Finding just the right seating arrangement for your home could be a difficult task, especially if you’re living with somebody who has completely different requirements than you do. That’s why the Bloc’d Sofa would be the perfect addition to the home of two people who just can’t quite figure out what kind of couch they want to get. (more…)
Bloc’d Sofa Can Morph Into The Couch You Need At Any Moment original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Tetris is a fun game. Fun, but tough, once you get things going fast enough. For many it ends up being stressful. Well, when you feel the stress of fast falling tetriminos, give a squeeze to the very blocks that caused you so much grief and wipe it all away.
Aggravated by fast-falling blocks? Don’t rage. Just squeeze some Tetris blocks and all will be well. These squishy blocks are made from that wondrous stress ball material and will absorb your anger like a sponge. They will cost you $5.99(USD) for one or $9.99(USD) for a two-pack from ThinkGeek.
You won’t know which piece you will get since they are randomly selected – just like in the game. So good luck making a straight line with them.
Everyone was understandably excited when Windows Phone got its own native YouTube app. That is, until Google decided it violated the terms of service by blocking advertisements and promptly asked Microsoft to remove the app. The two companies kissed, made up and collaborated on a new version that would adhere to Mountain View’s developer guidelines. Unfortunately, it appears that, despite Big G’s involvement, the latest version of YouTube for Windows Phone still has some issues that can’t be overlooked. Only two days after returning, with the ability to upload video added as a bonus, Google has again begun blocking Microsoft’s efforts.
In an official statement YouTube said:
“We’re committed to providing users and creators with a great and consistent YouTube experience across devices, and we’ve been working with Microsoft to build a fully featured YouTube for Windows Phone app, based on HTML5. Unfortunately, Microsoft has not made the browser upgrades necessary to enable a fully-featured YouTube experience, and has instead re-released a YouTube app that violates our Terms of Service.”
Sources tell us that, specifically, Microsoft was not on board with developing an HTML5 based app. Instead the company quietly went back to work on its own native version and reverse-engineered the ad system in order to satisfy Google’s terms of service. Unfortunately, this work-around means that Google can’t guarantee the correct ads will be served up, leading the company to revoke Redmond’s API key. We’ve reached out to Microsoft for comment and will update when we hear back.
Update: A Microsoft spokesperson provided us with the following: “Google is blocking our updated YouTube app for Windows Phone. We are working with them to resolve the issue.”
Update II: And now, Microsoft has issued a longer response, and it’s a doozy. We’ll let you have a gander right here.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Microsoft, Google
Source: Microsoft
As eagerly as Google has gone through routing acrobatics to minimize the Chinese government’s ability to censor and spy on its its services, it’s still at the mercy of the Great Firewall. The company might have just run head-first into the bricks as of Friday. As confirmed by some of our own staff, all of Google’s services stopped working in China for at least the better part of a day despite the search firm verifying that everything was in good working order. Officials haven’t confirmed that anything was afoot, but it’s easy to raise the specter of possible censorship given local political maneuvering. The once-a-decade Communist Party Congress began on Thursday, and the establishment may have wanted to cut off a relatively unfiltered line of communication for dissidents during a transition of power. We’re hearing that access may have ameliorated in at least parts of the country, which would be a pleasant surprise — not that a sudden improvement in service will cheer up those who know they still face a backlog.
Update: As SlashGear notes, Computerworld / IDG has reported that Google’s services were up and running in country again after about 12 hours of being inaccessible. Official details on the blocking are still slim as ever (and will likely remain as such) about the happenings, but you can click through the links above for more in the meantime.
Filed under: Networking, Internet, Google
Google services grind to a halt in China, political transition suspected as the culprit (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Nov 2012 00:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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As eagerly as Google has gone through routing acrobatics to minimize the Chinese government’s ability to censor and spy on its its services, it’s still at the mercy of the Great Firewall. The company might have just run head-first into the bricks as of Friday. As confirmed by some of our own staff, all of Google’s services stopped working in China for at least the better part of a day despite the search firm verifying that everything was in good working order. Officials haven’t confirmed that anything was afoot, but it’s easy to raise the specter of possible censorship given local political maneuvering. The once-a-decade Communist Party Congress began on Thursday, and the establishment may have wanted to cut off a relatively unfiltered line of communication for dissidents during a transition of power. We’re hearing that access may have ameliorated in at least parts of the country, which would be a pleasant surprise — not that a sudden improvement in service will cheer up those who know they still face a backlog.
Filed under: Networking, Internet, Google
Google services grind to a halt in China, political transition suspected as the culprit originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Nov 2012 00:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Computerworld | Google Transparency Report | Email this | Comments
Believe it or not, what you’re looking at above is a set of headphones — let’s explain. It’s no secret that Skullcandy has been working to improve its tattered repertoire with headphone junkies for the past two years. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to hear generally favorable opinions about its Jay-Z-endorsed Roc Nation Aviators ($150), and the company has apparently taken notice. Aiming to build on the success it’s had blending sunglasses with headphones, it’s now ready to let loose a “smaller sibling” into the lineup — and we’ve been able to get an exclusive first look and listen.
Without further ado, say hello to the Navigator. Priced at $99, it features a similar aviator-esque style to Jay-Z’s model, albeit in a petite on-ear package — we’d say the design direction this time is even better looking, too. The cans have collapsible earcups with flat earpads and metal construction (just like you’d find on sunglasses), with a faux leather-wrapped headband and a flat tangle-resistant cable (detachable) which houses an iDevice-compatible three-button remote and microphone. Skullcandy is being light on technical details at the moment, but we do know that the headphones will come in a choice of black or black with blue lenses earcups. Interests piqued? The Navigator will officially land at Apple stores tomorrow, where they’ll be an exclusive offering until the end of the month — in the meantime, join us past the break for our initial impressions.
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Wearables
Skullcandy unveils Navigator on-ear headphones, we take a first listen to the Aviator’s petite “sibling” originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Oct 2012 16:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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In May of last year, our free ride came to an end. US carriers started blocking third party tethering apps in the Android Market. Not long after, the built in feature was turned off on most phones. Our fortune may be reversing, however. The FCC has ruled that Verizon violated the rules governing the C Block of LTE spectrum by preventing consumers from using any application of their choice. The end result: Big Red will have to open up its airwaves and allow customers to circumvent its $20 a month tethering plan using apps from the Play store — so long as you’re on a “usage-based pricing plan.” Though it’s not explicitly stated, we assume that means those of you lucky enough to be grandfathered in to the unlimited data plans are left out. In addition to unblocking apps such as PdaNet and Barnacle, Verizon must pay a $1.25 million settlement to put an end to the investigation. For a few more details of the plan put in place to ensure compliance with the ruling, check out the PR after the break.
Continue reading Verizon to stop blocking tethering apps, settles with FCC for $1.25 million
Filed under: Wireless, Software
Verizon to stop blocking tethering apps, settles with FCC for $1.25 million originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 15:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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