Amazon launches 69-cent MP3 store for chart-toppers

Amazon launches 69-cent MP3 store for chart-toppers: "

Those with more obscure tastes may not find much to their liking, but we're guessing Amazon's latest move to sway customers from a certain other music store will please plenty of folks. The company's just launched a new $0.69 section on its website, which offers best-selling tracks for (you guessed it) 69 cents apiece. That's down from $0.89 before, which already had iTunes handily beat in terms of pricing -- Apple is still asking $1.29 for many of the same songs. Hit up the source link below to check out the current chart-topping singles available.

Amazon launches 69-cent MP3 store for chart-toppers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Los Angeles Times | Amazon | Email this | Comments"

BlackBerry Bold Touch makes brief appearance on RIM's website

BlackBerry Bold Touch makes brief appearance on RIM's website: "

As you may have have been able to discern from the multitude of leaks that have surfaced over the past few months, RIM is apparently getting set to debut a new touchscreen-equipped BlackBerry Bold at BlackBerry World next week. While still not completely official, that's now been all but confirmed by RIM itself, which briefly featured the teaser pictured above on its website before pulling it for reasons unknown. As you can see, RIM apparently couldn't help itself and promised that it will be a 'bold step ahead,' and it appears that the phone is unsurprisingly running BlackBerry 7, which until recently was better known as OS 6.1. Of course, that's hardly the only news we're expecting to hear at BlackBerry World, and you can be sure we'll be there to brave the puns and bring it all to you.



[Thanks, Matt]

BlackBerry Bold Touch makes brief appearance on RIM's website originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | CrackBerry | Email this | Comments"

Computer scientists tackle the hard, long-lasting question of 'that's what she said'

Computer scientists tackle the hard, long-lasting question of 'that's what she said': "

Humor: it's what separates humans from machines, GlaDOS from HAL 9000, and even a good boss from a great boss. For millennia humor was seemingly unlearnable -- either you had it or you didn't -- but two University of Washington computer scientists have cracked part of the comedy code. They've developed an algorithm to find potential innuendos in everyday speech: a 'that's what she said' detector. Their approach, dubbed 'Double Entendre via Noun Transfer' (DeviaNT), uses a 'sexiness' rating for nouns, adjectives, and verbs, while also analyzing the likelihood of similar combinations occurring in erotic literature. Higher values signal higher TWSS potential, and the researchers have successfully tested their program with user-generated content from websites like TWSSStories. Why is this useful, you ask? It's one more advance in natural-language processing, helping researchers codify the subtle workings of human language. Just think: one day, a softball like 'I think this meat is too big for my buns' might receive the same 'clever' response from your computer as from your juvenile friends.



[Image via Insley Unruh]

Computer scientists tackle the hard, long-lasting question of 'that's what she said' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Techworld Australia | University of Washington | Email this | Comments"

SIM-sized satellites to lift off with Endeavour this afternoon

SIM-sized satellites to lift off with Endeavour this afternoon: "

They won't be beaming GPS or radio signals back to Earth anytime soon, but these one-inch-square satellites could one day travel to distant planets -- without fuel. Developed over a period of three years by a team of undergraduates at Cornell University, the Sprite chips could eventually be used for communication, flying in clusters like tiny space plankton. After hitching a ride on-board the final space shuttle Endeavour mission this afternoon, the three prototype satellites will be mounted outside the International Space Station, where they'll sit for the next few years, exposed to conditions found only beyond our atmosphere. Perhaps someday we'll even see some 'Spprite' KIRFs by the time China's own space station is ready to hit the launchpad in 2020.

Continue reading SIM-sized satellites to lift off with Endeavour this afternoon

SIM-sized satellites to lift off with Endeavour this afternoon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Dvice | Cornell Chronicle Online | Email this | Comments"

Nexus S 2.3.4 update now available to early adopters via manual install

Nexus S 2.3.4 update now available to early adopters via manual install: "

The Nexus S is due to receive an over-the-air update to Android 2.3.4 over the coming weeks, but Google earned a +1 from eager fans and devs hoping to get the extra Google Talk functionality sooner. Instead of hopelessly checking for updates until the time is right, the Powers That Be are now offering the upgrade as a manual download to anyone who is already running 2.3.3 on the i9020T (the AWS-equipped model). We urge you to proceed with caution here and double-check that your phone is compatible, since those are the two requirements for the download to install properly. We've happily bumped one of our devices up to 2.3.4 this way without any sweat or tears, so we hope it will be a smooth experience for others as well. If you choose to be adventurous and update your Nexus S, click the source link below to download the necessary ZIP file.



[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Nexus S 2.3.4 update now available to early adopters via manual install

Nexus S 2.3.4 update now available to early adopters via manual install originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 04:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink XDA-Developers | Android 2.3.4 Official Download (ZIP) | Email this | Comments"

Intel touts 50Gbps interconnect by 2015, will make it work with tablets and smartphones too

Intel touts 50Gbps interconnect by 2015, will make it work with tablets and smartphones too: "

Woah there, Mr. Speedy. We've barely caught up with the 10Gbps Thunderbolt interconnect, debuted in the new Macbook Pro, and now Intel's hyperactive researchers are already chattering away about something five times faster. They're promising a new interconnect, ready in four years, that will combine silicon and optical components (a technology called silicon photonics) to pump 50Gbps over distances of up to 100m. That's the sort of speed Intel predicts will be necessary to handle, say, ultra-HD 4k video being streamed between smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes and TVs. Intel insists that poor old Mr. Thunderbolt won't be forced into early retirement, but if we were him we'd be speaking to an employment lawyer right about now.

Intel touts 50Gbps interconnect by 2015, will make it work with tablets and smartphones too originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 06:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TG Daily | IDG News (PC World) | Email this | Comments"

Sony S1 and S2 dual-screen Honeycomb tablets get official (video)

Sony S1 and S2 dual-screen Honeycomb tablets get official (video): "

Sony's hosting a press event in Tokyo today where it just made the first announcement: a pair of Android 3.0 tablets -- yes, the very two Honeycomb slabs we told you about exclusively back in February. The first is the Qriocity-focused 9.4-inch S1 media tablet with both front- and rear-facing cameras and a curved wrap design that resembles a folded magazine. The S1 features a Tegra 2 SoC and customized 'Quick and Smooth' touch panel UI with 'Swift' web browser. It can also be used as a remote control for Sony gear thanks to integrated infrared.



The second tablet is the dual-screen S2 clamshell with its pair of 5.5-inch 1,024 x 480 pixel displays, Tegra 2 SoC, and camera. While it sounds bulky, Kunimasa Suzuki just pulled the hinged tablet from his jacket pocket on stage. Sony takes advantage of the two screens with a custom book-style UI layout for its e-reader app, split keyboard and messaging displays for email, and split display and game controllers for PS One gaming. Both the S1 and S2 are PlayStation Certified, support DLNA, and are WiFi and 3G/4G 'compatible' according to Sony. See the Sony tablets codenamed 'S1' and 'S2' in action after the break on their way to a global release in the fall -- possibly sooner in the US.



P.S. While the company isn't ready to talk prices yet, our sources told us back in February that Sony was considering a $599 MSRP on the S1 while the S2 would likely come in at $699. Still no word on the Windows 7 slider but with the other two leaks official, it's now only a matter of time.

Gallery: Sony S1 and S2 dual-screen Honeycomb tablets get official

Gallery: Sony S1 and S2 tablets press shots

Gallery: Sony S1 and S2 tablets eyes-on

Continue reading Sony S1 and S2 dual-screen Honeycomb tablets get official (video)

Sony S1 and S2 dual-screen Honeycomb tablets get official (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crucial releases m4 SSDs, prices them between $130 and $1,000

Crucial releases m4 SSDs, prices them between $130 and $1,000: "

Been yearning for more affordable solid state storage built on an even smaller production process? Crucial's now ready to sate your weirdly specific wants with its 25nm NAND flash-filled m4 SSD, which it has priced at the reasonable level of $130 for a 64GB unit. The company describes it as the fastest drive it has yet introduced, and although early reviews pointed out it'd lost something in read speeds relative to the previous generation, the new m4's improved write speeds and general performance should certainly make that a compelling entry price. More ambitious archivists will be looking to the 128GB and 256GB models, priced at $250 and $500, respectively, while those without a budget will also be given the option to splash $1,000 on a 512GB m4 SSD. All four varieties come in a standard 2.5-inch form factor, support 6Gbps SATA transfers, and are rated to reach read speeds of 415MBps. Availability is immediate and worldwide, so hit the Crucial link below if you're keen on getting one for yourself. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Crucial releases m4 SSDs, prices them between $130 and $1,000

Crucial releases m4 SSDs, prices them between $130 and $1,000 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 06:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET | Crucial | Email this | Comments"

White iPhone 4 releases tomorrow, finally

White iPhone 4 releases tomorrow, finally: "

The rare albino iPhone 4 has been spotted numerous times in the wild, skulking through the trees in the magical United Kingdom, cavorting across the mysterious lands of Vietnam, and most recently standing in formation in Belgium. Now it's coming somewhere rather less exotic: the Apple Store. Apple has finally announced it will release the white iPhone 4 tomorrow around the world. Here in the US it'll come in both AT&T and Verizon flavors, warming the hearts and minds of those who like a little less pigment on their handsets. Other than a proximity sensor tweak nothing else has changed on the device, and so the pricing remains the same: $199 on contract for the 16GB model, $299 for 32GB. Sadly, though, your contract also remains the same, and we're pretty sure really wanting a new phone to match your earbuds isn't grounds for avoiding an ETF.

Continue reading White iPhone 4 releases tomorrow, finally

White iPhone 4 releases tomorrow, finally originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 08:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Apple | Email this | Comments"

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v available tomorrow for €590, starting with Portugal

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v available tomorrow for €590, starting with Portugal: "

Some lucky Aussies might have been able to pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v ahead of the rest of the world, but it turns out the Portuguese will actually be taking this Honeycomb tablet home first, starting tomorrow. Originally known as the Galaxy Tab 10.1 but quickly superseded by a slimmer, impending model, said transitional device is now listed on Vodafone Portugal's website with a more delightful €589.90 ($860) price tag, along with a big red "available from April 26th" stamp. We dug through Vodafone's other European sites and the only country that also mentions this Tegra 2 slate is the Netherlands, though it only indicates a "week 17" launch -- in other words, any time between now and May 1st. If you're in Europe and don't mind this slightly out-of-date whopper, be sure to check back as we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for more details.



[Thanks, Carlos O.]

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v available tomorrow for €590, starting with Portugal originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 05:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Vodafone Portugal, Vodafone Netherlands | Email this | Comments"

New radio wave technique could detect alien planets, receive interstellar tunes

New radio wave technique could detect alien planets, receive interstellar tunes: "

Any experienced planet hunter will tell you: finding exoplanets is the real challenge, where hardened professionals go to test their mettle. These tricky bodies stymie conventional methods - like seeing a planet pass in front of its parent star - because exoplanets often have decades-long orbits, meaning you could spend a lot of lonely nights fruitlessly searching the skies. So scientists at the University of Leicester in England developed a new approach: looking for radio waves emitted when ultraviolet flares light up the atmospheres of planets like Saturn and Jupiter. The flares - auroras - even if invisible to ordinary telescopes, are detectable by radio telescopes like the European Low Frequency Array (or LOFAR, pictured above). The scientists hope those methods will help them discover planetary systems up to 150 light-years away, perhaps even some that can sustain life. And, of course, keep them one step ahead of Richard Branson.

[Image credit: LOFAR / ASTRON]

New radio wave technique could detect alien planets, receive interstellar tunes originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 02:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Space | Email this | Comments"

Ford makes list of the 25 most EV-friendly cities, still likes selling cars to residents elsewhere

Ford makes list of the 25 most EV-friendly cities, still likes selling cars to residents elsewhere: "So, you saw a Volt, Leaf, or Focus Electric and were convinced to go green, but are unsure whether your local municipality is as eco-friendly as you are. Well, Ford has done your homework for you (without even demanding your lunch money in return), and identified the '25 Most Electric Vehicle-Ready Cities' in the US. What makes a metropolis worthy of such status in the eyes of the Blue Oval boys? A utilities structure that allows off-peak charging, for starters, plus reduced red tape for getting your EV permits and inspections, incentives for offsetting up-front customer costs, urban plans for charging infrastructure, and EV-friendly city advisory committees. If your town's lacking in those areas, perhaps it's time to give your city counsel a ring -- part of being an eco-warrior is political activism, right? PR's after the break.

Continue reading Ford makes list of the 25 most EV-friendly cities, still likes selling cars to residents elsewhere

Ford makes list of the 25 most EV-friendly cities, still likes selling cars to residents elsewhere originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Autoblog Green | Ford | Email this | Comments"

SARbot searches for victims underwater in Japan (video)

SARbot searches for victims underwater in Japan (video): "

Joining the extended family of robots assisting with the relief effort in Japan, the Texas-based Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR) has sent its SARbot to Rikuzentakata. Like some of the other bots, this guy can shoot video as it swims under houses and other crippled structures, but it also sports a 'limb grasping mechanism,' designed to retrieve drowning victims and assist in other search and rescue operations. As of yet its searches have come up empty, but the bot has kept the camera rolling during its underwater adventures, so head past the break to check out a clip of its footage.

Continue reading SARbot searches for victims underwater in Japan (video)

SARbot searches for victims underwater in Japan (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 21:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PhysOrg | CRASAR | Email this | Comments"

Nokia launches Ovi Maps 3D beta, challenges Google Earth as your virtual tour guide of choice

Nokia launches Ovi Maps 3D beta, challenges Google Earth as your virtual tour guide of choice: "

Still searching for today's internet time sink? Then look no further than Nokia's just launched beta version of Ovi Maps 3D. Thanks to a little help from Navteq's maps and some software wizardry, it's now able to display cities in a new 3D view that you're able to zoom in and around to your heart's content. You can also do the same thing in Google Earth's 3D view, of course, but Nokia just might have a leg up in some respects. Unfortunately, it's still staying mum on exactly how it all works, but you can dive right in and start exploring for yourself at the link below.



[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Nokia launches Ovi Maps 3D beta, challenges Google Earth as your virtual tour guide of choice originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Ovi Maps 3D | Email this | Comments"