Reports offer details about trove of digital data found in his Pakistan hideout, like that it included a stash of "electronically recorded video" porn.

News that U.S. special forces had killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden traveled fast via Twitter and other Web outlets.

We're just getting into the swing of spring, flowers blooming and skeeters biting, but already it's been a great year for Samsung -- if we ignore the whole lawsuit thing. Just a few weeks ago the company delivered to us our highest scoring Android phone yet, the Galaxy S II and, while that handset has not appeared on American shores, we were graced with the Droid Charge, which offers LTE speed, strong battery life, and an on-contract price that slightly exceeds its design.

Not so with the company's latest assault on American carriers. It's the Infuse 4G, it's $199 on-contract, and it has a decidedly high-end feel. It even looks a little like the S II -- if you squint. This is its own phone, though, a giant 4.5-inch screen setting it apart from its predecessors, and a giant battery inside giving it plenty of life. But is it really as good as it looks?

Continue reading Samsung Infuse 4G review

Samsung Infuse 4G review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leading experts in the medical field, as well as dozens of entrepreneurs, practicing physicians, and others interested in how exponential technologies can affect our lives are meeting at FutureMed.

The iPhone 4, along with Apple's App Store, have been given world record awards from Guinness as, respectively, the fastest-selling portable gaming system and the most popular application marketplace.

We've already had some success getting Netflix for Android up and running on an officially unsupported phone (a Droid X), but those not able to get it to work simply by transferring and installing the .APK now have another option. As some folks on XDA and Reddit have discovered, you can apparently just edit a few system settings to make your phone (or Nook Color, for that matter) think it's actually an HTC G2, which is apparently all it takes to satisfy the Netflix app. It doesn't work with every phone, of course, but quite a few seem to have had success with it. Unfortunately for some, you'll also need to first root your phone in order to make those changes, but the steps are fairly simple once you've done that. Hit up the links below for all the details, and let us know how it worked out for you in the comments below. Just remember: when in doubt, back up.

Workaround brings Netflix to more (rooted) Android users originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 15:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New iMac frees you from the tyranny (and convenience) of servicing your own hard drives originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 15:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fast-growing site that lets you connect to Webcams around the world adds a new location feature. CNET logs on and gets uncomfortable fast.

Amid the frenzy of news streaming from Google's developer conference this week, the unveiling of the Chromebook seems to shine brightest. Also: Microsoft buys Skype.

You know what's cool? Handing out 5,000 Android tablets to your most loyal developers at Google I/O. You know what's not cool? Handing out 5,000 Android tablets that can't have files loaded onto them. Believe or not, that's exactly what happened at this week's I/O conference, where hordes of developers were handed a Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition that cannot currently interface with OS X, and has a whale of a time doing so with Windows 7. During our initial preview of Music Beta, we noticed that our MacBook Pro (OS X 10.6) wouldn't actually recognize the tablet, even after installing Android File Transfer. Given that we didn't actually need that functionality for the purpose of said article, we threw it on the backburner.

For those unaware, Android File Transfer is a small app that's required to transfer content between OS X and Android 3.0. Avid users of Froyo and Gingerbread may be appalled that any Honeycomb device they buy will require a piece of software to interface with it, but hey -- there it is. At any rate, it seems to us that the latest build of Android File Transfer doesn't include the device ID for Samsung's heretofore unreleased Tab 10.1; if you'll recall, the standard edition of this thing isn't slated to hit consumer hands until June 8th. Regardless of what tricks we tried (installing a Mac version of Kies Mini, for example), we couldn't get a single Apple in our stable to recognize the thing. In one instance, a Mac viewed the device as a "Samsung Modem" within the Networking pane -- that's as close as we could come to getting the two to mingle. AllThingsD's Ina Fried said her Tab 10.1 LE was merely recognized as a camera-like device within Aperture.

Over on the Windows side, things are only marginally less awful. We've had a couple of Wintel boxes outright refuse to play nice with this "mysterious USB device," while others required multiple reboots and driver searchers to finally mount it as an external storage device -- and only with USB Debugging disabled. The upside is that those with patience (and a Windows 7 rig) can look forward to a single method of transfer, but it's certainly less than ideal.

We're surmising that Google's cooking up a new version of Android File Transfer as we speak that'll take care of the compatibility issues, hopefully long before consumers start seeing these in early June. But for developers in the here and now? Stop wasting your afternoon trying to figure out why your Mac just won't cooperate, and give that Win7 system a little love.

Update: After a bit of additional digging, we noticed that it's possible to access the Tab's file system from a Mac or Windows PC by using the Android SDK, putting the tablet in USB debugging mode, and running ddms. It's not the most convenient solution if you want to quickly and conveniently transfer some content to / from the device, but it should work until AFT sees an update. Alternatively, we're hearing that XNJB -- an older open source project originally built for Creative Nomads -- enables files to be transferred whenever it's in a good mood.

Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition not seen in Android File Transfer, Windows usability is spotty originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 15:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A letter from Sony to publishers is short on new info about when PSN will return, but reveals some facts about the cyberattack that downed the network for going on four weeks.

Belatedly after taking its PlayStation Network offline, Sony finally explains it did so because of security breach that exposed personal information of tens of millions of its users.

Debates about private cloud computing stem from differences in cloud definitions rather than the reality of what is being implemented in the enterprise.

We've seen them spit out fancy glass vases and tiny white strandbeests, and now the 3D thingy makers are pumping out cutesy salt and pepper shakers. Those hyper-glossy white rabbits pictured above are some of the first spawns of Glazed Ceramics, the newly minted food-safe material available from Shapeways. Glazed Ceramics are fired in an oven or kiln like traditional ceramics and are then coated with a lead-free non-toxic gloss -- the result is food-safe, recyclable, and heat resistant up to 1000 degrees Celsius. The new material is now available to Shapeways designers and will be until August 12th, at which point the company will decide whether its worth keeping around. For now you can sate your appetite for 3D printed shiny white dishes by clicking the source link below.

Shapeways Glazed Ceramics make 3D printed objects you can eat off of originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 14:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Researchers from Stanford University create an autonomous checkout clerk capable of scanning and bagging your items in real time.

If you get the fail whale, don't panic. Twitter is working on resolving a site stability issue.

Hey there fellow iOS users, just thought we'd let you know that the Engadget app for iPhone and iPod touch has now been updated to version 2.2. What's new, you ask? Well, on top of a stash of performance tweaks, there's now a handy landscape viewing mode along with much improved sharing features; or if you prefer saving the goodies for yourself, then you'll also like our new "save for later" options for Evernote, Instapaper, and Read It Later. Head over to the App Store to nab the fresh update now.

Oh, don't worry, we haven't forgotten our buddies on the Windows Phone boat. We can assure you that our devs are hard at work at cooking up an Engadget app for Windows Phone 7 just as we speak, so stay tuned for an announcement soon.

Engadget app for iPhone and iPod touch updated to 2.2.0, get it now! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 14:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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commentary Efficiency and new towers alone can't satisfy growing demands placed on mobile networks. Inventor Richard Bennett says spectrum must be freed up from legacy uses such as broadcast TV and obsolete government systems, and soon.

The Engadget Show returns Friday, May 27th -- win a ticket to the taping! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gazoo Racing puts a customized Lexus CT 200h on the Nurburgring for a six hour endurance race.

The makers of several iOS apps have been sent cease and desist orders for using an in-app purchase feature built into Apple's iOS software. The letters come from parties claiming to hold a patent on the functionality.

Compared with most smartphone owners, those who use location-based sites also are more likely to access other types of mobile content, according to ComScore.

Edge finds that several U.K. retail outlets are seeing higher-than-expected trade-in figures for the PlayStation 3. Fingers point to the PlayStation Network's outage.

During earnings call, Jen-Hsun Huang says his concerns over the first generation of Android tablets have been mostly addressed with Google's Android 3.1.

Do y'all like Google stuff? If you don't, do you really hate Google stuff? Either way, good. We've got you covered. We'll give you more reasons to gLove them or gHate them, because we've got almost a full hour of chatter about all the stuff they did this week: apps, upgrades, hardware, and a good old-fashioned smear campaign directed against them. There's also some good news in the virtual hugging and kissing space, which we think you'll find hard to hate. It's your time to shine: click on that link.

Host: Tim Stevens
Guests: Myriam Joire, Brian Heater
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: You Give Love a Bad Name

00:00:55 - Netflix releases Android app for select HTC phones, Samsung Nexus S
00:09:00 - Facebook admits hiring PR firm to smear Google
00:12:21 - Microsoft's acquisition of Skype for $8.5 billion becomes official
00:17:49 - Google Music Beta walkthrough: what it is and how it works (video)
00:21:00 - Google Music Beta versus the titans of the streaming music space: a chart
00:24:00 - Editorial: Engadget on Google Music and Movies for Android
00:27:00 - What stalled negotiations between Google and the music industry? (Hint: money)
00:31:05 - Google adding Netflix, Hulu support, offline Gmail, Calendar and Docs to Chrome OS this summer, prices hardware at $20 per month
00:36:48 - Official: Samsung reveals Chrome OS laptop -- the Series 5
00:38:05 - Google unveils Acer Chromebook: $349, 11.6-inches with 6.5-hour battery
00:40:42 - Editorial: Google clarifies Chromebook subscriptions, might have just changed the industry
00:46:41 - Google announces Android 3.1, available on Verizon Xoom today
00:49:50 - Motorola Xoom WiFi to get Android 3.1 update within the 'next several weeks' (update: now)
00:50:03 - Google TV getting Android 3.1 and Market this summer; Sony, Vizio, Samsung and Logitech onboard
00:50:25 - Google Ice Cream Sandwich coming in Q4 2011 to smartphones and tablets alike
00:52:13 - Google announces Android@Home framework for home automation
00:54:00 - Editorial: Android@Home is the best worst thing that could happen to home automation
00:56:00 - Lighting Science demos Android @ Home bulbs, promises dead-simple home automation (hands-on)
00:58:09 - Apple iMac (spring 2011) review
01:01:02 - Nintendo launching 3DS eShop on June 7, sharing some E3 love with everyone
01:02:43 - Microsoft's next major release of Windows Phone will be previewed on May 24th, and we'll be there live!
01:03:03 - Purported seventh-gen iPod nano spotted, complete with 1.3 megapixel camera
01:04:04 - Tactile kiss transmission device finally makes it okay to smooch your computer (video)
01:05:55 - Listener questions

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Filed under: Podcasts

Engadget Podcast 239 - 05.13.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 13:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blogger site back online after nearly one-day outage caused by a maintenance-related glitch.

Continue reading Robotic wheelchair uses 3D imaging to 'see' for visually impaired drivers

Robotic wheelchair uses 3D imaging to 'see' for visually impaired drivers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 13:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Taking off from its home base in Switzerland this morning, the Solar Impulse is in the midst of a 12-hour flight due to land in Brussels tonight.

Continue reading Barnes and Noble's Nook Android app now supports magazines, tablets, your Cosmo obsession

Barnes and Noble's Nook Android app now supports magazines, tablets, your Cosmo obsession originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 12:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Central  |  Android Market, BusinessWire  | Email this | Comments

Software giant rolls out a few improvements to its cloud-based Office Web Apps, specifically zeroing in on Excel and PowerPoint.

HP's Jon Rubenstein told us that his company wanted to veer in a new direction, and veer it surely did -- the HP Veer 4G will arguably be the smallest fully-functional smartphone on the market when it goes on sale May 15th. In a nutshell, it's a Palm Pixi Plus in the guise of a Pre, only in a delightfully downsized package with webOS 2.1 and thoroughly modern functionality. What does it feel like to Just Type on its tiny keyboard or throw app cards across its itsy-bitsy 2.6-inch screen? How is it as a pocketable HSPA+ hotspot, and will that extra G decimate its miniscule 910mAh battery? These are the questions that drove us when playing with the Veer 4G this week, and you'll find the answers shortly after the break.

Continue reading HP Veer 4G review

HP Veer 4G review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LimeWire reaches $105 million settlement with record labels originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 11:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Our testing of the Droid Charge got off to a bit of a rough start thanks to Verizon's wee tiny LTE outage that just so happened to hit at the same time as the phone. Thanks (at least in part) to that, the official launch of the device was delayed, and while we still don't have confirmation of why or just how long the delay was supposed to be, we do have multiple tips from multiple lovely readers in multiple positions at Verizon telling us the phone will be properly hitting stores on the 14th. We're working on official confirmation but, for now, it sure looks like tomorrow you'll be able to mosey on over to your local VZW outlet and get yourself $299 worth of LTE and OLED.

Update: We just got official confirmation from Verizon that the phone will be available tomorrow in-store and online tonight! Details in the PR below.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Droid Charge to finally light up on Verizon Wireless tomorrow (update: official!)

Droid Charge to finally light up on Verizon Wireless tomorrow (update: official!) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 11:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We've been generally satisfied with the chiclet-style keyboards that have become omnipresent in laptops and Apple's latest generation of desktop keyboards, but Cupertino feels that these thinner, lower-profile input devices limit tactile feedback. A patent application from Apple, filed in 2009 but only now revealed, aims to improve the user experience by "expelling air from the input device proximate the key when user selection is imminent." That's right -- your keyboard could blow on your fingertips as you blow our minds in the comments. Another solution in the patent would function like a vacuum to pull keys away when a proximity sensor detects that you're about to type, providing simulated feedback. If this concept takes off in the future, your next MacBook Air could really live up to its name.

Apple patent application shows keyboard that doesn't require contact, blows air originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 10:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Ring Mouse available for $70, just in time for your nerd wedding proposal

Ring Mouse available for $70, just in time for your nerd wedding proposal originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We could feed you a line about the final frontier or exploring strange new worlds, but we'll just give it to you straight: the X-Prize Foundation has teamed up with Qualcomm to design the Tricorder X-Prize, a $10 million competition designed to boldly go where no contest has gone before. Sorry, we couldn't help ourselves. The most recent addition to the ambitious X-Prize stable is aimed at producing a mobile medical device, similar to those used on Star Trek, that can "diagnose patients better than or equal to a panel of board certified physicians." Said device would allow regular folks to "quickly and effectively assess health conditions, determine if they need professional help," and then decide on a plan of action. The Tricorder X-Prize competition is still in the planning stages and should be ready to launch sometime in 2012. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading X-Prize reveals plans for tricorder competition, suspiciously lacking Nimoy endorsement

X-Prize reveals plans for tricorder competition, suspiciously lacking Nimoy endorsement originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 09:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did you think maybe HTC would change its ways after locking down the bootloader on the Thunderbolt and Incredible S? Sorry, no. The upcoming Sensation looks to have been similarly afflicted, with Android Police bringing the bad news that its internals are protected by HTC's private key. This will definitely prove to be an issue for those looking to run custom ROMs that are clean as a whistle, but something tells us the hackers shall overcome. They usually do.

[Thanks, Foo]

HTC Sensation looks to have signed bootloader, custom ROMs look to be bummed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 09:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The best dishes always contain 30 per cent fat minimum. This doesn't merely ensure a level of hearty satisfaction (Windows 7 Whopper anybody?), it also means the leftovers contain plenty of the greasy good stuff, which can be cleverly harvested and metamorphosed into biodiesel. The technology behind this process has been around for a while, but now British firm Greenergy claims it is ramping up commercial production. The firm's CEO reckons each of his new £50million ($80million) biodiesel plants will digest a sufficient volume of waste pies, fries and taramasalata to "fill out a cruise ship every year". Mmmm, pie.

Biodiesel can be harvested from leftover food, kids no longer have to clear their plates originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 09:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The International Trade Commission has weighed in on one half of the ongoing Apple-Kodak legal saga, ruling in favor of the team from Rochester. In a decision handed down yesterday, ITC Judge Robert Rogers determined that Apple's allegations of patent infringement are unfounded, adding that one of the company's patents is invalid. At issue are two digital camera technologies owned by Apple. One allows a camera to process multiple photos at the same time, while the other enables users to simultaneously adjust an image's balance, color and resolution. Apple claimed that Kodak illegally used these mechanisms in its Z-series, M-series, C-series, and Slice cameras, in addition to some video cameras. Judge Rogers clearly disagreed, though he won't be able to publicly explain his reasoning until both sides have had enough time to review confidential documents. Rogers' decision will also be subject to review by the full ITC, which is expected to issue a yea or nay on September 19th. A Kodak spokesman said the company is understandably "pleased" by the decision, but it won't have much time to rest on its laurels. On May 23rd, the ITC will announce a decision in a patent lawsuit that Kodak filed against both Apple and RIM, way back in January 2010. Stay tuned.

ITC judge rules against Apple in patent infringement case, Kodak smiles originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 08:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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