Japanese paper pegs PlayStation Phone for spring launch
In case you needed any more evidence that Sony is ramping up to launch a gaming system on a phone in the next few months, here you go: Japanese rag
Asahi Shimbun says that the
PlayStation Phone -- which could be known as the
Zeus Z1,
Xperia Play, or something else altogether by the time it's on store shelves -- is expected in the spring of 2011 for a North American and European release. That lines up with virtually everything we've been hearing lately, and it's also fortuitous timing considering that both
CES and
MWC are right around the corner; we don't know what Sony Ericsson might have on tap for CES, but we definitely know they're
planning some new Xperia-branded models for MWC. There are many questions left unanswered -- how (and if) any of this ties into the standalone PSP2, how gaming titles will be purchased, and how many models will be available that support the platform, just to name a few -- but hopefully Sony can clear all that up here within the next few weeks.
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Olympus E-PL2 camera leaked, Penpal Bluetooth dongle to share photos via smartphone
CES 2011 is just around the bend, and while LG's
72-inch monstrosity will undoubtedly see its fair share of attention,
Olympus is hoping to shake things up in the camera realm. Or so we're led to believe. The shot above is purportedly the first leaked image of the outfit's forthcoming E-PL2, the Micro Four Thirds followup to the
E-PL1. The real question here is this: did Olympus' engineers
take your advice on how to change it? According to
43 Rumors, this guy will ship with a new 14-42mm f/3.5 - 5.6 kit lens, a 'direct movie' button, high-res 3-inch display, an ISO ceiling of 6400 and an intriguing Bluetooth module as an option. Cleverly dubbed Penpal, this is essentially the most sensible method of sending photos you snap on your camera to the web, be it on Facebook, Flickr or any other social network. If you've got the apparatus plugged into the hot shoe, you can sync it with your BT-enabled smartphone (Android or "Windows Mobile," we're told) and use its cellular connection to complete the upload. Definitely a more logical approach than shoving a 3G chip into a digicam, and undoubtedly a trend we expect to see take off in 2011. Regrettably, there's no pricing or release information to share, but all should be revealed in a matter of days.
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Just got an iPhone? The best apps, accessories, and tips
Someone must really like you -- otherwise, how did you end up with an iPhone this holiday season? Yeah, we know,
iPads don't really fit into stockings. Besides, your parent or significant other got you an arguably better gift in the cheaper (with two-year contract, of course), more compact, and more recently updated iPhone 4. We've given you some
app suggestions before when the device first launched, but that was six months ago, and in technology time, that's like seven years. Want a run-down of the best apps, our favorite accessories, and the essential tips and tricks? Just follow along after the break!
Hey Android friends, we got you covered, too! Did you get an iPad? Check out our guide here!Continue reading Just got an iPhone? The best apps, accessories, and tips
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Kodak Pulse email-to-photo-frame system down for days, millions of memories trapped in the cloud
We definitely know quite a few people (including this very editor!) who bought their parents
Kodak Pulse WiFi photo frames over the holidays, since they seem like a perfect way to share pictures without any fuss -- you can just email the frame directly. Unfortunately, it seems like this cloud service has a dark, dark lining: Kodak's backend email servers have been down since at least Christmas Eve, rendering the Pulse's most interesting feature essentially useless. What's worse, that status display above is more or less buried on the Pulse web site, so it's not even immediately clear that the problem is on Kodak's side -- and when things turn back on we're guessing more than one Pulse owner will find tons of duped photos on their frames from multiple email attempts, since the system doesn't confirm email receipt. We've heard a few anecdotal stories about email photo delivery slowing down / stopping during previous high traffic periods, so you'd think Kodak would have sorted this out by now, but we guess not -- we'll let you know when the company tells us about a fix.
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Toshiba Folio 100 Android tablet gains responsiveness, dignity via new firmware update
Hard to say if this injection of code will be enough to get Toshiba's
Folio 100 back on
PC World shelves, but for those who already snatched one off of there, it's bound to improve morale. Word on the street has it that Tosh has just issued a new firmware update (v2.2.5.0053) to the aforesaid device, and while it doesn't include Adobe's Flash Player 10.1, it
does aim to improve the screen / touch responsiveness, issues with lag, pinch-to-zoom capabilities and audio / video processing. We're also getting the impression that the genuine Android Market is staying far, far away from this build, but we'd love to hear if your slate is acting any nicer post-update. Hit us up in comments below, won't you?
Continue reading Toshiba Folio 100 Android tablet gains responsiveness, dignity via new firmware update
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ASUS looks set to release five Sandy Bridge laptops, all with serious horsepower
ASUS is already down with
Sandy Bridge on the
desktop side, but you had to know the company would be finding room for Intel's latest in it's mobile offerings, too.
Notebook Italia has what looks to be solid confirmation of four separate models, starting with a big honkin' gaming rig, the G73SW. It has an Intel Core i7-2630QM processor, 8GB of DDR3, Geforce GTX 460M graphics, USB 3.0, dual storage bays (enabling mixing and matching of SSD and platter), and a 17.3-inch LCD that manages the full 1920 x 1080 resolution. Price looks set to start around $2,500. Also unveiled are four somewhat less gamer-oriented but still might fast models, grouped in the N53SV and N73SV series. All feature the same 2GHz processor and all have the new GeForce GT 540M processor that was recently seen rocking Acer's
5742G, which will drive either a 15.6-inch, 1366 x 768 display or the larger 17.3-inch, 1080p display depending on which model you go for. Prices on this series are said to start at just $1,200 and go way up from there when they ship in January.
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AT&T launches WiFi initiative with new zones in Times Square, Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick's Cathedral
AT&T has promised to launch several new
WiFi spots in the coming months, and it's starting off with new zones of connectivity in New York's Times Square, Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick's Cathedral -- all major tourist traps. Times Square already boasts free AT&T WiFi (
lauched in May) but it's making the area larger as part of its new initiative. The company has also announced that it plans to launch free WiFi spots in San Francisco as well, starting with the Embarcadero Center, sometime later this year. The embellished Times Square WiFi and the two new zones will launch "in the coming days," which we know isn't very specific but hey: it's the best we can do. Full press release is after the break.
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The Legend of Zelda prototype surfaces, makes itself readily available
Retro gamers, take note --
The Legend of Zelda is back, and this version's more intriguing than ever. From the pits of a mythical, magical unknown lair has arisen an early build of the original FDS version of Zelda, and thanks to the wonders of the internet (along with a few dedicated Earthlings), we're able to break down the differences between the prototype and the retail edition, download the FDS image and pore over the disk scans. From what we've been able to gather thus far, the early version is quite a bit easier to beat than the final build, with fewer enemies, easier money and more gullible partners. Sounds like our kind of place. Hit the links below to nerd out in fantastic fashion.
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Digits conductive pins won't make a fool of you in the cold
Ever tried writing a text message or an urgent work e-mail with gloves on? Chances are what you planned to type and what came out couldn't look more different...if anything came out at all. Digits are a $14 set of four conductive pins that, like the
Dots iPhone gloves, were designed to make cold weather touchscreen use easy, and hopefully error free. Unlike Dots and other pre-made touchscreen products, however, Digits allow you to use your own gloves, provided they're knit (unfortunately, they're not leather-friendly). Each pin comes in two parts: one piece sticks through from inside your glove, and the other, which sports silicone caps, attaches from outside, using the same concept as this
DIY set. Digits should keep your touchscreen free of scratches and your texts and e-mails free of error, even when it's freezing out. Hopefully now you won't end up firing when you should be filing.
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Free Kinect keyboard emulator lets you WoW while AFK (video)
World of Warcraft is a lot of things to a lot of people, a
whole lot of people, but it's never been much of an immersive gameplay experience -- casting Plague Strike doesn't seem all that unholy when it's triggered by frantically tapping a key on a keyboard. Moving an arm would be at least a bit more involving, and with the Flexible Action and Articulated Toolkit, or FAAST, from the
USC Institute for Creative Technologies, that's just what you can do. It's basically a software layer over your
Kinect, built over
OpenNI, that recognizes a skeleton and enables about 20 different motions to be mapped to key presses. This means you can lean forward to walk, raise your right arm to perform an action, and then sit down to take a breather after all that exertion. It's currently versioned .03, so don't expect miracles, but it is available for free at the other end of the source link. It's also demonstrated below, but don't tarry too long: guild meeting starts in five.
[Thanks, Tommy]
Continue reading Free Kinect keyboard emulator lets you WoW while AFK (video)
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RelayRides P2P car sharing service now available in the Bay Area
Got a car sittin' 'round, clutterin' up your driveway? Love the idea of handing over the keys to strangers? RelayRides, a recent beneficiary of some Google Ventures cash, has just brought its peer-to-peer car-sharing service to the San Francisco Bay Area. Already available in Boston, the service is sort of a "
social bikes-meets-
Zip Car." The idea is to let customers rent privately owned (and in some cases, leased) vehicles by the hour: owners receive sixty-five percent of the rental fee, and they're protected by a million dollar insurance policy (drivers have to pay a $500 deductable, which should be large enough to keep people on good behavior). RelayRides is unclear on the exact nature of the keyless entry system (which gets installed gratis when your whip enters the program), but we're guessing it's either RFID or NFC. It also contains a GPS, which is used to track the car's movements and mileage. Interested? Hit the source link to get started.
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Sears, Kmart launch Alphaline Entertainment movie download service
After
Wal-mart,
Best Buy and Amazon jumped on the digital delivery bandwagon it's clearly evident that just offering discs for sale isn't enough, and
right on schedule Sears and Kmart are launching Alphaline Entertainment, a new venture created for the sole purpose of selling downloadable movies online. Powered by Sonic's
RoxioNow backend just like Best Buy and Blockbuster, it's all very familiar, down to the $3.99 rent / $19.99 new release purchase pricing that we love to hate (with the Blu-ray version often on sale for less, why bother?) with plans to embed the service in a variety of connected Blu-ray players, mobile devices, TVs and more. It doesn't appear that Sonic's
sale to Rovi or the addition of
DivX to the company's fold has affected the deal at all, but here's hoping they plan on introducing a Blue Light Special pack-in like
VUDU or
Disc+ to make things a little more appealing.
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Lightning photographed by superfast X-ray camera, Nikola Tesla nods with approval
You know, we could just leave you with the image above and be done here, but its backstory is almost as cool. Researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology have built a 1,500-pound X-ray camera that can shoot ten million frames a second and then pointed it at a nearby flash of
lightning to try and learn more about it. How did they know where the lightning would strike? Well, in true scientific fashion, they caused it themselves! This was done by shooting rockets into thunderstorms, with attached wires directing the flow of energy down into their target zone. The imagery produced from the X-ray sensor is actually extremely low-res -- a 30-pixel hexagonal grid is all you get -- but it's enough to show that X-ray radiation is concentrated at the tip of the lightning bolt. What good that knowledge will do for the world, we don't know, but we're sure it'll provide nice fodder for the next round of superhero empowerment stories.
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Schiit Audio reveals gorgeous six-watt Lyr headphone amplifier, dares you to touch 11
Just kidding. In fact, Schiit Audio won't be responsible if you
do wind it to 11 and blow the ear tips right off of your favorite canalphones. The drop-dead sexy box that you're peering at above is the Lyr, a hybrid (tube-MOSFET) headphone amplifier that claims to have zero feedback and more power than most headphones will ever have use for. This guy's pumping out six solid watts into 32 ohms, while
loads of
rivals are
dabbling in milliwatts. It's relying on JJ ECC88 tubes for the input stage and touts less than 0.1 percent THD, and it'll be produced in the US of A using components that were also primarily sourced from American suppliers. It's expected to start shipping in March of 2011, but those already sold on it can commit $449 to a pre-order. And before you ask -- yes, the company name is hilarious. Ha. Ha.
Continue reading Schiit Audio reveals gorgeous six-watt Lyr headphone amplifier, dares you to touch 11
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Samsung readies 23mm-thick 3D Blu-ray player for CES unveiling
Samsung's obsession with making
the world's thinnest Blu-ray player hasn't abated and the company's now announced plans to slim things down even further with a 23mm-thick unit to be unveiled at CES 2011. What we know of it so far is that it'll be able to both play back native
3D content
and convert 2D to "quasi-3D," it'll come encased in a metallic, wall-mountable chassis, and it'll feature the now familiar trimmings of YouTube, Facebook and Twitter integration. Pricing and availability are obviously still under wraps, but CES is next week, you can wait that long, can't you?
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CCTV cameras help solve 'six crimes a day' in London, says Metropolitan Police
Been
questioning the value of having
omnipresent surveillance cameras tracking your every move? Well, if you're an outlaw, you still won't like them, but for the rest of us law-abiding types, London's Metropolitan Police has a comforting stat to share: almost six crimes a day are being resolved with the help of CCTV footage. It's being used primarily to aid the identification of perps on the run, and the number of suspects identified as a result has gone up to 2,512 this year. There
is a bright light for criminals, however, as the Met admits digital recordings aren't kept around as long as VHS ones used to be, meaning that if you slip the dragnet once, you'll probably be alright. So good news for everyone!
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ASUS teases Eee Pad and Eee Slate ahead of CES launch
Seems like all these
CES vendors have wised up to the fact that announcing their new products amidst a maelstrom of new product announcements tends to be slightly counterproductive. So, naturally, they're spending their December
carefully teasing out little pre-release details. It's ASUS' turn today, who clearly isn't content just telling us about its Eee
Pad /
Slate / Tablet / Chopping Board and has decided to dish out some candid hardware shots. What we see above is a USB 3.0 port embedded within a very slinky keyboard panel, which itself seems attached to a touchscreen display (with
Android buttons!) up top. It's looking more like a tablet
PC (presumably with a pivoting screen) than a
tablet, which is corroborated by other images at the source link. Two devices are included in this teaser picture set, with the other looking like it has a
slider keyboard (see it after the break) -- none of it is definitive just yet, but it makes for a good guessing game to fill the time until the big show kicks off in Vegas next week.
Continue reading ASUS teases Eee Pad and Eee Slate ahead of CES launch
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LG Xnote P210 claims 'world's thinnest bezel' title, our undying appreciation
If there's one thing we appreciate more than
pixel density, it's
slim bezels. LG, a traditional
enemy of unsightly frames, is today staking its claim for having the world's thinnest bezel on a laptop with the new
Xnote P210. This 12.5-inch machine is said to fit within the footprint of an 11.6-incher, but before you start throwing insults like "netbook" around the place, do take note it has a dual-core
Core i5-470UM processor inside -- capable of running between 1.33GHz and 1.86GHz -- 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB HDD. The LED-backlit display's resolution isn't specified beyond a note saying it's "HD," while Windows 7 Home Premium is the predictable OS of choice. Look for the P210 to hit Korea in February for around 1.3 million won (about $1,135), but don't hold your breath on it coming Stateside for anything other than a flying
trade show visit.
Continue reading LG Xnote P210 claims 'world's thinnest bezel' title, our undying appreciation
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Sprint adheres to its roadmap, turns on WiMAX in San Francisco Bay Area
Technically speaking, it's not actually the
28th of December in the Bay Area yet, but Sprint's already out in front with its announcement that WiMAX connectivity has been activated in and around the city of San Francisco. We were promised this development exactly three weeks ago, back when Los Angeles and Washington DC were first familiarizing themselves with the glorious new speed, and today the Bay Area, which also includes San Jose, Palo Alto and Oakland, adds to a total of 71 metropolitan markets that have been lit up with Sprint's finest wireless offering. Guess Verizon had better
start fast and keep running if it wants to keep up, eh?
Continue reading Sprint adheres to its roadmap, turns on WiMAX in San Francisco Bay Area
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Arduino, iPod touch turns an LCD into a browser-based sketch pad (video)
Of all the
Arduino projects we've seen 'round here, this is certainly one of them! Using nothing but a Graphics LCD, an Arduino, and a WebSocket server he wrote using Python / Tornado, this young engineer created a system that allows him to connect to the server with his iPod touch (or any browser, we suppose -- although he's apparently only tested this with Chrome on his desktop PC) and draw a design on the web browser. In turn, his movements are recreated on the LCD. Pretty mean feat, if you ask us. If you'd like to marvel at his code -- or even try it out for yourself -- hit up the source link. If not, be sure to at least check out the thing in action. Video after the break.
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BMW Connected app hits iOS App Store, 'Apps' function hitting vehicles next year
Like son, like father? Evidently that's exactly how things are playing out, with papa BMW following the footsteps of MINI in the run-up to 2011. Just days after the
MINI Connected app found itself situated in the App Store, a BMW Connected app has done likewise. The software itself is free to download, but you'll need a 6NR-equipped Bimmer to take advantage. From what we can gather, you'll have to fork out €150 or so for the Apps option, but sadly, there are two costly prerequisites to that: a €3,800 navigation option and a €400 USB interface. In other words, we get the impression that
existing BMW owners are out of luck. If you've got the magic concoction (available from March 2011), you'll be able to access web radio stations, hear your Twitter and Facebook updates aloud and control your music via the iDrive setup. That is, until iOS 4.3 goes and
breaks compatibility with everything, forever. Joy, joy.
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iPod nano hack nixes an app, can't add your own yet
We're still a ways off from living our
dream iPod nano watch scenarios, but here's a small step in the right direction. As the story goes, on a flight home James Whelton booted up an iPod nano with a modified SpringBoard plist file that "removed" an app from the screens and replaced it with a blank space. What does this mean? Not much at this point, but it could provide a pathway to further hacking, jailbreaking, and yes, writing and installing those dream apps that make this a great wrist accessory. Video proof after the break.
Continue reading iPod nano hack nixes an app, can't add your own yet
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Water buckets and rocking chair become spiffy interactive art projects (video)
Cameras and
wands may be the game controllers
du jour, but it seems there's still room in the world for virtual reality experiences a bit more concrete -- like these buckets, filled with water, that let their user physically paddle through a digital dreamscape. "Channels" uses a pair of flex sensors attached to plastic spoons to monitor the flow in each bucket as a projector throws the minimalist 3D environment up on a nearby wall. Meanwhile, "Cadence Chair" uses an antique rocking chair outfitted with an accelerometer to align ribbons of light, and if you do it in the right rhythm it plays a hidden video. Both are student projects from New York University's Interactive Telecommunications Project, and as you'll see in videos after the break, both look pretty darn cool. We're having this sudden urge to go back to school.
Continue reading Water buckets and rocking chair become spiffy interactive art projects (video)
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Mercedes Terminal Mode partnership comes to fruition with internet-connected 2012 C-Class
Last year Nokia made something of a
telematics coup, partnering with just about every major European manufacturer and doing everything it could to get its
Terminal Mode in-car smartphone integration into more autos.
Mercedes was one of those partners and now we're getting a glimpse of the result in the new C-Class. Merc has made some minor exterior updates to the car (not necessarily for the better, in our opinion), but on the inside comes an updated Mercedes COMAND infotainment system that, for the first time, offers full internet access. Using Terminal Mode the car interacts with a smartphone to provide the data, allowing dashboard surfing (while stationary) and the transmission of
Google Maps points and directions right to the vehicle. There's also Bluetooth for streaming your tunes through the car's sound system and a USB port in the armrest to keep things charged while you decimate that slab. PR is below if you're looking for more details, or you can just wait for our impressions when we get to Detroit in a few weeks.
Continue reading Mercedes Terminal Mode partnership comes to fruition with internet-connected 2012 C-Class
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LG looks set to unveil mobile 3DTV at CES
We don't know much about it yet, but it's looking like we might be getting a taste of 3D on the go after all at
CES. We'd hoped it would be with Nintendo's
3DS, but that report turned out to be a
bust, and now LG is apparently going to pick up the slack with a new mobile digital TV that has a 3D display. We know virtually nothing about the set at this point, but we're thinking it will be glasses-free and are speculating that, after its appearance in Vegas next week, it'll never be seen in the US again.
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Google's next Android Music app leaks out, gives hints of a 3.0 UI overhaul
Remember at Google I/O this year when Google showed off
"something beyond Froyo" in the music realm? The demo included an all-new music player (boy, wouldn't that be nice!), along with magical features that let you push web-purchased songs to your device, and allowed you to browse your PC's music library from your phone as if it was on the device itself. Well, none of that showed up in
Gingerbread, unfortunately, but the new music player itself has just leaked out. It's super buggy, and of course doesn't have any of those fancy wireless features we're waiting on, but it could offer a bit of a glimpse into 3.0, at least as far as UI tweaks go.
The differences seem minimal but aesthetically pleasing, with blurred background images behind frosted glass widgets as far as the eye can see. One important thing to note is that there is a menu button on the top right, at least in some views, and we went back and watched
Andy Rubin's tablet time at D: there's clearly the same menu button on each app.
[Suspenseful strings begin to play]. It seems Google might be getting rid of its hardware buttons entirely, or at least making menu functionality a more obvious part of its relevant applications, instead of the "surprise!" button it currently represents. There are also points in the video where tapping the application's icon in the top left takes you to the "home" of the app, and we also found similar icons on the top left of each application Andy demoed at D -- and we're guessing they have the same functionality. Check out a video after the break, or hit up the source link to grab the APK... if you dare.
[Thanks, Andre]
Continue reading Google's next Android Music app leaks out, gives hints of a 3.0 UI overhaul
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Panasonic AF100 Micro Four Thirds video camera ships today, right on schedule
As you probably know, we're big fans of DSLR video around here at Engadget. From shooting
product demos, to producing the
Engadget Show, if we shot the video, it was likely done with one of these single-lens cameras: they're convenient and capable of beautiful moving images but often leave much to be desired by way of form factor
when it comes to video. While Canon and Nikon are slapping on articulating LCDs and calling it a day, Panasonic has upped the ante with its new AG-AF100 camera.
Teased way back in April, Panny just dropped a press release announcing that its newest piece of video hardware is now being delivered, making a nice late holiday gift for any wannabe filmmakers that you really,
really like.
Basically, the AF100 is what happens when you stuff the innards of a DLSR into the body of a video camera and slap some interchangeable lenses in front of it. Listing at $4,995, the AF100 rocks a Micro Four Thirds sensor that records to dual SD cards in AVCHD and outputs 8-bit uncompressed 4:2:2 video to an external recorder via an HD-SDI connection. It also attempts to solve the audio issues plaguing DSLR video shooting (namely, the difficulty of getting pro-level audio to play nice with a camera designed only for imaging) with its two phantom-powered XLR audio inputs and built-in stereo microphone. Panasonic is also claiming to have lessened aliasing and the dreaded "jellycam" found in DSLR video with an optical low pass filter and faster scanning, while still boasting the wide viewing angle and shallow depth of field that movie-makers (and Vimeo users) know and love to death.
We'll be doing a full review of the AF100 as soon as we can get our hands on it; in the meantime, head on past the break for the full PR.
Continue reading Panasonic AF100 Micro Four Thirds video camera ships today, right on schedule
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Konami's 3DS dating simulator uses facial recognition to block virtual cheating
We may still not have an
official price for the
Nintendo 3DS, but it looks like you can now at least count on yet another unique gaming experience not found on other handheld systems. Konami recently announced that its "Project Loveplus" dating simulator for the system will not only take advantage of the system's 3D capabilities, but that it will also include a so-called "boyfriend lock" that uses facial recognition to prevent any virtual cheating. Apparently, if someone else picks up your 3DS and tries to play the game, your virtual girlfriend will act confused and respond with phrases like "
who are you?" -- which, incidentally, is a question you might also want to ask yourself before looking for ways to import the game from Japan (yeah, don't count on this one being released over here).
Continue reading Konami's 3DS dating simulator uses facial recognition to block virtual cheating
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Just got an iPad? The best apps, accessories, and tips
So, Santa stuffed an
iPad into your stocking on Christmas (insert mythical figure / appropriate receptacle / holiday of choice), and you're wondering what to do with the thing? First of all, congratulations! The iPad can be a wonderful, loyal companion and friend, but it can also take a while to warm up to. As we always say, a device is only as good as its apps, both literally and figuratively: it'll take some time to figure out what you want to get from the iTunes Store that will flesh out your experience, but it will also take some time to see which nooks and crannies of your life the iPad can fill, and what roles you'll want it to take over from your laptop and phone. Follow along after the break as we show you how to wring the most out of your shiny new tablet.
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Logitech says Google hasn't asked it to halt Google TV production
It was a bit too late to fend off a more than 3% drop in its stock price, but Logitech has finally come out and refuted those rumors that it was asked to
halt production of its Google TV hardware until a significant update could be rolled out. As VP of corporate communications Nancy Morrison explains, Logitech "has not been asked by Google to suspend production of its Google TV products," and that such a suspension wouldn't even be necessary as "every Logitech Revue companion box will receive free over-the-air updates whenever Google and Logitech release software enhancements." That statement has now also been backed up by Logitech's official blog, which assures customers that "all's well with Logitech Revue," and that Logitech will be out in force at CES next month to demonstrate "how Google TV is transforming the TV-watching experience."
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Just got an Android phone? The best apps, accessories, and tips
Taking a smartphone out of the box for the first time can elicit a wide spectrum of emotions, starting with unadulterated excitement that can quickly devolve into panic, chaos, and confusion: what do you do now? How do you make it awesome? How do you emanate an air of "cool" on the subway by using apps specifically designed to make you look like a badass? Well, fear not, newly-minted Android smartphone owner: as always, we've got your back. Read on for all the apps, accessories, and tips you should be investigating right this very second.
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8mm Vintage Camera app will make your vids look older, more retro, and way, way cooler
You know who you are, hipsters. You're the kind of person who isn't satisfied with merely taking a photo of your Pabst Blue Ribbon with your
iPhone 4: you have to make it
old timey before you
Tweet it,
Facebook it, Instagram it, print it out and mail a physical copy of it to your best friend from the third grade... oh wait, that last one's just us. Well, you're in luck: you can now pretend like your brand new, high def videos are also from the olden days, just like your faux old timey photos. The new app, called 8mm Vintage Camera will add dust particles, scratches and age for you in seconds via a fun set of 'unique' filters. Sounds like a hoot, right? It's available for $2 in the app store right now for
iOS devices. You know you want it. Video demo after the break.
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Permalink Gadget Lab |
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Apple confirms it's sold one million new Apple TVs
Apple said
last week that it expected its new
Apple TV to cross the one million mark in sales before Christmas, and it's now quietly confirmed that it's managed to do just that. For those keeping score, that means it's sold a million in three months, which is certainly impressive for something Apple still describes as a "hobby," although that description does have the peculiar tendency to lower expectations somewhat. As you may recall,
Roku also announced last week that it expected to sell a million units before the end of the year, and its CEO noted that the introduction of the new Apple TV actually seems to have led to a spike in sales of its own media streamers.
Permalink Electronista |
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Inhabitat's Week in Green: rocket fuel, recycled jeans, and the electric eel powered Christmas tree
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.
Eco transportation took off this week as researchers in Sweden discovered a
new molecule that could make rocket fuel 30 percent more efficient. We also caught up with Russia's plans to construct a new
high-speed rail system for the 2018 World Cup, and we saw several major auto manufacturers give their vehicles green upgrades - Ford announced it will insulate its
2010 Focus with recycled jeans, and Chevrolet launched plans to transform 100,000 pounds of
used oil booms into parts for the Volt.
The past week also saw bright horizons dawn for renewable energy as the
world's largest parabolic trough solar plant received a $1.5 billion DOE loan. The world of consumer tech was energized by the sun's rays as Toshiba unveiled a new
solar-powered e-book reader and one designer developed a
solar-powered desalination system that could keep shipwrecked survivors alive at sea. We also brought you artist Michael McKean's plan to shoot rainbows across the sky at will with his
solar-powered rainbow generator.
Speaking of spreading renewable cheer, this month Japan's Enoshima Aquarium unveiled the world's first Christmas tree
powered by an electric eel. The FAA also got into the holiday spirit as they approved a
next-gen Santa sleigh that delivers gifts 53% faster, and if you unwrapped a new video game system this year, you may be interested to know that the Nintendo Wii was recently crowned the most
energy-efficient next-gen gaming console. Finally, if the wintry weather has you feeling down, just take a peek inside this
supermassive airship hangar, transformed into a year-round tropical island getaway.
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We know you didn't get this Steampunk Etch-a-Sketch for Christmas, but you probably want it now, don't you?
What you're looking at above is a real, actual object found in the material world. It's an
Etch-a-Sketch so modified, as to look like a glorious leftover from a bygone era that never was. What era, you ask? Oh, the Victorian era -- so named for the United Kingdom's longest reigning monarch -- with a great dash of fancy added into the mix. We're talking alternate history, people! A history so wonderful, so beautiful, that a lowly red plastic Etch-a-Sketch could end up both complex and inordinately heavy looking. Made by an industrious youth as a Christmas gift for a chum, we couldn't imagine a better way to make this boring old gadget look so jolly well festive. Hurrah!
Permalink UberReview |
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iPod nano watch gets knocked off, has little to worry about it
There are
run-of-the-mill KIRFs, above-average KIRFs, and this. While we've definitely been privy to a few comical
iPhone / iPod knockoffs over the years, there's a certain layer of hilariousness to this one that just can't be beat. The
iPod nano watch isn't even a genuine Apple product; in fact, it's simply a mod that's so easy, your mum could probably pull it off with minimal effort. That clearly hasn't stopped the factories in Shenzhen from churning out an iPod nano watch knockoff, complete with a 1.8-inch resistive touchscreen, inbuilt SIM card slot, Bluetooth, a microSD slot, FM radio tuner, a side-mounted camera sensor and a speaker for good measure. You'll even get a fancy "Slide to Unlock" screen before being able to dig into the underlying UI, but that chintzy plastic wrist strap all but destroys any respect it was hoping to garner. Thankfully, the unit you're peering at above is being dubbed an "engineering prototype," with the final version expected to boast a 3.5mm headphone jack and a modicum of self-worth. We'll see, won't we?
Permalink M.I.C. Gadget |
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DIY third person camera rig allows you to pay attention to what's most important: you
Now, this is a strange project to undertake, for sure -- but that doesn't make it uninteresting. And interesting it certainly is. Over at Instructables, you can currently find step-by-step instructions for how to create your very own
camera setup, which will allow you to view yourself tooling around in the third person. Weird, right? The whole setup consists of a camera rigged at your back from a distance far enough to film you from behind, a pair of
video goggles to wear as you gallivant about, and optionally, a radio transmitter, allowing a remote viewer to join in on the fun and watch along with you. How does it work? A bit disconcertingly if you ask us, but it's something we'd certainly consider giving a try, if only once. Hit up the source for full instructions as well as impressions of the experience. There's a video after the break.
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ComScore: Facebook overtakes Yahoo, is now the third most trafficked website in the world
ComScore -- a common metric used to measure internet traffic -- is showing off some impressive stats these days. In the month of November, for instance,
Facebook overtook
Yahoo! for the first time in worldwide traffic, with the social network nabbing 648 million unique visitors while the portal named after
Gulliver's Travels pulled in 630 million. What does this mean to? Well, to point out the obvious, it seems that while Facebook continues its epic growth, the relatively flat state of Yahoo!'s traffic is simply not enough to retain its third place spot behind Google and Microsoft's sites, which grab up places one and two consistently. One note about these
ComScore statistics, just in case you're wondering about that last one: it 'groups' sites together rather than counting individual URLS, so for instance, the Microsoft sites take the number two spot en masse. In terms of U.S. traffic, Facebook still trails Yahoo! a bit, with 152 million visitors and 181 million, respectively, so if they're truly hoping for world domination, they have their work cut out for them. We're looking at you, Mark!
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Sonic the Hedgehog will charge your Wiimote inductively, but he won't like it
He may be flashing a peace sign, but you can tell from the look in his eyes that Sonic isn't exactly thrilled to be doing anything to support
Nintendo. This is the cat that made blast processing a reality, whose addiction for gold rings is legendary, and who hasn't starred in a truly great game since, well, since
Sega stopped making hardware, now reduced to this. Look at him, perched atop a mock floating platform, brown and tan checkerboard base with a green top where you can set your
Wiimotes for charging without stripping them of their prophylactics. Though the press release makes no mention of this, we were led to believe that this is not actually powered by your AC outlet, instead by the spirits of fuzzy little squirrels and rabbits trapped within, making this $49.99 figurine from Mad Catz all the more nefarious.
Permalink CoolestGadgets.com |
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Onkyo blesses 10.1-inch TA117 Android tablet with NVIDIA's Tegra 250
Lookin' to get a jump on the rest of the folks, eh
Onkyo? Rather than waiting for CES to kick off next week, the aforementioned firm has just let loose its TA117, proving that it's totally kosher with supporting both
Microsoft and Google in the tablet wars. A duo of models will be made available -- the TA117C3 and TA117C1 -- with both of 'em getting a 10.1-inch touch panel (1024 x 600 resolution), Android 2.2, NVIDIA's Tegra 250 (1GHz), 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a microSD expansion slot, USB 2.0 connectivity (x2), HDMI out and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera. There's also a docking port to use with an optional stand, and if you're looking to spot the differences between the two models, the C1 is home to 512MB of DDR2 RAM alongside 8GB of integrated storage, while the C3 doubles up with 1GB of memory and 16GB of NAND. There's nary a word on price nor release, but we hear Samsung's Galaxy Tab is now feeling a bit small. If you know what we're getting at.
Permalink Akihabara News |
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