Dec 13

Qualcomm loads Ice Cream Sandwich on Snapdragon S4 tablet, fills our hearts with Liquid

Posted in: Android, developer, developers, Google, GoogleAndroid, mobilepostcross, qualcomm, snapdragon, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, tablets, Today's Chili

Qualcomm’s souped-up Snapdragon S4 Liquid mobile development platform (MDP) tablet just got a major Android boost, in the form of a 4.0.1 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade. The maxed-out MDP tablet, which boasts such specs as an on-die LTE modem, dual 1080p cameras and more sensors than you can shake an accelerometer-powered wand at, is now running Google’s latest mobile OS. During an Engadget Show visit last month, Qualcomm reps told us that the device will support Android 4.0, but we weren’t expecting a port quite so soon, considering Liquid won’t ship until next spring. The company says it’s working “rigorously” to get ICS optimized not only for the S4, but for other Snapdragon processors as well. Click through the gallery below for an early look.

Gallery: Qualcomm S4 MDP with Android 4.0 ICS

Qualcomm loads Ice Cream Sandwich on Snapdragon S4 tablet, fills our hearts with Liquid originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 12

Researchers build world’s smallest steam engine that could

Posted in: concept, germany, laser, research, Today's Chili
Wanna create your very own microscopic steam engine? Just take a colloid particle, put it in water, and add a laser. That’s a CliffsNotes version of what a group of German researchers recently did to create the world’s smallest steam engine. To pull it off, engineers from the University of Stuttgart and Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems tweaked the traditional approach introduced by Robert Stirling nearly 200 years ago. In Stirling’s model, gas within a cylindrical tube is alternately heated and cooled, allowing it to expand and push an attached piston. Professor Clemens Bechinger and his team, however, decided to downsize this system by replacing the piston with a laser beam, and the cylinder’s working gas with a single colloid bead that floats in water and measures just three thousandths of a millimeter in size. The laser’s optical field limits the bead’s range of motion, which can be easily observed with a microscope, since the plastic particle is about 10,000 times larger than an atom. Because the beam varies in intensity, it effectively acts upon the particle in the same way that heat compresses and expands gas molecules in Stirling’s model. The bead, in turn, does work on the optical field, with its effects balanced by an outside heat source. The system’s architects admit that their engine tends to “sputter” at times, but insist that its mere development shows that “there are no thermodynamic obstacles” to production. Read more about the invention and its potential implications in the full press release, after the break.

Continue reading Researchers build world’s smallest steam engine that could

Researchers build world’s smallest steam engine that could originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 24

Amazon’s new e-book format brings HTML5 support to your Kindle library

Posted in: amazon, amazon kindle, AmazonKindle, Books, e reader, e-book, e-books, e-readers, kindle, tablet, Today's Chili
“Great looking books.” That’s what Amazon is promising to deliver with Kindle Format 8 (KF8) — a new, HTML5-based file format for Kindle books. According to the company, KF8 will allow publishers to produce picture books, comics and graphic novels with greater ease, thanks to the platform’s rich formatting capabilities and design elements. In fact, this format brings more than 150 new formatting tools to the table, including fixed layouts, nested tables, sidebars and Scalable Vector Graphics, among others. It should be noted, however, that audio and video are not included on the list of supported HTML tags and CSS elements. At first, content creators will only be able to use KF8 for the Kindle Fire tablet, though Amazon says it’ll gradually expand to its entire lineup of devices and apps “in the coming months.” No word yet on when KF8 will become available as an update to Amazon’s Kindle Publisher Tools suite, but you can find more details at the source link, below.

Amazon’s new e-book format brings HTML5 support to your Kindle library originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 20

Microsoft HoloDesk: when you need to juggle something that isn’t there (video)

Posted in: kinect, Microsoft, research, Today's Chili, video


If you’d thought that OmniTouch and PocketTouch were the end of Microsoft Research’s natural user interface projects, think again. It’s now released a video of the HoloDesk, a tool that lets you manipulate virtual 3D objects with your bare hands. Looking through a transparent display, the objects react nearly instantly, rolling from a sheet of real paper into a real cup and falling into shadow if you block the virtual light-source. The Cambridge lab that developed the tool sees uses in remote working, collaboration or device prototyping. If you hadn’t guessed, there’s a hacked Kinect at the heart of HoloDesk’s DNA, which makes us wonder how long it’ll be before we can use it to play Halo.

Microsoft HoloDesk: when you need to juggle something that isn’t there (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 18

Microsoft’s PocketTouch prototype is like x-ray vision for your fingers (video)

Posted in: capacitive, Microsoft, multitouch, prototype, research, science, sensor, smartphone, Today's Chili, touch, video
Is it more gauche to pull out your phone in the middle of a date, or to draw a bunch of crop circles on your pants? That’s the question we were asking ourselves after coming across PocketTouch — a new Microsoft Research prototype that lets you manipulate your handset without ever removing it from your pocket. Developed by researchers Scott Saponas, Chris Harrison and Hrvoje Benko, the device essentially consists of a customized, multitouch capacitive sensor hooked on to the back of a smartphone. This sensor is capable of picking up gestures through fabric, allowing users to execute a wide array of eyes-free, gesture-based functions (including simple swipes and alphanumeric text) without ever having to actually whip out their phones. To do this, the team implemented what it calls an “orientation-defining unlock gesture,” which helps the prototype get its bearings, before testing the capacitive sensors across different fabrics. According to Microsoft, the outcome “exceeded expectations,” though there’s no word on when or if this Goliath of a device could ever hit the mainstream. Head past the break to see a video of a man playing tic-tac-toe on his pants.

Continue reading Microsoft’s PocketTouch prototype is like x-ray vision for your fingers (video)

Microsoft’s PocketTouch prototype is like x-ray vision for your fingers (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 05:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink GeekWire  |  sourceMicrosoft Research  | Email this | Comments

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Oct 04

Qt developers gain NFC support with Nokia’s latest SDK update

Posted in: app, apps, developer, developers, meego, mobilepostmini, nfc, nokia, sdk, Software, symbian, Today's Chili

Nokia’s development community just got its first taste of near field lovin’ with the first Qt SDK to support NFC. While you’ll be forgiven if you’re not up in arms over the latest revelation, owners of the company’s latest handsets can soon expect a greater number of useful apps that take advantage of this newfangled technology. The developer tools enable the creation of applications for both Symbian and MeeGo, and allows software authors to simulate NFC tags and create events based around them — all within the virtual environment. Programmers looking to dip their toes into the water will find a couple of experimental apps from Espoo’s pride that highlight near field communication, along with the complete source code for each. Sounds like it’s time for some to make a pot of coffee and let the coding madness ensue.

Qt developers gain NFC support with Nokia’s latest SDK update originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 02

Sony Ericsson lends hand to FreeXperia devs, shows love for CyanogenMod 7.1

Posted in: Android, developer, developers, diy, Google, mobilepostmini, rom, smartphone, Smartphones, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, Today's Chili, xperia

Turns out, Sony Ericsson is really coming around to the understanding that Android phones are not a one-size-fits-all proposition. After taking notice of the FreeXperia team’s tireless efforts to bring CyanogenMod 7.1 to certain SE devices, the company is now “pulling a Samsung” by lending its support to the cause. The firm has provided the group with approximately 20 phones, along with debugged and rebuilt camera library binaries to ensure a proper user experience. Not stopping there, Sony Ericsson hopes to make these bits available to all developers under a special EULA in the near future. Of course, the company continues to remind its users that it doesn’t specifically condone unlocking the bootloader — which still results in a void warranty — even though it’s willing to help you do just that.

[Thanks, Thorsten]

Sony Ericsson lends hand to FreeXperia devs, shows love for CyanogenMod 7.1 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Oct 2011 12:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 30

Windows Phone SDK 7.1 goes gold, seven new languages in tow

Posted in: app, apps, developer, developers, mango, Microsoft, mobilepostmini, sdk, smartphone, Smartphones, Today's Chili, windows phone, WindowsPhone, Wp7

Mango developers across the globe now have reason to hunker down and bring their apps up to snuff for Windows Phone 7.5. Microsoft has released version 7.1 of its SDK, which means no more coding with beta tools. In addition to the handful of bug fixes and a final spit-shine to the tooling experience, coders will discover the software has been localized to support nine languages, which includes English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Traditional Chinese. Redmond is also taking the opportunity to remind programmers that now is an excellent time to check into the App Hub and cross-submit applications into any additional markets where you wish to sell their wares. You’ve got the tools, folks, now it’s time to make it rain.

Windows Phone SDK 7.1 goes gold, seven new languages in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 27

TeamWin demos TWRP 2.0 recovery manager for Android, scoffs at your volume rocker (video)

Posted in: Android, app, apps, developer, developers, diy, Google, hack, Hacks, mobilepostmini, rom, smartphone, Smartphones, Software, tablet, tablets, Today's Chili, video

It’s pronounced “twerp,” but don’t mistake TeamWin’s Recovery Project for a run-of-the-mill chump. The software is intended as a touchscreen replacement for ROM managers such as TWRP 1.0 and ClockworkMod Recovery. In addition to the all-important backup, restore and install functions, the utility now provides a full GUI for touch input that’s fully customizable with XML themes. As a particular boon, developers will have the option to design custom installation processes unique to their particular ROMs, which is a lovely (though very metaphorical) cherry on top. As you’d expect, the software supports both phones and tabs, and if you’re interested to see more, just check the full demo video after the break. According to the developer, the utility still needs some work before it’s ready for prime time, but it’s rather nice to see the group stay productive as it matures.

[Thanks, Ian]

Continue reading TeamWin demos TWRP 2.0 recovery manager for Android, scoffs at your volume rocker (video)

TeamWin demos TWRP 2.0 recovery manager for Android, scoffs at your volume rocker (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 20

App developers must play nice with Ice Cream Sandwich if they want a bite

Posted in: Android, app, apps, developer, developers, Google, GoogleAndroid, minipost, mobilepostcross, Today's Chili

Google’s Android developer blog is warning creators of Honeycomb apps to rework their code for Ice Cream Sandwich or suffer unsightly consequences. The ‘problem’ with ICS is that it gets rid of the tablet/smartphone divide, such that HC apps designed specifically for tablets will suddenly be allowed to run on small-screen devices. Needless to say, in many cases that won’t be pretty. Creators of HC apps must therefore either disable installation on smaller displays (at least temporarily) or make sure they are fully compatible. Either job will require some time and, by the looks of it, that commodity is quickly running out.

App developers must play nice with Ice Cream Sandwich if they want a bite originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Phone Scoop  |  sourceAndroid Developers  | Email this | Comments

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