Liberty Walk shows us how Japan does Lamborghini customs

Anywhere you find rabid car culture you'll find rabid tuners. Japan's no different, where the make-it-hotter ethos applies to everything. When it comes to Lamborghini, Chrysler, and yes, even the Suzuki Every kei car, Wataru Kato's 18-year-old Liberty Walk shop wants to be the last word in entertainment - not only for owners, but also for visitors. Liberty Walk designs its own parts and applies them to a range of vehicles that go from the understated to the unbelievable. Kato says he wants his shop to be an amusement park for kids who just want to be around supercars.

Autoblog, Liberty Walk shows us how Japan does Lamborghini customs

Fancy shitting at 500km/h on land? Then try out China's new train that looks like a hornbill

China has unveiled a new high-speed train which is capable of reaching 500 km/h or 311 mph, according to media reports. While China has several other high-speed trains in operation, including monorails traveling at more than 265 mph, this new train is the first that has been entirely developed and built in China by state-owned train maker CSR. China's bullet trains have been routinely traveling at 186 mph, but have been heavily criticized since July when two trains collided and at least 40 people died as a result of the crash.

2DayBlog.com, Fancy shitting at 500km/h on land? Then try out China's new train that looks like a hornbill

Latest group that Jeremy Clarkson has offended? Indians

Pretty much every time Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson opens his mouth these days, someone takes offense, which does make it hard to tell whether Clarkson is actually offensive. The latest complaints have come after the Top Gear Christmas special, in which Clarkson and his posse go to India on a “trade mission.” According to The Telegraph, the BBC has received 23 complaints about the show, in which Clarkson is charged with making insensitive remarks about Indian clothing, trains, food and history.

2DayBlog.com, Latest group that Jeremy Clarkson has offended? Indians

Smartphone Activations Hit Record Holiday Highs

Smartphones were huge gift choices this holiday season, with activations reaching record highs. Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.com. Secularly speaking, Christmas is about three things: Engorging oneself at massive holiday dinners, sitting awkwardly with family members you only see annually, and the presents. Oh, yes, the wonderful, wonderful presents.

Topping this year's smorgasbord of gifts, it seems, was the smartphone. More devices flooded into eager customers' hands than in any previous holiday season.

Smartphone activations hit record highs this Christmas, with combined Android and iOS activations topping the 6.8 million mark on Dec.


Gadget Lab

See also:
things, Smartphone Activations Hit Record Holiday Highs

PS Vita unboxed

Are you one of those who managed to get hold of the PlayStation Vita. It has not exactly flew off the shelves in terms of sales figures in the Land of the Rising Sun, so hopefully the rather slow start is not an omen of things to come. After all, the Sony PS3 did take its fair share of time to rise up the sales charts slowly but surely, as they were initially covered by an avalanche of Nintendo Wii sales. Well, for folks who reside in Europe and in the US, the Vita is said to arrive only on February 22nd next year. Good thing for grey imports, as well as having friends who live in another part of the world.



Ubergizmo, PS Vita unboxed

Looking back at 2011: iPhone 4S and Galaxy Nexus cap off the year of the smartphone

. Despite numerous lofty predictions from analysts and market watchers, 2011 wasn't the year of the tablet. Not by a long shot. Apple's iPad 2 continued to sell well this past year but among dozens of rivals, only a handful of tablets managed to garner even the slightest interest from consumers. No, 2011 was the year of the smartphone. Global smartphone penetration is now approaching 10% and in the United States, nearly half of all cell phone users own smartphones.

Boy Genius Report, Looking back at 2011: iPhone 4S and Galaxy Nexus cap off the year of the smartphone

Samsung Epic 4G, LG Optimus 3D and More Gain CM7 Support

Some new devices have finally been added to CyanogenMod’s list of supported devices. We’ve got the Samsung EPIC 4G and LG Optimus 3D as notable additions. We’re also seeing support for the LG Optimus Black, Optimus Hub and Optimus Pro. These devices are on the list for CM7, of course, though we don’t expect all of these to be absent from CM9′s party sometime down the line. (The first two we mentioned are definitely high up on that “probability” list.) Head over to CyanogenMod’s site for the downloads.

Android Phone, Samsung Epic 4G, LG Optimus 3D and More Gain CM7 Support

British training ‘Xbox generation' soldiers with tweaked games

Austerity means the military can't afford the big-budget training exercises to battle-harden new recruits, so it's relying more on computer simulations. Sadly, Virtual Battlespace 2 can't compete with the Hollywood-style excitement of Modern Warfare. That's why it's buying in game engines from the studios (VB2 was based on tech licensed from the makers of Operation Flashpoint) and cutting out the unrealistic physics — such as rifle bullets flying three miles and vehicles that don't obey gravity.

2DayBlog.com, British training ‘Xbox generation' soldiers with tweaked games

GameStop: iOS trade-ins have “exceeded expectations”

According to Flurry Analytics, a total of 6.8 million iOS and Android devices were activated worldwide on Christmas Day — that's a 353-percent increase from Christmas Day 2010. Google's Andy Rubin claims that 3.7 million Android devices were activated on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Based on those two numbers, its speculated that the total number of iOS activations on December 25 was at least 4.2 million. Needless to say, Apple saw a very lucrative holiday season.
To some degree, GameStop's holiday season in regards to iOS devices was just as lucrative.

2DayBlog.com, GameStop: iOS trade-ins have “exceeded expectations”

Motorola Droid 4 shows up in Best Buy promo

Here we are, bringing you another piece of news regarding Verizon's Motorola Droid 4. Unfortunately, it's not really good news, since we still don't know when the smartphone will be released. But Best Buy seems to have thought that the Droid 4 should've been out by now, since it has included it in its latest Rewards Zone promo.

Unwired View, Motorola Droid 4 shows up in Best Buy promo

HTC Radiant and Samsung Mandel Windows Phone LTE devices in the works?

It's been a slow news week, but it looks like the folks over at the Verge have managed to land their hands on some exciting information. According to their tipsters, HTC and Samsung are both working on some new LTE-equipped Windows Phone devices. While it's been previously mentioned that LTE support will come with the Tango update, the phones will come with a pre-Tango version of Windows Phone that supports the 4G network. HTC's phone has been codenamed the Radiant and Samsung's phone has been codenamed Mandel.

Ubergizmo, HTC Radiant and Samsung Mandel Windows Phone LTE devices in the works?

Verizon Confirms $2 Fee for Paying Online and on the Phone

Late yesterday it was revealed in a leak that Verizon would begin charging consumers $2 for each single bill they pay on the phone and online. Users who pay in store or pay online via electronic check or autopay would not be affected. Verizon confirmed the news today and said that it is indeed to help offset the costs of them having to accept those types of payments. "The fee will help allow us to continue to support these single bill payment options in these channels,” said Verizon.
So there you have it. It’s set to go down on January 15th.

Android Phone, Verizon Confirms $2 Fee for Paying Online and on the Phone

Leaked memo details Verizon's $2 fee for paying your bill; autodraft or ACH the only way out

A couple of years back, AT&T offered select customers a $25 prepaid MasterCard to switch their billing over to autodraft. Soon, Verizon Wireless will be following Sprint's footsteps and charging you for every month that you aren't using that very system.

Engadget, Leaked memo details Verizon's $2 fee for paying your bill; autodraft or ACH the only way out

HTC updates bootloader unlock utility to support latest Android lineup

It wasn't long ago that HTC's bootloader unlock utility hit the masses, thereby righting the company's silly decision to lock its phones down in the first place. Now, continuing its commitment to mod-lovers and those who appreciate freedom, The House of Chou is announcing that its latest lineup of Android phones can find a similar (and proper) fate. The company has released an updated bootloader unlock tool that supports all Android devices released after September of this year. Naturally, this includes such handsets as the HTC EVO Design 4G, Rezound, Rhyme and Vivid.

2DayBlog.com

See also:
itcrowd, HTC updates bootloader unlock utility to support latest Android lineup

HP Compaq LE2002xm 20″ monitor launched

If you don't have a lot of room on your desk at home or in the office, but you'd still like a larger display than what your 15" laptop is currently offering, HP may have the solution for you in the form of the HP Compaq LE2002xm monitor which appears to have packed a ton of features all into a relatively compact 20" frame. The monitor will feature a maximum display resolution of 1600×900 with a 16:9 aspect ratio, 170 degrees of viewing angles, 5ms response time, 250 nits brightness, 3M:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and both VGA and DVI-D inputs.

Ubergizmo, HP Compaq LE2002xm 20″ monitor launched

Japanese vending machine doubles as WiFi hotspot

It looks as if facial scans for snack-dispensing purposes aren't the only mind-blowing feature on the whiz-bang generation of vending machines. Japanese company Asahi has just unveiled an advanced dispenser that's capable of doubling as a WiFi hotspot, so good luck getting through the mobs of leechers just to buy a soda. The machine sends out the internet waves free of charge and covers about 164 feet around it; of note, there's a 30-minute limit on each session — but it's nothing that a fresh login can't solve.

2DayBlog.com, Japanese vending machine doubles as WiFi hotspot

Intel's Medfield Developer Tablet Pictured In The Wild

Intel's tablet based off their upcoming Medfield mobile processor was leaked in a few new images thanks to a tipster over at Android Community who provided these images of the device being manhandled in the wild. The 10.1-inch developer tablet is currently rocking Android 3.x Honeycomb and Intel's 1.6GHz dual-core Medfield Atom mobile processor. You can see from the included pics it comes with the usual array of ports and buttons and the back of the device features a rather unique design. I like it.



Android Phone, Intel's Medfield Developer Tablet Pictured In The Wild

OTA Update Coming Soon To Samsung Galaxy Tab On Verizon – Adds New Functionality And TouchWiz UX

You'll either welcome this with open arms or shake your fist in the air but Verizon is getting ready to push out a new OTA update to Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 devices on their network. Software version I905-ELo1 brings with a bunch of new features most notably — Samsung's TouchWiz user interface. Other than subtle UI changes TouchWiz also adds new functionality like Bluetooth 3.0 compatibility, DivX support, security pathes, Social Hub widget and a new apps like The Daily, My Files (file explorer) and Photo Editor.


Android Phone

See also:
computerworld, OTA Update Coming Soon To Samsung Galaxy Tab On Verizon â€" Adds New Functionality And TouchWiz UX

Watch the story of the flaming Lamborghini that won this year's Targa High Country

Not too long ago, we caught the dramatic finish to the Targa High Country in Australia. The last stage of the event featured one very on fire Lamborghini Gallardo piloted by Jason and John White as the duo sped to the finish line. Why didn't the team stop and put out the fire. For starters, White notes there were more fire extinguishers at the finish line than there were in the car. Additionally, the teammates beat out their closest competitor by just 10 seconds.



Autoblog, Watch the story of the flaming Lamborghini that won this year's Targa High Country

Sample Image Linked to Samsung GT-I9500, Could Be Galaxy S III

If Samsung follows the precedent set over the past two years, the next entry into their Galaxy S series of Android smartphones should be announced sometime this spring. It’s safe to assume prototype devices are already running around Samsung’s South Korea offices, and a newly uncovered sample photo could be linked to the device. A look at the photo’s EXIF data reveals that it was taken with a device baring the model number GT-I9500.

Android Phone, Sample Image Linked to Samsung GT-I9500, Could Be Galaxy S III

Motorola Droid 4 audio clips leak, still no official launch details

Expected to be released in February, the Motorola Droid 4 still hasn't been officially announced by Verizon. But it looks like the largest US mobile carrier has prepared pretty much anything is needed for the launch of the new smartphone. We've already reported that the Droid 4 was spotted over at the DroidDoes website (although it's not there anymore, of course). Now Droid-life even has audio clips that present the handset – these will certainly appear at DroidDoes.com after the Droid 4 is finally announced.

Unwired View, Motorola Droid 4 audio clips leak, still no official launch details

60beat GamePad controller targets iOS gamers

When it comes to gaming, many factors come into play where your performance is concerned. Some of us claim that with superior hardware, we would be the all conquering gamer around, while others say that a better connection would help. For folks who fall under the former category and get most of their gaming done on the iOS platform, here is some news – 60beat has rolled out their GamePad controller that will plug into the headphone hack of your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, turning your Apple device into a fully-featured hand-held game controller.

Ubergizmo, 60beat GamePad controller targets iOS gamers

Samsung Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab 10.1 are on their way to US Cellular

According to a leaked internal document, the Samsung Galaxy S II and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 are both on their way to US Cellular. We've known that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 would be sold by US Cellular ever since June, and now we have one more leaked confirmation for that. As for the Galaxy S II, so far US Cellular hasn't said anything about carrying it, and there have been no past leaks about it going to US Cellular. But back when the Galaxy S II first made it to the USA, Samsung put up a sign up page. So if you were in the US you could sign up to be kept up to date with release dates and such.

Unwired View

See also:
itworld, Samsung Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab 10.1 are on their way to US Cellular

Sony NEX-7 up for pre-order again, expected to start shipping in April 2012

Sony's NEX-7 mirrorless camera system was expected to see a launch by the end of the year, but unfortunately due to the flood in Thailand which affected Sony's factories, the launch of the device was delayed. Sony then managed to get it sorted out but due to the delay in manufacturing, not all orders managed to get fulfilled and only those who had placed their pre-orders much earlier would be receiving their cameras. Well the good news is that it looks like Sony may have gotten everything back on track and the Sony NEX-7 is up for pre-order (again) should you still be interested in getting your hands on the device.

Ubergizmo, Sony NEX-7 up for pre-order again, expected to start shipping in April 2012

Airtight brings AirPlay to Google TV

If you own a bunch of iOS devices and wished that your Google TV could support iOS AirPlay so that you can stream content from your devices to your TV - you're in luck. A developer named Yossie has come up with a solution called Airtight. All you have to do is install the app onto your Google TV, hook it up to your iOS device, and you can start streaming content wirelessly over to the set top box. It's that simple to use.
Unfortunately at the moment there is no support for mirroring, DRM-protected movies and music, but for everything else it should work.

Ubergizmo, Airtight brings AirPlay to Google TV

Samsung Galaxy S may receive Value Pack update instead of Android 4.0

Just yesterday we reported that due to overwhelming negative responses from their customers, Samsung announced that they would rethink their decision about not including the Galaxy Tab and Galaxy S in their Android 4.0 upgrade plans. As it turns out, it looks like Samsung may be firm in their resolve to not bring Android 4.0 to said devices, but will instead offer a "Value Pack" to the Galaxy S (it is possible that the Galaxy Tab could receive the same treatment). This is not confirmed yet but it is a move Samsung is reportedly thinking about.

Ubergizmo, Samsung Galaxy S may receive Value Pack update instead of Android 4.0

Google Dev: We are making Chrome out of kindness to web

The obvious idea behind this move is Google's interest in capturing those advertising revenues generated by Mozilla's 25 percent browser market share and users who are using the box for Google searches. Some rumors suggest that the price for Firefox went up as Microsoft was bidding for the space as well and Google certainly has no interest to handing those search revenues to Bing. The problem, of course, is Firefox is a rival for Chrome is this respect as it is cheaper for Google to harvest search revenues through Chrome than pay Mozilla.

2DayBlog.com, Google Dev: We are making Chrome out of kindness to web

Logitech Revue units DOA for some customers, corrupted firmware to blame

. Certain customers who recently purchased the Logitech Revue Google TV set top box with the hope of transforming their normal TV into a web-ready smart TV have been left with nothing but disappointment. Logitech has confirmed that a small percentage of recently manufactured Revue devices were shipped with “corrupted firmware,” preventing select customers from activating their new devices.

Boy Genius Report, Logitech Revue units DOA for some customers, corrupted firmware to blame

Samsung, Sharp, Hitachi and others settle LCD panel price fixing consumer class action for $539 million

'Tis the season for settling antitrust lawsuits, folks. Earlier this month, Sharp, Samsung, Hitachi and other LCD panel producers settled out their price fixing lawsuit with direct purchasers (read: TV and computer monitor manufacturers) for $388 million. So the story goes, the companies colluded to assure higher prices on LCDs sold between 1999 and 2006. Now, those same seven companies have settled up with indirect LCD purchasers - aka the folks buying TVs and PCs - to the tune of $539 million.

Engadget, Samsung, Sharp, Hitachi and others settle LCD panel price fixing consumer class action for $539 million

Spire Hack Brings Siri to Jailbroken iOS 5 Devices

iPhone 4 or 4S. A screenshot of Siri on an iPhone 4. Image: Jon Snyder/Wired.com. These Siri hacks are getting serious. The latest one is the work of two veteran hackers, and, unlike previous Siri ports, is technically legal — though legal certainly doesn't mean the same thing as “endorsed by Apple.”

Grant Paul (chpwn on Twitter) and Ryan Petrich have hacked Siri, Apple's virtual digital assistant, to run on any jailbroken iOS 5 device with a tool they call Spire.

Gadget Lab, Spire Hack Brings Siri to Jailbroken iOS 5 Devices

Trebuchet Launcher Alpha for Android 4.0.3+ Alpha Now Available for Download

The developer behind Trebuchet launcher (which will be in CyanogenMod 9) has updated his application with some new features and brought to the public an alpha version available for download. Trebuchet launcher is based on Ice Cream Sandwich's launcher, as you might imagine, and it adds some very nice features that users have been clamoring for. Just take a look at this list of what's already available and what's set to come sometime down the line.

Android Phone, Trebuchet Launcher Alpha for Android 4.0.3+ Alpha Now Available for Download

Alcatel presents Blaze Duo - an affordable dual-SIM Android

We don't hear Alcatel's name that much often anymore, but they're still around and they have nice entry-level Android offerings, like the new Alcatel Blaze Duo OT-918N. As the name suggests, it's a dual-SIM, dual-standby device. The phone has a twin - the OT-918D. They differ in 3G frequencies (and the regions they'll be available in). The OT-918N uses 850MHz/2100MHz for its 3G connectivity, while the D version uses 900MHz/2100MHz instead. The 2G connectivity is quad-band.

Other than that, they share the same specs.


GSM Arena, Alcatel presents Blaze Duo - an affordable dual-SIM Android

Nokia N9 gets unofficial UI tweak, makes MeeGo lie down and play landscape

Nokia's MeeGo'd pillowcase smartphone has been given a 90-degree twist. This new landscape mode works across the three main navigation screens and can be accessed through N9Tweak, an unofficial mod that can be downloaded through the phone's web browser.

2DayBlog.com, Nokia N9 gets unofficial UI tweak, makes MeeGo lie down and play landscape

Powermat hacked to offer vehicular iPhone charging

The iPhone might be one of the more popular devices around right now, and for good reason, too – great design, a mammoth number of apps, and ease-of-use amongst others. Well, having said that, a smartphone like the iPhone certainly does not have stellar battery life, so making sure it remains charged each day might end up being a challenge for the forgetful. One of the ways you can ensure your iPhone remains juiced up is when you drive, why not use that time to hook it up to your vehicle's cigarette lighter port. Check out this neat little Powermat hack, where it will deliver wireless charging in your vehicle.



Ubergizmo, Powermat hacked to offer vehicular iPhone charging

Apple's Newsstand application aiding digital magazine sales, says 'I told you so'

There's no doubt that the digital magazine's road to success has been a bumpy one. The original - and still the main - idea was to push content creators and publishers forward in the paperless era, but there's been many doubters and fallen soldiers in the process. While Apple hasn't been the only outfit looking to bring the magazine to the small screen, the introduction of the Newsstand app in iOS 5 aimed to give digitized publications a place to shine on their own.

Engadget

See also:
digitalblog, Apple's Newsstand application aiding digital magazine sales, says 'I told you so'

Bell Canada will stop throttling your P2P traffic, might charge instead

Since the CRTC took a swipe at net neutrality a few years back, Bell Canada internet customers have maligned its P2P packet-shaping ways. From March 1st, however, users can file-share at the speeds nature (or your ISP) intended. In a letter to the aforementioned regulator, Bell points out that improvements to its network and the proliferation of video streaming mean that the more nefarious traffic just isn't denting its capacity like it used to. As such, the firm will withdraw all P2P shaping for both residential and wholesale customers.

Engadget, Bell Canada will stop throttling your P2P traffic, might charge instead

JXD S7100 – Android Powered Gaming Device

The JXD S7100 is a 7 inch Android 2.2 device with built in gaming controllers. Install Mame or another gaming emulator and this would make a great little gaming device. It's available from isharegifts.com for $139.99.

The Gadgeteer, JXD S7100 â€" Android Powered Gaming Device

Mobile Miscellany: week of December 19, 2011

This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of December 19, 2011:. Motorola Droid 4 delayed until February.
According to a memo leaked to VZBuzz, it appears that the Motorola Droid 4 - the LTE-enabled successor to Verizon's top-tier QWERTY slider - may be taking too many lessons from the Galaxy Nexus. From the looks of it, the phone won't see the inside of a Verizon store until early February. If this is the case, we'll likely see it at CES.

Engadget, Mobile Miscellany: week of December 19, 2011

Porsche Design BlackBerry P'9981 comes to the UK

At first glimpse, we weren't sure what to make of the strange metal-clad QWERTY bar, bestowed with the all-important BlackBerry logo atop its display. We at first, speculated its legitimacy, whether it was ushering in a new design language for the brand as a whole, or if it was some strange custom or special edition device. It so happens that we didn't have to wait long to find out its true intent. The hard lines and custom font etched onto that futuristic keyboard were the result of Porsche Design partnering up with the Canadian smartphone manufacturers to create something rather different.



GSM Arena, Porsche Design BlackBerry P'9981 comes to the UK

The Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab are not getting Ice Cream Sandwich

Earlier this week, Samsung named the devices that were due to get Ice Cream Sandwich in early 2012. They've now confirmed that the Galaxy S and 7-inch Galaxy Tab definitely aren't in line for the update. According to Samsung's announcement, the phone and tablet lack sufficient RAM and ROM to run the new OS alongside TouchWiz and other “experience-enhancing” software.

2DayBlog.com, The Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab are not getting Ice Cream Sandwich

Facebook was four of the Top Ten Most Popular Searches in 2011. Again.

It's year-in-review time. I love this time of year because all of these lists invariably wind up making me feel like I've wasted another 12 months of this all-too-short existence (and who doesn't love that?) or reinforce the notion that everyone in the world is an idiot. This year's list of most searched-for terms does the latter. Here's the full list, by way of Experian Hitwise:

Two things here: First, yeah, Facebook's on there four times. Same as last year. That's idiotic; we're you're all idiots. Stop that.

Second, it tickles me that Yahoo's also on the list twice. Yeah yeah, I know; Yahoo's still a major portal for legacy users.

2DayBlog.com

See also:
gadgets, Facebook was four of the Top Ten Most Popular Searches in 2011. Again.

Mahindra's U.S. plans on indefinite hold, Alabama plant denied

Fans of small, fuel-efficient pickup trucks: We hate to tell you this, but it's becoming increasingly clear that Mahindra's long-awaited entry into the United States market just isn't going to happen anytime soon. We're just as disappointed as the rest of you – with the recent demise of the Ford Ranger, there simply aren't any truly compact trucks left in American dealership showrooms. We got a wee bit of unfounded hope when rumors began swirling that Mahindra was in the midst of closing a deal with Navistar, a longtime partner in its home market of India, to manufacture the T20 and T40 trucks in a new plant in Alabama.

Autoblog, Mahindra's U.S. plans on indefinite hold, Alabama plant denied

Hynix, Micron turn to Taiwan following Apple's Anobit buy

. News broke earlier this week that Apple has acquired Israel-based fabless flash memory firm Anobit for as much as $400 million according to TheMarker, adding another leading chip maker to the company's portfolio. Anobit's NAND flash memory is already used in Apple products including the iPhone and iPad, and the firm's technology is said to offer several advantages over that of its rivals. As DigiTimes pointed out in a recent report, the move also means Anobit's other clients are now forced to look elsewhere as Apple becomes the exclusive owner of Anobit's chip technology.

Boy Genius Report, Hynix, Micron turn to Taiwan following Apple's Anobit buy