Google now inviting developers to buy Glass
Now that Google has offered a preview of Glass' SDK and opened the Mirror API to all developers, it has a strong incentive to get its eyewear in the hands of app writers. Accordingly, the crew in Mountain View is now inviting developers to buy Glass' Explorer Edition; you'll find one such invitation pictured above. We've asked Google about the scale of the expanded Explorer program, and we'll let you know if it can provide more details. Whether or not it can, the widened reach is good news for Glassware producers eager to test their code on real devices.
[Thanks, Josh]
Filed under: Wearables, Google
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Huawei Glory 4 leaks with octa-core chip, 720p display and Android 4.2
It was only a few days ago that we got an early peek at what appears to be Huawei's Ascend Mate 2. Now, according to our friends over at MyDrivers, it would appear the Chinese company also has a new Glory handset in the works -- one which is said to be a planned competitor against the likes of Xiaomi's Red Rice. Per the report, Huawei intends the Glory 4 to be a budget smartphone that packs a good amount of punch, with features such as MediaTek's MT6592 chip (aka "the world's first true octa-core"), 2GB RAM, 16GB of built-in storage and a 13-megapixel rear camera. The Huawei Glory 4, which could also be known as the Honor in some places, is expected to run Emotion UI 2.0 alongside Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) when it becomes official. Unfortunately, there's no word on the Glory 4's screen size, though the recent leak does suggest it'll be a 720p display onboard.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
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Via: UnwiredView
Source: MyDrivers
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Microsoft giving a free game to owners of Xbox Ones with hardware problems
While Microsoft has sold a ton of Xbox Ones, not all of them are functioning as their owners hoped they would. It turns out that some of the consoles are having problems with their optical drives -- some eat discs, while others reject them while a series of ominous sounds emanate from within. The good news is, should you be among those unfortunate souls, Microsoft is aware of the problem and is doing its best to make amends, including giving some affected parties a free game. Polygon reports that Xbox customer care has offered a game as recompense for some faulty consoles, and will let folks choose to download Dead Rising 3, Forza Motorsport 5, Ryse: Son of Rome or Zoo Tycoon for free. We reached out to Microsoft about its generosity, and here's what the company has to say on the matter:
While a replacement console is on its way, we want to ensure our advance exchange customers can stay in the game. We will provide each of them with a free digital download of one of the launch titles published by Microsoft Studios.Filed under: Gaming, HD
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Via: Polygon
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Daily Roundup: 3D Systems Sense review, Smartphone buyer's guide, hard times for the Wii U and more!
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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U-Verse dropping Xbox 360 receiver support after December 31st
We hope you weren't bent on using the Xbox 360 as a U-Verse TV receiver. AT&T is now telling customers that it will drop IPTV support for Microsoft's older console after December 31st, leaving viewers with little choice but to use a conventional set-top box. Subscribers will get a $99 credit in return for their troubles, the provider says. We've reached out to AT&T for more details regarding the move, but there are no signs of an official Xbox One substitute on the horizon.
[Thanks, Chuck]
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile, Microsoft, AT&T
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Source: AT&T
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Must See HDTV (November 25th - December 1st)
Whew. Now that the new game consoles are here, we can finally relax a bit. This week the only gaming releases of note for the systems are flOw and Escape Plan making the jump from PS3 / PS Vita to the PS4. Meanwhile, Breaking Bad is gone but not forgotten and this week you can pick up either the complete series or just the last season, depending on what you have already and whether or not you can live without the sweet collector's edition case. Look after the break for our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and gaming.
Filed under: HD
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First look: iBuyPower's Steam Machines prototype
That game console headlining this text? It isn't a white PS4: it's a commercial Steam Machines box, or at least a prototype of one. iBuyPower tells us that it's building the box for a 2014 launch, but says it's still early. The company says the prototypes are running an early build of Steam OS, but it's not quite a finished product. That rings true of our impressions of Valve's own reference model, which hosted a version of that same OS devoid of media playback and streaming options and had a very limited selection of games.
iBuyPower tells us that it actually has two models, codenamed Gordon and Freeman, in the works. The two consoles are identical, save for the light bar round the middle -- one model's is clear, while the other's is black when not illuminated. And, while the company wouldn't tell us about the boxes' internals, it did confirm that the hardware will run all Steam titles in 1080p resolution at 60fps. Not as much info as we'd like to know, but still, it's good to see hints of what we'll see from Steam Machines when they hit the market -- though we'll likely have to wait until CES to see them in action.%Gallery-slideshow123245%
Filed under: Gaming
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Rocki turns your old sound system into WiFi-enabled speakers
The Rocki concept has been floating around for a bit, but now the company's ready for the hardware startup rite of passage that is the Kickstarter campaign. The idea's a pretty straightforward one: a module that plugs into the back of an existing sound system via audio jack or RCA, essentially turning it into a wireless speaker system. The little hexagonal Play device streams music over your home network via 802.11b/g/n, which has some notable fidelity and range advantages over Bluetooth. Assuming you've already got some speakers lying around, it's also a fair bit cheaper than investing in a new Bluetooth or WiFi versions. The company is developing an Android app for the Rocki, letting you stream your music to multiple devices (assuming, of course, that you've got multiple Play modules throughout your home), with iOS and HTML5 versions on the horizon. Get in early, and you can snag one for a $45 pledge.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Wireless
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Source: Kickstarter
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Apple patent filing adds trackpad functions to home button and turns entire display into fingerprint sensor
Arguably the most notable characteristic of the iPhone 5s is the TouchID fingerprint sensor, which lets you unlock your phone and authorize app purchases simply by resting a pre-authenticated fingertip on the home button. It turns out, however, that Apple might've had plans for the technology that go far beyond just that. According to a patent application filed with the World International Property Organization, the Cupertino company may use TouchID's sensor technology to transform the Home button into a trackpad, similar to the ones on BlackBerry's older line of Curve handhelds. Indeed, the patent filing describes how users could navigate the phone by "revolving" or "twisting" their fingerprint on the button's sensor. Additionally, the sensor could measure the length of time and amount of pressure that is placed on it, which might lead to more interesting use-cases in apps or games.
What's even more intriguing, however, is that the document goes on to describe how the entire display can be used to read your fingerprints. This sounds like a crazy idea at first, but if implemented, the phone would then know exactly which finger of which hand is on the screen. This could lead to certain actions mapped to specific digits -- perhaps a long-press of your index finger could launch Maps, while a pinch of your pinky and thumb could open up Messages, for example. A few diagrams from the patent application show how screen-wide fingerprint recognition could be used for playing a piano or touch-typing on the virtual keyboard. If you're concerned that this could lead to serious battery drain, the patent even addresses that, stating that the phone would be smart enough to recognize when it's in moments of fingerprint recognition (i.e. "enhanced sensitivity") or when it's normal everyday use, otherwise known as "reduced sensitivity."
Further, it seems that enhanced sensitivity could just be restricted to small screen areas so that only certain apps -- like banking or email perhaps -- would be cloaked in that extra layer of protection. Of course, just because such functionality is filed away in a patent application doesn't mean we'll see this in real life. However, taken with the promise of Apple's recent acquisition, we'll admit we're very interested to see how the iPhone 6 will turn out. Those interested in patent minutiae can go ahead and peruse the rather lengthy 612-page document in the link below.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
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Via: Unwired View
Source: WIPO
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Coolpad's Flo is its first 3G smartphone in the US, heads to T-Mobile's GoSmart network
Coolpad
isn't exactly a household name here in the States, but the outfit is
otherwise known for its budget-minded offerings. Today, it is
introducing the Flo, a 4.5-inch smartphone running Android Jelly Bean -- the company tells us this is the first Coolpad
device with 3G capabilities to hit North America. (Sorry, folks, no
LTE.) Aside from that, the Flo also sports an undisclosed dual-core,
1GHz Qualcomm chip, 4GB of onboard storage (expandable up to 32GB) and a
decent 1,880mAh battery. Customers using T-Mobile's GoSmart prepaid service can snag one now for $99, which isn't too bad if you'd like to save a few bucks during your holiday shopping.
Filed under: Cellphones, MobileComments
GoSmart
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Western Digital Black2 drive packs both solid-state and spinning storage
Performance-minded PC users frequently want both a fast solid-state drive for crucial apps and a regular hard disk for everything else, but that's not always feasible in the tight space of a laptop. Western Digital is making that two-drive option a practical reality through its new Black2. The design puts both a 120GB SSD and a 1TB spinning disk into a single 2.5-inch SATA enclosure, offering more speed and capacity than you'd find in a typical hybrid drive. It's potentially an ideal blend for gamers and small form factor PC builders, although they'll pay for the privilege -- WD is shipping the Black2 today for $300, or roughly as much as the two drives by themselves.
[Thanks, Metayoshi]
Filed under: Laptops, Storage
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Source: Western Digital
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Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: fall 2013
As the leaves turn to gold and flutter from the trees, the Engadget team digs out their scarves and mittens to get ready for the mad rush of phone launches that take place ahead of the holiday season. We've seen big devices (both large and high-profile ones) enter the world over the last few months, including new heavyweights from Apple and Google. Then there's Samsung, Nokia and HTC, which are all following the philosophy that bigger is better.
But it's not just on the hardware side that things are getting exciting. T-Mobile's eliminated roaming charges and Verizon is doubling its LTE speeds to a whopping 80 Mbps. AT&T is offering customers a $5 daily pass for internet and is making mobile share plans the standard rather than the exception. Of course, if you'd prefer unlimited data, Sprint is promising that its Spark LTE will beat the field -- but it's currently only available in NYC, LA, Chicago, Tampa and Miami. Whether you're looking for a smartphone right now, or if you're contract is about to expire, this is your guide to the best ones on the market.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Google, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, LG, Blackberry, T-Mobile
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Spotify Connect local streaming comes to Android
A couple of months ago, Spotify Connect was announced for iOS -- a feature that allows you to wirelessly control (via your home WiFi network) music playing on Connect-compatible speakers with your phone. Good news for Spotify users with Premium accounts and Android devices today, as their version of the app has now been endowed with all of Connect's powers. Of course, the number of devices currently compatible with the feature is fairly slim, as Pioneer and Bang and Olufsen are Spotify's only official partners. But, 'tis the season and there are some quality, if pricey, Connect-enabled speakers and receivers to be had -- remember, kids, Santa only brings you what you ask for.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio/Video, Software, Mobile
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Via: Android Police
Source: Google Play
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Fixes coming for Skype Messaging on Windows Phone; improved device syncing also in the works
If you've used Skype on Windows Phone, chances are you've dealt with out-of-sync and missed messages. Luckily, a fix is on the horizon: according to Skype product manager Jeff Kunins, who spoke with The Verge, Microsoft is aware of the issues and working to resolve them. Part of the problem, it seems, stems from Microsoft's move from peer-to-peer networks for Skype to cloud-based servers.
Once the hiccups are fixed, users can expect syncing across devices to avoid any random bursts of old, already-read messages. Kunins also said that continuous notifications will run only on the device you're currently using, as opposed to every Skype-running gadget you own. Few things are more headache-inducing than five different devices ringing at once, after all. Finally, Kunins hinted that the Skype app for Windows 8.1 will have "a lot of fun things" to offer. Stay tuned.
Filed under: Software, Microsoft
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Source: The Verge
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Qualcomm Toq Mirasol smartwatch now available for pre-order
Qualcomm's Toq smarter-than-most watch is expected to debut the first week of December, and you can set one aside for yourself starting today. The company has announced that it's now taking pre-orders for the newfangled Toq smartwatch, which, unlike many competing wearables, bases its display features on Mirasol technology. Those looking to order need to be prepared to shell out a good amount of cash -- because, as you may have heard, you'll have to pay a cool $350 to own one of these.
Filed under: Misc, Peripherals, Wearables
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Source: Qualcomm
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3D Systems Sense review: a 3D scanner for the masses (almost)
If we've crossed paths in the past week, there's a pretty good chance I've scanned you. This extends well beyond the human race, into the realms of animal, vegetable, plush toy and fruit bowl. Some subjects were too small to be scanned, some too fidgety and, in the case of my attempted 3D selfie, not nearly flexible enough. Such issues were mere roadblocks in my strange one-man journey to 3D-scan the world. I may have a problem. I admit it. For starters, I'm not completely sure what I plan on doing with all these scans, but while such questions are entirely logical, they've yet to curb my enthusiasm for the device. Sense is one of those propositions that seems too good to be true: a user-friendly, (relatively) portable 3D scanner capable of capturing objects up to 10 feet by 10 feet, and at a fraction of the price of the competition.
If the product is indeed what 3D Systems claims, it could fill a major hole in the consumer 3D-printing market. In recent years, 3D-printing companies have largely focused on the printers themselves, which have gotten cheaper and easier to use. At the same time, the race to dominate the category has often caused companies to ignore the question of how those without extensive CAD experience can create 3D files in the first place. MakerBot unveiled its solution back at SXSW: the $1,400 Digitizer, a rotating, desktop scanning bed capable of capturing objects up to eight inches by eight inches. 3D Systems' Sense takes a wholly different approach: This is a $400 handheld scanner that can digitize an entire human being.%Gallery-slideshow123207%
Filed under: Peripherals
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Assassin's Creed: Pirates launches for phones and tablets on December 5th
Sure, it's not the first Assassin's Creed title to make it to mobile, but hey, it's the first one with pirates to hit your handset. On December 5th, you'll be able to download Assassin's Creed: Pirates on Android and iOS for $5. You'll be playing as captain, naturally, commanding a pirate ship and combatting with other vessels while looking for buried treasure. It will also feature characters from Ubisoft's other pirate-themed title, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. According to the game developer, the title uses a new 3D graphics engine made specifically for phones and tablets -- don't expect a PC or console-compatible version. While you'll have to wait till next week to start playing, you can watch the trailer here now.
Filed under: Gaming, Mobile
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Via: Venture Beat
Source: Ubisoft
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Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Laptops
Welcome to Engadget's holiday gift guide! Head back to our hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month.
Chances are you stick with a laptop longer than a smartphone -- not everyone can afford to upgrade machines every two years, after all. And since you'll be using that notebook for a while, it better be a mighty capable one. Whether you're shopping for a lucky relative or friend or perusing for yourself, this shortlist of laptops and Ultrabooks is a great place to start. Our resident laptop expert Dana Wollman, along with others from the Engadget team, break down the best systems for all budgets.
Filed under: Laptops, Apple, Samsung, Google, HP, Dell, Lenovo
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What about the Wii U?
Everyone's in a tizzy about the "new" console generation, conveniently forgetting that, market-wise, it was already here a year ago with the release of Nintendo's Wii U. It isn't as advanced technologically as the new Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox One, but the Wii U's like the kid who still likes Ninja Turtles when everyone's moved on to Power Rangers: They might not be as cool, but they're still your classmate, and they're still going to graduate with everyone else. Nintendo might seem a little square compared to Sony and Microsoft right now, but it still has the skills to succeed in school.
At launch, Nintendo sold out its entire initial allotment of 400,000 Wii U's -- which looked promising -- but after the holidays, sales softened significantly and continued to slide. By E3, the situation wasn't looking so good. Just a few months later, Nintendo announced a price cut of $50 for the console, reducing its profit on each unit sold. However, the price reduction also moved a lot of units, with the Wii U experiencing a 200 percent uptick in sales for the month of September.
Filed under: Gaming, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo
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Nokia Lumia 1520 reaches the UK on December 6th, starting at £80 on a £38 per month plan
Brits who've been yearning for the Nokia Lumia 1520 will soon get their chance. The supersized Windows Phone is now due to reach the UK on December 6th, when it will be available through O2 at retail and Vodafone through the web. Third-party retailers like Carphone Warehouse and Phones4u will also stock the 6-inch flagship. While the exact pricing will vary, Vodafone will sell the phone for £80 when it's attached to a £38 per month plan and a 2-year contract; it will be available for free if you subscribe to a beefy £47 plan. The 1520 will undoubtedly be one of the more expensive handsets in the country, then, but it may be worthwhile for those who want one of Nokia's most powerful devices.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia
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Source: Nokia
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OneNote for Windows 8.1 now uses optical character recognition to search scanned images
It's been about four months since the OneNote app for Windows received a significant update. Today, though, Microsoft is adding several key features, with the biggest being the ability to scan images and then search them using keywords. This new Camera Scan feature, as it's called, automatically crops and rotates photos, removing shadows and sharpening the image where necessary. Then, it uses optical character recognition (OCR) to search for words in scanned images, making it easy to find those meetings notes you took the other day.
Additionally, the update now allows you to save things using the Share Charm. And if you want a shot of the entire screen (and not just a specific item, like a recipe), you can use the Share Charm in a Windows app and then select" screenshot" from the Share Charm drop-down. (In desktop mode, screenshots are already the standard option.) Finally, the app now has both a full-screen view and a "Recent Notes" option, which shows all your notes in the order you last used them, regardless of whether you were viewing them on Windows, iOS or Android. These are accompanied by short previews, making it easier to zero in on what you want. And that about sums it up -- to get the latest version, hit up the download link below.%Gallery-slideshow123034%
Filed under: Software, Microsoft
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Source: Windows Store, Microsoft
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FDA orders 23andMe to stop selling DNA-testing kits pending approval
For more than five years, 23andMe has sent out personalized DNA test kits, offering consumers hundreds of clinical reports on their genetic risk for everything from diabetes to prostate cancer. Its mission to educate customers about their health and ancestry appears to have been dealt a blow, however, after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the company needs its approval. It's told 23andMe to stop advertising its DNA-testing product until it gets the medical device classification it needs, which involves conducting studies of the kits to gain documented proof of their accuracy.
The agency is also worried that customers might take action, or not, based on test results that may or may not be correct. 23andMe has attempted to gain clearance in the past, but hasn't done everything it needs to get the green light. Make no mistake, a run-in with the FDA is not to be taken lightly: satisfying the agency's requirements is going to be a long and expensive process. 23andMe now has to tell the agency exactly how it intends to gain marketing authorization for the device, or it could face regulatory action (which includes injunctions, seizures and hefty fines).
Update: 23andMe has issued a statement on the matter:
We have received the warning letter from the Food and Drug Administration. We recognize that we have not met the FDA's expectations regarding timeline and communication regarding our submission. Our relationship with the FDA is extremely important to us and we are committed to fully engaging with them to address their concerns.Filed under: Internet
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Via: Bloomberg
Source: FDA
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Lenovo's Flex 10 offers a flip-mode display on a $550 netbook-style body
Aging Busta Rhymes witticisms aside, this new Lenovo might just be a contender for anyone on the lookout for a versatile Windows 8.1 machine. The Flex 10 is a 10-inch version of the Flex 14 and 15 models we've already seen, with the same 1,366 x 768 resolution and 10-point touch panel, but with a Bay Trail Pentium or Celeron processor instead of Haswell. It's a sort of half-way house between a fanless hybrid and a full-wattage laptop, and in some ways it offers the worst of both worlds -- for example, the base model provides a battery life of just four hours but has a relatively stocky weight of 2.6 pounds (1.2kg). On the other hand, the Flex 10 should run Microsoft Office and other productivity software at a faster clip than mobile-class machines like the Miix 10 or Miix2. Plus, it allows the screen to be flipped back 300 degrees into a "stand" mode, likely without costing as much as a Core i3-powered Yoga 11S -- assuming the unconfirmed starting price of $550 proves to be accurate. Lenovo has a habit of adding products to its website before releasing full pricing and availability, so we'll update this post when we learn more. (Woo Hah!)
Filed under: Laptops, Lenovo
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Source: Lenovo
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BlackBerry ousts marketing and operations chiefs, replaces CFO
The high-level shakeups aren't over at BlackBerry just because the company has a new CEO. The company has just let go of Chief Operating Officer Kristian Tear (pictured at left) and Chief Marketing Officer Frank Boulben (right), both of whom had assumed their roles roughly one year ago. There's no mention of immediate replacements. The Waterloo firm is also replacing Chief Financial Officer Brian Bidulka with the company's Compliance head James Yersh; Bidulka will stay on as an advisor for the rest of the fiscal year to ease the transition. CEO John Chen hasn't provided explanations for the individual departures, but he describes the executive shuffle as necessary for focusing on BlackBerry's "core strength" in mobile device management. Let's just hope that Chen is better at engineering a turnaround than his predecessors.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Blackberry
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Source: Marketwired
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HTC One Google Edition handsets now getting official Android 4.4 KitKat updates
Earlier today, HTC posted the Android 4.4 KitKat kernel source and framework files for the HTC One Google Play Edition, which usually means an official OTA update is imminent. Sure enough, a user on XDA Developers has now reported that he's received the update the safe way, over-the-air. That means you'll soon see the more streamlined interface if you're rocking the Sense-less device, though some waiting may be required if the rollout is staggered. Other benefits you'll notice will be a better camera app with its own shortcut, improved battery life and more speed overall. Meanwhile, owners of the regular HTC One should get KitKat skinned with Sense in January, at least in the US and UK. If you went for the Google Play Edition, you can check your settings for the update or, if you're feeling brave, download it at the "More Coverage" link after the break.
Update: Voice activated search using "OK, Google" from the homescreen is only available on the Nexus 5 with the Google Experience launcher. The post has been updated to reflect that.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC, Google
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Source: XDA Developers
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