Top 10 Microsoft Stories Of 2010

Odds are, almost every household in the United States bought or used at least one Microsoft-related product in 2010. From smartphones to game consoles, entertainment software to applications, cloud computing infrastructure to expanded search engine agreements, the developer increased its footprint across earth and cyberspace. This year marked one of new beginnings and some endings for Microsoft, which released its long-awaited Windows Phone 7 operating system, the software giant's answer to Apple's iPhone and Google's Android. In plenty of time for this year's healthier holiday season, Microsoft also unwrapped Kinect, a much-lauded new sensor for its already popular Xbox gaming hardware -- and saw it receive rave reviews from technophiles and, more importantly, the kids, tweens, and gamers for whom it was designed. Likewise, the developer rolled out the third leg of its Halo trilogy, a move almost guaranteed to appeal to the game's legion of followers around the world.

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Ford MyKey adds radio censorship to further control teen driving habits

Daddy doesn't have to take the T-Bird away, he can just take all the fun out of driving it. That is, if the T-Bird is actually a Taurus. Ford's MyKey system has been engendering teen resentment since the release of the 2010 Focus, allowing parents to limit max speeds and cap radio volume, but parental control doesn't stop there -- the 2011 MyKey can selectively block radio stations. Starting next year, parents will have the option to block 16 Sirius radio channels from the car's dial, among them Howard Stern, Playboy, and Hip-Hop Nation. Optional radio censorship isn't the only new feature for MyKey, which allows owners to program a key to fit their specific level of paranoia -- the new version allows parents to set top speeds between 65 and 80mph, instead of the previous fixed cap of 80mph. Other controls carrying over from the original system include a chime that sounds at 10mph intervals, starting at 45mph, and an advanced notice when fuel levels are low. The new features will come standard issue on the 2011 Ford Taurus and Ford Explorer, and will eventually reach across both the Ford and Lincoln brands.

Continue reading Ford MyKey adds radio censorship to further control teen driving habits

Ford MyKey adds radio censorship to further control teen driving habits originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 07:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS EP121, EP102, EP101, and EP71 tablets get diagramed in latest teaser

Haven't had enough CES titillation yet? Good. ASUS has apparently been up to some mischief overnight in uploading and then pulling a new version of its teaser video from a week ago, though this time it also included explicit product names attached to some quite informative diagrams. It looks to be the full family of upcoming CES tablets, with the EP121 touting stylus input and a wireless keyboard, the EP102 showing that there will indeed be a slider in ASUS' Pad family, and the EP101 looking like, well, a laptop. There's also a media-centric EP71, whose proportions make it seem likely to be a sort of oversized PMP. Skip past the break for a closer look at them all and don't forget to grace our comments with your theory as to why ASUS feels compelled to have such a segmented product offering.

Continue reading ASUS EP121, EP102, EP101, and EP71 tablets get diagramed in latest teaser

ASUS EP121, EP102, EP101, and EP71 tablets get diagramed in latest teaser originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel 310 mSATA SSD knows that size matters, fits 80GB into less space than a credit card

Watch out, Toshiba, your tiny SSD modules aren't the only game in town for ludicrously small flash storage anymore. Intel's just announced a new SSD 310 line that offers spectacularly minimal 51mm by 30mm by 5mm dimensions, while retaining X25-class performance (up to 200MBps read and 80MBps write speeds). To give you an idea of what those measurements mean, the industry-standard 2.5-inch form factor, an already diminutive footprint, is eight times larger than these newfangled storage chips. 40GB and 80GB variants of the SSD 310 are shipping out to OEMs already and Lenovo has confirmed it plans to roll these into its next refresh of the venerable ThinkPad laptop line. Prices are set at $99 and $179 (depending on size) when bought in batches of 1,000, though direct sales to end users are predictably off the table for now. Better start saving up for that next ultrathin laptop if you want one.

Continue reading Intel 310 mSATA SSD knows that size matters, fits 80GB into less space than a credit card

Intel 310 mSATA SSD knows that size matters, fits 80GB into less space than a credit card originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to Root Your NookColor to Access the Marketplace and Read Kindle Ebooks [Kindle]

Want to read Kindle ebooks on a color screen? Or download Android apps? One man rooted his NookColor (which runs Android), and loaded on the Kindle app. More »

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SGP iPhone 4 Leather Case ? Valencia Swarovski Series Review

SGP sells a wide range of mobile device cases and protectors, with a focus on style. At least, that’s the message delivered from their web site. I received a white Valencia Swarovski Series leather iPhone 4 case for review, and immediately turned it over to my resident bling expert, my 14 year old daughter. I’ll [...]

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Google CR-48: First Look at the First Chrome OS Laptop

Google?s prototype Chrome OS computer delivers little more than the company?s browser in a box.

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McAfee?s 2011 Cyber Attack Targets: URL Shorteners, iPhones, Geolocation Services

Intel acquired McAfee has just released its forecast for the top targets for cyber criminals in 2011, and a number of popular platforms have made the list. The antivirus and security software company's labs group, McAfee Labs, says that Google?s Android, Apple?s iPhone, Foursquare, Google TV and the Mac OS X platform, are all expected to be targets in the New Year. McAfee Labs says that URL-shortening services, which create more than 3,000 URLs per minute, will be a significant target for cyber criminals in 2011. Because social media sites are already riddles with cyber criminals, these links are going to be used for spam, scamming and other malicious purposes, says the company. Interestingly, McAfee recently launched its own URL shortener, McAf.ee

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On Your Side: Complications With a Netbook Return

A mini-laptop destined to be shipped back is stolen. Plus: Milestone announces a recall of TV wall mounts.

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Google Buys NYC Building For $1.9 Billion

The 15-story Manhattan property covers a full block and has more office space than the Empire State Building.

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SGP iPhone 4 Leather Case ? Valencia Swarovski Series Review

SGP sells a wide range of mobile device cases and protectors, with a focus on style. At least, that’s the message delivered from their web site. I received a white Valencia Swarovski Series leather iPhone 4 case for review, and immediately turned it over to my resident bling expert, my 14 year old daughter. I’ll [...]

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So, what'd you get?

Let's just call it what it is: the best Christmas ever. Why? Well, for starters, it's December 25th. Secondly, it's a Saturday in much of the world. How often does that happen? The technology outfits 'round the globe have managed to deliver a rather insane stack of wares to consider this year -- from terrifically desirable goods to rubbish that we wouldn't wish on our worst enemy's enemies -- and now it's our turn to pry into your business and find out what Santa Claus dumped (or didn't dump) under your tree overnight. Hit us up with your scores in comments below, and be sure to cast your vote as to whether or not the kid on the right is feigning excitement over his newfound laptop. Oh, the kid in the video just past the break -- that's probably useful information.

When you're done, check out what people got jazzed about in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Continue reading So, what'd you get?

So, what'd you get? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Dec 2010 11:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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