CrunchGear |  |
- Daily Crunch: Hunter
- More Details On MIT’s “Artificial Leaf” (And Video)
- Microsoft “Accidentally” Tags Chrome As Malware
- Video: AlphaDog Is A Bigger, Faster, Quieter BigDog
- Best Buy To Cut The HTC Flyer Tablet To $299 On October 1st
- In Australia, Samsung Offers Apple A Deal Over Galaxy Tab 10.1 Ban
- Samsung Announces The Dual-Core Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus
- Canonical Releases Windows Version of Ubuntu One
- Report: HP Still Looking To Offload Palm, Amazon Named As Top Contender
| Posted: 01 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT  Here are some of yesterday’s Gadgets stories:
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| More Details On MIT’s “Artificial Leaf” (And Video) Posted: 30 Sep 2011 05:14 PM PDT  Back in March, we heard about a breakthrough from MIT: an “artificial leaf” that produces pure oxygen and hydrogen gas, powered entirely by sunlight. The technology was described in yesterday’s edition of Science, and the team has released a video showing one of the devices in action. I say device, but it’s really more of a material. There are no moving parts and it has no set shape or size. The leaf is semiconducting silicon, coated on one side with a special cobalt catalyst, discovered by the project’s Daniel Nocera in 2008, and on the other with a nickel-molybdenum-zinc alloy. Sunlight creates a current within the silicon, and the catalyst causes water molecules to split into gaseous H2 and O2, which rise off in bubbles from opposite sides of the leaf. Take a look at the video. It’s not particular exciting, but it gives you an idea of what kind of conversion rate we’re talking about: The gases could be isolated and stored in a fuel cell, which could provide power later and produce pure water as its exhaust. Nocera and several other researchers formed a company, Sun Catalytix, to independently research, apply, and market the artificial leaves, and last year raised $9.5 million from Tata and other investors. The leaf-like form factor is easy to demonstrate on a human scale, but there’s no reason why the “leaves” couldn’t be microscopic or enormous. The different use cases require much research and testing, however, which is likely what Sun Catalytix is working on at present. That and figuring out to do with the extra protons the process generates. They envision banks of these things powering houses and communities and storing the excess in tanks for sale or emergencies. There’s more information at MIT’s news page, and, if you’re scientifically minded (and subscribe to the journals), the various papers listed on Sun Catalytix’s tech page. [image credit: Dominick Reuter]
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| Microsoft “Accidentally” Tags Chrome As Malware Posted: 30 Sep 2011 01:55 PM PDT  Oh, Microsoft! You are so cunning. With IE market share plummeting and many users opting for “alternative” web browsers like Firefox and Chrome, your base of power is crumbling. We thought you would succumb to melancholy and accept your fate. But you had a plan all along. Clever girl. Yes, Microsoft has found a way to stanch the hemorrhaging of its users to other browsers: label them as malware in the built-in Security Essentials suite! Okay, I kid. It was just a minor mistake, and they corrected it immediately: “On September 30th, 2011, an incorrect detection for PWS:Win32/Zbot was identified. On September 30th, 2011, Microsoft released an update that addresses the issue.” The incorrect detection led to Chrome being removed and reinstall prohibited. It actually brings up an interesting point, though. Seamless updates like Chrome’s are growing more popular, especially since many apps are essentially web services, and changes (mostly innocent) happen behind the curtain all the time. When it’s a local app, though, the process for authentication becomes more complicated. Google shouldn’t have to wait for Microsoft to approve all its updates. But Microsoft needs to be vigilant and watch for unauthorized changes that may negatively affect the user. And while malicious programs are important to watch for, poorly secured ones can be just as dangerous. Security was never simple, but it’s getting more complicated by the day and users have more choices and more exposure. Luckily, snafus like this one are pretty harmless and Microsoft, though I give them a hard time, is actually very responsive on this front. Update: Google has some more information on their Chrome blog.
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| Video: AlphaDog Is A Bigger, Faster, Quieter BigDog Posted: 30 Sep 2011 12:15 PM PDT  I’m sure all of you remember BigDog, the utterly terrifying biomimetic robot platform that dances over rough terrain on weird legs and makes a sound like it’s full of angry bees. You didn’t think they were going to give up on it, did you? No, it’s been a rousing success apparently, so much so that they decided to build one that outdoes the original in every way. The AlphaDog, as they’re calling it, was created to be basically the practical version of BigDog, which, while compelling and scary, was too loud and couldn’t carry enough stuff. AlphaDog, on the other hand, will carry 400 pounds of gear for 20 miles in a day, without needing to be refueled. Be sure to watch the video to the end. The now-traditional “shoving of the quadrupedal robot platform” is great, and then you get to see a new creepy behavior as it rights itself in an unreal way from a lying position. Right now it’s powered externally and running on rails, but it’s not so hard to think of this thing in the field. With a GPS unit and some rudimentary depth-sensing cameras, it could confidently navigate most terrain or follow its “masters” along a trail. Though I doubt that feature will make it into first production AlphaDogs, scheduled for 2012. Boston Dynamics’ webpage doesn’t have too much extra info, so keep an eye on their YouTube account for news.
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| Best Buy To Cut The HTC Flyer Tablet To $299 On October 1st Posted: 30 Sep 2011 08:49 AM PDT  Watch out for falling tablet prices! No, seriously, don’t get burned by price cuts. The HTC Flyer is the latest tablet to see a major price reduction. Starting tomorrow, October 1st, Best Buy will lower the price of the 7-inch Android 2.3 tablet from $499 to $299. This follows the PlayBook, Xoom, and most notable, the TouchPad. The Flyer is nearing its 6 month birthday and hasn’t fared very well in the marketplace. This is mainly because it attempted to compete directly with the iPad while offering a smaller screen and dated OS. However, had it launched at $299, the Flyer might have won over more fans because it is a capable tablet with several fun tricks including an active digitizer stylus. Best Buy announced today that the price cut will go into effect on October 1st and apply to purchases made from Best Buy stores and the website. Hopefully these price cuts show that manufacturers are finally waking up. Consumers are seemingly only interested in the iPad at the $500 price point. If other tabs are to be sold, they have to be priced low enough to compensate for their shortcomings and smaller feature set. The TouchPad was a massive hit at $99, but that price is not sustainable. Amazon got the Fire’s price right and the HTC Flyer might even make more friends at $299. HTC Corp, (TAIEX: 2498) produces smartphones running the Android and Windows Phone 7 operating systems for themselves and as an OEM to other manufacturers. Since launching its own brand in late 2006, the company has introduced dozens of HTC-branded products around the world. The company recently introduced the HTC diamond to compete with Apple’s iPhone. Founded in 1997 by Cher Wang, Chairwoman, and Peter Chou, President and CEO, HTC made its name as the company behind many of the...
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| In Australia, Samsung Offers Apple A Deal Over Galaxy Tab 10.1 Ban Posted: 30 Sep 2011 07:32 AM PDT  Last we heard of settlement talks between Apple and Samsung was in June, and you can tell from recent events that those talks probably didn’t end well. Today in Australia, however, Samsung’s lawyers have reportedly extended an olive branch, hoping to end delays of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 launch in the Aussie market. If Apple accepts the terms of the agreement, we could see the GalTab 10.1 on Australian shelves by next week, said Samsung attorney David Catterns. If on the other hand the two tech beasts can’t reach an agreement, the final hearing for the tablet’s permanent injunction could take quite a while, delaying the Galaxy Tab 10.1 even longer. Terms of the agreement haven’t been detailed publicly, but you can bet that Apple will benefit, reports the Wall Street Journal. Steven Burley, Apple’s lead counsel, explained that “[Samsung's] inconvenience would be diminished and [Apple] would be comforted” should the deal go forward. “Comforted” is an interesting word. It not only connotes monetary settlement, but also the idea that Samsung and Apple have reached some sort of understanding over the way their patents and products intersect. Maybe that’s just my hope, but it’s not entirely impossible. Judge Annabelle Bennett, who has ruled over the entire case in Australia, mentioned that this deal wouldn’t offer Samsung an absolute close to the case. It will, however, allow Samsung to offer up the GalTab to the Holiday masses (should Apple accept the proposition). Started by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple has expanded from computers to consumer electronics over the last 30 years, officially changing their name from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc. in January 2007. Among the key offerings from Apple’s product line are: Pro line laptops (MacBook Pro) and desktops (Mac Pro), consumer line laptops (MacBook) and desktops (iMac), servers (Xserve), Apple TV, the Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server operating systems, the iPod (offered with...
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| Samsung Announces The Dual-Core Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus Posted: 30 Sep 2011 06:36 AM PDT  Despite the fact that Apple has found a way to block sales of the latest two Galaxy Tabs, Samsung is going to try try again. The company officially announced the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus this morning, a 7-inch, HSPA+, dual-core slate. With the 7.0 Plus, Samsung has basically covered every size tablet there is: two 10.1-inch models, an 8.9-incher, a 7.7-inch tab, now a straight up 7-incher, along with the 5.3-inch smartphone/tablet hybrid Galaxy Note. While the GalTab 7.0 Plus seems like a mighty fine Android tab, it does have a lower-quality screen than its 7.7-inch brother. Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing the Galaxy Tab 7.7 or the Galaxy Note anytime soon here in the States, which means that the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus will have to do. The GalTab 7.0 Plus weighs in at .76 lbs and has a waist line of just .39 inches. Other specs include a dual-core 1.2GHz processor underneath Android 3.2 Honeycomb and Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. The 7-inch WVGA screen sports a 1024×600 resolution, making it just a tad less awesome than the Galaxy Tab 7.7‘s 1280×800 Super AMOLED Plus display. The 7.0 Plus will ship with a AutoFocus/LED Flash-enabled 3-megapixel rear camera (which shoots in 720p and supports video playback in 1080p) along with a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat. In terms of connectivity, everything you’d expect is along for the ride: Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, USB 2.0, along with support for HSPA+. The slate comes with 1GB of RAM, will ship in 16GB and 32GB flavors, and offer support for a microSD card up to 32GB. Now the only question is: how long before Apple comes after this one?
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| Canonical Releases Windows Version of Ubuntu One Posted: 30 Sep 2011 06:30 AM PDT  Canonical, the commercial backer behind the Ubuntu Linux distribution, have been hosting a file synchronization service called Ubuntu One for a couple years now. A free account gets you 5GB of storage, and the client side controls have been baked into the last couple of releases of the Ubuntu distribution. It works pretty much like Dropbox or similar services, but has been — until today — Linux-only. In an announcement late last night, Canonical has revealed that there is now a Windows client for Ubuntu One, allowing you to access all your files from either Linux or Windows computers.
Ubuntu One also offers a nifty music streaming service. For $4 per month, you get 20 GB of storage and the ability to stream music files from your account to your mobile device. The Ubuntu One app is available for iOS and Android, and Android devices get the added benefit of a controllable offline cache, allowing you to listen to your cloud-stored music without requiring a network connection. Neat stuff.
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| Report: HP Still Looking To Offload Palm, Amazon Named As Top Contender Posted: 30 Sep 2011 05:50 AM PDT  The Kindle Fire announcement set the interwebs ablaze as Amazon burst into the tablet scene. But the retailer-turned-CE player might be looking to go a different way in the future. Amazon has been named as Palm’s current top suitor among “a handful of contenders” as HP looks to rid itself from the TouchPad/webOS disaster. It’s unclear from VentureBeat’s leaks why Amazon is interested in Palm. Ditching Android for webOS after building an ecosystem around Android seems foolish and shortsighted. This move, if it’s really happening, could be more about hardware development and patents than reviving a dead operating system. Sorry, fanboys. Amazon launched the Kindle Fire earlier this week, which brings nearly all of Amazon’s cloud services into one device. Even Amazon’s massive cloud servers, Amazon EC2, are used in the clever Silk browser and the Amazon Appstore finally has flagship device in the Fire. Amazon rebuilt its Kindle syncing platform, Whispersync, to enable resuming of TV shows and movies purchased or streamed using its Prime Instant Vidoes Android app. The Fire is the compilation of a lot of Amazon’s work — and it’s all built around Android. Adding a second tablet to Amazon’s offering seems to go against the Kindle brand’s mantra of keeping it simple. The Fire isn’t about Android or specs. It’s a tablet built around the same principles as the iPad. By bringing webOS into the fold, Amazon turns the attention to the platform, capabilities and differences rather than the form and function. A webOS Kindle doesn’t make sense. Instead, if Amazon is indeed looking to acquire Palm from HP, the company could be looking to acquire a proper hardware design team. Amazon reportedly outsourced the Fire’s development to Quanta, who, as Ryan Block puts it, “helped them shortcut the development process by using the PlayBook as their hardware template.” Amazon is clearly going all-in on tablets and will need the right principles in place for future products. However, Palm, and even HP, have never been known to make killer hardware so even this motive is a bit questionable. The notion of Amazon buying Palm seems a bit untimely at this point. Amazon is fully vested in the Android ecosystem with a host of apps and services. Plus, the Android-powered Fire is seemingly a hit. The install base of webOS, even after the $99 TouchPad fire sale, isn’t large enough to compensate the upfront cost and effort resurrecting a dead platform. Palm off-loaded most pre-webOS patents before HP acquired the company in 2010 so Amazon would only be purchasing whatever patents were left over or granted within the last few years. Steve Ballmer proudly proclaimed that Android isn’t free and his company is constantly signing new Android licensing agreements. In fact Microsoft reportedly makes more money from Android than its own Windows Phone 7. Amazon’s only play, and this is a stretch given the company’s Android investment, would be to buy webOS upfront to avoid any potential deals with Microsoft down the road. Some companies are fighting Microsoft’s patents but others, including Samsung, HTC and Acer, have already signed on the dotted line. From this vantage point outside of Amazon’s boardrooms, it doesn’t seem like Amazon needs Palm or webOS. The company did a fine job retooling Android into a consumer-friendly offering and is the only company outside of Apple to supplement hardware with a rich set of services and media, properly setting up the Fire for success. But if the price is right and Amazon foresees a legal battle with Microsoft, it’s completely plausible Amazon will be the next owner of the company that first innovated and advanced touchscreen tablets. Palm, Inc. was a leading mobile products company, creating instinctive yet powerful mobile products that enabled people to better manage their lives on the go. The company's products for consumers, mobile professionals and businesses included Palm® Treo™ and Centro™ smartphones and Palm handheld computers, as well as software, services and accessories. In July 2010, Palm was acquired by HP. The Palm brand was subsequently discontinued upon the introduction of webOS products under the HP brand. Kindle Fire brings you Movies, apps, games, music, reading and more, plus Amazon’s cloud-accelerated web browser Product features: 18 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, and books Amazon Appstore - thousands of popular apps and games Ultra-fast web browsing - Amazon Silk Free cloud storage for all your Amazon content Vibrant color touchscreen with extra-wide viewing angle Fast, powerful dual-core processor Amazon Prime members enjoy unlimited, instant streaming of over 10,000 popular movies and TV shows
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