtual keyboard appear when you tap the search bar.
• Virtual Keyboard: Text Predication has been added, not just to help you complete words (as with Text Assist introduced in webOS 2.0), but to predict what word you’ll type next.
• Notifications: Notifications are now at the top of the screen, next to the device menu. If you receive more than one notification from the same app, you can swipe through them and drill down into the message you’re interested in. This doesn’t delete or mark as “read” the other notifications you swiped through while doing so.
• Browser: Now called “Browser” not “Web,” the new browser has removed the grid of bookmark icons and replaced it with a Bookmarks/History button that slides out a panel with Bookmarks, History and Downloads buttons at the top. A bar at the bottom shows the progress of a loading webpage and disappears when the loading is complete. The navigation bar does not disappear as you scroll down on a webpage.
• Calendar: Now redesigned, the app shows your current calendar in the middle of the screen, with the bottom offering buttons for creating events, switching views, etc. Buttons at the top let you switch to other calendars. The design is new, but everything else here works the same as before.
• Contacts: No changes here besides slight tweaks to the lettering style.
• Email: Similar to email on the iPad, the folder list disappears in Portrait view, but is present in Landscape view. Buttons at the bottom lets you compose, refresh and now, mass edit (meaning select multiple messages at once to add flags, delete, move, etc.)
• Exhibition: The “screen saver” like mode is now bigger, and more stretched out. Time, Agenda and Photo options are available, but only Time was functioning. Both an analog and flip clock are offered.
• Maps: The biggest update to webOS 3.0 is a switch from Google Maps to Bing. The new interface offers a search bar at the top, which also provides access to recent searches and favorites, a Directions mode, Suggested Searches (when it doesn’t understand your query), and more. You can drag and drop pins, turn on or off GPS, and switch between road, aerial and Bird’s Eye (3D) views.
• Memos: Cork pad and push pins are gone and memos are larger. You now press “edit” to move notes around, instead of press and hold.
• Messaging: Now two-paned, but functionality remains essentially the same.
• Music: The app has been overhauled, offering a two-paned view, with songs on the right and sort/filtering options on the left, plus a cover flow-like view of music, and a notification area mini-player with access to controls.
• Photos & Videos: The two apps are now one, and integrate device pictures with those from Facebook. Album, filmstrip and fullscreen views are available. Facebook comments are shown, too.

Finally, take a peek at this video which will give you a relatively quick look at what you’ll be working with in webOS 3.0 – exciting!

[via PreCentral]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



SlashGear BlackBerry PlayBook Giveaway!

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 08:52 AM PDT

If you hadn’t already noticed, SlashGear and our sibling site Android Community are in a tablety-mood at the moment, with a handful of Motorola XOOM slates that we’re simply desperate to give away to our readers. Office Depot has generously given us a BlackBerry PlayBook WiFi tablet to give away too; check out exactly how you can win this QNX slate after the cut.

It’s a prize worth $499.99, and features a 7-inch touchscreen, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS, along with Adobe Flash support. There’s also two cameras, and RIM has thrown in Android app compatibility so that the PlayBook won’t be short on software to run when it hits the shelves.

Hands-on with no less than RIM founder and co-CEO Mike Lazaridis

The BlackBerry PlayBook goes on sale April 19, and is available to pre-order from Office Depot here. One lucky SlashGear reader will get a PlayBook of their own for doing nothing more than checking out the SlashGear Facebook page, however. Full instructions are below…

To stand a chance of winning the BlackBerry PlayBook, you must:

1. "Like" us on Facebook: facebook.com/slashgear.com
2. Comment on the wall saying something nice like “SlashGear and Office Depot are re-writing the PlayBook with this brilliant giveaway. #PlayBook” – you can change the text, but you must include the tag “#PlayBook”

Contest begins April 13, 2PM PST, and ends April 18, 2PM PST. The winner will be announced here in the main news feed and at our official Facebook page.

WINNER will be given the opportunity to submit a review of their BlackBerry PlayBook and have it posted on the front page of SlashGear.com!

*Reviews may be edited or modified before publication and are considered works for hire under the 1976 Copyright Act. Submissions will be ineligible for payment or remuneration.

Competition is open to residents of the US over the age of 18. One entry per contest per person. Family members of Google, Office Depot and SlashGear/Android Community are not permitted to enter. Competition entries are only accepted via the specified SlashGear Facebook page; entries left in the comments section of this or any other post will not be recognized. One entry per person (and yes, we check).

The winners will be announced on SlashGear and will be expected to contact SlashGear via the following email: chris@slashgear.com ; they will be expected to respond within 24 hours else their prize may be forfeit and another winner selected. Editors decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Winner agrees that their name and details of their entry may be used for promotional purposes by, but not limited to, Office Depot and SlashGear.

Prize consists of one BlackBerry PlayBook WiFi tablet. There is no cash alternative or any other alternative for prize winners unless this prize should become unavailable, in which case SlashGear and Office Depot reserve the right to substitute another prize of equal or greater value.

Contest provided by SlashGear. Prizing provided by Office Depot. Any questions regarding this contest should be directed to chris@slashgear.com.


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Indy Game Creator Smashes Pirates with Ease

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 07:55 AM PDT

Let’s begin by explaining what this indy game creator’s product is: GMod, aka Garry’s Mod. There’s a game called Half Life 2, it’s a first person shooter that you play on the PC. What our homie Garry Newman has done here is to create a mod that turns the game into a sandbox game in which there are no predefined aims or goals, only allows the user to create their own worlds inside the constraints of the Half Life 2 environment. Basically this means you can do anything, and invite your friends to join in. What Newman has done to smash all pirates of this particular for-sale modification of the game is to insert an error that occurs only when pirates attempt to use an unpaid-for version of the game.

This isn’t the first time this sort of thing has occurred, and it certainly wont be the last, but it is a good example of a completely independent developer using a simple method to stick it to those who would take his application when he’d rather they pay for it. The exact error here, incase you’re wondering, is the inability to shade polygon normals. What the heck does that mean? Doesn’t matter. What does matter is that it’s working.

Have a peek [here] at the barrage of complaints made by foolish peons trying to get support for a game from the people they didn’t pay for it from. He of course admits that this most certainly wont boost sales of GMod, and in fact is noting that it’s certainly not uncrackable, finally takes the time to explain the error in detail.

What do you think? A fabulous trolling of those who would thief, or a totally uncalled for action executed by a terrible devil?

NOTE: The way this error has been working on stolen copies of the game and not legit is: Steam keeps a list of which accounts bought GMod and which didn’t.

[via Reddit]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



FBI Vault website has memo from Roswell crash investigator

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 05:42 AM PDT

This has to be a hoax, so take this with a grain of salt the size of Everest. According to Gizmodo a file has been spied on the FBI Vault website where old documents are put for the public to peruse that is a report on the infamous 1950 crash in Roswell, New Mexico that some believe was a UFO crash. The government has long maintained the crash was a weather balloon.

The document in question is a memo by an FBI agent named Guy Hottel that was working the original case and recounts what a so-called “investigator for the Air Forces” told him about the crash. The Air Force investigators name is blacked out in the memo. The reminder of the memo is an interesting read and conspiracy theorists will be riled up for sure.

The memo goes on to say that the Air Force found a crashed saucer shaped flying machine about 50-feet in diameter and that the investigator believed that the high-powered military radar in the area interfered with the UFO’s controlling mechanisms. This is a crazy document to turn up on the FBI website for sure. Check out the document here.

[via Gizmodo]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



DARPA program develops sweet holographic tactical goggles

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 05:31 AM PDT

The programs that DARPA runs often result in some of the coolest hardware and gear for military and civilian use being invented. One of the cool things that DARPA and its contractors have been working on are holographic goggles that give soldiers a bit of augmented reality on the battlefield.

The goggles look more like sunglasses to me and have some really cool features. They will be able to interface with drones flying overhead to give the solider details on what the drone sees and what the drone is firing at. That capability will mean that the solider can get the intelligence that the drone sees directly without waiting for someone else to offer the report.

Another cool feature is that the goggles could tell the solider whether that jet or helicopter on the horizon is friend or foe. The glasses were developed in cooperation with Vuzix, the same company that makes the video glasses for consumers. They would use a head tracker to know where the wearer is looking and could tell you things like the jet is a friendly F-16 at 21,000 feet, 30 miles out in theory.

[via Wired]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Andi One universal remote runs Android 2.1

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 05:15 AM PDT

There are a bunch of different apps on the market today that will turn your iPhone and Android device into a universal remote control. What we don't see a bunch of are universal remote controls that run the Android operating system. The Conspin Andi One universal remote is just such an animal.

This universal remote has a big 3.5-inch touchscreen for controlling your home theater gear. It runs the Android 2.1 operating system and it supports apps raising the confusing opportunity to run a universal remote app on your universal remote. The Andi One has an aluminum body.

It can connect to your components via RF, IR, and WiFi and supports 5,000 brands and 10,000 devices. It charges with a charge stand via a micro USB port and the internal battery is good for 20 hours of use. Pricing and availability are unknown at this time.

[via Android Community]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Trio of new Hannspree Android tablets get detailed

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 04:49 AM PDT

If you are a Euro Android geek there are three new tablets coming over the next few quarters that you might want to check out from Hannspree. The new tablets will land in Q1, Q2, and Q3 respectively and are called the SN10T1, the SN10T2, and the SN10T3. They all have some of the same features, but each has differences that are key.

The Q1 SN10T1 tablet has a 10.1-inch screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600. It will run Android 2.2 and has 16GB of storage. The processor inside the tablet is the Tegra II and it has WiFi and Bluetooth. The tablet will sell for €349. The Q2 bound tablet is the SN10T2 with the same 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 screen. This tablet gets a T1 processor and 8GB of storage. It too will run Android 2.2 and packs in WiFi, Bluetooth, and adds a camera for €299.

The last of the three tablets heading your way in Q3 is the SN10T3. This tablet has a 10.1-inch screen with a higher resolution of 1280 x 600. It will run the Tegra II processor and has 16GB of storage. This tablet will get Android 3.0 and have WiFi, Bluetooth, and a camera. It will sell for €449.

[via Android Community]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Intel Thunderbolt development kits to ship this quarter

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 04:21 AM PDT

Intel and Apple have put Thunderbolt interface into the most recent version of the Mac notebooks that hit the market not long ago. So far, there are only a few products on the market that support the new interface, but that is changing. Many big companies are promising to support the interface like Canon for DSLR cameras and a lot more.

Intel has also made an announcement that will mean more products for the interface will be coming. Intel has announced that dev kits for Thunderbolt will be available this quarter. The dev kits for the interface will help companies looking to make peripherals and devices that connect to the interface design and get the gear onto the market quicker.

Thunderbolt has support for speeds of up to 10Gbps, which is enough for some serious data throughput. You could shoot a full-length HD flick across the interface in under 30 seconds. The interface supports PCI Express and DisplayPort protocols meaning one Thunderbolt port could be used for several different interface needs. Other than Apple and Canon, Sony, LaCie, Western Digital, and others are behind the interface.

[via PC World]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Personal Brewery is the well to do beer fans brewery of choice

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 04:07 AM PDT

I would bet around the holiday season you have run across those cheap beer making kits that let you brew your own beer in the home. Those are all fine and good but if you are a beer geek with the money to afford the best personal brewery around, a clear jug and a mixing spoon might not be your idea of fun. What you need is the WilliamsWarn Personal Brewery.

It’s made from stainless steel and looks the business for sure. It has all sorts of fancy knobs and dials on the top and a tap that you can put your mug under to get at your own personally brewed beverage. The big catch to this thing is the price; it sells for about $4,500 here in the states.

The cool part is that all of the steps of the brewing process from fermentation, to carbonation and serving are handled in this one single unit. It takes about a week from start to drunk for you to taste your own brew. This thing even chills the beer for you to drink a nice frosty one after a hard day.

[via Uncrate]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Gagarin Tourbillion watch celebrates 50-years since historic space flight

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 03:57 AM PDT

This week marked 50 years since Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to enter space and orbit the earth. To celebrate the anniversary of the first human in space a cool watch has turned up by designer Bernhard Lederer. The watch is a very limited edition piece and the design is inspired by the Vostok space capsule that Gagarin rode into the history books.

The first watch will be auctioned off this week at Sotheby’s in New York and has a 60-second timer that orbits around the face of the watch counterclockwise to match the orbit of the historic space flight. The orbiting tourbillion is inspired by the statue commemorating the flight at the landing site of the capsule in Engels, Russia.

The watch has an integrated magnifying glass so the wearer can see all the details of the gears and dials. The watch has a movement powered by manual winding with an 80-hour power reserve. The case is made from platinum 950, has a sapphire crystal display, and text highlights from Gagarin’s flight engraved on it. Only 50 of these watches have been made in platinum.

[via Born Rich]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Does Apple iPod wireless sync require a carbon fiber case or not?

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 03:43 AM PDT

Apple has been using a lot of aluminum in its iPhone and iPod devices for years now. The problem with aluminum is that it blocks radio signals making wireless syncing difficult to do. Apple gets around those issues today by putting the wireless hardware that needs to send and receive signals behind plastic of some sort.

Recently Apple hired a Senior Composites Engineer named Kevin Kenny that previously worked for a company that used carbon fiber to make bikes. This fact has led many including Cult of Mac into believing Apple is hard at work on iPods and other device with carbon fiber cases. They reckon that for wireless sync to come to the iPod line these carbon fiber cases are needed for good radio signal transmission.

The rub as Fast Company points out is that carbon fiber blocks radio signals as well. That means that any gains from moving to a carbon fiber case for the devices would potentially be no better than using a new aluminum case design. The other trade off with carbon fiber is that the material is very expensive and more difficult to work with than aluminum. So who’s right? My money says that the new composites engineer may have a lot of experience with carbon fiber, but I am sure he knows his way around other materials too. I don’t see the cost of carbon fiber being something that would make for an appealing price on an iPod or tablet at this point. I do know that a carbon fiber iPad would be dead sexy.


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Is Apple readying a new cloud video service and TV or set-top box?

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 03:26 AM PDT

The speculation surrounding what Steve Jobs and Apple have up their sleeves is never ending. An analyst at Jefferies named Peter Misek thinks he knows what will be next for Apple and he thinks that the product will revolutionize video just as iTunes revolutionized music. Misek bases his predictions on “weeks” of channel checking with developers and content partners on Apple’s plans.

Misek says that he thinks Apple has a new data center in North Carolina that has gone live or will go live very soon. He also thinks that Apple is building a second super data center next to it. He notes that Apple owns land next to the first data center and the opening ceremony had a mock up with two data centers side by side. Misek also notes that he thinks Apple is negotiating for data centers around the world including more in the US right now.

Misek believes that all the purchasing and building of data centers points to one thing – Apple plans a cloud video service. The service he believes will go along with a new TV or possibly a new set-top box. I think such a plan would only make sense with a set-top box and a TV, or at least a set-top box alone. I wouldn't buy a new TV but I might put a set-top box into the mix. Misek also believes that the launch of a video platform and a new set top box could integrate the iPod touch, iPad, and iPhone into the system as well, drive mores sales for Apple devices, and bring more customers to Apple. He estimates that a video service and new products could push Apple revenue as high as $171 billion in fiscal 2012.

[via IBTimes]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



AMD integrates USB 3.0 support into chipsets

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 03:11 AM PDT

USB 3.0 can already be found on a lot of computers in the notebook and desktop market today. All of these computers use a third party controller for the USB 3.0 ports though because neither Intel nor AMD offer native support for the USB 3.0 port in their chipsets. AMD has announced that it will be changing that.

AMD has announced that it will build support for USB 3.0 into its upcoming A75 and A70M Fusion chipsets. AMD’s Phil Hughes told CNET in an email that the chipsets are shipping today. That should mean machines running the new chipsets will starting hitting the market before long bringing native USB 3.0. Intel will be the only major chipmaker that doesn’t support USB 3.0 natively.

One of the reasons that support for USB 3.0 isn’t more widespread today is that both AMD and Intel didn’t offer support for the standard in their silicon from the start. Once this support is integrated, the ports will become much more common. The USB 3.0 port is backwards compatible with all older USB protocols and with chipset support, we will see all USB ports on notebooks and desktops move to USB 3.0 speed. Intel still maintains that it will support USB 3.0 in the future and that the ThunderBolt tech it is pushing with Apple right now will complement USB 3.0, not replace it.

[via CNET]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Cloverview tablet chip hints dropped by Intel

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 02:56 AM PDT

Intel is the world’s largest maker of microchips and as such, the company has a chip for just about anything that might need one. Intel has been hinting that it might have a new chip that it is currently developing called the Cloverview chip. The chip is apparently an Atom part that has been tweaked to be more power efficient.

The first mention of the Cloverview name came from a speech that Intel’s Doug Davis gave at IDF in Beijing this week. The chip is made on a 32nm process and will have power consumption aimed at netbook and tablets. Low power processors for the tablet market is one of the areas where Intel is behind rivals like ARM.

ARM processors dominate the tablet and smartphone world because they are more power efficient leading to better battery life for the mobile devices that use them. Over the next two years, Intel will move from its 32nm process to a 22nm process. Davis also took the opportunity to unveil the new Atom Z670 processor that could land as early as next month.

[via PC World]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Yuri’s Night celebrates Gagarin’s 50th Anniversary of orbiting the earth

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 11:04 PM PDT

Fifty years ago today, Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to see the earth from orbit. Riding aboard the Soviet Vostok 3KA-3, Gagarin lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, on April 12, 1961. His flight lasted a little under two hours … just enough time to orbit the earth once. He then reentered the earth’s atmosphere and at an altitude of about ll 7 km Gagarin ejected from the Vostok capsule and parachuted to safety. Gagarin landed in a farm field and asked a local farmer if he could borrow the phone to call Moscow. And the rest is history …

“Circling the Earth in my orbital spaceship, I marveled athte beauty of our planet. People of the world, let us safeguard and enhance this beauty, not destroy it!’ Yuri Gagarin, first man in space

Thus ended the first space flight of a human in space. Since then, over 500 humans have slipped the surly bonds of earth, and 12 have walked on the moon. And every year since 2001, the world celebrates this event with Yuri's Night, the World Party for Space, as a gen-x celebration that began forty years after Gagarin’s epic voyage. Yuri’s Night connects thousands of space enthusiasts from around the world to honor a pivotal point in our shared history and to keep the dream of space exploration alive. The idea was born from the United Nation’s Space Generation Advisory Council and was the brainchild of Trish Garner, George Whitesides and Loretta Hidalgo.

Every year, space activists and party planners from 64 locations around the world throw the biggest party on the planet. The party starts with a countdown in Sydney and rolls all around the globe like New Year’s Eve. There are VIPs, usually who have been in space themselves or who work as engineers in the programs, music, great food, and a LOT of partying. And space fans are encouraged to throw their own interstellar shindig. It may be a bit too late for this year, but head on over to Yurisnight.net and register to get the party started for next year. Who knows, maybe someday we’ll throw a party from the Sea of Tranquility.


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



T-Mobile Sensation 4G: Has the ATRIX 4G met its match?

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 06:04 PM PDT

Let’s sit down for a moment and have a talk. ATRIX 4G, you’ve had an alright run. You’ve been here for a few weeks, you’ve had a great time at CTIA, you’ve been to Barcelona, and are currently sitting in houses and apartments and businesses all across the USA. Don’t you think you’ve had enough? It might be time that you throw in the towel. There may well be someone here who’s planning on taking your place. I’m sorry but you’re going to have to fight to the death for your dual-core seat of ultimate glory – it’s only fair! Behold – T-Mobile Sensation 4G.

You know the players, you know their names. It’s the AT&T ATRIX 4G and the HTC Sensation, both of them set to have a nice fist-fight for the wallets of good evil-fearing Americans across this fine country of ours. Which one deserves the death belt? The answer can only be found in the minds and hearts and yes, wallets of the folks who’ll be making the decision in the next few weeks.

Display
HTC Sensation : 4.3-inch SLCD (qHD) 540 x 960 pixel resolution [Gorilla Glass]
Motorola ATRIX 4G : 4-inch PenTile LCD (qHD) 540 x 960 pixel resolution [Gorilla Glass]

Processor
H : 1.2 GHz Qualcomm MSM 8260 Dual-core
M : 1 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 Dual-core

Camera
H : 8-megapixel back with autofocus, dual-LED flash, VGA .3-megapixels front
M : 5-megapixel back with autofocus, dual-LED flash, VGA .3-megapixels front

RAM
H : 768 MB
M : 1024 MB

Internal Memory
H : 1 GB
M : 16GB

Memory Expansion
H : microSD Expansion Slot – unknown size capability
M : microSD Expansion Slot up to 32 GB

Weight
H : 148 grams (5.22 ounces)
M : 135 grams (4.76 ounces)

Size
H : 126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3 mm
M : 117.75 x 63.5 x 10.95 mm

Battery
H : 1520 mAh
M : 1930 mAh

A couple more things you’ve got to consider are the extra accessories and functionality of each of these devices. More than a couple, in fact, as the ATRIX has not only a dock that works with several USBs, HDMI, and power, it’s got a laptop dock as well, and a Bluetooth keyboard, a bluetooth mouse, and a remote! All of these things work with Motorola’s desktop version of Android which currently you’re only able to access via the ATRIX. On the other hand, the Sensation is just sensational. It’s got that unique form factor in the swish on the back, and its chock full of HTC Sense of the newest variety – lots of surprises to be had.

So what’ll it be? And will price play a factor in your mind? Android time!


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



T-Mobile To Launch Two New Unlimited Plans

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 04:30 PM PDT

Despite the fear that rung in our hearts that T-Mobile pricing would soon shoot up as a result of AT&T’s acquisition plans, that doesn’t seem to be the case—at least not yet. T-Mobile just confirmed two new unlimited plans that continue the carrier’s competitive pricing tradition. The plans called “Even More” and “Even More Plus” offer unlimited voice calling, unlimited messaging, and unlimited data.

However, there is a catch, in that the plans aren’t truly unlimited. There is a cap on usage of up to 2GB per month. If you go over your usage allotment for the month, they will throttle your bandwidth, which is nonetheless better than paying for overage fees.

The Even More plan is $79.99 per month and requires a two-year contract and according to the company, saves customers more than $350 per year compared with an unlimited smartphone plan from AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint. The Even More Plus plan is $59.99 per month with no annual contract required and is geared towards the month-to-month prepaid customers.

Additionally, you can purchase any smartphone from T-Mobile’s lineup such as the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G and pick up an unlimited plan for it. The plans are available for only a limited time and start tomorrow.

[via Unwired View]


Relevant Entries on SlashGear



Tidak ada komentar:

Posting Komentar