Microvision laser head-up displays projects visual data on windshields

Japan's Pioneer Corporation is planning to release its first head-up display product that will used by the major car makers in Detroit by the year 2016. Pioneer's head-up display is based on Microvision's novel display technology that has the capability to project visual data on windshields and the driver's view of the road. Microvision's displays are more vibrant, compact and efficient – thanks to its image projector that uses semiconductor lasers and a microscopic mirror.

Ubergizmo, Microvision laser head-up displays projects visual data on windshields

HTC One X quad-core vs. dual-core

Snapdragon S4 in red, Tegra 3 in green. A YouTube video showing the benchmarking of the HTC One X powered by Tegra 3 against the HTC One X powered by SnapDragon (S4) has made its way to the web. At the moment, no quad-core version of the HTC One is available, and this made a number of potential buyers particularly unhappy.


Ubergizmo, HTC One X quad-core vs. dual-core

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season One Blu-ray beams down July 24th

After a teaser release of three episodes earlier this year, CBS Home Entertainment has set a date for the complete first season Star Trek: The Next Generation to arrive on Blu-ray, just in time for its 25th anniversary. June 24th the six-disc set hits shelves featuring all of the first season episodes remastered in high definition complete with recomposited special effects and 7.1 DTS-HD surround soundtracks, as well as a slew of special features including new behind the scenes interviews and featurettes on the HD upgrade process.

Engadget

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at2359, Star Trek: The Next Generation Season One Blu-ray beams down July 24th

PSA: Space X streaming test-firing of Falcon 9 at 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT

Today, SpaceX is test-firing the engines of its Falcon 9 rocket in preparation for that oft-delayed May 7th launch for its Dragon capsule. You'll be able to watch the static-fire test from the comfort of your own desk by pointing a browser at the company website (link below) from 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT.

Engadget, PSA: Space X streaming test-firing of Falcon 9 at 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT

Man being hard on BMW for 20-month erection

You can't buy publicity like this. USA Today reports a California man is suing both BMW and motorcycle seat manufacturer Corbin after a four-hour motorcycle ride left him with a severe case of priapism. Henry Wolf claims he's had an erection since stepping off his 1993 BMW after a ride in September 2010, or some 20 months ago, if we're counting. According to the suit filed in California Superior Court, the seat's "ridge-like" design caused the painful condition.

Autoblog, Man being hard on BMW for 20-month erection

AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.8G FX-format Lens

"This NIKKOR lens is the latest addition to the popular family of f/1.8 primes designed to give HD-SLR shooters the performance and versatility needed to capture images and HD video with outstanding image quality," said Bo Kajiwara, director of marketing, Nikon Inc. "The new AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.8G is a great way for photographers to discover a high-quality, wide-angle prime lens that provides amazingly crisp focus and natural background blur.".

GIZMOGRAPH, AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.8G FX-format Lens

ZBD recognised as one of Europe’s most promising technology companies by Red Herring

30 April 2012, Ascot, UK – ZBD has been highlighted as one of Europe’s 100 most promising technology companies, achieving a 2012 Red Herring Europe 100 Award at this year’s conference in Amsterdam. As the only e-paper display company to be recognised in this year’s list, ZBD has been spotlighted alongside Europe’s most innovative companies. ZBD is a UK company that designs, manufactures and supplies e-paper display solutions for retailers and industrial users globally. ZBD owns all its core intellectual property and is a UK exporting success story, with a global customer base.

Press Release Distribution, ZBD recognised as one of Europe’s most promising technology companies by Red Herring

Returning U.S. soldiers have trouble with road rules at home

Life can be tough for U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Post-traumatic stress disorder must make everyday tasks hell to deal with. Not the least of which is re-adjusting to American road rules. In Iraq, the goal of the morning commute is to reach the destination alive. The more speed the better, and anything not moving out of the way quickly enough gets ploughed into the pavement.

Many returning military personnel find it difficult to forget the lessons they've learned on hostile foreign roads. Over there, smart drivers follow the center line to avoid IEDs on the shoulders.

2DayBlog.com, Returning U.S. soldiers have trouble with road rules at home

NewVoiceMedia wins 2012 Red Herring Top 100 Europe Award

NewVoiceMedia announced today that it has won a place on Red Herring's Top 100 Europe list, which honours the year’s most promising private technology ventures from the European business region. The Red Herring editorial team selected the winners from a shortlist of 250 of the most innovative companies in Europe.NewVoiceMedia was presented with the award at an evening ceremony on Wednesday 25 April, following presentations given by each of the finalists at the Red Herring 100 Europe conference.

Press Release Distribution, NewVoiceMedia wins 2012 Red Herring Top 100 Europe Award

Foxconn workers threaten to jump off roof in protest

Foxconn just can't seem to get a break. The iPhone manufacturer is the subject of two protests relating to its workers and their dislike of current conditions. One protest resided in China and one in Brazil. One protest could have resulted in death while the other isn't quite so drastic… yet.
First up to bat we have Foxconn workers in the company's Wuhan City facility in China. Hong Kong-based activist group Information Center for Human Rights said on Friday that around 200 workers demanded higher wages. Even more, they climbed up to the roof and threatened a collective plunge of death if their demands weren't met.

2DayBlog.com, Foxconn workers threaten to jump off roof in protest

40% of McLaren MP4-12Cs bound for the U.S.

Niche automakers face a difficult decision: lay out the mountain of cash it takes to have their exotic rides certified for American roads, or save the money and miss out on one of the largest markets. McLaren Automotive had the new MP4-12C homologated for the United States, and now they're thankful that they did. According to Motor Trend, a whopping 40 percent of the 1000 orders for the MP4-12C that McLaren has taken so far have been placed by customers in the US, through its extensive dealer network here.
It was a surprise most of all for Antony Sheriff, the American who serves as McLaren Automotive's managing director.

Autoblog, 40% of McLaren MP4-12Cs bound for the U.S.

Google Maps GL gets enhanced 3D experience with 3D buildings

We've already seen the beautiful 3D landmarks in Google Maps that was launched in March. Google did promise to bring the experience to Google MapsGL. Google MapsGL is Google's own Beta Maps technology that is powered by WebGL. The MapsGL lets you view 3D buildings, take 3D photo tours of significant landmarks, fly over 45-degree aerial view, and jump over to Street View – all without a plugin.
Google has just launched the optimized 3D experience to Google MapsGL. Using what the team calls “parallex”, Google MapsGL allow you to take different views of buildings in true 3D.

Ubergizmo, Google Maps GL gets enhanced 3D experience with 3D buildings

T-Mobile's HTC One S experiencing poor battery performance during WiFi calling, patch inbound

There has been little chatter among early adopters in regards to battery performance issues with the HTC One S, but that isn’t stopping T-Mobile and HTC. The pair is pre-emptively prepping an update for the newly released handset that should address excessive battery drain occurring during WiFi calling. WiFi calling is one of the few unique features T-Mobile has to entice customers considering their carrier options, so addressing any possible drawbacks to the service is high on the totem pole.

Android Phone, T-Mobile's HTC One S experiencing poor battery performance during WiFi calling, patch inbound

Original Xperia Play design had additional QWERTY slider, could have been a Nexus

Rumors of a “PlayStation Phone” eventually panned out in the form of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, but the gaming handset we were left with could have turned out much differently. New information is coming to light from several sources that reveals Google’s desire to launch the phone as an Android 2.3 flagship along with a unique form factor that never came to fruition. A US patent application has surfaced showing an early concept for a phone with two sliders, one a gamepad and the other a full QWERTY keyboard.

Android Phone

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maximum, Original Xperia Play design had additional QWERTY slider, could have been a Nexus

Watch a mini-doc on the amazing Icon Bronco

We've had the good fortune of getting up close and personal with quite a few of Icon 4x4's creations, from their off-road wares like the CJ3B and FJ line to one-off restomod hot rods like their Derelict '52 Chevy. While few people may be able to afford the company's offerings, the creativity and thought that goes into each of their vehicles is something everyone can appreciate. We have a particular affection for Icon and its latest project, the Ford Bronco. We went for a brief drive in the very first example just before it made its debut at SEMA last year and fell in love with every detail of the modernized off-roader.

Autoblog, Watch a mini-doc on the amazing Icon Bronco

T.G.I. Friday's will let diners pay the bill with their smartphones

Heads up diners, the next time you head to your local T.G.I. Friday's you could be paying for your food via your smartphone. The restaurant chain has recently introduced a new mobile payment option called Tabbedout. This basically allows diners to open a tab with the restaurant and pay for their bills directly from their smartphone via an app that Friday's launched earlier this week. Users will be able to register their credit card with T.G.I.

Ubergizmo, T.G.I. Friday's will let diners pay the bill with their smartphones

Brick Brites Blinking LED Plastic Building Brick Review

A couple weeks ago, The Gadgeteer had a news post about Brick Brites, clear plastic LEGO-like building blocks.  They're different from regular LEGO blocks because they have motion-activated blinking lights built-in to add some excitement to your LEGO constructions.  How do you improve upon the LEGO brick.  I had to see what this was all about.  . Brick Brites come in three different colors:  White/Red, White/Green, and White/Blue.  They come in packs of two.

They're exactly the size of two stacked 2×3 LEGO bricks.  I thought this was a bit of an unusual size, but they had to put the batteries somewhere.










The Gadgeteer, Brick Brites Blinking LED Plastic Building Brick Review

Panasonic teams up with NHK on 145-inch 8K Super Hi-Vision plasma TV

We thought the 8K 85-inch Super Hi-Vision LCD we saw during CES was impressive, but Japanese broadcaster NHK is already looking to surpass that by going even bigger. To that end it worked with Panasonic (above: that's Panasonic's Keishi Kubota on the left, Yoshio Ito of NHK on the right) to create this 145-inch prototype plasma, unveiled today as an example of the kind of displays we can expect to see once broadcasts jump to the higher resolution some day. The world's first self-illuminating Super Hi-Vision TV, it features every pixel of its expected 8K resolution - 7,680 x 4,320.










Engadget, Panasonic teams up with NHK on 145-inch 8K Super Hi-Vision plasma TV

Hotmail password bug fixed

Microsoft has been swift to work on a fix for the Hotmail password bug which if left untreated, would have enabled a hacker to reset the password for a Hotmail account, locking out the account's owner in the process while offering the attacker full access to the Inbox. This fix was rushed out because the bug had started to be a genuine threat, and actively exploited online in recent times. In fact, a security news site did report that several hackers actually offered to hack Hotmail accounts for a mere pittance – to the tune of $20 (£12).

Ubergizmo, Hotmail password bug fixed

Ikea cardboard digital camera: when Instagram isn't authentic enough

Forget TVs. Want something more whimsical and lo-fi than Instagram. This is a digital camera made of cardboard that Ikea included with its press kit at this year's Milan Design Week. It runs on two AA batteries (Ikea-branded, natch) and features a swing-out USB plug, viewfinder cutout, shutter key and paperclip-friendly erase button. While there are no details on the sensor, lens or storage capacity, the camera holds up to 40 pictures. It's expected to land in Ikea stores at some point but exact pricing and availability are still a mystery.

Engadget, Ikea cardboard digital camera: when Instagram isn't authentic enough

Infected PCs to lose Internet this July?

Staying connected to the Internet has more or less become the norm for just about anyone, regardless of their age group. Well, there are savvy users and less than bright bulbs in the house, so the latter might just cause a virus infection or open the door for a trojan to reside on your computer. Having said that, the FBI is encouraging users to visit a particular website which is run by their security partner, http://www.dcwg.org, where this site will detect whether your machine is infected, and if you are, don't go around losing your head just yet.

Ubergizmo, Infected PCs to lose Internet this July?

First image of Sony NEX-F3 leaked, outs 16.1 MP sensor

Leave it to photography buffs to leak product shots that are decidedly unblurry, if poorly framed. Dpreviewforum goer Bibogue outed a sneak peek at the Sony NEX-F3, a mirrorless shooter that seems to be poised to replace the NEX-C3. The leaked picture appears to reveal a 16.1 megapixel sensor, a built in flash and a 180-degree tilting screen, and Bibogue says the unit sports a new peaking level feature to help fine-tune manually focused shots. The new unit seems to retain its predecessor's proprietary accessory connector as well, so prospective buyers should choose their peripherals wisely.

Engadget, First image of Sony NEX-F3 leaked, outs 16.1 MP sensor

2013 Ford Escape 1.6L EcoBoost officially rated at 23x33 MPG

When we drove the all-new Escape recently, Ford was still awaiting official EPA certification for fuel economy. Now, though, the numbers are in, and the Blue Oval can confidently state that it offers the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the small crossover segment. with an automatic transmission, that is. The hero engine for the new Escape is Ford's new 1.6-liter EcoBoost inline-four, offering up 178 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque.

Autoblog, 2013 Ford Escape 1.6L EcoBoost officially rated at 23x33 MPG

Steam for Linux captured on video, one step closer to reality

Yesterday, Phoronix had encouraging news about the prospect of Steam for Linux: photo evidence of Left 4 Dead running on Ubuntu 11.10 with AMD Catalysts drivers. Today, the site followed up with video footage of that same scenario, posting a hastily shot clip to show that Valve is indeed making progress - slow as it may be - on porting the game engine to Linux. Got 14 seconds.

Engadget, Steam for Linux captured on video, one step closer to reality

Samsung Galaxy S3 specs revealed via AnTuTu benchmark?

Adding to the Samsung Galaxy S3 frenzy is another rumor about the smartphone's notable specs, apparently taken from AnTuTu's benchmark database. As previously reported, it seems that the CPU is point blank. We're staring at the Exynos SoC clocking at 1.4 GHz, although we are also hearing rumors that the Exynos could be a dual-core. Contrary to some rumors saying that the GS3 will be arriving with a 2 GB RAM, it's a bit surprising to see that it only has 1 GB of RAM. The 4.7-inch display with 720 x 1280 resolution also appears to be reasonable as well as the cameras – a 12 megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2 megapixel at the front.

Ubergizmo, Samsung Galaxy S3 specs revealed via AnTuTu benchmark?

Google sells SketchUp to Trimble Navigation for undisclosed sum

While we're probably more accustomed to Google buying assets than selling them 'round here, every now and again the search giant does shed some skin. El Goog's 3D modeling platform, SketchUp, is to be sold to Trimble Navigation for an undisclosed sum reports Reuters. Trimble says it's hoping to use the acquisition to enhance its office-to-field platform. The two firms will also work together to develop SketchUp's online repository of 3D models for designers to use, share and contribute to. SketchUp's blog reassures users that the free version won't change under the move.

Engadget, Google sells SketchUp to Trimble Navigation for undisclosed sum

Samsung Galaxy S Advance to hit Vodafone UK on April 30

The Samsung Galaxy S Advance, announced in January and available unlocked since February, will be making its UK carrier debut next week. While not as enticing as the Galaxy S3 announcement that will shortly follow its release, the Galaxy S Advance features a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, 1GHz dual-core CPU, and Android 2.3. The phone also sports a 5MP rear camera and 1.3MP front-facing camera, 768MB RAM, and 8 or 16GB storage options. Designed to offer high-end specs at a budget price, the Galaxy S Advance has been selling for around £350 off-contract at Clove.

Android Phone, Samsung Galaxy S Advance to hit Vodafone UK on April 30

Chrysler sales explode in California, up 222%

Auto sales in California are red hot right now. The Detroit News reports that sales of new vehicles are up 17.7 percent in 2012, outpacing overall U.S. growth, which sits at a still healthy 13.3 percent. And since gas prices are still extremely high, cars accounted for a reported 62.7 percent of sales, while SUVs dropped to only 24.4 percent.
The car versus-SUV-paradigm isn't all that surprising given the price of petrol, but what is surprising is the brand that has received the biggest sales increase on a percentage basis.

Autoblog, Chrysler sales explode in California, up 222%

Man offers to legally change name for a ticket to Apple's WWDC

. Apple announced on Wednesday that its annual Worldwide Developer Conference will take place from June 11th through June 15th this year in San Francisco, California. The company made tickets available at around 8:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, and they were sold out within two hours, likely before most West Coast-based developers even woke up. Tickets are not transferable this year and as such, developers who didn't manage to secure a ticket don't have many options. One man, however, found a way around Apple's restrictions.

An anonymous developer on Wednesday posted a want ad on Craigslist.

Boy Genius Report, Man offers to legally change name for a ticket to Apple's WWDC

Samsung announces new Exynos 4 Quad processor for the next Galaxy smartphone

Samsung has officially introduced its latest application processor, called Exynos 4 Quad. As its name suggests, the new processor is a quad-core one. It's clocked at 1.4GHz, and is based on the ARM CORTEX A9 quad-core, being "the industry's first 32nm quad-core application processor built on the High-k Metal Gate (HKMG) low-power process technology.". The new Samsung CPU promises to offer "double the processing power at a 20 percent lower power bill over its predecessor, the 45nm process-based Exynos 4 Dual."

The first smartphone to feature the Exynos 4 Quad is Samsung's next Galaxy, which will be officially introduced on May 3.

Unwired View

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technologypulse, Samsung announces new Exynos 4 Quad processor for the next Galaxy smartphone

Blizzard details Diablo 3 midnight launch event

Diablo 3 is expected to launch on the 15th of May and to celebrate the launch of the game, Blizzard has announced that they will be hosting midnight launch events and launch parties in various gaming stores across the globe, starting in the evening of the 14th of May. Countries that will be participating in the official launch events include the US in Irvine, California, Berlin, London, Moscow, Paris, Stockholm, Warsaw, Taipei, Singapore, Bangkok and Seoul.

Ubergizmo, Blizzard details Diablo 3 midnight launch event

Samsung Galaxy S Advance is now available

Samsung I9070 Galaxy S Advance is finally available. The smartphone was announced back in January and it was scheduled for April release. Samsung managed to keep its promise – the phone is now in stock at various retailers across Europe. Clove UK was the first to report it has the Galaxy S Advance in stock – it costs £323 there.

The Galaxy S Advance comes with a first-generation Super AMOLED WVGA screen, a 1GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 processor, Mali-400 MP graphics and 768MB RAM. There is a 5 megapixel camera with HD video recording and 8 or 16GB internal storage as well as optional NFC connectivity.

GSM Arena, Samsung Galaxy S Advance is now available

Pegatron licenses Microsoft's patent portfolio for Android and Chrome devices

Microsoft may make a ton of money by selling Xboxes, operating systems, and other software to consumers , but it also pads its bottom line by monetizing its IP. Its newest patent profits will be coming from Pegatron Corp. — a Taiwanese ODM that makes parts for a plethora of others, including Apple, ASUS and HP — as the two companies have entered into a licensing agreement for devices running Android and Chrome OS. The agreement covers e-readers, smartphones and tablets, with Pegatron paying Redmond royalties of unknown amount.

2DayBlog.com, Pegatron licenses Microsoft's patent portfolio for Android and Chrome devices