"I prefer using a GPS unit, not my phone, when I'm driving around LA. The best traffic I've seen is via Google Maps, since it shows surface traffic for streets in Hollywood. Navteq HD Radio maps (which is what I use now) doesn't show this kind of information: it's only for highways. There aren't any highways between Hollywood and Beverly Hills, but there's a ton of traffic, which you're blind to when using a standalone GPS. Is there an easy way to get surface traffic data on a GPS unit rather than forking out for a phone / tablet and $30/month data plan? Thanks!"

Ask Engadget: best live traffic standalone GPS? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Dec 2011 22:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Waterfox is a Faster, 64-Bit Optimized Version of Firefox for Windows PCs (Windows) If you'd like your web browser to run a bit faster, Waterfox is a Firefox clone built to run faster on 64-bit processors.
• Spire Puts Siri on Your Jailbroken iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch (Legally!) (iOS) Along with the news of an untethered jailbreak came the ability to install Siri on any jailbroken iDevice running iOS 5.0.1 thanks to a handy installer called Spire. Of course, installing Siri is the easy part. Getting it to work is another story entirely.
• BurritoRoot Easily Roots the Kindle Fire, Even with Amazon's Anti-Root Update (Kindle Fire) It must be frustrating trying to root the Kindle Fire, after Amazon's latest software update ended up breaking previous root methods. Here's a new method, however, that works with the updated 6.2.1 OS version as well as all other software versions.
• Media Manager and HTPC App Boxee Updates, Announces the End of Stand-Alone Boxee Downloads (Mac/Windows/Linux) Popular HTPC front-end media manager Boxee announced they would be rolling out the latest version of the Boxee desktop software for all systems this week, including tons of new features like quick access to commonly used items right on the home screen, more social integration, and a retooled UI. Unfortunately they also announced that this version of Boxee would be the last one available for download, outside of use on a Boxee Box or set-top box, that is.
• Tab Launcher Adds a Tabbed Dock to Your OS X Desktop (Mac) The dock is a handy tool for quickly accessing apps, folders, and files, but it isn't terribly organized. Tab Launcher offers a dock replacement that gives you multiple docks, categorized with labeled tabs.
• Project Management Tool Asana Unveils iPhone App for Collaboration on the Go (iOS) Previously mentioned collaboration tool Asana made waves when it launched, but at the time it was missing support for mobile devices. Now, anyone with an iOS device can log in to their Asana account on the go, check in on their projects and activities, comment on tasks, and more.
• MediaHuman Audio Converter is Easy Enough for Your Non-Tech Friends to Use (Windows/Mac) Sure there are a plethora of audio converters out there, why do we need any new ones? Well, some programs have a steep learning curve and many of the easy to use ones aren't free. With MediaHuman's Audio Converter you can click and drag tracks to and from eight popular formats without having to know anything about digital audio.
• ReadNow Provides a Native Mac Desktop Interface for Instapaper and ReadItLater (Mac) If you love saving articles to Instapaper or ReadItLater but don't like using the web site to view them, ReadNow solves that problem by offering a native desktop experience on your Mac. It provides a familiar news reader-esque interface for browsing your saved articles and read them offline in a variety of styles. Additionally, ReadNow allows you to edit and tag anything you've saved, share it (with multiple services, such as email and Evernote), and check it off. You can alter display options as well, such as increasing or decreasing the font size for optimal reading.
• EchoSign Brings Legally-Binding Electronic Signing on Your iPhone or iPad (iOS) EchoSign, Adobe's popular service for electronic signatures, is available now for iPhone and iPad users. With the EchoSign app, you can send documents that need to be signed and get them filled out in minutes, and also manage your agreements.
• Gube Curates Kid-Safe YouTube Videos for iOS (iOS) Kids these days watch a lot of YouTube videos, and if you're worried about your child watching something inappropriate you can use the Gube app instead of handing them unrestricted access to YouTube. Gube curates thousands of educational and fun videos for your child in your choice of four age categories.

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We get it. Really, we do -- photo filters fun. We also get that sometimes an app just isn't gonna cut it. You want quick access to double, triple or even quadruple image lenses as well as colored overlays. Well, iPhone 4 and 4S owners had their prayers answered in mid November a $25 Holga case, now Android fans have their own version -- provided those Android fans own a Galaxy S II. If you don't mind adding some bulk to your super-svelte super-phone head on over to the source link to get your own rotary-style lens case for the somewhat reasonable price of $28.

Holga brings its retro, rotary, filter phone case to the Galaxy S II originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Many of us are still putting away Christmas trees, Menorahs, and other decorations for the Holidays both large and small until next year. If you don't have a dedicated storage solution you can securely store small ornaments in egg cartons. More »

Many Kindle reviews noted the sluggish performance of the Silk browser, but you can quickly increase the speed by changing a few settings. In addition to turning off Flash and changing the browser from desktop to mobile view, turning of Silk's touted acceleration feature will all make Silk faster. More »

Many popular new year resolutions such as "lose 25 lbs" or "run a marathon" are actually goals, not resolutions. If there is a specific achievement it's a goal, but permanent changes to your life are resolutions since you keep doing them every day and not just until a specific achievement is reached. More »

If you're going to rock out, you might as well do so with a video game console from the '70s as the core of your guitar. In fact, this is precisely what modder cTrix has done with his gATARI2600. In his configuration, he's able to write and play new music through an Atari 2600 by using an EPROM programmer (a software application he wrote) and daughterboards to feed the new music back through the instrument. The gATARI also features equalizer and flange pedals, a track selector, and whammy bars that allow the player to switch tracks and make changes on the fly. No details have been posted as to how to make your own just yet, but click past the break to watch cTrix jam both thoroughly and effectively at Blip Fest 2011 in Japan.

Continue reading cTrix forges Atari 2600 and guitar together, mesmerizes nerds (video)

cTrix forges Atari 2600 and guitar together, mesmerizes nerds (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iOS: If you're a Twitter fan looking for a way to keep up with your tweets while driving or exercising, Tweet Speaker will read your tweets out loud. You can hear your regular timeline, mentions, or any of your lists; hit play and you'll hear your tweets. More »

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