Daily Crunch: Squirrel Target Edition

Video: Use A Slinky To Save Your Birdseed From Evil Squirrels Lockheed & Darpa Develop Real Life ?Aimbot? For Snipers Handheld X-Ray Device Powered By 2 D Batteries Chumby Grows Workable Legs, Next Step Is Clearly Human Enslavement Apple Looking To Sell iPad In South Korea In Novemberipad android wire

The Sexy Details of How the iPad and MacBook Will Hook Up

During the Back to the Mac event, Steve Jobs made a particularly witty remark that made the audience giddy with laughter:

?We asked ourselves, what would happen if a MacBook and an iPad hooked up? Well, this is the result, we think it?s the future of notebooks.?

There is always a deep strategic intent with the things that Apple does, especially when it comes from Steve Jobs. The first phase in ?hooking up? that took place between the MacBook Air and iPad foretells a deeply converged future on many levels.
ipad android wire

Visualize the Game Console Generation Shift

An interactive infographic lets you visualize the videogame console wars in terms of how they've traded market share over the past several years.ipad android wire

Pandoc is a Swiss Army knife text conversion utility

Filed under: Text, Freeware
I love Markdown. If you write any sort of content for the Web, you really should try it; it's a simple notation system for making text bold or italic, creating headlines and bulleted lists, and more. To make text bold, for example, you just need to surround it with asterisks.
Converting Markdown into valid HTML is a fairly common task, and there's no dearth of tools that do this. But Pandoc caught my eye because it can do this and a whole lot more. Plus it's free, open source, and cross-platform.
Pandoc understands Markdown, HTML, and several other formats, and it can output:

plain text - i.e., strip all HTML and give you just the text
Markdown - so you can convert HTML back into Markdown for editing
And a whole list of other formats, including HTML, LaTeX, ConTeXt, PDF, RTF, DocBook XML, OpenDocument XML, ODT, GNU Texinfo, MediaWiki markup, groff man pages, EPUB ebooks, and S5 and Slidy HTML slide shows

It even supports PDF output using a helper utility. So yes, it can convert Markdown to HTML (and vice versa), but it can do so much more, too. It's definitely one for the toolbox!Pandoc is a Swiss Army knife text conversion utility originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentstwitter social firefox

Google Instant (sorta) comes to Firefox courtesy of an extension

Filed under: Mozilla, Browsers
File this one under "a screenshot doesn't do it justice," but if you've been wanting Google Chrome's Instant integration in Firefox, a new extension may be exactly what you're looking for.

It's called InstantFirefox, and it does precisely what you'd expect. Start typing in the Awesome Bar, and InstantFirefox refreshes the Google search results below in real time. The InstantFirefox experience isn't as smooth as what Chrome offers, but it's certainly a capable alternative for Firefox users.

Download InstantFirefox

[via Lifehacker]
Google Instant (sorta) comes to Firefox courtesy of an extension originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentsipad android wire

Is Samsung About to Unveil a Google Nexus Two?

If you didn’t get your fill of the Google Nexus phone, there may be a second chance. Google may have tapped Samsung to create the Nexus Two, a new smartphone that could debut early next month, according to a report on an Android news site.
Samsung will announce the Nexus Two on November 8, claims Androidandme.com. [...]follower blog twitter

Apple Going Towards Stainless Steel With A Nitride Coating? [Patent Watch]

Apple has shown an increasing interest as of late in creating stainless steel devices that are more durable to everyday wear and tear, and have been experimenting with an external coating of nitride to make this possible.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has published information relating to Apple’s latest invention of a new application which [...]Apple Going Towards Stainless Steel With A Nitride Coating? [Patent Watch] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
phone gadget ipad

Ustream Cuts 4.5% Of Its Staff

We've gotten word this morning that online streaming video service Ustream has laid off 9 people from its 200 person staff. With social news site Digg having other notable layoffs this week, it's crucial to remember that startups often shed staff when going through product and business goal realignments. This is also the case here according to Ustream VP of Communications Lynn Fox.
ipad android wire

MusicDog for iPhone brings free streaming music app to Cydia [Jailbreak]

MusicDog, a completely free music streaming app, is now available via Cydia. Version 1.3 only works on iOS 4.x. and features include:


Multitasking support
A growing library with over 100,000+ tracks that can be searched and bookmarked
Album Art
“What’s Hot” and “Recently Added” lists
iPod and remote headset control


The app requires you to make an account by adding [...]MusicDog for iPhone brings free streaming music app to Cydia [Jailbreak] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
blog twitter social

Mac App Store Provokes Developer Interest, Concern

Apple is on a mission to cram the iPad’s and iPhone’s successes into the Mac, beginning with a brand-new software store serving Mac apps. That may be both good and bad.
The Mac App Store will create a new channel for Mac users to find software easily, and it will make it easier for programmers to [...]google chrome bing windows

Steve Jobs: iPad Screen-Lock Switch Is Gone for Good

Apple is turning the physical switch on the iPad into a mute button whether you like it or not, according to a purported e-mail sent by Steve Jobs.
The switch on the iPad currently locks or unlocks screen orientation on the device, but in beta versions of the next iOS update (4.2), it instead mutes or [...]google chrome bing windows

Steve Jobs: iPad Screen-Lock Switch Is Gone for Good

Apple is turning the physical switch on the iPad into a mute button whether you like it or not, according to a purported e-mail sent by Steve Jobs.
The switch on the iPad currently locks or unlocks screen orientation on the device, but in beta versions of the next iOS update (4.2), it instead mutes or [...]firefox google chrome bing

Super Mario Bros' Controls Were Originally Different [Super Mario Bros.]

In Super Mario Bros., the "A" button is jump, and the "B" button is run or shoot fireballs. It wasn't always that way. More »






blog twitter social

70 Terabytes of Homebrewed Storage is a Beautiful Mess

Many of us know the feeling where all the digital storage we have at home is just not enough for our photos, movies and music. So just how much storage do you need?
One guy in Russia seems to have found the answer to that question. He’s strung together 60 hard disk drives and built an [...]keyboard facebook follower

The Engadget Show returns, tomorrow! With Windows Phone 7, Aaron Woodman, Google TV devices, and our first Halloween costume contest!

Attention all humans and empathetic robots: The Engadget Show is back in a big way tomorrow, October 23rd at 6:30pm! To get things started, Josh and the gang will be taking a first-hand look at a plethora of Windows Phone 7 devices with Microsoft's Aaron Woodman, then we'll be demoing Google TV, and Engadget's own Darren Murph will be joining Josh, Nilay, and Paul on stage, Guinness world record in hand. What's more, we're hosting our first ever Halloween costume contest! There will be giveaways at the show for the best costumes (as voted on by you, the audience), so get to work on your winning masterpiece now! We'll also have the usual random giveaways, but why leave it to chance when you could win stuff with a little creativity and a black turtleneck? There will also be music from Kris Keyser and visuals from noteNdo and plenty of other giveaways at the live show only, so make the trek and join us at The Times Center in person. We have a new ticketing policy, so if you're coming to the live show, be sure to read about it below. If you're geographically incapable of joining us in New York City, just tune into the stream right here on Engadget.

The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). Tickets are -- as always -- free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served... so get there early! Here's the updated info on our new ticketing policy that you need to know:

There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free
The event is all ages
Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 2:00PM on Saturday, October 23rd, doors will open for seating at 5:45PM, and the show begins at 6:30PM
We now have assigned seating, so the first people to get their tickets -- and the Sprint text-to-win winners (see below) -- will get priority seating. This also means that once you get a ticket, your seat is guaranteed -- you won't have to get back in line to get a good seat.
We still had plenty of tickets left over at the last taping, so just because it's 5:00pm and you finally finished Halo: Reach doesn't mean you won't get a seat at the show -- so get your butt up to the Times Center!
Ticketing will continue until all tickets are given away
You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket
Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we're full, we're full
The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break)
The show length is around an hour

If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com.

Subscribe to the Show:

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
Continue reading The Engadget Show returns, tomorrow! With Windows Phone 7, Aaron Woodman, Google TV devices, and our first Halloween costume contest!The Engadget Show returns, tomorrow! With Windows Phone 7, Aaron Woodman, Google TV devices, and our first Halloween costume contest! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments



phone gadget ipad

The Asteroids Closest to Killing Us, Visualized [Asteroids]

You can call them "near Earth objects" if you want to. I'll stick with "asteroids hellbent on obliterating our planet and all we hold dear." Here's the lineup of the space rocks closest to killing us, and where they are. More »






blog twitter social

Watch This Unraveled Cassette Tape Become a Boom Box [Video]

BrussPup, we well know, is a master of illusions. For his next trick, watch him render an impressively detailed boombox using only unraveled cassette tape. Don't worry, you'll remember what both of those things are once you see them. [YouTube] More »






wire bike keyboard

The Future Of TV Is HTML

The title of this post is both a very old idea and a very new one. With the prevalence of fiber connectivity and pervasive broadband speeds, this year has been a hot one for bringing together the home computer and the living room TV. While companies like Apple and Google battle over share of TV viewers, they have left open and promoted the web for content distributors to control their own experience through HTML (and, especially, HTML5).

To that end, it looks like Apple has one-upped Google by opting to privately pre-arrange distribution deals with traditional studio networks beginning with ABC and FOX, while Google has no deals in place at all, hoping the networks will just "allow" consumers to watch Web videos on their TVs. But Google TV is getting a slap in the face from several networks who pulled the plug, right on the big release day. Just as reviews were rolling out in favor of Google's new living room effort, ABC, CBS and NBC are exiting stage left.

As for the rest of the world, you can't stop us. Developers of Web video distribution platforms forge ahead. Apple is offering to lure them in with partnerships, Google is giving them the opportunity to figure it out for free. Neither Apple nor Google, nor anyone else is waiting any longer. The time is now. You can feel it. The rest of the video world marches on, bringing the internet and the TV closer together.phone gadget ipad

Microsoft report shows massive spike in Java exploits

Filed under: Security, Browsers
Move over, Flash and PDF -- there's a new contender in the race for the "browser plug-in exploit" title belt! According to the numbers Microsoft has crunched, Java appears to have locked up 2010's number one spot.

You don't often see Java's name splashed across the headlines, however, which is why the Microsoft report shocked me a bit. From personal experience on my workbench, I also know that Java is one of the last things the average user bothers to update. Outdated software is a big risk, especially when that software is being exploited as actively as Java is. Just last week, for example, Oracle pushed a massive bundle of 29 patches -- which I'll wager have been ignored by the vast Java-using public. My guess is that the bad guys have figured this out, too.

The good news: unlike Flash, which is needed by most of your favorite video and casual gaming sites, the Java plug-in is required far less often -- so you probably won't notice a big difference if you disable or uninstall it.

[via ZDnet]Microsoft report shows massive spike in Java exploits originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentskeyboard facebook follower

Netflix streaming on Wii no longer requires a disc

Filed under: Video
I've been thoroughly enjoying Netflix on my Wii. It's not perfect, but we Canadians aren't exactly blessed with a plethora of streaming media options. Also, it scores big-time bonus points for offering Blackadder.

One minor gripe about the Wii incarnation: having to use a disc to launch Netflix. Today, however, Netflix has announced that you can now access the app from your Wii Menu -- totally disc-free! Just head over to the Wii shop, download the Netflix app, and you're good to go.

Now, y'all excuse me while I revel in the hilarious antics of Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Laurie...Netflix streaming on Wii no longer requires a disc originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentsphone gadget ipad

Daily Crunch: The Rat Edition

Meta Mouse: A Rat-controlled Car CEATEC 2010: ?Augmented Reality Walker? From Olympus (Video) Logitech Revue First Hands-On! Cisco Announces ?mi HD Home Video Calling System For $599, $25 Per Month Chevy Volt 240V Home Charging Kit: $490 (That?s Without Installation Taken Into Account)twitter social firefox

Nokia "Will No Longer Be Talking About Symbian^3 or Symbian^4 At All" [Nokia]

Did our words on why we're not reviewing the N8 cut to the bone of Nokia? They've slipped an interesting fact into today's financial report that they "will no longer be talking about Symbian^3 or Symbian^4 at all." [Nokia Conversations] More »






google chrome bing windows

Lenovo says no Android tablet in US until Honeycomb; no Windows 7 tablet, period

If you happen to be enthusiastic about Lenovo, tablets, and your American residency, look away now. Lenovo still plans to ship the Android-based LePad in China some time soonish, but its US roadmap can pretty much be summed up as "wait and see." The company's COO Rory Read has been cited as saying there are no plans to release a slate for the US market until at least Android's Honeycomb version comes out, agreeing with Google on the point that Froyo is not "the right base to have a fully functioning pad." Lest you think Windows 7 will fill the void until whenever in 2011 that Android tablet does arrive, Lenovo's director of new technology, Howard Locker, sets you straight: "Windows 7 is based on the same paradigm as 1985 -- it's really an interface that's optimized for a mouse and keyboard," and the Thinking machine team doesn't intend to build a slate around it. And if you were thinking of maybe picking up a LePhone as a consolation prize, tough luck, that won't be arriving in the US for at least another two years (which in smartphone terms is basically "never"), although it's good to know that it's now got 13 percent of the smartphone market in China. You know, in case you own stock in LeCompany.Lenovo says no Android tablet in US until Honeycomb; no Windows 7 tablet, period originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 05:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  PC Magazine  | Email this | Commentsphone gadget ipad

Shake Those iPads Clean and Make Way For the $3 Etch A Sketch HD App [IPad Apps]

Considering the iPad is the perfect size for creating artwork your Mummy would've stuck on the fridge 20 years ago, it's surprising it's taken this long for an official Etch A Sketch HD app. Those wasted Etch A Sketch cases... More »






twitter social firefox

Mulve developer arrested, free MP3 download program dealt another blow

Filed under: Audio, InternetWhen Sebastian first covered Mulve, the free MP3 download application, he concluded his post with the words "It'll get shut down - it's just a matter of whether it'll be thanks to Interpol or due to too much traffic".
Well, I think we now have the answer. What eventually got Mulve to shut down was its operator being arrested by the UK police. This is Mulve's second major setback -- the first being the RIAA's takedown of a part of the service which was maintained on a Hostgator service.
However, as per usual with this sort of thing, the arrest didn't really do anything to stem the tide. Yes, Mulve itself was shut down, but the source code is out and applications replicating the same functionality will no doubt begin popping up.

There's always another cute little baby fox after your hens' eggs, Mr. Simmons...

[via TorrentFreak]Mulve developer arrested, free MP3 download program dealt another blow originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentsiphone phone gadget

Microsoft's 9 All-Time Worst Ads [Video]

Microsoft's about to embark on a one billion dollar marketing adventure to support Kinect and Windows Phone 7. Good luck to them! Because as these past epically failed advertising efforts show, Microsoft could be about to waste a lotta of money if they're not careful with the creative: More »






facebook follower blog

Puma Phone review

So it's true, we're living in an age where people would shamelessly line up for certain electronics and luxurious fashion items. Why? Just because they can, and for that reason, some swanky outlets -- namely Christian Dior, Prada, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, and Versace -- have attempted to exploit our gadget lust by offering self-branded phones at extortionate prices. In the eyes of every-day consumers, there's really not much appeal in these soulless devices except for the logo and some extra bling, but apparently these two factors alone are enough to make some aficionados drool a river.

On the other hand, Puma -- a less luxurious but naturally more accessible fashion brand -- has decided to do more than just slapping an OS skin onto its aptly-named Puma Phone. Priced at a comparably affordable £300 ($469), this Sagem-made featurephone packs a few unusual features such as a solar panel, a sports tracker, and even a virtual cougar named Dylan. Read on to find out if we could sense the Puma spirit in this device.Gallery: Puma Phone reviewContinue reading Puma Phone reviewPuma Phone review originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Oct 2010 15:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Commentsiphone phone gadget

MotoDiary is a cross-device encrypted personal journal

Filed under: Blogging, Browsers
In the words of MotoDiary's creator, a blog is not a journal. Sometimes you need a secure, quiet location to jot down your notes.
MotoDiary is an attempt to provide you with just such a place. It's HTML5-powered, but it feels very minimalistic - even austere. Your notes are encrypted locally using your browser's power (even if you're writing from a mobile device), and then uploaded to the server.
There isn't any sort of advertising at this point; the creator says he tried to replicate the blankness of pen and paper as best as he could, and as you can see in the screenshot, it is indeed quite plain.
A large part of the appeal here is how cross-browser it is. It doesn't work with Firefox 3.6x, but it does work with Chrome and Safari, so you can start a note on your commute home using your mobile device, and complete it later from the PC at home.
Sadly, one thing which did not work well for me is right-to-left text entry; Android's native support for RTL is quite decent, but somehow this application didn't play nice when I tried writing Hebrew. The screen scrolled all the way to the right, but my text was entered at the left side (incorrectly). So I couldn't actually see what I was writing.
As long as your language of choice flows from left to right, though, MotoDiary is a viable option to check out.MotoDiary is a cross-device encrypted personal journal originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 10 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentstwitter social firefox

Keep Up With Your Gamer Friends With Raptr On Your iPhone [IphoneApps]

Raptr, a social network for gamers, just released an iPhone app that makes it even easier to track your friends' gaming habits on Xbox Live, PSN and Steam. It's a pretty nice way to keep in touch across platforms. More »






google chrome bing windows

Komodo Edit 6 is now out, based on Firefox 3.5 sources

Filed under: Developer, Text
I'm a big fan of Komodo Edit for editing PHP, HTML and other code. And now, Komodo Edit 6 is officially out!
Komodo Edit 6 has been in Beta for quite some time, and I've been using the Beta versions for months. This release means Edit's older brother, Komodo IDE, also made it to version 6.
Some of what version 6 brings to the table:

Faster performance, since it's based on Firefox 3.5 -- It's still a hefty beast, and takes a long time to load on my system. But it does feel somewhat faster.
A new Places system for managing FTP access -- It's better than it used to be, but still isn't up to par with jEdit's FTP plug-in if you ask me.
HTML5 and CSS3 auto-completion -- That's just Komodo keeping up pace with the world, but it's still very useful.
Improvements to the Toolbox -- One of the things I like best about Komodo is that it's really extensible - it doesn't use jEdit's annoying Beanshell language, but two different industry-standard languages, Python and JavaScript. And now it's even better, thanks to a new Invoke Tool command which pops up a quick-search prompt with all of your macros and tools.

I did come across a bug when trying to copy a file remotely using FTP access with the new Places feature, but the Komodo team tell me that's getting fixed in a coming update. All in all, if you use Komodo or are in the market for a great free editor, you should definitely take Komodo Edit 6 for a spin.Komodo Edit 6 is now out, based on Firefox 3.5 sources originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentstwitter social firefox

What Happens In Facebook Stays In Facebook [Comment]

It was the first time in his life Isaac didn't want to go to Vegas. More »






wire bike keyboard

The Advent of the Superhumanly Intelligent UI

Competition in the keenly contested smartphone market is driving massive change in user interfaces. Mice and keyboards are so yesterday; touch, multitouch and gestures form the core of UIs today. Now, we have Google TV with apps on the TV set. The media of television, streaming video and the Internet are becoming more closely intertwined.phone gadget ipad

This Facebook Password Will Self-Destruct in 20 Minutes

Facebook has unveiled new measures to keep members secure when they log into its site. One is a temporary password; another is letting people sign out of Facebook remotely. Finally, it will also now regularly prompt members to update their security information. Facebook members must have first listed a mobile phone number in their account information.keyboard facebook follower

Daily Crunch: Deal Edition

Own Tony Stark?s Iron Man Briefcase But Of Course Without The Iron Man Suit Part Seagate Stuffs 12TB Into The 4-Bay BlackArmor NAS 440 From The Google Developer Day Tokyo: ?Life-Size? Android Robot (Video) Review: Powertel 500 Cordless Phone For The Hearing Impaired Tim Armstrong: We Got TechCrunch!ipad android wire

More experimental features (and DANGER!) on the way to Chrome's about:labs page

Filed under: Google, Browsers
Bleeding-edge Chrome users -- especially those using Macs -- have at least one very good reason to like Chrome's recently-added about:labs page. First and foremost, it provides an easier way to enable and disable features that were previously buried behind command line switches.

In a posting on the Chromium-dev board, Google's Ben Goodger has some encouraging news for about:labs fans. Goodger wants Chrome developers to get their experimental features added to Labs, so expect to see plenty of future additions as Googlers tinker.

At the same time, Goodger wants to make it more clear that Labs features are experiments -- meaning users could very well mix the "chemicals" improperly and have Chrome blow up in their faces. That's certainly the case with Chrome's accelerated 2D canvas switch in the current Dev channel build.

As such, there's a re-name coming so that the page sounds a bit less friendly. Perhaps about:danger? about:itsatrap? Maybe they should also change the background color to red or slap a sign on the page...More experimental features (and DANGER!) on the way to Chrome's about:labs page originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentsipad android wire

Watch Conan O'Brien Drive A Car Filled With High-Grade Explosives Off A Cliff [Video]

This video contains high-grade explosives, illegal fireworks, gallons of gasoline, pounds of unpopped popcorn, a chamber orchestra, and a knocked out stunt double. I'd say Conan O'Brien has successfully proven he's a complete badass while promoting his new show. More »






wire bike keyboard

This Is the Real Transformers [Transformers]

Cars that turn into giant robots? Please. I'm over it. This is how real Transformers roll. More »






ipad android wire

NES controller gains a Rumble Pak, DIYer gains a dedicated following

Ah, the Rumble Pak. It was arguably the must-have accessory for the Nintendo 64, and had it been around during the time of R.B.I. Baseball, we're certain it would've went over well. One Andy Goetz decided that he'd be interested in reshaping history a bit, and spent 20-some-odd hours building a rumble device for his NES controller as a deadline loomed. He ended up submitting it in Oregon State University's Engineering Expo, and while it seems that they can't actually control when the rumble happens, at least your youngster will likely believe that he / she is doing something right while they're being humiliated by CPU racers in Excitebike. Cruel? Maybe. But totally practical.NES controller gains a Rumble Pak, DIYer gains a dedicated following originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Hack-A-Day  |  Andy Goetz  | Email this | Commentstwitter social firefox

Stirrings of Life in a Bleak IT Employment Desert

When the pulse of the global economy slowed -- or, as some would have it, virtually flat lined -- in 2009, IT felt it. Even though IT serves as the heart of global business, the indispensable systems without which companies simply wouldn't work, layoffs and cutbacks still wracked the industry.windows iphone phone

Android Market to begin accepting PayPal payments on October 26?

Filed under: Android
Google's recent payment expansion was good news for developers and users alike, but there's even better news today. According to The Street, the deal with eBay to integrate PayPal payments is all but done and will be announced at PayPal's developer conference on October 26th.

Enabling PayPal payments for Android Market app purchases is huge, and it will no doubt help attract and encourage more developers. As for what the news means for users -- PayPal works in over 100 countries where Checkout doesn't. It'll also enable Android users with no credit card (like those purchasing pay-as-you-go Android phones) to buy apps with their bank account funds instead.Android Market to begin accepting PayPal payments on October 26? originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentswindows iphone phone

Apple Wins Trademark for ?There?s an App for That?

Apple’s “There’s an app for that” slogan is so catchy that it’s endlessly parroted by the media, so it’s understandable why the company would request a trademark for the phrase. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recently complied.
Just last week the U.S. PTO awarded Apple with the “There an app for that” trademark, which the [...]blog twitter social

Engadget's reader meetup happens October 21st in NYC -- be there!

Oh yes, humans -- it's happening again! After a painfully long wait, we're finally kicking our reader meetups back into gear. The first in the series will take place in New York City on October 21st, and it's going to be a killer. The all-ages event is sponsored by Sprint and will feature a slew of amazing companies in attendance. What companies, you ask? How about Sony PlayStation, Research In Motion, Palm, Sony VAIO, Bug Labs, Sling, Roku, Sonos, Boxee, Peek, and many more (we're adding names as we type)! In addition to the tons of gadgets and gear you'll be able to get your hands on, we'll have giveaways, demos, music, food, and drinks for everyone.

The meetup takes place in NYC at Espace (635 W. 42nd St, New York, NY, between 11th and 12th Ave.), and will run from 6:30PM until 10:30PM. Capacity for the venue is around 1000, and we'll likely fill up -- so plan on getting there nice and early!

We'll be coming at you with more details and an updated partner list, but for now, mark the date down and get ready to party. You can sign up and discuss the event at our Facebook page, too.

Note: The image above? Soon to be another limited edition T-shirt collaboration between eBoy and Engadget!Continue reading Engadget's reader meetup happens October 21st in NYC -- be there!Engadget's reader meetup happens October 21st in NYC -- be there! originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 15:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Commentswire bike keyboard

Windows Phone 7 ads reveal Samsung Focus for AT&T, November 8th date and shiny new website

We'd heard November 8th was AT&T's Windows Phone 7 launch date, but this makes it real -- Microsoft advertisements on Microsoft's page, pointing to a brand-new Windows Phone website. And unless we're completely mistaken, the Samsung Cetus finally has a name -- it'll be called the Focus when it comes to AT&T on the specified date. We're not seeing any other spilled beans at Microsoft's new launch page, but we're digging the upbeat tune -- let us know if you find anything intriguing buried in the Silverlight source code on that "new phones" page, will you?

[Thanks, Collin W.]Windows Phone 7 ads reveal Samsung Focus for AT&T, November 8th date and shiny new website originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 15:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Microsoft (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments



twitter social firefox

The Prize Portraits From Our Facebook Illustration Contest [Promotion]

Once we picked winners for our Facebook contest, we locked artist Sam Spratt in a room with reference photos, digital painting gear, and snacks. We refused to let him leave until he finished the prize portraits. Here are the results: More »






iphone phone gadget

New Blu-Ray Lasers Mean Faster Burns, Quad-Layer Discs

This week, Sony launched the first commercial 400mW blue?violet laser diode for Blu-ray. The higher-power lasers can perform triple or even quadruple-layer recording at 8X-12X speeds, storing up to 128GB on a single disc.
Sony’s blue-violet laser diode, called the SLD3237VF, will cost about $12. Until the social firefox google chrome

Google Chrome gets outdated plug-in blocking

Filed under: Google, Browsers
Firefox added built-in checking for outdated plug-ins a while back, and it was announced back in June that Google Chrome would soon add the feature. After all, surfing with older, unpatched versions of Flash, Java, or QuickTime poses a security risk, and browser security is a vital part of Chrome's core.

Following the update to 7.0.542.0 in Chrome's bleeding-edge Canary build, Windows users can now turn on outdated plug-in checking. To flip the switch, jump to the about:labs page and click the enable link. Unlike some other experimental features, the plug-in check doesn't require a restart.

Right now, the check is only available in Canary -- but this is the kind of feature Google tends to push to Chrome's other channels in short order. Google Chrome gets outdated plug-in blocking originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Commentskeyboard facebook follower

3M Shoot 'n Share camcorder projector gets reviewed, does what it says on the box

You should know by now that the 3M Shoot 'n Share is aptly named: it shoots 720p video and stills, and it shares with a 640 x 480 built-in pico projector. Simple, yes? What you might not know is how well the thing actually works, and for that we have a helpful review from PicoProjector-info. It basically confirms any fears you might've had about the combination: it's not the best pocket camcorder, and it's not the best pico projector (even 3M's own similarly-specced MPro-150 model bests it). The good news is that it absolutely works, and is certainly passable in both of its stated aims, along with being fairly easy to operate. Not too bad for $300.3M Shoot 'n Share camcorder projector gets reviewed, does what it says on the box originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 18:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  PicoProjector-info  | Email this | Commentsiphone phone gadget

Fillerati is a wonderful generator for filler text

Filed under: Developer, web 2.0
Slick, sexy and suave are just some of the adjectives that came to mind when I was testing Fillerati. This beautiful little toy is a testament to what one developer can do with modern Web technologies in just 48 hours.
Functionally, it's very simple. Instead of generating Lorem Ipsum text for testing your new website or software, it lets you use excerpts from the works of famous (and long-dead) authors such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, H. G. Wells, and others.
After you specify an author, you can specify which specific work you'd like to draw the text from. Some authors have just a single work available, but Burroughs has two, so I suspect that this one feature was added strictly in his honor (or maybe Fillerati's creator plans to add more works, although I doubt it).
Once you select where to draw the text from, you can specify what HTML elements you'd like the tool to produce. You can create paragraphs, headings (anything from h1 to h6), unordered list items, or just plain text.
You then move your mouse along the slider to decide how much text you'd like to create. The one thing I don't like about this design is the fixed location of the bubble showing how much text you've created. Still, there is a nice little indicator on the slider that shows your current position. Once you're set, click once, and your clipboard will be populated with the test text that you've generated.
If only all Web tools were this graceful!Fillerati is a wonderful generator for filler text originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 16:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentsiphone phone gadget

Dragontape lets you create and listen to YouTube-based mixtapes

Filed under: Audio, Video
At first, I thought that Dragontape had something to do with dragons, but sadly, it doesn't. It's more along the lines of "drag on tape," which means that you get a long, long timeline (or "tape") and you drag YouTube videos onto it.
The goal is to create a playlist, such as this staff pick playlist featuring street music. A playlist can be up to three hours long, which is a tad extreme if you ask me, but I guess some people could use the room for self-expression.
This write-up cannot possibly do Dragontape justice, because the interface has to be seen. Through the magic of advanced JavaScript, the timeline interface floats over the currently playing video with a low-fi scan line effect, and it looks very slick.
This beautiful presentation made me curious enough to rummage through the sources (mainly because I wanted to see if it was all Flash), and I discovered that they use Yahoo's YUI JavaScript Library. This has to be one of the most creative implementations I've seen yet, and it's well worth checking out if you like music videos (or just music).
After the jump, you can find a short demo video by Dragontape.Dragontape lets you create and listen to YouTube-based mixtapes originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentstwitter social firefox

Retrograde world could mean there are tons of planets around binary stars [Mad Astronomy]

Astronomers believed that binary star systems were too volatile to support many planets, because the overlapping gravitational forces of the two stars would pull most planets apart. But one exoplanet 69 light-years away survives just fine...by orbiting the wrong way. More »






ipad android wire

Dragontape lets you create and listen to YouTube-based mixtapes

Filed under: Audio, Video
At first, I thought that Dragontape had something to do with dragons, but sadly, it doesn't. It's more along the lines of "drag on tape," which means that you get a long, long timeline (or "tape") and you drag YouTube videos onto it.
The goal is to create a playlist, such as this staff pick playlist featuring street music. A playlist can be up to three hours long, which is a tad extreme if you ask me, but I guess some people could use the room for self-expression.
This write-up cannot possibly do Dragontape justice, because the interface has to be seen. Through the magic of advanced JavaScript, the timeline interface floats over the currently playing video with a low-fi scan line effect, and it looks very slick.
This beautiful presentation made me curious enough to rummage through the sources (mainly because I wanted to see if it was all Flash), and I discovered that they use Yahoo's YUI JavaScript Library. This has to be one of the most creative implementations I've seen yet, and it's well worth checking out if you like music videos (or just music).
After the jump, you can find a short demo video by Dragontape.Dragontape lets you create and listen to YouTube-based mixtapes originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentsgoogle chrome bing windows

Google Mobile App for iPhone adds Google Goggles support

Google Mobile App for iPhone has just added Google Goggles support. Goggles is the awesomely named camera-search based service that debuted on Android and lets you find information about something just by taking a picture of it.


In the new version of Google Mobile App just tap on the camera button to search using [...]Google Mobile App for iPhone adds Google Goggles support is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
follower blog twitter

WD announces 3TB single-drive My Book Essential, two USB 3.0 Passport drives

You may or may not have noticed, but Western Digital just followed up on Seagate's earlier efforts by breaking out a 3TB external drive of its own -- one that has just a single HDD within. The newest My Book Essential not only houses a 3TB drive, but also packs a USB 3.0 port on the rear and the same rounded black shell that you've come to know and love / hate. If that's far too much for you to swallow (or simply too large to haul around), the My Passport Essential and My Passport Essential SE lines are also being bumped to USB 3.0, with the former shipping in a 500GB version and the latter in 750GB / 1TB. Both of those guys are powered entirely over USB and ship in a variety of mind-bending hues, with pricing starting at $99.99 for the 500 gigger and running up to $249.99 for more space than you'll ever need. Gallery: WD announces 3TB single-drive My Book Essential, two USB 3.0 Passport drivesContinue reading WD announces 3TB single-drive My Book Essential, two USB 3.0 Passport drivesWD announces 3TB single-drive My Book Essential, two USB 3.0 Passport drives originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 11:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Western Digital (1), (2), (3)  | Email this | Commentstwitter social firefox

Daily Crunch: Sun Dance Edition

Zoom Q3HD Basically Records It All Frito-Lay Pulling Compostable Snack Bags Over Noise Are You At Risk For ?Toasted Skin Syndrome?? The Dube Has Just Made Your Old Percussion Instruments Obsolete Google TV?s Minisite Launches, Finally Sheds Some Light On The Platformtwitter social firefox

Finally, Official iPad and iPhone Cases from Moleskine

At last, Moleskine has come up with its own set of iDevice covers. Since the launch of the iPad, we have seen traditionally-bound covers from Pen & Quill and Dodocase, beautiful, handmade cases which both protect your iDevices and disguise them as old-style notebooks.
Oddly, the official Moleskine covers for the iPad and iPhone (3G and [...]follower blog twitter

Making the Perfect Espresso Near the Iraq Border

Editor?s note: Wired.com contributor Jeremy Hart is making a 60-day, 15,000-mile drive around the world with a few mates in a pair of Ford Fiestas. He?s filing occasional reports from the road on gadgets he’s road-testing.
I hate to rave about any gadget now. Seems the minute I like something, it goes and fails [...]wire bike keyboard

T-Mobile exec downplays need for LTE, calls WiMAX 'niche'

LTE? WiMAX? T-Mobile USA's Neville Ray isn't as interested in these technologies as the competition. In an interview with BusinessWeek, the Chief Network Officer said, "we'll look towards LTE at the right point in time for us... that ecosystem is going to be much richer than the competing one from [WiMAX], which is really a niche play." A niche play, you say? Network burn! What isn't clear from the BW piece -- and it's something we're painfully curious about -- is if Ray himself used the term 4G as interchangeably as the article implies. After all, the company line is that it's already got a 4G technology in (the theoretically slower) HSPA+, as it's claimed as recently as the G2 announcement. We're guessing not, but all the same, we wouldn't hold our breath for any radical new cell towers in T-Mo's immediate future -- and we'd expect nothing less from AT&T than to continue to sneer at its use of the 4G term in its press materials.T-Mobile exec downplays need for LTE, calls WiMAX 'niche' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 20:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Phone Scoop  |  BusinessWeek  | Email this | Comments



google chrome bing windows

Making the Perfect Espresso Near the Iraq Border

Editor?s note: Wired.com contributor Jeremy Hart is making a 60-day, 15,000-mile drive around the world with a few mates in a pair of Ford Fiestas. He?s filing occasional reports from the road on gadgets he’s road-testing.
I hate to rave about any gadget now. Seems the minute I like something, it goes and fails [...]facebook follower blog

Apple TV in 10 minutes ? Everything you need to know

Everything you need to know about Apple TV (2010) in 10 minutes — video quick start guide.

There should be a video here but Viacom has flagged it with YouTube due to it showing copyright content. I used a few seconds each of iTunes rental, Netflix, and streaming content to show the quality of the video [...]Apple TV in 10 minutes – Everything you need to know is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
twitter social firefox

Making the Perfect Espresso Near the Iraq Border

Editor?s note: Wired.com contributor Jeremy Hart is making a 60-day, 15,000-mile drive around the world with a few mates in a pair of Ford Fiestas. He?s filing occasional reports from the road on gadgets he’s road-testing.
I hate to rave about any gadget now. Seems the minute I like something, it goes and fails [...]phone gadget ipad

Bluetooth Sheet Music Turner Could Help Readers With Disabilities

AirTurn’s Bluetooth foot-switch for iPad turns pages with the tap of a foot. It’s designed for keeping both hands free to play an instrument while reading digital sheet music. However, it may turn out to be an important technology for e-book readers with disabilities.
Gadget Lab wrote about AirTurn’s BT-105 prototype in July, but I discovered [...]bike keyboard facebook

Key Command Generator helps you generate beautiful shortcut key codes

Filed under: Design, Education
A while ago, we had a heated debate on our internal mailing list concerning the best way to note shortcut keys. Is it Ctrl+Enter? Maybe it should be a hyphen, so should it be Ctrl-Enter? And should there be a space? Should we capitalize, or not?
This might seem fussy, but when you're authoring a large body of text (or a collaborative blog), some standards have to be established. It's not just a matter of consistency for consistency's sake - the question is what makes the most sense for users.
Key Command Generator offers an interesting take on this problem. You fill in a simple form for your shortcut key, and you get an embeddable code. When you embed said code within your document, it shows up as a stylized "keyboard diagram" (as you can see in the screenshot).
While we won't be using it ourselves (because the output is pretty ginormous), I can certainly see how this can come in handy for other projects. I only wish it was a bit easier to use. A simpler syntax would be great, because then I could just change a few parameters in my code and avoid having to fill the form in every time. Perhaps something like shortcutkey.com/ctrl+shift+enter. Oh well, I guess there's always the HTML5 kbd element.Key Command Generator helps you generate beautiful shortcut key codes originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentsblog twitter social