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Roku brings v3.1 software update to first-gen boxes, Amazon Instant Video channel gets refaced

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Early birds may get the worms, but early adopters aren't always as equally rewarded. But, as they say, maybe first-gen Roku owners should simply be elated that their box is still on the ...

Samsung: No room for ICS on Galaxy S, Galaxy Tab, TouchWiz to blame

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We already knew that Samsung's Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab wouldn't be packing Ice Cream Sandwich, as both were omitted from the roadmap the company released earlier this week. Now we know why: an official blog post explains that, thanks to TouchWiz, Samsung Widgets and Video Calls, there isn't enough space left on the devices' ROM to hold the fourth generation of Google's OS. Depending on your interpretation, there also seems to be an issue with unsatisfactory performance, which makes us raise an eyebrow in Sammy's general direction. We're sure that we won't have to wait too long before some users take matters into their own hands and boot TouchWiz from the face of their phones in a quest for some delicious ice-creamy goodness.

Nokia responds to questions over Symbian name swap

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Nokia's seems to have finally realized that it can't just kill off a long-standing name like Symbian with a mere three-word mention (in parentheses) on its official blog. It's now posted ...

India: cellphones generate radiation, send a text message instead

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Is your cellphone bad for your health? India's government seems to think so, because it's planning a law that will require all phones to display how much electro-magnetic radiation they generate. Radiation is measured in SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) and the Indian limit has been lowered to match the USA's 1.6W/kg, whereas before it followed the European ceiling of 2W/kg. But even handsets that meet this criterion may have to declare their SAR level, and also carry a message asking people to keep their calls or short or use SMS instead -- implying that the Indian government regards radiation as dangerous at any level.

[Thanks, Yogesh]

Mega Man X blasts onto iOS, Reploids still struggling with free will

BERJAYA
It's a story as old as, well, 8-bit video gaming itself: man creates robots, 99 percent go rogue, the other 1 percent valiantly fights back and future world order is (temporarily) restored. Sound familiar? It should if you've logged any time with Mega Man X, Capcom's mega-popular series from console gaming's halcyon days. That SNES classic has just been ported over to iOS and is now available on the App Store for your thumb-smashing amusement. At $5 it's certainly cheaper than that other recent 16-bit retread, though nowhere near as awesomely epic.

Linaro member boards get accelerated builds of Android Ice Cream Sandwich

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Remember Linaro? How could you forget, right? The non-profit engineering organization that formed back at Computex 2010 has been plugging away for over 1.5 years now, and its most recent ...

Stream TV launching glasses free Ultra-D 3DTV tech at CES, again

BERJAYA
We don't recall seeing Stream TV's Elocity 3T autostereoscopic 3D TV on shelves after our CES demo last year, but to be fair, we don't get out much. Not to worry however, as the company will be back at CES 2012, this time touting Ultra-D "next generation 3D without glasses display technology" that it claims will surpass all 3D experiences to date. Lofty claims, but it's also banking on its tech for realtime 2D-to-3D conversion of any video content, with plans for the brand to reach TVs, converter boxes, tablets, PCs and more. Check out the press release after the break to drink in more hype, we'll be in line to see what's real at its press conference January 9th.
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US Cellular launches the Huawei Ascend II next week, costs you nothing (after rebate)

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Coming next week to a US Cellular website near you... we give you the Huawei Ascend II. The carrier's first Huawei device is no stranger on American soil, having spent a good five ...

Galaxy Tab 8.9 gets a taste of homemade Ice Cream Sandwich (video)

BERJAYA
So we know that Google's latest and greatest OS is headed to the Galaxy Tab 8.9 at some undefined point in 2012. But Samsung's promise of a future update just isn't enough to sate the appetites of a certain enterprising subset of Android users. With their hunger for Ice Cream Sandwich guiding their hands, a trio of XDA members decided to whip up a homebrew version of 4.03 for their Sammy tabs. While the bootable builds, of which there are now three, are far from complete, an update over on the site's dedicated forum notes that Bluetooth, GPS, hardware acceleration and the accelerometer are now functioning, with efforts continuing to enable WiFi. If you were hoping to sample a slice of these early ROMs, you're out of luck -- the group's decided to refrain from offering downloads until the ports are complete. Think you can hold out for the unofficial goods? Then check out the source below to keep up with the project's progress and, while you're at it, skip on past the break for a brief video demo.
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Rambus, Broadcom sign licensing deal, agree to share toys

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It never hurts to stop arguing, hug it out and agree on a patent licensing deal. Today, Rambus -- which has a history of litigating against chip makers it feels are have violated its ...

Motorola MOTOACTV firmware bump gives you marathon-battery life (video)

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Fitness people love to make us feel guilty as they jog past the car, sneering as they watch us eat six double downs in one go. It's those people who will be happy that Motorola's Motoactv is getting a firmware update promising better battery life and power-saving settings -- including a marathon mode that'll give you eight hours of accompanied running. You'll also find additional clock faces and the ability to measure your heart rate even when stationary. You know, with their clear skin and no body fat, maybe they've got the right idea and we should give some serious consideration to changing our ways -- you know, in January.
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Design your own Boeing 787 Dreamliner... but good luck affording one

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Ever wanted to cruise the friendly skies on a 787 Dreamliner? Ever wanted to do precisely that on a Dreamliner of your own? Fantasies aren't always easy to achieve, but at least a new ...

Kia's Ray EV hasn't heard about aerodynamics, sets out to defy naysayers in Korea

BERJAYA
That boxy thing up there? That's Kia's Ray EV, and apparently Korea's first mass produced electric vehicle. Looks-wise it's probably not the Hyundai i10 re-badge you were expecting, but that doesn't mean you should count the rectangular Soul-inspired city dweller out. With a range of 86 miles from its 16.4 kWh lithium-ion pack, it'll take six hours to charge over 220 volts or alternatively 25 minutes with an undisclosed fast-charger. Kia also says its electric motor has a "best in segment" efficiency rating, which at 93 percent sounds plausible. What isn't however, is the claim it's also "brisk," which is at odds with the lethargic 15.9 seconds it'll take to go from 0-62MPH. Undeterred by its languid persona and unconventional looks? Better start packing those bags, as the first 2,500 are going to the South Korean government. More shots await at the source.
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Dropbox knows you're an early adopter, gives you a sneak peek of its new Android app

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Dropbox knows it's not the only cloud storage option for Android, so the company is handing out an early Christmas present to get more green bots on board with its services: early access ...

FCC approves AT&T's $1.9b purchase of Qualcomm's 700MHz spectrum (update)

BERJAYA
Christmas has come early to the execs at AT&T, who are likely celebrating the FCC's 3-1 approval to purchase Qualcomm's block of the 700MHz spectrum for $1.9 billion. The news comes as a bittersweet victory for Ma Bell, whose efforts to acquire T-Mobile turned sour earlier this year. Qualcomm's block of the airwaves, once used to facilitate FLO TV, now sits unused. Once the acquisition is complete, AT&T will use the new share of spectrum to increase download capacity for its burgeoning LTE network.

For the FCC's part, it has approved the deal with only a few stipulations: AT&T will be required to satisfy interference requirements and must offer data roaming to its competitors on the spectrum. That's not to suggest everyone's pleased, however. Rural cellular providers asked that, as part of the deal, AT&T must ensure that its LTE network is interoperable with the bands used by smaller networks. Sadly, the FCC has denied this request, ostensibly limiting the little guy from receiving Ma Bell's hand-me-downs.

Update: AT&T has gone ahead and released a wee bit of celebratory PR, which we're including after the break. Most importantly, it expects to wrap up the finer details in the next few days.
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Louis CK makes $1 million in 12 days, proves that DRM-free content is valued

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Hear that, MPAA / RIAA? That's the sound of Louis CK's audience chuckling. Not at one of his jokes, mind you, but at the notion of strapping DRM onto everything you possibly can in order ...

OnLive now fully supports the Xperia Play, virtual thumbsticks and external controllers need not apply

BERJAYA
Earlier this month, the good folks at OnLive released apps for both iOS and Android, granting mobile access to its cloud gaming service. However, its implementation was incomplete -- there was no support for the Xperia Play's slide-out controls. The company didn't leave owners out in the cold for long, however, as it has updated the Android app to fully support all of the handset's hardware just in time for the holidays. So, you're no longer constrained by the vagaries of touchscreen controls or forced to fork over your recently received Christmas dough for OnLive's wireless controller to get your tactile gaming on. Get all the good news in the PR below.
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Portable Jaguar modder gives Ben Heck a run for his compact gaming money (video)

portable Atari Jaguar modWe bet you thought Ben Heck's Atari Jaguar mod would be the first and only portable hack of the ill-fated "64-bit" game system you'd ever see. Well, you were wrong. User Evil Nod, over at the Made by Bacteria forums, has whipped up a rather impressive compact console using the seemingly ubiquitous PS1 screen as a display. At about 1.75-inches thick, it's a bit bulkier than Heck's build, but it also doesn't have a giant battery or cartridge slot hanging off the back -- everything is tucked neatly away inside the textured black shell. Check out the source links for a build log and a few more photos of the finished product. You'll also find a bonus video of the prototype after the break.
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Wahoo Fitness' iPhone 4S-compatible Blue HR heart rate monitor ships in January for $80

BERJAYA
Remember that Wahoo Fitness Bluetooth 4.0 heart rate monitor we showed you last month? Here she is again. The company's proper unveiling of the device will come at CES 2012, linking up exclusively (at first, anyway) with the iPhone 4S and other Bluetooth Smart Ready devices. By tapping into the Blue HR and harnessing your fitness app of choice (a nice touch, we must say), you'll have access to heart rate data, music playlists, phone, maps, etc., all in one place. It'll start shipping in January for $79.99, and we're told that the product will launch with "full support of several of Wahoo Fitness' app partners, who have been working with Wahoo's Open API to support the Blue HR." A few compatible apps have already filtered into the App Store, including MapMyFitness, RunKeeper, 321Run, Runmeter, and MotionX, and the company's expecting even more in 2012. Full PR is after the break, no galloping required.
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Razer Blade gaming laptop delayed until mid-to-late January due to SSD upgrade

BERJAYA
Eagerly waiting to get your hands on that nearly $3,000 Razer Blade gaming laptop? Then we're afraid we've got a bit of bad news. Razer confirmed this week on its Facebook page that the initial batch of shipments have been delayed until mid-to-late January (much like the also-delayed Tiamat gaming headset). That's due to a last-minute hard drive upgrade from the standard 320GB HDD to a 256GB SSD -- a switch that Razer says it's been able to do without increasing the $2,799 list price, but which it can't do without incurring a delay (it promises it'll be worth it). To keep the peace with gamers, Razer says it will gladly throw in a free Razer Orochi Blade Edition gaming mouse with your Blade laptop order -- details on receiving it can also be found on the company's Facebook page linked below.

Republic Wireless changes stance: unlimited will be truly unlimited, 'no thresholds' or asterisks

BERJAYA
Credit where it's due: Republic Wireless has just made an about-face on the only major downfall we saw in its new wireless proposition. While most of the big boys have had an asterisk by "unlimited" for years on end, these guys were called out as being "deceptive" due to its convoluted "fair use policy." Instead of revising it, the upstart carrier is just throwing it out. Completely. "From today, Republic Wireless is all-in." That's according to a refreshing blog post tossed up on its site hours ago, where we're told that it's eager to accept feedback and adapt as necessary. Looking for more proof? How's about this:

"Rather than revising our fair use policy, we've decided not to have one at all. There will simply be no thresholds, and no risk of losing service. We're doing away with all of that to keep all of the focus instead on where it really belongs: Creating a new wireless future together. A future that is simple to understand, unfettered to use, and an amazing value for all. That's what we started down this path to do. That's where the power of this vibrant community, dynamic WiFi ecosystem and revolutionary technology should be invested."

In a world filled with GoDaddys, PayPals, SOPAs and CarrierIQs, it's downright incredible to see a 180 in this direction. And yes, as part of that legal amendment, everyone who has purchased or purchases a phone during beta will be guaranteed the opportunity to enjoy unlimited service, without fear of cancellation, until the end of beta. The only snippet you should know about is the "unacceptable use" clauses, which state that you can't resell Republic's service or leave the phone "always on" as a conduit for other uses obviously beyond what would be normal for a personal smartphone; wildly enough, the outfit has promised to "reevaluate those provisions, too." Three cheers for listening skills, eh?

Steve Jobs awarded posthumous Grammy for 'significant contributions to music'

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It's pretty difficult to argue that both Apple's iPod and -- to an even greater extent -- its contentious iTunes software haven't had a massive impact on the music industry. The Recording Academy has decided to recognize this, naming the former CEO and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs for a Trustees Award for "outstanding contributions to the industry in a non-performing capacity." It will be the second Grammy to celebrate Apple's contributions to the music industry -- its work in recording netted it a Technical Grammy exactly ten years ago.

GTA III goes on sale for the holidays, brings violence and cheer to Galaxy Nexus owners

BERJAYA
A classic title like Grand Theft Auto III isn't exactly at hard sell at $5 on your smartphone or tablet -- at $3 you're almost a fool not to snatch it up. Perhaps more importantly though, ...

FCC approves first white space device and database for Wilmington, NC

FCC Whitespaces
The FCC has approved the first device to use the much buzzed about "white spaces" between television broadcast frequencies to transmit data. The recipient of the honor is a receiver from Koos Technical Services that's designed to be a last-mile connection for surveillance cameras and telemetry systems. The radio will tap into database run by Spectrum Bridge to ensure it doesn't interfere with other broadcasts. Chairman Julius Genachowski said in a statement that, "we are taking an important step towards enabling a new wave of wireless innovation. Unleashing white spaces spectrum has the potential to exceed even the many billions of dollars in economic benefit from Wi-Fi, the last significant release of unlicensed spectrum, and drive private investment and job creation." For now, only the city of Wilmington, NC will be able to benefit from the approval, as the FCC continues to iron out the details that will prevent these devices from interfering with wireless microphones. Check out the press release after the break for more info.
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Amazon stops blocking rival e-reading apps on Kindle Fire

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People just keep digging up interesting little tidbits in the latest Fire firmware update. It may have killed the ability to root but, it did grant access to the Android Market website ...
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Let the hive mind of Engadget get that for you.
"I am interested in building a brand new rig, and I've come to admire chiclet keyboards like those seen on various laptops and the Mac keyboard -- but I'm not a fan of the Apple tax. Is there a nice chiclet-style keyboard out there you would recommend for desktop users? I'd really like a full numeric keypad on it if possible."
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25,000
applications

The amount of apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace

Microsoft's Windows Phone Marketplace has now reported to have passed 25,000 apps by one site tracking comings and goings within it. (source: WindowsPhoneAppslist, July 2011)

A refreshed edition of the very familiar hardware on display. All the usual elements are here, with a handle, touchscreen and stylus combined with a tough rugged casing ready to take the worst a 3rd grader can dish out.
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