X10 AirPad promises to be the best $199 tablet around, sports full USB port

We usually scoff when we hear about Android tablets going for $199. But when we hear about stalwart retailer X10 selling one for $199, we'll at least give things a listen. The X10 AirPad promises to be the "best tablet on the market for under $200."

Let's talk specs: You've got a 7-inch display with a measly 800x480 resolution. (By comparison, the Acer Iconia a100 and HTC Flyer each has a 7-inch touchscreen at 1024x600 resolution.) So it's fewer pixels, but that means less work for the 1.2 GHz Rockchip 2918 processor. That's all pushing Android 2.3 Gingerbread, so it's got that going for it, which is nice. There's 512MB of RAM on board, and 4GB on internal storage. There's a 2MP camera, which we're probably safe in ignoring on spec.

The 4000 mAh batter is rated as 6 hours of movie or music playback (we have a hard time believing music playback takes as much juice, but whatever), or 4 hours of Wifi Internet accvess. And speaking of Wifi, it's got 802.11 b/g. There's also HDMI out for 1080p playback, a full-size USB port, mini (not micro) USB port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot.

Source: X10

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Verizon won't have a Galaxy S II variant, WSJ says, citing anonymous sources

The Wall Street Journal -- citing the ever-popular "people familiar with the plans" -- is reporting that Verizon won't be introducing a variant of the Samsung Galaxy S II at next week's event in New York City. That might or might not be an interesting shift from what everybody's suspected -- that just like the original Galaxy S roll-out last year, we'll see variants on all four major U.S. carriers.
Verizon spokewoman Brendra Raney apparently confirmed all this, writes Greg Bensinger, saying only "We have an extensive portfolio that offers customers a great variety of devices, including the Samsung Droid Charge."
Now we've got no idea why the Droid Charge was specifically picked for this quote, but we do know this: Brenda's right. There's no shortage of top-shelf devices in Verizon's lineup. The HTC ThunderBolt. Samsung Droid Charge. LG Revolution. And, eventually, the Motorola Droid Bionic. Not to mention the Motorola Droid 3, and the rumored Samsung Stratosphere and Motorola Droid HD. Given that we don't really know what the Stratosphere is just yet, we'll hold out hope and have faith that while it might not be a direct descendent of the Galaxy S II, it'll have lofty -- stratospheric, even -- specs when it is released.
The point is this: Even if Verizon is a no-show on Monday -- and remember that this is a Samsung event, not a carrier-branded event -- it's not like there aren't any Verizon phones to be had, and we're sure there are more to come this year. Somebody just seems to be managing expectations ahead of next week.
One way or another, we'll be there to find out. Stay tuned.
Source: WSJ
Update: And we've confirmed this with our own anonymous sources. So while it's not quite official, it's certainly anonymous. Or officially anonymous. Or anonymously official.
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Motorola Titanium now available on SouthernLINC

Regional carrier SouthernLINC (those of us south of the Mason-Dixon might have heard of 'em) today launched the iDEN-capable Motorola Titanium. As you'll recall from our mini-review, it's rugged, meeting MilSpec 810G for dust, shock, vibration, low pressure, solar radiation, high temperature and low temperature. You could probably ward off a pack of wolves with it, if need be. It's running Android 2.1 and has that chirpy push-to-talk radio function.
SouthernLINC's offering up the Titanium for $149 with a two-year contract. A one-year deal will raise the price by $100. Full presser's after the break.
More: SouthernLINC
SouthernLINC Wireless Rolls Out Motorola TITANIUM, the newest Android-powered Push To Talk Smartphone for iDEN
ATLANTA – Aug. 25, 2011 – Motorola TITANIUM™, the newest Android™-powered smartphone with Push To Talk for the Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN), is now available from SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO).
Using Motorola’s iDEN technology that offers immediate, private communications, SouthernLINC Wireless combines Push To Talk two-way radio, cellular service, mobile Web access, and text and picture messaging into one, hand-held device.
The new Motorola TITANIUM is a slim, tablet-style smartphone that unites the interactivity of a 3.1-inch HVGA touch screen with the functionality of a full QWERTY keyboard. Plus, it gives users immediate private or GroupTALK™ Push To Talk two-way radio communications capabilities, so they can connect with one or many people at the push of a button. With a simple and intuitive interface, Android 2.1 Eclair operating system, integrated GPS capabilities, corporate connectivity and built-in Wi-Fi®, Motorola TITANIUM provides the tools to stay connected and productive.
“You can use the touch-screen QWERTY or the physical QWERTY keyboard to make text messaging and email communications fast and easy,” said Rodney Johnson, vice president of sales and distribution for SouthernLINC Wireless. “Whether you use your smartphone for work, play or both, Motorola TITANIUM’s dual keyboards offer users the best of both worlds.”
This smartphone is also packed with features, including voice commands, a music player, stereo Bluetooth® technology, a 3.5-millimeter stereo headset jack and a 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus, flash, video, four times digital zoom and geotagging capabilities. Store images, videos and music on the included 2-gigabyte microSD HC memory card, or replace it with up to a 32 GB card, sold separately, to hold even more data.
More than 250,000 applications are available to browse and download from Android Market™, and with five display screens providing quick access to frequently used items, there is plenty of room to personalize Motorola TITANIUM with widgets, shortcuts and interactive wallpapers.
Moreover, Motorola TITANIUM synchs email, calendars and contacts from Gmail™ and Google Calendar™, Microsoft® Exchange, POP3 or IMAP, keeping active users connected to both personal and business accounts.
“And, when a text or email just won’t do, don’t let a noisy location keep you from making that phone call,” continued Johnson. “Motorola TITANIUM’s dual microphones cancel noise and optimize audio on voice calls, so you can be heard.”
In addition, the rugged Motorola TITANIUM is designed to meet Military Specification 810G for dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, low pressure and solar radiation, giving users reliability and durability in some of the harshest environments.
Motorola TITANIUM is now available for $149.99 after mail-in debit card rebate with either a two-year service agreement on a qualifying voice plan with data or an eligible contract renewal with a data plan. It can be purchased from SouthernLINC Wireless sales and service locations, through participating authorized SouthernLINC Wireless dealers, from SouthernLINC Wireless direct sales associates and online. Visit www.southernlinc.com/promodetails for offer terms and conditions. In-stock availability may vary by location.
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About SouthernLINC Wireless
SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), is an Atlanta-based regional wireless carrier with network coverage in the major metro and rural areas of Alabama, Georgia, southeast Mississippi and northwest Florida. SouthernLINC Wireless combines multiple communication options, including Push To Talk two-way radio (PTT), cellular service, wireless Internet access, wireless data, and text and picture messaging, into one hand-held device. In addition to regional network coverage, the company offers nationwide access through roaming agreements for cellular, PTT, data, and text and picture messaging services in more than 540 cities throughout the U.S. For more information, please call 1-800-818-LINC (5462) or visit www.southernlinc.com.
About Southern Company
With 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are below the national average. Southern Company was named the World’s Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility by Fortune magazine in 2011, and is consistently listed among the top U.S. electric service providers in customer satisfaction by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.
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Motorola Droid 3 gets rooted, and the exploit gets explained beautifully

The Motorola Droid 3 has been rooted, and while we expect root to happen for most Android phones, there are a couple things here that we want to talk about.  To start at the beginning, the goal of any project to exploit or root an Android phone is to get the permissions you want, where you want them.  Once you have administrative permissions on a folder you can also write to, you're pretty much set.  Security researcher Dan Rosenberg found a fairly easy method to do just that, and we now have a shell root via ADB with no third-party files being used.  This means no worries about sketchy files that have been through numerous hands, doing lord knows what when you run them.
To make things even better, Dan has outlined exactly what he did, why he did it, and how you can do it as well.  When you read it, it seems so simple, but it's apparent that a lot of research went into this and it's refreshing to see the method presented in such an open way.  Yes, this means that the carriers can patch it quickly, but for the vast majority of users that won't be rooting their phone this is a good thing.  Dan, we tip our hat to you and there's a standing offer of a frosty beverage or three should you even run across any of us here at AC.
Now, for the method -- you'll need to have ADB running, and be confident in your ability to run a few commands from the command line or terminal.  And be aware that this is the first step only, and you'll only have root via the shell.  Next, someone will need to build a few files to inject so that you have root on the device itself, and I'm sure at least a few are hard at it.  You can (and should) check out the source link for the full directions, as well as the rhyme and reason behind the method.
Update: Gerald wrote in to let us know he has posted up the files and method to get root on the device itself working, you can find that here.  And we've received numerous reports about a one click method posted by the fellows at rootzwiki.  Go get your root on!
Source and method: VulnFactory blog
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Intel rolls out 10-core, 20-threaded Xeon E7s, shows everyone who's boss

Intel® Xeon® Processor E7 Family Delivers Record-Breaking Performance, New Security, Reliability and Energy Efficiency Features

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Intel® Xeon® processor E7 family sets a new standard in reliability, availability, security and performance to help IT managers address data-intensive workloads.
Two new security features help ensure the highest levels of data integrity and system uptime.
Supports up to 10 cores, delivers up to 40 percent greater performance1 than the previous- generation processor, and improved energy efficiency with a new feature that dynamically adjusts power consumption based on workload.
Builds on Intel's commitment to democratize mission-critical computing by accelerating the migration away from proprietary computing environments.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 5, 2011 – Enabling IT departments to better manage data-intensive environments through new security and reliability features and record-breaking performance, a new family of server processors that accelerate mission-critical computing have been announced by Intel Corporation.

The record-setting Intel® Xeon® processor E7-8800/4800/2800 product families build on Intel's previous generation of server processors to set a new standard for high-end computing applications, including business intelligence, real-time data analytics and virtualization. Strengthening the line of defense for data centers, the new processors also provide advanced security features that ensure greater data integrity.

Based on Intel's leading 32-nanometer (nm) process technology, the new Intel Xeon processors have up to 10 cores with Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology, and deliver up to 40 percent greater performance than the Intel® Xeon® 7500 series processor. Concurrently, a new energy-saving feature reduces the power draw of idle portions of the chip. Beginning today, more than 35 systems based on the Intel Xeon processor E7 family are expected to ship from manufacturers around the world.

"Intel has been changing the economics for mission-critical computing server deployments for more than a decade, and today we are raising the bar yet again," said Kirk Skaugen, vice president and general manager of Intel's Data Center Group. "The new Intel Xeon processor E7 family delivers record breaking performance with powerful new security, reliability and energy efficiency enhancements. The industry momentum we're seeing for this new server processor architecture is unparalleled in Intel's history. The days of IT organizations being forced to deploy expensive, closed RISC architectures for mission-critical applications are nearing an end."

Record-Breaking, Energy-Efficient Performance
The new processor family contains 18 new processors for two-, four- and eight-socket servers, and is expandable to servers with 256 sockets. It also sets more than a dozen world records in performance. A 40 percent improvement in generational compute-intensive performance can enhance the pace and accuracy of applications in such fields as scientific research and financial services where speed is essential. With up to 25 percent better performance with virtual machine3 applications than the current generation, the new chips also hold the industry's highest virtualization performance.

IT managers seeking to achieve greater economic efficiencies can replace 18 dual-core servers2 with a single Xeon processor E7-based server. To help address rising energy costs, the new Xeon chips include Intel® Intelligent Power technology that dynamically reduces idle power consumption of the chip based on the workload while also delivering advanced processor power-management capabilities.

Recognizing the range of compute-intensive applications from climate modeling to real-time business analytics, and the need for uncompromised performance to run them, Intel is offering 10 advanced 10-core versions of the chip, led by the E7-8870, E7-4870 and E7-2870, all of which reach 2.4 GHz with a TDP (Thermal Design Point) of 130 watts.

The company also announced a version of the chip that combines the benefits of high performance with low voltage, as well as a frequency-optimized version. The 10-core low-voltage E7-8867L reaches 2.13 GHz with a TDP of 105 watts, while the eight-core frequency-optimized E7-8837 tops out at 2.67 GHz with a TDP of 130 watts.

Intel Xeon processor E7 family based-platforms add a massive 2 Terabyte of memory in a four-socket system supported by the new processors. Most of these chips also contain Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, Intel Hyper-Threading Technology and Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT), which can increase performance as required, ease multitasking and enhance reliability and manageability, respectively.

New Security, Reliability Features
Intel is bringing its leading security technologies available today in its mainstream Intel® Xeon® processor 5600 series, to the mission-critical server segment with the introduction of platforms based on the Xeon processor E7 family. Intel® Advanced Encryption Standard New Instruction (AES-NI) allows systems to quickly encrypt and decrypt data running over a range of applications and transactions, while Intel® Trusted Execution Technology (Intel TXT) creates a secure platform at boot-up by protecting applications from malicious threats.

Together, these security features can ensure that virtualized environments are more reliably secure when they are launched, migrated or at rest, as well as experience better performance and functionality.

Extensive Industry Support
Starting today, system manufacturers from around the world are expected to announce more than 35 Xeon processor E7 family-based platforms. These manufacturers include Bull*, Cisco*, Cray*, Dawning*, Dell*, Fujitsu*, Hitachi*, HP*, Huawei*, IBM*, Inspur*, Lenovo*, NEC*, Oracle*, PowerLeader*, Quanta*, SGI*, Supermicro* and Unisys*.

Numerous enterprise software vendors also support Xeon processor E7 family-based platforms, including IBM*, Microsoft*, Oracle*, Red Hat*, SAP AG* and VMware*.

Ideal Servers for Small Business
Intel also announced today the Intel® Xeon® processor E3-1200 family, an entry-level server processor built to meet the unique demands of small business applications, ranging from collaboration tools to storage and back-up applications. With up to 30 percent greater performance over the previous generation, the Xeon processor E3-1200 product family is faster and provides higher reliability than a desktop computer running similar applications. Support for Error Correcting Code (ECC) memory ensures system reliability by preventing glitches that cause data breaches and downtime, and with small businesses facing a harsher climate of security threats the Xeon processor E3-1200 product family helps ensure the integrity of valuable data with Intel AES-NI and Intel TXT.

Today's news follows the recent disclosures about the low-power, single-socket Intel Xeon processors E3-1260L and E3-1220L targeted for micro servers, and the announcement of the Intel® Xeon® processor E3-1200 product family for workstations.

Product, Pricing Details
The Xeon processor E7-8800/4800/2800 families range in price from $774 to $4,616 in quantities of 1,000. The Xeon processor E3-1200 family ranges in price from $189 to $612 in quantities of 1,000. Complete pricing details can be found in the multimedia press kit.

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Dish Network wins Blockbuster auction for $228 million in cash

DISH Network Agrees to Acquire Blockbuster Assets

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., April 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) announced that it was selected as the winning bidder in the bankruptcy court auction for substantially all of the assets of Blockbuster, Inc. DISH Network's winning bid was valued at approximately $320 million. After certain adjustments are made at closing of the transaction, including adjustments for available cash and inventory, DISH Network expects to pay approximately $228 million in cash to acquire Blockbuster at the closing which is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2011.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100611/LA19624LOGO )

"With its more than 1,700 store locations, a highly recognizable brand and multiple methods of delivery, Blockbuster will complement our existing video offerings while presenting cross-marketing and service extension opportunities for DISH Network," said Tom Cullen, executive vice president of Sales, Marketing and Programming for DISH Network. "While Blockbuster's business faces significant challenges, we look forward to working with its employees to re-establish Blockbuster's brand as a leader in video entertainment."

Completion of the transaction is contingent upon satisfaction of certain conditions, including bankruptcy court approval.

Safe Harbor Statement under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any such statement, including the risks and uncertainties discussed in DISH Network Corporation's Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements included in its recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and DISH Network Corporation expressly disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

About DISH Network

DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), through its subsidiary DISH Network L.L.C., provides more than 14.1 million satellite TV customers, as of Dec. 31, 2010, with the highest quality programming and technology with the most choices at the best value, including HD Free for Life. Subscribers enjoy industry-leading customer satisfaction, the largest high definition line-up with more than 200 national HD channels, the most international channels, and award-winning HD and DVR technology. DISH Network Corporation is a Fortune 200 company. Visit www.dish.com.

SOURCE DISH Network Corporation

News Provided by Acquire Media

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Microsoft and Toyota to partner on smarter charging systems for EVs?

By Tim Stevens posted Apr 6th 2011 7:22AM Today at 3:00pm EST Microsoft and Toyota are holding a little webcast and, while they're staying mum on just what the topic of discussion will be, we're hearing they've been having some heart-to-hearts about making dumb power grids a little smarter. The details naturally are yet to be unveiled, but we're presuming it'll be similar to what Microsoft and Ford have worked on for the Focus Electric, technology that enables the car to know when rates are cheapest and only charge up then, also providing detailed data on the car's power consumption. The Tesla-powered RAV4 EV will be Toyota's first pure electric vehicle, and while it surely won't be as invigorating to drive as the similarly Tesla-powered Roadster, thanks to Microsoft maybe it'll be a little smarter. It'll certainly be cheaper.

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