Insert Coin: Rowdy Robot creates Bluetooth 4.0 beacons that activate automatic alerts

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. It's no secret that Bluetooth 4.0 is energy efficient, but now a startup called Rowdy Robot wants to use it for something rather less predictable than monitoring heart palpitations during your Tour de France training.

Engadget, Insert Coin: Rowdy Robot creates Bluetooth 4.0 beacons that activate automatic alerts

Debriefing Software A/S Wins Red Herring Top 100 Europe Award

Visit www.debriefingsoftware.com to download a free, full-featured, 30-day trial of Wizards Storage PortalAmsterdam, Netherlands – April 30, 2012 – Storage and backup SaaS specialist Debriefing Software A/S has been selected as a winner of the 2012 Red Herring Top 100 Europe award for its cloud-based Storage Resource Management software solution, Wizards Storage Portal.  Red Herring’s Top 100 Europe list has become a mark of distinction for promising new companies and entrepreneurs.

Press Release Distribution, Debriefing Software A/S Wins Red Herring Top 100 Europe Award

Ceton's Media Center mobile apps are for all, app and Echo extender beta signups open now

If you're a Windows Media Center fan and have been drooling over the treats Ceton showed off at CES like its mobile companion apps (whether on WP7 or other platforms like iPhone and Android) and Echo extender we've got good news and better news. The good news is that the apps have been rebranded simply as Ceton Companion Apps and they will be available for all Windows Media Center 7 users when they launch, spreading their guides, file browsing and remote DVR management options throughout the land.






Engadget, Ceton's Media Center mobile apps are for all, app and Echo extender beta signups open now

Foursquare adds NFC to its BlackBerry app, hopes you'll touch base

Hot on the heels of a recent update for its Twitter app, BlackBerry users can now grab a refreshed version of everyone's favorite check-in network. While there's no news of the beleaguered phone manufacturer offering up free Butterfingers (yet), the geographical social app has cranked up the app's load speeds and also transplants its notifications to your BlackBerry inbox. It's all looking to be a pretty tasty NFC carrot to dangle in front of BlackBerry World attendees later this week in Orlando.

Engadget, Foursquare adds NFC to its BlackBerry app, hopes you'll touch base

Lamborghini gives us one last glimpse at the one-of-a-kind Aventador J

Jaws dropped last month in Geneva when Lamborghini took the wraps off the Aventador J. Looking like the bastard love-child of an Aventador coupe and a KTM X-Bow, the Aventador J packed the same 700-horsepower V12 into a visceral roadster body. The fleeting beauty and startling reality of it, however, is that Lamborghini only made one. It reportedly sold for $2.74 million and went home from the Palexpo with an unnamed collector.

2DayBlog.com, Lamborghini gives us one last glimpse at the one-of-a-kind Aventador J

HP Windows 8 tablet render spotted?

One of HP's recent presentation slides did seem to feature a new Windows 8-powered tablet, although it does seem to be a rather rough render, so do not expect it to blow your mind away, and it is definitely far from the final version. HP does seem to have future plans for an x86-powered tablet device which is touted to be thinner than the Apple iPad (now that is going to be quite the achievement), sporting an iPad-rivaling battery life of anywhere from 8 to 10 hours, alongside a 10.1-inch display. Also known as the HP Slate 8 for now, this particular tablet device will target the business sector, although there is no word on a release date.

Ubergizmo, HP Windows 8 tablet render spotted?

[Hands-On] Panasonic's and NHK 145-inch Ultra High Definition plasma display

NHK & Panasonic has announced a 145-inch Ultra High Definition plasma display, with 16 times the resolution of a regular Full HD display. This follows the 85-inch LCD display announced by NHK last year. This prototype was co-developed with Panasonic. It has almost 34 million 0.417 mm square pixels, 7,860 horizontally and 4,320 vertically, and a frame rate of 60 fps.

This display uses a new drive system to stabilize the picture throughout the panel, by scanning several pixels simultaneously in the vertical direction.


Akihabara News, [Hands-On] Panasonic's and NHK 145-inch Ultra High Definition plasma display

Origin PC EON 11-S Gaming Laptop

If you are searching for an ultra-portable gaming laptop, then check out the new Origin PC EON 11-S. Measuring 11.2-inch x 8.1-inch x 1.4-inch and weighing about 3.9 pounds, the gaming laptop is equipped with a 2.2 GHz Intel B960 Pentium dual-core processor, a 11.6-inch display with a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution, an nVidia GeForce GT 650M graphics, a 4GB of RAM, a 320GB 7200RPM hard disk drive and a 7.1 channel audio. Its 6-cell battery offers up to 6.5-hour of operation time. You can also customize this gaming laptop with up to 16GB of RAM, a custom paint job, a larger hard drive or a faster solid state disk.

TechFresh

See also:
wareground, Origin PC EON 11-S Gaming Laptop

Some Pirelli World Challenge fans are pretty hardcore

This is the #33 Volkswagen GLI driven by Tristan Herbert in the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car class. This weekend, the series is in Utah, racing at Miller Motorsports Park, and Herbert just took the win in his race this afternoon. While noteworthy, Herbert's victory itself is not the news item here. It's the circumstances behind the win that appear to be pretty awesome. Scroll past the break to see the tweet from the Pirelli World Challenge folks that adds some immensely cool context.

Herbert wins with engine donated from fan's street car #pirelliwc #utahmmp

Like we said in the headline, that's pretty hardcore.

Autoblog

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techblog, Some Pirelli World Challenge fans are pretty hardcore

MicroStylus Review

For 99.9% of the things you do on your smartphone you don't really need a stylus. But if you're as addicted to Draw Something as I am, you may find that a stylus is almost a necessary accessory (say that 3 times fast for bonus points). At least if you want your opponent to be able to guess what the heck you're trying to draw. Keeping a stylus handy is the main feature of the MicroStylus, which claims to be the world's smallest capacitive stylus. It's definitely tiny. But when is small too small? Let's find out.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

This is the MicroStylus.









The Gadgeteer, MicroStylus Review

Nokia experiments with location-based white space services in Cambridge, UK (video)

Following news of the first successful white space trials in Cambridge, UK, Nokia is now touting its research in the area with a demonstration of location-based services for the unlicensed spectrum. Traditionally, proponents of white space usage have positioned this unused portion of the airwaves as a viable, low-cost method of data transmission, but the Nokia folks have now demonstrated its ability to pinpoint one's location with much greater accuracy than either WiFi or cellular networks.

Engadget, Nokia experiments with location-based white space services in Cambridge, UK (video)

Mortal Kombat Vita – Female Skins Trailer

Mortal Kombat Vita is scheduled for release in May 2012 in North America and Europe. The video game features a number of gameplay features including tag-team, story mode, and traditional 1 vs. 1 matches.

TechFresh, Mortal Kombat Vita â€" Female Skins Trailer

Nvidia preps OEM GeForce GT 630, GT 645 & three GT 640s

Nvidia has released its first desktop graphics cards based on its new 28 nm Kepler GK107 silicon for OEMs, along with a few Fermi-based GPUs. Nvidia has released five new GeForce cards under the 600 series, which are designated for OEMs only. There still is no official word from Nvidia on when the Kepler-based GK107 cards are expected for the desktop (though we should expect them here in the near future).
The top card, the GeForce GT 645, is a re-branding of the recently released Fermi-based GF114 GeForce GTX 560 SE. The other Fermi-based card is one of three GeForce GT 640 cards.


2DayBlog.com

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bigcrunch, Nvidia preps OEM GeForce GT 630, GT 645 & three GT 640s

Reuters: Apple in talks to stream films owned by Epix, no deal expected before September

It's reasonably well known at this point that Apple is looking to line up partnerships for some sort of a streaming video service. We've heard again and again that it's coming, so get ready to hum along with that 'ol tune one more time. Reuters is reporting that Apple has been in negotiations with Epix since earlier this year, hoping to secure access to films from Lions Gate, MGM and Paramount Pictures. There's no indication of when such a service might come to light, but Reuters indicates the company's current deal with Netflix, which expires on September 1st, could be a conflict (though that hasn't stopped Google TV in the past).

Engadget, Reuters: Apple in talks to stream films owned by Epix, no deal expected before September

The Dictator: Wadiyan Games iPhone App Review

A lot of buzz has been generated for Sacha Baron Cohen's upcoming movie “The Dictator,” but the hype is never enough until an iPhone app comes into play. “The Dictator: Wadiyan Games” allows you to play as the dictator of the fictitious Republic of Wadiya participates in the Wadiyan Games sports event as the organizer and athlete. Although General Aladeen won an astonishing 14 gold medals, which he accomplished with an incredible amount of violence, you only get to choose four events: running, swimming, fencing, and boxing.

Gadget.com, The Dictator: Wadiyan Games iPhone App Review

Kindle Fire ignites Android tablet market, overtakes Google in U.S.

. Amazon's Kindle Fire has seen rapid adoption among tablet buyers since its release last November. The device had an explosive debut quarter, giving it a 14% share of the tablet market. According to the latest numbers from comScore, the Kindle Fire has almost doubled its share of the U.S. Android tablet market over the past two months from 29.4% in December to 54.4% in February. In other words, more tablets running Amazon's version of Android were sold in the U.S. than tablets running Google's version of Android.



Boy Genius Report, Kindle Fire ignites Android tablet market, overtakes Google in U.S.

PSA: Space Shuttle Enterprise flying over NYC this morning

JFK may be a place that many, many people have gone to before, but it's safe to say that the Space Shuttle Enterprise will be going there boldly. Much like the Space Shuttle Discovery turned heads in DC last week, Space Shuttle Enterprise will be stopping traffic in New York City today. NASA has confirmed that today's 747-100 ferry flight across Manhattan is a "Go" and that the duo will "fly at a relatively low altitude over various parts of the New York City metropolitan area on Friday" before landing at JFK.

Engadget, PSA: Space Shuttle Enterprise flying over NYC this morning

Distro Issue 38: a peek at the Navy's Robotics Laboratory and an interview with MSI's Jeans Huang

Ah, yes. The end of the week is upon us. Of course, this means that the latest installment of our tablet publication has arrived. Stepping up to the plate this time around, Brian Heater takes a look inside LASR, the Navy's Robotics Lab, and Richard Lai chats with MSI co-founder Jeans Huang. After a strong debut last week, Ludwig Kietzmann is back with Reaction Time and his take on Journey. Our brand spankin' new hands-on section looks back at Spotify's Android preview, Alexandre Herchovitch's HP Pavilion DM1, MIT's Arduino-powered DrumTop and Google Drive.

Engadget, Distro Issue 38: a peek at the Navy's Robotics Laboratory and an interview with MSI's Jeans Huang

Google's Queru reiterates carriers are often to blame for slow updates, says ICS adoption takes longer due to different framework

With news of Sony’s Tablet P receiving Ice Cream Sandwich and after the revelation that Google is back to selling their own devices, known Google Jean-Baptiste Queru took to Google+ to lay some of his thoughts out on the table. He says Sony got the upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich out so fast (even though they weren’t the fastest) because they contribute a lot of what they did with their tablets back to the Android Open Source Project. Since they already had a grasp on a lot of the things that make up the inner workings of Ice Cream Sandwich, they didn’t need as much testing as other manufacturers.

Android Phone

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alldigits, Google's Queru reiterates carriers are often to blame for slow updates, says ICS adoption takes longer due to different framework

LG Optimus True HD LTE announced for more European and Asian markets

Just a couple of days after LG Germany announced the availability of Optimus True HD LTE, now LG has unveiled that the handset would be launched in more countries. In consequence, customers in Sweden, Portugal, Hong Kong, and Singapore will be able to buy the Optimus True HD LTE soon. Already released in Korea, Japan, Canada (as the Optimus LTE), and the US (as the Nitro HD), the Optimus True HD LTE features a 4.5 inch IPS display with 1280 x 720 pixels, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and an 8MP rear camera with 1080p video recording.

Unwired View, LG Optimus True HD LTE announced for more European and Asian markets

Samsung Galaxy S3 supposed service manual revealed

Assuming we are to believe everything we heard so far about the Galaxy S3, and especially the leak in the KIES system, which is as good as official, the model name for Samsung's next flagship will be the I9300. So today there is this leak, which shows the Samsung GT-I9300 service manual, so it should be nothing else but the S3, right. Well, yes, assuming the manual is legit in the first place. But since we only got here after so much assuming, we'll let you decide whether that sketch of a phone is the final design.

Regarding the specs, we are not that sure.

GSM Arena, Samsung Galaxy S3 supposed service manual revealed

Samsung applies for patent on emotional recognition, wants to feel out how you're feeling

Samsung might not give off the immediate impression of a warm, fuzzy company, as it really comes off more like a faceless device-manufacturing juggernaut, but that doesn't stop it trying to get a handle on what people are feeling. According to a recent patent application, the company is putting together a method of recognizing the emotions of an individual based on action units (AUs). And what exactly are those. They're components of a facial action coding system: something designed to reference the contractions of facial muscles.

Engadget

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wgitn, Samsung applies for patent on emotional recognition, wants to feel out how you're feeling

Best Buy Connect no longer accepting new activations, service to end June 1st (update: confirmed)

Remember Best Buy Connect. If so, you'll soon have a few more megabytes of humanized DDR3 freed up, as it appears that the retail giant is ready to put the kibosh on its own branded mobile broadband service nearly two years after it was first unveiled. According to the internal memo shown in the above screenshot, new activations are no longer allowed effective immediately, and the service for legacy customers will be cut off on the first of June. So why the change of heart.

Engadget, Best Buy Connect no longer accepting new activations, service to end June 1st (update: confirmed)

LG reveals Q1 2012 financial results, has turned the corner

LG has announced its financial report for the Q1 of 2012 and things are looking good for the Korean tech giant. The company reported consolidated sales of $10.78 billion, which is 7.1% and 11.5% lower compared to the previous quarter and the same period last year respectively. However, that's expected , due to the slow nature of the period which comes right after the holiday season. Consolidated net profit, on the other hand, is up at $214.3 million.

Handset shipments decreased by 22% quarter-over-quarter to 13.7 million unit and revenue from the division declined 10% compared to the previous quarter to $2.2 billion.

GSM Arena, LG reveals Q1 2012 financial results, has turned the corner

Nokia 808 PureView new samples arrive, look stunning

Nokia is apparently not all about the Amazing Everyday and still finds time for its 808 PureView cameraphone monster. Today we got some fresh samples from the 41 megapixel to feast our eyes on. It's not the first time they're doing it, but you won't hear us complaining. Most of the photos have been downsized to 5 megapixels, which supposedly allows us to see the best of the PureView technology and they are really impressive. The dynamic range and the amount of fine detail resolved is splendid and while we can't say anything about their accuracy, colors certainly look nice.


GSM Arena, Nokia 808 PureView new samples arrive, look stunning

Acura NSX concept turns red in China

Hey look. A red version of the Acura NSX Concept for the Beijing Motor Show. Because it's China, you know. Get it. Red.

Autoblog, Acura NSX concept turns red in China

Mamiya Leaf introduces Leaf Credo

The Leaf Credo platform from Mamiya Leaf will comprise of the Credo 80, Credo 60 and Credo 40, where they will boast 80, 60 and 40-megapixel resolutions, respectively.

Ubergizmo, Mamiya Leaf introduces Leaf Credo

Parents and carers putting childrens’ lives in danger

Research shows parents have little understanding of booster seat lawParents, grandparents and carers are putting childrens’ lives in danger by allowing them to travel in cars without booster seats before they are legally allowed.

Press Release Distribution

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computerworld, Parents and carers putting childrens’ lives in danger

In Ticketing increases options for venues and promoters, as long as they're using iOS

Converting a cellphone into a credit card reader is nothing new, but transforming one into a box office for live events could shake things up a bit - or, at least provide a bit of friendly competition for NFC-based alternatives. In Ticketing has just launched InHand Box Office software for use at live events. The company claims to be one of the greener ticketing outfits out there, and plans to turn your iPhone or iPod touch into a device capable of wirelessly processing payments (and printing out paper receipts, unlike Square or PayPal Here) at independently run concerts or festivals.

Engadget

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alldigits, In Ticketing increases options for venues and promoters, as long as they're using iOS

Sony rumored to announce NEX, Alpha cameras and new lenses mid-May

Sony's NEX series of mirrorless cameras are quite the hit and it looks like thanks to a fresh set of rumors, customers will have yet another NEX camera they will be able to choose from. The rumors are saying that come mid-May, Sony is expected to announce a new NEX camera dubbed the NEX-F3 that will come in a more compact size but yet will retain its ability to snap top quality images, or so they claim.

Ubergizmo, Sony rumored to announce NEX, Alpha cameras and new lenses mid-May

Nokia N9 wins D&AD Yellow Pencil design award

We always thought that the Nokia N9 was a gorgeous piece of hardware and it seems the jury of the prestigious D&AD Yellow Pencil design awards agree with us. The Nokia N9 has won the 2012 Yellow Pencil award for the Product Design category, an award that it shares with the Tip Ton chair. The nominees included products launched in 2011 and had some formidable names such as the Apple iPad 2, Nook Simple Touch, B&W C5 in-ear headphones, iPad Smart Cover, Livescribe Echo Smartpen, a stunning Edge of Belgravia ceramic knife series and Nokia's own Lumia 800.

GSM Arena

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itnet, Nokia N9 wins D&AD Yellow Pencil design award

European Patent Office invalidates IPCom 3G patent, gives good news to Nokia and HTC

IPCom's had its way with many mobile manufacturers, including Nokia and HTC, by suing them for patent infringement in German courts. However, the Finnish and Taiwanese firms got good news today when the European Patent Office invalidated one of its 3G patents - the very same one it used to obtain an injunction against HTC. IPCom's not going away quietly, however, as it plans to appeal the EPO's decision.

Engadget

See also:
maximum, European Patent Office invalidates IPCom 3G patent, gives good news to Nokia and HTC

GSMArena Labs tests now added to phone specs

If you've been following our reviews, then you're undoubtedly familiar with the extensive array of tests we subject any device which finds itself under our critical gaze in the GSMArena Labs. Today, we're proud to announce the test results now have their own category at the bottom of the specifications page for each of the tested devices. We hope that adding all the test results in one place will save you the time and effort to dig them through.

GSM Arena, GSMArena Labs tests now added to phone specs

Project Aether films northern lights at 100,000 feet using a GoPro camera on a balloon (video)

Sadly we can't all be spacemen. Commercial travel beyond the atmosphere is getting closer but still priced way, way, way beyond the budgetary constraints of mere human beings. The closest many of us will get to outer space is photography and, thanks to ever-cheaper and ever-more-durable cameras, getting those pictures is easier than ever. We recently visited Project Aether on location in Fairbanks Alaska, a group working to study what happens in the upper atmosphere and, along the way, inspire students around the world.

Engadget

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gadgetsdaily, Project Aether films northern lights at 100,000 feet using a GoPro camera on a balloon (video)