ULV electric car goes on sale in Japan
The ULV (“Ultra Lightweight Vehicle”) one-person electric car has just gone gold in Japan - by that, we mean it is ready to rock the personal transportation market in that part of the world, thanks to Waseda Environmental Institute's efforts. Coming with a trio of wheels to move its 72.6kg frame around, this 2m long car is able to travel up to 80km at a maximum speed of 40kph. A single charge requires four hours of your time, at a cost of $0.40. To make it greener, Waseda relies on motor bike tires, a 400W engine and reinforced plastic to make up its chassis. Waseda isn't running a charity here though, and has priced the ULV at $48,000 - nuts considering you can't even ferry your date around. Hopefully, mass production and market demand will help push the price down to $9,500 by the time 2015 rolls around.
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ULV electric car goes on sale in Japan
Android App Finger Race Is a Personal Treadmill for Digits [Android Apps]
Are your fingers feeling fat today? Free app Finger Race will have them running 1 meter and 2 meter races, or even endurance runs at 5 meters in length. They'll be size zeros in no time. [Recombu] More
Consumer Watchdog Plants Gargantuan Anti-Google Ad in Times Square
After Google inadvertently gathered personal information from its Street View cars and rendered Gmail addresses more visible with the ill-conceived launch of Google Buzz, the company soon found itself under fire from governments and consumer advocacy groups. Few critics, however, have been as vocal as Consumer Watchdog, which has now placed an enormous anti-Google ad in the middle of Times Square.
As Fast Company explains, the 540-square-foot Jumbotron stunt features a stylized cartoon of Google CEO Eric Schmidt handing out ice cream to children, in exchange for their private information. Titled 'Don't be Evil?' (an obvious reference to Google's well-known motto), the clip portrays Schmidt as a quasi-pedophilic ice cream truck driver who doles out frozen treats to kids, while quietly collecting their personal data. The massive satire was put together as part of a Consumer Watchdog project called 'Inside Google,' in the hopes of raising consumer awareness about what the organization calls Schmidt's complete "lack of regard for our privacy."
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Consumer Watchdog Plants Gargantuan Anti-Google Ad in Times Square originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Toshiba Folio 100 Tablet: Tegra 2, Android 2.2, $500
I can’t say the Folio 100 tablet, which we saw leaked a week back, is really making much of an impression on me: a customized Android 2.2 tablet running on a Tegra 2 with a 10.1″ screen — sure, not bad, but it’s not exactly original, and the price (€399, or around $500) isn’t sweetening the deal. We’ll have to get a hands-on to be sure, but I’m afraid this one might have to be relegated to the pile of Android tablets no one will remember a year from now.
One thing it is doing right is including Opera right out of the box, which will run Flash (though probably not particularly well). And actually, the interface looks pretty snappy. Good for them.
This poor thing can’t get stuff out of the Marketplace, though, so you’re limited to what Toshiba installs and makes available. To be honest, that’s a dealbreaker for most of the Android tablets out there, for me anyway.
Here’s the full press release:
Toshiba introduces its first Android based tablet computerFOLIO 100 media tablet offers rich multimedia experience including Flash 10.1 support and features WLAN and Bluetooth
Neuss, Germany, 2nd September 2010 – Toshiba Europe GmbH today introduced its new media tablet FOLIO 100. The 25.7cm / 10.1” personal media tablet is targeted at people looking for a 100% portable and versatile device that is always at hand for making the most of their digital life. The FOLIO 100 comes with a wide selection of apps and services dedicated to media consumption, web browsing and social networking, and offers a rich multimedia experience. Easy and enjoyable to use, the FOLIO 100 has a highly intuitive graphical interface developed by Toshiba to run on top of Android 2.2 (Froyo). The FOLIO 100 will be available during the fourth quarter of 2010 throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa.Enjoy your digital life with your personal media tablet
“Our FOLIO 100 media tablet offers a seamless, easy-to-use experience across entertainment, social networking and mobile internet – anytime and anywhere”, said Marco Perino, General Manager Digital Life Products and Services. Offering a wide range of connectivity options, the FOLIO 100 is equipped with an SD card slot, an HDMI® connector, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth®, while a Mobile Broadband (3G) ready version will follow soon.Versatile multi-talent with a selection of useful applications
The FOLIO 100 ships with a wide selection of applications pre- installed: amongst them Opera Mobile (web browser), FBReader (e- book reader), Document To Go® (office suite), Evernote® (notes), Adobe® Flash 10.1 and Fring®, an app that in combination with the embedded webcam allows video calls with friends and family.Let the music play… – downloads from Toshiba Market Place
The media tablet also features Toshiba Market Place, a service that offers easy access to various download choices for multimedia content, services and apps. Music Place, powered by 7Digital offers easy access to one of the widest catalogues of music and allows easy syncing to a choice of devices. Radio Place gives access to a wide selection of IP radio services. Through the App Place, users are able to download applications compatible to the Folio 100.A powerful personal device with endurance
Although it is only 14mm slim and weighs only 760g, the FOLIO 100 still packs a powerful Nvidia® TegraTM 2 processor that offers a perfect balance between high performance and low battery consumption. A battery life of up to seven hours1 lets the tablet work for almost a full working day without the need of a power outlet. The instant-on functionality lets the tablet be operational within less than 30 seconds. A 16GB on-board storage hosts music, videos, photos, e- mails and other data and is even expandable via SD card.Developer portal provides support for app optimisation
“We encourage users and developers to join our Folio 100 eco system to create and offer apps, games and other content for FOLIO 100″, said Marco Perino. Toshiba already established a one-stop destination (www.toshibatouch.eu) for developers where they can get support to optimise their apps for the FOLIO100. “We also invite users to participate in the FOLIO community by suggesting ideas to developers to pursue,” said Marco Perino.Facts & Figures*
CPU: Nvidia Tegra 2
25.7cm (10.1”) capacitive multitouch display with 1,024 x 600 pixels
Based on Android 2.2 On-board storage capacity: 16 GB
Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR, WLAN (802.11 b/g/n), Mobile Broadband (soon available in certain models and countries)
DLNA® compatible
1xminiHDMI®,1xUSB 2.0 (client and hub), SD/MMC Card Reader
Supports Adobe® Flash 10.1
Rotation of displayed content on the screen by accelerometer
Webcam with 1.3 MPixel
Battery life: 7 hours (65% web browsing, 10% video playback, 25% standby)
Weight: 760g
Size: 281mm x 181mm x 14mm
Software (excerpt): Opera Mobile, Toshiba Media Player, FBReader, Fring, Document to Go, Evernote
* depending on configuration and local availability
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Toshiba Folio 100 Tablet: Tegra 2, Android 2.2, $500
Chinese Cell Phone Buyers Now Required to Show ID, Passports
As part of a cracked-out crackdown on mobile privacy, China now requires all of its citizens to register their personal information before buying cell phones. As Reuters reports, the country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will now require anyone buying a cell phone to show ID cards, with foreign purchasers having to show their passports. According to the China Daily newspaper, the decision, which goes into effect today, is part of "the latest campaign by the government to curb the global scourge of spam, pornographic messages and fraud on cellular phones." In China, text message spam is apparently something of a major problem. Some, however, have criticized the move as yet another infringement on citizen privacy.
Critics have expressed concern that, for example, the government could easily use the registered information to monitor Chinese mobile users. Others have pointed out that the data could be sold to corrupt companies or spammers. "Now that the system of authenticating names for mobile phones is being enforced, the related measures for protecting citizens' privacy cannot be delayed," reads a critique in the China Economic Times. It'd certainly be nice to see China implement such protective measures, but, at this point, it seems like wishful thinking.
Chinese Cell Phone Buyers Now Required to Show ID, Passports originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
How to Disable Facebook Places and Protect Your Location
When Facebook launched its Places feature, it was, for some, just another chink in their online privacy armor. The world's most popular social network is quickly creeping into everything we do and turning our lives into easily digestible status updates. Understandably, there are some who would very much prefer that their personal information, especially their location at any given moment, remain private. If you aren't excited about alerting the Web to the fact that your home is empty, or prefer that your friends and family not be able to track your daily travels, read on for how to turn off Facebook's new location-based functions.
Gallery: Disabling Facebook's Places
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How to Disable Facebook Places and Protect Your Location originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
How to Disable Facebook Places and Protect Your Location
When Facebook launched its Places feature, it was, for some, just another chink in their online privacy armor. The world's most popular social network is quickly creeping into everything we do and turning our lives into easily digestible status updates. Understandably, there are some who would very much prefer that their personal information, especially their location at any given moment, remain private. If you aren't excited about alerting the Web to the fact that your home is empty, or prefer that your friends and family not be able to track your daily travels, read on for how to turn off Facebook's new location-based functions.
Gallery: Disabling Facebook's Places
Continue reading How to Disable Facebook Places and Protect Your Location
How to Disable Facebook Places and Protect Your Location originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
HP webOS Tablet To Arrive In Early 2011
webOS fans out there should be quite happy to hear that HP's Personal Systems Group VP Todd Bradley has stated in a conference call discussing the company's latest financial results that the webOS powered tablet will be arriving in early 2011. Aside from that, the enterprise-oriented Windows 7 tablet will also be arriving in the near future, though an exact date wasn't mentioned. With Apple's iPad enjoying plenty of success in the market, it'll be interesting to see how much of a dent a webOS-powered tablet by HP will be able to put into the iPad's sales, and we're definitely looking forward to a webOS tablet.
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B&N Rebrands And Updates Its iPad, iPhone, and PC Nook eReading Software
The B&N eReader iPad, iPhone, and PC apps are no more. Instead, B&N now has brand new apps, complete with updated features, but more importantly, new branding. From here on out, it will be called Nook for iPad, Nook for iPhone and lastly, Nook for PC. See what they’re doing there? Replacing the B&N branding with that of the Nook just like on the Nook for Android app. Here’s a pic of the previous iPad version. Clever, eh?
The apps just don’t have new logos. All three of the updated apps come with new features, and perhaps, it’s the iPhone flavor that received the best updates. It now functions a lot like the iPad app offering readers lots of customizable options with themes, day/night reading settings, millions of font and brightness controls. Got an iPhone 4? This version is optimized to display art and text on the Retina display. The iPad app now features in-app content rating along with other unmentioned improvements while the Nook for PC app now features the ability to access the B&N eBookstore and shared content.
All three of the new apps — Nook for iPad, Nook for iPhone, and Nook for PC — are available right now for public consumption in their respective app stores or via B&N.com.
Completely New iPhone Application Delivers The Most Easy-to-Use, Customizable iPhone and iPod touch® Reading Experience
NOOK for iPad Updated with First “Rate” Feature on eReading Software
Only eReading Software and Apps to Offer eBook Lending
New York, New York – August 17, 2010 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest bookseller, today enhanced its offering of popular, free NOOK-branded eReading software with updated versions for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and PC (available at www.bn.com/NOOKapps).
Completely new, the next-generation NOOK for iPhone application delivers the most personalized and easy-to-use eReading experience for iPhone and iPod touch owners. NOOK for iPad adds customer-requested, in-app content rating and other improvements to the company’s popular iPad app, and NOOK for PC brings new branding to the company’s desktop software. “Read what you love, anywhere you like”™ with the entire family of free NOOK eReading software and apps, which enables mobile device and computer users to shop more than one million digital titles in the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, access eBooks from their personal Barnes & Noble digital library and use the company’s breakthrough LendMe™ technology to share eBooks with friends.
Taking a page from the company’s popular, highly customizable NOOK for iPad application, Barnes & Noble gives NOOK for iPhone users the ability to tailor the way they consume content, offering a simple, attractive reading experience from the handheld device. Users can create completely personalized or utilize professionally designed themes, and optimize content for day or night reading, with one-tap options and a preview before settings are changed. With unparalleled customization features, the NOOK for iPhone app offers customers the ability to choose from millions of colors for fonts, backgrounds or links, as well as the option to control screen brightness to make reading on the iPhone easy and comfortable. Barnes & Noble designed the NOOK for iPhone to optimize eBook cover art and text on the new iPhone 4’s Retina display, and it also works well on earlier iPhone and iPod touch models.
The new NOOK for iPhone also offers more choice than ever before in an iPhone eReading app: line spacing, font style and sizes, and justification can be adjusted according to user preference. Customers can also opt to use the publisher’s original setting to view the eBook exactly as the publisher and author intended. NOOK for iPhone offers portrait or landscape viewing; one-touch access to highlight, make notes or bookmark a page; and the ability to easily delete samples from within the application. Learn more or get the new application at www.bn.com/NOOKforiPhone and www.itunes.com/appstore.
“We are committed to offering an easy-to-use, comfortable, and fun NOOK eReading experience across multiple platforms. NOOK for iPhone users can shop Barnes & Noble’s vast catalog of eBooks, while enjoying new, customization features and sharing their favorite eBooks with friends for free,” said Douglas Gottlieb, Vice President, Digital Products for Barnes & Noble.com. “NOOK for iPhone puts thousands of eBooks in your pocket, and the reading experience is fantastic. It’s another way that Barnes & Noble’s NOOK offering makes it truly easy to read what you love, anywhere you like.”
Lend eBooks to Friends
Using Barnes & Noble’s innovative and exclusive LendMe technology, customers can share eligible eBooks, easily identified by the LendMe icon, with other NOOK software users. The lending feature, uniquely offered across the NOOK eReading platform, lets friends and family enjoy the eBook for up to 14 days. LendMe recipients have access to a wide variety of eBooks on both the NOOK eBook Reader and their NOOK software-enabled PC, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or Android™ smartphone.
Like the iPad application, NOOK for iPhone users can initiate, accept and defer eBook lending right inside the app. The new app also seamlessly integrates LendMe into the device experience, so users can simply send the lend offer by tapping their iPhone or iPod touch contacts for the most streamlined sharing possible. And when NOOK software-enabled iPhone, iPod touch or iPad users receive a LendMe offer, it will appear within the application where they can see the eBook’s cover and the message from their friend.
Get In Sync
NOOK for iPhone users can easily read across multiple devices by syncing the last page read of the last eBook opened on their iPhone or iPod touch with other NOOK software-enabled devices including iPad, Android smartphone (OS 1.6 or higher) or Windows®-based PC desktop, laptop or netbook. NOOK for iPhone also quickly syncs users’ entire library, current reading position, notes, highlights and bookmarks with other NOOK software-enabled devices.
Additional features available in NOOK for iPhone include:
· Shop the expansive Barnes & Noble eBookstore: Search, explore and browse through more than one million eBooks at www.bn.com/ebooks directly by touching Shop from the Library. The vast majority of titles are available for $9.99 or less, there are free samples of all eBooks, and more than a half-million free classics. Learn more from thousands of editorial and customer reviews. Pick a current favorite – Barnes & Noble offers 196 of 205 current New York Times Best Sellers – a classic or anything in between and download it wirelessly in seconds.
· Access your personal Barnes & Noble digital library: All eBooks purchased through the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, including those purchased online, on NOOK eBook Readers and software-enabled devices, are at your fingertips in your Library. Customers with large digital libraries will appreciate the search option that helps them find the desired title quickly.
· Full-featured library: As found on NOOK for iPad, NOOK for iPhone features two library views: Library Grid view for displaying easy-to-read, beautiful covers, and Library List. The Library also provides rich product details for each eBook including the synopsis and easy access to more titles from that author. Users can sort by recently read, author or title, or get to their content faster with an in-book search to locate a particular word or phrase.
· Take notes: Bookmark pages, make highlights and write notes. Simply tap a word or drag your finger across a section to highlight it or make a note. In addition to appearing on your iPhone or iPod touch, your bookmarks, highlights and notes will also appear on an iPad and PC enabled with free NOOK software. Other devices will be added soon.
· Learn more: Touch and hold on a word on the screen and the in-app dictionary looks up the word’s meaning. Want to learn more? Simply tap one of the options to take you to the Google or Wikipedia page on that word or term using the Web browser. Barnes & Noble also makes it easy to get started with a quick start tutorial on first login.
· Follows the standard: Now, iPhone users will read eBooks formatted in ePub, quickly becoming the industry standard.
NOOK for iPad, PC
The NOOK family of devices and software continues to evolve with an update for the iPad app, available at www.bn.com/NOOKforiPad and www.itunes.com/appstore. Complete with a new name, NOOK for iPad continues to differentiate itself from other iPad applications with an industry-first “Rate” feature – a fun and helpful way for users to indicate and easily sort their favorite reads. iPad users can simply tap the stars beneath all of the eBooks in the Library to give each a rating of one to five. NOOK for iPad also includes additional performance enhancements from the previous version.
In addition, today’s announcement also marks the company’s re-introduction of its desktop client as NOOK for PC (available at www.bn.com/NOOKforPC). With the ability to shop the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, access to a customer’s personal Barnes & Noble digital library and share eBooks with friends, NOOK for PC offers customers the ability to enjoy eReading on their Windows-based desktop, laptop or netbook.
As previously noted, the company continues to leverage the strength of its NOOK brand across its entire eReading offerings, including NOOK for Mac®, and more in the coming months, and will continues to update its NOOK software offering with enhanced features in the coming months. For more information on free NOOK software and apps, please visit www.bn.com/NOOKapps.
With Barnes & Noble’s Lifetime Library™, Barnes & Noble customers will always be able to access their digital libraries on BN.com and a variety of devices including dedicated NOOK eBook Readers, previously announced eBook readers powered by the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, and NOOK software-enabled iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry® and Android smartphones, HP computers, PC and Mac.
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B&N Rebrands And Updates Its iPad, iPhone, and PC Nook eReading Software