Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Aircel launches Facebook for All to offer free Facebook access for 60 days

Aircel logo
Aircel has partnered with Facebook India to offer free Facebook access to both old and new customers. This would let new Aircel customers enjoy free 50 MB per month data on Facebook for a period of 60 days without any extra packs. Existing customers would 50MB of free data for 30 days to access Facebook. 
This offers Facebook experience in 9 different languages and includes Facebook App, Facebook Messenger and Mobile version. Aircel also offers special tariff packs for Facebook access starting at Rs. 14, so its costs as low as 50p/day. Aircel’s special Facebook packs include,
MRPFB Usage (2G/3G)Validity
Rs. 14100 MB28 days
Rs. 525 MB5 days
This offer is currently available in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra and would roll out in rest of the circles soon. Looks like this doesn’t require any activation.
Announcing the launch of the service, Anupam Vasudev, Chief Marketing Officer, Aircel, said,
Aircel has positioned itself well as a data leader by constantly innovating products and services aimed at redefining user experience, especially the youth. Over 75 million people access Facebook through their mobile phones in India and more than 60% of Aircel customers who have data enabled handsets consume internet on their phones.
Kevin D’souza, Head of Growth and Mobile Partnerships, Facebook India, said,
India is truly a Mobile first country where millions of people are discovering the internet by connecting with people on Facebook through their mobile phones. ‘Facebook for All’ by Aircel is a great initiative that will make the Internet affordable and we are excited to partner in connecting the world on Facebook
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Apple rumor claims all-new, 12-inch MacBook Air

CNET CNET Reviews Top Categories Appliances Audio Cameras Car Tech Desktops Headphones Laptops Networking Phones Printers Software Tablets TVs Wearable Tech Deals News Top Categories Apple Computers Crave Internet Microsoft Mobile Photography Security Sci-Tech Tech Culture Tech Industry Photo Galleries Video Top Categories Apple Byte CNET On Cars CNET Top 5 CNET Update Next Big Thing The 404 The Fix XCAR How To Top Categories Computers Home Entertainment Internet Phones Photography Security Tablets Forums Download Log In / Join Log In to CNET Sign In with Facebook Google Yahoo Join CNET Facebook Google Yahoo My Profile Log Out US Edition Other editions United Kingdom Australia China France Germany Japan Korea CNET en EspaƱol CNET Computers Laptops Apple rumor claims all-new 12-inch MacBook Apple rumor claims all-new 12-inch MacBook

The MacBook is getting a makeover sooner rather than later if gossip from China is coming from a reliable source.

by Brooke Crothers

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Twitter battle in Turkey heats up, spreads to YouTube -- reports

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NSA's reported Huawei hack gives glimpse of agency's role in 'cyber Cold War'

The latest report based on leaks by Edward Snowden has it that the NSA hacked into the servers of a Chinese router company that had itself been accused by the US of potentially aiding government espionage.

by Edward Moyer

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Mom tries to Facebook-shame daughter, gets pizza on face

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New XPrize: Can an AI project get a standing ovation at TED?

The AI XPrize, announced today at TED.

(Credit:XPrize)

Can an artificial intelligence system get a standing ovation at the TED conference?

That's the challenge for the brand-new A.I. XPrize, announced Thursday at TED in Vancouver by XPrize Foundation head Peter Diamandis.

Unlike most XPrizes, which have clear rules and goals, this one is a bit more free-form. Described as "a modern-day Turing test,

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Twitter makes it easy to find first tweets

Samsung sets a high price for its smartwatches, Google lets you snap a photo with voice commands, and Twitter celebrates its eighth birthday by looking back at users' first tweets.



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Sprint lays off 330 techs, shutters 55 stores as part of broader cuts

(Credit:CNET)

Sprint recently cut a significant chunk of its staff dedicated to repairing and refurbishing phones and shut down its slower-performing stores, part of a broader effort to reduce the company's costs in the face of continued financial struggles.

The Overland Park, Kan., wireless carrier laid off 330 technical consultants, closing 150 service and repair centers across the country, a Sprint representative confirmed to CNET. It also shut down 55 of its worst-performing retail stores. The moves were part of a larger plan for layoffs and cuts that was announced in January.

Related storiesSprint adds 20 LTE markets, expects to cover 250M people by midyearSprint revamps prepaid with cheaper plans, new phonesAT&T throws cold water on European acquisitionsSprint iPhone 5 owners, welcome to TingSprint CFO says early reaction to Framily better than expected

Sprint is attempting to streamline itself and return to profitability now that it is under the ownership of Japanese carrier SoftBank. The company, while narrowing its loss from a year ago, was still in the red by $1.62 billion in the fourth quarter amid declining revenue. In January, the company warned it would cut jobs in areas including customer care centers and less-profitable retail stores, according to the Kansas City Star. Earlier this week Sprint said that it is cutting about 1,550 customer service jobs.

In total, Sprint previously had 2,000 to 2,500 technical consultants across the country, according to Sprint representative Mark Bonavia.

Presumably, the lack of so many technical consultants would be a hindrance to Sprint and its ability to serve customers with damaged phones. But Bonavia said the cuts were designed with minimal disturbance to the customer.

While not every store will be able to service a phone, customers will be referred to a sister store that's within a 45-minute drive.

"We wanted to drive traffic to service and repair centers that were strong, and close ones that didn't operate as well," Bonavia said.

The company is cutting operational costs even as it continues to pour money into upgrading and overhauling its network, adding 4G LTE and replacing its existing 3G network for better performance. Sprint executives refer to it as the "pardon our dust" period as customers endure the sometimes painful experience of the upgrade.

Sprint is working through the upgrade process and pushing its "Framily" friends and family group plan as an incentive to sign up with the carrier.

Topics: Corporate and legal Tags: layoffs, Sprint, tech

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Lenovo buys mobile patents from Unwired Planet for $100M

The Chinese computing giant, which also plans to purchase Motorola, reached a deal to acquire 21 patent families related to 3G, 4G, and other mobile technologies.



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Symantec fires CEO Steve Bennett

Board member Michael Brown will serve as interim CEO while maker of Norton antivirus software hunts for its second chief executive in two years.



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Gmail: Encryption is now mandatory

Four years after Google turned on HTTPS by default in Gmail, and less than a year since the Edward Snowden document leaks, Google removes your ability to opt out of encryption.



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World's largest TV, 'Big Hoss,' is as long as a jet

"Big Hoss," soon to be confirmed as the largest TV in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records, has been switched on in Texas to the delight of thousands of "Duck Dynasty"-loving racing fans.



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Syria's Internet goes dark for several hours

A sustained Internet outage affected nearly the entire country on Thursday.

(Credit:Renesys)

After a more than seven-hour blackout, it appears the Internet has returned to Syria.

On Thursday morning several Internet monitoring firms began reporting a halt of online traffic in and out of the war-torn country. While it was clear something was amiss, it was unclear who or what was causing the outage.

In the past, divergent players such as the online hacking collective Anonymous or the Syrian Electronic Army -- a President Bashar Assad loyalist group -- have waged attacks on the country's Internet. However, Thursday's outage appears to have two different sources.

First, a group calling itself the "European Cyber Army" claimed responsibility by posting a message on Pastebin. The group claimed to have waged the attack in retaliation for hacks by the Syrian Electronic Army on US and European Web sites over the past year.

"As you may or may not have noticed Syria was wiped off the face of the Internet!," the group wrote on Thursday. "SEA is a grave threat...A threat that must be neutralized before it spreads like a disease!"

The second group taking the blame was the Syrian government. In a message posted on the country's state-owned Syrian Arab News Agency, the government claimed, "regional and international communications and Internet network were cut off in all the provinces due to a breakdown in the optical fiber cable."

Related storiesIn Syria, a detained Internet activist remains in limboJustice Dept. probes alleged sales of Dell computers to SyriaKenneth Cole outsleazes himself on Twitter with Syria 'joke'John McCain laughs off iPhone poker during Senate hearingSyrian activists' Facebook pages said to be shuttered It's unclear which of these two scenarios actually caused the blackout. The outage started early this morning and affected nearly the entire country, according to Internet monitoring firm Renesys. The only link able to reach Syria was TurkTelecom, which was able to power up the country's largest city Aleppo. Akamai showed the same type of disruption.

"Today's blackout in Syria is not surprising," Renesys wrote in a tweet. "Renesys rates Syria at 'severe risk' of disconnection."

This isn't the first time Syria has been yanked offline. In November 2012, a massive outage shut down not only all access to the Web but also phone lines. And last May, a similar breakdown in communications occurred when Internet, mobile, and landline networks became inaccessible countrywide.

(Via The Washington Post).

Near complete Internet disruption in #Syria detected by

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No penalty for Comcast if merger with Time Warner Cable fails

(Credit:Marguerite Reardon/CNET)

Comcast negotiated an easy escape hatch if regulators put too much heat on the $45.2 billion merger with Time Warner Cable, according to a regulatory filing Thursday.

According to the S4 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, Comcast will not owe Time Warner Cable a breakup fee if the deal falls through due to regulatory issues. The filing also indicated that Time Warner Cable CEO Rob Marcus, who had only been on the job as CEO for two months before the merger was announced, will receive an $80 million severance package should the deal be completed and he step down as CEO. Marcus had been Time Warner Cable's chief operating officer and was instrumental in putting together the deal with Comcast, the filing also indicates.

Comcast is the nation's largest cable operator and Time Warner Cable is the second largest when considering total subscriptions. And because of their status as the No. 1 and No. 2 cable operators in the US, the biggest hurdle to a deal between the two companies is approval from regulators.

Related storiesNetflix's Hastings makes the case for Net neutralitySyria's Internet goes dark for several hoursApple's next big push will be "Healthbook"Which iPad should you buy?Creeping closer to TV channel, Netflix licenses 'Fargo' abroad

Even though the two companies do not compete directly against each other in almost any market, there are still concerns that an even bigger Comcast could wield too much power in terms of negotiations with content owners. There is also a fear among consumer advocates and some lawmakers, such as Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) that Comcast could use its larger footprint and control over broadband infrastructure to violate Net neutrality principles by unfairly blocking or slowing traffic of online video competitors to benefit its own services.

Franken sent a letter to the Department of Justice on Thursday expressing his concerns regarding Comcast's potential to violate Open Internet principles. And he asked the agency to take a close look at the deal to ensure that consumers are protected.

In spite of these concerns, most experts say that it's unlikely that federal regulators would reject the merger outright. Instead, it's more likely that the companies will have to agree to a set of conditions in order to get the deal approved. But the S4 filing suggests that Comcast has an easy out if the conditions inflicted by regulators are too extreme.

According to the filing, Comcast can walk away from the deal without penalty if it is consistent in "scope and magnitude with the conditions and actions...required or imposed by any governmental authorities in connection with acquisitions of US cable systems in the past 12 years with a purchase price of at least $500 million."

Analyst Paul Gallant from Guggenheim Partners points out in a note to investors that "this is a fairly low bar for Comcast to walk because conditions on prior cable transactions (other than Comcast-NBCU) have been quite limited. So that S4 language underscores our view that the main regulatory risk to the deal is probably not outright rejection by the FCC and DOJ, but one or more conditions that Comcast decides are unacceptable."

He speculates that the fact that it would be easy for Comcast to walk away from the deal combined with the lack of a breakup fee could make the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice reluctant to impose "excessive" conditions. But he also reasoned that because the FCC and Justice Department are controlled by Democrats during an election year, there will likely be pressure to impose stricter restrictions on the merger. He said he thinks it's unlikely that regulators will simply be all right with extending conditions imposed on Comcast in the NBC Universal merger from a couple of years ago.

He also speculated on some of the possible conditions that the FCC might be considering that could be most problematic to Comcast.

These might include:

Regulation of peering relationships among Internet providers.Oversight of how the company bundles video channels as part of its TV packages.Requirements to sell NBC Universal content to over-the-top Internet video providers, such as Netflix and Amazon. Oversight of broadband pricing.

Another potential issue that might affect the severity of the conditions on the merger is a report from the New York Post on Wednesday that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is considering pushing new state rules that would give state cable regulators more power in approving mergers that affect consumers in the state.

Still, even with increased scrutiny from state regulators, Gallant said he thinks the deal would still get approved. But he thinks that such state oversight might increase the pressure for more conditions on Comcast. And again because of Comcast's easy escape hatch, the company could decide to pull plug on the merger with no penalty if the conditions become too onerous.

It will be easier to predict the scope of the conditions that might be imposed by regulators once parties opposing the merger begin responding to the Comcast filing at the FCC, Gallant said. This is likely to happen in May.

Topics: Corporate and legal Tags: Comcast, Time Warner Cable, broadband

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Mark Cuban music fest designed for schmoozing while grooving

The serial entrepreneur is promoting Recess, a music festival, pitch competition, and student job fair rolled into one. The "Shark Tank" star tells CNET why he's backing it.



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Twitter dark in Turkey after PM's threat to 'wipe out' the service

Twitter is inaccessible in Turkey.

(Credit:Bulent Kilic/AFP/GettyImages)

Twitter reportedly went offline in Turkey on Thursday, just hours after the country's prime minister threatened to eradicate the social network from the country in the wake of allegations of corruption spread across social networks.

"We will wipe out Twitter. I don't care what the international community says," premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday during an election rally in the western province of Bursa.

"They will see the Turkish republic's strength," he added, according to the AFP news agency.

Twitter said Thursday that it was looking into reports that its microblogging service had already been banned in that nation. The social network advised users in Turkey that they could still send tweets by using SMS:

Turkish users: you can send Tweets using SMS. Avea and Vodafone text START to 2444. Turkcell text START to 2555.

— Policy (

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Netflix's Hastings makes the case for Net neutrality

In his ongoing battle against big ISPs, like Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon, the video streaming service's CEO says, "Net neutrality must be defended and strengthened."



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'Say hello to my e-go': 10 funny first tweets we love

While many first tweets centered on dull daily details or confusion about what Twitter even does, Jedi Master tweeters treated their first 140-character messages like a night at the comedy club.



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Microsoft defends opening Hotmail account of blogger in espionage case

Company says it cracked open the Hotmail account of an unnamed blogger involved in a Windows 8 espionage case in part because he was selling Windows Server activation keys.



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Mt. Gox finds 200,000 missing bitcoins in unused wallet

(Credit:Bitcoin)

Mt. Gox has discovered 200,000 missing bitcoins in a wallet no longer in use, the troubled Bitcoin exchange announced Thursday, reducing the number of missing bitcoins from 850,000 to 650,000.

"We believed there were no bitcoins left in old wallets, but found 199,999.99 bitcoins on March 7," Mt. Gox Chief Executive Officer Mark Karpeles said in a document (PDF) released Thursday. Mt. Gox said it reported the discovery to attorneys on March 8 and moved the newfound bitcoins to offline storage.

Related storiesMt. Gox update lets users see their Bitcoin balancesNew Bitcoin glitch: Blockchain suffers hours-long outageDorian Nakamoto: Bitcoin was not my baby, period

Once one of the largest and most popular Bitcoin exchanges, Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy last month, saying it had lost nearly 750,000 customer bitcoins, as well as 100,000 of the exchange's own bitcoins, as a result of a security lapse. The discovery of the overlooked bitcoins apparently occurred before hackers hijacked and defaced Karpeles' Reddit account and personal blog with charges of fraud earlier this month.

Hackers accused the exchange of secretly keeping some of the coins allegedly stolen in the fraudulent withdrawals and posted data allegedly lifted from Mt. Gox servers they said backed up their claims. The data purportedly showed that 951,116 bitcoins had been deposited with the exchange, more than 100,000 more than Mt. Gox claimed to have lost.

The troubled exchange suspended customer withdrawals on February 7, claiming a fundamental flaw existed in Bitcoin that affected all transactions. Not long afterward, the exchange shut down altogether. Although Mt. Gox later apologized for the issue and said it had developed a workaround that would allow it to resume service, customers are still unable to make withdrawals.

Topics: Corporate and legal Tags: Mt. Gox, bitcoin

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Survey names LinkedIn chief top-rated CEO, Zuckerberg falls to No. 9

LinkedIn's CEO Jeff Weiner (left) chats with Demo chairman Matt Marshall at the 2010 Demo conference.

(Credit:Josh Lowensohn/CNET)

Leading a professional networking site must mean you know your p's and q's and have some social grace. So, it makes sense that LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner is beloved by his employees.

In fact, Weiner is so well-liked that he has been crowned the highest-rated CEO for 2014.

The honors come via hundreds of thousands of employee surveys across all industries submitted to company-review site Glassdoor. Every year, the site tallies up the votes and publishes the rankings of the 50 highest-rated CEOs in the US for companies with at least 1,000 employees (see full list below).

This year, Weiner received a "perfect 100 percent approval rating," according to Glassdoor. Last year's winner, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, fell several spots to No. 9 overall -- down from a 99 percent approval rating to 93 percent.

Weiner took the helm of LinkedIn in 2009, after being Yahoo's Network Division executive vice president. He has since seen the professional networking site go public and swell its member base to 259 million users. Over the past year, Weiner has focused on new strategies like emphasizing content and mobile apps to attract a wider variety of business users. In December, LinkedIn was also voted the No. 3 best company to work for in the US.

"The CEO is what helps spread the culture. He emphasizes culture," one LinkedIn associate Web developer wrote of Weiner on Glassdoor. "Colleagues are top notch as developers, collaborators, and acquaintances. Leadership is excellent. Perks are amazing," another LinkedIn employee wrote.

Related stories$7,000-per-month tech interns are making bank, says reportWhat are the weirdest interview questions from tech companies?Twitter tops charts as best tech company to work forApple, Google, Facebook don't pay the highest engineer salaryNokia, Yahoo rank among top companies for work-life balance

Of the Top 50 highest-rated CEOs, 14 come from tech companies, including Google's Larry Page in 10th place, Salesforce's Marc Benioff in 12th place, Apple's Tim Cook in 17th place, Amazon's Jeff Bezos in 32nd place, and more. This makes tech the top industry represented on the list. Last year, 20 tech CEOs made the list, but a few have dropped off, such as Oracle's Larry Ellison and Dell's Michael Dell.

This year, a female tech CEO also made the Top 50: Yahoo's Marissa Mayer squeezed in at No. 49 with a 79 percent approval rating.

"Marissa is cool and taking bold steps to move the needle," a Yahoo senior developer wrote on Glassdoor. "Presently she has tail winds beneath her wings. Good for general morale."

While Glassdoor's list is a survey, it's voluntary rather than scientific. The figures come from employees who actively go to Glassdoor's site to rate their companies and bosses. Glassdoor said this Top 50 CEOs report includes only CEOs who received at least 100 employee ratings over the past year. The average CEO approval rating on Glassdoor for all CEOs is roughly 65 percent to 70 percent.



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Obama to meet again with tech leaders over surveillance

Last December, President Obama met at the White House with top tech execs including Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer.

(Credit:Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama plans to meet with a select group of technology CEOs on Friday to discuss "issues of privacy, technology, and intelligence," a White House official told Politico.

A full list of chief executives was not made available by the White House, but industry sources told Politico that Google, Facebook, and Yahoo had been invited to the meeting. CNET has contacted those companies for comment on their participation and will update this report when we learn more.

It's the second such meeting Obama has held with Silicon Valley executives in recent months over controversial US electronic surveillance programs. During a meeting in December with the president over ways to improve the beleaguered Healthcare.gov Web site, a collection of tech leaders that included Apple CEO Tim Cook, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, and Twitter CEO Dick Costolo urged the president to move swiftly on reforming the federal government's surveillance programs.

One of the chief executives expected to attend Friday's meeting is Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, who one week ago said he telephoned Obama to express his frustration over the National Security Agency's surveillance practices. Zuckerberg's call came after documents leaked by whistle-blower Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA uses an automated system called Turbine to hack into millions of computers.

A frequent critic of the NSA, Zuckerberg wrote in an update to his Facebook page that the company he founded was working to identify flaws in others' services to "keep the Internet strong" but said that the US government needed to be "much more transparent about what they're doing."

Related storiesGmail: Encryption is now mandatoryNSA top lawyer says tech giants knew about data collectionNSA can reportedly record every call made in a foreign country

"I've been so confused and frustrated by the repeated reports of the behavior of the US government. When our engineers work tirelessly to improve security, we imagine we're protecting you against criminals, not our own government," Zuckerberg said.

Google CEO Larry Page added his criticism on Wednesday during the TED conference in Vancouver, saying that it was "tremendously disappointing that the government sort of secretly did all these things and didn't tell us."

"I don't think we can have a democracy if we have to protect our users from the government

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Transcend curries 4K favor with faster SD cards

For videographers shooting high-resolution video, the Taiwanese flash-card maker has two new choices with faster write speeds and capacities up to 128GB.



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Moto 360 will use sapphire glass, wireless charging -- report

The wireless charging capability falls in line with Motorola's previous tease of a "secret" method, while sapphire glass would give the smartwatch a more scratch-resistant shell.



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iOS 7.1 jailbroken but only on the iPhone 4

Demoed in a YouTube video, the untethered jailbreak works on the latest version of iOS, though devices with A5 chips or higher apparently are out of the running for now.



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Musk, Zuckerberg, Kutcher invest in AI firm Vicarious

The three are joining in on a $40 million round that will help Vicarious toward its ambitious goal: translating the brain's neocortex into code.



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Get a Fluance Fi30 Bluetooth speaker for $99.96

The Fluance Fi30 is a shiny, stylish Bluetooth speaker available in white or black.

(Credit:Fluance)

First up, thanks for the incredible response to yesterday's post about Microsoft Office. Lots of good discussion, lots of very fair points on all sides. (Note that CNET's commenting system is down for the moment, so you can't add your two cents just now. Same goes for this post. Sorry about that! Hopefully it'll be sorted out soon.)

Second up, most of the Bluetooth speakers you see nowadays are of the compact, portable variety. Those can be great if you want something that can go where you go, even if it's just to different rooms of the house. But there's also much to be said for a bigger, louder speaker that takes up permanent residence in a living room, bedroom, den, or the like.

The folks at Fluance just introduced a new model with that kind of positioning in mind, and for a limited time, you can score one on the cheap. It's the Fluance Fi30 Bluetooth speaker for $99.96 shipped when you apply coupon code FI30CNET at checkout. Available in your choice of black or white, it normally sells for $149.99.

If it looks at all familiar, that's because the Fi30 is a slightly smaller version of the Fluance FiSDK500 speaker dock I've featured here before. It's constructed of the same medium-density fiberboard (MDF), which promises a warmer sound and more accurate response than a typical plastic enclosure. I can say from experience that the FiSDK500, a longtime resident in my kitchen, sounded terrific.

With the Fi30, though, there's no dock, nor even a set of volume or transport controls. The speaker was designed expressly to pair with your smartphone or tablet, though it does have a 3.5mm input in case you want to connect a non-Bluetooth player (like an older iPod). There's also a 2.1-amp USB port for charging your mobile device, a handy extra.

My favorite feature by far: The Fi30 remembers up to eight paired devices. That means if Mrs. Cheapskate wants to listen to music from her iPhone or Cheapskate Jr. wants to listen from his iPod Touch, no problem -- I don't have to un-pair my Android phone first, then re-pair it again later.

I haven't had any ears-on time with the Fi30, but David Carnoy reviewed the speaker just a week ago. Verdict: "The best sound for your Bluetooth buck." And that was based on a $149.99 price tag.

For $99.96 out the door, this is a great option for anyone seeking high-quality sound from a speaker that can sit on a bookshelf and look really good doing it. The coupon code is good through March 27.

Bonus deal: Happy birthday, Amazon Appstore! To celebrate, you can get a big pile of apps absolutely free. Grab Polaris Office (normally $12.99), Runtastic Pro (normally $4.99), mSecure Password Manager ($9.99), and a bunch of games, each for the enticing price of $0.

Bonus deal No. 2: Need a good read for the weekend? One of my all-time favorite books is on sale, today only, for Kindle: "City of Thieves" by David Benioff. Why does that name ring a bell? Oh, he's just the co-creator of a little TV show called "Game of Thrones." This novel came first, and it's a steal at $2.99. While you're at it, why not grab the Humble eBook Bundle 3, which lets you name your own price for an eclectic mix -- with bonuses for beating the average (currently $10.76).

Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.

Want to know more about The Cheapskate blog and how it works? Read our FAQ.

Find more deals and bargains on CNET Marketplace.

Topics: Electronics Tags: Bluetooth speakers, music, audio, home audio, speakers

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BlackBerry to sell off 3M square feet of space in Canada

The sale represents the majority of its real estate holdings in Canada. BlackBerry's not saying how much cash it'll take in from the transaction.



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Turkish citizens fight back against Twitter ban

(Credit:Twitter/screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET)

The people of Turkey are still finding their way into the Twittersphere despite a government ban of the site.

On Thursday, Turkish courts took Twitter offline for the country's 76 million citizens following actions by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. An unabashed critic of social networks, Erdogan has threatened to "wipe out" the site in the wake of a political corruption scandal that has embarrassed the government through news, videos, and images posted on Twitter.

But many Turkish citizens are tweeting their way past the ban with help from Twitter and Google.

Following the shutdown, Twitter quickly informed Turkish users that they could still tweet using SMS. Google also is providing a helping hand through the use of its free DNS (Domain Name System). Setting a PC or mobile device to use Google's DNS IP address of 8.8.8.8 is another to way to slip past the ban.

Graffiti displaying the phrase: "DNS 8.8.8.8" has even been spotted around Turkey, helping spread the word to fellow citizens. An image being posted on Twitter flashes the message: "Keep Calm" followed by 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (8.8.4.4 is the alternate address for Google's DNS).

As such, the best laid plans of Erdogan to censor Twitter seem to be backfiring -- for now.

Soon after the ban, the hashtags #TwitterisblockedinTurkey and #TurkeyBlockedTwitter quickly became two of the top trending tags around the world. Since the ban started, the people of Turkey had posted more than 2.4 million tweets by 3 a.m. local time on Friday, CNBC reported, citing stats from Turkish Web site Zete.com.

The volume of tweets has actually risen by 138 percent, according to data from social media analytics firm Brandwatch. In a new study commissioned by social media agency We Are Social, Brandwatch found the increase after comparing the number of tweets sent in Turkey from 2 a.m. to 12 p.m. local time on Thursday with those sent during the same period on Wednesday.

Commenting on the data, Robin Grant, global managing director of We Are Social, said that the ban seems to be rallying more people in Turkey to take to Twitter:

The main effect so far of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's Twitter ban seems to have actually been inspiring more people to tweet.

Banning Twitter is clearly a counterproductive move that will ultimately will have the opposite effect to that intended. The Internet was designed to route around obstacles like PM Erdogan, and its users will continue to find ways to do so.

It appears people in Turkey are enjoying the challenge, tweeting via text message, through an anonymous VPN, by changing their DNS -- and it seems even those who may have had little interest in tweeting before are now getting involved.

As numerous politicians all over the world have discovered to their detriment in the past, it's not clever to pick a fight with social media. It's not one they're likely to win.

Even Turkey's own president has questioned the ban. In his own series of tweets posted since Twitter was cut off, Abdullah Gul said that social media platforms cannot be completely closed and that a shutdown of social media platforms cannot be approved.

But Gul's role as president is largely ceremonial, while Prime Minister Erdogan is the true head of Turkey's Islamic-based AK Party-led government. Gul's critics also say he has been reluctant to publicly criticize or challenge Erdogan due to his own political ambitions, according to Reuters.

Turkey's leader since 2003, Erdogan has been embroiled in a political scandal ahead of local elections set for March 30.

Audio recordings have surfaced on social media allegedly detailing conversations between Erdogan and his son in which the two discuss how to hide large amounts of money. Erdogan has condemned the recordings as fake. But the prime minister's critics see the crackdown on social media as a move to stifle news about the scandal.

The censorship of Twitter has already hurt Turkey in the wallet as well. In the wake of the shutdown, Turkish assets fell on Friday as the lira weakened further against the dollar, Reuters said. The lira was already under pressure, and the ban hasn't helped.

"It remains to be seen whether (the ruling) AK Party will benefit or suffer from the Twitter ban in the upcoming elections," Inan Demir, chief economist at Finansbank, told Reuters. "However, from a purely markets perspective, the whimsical/erratic attitude of the government can only add to Turkey's risk premium."

Turkey's censorship of Twitter has sparked outrage outside the country as well.

European Commission vice president Neelie Kroes called the ban "groundless, pointless, and cowardly" and said that the Turkish people and the international community will see this as the censorship that is it. Stefan Fule, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, issued a more formal statement condemning the ban:

The ban on the social platform Twitter.com in Turkey raises grave concerns and casts doubt on Turkey's stated commitment to European values and standards.

Freedom of expression, a fundamental right in any democratic society, includes the right to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority. Citizens must be free to communicate and choose freely the means to do it. This obviously includes access to the internet.

Open debate promotes transparency and accountability and ultimately reinforces democracy; such debate needs to be strengthened everywhere, including in Turkey.

And now the lawyers are getting involved in the battle. The Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) has filed a petition asking the county to overturn the Twitter ban, according to Turkey's Hurriyet Daily News. Twitter has also hired an attorney versed in cyberlaw to meet with Turkish officials to discuss a legal solution for ending the ban.

Despite Erdogan's vow to wipe out social networks, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said he expects the ban to be temporary, Reuters reported. Facing legal pressure, financial worries, and the obvious ineffectiveness of the ban, Erdogan's government may have no choice but to turn the tap back on.

Topics: Twitter, Policy, Consumer content Tags: Tayyip Erdogan, censorship, Turkey, Twitter

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Ducati's new bike jacket turns you into a human airbag

We love using motorcycle gear with built-in airbags, but not the extra heft of carrying the sensors that make the thing work. Ducati knows this, and has teamed up with Dainese to develop a system that spares our shoulders the added burden. The new Ducati Multistrada D-Air has sensors attached through the bike's electronic system that monitor the vehicle's acceleration, breaking and orientation. If it detects that you're about to crash, it'll send a signal over WiFi to your jacket, so that the internal airbags will deploy before you hit the asphalt. The first version of both bike and outfit will launch in Europe from May, just in time for a safe summer jaunt through the Transfagarasan Highway.

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Via: Gizmag, Wired

Source: Ducati

Tags: Dainese, Ducati, Motorcycle, Multistrada D-Air Next: Apple's latest experiment makes finding apps easier .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Amazon to invest in the UK's least popular delivery service

With Prime subscriptions on the rise, Amazon is constantly exploring ways to cut the cost of regular home deliveries. One option the retail giant is considering is to invest in the companies that deliver its parcels, with UK courier firm Yodel currently the object of its desire. The Guardian reports that the two companies have agreed a deal that could see Amazon acquire 4.2 percent of the UK's least popular parcel delivery service for £8.7 million. While Yodel is now the second biggest service of its kind behind recently-privatized Royal Mail, customers haven't been so supportive, putting the company at the bottom of the delivery polls for the second year running. Amazon continues to use a variety of delivery firms across the world, but the company has recently begun using its own trucks to deliver parcels in the US. It's not clear whether Amazon could amass a bigger fleet on the other side of the Atlantic, but strategic investments such as this suggest it could be a possibility.

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Source: Guardian

Tags: amazon, courier, delivery, uk, uk-origin, yodel Next: Ducati's new bike jacket turns you into a human airbag .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Mirama hopes to replace your smartphone with a headset, your camera button with a finger gesture

Mirama wants do away with the the camera button on your smartphone. In fact, don't even get the smartphone out to begin with. Its prototype headset lets you frame and take a picture using your hands and its built-in camera. No buttons, no vocal cues, not even a wink. Other gestures, registered by the camera sensor, add the ability to confirm or cancel (thumbs up and down, respectively) while you can even attempt a hand-written message ... if you have the right level of motor control. (Our own gestured penmanship during a quick demo proved we didn't.) The cameras on the left and right, meanwhile, offer a constant stream of what you'd be looking at if you weren't wearing the headset. Gestures (well, your hands) then appear in bright cyan on top of the video feed. Mirama gesture interface prototype (hands-on)

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OnePlus confirms April 23rd launch date for its first smartphone

One One may occupy all of today's headlines, but there's another One that wants some of your attention. OnePlus, the outfit founded by former Oppo VP Pete Lau, has announced that it'll whip the covers from its "perfect" Android smartphone on April 23rd. Even at this late stage, however, the company is tweaking the spec list for the device -- swapping in a Snapdragon 801 for just a little bit extra power. Naturally, we'll be at the shindig, and will share our impressions as soon as we get our hands on one.

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Via: Engadget Chinese

Source: OnePlus (Google

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HTC's new One will also come as a minimalist Google Play Edition

With HTC's big launch looming later today, some apps for the new One handset have started dropping prematurely on the Google Play Store. One of those apps, HTC Gallery, is especially interesting because its accompanying text confirms that, aside from the regular phone, there'll also be the option of a clutter-free Google Play Edition. It looks like this edition will be available soon, perhaps coinciding with the main launch, without the lag we saw with the Google-fied version of the old One. Whenever it arrives, those who opt for this edition will get prompt Android updates while also being free to pick and choose from HTC's software offerings, including Blinkfeed (the company's news-focused homepage), Sense TV (the TV remote app) and presumably at least one photography app that can take advantage of the new model's rumored selling point: a depth-sensing camera. Stay tuned at our liveblog at 11am ET (8am PT, 3pm UK) for all the official news and pricing.

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Via: Android Central

Source: Google Play

Tags: android, google, googleplayedition, htc, htcone, htconem8, m8, mobilepostcross Next: OnePlus confirms April 23rd launch date for its first smartphone
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Fleksy keyboard for Android now has achievement badges and cloud syncing

Even though Fleksy's predictive touch typing is fairly easy to learn, not everyone is familiar with all that this alternative keyboard has to offer. That's one of the reasons the company has incorporated a new Badge system in Fleksy's latest 2.0 update for Android, to hopefully have users spread its gospel and get a bit of fun out of it as well. For example, if you're able to type on Fleksy's invisible keyboard, you'll get an "Invisible Master" badge, or a "Gesture Guru" stamp if you have those special swipes down pat. You can show off your badges to your buddies of course, but their main value is in introducing new color themes or prolonging Fleksy's free trial period. Another addition to Fleksy 2.0 is a new cloud feature that lets you sync personalization features across your various Android devices. Things are moving ahead on the iOS side as well, as Fleksy has updated its SDK with eight new languages and improved typing precision. Around 50 iOS developers have already incorporated the Fleksy keyboard into their apps, many of which are featured here. For those on Android who have yet to try the full version of Fleksy, you would be wise to get it soon -- the app will be 50 percent off ($1.99) for the next 72 hours only.

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Source: Google Play, Fleksy

Tags: android, fleksy, ios, keyboard, mobilepostcross Next: HTC's new One will also come as a minimalist Google Play Edition .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Augmented reality concept uses Google Glass to make reading the newspaper more like... reading a website

As part of the Wearable Tech Expo 2014 in Tokyo, the Asahi Shimbun is looking to offer richer content to users still reading its dead tree editions. The 'AIR' concept uses wearable du jour Google Glass to both detect physical markers and display any digital companion content. According to Asahi's Media Lab, the concept's aim is to better broadcast and convey "emotional" content: a picture of Winter Olympics skater Asada Mao gets picked up and Google Glass barrels into a slideshow, alongside a stirring soundtrack. (She had announced her retirement, and apparently her many fans were very upset.)

It's about connecting anyone who reads the (actual, physical) newspaper to everything that doesn't make it on to the page, whether that's more photos, related articles, or video. There's no release date for AIR -- to begin with, Google Glass isn't even available in Japan -- and it simply mimics, to a large degree, what we've already seen from augmented reality apps on smartphones. However, this wearable-based delivery method makes more sense, with no need to hover your smartphone camera over points of interest. The team didn't mention who powers the detection software, although the recent news that Layar has brought its APK to the Google wearable could well be connected.



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Spotify now offers US college students half-price music streaming (updated)

Don't think you can afford a paid streaming music service as a cost-sensitive student? Think again -- the price may finally be within your reach. Spotify has launched a US student program that lets you pay just $5 per month for Premium access (half of the usual price) as long as you're attending a post-secondary school that qualifies for federal aid, whether it's a college or a vocational outlet. Be sure to time your registration well, though. Much like an equivalent offer in the UK, you'll only get the discount for a year. Still, the $60 you spend may be worthwhile if it gives you enough studying music to get through a couple of tough semesters.

Update: Helpful reader will noticed that the discount merely lasts for a year at a time -- you can renew it three more times before you're paying full price. In other words, it should cover your entire degree.

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Via: San Francisco Chronicle, Rich DeMuro (Twitter)

Source: Spotify

Tags: discount, education, internet, music, spotify, streaming, student, students Next: Augmented reality concept uses Google Glass to make reading the newspaper more like... reading a website .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Soft robot 'slug' oozes along with air pressure

As MIT proved recently with its squishy artificial fish, robots don't need to be rigid to propel themselves along (or freak us out). A company called Super-Releaser has applied the same logic for Glaucus, its new open-source soft robot. Unlike its swimming counterpart, this bot "walks" across land using air pressure to pump up different parts of its limbs in sequence. Admittedly, that results in a locomotion speed similar to the sea slug it's named after (see the video after the break) and it requires a tether. Still, the company is developing much more practical applications that use the same tech, like orthotic cuffs for rehabilitation and prosthetic sleeves for amputees. You can even 3D print a bot yourself using Thingiverse files and (slowly) terrify your friends.

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Via: Motherboard

Source: Super-Releaser

Tags: airpressure, glaucus, robot, slug, softrobot Next: Spotify now offers US college students half-price music streaming (updated) .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Engadget giveaway: win a Samsung Galaxy S 4 and blinged-out Galaxy Gear courtesy of Brilliance!

You've tricked out your ride, splurged on some curves for your home theater and even recreated that floating Burnquist ramp for extreme weekend fun, but there's still something missing. The gem and jewelry purveyors at Brilliance have just the thing; they've provided an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S 4 and bundled it with a gemstone-studded Galaxy Gear, so that one lucky Engadget reader (or someone near and dear) can rock a bit of bling like the stars. Brilliance offers gemstone customization for a variety of gadgets and has recently worked with Samsung to create shiny custom wearables for celebrities like Jennifer Hudson. You get to choose the color of the Galaxy Gear and take your pick of real-life gems, so you can rock your rocks while wearing your tech -- Xzibit would be proud. To get a chance at winning this sparkly wrist machine and life companion smartphone, you'll need to enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Go ahead, it might just be your chance to shine.

a Rafflecopter giveawayEntries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) Samsung Galaxy S4 (SGH-i337), and one (1) Samsung Galaxy Gear (SM-V700) customized with the gemstone of your choice, courtesy of Brilliance.If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Samsung, Brilliance and Engadget / AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.Entries can be submitted until March 26th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! 0 Comments Share

Tags: brilliance, contest, engadget giveaway, engadgetgiveaway, hdpostcross, mobilepostcross, samsung galaxy gear, samsung galaxy s4, wearables Next: Soft robot 'slug' oozes along with air pressure
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Live from the HTC One event in New York City!

HTC One (M8) 16GB 32GB Google Play Edition Developer Edition AT&T 16GB AT&T 32GB Sprint 16GB Sprint 32GB T-Mobile 16GB T-Mobile 32GB Verizon 16GB Verizon 32GB

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Key specs
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HTC announces the new One with depth-sensing camera and larger screen

The "all new" HTC One has been one of the worst kept secrets of 2014, but today it's a secret no more. The Taiwanese manufacturer has taken the wraps off its latest flagship and fans of last years model (count us among them) won't be disappointed. The phone boasts the same aluminum unibody construction as last year's model, but with more pronounced curves and even more metal this time around. A full 90 percent of the body is made of aluminum, quite a bit more than the 70 percent on last year's. That means it's about half and ounce heavier, but it seems like a small trade off given the incredible design and spacious 5-inch screen. That panel is still a 1080p S-LCD3 one, which means you can count on the same bright colors and deep blacks. Plus the whole front is protected by a sheet of Gorilla Glass 3. Oh, and before we go any further -- the pair of capacitive buttons have been replaced with the standard trio of Android soft keys! (Phewww...)

HTC One hands-on (2014)

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The new HTC One is available in Google Play and Developer editions

Do you lust after the machined-aluminum body of the new HTC One, but hate locked bootloaders? Would you rather vanilla Android instead of Sense? Well, good news: It'll be available in both a Developer and Google Play edition. The Developer version is the same device you're able to get from your carrier, more or less, except that it'll be SIM unlocked and you'll be free to flash whatever software or ROM you want. The Play Edition obviously forgoes all that Sense business, and instead will ship with a relatively unmolested copy of Android 4.4.2. We say relatively because it will be able to take advantage of the One's Duo Camera, which requires tapping into HTC's APIs. Both will be available for pre-order today, March 25th, with the Developer edition selling for $650 direct from HTC's site, while Google will be hawking the Play edition for $699.

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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

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The new HTC One vs. the 2013 model: what's changed?

If you're still attached to last year's HTC One, you may be wondering just how the new model compares. What's new? Well, we've compiled spec sheets on both the 2013 and 2014 models just past the break for an easy side-by-side comparison. There's plenty to consider including increases in battery size, screen real estate, external storage and, of course, that newfangled Duo Camera. Take a peek after the jump for the full rundown.

HTC One (2014)HTC One (2013)Starting price$199-$249 (on-contract)
$649 (Google Play edition)Free (on-contract)
$599 (Google Play edition)Known Dimensions5.76 x 2.78 x 0.37 inches (146.36 x 70.6 x 9.35mm)5.41 x 2.69 x 0.37 inches (137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3mm)Weight5.64 oz. (160g)5.04 oz. (143g)Screen size5.0 inches4.7 inchesScreen resolution1,920 x 1,080 pixels (441ppi)1,920 x 1,080 pixels (468ppi)Screen typeS-LCD3S-LCD3Battery2,600mAh (non-removable)2,300mAh (non-removable)Internal storage16GB/32GB32GB/64GBExternal storagemicroSD (up to 128GB)NoneRear camera4MP, UltraPixel sensor, Duo Camera, dual LED Smart Flash, BSI sensor4MP, LED flash, UltraPixel, OISFront-facing cam5MP2.1MPVideo capture1080p1080pNFCYesYesBluetoothv4.0v4.0SoC2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
(2.5GHz variant in Asia)1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600GPUAdreno 330Adreno 320RAM2GB2GBWiFi802.11a/ac/b/g/n, dual-band802.11a/ac/b/g/n, dual-bandOperating systemAndroid 4.4Android 4.4Standout featuresUltraPixel sensor, Duo Camera, HTC Sense 6, Zoe, BoomSound, BlinkFeed, Extreme Power Saving ModeUltraPixel camera, HTC Sense 5 (at launch), Zoe, BoomSound, BlinkFeed 0 Comments Share

Tags: htc, htcone, htcone2014, mobilepostcross, specs, whatschanged Next: The new HTC One is available in Google Play and Developer editions
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The new HTC One vs. the competition: the battle of Android flagships rages on

We all knew it was coming, and after a lengthy list of leaks, the new HTC One is finally official. This time of year is known for its gaggle of new handsets, so we've lined up the latest offerings so you can see for yourself how they stack up. Flagships from Samsung, Sony and LG are all here to see which mobile device will nab an edge on paper. Want to compare these to your current daily driver? Mosey on over to our comparison tool to do just that. Otherwise, head past the break for our neatly compiled list of specs and form your own analysis of the lot.

HTC One (2014)Samsung Galaxy S5Sony Xperia Z2LG G Pro 2Starting price$199-$249 (on-contract)N/AN/AN/AKnown Dimensions5.76 x 2.78 x 0.37 inches (146.36 x 70.6 x 9.35mm)5.59 x 2.85 x 0.32 inches (142 x 72.5 x 8.1mm)5.78 x 2.89 x 0.32 inches (146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2mm)6.22 x 3.22 x 0.33 inches (157.9 x 81.9 x 8.3mm)Weight5.64 oz. (160g)5.11 oz (145 g)5.57 oz. (158g)6.07 oz. (172g)Screen size5.0 inches5.1 inches5.2 inches5.9 inchesScreen resolution1,920 x 1,080 pixels (441ppi)1,920 x 1,080 (432ppi)1,920 x 1,080 pixels (424ppi)1,920 x 1,080 pixels (377ppi)Screen typeS-LCD3Super AMOLED Full HDTriluminos Full HD (IPS)Full HD IPSBattery2,600mAh (non-removable)2,800mAh (user removable)3,200mAh3,200mAh (user removable)Internal storage16GB/32GB16GB/32GB16GB16GB/32GBExternal storagemicroSD (up to 128GB)microSD (up to 128GB)microSD (up to 64GB)microSDRear camera4MP, UltraPixel sensor, Duo Camera, dual LED Smart Flash, BSI sensor16MP, LED flash20.7MP, LED flash13MP, LED flash, OIS

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HTC opens up BlinkFeed, allows apps like Foursquare and Fitbit to push data to your homescreen

Love it or hate it, Sense is growing up. BlinkFeed, the beating tiled heart of the HTC experience is now being opened up to developers through an SDK. That means that third parties will be able to push information to the stream of data that makes up your feed. For example, Fitbit will be able to keep you abreast of how many steps you've taken without you having to go into the app. Oh, and the Fitbit app does harvest movement data from the phone's internal sensors, just like it does on the iPhone 5S, so you don't really need that separate band. HTC announced one other launch partner for the BlinkFeed SDK -- Foursquare. The location-based social network will pop up suggestions for lunch spots while you're out and about. Of course, the company will have to convince other big names to hop on the bandwagon if BlinkFeed is going to really take off.

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Tags: android, blinkfeed, breaking news, fitbit, foursquare, htc, htc one, m8, mobilepostcross, one, one m8, sdk, sense Next: The new HTC One vs. the competition: the battle of Android flagships rages on
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HTC One review (2014): a great phone, but no longer a game-changer

The HTC One was one of our favorite smartphones of 2013. It featured a gorgeous industrial design, a fantastic display, great camera and top-of-the-line performance. HTC poured its heart into it, as evidenced by nearly every aspect of the device. The phone exceeded nearly all of our expectations, but that also left a big problem: We now expect history to repeat itself. After all, if the original One was such a great device, its successor should, in theory, be even better, right?

Of course it should be. But does this year's version of the One have what it takes? On paper, the answer is yes: It has a larger screen, offers two curious-looking rear camera sensors, boasts an improved version of HTC's Sense UI and features a chassis with even more metal. It appears, then, that there's a lot to love here, but it's difficult to take our breath away twice in a row. Here's what impressed -- and what didn't.

HTC One review (2014)

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HTC One available today in the US, Verizon gets it in-store first

By now you probably know if you need HTC's shiny new One in your life -- now it all comes down to where and when you can nab it. Thanks to some wheeling and dealing, Verizon Wireless has a head start in the US: Online and in-store sales start today at 1 PM Eastern. AT&T and Sprint will kick off their online sales at that time too, but you can't waltz into one of their brick-and-mortar stores to find one until April 11th. As you might expect, the 16GB model will cost you $199, while the 32GB model comes in at $249... and if the thought of contracts makes you ill, you can buy one sans agreement for $649. The lone standout is T-Mobile, which won't sell the device until some time next month (we've reached out for clarification and will update this story as we learn more). Of course, everything above assumes you want your carrier's blessing. Don't forget: HTC will sell unlocked and developer versions for $649 on its website, and a $699 Play Edition version should hit the Google Play Store soon too.

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HTC pushing Sense 6.0 to the original One, One mini and One max soon

We don't have a specific date, but HTC's latest Sense skin -- which the company insists on calling Sixth Sense -- will be coming to the company's older models sometime this spring. Last year's One, the One mini and One max will all be getting updated with Sense 6.0 in the coming months. While it's not a complete surprise, it's nice to know that HTC isn't leaving its customers out in the cold. It's all part of the company's HTC Advantage program, which guarantees two years of software updates and support. That's longer than even Google supports its Nexus phone. Hopefully we'll get specific launch dates sooner, rather than later.

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Tags: android, breaking news, htc, htc one, mobilepostcross, one, one max, one mini, sense, sense 6.0 Next: HTC One available today in the US, Verizon gets it in-store first
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HTC explains how the 'Duo Camera' brings depth-sensing to the new One

Finally, we have an official explanation for the two round holes in the back of the new HTC One. The main camera, which sits in the regular spot, houses a 4MP "Ultrapixel" camera much like on last year's handset. The smaller lens, which is positioned directly above -- or to the side when you hold the phone in landscape mode to grab a shot -- contains half the resolution (i.e., 2MP), but it doesn't actually capture images. It merely offers a level of depth perception, allowing the camera to "understand objects in physical space." A key benefit of this, according to HTC, is a quicker autofocus time of around 300ms, because the camera can use actual depth measurements to focus on objects. Other benefits come when you edit a photo, thanks to a range of effects that can be selectively applied to foreground or backgrounds subjects. HTC has also just announced an SDK that will allow third-party app makers to make use of the Duo Camera's depth map, which is stored as metadata within JPEG files. For more, check out our full review of the HTC One.



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Nokia promises 'more Lumia' at April 2nd event

Windows Phone fans have more to look forward to this April than just the formal unveiling of Windows Phone 8.1 -- Nokia has sent out invitations for an April 2nd event in San Francisco that should deliver "more Lumia." The notice doesn't give any real hints as to what will be at the presentation. However, the event takes place on the first day of Microsoft's Build developer conference. Don't be shocked if Nokia unveils devices that need Windows Phone 8.1 to run, such as the rumored Lumia 630 (Moneypenny) and Lumia 930 (Martini). No matter what shows up, we'll be there to give you the full scoop.

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More Coverage: ZDNet,

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Daily Roundup: Turkey bans Twitter, Peter Molyneux talks VR and more!

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.



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Titanfall on PCs will soon support 4K and NVIDIA's latest graphics tricks (updated)

Many gamers already argue that the PC version of Titanfall is the best-looking of the bunch. Pretty soon, though, it won't even be a contest. Respawn plans to update its robotic shooter to handle both 4K displays as well as a host of technology from NVIDIA's GameWorks program, including full support for multiple GeForce cards, improved antialiasing and more realistic shadow effects. The upgrades aren't all that surprising. Some modern video hardware is powerful enough for 4K gaming, and developers have already used GameWorks to spruce up flagship titles like Assassin's Creed 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts. Still, the visual improvements are bound to make a big impact -- Titanfall is one of the most important games of the year, and a good excuse to pick up a new gaming rig.

Update: Right now however, Titanfall is getting some tweaks on its servers that will change how it plays on PC and Xbox One. The updates will roll out over the next day, but you can see a changelog on Respawn's forums here. There are a number of fixes and updates included, and among them it appears the controversial Smart Pistol is having its effectiveness reduced, with slightly lower accuracy from hip fire and decreased damage when it's not locked-on. A troublesome glitch that allowed Burn Cards to be duplicated has also been fixed, and point values for certain actions in Hardpoint and Capture The Flag games have been adjusted.

Hey guys, Titanfall servers being updated! Changelog here http://t.co/7Q84dARBaf

- Drew McCoy (

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Ask Google Search on Android to 'play some music' and... it will

Sometimes, having your entire music collection in your pocket can be a bit overwhelming. When there are hundreds (or in our case, thousands) of tracks at your disposal, where do you even begin to listen? To help thwart that paralysis of choice, Google is going to do the guessing for you with its latest tweak to Search. From Google Now or the search bar, simply say the magic words "play some music" and your Android device will start playing a random Play Music "I'm feeling lucky" mix that's based on recent listening habits. With its deep catalog of tunes, it's pretty easy to imagine that this feature's benefits increase exponentially if you're paying for Mountain View's All Access service, too. Subscriber or not, though, if you're stuck in a Nine Inch Nails rut, this could be the ticket out.

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Source: Google

Tags: android, google, GoogleMusic, GooglePlayAllAccess, mobilepostcross, music, search, VoiceSearch Next: Titanfall on PCs will soon support 4K and NVIDIA's latest graphics tricks (updated) .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Twitter may indulge our vanity by showing view counts for tweets

Twitter isn't supposed to be a popularity contest, but let's be honest -- many of us get a little thrill from new favorites and followers. It may be a good thing, then, that Twitter is experimenting with view counts on tweets. While Twitter's ad partners have had access to this data for a while, the test lets regular social networkers (albeit just a handful) see how much interest there is in what they say. The company isn't commenting on the dry run, but we wouldn't assume that a full-scale launch is coming. While view counts might encourage participation after well-received posts, they could also crush the self-esteem of newcomers. Not everyone can attract as many eyeballs as a celebrity or a politician, after all.



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Wendy's now lets you pay for a meal with its mobile app

Wendy's, home to a bunch of square burgers and Frosty, is following in Burger King's footsteps and embracing mobile payments. Now, you can use the Ohio company's app to pay for your purchase in most (but not all) of its locations in the US. Just like its Burger King counterpart, the app acts as sort of a digital wallet that generates six-digit codes you'll have to give to cashiers for payment. Wendy's, however, has regrettably left out one of the BK app's best features -- discounts and coupons.

The fast food chain apparently decided to offer mobile payments in an effort to attract the younger, smartphone-obsessed set. Unfortunately, the app's limited features (you can't use it to call in a delivery, if you're wondering!) and lack of discounts as a perk make it a less convincing download than its competitors. But, hey, at least it can show nutritional values, so you don't scarf down a Baconator without knowing it has 940 calories.

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Source: ABCNews, Wendy's

Tags: app, MobilePayments, Wendys Next: Twitter may indulge our vanity by showing view counts for tweets .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Time Warner Cable says 'me too,' issues first transparency report

Not to be outdone by its competitors (or future owner), Time Warner Cable has released a transparency report of its own. From January to June last year, the telco obeyed some 12,000 information requests from the government that break down as such. Of the legal requests, 82 percent were for subpoenas, 12 percent were for court orders and four percent related to search warrants. Seventy-seven percent of the time that data was requested, it was subscriber and transactional info that was disclosed, 20 percent resulted in no data shared at all and three percent of the time, content information was disclosed. Because the report doesn't give exact numbers, though, comparing the precise amount of requests that TWC handled with its competitors isn't exactly easy.

Time-Warner releases first Transparency Report. http://t.co/xeL8x0XiXr Keep 'em coming!

- Kurt Opsahl (

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Rhapsody and Napster leave Echo Nest following Spotify's takeover

Echo Nest must have developed cooties after Spotify bought it. Just days after Rdio said it would stop using the song recommendation provider to avoid sharing data with a rival, Rhapsody has announced that it's ramping down its own Echo Nest deal (which also applies to Napster) within several months. The company doesn't characterize the split as a defensive move, though. Instead, it's a chance to stand out. Rhapsody says it has "never been completely satisfied" with leaning on others for music personalization -- independence theoretically lets the company improve its advice to listeners. Whether or not things pan out as planned, it's clear that Echo Nest has lost at least some sway over the streaming radio industry.

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Via: GeekWire

Source: Rhapsody Blog

Tags: echonest, internet, music, napster, personalization, recommendations, rhapsody, spotify Next: Time Warner Cable says 'me too,' issues first transparency report .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Feedback Loop: Ultrabooks, discrete graphics, Google Voice replacements and more!

davely1 day ago 0

Welcome to Feedback Loop, a weekly roundup of the most interesting discussions happening within the Engadget community. There's so much technology to talk about and so little time to enjoy it, but you have a lot of great ideas and opinions that need to be shared! Join us every Saturday as we highlight some of the most interesting discussions that happened during the past week.



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Turkish PM plugs Twitter DNS loophole, Facebook and YouTube could be blocked next

When Twitter went dark for users in Turkey earlier this week, it didn't take long for everyone to realize something was up. Prime Minister Erdoğan had reportedly threatened to pull the plug on the popular social network previously, before coming good on his word just hours later. The attempt to silence the platform, however, wasn't exactly well executed. People in the country were still able to send messages via SMS, and access was still available via the web by relatively simple means: using a VPN or by changing your PC's DNS settings. Today, it's reported that Erdoğan's attacks on the platform continue, with new reports suggesting that access to the DNS loophole being blocked.

The Turkish leader has also allegedly addressed the San Francisco firm directly, asking it to appoint a local representative, and to block specific content (that which it deems "prejudiced") at his government's request. Erdoğan has also said that other social networks such as Facebook and YouTube are at risk of being taken down too, in an effort to squash leaks and opinions he evidently thinks might harm his party in forthcoming local elections. 0 Comments Share

Source: Reuters

Next: Feedback Loop: Ultrabooks, discrete graphics, Google Voice replacements and more! .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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EFF lawyer questions Microsoft's ability to search our email, claims it's open to abuse

This week Microsoft revealed that, without a warrant, it accessed the Hotmail account of a French blogger in order to track down an employee leaking source code to some of its products, ultimately leading to that employee's arrest. Microsoft's actions created an uproar among users, causing it to spell out both its means, and its justification. Microsoft claims it needs to establish if "there is evidence sufficient for a court order" before conducting any searches, as allowed under its terms of service (the ones you read and agreed to). In response, Electronic Frontier Foundation fellow Andrew Crocker calls Redmond's claim that it can't obtain a warrant on itself a false premise with massive potential for abuse. Instead of "Warrants for Windows," he argues that bringing in the FBI and obtaining a warrant is not only possible, but that it would be in line with Microsoft's policy to require a warrant before revealing user info to others.

Though the process may be legal, a larger queasiness arises because, as worded, Microsoft's TOS could submit a user's inbox to those searches merely by violating its Code of Conduct. That could happen by (for example) emailing links that depict nudity, incite or express profanity, or facilitate the sale of firearms. Crocker himself states that, presumably, Microsoft isn't using these standards as an excuse to dig through Outlook.com inboxes. His problem with its actions is more that by relying only on permission given by internal and external legal teams and its TOS, but not the actual court system, a potential for abuse exists.

As The Guardian details, other providers like Apple, Google and Yahoo (or likely AOL, which owns this blog) have similarly worded policies that could be used to access user data in order to protect their property. We asked Crocker about those, and he states that the EFF's criticism stands in regards to similar policies, and that, while this particular case likely arose from an unusual set of circumstances, the fact we have no way of knowing if a company accessed our data is troubling (In the update on its policies, Microsoft said it would include data on the number of these types of searches in its bi-annual transparency report). In one case, TechCrunch founder Mike Arrington even claimed that while he cannot be sure, he's "nearly certain" Google may have accessed his Gmail inbox to sniff out a leaker. Whatever the case, we suddenly have some weekend reading time set aside for the topic of end-to-end encryption with GNU Privacy Guard and "how to setup your own email server."

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Source: EFF, The Guardian

More Coverage: Wired

Tags: apple, cloud, eff, google, hotmail, microsoft, privacy, search, warrant Next: Turkish PM plugs Twitter DNS loophole, Facebook and YouTube could be blocked next .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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GDC's alternative arcade: a gallery of crazy, homemade game controllers

The idea of the gamepad is so entrenched in our mind, it's easy to forget that there are other ways to play video games. No, we're not talking about the PC gamer's keyboard and mouse, or even the traditional arcade stick -- but custom, purpose built controllers made to augment a specific experience. At GDC 2014, we found an interactive gallery full of them. The event, Alt.Ctrl.GDC serves as a showcase for indie game experiences that aren't fully accessible without specialized hardware, but to us, it was simply an alternative arcade of creativity.



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Alt-week 3.22.14: Inner-selfies, new fashion for astronauts and the glory of Venus

We're not saying medicine is jumping on the bandwagon, but a new camera could usher in the era of the "inner selfie." What's more, astronauts are getting the 70's sci-fi fashion they deserve, and Venus shows off its glory. This is alt-week.



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MLB at Bat for Windows Phone adds push notifications and pitch tracking

Opening day is here! ...sort of. This year's quest for a World Series ring kicks off Down Under today, with the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks squaring off at the Sydney Cricket Ground (yes, they're still playing baseball). Of course, everyone else is still playing Spring Training games until the weekend of March 31st. But Major League Baseball is making sure all of its mobile app ducks are in a row ahead of time. In particular its Windows Phone MLB at Bat app is getting a long overdue update for the 2014 season. Now you can get live pitch-by-pitch tracking for games and set up push notifications for scores and news. Those features have been available on iOS and Android for quite sometime now, so this is less a major step forward and more about feature parity. But still, we're sure those that fall in the middle of the baseball and windows phone fan venn diagram are extremely happy.

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Via: Technet

Source: MLB at Bat

Tags: app, baseball, microsoft, mlb at bat, MlbAtBat, mobilepostcross, windows phone, windowsphone Next: Alt-week 3.22.14: Inner-selfies, new fashion for astronauts and the glory of Venus
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Google's lightweight image format makes YouTube pages load 10 percent faster

We all want the internet to be faster, right? Well, Google is hoping to make that happen one YouTube thumbnail at a time. Its leaner WebP image format has been used on the Play store for some time now, and Mountain View's latest venue for the faster-loading files its video service. The outfit says that the switch has resulted in up to 10 percent speedier page-loads, and overall it's shaved tens of terabytes off its internal data transfer rates every day. The Chromium Blog says that this should help lower bandwidth usage for users as it rolls out, and, what's more, that there's a test-version of WebP running in Chrome's beta channel that's faster yet. How much so? It drops image decode speeds by 25 percent. If that means faster access to super hero videos and pictures of lazy dogs, sign us up.

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Source: The Chromium Blog

Tags: bandwidth, DataCaps, google, Internet, webp, youtube Next: MLB at Bat for Windows Phone adds push notifications and pitch tracking .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Assassin's Creed: Unity brings a French flair to stealth action on PC, PS4 and Xbox One

We hope you're making good progress on Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, because there's already a sequel on the way. Ubisoft has unveiled Assassin's Creed: Unity, a follow-up that takes the stealthy game series to Paris during the French Revolution. Clearly, you can expect guillotines to play an important role. You'll get a tiny hint of the experience in the teaser video below. However, it's worth noting that the trailer only shows Unity coming to PCs, the PS4 and the Xbox One -- there's no mention of the Wii U or previous-generation systems. We've reached out to Ubisoft to check on platform support, but there's a good chance that the developer is focusing all its attention on higher-end hardware this time around.

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Via: Joystiq

Source: Ubisoft (YouTube)

Tags: assassinscreed, assassinscreed5, assassinscreedunity, console, gaming, pc, playstation4, ps4, ubisoft, unity, video, VideoGames, windows, xboxone Next: Google's lightweight image format makes YouTube pages load 10 percent faster
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Gadget Rewind 2005: Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP)

jonturi13 hours ago 0

It's our 10th birthday, and to celebrate we'll be revisiting some of the key devices of the last decade. So please be kind, rewind.



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IRL: Torque Audio t103z headphones

engadget10 hours ago 0

Welcome 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.


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Switched On: Return of the digital hub

In the heyday of Palm organizers, when even the speeds of 3G data seemed like a distant fantasy, a debate raged as to whether the future of pocket devices could belong to one or two devices. Those who favored two devices argued that you didn't really want all the bulk and battery consumption of a pocket computer in a small device that you wanted to use primarily to make calls. They failed to anticipate that technology's relentless integration would enable these "pocket computers" to become the minimal-millimeter smartphones of today and that data networks would support access to apps ranging from social networking to mobile video that would trump voice for many users.

But at Samsung's Unpacked 5 event at Mobile World Congress last month, the star of the now less ostentatious show was not the latest generation of the flagship phone running the world's most popular mobile operating system. Rather, it was a small wrist device running a virtually unknown platform. And these products have no internet connectivity on their own. In fact, one of the benefits of the new line of Gear devices from Samsung is the broader variety of the company's smartphones that support them. If you believe in the promise of the smartwatch or Google Glass, you've at least partially vindicated the two-device proponents from two decades ago.

The future personal mobile landscape, though, will likely incorporate not just one or two personal devices, but multiple ones that are not only on our person but also in proximity.

The future personal mobile landscape, though, will likely incorporate not just one or two personal devices, but multiple ones that are not only on our person but also in proximity. In 2010, Switched On discussed why the digital hub, as the vision once espoused by Steve Jobs for the future of the PC, gave way to the cloud as the centers of our digital universe. That mostly remains true as far as media is concerned; smartphones still lack the large amounts of vast storage reservoirs that can be embedded in a PC (or at least were prior to the SSD trend).

But a new generation of wearables and personal devices provide feedback on our exercise, posture, food intake and simply offer silly sounds. Some, like Moov, already include adaptive scenarios for the use of multiple instances of the product worn in different locations on the body. The digital spokes of the PC focused on acquiring and sharing media while the new generation focuses on sending sensor and environmental data. While vastly different in function, size and design from the MP3 players and digital cameras that were once served as tethered outposts for acquiring and using PC-based media on the go, they still lack the native network connectivity of their forebears. That the smartphone has become a digital hub for a new generation of peripherals represents the passing of another torch from the PC.


Ross Rubin is principal analyst at Reticle Research, a technology, media and telecom advisory firm, and founder of Backerjack, which covers crowdfunded product innovation. He blogs at Techspressive.

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Tags: 3g, column, galaxy gear, mobile, moov, palm, pocketcomputer, rossrubin, samsung, smartwatch, switchedon, unpacked Next: IRL: Torque Audio t103z headphones
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LG's first smart light bulb flashes when you get a phone call

LG isn't about to let household heavyweights like Philips corner the connected lighting space -- it just unveiled the Smart Lamp, its first take on the concept. The 10W LED bulb gives Android and iOS users a familiar level of control over their illumination, including a light-based alarm clock and a security mode that pretends you're at home. There are a couple of noteworthy tricks in this initial offering, however. The light connects through both Bluetooth and WiFi, letting it pull the sync-based stunts we've seen in a few other bulbs: it can flash when you get a phone call, or (with Android) pulse to the beat of the music. The Smart Lamp is more expensive than ordinary LEDs at 35,000 won ($32) in LG's native Korea, but it could be a good deal if you don't need the many-colored lighting of Hue and similar systems. Unfortunately, there's no word on whether or not it's coming to the US.

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Via: Android Central

Source: LG (translated)

Tags: android, HomeAutomation, household, internetofthings, ios, iphone, led, lg, lighting, smartbulb, smartlamp, SmartLighting Next: Switched On: Return of the digital hub
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Weekly Roundup: the Moto 360, Sony's Project Morpheus, NSA transparency reports and more!

You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.



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LSTN headphones: helping people hear in style

LSTN is out to change the way you hear music. But, more importantly, LSTN is helping some people to hear anything, often for the very first time. The brand launched last year with the goal of creating headphones that look great, sound great and -- as we'll see -- help you feel great. The first two goals are relatively straightforward. For example, design-wise, the use of reclaimed wood (cherry, ebony and beech) not only gives them a nice natural look, it also means every pair is unique. It's LSTN's recent work in Uganda and Kenya that should take care of that third goal, however. LSTN works closely with the Starkey Foundation so that every pair of headphones sold helps restore someone's hearing. This weekend sees the conclusion of the most recent excursion, which saw over 5,000 people across the two countries receive help with their hearing through donation of hearing aids. This brings the running total of recipients (previous trips have helped people in Peru, and right here in the US) to 15,000. LSTN's just made making the decision to help someone out (and yourself) even easier, too, with the addition of a zebra wood model to the flagship Troubador range (as seen above).

As for the headphones themselves, despite the charitable connection, the Troubador mode still costs a reasonable $150. The reclaimed wood we mentioned, gloss finish and embossed LSTN logo on the earcups definitely gives them an undoubted cool-factor. They're super comfortable too. What about the sound? We're pleased to say that this part clearly wasn't an afterthought. The Troubadors are well balanced with not too much boosting on the low-end (as is often the case with style-conscious headphones), providing a sound quality that exceeds its price-point.

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Source: LSTN

Tags: headphones, hearing, LSTN, troubador Next: Weekly Roundup: the Moto 360, Sony's Project Morpheus, NSA transparency reports and more! .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Latest Apple TV rumors have it teaming up with Comcast for streaming

Rumors Apple will launch a new TV-connected device/service seemingly never die, and now the Wall Street Journal reports it's in talks with Comcast (and that rumored discussions with Time Warner Cable over a "Project Jupiter" team-up stalled when it became a takeover target). With interesting timing, the rumors focus on an aspect of the deal that would give Apple's streaming of live TV and cloud DVR recordings over a "managed connection" avoiding last-mile bottlenecks. That's similar to how Comcast sends video on-demand to its Xbox 360 app, and a contrast to the recent net neutrality discussions arising over its deal with Netflix. Noting that the companies "aren't close to an agreement," the rumors suggest an arrangement where Apple sells its hardware at retail TiVo-style, although how customers log in and who controls that relationship is something where the two continue to differ.

As the article notes, this proposal is similar to Comcast's arrangement with TiVo -- it sells boxes at retail that in some areas can access Comcast VOD -- but going in with Apple to create some kind of hybrid service would be a major change. So far, Comcast has pushed its X1 platform with live TV, internet features and eventually cloud DVR streaming to multiple devices, while also testing out a full IPTV service on college campuses.

Despite years of rumored negotiations and device testing we still haven't seen Apple jump out with a product to modernize/revolutionize the existing TV experience. Now, we wonder if pressure from regulators on the proposed Time Warner Cable / Comcast merger, cord-cutting (the number of customers paying for cable, satellite and fiber TV dropped slightly last year, the first time that's happened), and competing internet TV services (Netflix, Sony, Amazon etc.) is creating a new reason for cooperation. If any of those are true, the next steps are figuring out how the two sides will split the money coming in, if the studios and networks that supply content will play ball, and if Reed Hastings will fire off another angry open letter (following up his net neutrality-related posts on Comcast's Xbox 360 video on-demand and peering).

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Source: Wall Street Journal

Tags: apple, apple tv, appletv, cloud, comcast, hdpostcross, rumor, streaming Next: LSTN headphones: helping people hear in style
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