Hasta La Gadget!

Router, Rowter. However you say it, you probably need one, which is why ASUS is temping you toward buying one of its new AiCloud models. The new service is designed to unify your data across devices, letting you share and stream multimedia and documents from PCs to smartphones. You’ll also be able to store files online, remote control your PC from your tablet and create single-click download links to share with your friends. ASUS is so excited about the project that it’s released a new advert telling you all about it, which we’ve included for you after the break.

Continue reading ASUS boasts about AiCloud features in new teaser (video)

Filed under: Internet

ASUS boasts about AiCloud features in new teaser (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 22:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

iOS users keen on Mozilla’s Firefox Home will have to find another browser syncing solution: the application has been retired. The app worked in conjunction with Firefox Sync, and was designed to give users access to their desktop history, open tabs and bookmarks on the go. Mozilla says the project “provided valuable insight and experience with the platform,” but ultimately decided its resources were better focused elsewhere. All isn’t lost, however — the company is making the source available on GitHub, encouraging users to tinker with the iOS Sync client Firefox Home was built on. Feel free to swim in the code yourself at the source link below.

Filed under: Software, Mobile

Mozilla pulls Firefox Home from the iOS App Store, posts source code to GitHub originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Sep 2012 15:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Mozilla, GitHub  | Email this | Comments

Samsung may have lost a billion dollar round here in the US, but it appears to have scored a victory in its patent battle against Apple in Japan today. Reuters and Bloomberg report a judge there decided its Galaxy smartphones and tablets did not infringe on an Apple patent. Apple sued Samsung there in September of last year, however the Tokyo District Court has ruled Samsung did not violate a patent that covered syncing music and video data with a PC. According to The Yomiuri Shinbun, presiding judge Tamotsu Shoji dismissed the claim, saying Samsung’s implementation of this specific technology was not covered by the scope of Apple’s patent and, Bloomberg reports, ordered Apple to pay the costs of the lawsuit. Just as we’re seeing in US District Court in California however, one judgement doesn’t mean the seemingly never-ending battle is over however because Apple may be able to appeal this decision to a higher court. There are also other cases ongoing, which The Sankei Shimbun reports includes one focusing on the infamous bounce-back patent, so as usual, stay tuned for further updates.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

Japan court rules Samsung’s Galaxy phones, tablet do not infringe on an Apple patent originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Reuters, Bloomberg, Yomiuri Shinbun  | Email this | Comments

There are more than a few car infotainment systems on the market today as well as a number of smart phone applications that allow users to dictate text messages using their voice. The voice dictated texts can be sent just as any other typed out text. There has been a huge push around the country for cities and states the place bans on texting and driving.

California has passed a new bill called the Freedom to Communicate bill that adds a notable exception to the state’s ban on texting and driving. The new bill makes it legal for drivers to send texts using voice activated, hands-free systems. The bill makes it legal for drivers to use devices that are “specifically designed and configured to allow voice-operated and hands-free operation to dictate, send, or listen to a text-based communication.”

That means at least in California, hands-free systems such as Ford’s Sync and other similar systems are legal for drivers to use. However, there still seems to be some issues for drivers wanting to text using the voice while driving. The law is said to be rather vague on whether or not it’s legal for the driver to touch their mobile phone to activate the speech to text functionality. Some interpretations of the law, which will go into effect January 1, believe systems where the driver needs to pick up a device such as the iPhone to activate Siri as being illegal under the new law.

[via TheVerge]

California passes Freedom to Communicate bill making voice activated texting legal is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We dug into Microsoft‘s recently updated SkyDrive efforts in a review earlier this year, and it looks as if the company’s still intent on improving things based on user feedback. The newest update to SkyDrive for Windows (version 16.4.6003.0710, for the number crunchers) includes quite a few under-the-hood improvements that are said to bolster “performance, reliability, and compatibility.” But beyond that, you’ll also see a much-requested status window; put simply, this guy gives users a glanceable view at whether or not their SkyDrive is in sync, and displays the time at which it was last updated. In the event that a sync is still ongoing, you’ll also see the number of megabytes and files you have remaining to sync. Finally, Microsoft has refreshed the SkyDrive logo — not surprisingly, there’s a pinch of that Metro styling throughout.

Filed under: Software

Microsoft updates SkyDrive for Windows app: new status window, freshened logo originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Jul 2012 04:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink WMPoweruser  |  The Windows Blog  | Email this | Comments