Droid Bionic appears on Amazon with $150 price tag, quickly disappears again

Something's seriously going on over at Amazon's Wireless store where the Droid Bionic, a Verizon sibling to AT&T's Atrix 4G, has today been spotted listed for sale with a $149.99 price. That matches the levy Amazon asked for the Atrix last week (before promptly yanking the page) and seems to confirm that the $150 price point is receiving some sincere consideration for these 4G-equipped handsets. The Bionic's page has now also disappeared into the ether, but the memory of its delectable promise remains.

[Thanks, techcruncher]

Droid Bionic appears on Amazon with $150 price tag, quickly disappears again originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Phandroid  |  Droid-Life  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/31/droid-bionic-appears-on-amazon-with-150-price-tag-quickly-disa/

QUANTA COMPUTER RESEARCH IN MOTION ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS SAIC

NAVY SEALs getting fancy LCD sunglasses, will surely show up as DLC in next SOCOM game

We're still a few years away from getting some consumer-friendly LCD sunglasses, but wouldn't you know it the military's already rocking a pair. The Office of Naval Research TechSolutions department has delivered the first 30 sets of what it calls Fast-Tint Protective Eyewear (FTPE). They can change tint automatically based on exterior light, much like currently available prescription glasses, but thanks to their LCD construction can go from dark to clear in just a half-second. This means a SEAL squad could blow a door and infiltrate a room without having to ask the terrorists to hold their fire while everyone takes off their shades. Initial reports are good and SOCOM is planning on buying another 100 sets. Maybe by the time they're delivered someone will release a picture of the things and we won't have to use a stock photo like this one.

Continue reading NAVY SEALs getting fancy LCD sunglasses, will surely show up as DLC in next SOCOM game

NAVY SEALs getting fancy LCD sunglasses, will surely show up as DLC in next SOCOM game originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 22:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Register  |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/31/navy-seals-getting-fancy-lcd-sunglasses-will-surely-show-up-as/

CDW CHINA MOBILE CISCO SYSTEMS COGNIZANT TECH SOLUTIONS

Tasty Static is a fun SkyRoads re-make -- Time Waster

First off, let me preface this time waster by saying it requires a download. That's right - this is not a Flash game, and you have to run it from your own computer. But it is free and available for Windows, OS X and Linux, and this is Download Squad after all.

Last week I wrote about a time waster called Flyde, saying it really reminded me of an old game I used to play as a kid, but couldn't remember its name. Commenter TnS was the first to point out I'm talking about SkyRoads. Of course, I immediately went to Wikipedia to read all about this old favorite of mine, and that's where I found a modern re-make: Tasty Static.

Tasty Static is fast. Just like SkyRoads, you drive a race car along a track that hangs in space, and you must constantly jump and move left and right to keep the track under your vehicle. Press UP to accelerate, LEFT and RIGHT to turn, and SPACE to jump. If you're chicken, you can also press DOWN to slow down. You know you shouldn't, though.

By default, the resolution is just 640x480, but it's not like you're missing out on a lot of detail. The graphics can be described as rudimentary at best - there are just enough pixels on the screen for you to see the road and the obstacles. But hey, that's what retro is all about, right?

Tasty Static is a fun SkyRoads re-make -- Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/12/tasty-static-is-a-fun-skyroads-re-make-time-waster/

ATandT AUTODESK AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING AVNET

MSI's GT680 gaming laptop reviewed: potent at 720p, some battery life too

MSI is calling this GT680R the world's fastest gaming laptop. Spoiler alert -- it's not -- but if you drop $1,650 to nab one starting this week, you'll certainly be getting some bang for those bucks. Trusted Reviews and Hot Hardware recently got their hands on the first Sandy Bridge-equipped portable monster of a gaming rig, and found the experience quite satisfying on the whole. Though Hot Hardware discovered that the 2.0GHz Core i7-2630QM chip and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M graphics weren't quite capable of playable framerates in the most demanding DX11 titles at native 1080p, lowering the resolution to 720 lines usually did the trick, and when it came to raw CPU benchmarks that Core i7 held its own against even last-gen desktop processors with little trouble to speak of. What's more, equipped with a nine-cell battery Trusted Reviews managed to eke out three hours of life in a basic productivity test, practically unheard of for a laptop of this class, though we suppose you're not likely to be carrying around this 7.7 pound beast for the sake of portable spreadsheets, eh? Hit up our source links for more details.

MSI's GT680 gaming laptop reviewed: potent at 720p, some battery life too originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 17:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Trusted Reviews, Hot Hardware  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/30/msis-gt680-gaming-laptop-reviewed-potent-at-720p-some-battery/

SIEMENS CDW CHINA MOBILE INTEL

Internet Explorer 9 to bolster security with ActiveX content filter

Sure, you can wade through Internet Explorer 8's security settings and flip a number of radio buttons to change ActiveX permissions in its many zones, but it's kind of a pain in the butt. It's also not also flexible a system as it could be -- but Microsoft appears ready to change all that in Internet Explorer 9.

Over at WinRumors, Tom Warren has received information that IE9 will include an improved ActiveX filtering mechanism. As you can see in his screenshot, both ActiveX filtering and IE9's new Tracking Protection feature will be available via the browser's Information Bar -- making it easier to block or allow controls. Rogue ActiveX controls have been a common attack vector against Internet Explorer, so it's good to see Microsoft doing its part to help bolster the browser's defenses.

Internet Explorer 9 to bolster security with ActiveX content filter originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/19/internet-explorer-9-to-bolster-security-with-activex-content-fil/

SATYAM COMPUTER SERVICES SES LIBERTY GLOBAL LM ERICSSON

Gmail Labs features get easier to find with Instant-like search

Gmail Labs features are great, but with more than four dozen to choose from, it's gotten a bit tedious scrolling through and trying to figure out which to enable. You could use your Web browser's built-in find feature to locate a specific term on the page, but that's just not very Google.

Which is precisely why a pair of Google engineers decided it was time to add a fancy search option on the Labs page. Not only can you search, but as with Google Instant your results will appear as you type. You can also link directly to a particular query, which could be useful if you frequently toggle a particular Labs feature or two.

Gmail Labs features get easier to find with Instant-like search originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/20/gmail-labs-features-get-easier-to-find-with-instant-like-search/

INSIGHT ENTERPRISES INGRAM MICRO INFORMATICA XILINX

WristFit Watchband for iPod nano

Belkin has an entry into the nano watchband war.� The WristFit for iPod nano is made of a lightweight, thin, breathable, machine-washable material.� The Velcro closure allows you to adjust the fit to your wrist, and you attach the nano to the band using the nano’s integrated clip.� The WristFit is $19.95.

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/01/27/wristfit-watchband-for-ipod-nano/

UNITED ONLINE UNISYS TRIDENT MICROSYSTEMS TRANSACTION SYSTEMS ARCHITECTS

Android 2.3 security bug shows microSD access vulnerability

A researcher at North Carolina State University is warning of an Android 2.3 security vulnerability that gives attackers access to your personal information, further proof that Gingerbread isn't all sugar and spice (to be fair, that SMS issue has since been remedied). According to Xuxian Jiang, the bug allows malicious websites to access and upload the contents of a user's microSD card, including voicemails, photos, and online banking information to a remote server. The flaw apparently resembles a similar bug in previous version of Android, thought to have been addressed with Gingerbread. However, as Jiang points out, that fix is easily bypassed. Apart from removing the microSD card, disabling JavaScript, or switching to a third-party browser, Android 2.3 users have little recourse in squashing the bug. The folks at eWeek reported that Google is working on a solution to the problem, but there's no word on when we can expect to see an update.

Android 2.3 security bug shows microSD access vulnerability originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 10:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  North Carolina State University  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/EtpzXggAYHA/

SONIC AUTOMOTIVE SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS SILICON LABORATORIES SI INTERNATIONAL

Is True Do-Not-Track a Pie in the Sky?

Developers of the major browsers -- Microsoft, Google and the Mozilla Foundation -- plan to implement so-called do-not-track features into their browsers so consumers can indicate when they don't want their movements online to be observed and recorded by site hosts, which generally use the information to strengthen their advertising systems.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/71743.html

PALM RF MICRO DEVICES RED HAT RADISYS

LG Optimus 2X and Optimus Black priced at ?499 by Amazon Germany, not yet available to buy

Amazon's German outlet has started listing LG's two latest and undoubtedly greatest phones: the Optimus 2X (seemingly renamed the Optimus Speed here) and the Optimus Black. Both run Android 2.2 on 4-inch screens, with the former offering a dual-core Tegra 2 processor capable of 1080p video recording and HDMI output, and the latter cranking up the display brightness to a quite unreasonable 700 nits. The Optimus Black also has one of the thinnest profiles on a smartphone of its class at 9.2mm, and will be one of the first phones to offer WiFi Direct connectivity. Intriguingly, Amazon's Optimus Speed / 2X listing also shows a brown color option for the handset, though only its black SKU is subject to a neat €50 discount bringing its price to €499, the same as the cost of the Optimus Black. We don't know when either one will drop, but you can go and reserve yourself one (or a dozen) at the links below.

[Thanks, Julian]

Continue reading LG Optimus 2X and Optimus Black priced at ?499 by Amazon Germany, not yet available to buy

LG Optimus 2X and Optimus Black priced at ?499 by Amazon Germany, not yet available to buy originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 05:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Amazon DE (Optimus Speed), (Optimus Black)  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/29/lg-optimus-2x-and-optimus-black-priced-at-499-by-amazon-germany/

RF MICRO DEVICES RED HAT RADISYS RACKABLE SYSTEMS

Meetup Feels The Wrath Of The Crowd After Radical Changes

Meetup, a long time go-to place to create local online groups, has undergone a major re-launch in the past day. However, it may have missed a trick: not consulting the meetup organizers who pay through the nose for the service. There now appears to be something of a revolt going on amongst some organisers, who are vociferously protesting about the changes. The reaction of annoyed organisers and members has turned into two, count-em, Twitter hashtags: #newmeetup and #meetuporganizersunite. Alternatives to Meetup like BigTent are being touted, as is GroupSpaces ? a startup which last year raised $1.3 million from the likes of Index Ventures and Angels like Dave McClure and Chris Sacca. It is is already gunning for ?FormerMeetupOrganizers? with its own group and a blog post on the subject.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/UrIC9aLXXZA/

LM ERICSSON ACCENTURE ACER ELECTRONIC ARTS

Google purchases SayNow to bolster Voice service

Over on its website, SayNow says it's "reinventing the phone call." With Google doing its best to reinvent the phone carrier, the two certainly seem like a good match -- which is probably why Google decided to purchase the startup.

SayNow made a name for itself by offering to connect music fans with their idols, including artists like 50 Cent, Trisha Yearwood, and the Jonas Brothers -- who have hundreds of thousands of subscribers on the service. Fans call in, leave a message, and stars can then "call back." SayNow's platform has the ability to offer one-to-one calls and group calling, and it's also integrated with social platforms like Facebook and MySpace.

As our friends at TechCrunch muse, there's a very good chance SayNow's crew will be teaming up with the Google Voice team. With SayNow already on iOS and Android devices and embeddable on social networking sites, will it be long before Google Voice is available everywhere?

Google purchases SayNow to bolster Voice service originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/26/google-purchases-saynow-to-bolster-voice-service/

SIEMENS CDW CHINA MOBILE CISCO SYSTEMS

Chrysler shows off Ram plug-in hybrid electric truck, won't sell it to you

There's already a few hybrid trucks on the market (most notably from GM), but true plug-in hybrid electric trucks are another matter altogether. Chrysler now looks set to change that, however -- at least in a small way -- with its new Ram plug-in hybrid that's set to roll out to fleet operators this summer. It was just unveiled at the Washington D.C. Auto Show, and it pairs a 12 kWh battery pack from Canadian battery-maker Electrovaya with Chrysler's own 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine, which Electrovaya says will allow for up to 20 miles of driving on electricity only. Unfortunately, there's no word on any plans to actually make the truck available to individual consumers, but Chrysler does seem to at least be optimistic about hybrid trucks in general, with a company spokesman noting that half-ton pickups are naturally much better at carrying a battery pack than a car, and that trucks work better as hybrid vehicle platforms.

Continue reading Chrysler shows off Ram plug-in hybrid electric truck, won't sell it to you

Chrysler shows off Ram plug-in hybrid electric truck, won't sell it to you originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 10:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Edmunds  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/30/chrysler-shows-off-ram-plug-in-hybrid-electric-truck-wont-sell/

ATandT AUTODESK AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING AVNET

Deal of the Day ? Sony VAIO P-Series 8? Atom Netbook

Today?s LogicBUY deal is a $200 savings on an 8? Sony P-Series Lifestyle netbook in black. This VAIO has a 1.6GHz Atom cpu, 2GB memory, 1600 X 768 LED-backlit LCD, webcam, 802.11n WiFi, card reader, Windows 7, and a 128GB solid-state drive. $899 – $200 off = $699 with free shipping ? this is the [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/01/27/deal-of-the-day-%e2%80%93-sony-vaio-p-series-8%e2%80%9d-atom-netbook/

FORMFACTOR FACTSET RESEARCH SYSTEMS F5 NETWORKS EPICOR SOFTWARE

Toshiba Dynabook Qosmio T750 laptop has a lid that changes color on both sides

It's been a long time since we used a laptop that had a monochromatic display -- it was a giant white block of a thing that is not missed -- but flip around just about every laptop we use today and you find a backside that stubbornly refuses to change color no matter the light that hits it. Is that a problem? Not really, we think it's quite fine since we're not often staring at that bit, but for Toshiba such tedium simply won't do, so it's introducing the Dynabook Qosmio T750 with a color-shifting lid. Turn it in the light and it shifts and shimmers, just like the chameleon paint tuners have been using on custom rides for decades. Here, though, we're told it's done with multiple layers of film, no paint at all. Oh, the inside? A 2.66GHz Intel Core i5-480M, 4GB of DDR 3 memory, and a 15.6-inch, 1366 x 768 display that's LED backlit -- which is also capable of displaying multiple colors, in case you're interested.

Toshiba Dynabook Qosmio T750 laptop has a lid that changes color on both sides originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 21:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  RegHardware  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/29/toshiba-dynabook-qosmio-t750-laptop-has-a-lid-that-changes-color/

SES LIBERTY GLOBAL LM ERICSSON ACCENTURE

Panasonic adds Sandy Bridge to Let's Note J10, N10, S10 and B10 laptops

You can rest assured that hundreds -- if not trillions -- of new laptops will be rolling off of production lines this quarter with Intel's Sandy Bridge platform inside, and those looking for a little love over in Japan won't have to wait much longer. Panasonic has just updated its Let's Note line with four new Sandy Bridge models: the B10, S10, N10 and J10 have all been blessed with new silicon. The B10 in particular ships with a Core i5-2520M, 4GB of memory, a 15.6-inch 1080p display, HDMI output, Blu-ray drive, SDXC card slot and 802.11b/g/n WiFi. The N10 and S10 are outfitted in similar fashion, while the J10 goes diminutive with a 10.1-inch panel. There's also a higher-end J10Q variant that steps up to a Core i5, 128GB SSD, 2GB of RAM, WiFi, HDMI output, inbuilt WiMAX model and an SDXC slot, with the craziest aspect being the claimed 12 hours of battery life. Hit the links below if you're hungry for pricing clues and ship dates, but it looks as if the whole gang should be out and about by the close of March.

Panasonic adds Sandy Bridge to Let's Note J10, N10, S10 and B10 laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Netbooks Review  |  Impress, Akihabara News  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/DwXp2AaNwX0/

INTEL INSIGHT ENTERPRISES INGRAM MICRO INFORMATICA

Google censors torrent, download terms from suggestions and Instant

It's pretty common for Google to revise its suggestion blacklist, adding in new terms that the company feels shouldn't appear. With the most recent update, you'll no longer see terms related to downloading -- terms such as torrent, RapidShare, and Megaupload. Why?

Google, indexing torrent sites and facilitating piracy, has been given plenty of flack from just about anyone with a copyright. It makes Google complicit, copyright holders argue. Fine, Google says, we won't suggest them any more when a users enters something like "Ubuntu tor."

Don't fret, searchers, you can still get your results. It just means you have to type "Futurama torrent" and hit enter instead of "Futurama to" and then pausing while Instant loads up what is probably the most commonly used pairing on Google anyway.

Google censors torrent, download terms from suggestions and Instant originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/27/google-censors-torrent-download-terms-from-suggestions-and-instant/

LIBERTY GLOBAL LM ERICSSON ACCENTURE ACER

IDC: ZTE takes fourth in global cellphone rankings, leapfrogs Apple and knocks RIM out of top 5

You like numbers? Good, because it's the season and amid all these lovely financial reports we've been hitting there are some broader trends to look at. IDC has released its mobile phone report for 2010 and has concluded that, worldwide, the industry grew 18.5 percent over 2009, shipping a massive 1.39 billion units. That's nice and all, but check out this bit about ZTE. The manufacturer boosted its annual shipments by 94 percent, stealing Apple's recently-won fourth place position globally and, in doing so, knocking RIM straight into the dreaded "others" category. Can RIM make it back? Will Apple recover? Will Siobhan and Lucky ever reconcile their differences? Tune in next quarter to find out.

IDC: ZTE takes fourth in global cellphone rankings, leapfrogs Apple and knocks RIM out of top 5 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink BGR  |  IDC  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/dBMmYH9ee2E/

HEWLETTPACKARD HIGH TECH COMPUTER PRICELINECOM QIMONDA

Help save the earth in Survivosaur -- Time Waster

Everybody knows how the dinosaurs became extinct - you know, the big meteor and everything. But did it really have to happen? How would things have gone had you been there, dressed up as a huge dinosaur with a jet-pack and all sorts of projectiles, ready to save the day? Great question, and that's exactly what Survivosaur strives to answer.

The jet-pack is only the beginning here - you, the dino-protagonist, are tricked out to the max with alternative weapons, an optional shield, extra health and more. You use this massive arsenal to shoot at oncoming meteors and explode them in space, thus preventing the extinction of yourself and your kind. But not everything that comes from space is bad - you get bonuses (those little dollars flying in the screenshots), as well as health packs.

Once you amass enough lucre (say, $10), you can hit SPACE and access the in-game accessory store, where you get all of those fancy power-ups I just mentioned. Gameplay is super-simple - you run (or rather, circle the globe) with the arrow keys, and aim and fire with the mouse. But thanks to the power-up system, this game is surprisingly engaging.

Help save the earth in Survivosaur -- Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/19/help-save-the-earth-in-survivosaur-time-waster/

SYKES ENTERPRISES INORATED SYBASE SUN MICROSYSTEMS STANDARD MICROSYSTEMS