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Sensors analyze body volume to estimate mass

Researchers at Eurécom in France and the Italian Institute of Technology’s Center for Human Space Robotics have demonstrated a system that utilizes Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Kinect accessory to weigh astronauts in microgravity environments. The sensor is used to make a 3D model of an astronaut’s body, enabling a computer program to extrapolate mass based on volume estimates.

“Something that you could easily put inside the walls of the space station would free up the space for other equipment or experiments,” Eurécom computer scientist Carmelo Velardo told New Scientist in an interview.

The researchers claim the Kinect system is capable of making estimates with a margin of error of approximately 2.7 kg (~6 lbs.). The accuracy is said to be comparable to the existing alternative, which uses a stool connected to oscillating springs.

Velardo suggests the Kinect tool will be tested aboard a parabolic aircraft flight that replicates the conditions found in orbit. It remains unclear if the technology will be used aboard the International Space Station or other space-bound missions.

Designer phone ships with dock and Prada bag

LG will begin shipping its designer Prada Phone by LG 3.0 Android 2.3 smartphone in South Korea on January 5. LG had officially announced the phone earlier this month. Although not shipping until January, the phone will be available for pre-order on Thursday.

In addition to a texture back characteristic of the famed designer, buyers will also will get a special docking station and a matching Prada bag. The phone itself centers on a 1GHz TI OMAP dual-core processor, a high-brightness 800-nit 4.3-inch 800×400 Nova display, and an eight-megapixel camera capable of 1080p video. The phone will also be NFC enabled.

Retail price in Korea for the phone is 899,800 won ($783 USD) without a contract. Pricing for the phone on plan is 160,000 to 260,000 won ($139 to $226 USD), depending on the type of two-year plan. Neither LG nor Prada has set a firm date for other countries, but it will most likely go to Europe next.

Sales picking up after early trouble

Nintendo has reportedly sold more than 4 million of its 3DS gaming handhelds in the local Japanese market, according to data collected by Famitsu. The device is also said to have reached sales of more than 510,000 units for the holiday shopping week that ended on Christmas day, setting a new record for weekly sales across the globe.

Aside from hardware sales, several games for the mobile platform are also claimed to have passed one million units. Both Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart7 have reportedly reached the milestone during holiday sales.

Although the 3DS stumbled in the market as it arrived early in the year, the device appears to be slowly building in popularity since the company slashed the price from $249 to $169. The move was viewed as necessary to compete with new competitors in the mobile gaming arena, such as smartphones and the iPod touch. [via Siliconera]

App available for Windows, Mac, Linux

Dropbox has introduced a test build of its desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux machines. The beta release now enables users to automatically import photos and videos. The system initiates the upload process when a camera, phone or SD card is connected to the computer.

Aside from the new importer features, version 1.3.4 also brings a bug fix to resolve a problem with selective sync for Windows 8. Users can also choose to batch upload or download files to and from their Dropbox cloud storage.

The test builds are now available directly from the company, however users are warned to back up their Dropbox content until the software has completed the beta process.

Authentication problem crops up during set-up

Consumers who bought or received the Logitech Revue for the holidays may have to RMA or return the device to where they bought it. The company acknowledges that a “small number” of the Android-based devices were shipped with what the company claims to be corrupted firmware. In a message on the forums, Senior Product Manager Peter McColgan advised customers that there was
“nothing that you can do to fix this” and that the only choice was to get a full replacement.

The problem first began appearing on December 17. It occurs during the initial setup of the device. Users can only get to “Step 7″ during the process, during which the Revue tries to get online authentication from Logitech. Owners attempting to do so get a message that the Logitech server is unavailable. Logitech has not indicated how large the “small” percentage of recently manufactured Revues actually is.

When working properly, the Revue lets users browse the Internet, download and use Android apps, or watched streamed content using Google TV on the HDTVs. The media hub has had a troubled history and problems with the Google TV App. In November, Logitech’s acting CEO Guerrino De Luca, stating that company was bringing “closure to the Logitech Revue saga,” announced that the company was effectively quitting Google TV, getting rid of existing inventories, and wouldn’t be carrying the Revue product line forward in the near future.

Move is intended to force local production

In a surprise move, the government of Argentina has “temporarily” blocked the sales of certain foreign-made electronics, including the iPhone and the Blackberry lines of smartphones, in an effort to help stabilize the country’s ailing economy, Manuals.ws reports. Between them, the two companies’ products make up 60 percent of the smartphone market in Argentina. Other handset makers (such as Microsoft, Nokia, Motorola, LG and Samsung) have avoided the ban by opening plants in the country.

The maneuver follows a law that added a 20.48 percent tax (on top of the normal 21 percent sales tax) on imported electronic devices that had no “presence” in Argentina. In March, the government upped the pressure on Apple and RIM by revoking “automatic” import license of some smartphones, which forced Apple and RIM to wait 60 to 180 days for Customs Authority approval for any new devices.

Despite claims that the ban is meant to slow rising inflation and strengthen the Argentinian peso against the US dollar, both Apple and RIM could avoid the penalties by building a manufacturing plant or partnering with an existing company to manufacture phones in the country, meaning the measures effectively amount to blackmail. RIM is said to be actively seeking a partner, but there are no signs that Apple has plans to do the same.

The government says the ban will be lifted once the economy stabilizes, but some of the measures (such as the extra tax) have been in place since 2009. The country’s GDP has been slowing due to large government subsidies for agricultural goods despite decreasing demand. In reaction, authorities have imposed large tariffs and other penalties meant to make imported goods more expensive compared to locally-produced items. Similar but smaller-scale moves are common in most other countries, including the United States, but rarely escalate to the point of an outright ban.

While the ban could be good news for competing handset makers in the Argentine market, the move is also likely to create a “black market” for iPhones and some Blackberry models. While Argentinian carriers are barred from selling the devices, there’s been no indication that the companies can’t offer service for “third party” phones. Apple’s Argentinian page for the iPhone is currently still available, and the company has recently introduced a full iTunes Store and iTunes Match in Argentina. [via Manuals.ws]

ZTE FTV in a Fashion TV tie-up shows up

Chinese handset maker ZTE has teamed up with Fashion TV on its first fashion-oriented smartphone, the FTV. It has the same technical specs as the original San Francisco available at Orange, GSMArena found. Unique to the phone are the FTV paint and logos along with exclusive FTV apps, wallpapers, widgets and other content.

It uses Android 2.2 rather than the San Francisco’s Android 2.1 as well. The same 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a 480×800 resolution, 600MHz Qualcomm processor and 512MB of RAM are present as in the phone it’s based on. The phone also gets Wi-Fi, 3G using HSPA, GPS, and an FM radio.

Why ZTE didn’t base the Blade on the slightly better equipped and newer San Francisco II isn’t known, though it could be because Orange offers this phone exclusively.

The Blade will be available in black, gold and white, thought when it ships or what it will cost remains to be seen.

Microsoft Canada tries tactic to spur app

Microsoft Canada has taken an unusual approach to spur Windows Phone development through an initiative called the Developer Movement. Those who publish at least one “quality” app to the Marketplace get prize bundles that scale the more they post. Publishing one or two lets app writers pick from prizes such as a free Kinect, Microsoft Points, or a 1TB external hard drive, while those who publish three or more may get publicity in the official Xbox and MSDN newsletters.

The exact definitions of “quality” aren’t clear, but it’s implied that original, polished content is the primary goal.

Developers have until May 20 to get their apps on the Marketplace. It’s not known if or when American developers might get the same expansion.

Microsoft’s strategy continues one it has followed for much of 2010 and 2011 of offering direct financial incentives to write Windows Phone apps. Word emerged that it was paying for iPhone app ports in June last year. Details were later confirmed that included it paying minimum revenue guarantees and otherwise helping ease the cost and knowledge concerns.

The company is in less need of developers now than it was in 2010, having just reached 50,000 apps at a relatively quick pace. With just a tenth of the apps that Apple’s iOS App Store has, though, it’s still regularly the case that major titles either get belated ports or never arrive at all, reducing the motivation for customers to try the platform. [via SlashGear]

HTC unlocks Evo View 4G, myTouch 4G Slide phones

HTC has just added the Evo View 4G and myTouch 4G Slide smartphones to its official bootloader unlock program. This is part of a larger commitment to unlock 2011 smartphones, with new ones coming over the next few months. HTC is quick to point out, however, that even these official unlocks may mean users’ warranty claims may not be covered.

Also, unlocking the bootloader won’t unlock the SIM, as this remains at the discretion of the carrier. The unlock is done at a user’s own risk, and side effects may include improper software functioning or even physical damage due to overheating. Invalid DRM security keys may also make some apps inaccessible.

While over-the-air firmware updates will continue to be sent, users run the risk of them making the device unusable. Once unlocked, devices can no longer be returned to their original state.

The possible benefits include users getting the ability to upload unreleased software onto their handsets, such as unofficial Android 4.0 builds.

The first official device unlock came in July for the

Intel Medfield benchmarks leak

A new discovery Tuesday has shown that Intel’s Medfield chip for smartphones and tablets could temporarily claim the performance lead when it ships. Benchmarks at VR-Zone of a 1.6GHz example of the new Atom had it reach a score of 10,500 in Caffeinemark 3, an Android test for Java. The best ARM chip in the test, the 1.2GHz Exynos from the Samsung Galaxy S II, scored 8,500 points and let Intel take a roughly 24 percent lead.

The chip is designed primarily for tablets and would have 1GB of low-power DDR2 memory, Bluetooth, FM radio, and Wi-Fi built-in. Intel’s hardware is currently chewing more power than it’s supposed to in its prototype phase but should use 2W when idle and 2.6W at peak. Intel’s chip would consume roughly as much power as its more efficient current chips, but it would also include wireless and other components built-in.

The design was also using Android 3 where shipping hardware will likely carry Android 4.

Medfield is expected to ship sometime in the spring and will represent the first Intel-based platform that should reach truly mobile devices. It will provide the first alternative to ARM on Android and could lead to Windows 8 tablets that are as thin and long-lasting as their ARM counterparts, but without sacrificing the full desktop. Intel is widely seen as at risk of missing the shift to mobile as Android, the iPad, and iPhone could make ARM the definitive platform outside of traditional PCs.