Mar/100
Android’s American market share soars, WinMo pays the price
Mobile manufacturer and platform market share stats for the US are in for the month of January thanks to comScore, and as usual, they tell a fascinating (and somewhat unpredictable) story of what’s actually going on at the cash registers. Motorola — which has long since fallen off its high horse on the global stage — still maintains a commanding presence in the American market by representing some 22.9 percent of all subscribers, though that’s down 1.2 percent from October 2009; that’s particularly interesting in light of the Droid’s success, and a possible sign that smartphones still aren’t on the cusp of dominating the phone market overall. Samsung recently touted the fact that it had held onto the States’ overall market share crown, though Sammy was undoubtedly referring to sales, not subscribers — in other words, there are still a ton of legacy RAZRs out there inflating Moto’s stats.
Turning our attention to smartphone platforms, BlackBerry OS, iPhone, and Android all saw gains, while Windows Mobile and Palm both saw significant downturns. You might use Palm’s loss of 2.1 percent of overall market share in a single quarter as a big nail in webOS’ coffin, but we’re inclined to believe this includes legacy devices — and considering the huge installed base of Palm OS-based handsets (Centros, for instance) that are coming off contract these days, it’s neither surprising nor alarming to see that kind of drop. Android’s gain, meanwhile, likely comes in large part from WinMo’s whopping four percent loss — it’s no secret that WinMo 6.x is well past its expiration date with customers leaving in droves (even before Windows Phone 7 Series announcement), and our informal observations lead us to believe that many of those folks are heading for Android. After all, it’s kind of convenient that Android gained 4.3 percent and WinMo lost about the same, isn’t it? BlackBerrys still dominate the American smartphone landscape, and the iPhone market looks like it might be mature for the time being — Apple added just 0.3 percent to its market share in the quarter, possibly a sign that folks are holding out for whatever Cupertino brings us come Summer. Is this a sign that Palm needs to step up its game yet again? Undoubtedly — but at the same time, we wouldn’t call the loss of those Palm OS subscribers a death knell just yet.
Android’s American market share soars, WinMo pays the price originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
HMK 561 electric bike concept seats you on the battery, makes you significantly more attractive
Most electric bikes are fairly sordid affairs, little more than an ordinary bicycle with a motorized hub, a strap-on battery pack and regenerative braking capabilities (if you’re lucky). Not this HMK 561 electric bicycle concept, which took home an iF Design Award for some seriously forward thinking. It’s not just the stylish forward rake of this juiced cruiser that’s innovative, it’s the frame — composed completely of a conductive carbon fiber weave that allows the bike’s body to not just pass electricity to the motors, but actually store it like a giant capacitor. Factor in integrated lights and a pinch of that aforesaid regenerative braking at each axle, and you’ve just about got the bicycle of our dreams. Oh, and did we mention a prototype has already been built? Yeah.
Gallery: HMK 561 Electric Bicycle Concept
HMK 561 electric bike concept seats you on the battery, makes you significantly more attractive originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
AMD to finally take on netbook space with new Fusion chip… next year
We’ve always said AMD should go after the gaping hole between netbooks and thin-and-lights by releasing a low-power platform with solid graphics abilities, and it looks like the company’s finally coming around — AMD’s John Taylor just told us that the chipmaker will be releasing a netbook-class Fusion CPU / GPU hybrid codenamed “Ontario” with integrated DX11 graphics sometime next year. If Ontario sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve seen it leaked in the past — it’s a part of the “Brazos” platform built around the low-power Bobcat core. Of course, AMD has been promising Fusion chips of all stripes for years now without a single shipping part, so saying that a Fusion chip will get it into the netbook game in 2011 is mildly amusing — while AMD’s definitely turned things around, it’s still incredibly late to the low-end party, and Intel’s solidly beaten it to the hybrid CPU / GPU punch with the Core 2010 and Pine Trail Atom chips. Add in the fact that NVIDIA’s Optimus-based Ion 2 chipset seemingly offers the extended battery life of Atom with the performance of a discrete GPU, and we’d say the market niche Ontario is designed to fill may not actually be so niche when it finally arrives. We’ll see what happens — a year is a long, long time.
[Image via OCWorkbench]
AMD to finally take on netbook space with new Fusion chip… next year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
iPad orders start at 8:30AM tomorrow morning
We knew iPad pre-orders were starting tomorrow, but know we know exactly when all you lovable crazies have to stumble out of bed and transmit your credit card numbers to Steve’s brain: 8:30AM ET, or 5:30AM on the West Coast. We generally recommend a bed shaker alarm clock, but hey, let’s not pretend we haven’t all turned a few long nights into tomorrow with our old friends Jackie D and Mistakes. See you on the other side, chochachos.
iPad orders start at 8:30AM tomorrow morning originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
Talkin’ Windows Phone 7 Series gaming with Microsoft at GDC
Talkin’ Windows Phone 7 Series gaming with Microsoft at GDC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
Caption Contest: 3D is a mind blow, everyone can agree on that
Chris: “And see, just by turning this knob to the right, we can give Avatar a plot.”
Richard Lawler: “If everyone starts wearing these, we’re going to need new outfits.”
Nilay: “Fascinating. You say this is called a ‘lady lump?’”
Joe: “What? Bono beat us to it?”
Joanna: “That Neytiri, she’s a handful…”
Paul: “I’ve gotta feeling that nothing of intellectual importance is happening here.”
Continue reading Caption Contest: 3D is a mind blow, everyone can agree on that
Caption Contest: 3D is a mind blow, everyone can agree on that originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/1025
Robots: Part 2
Second part of footage captured at WIRED nextfest 2006 of different robots on display. www.destructoid.com
Related Blogs
- Related Blogs on Actroid
- Related Blogs on Nextfest
- Related Blogs on robot
Mar/100
OptiTrack mixes motion capture with a virtual camera for delicious, Avatar-esque results
We knew virtual camera systems are starting gain traction, particularly in the world of cinema and within James Cameron’s little set of toys, but it’s pretty wild to see one in action. NaturalPoint is showing off its OptiTrack motion capture system at GDC, a budget-friendly multi-camera setup (if $6k is your idea of budget-friendly), but it also has a prototype of sorts of its upcoming virtual camera system. The camera’s orientation and movement is actually tracked in the same way a motion capture suit is, and if you’re in the same tracking space as a motion capture actor you can do “real” camera work with a live 3D rendered preview of the action. The shoulder-mounted camera has controls for virtual tracking and dolly moves, along with zoom, and has zero problem delivering that shaky handheld look that’s all the rage in visual effects these days. There’s no word on much this will retail for, but despite the fact that we have absolutely zero use for it we totally want one. Check out a video of it in action after the break.
OptiTrack mixes motion capture with a virtual camera for delicious, Avatar-esque results originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
Unreal Engine 3 up and running on webOS, and we’ve got video!
Palm just showed us the Unreal Engine 3 running on webOS, which apparently took a couple weeks to port over to the platform using that fancy new PDK. It runs at a pretty smooth clip, with just a tiny bit of artifacting in our enemy’s death animation. As an added bit of wow factor, Palm has it currently setup to demonstrate the game at 1 fps when in card view. Like most touchscreen shooters, this doesn’t really solve the problem of simulating dual analog sticks, but it’s still a fun and good looking engine for a mobile device. We’re still unaware of any games that have been built for the mobile engine, which has now been shown for iPhone, Tegra 2, and will be headed to the iPad as well, but we have to assume we’ll be seeing some before too long. Check out the webOS video after the break.
Continue reading Unreal Engine 3 up and running on webOS, and we’ve got video!
Unreal Engine 3 up and running on webOS, and we’ve got video! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
iPhone SDK 3.2 showing first hints of multitasking for third-party apps?
Naturally, we need to first disclaim this noise by saying that rumors of third-party multitasking capability in the iPhone are as old as the iPhone SDK itself. That said, it’s hard to ignore a new reference to a “multitasking dialog box” buried deep within the iPhone SDK 3.2 beta that — while not new to beta 4 specifically — we’re told didn’t exist in 3.1.3. Now, the wildest possible speculation would have us believing that this is the very first by-product of a new multitasking system for developers that’s being developed for the platform, presumably destined for an appearance in OS 4.0 when it’s introduced along with new hardware this summer — but it’s just as likely that Apple will continue to keep the iPhone’s multitasking capability to itself, a function it uses liberally among the phone and music apps, just to name a couple. For what it’s worth, AppleInsider is citing a tipster claiming that Apple’s got a “full-on solution” to multitasking that would properly address its main concern — battery life issues — for release this year, so maybe we’ll be able to chuck those awful push notifications before we know it. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be over here in the corner running a few dozen apps on our Pre Plus.
iPhone SDK 3.2 showing first hints of multitasking for third-party apps? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
Switched On: Thumbs up, thumbs down at TiVo Premiere
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
TiVo’s announcement of TiVo Premiere represents the most significant user interface overhaul for the device in years. Based on Adobe Flash and optimized for the high-definition screens that are likely to be paired with CableCARD programming, the new user interface blends together live, recorded, and broadband content. That presentation is more akin to what we’ve seen from Windows Media Center, and less like TiVo’s Series3 that segmented programming sources by type. TiVo has also beefed up its search capability, bringing it up to par with that of its only significant retail DVR competitor, Digeo’s Moxi.
The new interaction widens the user experience gap between TiVo and your average cable or satellite DVR, and TiVo has two other features that set it apart. First, no doubt reacting to the Moxi competition, TiVo long ago reinstated its lifetime service option that was so popular in the product’s early years. However, those who have opted for this plan through TiVo’s major platform upgrades over the years have endured more lifetime sentences than many a felon.
Continue reading Switched On: Thumbs up, thumbs down at TiVo Premiere
Switched On: Thumbs up, thumbs down at TiVo Premiere originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
iDongle hardware iPhone jailbreak tool makes hacker life a little simpler
If you needed any more proof that Apple’s lame cat-and-mouse game with the iPhone jailbreak community has only served to increase its resourcefulness and creativity, look no further than the iDongle, a slick piece of hacker-made hardware that can jailbreak and activate an iPhone 3GS or iPod touch running OS 3.1.2 just by plugging it into the dock connector. What’s more, it allows a jailbroken iPhone to be rebooted away from a computer, which is currently a problem for on-the-go hackers — just stick this guy in your bag and you’ll be good to go. There’s only a dozen prototypes right now, but pre-orders are being accepted to raise funds for production — we’ve got a feeling quite a few people are going to be interested. Video after the break.
Continue reading iDongle hardware iPhone jailbreak tool makes hacker life a little simpler
iDongle hardware iPhone jailbreak tool makes hacker life a little simpler originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
HP rolls out ‘Let’s Do Amazing’ ad campaign
Continue reading HP rolls out ‘Let’s Do Amazing’ ad campaign
HP rolls out ‘Let’s Do Amazing’ ad campaign originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
Cellphone inventor Marty Cooper uses a Droid…. and a Jitterbug
Sure, you read reviews and take recommendations from friends before you buy a new cellphone, but have you ever stopped to consider what the inventor of the cellphone uses on a daily basis? C-SPAN has, and recently took the opportunity to ask the man himself, Marty Cooper, that very question during a wide-ranging interview. While Cooper said that he has used an iPhone previously, he recently passed it on to his grandson in favor of a Motorola Droid, which he says he chose because he wanted to get more experience with Android. But that’s not all, Cooper also revealed that he carries a Jitterbug as well for when he just wants to make phone calls. Surprising for a pioneer of mobile technology? Not exactly, as Cooper actually co-founded Jitterbug with his wife, who he credits with inventing the phone. Head on past the break to watch the complete interview.
Continue reading Cellphone inventor Marty Cooper uses a Droid…. and a Jitterbug
Cellphone inventor Marty Cooper uses a Droid…. and a Jitterbug originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
Darkworks SDK transforms 2D games into 3D games, no 3D TV required
Well, wouldn’t you know it? 3D seems to be the topic of conversation here at GDC , and Paris-based Darkworks is making a splash by announcing the availability of its TriOviz for Games SDK. In short, this magical software concoction is a post-process effect that allows standard 2D games to be transformed into 3D masterpieces… and you don’t even need to buy a 3D television. We were briefed on the tech here at the show, and we’re told that the magic happens in the software and the glasses, and unlike existing 3D technologies, other users around the house will still be able to watch you play in 2D without all those blurred edges. In other words, existing titles (for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC; sorry Wii owners!) can have a 3D experience added in, and we’re guessing that a select few AAA games will be seeing a DLC pack in the near future for those who care to re-play their favorites in the third dimension. We’ll be doing our best to swing by and catch a demo later today, but for now, just know that your life will never be the same once these 3D-ified games start shipping in the Spring.
Darkworks SDK transforms 2D games into 3D games, no 3D TV required originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
JooJoo hits the FCC, reveals NVIDIA Ion, 3G card
Well well. We’d always suspected that the JooJoo tablet was hiding something extra to run HD video and Flash, and it’s just hit the FCC with full documentation and a teardown confirming that there’s an NVIDIA Ion GPU paired with an Atom N270 packed inside. We’re also seeing a 3G card in there, although it’s unclear whether it’ll be active or installed at launch — we’ve been told the 3G version won’t be ready until sometime later this year, but anything can change. There’s also some pictures showing it running Windows 7, but we’re assuming that’s just for testing purposes — although we’d imagine it wouldn’t be too hard to hack on there. But back to Ion for a second: our experience with first-gen Ion netbooks has been one of decreased performance and drastically reduced battery life, so we’re very curious to see how the JooJoo holds up compared to modern netbooks running Intel’s Pine Trail chips and NVIDIA’s Optimus-based Ion 2. We’ll see — it’s supposed to ship in just a few weeks. Two more pics after the break.
Continue reading JooJoo hits the FCC, reveals NVIDIA Ion, 3G card
JooJoo hits the FCC, reveals NVIDIA Ion, 3G card originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
PlayStation Move: everything you ever wanted to know
Sony dropped a lot of knowledge on us yesterday, at long last replacing rampant speculation with some cold hard facts — and even a name! — for its new PlayStation motion controller. The PlayStation Move is being described as a “platform” and a “virtual console launch” by folks at Sony, and we think they mean it, so prepare for a motion-controlled ad war later this year, as Microsoft and Sony set themselves up for a real three-way fight with Nintendo for your physical living room activity of the gaming variety. While some of the high-level Wii-like functionalities might be obvious, follow us after the break as we walk through the nitty gritty of everything we know so far about Move.
Gallery: PlayStation Move press photos
Continue reading PlayStation Move: everything you ever wanted to know
PlayStation Move: everything you ever wanted to know originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
DARPA looking to develop iPhone and Android apps, App Store
[Thanks, Sriram]
DARPA looking to develop iPhone and Android apps, App Store originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
HTC Incredible out in the wild once more, Verizon color scheme alive and well
Android Forums is alight today with fresh HTC Incredible chatter — a phone every Android fan on Verizon is desperately waiting for — and we’ve managed to glean a few more pictures and possible specs out of the mess. It looks like we can expect a half gig of RAM with about 320MB available (roughly the same as what you find on the Nexus One) and an 8 megapixel cam, but interestingly, the phone’s Snapdragon core is apparently underclocked to 768MHz, almost certainly a battery-saving measure on HTC’s part; fortunately, the Sense-powered Android 2.1 firmware is still said to be “blazing fast.” It measures 117.5 x 58.5 x 11.9mm — just a hair narrower, shorter, and thicker than its Nexus One doppelganger, small enough of a difference so that we think it’ll be virtually indistinguishable in person. As shots go, we’re seeing now that HTC has moved from the brightly-colored glossy shell to a soft-touch black one while keeping the strange contours; we think there’s at least a chance that this is final ID, too, since the Verizon logo is silkscreened at the bottom. Inside, the entire thing (including the battery itself) is a shockingly loud shade of red, mirroring an odd design trend first seen on the HD mini. We definitely dig it. If the stats over on the forum hold up, the Incredible’s on track for a launch in April or May, so it’s still a few weeks off — in the meanwhile, we encourage you to check out more of the new shots after the break.
[Thanks, Matt and EBBY]
Continue reading HTC Incredible out in the wild once more, Verizon color scheme alive and well
HTC Incredible out in the wild once more, Verizon color scheme alive and well originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
Interview: Sony’s Scott Rohde on PlayStation Move
Sony Worldwide Studios VP Scott Rohde had the onerous task of introducing the first PlayStation Move games at Sony’s GDC press conference last night. We caught up with the executive after the show to talk about Sony’s plans for exploiting motion control and if hardcore gamers should be concerned about the future of the PS3 games library.
Our complete interview with Rohde follows:
It’s obviously going to take internal resources to develop games for PlayStation Move. How can you guarantee that this won’t take away from the resources devoted to traditional hardcore games?
Scott Rohde: The bottom line is, you know Worldwide Studios is a huge organization. I’m not sure exactly where it sits among other global publishers, but it’s right up there. There’s a lot of resources put into product development. I’m pretty proud of the roll that we’ve been on — with Uncharted 2 kind of sweeping the awards recently.
There’s plenty of resources to go around. It’s our heritage: we’re never going to compromise our core; great exclusive games. This is a new initiative to us. Some teams are looking into how they might incorporate motion control into some existing plans; others are totally focused on making the best sequels to the games we all love. It’s not something I’m worried about.
Continue reading Interview: Sony’s Scott Rohde on PlayStation Move
Interview: Sony’s Scott Rohde on PlayStation Move originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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