CyanogenMod 10.1 arrives for T-Mobile's Galaxy S 4, other variants promised to follow
Just over a month ago, CyanogenMod founder Steve Kondik left Samsung, with a parting elucidation about the Galaxy S 4. The very same phone was expected to not be supported by the CM crew, leaving prospective buyers and fans of the firmware to consider their loyalties. Hope was restored when Kondik teased an image via Google+ showing the about screen for CM10.1 on T-Mobile's version of the handset (SGH-M919). Now, he's confirmed it's here (and quickly done, too), with word that other variants (I9505 etc) will follow as and when hardware is sourced. Kondik claims that, while not quite perfect, that the port is complete enough to provide all core features, including, at some point, support for Android's hover events. The nighties are available now, so if you've got the right mix of Magenta and Cyan, keep an eye on the usual sources for the goods.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
Comments
Source: Steve Kondik (Google+)
Read More ...
Ask Engadget: best desktop PC speakers?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from James, who wants to break into audio mixing, but needs some noisyboxes for his desk. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
I'm no audiophile, but I would like some decent quality sound for my desktop. I've tried 4.1, 2.1, 2.0 setups but none of them made me very happy, which isn't helping my attempts to get into professional audio work. Is there a lower-end line of speakers that the pros use that I'd be able to afford?
Fortunately for you, James, we can turn this question over to our podcast producer, who suggested that you could do worse than a pair of KRK RP6G2 Rockit speakers, which come in at $400 for a pair. They're studio monitors rather than purely desktop speakers, but if you want to start working in audio then you're probably better off with these. Of course, it wouldn't be Ask Engadget unless we turned this question over to our clever crew of commenters, so if you know of anything that's better (or cheaper) then fire your answer into the comments below.
Filed under: Desktops, Portable Audio/Video
Comments
Read More ...
Mystery LG smartphone spied with no front buttons, many unanswered questions
Hello, what's this? While many of us were out enjoying the spring weather, @evleaks was busy posting photos of an unknown LG smartphone that, if real, represents a notable shift in the Korean company's design language. The device shares the Nexus 4's slightly curvy outline and lack of front-facing hardware buttons, but appears to have a taller screen, a new speaker grille and a different sensor layout. It's not very likely to be part of the Nexus program with that conspicuous LG logo at the front, but there are few other clues as to where it would fit in LG's phone family -- is it an Optimus G sequel, an Optimus LTE2 follow-up, or something entirely fresh? We may well see more of this mystery hardware in the near future, though, and there's already a close-up of the top bezel to be found after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG
Comments
Source: @Evleaks (Facebook), (Twitter)
Read More ...
Mobile Miscellany: week of April 29th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought a leak of the BlackBerry R-Series smartphone in red, a clever new notification system from the Paranoid Android team and quarterly earnings from Leap Wireless, the parent company of Cricket. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of April 29th, 2013.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Software, Mobile
Comments
Read More ...
XBMC for Android's End User Friendly build gets stable release
Back in January, XBMC for Android trotted out what it called the first End User Friendly build of its mobile media center -- a release designed with compatibility in mind. Half a million downloads later, the team is ready for the custom build's first major update, releasing XBMC for Android's first stable End User Friendly version today. "This is the first and only truly End User Friendly release of XBMC available on the internet," writes the team on its official blog. "We're hoping that it will in time bring XBMC to a whole new mainstream level." For the uninitiated, the release page gives new users a brief rundown of what XBMC is, explaining how the software snags streaming content from all over the web and serves it to the user in a single, easy to access place. Installation is a little more complicated than simply hitting up Google Play, but folks who tried the team's last release should be familiar with the process: sideload two APKs, and jump in. Check out the release for yourself at the source.
Comments
Source: XBMC for Android
Read More ...
Columbia University's low-cost robotic arm is controlled by facial muscles, we go face-on (video)
We've seen Emotiv's Epoc headset control cars and trapeze acts, but now a small posse of students at Columbia University is teaching it how to control a robotic arm. The appendage, aptly named ARM for Assistive Robotic Manipulator, was envisioned as a wheelchair attachment to help the disabled. According to the team, the goal was to keep costs in the neighborhood of $5,000 since insurance outfits Medicare and Medicaid won't foot a bill for assistive tech that's much more than $10,000. To keep costs low, the crew built the limb from laser cut wood, and managed to keep the final price tag at $3,200. Since picking up EEG signals and interpreting them accurately can be tricky, the group says it settled on monitoring EMG waves, which are triggered by muscle movements, for additional reliability.
Lifting your eyebrows makes the device open its grip, clenching your teeth shuts it and moving your lips to the left and right twists the claw, while other motions are currently handled by using a PlayStation 2 controller. In the lab, the contraption has seven degrees of freedom, but it was reduced to five when we took it for a spin. It was hit or miss when this editor put the headgear on, between making sure facial gestures were spot on and the equipment's attempts to pick up clear signals.
Filed under: Robots, Alt
Comments
Read More ...
Alt-week 5.4.13: Atacama's mystery skeleton, move to Mars, and lights out for Herschel
Alt-week takes a look at the best science and alternative tech stories from the last seven days.
Well, here we are. It's happening. We're officially talking about setting up a human colony on Mars. Not only is this very real, it's something you can be part of. You don't have to leave the planet to get your extra-terrestrial fix though, as our two other stories demonstrate. This is alt-week.
Filed under: Science, Alt
Comments
Read More ...
Google+ widget lets you embed Photo Spheres on any website
One of the biggest highlights of Android's jump to 4.2 was the addition of Photo Sphere, a 360-degree panoramic shooting mode that pans vertically as well as horizontally. It's a neat trick, but the only way to share it was on Google+ or on a device running Android 4.2 or higher. Now, thanks to a new widget that utilizes the Google+ Platform API, you can embed an interactive 360-degree slideshow on any website you choose -- so long as your photos are stored on G+ and PicasaWeb. If you're willing to play around with a bit of code, have a peek at the source to get started.
[Image credit: Colby Brown]
Filed under: Internet, Google
Comments
Via: Colby Brown Photography, Google+
Source: Google Developers
Read More ...
Sony Xperia L swings by the FCC with North America-friendly 3G
While Sony intrigued us with the Xperia L's blend of a low-end smartphone with a higher-end camera, it wasn't very specific on just where we could eventually buy one: "worldwide" doesn't help, folks. Courtesy of an FCC filing, there's now a hint that the phone might show up in North America. The L has surfaced at the US agency carrying HSPA-based 3G compatible with the likes of AT&T, Straight Talk and T-Mobile, as well as Canadian carriers of all sizes. Even with a manual included in the filing, though, there's no telltale clues as to which providers in either country might be interested. Without any built-in LTE, the Xperia L we see here is more likely to reach either smaller networks or go the carrier-independent route -- if it comes to North America at all, that is.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
Comments
Source: FCC
Read More ...
Eyes-on with Cornell University's laser tag dunebots (video)
Cornell University may be the host of the Cornell Cup competition, but that doesn't mean it can't bring its own robots to join in on the fun. This year, students brought along a few bots, dubbed dunebots, outfitted with all-terrain wheels and equipped with laser tag turrets. The rugged rig features a pair of cameras, a dustproof and water resistant chassis, air intakes capped with filters, and other custom components for suspension and steering. Not only does the team plan on releasing code and documentation for the project, but the hardware was designed with modularity in mind, so others can build their own modified versions.
Taking the robot into battle requires two pilots armed with Xbox 360 controllers: one directing where it travels, and another aiming the turret and firing. Driving the buggy over the web is also possible, though it takes a few seconds for it to react. The group also baked in voice controls, to boot. If you're not watching the car duke it out in person, you can even tune in over the web and watch a live video stream from one of its onboard cams. Its top speeds haven't been firmly nailed down, but the team says the bot was running at approximately 35 percent of its full potential, since it was deemed too fast for conference attendees. Hit the jump to catch us talk with the effort's Computer Science lead Mike Dezube, and to see a dunebot in action.
Filed under: Robots, Alt
Comments
Read More ...
Nokia Lumia 928 billboard can't wait for official announcement to trumpet low-light camera performance
It's not uncommon for an as yet announced phone to pop up on Twitter, or via an insider leak. But a physical billboard? That takes some doing. If this image -- spotted out in the wild -- is to be believed, Nokia's Lumia 928 is as real as the day is long. The Verizon handset shown certainly fits the images we've already seen, and the low-light boast will stoke the coals of any Xenon or PureView rumors for sure. However, this spot is hardly Times Square, so until we see something a little more concrete, Lumia fans on Big Red will have to keep the faith with that 822.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia
Comments
Source: My Nokia Blog
Read More ...
NASA's Orion spacecraft takes another parachute test, intentionally fails (video)
Ideally, Astronauts want to return to Earth in fully functional space capsules, but sometimes things can go awry. That's why NASA is making a point of testing the Orion spacecraft's parachute deployment system for failures. The team's latest parachute test saw a test capsule falling from 25,000 feet with two of three drogue chutes rigged to fail and for one of two main parachutes to skip its inflation stage -- despite the handicap, the empty craft landed safely. "Parachute deployment is inherently chaotic and not easily predictable," Explains the Orion's landing and recovery system manager, Stu McClung. "The end result can be very unforgiving. That's why we test. If we have problems with the system, we want to know about them now." NASA plans to perform additional parachute tests at higher altitudes in July to help balance and reduce risk for Orion's crew. Check out NASA's official press release and a brief video of the test after the break.
Filed under: Science
Comments
Read More ...
Eyes-on: University of Pennsylvania's TitanArm exoskeleton (video)
TitanArm already took home silver in a competition for senior projects at the University of Pennsylvania, and now the team behind it is visiting Orlando to compete in the Intel-sponsored Cornell Cup for embedded design. We stopped by the showroom and snagged a few minutes with the crew to take a look at their creation: an 18-pound, untethered, self-powered exoskeleton arm constructed for less than $2,000.
To wield the contraption, users attach the cable-driven mechanical appendage to themselves with straps from a military-grade hiking backpack, and guide it with a thumbstick on a nunchuck-like controller. If a load needs to be held in place, the wearer can jab a button on the hand-held control to apply a brake. A Beagle Bone drives the logic for the setup, and it can stream data such as range of motion wirelessly to a computer. As for battery-life, they group says the upper-body suit has previously squeezed out over 24 hours of use without having to recharge.
Filed under: Robots, Alt
Comments
Read More ...
NASA PhoneSat returns photos from orbit, reminds us of streaming circa 1998
The launch of NASA's PhoneSat mission last year was loaded with promise: finally, proof that mobile technology could power nanosatellites and stick it to The Man. The photos have returned, and... well, Lockheed won't be scrapping its big satellites just yet. While we're impressed that the Nexus Ones onboard the three PhoneSats delivered images from orbit through amateur radio waves, the transmission artifacts are more like those from 15-year-old online videos than what we see on the ground today. Don't think that the effort was in vain, however -- far from it. While the inaugural PhoneSats have burned up in reentry, as expected, future iterations should build on the experience and make a better case for small-scale spacecraft.
Filed under: Transportation, Science, HTC
Comments
Via: The Verge
Source: NASA (1), (2), PhoneSat
Read More ...
Ford to break its yearly hybrid sales record in the US, seven months early
When Ford's hybrid lineup has been rapidly expanding over the past year, it stands to reason that the company's sales in the category would take off like an eco-friendly rocket. They have, and faster than you'd expect: the automaker now says it should break its yearly record for US hybrid sales sometime in May, with just under 6,000 cars standing between its current 2013 figures and an all-time high of 35,496 hybrids in 2010. The company has also more clearly established itself as number two, climbing from an estimated three percent of the US hybrid market share last April to 18 percent this year. While Toyota is still the clear frontrunner at 58 percent, Ford is ahead of its Detroit-based rivals -- and when Prius sales are soft, the Japanese firm just might be nervous.
Filed under: Transportation
Comments
Source: Bloomberg
Read More ...
Ming Mecca modules steer whole game worlds through voltage (video)
Just about every gamer we know has wanted to alter a game world on the spot, whether it's to cheat, fix game mechanics or experiment. Special Stage Systems' Ming Mecca system is built entirely around that concept -- and will definitely appeal to anyone with a fondness for analog electronics. Knobs and switches on its World Core synthesizer module adjust the game machine's maps, graphics, characters and even physics through voltage tweaks. Players only have to load assets on an SD card if they'd like a different look, and they even have access to the firmware and schematics if they want to go completely off the beaten path. Input is just as unconventional: a Control Core turns NES-compatible gamepads into signal generators that can be used just as easily for music making as for playing. Ming Mecca isn't expected to ship until summer 2014, and it won't be cheap at an estimated $999 for a World Core and $350 for the Control Core. Even so, we're sorely tempted to splurge -- it's not often that a gadget scratches so many of our nostalgic itches at once.
Filed under: Misc, Gaming
Comments
Source: Special Stage Systems
Read More ...
Available Tags:Galaxy , other , LG , smartphone , Google+ , Sony , Nokia , NASA , Ford ,
No comments:
Post a Comment