NVIDIA throws support behind Miracast as wireless display standard

NVIDIA throws support behind Miracast as wireless display standard

TI may have blazed the trail, but today NVIDIA has announced that it’ll support Miracast as an integral part of its Tegra mobile platform. If you’ll recall, Miracast is a creation of the Wi-Fi Alliance, which aims to create a new standard for wireless displays by way of a reference specification and certification program. There are few concrete details to share at this point, as the Miracast spec has yet to be ratified, but NVIDIA has already engaged a number of manufacturers in an effort to drum up support for the new standard — think it’s reason enough for the WiDi and AirPlay crowds to worry?

Continue reading NVIDIA throws support behind Miracast as wireless display standard

Filed under: , , ,

NVIDIA throws support behind Miracast as wireless display standard originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNVIDIA  | Email this | Comments

Google Handwrite lets us scribble our way through mobile searches (video)

Google Handwrite lets us scribble our way through mobile searches

Not eager to hunt and peck on a keyboard? Google Handwrite is here: the search engine’s mobile pages will now let you draw letters on the page to conduct searches with the writing method you learned before this whole computer fad took hold. There’s no special plugin required — it’s just the flick of a settings switch. As long as you’ve got an Android 2.3 or later phone, an Android 4.0 tablet or an iOS 5 device of any sort, you can immediately remind yourself of just how much you’ve forgotten about handwriting since elementary school while you’re searching for the local sushi restaurant.

Continue reading Google Handwrite lets us scribble our way through mobile searches (video)

Filed under: , ,

Google Handwrite lets us scribble our way through mobile searches (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 13:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGoogle Official Blog  | Email this | Comments

Certified testers (and tweakers) get Jelly Bean for their Honeycomb era Xoom WiFis

Testers and tweakers get Jelly Bean for their Honeycomb era Xoom WiFis

Considering that the Motorola Xoom WiFi was one of the first tabs to devour Ice Cream Sandwich, its plans to pop Android 4.1 Jelly Bean are hardly a surprise. While there’s no official delivery date for the average user, certified testers who signed up for a pre-release won’t have to wait — it’s just been pushed out to their devices. Of course, enterprising tinkerers can always get what they want as well, by installing it using a USB host cable or flashing a recovery file. If you’re one of those brave souls, you’ll score smoother performance, new search options and better keyboard — but there may still be a few bugs before the full rollout happens. Also, if you were looking forward to finally having the update’s Chrome pack-in, it missed the pre-release Jelly Bean bus and you’ll have to stop at the Play store to grab it. Check out the more coverage link below for the gritty details on how to install the latest update.

Filed under:

Certified testers (and tweakers) get Jelly Bean for their Honeycomb era Xoom WiFis originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 07:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAndroid Central  | Email this | Comments

Seton Hall Uni to distract students with Windows 8 tablet handouts (video)

Seton Hall Uni to hand out free Windows 8 PCs to all juniors

Just when you thought you knew exactly where you wanted to party and occasionally study electrical engineering, Seton Hall in New Jersey comes along to offer you something better. That’s right people, ‘free’ gadgets: in addition to those Lumia 900 phones it’s already promised, the university has also announced a splurge on Samsung Series 7 Slates for all science and honors degree juniors once Windows 8 arrives in the Fall, while those studying other disciplines will have to make do with a Series 5 Ultrabook. The scheme might sound like bribery or a soma to ward off campus activism, but it’s actually part of Seton Hall’s 15-year-old SHUmobile program, designed to ensure that “everyone has access to the advanced technology they need to succeed” — and according to the video after the break, that technology just has to be Microsoft Office.

[Thanks, Vincent]

Continue reading Seton Hall Uni to distract students with Windows 8 tablet handouts (video)

Filed under: ,

Seton Hall Uni to distract students with Windows 8 tablet handouts (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 03:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSeton Hall University  | Email this | Comments

Windows 8 streamlines printing, puts old architecture on the chopping block

Windows 8 streamlines printing, puts old architecture on the chopping block

Anyone who’s ever attempted to configure a new printer from their PC knows the process can be cumbersome at best and Microsoft largely agrees. So, in anticipation of its upcoming OS refresh, Redmond’s pulling back the curtain on how it managed to trim the fat from its previous printing architecture. The new system which will underlie both consumer-focused iterations of Windows 8, simply dubbed v4, slims down the 768MB of disk space previously required on Vista for a significantly lighter 184MB (an average) footprint in Windows 8 and adds greater in-box support for more commonly used, contemporary printers — specifically for Windows RT. The team’s also worked hard to keep the experience consistent, separating manufacturer UIs from drivers and paving the way for Metro-style support where necessary. The changes will reportedly ease the load on ARM-based devices and streamline the end user experience with a hassle-free, plug-and-play approach. In the words of team program lead Adrian Lannin, “it just works.” Indeed, we’ll be sure to find out if it does this October 26th. Hit up the source below to sift through the minutiae of these behind-the-scenes changes.

Filed under: , ,

Windows 8 streamlines printing, puts old architecture on the chopping block originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBuilding Windows 8 blog  | Email this | Comments

Strategy Analytics: iPad keeps riding high in Q2 tablet market share, Android doesn’t budge

Strategy Analytics iPad keeps riding high in Q2 tablet market share, Android stalls

The Apple iPad may as well be called the Teflon Tablet for now, since challengers can’t quite stick. Thanks to those 17 million iPads shipped in the second quarter, Strategy Analytics estimates that Apple held on to the 68 percent of tablet market share that IDC credited to the company in the previous season. That may not sound like a change in the status quo, but it’s a significant jump from the 62 percent Apple had a year ago — and not very good news for anyone else. Android is still holding on at 29.3 percent, although that’s slightly underwhelming given the surge of extra devices in that time frame. The real hurt was dished out to Windows 7 tablets and “others” like RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook, both of whom were cut down to just 1.2 points of share each in the spring. We’ll see if the newer crowd moves the needle for Android in the summer, although the well-received Nexus 7’s current scarcity won’t help its chances — and both Microsoft as well as RIM are in holding patterns for the next several months.

Filed under:

Strategy Analytics: iPad keeps riding high in Q2 tablet market share, Android doesn’t budge originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch  |  sourceStrategy Analytics  | Email this | Comments

Huawei outs MediaPad 7 Lite with Ice Cream Sandwich, doesn’t tell us when it’s coming

Huawei outs MediaPad 7 Lite with Ice Cream Sandwich, doesn't tell us when it's coming

Yesterday, we heard Huawei’s 1H 2012 numbers had turned out positive for the most part — which, of course, were helped in large part by having those rather popular Ascend D1 and P1 up for grabs in the China region. Now, it may or may not be in hopes of a better second half, but the Chinese outfit’s just very quietly taken the wraps off of its newest tablet: the MediaPad 7 Lite. As the numerical figure in the moniker would tell, this particular Huawei tablet sports a 7-inch (1280 x 800) form factor, with other features like Mountain View’s Ice Cream Sandwich and 3G connectivity (WiFi as well) also said to be included in the light package. Sadly, there’s still many deets up in the air, as Huawei hasn’t revealed where, or when, we can expect the MediaPad 7 Lite to launch. In the meantime, though, feel free to head over to the company’s site, where you’ll find some extra eye candy.

Filed under:

Huawei outs MediaPad 7 Lite with Ice Cream Sandwich, doesn’t tell us when it’s coming originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TalkAndroid  |  sourceHuawei  | Email this | Comments

Fujitsu Stylistic M532 Android tablet cozies up to the FCC

Fujitsu Stylistic M532 Android tablet cozies up to the FCC

Half a year has gone by with nary a word nor sighting, but it looks like Fujitsu’s svelte Stylistic M532 tab is ready to break cover. Spotted in the FCC’s database, the 10.1-inch Android slate bears all the makings of a WiFi-only affair, as it lists support for a/b/g/n protocols, in addition to Bluetooth. From what we’ve gleaned in the separate filings, the ICS tablet should also come loaded up with a 3,170mAh battery — a generous cell size to complement its Tegra 3 CPU. Aside from this recent Commission appearance, no official announcement has been made to port this slim fella stateside. But where there’s an FCC doc, there’s usually a launch not far away. Check out the source below to sort through the usual RF tests or head to the company’s own site for more legit shots.

Filed under:

Fujitsu Stylistic M532 Android tablet cozies up to the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceFCC  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft confirms dates for BUILD 2012: October 30th to November 2nd in Redmond

Microsoft confirms dates for BUILD 2012 October 30th to November 2nd in Redmond

Microsoft just announced the big launch date for Windows 8 last week, and it’s now also confirmed the dates for another of the company’s key events this year. The next BUILD conference will take place between October 30th and November 2nd, with the company’s Redmond campus serving as the host location. Registration will open up at 8AM Pacific on August 8th (hint, hint), at which point the company will also start dishing some details about speakers and events taking place. Naturally, we’ll be there to report on all the goings-on if you can’t make it yourself.

Filed under: , ,

Microsoft confirms dates for BUILD 2012: October 30th to November 2nd in Redmond originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBUILD, TechNet Blogs  | Email this | Comments

Video Store application for BlackBerry PlayBook now available in Canada

Video Store application for BlackBerry PlayBook now available in Canada

We all know things aren’t exactly looking bright over at RIM’s Waterloo HQ, but, thankfully, that’s not keeping the company from taking care of its current and very valuable customer base. How so? Well, earlier today the BlackBerry maker announced its official Video Store application is now live in Canada’s App World, giving the PlayBook crowd a hub to buy / rent “thousands” of movies and TV shows. Obviously — similar to iTunes and Google Play on their respective slates — folks will also be able to preview content before taking the plunge, and as a Berry rep told us, there should be no problem with streaming videos to a high-def television via the the tablet’s HDMI output. Video Store Canada, as it’s known by its formal name, is up for download now at the source link below.

Filed under: ,

Video Store application for BlackBerry PlayBook now available in Canada originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBlackBerry App World (Canada)  | Email this | Comments