HARD TECHNOLOGY GROUP HTG NEWS TIPS

The Wall Street Journal will soon launch a business-minded social network along the lines of LinkedIn, according to a report from The Times of London. The news comes amid reports of restructuring and new financial offerings from the media giant, including a personal messaging system for investors and a newswire service called Dow Jones X. Of course, this isn't News Corp's first social network rodeo, as it had a dubious fling with Myspace that ended rather badly. Though there's no word on an exact date, The Times said it should be arriving in several months -- but we're not sure if corporate types will be high on trusting the Rupert Murdoch-helmed outfit with their personal info. Source: ENGADGET

This isn't an ignominious box you're looking at -- it's the potential future of military sensors. The device is DARPA's first reference design for a ground sensor based on ADAPT (Adaptable Sensor System), a modular Android processing core that does the hard work for surveillance gear. The mobile technology inside is miserly enough to run on its own power, and smart enough to simplify both networking and remote control. More importantly, it should be cheap: DARPA expects to cut sensor development times from several years to less than one, with lower costs to match. The agency starts field testing the ground sensor this summer, and it's already contemplating air- and sea-based ADAPT designs. Catch an example of DARPA's airborne sensor experiments after the break. Source: ENGADGET

So, it might not be a surprise that it was in the works, but its official announcement today almost caught us off guard. Here it is, the Samsung Galaxy S 4 Mini. Now we can say for sure that there's a (yet to be specified) 1.7GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.2.2, GPS, GLONASS, WiFi, 8GB internal memory (expandable up to 64), and 1.5GB of RAM. The display is a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD affair, which will be kept going by a 1,900mAh battery, with the shooters coming in 8- and 1.9-megapixel resolutions. There's LTE support -- as you'd hope -- in 6 band sets, plus single and dual-SIM 3G versions for certain markets. Color choices are white and black (for now), with no official word on price and availability at this time. Mini, just got bigger it seems. Source: ENGADGET

Well, this is a little out of the blue. Apple has just outed a new iPod touch that falls in behind its existing 2012 models. We're hesitant to call this the sixth generation, as it's more of a stripped down variant of what's already available. Not many of the specs have changed: the dimensions are identical, you're still getting a 4-inch Retina display, and the same dual-core A5 processor hums away inside. While the new model still has the front-facing FaceTime HD camera, it's lost the 5-megapixel main shooter, and a little bit of weight, to boot (0.06 ounces). Storage capacity has taken a hit, however. The other iPod touch comes in 32GB and 64GB varieties and a number of colors, but this new model sports just 16GB of storage and only comes in silver. Those lesser specs come at a lesser price, and you can snag one from Apple's online store now for $229, with retail locations getting it tomorrow. We reckon this won't be the only Apple product people'll...

It's not hard to navigate to a Facebook Event if there's an address: it's much harder if the organizer simply assumes that we'll know where to go. Thankfully, we can now lean on some collective help through Waze 3.7 for Android and iOS. The update not only populates the destination list with Facebook Events, but fills in the blanks for everyone involved -- enter an address and it will be sent to others on the guest list. It's also easier to be fashionably late with the new app, as Waze members can see when others are likely to show up. Anyone who's ever had to navigate to "that place near the guy with the thing" will likely want to grab the 3.7 upgrade at one of the source links. Source: ENGADGET

It probably won't come as a huge surprise, given the GTX 780's appearance last week, but today's launch of the GTX 770 nevertheless brings us a very interesting product. The card is claimed to be about five percent faster than last year's much more expensive flagship, the GTX 680, thanks to faster memory (7Gb/s instead of 6Gb/s), a slightly higher base clock speed (1,046 vs. 1,006MHz) and an equivalent number of CUDA cores (1,536). Seeing as how the the GTX 680 still holds its own with current games, this performance parity strikes us as something of a deal -- assuming independent benchmarks back it up. We're awaiting a confirmed US price, but we'll eat our SATA cables if it's anything other than $399 for a 2GB model (the press release just says "under $400"). UK and European prices match those of the GTX 670 (£329 inc. VAT, 329 euros exc. VAT), and availability begins today. Check out NVIDIA's slide deck for more details, including power con...

The Internet of things -- that nebulous term usually associated with interconnecting everyday objects in a meaningful way -- is in the news again. Yesterday, Broadcom announced that it's launching a couple cost-effective, power-efficient wireless chips geared towards appliances, home automation and wearable devices. The first SoC, BCM4390, incorporates a highly-efficient WiFi radio for embedded use in products such as weight scales, thermostats and security cameras. It fits into the company's range of Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices (WICED) chips. The second SoC, BCM20732, features an ultra low-power Bluetooth transceiver and targets devices like heart rate monitors, pedometers and door locks. Broadcom's also contributing its Bluetooth software stack to the Android Open Source Project with support for both standard and Bluetooth Smart hardware. Does this mean our long-awaited smart toaster's just around the corner? We sure hope so. Source: ENGA...

Three months after a major database hack, Evernote has finally made good on its promise to implement two-factor authentication as an additional precautionary measure. Following the footsteps of other security-conscious companies, the technique requires not just your username and password, but also a six-digit code provided either via text message or an app like Google Authenticator. Further, you can print out a list of backup codes in case you don't have your phone handy. Premium and Business users will be the first to get this functionality -- it'll be offered to all users once the system proves to be robust enough. Other apps in the Evernote clan, including Skitch, Penultimate and Evernote Food will need to be updated and certain third-party apps might need to be given their own dedicated passwords as well. Aside from the double-step verification, Evernote has also introduced the ability to view your account's access history and a list of authorized applications; you...

Following the launch of its newest iPod earlier today, Apple has announced that it's sold over 100 million iPod touches since they first went on sale back in 2007 -- in fact, as noted in last year's earnings call, the touchscreen models make up half of all iPods sold. For nostalgia's sake, we've added the touchscreen media player's debut ad after the break so you can see where it all began. Source: ENGADGET

Speaking to Walt Mossberg at D11 this morning, Google's Sundar Pichai offered glorious news for anyone who loves the HTC One but craves an untouched Android experience: he confirmed that there is indeed a stock Android 4.2.2 version of the flagship device One coming, and it will be fully unlocked for T-Mobile and AT&T at the solid price of $599. It'll go on sale in the Google Play Store on June 26th, the same date as its $649 counterpart, the Samsung Galaxy S 4 stock edition. The new version of the device -- which will be sold in the US initially -- will come SIM-unlocked, with an unlocked bootloader and 32GB storage. In terms of radios, it will offer quadband LTE (700/850/AWS/1900), triband HSPA+ (850/1900/2100) and the usual quadband GSM / EDGE. Source: ENGADGET

Steve Wozniak pioneered the personal computing industry with the Apple I and II. In a throwback to our 31st issue of Distro, we'll take a very thorough look at the mind and habits of the Woz. Spoiler alert: he has a thing for the bitten fruit. What gadget do you depend on most? Macbook Pro 17-inch for most of my email, including web links and video links. I have a calendar life that is complicated, so I use BusyCal and Google Calendar. I keep two different browsers open to avoid some confusion. I enter calendar dates with time zones, which I can't do on my iPhone. I watch DVD's since I don't have broad- band where I live. I record videos for promotions and interviews and it's handy to have the notes in front of me on the screen. I do a lot of Skype interviews and it's handy to see notes for those as well. I often copy from one source (web page maybe) to an email I'm composing. I read Google news and use NetNewsWire to keep up with general and tech ...

A preview build of the Windows Phone 8 app for desktop has been around, but today Microsoft has released a full-fledged version and thrown in some new features to boot. In addition to bug fixes, the stable build comes with the capability to sync files from any folder in your computer (even if it's an external hard drive), sync non-iTunes podcasts and install updates within the app. Of course, it can still be used to sync media between mobile devices and Windows 7 or 8 PCs, import playlists and monitor how much storage space each type of content is eating up on your phone. You can visit the source for a download link if you own a WP8 device, but check out the sync wizard first if you're unsure what software to use to sync your files -- trust us, it's much more useful than Clippy ever was. Source: ENGADGET

We probably don't need to tell you that one of the first things we did upon finding out that Windows Blue had leaked was download that sucker. (Sorry Microsoft, we can't help ourselves.) Well, after some finagling we got it up and running in a virtual machine and gave spin. Even at this early stage its pretty obvious that Blue is going to be a relatively minor, but welcome upgrade Windows 8. And, while we encountered plenty of rough edges, we'd say they're more than explained away by the fact that this is an early build and VirtualBox can introduce its own set of problems. But, if you're just looking for a sneak peak at what Microsoft has in store for Windows in 2013, head on after break and check out the gallery of screenshots below. SEE ALL THE PHOTOS (via ENGADGET) Honestly, if you slapped Windows Blue on a Surface Pro right now, we bet it would be hours before anyone noticed. Visually it's almost exactly the same as Windows 8. Which should give you a...

With an AWS-enabled Galaxy S 4 looming on the horizon for Verizon (note: the rhyme has us cringing, too), Samsung's Galaxy S III is gracefully sunsetting its flagship status. But it's not bowing out quietly. A software update is set to roll out to Big Red GS III's that'll bring with it a veritable slew of under-the-hood improvements (i.e., consistent 4G connection when in hotspot mode, easier NFC access, S Voice tweaks, etc.), as well as Multi Window functionality for app multi-tasking and direct carrier billing for Google Play. Owners will also find Flipboard, if they haven't downloaded it already, pre-loaded onto their devices post-update -- though, it arrives without that nifty Air View preview feature. So, you can hold off from the GS4 envy for a bit yet, there's still some life left in Samsung's one-time Android king. Source: ENGADGET

On the fence about heading to Build? Microsoft's annual conference is scheduled from June 26th to the 28th, and developers in attendance will likely hear quite a bit more about the latest version of Windows 8. MS will also make a public preview available during the event, Julie Larson-Green shared at the Wired Business Conference in New York City today. A final version of Windows 8.1 "Blue" is expected by the end of the year, bringing cosmetic updates and other features, such as a new side-by-side app view and Internet Explorer 11. In March, we managed to dig through pre-release build 9364 -- it sounds like we'll be able to take a much closer look at the new operating system this summer, but you can click through our gallery of screenshots for an early preview, right now. Source: ENGADGET

When we last got a peek at Windows 8.1 "Blue," most of the updates lurked under the surface: rumors of a Start button revival didn't pan out. Flash forward to Paul Thurrott's screenshots of a newer build, however, and it's a different story. The leaked code has the Start button once more occupying a spot on the desktop taskbar, with behavior reportedly like what we've seen with Stardock's Start 8 utility. More throwbacks also appear to be in store. Users can now transfer their desktop wallpaper to the Start screen, and the storied boot-to-desktop option is available -- if turned off by default. Microsoft hasn't acknowledged the existence of these (or any) Windows 8.1 features, but the rapidly approaching Build conference suggests that we'll learn more in the near future. Source: ENGADGET

The stage lights had barely dimmed at the Xbox One event before the internet started tripping over itself with questions about how the second-hand market was expected to operate -- or if there was going to be one at all. Microsoft assured us there would be, but aside from whispers of a used game "activation fee" the finer details were kept under wraps. We may know a little more now, however, as MCV claims to have heard specifics from retailers who have been briefed by Redmond on the trade-in process. Allegedly, shops that wish to buy and sell a title will need to be hooked up to a Microsoft database so that access to the game can be removed from the previous owner's account and transferred to a new one. A retailer can sell the game for whatever it likes, but the system will ensure that a cut goes to publisher as well as Microsoft. It all sounds fairly logical, but who knows? The truth could be even more complicated. Source: ENGADGET

During an I/O session called "Structure in Android App Design," Google leaked a new design for Gmail ahead of any official announcement. The slide shows a revamped navigation drawer and a conspicuous lack of the action bar on the bottom. Functions currently located at the bottom of the screen (like compose and search) have moved up, streamlining the inbox's vertical structure. Meanwhile, the new navigation drawer makes it easier to access features like the priority inbox and individual labels without having to open separate screens, as is the case on the current Gmail app. There are a few cosmetic changes as well, like the larger stars in the inbox. It's hard to tell from the image, but one might assume that the navigation bar scrolls down to reveal important functions like trash, spam, and drafts. It doesn't appear that the inclusion of the screenshot was given much thought -- indeed, presenter Jens Nagel left in his personal Gmail address, now blurred out. St...

While we like our collector's edition games, there's no question that even the better bundles are full of knick-knacks we'll use just once or twice. No one will say the same for Codemaster's GRID 2: Mono Edition, though. The UK-only bundle includes the GRID 2 racing game, a PS3 to play it on... and a very real BAC Mono supercar. Whoever buys the £125,000 ($188,700) kit will get to both pick up the 280HP single-seater as well as customize it at the BAC factory, including the racing suit for those inevitable track days. With just one instance available for GRID 2's May 31st release, the Mono Edition bundle is more of a promotional stunt than a business strategy -- but it might be the only special edition where the extras are more exciting than the game itself. Source: ENGADGET

AT&T's official GoPhone prepaid policy has always officially prevented network data access for iPhones (and other 4G devices except for BlackBerry), but a tipster reports that will change tomorrow. The new policy adds 4G HSPA+ and LTE support as well as Visual Voicemail access to the GoPhone package, with customers able to bring their own device or buy a new one at off-contract unsubsidized prices. According to the details, existing customers with iPhones will be automatically updated with network access on June 21st, however they'll be able to call in and make the switch manually before that. The new features work on the $65, $50 and $25 monthly plans, however the two lower priced options will require data packages to work. You can get a peek at the leaked terms after the break, although we'd wait for an official announcement before picking up your 4G-capable handset and requesting service. Source: ENGADGET

One of the Xbox launch's big reveals was that Microsoft added 300,000 servers to Xbox Live, and now GM Matt Booty has detailed to Ars Technica how that'll improve game play. He said the improved cloud architecture will speed up GPU- or CPU-heavy chores that aren't dependent on latency -- like lighting or cloth dynamics -- by pre-calculating them before applying them to a scene. To make that happen, the Xbox One server cloud will provide three virtual devices for "every Xbox one available in your living room." It'll be up to game developers to manage transitions between console-only and cloud assisted graphics, though, since the first few seconds of lighting in a new scene will need to be handled by the console before servers can take over. Of course, that means many titles may look better when you're online, but he added that you'll still be able to play if the internet is cut and "the game is going to have to intelligently handle that." ...

Samsung's relationship with Google seems solid enough for now, but the company is still hedging its bets with Tizen should things turn sour. Several devices running the alternative Linux-based OS are due to launch this year, and the GT-i8800 looks like it might be one of them. If this image from Tizen Greek Community is to be believed, then what you're looking at above is codenamed "Redwood". The phone runs Tizen 2.1 (an update on the version we last played with), packs S-Voice and sounds a lot like the the GT-i8805 we found out about yesterday. With over 900 million Android devices now in the wild, Samsung will not have an easy time trying to peddle its new OS, but we're curious to see where this goes. Click the source for more shots of the phone in action. Source: ENGADGET

Samsung showed off its Wallet app to developers earlier this year, and now Korean customers can download it onto compatible Android devices from the company's own app market. Currently it only appears to collect credit card info, which customers can then use to pay for goods and services at online merchants, verified by a one-time password or PIN. Clearly aimed at both Google Wallet and Apple's Passbook, Samsung plans to add a few features we've seen in Passbook that will make tickets, membership cards and coupons accessible all in one place. According to the translated press release it's out for the Galaxy S 4, Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy S II HD LTE, although whether it will be featured in a Gangnam Style 2 video remains unknown. Update: Commenter Chris posted a pic showing that the app is also live in the US Samsung Apps market, although it looks a bit different and lists more of the Passbook features we were expecting. Th...

Now that Facebook's share feature has settled into its own mobile apps, the firm has pushed its native Share Dialog for iOS out of beta, which allows developers to bake the function into their own applications. With just an extra line of code, apps will allow users to share things, tag friends and note their location without having to log into the social network or connect the app to their account first, removing some hassle from the equation. In addition, the built-in sharing options in iOS 6 can be bolstered with Open Graph actions. Click the source link below to snatch Zuckerberg and Co.'s latest SDK for Apple's mobile OS, or hit the second link for the docs. Source: ENGADGET

Analog may be king for audiophiles, but digital is the future, friends, and Sennheiser knows it. That's why it built the HDVD 800 digital headphone amplifier to improve the sound of your digital tunes, and now stateside listeners can finally get their mitts on the thing. That's right, folks, a year after it was revealed across the pond alongside its analog brother, Senn's digital offering's finally available in the US for just a nickel less than two grand. Folks looking to part with the necessary cash to improve their listening pleasure can do so at the company's online storefront linked below. Source: ENGADGET

If you're a Major League Soccer fan, there's now a Windows 8 app to keep up with North America's version of the beautiful game. The league has teamed up with Microsoft on an exclusive app to bring schedules, standings, video highlights, play-by-play, game stats, cards and substitutions to Windows 8 Pro and RT. You'll also be able to get custom updates on your live tiles to see how your team is doing with a glance at the start screen. MLS and Microsoft said they're also bringing "fan and stadium experiences," like trying out Windows 8 on Microsoft Surface tablet at over 40 games during the season, and alluded to bringing "immersive soccer experiences" to players, coaches and fans down the road. We'll have to see exactly what they mean by that, but meanwhile, you can grab the app at the source. Source: ENGADGET

First came the model number mentions, then the pictures, and now Samsung's rumored and rugged Galaxy S 4 Active has been caught on film. In a situation that screams "controlled leak," MobileTechReview appears to have handled exactly the same tethered unit we've seen snaps of, and says the device sports a dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus CPU and an 8-megapixel main camera. Even though it's just another unconfirmed piece of the rumor puzzle, an alleged AnTuTu benchmark puts a Snapdragon 600 inside the Active, matching that of the regular S 4, which packs a 13-megapixel shooter. If MobileTechReview are correct, then it wouldn't really be a hardy version of the GS4 at all, but rather another new Samsung mid-ranger that'll put up with a bit of a beating. Source: ENGADGET

Almost exactly two years ago, Motorola's Android-in-Webtop-OS solution was kicked off the stage by ASUS' PadFone, the world's first phone that could fully power a tablet module from its own OS. The original concept took a while to materialize, but since then the company has kept up with a surprisingly rapid product cycle. It was only five months from the first PadFone to the PadFone 2; and now seven months later, ASUS is offering the PadFone Infinity: a non-surprising full HD update for both the phone and the tablet module. The phone itself also benefits from a newer 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 SoC, as well as a new brushed-aluminum body. So, does this upgraded package have what it takes to kill the "glass is half empty" mentality? Or would consumers still rather have two separate devices? Read on to find out. Source: ENGADGET

Finding a spot to stash your whip, especially in unfamiliar territory, can be a chore, so you might want to employ ParkMe to do the finding for you. The service -- which has been available on iOS and via the web for a while -- has now officially debuted its Android app after a few months of soft-launch tweaking. (What ever happened to Google's own parking app?). It's basically a database that uses the Google Maps API to help you locate a spot in almost any city you can think of. It also shows you prices, how you can pay and when garages are open, but best of all, it'll tell you how busy specific locations are using real-time figures, thanks to partnerships with some of the companies that deal in floor space. You can get it for free in the Play store, but one thing it won't do is actually park for you -- luckily, there's an app for that, too. Source: ENGADGET

Kyocera kitted us out with toques, touch-sensitive gloves and giant black faux-fur coats -- well, Brad chose white -- and led us all into a bar made entirely of ice to launch its new handsets here at CTIA. Kyocera, playing off the tough-guy thing, had the Hydro Xtrm and Edge laid out on slabs of ice in a pretty frosty environment for us to handle with our gloved hands. Both handsets will be priced toward the lower end of the spectrum, with the Hydro Edge being the least expensive and most modestly specced of the two. Both devices are decent as far as material choices go, though the Edge was perhaps our favorite even if the Xtrm beats it out in the display department somehow. There weren't any water tanks to test out both sets IPX5 / IPX7 specs so we'll simply have to take Kyocera's word for it. The Edge and Xtrm build on the previously launched Hydro specs but with upgrades across the board. The Edge sports a dual-core 1Ghz CPU, tempered glass (instead of acrylic), 5-m...

Foursquare for Windows Phone keeps getting better and better. And now Lumia owners will have something else to brag about (besides the stunning design, that is). Nokia devices are being granted access to a small set of exclusive features in the latest Foursquare update. The marquee addition is a new augmented reality view that puts venue information right in your live camera view. All you have to do is tap the camera icon at the top of the map screen. The AR will probably make it somewhat easier to find your mark, and you can always turn to the recently added NFC support for super simple check-ins. Not having an exclusive feature or two is hardly a deal breaker, but it's bound to make non-Lumia Windows Phone fans more than a little jealous. Source: ENGADGET

Indie developers have been able to take advantage of a free version of the Unity engine for desktop game development some time now, and starting today they can extend that development to mobile games at no added cost. The company's confirmed that it's dropping the $800 licensing fee for its Android and iOS build options, with BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone 8 development also promised to be moving to a free option in the "coming months." As Unity CEO David Helgason explained at the Unite Nordic conference earlier today, the company has been hoping to make the move "for what seems like forever," with his ultimate goal being to push the "democratisation of game development further than ever before." He further explains in a blog post that the new option comes with "no strings attached, no royalties and no license fees," apart from the prior rules that require large companies to use the paid version of Unity. As for those who've rec...

NVIDIA's Tegra 4i appeared in February boasting, amongst other things, its built-in Cat. 3 LTE modem capable of speeds as high as 100Mbps. What NVIDIA didn't make obvious at the time was that the i500 modem, the fruit of its Icera acquisition, had the processing grunt to enable a software modem update to boost its speed to Cat. 4 LTE (150Mbps.) We had a quick visit with NVIDIA and saw a "perfect world demo" (pic above) of the device being bombarded at 150Mbps as well as placing an actual call on AT&T's network and streaming video. Of course LTE-Advanced doesn't exist in the real world yet, nor does a real handset sporting this chip, though seeing another player battling incumbent Qualcomm in this space before these networks have even been lit up certainly warms our hearts. Check the PR text for all the nitty gritty details after the break. Source: ENGADGET & Brad Molen

Video offerings through the PlayStation Store should be getting a bit of an upgrade soon. But, before rolling out a brand new streaming tech to the entire catalog, Sony is beta testing the faster and more adaptive format with select discounted titles. Though the company is being a bit tight-lipped about what exactly the new tech entails, it's letting anyone who wants to take part in the trial period. Simply log into the store, scroll down to movies and you should see the "beta" section right on the front page. Movies in here will be delivered at a steep discount as a thank you for helping Sony put the more efficient format through its paces. HD films will set you back $1.99, while SD videos are just $0.99. Let us know in the comments if you notice any discernible differences. Source: ENGADGET

Those of you who hare expecting a hack of the Wii U might have been expecting news from the fail0verflow hacking team recently. In one of his rare (but always insightful) blog posts, fail0verflow’s Marcan gave his opinion on the future of console hacking and homebrew in general, as well as the current status (and in depth details) of fail0verflow’s Wii U hack. Assuming his opinion of the current status of console hacking is shared by many hackers, the future of homebrew is not really bright. I mentioned not so long ago that I believe console hacking has become difficult enough that only companies with high expectations of return-on-investment would engage into the hacking of consoles. Marcan has a slightly different theory, but is conclusion is the same: piracy might become the sole driver of console hacking in the years to come (while, believe it or not, data seems to show piracy is rarely the initial intent), therefore gray-hat hobbyists and homebrew programmers might not be drivin...

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If your city is one of the many that's part of Sprints ongoing LTE rollout (or will be soon), then the network's just announced three tri-band mobile broadband devices for your consideration. The hope, it seems, is that as different parts of Sprint's LTE spectrum becomes available (including that of Clearwire), coverage and network performance of the devices will improve. The hardware offerings are Novatel's MiFi 500 LTE, the Netgear Zing Mobile Hotspot and 341U USB dongle, and are slated to be available by summer. No confirmed availability dates or prices just yet. Sprint also hints at tri-band LTE phones from Samsung and LG to follow. In the meantime, however, you'd better get set up with your Data Link and Static IP. Source: ENGADGET

On top of yesterday's 4K announcement, Samsung has also given us a quick heads-up on one of the prototype displays it's planning to show off at this year's Display Week event. It's a highly gawp-worthy 3,200 x 1,800 ("WQXGA+") panel destined for 13-inch laptops that insist on taking things further than the Retina MacBook Pro (2,560 x 1,600) or Samsung's Series 9 prototype (2,560 x 1,440, shown above). As an added advantage, the panel is promised to deliver "30 percent greater power-savings" compared to existing LCDs thanks to a reduction in the number of driver circuits as well as more efficient backlight units. Display Week starts today, so we should soon have a first-person account of this unheard-of pixel density straight from Samsung's stall. Source: ENGADGET

Seamless and GrubHub, two of the biggest food delivery services in the US, have just announced they'll be merging into a combined company, with the name of the new operation to be decided at a later date. (SeamHub? Grubless?) Unlike some other transactions we cover around here, this does seem to be a merger in the truest sense of the word, with GrubHub founder Matt Maloney stepping up to the role of chief executive officer and Seamless CEO Jonathan Zabusky staying on as president. Though we don't yet know what the new service will be called, the companies are already saying it will serve 500-plus US cities, with more than 20,000 restaurants taking orders. Also, as hinted in that press release below, the merger will give the new mega-company more financial flexibility when it comes to further growth opportunities. Next up: Delivery.com? Source: ENGADGET

A stock GS4 may look virtually indistinguishable from its predecessor, but it looks like Samsung's got a new variant of its flagship phone that'll bring it some much-needed visual flair. The folks at GSM Arena unearthed photos of a GT-I9295 model (allegedly called the GS4 Active) sporting a bright red shell with black inserts at the top and bottom and a trio of physical buttons on its chin. If the results returned by the AnTuTu benchmark are to be believed, the phone's equipped with standard GS4 fixins: a quad-core CPU clocked at 1.9Ghz and an Adreno 320 GPU (aka, a Snapdragon 600 SoC) and a 1920 x 1080 display. Naturally, there's no word on pricing, carrier support or an arrival date, but there are a couple more photos of the handset at the source. Source: ENGADGET

The Arduino Robot wasn't the only interesting product the Italian company launched at Maker Faire this past weekend. Arduino Yún combines a Leonardo board (featuring Atmel's ATmega32u4) with a MIPS-based WiFi SoC (Atheros AR9331) running Limino (an OpenWRT / linux derivative). It includes everything you'd expect from a Leonardo board plus WiFi, wired Ethernet, a USB host port and a microSD card slot. The Arduino side can be programmed wirelessly and communicates with the WiFi SoC via SPI and UART interfaces using the new Bridge Library, which delegates networking to the linux side. Out of the box, the board behaves just like any standard WiFi access point with a full web interface -- it even allows SSH access. Arduino Yún is the first of a family of WiFI-enabled products and will be available late June for $69 Continue reading and check the gallery at ENGADGET

Will video Hangouts launch when you're on AT&T's 3G network? Can you FaceTime with a friend over LTE? The carrier's current video chat support is confusing at best. Following Google's Hangouts app launch last week, we attempted to try out the Android version over AT&T's HSPA network. After hitting connect, a message popped up instructing us to hop over to WiFi in order to complete the call. The carrier followed up by suggesting that Google was to blame -- as the software was a replacement for a native Android app, it was up to Mountain View to flip the switch. Now, by the end of this year, AT&T has pledged to support all video chat apps, regardless of which device you own, what you pay in fees or whether or not you downloaded the app yourself. This is good news, no doubt. You can catch AT&T's statement just below. For video chat apps that come pre-loaded on devices, we currently give all OS and device makers the ability for those apps to wo...

Wacom's Bamboo line of products have always been far more whimsical and user-friendly than the rest of its professional offerings, and it's taken that a step further today with the introduction of the Bamboo Loop digital card app for iOS. Essentially, the app lets you doctor up a photo with graphics and different styles to create a greeting card of sorts that you can ship off to a friend. If you're on the receiving end of the card, you can scribble on it and "loop" it back to the sender -- sort of like a digital version of passing notes back and forth in class. Of course, you're free to upload your cards to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or Instagram too if you feel like sharing them with the world. The app itself is free, though you can cough up an extra $2 if you want to get additional style packs. It runs on iOS5 and higher, and you can download it from the iTunes store starting today. As for those on Android, hold tight, because Loop should be available to y...

A formal celebration of Yahoo's acquisition of Tumblr wasn't what the internet outfit had up its sleeve for this evening's festivities. Instead, the company unveiled an update to Flickr at the NYC event with a host of new features that includes a retooled grid UI built out of images and up to 1TB of free storage for users. Yahoo is saying that the advertised storage space is enough room to stash 537,731 "full-resolution" photos per user. On the desktop side, Photostreams and Sets are cleaned up in proper grid fashion as well and a share button rests up top for easy sharing to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, email and, of course, Tumblr. Single photos will now be displayed full screen -- the size options and white background have been nixed for the extra real estate. The redesign is also coming to mobile devices on iOS and Android. In fact, the Android update should be available in the Play store as early as tonight. Flickr Pro is no longer available for purchas...

Technologically bent cyclists have their choice of advanced bicycles these days, but it's a little hard to justify getting a specialized vehicle if your existing two-wheeler still functions just fine. However, swap your bike's handlebars with one of these handsome aluminum ones from Helios and all of a sudden your beloved ride is equipped with a 500-lumen headlight, a pair of rear-facing RGB LED indicators, Bluetooth 4.0 for smartphone communications and, yes, even a built-in GPS. Join us after the break as we give you a brief tour of the Helios Bars and how it's well worth its $200 price point. As you might expect, the LED indicators can be used as turn signals; simply press a raised button on either side of the center stem to turn them on or off. When paired with an iOS app called Helios Connect, however, the LEDs have a couple more functions. You can choose one of nine colors for a bit of ambient lighting, or you can enable a speedometer function that changes the co...