Smartphone Activations Hit Record Holiday Highs

Smartphones were huge gift choices this holiday season, with activations reaching record highs. Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.com. Secularly speaking, Christmas is about three things: Engorging oneself at massive holiday dinners, sitting awkwardly with family members you only see annually, and the presents. Oh, yes, the wonderful, wonderful presents.

Topping this year's smorgasbord of gifts, it seems, was the smartphone. More devices flooded into eager customers' hands than in any previous holiday season.

Smartphone activations hit record highs this Christmas, with combined Android and iOS activations topping the 6.8 million mark on Dec.


Gadget Lab

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things, Smartphone Activations Hit Record Holiday Highs

2013 Lexus GS 450h (video)

Lexus' Best Compromise Yet. Ever since the Prius unexpectedly became the Xerox of hybrids and a greenie icon, Toyota has been trying to figure out how to apply the technology to its other models. Its results have been decidedly mixed, nowhere more so than with its luxury lineup. But with the 2013 Lexus GS 450h, Toyota thinks it has finally figured out what a hybrid luxury car should be.

From a sales perspective, the first-generation GS 450h was a disappointment. While we liked it quite a bit when we test-drove it a couple years ago, Lexus just hasn't been able to move the metal.










Autoblog, 2013 Lexus GS 450h (video)

Mangusta Legacy Concept just as badass as the original

The world would be a much happier place with a little more De Tomaso Mangusta. The Pantera predecessor featured sexy Italian styling, Ford V8 power and properly scary handling. Only 401 units were built between 1967 and 1971, making the gull-wing machine a proper unicorn for any collector of Italian absurdities. One designer and illustrator has taken it upon himself to envision what a modern interpretation of the Mangusta might look like. The result is the Mangusta Legacy.

Autoblog, Mangusta Legacy Concept just as badass as the original

Looking back at 2011: iPhone 4S and Galaxy Nexus cap off the year of the smartphone

. Despite numerous lofty predictions from analysts and market watchers, 2011 wasn't the year of the tablet. Not by a long shot. Apple's iPad 2 continued to sell well this past year but among dozens of rivals, only a handful of tablets managed to garner even the slightest interest from consumers. No, 2011 was the year of the smartphone. Global smartphone penetration is now approaching 10% and in the United States, nearly half of all cell phone users own smartphones.

Boy Genius Report, Looking back at 2011: iPhone 4S and Galaxy Nexus cap off the year of the smartphone

Verizon blames IP Multimedia Subsystem for 4G LTE outage

. Verizon Wireless was the first major carrier to launch its super fast 4G LTE network in the United States. Being the first comes with its fair share of problems, however. Earlier this week Verizon's 4G LTE network suffered its third major outage in the month of December. In an interview with GigaOM, Verizon Wireless vice president of Network Engineering Mike Haberman responded with:

Being the pioneers, we're going to experience some growing pains.

Boy Genius Report, Verizon blames IP Multimedia Subsystem for 4G LTE outage

Grand Theft Auto 3 for Android modded with new textures and vehicles

One of the great things about Android would be how due to it is open source, modifying and customizing the platform to your needs is a much easier task, especially when manufacturers make their code readily available for you. Now it would appear as though even the games on Android can be modified with Grand Theft Auto 3 being a prime example. About a week ago, it seems that some developers discovered that it is possible to boost the graphics on Grand Theft Auto 3 for Android. While not such a great idea for older devices, it appears to have made a world of difference for those running on newer, high-end devices like the Samsung Galaxy S2.



Ubergizmo, Grand Theft Auto 3 for Android modded with new textures and vehicles

Perch device reminds you to take your charger with you when you leave

When packing for a trip, or when packing to leave the hotel room at the end of the trip, we're sure that a good number of you guys out there may forget to bring your charger along with you. Not only is this highly inconvenient but it could prove to be rather expensive, but LPS is looking to change all of that with Perch. According to LPS, the Perch would be compact in nature, and as the name suggests, it "perches" between the charger and wall socket. When your device is connected to the charger, Perch will automatically activate and begins "watching your wires".

Ubergizmo, Perch device reminds you to take your charger with you when you leave

Earn +1 Geek Points with this Dip Switch Wrist Watch

The Dip Switch Click Watch from Watchismo has a bank of working dip switches that control various watch functions. The switches will toggle a bar graph metered time display, 12 hour and 24 hour digital time display, month, date, day of week and backlight.

The Gadgeteer, Earn +1 Geek Points with this Dip Switch Wrist Watch

Galpin widebody Mustang ready for its charity auction at Barrett-Jackson

The annual Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, AZ is less than a month away, and car aficionados from around the country are already gearing up for the six-day collector car sell-a-thon. One of the vehicles up for grabs will be this custom widebody Mustang that we first told you about in August. At the time, this ponycar was a mere rendering, but since then Galpin has completed the Mustang and readied it for the auction in January. Like several of the cars that cross the block, the proceeds from the sale of the widebody Mustang will be donated to charity, specifically the St.

Autoblog

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digitalhouse, Galpin widebody Mustang ready for its charity auction at Barrett-Jackson

Philips Fidelio SoundRing Portable Speaker with AirPlay

The Fidelio SoundRing Portable Speaker with AirPlay from Philips lets you stream music from your computer, iPad, iPod, or iPhone.  It has a rechargeable battery that can provide up to three hours of playback using AirPlay or up to 6 hours when using the aux-in or USB ports.  It can be used simultaneously with other AirPlay speakers in your home.  The Fidelio delivers 16W RMS total power output through four speakers – two front-firing and two side-firing – and a built-in bass sound pipe that combine to “create an immersive, natural listening experience that you can enjoy from anywhere in the room.”  It's small enoug

The Gadgeteer, Philips Fidelio SoundRing Portable Speaker with AirPlay

Nintendo Wii U might be getting an app store of its own

While Nintendo seems pretty insistent at not porting their games over onto mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, it would appear as though they are considering an app store of their own for their upcoming Wii U which will be similar to that of iTunes or the Android Market. A recent rumor seems to suggest that non-game apps such as MLB.tv will be allowed to run on the regular TV interface, along with more tablet-like apps that will be optimized for the Wii U's 6.2" touchscreen display. According to the rumor, the new app store for the Wii U will have a "wider variety" than that of the DSiWare and WiiWare currently offer.

Ubergizmo, Nintendo Wii U might be getting an app store of its own

NewPCGadgets (Makers of Smartphone Coaster) Introduces TAB Rests

The folks at NewPCGadgets had everyone wanting one of their very simple, yet very useful products – the Smartphone Coaster – last year. Fast forward to now and they're providing something for the big screen users. It's called TAB Rests and is an extremely soft cushion for your tab to sit on. It slightly elevates the tablet in landscape mode for typing and a raised cushion area at the bottom of it serves as a wrist rest for comfortable typing. It's simple but looks like it could be useful for some who have been looking for something like this. It can be yours for just $15.

Android Phone, NewPCGadgets (Makers of Smartphone Coaster) Introduces TAB Rests

Xiaomi Mi2 concept rendering makes an appearance

The Xiaomi phone is a phone from China that some expect could give Meizu a run for their money, and thanks to what appears to be "leaked" concept renderings of the Mi2, we now have a better idea of what the successor to the Xiaomi M1 could look like. As you can see in the photo above, the device does appear to be rather sleek in its design, and based on its alleged leaked specifications, we are looking at quite the powerhouse. A recap in case you missed our previous post on the device's leaked specs, the Xiaomi Mi2 is expected to feature a 4.6" display with a 2.5GHz processor under the hood with 2.5GB of RAM to match.

Ubergizmo, Xiaomi Mi2 concept rendering makes an appearance

LG to unveil 84-inch ‘ultra-definition' 4K TV at CES 2012

LG let us know at CES 2011 that it had 4K LCD televisions in the pipeline, but unfortunately they didn't make it out this year. Expect for that to change in 2012, as the company just announced it's bringing an 84-inch “ultra-definition” (3840×2160) TV to Las Vegas to go along with its 55-inch OLED. It has all of LG's Cinema 3D and Smart TV features built-in, including support for that upgraded Magic Motion remote and voice control. There's no official word yet on when we'll see these on shelves or at what price, but it certainly looks production ready compared to other prototypes that have been displayed over the years.

2DayBlog.com, LG to unveil 84-inch ‘ultra-definition' 4K TV at CES 2012

Holiday spending jumps 15% from last year to $35.3 billion

. U.S. Consumers spent $35.3 billion during this year's holiday season, up 15% from the same period last year. Shoppers also spent a total of $2.8 billion during the week ended December 25th, up 16% from the same week in 2010, comScore reported. “Holiday e-commerce spending has remained strong throughout the season, and we have now reached a record $35 billion in U.S. online sales for the season-to-date,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni, noting that the record $1.25 billion spent on Cyber Monday represented the heaviest online spending day for the second straight year.

Boy Genius Report, Holiday spending jumps 15% from last year to $35.3 billion

Spammers take over New York Times e-mail list

Nobody likes spam, unless it is the stuff that you find in between two slices of bread, and when coupled with a slice of cheese, it can be touted as the perfect breakfast. I guess The New York Times also hates spam, especially after some spammers hacked into the newspaper's e-mail marketing list, sending out e-mails that informed former subscribers to call The New York Times in order to reinstate their subscriptions. What made this offer all the more tantalizing was an “exclusive” 50% discount off the original price.

Ubergizmo, Spammers take over New York Times e-mail list

God of War 4 to feature online co-op?

While God of War 3 is a great single player action game on the PlayStation 3, sometimes you can't help but wonder what it would be like to complete missions with the help of a second player. Well, if rumors turn out to be true, God of War's next installment - part 4, will allow you to do just that. The folks over at PSM3 (a PlayStation 3 magazine) have reported that God of War 4 is in development and will feature an online co-op mode. The co-op mode is said to feature a dead Kratos and his brother Deimos teaming up to escape the afterlife.

Ubergizmo, God of War 4 to feature online co-op?

Verizon's 4G Network Down Again?

This is getting a bit ridiculous. After two major 4G outages in as many weeks, there are reports that Verizon's LTE network is once again down for the count. I can't confirm the outage personally, as 4G LTE is working fine on my Galaxy Nexus here in Baltimore, but we have received several tips indicating a loss of connectivity and several other sources are reporting this to be the case. Verizon has not confirmed the outage and there is no telling how widespread it is, but it sounds like a good number of customers are currently operating without 4G.

Android Phone, Verizon's 4G Network Down Again?

Argentina bans iPhone and BlackBerry sales

The Argentinian government has banned the import and sales of Apple's iPhone and all BlackBerry smartphones, among others. The ban also extends over all foreign-made phones, but it seems Apple and RIM among the few of the major phone makers who donÂ't have factories in Argentina, so their ban is in focus. Nokia, Samsung, LG and Motorola have already built plants in Argentina, so they all escape the recent Government ban.
Apple and RIM though arenÂ't so lucky. Their only option is to build a factory in Argentina.

GSM Arena, Argentina bans iPhone and BlackBerry sales

Robots wrestlers make entertaining fights

It will be many years before we get giant-sized robot battles like those in the movie Real Steel, but if you're looking for something on a smaller scale, you won't have to look very far. The folks over in Japan recently had a “Robot Pro Wrestling event” that was held on Christmas day at the Buddhist Hall in Tsukiji, Tokyo, Japan, where two advanced robots - Nagare Gold and Thunderbolt duked it out inside a pseudo wrestling ring, while a robot referee stood by and monitored the match.



Ubergizmo

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techblog, Robots wrestlers make entertaining fights

Marines launch RoboCopter in Afghanistan, Skynet secretly invades Middle East

The U.S. Marine Corps has begun deploying the first unmanned helicopters. The Kaman K-Max, developed by Kaman Aerospace and Lockheed, is used as a supply chopper and has reportedly successfully transported cargo in Afghanistan. The unmanned K-Max is based on Kaman's single-seat helicopter with the same name, weighs just 5000 pounds, but can carry up to 6000 pounds over a distance of up to 250 miles, but can stay in the air for up to 12 hours. The single-seat chopper has been in production since 1992, while the unmanned version was in development since 1998 and won a contract with the Department of Defense in 2007.

2DayBlog.com

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computerworld, Marines launch RoboCopter in Afghanistan, Skynet secretly invades Middle East

AT&T completes acquisition of Qualcomm's FLO TV spectrum

It's only been five days since it's gotten the official go ahead, but AT&T's wasted no time in completing its acquisition of a swath of 700MHz spectrum from Qualcomm. Those airwaves, which formerly powered FLO TV, were purchased for a cool $1.9 billion and will now be repurposed to bolster Ma Bell's LTE network. It might not have been everything the carrier had hoped for, but additional spectrum is better than none, right.

Engadget, AT&T completes acquisition of Qualcomm's FLO TV spectrum

Android and iOS activations jump 353% on Christmas Day to set new record

. Did you give or receive a smartphone for Christmas this year. If so, you contributed to the largest day ever for Android and iOS activations. According to Flurry Analytics, Christmas Day set a record for activations of those two smartphone operating systems in a single day. Between December 1st and December 20th, activations teetered between 1.3 million and 1.8 million devices per day, or an average of 1.5 million daily activations. That figure jumped 353% on December 25th, however, with 6.8 million iOS and Android devices having been activated according to Flurry.

Boy Genius Report

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gadgets, Android and iOS activations jump 353% on Christmas Day to set new record

Italian anti-trust body fines Apple for misleading customers on product guarantees

Apple Italia has been fined a total of 900,000 euros for failing to inform its customers that products purchased were already covered by two years of free assistance under national law. It appears that Apple employees encouraged the extra purchase of its own AppleCare plans. With the European court's continued investigation of possible e-book price-fixing and ongoing legal jousting with Samsung unlikely to end any time soon, it looks like Apple will be busy in the courts next year too.

Engadget, Italian anti-trust body fines Apple for misleading customers on product guarantees

Polish team develops own Volkswagen Polo rally car

News doesn't travel fast in Poland. In fact, very few things travel all that fast in Poland. Sure, the emergence of Robert Kubica on the Formula One scene has shown well for the Eastern European country, but when he tried his hand at rallying, well. he almost lost it. (His hand, we mean.) So you can imagine our surprise when we caught wind of a Volkswagen Polo rally car being developed in Poland.

Apparently nobody told a guy named Paul Dytko that Volkswagen was already building a Polo-based rally car to challenge the World Rally Championship.



Autoblog, Polish team develops own Volkswagen Polo rally car

NTT Docomo is hungry for chips

NTT DoCoMo, the largest wireless carrier in Japan and one of the largest in the world, has announced that it intends to partner with Samsung and others to create a companies, or a venture to build semiconductor chips. From what the company has been saying officially, it wants a stake in building system on a chips (SoC) that would include a 4G LTE modem. Of course, that would take them on a collision course with Qualcomm, the current leader in this particular area.At the moment, the investment of $5M would be very modest in comparison with the size of DoCoMo, and in comparison with what it takes to build such a chip.

Ubergizmo, NTT Docomo is hungry for chips

RockMelt hits beta 5, makes Chome's Omnibox a gateway to Facebook

Last year, when RockMelt picked up where Flock left off, deeply tying social services into the browser interface, we were understandably a bit skeptical. But, just over 13 months later the tricked out Chrome variant is still kicking and tacking on new features. The latest beta, version five, turns the Omnibox into a full-fledged Facebook portal, allowing you to upload photos, initiate chats and load profiles without first having to launch the site. The update also sports a spruced up new tab page.

2DayBlog.com, RockMelt hits beta 5, makes Chome's Omnibox a gateway to Facebook

2012 BMW M5 gets dyno'd, all ate up with power

A German tuning outfit called PP-Performance has put the 2012 BMW M5 on a Maha dyno, and the numbers returned were 444 horsepower at the wheel, 553 at the engine, and a "corrected number" of 574 hp. Max torque came in at 532 pound-feet (721 Newton/meters). Compare those figures to the official numbers of 560 horses and 502 lb-ft. If the 444 number is accurate, then no matter how you slice it on horsepower – whether you use the numbers from BMW or PP-P's figures – you're losing around 20 percent from the engine to the wheels. However, adjusting for driveline and twin-turbo losses, that puts things right about where they should be.





Autoblog, 2012 BMW M5 gets dyno'd, all ate up with power

Ford F-150 EcoBoost hits 100,000 sales

Ford bet big on the combination of light duty pickup trucks and boosted V6 power, and it appears the gamble has paid off. The Detroit News reports that Ford has already reached 100,000 F-150 sales in 2011, just as the automaker promised it would. Overall EcoBoost models accounted for 40 percent of all F-150 sales, which is impressive considering that the boosted mill comes with a $895 price premium compared to the very capable 5.0-liter V8. Still more impressive is the fact that Ford also sold plenty of 3.7-liter V6 models as well, and the overall take rate of V6 engines is over 50 percent on the year.

Autoblog, Ford F-150 EcoBoost hits 100,000 sales

Capture 360-degree Panoramic Video with Your iPhone

The Kogeto Dot lens works with your iPhone 4 or 4S's camera and their own free Looker app to capture 360-degree panoramic video.  The Dot uses Kogeto's iCONIC lens and their “unique catadioptric optical system is fully AR-coated for excellent color fidelity in all environments.”  The Dot attaches to your camera with either a black, red, pink, or green mount.  The Dot is compatible with iPhone 4 and 4S.  It's $79.00.

The Gadgeteer, Capture 360-degree Panoramic Video with Your iPhone

M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm F3.5-6.3 EZ Lens for PEN Lovers

Olympus launched the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm F3.5-6.3 EZ (35mm equivalent 24-100mm) as its first fully-compatible interchangeable Micro Four Thirds lens to incorporate an electronic motorized zoom. The new lens has a zoom ratio of approximately 4.2x with macro capabilities (focusing is possible between 8 and 20 inches). Manual zooming is also available for those looking to take full control.

GIZMOGRAPH, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm F3.5-6.3 EZ Lens for PEN Lovers

GoPro HD Hero 2 review

GoPro has been in the HD action sports and helmet cam game for some time now, with its Hero line proving a popular sight atop many a daredevil's lid. Now, you can add HD Hero 2 ($300) to the ever growing list of options now, as this is the latest (and they say greatest) incarnation to date. Last time we tested the Hero Original - as it's now called - against the Contour HD, but now we're pitting new against old, like for like, side by side. Not only will we discover how the new boy stands up against the camera it effectively usurps, we'll also see how it fares out in the field.










Engadget

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wgitn, GoPro HD Hero 2 review