Dell Inspiron Duo review

When Dell first demoed the Inspiron Duo and its vertically rotating screen on stage at IDF in September, our mouths nearly hit the floor. It looked like a plain old netbook until its 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen did a magical backflip and folded down over its keyboard to morph into a tablet. It was like nothing we'd ever seen before. And we actually figured it would be the sort of system that would stay locked up in Dell's labs, but when its specs were revealed -- a dual-core Atom N550 processor, 2GB of RAM, and Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator -- it became evident that the netbook / tablet hybrid was the real deal. Running Windows 7 Home Premium and Dell's new Stage interface, the $550 netvertible has the potential to successfully straddle both the netbook and tablet world. It also has a real shot at being the perfect device for those wavering between buying a netbook and a tablet. Indeed, the Duo is filled to the brim with potential, but what's the thing really like to use? We've spent the last few days with the Duo (and its Duo Audio Station) to find out, so hit the break for the official Engadget review!

Editor's note: The review unit Dell sent us was a hardware production unit, but we were told the software was about 95 percent done. We will update this review with our impressions of the final unit when we receive it.

Gallery: Dell Inspiron Duo review

Continue reading Dell Inspiron Duo review

Dell Inspiron Duo review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/30/dell-inspiron-duo-review/

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The Most Spectacular Christmas Trees, Compared [Christmas]

Today, Rockefeller Center switches on its towering holiday gift to New York: a 74-foot spruce draped with 30,000 lights and 5 miles of wire. But New York's tree is not actually the biggest or the brightest on the block. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/OS7V2Lv2dM8/the-nations-most-spectacular-christmas-tree-isnt-at-rockefeller-center

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New Web Store icon appears in Google Chrome

We're sure hoping the Chrome Web Store is nearing launch readiness -- previous launch dates have come and gone, and all we've seen so far are presentation slides. Progress continues, however, and you may have spotted another subtle change on your Chromium or Chome's new tab page. The original multi-colored hexagon has been replaced with a more logical icon: a Chrome-colored shopping bag. So far, we've only heard reports of the change appearing in Chromium builds on Linux.

So, how about it, Google? Will we be able to take our browser out for a little Christmas shopping, or is the Web Store on hold until Chrome OS launches "in the coming months?"

Thanks, Terrence!

New Web Store icon appears in Google Chrome originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/30/new-web-store-icon-appears-in-google-chrome/

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PayPal to launch a new, social, group-buying tool called Shoptimist

With the a groan-worthy name, and equally tired slogan -- "Positively awesome shopping!" -- PayPal looks set to launch a new service called Shoptimist.

Details are thin, but it looks like Shoptimist will be a Groupon with emphasis on real-world, physical products. Fellow shoppers will band together to get cheaper deals from suppliers -- and the more people that join in, the better the deal. That's where the social aspect comes in: you'll want to add friends to your 'purchasing group' so that you can open up the cheapest prices. No doubt, all of your recent purchases will be fed through to your Facebook wall, too.

There also seems to be a 'sweepstakes' element to Shoptimist -- like this Facebook page for a chance to win! -- but I suspect that's just to drum up initial interest in the service.

PayPal to launch a new, social, group-buying tool called Shoptimist originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/23/paypal-to-launch-a-new-social-group-buying-tool-called-shoptim/

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Multitasking For iPad Arrives With iOS 4.2

Multitasking for the iPad is finally here with the latest iOS 4.2 update. This is a feature many iPad owners have been patiently waiting for and now the wait is over. For example now you can listen to your favorite online radio station while simultaneously browsing the web among many other things. Over 100 new [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ipadbuzzblog/~3/crgPslT2pHM/

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Are Those Yahoo Layoffs Starting To Roll Out Today?

After we reported on rumors that Yahoo plans to cut as much as 20 percent of its workforce a few weeks ago, Yahoo called that number "misleading." But layoffs do seem to be brewing, judging by the increasing number of tips we've been getting. On November 23, one tipster wrote that layoffs would be "officially happening after Thanksgiving but before Xmas 2010." Then yesterday, we started getting tips that the layoffs would begin today. Some product groups that seem to be targeted for cuts include Flickr and Yahoo Groups.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/3qctcvqMu_E/

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The Intricate Choreography of Flight [Video]

5,000 airplanes are in the United States skies alone every hour. 63 such planes were filmed for this time-lapse video showing the intricate and beautiful choreography of take-offs and landings. Watch it. It's worth two minutes. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/d0fn9TLEmug/the-intricate-choreography-of-flight

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Orbox B is a fast, tricky Time-Waster

Orbox B is a puzzle, but it's one with a very frenetic pace. Each level is composed of a "field" of blocks that are carefully arranged. You control a single block and the object is to get it to the exit. Here's the tricky part: once your block starts moving, it won't stop unless it hits something. And if it falls off the board, you lose. When you do hit another block, you stop -- and then it's time to figure out your next move. Which block should you hit now?

Short-term planning will only get you so far, though. As you progress, planning your moves carefully becomes more important. You must hit the other blocks in the exact sequence needed to eventually make your way to the end. The higher levels also introduce other block types that can disappear after you hit them, snap shut, or do all sorts of other tricks.

It's a minimalistic game, and it's very fast. There is no background music and restarting is instantaneous. Orbox B is also begging for an Android port - in fact, if you know of one, let me know in the comments.

Filed under: Fun, Games, Time-Wasters

Orbox B is a fast, tricky Time-Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/15/orbox-b-is-a-fast-tricky-time-waster/

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Foki vacuum footwear concept lets you walk in Roomba's shoes

They may not be the first vacuum shoes to emerge in concept form, but these so-called Foki shoes from designer Adika Titut Triyugo are certainly the most stylish -- at least in an ASIMO chic sort of way. They also boast a few new tricks not seen before, including an LED display on top that indicates how much dirt you've picked up, and a unique deign that allows them to be completely folded up when not in use. Of course, "concept" is the key word here, but we've got to guess there's an untapped market out there for wearable appliances. Dust Buster gloves, anyone?

Foki vacuum footwear concept lets you walk in Roomba's shoes originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 05:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/30/foki-vacuum-footwear-concept-lets-you-walk-in-roombas-shoes/

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Star Walk Goes To New Heights In Version 4.4

Astrology fans worldwide are going to love what Vito Technology has done with their latest Star Walk v4.4 update. They have taken their highly popular and award winning Star Walk app for the iPad and iPhone and made it even better. So let’s get down to business, what’s new in Star Walk 4.4? Arrow Guides [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ipadbuzzblog/~3/v8YpV8XLCbA/

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Hands-on video review of Office for Windows Phone 7

If you weren't aware, it's impossible to take screenshots with Windows Phone 7. Perhaps once it's rooted we'll be able to -- but until then, screenshotting apps for reviews is laborious -- you have to take a photo of the screen -- and the quality is inevitably low.

So, looking for an alternative, I decided to do a video review of Office for Windows Phone 7. It's about 10 minutes long, and the video quality is excellent. You should be able to clearly see the text on the screen, and the audio commentary should be informative (and perhaps even funny).

In the video I step through the three key features of Office for WP7: OneNote (and its integration with SkyDrive); Word and Excel (viewing and editing); and SharePoint integration (though I sadly couldn't get it to work). OneNote definitely stands out as one of WP7's killer features, especially when combined with SkyDrive synchronization. Word and Excel, which lack the ability to sync, seem rather useless in comparison -- but still, being able to view Word and Excel documents on the move is surely a good thing.

The video review is after the break.

Continue reading Hands-on video review of Office for Windows Phone 7

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft

Hands-on video review of Office for Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/16/hands-on-video-review-of-office-for-windows-phone-7/

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WidgetBlock for Chrome blocks annoying social widgets, makes Web faster

The Web is all about being social these days. When you take this "social" buzzword and reduce it down to brass tacks, you often end up with a bunch of widgets, buttons and other annoyances crowded around the content you're actually interested in reading.

WidgetBlock is a Chrome add-on that makes short work of a whole bunch of common widgets and buttons for social services. In one fell swoop it eradicates the presence of Facebook, Twitter, Meebo, Digg, Buzz, and a ton of other omnipresent Web 2.0 services. Of course, if you happen to like some of these you can switch them on selectively.

When I tested WidgetBlock, it made the site I was trying to load noticeably faster (about two or three times as fast, in fact). It also makes the Web feel a tad "cleaner", at least for me. Definitely recommended.

Filed under: Google

WidgetBlock for Chrome blocks annoying social widgets, makes Web faster originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/26/widgetblock-for-chrome-blocks-annoying-widgets-makes-web-faster/

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My Christmas Wish List? are you listening Santa??

Ok, here it is.� Can I have a drumroll please?� I know you’ve all been wondering what to get me for Christmas, so here you go.� I know you have money burning a hole in your pocket, so this should provide you with an outlet. 1.� Nikon D5000 – I have wanted for some time [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2010/11/29/my-christmas-wish-list-are-you-listening-santa/

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Internet Explorer 9 beta 2 leaks, looks ready for launch

The most recent build of IE9 -- beta 2 -- leaked onto the Web late last night. Judging by the version number and its performance, it looks like it features the same rendering and JavaScript engines found in Platform Preview 7.

As reported by WinRumors, there doesn't seem to be any significant change to the user interface. The download manager shows your current download speed without the need to mouse-over, but that's about it. It's now fairly safe to assume that Microsoft hasn't got any secret plans up its sleeve -- the UI you see now is almost certainly the real deal. If the final launch is in January, we can expect to see one more platform update in about 5 weeks, and then a final release towards the end of January.

I'm not going to give you a link to the IE9 beta 2 installer, but you can probably find it with a little searching on Twitter or Google. The installer is legit -- it's signed by Microsoft -- so you don't need to worry about malware of any variety.

Internet Explorer 9 beta 2 leaks, looks ready for launch originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/23/internet-explorer-9-beta-2-leaks-looks-ready-for-launch/

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US Supreme Court agrees to hear Microsoft appeal in Word patent case

It's been quite a few months since we've seen any major developments in Microsoft's patent battle with Toronto-based i4i Inc over Microsoft Word, but it looks like things are now about to change in a big way. As The Wall Street Journal reports, the US Supreme Court has today agreed to hear Mircosoft's appeal in the case that dealt it $290 million in damages and prevented it from selling versions of Word that contained the allegedly infringing technology. That could not only have some pretty big ramifications for Microsoft in this particular case, but for patent law in general, as it gets to the very heart of the legal standard for determining the validity of a patent. Needless to say, we'll be watching this one very closely -- the court is expected to hear the case sometime next year.

US Supreme Court agrees to hear Microsoft appeal in Word patent case originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/29/us-surpreme-court-agrees-to-hear-microsoft-appeal-in-word-patent/

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WidgetBlock for Chrome blocks annoying social widgets, makes Web faster

The Web is all about being social these days. When you take this "social" buzzword and reduce it down to brass tacks, you often end up with a bunch of widgets, buttons and other annoyances crowded around the content you're actually interested in reading.

WidgetBlock is a Chrome add-on that makes short work of a whole bunch of common widgets and buttons for social services. In one fell swoop it eradicates the presence of Facebook, Twitter, Meebo, Digg, Buzz, and a ton of other omnipresent Web 2.0 services. Of course, if you happen to like some of these you can switch them on selectively.

When I tested WidgetBlock, it made the site I was trying to load noticeably faster (about two or three times as fast, in fact). It also makes the Web feel a tad "cleaner", at least for me. Definitely recommended.

Filed under: Google

WidgetBlock for Chrome blocks annoying social widgets, makes Web faster originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/26/widgetblock-for-chrome-blocks-annoying-widgets-makes-web-faster/

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Samsung Nexus S reappears at the FCC with a pair of new antennas

Thinking that the not-yet-announced Samsung GT-i9020T (a.k.a. Nexus S) might be delayed due to a last minute addition of a dual-core processor, as recently seen in the seemingly similar i9100? Well, it's looking like that possibility just got a lot less likely -- the GT-i9020T has now turned up yet again at the FCC, with the only changes being a pair of new Bluetooth / WiFi and GPS antennas. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean there won't be any more changes, but it does give us a bit more confidence that a GT-i9020T model will actually be released... sometime.

[Thanks, John M.]

Samsung Nexus S reappears at the FCC with a pair of new antennas originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Nov 2010 18:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/GGCMeaPpqa0/

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DARwIn-OP humanoid revealed, ready to open source your robotics program

The next version of the RoboCup-famous DARwIn bot is about ready to give the Nao a run for its money. The new DARwIn-OP from Robotis and Virginia Tech's RoMeLa (led by Dr. Dennis Hong, who joined us on the Engadget Show earlier this year) is just about to land, and the first pictures of the finished thing have started to circulate. While the bot is designed to perform, with sensors and servos suitable for higher-end robotics, the main thrust of the design is the open source and modular nature of the hardware and software. The bot can be purchased as a product from Robotis, but the CAD files are publicly available, and its plastic parts can be fabricated by the end user to save money (you do have a 3D printer, right?). Rumor has it the robot will retail for around $8,000, around half the cost of its closed source Nao competition. The full unveil of the robot is due at the IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots a couple weeks from now.

DARwIn-OP humanoid revealed, ready to open source your robotics program originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Nov 2010 10:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/I4N6zy_ochM/

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