Real-life Mario Kart hits the streets of Japan

It may not be as hilarious or silly as Rémi Gaillard's real-life Mario Kart experiment, but the idea of dressing up as everyone's favorite Italian plumbers and hitting the streets in go-karts has made its way to Japan. The folks at Japanese website Cliccar donned their best Mario and Luigi costumes, hopped in a pair of go-karts and hit the streets, drawing huge crowds in the process. The Cliccar folks raced street-legal X-carts, which cost around ¥379,800 (about $4,900 based on current exchange rates), and are capable of speeds up to 35 miles per hour, or even 50 mph when tuned properly.



Autoblog, Real-life Mario Kart hits the streets of Japan

Deal of the Day - Planar PX2710MW 27x1080p LCD Monitor

Today's LogicBUY Deal is the 27" Planar PX2710MW LCD monitor for $219.99.  Features: 2ms response time, 1080p, thin black bezel, HDMI, 1200:1 contrast ratio, built-in stereo speakers, more. $469.99 - $250 coupon code  = $219.99 with free shipping.  This is the lowest price found by LogicBUY and $10 cheaper than their last mention of this deal. This deal expires October 19, 2011 or sooner.

The Gadgeteer, Deal of the Day - Planar PX2710MW 27x1080p LCD Monitor

Electronic Arts offering chance to win new Porsche

Electronic Arts seems hell bent on capitalizing on its unique deal with Porsche, announcing a new contest to win a 2012 911 Carrera S as part of a promotion for its upcoming Need For Speed: The Run video game. Apparently, all you need to do to be entered into the giveaway is log into your EA account or register a new account for free. No actual purchase of the game is necessary. Naturally, there's some fine print - the contest is only open to people living in the United States, Canada or the UK, for instance.

2DayBlog.com, Electronic Arts offering chance to win new Porsche

Google Shutting Down Buzz, Google Labs, iGoogle Services, Code Search & Jaiku Soon, Prepare Your Last Compliments!

These also include the Code Search API, Google Buzz and Google Buzz API, Google Labs site, social networking tool Jaiku, iGoogle but only the social features of it, and last but not the least, the University Research Program for Google Search. While these Google Services shutdown will take place on 15th day of January 2012, Google Buzz will be sacked in a few weeks. Following that, users will not be able to create new posts but will still be able to retrieve their existing posts using Google Takeout or accessing them using their Google+ profiles.



Technology Nerd, Google Shutting Down Buzz, Google Labs, iGoogle Services, Code Search & Jaiku Soon, Prepare Your Last Compliments!

LG Optimus Net arrives at Bell on October 27

LG announced the Optimus Net back in July, and since then we've seen one version of it being headed to T-Mobile in the USA. Yet up until now there was no word about this device ever making it to Canada. But now we know that it will do just that, and very soon. MobileSyrup has found out that Bell is set to release the LG Optimus Net on October 27. Virgin Mobile may also get the Android-powered smartphone on the same day, but that isn't confirmed yet.

As for pricing, unfortunately we have nothing to tell you about how much the Optimus Net will cost when paired with a long-term contract.

Unwired View, LG Optimus Net arrives at Bell on October 27

Panoramic ball camera gives a full 360-view of you nervously throwing it in the air (video)

Yes, it isn't the first ball camera we've seen, nor is it the first camera to hawk 360-degree panoramas. But, the Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera marries these two concepts together, and packs them into a sturdy-looking sphere made mostly of foam. This shields the 36 fixed-focus phone camera modules, each capable of taking two megapixel snapshots. These are then stitched together to create full panoramic works like the shot above. Somewhere within that squishy core is an accelerometer to measure the apex of its flight, and where the camera array will capture its image.

Engadget, Panoramic ball camera gives a full 360-view of you nervously throwing it in the air (video)

Verizon Motorola Droid RAZR / Spyder / Droid HD specs leaked

The Motorola Spyder, also known as the Droid RAZR or the Droid HD, has leaked many times so far. And it even seems that it will get its official unveiling on October 18, mere hours before Google and Samsung hold their Ice Cream Sandwich and Galaxy Nexus event. So far we've even seen the upcoming Motorola smartphone in a picture once, and it undoubtedly looks sleek. We've also heard rumors here and there about the Spyder's specs, but now we have some details which are less vague. These come from BGR, who have apparently “confirmed” these specs, though it's unclear just how.

Image via Engadget

Anyway, let's play ball here.

Unwired View, Verizon Motorola Droid RAZR / Spyder / Droid HD specs leaked

Microsoft Finalizes Acquisition of Skype

Microsoft has finalized its acquisition of Skype, five months after it was first announced. Under the new deal, which is said to cost $8.5 billion, Skype CEO Tony Bates will be reassigned as the president of the new Skype Division of Microsoft and will have to report directly to Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer. Most of Skype employees, who are stationed in offices around the world, will remain in the team. These offices include outposts in the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Sweden, Russia, the Czech Republic, and Estonia.

Gadget.com, Microsoft Finalizes Acquisition of Skype

Myriad Group Wins LAPTOP Magazine’s Best of CTIA Award for Best Enabling Technology

Myriad's Alien Dalvik 2.0 awarded for groundbreaking, multi-screen technology at this week's CTIA Enterprise & Applications 2011 ZURICH, Switzerland - October 14, 2011 - Myriad Group AG (SIX: MYRN), a global leader in mobile technology having shipped over 3.8 billion software applications on more than 2.2 billion phones, today announces it is a winner of the LAPTOP Magazine's Best of CTIA Fall 2011 Awards in the category of Best Enabling Technology for its recently launched Alien Dalvik 2.0 technology.

Press Release Distribution, Myriad Group Wins LAPTOP Magazine’s Best of CTIA Award for Best Enabling Technology

Is BlackBerry More Secure Than Android? Ask Obama and the US Military.

Despite the growth of Android and iOS, corporate types continue to clutch their BlackBerry's on Wall Street and elsewhere, largely pointing to security as the main reason they won't give up on RIM. But how long until that becomes a distant memory. Maybe not long if the National Security Agency, US Army, and other American military branches have anything to say about it.

Android Phone, Is BlackBerry More Secure Than Android? Ask Obama and the US Military.

Survey: 29% of smartphone owners, 47% of iPhone 4 owners disappointed in iPhone 4S

. The idea that consumers were disappointed in the iPhone 4S has been tossed around quite a bit since Apple took the wraps off its latest smartphone last week. Looking beyond knee-jerk reactions, we thought it was pretty peculiar to suggest that that the iPhone 4S was disappointing, and we said the numbers would soon do the talking. The numbers have spoken, of course, and the iPhone 4S will be Apple's biggest iPhone launch yet when the handset becomes available on Friday. In fact, pre-orders have now sold out from all three major U.S. carriers that offer the new iPhone.



Boy Genius Report, Survey: 29% of smartphone owners, 47% of iPhone 4 owners disappointed in iPhone 4S

Electronic Arts offering chance to win new Porsche (video)

Electronic Arts seems hell bent on capitalizing on its unique deal with Porsche, announcing a new contest to win a 2012 911 Carerra S as part of a promotion for its upcoming Need For Speed: The Run video game. Apparently, all you need to do to be entered into the giveaway is log into your EA account or register a new account for free. No actual purchase of the game is necessary. Naturally, there's some fine print – the contest is only open to people living in the United States, Canada or the UK, for instance.



Autoblog, Electronic Arts offering chance to win new Porsche (video)

Nokia introduces Universal Search to Symbian devices

Universal search is one of the most common features found on smartphones today, and it looks like Nokia has finally incorporated it into its Symbian phones. The company today announced the launch of the Universal Search app on its official blog. Just like its name suggests, users can search their whole phone as well as the internet by just using one search box. With Universal Search, users can locate apps, contacts, messages, locations for Maps, apps from the Store and even websites from the internet. Universal Search also learns based on your search habits/results to improve what it looks for the next time.



Ubergizmo, Nokia introduces Universal Search to Symbian devices

iPhone controlled Ferrari Enzo toy car

Remote control enthusiasts, it's starting to look as if apps simulating actual physical remote controls are starting to takeover your hobby. As to whether that's a good or bad thing is highly debatable, but for now if the idea of being able to control a Ferrari Enzo toy car via an iPhone app is something you could see yourself having hours of fun with, Silverlit has just the thing for you. As we mentioned earlier, this is a toy car version of the popular Ferrari Enzo sports car, and apparently it's considered to be hobby grade material and is detailed richly.

Ubergizmo, iPhone controlled Ferrari Enzo toy car

EcoATM offers instant money for your old phone, we go hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)

Old-fashioned ATM meets modern-day phone recycling program. That's the idea behind EcoATM, a startup aimed to help reduce electronic waste and beef up your wallet at the same time. Of course, it's not a new concept: phone recycling programs have been around for a while now, helping you stay green by giving you some green. Trading in an old phone for the almighty dollar, however, typically involves filling out paperwork, printing labels, shipping the device to the facility and waiting for four weeks for a check. EcoATM's goal is to eliminate all of that in favor of a simple 5-minute process that ends with cash in-hand.






Engadget, EcoATM offers instant money for your old phone, we go hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)

Microsoft squeezes more revenue from Android thanks to new Quanta deal

. Microsoft announced on Thursday that Quanta Computer will begin licensing its patent technology for Android and Chrome-based smartphones and tablets. Microsoft will receive royalties from Quanta, but the terms of the deal not disclosed by either company. “We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Quanta, and proud of the continued success of our Android licensing program in resolving IP issues surrounding Android and Chrome devices in the marketplace,” Microsoft's corporate vice president and deputy general counsel of intellectual property, Horacio Gutierrez, said.

Boy Genius Report, Microsoft squeezes more revenue from Android thanks to new Quanta deal

Apple patent looking to simplify Bluetooth power states to conserve battery

Bluetooth has its uses for pairing devices, such as speakers to computers, speakers to phones, headsets with phones, transferring of files, etc, but at the same time it drains a fair bit of battery, and sometimes we end up forgetting to turn the Bluetooth connection off after we're done with it. Granted this isn't exactly a major issue, but in an effort to help users conserve as much battery as possible, Apple has filed a patent that suggests a method that would turn off Bluetooth in multiple devices with one button.

Ubergizmo, Apple patent looking to simplify Bluetooth power states to conserve battery

Google Wallet Updated, Includes New Inline Offers

Google Wallet has received a pretty substantial update, bringing its version number up to 1.0-R33v4. For those lucky enough to own a device capable of using Google’s mobile payment service (read: Nexus S 4G owners), you will be pleased to know you have some new offers coming your way. The updated version of Wallet allows you to access these deals directly. Other updates include:.

Android Phone, Google Wallet Updated, Includes New Inline Offers

Intel's plans for new SSDs in 2012 detailed

Through first quarter of 2012, Intel will be releasing new SSDs: Intel SSD 520 “Cherryville” Series (replacement for the Intel SSD 510 Series), Intel SSD 710 “Lyndonville” Series (Enterprise HET-MLC SSD replacement for X25-E series), and Intel SSD 720 “Ramsdale” Series (PCIe based SSD). In addition, you will be seeing two additional mSATA SSDs codenamed “Hawley Creek” by the end of the fourth quarter 2011. Starting with the second quarter 2012, Intel looks to be launching “Ramsdale MLC” PCI-Express SSD, a variant of Ramsdale that uses HET-MLC NAND flash memory, instead of SLC.

2DayBlog.com, Intel's plans for new SSDs in 2012 detailed

Asus Eee Pad Transformer 2 ready to rock the UK

Are you on the lookout for the Asus Eee Pad Transformer 2. If you so happen to live across the pond, then you might be interested to know that this particular device is set to hit our friends in the UK this coming November 7th. While we know that Stateside, the price will remain the same as its predecessor, UK retailer Lambda-Tek already has set up a product page for the device, touting a price point of £537.85 for the slate. Should you click on the “Check Stock” button, you will be greeted by a "Oops, we have run out of stock-More expected on 07x11x2011" message.

Ubergizmo, Asus Eee Pad Transformer 2 ready to rock the UK

Dual-SIM LG S367 Candybar Handset

LG is ready to launch the LG S367 dual-SIM phone in Ukraine next month. Measuring 117mm x 50.9mm x 11.5mm, the candybar handset provides a 2.4-inch QVGA display, Bluetooth 2.1, a 2MP digital camera, a microSD card slot(up to 8GB), push email, a media player, an FM radio, a 900mAh battery and GSM/EDGE connectivity. The LG S367 dual-SIM phone is priced at 1,200 UAH or around $150.

TechFresh, Dual-SIM LG S367 Candybar Handset

Gartner: Global PC shipments jump just 3% in Q3 2011

. Global shipments of PCs grew slightly but less than analysts had predicted during the third quarter of 2011, Gartner said recently, citing preliminary findings of a new research report. 91.8 million PCs were shipped during the quarter, a 3.2% jumped from the same quarter of last year. The figures are lower than Gartner's original estimate, which suggested PC vendors would ship 5.1% more units during the quarter. Gartner said the lower sales can be attributed to a weak Western European PC market.

Boy Genius Report, Gartner: Global PC shipments jump just 3% in Q3 2011

Magellan RoadMate app for iPhone upgraded

Magellan has just announced an update for its iPhone GPS navigation app, RoadMate, to version 2.2. Besides being a functional navigation app to help you find a way to your destination, the update brings your maps up to date, adds red light camera and fixed speed camera alerts (for you speed demons out there) and a brand new Junction View feature to guide users through tricky freeway interchanges - great for people who aren't familiar with the road. Other optional features include real-time safety alerts and additional voice options.

Ubergizmo, Magellan RoadMate app for iPhone upgraded

Toshiba Dynabook R731/W4UD 13.3-Inch Notebook

Powered by a 2.80GHz Intel Core i7-2640M vPro processor, the Dynabook R731/W4UD is Toshiba's latest 13.3-inch notebook for the mass market. The system sports a 13.3-inch 1366 x 768 LED-backlight display, an Intel QM67 Express chipset, a 4GB DDR3 RAM, a 256GB SSD, a Blu-ray drive, WiMAX, WiFi and runs on Windows 7 Professional 32x64-bit OS. The Dynabook R731/W4UD is priced at 234,800 Yen (about $3,047).

TechFresh, Toshiba Dynabook R731/W4UD 13.3-Inch Notebook

Verizon Motorola Droid X2 maintenance update now rolling out

A new software update has apparently become available for Verizon's Motorola Droid X2. This isn't a major release, so it won't make your smartphone run a different version of Android or anything like that. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't update. This new software brings a slew of performance improvements and bug fixes and as such is good to have.

Unwired View, Verizon Motorola Droid X2 maintenance update now rolling out

Motorola and Verizon team up for Z-Wave monitoring service, let you control your home as you roam

Do you have Verizon broadband and an overwhelming desire to dim your lights remotely and spy on the kids while you're out on a date. Verizon's mew Home Monitoring and Control service lets internet subscribers add Motorola's Z-Wave-based 4Home automation system to their existing package, enabling access to networked cameras, light controls, smart thermostats and door locks. With the $10 monthly service, you can monitor a collection of wireless cameras, unlock doors for family members or guests, or adjust the thermostat using a web-connected tablet or smartphone.

Engadget, Motorola and Verizon team up for Z-Wave monitoring service, let you control your home as you roam

Ford to launch new brand in China

China is filled with lots of people and things – including lots of bizarre laws and regulations. One child per family is perhaps the most well known, but did you know you have to pay homage by bowing to the elderly on the street, or that you're actually prohibited from stopping your car at crosswalks. This next one may seem sane by comparison, but has got automakers vying for a piece of China's growing car market jumping through hoops. Apparently foreign carmakers wishing to manufacture in China for local consumption by joint venture have to set up a new brand under which to sell.

Autoblog, Ford to launch new brand in China

Electric Very Light Car by Edison2 Yields Astonishing Test Results

Edison2 announces an updated version of its award-winning Very Light Car. This time, the vehicle comes with an electric engine. Still in its prototype stage, the electric Very Light Car (eVLC) still uses the core design features of the original VLC, which won the coveted Automotive X-Prize in 2010. It can accommodate four passengers and runs up to 114 miles on a single charge from a mere 10.5kWh battery.

Gadget.com, Electric Very Light Car by Edison2 Yields Astonishing Test Results

Sony locks 93,000 PSN and SOE accounts due to 'massive' hack attempt

Sony's not having a good morning. In addition to having to recall 1.6 million Bravia TVs, it's also been forced to temporarily lock 93,000 customers out of their PSN and Sony Online Entertainment accounts. You won't be surprised by the reason: an attempt by hackers to "test a massive set of sign-in IDs and passwords" against Sony's network database. Some of the affected accounts showed "additional activity prior to being locked" and are being investigated.

Engadget, Sony locks 93,000 PSN and SOE accounts due to 'massive' hack attempt

Jadu announces ‘Weejot’ mobile web app publishing service

Leicester, UK - October 12th 2011 - Jadu, Inc., a global Web Content Management vendor today announced a new mobile web publishing service called 'Weejot' that will enable organisations and brands to easily publish apps to the rapidly expanding mobile web.Weejot, a breakthrough new service, is delivered through a cloud based software as a service (SaaS) network.

Press Release Distribution, Jadu announces ‘Weejot’ mobile web app publishing service

BlackBerry outage affects millions for third day

. After having initially said the issues were resolved following one day of service interruptions, millions of BlackBerry users across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and even some areas in South America still find themselves without access to the Wen or messaging services for the third consecutive day. Research In Motion confirmed earlier that a bug on a Blackberry server was responsible for knocking millions offline on Monday, and the Waterloo, Ontario-based smartphone maker elaborated on Tuesday that the continued interruption was caused by a core switch failure.

Boy Genius Report, BlackBerry outage affects millions for third day

AT&T provides peace of mind to parents with V3 child tracking device

You can never quite tell just when the next weirdo is going to whisk your kid away – there are far too many cases to cite from the past to make this a very real and present fear for today's parents. Gone are the carefree days when you can leave your kids to their own devices around the neighborhood, and they'll return home safe and sound in the evening. At least companies are aware of such a threat to the young ones, hence AT&T has partnered with Amber Alert GPS to roll out the V3 Connect Child Tracking Device.

Ubergizmo, AT&T provides peace of mind to parents with V3 child tracking device

CyanogenMod 7.1 brings support for Xperias and 20 other handsets

All it took was a little love from Sony Ericsson and now CyanogenMod's latest official release includes support for a happy cohort of 2011 Xperias as well as the X8. The same goes for Samsung, which doled out a free GSII and some employment and now finds that the Galaxy smartphones are on version 7.1′s list too. Wondering if your particular Droid, Optimus or Incredible can run the cyan shade of Gingerbread and its attendant perks.

2DayBlog.com

See also:
newgadgets, CyanogenMod 7.1 brings support for Xperias and 20 other handsets

Duke Nukem Forever's Hail to the Icons Parody DLC Pack Available Now

Duke Nukem Forever's latest DLC pack ‘Hail to the Icons Parody' is now available for download via Xbox Live and PSN. This add-on content offers three new game modes including Freeze Tag, Hail to the King and Hot Potato, and adds four new maps: Call of Duke, Sandbox, Inferno and 2Forts1Bridge. The Hail to the Icons Parody DLC pack retails for 800 Microsoft points or $9.99.

TechFresh, Duke Nukem Forever's Hail to the Icons Parody DLC Pack Available Now

Motorola Atrix 2 hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)

Motorola and AT&T are at it again with their Android shenanigans, this time following up the Atrix 4G with something a tad more. Atrix-y. Indeed, we're referring to the sequel of February's smash hit, honorably called the Motorola Atrix 2, announced at this week's CTIA Enterprise & Applications. We had the opportunity to get some brief time with it, and it's a fair device worthy of the family name: the 4.3-inch device feels good in the hand, and closely resembles the Photon 4G, only without the cutout corners.






Engadget, Motorola Atrix 2 hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)

Latte Espresso LP-ESPBLK4GB 4GB Touchscreen PMP

Here's another affordable touchscreen PMP to take your music anywhere you go, the Espresso LP-ESPBLK4GB from Latte. The player features a 3.0-inch 420 x 240 TFT touchscreen display, a 4GB of internal storage, an FM tuner, a photo viewer, a USB 2.0 port, a headphone jack and a built-in lithium battery that provides up to 15 hours of playback time. The Espresso LP-ESPBLK4GB sells for just $46.19.

TechFresh, Latte Espresso LP-ESPBLK4GB 4GB Touchscreen PMP

iFlashDrive – 2 way storage for iOS and PC/Mac devices

From the same company that created the HyperDrive, comes the iFlashDrive. This is a 2-way USB flashdrive that can has a 30 pin connector that can plug into iOS devices like the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. On the other end is a standard male USB connector that allows you to plug it into a PC or Mac. A special app (free) on the iOS side will give you the ability to store, view and manage files. The iFlashDrive is an easy way to transfer files to and from the iOS device without using iTunes or WiFi. There's also a built in music player, text editor and contact backup feature.

The Gadgeteer, iFlashDrive â€" 2 way storage for iOS and PC/Mac devices

Bug Fix Update Lands for Google+ for Android

Google+ has scored itself a bug-fixer update on this fine Tuesday, greeting the Android portal for the social network with a few key improvements. An issue preventing installation on some devices has been addressed, as has notification reliability for Messenger. Frequent Hangout users should appreciate the disabling of speakerphone when a headset is plugged in. Other tweaks provide better app stability and new translation support.

Android Phone, Bug Fix Update Lands for Google+ for Android