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Showing posts from April 7, 2013

Genius unveils wearable Ring Mouse 2

When it comes to controlling a computer from across the room, such as your home theater PC, finding a place to use a traditional mouse can be a challenge. The problem with using a mouse from the couch is that you often end up having to lean forward and use it on the coffee table or the curved arm of your couch, which doesn’t always work well. Genius previously offered the original Ring Mouse and the company has announced an updated version.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive test-drive

 Mercedes-Benz is building all-electric vehicles for the daily grind, but none can deny the 750-horsepower SLS AMG Electric Drive is by far its most exciting EV. One lucky test-driver -- Chris Harris from YouTube channel DRIVE -- recently had the opportunity to point the overtly shiny beast round a track, and filmed it for his online passengers. He's initially unsure the car will turn petrol-heads on, and talks torque, cockpit layout, driving modes and some behind-the-scenes tech before giving in to the sheer insanity of what's happening on the track and under the hood. Then he picks the brains of a project manager at MB, discussing E-Cells, the chassis, electric motors and how they're all responsible for the silent but deadly ride he's just experienced. If you've got close to 20 minutes to spare (it is Friday, after all), we highly recommend you buckle up for the full video below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=IElqf-FCMs

Medion Akoya P2004 Launched 24-incher in UK for £500

Medion isn't the best-known PC badge outside of Europe, but it does have an occasional eye for sleek design. We'd say the Lenovo-backed company's new Akoya P2004 offers that kind of style UK crowd. The all-in-one fits a 23.6-inch, 1080p display into a minimalist design that's oddly charming for what's ultimately a budget machine. No one would call the P2004 feature-loaded when it's carrying a dual-core 3.2GHz Core i3, 4GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive and a DVD burner

ASUS Qube to launch on April 23rd, says GTV Source

 Remember that Google TV device ASUS brought out at CES? It could be available later this month. When the ASUS Qube's March 2013 release window passed without fanfare, the folks at GTV Source took note and did some probing -- eventually uncovering an April 23rd launch date. ASUS hasn't made a statement regarding pricing or availability, but the site says the release date and a $129 sticker price were confirmed by the manufacturer. When the streaming box does get here, it'll feature its own shape-themed UI,

Dubai adds Lamborghini Aventador to patrol car roster

It’s a lucky day for law enforcement personnel in Dubai, who might get the opportunity to issue some speeding tickets from behind the wheel of a Lamborghini Aventador, a vehicle that cost $550,000 and has been decked out with decidedly ugly police decals. Why add such an expensive vehicle to the patrol line? Reasons of because they can aside, it is said to be fast enough to deal with the high-speed drivers who travel Dubai’s highways.  The Lamborghini Aventador is a 700 horsepower, 8,250rpm beast capable of speeds over 200mph, featuring a carbon fiber and aluminium frame and a 0 to 62mph speed of 2.9

Iranian scientist claims to have invented time machine

 Iran could be home to the world’s first time machine, if claims from an Iranian scientist are to be believed (color us skeptical). According to The Telegraph, a scientist based in Tehran, Iran has registered with the Center for Strategic Inventions a device called “The Aryayek Time Traveling Machine,” which can reportedly allow individuals to peer into the future – up to 8 years into the future, that is.The time machine isn’t of the police box or compact car variety, however, with the 27-year-old inventor Ali Razeghi stating that it can fit in a briefcase. Likewise, it doesn’t work in the conventional ways a time machine is imagined to work. Rather than whisking users away to the past or future, this device is said to make its predictions based on the touch of a user.

Twitter's music app launches Today?

 Hungry for the fruits of Twitter's latest acquisition ? According to AllThingsD , you won't have to wait long. The usual unnamed sources have told the outlet that Twitter's new music app is due out this Friday, April 12th. True to We Are Hunted's roots, it's said the app will focus on music discovery, suggesting tunes and artists based on various factors, including who you follow on a certain social network. Soundcloud, iTunes and Vevo will apparently do the heavy lifting when it comes to music and video playback, though -- the app won't be a digital music store. Twitter itself is mum on details at this point, but we'll let you know if a little bird tells us anything.

Creative T3150 Cheap But stealthy Subwoofers Bluetooth audio

Bluetooth speakers still tend to revolve around portable designs, but there's been a gradual shift toward traditional-looking speakers that just happen to have short-range wireless as an option. Creative's T3150 is proof positive: while it's an entry-level, 2.1-channel PC speaker on the outside, it stuffs in stereo Bluetooth audio to handle mobile devices in a pinch. Mind you, that's not the only thing Creative is stealthy about. Although the company is willing to

Google Inactive Account Manager: Decide What Happens to Your Account After You Die

 What happens to your e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and other digital accounts after you die has long been a question in the tech world. Some have even started to create a digital estates to pass on the keys to their digital lives to an executor or trustee. But Google is now thinking ahead and making it easier for people to plan what happens to that digital data after you pass. The company has announced its Inactive Account Manager. The tool allows users to decide what happens to their data on Google's services -- Gmail, Blogger, Google Drive, Google+, Picasa Web Albums, Google Voice and YouTube -- after they pass. You can decide to share access to those accounts with friends or family members or have the account deleted. "You can tell us what to do with your Gmail messages and data from several other Google services if your account becomes inactive for any reason," Andreas Tuerk, the product manager of the service, wrote on Google's blog today. 

Xbox SmartGlass supports 7-inch or larger tablets after Android update

 Microsoft's SmartGlass for Android app has just hit version 1.5 thanks to a fresh update on Google Play. The app, which lets users control their XBox via a smartphone or tablet, will now be optimized to work on 7-inch and larger Android tablets. Other new features include an (unfortunately-worded)

Samsung puts 128-gigabit 3-bit cell flash into production

Flash memory advancements usually sing the same tune: faster, smaller and high-density. Improve one of these attributes, and you've go the makings of a better chip on your hands. Samsung is focusing on the latter, announcing the mass production of its 10 nanometer 128-gigabit three-bit multi-level-cell NAND flash. That mouthful translates into flash chips with more memory per cell in a small form

Dropbox adds six languages

  Dropbox's gone a little bit more global, adding Russian, Polish, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Traditional and Simplified Chinese language support to its file sharing service. The translated versions are available across Mac, PC, Linux and Dropbox's web interface, with an iOS version apparently in the works and "coming soon." Alongside those language

North Korean military blamed for “wiper” cyber attacks against South Korea

 The South Korean government is pointing a finger toward Pyongyang in its assessment of last month's cyber-attacks on banks and media companies that affected thousands of computers and took electronic banking sites and ATM networks offline. A report by South Korea's Ministry of Science, Information and Computer Technology, and

$443 3D scanner on sale: “Looks awesome. Shoots lasers.”

Weeks after 3D printing startup Makerbot announced that it would be selling a 3D scanner, a Canadian startup called Matterform has upped the ante: a C$450 ($443) “ Photon 3D Scanner .” Since it was announed late last month in pre-sale on Indiegogo (with an introductory price of C$350), the product has generated crazy levels of interest. The Toronto pair that makes up Matterform set out to raise C$81,000. Now with three weeks left in the fundraiser, the two have

Microsoft developing a 7 inch Surface, coming later this year

 Apparently in response to the success of the Google's 7 inch Nexus and Apple's 7.9 inch iPad mini, Microsoft is joining the 7 inch fray. The Wall Street Journal reports that Redmond is developing a smaller version of its Surface tablet, and that it will launch later this year. If tablets are booming, those in the 7-8 inch category are doubly booming, with IDC reporting that more than half of all tablets that shipped in the fourth quarter of 2012 were this size.

Teenager vilified over Twitter stream: Gets job, loses job

 Seventeen-year-old Paris Brown seems to be a typical gobby teenager. She voices her opinions, swears, drinks, and goes out with her friends. She uses social media like almost every other teenager in the country. But unlike every other teenager in the country, Paris beat 164 applicants to be appointed as the Youth Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent in the UK. This job involves advising the police

Camera Uses Laser Beams to Take 3-D Images From 1 Kilometer Away

 Using superconducting nanowires and lasers, a new camera system can produce high-resolution 3-D images of objects from up to a kilometer away. The technology works by sending out a low-power infrared laser beam, which sweeps over an object or scene. Some light gets reflected back, though most is scattered in different directions. A detector measures how long it takes one particle of light, a photon, to return to the camera and is then able to calculate the distance from the system to the object. The

Bracelet Sends Alert If Wearer Is Kidnapped

After Chechen rights worker Natalia Estemirova was kidnapped and murdered in 2009 for documenting the abuse of civilians by government-backed militias, a human rights group began design on a gadget that could better monitor at-risk workers in the field. Civil Right Defenders recently announced its “Natalia Project” has come to fruition in the form of a smart bracelet that utilizes GPS and social media to alert of kidnappings or attacks within seconds. When triggered or removed, the bracelet uses a mobile signal to inform Twitter followers and

Ionic Wind Could Power Jet Engines

 A simple (and cool) experiment that shows up in science fairs may one day power aircraft. It’s called a “lifter” and it’s been around since the 1950s. Using electric fields it’s possible to generate thrust that can make objects float into the air. Researchers at MIT ran their own experiments and found such ionic thrusters may be a more efficient kind of propulsion than conventional jet engines.

Microsoft attacks Google on the campaign "Scroogled"

Microsoft has struck again with Google campaign "Scroogled." This time, the company decided to focus their efforts against Android, to encourage users to use

LinkMe Displays Texts, Social-Media Alerts on Your Wrist

 Move over, Apple and Samsung. While two of tech's biggest companies are reportedly developing smart watches, startup LinkMe has already gotten a head start. LinkMe is a Bluetooth-enabled device that lets users view incoming text messages or social-media alerts on their wrist. They send a message with their
10,000-Year-Old Mammoth Found in Mexico  After weeks of excavation, scientists outside of Mexico City have uncovered one of the most well-preserved wooly mammoths ever found.   image courtesy of NowThisNews
Magical Screwdriver that act as Programmable TV Remote  The Sonic Screwdriver Programmable TV Remote lets you feel like a time lord while lounging on your couch eating fish fingers and custard. This Mark VII Sonic Screwdriver is specially created for Earth use. It's been simplified so as not to cause danger to human operators, while still being an extremely powerful tool in the wrangling of entertainment electronics.
Scottevest's 22-pocket Tropiformer gadget jacket available for $150  It's been a hot minute since we've seen a new wearable from the labs of Scottevest, but for those looking to cram all sorts of gadgetry into their coat as a strange sort of airplane carry-on item, we're here to clue you in on a new option. Tag-teaming with ThinkGeek, Scottevest has announced the Tropiformer -- a relatively normal looking coat that somehow includes no fewer than 22 integrated pockets.
Boxee TV becomes Boxee Cloud DVR, adds free 'Basic' DVR service Following the trend of everything accentuating its connection to the "cloud," Boxee has rebranded its new box as the Boxee Cloud DVR. GigaOm reports the company made the shift to emphasize its DVR
Google Play Music spreads to Australia, New Zealand and five European Countries Google has been on something of a tear spreading its Google Play media services around the world; don't look now, but it's picking up the pace. The search giant is expanding Google Play Music today to cover Australia, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Portugal. That small deluge of new countries can now shop for their favorite tunes as well as store up to 20,000 of them online for streaming,
Microsoft releases Surface RT and Pro updates, aims to fix WiFi issues again Surface RT devices have already scored two updates that aim to fix problems with 'limited' WiFi connectivity, and now Microsoft is
ASUS’ $160 MeMo Pad Finally Hits Retailers, Think Nexus 7 Minus the Good Stuff  If you happen to be in the market for an affordable Android tablet, plus you don’t find yourself worrying about the amount of cores your processor has or what your display’s pixel density is, then maybe check out ASUS’ new 7″ MeMo Pad . For those familiar, and if you are reading this site I would hope you are very familiar, think of it as a Nexus 7 tablet minus a few of the specs. The MeMo pad rocks a 1GHz single-core VIA WM8950 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, a 1-megapixel front-facing shooter and Android 4.1.
Windows XP, Internet Explorer 6, Office 2003 enter their final support year  Windows XP drops out of extended support on April 8, 2014. As of April 9, 2014, there will be no more security updates or other fixes made for the ancient operating system. Joining it are Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP, Office 2003, and Exchange Server 2003. Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 2 will also end support on that day, but newer Service Packs will continue to be supported. Naturally, this also includes "Windows XP Mode" in Windows 7 and other virtualized solutions. About 38 percent of Internet users are still using Windows XP . It's unlikely that all of them will
Leaked screenshot shows a revamped Google Play store for Android  There's no better way to start a week than a few rumored makeover leaks, right? Google has apparently been working on a redesign to Android's Google Play store that will include brighter colors and bigger images, not to mention a clean new interface. Droid Life reports that YouTube employee Eileen Rivera leaked a screenshot of the new Google Play store on her Google+ profile over the weekend. Although the image has since been deleted from her profile page, someone managed to grab it before it was removed. The image shows a cleaner looking menu screen on Google Play, with a dog bowl and a bone as the icon for the app marketplace. Apparently, that is the symbol for when Google "dogfoods" a design with its employees, which means they are working on the redesign internally.
US Navy to deploy ship-mounted laser in 2014 Lasers have been flaunted by the US Navy before, but now it's announced that 2014 will see the very first solid-state laser deployed aboard a ship, two years ahead of schedule. The USS Ponce, a vessel used as an amphibious transport dock stationed in the Persian Gulf, will get the honor of hosting the prototype Laser Weapon System (LaWS). Not only can the hardware set boats and airborne drones ablaze, but it can also emit a burst to "dazzle" an
Google in talks to acquire WhatsApp for $1 billion R umours have it that mobile messaging service WhatsApp may be Google's next big buy. Digital Trends is quoting "inside sources" as saying that WhatsApp is "playing hardball" and eyeing an acquisition price that's "close to $1 billion" . The negotiations reportedly began four or five weeks ago. If this is true and the deal does come through, Google will have a force to reckon with on its side in the mobile messaging space.  It's been rumoured for quite some
All the Words Facebook Made Up Today Facebook Home is a new way to experience Facebook on your Android handset while adding to the English language. How cool is that? When Zuck introduced Facebook’s latest push into mobile, he threw out several terms we’d never heard but we’re sure his marketing people spent ages coming up with. Here they are, with their definitions. Study hard. You’ll be quizzed. Facebook Home : It’s more than an app, but not quite an operating system. We’re calling it an apperating system. It is the lock
iCrayon Touch Screen Stylus:Draw Something Like A Pro  There's nothing like colouring in with wax crayons. They were a classroom essential and now the humble crayon is back for us big kids in the form of a pretty nifty colourful phone stylus. If you're part of the Draw Something craze, you needn't settle for sloppy finger paintings when you can create true masterpieces using your iCrayon. Much cooler than your bog standard phone stylus; simply pick your favourite colour and doodle away on the drawing app of your choice. Not only that but the smart phone crayon makes typing, texting and other functions easier too, so that's a weight off the old thumbs.
Wikipedia editor allegedly forced by French intelligence to delete “classified” entry  On Saturday, Wikimedia France posted a press release regarding the recent deletion of a Wikipedia entry titled “Station hertzienne militaire de Pierre-sur-Haute.” According to the foundation, France's Homeland Intelligence agency had demanded “classified” information taken down from Wikipedia.fr, and when the Wikimedia Foundation (which hosts Wikipedia) refused, it allegedly sought out a volunteer systems operator with the power to delete articles, brought him to the agency's office, and demanded that he take the article down there or face legal charges.
Nice-guy lawyers who want $1,000 per worker for using scanners Starting late last year, hundreds of US businesses began to receive demand letters from secretive patent-holding companies with six-letter gibberish names: AdzPro, GosNel, and JitNom. The letters state that using basic office equipment, like scanners that can send files to e-mail, infringes a series of patents owned by MPHJ Technologies. Unless the target companies make payments—which start at around $9,000 for the smallest targeted businesses In a world of out-there patent claims, MPHJ is one
Sony unveils 30-and 56-inch professional 4K OLED monitor prototypes The 56-inch OLED TV Sony trotted out at CES may not be headed to the consumer market, but it is becoming a reality, at least in the professional sector. The company showcased a pair of 4K OLED prototypes at NAB 2013, outing a 4,096 x 2,160 30-inch model as well as a 3,840 x 2160 56-inch display. Both panels boast of wide viewing angles and low color shift, promising accurate signal reproduction for industry professionals working with 4K content. No word yet on pricing, but professionals can look