The AlphaDog from Boston Dynamics, with the Big Dog as its predecessor when we covered it in the past, is right on schedule with regards to its development. Currently, the AlphaDog is undergoing outdoor trials, where the brains behind this robotic mule wants to see how it performs in the real world that will tax its abilities to the maximum. This quadruped robot is carrying a whole lot of luggage on it this time around, where the ultimate aim would be for this to be a robotic porter that can tote around up to 400 pounds of equipment within a 20 mile radius before requiring a refuel. What you see in the video after the jump is just a glimpse of its final potential – that is to run for 24 hours straight over hill and dale.
Read full post →AlphaDog outdoor trials begin

Internet search giant Google is well aware of a major security flaw that has been discovered on their Google Wallet service, and they are currently working hard to deliver a fix as soon as possible. This major security issue seems to affect only rooted Android phones that also take advantage of the Google Wallet service. If you were to check out the video above which was posted by Zvelo, then the PIN system on rooted devices that carry Google wallet can easily be cracked thanks to an app which can be downloaded online – for free. While the engineers over at Google seem to be putting plenty of work into fixing this flaw, they ran into some obstacles which has obviously slowed them down. Those who have a smartphone with a rooted version of Android ought to pay more attention and be more cautious until Google rolls out a fix for this issue.
Read full post →Google Wallet service fix being worked on

With Android tablets being released dime a dozen these days with no end in sight, one cannot be faulted to check out the more obscure names just in case there is a hidden gem somewhere out there that is waiting to be discovered. For those who want to take the road less traveled without busting one’s budget, then the 8″ Allview Alldro 2 Speed which retails for 200 Euros might be right up your alley. This is originally a Chinese device that has been rebranded in Eastern Europe, and will not only run Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but will also feature 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity.
Read full post →Allview Alldro 2 Speed delivers Android goodness on a budget

HTC is first off the blocks in Europe with the HTC Velocity, touted to be the first 4G LTE Android-powered smartphone to appear on the shores of our neighbors across the pond. Vodafone Germany has plans to roll out the HTC Velocity sometime in the near future, and just in case you were wondering why the HTC Velocity looked so similar, as though you have seen it somewhere before, that is because this is at variant of the HTC Vivid LTE handset that arrived in the US last year over AT&T.
Read full post →HTC delivers first 4G LTE Android smartphone in Europe

If you follow the “pack leader” school of thought when it comes to caring for your canine friend, then you would definitely know that bringing your pooch out for his or her daily walk is extremely important, not only to burn off physical energy, but mental energy as well, resulting in a settled down dog. After all, not only does your pooch get some exercise, so do you – and everyone knows that a tired dog is a good dog. For the lazier dog owners out there who are always looking for ways to take a shortcut, check out this unique Dog Walk Out barrel. I am told by some quarters in the local chapter of the agility club that dog treadmills are detrimental to our pets in the long sun, as running or walking in a stationary spot just does not deliver the same kind of effect as walking around the neighborhood or park – in fact, it might even drive them nuts! What do you think? Since you are already all dressed up for an outdoor walk, you might as well go through the motions instead of goofing around the Dog Walk Out barrel.

Right now, hybrids tend to have the upper hand on the road compared to fully electric vehicles, simply because there is always the option to fuel up whenever you run low on gas, and finding a gas station nearby has a far higher probability compared to looking for an electric car charging outlet. Until the range of electric cars and battery life are improved dramatically, it will still take some time before the markets fully accept them. Having said that, how about a solar powered car? This would make sense in countries that are located near or along the equator, since they get plenty of sunshine all year round. The concept that you see above is definitely drool-worthy, where it is constructed from an aluminum structure with flexible thin-film solar panels wrapped around it. At the back, it will fold up so that the driver is able to squeeze into the center. Definitely looking like a Batman with a pet weekend project, there is no point cruising down town in this to pick up a hot date since there is only room for one person inside.

Chrome for Android Beta was introduced just yesterday, and we already know that there will not be any Flash support for it – but it sure did not take long for users to discover some Easter Eggs on the latest mobile browser which runs only on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich devices. We do know that Chrome is smart enough to keep track of just how many tabs you have opened when browsing, and just in case you have lost count or want to push your handset to the limit in terms of hardware restrictions, then instead of hitting the 100 mark should you somehow find a way to open up at least 100 tabs, a sideways smiley emoticon will be in place instead. Very tongue-in-cheek, I might add.
Read full post →Chrome for Android Easter Eggs uncovered

When we plan something, there has to be a back up of sorts – as you can never tell just when something might go awry. This is a good and practical train of thought, but sometimes, there are no avenues for different plans – leaving you with only one chance and opportunity to get it right. Nokia seems to be in this sport, as Nokia VP Victor Saeijes mentioned to a Swedish newspaper that the Finnish smartphone manufacturer’s only future option would be Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system – nothing else. Of course, it really depends on how you read into this statement, but for the majority of us, we would interpret this as not having a plan B. When approached of a back up plan, Saeijis said matter-of-factly, “Plan B is that Plan A must succeed.”
Read full post →Nokia has no Plan B, throws in their lot with Windows Phone?

Rooting, the act of enabling those who own Android-powered device to obtain privileged control (better known as “root access”) within Android’s subsystem, so that one can change or even replace system applications and settings for a more customized user experience, has now arrived at the Sony Tablet S‘ doorstep. Rooting is also considered by many as the synonym to jailbreaking on the iOS platform, and it seems that Dan Rosenberg has managed to successfully root Sony’s precious tablet. The process of discovering the method could prove to be rather technical, so this is not a leisurely read even if you hit the link. Basically, you ought to make a backup of your Tablet S’ data before you actually begin the rooting process, and be forewarned there is always a risk of your device ending up as an expensive brick instead. In order to root the Tablet S, you will need ADB access from your computer and this Windows-only file. Anyone given it a go already, and how did you find your experience? Nerve-wrecking?

Operator profiles are not exactly the kind of documents that you would dive into even when you have run out of sites to visit on the Internet, and are the perfect material to read if you have difficulty in sleeping. However, thanks to at least one brave soul who decided to give it a go, it was discovered that Apple actually published another 11 new profiles for different iPhone operators, where such files will play nice with iOS 5.1 and are tipped for a March 9 release. This might have just given the game away that iOS 5.1 will be rolled out then, and will apply to the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch 3G/4G, iPad, and iPad 2.
Read full post →iOS 5.1 out on March 9?