Google holds back on open-sourcing Honeycomb, heralds massive shift for Android

Android Honeycomb
Google, in an interesting but not entirely unexpected twist, will not be open-sourcing Android 3.0 Honeycomb for the foreseeable future.

Historically, Android is usually open-sourced via the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) a few days or weeks after the code is finalized. While this departure from the norm won't affect OEMs like HTC and Motorola that have access to internal builds of Android, small-time developers will likely have to wait months before rolling their own distributions.

As to why Google is holding back Honeycomb, its reasons are actually rather rational. Honeycomb, while originally intended to run on all mobile form factors, is only ready for deployment on tablets. "To make our schedule to ship the tablet, we made some design tradeoffs," says Andy Rubin, the head of Google's Android group. "We didn't want to think about what it would take for the same software to run on phones. It would have required a lot of additional resources and extended our schedule beyond what we thought was reasonable. So we took a shortcut."

In other words, Google wants to prevent OEMs and homebrew developers like Cyanogen from rolling their own smartphone versions of Honeycomb -- it doesn't want to see the same bitter-tasting tabletified bastardization that occurred with Android 2.1 and 2.2 last year.

Continue reading Google holds back on open-sourcing Honeycomb, heralds massive shift for Android

Google holds back on open-sourcing Honeycomb, heralds massive shift for Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/25/google-holds-back-on-open-sourcing-honeycomb-heralds-shift-android/

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Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8

classic shell make windows 7 look like xp
If you used Windows XP for a long time (who didn't?), one of the biggest changes when moving to Windows 7 or Vista was the massively-altered Explorer. While the new Explorer introduces some useful new features, it also removed just as many -- which is where Classic Shell comes in!

We've covered Classic Shell before, but here's the crib note: Classic Shell restores almost every Windows XP-era Explorer feature. The best change, in our opinion, is the reemergence of the 'up' arrow, meaning you now navigate without using the Windows Vista/7 'breadcrumbs' address bar. The status bar yet again shows the total size of your selection, and -- praise be! -- the diabolical Windows 7 Copy File 'copy and replace?' dialog has been replaced with a Windows XP lookalike (image after the break).

New to the most recent version of Classic Shell is the ability to make IE9 look like IE8. With Classic Shell the title bar yet again has a caption, so you can see the full title of Web pages. The current security zone and loading progress indicator have been put back into the status bar, too. If you enable 'Show tabs on a separate row,' it's almost like using IE8.

Finally, Classic Shell replaces the omnipotent Windows 7 Start Menu with the age-old 'classic' Windows 2000/XP-style Start Menu. Classic Shell makes the Start Menu skinable, too, if you're into the kind of thing.

As awesome as it sounds, we've only touched on a small section of Classic Shell's feature set. Check the Classic Shell site for a complete list. There's a few more images of Classic Shell in action after the break.

Download Classic Shell for Windows

Continue reading Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8

Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/classic-shell-makes-windows-explorer-and-ie9-look-like-their-anc/

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Dell delivers official Gingerbread ROM to the discontinued Streak 5

Although we wouldn't go as far as saying the Streak 5 is coming out of its grave, we can tell you that Dell is making an effort to help it regain consciousness -- which is great news for those of you who own the device. Don't mind that ICS is here, or that it's been 12 months since we first met Android 2.3, what's important is that the smartphone / tablet is ready to get its first (official) taste of some Gingerbread goodness. Needless to say, we know you're thrilled to make the OS transition, but before you do so, hit up the source link for all the nitty-gritty from the XDA folks to help guide you in your quest.

Dell delivers official Gingerbread ROM to the discontinued Streak 5 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/dell-delivers-official-gingerbread-rom-to-the-discontinued-strea/

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Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice

Konstruct generative augmented reality art for iOS
If you have an artistic temperament, but you weren't blessed with steady hands or an eye for color, Konstruct might be the app for you. Not only does the iPhone app let you produce generative art using words, warbles and whistles, but it also uses augmented reality to bring your artistic creation to life.

To get started, you first need to print out the Konstruct marker and place it wherever you'd like to create your AR sculpture -- it could be on your living room wall, or on the floor of your bathroom, it doesn't matter. Open the app, point your iPhone at the marker, and start making some noises! Once you're done, you can save your creation, or simply wipe the slate clean and start again.

The volume of your voice affects the size of the shapes that are drawn on the screen, and you can move your head around to alter the path of your 'brush' -- but to change the shape of your brush or modify the color palette you have to use a menu. Without knowledge of the app's internal workings, it's hard to say what the actual difference between whistling, talking and singing is -- and judging by the developer's affinity for whistling in the demo video (after the break), the app probably doesn't perform that much analysis on your input.

Still, Konstruct is just a prototype! A later version could do away with menus and rely entirely on the location, tonality, quality and amplitude of your voice -- and judging by the the words of the developer, James Alliban, there is definitely more in store for Konstruct: "The idea of transforming entire cities into user generated virtual art galleries really appeals to me. I see Konstruct as an early prototype that will hopefully be realised in this form in the future."

Download Konstruct for free from the App Store (iPhone 3GS and 4 only)

[Thanks to Richard for the tip!]

Continue reading Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice

Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/05/konstruct-for-ios-creates-generative-augmented-reality-art-with/

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Electric Skates for Sci-Fi Roller Diners

They might not be as temptingly dangerous as the 20mph gas-powered skates which were seized by British customs back in the summer of 2007, but Peter Treadway’s spnKiX more than make up for their lack of speed with their devil-may-care attitude to vowels and capital letters. The spnKiX are rather dully described as “wearable mobility,” but [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/12/electric-skates-for-sci-fi-roller-diners/

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Jetbus is a retro-tastic physics game, with a bus

jetbus
Once upon a time, there used to be a DOS game with a caveman and a human powered helicopter. The caveman would shuttle around the screen, madly trying to get customers to where they wanted to go.

Jetbus is not that game, but it's obviously inspired by it. You're driving a yellow school bus which has jets. I guess the jet engine takes quite a bit of space inside the bus, because you can only pick up one person at a time.

There are several doors on the screen, each with its own number. As you pick up a person, the status bar at the bottom of the screen shows you which number door you have to take them to.

You must fly your bus carefully, because if it gets bumped around too much, you lose. You earn money on each level, and can visit the garage to buy better jets and damping, power-ups, or even a whole new vehicle.

So while this game isn't made as well as the original that inspired it, it does provide a few minutes of fun. And now, which one of you guys remembers the original and feels like pointing to it in the comments?

Jetbus is a retro-tastic physics game, with a bus originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/15/jetbus-is-a-retro-tastic-physics-game-with-a-bus/

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New MINE Tools Can Refine Mountains of Data

Massive data sets -- a season's worth of baseball statistics, for example, or health data from around the world -- can contain some very revealing knowledge. The problem confronting researchers, though, is finding it. That may be a little easier with some tools developed by scientists at Harvard University and the Broad Institute.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/74026.html

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Firefox 9 for Android makes tablet support official (video)

It's been a busy week over at Mozilla. Between releasing a new version of its desktop browser and then re-upping its search agreement with Google, we almost didn't notice a new version of Firefox for Android. Version 9 of the mobile browser marks the first time a tablet interface makes the jump from beta to the release channel, a scant four months after first seeing it in mockup form. For those unaware, that means a layout with tab previews when in landscape, which swap to a more traditional setup when rotated into portrait. Rounding out the update is a new action bar, quick access buttons and a faster start-up time, amongst other things. If that sounds like your beat, a video awaits after the break, while you get your download on at the source links below.

Continue reading Firefox 9 for Android makes tablet support official (video)

Firefox 9 for Android makes tablet support official (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/firefox-9-for-android-makes-tablet-support-official-video/

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Samsung releases CES 2012 teaser, hints at upcoming Smart TV products (video)

It's certainly not much, but with just a few words at the end of a YouTube clip, Samsung hopes to grab your interest. The Korean electronics giant has just released a "through the years" style clip that encapsulates over 50 years of advances with its television systems (i.e., the switch to color, rabbit ears, higher resolutions, DVR, 3D TVs, etc.). The clip concludes with the words "Experience the Future of Smart TV" and highlights the company's upcoming presence at CES next month. And yes, we'll be there too. Take a gander for yourself after the break.

Continue reading Samsung releases CES 2012 teaser, hints at upcoming Smart TV products (video)

Samsung releases CES 2012 teaser, hints at upcoming Smart TV products (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/lOfFqMeQwx8/

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Brand New Retro: Yamaha’s THR Amps Pack High Tech Into Old-Style Boxes

I’ve always loved the look of classic guitar amps, from the signature criss-cross speaker grilles of Vox through the classic Marshall stack to the old Fenders which look like your grandmother’s radio. And now Yamaha’s new THR range adds high-tech to arguably one of the best looking case-designs around. There are two amps, the THR5 and [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/12/brand-new-retro-yamahas-thr-amps-pack-high-tech-into-old-style-boxes/

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