Engadget

Remember Data.gov? The President does, and he has issued an executive order that should give the information portal a shot in the arm. Starting this week, new and modernized Government information systems should use open and machine readable formats by default, adhering to the guidelines of a new Open Data Policy. The policy requires agencies to use open, machine readable formats that are non-proprietary, publicly available and unrestricted, and aims to put useful data in the hands of US companies while increasing privacy and security.

According to the White House blog, this means new data will be served in CSV, XML, JSON and other machine readable formats, and will even be accessible via API in some situations. The White House hopes the new policy will help foster innovation. "There are private companies using open data to fight credit card fraud; consumers using open data to save on their energy bills; families leveraging open data to compare health care options; and a host of new apps and tools in areas ranging from public safety, to financial planning, to education, and more," the blog explains. "We are very excited about the path ahead and can't wait to see what new ideas and yet to be imagined innovations can be unlocked by increased access to open data." Head past the break to read the executive order for yourself, and check out the source PDF for a peek at the new Open Data Policy.

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Last spring, we trekked two hours north of Vancouver to the bustling ski town of Whistler. Olympus, we were told, would be making a very significant announcement, and we needed to make our way to British Columbia to check it out. The product sample we walked away with, the OM-D E-M5, was indeed worth the trip -- we quickly recognized the potential, and later dubbed the mirrorless shooter the "company's best camera yet." Its image quality, unique five-axis image stabilization and shockingly fast autofocus represented just some of the device's most impressive features -- we were smitten. So, when Olympus reached out with a similar teaser last month, we didn't hesitate to make the same journey yet again to spend a day with this year's MFT master.

It's the PEN E-P5, and you probably knew it was coming. Details and even a few product shots leaked to the web last week, revealing a gorgeous, classic design, and some pretty impressive specifications, many of which have made their way from the E-M5. There's a 16-megapixel sensor with five-axis stabilization, 1080/30p video, a 1.04M-dot 3-inch touchscreen that tilts up and down, a 1/8000-second maximum shutter speed (enabling more shallow depth of field in sunlight), an ISO range of 100-25,600, a 0.5-second start-up time and OM-D-like autofocus speeds that let the camera adjust for a subject quickly regardless of the lighting conditions. It's plenty impressive on paper, but how did it hold up during our test? Read on to find out.

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Michael Dell's deal with Microsoft to buy back the computer company bearing his name hasn't gone through yet, and tonight two of its largest shareholders joined forces on another option. Carl Icahn and Southeastern Asset Management have both opposed the $24.4 billion / $13.65 per share buyout proposal from the start and have an alternative proposal: a $12 per share dividend, funded by Dell's $9 billion in cash and $5.2 billion in new debt. If that's not accepted, the two also claim to be ready to put up a slate of 12 directors ahead of Dell's annual shareholder meeting, or take their challenge to the courts. Even with the reported withdrawal of a counter offer from Blackstone Group, things remain complicated -- we'll wait and see if any of these threats go through, or if they successfully wrangle a better buyout offer from Dell, Microsoft & Co.

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You probably won't ever see these latest NEC computers hit retailers on this side of the Pacific, but if you do your laptop shopping in Japan, it's time to listen up. NEC's just flooded the market with a bounty of fresh models, all likely destined for corporate IT departments, and maybe a few homes.

There are a few additions to the Mate series, including an MG all-in-one, along with ML, ME and MB slim towers. Then, on the portables front, there's some VB, VH, VD and VA notebooks, followed by two standouts: a VX laptop for 138,500 JPY ($1,400) and a VG Ultrabook priced at a whopping 261,000 JPY (about $2,650). That first model is available with Intel Core i3 or i5 processors, a WXGA 15.6-inch LCD and integrated graphics. The pricey Ultrabook, for its part, can be had with a Core i5 or i7 processor, four gigs of RAM, a 1,600 x 900-pixel 13.3-inch LCD, integrated graphics and either Windows 8 Pro or Windows 7 (huzzah!). There's plenty more to discover, of course, but we'll leave that up to you. NEC loyalists can get their fix (in Japanese) at the source link below.

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Facebook updated its Android app today, with a flurry of new features. The cutesy / creepy stickers that recently hit its messenger platform are now a part of its core application, along with the ability to delete unwanted comments from posts. The highlight of this new software push is a redesigned layout for business pages, which rolled out on iOS and its mobile web UI last month. Under this retooled interface Like, Directions, Check In and Call buttons at the top aid discovery in the style of Google Maps, Foursquare or Yelp. If you'd like to take closer at Facebook's refined setup for Android, feel free to socialize with the source link below.

Update: Although it wasn't noted in the changelog, we've noticed a new "ongoing notification" that appears after updating, and judging by the comments, so have some of you. It can be switched off in the app's settings, but it's on by default and drops a Facebook icon in your notification bar with shortcuts to areas like messages, friend requests and service notifications. You can get a peek at the surprise addition in the pic above -- let us know if you're feeling appreciative or angered in the comments.

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Pioneer's nicer Cyber Navi GPS units already revolve heavily around cameras that dish out augmented reality. That clearly wasn't enough for the company, though, as its new tilt-screen AVIC-VH0009 and fixed-screen AVIC-ZH0009 models wring even more value out of that front sensor. Their new Smart Loop feature automatically snaps photos at traffic hotspots that it shares with fellow drivers, giving them a crowdsourced glimpse of any trouble that lies ahead. Other upgrades don't depend quite so much on collective wisdom, however. The AR Scouter Mode is now smart enough to spot upcoming crosswalks, and the voice search lets drivers freely speak keywords rather than follow a strict syntax. Pioneer isn't divulging pricing ahead of the Cyber Navis' June release, but their Japan-focused location services hint that we won't see either navigator reach the US anytime soon. We can at least live vicariously through the (very detailed) video after the break.

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Attention HTML5 virtuosos: Mozilla is thirsty for your talents. So much, in fact, that the outfit is baiting developers with a free smartphone in the hopes they'll return the favor with fresh Firefox OS apps. In order to qualify for a device, you'll need to submit a proposal to Mozilla outlining the app you wish to build or port to its new mobile platform. If your pitch is accepted, the company will hook you up with a free Geeksphone Keon to thank you for your labor. Sure, the device's 3.5-inch HVGA display, 1GHz Snapdragon S1 processor, 512MB of RAM and 3-megapixel rear-facing camera are entry-level at best, but remember you're getting this handset gratis. The program is set to close at the end of the month or when supplies run out, whichever comes first. So, if you're interested in adding "Firefox OS developer" to your resume, hit up the source link to apply.

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Nokia is continuing its trail of breadcrumbs to the official Lumia 928 launch, with today's drop including this rendering of the phone in white and a video meant to show off its optical image stabilization chops. The phone pulls off some high quality video recording attached to a remote control helicopter flying through the forest, as it attempts to keep blur to a minimum. It also shows off a flash that, to our eyes, looks like the xenon bulb featured in the 808 PureView. There's no comparison to other devices this time around, so you'll just have to imagine what other phones could capture in similar circumstances (or, do the test yourself and send us the video -- whatever works). Check out the demo after the break to see the results yourself, or hit the source link to sign up for more info.

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