Sony’s VAIO T13 was a sub-$1000 Ultrabook with an eye on the education market. While we were impressed by the results, its low price meant that compromises had to be made — especially in the keyboard department. In fact, we were saddened to see that it was packing shallow keys and weirdly wide spacing that made it uncomfortable to type on. But if you were one of those back-to-schoolers who bought one, what did you think of it and what would you have changed about it?
source : Engadget
Intel has been synonymous with Windows PCs seemingly forever. But it’s trying to change that in a hurry. Enter Google.The fact that Microsoft and Intel no longer rule the personal computing world isn’t news. But what happens next is.I’ll start with a flashback from the early ’90s. I remember attending the launch of Windows 3.1 when I lived in Japan. Kazuhiko Nishi, former friend and business partner of Bill Gates, made a statement that foretold the fate of the Japanese PC industry as well as the global PC market.I’m paraphrasing, but he said Microsoft was the chassis and Intel the engine of the personal computer. The point, of course, was that the two companies controlled the Windows PC and, as a consequence, controlled the digital computing world.That was then. Today, Intel needs to be the engine powering the non-Windows world. That’s where the explosive growth is.So Intel is turning to Google. I’ve been hearing from sources at Intel for a long time that Androidis the future. And Intel said as much to CNET this week.Expect to see Intel-based Android laptops and hybrids priced between, let’s say, $200 to $500 in the coming months. (Likely, at first, from companies such as erstwhile Netbookvendors Asus and Acer.)A lot of the above will emerge in Asia, not necessarily the U.S.And those aren’t the only new Android devices you’ll see. Intel’s Communications Group is also pushing hard into Android phones. The Lenovo K900 and Motorola RAZR I, and phonelike devices such as the Asus FonePad, come to mind. Intel will continue to expand this business in developing countries.Intel-powered Android tablets are also in the cards. If you don’t think that’s possible, just look at all of the Intel-Android tablets being sold in China.Then there’s the Chromebook. Intel is inside most of these, including the Chromebook Pixel, Acer C7, and HP Pavilion Chromebook.The question, of course, is how successful Intel can be when it’s not calling the shots with Microsoft.I’ll be watching carefully in the next 12 months. Will consumers?
source : cnet
Access to Google’s Glass headsets is still limited to a lucky few, but that’s more than enough to include several curious coders. Some have had success identifying the hardware contained within, but others are focusing on the software. Cydia founder Jay Freeman posted the above image on Twitter this afternoon to show that he had gained root access on his unit, telling Forbes he relied upon a well-known Android 4.0.4 exploit to take control of its OS. The bad news? He hasn’t been able to use it much yet, since the Explorer edition isn’t quite ready for prescription glasses wearers. For now, the question of whether the same technique will work on eventual retail versions remains unanswered, as well as what it’s actually going to be useful for. Steven Troughton-Smith suggests developers can use it to try out more complicated apps than Google currently allows, including always-on heads-up displays or camera apps. Overcoming any remote deactivation Google may try to enforce or loading your own unauthorized apps are also definite possibilities, though we’re sure others will surface soon
source:Engadget
If you’re an Android user with a pressing need to transfer files from your phone to your computer (and vice versa), there’s a good chance you’ve heard of AirDroid. The remote access tool, which has been widely available on the Play Store for ages, has finally received an update that makes it even more useful. First, a primer: AirDroid gives you the ability to access all of the files on your phone — APKs, music, photos, videos and plenty more — directly in a web app on your browser, which offers an Android-like user interface. You can view or download videos, pull up your contact lists and even send and receive messages, just as if you were using the phone itself. Version 2.0, which has been in the works for several months, adds even more useful functionality. The update now gives you the ability to access your phone with a cellular data connection, whereas WiFi was the only option previously. It also throws in a “Find my Phone” feature, a remote wipe and a camera option that will let you see your phone’s front or rear camera views — as well as snap pictures remotely and store them directly on your computer — without activating the display (a very useful feature in case your prized possession gets stolen). It also supports incoming call notifications, as well as the opportunity to initiate outgoing ones. Not bad for a free (ad-supported) app, so head to the link below to check it out.
source : Engadget
Google Glass may represent the future of wearable’s, but its components are a vestige of the past — 2011, to be exact. That’s according to developer Jay Lee who dug up some interesting Glass tidbits using Android Debug Bridge. Taking to his Google+ page, Lee verified that Google’s smart eyewear currently runs on Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich – a fact CEO Larry Page has apparently fessed up to — incorporates an OMAP 4430 processor running at an unspecified frequency and is paired with about 682MB RAM (out of a likely 1GB), though it’s not clear if this is a dual-core setup. For non-mobile industry historians, this particular Texas Instruments OMAP chipset hasn’t been used since the Droid Bionic and Atrix 2 in 2011, making it relatively ancient by industry standards. So, what other surprises lurk beneath the Glass? We’ll leave those mysteries to our EIC Tim Stevens to suss out in his Glass diaries.
source : Engadget
Remember the leaked GT-i9502, that dual-SIM variant of the Galaxy S 4 that ultimately confirmed many rumors? That smartphone is at last exists beyond a collection of photos, as Samsung just launched it for China Unicom customers. The support for an extra cellular line is naturally the highlight, although there’s another perk for GS4 connoisseurs: the i9502 has the same 1.6GHz Exynos 5 Octa processor as the i9500, which might eke out more performance than the Snapdragon 600 models. There isn’t any word on whether or not the i9502 edition will leave China, although we wouldn’t count on European or North American editions when there isn’t LTE inside to please 4G-obsessed carriers.
source : Engadget
From an end user’s perspective, it’s always nice to see developers take a step back and focus on streamlining their code, rather than simply piling on new features. Apple used the strategy to great success with Snow Leopard, and now Canonical is set to follow suit with Raring Ringtail, also known as Ubuntu 13.04. The latest version of the popular Linux distro is set for general availability tomorrow, which follows a beta release and a controversial amount of secrecy. Raring Ringtail is characterized as “the fastest and most visually polished Ubuntu experience to date,” with a particular emphasis on a smaller memory footprint and greater responsiveness. Much of the streamlining effort was in preparation for Ubuntu’s future life in mobile, and to coincide with that effort, developers will find a preview SDK for app development and the ability to test apps within the MIR display server. The release is now a mere hours away, and yes, it’ll be a good day.
source : Engadget
The tenth anniversary of the iTunes Store is looming on April 28th, and Apple wants to do more for the occasion than treat itself to a nice dinner. It just launched an interactive Decade of iTunes timeline (within iTunes itself, naturally) to remind us how far its music service has come since 2003. While the retrospective includes the expected sales milestones, media links and plugs for iPods, it’s surprisingly detailed: you, too, can learn that Morcheeba rocked the album charts when iTunes reached Scandinavia. Apple has fiercer competition these days that not surprisingly goes unacknowledged, but it’s good to have at least some context for Cupertino’s more recent achievements. Catch a taste of that early iTunes Store vibe after the break.
source : Engadget
What many suspected was coming has indeed happened: Microsoft just confirmed an upcoming Xbox event on May 21st, which we expect to be focused on the company’s next-gen Xbox console (informally codenamed Durango). The company isn’t diving into specifics at this stage, but the event is taking place on its own Xbox campus and should offer a “real taste of the future,” according to Xbox Live programming director Larry Hryb. Don’t worry too much that Microsoft will completely upstage E3, which happens just a few weeks later — Hryb also promises that his firm will “continue the conversation” at the show, focusing attention on its game lineup. Players will have a chance to stream the event through both Microsoft’s services (including Xbox Live) and Spike TV, but you can be sure we’ll be on the ground to share the news first-hand.
source : Engadget
This is the story of a little smartphone series that grows up and, three years later, positions itself to take over the world. The device in question, the newest addition to that lineup, doesn’t really need much of an introduction thanks to some of the most successful marketing campaigns in the world. We’ll be happy to give it anyway: pictured atop this very text sits the Samsung Galaxy S 4, the latest and greatest flagship out of Korea. This is the hero, the device chosen to lead the charge for Samsung as it ventures deeper into 2013, and it’s fitted with the best of everything: a 1080p Super AMOLED display, 1.9GHz quad-core (or 1.6GHz Exynos 5 Octa 5410, depending on market) chipset, Android 4.2, 13MP camera and a wide assortment of brand-new firmware amenities, to name just a few. Despite the fact that its predecessor sold millions upon millions of units in the past year, the Galaxy S 4 isn’t alone in its quest for global Android domination this time. HTC, the underdog of the fight, has launched the One, a flagship that rivals the GS 4 in almost every way and does so in a physically attractive package complete with a solid aluminum build. Where do these two devices stand in comparison to each other? Does the GS 4 reign supreme? Will its onslaught of new software features send the phone to the top of the pack? These answers and more await you after the break.
source Engadget
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