Six-inch Motorola phone hits the FCC looking like the new Nexus
If you believe all the rumors that’ve been floating around, Motorola’s hard at work on a new Nexus smartphone (codenamed “Shamu”) with a 6-inch screen. Well, guess what just popped in to make an appearance at the FCC? You nailed it: a Motorola smartphone with a 6-inch screen, and with support for AT&T and T-Mobile’s frequency bands to boot. As always, Motorola representatives have petitioned the FCC to keep all the really juicy bits confidential, so it’s far from a definitive nail in the Nexus rumor coffin. Still, it’s yet another piece of evidence that points to Motorola’s role in crafting Google’s latest Nexus smartphone. Why, just the other day it was spotted in Geekbench’s test database putting up some particularly strong numbers. The specifics of the radio should mean the GSM model comes first (which is really nothing new), but Verizon Wireless may be getting in on the fun come launch time, too. Bear in mind, those reports and appearance came to light within the past week — pretty soon (and if we’re lucky) there won’t be anything left to leak.
Source: FCC
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Tesco wants robots and wearables to help shape the supermarket of the future
For Britain’s supermarket chains, it’s no longer just a case of selling food, it’s about how you can do it better. Tesco has long thought about how technology can give it an edge over its rivals, but it’s now experimenting with robotics, wearables and cognitive computing in an attempt to secure future success. That’s according to Mike McNamara, Tesco’s chief information officer, who revealed that the company has become the latest in a long line of retailers to leverage IBM’s Watson supercomputer to explore new ideas using old data. Tesco’s Labs division, the team behind its Google Glass app and other tech trials, fed Watson “thousands” of recipes and ingredients and asked it to come up with some unique meal ideas. The supermarket is already trialling smartwatches in a bid to better manage stock, but it looks increasingly likely that machines will take over such jobs in the future. McNamara believes robots that can gauge depth and height could free up time for stockroom associates, but that also brings another danger — the risk that they’d replace workers completely.
Filed under: Household, Robots, Wearables
Source: Marketing
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Engadget giveaway: win a One (M8) Phunk Studio Edition courtesy of HTC!
Back in August, we mentioned that HTC would be sending a customized HTC One M8 Phunk Studio Edition handset our way to mark the start of the design collective’s Wonderment exhibition. Well, your patience has finally been rewarded: We have one in a limited edition of 64 handsets ready to deliver to a lucky Engadget reader this week. Not only will you get one of the top smartphones out on the market, but you’ll have a work of art and guaranteed conversation starter as well. It’s up to you whether you display it on a shelf or drop it in your pocket on a daily basis, but you probably won’t want to cover up the metal unibody’s laser-etched artwork with a case. You will need to head to the Rafflecopter widget below, though, if you want up to three chances at winning the latest in a growing line of special editions from HTC.
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) HTC One (M8) PHUNK Studio limited edition smartphone with custom etching.
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. HTC and Engadget / AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until October 8th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Filed under: Announcements, HTC
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Moog outs Werkstatt Workshop project hub for its patchable synth box
Back at Moogfest, the synth maker for which the event is named held a workshop where it debuted the Werkstatt-Ø1 analog kit. The patchable analog instrument was built for hacking, so folks could explore Moog’s circuitry (including Ladder filter) in a portable package. After the success of that event back in April the kit is being released to the masses, and the North Carolina-based company is offering up a hub for projects, tutorials, lesson plans and more. The Werkstatt Workshop is similar to libraries that littleBits and Makerbot have for users to find ideas, with a full list of instructions and supplies for each — including 3D-printing files and Arduino integration as needed. “We’d like to share our legacy of learning, music, and electronics to empower a new generation of makers to expand on our work and take it to levels we can’t yet imagine,” said Moog Music CEO Mike Adams. Not familiar with the Werkstatt-Ø1 synthesizer? No worries, Chromeo’s Patrick “P-Thugg” Gemayel demos the instrument on the other side of the jump, alongside the how-to for building an Arduino Arpeggiator. If you’re looking to snag one and get started with the experimentation, it’ll set you back $329 at your local Moog dealer.
Filed under: Misc
Source: Moog
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Introducing ‘Carrot,’ the next major disruption from Silicon Valley
In our ongoing quest to bring you the absolute freshest tech news, we stumbled onto something truly magical and revolutionary this morning. It’s called “Carrot,” and it’s poised to disrupt everything you think you know about technology. Are you ready? We’re not sure you’re ready. Here’s hoping.
As detailed in the beautiful, carefully shot intro video, Carrot is a wireless vegetable. By its very nature, no two Carrots are alike. Its creators point out that it “works seamlessly with all your favorite apps [appetizers],” and they “can’t wait to share it with you.” We’ve yet to go hands-on with this tipping point of a product, but rest assured we’ll have one up just as soon as Fresh Grocer drops off its daily deliveries. Head below for the full intro video, or maybe just eat some vegetable soup.
Source: Carrot
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‘NBA 2K15’s’ face scanning creates frightening players
NBA 2K15 arrived today, and with it comes a face-scanning feature that allows you to create a player based on your appearance. Well, as you might expect, the results are… interesting. The folks over at SB Nation compiled a few of the most awesomely terrible creations, and they’re quite scary. Of course, I’m interested to see what this means for the return of “NBA Y2K” in a few weeks. Looking to avoid transforming yourself into some sort of goblin? Here are a few tips for a proper scan. If only you could opt for EA’s rig for a bit more accuracy.
Hey @NBA2K this face scan is pretty busted. How’s my face look @LD2K @Ronnie2K lol. pic.twitter.com/IN6w4dVMPr
– Sang Frais (@SangFrais) October 7, 2014
Source: SB Nation
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Accessory of the Day: Lexar 32GB MicroSDHC card $16.99
Here’s a buyer’s deal! This Lexar 32GB MicroSDHC card is a powerful memory unit with 300x (45 MB/s) transfer speed. 4K Video? No problem. Includes the Class 10 card and SD adapter. Reviews are through the roof, it’s a best seller, and it will only cost you $16.99 (Prime eligible).
Deals, Discounts, Freebies, and More! Click here to save today!
The post Accessory of the Day: Lexar 32GB MicroSDHC card $16.99 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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Cricket calls up $200 ZTE Grand X Max for October 10
Cricket Wireless on Tuesday announced the upcoming launch of its next smartphone, the ZTE Grand X Max. Scheduled to touch down on Friday, October 10, the handset features a massive 6-inch display and 3200mAh battery. The handset runs Android 4.4 KitKat and packs a 1.2GHz quad-core Snadpdragon processor, 8GB internal storage, and an 8-megapixel rear camera.
Indeed, there’s an awful lot happening here when you consider the price tag is only $200. Per the press release we received this morning, ZTE is now the 2nd largest brand in prepaid, 3rd largest Android manufacturer and 4th largest smartphone brand in the U.S.
Cricket offers a $100 bill credit for anyone who jumps from T-Mobile or MetroPCS before October 19. What’s more, a separate promotion sees the carrier tossing in more data for the money on the Basic, Smart, and Pro Plans.
Deals, Discounts, Freebies, and More! Click here to save today!
The post Cricket calls up $200 ZTE Grand X Max for October 10 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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Samsung Profits Tumble as Apple Enters Large-Screen Phone Market and Low-End Options Thrive
Samsung’s third quarter 2014 earnings are likely to disappoint as the company faces intense competition from both high-end and low-end competitors, even as Apple’s newly launched iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are just starting to roll out. According to the Wall Street Journal, Samsung is expected to announce a quarterly operating profit drop of up to 62 percent in what may be its fourth consecutive quarterly decline.
Though it may see a marginal increase in smartphone shipments, Samsung’s operating profit decline may be the result of lower handset selling prices and increased marketing costs as smartphone competition escalates.
Samsung’s smartphone business is facing intense competitive pressure at the low-end from Chinese handset makers, and at the high-end from the iPhone. With the iPhone 6, Apple essentially wiped out Samsung’s distinguishing feature: a big screen size. And with the jumbo iPhone 6 Plus, Apple has now entered into the “phablet” segment that Samsung pioneered.
Samsing's handset revenue is forming an uncomfortable trend. Squeezed from above & below even before iPhone 6/6 Plus pic.twitter.com/npOE9PS83U
— Benedict Evans (@BenedictEvans) October 7, 2014
While its mobile device division struggles, Samsung’s components business is expected to increase 10 percent over the coming year, accounting for more than 40 percent of operating profits in 2015.
One of Samsung’s main component customers is Apple, although the iPhone maker has cut back significantly on its usage of Samsung parts. One major move away from Samsung came with the main A8 chip used in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, with Apple turning to TSMC for the first time for chip production. Some industry sources believe Samsung to still be producing a portion of A8 chips, but so far it does not appear any have been seen in teardowns of the new devices.
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NVIDIA’s Maxwell architecture brings desktop-class performance and improved battery life to notebooks
Read through NVIDIA’s Maxwell desktop GPU announcement, and you might think you were looking at a feature set designed for laptops: lower power consumption, new anti-aliasing technology and a downsampling feature that can force any monitor to display 4K content. It sounds almost like a dream feature set for a portable gaming machine and, well NVIDIA agrees — today it’s officially launching the GeForce GTX 980M and 970M GPUs.
If you didn’t read up on the company’s flagship GPU announcement, let us break it down for you: NVIDIA’s Maxwell GPUs are all about power efficiency with a hint of overkill graphics performance on the side. This is a combination of lower performance per watt, and implementing new technologies like Multi-Frame Sample Anti-Aliasing, the aforementioned technology that promises to boost performance by as much as 30-percent with no visual concessions. NVIDIA says it’s also made significant gains with its BatteryBoost feature, which limits in-game framerates and balances system performance to boost on-battery play time by 20 to 30-percent.
As for that side of performance, well, not only do the new GPUs promise to perform better without being plugged into a wall outlet, but Maxwell’s new Dynamic Super Resolution (NVIDIA’s branded and optimized downsampling solution) is designed to put 4K-quality content on lower resolution screens. It’s kind of like lying to your computer’s monitor: the game is rendering itself at a 4K resolution and is filtered down to your laptop’s native 1080p display.
NVIDIA’s new chips (and new GPU features) will be available in NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M and 970M-equipped laptops, starting today. Machines rocking the new hardware can be had from all the usual suspects: MSI’s GT72 and GS60 will have it, for instance, as well as the ASUS G751, Gigabyte Aorus X7 and the Clevo P150 (which will likely be rebranded under Origin PC or Maingear flags). How do these machines perform in practice? We’ll let you know as soon as one crosses our review desk.
Filed under: Gaming, Laptops, NVIDIA
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AIVAnet 