Major carriers in the U.S. to launch database for stolen smartphones

In a desperate attempt to counter the growing number of smartphone thefts in the U.S., carriers are now working together to introduce databases that will prevent stolen phones from functioning on their networks. It is reported that in 2011 alone, roughly 38 percent of all robberies recorded in Washington were actually smartphone thefts. The condition is much more worse in New York, where more than 40 percent of accounted robberies are considered to be smartphone related. Earlier this year, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission together with a few police chiefs in the U.S.

Ubergizmo , Major carriers in the U.S. to launch database for stolen smartphones

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trendygadgets, Major carriers in the U.S. to launch database for stolen smartphones

Why Buick's Encore wasn't a Chevy

Buick is taking a gamble with its 2013 Encore. General Motors' near-luxury brand has enjoyed great success attracting conquest buyers to its larger Enclave crossover, but it has never offered something quite like this small CUV. Very early signs suggest that the gamble might be working. According to Mark Reuss, President of General Motors, the automaker expected about 1,500 initial orders from its dealers for the Encore, but it's tracking closer to 9,000 units.

Autoblog , Why Buick's Encore wasn't a Chevy, Why Buick's Encore wasn't a Chevy

Wikipad sees last-minute delay for new bundle and 'refinement'

Were you raring to go and buy a Wikipad instead of trick-or-treating. You might want to search around for some leftover chocolate bars and potato chips. The gaming tablet maker has postponed its shipments the very day they were meant to start after chances to both to improve the bundled content and make a "minor refinement" to the experience. We're interpreting that last mention as either a pleasant surprise or an unexpected hiccup.

Engadget , Wikipad sees last-minute delay for new bundle and 'refinement', Wikipad sees last-minute delay for new bundle and 'refinement'

Engineer builds lifelike slot cars with steering and suspension (video)

If idle hands are the devil's playground, idle engineers are a field day of awesome. Gareth Jones is a mechanical engineer with a penchant for slot cars, and when his child grew to an age to appreciate scale cars whirring around a plastic track, he did what any responsible father would do: he went out and bought a new Scalextric set. While Jones found the new cars to be much more detailed and accurate than the models he had known from the '70s, he was frustrated to find models like a '69 Dodge Charger handled just as well as an F1 car.











Autoblog , Engineer builds lifelike slot cars with steering and suspension (video), Engineer builds lifelike slot cars with steering and suspension (video)

Panasonic shows $613 million operating profit for Q2, but lowers full year projections

The good news for Panasonic in its Q2 earnings release is that it managed to record a 48.8 billion yen ($613 million) operating profit, higher than last year. The bad news however is word of falling sales in its TV business, although we're not hearing any confirmation of changes in its plans for mobile phones. New CEO Kazuhiro Tsuga is working a new restructuring plan that should help return divisions like its one for TV to profitability, but there will be costs upfront.

Engadget , Panasonic shows $613 million operating profit for Q2, but lowers full year projections

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itband, Panasonic shows $613 million operating profit for Q2, but lowers full year projections

Paper Computing technology the first step to paper-based Google Docs

At the University of Tokyo, the Naemura Group is developing paper computing technology, which can automatically erase, copy and print hand-drawn sketches on paper. As well as using a camera and computer, this system uses a laser and UV light, making it possible to work directly with the hand-drawn sketches using the computer. So for example, the user can leave only the edges of hand-written characters, creating 3D like text, or draw a figure by hand and color it in automatically.

“This is one technology for truly turning ordinary paper into a display.

Akihabara News , Paper Computing technology the first step to paper-based Google Docs, Paper Computing technology the first step to paper-based Google Docs

Nexus 4 boasts SlimPort support for tethered display sharing

A lot of the hubbub yesterday was around the Nexus 4's support of Miracast, courtesy of Android 4.2. If you don't want to spring for a dedicated TV box or invest in a whole new set of gadgets to supersize your mobile experience, then you may be excited to hear that the handset also supports SlimPort. We haven't heard much from the DisplayPort-based standard since January, but we're happy to report it finally appears to be ready for primetime.

Engadget , Nexus 4 boasts SlimPort support for tethered display sharing, Nexus 4 boasts SlimPort support for tethered display sharing

Google's Nexus 7 tablet reportedly selling nearly 1 million units every month

With the Google Nexus 7 offering Android tablet users an unadulterated Android experience, many assumed that it could prove to be a serious competitor to Apple's iPad. On the flipside there were probably some who expected the Nexus 7 to flop - after all Android tablets, save for a few, have not exactly been success stories. Well as it turns out, ASUS (via WSJ) has announced that sales of the Google Nexus 7 are reaching almost a million units a month, a pretty impressive feat we have to admit considering that the tablet was released a few months ago.

Ubergizmo , Google's Nexus 7 tablet reportedly selling nearly 1 million units every month, Google's Nexus 7 tablet reportedly selling nearly 1 million units every month

Transformation House rotates freely for unprecedented flexibility

Michael Jantzen's Transformation House is truly an abode that is out of the ordinary. Basically, this is a design study for an interactive and responsive self-contained structure, where it is more than capable of changing its shape to adapt to various functions. Assuming the Allspark touches it, it might end up being one of the weirder looking Transformers ever, but since we are grounded in reality at the moment, the Transformation House sports five center sections which can be rotated manually or automatically around the living space.

Ubergizmo , Transformation House rotates freely for unprecedented flexibility, Transformation House rotates freely for unprecedented flexibility

Man with bionic leg to climb 103 flights of stairs this Sunday

The human spirit is an amazing thing and we often see people with disabilities perform feats that defy the human limitations. Zac Vawter is hoping to do just that by putting his prosthetic leg to the test. After losing his leg in a motorcycle accident, the 31-year old was fitted with a pretty awesome prosthetic limb that can be controlled by his thoughts, providing him with a greater degree of control and flexibility compared to regular prosthetic limbs, and come this Sunday he will be putting his bionic leg to the test by climbing 103 flights of stairs to the top of Chicago's Willis Tower.

Ubergizmo , Man with bionic leg to climb 103 flights of stairs this Sunday, Man with bionic leg to climb 103 flights of stairs this Sunday

Amazon Compares Own Kindle Fire to iPad Mini

If you check out Amazon.com now, you would witness some dissing going on against the newly-launched iPad Mini. The ad starts with some not-so-flattering words about Apple's latest creation from Gizmodo: “Your (Apple's) 7.9-inch tablet has far fewer pixels than the competing 7-inch tablets. You're cramming a worse screen in there, charging more, and accusing others of compromise. Ballsy!” Amazon then shamelessly compares its own Kindle Fire tablet to the iPad Mini, bragging that its HD screen is no match to the Mini's SD display.

Gadget.com , Amazon Compares Own Kindle Fire to iPad Mini, Amazon Compares Own Kindle Fire to iPad Mini

Nokia Lumia 920 ships first to Rogers, makes Canadians the world's vanguards for $100

What, did you think Americans or Europeans would get the first crack at the Lumia 920. Continuing a recent pattern of Canadians getting devices first, Rogers has confirmed that some of its stores will have Nokia's flagship Windows Phone 8 hardware in stock on October 30th - that's almost immediately, folks. If you call and find you're near one of the choice few shops carrying the 920, it will cost you either $100 Canadian on a lengthy 3-year contract or $550 outright to walk away with Microsoft's poster child.

Engadget , Nokia Lumia 920 ships first to Rogers, makes Canadians the world's vanguards for $100, Nokia Lumia 920 ships first to Rogers, makes Canadians the world's vanguards for $100

HTML5 Progress to “Rocket” as Google Leads November 5th Workshop at OTTtv World Summit

Google’s Senior Business Product Manager Matt Frost to host and chair key event alongside Chrome Video Technology Product Manager, John LutherLondon, 31 October 2012 – As trends in browser adoption evolve, companies are under increasing pressure to embrace the latest web standards and start building richer web experiences that take advantage of the capabilities supported by modern browsers. This provides the focal point of the HTML5 Workshop at this year’s OTTtv World Summit, which is set to be hosted and chaired by Matt Frost, Senior Business Product Manager at Google.

Press Release Distribution , HTML5 Progress to “Rocket” as Google Leads November 5th Workshop at OTTtv World Summit, HTML5 Progress to “Rocket” as Google Leads November 5th Workshop at OTTtv World Summit

Boston-area Starbucks testing wireless smartphone charging; Starbucks, Google and AT&T back PMA standard

The Duracell Powermat and the Power Matters Alliance are charging forward in their quest to make wireless charging of smartphones all the more ubiquitous, today announcing the appointment of several notable companies to the PMA's shareholder board: Google, AT&T, and Starbucks. Subsequently, said appointments will result in various initiatives involving the wireless charging standard - select Boston-area Starbucks will get PMA standard-based wireless charging spots, AT&T is selling PMA standard-based charging devices in "select markets," and . uh . Google is just kinda throwing its support in.

Engadget , Boston-area Starbucks testing wireless smartphone charging; Starbucks, Google and AT&T back PMA standard, Boston-area Starbucks testing wireless smartphone charging; Starbucks, Google and AT&T back PMA standard

Chrome Remote Desktop now out of beta and added with more features

Following its beta launch one year ago, Google's Chrome Remote Desktop is now officially out with more nifty features. Among the new features added are real-time audio feed on Windows which will allow users, for example, to access music files remotely across computers and the ability to copy-and-paste between local and remote computers. In case you haven't heard about Chrome Remote Desktop, it's actually an extension that allows users to remotely access another computer through a Chrome browser or a Chromebook. “One year ago, we launched Chrome Remote Desktop in beta.

Ubergizmo , Chrome Remote Desktop now out of beta and added with more features, Chrome Remote Desktop now out of beta and added with more features

Toyota claims best-selling car crown two months early

As automakers are preparing to release sales figures for October, Toyota is looking a little further ahead by claiming that the Camry is the best-selling car in the US for the 11th straight year a full two months early. Based on sales figures through September, Toyota thinks that its 67,000-unit lead over the closest competitor is big enough to make a fourth-quarter comeback statistically impossible. Camry sales are up about 37 percent through September with 314,788 units sold compared to 247,847 units for the next-closest car, the Honda Accord.

Autoblog , Toyota claims best-selling car crown two months early, Toyota claims best-selling car crown two months early

What impact will Hurricane Sandy have on car production?

On Monday, with Hurricane Sandy fast approaching, Wards Auto published a report speculating on how the storm might effect the auto industry. In a general sense, it was predicted that plants in or near the storm's path could shut down as a precautionary measure. With Sandy now having made landfall as a superstorm, it appears several production facilities were right in her path. Two plants in Maryland that most certainly ceased production during the storm were a General Motors powertrain facility that builds heavy duty truck and SUV transmissions, while the other is a Volvo plant that produces Volvo and Mack truck engines.

Autoblog , What impact will Hurricane Sandy have on car production?, What impact will Hurricane Sandy have on car production?

Promising CA racer loses life after major wreck during weekend race

Tyler Wolf, 20, of Redding, California, was a budding racecar driver moving up in California's sprint car ranks, but an unfortunate accident in competition took his life on Saturday at Calistoga Speedway. On the third lap of a 30-lap race at the half-mile dirt oval, Wolf's car lost control, veered off the track and collided with the outside retaining wall causing it to flip. According to the report on Chico Enterprise-Record, Wolf was unconscious but alive when paramedics got to the scene of his accident, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital an hour later due to head injuries.

Autoblog , Promising CA racer loses life after major wreck during weekend race, Promising CA racer loses life after major wreck during weekend race

Fanny Wang Wang Buds earphones review

I regularly listen to music at work as a way to drown out distracting noises or just for enjoyment. The problem is that I don't normally care for over the ear type headphones and in-ear style earbuds because they tend to block out background noise too much. That may sound like an odd complaint, but I work in IT for my day job. People often walk up with questions or my co-workers want to talk. That's one of the main reasons why I have stuck to old fashioned earbud (think Apple's original earbuds) style earphones. The problem with this style of earbud is that they aren't very comfortable.








The Gadgeteer , Fanny Wang Wang Buds earphones review

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computerworld, Fanny Wang Wang Buds earphones review

2013 Honda Accord Coupe HFP hitting dealerships next spring

The totally new 2013 Honda Accord has just now started trickling into dealerships across the country, but here at SEMA, we're already getting our first look at what the future has in store for Honda's midsize offering. Arriving in Honda showrooms next spring is this limited-edition HFP performance edition of the 2013 Accord Coupe, and although no power upgrades are on tap, there's some extra kit that will indeed make things more interesting out on the road.

Autoblog , 2013 Honda Accord Coupe HFP hitting dealerships next spring, 2013 Honda Accord Coupe HFP hitting dealerships next spring

Titan is world's most powerful supercomputer

There is a certain prestige for a country to more or less "own" the world's most powerful supercomputer, and the Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that they have just turned on such a behemoth, calling it the Titan. At the DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory facility, its latest Titan system has gone live, where it is capable of performing a whopping 20,000 trillion calculations a second, hitting the 20 petaflops mark – which is actually 10 times more powerful compared to the laboratory's Jaguar supercomputer, once billed as the world's most powerful supercomputer, lying in sixth place today.

Ubergizmo , Titan is world's most powerful supercomputer, Titan is world's most powerful supercomputer

Aepona’s API Monetization Platform Wins Best of 4G Awards for Mobile Cloud Enabler

CHICAGO – October 30, 2012 – 4G World 2012 Conference & Expo – Aepona today announced that its API Monetization Platform (AMP) was named the best Mobile Cloud Enabler in the Best of 4G Awards. Winners were announced at the Best of 4G Awards Ceremony at 4G World, the only conference and expo covering the entire ecosystem of next-generation 4G mobile broadband technologies, taking place this week in Chicago.AMP is a Telco-grade software solution that allows Service Providers to expose, manage and monetize their network, contextual, commercial and informational assets as easy-to-use APIs.

Press Release Distribution , Aepona’s API Monetization Platform Wins Best of 4G Awards for Mobile Cloud Enabler, Aepona’s API Monetization Platform Wins Best of 4G Awards for Mobile Cloud Enabler

Samsung Galaxy Music Coming Soon To O2 UK

O2 UK has just listed the new Samsung Galaxy Music on their product page as ‘Coming Soon'. The handset is said to become available in November, however, there's no word on pricing yet. In case you didn't know, the Galaxy Music packs a 3.0-inch QVGA display, a 850MHz single-core processor, a 512MB RAM, a 4GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot, a dedicated music key, SRS Surround Sound and SoundAlive 2 audio technology, Samsung's Music Hub 2.0, GPS, WiFi, HSDPA, dual front stereo speakers and runs on Android 4.0.4 ICS OS.

TechFresh , Samsung Galaxy Music Coming Soon To O2 UK, Samsung Galaxy Music Coming Soon To O2 UK

Samsung ATIV S: Hands-on with Samsung's first Windows Phone 8 device (video)

It's taken its sweet time showing itself but we've finally got to handle Samsung's first Windows Phone 8 device, the ATIV S (not to be confused with the similarly-named Windows RT tablet). At Microsoft's launch event for its new mobile OS, the phone's 4.8-inch AMOLED display certainly helps to make the most of those colorful tiles - this time around a higher resolution (1,280 x 720) screen kept everything looking sharp.









Engadget , Samsung ATIV S: Hands-on with Samsung's first Windows Phone 8 device (video), Samsung ATIV S: Hands-on with Samsung's first Windows Phone 8 device (video)

ID4Motion re-imagines your car's gauge cluster

With more manufacturers turning away from analog gauges in favor of LCD instrument panels, it was only a matter of time before an aftermarket company came up with a screen of its own. Enter the ID4Motion MotionGraphic Design Digital Cluster. Using car-specific hardware, the screen can tap into your vehicle's systems with either a CAN-BUS or analog connection to display everything from engine and vehicle speed to pertinent system warnings and fuel capacity in a more attractive manner. The device boasts a 10.1-inch color display with 1280x800 resolution and a suite of tech goodies.

Autoblog , ID4Motion re-imagines your car's gauge cluster, ID4Motion re-imagines your car's gauge cluster

Mysterious Windows Phone device spotted in the wild, speculated to be another Huawei device

We know that Huawei has a Windows Phone 8 handset in the works dubbed the W1. This is thanks to several leaked images and a press shot of the device, but it looks like the W1 might not be the only Windows Phone 8 device Huawei has in the pipeline. Well it seems that yet another Huawei handset was spotted in the wild, and based on its design it shares some design characteristics with its Android sibling, the Ascend P1. However the front buttons have revealed that it is none other than a Windows Phone device - assuming that these photos are real and not fabricated.

Ubergizmo , Mysterious Windows Phone device spotted in the wild, speculated to be another Huawei device, Mysterious Windows Phone device spotted in the wild, speculated to be another Huawei device

Harley-Davidson Museum opens tsunami motorcycle exhibit

Ikuo Yokoyama was just one man among hundreds of thousands of people directly affected by the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011, but his name will likely resonate with motorcycle enthusiasts for some time. Yokoyama's 2004 Harley-Davidson FXSTB Softail Night Train was in a container box that was swept away during the tsunami in March 2011, and it washed up on the shore of British Columbia where it was discovered almost a year later. His motorcycle is now on display at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the exact same condition that it was found on the remote Canadian beach back in April.

Autoblog , Harley-Davidson Museum opens tsunami motorcycle exhibit, Harley-Davidson Museum opens tsunami motorcycle exhibit

Sharp announces first TVs with Moth-Eye technology: the AQUOS XL series

Sharp may look like it's in trouble, but that's not stopping it bringing new displays to the market, including today's announcement of the AQUOS Quattron 3D XL TV line. Behind the mouthful of acronyms, these LED-backlit LCD panels are the first to feature Sharp's Moth-Eye technology, designed to reduce glare and pump out bright colors, as well as a deep black. The company's 'four primary color' tech is partly responsible for the rich output, which squeezes a yellow sub-pixel in with the standard R, G and B. All the panels run at 1,920 x 1,080, as you'd expect, sport a 10 million to 1 contrast ratio and use five speakers to deliver audio.

Engadget , Sharp announces first TVs with Moth-Eye technology: the AQUOS XL series

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itnews, Sharp announces first TVs with Moth-Eye technology: the AQUOS XL series

Lava Mobile XOLO X700 Intel-Based Android 4.0 ICS Smartphone

Lava Mobile has released their newest Intel-based Android 4.0 ICS smartphone for the Indian market. Called the XOLO X700, the handset is equipped with a 4.3-inch 960 x 540 capacitive touchscreen display, a 1.2GHz Intel Atom single-core processor, a microSD card slot, dual SIM card slots, a front-facing camera, a 5MP rear-facing camera, a 2000mAh Li-ion battery and runs on Android 4.0 ICS OS. The XOLO X700 is now available for purchase in India via HomeShop18 for Rs 14,000 (about $260).

TechFresh , Lava Mobile XOLO X700 Intel-Based Android 4.0 ICS Smartphone, Lava Mobile XOLO X700 Intel-Based Android 4.0 ICS Smartphone

Mouse Computer NEXTGEAR-NOTE i300BA6 11.6-Inch Gaming Notebook

Mouse Computer has released another gaming notebook ‘NEXTGEAR-NOTE i300BA6′ into the market. As part of the G-Tune series, the system is packed with an 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 LCD display, a 2.40GHz Intel Core i3-3110M processor, an Intel HM76 Express Chipset, a GeForce GT 650M 2GB graphics card, an 8GB DDR3 RAM, a 320GB hard drive, a webcam, a card reader, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 + LE and runs on Windows 8 64-bit OS. Price itself is set at 69,930 Yen (about $878).

TechFresh , Mouse Computer NEXTGEAR-NOTE i300BA6 11.6-Inch Gaming Notebook, Mouse Computer NEXTGEAR-NOTE i300BA6 11.6-Inch Gaming Notebook

Apple adds Rubles and other currencies to App Store, bumps minimum price to €0.89 in Europe

After announcing slightly under par financials, Apple has added more ways it can be paid for apps, though it also bumped the minimum freight to get one across Europe. The new lowest price users in France, Germany, Italy and other nations "over there" can pay for an app is now €0.89, a euro-dime bump from before - apparently due to the weak euro and local tax hikes. On the other hand, Cupertino also added more currencies accepted at its store: South African Rand, Turkish Lira, Russian Rubles, Indian Rupees, Isreali New Shekel's, Saudi Arabian Riyal, Indonesian Rupish and UAE Dirham can all now be used to pay.

Engadget , Apple adds Rubles and other currencies to App Store, bumps minimum price to €0.89 in Europe, Apple adds Rubles and other currencies to App Store, bumps minimum price to €0.89 in Europe

Visualized: GigaPan circa 2006

GigaPan sure has come a long way in a few short years. Sure, it's no Epic Pro, but this old device marked S/N 15 is a pretty cool piece of history for those who love really hi-res images. We spotted it on the shelf of an office here at Carnegie Mellon, clutching on to an old PowerShot point-and-shoot. According to its owner, the tangled device dates back to around 2006.

Engadget , Visualized: GigaPan circa 2006, Visualized: GigaPan circa 2006

Windows 8 upgrade diary: the buying experience

There were balloons. There were streamers. There were brand new Ultrabooks, members of staff unfurling banners, and - once other customers started to arrive - there was even a vibe of genuine excitement for today's official launch of Windows 8 in the UK. But whichever aisle I scanned, nowhere was to be found what I had come to buy: a Windows 8 disc for desktop upgraders. It was a faltering start, but it was also strangely symbolic of my mission - namely, to explore what Microsoft's latest operating system can do for regular desktop folk.


Engadget , Windows 8 upgrade diary: the buying experience, Windows 8 upgrade diary: the buying experience

AUO develops IGZO-based, 65-inch 4K TV screen, vows high resolution without the high power

It's now clear that Sharp doesn't have an exclusive lock on IGZO displays, even for the big-screen TVs that are still the company's domain. AU Optronics has developed a 65-inch IGZO panel that wields the very light-friendly technology to reach 4K resolutions without the usual penalties - as the screen doesn't need much backlighting to illuminate all those pixels, it can stay slim and keep the shocking energy bills to a minimum. The smaller size and miserly power draw also leave a real chance that any pricing will be closer to the mere mortal realm than current 84-inch behemoths.

Engadget , AUO develops IGZO-based, 65-inch 4K TV screen, vows high resolution without the high power, AUO develops IGZO-based, 65-inch 4K TV screen, vows high resolution without the high power

Lingenfelter Retrokits ape 1969 Camaro, with or without RS hideaway lights

If by some miracle you find the fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro too modern for your tastes, Lingenfelter has a solution. Behold the company's new Retrokits packages; full aesthetic workovers designed to give the Chevrolet a few tweaks from the '69 RS playbook. Those include an entirely new front fascia, complete with a chin spoiler and the buyer's choice of either exposed headlamps or hidden RS-style units. Lingenfelter swapped the original wheels for pieces designed to invoke the rally pieces found on the original '69.

Autoblog , Lingenfelter Retrokits ape 1969 Camaro, with or without RS hideaway lights, Lingenfelter Retrokits ape 1969 Camaro, with or without RS hideaway lights

GM hiring 3,000 Hewlett Packard employees for IT

In a case of outsourced becoming insourced, 3,000 Hewlett-Packard employees who are devoted to General Motors IT issues will be swapping workplaces, moving to GM and becoming GM employees in order to work on IT issues. The General wants to increase its speed of innovation and believes it can do that by hiring 10,000 IT workers and doing 80-percent more of its own IT work instead of using outside companies. The plan calls for using HP software to accelerate the completion of tasks and delivery, which will save money.

Autoblog , GM hiring 3,000 Hewlett Packard employees for IT, GM hiring 3,000 Hewlett Packard employees for IT