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Kindle Fire firmware update 6.2.2 brings full-screen browsing

Andrew Munchbach — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:23:00 EST

The fine folks over at Amazon have further flushed out the firmware on its fiercely popular Fire tablet. Upgrading your Kindle Fire to version 6.2.2 will bring a handful of small performance tweaks, bugs fixes and, most notably, add a full-screen mode to the device's Silk browser. If you've gone ahead and rooted your Fire, applying the firmware bump will kill superuser access -- although a fresh build of BurritoRoot 2 should get you back on the straight and narrow. The new code is being pushed out over-the-air as we type, while those that enjoy the endorphin rush associated with instant gratification -- and know how to manually update a Kindle -- can find a link to the 6.2.2 firmware file below. Happy updating!

Kindle Fire firmware update 6.2.2 brings full-screen browsing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft showcases new copy, move, rename functions in Windows 8 (video)

Amar Toor — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:43:00 EST

Windows 8 has yet to see the light of day, but new details on the forthcoming OS continue to emerge. The most recent preview once again comes courtesy of Microsoft's Building Windows 8 blog, where the company has posted new information on the software's copy, move, rename and delete functions. With the new system, all pending copy operations will appear in one dialog, where users can pause, stop and resume any job, while monitoring data transfer rates on a real-time throughput graph (pictured above). Redmond's developers have also made it easier to resolve file name collisions, with a new dialog that displays thumbnail images of source files directly alongside preexisting documents of the same name. This allows users to decide which files they'd like to copy or replace by simply hovering their mouse over the image to see its file path, or double clicking it to open in full view. For more information, check out the demo video that's waiting for you after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft showcases new copy, move, rename functions in Windows 8 (video)

Microsoft showcases new copy, move, rename functions in Windows 8 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CloseConnect brings HTC somewhat closer to NFC nirvana

Zachary Lutz — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 03:25:00 EST

HTC is progressing in its quest toward adding NFC support, most recently trademarking CloseConnect, which seems to be an all-encompassing solution for wireless communication. The description characterizes CloseConnect as a combination of hardware and software that links mobile devices, configures wireless networks, organizes and shares information, and yes, manages near-field communication activity. Given NFC's emerging status, along with HTC's desire to provide a distinct ecosystem, it should come as no surprise that the company is approaching this technology on its own terms. Whether CloseConnect goes cross-platform with Windows Phone is anybody's guess, although the trademark clearly describes support for smartphones and tablets alike. If you're excited about the possibilities -- and undeterred by legalese -- feel free to peruse the full description after the break.

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CloseConnect brings HTC somewhat closer to NFC nirvana originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 03:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google trademarks Photovine, hints at new photo-sharing service

Christopher Trout — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 01:42:00 EST

Well, it looks like Google's got the online rumor mill churning with its latest trademark application. Back on June 7th, El Goog filed a USPTO application for the name Photovine, sending sparks flying down the, er, grapevine about a possible photo-sharing program. The application cites a service dedicated to the "transmission of visual images and data by telecommunications networks, wireless communication networks, the Internet, information services networks and data networks." Unsurprisingly, it looks like the internet giant's also picked up the corresponding domain name. So is Google getting ready to add photo storage to its recent suite of cloud services? Or is it looking to up its social media cred? And where does Picasa fit into all of this? One things for certain: we won't be responsible for letting this round of speculation whither on the vine.

Google trademarks Photovine, hints at new photo-sharing service originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Jun 2011 01:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DataBot mouse and HDD concepts give weight to files, encourage data purges (video)

Brian Heater — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:06:00 EST

Mice have been a computing mainstay since pretty close to the dawn of the PC, but they don't offer much in terms of information about the on-screen data you're interacting with. What if they featured physical feedback to tip you off to things like the size of the files you're moving around? Two German students have answered that question likely before you even had a chance to ask. The result is an admittedly cool concept that slows the roll of your mouse, giving files the feeling weight based on the size of their contents. A "breathing" feature can also clue you in to how much a given file has been used. Also worthy of mention is their DataBot Harddrive concept, which expands and contracts based on the amount of space being used up. Video of weirdly lifelike peripherals after the break.

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DataBot mouse and HDD concepts give weight to files, encourage data purges (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Docs now on Jolicloud Desktop, Joli OS

Christopher Trout — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:26:00 EST

It already has one of the cutest names in cloud computing, and now it has Google Docs, too. Following up on its integration of Dropbox, Jolicloud just added support for the online office suite, which means you can access and edit all of your important missives and memos via the Jolicloud Desktop or Joli OS. Setting it up is as simple as clicking a button to link the two accounts -- after that, you can browse, edit, and do whatever you do in Google Docs, and because it's all stored in the cloud, you can pick up on one device where you left off on another. Sound familiar? For complete instructions, follow the source link below.

Google Docs now on Jolicloud Desktop, Joli OS originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp's XMDF format looks to bring e-books into the next generation

Tim Stevens — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:06:00 EST

When it comes to boring 'ol text and images, there are plenty of formats that modern e-readers can manage -- your EPUBs and OPFs and the like. But, when it comes to integrating multimedia content into a kind of next-gen e-book experience, the sort Wired is pushing on the iPad, things are rather less standardized. Sharp wants to be on the forefront of bringing that style of content together under a single standard: XMDF, or ever-eXtending Mobile Document Format. It enables video and animations and flashy presentation to be mingled in with the text, surely with the intent of distracting you from actually having to read anything. Of course, XHTML can manage all this stuff too, but it never was particularly great at the sort of precision text layout publishers crave, and presumably that's also being addressed here. Naturally we're a little more excited about hardware, and Sharp showed off two prototype readers measuring 5.5- and 10.8-inches respectively... though it didn't have much to say about them otherwise. More details later this year, supposedly.

Sharp's XMDF format looks to bring e-books into the next generation originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elgato debuts Turbo.264 HD Software Edition, cuts price of hardware edition

Darren Murph — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:33:00 EST

Here at Engadget HQ, there's hardly a more overused piece of equipment than Elgato's (Mac only) Turbo.264 HD -- in our experience, it chews through bloated video files at a breakneck pace, leaving us with shrunken versions of CES hands-on and the like without any noticeable degradation in quality. Now, that same functionality is being introduced sans an easy-to-forget USB dongle as the Turbo.264 HD Software Edition. For all intents and purposes, the SE version does the exact same thing as the original, albeit at a presumably slower pace. 'Course, it'll still convert videos for use on portable devices (or just shrink the files sizes for easier archiving) far quicker than whatever method you're using now, and the $49.95 price tag is certainly a bit easier to swallow. Oh, and speaking of MSRPs -- Elgato just hacked $50 from the price of the hardware-accelerated version, leaving it at a delectable $99.95. Mmm, files. Delicious.

Continue reading Elgato debuts Turbo.264 HD Software Edition, cuts price of hardware edition

Elgato debuts Turbo.264 HD Software Edition, cuts price of hardware edition originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MusicDNA looks to supplant MP3, bring along updatable extras

Darren Murph — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:44:00 EST

As far as formats go, MP3 has managed to hang around for an impressive amount of time. To date, we've yet to see another digital audio file garner a similar amount of support (though ATRAC had a fighting chance!), but it looks as if an alternative from BACH Technology could be gunning for that crown. The new proposal is dubbed MusicDNA, and contrary to what you may expect, Dagfinn Bach -- who tinkered with the first MP3 player back in 1993 -- is all for it. Much like iTunes LP, the new format would include "lyrics, videos, artwork and blog posts, which [would] continually be updated." We're told that pirated files would still play back (as in, DRM shouldn't be an issue here), but none of the aforesaid updates would arrive. Currently, no major labels are onboard with the idea, but the company has suggested that the initial response has been pretty positive. Too bad it'll never go anywhere without a recognizable online storefront, but hey, we're rootin' for you over here!

Update: The musicDNA used in the currently available musicGPS iPhone app is something completely different. Who knows if this will lead to a scuffle over naming rights.

MusicDNA looks to supplant MP3, bring along updatable extras originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DivX Connected v1.5 now friends with MKV / H.264

Darren Murph — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 04:43:00 EST

DivX Connected v1.4 brought us the highly anticipated addition of Hulu support last September, and now v1.5 is bringing a few extras that are also quite delicious. The v1.5 Beta, which is out this very moment, adds in support for Matroska (MKV) and H.264, though you'll need the newly unleashed DivX 7 installed in order to experience the magic. The entire changelog is surprisingly lengthy, so we'll point you to the read link for those details as well as a download URL. A demonstration vid is just past the break.

[Thanks, Karolis]

Continue reading DivX Connected v1.5 now friends with MKV / H.264

Filed under: Misc

DivX Connected v1.5 now friends with MKV / H.264 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 04:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft sez Windows Mobile 6 file sync fix coming for Vista

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 29 May 2007 05:06:00 EST

Thanks to a festering mix of bugs and reduced functionality, it frequently doesn't pay to be on the bleeding edge (unless you're like us, that is, in which case your willingness to be on the forefront of tech frequently outclasses your common sense). Such is the case for the lucky... well, not so lucky few that are rocking both a Vista-equipped PC and a Windows Mobile 6 Standard handset (like an upgraded T-Mobile Dash, for example). As we know, Vista throws ActiveSync to the wayside in favor of Windows Mobile Device Center, which is all well and good -- we don't really care what it's called, as long as we can sync our device -- and therein lies the problem. It seems WMDC loses the ability to sync files between Standard handsets and their partnered PCs, something ActiveSync gladly handles. Microsoft advises customers to continue using ActiveSync for the time being as a workaround, but fortunately, a real, honest-to-goodness fix for WMDC is promised by mid-June.

[Via the::unwired]

Filed under: Software, Windows Mobile

Microsoft sez Windows Mobile 6 file sync fix coming for Vista originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2007 05:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PeerBox brings "legal" P2P to the phone

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 01:31:00 EST

With the proliferation of 3G bandwidth, mobile P2P (at least on the downstream) becomes an interesting proposal -- especially if you can make it happen without all manner of lawyer types using LBS to track you down. Nareos' PeerBox client, available in Java and S60 flavors, looks to keep you legal by using m2any's audio ID tech to detect copyrighted material while browsing open P2P networks (fairly robustly, we're guessing) and do the quick bait-and-switch, offering you the licensed equivalent for a fee. At the start, the service will be pay-as-you-go, but a subscription model of some sort is promised down the road. Now if we can only overcome our instinctual fear of black helicopters, men in dark suits, and courtrooms whenever we hear "P2P," this might just find its way onto our CU500.

Filed under: Multimedia, Software

PeerBox brings "legal" P2P to the phone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Aug 2006 01:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maxtor teams up with Fabrik on personal server

Ryan Block — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 20:17:00 EST

So Maxtor and Valley startup Fabrik are up to something together, which they're calling Project Fusion. It sounds very cloak and dagger and whatnot, but it's actually pretty transparent and literal: they're building a personal server (i.e. a big external hard drive) that connects up to the Internet with Fabrik's service and allows you to access your data with a web-accessible frontend. There's even a new buzzword to describe the package: "personal media portal." Ok then. According to Maxtor the device could go for as much as $799 for a 500GB, which leaves a bit of a bad taste in our mouths (especially when there's, you know, about ten thousand companies out there trying to get your files online for you), but Om likes Fabrik, and you can't really argue with Om.

Filed under: Storage, Networking

Maxtor teams up with Fabrik on personal server originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Apr 2006 20:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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