Hasta La Gadget!

Samsung invited the world to adventure with its own smartphone OS, Bada, almost two years ago and so far most of us have turned down the offer. Of course, that trip could look more appealing if a Wall Street Journal rumor is true and the company is planning to open source it for use by developers and other manufacturers alike next year. Citing the usual “person familiar with the situation”, Samsung apparently isn’t interested in snagging any outside companies like, say, webOS, but wants to strengthen its independence from Android after Google announced it will purchase Motorola. Right now, it feels like we’ve already seen this story play out for the still-kicking Symbian. On the other hand, maybe Samsung, with its massive manufacturing capabilities and current hit-making prowess, can strike the right balance of hardware, software and apps to make it worthwhile. If it tries and fails, well, maybe the folks in Redmond will be looking for another close friend.

Samsung taking Bada open source in 2012? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 02:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google was pretty adamant at I/O that Chrome OS would not be coming tablets, but that hasn’t stopped its open-source cousin from adding some touch friendly features. Chromium (the browser, not the OS) got its first tablet tweaks back in June, but this is the first time we’re seeing them on video. While the larger icons, widgets, and virtual keyboard, may eventually make their way onto the rumored Seaboard, there’s no guarantee these (obviously still early) experiments will ever debut as part of Chrome OS or even the browser. Check out the video after the break for a brief glimpse of this work in progress and, if you’re feeling adventurous, hit up the more coverage link to download the latest source code — just make sure to compile with ‘export GYP_DEFINES=”touchui=1″‘ to unlock the finger-friendly face of Chromium.

Continue reading Chromium’s experimental touch UI demoed on video, made for meaty fingers

Chromium’s experimental touch UI demoed on video, made for meaty fingers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 19:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Have you nerds heard? The cloud is the word, and Intel’s ready to put its bank account where the industry’s buzzing mouth is. Investing $30 million over a span of five years, the company has partnered with Carnegie Mellon University to open two new Intel Science and Technology Centers. The academic research labs will laser in on cloud and embedded computing research, providing open source innovations that tackle mass data analytics, real-time information service distribution and refinements to a future, cloud-connected lifestyle. Curious as to what this brain collective has up its sleeves? Imagine wearing a pair of Intel-powered glasses that overlays data linked to the people and objects you see. Not the Minority Report type? Alright, then consider its proposed intelligent car of the future, capable of recommending “routing, retail, dining, and entertainment” options tailored to passenger profiles and real-world conditions. Whether you’re ready or not, this is the future folks — one big, passive scoop of computer-generated coddling. Hit the break for the full PR, and Peter Griffin’s take on our sponsored tomorrow.

[Image credit via Popular Science]

Continue reading Intel places $30 million bet on the cloud, opens two new labs at Carnegie Mellon

Intel places $30 million bet on the cloud, opens two new labs at Carnegie Mellon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ever heard of estoppel? The term, sadly, does not denote a new German electronic bus service, but is rather a court-ordered way of telling companies “no backsies” on previously made public statements. It could also prove to be another nail in Oracle’s patent dispute coffin, should Google’s latest Wayback Machine defense hold up. Thanks to the internet’s never say die policy, a 2007 post, recently deleted by Oracle, from Sun Microsystem’s then CEO Jonathan Schwartz has surfaced, in which he enthusiastically endorsed Android’s Java base. The public statement falls in line with the aforementioned legal doctrine, potentially contradicting new owner Oracle’s patent infringement claims. Unfortunately for both parties, Judge William Alsup doesn’t seem to be too cool under the collar as he’s reportedly blasted each for “asking for the moon” and chiding them to “be more reasonable.” A final ruling in this case is still a ways off, but in the meantime you can head to the source to read Schwartz’s damning praise for yourself.

Sun CEO’s deleted blog post to help end Oracle vs Google patent dispute? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 23:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The war between Google and Oracle is far from over, but the big G keeps racking up tiny victories in what are admittedly modest battles. Now the Redwood Shores-based company has been told to go back to the drawing board with its damages report. Originally Oracle sought $2.6 billion, but its theories were largely dismissed and Judge William Alsup suggested an alternative starting point of roughly $100 million. The company still has an opportunity to present a new report, one that will likely seek much more than the proposed $100 million, but things are looking increasingly tough for the claimant. It wasn’t all good news for Goog, though. While the judge told Oracle to narrow its focus from Android as a whole to just specific infringing features, he did agree that related advertising revenue should be included in the theoretical royalty base. He also offered harsh criticism for what he viewed as its “brazen” disregard for intellectual property rights. The trial is still scheduled for October, so we should have a better idea of how this whole thing will play out by Halloween.

Judge tells Oracle to rethink $2.6 billion claim against Google originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 03:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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