We knew it was coming, but Europe’s beloved music service just officially launched stateside, bringing with it 15 million tracks with on-demand access, MP3 import, an offline mode, and social media integration. The streaming music service is currently in an invite-only beta phase, but you can sign up for an invitation or jump the queue right into the service’s Unlimited ($5) or Premium ($10) monthly subscription tiers. Groove on over to the source link to sign up, and start piping millions of free tunes directly to your desktop — once Spotify sends the welcome nod to your inbox, of course.

Update: Logitech announced that it will be offering Spotify service on both the Squeezebox Touch and Squeezebox Radio. Hit up the source link for the full scoop.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading It’s here! Spotify lands in the US (video)

It’s here! Spotify lands in the US (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows: Spending a half-hour slowly downloading a huge Zip archive only to discover its corrupt is a pain. Avoid it with Zip2Fix, a utlity that won’t fix corrupt archives, but will extract any and all undamaged files from it. More

Remember that ridiculous Steven Slater rap video promoting Line2’s in-flight texting app? Well, the VoIP company just dusted off the point-and-shoot and hopped back over to YouTube, this time peddling a complete telephony solution for iPad. Launching July 28th, the service will let you place phone calls using a wired headset or the built-in speaker and mic, listen to voicemail, and send texts from a single HD interface. After a one-week trial, you’ll pay $10 per month (or $100 per year) for the privilege, though with free number porting and unlimited domestic calling that’s a fairly solid deal. Many of us barely use our cell phones to place phone calls anymore, but if you’re looking to extend that little-used functionality to your tablet, then Line2 for iPad may be ringing. We haven’t had a chance to go hands-on just yet, but click past the break for a comprehensive video demo, complete with in-app email and an iTunes-like contacts carousel.

Continue reading Line2 brings phone functionality to iPad for 10 bucks a month (video)

Line2 brings phone functionality to iPad for 10 bucks a month (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 04:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deleting files and sorting out disk-space is one of those tasks most people dread, so I can definitely appreciate that DaisyDisk has tried making it as fun (and beautiful) as possible. And what better time to download it than now? More

Have you heard of Evolio? Neither have we, but it might be time we all start paying attention to this Romanian start-up if its grandiose claims of tech stardom prove true. Heralding it as the “most powerful Android tablet” — and the one ring to rule them all — the Neura is a 1GHz dual core Tegra 2 processor-packing, 9.7-inch full HD displaying, Flash-capable slab of Eastern European engineering. Since its been (self-)declared king of the little green robot OS hill, the company’s aiming this market entry squarely at Apple’s iPad 2 — hoping its powers of 1080p and expandable memory can best that category titan. Unfortunately, the company’s proud boast only covers its hardware specs, leaving Froyo to underpower what could be a truly premium experience. A September update to Honeycomb is loosely mentioned, but with 3.2 already rolling out to Xooms, this baby’s starting to look dated. If owning an exotic tablet strikes your cooler-than-thou fancy, get your credit card set to import mode on July 25th. Informational video and its excellent Romanian-electro intro after the break.

Continue reading Evolio’s Neura making a foolio of other Android tablets (video)

Evolio’s Neura making a foolio of other Android tablets (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 23:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft has seen the future of personal computing, and it’s a world with a single Windows ecosystem. Windows Phone head honcho Andy Lees — who said that we won’t be seeing WP7 on tablets during Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference yesterday — still sees slates, phones, consoles, and PCs playing together in perfect harmony. His plan is to provide users with a consistent experience across all Microsoft-powered devices, though he didn’t flesh out exactly how this singular ecosystem will work. Given recent evidence indicating Xbox integration in Windows 8 and the UI similarities between the forthcoming desktop OS and WP7, it seems that Microsoft is well on its way to a consolidated future. But, only time will tell if Mr. Lees’ can deliver us from fragmentation with a unified Windows.

Microsoft’s Andy Lees on Windows’ future: one ecosystem to rule them all originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T might be done teasing us with their fake '4G'. Well, hopefully. Today, AT&T unveiled their first two 4G LTE products: the Momentum 4G and Elevate 4G. It's the real LTE, super fast, blazing speed 4G we want. More

A machine that builds other machines? Sounds like robot apocalypse time — except it’s not. This component-building, space-mimicking chamber of liquid nitrogen-cooled sterility gives birth to LEDs, not that kid from A.I. Housed in Sharp’s Oxford Laboratory, the Molecular Beam Epitaxy machine moves atoms “almost individually…to build the basis of high tech electronics.” Through the use of magnetic poles on the contraption’s exterior (kind of like in foosball), researchers can virtually manipulate substrates and elements, allowing for precise control and untainted crystal growth. While this MBE isn’t exactly new tech — larger commercial-grade versions already exist — it is noteworthy for its innovative petri-vaccum abilities. After all, progress has to start somewhere. Click past the break for the ominously toned video explanation.

Continue reading Sharp’s Molecular Beam Epitaxy machine births components in its space-like womb (video)

Sharp’s Molecular Beam Epitaxy machine births components in its space-like womb (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The fabled Amazon tablet: Oh how you tease us so. You come from the maker of the world’s most beloved ereader and are said to run the versatile Android OS. (hopefully skinned, though) But there’s just so much we don’t know about you. When are you coming? How much are you going to cost. What’s your name? Are you even real?

The Wall Street Journal thinks it’s real. In fact they just named October as the release month and state new Kindle models are coming soon, too. Details are understandably on the light side, but there are some interesting specs concerning the tablet: 9-inch screen, no camera, and running an unnamed Android release. Doesn’t sound like an iPad killer to me.

Chances are it won’t be positioned as an iPad killer but more as a Nook Color competitor with a major focus on the Amazon marketplace. Amazon has made a big push over the last year to bolster and better position its streaming video content. A tablet would be a great outlet for that service.

The same WSJ report states that Amazon is prepping two new Kindle models. This is less of a surprise giving that the current Kindle is nearing its first birthday. Reportedly, two Kindle versions are on tap: a low-cost retooling of the current version and then a high-cost touchscreen model. (sigh)

Still, you may want to keep your current Kindle 3G away from ebay for the time being. As likely as this report is, it’s still a rumor until Bezos does his best Steve Jobs impression and unveils the Amazon tablet to the world.

Read the original post:
Not So Crazy Rumor: Amazon To Release An Android Tablet And Two New Kindles This Fall

A Retrevo survey found that 34% of iPhone owners think the “4″ in iPhone 4 stands for 4G. Admittedly, they could have been fooled by the previous 3G moniker, but still…

Twenty-four percent of Blackberry owners think their phone is 4G (which is also impossible). 61% of iPhone owners don’t actually care about 4G and will buy a next-gen iPhone with or without the service. Blackberry and Android users are also interested in the new iPhone, regardless of 4G speeds.

Retrevo’s ultimate conclusion? That 4G is confusing and not many consumers quite understand it, want it, or believe they can afford it. Sadly, given the prevalence of marketing around the 4G concept I wonder if it isn’t too soon to be flogging this technology to a world that has just gotten comfortable with Wi-Fi.

via MacRumors

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34% Of iPhone Owners Think Their Phone Is 4G