Lenovo venturing into the smart TV arena, plans LeTV launch in Q1 2012

A Chinese company throwing French around in its product names. Right, that's Lenovo for you. Oddities aside, it looks as if the LePhone will soon have LeCompany — Lenovo will be pushing out its first smart TV in the first quarter of 2012. The simply-titled LeTV will be an internet-connected display, but outside of that, hardly anything else is being made public. There are no launch regions specified, nor a screen size.

2DayBlog.com, Lenovo venturing into the smart TV arena, plans LeTV launch in Q1 2012

Industrywide App Rating System Dissed by Apple, Google

In an effort to streamline and simplify the maturity ratings of software in mobile app stores, CTIA, the international wireless industry association, yesterday proposed a ratings system that store owners could voluntarily adopt. Google and Apple basically told the CTIA to stuff it — they're sticking with their own rating schemes. "We've put a lot of effort into Android Market's rating system, which now works well globally," Google spokesman Christopher Katsaros said in a statement.

Gadget Lab, Industrywide App Rating System Dissed by Apple, Google

3D Mark is coming to Android phones near you in 2012

Futuremark, father of 3DMark and PCMark, has begun work on an Android edition of its benchmarking software. Wittily titled 3DMark for Android, it'll bring the industry-standard testing tools to all the phones in Google's yard. When finished, users will be able to measure performance by pushing the phone's CPU, rendering, openGL and physics engines to the limits. Results will be comparable against the company's newest software, including the forthcoming Windows 8 build.

Engadget, 3D Mark is coming to Android phones near you in 2012

Spotify officially announces apps, opens platform to developers

. We're live from Spotify's New York City press conference where CEO and founder Daniel Ek took the stage to announce several new Spotify features, most notably applications. Ek confirmed that Spotify will launch a “truly integrated” application platform inside Spotify that will be “tailored to you and your user tastes.” Third party developers can easily build HTML5 apps using a simple API.

Boy Genius Report, Spotify officially announces apps, opens platform to developers

Gorgeous French Stationery Kit Is the Perfect Early Christmas Gift

C'mon. You know you want it. I'm a Christmas-hating humbug, and receiving precisely zero home-cluttering gifts in midwinter is my goal. I could be tempted to make an exception for the The Calepino Panoplie, however.

The Panoplie (French for “toolbox”) comes from French stationery supremo Calepino (hence the name).

Gadget Lab, Gorgeous French Stationery Kit Is the Perfect Early Christmas Gift

HandyNES mod shrinks console, makes light gun look like light cannon

Vita schmita. This red mushroom-themed portable NES is the latest gaming tribute from modder LovableChevy, combining the original Entertainment System's innards with a 3.5-inch LCD screen, built-in controls and a rechargeable battery. The tinkerer has taken the time to include an AV out, headphone jack and an extra USB port for either a light gun or a second controller. However, the old tech involved takes its toll: the whole thing weighs in at around one pound (sans game) and offers up only three hours of play from a single charge.

Engadget, HandyNES mod shrinks console, makes light gun look like light cannon

ESRB Content Ratings Won't Be Coming to Mobile Apps any Time Soon

The Entertainment Software Rating Board, the same entity that made a big stink out of the likes Mortal Kombat in the early 90s and whose ratings you will find plastered on the front of video games to this day, wants to extend its reach into mobile software. Owners of the leading app market places, Google and Apple, don't want anything to do with the notion. Both mobile giants already have their own rating systems in place for games and apps found in the Android Market and Apple App Store, and don't see how the ESRB could improve on the system.

Android Phone, ESRB Content Ratings Won't Be Coming to Mobile Apps any Time Soon

From transportation to lifestyle, the car's journey is far from over

Concept car by digitaleyes on forum.cg-cars.com. In its relatively short lifespan, the car has gone through a great deal of transformations, from a curious object to a real transportation tool, to today's fun vehicle without forgetting the "status symbol" aspect. But there's never been a better time to be a car enthusiast than today because automobiles have gone far beyond their "transportation" aspirations: they can adapt to us and to our lifestyle in ways that were unimaginable 100 years ago.






Ubergizmo, From transportation to lifestyle, the car's journey is far from over

Asus Transformer Prime Gets A December 8 Release

Retail website Newegg may have revealed a more specific retail launch date of the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet. While other sites have been accepting pre-orders of the device, Newegg lists the Transformer Prime with a December 8 release, along with a $499 starting price tag. The 10.1-inch Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime is a bit thick at 8.3 millimeters.

Gadget.com, Asus Transformer Prime Gets A December 8 Release

Volkswagen's releases free Sports Car Challenge iOS racing game

Volkswagen in an attempt to help market their super cars has released a iOS game in the iTunes App Store. It's called Sports Car Challenge and unlike other racing games which require a chunk of money and licensing rights to gain access to the cars and names of other super cars, we guess since Volkswagen owns the marques of the cars, they could afford to make this game free for iOS users. The cars in the game include the Audi TTS Coupe, Bentley Continental Supersports ISR, Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera, Porsche Cayman R and Volkswagen Scirocco R.

Ubergizmo, Volkswagen's releases free Sports Car Challenge iOS racing game

AMD's getting into the DRAM game, officially

Don't you wish every component in your computer were made by the same company. That's AMD's thinking behind a range of desktop DRAM — leaping into the game with VisionTek and Patriot Memory who will build the branded modules to Sunnyvale's specifications, tweaked for speed with OverDrive tuning tools. We've already known about AMD's venture into the DRAM game few months ago, but this time it is official. The reason for AMD's entry into the memory market comes from two areas. First, AMD's APUs are now shipping in large volumes and can definitely benefit from higher bandwidth memory modules.


2DayBlog.com, AMD's getting into the DRAM game, officially

Squidbot does the limbo

Robots are interesting creations, with many of them mimicking the behavior of different animals especially when it comes to moving around. Some researchers over at Harvard University have come up with a robot called the Squidbot. Drawing inspiration from squids, the robot is made from flexible plastics and is powered by a simple pneumatic system that users air to curl its four limbs or arch its back. The squidbot is capable of performing the limbo, letting it squeeze under a 2 centimeter gap without much trouble.

Ubergizmo, Squidbot does the limbo

AT&T “Knee-Deep” In Talks To Hand Over T-Mobile Customers To Leap Wireless

According to the New York Times, we may have some new insight on exactly what AT&T has up their sleeves to salvage their acquisition of T-Mobile. Apparently, some unnamed sources told The Times that AT&T is already “knee-deep in negotiations” to sell a good portion of T-Mobile's customer accounts and some of their spectrum to the regional provider, Leap Wireless. It's said that AT&T actually plans to keep the majority of T-Mobile's spectrum to help expand their network and keep them competing with long time rival Verizon Wireless.

Android Phone, AT&T “Knee-Deep” In Talks To Hand Over T-Mobile Customers To Leap Wireless

Seagate outs second-gen Momentus XT: a 750GB hybrid laptop drive for $189

Seagate was quick to jump into the hybrid HDD/SSD fray last year, with the decently priced and capable Momentus XT. Now we have a successor with identical branding, but with the HDD upped to 742GB, NAND storage slightly increased to 8GB, plus a faster SATA III 6Gb/s interface. The 'flash-assisted drive' promises to cut boot-up and lag times compared to a standard laptop hard disk, by gradually learning which of your files are popular enough to deserve a spot in that solid state VIP lounge. We're looking at a price of $189, including a five-year warranty, and availability from today.

Engadget, Seagate outs second-gen Momentus XT: a 750GB hybrid laptop drive for $189

iPhone 4 combusts in mid-air

No idea no how this happened, but it seemed as though an iPhone 4 decided to go all “Flame on!” ala Human Torch of Fantastic Four fame shortly after Regional Express flight ZL319 landed in Sydney all the way from Lismore. It seemed that the iPhone 4 in question started to emit a rather significant amount of dense smoke, not to mention a red glow. Ah well, better to have it happen when the plane has already landed, rather than to have it self-combust in a fit of rage while the owner is fast asleep, with the iPhone 4 in his pants pocket.

Ubergizmo, iPhone 4 combusts in mid-air

Insert Coin: Prototype peripherals incorporate no moving parts, multitouch functionality and freaking lasers

When in doubt, strip out the moving parts and see what you wind up with. This is the idea inventor Jason Giddings is following as he turns to Kickstarter to help fund the prototype creation for a glass keyboard and mouse, both sporting multitouch functionality. The design uses the same biometric systems that currently capture fingerprints on assorted trackpads and keyboards, and uses a technique known as Frustrated Total Internal Reflection - which incorporates a series of LEDs on the bottom of a device - to bounce infrared light beams around the inside of the glass.



Engadget, Insert Coin: Prototype peripherals incorporate no moving parts, multitouch functionality and freaking lasers

Doxie Go portable scanner now shipping

Last month we wrote about the Doxie Go - the portable scanner that can work without a computer. Well, if you've been waiting to get your hands on one, we're pleased to let you know that the handy device is now shipping. In case you were wondering what the difference is between the Doxie and the Doxie Go, the Go is completely functional without a computer - it is capable of scanning documents and uploading them straight to the cloud (i.e. Flickr or Evernote).

Ubergizmo, Doxie Go portable scanner now shipping

RIM ‘Pulls an HP' as Retailers Sell Out of BlackBerry PlayBooks

The BlackBerry PlayBook flopped upon release, but consumers are snapping them up at its recently discounted price. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com. He's a strange animal, the Black Friday shopper. He believes setting up camp in the parking lot of an electronics retailer, sometimes days before Thanksgiving, is a rational act. His conscience failing, he may even blanket competing shoppers with pepper spray — all for a half-price Xbox. And items he once never considered worthy — like RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook tablet — are suddenly irresistible when marked down.

So goes the most recent Black Friday.

Gadget Lab, RIM ‘Pulls an HP' as Retailers Sell Out of BlackBerry PlayBooks

Nextage humanoid robot could be your colleague in the future

Nextage, a humanoid robot that was developed by Kawada Industries, was specially designed so that it can function with the rest of humanity without looking out of place. The start of a protocol droid, or someone – should I say something, far more suitable like Data from Star Trek. Kawada Industries mentioned that it is “logical for robots that work together with people to be human-shaped” – and I do not deny that. This robot is able to function in a space that is equal to that of a person, where its arms have 12 degrees of freedom, and its back has one, where it can position itself to within 30 microns.

Ubergizmo, Nextage humanoid robot could be your colleague in the future

Motorola MT917 for China Mobile - 720p display, 13 MP, Kevlar, more

Motorola has announced the MT917 Android smartphone, which will be an TD-SCDMA exclusive for China Mobile. The phone's highlights are a 1280 x 720 4.5-incher (~330 ppi), a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, 1 gig of RAM, 13 MP camera (capable of 1080p video capture) on the back, and speaking of which, the back is made of Kevlar just like on the RAZR. The phone is due to launch mid-December on China Mobile's network and there's no word on global availability just yet.




GSM Arena, Motorola MT917 for China Mobile - 720p display, 13 MP, Kevlar, more

Walmart carries Pentax K-r digital SLR in different colors

How do you think the world would look like if it were all just black and white, with shades of grey in between to tell the difference. Well, a black, white and grey rainbow would not be much to look at, would it. M&Ms and Skittles, too, would lose their sense of taste and flavor. Well, good thing we live in a Technicolor world, and with the Pentax K-r digital SLR being made available to Walmart, it comes in many different colors now to suit your taste.
These limited edition shades will include pink, purple, blue, green, yellow, navy, metallic brown, gold and silver.

Ubergizmo, Walmart carries Pentax K-r digital SLR in different colors

Panasonic launching its Android smartphones in Europe

Every time we wrote an article about Panasonic smartphones we had to end it with 'it's only available in the Japanese market'. But not any more because the company has just announced its plans to venture out to western markets, starting with Europe next spring. But that won't be all because eventually they also plan to enter North America along with the rest of the Asia.
Panasonic had to withdrew from some of these markets back on 2005 because of stiff competition. Hopefully they will do better this time.

GSM Arena, Panasonic launching its Android smartphones in Europe

Galaxy Nexus Shipments to Retailers to Resume This Week Following Software Fix

Much was made regarding the Samsung Galaxy Nexus's volume bug. Some deemed it a hardware issue and pronounced the device is doomed. Others had faith Samsung and Google would quickly find the problem and provide a quick fix (which they did). Those who were hit hardest were those who couldn't buy the device right away, though.

Android Phone, Galaxy Nexus Shipments to Retailers to Resume This Week Following Software Fix

Martin says its jetpack is 'practical,' offers crappy computer animation as evidence

Ever wonder what a jetpack is good for, besides fulfilling dreams and fighting Nazis. Well, Martin wants you to know there are, in fact, practical applications for its $86,000 personal propulsion system. According to the aviation company everyone from emergency responders to search and rescue teams to military personnel could find a place for the dual-engine craft in their arsenal of tools. Sure, we could see how their ability to get in an out where the size of a helicopter or plane might be prohibitive would prove handy, but their high cost and limited carrying capacity make them a tough sell.

Engadget, Martin says its jetpack is 'practical,' offers crappy computer animation as evidence

Get A Free BlackBerry PlayBook 16GB With Every Purchase Of BlackBerry Enterprise Server!

Yes, that's right folks. RIM is now offering a free BlackBerry PlayBook 16GB with every copy of BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5. Good folks who have purchased the BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5 can now claim their free BlackBerry tablet from RIM. The deal is effective for customers who have purchased (or upgraded to) the BlackBerry Enterprise Server between October 12th and December 31st. All these customers are eligible for a free unit of the 16GB BlackBerry PlayBook running BlackBerry QNX OS 2.0.

This is yet another enticing deal for Enterprise customers.


Technology Nerd, Get A Free BlackBerry PlayBook 16GB With Every Purchase Of BlackBerry Enterprise Server!

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Battle of Valhalla Trailer

Square Enix has rolled out a new trailer ‘Battle of Valhalla' for their upcoming Final Fantasy XIII-2 title. You could check it out after the break.



TechFresh, Final Fantasy XIII-2 Battle of Valhalla Trailer

BMW and Hyundai work with tech consortium on in-vehicle networking

While BMW (and by relation, Mini) have been pioneering in-car connectivity for the last few years, Hyundai is still playing catch-up. The Korean automaker's focus has been squarely set on bringing world-beating products to market, but consumer demand for infotainment systems isn't abating. So Hyundai is joining BMW and a range of technology companies to work on the next generation of in-car networking solutions.

2DayBlog.com, BMW and Hyundai work with tech consortium on in-vehicle networking

BlackBerry PlayBook receives OS update

Good news for BlackBerry PlayBook owners - RIM has just announced a new update for your QNX tablet that will be pushed out today. The update will be sent out over the air (OTA) and will bring your PlayBook OS up to version 1.0.8.4985.

Ubergizmo, BlackBerry PlayBook receives OS update

Cube C9 4GB MP3 Player For Just $31.20

Cube's latest MP3 player ‘C9′ is now available for purchase via Ownta online shop for just $31.20. This compact player has a 1.1-inch 128 x 64 display, an FM radio, an e-book reader and a 30-hour battery. Grab yours now.

TechFresh, Cube C9 4GB MP3 Player For Just $31.20

Fanatec Forza Motorsport CSR Wheel and Elite Pedals review

It's amazing to realize that about two years ago Fanatec's first Xbox 360 racing wheel, the Forza 3 Porsche 911 Turbo Wheel, hit the scene. Although it turned out to be a mixed bag, Fanatec pleasantly surprised us with its Porsche GT2 and Clubsport Pedals in January of this year - despite a roaring fan and shaky shifter mounts. Now, we're saying hello to a new trio of racing sim-related goods from the company intended for Forza Motorsport 4 on Xbox 360: the $249.95 Forza Motorsport CSR Wheel, $59.95 shifter set, and $149.95 CSR Elite Pedals.










Engadget, Fanatec Forza Motorsport CSR Wheel and Elite Pedals review

Nokia Lumia 800 sold out in U.K. despite rumors of weak demand

. Nokia's stock took a hit this week as Pacific Crest analyst James Faucette cut his sales forecast for Nokia's first two Microsoft-powered smartphones. Having initially estimated that fourth-quarter sales of Nokia's Windows Phones would approach 2 million units, the analyst dropped his expectations to just 500,000 devices, saying early checks indicated lower than expected sell-through. Bernstein Research analyst Pierre Ferragu piled on, writing in a note this week that Nokia's new phones offer no “breakthrough innovation” or price advantage that might draw attention away from the competition.

Boy Genius Report, Nokia Lumia 800 sold out in U.K. despite rumors of weak demand