Twitter gives API 1.0 a reprieve, lets it live until June 11th
Those who preferred Twitter's earlier, more liberal ways have regarded May 7th with a sense of dread, as that's when API 1.0 (and our chance at a truly competitive app ecosystem) was supposed to go dark. While the company isn't about to reverse course, it is giving the refuseniks a break by delaying the shutdown until June 11th. More time is necessary for blackout tests, Twitter says. We wouldn't lean too heavily on remaining API 1.0-era apps and services when that instability exists, but the extra month does allow for a gentler transition into API 1.1's brave new world.
[Image credit: Coletivo Mambembe, Flickr]
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet
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Via: Android Central
Source: Twitter
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Fullscreen BEAM app sends Google Glass videos directly to YouTube
Sure, using Google Glass to record a video is a pretty neat trick, but how about uploading it to YouTube without a computer? Thanks to Fullscreen's BEAM video sharing app for Glass, you can do just that. After setting up an account with the company's website, Glass owners can use their high-tech eyewear to send clips to YouTube along with a tweet linking directly to the video. If you've managed to get hold of Google's modern-day monocle and would like give BEAM a try, you can register at the source link below. As for the rest of us, at least we can watch the demo video after the break.
Filed under: Wearables, Software, Google
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Source: Fullscreen
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T-Mobile's official TV app now available for iOS
Holy Magenta! T-Mobile TV is now available for iOS. Just a few weeks removed from the carrier's launch of the iPhone 5, its entertainment streaming app offers a free 30-day trial run with content from Fox News, the Associated Press, Campus Insiders and ACC Digital Network. Those looking to extend their mobile media fix can opt for a $13 a month Prime Pack that opens up programming from the likes of ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, MTV, Spike TV, Comedy Central and VH1. In addition to its flagship package, the carrier offers a set of themed packs that range from $6 to $10 a month. To take the self-proclaimed UnCarrier's mobile boob tube for a test drive, head on over to the source link below -- just be sure that your device is running iOS 4.3 or higher.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, T-Mobile
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Via: Electronista
Source: iTunes
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The Daily Roundup for 05.03.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
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Physics teacher adopts Google Glass, gives students a glance at CERN (video)
When Google asked what we'd do if we had Glass, it was no doubt hoping we'd produce some world-changing ideas. We now know at least a few exist, courtesy of physics teacher Andrew Vanden Heuvel. He's long been hoping to use the wearable tech for remote teaching and one-on-one sessions, and the Glass Explorer program has given him the chance to do just that. His first stop? None other than CERN. Courtesy of a trip for Google's new Explorer Story video series, Vanden Heuvel is the first person to teach a science course while inside the Large Hadron Collider tunnel, streaming his perspective to students thousands of miles away. While we don't know if other Explorer Stories will be quite as inspiring, we'll admit to being slightly jealous -- where was Glass when we were kids?
[Thanks, Peter]
Filed under: Wearables, Google
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Source: AGL Initiatives
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This week on gdgt: Panasonic's ST60 is a must-have HDTV
Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their latest picks -- along with a few you should probably avoid. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt's newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.
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Editor's Letter: Welcome to May
In each issue of Distro, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news.
A bit of a lull this week ahead of what is shaping up to be an insane May -- and perhaps an even crazier June. We have events stacked three-deep at times, with industry ones like Google I/O, BlackBerry World, CTIA and SID Display Week looming along with private ones like Microsoft's next-generation Xbox unveiling. Next month? WWDC and the Electronic Entertainment Expo, just to name a few. Giddyup.
This week, we got what should be the final dredges of first-quarter earnings, with Facebook reporting $1.46 billion in revenue. That's a 38 percent increase over this quarter last year and a healthy $312 million in profit. Daily active users are also up, from 526 million to 665 million and, perhaps most importantly, Facebook managed to increase the performance of its mobile ads. That will be the key to its long-term success.
Filed under: Misc, Wearables
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Insert Coin: $250 Casetop turns your smartphone into a laptop (video)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.
We keep hearing about how handheld devices are replacing laptops, so how about doing it literally? Casetop just launched a laptop-style dock on Kickstarter that you can plug your smartphone into, turning it into the processor, graphics engine and trackpad of a "laptop." In return, the dock will give you an 11.1-inch 720p display, full-sized keyboard, stereo speakers, HDMI input, MHL video input, dual-mode MicroUSB, audio output and "always-powered" USB for charging other devices. Unlike similar offerings such as the still-unshipped Clambook (or Motorola's ill-fated Lapdock) the Casebook uses the handset as a trackpad, and the creators say that it won't be device-specific, working instead with a large number of smartphones from Apple, Blackberry, Samsung and others. Of course, it needs to meet the lofty $300,000 funding goal for all that to happen, but if you're optimistic, hit the source to plop down your $250 minimum pledge.
Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops
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Source: Casetop
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Wikimedia's small-screen future
The office is silent when our small film crew arrives at Wikimedia's San Francisco headquarters. There's none of the newsroom buzz one might associate with the operators of one of the world's largest sites. Hell, the day I started at AOL, there was a bulldog skateboarding through the halls. There are a few subtle, telltale internet startup signs, like several bottles of liquor hastily packed in a filing box on the lower floor, sitting next to a small CD mixer. While it's Friday afternoon, the company's resident mixologist is out at the moment. The celebration will have to wait.
Just to the right of the party box is Song Yingxing, a conference room named for the Chinese encyclopedist, which has more recently adopted the "Mushroom Kingdom" name, owing to a slew of gaming consoles and peripherals housed inside. It won't stay that way for long, according to Matthew Roth, the foundation's global communications manager, who's kindly devoted much of his afternoon to chaperoning us around the two floors. "No one really plays the games," he says. The hammock, too, is empty for our visit. It would be easy enough to chalk up such good behavior to the presence of a visiting media outlet, but sometimes the simplest answer is the best: Friday afternoon or not, the folks seated at these desks are hard at work.
In the lower of two levels occupied by the foundation, developers have their heads down, rushing to get the soon-to-be-released in-house Wikipedia app out the door. The project has only been on the drawing board since January, and the foundation only hired its first dedicated iOS developer in the past month. The move is the next step in expanding the site's already massive reach to corners of the world that it hasn't quite penetrated, an attempt to help the organization approach its utopian vision of free information for all. On its face, it's a simple photo uploader -- but it's more than that, really. It's a chance to open up Wikipedia editing to an even larger global audience. It's as good a reason as any to be inside on a beautiful mid-April Friday afternoon in Northern California.
Filed under: Mobile
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Solar Impulse sets off on its journey across the US (video)
Early this morning at Moffet Air Field in Mountain View, California, Solar Impulse finally took off on the first leg of its barnstorming tour across the US. Of course, this isn't the first time the sun-powered plane and its pilots, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, have flown long distance, but it is the first time it's taken wing through American airspace. Why has it come across the pond? To raise pubilc and political awareness about the benefits of going green and increasing energy efficiency -- and perhaps pick up an additional sponsor or two for its second-gen aircraft (currently in development) meant to fly around the world in 2015. "With the technologies we have onboard, we can divide by two the energy consumption of our world, and produce half of the rest [energy we need] with renewable sources" according to Piccard.
This first portion of the journey will end in Phoenix, and it'll take around twenty hours to get there, as the plane's meager output limits its average speed to around 40MPH. Should any of you want to join along with Piccard and Borschberg as they fly across the country, you can hit the Solar Impulse Across America website to see a livestream from the cockpit, along with real-time altitude, air speed and battery status of the aircraft. And, you can watch a video of Solar Impulse taking off on its North American journey and hear Borschberg talk about learning to fly it after the break.
Filed under: Transportation, Alt
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PlayJam's Jasper Smith on Nokia's lineage and two-piece smartphones
Every week, a new and interesting human being tackles our decidedly geeky take on the Proustian Q&A. This is the Engadget Questionnaire.
In the latest version of our weekly smattering of queries, PlayJam's CEO Jasper Smith reflects on Nokia's early device design and dreams of a space-scooting future. His thoughts on those topics and much more reside on the other side of the break.
Filed under: Misc
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Source: Engadget Distro
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Tesla ups longest financing term from 63 to 72 months, guarantees highest resale value of any premium sedan
Last week, Tesla gave some good news to owners of its electric autos -- an unconditional warranty on Model S power packs and the availability of Roadsters and Model S's as loaner models should your EV be laid up for repairs. Today on a media call, Elon Musk announced a new financing option for would-be buyers and informed us that Teslas have a higher resale value than any other car. Because of this, Musk is personally guaranteeing that his cars will have a higher resale value than those from major luxury brands like BMW, Audi and Jaguar (which broadens the guarantee beyond the old one that had the value pegged to the residual value of a Benz S-class). Additionally, the company is now upping its longest financing option from 63 to 72 months to make it easier for folks to get in the driver seat.
Filed under: Transportation
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Unannounced Acer Iconia W3 8-inch tablet leaks on Amazon, priced at $380
Acer's Iconia W3 tablet hasn't been formally announced, but that hasn't stopped Amazon from giving the TBA product a shiny new home on its website. The page appears to be a bit incomplete, with the summary listing an "1.5 GHz Apple A4" in the processor field, which we can't imagine is correct. The product description below might be a bit more on point, though. There you'll find a dual-core Atom Z2760 processor, an 8.1-inch 1280 x 800-pixel CrystalBrite LCD display, integrated graphics with 64MB of memory, 32 gigs of internal storage, 2GB of RAM, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, 2-megapixel front- and rear-facing cameras, and a two-cell 3,500mAh battery, keeping the Windows 8 tab powered for up to 8 hours. There's no word on when the 1.1-pound slate is set to ship (or when it'll make an official debut, for that matter), but assuming the Amazon web producers have managed to input pricing info correctly, you'll be able to pick one up for $380 sometime in the future.
[Thanks, Jake]
Filed under: Tablets, Amazon, Acer
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Source: Amazon
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Square believes it can trump Foursquare in the local recommendations game
Square collects a lot of store info by virtue of its payment business, so you'd think it would be great at recommending where to shop. And you may soon be right, according to the company's Ajit Varma. While he doesn't have a schedule, he tells The Verge that Square will eventually customize its directory to suggest hot or newly opened stores based on our spending habits. Varma even believes that his company could beat Foursquare in the local recommendations field, and it's easy to see why when Square knows that we're willing to buy, not just that we've entered a given store. Of course, this is all contingent on both a ubiquitous Square presence and consumerist intentions. Foursquare is entirely willing to point us to both free landmarks as well as stores without Square readers, so it's doubtful that the two services will ever completely overlap.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet
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Source: The Verge
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Vimeo to exclusively carry new Kristen Bell movie the same day as theaters
The concept of a movie launching online alongside its theatrical debut isn't new; we've seen a few (usually independent) movies reach iTunes that way, for example. Streaming service arrivals are still rare, however, and Vimeo On Demand just boosted its street cred with plans to carry Some Girl(s) on June 28th, the same day that the movie gets a wider theatrical release. Vimeo will be the exclusive online home of the Adam Brody and Kristen Bell picture, and production house Leeden Media takes a populist bent in explaining why: as with Bell's return to Veronica Mars, it wants to cut out the usual in-between distributors. We're sure that Vimeo's tinier-than-usual 10 percent revenue cut and relatively uncrowded marketplace play a part, too. There's no guarantee that other notable movies will follow suit, but it's an important coup for an online service that's not even two months old.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
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Via: PaidContent
Source: Some Girl(s)
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Acer brings options galore to new Aspire V5 and V7 laptops (hands-on)
Choice, you say? Acer's newest laptop duo is offering that in spades. At a gala this morning in New York City, the company rolled out quite the arrangement of new kit -- not the least of which was a revamped Aspire V5 and Aspire V7. The two lines ship with a 14- or 15.6-inch display, giving users the option of a 1,366 x 768 panel or a (highly recommended) 1,920 x 1,080 IPS panel; those seeking something even smaller will also find an 11.6-inch option in the V5 range, weighing just three pounds and measuring under an inch thick. The whole lot can be selected with dual- or quad-core chips from AMD and Intel, while select configurations are equipped with NVIDIA's GeForce GT7XXM series or AMD's Radeon HD8750 discrete graphics.
In essence, the V7 only differs from the V5 by adding a "silky touch" finish on the bottom, the "latest Intel CPUs," optional SSDs and Intel's Wireless Display (WiDi) technology. Both ranges offer the new Acer Converter Port, which aims to make the act of connecting to an external display, HDD, router, etc. a lesson in simplicity. The newfangled V series will ship at the end of the month with prices starting at $499, but you can bet that the model you're really after will land far north of that.
Filed under: Laptops, Acer
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Source: Acer
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PSA: Samsung Galaxy S 4 now on sale at Canadian carriers
Samsung's launch of the Galaxy S 4 hasn't been as coordinated as the company would like, but it's making some amends with today's launch of its flagship phone in Canada. In one fell swoop, most of the larger Canadian carriers are now offering the 16GB model for a typical $200 on a 3-year contract. Bell, Rogers and Telus (as well as their sub-brands) are covering much of the country, while more region-specific carriers like Eastlink and Videotron are also joining in. Carriers like Mobilicity and Wind Mobile aren't yet included, however, and supplies are known to be tight -- we'd ask about stock before making a trip to the local store.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
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Via: MobileSyrup
Source: Bell, Rogers, Telus
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US Cellular to offer Apple products 'later this year,' doesn't specify which ones (update: it's the iPhone)
US Cellular is apparently seeing the light when it comes to offering Apple products to its customers, announcing today in its quarterly earnings that it'll begin selling unnamed Apple products in its stores starting "later this year." Though no specifics are given as to what products will be available, USC president Mary Dillon couched the announcement in iPhone-leaning verbiage.
"We have a number of strategies in progress to increase loyalty and attract more customers, including our announcement today that we will begin offering Apple products later this year. By further strengthening our device portfolio, we'll give consumers another great reason to switch to U.S. Cellular, and enable our existing customers to choose from an even wider variety of iconic smartphones, and enjoy the outstanding U.S. Cellular customer experiences they deserve."
The company previously said (way back in 2011) that it couldn't find agreeable terms with Apple to offer its devices in USC stores, but apparently that situation has been resolved. We're reaching out to US Cellular for more information and will let you know as we hear it.
Update: US Cellular reps told Engadget, "U.S. Cellular will be selling iPhone products later this year. We don't have any additional information at this time." Surprise!
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Apple
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Via: Bloomberg
Source: Marketwatch
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Staples selling 3D Systems' Cube printer online, select retail availability starting in June
Staples is pushing its consumer printing offerings into the third dimension. The office supply chain has begun selling 3D Systems' Cube printer through its site, as of this morning. Come the end of June, the WiFi-enabled, semi-portable printer will be hitting a select number of retail locations for $1,300. The Cube's availability follows news of some higher-end 3D printing offerings at a very select number of Staples locations. Check the source link below to pick up the Cube in one of five colors -- and if you need some enthusiastic testimonies regarding the revolutionary nature of consumer 3D printing, be sure to click through to the press release below.
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Source: Staples
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Engadget Podcast 342 - 05.03.13
With something old, and something new (we'll let you figure out what), this podcast has the makings of a wedding. There's even a brief mention of something blue... hmmm.
Hosts: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater, Peter Rojas
Guest: Ryan Block
Producers: James Trew, Joe Pollicino
Hear the podcast:
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Google Glass to support GPS navigation, text messages without companion app
Google Glass Explorers looking for turn-by-turn directions and text messages to be displayed from the device must pair the wearable with an Android smartphone, and a companion app. But that could soon change, according to a TechCrunch report. When writer Frederic Lardinois went to pick up his Glass yesterday afternoon, a Google rep explained that the headset will soon be able to display directions and text messages within the device -- in other words, you won't need a smartphone to act as the middleman. You will, of course, still need to source your web connection through another device, unless there's a WiFi hotspot around, but this new method will at very least enable a bit more functionality for iPhone users. It's unclear whether Glass will also still need to pull GPS data from a synced handset, so don't make any plans to ditch your smartphone just yet.
Filed under: Displays, GPS, Wearables, Wireless, Google
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Source: TechCrunch
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Acer outs the Iconia A1: 7.9-inch IPS display and built-in 3G, priced at $169 (hands-on)
And the news just keeps on coming. Acer just made yet a third product announcement here at its New York City press event. That would be the Acer Iconia A1 tablet, the same Android tablet leaked by a French retailer a few weeks back. Well, it's official now, and it's going on sale in the US later this month for $169. Spec-wise, it measures 11.1mm thick, runs a 1.2GHz quad-core processor from MediaTek, and is topped off by a 7.9-inch IPS display with 1,024 x 768 resolution (hey, what'd you expect on a budget tablet?). It also has 8 or 16GB of internal storage, as well as built-in 3G, similar to the comparably priced FonePad from ASUS. As for software customizations, you'll find Acer's WakeApp feature which lets you launch into a designated app when you wake the tablet from sleep.
In our brief hands-on, the device felt like you'd expect a $169 tablet to feel: it's made of plastic, and lacks any sort of visual flare, but the back cover at least feels durable, and doesn't seem to pick up many fingerprints (especially in white). The display, too, might be the best part about the device, its low pixel count be damned: the viewing angles are wide enough that you can read the screen with the tablet lying face-up on a table. That's all for now, but we've got some hands-on shots below.
Update: We've amended the post with full (and correct!) specs.
Update #2: Acer's confirmed the 16GB version of the tablet should sell for about $199 in the US. It's expected to ht shelves by the end of the month.
Filed under: Tablets, Acer
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Acer unveils Aspire P3 Ultrabook convertible (update: video)
Acer brought a whole bunch of folks out to NYC for a global press conference and made sure the attending press got their money's worth. In addition to outing the unique convertible R7, the company unveiled the Aspire P3 -- its first convertible Windows 8 Ultrabook. The screen can be angled forward to use as a traditional (ish) laptop or completely folded down in slate mode. As you can see in the image, there's even a place to clip on a stylus. Acer wasn't too forthcoming with specs during the presentation, but we'll be sure to dig up those specifics when we get our hands-on (which should be coming shortly).
Update: You'll find impressions and specs after the break.
Filed under: Acer
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ASRock Purity Sound motherboards come with better audio shielding, headphone amps
Not that we were necessarily asking for it, but we now have another spec to weigh up when choosing a new Haswell motherboard. ASRock's A-Style Z87 mobos will come with a bunch of audio-related features collectively called "A-Style: Purity Sound", which the company claims will result in a better signal-to-noise ratio (115dB) compared to regular onboard 7.1-channel circuitry. The boards will also come with a dedicated headphone amp that should be able to high-impedance drive cans up to 600 Ohms, plus DTS Connect for converting PC audio to the DTS codec for optical out. There's some extra shielding around the components, which lends plausibility to the better SNR and the promise of better sound quality -- so Purity Sound probably can't be dismissed as Purity Marketing. In any case, just make sure you also pay this much attention to your next power supply.
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Home Entertainment
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Via: FarEastGizmos
Source: ASRock
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Acer intros Aspire R7, a laptop with an adjustable display like an all-in-one (update: video)
When Acer plans a global press event, asking journalists to fly in from twelve time zones away, you know it's going to announce more than just some back-to-school PCs. The company just announced the Aspire R7, a 15-inch laptop whose display sits on a flexible "Ezel" hinge, allowing it to be pushed up and back so that it lies nearly flat -- yep, just like an all-in-one desktop. Similar to the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga line, too, you can flip the screen all the way back so that it faces away from the keyboard, a feature that seems especially well-suited for giving presentations.
In terms of specs, Acer is being a little cagey, but we have learned the R7 has a 15.6-inch, 1080p display with a choice of Core i5 and i7 processors. The whole thing weighs in the neighborhood of five and a half pounds. Also confirmed: it's up for pre-order now for $999, available exclusively at Best Buy in the US. We're told it will ship May 17th. In the meantime, we've got hands-on photos below, and we'll very shortly be adding some first impressions after the break.
Filed under: Laptops, Acer
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