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Apple's App Store crosses the 1.5 billion download mark

Yes, it seems like only yesterday (or about 3 months ago) that Apple crossed a landmark -- 1 billion apps downloaded from its App Store -- and here we are again. Apple's just issued a press release stating that it's now seen another half a billion apps downloaded in about three months -- putting them over the 1.5 billion mark. Apple doesn't get all the kudos to themselves, though: after all, someone's been downloading The Moron Test. A lot.Filed under: Cellphones, Software Apple's App Store crosses the 1.5 billion download mark originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Windows Marketplace taking app submissions on July 27, coming to WinMo 6.0 and 6.1 later this year

Windows Mobile devs should start dotting their I's and crossing their T's, because Microsoft's going to be ready to take a good, hard look at their latest and greatest apps come the 27th of this month when the company finally swings open the doors to the submission processes for inclusion in the Windows Marketplace. The announcement has been made at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference this week as it gears up for an onslaught of devices running WinMo 6.5 at retail later this year, though the retail channel might not be where much of the action lies; unlike the Apple App Store, the Android Market, Palm's App Catalog and others, Microsoft is putting major emphasis on a segment of Windows Marketplace it's calling the Business Center where corporate-focused apps and utilities will have a place to live. Boring, yes -- but probably also very profitable in the business fleet market segment where WinMo tends to thrive. Though the company had previously indicated that Windows Marketplace would be a 6.5 exclusive, we've got great news for legacy device owners who don't expect to get an upgrade: Microsoft has also announced today that the Marketplace will be coming to WinMo 6.0 and 6.1 before the year's out. Considering that 6.5 won't be hitting the street until fall, that's not too bad of a wait; now all it needs is a rich catalog of great software to go along with the great hardware some of its partners are producing, right? Gallery: Windows Marketplace taking app submissions on July 27, coming to WinMo 6.0 and 6.1 later this year Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds Windows Marketplace taking app submissions on July 27, coming to WinMo 6.0 and 6.1 later this year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

eMachines offers up stylish, underpowered EZ1601-01 all-in-one PC

Remember that EZ1600 we peeked back in April? Seems its long lost cousin just got official courtesy of eMachines, as the EZ1601-01 all-in-one retains that same PC-in-a-monitor feel yet sports a clearly different model name. Or, you know, maybe eMachines just changed the label up on us. At any rate, the newest member of the EZ Series features a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 945GSE chipset, 1GB of DDR2 memory, completely uninspiring GMA 950 integrated graphics, a 160GB SATA hard drive, 8x SuperMulti DVD burner, WiFi, five USB 2.0 sockets, built-in speakers, a bundled keyboard and mouse, multicard reader and a 18.5-inch LCD. Thankfully, the underpowered machine offers up Windows XP in order to keep resource demands in check, but the $399.99 price tag may be a bit much given the N270's age.Filed under: Desktops eMachines offers up stylish, underpowered EZ1601-01 all-in-one PC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

HTC Hero's UK launch pushed back to July 24th or later?

The official time box for the launch of the HTC Hero in Europe is July -- entirely too broad a date range for the most celebrated Android device to date. That leaves the Hero hopefuls idle, aimlessly wandering the dank HTML corridors of on-line retailers for more detailed clues. In hopes of slaking that jones, we just learned that Amazon UK has pushed its release date back from July 15 to July 24th while another site, Devicewire, says via its Twitter account that it won't have stock until the first week of August. There, feel better? [Thanks, Drew T. and Sam P.] Read -- Devicewire tweet Read -- Amazon UKFiled under: Cellphones HTC Hero's UK launch pushed back to July 24th or later? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

HP's DreamScreen digiframe puts on a Facebook and Pandora show for the FCC

Yes, it's yet another a digital photo frame, but HP's next entrant looks like it could be something special, making a stop by the FCC and taking its full manual with it, thus opening all of its mysteries and functions to the wild. Available in two sizes, 10.2- and 13.3-inches at 800 x 480 and 1,280 x 800 resolutions (respectively), the DreamScreen will sport your typical selection of features, including 2GB of internal storage, wired and wireless connectivity, a remote control, and support for memory cards like CF, SD, and Memory Stick. Where things get interesting is online integration; the frame will be able to pull pictures directly from Facebook and Snapfish while streaming tunes from Pandora, meaning re-living vacation pics while discovering new artists just became a curious possibility. No word on whether you can give friends' poorly composed holiday snaps and that new Moby album a thumbs down at the same time, but we can hope.Filed under: Displays HP's DreamScreen digiframe puts on a Facebook and Pandora show for the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Guitar Hero 5 axe takes an evolutionary step forward

We've already noted drum alterations and turntable possibilities for Guitar Hero 5, so lets complete the set with some info on the new axe. The first major change is an utterly unnecessary but all the same appreciated white pick guard, which is paired up with a moody red paintjob for the body. Internal signaling has gone digital to minimize latency, while the strum bar has been tweaked for the sake of reliability. Ease of use has also been addressed through the addition of colored dots to the neck of the guitar and slight reliefs on the top, middle, and bottom fret buttons to allow full sensory awareness of the pseudo-guitar at all times. Eager rockers can get it alongside their annual copy of Guitar Hero this September.Filed under: Peripherals Guitar Hero 5 axe takes an evolutionary step forward originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Olympus E-P1 available to those willing to pay a little premium

If you've been lusting over the latest Micro Four Thirds entrant from Olympus just like we have since we first saw the E-P1, you'll be happy to know that it has finally entered that special time in its life when it's not available through mainstream retailers just yet, but it is available -- if you're willing to pay a bit more than Amazon's (still unshipped) pre-order asking price of $749. Kit prices of the body with the 14 - 42mm kit lens we tested are right now ranging between $799 (MSRP) and $899 (a Benjamin premium) at various Amazon affiliates, and while anyone willing to refrain from clicking the "Buy" button for a week or three will surely save quite a bit, waiting is such a bother. [Thanks, Ron M.]Filed under: Digital Cameras Olympus E-P1 available to those willing to pay a little premium originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Samsung HMX-U10 Full HD camcorder with 1-button YouTube uploads out-Ultras the Flip

Step aside Flip, Samsung's aiming its massive consumer-electronics guns directly at your point-shoot-n-upload to YouTube base. Samsung's new HMX-U10 fixed-focus, ultra-compact camcorder takes 10 megapixel stills or 1920 x 1080 Full HD H.264 video to SDHC cards courtesy of a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor. There's also a 2-inch LCD so you can playback, edit, or upload your videos with help from Samsung's built-in Intelli-studio software and USB cable, naturally. Unfortunately, Samsung makes no mention of image stabilization typically missing from these pocket camcorders. We do know, however, that it'll ship in September for $200 with a footprint measuring 56 x 103 x 15.5-mm / 95g and that peculiarly angled lens first seen on Sammy's HMX-R10 and SMX-C10 camcorders. So for the same price you get a bigger sensor with higher resolution from a better-looking camera that's also smaller and lighter than the Flip UltraHD. Care to respond PureDigital Cisco? Backside pic after the break. [Via InfoSync] Gallery: Samsung HMX-U10 Full HD camcorder Continue reading Samsung HMX-U10 Full HD camcorder with 1-button YouTube uploads out-Ultras the Flip Filed under: Digital Cameras Samsung HMX-U10 Full HD camcorder with 1-button YouTube uploads out-Ultras the Flip originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Are memristors the future of Artifical Intelligence? DARPA thinks so

New Scientist has recently published an article that discusses the memristor, the long theorized basic circuit element that can generate voltage from a current (like a resistor), but in a more complex, dynamic manner -- with the ability to "remember" previous currents. As we've seen, HP has already made progress developing hybrid memristor-transistor chips, but now the hubbub is the technology's applications for artificial intelligence. Apparently, synapses have complex electrical responses "maddeningly similar" to those of memristors, a realization that led Leon Chua (who first discovered the memristor in 1971) to say that synapses are memristors, "the missing circuit element I was looking for" was with us all along, it seems. And of course, it didn't take long for DARPA to jump into the fray, with our fave DoD outfit recently announcing its Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics Program (SyNAPSE -- cute, huh?) with the goal of developing "biological neural systems" that can "autonomously process information in complex environments by automatically learning relevant and probabilistically stable features and associations." In other words, they see this as a way to make their killer robots a helluva lot smarter -- and you know what that means, don't you? Read - New Scientist: "Memristor minds: The future of artificial intelligence" Read - DARPA: "Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics"
Filed under: Science Are memristors the future of Artifical Intelligence? DARPA thinks so originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mechanical cheetah comin' atcha!

Actually, it's just a sculpture with articulated joints, but by all the gods of steampunk, it looks glorious. The product of 60 hours' labor and a selection of used transmission parts, disemboweled household appliances and 20-gauge steel, the mechanical cheetah stands 24-inches tall and 50-inches long. It looks like a stripped down robocat skeleton, and its joints can be maneuvered to mimic the movements of the real feline or to strike some downright awesome poses. Hit the read link for video of the mech cheetah simulating a run, as well as creator Andrew Chase's thoughts on the project, or click past the break for more images -- including a bonus snapshot of a mech giraffe. [Via Wired]Continue reading Mechanical cheetah comin' atcha! Filed under: Robots Mechanical cheetah comin' atcha! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments