Sony unveils VAIO S13 and S13p laptops with Ivy Bridge, prices start at $900

In addition to all the other new laptops it announced today, Sony refreshed its mid-range S Series with a new look, and consolidated its two 13-inch models, the SA and SB lines, into one model, now called the VAIO S13. (There's also a more business-oriented version called the S13p, which we'll tell you about in just a moment). Thanks to a magnesium, aluminum and carbon fiber construction, it's fairly lightweight, at 3.8 pounds. Spec-wise, Sony went with Core i5 and i7 Ivy Bridge processors, though this time around, it's missing switchable graphics -- at least on the S13. That machine now has integrated graphics only, though the business-centric S13p will be offered with an NVIDIA GPU with up to 2GB of VRAM. The S13p also sets itself apart with features the IT guy might appreciate, including TPM, a fingerprint reader and a hard drive accelerometer.

Across the board, the S13 should last up to about seven hours on a charge, or 14 if you add an optional sheet battery. Also, the company will sell an external docking station with a built-in 500GB hard drive and built-in battery -- a first for Sony. We're told the dock will cost $189, and that you can use it even with the sheet battery attached to the laptop. The S13 and S13p will go on sale this month, starting at $900 and $1,200, respectively. Though the more consumer-friendly S13 will be available in black, silver white and pink, the buttoned-up S13p comes in a more staid palette: black, gold and "Gun Metal."

Gallery: Sony VAIO S 13

Continue reading Sony unveils VAIO S13 and S13p laptops with Ivy Bridge, prices start at $900

Sony unveils VAIO S13 and S13p laptops with Ivy Bridge, prices start at $900 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/rRswaSk9KoE/

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Who Needs a Real Ukulele When you Have an iPad?

I’ve tried all kinds of iPad apps that can turn the tablet into a musical instrument. There are piano apps, drum apps, guitar apps, etc. They are all fun to play with, but this is the first time I’ve actually been thoroughly impressed with one. Ian told us about the Futulele app a few months ago, but [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/05/30/who-needs-a-real-ukulele-when-you-have-an-ipad/

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iCade Mobile, The Gaming Adapter For iPhone, Now Shipping

Good news, everybody! The iCade Mobile, a Bluetooth case that slides around your iPhone, allowing you to play games using a trackpad and read buttons, is now shipping for $80. The iCade Core, an arcade joystick for the iPad, is also shipping. It costs $100. Announced a few months ago, folks have been waiting breathlessly to play Megaworm with a trackpad. The devices should be available at ThinkGeek and you can check them out here. You can check out the Core here.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/BuZHI9eRpyg/

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Daily Crunch: Mystery Driver Edition

Softstep Keyworx Lets You Assign Macros To Your Feet Day 1: My Week In The Nissan Leaf “Magi-Cam” Uses Mirrors As Camouflage To Spy On Vigilant Animals Hit Video Game Professor Layton To Go Social On Mobage This Year Ejacket: Bandai’s E-Money Case Plays Kamen Rider Sounds Every Time You Make a Purchase (Video)

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/06/22/daily-crunch-mystery-driver/

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Chrome 11 beta adds new experimental APIs for proxies, Web navigation

Google Chrome 11 -- which just recently made the move to the browser's beta channel -- has received a minor update that gives developers access to two new APIs.

The first is a full-featured proxy API, which will, for example, allow users to set different proxy servers for normal browsing and Incognito mode. Proxy auto-config scripts are also supported by the API.

The second -- Web Navigation Extension -- is a bit more expansive. This API will allow devs to build everything from more powerful safe browsing extensions -- like Traffic Light -- to data analysis and reporting extensions.

Both APIs are currently experimental, so you'll need to enable them on the about:flags page to try out any relevant extensions. Apart from a proxy example built by Google and shipped with the Chromium source, we're not aware of any examples just yet, however. We'll let you know when we spot any slick, new extensions which do surface.

Chrome 11 beta adds new experimental APIs for proxies, Web navigation originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/05/chrome-11-beta-adds-new-experimental-apis-for-proxies-web-navig/

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Google's Blogger platform adds five new HTML5 Dynamic Views

Google, as part of its ongoing and much-needed overhaul of its popular Blogger platform, has just enabled five dynamic, HTML5ish, AJAXy 'Dynamic Views'. There's a video introducing the new layouts after the break.

The five new views provide fresh and interesting ways to explore your favorite Blogger blogs. The Mosaic view, for example, creates a wall of thumbnails -- click one, and it zooms to fill the screen; click it again and it minimizes. Flipcard is similar to Mosaic, but not quite as eclectic. Sidebar, Timeslide and Snapshot round off the new views, with each one obviously targeted at different types of content, from photo blogs, to text-only philosophy blogs, and everything in between.

For now, you have to visit a Blogger blog and add /view to the URL to enable the new Dynamic Views. If you own a Blogger blog, you can disable the new views -- and really, why weren't they disabled by default?

If feedback is positive -- which we're sure it will be -- these Dynamic Views will soon be enabled by default. You'll also be able to edit the views in much the same way as current Blogger templates.

Continue reading Google's Blogger platform adds five new HTML5 Dynamic Views

Google's Blogger platform adds five new HTML5 Dynamic Views originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/google-blogger-platform-introduces-five-new-html5-dynamic-views/

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France Lets Google Slide in Copyright Case

Today in international tech news: A month after a German court ruled that YouTube was liable for copyright violations, a court in France has dismissed a similar lawsuit. Also: Samsung released its new smartphone in Europe, and Russian search engine Yandex unveiled a music subscription app for iPhones.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/1fdafc58/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C752510Bhtml/story01.htm

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Customizer App Handily Smoothes Over GRUB Trouble

Few things scare me more than disk partitioning and GRUB configuration software. Both of those chores involve knowledge about hard drive operations and a good slice of luck. And both can render a computer unbootable with one slight user error. So discovering the latest version of Grub Customizer helped lower my anxiety levels considerably.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/1fd8c20b/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C752430Bhtml/story01.htm

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R2-D2 Flash Drive Cufflinks Are Obviously the Best Cufflinks In the Galaxy [Star Wars]

If I had to wear a suit to work, I would definitely buy these R2-D2 USB flash drive cufflinks. They can store 2GB of data each, which is pretty good. In fact, I can't think of a better cufflink—except a pair that also made R2 sounds. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/6nkBZFsP0Jk/r2+d2-flash-drive-cufflinks-are-obviously-the-best-cufflinks-in-the-galaxy

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How Do Top Android Developers QA Test Their Apps?

A couple weeks ago I ran this post showing how one Hong Kong developer, Animoca, tests its Android games. The company, which has had more than 70 million downloads, tests every one of their apps on about 400 different devices. The photo above is from their headquarters and is just a taste of all the Android phones and tablets they use. Needless to say, that post pissed Android fanboys off. Some commenters said it intimidated would-be developers, who might get scared off by Android fragmentation and the perception that you have to support hundreds of devices, screen sizes and densities and versions of the OS. So, I asked around to see how other mobile game developers do quality assurance testing for Android. This is what I got:

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/P4MKgmIiXB8/

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Amazon Cloud Player review: functional, not mind blowing, and still US-only

It's hard to believe: our world-spanning network, our Internet, which is the cornerstone of free speech and free society -- which, on a good day, is capable of causing populist revolutions -- is still crippled by banal geolocation restrictions. We are, of course, talking about Amazon's two latest offerings, both of which are only available in the United States. Last week it was the excellent Android Appstore for Android, and today it's the Amazon Cloud Player for Web and Android.

Along with Cloud Player, Amazon also launched Cloud Drive, which is basically just like any other cloud storage digital locker. It's not particularly feature rich, and there's no real reason to use it over something like SugarSync or SkyDrive -- it does work outside the US, however.

Its primary purpose, as far as we're concerned, is that it stores your your Cloud Player music in a subdirectory. You get 5GB of Cloud Drive storage for free, and then it's $1 per gigabyte per year if you need more space.

The Amazon Cloud Player itself will not, to put it bluntly, blow your mind. It works, but it's very much an early, and possibly rushed, release. Let's dive in to the Web and Android players for a closer look.

Gallery: Amazon Cloud Player and Cloud Drive: on Web and Android

Continue reading Amazon Cloud Player review: functional, not mind blowing, and still US-only

Amazon Cloud Player review: functional, not mind blowing, and still US-only originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/29/amazon-cloud-player-hands-on-review-functional-not-mind-blowin/

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Chipworks, iFixit tear down the Galaxy S III for all to see, spot iPhone 4S' camera sensor hanging around

You've picked up the Galaxy S III. You've grabbed the source code. But you probably like the quad-core monster too much to tear it down, which is why Chipworks and iFixit have taken to disassembling the phone for themselves to look for any surprises. We certainly knew to expect the Exynos 4 Quad and 2,100mAh battery, but we now know how Samsung is claiming a boost to speed and image quality for the 8-megapixel camera: it's using the same Sony-made, backside-illuminated CMOS sensor that we've seen since the Xperia Arc and made its biggest splash in the iPhone 4S. Just don't anticipate replacing many components yourself. That 4.8-inch screen is not only permanently attached to the glass, but to the phone frame, leaving any face-first accidents a dicey fix. We're expecting a few more discoveries once iFixit gives the Galaxy S III a second scan, but the source will give you everything there is to know right now.

Chipworks, iFixit tear down the Galaxy S III for all to see, spot iPhone 4S' camera sensor hanging around originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 21:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/chipworks-ifixit-tear-down-samsung-galaxy-s-iii/

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The Imagination Movers Get Ready for National GeekDad Day With a Soda Fountain

The Imagination Movers started as just a bunch of dads, getting together after their kids went to bed, to make music. 9 years later, they're an international phenomenon, with a TV show on Disney Junior, and a live touring show.

Source: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/06/the-imagination-movers/

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Speedtest.net overhauled with new look, new features

Speedtest.net is pretty much the go-to site for quickly figuring out how fast (or slow) your connection really is and comparing the numbers your ISP boasts with what it actually delivers. And now it's got a new coat of paint and a couple of neat features. In brief:

• New UI: The map widget is much improved; it actually looks like a map now, and it's easy to see where you are.
• Smart server selection: If there are several test servers nearby, Speedtest will now ping each to see which has the least latency and use that for the test. You can still specify servers manually, too.
• User accounts: You can sign up for a free account and aggregate results from several computers/connections.
• Speed Wave: This new feature lets you add your test results to the results of many other users, and get a nice composite view.

All in all, you get some nice, new functionality and a snazzier interface to boot. Nice!

Speedtest.net overhauled with new look, new features originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/07/speedtest-net-overhauled-with-new-look-new-features/

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ChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryear

Have you ever wondered what the Web was like before the Mosaic Web browser? If you were born in the last 20-odd years, or you only discovered your inner geek recently, did you miss out on monochrome monitors and the dial-up BBS era? Well, here's your chance to get a sneak peek at history: grab the ChromeLite extension and marvel as the entire Web is transformed into ASCII characters.

Now, ChromeLite isn't really all that functional. For the most part, it simply strips images and converts text into a monospaced terminal font. There are a few Easter eggs inserted -- such as a fun message at the bottom of YouTube (image after the break) -- and some fun ASCII art, but that's about it. Rather oddly, most JavaScript continues to work -- so you can still enjoy Google Instant Search!

ChromeLite was actually made by Google as an April Fools' joke -- and indeed, an annoying 'you can uninstall this!' message appears at the top of every page -- but we're kind of hoping that Google, or another developer, takes ChromeLite and turns it into a real ASCII browsing extension with configurable settings. If anything, it will provide an easy way to save bandwidth and CPU time.

Continue reading ChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryear

ChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryear originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/chromelite-experience-the-ascii-web-of-yesteryear/

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The Luckiest Kid on Earth (or Hoth) Just Got an AT-AT Bunk Bed [Image Cache]

There's countless ways to be an awesome dad, but they're all pretty pointless now that Derek Dutilly has built this fantastic Star Wars AT-AT bunk bed for his son. All the ponies in the world couldn't compete with this creation. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/DjLqUX-Dmoc/

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Aviiq Portable Charging Station with Cable Rack System

Late last year I was selected to review the Aviiq Portable Charging Station (see related links).  The 4-port USB charging station allowed me to charge up to four devices, including an iPad, from a single wall outlet.  I found that very convenient, but the relatively unstructured storage bag and cable storage system resulted in the [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/06/01/aviiq-portable-charging-station-with-cable-rack-system/

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In-app payment support arrives on Android

Right on cue, Google has launched in-app payment support for Android applications. Developer testing began last week, and now many popular apps -- like the ones pictured above -- can begin charging users for add-on functionality, content, or whatever the heck else they feel is worthy of additional bits of your pocket change. If you were wondering, Google will take the same 30% cut that Apple takes from in-app purchases.

At last we can buy individual issues in Comics with minimal fuss!

In-app payment support arrives on Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/30/in-app-payment-support-arrives-on-android/

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In-app payment support arrives on Android

Right on cue, Google has launched in-app payment support for Android applications. Developer testing began last week, and now many popular apps -- like the ones pictured above -- can begin charging users for add-on functionality, content, or whatever the heck else they feel is worthy of additional bits of your pocket change. If you were wondering, Google will take the same 30% cut that Apple takes from in-app purchases.

At last we can buy individual issues in Comics with minimal fuss!

In-app payment support arrives on Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/30/in-app-payment-support-arrives-on-android/

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Personal Activity Monitor tracks time you spend using desktop apps

Up until a couple of years ago, I used to turn to RescueTime to figure out how I spend my time online. Then it got too complex, and I stopped using it. Personal Activity Monitor is like a vastly dumbed-down version of RescueTime, and I mean that as a compliment. It's free and bare-bones -- all it does is track what applications you're using and for how long.

A big drawback at this point is that it doesn't integrate with Web browsers to help you analyze how you spend your time on the Web. Still, if your work doesn't require constant Web app use, knowing how long you've used a browser overall might be enough to help you manage your time.

This is far from the only application in this space -- alternatives such as Slife and Chrometa are full-featured and impressive -- but PAM is good option for those who want a nice, simple tracker.

Personal Activity Monitor tracks time you spend using desktop apps originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/05/personal-activity-monitor-lets-you-quickly-see-what-you-spend-ti/

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