Monday, October 25, 2010

IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 25/10/2010

Fauxhawk robot exterminates wasps, is something of a fashion victim
When Professor Sekine of Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, heard that his friend had been stung upwards of 90 times exterminating wasps, he was inspired to act. Why not build a robot to do the job instead? Presumably he threw some old parts together that he had laying around anyways -- why else would he build a humanoid robot with a mohawk, when an AR.Drone -- or a spray bottle with an extra long hose -- could just as easily do the trick? Called Mohican (in honor of its awesome wig), this device is intended to be controlled via remote and voice ("climb the ladder," for instance), and seems way over-qualified for its intended task. But who knows? Maybe Sekine is a visionary! After all, he has big plans for his automaton: After it's released "sometime next summer," he wants to devote his time to an updated model that will work in other hazardous environments, such as nuclear power plants.
Fauxhawk robot exterminates wasps, is something of a fashion victim originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 08:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Viewsonic VX2258wm 22-inch multitouch display hits stores in Europe
It looks like the folks at Viewsonic never got the memo that people don't want touchscreen displays on devices that don't lay flat. (Maybe Steve forgot to CC 'em?) That, or maybe they just have a rebellious streak -- which we can certainly respect. Either way, the company has just announced the VX2258wm, a 22-inch monitor that uses Infrared Optical Imaging to bring Windows-certified multitouch to the table (er, desk). And that, alongside 1080p HD resolution, ClearMotiv II Technology, a 5ms response time, a dynamic contrast ratio of 100,000:1, and support for HBDP (High Bandwidth Digital Protection) Blu-ray devices, sounds pretty good to us! Available now in Europe for £189 (roughly $300). PR after the break.
Continue reading Viewsonic VX2258wm 22-inch multitouch display hits stores in Europe
Viewsonic VX2258wm 22-inch multitouch display hits stores in Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 06:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Father-son team build Samus Aran arm cannon for Halloween
Looking for a little inspiration for your Halloween costume? Then you might not want to read any further, as you'll likely only find yourself struggling to match the Samus Aran costume that 11-year old Joseph DeRose and his father are building. That costume apparently only consists of an arm cannon at the moment, but it's certainly an impressive arm cannon -- it packs an array of LED lights with various settings (controlled by an Arduino, naturally), not to mention an assortment of sound effects from the Metroid games. Those not concerned about being upstaged can check out a video of the build process after the break.
Continue reading Father-son team build Samus Aran arm cannon for Halloween
Father-son team build Samus Aran arm cannon for Halloween originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 03:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Joystiq  |  sourceProject Varia  | Email this | Comments
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HTC Knight surfaces for Sprint with Android and a sliding hinge of some sort?
What do we know about the picture above? Not much more than meets the eye -- this alleged HTC Knight is for Sprint and navigates Android using capacitive touchscreen keys. We do get a little more detail from the source of the image, who gave XDA-developers an XML file that mentions users should not "slide screen in/out" during activation. That certainly suggests that we're looking at a slider, but not necessarily a physical QWERTY keyboard -- after all, a very similar-looking HTC device recently appeared sporting a slide-out speaker bar.

[Thanks, Delon H.]
HTC Knight surfaces for Sprint with Android and a sliding hinge of some sort? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Pocketnow  |  sourceXDA-developers  | Email this | Comments
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XpanD universal 3D glasses now available for pre-order
The lack of inter-brand compatibility is a major annoyance with current 3D glasses -- not to mention stands in direct opposition to our fashionable couch potato aesthetic. Luckily, XpanD's universal 3D glasses are finally available for pre-order on Amazon, even though there's no word on ship dates. They are however currently priced at $108, which is slightly less than the $125-$150 range quoted by XpanD's Chief Strategy Officer Ami Dror last spring. That said, no surprise drop in price could justify their PR platitude as "the most anticipated product in the history of 3D." Continue reading XpanD universal 3D glasses now available for pre-order
XpanD universal 3D glasses now available for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 22:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceXpanD Cinema  | Email this | Comments
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Nissan Leaf goes 116.1 miles in first anecdotal test, with the air conditioning on
If there's one thing we've learned from years of toying with technology, it's never to believe a manufacturer's estimate regarding battery life, but it seems like the estimates Nissan provided for its Leaf electric car may not be too far off the mark. Though the vehicle obviously isn't getting 367 miles to its non-existent gallon, PluginCars did manage to eke out a solid 116.1 miles in the car's first anecdotal test, and all they had to do to go the distance was drive casually and slightly below the speed limit. "It wasn't like I was driving like an obsessed hypermiler," said the driver, who spent most of the trip with the A/C blasting. Nissan recently revised their range estimates for the Leaf to anywhere from 62 to 138 miles depending on speed and weather conditions, so 116.1 is a pretty solid run, but until those charging stations permeate the countryside, we're still going to take the ol' gas-guzzler on our road trips.
Nissan Leaf goes 116.1 miles in first anecdotal test, with the air conditioning on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 20:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourcePluginCars.com  | Email this | Comments
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OTECH F1 handset holds four SIM cards, enables you to live a quadruple life
So look, you feel pretty special toting around that dual-SIM phone, right? Being able to switch numbers and carriers as you hop back and forth between Germany and Amsterdam is fairly nifty, but you've been considering a daily route around the Benelux. Of course, tri-SIM phones aren't impossible to find either, but should you ever wander into France, Switzerland or any other nation, you'll be forced to pop one of those out and insert another the old fashioned way. Well, unless you can score an OTECH F1. This here handset -- which can only be found in the wilds of Asia right now -- actually has room for four SIM cards, and it's also packing a full QWERTY keyboard, 2.4-inch touchscreen, support for mobile TV, an FM radio tuner, Bluetooth module and what appears to be a 12.1 megapixel camera. Unsurprisingly, a price on this bad boy is eluding us, but if you're an industrious jetsetter, we're confident you won't have any issues running one down. Whether or not you want to, however, is another matter entirely...
OTECH F1 handset holds four SIM cards, enables you to live a quadruple life originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 19:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Only Gizmos  |  sourceGSM Arena  | Email this | Comments
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The Engadget Show: live with Microsoft's Aaron Woodman, Windows Phone 7, Google TV, and costume contest!
Good news, we worked out our streaming issue! So keep your eyes tuned to this post -- because at 6:30 PM ET, we'll be starting The Engadget Show live, with Microsoft's Aaron Woodman, Windows Phone 7 devices, Google TV, and more! Josh and Nilay on hand, plus we'll have music from Kris Keyser with visuals from noteNdo and much, much, more. You seriously don't want to miss it. Check out the live stream after the break!


Continue reading The Engadget Show: live with Microsoft's Aaron Woodman, Windows Phone 7, Google TV, and costume contest!
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NVIDIA lists unannounced GTX 580 graphics card on its page, quickly puts it back in hiding
NVIDIA lists unannounced 40nm GTX 580 graphics card on its page, quickly puts it back in hiding
What's this, a bit of intrigue from NVIDIA? The company is due for a refresh on its DirectX 11 line and, with AMD's Cayman series floating its way to availability on crystal-clear waters, the competition appears to be teasing its response. NVIDIA briefly listed a card called the GTX 580 on its System Requirements page and, while we don't know how long it was there, it was quickly pulled after news of its presence started making the rounds. Accidental addition or the intentional planting of a seed of doubt in the minds of AMD fans? We'll never know, and we don't know the details of the card either, but expectations are that it contains 40nm construction with 512 CUDA cores, 2GB of GDDR5 memory, and a due date before the end of the year. That should give you plenty of time to upgrade your power supply... again.

[Thanks, Musouka]
Permalink Fudzilla  |  sourceGeeks3D  | Email this | Comments
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Netflix testing $7.99 and $8.99 streaming-only plans in US right now, one is not a discount (update)
When CEO Reed Hastings called Netflix "primarily a streaming company that also offers DVD-by-mail," he wasn't messing around, as the company's quietly made streaming-only plans a reality on US shores. Strangely enough, however, it seems the firm hasn't quite decided how much the new plan should cost, as depending on which computer and web browser you use to navigate Netflix's website you'll see a different result. Our Windows desktop running Chrome was invited to sign up for the same $7.99 disc-less plan as our Canadian counterparts, while Firefox asked us to pay $8.99 for the same privilege, and in either case it'd cost us $9.99 in total if we wanted physical discs as well -- while a MacBook Pro on the other side of the country was given the choice between $8.99 for streaming-only or Netflix's previous plan of $8.99 for both. In short, there's a chance you might get a $1 discount if you only use the company's online service now, but if you like DVDs delivered to your door you may find yourself subsidizing those who don't. See a picture illustrating the discrepancy right after the break.

Update: We've got Netflix's entire pricing breakdown for DVD-mailer plans after the break, and unless we're mistaken, the three cheapest tiers all cost an extra dollar now, while the more expensive plans stay the same.

[Thanks, Michael S.]Continue reading Netflix testing $7.99 and $8.99 streaming-only plans in US right now, one is not a discount (update)
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Power Gig's full-size, handmade guitar / controller now on sale for $250
Ah, ha! There it is! Way back in March, we had a sit-down with folks from Seven45 Studios about their plans for Power Gig: Rise of the SixString (for PS3 and Xbox 360), focusing mainly on how they intended to rival the Rock Band and Guitar Hero franchises from a peripheral standpoint. The six string guitar accessory that ships with the game bundle today is already leaps and bounds better than what RB3 is packin', but an instrument we were keenly interested in at GDC was also one we couldn't photograph at the time. The company made clear that it was looking at releasing a real-deal, bona fide guitar in the future -- a full-size First Act axe that could be used with the game or with a legitimate amplifier. Now, that limited edition piece is on sale for both of the aforesaid consoles, boasting a single cutaway basswood body, humbucking pickup, and a maple neck with a rosewood fretboard. Each one is available for $249.99, but there's no telling how many will be produced. We'd also prefer to see these in larger music shops in order to give consumers an idea of the fit, finish, feel and sound, but those into taking chances can get one headed their way as we speak.
Gallery: Power Gig's full-size, handmade guitar from First Act
Continue reading Power Gig's full-size, handmade guitar / controller now on sale for $250
Power Gig's full-size, handmade guitar / controller now on sale for $250 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 15:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourcePowerGig (PS3), (Xbox 360)  | Email this | Comments
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Man with bionic arms dies after car crash
Otto Bock's mind-controlled bionic arms let Austria's Christian Kandlbauer work, play and even drive, but it seems the latter passion may have lead to the 22-year-old's untimely demise. Two days after a road accident where the young man's specially-modified Subaru crashed into a tree, Kandlbauer was pronounced brain-dead and taken off life support late last week. It's not known whether the prosthetic arms themselves had anything to do with the crash -- one was found ripped from his body at the scene -- but both he and his vehicle were cleared to drive by local authorities after passing a number of tests. Honestly, it's a tragedy for science and humanity either way.
Man with bionic arms dies after car crash originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 14:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceBBC News  | Email this | Comments
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MSI brings Core i5, GeForce GT 425M to 15.6-inch GE603 laptop
It looks about like every other MSI 15.6-incher out there, but for those who prefer classy over vivacious, he GE603 might just be right down your alley. Designed primary as a multimedia laptop with the ability to handle a modest amount of demanding games, this here rig will be available with a Core i5-460M, i5-450M or i5-430M processor, NVIDIA's GeForce GT 425M (1GB), HDMI and VGA outputs, a 320/500/640GB hard drive, a DVD burner, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a foursome of USB 2.0 sockets. You'll also find 802.11b/g/n WiFi, an ExpressCard reader, 5-in-1 card reader, gigabit Ethernet and up to 8GB of DDR3 memory. As you'd expect, Windows 7 is running the show, and the nine-cell Li-ion should keep it humming for at least a couple of hours. Per usual, MSI's not serving up details regarding a price or release date, but we both know it's aiming to have it on store shelves pre-Christmas.
MSI brings Core i5, GeForce GT 425M to 15.6-inch GE603 laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 13:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Hot Hardware  |  sourceMSI  | Email this | Comments
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The Engadget Show returns today! With Windows Phone 7, Aaron Woodman, Google TV devices, and our first Halloween costume contest! (update: no livestream)
Attention all humans and empathetic robots: The Engadget Show is back in a big way today, October 23rd at 6:30pm! To get things started, Josh and the gang will be taking a first-hand look at a plethora of Windows Phone 7 devices with Microsoft's Aaron Woodman, then we'll be demoing Google TV, and Engadget's own Darren Murph will be joining Josh, Nilay, and Paul on stage, Guinness World Record in hand. What's more, we're hosting our first ever Halloween costume contest! There will be giveaways at the show for the best costumes (as voted on by you, the audience), so get to work on your winning masterpiece now! We'll also have the usual random giveaways, but why leave it to chance when you could win stuff with a little creativity and a black turtleneck? There will also be music from Kris Keyser and visuals from noteNdo and plenty of other giveaways at the live show only, so make the trek and join us at The Times Center in person. We have a new ticketing policy, so if you're coming to the live show, be sure to read about it below. If you're geographically incapable of joining us in New York City laster this evening just tune into the stream right here on Engadget.

Update: Due to a technical issue, we won't be livestreaming the show tonight.

Update 2: Or maybe we will! We appear to have worked out some of the issues, so head on down!

The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). Tickets are -- as always -- free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served... so get there early! Here's the updated info on our new ticketing policy that you need to know:
  • There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free
  • The event is all ages
  • Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 2:00PM today, Saturday October 23rd, doors will open for seating at 5:45PM, and the show begins at 6:30PM
  • We now have assigned seating, so the first people to get their tickets -- and the Sprint text-to-win winners (see below) -- will get priority seating. This also means that once you get a ticket, your seat is guaranteed -- you won't have to get back in line to get a good seat.
  • We still had plenty of tickets left over at the last taping, so just because it's 5:00pm and you finally finished Halo: Reach doesn't mean you won't get a seat at the show -- so get your butt up to the Times Center this evening!
  • Ticketing will continue until all tickets are given away
  • You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket
  • Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we're full, we're full
  • The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break)
  • The show length is around an hour
If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com.

Subscribe to the Show:

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
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Ballmer: next release of Windows will be Microsoft's 'riskiest product bet' (video)
Windows 7 might be a massive commercial success and an undeniably rock solid piece of software, but Microsoft is apparently unwilling to rest on those soft and cozy laurels. Asked about the riskiest product bet the Redmond crew is currently developing, its fearless leader Steve Ballmer took no time in answering "the next release of Windows." His interviewers sadly failed to probe any deeper on the subject, but it might be notable that Steve calls it the next release rather than simply Windows 8, while the idea of it being risky also ties in with previous indications that Microsoft is aiming for a revolutionary leap between iterations. We'll have to just be patient and wait for more on that, though if you'd like a peek at Steve dodging question on tablets and the potential for Windows Phone 7 appearing on them, you need only jump past the break for the video.

Update: It's also worth noting that Ballmer may not have been talking about revolutionary leaps as much as he's referencing the past issues the company has had when it's issued a major OS update (hello, Vista). The idea that making any big change to the operating system most of the world runs would invite a certain amount of high risk makes sense to us.
Continue reading Ballmer: next release of Windows will be Microsoft's 'riskiest product bet' (video)
Permalink Gizmodo, ZDNet  |  sourceGartnervideo (YouTube)  | Email this | Comments
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