General Motors takes us on a crazy test ride in the EN-V electric prototype vehicle (video)

Cars are big and stupid. Well, most of the time, anyway. Need to bring home a couple sheets of drywall in the rain? Man it's nice to have a big truck with a cab. Need to run Jr. to school five miles away on a smoothly paved? Suddenly that full-size, extended cab, 13.5mpg dually monster starts seeming just a little silly. Assuming people continue their flock to the cities, in the future that latter situation will be an awful lot more common than the former and our cities simply won't be able to manage. The streets won't be wide enough, parking garages tall enough, nor oil wells deep enough. We need something different, and GM thinks that something is the EN-V. Even though it still isn't the future we just got a drive in one, so read on for our impressions.

Gallery: GM EN-V test drive at CES 2011

Continue reading General Motors takes us on a crazy test ride in the EN-V electric prototype vehicle (video)

General Motors takes us on a crazy test ride in the EN-V electric prototype vehicle (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 21:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Win A New iPad From the Staff At Klick.com

The creative staff at Klick.com is giving away a brand new Apple iPad absolutely free to one lucky winner this holiday season! For your chance to win a new iPad simply pay close attention to the video below, watch it a few times if you have to. While viewing try to spot as many Internet [...]

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DroidG does Gnutella P2P searches, downloads on your Android device

Gnutella -- the venerable peer-to-peer file sharing network -- doesn't get as much time in the spotlight today, what with the rise of BitTorrent. It's still around, though, and Android users now have an app which lets them connect to the Gnutella network, search for files, and download directly to their device: DroidG.

Fire up DroidG and connect to the network, then begin your search. Within a few seconds I was able to find tracks from one of my most-listened-to CDs by Volbeat. Search results can be sorted by file type, estimated speed, or number of sources. DroidG lets you queue multiple downloads, though transfers are done one at a time. From the download screen, you can tap and hold on any file in your queue to display a menu that lets you pause and resume downloading, remove it from the queue, or open the file when it finishes transferring. Some files -- like MP3s -- can even be previewed while you download them (image after the break).

As with any mobile P2P app, it's probably best to use DroidG when you're on a Wi-Fi connection -- unless you're lucky enough to have a carrier which offers cheap wireless data plans.

DroidG is available in the Android Market, and it's a free download. Read on to grab the QR Code, or hit the download link below.

Download DroidG [AppBrain]

Continue reading DroidG does Gnutella P2P searches, downloads on your Android device

DroidG does Gnutella P2P searches, downloads on your Android device originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tablet Wave Means Few Will Succeed, Many Will Fail

See Also:

Tablets, Dual-Core Phones and 3-D Cameras: 2011's Hottest Gadget Trends
G-Lab: Chrome Netbook, Windows 7 Tablets, Pocket God for iPad
Steve Jobs Says 7-Inch Tablets Are 'Dead on Arrival'
How 7-Inch Android Tablets Can Succeed

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Open a new instance of an existing application in Windows 7

This week, we're running a series of keyboard tips and tricks that help you make the most of Windows 7. To see the previous tips, check our Tips index.

Earlier this week, I've shown you how to activate specific windows using their numbers. As you may recall, hitting Win+Number runs the application for that spot on the taskbar, or switches to it if it's already running. But what if it's already running and you want to run a new instace? Well, it turns out that's possible by hitting Win+Shift+number! This sequence would run the program for that taskbar spot again, even if it's already running. And if you like using the mouse, you can get the same result by middle-clicking the application's icon.

Come back tomorrow for the next keyboard tip, or, if you'd like to read a whole bunch at once, check out Sebastian's epic list.

Photo: orangeacid

Open a new instance of an existing application in Windows 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Phone 7 January update bringing copy-and-paste, additional minor improvements

While it doesn't sound as though everything rumored to be rolled into the first Windows Phone 7 update, there will be a number of enhancements delivered this month. CEO Steve Ballmer didn't get too specific during his keynote at CES 2011, saying only "Microsoft will release a series of Windows Phone 7 updates over the next few months, including adding the copy-and-paste feature and improving the phone's performance when loading or switching between applications."

Microsoft, however, has now posted an official "sneak peek" at what's on the way. Copy-and-paste is perhaps the biggest addition, though faster application and game launch times will be a welcome improvement as well. Marketplace search has also been tweaked -- tapping your phone's search button post-update will allow you to search the specific category you're currently browsing, rather than the entire Marketplace.

Bigger updates like in-app purchases, expanded APIs, Internet Explorer 9, and Silverlight support won't happen until some time after Mobile World Congress 2011.

Windows Phone 7 January update bringing copy-and-paste, additional minor improvements originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google may be working on a digital newsstand for Android devices

Unlike Apple, Google still hasn't come through with its own digital content services for the Android platform. We've known for some time that a Google music service is being worked on, and now the Wall Street Journal reports that Google is also working on a "digital newsstand" for its mobile OS.

Major publishers like Time Inc., Conde Nast, and Hearst Corporation have been approached, though the Journal notes that media executives who have spoken with Google say details are very vague at the moment -- as is an actual timetable. In order to entice publishers, Google has apparently offered to take a smaller cut than Apple's 30% and also to offer "certain personal data" about app buyers to publishers.

So far, Google has stated only that "we've consistently said we're talking with publishers about ways we can work together, including whether we can help them with technology for subscription services," and that there is "nothing specific to announce at this time."

Google may be working on a digital newsstand for Android devices originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best New Tablet [BestOfTheBest]

Tablets! Tablets tablets tablets. They're the hot ticket at this year's CES. Just about everyone's got one (not that everyone should). We've parsed, prodded, and played with the main contenders. And this one's best. Well, these ones. More »

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Mac App Store to open January 6, available in 90 countries

Apple has just published a press release that confirms a January 6 opening of the Mac App Store. It will be available in 90 countries, and feature free and paid apps. Mac OS X Snow Leopard (time to upgrade from 10.5!) users will need a free download via Software Update before they can use the App Store.

The Mac App Store, if it isn't obvious, aims to revolutionize the distribution of PC programs in much the same way as the iOS App Store. The idea is to provide quick and easy access to the latest and greatest in Mac OS X apps, and will feature categories, staff picks, and customer reviews and ratings, just like the other App Store.

The only comparable service to the Mac App Store is Valve's Steam, and it will be interesting to see whether Apple's new offering nibbles away at Steam's market share. More importantly, it's now only a matter of time until an equivalent marketplace emerges on the Windows platform; and indeed, could the fragmented Windows ecosystem even support an App Store?

Mac App Store to open January 6, available in 90 countries originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft's Hotmail Active Views -- a vetted interactive email solution

Email as we know it is a fairly static beast; you get text, and maybe some links and images, but that's about it. After all, allowing email to run code within your email client or browser could be mighty risky.

On the other hand, there's lots to be gained by "interactive email." Imagine receiving a form, which you can fill-in right from within an email message; or getting a search widget that you can use right from within the message to get the exact content you're interested in.

That's what Microsoft's new Active Views for Hotmail tries to do. Microsoft has taken a bunch of enterprise partners, starting with Orbitz and Monster.com, and allowed them to run code right from within your email. Since the partners (and email content) are carefully vetted by Microsoft, potential security concerns are kept to a minimum allowing users to enjoy the power of interactive forms and search widgets without the danger of hidden malicious code.

As the platform grows, more and more enterprises will be able to send interactive email. However, being a Hotmail-only prospect (at least for now), and since it's mainly useful for large advertisers, it is uncertain whether Interactive Views will gain much traction. Still, it's an interesting experiment. Just in case you're still at a loss as to what Active Views actually is, Microsoft's kindly made a video explaining the whole thing, which we've included after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft's Hotmail Active Views -- a vetted interactive email solution

Microsoft's Hotmail Active Views -- a vetted interactive email solution originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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8pen is a painful way to enter text on Android devices

Text entry on a small screen is a formidable problem; as can be expected, there are a ton of competing solutions, with Swype (and Swype-like keyboards, such as SlideIT) getting a lot of attention.

8pen takes a completely different tack to the keyboard problem, by eliminating it altogether. To paraphrase Bob Marley, "no keyboard, no cry." According to 8pen, by drawing "natural" gestures on your touchscreen, you'd be able to "write without viewing".

The idea is to give you a central graffiti-like area with a grid of characters. All gestures originate from the central area and terminate there, too. To type the letter "e", for example, you have to start at the center, swipe down, hang a left (crossing the green line) and go back to the center area. To type "l" (a lowercase L), you have to do the same, but continue one quadrant further, returning to the center dot from the top quadrant, having crossed both the green and blue lines.

If this sounds insanely complex, you're right. I'm no stranger to alternative keyboard layouts, and I know full well that switching input methods takes some getting used to. But compared to SlideIT, 8pen is downright painful. And yes, I will review SlideIT soon.

Still, if you're curious and/or masochistic, I've put up a QR code for 8pen after the jump. Enjoy! (I guess...)

Continue reading 8pen is a painful way to enter text on Android devices

8pen is a painful way to enter text on Android devices originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Russia's first GLONASS phone an 'iPhone 4 competitor,' except not really (video)

As the story goes, Russia-based AFK Sistema's subsidiary Sitronics (along with US' Qualcomm and China's ZTE) have developed the first smartphone to use GLONASS -- specifically one with a 90nm GPS-GLONASS chip. It's been called, in so many words, the "Russian answer to the iPhone 4" by the Powers That Be, and without getting into key details like platform and specs, we know officially the phone is going on sale in Russian sometime in March for 10,990 rubles (about $360 in US).

For other details on the device, we seek more unofficial (and therefore not 100 percent confirmed) sources, like the notably well-connected Eldar Murtazin. According to him, we're looking at the ZTE model A918, an analog of the A916 with Android 2.1, a 3.2-inch QVGA screen, FM radio, and 2 megapixel camera -- yeah, hardly an iPhone 4 competitor, if you ask us. That version is supposedly launching on MTS for 7,500 rubles ($246), meaning the GLONASS-equipped equivalent has a 3,490 ruble ($114) markup. And the March release? Apparently in limited quantities, with mass production not coming until second half of 2011. Unfortunately, we're not sure this one'll be making an appearance at CES for further inspection. Check out the video after the break for a cameo of the device featuring Putin, Russian billionaire (and head of AFK Sistema) Vladimir Yevtushenkov, and Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov.

Continue reading Russia's first GLONASS phone an 'iPhone 4 competitor,' except not really (video)

Russia's first GLONASS phone an 'iPhone 4 competitor,' except not really (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 13:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aequilibrium 3 challenges your mousing agility and sense of balance -- Time Waster

Back in June, I covered the original Aequilibrium; if you liked that game, then you're going to love the new version, Aequilibrium 3.

It's a game that's ostensibly about balance, but it's really about agility. Each level starts off with several pieces resting in perfect balance on a fulcrum. You have to remove all of the red blocks by clicking them, while keeping the whole thing from toppling down and off the screen.

For example, in the level shown above you should probably click the two middle triangles one after the other (the chunky ones, in the middle). Then click the two top ones one after the other, each in rapid succession. And then you're left with the two bottom ones (hopefully, unless everything fell off the fulcrum by now). That's the trickiest part, and you need quite a bit of speed to keep it all from falling.

It's not entirely about speed, though; there is some strategy involved, but a deft mouse-hand will certainly come in handy for this one.

Aequilibrium 3 challenges your mousing agility and sense of balance -- Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Media Link DLNA streamer review

Apple's AirPlay might be getting all the attention lately but it's hardly the first solution for wirelessly streaming media to the television. Far from it. In 2003, the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) formed with its first set of interoperable products hitting the market in 2004. Since then, the alliance has certified thousands of products supported by more than 245 member companies, 29 of whom are listed as "promoter members" including such heavyweights as Sony, Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba, Verizon, AT&T Lab, LG, Qualcomm, Cisco, Microsoft, Panasonic, Intel, HP, and Motorola. Pretty much everyone but Apple. Recently, HTC joined the DLNA ranks with the introduction of two smartphones -- the Desire Z and Desire HD -- and a tiny media streamer known as the HTC Media Link, HTC's first attempt to gain a foothold in the living room. Over the last week we've been testing the Desire Z (a Eurofied T-Mobile G2) with the Media Link, lazily streaming video, music, and images around the house using a myriad of sources and controllers from Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, and Western Digital. How did it perform? Click through to find out.

Gallery: HTC Media Link

Continue reading HTC Media Link DLNA streamer review

HTC Media Link DLNA streamer review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 11:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drunk TechCrunch Is Drunk. (Happy New Year!)

It's New Year's Eve and you know what that means ? an adult beverage or two might be had by many people around the world this evening. That includes many TechCrunch staffers. And while drunk blogging is generally frowned upon, it would be interesting to see what the site would look like if everyone wrote while intoxicated. (Yes, yes, insert the NOT THAT DIFFERENT joke here.) Luckily,�Zaraguza Digital has created a web app to allow us to see such a site without any of the risk (or the hangover). Simply visit this link and start moving the slider along the bottom to set the blood alcohol level. Obviously, at 0.0, things look normal. At 0.5, things look fine for the most part with a few more typos. At about 1.5 to 2.0 things start getting fun. And clearly, our developers would be getting in on some hardcore drunk coding action as well.

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