Volkswagen Polo R WRC takes to the air during tests

There should be a production version of the Volkswagen Polo R WRC that's simply called the Polo RC, as in "RC car." Watching the diminutive VW being tested in Finland in preparation for next year's World Rally Championship makes us think "Wow, that's awesome!" and "Who's got the remote?". The rawer, wider, lighter Polo is powered by a Pratt & Whitney 300-horsepower, 1.6-liter STI engine, and sounds it.



Autoblog , Volkswagen Polo R WRC takes to the air during tests, Volkswagen Polo R WRC takes to the air during tests

New Accord will feature Honda's answer to Ford's SYNC

Honda desperately needs to hit a home run with its all-new 2013 Accord, a car that's perennially on the best-seller list in the United States. The current Accord, which is in its eighth generation, debuted in 2008 before most of the latest and greatest technological advances began filtering their way into the interiors of mainstream cars and trucks. As such, Honda's family sedan offering is a ways behind in the infotainment and navigation categories.
For 2013, Honda will launch HondaLink, its next-generation infotainment package, in the Accord.

Autoblog , New Accord will feature Honda's answer to Ford's SYNC, New Accord will feature Honda's answer to Ford's SYNC

What's the right way to read an automotive quality report?

Why No One Quality Report Tells The Whole Story. Quality remains one of the most significant factors for folks buying a new car. Once upon a time, word of mouth was the only way to differentiate between one brand and another, an important yet oftentimes unreliable approach. Then, back in the 1970s, a one-time Ford analyst by the name of J. David Power revolutionized the industry with his first quantitative studies of vehicle quality and reliability. Today, J.D.

Autoblog , What's the right way to read an automotive quality report?, What's the right way to read an automotive quality report?

Robot learns about body language

If there is one thing that robots need to do in order to enter the uncanny valley deeper than ever before, they would need to pick up the nuances of a human's body language. Yes sir, that is right – robots still have no idea on how to figure out the nitty gritty of our body language. After all, it is said that what we communicate is just 30% effective through speech, the bulk of the remainder go through body language. A research scientist at Willow Garage is currently hoping to imbue robots with basic etiquette lessons, including making way in an elevator whenever someone else wants to get in.

Ubergizmo , Robot learns about body language, Robot learns about body language

Environment Impact of Gadget Use (Infographic)

Have you ever stopped to think of the impact your gadget habit is having on the enviroment. Using and recharging gadgets like mobile phones and laptops is part of our everday lives but the majority of us never stop and think about the effect our gadget use are having on environment – or our electricity bills.

Trendy Gadget , Environment Impact of Gadget Use (Infographic), Environment Impact of Gadget Use (Infographic)

Google Nexus Q lets Android owners stream media from the cloud, shipping for $299 in mid-July

…And the Nexus Q is official. Google's first consumer electronics product is a small, sphere-shaped device that will work with the Nexus 7 tablet and other Android devices to stream media from the cloud. It's designed to hold court in your living room, pulling content from YouTube and the Google Play music app, among other services, to let you stream music and video. Anyone with an Android device will be able to take control of the Q to play content from their library; basically, everyone can be the DJ.

2DayBlog.com , Google Nexus Q lets Android owners stream media from the cloud, shipping for $299 in mid-July, Google Nexus Q lets Android owners stream media from the cloud, shipping for $299 in mid-July

Chrome blamed for MacBook crashes, Google confirms issue

We're adding another Google Chrome-related story before you go to bed tonight. But this one's unfortunately negative. If your MacBook has been crashing lately, Gizmodo thinks that Google's Chrome browser is to blame. Apparently the publication has been pointing out the freezing and crashing issues on MacBook Air models used by their staff.

Ubergizmo , Chrome blamed for MacBook crashes, Google confirms issue, Chrome blamed for MacBook crashes, Google confirms issue

Apple posts $2.6 million bond to ban Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

. Apple on Wednesday evening posted a $2.6 million bond to ban Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet from being sold in the United States, FOSS Patents reported. The Cupertino-based company was awarded a preliminary injunction against Samsung's tablet on Tuesday. Soon after Apple posted the bond, Samsung appealed the ruling - the South Korean manufacturer has requested that the Federal Circuit court stay the injunction. Judge Lucy Koh of the U.S.

Boy Genius Report , Apple posts $2.6 million bond to ban Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Apple posts $2.6 million bond to ban Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Sony's Upcoming Wearable HD Video Camera

Sony is reportedly working on their new high definition wearable video camera. This new video camera is said to feature Sony's hallmark SteadyShot image stabilization technology, an Exmor R CMOS image sensor and an ultra-wide angle Carl Zeiss Tessar lens, and will come with a suite of mounting attachments, including waterproof and ruggedized housings. This new wearable HD video camera is scheduled to hit the market this Fall.

TechFresh , Sony's Upcoming Wearable HD Video Camera, Sony's Upcoming Wearable HD Video Camera

Windows Phone 8 apps will be available in 180 countries during launch

At Microsoft's TechEd Europe event this week, Todd Brix, Senior Director for Windows Marketplace, highlighted the new Windows Phone 8 Marketplace as well as the list of new markets and moneymaking opportunities for the mobile platform. The director said that consumers will be able to browse and download apps in more than 180 countries during the launch – nearly three times the 63 markets served today. He added that developers can also submit their apps to the markets through App Hub.

Ubergizmo , Windows Phone 8 apps will be available in 180 countries during launch

See also:
newgadgets, Windows Phone 8 apps will be available in 180 countries during launch

Infrared telescope can pick out the atmosphere on distant planets, smell what the aliens are smelling

Astronomers in Chile using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope are now able to analyze the atmosphere on faraway planet Tau Bootis b. Using CRIRES, a supercooled infrared spectrograph bolted to the 'scope, the team was able to judge the size of the exoplanet - and for the first time, take a reading of the atmosphere while not in transit. Historically, the only time researchers have been able to conduct atmospheric analysis is during the transit of its nearby star, which imprints the qualities of the atmosphere onto the light.

Engadget , Infrared telescope can pick out the atmosphere on distant planets, smell what the aliens are smelling, Infrared telescope can pick out the atmosphere on distant planets, smell what the aliens are smelling

Nexus 7 is ‘just another Android-based tablet'

. Forget the quad-core processor and rock-bottom $199 price tag, forget the brand new Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system, and forget that it is Google's first own-brand tablet: the Nexus 7 is “just another Android-based tablet.” Google unveiled its Nexus 7 tablet on Wednesday and for the most part, interest was piqued. There are two sides to every story, however, and not everyone is convinced Google's new tablet will have any impact on the industry.

Boy Genius Report , Nexus 7 is ‘just another Android-based tablet', Nexus 7 is ‘just another Android-based tablet'

Google Compute Engine brings Linux virtual machines 'at Google scale'

As anticipated, Google has just launched its cloud service for businesses at Google I/O 2012, called Google Compute Engine. Starting today Urs Holzle announced "anyone with large-scale computing needs" can access the infrastructure and efficiency of Google's datacenters. The company is promising both performance and stability - Amazon EC2 they're coming for you - claiming "this is how infrastructure as a service is supposed to work". It's also promising "50 percent more computes per dollar" than competitors.

Engadget , Google Compute Engine brings Linux virtual machines 'at Google scale', Google Compute Engine brings Linux virtual machines 'at Google scale'

Google Q device is Made in the USA

The Google Nexus Q is a home media player that was just unveiled yesterday during the Google IO keynote. It is an Google experiment (in a crowded market) that is well designed, attractive and hard to build. Interestingly, the Google Nexus Q is also an experiment in USA-based manufacturing. At the bottom of the device, there's a sticker which says “Made in the USA”.

Ubergizmo , Google Q device is Made in the USA, Google Q device is Made in the USA

JINS PC for Hackers glasses

Who would have thought that hackers would need a special pair of glasses to help them get their nefarious objectives achieved. Well, here we are with JINS making an announcement that come July 2nd, they will put up for sale a limited release of 1,500 pairs of the “JINS PC for Hackers” glasses. I wonder whether your regular programming jock would find this pair useful, never mind that whatever he does are just all spreadsheets and word processors, instead of busy circumventing whatever security measures that have been put in place by the government.

Ubergizmo , JINS PC for Hackers glasses, JINS PC for Hackers glasses

Analysts on RIM Q1 earnings: Expect a bloodbath

. Things haven't been going well for RIM and they likely won't get any better when Thursday's earnings report comes out. All Things D has talked with a couple of high-profile analysts and they both say the same thing: RIM is screwed. Jefferies analyst Peter Misek, for one, says that RIM's near-term outlook is “terrible with a scoop of worse.” Wedge analyst Brian Blair, meanwhile, says that today's earnings report will be “the third inning of RIM's death spiral,” implying that there are still six more innings of gruesome, 1962 Mets-style baseball left to go with nary a rain cloud in sight to halt the slaughter.

Boy Genius Report , Analysts on RIM Q1 earnings: Expect a bloodbath, Analysts on RIM Q1 earnings: Expect a bloodbath

Meet Mercedes Jellinek, the woman behind the name

Gottlieb Daimler, Wilhelm Maybach and Carl Benz are among those who have granted their names to the house of The Three-Pointed Star. The name the world knows best, Mercedes, is also an eponym but its owner has lived in a more obscure corner of lore. The personal effects of Hans-Peter Schlosser include photos of his mother, one Mercedes Adrienne Ramona Manuela Jellinek, the woman whose name continues to launch a thousand 'ships' about every seven hours. Schlosser was Mercedes' son, and his keepsakes have wound their way to the Mercedes-Benz archives, which had been missing an informative record of the woman herself.

Autoblog , Meet Mercedes Jellinek, the woman behind the name, Meet Mercedes Jellinek, the woman behind the name

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean home screen revealed, automatically accommodates your apps and widgets

It's a pain manually moving apps and widgets on Android screens, ain't it. Well, at Google I/O 2012, the folks in Mountain View have just given us some Jelly Bean salve to soothe that irritation. The latest Android OS automatically arranges onscreen icons around any new widgets or apps you choose to insert. Not only that, but you can also remove any unwanted apps and widgets with a simple swipe up and off the home screen to delete them.

2DayBlog.com , Android 4.1 Jelly Bean home screen revealed, automatically accommodates your apps and widgets, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean home screen revealed, automatically accommodates your apps and widgets

Google: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean coming to Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and Motorola Xoom mid-July

As is the norm for developer summits, Google's kicking off I/O with a keynote highlighting whatever the heck it wants to. Jelly Bean is, of course, one of the big topics of discussion at today's session, and we're hearing more news come down the pipeline straight from the horse's mouth.

2DayBlog.com , Google: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean coming to Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and Motorola Xoom mid-July, Google: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean coming to Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and Motorola Xoom mid-July

Wolfson confirms the Samsung Galaxy S III uses its audio chip

The Galaxy S III was widely tipped to possess a Wolfson digital-to-analog converter for high quality audio output — a feature not seen in this range since the first Galaxy S. That notion has just been confirmed by the Scottish electronics firm itself, which says its WM1811 Audio Hub has been selected for use in Sammy's flagship. The chip promises “crystal clear voice call quality” and “enriched audio playback for music and video” thanks to its 24-bit hi-fi DAC, active noise reduction circuits and other wizardry. The GS II, meanwhile, used a Yamaha DAC to convert digital data (e.g.

2DayBlog.com , Wolfson confirms the Samsung Galaxy S III uses its audio chip, Wolfson confirms the Samsung Galaxy S III uses its audio chip

Native Firefox Android browser adds speed, Flash, HTML5 and a fresh look

After a brief stretch in beta followed by some vague teasing, Firefox's native Android app update is finally set to hit Google Play. While there are a raft of bells and whistles — a new welcome page, curvy Australis tabs, Flash and HTML5 support, for starters — it's the browser's newfound speed that is getting the MVP treatment. That rapidity is as good a place as any to start a quick hands-on, especially since the native browser lag on one of our older handsets, a Galaxy S, often makes us want to hurl it through a pane of glass.

2DayBlog.com , Native Firefox Android browser adds speed, Flash, HTML5 and a fresh look, Native Firefox Android browser adds speed, Flash, HTML5 and a fresh look

Bluestacks brings Android apps to the Mac

If you love Android apps, then you are probably familiar with Bluestacks. Bluestacks is actually a platform that will allow users to download and play Android apps on your PC. Early this year, Bluestacks beta was released for Windows. I myself use the software application a lot, synching my smartphone every now and then via Bluestacks Cloud Connect. But it looks like the people behind the ingenious creation is bringing Bluestacks to Mac as well. The company announced today that it will be releasing a Mac version of Bluestacks in public alpha.

Ubergizmo , Bluestacks brings Android apps to the Mac, Bluestacks brings Android apps to the Mac

2011 Mini Countryman: June 2012

When you've been test-driving nearly every new vehicle on the market for as long as I have, you get to the point where you mostly know what to expect. Not that I or most other veteran car reviewers make up our minds about new products before we drive them, but certainly we formulate theories to go about testing once a new car lands in our driveway. More often than not, our experiments confirm our hypotheses. This can be a great triumph or a crushing let-down, but rarely does a vehicle manage to be both so completely as the Mini Countryman.



Autoblog , 2011 Mini Countryman: June 2012, 2011 Mini Countryman: June 2012

Google includes Jelly Bean easter egg in Android 4.1: yes, it's cute (video)

In Gingerbread, those tapping repeatedly on the version number with Android's "Settings" menu were greeted with a picture of "zombie art" by Jack Larson. In Honeycomb, a bee found its buzz. In Ice Cream Sandwich, we saw an image of the Android robot dressed up in an Ice Cream Sandwich, which grows in size when you long-press it until it transforms into a Nyan Cat-style animation. Today, we grabbed hold of a Galaxy Nexus equipped with Jelly Bean (Android 4.1), and sure enough, the tradition continues.






Engadget , Google includes Jelly Bean easter egg in Android 4.1: yes, it's cute (video), Google includes Jelly Bean easter egg in Android 4.1: yes, it's cute (video)

Google details Jelly Bean NFC features: Android Beam upgrade, tap-to-pair speakers

During today's Google I/O keynote, Director of Product Management Hugo Barra detailed Jelly Bean's NFC updates, including Android Beam enhancements and a new tap-to-air feature for Bluetooth speakers. While the company confirmed that there are more than one million Android devices coming online each day, NFC-equipped devices total that same figure in a week.

Engadget , Google details Jelly Bean NFC features: Android Beam upgrade, tap-to-pair speakers, Google details Jelly Bean NFC features: Android Beam upgrade, tap-to-pair speakers

Apple changes App Store search without warning, costs developers sales

. Apple recently made some changes to the search algorithm used by its iOS App Store, and the move may end up having a serious impact on app sales for some developers. 30 South developer Derek Clark wrote a post on his personal blog this past Sunday after Apple quietly made a series of changes to App Store search mechanism.

Boy Genius Report , Apple changes App Store search without warning, costs developers sales, Apple changes App Store search without warning, costs developers sales

Google unveils Google Now, updates Android voice search with Siri-like features

. During the company's Google I/O developer conference on Wednesday, Google announced updates to Android search that brings Siri-like functionality to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean-powered smartphones. Users with phones running Jelly Bean will be able to speak questions rather than just search terms and Android will return answers to those questions.

Boy Genius Report , Google unveils Google Now, updates Android voice search with Siri-like features, Google unveils Google Now, updates Android voice search with Siri-like features

Verizon Samsung Intensity III image leaks

Get this: phone makers still make feature phones. And carriers still launch feature phones in the US. So here's something for those of you who hate touchscreens, hate smartphones, and like designs from a few years ago: the Samsung Intensity III.
Yes, not only is this not a smartphone, but there doesn't seem to be a touchscreen in sight. So get ready to push those buttons… hard. At least it's got dozens of them, right?

The Intensity III will obviously be the successor to the original Intensity from 2009 as well as the Intensity II launched in 2010.

Unwired View , Verizon Samsung Intensity III image leaks

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itworld, Verizon Samsung Intensity III image leaks

Iris Camera Concept

The Iris camera concept is a camera that can be controlled by your eyes. This biometrically-enabled camera allows you to capture exactly what you see. The Iris is designed to recognize your friends when it focuses on their eyes. The camera can recognize their iris signatures.


TechFresh , Iris Camera Concept, Iris Camera Concept

T-Mobile US CEO Philipp Humm resigns, Jim Alling takes over as interim CEO

Philipp Humm, the CEO of T-Mobile US, has resigned, according to a report from All Things D.While no official reason has been given, an official statement given to the publication tells us that Humm is heading back to Europe to be with his family and will look for a career outside of Deutsche Telekom. We're still waiting to receive the full statement from T-Mobile, and will update this post as we get more information. Update: We just received the official press release, which you can peruse below.

Engadget , T-Mobile US CEO Philipp Humm resigns, Jim Alling takes over as interim CEO, T-Mobile US CEO Philipp Humm resigns, Jim Alling takes over as interim CEO

Nintendo 3DS XL caught on video, gets manhandled abroad

Nintendo's new 3DS XL was just revealed last week, but we didn't have to wait long for the plus-sized handheld to get put through its paces. Puissance Nintendo got its game on with Nintendo's newest, and if Google's translation is to be believed, the added screen real-estate is, naturally, a welcome addition, and the panel is plenty bright with excellent viewing angles. Also, any negative effects from the bigger pixels present in the display - it's the same resolution as its baby brother - have apparently been ameliorated by an anti-aliasing filter of some sort.

Engadget , Nintendo 3DS XL caught on video, gets manhandled abroad, Nintendo 3DS XL caught on video, gets manhandled abroad

CRKT Tool

Handy multi-tools come in a variety of sizes and shapes. They can have several tools built in but usually not enough for most people. That is why newer models are being built all the time just to add in some more tools into them. For the CRKT Tool, it is a change in design as well as tool features that some people might find interesting.
The CRKT Tool comes in a unique design unlike most multi-tools out there. Instead of a split-handle design that is common among current multi-tools, the CRKT Tool is designed with fold-out tools instead similar to a pocket knife.

Gadget.com , CRKT Tool, CRKT Tool

Casio's PicapiCamera iPhone app is the world's first to use visible light communication technology

PicapiCamera, developed by Casio, is the world's first iPhone app which uses visible light communication technology. To send and receive data via the app, the message to be sent is encoded using red, green and blue flashing lights and shown on the display. The receiver points their iPhone at the flashing lights and the data is transferred.
“There are two approaches to communication using visible light. One is to embed data in the light from illumination sources, by turning it on and off at high speed, as a natural way of communicating information. With that approach, devices use photodiodes. The other approach involves image sensors.

Akihabara News , Casio's PicapiCamera iPhone app is the world's first to use visible light communication technology, Casio's PicapiCamera iPhone app is the world's first to use visible light communication technology

Robot hand wins every time at Rock, Paper, Scissors game

When you were a kid, and the last slice of pizza is lying down there in such an inviting manner, leaving you and your brother eyeing it – there was only one way to resolve the dispute without invoking the higher powers of dad and mom. Rock, Paper, Scissors was the way to go, but sometimes, your elder brother, despite being the loser, ends up on top simply by virtue of the birth order. Well, it seems that the world of robotics have advanced to such a stage where the next time you want to go up against someone in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, you might want to send in this robot hand as your representative.

Ubergizmo , Robot hand wins every time at Rock, Paper, Scissors game, Robot hand wins every time at Rock, Paper, Scissors game

Zynga updates its platform, launches new games

Zynga has just announced a few things from its H.Q in San Francisco. One of them was updates to the Zynga platform, which is powered by the company's infrastructure and network. Kostadis Roussos, Zynga's Chief Engineer presented the platform, which is based on the company's proprietary infrastructure and network. It is clear that Zynga has built a terriffic platform to run its own games.
With it, Zynga can analyze data and release about 100 game updates every day. Zynga's computer are a mix of its own hardware and pubic cloud computers from Amazon, Rackspace and others.










Ubergizmo , Zynga updates its platform, launches new games, Zynga updates its platform, launches new games