Motorola Xoom will get updated with Ice Cream Sandwich, but when?

Now that Ice Cream Sandwich is real, the inevitable next step is a parade of announcement that certain devices will / won't experience the latest and greatest flavor of Android. Xoom owners can breathe easy however, as a support forum mod (totally reliable source) confirms Moto will issue an update for its family-friendly tablet, but can't say when we'll see it.

Engadget, Motorola Xoom will get updated with Ice Cream Sandwich, but when?

Google's next driverless car goal? 1,000,000 miles

Google co-founder Sergey Brin announced at Web 2.0 that Google's next goal for its driverless cars is to go 1,000,000 miles without driver intervention. According to Brin, Google's teams have already amassed more than 1,000 incident free miles without driver involvement. Up to now, Google's driverless cars have gone 160,000 miles, but with some limited human input. The company admits that there's been one fender bender, but attributed that to human driver error rather than Google's software.



Autoblog, Google's next driverless car goal? 1,000,000 miles

Beeri: Siri's new best friend cracks open a cold one (video)

We already know that Siri can send texts, check the weather or find you a restaurant, but did you know she can also fetch you a beer. Well, sort of. with a little hacking. The folks at Redpepper dreamed up Beeri, an RC truck that cracks open a can of brew whenever it receives a tweet instructing it to "pour." Since you can text updates to Twitter (40404) and Siri can text, that means it's perfectly simple to tell Beeri it's Miller time. Whenever the Arduino embedded in the truck detects a mention with the word "pour," it drives forward, slamming a beer can into a puncture wall that drips into a funnel, filling a cup beneath the table top.

Engadget, Beeri: Siri's new best friend cracks open a cold one (video)

Largest study yet finds no link between cell phones and cancer

. There is no link between cell phone use and an increase risk in cancer, the largest study on the topic to date has concluded. The results were published on Friday in the medical journal BMJ. Scientists from the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) studied Danish citizens between 1990 and 2007 and divided them into groups of cell phone users and non-cell phone users. A total of 358,403 cell phone users participated and the results were applied to an earlier study that was completed between 1982 and 1995.

Boy Genius Report, Largest study yet finds no link between cell phones and cancer

Samsung offers up the Galaxy Note's goodies, makes kernel source code available

Samsung's been pretty good at spreading the kernel source love. With the final Galaxy S II variant code released just a few short days ago, the time has come for the company's IFA-unveiled inbetweener to share its special sauce. That's right, the part tablet / part phone Galaxy Note's headed for developer customization as its particular 1s and 0s are now up on Sammy's site. While no official plans to port the 5.3-inch device stateside have been announced, eager devs familiar with the ways of GSM can sink their hacking hooks into the tab when it's purported to launch overseas next month.

Engadget, Samsung offers up the Galaxy Note's goodies, makes kernel source code available

Galaxy Nexus' Super AMOLED HD Uses Pentile Matrix, But Who Will Care?

We’ve gotten about as many emails as we can take at this point regarding the display on the Galaxy Nexus by Samsung. It is a 4.65 inch Super AMOLED HD display at 720p resolution using pentile matrix technology. Immediately people got their fear-mongering machines out and took to the internet regarding why the Galaxy Nexus was doomed. Clearly, we felt people were overreacting. We didn’t hear enough reports out of the Galaxy Nexus event to suggest this would be a problem.

Android Phone, Galaxy Nexus' Super AMOLED HD Uses Pentile Matrix, But Who Will Care?

Cooler Master Storm QuickFire gaming keyboard

When one mentions the name Cooler Master, we would normally think of computer chassis that are top of the line, catering to those who want to maximize their gaming potential with high end parts. Well, today is slightly different as we bring you word on the Storm QuickFire gaming keyboard. Similar in many ways to the Corsair Vengeance K60, the QuickFire will feature Cherry MX switches in a trio of variations through the use of blue, black and brown colors – albeit with only one “flavor” for each market area. It really depends on where you are as to which of the three potential switches your QuickFire will use.

Ubergizmo, Cooler Master Storm QuickFire gaming keyboard

Virtual grocery store made public

Now here is an interesting proposition – normally, when one wants to take a tour of a virtual store, you would do so over the computer, right. Purchasing stuff also involves a credit or debit card of sorts, only to have the goods delivered to your doorstep after that. A company in South Korea decides to go against the grain by testing out a virtual supermarket in a public place. The Seolleung underground station in Seoul shows off a row of brightly lit billboards that sports hundreds of images of items to stuff yourself with, ranging from fruit to milk, instant noodles and even pet food.

Ubergizmo, Virtual grocery store made public

Nintendo 3DS does 3D films as well

The Nintendo 3Ds certainly is not doing as well as the Japanese gaming giant had anticipated, but that does not mean it is a failure by any means. No sir, it has sold a fair number of units, albeit pale in comparison to its non-3D predecessor, the Nintendo DS Lite. What we do know is, the camera on the 3DS is not only capable of snapping 3D photos, but you can also shoot 3D video. 10 minutes – that is all you have, which isn't long by any shot, but it is still impressive for a relatively small piece of hardware.

Ubergizmo

See also:
gadgeter, Nintendo 3DS does 3D films as well

Asus shows off quad core-powered Eee Pad Transformer

Google and Samsung used the AsiaD: All Things Digital conference to launch the Galaxy Nexus and Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich. As a result, there's been an awful lot of Android talk, along with plenty of discussions on the smartphone market and the tablet industry. Keeping things on track, Asus boss Jonney Shih did some Android talk of his own, unveiling the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime, a next generation model of the company's Eee Pad Transformer running Google's Android OS.

2DayBlog.com, Asus shows off quad core-powered Eee Pad Transformer

Samsung reportedly beats Apple in smartphone shipments for Q3 2011

While Android has dominated the smartphone market in terms of market share, in terms of smartphones shipped, Apple has Android makers such as Samsung beat, at least until recently according to the Wall Street Journal. According to the report, Samsung managed to dethrone Apple during Q3 of 2011. "Samsung Electronics Co. shipped more than 20 million smartphones in the quarter ended Sept. 30, a person familiar with the situation said Thursday, beating market leader Apple Inc.

Ubergizmo, Samsung reportedly beats Apple in smartphone shipments for Q3 2011

Google Maps Update Adds NFC Support For Upcoming Android 4.0′s Android Beam Feature

Google has updated Google Maps to prepare for the upcoming launch of Ice Cream Sandwich. The update’s changelog suggested the only change was related to reduced app storage size for devices with varying resolutions, but tucked away in the permissions list was NFC support, likely for the Android Beam feature that we saw demoed this past Tuesday at the Ice Cream Sandwich / Galaxy Nexus event. Read more about Android beam here. While the update won’t mean anything for anyone but Google employees with the Galaxy Nexus, we’re glad to see the feature will be ready once the phone and OS launches.

Android Phone, Google Maps Update Adds NFC Support For Upcoming Android 4.0′s Android Beam Feature

RoadMap: Who is shaping the connected consumer marketplace?

. Ubergizmo community members save $100 on GigaOM RoadMap tickets. At GigaOM RoadMap 2011, you'll meet the innovators and business leaders who are driving consumer connectedness. In one-on-one chats on stage with GigaOM editors, they will reveal business opportunities and trends unfolding over the next 12 to 18 months.
All speakers have been selected and invited by GigaOM editors for their success in shaping the connected consumer marketplace. You'll hear from:

Jim Lanzone, President, CBS Interactive
 – Lanzone oversees an operation that reaches 92% of all Americans online.


Ubergizmo, RoadMap: Who is shaping the connected consumer marketplace?

Sony launches PlayStation Vita developer diaries

Now that the official release date for the PlayStation Vita has been announced, what else is there to say about the device. Well, the folks over at Sony have started a new video series called “PSVita Developer Diaries” which lets us know about the creation process of the PlayStation Vita. The first episode “The Genesis” has been released, and is about how the Vita first came about and what went into its design. Judging by the video you can tell that Sony really is proud of the machine and can't wait to get it into our hands.



Ubergizmo, Sony launches PlayStation Vita developer diaries

Nokia Sabre prototype spotted in the wild

We've got confirmation that Nokia will be unveiling its first few Windows Phone devices at Nokia World next week, so from today until then we can expect a number of leaks to surface. The folks over at PocketNow.com managed to get their hands on a photograph of what seems to be a Nokia Sabre prototype device. As usual, Mr. Blurrycam does a fantastic job of taking terrible photos, but we get a pretty good idea of what the phone will look like.

Ubergizmo, Nokia Sabre prototype spotted in the wild

Google Wallet goes to the Garden State, NJ Transit riders get 'tap and pay' privileges

The perks of Google's Nexus S used to lie solely in its unadorned OS. Now, owners of its penultimate Android flagship are about to get some additional mileage out of their Gingerbread-bearing handsets, courtesy of that underused NFC chip. The recently awakened near field communication feature's already been put to public task by Google Wallet and participating merchants, and will now add NJ Transit to its list of contactless payment partners.

Engadget, Google Wallet goes to the Garden State, NJ Transit riders get 'tap and pay' privileges

Crayola Trace & Draw Turns iPad Into a Sheet of Paper

Great kids' toy or cynical attempt to keep selling pens and paper. You decide. There are a few things I know about kids. One is that they never stop screaming or wanting something. The other is that they press really, really hard on my iPad screen, which is why I no longer let them near it.

If you are a breeder, however, and can no longer endure little Johnny's wheedling pleas to let him play with your iPad, then you might consider the Trace & Draw from Crayola and Griffin.

The toy consists of two parts.

Gadget Lab, Crayola Trace & Draw Turns iPad Into a Sheet of Paper

Saab secures private equity investor, doubts timing of Chinese money

Saab has announced that it has received a financial commitment from U.S.-based North Street Capital. The offer has arisen over doubts that the deal previously brokered with Chinese automakers Pang Da and Youngman will actually come to fruition. Saab intends to accept the new offer from its U.S. suitor. The deal commits North Street Capital to 2,386,635 ordinary shares of Swan at $4.19 per share. In addition, North Street will loan Saab $60 million in exchange for a first lien on certain Saab assets as collateral.

Autoblog, Saab secures private equity investor, doubts timing of Chinese money

Samsung VP Won-Pyo Hong Says Galaxy Nexus Not Designed Specifically with Apple Patents in Mind

It might be true that certain elements of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus were designed to avoid potential legal issues down the road, but Executive Vice President of Product Strategy Won-Pyo Hong says he has no idea where people got the idea that the new joint-venture between Google and Samsung was designed specifically to avoid Apple’s patents. It was reported that Samsung President Shin Jong-kyun had stated in an interview that an effort had been made to avoid infringing on Apple’s intellectual property, but his words were either lost in translation or never uttered at all, as Hong claims them to be mere rumor.

Android Phone, Samsung VP Won-Pyo Hong Says Galaxy Nexus Not Designed Specifically with Apple Patents in Mind

BBC iPlayer app receives AirPlay support

BBC fans with iOS devices and Apple TVs rejoice. The British broadcaster has just rolled out a significant update for its iPlayer app for iOS devices. The updated iPlayer app now introduces AirPlay support so you can stream content from your iOS device to your HDTV via Apple TV. Since not everybody around the world gets BBC content delivered to their home TVs, AirPlay support will allow more people to enjoy BBC shows on their big screen TVs: the way video content ought to be enjoyed.
The app is free, and some content is also available for free, but most of it will require a monthly subscription of $7.99 to be enjoyed.

Ubergizmo

See also:
hitech, BBC iPlayer app receives AirPlay support

Angry Birds Hits 400 Million Downloads

Rovio Mobile has proudly announced that Angry Birds has been downloaded more than 400 million times so far. It is probably the most popular mobile games in the world. The company has also announced that they are now selling more than 1 million Angry Birds t-shirts and toys each month.

TechFresh, Angry Birds Hits 400 Million Downloads

Nokia Sabre reveals itself in a live photo, comes with a price tag, too

After couple of leaks now it's time for Nokia Sabre's first live photo to surface. It's just a week before it gets officially announced at the Nokia World event in London and it looks the part as far as we are concerned. Unfortunately, this photo doesn't reveal much of Sabre's hardware and according to our tipster, the Windows Phone 7 specific buttons are below the screen, but aren't really visible because of the camera flash of the N9 which took the photo.
We already revealed some of this Mango-running Sabre specs and our tipster confirms them. The Nokia Sabre will indeed pack a 1.4GHz processor bundled with 1GB of RAM.

GSM Arena, Nokia Sabre reveals itself in a live photo, comes with a price tag, too

Samsung Galaxy Nexus wasn't designed specifically to avoid Apple patents

Yesterday we reported that it seemed that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus was designed in such a way to avoid any potential legal disputes with Apple. As it turns out, that wasn't entirely true according to Samsung's Executive Vice President of Product Strategy, Dr. Won-Pyo Hong. He was quoted as saying he had "no idea" as to how those rumors came about towards the end of the AsiaD conference.
According to Dr. Hong, the Galaxy Nexus was designed together with Google way before both Samsung and Apple started their patent war.

Ubergizmo

See also:
itnews, Samsung Galaxy Nexus wasn't designed specifically to avoid Apple patents

Facebook Messenger Updated To v1.5, BlackBerry Version Announced!

Facebook Messenger 1.5 reportedly makes your messaging experience even better. The app now allows user to see who's online. Users will also be to tell who's online through desktop and who's signed into mobile.



Technology Nerd, Facebook Messenger Updated To v1.5, BlackBerry Version Announced!

Steve Jobs worked the day before he died

Despite being on the verge of death for quite some time, PC Mag reports Steve Jobs worked on Apple's future products on literally his last day alive. The story is relayed by Masayoshi Son, CEO of Japanese telecom Softbank, who was meeting with Tim Cook the day of the 4S launch. The meeting was cut short by a call from Jobs, who pulled Cook to discuss secret products he'd never live to see.

2DayBlog.com

See also:
newgadgets, Steve Jobs worked the day before he died

eFun Nextbook Premium 9 tablet hands-on (video)

It seems like only yesterday that eFun was talking up its Nextbook Premium8 tablet (okay it was two weeks ago), but the company is already pitching the latest entry in the line. The Nextbook Premium9 has a nine-inch display, in keeping with the Southern California company's fairly straight-forward naming convention. The slate runs a basic version of Android 2.3 (though the company assures us that a Honeycomb upgrade is on the way) and packs in 4GB of memory (expandable via a MicroSD slot), a built-in speaker, a two megapixel front-facing camera and, as a bit of a throwback, a mini USB port.








Engadget, eFun Nextbook Premium 9 tablet hands-on (video)

Prodrive working on WRC-inspired Mini Countryman

Autocar reports that Mini may be working on a more sinister version of Countryman. The hotter crossover would receive the once-over by the rally kings at Prodrive using lessons learned from the Mini WRC effort. Dave Richards, the head honcho at Prodrive, has made it clear that road-going versions of the Countryman WRC are a possibility, and Autocar was able to snag a few photos an aggressive Countryman wearing a fixed carbon fiber wing and custom alloy wheels.

Autoblog, Prodrive working on WRC-inspired Mini Countryman

Growing Up Geek: Iyaz Akhtar

My childhood home had a lot of electronics around because my Dad was a bit of a gadget guy. Every now and then, we'd go to a small electronics shop where my dad would negotiate prices and extras since he apparently knew the owners. If we bought a portable game system, we'd always get extra batteries for free. Actually, I was more interested in hooking up a couple of VCRs to copy tapes-if I remember right, a guy at the video rental store actually explained to us how this was possible. The double-VCR monster was a bit messy with RCA cables everywhere, but it worked.

I also liked playing video games on our Atari 7800 and Nintendo.





Engadget, Growing Up Geek: Iyaz Akhtar

CyanogenMod: No ICS-based CM9 Until AOSP Source Drops [Shocker]

The CyanogenMod team has mentioned that they will not be starting work on CyanogenMod 9 – the Ice Cream Sandwich release – until Google releases the AOSP source code that we all expect them to. I say “shocker” because they've always operated this way. They don't like half-baked ports from the SDK. AOSP makes it easier for them and gives them the best course for creating a bug-free distribution.

We'll let you know the day Google releases the ICS source code, and on that same day you can rest easy knowing the many members of the CyanogenMod team are already downloading it and coding away.

Android Phone, CyanogenMod: No ICS-based CM9 Until AOSP Source Drops [Shocker]

Infobip Announces Sponsorship Of GSMA’s BARG Meeting

LONDON, UK, PULA, CROATIA, 19 October 2011 - Infobip, one of the world's fastest growing messaging and network technology providers, today announced its sponsorship of the 78th BARG group meeting of the GSMA, held in Monaco from 25-27 October. As an associate member of the GSM Association, the world's leading telecoms industry association, Infobip is a regular participant at GSMA events, from the Mobile World Congress, to smaller, specialised conferences such as the BARG meetings.

Press Release Distribution, Infobip Announces Sponsorship Of GSMA’s BARG Meeting

Apple updates Remember Steve page

Steve Jobs has undoubtedly been one of the most influential people in the tech industry, and his death two weeks ago left a lot of people upset. When he passed away, Apple set up a “Remembering Steve” page and invited people to pay their respects via a specially created email address. Well since then Apple has received over one million tributes which made it impossible to show on the old page. As of now, the Remember Steve page features a textbox that scrolls automatically, letting visitors read all the approved messages without having to do any scrolling themselves.

Ubergizmo, Apple updates Remember Steve page

Fisker Karma gets EPA certified: 52 mpge, 32-mile electric range, 20 mpg on gas

Yikes. The EPA has finally released its official fuel economy rating for the Fisker Karma, and it's not high: just 52 MPGe, an all-electric range of 32 miles and 20 miles per gallon on gasoline when the battery runs dry. This is well above the numbers that Fisker reps were bandying about in past years: 67.2 mpge and an all-electric range of 50 miles.

Autoblog, Fisker Karma gets EPA certified: 52 mpge, 32-mile electric range, 20 mpg on gas

Motorola RAZR to get updated to Ice Cream Sandwich in early 2012

We know that Samsung has the first crack at Android 4.0 with the Galaxy Nexus, but it'll only be a matter of time before we begin seeing it show up on rival devices. HTC has already made an official statement on its plans (or lack thereof), and now it's Motorola's turn. Alain Mutricy, SVP Portfolio and Product Management, was in Germany talking up the European announcement of the RAZR, and slipped in a few details about Ice Cream Sandwich.

Engadget, Motorola RAZR to get updated to Ice Cream Sandwich in early 2012

Microsoft giving away free Windows Phone handsets with Microsoft Store purchase

If you're thinking about taking a leap of faith and trying the Windows Phone mobile operating system, Microsoft is now giving away free Windows Phone handsets. However just like the saying "there's no such thing as a free lunch", there is a catch to this deal, which states that you will have to spend at least $499 or more in order to qualify for this deal.

Ubergizmo, Microsoft giving away free Windows Phone handsets with Microsoft Store purchase

Bristol Braced for NextGen 11

The UK's premier showcase for digital infrastructure - NextGen 11 - arrives in Bristol next month (15 to 16 November), where industry leaders from across Europe are set to share and discuss the latest issues and developments around next generation broadband deployment.In an investment market worth more than £2bn a year for at least the next five years, the digital infrastructure industry is gearing up for rapid growth.

Press Release Distribution, Bristol Braced for NextGen 11

LANDesk Furthers Cloud Management Capabilities with Service Desk as a Service

LANDesk Offers Ultimate Flexibility in Service Desk Design by Delivering as a Service, On-premise or BothWeybridge, UK - Oct 19, 2011 - As cloud computing continues to reshape today's enterprise landscape, IT administrators are demanding flexible management solutions that enable them to define how they provide support capabilities to end users. In order to meet this growing demand, LANDesk Software, a global leader in systems lifecycle management, endpoint security and IT service management, today announced LANDesk® Service Desk as a Service.

Press Release Distribution, LANDesk Furthers Cloud Management Capabilities with Service Desk as a Service

Teasers Out About Street By 50 Headphones

Although the official release of 50 Cent's headphone line remains out there, SMS Audio has just released photos and some specs on its upcoming wired headphones. The Street By 50 headphones looks similar to the leaked wireless model, Sync By 50. Both gadgets feature 40-millimeter drivers, memory foam ear surrounds, and an optinal microphone. The Street, however, seems to be lacking the onboard media playback controls found on the Sync.

Gadget.com, Teasers Out About Street By 50 Headphones

DrawTop adds a whiteboard onto your laptop

There are times when you just need a really quick way to jot down notes, perhaps at the end of the class when you've powered down your laptop only to have the professor suddenly make a last minute announcement, and for those who are forgetful instead of rummaging your bag looking for piece of paper and a pen, how about simply writing it down on your laptop itself. If you think that whipping out a market and drawing on top of your shiny new MacBook Air that you just dropped $1,000 on is ridiculous, bear with us for a while.

Ubergizmo, DrawTop adds a whiteboard onto your laptop

Free app extends to ICS risk assessment

Citicus announces its latest version of Citicus MOCA, the world's first free, premier-quality business app for conducting criticality assessments, using the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The new version has now been extended for criticality assessments of industrial control systems (ICS), used in manufacturing and process industries. Using Citicus MOCA, people on the move can evaluate the 'what's at stake' side of the risk equation using a sound, easy-to-use, business-oriented technique that objectively measures the criticality of a wide range of assets and processes their organization depends on.

Press Release Distribution, Free app extends to ICS risk assessment

NTT Docomo Will Release Samsung Galaxy S II LTE SC-03D In Japan

NTT Docomo is ready to launch the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE SC-03D in the Japanese market later this year. The smartphone is powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm APQ8060 dual-core processor, a large 4.5-inch WVGA (800x480) Super AMOLED Plus display, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, a microSD card slot, an 8MP rear-facing digital camera and a 2MP front-facing camera for video calls. As its name suggests, the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE SC-03D supports Docomo's Xi LTE service. Too bad, there is no info on pricing at this moment.

TechFresh, NTT Docomo Will Release Samsung Galaxy S II LTE SC-03D In Japan