Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Bloomberg: Sprint planning a bid for T-Mobile this summer




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Bloomberg: Sprint planning a bid for T-Mobile this summer



Those longstanding rumors of Sprint hoping to buy T-Mobile USA may soon come to fruition: Bloomberg sources claim that Sprint has met with six lending banks in preparation for a takeover bid. There aren't any financing deals in place just yet,...






Lightroom mobile review: Adobe brings (most of) its digital darkroom to the iPad




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Lightroom mobile review: Adobe brings (most of) its digital darkroom to the iPad



Talk about timing. Almost as soon as I convinced myself I could use an iPad Air in my life, Microsoft and Adobe made my day with mobile versions of two of my most-used PC/Mac programs -- Office and Lightroom. Not long after Microsoft revealed an iPad...






LeapFrog's latest gadget for kids is a Tamagotchi-Fitbit mashup




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LeapFrog's latest gadget for kids is a Tamagotchi-Fitbit mashup



Look, we get it: wearable tech is big business these days. We also get that childhood obesity is a serious problem. That's why it's literally no surprise that the folks at Leapfrog are jumping on the nascent child wearables bandwagon with the...






Google Now for Android remembers where you parked




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Google Now for Android remembers where you parked



You probably have a trick or two up your sleeve to remember where you've parked amidst a sea of other cars. But if you're still prone to forgetting your parking spot, Google's refreshed Android Search app might be able to help you out. The update...






Photographer uses drone to create military-style landscapes of America




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Photographer uses drone to create military-style landscapes of America



Tomas van Houtryve is a photographer with an eye for reframing perspectives -- particularly those we're more used to seeing in modern conflict. The image above is taken from a 16-page photo essay featured in April's Harper's Magazine (incidentally,...






Windows Phone 8.1's new apps let you make reading lists and bite-sized movies




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Windows Phone 8.1's new apps let you make reading lists and bite-sized movies



The perks for Windows Phone 8.1's early users just keep on coming. Microsoft has posted versions of two desktop Windows 8.1 apps, Movie Moments and Reading List, that are built solely for its new mobile OS. Reading List is arguably the bigger of the...






Paym platform for sending and receiving money by mobile number goes live




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Paym platform for sending and receiving money by mobile number goes live



Paym, a new mobile payment platform that lets you send money to a mate for your share of Friday's curry with only their phone number to hand, is now live in the UK. To use Paym, you'll first need to associate your mobile number with your UK bank...






Motorola's first post-Google phone is coming on May 13th




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Motorola's first post-Google phone is coming on May 13th



Motorola will soon fall into Lenovo's clutches, but it's still got some shiny new hardware to show off in the meantime. According to an invite that just hit our inboxes, the company's planning to show off a brand-new smartphone in London on May 13th....






Windows will let you search your computer using everyday language




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Windows will let you search your computer using everyday language



If you've ever searched a computer's apps or settings, you know how frustrating it can be to guess the keywords you'll need to get a result -- why can't you just say what you want and let the PC figure it out? Microsoft must have asked itself that...






Concept smartwatch uses the whole screen as a joystick




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Concept smartwatch uses the whole screen as a joystick



It ain't easy using a smartwatch, especially if you have gigantic fingers. So, a team from Carnegie Mellon University developed a concept smartwatch that turns the whole screen into one relatively big input mechanism. By that, we mean you can pan,...






GTA V will survive GameSpy's server shutdown, but Rockstar's older games aren't as lucky




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GTA V will survive GameSpy's server shutdown, but Rockstar's older games aren't as lucky



Since GameSpy announced that it was shuttering its online mulitplayer services come May 31st, a few companies have adressed how their respective legacy games would keep functioning in the future. Rockstar Games has recently come out with its...






Essay generator can spew out BS, still get you an 'A'




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Essay generator can spew out BS, still get you an 'A'



While automated essay-grading machines can tackle 16,000 essays in 20 seconds, are they any good compared to a human? Online course administrators in the machine camp think so, but retired MIT prof Les Perelman has shown that such bots aren't about...






Sony's Evolution UI tries to make learning Android fun




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Sony's Evolution UI tries to make learning Android fun



Ever get "ghost hands," where you're always trying to take the smartphone away from a novice to show them how it's done? Well, Sony is working on something a little more polite. The company has announced Evolution UI, an intentionally hobbled Android...






Lunecase harvests excess iPhone energy to light up LED notifications




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Lunecase harvests excess iPhone energy to light up LED notifications



iPhone cases are a dime a dozen, but the creators of Lunecase claim their masterpiece can do something special. While it looks just like any other case on the surface, Lunecase can apparently harness the electromagnetic energy the iPhone emits and...






LG's probably going to announce the G3 and G Watch on May 27th




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LG's probably going to announce the G3 and G Watch on May 27th



LG's new flagship phone is coming: the company told us to expect the G3 later this quarter, with a screen resolution going beyond the (increasingly standard) 1080p spec. New smartphone necessitates a glitzy press reveal, right? This time round, LG is...






Nintendo bundling Wii U with two games and an extra controller for $330 on May 30th




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Nintendo bundling Wii U with two games and an extra controller for $330 on May 30th



You don't have a Wii U yet, right? You're forgiven, and far from unique (in that respect, anyway -- you're a unique snowflake otherwise). Should the eighth entry in the Mario Kart series pique your interest, Nintendo's got a pretty fantastic bundle...






The PS4's first big update is almost here, check out what's inside




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The PS4's first big update is almost here, check out what's inside



Curious to know everything that's in the PlayStation 4's 1.70 update launching on Wednesday? You won't have to download it yourself to find out -- Sony has spilled the beans ahead of time. Some of these updates we've heard about before, such as the...






​New York City is cleaning its ancient Egyptian monument with lasers




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​New York City is cleaning its ancient Egyptian monument with lasers



A 69-foot, 3,500-year old granite obelisk has stood in New York City's Central Park for 130 years, and it's never, ever, been cleaned. The ancient pillar is deceptively fragile, and conservationists have been hesitant simply to hose it down. The...






BioShock gets an HD remake, sort of




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BioShock gets an HD remake, sort of



When it launched almost seven years ago, BioShock was quite the looker thanks to its stylized aesthetic and the custom version of Unreal Engine 2 under its hood. The game has held up pretty well in terms of visuals (all that water!), but it's...






Secret's anonymous confession box comes to the UK, Ireland, Australia and NZ




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Secret's anonymous confession box comes to the UK, Ireland, Australia and NZ



Ever wanted to tell the world that you stuck your genitals into a bowl of jam (or vegemite) without compromising your reputation? Secret, the app that lets you anonymously bare your soul to the world has landed in the UK, the Republic of Ireland,...






GTA 5 will survive GameSpy's server shutdown, but Rockstar's older games aren't as lucky




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GTA 5 will survive GameSpy's server shutdown, but Rockstar's older games aren't as lucky



Since GameSpy announced that it was shuttering its online mulitplayer services come May 31st, a few companies have adressed how their respective legacy games would keep functioning in the future. Rockstar Games has recently come out with its...






Better late than never, Driveclub reaches the PlayStation 4 on October 7th




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Better late than never, Driveclub reaches the PlayStation 4 on October 7th



Evolution Studios may have missed its chance to make Driveclub a PlayStation 4 launch title (and a technology showcase) by quite a wide margin, but it at last has some firm release dates. The socially-savvy racing game should reach North America on...






Gibson has crammed a digital recorder inside a guitar cable




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Gibson has crammed a digital recorder inside a guitar cable



When I was an aspiring musician a few years back, I'd always forget new guitar licks that would arise from just messing around at rehearsals. Well, Gibson is looking to remedy that, and has partnered up with Tascam to do so. The result is the Memory...






MIT students raise cash to give $100 in Bitcoins to every undergrad




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MIT students raise cash to give $100 in Bitcoins to every undergrad



Starting this fall, every MIT undergrad will have at least $100 worth of Bitcoins to their name, thanks to a couple of students who've raised half a million to do so. But, they're not just doing it so their schoolmates can eat something other than...






Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Yahoo Mail for iOS overhaul simplifies correspondence, sprinkles in news




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Yahoo Mail for iOS overhaul simplifies correspondence, sprinkles in news



Folks who use Yahoo Mail on their iOS devices will soon notice a significant redesign. The outfit has retooled the offering "with a focus on simplicity" while serving up easy access to news and other info. Along the bottom, the main menu has but...






Office for iPad now lets you print documents




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Office for iPad now lets you print documents



Microsoft vowed that Office for iPad users wouldn't always have to track down a PC just to print their files, and it's making good on that promise with a slew of app updates. The tablet-sized versions of Excel, PowerPoint and Word now let you make...






EU prevents Motorola and Samsung from suing over standards-based patents




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EU prevents Motorola and Samsung from suing over standards-based patents



The patent wars are about to cool down in Europe... a little bit, anyway. The European Commission has revealed measures that prevent both Motorola and Samsung from using lawsuits over standards-based patents as offensive weapons against competitors,...






FCC Chairman Wheeler talks tough on defending net neutrality, broadband competition and paid peering deals




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FCC Chairman Wheeler talks tough on defending net neutrality, broadband competition and paid peering deals



Word of a new FCC proposal for net neutrality that could allow ISPs to discriminate between traffic on a "commercially reasonable" basis caused an uproar last week, and now Chairman Tom Wheeler has more to say about it. In a new blog post titled...






China is getting the Xbox One in September




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China is getting the Xbox One in September



Microsoft's Xbox One is coming to China in September, making it the first major console release in the country since it lifted its long-standing ban on video games. This comes after the company joined forces with China's BesTV shortly before the...






Square introduces 'Pickup' for simple online purchases




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Square introduces 'Pickup' for simple online purchases



Since its inception in 2009, that little white payment dongle has snuck into small businesses everywhere, making plastic a less costly proposition for the little guy. Today, it's taking another step toward small business ubiquity with "Pickup,"...






Must See HDTV for the week of April 29th: Daylight, Vikings




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Must See HDTV for the week of April 29th: Daylight, Vikings



You asked for them back, and here they are. We've returned to longer listings while we continue to tweak the format, let us know in the comments what you like best. This week we're focusing on a new survival horror game, Daylight arriving on the PC...






The White House explains why it keeps quiet on internet security flaws




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The White House explains why it keeps quiet on internet security flaws



We wouldn't blame you for worrying about the US government's willingness to remain silent on internet vulnerabilities in the name of national security; no one wants to be left open to a preventable attack. However, the White House sees these...






Amazon discounts Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite e-readers by $20




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Amazon discounts Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite e-readers by $20



Here's comes the second significant price drop to grace our pages today: Amazon has taken a $20 chunk out of the price of its Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite e-readers, meaning you can get them for as little as $49 or $99 respectively. As with similar...






Engadget giveaway: win a Toshiba Chromebook and Aries Pro courtesy of Nyrius!




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Engadget giveaway: win a Toshiba Chromebook and Aries Pro courtesy of Nyrius!



Wireless connectivity and streaming have become standards today, but not all devices are created equal. If you're looking for 1080p HD quality and full 5.1 surround, then this week's giveaway has your name all over it. The folks at Nyrius have...






AMD wages benchmark war on Intel's tablet chips




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AMD wages benchmark war on Intel's tablet chips



For all the success AMD has been having in the console and PC graphics spheres, none of it has really translated into the world of Windows-based tablets and ultraportables. The chip maker insists that's going to change in 2014, however, and it has...






Retro game-inspired short film 'Pixels' to become Adam Sandler feature




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Retro game-inspired short film 'Pixels' to become Adam Sandler feature



The brilliant short film Pixels kinda blew up on the web when it was released in 2010. Four years later, Sony is planning to breathe new life into the homage to old-school gaming by turning it into a feature-length Adam Sandler vehicle. The short...






Forget Comixology: get your inexpensive comics from the Humble Bundle folks




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Forget Comixology: get your inexpensive comics from the Humble Bundle folks



Pretty soon Humble Bundle is going to run out of new things to sell. The company has already conquered video games, ebooks, comedy albums and briefly dabbled in film, now the pay-what-you-want kings are turning its sights on comic books. Starting at...






Nokia moves on without its phones under new CEO Rajeev Suri




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Nokia moves on without its phones under new CEO Rajeev Suri



Where ever the future of Nokia lies, starting on May 1st it will get there under the leadership of new CEO Rajeev Suri. Known to be on the short list of candidates, he's been with the company for over 20 years and took over as CEO of Nokia Solutions...






Acer outs Iconia Tab 7 phone-tablet hybrid, upgrades its 7-inch Android slate




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Acer outs Iconia Tab 7 phone-tablet hybrid, upgrades its 7-inch Android slate



Another day, another tablet launch. Just a few months after announcing the 7-inch B1-720 Android tablet at CES, Acer has decided it can do better. The company just announced the Iconia One 7 (aka the B1-730), another 7-incher, this time with a...






Microsoft donates $1 billion to help US schools buy PCs




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Microsoft donates $1 billion to help US schools buy PCs



Microsoft isn't just supporting White House's ConnectED education program by lowering the cost of Windows -- it's also giving schools the cash they'll need to buy Windows PCs. The company is donating $1 billion to make sure that students have the...






Google Glass users can now say 'Explore Nearby' to launch Field Trip, discover the world around them




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Google Glass users can now say 'Explore Nearby' to launch Field Trip, discover the world around them



When Google released its Field Trip app for Glass back in August last year, it made perfect sense. You could finally use the wearable computer as a handy visual tour guide when you're out and about, which in our opinion is a far better use-case for...






You can now use the iPhone for free, as long as you don't mind old gear




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You can now use the iPhone for free, as long as you don't mind old gear



To date, FreedomPop's no-cost phone service has been attached to older Android phones. That's fine for many, but not exactly diverse. Your choices are a little better now that carrier has added iPhone support to its lineup, though. You can get 200...






The new Engadget: It's all about you... except when it's about us




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The new Engadget: It's all about you... except when it's about us



When Engadget started 10 years ago, flip phones were ubiquitous; Firefox was still the new kid on the block; and EDGE was cutting-edge wireless technology. Clearly, things have changed. There's never been a more exciting time in the consumer...






LG is making a webOS TV range just for John Lewis stores




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LG is making a webOS TV range just for John Lewis stores



John Lewis is a big fan of cornering retail exclusives on gadgets, and it now appears that this love is extending to smart TVs. Pocket-lint has noticed that the department store chain is teasing the JL9000 series, a line of self-branded, LG-designed...






Samsung blurs the line between phone and camera (again) with the Galaxy K zoom




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Samsung blurs the line between phone and camera (again) with the Galaxy K zoom



Last year, Samsung tried something a little kooky: it made a mash-up of a middling smartphone and a solid point-and-shoot camera (you know, the kind smartphones have nearly driven to extinction). The resulting chimaera was called the Galaxy S4 Zoom,...






LG one of the few making money from TVs as profits triple




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LG one of the few making money from TVs as profits triple



While LG's earnings and profits are dwarfed Samsung, at least it has some bragging rights this quarter. Unlike its Korean arch-enemy, LG actually made money with its home entertainment and display division, which it chalked up to better sales in...






Watch a creepy robot draw an even creepier joker




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Watch a creepy robot draw an even creepier joker



A recent Pew Research study says 51 percent of Americans believe robots will be able to create art indistinguishable from a human's. Well, they might be surprised that robots like those already exist, and one of them's this new mechanical Picasso...






Angry Birds' falling profits show the perils of being a one-hit wonder




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Angry Birds' falling profits show the perils of being a one-hit wonder



The bad news for Rovio, the company that makes Angry Birds, is that gaming sales were down slightly over last year. The worse news? The private company now has 300 more employees, meaning it made less than half the money it did in 2012. Still, Rovio...






Monday, April 28, 2014

This ad uses Oculus Rift to show how internet lag could ruin making brunch




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This ad uses Oculus Rift to show how internet lag could ruin making brunch



We've seen some pretty nutty uses (and a very sentimental one) for the Oculus Rift so far, but a Swedish ISP's might take the cake. For two days, Umea Energi had four people strap on one of the VR headsets rigged with a webcam and a Raspberry Pi, in...






Samsung's giving you more to watch on that ridiculously expensive 4K TV




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Samsung's giving you more to watch on that ridiculously expensive 4K TV



If Amazon, Netflix and DirecTV's promised 4K content aren't enough to entice you to pick up an ultra high definition TV, maybe this will help: Samsung is now giving buyers of its new curved TVs eight UHD films for free. The films are actually part of...