Friday, January 31, 2014

Daily Roundup: Super Bowl XLVIII survival guide, iWatch rumors and more!




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Daily Roundup: Super Bowl XLVIII survival guide, iWatch rumors and more!



You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all ...






Tablet deals of the week: 1.31.14




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Tablet deals of the week: 1.31.14



Been considering a slate-style purchase? Well, today may be the time to make the leap. While Microsoft's Surface Pro (no, not the deuce) gets a massive discount, and may very well be the most attractive tablet/hybrid buy of the week, we've nabbed a ...






Engadget Mobile Podcast 199 - 1.31.14




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Engadget Mobile Podcast 199 - 1.31.14



With a couple big mobile news items dropping this week, it's no surprise that Brad makes a beeline for those topics, and he enlists Engadget newcomers Chris Velazco and Emily Price to join him. With Lenovo's recent acquisition of Motorola's handset ...






Could this licensing deal help keep BlackBerry afloat?




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Could this licensing deal help keep BlackBerry afloat?



Apparently BlackBerrys are in season in Canada. Meanwhile, another fruit is dominating the US market. ...






This kit lets you build a musical instrument from just about anything




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This kit lets you build a musical instrument from just about anything



Wish you could easily craft a musical instrument out of whatever you have lying around the house? You'll get that opportunity if Yuri Suzuki's team at Dentaku brings its crowdfunded Ototo kit to market. The synthesizer turns any conductive material ...






Twitter buys hundreds of patents from IBM, ending legal spat




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Twitter buys hundreds of patents from IBM, ending legal spat



IBM's the biggest patent holder of all time, and when it comes to defending them, it tries to work things out amicably. That's exactly what's happened with Twitter, after the social giant today announced it has bought 900 patents from Big Blue and ...






Sony upgrades smartphone-pairing QX10 and QX100 lens cameras with higher ISO and 1080p video capture




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Sony upgrades smartphone-pairing QX10 and QX100 lens cameras with higher ISO and 1080p video capture



Shutterbugs who shunned traditional point-and-shoots in favor of Sony's QX10 and QX100 lens cameras can now take even better images and videos. Thanks to a firmware upgrade, both smartphone lens attachments are now capable of recording clips with a ...






Cinemagram update takes all the work out of making animated gifs




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Cinemagram update takes all the work out of making animated gifs



Playing around with Cinemagram's moving photo feature is pretty darn fun, but it comes at a cost: effort. Unlike publishing a Vine or an Instagram video, you need to think about it; what part of this photo do you want to animate? Did you map out the ...






Tiptoe through Spotify's untouched tunes with Forgotify




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Tiptoe through Spotify's untouched tunes with Forgotify



Not every song is a smash hit, and for every Katy Perry, there are thousands of Justin Guarinis praying for some attention. At last count, there are around four million songs on Spotify that haven't even been played -- which is why some kind soul has ...






The Engadget Mobile Podcast is live at 2PM ET!




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The Engadget Mobile Podcast is live at 2PM ET!



We've got a couple brand new editors to throw to the podcast wolves: Emily Price and Chris Velazco, both of whom have certainly seen their share of the wireless industry over the past few years. We'll be doing a live Hangout on Google+ and YouTube, ...






Archos' Neon tablets are even more budget-friendly than usual




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Archos' Neon tablets are even more budget-friendly than usual



Archos is summoning 2011 with the specs for its new Neon tablet line.The slate trio represents the low-end of Archos' lineup, and doesn't impress in the specs department.

Falling under its Cobalt and Titanium series of tablets, all three tablets ...






Intel's AppUp is shutting down




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Intel's AppUp is shutting down



Intel is shuttering the virtual doors of its PC app store, AppUp, on March 11th. Launched in 2010, the store was designed to be a Windows app superstore in the new age of Ultrabooks, and came preinstalled on a number of Atom PCs.

In 2012, the future ...






Should you buy the new, slimmer and pricier PlayStation Vita?




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Should you buy the new, slimmer and pricier PlayStation Vita?



Decisions, decisions, decisions. Saying it three times won't make things any easier, but that's where we come in. Sony's latest iteration of the PlayStation Vita handheld, which we're going to call the Vita Slim from now on (as seems to be the ...






Engadget Eurocast 053 - 1.30.14




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Engadget Eurocast 053 - 1.30.14



The euro crew is back and Dan's got a new haircut. If you listen closely you can hear the improvement it makes. The freshly groomed Mr. Cooper is joined by Jamie and Sharif to discuss Samsung's arrival on high streets across Europe, Sony's super-slim ...






Daily Roundup: Xperia Z1 Compact review, Facebook Paper and more!




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Daily Roundup: Xperia Z1 Compact review, Facebook Paper and more!



You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all ...






IBM's speedy graphene chip could lead to super-efficient mobile devices




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IBM's speedy graphene chip could lead to super-efficient mobile devices



Chips with graphene inside are theoretically quicker than plain silicon designs, but they've been slow in practice; the manufacturing process often damages the graphene, stripping away its speed advantage. That won't be a big problem with IBM's ...






Twitter buys hundreds of patents from IBM, ending patent spat




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Twitter buys hundreds of patents from IBM, ending patent spat



IBM's the biggest patent holder of all time, and when it comes to defending them, it tries to work things out amicably. That's exactly what's happened with Twitter, after the social giant today announced it has bought 900 patents from Big Blue and ...






Canadian spy agency used airport WiFi to track travelers




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Canadian spy agency used airport WiFi to track travelers



Questionable data collection isn't just for the US and Britain -- according to CBC News, Canada's own spy agency may have been tracking its citizens illegally too. Documents allegedly provided by Edward Snowden show that Communications Security ...






Chromecast, Google Play, Nexus 5 and Google Wallet had a very good 2013




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Chromecast, Google Play, Nexus 5 and Google Wallet had a very good 2013



The numbers are out, confirming that, yet again Google's rolling in the dough. And on its Q4 investors call, Google informed us that, while ads still butter its bread, other sources of income are growing in importance -- non-advertising revenue ...






UK government will unblock websites after adult filter blunder




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UK government will unblock websites after adult filter blunder



Shortly after the UK government implemented a nationwide adult content filter, it transpired that it wasn't just naughty sites you couldn't access. Copyright blogs, relationship education sites and even women's crisis centers were all marked as being ...






US phone companies to explore replacing all phone numbers with IP addresses




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US phone companies to explore replacing all phone numbers with IP addresses



Voice-over-IP (VoIP) is nothing new, of course, but so far it's been regarded merely as an add-on to America's regular, analog-based copper and cellular voice networks -- networks that are currently maintained as a matter of legal requirement. The ...






Yahoo's latest acquisition points to a Google Now rival




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Yahoo's latest acquisition points to a Google Now rival



Yahoo's latest acquisition is Incredible Labs, the company behind personal-assistant iOS app Donna. Most of the seven-member Incredible Labs team will stay on with Yahoo, though the iOS app will no longer be available for download. Donna, for those ...






PlayStation 4 companion app update highlights live game broadcasts




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PlayStation 4 companion app update highlights live game broadcasts



The latest update for Sony's PlayStation mobile app is out for Android and iOS, and it's surprisingly video-focused. Thanks to the new Live from PlayStation section, available game streams can be browsed directly from your device -- although they ...






Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo aims to offer S Pen experience without flagship specs




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Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo aims to offer S Pen experience without flagship specs



We've seen the Galaxy Note series get larger and larger as time passes, but this is the first time we've seen the Note actually get smaller. The Galaxy Note 3 Neo has now been officially unveiled by Samsung Poland and will come in two flavors -- 3G ...






Thursday, January 30, 2014

The next Windows 8.1 update might skip the Start screen by default




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The next Windows 8.1 update might skip the Start screen by default



Microsoft already gave Windows 8 users the option to boot their machines directly to the desktop, but a future update could make the classic interface standard. According to known leaker WZor, the latest Windows 8.1 test build skips over Microsoft's ...






Time Warner Cable to improve network in NYC and LA, promises faster internet, more reliability, better service




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Time Warner Cable to improve network in NYC and LA, promises faster internet, more reliability, better service



TWC Maxx: The extra "x" means it's better. At least, that's what Time Warner Cable would have us believe about its thusly named new initiative to improve the quality of its pay-TV and internet offerings in Los Angeles and New York. The plan is to ...






Have a favorite music streaming service? Sound off, people of Engadget




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Have a favorite music streaming service? Sound off, people of Engadget



Wrapping your head around all the various options for streaming music can be overwhelming. How do you choose between Spotify, Rdio, Beats Music, Rhapsody, Google Play Music All Access or any of the other services out there? Engadget Forums member ...






Engadget HD Podcast 383 - 1.30.14




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Engadget HD Podcast 383 - 1.30.14



The rumor mill has been grinding away this week, providing juicy bits of Apple and Amazon news for Ben and Richard to chew on. Netflix also announces its new 'post-play' feature, which prompts the crew to request a sleep detection feature. While a ...






Forget check-ins: Foursquare now lets you order in from local restaurants




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Forget check-ins: Foursquare now lets you order in from local restaurants



It's easy to think of Foursquare as an app you use on the go: it's what you use to check in places, get a mayor's crown, let your friends know you're about to eat a taco. That sort of thing. Now, though, Foursquare is teaming up with GrubHub ...






Yahoo Mail accounts breached through third-party database hacking




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Yahoo Mail accounts breached through third-party database hacking



An unidentified number of Yahoo email accounts were recently breached, the company revealed this afternoon. Affected users have already been notified, and Yahoo says it's doing everything it can to both track down the perps responsible and re-secure ...






Make Evernote your own with its latest iOS update




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Make Evernote your own with its latest iOS update



Just look at those three totally different -- well, kinda different -- versions of Evernote for iOS above. That's Evernote illustrating just how distinct you can make the latest version of its popular productivity app, from color themes to sections ...






Ricoh Theta enables 360-degree photo uploads to Google+ and Maps




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Ricoh Theta enables 360-degree photo uploads to Google+ and Maps



Folks who shelled out $400 for Ricoh's quirky Theta camera can now show off their 360-degree masterpieces to a larger audience. Circle-loving shutterbugs just got the option to upload their images to Google+ and Google Maps via the camera's companion ...






NFL Now online network promises a unique experience for football fans




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NFL Now online network promises a unique experience for football fans



Super Bowl XLVIII is just around the corner, and the NFL's taking advantage of the week leading up to it by using it as a platform to reveal its next venture: NFL Now. Today, at a press event in New York City, the National Football League introduced ...






Google finishes up 2013 on a high note, Motorola on a low one (financially speaking)




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Google finishes up 2013 on a high note, Motorola on a low one (financially speaking)



We've grown accustomed to Google making piles of money, and the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2013 continues the trend . How big's the pile this time? $16.86 billion in revenue and almost $4 billion in income for Q4. Google's own sites accounted for ...






Sony Xperia Z1 Compact review: a good thing in a small(ish) package




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Sony Xperia Z1 Compact review: a good thing in a small(ish) package



Last year, Sony finally reached the end of the alphabet with its Xperia Z. It wasn't just that the company ran out of letters, though: With the Xperia Z, we saw Sony streamline its scattered phone strategy, piping all its attention into a single ...






SwiftKey's new iOS note-taking app syncs with Evernote




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SwiftKey's new iOS note-taking app syncs with Evernote



Will Apple ever open up its mobile platform to allow the use of third-party keyboards? Y'know, customizable boards that have features like clever word-prediction algorithms and finger-swiping gestures? Despite CEO Tim Cook's suggestion last May that ...






Waterloo Labs uses paintball guns to make automated works of art




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Waterloo Labs uses paintball guns to make automated works of art



Waterloo Labs is at it again, but instead of concocting eyeball-controls for Italian plumbers, it's futzing with paintball guns. The team has rigged a trio of the paint-filled firearms to make automated art with a little help from a webcam, Labview ...






Mint now lets you keep track of Bitcoins with its personal finance apps




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Mint now lets you keep track of Bitcoins with its personal finance apps



Now that Bitcoin has taken root in daily financial transactions, those who fancy the digital currency need a way to easily keep an eye on the tally. Well, for the folks that meet that criteria, Mint now lets users keep track of transactions with the ...






Leaked Samsung app aims to catalog everything you do on your smartphone




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Leaked Samsung app aims to catalog everything you do on your smartphone



Samsung could become the latest company to jump aboard the lifelogging bandwagon with its new "Life Times" app. Judging by leaked screenshots shared with SamMobile, Samsung wants to automatically log phone and app usage on Galaxy smartphones, ...






Bing Rewards launches on mobile, but not for everyone




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Bing Rewards launches on mobile, but not for everyone



Now you can earn rewards for using Bing on your mobile device, as long as it's not a Windows Phone.

Snubbing its own mobile OS once again, Microsoft brought Bing Rewards to iOS and Android devices Wednesday. Already available for desktop, the ...






Sky will be the only UK provider to offer 'Game of Thrones' and other HBO shows until 2020




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Sky will be the only UK provider to offer 'Game of Thrones' and other HBO shows until 2020



It's a big day for Sky as the outfit announces that it's keeping hold of its premium drama jewels for at least six more years. The broadcaster has extended its exclusive deal with HBO, with first-run rights to shows like Game of Thrones, True Blood ...






Sony's slimmer PlayStation Vita coming to the UK for around £180, pre-orders start today




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Sony's slimmer PlayStation Vita coming to the UK for around £180, pre-orders start today



Alright, so perhaps we took Sony's invite to its London PlayStation event a little too seriously when we speculated Vita TV news was on the agenda. Although it's not technically the "slimmest" PS device, Sony's brought us here to welcome the ...






Under Lenovo, will Motorola have better luck with Chinese smartphone buyers?




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Under Lenovo, will Motorola have better luck with Chinese smartphone buyers?



You may struggle to take Lenovo seriously after Ashton Kutcher, its new "product engineer," knelt before CEO Yang Yuanqing at the Yoga Tablet launch in Beijing. But this is the same Chinese company who's making a second-round purchase from IBM -- ...






Facebook's mobile ads now account for over half of its revenue thanks to 945 million monthly users




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Facebook's mobile ads now account for over half of its revenue thanks to 945 million monthly users



As expected after the Q3 numbers, mobile advertising now accounts for 53% of Facebook's revenue, thanks in large part to News Feed ads and auto-play videos. In total, the outfit earned $2.59 billion in revenue during Q4 of 2013. The company's 556 ...






HTC to deliver KitKat to One owners a couple weeks late (updated)




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HTC to deliver KitKat to One owners a couple weeks late (updated)



HTC pledged to put KitKat on One handsets in the US 90 days after the newest version of Android's release, but today, the company revealed that it's going to miss its target date. While things looked to be on schedule as late as last week -- when the ...






Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 8:45PM ET




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Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 8:45PM ET



It's not Tuesday and but it is time for the Engadget HD Podcast. We hope you'll join us live when the Engadget HD podcast starts recording at 8:45PM. Tonight we cover the recent TiVo rumors, some interesting earnings, as well as other top HD news. If ...






Japanese 'smart clothing' uses nanofibers to monitor your heart-rate (video)




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Japanese 'smart clothing' uses nanofibers to monitor your heart-rate (video)



Japanese mobile carrier NTT Docomo and materials developer Toray have been working on joint projects for a while and now they're publicly announcing one. Welcome Hitoe (Japanese for "one layer"), cloth that contains Toray's nanofibers that are coated ...






Twitter tool tells journalists what's BREAKING!




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Twitter tool tells journalists what's BREAKING!



We've known for sometime that Twitter is looking to make a move in the news game, but what that would look like was still unclear. Today, the blue bird's intentions are starting to look a bit more concrete, with the announcement of Dataminr for News, ...






Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Lenovo gets Motorola, but Google gets to keep its skunkworks




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Lenovo gets Motorola, but Google gets to keep its skunkworks



Lenovo may be buying a brand to help it sell smartphones across the world, but it's not getting everything that was under Motorola's umbrella. In addition to the "vast majority" of Motorola's patents, Google will also hold onto the Advanced ...






Amazon might launch Kindle-powered checkout system and cloud-based payment service




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Amazon might launch Kindle-powered checkout system and cloud-based payment service



Amazon might still be working away on its far-out delivery drone project, but it's also reportedly cooking up something else, admittedly a little tamer, too: a Kindle checkout system and a P2P payment service. Yes, the former's exactly what it sounds ...