New York Looks Like an Apocalypse Movie Right Now [Image Cache]

It's only a few feet of snow, but this is how New York looks right now. People consider this The Snowpocalypse but, while it looks like Yeti zombies are going to appear at anytime, it's nothing compared to this: More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/V4tp3h00sIA/new-york-looks-like-an-apocalypse-movie-right-now

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Firefox 4 beta 3 for Android hands on: Mozilla browser hits the Market

Mozilla has released a new beta of Firefox 4 for Android and Maemo to keep the mobile browser in step with its desktop cousin, and it packs a number of important improvements. Perhaps the most noticeable one on Android is that you can now find Firefox in the Market, meaning future updates will be a smoother process -- just make sure you uninstall any previous beta versions before downloading from the Market.

So what's new in Firefox 4 beta 3?

  • Improved support for both software and hardware keyboards
  • Android-style menus
  • Better integration with other apps when opening a link
  • A save page-as-PDF option
  • Improved Firefox Sync with new 'add a device' feature
  • Full screen video and improved audio support
  • Copy and paste support in the URL bar
  • Developer access to a localStorage API and orientation events
After browsing for a while with beta 3, I'm definitely left feeling it's faster than the previous non-Market release. Some pages, however, still load about 30-40% slower than they do in Dolphin Mini (my current browser of choice). The new features are definitely key additions -- especially basics like keyboard support and copy/paste in the URL bar. Firefox Sync setup is an absolute breeze now, thanks to the 'add a device' option in both the desktop and mobile versions.

Firefox 4 is also a bit of a space hog, currently consuming about 21MB -- ten times more than Dolphin Mini. And while I dig the desktop-to-mobile Firefox 4 synchronicity, I'm not sure it's enough to make me switch just yet. If I start doing more mobile surfing (which would make Sync more useful to me) and Mozilla kicks up the speed and trims a little fat, Firefox 4 will definitely be a strong contender for the coveted default browser crown.

Check out the gallery, or if you want to jump right in, use the QR code after the break. For more information, release notes and troubleshooting tips, check the Firefox Beta for Mobile website.

Continue reading Firefox 4 beta 3 for Android hands on: Mozilla browser hits the Market

Firefox 4 beta 3 for Android hands on: Mozilla browser hits the Market originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 19:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/22/firefox-4-beta-3-for-android-hands-on-mozilla-browser-hits-the-market/

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Microsoft nerd reverse engineers Christmas lights, uses them as IM indicators

Christmas lights as IM indicators
Apparently, even domestic Christmas lights are controlled by computers nowadays, and hopefully, as you all know, that means they're hackable. Andrej Kyselica, a Microsoft employee, took some GE-35 Christmas lights, hooked them into a .NET Micro Framework embedded controller, took another developer's work, developed a driver -- and voila! PC-controlled Christmas lights (video after the break).

In the demo, Andrej uses Microsoft Lync (Office Communications Server) to connect his instant messenger contacts (presumably Live Messenger) to the Christmas lights. The lights then show each contact's current status -- green, yellow and red -- or he can manually set them as 'out of the office', which is a rather pretty purple color. If the light is off, nobody is home.

While this is a cool hack, it pales in comparison to another computer-controlled Christmas lights experiment, which has been going since 2002: Alek's Controllable Christmas Lights. Alek lets you control over 21,000 lights, and inflate or deflate Elmo, Santa and Homer Simpson.

Continue reading Microsoft nerd reverse engineers Christmas lights, uses them as IM indicators

Microsoft nerd reverse engineers Christmas lights, uses them as IM indicators originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/15/microsoft-nerd-reverse-engineers-christmas-lights-uses-them-as-im-indicators/

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HTC 7 Pro shows up on O2 Germany's site, promises January launch

HTC had pegged "early next year" for the 7 Pro's launch in Europe, and when you think about it, January is just about as "early" as you can get. O2's boys and girls in Germany have thrown up a teaser page for the QWERTY-equipped Windows Phone 7 handset, saying it's expected to be available next month -- a promising sign, indeed. Granted, launch dates can always slip, but considering how desperately the world needs some more landscape QWERTY options for WP7, we'd bet it's one of HTC's top priorities to get this thing pushed.

[Thanks, Jens]

HTC 7 Pro shows up on O2 Germany's site, promises January launch originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 17:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/YW4_aIH9UWI/

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Skyfire 3.0.1 for Android brings SD storage and background download notification

skyfire

Skyfire, an alternative browser for Android, has just been updated to version 3.0.1. This is a minor point update, so they haven't even bothered updating the splash screen - it still shows as 3.0 when I load it on my device.

Still, the update is noteworthy, if only for the fact that it supports Froyo's ability to store apps on the SD card, so you don't have to sacrifice any of your device's precious onboard storage space for Skyfire. Froyo users will also enjoy being able to upload files from the browser.

Even if you're not running Froyo, though, it's a worthy update: Crash reporting has been improved, as well as the browser's background download capabilities. There's a barcode waiting for you after the jump.

Continue reading Skyfire 3.0.1 for Android brings SD storage and background download notification

Skyfire 3.0.1 for Android brings SD storage and background download notification originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/10/skyfire-3-0-1-for-android-brings-sd-storage-and-background-downl/

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Exhaustive Investigation Details Final Moments of the Doomed Deepwater Horizon [Deepwater Horizon]

Earlier this year one of the worst oil-related disasters ever caused by man started with a deadly explosion. Now, eight months later, questions are answered. Chief among them is how a rig with so many failsafes could fail to spectacularly. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/12NnurD-oq4/exhaustive-investigation-details-final-moments-of-the-doomed-deepwater-horizon

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Samsung's Full-Power Galaxy Player Will Be At CES 2011 [Android]

There was a bit of a false start regarding Samsung's iPod Touch rival, with the long-awaited Galaxy S-without-calling-options turning out to be a disappointingly lower-spec device. Now Samsung's doing it properly with this. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/1sJoThyodDk/samsungs-full+power-galaxy-player-will-be-at-ces-2011

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