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Google pumps cash into UK classrooms, will buy Arduino, Raspberry Pi sets for kids

11:54 AM

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Eric Schmidt has said that Google will make cash available through its investment into Teach First to buy Raspberry Pi and Arduino units for British schoolchildren. He was at the UK's Science Museum to talk about Mountain View's partnership with the charity, which puts top university graduates into schools to teach disadvantaged kids. The Android-maker wrote a cheque to fund over 100 places on the scheme, aiming to get bright computer scientists to reintroduce engineering principles to pupils. Mr. Schmidt hoped that with the right support, kits like the Raspberry Pi would do for this generation what the BBC Micro did three decades ago.

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KickStarter projects looks to transform Android tablets from boring to gorgeous [video]

11:51 AM

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Google has focused a great deal of effort over the years on making its Android operating system more attractive. Android partners' first attempts at tablets were lackluster to say the least, and while Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich have revamped the user interface, they still leave much to be desired for many users. Luckily, Android users have the option of completely customizing their devices with various home screen replacement apps, and a nearly endless number of custom ROMs. These alternatives cannot compete with Chameleon, however, an Android home screen replacement app like no other.

Chameleon replaces the standard Android home screens and app launcher with a custom layout of widgets and apps that deliver users a wide range of information. The software can change its appearance and functionality based on GPS locations, Wi-Fi network connections and time zones, along with Home, Office and Evening modes, that will automatically adjust to a user's needs. Chameleon will also include numerous widgets based on popular apps and services, such as Facebook, Twitter, Nextflix, Instagram, Google Drive, Gmail, Clock, Calendar, Weather, Media Player and an RSS Reader.

Chameleon requires a tablet to be running Android 3.2 Honeycomb or newer, with a 10.1-inch display and a 1280 x 800 resolution or higher. Early adopters can pre-order the app through KickStarter for as little as $5 and will receive Chameleon in August, prior to its September release on the Google Play Store.

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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Leaked part points to taller Retina display on next iPhone

2:09 PM

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Following a report that Apple is currently testing multiple next-generation iPhone prototypes with a taller Retina display, images of a purported front panel from an unreleased iOS device may provide further evidence that Apple is working on a new iPhone with a larger display. MacRumors on Tuesday published two images of what its unnamed source claims to be the front panel from an upcoming refreshed iPod touch. The opening for the display panel is taller than the one on Apple's current iPod touch, measuring 4.1 inches diagonally. If the part is authentic, it suggests that the next iPod touch — and Apple's upcoming sixth-generation iPhone — will include a larger Retina display. The Wall Street Journal and Reuters both reported last week that Apple plans to release a new iPhone this year with a display that measures at least 4 inches. Another image of the purported iPod touch front panel follows below.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Unreleased MacBook Pro, iMac revealed by benchmarks

11:42 AM

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Unreleased versions of Apple's MacBook Pro and iMac computers have appeared in a Geekbench database maintained by benchmark testing software provider Primate Labs. Designated as "MacBookPro9,1″ and "iMac13,2," a number of preliminary specifications for each model have been revealed in the publicly available test results, which were first uncovered by forum members posting to MacRumors. Apple's upcoming laptop and all-in-one desktop computers have long been expected to feature new Core i5 and Core i7 Ivy Bridge processors from Intel, and the Geekbench results indeed show a quad-core 2.7 GHz Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7-3820QM processor in the unannounced MacBook Pro, and a 3.4GHz Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7-3770 quad-core processor in the iMac. The new models may be unveiled during the keynote at Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference, which will take place on June 11th, and it is unclear if the laptop model referenced in the benchmark results is the new ultra-thin 15-inch MacBook Pro model expected to be released this summer.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Matsunichi's MarquisPad MP977 tablet tempts us with $249, dual-core Android 4.0

8:34 PM

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You might remember Le Pan's tablets from CES this year, of which only one was truly ready at the time. The company is now ready to hit the US in earnest, but you'll have to forget the company name along with the earlier designs: it's now Matsunichi, and it's planning to kick off its US-ready makeover through the MarquisPad MP977. The tablet shares the 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 display of the Le Pan II, but it's now running a slightly speedier dual-core, 1.2GHz TI chip (likely the same OMAP 4430 as in the Droid Xyboard), ships with Android 4.0 out of the gate and comes in a sleeker -- not to mention browner -- shell. Storage is being cut in half over the Le Pan II to just 4GB between the internal memory and a bundled microSD card, though, and the battery is good for a very modest five hours. Nonetheless, the $249 sticker and a May release will put the MP977 in the running with the slower but more capacious Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.

Matsunichi also teased us with a roadmap for a pair of future tablets in the process. The 10.1-inch MP1010 will keep the resolution, but it'll run on a quicker 1.5GHz TI processor and carry a total of 10GB of space when it appears sometime between June and August. If those 0.4 inches of extra glass are just too much to bear, an MP979 will bring all the extra storage and speed of the MP1010 to a 9.7-inch screen sometime between August and September.

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Friday, May 11, 2012

Sony Xperia Tapioca Pictured Again Ahead of Official Unveiling

5:39 PM

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Remember the Sony Xperia Tapioca, a budget Android smartphone that first surfaced back in January? Having successfully managed to keep itself hidden for several months, the handset is now back out in the wild, and it has been pictured again by two separate sources ahead of its official unveiling.

The image above — which was first published by Mobile-Review — shows the front of the Tapioca in all its glory. It doesn't look too dissimilar to low-budget Android handsets from some of Sony's rivals — such as the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 or the HTC Wildfire — with a small, black, glossy plastic form factor. What's interesting is that this handset bears the 'Sony Ericsson' moniker, which suggests it has been kicking around for some time.

In the image below — which was first published by Techblog — you can see the handset alongside its sibling, the Sony Xperia S, which really shows just how miniature the Tapioca really is. The handset in this image appears to be a little more recent, with only the 'Sony' name above its display.

While we know very little about the Tapioca at this point, previous reports have suggested it will feature an 800MHz single-core processor, a 3.2-inch display, 512MB of RAM, a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera, and the Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. But don't bet on those until Sony makes the Tapioca official.

Are you looking forward to the Xperia Tapioca?

[via TechRadar]

Pebble raises record $10 million on KickStarter, sells 85,000 watches

2:34 PM

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http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/10/pebble-smartwatch-kickstarter-sold-out/

The Pebble smartwatch has had a tremendous journey over the past three weeks. Not even a week after its announcement, the watch became the most funded project in the history of crowd-sourcing website Kickstarter. Eric Migicovsky, the company's founder, and his team have since doubled in size from five employees to 10 and have sold 85,000 watches to 66,434 backers, raising more than $10 million in the process. The Pebble was in such high demand that Migicovsky made the difficult decision to limit pre-orders to 85,000, a number that was reached nine days prior to the project's original end date of May 18th.

The Pebble smartwatch is compatible with iOS 5 and Android 2.3 or higher. The device features a 1.26-inch 144 x 168-pixel black and white ePaper display with a backlight, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and newly added support for Bluetooth 4.0, which will be enabled shortly after launch through a free software update. The Pebble is also equipped with a three-axis accelerometer, a vibrating motor and four control buttons that lie on the sides of the device.

The watch is able to receive call, email and message notifications and can control music from Spotify, iTunes and Pandora on iOS or Android devices over Bluetooth. Perhaps the Pebble's most exciting feature is its software development kit (SDK), which will enable third-party developers to create applications that can expand the watches' capabilities. Earlier this month, the company announced it had partnered with popular fitness app RunKeeper to allow users to wirelessly control and display information from the app on the Pebble.

We, like many others, have taken an interest in Pebble and ordered a watch, and will review the device later this fall. The Pebble smartwatch will be available for pre-order after May 18th for $150 and will ship after the Kickstarter orders, which are slated for a September arrival.

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Amazon to launch color Kindle eReader later this year, report claims

2:32 PM

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Amazon will reportedly launch a new version of its Kindle eBook reader later this year that features a color display with a capacitive touch panel. Citing multiple unnamed sources within Amazon's supply chain, Digitimes on Thursday reported that Amazon is currently beginning to place parts orders for the new Kindle, which will launch some time in the second half of 2012. The site also claims Amazon will likely make use of new color display panels from E Ink, and TPK Holding Company will supply the multi-touch panels. Digitimes reported in February that Amazon's color eReader would launch as soon as March, however the company has yet to unveil any such product.

LG Eclipse superphone revealed, ready to take on Galaxy S III and HTC One X

2:31 PM

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Purported details surrounding an unannounced high-end smartphone from LG have emerged alongside a leaked image, possibly revealing LG's upcoming flagship smartphone intended to take on the Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC's One X. BriefMobile on Thursday published an image of the LG LS970, rumored to launch on Sprint in the coming months as the LG Eclipse 4G LTE. According to accompanying specifications obtained from an unnamed source, the Eclipse will compete directly with high-end flagship phones from other vendors including the new Samsung Galaxy S III as well as the HTC One X and EVO 4G LTE. Highlights include a 4.67-inch, 1,280 x 768-pixel LCD display, a quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, a 13-megapixel camera, 16GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM, a 2,100 mAh battery and a case that is just 8.6 millimeters thick. No information regarding a possible launch time frame was provided.