Find of the Day: 'Authentic' A-Team van replica commissioned by Mike Myers

We pity the fool who don't think this is cool. Put aside the celebrity provenance of this "authentic replica," allegedly "certified" by George Barris, for now and just take a look at the thing. It appears to be a spot-on knock-off of B.A. Baracus' bad attitude van, the perfect midlife-crisis toy for anyone who grew up watching The A-Team. Imagine how cool it would be to drop the kids off at school in this?

Okay, the traffic snarl during drop-off time won't clear out any faster, but when it comes to "manly vans," you can't top this custom 1983 Chevrolet G10. Wait, what's that you say? B.A. drove a GMC? Of course he did.

Autoblog, Find of the Day: 'Authentic' A-Team van replica commissioned by Mike Myers

doubleTwist releases a gorgeous alarm clock app that will make you hate your favorite songs

There are quite a few alarm clock apps around on Google Play that let you set songs or playlists to wake you up to, but I’ve got to say: none of them are going to be nearly as gorgeous as doubleTwist’s. They have also thrown in a sleep cycle mode, so you wake up fresh (how they know when exactly you fall asleep is beyond me). In my eyes, the killer feature is are the clock-faces. I love analog clocks, and I really dig their offering.


Android Phone, doubleTwist releases a gorgeous alarm clock app that will make you hate your favorite songs

Google Drive leak suggests 5GB of free cloud storage

. Rumors surrounding Google's cloud storage service are ramping up as we move closer toward the product's rumored release date. The service will apparently be called Google Drive and is similar to Dropbox, which allows users to store files on cloud servers and access them from computers and mobile devices. According to a leaked screenshot obtained by TalkAndroid, Google Drive will offer 5GB of free storage instead of the previously rumored 1GB.

Boy Genius Report, Google Drive leak suggests 5GB of free cloud storage

Skyrim updates to 1.5.26 to improve crash to desktop problems

Earlier this week, we reported an update that Skyrim was getting to 1.5 for the PC version but according to reports, there was a lot of feedback to the game developers that broken quests still remained despite the patch. Now, after just a few days, Bethesda has already rolled out another patch for the PC versions while stammering apologies to the Xbox and PS3 users. The patch is titled 1.5.26 and according to Bethesda, one of the key updates in its latest patch is the reduction rate of crashes to the desktop when using plug-ins with the game.

Ubergizmo, Skyrim updates to 1.5.26 to improve crash to desktop problems

ZTE Fury Review

While most Android diehards would scoff at a device like the ZTE Fury, the Sprint handset offers proof that a quality Android experience can be delivered alongside affordable pricing. Launching for only $20 on contract, the Fury could be mistaken for something (slightly) pricier. A surprisingly good 5MP camera, snappy Qualcomm CPU, and Sprint ID features give the entry-level handset plenty to offer. Coupled with a solid design, the Fury has some potential within its compact frame.










Android Phone, ZTE Fury Review

IRL: Evernote, Netgear N900 and FiiO's E17 headphone amplifier

Welcome toIRL, 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. EvernoteDigital note-taking apps are a dime a dozen, and I've tried a pretty good chunk of them. Simplenote (in conjunction with Notational Velocity and ResophNotes), OneNote, Tomboy, Zim, Springpad. they've all left me feeling a little meh. Eventually, after plenty of soul searching, I settled on Evernote. When I first signed up for the service, shortly after the beta launch in 2008, I primarily used it as a recipe book.




Engadget, IRL: Evernote, Netgear N900 and FiiO's E17 headphone amplifier

Mini honors Rauno Aaltonen with special edition hatchback

Back in 1967, Mini shocked the world by winning the Monte Carlo Rally. The man behind the wheel was one Rauno Aaltonen, and now Mini is honoring the Finnish driving legend with a special edition bearing his name. Available (in parts of Europe, anyway) on the classic three-door hatchback with either the Cooper or Cooper S engine spec, the Rauno Aaltonen edition comes painted red, while white features prominently on the roof, stripes up the hood, down the back and across the quarter-panels, side mirrors, hood intake and 17-inch wheels.

Autoblog, Mini honors Rauno Aaltonen with special edition hatchback

2013 Lincoln MKZ reveals its extra large panoramic roof

We've been showing you spy photos of a prototype 2013 Lincoln MKZ sporting a very large retractable roof for months now, and today, the automaker has pulled back the curtain on this very unique feature. While giant sunroofs are nothing new, the retractable panoramic roof that will be available for the 2013 Lincoln MKZ covers 15.2 square feet, which Lincoln says makes it one of the largest retractable glass roof panels in a production sedan. We can't think of any larger than that, though manufacturers usually don't supply the square footage of their sunroofs.



Autoblog, 2013 Lincoln MKZ reveals its extra large panoramic roof

Leica Store announced in Washington DC

Leica Cameras churn out some pretty expensive stuff, especially so with limited edition digital cameras. Well, those who want to know what all the rage concerning Leica is about, perhaps you might want to pay a visit to the newly announced Leica Store in Washington DC, where it will open its doors officially this coming May 2nd. This concept store by the legendary German brand will be located at 977 F Street, NW, right in the heart of downtown Washington, DC's Penn Quarter. What will the store hold.

Ubergizmo, Leica Store announced in Washington DC

Mercedes-Benz CLA is official name of small four-door coupe debuting in Beijing

We will now know the "baby CLS" – the small four-door "coupe" built on the MFA platform supporting the Mercedes-Benz A-Class (pictured above) and B-Class – as the CLA. It will debut at April's Beijing Motor Show, and it's just one of the five variants that Mercedes has planned for its MFA underpinnings. When it hits the streets in 2013, advance reports indicate that both front- and all-wheel-drive versions will be available.

Autoblog, Mercedes-Benz CLA is official name of small four-door coupe debuting in Beijing

Bandai tweak its good old iDog and introduce the Smartpet, a Robot Dog powered by an iPhone.

Nope unfortunately this is actually not a real robot per say but a simple, yet really cute and capable toy that use an iPhone 4 (iPhone 3GS and iPod) as "brain". Schedule to hit Japan at the end of April and announced at around 6,500 Yen, the Smartpet reacts to your touch via the iPhone 4 screen and comes with other 100 facial expressions, as well as being capable to react to either voice commands or movements.

Akihabara News, Bandai tweak its good old iDog and introduce the Smartpet, a Robot Dog powered by an iPhone.

Nearly 1 billion smart connected devices shipped in 2011

. The International Data Corporation on Wednesday announced that shipments of smart connected devices - including PCs, tablets and smartphones - reached 916 million units and surpassed $489 billion in revenue in 2011.

Boy Genius Report

See also:
bigcrunch, Nearly 1 billion smart connected devices shipped in 2011

Comcast deals blow to net neutrality, says own video service is exempt from bandwidth caps

. Cable network operator and Internet service provider Comcast reportedly confirmed earlier this week that it would give its own video streaming service a huge advantage over rival services like Netflix. Showing blatant disregard for net neutrality principles, Comcast said this week that its video streaming service Xfinity will be exempt from the 250GB bandwidth cap it foists on subscribers, Raw Story reports. Movies and TV shows streamed using rival services such as Netflix and Hulu will still apply toward users' monthly bandwidth caps.

Boy Genius Report, Comcast deals blow to net neutrality, says own video service is exempt from bandwidth caps

Gyroscope – Geeky Spinning Fun

When I was a kid, there were no iPads, video games, or the Internet. When I wasn't reading books or taking apart broken appliances to salvage magnets, I was playing with yo-yos and gyroscopes. I hadn't thought about gyroscopes in years till I happened upon an entire site dedicated to selling them. Gyroscope.com offers several gyroscopes, but the one shown above really caught my eye. Made of brass and aluminum, it comes with a special electric motor that is used to get it spinning at 12000 RPM. Priced at $98.99, it's definitely a  pricey toy.

The Gadgeteer, Gyroscope â€" Geeky Spinning Fun

Snails could be used to charge our USB devices in the future?

Here's an interesting proposition - can you imagine what it would be like to charge your USB devices by plugging them into a port embedded in an animal. It sounds pretty cruel, but there's a chance of it actually being possible in the future. According to reports online, some folks in Israel have managed to generate small amounts of electrical micro-power - by implanting an enzyme-based bio-fuel cell inside a snail, which used the snail's physiologically produced glucose as a fuel.

Ubergizmo, Snails could be used to charge our USB devices in the future?

Deal of the Day – Xerox WorkCentre 3210/N Monochrome All-in-One Printer

Thursday's LogicBUY Deal is the Xerox WorkCentre 3210/N Monochrome All-in-One printer for $199.99.  Features:   Monochrome (24 ppm Mono – 1200 x 1200 dpi) Printer, Scanner, Copier, Fax, 1-year warranty.  Plus, save 10% on supplies when included with printer purchase. $399.99 – $200 instant savings = $199.99 with free standard shipping. This deal expires March 30, 2012 or sooner.

The Gadgeteer, Deal of the Day â€" Xerox WorkCentre 3210/N Monochrome All-in-One Printer

Kaspersky PURE 2.0: Ultimate PC Protection for Your Home

Kaspersky Lab’s premium home product delivers best-in-class protection to secure and manage PCs and digital assets Abingdon, UK, 29 March 2012 – Around 70,000 malicious programs currently appear every day, with most of them emanating from the Internet. Facing these threats, users need maximum protection to secure their homes and families against viruses, spyware, online banking Trojans and social network spam. Kaspersky PURE 2.0 meets these needs by delivering the ultimate protection for PCs, user identity, passwords, photos and financial data, and by keeping children safe and responsible online.

Press Release Distribution, Kaspersky PURE 2.0: Ultimate PC Protection for Your Home

Apple offers refund over Australian 4G iPad confusion

Confused over Apple's liberal use of the 4G moniker. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission reckons you have a point and took those concerns to Apple Australia. The company has now responded to the country's federal court, offering to contact — by email — everyone who bought the retina-screened slab and promise a refund if they felt misled over its connectivity capabilities. Apple will also amend its point of sale details to explain that while it can connect to 4G (LTE) networks in the US and Canada, it won't connect to Australia's own next-generation network offered by Telstra.

2DayBlog.com, Apple offers refund over Australian 4G iPad confusion

Freescale intros Vybrid controller line, weds ARM A5 and M4 cores for an asymmetrical bang

Making good on its word, Freescale's line of Vybrid controllers is now ready for prime time multiprocessing. That asymmetrical setup, announced last October, takes the high / low approach we've seen gradually crop up in computing, pairing an ARM Cortex A5 and Cortex M4 in uneven, albeit harmonious CPU matrimony. The company's not targeting this new platform at consumers, though, as that market's already being served by the likes of NVIDIA's Tegra 3.

2DayBlog.com, Freescale intros Vybrid controller line, weds ARM A5 and M4 cores for an asymmetrical bang

Windows Phone Marketplace hits 13 new countries

Microsoft announced that it has made the Windows Phone Marketplace available in 13 more countries. The company kept the promise it made last month at the MWC and added Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Venezuela to the list of countries supported by the official WP app repository. With Argentina, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, and the Philippines joining the party earlier this year, this brings the WP Marketplace expansion counter for 2012 to 19 and the total availability to 54 countries.

GSM Arena, Windows Phone Marketplace hits 13 new countries

Dell leaves its US phone plans blank after ending sales of the Venue and Venue Pro here

While Dell may still be releasing Streaks and Venues in other countries, a company spokesman tells PC World that its last remaining phone stateside, the Venue and Venue Pro are no longer on sale. While the short lifecycle of mobile products was cited in the pair's time with us drawing to a close, the lack of replacements means Dell is out of the smartphone game in this country less than two years after entering with the Aero and Streak 5. While the spokesperson confirmed Dell would introduce more mobile devices in the US later this year, they could not say whether or not phones would be among them.

Engadget, Dell leaves its US phone plans blank after ending sales of the Venue and Venue Pro here

Samsung Galaxy S ICS-like 'value pack' upgrade officially released in Korea

The so-called Value Pack upgrade that was leaked for original Samsung Galaxy S devices after the company announced they would not be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich (it was later given a passing mention in the Galaxy S II ICS upgrade notes) has been officially released, at least in Korea. The official Samsung Tomorrow page has a link to Gingerbread and Froyo upgrades for the Galaxy S, as well as the Galaxy K and Galaxy U phones.

Engadget, Samsung Galaxy S ICS-like 'value pack' upgrade officially released in Korea

Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich rolling out to certain devices now

Good news for Google Nexus device owners (except if you own the Nexus One). According to reports online, the update to the latest version of Android - 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, has started rolling out over the air and should reach your Android device over the next few weeks. This means the unlocked Nexus S, Xoom WiFi, and HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus should be receiving the updates pretty soon. No detailed changelog was mentioned but the update is said to feature hundreds of changes over 4.0.3 which include stability improvements, better camera performance, smoother screen rotation, improved phone number recognition and more.

Ubergizmo, Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich rolling out to certain devices now

Sprint HTC EVO One Detailed – Say Hello To Kickstand and Expandable Memory [Rumor]

There have been a few rumors surrounding the upcoming release of Sprint’s next iteration of the HTC EVO. We all know it’s coming. After sending out press invites, we’re pretty darn sure Sprint and HTC are poised to make an announcement on the device on April 4th. We know HTC mentioned they would be releasing fewer devices for the year, instead focusing on their One line of devices.

Android Phone, Sprint HTC EVO One Detailed â€" Say Hello To Kickstand and Expandable Memory [Rumor]

Early Subaru BRZ sales running at 4x projections in Japan

The Subaru BRZ is off to an impressive sales start in Japan. According to Subaru, the two-door is besting the automaker's sales projections by wide margins. As of right now, Subaru has sold 3,551 of the coupes, which is around four times the company's estimates. Fuji Heavy Industries put out a very conservative number of 450 units per month as a sales goal for the BRZ before the vehicle hit the market.
Perhaps more interesting is the fact that a whopping 60 percent of buyers are under 40 years old, and two-thirds of all BRZ owners are opting for the six-speed manual gearbox.

Autoblog, Early Subaru BRZ sales running at 4x projections in Japan

2013 Ford Explorer Sport presages running changes for entire range

Ford has just revealed its Explorer Sport to the assembled media in Dearborn ahead of its New York Auto Show debut. And while the 350-horsepower, 350-pound-foot-of-torque crossover will be the performance capstone for the nameplate, Autoblog has learned that the Sport also previews a number of subtle performance updates that will roll out throughout the entire Explorer range for the new model year. The Sport isn't just an engine upgrade and appearance modifications – there are meaningful tweaks across the entire vehicle.

Autoblog, 2013 Ford Explorer Sport presages running changes for entire range

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 makes a stop at the FCC

The 10.1-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 has made a pitstop at the FCC as it rolls towards launch. The HSPA+ version, model number GT-P5100, has been given the approval of the federal commission, flashing its 850 and 1900MHz support along the way. Also put through the paces were the Tab 2′s 802.11n and Bluetooth 3.0 capabilities.

Android Phone, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 makes a stop at the FCC

Amazon Kindle Touch 3G now on pre-order to customers across 175 countries

In a press release by Amazon, the Kindle Touch 3G which the company describe as the most full-featured Kindle e-reader is now available for pre-order in many more locations around the world. The Kindle Touch 3G is the touchscreen version of Amazon's popular eBook reader and features free 3G wireless connectivity for your downloading needs. Amazon reiterated that with the free wireless 3G service, there will be no annual contracts, monthly fees and that users will have to neither pay nor hunt for a WiFi hotspot.

Ubergizmo, Amazon Kindle Touch 3G now on pre-order to customers across 175 countries

Samsung Galaxy Tab Price (Updated)

Since I found more and more people asking me about the Samsung Galaxy Tab price, I want to make it simple and easy for everybody, including you. As we know, Samsung has announced and exhibited the Galaxy Tab 2 series at MWC last month. The new series include a 7″ version and a 10.1″ version. Eventhough the company stated that the new series will be launched in global market this month starting from UK, I can't find it at Amazon.co.uk yet, but it should be at the local stores there. Meanwhile, what I can do right now is displaying the price list of previous models, but I'll keep you updated from time to time.

Trendy Gadget, Samsung Galaxy Tab Price (Updated)

Substrata's iPad cases are made from sustainable wood

If you like covers for your iPad made from wood (like the Miniot Cover Mk2 we covered the other day), then you might be interested in taking a look at Substrata's wooden iPad coverings, which not only look amazing and pretty classy, but are also made from sustainable wood for those of you who are environmentally conscious. The three cases by the company are the Tabletop, Open and Artisan, each made from different woods, with exotic woods being offered for some of the models, and with each featuring a build-in hinge that allows the tablet to be propped up at varying degrees to allow for reading, surfing, watching videos, playing games, etc.

Ubergizmo, Substrata's iPad cases are made from sustainable wood

RIM granted patent for automatic volume adjustment based on ear seal

A patent that was filed by Research In Motion (RIM) in 2007 was granted today after 5 years. The patent would give RIM the technology to make smartphones have the ability to adjust earpiece volumes based on the "estimated degree of seal of an ear around a speaker." Given the evolution of phones into smartphones along with the integration of messaging services like Whatsapp, Skype and BlackBerry Messaging, this would be a good reminder that some people do still use a phone as a phone.

Ubergizmo, RIM granted patent for automatic volume adjustment based on ear seal

Is Chevy poised to get a version of the Buick Encore?

It looks as if General Motors may be considering a Chevrolet version of the Buick Encore. L'Automobile Magazine managed to source a few patent drawings depicting the vehicle with a Chevrolet face. If our Google translator and murky comprehension of the French language are to be trusted, the images originated in the European patent office. All told, the model is likely to be a little more than a foot shorter than the current Equinox but still offer buyers the option of all-wheel drive.
So, is this vehicle headed to the U.S.? It's entirely possible.

Autoblog, Is Chevy poised to get a version of the Buick Encore?

Department of Commerce and NTIA suggest spectrum sharing for government and commercial services

In 2010 President Obama stated, in no uncertain terms, that our country's competitive edge and technological leadership were conditional on our ability to open up broad swaths of spectrum for commercial and governmental use. Two years later, we've made progress, but our wireless providers are still struggling to keep up as our demand for cellular broadband skyrockets - even spectrum hog Verizon claims to be gasping for air.

Engadget, Department of Commerce and NTIA suggest spectrum sharing for government and commercial services

Cute mini-robots compete for championship title, gladiator freedom (video)

If you thought a robot fighting championship just sounds like the plot for a Hugh Jackman vehicle, you'd be partly right. We'll tell you who does have the real steel though, the plucky fellas you see above. They're competing for this year's ROBO-ONE championship, an annual competition where humanoid robots slug it out to the death (or power failure at least) held this weekend in Kawasaki, Japan. This is no toy fair either, with contestants bagging a $12,000 pot if their android-avatar wins the crown. This year, that title goes to GAROO, winning for the second time in a row by defeating Gargoyle Mini for the spoils.

Engadget, Cute mini-robots compete for championship title, gladiator freedom (video)

Chrysler Barracuda makes possible appearance in 60 Minutes piece

If you haven't had a chance to sit down and watch the full 13-minute CBS "60 Minutes" segment on Chrysler that aired this weekend, we have yet another reason for you to do so. The good people at Allpar.com seem to have spotted something interesting lurking in the background of an interview with Ralph Gilles, head of design for Chrysler. Look closely, and there's a red sports coupe hanging out just over the executive's shoulder. Allpar.com seems to think this is a glimpse at the rumored Barracuda resurrection.

Autoblog, Chrysler Barracuda makes possible appearance in 60 Minutes piece

How autonomous cars are about to change our future

New Technology Aims To Take Your Hands Off The Steering Wheel. The biggest hurdles to autonomous cars will be legal, not technical. Just look at how much control we've already ceded to the computers under the hood. Anti-lock brakes, which are consistently better at threshold braking than mere mortals, are pretty much standard equipment. So are traction control and stability control. We now have blind spot detection, lane departure warning, active lane control, and even self-parking.

Now comes the next step.

Autoblog, How autonomous cars are about to change our future

Facebook is too friendly; new app helps users make enemies

. At its core, Facebook is a social network built on the premise that people want a central location where they can keep track of and interact with all of their friends. With nearly a billion active monthly users, the site's strategy is seemingly in line with the wants of the masses. One developer seems to think the world's most popular social network is too bright and cheery, however, and he recently released a Facebook app that looks to rain on users' parade.

EnemyGraph is a free Facebook app that serves a single purpose: it allows users to name their enemies.

Boy Genius Report, Facebook is too friendly; new app helps users make enemies

EasyTag EasyTagger GPS Unit for Nikon Cameras Review

I have a couple of Nikon DSLR cameras that I use for personal and Gadgeteer photography.  Nikon cameras aren't cheap, but hey – not every camera is mentioned in song, either.  Accessories, especially the Nikon-branded ones, aren't cheap, either.  I've been slowly collecting studio lights, flashes for the hot shoe, filters – you get the idea.  One accessory I was intrigued by was Nikon's GPS accessory to add geographical coordinates into the EXIF information of the photos I take.  The GP-1 is expensive and there are things I need more, so I had forgotten about GPS info for my photos for the time being.  That is until EasyTag










The Gadgeteer, EasyTag EasyTagger GPS Unit for Nikon Cameras Review