New Gadgets
- Verizon Wireless kicks off trade-in program for southern US residents, offers up to $300 credit
If you’re drooling over a new phone and happen to live in the southern United States, we thought you might like to know that Verizon is literally paying prospective customers to jump ship. All you have to do is bring in a mobile phone, regardless of carrier, where you’ll qualify for up to $300 toward a new handset from Big Red. If you’re curious, we’re told that non-smartphones will automatically receive a $50 credit, while more advanced devices will need to be evaluated by an in-store rep. The program is expected to last through the end of the year, and extends to residents of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Didn’t make the list? Well, uprooting your family is always an option — although, we’d probably advise against that.
Verizon Wireless kicks off trade-in program for southern US residents, offers up to $300 credit originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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ZDNet | Email this | Comments - British Telecom is the latest to sue Google over Android, other services
Another day, another patent lawsuit against Google. FOSS Patents reports British Telecom filed suit Thursday in Delaware over six of its patents it says Google is infringing upon with Android and other services like Maps and Music. Feel free to avail yourself of the text of the suit embedded after the break, which is heavy on terms like “telecommunications apparatus and method” and “navigation information system”. We’re not hearing any official response from Mountain View yet, but until we do you can probably pencil in platitudes about innovation and bogus patents.
Continue reading British Telecom is the latest to sue Google over Android, other services
British Telecom is the latest to sue Google over Android, other services originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Sony demos paper-fueled battery; Paper Mario runs for life
Remember Sony’s sugar high from a few years back? Sony has been trying to get electric results from glucose-based batteries for some time. But with the competition showing off cool concepts like Coke-powered phones, Sony’s Bio Battery program brought its latest development to Eco-Products 2011 in Tokyo. This info just might be worth the paper it’s printed on because, well, the battery runs on paper. By using the enzyme cellulase, the device can break down the glucose from cellulose-rich paper or cardboard, which generates enough energy to run a small fan. It’s not quite ready for prime time, but given the potential of easily turning junk mail into electricity at a more portable scale, this is certainly worth a continued look.
Sony demos paper-fueled battery; Paper Mario runs for life originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Facebook app update brings Timeline to the iPhone, iPad version coming soon
Facebook’s Timeline feature has only just begun to roll out across the globe, and now an iOS version has sidled up next to its Android counterpart — making it even easier for us to recheck our social network back stories. The new app is currently only available for the iPhone, but Facebook states that an iPad-friendly update will arrive soon. You will need to have already activated the timeline function on the web-based original, but downloading the latest version will also grant access to your friend lists and subscriptions. Some requisite performance improvements are also promised too. Cringe at some portable post-millennial fashion mistakes by grabbing the download at the source.
[Thanks Christoph]
Facebook app update brings Timeline to the iPhone, iPad version coming soon originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Dec 2011 13:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iTunes | Email this | Comments - Galaxy Nexus gets unofficial Google Wallet, leaves rooters feeling flush (update: now root-free)
While it may have arrived with the Nexus name, Google’s latest flagship has appeared without Wallet functionality, despite the inclusion of NFC hardware. Fortunately, it hasn’t taken long for a few eager Android tinkerers to get it working on the LTE model. There’s still a few hiccups and bugs and the phone needs to be rooted and unlocked, so consider yourself forewarned: you’re on your own if it bricks. Still, it works — user Mike Beauchamp was able to add extra funds to his account and make his first NFC McDonalds purchase. His video demonstration awaits after the break, Nexus-toting risk-takers can find a full step-by-step guide at the Google Plus link below.
Update: We talked too soon. Those that fear the uncertain future of a rooted handset now have a workaround. An APK is now up for grabs at XDA-Developers that will furnish your new favorite smartphone with Google Wallet goodness, hack-free. Non-US residents, however, still appear to be locked out from adding funds to their account. Let us know how it goes in the comments below.
[Thanks all]
Galaxy Nexus gets unofficial Google Wallet, leaves rooters feeling flush (update: now root-free) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Dec 2011 13:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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@myz08vette (Twitter), XDA-Developers | Email this | Comments - Galaxy Nexus users reporting touchscreen trouble, lower scores in multitouch games (video)
Looks like the honeymoon is ending a little early for some Galaxy Nexus users — a pair of RootzWiki threads say that the device is struggling to maintain multitouch in some situations. Apparently the bug is repeatable, booting up a multitouch game like Gun Brothers or Shadow Gun will put the lower right hand portion of the smartphone’s touchscreen in a finicky mood. We gave the glitch a go on a couple of different handsets, and were indeed thwarted by the touchscreen’s tantrum. Turning the Nexus’ screen on and off seems to fix the problem — at least until you jump into your next game — and the bug only seems to appear when the device is in landscape mode. This is likely a software bug, but until it’s fixed, we’ll just have to take it one touch at a time. Don’t have a Nexus? See the glitch in action after the break.
[Thanks, Jim]
Galaxy Nexus users reporting touchscreen trouble, lower scores in multitouch games (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Dec 2011 12:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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RootzWiki (1), (2) | Email this | Comments - Meet London’s new Eco-Routemaster, same as the old Routemaster (video)
The English can’t resist a good retro revival: we fell back in love with the new Mini and Doctor Who, so now it’s time to do the same with the eco-friendly revamp of the Routemaster bus. Packed with a hybrid engine that doubles the fuel efficiency of a standard diesel (at 11.6mpg — but it’s a bus, so that’s a lot) but producing only half the emissions. It’ll carry 87 passengers and the vehicle heralds the return of the rear-door, so when it’s stuck in traffic, you can safely hop-off and walk the rest of the way. A fleet of eight buses will run London’s “38″ route from early next year and you can watch the prototype being hand-built in the video we’ve got for you after the interval.Continue reading Meet London’s new Eco-Routemaster, same as the old Routemaster (video)
Meet London’s new Eco-Routemaster, same as the old Routemaster (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Dec 2011 11:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Refresh Roundup: week of December 12, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of December 12, 2011
Refresh Roundup: week of December 12, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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- Ford’s Focus Electric hits the production line, could be yours in January
After waiting eleven months just to profess your intent, what’s another two before taking delivery of your Focus Electric? That’s right, electric hatchback lovers, your pre-ordered chariots just went into production and will be rolling out of Ford’s Michigan plant come January. Despite the looming delivery, the automaker has yet to reveal its official range. AutoBlog Green muses that with its 23-kWh pack it’ll probably be good for about 70 miles — comparable to its slightly cheaper competition, the Nissan Leaf, which eked out 73 miles from its 24-kWh juice box in official testing. Will Ford spill the beans before CES 2012? Definitively maybe, but in the meantime hit the source to see a bevy of snaps from the production line — go on, with some luck it might just be yours.
Ford’s Focus Electric hits the production line, could be yours in January originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Dec 2011 08:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
