Monday, April 30, 2012

Switched On: Big kicks not all for starters

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

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The end of last week's Switched On left doubt for the future of dedicated devices that tread on the turf of smartphones. After all, funding is key to every major new product initiative and, despite the vast fortunes of many Silicon Valley engineers that have been accumulated via IPOs and acquisitions, few wish to take on the risk of fronting a new consumer device themselves.(In 2007, the handheld FlipStart PC was hatched from FlipStart Labs, funded by Vulcan Ventures, the investment arm of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.)

Most venture capitalists abhor the device business; it is a rare device that makes it to the spotlight of startup debutante balls such as DEMO, TechCrunch Disrupt, or Launch. Even most of the 94 companies at CES' Eureka Park were not developing end-user devices Where, then, can a device entrepreneur go for funding and pick up some publicity in the process?

Continue reading Switched On: Big kicks not all for starters

Switched On: Big kicks not all for starters originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Basketball Wives Producers to Sue Jennifer Williams?


Producers of VH1's Basketball Wives are thinking about filing a lawsuit against cast member Jennifer Williams for publicly trashing the reality show.

After Jennifer Williams sued Nia Crooks for slapping her in the face while taping an episode (below), VH1 reportedly became absolutely livid with her.

Now producers are ready rebut Williams' legal and media rampage, during which she said the show portrays African-American women negatively.

Producers feel Williams' lawsuit is frivolous - her contract says she waives such a right to sue based on physical confrontations, the network says.

Moreover, her explicit show-bashing is in violation of her contract, which forbids cast members from doing media appearances or press without approval.

Or speaking negatively about the show, which the nut job clearly has.

VH1 feels J-Dubs is "ruining the brand" they worked so hard to build, which is hilarious, but actually not a legal stretch if she's in breach of contract.

Crooks, for her part, was charged with battery for the slap. Really.

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AMERICAN: The Bill Hicks Story, Because You Need To Know Who He Was [Video]

Lenny Bruce. George Carlin. The giants of big-idea comedy. Bill Hicks? His name is right up there with them, but most people haven't heard of him. Part comedian, part philosopher, part preacher, his stand-up stood in a class by itself. More »


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Nintendo's gunning for retailers, expanding eShop offerings for Wii U, 3DS

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Nintendo is going to sell its 3DS and Wii U games through the eShop as well as on the high street. Concerned about the money wasted in "inventory," the company will let consumers choose where they get their fix from. The first two games to get the treatment will be New Super Mario Bros 2 and Onitore Brain Training (working title) for the handheld, with more expected in the future. As consumers transition to downloads, the company will keep its brick-and-mortar partners on-side by allowing them to sell "activation codes" to the digital titles -- although that does mean you'll have to drive down to Gamestop and back.

Nintendo's gunning for retailers, expanding eShop offerings for Wii U, 3DS originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saturday, April 28, 2012

Engadget Podcast 291 - 04.27.2012

It's the Engadget Podcast, the only podcast in the multiverse that tried to change its name to "My Podcast Beat Up Your NPR's Science Friday."

Host: Brian Heater, Dana Wollman, Terrence O'Brien
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Orbital - Never

00:01:44 - Reminder: Webby Award voting ends tomorrow, give the Engadget Show some love
00:02:30 - The Engadget Show 32: ASUS, Huawei and a trip to Asia's gadget markets
00:05:00 - Google Drive official: 5GB of free storage, Chrome web apps, Wave-like sharing and editing (video)
00:18:33 - Apple's WWDC hitting San Francisco on June 11th
00:23:22 - Apple Q2 2012 earnings: $39.2 billion in revenue, net profit of $11.6 billion
00:28:10 - ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 review
00:35:00 - Tim Cook: Apple focusing more on iPad for enterprise
00:37:09 - Nintendo posts first annual loss of $460 million, predicts turnaround next year
00:38:45 - Nintendo confirms that it's selling 3DS at a loss, expects that to change
00:43:15 - Facebook updates S-1, adds Q1 earnings, revenue up 45% over last year
00:46:48 - Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight review
00:52:45 - DIY Cellphone has the footprint of an ice cream sandwich, definitely doesn't run ICS (hands-on)
00:58:00 - Star Wars Arcade gets fan-made mini-me, weeps tears of joy (video)
01:00:00 - Listener questions


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Leave us a voicemail: (423) 438-3005 (GADGET-3005)
E-mail us: podcast at engadget dot com
Twitter: @bheater, @danawollman @terrenceobrien

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Engadget Podcast 291 - 04.27.2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mindless Behavior 'Definitely Unique' Among Boy Bands

'Our Mindless movement is all about being confident, just being yourself,' Battle of the Boy Bands hopefuls tell MTV News.
By Kelly Marino


Mindless Behavior
Photo: Getty Images

The first round of MTV News' Battle of the Boy Bands has officially ended, but there is still time for fans to cast their votes for their favorite heartthrob group in hopes to title them the ultimate boy band of all time.

Another group urging their biggest followers to vote for them are the guys from Mindless Behavior. But before you get mindless with your votes, here are some facts about the foursome that might help steer your mind in the right direction:

Highest Chart Achievement
Their single "Mrs. Right" featuring rapper Diggy Simmons reached #8 on the U.S. Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts after its 2011 release.

Defining Tune
The guys confess they would travel the world just to find the right kind of girl in the beat-popping hit "Mrs. Right," causing female hearts in every country to flutter.

Standout Video
During their pledge to search high and low for "Mrs. Right," the boys get a lesson or two in geography from their teacher, Professor LL Cool J. Directed by Brett Ratner, the video also features Mike Epps as the school janitor, who joins in on the fun during a pep rally to cheer on Diggy Simmons and the group's signature dance moves.

Debut Album
Their debut album, #1 Girl, hit the U.S. in September 2011, debuting at #7 on the Billboard 200 with 36,000 copies sold in its first week.

Biggest Competition
Despite all of their success, the boys weren't afraid to admit who they thought might be their biggest competition amid the new wave of boy bands that has exploded on the scene. "As far as other boy bands who I feel [are] our biggest competition is One Direction and the Wanted," Roc Royal told us. "That's a huge competition for us, because we all have different movements, and they come from the U.K., and they also have fans out here, which, they have a lot of fans out here, so it's crazy."

So why do the guys think they should win our Battle of the Boys Band? Well, it's simple, really: "There's a lot of boy bands in the poll, but we're definitely unique," Princeton stated. "So please vote for us."

Ray Ray chimed in: "I think we should win the title for Best Boy Band of All Time because we have a great movement. Our Mindless movement is all about being confident, just being yourself, not caring what other people think, stopping all the bullying and, one, we're really great artists. We have songs that anyone can listen to. That's why I think we should win."

"And we love all of the fans," Princeton added.

When it comes to learning the key to becoming a great boy band, the group even filled us in on a little secret the Backstreet Boys once told them while on tour together: "When we were on tour with the Backstreet Boys, the advice that they gave us was 'Stick together no matter what,' " Ray Ray shared. "They said: You might have arguments here and there, but just stick together. You have to become family although you're in a group. You have to literally become family, and you got to stick together."

Voting in round two of MTV's Battle of the Boy Bands runs until noon ET on Monday, April 30. Winners are determined by fan votes, so if your favorite band made the cut, make sure you keep voting. Tune in to AMTV and MTV Hits for their boy-band video takeovers each day and make sure to spread the word on Twitter using the hashtag #BBB and like us on Facebook for updates!


Vote for your favorite band, discuss and share on Facebook and Twitter in the MTV Battle of the Boy Bands interactive bracket!

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Google MapsGL updates 3D buildings, improves virtual tourism

Google MapsGL update adds parallax perspective, improves virtual tourism

Google's been spending some quality time with its Maps offering of late. Most recently, it overhauled the 3D buildings and landmarks to make them, well, better. This time, its Maps' juiced up sibling MapsGL that's been feeling the paternal love. The WebGL-based 3D renderings have been the same treatment, making your virtual aerial tours all the more realistic. Now, as you glide over the landscape, your view of the buildings is much more like real life. Or you could just take the lazy tourism one step further. Hit the source for examples.

Google MapsGL updates 3D buildings, improves virtual tourism originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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