May 10

Canonical shows off ‘Unity’ desktop, Ubuntu Light for OEMs

Posted in: Linux, netbook, netbooks, Today's Chili, ubuntu
Linux development moves at a rapid pace and, faster than you can say Lucid Lynx, Canonical has now unveiled two new major additions to its Ubuntu bag of tricks. The first of those is the so-called “Unity” desktop, which will be the new desktop environment for Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition (slated to debut in October of this year). Among other things, it boasts a range of enhancements for netbooks and touch-based devices, including a pared-down interface and a new panel and application launcher that gives you quick access to your favorite apps. The other big news is Ubuntu Light, which is Canonical’s take on an instant-on OS, and is targeted directly at OEMs for use on netbooks and other mobile devices. While it can be used on its own, Canonical mostly sees it being used in a dual-boot environment with Windows (giving Canonical a bigger foothold in the process). Like other instant-on OS’s, it will integrate with Windows and give you access to things like music, photos and other files, as well as provide all the basic apps you need. Unfortunately, there isn’t one catch-all version of Ubuntu Light that you’ll be able to download since it’ll need to be tweaked for each device, but it is available to OEMs immediately — still no word of any devices that will be using it, though.

Canonical shows off ‘Unity’ desktop, Ubuntu Light for OEMs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 10

IDAPT Charges All, Comes in Range of Colors

Posted in: charger, Today's Chili
IDAPTCharger.jpg

Charging stations are hot items as consumers try to avoid the clutter of cords that comes with a multi-device lifestyle. If you’re looking for a solution, consider the iDAPT i3, which not only charges up to 4,000 different devices but also comes in four colors (black, silver, white, and pink).

The i3 uses a quick-release tip system that lets you add adapters for different gadgets. You can get the standard model that comes with tips for six popular devices, or custom select the four you need most. You can always buy additional tips as needed from the online store. Pick up the i3 for $59.99.

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May 10

Samsung MP3 player goes 60 hours on a charge

Posted in: MP3, mp3 player, Mp3Player, Music, PMP, samsung, Today's Chili

Once upon a time, it meant something to have a digital audio player that went upwards of two full days without needing a charge. Since then, we’ve seen many, many examples, and it’s just not that exciting anymore. But you know what? It’s still not that often we see a DAP with 60 hours of battery life and a 3-inch, QVGA TFT LCD that plays ten hours of DivX, Xvid, WMV and H.264 video to boot, so we think Samsung’s YP-RB might deserve an honorable mention. The player was recently spotted in a Korean distributor catalog in 4, 8 and 16GB varieties, and we hope (but doubt, given tricky patent licensing issues) that we’ll see one stateside sometime soon.

Samsung MP3 player goes 60 hours on a charge originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 10:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 10

Jobs: iPad Printing Will Come

Posted in: Apple, ipad, printer, Today's Chili

Apple CEO Steve Jobs occasionally takes the time to respond to customer questions sent to his work e-mail address. Typically the answers are fairly curt. This one is no exception.

On May 7th, one Apple user sent an e-mail to Jobs asking, simply, “Why no printing on the iPad? What gives?” Jobs responded, equally simply, “It will come.”

Of course it’s hard to confirm whether the e-mail exchange is, in fact, not a hoax. We’re going to send Steve an e-mail to ask. He seems pretty chatty, these days.

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May 10

NPD: Android Moves to #2 Rank in Smartphone OS

Posted in: Android, Smartphones, Today's Chili

A new report published Monday by the NPD Group finds that sales of Android phones unexpectedly topped Apple for the first quarter.

Based on more than 150,000 self-reported surveys by U.S. consumers NPD found that sales of phones using the BlackBerry OS were first, at 36 percent. But Android phones climbed to 28 percent, above Apple at 21 percent.

The numbers are somewhat unexpected, given that other research firms, such as comScore, have placed Android phones, which has placed the Android OS at 10 percent for February.

On Friday, IDC released its first-quarter market share data, placing Nokia and RIM atop the worldwide market, with 39.3 percent and 19.4 percent of the market, respectively. Apple finished third, with 16.1 percent, and HTC was fourth at 4.8 percent. IDC did not reveal its share breakdown for the various OS flavors, however.

Likewise, for the first quarter within the U.S., comScore said that Samsung, Motorola, an d LG finished in a virtual dead heat, with 21.9, 21.9, and 21.8 percent of the market. Again, comScore did not break out first-quarter market share for the various Android flavors.

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May 10

Nintendo: 3DS to Feature Switch for 2D Functionality

Posted in: DS, nintendo, Today's Chili, video games

Nintendo hasn’t been especially chatty about its upcoming portable system. Word on the device–currently known as the “3DS”–got out right around the time that the company was pushing its larger DSi XL in the US.

The next generation Nintendo portable, which is said to be set for an official unveiling at this year’s E3 in June, will feature 3D functionality, without the aid of glasses. According to a new statement by the company’s CEO, Satoru Iwata, the device will also feature a switch that lets users play its games in 2D mode.

The functionality, according to Iwawta, was incorporated into the device over concerns of the 3D’s effect children’s eye site.

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May 10

General Motors partners with mystery organization to bolster OnStar technology

Posted in: app, apps, automobile, car, Cars, Today's Chili

Thought the Chevy Volt’s OnStar apps were impressive? You may not have to buy a Volt to get them. General Motors says it would like to extend such infotainment beyond its flagship plug-in hybrid, and has partnered with a undisclosed tech firm to help make it happen. Speaking to CNN Money, OnStar president Chris Pruess teases that we could see some of Volt’s features — remote locking, charging and perhaps air conditioning options — on other OnStar automobiles, or even other ventures (the exec says they’re looking “beyond automotive”) the auto manufacturer might decide on. The big question, of course, is whether this mysterious partner might restrict smartphone functionality to a particular handset or carrier — after all, when we think of cell phone manufacturers who’ve both worked with GM and recently acquired automotive assets, one in particular comes to mind.

[Thanks, Jub]

General Motors partners with mystery organization to bolster OnStar technology originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 10:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 10

Report: iPhone Market Share Up, BlackBerry Down

Posted in: Apple, BlackBerry, iPhone, Smartphones, Today's Chili

Apple’s iPhone has seen quite a jump in global smartphone market share, according to new numbers from market research group, IDC. Last quarter, the handset accounted for some 16.1 percent of the market. The iPhone claimed 10.9 percent for the same period, a year prior.

The iPhone also saw a large jump in shipments, moving 8.8 million units–that’s up 131.6 percent from the 7.3 million phones it shipped a year prior.

RIM, on the other hand, saw a bit of a drop off in its market numbers, from 20.9 to 19.4 percent. That said, the company still increased shipments, from 7.3 million to 10.6 million units.

According to the numbers, smartphones now account for 18.8 percent of all cell phones shipped. that number was 14.4 percent a year prior.

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May 10

Safari 4 Beta is Worth a Look

Posted in: Freeware, Pre-Release, Software, Today's Chili

This article was written on February 24, 2009 by CyberNet.

safari 4.jpg

arrow Windows Windows; Mac Mac; arrow
Today Apple kind of took everyone by surprise when they released a big milestone for the Safari browser. The new Safari 4 Beta from Apple borrows some ideas from their competition, and they spiced it up a bit with some fancy graphics. This is most notably seen in the “Top Sites” screen as seen in the image above. It’s a combination of Opera’s Speed Dial and Google Chrome’s most frequently visited pages. Then they added a little glamor to really make it pop.

The Windows version also received a major visual overhaul so that it actually fits in well with the operating system, and for the most part feels a lot like Google Chrome. Especially since the tabs are located along the top on the titlebar… again, like Chrome.

When it comes down to speed Apple has actually managed to squeeze out a bit more. I ran the Mac version of the browser on the SunSpider test against Firefox 3.1 Beta 2 (also Mac), and Safari 4 Beta squeaked out on top. It took Firefox 3.1 a total of 1409.6ms to run all the tests, and Safari 4 was 1276.8ms (lower number is better). It’s not much of a difference, but Firefox 3.1 beat out Safari 3 proving that Apple didn’t focus solely on appearance this time around.

Aside from that here are some of the features Apple pointed out for Safari 4:

  • Top Sites – See your favorite websites at a glance.
  • Cover Flow – Flip through your site history or bookmarks like you flip through albums in iTunes
  • Full History Search – Easily retrieve sites you’ve seen before.
  • Tabs on Top – Manage your tabs elegantly and open a wide window for exploring the web.
  • Nitro Engine – Surf the web with the world’s fastest browser.
  • Windows Native Look and Feel – Vista and XP users will feel right at home.
  • Developer Tools – Access the best suite of development tools ever included in a browser.

I’m diggin’ Safari 4 on my Mac, and despite being a rather dedicated Firefox user I plan on giving Safari a fair shot. I think Google might be able to grab an edge on Safari once they add support for extensions, but until then I think Windows users will, at the very least, be giving the browser a shot.

So what do you think? The number of web browsers and what they’re capable of doing is getting pretty amazing when you think about where this market was just a few years ago. I can’t wait to see what comes next, and what company it will come from.

Haven’t read enough? Here are some more articles worth checking out regarding this release:

Get Safari 4 Beta for Windows or Mac

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May 10

ASUS CrossHair IV Extreme mainboard supports mix-and-match GPU setups

Posted in: ASUS, processor, Today's Chili

Scouting a new mainboard for that fancy new Phenom II X6 CPU you just picked up? You might want to hold off a minute, particularly if you’re also planning on shopping for a few new GPUs as well. Hot Hardware has managed to get their paws around an upcoming motherboard from ASUS, the CrossHair IV Extreme. Much like the Maximus III Extreme that we spotted last November, this one also ships with the RoG Connect feature, enabling a secondary Bluetooth device (like a netbook or smartphone) to tweak overclocking settings from the sidelines. What really makes this one stand out, however, isn’t the compatibility with all Socket AM3 Phenom and Athlon CPUs, nor the fancy new 890FX chipset. No — it’s the inclusion of Lucidlogix’s nearly-forgotten Hydra solution, which allows users to mix-and-match GPUs (makes and models are no matter here) in order to create the most from whatever graphics cards you have sitting around. There’s no mention of when this fellow will ship, but we’ll be keeping an eye out at Computex just in case.

ASUS CrossHair IV Extreme mainboard supports mix-and-match GPU setups originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 09:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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