The year is 2009. In history books, it'll widely be recognized as the year that most of America -- heck, the world -- would prefer to forget. Job after job was lost, bank after bank fell, and humanity as we knew it plunged into "the worst recession since the Great Depression." It's also the year that Palm attempted a comeback with webOS, and as it turns out, the year that yet another accessory company was born. While such an occurrence may be forgettable on a macro scale, economic researchers and lovers of technology alike have reason to take notice -- and, indeed, ask questions. So, that's exactly what I did.

Beyond growing a technology startup in a me-too field during the worst economy that I've personally been a part of, it's also not often that I find compelling consumer electronics companies far outside of New York City and San Francisco. Twelve South just so happens to be located in a nondescript nook in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina -- just a beautiful trip over the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge from historic Charleston. Three years after its founding, the company now fittingly counts a dozen employees on its roster, and despite entering a market flooded with iAccessory after iAccessory, it has somehow managed to grab its own slice of an increasingly large niche. As with all good success stories, this particular outfit has plenty of twists, turns and run-ins with Lady Luck to tell about; for those interested in seeing how the "stay small" mantra is keeping Twelve South firmly focused on the future ahead, take a peek beyond the break.

Continue reading Opening the Book(Book) on Twelve South: between the covers of a Mac-exclusive accessory maker

Opening the Book(Book) on Twelve South: between the covers of a Mac-exclusive accessory maker originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 12:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We largely steer clear of companies going public here at Engadget, but Facebook and its zillions of users warrants an atypical tip of the hat. The outfit has announced that starting tomorrow, 421,233,615 shares of its common stock will be up for grabs at a price to the public of $38 per share. It'll trade on the NASDAQ under the symbol "FB," with the outfit offering 180,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and selling stockholders offering 241,233,615 shares of Class A common stock. Closing of the offering is expected to occur on May 22nd, subject to "customary closing conditions." And with that, we'd like to congratulate a plethora of new billionaires on... well, being billionaires. Don't work too hard, guys and girls.

Celebratory video is after the break.

Continue reading Facebook IPO is official: $38 per share, on sale tomorrow under ticker symbol 'FB'

Facebook IPO is official: $38 per share, on sale tomorrow under ticker symbol 'FB' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 16:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bandwagons, trains and Tranes. Can't say that these three have a heck of a lot in common in most regards, but one thing's for sure: trying to stop this trio would be a Herculean task. And so it goes with laptops -- once upon a time, it was good enough to have something that resembled a portable tower, but these days, the ability to even see the chassis at all feels like a negative. I exaggerate, of course, but the proverbial race in the laptop world is hardly about price; it's about thinness. Intel's unstoppable quest to plaster the Ultrabook term as far and wide as possible has led to a change in the way consumers are viewing portable machines, and Apple's devilishly thin MacBook Air certainly played a role, too. What we're left with is a very curious priority list, and I'm wondering if too many OEMs have stopped to wonder if the "obvious" is indeed the "right."

I'll be the first to confess that I love the look of thin. Samsung's Series 9 and Acer's Aspire S5 might just be two of the sexiest machines to ever be built, and Dell's original Adamo was primarily of interest due to one thing: its jaw-droppingly thin frame. But there's some saying about putting form before function that seems to apply here, particularly when keying in on battery life. I've no doubt that the marketing and research teams for PC makers far and wide understand the realities of the market place, and perhaps the average consumer really doesn't need more than four to six hours of life on a single charge. Five years ago, squeezing that much life from machines under an inch thick would've required some sort of wizardry that exists only in a rarely visited corner of West Hollywood. But today, I'm a dreamer. And I'm dreaming of a laptop with "all day battery life" -- something that could be screamed from the rooftops, and honestly, something that could probably be accomplished tomorrow if our laptop options weren't on such a diet.

Continue reading Editorial: Thin laptops are the new mainstream, but what about battery life?

Editorial: Thin laptops are the new mainstream, but what about battery life? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hand firmly grasping hat? Good. The Wall Street Journal is reporting on quite the bombshell today, noting that Google is about to cause its carrier partners in the States all sorts of grief -- indirectly, of course. Just weeks after placing its heralded Galaxy Nexus on sale for $399 unlocked, the report states that said move is only the beginning of a new initiative. Likely to be formally revealed at Google I/O, the mega-corp is planning to partner with a variety of OEMs (rather than just one at a time) in order to have up to five Pure Google (read: Nexus) devices available at once. Better still, the whole stable will ship with Android 5.0 (Jelly Bean) and will be sold directly from Google in unlocked form to consumers in America, Europe and Asia.

The move is significant in a myriad ways. For one, more unlocked Nexus devices means more choice when it comes to carrier selection. Furthermore, the move is likely to quell fears that certain partners may have about Google making Motorola Mobility its favorite after a $12 billion acquisition. Not surprisingly, Google's not commenting on the matter, but sources "close" to the situation say that the company's hoping to have the 5.0 cadre on sale by Thanksgiving -- you know, just in time for Black Friday and the looming holiday shopping season. We're all guessing that this will address the growing "app situation" head-on; by making a push to eliminate carrier-infused bloatware (while also providing early Android OS access to more partners), we're hoping that the whole "skinning" dilemma is addressed, too.

Google reportedly planning stable of Nexus devices with Android 5.0, will sell 'em direct originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 17:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As expected, May 14th is indeed a dark day for LightSquared. The company has just filed paperwork in order to initiate Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in Manhattan's US Bankruptcy Court, effectively killing its dream of providing a high-speed mobile wireless network to upwards of 260 million people. Not quite a year after Sprint and LightSquared put together an agreement that would ensure 15 years of blissful LTE enjoyment together, Philip Falcone's baby looks weaker than ever. With the Sprint tie-up now void, and over $1.6 billion in debt, there's probably not too many places for LS to turn. The primary hurdle -- one it never could seem to overcome -- was the FCC's outright refusal to believe any of the company's mitigation proposals in relation to GPS interference issues. Despite "profoundly disagreeing" and raising all sorts of chaos in an effort to get its way, LightSquared never did manage to convince the powers that mattered. Where it turns from here is anyone's guess, but it won't be a quiet fall from grace, we're surmising.

LightSquared officially files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 14:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Update: Yahoo has confirmed Thompson's departure in an official press release (after the break), placing Ross Levinsohn in a interim CEO position, as expected. The firm also mentions that Roy Bostock's seat as Chairman of the board will be filled by Fred Amoroso. Hit the break for the official statement.

Continue reading ATD: Yahoo's CEO Scott Thompson to step down amidst degree scandal (update: confirmed)

ATD: Yahoo's CEO Scott Thompson to step down amidst degree scandal (update: confirmed) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 12:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Can't say it's striking us as any sort of surprise, but the seemingly destined-to-fail LightSquared just might be out of options. After getting a high-five from Sprint and plenty of attention for its initiatives in bringing yet another wireless option to America, those blasted GPS interference issues (or "supposed" issues, depending on who you ask) eventually became too much to overcome. According to a breaking report out of The Wall Street Journal, Philip Falcone's venture is seriously teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, as "negotiations with lenders to avoid a potential default faltered," according to the ever-present "people familiar with the matter." Purportedly, the two sides have until 5PM tomorrow to strike a deal that'll keep the firm out of bankruptcy court (if you'll recall, it owes over $1.6 billion dollars to various entities), but given just how far apart these sides remain, its fate seems all but sealed. We'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more, but don't go placing bets on yet another debt-term violation waiver.

WSJ: LightSquared 'preparing' for bankruptcy protection filing, final decision coming tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

...just in time for photos of Snooki's kid to be whisked around the world at 4G speeds.

(P.S. - Northern Vermont, Long Island, Cape Cod, Delaware beach communities and the gorgeous Outer Banks of North Carolina are going live soon as well, sans drama.)

[Photo credit: Craig Barritt, Getty Images]

Continue reading Jersey Shore getting Verizon LTE on May 17th...

Jersey Shore getting Verizon LTE on May 17th... originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I never wanted to join Facebook. I never wanted to join anything online, really. I was coerced into creating a Xanga at some point, and eventually -- when Facebook opened up to NC State email addresses -- I begrudgingly created an account there, too. I had a "thing" about opening my life up to the internet. I knew already that prospective employers would inevitably go digging through shots of me celebrating at an NCSU basketball game and spike my resume in the trash can beside his or her UNC degree. More than anything, though, I just didn't care what anyone else was doing. I kept a handful of comrades close to my chest, and everyone else was a mere acquaintance. At the time, I blamed it on the 21 hours of courses I was taking entirely on Tuesdays and Thursdays -- who has time for online networking when you're in an educational torture chamber? -- but now I realize the truth: I never wanted Facebook to be a social network.

Continue reading Editorial: Facebook's my digital scrapbook first, social network second

Editorial: Facebook's my digital scrapbook first, social network second originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 12:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mystery, solved. That SGH-i667 'Mandel' Windows Phone that cropped up earlier in the month (and is shown above on the left)? Word on the street at that point was that it had been nixed from AT&T's lineup, but somehow, that same device actually made the trip to New Orleans. Sure enough, it debuted at CTIA as the Focus 2, a mid-range followup phone that's destined to tempt smartphone buyers to the WP7 side with a rock-bottom $50-on-contract price point. Hard to say if Samsung and AT&T mutually decided to carry through with launch plans after initially spiking 'em (or if that intel was just wrong to begin with), but we can think of it least one recently-canned phone that's hoping it's the former.

Samsung's SGH-i667 'Mandel' Windows Phone: surprise, it's the Focus 2 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 17:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Carl Icahn is no stranger in this field -- he's been caught tussling with Motorola and bidding Yahoo's board adieu in recent years -- and most recently, he's managed to get caught up in one of the bigger wireless whirlwinds this planet has ever seen. Just months after Icahn swooped in to buy some $250 million in company debt at around 40 cents on the dollar, he has managed to offload that very chunk for 60 cents on the dollar. Not surprisingly, his cash coffers are growing in turn, despite LightSquared's position as a whole looking only marginally less bleak. According to a Reuters report, creditors have agreed to another week-long extension (until May 14th) in order to talk things over with head honcho Philip Falcone. As of now, the startup has around $1.6 billion in debt, and while talks may delay the pain, we're still not getting the impression that the FCC (or anyone else, really) is warming to its propositions. Then again, maybe Facebook can just buy it in an act of charity prior to its IPO.

Carl Icahn unloads his LightSquared debt, creditor talks trudge on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 03:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Something tells us #teamiphone is going to adore this. Instagram has just updated its much-ballyhooed Android app, bringing the version to 1.1.0. What's new? Tilt-shift for "supported devices," enabling cameraphone shooters to add entirely too much blur to shots that could've used a tripod to begin with. We kid, we kid. But seriously, the download awaits in the source link.

Instagram for Android updated with tilt-shift capabilities, all becomes well on Earth originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 19:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Whether or not Sprint's version of HTC's One X is indeed shipping on May 18th remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure: it'll almost definitely hit store shelves prior to Sprint's LTE network going live. Following the Galaxy Nexus' footsteps in that regard, the EVO 4G LTE seems to have no shame in its game, and the 219 page user manual has floated out for those interested in getting a head start on understanding their future superphone. The PDF's linked in the source for your perusal, but don't go digging for any of life's secrets. Well, there is a section on Private Browsing, but you know....

Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE user guide slips out, tells you what you already know originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Not exactly groundbreaking news here -- Clearwire's impending LTE TDD network is happening, regardless -- but it's always good to have the weight of a mainstay like Qualcomm behind you. Particularly when you're pushing uphill, into the wind, against far more established 4G networks from AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Qually has announced that it'll soon add support for the aforesaid waves, including Clearwire in its list of partners ready to ingest those multi-mode LTE chipsets that are so vital to our future enjoyment. The key here is support for 3GPP's Band 41 (B41) radio frequency, and we're told that the outfit plans to make chipsets supporting that band available "later this year." You're cool to wait, right?

Continue reading Qualcomm gets on the Band 41 bandwagon, pledges support for Clearwire's upcoming LTE TDD network

Qualcomm gets on the Band 41 bandwagon, pledges support for Clearwire's upcoming LTE TDD network originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 15:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Plugged your iDevice into an iTunes-equipped machine lately? You should. Apple has just let loose iOS 5.1.1, a seemingly minor point update that actually promises to fix quite a few (potentially) substantial quirks. Coming two months to the day after the iOS 5.1 software update, the extra 0.0.1 is said to improve reliability of the HDR option for photos taken using the Lock Screen shortcut, address bugs that could prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks and solve a few issues that were affecting AirPlay video playback "in some circumstances." There's also improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List, and Apple has purportedly fixed an issue where 'Unable to purchase' alert could be displayed after successful purchase. Sucked the update down yourself? Let us know how it goes in comments below, and peek the full changelog just after the break.

Update: Looks like iOS 5.1.1 has already been jailbroken. Huzzah!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Apple's iOS 5.1.1 update for iPad, iPod touch and iPhone: fixes AirPlay and network bugs, jailbroken already

Apple's iOS 5.1.1 update for iPad, iPod touch and iPhone: fixes AirPlay and network bugs, jailbroken already originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 13:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Deflated. Disappointed. Let down. Unsurprised. All of those emotions ran through my being at one point or another following Apple CEO Tim Cook's comments regarding "converged" devices, but if anything, his denial has made me all the more hungry for this particular device. For months -- heck, maybe even years -- I've waited for Sir Jonathan Paul Ive and co. to finally nail the concept of a laptop / tablet hybrid. In many ways, Apple managed to get right on a smartphone in 2007 what I felt was wrong holding a BlackBerry. I still think the iPad's screen is about 2.7-inches too large for my own personal tastes, but the world at large has affirmed that it nailed that design, too. Oh, and the MacBook Air? C'mon -- we all know it's the thin-and-light you always wanted, and given that it'll run Windows with poise, it's arguably the sexiest Windows laptop currently on the market.

The point? Apple has waited for companies to flounder about with certain designs before, all while perfecting its own take for a future release. Windows-based tablets were flooding out in the early noughties, and believe it or not, Toshiba was already giving the tablet / laptop hybrid thing a whirl in 2003 with the Portege 3500. Apple waited over half a decade to usher in the iPad, and the rest -- as they say -- is history. The iPhone followed a similar path; companies came before it and did their best to produced pleasing, long-lasting, highly usable smartphones, but the iPhone completely changed the trajectory of everything that came after. Love it or hate it, it's hard to imagine a 2012 with Windows Phone in it had Apple not pinned Windows Mobile in a corner back in '07.

So, if Apple has shown an ability to thrive with designs that others have experimented with, why is the "converged" laptop / tablet a nonstarter?

Continue reading Editorial: Apple isn't making a 'converged' laptop / tablet hybrid, but I still want one

Editorial: Apple isn't making a 'converged' laptop / tablet hybrid, but I still want one originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Whoa, Nelly! As rumored, Microsoft is indeed shattering the home console pricing paradigm by trying something that US wireless carriers have been doing for years. As of now, the official Microsoft Store is hosting up a coupon that'll enable prospective Xbox buyers to snag a 4GB console bundle for just $99 (a $200 savings versus the outright unit)... so long as you agree to pay $14.99 per month for two solid years. That monthly fee -- which amounts to some $360 over the 24 month term -- gets you on the Xbox Live network with a Gold subscription, but remember, Microsoft's maintaining the ability to "terminate this offer at any time." Looking to score one yourself? Hit the source link and visit that "Find a store" icon; hopefully there's a B&M Microsoft Store near your neck of the woods.

Update: In case you're curious, yes, early termination fees will apply if you cut out of your two-year deal early. It's a prorated affair, with users asked to pay less the longer they maintain the contract. Those who part ways after only a month will have to pay $250, while those who cancel with just a month remaining will owe $12. All told, someone buying this and keeping true to the contract terms will pay $459 for the bundle and Live access, whereas those buying outright could snag it for $420 (or less, if scouring the web for cheaper Live subscriptions). The full ETF schedule is shown after the break.

Update II: Joystiq has confirmed that, for now, this is simply a pilot program. These machines will be sold only through the 16 US-based Microsoft Stores, and we can only assume the marketing and finance folks at the company will be watching reception like hawks.

Continue reading Microsoft officially offering Xbox 360 4GB console for $99, two-year Live Gold subscription required

Microsoft officially offering Xbox 360 4GB console for $99, two-year Live Gold subscription required originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 12:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Xcom Global opens international MiFi rental / service center in New York City

Xcom Global opens international MiFi rental / service center in New York City originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Adobe Creative Suite 6 now available, Creative Cloud floating into action May 11th

Adobe Creative Suite 6 now available, Creative Cloud floating into action May 11th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 00:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Internet Explorer associated with an exploit? Color us shocked. Facetiousness aside, it's seriously about time you switched over to Chrome or Firefox (as a mitigation tool; not a foolproof solution), and if you're a desktop user relying on Flash Player, well... it's about time you updated that, too. Adobe has just released a security update for Flash Player 11.2.202.233 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh and Linux, Adobe Flash Player 11.1.115.7 and earlier versions for Android 4.x, and Adobe Flash Player 11.1.111.8 and earlier versions for Android 3.x and 2.x. We're told that these updates "address an object confusion vulnerability (CVE-2012-0779) that could cause the application to crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system." Adobe specifically mentions an exploit that targets Flash Player on Internet Explorer for Windows, where a user is duped into clicking on a malicious file delivered in an email message. Hit up the source link for more information on getting your system out of The Danger Zone. Which, conveniently, can be looped as you update with a click after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Adobe issues security update for Flash player, warns against IE exploit

Adobe issues security update for Flash player, warns against IE exploit originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 May 2012 00:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We're going to warn you up front: what you're about to see is eccentric, puzzling, and perhaps even disturbing. And undoubtedly, it's the fanboy film to end all fanboy films. According to Network World, who managed to get ahold of an internal 'rally the troops' video, the referenced clip was produced with a $50,000 budget and shown to an international sales force at a 1984 meeting in Hawaii. The film, entitled "1944," was purportedly provided by one-time Apple employee Craig Elliott, now CEO of Pertino Networks. The vintage footage shows then-CEO Steve Jobs as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and the nine minute film drags on to show Apple-clad soldiers lining up to do battle with IBM -- a massive, massive rival in the space during that era. The full watch can be found in the source link below (embedding was disabled), and again, this will absolutely freak you out. Fair warning.

Bizarre internal Apple video shows Steve Jobs rallying the troops against IBM originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 15:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nikon promised us a "late April" shipment of its D3100 replacement, and sure enough, it looks to have met that self-imposed deadline. The black D3200 kit is now shipping from Best Buy warehouses, and while a litany of other reputable e-tailers have the unit listed (check our links below), we're seeing it backordered elsewhere. That said, these things are obviously trickling into the places that matter most, and determined to-be buyers can almost certainly call around to find one in stock. If you're still on the fence, have a look at our hands-on here, and head on past the break for a lovely unboxing video tour.

Continue reading Nikon D3200 now shipping from Best Buy, unboxing video gets personal with new features

Nikon D3200 now shipping from Best Buy, unboxing video gets personal with new features originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 14:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Clearwire's hardly throwing in the towel after that whole "WiMAX" thing; instead, the outfit has its sights firmly set on bringing TDD-LTE to the masses here in America, starting with an initial rollout in early 2013. A release put out today confirms that New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle will be among the 31 cities where the company will launch the aforesaid network, though there's no breakdown on which of those metro markets will be forced to wait until "mid-2013" to get served. Speaking of, Clearwire's making no bones about the fact that "high demand hot zones" will be the ones targeted initially, and in a bid to outshine those LTE networks already live, President and CEO Erik Prusch is suggesting that his firm's 4G network "will show that not all LTE networks are created equal." Bold words, sir.

Continue reading Clearwire's TDD-LTE rolling out in 'early 2013,' coming to NYC, SF, LA, Chicago, Seattle and more

Clearwire's TDD-LTE rolling out in 'early 2013,' coming to NYC, SF, LA, Chicago, Seattle and more originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's not like there's any shortage of alternatives, but those sticking with the ooh-ficial Twitter app on iOS and Android woke up to a rather pleasant update today. Briefly, the company's promising improvements to discover, search and notifications, with the new build allowing users to view "Activity" -- described as a "stream of updates that shows which tweets are favorited or retweeted by the people you follow and which accounts those people follow or add to lists." Search has also been made simpler in both programs, with the Connect tab allowing you to start typing the first or last name or username of the person you're looking for and watching autocomplete handle the rest. Finally (and perhaps most importantly), notifications for Interactions are in place, enabling busybodies to know right away when a tweet has been retweeted or favorited. Hit up your market of choice to get the new bytes, or just visit one of the source links below. Your call -- no pressure.

Twitter app update brings improved discover, search and notifications to iOS and Android originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's no Apple-sized quarter, but you'd need to be on HGTV's Million Dollar Rooms a handful of times over to scoff at Amazon's Q1 2012 earnings. After reporting $177 million in net earnings last quarter (on $17.43 billion in revenue), the online sales behemoth has today registered $13.18 billion in net sales -- proudly reporting that said tally was up from the $9.86 billion in its Q1 a year ago. Excluding the $56 million unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales would have grown 34 percent compared with first quarter 2011. As for operating income? That checked in at $192 million (compared to $322 million Q1 2011), with the outfit noting that the "unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter on operating income was $4 million." Net income also sank 35 percent from $201 million a year ago, but it still left Amazon with $130 million more in the bank than it had just three months ago.

It's important to note that the outfit didn't have "the holidays" here to help out, but it's still a bit worrisome to investors when profit margin shrinks. Focusing on more positive things, CEO Jeff Bezos noted that Amazon has "over 130,000 new, in-copyright books that are exclusive to the Kindle Store," again reminding the world that Amazon Prime members can "borrow them for free with no due dates." We're also told that the Kindle Fire remains the top, most gifted and most wished for product across its entire store, while pointing out that the North American sales segment was up 36 percent from Q1 2011 (reaching $7.43 billion). Our overseas comrades -- specifically, Amazon's UK, German, Japanese, French, Chinese, Italian and Spanish sites -- accounted for $5.76 billion in sales, up 31 percent year-over-year. Worldwide media sales saw a 19 percent uptick to $4.71 billion, while global electronics and "other merchandise" saw sales grow a whopping 43 percent to $7.97 billion. Notably, the company continually banged on unfavorable exchange rates, so if you're looking for a place to heap blame... well, there you go.

Continue reading Amazon's Q1 2012 earnings: net income down 35 percent to $130 million, net sales at $13.18 billion

Amazon's Q1 2012 earnings: net income down 35 percent to $130 million, net sales at $13.18 billion originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Move over, My Tracks -- you've got serious company. Google's own adventure tracking app just got majorly one-upped by a company that also happens to make heated jackets. Columbia's just-launched GPS Pal app is not only available on both Android and iOS, but it's actually designed to be used with a user account so that activity logs are neatly housed in a searchable, organized portal. It's free to download, and aside from monitoring your hikes and treks via GPS, it also syncs photos, videos, and trail information to a web journal automatically, complete with pinpoint geotagging information on each piece of media.

As for data points? It'll keep track of elevation changes, current speed and distance traveled, and it makes sharing said trips to social networks quite the lesson in simplicity. Naturally, you'll need a data connection in order to upload media while on the trail -- something that's often hard to find -- but at least the app tells you how poor (or great) your GPS signal is at all times, which is all that's required to keep track of your actual steps. Head on past the break for a promo video, or hit the links below to grab it for your platform of choice.

Continue reading Columbia's GPS Pal app for Android and iOS logs your hikes, geotags memories (video)

Columbia's GPS Pal app for Android and iOS logs your hikes, geotags memories (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 02:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google itself may have thrown the pricing situation out of whack by offering up a contract-free GSM version of Samsung's Galaxy Nexus for just $399, but those adhering to Sprint's plans can't make use of that, anyway. The other CDMA / LTE-infused Galaxy Nexus is now shipping from Sprint, several months ahead of its first LTE rollout. $199.99 on a two-year contract nets you a device, while you can snag one for $549.99 sans any strings. It's also available in stores nationwide for those who'd prefer to try before they buy, and yes, Sprint users who activate a Google Wallet account within a week of activation will receive a $10 instant credit and an additional $40 within three weeks. Just try to ignore that Galaxy S III that'll launch next month, okay? (It's not a pure Google device, anyway.)

PSA: Sprint's LTE-infused Galaxy Nexus now available online and in stores originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tim Cook: Apple focusing more on iPad for enterprise

Tim Cook hates litigation, not quite ready to call a patent truce

365 million iOS devices 'in play,' iPad taking off in education and government markets

How do you follow up a stunning Q1 where you set record quarterly earnings and issue a sizable dividend to investors? Well, if you're Apple, you just keep on keepin' on, shattering even the wildest expectations with "a record March quarter." Leading up to today's earnings, the outfit's stock was down around two percent, mostly on reports that iPhone activations were something other than mind-blowing. That said, shares have already started to creep back into positive territory in after-hours trading. Wall Street was hoping for around $36.88 billion in revenue (despite lower guidance from Apple itself), with upwards of 30 million iPhones sold and 12 million iPads sold -- galling numbers, no matter how you slice it.

The actuals? Well, we're seeing $12.30 earnings per share, compared to an estimated $10.04 earnings per share. It all adds up to $39.2 billion in revenue and $11.6 billion in pure, unadulterated profit with 35.1 million iPhone units sold alongside 11.8 million iPads. (Of note, the new iPad was only on sale for around a fortnight in this quarter, making that figure even more impressive.) The former represents an 88 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter, while the latter shows a 151 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Though Mac sales weren't equally astonishing, the four million units sold in the past three months indicates a seven percent uptick compared to Q2 2011. The iPod department, which has been sinking in recent years as iPads and iPhones become the primary music players of consumers, still saw 7.7 million units sold, representing a 15 percent decline from the same quarter last year.

Just to put things in perspective, Apple nearly doubled its profits in Q2 2012 compared to Q2 2011, and practically quadrupled it compared to Q2 2010.

Continue reading Apple Q2 2012 earnings: $39.2 billion in revenue, net profit of $11.6 billion

Apple Q2 2012 earnings: $39.2 billion in revenue, net profit of $11.6 billion originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

5GB, huh? Not quite enough for you? If you were wise enough to up the capacity of your Gmail inbox + Picasa allotment before today, your Google Drive experience just got a lot more awesome. A trio of editors here at Engadget HQ managed to upgrade their Gmail boxes a couple of years ago, and at the time (read: it's no longer an available option), Google was offering an extra 20GB for use across its properties for a mere $5 per year. Upon loading Google Drive today, we each found a healthy 25GB waiting to be filled, with no expectation of additional payments to Google. Be sure to let us know if you're seeing a similar boost in capaciousness down in comments below, particularly for those who splurged on one of the more current Gmail add-on plans.

PSA: If you purchased extra Gmail storage, your Google Drive just got bigger originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If it happened any other way, it just wouldn't be as satisfying, now would it? After years of leaks, murmurs, hubbub and other familiar synonyms, Google's mythical cloud storage platform is now official... sort of. As Lady Fate would have it, the company apparently outed a memo of the features on its French blog earlier today, but before it could yank the 'pull' switch, an eagle-eyed reader managed to grab the text and run it through -- surprise, surprise -- Google Translate. What's left is an official-as-you'll-get-right-now transcript of Google Drive's features, but contrary to the hype, it all feels way more enterprise-centric than consumers may have wanted. For starters, there's no real mention of music (we guess Google Music is on its own, there), and there's just 5GB of free storage for "documents, videos, photos, Google Docs, PDFs, etc." According to the brief, it's designed to let users "live, work and play in the cloud," with direct integration with Docs and Google+.

We're also told that Drive can be installed on one's Mac, PC or Android phone / tablet, while an iOS version will be "available in the coming weeks." Of note, Google's making this accessible to visually impaired consumers with the use of a screen reader. As for features? Naturally, Google's flexing its search muscles in as many ways as possible; if you scan in a newspaper clipping, a simple Search All within Drive will allow results to appear directly from said clipping. If you upload a shot of the Eiffel Tower, it'll show up whenever you search for the aforesaid icon. Moreover, Drive will allow folks to open over 30 types of documents directly from a web browser, including HD video, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and more -- "even without the software installed on your computer." For those concerned about access, the new platform will have the same infrastructure as any other Google Apps services, giving admins a familiar set of management tools on that end.

On the topic of storage, just 5GB are provided gratis, with 25GB costing $2.49 per month, 100GB running you $4.99 per month and 1TB demanding $49.99 per month, with a maximum of 16TB ($799.99 per month, if you're curious) per user; thankfully, Google Docs will not be included in your usage total. Finally, the note played up the ability to "attach documents directly into your Drive Gmail," and given that it's intended to be an open platform, Goog's promising to work with third party developers in order to enhance Drive's functionality even further. The source link below is still dead as of right now, but it simply can't be long before the lights are officially turned on. Oh, and if you're not enamored at the moment, the outfit's suggesting that "many more developments" will be arriving in the coming weeks.

Update: It's live on the Google Play store, and a pair of explanatory videos are embedded after the break!

Continue reading Google Drive official: 5GB of free storage, Chrome web apps, Wave-like sharing and editing (video)

Google Drive official: 5GB of free storage, Chrome web apps, Wave-like sharing and editing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The New York Auto Show may be done and over with, but the 2012 Beijing International Auto Show is just hitting its stride. Predictably, BYD is in attendance, and it's got a couple of new gizmos out on the red carpet. For starters, there's the Qin (pronounced "Chin," not Kin), a dual-mode electric vehicle that includes seven percent better efficiency, power and energy-saving in pure EV mode compared to the first generation's F3DM system. All told, the vehicle can scoot some 31 miles on a single 10KWh charge, and in hybrid mode, it can use both its 110KW electric motor and its 1.5 Turbo engine to output some 223KW of power and 440Nm of torque. For the technophiles, the car is also equipped with an intelligent cloud system platform, which incorporates things like "telematics, cloud-computing and a full-range of services 24 hours a day (like roadside assistance, vehicle positioning, remote monitoring, music and video downloads etc.)."

As if that weren't enough, the outfit's showcasing a new Remote Driving Controller for its F3 Plus, which enables owners to perform a variety of driving functions -- moving it forward / back, turning left / right and traveling at a "restricted speed" -- without having the owner inside of the vehicle. Naturally, we're anxiously awaiting a test unit of our own. Or, for a wave of lawsuits -- whichever comes first.

Continue reading BYD intros dual-mode electric Qin vehicle, Remote Driving key for outside-the-car operation

BYD intros dual-mode electric Qin vehicle, Remote Driving key for outside-the-car operation originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Maingear's Shift is a force to be feared, but it generally requires an entire wing of one's home to be assembled and configured. Hyperbole aside, there's no question that Maingear's aiming to branch out somewhat after the aforesaid rig's successful run, today teasing an "all new line of desktops." We're told to expect smaller designs with "clean" aesthetics, Vertical Exhaust cooling technology and third-generation Intel Core processors (with factory overclocked options, naturally). Prices are slated to start at $899, though there's no real clue as to when we'll see these things up for pre-order. Here's hoping you didn't plop down an order last week, huh?

Maingear teases incoming desktop line, promises smaller towers and Ivy Bridge CPUs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Up until now, we haven't actually had any confirmation of what Samsung's upcoming superphone would be named. We've had plenty of reason to believe that it'd simply be the third iteration of the famed Galaxy S line, and even an Amazon Germany page predicting as much, but it's another thing entirely to see the term "Galaxy S3" used by Samsung itself. Indeed, that's exactly what's happening with the release of its Mobile Unpacked 2012 app, which will allow prospective users to stream the event as it happens in London on May 3rd, while also gathering facts and figures once the event passes. Whether or not the whole GSIII thing sticks remains to be seen, but if you're curious, we'll also be on hand to liveblog every revealing second of it.

Samsung's Unpacked Mobile 2012 app outs 'Galaxy S3' as next smartphone's name originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We've covered no shortage of wearable gizmos over the years here at Engadget -- in fact, we've given 'em their own category -- but we most certainly haven't spent enough time praising one of the pioneers of the segment. Thanks to a highly pleasing Google Doodle, we're given the perfect chance to take a harder look at one Gideon Sundback, the electrical engineer responsible for developing the zipper. It's been called a "fly," prominently featured in an Outkast song and positively shunned on the Snuggie, and it's also a huge, huge part of worldwide culture. For those looking to learn more about the man, the myth and the mystery, head on down to the Wikipedia link below; if you just want to unzip your browser, well... click here.

Google Doodle celebrates Gideon Sundback, unzips knowledge about your favorite wearables originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Just under two months after LG's Optimus Vu got priced for the hometown market, in flies news that another hue will soon be on those very same shelves. The 5-inch, 4:3 ratio'd Android smartphone will soon hit South Korea in white, purportedly targeting the "younger" market -- you know, folks who like "cool" things (a translation for "refreshing," we're told). Folks can look for the device -- which should remain unchanged outside of the external color -- to hit SK Telecom as early as next week, but there's no word on when (or if) it'll spread to other markets.

LG's 5-inch Optimus Vu shipping soon in white (in Korea, at least) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.