[Poll] Your favorite app from the Google Play sales

Google's decision to rebrand Android Market as “Google Play” has got to be one of the most ridiculous ones in recent times, probably more so than the Qwikster debacle. And we all what happened then. But Google did soften the blow with the sales they offered. For developers, its a great opportunity to add a substantial number of users, with the exposure often resulting in increased downloads down the line, too.

I bought a ton of apps during December's “10 Billion Downloads Sale”, and have picked up 4 from a smaller offering this time.

Android Phone

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mrnom, [Poll] Your favorite app from the Google Play sales

Asus Padfone available for a ridiculous GBP 700 pre-order

Personally, I’ve never really been a fan of the Padfone. I've found it to be too "gimmicky", like the dual-screen phones, to have a phone that docks into a screen to use it like a tablet. I’d rather have separate devices, but quite a few people are actually excited about it. Well, bad news for you folks.

Android Phone, Asus Padfone available for a ridiculous GBP 700 pre-order

Video game sales continue to slide in February, Xbox still top console

. The video game industry continued to struggle in the United States last month as sales slid yet again according to market research firm The NPD Group. After dropping 34% year-over-year to $750.6 million in January, total video game hardware, software and accessory sales in the U.S. dipped to $1.06 billion in February, down 20% from the same period in 2011.

Boy Genius Report

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hightech2012, Video game sales continue to slide in February, Xbox still top console

[CEBIT 2012] Microsoft convinced about Windows 8 vs 7 design overhaul

Notorious big boy Microsoft just had to be  present at Cebit this year, though they showed off most of their Office 365 and business software it was clear the focus was Windows 8. If we have to believe the MS preachers during the non-stop presentations, then Windows 8 should be more wipe friendly than toilet paper. The question is: will Microsoft hit a winner by trying to breed this hybrid swipe/business OS. It's clear they were  inspired by Linux, Google's Android and Apple; but personally I think MS is trying to please too many market segments at once, this could be either a huge success OR a big gamble.





Akihabara News, [CEBIT 2012] Microsoft convinced about Windows 8 vs 7 design overhaul

Google Maps updated with new Navigation menu UI

Google Maps has received a minor update bringing along a simplified menu UI when using Navigation. Gone is the standard ICS menu button. In its place is a menu launcher build directly into the Navigation UI. When accessed menu items are now displayed in a grid along with graphics as opposed to the list format of the previous release. The new look harkens back to pre-ICS versions of Google Maps. The larger buttons and visual elements should make for easier access to Navigation features while driving (not that we should be playing with our phones while driving in the first place).

Android Phone, Google Maps updated with new Navigation menu UI

LG Optimus L7 with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich headed to Canada via Rogers

Officially announced a couple of weeks ago, and showcased at MWC 2012 alongside several other new LG Android smartphones, the Optimus L7 should become available around the world starting May. One of the markets where the new Optimus will be released is Canada. According to Mobile Syrup, the smartphone will be launched by Rogers.


Unwired View, LG Optimus L7 with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich headed to Canada via Rogers

Save Your Lawn and Your Sanity with Scotts Snap Lawn Care System

This post brought to you by Scotts®. All opinions are 100% mine. Winter takes a toll on your landscaping. My own front yard is brown, patchy, and weedy. I love a beautiful lawn, but doing all the maintenance necessary to make it lush and green is messy work. Even if you have a spreader, you still have to cut open bags and fill up the spreader – usually dumping out half the contents on your garage floor or your grass. Scotts, long know for their lawn care products, have created a system that will make creating a beautiful lawn as easy as walking on it.



The Gadgeteer, Save Your Lawn and Your Sanity with Scotts Snap Lawn Care System

Glove-based CRTouch project turns old monitors into touchscreens

As anyone who's ever played a game of Duck Hunt is aware, there are ways of directly interacting with CRT monitors that don't require any modifications to the display itself (a la resistive overlays). A group of students from the University of Hasselt in Belgium have now taken that idea further than most, however, and developed a glove-based system that uses a pair of phototransistors in the fingertips to detect the electron beam as it makes its way across the screen.

Engadget, Glove-based CRTouch project turns old monitors into touchscreens

Former top Microsoft exec: ‘Of course we are in a post-PC world'

. Whether or not we are currently living in the post-PC era is no longer a question, Microsoft's former Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie said recently. ”People argue about ‘are we in a post-PC world?'. Why are we arguing.

Boy Genius Report, Former top Microsoft exec: ‘Of course we are in a post-PC world'

Sony Music Unlimited Update Brings Offline Playback

Sony just issued an update to their Unlimited Music service that should please a great deal of their subscribers. You can now make songs available for playback offline. Any playlist you’ve made can be made available offline for those situations where an internet connection is either terribly slow or nonexistent. Unfortunately Galaxy Nexus users are still left out of the compatibility fold. Hopefully Sony takes care of those folks in due time.

Android Phone, Sony Music Unlimited Update Brings Offline Playback

Morgan gives first look at LMP2 Le Mans racer

Morgan and OAK Racing have put together a video to showcase the car that Morgan will be running at Le Mans this year in a jubilee celebration its GT2 class win in 1962. It's got just about everything you'd want from an LMP2 teaser: engine guts, carbon fiber, track time and roaring. It might be missing an actual Morgan, though: the car is built by OAK's Onroak Automotive constructor division with a Pescarolo chassis and a Judd engine.



Autoblog, Morgan gives first look at LMP2 Le Mans racer

We obsessively covered the 2012 Geneva Motor Show

When we say we're obsessive, we mean it. The list above of 90 vehicles that Autoblog covered at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show is proof positive that we stand behind our tagline. The Geneva Motor Show is always the biggest international auto show of the year in terms of vehicle debuts, whether they're production cars, forward-thinking concepts or outrageous tuner vehicles. This year we got super-sized helpings of all three.

Special thanks go to our crew of five who were on the ground in Geneva, as well as the large support staff here at home who backed them up.










Autoblog, We obsessively covered the 2012 Geneva Motor Show

DOE rejects $310M loan for Carbon Motors to build advanced police cars

Carbon Motors, maker of the purpose-built E7 police car, won't receive the $310 million in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) loans under the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) program that it applied for almost three years ago, and said that it's a victim of politics. "We are outraged by the actions of the DOE and it is clear that this was a political decision in a highly-charged, election year environment," Carbon Motors William Santana Li said in a statement.

Autoblog, DOE rejects $310M loan for Carbon Motors to build advanced police cars

Is Amazon working on creating original TV content? [Rumor]

It has been reported in the past that in order to attract a wider audience, companies like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube are starting to put a lot of resources into creating original content, and now it seems that Amazon could be hopping aboard that bandwagon as well, thanks to a LinkedIn profile belonging to a certain Joe Lewis.

Ubergizmo

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gadgets, Is Amazon working on creating original TV content? [Rumor]

Galaxy Nexus gets a D.I.Y LEGO charging dock

For those of you out there who might be bored of standard charging docks for your devices, or if you're simply looking for something quirky and different, you might be interested in taking a look at this LEGO charging dock by XDA forum member Tibow, who designed it with the Galaxy Nexus in mind, allowing the device to rest in a landscape position while charging. The dock will take advantage of the Galaxy Nexus's side pins and will charge the device at a USB rate, which means that while it might be novel seeing your device charge on a LEGO dock, it will take longer to gain a full charge as opposed to charging via an AC outlet.

Ubergizmo, Galaxy Nexus gets a D.I.Y LEGO charging dock

Blizzard offers incentives for WoW players to come back

If you're feeling a bit lonely while playing World of Warcraft, and wish there was a way to get your friends to join you again, Blizzard has got the answer for you. The company recently announced a new and improved Scroll of Resurrection to the game - in case you're unfamiliar with the Scroll of Resurrection, it's basically a way of bringing ex-players back to the game. Existing players can invite players to come back into the game to play free for 7 days in hopes of getting them hooked onto it again.

Ubergizmo, Blizzard offers incentives for WoW players to come back

Motorola's MOTOACTV gets software update March 9th, brings 40 new fitness activities into the fold

Late last year, Motorola announced its MOTOACTV device for fitness fanatics. Since then, the wrist-mounted gadget got a firmware update for better battery life, and on March 9th it's getting another fresh dose of code that brings even more functionality. The update adds 40 new custom activities including yoga, handball, skiing and dancing, so you can track all your fitness endeavors individually. The new code also allows users to activate the display with a flick of the wrist (instead of pressing the power button) and configure WiFi connections right on the device.

Engadget

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gadgetsblog, Motorola's MOTOACTV gets software update March 9th, brings 40 new fitness activities into the fold

Benss B3 Intelligent Android PMP

Getting yourself a new Android PMP. Why don't you take a look at this B3 Intelligent from Benss. Priced at just $66.94, the device offers a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 TFT LCD screen, a 4GB of storage, a microSD card slot, an FM radio, a voice recorder, a USB 2.0 port, a TV-out, 1080p Full HD video playback support and runs on Android 2.3 OS.

TechFresh, Benss B3 Intelligent Android PMP

Chrome Beta for Android Updated In Google Play – Bug Fixes And Better Compatibility

Chrome Beta was updated in the Android Mar- er, Google Play (that’s going to take some getting used to). Details from the Google Chrome release blog say version 0.16.4301.233 is mostly bug fixes with a pinch of improved compatibility with devices running various versions of Android 4.0. This should also include those of you who were running custom ROMs. So, if the app wasn’t launching previously, you might want to give it another go.

Android Phone, Chrome Beta for Android Updated In Google Play â€" Bug Fixes And Better Compatibility

Route 66 works on Samsung Wave 3

Samsung has just expanded their co-operation with Route 66, which will see the Samsung Wave 3 receive Samsung Navigation on-board, which is actually an advanced mapping and turn-by-turn GPS navigation solution that was jointly developed by Samsung and Route 66. This will not be a worldwide release, but rather, it will be targeted in select markets only. Some of the key features of Samsung Navigation include the latest world maps, giving you instant access to just about the latest maps regardless of which country you are headed off to. You can opt to use the map in online mode, or download it straight to your device for offline navigation.

Ubergizmo, Route 66 works on Samsung Wave 3

Huawei Prism Hit the FCC

Huawei's looking to come to town with another low-end device, it seems, as the Huawei Prism – model number U8651T – has passed the FCC. Its model number seems to position it close to the Huawei Sonic, a device which launched on T-Mobile last year. It had a 3.5 inch display, 512MB of RAM, Android 2.3 and more. We won't make any assumptions on detailed specs but we don't expect them to be much different from the Sonic. If you want to check the FCC listing out for yourself, click here.

Android Phone, Huawei Prism Hit the FCC

Ram adds extra doors to Tradesman, announces CNG-powered pickup

We're pretty fond of the Ram Tradesman. The truck offers impressive power and capability per dollar spent, and now it looks as if Chrysler aims to give buyers a little extra functionality, as well. For 2012, the Tradesman can be had in either Crew Cab or Quad Cab configurations to provide comfortable-enough transportation for six adults. Long live the bench seat.

The vehicles will come boasting the same 4.7-liter V8 found in the standard-cab Tradesman, complete with 310 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque.


Autoblog, Ram adds extra doors to Tradesman, announces CNG-powered pickup

International 4G LTE iPads appear in Apple inventory system

. Rumors that Apple's third-generation iPad tablet would include 4G LTE connectivity have persisted for almost a year, and now the news is all but confirmed. Less than an hour ahead of Apple's press conference in San Francisco, a source speaking with 9to5Mac confirmed that Apple's inventory system is now being populated with entries for an International version of Apple's next iPad equipped with integrated 4G. “MD369LL/A - IPAD WI-FI 4G 16GBLACK - USA.” is one such entry. Apple's iPad 3/iPad HD unveiling is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, 10:00 a.m.

Boy Genius Report, International 4G LTE iPads appear in Apple inventory system

Gemballa Tornado and Mistrale are the faces of excess

If there are words for the Gemballa Tornado and the vehicle's spiritual twin, the Mistrale, we can't find them. If you like air vents, the Tornado has you covered. The vehicle boasts more intakes than your favorite industrial air conditioner, with the majority of them crafted from carbon fiber. At least the bodywork is lightweight.

Autoblog, Gemballa Tornado and Mistrale are the faces of excess

Intel touch display Ultrabook reference design: hands-on

[Cebit 2012] Intel is showing a touch-enabled Ultrabook reference design at Cebit, and the overall goal of this exercise is to show what this looks and feels like, and to provide developers with something that they can work on until Windows 8 launches later this year. This is of great importance for both Microsoft and Intel as Windows 8 and its native touch user interface could be an inflexion point for the Intel-based mobile market. As for the reference design itself, its profile looks like a 2012 Samsung Series 9 computer, but it comes unbranded, so it's hard to know for sure who Intel has partnered with on this project.



Ubergizmo, Intel touch display Ultrabook reference design: hands-on

Intel Xeon E5 features ultra-fast IO and (much) increased power-efficiency

Lisa H Graff, VP, General Manager Datacenter Platform Engineering Group. As it is the case with most processor updates, the performance is up by a respectable margin, including on single-threaded or mildly parallelized apps. However, the big ticket items in our opinion is the big gain in terms of IO speed and power-efficiency (performance per Watt. From that point of view, the new Intel Xeon E5 is simply impressive, and if you take into account that this architecture is being declined in many segments and price ranges, it is clear that the new Intel Xeon E5 is very promising for the server space.

Ubergizmo, Intel Xeon E5 features ultra-fast IO and (much) increased power-efficiency

AppleCare+ rumored for iPad 3

When Apple first rolled out their AppleCare+ warranty program in October 2011 to keep the iPhone 4S company, it was not exactly the best received item from Cupertino to date. Sure, the $99 service added up to a couple of incidents of accidental damage coverage, sporting a deductible of $49, but it remains to be seen whether those dollars are worth it or not. I guess it is a matter of perspective – similar to purchasing insurance. Bad things do not happen with a warning most of the time anyways.

Ubergizmo, AppleCare+ rumored for iPad 3

Unofficial VLC beta hits Android, no video format is safe

VLC is the Swiss Army knife of media players and it has never baulked at any of the increasingly weird and wonderful formats we've thrown at it — which is good because now it's available on Android. The unsupported, unofficial beta by user adridu59 is tailored to run on selected Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich handsets.

2DayBlog.com, Unofficial VLC beta hits Android, no video format is safe

Microsoft Office 15 revealed, simpler UI with touch-friendly features

Microsoft started seeding its Office 15 technical preview to a select few partners earlier this year to get it ready for public consumption, and The Verge managed to get a sneak peek at some of the software's new features. As you would expect, the newest Office version got a dose of Metro style, and now has a cleaner interface and touch mode to make browsing documents and presentations as easy on a tablet as it is on a desktop PC. Word also received improvements, like double-click to zoom, smoother scrolling, video embeds and the ability to share documents online through a browser.

Engadget, Microsoft Office 15 revealed, simpler UI with touch-friendly features

2012 Volvo V40 takes aim at A3, 1-Series

With the S40 gone and the C30 on its way out the door, Volvo has a few holes in its line that Audi and BMW are happy to fill with the all-new A3 and 1-Series, respectively. Enter the V40, a five-door hatch that's one of the most attractive designs from Sweden since the Ikea Skürg. It's a svelte bit of kit, with an organic fascia bleeding into a subtly sculpted hood and capped off with a sloping roofline that can be had in full panoramic glass.

Autoblog, 2012 Volvo V40 takes aim at A3, 1-Series

iPad 3 to change 4G game?

Apple might not be the first off the blocks with a particular device or idea, but that does not mean the improvements as well as marketing magic that accompany their own product release are to be overlooked. No sir, in fact, Apple takes what already exists, and most of the time in recent memory, they have turned it into a must-have instead of a fledgling technology.

Ubergizmo, iPad 3 to change 4G game?

Nissan Hi-Cross Concept looks good... but to what end?

Nissan's stables are already all ate up with crossovers – they've got the Murano, the Rogue, the Juke and the new Pathfinder, not to mention overseas models like the wildly popular Qashqai or corner cases like the Murano CrossCabriolet. So what's one more thrown into the mix. Enter the Nissan Hi-Cross. Officially a concept, the Hi-Cross could just be a peek at the next-generation Murano, or it could be a look at a new Euro-market entrant.

Autoblog

See also:
things, Nissan Hi-Cross Concept looks good... but to what end?

Deutsche Telekom tests 512Gbps fiber optic network in Germany, breaks record in the process

If you thought Google's Kansan stab at blistering gigabit speeds was lust-worthy, then this latest fiber feat out of Germany should have you flooding the room with drool. Part of Deutsche Telekom's OSIRIS (Optically Supported UP Router Interfaces) project, the telco's T-Labs team managed to successfully transfer data “over a single optical fiber wavelength channel” from Berlin to Hanover and back at speeds of up to 512Gbps — that's over half a terabit.

2DayBlog.com, Deutsche Telekom tests 512Gbps fiber optic network in Germany, breaks record in the process