The White House hosting a 'We the Geeks' Hangout later today, plans to talk asteroids

Ever since joining Google+ early last year, The White House has become more andmore involved with the social network. And with word spreading amongst Earthlings about an asteroid (with its own moon, no less) zipping past the planetsometime around 5:00PM ET, the executive mansion of the US couldn't have chosen a better day to discuss the topic. As part of its ongoing "We the Geeks" series on Google+, The White House will...

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The Wheelharp delivers string-orchestra sounds via a mechanical keyboard Alt

Currently up for $50,000 in funding on Kickstarter, the Wheelharp delivers the sounds of a chamber string orchestra via a keyboard and a full chromatic set of real strings. Oh, and it's pretty much the most striking instrument we've ever seen. Developed by Los Angeles-based Antiquity Music, the device reacts to a user's press of the keys by moving a corresponding string to a rotating wheel with an edge that bows the string. The instrument gives the...

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Watch ABC app with live TV streaming comes to Kindle Fire, but not Google Play HD

ABC dipped its toe into live network TV streaming with the Watch ABC app on the web and iOS earlier this month, and now it's followed up with a version for Amazon's Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD tablets. Unfortunately, despite the Amazon Appstore listing it's still not in Google Play so other Android devices can't get easy access yet. At launch the press release mentioned Samsung Galaxy hardware will also be supported this summer, but...

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SUNY partners with Coursera for massively open online course experiment

Massive open online courses have the potential to alter how we teach and learn as a society, but unlike other methods that are steeped in centuries of trial and error, the MMOC concept remains experimental and unproven -- often criticized as better suited for edification than rigorous education. Like edX, Coursera is working to challenge that assumption, and today the online course provider announced partnerships with ten public university systems...

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Distro Issue 93: The minds behind XPRIZE HD

During the course of a long weekend, a handful of the world's greatest thinkers assembled in California with the single goal of creating the next XPRIZE winner. In a brand new issue of our weekly, Tim Stevens takes a look inside the making of the next visionary challenge and offers a glimpse at how the the outfit decides which revolutionary ideas have earned its support. Weekly Stat tallies up the numbers on the Xbox One, Rec...

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NHK flaunts 8K Ultra HD compact broadcast camera HD

While you're still settling in to HDTV, NHK is already looking past 4K toward 8K broadcast trials -- and it has the hardware to do it. The Japanese broadcaster just showed off a compact 8K broadcast camera that joins the H.265 encoder we sawearlier, and packs a 33-megapixel sensor and drive circuits into a mere four square inch package. Like NHK's 8K Super Hi-Vision cam, the more compact model runs at 120Hz, and the company said...

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Graphene camera sensors said to be 1,000 times more sensitive to light

While we're still scratching around with Ultrapixels and OIS, scientists in Singapore claim they're working on something that could change the entire field of photography. Researchers at the Nanyang Technological University have developed an image sensor made out of graphene that's 1,000 times better at capturing light than traditional CMOS or CCD sensors, all while using 10x less energy. These new sensors may initially be...

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Sony will use eyeIO's video compression tech to deliver 4K movies HD

At CES eyeIO claimed its software suite was "studio grade" 4K ready and it will be put to the test soon, since Sony Pictures is licensing it to deliver movies to the FMP-X1 4K media player this summer. Sony didn't have any more details to reveal about its 4K delivery plans just yet, but eyeIO's press release claims its tech is being used on 4K video (3,840 x 2,160) encodes with support for extended color gamut. Besides easier downloading...

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Ubuntu team closes its original 'bug:' Microsoft's majority of PC market share

When Ubuntu Linux was still in development back in August 2004, Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth filed a tongue-in-cheek first bug: that Microsoft had a majority of PC market share. Little did he realize that he'd have an excuse to cross that bug off the list in 2013. Since computing now includes phones and tablets, he argues, that leaves the traditional PC (and therefore Windows) in the minorityversus Android, iOS and other...

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ASUS unveils 31.5-inch 4K monitor ahead of Computex HD

Taiwanese PC maker ASUS dropped this gem yesterday ahead of Computex 2013 -- the PQ321, a professional-grade 31.5-inch 4K monitor. It features a 3840 x 2160-pixel (16:9, 140 ppi) 10-bit RGB (one billion colors) IGZO panel with LED backlight, 176-degree viewing angles, 350 cd/m2 brightness and 8ms GTG response time. Beyond its Ultra HD capability, the monitor comes with built-in stereo speakers (2W) plus height, tilt...

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Nokia launches Music with Mix Radio app on Asha, starting in Russia

While the Asha line lacks the glamor of Nokia's WP8 smartphones, it outsells its big-shot siblings by a wide margin. Now, owners of those handsets will be able to grab Nokia's Music with Mix Radio, an app that was previously available only onWindows and Windows Phone 8. Other WP8 hand-me-downs like Transit andXpress Now have already hit the budget platform, showing it's far from being Nokia's...

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Scientists capture images of molecules forming atomic bonds Alt

For most of us, molecular bonding only really exists as a classroom concept. Some scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory can now claim more tangible knowledge, however: they're the first to have taken truly clear snapshots of bonding in progress. While trying to create graphene nanostructures and observe them with an atomic force microscope, a lab team spotted molecules forming their individual, atom-level links...

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Samsung's next Galaxy Tab will have Intel inside, says Reuters Mobile

This particular rumor has been swirling for a while already, but Reuters says its own sources are now backing it up: Samsung will switch from an ARM-based design and use Intel as the supplier of the processor inside at least one version of its next 10-inch slate, the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1. Word is that Samsung will run Android off Intel's latest x86 Atom architecture, Clover Trail+, which we've so far seen in just a handful of Android...

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CNET: Acer will release a $400 Android AiO PC running Intel's Haswell CPU

Acer will soon release an Intel Haswell 3GHz, Core-i5-powered all-in-one that cuts Windows out of the PC picture altogether by running Android, according to an un-sourced rumor from CNET. The PC maker has already dipped its toes into the Android AiO waters with the 21.5-inch ARM-powered Smart Display DA220HQL(shown above), but if the rumor pans out, it would mark the first Intel powered AiO we've seen from anyone packing...

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Curiosity rover discovers dangerous levels of radiation during Mars transit Alt

While we've learned that radiation levels on Mars are safe for humans, actually getting there in the first place remains a problem. Recent results from Curiosity's Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) reveal that exposure even while safely ensconced inside a protected spacecraft is dangerously high. Explorers would be bombarded with 466 milliSieverts of high-energy galactic cosmic rays and solar particles during the 253-day transit...

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Clearwire shareholder meeting rescheduled after Dish improves its offer Mobile

Dish's interesting attempt to acquire its way into the wireless data business has taken another turn this evening, thanks to a new development in its bid for Clearwire. Dish upped its offer to $4.40 per share for all of the company's outstanding shares earlier this week, and the Clearwire board seems interested. Originally scheduled to take place Friday morning, the meeting is now set for June 13th so the board can discuss Dish's offer, and...

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Samsung's Galaxy S 4 mini stars in Three UK's new video Mobile

Can't wait to get your hands on a Galaxy S 4 mini? Samsung has yet to announce its price and availability, but until then you can imagine you're Three UK's Brendan Arndt in the video below. Arndt shows off the much-rumored baby S 4 for us, as the phone poses for close-up shots in various angles. While the clip merely reiterates all the specs Samsung confirmed, it also shows how relatively tiny the S 4 mini is compared to its full-sized...

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DARPA developing muscle-controlled prosthetic limbs that can feel (video) Alt

DARPA's no stranger to bionic limb research, however two new projects under the agency's RE-NET program focus on improving amputees' link to their prosthetics. RE-NET aims to develop the technology that will connect artificial limbs to existing nerves and muscles. Once that's achieved, users will be able feel with the prosthetic as well as move it as they would a real arm or leg, unlike another project focused on one-way...

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Samsung's 65- and 55-inch 4K TVs launch next month in Korea for less than $8,000 HD

Samsung's first 4K TV came with an eye catching 85-inch frame design and an eye popping $39,999 MSRP, but its next two will apparently be much more reasonable. The 65- and 55-inch versions have just been given a release date and pricing information in Korea and while still expensive, they've followed Sony's lead to a sub-$10,000 price point. The machine translated press release indicates pre-ordersshould start June 1st, with...

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EA plans to scrap Online Pass from existing games, enable access without a code

EA's Online Pass program has been in the news a bit of late, but that'll soon change. The voucher's now set to be phased out completely -- earlier this month the company shared that it won't be including the certificates with new games, but nowGame Informer reports that this will apply to existing titles as well. Soon, EA Sports games will no longer prompt users for a code, while numbers for other titles will be made available...

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IK Multimedia intros AmpliTube 3.0 with timeline editing, ships iRig HD

Artists going all-out on mobile music editing have relatively few options --GarageBand won't always cut it for the pros. IK Multimedia thinks its newly launched AmpliTube 3.0 could be the solution for those producers on the move. The $20 iOS app introduces a full, multi-track audio editor that can create a final masterpiece. With the help of a guitar rig and customizable drum loop, the suite is theoretically good enough to keep computers...

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Mt. Gox now requires verification for non-Bitcoin transactions

While the Bitcoin market is advancing toward legitimacy in the financial world, that also means closer legal scrutiny -- and the Mt. Gox exchange is tightening its policies to match. As of today, the institution requires verification for every non-Bitcoin deposit or withdrawal. The move keeps Mt. Gox in line with "strict anti-money laundering rules," and it reduces the chances that security breaches will spark chaos....

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Evernote two-step verification now available for Premium and Business users

Three months after a major database hack, Evernote has finally made good on its promise to implement two-factor authentication as an additional precautionary measure. Following the footsteps of other security-conscious companies, the technique requires not just your username and password, but also a six-digit code provided either via text message or an app like Google Authenticator. Further, you can print out a list...

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Broadcom introduces low-power WiFi and Bluetooth chips for the Internet of things

The Internet of things -- that nebulous term usually associated with interconnecting everyday objects in a meaningful way -- is in the news again. Yesterday, Broadcom announced that it's launching a couple cost-effective, power-efficient wireless chips geared towards appliances, home automation and wearable devices. The first SoC, BCM4390, incorporates a highly-efficient WiFi radio for embedded use in products such as weight...

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NVIDIA announces GeForce GTX 770 for under $400, says it's faster than last year's GTX 680

It probably won't come as a huge surprise, given the GTX 780's appearance last week, but today's launch of the GTX 770 nevertheless brings us a very interesting product. The card is claimed to be about five percent faster than last year's much more expensive flagship, the GTX 680, thanks to faster memory (7Gb/s instead of 6Gb/s), a slightly higher base clock speed (1,046 vs. 1,006MHz) and an equivalent number of CUDA cores (1,536). Seeing...

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Windows 8.1 unveiled: new apps, new features and the return of the Start button

MORE INFOMicrosoft drops the Blue codename, confirms Windows 8.1 will be a free upgrade available later this yearWindows Blue screenshot tourLeaked Windows 8.1 build points to the Start button's returnHow big of an upgrade is Windows 8.1? Put it this way: we just might need to review the OS all over again. Microsoft just unveiled the first major update to Windows 8, and it includes tweaks to nearly every aspect of the operating system: the lock...

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Waze 3.7 navigates to Facebook Events, shares directions with others Mobile

It's not hard to navigate to a Facebook Event if there's an address: it's much harder if the organizer simply assumes that we'll know where to go. Thankfully, we can now lean on some collective help through Waze 3.7 for Android and iOS. The update not only populates the destination list with Facebook Events, but fills in the blanks for everyone involved -- enter an address and it will be sent to others on the guest list. It's...

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BlackBerry Q10 available for pre-order on Verizon, $200 with a two-year contract Mobile

For those of you who wouldn't touch a tactile screen if we gave you one, Verizon's just put a smartphone up for pre-order that might be preferable: the Blackberry Q10. Big Red will carry the regular black model and has exclusive dibs on the dapper white Q10 we saw earlier, both of which are on pre-order for $200 with a two-year activation, or $600 sans commitment. On top of real QWERTY chiclets, you'll get a 3.1-inch,...

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Plex app now available for Drobo's media-savvy 5N NAS HD

With its quad-core ARM processor, the Drobo 5N is capable of much more than just storing files, and you can now grab a Plex app to help it live up to that potential. Once installed, it'll turn the NAS into a full blown media server to distribute up to 16TB of protected media to any of your Plex- or DLNA-supported SmartTVs,handheld devices, Mac or PC computers, set top boxes and gaming consoles. Plex said that...

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The Wall Street Journal to launch LinkedIn-style social network

The Wall Street Journal will soon launch a business-minded social network along the lines of LinkedIn, according to a report from The Times of London. The news comes amid reports of restructuring and new financial offerings from the media giant, including a personal messaging system for investors and a newswire service called Dow Jones X. Of course, this isn't News Corp's first social network rodeo, as it had a dubious fling with...

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DARPA builds an Android-based, low-cost ground sensor (video)

This isn't an ignominious box you're looking at -- it's the potential future of military sensors. The device is DARPA's first reference design for a ground sensor based on ADAPT (Adaptable Sensor System), a modular Android processing core that does the hard work for surveillance gear. The mobile technology inside is miserly enough to run on its own power, and smart enough to simplify both networking and remote control. More importantly,...

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Engadget UK Giveaway: win an HTC One courtesy of Mobile Madhouse Mobile

HTC's latest flagship is one of the hottest Android phones available right now. What better way to kick off your summer in the UK, then, than with one of these in your pocket? That's entirely possible, too, thanks to accessory experts Mobile Madhousewhich is giving one away. All you have to do to stand a chance of snagging the prize is check the rules after the break, and enter via the widget. Good luck!The Rules:Entries are handled...

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Samsung GT-P5210 reaches the FCC, hints at a 10-inch Galaxy Tab 3

We know that Samsung's tablet line is growing quickly when the Galaxy Note 8.0 is shipping, the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 exists and an 8-inch Tab 3 may come soon. The company must want to drive the point home, however: it just passed another slate, the GT-P5210, through the FCC's approval process. The filing carries few details, but it's enough to confirm a 10-inch screen, a WiFi-only variant and a model name in line with the...

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Apple unveils new iPod Touch: 16GB storage, no back-facing camera, $229

Well, this is a little out of the blue. Apple has just outed a new iPod Touch that falls in behind its existing 2012 models. We're hesitant to call this the sixth generation, as it's more of a stripped down variant of what's already available. Not many of the specs have changed: the dimensions are identical, you're still getting a 4-inch Retina display, and the same dual-core A5 processor hums away inside. While the new model still has the front-facing...

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Samsung confirms Galaxy S 4 Mini: 4.3-inch display, 1.7 GHz dual-core processor Mobile

So, it might not be a surprise that it was in the works, but its official announcement today almost caught us off guard. Here it is, the Samsung Galaxy S 4 Mini. Now we can say for sure that there's a (yet to be specified) 1.7 GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.2.2, GPS, GLONASS, WiFi, 8GB internal memory (expandable up to 64), and 1.5GB of RAM. The display is a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD affair, which will be kept going by a 1,900 mAh battery,...

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Huawei Windows Phone appears in render, said to be the Ascend W2 Mobile

It feels almost unfaithful to the Ascend W1 to be looking at a potential sequelalready, but that's what evleaks claims this is. How he got the image we have no idea, and neither do we have any price or specs to go with it -- it's just this lone render of a Huawei handset running Windows Phone 8 in Chinese. There was actually a previous leak back in April (shown after the break), which also purported to be the...

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LG's Optimus G Pro launching across Asia in June Mobile

Right now, Asians who want LG's Optimus G Pro have to make a sneaky trip over to South Korea, but not for much longer. The handset will begin rolling out across the continent through June, starting in Hong Kong and spreading to places like Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia before the end of that month. Just remember, that unlike the Galaxy Note II, you'll have to spring for the stylus yourse...

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Pebble firmware update 1.11 arrives with UI improvements, Simplicity watchface

Pebble's smartwatch might have launched with limited capabilities, but the list of things it can do keeps growing. Now that the company has released firmware version 1.11, you can add a few more features to that list. The update brings notification and set time UI changes, multiple notification viewing, the wearer's current speed measured by RunKeeper, swaps the music app's next and previous buttons and squashes a few bugs. It also installs...

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Dish Social app brings Twitter, Facebook to Hopper DVRs HD

Dish is a little late to the social television party, but it has finally arrived with the aptly (if not creatively) named Social app. The app, available on Hopper DVRs, shows personal Facebook, Twitter or Now Watching feeds -- which displays tweets relevant to the show and channel being viewed -- in a right rail alongside the video window. Social also enables full tweeting functionality and the ability to post Facebook status updates to up to...

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NVIDIA Shield drops by the FCC, gets ready to fill pre-orders

Eager to get your mitts on NVIDIA's first Tegra 4 device? Cast your jealous eyes upon the federal government -- they've already got one. NVIDIA's Shield gaming handheld dropped by the FCC to get its label approved, betraying its original code name, Project Thor, in the processes. Hardly a surprise to see the device passing federal muster, of course, as it's slated for release at the end of next month. Unfortunately, the filings don't...

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Nintendo updates Miiverse web app, lets users post on the go

When Miiverse first hit the web, Nintendo called it a beta experience. It was an apt description -- the web app lacked the ability to manage friends, tweak user details or create new posts. Today, things are looking a bit better: Nintendo quietly pushed an update for the service this week, adding in all those features and the ability to view most posts without logging in. Users itching to send private messages or share drawings...

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Official 2,550mAh Wii U GamePad battery announced in Japan, promises up to 8 hours of gameplay

Bummed out about the Wii U GamePad's middling battery life? Nintendo finally has an answer: install a bigger battery. Taking to Twitter these evening, Nintendo revealed has that a new larger capacity GamePad battery will be available in Japan soon, promising between 5-8 hours of battery life. The 2,550mAh battery will cost ¥3,000 yen (about $39) when it launches this July, and will need to be installed manually by the user. There's no word yet...

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Nintendo Japan announces white 32GB Wii U, Wiimote quick charger

An official extended battery for its Wii U Gamepad isn't the only thing Nintendo Japan posted on its website tonight, as it also added a white option for the Wii U 32GB Premium set, a 30th Anniversary Luigi special edition 3DS XL and quick charging option for the Wiimote. Surveys surfaced earlier this year suggesting a fast charging option on the way for the Wiimote, and in Japan gamers will be able to add the accessory -- consisting of...

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