Tuesday, November 2, 2010

IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 02/11/2010

Dropcam Echo review
Dropcam Echo review
We'd all like to think that when we leave our homes absolutely nothing happens there -- except maybe a Roomba making its solitary rounds or a pooch waiting somberly by the door. Of course that's not the case, lots of things can go wrong in your absence and if you're of the paranoid variety surely you've entertained a few of those ideas. With a camera capable of remote monitoring you can assuage some of those fears, and the models from Dropcam are about the easiest we've seen to use. But, at $199 to $279 with monthly monitoring fees ranging from $8.95 to $24.95, they sure aren't cheap.
Gallery: Dropcam Echo
Continue reading Dropcam Echo review
Dropcam Echo review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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SCHEMA robot shows off its conversation management skills in a group setting
SCHEMA is a conversational humanoid robot at Waseda University in Japan with some pretty serious skills. As you'll see in the new video video they have posted (which is embedded below), SCHEMA is able to participate in a three person conversation without losing the plot, and is perfectly capable of understanding which speaker is which and what has been said by whom. It's an impressive performance, to say the very least.Continue reading SCHEMA robot shows off its conversation management skills in a group setting
SCHEMA robot shows off its conversation management skills in a group setting originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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TomTom busts out GO 2405 TM and GO 2505 TM navigational devices
TomTom's just launched two new navigational devices, the GO 2405 TM and the GO 2505 TM. These units boast several updated software features, including 'instant' route planning (which is actually continuous routing), and a redesigned interface which makes use of pinch-to-zoom and swiping gestures. The GO 2405 TM has a 4.3-inch display and will run you $299, while the 2505 TM is a 5-incher and retails for $319. Both are available now at Amazon, Best Buy, and TomTom.com, and will be available at retail stores sometime in mid-2011. Full press release is below.Continue reading TomTom busts out GO 2405 TM and GO 2505 TM navigational devices
TomTom busts out GO 2405 TM and GO 2505 TM navigational devices originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple tracking an issue with defective Monster headphones?
We just received a tip and some screencaps, purportedly from the Apple-verse, with a word of warning about Monster's headphone lineup. Apple is apparently blaming the "conductive flanges" used in many of Monster's earbuds for erratic stopping and starting of playback on Apple devices. The point of this internal memo seems for support staff to recognize that what a consumer might assume is a defect in an Apple product might actually be a Monster problem. Interestingly, Apple's list of problem headphones doesn't mention any of the Beats-labeled products that Apple actually sells, and is limited to Monster headphones that include "ControlTalk" tech for controlling playback with a cable-mounted mic / volume / pause remote, modeled after Apple's own iPhone-bundled earbuds. We're not sure if this means Monster is mis-applying Apple standards or just has a manufacturing defect, and it's also unclear if this problem also extends to the ControlTalk-equipped products in the joint-developed Beats lineup, but if you've been having some trouble with random stop-starts in your music on your $400 pair of Copper Turbines (and you aren't listening to James Blake), perhaps this will clear up some confusion. A full list of the affected 'buds is after the break.

[Thanks, Anonymous]Continue reading Apple tracking an issue with defective Monster headphones?
Apple tracking an issue with defective Monster headphones? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 11:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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T-Mobile offering unlimited tethering 'this holiday season' as $15 add-on
This one comes as no surprise, but T-Mobile has announced today that the availability of tethering and WiFi hotspot capabilities for "select smartphones" in its lineup in time for the holidays -- and as is often the case with Big Magenta, they're offering the service at a much more aggressive price point than its larger competitors: $14.99 a month on top of your $30 unlimited data plan buys you unlimited tethering on T-Mobile's glorious HSPA+ network (and in its non-HSPA+ areas as well, of course). We still don't know whether this'll start to roll out on November 3rd as was rumored, but that'd be a nice way to get into the holiday spirit, wouldn't it? Don't get us wrong -- we'd prefer if they offered it for free as part of your $30 package, but in our post-apocalyptic world of streaming video and incessant browsing on the go, that just wasn't gonna happen.

Separately, T-Mobile is also announcing an alternative to that $30 smartphone data: a new 200MB plan clocking in at $10 on a new two-year deal or $15 a month without a contract extension. As you might imagine, tethering isn't available with this one -- we suspect it's just an answer to the new fad adopted by AT&T and Verizon of offering a tiny-bucket data plan alongside your regular gluttonous-bucket package.Continue reading T-Mobile offering unlimited tethering 'this holiday season' as $15 add-on
T-Mobile offering unlimited tethering 'this holiday season' as $15 add-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 10:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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oStylus capacitive pen goes majorly on sale, now just $37.50
We didn't exactly think that the oStylus capacitive pen was a runaway hit at $75 plus shipping, but at half that? Now we're talking. Founder Andrew Goss just pinged us to say that the company's first capacitive pen is now selling for half of the original MSRP, or $37.50 for those terrible with numbers. The only difference is the shedding of a limited run engraving; these pens are still handmade in-studio, so the build quality will match that of the one we reviewed. We still maintain that this unit is best in the hands of doodlers, and capacitive input devices as a whole still have aways to go, but this ain't a bad price if you're looking to experiment.
oStylus capacitive pen goes majorly on sale, now just $37.50 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 10:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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ZTE's AD8000 Android MID gets sized up at the FCC, with full specs in tow
ZTE's AD8000 Android MID gets sized up at the FCC, with full specs in tow
What first we thought was the Light is actually something wholly different -- and rather less exciting. What we have here is called simply the AD8000 MID, a 7-inch device from ZTE with an 800 x 480 resistive touchscreen. Power comes courtesy a 600MHz processor, smarts courtesy Android 2.2, and there's up to 16GB of storage internally and SDHC expansion for when that's tapped out. 802.11b/g are your wireless options, while 10 hours is rated as maximum battery life while listening to music, though that drops to six if you're cruising the web and/or watching videos. The FCC has kindly posted the thing's full operating manual including all specs if you'd like to know more, but since Archos already has this segment rather well covered we'll go back to waiting for the Light to light up our lives.
ZTE's AD8000 Android MID gets sized up at the FCC, with full specs in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 09:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sprint lights up first 4G network in New York City, among other locales
We gave a fortunate sect of consumers a taste of WiMAX during our recent reader meetup in the Big Apple, but now it's available to all: as promised, Sprint has just went live with New York City's first 4G network. With the holiday sales season just around the bend, this honestly couldn't have come at a better time, and considering the bandwidth strain that hamstrings the city, it could very well make things easier on everyone if the adoption rate is high. Moreover, Sprint has blessed Hartford, New Haven, New Brunswick, Trenton and Tampa with WiMAX as of today, bringing the grand total of lit cities to 61. So, LTE -- whatcha waitin' for?Continue reading Sprint lights up first 4G network in New York City, among other locales
Sprint lights up first 4G network in New York City, among other locales originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 09:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple patent application offers promise of stronger, scratch-proof stainless steel
As with all patent applications, it's a bit early to get too excited about this one, but a recently published filing from Apple dubbed "Nitriding Stainless Steel for Consumer Electronic Products" is one of the more interesting we've seen from the company as of late, especially when you consider its recent acquisition of Liquidmetal's intellectual property. Whereas Liquidmetal promises to let Apple create metal devices that are stronger and not limited to the usual structural or strength limitations found in conventional metals, this new patent application suggests that the company might also be working on a nitride coating for stainless steel that's described as "both scratch and impact resistant." What's more, the application suggests that the coating would not affect the appearance of the underlying stainless steel, and not cause any RF interference either. As pointed out in the application itself, that means it could be used on laptops, portable media players and, yes, even cellphones -- or it could simply be filed away with the countless other applications that haven't seen the light of day. Here's hoping for the former.
Apple patent application offers promise of stronger, scratch-proof stainless steel originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 08:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink AppleInsider  |  sourceApple patent application  | Email this | Comments
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Canalys: iPhone becomes most popular smartphone in the US, Android continues as most popular OS
Canalys: iPhone becomes most popular smartphone in the US, Android continues as most popular OS
The Canalys numbers are out, and with Android coming off an 886 percent jump reported at the end of the second quarter we were expecting something big. So, here it is: Android is up 1,309 percent worldwide from this time last year, taking over 43.6 percent of the US smartphone market in the third quarter. In terms of mobile operating systems that makes it the dominant player in America, but with Apple capturing 26.2 percent it now jumps into the lead when it comes to hardware, beating out RIM's 24.2 percent. That's a swap from last quarter, where BlackBerries beat iPhones 32 to 21.7 percent, and worldwide things are looking the same: Apple at 17 percent compared to RIM's 15. However around the globe it's Nokia and the Symbian Foundation still dominating the stage as the leading smart phone OS vendor, owning 33 percent of the market compared to 38 last quarter, while Microsoft sits at a lowly 3 percent. With WP7 ready to rock the world, and Ballmer ready to release the advertising hounds, that's a figure we'll be keeping a close eye on for the next few quarters.
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ViewSonic ViewPad 7 and 10 officially comin' to America
ViewSonic's heavy foray into the tablet market has been no secret, but we've been a bit uncertain as to where on the map its products would land. Until now that is. According to ViewSonic's American team, the company will be kicking off its US tablet invasion with the ViewPad 7 in November. Just as we'd heard, the 7-inch device packs an Snapdragon processor, Android 2.2, two cameras (a 3 megapixel cam on its rear and a VGA front facing one), 512MB of memory and 3G capabilities. Sure, it sounds a heck of a lot like the rest of the other Android tablets we've been seeing, but according to ViewSonic this one will most definitely have access to the Google Market and come preloaded with Google's apps. Well, that's a horse of a different color, though its $479 MSRP seems a bit high to us. What about the ViewSonic fans out there that have been eyeing the Android 1.6 / Win 7 dual-booting ViewPad 10, you ask? Well, they'll have to wait until the first quarter of 2011 to get their hands on that one, though at least that gives 'em time to save up the $629 that it's expected to retail for. We should note here, that the ViewPad 10 is identical in design to the Tega v2 we recently reviewed and similar in specs -- it has a 1.66GHz Atom processor, 16GB SSD, 1GB of RAM and Windows 7 Home Premium. We're still unsure where the 10-inch, Android 2.2 G-Tablet that was recently spotted in a Sears circular fits in, but we're definitely getting the hint that Viewsonic's in it to win it with tablets.
Gallery: Viewsonic Viewpad 7 and 10
Continue reading ViewSonic ViewPad 7 and 10 officially comin' to America
ViewSonic ViewPad 7 and 10 officially comin' to America originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Nokia Z500 MeeGo tablet leaked on Ovi Store?
A Nokia tablet running MeeGo has been churning through the rumor mills since early summer. Speculation, however, began as soon as Nokia and Intel joined forces on the open source OS back in February. Eldar Murtazin, the ultimate Nokia insider, was first to give the Nokia tablet a name: Z500. Fast forward to yesterday, when reports first surfaced of people successfully replacing valid handset names in the store's URL with "Z500." Instead of being rejected as an unsupported device, the store seemingly accepted the Z500 device name as you can see in the screenshot above (the Ovi store now rejects the modified terminal ID string). Eldar had this to say on Twitter in response:
Rumour mill. As far as I know Nokia Z500 (Nokia Meego tablet) is under question. Nokia arent happy with price/features.
So now we have a name and with any luck, we'll see a MeeGo-based Nokia tablet sometime in 2011 as followup to its Windows-based Booklet. If not, then we'll always have the WeTab.
Nokia Z500 MeeGo tablet leaked on Ovi Store? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 07:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink SlashGear  |  sourceNokiaPort.de, @eldarmurtazin (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments
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Entourage Pocket Edge 'dualbook' up for $399.99 Amazon pre-order
So, the dual-screen (9.7-inch E Ink and 10.1-inch LCD) Entourage Edge was too big for you, eh? That's understandable. But what about the Pocket Edge, the self-described "world's first mini dualbook" with a 6-inch E Ink panel and 7-inch resistive touchscreen LCD. It's an eBook reader and 7-inch tablet all in one and it's up for a $399.99 pre-order on Amazon right now. What could possibly go wrong?
Entourage Pocket Edge 'dualbook' up for $399.99 Amazon pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 06:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Xbox 360 Dashboard update is out!
It's out, right on schedule and it's a biggie. The new Fall 2010 Xbox Live Dashboad update is being rolled out right now in preparation for Kinect to hit shelves on November 4th (or November 10th in Europe). The update includes Netflix search, Zune music, an ESPN entertainment hub, and much much more. Since you probably overslept anyway and don't have time to do the update before heading into the coal mines, why not check out our in depth preview of the update from a few weeks ago. Go ahead, don't cost nothin'. Otherwise, Major Nelson has the full breakdown in the link below.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Xbox 360 Dashboard update is out! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 05:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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HyperMac to become HyperJuice in response to hyperactive Apple legal team
Apple legal has been abnormally busy over the last year as it engaged a who's who of cellphone makers and government agencies. They've also come down hard on Sanho Corporation's HyperMac subsidiary for using MagSafe and iPod connectors without approval. In response, HyperMac announced that it would stop selling MagSafe cables thereby rendering its HyperMac lineup useless for charging the non-removable batteries in Apple's MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro (although they can still charge USB connected devices like the iPad and iPhone). Now Daniel Chin, President of Sanho Corporation, is informing us that they'll be changing the HyperMac name to "HyperJuice" as part of its ongoing "comprehensive licensing negotiations" with Apple said to cover a "wide array of technologies and issues." He also reminded us that you only have a few hours left to snag a HyperMac with the all important MagSafe cable as sales will be suspended as of midnight tonight -- 00:00 US Pacific Time. Hey, with few alternatives, you might as well go down swinging selling.
HyperMac to become HyperJuice in response to hyperactive Apple legal team originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 05:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Samsung Galaxy Tab on sale now in UK
While Steve Jobs doesn't like the form factor and Google thinks that Froyo is less than ideal for tablets, we were pretty impressed by the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab's ability to run Android 2.2. Today it's officially on sale in UK shops as previously announced. It's supposed to be coming to all the major UK carriers in addition to Carphone Warehouse, Dixons, and T-Mobile shops. At the moment, we're seeing it in stock at the Carphone Warehouse under a variety of plans ranging from a £499.99 with a £10 pay monthly plan on Talk Mobile that includes 1GB of data. On the other extreme is a £99.99 deal that requires a £40 per month two year contract that includes 5GB of data on Three. It's also offered for a standalone price of £529.99. And please, whatever you do don't call it a UMPC, that was so 5 years ago.

Update: We've just heard that Orange is also launching the Tab at similar price points, starting from £499. Similarly, Vodafone's offering the same tablet for £499 across all of its monthly contracts. On the other hand, O2's slapped a staggering £599 tag onto the device for all of its plans -- a very odd move, we'd say (link only works within the UK).
Samsung Galaxy Tab on sale now in UK originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 04:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Philips Pronto lineup of universal remote controllers to be discontinued
If you're a home theater or home automation buff then you're certainly familiar with Philips' Pronto lineup of remote controls. Unfortunately, Philips has decided to discontinue its Pronto business after failing to find a buyer. Here's the official quote:
"In December 2009, Philips announced the intention to relocate some of its existing remote control activities in Leuven, Belgium to Asia. At the same time, the intention was communicated to investigate alternative strategic options for the Pronto business, as this activity no longer fits with the Philips strategy. Following thorough research, no suitable partner was found for the acquisition of these activities. As such, Philips confirms today that it will discontinue the Pronto product line and related activities."
Logitech, the playing field is all yours.
Philips Pronto lineup of universal remote controllers to be discontinued originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 04:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink HotHardware  |  sourceCE Pro  | Email this | Comments
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iPhone DST bug causing alarms to fail across Europe (updated)
An iPhone bug already seen when Australia switched between Daylight Savings Time and Standard Time a few weeks ago has now hit Europe. Twitter just lit up with reports of recurring iPhone alarms going off an hour later than usual. So even though the iOS clock changed correctly over the weekend, the alarm did not. Thing is, according to a ZDNet Australia report from more than three weeks ago, Apple acknowledged the bug with a promise to fix it with a software update. So why wasn't it rolled out in time to avoid this mess in Europe? Let's see if Apple fixes it before North America makes the switch on November 7th, otherwise, you've been warned.

Update: Deleting and re-adding the alarms will NOT fix the issue. We've now tested a number of scenarios under iOS 4.1 on European iPhone 4 and 3GS devices for ourselves. The bug (demoed on video after the break by Roman) appears when using a repeating alarm for anything other than "every day." So for example, your alarm will go off an hour late if it's set for "weekdays," or "weekends," or every "Monday." The following alarms are not affected by the bug:
  • An alarm that doesn't repeat (repeat set to "never")
  • An alarm set to repeat "every day"
You can test yourself by creating a repeating alarm (but not every day) to go off one minute in the future and 59 minutes in the past.

Update 2: Some US readers are now waking up to alarms reportedly going off an hour early.

[Thanks, David O. and Matthieu Di B.]Continue reading iPhone DST bug causing alarms to fail across Europe (updated)
iPhone DST bug causing alarms to fail across Europe (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 02:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Nintendo says no Wii price cut coming in 'near future,' might want to re-think that
Remember the halcyon days of motion gaming? When the Wii was selling to everyone and everyone's grandmother in such huge volumes that Nintendo couldn't keep up? That time is long-past and, after the most recent disappointing earnings report from Nintendo (which isn't the first), people are beginning to ask the obvious question: when is the thing getting cheaper? For $200 gamers can now choose between a shiny new Xbox 360 or a Wii, and while crimson bundles might help, a price cut would help more. That's not coming soon according to President and CEO Satoru Iwata, saying: "we cannot say [a Wii price cut] will never happen, but we are not thinking of it for the near future." So, when? Well, the last time he said it wasn't getting a price cut that's exactly what it got five months later. Maybe March, then?
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Verizon nabs Samsung Continuum, Zeal and Motorola Citrus on November 11th, according to gushing leak?
Someone's found their way into an internal database and pulled out details on three Verizon phones -- the Samsung Continuum, Samsung Zeal and Motorola Citrus, all of which will reportedly drop on the 11th of next month. We don't have any reason to doubt that, as all three showed up on a recent rebate, but there's more to these leaked screens than a release date. For instance, the Continuum will apparently sport a Swype virtual keyboard on top of a 3.4-inch Super AMOLED screen, to say nothing of that secondary display, and the Motorola Citrus explicitly doesn't support tethering. The Samsung Zeal, meanwhile, isn't a modern smartphone at all, but rather a dual-hinge device with "magic" e-ink keys that change from a standard dialer to a four-row QWERTY layout. Isn't it nice to have all that sorted out?

[Thanks, Gavin]
Permalink Android Central  |  sourcePhoneArena  | Email this | Comments
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Logitech unveils wireless solar keyboard K750, does away with batteries for good
When Logitech first introduced wireless peripherals, we'd be lucky if our alkaline cells lasted a week, but these days the firm's low-power mice can go months on a charge. Now, the company's taken the next logical step, and made a solar keyboard. With an ultra-slim 1/3-inch profile and a full slate of laptop-style chiclet keys, the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 isn't your average rack of buttons to begin with, but the ambient light solar panels installed on the top of either side should mean you'll never need to plug it in to recharge. That's not a claim we'll be able to test easily, of course, as the company tells us its low-power integrated circuits can theoretically run for three months even if you leave it in a dark desk drawer. It uses the same 2.4GHz Nano Unifying receiver as several other Logitech wireless products, too, meaning you'll only need a single one of your netbook or set-top-boxes' precious USB ports. That's often a concern on MacBooks as well, though you can see from the prominent Windows key this particular product doesn't quite have a Mac-friendly setup.

Though we're obviously far away from being able to tell you how the solar panels fare in normal use, we're typing up this article on one of the boards right now. So far, we're loving the flat, firm feel of the slab and rounded finger-friendly indents on each key, though the QWERTY layout's actually a little cramped for our tastes. We'll let you know how it holds up over the long haul. Find it next month for $80, though, if you're already sold.
Gallery: Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 unboxing and hands-on
Continue reading Logitech unveils wireless solar keyboard K750, does away with batteries for good
Logitech unveils wireless solar keyboard K750, does away with batteries for good originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Inhabitat's Week in Green: reach for the stars, safer kids and sexier cars
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

This week Inhabitat saw several incredible feats of green architecture reach for the stars as Richard Branson unveiled the world's first commercial spaceport and a lunar solar power tower won the Moon Capital International Design Challenge. We were also impressed by Snøhetta's design for a massive möbius strip-shaped particle accelerator and we caught the groundbreaking of what will be one of the world's most efficient solar skyscrapers in Korea.

Ultra-efficient autos blazed a trail this week as an electric audi shattered a world EV distance record by traveling 372 miles on a single charge. We also caught a glimpse of the future of green transportation as major auto manufacturers unveiled a set of incredible eco concept cars, and we caught wind of a plan to bring these insane traffic-straddling buses to the United States.

In other news, we learned that iPhones and other communication devices may have potentially deadly side effects for kids, and we showcased several innovative designs for safer cycling - an inflatable airbag collar that automatically pops up to prevent injuries and a crash helmet that makes a stink when it cracks.

Finally, to celebrate Halloween we rounded up a ghastly array of ghoulish green designs - from a skeletal x-ray lamp to a skin-crawling camera made from a human skull to a company that will press your mortal remains into a vinyl record. Happy Halloween!
Inhabitat's Week in Green: reach for the stars, safer kids and sexier cars originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 20:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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ViewSonic G-Tablet pops up in Sears weekly ad, mistakenly claims to be the ViewPad 10 at Sears' website
Did ViewSonic's 10-inch tablets catch your eye? We've got good and bad news. The good news is that the G-Tablet (with a 1GHz processor and Android 2.2) is now on sale at Sears for $379.99 -- even less than we were told. The bad news is that the Intel Atom N455-powered ViewPad 10 apparently is, too. We say apparently because Sears seems to have crossed some wires when putting the latter slate up on its site, most egregiously stating that that dual-booting device does both Windows 7 and Android 2.2 for the exact same $379.99. Last we heard, the ViewPad 10 -- like the eerily similar Tega v2 -- could only do Android 1.6 alongside Microsoft's OS and would cost quite a bit more. Don't rely on Sears to cut you a deal, folks.
Permalink   |  sourceSears (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments
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Deltenna's WiBE rural broadband device: swans and geese now free to browse
At last, progress. We've heard whispers of "rural broadband expansion" thrown from halls of politicians for months on end, but it looks like a small company across the pond is cutting through the red tape and getting down to business. Deltenna's WiBE -- described as a device to deliver fast broadband to rural areas that are far from the phone exchange -- is available starting today in the UK and Ireland. It's purpose? It connects to nearby 3G networks and creates a mobile hotspot, not unlike a MiFi. The difference is that it delivers a data throughput around 30 times greater than a 3G USB modem, and the connection range is "typically between three and five-times that of the 3G dongle." The theoretical maximum is 7.2Mbps, with extensive testing demonstrating a typical download rate of 2.8Mbps in rural regions. Cetag Systems in Ireland and Buzz Networks in the UK will be first to offer it, with pricing set at £425 (less with bundles) in England and €299 through Cetag. Wildfowl sold separately, though.
Gallery: WiBE rural broadband device, quite literally in the wild
Continue reading Deltenna's WiBE rural broadband device: swans and geese now free to browse
Deltenna's WiBE rural broadband device: swans and geese now free to browse originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Interactive fiction meets interactive typewriter, pilfers the kingdoms of Zork (video)
You are standing in an open field as usual, or perhaps you're in the darkness, likely to be eaten by a grue, but the words aren't etching their way into your soul from the familiar computer terminal -- they're on freshly printed paper. Like a player piano, the Automatypewriter lets you play games like Zork by automatically keying in letters via a series of solenoids and fishing line to tell you where you are, and it records your input, too; every time you type "XYZZY" in vain, it's an Arduino board that sends signals to the text parser, which directs a hollow voice to pity your foolish word. Forget the iPad typewriter -- this is old-school. See it in action after the break, or hit the source link for the schematics to build one yourself. Just be sure to install Planetfall, too.Continue reading Interactive fiction meets interactive typewriter, pilfers the kingdoms of Zork (video)
Permalink Make  |  sourceUp, Not North  | Email this | Comments
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GameString Adrenalin turns your Google TV into a game streamer, will WoW your couch (video)
GameString Adrenalin turns your Google TV into a game streamer, lets you WoW from the couch
We like the Google TV, we really do, we just think it needs another few months in the oven before it's really going to rock anyone's world. It won't just be Google that makes or breaks it, though, and innovative uses like GameString Adrenalin are certainly going to help. That site offers what it calls "Personal Cloud Gaming," letting you stream the output from seemingly any game on your PC to a browser, where it can be played on a number of devices. Chrome within the Google TV is just one of them, but given how something like a Revue comes with a keyboard and is usually attached to a big display it seems like a good choice. We can't be sure what the lag is like when playing in this way, but the video embedded below does make it look pretty snappy -- though hopefully the service doesn't force you to listen to the same classic Prodigy that trailer does. Right now the service is in free beta, so have at it at the source link.Continue reading GameString Adrenalin turns your Google TV into a game streamer, will WoW your couch (video)
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T-Mobile's Galaxy Tab available for preorder at Amazon, costs $699 unsubidized
We played devil's advocate with Verizon's $599 Galaxy Tab, but it looks like the T-Mobile version of Samsung's Android 2.2 tablet is going to cost a Benjamin more -- it's ringing up at $699.99 right now at Amazon unsubsidized. If we were you, we'd wait and see what kind of deals can be had in-store come November 10th, but if you simply must have one immediately you'll be able to use it with one of Magenta's standard mobile broadband plans. $25 a month gets you 200MB with 10-cent-per-megabyte overage fees, whereas $40 buys you unlimited use with a 5GB speed cap, and you can purchase blocks of prepaid data an 100MB, 300MB and 1GB increments at the usual rates. It's a bit of a shame we're paying the price of a decent laptop for a seven-inch smartphone sans cellular calls... but you didn't really need that rent money, right?
T-Mobile's Galaxy Tab available for preorder at Amazon, costs $699 unsubidized originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 16:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Android Community  |  sourceAmazon  | Email this | Comments
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Sagem reveals Binder white label e-reader, SFR's version comes with free 3G
Heard of the FnacBook, Telecom Italia eBook or Thalia Oyo? It's looking like they're all one and the same -- a Sagem product called the Binder with a six-inch SiPix capacitive e-paper touchscreen. It's also got the standard accelerometer, 2GB of internal flash, a microSD card slot and support for ePub and PDF, but there's one feature that sets it apart from the pack: a cellular modem that'll give FnacBook buyers free 3G service a la the Amazon Kindle's Whispernet. French carrier SFR is subsidizing that little venture, so it's not part and parcel of buying into Sagem's device, but if you find yourself holding onto a different rebrand we suppose you'll still have 802.11 b/g WiFi for your Steig Larsson downloads. Fnac's already taking preorders at €199 (about $277); devices ship November 10th. PR after the break.Continue reading Sagem reveals Binder white label e-reader, SFR's version comes with free 3G
Sagem reveals Binder white label e-reader, SFR's version comes with free 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 15:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceFnacBook, Telecom Italia  | Email this | Comments
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Better Place's electric taxis coming to SF Bay Area, thanks to $7 million grant
San Francisco, San Jose and Palo Alto, California were all too happy to endorse Better Place's electric vehicle infrastructure two years ago, but now the powers that be have invested some cash to get this show on the road. The Bay Area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission has dropped $6.9 million to purchase and build 61 electric taxis and four robotic battery swap stations to put freshly juiced cells in place -- just like Better Place has been doing with Tokyo taxis since April 26th. Yellow Cab Cooperative and Yellow Checker Cab will operate the zero-emission vehicles, though CNET reports that they've yet to choose a particular type -- perhaps we'll finally see Mitsubishi's i MiEV with a steering wheel on the left-hand side? PR after the break.Continue reading Better Place's electric taxis coming to SF Bay Area, thanks to $7 million grant
Better Place's electric taxis coming to SF Bay Area, thanks to $7 million grant originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 14:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink CNET  |   | Email this | Comments
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مرسلة بواسطة Abdalrhman Albayyat
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