Saturday, June 30, 2012
Nicotine Vaccine Takes All the Fun Out of Smoking [Science]
Cracking the Nexus Q, Google's 25-watt amplified obsession
"We're missing a nut," says a bemused Matt Hershenson, former Danger founder and now Google's director of hardware for Android, pointing at a vacant spot on an exploded photo of the Nexus Q. Its parts are strewn out across a white background, perfectly arranged in a linear pattern that starkly contrasts with the spherical nature of the thing. "Wow, you're right," agrees Joe Britt, engineering director at Google and another former Danger founder. "It's like the illuminators, you know, the monks who used to draw up the codexes." Hershenson picks up the reference without missing a beat: "Everybody needs to make at least one mistake. Nothing can be perfect."
That goes against everything else we've been learning from the pair, who spend 45 minutes walking us through every detail of what went into the development of the new Nexus Q. They worked hand-in-hand with engineers and designers and materials experts, ensuring everything from the bearings to the LEDs were, well, perfect. But there is one thing, something larger, that many have said is a crucial flaw in this illuminated device: pricing. Will people pay $299 for a high-concept, low-functionality social media streamer? Join us after the break for how the Q came to be, and why Britt and Hershenson think it will be a success.
Continue reading Cracking the Nexus Q, Google's 25-watt amplified obsession
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Cracking the Nexus Q, Google's 25-watt amplified obsession originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/rrY2JCJVG2U/
Let it Slide is an engaging, difficult puzzle game
The idea is very simple, and far from original: You get a board with pieces arranged in a particular pattern; you have to slide those around until you get the special piece into its target location.
It's not even about finding out where the target location is - you can just hover over "dim tiles" and instantly see where you're supposed to bring the special piece. But getting it there is a whole different story.
There are five tutorial levels, which I strongly recommend you do. Then there are twenty "beginner" levels, but that's really a misnomer. If those are the beginner levels, I don't want to know what the intermediate and advanced levels look like!
Every time you finish a level you get a score based on how many clicks it took you - each level has a "par" (the minimum number of clicks it could be completed in), and your performance is compared to that gold standard. Because it's such a brainy game, getting it right is quite satisfying. I was downright proud of myself when I managed to finish a few levels. All in all, quite recommended, especially if you've got a few minutes of quiet. It might actually help you focus better later on.
Let it Slide is an engaging, difficult puzzle game originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/23/let-it-slide-is-an-engaging-difficult-puzzle-game/
Conman selling sealed iPhone and iPad boxes containing potatoes or bottles of water
A conman is ripping off unsuspecting members of the public who are looking to pick up an iPhone, iPad or other Apple products. The conman is operating in the East Yorkshire area of the United Kingdom and claims to be selling Apple's latest products at much reduced prices
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/ibduQ-9s7_8/story01.htm
VARIAN SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATES UNITED ONLINE UNISYS TRIQUINT SEMICONDUCTOR
Mac OS X Lion Preview 2 released, introduces mega exciting leather bound iCal skin
There has been some speculation that Apple is getting close to a release or Golden Master build, but judging by 9to5 Mac's initial findings there's definitely some way to go. The Golden Master will probably appear at, or just before, the Apple WWDC in June.
So far, it's looking like the only changes in Preview 2 are the leather bound iCal skin that you can see above, and the main iChat window now combines your AIM, Bonjour and Jabber contacts, like Adium. We're sure that more details will emerge throughout the day, though, and there's bound to be lots of invisible changes, too. We'll update this post when we find out more.
Mac OS X Lion Preview 2 released, introduces mega exciting leather bound iCal skin originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 05:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Google Chrome for iPhone and iPad review
Earlier today, Google announced and then rapidly released Google Chrome for iPhone and iPad, leaving many of us screaming "finally!" Google Chrome is a very popular -- the most popular, according to Google -- web browser for Mac and PC. It lets you keep bookmarks, tabs, logins and more synced between computers. With Google Chrome for iOS, you can now bring that same personalized experience to your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/_xlm9UObxRg/story01.htm
Friday, June 29, 2012
Twitter for Windows Phone gets pushy, adds Notifications support
Starting this week, Windows Phone users with a Twitter fixation will have a much easier time feeding the little, blue, bird-shaped beast. The latest update to the app features long-awaited Notifications support. Downloading version 1.5 will deliver such important Twitter info as retweets, mentions, direct messages, new followers and favorited tweets to the forefront where they belong. You can download the app in the source link below and then tell all your friends through the microblogging service of your choice, whatever that might be. Fair warning in the meantime -- a number of folks are reporting issues with the update, and we've had some difficulty getting it up an running on our own handsets. Feel free to sound off in the comments below -- since you may have some trouble doing so on Twitter.
Twitter for Windows Phone gets pushy, adds Notifications support originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Windows Phone - Twitter | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/29/twitter-for-windows-phone-gets-pushy-adds-notifications-support/
Inbox Alert: SendGrid Sends 45B Emails For 60,000 Customers, 20B In 2012 Alone
Some may think the end is nigh for email -- with services like Facebook coming to replace it as a one-stop communications hub for consumers -- but going by the numbers out today from SendGrid, the email delivery company, thoughts like that may be a bit premature. The company -- which now works with 60,000 businesses, including buzzy brands like foursquare, Pinterest, Airbnb, Twilio, Spotify and Pandora to send out email communications to their users -- says that it has now sent 45 billion emails since opening for business in 2009 -- and use is accelerating. 20 billion of those emails were sent in 2012 alone -- a sign that no matter what innovations are coming to the web and mobile, many users (and companies) are still looking to email as a solid touchpoint. Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/m2sEDxYQaps/
FINISAR FEI COMPANY FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR INTERNATIONAL FAIR ISAAC
Shuttle takes quiet nettops down the Cedar Trail, intros XS35V3 and XS35GTA V3
Nettops have slipped a bit out of vogue, but Shuttle is keeping the flame alive for those who like their desktops tiny and hushed. The XS35V3 and XS35GTA V3 have moved on to more contemporary Cedar Trail-era, 2.13GHz Atom D2700 processors that keep the power draw to a fanless 27W, even when everything is churning at full bore. That limit might get tested with the GTA variant, which brings in Radeon HD 7410M graphics for a lift to 3D performance, but neither mini desktop will exactly make the power company beg for mercy. Either is a barebones kit with the laptop-sized hard drive, optical drive and OS left to the buyer -- if you don't get them at the same time, you'll have only the HDMI, VGA, USB and card reader to keep you company. Europeans are currently the only ones getting a crack, where it costs €172 pre-tax ($214) for the XS35V3 and €233 ($290) to get its faster GTA cousin.
Shuttle takes quiet nettops down the Cedar Trail, intros XS35V3 and XS35GTA V3 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 06:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/R1VsWBqqgl8/
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