Project Loon simulations test internet from above the clouds, virtually

To make sure Google's Project Loon is more internet via balloon than pie in the sky, the search giant turned to data simulations. Loon Rapid Evaluator Dan Piponi's goal was to determine the possibility of a "nicely spaced flock of balloons" to provide reliable airborne internet. Proper spacing is key for this because if the gaps are too wide, coverage will be spotty -- the opposite of what the initiative is hoping to achieve. He iterated "hundreds" of times using publicly available wind info to visualize how different stratospheric factors would affect balloon travel and found that yes, they could indeed be evenly distributed. Piponi posited that in the future, the balloons could have information about what other balloons are doing around them and adjust spacing on their own, accordingly. If you ask us, that sounds like the internet of things is taking to the clouds.

Filed under: Internet, Google

Source: Project Loon (Google+)

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Ask Engadget: share a single muni-fi account with multiple devices?

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Zoe, who needs to help out her mum (she's in the UK) with a tricky WiFi problem. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"My mum's retirement community offers a municipal WiFi service for £130 per year, but only provides a login that can be used on a single device at a time. More annoyingly, that device has to use a web browser, which means that you can't access it using an Apple TV at all. To get around that, I've leant her my Mac Mini, and then I share the WiFi connection over Ethernet to an Airport Extreme. Unfortunately, this only works for short bursts at a time before the DHCP or connection sharing goes screwy and needs to be reset. My question, therefore, is what can I buy that will connect to this crappy WiFi and share that connection to the other wireless devices around the home? Would it be possible to use Raspberry Pi or some other small device to do the job? All it has to do is be stable and have an uptime longer than 2 hours. Thanks!"

This is the sort of question that most geeks love getting their hands on, because it's a good old-fashioned problem. You'll just have to ignore all of the people who tell your mom to move house instead of coming up with a useful solution. Either way, we did think that perhaps there was a way to share this connection using a hotspot device, but they primarily use Ethernet. As such, we're going to turn this question open to our community for some sage advice. Surely there must be a simple way to do this without depriving Zoe of her Mac Mini?

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LG G Pad 8.3 revealed ahead of IFA, ships globally in Q4

Following up on its initial tease from earlier this week, LG has officially revealed the G Pad 8.3 ahead of IFA. The slate's positioned as the next step from its G2 smartphone, and the company claims it's the first eight-inch tablet with a 1920 x 1200 WUXGA (Widescreen Ultra Extended Graphics Array) full HD screen. The device features a 4,600mAh battery, and runs Jelly Bean 4.2.2 atop a 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor aided by 2GB of RAM. Despite all that, it's just 8.33m thick and weighs 338 grams. Software enhancements include QPair and QSlide -- the former lets you receive messages and calls from JB-equipped Android phones on the G Pad itself, while the latter allows for three apps to run on-screen at once. What's more, with KnockOn you simply tap the screen twice to wake it up. The G Pad 8.3 will be available globally beginning in Q4 in your choice of black or white with 16 GB of storage. No word on pricing just yet, but expect a hands-on once we catch it on the show floor.

Filed under: Tablets

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Mobile Miscellany: week of August 26th, 2013

If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought convincing signs that BlackBerry users are moving away from physical keyboards, along with a new budget Android smartphone for MetroPCS and a stumbling block that's holding up AT&T's acquisition of Alltel. These stories and more await. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of August 26th, 2013.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

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Microsoft rebrands Xbox Live Marketplace to Xbox Game Store

Microsoft seems intent on sanding away the Xbox brand's rough edges before launching the One this November. Following the recent switch from its arcane points system to local currency for digital purchases, Redmond has subtly changed up where you'll spend that money. What we used to know as the Xbox Live Marketplace is now the Xbox Game Store. It's clean, simple and we're pretty sure Sean Parker would approve. Oddly, in the US the web storefront reads "Xbox Games," but it says "Xbox Game Store" in the UK. Whatever -- as long as we can buy real-world presidents for Saint's Row 4 , we're not too worried about the name of the store.

Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft

Source: Joystiq, Xbox

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Alt-week 08.31.13: We're all Martians, Mega Drive music and reinventing the ruler

Alt-week takes a look at the best science and alternative tech stories from the last seven days.

Some things become obsolete, some things rise to live again. Two of our stories over the fold demonstrate new tricks from old dogs. The third? Just, y'know, suggests that we're all actually from Mars. No biggie. This is alt-week.

Filed under: Science, Alt

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ASUS teases new Transformer Pad coming September 4th, confirms it definitely has bezel

As IFA starts to slowly edge its way over the horizon, the product teasers start to rain. We've already seen hints from Sony, an outright admission from Samsung, and speculation from HTC. The latest tidbit, comes via ASUS's Facebook, which suggests it plans to show a new tablet at the event. What can we say about it? Well, odds on it's another Transformer Pad, running Android, and if you're into numerology (and consistency), Tegra 4 inside. Coincidentally, an unknown ASUS tablet (pictured after the break) with model number K00C popped up at the FCC last week, revealing little more than the usual WiFi and Bluetooth radios, and a display somewhere around 10-inches. Though the description of it as a Transformer Pad could indicate that whatever its exact configuration, it's arrival in the US won't be that far out.

Filed under: Tablets, ASUS

Source: Facebook

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Alcatel quietly reveals One Touch Idol S, Idol Mini and Evo 8 HD tablet

Unlike babies that wail when they're born, the three new members of Alcatel's One Touch family have silently slipped into the company's website. The two handsets, the Idol S and the Idol Mini, follow the original trio revealed at CES this year, sharing similar elements despite the difference in size. Both run Android 4.2, can read microSD cards up to 32GB in capacity and support quad-band GSM, as well as some UMTS (3G) bands, depending on the model.

Idol S, the larger of the two weighs 110 grams, has a 4.7-inch 1,280 x 720-pixel screen and DC-HSPA data connectivity. It's powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, has 4GB of internal storage, 1GB of RAM and an 8-megapixel rear / 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. On the other hand, the Idol Mini has a smaller 4.3-inch 854 x 480-pixel display, weighs 96 grams and comes with HSPA+. It's equipped with up to 8GB of internal storage, 512MB of RAM and a 5-megapixel rear / VGA front camera.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

Via: GSM Arena

Source: Idol Mini, Idol S, One Touch Evo HD

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Nikkei: KDDI plans 220 Mbps cellular network upgrade for summer 2014

Think 150Mbps LTE-Advanced data is quick? KDDI could offer far more bandwidth next year. Nikkei claims that the Japanese carrier plans to upgrade its cellular network to 220 Mbps data as soon as summer 2014. Service would reportedly launch with an Android smartphone, and rely on new wireless technology; it's not clear whether this entails a faster LTE-A variant or something new. KDDI hasn't confirmed the rumor, so we wouldn't consider moving to Japan just yet. If there's any truth to the claims, however, even NTT DoCoMo's upgraded LTE could soon feel downright pokey.

[Image credit: TAKA@P.P.R.S, Flickr]

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Source: Nikkei (subscription required)

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Moto X could have price slashed to $100 by Christmas, $50 for wooden covers

When Motorola announced it's first flagship since becoming part of Google's empire, it was to mixed response. But, if evleaks is right, as is often the case, then a forthcoming $100 price-drop could suddenly change a few minds. Currently, the customizable phone, that listens to your every word, will set you back $199 on your network of choice, so a drop to $100 on contract -- reportedly just in time for Christmas -- could see this rise up the gift lists. Oh, and those wooden covers? Our leaker claims will come with a $50 price tag, for those that want the natural look this winter.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google

Source: @evleaks (Twitter)

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HTC's exiting designers interrogated for expense fraud and stealing trade secrets

Earlier today, several top designers at HTC were arrested in Taipei under suspicion of fraudulent expense claims, as well as stealing trade secrets ahead of leaving the company to run a new mobile design firm in both Taiwan and mainland China. Five people were interrogated, with the most notable ones being Vice President of Product Design Thomas Chien (pictured above), R&D director Wu Chien Hung and design team senior manager Justin Huang (who also personally sketched out the One's design). Chien and Wu have been taken into custody, whereas the others were released on bail. Their offices were also raided yesterday for the investigation.

Reports say HTC chairwoman Cher Wang personally filed a complaint to Taiwan's Investigation Bureau, which has since learned that Chien, Wu and Huang planned to set up a new design company aimed at the mainland Chinese market, and that they would resign after claiming their mid-year bonuses yesterday. The real beef HTC has here is that it apparently caught Chien secretly downloading files related to the upcoming Sense 6.0 UI design, and then shared them with external contacts via e-mail.

The trio is also accused of making false commission fee claims for the One's aluminum chassis design. While the design was done in-house, the three designers partnered with an external design firm, used it to invoice HTC for over US$334,000 worth of commission fee between May and July, and then split the money between themselves.

We reached out to HTC for a statement on this matter, but the spokesperson doesn't have much to provide at this moment:

"The matter is under investigation by relevant authorities. We therefore refrain from further comments."

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC

Source: UDN (1), (2), China Times

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Facebook's Windows Phone beta updated to work on WP7 too

There was a time when Windows Phone 7 users could only look on as WP8-using peers Like status updates on their newer and shinier Facebook app. Not anymore. An update to the Beta version is now ready for download, bringing to the table a user interface similar to the WP8 version that meshes well with the platform's aesthetics. Those who've been waiting for the update forever can hit the source link below -- it's available for both platforms, so WP8-toting folks can also join the party.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Facebook

Source: Facebook (Windows Phone Market)

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Washington Post report details how often security agencies break into other networks

The latest national security related revelation to come from the documents leaked by Edward Snowden is an account of how offensive computer operations work, and how many there are. The Washington Post reports that in 2011, 231 took place with about three quarters of them against "top-priority" targets, which its sources indicate include Iran, Russia, China and North Korea. Also interesting are details of software and hardware implants designed to infiltrate network hardware, persist through upgrades and access other connected devices or networks. The effort to break into networks is codenamed Genie, while the "Tailored Access Operations" group custom-builds tools to execute the attacks. One document references a new system "Turbine" that automates control of "potentially millions of implants" to gather data or execute an attack. All of this access isn't possible for free however, with a total cyber operations budget of $1.02 billion which includes $25.1 million spent this year to purchase software vulnerabilities from malware vendors. Get your fill of codenames and cloak-and-dagger from the article posted tonight, or check out the "Black Budget" breakdown of overall intelligence spending.

Filed under: Internet

Source: Washington Post (1), (2)

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Ceton Echo Windows Media Center extender won't support Android after all

Around nine months ago Ceton unexpectedly announced plans to support the Android operating system and apps on its $179 Echo Windows Media Center extender, but now that's not happening. According to the company, Android is "up and running" on Echo hardware in its labs -- we saw screenshots back in February -- but early beta tests with home users showed a problem with an internal component. That flaw apparently causes a failure to update in some cases, and since efforts to find a workaround have been so far unsuccessful Ceton is shelving the project (presumably alongside its Q DVR). There's no question this is disappointing for Echo users that expected the feature, but the possibility of a bricked box seem worth avoiding. We haven't talked about the Echo much since it came out of beta with a fix for 1080i output issues -- if you're an owner, let us know if you were (still) waiting for Android, or if you've moved onto another solution like Roku, Ouya or Chromecast.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Source: Ceton Blog

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Transparent gel speaker plays music through the magic of ionic conduction (video)

It may be hard to believe, but that transparent disk in the photo above is actually a fully functioning speaker. A team of researchers at Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have pioneered a never before seen application of ionic conductivity by creating a see-through artificial muscle that can produce sounds spanning the entire audible spectrum. While ionic conduction isn't a novel idea, it's been considered impractical due to the fact that ionic materials react poorly to high voltage. The team, which included postdoctoral research fellows Jeong-Yun Sun and Christoph Keplinger (pictured above), circumvented that obstacle by placing a layer of rubber between two sheets of transparent conductive gel, allowing the system to work with both high voltage and high actuation, two qualities necessary for sound reproduction. Theoretically, soft machine technology such as this can be used to do much more than play Grieg's Peer Gynt, particularly in the fields of robotics, mobile computing and adaptive optics. To watch it in action, check out the video after the break.

Filed under: Science, Alt

Via: The Verge

Source: Science, Harvard

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Google quietly acquired smartwatch maker WIMM Labs

Ok, so here's the deal: WIMM Labs was one of the earliest entrants into the smartwatch space, way back in 2011. While the Android-based WIMM One failed to set the consumer market on fire, it apparently caught Google's eye. In the summer of 2012, the company put a simple message up on its site declaring that it had entered an exclusive partnership with an unnamed entity for its technology and would thus be ending sales of its devices. Now it appears that partner was Google -- a Mountain View spokesperson just confirmed the acquisition to us.

The company's immediate plans for WIMM are not yet public but, according to GigaOM , most of the staff stayed on board and are now working with the Android team. The obvious use would be in developing Google's own rumored smartwatch product, which would likely incorporate many of WIMM Lab's SDKs and existing platform tools. However, it's worth noting that the company doesn't consider itself merely a maker of app-running timepieces, but a manufacturer of wearables in general. We wouldn't be shocked if some of WIMM's tech and experience was put to good use in Glass.

Filed under: Wearables, Google

Via: GigaOM

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Engadget Podcast 358 - 08.30.13

Ballmer's set to retire from Microsoft within 12 months, so naturally Brian, Peter and Terrence spent half the episode placing bets on a successor. Aside from that, the trio took some time to discuss our new Peripheral Vision series, Nintendo's 2DS, the latest e-readers from Kobo and the OLPC XO kid's tablet.

Hosts: Brian Heater, Terrence O'Brien, P eter Rojas

Producer: Joe Pollicino

Hear the podcast:

Filed under: Podcasts

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Oregon Scientific's Meep! X2 kid's tablet gets gutted at the FCC

Since it's been nearly a year since Oregon Scientific's MEEP! kiddy tablet arrived on the scene, it makes sense that we're due for a refresh. We did see a listing for the MEEP! X2 pop up earlier this month, but the device's arrival at the FCC is the first concrete sign that the slate will arrive stateside. The documents reveal that the unit packs a microSD slot, HDMI-out, Bluetooth 3.0 and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, while French site Maginea claims that it will feature a 1.2GHz dual-core Cortex A9 CPU, a 7-inch 800 x 480 display, 1 GB RAM and 4GB of built-in storage. Naturally, we can't confirm the legitimacy of those last specs, so enjoy this gallery of teardown images instead. %Gallery-slideshow76557%

Filed under: Tablets

Source: FCC

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Can you out-old-school these Expand Throwbackers?

We've already received a slew of exciting entries in the #ExpandThrowback contest we launched around a week ago. Turns out we're not the only ones who hoard old technology to embrace memories of a life before local TV could be streamed over a WiFi connection . For those not up to speed, here's the deal: Our Expand NY event is coming this November 9th and 10th, and we're on the lookout for the coolest vintage tech. Help us find it, and you could end up with a trip to Expand NY on us, or a gift card to help finally update that old technology.

Read on to find out how to win a trip to Expand NY...

Filed under: Announcements

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This week on gdgt: Droid Ultra, TomTom Runner and binge-watching TV

Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their most recent picks. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt's newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.

Filed under: Misc

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Samsung Galaxy Note 3 reportedly landing on Three UK September 16th, Sony Xperia Z1 coming September 24th

The two most anticipated smartphones of next week's IFA show, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Sony Xperia Z1, haven't been officially announced, but neither manufacturer has made any secret of their existence. So, we aren't at all surprised to see that the two devices are starting to become common knowledge amongst the employees at various carriers. An anonymous tipster who claims to work for Three UK has sent us images of an internal doc which shows when the carrier will begin selling the pair of devices, with the Note 3 arriving on the 16th of September and the Z1 following on the 24th. Even if this is accurate, we still can't be sure Three will be the first to launch them -- nor can we account for any potential delays -- but it's at least a solid indicator that the phones will arrive sooner rather than later. We don't have much longer to wait before we find out, but it's something to chew on over the weekend.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Sony

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This is the Modem World: The brain modem is here

Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology.

Consider this headline: "Researcher controls colleague's motions in 1st human brain-to-brain interface."

This. Happened.

University of Washington nerds put an electrode-speckled cap on Rajesh Rao and attached it to a computer that was connected to the internet. They then put Andrea Stocco in another room on the other side of the University of Washington campus, plopped another electrode cap on him and connected that to a computer.

Filed under: Misc, Science

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Let the god games begin: 22cans' Godus beta available on Steam Early Access September 13th

A collective effort pulled back Curiosity's curtain early this summer, and now it's nearly time to play god. On September 13th, 22cans and Peter Molyneux will make the beta release of Godus , the studio's latest "experiment" in god gaming, available via Steam Early Access for PC and Mac. The early release will cost eager overlords $19.99 and allow them to "sculpt every inch of a beautiful world," and, of course, destroy those worlds in multiplayer battles with other virtual gods. The Kickstarter-backed nod to Molyneux's Populous reached its funding goal in December of last year with the promise of PC, Mac and mobile compatibility and continued his focus on the video game as social experiment. Final release details are still under wraps but you can see an updated trailer after the break.

And for more Molyneux, check out our interview from E3 2013.%Gallery-slideshow77099%

Filed under: Gaming

Source: 22cans, Steam

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Editor's Letter: Color commentary

In each issue of Distro, Executive Editor Marc Perton publishes a wrap-up of the week in news.

There's a very good chance you're reading this on a tablet. Distro is, after all, first and foremost, a tablet magazine. There's also a reasonable chance you're reading this on a computer. Distro works on Windows 8; we have a platform-neutral PDF version; and most of what we publish in Distro also appears on Engadget. There is, however, almost no chance that you're reading this on a color e-book reader (no, not a color tablet; an e-paper reader). And that's too bad.

In this week's Distro, Sean Buckley tells the story of color e-paper, a once-promising technology that simply couldn't make it in a tablet-centric world. Despite years of development work and the tantalizing promise of high-resolution, daylight-readable, low-power displays, color e-paper was rendered an also-ran once the iPad began gaining popularity and low-cost Android tablets followed suit. Major e-reader makers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo, all released their own color tablets -- at prices below their $300-plus color e-ink competitors. That strategy wasn't without its fallout; B&N eventually got out of the tablet market, and Kobo continues to struggle to gain market share in the US. But color e-book readers fared even more poorly, and color e-paper's future is now tied to other devices, such as smartwatches.

Filed under: Misc, Tablets

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BlackBerry Beta Zone app released for early adopters on BB10

BlackBerry Beta Zone app released for early adopters on BB10

Well, it looks as if Twitter isn't the only one announcing something beta-related today. BlackBerry has (quietly) released Beta Zone for BlackBerry 10, an application geared toward folks who are game to try stuff before it's ready for prime time. The firm's newly outed app gives members an easy-to-access hub where they can download the latest software arriving on the platform in beta. As you'd expect, Beta Zone for BB10 won't cost a dime to download, though you will need to have an account before being able to access any of those rough-hewn apps.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Blackberry

Via: N4BB

Source: BlackBerry World

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Nokia Lumia 1020 coming to Canada through Rogers and Telus

Canadians won't miss out on the Lumia 1020's photographic prowess for much longer. Following rumors and teases, Nokia has confirmed that its flagship Windows Phone is coming to both Rogers and Telus. There's no official word on ship dates or prices, but the company says the 1020 will be available in both black and yellow. Let's hope that it reaches Canada soon -- rumors persist of even bigger devices that could overshadow the 1020 in the near future.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia

Source: Nokia Canada (Twitter)

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MoDaCo founder Paul O'Brien on console update woes and Glass envy

Every week, a new and interesting human being tackles our decidedly geeky take on the Proustian Q&A. This is the Engadget Questionnaire.

After a brief hiatus, our regular smattering of queries is back as MoDaCo founder Paul O'Brien chats carrier lockdowns and brand name clarity. Meet us on the other side of the break for the full gamut of responses.

Filed under: Misc

Source: Distro Issue 105

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Nine Inch Nails puts Kinect, various other gadgets to use on festival tour

It's no secret that Nine Inch Nails' frontman Trent Reznor likes to do things a bit differently. He and long-time art director Rob Sheridan have assembled a crew to make the group's festival dates this year as visually stunning as the audio promises to be. Along with a slew of other high-tech gadgetry, there's a Kinect that handles motion tracking with captured movements projected onto a handful of mobile video screens. Alongside thermal and regular ol' video cameras, live video content is piped on-stage during specific parts of the set -- with a hand from the folks at Moment Factory, a multimedia environment studio. Reznor also notes that much of the system is "a bunch of homemade software and hardware effects that they've tied together" with the goal of creating a film-like quality to an hour and a half performance. For a 13-minute, behind the scenes look at the prep work, head on past the break.

Filed under: Misc, Peripherals, Alt

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Engadget's back to school guide 2013: docks

Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! Today we're talking docks. Head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we'll be giving away a ton of gear, including some of the picks in our guides.

Plug and play... and then party in your dorm. That's how the kids do it nowadays, with their iPods, iPhones and Android devices connected to virtual libraries of stored and streaming music. But unless you're rocking an HTC One with BoomSound, the dinky speakers on your daily driver just aren't going to adequately pump out the late-summer jams. For those at-home boogie breakdowns, you're going to need some serious hardware. And lucky you, we're here to sort through the clutter and highlight the best back to school picks for any budget.

Filed under: Peripherals

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