Toyota to ramp up Canadian production of RAV4

Sales of the RAV4 are down five percent so far in 2012, but that won't stop Toyota from increasing North American production. Automotive News reports that Toyota will spend $80 million to retool its Woodstock, Ontario plant to increase production from 150,000 crossovers per year to 200,000. The increased production will also lead to the hiring of an additional 400 workers at the plant. Some speculate that Toyota is ramping up North American production to combat the high Japanese yen. Only 13 percent of the RAV4s sold in North America in 2012 have been Japanese imports.

Autoblog, Toyota to ramp up Canadian production of RAV4

Media Center to live in a separate version of Windows 8?

To the surprise of many, but not all, the same great Windows Media Center from Windows 7 was part of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview. What this means for the final version of Windows 8 is still far from known, however, Winunleaked offers up a new clue with the Pro Pack edition labeled as ProfessionalWMC. It's hard to know however, if this is just a different SKU for the Professional version of Windows 8 or a glimpse of something that will impact multiple version of the new operating system.

2DayBlog.com, Media Center to live in a separate version of Windows 8?

Nielsen: Smartphones account for nearly 50 percent of US mobile phones as of February

Nielsen Mobile Insights' latest statistics are in — and would you look at that. It's the rise of smartphone owners crossing paths with the decline of those still clinging to their feature-focused devices. According to its latest Smartphone Penetration report, through February 2012, 49.7 percent of US mobile phone owners now sport the “smarter” types (up from only 36 percent a year ago). On an unsurprising note, Nielsen also found that two-thirds of mobile phone buyers in the last three months purchased smartphones over dumbphones.


2DayBlog.com, Nielsen: Smartphones account for nearly 50 percent of US mobile phones as of February

Gmail app for iOS now lets you e-mail from alternate addresses

It looks like Google has rolled out a subtle, yet significant change to its Gmail app for iOS, with a new feature that allows users to send emails from alternate addresses. It's a feature that's long existed on the web version, and now, it's available on that notorious app for iPad and iPhone, too.

2DayBlog.com, Gmail app for iOS now lets you e-mail from alternate addresses

T-Mobile Pushing Marketing Messages to Notification Bars on Android Devices

T-Mobile's newest marketing ploy is to send advertisements of new features and contests masked as notifications to Android devices in their system. T-Mobile sent this little tweak with the latest "My Account App" update that T-Mobile Android devices received recently and the problem is in plain view as you can see from the image above. Supporters have taken to forums to vent their anger that T-Mobile did not even offer a way to 'opt out' of the carrier making itself even more popular on users very own notification bars.

Ubergizmo, T-Mobile Pushing Marketing Messages to Notification Bars on Android Devices

Selling used Android phones poses huge identity theft risk, expert says

. Android users who are looking to sell their old devices should be wary of the possible consequences. McAfee identity theft researcher Robert Siciliano warned that personal data from Android devices is not completely removed after a user activates the built-in wipe option, The Los Angeles Times reported on Friday. “What's really scary is even if you follow protocol, the data is still there,” Siciliano said. If you have a BlackBerry or Apple device, Siciliano said your data can be fully deleted by following the manufacturer's directions.

Boy Genius Report, Selling used Android phones poses huge identity theft risk, expert says

Hackers reportedly able to retrieve credit card information from refurbished Xboxes

Maybe you've decided to give up on gaming, or maybe you're strapped for cash, whichever the case, you've decided to sell off your Xbox 360. Bad idea. At least that's what researchers at Drexel University have suggested when they discovered that a hacker or modder with a set of common tools will have no problems digging into your Xbox 360's hard drive and retrieving your credit card number along with other personal information. This was revealed in a phone interview conducted by Kotaku with researcher Ashley Podhradsky.

Ubergizmo

See also:
wgitn, Hackers reportedly able to retrieve credit card information from refurbished Xboxes

Windows Phone 7 root tool hits the deck

For those of you who own a Windows Phone 7 powered device and want to do more than just the usual with it, then getting under the Windows Phone 7 “skin” would be the next step to take, tinkering with the software according to your own ability. There seems to be a new root tool version that will feature a full blown registry editor, file system browser and certificate injection capabilities that hopefully, will be able to (in the words of the folks behind the root tool) 're-energize the homebrew community'.

Ubergizmo

See also:
hitech, Windows Phone 7 root tool hits the deck

Foxconn to improve working conditions in response to labor investigations

It's no surprise that Foxconn, the Chinese manufacturing plant infamously known for its harsh working conditions, recently came under fire when it was inspected by the Fair Labor Association (FLA). The FLA discovered that Foxconn violated at least 43 Chinese laws and regulations and various industry codes of conduct by having its employees work over 60 hours a week and sometimes more than 11 days in a row. The results of the FLA inspection were based on a survey of over 35,000 Foxconn employees - with 43% of them having witnessed or experienced accidents, and almost 66% saying their compensation didn't meet their basic needs.

Ubergizmo, Foxconn to improve working conditions in response to labor investigations

Gear Head WC750BLU 1.3MP Webcam

Stay in touch with your friends and family with this affordable webcam ‘WC750BLU' from Gear Head. Priced at just $9.99, this USB webcam features a 1.3MP CMOS sensor, an integrated snapshot button for taking still photos, a built-in microphone and can capture 640 x 480 video at 30fps.

TechFresh, Gear Head WC750BLU 1.3MP Webcam

Monster Tajima to tackle Pikes Peak in an all-electric prototype

This year, Pikes Peak will, once again, be crawling with electric vehicles. Mitsubishi will be there with its i-MiEV-based racer, and the Pikes Peak EV Challenge Committee has just announced it will bring a new all-electric car to scale the 14,110-foot peak in Colorado this July. The prototype vehicle will be developed by Team APEV, where APEV stands for the Association for the Promotion of Electric Vehicles, and will be driven by the legendary Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima.

Autoblog, Monster Tajima to tackle Pikes Peak in an all-electric prototype

Sony Releases Ice Cream Sandwich Beta for Xperia PLAY

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play owners are in for a real treat today. While we’ve known of the device’s leaked Ice Cream Sandwich update for quite some time, nothing could be better than an official beta straight from the horse’s mouth (unless, of course, you’re a rooted user and the build can’t be rooted). Sony has released a beta of Android 4.0 for anyone who owns the device to try it out and submit feedback. Specifically, they want to know how the gaming experience is. Do the controls work? Did you experience any lagging? Stuff like that.

Android Phone, Sony Releases Ice Cream Sandwich Beta for Xperia PLAY

RIM CEO Thorsten Heins reportedly 'clearing house,' laying off numerous executives

With BlackBerry World only weeks away and RIM's earnings report merely hours away, it looks as if newly-appointed CEO Thorsten Heins will be leading it with quite the bang. While Heins has done a truly exceptional job of laying low (really low) during his first few months in the corner office, he's evidently been hard at work rearranging chairs. mentally, at least. According to The Globe and Mail's Iain Marlow, a trusted source has informed him that the BlackBerry maker's head honcho has begun "clearing house," with senior vice presidents and VP-level executives being informed of the imminent changes today.

Engadget, RIM CEO Thorsten Heins reportedly 'clearing house,' laying off numerous executives

LG Set to Mass-Produce Plastic E-Paper Display

LG Display happily announced that it is set to massively produce the world's first plastic e-paper display, which the company hopes it would “revolutionize the e-book market.”. The six-inch flexible display has a resolution of 1024 x 768 and bendable at up to 40 degrees. It measures at 0.7 millimeters in thickness, one-third thinner than glass displays of similar size, and tips the scales at just 14 grams–that is about half the weight of the glassy counterpart.

Gadget.com, LG Set to Mass-Produce Plastic E-Paper Display

Amazon offers up refurbed Kindle Fires on sale, cuts price to $139

That's pretty darn cheap. On today's Gold Box deal, Amazon has chopped an extra 30 bucks from its refurbished Kindle Fire stock The retailer promises that all the tablets are certified to "look and work like new." At the time of writing, tablet hunters had an extra 18 hours to stake their claim, but the sale will stop once it's sold its stock.

Engadget, Amazon offers up refurbed Kindle Fires on sale, cuts price to $139

ASUS Italy details “awesome new features” in upcoming Transformer Prime update

Just yesterday we reported that ASUS teased us with supposedly "awesome features" that we can expect in the next Transformer Prime update. Unfortunately they did not mention as to what we can expect, leaving us completely clueless, but thanks to ASUS Italy those "awesome features" have finally been revealed. According to the Italian arm of ASUS, the update will feature face unlock, lock screen notification controls, updates to default Google apps and support for LAN connections using a USB to Ethernet convertor. So when can we see this "awesome" update. Some believe it could be as soon as tomorrow, but we guess we will wait and see.

Ubergizmo, ASUS Italy details “awesome new features” in upcoming Transformer Prime update

GMC Acadia sees heads-up display action

General Motors (GM) has announced that their latest effort, the GMC Acadia, will come with GM's very own "heads-up display" (HUD) to keep up with the times. This technology is said to be a staple on the Acadia Denali, and will also be made available on the redesigned 2013 model. I guess for those who failed flight school, you can imagine yourself as a pilot, although your ride will never take to the skies unless you perform a suicidal move and drive off a cliff or a bridge.

Ubergizmo, GMC Acadia sees heads-up display action

Obese dogs get a lift now

You know, it is rather sad that a dog can actually end up obese (a first world problem) simply because its owners do not want to give it the proper amount of care and exercise. As you know, every problem has its own solution, and with the case of obese dogs, insurance company More Th>n has come up with what they deem to be the world's first dog stair lift.

Ubergizmo, Obese dogs get a lift now

Apple, Samsung, HTC and Sony sued over graphics rendering patents

Sometimes, you have to go all-in. Why not sue all the leading smartphone makers at once. That's what Graphics Properties Holdings is doing, channeling the ghost (and intellectual back-catalogue) of Silicon Graphics. Filing six cases against Apple, Samsung, RIM, HTC, Sony and LG, the lawsuits reference floating point calculations for rendering graphics, something that the company received patent approval for only yesterday. GPH claims that several phones, including the iPhone, Galaxy S II and BlackBerry Torch, infringe on its intellectual property.

2DayBlog.com, Apple, Samsung, HTC and Sony sued over graphics rendering patents

Samsung Galaxy S Value Pack starts rolling out in Korea

After promising an Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Galaxy S, Samsung had to take back its words after they found that the device was unable to run the new OS (never mind the fact that the Nexus S runs it fine despite having the same basic hardware). Later, Samsung promised to bring a value pack to the Galaxy S, which would essentially be Gingerbread but infused with some of the features from Android 4.0, such as face unlock. After a while though, even that plan was cancelled as the phone's hardware was once again shown to be less than adequate.

GSM Arena

See also:
wwws, Samsung Galaxy S Value Pack starts rolling out in Korea

Monster Light Disc Audio Dock for Tron fans

Are you a huge fan of the movie Tron. If you have answered in the affirmative, then you might be interested in the $349.95 Monster Light Disc Audio Dock – Tron edition. Of course, getting a second hand version is definitely going to be a whole lot cheaper, but you would miss out on the shiny new gadget smell and feel. While the rest of the world around you will have nothing to do with the Tron environment, you can, at the very least, turn where you stay into somewhat Tron-like. It will feature 5 drivers in all, where four of them are 1.5″ drivers that are accompanied by a solitary 3.5″ long-throw woofer.

Ubergizmo

See also:
techabout, Monster Light Disc Audio Dock for Tron fans

DirecTV's latest HD interface comes to the five tuner HR34 DVR

Even if you don't have DirecTV, you've probably heard of the HR34 if you're into DVRs. That's because it's the only DVR from a provider that can record five HD shows at once and it also works in multiple rooms of the house thanks to RVU. All that upside came with a big downside, though, the old and ugly DirecTV DVR user interface. We figured it was only a matter of time before DirecTV's new HD user interface made it's way to the big daddy, and now Solid Signal reports that it's everything you've been waiting for with only slight differences from the HR24.

Engadget, DirecTV's latest HD interface comes to the five tuner HR34 DVR

T-Mobile's new myTouch QWERTY (Huawei Ascend G312) gets handled

Not long after we've seen the first T-Mobile myTouch smartphone made by Huawei in some live photos, now it's time to take a closer look at its QWERTY brother, too. Huawei is calling the new handset the Ascend G312 QWERTY, but it remains to be seen what its final name is going to be when released by T-Mobile. One thing is clear, though: the device is myTouch branded.
Apart from having a sliding QWERTY keyboard, the smartphone features a 4 inch WVGA display, DLNA, 5MP rear camera, VGA front-facing camera, 1.4GHz Qualcomm processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of ROM, and MicroSD card support.



Unwired View, T-Mobile's new myTouch QWERTY (Huawei Ascend G312) gets handled

Amazon Kindle Touch 3G now on pre-order to customers across 175 countries

In a press release by Amazon, the Kindle Touch 3G which the company describe as the most full-featured Kindle e-reader is now available for pre-order in many more locations around the world. The Kindle Touch 3G is the touchscreen version of Amazon's popular eBook reader and features free 3G wireless connectivity for your downloading needs. Amazon reiterated that with the free wireless 3G service, there will be no annual contracts, monthly fees and that users will have to neither pay nor hunt for a WiFi hotspot.

Ubergizmo, Amazon Kindle Touch 3G now on pre-order to customers across 175 countries

Flat-panel TV shipments to fall for the first time ever in 2012?

The past fourteen or so years have been a great run for flat-panel TV sales, but according to IHS (formerly iSuppli), that run is finally going to turn in the down direction in 2012. The expected drop off is predicted to be five percent, which still leaves the total TVs sold in 2012 at 37.1 million, more than a few dollars for sure. The fact that last year saw a modest one percent raise is as good of an indicator as any that the good times are over. Of course this is but a single prediction from a single analyst firm and we'll all have to wait until the year is over and earnings are announced to know anything for certain.

Engadget, Flat-panel TV shipments to fall for the first time ever in 2012?

Samsung ships five million Galaxy Notes in just five months

Five is an important number for Samsung's Galaxy Note. It has a 5.3-inch screen and now, just five months since it debuted Samsung has announced it's shipped five million units (the one million mark was crossed right around the end of December). That's certainly long enough for you to decide if you're in love with its super-sized frame or the accompanying S-Pen stylus, but unfortunately it has not been quite enough time for the highly-anticipated Ice Cream Sandwich software update to be released.

Engadget, Samsung ships five million Galaxy Notes in just five months

FTC wants new privacy framework: asks for simple controls, transparent policies

There's plenty of people bothered by the dossiers of data companies like Facebook and Google can (and do) compile on their users, particularly in places across the pond. Now, the Federal Trade Commission has come up with a privacy framework to help address consumer concerns and provide companies with best practices to proliferate better privacy policies. This new plan is articulated in the FTC's recently released privacy report, and seeks to persuade companies to adopt Privacy by Design ethos.

2DayBlog.com, FTC wants new privacy framework: asks for simple controls, transparent policies

Samsung HMX-QF20 WiFi Camcorder

Here comes a new WiFi camcorder ‘HMX-QF20′ from Samsung for the South Korean market. This compact camcorder sports a 5MP BSI CMOS sensor, a 20x Schneider-KREUZNACH optical zoom lens, a 2.7-inch wide touchscreen display, optical image stabilization (OIS Duo Plus), an enhanced switch grip function, a built-in accelerometer sensor that automatically adjusts the menu when the camcorder is held in left or right hand or held vertically, WiFi and 1080i Full HD video recording capabilities. The HMX-QF20 will retail for around $394.

TechFresh, Samsung HMX-QF20 WiFi Camcorder

Google's Dropbox competitor will reportedly launch in April

. Google's cloud storage service that looks to compete directly with Dropbox may launch during the first week of April, according to a report from GigaOm. Google Drive will apparently allocate 1GB of storage to users for free, and additional options will be available for a fee. Dropbox, the market leader in cloud storage, currently offers 2GB of free storage. It also provides several ways for users to obtain more free space, such as recommending friends to the service.

Boy Genius Report, Google's Dropbox competitor will reportedly launch in April

Galaxy S II for O2 UK getting ICS as we speak

The largest carrier in the UK - O2 - is rolling out an Ice Cream Sandwich update to its Galaxy S II owners as we speak. The update is available through the Kies software so if you're among the lucky ones be sure to plug in your phone in and search for it.

GSM Arena, Galaxy S II for O2 UK getting ICS as we speak

Shelby previews 1000-HP Super-Stang ahead of New York debut

For some, the horsepower wars being waged by auto manufacturers over the past few years are getting a bit out of hand. A 550-hp factory Camaro. A 650-hp factory Mustang. Ridiculous. But if you count massive amounts of gas-guzzling horsepower and torque a crime (we don't), then the worst of all offenders is perhaps Shelby. Last year at the New York Auto Show, the company unveiled its most powerful creation to date: the 2012 GT500 Super Snake, with up to 800 horsepower. And while 800 hp is just bonkers, Shelby's next trick is even more insane.

Today, Shelby American has revealed the 2012 Shelby 1000.

Autoblog, Shelby previews 1000-HP Super-Stang ahead of New York debut

Harry Potter now available on Kindle

It took awhile, but it looks like the Harry Potter books are finally available from Amazon's Kindle store. Amazon announced today its distribution agreement with J.K. Rowling's Pottermore, will see the fantasy novel series available for purchase from the Kindle Store worldwide. For those of you unfamiliar with Harry Potter, it is a series of seven fantasy novels by the British author J.K. Rowling.

Ubergizmo, Harry Potter now available on Kindle

Google I/O registration is now open

Good news for those of you planning to attend Google's I/O developer event - registration is now open. It will be Google's fifth I/O conference and will be held in San Francisco's Moscone Center on June 27th-29th. The event will let attendees find out more about the latest developments in web, mobile, and social innovations. They will also be able to meet the folks behind Google products such as Android, Chrome and Google+.

Ubergizmo, Google I/O registration is now open

Teen girls twice as likely to use cell phones while driving as teen boys

Research by the American Automobile Association's Foundation for Traffic Safety has revealed teenage girls are twice as likely as their male counterparts to use devices like cell phones while driving. The study used video taken of young drivers while they were behind the wheel to determine how teenagers engage in distracted driving. While talking on the phone and texting ranked among the highest sources of distraction, personal grooming and reaching for objects in the vehicle also played significant roles. Outside of using electronic devices, AAA found teens were distracted around 15 percent of the time while behind the wheel.

2DayBlog.com, Teen girls twice as likely to use cell phones while driving as teen boys

Dutch committee proposes iPad classroom

In Walter Isaacson's biography of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, it was revealed that Jobs had a vision where technology such as iPads would eventually make its way into classrooms, ultimately replacing whiteboards, books and actual paper. At the moment various institutions have taken it upon themselves to introduce technology into the classrooms ranging from offering students netbooks to tablets in the iOS and Android variety, and it looks like a panel of Dutch educators and politicians have caught onto the idea as well.

Ubergizmo, Dutch committee proposes iPad classroom

Semi-Official Android 4.0 w/TouchWiz Leaked For AT&T Galaxy S II

Earlier today we learned that the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket LTE for AT&T had it's official build of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich leaked and now here we are, later on in the night, and the OG GSII on AT&T is getting the ICS treatment as well. A semi-official build, straight from Samsung was leaked for the device and our friends at RootzWiki were able to get ahold of the system image where it can be flashed using Odin. Users are reporting that pretty much everything is working without hiccup, so we're looking at a near-release build of Android 4.0 (with TouchWiz) for the Galaxy S II.

Android Phone, Semi-Official Android 4.0 w/TouchWiz Leaked For AT&T Galaxy S II

Japanese court orders Google to halt Instant search for suggesting one man be fired

Could Google Instant suggest you out of a job. According to one Japanese man's claims, that search algorithm is precisely what landed him a pink slip and permanent spot on the unemployment line. The Kyodo News Agency is reporting that a string of unflattering searches performed by the plaintiff's former employer allegedly linked him to a host of illegal and unflattering behavior, leading to his eventual termination. Baseless claims of a paranoiac. One Tokyo court doesn't think so, as the search giant's been issued an injunction that temporarily bars the use of autocomplete in the country.

Engadget, Japanese court orders Google to halt Instant search for suggesting one man be fired

Microsoft releases update to Windows Phone SDK, adds support for 256MB devices

A 7.1.1 update to the Windows Phone SDK has just hit Microsoft's servers today with tools tailored for Tango's lowered memory support in tow. According to the company's Windows Phone Developer Blog, this refresh "doesn't add much in the way of new features to [the] WPSDK," mostly addressing emulation for 256MB handsets, compatibility for Windows 8, a patch for Visual Studio, bug fixes for the Advertising SDK, additional language support and an ability for IntelliSense to switch between RAM configurations.

Engadget, Microsoft releases update to Windows Phone SDK, adds support for 256MB devices

RIM: ‘Grim and getting grimmer'

. Research In Motion is set to report its results for the fourth fiscal quarter and full fiscal year on Thursday, and Wall Street is bracing itself for another disappointing quarter. RIM's fourth-quarter guidance came in worse than expected when the company posted its third-quarter results, and now several analysts are lowering their expectations even further. Pulling no punches, Barclays Capital's Jeff Kvaal wrote in a note to investors titled “Grim and getting grimmer” that BlackBerry 7 sales have been poor thus far, and he has lowered his projections as a result.

Boy Genius Report, RIM: ‘Grim and getting grimmer'

FTC wants new privacy framework: asks for simple controls, transparent policies

There's plenty of people bothered by the dossiers of data companies like Facebook and Google can (and do) compile on their users, particularly in places across the pond. Now, the Federal Trade Commission has come up with a privacy framework to help address consumer concerns and provide companies with best practices to proliferate better privacy policies. This new plan is articulated in the FTC's recently released privacy report, and seeks to persuade companies to adopt a Privacy by Design ethos.

Engadget, FTC wants new privacy framework: asks for simple controls, transparent policies

Dodge unveils Challenger Rallye Redline at Spring Fest

The Spring Festival, held annually in Southern California, has become a sort of mecca for late model Mopar owners, bringing together hundreds of owners of Chrysler's LX platform cars – Challenger, Charger, Magnum and 300. The event was initially started by a small group of passionate forum members, but it has recently grown enough to garner official support from Chrysler. This year, the Pentastar had a special treat planned for its passionate followers, the debut of the company's new Challenger Rallye Redline.

Autoblog, Dodge unveils Challenger Rallye Redline at Spring Fest

Aston Martin teams with John Lobb for special driving shoes

The right occasion calls for the right footwear. Aston Martin figures its customers should have the right shoes to drive their GTs, so the British automaker has collaborated with the shoemakers at John Lobb on a special collection of driving shoes. Called Winner Sport, the shoes are made of full-grain calfskin, lined with sheepskin and perforated in just the right places for a unique look.

Autoblog, Aston Martin teams with John Lobb for special driving shoes