Some cable companies are pushing for unbundled channels -- but not for you

Sick of paying for cable TV channels you don't watch? Reportedly some operators are looking for a way -- through negotiation or regulation -- to end channel bundling, where to get certain channels (like MTV) they're compelled to pack others (like TV Land) owned by the same company into their basic lineups. According to Reuters, smaller operators like Suddenlink and Mediacom are leading the charge, while even bigger companies like Comcast, Time Warner and DirecTV are feeling squeezed in retransmission fee disputes. However, as the LA Times points out, it's still doubtful you'll be able to pick and choose specific channels for a cheaper bill. What may be available however are cheaper packages of smaller bundles, like the lineup shown above that Comcast is testing in certain areas. What's stopping true a la carte programming choices? Hybrid cable and content companies, like Comcast with NBC Universal and Time Warner, and sports -- someone has to pay for that billion dollar ESPN Monday Night Football deal.

Some cable companies are pushing for unbundled channels -- but not for you originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/pPTcVGGMbr8/

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Swatch Touch watch reacts to your, well, you know

Admit it, you've either owned or lusted after some sort of quirky Swatch in your lifetime. If not, its new Touch watch may be the one to finally give you a case of GAS. According to T3, the timepiece sports a convex LCD touchscreen, used for swiping or tapping through settings. Aside from displaying the time and date in an eye-caching (nearly unreadable) manner, it features an alarm, a timer, chronograph functionality and keeps track of two timezones. The Swatch Touch is said to hit the UK scene on October 1st, in a choice of six colors for £100 (roughly $157). Looks like Tokyoflash just got itself a worthy foe.

Swatch Touch watch reacts to your, well, you know originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

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Ask DLS: What's your favorite mobile app at the moment?

The mobile app marketplace is exploding; there are now hundreds of thousands of apps on the iOS, Android and BlackBerry app markets. Heck, even Windows Phone 7 just crossed the 10,000 mark!

But alas, not all apps are created equal; some are way, way better than others. Which leads me to today's Ask DLS question: What is your favorite mobile app at the moment?

We don't necessarily mean the latest craze; we'd like to hear about apps that have stood the test of time on your device, apps that are among the first you install on a new smartphones, apps that have earned their place on your home screen and in your heart.

So, what are some of these apps? Bonus points for links to screenshots in the comments!

Ask DLS: What's your favorite mobile app at the moment? originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/17/ask-dls-whats-your-favorite-mobile-app-at-the-moment/

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The New NFC Is Going to Change the Way You Pay People With Your Phone [NFC]

NFC is the almost-near future of how we interact with the physical world around us, and a new addition to the technology's protocol today is going to make using it a lot easier. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/YeW7vp6XTb4/nfc-just-got-simple-enough-for-actual-people-to-use

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Video controller PCs support up to a dozen 1080p inputs and outputs

Trenton announced a pair of Matrox-validated video controller PCs, sporting Xeon processors up to a quad-core, 2.53GHz model. The TVC3400 supports one or two Matrox Mura MPX cards with up to eight 1080p inputs and eight more 1080p outputs, while the TVC4400 supports up to three Mura MPX cards for up to 12 1080p inputs and outputs, with shelf and wall-mountable options available for each....

Source: http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Trenton-TVC3400-and-TVC4400/?kc=rss

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ASUS announces Ivy Bridge PCI-Express motherboards, for early early-adopters

If you get your jollies from things like procuring motherboards months before compatible chips are released, then boy have we some good news for you! ASUS is releasing three PCI-Express 3.0 enabled motherboards that are capable of handling Intel's souped-up Ivy Bridge chips when they debut next year. The company isn't in the business of giving its boards romantic names, so the three Z68-powered arrivals will be called P8Z68-Deluxe/GEN3, P8Z68-V Pro/GEN3 and P8Z68-V/GEN3. The whole lot will get two PCI-Express 3.0 slots, LucidLogix's Vertu Universal MVP graphics-switching and USB 3.0. They'll be available from October -- the Deluxe model will peel €230 ($310) from the rear of your pocket, while the V-pro commands a more modest €185 ($250) and the V an even lower €160 ($220). After the break, we've got a shot of the German spec list that those nice folks at TechConnect managed to snaffle. Go on, geek out -- we won't tell.

[Thanks, Alexandre]

Continue reading ASUS announces Ivy Bridge PCI-Express motherboards, for early early-adopters

ASUS announces Ivy Bridge PCI-Express motherboards, for early early-adopters originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/29/asus-announces-ivy-bridge-pci-express-motherboards-for-early-ea/

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Softbank takes Dell Streak Pro 101DL by the hand, plans January 2012 coming out party (video)

Dell Streak Pro 101DL. Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? Clumsy naming aside, this power-laden handset's just been officially outed by Japanese carrier Softbank, where'll it bow sometime next January. So, what sort of mobile media tour de force can you look forward to early next year? Try a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED Plus display vividly showcasing a skinned version of the now ubiquitous Android 2.3, all running atop a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 processor. There's also the usual array of WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and dual cameras on board (1.3 megapixel front-facing / 8 megapixel rear), with planned support for 1seg, and Dell's SyncUp cloud storage in the works. Of course, the phone delivers up to 14Mbps down via the network's WCDMA 2100MHz frequency, but you globe-trotting folk can always take advantage of the included quad-band GSM / WCDMA radios. As with all things pre-released, certain specs can still change before the ringing in of our new year. Let's just keep our toes crossed that one of those potential alterations is a frozen mobile OS dessert. Get a gander of the coming soon gadget in the videos after the break.

[Thanks, Babak]

Continue reading Softbank takes Dell Streak Pro 101DL by the hand, plans January 2012 coming out party (video)

Softbank takes Dell Streak Pro 101DL by the hand, plans January 2012 coming out party (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

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Fanless PC has dual video outputs, CFast, six serial ports

Nexcom announced a fanless PC that offers two DVI-D video outputs and is available with single or dual PCI/PCI Express expansion slots. The NISE-3142 supports Intel Core 2 Duo or Celeron processors, includes a 2.5-inch drive bay and CFast slot, accepts DC power from 16V to 30V, and sports six serial ports, according to the company....

Source: http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Nexcom-NISE3142/?kc=rss

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Google Cloud Print comes to HP ePrint printers

HP has become the first major OEM to deliver support for Google Cloud Print in retail-boxed printers. In an official release, HP announced that its ePrint-enabled printers are now fully Cloud Print compatible. Just sign in to your Google account, pick your HP ePrint device, and you're ready to fire off a print job from anywhere you've got Internet access. Well, as long as your app supports Cloud Print as well -- like Gmail and Google Docs, for example.

We're curious, though -- how many of you are still printing? Like our pals at Engadget, our printers have been mostly gathering dust for the last few years.

Google Cloud Print comes to HP ePrint printers originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/01/google-cloud-print-comes-to-hp-eprint-printers/

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Mitoza is a fun, freaky Web toy with an artistic look

While not a game per se, I found Mitoza intriguing enough to spend quite some time with it. You start off with a seed, and are then presented with two choices: you can either click a flower pot, or click a cute little birdie.

If you click the flower pot, a flower pot appears and the seed is planted inside. You're then presented with two further choices -- a water can or a bottle of fertilizer. Each choice you make causes your creation to morph, and presents you with two other choices.

There's no winning or losing, really. Each "game" usually lasts around four or five choices, at which point the plant/animal dies in some creative (but not too gruesome) way. At this point you instantly start over with a new seed.

The graphics are captivating; the whole thing has a cinematic feel to it, with a bit of artificial camera shake added for style.

All in all, it's a fun, peaceful way to spend a few minutes, and it might even make you think a little bit while you're at it.

Mitoza is a fun, freaky Web toy with an artistic look originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/28/mitoza-is-a-fun-freaky-web-toy-with-an-artistic-look/

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Google Chrome now uses SPDY HTTP replacement, halves page load time

We're not entirely sure of the time line here, but it looks like Google has now rolled out the SPDY HTTP replacement to its full bevy of Web services, including Gmail, Docs, and YouTube. If you're currently using Google's Chrome browser you're probably already using SPDY.

We originally reported on SPDY way back in November 2009, when Google introduced it as yet another experiment in making the Web faster, like Go, Native Client and speculative pre-connections. Over the last 18 months, though, SPDY support has found its way into the stable build of Chrome.

SPDY is basically a streamlined and more efficient version of HTTP. At its most basic, SPDY introduces parallel, multiplexed streams over a single TCP connection -- but at the same time, SPDY allows for prioritization, so that vital content (HTML) can be sent before periphery content (JavaScript, video). All in all, the SPDY protocol can halve page load times, which is obviously rather significant.

The best bit, though, is that SPDY is an open-source project. HTTP 1.1 is a lumbering beast that needs to be replaced before low-latency real-time computing really becomes a reality, and SPDY is one of the best options currently on the table. To be honest, we're not sure why SPDY hasn't received more coverage -- it's awesome in every way. At the moment, though, the only way to help speed up SPDY's proliferation, is with an experimental Apache mod.

As far as actually 'trying it out,' your best bet is downloading Chrome, hitting up some Google sites, and then checking chrome://net-internals to see your active SPDY sessions. SPDY is a transparent replacement for HTTP, though, and as such it's rather hard to see its effects. Google's sites definitely feel fast in Chrome, but there are more technologies than just SPDY at work.

Google Chrome now uses SPDY HTTP replacement, halves page load time originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/11/google-chrome-now-uses-spdy-http-replacement-halves-page-load-t/

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Nokia Siemens gets into the dongle and router racket, hitches a ride on TD-LTE

At PT/Expo Comm Nokia Siemens officially decided to dip its toes in the 4G dongle and router waters, unleashing the USB-lte 7210, the CPEi-lte 7212 and the CPEo-lte 7210 on the public. The three different devices all use TD-LTE to hit speeds of 102Mbps down and 51Mbps up. The USB-lte (pictured on the right) is, obviously, a plug-and-play USB modem for getting your laptop (or desktop, we suppose) online using a cellular network. The CPEi and CPEo are 4G routers, with WiFi radios and Ethernet jacks that allow you to spread the 4G wealth. The difference being the CPEi is designed for in-home use, while the "o" in CPEo stands for "outside." Pricing and availability are still a mystery but, since no carriers here use the time division-duplex flavor of LTE, don't except to see them land on American shores. Check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Nokia Siemens gets into the dongle and router racket, hitches a ride on TD-LTE

Nokia Siemens gets into the dongle and router racket, hitches a ride on TD-LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/O3TSNnhiAnc/

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