New Gadgets
- Nokia’s Lumia 800 firmware update juices handsets, banishes battery issues
Still holding out on Nokia to squash any lingering battery bugs lurking inside your Lumia 800′s beautiful shell? For some of you, today’s your lucky day, as Espoo’s just released a fresh batch of bits, which bring “significant improvements in battery performance and power management.” We’ve seen version 1600.2487.8107 make the rounds once before, but previously when it was a Vodafone-branded variant — which you may recall WPCentral discovered was responsible for an impressive 3x improvement (!) in battery life. Enhancements to audio are present in the build as well, with the company tweaking bass for “better voice quality” and your music enjoyment. Those ready to update should peep the Zune desktop software, although Nokia cautions not everyone will will get updated today, as coordinating across multiple carriers in different markets is like “herding sheep,” resulting in a multi-stage rollout in the coming four weeks. More details, including a video on how to update, await at the source.
Nokia’s Lumia 800 firmware update juices handsets, banishes battery issues originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Mexico’s CFC deems Telcel ‘too dominant’ in mobile call termination, more regulations coming
Things could be getting a tad bit messy for the world’s richest man, Carlos Slim, as Mexico’s CFC (or Federal Competition Commission) has ruled one of his companies holds too much power in a key wireless sector. The CFC’s beef with Telcel isn’t exactly novel; earlier this year the antitrust agency served the phone outfit with an 11,000,000 pesos fine (around $864,000) for “monopoly practices.” Telcel’s latest troubles date back to 2011, when the CFC deemed the company “too dominant” in the mobile call termination game, and now it’s taken a unanimous vote that’ll allow it to implement “asymmetric” regulations on Telcel’s service quality, charges and information. Not all is lost for Slim’s carrier, however, since it could still appeal the CFC’s decision.Mexico’s CFC deems Telcel ‘too dominant’ in mobile call termination, more regulations coming originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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CNN (Spanish) | Email this | Comments - Razer to arm lefties with the Naga if it gets 10,000 Likes before April 21st
Jealous of all of your right-handed mates and their Naga-wielding gaming rigs? Well, it appears Razer has heard the clamoring and plans to produce a southpaw version of the gaming mouse. The catch? A Facebook page must receive 10,000 Likes in a month in order for the project to move forward. Before you get too excited, the outfit warns that the left-handed Naga will take a year or more to complete — but if the vote quota is reached, Min-Liang Tan gave his word to make it happen. Seems like it’ll happen, too, as the page has currently received over 6,000 Likes. So if that lefty DeathAdder just isn’t cutting it anymore, hit the source link below to further the cause.Razer to arm lefties with the Naga if it gets 10,000 Likes before April 21st originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Facebook | Email this | Comments - IDC: nearly 1 billion ‘smart connected devices’ shipped last year
Know that gadget you’re currently using to read this article? It may be one of 916 million “smart connected devices” that shipped in 2011, with global revenue totaling some $489 billion last year. But the IDC expects that figure to jump to 1.1 billion for 2012, with a total of 1.84 billion new web-connected gadgets hitting the market in 2016. Those numbers include most devices that connect to the internet, such as tablets, smartphones and x86-compatible PCs — the latter of which now represent 36.9 percent of the market, but will slip to a 25.1-percent share in 2016. Android’s piece of the pie will grow from 29.4 percent to 31.1 percent by 2016, while iOS will make the jump from 14.6 to 17.3 percent in the same timeframe. IDC reps say that Asia will be partially responsible for increased smartphone sales, where mobile operators in China are subsidizing purchases to make devices more accessible to consumers. Do you plan to take possession of one of the 1.1 billion gadgets that IDC expects will ship this year? Jump past the break and let us know in the comments.
Continue reading IDC: nearly 1 billion ‘smart connected devices’ shipped last year
IDC: nearly 1 billion ‘smart connected devices’ shipped last year originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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TechnoBuffalo | BusinessWire | Email this | Comments - Android 4.0.4 rears its head again, this time over at AOSP
It hasn’t made its official open-source debut yet, but Android 4.0.4 should be hitting the repositories very soon. Leaks of the next Ice Cream sandwich update have been circulating since early February, and Moto’s Xoom was given the first taste today. Now Jean-Baptiste Queru, an engineer on the mobile OS, has posted over at the Android Open Source Project forums to let us know that the appropriate files are being pushed as we speak. Of course, this doesn’t mean that 4.0.4 will hit your handset any time soon… or ever, for that matter. But, it does mean that more custom ROM devs will be incorporating its pile of bug fixes into their products. Watch the source links to be alerted the moment it goes live.
Android 4.0.4 rears its head again, this time over at AOSP originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Android Central | AOSP 1, 2 | Email this | Comments - Freescale intros Vybrid controller line, weds ARM A5 and M4 cores for an asymmetrical bang
Making good on its word, Freescale’s line of Vybrid controllers is now ready for prime time multiprocessing. That asymmetrical setup, announced last October, takes the high / low approach we’ve seen gradually crop up in computing, pairing an ARM Cortex A5 and Cortex M4 in uneven, albeit harmonious CPU matrimony. The company’s not targeting this new platform at consumers, though, as that market’s already being served by the likes of NVIDIA’s Tegra 3. No, this controller arrangement’s headed directly for the industrial sector, where medical, point-of-sale and smart energy equipment can benefit from the cores’ decreased power demands and ability for real-time control. Eager to dig deeper into this silicon platform? Then feel free to parse through the rest of the company’s jargon-y release after the break.Freescale intros Vybrid controller line, weds ARM A5 and M4 cores for an asymmetrical bang originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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- Boston Dynamics lies down with BigDog, gets giant fleas (video)
Remember what it was like when you first fell in love with Boston Dynamics’ rocky terrain traversing BigDog robot? Get ready to fall in love all over again. Meet the Sand Flea, a plucky little 11-pound robot that can jump a mind-boggling 30 feet in a single bound, while an on-board stabilization system helps make landings a bit smoother. The RC four-wheeler’s development is being funded by the Army’s Rapid Equipping Force. Your move, iRobot. Check out some rad video of the big-wheeled ‘bot after the break.
Continue reading Boston Dynamics lies down with BigDog, gets giant fleas (video)
Boston Dynamics lies down with BigDog, gets giant fleas (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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- Google Maps for Android gets bumped to 6.5, new navigation view and higher resolution map tiles in tow
Google’s has never been shy at continually iterating on its wares, and today it’s Maps on Android’s turn. Headlining the 6.5 release is the above ICS-only revamp of the Navigation home screen, which we’re told makes selecting previous and recent destinations a cinch. Additionally, there’s also support for crisper map tiles (if your device is rocking a higher resolution screen) in addition to new options for mass transit directions which can prioritize routes with fewer transfers or less walking. See it in action in the feel-good promotional video after the break, or get the full skinny at the source link below.Google Maps for Android gets bumped to 6.5, new navigation view and higher resolution map tiles in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The Official Google Blog, Google Maps (Google Play) | Email this | Comments - Tim Cook meets Chinese Vice Premier in Beijing, talks IP law, worker rights
Tim Cook’s visit to China this week marks his first as Apple’s CEO, but what originally appeared to be a casual jaunt to Beijing with possible carrier meetings on the agenda, has turned out to be a carefully orchestrated visit, including appointments with top government officials to talk economic development and intellectual property rights. Xinhua, the country’s official press agency (and therefore not the most objective of sources), reported that Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang stated that the country will “strengthen intellectual property rights protection” and “pay more attention to caring for workers.” Typical of state-sponsored releases, the report failed to expand on either statement, but even if nothing comes of this particular meeting, Keqiang is in line to take over as Premier next year, making him a solid addition to Cook’s rolodex. There’s a Chinese-language video of the encounter waiting just past the break.
Continue reading Tim Cook meets Chinese Vice Premier in Beijing, talks IP law, worker rights
Tim Cook meets Chinese Vice Premier in Beijing, talks IP law, worker rights originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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