Xiaomi Phone gets dissected, phone status confirmed

The Xiaomi Phone managed to pique our interest by packing a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor into a fairly sleek, inexpensive package -- and, like all interesting new devices, it's now been torn completely apart. You can thank the folks at LeiPhone for doing the hard work in this case, the results of which can be found at the source link below. We'll soon also have some more impressions of the (intact) phone ourselves, and it looks like Xiaomi will be giving its own forum members the first crack at pre-orders for the device. Those start at 10PM Eastern tonight for those with the requisite number of points, and we're told that the first 600 orders (200 each day from the 29th to the 31st) will receive an "engineering special edition" version of the phone -- not to mention a slight discount off the list price.

[Thanks, Adam]

Xiaomi Phone gets dissected, phone status confirmed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceLeiPhone.com, Xiaomi  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/29/xiaomi-phone-gets-dissected-phone-status-confirmed/

Emily Trautmann Charlotte Kadelbach Hugo Ruß Edith Hupertz

Is the TouchPad Coming Back to Best Buy? (Update: Yeah, No) [Best Buy]

It all happened so fast. First Best Buy denied being able to sell the HP's all-but-dead tablet during last weekend's firesale. A few days later they did, selling out quick. Now reports say they have more to sell. What gives? More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/yaLwwiKhSGM/is-the-touchpad-coming-back-to-best-buy

Lutz Yalcin Birte Höß Kerstin Klos Dieter Schreiter

TweetDeck to launch as HTML5 Web app, now accepting beta testers

When TweetDeck landed in the Chrome Web Store, it seemed like an indication that it might eventually evolve into a pure HTML5 Web app. Now it looks as though that's exactly what's going to happen, with TweetDeck announcing that a new, not-just-for-Chrome Web client is ready for beta testing.

It's a natural progression for TweetDeck, especially since its originally Adobe Air app is practically all Web code. TweetDeck Web will sport a feature set which is nearly identical to the Chrome app, with the notable exception of Twitter streaming.

Initially, TweetDeck is targeting Firefox 4 and 3.6, Google Chrome, and Safari. Opera and Internet Explorer 9 won't be invited to the dance until a bit later on.

If you'd like to get in on the TweetDeck Web beta, head on over and register -- or sign up using your existing TweetDeck account.

TweetDeck to launch as HTML5 Web app, now accepting beta testers originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/06/tweetdeck-to-launch-as-web-app-now-accepting-beta-testers/

Michel Rohr Hilde Baaden Hartmut Theobald Nicholas Graul

Smart Mobile And The Thin Cloud

thin cloudWhen HP CEO Leo Apotheker announced that the company was seeking options for its consumer PC business and abandoning the hardware mobile business its stock dropped 20%. When Steve Jobs resigned as CEO of Apple, after a 12 hour pullback, the stock rose to go above the previous close within 48 hours. These two stories of corporate change are widely discussed, often in terms that assume the men at the center of each company are the story. However, something far bigger is in play, and it will transform the entire software ecosystem over the next 5 years. The changes will be so dramatic that the current discussions of a bubble will appear silly. Huge companies will fail and even bigger new companies will be formed. The fundamentals of the era we are at the birth of have the following characteristics.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/BLYIuwVHeCY/

Arno Zimmerling Jacqueline Kiesel Michel Rohr Hilde Baaden

Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source'

Google, according to reports from "a dozen executives working at key companies in the Android ecosystem" is finally locking down the open source and easily-fragmented Android operating system.

As it currently stands, Google hands over the 'final' code for each version of Android, and OEMs and developers then spend some time customizing the OS to fit their hardware, and to create a unique and marketable flavor. That's all set to change, however.

Over the last few months, according to several people familiar with the matter, Android licensees such as HTC, Motorola and Facebook, have been asked to sign 'non-fragmentation clauses.' This new contract caveat will give Google the right to review and pass judgment on all changes to the Android OS. Two executives at Facebook say that they're unhappy that Google gets to review its changes to Android -- which is understandable, given Facebook and Google are direct competitors -- and there have also been allegations that Google is preventing some Verizon devices from shipping because they include Microsoft's Bing instead of Google search.

Continue reading Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source'

Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source' originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/google-demands-veto-on-android-changes-stretches-definition-of/

Erna Van den Hout Laura Pauli Janna Löhnig Gabriela Schnee

Disney Inks Deal with Greenbox, Chinese eCommerce Is Taking Off

mail-1A lot of Americans desperately want to believe that China is full of poor people who can't innovate, and the only goods they make are cheap, toxic rip-offs our Western brands. They want to believe the only reason the Chinese economy is surging is because the West wants cheap goods and China knows how to make them that way. These people will hate this post because it's about a company called Greenbox that flies in the face of those preconceived notions.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Nu_C5f_DZuo/

Finja Kerkhoff Sascha Dörr Kristin Gehrmann Annette Lechner

Add playback hotkeys to Amazon Cloud Player with a Chrome extension

Sure, Amazon's Cloud Player works -- as long as you're in the U.S. or willing to do some tinkering -- but it's fairly simplistic at the moment. There are plenty of features missing which we'd like to see added -- but since Cloud Player is a Web app we don't have to wait for Amazon!

Google Chrome users, for example, can add playback hotkeys with an extension called keyMazony. Once installed, you'll have keyboard control of your Amazon Cloud Player queue. keyMazony commands will work as long as you're in the same Chrome window as Cloud Player, even if its tab doesn't have focus. The key combinations are customizable as well -- just make sure you don't set up a combo that conflicts with another extension or Chrome's built-in keyboard shortcuts.

Add playback hotkeys to Amazon Cloud Player with a Chrome extension originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/add-playback-hotkeys-to-amazon-cloud-player-with-a-chrome-extens/

Laura Ungricht Edith Berner Lea Linden Kevin Fickenscher

Last-Minute FCC Communications Tips to Get You Through Hurricane Irene and Out the Other Side [Irene]

Are you still there? Has power cut out yet? It's Irene, baby, and she's barreling down the New England seaboard as I type this! But don't panic. The FCC is here with some last-minute tips on communicating during the storm. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/1d1U6JSlWcc/last+minute-fcc-communications-tips-to-get-you-through-hurricane-irene-and-out-the-other-side

Fiona Brandenburg Franziska Spanier Erna Van den Hout Laura Pauli

The Touchscreen Computer for Old People Unclear on the Concept [Computers]

I hope I never get so old as to require my progeny to buy me an idiot-proofed version of the latest technological innovation—that'd be insulting. But I might just get one of these Telikins for my Mom. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/0vpGvj2O0oM/the-touchscreen-computer-for-old-people-unclear-on-the-concept

Anna-Lena Baumgärtel Sabine Kinzler Frieda Falkner Hans-Joachim Kammann

Speedtest.net overhauled with new look, new features

speedtest
Speedtest.net is pretty much the go-to site for quickly figuring out how fast (or slow) your connection really is and comparing the numbers your ISP boasts with what it actually delivers. And now it's got a new coat of paint and a couple of neat features. In brief:
  • New UI: The map widget is much improved; it actually looks like a map now, and it's easy to see where you are.
  • Smart server selection: If there are several test servers nearby, Speedtest will now ping each to see which has the least latency and use that for the test. You can still specify servers manually, too.
  • User accounts: You can sign up for a free account and aggregate results from several computers/connections.
  • Speed Wave: This new feature lets you add your test results to the results of many other users, and get a nice composite view.
All in all, you get some nice, new functionality and a snazzier interface to boot. Nice!

Speedtest.net overhauled with new look, new features originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/07/speedtest-net-overhauled-with-new-look-new-features/

Lutz Yalcin Birte Höß Kerstin Klos Dieter Schreiter