Thunderbolt on Windows gets hands-on, lacks Mac's hot-swapping

Thunderbolt's 10-gigabit interface is only just making its way to Windows after spending more than a year as a Mac-only feature, so it's not surprising that a lot of questions surround how well the Apple- and Intel-developed connection works for those of a Microsoft persuasion. A thorough test at AnandTech of one of the first motherboards to support the spec on Windows PCs, an Ivy Bridge-ready board from MSI, has shown some positive signs along with a few flies in the high-speed ointment. The good news? Most general storage devices will work as expected with a minimum of fuss, and you can even get some features of Apple's Thunderbolt Display working if you're willing to accept a lack of pre-supplied software brightness controls and USB support. The bad news comes mostly in the absence of true hot-plugging like on the Mac: if a device isn't plugged into the Thunderbolt port on boot, Windows won't see it. Professionals who need everything to be just perfect will want to wait, then, but bandwidth lovers will still find something to like if they're willing to build Thunderbolt-equipped PCs themselves.

Thunderbolt on Windows gets hands-on, lacks Mac's hot-swapping originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 May 2012 01:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pebble ties itself up in Twine: sounds so rustic, couldn't be any less (video)

Take an e-ink smartwatch that's got plenty of willing customers, throw in a WiFi-connected sensor box and well, imagine the possibilities. The founders behind Pebble and Twine hope you are, because they have announced that the pair will be connectable through the latter's web-based interface. This means you'll be able to setup text notifications to your wrist when your laundry's done, when someone's at your door and plenty more mundane real-world tasks. A brief video explains how it should all go down, but try not to get too excited -- pre-orders are sadly sold out.

Continue reading Pebble ties itself up in Twine: sounds so rustic, couldn't be any less (video)

Pebble ties itself up in Twine: sounds so rustic, couldn't be any less (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 16:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Howard Stern Calls Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez 'Dummies'

Britney will be 'train wreck' on 'X Factor,' new 'America's Got Talent' judge adds at press conference.
By James Montgomery

Howard Stern
Photo: MTV News

Howard Stern held court at New York's Friars Club on Thursday in a long-running press conference to promote his upcoming stint as a judge on "America's Got Talent." And in keeping with the spirit of the legendary roasts that take place at the venue, he didn't shy away from taking some shots at his singing-competition contemporaries.

Stern was asked by a reporter whether he would have signed up for the "Talent" gig if it meant serving on a panel with "American Idol" judge Jennifer Lopez and newly-announced "X Factor" judge Britney Spears — as opposed to the "Talent" tandem of Howie Mandel and Sharon Osbourne — and, well, let's just say he answered rather directly.

"No, I would not [have], because I think we have the best judging panel out there, out of all these shows. I think that the judges all offer constructive, precise criticism, and I really like it," Stern said. "To sit there with J.Lo and Britney Spears and try to prop those two up, I'd be like a ventriloquist with two dummies; I'm not going to sit there and do that."

Stern didn't stop there, either. When he was asked for his thoughts on "The X Factor" 's reported $15 million deal with Spears, the shock jock joked that he was in favor of it ... for slightly dubious reasons, of course.

"I think it's a wonderful decision; Britney still thinks the world is flat. We're going to tune in to see if she can sort of function through the thing. As far as any real criticism, I think ["X Factor" judges] Simon [Cowell] and L.A. Reid will be doing that," he said. "I think Britney's going to stand there and eat a lollipop and wear a sexy outfit; I don't anticipate great opinions from her. I think she's going to sit there like J.Lo. 'Oh, you're wonderful, you're terrific. You think I could get a perfume endorsement out of this? You think I can perform on the show?' I think that's what it's about, but I think it will be interesting. ... I'll tune in to see what kind of train wreck she is, absolutely."

Related Artists

• Jennifer Lopez
• Britney Spears

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Motorola RAZR MAXX to be officially available in the UK on May 18

We knew the Motorola RAZR MAXX was heading to the UK, and we even knew it was supposed to land officially in mid-May. But today British retailer Clove has announced that it'll officially begin shipping on May 18. For those unfamiliar with the MAXX, it packs a gigantic 3300mAh battery behind its 4.3-inch qHD display. Combined with UMTS and HSPA+ connectivity, that should give consumers a crazy amount of battery life on a single charge. If you're interested in this device be sure to keep your eyes peeled, as it can be yours in just over a week!

Source: Clove

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This Inflatable Boot Camp Would Make the Draft Obsolete [Inflatable]

We're not saying the U.S. needs to enter another war anytime soon, but should the nation's armed forces find themselves in a situation where new recruits are few and far between, this inflatable boot camp obstacle course will easily bolster its numbers. More »

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New shear touch technology lets you skip a double-tap, push your device around (video)

Most every touchscreen in the market today can only register your finger input as coordinates; that's fine for most uses, but it leads to a lot of double-taps and occasionally convoluted gestures. A pair of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, Chris Harrison and Scott Hudson, have suggested that shear touch might be a smarter solution. Instead of gliding over fixed glass, your finger could handle secondary tasks by pushing in a specific direction, or simply pushing harder, on a sliding display. Among the many examples of what shear touch could do, the research duo has raised the possibility of skipping through music by pushing left and right, or scrolling more slowly through your favorite website with a forceful dragging motion. The academic paper is still far away from producing a shipping device, although a Microsoft doctoral fellowship's partial contribution to funding the study indicates one direction the technology might go. You can take a peek at the future in a video after the jump -- just don't expect a tablet-based Van Gogh this soon.

[Thanks, Chris]

Continue reading New shear touch technology lets you skip a double-tap, push your device around (video)

New shear touch technology lets you skip a double-tap, push your device around (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 01:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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University of California, Riverside runs entire building floor off of 1.1-megawatt green battery

We're used to batteries powering a lot of devices, but the University of California, Riverside is upping that a notch by charging up a whole floor's worth. The school's Winston Chung Global Energy Center is walking the eco-friendly walk and has started using a huge bank of rare earth, lithium-ion batteries from Balqon to produce 1.1 megawatts, enough to keep Winston Chung Hall's entire first floor humming along while tapping renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. The batteries bank their energy overnight, keeping the throngs of students happy without having to recharge as much or use the regular power grid as a fallback. While it's considered a testbed, the university's giant battery is considered a blueprint for cellular towers and the green power sources themselves -- the combination of which could keep your smartphone up and running with a lot less of an environmental hit.

University of California, Riverside runs entire building floor off of 1.1-megawatt green battery originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 21:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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