Synology launches DiskStation DS413j NAS server for your own private cloud

Synology launches DiskStation DS413j NAS server for your own private cloud

If you like your data local, but crave remote access, you've now got options like Synology's new DiskStation DS413j -- a network-attached storage (NAS) server for your own private cloud. The feature-packed box has four drive bays for a total of 16TB storage, and you can mix and match HDDs of different sizes without losing the comfort of RAID. Along with what you'd expect from NAS, its media server will stream content to your console or TV via DLNA or UPnP and push tunes to your stereo, with iOS and Android apps for couch DJing. The server will sync your files across computers if you wish, and give you access to all that data on the move via the internet or mobile apps. And, if you need more files, you can download directly using your favorite protocols -- it'll even automate them if you trust RSS feeds to make recommendations. All this can be yours for around $380, depending on the retailer, but don't forget to budget for drives to fill those empty bays.

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Synology launches DiskStation DS413j NAS server for your own private cloud originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 04:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung announces Drive Link, a car-friendly app with MirrorLink integration

Samsung announces Drive Link, a car-friendly app with MirrorLink integration

Until self-driving cars become mainstream, it's best to keep eyes on roads and hands off phones. With this in mind, Samsung's debuting Drive Link, an app that balances in-car essentials with driver safety, complete with approval from the no-nonsense Japanese Automotive Manufacturers Association. It's all about the bare essentials -- navigation, hands-free calling and audiotainment from your phone-based files or TuneIn. Destinations can be pulled from S Calendar appointments or texts without trouble, and the text-to-speech feature means you won't miss a message, email or social media update. The best bit is that via MirrorLink, all these goodies can be fed through compatible dash screens and speaker systems. Drive Link is available now through Sammy's app store for Europeans sporting an international Galaxy S III, and will be coming to other ICS handsets "in the near future."

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Samsung announces Drive Link, a car-friendly app with MirrorLink integration originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 05:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wireless Sensor Tags alert you to movement and temperature changes, fit on your keyring

Wireless Sensor Tags alert you to movement and temperature changes, fit on your keyring

There's plenty of sensor gear around for hobbyists to play with, but not so many polished products for the monitoring-obsessed. Cao Gadgets is attempting to fill that niche with its functionally named Wireless Sensor Tags -- small devices which monitor movement and temperature, notifying you if anything's amiss. A magnetometer registers movement by changes in its orientation, and can inform you of door openings or similar disturbances, while the temperature triggers are based on upper or lower thresholds. The $15 sensors (or $12 if you want three or more) have a battery life that should last several years depending on their setup, but there is one catch -- you also need the Tag Manager hub ($50), which plugs into your router via Ethernet. It keeps in frequent contact with any subordinates in its 200-foot range, and if after several attempts it finds one MIA, a warning can be sent in case any of your home guards have walked or fallen asleep. The tags also have inbuilt beepers which can be pinged to track down any rogue possessions they're partnered with, like your keys.

A lot of thought has been put into micromanaging the tags, which are customizable through web-based, Android or iOS apps, and will send out alerts via email, Twitter, or push notifications on slates and phones (text-to-speech is available if you're too lazy to read). If you're into your data, you can also access trigger statistics from the software, complete with graphs. The home monitoring kit is available now, and instead of crashing your browser with too many embeds, we've decided to point you to the source below for the half-dozen demo vids.

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Wireless Sensor Tags alert you to movement and temperature changes, fit on your keyring originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ooVoo updates its iOS and Android apps to support four-way video calls

DNP ooVoo updates iOS and Android apps to support fourway video calls

First ooVoo opened up four-way video chats on Facebook, and now the video calling service is doing the same for its Android and iOS apps. The company just updates both applications so that you can view up to four video streams at once, though you can carry on text chats with as many as 12 people. That's true of both platforms, though the Android version is admittedly getting a few more changes. The newest version of the app brings deeper integration with Google services, plugging into the native Android address book to show missed calls, as well as a list of which friends are available to chat. To that end, Android users get not just the app, but also a widget that displays these tidbits at a glance. Rounding out the list of improvements, the updates introduce push notifications as well as the ability to text chat in the middle of a video call.

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ooVoo updates its iOS and Android apps to support four-way video calls originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ooVoo updates its iOS and Android apps to support four-way video calls

DNP ooVoo updates iOS and Android apps to support fourway video calls

First ooVoo opened up four-way video chats on Facebook, and now the video calling service is doing the same for its Android and iOS apps. The company just updates both applications so that you can view up to four video streams at once, though you can carry on text chats with as many as 12 people. That's true of both platforms, though the Android version is admittedly getting a few more changes. The newest version of the app brings deeper integration with Google services, plugging into the native Android address book to show missed calls, as well as a list of which friends are available to chat. To that end, Android users get not just the app, but also a widget that displays these tidbits at a glance. Rounding out the list of improvements, the updates introduce push notifications as well as the ability to text chat in the middle of a video call.

Continue reading ooVoo updates its iOS and Android apps to support four-way video calls

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ooVoo updates its iOS and Android apps to support four-way video calls originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SwiftKey 3.0.1 brings new themes, languages and bug fixes

SwiftKey 301 brings new themes, languages and bug fixes

Rejoice, Android keyboard enthusiasts! SwiftKey announced today that it's pushing out an update to its popular virtual keyboard that brings new themes, languages and bug fixes. Version 3.0.1 incorporates two new summer themes -- Sky blue and Fuchsia -- and bumps the language count to 44 with the addition of Malay and Urdu. The keyboard now also supports continuous dictation with Google voice typing on Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean. Most important, however, are a plethora of tweaks, performance improvements and bug fixes designed to further improve the SwiftKey user experience. We've been using the update for a few hours now on AT&T's red Galaxy S III and it definitely makes our favorite Android virtual keyboard even better. Hit the break for screenshots of the new themes plus the full PR.

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SwiftKey 3.0.1 brings new themes, languages and bug fixes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IBM’s Think app brings history of innovation to iPad and Android tablets

IBM THINK brings history of innovation to iPad and Android tablets

IBM first tried to make people "Think" using a pop-up art installation in New York, but now it's switched to something rather more traditional: a tablet app that is available free on iOS and Android. It lays out the timeline of scientific advances like the metal detector, airplane and telescope, and contains a ten-minute HD film on tech innovation, to boot. IBM claims the app will be used in schools to create lesson plans, so you might want to grab it (see coverage link below) before your kids start clueing you in on technology -- even more than usual, that is.

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IBM's Think app brings history of innovation to iPad and Android tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Evernote updates Android app with new tablet UI, swipe navigation

Evernote updates Android app with new tablet UI, swipe navigation

Evernote is incrementally adding functionality to its Android app, most recently bringing a new swipe-friendly interface with an update this May. Today the app steps up to version 4.1, and it includes a new UI for tablets that matches the interface on phones, complete with a streamlined list view and swipe interactions, such as for making the note list full-screen. Both phone and tablet users can now create sub-lists, and Evernote included the requisite bug fixes and performance tweaks as well. Check out the latest version for yourself by nabbing the free download on Google Play.

Evernote updates Android app with new tablet UI, swipe navigation originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 18:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Maps adds floor plans and walking directions for 20 US museums

Google Maps adds floor plans and walking directions for 20 US museums

Getting lost can be half the fun of any leisurely museum excursion, but if you'd prefer to navigate your indoor outing with a level of precision typically reserved for trips across town, you'll want to bring Google Maps along on your next journey to the Smithsonian. Mountain View just added 20 US museums to its battery of 10,000 indoor schematics, including the de Young Museum in San Francisco, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Cincinnati Museum Center, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History, 17 Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo in DC. You can find the plans for any venue by searching or hitting the current location button once you're on site, and Google plans to continue growing its collection, with SFMOMA, The Phillips Collection, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the National WWII Museum in New Orleans set to join soon. Meanwhile, institutions interested in joining forces with Google can use the company's Floor Plans tool to get the process started. Full details are at the source link below.

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Google Maps adds floor plans and walking directions for 20 US museums originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Play lets you update and uninstall apps from the comfort of your browser

Google Play lets you update and uninstall apps from the comfort of your browser

It's surely been a crazy couple of weeks for the folks at Google. The company clearly has more new features than it can shove into a couple of lengthy keynotes -- like functionality for Play that lets users update and uninstall apps by way of the My Android Apps tab in the browser-based version of the store. Check the source link below to begin your cloud-based bidding.

[Thanks, Allen]

Google Play lets you update and uninstall apps from the comfort of your browser originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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