McLaren MP4-12C Spider touches down in North America

The McLaren MP4-12C Spider has officially landed in North America. On display in Monterey, the convertible version of the British supercar boasts a retractable hardtop that can slip from fully up to completely stowed in around 17 seconds. Even with its roof structure stowed, the MP4-12C Spider remains a formidable performance car. The sprint to 60 mph takes just 3.1 seconds, and it tops out at 207 mph.

Autoblog , McLaren MP4-12C Spider touches down in North America, McLaren MP4-12C Spider touches down in North America

XO Skins Screen Protectors Review

There sometimes seems to be a war or an evolutionary struggle between device screens and screen protector makers. Back in the early days of Palm PDA's, the screens were rather soft and you used a plastic stylus to write on them. They scratched easily so most of us used and recommended screen protectors. Store bought, home-made, self-adhesive, wet film, rigid, soft… there were so many variations.
Now, screens are better but maybe even more exposed to harsh elements – and screen protectors have evolved as well.



The Gadgeteer , XO Skins Screen Protectors Review, XO Skins Screen Protectors Review

LeapFrog LeapPad2 Learning Tablet

Over a year after releasing the LeapPad Explorer learning tablet, LeapFrog launches the second-gen LeapPad that has become available for the same $99 price tag. Expect the LeapFrog LeapPad2 kid-friendly tablet to have spec bumps with more games for more playing and learning time for your tots. The educational device now has double the on-board memory at 4GB, as well as a bigger battery. It also has cameras both on the front and at the back so your kids can record movies and cartoons with them taking the starring roles.

Gadget.com , LeapFrog LeapPad2 Learning Tablet, LeapFrog LeapPad2 Learning Tablet

Shamoon malware allegedly deals death blow to infected computers

I guess it is a given these days to know that one ought not to simply open up any attachments in the email, as you can never quite tell whether there is some malicious code behind that file or not. For those who prefer to throw caution to the wind, it is bad enough that your computer gets infected with a virus or malware, but the situation just got a whole lot worse when you discover that your computer is connected to the rest of the corporation's network, resulting in a potential security compromise on a far larger scale.

Ubergizmo , Shamoon malware allegedly deals death blow to infected computers, Shamoon malware allegedly deals death blow to infected computers

Huawei Ascend D Quad and D Quad XL to launch in late August

After suffering numerous delays, Huawei's mightiest droids, the Ascend D Quad and D Quad XL are finally going to get their official launch later this month. The Huawei Ascend D Quad and D Quad XL are both powered by the company's very own 1.2GHz quad-core K3V2 chipset. The difference is that the D Quad XL packs a larger 2,600mAh battery and a thicker profile. At the front of either smartphone you can find a 4.5-inch IPS HD display, which their back panels host 8MP BSI cameras.

GSM Arena , Huawei Ascend D Quad and D Quad XL to launch in late August, Huawei Ascend D Quad and D Quad XL to launch in late August

Persona 4 Golden skin for your PS Vita and matching wallpapers can be your if you pre-order the game

If the upcoming Persona 4 Golden is a game that caught your attention and made you decide to go out and buy a PlayStation Vita, you might be interested to learn that if you were to pre-order the game, you will be able to get your hands on a Persona 4 Golden skin for your PlayStation Vita. As pictured above, this skin will cover the surface of your handheld console and is said to be able to protect your device from small scratches to dust. It reportedly can be applied and removed easily without and residue being left behind.

Ubergizmo , Persona 4 Golden skin for your PS Vita and matching wallpapers can be your if you pre-order the game, Persona 4 Golden skin for your PS Vita and matching wallpapers can be your if you pre-order the game

Incredibly cute Pikachu-themed Nintendo 3DS XL can yours for $239

Pikachu is probably one of the most recognizable Pokemon characters out there, and if its cuteness is something you just can't get over, then perhaps this Pikachu-themed Nintendo 3DS XL might not be the gadget for you, lest you spend hours admiring it instead of actually playing it. Yup it seems that this Pikachu-theme 3DS XL is official and can be purchased via the Pokemon Center (real life, not the in-game Pokemon Center) and is expected to cost ¥18,900, which is about $239. The handheld console will sport Pikachu's face on the front, with the tail at the back and as expected, will be yellow pretty much all over.

Ubergizmo , Incredibly cute Pikachu-themed Nintendo 3DS XL can yours for $239, Incredibly cute Pikachu-themed Nintendo 3DS XL can yours for $239

Mad Catz launches STRIKE7 keyboard

Purveyors of positively potty peripherals, Mad Catz, have finally got around to designing a keyboard which will go along with the uniquely bonkers look of their RAT mice. Just like the mice, the STRIKE7 keyboard is highly customisable, with a modular construction that lets you split bits off and put them where you want them. If you want, you can split it in half to remove the number pad and program nine different macro keys on the fly.


2DayBlog.com , Mad Catz launches STRIKE7 keyboard, Mad Catz launches STRIKE7 keyboard

Facebook starts really, truly deleting removed photos

For those who haven't kept track, Facebook has had a years-long history of only maybe-sort-of-more-or-less purging our photos: they could be removed from a profile, but they would sometimes float around the site's content delivery networks for months or years, just waiting for a prospective employer to spot those embarrassing frosh week snapshots by accident. As Ars Technica discovered through experiments and official remarks, that problem should now be solved.

Engadget , Facebook starts really, truly deleting removed photos, Facebook starts really, truly deleting removed photos

Ford invests $135 million in electrified vehicles

Ford may not have a dedicated hybrid or EV platform, but it does have a new "Electrification Center of Excellence" down the street from its headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford announced yesterday that it now has some 1,000 engineers devoted to electrified vehicles, most of whom work "under one roof" at the facility. The 285,000-square-foot research and development lab used to be known as the Advanced Engineering Center, but has now been renamed the Ford Advanced Electrification Center.

Autoblog , Ford invests $135 million in electrified vehicles, Ford invests $135 million in electrified vehicles

ClimateRight offers a cooling abode for your canine

Earlier this morning, we took a look at the Dog Caller which will inform you on your smartphone should the temperature of your pooch and its surroundings reach dangerously high levels that heat stroke is a possibility, so that you will be able to take some preventive measures. Well, another way of going around this issue would be to purchase the ClimateRight dog house, where this 2,500 BTU unit is able to heat, cool, purify and dehumidify pet houses as long as they are no larger than 350 cubic feet in size – translated to 7′ x 7′ x 7′ just in case you were wondering.

Ubergizmo , ClimateRight offers a cooling abode for your canine, ClimateRight offers a cooling abode for your canine

BlackBerry 10 screen resolution got standardized by RIM

RIM standardized the screen resolution for upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS running devices. The future smartphones running the OS will come in two resolutions: 1280 x 720 pixels for full touch devices, and 720 x 720 pixels for handsets with hardware QWERTY keyboards. RIM took the abovementioned step after taking feedback from the BlackBerry developer community, whose members have complained about having to deal with a few screen resolutions too many in the past.

GSM Arena , BlackBerry 10 screen resolution got standardized by RIM, BlackBerry 10 screen resolution got standardized by RIM

Nokia to Samsung: Take note, next-gen Lumia coming soon

Nokia's executive vice-president of sales and marketing sent a tweet addressed to Samsung, which says “Samsung, take note, next generation Lumia coming soon #nokia”. This is quite a bold message to send over, given that Samsung is experiencing a meteoric rise, while Nokia hasn't been doing so well as of late. Of course, some display of confidence isn't a bad thing, but we can only hope that Nokia will deliver accordingly during its September 5 event in NYC. With Windows Phone 8, Nokia finally has the opportunity to come up with a smartphone that features a high-end chip.

Ubergizmo , Nokia to Samsung: Take note, next-gen Lumia coming soon, Nokia to Samsung: Take note, next-gen Lumia coming soon

ZTE Acqua V880E with Android Ice Cream Sandwich launched in Asia for about $220

ZTE has announced the launch of a new Android phone: the Acqua V880E. The handset is available as of now in Malaysia, and will likely be introduced in other markets pretty soon. Confusingly enough, there already is a ZTE V880E phone out there, but that one comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and features dual-SIM capabilities. The new Acqua V880E doesn't support two SIM card, and runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.


Unwired View , ZTE Acqua V880E with Android Ice Cream Sandwich launched in Asia for about $220, ZTE Acqua V880E with Android Ice Cream Sandwich launched in Asia for about $220

Xiaomi Phone 2 now official: 4.3-inch 720p IPS, quad core and Jelly Bean for just $310

At last, no more secrets. Announced in Beijing just now is the Xiaomi Phone 2, and with the exception of the appearance, most of the specs match the many leaks we've come across: 4.3-inch 720p IPS display by Sharp, Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 quad-core chip, 2GB RAM and 16GB memory. To power this beast, Xiaomi's throwing in a 2,000mAh cell, but you can also purchase a 3,000mAh version if you don't mind the extra 2mm thickness on the phone.

Engadget , Xiaomi Phone 2 now official: 4.3-inch 720p IPS, quad core and Jelly Bean for just $310, Xiaomi Phone 2 now official: 4.3-inch 720p IPS, quad core and Jelly Bean for just $310

Microsoft licensed design patents at issue in Apple v. Samsung, Surface lovers breathe sigh of relief

Last week, we found out about Apple's offer to license a bundle of IP — including its iPhone and iPad design patents — to Samsung back in 2010. Today Reuters reports that Apple proposed a similar deal to Microsoft, and the folks in Redmond took them up on the offer. Details of the license itself are scarce, but the deal did, naturally, include a provision expressly prohibiting iDevice copies. So, for folks figuring that Microsoft might face a litigious future similar to Samsung's, think again.

2DayBlog.com , Microsoft licensed design patents at issue in Apple v. Samsung, Surface lovers breathe sigh of relief

See also:
mrnom, Microsoft licensed design patents at issue in Apple v. Samsung, Surface lovers breathe sigh of relief

IHS iSuppli: Apple iPad takes 69.6 percent of tablet brand market share in Q2, reader tablets take a bruising

An earlier portrait of the second quarter's tablet market share made it quite clear that the iPad was on a rebound, if it was ever in a slump to start with. All those numbers focused on platforms and not brands, however — we didn't know how the individual makers were doing. If IHS iSuppli's figures are on the ball, there's even more of a discrepancy if you break down the period's results by manufacturer. The iPad staked out 69.6 percent of tablet shipments in the spring.

2DayBlog.com , IHS iSuppli: Apple iPad takes 69.6 percent of tablet brand market share in Q2, reader tablets take a bruising, IHS iSuppli: Apple iPad takes 69.6 percent of tablet brand market share in Q2, reader tablets take a bruising

WSJ: Apple's TV focus changes to putting cable TV in its set-top box

Just in case you thought the often discussed / as yet unseen Apple HDTV rumor mill was dead, you were wrong. The Wall Street Journal is reigniting things this evening, with sources claiming that instead of competing with cable providers by starting up its own IPTV offering, Apple has switched to sweet talking pay-TV providers into offering their content through its box. If you're still looking for a Cupertino-embued display you may be in luck, since the anonymous parties also indicate the set-top box tech it's working on could be integrated with HDTVs.

Engadget , WSJ: Apple's TV focus changes to putting cable TV in its set-top box

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trendygadgets, WSJ: Apple's TV focus changes to putting cable TV in its set-top box

SwiftKey 3.0.1 brings new themes, languages and bug fixes

Rejoice, Android keyboard enthusiasts. SwiftKey announced today that it's pushing out an update to its popular virtual keyboard that brings new themes, languages and bug fixes. Version 3.0.1 incorporates two new summer themes - Sky blue and Fuchsia - and bumps the language count to 44 with the addition of Malay and Urdu. The keyboard now also supports continuous dictation with Google voice typing on Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean. Most important, however, are a plethora of tweaks, performance improvements and bug fixes designed to further improve the SwiftKey user experience.


Engadget , SwiftKey 3.0.1 brings new themes, languages and bug fixes, SwiftKey 3.0.1 brings new themes, languages and bug fixes

Microsoft bans use of Metro name in Windows Store apps

If Microsoft can't use the Metro name, no one else can. Not in its company-owned Windows Store, at least. An update to the Windows 8 app criteria guide explicitly tells developers that any submitted Windows Store app with Metro in the title will "fail certification" - effectively, it's banned. There's a certain irony to the aggressive stance on naming when Microsoft itself still mentions Metro prominently across many of its pages, but the restriction isn't a laughing matter for developers already trying to support an OS that doesn't ship for another two months.

Engadget , Microsoft bans use of Metro name in Windows Store apps, Microsoft bans use of Metro name in Windows Store apps

Twitter founders create Branch and Medium to keep the conversations, collections flowing

If you've ever been so embroiled in a chat or sharing splurge that you've been told to "take it off of Twitter," you now can - sort of. Twitter co-creators Biz Stone and Ev Williams have launched Branch and Medium, two companion services that (naturally) use a Twitter sign-in but narrow the focus to just a few subjects. As the name suggests, Branch lets especially vocal Twitter users invite others into conversations that don't clutter everyone's feeds or cut replies off at the 140-character limit. Medium.

Engadget , Twitter founders create Branch and Medium to keep the conversations, collections flowing, Twitter founders create Branch and Medium to keep the conversations, collections flowing

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 launches stateside August 16th starting at $499

If you didn't see this one coming from a mile away, then it's clear you haven't been paying much attention. After countless leaks and even an early August availability from online retailers, Samsung's ready to make its S-Pen slate, the Galaxy Note 10.1, official for the U.S. market. The TouchWiz-skinned Android tablet is set to hit retail shelves tomorrow, August 16th, and will be offered up in 16GB and 32GB WiFi-only configurations priced at $499 and $549, respectively.

Engadget , Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 launches stateside August 16th starting at $499, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 launches stateside August 16th starting at $499

Nokia Windows Phone Event on Sept 5 = Windows Phone 8!

We have received an invitation to a Nokia event help in NYC on September 5. Without a doubt, this is about the next-generation Lumia which runs on Windows Phone 8, which was revealed in San Francisco earlier this year (catch up with the Windows Phone 8 reveal). This is going to kick start a new phase for both Microsoft and Nokia who will now be able to come up with high-end smartphones featuring the latest quad-core chips, along with edgy cameras and a new Windows Phone that finally shares its code base with Windows 8.

Ubergizmo , Nokia Windows Phone Event on Sept 5 = Windows Phone 8!, Nokia Windows Phone Event on Sept 5 = Windows Phone 8!

Verizon DROID RAZR HD to feature an 8 MP camera

Despite earlier reports, the upcoming DROID RAZR HD will not feature the extended battery capacity of its RAZR MAXX counterpart. This is disappointing, as there was talk that the undisputed king of our battery life test may finally have met its match. The camera will also be of the 8MP variety – down from the 13MP mentioned earlier. Either way, the RAZR HD is quite the looker, with a full Kevlar back panel and 4.6" HD display.

GSM Arena , Verizon DROID RAZR HD to feature an 8 MP camera, Verizon DROID RAZR HD to feature an 8 MP camera

Dropbox Android preview shows off video thumbnails and Nexus 7 UI, yearns for your approval

It appears that Dropbox is also tweaking its Android app to better suit the Nexus 7 and Jelly Bean. The cloud storage outfit made a recent build (2.1.8.6 to be exact) of its mobile software available for download as a sneak preview of sorts. A few fortunate subscribers got first dibs, but you can grab a look for yourself at the improvements. The tweaks include video thumbnails, improved video playback on both ICS and Jelly Bean, a Nexus 7-friendly UI and the ability to open Dropbox files directly from other applications.

Engadget , Dropbox Android preview shows off video thumbnails and Nexus 7 UI, yearns for your approval, Dropbox Android preview shows off video thumbnails and Nexus 7 UI, yearns for your approval

This sci-fi inspired LED watch looks pretty good

Tron is a movie that has no doubt inspired plenty of sci-fi designs and this concept watch design by Alan from the USA is no different. Inspired by Tron: Legacy and 2001: A Space Odyssey, this watch features a square face with an LED face on a silver metal strap. According to its designer, telling the time on this watch is reportedly quick and intuitive, with the outer white circle representing the minutes in 5 minute blocks, while the blue ring in the middle teling the hours. The blocks in the middle represents 1 minute blocks, so minutes will be read via the white ring plus the number of white blocks in the middle.

Ubergizmo , This sci-fi inspired LED watch looks pretty good

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computerworld, This sci-fi inspired LED watch looks pretty good

Win a Nokia Lumia 610 with Virgin Media

To introduce the latest windows phone from Nokia, Virgin has launched an exciting competition on it's Facebook page. You can win a new Nokia Lumia 610 by answering a simple question. The Nokia Lumia 610 phone is great value for money with a multitude of features and fantastic hardware specification equivalent to a much more expensive phone. It looks great, having a clean and robust design giving an impression of sturdiness and solid build with a screen resolution of 480×800 pixels; a speedy 800MHz processor and massive 256MB of RAM. It has a 3.7" capacitive responsive touch screen which is easy to use.

TechFresh , Win a Nokia Lumia 610 with Virgin Media, Win a Nokia Lumia 610 with Virgin Media

LG sells five million LTE smartphones, plans 'second to none' lineup soon and girds for patent battles

While LG's dollars and cents return on its cellphones have been up and down this year, but the company just announced that since starting the LTE trend with the Revolution in May 2011, it's sold five million high-speed data connected handsets and has no plans to slow down. The counter ticked over three milion back in May, four million in June and, according to LG, sales continued at a pace of one phone every two and a half seconds. That includes two million Optimus LTEs, over 500,000 Optimus Vus and about the same number of Optimus LTE IIs in the first 70 days alone.

Engadget , LG sells five million LTE smartphones, plans 'second to none' lineup soon and girds for patent battles, LG sells five million LTE smartphones, plans 'second to none' lineup soon and girds for patent battles

Apple's share of the tablet market nears all-time high

. According to the latest numbers from market research firm iSuppli, Apple's (AAPL) share of the worldwide tablet market has nearly returned to its all-time high from the first quarter of 2011. In the second quarter of 2012, the Cupertino-based company shipped a combined total of 17 million new Retina display-equipped iPads and iPad 2 tablets combined, an increase of 44.1% from 11.8 million in the first quarter and enough to capture 69.6% of the global tablet market.
“This marks a five-quarter high for Apple's media tablet market share,” iSuppli said.

Boy Genius Report , Apple's share of the tablet market nears all-time high, Apple's share of the tablet market nears all-time high

Giada intros i35G mini PC with Intel's Cedar Trail, NVIDIA GT 610 graphics

It's only been a little over a month since Giada first introduced that itty-bitty, Ivy Bridge-loaded i53 mini PC, but the outfit wants to have something for everyone and is now announcing a lesser-specced i35G series. Although not as powerful as its i53 brethren, the i35G's got some nice attributes of its own, including - you guessed it - Intel's Cedar Trail CPU, a hot-off-the-press GeForce GT 610 GPU and 2GB of RAM with the base model (up to 4GB) - not to mention an all-in-one card reader, five USB 2.0 ports plus VGA, HDMI ports.

Engadget , Giada intros i35G mini PC with Intel's Cedar Trail, NVIDIA GT 610 graphics, Giada intros i35G mini PC with Intel's Cedar Trail, NVIDIA GT 610 graphics

Steve Jobs' home burgled, suspect in custody at the moment

It seems that honor among thieves does not include robbing the house of a great American icon, the late Steve Jobs. His home that is located on the 2100 block of Waverley Street in Palo Alto was actually trespassed last month – July 17th, to be exact. It took a fortnight or so for the police to successfully perform an arrest on Kariem McFarlin, the 25-year old male from Alameda, after he stole more than $60,000 worth of “computers and personal items” from Jobs' home. Just last week, McFarlin was arraigned on one count of residential burglary and selling stolen property.

Ubergizmo , Steve Jobs' home burgled, suspect in custody at the moment, Steve Jobs' home burgled, suspect in custody at the moment

Marvell PXA988, PXA986 chips support 3G for China, the world without reinventing the wheel (or phone)

Whenever we see a smartphone optimized for China Mobile's TD-SCDMA 3G, it usually represents one of two things: it's either a China-specific variant of a phone we already know, or it's a local-only model that's unlikely to ever travel abroad. Marvell has just unveiled a new mobile processor platform that could allow for a lot more globetrotting with those basic designs. The PXA988 is limited to China Mobile's technology for data, but its PXA986 doppelganger can fit the same slot to offer regular HSPA+ 3G without forcing phone makers back to the drawing board.

Engadget , Marvell PXA988, PXA986 chips support 3G for China, the world without reinventing the wheel (or phone), Marvell PXA988, PXA986 chips support 3G for China, the world without reinventing the wheel (or phone)

NASA plans Curiosity's path using gaming technology

NASA is busy planning missions for its Curiosity Rover vehicle which is currently on Mars. Because the robot is millions of miles away, it can take anywhere from 3mn to 30mn for a radio signal to go from Earth to Mars – this depends on the position of both planets on their respective orbits. This makes it unpractical to “remote control” the robot like you might do on earth, where things can be controlled in real-time. To save time, NASA has created a technique where they use the robot's sensors to retrieve 3D imaging of the its surrounding.

Ubergizmo , NASA plans Curiosity's path using gaming technology

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cherryapple, NASA plans Curiosity's path using gaming technology

Apple gets patent for in-cell touch display with impeccable timing

So Apple could be working on an iPhone with a thinner display, you say. Look what we have here, possibly in the nick of time: it's a newly granted Apple patent for a screen with in-cell touch, where the LCD and touch recognition are integrated into one panel instead of stacking up in separate layers. Apple's implementation would slim things down by either having electrodes share duties, both driving the display and taking finger input, or stuffing two electrodes into each pixel to accomplish the same goal.

Engadget , Apple gets patent for in-cell touch display with impeccable timing, Apple gets patent for in-cell touch display with impeccable timing

Panasonic Announces New Stylish AVCCAM Camera Recorder AG-AC90

Cost Effective Professional Operability and FunctionalityBRACKNELL, UK, 14 AUGUST 2012 – Panasonic Corporation will release the AG-AC90 memory card camera recorder, a new "AVCCAM" series model, in October 2012.The AG-AC90 new memory card recorder combines the high image quality, advanced functions and easy operation that professionals demand in a stylish, easy-to-handle design. Its zoom lens extends from 29.8 mm (35mm equivalent) wide angle to 12x optical zoom, with a high speed of F1.5 brightness.

Press Release Distribution , Panasonic Announces New Stylish AVCCAM Camera Recorder AG-AC90, Panasonic Announces New Stylish AVCCAM Camera Recorder AG-AC90

Cornell students build spider-like robotic chalkboard eraser out of Lego, magnets, fun (video)

While you were trying to pass Poetry 101, Cornell seniors Le Zhang and Michael Lathrop were creating an apple-polishing Lego robot that automatically erases your prof's chalkboard. A final class project, the toady mech uses an Atmel brain, accelerometers for direction control, microswitches to sense the edge of the board, magnets to stay attached and hot glue to keep the Lego from flying apart. As the video below the break shows, it first aligns itself vertically, then moves to the top of the board, commencing the chalk sweeping and turning 180 degrees each time its bumpers sense the edge.

Engadget , Cornell students build spider-like robotic chalkboard eraser out of Lego, magnets, fun (video), Cornell students build spider-like robotic chalkboard eraser out of Lego, magnets, fun (video)

More iPhone 5 parts leaked from China

Late July and early August have been busy times for the iPhone 5 rumor mill. With the September announcement inching closer and closer, more photos and videos appear, detailing everything there is to know about the upcoming device. By now, we'd say it is pretty safe to assume the new iPhone will be sporting a longer screen, capable of displaying 5 rows of icons on the home screen as opposed to the current 4. Now, another leaked photo is making its rounds from Chinese forum iColorOS.

2DayBlog.com , More iPhone 5 parts leaked from China, More iPhone 5 parts leaked from China

Google financially supports families of deceased Googlers

Google is known for treating its employees well and it seems the company's perks now include taking care of employees' families. Forbes reports that Google recently announced death benefits that would see the family of an employee taken care of in the event of that employee's death. During a discussion on child and healthcare benefits at Google, Chief People Officer Laszlo Bock told Forbes that the company had just last year announced a new perk for staff. If you pass away while employed by Google, your spouse will get 50 percent of your salary for a decade.

2DayBlog.com , Google financially supports families of deceased Googlers

See also:
wwws, Google financially supports families of deceased Googlers

RIM accidentally leaks BlackBerry Bold 9730, leaves a lot to the imagination

You might remember that BlackBerry Curve 9320 as one of RIM's worst kept secrets of all time, and now it appears we could be heading in the same shaky direction with the Canadian company's unannounced Bold 9730. According to N4BB, the Waterloo-based outfit briefly listed the device on its App World Vendor Portal, but unfortunately there's not too much to dig into, as the listing doesn't reveal specs or any other juicy information to give us a better idea of what we can expect from this intrepid handset.

Engadget , RIM accidentally leaks BlackBerry Bold 9730, leaves a lot to the imagination, RIM accidentally leaks BlackBerry Bold 9730, leaves a lot to the imagination

Google+ offers custom URLs for verified accounts, other profiles to come 'over time'

Do you happen to be David Beckham or Toyota. Well, congratulations - you now have a Google+ vanity URL. The rest of us looking for the football star or car manufacturer need only type "google.com/+davidbeckham" or "google.com/+toyota" to reach those respective pages, enabling easy access to that must-see picture in front of a private jet, or a vehicle recall notice. Sadly, you're probably not eligible for a custom shortcut of your own - here's the word from Google:At first, we're introducing custom URLs to a limited number of verified profiles and pages.

Engadget , Google+ offers custom URLs for verified accounts, other profiles to come 'over time', Google+ offers custom URLs for verified accounts, other profiles to come 'over time'

Must See HDTV (August 13th - 19th)

With the Olympics finally concluded, it's back to our regular programming. While that includes a number of premieres this week including such highlights as Oh Sit!, a musical chairs game show (really), Stars Earn Stripes and BBC America's first original series Copper, there's also a long list of anticipated Blu-ray releases like Shaftand this weekend, The Hunger Games. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames. Jaws Just in time for Shark Week, Steven Spielberg's classic Jawsis here on Blu-ray looking and sounding better than ever.







Engadget , Must See HDTV (August 13th - 19th), Must See HDTV (August 13th - 19th)

Kim Dotcom to launch ‘disruptive' new music service later this year

. Megaupload founder and alleged piracy king Kim Dotcom announced on Twitter that his “disruptive” music service Megabox will launch later this year. Megabox will let artists to sell their music directly to consumers while allowing them to keep 90% of their earnings. The service employs what it calls the “Megakey,” which enables artist to make money even from users who download their music for free.

Boy Genius Report , Kim Dotcom to launch ‘disruptive' new music service later this year

See also:
dailygadgets, Kim Dotcom to launch ‘disruptive' new music service later this year

Jaguar F-Type gets worked out at speed

Jaguar wants us all to know that it is hard at work on the new F-Type. Engineers have been busily wringing the convertible out over a test course ahead of its debut at this year's Paris Motor Show. We know that the new convertible will be offered with a pair of supercharged power plants, in both 3.0-liter V6 and 5.0-liter V8 variants. The six-cylinder should be good for up to 375 horsepower, though the video above promises appropriate power to weight and torque to weight ratios.
The company seems focused on serving up a rigid chassis stitched from lightweight components, too. Those are all wins in our book.



Autoblog , Jaguar F-Type gets worked out at speed, Jaguar F-Type gets worked out at speed

Armchair Darwinians discover new insect species on Flickr

Entomologist Shaun Winterton has discovered a new species of Malaysian Lacewing from the comfort of his computer. Idly browsing Flickr, he came across Guek "Kurt" Hock Ping's snap of an insect taken while hiking in the Malaysian jungle, which bore an unfamiliar black-and-blue pattern along its wings. When his colleagues couldn't identify the markings, he realized he was staring at a new species and hurriedly emailed the photographer - who, a year later, had captured one of the elusive creatures. Sent to Simon Brooks at the Natural History Museum, the suspicion was confirmed.

Engadget , Armchair Darwinians discover new insect species on Flickr, Armchair Darwinians discover new insect species on Flickr

Motorola Droid RAZR HD and Droid RAZR MAXX HD could arrive in October

The Motorola Droid RAZR HD will be launched by Verizon in October at the earliest. Alongside this oft-leaked smartphone will sit a Droid RAZR MAXX HD, which will differ only by having a bigger battery (just like the case is with the Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX). This report comes from an alleged ‘very reliable source' via Hot Hardware. So if you're longing for the RAZR HD, or even for the RAZR MAXX HD, you still have to be patient.

Unwired View , Motorola Droid RAZR HD and Droid RAZR MAXX HD could arrive in October, Motorola Droid RAZR HD and Droid RAZR MAXX HD could arrive in October

Watch Jeremy Foley's incredible crash at Pikes Peak

It's easy to forget just how dangerous the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb can be. Those who take to the mountain do so with the knowledge that any wrong turn could send them, their car and their co-driver down a rocky embankment at speed. Jeremy Foley recently found that out first hand at around Mile 16 when his Mitsubishi Evolution 8 stepped off course. The car proceeded to somersault end over end down the side of the mountain, sheering off body panels and spitting parts along the way.



Autoblog , Watch Jeremy Foley's incredible crash at Pikes Peak, Watch Jeremy Foley's incredible crash at Pikes Peak