Diesel and Pinarello Team Up to Make World?s Ugliest Hipster-Bike

If you live in a relatively flat city, a single-speed bike is a fantastic idea. But if you live in any modern city, dropping $1,200 on aluminum-framed fashion-bike probably isn’t so smart.
The bike is a “collabo” between the clothing company Diesel and the bicycle company Pinarello. Somewhat ironically, given its lightweight steal-ability, it is called [...]

MICROSOFT MICROSEMI MICROS SYSTEMS

Startup America: A Campaign To Celebrate, Inspire And Accelerate Entrepreneurship

Note from the editor: This is a guest post from Aneesh Chopra, United States Chief Technology Officer. During last week?s State of the Union address, President Obama challenged the Nation to out-educate, out-innovate, and out-build our competition to win the future. A critical ingredient in this endeavor is the creative spirit of the American entrepreneur that featured prominently in the President?s Strategy for American Innovation - a framework for long-term economic growth and sustainable job creation. Today, President Obama celebrated the launch of Startup America, a national (public/private) campaign to celebrate, inspire, and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship across all corners of the country, and the formation of the Startup America Partnership to catalyze private support for entrepreneurial ecosystems.

NIKON NINTENDO NOKIA

Berzerk Ball is a nerd-flinging Time Waster

What you see in the screenshot above is a geek hurtling through the edge of space, so fast and so high that it looks as though he's re-entering the atmosphere on his way back to earth. That shot, by the way, ended up being around the 30,000' mark.

And yes, that's what you do on Berzerk Ball. The protagonist is a very pretty lady with a very large bat, and her job is to fling geeks as high and far into space as humanly possible.

And when I say "geeks" I mean "a geek", really, because it appears to be the same one over and over again - once he lands, he just starts walking back, muttering inane comments culled from actual blogs along the way.

Basic controls are elementary: You just click the mouse twice - once for controlling the angle, and again for controlling the power of the shot. Once the geek is airborne, you can exert a bit of influence over his trajectory using the left and right arrow keys. That may come in handy, because there are power-ups you can collect along the way, and robots you can land on (who then toss you ever farther on your merry way).

As you get better you can level up and buy different bats and power-ups to fling your geek ever farther. I'm not sure how long this game can stay interesting, but it might keep you amused during a phone call with a particularly irritating nerd.

Berzerk Ball is a nerd-flinging Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

MANHATTAN ASSOCIATES LSI LINEAR TECHNOLOGY

Switched On: A suite segment for PlayStation games

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

One thing that has set Sony apart from its home console rivals has been the extended lifecycles of its hardware. Riding the momentum of a massive install base, both the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 each kept selling strong nearly a decade after their debut, and years after their respective successors were introduced. In fact, as late as 2009, Audiovox began offering a PS2 integrated into an aftermarket ovehead car video system with a 10" screen. Sony could pursue this strategy in home consoles because the PS2 was the runaway unit volume leader of its generation. Not so with the PSP.

When Sony introduced the PlayStation Portable, it entered a portable console market with fierce, entrenched competition from the incumbent Nintendo, and the powerful widescreen handheld was outsold by the Nintendo DS and its later derivatives. Sony couldn't attain the market share it needed to steamroll existing competition.

With Sony's announcements this week, however, the PlayStation purveyors seem to have found a way to take their one-two punch on the road with a strategy that takes the PSP and segments its evolution.

Continue reading Switched On: A suite segment for PlayStation games

Switched On: A suite segment for PlayStation games originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 23:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

RACKABLE SYSTEMS QUEST SOFTWARE QUANTUM

PSA: Change your old Amazon.com password for better security

Amazon's allegedly got an security flaw where hackers can find your password much easier than they would otherwise, and there's already a fix in place. But get this -- you'll probably need to change your password for the fix to take effect, if you haven't already done so in the last couple of years. According to Reddit users, the Amazon.com login system will actually accept any phrase so long as it begins with your password, such as "password123" when the magic word is simply "password" by itself. That apparently makes it that much easier for a computer to guess your password via brute force methods, no matter how counter-intuitive that seems, so if you simply change it immediately -- and to something other than "password," please -- you'll have much sounder dreams.

PSA: Change your old Amazon.com password for better security originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 15:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Consumerist, Wired  |  Reddit  | Email this | Comments

COMMUNICATIONS HOLDINGS COMPAL ELECTRONICS COSMOTE MOBILE TELECOM

How to change Android keyboards or input methods

This week's tips series is all about Android, highlighting some the operating system's built-in utilities, and better ways of getting stuff done. For other technology tips, check our Tips index.

When I first started using my Android devices, one of the most frustrating things I had to figure out was how to switch keyboards, or input methods. I don't just mean input languages, but switch to a completely different keyboard, such as Swype.

Well, it turns out it's a two-step process:

1) First you have to enable the keyboard (or "input method"). You do this by going to Settings > Language & keyboard and checking the box next to the keyboard's name. Android will make sure you know what you're doing, and once you confirm, it will enable the keyboard.

2) Next, go to any text field (for instance, start composing a new text message or email) and long-press the text-field. You will get a pop-up with all sorts of actions, one of which would say Input method. Press that, and you'll get the long list you can see in the screenshot. From here it's just a matter of tapping the name of the keyboard you want, and then merrily typing along.

How to change Android keyboards or input methods originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS LAWSON SOFTWARE

Next PS3 update rumored to add 'Online Saving' for PlayStation Plus users

Say it with us, finally a PS3 firmware update that actually does something useful! We've grown so accustomed to Sony refreshing the software on its console just to spite jailbreakers that we almost started to believe that's all the word "update" entailed. But, here comes Kotaku with word that v3.6 of the PS3's firmware will come with a neat little addition: saving games to the cloud. This seems a very logical step toward delivering Sony's overall goal of giving users a holistic, integrated experience. Indeed, during the NGP presentation, guest speaker Hideo Kojima specifically referred to saving your PS3 game on the console and resuming it on the Next Generation Portable. "Online Saving," as Sony's reputed to be calling it, would be the conduit through which that can be realized, though it doesn't appear like it'll come for free. Kotaku's sources indicate it'll be part of the PlayStation Plus subscription, at least initially. Still, we like cloud storage, and if it means never having to see another hard drive again, we're all for it.

Next PS3 update rumored to add 'Online Saving' for PlayStation Plus users originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 13:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Kotaku  | Email this | Comments

CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR ACCENTURE ACER

Facebook Once Again Hangs Up on Phone Rumors

Facebook is not -- repeat NOT -- developing a mobile phone, a company representative told TechNewsWorld Wednesday, trying to waylay the latest rumor that the social media giant might be looking to add a new identity -- "Phonebook," perhaps? -- to its mega-popular worldwide brand. The latest gossip -- that HTC will launch two such phones at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona -- was reported by City A.M. Wednesday.

DST SYSTEMS DISCOVER FINANCIAL SERVICES DIODES INORATED

Chrysler shows off Ram plug-in hybrid electric truck, won't sell it to you

There's already a few hybrid trucks on the market (most notably from GM), but true plug-in hybrid electric trucks are another matter altogether. Chrysler now looks set to change that, however -- at least in a small way -- with its new Ram plug-in hybrid that's set to roll out to fleet operators this summer. It was just unveiled at the Washington D.C. Auto Show, and it pairs a 12 kWh battery pack from Canadian battery-maker Electrovaya with Chrysler's own 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine, which Electrovaya says will allow for up to 20 miles of driving on electricity only. Unfortunately, there's no word on any plans to actually make the truck available to individual consumers, but Chrysler does seem to at least be optimistic about hybrid trucks in general, with a company spokesman noting that half-ton pickups are naturally much better at carrying a battery pack than a car, and that trucks work better as hybrid vehicle platforms.

Continue reading Chrysler shows off Ram plug-in hybrid electric truck, won't sell it to you

Chrysler shows off Ram plug-in hybrid electric truck, won't sell it to you originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 10:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Edmunds  | Email this | Comments

KONINKLIJKE KPN LAM RESEARCH LIBERTY GLOBAL

CrunchGear Week in Review: Hop To It Edition

A Brief Explanation Of Why Minecraft Matters Watch This Amazing GE Video Kind Of Explain Regenerative Train Braking For His Blog: Man Has Been Taking Pictures Of Same Vending Machine For 5 Years Hands On With the Verizon iPhone Edible Concept: Tetris Sugar Cubes

ELPIDA MEMORY EMC FIDELITY NATIONAL INFORMATION SVCS

Kaspersky Pure simplifies, centralizes home virus protection and backups

Keeping the computers on your home network can be a messy business, but Kaspersky has a solution which can make things a bit easier to manage. Their re-tooled Pure Total Security suite offers full-spectrum network protection from malware defense to backups to parental controls.

Pure packs a ton of functionality, including malware protection, firewall, spam and phishing protection, backup and restore functions, parental controls, a password manager and secure data vault, and a file shredder. However, Pure's most interesting new feature is that it lets you manage all your Kaspersky-protected systems from one location. You can adjust settings, run scans or backups, and monitor parental control activity on any system from the dashboard on your main PC.

Pure Total Security will cost you $89.95 to cover three systems for one year -- protection for five systems is $149.95. It's not a bad deal for an easy to manage, all-in-one solution.

Kaspersky Pure simplifies, centralizes home virus protection and backups originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS LAWSON SOFTWARE LAND SOFTWARE

Roll a Powerful Media HTPC for Less Than $500 [How To]

The web is rich with streaming video, and there's no reason you should limit yourself to enjoying it all on smaller screens. Here's how to roll your own home theater PC and consolidate your media center components to one small, sleek box. More »

FORMFACTOR FISERV FIRST SOLAR

HP's webOS Products Will Be Here Sooner Than We Thought [WebOS]

In a recent BBC interview, HP CEO Leo Apotheker said that we won't have long to wait after the company's big Feb. 9th webOS announcement before we can actually buy the products. The HP-branded devices are expected "within weeks" of the event. And if those tablets are as awesome as they look, well, the sooner the better, Leo. [BBC via Engadget] More »

TELETECH HOLDINGS TECHNITROL TAKETWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE

USC Smart Fences use spatio-temporal sensor patterns to create a DRADIS for airports

How do you send an automated alert to a security guard whenever anyone tries to climb a fence, but ignore anyone simply leaning on said chain link? How can a sensor pick up the presence of a Jeep but ignore a steady flow of gigantic airliners? Damned if we know, we're just bloggers, but a team at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering figured it out, creating what's called the Smart Fence. It's a series of sensors plus some associated circuitry that easily handle the situations described above and do so with amazing accuracy. How amazing? Here are the results of one test:

A perfect (100%) identification of unexpected intrusion events, and an average of less than two false positives per week and zero false negatives for recognition of human footsteps. In addition, no false positives or false negatives were reported by the installed fence sensors for a duration of 45 days of unattended operation, which included several days of seasonal storms.

Yeah, pretty good. The system is being developed for use around airports and military bases and is currently being funded largely by Navy grants. Now, if only they could create a system to prevent "laser events" and airport blizzards we might be able to travel safely again.

USC Smart Fences use spatio-temporal sensor patterns to create a DRADIS for airports originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PhysOrg  |  USC Viterbi School of Engineering  | Email this | Comments

NIKON NINTENDO NOKIA

Sony Ericsson LiveView update is here, promises improved connections and Bluetooth compatibility

Good news, fellow Bluetooth watch fanatics! Just as promised, Sony Ericsson's finally doled out a major update to cure the LiveView once and for all. With this patch, users should now be seeing much better stability and compatibility with non-SE phones, as well as being able to install up to 30 plug-ins. We had a quick go on our refreshed LiveWatch and noticed that it now auto reconnects much better as well, and hopefully the same applies to everyone else. To get the update, simply use the SE Update Service for Windows (sorry, no Mac support) and follow the instructions -- download link available below if you're new to this.

Sony Ericsson LiveView update is here, promises improved connections and Bluetooth compatibility originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 09:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Sony Ericsson Product Blog  |  Sony Ericsson  | Email this | Comments

IDT IBASIS HYPERCOM

Entire uncensored Playboy library, old and new, coming to iPad

Porn lord Hugh Hefner has just announced, via Twitter, that the recently-digitized entire Playboy catalog will be coming to the iPad. Interestingly, though, he also says that new Playboy content will be coming to the iPad, which suggests it will utilize iOS's upcoming subscription support.

If all that wasn't cool enough, and further confusing Apple's stance on adult content, Hugh also confirmed that his entire opus of porn will be uncensored. Historically, Apple has been incredibly tight when it comes to nudity and sexuality -- but, rather incongruously, the Playboy and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit apps have always remained unscathed. Neither of those apps have full frontal nudity, though, so an uncensored Playboy for iPad app could be a sign that Apple's puritanical policing is being relaxed.

Entire uncensored Playboy library, old and new, coming to iPad originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 06:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

NIKON NINTENDO NOKIA

Facebook Puts HTTPS Security Guard on Full-Time Duty

Facebook announced new measures Wednesday aimed at improving users' security when visiting the site. The news came with an intriguing twist: Mere hours prior to the announcement, it was revealed that the Facebook fan page of the company's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, was compromised by a hacker.

KINGSTON TECHNOLOGY COMPANY KEY JDS UNIPHASE

Terraforming Maui: The Hawaiian Sugar Industry's Technological Revolution [Book Excerpt]

Claus Spreckels, successful sugar refiner and capitalist, had already revolutionized the process of cubing sugar when he set about reorganizing Maui's dry plains into lush tracts of cane. This is how he modernized Hawaiian sugar production and monopolized its distribution. More »

ADOBE SYSTEMS ADVANCED SEMICONDUCTOR ENGINEERING ALLIANCE DATA SYSTEMS