Apple Gets ?Samsunged? by a Second Snarky Ad Spot

With all the mudslinging staining the GOP primary race, Samsung seems to have taken a page out of the politicians? playbooks. The company’s new ad for the Galaxy S II — the second installment in a campaign that’s slated to culminate during the Super Bowl — lobs a direct snark attack at the iPhone’s fanboy [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/01/samsunged-ad-spot/

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'Hobbit' Brings 'Impending Doom' To Middle-Earth, Elijah Wood Says

'There is gravity, but there's a lot of fun as well,' actor tells MTV News of Peter Jackson's latest Tolkien adaptation.
By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Josh Horowitz


Elijah Wood
Photo: MTV News

PARK CITY, Utah — Despite all odds, Frodo Baggins is back in the Shire ... or was back, rather.

Elijah Wood reprises his iconic role as the ring-bearing Frodo in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," serving as a book-ending character in scenes that bridge the gap between director Peter Jackson's latest trip to Middle-earth and his previous one in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Wood's role is a less prominent one in "The Hobbit," so much so that with 100 days left of filming, his work on the film is finished.

"I had my revisitation rights, and now they've been revoked," he joked when MTV News caught up with him at the Sundance Film Festival.

Though Wood's return to the realm of dwarves, elves and men has reached its conclusion, the actor spent enough time on the New Zealand set to get a real sense of what "The Hobbit" is going for. Specifically, he spoke to the fact that Jackson's latest adaptation stays true to the lighter tone of J.R.R. Tolkien's novel, largely because "the stakes aren't as high" as they were in "Lord of the Rings." "It's more whimsical, magical, and a little bit more comedic," Wood said. "The dwarves are funny and they're kind of bumbling, and they're really playing a lot of that aspect up."

But even if the situation in "The Hobbit" isn't as dangerous as the world-ending scenario posed in "Rings," Wood said Jackson has managed to weave a sense of "impending doom ... into the construct of the piece."

"There is gravity," he insisted, "but there's a lot of fun as well." For his own part, Wood is just grateful that he got a chance to step back into Frodo's furry feet one last time, an experience he likened to time travel.

"It felt like stepping back into time," he said of reprising Frodo. "We shot some stuff in Hobbiton, and the last time I was in Hobbiton, I was 19 ... and I'm 30 now. It was a very bizarre step through a portal into time. But it was beautiful. It was great to be a part of it."

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival is officially under way, and the MTV Movies team is on the ground reporting on the hottest stars and the movies everyone will be talking about in the year to come. Keep it locked with MTV Movies for everything there is to know about Sundance.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677680/sundance-hobbit-elijah-wood.jhtml

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RIM's Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis are out, new CEO Thorsten Heins may license BlackBerry 10

After months upon months of investor backlash, RIM's making some significant changes. And by "significant," we mean the co-chief executives (and founders) are out. As of tomorrow, both Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis will be stepping away from the top posts, enabling "a little-known company insider" to take over, according to The Wall Street Journal. Purportedly, this is all part of "a board and management shuffle," with COO Thorsten Heins (seen above) to step into what many expect to be an impossible role to thrive in. The Globe and Mail asserts that he'll be immediately seeking a Chief Marketing Officer to polish up the company's severely damaged brand, and he "will not rule out licensing RIM's new BlackBerry 10 operating system to other handset manufacturers." In an interview with the outlet, he stated that he'll be executing "flawlessly" and with vigor -- not unexpected, but still, bold words.

Startlingly, Heins also asserted that he's "confident" in the existing lineup of BlackBerry handsets and the software update recently made available for the PlayBook; call us crazy, but he'd be wise to just spout out reality and make clear that RIM's existing lineup is nowhere near competitive in the grand scheme of things. As for Mike and Jim? The former will become "vice-chair of the board with special duties to examine innovation," with the latter becoming a traditional director. In an interesting move, outgoing co-CEO Lazaridis stated the following: "I think it's that unwillingness to sacrifice our long-term value for short-term gain. That's why we didn't choose Android. That's why we decided to build the future on QNX." So wait, RIM had the chance to choose Android... and didn't? No time like the present to reach back and shake things up, Mr. Heins.

Update: Catch an introduction video to the new CEO just after the break!

Continue reading RIM's Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis are out, new CEO Thorsten Heins may license BlackBerry 10

RIM's Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis are out, new CEO Thorsten Heins may license BlackBerry 10 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/7htmVlV7LSQ/

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Self-Adjusting Headlamp Knows If You Want To See Near Or Far [Video]

When you're trekking through the great outdoors in the middle of the night, you need your hands free for reading maps, clearing obstacles, and fighting off bears. So Petzl's new Nao headlamp makes all the brightness and focus adjustments for you. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/hQNfvSJA_64/self+adjusting-headlamp-knows-if-you-want-to-see-near-or-far

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Inhabitat's Week in Green: 300 passenger bus, babyloid robot and a jellyfish-esque LED chandelier

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

Sustainable transportation broke new boundaries by land and sea this week as Inhabitat reported that China launched the first 300 passenger bus and the world's largest solar ship closed in on completing its first trip around the globe. We also saw Drayson unveil a turbocharged 850 horsepower all-electric supercar while Mercedes announced plans to bring its B-Class E-Cell electric Vehicle to the US next year. Speaking of hot upcoming cars, this week we brought you a video showcasing 5 of the most exciting eco cars from the 2012 Detroit Auto Show and we shared 7 new hybrid and electric vehicles that you'll be able to purchase this year.

The world of renewable energy also heated up this week as scientists hatched a plan to harness volcano power by pouring millions of gallons of water into a dormant crater and President Obama rejected TransCanada's plans for the Keystone Xl pipeline. Meanwhile Philips unveiled a transparent solar-powered OLED car sunroof that charges during the day and lights up at night, and we took a look inside Switzerland's Berghotel Muottas - the first hotel in the Alps that generates more energy than it consumes. Clean energy technology also dived into the deep blue sea as Ireland's massive SeaGen tidal turbine received environmental approval, researchers found a way to turn seaweed into biofuel using a human stomach microbe, and a Nobel laureate developed the world's cheapest and most effective CO2 sponge.

In other news, this week we brought you the most freshest new green gadgets - from a tree trunk turntable that plays wood rings like records to a stunning jellyfish-esque LED chandelier and a cuddly Babyloid robot designed to comfort senior citizens. We also showcased the world's smallest greeting card (300 micro-meters wide!), a massive 300 lb stormtrooper cake, and five educational and arty apps for creative kids. Finally, we rounded up the hottest news in eco fashion - including the world's largest garment made from golden spider silk and an awesome set of bow ties made from recycled LEGO bricks.

Inhabitat's Week in Green: 300 passenger bus, babyloid robot and a jellyfish-esque LED chandelier originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/22/300-passenger-bus-babyloid-robot-LED-jellyfish-chandelier/

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Justin Bieber's Snake To Lady Gaga's Egg: 2011 Red-Carpet Highlights

Beyonce's baby bump was one of the year's most-memorable moments.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber at the 2011 VMAs
Photo: Christopher Polk/ Getty Images

<P>Anything can happen on the red carpet at any given awards show, and in 2011, it felt like anything that could happen <i>did</i>. As MTV News reflects on some of the biggest moments of the year, we decided to remember some of the most-memorable things A-listers did live right in front of us all. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="id:1676574" width="240" height="211"></div><p> Lady Gaga's Egg<br> In February, Gaga had everyone guessing how she would arrive to the Grammys. Given her penchant for crazy looks, no one would have guessed she would have showed up in an egg. Designed by Hussein Chalayan, Gaga later emerged from the structure to proclaim that she was "Born This Way." What was your favorite red-carpet moment of 2011? Vote in our Newsroom poll! Snooki<br> Speaking of the Grammys, the reality star joined MTV News' own Sway Calloway to talk to all the stars at the show. After helping us out on the 2010 red carpet, we learned that anything is possible with Snooki, and 2011 solidified that she's the fieriest "meatball" to grace the "Jersey Shore." We wonder if she and Bruno Mars ever ended up dating. <b>Paul McDonald and Nikki Reed</b><br> "Twilight" star Nikki Reed surprised everyone when she hit up the MTV Movie Awards in June. No, she hadn't borrowed Gaga's egg: She was rocking an engagement rock from her beau and "American Idol" alum Paul McDonald. The couple used the red carpet as the platform to announce their engagement, and married in October. Beyoncé's Baby Bump<br> She might have rubbed that burgeoning baby bump onstage at the Video Music Awards in August, but hours before she took the stage, donning a bright orange gown, Beyoncé let the paparazzi know she was expecting her first child with hubby Jay-Z by flaunting her pregnancy glow. Justin Bieber's Snake<br> While Beyonc&#233; shared with the world her baby news, Bieber not only planted a kiss on VMA pre-show host and real-life lady love Selena Gomez, but also introduced her to his pet snake. His name? Johnson. She seemed less interested in the snake than perhaps he would have liked. <i>What was your favorite red-carpet moment in 2011? Share your pick below!</i></p>

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676575/justin-bieber-beyonce-red-carpet-mom... "> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676575/justin-bieber-beyonce-red-carpet-mom...

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Scooter Transforms Into Backpack

A box just arrived for me in the mail containing a giant suitcase designed to carry my Brompton folding bike safely through the danger zone known as “checked luggage.” Then, moments later I learned of this backpack scooter, which combines both luggage and transport in one handy, easy to carry (or ride) package. The scooter [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/01/scooter-transforms-into-backpack/

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Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source'

Google, according to reports from "a dozen executives working at key companies in the Android ecosystem" is finally locking down the open source and easily-fragmented Android operating system.

As it currently stands, Google hands over the 'final' code for each version of Android, and OEMs and developers then spend some time customizing the OS to fit their hardware, and to create a unique and marketable flavor. That's all set to change, however.

Over the last few months, according to several people familiar with the matter, Android licensees such as HTC, Motorola and Facebook, have been asked to sign 'non-fragmentation clauses.' This new contract caveat will give Google the right to review and pass judgment on all changes to the Android OS. Two executives at Facebook say that they're unhappy that Google gets to review its changes to Android -- which is understandable, given Facebook and Google are direct competitors -- and there have also been allegations that Google is preventing some Verizon devices from shipping because they include Microsoft's Bing instead of Google search.

Continue reading Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source'

Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source' originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/google-demands-veto-on-android-changes-stretches-definition-of/

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