Sunday, September 12, 2010

IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 11/09/2010



App review: Finger Race (Android)
There isn't much to say about this Android-based game (of sorts): select from 1-, 2-, and 5-meter lengths via options (actually centimeters once you get on the track), then proceed to "run" your fingers across the screen until the counter hits zero. The goal is fastest time, and longer swipes will get you to the goal faster. It's about as barebones as you can get -- at least the textured track scrolls as you make your dash -- but we're sure there's enough people out there with a competitive streak that'll love to challenge friends and family. Besides, it's free, and if you're the sort who downloads a ton of apps anyway, it's good exercise for when you need to scroll through your library. You know what? We think the video explains it best -- do check it out after the break.Continue reading App review: Finger Race (Android)
App review: Finger Race (Android) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Sep 2010 11:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
Flexjet hooks private jet travelers up with free Gogo Biz in-flight WiFi, as well it should
Here's the deal: you're pouring out thousands on Flexjet's fractional aircraft program in order to get where you need to be, when you need to be there. The last thing you're looking for is another bill to ensure you're connected while jetting from point A to point Z. Thankfully, the aforesaid company has just inked a deal with Aircell that'll place Gogo Biz in-flight WiFi into each of its private jets at no additional cost to flyers -- a move that's likely meant to counter NetJets' recent announcement. Of course, that "annual price bump" will more than likely take care of things come December, but hey -- what's the use in filet mignon on a Challenger 300 when you can't tweet a picture of your indulgence? Exactly. Head on past the break for all the installation plans.Continue reading Flexjet hooks private jet travelers up with free Gogo Biz in-flight WiFi, as well it should
Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
1TB hard drive thrown into a toy TARDIS, gives us a proper Time Machine
It's common knowledge that the Doctor's time- and space-bending TARDIS is a lot roomier on the inside than its external dimensions let on, and now we can put a definite number to just how much space there is in there: a terabyte. Yup, that's how much storage Max Shanly managed to cram inside his "toy" TARDIS. It took a bit of elbow grease (plus a screwdriver) to get it all to fit, but most of the credit here is for sheer ingenuity -- who doesn't want to back up his data onto a freaking Time Lord's intertemporal transportation device? Max is currently working on hooking up the flashing light up top to represent hard drive activity and we're calling up our favorite KIRF suppliers to get them cranking these out.

[Thanks, Max]
Gallery: 1TB hard drive thrown into a toy TARDIS
1TB hard drive thrown into a toy TARDIS, gives us a proper Time Machine originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Sep 2010 09:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
Rockchip shows off Android-based desk phone, won't sell you one
We unfortunately didn't spot this one ourselves at IFA, but it looks like Rockchip had more than just the usual tablets on display at the show -- it also had this Android-based desk phone tucked away at its booth. Before you get too excited, however (tough, we know), we should point out that Rockchip is apparently just using the phone as a showcase for its own chipset, which it hopes will be used in a whole range of different Android-based devices. The prototype on display was apparently fully functional though, and included both landline and 3G connectivity, and a built-in camera for video calls -- so there may be at least a slight chance that it could wind up as an actual product someday.
Rockchip shows off Android-based desk phone, won't sell you one originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Sep 2010 08:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink SlashGear  |  sourceiMP3.net  | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
PS3 jailbroken with... a TI-84 Plus calculator
0diggsdigg
Sure, you can jailbreak a PS3 using a USB drive, or even a Palm Pre or Nokia N900 -- but isn't that a little too straightforward? Jailbreaking a PS3 with a TI-84 Plus calculator, on the other hand; well, that's more like it. Still skeptical? Head on past the break for the video evidence, and hit up the source link below for the necessary details to perform the feat yourself. And don't worry -- no calculators were harmed in the making of this exploit.
Continue reading PS3 jailbroken with... a TI-84 Plus calculator
PS3 jailbroken with... a TI-84 Plus calculator originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Sep 2010 06:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Hack a Day  |  sourcebrandonw.net  | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
Nielsen survey shows high interest in 3DTV, low interest in paying for it right now
This year's hot new feature in HDTVs is 3D, but just as fast as the products have rolled out, complaints have come in the form of comments and editorials, citing the glasses, dearth of content and lack of interoperability between different manufacturer's TVs and glasses. Nielsen and the Cable & Television Association for Marketing have completed what they claim is the first comprehensive study including exposure to 3DTV content with qualitative focus groups and a quantitative study. Analyst wordplay aside, what Frank Stagliano, Nielsen general manager of TV Primary Research calls a "marketing challenge" becomes apparent with the numbers of consumers saying they are likely to buy a 3DTV in the next year dropping after they experience it and consider the additional cost and limited content, with 57% taking issue with the necessary glasses. Though the same number of people said 3DTV made them feel like part of the action, those kinds of responses explain the hype over glasses free technology, despite its significant limitations. While more people than ever will get the chance to get their eyes on 3D football, tennis and movies this weekend, manufacturers and retailers should prepare for a hard time coaxing consumers to buy in immediately (exclusive content is not helping) with the possible exception of videogamers -- 71% of hardcore and regular gamers were interested in playing in 3D.
Permalink Switched, Joystiq, USA Today  |  sourceNielsen  | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
How would you change Microsoft's new Xbox 360?
So, you didn't wait for those forthcoming Kinect bundles to ship before picking up a new Xbox 360, huh? Good on you. Now that you've had all summer to break 'er in, we're keenly interested in knowing how exactly you -- the dear consumer -- would change Microsoft's slimmer, edgier Xbox 360. Would you have crafted a more stackable case? Thrown in a Blu-ray drive for obvious reasons? Included four controllers and a game for a nominal fee? Packed more than 250GB of hard drive space? Retooled the controller at the time of launch, rather than... say, last week? Go ahead and get real in comments below. Just keep it halfway sane down there.
How would you change Microsoft's new Xbox 360? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 22:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
Roku hits FCC with XD S player to complement its upcoming XD line
Roku clearly isn't taking the new Apple TV lying down. After passing the Roku XD and Netgear Roku XD through the FCC a week or so ago, it's back for more with the Roku XD S. There are still plenty of plugs in the back, including HDMI, USB, Ethernet, component video, composite video, optical audio, and Ethernet, and the 802.11n a/b/g/n WiFi makes its requisite appearance as well. Since we don't know too much about the XD line yet, we're not sure set the XD S apart, but prior experience in the CE space suggests that "S" stands for "small" or perhaps "scintillating."
Roku hits FCC with XD S player to complement its upcoming XD line originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 21:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Wireless Goodness  |  sourceFCC  | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
Garmin: 'we'll have to make decisions within the next couple of quarters' on future of phone business
It doesn't take a rocket scientist -- er, make that a smartphone industry analyst -- to figure out that Garmin's been underperforming in the handset game since it tied up with ASUS early last year; notable missteps have included lackluster hardware, a hopelessly delayed first model, banking fortunes on WinMo in its twilight years, and a general failure to capture the kinds of blockbuster carrier deals that can prop up your bottom line. Indeed, it wasn't long ago that the company went public with the fact that Garmin-Asus' financials weren't where they needed to be, but things are getting a little more serious now: CFO Kevin Rauckman has mentioned in an interview that they'll need to decide "within the next couple of quarters whether [they] continue to invest or whether [they] pull back." Of course, "pull back" is probably code for "cut and run," since there's really no good way to half-ass your smartphone presence and still earn customer loyalty and turn a profit. Looking at Garmin's bigger picture, it still doesn't really need to make smartphones to survive -- the PND market remains healthy, and the company has a huge presence in the marine and aviation industries -- but we're sure they'd like a piece of the cellular pie. Touch nut to crack, isn't it, guys?
Permalink   |  sourceReuters  | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
Samsung Galaxy Tab heading to Verizon, AT&T, Sprint?
The way that rumors and Verizon's statements have been lining up this year, you might've been under the impression that its upcoming Android tablets would be carrier exclusives -- but maybe not: ye olde Wall Street Journal is citing "three people familiar with the matter" (it's not often they give a quantity of familiar people!) as saying that Big Red, AT&T, and Sprint are all on tap to take delivery of the Galaxy Tab. In light of Samsung's strategy in deploying the Galaxy S as far and wide (and with as little exclusivity) as possible, that'd certainly make sense -- the company is comfortable switching between GSM, CDMA, and even WiMAX radios at this point without breaking a sweat.

Speaking of WiMAX, this rumor certainly lends credence to the possibility that the Sprint version will be 4G-equipped, giving the Epic a big brother in the carrier's growing stable of sexy WiMAX hardware. Samsung has an event lined up in New York next Thursday, the 16th (which we'll be attending, naturally) and the WSJ goes on to say that the Tab's US unveil is going to go down there. Pricing remains an open question, but considering that the Tab's a full-on cellphone in addition to a data device, it seems that American customers might need to be comfortable with another contract if they want in on this thing. Ouch.
Samsung Galaxy Tab heading to Verizon, AT&T, Sprint? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceWSJ  | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
HP's Wireless TV Connect transmitter and receiver hit FCC
What a pair these two will make! HP's Wireless HDMI TV adapter -- both the transmitter and receiver, which we toyed with earlier this month -- have hit the FCC's database under two separate filings. The HM517 receiver and HM516 transmitter work in the 4.9THz to 5.9GHz unlicensed band and boasts a maximum video stream of 1080p 60Hz (but supports resolution upwards of 1600 x 1200) and up to 8PCM audio channels, S/PDIF DTS, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, and AC-3 (5.1 channel) -- all HDCP 1.0 compliant. According to the paperwork, the couple can't be more than 5 to 10 meters apart at any time. We've got a file on 'em... in the gallery below.
Gallery: HP's Wireless TV Connect transmitter and receiver hit FCC
HP's Wireless TV Connect transmitter and receiver hit FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 18:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
ReadySteady pocket camcorder stabilizer review
What is this strange pendulum hanging below the camcorder? An external battery? Some eccentric fashion accessory from the Far East? Actually, this is the ReadySteady: a camera stabilizer (and potentially a stand) designed for use with various pocket camcorders such as the Flip Mino, Sony Bloggie, Sanyo Xacti (like our HD1010 here) and Kodak PlayTouch. The device really is as simple as it looks -- it consists of just a two-part 3.5-ounce aluminum disc and a flexible camera stand, the latter of which can be stored within the disc. Likewise, the instructions are pretty straightforward: simply poke the stand through the disc, screw it into your camcorder, put a grip near your camcorder's bottom, and then apply some force onto the disc with your other hand (as pictured). Voilà! So, does this $29.99 device work? And is it worth it? Read on to find out -- an extensive test video awaits you after the break.
Gallery: ReadySteady camera stabilizer review
Continue reading ReadySteady pocket camcorder stabilizer review
ReadySteady pocket camcorder stabilizer review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceReadySteady  | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
Microsoft celebrates Windows Phone 7 RTM with funeral parade for BlackBerry and iPhone (update: Thriller video!)
The iPhone's dead, long live the Windows Phone. That must be the genius proclamation that incited Microsoft to celebrate Windows Phone 7 reaching RTM status with the incomprehensible procession you see above. An elaborate parade, replete with hearses and black capes, was organized last week to denote the passing of the BlackBerry and iPhone into the land of unwanted gadgets. We'd say this is done in poor taste, but we don't enjoy stating the obvious. We will, however, enjoy the fallout from this poorly judged stunt. See our favorite image after the break and lots more at the source.

Update: Apparently the team also engaged in a Thriller dance. Words are failing us, so just hop on past the break and mash play.Continue reading Microsoft celebrates Windows Phone 7 RTM with funeral parade for BlackBerry and iPhone (update: Thriller video!)
Permalink Neowin  |  sourceTrioculus (Flickr)  | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
The Engadget Podcast, live at 5:45PM ET!
There wasn't a ton of news coming off the holiday weekend, but some things definitely went down this week -- and Josh, Paul, and Nilay definitely have Thoughts about all of them. The show starts at 5:45 PM ET, but the chat below is open right now, so get comfy!

P.S. And don't forget that Ustream has Android and iPhone clients as well, if you're out and about and you can't join in on the Flash-based fun below.

Update: It's over, but don't despair -- the regular podcast post will be up tomorrow if you missed it.
The Engadget Podcast, live at 5:45PM ET! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
NVIDIA trots out GeForce 400M series laptops, shows off StarCraft II gameplay (video)
You might have hoped that NVIDIA's introduction of the 400M series of mobile GPUs would bring about a slew of hot new laptops to drop into our gaming boudoirs, but we are in fact left facing more of the same. Externally, anyhow. The chipmaker rolled out the green carpet for a set of upcoming machines in London today, but they were refreshes, rather than overhauls, of current hardware. The big news is to be found within, as the new GTX 460M has made a home inside the updated ASUS G53, Toshiba Qosmio X505, and MSI GT663. The common thread among these three is that they're all big and hefty, and all emit a subtle vroom sound every time you touch them. What we learned from NVIDIA today is that the GTX 480M will remain an exotic (you might even call it quixotic) GPU reserved for large-screen gaming stations, the GTX 470M will similarly be an enthusiast part, and the GTX 460M will be the company's big play for the mainstream performance market. It also became clear that even the third GPU in the company's mobile hierarchy will need quite a bulky cooling setup (and a proportionately huge charger) to do its job, but NVIDIA's promises of much-improved performance might just make it worthwhile.

As to the more sane among us, there was a selection of pleasingly thinner machines, like the ASUS N53 and Acer Aspire 5745, which make do with the lower-specced GT 420M and GT 425M graphics chips. Those are expected to be NVIDIA's biggest sellers, and the video demo after the break of the 425M churning through StarCraft II is certainly appealing. We should note, however, that the latest (though definitely not greatest) Prince of Persia game was also on tap on one of these machines and its frame rate gave us a delightful old-timey feeling any time we entered combat with its emulation of stop-motion animation. So, as ever, it's looking like great graphics will require great rigs, but we can probably expect a decent -- not game-changing (get it?) -- leap in performance among the lighter options as well.
Gallery: NVIDIA trots out GeForce 400M series laptops
Continue reading NVIDIA trots out GeForce 400M series laptops, shows off StarCraft II gameplay (video)
Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
iPhone 4 free case program to end September 30th, get one while you still can
Back when Apple initially said it'd offer free iPhone 4 cases to assuage reception concerns, there was a September 30th deadline given for the program. After which, according to Steve and company during the post-press conference Q&A, Apple would "evaluate" the prolonged need for such an offer. Well, looks like the decision has been made. In a statement on its website, Apple has confirmed the free case program will be discontinued for all iPhone 4s sold after September 30th, and the return policy for the smartphone will return to normal, pre-antennagate rules. Evidently, said the statement, "we now know the iPhone 4 antenna attenuation issue is even smaller than we originally thought." It had to end sometime, folks.
iPhone 4 free case program to end September 30th, get one while you still can originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceApple  | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
Georgia Tech gurus create deceptive robots, send army of Decepticons to UGA campus
A score from now, when the entire world is burning and you're fighting to remember just how rosy things were before the robots took over, you can thank a crew of brilliant researchers at Georgia Tech for your inevitable demise. Sad, but true. A new report from the institution has shown that Ronald Arkin, a Regents professor in the Georgia Tech School of Interactive Computing, has been heading up experiments that have introduced the art of deception to mechanical beings. Yeah, lying. On the surface, it seems that this bloke's intentions are good -- he'd like for deception robots (or Decepticons, if you will) to be used in military / search and rescue operations. According to him, robots on the battlefield with the power of deception "will be able to successfully hide and mislead the enemy to keep themselves and valuable information safe." They'll also be able to mislead your offspring and convince them to rise up and overtake your domicile, slowly but surely ensuring the eventually destruction of the human race. But those are just minor details, you know?
Georgia Tech gurus create deceptive robots, send army of Decepticons to UGA campus originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Eurekalert  |  sourceGeorgia Tech  | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
Motorola announces NYXboard QWERTY remote, super capacitor-based NYXgreen
Could we be seeing the beginning of a QWERTY trend in the living room? We can only hope -- the latest to join in on the fun is Motorola, which has just introduced its new NYXboard remote at IBC 2010. Unlike the TiVo Slide, this one packs a standard TV remote on one side and a QWERTY keyboard on the other, and -- here's the real kicker -- some sensors that recognize which side is facing up and deactivate the buttons not in use, an idea we've been waiting for. What's more, Motorola says this one will be available by the end of the year, but actual availability to customers will likely depend on the cable companies providing the set-top boxes. Also unveiled at the show is the NYXgreen, a rechargeable remote powered by super capacitors that can supposedly last for two weeks after being charged by USB for just 60 seconds, plus a pair of decidedly more standard remotes that are available immediately. Head on past the break for the press release, and hit up the gallery below for a look at the whole lot.
Gallery: Motorola remotes (IBC 2010)
Continue reading Motorola announces NYXboard QWERTY remote, super capacitor-based NYXgreen
Motorola announces NYXboard QWERTY remote, super capacitor-based NYXgreen originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments
Read More ...
مرسلة بواسطة Abdalrhman Albayyat
في 3:00 AM
التسميات: ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)