Nokia and Accenture seal Symbian handover deal

The Is have been dotted, the Ts have been crossed with a flourish, and pretty soon Nokia will have very little indeed to do with its formerly beloved Symbian OS. Oh sure, the company promises to keep it going with such standout devices as the Oro, but responsibility for developing and supporting Symbian is being wholly handed over to Accenture, along with 2,800 employees. When announced back in April, the deal called for 3,000 Nokia worker bees to make the jump over, so we suspect a few more (hopefully voluntary) redundancies are making up the difference with the new number. Now that everything’s been finalized, you can expect the switchover to take place in “the early part of October.” Accenture promises to care for its ailing patient through 2016, after which point even the most die-hard of fans will have to make the switch to a mobile OS from the 21st century. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Nokia and Accenture seal Symbian handover deal

Nokia and Accenture seal Symbian handover deal originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 02:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SoftStep KeyWorx controls your PC with your feet, turns browsing into DDR (video)

KeyWorx SoftStep

The SoftStep KeyWorx is primarily being sold by music shops and, while the PC pedal board certainly has a number of uses when it comes to music production, Keith McMillen Instruments has grander visions — like aiding amputees and RSI sufferers. The 10 pressure-sensitive buttons and directional pad can be used to control almost any function on a computer, and it can store up to 100 customized commands for everything from launching apps, to strafing opponents while getting your deathmatch on. The foot control peripheral is available now for $290 and you’ll find both a demo video and some PR after the break. Now, someone get Rick Allen one so we can challenge him to a round of Call of Duty.

Continue reading SoftStep KeyWorx controls your PC with your feet, turns browsing into DDR (video)

SoftStep KeyWorx controls your PC with your feet, turns browsing into DDR (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 02:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thin film coating makes everlasting energy a piezoelectric possibility

Let’s be honest, it’s no big secret that we’re running out of dead dinosaurs to fuel our lives. And with recent natural catastrophes proving atomic energy isn’t what you’d call ‘safe,’ it’s a good thing the researchers down at the RMIT University in Melbourne have been hard at work figuring out how to turn you into a self-sustained energy source. Marrying piezoelectrics with a thin film microchip coating, those scientists Down Under have for the first time identified just how much energy your pressure can generate. This is certainly not the first time the tech has been put to use — Orange UK’s been doing something similar, albeit bulkier, for the Glastonbury fest each year. What are some practical uses, you ask? Imagine a gym powered by a sea of workout-hamsters, each producing significant energy from the soles of their feet. Curious for more? Try a pacemaker that runs solely on blood pressure, or a laptop charged by banging out Facebook updates. Who knows, maybe even RIM can put this to use in its next Storm. Just sayin’.

[Image courtesy Alberto Villarreal]

Thin film coating makes everlasting energy a piezoelectric possibility originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 02:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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View Google Maps Using Windows Media Center

This article was written on January 22, 2006 by CyberNet.

View Google Maps Using Windows Media Center

If you have ever wanted to browse the world from the comfort of your remote control, now you can do it via Windows Media Center and Google Maps! This simple ‘hack’ will allow you to use Google Maps on your Windows Media Center PC or on your Xbox! Here are the simple steps:

To add Google Map functionality to your own Media Center install, add a shortcut Google Maps in the More Programs section by right-clicking this Media Center Google Maps link and Save Target As to: {system drive}\Documents and Settings\All users\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Media Center\Media Center Programs\

After performing the above operation, you should be able to start Media Center and have the Google Maps link as pictured above. You can use the arrows on your remote to move around the globe and the channel buttons to zoom in and out!

News Source: Ludington Media

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Amazon tablet with TI processor shipping as early as August?

For months now, DigiTimes has been fueling rumors of Amazon’s first foray into the LCD tablet market. Today it ratchets up the specificity with sometimes contradictory claims that Quanta Computer will be responsible for assembling the tablet with a supposed TI (not NVIDIA) processor and Wintek (not EIH) touch panel among its components. According to DigiTimes, Amazon hopes to move some four million units in 2011 alone with plans to launch the new tablet as soon as August. Possible? Sure, likely even. But we’ll wait for Bezos to sing before updating our holiday shopping lists.

Amazon tablet with TI processor shipping as early as August? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 01:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy puts your music in the cloud, goes where others have gone before

Google, Amazon, and Apple have been hogging the headlines when it comes to storing your tunes in the internet ether. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for another musically inclined cloud contender — or at least, that’s how Best Buy sees things. The big blue box has rolled out its aptly (if uncreatively) named Music Cloud service that lets you upload your audio to its servers and stream it wherever you go. You can also save songs locally, plus there are apps for Androids, Blackberrys, and iPhones to manage and play your music. There are two flavors of Music Cloud, Lite and Premium. The former is free, while the latter costs $3.99 a month, though Best Buy hasn’t said what the difference is (other than price) between the two. The catch? It’s currently only capable of grabbing songs from iTunes, so no uploading from file folders. Let’s hope that’s only a temporary problem.

Best Buy puts your music in the cloud, goes where others have gone before originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 01:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon’s tablet to launch in August?

Online retailer to launch much-anticipated tablet PC in time to take advantage of the pre-Thanksgiving shopping rush, DigiTimes reports.

Originally posted at News – Digital Media

Zipcar Android app sheds the beta, late-night driverless honking to increase

It may have happened to you before — you’re walking down the street somewhere on a balmy summer night when, out of nowhere, the empty car next to you honks its horn and you spit your skeleton right outta that purty mouth. Yeah, you have Zipcar to blame for that. Ever since the introduction of its iOS app back in 2009, users have been able to reserve a car on-the-go, and freak out unwitting pedestrians. Now Android users get to join the party — officially. While the apps’ market availability is nothing new, the recent shucking of its beta tag and some UI enhancements make this coming out party noteworthy. There’s a good reason Time Magazine named it one of the “50 best iPhone Apps in 2011.” Also, wireless honking — in case you forgot.

Continue reading Zipcar Android app sheds the beta, late-night driverless honking to increase

Zipcar Android app sheds the beta, late-night driverless honking to increase originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DisplayPort 1.2 adds active cable support: brings longer cords, more logos

DisplayPort Active Cable Logo

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything from the VESA folks, so it was a pleasant surprise when the organization hit our inbox with a bit of PR announcing an update to the DisplayPort 1.2 standard. New active cables being introduced will allow video connections to stretch up 100 feet — five times that of the old-school, passive variety — and use thinner gauge wire for more flexible cords. The one kink is that the cables are directional, though, a new logo (above) should help minimize confusion over which end gets jacked into the source and which feeds your TV. Not that we’re complaining about longer, thinner cables but, it sure would be nice if we could cover those 33 meters without making our apartment look like a data center – how’s that wireless DisplayPort coming along?

Continue reading DisplayPort 1.2 adds active cable support: brings longer cords, more logos

DisplayPort 1.2 adds active cable support: brings longer cords, more logos originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crave 47: Breathe into your sleeve (podcast)

This week: computer walls, future-retro laptops, smelly iPhone cases, magnetic pens, glowing cufflinks, and alcoholic watches.