Olympus XZ-1 reviewed: $499 for sweet simplicity

We had a feeling the Olympus XZ-1 would be a winner, and Digital Photography Review seems to think so, too -- it called the 10 megapixel, full-manual point and shoot "the best photographers' compact currently available" at the end of a thorough review. Most of the praise was heaped on that F1.8-2.5 Zuiko lens, providing an "unbeaten combination of range and brightness" whose potent, detailed low-light performance was practically enough to cancel out the publication's worries about the lack of a adjustable noise reduction setting. Though the publication admitted that the camera lacked the customization of certain Micro Four Thirds cousins, it didn't miss most of the advanced controls, preferring the streamlined menus and manual dials for easy access to common adjustments. (Battery charging over USB and a dedicated movie button were also deemed nice touches.) In fact, the only major ding DPReview had for Olympus was the complete omission of auto exposure and autofocus locks for focus-and-recompose shooting, but if you're willing to snap shots using Olympus's 11 AF points and aren't looking to tote a set of expensive interchangeable lenses around, this might be the one. Dive into our source link to find out for sure.

Olympus XZ-1 reviewed: $499 for sweet simplicity originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 02:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android 2.3 security bug shows microSD access vulnerability

A researcher at North Carolina State University is warning of an Android 2.3 security vulnerability that gives attackers access to your personal information, further proof that Gingerbread isn't all sugar and spice (to be fair, that SMS issue has since been remedied). According to Xuxian Jiang, the bug allows malicious websites to access and upload the contents of a user's microSD card, including voicemails, photos, and online banking information to a remote server. The flaw apparently resembles a similar bug in previous version of Android, thought to have been addressed with Gingerbread. However, as Jiang points out, that fix is easily bypassed. Apart from removing the microSD card, disabling JavaScript, or switching to a third-party browser, Android 2.3 users have little recourse in squashing the bug. The folks at eWeek reported that Google is working on a solution to the problem, but there's no word on when we can expect to see an update.

Android 2.3 security bug shows microSD access vulnerability originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 10:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Al Jazeera English Live for iPhone [AppOfTheDay]

The situation in Egypt is developing by the minute, and unless you're glued to your computer it's pretty much impossible to keep up. The Al Jazeera English iPhone app offers a free, high-quality stream of their live coverage. More »

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Sony's official NGP announcement video hits the web

Sure, you followed along with our Tokyo liveblog and breathless posts announcing Sony's Next Generation Portable (codename: NGP, get it?) successor to the PSP. But nothing's quite like viewing a video posted 48-hours after the event to get a true feel for the historic occasion... historic to nerds like us anyway. The power is now in your hands -- use it wisely to watch a thrilling three-part trilogy after the break. More videos at the source link below.

Continue reading Sony's official NGP announcement video hits the web

Sony's official NGP announcement video hits the web originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zuckerberg On SNL: ?I Invented Poking? [Video]

'The Social Network' star Jesse Eisenberg hosted "Saturday Night Live" tonight and opened the show talking about the movie's impressive�eight Oscar nominations. The monologue then switched to video of actual Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg watching his two "Berg" doppelgangers backstage,�"Why can't I go in there, I'm the real Mark Zuckerberg?

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Tougher Glass in Your Gadgets

My word, the money we spend to protect our gadgets.� I think we all shiver at the thought of the glass on our beloved gadgets breaking or being scratched….thus the money spent at Otterbox and other fine companies for all these “gadget-condoms”.� A huge Japanese glass maker called Asahi has come up with a new [...]

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Next PS3 update rumored to add 'Online Saving' for PlayStation Plus users

Say it with us, finally a PS3 firmware update that actually does something useful! We've grown so accustomed to Sony refreshing the software on its console just to spite jailbreakers that we almost started to believe that's all the word "update" entailed. But, here comes Kotaku with word that v3.6 of the PS3's firmware will come with a neat little addition: saving games to the cloud. This seems a very logical step toward delivering Sony's overall goal of giving users a holistic, integrated experience. Indeed, during the NGP presentation, guest speaker Hideo Kojima specifically referred to saving your PS3 game on the console and resuming it on the Next Generation Portable. "Online Saving," as Sony's reputed to be calling it, would be the conduit through which that can be realized, though it doesn't appear like it'll come for free. Kotaku's sources indicate it'll be part of the PlayStation Plus subscription, at least initially. Still, we like cloud storage, and if it means never having to see another hard drive again, we're all for it.

Next PS3 update rumored to add 'Online Saving' for PlayStation Plus users originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 13:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ejector Plug Makes British Sockets Pensioner-Friendly

This curious plug-ejecting power-socket has just won first prize in the The Future Perfect Company design competition. The brief: Come up with “attractive and aspirational” designs that help people carry on as normal when they get older.
For most of the world, pulling out a plug is as simple as yanking a cord. Arthritis? Wrap the [...]

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IDC: ZTE takes fourth in global cellphone rankings, leapfrogs Apple and knocks RIM out of top 5

You like numbers? Good, because it's the season and amid all these lovely financial reports we've been hitting there are some broader trends to look at. IDC has released its mobile phone report for 2010 and has concluded that, worldwide, the industry grew 18.5 percent over 2009, shipping a massive 1.39 billion units. That's nice and all, but check out this bit about ZTE. The manufacturer boosted its annual shipments by 94 percent, stealing Apple's recently-won fourth place position globally and, in doing so, knocking RIM straight into the dreaded "others" category. Can RIM make it back? Will Apple recover? Will Siobhan and Lucky ever reconcile their differences? Tune in next quarter to find out.

IDC: ZTE takes fourth in global cellphone rankings, leapfrogs Apple and knocks RIM out of top 5 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily Crunch: Mammoth Hunter Edition

This Nerf Gun Remix Looks Dangerous Scientists Hope To Resurrect The Mammoth Within 5 Years Video: Kinect-Controlled Mini Humanoid iPad 2 Rumor Roundup Netflix Removes A Single Feature, Instantly Pisses Off Customers

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How to change a default application on Android

This week's tips series is all about Android, highlighting some the operating system's built-in utilities, and better ways of getting stuff done. For other technology tips, check our Tips index.

When you first try an alternative launcher or Web browser, Android asks if you'd like that application to be the default from now on. You may say yes and then come to regret it later on - perhaps you've decided you like another launcher better, or wish to go back to using the stock Android browser.

While you could always uninstall the application you no longer wish to be the default, that's a bit of a brute-force solution. Perhaps you still want it on your system, but only wish to use it every now and then.

To make an app stop being a "default application" for a certain type of action, do this:

1) Go to Settings > Applications > Manage applications.
2) Locate your application in the list. If the list is too long, you can hit the Running tab, because your app most likely is still running somewhere in the background.
3) Once you've located it, tap its name.
4) You will now find yourself in the Application info screen. Scroll down until you see the heading which says Launch by default.
5) Press the Clear defaults button, shown in the screenshot.

When you next try to perform the operation previously associated with this app (launch a browser, go to the home screen, etc.), you will be presented with a dialog letting you choose what app should be used. Presto!

How to change a default application on Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily Crunch: Crossing Edition

?Ultrasonic? Klang Speaker Concept Only Produces Sound Where Your Head Is Today, A Ban On Headphones While Crossing The Street; Tomorrow, A Ban On Chewing Gum While Walking Are You Man Enough For This iPad Bjorn? Just In Time For Trenta: Send Your Facebook Friends Starbucks Card eGifts Hump Day Giveaway: ThinkFun Solitaire Chess

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Anonymous on UK Arrests: This Means War

"Dear UK government," the ominous letter begins. "It has come to our attention that you deemed it necessary to arrest five of our fellow anons for their participation in the DDoS attacks against PayPal, Mastercard, and others, that have been carried out in our name in retaliation for those organizations' actions against WikiLeaks ... we take this as a serious declaration of war ... "

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Terraforming Maui: The Hawaiian Sugar Industry's Technological Revolution [Book Excerpt]

Claus Spreckels, successful sugar refiner and capitalist, had already revolutionized the process of cubing sugar when he set about reorganizing Maui's dry plains into lush tracts of cane. This is how he modernized Hawaiian sugar production and monopolized its distribution. More »

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Next PS3 update rumored to add 'Online Saving' for PlayStation Plus users

Say it with us, finally a PS3 firmware update that actually does something useful! We've grown so accustomed to Sony refreshing the software on its console just to spite jailbreakers that we almost started to believe that's all the word "update" entailed. But, here comes Kotaku with word that v3.6 of the PS3's firmware will come with a neat little addition: saving games to the cloud. This seems a very logical step toward delivering Sony's overall goal of giving users a holistic, integrated experience. Indeed, during the NGP presentation, guest speaker Hideo Kojima specifically referred to saving your PS3 game on the console and resuming it on the Next Generation Portable. "Online Saving," as Sony's reputed to be calling it, would be the conduit through which that can be realized, though it doesn't appear like it'll come for free. Kotaku's sources indicate it'll be part of the PlayStation Plus subscription, at least initially. Still, we like cloud storage, and if it means never having to see another hard drive again, we're all for it.

Next PS3 update rumored to add 'Online Saving' for PlayStation Plus users originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 13:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's How Big? 12 Comparisons of Large Objects [Oobject]

Because just telling you that the Independence of the Seas is 19 meters taller than the Chrysler Building isn't nearly as effective. This collection of infographics from our friends at Oobject sizes up some exceptionally large items. More »

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