Eric Clapton's Ferrari SP12 EC officially unveiled

A few months ago a mystery Ferrari was photographed in a London dealership with various sources all but confirming it was a one-off creation built for musician Eric Clapton. Now Ferrari has made it official, formally unveiling the car named SP12 EC. Built in cooperation with Ferrari's Special Projects program and Pininfarina, the SP12 EC is essentially a 458 Italia clad with all new body panels inspired by the 512 BB of the late 1970s and early 1980s, of which Clapton has owned three.

Autoblog, Eric Clapton's Ferrari SP12 EC officially unveiled

Groupon reportedly experimenting with Square competitor

Square, PayPal, Intuit, Verifone - the mobile payments field (and we're not talking wallets here) is seriously crowded already. So, the question is then, why on Earth would Groupon want to join the fray. We're not entirely sure, but VentureBeat is reporting the coupon service is preparing to do just that. According to a source within the company, Groupon is testing card-reading dongle and payment platform with surprisingly aggressive pricing. According to the insider, transaction fees will be 1.8 percent, on top of a $0.15 base charge. By comparison, square charges a flat 2.75 percent.

Engadget, Groupon reportedly experimenting with Square competitor

SpaceX Dragon team opens the hatch, to spend Memorial Day with more cargo hauling than barbecues

SpaceX's Dragon docked with the International Space Station on Friday, but if you think the involved crew is spending the US long weekend experimenting with how well grills prepare burgers in low gravity (hint: not very), you're in for a bit of an awakening. The private space capsule's hatch flew open just before 6AM ET on Saturday, and while that's a historic first docking for a private spacecraft, it's just the start of a long process.

Engadget, SpaceX Dragon team opens the hatch, to spend Memorial Day with more cargo hauling than barbecues

ZBoard electric skateboard sneakers-on (video)

We spotted the dudes behind the ZBoard at TechCrunch Disrupt earlier this week, but we weren't content to just ride the electric skateboard up and down the halls of Pier 94. We asked them to take a walk with us to Washington Square Park so we could take the board for a spin in a more realistic setting - also, any excuse to skip out of work a bit earlier to go skating in the park on a sunny Friday afternoon is hard to turn down. We initially asked them to meet us at one of New York City's many skate parks, but they balked at the suggestion - after all, it's more of a commuting board than anything else.










Engadget, ZBoard electric skateboard sneakers-on (video)

America, these are your top 10 most expensive cars to own

Picking up a used luxury car is a great way to save some coin. Letting the previous owner take the fall on depreciation is a smart move, but it's worth remembering that high-end autos carry with them high-end maintenance and repair costs. Using Edmunds.com data, 24x7 Wall Street has compiled what it says are the 10 most expensive vehicles to own, and the list is populated by some not-so-surprising names. BMW and Mercedes-Benz soak up the lion's share of the offenders, though other manufactures make a showing as well.

Autoblog, America, these are your top 10 most expensive cars to own

Sprint Samsung Nexus S 4G gets discontinued

Sprint has discontinued the Samsung Nexus S 4G, which it had been selling since May of 2011. The Nexus S 4G was, as you may already know, the Now Network's version of the Samsung Nexus S – the second ever ‘Nexus' device created by Google together with an Android phone maker. Now that Sprint is selling the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (which is the Nexus S 4G's successor), this move undeniably makes some sense. Of course, some may still have preferred the fact that the older smartphone is more compact.

Unwired View, Sprint Samsung Nexus S 4G gets discontinued

Renault Alpine A110-50 concept does its papa proud

Renault has officially released details on its Alpine A110-50 Concept. Designed to pay homage to the original Alpine A110, the machine wears a body crafted from carbon fiber and dipped in a shade of the same iconic Alpine Blue we all know and love. Up front, designers worked in a set of half-ring yellow LED lights reminiscent of the hood-mounted fog lights found on the original. That's pretty much where the similarities end, however.





Autoblog, Renault Alpine A110-50 concept does its papa proud

Latest Windows Phone 8 rumor suggests that current Windows Phone devices will receive the update

Microsoft has yet to come forward with a statement of their own regarding the update path of Windows Phone 8. Based on the back and forth rumors, there have been arguments by some prominent names in the industry that have suggested that current Windows Phone 7.5 devices will not see the Windows Phone 8 update, while vague rumors from murky sources have suggested otherwise. Since nothing has been officially announced, at this point in time we guess it could head either way, so if you're a Windows Phone 7.5 user hoping that your phone will be eligible for the update, here's a rumor you might be pleased to hear.

Ubergizmo, Latest Windows Phone 8 rumor suggests that current Windows Phone devices will receive the update

Deutsche Telekom says that T-Mobile USA merger option is still on the table

As we're sure that most you guys are aware by now, AT&T's attempt to buyout T-Mobile failed. Ever since then, there have been rumors that suggested that T-Mobile USA's parent company, Deutsche Telekom, was looking for alternatives. We've heard talks of possible mergers, and at one point it was even suggested that T-Mobile and MetroPCS were in talks about a possible merger. So far all these rumors have been rumors with nothing officially announced, at least until now when Deutsche Telekom's chief executive, Rene Obermann, revealed (via Bloomberg) that while a complete sale of the carrier was unlikely, a merger could still be an option.

Ubergizmo, Deutsche Telekom says that T-Mobile USA merger option is still on the table

Google brings in-app subscriptions to Android

Developers can never have too many options when it comes to ways to take your money. Google has opened the doors to In-app purchases, carrier billing and now, in-app subscriptions. Perhaps it wasn't enough that game creators be able to lure you in with perks and content you could purchase for a one-time fee, now devs can choose to hit you with a monthly charge for the privilege of using their wares. Of course, it's not all that bad. Subscription-based games aren't the only potential uses here. Customers can now buy monthly or annual subscriptions to services or publications as well.

2DayBlog.com, Google brings in-app subscriptions to Android

Samsung Galaxy S III To Be Released In Canada Next Month

The Samsung Galaxy S III is now available for pre-order in Canada. The new high-end smartphone will be released on June 20th, 2012 via TELUS, Bell, WIND, Videotron, SaskTel, Mobilicity, Virgin Mobile and Rogers. The Samsung Galaxy S III is powered by the Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. Stay tuned for more updates.

TechFresh, Samsung Galaxy S III To Be Released In Canada Next Month

Tablets now account for 20% of mobile ad impressions

. Millennial Media on Thursday released a new report outlining estimates first-quarter market share across mobile devices and operating systems. The mobile advertising company found that tablets - the top being Apple's iPad, Samsung's Galaxy Tab and Amazon's Kindle Fire - accounted for 20% of all ad impressions during the first quarter of 2012, an increase from 15% in the first quarter of 2011. "Tablets and other non-phone connected devices have established a clear role in the growing mobile ecosystem," said Jamie Fellows, SVP, Product, Millennial Media.



Boy Genius Report, Tablets now account for 20% of mobile ad impressions

Report: Siri Stores Private Information

Siri may be fun to use, especially if it actually understands what you are saying, but the voice-powered virtual assistant on the iPhone may be doing something you should be aware about. Wired magazine reports Siri is collecting your private data and it–along with other apps that have the same behavior–is putting the owners at risk. A fine print on the software license agreement for the Apple iPhone indicates that when you use Siri or Dictation, the stuff you say will be recorded and sent to Apple, wherein it will be converted in text. Also, Siri collects information such as your address book and sensitive user data.

Gadget.com, Report: Siri Stores Private Information

Huawei Ascend P1 slips through FCC with pentaband goodness for all

Huawei's putting a whole bunch of oomphbehind its 2012 lineup, and it's finally beginning to get noticed here in the US. Not too long after getting the Ascend D1 approved by the FCC, the Chinese manufacturer has returned to Washington to push the Ascend P1 through the government agency. Regarded as a close sibling to the slimmer P1 S, this particular Platinum-class device comes offering gifts of pentaband HSPA+ / UMTS, which means there's a chance we could see it show up on AT&T or T-Mobile (neither carrier has made their intentions known as of yet).

Engadget

See also:
alldigits, Huawei Ascend P1 slips through FCC with pentaband goodness for all

Google's Nexus tablet to launch in July, report claims

. Google's Nexus tablet will reportedly ship in June with an initial volume of 600,000 units per month, according to Digitimes. The slate, which is being co-developed by ASUS, is set to be released in July according to the report. The publications claims that Google originally planned to release its 7-inch tablet in May, however the design of the device did not meet its expectations and the cost was too high. As a result, the product was delayed until July for some minor adjustments. The Internet giant has high hopes for its own-brand tablet, shipments of which are expected to reach between 2 million and 2.5 million units in 2012.

Boy Genius Report, Google's Nexus tablet to launch in July, report claims

Huawei Ascend P1 drops by the FCC

Whenever a device makes an appearance over at the FCC, you can be sure that an approval would signal a release date date that is getting closer and closer to its arrival for that particular device. Well, the Huawei Ascend P1 has decided to pop over at the FCC and have some tea with the folks in authority over there.

Ubergizmo, Huawei Ascend P1 drops by the FCC

Rage of Bahamut Android App

There are now quite a number of game apps that portable device users can easily download into their device and play whenever they feel like it. Some games people get tired with after a few tries while others keep them playing for hours and hours. Some people may find some unique gameplay quite addicting similar to what the new Rage of Bahamut offers. Rage of Bahamut is a trading card game which has been quite popular with many avid players. Players get to collect from hundreds and hundreds of cards depicting certain characters and their skills and traits.

Gadget.com, Rage of Bahamut Android App

Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 will be updated to Android 4.0 ICS according to demo video

When Samsung announced its new Galaxy Ace 2, it didn't say anything about a possible update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. However, it looks like the smartphone will not be stuck with Android 2.3 Gingerbread forever. There's an official demo video of the Ace 2 (embedded below), which clearly shows that the handset is "ICS upgradeable." Unfortunately, we don't know when Samsung plans to release the update.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy Ace 2 has been released in the UK and Germany.



Unwired View, Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 will be updated to Android 4.0 ICS according to demo video

Apple says DoJ's eBook antitrust case fundamentally flawed

Apple says that the eBook lawsuit filed by the Justice Department is fundamentally flawed and could harm consumers. Apple finally filed its official retaliation against eBook antitrust claims in U.S. District Court in Manhattan late Tuesday. The company stated that the lawsuit filed by the Justice Department back in April is a “fundamentally flawed” endeavor that could discourage competition and harm consumers.
“Apple's entry into e-book distribution is classic pro-competitive conduct [that created competition where none existed],” Apple said in its court papers.

2DayBlog.com, Apple says DoJ's eBook antitrust case fundamentally flawed

GlassHouse Technologies Completes Sale of Turkey Subsidiary

Another Step in Company’s Strategic Direction to Focus on Core CompetenciesGlassHouse Technologies, a global provider of vendor independent data center consulting and managed services, today announced the completion of the sale of its Turkey subsidiary.  The subsidiary has been acquired by Emre Pekar, who has been serving as General Manager of GlassHouse Turkey prior to this transaction.  “We continue to aggressively execute on our stated plans to focus GlassHouse on our core consulting and managed service offerings and improving operating margins, and this divestiture is another significant step towards

Press Release Distribution, GlassHouse Technologies Completes Sale of Turkey Subsidiary

Olympus unveils M.Zuiko 75mm f/1.8 Micro Four Thirds lens

Heads up photographers, if a portrait lens with a fixed aperture sounds like a lens you've been looking for, Olympus has officially taken the wraps off their new lens – the M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm Micro Four Thirds lens with an aperture of f/1.8 which should allow for quick shots to be grabbed even in low-light conditions. The lens will feature a full-metal housing and will also come with a manual focus ring in the center that will give photographers the option of manually focusing in certain situations.

Ubergizmo

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wareground, Olympus unveils M.Zuiko 75mm f/1.8 Micro Four Thirds lens

Microsoft's Bing Streetside taken offline in Germany

We talked about Bing Streetside from Microsoft being the software giant's equivalent of Google's Streetview before, and here is the latest bit of news concerning Microsoft's Bing Streetside. It seems that the service has already been taken offline in Germany, where this occured after German citizens shared their worries about how Microsoft handles requests for the blurring of images. The entire slew of German panorama photos were made inaccessible as a precautionary measure, while Microsoft looks into the complaints of German citizens while working out an amicable solution that should be accepted by all, or at least, the majority.

Ubergizmo, Microsoft's Bing Streetside taken offline in Germany

France's Toulouse-Blagnac airport to conduct NFC field trials for BlackBerry smartphones

Navigating through airport security is hardly the most fanciful way of kicking off a vacation, but this summer, a handful of frequent fliers in France will take part in a field trial that aims to streamline the process and make it a bit more enjoyable. Fifty lucky travelers armed with BlackBerry smartphones will take part in a pilot study that tests the authentication technology recently developed by Orange and SITA. Upon their arrival at the Toulouse-Blagnac airport, the handset's NFC-capable SIM card will serve as an access pass to the car park, the premium access zone for departures and even the private lounge area.

Engadget, France's Toulouse-Blagnac airport to conduct NFC field trials for BlackBerry smartphones

Samsung Galaxy S3 launcher ported to the Galaxy S2

A few days ago, we said that the Samsung Galaxy S3 has been rooted and that its official stock firmware has been leaked. But it appears that the folks over at XDA Developers are not stopping there. We are hearing reports that the Samsung Galaxy S3′s launcher is now available for Galaxy S2 owners. The Samsung Galaxy S3 TouchWiz launcher has been ported to the Galaxy S2 by an XDA Forum member named Smando. Unfortunately, Smando said that it will only work on Samsung-based ROMs, which means that those running AOSP will not be able to port the launcher just yet.

Ubergizmo, Samsung Galaxy S3 launcher ported to the Galaxy S2

NVIDIA's Kai strategy aims to make $199 quad-core Android tablets a reality

. NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang previously mentioned that more Tegra 3-powered tablets would be coming to the market this summer, starting at the low price of $199. At the company's annual shareholders' meeting last week, vice president Rob Csonger revealed Kai, a plan to democratize its quad-core Tegra 3 system-on-a-chip. NVIDIA is looking to offer tablets that are more powerful than Amazon's Kindle Fire, but that will be offered at the same low price point.

Boy Genius Report, NVIDIA's Kai strategy aims to make $199 quad-core Android tablets a reality

HP Pavilion dm1-4210au 11.6-Inch Entertainment Notebook

A new entertainment notebook from HP has just been launched in Malaysia. Called the Pavilion dm1-4210au, the system sports an 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 LED-backlight display, a 1.4GHz AMD E1-1200 APU dual-core processor, an integrated Radeon HD 7310 graphics, a 2GB DDR3 RAM, a 500GB hard drive, a TrueVision HD webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth and runs on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS. The Pavilion dm1-4210au sells for 1,399 RM (about $448).

TechFresh, HP Pavilion dm1-4210au 11.6-Inch Entertainment Notebook

Google glasses gets raft of new patents, sniffs lawsuits coming from miles away

Google will find four more granted patents for Project Glass sitting on its over-sized doorstep this morning. The company can now claim rights over the design of the right half of the device, where the camera hangs over the eye and where the innards are housed within the band along the side. It's also patented the nose-pad sensor that knows when it's being worn, plus the ability to represent ambient sounds on the screen with range and direction info. Finally, it's also got rights on using each eyepiece as a separate display, with the example shown above demonstrating a map in one eye and navigation instructions in the other.

2DayBlog.com, Google glasses gets raft of new patents, sniffs lawsuits coming from miles away

Teastick Tea Brewer

With more and more people now liking tea than coffee because of its health benefits, tea brewing might just become more and more common. And for those who like drinking naturally brewed tea, having a portable tea brewer would do just fine. No tea brewer can probably get more portable than this Teastick Tea Brewer. The Teastick is a simple and yet essential device for people who always yearn for that cup of tea whenever they feel like it. The Teastick is a portable brewer for those who prefer loose leaf tea to drink.

Gadget.com, Teastick Tea Brewer

Consmr Barcode Scanner iPhone App Review

Shopping at the supermarket or pharmacy can be stressful, especially if you cannot decide which two products to put into your cart. Let this iPhone app help you with the decision process. The Consmr barcode scanner helps you pick the better grocery and drugstore products. Simply point your iPhone camera over a barcode to scan it and it instantly displays product reviews and alternative products. The reviews and ratings cover the product's quality, effectiveness, health and nutritional information among others.

Gadget.com, Consmr Barcode Scanner iPhone App Review

Speedier Google Search app heads for the iPhone

From today onwards, iPhone users should be able to enjoy a faster Google Search experience on their iPhone app. For starters, a total overhaul of the interface has been implemented, where every single bit of change has been made not for fun, but in order for you to enjoy faster results, a more beautiful full-screen image search, as well as a simple method for you to access the entire gamut of Google apps in one place. You will be able to perform your search by voice, by typing, or with your camera – now how about that.

Ubergizmo, Speedier Google Search app heads for the iPhone

LG's 55-inch OLED TV gets official design, possible €9,000 price tag

LG has been coy about details of its 55-inch OLED TV since we saw its hyper-rich organic colors at CES, but it just nailed down a number of details at a Monte Carlo event. The 55EM9600 has seen its display base get a bit bigger now that the screen isn't being specially perched at a trade show, but moving more equipment to the base and using a carbon fiber back has let it shed an extra millimeter of thickness, down to 4mm (0.16 inches). The steadier footing puts all the AV connectors at the back, while a trio of USB ports sit on the side for those who often share media from their cameras and flash drives.






Engadget

See also:
alldigits, LG's 55-inch OLED TV gets official design, possible €9,000 price tag

Diablo 3 hotfixes issued, Monk is not the only class that benefits

Yes, so you have had your contribution into making Diablo 3 the fastest selling PC game to date, in addition to spending hundreds of hours on it since the game first arrived, going through the motions of multiple error messages, and yet returning for more ‘punishment'. We also heard of how Blizzard issued a hotfix for the Monk class – it seems that Monks are not the only ones affected, as these hotfixes will ensure you need not download a new patch and yet get to savor the game to its maximum.

Ubergizmo, Diablo 3 hotfixes issued, Monk is not the only class that benefits

Google did not infringe Oracle's patents with Android

. In the widely publicized patent infringement case between Google and Oracle, a San Francisco jury on Wednesday found that Google's Android operating system does not infringe Oracle's patents. Jurors have been dismissed and Judge William Aslup of the U.S. District court of Northern California exonerated the Internet giant of any wrong doing. The verdict marks the end of the trial's second phase, which focused on patent infringement claims.

Boy Genius Report, Google did not infringe Oracle's patents with Android

How-To: XBMC 11 the XBMCbuntu way

For all intents and purposes, the original Xbox, with its NVIDIA GPU, 8-10GB hard disk and custom Pentium III processor was a high-end PC for its time - albeit, one that connected to a television. What Microsoft didn't realize back then, though, was that when you put that kind of hardware in the hands of hackers and enthusiasts, it's only a matter of time before people start doing more than just playing Halo. Fast forward to 2003, the year the Xbox Media Center was born. Nowadays, it's simply referred to as XBMC, since it runs on more than just your Xbox.










Engadget, How-To: XBMC 11 the XBMCbuntu way