We’re not ashamed to say it, we love Nokia’s MeeGo-running N9. We love its stillborn (but still awesome) OS, its liquid-looking display and gorgeous machined polycarbonate shell. Now, we can see how that glorious bit of Finnish hardware gets put together in the newly released video seen above. So sit back, relax and let the precision manufacturing wash over you.

Nokia shows off how it makes the N9, Americans watch with envy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you meander on down to the Apple store this morning, you’ll spot some nice little spec bumps to the MacBook Pro range — without any increase to the prices. For a start, you can now splash out on a faster AMD Radeon HD 6770M discrete GPU with your 15-inch or 17-inch lappie. Even better, there are some CPU improvements to be had: the 13-incher gets the option of a 2.8GHz Core i7 or a 2.4GHz Core i5 dual-core processor, instead of the previous entry-level 2.3GHz i5 (and it also gets its HDD notched up to a minimum 500GB, or max 750GB). The 15-incher now goes up to a quad-core 2.4GHz i7 — the same speedy processor that comes in the updated 17-inch variant. Oh, the cost/benefit dilemmas.

Apple MacBook Pro (late 2011) line-up gets processor and graphics boost originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Nexus One, grandaddy of Android’s latest pure-bred wonder, appears to have some fight left in it. Developer drl33tmd has managed to coax the old man into running an early port of Ice Cream Sandwich, although it’s not perfect. The somewhat unstable build is a bit sluggish, and suffers from media playback issues and a distinct lack of WiFi. Check out the demo after the break to see the original Google smartphone struggle up some increasingly steep software stairs.

Continue reading Nexus One takes a bite out of Ice Cream Sandwich, chews slowly

Nexus One takes a bite out of Ice Cream Sandwich, chews slowly originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well it looks like Netflix’s rumored UK launch was a lot more than just a rumor. Today, the company announced that it will indeed expand to the UK and Ireland “in early 2012,” promising to offer unlimited streaming on PCs, tablets and mobile devices at a “low monthly subscription price.” The company didn’t say what that price would be, nor did it offer any details on available content or supported devices, though more details will be announced closer to its launch. We’re also expecting to hear more from Netflix during its Q3 earnings conference call later today, when we should find out about the impact of its recent price hike and Qwikster turnaround. Whether or not its foray into the UK can loosen Lovefilm‘s grip on the domestic market, however, remains to be seen. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Netflix to expand to UK, Ireland in ‘early 2012,’ looks to challenge Lovefilm

Netflix to expand to UK, Ireland in ‘early 2012,’ looks to challenge Lovefilm originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 03:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s most highly sophisticated OS yet? Cupertino would have you think so, but as with any major update, there have been plenty of quirks to work through in the months following the introduction of Lion. For those of you who’ve made the 0.2 leap from 10.6.8 (or from further back, actually), we’re interested in learning how your overall experience has been. A good move? Still regretting it? What apps have broken on you? Has your workflow changed at all? Do you prefer “natural” scrolling? How would you tweak Lion if given the chance? What apps would you overhaul? What factory settings would you alter? Carefully considered thoughts are welcome in comments below.

How would you change Apple’s OS X 10.7 (Lion)? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 22:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alternative transportation blasted off into the future this week as DeLorean revealed plans to launch an all-electric vehicle in 2013 and Richard Branson announced the official opening of the Virgin Galactic Gateway spaceport. Researchers also developed a next-gen quantum levitation technology that could lead to floating vehicles, and we spotted a cloud concept blimp that soars through the skies. We also brought you an exclusive interview with Revenge of the Electric Car director Chris Paine, and we shared a leaked brochure with specs on Toyota’s new Prius C.

Renewable energy also rocketed towards a more sustainable tomorrow as Japan’s team Tokai took first place in the World Solar Challenge and Apple filed a set of patents for next-generation solar technology. Meanwhile Facebook announced plans to launch a new energy efficiency app in 2012 and we launched a contest where you can win one of 25 $600 home energy audits. We also showcased a stunning set of satellite photos of the world’s power lines, and since Halloween is on its way, we brought you a Zombie-Powered Vertical Farm designed to keep its inhabitants safe from the Living Dead.

Speaking of Halloween, this week we shared instructions for making a DIY cardboard box robot costume, and we launched our 2011 Green Halloween Costume Contest for kids. We also brought you several developments from the realm of eco textiles — a material that repairs its own rips and tears and a Japanese company that recycles old bras into power-generating fuel. Finally, we showcased several slick developments in aqueous technology: an oil skimmer that cleans up spills four times faster, an artificial muscle that could one day propel nanobots through the body, and a quirky set of ‘Macquariums‘ made from Apple iMacs.

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: quantum levitation, Zombie-Powered Vertical Farm and Macquariums originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Psst. Hey, do you carry a spare Smart Cover around with you? Well, if you’re an unscrupulous sort, you can actually use it to bypass the lock screen of any iPad running iOS 5. This multi-step security hole will let you browse whatever’s running behind the passcode screen, whether that’s email, apps or the homescreen. To take advantage of the flaw, hold down the power button on the locked device until the power off slider appears, then whip the Smart Cover on, open and tap cancel. Fortunately for iPad owners, the rest of the tablet remains locked-down, but the main problem here is any sensitive information left on-screen. If you unlock the tablet to the main screen, you won’t be able to open new apps, although anyone feeling particularly nefarious can apparently delete apps from that meticulously arranged home screen. See how it’s done in the video after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Smart Cover can unlock password-protected iPads running iOS 5 (video)

Smart Cover can unlock password-protected iPads running iOS 5 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All right, so technically this isn’t a Rube Goldberg machine (it doesn’t actually perform a task, merely loops endlessly), but the spirit is the same. Students in the Media Interaction and Design program at the University of Applied Sciences FH Johanneum in Graz, Austria strung together a pile of Arduinos to create a chain reaction of unbelievably geeky proportions. Seriously, you just need to watch the video — you know you’re in for a treat when you get Homer Simpson, Darth Vader and Hello Kitty in under one minute. Don’t waste any more time here, hit that read more link and watch more Arduino’s than you can shake a stick at work in tandem.

Continue reading Pile of Arduinos hooked up in Rube Goldeberg-esque chain reaction (video)

Pile of Arduinos hooked up in Rube Goldeberg-esque chain reaction (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 03:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The state of California made October 16th “Steve Jobs Day,” and on October 19th, the company he co-founded with Steve Wozniak celebrated his life on campus in Cupertino. The photo here, provided by Apple, shows CEO Tim Cook addressing throngs of people who came to the memorial.

Visualized: Apple’s celebration of Steve Jobs’ life in Cupertino originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Apple Q4 earnings fall short of expectations: $28.27 billion in revenue, $6.62 billion net profit

Apple Q4 earnings fall short of expectations: $28.27 billion in revenue, $6.62 billion net profit originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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