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With Carrier IQ and O2's most recent data-snooping, people's vigilance about what information cellphones transmit is increasing. Using a Galaxy Note, AndroidPit found that every four minutes, Vlingo's voice-recognition app was sending a packet of data to an unencrypted server. The packet contained your GPS co-ordinates, IMEI (unique device identifier), contact list and the title of every song stored on your device -- without proper warning in the privacy policy you agree to when starting up the app. We spoke with co-founder John Wynn, product marketing head TJ Leonard and communications manager Erin Keleher, who gave us a full and frank discussion about what's going on and the steps it's taking to remedy the situation, which we've got for you after the break.

Continue reading Vlingo co-founder explains data-collection issues

Vlingo co-founder explains data-collection issues originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do you like numbers? What if we said those numbers were amounts of money -- very large sums of money? If we've caught your attention, then perhaps you'd like to join us as we bring you Samsung's earnings call live, straight into your eye holes courtesy of our fancy new liveblog viewer. Click on through and join on. We promise your net fun ratio will be in the positive.

Continue reading Samsung's earnings call liveblog

Samsung's earnings call liveblog originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It might not be making as much money as the competition in Cupertino, but that doesn't mean Samsung isn't raking in cash at an astonishing clip. We reported earnings estimates a few weeks ago, but now it's official that the firm posted a 5.3 trillion won ($4.7 billion) operating profit in Q4 2011. That represents over a 2 trillion won ($1.8 billion) increase year over year. In all, it pulled in 47.3 trillion won ($42 billion) in sales, thanks in no small part to the over 300 million phones Sammy sold last year. While mobile accounted for roughly 40 percent of company sales and half of its operating profit (2.6 trillion won, or $2.3 billion), its semiconductor business did almost as well, raking in 2.3 trillion won ($2 billion) in profit over the same period. Samsung's Display Panel business outperformed 2010 -- buoyed by strong sales in LED televisions -- as sales were up almost 20 percent, to 8.55 trillion won ($7.6 billion).

Well the call just finished up, and Sammy provided some prognosication for 2012. It anticipates the mobile business to continue to grow, with LTE and and new market segments (read: Galaxy Note) helping drive sales. TV sales are also expected to remain on the uptick, as Samsung anticipates demand to continue growing due in part to the London Olympics and roll-out of more Smart TVs. Feel free to check out all the numbers giving Samsung reason for its optimism at the source link below.

Samsung 2011 Q4 earnings official: $42 billion in sales, $4.7 billion operating profit originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking for an excuse to buy a LTE-enabled superphone? Look no further. Online retail giant Amazon has priced Verizon's iteration of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus at a paltry $99 for customers opening a new line of service. For those keeping score at home, that's a full $200 less than the on-contract price ($299) currently being peddled by Big Red. Why are you still reading this? Hit the source link, hammer in your Amazon credentials and get yourself one of these lean, mean, Ice Cream Sandwich running machines.

Amazon prices Verizon Galaxy Nexus at $99, tests your self control originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Potential Samsung Galaxy SII-sibling heads to China via the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wouldn't it be absolutely splendid if you could hand your phone over to a friend (or complete stranger) without fear of them mucking up your system or digging into your personal bits? Yes, we'd absolutely love to see guest accounts become standard issue on all handsets, but until that day arrives, a new application called SwitchMe will work in a pinch. Word of caution, this app requires root privileges, which may deter many folks.

Rather than allowing multiple sessions to run simultaneously, as you'd expect on a desktop computer, SwitchMe lets users easily jump between different installations of Android -- they exist separately and don't talk to each other. Naturally, this also allows hobbyists to easily jump between their favorite ROMs, and gives developers clean sandboxes for app testing. The first hit is free, but if you want to manage more than two installations, you'll need to buy the unlock key for $1.98. Still, those who find the SwitchMe useful should consider tossing the developer a few bones.

Update: As a commenter pointed out, multiple ROMs are not supported at this time. The developer has verified this, stating that any content inside /system cannot be changed. Bummer.

[Thanks, Alan]

SwitchMe brings makeshift guest account to Android root users originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No, it's not another Fast & Furious sequel, it's something much quicker -- 800 billion times quicker, to be precise. Scientists at DESY (Germany's largest particle physics center) are premiering the Guinness World Record-holding fastest "movie" to a select audience at its light sources users' meeting. The film was shot using an X-ray Laser, and splitting the light in two. By firing one beam off on a minuscule detour (0.015 millimeters) and delaying its arrival by 50 femtoseconds, two separate images are captured. Okay, so two frames isn't exactly Lord of the Rings, but it's still the smallest interval ever recorded. This technique won't be popping up in Hollywood any time soon -- instead, it's actually used for snapping subatomic glimpses of ultra-fast molecular processes and chemical reactions. Despite the brevity of this record-breaking flick, the plot is apparently still more complex than Tokyo Drift.

German scientists shoot world's fastest movie: gone in 50 femtoseconds originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Transformers: Dark of the Moon Blu-ray doesn't hit the streets officially until next week, but you can get a look at one of the special features early right here. In this video clip director Michael Bay and other members of the production team explain some of the special challenges that came with shooting the special-effects heavy movie in 3D. It required changes to his usual frenetic cutting style with fewer pans and longer shots, as well as extra work by the editors on each element of animation overlaid on each frame. For a longer discussion about the background of shooting the flick you can check out an interview featuring Bay and 3D-master James Cameron here, otherwise just press play, or check out the press release after the break for a full list of special features included when he disc debuts January 31st.

Continue reading Transformers: Dark of the Moon clip breaks down shooting movies, special effects in 3D (video)

Transformers: Dark of the Moon clip breaks down shooting movies, special effects in 3D (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo's third quarter financial briefing just spilled the beans on the recently spied Nintendo Network, causing Nintendo fans everywhere to collectively sigh, "It's about time." Company head honcho Satoru Iwata says the network will offer "competitions and communication among users, as well as the sales of digital content," and in the case of the Wii U, will introduce personal user accounts. Iwata stopped just short of confirming that the Nintendo Network will end the company's policy of tying downloaded titles to Nintendo hardware, rather than individual users, but mentioned that it packed an infrastructure that supports not only add-on content, but fully downloadable retail games as well.

"This concept was built into the design of the Nintendo 3DS, and we already have the necessary infrastructure," Iwata said, "We will prepare the same infrastructure for the Wii U. However, we have not decided the concrete timing of when we will start it." Iwata pointed to Mario Kart 7's community building features and DLC offerings in the upcoming Theatrythm Final Fantasy as an early look at how the Nintendo Network is trying differentiate itself from the outfit's existing Nintendo Wi-Fi connection services. Hit the source link to read Iwata's briefing for yourself.

Nintendo officially announces Nintendo Network, promises personal accounts for Wii U originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aching for more details on Nintendo's elusive Wii U console? Let Satoru Iwata scratch your itch -- quarterly reports aren't just for reporting losses and announcing new networks, after all. Boss hog Iwata told investors that Nintendo is spicing up their next console's tablet-esque controller with a little NFC magic. Nintendo's President briefly entertains the possibilities of a console controller rocking near field communication, suggesting that Skylander-like figurines or NFC enabled cards could be created to present a "new play format in the video game world." He even says the technology might be used to implement micropayments. Sounds neat -- but will you be able to buy DLC with your Google Wallet?

Wii U controller to pack NFC, says Iwata, create new gameplay options originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Forget poking: from February 14th, show you love someone by flinging a mis-tempered avian toward them. It's Valentines Day that Angry Birds will finally arrive on the ubiquitous social network -- just in time to ensure half the coupled population of the world misses its dinner reservation, in order to get past one more level. The basic game will be free, but upgrades like the Mighty Eagle, double-sized birds, an earthquake weapon and a max-strength catapult will cost you. It'll be launched in Jakarta around the same time you offer up that heart-shaped box of chocolates, so if you want to ensure the day remains romantic, we'd suggest waiting until the 15th before installing.

Continue reading February 14th is Valen... Angry Birds day

February 14th is Valen... Angry Birds day originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All those long, long drives to Florida in the family station wagon seemed worth it at the time, but now that we've found out that those lucky South Koreans have another crazy theme-park, we might just change our minds. Located near Seoul, Live Park uses 3D video, holograms and augmented reality, interacting with RFID wrist bands and Kinect sensors to stitch together a continuous immersive story. You (and your avatar!) have 65 attractions, over seven themed zones, and the world's biggest interactive 360 degree stereoscopic theater to wave, jump and shout your way through. Two years and $13 million in the making, Live Park's creator d'strict is now looking to license the concept out internationally, with locations in China and Singapore already earmarked. We're not sure we could handle that long of a family drive just yet, but with a Hollywood entertainment "powerhouse" reportedly nibbling, maybe we won't have to.

Continue reading South Korea's Live Park uses RFID and Kinect to bring your Holodeck fantasies one step nearer

South Korea's Live Park uses RFID and Kinect to bring your Holodeck fantasies one step nearer originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Engadget Show 29: Red Cameras, MakerBot and the coolest gadgets of CES 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic intros a pair of 12.1-inch Let's Note Laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft is slowly turning its stalwart desktop OS into a mobile powerhouse. The company just keeps rolling out improvements and features for Windows 8 aimed at really making upcoming tablets competitive with their Android and iOS-based market mates. After cramming mobile broadband tools into the tile-happy OS, now Redmond is turning its attention towards sensors. The next version of Windows will offer integrated support for gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers and ambient light sensors among other things. Devs will even be able to use multiple sensors in conjunction for more accurate interaction. Check out the video after the break for more details.

Continue reading Windows 8 adds sensor support, will be the PC to turn, turn, turn

Windows 8 adds sensor support, will be the PC to turn, turn, turn originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Kinect and Windows Phone combine to create holographic game engine (video)

Kinect and Windows Phone combine to create holographic game engine (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia has announced a major mobile milestone: over 1.5 billion (with a b) Series 40 handsets sold since the first device -- the 7110 -- was introduced in 1999. "We are incredibly proud to reach this milestone," wrote Nokia's Executive VP of Mobile Phones, Mary McDowell. "It is gratifying to consider how Series 40 devices have made mobile technology accessible." Breeze on past the break for the official PR with more information about the Asha 303 handset knighted number 1,500,000,000, then feel free to weigh in on how long will take the Lumia line to reach the same milestone.

Continue reading Nokia Series 40: over 1.5 billion served

Nokia Series 40: over 1.5 billion served originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

Continue reading IRL: the Kindle Touch, a repurposed Army bag and a non-user replaceable laptop battery

IRL: the Kindle Touch, a repurposed Army bag and a non-user replaceable laptop battery originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading HP: Open webOS 1.0 arriving in September, Enyo 2.0 framework free to developers today

HP: Open webOS 1.0 arriving in September, Enyo 2.0 framework free to developers today originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola's automated smartphone rule system first appeared on its Droid Razr; a way of sidestepping laborious menu hopping for everyday tweaks and extra functionality -- with some location-based awareness thrown in. Motorola's senior VP, Alain Mutricy, recently announced that the company plans to continue the roll-out of this smart actions system, presumably on its Razr series, which will also see further expansion this year. The VP added that Motorola will focus on its high-end hands in the US, continuing to roll-out LTE capable handsets. Moto's earnings report will arrive soon and should set the stage for whatever else its new owners are plotting for 2012.

Motorola to continue pushing 'smart actions', wants to make you look cleverer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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