Month: April 2013

Hardware Dev

13-inch ASUS Taichi 31 with dual 1080p displays finally shipping after long delay

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As reported on Engadget. By Sharif Sakr If you saw our review of the 11.6-inch Taichi 21, you’ll know that its unusual dual-screen design had a pretty bad impact on battery life. ASUS is taking another crack at the whip, however, this time with the 13.3-inch Taichi that is finally shipping after amajor hold-up in the US and promises a big boost to stamina — a max of seven hours of use rather than five. If this claim stands up…

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Application Legal Local

New York cops now armed with crime-busting Android app

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As reported on The Verge. By Matt Brian The New York Police Department (NYPD) began outfitting its officers with Android smartphones as part of a new pilot aimed at improving policing and public safety.According to the New York Times, the department has already distributed over 400 smartphones to its officers since last summer, providing them with more detailed access to police data while on the move. The Android smartphones are unable to make or receive calls, but…

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Culture Google

OK, Cupid: giving your love life to Google Glass and the hive mind

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As reported on The Verge. By Tim Maly Artist Lauren McCarthy explores the terrifying and fascinating world of augmented dating On January 20, 2013, sometime before 7:45PM, Lauren McCarthy sat down at a table. She was early. She always arrived early. Once she had a spot, she checked her setup. She kept the iPhone in her purse, its camera poking out and angled to capture the whole scene. The iPod touch was kept close at hand.…

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Application Business Culture

LinkedIn Acquires Pulse For $90M In Stock And Cash

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As reported on TechCrunch. by FREDERIC LARDINOIS LinkedIn today announced that it has acquiredPulse, the popular newsreader for the web and mobile. The transaction, LinkedIn says, is valued at approximately $90 million in a combination of about 90 percent stock and 10 percent cash. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2013. Today’s announcement doesn’t come as a total surprise, given that there had been rumorsabout talks between the two companies for a few weeks now.…

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Application Business

IBM To Invest $1 Billion In Flash Technology Research, Reflecting Obsolescence Of Hard Disk Drives

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As reported on TechCrunch. by ALEX WILLIAMS IBM plans to invest $1 billion in research  to design, create and integrate Flash into its servers, storage systems and middleware, a reflection of the changing requirements needed for companies to manage massive amounts of data. As part of the news, IBM also announced a new line of Flash appliances. These storage appliances are based on technology acquired from Texas Memory Systems. IBM says the appliances can run 20 times faster than…

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Application Business Cloud Culture

Sqwiggle Makes Working Remotely Less Lonely, More Awesome

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As reported in TechCrunch. by GREG KUMPARAK Hey Marissa! Check this one out. Sqwiggle is browser-based group video chat built with work-from-homers in mind. It’s got the office-like immediacy that Skype lacks, but without the noise of a Google Hangout. I’m kind of in love with it. As someone who puts words on the Internet for a living, I’ve been lucky enough to spend most of the last 5 years working from my home. Awesome, right? Yeah, to…

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Google Legal

Google delivers EU antitrust concessions, now subject to feedback from rivals

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As reported on Engadget. By Zachary Lutz There’s no question that most of the talk between Google and EU regulators over the firm’s search ranking practices have taken place behind closed doors, but now theantitrust inquiry is one step closer to a binding resolution. Following a preliminary assessment in which the European Commission laid out its concerns, Google has offered up a formal list of commitments in attempt to assuage the regulator — and in the process, avoid a…

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Mobile Story Verizon

Verizon intros new $35 prepaid plan for basic phones, for those not keen on the ‘smart’ era Mobile

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As reported on Engadget. By Edgar Alvarez For some time now, Verizon and other carriers have slowly but surely shifted focus from “dumb” handsets to ones that are much more intelligent, with data-drivenshared plans being one of the strategies that corroborate this move. Today, however, Big Red’s gone back to basics, announcing a novel prepaid plan for folks without a smartphone — which will go alongside the company’s existing $50, all-you-can-have offering. With the new Basic Plan, Verizon’s…

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Automotive Environmental

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive test-driven, quietly tears up the track (video)

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As reported on Engadget. By Jamie Rigg Sure, Mercedes-Benz is building all-electric vehicles for the daily grind, but none can deny the 750-horsepower SLS AMG Electric Drive is by far its most exciting EV. One lucky test-driver — Chris Harris from YouTube channel DRIVE — recently had the opportunity to point the overtly shiny beast round a track, and filmed it for his online passengers. He’s initially unsure the car will turn petrol-heads on, and talks torque, cockpit layout, driving modes…

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Culture Economy Government

As Colombian Drug Gangs Collapse, Mexican Cartels Get Tons of Cheap Coke

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As reported on Wired. BY ROBERT BECKHUSEN A Colombian soldier on security duty in La Macarena, Colombia on April 28, 2012. Photo: U.S. Special Operations Command South   Want to understand why Mexican cartels are awash in cheap Colombian cocaine? The decline and fall of Colombia’s drug gangs, once the undisputed masters of the illicit drug trade, help explain it. According to a recent report from the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, the Mexican cartels are…

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