Amazon Cloud Player review: functional, not mind blowing, and still US-only

Amazon Android Cloud Player appIt's hard to believe: our world-spanning network, our Internet, which is the cornerstone of free speech and free society -- which, on a good day, is capable of causing populist revolutions -- is still crippled by banal geolocation restrictions. We are, of course, talking about Amazon's two latest offerings, both of which are only available in the United States. Last week it was the excellent Android Appstore for Android, and today it's the Amazon Cloud Player for Web and Android.

Along with Cloud Player, Amazon also launched Cloud Drive, which is basically just like any other cloud storage digital locker. It's not particularly feature rich, and there's no real reason to use it over something like SugarSync or SkyDrive -- it does work outside the US, however.

Its primary purpose, as far as we're concerned, is that it stores your your Cloud Player music in a subdirectory. You get 5GB of Cloud Drive storage for free, and then it's $1 per gigabyte per year if you need more space.

The Amazon Cloud Player itself will not, to put it bluntly, blow your mind. It works, but it's very much an early, and possibly rushed, release. Let's dive in to the Web and Android players for a closer look.

Continue reading Amazon Cloud Player review: functional, not mind blowing, and still US-only

Amazon Cloud Player review: functional, not mind blowing, and still US-only originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/29/amazon-cloud-player-hands-on-review-functional-not-mind-blowin/

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Panasonic Ambles Into the Smart Home With New Appliance System

Japanese electronics manufacturer Panasonic has launched an app for cloud-based services that will let consumers control home appliances using their Android smartphones. Named "Panasonic Smart App," it will be available from September -- but only in Japan. It can be used by owners of smartphones running Android 2.3.3 or higher supporting Near Field Communications or Sony's FeliCa contactless RFID smart card system, which is used in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2298101a/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C759650Bhtml/story01.htm

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Jury Rules Samsung Violated Apple Patents, Owes $1 Billion

On Friday, a verdict in the epic intellectual property case Apple v. Samsung was reached. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA — Samsung owes Apple more than $1 billion in damages for violating Apple hardware and software patents, a California jury ruled on Friday. The jury found that Samsung infringed upon Apple patents having to do with physical design and user interfaces, often willfully, and that several of the South Korean company’s products diluted Apple’s trade dress, especially as it related to various iPhone models.

The jury did not find that Samsung proved by clear and convincing evidence that Apple’s asserted utility and design patents were invalid, as Samsung had claimed, and found that many Samsung products violated those patents. 

Though Apple was awarded less than the $2.5 billion it originally sought, this was clearly a resounding win for the company. And it could have far-reaching consequences to the smartphone and tablet industry, ranging from product injunctions, like we just saw happen in South Korea Friday morning, to the need for mobile device makers to overhaul the designs and UIs of their products.

For the ’381 patent, which covers the “bounce-back” feature in document scrolling, all applicable Samsung products were found to be infringing for Samsung Electronics Ltd, Samsung Electronics America, and Samsung Telecommunications America, with the exception of the Galaxy Tab under Samsung Telecommunications America. This is a total of 21 smartphones and tablets including the Samsung Nexus S 4G, Galaxy s II (AT&T and i9100), Galaxy Tab, and Galaxy Tab 10.1.

One bit of good news for Samsung: The jurors found that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet did not infringe on any physical iPad design patents, as Apple had claimed.

After delivering its rulings, the jury was excused for approximately 15 minutes while Judge Lucy Koh and lawyers for Apple and Samsung examined the conclusions for any inconsistencies.

The jury reached a verdict after only three days of deliberations, which came as a surprise, given the complexity of the case, which has touched upon everything from device design to the way data is transmitted over a 3G network. Many observers expected the largely non-technically inclined jury to take at least a week to sort through the morass of evidence, arguments, and other information presented over the course of the trial.

Samsung and Apple have been embroiled in a multi-pronged intellectual property battle in courtrooms across the globe for over a year. Apple claimed that Samsung had infringed on patents covering the design of the iPhone and iPad, as well as utility patents over a few iOS user interface features. Samsung said Apple was in violation of its essential 3G transmission patent holdings.

In all counts but the claims about iPad design, the jury ruled overwhelmingly in Apple’s favor.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/08/apple-v-samsung-verdict/

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Insert Coin: SmartThings wants to connect your dog, mailbox and kitchen cabinets to the internet

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

Insert Coin SmartThings wants to connect your dog, mailbox and kitchen cabinets to the internet

Sometimes you just can't remember if you turned off the toaster oven before leaving the house. Sitting at work, you might wonder, "is my house burning down?" or "should I go home and check?" You could run home, of course, or you could just link that croissant cooker up to the internet and switch it off from your phone. SmartThings promises to let you do just that, offering a system that connects everyday physical objects to a cloud-based control center. The project aims to provide users with a bevy of end-devices -- automatic door locks, thermostats, humidity sensors, presence sensors, power outlet switches and more -- that connect to a router-like SmartThings hub. From here the user can easily see and control these devices on the SmartThings mobile app.

That alone would be pretty handy -- but the SmartThings team decided to take it a step further by building SmartApps, that is, applications for further customizing how SmartThings devices (and the user) interact with the every day objects they're attached to. The platform is going to remain open, too, allowing owners and developers to build custom applications to fit their needs. Better still, the project is on a tight time line, and aims to put its product in backer hands by December -- of course, it'll have to reach its $250,000 Kickstarter goal first. Check out the team's pitch after the break, or hit up the source link below for more details.

Continue reading Insert Coin: SmartThings wants to connect your dog, mailbox and kitchen cabinets to the internet

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Insert Coin: SmartThings wants to connect your dog, mailbox and kitchen cabinets to the internet originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Aug 2012 12:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceKickstarter  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Yip_b805N1A/

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This Week's Top Web Comedy Video: Charge! [Video]

It's not easy leading a phalanx. The sandals are uncomfortable, the tunics itch. Oh, and if you're at the front of the charge, you're definitely going to end up as collateral damage. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/cQfJL19Ebmc/this-weeks-top-web-comedy-video-charge

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Amazon May Rekindle the Fire Sept. 6

Amazon has a big announcement to make on Sept. 6, according to invitations to an upcoming event in Santa Monica the company recently sent. Amazon's announcement will come about a year after the online retailer launched the Kindle Fire. The timing has given rise to speculation that this time Amazon plans to announced an upgrade to the tablet -- and possibly more products in the Kindle line. Rumors about the new Kindle include a much improved, higher-resolution display, a smaller and thinner design, and a built-in camera.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/22b490ee/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C760A0A40Bhtml/story01.htm

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Jury finds Apple did not infringe on Samsung's patents, awards no damages

Jury finds Apple did not infringe on Samsung's patents, awards no damages

The jury in Apple v. Samsung dealt a big blow to Samsung by finding that it did infringe on some of the Apple patents at the center of the case, and it didn't have any better news for the company when it came to Samsung's own claims that Apple infringed on some of its patents as well. The jury found that Apple did not infringe on those in all five cases (the so-called utility patents), although it did rule that the patents were valid. That also, of course, means no damages awarded to Samsung.

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Jury finds Apple did not infringe on Samsung's patents, awards no damages originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 19:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceThe Wall Street Journal, San Jose Mercury News  | Email this | Comments


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

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Banshee music player now works in Windows, supports Amazon MP3 downloads

A few moments ago, version 2 of the Banshee music player for Linux was released, bringing with it a whole slew of new features, and the addition of an official -- but alpha-quality -- Windows build. The Mac OS X build of version 2 is due later today.

The most notable new feature is support for the Amazon MP3 store -- you can buy and download music from within Banshee -- but unfortunately it's only available in the Linux build at the moment (OS X and Windows support are planned, however). There have also been some significant improvements to artist, album, and queue interactions -- and yes, you can finally right click a track, album or artist and select 'play after' to insert it into the queue.

Beyond actual playback, the user interface has been tidied up -- it now looks a whole lot smarter -- and the Ubuntu One Music Store and SoundMenu extensions have been made official. For a complete list of changes, additions and bug fixes, check the change log.

When Windows support initially appeared in February, we found it rough around the edges and fraught with stability issues. With version 2, Banshee for Windows is still a bit unstable, but it's shaping up to be a good alternative to Winamp, iTunes, or whatever other music library manager you use. It's almost as attractive as its GNOMEish brother, too!

Download Banshee 2 for Linux and Windows (Mac OS X coming soon)

Banshee music player now works in Windows, supports Amazon MP3 downloads originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/06/banshee-music-player-now-works-in-windows-supports-amazon-mp3-d/

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Windows 8 wallpaper available to download, Jupiter and Twin UI spotted

windows 8 wallpaper
With Windows 8 milestone 3 now up for grabs for select Microsoft Connect partners, it's inevitable that leaked bits and pieces will start popping up around the Web. In fact, the first "official" wallpaper image from the still-brewing OS is already making the rounds.

As you can see, it's got a similar feel to the good ol' Windows 7 default background, but features a more subdued smattering of cerulean hues. Those of you who want to use the Windows 8 wallpaper on your current desktop can download it from our file dump.

A few other details have been revealed, too. According to ZDNet's source, the Windows 8 Jupiter libraries and Twin UI are starting to take shape -- though all that's been located thus far are "[various files] scattered throughout the OS" and the aptly-named twinui.dll.

Windows 8 wallpaper available to download, Jupiter and Twin UI spotted originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/download-windows-8-wallpaper/

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No Signal? No Problem - Sat Gadgets Keep You Connected Anywhere, Any Time

For years, satellite communications devices like satphones and data terminals have been out of reach of the average consumer. Access to voice calls and Internet in remote locales, where mobile phone networks are unavailable, have only been possible for military, media, mining, government and other deep-pocketed sectors. Those satellites, after all, are expensive. However, a peculiar thing happened a few years ago that has contributed to changing this inequality.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/22b3c92c/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C759960Bhtml/story01.htm

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