WSJ: Microsoft testing homegrown handset designs with suppliers, may not see mass production

Until very recently, Microsoft wasn't known for making hardware. Sure, it put out the occasional Zune, but most of the tech running Redmond's desktop and mobile operating systems traditionally comes from its partners -- the Surface being the exception, of course. According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft might consider making that exception a rule: some of the firm's part suppliers say that the company is experimenting with a smartphone design of its very own. Folks familiar with the matter say the device in question is between four and five inches, putting it in a sweet-spot that's larger than the iPhone 5, but not quite as daunting as a Samsung Galaxy Note II. Don't get too excited, however, sources aren't sure the if the device will go into mass production, and Microsoft is expectantly tight-lipped about the rumor. Still, we wouldn't scoff at a smartphone with a build quality to match the Surface -- though it might rub some of Redmond's hardware partners the wrong way.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft

WSJ: Microsoft testing homegrown handset designs with suppliers, may not see mass production originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/02/wsj-microsoft-testing-homegrown-handset-designs-with-suppliers/

QIMONDA KINGSTON TECHNOLOGY Jerry Holkins

Auction price drop, learning to love wine, end of discounts — sipped & spit

SIPPED: satire “Why do I need a book about “How to Love Wine?” Who the hell needs to know how to love wine?” The HoseMaster does a blind book review–a review without reading the book. POPPED: bubble pricing? Wine auction prices to decline by 20%? Might happen, insiders say. [Decanter.com] SPIT: cost cutting In the [...]

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Twitter Justin Bieber Kim Kardashian

Sand Trap is a fun and difficult physics maze game

Sand Trap is one of those games that at first seem too hard to bother with, but when you try to stop playing it you discover you're hooked.

The goal is to get as much sand as you possibly can out of the maze and into the bucket at the bottom of the screen. You need to rotate your maze every which way to get the sand rolling around it. You then try to direct the sand to one of the exits of the maze, and hopefully into the bucket. It took me several tries to actually get sand into the bucket, but that might be due to the fact that I didn't even realize the bucket was there at first. Things improved significantly after that.

As you level up, the mazes get more complicated, with moving parts and other things making your life more difficult. Once you manage to get through all these obstacles and get enough sand into your bucket, you can move on.

As I mentioned, this is not an easy game, but it's highly addictive. The graphics remind me of some long lost game from the 80s, but this just proves that you don't need super graphics and crazy sound to make a game work. There's a soothing guitar track playing in the background and that's it, as far as I could hear, and you can enjoy it just as much with no sound at all.

If you like a fun physics challenge, don't miss out on this one!

Sand Trap is a fun and difficult physics maze game originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/sand-trap-is-a-fun-physics-maze-game/

Amare Stoudemire Ahcee Flores Stacy Keibler

Jelly Bean for the Verizon Galaxy S3 leaks out

A resourceful poster over at XDA has gotten his hands on a pre-release version of the Jelly Bean update destined to eventually make its way onto the Verizon Galaxy SIII (S3). The device received an incremental 4.0.4 OTA just a couple of weeks ago, and its brother on Sprint has started officially receiving the 4.1 OTA, so the timeframe on this makes sense. The poster is quick to point out that this build is not finalized, with a build date of October 8th, and that he believes the official OTA will hit in the coming weeks.

Take that with a couple boulders of salt, but at least for now those of you on Verizon with the Galaxy S3 can get a little taste of the pre-release build if you're so inclined. A couple of custom ROMs based on the leaked images have already hit the forums, but as always, flash at your own risk.

Source: XDA

More: Verizon Galaxy S3 Forums

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/NlYuArCzTJM/story01.htm

Travis Wade Kvapil MindTouch Inc LAND SOFTWARE

Someone Already Built an iPad Mini Into a Car By Eric Limer Want an iPad Mini but you’re not...

Someone Already Built an iPad Mini Into a Car

By Eric Limer

Want an iPad Mini but you’re not sure it really fits into your already many-screened gadget line-up? Soundwaves of Tampa have an idea. Why not use it to turn your car stereo into an iDevice?

This Complicated Remote Brings Back Terrible Memories By Andrew...

This Complicated Remote Brings Back Terrible Memories

By Andrew Liszewski

There’s no definitive proof that the creators of this incredibly complicated button-laden remote drew their inspiration from Nokia’s ill-fated N-Gage gaming phone, but there are enough similarities to spark some uncomfortable flashbacks. The Fly Mouse is designed to replace your mouse, keyboard, and TV remote with an all-in-one radial spiral of buttons that will have even the most adept touch typist hunting and pecking again.

Wine In The ‘Shark Tank’

Reality TV is all the rage these days but I rarely watch this genre outside of a few cooking competition shows like Top Chef or Masterchef. But I have been hooked this year by ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’. The show’s premise is simple; entrepreneurs pitch their products to a panel of well known investors (‘sharks’) such [...]

Wine In The ‘Shark Tank’ originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

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Billy Garrett Michael Byrne Geki