MeeGo was announced a little over a month ago, and it looks like they are right on schedule. Today marks the official announcement that you can download a developer’s build of MeeGo for your Nokia N900, if you are so inclined. Though, we wouldn’t feel right if we didn’t tell you (in fact, warn you) that this is an early, early view of the MeeGo platform. It’s intended for developer’s who want to see it before it reaches maturity, so to speak, and therefore in no way shape or form is it ready for mass consumption.
The Nokia N900 isn’t the only device that’s getting the MeeGo love today, though. Those of you out there who have an Atom-powered notebook, or an Atom Moorestown MID, are also included in the developer download goodness. But, alas, this doesn’t include all the MeeGo goodness that we detailed earlier. In fact, word has it that if you flash it onto your N900, you’ll be met with a terminal console. Nevertheless, if this is something you want to do, you’ll be able to boot MeeGo from a USB drive, or right from your device. Options, right?
Sure, we imagine that some (if not most of you) out there purchased your N900 because you’re a developer of some kind, so this is probably right up your alley. But, if you are a little bit more wary of flashing your devices, then you can wait it out. The team has said that they plan on releasing more information about the upcoming release in May, which is tagged as 1.0.
Greener pastures are likely on T-Mobile’s Android horizon, but let’s be real — this is probably the first, last, and only opportunity you’ll ever have to own a Fender-branded phone, which might just be enough of a draw to give you pause. T-Mobile’s official Twitter account just belted out a tweet saying that the most unusual version of HTC’s Magic to launch anywhere in the world, the myTouch 3G Fender Limited Edition, is “making its final encore” right now in “limited quantities,” so interested parties probably want to high-tail it down to their local store — especially since it’s still showing out of stock online. Any takers?
The Ramos W7 Android-powered MID has come to pass, but for the last year one question’s remained: where is that RK2808-based handset we were promised? Finally Rockchip has provided us with some pictures of its prototype called, of all things, Smart Phone. There is a dearth of specs at the present time, but from what we do know it will have a predictable emphasis on multimedia playback (including H.264, RMVB, MPEG-4, AVS, WMV9, and 720p video). If you’re a manufacturer (or would like to be), drop ‘em a line — presumably, you’ll be able to get more complete specifications. And then be sure to drop us an email with the info. We’d appreciate it!
Those whispers you might have heard of a Pro version of Samsung’s delectable Galaxy S have just turned into a booming roar, thanks to Eldar Murtazin apparently confirming the existence and prospective arrival of the rumored handset. According to the legendarily loquacious mobile reviewer, Samsung will be strapping a QWERTY keyboard onto the already potent Galaxy S hardware and upping the pricing ante with an extra €50 (about $67) charge. He also manages to give us a June launch date, but pictures of this device are predictably not yet available. We’ll just have to let our imagination do the work until Mr. Blurrycam gets on the case. Screenshot of the relevant tweet after the break.
Update: HDblog.it has thrown up a pretty realistic (though fake) render of the rumored model, and if the real thing is anything like this, Sammy might have a contender on its hands. Now we sit and wait for June, eh?
Sprint must be feeling pretty good about its chances against the big guys right now, because it’s on the cusp of deploying the most comprehensive money-back guarantee policy in the industry — a policy that erases every red cent you’ve spent to pick up service with them in the event you change your mind. Starting tomorrow, new customers will have 30 days to check out their Hero, Pre, Pixi, or whatever other device they happen to choose (no EVO 4G yet, sadly), and if they’re not happy, a return to the store will trigger a refund for everything, up to and including the service plan charges, taxes, and fees you’ve incurred so far. AT&T and Verizon come close to Sprint’s policy, but they stop short of refunding the plan itself and charge an activation fee if you take more than 3 days to return your goods, and T-Mobile — long regarded the customer service king in this biz — only gives you 20 days and won’t even pretend to refund your activation fee. Will this trigger a domino effect of changes across the Big Four? We certainly hope so.
Announced all the way back at CES 2010, Kodak’s latest point-and-shoot digital camera has finally gone up for sale. The Kodak Slice is a 14-megapixel compact, with an internal 5x optical zoom, image stabilization and a 3.5-inch 16:9 capacitive touchscreen on the back. As well as taking photos it can record 720p HD video at 30fps.
As well as 2GB of onboard storage there’s a microSDHC card slot, though you’ll have to make do with USB 2.0 as there’s no HDMI or A/V connectivity. There’s both face and scene detection, and an automatic “Smart Shoot” mode which will pair those features with ISO and dynamic range balance for better shots. ISO settings from 64 to 3200 are possible.
Finally you get a “Share” button which allows you to preselect which photos you want to upload to various different social networks – including Facebook, Flickr and YouTube – and have them automatically sent when you next plug the Slice into your computer. The Kodak Slice is available now, priced at $349.95.
Remember the Zune HD 64 spotted on the Microsoft’s site earlier this week? The company has just been in touch to let us know that it is indeed launching a 64GB version of the OLED touchscreen PMP, together with reducing the price of the existing 16GB and 32GB models. The new Zune HD 64 will arrive April 12th for $349.99.
It will be available in Platinum, Black, Blue, Red, Green, Purple and Magenta, and otherwise have the same specifications of the current models. As for the Zune HD 16, that will be cut to $199.99, and the Zune HD 32 will be reduced to $269.99. So far there’s no sign of the new 64GB version on Microsoft’s Zune.net site, though it will apparently go up for sale at ZuneOriginals.com in mid-April.
Meanwhile Microsoft are also promising more details over the next few days on the Zune HD 4.5 firmware also tipped earlier in the week. That’s expected to include the company’s Smart DJ feature together with Xvid and AVI video container support.
The latest version of doubleTwist for the Mac (1.0b1b to be precise, available now) adds a whole new Android Market element to the application. Much akin to the iTunes Store for apps, doubleTwist lets you browse Android apps in a beautified, desktop interface, but the “twist” is that you can’t actually download and sync apps with your phone. Instead, the Android Market browser presents QR codes for scanning with your Android phone and directly downloading the apps on the handset like you do already. Sure, desktop app downloads, backup, and syncing would certainly be better, but this is a nice start at least. D-Twist (as we like to call it) is also getting audio playback on the Mac, as well as podcast search and playback, with podcast subscription and syncing coming next (it’s already on Windows). Meanwhile, Windows users will have to wait until the next major version for Android Market. Not to worry, you can do the exact same sort of app browsing at apps.doubletwist.com on any plain old browser. You can even check out the Engadget app right here.
Update: We’re trying to play around a bit with the app, but at the moment the search functionality is broken and most of the QR codes are handing us bad URLs for apps. Hang tight! Every once in a while we see a blip of non-brokenness, but we’re guessing there are some server hiccups at the moment holding us back from Android Market enlightenment.
It’s been a while since we last heard about Ford’s plans for intelligent hybrid and electric-vehicle charging, but now the motoring giant has picked up Microsoft to help out. Microsoft Hohm sounds like it should be a Buddhist-themed April Fools prank, but it’s apparently a new energy monitoring system that will help balance load across the power grid and make for more efficient, cheaper recharges. There’s also talk of a Windows Phone 7 app – complete with a homescreen widget – though currently only at the concept stage, which could remotely inform you when your car is charging, what its battery status is and how long there is left until it’s completely topped up.
The first vehicle expected to take advantage of Hohm is the Focus Electric, though that’s not expected until sometime in 2011. It will be followed by a plug-in hybrid and two further next-gen hybrids in 2012, as well as other existing Ford, Mercury and Lincoln models on sale and in the pipeline.
Apparently recent research found that 42-percent of people said they planned to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle in the next two years, though that figure sounds a little bit ambitious to us. Hohm itself is already available online, and can be used to track domestic power consumption in the US (though not of electric vehicles).
Press Release:
FORD, MICROSOFT TEAM UP TO HELP ELECTRIC VEHICLE OWNERS RECHARGE MORE EFFECTIVELY, AFFORDABLY
· Ford and Microsoft are teaming up to use Microsoft Hohm as a platform to help future owners of Ford’s electric vehicles optimize the way they recharge their vehicle and better manage their home’s energy use
· Microsoft and Ford also will work with utilities and municipalities to help develop an energy ecosystem that manages energy usage as consumer demand for electric vehicles grows
· Ford’s aggressive electrification plan includes five new vehicles in North America and Europe by 2013; in North America, they include the Transit Connect Electric later this year, Focus Electric in 2011, a plug-in hybrid and two next-generation hybrids in 2012, joining four Ford and Mercury hybrids already on the road and a new Lincoln MKZ Hybrid coming this fall
· The Focus Electric is expected to be the first Ford electric vehicle to use Hohm
NEW YORK, March 31, 2010 – Today, Ford Motor Company and Microsoft Corp. are leading the way toward a more energy-efficient future by announcing a new solution that will make electric vehicle ownership easier and more affordable for consumers.
The two companies are teaming up to implement the Microsoft Hohm energy management application for Ford’s electric vehicles. Ford is the first automaker announcing the use of Hohm, starting with the Focus Electric next year. Hohm will help owners determine when and how to most efficiently and affordably recharge battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles. It also should help utility companies manage the added demands of electric vehicles on the electric grid.
“Ford and Microsoft both share a strong commitment to contributing to a better world. Today, we begin the next major step in our working together and leading the way for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability,” said Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Company president and CEO. “For Ford, this is a needed step in the development of the infrastructure that will make electric vehicles viable.”
Both companies agree that effective management of the energy ecosystem is critical for electric vehicles to be successful and for consumer interest to grow. In a recent Accenture survey, 42 percent of consumers said they are likely to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle in the next two years.
Increasing numbers of electric vehicles, however, will have a significant impact on energy demand. That is because the addition of an electric vehicle to a household could effectively double home energy consumption while the vehicle is charging.
Ford and Microsoft agree that making energy management easy and affordable for consumers will be key to the success of electric vehicles in the marketplace as well as in creating a positive environmental impact.
“Electric vehicles will play an important role in the global effort to improve energy efficiency and address the issues of climate change and sustainability,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO. “But as the market for electric vehicles expands, it will have a significant impact on home energy consumption and demand across the nation’s energy grid. With Microsoft Hohm, Ford and Microsoft will deliver a solution that will make it easier for car owners to make smart decisions about the most affordable and efficient ways to recharge electric vehicles, while giving utilities better tools for managing the expected changes in energy demand.”
Introducing Hohm to Ford’s electric vehicles supports Ford’s aggressive global electrification plan, which will put five new electrified vehicles on the road in North America and Europe by 2013. In North America, they include the Transit Connect Electric later this year, Focus Electric in 2011, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and two next-generation hybrids in 2012.
America’s largest domestic hybrid seller, Ford Motor Company today has four hybrids on the road and another coming this year. They include the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, Mercury Milan Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid. Also coming this fall is the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, which is expected to be the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in America.
Life with electrified vehicles – with full battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles needing to be recharged daily – will require consumers to change how they think about personal transportation and energy use.
Hohm, an Internet-based service, is designed to help customers avoid unnecessary expense by providing insight into their energy usage patterns and suggesting recommendations to increase conservation. With Ford electric vehicles, Hohm also will help drivers to determine the best time to charge their vehicle. Smart recharging habits will help utility companies understand and better manage the increased demands placed upon the electric grid because of electrified vehicles.
Ford and Microsoft’s participation in the Hohm program builds on the success of their decade-long partnership to provide customers with superior in-car experiences. The Ford SYNC communications and infotainment system, built on the Windows Embedded Automotive platform, has been installed on more than 2 million Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles since its launch in 2007, helping drivers connect and voice-control their mobile devices while driving.
Microsoft Hohm is available today for free to all U.S. residential energy consumers and has multiple partnerships with utilities and other stakeholders already in place. Ford is the first automaker to join in collaboration with Hohm.
Ford and Microsoft also plan to continue to work with utility partners and municipalities to help further develop the energy ecosystem. Ford’s work includes collaboration with a dozen North American energy companies to road-test a fleet of 21 Ford Escape plug-in hybrid vehicles. The research has accumulated more than 160,000 miles of real-world data, which provided important groundwork for the new Hohm application.
“Rechargeable vehicles represent a new frontier. Their commercialization will take broad-based collaboration and systems solutions,” said Mulally. “Working together, Ford and Microsoft will provide the systems solutions to help facilitate this exciting future.”
Now here’s an idea that’s just so crazy it’s actually brilliant! A company called Brit-Brothers have developed a new kind of seat for racing bikes that uses toothed belts and tapered rollers that rotate when the rider is sitting on them, instead of the traditional padded cushion. The design makes it considerably easier for riders to lean back and forth when navigating tight corners and chicanes during a race, but built-in adjustable friction controls ensure the rider doesn’t just easily slip off the bike.
Not only does the seat make for smoother transitions when leaning from side to side, it also makes it considerably easier on the riders since they’re not continuously lifting their bodies off the bike, which means they’re going to tire less quickly during a long race. Now I’m not sure if the new seat design has much application outside racing, but in a competitive field where seconds count, I’m sure there are plenty of professional racing teams who are ready and willing to adopt the new technology if it provides them with a competitive advantage. And while the images above are obviously just concept renders, in May of last year Brit-Brothers was awarded a patent for their Chicane Saddle seat, and are now working to see it go into production.
