Windows 8 Start Menu caught on camera, shows off high-contrast design

Most anyone who’s paid attention knows Windows 8 will feature some fancy tweaks, including a revamped Windows Explorer and new copy, move and rename functions . But now Redmond’s given us a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it preview of the new Start Menu, in a video about accessing ISO and VHD files in the new OS. We’ve included a screen capture above — hit the source link if you’d like to see the full (and admittedly quite dry) video. You’ll spot the wily Start Menu about 25 seconds in. [Thanks, Chris] Filed under: Software Windows 8 Start Menu caught on camera, shows off high-contrast design originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Samsung Vitality with Muve Music serenades itself to Cricket

If you remember the Samsung Admire at MetroPCS, then the manufacturer’s Vitality handset will look mighty familiar. It’s coming to Cricket and will join the Suede (a feature phone) as the network’s only smartphone with Muve Music . Like the Admire, it features an 800MHz CPU, 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen, a 3.2MP camera and runs stock Gingerbread. While its price and release date remain elusive, we’re told the requisite plan will ring in at $65 per month — a spendy leap for the network that goes chirp in the night. Perhaps that’s the rub when you combine an Android plan with unlimited song downloads, ringtones and ringback tones. Hey, nobody ever said it’d be cheap to be law-abiding. [Thanks, Daone] Samsung Vitality with Muve Music serenades itself to Cricket originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 06:52:00 EDT.

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Samsung Vitality with Muve Music serenades itself to Cricket

Wacom Inkling smart pen does drawing the old-fashioned way — sort of (video)

The latest product from Wacom trades the whole tablet motif we’ve come to know and love from the company, in favor of some good, old-fashioned pen-on-paper action. The Inkling is a ballpoint that transfers layered sketches to a PC or Mac via a USB connected receiver, which can then be edited with the included Sketch Manager software. The Livescribe-esque pen has pressure sensing technology with 1,024 levels of sensitivity. It will be available mid-September for $199. Video of the device after the break. [Thanks all] Continue reading Wacom Inkling smart pen does drawing the old-fashioned way — sort of (video) Wacom Inkling smart pen does drawing the old-fashioned way — sort of (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 05:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds

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Wacom Inkling smart pen does drawing the old-fashioned way — sort of (video)

HTC HD2 keeps spry with Mango RTM and custom ROM, looks to clear final hurdle (video)

You likely know the HTC HD2 as the phone that just can’t be held in the past. While it started life with Windows Mobile 6.5, it’s since met better fortunes with Android, Meego, and most recently… NoDo . Now, after the leak of Windows Phone Mango RTM , things are about to heat up once again. First, we’ve come across a video that clearly shows the HD2 gobbling up version 7720 of this tropical fruit without missing a beat. Also, xda-developers members YukiXDA and xboxmod are preparing to release their own concept ROM based on this release. Both projects are currently held back by the OS’s inability to properly recognize the phone’s microSD card, but that seems to be the final step before a full scale release.

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HTC HD2 keeps spry with Mango RTM and custom ROM, looks to clear final hurdle (video)

Galaxy S II LTE and Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE announced, set to debut at IFA

Well, if you thought Samsung was done tweaking the Galaxy S II , you were very mistaken. The Korean company is getting ready to unveil the Galaxy S II LTE at IFA in Berlin this week, alongside an LTE version of its still elusive Galaxy Tab 8.9 — and we’ll be there to get some hands on time. Both devices are sporting an updated dual-core processor running at 1.5GHz, while the S II is also getting a size bump and moving up to a 4.5-inch screen. The Tab remains otherwise unchanged, rocking the same 1200 x 800 screen and super-svelte (8.6mm thick) design. Honestly, we’re not sure what else you need to know — 4G LTE and an over-the-top processor? OK, maybe price and availability would be nice, but you’ll just have to make do with some PR for now. Check it out after the break. Continue reading Galaxy S II LTE and Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE announced, set to debut at IFA Galaxy S II LTE and Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE announced, set to debut at IFA originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:32:00 EDT

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Galaxy S II LTE and Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE announced, set to debut at IFA

MIT’s folding CityCar takes a spin on video, still no room for humans

The MIT Media Lab has been working on a folding, stackable electric vehicle for quite a few years now, but it seems those have at least been fairly productive years, as the so-called CityCar has now finally progressed to something resembling a finished prototype. The only problem for those eager to hop into one is that it’s a half-sized prototype, which makes accommodating a driver just a tad difficult. It does do a fairly good job of folding itself up though, and MIT expects a full-size version to go into production in 2013. Interestingly, MIT doesn’t necessarily see people actually owning the vehicles themselves, but it would like to see them be made available throughout cities — letting you rent one for a short trip across town, for instance, and not have to worry about returning it. Head on past the break to see it on video courtesy of The Next Web . Continue reading MIT’s folding CityCar takes a spin on video, still no room for humans MIT’s folding CityCar takes a spin on video, still no room for humans originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 23:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

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MIT’s folding CityCar takes a spin on video, still no room for humans

Apple patent application keeps your private display private

It always bears repeating that just because a company applies for a patent doesn’t mean the thing will ever see the light of day as a real product. But really, it’s the outlandishness that makes these things so fun sometimes. The decidedly clunkily named “Obfuscating the Display of Information and Removing the Obfuscation Using a Filter” details a technology for obscuring information on an electronic device via the addition of “artifacts” or the manipulation of the display’s “color, frequency or polarity.” Aspects can be obscured by different methods at the same time, so that different information will be blocked for individual users all staring at the same display. Also interesting is the use of a filter to decode the information — something like a pair of glasses coming between the user and the device, which can be detected by the device itself. Not a very Apple-like addition, but hey, you never know. Sometimes the future’s so bright you gotta wear shades . Apple patent application keeps your private display private originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 22:11:00 EDT.

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Apple patent application keeps your private display private

WebKit turns 10, celebrates a decade of speedy, standards-compliant browsing

It’s hard to believe but WebKit , the rendering engine inside Safari and Chrome, is now ten years old. The forked child of KDE’s KHTML received its first commit of code from Apple back on August 24th of 2001. It would be well over a year before the debut of Safari in 2003, and another two years before it was fully open sourced. Since then it’s begun to replace Gecko ( Mozilla ) as the rendering engine du jour and even spawned a sequel in Webkit2 . So, happy birthday to Apple’s greatest contribution to the open source community. WebKit turns 10, celebrates a decade of speedy, standards-compliant browsing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds

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WebKit turns 10, celebrates a decade of speedy, standards-compliant browsing

Motorola rolling out 4G LTE upgrade for select Xoom users?

It’s been a while coming , but it looks like some Motorola Xoom users will finally be receiving 4G LTE support, in the very near future. According to a customer service e-mail obtained by Droid Life , the manufacturer has already begun sending out instructions on how to receive the upgrade, as part of an apparent gradual rollout. To make the jump, select consumers, businesses and government clients will have to first back up their Android-based tablets, before shipping them off to Motorola in a pre-paid FedEx box. Once that’s taken care of, they’ll have to twiddle their thumbs for three business days before receiving their newly refreshed devices, dripping in Verizon’s LTE goodness. No word yet on when the rest of the Xoom community can expect similar treatment, but hit up the source link to read the full e-mail for yourself. Motorola rolling out 4G LTE upgrade for select Xoom users? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:26:00 EDT.

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Motorola rolling out 4G LTE upgrade for select Xoom users?

Apple granted patents for solar-powered charging, method of video navigation

Lately, Apple’s become synonymous with a flurry of hotly-contested patent disputes , but in a nice change of events, the company’s actually been granted a bunch by the USPTO. The recently awarded patents range from the mundane to the utilitarian, covering designs for a customizable docking peripheral, in addition to a solar-powered solution for charging those iDevices . But the real additions to Cupertino’s legal arsenal are its patents for what appears to be cover flow-like navigation for video, and display rotation for images captured via iOS cameras. Alright so none of these patents are particularly revolutionary, and they certainly aren’t tipping us off to the next iteration of the iPhone, but think of the lawyers, will you? This is the stuff their litigious dreams are made of. Apple granted patents for solar-powered charging, method of video navigation originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

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