rocketpocket

Henry

Welcome to Growing Up Geek, a new feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. This week we have our very own Associate Editor, Vlad Savov.

Yes, I grew up in the monochromatic nation of Bulgaria. As geek starts go, I doubt anyone could come up with a more unlikely one than being born in a village in the southwest corner of a country known more for its sporting and culinary exports than any sort of technical expertise. That's not to say that Bulgaria was a tech backwater, but it's the sort of place where you spent more time reading about gadgets than actually using them. Fortunately for me, my mother worked in a local computer club, where the bright youth of the day would gather to use Pravetz machines -- finely crafted Bulgarian Apple II KIRFs -- and it was a spot that I would inevitably retreat to after a thoroughly regimented school day. That's another thing about growing up in the former Communist bloc: education was intensive and rigorous, though you shouldn't let that rebelliously turned up collar in the image above fool you, I was madly in love with my studies (as any true nerd should be). Somewhere between that boy pushing buttons and tearing down floppy diskettes for fun and the current London-based cynic pumping out copy for Engadget during the American night shift, my life happened.

Continue reading Growing Up Geek: Vlad Savov

Growing Up Geek: Vlad Savov originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 13:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/30/growing-up-geek-vlad-savov/

Yahoo Xilinx Western Digital Volt Information Sciences

Henry

Engadget Alt, the most recent addition to the site, is something near and dear to our hearts. This a place where we can comment on (and draw attention to) things that don't exactly fit into the main stream of our coverage, yet resonate with us as writers -- and with you as readers. So, what did we learn this year? Spacecraft are prone to hardware failure, it seems, and Ozzy Osbourne's genome is a wonderful resource for scientists. And one editor-in-chief really, really digs eBoy. Aside from all that, this space has seen a number of feature articles and columns that we're especially proud of. Cruise on past the break for some of our favorites.

Continue reading 2010: The Year in Alt

2010: The Year in Alt originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 18:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/zrM_jamz_1o/

Ncr National Semiconductor National Instruments Motorola

Henry

Man, we have to tell you: 2010 was a whopper of a year for Engadget, and for the gadget world at large. A space that was once reserved for only the hardiest tech nerds has been increasingly overrun with everyday neighbors, cousins, and parents, as product categories -- the smartphone, e-readers, and tablets -- became more ubiquitous than ever. Here at Engadget, for us, this meant more eyes than ever reading our stories, more tips flying in our direction, and working harder and faster than ever to bring our readers the best and most up-to-the-minute news.

What follows are the biggest, best stories that we here at Engadget broke this year as exclusives. Some of them are parts of the biggest gadget stories this year, and all of them are stories we busted our butts to bring to you, dear readers. Join us after the break for a thorough retrospective of the year 2010 in Engadget exclusives, our biggest year ever.

Continue reading Engadget's biggest exclusives of 2010

Engadget's biggest exclusives of 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/-hma4w2RZUg/

Take-Two Interactive Software Syntel Syntax-Brillian Synopsys

Henry

You didn't think Barnes & Noble was just going to let Amazon rest on its "vague sales milestones" laurels, did you? The veteran bookseller just announced that the Nook lineup -- 3G, WiFi, and the new Nook Color combined -- has become "the company's biggest bestseller ever in its nearly 40-year history." That's bigger than Barnes & Noble's sales (note: not global sales) of DaVinci Code or any of the Harry Potter novels. Unfortunately, we can't say exactly just how many that is, as the press release only announces "millions" being sold. A B&N rep we spoke with told us they likely wouldn't specify any further, nor would there likely be a breakdown of sales by individual model.

Other notable factoids include Nook Color's reign as the company's "number one selling gift of the holiday season" and nearly one million "Nook books" downloaded on Christmas Day. In fact, the company now sells more digital books than it does physical books over BN.com (i.e. not including books sold in brick-and-mortar stores). Wish we had some hard figures, but hey, if any company is going to mince words in a sales announcement, it might as well be a book company, right? Press release after the break.

Continue reading Nook lineup sells millions, Barnes & Noble's best-selling product of all-time

Nook lineup sells millions, Barnes & Noble's best-selling product of all-time originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 13:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/30/nook-lineup-sells-millions-barnes-and-nobles-best-selling-produc/

Koninklijke Kpn Lam Research Liberty Global Lm Ericsson

Henry

As the story goes, Russia-based AFK Sistema's subsidiary Sitronics (along with US' Qualcomm and China's ZTE) have developed the first smartphone to use GLONASS -- specifically one with a 90nm GPS-GLONASS chip. It's been called, in so many words, the "Russian answer to the iPhone 4" by the Powers That Be, and without getting into key details like platform and specs, we know officially the phone is going on sale in Russian sometime in March for 10,990 rubles (about $360 in US).

For other details on the device, we seek more unofficial (and therefore not 100 percent confirmed) sources, like the notably well-connected Eldar Murtazin. According to him, we're looking at the ZTE model A918, an analog of the A916 with Android 2.1, a 3.2-inch QVGA screen, FM radio, and 2 megapixel camera -- yeah, hardly an iPhone 4 competitor, if you ask us. That version is supposedly launching on MTS for 7,500 rubles ($246), meaning the GLONASS-equipped equivalent has a 3,490 ruble ($114) markup. And the March release? Apparently in limited quantities, with mass production not coming until second half of 2011. Unfortunately, we're not sure this one'll be making an appearance at CES for further inspection. Check out the video after the break for a cameo of the device featuring Putin, Russian billionaire (and head of AFK Sistema) Vladimir Yevtushenkov, and Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov.

Continue reading Russia's first GLONASS phone an 'iPhone 4 competitor,' except not really (video)

Russia's first GLONASS phone an 'iPhone 4 competitor,' except not really (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 13:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AppleInsider.ru, Bloomberg | source

Moscow News, NTV.ru | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/30/russias-first-glonass-phone-an-iphone-4-competitor-except-no/

Kla-Tencor Koninklijke Kpn Lam Research Liberty Global

Henry

A new Trojan that can create botnets has emerged in China, according to Lookout Mobile Security. This Trojan, dubbed "Geinimi," is the most sophisticated Android malware so far, the company said. Once it's installed on a user's phone, Geinimi can receive commands from a remote server that lets that server's owner control the smartphone.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/71560.html

Electronic Arts Eclipsys Eastman Kodak Co Earthlink

Henry

If you live in a technophile city like Taipei, you'll have been enjoying underground 4G for a long time now, but in London the rule is that you have to bid adieu to your mobile connectivity when diving into a tunnel. The city's Mayor has been active in encouraging (forcing?) the major British carriers to install the necessary equipment to provide coverage on the Tube, and now we're hearing that ambition has stretched beyond the nation's borders as well. The Daily Telegraph reports that Vodafone, O2, Everything Everywhere, and Three from the UK along with Orange, SFR and Bouygues from France have agreed to share the cost of putting together a £20 million ($30.8m) project for making cellular coverage possible while traveling through the 31.4-mile Channel Tunnel between the two countries. The goal is to get things up and running by the Olympics in 2012, though we've no indication as to what speeds those wireless data transfers will reach. Still, having some bars is better than none, right?

UK and French carriers working on cellular coverage for Channel Tunnel, aim to finish by 2012 Olympics originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 06:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/30/uk-and-french-carriers-working-on-cellular-coverage-for-channel/

Google Grupo Iusacell Harris Hcl Technologies

Henry

My Android device has a tiny power button, and it's usually in a holster. Really, what are the odds of me turning it on accidentally?

If you purchased previously reviewed power-tool Tasker, you can use it to selectively disable the slide to unlock feature, amongst the myriad of other things it can do.

However, if you didn't purchase Tasker, or are just looking for a quick and free solution, No Lock might be right up your alley.

This no-frills app presents a huge button you can press to toggle the keyguard. When the keyguard is off, you need only press the power button on your device to start interacting with it - no sliding involved.

There's also a handy 1x1 widget you can put on your homescreen and tap whenever you want to toggle the keyguard. The only feature I wish it had is a "dual button" unlock, whereby I can press the power button and then the camera button to unlock; I think that could definitely keep me from switching the device on accidentally. Still, for most cases, No Lock gets the job done. You can find its QR code after the jump.

Continue reading No Lock for Android disables "slide to unlock" keyguard

No Lock for Android disables "slide to unlock" keyguard originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/14/no-lock-for-android-disables-slide-to-unlock-keyguard/

Rockwell Automation Rf Micro Devices Red Hat Radisys

Henry

We're guessing we'll see a more official announcement about these soon enough, but for now we'll have to make do with some product pages that have quietly turned up on Gigabyte's website for two new Atom N550-based netbooks: the M1005 and Q2005. As Netbook News notes, the latter of those (pictured above) looks to be remarkably similar to the Jolicloud Jolibook, also based on the same dual-core N550 processor, while the M1005 appears to be a relatively minor update to the company's M1022 model, right down to the same docking station (check it out after the break). Still no indication of pricing or availability for either of them, but you can find the complete specs for each at the links below.

Continue reading Gigabyte slips out Atom N550-based M1005, Q2005 netbooks

Gigabyte slips out Atom N550-based M1005, Q2005 netbooks originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 02:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netbook News | source

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/30/gigabyte-slips-out-atom-n550-based-m1005-q2005-netbooks/

Fidelity National Information Svcs. Fiserv Google Grupo Iusacell

Henry

Christmas is coming, and you're about to have a ton of time off. Some of that time will be spent energetically tearing apart beautifully-wrapped gifts, and eating food is certainly next on the list of priorities. Obviously you have to play with your new gifts (or put on your new socks), but after that... after the postprandial sofa-surfing grunts and burps and farts... well, there isn't a whole lot you can do.

The other big thing about Christmas is the amount of waste it produces. Wrapping paper, cards, ribbons, the plastic packaging of the presents themselves... there's an awful lot of trash on Christmas Day. Then, of course, you need to throw out all of the things that have been replaced by new gifts: old kitchen appliances, clothes, televisions, printers and, most importantly, computers. A new laptop or desktop is incredibly cheap nowadays, which makes them very popular gifts.

But shouldn't we do something with the old stuff, rather than just throwing it out? Of course, you could Freecycle or wade into the Craigslist cesspit, or give your clothes to charity -- but hold onto those old computers! You'd be surprised with how many cool things you can do with an old desktop or laptop computer. You could finally learn how to use Linux, or set up a media center PC so that you can watch downloaded movies on your TV. You could create a locked-down box for your kids to surf the Web on, or a network-attached storage server for your backups. There's almost no end to the list of neat things you can do with an old PC!

Continue reading 5 ways to recycle or revitalize your old computer

5 ways to recycle or revitalize your old computer originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/24/5-ways-to-recycle-or-revitalize-your-old-computer/

Interdigital Communications Intel Insight Enterprises Ingram Micro

Henry

Click here to read This Gold and Wood iPhone Case Goes Perfectly With Your Smoking Jacket

If you want to dress your iPad up in the finest case money can buy, you needn't look much further than this: Gresso's African Blackwood, 18k gold jacket. It smells distinctly of excess. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/pYPPG82GY1o/this-gold-and-wood-iphone-case-goes-perfectly-with-your-smoking-jacket

Arian Semiconductor Equipment Arrow Electronics Asml Holding Asustek Computer

Henry

Transmedia has introduced the new Glide OS 4.0, a cloud-based operating system that is ad-free, full of great productivity apps and best of all is compatible with the Apple iPad. It has great syncing capabilities and runs right from your iPad’s browser. It operates like an online mobile desktop. With Glide OS you can share [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ipadbuzzblog/~3/_yznnO-ViGY/

Inventec Kddi Kla-Tencor Koninklijke Kpn

Henry

Haven't heard of SBN Tech? You're not alone, but it looks like the company is now set to make the rather valiant attempt of trying to stand out from the pack of Android tablets at CES next week. Its hook, however, is that its tablet isn't actually a tablet, but an "IP Video Phone," which may or may not be similar to the device pictured above that the company's been showing off recently. Of course, while the company may be touting it as a "video phone" first and foremost, the device appears to be a fairly standard Android tablet underneath that guise -- it packs a 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 screen, an SD card slot for expansion, and the company notes that you'll also be able to use it for email, Twitter, Facebook and all your usual Android apps. Still no word on pricing or availability, but those details should be making themselves known soon enough.

SBN Tech to show off Android-based IP Video Phone at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/30/sbn-tech-to-show-off-android-based-ip-video-phone-at-ces/

Asustek Computer At&T Autodesk Automatic Data Processing

Henry

If you've been keeping an ear to the techie ground, you'll probably have heard some analyst chatter suggesting RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook may be delayed due to issues relating to its supposedly poor battery life. That scuttlebutt has now turned out to be mostly unfounded, with RIM clarifying the situation through a communiqué sent to Erictric:

"Any testing or observation of battery life to date by anyone outside of RIM would have been performed using pre-beta units that were built without power management implemented. RIM is on track with its schedule to optimize the BlackBerry PlayBook's battery life and looks forward to providing customers with a professional grade tablet that offers superior performance with comparable battery life."

To be sure, it's not an outright denial that there may be PlayBooks floating about with disappointing battery performance, but the immaturity of the software on them is clearly such as to invalidate any conclusions drawn. Perhaps more important than the imprecise discussion of battery longevity (what does "comparable" even mean in this context?) is the note that the company is still on track to complete its software optimizations and deliver its first tablet on schedule. Guess we can all quit worrying now.

RIM: BlackBerry PlayBook battery life is still being optimized, won't cause delays originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 04:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/30/rim-blackberry-playbook-battery-life-is-still-being-optimized/

Saic Satyam Computer Services Ses Shaw Communications

Henry

It took a while but Skype for iPhone has finally hit version 3.0 and now includes video calling, not only over Wi-Fi like Apple’s FaceTime but over 3G as well! Here’s the complete update list: Make Skype to Skype video calls on WiFi and 3G (Additional Data charges may apply) Call Skype desktop users (Mac OS X [...]

Skype for iPhone hits 3.0, adds video calling over Wi-Fi and 3G is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/zNCyZyL7-7A/

Itron Iron Mountain Inorated Iomega Intuit

Henry

Running Android on HTC's venerable HD2 is old hat -- but historically, you've had to run it off microSD storage, which isn't an optimal situation for an operating system you might hope to use as your primary. Now we've finally got what appears to be the first solution allowing you to drop a nearly stock build of Android on the HD2's internal NAND memory, freeing up external storage for your usual collection of family photos, showtunes, and PowerPoint presentations left over from your WinMo 6.5 days. We've no doubt that this hack is a little dicey -- especially considering the herculean level of hacker effort that went into making it happen -- but if you've got an HD2 lying around that needs a new lease on life, it might be worth a shot.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

HTC HD2 gets a stable stock Android build for internal storage originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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xda-developers | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/30/htc-hd2-gets-a-stable-stock-android-build-for-internal-storage/

Tns Tibco Software Tibco Software Thq

Henry

Mod Your Fender Blues Jr. ?Spotify? Now A Real Word In Sweden The Lumimask: A Mask That Wakes You As Gently As Mother Nature Kinect-Controlled Humanoid Robot ? Bring On The Robo-Gladiators! Irony: Read Kindle Books On Your Rooted NookColor

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/12/30/daily-crunch-coolsville/

International Game Technology International Business Machines (Ibm) Interdigital Communications Intel

Henry

The Microsoft Kinect hacks just keep on coming, and we'll probably be seeing even more cool apps released now that first-party drivers are available for download. Today, we've got a glimpse at a new open source project called KinEmote in action. It's designed to take advantage of your Kinect in its natural habitat: the living room.

KinEmote is a -- you guessed it -- remote control app which allows you to interact with both Boxee and XBMC from across the room. Check out the video demo after the break to get a look at what controlling your media center PC could be like with a Kinect plugged into it!

Continue reading KinEmote controls Boxee or XBMC via your Kinect

KinEmote controls Boxee or XBMC via your Kinect originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/27/kinemote-controls-boxee-or-xbmc-via-your-kinect/

Technitrol Take-Two Interactive Software Syntel Syntax-Brillian

Henry

Keeping Christmas Green With A Couple Eco-Friendly Wrapping Tips iFixit?s iPad App: A Nice Last-Minute Gift For The Tinkerer In The Family Review: Marshall Major Headphones Review: Roland R-05 DIY: ?Soft-touch? Your Cell Phone, Game Controller, Or Adult Toy

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/12/24/daily-crunch-anticipation/

Sandisk Salesforce Com Saic Rockwell Automation

Henry

It's no secret that CES is the stage from which camera companies unleash more compact shooters than you can shake a tripod at -- and preceding those come a glut of rumors, naturally. 4/3 Rumors has heard Olympus will unveil the XZ-1 (pictured), which boasts the LX5's 10 megapixel sensor and a none-too-shabby 28-112mm f/1.8-2.5 lens. The site also heard that a few Panasonic model numbers that at this point really don't tell too grand a story: DMC-S1 and S3, DMC-TS3, FH2, and FH5. Meanwhile at Sony Alpha Rumors, the eponymous company will reportedly launch a number of compact cameras (go figure) including a Cybershot DSC-HX1 successor, some new Bloggies, and new 2D and 3D video recorders... and though no Alpha and no NEX models will be on the show floor, the site is also suggesting the future NEX-7 and Alpha A77 models have 1080p60 AVCHD and a 0.1-second autofocus. Latter tidbit notwithstanding, we'd wager by mid-January everything else here will be either confirmed or forgotten.

Olympus XZ-1 and other pre-CES camera rumors from Sony and Panasonic originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 20:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SlashGear | source

4/3 Rumors, Sony Alpha Rumors | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/k4QX8Qqp8VQ/

Silicon Laboratories Si International Seagate Technology Scientific Games