New Gadgets
- Last chance to clear out Google Web History before the great data convergence
The end is nigh! For about 59 different Google ToS documents at least. After today, the new consolidated privacy policy will go into effect, which will also consolidate much of your data across Google’s properties. That means this is your last chance to clear out El Goog’s “you archives” before the great convergence of 2012. If you’re not keen on Google sharing your information between its various products (though, you seemed to be okay with it being collected in the first place) today is the day to go and delete it all. Of particular concern for some is Web History, which collects your searches and sites visited and has, until now, been walled off from the rest of the Google empire. For complete instructions for how to clear out your Google Web History hit up the source link.
Last chance to clear out Google Web History before the great data convergence originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Video: PlayStation Vita’s AR game trio
With the retail launch of the Vita hardware comes the arrival of three augmented reality games, using a set of six cards that look an awful lot like the ESP test cards Dr. Venkman used in Ghostbusters. I downloaded them all from the PlayStation Store today, carefully set up a camera between my face and Vita (keeping the table in view) and demonstrated all three.
Of the three, Fireworks is the definite standout. And by “standout” I mean “one I could foresee playing a second time.”
[Music: "Shanghai Moon" by USK]
Video: PlayStation Vita’s AR game trio originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Joystiq | Email this | Comments - RIM builds BlackBerry server center in Mumbai, right where Indian government wants it
This is the epilogue to a story that started as far back as 2008, when the Indian government first demanded access to encrypted BBM traffic. In 2010, RIM made “certain proposals” that satisfied politicos and averted a ban, and now it’s gone one step further — placing 5,000 BES Enterprise servers directly beneath officials’ noses in Mumbai. It’s not yet clear if messages will be subject to any more scrutiny than they were before, but N4BB reports that a “team of officers” has already inspected the installation and that “permission for direct monitoring” is “expected to be issued.” Looks like those snoops will soon be working double shifts.RIM builds BlackBerry server center in Mumbai, right where Indian government wants it originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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N4BB | Email this | Comments - Man gets served on Facebook, literally
Being unceremoniously dumped online isn’t the only indignation made easier by social networks. For the first time, lawyers in the UK have been granted permission to serve a legal suit via Facebook. Traditionally, documents must be delivered physically, be it in person, by post or even fax. But, in a pretrial for a commercial dispute, these old-fashioned methods proved fruitless. The prosecuting team then decided to check online, and noticed recent updates on defendant Fabio De Biase’s profile. Satisfied it was currently active, they sought permission to send documents via the website, with Justice Nigel Teare duly obliging. Wondering what that noise is? That’s the sound of millions of mice clicking on “privacy settings” all at once.
Man gets served on Facebook, literally originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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PhysOrg | Associated Press | Email this | Comments - HP reports Q1 2012 financials: $30 billion net revenue, $1.5 billion net earnings, big drop in PC sales
HP reported results for its first fiscal quarter of 2012 this afternoon, including $30 billion in net revenue (down seven percent from the previous year), and net earnings of $1.5 billion (down a full 44 percent). Partly contributing to that drop is a slump from its Personal Systems Group, which saw revenue slip 15 percent year-over-year, and total desktop and notebook units decline a rather drastic 19 and 18 percent, respectively. The company’s Imaging and Printing Group also saw a seven percent decline in revenue, with the total number of printer units slipping 15 percent. HP’s services business managed to eke out a one percent growth with revenue of $8.6 billion, though, while its software business saw the biggest growth in any one area at 30 percent (that includes results from the recently-acquired Autonomy). The company’s full rundown can be found in the press release after the break, with additional numbers available at the source link below.
Update: On the company’s earnings call, CEO Meg Whitman laid some of the blame for PSG’s decline on hard drive shortages, but also said that HP has under-invested in the business in the past few years and been late to market too often — something she says she intends to change.
HP reports Q1 2012 financials: $30 billion net revenue, $1.5 billion net earnings, big drop in PC sales originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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HP | Email this | Comments - Razer Blade review
Typically, when a company wants to meet, you expect more of the same — not a change in strategy, nor a decision to enter an entirely new product category. So when Razer wanted to meet us one bright, oddly cold San Franciscan morning last August, we certainly weren’t expecting to meet its CEO, Tan Min-Liang, and we definitely weren’t prepared to find a 17-inch prototype laptop, henceforth known as the Blade.Shaving puns aside, we listened to Liang proudly wax on about the results of nearly three years of development, much of which involved recruiting a bevy of talent from the now-defunct OQO. What they’d accomplished, according to Liang, was the “world’s first true gaming portable.” An audacious statement, sure, especially considering the Blade was to be Razer’s foray into the PC market. No matter. Liang’s impetus was clear: the outfit would cater to gamers who’d been left in a vacuum after formerly gaming-obsessed companies sold out, leaving the segment to languish. His angle, however, would be different. The Blade wasn’t going to be a gaudy, gargantuan, no-holds barred device with outright performance in mind. No, instead the 0.8-inch thick aluminum beaut would attempt to straddle the worlds of portability with performance, seeking to hit a perfectly balanced middle ground.
That sounded reasonable, but judging by reactions from most of you, the decision to stuff this $2,799 rig with a mid-range GeForce GT 555M card wasn’t. Nor was the call to kit it with a paltry 320GB of rotational storage. Razer would rectify the latter in December, promising 256GB SSDs for all — a concession that would push shipments back, well, until now. Still, even after toying with it briefly at CES, our impressions were ultimately shallow, as we couldn’t get much of a feel for it in that controlled environment. Which brings us to the present day, and with Razer graciously airdropping a Blade onto our doorstep, does this experimental laptop stand up to its maker’s gutsy claims? Or will those who’ve shelled just shy of three grand be sorely disappointed with its execution? Well, there’s only one way to find out, and that’s to join us past the break.
Gallery: Razer Blade review
Continue reading Razer Blade review
Razer Blade review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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- Nokia bringing two Lumia devices to MWC next week?
You have to love the last days leading up to a major event like Mobile World Congress, because the rumor mill just doesn’t stop. The focus of this particular whisper is Nokia’s Lumia series, which according to Reuters should have at least two new members before the show is over. Its sources indicate that the oft-rumored global version of the Lumia 900 is go (AT&T’s model shown above), as well as a lower-end Lumia 610. All of us who crave the deeper details are still left in the dark about what we can expect on these devices, but it does give us a heckuva lot more to look forward to next week.Nokia bringing two Lumia devices to MWC next week? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Google Docs presentations slides out of preview, adds import and comment options (video)
The slide-making masses have spoken and Google’s dutifully listened. After launching presentations for Docs as a preview last October, the search giant’s making that editor ready for prime time with a few user-suggested tweaks in tow. In addition to the recently introduced slew of transitions, themes, tables and collaborative options, Mountain View’s now tossing in the ability to make, edit and resolve comments, send email notifications, as well as control read / write privileges for outside users. And don’t worry about your old documents getting lost in the shuffle; a new import setting will enable those visual gems to benefit from this new facelift. Check out the source below for a fuller walk-through or catch the instructional vid after the break.
Google Docs presentations slides out of preview, adds import and comment options (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- IRL: Nikon D90, myCharge Portable Power Bank 6000 and Phosphor’s World Time SportWelcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we’re using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.
Desperate times call for desperate measures — namely, new gadgets. Disappointed with his Droid Charge’s ever-depleting battery capacity, Tim took a $100 portable charger for a spin to see if he could eke out a little extra runtime before racing for an outlet. Meanwhile, Dan agreed to wear his first E-Ink watch after his analog Fossil timepiece outlived all compatible wristbands. Rounding things out, we have a more traditional account of gadget nostalgia from Don Melanson, who explains why he won’t be replacing his aging D90 anytime soon.Continue reading IRL: Nikon D90, myCharge Portable Power Bank 6000 and Phosphor’s World Time Sport
IRL: Nikon D90, myCharge Portable Power Bank 6000 and Phosphor’s World Time Sport originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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