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Next quarter we’ll see just how revolutionary BlackBerry’s latest operating system is when it officially comes out, but for now Research In Motion has provided a brief glimpse of what the new phones will look like at its nearly week-long event in Orlando.

The presentation by RIM’s Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis—and cameo from Black-Eyed Peas’ will.i.am—focused primarily on a two-minute video that demonstrated how easy it was to tap the screen to select and then swipe to get to the next application or program. But much of it was still left to the imagination.

Although BlackBerry’s market share has grown quickly over the past few years, this overhaul may determine whether the Canadian handset-maker can keep up with the rapid pace of innovation in the space. While the OS was in development, Lazaridis said they kept in mind three principles: the OS had to be easy to use, but powerful; fun, but approachable; and fresh but familiar.

—Crackberry writes: “It keeps the best of BlackBerry and modernizes it with some of the features we have been seeing in other mobile operating systems (and adds some new ones of its own)…Will it be enough to keep RIM’s momentum going strong? We certainly hope so. During the keynote Lazaridis told us his mission… he wants to see the number of BlackBerry subscribers double from the current 41 million to over 100 million.”

—Quoting Black-Eyed Peas’ song “Boom boom Pow,” Digital daily’s John Paczkowski calls BlackBerry 6 “So 2008, So 2000 and Late.”… “As a mobile operating system, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.”

—PC World focused on what’s new: “The whole user interface gets a facelift with crisper icons and visuals, new graphics, animations and transitions. There’s also a new homescreen with multiple views based on content type (all, favorite apps, downloads, media, etc.) as well as universal search.”

It’s deja vu all over again: For the second day in a row, Republicans blocked debate on the financial reform bill. Once more, the vote was 57-41. And, once more, Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska broke ranks and voted with Republicans against the bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to bring the bill up for a vote again tomorrow.

Bill Information and Status [Thomas]

Theoretically speaking, we could exponentially increase computing power by manipulating the way in which electrons in individual atoms spin. Researchers in Germany have seen atomic spin for the very first time, and captured a few tiny images to prove it. More »

There’s not much secret left in the sauce for the iPad’s A4 chip—it’s a faster, customized version of what’s inside the iPhone 3GS. But the recipe probably comes from a tiny chip design firm Apple purchased, called Intrinsity. More »

Read it in full after the jump:

The first restaurant chain to show carbon footprints of its menu items, Otarian, just opened its first store in New York.

The first restaurant chain in the world to show the carbon footprint of its menu items, believe it or not, is not McDonald’s. It is vegetarian restaurant chain Otarian. Otarian debuted this innovative menu at its first restaurant opening last week in New York.

In the next few months, Otarian is planning to open another restaurant in New York and two more in London.

(more…)

American Idol Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert will embark on his first solo tour this June, taking the stage to headline 19 US dates alongside fellow Idol 8 rocker Allison Iraheta and guitarist Orianthi.

Lambert, 28, will kick off his “Glam Nation Tour” in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania on June 4, RCA Records and 19 Entertainment have announced.

“I hope the audience will be able to escape for a few hours and fall into a world full of glam, drama and excitement,” Adam said in a statement Tuesday. “And I would love everyone to come away with a new appreciation for the music on my album.”

Adam’s debut album For Your Entertainment has sold over 600,000 copies since making it’s debut on the Billboard Top 200 chart (on which it peaked at No. 3) in November.

Lambert finished second to Kris Allen on the top-rated TV talent competition in 2009.

Adam Lambert “The Glam Nation Tour” Dates:

6/4 – WILKES-BARRE, PA – THE FM KIRBY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
6/5 – SAYREVILLE, NJ – STARLAND BALLROOM
6/8 – TOLEDO, OH – OMNI
6/10 – COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – HARRAH’S BALLROOM
6/11 – MAHNOMEN, MN – SHOOTING STAR CASINO
6/12 – PRIOR LAKE, MN – MYSTIC LAKE CASINO HOTEL
6/14 – COLUMBUS, OH- LC PAVILLION
6/15 – MILWAUKEE, WI – RIVERSIDE THEATER
6/17 – HAMMOND, IN- THE VENUE AT HORSESHOE CASINO
6/18 – ROYAL OAK, MI- ROYAL OAK THEATER
6/19 – WEST TORONTO, ON/CANADA – MOLSON AMPHITHEATRE
6/22 – NEW YORK, NY- NOKIA THEATRE
6/24 – MASHANTUCKET, CT- MGM GRAND THEATER AT FOXWOODS
6/26 – ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – BORGATA SPA & RESORT – EVENT CENTER
7/15 – KANSAS CITY, MO – MIDLAND THEATRE
7/27 – COSTA MESA, CA – OC FAIR – PACIFIC AMPHITHEATRE
7/28 – COSTA MESA, CA – OC FAIR – PACIFIC AMPHITHEATRE
8/13 – BETHLEHEM, PA – ARTSQUEST
9/18 – ST. PETERSBURG, FL – TROPICANA FIELD

For tour updates, visit AdamOfficial.com!

by Jonathan Hiskes

The EPA draws
inspiration from The Biggest Loser in a new competition that pits 14 buildings
against each other to see which can trim its energy usage the most.

The National
Building Competition is explicitly modeled after the weight-loss reality TV
show, spotlighting structures that include a 23-story Manhattan office
building, a San Diego Marriott hotel, a Colorado elementary school, and a Chapel
Hill, N.C., dormitory. The 200 applicants were required to use a host of energy-efficiency tools from the EPA and Department of Energy. The 14 contestants are having their energy use measured from September 2009 through this August. The
building that saves the most will be announced the winner on Oct. 26.

It’s an attempt to
inject a shot of drama into the, uh, titillating world of building efficiency.
It’s a really important policy sector, proven by the fact that it has charts
like this:

To back off from the
flippancy, building efficiency overhauls should be among
the least controversial of clean-energy improvements, since most steps pay
for themselves fairly quickly.

Here’s the EPA competition
explained by Bob Harper, who is apparently a guy from TV:

Related Links:

Senate Dem leader vows action on both climate and immigration

Sit, stay, recycle [VIDEO]

Engineers plan underwater dome to contain Gulf oil spill

Andy Rubin, VP of Mobile Platforms at Google, confirmed in an interview with the New York Times that Android 2.2 (a.k.a Froyo) will come with full Flash 10.1 support. We suspected this was a strong possibility for the Froyo release and expressed as much in our post last week.

Now we know that first gen devices will not support Flash 10.1, but with this new information a couple new question marks pop up.

Is Flash 10.1 exclusively supported by Android 2.2, or will users currently on Android 2.1 be able to download Flash separately somehow?

If it is exclusive to Android 2.2, which devices will be getting that update and when?

Does this news give any pause to any future Droid Incredible owners? The one major advantage that the Nexus One offered over the Incredible was the potential for rapid OS updates and with Flash potentially requiring just such an update that distinction just got a lot more significant.

Related Posts

• New Android Market appears in 2.2 firmware
• The HTC Scorpion is poised to strike later this year
• Advertisers still adjusting to mobile ad units
• Dell Flash, Smoke, and Thunder appear on Android’s radar
• Droid Incredible does TV out (VIDEO)

By Matt Hawes

Congressman Paul’s speech in support of the bill is currently displayed in our top box.

Here’s the press release from his office:

Paul, Mitchell Again Block Congressional Pay Raise

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Ron Paul and Congressman Harry Mitchell have again stopped the increase in pay that Members of Congress automatically get every year unless it is voted down.

Their efforts to block the pay raise for 2010 was successful last year, and today their bill to block the pay raise for 2011 passed overwhelmingly in the House after passing the Senate last week.

“We should not be padding our pocketbooks when our constituents are still tightening their belts and losing their jobs,” stated Congressman Paul. “As well, we could continue with this symbolic first step and stop increasing taxes, expanding the federal budget, and spreading our military so thin. These additional measures would do much to begin our economic recovery.”

Check out the roll call here.

by Brad Johnson

Cross-posted from Wonk Room.

The process-based and partisan bickering that is derailing the Senate effort to craft climate legislation provides a good opportunity to question why this ugly process is even worthwhile. Politicians seem worried that re-election is more important than policy action, failing to recognize that clean energy reform is actually the key to political success. The mood in Washington’s marble halls and office cubicles is completely disconnected with the sense of urgency and hope found just a few blocks away on the National Mall this Earth Day weekend, in the streets of Detroit, or in the farms of Roscoe, Texas. Business as usual is waging war on America’s working families, with profits for the few and irresponsible coming at the expense of everyone else’s future. Progressive clean energy reform will change the status quo, putting America to work building a stronger, fairer green economy.

What clean energy reform really means

Real benefits for real people. The economy of the past, dependent on dirty fuels, puts burdens on real people – harming their health, their children, and their pocketbook. From machinists in Eaton Rapids to entrepreneurs in New Orleans, clean energy reform gives real benefits to real working families from day one, making the air cleaner and the world safer while freeing them from enriching polluters and dictators for their energy needs.

Reward work instead of pollution. The gray energy economy relies on fossil fuels that are “cheap” only because their real costs are hidden. Money flows into low-labor, high-waste energy profiteers even as society is stuck with what the market calls “externalities.” Closing the carbon loophole will get Wall Street to invest in efficiency and renewable energy jobs that can’t be exported, restoring American manufacturing in the 21st century.

Profits with principles. The Bush-Cheney-Gingrich energy scheme is a race to the bottom, as corporations create short-term shareholder and executive profits by corrupting the law and trashing principles of worker safety, public health, and environmental protection. Clean energy reform will allow America to dig out of this toxic hole, rewarding ethical investment instead of crony capitalism.

Give everybody a fair shot at a fair deal. Millions of Americans are ready and able to work hard to care for their families, but unregulated speculators and power merchants have left Main Street in disrepair. From the ashes of the gray economy we have the opportunity to rebuild America right, returning power to communities and giving people willing to work a fair shot at a clean and prosperous future.

Progress is good politics. The destruction of our planet’s climate, with increasing floods, fires, storms, and droughts, threatens the hope of recovery and the fate of our nation. The grip over our political system by polluters who siphon the wealth of working Americans into offshore accounts weakens our economy. The American people have demanded change, and want action. Politicians who have the courage to become leaders in this time of crisis can rekindle our faith in the promise of America.

As President Barack Obama said of “comprehensive energy and climate legislation” today at a wind turbine plant in Fort Madison, Iowa, “Our security, our economy, and the future of our planet depend on it.”

Update: Potentially ending his spat with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) admits that “the energy bill is ready”:

The energy bill is much further down the road … Common sense dictates that if you have a bill that’s ready to go, that’s the one I’m going to go to. The energy bill is ready and we’ll move that more quickly than the bill we don’t have. I don’t have an immigration bill.

Update: Tribune reporter Jim Tankersley tweets that Graham has also dialed back his rhetoric: “Source: Graham floats compromise plan to revive #climatebill: Climate goes first; #immigration comes to vote after Nov. election.”

Related Links:

Obama climate agenda in turmoil after Republican pulls out of compromise

Graham says he’s going to bail on the climate bill

NYPD trashes hundreds of bikes in security response

Güs is a new men’s accessories line that prides itself in incorporating traditional craftsmanship of Italian leather goods with the addition of today’s style and functionality. Products such as wallets, passport folios, card cases, and more are hand-crafted from Italian, vegetable-tanned leather, with calf skin lining, hand stitched corner trim and their own “Splitshot” perforation pattern that is cut using a multiple step process to give the items a very authentic and worn appearance. Their newest items in their online shop are the notepad wallet, the large horizontal wallet, the edge case, and the lille embossed wallet. For more information on güs and their other products, visit their site at gussstyle.com.

Continue reading for more images.

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Opel

While attending a General Motors media event in Germany last evening, the automaker laid out several old Opels, including this particularly unique example of the GT sports coupe. While the mini-Corvette-styled GT is a rarity unto itself, the car you see here is one of only two ever built. The Aero GT was first shown at the 1969 Frankfurt Motor Show a year after the GT entered production.

The black roof is actually a removable targa top and the Aero also had an electrically retracting vertical rear window. For some reason, GM opted not to produce the Aero and only this example was mothballed for the last 40 years. The second car was apparently sold to a collector and its whereabouts are unknown.

Gallery: 1969 Opel Aero GT

Photos by Sam Abuelsamid / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

1969 Opel Aero GT is rarer than you think originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chalk up another victory for Paul O’Brien.  Seems like he has the HTC Desire cracked, with su and the superuser app written into the system partition.  This is huge considering that the
Desire shipped with new and in Paul’s words "rather sneaky" protection methods to prevent
data being written to the system partition.

As you can see from his latest tweet above, he should have something ready for the general
public tomorrow.  And have a look HERE to see just how good the superuser application looks in the Desire’s app drawer.  Nothing has been said officially, but I’ll bet a MoDaCo Custom ROM for the Desire will soon come down the pike as well, and the Legend’s a real possibility, too.  We love your work Paul!

Come on, manufacturers, there’s no need to lock these phones up so tightly.  It’s evident that
Android users and developers will do what is necessary to open the software, so just give us
the choice (as was done with the Nexus One already) and be done with it!

By Tim Shoemaker

By the same vote as yesterday 57-41, the cloture vote failed.  Let’s keep up the pressure & make sure round 3 fails as well!

The desire to have a dedicated app store for the sale of Mac OS X software has been around for some time now. In fact, ever since the iPhone’s application store opened its doors back in 2008, Apple fans have been calling out for something similar for the desktop. However, if a recent email from Steve Jobs himself is anything to go by, OS X users won’t be seeing anything of the sort anytime soon.

According to MacStories Fernando Valente, a Mac software developer, emailed the Apple CEO questioning him on whether or not such a service would become a reality. After the email was sent, Valente, like many others, was not expecting a response. But much to his surprise only a few hours after sending it, he received one. The email from Steve Jobs was brief and to the point, simply stating that “nope,” no such service is on the way.

Fernando’s email was sent following last week’s widespread rumor that such a service was on the way. The rumor hinted that the speculated Mac App store would follow the same principles as the current iTunes store, with a strict approval process also in place.

However, Steve’s typically candid response has finally set the record straight, no doubt to the dismay of some, but to the delight of others. There will be no Mac App Store. At least not in the foreseeable future.

Would you like to see a Mac specific app store selling approved OS X software? Let us know in the comments.

 

Update: an anonymous tipster has confirmed that the update should start rolling out tomorrow, April 28th. As per usual with webOS updates, they’ll get pushed out to users over the course of 10 days or so, but we’re guessing that also as per usual, you’ll be able to hit the Updates app to get it right away. Screencap from Verizon’s system after the break – thanks anonymous tipster!

Broncot in our forums took a gander at Verizon’s Palm Pre support page and found a new link to this support PDF detailing the changes coming in webOS 1.4.1.1. First off – we’re happy to see that the delay means that Verizon is getting the full 1.4.1.1 update instead of the basic 1.4.1 update – the difference being that 1.4.1.1 handles background processes more elegantly. 

Otherwise we’re looking at a similar list of improvements that we saw on other devices: improved Bluetooth, fixes for the photo app, the return of the forward gesture, and best of all for long-suffering Verizon Palm Pre Plus owners,  "More accurate keyboard input."

Verizon’s support page still says "Coming Soon!" Let’s hope so – we’re eager to get this update behind us so we can start agitating for the speed and battery-life improvements in the next version of webOS.

read more

“The Haters” are at it again. Today the Oklahoma legislature enacted two crazy anti-abortion anti-woman measures. In the first instance they’ve voted to compel women to undergo an ultrasound and listen to a detailed description of the fetus before having an abortion. Of course, the idea behind this is to make a woman too guilt-ridden to go through with the procedure.

The second measure protects doctors from malpractice suits if they decide to not inform a family about an unborn child’s birth defects. Of course, this ensures that doctors who withhold information that might have led a patient to have an abortion cannot be held accountable for that action.

The Oklahoma State Senate has 48 members, 43 of which are men. The House has 101 members, 89 of which are men.