Popbox’s Netflix-less launch now scheduled for July 23

Our wait for the Syabas Popbox just got a little longer, with the official blog announcing it will not ship from Amazon until July 23. Like the Boxee Box, the delay is being blamed on software being not “quite where we wanted it to be” but the real bad news here is the official list of content partners which, for the time being, is missing Netflix. Also not included (but likely not as missed) is SDTV support — even via analog outputs, the Popbox is apparently an HDTV only affair. As far as whether we will ever see Netflix support Syabas is still giving it the Voldemort treatment, but without naming names it refuted rumors regarding a lack of hardware DRM support with the claim that “the PopBox that ships is, TODAY, capable of supporting all foreseeable App partners in the future WITHOUT requiring a hardware upgrade.” Check the blog for a complete list of content providers (Revision3, YouTube, Picasa, Clicker, Twitter and others will be ready to go) and decide if that preorder is still worth holding on to.

Popbox’s Netflix-less launch now scheduled for July 23 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google: HTML5 is good, Flash is the ‘best platform’ for YouTube today, WebM is the future

We can’t say there’s a ton of surprises here, but, if you’re curious to know exactly where Google stands on the whole HTML5 / Flash debate, the company has now laid out its position in a post on its official YouTube API Blog. The short of it is that while Google says it has been “excited” about HTML5 for some time now and that the <video> tag is a “big step forward for open standards,” it says that Flash will continue to play a “critical role in video distribution,” and that it remains the “best platform” for YouTube’s requirements today. Of course, Google also didn’t let slip the opportunity to once again talk up the recently-announced WebM video standard, which it says is the open video format the web has been waiting for. It isn’t saying, however, that it will necessarily replace Flash for video, and notes that Adobe itself has committed to supporting VP8, the video codec for WebM. Hit up the link below to read the company’s complete argument for yourself.

Google: HTML5 is good, Flash is the ‘best platform’ for YouTube today, WebM is the future originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hulu Plus will be a downloadable app on PS3, require PlayStation Plus subscription?

The mathematical symbols are aligned… and they’re pointing to a greater cash outlay if you want to have (a legitimate copy of) Hulu on your PlayStation 3. Technologizer recently discovered the highlighted line above in the source code for the Hulu website, and if correct, you’ll need a PlayStation Plus subscription on top of your Hulu Plus one in order to stream the best brain-numbing shows from broadcast TV. While that adds up to an additional $18 for three months or $50 annually on top of your $10 monthly Hulu Plus fee, it’s not like you’ll get a better deal on a different game console — Microsoft has confirmed Hulu will require Xbox Live Gold when it launches on Xbox 360 next year. Besides, this isn’t like those janky Netflix Instant Streaming Discs — further down the source code, there are hints that Hulu’s developing a bona fide app for PlayStation 3. See the relevant section of the code right after the break.

Continue reading Hulu Plus will be a downloadable app on PS3, require PlayStation Plus subscription?

Droid X ad pokes fun at iPhone 4 antenna troubles

The world of corporate cheap shots has today been enriched in its number with one supersized ad for one supersized phone. BGR reports that Motorola took out a full-page spread in the New York Times on this final day of June, which was ostensibly dedicated to promoting the positives of its mighty Droid X. But Moto has also followed in the footsteps of Nokia in making a not so subtle jab at the latest king of the smartphone kingdom. “Most importantly,” the ad advises, the Droid X “comes with a double antenna design,” which will let you make “crystal clear calls” while holding the device “any way you like.” Glad we got that established — next Moto will be telling us the alarm clock on its phones works just fine too. Skip past the break for the untrimmed ad.

Continue reading Droid X ad pokes fun at iPhone 4 antenna troubles

Microsoft Kin is dead

We’re learning this afternoon that Microsoft’s Kin line, for all practical purposes, is riding off into the sunset just a few short weeks after its release. Sources close to Microsoft tell us that Andy Lees has rolled Kin into the Windows Phone 7 team and has canceled the existing product’s launch later this year in Europe on news that sales weren’t as strong as expected. Speaking of sales, Verizon’s already-launched Kin One and Kin Two are soldiering on for the time being, but for how long is anyone’s guess. Here’s Microsoft’s official statement:

“We have made the decision to focus exclusively on Windows Phone 7 and we will not ship KIN in Europe this fall as planned. Additionally, we are integrating our KIN team with the Windows Phone 7 team, incorporating valuable ideas and technologies from KIN into future Windows Phone releases. We will continue to work with Verizon in the U.S. to sell current KIN phones.”

Microsoft Kin is dead originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Remote Auxiliary Power System recharges our special forces straight from overhead power lines (video)

If you’re the type who gets a little nervous connecting jumper cables to your Accord after you forgot and left the trunk open overnight (again), this is one military gadget you will probably not be coveting. It’s called RAPS: the Remote Auxiliary Power System. US Air Force Spec Ops personnel requested “something like Batman” that would enable them to add some juice to their night vision goggles, GPS units, and Hello Kitty media players while in the field, and this is the result. When thrown over a power line it makes contact with the bare ground and then cuts through the insulation into the live wire within, pulling the power down to an AC/DC transformer built into the spool. This device has proven safe for use in the rain and even underwater, but we’re thinking we’d rather sing “Kumbayah” to ourselves than recharge our iPods in this manner. Video demonstration after the break, which also explains where the power actually comes from!

Continue reading Remote Auxiliary Power System recharges our special forces straight from overhead power lines (video)

HTC HD2 caught running Android 2.1 and Ubuntu with touchscreen enabled (video)

Still clinging on to your HTC HD2? Good on ya, cos this WinMo slate’s about to last you a wee bit longer — team HTC Linux has recently made a breakthrough with getting the touchscreen to talk to the HaRET Linux bootloader. In other words, us mere mortals can finally use Linux variants like Android and Ubuntu on the HD2 the way it’s meant to be, although we’re apparently still a few bugs away from a stable release. Until then, enjoy the techno-fueled video demo after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading HTC HD2 caught running Android 2.1 and Ubuntu with touchscreen enabled (video)

MeeGo for handsets makes its first appearance

As promised, Nokia and Intel have revealed the pre-alpha version of MeeGo for handsets today, supporting the Intel-powered Aava reference phone and the Nokia N900. What most interesting at this early stage is the UI, which appears to have taken a big Nokia-influenced step away from the Intel-designed MeeGo netbook and tablet UI — and we’re definitely detecting some hints of Android and webOS here and there. Seriously, just check out that task switching interface. Of course, MeeGo is open-source, so we’re sure Nokia has some deeper UI customizations in store — like homescreen widgets, which are notably missing here.

Windows Anytime Upgrade offer ends this Saturday

Stuck using a lower-end version of Windows 7 and considering an upgrade? Then you might want to act fast — Microsoft has just issued a reminder that its Windows Anytime Upgrade offer is ending this Saturday, July 3rd. That lets anyone using Windows 7 Starter edition upgrade to Home Premium for just $49.99 (normally $79.99), or from Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional for $79.99 (normally $89.99). Ready to make the jump? Hit up the link below for all the details.

Windows Anytime Upgrade offer ends this Saturday originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone 4’s antenna problem looks worse than it is, but it’s still bad

The iPhone 4’s antenna issues have sparked off a firestorm of debate as to the root cause — Apple says holding the phone differently or buying a case are the best answers, while other are going down a more voodoo path — but our friends at AnandTech have done some more scientific testing of the problem and come up with a few interesting results. Turns out the iPhone 4 actually performs slightly better inside a case than a phone like the Nexus One, which has had similar issues crop up, but it’s slightly worse when held in the hand, reporting an average signal drop of 20dB. Here’s where it gets a little wacky, though: the signal meter in iOS 4 uses a highly compressed range, so that 20dB drop can either leave you looking steady at five bars or drop you all the way to zero, depending on what the actual signal level in the area is like. Take a look at the chart above and you’ll get it: the range of values between one bar and four spans just 23dB, while the range for five bars is 40dB. That means holding the phone in an area with a strong five-bar signal will have no apparent effect — you can lose 20dB at full signal and still see five bars — but holding the phone in an area with weaker coverage will easily drop the meter to one bar, since the 20dB signal drop covers almost the entirety of the remaining 23dB scale. Oops.