RIM gets to use BBM name without any implications

Research In Motion (RIM) is certainly a company that could do with plenty of good news, considering the rather tough times that the company has fallen into recently. Well, good to hear that a federal court has ruled in favor of RIM, saying that the use of the name “BBM” does not infringe upon any trademarks. BBM Canada's CEO, Jim MacLeod, mentioned last December that "We want our name back", referring to RIM's use of BBM that is associated with their popular BlackBerry Messenger service.

Ubergizmo, RIM gets to use BBM name without any implications

XBMC audio engine gets big rewrite, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio hit your media hub

Fans of XBMC who've wanted their HTPCs to replace the higher-end components of a home theater setup, like Blu-ray players and higher-end receivers, are having their wishes fulfilled through a completely reworked sound system. AudioEngine, as it's called, can processevery stage of audio encoding and decoding, even with 7.1-channel formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. As the code uses more precise floating point math, the improvements can bolster heavily compressed audio and allow for upmixing from stereo to a native surround format.

Engadget, XBMC audio engine gets big rewrite, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio hit your media hub

Google lobs antitrust complaint against Microsoft, Nokia in EU, claims they're playing patent footsie

The gloves just came off at Google: the company has just filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission against Microsoft and Nokia. Its gripe accuses the two Windows Phone partners of playing dirty pool through handing 1,200 wireless-related patents to Mosaid, a Canadian firm which spends most of its time suing the industry over WiFi rather than making products. Microsoft and Nokia are allegedly hiking the prices of devices by "creating patent trolls" that bypass deals preventing them from suing directly, possibly steering a few companies towards picking Windows Phone instead of Android.

Engadget, Google lobs antitrust complaint against Microsoft, Nokia in EU, claims they're playing patent footsie

Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol F1 review

What is a DJ. Everyone who considers him or herself one can probably give you a unique answer. Is everyone with a music collection and a sense for good timing a DJ, or does their music collection have to exceed a certain number of gigabytes or slabs of vinyl to be in the club (no pun intended). Audio playback devices are certainly getting more plentiful and powerful on a large scale; anyone who's played with an iOS DJ app can tell you that. In the deeper end of the DJ pool, things aren't expanding at such a frantic pace. But every once in a while a new toy crops up that adds depth and breadth to the way music nerds play back music.





Engadget, Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol F1 review

UK: Nokia Lumia 710 is the first Windows Phone to go below £100. Limited time offer ends on June 7

Just a few hours ago we told you about a great deal that allowed you to get a Windows Phone for just £139.99 in the UK. In that case, it was the Acer Allegro. And up until that point, it was the cheapest we'd ever seen a Windows Phone in the UK. However, that's no longer so. The Nokia Lumia 710 is now even cheaper than the Allegro. One (tiny) caveat, though: the following pricing applies on Pay as you go only.

Unwired View, UK: Nokia Lumia 710 is the first Windows Phone to go below £100. Limited time offer ends on June 7

Vodafone UK launches Smart II: Android Gingerbread for £70 (hands-on)

UK carriers often like to elbow their way into the limelight when a rival's getting some attention. This time, Vodafone's cutting into Orange's Intel excitement with the Smart II; an update to its wallet-happy Android device from 2011. The UK carrier even let us get some hands-on time with the pebble-sized phone. While the specifications (800MHz processor, 3.2-inch screen) aren't going to wow, at £70 (around $109) it could reel in plenty of feature phone graduates.






Engadget, Vodafone UK launches Smart II: Android Gingerbread for £70 (hands-on)

Sony NEX-F3 review

Just shy of a year ago, we reviewed the Sony NEX-C3, a mirrorless camera that quickly became our benchmark when it came to entry-level interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs). We praised its excellent image quality, generally consistent performance, overall solid design and, best of all, its $600 price tag - including an 18-55mm kit lens.










Engadget, Sony NEX-F3 review

Apple's iPhone goes prepaid

. Beginning on June 22nd, consumers in the United States will be able to purchase a new iPhone to be used alongside prepaid wireless service. Regional carrier Cricket, owned by Leap Wireless, will offer Apple's iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 off contract alongside its $55 unlimited talk, text and data plan. Though labeled as unlimited, the plan includes 2.3GB of full-speed data, and speeds will be throttled once that threshold is reached. While the news marks the start of a new chapter for Apple's current iPhone models, the high hardware cost compared to other prepaid smartphones may be a substantial barrier for many subscribers.

Boy Genius Report, Apple's iPhone goes prepaid

Vimeo provides the soundtrack of our lives with new tools

What's Wes Anderson without the Kinks, Pulp Fiction without Dick Dale or Benny Hill without "Yakkity Sax?" Vimeo knows the power of a good soundtrack, so it's adding a couple of tools to its arsenal. The Enhancer lets users choose from some 50,000-plus tracks from the Vimeo Music Store, adding them directly to videos, adjusting audio levels and shifting the beginning and end of the song. A partnership with SmartSound, meanwhile, offers up access to 4,000 songs that can be customized by adjusting length, instrumental mix and musical arrangement.

Engadget, Vimeo provides the soundtrack of our lives with new tools

Ebuzzing to host interactive workshop at Cannes Lions Festival 2012 on social video

Global Social Video experts to present seven golden rules of planning and creating premium engaging video contentLondon 31st May 2012: Leading social video platform, Ebuzzing, today announced it will be hosting a workshop, ‘How to make your video content buzz on the social web’, at this year’s Cannes Lions Festival, the world’s biggest celebration of creativity in communications.

Press Release Distribution

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digitalblog, Ebuzzing to host interactive workshop at Cannes Lions Festival 2012 on social video

Second-gen IOIO in the works: embraces the wireless revolution, cuts cost

Ytai Ben-Tsvi's IOIO board is quite the hit with the Android-hacking DIY crowd. But, that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement on the $50 dev board. A second-gen version is in the works that adds the ability to connect to a computer as a USB device (not just as a host) or via Bluetooth, without the need for an intermediary controller like an Arduino. Perhaps most exciting for those interested in tinkering with DIY Android phone accessories, is the plan to cut the price of the new IOIO. How much less the next version will cost isn't clear yet, but even just $5 could make a major difference.

2DayBlog.com

See also:
computerworld, Second-gen IOIO in the works: embraces the wireless revolution, cuts cost

Microsoft announces Office 365 for Government, touts its fluffy cloud-based goodness

Unlike certain folks who wear tinfoil hats Microsoft has no qualms working with the guv'ment. Having added Office 365 support to Windows Phone in its Mango update, the company is now turning its attention to a less tech-averse Uncle Sam with the introduction of the obviously named Office 365 for Government. According to Microsoft, this rendition of Office 365 places US government data in the soft embrace of the cloud via its own segregated community. Offerings featured with the service include Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Lync Online and Office Professional Plus.

Engadget, Microsoft announces Office 365 for Government, touts its fluffy cloud-based goodness

Copper-nickel nanowires from Duke University could make ubiquitous printable circuits

Nanowires, although they're building steam, still have to overcome the not-so-small problem of cost - they often have to use indium tin oxide that's not just expensive, but fragile. Duke University has developed copper-nanowire films that could remedy this in style. The choice of material is both a hundred times less expensive to make than indium and is much more durable. It's flexible, too: if layered on as a coating, the nanowires would make for considerably more viable wearable electronics that won't snap under heavy stress.

Engadget, Copper-nickel nanowires from Duke University could make ubiquitous printable circuits

Gigabyte makes 975g X11 official, claims 'world's lightest' 11.6-inch notebook (update: hands-on)

Well hello there again, Gigabyte X11. Hot on the heels of yesterday's leak, Gigabyte's just made its 11.6-inch X11 laptop (or is that an Ultrabook?) official. At 975g (34.4oz) it claims the title of "lightest notebook on earth" - and weighs even less on Mars. Design-wise, you're looking at a 16.5mm (0.65-inch) to 3mm (0.19-inch) thin Macbook Air-like body made of real carbon fiber (!) with an aluminum hinge. Under the hood you'll find unspecified third generation Intel Core processors (read Ivy Bridge), 4GB of DDR3 RAM, Mobile Intel HM77 Express chipset with Intel HD Graphics 4000, a 128GB SSD, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth v4.0.










Engadget, Gigabyte makes 975g X11 official, claims 'world's lightest' 11.6-inch notebook (update: hands-on)

Dell adds XPS One 27 with 2560 x 1440 screen to its all-in-one lineup, prices start at $1,399

HP, Sony and Toshiba have already outed their new offerings for the back-to-school season, and now Dell is stepping up to the plate with announcements of its own. First up is the XPS One 27 all-in-one. As the name would suggest, it has a 27-inch screen, and the resolution is an impressive 2560 x 1440 pixels. All configurations are going to ship with Ivy Bridge processors (Core i5 or i7) with up to 16GB of memory, and the standard 1TB 7,200RPM hard drive can be swapped out for a 2TB HDD or 32GB SSD.




2DayBlog.com, Dell adds XPS One 27 with 2560 x 1440 screen to its all-in-one lineup, prices start at $1,399

Harry Potter for Kinect — Lets You Kill “You-Know-Who” with Motion

I don't play video game as much as you do. I play Angry Birds on my iPhone and Facebook in my leisure times, but that's all. You know, I have tried to play games more seriously in the last three months. I built my custom PC with high-end component such as Intel Core i7 processor, a 16GB RAM, NVIDA GT440 graphic display card, and a 21-inch LED display. And you know what, my computer crashes whenever I run high resource games such as Need for Speed and Dolphin emulator to play Super Mario Galaxy.

Trendy Gadget, Harry Potter for Kinect â€" Lets You Kill “You-Know-Who” with Motion

Google starts selling accessories for HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus on Google Play, has you all docked up

If you liked the idea of buying an unlocked Galaxy Nexus straight from Google but were put off by the absence of the official accessories, have no fear. A swing by Google Play now gives US shoppers the chance to buy the regular Desktop Dock, the HDMI Portrait Dock or the Vehicle Dock, whether it's packed in with your Android 4.0 flagship or after the fact. All three require the HSPA+ edition - sorry, no attempts to shoehorn the Verizon model here - and cost between $49 to $54.

Engadget, Google starts selling accessories for HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus on Google Play, has you all docked up

Sony considered download only for next-gen Playstation, will keep optical drive

. Sony considered removing the optical drive from its next-generation Playstation gaming console, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Japanese electronics maker decided against a download-only model, however, because “Internet connectivity is too inconsistent around the world.” Removing the optical drive would have also hurt the adoption of Blu-ray, which Sony heavily pushed with its Playstation 3. The next-generation PlayStation, codename Orbis, is rumored to launch during the holiday season of 2013.

Boy Genius Report, Sony considered download only for next-gen Playstation, will keep optical drive

Second-gen IOIO in the works: embraces the wireless revolution, cuts cost

Ytai Ben-Tsvi's IOIO board is quite the hit with the Android-hacking DIY crowd. But, that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement on the $50 dev board. A second-gen version is in the works that adds the ability to connect to a computer as a USB device (not just as a host) or via Bluetooth, without the need for a intermediary controller like an Arduino. Perhaps most exciting for those interested in tinkering with DIY Android phone accessories, is the plan to cut the price of the new IOIO. How much less the next version will cost isn't clear yet, but even just $5 could make a major difference.

Engadget, Second-gen IOIO in the works: embraces the wireless revolution, cuts cost

Mario sleeps with the fishes

Now, we have seen our fair share of unique computer cases in the past, as well as other home devices that sport decals which hark back a couple of decades to merge the old and the new, but what we have here is a bit of video game legend coupled with an everyday object which is guaranteed to elicit at least a comment from guests who drop by your place. I am talking about the aquarium which you see above – it resembles one of the end of a generic Mario level, with bricks to bump, a Goomba to stomp on, a Super Mushroom to grab, as well as the famous flag pole that helps you net additional points the higher your starting point is.

Ubergizmo, Mario sleeps with the fishes

Google Nexus tablet confirmed in benchmark tests

. Google's Nexus tablet has seemingly been confirmed by Rightware's Power Board benchmark test result site. The rumored device recently appeared in the results database and is confirmed to feature a 7-inch display with a resolution of 768 x 1,280 pixels and a quad-core Tegra 3 processor clocked at 1.3GHz. The benchmarks also confirm that ASUS is the manufacturer, and the device is running Android 4.1 with the build JRN51B, the “J” likely indicating Jelly Bean.

Boy Genius Report, Google Nexus tablet confirmed in benchmark tests