Alleged drunk driver so intoxicated he didn't realize his car was on fire

"Are you that drunk," the officer asks, "that you did not realize that your car was on fire and you were sitting in a burning car?". With smoke pouring from under the hood of the Pontiac Bonneville, Officer Eric Hornbacher of the Grand Rapids, MI, police force had just helped the driver from his vehicle, incredulous that he was unaware of the potentially life-threatening situation. According to Mlive.com, the police were summoned to the fiery sedan shortly after four in the morning, when neighbors raised the alarm about a vehicle that had been revving its engine for an hour.

Autoblog, Alleged drunk driver so intoxicated he didn't realize his car was on fire

ASUS Transformer Prime 32GB Now Available At Office Depot

The ASUS Transformer Prime is still a hot ticket item even after the holiday season. If you don't feel like paying the inflated $700+ prices on Amazon you could always opt for Office Depot who has the elusive tablet currently in stock. Unfortunately, only the 32GB version is available so those looking to load up their entire HD movie collection on the 64 gig'er will have to go elsewhere. Oh yeah, and if you use coupon code: 856155942 they'll even throw in a free digital camera.

Android Phone, ASUS Transformer Prime 32GB Now Available At Office Depot

Skullcandy Kidrobot Mix Master headphones

When it comes to headphones, you can trust Skullcandy to churn out something delicious – visually, as well as aurally, of course. The latter is more often than not the far more important aspect for you to consider, since external aesthetics please no one but others around you (only if they gave two hoots about it), or if you tend to look into the mirror a whole lot. Skullcandy's latest outing has resulted in the Kidrobot Mix Master over-ear headphones. Coming in an all black design, they will be adorned with a Kidrobot pattern.

Ubergizmo, Skullcandy Kidrobot Mix Master headphones

GM addresses Escalade's most-stolen status with new security features

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so Cadillac is rolling some new anti-theft technology into it's flagship Escalade. While the 'Sclade is pretty long-in-the-tooth these days, it's still one of the most stolen vehicles extant. The new security features include a new encryption system for the key, key cylinder and ignition system, a beefier steering column lock, an inclination sensor to sound an alarm when the vehicle gets towed, a shock sensor, and a new wheel lock system.

Autoblog, GM addresses Escalade's most-stolen status with new security features

Samsung Electronics Releases Series 7 CHRONOS in Korea Early January

Samsung Electronics is set to tap on the premium notebook market in Korea with a high-performance notebook: Series 7 CHRONOS. Series 7 CHRONOS was initially unveiled at IFA 2011 held in Berlin last September, attracting a lot of attention from local media and viewers. It is also highly anticipated in overseas markets such as the US and Europe.






Akihabara News, Samsung Electronics Releases Series 7 CHRONOS in Korea Early January

Apple prototype from 1983 shows phone with touch screen capabilities

It would appear that Apple's interest in touch technology when it comes to phones may have started as far back as 1983. A prototype of such a device was recently uncovered and apparently it dates back to 1983 and was designed by none other than Hartmut Esslinger, who was also the founder of Frogdesign, the same company that went on to help design several of Apple's products back in the day. The phone pictured above looks like that of a landline as opposed to a mobile phone, but it did show that Apple could have been interested in a phone with touch capabilities.

Ubergizmo, Apple prototype from 1983 shows phone with touch screen capabilities

HTC and Samsung LTE Windows Phone arriving by early 2012

One of the key features missing from Windows Phone device spec sheets is 4G LTE connectivity. However, it seems that won't be the case for long. We already knew that Nokia will be launching their LTE enabled Windows Phone device (ACE) early next year but now we're hearing that HTC and Samsung will also be joining Nokia with their own LTE enabled Windows Phones. The HTC phone is codenamed Radiant whereas the Samsung phone is being called Mandel.

GSM Arena, HTC and Samsung LTE Windows Phone arriving by early 2012

Next-gen iPad may feature double the battery capacity of iPad 2

. Apple will launch a new high-end iPad model in early 2012 featuring a battery that includes more than twice the capacity of the current iPad 2 battery. Citing anonymous sources from within Apple's supply chain, DigiTimes recently reported that Apple's upcoming next-generation flagship iPad will feature a new 14,000 mAh battery, as will a new mid-range iPad model. The new power pack will feature more than twice the capacity of the 6,500 mAh battery currently used in Apple's iPad 2.

Boy Genius Report, Next-gen iPad may feature double the battery capacity of iPad 2

Sony Offering 5 Movie Downloads and 90 Days of Music Unlimited to European & Australian Sony Ericsson Xperia Device Owners

If you bought or are planning on buying a Sony Ericsson Xperia device (including the Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman) sometime soon be sure to consider this deal Sony has going on. New Xperia device owners are being offered 5 movie downloads from Video Unlimited and 90 days of Sony’s Music Unlimited service. Those of you who already have one since November 1st are eligible and those who are planning on buying one and taking advantage of this offer have until the January 31st, 2012 to do so. Not a bad deal at all. This one only applies to France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the UK and Australia.

Android Phone, Sony Offering 5 Movie Downloads and 90 Days of Music Unlimited to European & Australian Sony Ericsson Xperia Device Owners

Skunk Juice launching new Bluetooth headphones at CES 2012

Good news, if you were impressed by Skunk Juice's offerings earlier this year at CES 2011, you will be pleased to hear that the company plans to offer and showcase their new Bluetooth headphones at CES 2012 which will follow in their previous designs that feature magnetic attachments. For those unfamiliar, Skunk Juice's offerings in the past have been a pair of earbuds, which does seem somewhat normal, but what makes it unique is how the cable from the earbuds to the audio jack is connected via a pair of magnets.

Ubergizmo, Skunk Juice launching new Bluetooth headphones at CES 2012

Samsung Ships 1 Million Galaxy Notes Globally – Promises US Release Coming Soon

With all the complaints I've seen in our comments sections about devices being too large, who knew there would be such a huge market for tabletphones/phoneblets like Samsung's Galaxy Note. The Korean phone maker announced today that they have shipped over 1 million units globally of the device since its October launch (not to be confused with actual sales) to countries in Europe and Asia but the device is still nowhere to be found here in the US where we tend to like our phones the same way we like our cars and women — BIG. Samsung did confirm that a US launch is coming soon but didn't give any specifics on a carrier or launch date.

Android Phone, Samsung Ships 1 Million Galaxy Notes Globally â€" Promises US Release Coming Soon

Apple's Siri-powered HDTV could offer customized channel subscriptions

. Apple's much rumored Siri-powered HDTV may offer a feature many TV viewers have been wanting for quite some time: customized channel lineups. According to Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu, Apple has its heart set on offering its customers customized programming. That means, for example, a user might be able to choose to pay for the ESPN and Comedy Central, but omit MTV and CNN. However, that may make licensing a lot messier. “This is obviously much more complicated from a licensing standpoint,” Wu said in a note to investors Wednesday.

Boy Genius Report, Apple's Siri-powered HDTV could offer customized channel subscriptions

More of Buick Encore revealed on Facebook

The 2013 Buick Encore is set to appear for the first time at the 2012 North American International Auto Show, but the Tri-Shield is giving us a sneak-peek via its Facebook page.

Autoblog, More of Buick Encore revealed on Facebook

Kraft vending machine teases children with adult-only pudding dispenser (video)

We've seen odd and law-swerving vending machines before, but none as meanspirited as Kraft's collaboration with Intel that only gives pudding samples to adults. The unimaginatively titled iSample denies the youthful its sweet nectar by taking a facial scan and determining dessert deservedness based on biometric data, like how far apart your facial features are. Part experiment, part publicity stunt, Intel is trying out technologies that could recommend products based on age.

Engadget, Kraft vending machine teases children with adult-only pudding dispenser (video)

Kinect sensor wants to guess astronauts' weight, tell them to hit the space gym

How do you weigh yourself when there's no gravity keeping you down. Well, you can calculate your mass by sitting on an oscillating spring and comparing its standing frequency to your riding frequency (NASA's current method), or you could rig up a Kinect sensor to tell you when you're getting fat. Carmelo Velardo, a Eurocom computer scientist in Alphes-Maritimes, France, is developing the latter option.

Engadget, Kinect sensor wants to guess astronauts' weight, tell them to hit the space gym

Mercedes shows off SL's new curves with supermodel Lara Stone

Mercedes-Benz sent Calvin Klein model Lara Stone out with a 2013 SL, and put photographer Alex Prager in charge of documenting the platform-heeled, Arcadian shenanigans. The project is called the 2012 Fashion Collaboration, Icons of Style, and will be shown in its entirety at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, February 9-15, 2012. Meant to be a modern take on film noir and, apparently, Storm Catchers, Stone uses the SL to outrun a tornado.



Autoblog, Mercedes shows off SL's new curves with supermodel Lara Stone

Hacker builds allegedly pointless data network out of Lego train set

How can we appreciate bullet-quick SSDs and fiber networks without pausing - at the year's end - to appreciate where it all came from. We should think back to before the birth of modern computing, even before the telegraph, to a time when bits of data were forced to travel everywhere by train. A hacker named Maximilien has now recreated that locomotive golden era using Lego, Arduino and Linux, and what his system lacks in bandwidth it more than makes up for in historical relevance.

Engadget, Hacker builds allegedly pointless data network out of Lego train set

GM schedules 21-week idle of three truck plants

Four of General Motors' full-size truck plants, three of them in the U.S., will go intermittently silent for a total of 21 weeks in order to retool for 2013 model year production. The Fort Wayne, Indiana and Flint, Michigan plants have both been in the news lately as recipients of multi-million dollar investments for just this purpose. Fort Wayne will shut down for nine weeks over the course of 10 months, from January to October of 2012, while Flint will stop production for seven weeks from June to November, and the Arlington, Texas facility will be quiet from June to December for five weeks.

Autoblog, GM schedules 21-week idle of three truck plants

Acer will continue to make tablets, despite rumors to the contrary

Acer founder Stan Shih has recently responded to rumors which had it that the company would exit the tablet market. According to Shih, this will not happen, despite the fact that Acer's tablets have "not performed well" (sales-wise). The Taiwanese company will also keep on launching smartphones alongside tablets, but while making “optimal adjustments to decrease the number of product models for selective and strategic input of operational resources.".
Acer's latest tablet is the 10 inch Iconia Tab A200, which will run Android Ice Cream Sandwich starting next year. Acer presented the A200 as an affordable tablet.

Unwired View, Acer will continue to make tablets, despite rumors to the contrary

Nissan rolls out Platinum edition X-Trail in the UK

Nissan makes a whole mess of different crossovers, and not just the ones we get here in North America. Overseas, the Japanese automaker has even more, like the Qashqai, the Koleos (sold by sister-company Renault) and the vehicle you see here, the X-Trail. Not to be confused with the Xterra, the X-Trail is a small but rugged-looking little ute built atop the same platform that underpins the Rogue and the Sentra.

Autoblog, Nissan rolls out Platinum edition X-Trail in the UK

Nissan initiates multi-vehicle recall over faulty bolts

Nissan is recalling just over 14,700 vehicles from the 2011 and 2012 model years over faulty bolts in the engine. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "bolts that connect the engine oil cooler and the engine oil filter to the engine in these vehicles may have been manufactured to above specification strength.". Affected Nissan vehicles include the 2011-12 Pathfinder, 2011-12 Xterra, 2012 NV and 2012 Frontier. Additionally, the 2011 Infiniti FX and 2012 Infiniti M are being recalled for this issue.

The NHTSA report states that if there is an engine oil leak, pressure would drop and the engine could possibly seize.

Autoblog, Nissan initiates multi-vehicle recall over faulty bolts

Yelp comes to BMW ConnectedDrive

In-car point-of-interest and Google searches are all well and good, but it's hard to decipher what restaurants, bars and other local businesses are worth your hard-earned bucks while you're on the go. Yelp for BMW ConnectedDrive solves that problem. Whatever your view of Yelp is (and there are many), the crowd-sourced business rating site is still the go-to source for many looking for up-to-date, relevant rankings of what's nearby.

Autoblog, Yelp comes to BMW ConnectedDrive

Facebook now scours your account to suggest real-life events

Facebook has just launched a new feature: Suggested Events. It scrabbles through your account history to find events you might like to attend in real life. But is that a great idea, or will it generate a bunch of irritating spam. According to TechCrunch , the tool uses information from your Facebook check-in history, brand page activity, and the RSVPs of your online friends to compile a list of events.

2DayBlog.com, Facebook now scours your account to suggest real-life events

Asus expects to ship 3-6 million tablets next year, including Windows 8 Transformer models

. Asus CEO Jonney Shih said he expects his company to ship between 3 million and 6 million tablets next year, a big leap from the 1.8 million Asus tablets that are expected to ship in 2011. Shih believes his company's popular Transformer Prime tablet is especially attractive to consumers because, unlike the iPad, it offers a hardware keyboard. A number of Transformer Prime units are plagued with a Wi-Fi signal issue, Taiwan Economic News said, but Asus is offering an exchange program for customers who have faulty units.

Boy Genius Report, Asus expects to ship 3-6 million tablets next year, including Windows 8 Transformer models

Is this the Nokia Lumia 900 first official picture?

When we first saw this picture of a Nokia WP-running smartphone a few hours ago we thought it was depicting some new color version of the Nokia Lumia 800. A closer inspection and a few helpful tips later and we know that we are looking at a completely different device. It appears that the photo is the first official image of the upcoming Nokia Lumia 900, which is to become the next Nokia WP flagship.


GSM Arena, Is this the Nokia Lumia 900 first official picture?

Snag a copy of “Best of the Web, Delivered: The Reddit Manual”

“Best of the Web, Delivered: The Reddit Manual” [affiliate link] is a guide for readers who want to get the scoop on all coolest stuff on the internet before your friends do. This guide will help you learn to navigate Reddit, one of the most popular social news sites on the web.

The Gadgeteer, Snag a copy of “Best of the Web, Delivered: The Reddit Manual”

Happy Holidroid Contest: Video Challenge – Show Us Your Best Remixed Christmas Song!

If you’re unsure what this whole “Holidroid Contest” thing is all about, be prepared to get excited. From November 24th through December 25th, Phandroid is giving away a Kindle Fire every single day along with other great prizes like the Galaxy Nexus Galaxy Tabs, JAMBOX, SmarTouch Gloves, Android Phones, Android T-Shirts, Seidio Vouchers and more. Read our announcement post for details. Yesterday’s Winner.









Android Phone, Happy Holidroid Contest: Video Challenge â€" Show Us Your Best Remixed Christmas Song!

Targus Dual Video USB 3.0 docking station

Mention Targus, and what comes across your mind. A notebook backpack that has plenty of strategically placed pockets for you to stash away all your gadgets and gizmos in a safe place, while ensuring your notebook remains free from scratches and knocks. Well, Targus also makes different kinds of computer accessories, and today we shall take a closer look at the Targus Dual Video USB 3.0 docking station. Boasting a wedge shape, you will be able to place your notebook on top of it in order to get a better viewing angle of the display, and hence, a more comfortable portable computing experience.

Ubergizmo, Targus Dual Video USB 3.0 docking station

Samsung Galaxy S i9000 and Galaxy Tab P1000 won't get Android Ice Cream Sandwich because of hardware limitations

Owners of the original Samsung Galaxy S (i9000) and the original Samsung Galaxy Tab (P1000) who are wondering why their devices haven't been included in the list of Galaxy products that will be updated to Android 4.0 ICS now have an answer. According to Samsung (translation from Korean), the limited amount of RAM (512MB) and the UI customization (TouchWiz, Samsung Widgets) on the Galaxy S i9000 and Galaxy Tab P1000 don't provide a "satisfactory environment" for Ice Cream Sandwich.

Unwired View, Samsung Galaxy S i9000 and Galaxy Tab P1000 won't get Android Ice Cream Sandwich because of hardware limitations

Tough Optrix Case Turns iPhone Into Sports Camera

The rugged Optrix case lets you use your iPhone camera whilst surfing, skydiving, or any other foolish activity. Sports action cameras are pretty neat: they're tough, and they let you shoot video you'd never capture with a regular camera–poolside parties, skydiving and even as a “security” camera to catch bad drivers when you're out on your bike. But as we all have cellphones with great video cameras already, who wants to buy another one.
Enter the Optrix, a rugged camera case for your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Gadget Lab, Tough Optrix Case Turns iPhone Into Sports Camera

Mozilla yay be aiming for a Firefox games platform

About three months ago, there was an article about Google's idea how to turn its Chrome browser into a gaming platform. That strategy has not changed and it is clear that Google will be steamrolling its weight into this market to compete with Microsoft for cloud app market share. What has changed however, that Mozilla is now quite apparently also thinking about its chances in this segment and if gaming is a fitting app environment for Firefox. Mozilla quietly launched the developer preview of its Apps project, which outlines some guidelines how developers can create apps to run in Firefox.

2DayBlog.com, Mozilla yay be aiming for a Firefox games platform

Ainol Novo7 Paladin tablet retails for $120

A couple of weeks ago we reported about the MIPS tablet that would retail for $99 and carried a shipping cost of $66, now it looks like we won't have to pay that much anymore. According to the listings on PandaWill and Merimobiles, the Ainol Novo7 Paladin tablet can be yours for just $119.99 - inclusive of free shipping. Now we're not sure if it's just for the holiday season or it's going to be permanent, but what we do know is that it's a lot cheaper than many other tablets available on the market right now, and it's going to be running the latest version of Android: Ice Cream Sandwich.

Ubergizmo

See also:
tehnologies2day, Ainol Novo7 Paladin tablet retails for $120

How Smartphones Are Changing Photography: The Numbers Are In

A photo of the Golden Gate Bridge taken on an iPhone 4. Photo: David Gardner. Although global smartphone adoption is still just below 30 percent, smartphone photography is growing in popularity, disrupting traditional camera use in the process.
NPD made this trend clear in its Imaging Confluence Study, which found that smartphones accounted for 27 percent of photos shot this year — last year, the number was 17 percent. Accordingly, photos shot with dedicated cameras dropped from 52 to 44 percent.

Smartphone camera usage is way up in casual applications.



Gadget Lab, How Smartphones Are Changing Photography: The Numbers Are In

LG Spectrum and HTC Fireball to be First LTE World Phones for Verizon?

We still don’t know a whole lot about these two devices but some new information about the LG Spectrum and the HTC Fireball have surfaced courtesy of Droid-Life. According to some leaks they received these phones are slated to be the first LTE world phones for Verizon. This news certainly should excite some of you who have been looking to step up to 4G but didn’t want to risk being in the dark when traveling abroad.
The only problem we have with both of these devices is the fact that they haven’t gotten as little as rumored release windows yet. Hell, we don’t even have a blurrycam photo.

Android Phone

See also:
gadgetsngadgets, LG Spectrum and HTC Fireball to be First LTE World Phones for Verizon?

PlayStation Vita's North American launch details: 25 games, $10 to $50 apiece

Already pondering that long-awaited trip to Japan in order to snag a PlayStation Vita in advance. Hold your horses, vaquero. Sony has just given anxious US and Canadian gamers reason to look forward to a launch of their own by laying out the official software plan for 2012. We're told that February 22nd will be the day to remember, with a total of 25 titles being available alongside the console.

Engadget, PlayStation Vita's North American launch details: 25 games, $10 to $50 apiece

Infographic: Ford 6.8L V10 to tow world's largest float

The Rose Bowl – The Grandaddy Of Them All, as they say – is one of the most storied bowl games in college football, and the pre-game parade is a big part of the pageantry of the event. Last year, Natural Balance broke the record for the world's largest float with an 84,300-pound rolling display, but the pet food company seems thirsty for more world-record glory. For 2012, Natural Balance is building a 100,000-pound monstrosity that is 116 feet long and contains a 65-foot wave pool built specifically for one Tillman the Dog.


Autoblog, Infographic: Ford 6.8L V10 to tow world's largest float