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Once an Apple engineer, Andy Rubin went on to co-found mobile computing outfits Danger Inc. and Android, Inc. He sold the former to Microsoft and the latter to Google (GOOG), where he now is now Vice President of Engineering and the guy quarterbacking the development of the company’s Android mobile OS and the Nexus One – the smartphone with which Google hopes to fundamentally change the way people buy cell phones.

In conversation with All Things Digital’s Walt Mossberg today, Rubin talked about the advent of a new breed of “superphones” and Google’s vision for the way phones should be bought and sold.

A first question: How involved was Google in the development of Nexus One?

Says Rubin, “We threw out crazy ideas to our partners at HTC and they were pretty good about plucking the good ones out of the air and building them into the device.”

Walt asks about the new business model that Google’s launched in concert with Nexus One. Was this something the company planned all along?

“This is the next phase of Android — taking the newest version of the product, placing them online and allowing consumers to purchase them directly,” says Rubin. “What we’ve learned is that there are more efficient ways of connecting consumers with the phones they’d like to purchase … easier ways.” Purchasing a Nexus One through Google, says Rubin, is a casual process. “No ones breathing down your neck,” he says. “No one’s trying to upsell you.”

Interesting. Rubin mentions that Google is working on an enterprise version of Nexus One. What’s an enterprise version of Nexus One like? Does it support exchange? Rubin says it might, but steers the conversation to Gmail and other Google services. He also notes that it might have a real keyboard.

Nexus One is aimed at consumers who love their Google services and live in the “Google World,” Walt notes. Yet, Google is encouraging developers to build new apps for Android and Nexus One. How do you reconcile that? Isn’t there something contradictory to saying ‘we’re an app platform,’ ‘we’re open’ and then turning around and saying we’re really a platform for people who love Google?”

Rubin obviously doesn’t think so. He stresses that an operating system can’t be a successful operating system, unless people are developing for it. “It reminds me of the accessory business,” he says. “The most successful phones have the most earbuds, car chargers, etc.”

Walt wonders if Rubin is at all surprised by scale of the apps revolution, by the fact that there are 100,000+ apps in the iTunes Apps store, right now.

“I’m not surprised by it at all. This is what happens when you drop the barriers to entry,” he says, recalling how difficult it once was for developers to distribute their apps and how easy it is today.

This new purchasing model Google’s created for the Nexus One, puts the company at the center of the experience. People who purchase the Nexus One, think of themselves as Google customers. Is Google trying to replace the operator? Rubin says no. “What we’ve done here is to offer a mobile platform where people don’t have to worry about the plumbing.”

Incidentally, for those of you wondering, Rubin says he does use an iPhone. “What do you expect, I’m a gadget guy.”

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O modelo antes mesmo de ser lançado já tem uma difícil missão para carregar nas costas que é substituir o modelo CLK.

Para que essa substituição seja bem sucedida a Mercedes aposta no Salão de Detroit para lançar o seu mais novo modelo, o Classe E Cabriolet.

O Cabriolet também trás uma inovação interessante que é o chamado Aircap, que é um sistema que trabalha com dois difusores um fora e outro dentro do carro que se unem para isolar turbulências e ruídos de ar, dando assim mais conforto para os seus usuários.

A marca apostou muito na segurança, colocando alguns reforços na coluna A e airbags de cabeça dando um total de sete airbags. Como opcional o consumidor pode contar com dispositivo que detecta o cansaço do motorista e alerta para não dormir, além dos bancos com auto regulagem em colisão.

De baixo do capô o modelo conta com uma vasta gama de motores, começando com um motor diesel de 204 cavalos de potencia e terminando com um motor a gasolina que rende 388 cavalos de potencia.

Fonte: G1

It’s always funny how those organizations that seem to be against the concept of fair use have it come back to bite them. You may remember, a few months ago, as part of his campaign against “aggregator” sites that “steal” from him, Murdoch commented that fair use would likely be barred in the courts if properly challenged, suggesting he didn’t believe in fair use at all. We already noted the irony of this, given how many different aggregator sites Murdoch owns as part of News Corp. Now those statements may also be causing a bit of a problem in court as well.

A bunch of folks have been sending in the news that a former advisor to Michael Jackson who apparently holds the copyright on certain interview footage is suing Fox News over airing parts of the interview recently. In response Fox has claimed “fair use,” over the use in a news program — and I actually agree that it seems like a case of fair use — but the copyright holder actually uses Murdoch’s words against him:

The filing chides Murdoch, who has threatened to sue the British Broadcasting Corp. and others for copyright infringement because he claims they are stealing content from his company’s newspapers.

“Fox sanctimoniously operates unencumbered by the very copyright restrictions it seeks to impose on its competitors,” the lawsuit states.

Once again, it appears that a copyright holder doesn’t believe in fair use for others, but only for themselves.

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Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Videos, Mercedes-Benz

Years ago, when reading about the Saleen S7 supercar, our mental jaws were dropped by one particular info-tidbit. Seems as if the ground effects and aerodynamics on the S7 created so much downforce at speed that you could drive it upside down! Likely? Let’s just say no. But a fantastic mental image nonetheless.

But surely no one would be crazy enough to actually, you know, drive a car upside down, right? Mr. skeptic, meet Mercedes-Benz. Or more specifically, meet the SLS AMG gullwing supercar, which does its best Lionel Richie impersonation in the video after the jump.

The obvious question is whether this is real? Internal Autoblog opinion is sharply divided. Some of us feel that sure, given the right conditions plus luck and one hell of a driver you very well could drive this car upside down. Others are screaming, “fake!” Still others are on the phone with in-the-dark Daimler PR folks trying to get a straight yes or no answer. All we know for sure is that, “marbles don’t need no downforce.” And yes, Top Gear did it first, we know. Videos can be found after the jump.

Photos by Chris Paukert / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Mercedes-Benz via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG spits in the face of physics

Video: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG spits in the face of physics originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve caught a lot of flak for our TV-B-Gone CES prank from two years ago. This year, we decided to focus on the press instead of the exhibitors.

We bought our fellow exhausted scribes free pizza! Because really, CES sucks the life out of you, we’re all in this together and everybody loves pizza.

So yeah, it wasn’t quite a prank, but a CES worker did get pretty ticked off at me and threaten to kick us out after taking my name down. Then she disappeared on the phone into an office, where I assume someone sensible told her you can’t kick someone out of a trade show for buying people pizza.

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is supposed to provide a glimpse into technology’s future, but in one sense it also feels like a trip back in time — specifically, to a time before 3G cell networks, and sometimes before cell phones period.

For the last three days, the AT&T reception on my iPhone has been atrocious, rendering my phone only barely usable. Judging from everyone else I talk to, as well as other reports, many CES attendees are in the same boat.

Of course, complaints about AT&T’s network, especially among iPhone users in areas like New York and San Francisco, are old news. And it’s probably unfair to single out AT&T, since some of the blame reportedly falls on the iPhone as a device, and I’ve also run into people complaining about their reception on other networks like Verizon.

But the AT&T problems feel particularly noteworthy because they come right after the company’s developer summit, also in Las Vegas, where AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets president and chief executive Ralph de la Vega emphasized AT&T’s continued commitment to and investment in the quality of its network.

Cell reception was actually fine at the summit, but the next day, Thursday, the hordes of CES attendees arrived in force, and suddenly every other phone call got dropped, and text messages wouldn’t inevitably stalled. Oops.

Given the amount of CES attendees who are here for business, that’s a pretty big problem. Plus, if an exhibitor was hoping to show off their cool iPhone app, well, they got to show off incredibly slow or nonexistent load times instead. Sometimes we resorted to the low-tech solution of a verbal description of what an app should do.

AT&T says it optimized its network to improve capacity for the conference, but “at an event such as CES, where large numbers of people in a dense are are using smartphones over finite spectrum, periods of network congestion can occur.”

[Burning cell tower via weepnews.]

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We’re sort of hoping the third year’s the charm for Ostendo and the CRVD display — we first spotted the crazy 43-inch curved monitor at CES 2008 with Alienware and NEC branding, then just NEC branding at Macworld 09, and now it’s CES 2010 and Ostendo is actually selling it directly. Even better, the company’s hooked up with ATI for a pretty sweet Eyefinity demo — sure, you might have seen the three- or six-screen Eyefinity demos in the past, but having three CRVD screens wrap 180 degrees around you is pretty wild. We played a little Dirt 2 and did a little Google Earth zooming on the rig — we might never scrape the $6,499 per screen for a setup like this, but we can certainly watch the videos after the break and pretend.

P.S.- Yes, the CRVD still has the same weak 2880 x 900 resolution, but Ostendo tells us they’re working on something with more pixels for the future. Just don’t make us wait another three years, okay?

Continue reading Ostendo multiple CRVD display games-on

Ostendo multiple CRVD display games-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shuttle’s just announced the SPA (Shuttle PCB Assembly) and Micro SPA notebook form factors to create a “new notebook ecosystem.” The SPA currently covers 13-inch to 17-inch laptops while Micro SPA does 10 to 15 inches. This horizontal integration targets the small local OEMs as it would purportedly reduce production cost while simultaneously boosting green credit. Parts like fans, chassis and trackpad can be reused for new models or even just across one product generation — you’ll notice that all the ports and components are thus identically positioned, as pictured. While you question whether this will be just another another attempt headed to Mount Doom, Shuttle is confident as it’s “standardizing the whole thing” rather than just one or two components. Word has it that several European vendors have already placed orders for a February launch, and US laptop fanatics will see SPA products in the following month. Anyone wishing to jump in can make minimum bulk orders of around 200 units and expect a two to three week production cycle in Shuttle’s Taiwanese and Chinese factories. Press release after the break.

Continue reading Shuttle SPA and Micro SPA notebook motherboard standards launched at CES

Shuttle SPA and Micro SPA notebook motherboard standards launched at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve already seen a pico projector here at CES that packs 1GB of internal storage, but Syndiant and Foryou have now finally announced a new device that has an upgrade where it really counts: resolution. Unfortunately, it’s still just a prototype, and there’s no word about pricing or availability, but the projector does use Syndiant’s 1,024 x 600 resolution SYL2061 panel (pictured at right), and it still fits in a shirt pocket. Nothing else much in the way of details just yet, but this one’s definitely the pico projector to beat when it comes to pumping out pixels.

Syndiant and Foryou break the low-res mold with 1,024 x 600 pico projector originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo ThinkPad T410s, T510 and W510 now sniffing for your wallets originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Completing its modification of Detroit’s Big 3 muscle cars (following the SMS 460/460X Mustang and the SMS 570x Challenger), SMS Supercars will show the first official images of the 2010 SMS 620 Camaro and the SMS 620X Camaro at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show next week.

“The SMS 620 Camaro will be the only Camaro authorized to benefit from my heritage and to incorporate innovations derived from my thirty plus years of racing and manufacturing experience,” said Steve Saleen, President and CEO of SMS Supercars. “We are excited to add the SMS 620 Camaro to our line of SMS Signature Series cars, which includes the SMS 570 Challenger and SMS 460 Mustang.”

Power for the 2010 SMS 620 Camaro comes from the Camaro SS’s 6.2L V8, which was upgraded to produce 575-hp with a peak torque of 600 lb-ft. That will allow it to go from 0-60 mph in under 4.3 seconds. If you’re looking for more power, the SMS 620X Camaro is powered by a more powerful 6.2L V8 making 715-hp and 700 lb-ft of torque. The SMS 620X Camaro goes from 0-60 mph in 4 seconds. Both models use SMS’s patent pending 296 Supercharger and will have the option of a 6-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual. Both models also get SMS’s 16″ 8-piston front and 14″ 6-piston rear brakes for impressive stopping power.

The 2010 SMS Camaro 620/620X will both be available to order in the second quarter of 2010.

Click through for the press release.

2010 SMS Camaro 620 / 620X:

Press Release:

Corona, CA/Detroit, MI – (January 11, 2010) At the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Steve Saleen is launching the first official images of the 2010 SMS 620 Camaro, the third and latest of the ultra-high performance automobiles produced by Steve Saleen’s company, SMS Supercars of Corona, CA.

The SMS 620 Camaro has a striking design that makes it stand out in the market. Chief Creative Officer of SMS, Phil Frank notes, “We have incorporated our well-known functional SMS Red Butterfly™ Dual Side Induction Hood as well as our race-proven aerodynamics in this third vehicle in our SMS Signature Series. The SMS 620 Camaro is a dramatic and iconic visual statement that very clearly bears the SMS design DNA.”

The bespoke interior includes high performance gauges and all-new Alcantara and leather SMS performance seats that feature the patented Signature Series chevron stripes. SMS offers its Tailor Made™ options for the exterior, interior and engine compartment; highlighted by a dozen show car quality custom SMS exterior colors. This newest creation by Steve Saleen’s company is scheduled for a market launch in the second quarter of 2010.

These vehicles’ power, performance and engineering befit their design. The SMS 620 Camaro will utilize a 6.2 liter V8 engine featuring 575 hp and 600 ft-lb of torque, while the even more powerful 6.2 liter V8 of the SMS 620X Camaro, with all new internals and CNC headwork, delivers a stunning 715 hp and 700 ft-lb. Both use the (patent pending) SMS 296™ Supercharger for their incredible horsepower and torque gains. Transmission options include a 6-speed automatic or 6-speed manual on both models.

The SMS 620 Camaro accelerates from 0 to 60 in under 4.3 seconds, while the SMS 620X Camaro manages the same in closer to 4.0. In addition to engine output, handling, road holding and braking improvements, the 620X will feature options such as Magneto-Rheological Semi-Active Dampers and Torvec Isotorque Differential and 21″ rear wheels. Both will offer new SMS 16″ 8-piston front and 14″ 6-piston rear brakes deliver impressive stopping power to match rail like cornering and jaw-dropping acceleration.

– By: Omar Rana

by Tom Philpott

[Update below; see final paragraph.] The Gates Foundation has emerged as a kind of de facto USDA for Africa: a deep-pocketed funder with a focus on agriculture, in a continent that has seen ag-research funding plunge over the past several decades.

For a while, the Gates Foundation sought to avoid a reputation as a cheerleader for biotech “solutions” to Africa’s agriculture troubles.

Sure, our nation’s best-funded foundation hired a former Monsanto exec, Rob Horsch, as a program officer. But its official ag-development documents (see, for example, this one) brim with statements on the importance of small-scale farming—a wise idea, given that a majority of Africa’s residents rely on small-scale farming for their sustenance.

And the foundation lavished some cash—a small amount, relatively—on appropriate-tech, farmer-friendly, ecologically sound initiatives.

Then Bill Gates himself gave his blunt pro-biotech speech in October 2009—which I commented on here—at the awards ceremony of the industrial-ag-friendly World Food Prize.

And now the Gates Foundation has finally named a new director of agricultural development—a position left vacant since April, when Rajiv Shah left to take a post at USDA. (Shah is now director of USAID within the State Department—the top development position in the U.S. government). The foundation named long-time biotech exec and investor Sam Dryden to the post.

In doing so, the foundation could hardly have sent a stronger signal: In its vision, at least, Africa’s future as a prosperous continent hinges on the benevolence of patent-wielding Western biotech behemoths like Monsanto and its very few peers in the GMO-seed space. Here is how The Seattle Times describes Dryden’s background:

At Wolfensohn and Company, which was founded by former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, Dryden focused on investments in alternative energies. He formerly headed Emergent Genetics, which develops and markets seeds. Emergent Genetics, the third largest cotton seed company in the U.S., was acquired by Monsanto in 2005 in a $300 million deal. [Emphasis added.]

According to his Emergent Genetics bio, Dryden stayed on with the company until June 2006, at least six months after its acquisition by Monsanto. At Wolfensohn, Dryden “focuses on private equity investments in biofuels and other alternative energies.”

GMO cotton, biofuels … this is an industrial-ag man through and through. Indeed, if his resume is any indication, he seems to fixate more on using land to produce fiber and fuel than on food for people to eat.

And his experience in the ag-biotech industry dates to its early days. From his Emergent bio:

In 1980, Sam led the spin-out of Union Carbide’s biotechnologies and related business operations and was subsequently co-founder, President and CEO of Agrigenetics Corporation.  The company grew to become one of the world’s largest seed enterprises and was acquired in 1985—it is now part of Dow AgroSciences.  During this same period, he was also chairman of an affiliated partnership which managed and invested $60 million in proprietary plant sciences research conducted in leading universities, as well as private and public research institutions worldwide.

The bio goes on:

Following the sale of Agrigenetics, Sam founded and was President of Big Stone Inc.—a private venture investment and development company focused on the life sciences.  The firm participated in founding over a dozen companies in area such as biopesticides, novel nucleic acid-based therapeutics and diagnostic products, transgenic animals, fermentation based production of vitamins, pharmaceutical clinical trialing, environmental toxicological testing and bio therapeutics.  Sam also served as the non-executive chairman of Celgro, Inc, and independent venture of Celgene Corporation, a company focused on the development of novel, single-isomer, agricultural chemical compounds.

Whether Western biotech can really “feed the world” remains a matter of great debate. But the Gates Foundation’s position on whether GMOs are a panacea no longer need be debated.

[Update:] I just want to add, and I hope the foundation’s decision makers will think hard about that this, that Dryden (like Shah before him) seems to have zero experience working in the field with actual farmers. He is a titan of the board room, the conference hall, the offices of World Bank executives. Intentions of the decision to hire Dryden aside, the appearance is this: an attempt to “solve” Africa’s agriculture problems in a way that works for Western shareholders. What we need now, though, are solutions that work for Africa’s farmers, citizens, and broader ecology.

Related Links:

Industrial farming head just says ‘no’ to call for civility

Russ Parsons on launching a civil, inclusive food-system debate

Lessons on the food system from the ammonia-hamburger fiasco

On stage with Walt Mossberg, Google Engineering VP mentioned that an enterprise version of the Nexus One could have a physical keyboard and longer battery life—and there could be more Google devices, including a budget model.

The original question was about the the broader program of “Google” phones, as opposed to “With Google” phones, and generalized crap with Android. The Nexus One is the first in a series, or “program” as Rubin calls it, which could include new devices. Unprompted, though, he brought up the possibility of a new enterprise phone that’s like the Nexus One, but with a physical keyboard and larger battery; he quickly backed off, but not before Mossberg asked about the possibility of a smaller phone, to which Rubin granted a half-nod. And then they dropped it. Come on, Goatberg!

Anyway: release date, specs, price, concrete existence are all still unknown or uncertain, but the Nexus One doesn’t sound like it’ll be alone in the Google Store for long.

I had the opportunity to meet with the Freescale folks to have a look at what they have going on with various OEMs. Not many people are familiar with Freescale, but they make chips for e-book readers and smartbooks. They produce the chips for the Kindle and the Sony Reader, in fact.

In this video from the conversation, Freescale demonstrates the Sharp Netwalker handheld, and the reference design slate with the cool keyboard dock.Don’t miss the price point Freescale thinks should be possible with the hybrid tablet. It’s better than you may think. I have a feeling we’ll be hearing more about new products using their chips.

NOTE: After major problems getting the HD video uploaded due to connectivity issues, this video is in SD.

Lego Universe has been in development for a couple years now, but we finally got the first hands on and impressions of the MMO for both kid and adult LEGO fans. It makes building and designing Lego sets incredibly accessible.

Basically, this is the natural evolution of the Lego brand. You know how you fondly remember playing with Lego sets when you were a kid? Your kids are going to remember this.

There are two components of the game that are pretty tightly interweaved: the more traditional MMO portions where you use your skills and interact with other players to achieve goals and defeat monsters, and the building bit, where you have your own territory and can build anything you want out of Lego pieces.

Since everyone’s more interested about the building part, we’ll cover that first. Lego says you have access to pretty much every part they have, from many of the unique Lego sets over the years (pirates, space, etc.). You have your own “home” area that you can build castles or whatever inside, invite your friends to visit and customize however you like. You can also assign behaviors and actions to what you build as well, by dragging and dropping actions onto easily-connectible UI segments. It’s intuitive enough for kids, since Lego has been doing research into that segment for years.

The MMO part comes from the fact that it costs pieces (obviously) and in-game money to build, so you have to go out into the MMO world and adventure in order to earn both.

As for the MMO part, it’s similar to a standard MMO, but instead of grinding for experience, you do certain tasks in order to earn achievements (like Xbox 360’s). And when you earn achievements, you earn new items and abilities in order to access other parts—which are based on those traditional Lego sets.

Lego stressed that the game is going to be accessible to kids as well as adults, which is pretty great for parents who are looking for ways to relate to their children beyond yelling. And adults, like us, who are Lego fans, will get in on this game hardcore, making it an easy contender to top World of Warcraft in the MMO space.

This is a logical evolution in the Lego series. They already have Mindstorms, which has the programming aspect, and the set-design online tool, which lets you build your own sets and order them from Lego. Lego Universe integrates all of that into one cohesive (and fun!) product.

The best bit is the promise that you’ll be able to take digital creations you make in the game and make a custom set, complete with constructions, in meatspace. Lego will figure out which pieces are necessary to build your masterpiece, give you a price list, and ship you a custom box with everything inside. It won’t be available at launch, but it is coming soon. The game will ship in 2010. [Lego Universe]

“CrunchGear. Always doing great stuff.”

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