Canonical's AWSOME API bridges OpenStack and Amazon clouds, Ubuntu has its head in both

New features and services that improve Canonical's latest version of Ubuntu seem to keep rolling in. The latest addition being the announcement of its AWSOME proxy service. No, that's not us getting over excited about it, that stands for Any Web Service Over Me, and it includes APIs that smooth the transition to OpenStack for those currently using Amazon's cloud services. Although not open source, Amazon's Web Service has such a large market share, that Canonical clearly wants to make integrating with it as smooth as possible. The AWSOME proxy will only provide basic functionality for the AWS side of things, with users still encouraged to adopt the OpenStack infrastructure for deeper capabilities. Still, if you're currently working with Bezos' platform, and this was the last barrier to hopping aboard the Precise Pangolin ship, you're in luck.

Canonical's AWSOME API bridges OpenStack and Amazon clouds, Ubuntu has its head in both originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Apr 2012 03:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: best heavy-duty cloud-storage solution?

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from is from is from Joe, who needs to backup half a terabyte of data to the cloud, as you do. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"I'm looking for an online backup solution for between 100GB, up to 500GB of data. New options are popping up everywhere recently, but what's the best cloud storage backup solution that'd allow for easy drag-and-drop backup, syncing across multiple computers both Mac and Windows, access from Android devices and at a reasonable price? Thanks!"

Well, he doesn't want much, does he? Just world-class storage, universal device access and all for a rock-bottom price. There's plenty of contenders in this particular competition, from Dropbox all the way through to, erm, Box. It's kinda clear that Joe's not just backing up his holiday photos, so even enterprise-level offerings are worth suggesting. Still, the floor's now open to you, so fire away.

Ask Engadget: best heavy-duty cloud-storage solution? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Apr 2012 21:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Surviving The Scramble For San Francisco Office Space

The residential real estate bubble isn?t the only real estate challenge facing startups in Silicon Valley. Office space within the city limits is becoming more scarce by the day as tech companies continue their aggressive growth. Relief is on the way, but it isn?t an instant solution. The San Francisco Giants announced a $1.6 billion plan last week that would add 1000 rental units and 1.7 million feet of office space in the 27 acres that is currently being used as their parking lot. That?s wonderful, but construction won?t begin until 2015 and the estimated completion date is 2021.

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PSA: Watch Coachella on YouTube, Google devices for free this weekend

Sure, Google's previous Coachella stream ran about as smoothly as Woodstock 1999's final hours, but that's no reason to abandon the idea. Mountain View has decided to give it another go, streaming 2012's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Youtube and to properly equipped devices. Looking to get your rock on? Hit the source link below.

PSA: Watch Coachella on YouTube, Google devices for free this weekend originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 23:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'American Idol' Judges Call Competition 'A Toss-Up'

In the wake of Jessica Sanchez's near-exit, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler say season 11 is anyone's to win.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Kelly Marino

Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler
Photo: MTV News

After "American Idol" voters tried their hardest to send presumptive front-runner Jessica Sanchez packing on Thursday night's shocking results show — only to have their plan foiled by the judges, who promptly used their save to keep her in the competition — the deck has been re-shuffled, and it appears that this season really is anyone's to win.

Following Sanchez's near-exit, two of those "Idol" judges spoke to MTV News, and they weren't shy about letting their opinions be known. Simply put, they were as surprised as everyone to hear Sanchez's name called.

"I think [America] thought she was safe," Randy Jackson said of Sanchez. "I think they thought she was safe ... and I think they thought [fellow bottom-three dweller] Joshua [Ledet] was safe, because those two alone ... have been the most consistent. So, you know, yeah, I think they just forgot."

"There's just so many different singers out there. That's why it's hard for me now," Steven Tyler added. "I like to let America judge. Tonight they were wrong."

More than likely, they were. But the inclusion of Sanchez in the bottom three raises a larger question about the show: Is it possible for anyone other than a guy to actually win anymore? The previous four champions — David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze and Scotty McCreery — have all been proud possessors of the Y chromosome, and a male contestant has won in five of the previous six seasons. (Jordin Sparks was the last female to be crowned champion, way back in 2007.)

And now, with Thursday night's shake-up — and the rise of Colton Dixon and Phillip Phillips — it appears that history may repeat itself once again. Not surprisingly, though, neither Jackson nor Tyler seems to see it that way.

"I don't know, it's a toss-up right now," Jackson said. "I think it'll be a person."

"You gotta wait and see," Tyler added.

Of course, Jackson was also quick to admit that both Dixon and Phillips are strong contenders for the season 11 crown (which is probably why "Idol" mentor Jimmy Iovine spent so much time this week trying to pit them against each other), and he saved a particular bit of praise for Phillips and his, uh, unique approach to the competition.

"He's his own guy, that's what I love about him. He's an individual, Steven's an individual; that's what a real artist is made of," Jackson said. "An artist is not usually a follower; you want to be your own person. So I love that about him. I don't know if it's going to hurt him, but somebody's gotta go every week now. It's gonna be rough."

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

Related Photos

• 'American Idol' Season 11 Performances

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French designer claims he is working on revolutionary new Apple product

French Designer Philippe Starck claims that he has been working on a revolutionary new product with Apple and it will be unveiled in around eight months time. The comments were made to French newspaper Le Figaro and France-Info radio.

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Leaked Microsoft roadmap reveals Office 15, IE 10 and Windows Phone details

If it's accurate, then this leaked Microsoft roadmap has revealed the company's plans for many of its forthcoming products. Here's the basics: Internet Explorer 10 is due part-way through the year, at the same time that we hope to see Windows 8 appearing. Office 15 will enter beta-testing partway through 2012 and become "available" next year, but that's no sure-sign of a release date. On the Windows Phone front, there's a launch expected in the summer that's labelled as "future investments," which we can only hope is a euphemism for Apollo. Oh, and any Silverlight fans better pour one out for their beloved flash-killer: nothing was marked on its timeline after the December 2011 release of Version 5. After the break we've got another shot of the internal document that Windows fans will spend the next fews days analyzing with Zapruder-esque fervor.

[Images courtesy of Maarten Visser]

Continue reading Leaked Microsoft roadmap reveals Office 15, IE 10 and Windows Phone details

Leaked Microsoft roadmap reveals Office 15, IE 10 and Windows Phone details originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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