NASA's Kepler discovers three potentially habitable planets

NASA's Kepler telescope has discovered three "super-Earth-size" exoplanets that are close enough to their stars to make them possibly suitable for water. Two of the planets (Kepler-62e and Kepler-62f) orbit a K2 dwarf estimated to be around 7 billion years old. Measuring at two-thirds the size of our sun, this cosmic lantern is orbited by a total of five planets, three of which are too close to be habitable for life. Kepler-69c, the biggest of this newly discovered trio is estimated to be 70 percent larger than Earth and takes 242 days to revolve around its sun-like star Kepler-69. While there's great excitement surrounding these new findings, this isn't the first time we've spotted a potentially habitable planet. A little over a year ago Kepler discovered Kepler-22b, an exoplanet about 600 light-years away from Earth believed to be covered in liquid. Like their predecessor, NASA has yet to determine if these newfound planets actually have water or a rocky composition. Until then, Ridley Scott might want to hold off on naming them as locations for his sequel to Prometheus.

Via: Wired

Source: NASA

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By: Unknown On 2:15 PM

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Remaining black Pebbles set to ship, red flavor due in two to three weeks

Kickstarter backers have been receiving Pebble smartwatches with a black paint job since January, but if you're a supporter and haven't gotten ahold of your own yet, that's about to change. The folks behind the hardware announced today that the remaining watches are out of the factory and are being readied for delivery, making for over 55,000 shipped. Now that noir Pebbles are out of the way, the team says it's hard at work perfecting the production of the devices in other colors, and that the very first red Pebbles should be ready for shipping in two to three weeks. Other flavors don't have an estimated ship date just yet, but the team says Orange hardware will come next, with gray / white tagging along afterwards. Those who cherish speed over color can switch their order to a black ticker and snag one within roughly two weeks. On the software side, the e-paper timepiece can now take advantage of five 12-hour watch faces, so long as they carry firmware version 1.9.1. Hit the source link for details on the tribulations of color Pebble production and the perils of plastic injection.

Source: Pebble (Kickstarter)

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By: Unknown On 11:20 AM

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Stretchable, serpentine lithium-ion battery works at three times its usual size

While we've seen more than a few flexible batteries in our day, they're not usually that great at withstanding tugs and pulls. A team-up between Northwestern University and the University of Illinois could give lithium-ion batteries that extreme elasticity with few of the drawbacks you'd expect. To make a stretchable battery that still maintains a typical density, researchers built electrode interconnects from serpentine metal wires that have even more wavy wires inside; the wires don't require much space in normal use, but will unfurl in an ordered sequence as they're pulled to their limits. The result is a prototype battery that can expand to three times its normal size, but can still last for eight to nine hours. It could also charge wirelessly, and thus would be wearable under the skin as well as over -- imagine fully powered implants where an external battery is impractical or unsightly. There's no word yet on whether there will be refined versions coming to real-world products, but we hope any developments arrive quickly enough to give stretchable electronics a viable power source.

Via: ScienceDaily

Source: Nature

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By: Unknown On 11:16 PM

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Verizon wraps up 700MHz spectrum sales to three rural telecom firms

Verizon Wireless Completes Spectrum Sales to Three Rural Companies

Verizon Wireless has completed three spectrum license sale transactions following agreements reached late last year as part of the open sale process for its 700 MHz A and B Block licenses. Nortex Communications and Panhandle Telecommunication Systems, Inc. closed on their respective purchases this week. Colorado Valley Communications completed its purchase on January 16, 2013.

Nortex Communications, based in Muenster, Texas, acquired the Texas RSA 6-Jack 700 MHz lower B-block license, which covers a four-county area northwest of Dallas. Panhandle Telecommunication Systems, Inc., based in Guymon, Okla., acquired the Texas RSA 2-Hansford 700 MHz lower B-block license, which covers 12 counties in the northwest part of Texas. Colorado Valley Communications purchased a partitioned A-Block license covering a five-county area in the Houston market.

Verizon Wireless offered its lower 700 MHz spectrum licenses for sale to rationalize its spectrum holdings and enable more spectrum to reach the marketplace where it can be used for the benefit of customers. As a result of the sale process, Verizon Wireless signed agreements with seven companies, including one national carrier, five rural or regional carriers and one minority-owned firm. To date, three purchases have been completed and four remain pending. Verizon Wireless is also getting 700 MHz C block spectrum into the hands of 20 rural operators through its LTE in Rural America leasing program.

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By: Unknown On 11:04 PM

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Google Chromebooks now in 2,000 schools, usage doubled in three months

Google has really ramped up its education efforts lately, and it looks like it's paid off: according to the Mountain View company, its Chromebooks are now in use in 2,000 schools, which is twice as many as there were three months ago. Three of the more recent participants include Transylvania County Schools in North Carolina with 900 devices, St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida with 2,200 and the Rocketship Education charter network in the Bay Area with 1,100. The education team has been making efforts in the global community as well, with cloud-promoting appearances at various education conferences such as the Florida Education Technology Conference in Orlando and the British Education Training and Technology show in the UK. We're not sure exactly which flavor of Chromebook the students are getting their hands on, but we're sure no matter what they use, they'll grow up well-versed in what could be the future of computing.

Via: The Next Web

Source: Google Enterprise Blog

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By: Unknown On 7:56 PM

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Sony Xperia Z priced at £529, less if you buy it from Three (update: free headphones with preorders)

The humble islanders who inhabit Great Britain are waking up to the news that Sony's Xperia Z has been priced in the local currency. They can pre-register the unit for £529 in a choice of black, white or purple hues direct from Sony, or pre-order for £449 on Three. Either way, early birds stand to get a free pair of MDR-1R cans with their handset -- worth £200 ($315) no less.

Update: Vodafone has tweeted that the phone will launch (at least in the UK) on February 28th -- a few days earlier than we'd heard before.

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Via: GSMArena

Source: Sony UK, Three

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Three mystery Samsung Galaxy Tab profiles spotted: GT-P8200 model houses 2,560 x 1,600 display?

While we know Samsung's planning plenty for us to see in Barcelona in a few weeks, we're still not certain on the specifics. Perhaps, then, it's got a handful of tablets for us. That's what these handful of User Agent profiles purport to show us. The model numbers GT-P3200, GT-P5200 and the GT-P8200 suggest that they'll join the Galaxy Tab family, although these profiles only give us a little detail to work on. The GT-P3200 appears to be the entry-level slab, with a 1,024 x 600 resolution more suited to tablets of yesteryear. This is cranked up to 1,280 x 800 for the P5200, while the GT-P8200 will apparently match the Nexus 10's pin-sharp 2,560 x 1,600 display.

Unfortunately, there's nothing here to confirm screen-size, processing punch or much else, although we managed to sniff out an AnTuTu benchmark for the GT-P8200 that reckons it'll house a (presumably multicore) 1.7GHz processor and Android 4.2. However, like these User Agent Profiles, we're looking at these results with a suspicious glare until something more official surfaces. Between the trio, there's likely to be a division between two different sizes of tablet -- possibly either side of that Galaxy Note 8 that's set to be make an appearance next month. Check out the GT-P8200's short-but-sweet benchmark listing after the break.

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Via: Techkiddy

Source: Samsung Mobile UAProf (1), (2), (3)

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Flickr is Going Free for Three Months to Entice Instagram Deserters

This story will display in ...Dec 22, 2012 10:00 AM  

Marissa Mayer and the folks at Yahoo! have a nice little gift for you this holiday season: free Pro Flickr for three months for any and all users, old and new. Surely this is just all in the spirit of holiday cheer and has nothing to do with cleverly making use of another image-sharing service's TOS debacle, right? Right?!

Normally a Pro subscription to Flickr will run you $25 for a year, but until January 4th, you can get your start for free. Existing pro-users won't get left out in the cold either; their next payment date will be pushed back three months automatically. How nice.

What does this mean for Flickr as a service going forward? It could mean that Yahoo! is using all that Instagram chaos to try to pick up as many cast-offs as possible and ideally get them hooked on Flickr Pro. It could also be testing the waters to see how it fares when Pro membership is free, potentially prepping a change to its fairly ancient membership format. Either way, Pro Flickr is free for the next three months, so you might as well give it a shot. There aren't any filters, but hey, maybe that's a feature. [Flickr via Business Insider]

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By: Dilusha On 9:14 PM

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After three years, Slax Linux is reborn with version 7.0

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Katherine Noyes has been an ardent geek ever since she first conquered Pyramid of Doom on an ancient TRS-80. Today she covers business and tech in all its forms, with an emphasis on Linux and open source software.
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There's no denying 2012 has been a fruitful year for Linux distributions in general, but something about it has also seemed to favor the rebirth of distros we hadn't heard from in years.

Two cases in point: Back in August we saw the widely celebrated return of Damn Small Linux  after four years of silence, and just this week another very similar event happened.

Specifically, following three years without any new releases, Slax Linux on Monday graduated to version 7.0.

“I'm happy to announce the final release of Slax version 7.0, code name Green Horn,” reads the official announcement on the Slax website. “After more than three years of silence, Slax is back in action and is better than ever before.”

A 210 MB download

For those who aren't familiar with it already, Slax is a bootable CD based on Slackware Linux but with a wide variety of preinstalled software and a graphical user interface as well as recovery tools for systems administrators.

Version 7.0 includes the newest Linux kernel along with the KDE4 desktop, the GCC compiler, and “lots of other stuff,” all in a download that's just 210MB or so in size.

Slax is also available in more than 50 languages and includes translations, keyboard mappings, fonts, and system settings for each localization.

Not only that, but its modular approach “gives you the ability to include any other software in Slax easily,” the software's developers explain. “If you're missing your favorite text editor, networking tool, or game, simply download a module with the software and copy it to Slax, no need to install, no need to configure.”

A preinstalled USB for $25

Slax 7.0 is now available as a free download. In addition, however, you can order a 16GB flash drive with Slax preinstalled for $25.

There's also Puppy Linux and Damn Small Linux, of course. But if you have some older hardware you'd like to revive, this could be a nice option to try out.

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By: Dilusha On 4:33 PM

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Switched On: The Three Cs of Wii U

Switched On: The Three Cs of Wii U data = {blogUrl: "www.engadget.com",v: 219};when = {jquery: lab.scriptBs("jquery"),plugins: lab.scriptBs("plugins"),eng: lab.scriptBs("eng")}; var s265prop9 = ('20386077' !== '') ? 'bsd:20386077' : ''; var modalMNo = '93319229'; when.eng("eng.omni.init", {pfxID:"weg",pageName:document.title,server:"",channel:"us.engadget",pageType:"",linkInternalFilters:"javascript:,engadget.com,joystiq.com,massively.com,tuaw.com,switched.com,techcrunch.com",prop1:"Engadget",prop2:"",prop9:s265prop9,prop12:document.location,prop17:"",prop18:"",prop19:"",prop20:"",mmxgo: true,disablepipath:true,mmxtitle:"us.engadget" + " : "}); adSendTerms('1')adSetMOAT('1');adSetAdURL('/_uac/adpagem.html');lab._script("http://o.aolcdn.com/os/ads/adhesion/js/adhads-min.js").wait(function(){var floatingAd = new AdhesiveAd("10000657",{hideOnSwipe:true});}); EngadgetMenuReviewsEventsPodcastsBuyers GuidesFeaturesVideosGalleriesTopicsHD Mobile Alt Announcements Cameras Cellphones Desktops Displays Gaming GPS Handhelds Home Entertainment Household Internet Laptops Meta Misc Networking Peripherals Podcasts Robots Portable Audio/Video Science Software Storage Tablets Transportation Wearables Wireless Acer Amazon AMD Apple ASUS AT&T Canon Dell Facebook Google HP HTC Intel Lenovo LG Microsoft Nikon Nintendo Nokia NVIDIA RIM Samsung Sony Sprint T-Mobile Verizon About UsSubscribeLike Engadget@engadgettip uswhen.eng("eng.nav.init")when.eng("eng.tips.init") onBreak({980: function () {htmlAdWH("93325870", "215", "35",'AJAX','ajaxsponsor');}});Switched On: The Three Cs of Wii UByRoss RubinpostedNov 25th, 2012 at 6:02 PM 0

In the pre-post-PC era, life was simpler for Nintendo and other successful competitors: Sell console. Sell discs. Repeat until wildly profitable. Six years ago, as Microsoft and Sony were taking part in a game of specification leapfrogging, Nintendo embraced casual and family gaming with the Wii even as it mostly ignored online play and convergent entertainment features. More than half a decade later, Sony has surpassed the original Wiimote with its Move controller and Microsoft has created a motion anti-controller with Kinect, but the Wii retains an advantage in that developers can assume the motion control is there.

More Info Nintendo Wii U vs. Nintendo Wii: fight! Real Racing 2 HD beats Wii U to the wireless, dual-screen gaming punch Sony's Wonderbook is PS Move-augmented reading, launches with J.K. Rowling's 'Book of Spells'

Today, everyone in the games business still adheres to the basic notion of compelling software selling hardware, but the source of that software and the manner through which it drives revenue has changed via models such as digital distribution, downloadable content, free-to-play, subscription and advertising. In addition, Nintendo has launched the Wii U into living rooms in which game consoles must compete not only with each other but with Blu-ray players, TiVos, Rokus and Apple TVs for physical connections as well as smart TVs and tablets as other sources of connected entertainment experiences. How it has addressed these challenges reveals much about what the company has held dear from the Wii, what it has reluctantly accepted and what it has now embraced.

Controller

As it did with the original, less expensive Wii, Nintendo has banked on a unique controller to differentiate from its competitors. But the philosophy behind the Wii remote and the GamePad (which complement each other in the Wii U) could not be more different. The original Wii remote, like multi-touch on the iPhone, was designed to simplify gameplay by creating a more natural experience that reduced button anxiety. With the GamePad, the company has not only brought buttons back to the controller with a vengeance (and in a layout that may anger console fans used to other platforms), but added an infinite set of controls and gestures via its resistive touchscreen. "Look at the TV. Now look at the GamePad. Now look at the TV again," smacks of user interface design by the Old Spice Guy.

The Wii U is blazing the trail of multi-screen gaming, but it is traveling along a bumpy road.

Whereas most Wii games essentially took advantage of the Wiimote in a relatively similar way, all bets are off with the GamePad, which can either mirror the TV display or serve as an adjunct to the main screen with the system often alerting you to shift your focus between the TV and the controller. The Wii U is blazing the trail of multi-screen gaming, but it is traveling along a bumpy road.

Cloud

Along with the final embrace of HD (and mercifully via a standard HDMI connector), Nintendo has stepped up its support for online game functionality with the Wii U. Of course, as with the Wii, the eShop should provide plenty of back-catalog nostalgia. Nintendo, though, has moved to enable day-and-date releases of Wii U titles along with their disc counterparts. Furthermore, it has created an infrastructure for developers to create the same kind of multiplayer and game network goodies that developers have come to expect on a modern console.

But when Nintendo talks of these features, it's clear that it has mostly implemented them to accommodate developers who have come to expect them on rival platforms. To wit, the company has stopped short of having system-wide achievements a la the Xbox 360 so that developers can implement the kinds of game goals that they desire, not necessarily the ones Nintendo deems important.

Content

Nintendo may have extended a lukewarm greeting toward online play with the Wii U, but it seems to have finally embraced other forms of entertainment with TVii, taking advantage of the GamePad's second screen to act as a remote control and interface to various entertainment services. It blends remote control and consistent access not only to various online streaming services, but also to TiVo DVRs via the GamePad, lessening the pain of having its relatively large footprint on one's coffee table along with second-screen programming for sports and other movies.

Unlike with use of the controller or cloud, Nintendo has taken a consistent, thoughtful approach with its TVii feature, creating a solid user interface. One challenge for the TVii offering is that its value increases as you subscribe to more broadband TV services, not to mention TiVo with its own monthly fee. TVii looks so promising, in fact, that Nintendo might consider licensing it to other tablet companies so that the functionality isn't limited to the person who happens to hold the one GamePad bundled with the Wii U.

That said, even when paired with all of its compatible subscription services, it is not likely to fundamentally change the TV experience. However, if the original Wii set a bar for intuitive control of a wide range of video games, TVii takes once TV-shy Nintendo and puts it in the driver's seat when it comes to defining a console's second-screen approach to television viewing and interaction.

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Tags: column, dual screen, DualScreen, gamepad, kinect, microsoft, nintendo, sony, sony move, SonyMove, wii, wii u, WiiU

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write a reviewsee all reviews ? $33.42 + tax & shipping Buy now Meijer.com $49.99 + tax & shipping Buy now Nintendo Wii console

Nintendo Wii console Buy from $159

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Nintendo Wii U Basic Premium Buy from $349

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Windows Phone 8X, Galaxy S III Mini and Xperia J available on Three UK today

Windows Phone 8X by HTC – available now on Three.

The Windows Phone 8X by HTC is now available online at www.three.co.uk and in all Three stores.

With an exclusive built-in amp and Beats Audio™ technology offering a truly authentic studio sound the 8X is sure to please even the most musical among us. The smartphone also comes with an amazing 8 megapixel camera so you'll be able to take incredibly vivid pictures and the front-facing camera with ultra-wide-angle lens captures twice the image area to fit more in every shot.

Running on the very latest Windows Phone 8 software, the 8X by HTC allows true personalisation of the home screen with real time Live Tile updates on its large 4.3" screen and the powerful 1.5 GHz dual-core processor makes browsing and switching between apps a breeze.

Sylvia Chind, Head of Devices at Three said, "The 8X by HTC is packed full of great features and is perfect for streaming HD and enjoying music while on the go. Coupled with The One Plan offering amazing value with All-you-can-eat data it's no surprise that Three carries over 40% of the UK's data traffic".

The Windows Phone 8X by HTC is available for £30 a month with an upfront cost of £29 on the Ultimate Internet 500 plan with a guarantee of no surprise out-of-bundle data charges.

The device is also available on Pay As You Go for £349.99 plus a top up. All in One 15 costs £15 and gives 30-day access to all-you-can-eat data along with 300 any-network minutes and 3,000 texts. Or All in One 25 costs £25 and offers 500 minutes, 3,000 texts and all-you-can-eat data for a 30-day period.

Additionally from today get an extra special gift with Three. Purchase the 8X by HTC and get the latest Windows 8 Pro upgrade for your home PC. *

Key features:
• Beats Audio™ technology
• Amazing 8 megapixel camera
• Windows Phone 8 software
• 16GB internal memory
• 1.5 GHz dual-core processor
• DC HSDPA (42) Enabled

* Sign up for 24 months to get this deal. Windows 8 Pro upgrade offer available to Three customers who (i) already own a PC with Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista or Windows 7 and that meets the minimum system requirements of Windows 8 Pro, and (ii) who buy a HTC 8X between 09.11.12 – 21.12.12, while stocks of credit vouchers last. Eligible customers will be provided with a credit voucher which must be used to redeem the offer and download the software from the Microsoft website. Credit will expire on 31.01.13. Full terms available at Three.co.uk/terms

Sony Xperia™ J - available now on Three.

The Sony Xperia™ J is now available online at www.three.co.uk and in all Three stores.

The large and bright 4" scratch-proof display on the Sony Xperia™ J makes watching films and viewing pictures a pleasure. This viewing experience is complimented with built-in Sony audio technologies, such as the xLoud sound enhancement, which provides crystal clear stereo and bass qualities.

The smartphone is curved in design making it comfortable to hold and a smart illuminating light notifies users of incoming Facebook and Twitter messages. With 4GB of internal memory and a whopping 50GB of online storage, people can save apps, tracks and pics without having to worry about running out of space.

Sylvia Chind, Head of Devices at Three said, "The Sony Xperia™ J is ideal for style conscious social media fans and its 5 megapixel camera is perfect for Instagramming and sharing pictures on the go. With the added benefit of straightforward plans with no surprise out of bundle data charges, you'll be able to enjoy the best experience on Three".

The Sony Xperia™ J is available for £13 a month with no upfront cost on the Essential Internet 50 plan. Both the Essential Internet and Ultimate Internet plans offer a fear-free mobile internet experience with a guarantee of no surprise out-of-bundle data charges.

The smartphone is also available on Pay As You Go for £149.99 plus a top up. All in One 15 costs £15 and gives 30-day access to All-You-Can-Eat data along with 300 any-network minutes and 3,000 texts. Or All in One 25 costs £25 and offers All-You-Can-Eat data, 500 minutes and 3,000 texts and for a 30-day period.

Key features

Large 4" scratch-proof display
Illumination light for social media alerts
5 megapixel camera with LED flash and video recording
4GB internal memory and 50GB online storage with Box
Sony audio technologies for crisp sound quality

Samsung Galaxy S III Mini - available now on Three.

The Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is now available in all Three stores and, from 16th November, will be available online at www.three.co.uk.

The Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is the new compact version of the Samsung Galaxy S III. Featuring a large 4.0" display, the S III Mini is great for viewing more content on one screen, reducing the need for scrolling and zooming out. Its HD Super AMOLED technology also means that videos and pictures come to life in amazingly clear, crisp colours.

This elegant but minimal smartphone comes with a fast 1GHz dual core processor that allows apps and games to load quickly, enabling people to enjoy seamless browsing, gaming, viewing and downloading. Perfect for budding Instagrammers, the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini delivers great images using a 5 megapixel camera, which also has Best Shot mode that takes a burst of photos and then cleverly selects the best one.

Sylvia Chind, Head of Devices at Three, said, "Not only is the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini a top performing phone but it's also full of innovative touches like the notification light, which can be customised to flash a different colour to alert users to new messages or calls."

The Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is available with no upfront cost on the Ultimate Internet 500 plan for £28 a month, and on The One Plan, which offers a fear-free mobile internet experience with a guarantee of no surprise out-of-bundle data charges, for £32 a month.

The smartphone is also available on Pay As You Go for £269.99 plus a top up. All in One 15 costs £15 and gives 30-day access to All-You-Can-Eat data along with 300 any-network minutes and 3,000 texts. Or All in One 25 costs £25 and offers All-You-Can-Eat data, 500 minutes and 3,000 texts and for a 30-day period.

Key features
• Large 4.0" WVGA Super AMOLED display
• Fast 1.0 GHz dual core processor
• 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and LED flash
• Notification light
• VGA front camera
• 1500mAh battery
• Up to 8GB internal memory
• Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) Operating System
• NFC

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AT&T to spend $14 billion over the next three years on broadband, wireless infrastructure

AT&T to Invest $14 Billion to Significantly Expand Wireless and Wireline Broadband Networks, Support Future IP Data Growth and New Services
Improved Capital Structure is Foundation for Investment and Accelerated Growth
New York, New York, November 07, 2012

-4G LTE network expansion expected to cover 300 million people by year-end 2014
Wired IP broadband network expected to expand to 75 percent of customer locations in
-AT&T's 22-state wireline service area by year-end 2015

By: Dilusha On 10:27 AM

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