We’ve already gleaned that the extra-terrestrial edition of Angry Birds will involve some sort of gameplay departure from the add-on style of previous versions, but gameplay-wise there’s been less information. Fortunately, makers Rovio has now leaked out a very brief taster in its lastest video. You’ll have to skip to the three-minute marker, but you’ll get a glimpse at some anti-gravity avians, bubbles, explosions and atmosphere re-entries. Take a look for yourself after the break.

[Thanks Ville]

Continue reading Angry Birds Space gameplay gets revealed — briefly (video)

Angry Birds Space gameplay gets revealed — briefly (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Angry Birds Space gameplay gets revealed — briefly (video)

Apple has a new tool for those who manage a herd of iPads or iPhones for schools or small businesses, a free Mac app aimed at making life easier for iOS-focused IT staff. Called Configurator, it allows admins to “mass configure and deploy iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch,” 30 devices at a time.

According to Apple’s description of the application, IT staff can create and restore from a backup of preconfigured settings and app data, as well as create and install configuration profiles, among a number of other setup options. Admins can also supervise devices and organize those into custom groups, restrict which computers they can sync with, and add common configurations automatically. Admins can even apply custom text, wallpaper, or pictures to the iOS devices’ lock screens (keep an eye on your snarky IT staff if your work-issued iPhone’s lock screen image mysteriously changes to Nyancat).

The new Configurator tool replaces Apple’s previous iPhone Configuration Utility, which was originally released in 2008 and largely meant for the same general purpose, but with many more limitations. The new tool appears to be seeing a fairly good reception on Twitter so far, with some describing it as a “blessing for churches with iOS devices” and others saying it “rocks balls.” TechRecess has posted a quick first look with the app if you want to see more, but we’re interested in hearing the reactions from IT staffers who read Ars. How do you see yourself using this tool for your organization?

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IT staff can now manage iPads, iPhones, iPod touches with Configurator tool

Self-healing materials are substances that can knit themselves back together after being torn or broken. Here you can see a new self-healing hydrogel that could revolutionize how we treat internal wounds to the stomach. More »

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How this strange new material repairs itself – and your internal organs [Medicine]

NASA reports that two massive solar flares erupted from the sun on Tuesday which are expected to hit Earth this morning—and they could affect power, communication and GPS systems. More »

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Huge Solar Flare to Hit Earth Today, Disrupting Power and Communications [Video]

As day one of the annual Pwn2Own hacker contest wound down on Wednesday, no browser suffered more abuse than Google Chrome, which was felled by an attack exploiting a previously unknown vulnerability in the most up-to-date version. Combined with a separate contest Google sponsored a few feet away, it was the second zero-day attack visited on Chrome in a span of a few hours.

It was a rare event. To date, there are no known reports of a zero-day attack ever hitting Chrome in the wild, and at the previous three years’ contests, Chrome escaped unscathed, even as Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari were brought down by exploits that allowed the attackers to take complete control of the machine running the software. The chief reason: Chrome’s security sandbox—which isolates web content inside a highly restricted perimeter that’s separated from the rest of the operating system—makes it harder to write reliable attacks.

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Google Chrome’s winning streak fades at annual hacking contest

IBM researchers have built a prototype optical chip that can transfer a terabit of data per second, using an innovative design requiring 48 tiny holes drilled into a standard CMOS chip, facilitating the movement of light. Much faster and more power-efficient than today’s optics, the so-called “Holey Optochip” technology could enhance the power of supercomputers.

Optical chips, which move data with light instead of electrons, are commonly used for interconnects in today’s supercomputers and can be found in IBM systems such as Power 775 and Blue Gene. Optical technology is favored over electrical for transmitting high-bandwidth data over longer distances, which is why it’s used for telecommunications networks, said IBM Optical Links Group manager Clint Schow.

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Holey chip! IBM drills holes into optical chip for terabit-per-second speed

The new iPad, with its retina display and 4G LTE connectivity, is about to do wonders for your personal entertainment needs. But that much pretty at those speeds could also decimate your data cap. Why? Because nicer visuals means bigger file sizes. Here’s how to limit the damage to your wallet. More »

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How Much More the iPad’s Superfast 4G LTE Data Will Cost You (Updated) [Ipad Hd]

Remember the nifty new 3D transparent display, augmented reality mirror, and remote sharing technology that Microsoft revealed just over a week ago? Turns out that Redmond’s research arm wasn’t done doling out the gadget goodies, as it’s now showing off a new Wearable Multitouch Projector that turns any surface into a gesture-sensitive display. Using Kinect-style motion and depth sensing cameras in concert with a pico projector and a PC, you can tap, swipe and pinch-to-zoom to your heart’s content on the nearest flat surface. It’s currently a rather clunky, cabled contraption, but the touch input does appear to work pretty well, and the researchers who built it think that the tech can be miniaturized to a more user-friendly size in the future. See for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft Research’s shoulder mounted system makes anything a multitouch display

Microsoft Research’s shoulder mounted system makes anything a multitouch display originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wondering how much you’ll have to cough up each month, and just how much data it would net you if you opted for a 4G model if Apple’s new iPad? Well, the image above should tell you all you need to know. AT&T will have three options, starting at $15 for 250MB, $30 for 3GB and going up to $50 for 5GB. Verizon simply skips out on the bargain bin plan, assuming you’ll be wanting more if you dropped the extra dough on an LTE-enabled iPad. Big Red kicks things off with a $30 2GB option before jumping to $50 for 5GB and $80 for 10GB. Now, that may sound like a lot of money but, remember, there’s no contract to sign here.

Update: AT&T has reached out to us to identify an inaccuracy presented in Apple’s graphic. The $30 price tier comes with a 3GB data plan, rather than 2GB as originally stated in the article. Apple has yet to update the information on its website.

iPad 4G plans and pricing revealed (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad 4G plans and pricing revealed (update)

The new iPad, with its retina display and 4G LTE connectivity, is about to do wonders for your personal entertainment needs. But that much pretty at those speeds could also decimate your data cap. Why? Because nicer visuals means bigger file sizes. Here’s how to limit the damage to your wallet. More »

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How Much More the iPad’s Superfast 4G LTE Data Will Cost You [Ipad Hd]