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Despite having a background in science, I am remarkably susceptible to magic tricks: there's something about them that draws me in. But there's more to it than me being stupid, as this video about the neuroscience of magic explains. More »

Qualcomm's next-generation system-on-a-chip is set to turn up inside consumer devices at the Mobile World Congress—and judging by its rumored speed and integrated LTE technology, it could cause quite a stir. More »

Whatever you might think of Kim Dotcom (originally Schmitz), the founder of Megaupload, he at least deserves a fair trial. US officials had worked hard to keep him locked up without bail, but a New Zealand court has finally granted him bail after no one could show him having access to vast funds elsewhere that he could use to make a run for it. Apparently, US officials insisted that he must have those funds, but couldn't produce any evidence, and the court realized that's not a particularly good reason to keep him locked up: In the North Shore District Court this morning, Justice Nevin Dawson said that after a long time where officials could investigate the Dotcom's potential access to funds - none of significance had been found. Justice Dawson said it was "highly unlikely" that he had other financial resources available to him that had not already been seized.

Prosecution acting for the United States Government had said that because Dotcom was "very wealthy" it was probably he had more bank accounts.

However, Justice Dawson said that put Dotcom in the position of having to "prove a negative" and that assertion was not enough to imply his flight risk.

Four new bank accounts were discovered in the Philippines, but they were empty, he said.

"The suspicion that Mr. Dotcom is very wealthy is not evidence of further assets and cannot be used against him." I've certainly noticed attempts by many to try Dotcom based on his outward appearance or the fact that he clearly was a show off who flung money around. And I can understand that desire. But, any trial should be based on the actual facts against him, not the fact that he was apparently tacky and a showoff when he spent money. If that, alone, was a crime, then tons of famous musicians, movie stars and athletes deserve the same treatment.

That said, the conditions of bail include no internet usage, which (as we've noted in the past) is pretty ridiculous, since nearly everything touches the internet these days, including popular phone systems. It seems perfectly reasonable to say that he can't have anything to do with cyberlockers or Megaupload or such, but a complete internet ban seems extreme.

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The Apache Software Foundation has announced the availability of Apache 2.4, a major update of the popular open source HTTP server. The arrival of the new version, which is the first major release of Apache in six years, coincides with the software's 17th anniversary.

The Apache project emerged in 1995 around a fork of a Web server that was originally developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). Apache became the Web's number one HTTP server is currently used by 400 million websites around the world, powering roughly 60 percent of all active domains.

The new version of Apache introduces a number of new features and technical improvements that will help it retain its standing. The developers say that version 2.4 is significantly more efficient than its predecessor, offering better performance and lower resource consumption.

"This release delivers a host of evolutionary enhancements throughout the server that our users, administrators, and developers will welcome," Apache server vice president Eric Covener wrote in a statement. "We've added many new modules in this release, as well as broadened the capability and flexibility of existing features".

One improvement that is particularly worth noting is that the multiprocessing module system (MPM) has been improved so that the desired module can be selected at runtime. Various MPMs implement different behaviors for how the HTTP server spreads its workload across threads and processes.

Previously, the desired module had to be selected during the configuration step of the build process. In version 2.4, it's now possible to select multiple MPMs during configuration and specify the one that should be used at runtime. This will offer more flexibility in Apache deployments.

Although Apache is highly popular and deeply entrenched, it is facing some fresh competition from nginx, an open source Web server that has seen dramatic growth in adoption over the past year. The latest statistics show that nginx has become the second most popular server, surpassing Microsoft's IIS.

Adopters generally cite superior performance as the reason why they replace Apache with nginx. According to some benchmarks (PDF) demonstrated by Apache Software Foundation president Jim Jagielski, Apache 2.4 offers competitive performance.

For more details about the release, you can refer to the official launch announcement. An overview of the new features can be found in the Apache 2.4 documentation.

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Let's face it, walkie-talkies are far from glamorous, but for large and small enterprises that rely on real-time communication, the WWII artifact remains an integral part of the workday. Now, AT&T has set forth on a journey to give its push-to-talk services a modern makeover, and it's recruiting a few partners to join the quest. In addition to providing PTT-enabled smartphones, the carrier will be testing IP-based technologies that offer workflow automation for tasks such as fleet management and dispatch. Additionally, the system will also offer integration with traditional radio systems such as PMR and LMR, which means an organization won't need to transition its entire crew at once. You can find more about AT&T's hybrid communications system in the PR after the break.

Continue reading AT&T launches pilot program for expanded push-to-talk services

AT&T launches pilot program for expanded push-to-talk services originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Powered skateboards have been around since the early 90's, but they've always seemed to require extra components—from handheld throttles to Microsoft Kinect-based sensor arrays—that could never quite capture the feel of a conventional deck. The ZBoard, with an electric drivetrain and weight-sensor control system, could be the first to actually pull it off. More »

Did you just brave the lines of a midnight launch party and snag yourself a PS Vita in the US? Good news ye early adopters, Sony's PlayStation.Blog.US has just announced that select free apps will be available as part of today's PlayStation Store update. Currently, you'll find Netflix, LiveTweet and Flickr, but there's still nary of trace of Facebook or Foursquare among the bunch (nor any official word on release dates for that matter). We gave each app a download and quick spin prior to them being officially listed without much in the way of hiccups -- however, Netflix does take its sweet time to start-up. Disappointingly, Vita's 20MB cap on 3G data is totally in effect on Netflix, as switching to our cellular connection denied us any access to the service. We're giving the apps some extended use to bring you our initial impressions shortly, but for now, you'll find more info at the source link below.

Update: We've added a brief video hands-on just past the break to let you grab a taste of each app before downloading them for yourself.

Continue reading 'Select' PS Vita apps hit the US PlayStation Store: Netflix, LiveTweet and Flickr (Update: video hands-on)

'Select' PS Vita apps hit the US PlayStation Store: Netflix, LiveTweet and Flickr (Update: video hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It may have taken five years at nearly 250 sites but a research team's persistent digging throughout northeastern India have paid off. Say hello to science's newest family of caecilians—legless amphibians—the Chikilidae. More »

We heard about Samsung's Galaxy S Blaze 4G -- a device that wins second place for longest name behind the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch -- last month at CES, but details were incredibly scarce. Of course, leave it to T-Mobile and Sammy to toss in a few extra nuggets in the lead-up to Mobile World Congress in the midst of so many other product announcements. It turns out that the Blaze 4G will be making its official debut on the carrier sometime near the end of March for $150 on a two-year commitment. The device sports a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3 CPU, 4-inch Super AMOLED panel, 5MP rear camera with 720p video capture, a 1.3MP front-facing shooter and -- shocker -- Android 2.3. It also supports 42Mbps HSPA+. Definitely sounds like a healthy mix of 2010 and 2011, no doubt. Want more details? We've got the press release after the break ready and waiting for you.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G making its way into T-Mobile stores in March for $150

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G making its way into T-Mobile stores in March for $150 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With the breakneck speed at which new DSLRs are released, photography seems to have traded a bit of its soul for the pursuit of ever more megapixels. So, Carl-Frederic Salicath of Norway has taken a step back from the digital revolution and has built his own working retro 120mm-film camera. Here's how. More »

A Smart TV is a TV that includes at least a rudimentary OS, access to web and Internet functions, and streaming content. They have been a hot product category at the last two CES shows, and the rumor that Apple is about to launch one is adding fuel to the fire. The Apple rumor is somewhat reliable, since it is partly based on a quote from the Steve Jobs biography where Jobs says of the Smart TV: "I finally cracked it."

But having looked closely at the offerings at CES, and comparing them to the mobile phone industry, I don't believe that the entire concept of putting extensive intelligence into the TV is a wise one. The reason is mostly because of the temporal mismatch between the lifetime of a TV, and the lifetime of a mobile device, mobile OS, or mobile processor. You see, people want large screen TVs, and these are expensive investments. The main screen in most American homes runs around $1,100. And those screens are designed to have a half-life of around 60,000 hours of viewing. Now, it's not clear how long the average consumer will keep a 1080p TV bought in 2012, but I'd suppose that 10 years is not a ridiculous guess, so humor me and work with 10 years.

So if there is one component of the Smart TV that costs $1,100 and lasts most people about 10 years, does it make sense to mate it to the "smart" part? The cost of the "smartness" is fairly easy to estimate: A Roku box, Google TV box, or Apple TV box run around $70-$100, a Boxee box goes for around $200. So, the "smart" factor runs between $70 and $200 street price. But what is the life-cycle of the average "smart" device? For that, I look to the phone market, where people cycle their smartphones every two years. Apple fans line up at the store to replace their one or two year old 3GS for a 4G because of added features and function. On Android and iOS alike, the latest OS versions, features and apps only work on the latest hardware. Does anyone here have an old phone or smartphone sitting in a drawer? Yes? Do you want to do the same with your $1,100 TV investment? It's a given that a TV is not a smartphone, but for now we're asking them to do similar tasks: apps, streaming media, social updates, etc. The Internet performance of the TVs will become out of date like smartphones do. Tying relatively cheap, 2-3 year life-cycle smarts to an expensive 10 year product just doesn't make sense.

It seems the obvious solution is already here: keep the TV dumb, and provide a set-top box (STB) that has the smarts. The STB can thus be replaced cheaply, once out of date. Consumers can easily have more than one STB, not committing to any one company's ecosystem. Do people really want to buy their TV's by ecosystem? "Hey, I love this Sony's picture, price, and size...but I want an iCloud, so I'll buy this smaller TV instead."

Really, the Smart TV is just a sales vehicle dreamt up and promoted by the TV OEMs. They had a bang-up decade updating everyone to flat panels, then pushing the upgrade to 1080P. They've had less success with 3D, and are looking for the hook to make another upgrade worthwhile. For now, Smart is it. But I doubt customers are eager to jump on, given they can just buy a STB. Even those actively looking for a TV may resist if there is a price premium, given most Blu-ray players and many cable or telco STBs already provide smart features. The TV OEMs are going to have to bundle in the smarts for free, and hope that they can make money back on the content ecosystem. But will they enjoy ecosystem lock-in for 10 years, or less?

So far, the Smart TVs sold to market are too new to have suffered from the life-cycle mismatch. The earliest Smart TVs can still compete on level ground with the latest, since it's only been a year or so since they've been in shops. But it won't be long until we start hearing complaints from those customers that "I can't stream that resolution." or "Why can't I watch programs with that new MP4 codec?" or "That app doesn't work for me. Why can't I get the latest OS on my TV?" Some of those people will end up with a newer STB, and just obviate the smarts that had been built into their TV, much the same way most of us don't use the TV tuner that is bundled with our sets.

Ultimately, whatever the problem that Steve Jobs "cracked", or whatever smarts are provided by Sony, Google, LG, Samsung, etc. I think those smarts will be better placed in a STB (or tablet, or other smart device) than in a TV.

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In the world of electronics, the size of a device directly relates to its ability to pull ahead of the competition -- especially when it comes to fitness-tracking gadgets. The latest and greatest in this field has emerged from the most unexpected of places, with Epson, a company known for its printers and projectors, releasing the world's lightest GPS watch. This timepiece, specifically designed for runners, reportedly offers more accurate readings and better battery life (up to 12 hours on one charge) than competing products from Garmin, with acute data on distance, speed and pace, all due to its newly-designed 13mm-thick module. If sweat is an issue, the water-resistant casing offers protection against a full submersion of up to 50 meters -- you can wipe your brow with a sigh of relief. Pricing and availability on the company's latest concept is still unknown, but you can let your eyes do the jogging as you peruse the press release just past the break.

Continue reading Epson joins fitness market with world's lightest GPS watch

Epson joins fitness market with world's lightest GPS watch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Goggles could soon become a set of physical goggles if murmurings from within the company are true. Could this be the death knell for smart phones? More »

We're not sure if the world was anxiously awaiting a follow-up to LG's Optimus 3D (the AT&T Thrill 4G here in the states), but here it is: the LG Optimus 3D Max -- or Optimus 3D Cube, depending on your country. The latter's been announced for Korean carrier SK Telecom, with the former rolling out to Europe later. The Optimus 3D Max is slightly thinner than its predecessor at 9.6mm vs. the Thrill 4G's 11.9mm, with a faster 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and 16GB of storage built-in, confirming most of the rumors we'd heard previously. According to LG, it will also be the world's first that can handle 3D photo and video editing right on its glasses-free 4.3-inch screen, all shot by the dual 5MP cameras mounted on the back. It also has NFC baked in to support the new LG Tag+ stickers that change the phone's settings when swiped, just like the Optimus LTE Tag. It's scheduled for release in early March with Android 2.3, but we're promised an Ice Cream Sandwich makeover soon after launch, just like its cousin, the Optimus Vu. Check out the full list of specs after the break and expect to us to get a firsthand look when Mobile World Congress kicks off on the 27th.

Update: It looks like it'll also arrive in Europe with a new name; the Optimus 3D Max. Check the full English PR release below.

Gallery: LG Optimus 3D Cube

Continue reading LG Optimus 3D Max is a slimmer sequel, world's first phone with 3D video editing

LG Optimus 3D Max is a slimmer sequel, world's first phone with 3D video editing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's true, what they say: Our digital lives are moving to the cloud. Whenever we fire up Facebook instead of a local email client, we're taking part in the shift from locally-run software to the networked app world. More »

Another pre-Mobile World Congress tease from LG? Yup, you're looking at it. While the company's technically already spilled the beans on its upcoming Galaxy Note-rival, the Optimus Vu, this occasion marks the first time we've gotten to see the phablet in video form. In the roughly 1,000 frames of animation above, you're treated to closeups of the Vu's 5-inch 1024 x 768 IPS display, its 8-megapixel camera and a brief demo of its screenshot annotation abilities. That's really all there is to it, so watch and learn folks, as you mentally prepare yourself for our more intimate rendezvous with it in the coming week.

LG's Optimus Vu shows up on video, flaunts note taking expertise (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flickr has been bleeding users like a hemophiliac since around the time Google+ launched. Now, Yahoo's doing something about it. Flickr senior product lead Markus Spiering has hinted that big changes are in store for the photo-sharing site come month's end. More »

It's not the first time that rumors have surfaced of Google working on some heads-up display glasses (9 to 5 Google first raised the possibility late last year), but The New York Times is now reporting that the company is not only working on them, but that it's set to release them by the end of this year. Citing "several Google employees familiar with the project," the paper's Nick Bilton reports that the glasses will be based on Android, pack 3G or 4G connectivity, plus GPS and a range of sensors, and cost "around the price of current smartphones," or somewhere between $250 and $600. They're also said to include a low-resolution camera that can monitor your surroundings in real time and overlay relevant information, although Google is said to be paying attention to potential privacy concerns, and "wants to ensure that people know if they are being recorded by someone wearing a pair of glasses with a built-in camera."

What's more, the Times says that none other than Sergey Brin is a "key leader" on the project, with another being Google engineer Steve Lee, the creator of Latitude. Notably, Bilton also says that Google sees the project as an "experiment that anyone will be able to join," and that the company is not currently thinking about potential business models for the glasses, which could suggest that they may be more of a small-scale hobby than part of a major push into consumer hardware.

NYT: Google to sell Android-based heads-up display glasses this year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nike is showing off its latest technology for the upcoming 2012 Olympics in London and the focus seems to be: lighter, lighter and more lighter. The highlight tech was Flyknit, a sort of yarn and fabric material that is engineered to be featherweight, formfitting and virtually seamless. More »

AUCKLAND, New Zealand—File-sharing magnate Kim Dotcom was granted bail Wednesday morning New Zealand time, after the judge hearing his application ruled that the Megaupload founder has no access to funds to help him flee the country.

As part of the bail conditions, Dotcom must reside at his leased Coatesville, Auckland mansion. He cannot travel more than 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, from the Coatesville residence on which no helicopters are allowed. Earlier bail applications by Dotcom failed as he was thought to have access to helicopters and chartered private jet planes with which he could flee New Zealand.

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