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James Maher had the unfortunate luck of placing his bag and prized Fujifilm X100 in a "dry" container on a fishing trip that didn't keep its contents very dry. Maher survived his harrowing voyage on the SS Hit 'em Hard, but his camera did not. Thankfully, the photographer didn't let his shooter die in vain. He spent precious time dissecting it and disassembling it, piece by piece. Inside was a densely packed puzzle of 130 screws, 50 pieces of tape and over 152 individual parts. Best of all, Maher documented his adventure inside the X100 and posted it online for all of us to enjoy. It's not the first glimpse under the hood, but it's certainly the most thoroughly documented. So hit up the source link and take a peek at what the inside of a sophisticated digital camera looks like.

Water-damaged Fujifilm X100 torn apart for fun and education (but mostly fun) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 04:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite there being so many smartphones nowadays, finding cases for certain handsets can be tricky -- unless you're toting the likes of an iPhone or the latest Android flagship device, that is. Keeping that in mind, Sony has good news for Xperia owners, as it's officially announced a partnership program to bring more case options for its phones to market. According to Sony, 10 companies are currently onboard, including the likes of Case-Mate and Incipio, and some will be announcing what'll be on offer before the month's out. There's no word regarding designs or prices just yet, but here's hoping that Case-Mate brings its cuddly Creature cases into the fray -- especially the Waddler.

Sony helps you 'personalize' your Xperia further, announces case maker partnerships originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 04:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It may still be some time before you can take Google's ambitious wearable computing project for a spin, but there's certainly no shortage of head-mounted displays out there for those looking to blaze a trail of their own. You can now add Silicon Micro Display's new ST1080 glasses to that list, a full 1080p display that will handle both 2D and 3D content (in a variety of formats), and also allow you to see through the glasses for augmented reality applications (albeit with just 10 percent transparency). As with most such glasses, however, you won't get head-tracking capabilities, and you'll have a couple of tethers to contend with (HDMI for video and USB for power, including via an optional battery pack). Those not put off by those constraints or the whole visor look can place their order now for $799.

Silicon Micro Display rolls out $799 ST1080 wearable display originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 03:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Companies are in talks for the Web pioneer to sell a large chunk of its holdings in the China e-commerce giant, sources tell All Things D. [Read more]

An anonymous reader writes "More than 1,000 UK government staff have been caught snooping on citizen data — including criminal records, social security, and medical records. From the article: 'The U.K. government is haemorrhaging data — private and confidential citizen data — from medical records to social security details, and even criminal records, according to figures obtained through Freedom of Information requests. Just shy of 1,000 civil servants working at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), were disciplined for accessing personal social security records. The Department for Health (DoH), which operates the U.K.’s National Health Service and more importantly all U.K. medical records, saw more than 150 breaches occur over a 13-month period.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Verizon Wireless subscribers are hopping mad about losing their unlimited data plans. But what are their options, and is there any way to keep those unlimited plans? Ask Maggie offers some advice. [Read more]

While Callaway has been helping you navigate the golf course for awhile, all its imagery has been abstract; that's not much help if it turns out a patch marked "rough" on one hole is really shorthand for "crocodile-infested swamp." To that end, Callaway is launching the upro mx+, an upgraded version of its GPS tracker that uses real overhead photography to give a more realistic impression of the green, as well as to hint whether or not there's any chance you'll get your ball back if you mess up. Along with the static images, there's video flyovers to get a feel for the land at a perspective closer to your own. The updated touchscreen device also touts yardage calculation and an upgraded uexplore service for checking out scores and golf courses. The mx+ will carry a $249 price tag when it hits shops on May 30th, though the true-to-life graphics will freely emphasize just how much you're over par.

Callaway upro mx+ will show you a real view of the golf course, won't give you a mulligan originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 02:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's likely overkill for those interested only in some basic tablet modding, but the folks from Liquidware (no strangers to the DIY scene) have a new bit of kit that should please those looking to take on a more ambitious project. Dubbed simply Amber, the kit is described as "80 percent of the way to a tablet" -- you'll get a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, a 7-inch capacitive display and a customized version of Android 2.3, but no pesky casing to get in the way of any other additions you see fit to add. That convenience comes at a bit of a cost, though. The Amber will set you back anywhere from $983 to $1,674 depending on the kit you choose. Head on past the break for a quick look at it on video.

Continue reading Liquidware debuts Amber, a customizable Android development tablet

Liquidware debuts Amber, a customizable Android development tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 02:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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snydeq writes "J. Peter Bruzzese sees a solution for organizations seeking to cut down employee time spent on social networks at work: treat social networking like a smoke break. 'Try as you might to keep social networks at bay, mobile devices let people be in constant connection to their social networking vices over the cellular networks, which you can't block. Still, it's not completely impossible to stop social time-wasting over mobile: You can establish policies that, if enforced strongly enough, eliminate social networks from being accessed on company time. Treat it like smoking: Let employees take a 15-minute coffee/smoking/Facebook break and make them go to a designated area to do it.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The litany of exciting Maker Faire products continues with MaKey MaKey, a device that turns anything capable of conducting electricity into a controller. Developed by MIT Media Lab students Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum, you simply run a bulldog clip from the board to an object and hold a connecting wire in your hand. Connecting over USB, it's entirely programming-free, but if you find your interest piqued, you can flip the board over to use the Arduino module baked into the hardware. It's already surpassed its original $25,000 Kickstarter goal and when the run begins, you'll be able to pick up everything you need for just $35 -- but if you can't wait that long, head on down to the Bay Area this weekend.

[Thanks, Ryan]

Continue reading MaKey, MaKey turns the whole world into a keyboard

MaKey, MaKey turns the whole world into a keyboard originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 01:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pre-orders are nothing new in the realm of video gaming -- they're the requisite hype before the release day-storm. On the digital download front, however, that anticipatory frenzy hasn't gotten much major industry support, until now. Sony, purveyor of all things PlayStation, has just tossed a bone to its many PSN subscribers, offering the option to purchase unreleased titles in advance of their planned launches. First up for the newly announced service is Sorcery, one of the company's Move-compatible game due out later this month. Gamers who opt-in for the arrangement will receive an unlock key that should allow their consoles to begin the download process in tandem with the software's official debut. Hit up the source below for the full FAQ.

Sony opens up PSN to digital download pre-orders originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 00:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After Brazil's president took office, a law student urged the killing of people in the region of the country who voted for her. Now, a federal judge ruled a prison sentence is in order. [Read more]

NNUfergs writes "Sure my Smart Phone can deliver just about any piece of information I could want in under 30 Seconds, but I miss being able to just look at my wrist to get the time, date etc. I've been shopping around for a while and haven't come across anything particularly inspiring. There are loads of various features that have been incorporated into watches but you usually only see a small specialized set in a given watch. Budget is always a concern but I am willing to invest in a quality time piece. In sort I'm not looking for a piece of jewelry, I'm looking for a gadget, for my wrist. Are there any neat, fun or just plain cool watches out there for techies? What do you have?"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The late Apple co-founder is still leaving his mark on the company's future designs. [Read more]

It's been a battle of epic proportions over a microscopic piece of plastic, but the warring sides appear to be working together to find a compromise. We're referring to the fight between Apple and a coalition formed by RIM, Motorola and Nokia as each group attempts to make their own nano-SIM design the ETSI standard. Neither entity has seemed willing to extend an olive branch and come up with any compromise -- until recently. RIM and Motorola has updated their design proposal in an effort to reach middle ground with Cupertino, and it appears that they were more than accommodating in the chip's refreshed look (seen above).

So how different can two nano-SIM designs be? Worlds apart, it turns out. For instance, RIM and Motorola have insisted from the beginning that a notch is necessary to allow for "push-push" mechanisms (push to lock the chip in place, push to pop it back out again); Apple, on the other hand, has been entirely anti-notch -- not a surprise, given the fact that the company uses SIM trays on the iPhone, therefore making the concept of a notch completely irrelevant. In its redesign, however, RIM and Motorola took elements from both sides of the fight and combined them. The new look retains Apple's simple rectangular style, but still makes room for a low-key notch on one side. It's difficult to say whether this move will be enough to gain the affection of Tim Cook's company and sway the vote -- Apple is still hard at work modding its own design, after all -- but it's nice to see both factions playing nice with each other prior to the next ETSI meeting on May 31st. Head to the source to see the difference between the original designs and the latest version.

RIM and Motorola modify nano-SIM proposal, hope to meet Apple halfway originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 00:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New fund will focus on investing in digital consumer and enterprise, green tech, and life sciences startups. [Read more]

Wondering how the launch of Samsung's Galaxy S III is going? According to the Korea Economic Daily, an unnamed Samsung executive revealed that the followup to its previous fastest selling phone has already racked up nine million pre-orders around the world. That would put it nearly halfway to the 20 million Galaxy S II's Samsung reported shipped back in February, and all without even officially moving a unit in the US yet. It's not that we're jealous of the rest of the world's abilities to lay their cash down for some quad-core Exynos action while we wait to hear about the likely (still awesome) dual-core LTE-equipped US carrier variants due this summer, but yes -- we're jealous the rest of the world already has the option of choosing Samsung's latest flagship phone. Once they do start shipping (assuming there's no delays in customs) there should be plenty to go around however, as Reuters' translation also indicates the company's factory is already cranking out five million units every month.

Samsung's Galaxy S III reportedly notches nine million pre-orders worldwide originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 23:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The "4G" branding skirmish in Europe is finally over as the tech giant switches the wording on its tablets for sale from "Wi-Fi + 4G" to "WiFi + Cellular." [Read more]

Avast ye! Google has announced the national winner of its fifth annual Doodle 4 Google competition, and we'd like to congratulate second grader Dylan Hoffman of Caledonia, Wisconsin for his fine work. As a response to this year's theme, "If I could travel in time, I'd visit...," Dylan created a pirate scene doodle that features a vibrant parrot, a rotund swashbuckler and a treasure chest full of loot to form the Google logo. According to Dylan, he'd ideally, "Sail a pirate ship looking for treasure, have a colorful pet parrot and enjoy beautiful sunsets from deserted islands." Sounds quite nice -- especially without the scurvy. For his creativity, Google has awarded Dylan with a $30,000 college scholarship, a Chromebook computer and a $50,000 technology grant to his school. Later this fall, Dylan's artwork will grace a special edition 64-count box of Crayola crayons. No doubt a fine plunder for an excellent work of art.

Doodle 4 Google winner cashes in with 'Pirate Times' drawing, finds a Chromebook in the treasure chest originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 22:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Experiment's recommendations will be based on accounts followed by other Twitter users and Web sites visited. [Read more]