Engadget

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Noah, who needs a bit of assistance in making the transition from textbook to e-book. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"I have a class that has gone paperless. All of our readings are posted online as PDF scans of books. I have become quite annoyed with having to read these on my computer. So I have thought about purchasing an e-reader. The best choice seems to be a Kindle, but would you recommend a Sony, Nook, or something else instead? My primary interest is great PDF support / viewing. Thanks."

We know, you're "too busy" with "classes" to really answer here, but everyone deserves a study break or three. Take a breather and help your fellow student out -- it's just the right thing to do.

Ask Engadget: Best e-reader for school use / PDF viewing? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Woah, who saw this coming? Apple has changed its super-controversial stance on third party developer tools for iOS apps, now allowing any and all comers, "as long as the resulting apps do not download any code." We're guessing this is mostly a nod to game developers, who use ported engines like Unreal and interpreters like Lua, but it also apparently covers apps developed in Adobe Flash CS5. In addition, the rules on mobile advertising have changed, so AdMob ads are seemingly back in, and Apple's also publishing its App Store Review Guidelines at long last, which will give developers a better idea of how their apps are going to be scrutinized by Apple before they submit them. We're sure we'll be hearing plenty in the coming weeks as developers and arm chair analysts rifle through Apple's so-far-secretive guidelines, but mostly we're just excited to see what sort of innovation and development accessibility we've been missing out on while these third party tools have been off the market. The full (and brief) release can be found after the break.

Update: Google's responded to the newly-relaxed restrictions, saying "Apple's new terms will keep in-app advertising on the iPhone open to many different mobile ad competitors and enable advertising solutions that operate across a wide range of platforms."

Update 2: Our friend John Paczkowski at All Things Digital has Adobe's statement: "We are encouraged to see Apple lifting its restrictions on its licensing terms, giving developers the freedom to choose what tools they use to develop applications for Apple devices."

Update 3: In case the last update didn't give it away enough, Adobe announced in a blog post that it'll resume development on its Packager for iPhone tools, for Flash CS5 devs who want to convert their work to the portable powerhouse.

Meanwhile, it seems like it's time for a little recap:

• Apple's iPhone lockdown: apps must be written in one of three languages, Adobe in the hurt locker
• Adobe says iPhone / iPad adoption and 'alternative technologies' (cough, HTML5) could harm its business
• Steve Jobs responds directly to developer over new iPhone SDK rules, cites blog for explanation
• Steve Jobs publishes some 'thoughts on Flash'... many, many thoughts on Flash
• Adobe's CEO: Jobs' Flash letter is a 'smokescreen' for 'cumbersome' restrictions (update: video)
• Adobe decries Apple's 'walled garden,' yet pledges 'best tools' for HTML5
• Adobe targets Apple in ad campaign launched today, publishes open letter from founders
• Steve Jobs' D8 interview: the video highlights (updated)
• Adobe's CEO: 'we've moved on' from Apple's argument, and Flash still rules

Continue reading Apple backpedaling on some iOS development restrictions, will allow third party tools and ad services

Apple backpedaling on some iOS development restrictions, will allow third party tools and ad services originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 22:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lasers. Is there anything they can't do? The latest addition to the 50-year-old technology's bag of tricks comes courtesy of a team of researchers from the Australian National University, who've managed to create a laser beam that effectively functions as a tiny tractor beam. The key, it seems, is that the laser beam is hollow, which allows tiny particles to be trapped in what the researchers describe as a "dark core," which in turn causes the particles to be pushed along the beam by an effect known as the "photophoretic force." As you might expect, that only works on very tiny particles, but the researchers are able to move them as far as one and a half meters, and they say that the technology could have a number of practical applications, including directing and clustering nano-particles in the air, and even transporting dangerous substances and microbes -- in small amounts, of course.

[Thanks, Lester]

Australian researchers trap tiny particles in tiny tractor beam originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 22:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's becoming progressively easier to land LCD monitors with IPS panels (as opposed to the decidedly less stunning TN panels), but given that there's rarely ever enough competition to truly push prices as far south as we consumers would like, we're welcoming LG's latest with wide open arms. The outfit has just issued a new foursome -- the IPS2062T, IPS226V, IPS236V and IPS231P -- of LED-backlit displays, with sizes running 20-, 21.5-, 23- and 23-inches in order of mention. The larger three offer 1,920 x 1,080 resolutions with a six millisecond response time, and the whole lot offers a deceiving 5,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 250 nits of brightness and 178-degree viewing angles. You'll find plenty of glossy black to go around, but sadly you'll find plenty of questions when it comes to pricing and release dates.

LG does the IPS dance with IPS2062T, IPS226V, IPS236V and IPS231P monitors originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember that mysterious Windows Phone 7-powered ASUS from early August? Turns out it showed up at Gnomedex this year, and there's video floating around to prove it. The phone stars in a nearly 12-minute epic detailing the various parts of the platform -- all of which we've seen before -- but obviously, our attention is focused squarely on this hardware that we haven't really seen before (and looks very different from the ASUS device that Microsoft was using to demo WP7 in the early days). It's hard to say if the talk of an AMOLED display is true -- or whether this is a retail or near-retail piece of hardware -- so we'd hold off on saving up for this one just yet. Since Garmin-Asus came into existence, ASUS' phone efforts have been squarely focused on the joint venture -- and seeing how this steady supply of prototype hardware proves that they'll be making commercial WP7 devices, it'll be interesting to see whether Garmin's involved. Follow the break for the full video.

[Thanks, Jack]

Continue reading ASUS Windows Phone 7 proto shows up on video

ASUS Windows Phone 7 proto shows up on video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We remember it like it was yesterday -- pressed against the edge of our seat, speakerphone on 11, listening to Qualcomm preach about how these so-called "smartbooks" were coming to take over the world. Can't fault 'em for trying. A little over a year after the (admittedly valiant) effort began, Qualcomm's CEO is effectively putting this whole nightmare behind him. According to Slashgear, Paul Jacobs admitted during an event this morning that "tablets such as the iPad had already occupied the niche his company expected smartbooks to." Essentially, the iPad delivered on the concept of an "always-on, all-day device" long before smartbooks ever had a chance at gaining traction, and judging by the fact that only a handful of these guys ever made it to market, we'd say that brutally honest assessment makes a lot of sense. We aren't necessarily better off for it, mind you, but it definitely seems that the resurgence of the tablet (and the proliferation of the longevous netbook) has extinguished any hope of smartbooks dominating the world. Hey, at least this guy's man enough to know when a journey's reached its end. Sayonara, smarties.

Qualcomm's CEO confesses: tablets killed the smartbook star originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We've already heard a few rumors about Olympus's supposed E-3 successor, the E-5, and the folks at 4/3 Rumors have now turned up another pair of leaks ahead of the DSLR's expected launch later this month. That includes a teaser that seemingly confirms that the camera will be announced on September 15th (just a day off the earlier rumor), and what appears to be the first image of the camera itself -- or a tiny corner of it, anyway. Those both suggest that the camera will sport a strikingly similar design to the E-3 it's replacing (something backed up by 4/3 Rumors' "trusted sources"), and the camera's specs also seem to be in line with what we've heard before -- including a bump from ten to twelve megapixels, and new 720p/30fps recording mode.

Continue reading Olympus E-5 leaks point to September 15th launch, familiar design

Olympus E-5 leaks point to September 15th launch, familiar design originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are you ready for a wave of HDR to crash over the consumer electronics industry, leaving nothing but oversaturated photos and full-to-the-brim Flickr groups in its wake? We've got a sneaky suspicion that Apple's inclusion of HDR in the iPhone is one of those telling warning signs that you ignore at your own risk, and now we've got HDR video to cower from behind our fast-aging current gen devices. As you might expect, HDR video looks just like HDR stills (an underexposed and an overexposed image combined into one), except in motion. The effect has been accomplished by Soviet Montage Productions, who used two Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLRs and a beam splitter, which allows each camera to look at the exact same subject, to accomplish the effect. They're short on details on the post-processing end, but we're sure there will be "an app for that" before too long. Sample is after the break.

[Thanks, Mike]

Continue reading HDR video accomplished using dual 5D Mark IIs, is exactly what it sounds like

HDR video accomplished using dual 5D Mark IIs, is exactly what it sounds like originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Today's Wall Street Journal has a few key words from Intel CEO Paul Otellini, with a few comparing his company's Google TV approach to the refreshed (and now Intel-free) Apple TV. The biggest revelation is a mention that Google TV will start shipping this month (more specific than Google's own fall prediction of a few days ago) with no word whether that includes products from Sony, Logitech or both. According to Otellini, Intel's success will mean using "the right chip for the right job," and that includes getting its hands dirty on the software side, where he claims his company is responsible for 50% of the code in Google TV. When asked about Apple's simplified approach to the living room he referenced them as two different approaches that may appeal to different audiences, pointing out Apple TV as something his mother might enjoy while his son could make use of Facebook on the Google TV.

Oh, and the $7.68 billion Intel dropped on McAfee last month? He considers it a "valuable asset" and says the best security relies on a combination of hardware and software. The theme of the day is how Intel can compete beyond the PC, but whether it's tethered to the TV or in tablets, the head guy is confident Intel's industry partners won't let Apple run away with either.

Intel CEO reveals Google TV launch is this month, explains McAfee purchase originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man, we're starting to think Google should just host an I/O event every month. As the search giant continues to roll out new innovations, today's introduction involves none other than Android. Starting today, folks with Android phones using version 1.6 or greater have a pair of must-downloads to tackle: Walking Navigation (Beta) and Street View smart navigation. The former is bundled into Google Maps for Mobile 4.5, offering pedestrians a more robust routing option when using their own two feet to maneuver from place to place. It's still in beta, obviously, but we're definitely digging the "vibrate to turn" alert and the map's ability to rotate with you as you turn the phone. Street View smart navigation is the same stuff you're used to seeing on a bona fide desktop browser, but tailor made for operation on your smartphone. Finally, the new Google Maps search bar will make it even easier to find places you're in need of finding, and if you need some visual stimulation while your downloads progress, hop on past the break and mash play.

Continue reading Google Walking Navigation beta and Street View now available for Android

Google Walking Navigation beta and Street View now available for Android originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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