Saturday, January 15, 2011

IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 15/01/2011



Teenage Engineering OP-1 synthesizer now available for pre-order, we tour its shiny new features (video)
In an era of synth-toy overload, the OP-1 is definitely doing its thing to set itself apart from the pack. It wouldn't have surprised us if it never came out, simply vanishing into the ether like most too-good-to-be-true hardware tends to do. But the fine Swedes of Teenage Engineering are in Anaheim for NAMM with a production model on the floor, and now it's really, truly up for pre-order (please allow 8 weeks for manufacturing and processing) for $799 at their site. There are boatloads of updates from the OP-1's we've seen in the past: the little white slab with the colorful LCD now sports a raft of different sequencing modes, new stunningly visualized effects (like the boxer up above for punch...get it?), an accelerometer, and an FM radio, of all things. Video tour of all the shiny new features after the break.
Continue reading Teenage Engineering OP-1 synthesizer now available for pre-order, we tour its shiny new features (video)
Permalink   |  sourceTeenage Engineering  | Email this | Comments
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Apple nears ten billion downloads in App Store, should hit it without Verizon's help
For whatever reason, Apple has a thing with ten billion. The outfit served up its ten billionth iTune right around this time last year, and more importantly, served its one billionth app in April of 2009. In just 1.5 years, the company has seen that figure soar nearly tenfold, which is impressive no matter how you slice it. Of course, we're quite curious to know if this includes duplicate downloads, app updates and just free or paid apps, but regardless, there's no question that Cupertino (and quite a few developers) are raking it in. Of course, the explosion of the iPad certainly helped boost the download frequency, and if we had to guess, we'd say it'll take even less time to double up this milestone. You know, once next month happens. Oh, and if you get lucky enough, you could score a $10,000 iTunes gift card if you just so happen to download the ten billionth app -- make sure it's a good one.

[Thanks, Ali]
Permalink   |  sourceApple  | Email this | Comments
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GameBoy Advance Phone caught in the wild (by the guy who built it)
Perhaps if there was some sort of Brundlefly-style gadget mix-up five years ago, the outcome would look like this: an HTC Hermes jammed inside a GameBoy Advance housing. This prototype, presented by Windows Phone Hacker, features some fun changes that make it feel more like your beloved handheld gaming console, and less like your dated Windows Mobile Pocket PC, including a startup GIF animation of the original GameBoy Advance boot screen, custom software that keeps the OS in landscape mode, and custom notifications and ringtones from the Mario games. Also included is PocketGBA emulator for playing GameBoy Advance ROMs on the phone itself. Of course, this is just the beginning of the project: we look forward to seeing a version where the buttons work! In the meantime, check out the thing in action after the break.

[Thanks, Juan]
Continue reading GameBoy Advance Phone caught in the wild (by the guy who built it)
GameBoy Advance Phone caught in the wild (by the guy who built it) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceWindows Phone Hacker  | Email this | Comments
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The home theater PC is dead, long live Windows Media Center
Acer embedded Media Center demo
There has been a lot of discussion in the Windows Media Center community about the product's death. The theory is that Microsoft is throwing in the towel, focusing on the Xbox 360 and intends to let the best DVR software available become stale -- or worse, eliminate it from future versions of Windows altogether. After watching the Ballmer keynote at CES last week, it was hard not to get on this train as we all watched the 360, Windows Phone 7, and Windows highlighted on stage. But then something happened when the show floor opened: Windows embedded products were highlighted in private meetings and elsewhere. There was a buzz around Media Center embedded and even a price and ship date; meanwhile, home theater PCs got no love. So after years of trying, it appears that all hopes that HTPCs will ever emerge from their niche status are gone, but the same can not be said for Windows Media Center.Continue reading The home theater PC is dead, long live Windows Media Center
The home theater PC is dead, long live Windows Media Center originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Android getting Google Music sync in Gingerbread?
Google's been teasing cloud-based music features in Android since its I/O conference last year, and the recent leak of a revamped first-party Music app suggests that the plans haven't evaporated into thin air. Here's the latest tidbit: GizmoFusion claims that this screen shot comes from a device running Gingerbread, clearly showing "Music" as one of the accounts configured in Android's settings, which suggests that the system will be pretty deeply-integrated to sync your tracks just as it would your Twitter updates, your Facebook friends, or your calendar entries. Note that we don't have any new evidence beyond this one shot -- and we need to take GizmoFusion's word that this is a Gingerbread device -- but we're wondering if maybe this isn't one of the new features in that Android 2.4 build we've been hearing a lot about lately.

[Thanks, Bryan]
Android getting Google Music sync in Gingerbread? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceGizmoFusion  | Email this | Comments
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App review: kijjaa! (video)
We're used to seeing all sorts of funky motion-based games on smartphones, but here's something a little bit different: a retro-themed desktop 3D flash game that utilises your iOS device as an accelerometer and gyroscope-based wireless controller. The objective of kijjaa! is simple: just fly your vessel around, shoot down or avoid the enemies, and pick up extra lives. Don't worry, there's no jailbreaking involved here -- all we had to do was visit kijjaa.com/air, and then copy the code onto our iOS app to establish the link via WiFi or 3G.

There's no serious challenge in kijjaa! -- based on the app's description on iTunes, the game's designed with students and office workers in mind, so it's ideal for those seeking a fun quickie during their short breaks. We'd say the hardest part is trying to dodge the ghosts that show up randomly in short notice, but what really annoyed us were the occasional control lags that popped up even over WiFi. Still, for a promotional $0.99 pricing (the 70 percent price drop ends on January 17th), this game has gone much further than most other games have, and it'll only get better -- already in the pipeline are Game Center support, new enemies, new bonuses, and achievements. Hopefully the developer will also throw in some more chiptune soundtracks as well. Demo video after the break -- it kinda makes you want this on the Apple TV too, doesn't it?
Gallery: App review: kijjaa!
Continue reading App review: kijjaa! (video)
App review: kijjaa! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceiTunes, kijjaa!  | Email this | Comments
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New super-limited edition eBoy / Engadget shirts now available! (update: SOLD OUT!)
You asked, and we've delivered! Once again, Engadget has teamed up with the brilliant eBoy to bring you a super-duper limited edition T-shirt which will wow and delight family and friends alike. As you can see from the image above, the new shirt is based on our CES / reader meetup graphic that's been doing the rounds on the site, featuring nearly all of the Engadget crew toying with some real (and not-so-real) tech. The eBoy crew tells us this is their most color-heavy shirt ever produced (a 9+1 process), which is pretty nifty. We think it's a nice companion to our CES 2011 coverage, and makes a wonderful addition to any fashion plate's wardrobe. The shirts come in small, medium, large, and extra large, and can be had for $30US (plus $10 shipping) -- but really, can you put a price on looking good? If you'd like to order, follow along after the break and use our fancy PayPal e-commerce system. Also, we ship WORLDWIDE!

Update: The last time we had shirts, they sold out in about 30 minutes. We have more this time, but still a very small quantity. If you want one, we suggest you get in fast.

Update 2: Extra large is sold out!

Update 3: We're sold out of everything! If you didn't find your size, there may still be some available on the eBoy site -- check it out HERE!
Continue reading New super-limited edition eBoy / Engadget shirts now available! (update: SOLD OUT!)
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BlackBerry Storm 3 shows up again, tracking for September launch?
RIM's mythical BlackBerry Storm 3 is one of those products that shows up every few months with just enough new information to have you believing that it's real and it's eventually coming before slithering back into the night, going totally radio-silent for another month or two. We've no doubt that the phone is real at this point, but considering the lukewarm reception the Storm 2 got, we're surprised RIM hasn't pushed harder to get the updated device to market -- only thing we can figure is that the carrier partners keep sending it back for tweaks. Speaking of tweaks, BGR says that we can expect a phone with a 1.2GHz processor (same as the alleged Torch 2) along with a 3.7-inch WVGA display, 5 megapixel camera, dual-band WiFi with UMA support, mobile hotspot capability, and BlackBerry OS 6.1. Word has it there will be at least two versions released around the globe -- codenamed Monaca and Monza -- and it's on track for a September release. That's all well and good, though these specs aren't going to blow anyone away as we approach Q4 '11.
BlackBerry Storm 3 shows up again, tracking for September launch? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceBGR  | Email this | Comments
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KDJ-One is a gigantic Game Boy with an audio workstation inside
Cyberstep's KDJ-One, a portable digital audio workstation currently in prototype mode, is a noisy little wrinkle in time. While we're fairly certain it will never see the light of day in your local Guitar Center, we really do want to wish it the best. It combines the aesthetics of a few of our very favorite things: the D-pad, button layout, and chunkiness instantly reminded us of the original DMG Game Boy. The keypad on bottom looks a lot like a tweaked version of a Roland TB-303. And the software inside -- pure MeeGo -- reminds us of a Tungsten-era Palm device crossed with a laptop from 1999. (But in a really good way!)

A five-inch resistive touchscreen -- complete with stylus -- sits on top of an Atom E640 CPU, 512MB of RAM, a 4GB SSD drive, and a pair of 2000mAh batteries. Oh, and it's got a rumble pack on the backside: Cyberstep assures us the QW Vibration System adds "a whole new element of force feedback to your music production experience." The sampler / looper / sequencer production software itself seems super-basic and pretty fun, although we could probably squeeze a lot more production flexibility out of a $300 netbook. But just look at that dude and tell us you don't want to squeeze its little white cheeks. Yeah, exactly. Video after the jump.
Continue reading KDJ-One is a gigantic Game Boy with an audio workstation inside
KDJ-One is a gigantic Game Boy with an audio workstation inside originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceCyberstep  | Email this | Comments
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RIM opens door for Indian officials, promises to keep Enterprise Server locked up tight
RIM opens back door for Indian officials, promises to keep Enterprise Server locked up tight
Things weren't looking good for BlackBerry in India, with threats of bans that were avoided at the last minute. We knew at the time that RIM had made "certain proposals" that would enable its messaging services to stay alive in India and now, about four months later, we're learning what those proposals amount to. Basically, RIM has created a backdoor into the company's messaging services, a "lawful access capability" that "meets the standard required by the government of India for all consumer messaging services offered in the Indian marketplace." That's a little disconcerting, but if you're pinging your connects exclusively through BlackBerry Enterprise Server you can take it easy, as RIM is keeping that service locked up tight -- or, at least, that's what it wants you to believe.
Permalink   |  sourceThe Inquirer  | Email this | Comments
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Nissan responds to Leaf launch disappointments, set expectations too high
Nissan responds to Leaf launch disappointments, set expectations too highThe Nissan Leaf may be dishing out achievements to hypermilers and wowing moms, but it's also proving something of a disappointment to the thousands of people still stuck on the waiting list. Nissan blew through its 20,000 pre-orders and is pledging to get 25,000 cars on US roads by the end of next year, but right now that number is rather more modest: just 19 delivered. In Detroit this week PluginCars chatted with Brian Carolin, Nissan's Senior VP of Sales, who indicates: "In hindsight, maybe we could have lowered expectations a little bit more." He does, however, dispel the myth that the cars had to be held back due to some wiring issues. How long until we can all stop fretting? "I think in five to six months time this will be kind of behind us," he says, which is actually quite a long ways away if you're really pining for your first EV.
Nissan responds to Leaf launch disappointments, set expectations too high originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourcePluginCars.com  | Email this | Comments
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Getaround app turns you into Enterprise, lets your rent out your dormant whip
Oh, sure -- you're making much use of that Zipcar app already, but what if the tables were turned somewhat? For suburbanites with two cars in the garage (one of which is collecting major dust), Getaround's mobile app allows you to be Zipcar. Put simply, those with a spare vehicle (or a vehicle that routinely stays parked for certain blocks of time each day) can load their vehicle, location, schedule and price into the app, and then nearby Earthlings can poke around and see what's on offer. If they're interested in taking your ride for a spin, they can hit you up via the app and agree on how many hours / days / weeks they'll be needing it. In essence, you're looking at peer-to-peer car sharing, with Getaround snagging 30 percent of the rental rate; speaking of rate, that can range between $4 and $25 per hour, with the owner setting the price. Those based in San Francisco can tap into the source link to become involved in the beta, and don't be shocked if you see a Tesla Roadster listed for $25/hour -- that's actually one of Getaround's first customers, and you can rest assured that red beauty will be calling your name this weekend.
Getaround app turns you into Enterprise, lets your rent out your dormant whip originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceGetaround (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments
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More music videos now playing on Android YouTube app, more pre-roll commercials, too
More music videos now playing on Android YouTube app, more pre-roll commercials, tooLet's get the bad news out of the way first: pre-roll ads are coming to YouTube on Android in a big way. Big G is adding the digital speed bumps to "tens of thousands of YouTube partner videos" starting now, but it's for a sort of good reason: Katy Perry. Well, her and a bunch of other music videos, all appearing in the YouTube 2.0 app on Android, with the initial batch provided by VEVO. Music videos will be identified by a note icon and, while you're watching one, you can get artist info and quickly view other tracks that are available. Right now this is a feature only available on Android but, with Google happily extolling that it drove a 300 percent growth in mobile video viewership in 2010, we're guessing it'll be coming to other platforms soon enough.
Permalink DownloadSquad, MediaMemo  |  sourceThe Official YouTube Blog  | Email this | Comments
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BAE Systems develops e-ink camo for tanks and war zone e-readers
BAE Systems, long known for its wargadgets that blind and obfuscate, has recently announced that it is developing an e-ink camouflage system that displays images on the side of a vehicle which reflect the environment -- and which change in real time. This is well-suited for areas such as those found in Afghanistan, where terrain can vary from plain ol' desert beige to a lively and vibrant green, and -- provided it doesn't break down in the desert sand -- probably seems a lot more convincing than paint on metal. (We also wonder if this technology will work on cocktail dresses.) The company hopes to have a prototype within four years, while for our part we hope to have our troops out of the region in much less time than that.
BAE Systems develops e-ink camo for tanks and war zone e-readers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 10:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Switched  |  sourceThe Telegraph (UK)  | Email this | Comments
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Promise's SmartStor Zero NAS streamer dumbs down DLNA for the iPad (hands-on)
CES 2011 might be over but we've still got a few gee-bees of data to get through before calling it quits. One nugget of unpublished glory is this SmartStor Zero NAS from Promise Technology. Now hold on... just because it's a DLNA 1.5 compliant Network Attached Storage device doesn't mean that it's complicated to use. Hell, even iOS users can join the DLNA streaming and media transfer party even though Apple is one of only a few major manufacturers missing from the alliance. Promise has purposely dumbed down this particular 1TB or 2TB NAS to make it suitable for use in any home where a "zero configuration" storage and media streamer is the priority. That's most households, come to think of it. Promise's Billy Harrison gave us a walkthrough of the highlights including a live demonstration of the free (for a limited time) SmartStor Fusion Stream app running on an iPad (and soon Android and Windows Phone 7 devices). Compared to many DLNA streamers that we've seen this one was dead simple to use and even allowed us to upload / download music, video, and photographs to / from the SmartStor Zero. Of course, other devices that support native DLNA upload and DLNA download (like the Droid X) will work right out of the box. Fusion Stream also supports media multitasking right inside the app. But hey, don't take our word for it, watch Bill lay down the truth after the break.Continue reading Promise's SmartStor Zero NAS streamer dumbs down DLNA for the iPad (hands-on)
Promise's SmartStor Zero NAS streamer dumbs down DLNA for the iPad (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 10:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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LG: Windows Phone 7 launch did not meet expectations, still a fine OS for 'a huge segment'
The only hard news we've seen from Microsoft regarding Windows Phone 7 sales was less than revealing, but it seems that LG is stepping out from the behind the curtain a bit to let us in on how things are going -- from its perspective, anyway. In a sit-down with the folks over at Pocket-lint, LG's marketing strategy and planning team director James Choi noted: "From an industry perspective we had a high expectation, but from a consumer point of view the visibility is less than we expected." Nothing too shocking there, but he followed up by noting that LG feels Windows Phone 7 "is absolutely perfect for a huge segment out there." Perhaps more shocking was this tidbit: "What we feel is that some people believe that some operating systems, mainly Google, are extremely complicated for them; but Windows Phone 7 is very intuitive and easy to use." He followed his not-terribly-subtle Android jab with a WP7 jab, oddly enough, noting that "for tech guys, [WP7] might be a little bit boring after a week or two, but there are certain segments that it really appeals to." What's left unclear is exactly how much support LG is going to give Microsoft after launching the Optimus 7, but we're guessing that next month's outlay at Mobile World Congress will be a huge indication. Naturally, we'll be there with our eyes peeled.
Permalink   |  sourcePocket-lint  | Email this | Comments
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Nintendo 3DS could get 3D video recording in the future, James Cameron unavailable for comment
Nintendo 3DS could get 3D video recording update in the future, James Cameron unavailable for comment
3D gaming is obviously the big story on the Nintendo 3DS, letting you get your depth on without even having to cross your eyes. However, 3D image taking is also a nice thing that the company has provided, adding a second VGA camera to the back so that you can take twice the low-res images at once and layer 'em together. However, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has recently indicated he wants to do better, not confirming any specific plans, but saying in an interview: "I think it will be fun if we're able to include video recording capabilities with future updates." You know what we think would be fun? A battery that lasts more than eight hours.
Permalink Joystiq  |  sourceNintendo  | Email this | Comments
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IDC and Gartner: US PC sales drop as tablets shake things up
IDC and Gartner: US PC sales drop as iPad shakes things up
It's time again to look at the rapidly changing face of home computing. The last time we got an IDC report on US PC sales it showed generally rosy figures, with everyone other than Dell growing and Apple making a huge jump. This time we have numbers from both IDC and Gartner, and while they don't agree on everything, it's clear things are rather less positive. Overall growth in this quarter is negative (6.6 percent decline for Gartner, 4.8 for IDC) and Apple is now in position number five, dropping from number three, with the other top four comprised of HP, Dell, Toshiba, and Acer -- though Toshiba and Acer swap places as you move from IDC to Gartner. Both reports cite tablet sales (i.e. the iPad) as being at least partly responsible for the decline in traditional computer sales, a trend that's predicted to continue in 2011. Based on what we saw at CES, we'd say that's a safe bet.
IDC and Gartner: US PC sales drop as tablets shake things up originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 09:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink AppleInsider  |  sourceIDC, Gartner  | Email this | Comments
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Toyota working on magnesium batteries for PHEVs of the not so near future
Toyota wants to take your range anxiety out for a walk behind the woodshed and obliterate it from the known world. The means for doing this, the Japanese giant has revealed, might very well be contained in its new magnesium-sulfur batteries, which promise to double the energy density of the current industry-best lithium ion cells. Of course, the catch here is that the new magnesium goodness is nowhere near ready and is projected to come in 2020 at the earliest, but we're gladdened to see a long-term view being taken by car manufacturers with regard to powering vehicles electrically. Alternative methodologies currently under review in Toyota's labs also include aluminum and calcium materials, showing that there is indeed no lack of ambition for making plug-ins respectable road warriors.
Toyota working on magnesium batteries for PHEVs of the not so near future originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 08:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Autoblog  |  sourceBloomberg  | Email this | Comments
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Green House reveals its first 15.6-inch USB monitor, lives large on small charge
Just when MMT's 15.4-inch Monitor2Go was getting excited about its big USB display on campus title, Greenhouse Japan has strutted in and ruined the party with its 15.6-inch GH-USD16K USB secondary monitor. True, a resolution of 1366 x 768 won't give the screen bragging rights over Apple's 27-inch Cinema Display, but it should suffice for those on the move in desperate need of some quick dual-screen action. Especially since the accessory weighs less than 3 pounds, produces 18bit color depth and has a brightness of 220 nits while sipping just 5 watts of Serial Bus power. Speaking of dual-action, the monitor can also be set to clone or extend the connected computer's screen depending on user preference. Look for it to start shipping early next month to Japan for an estimated price of $214, glancing over its shoulder until an inevitable 15.8-inch newbie lopes onto the block.
Green House reveals its first 15.6-inch USB monitor, lives large on small charge originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 07:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceAkihabara News  | Email this | Comments
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Fujitsu unveils Esprimo FH99/CM, touts it as the world's first glasses-free 3D desktop
After seeing Sharp's 10.6 glasses-free 3D display last September, we left convinced that parallax barrier 3D technology was a long way off from being ready for prime-time, and then we reached for a bottle of aspirin. Demonstrations by Intel and Sony at CES this year proved, however, that a lot can change in four months, and we hope for Japan's collective eye sight that Fujitsu's Esprimo FH99/CM desktop PC follows this trend. That's because Fujitsu claims it's the world's first glasses-free all-in-one, and it's scheduled to launch in the country on February 25th with a whopping $3,100 price tag. All that dough will get buyers a naked-eye 23-inch full HD 3D display plus top-of-the-line features such as a Blu-ray drive with 3D Blu-ray support, a 2Ghz Core i7 processor, 4GB of memory, a 2TB hard drive, and two USB 3.0 ports. There's no word whether the computer will land stateside, but if it doesn't, Toshiba has hinted they could fill the void with a glasses-free 3D PC of its own by late 2011. Still, we wouldn't recommend stomping your 3D glasses just yet.
Permalink Crunch Gear  |  sourceFujitsu.jp  | Email this | Comments
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Sony's NEX-5, now available in gold!
Do you feel constrained by the drabness of silver and black cameras? Well its time to let your fashionable freak flag fly, because Sony has announced that it'll now offer its NEX-5 camera in gold. The camera remains otherwise unchanged since its debut this past summer, and unfortunately the company hasn't released the other colors seen at Photokina, but hey, a little bling is better than none.
Sony's NEX-5, now available in gold! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 06:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Watch  |  sourceSony Japan  | Email this | Comments
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iriver U100 PMP gets official reveal, P100 and D2000 leave something to the imagination
The teases over at iriver are ready to show you what they've got: the neon-colored U100. We reported on the PMP, along with the P100 and the D2000 last month, but it looks like iriver is going to leave us guessing on the last two. The U100 sports a 3.1-inch (320 x 480) touchscreen, up to 16GB of internal memory, WiFi, microSDHC, and an FM tuner for those who still listens to the radio. It plays 720p video and touts 50 hours of battery life for audio playback and 11 hours for video. iriver isn't ready to give us all the details quite yet -- an official release date and pricing are still under wraps -- but they have provided another video to keep us interested. Hit up the source link to see for yourself.
Permalink   |  sourceAkihabara News  | Email this | Comments
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Google Science Fair 2011 boasts big names, big prizes (video)
Dust off the baking soda and bust out the vinegar, because Google's throwing a science fair. That's right, the internet giant is taking the time-honored tradition of hastily constructed teenage science experiments online. Entrants must be between 13 and 18 years old and submit their projects (in English) via Google Sites by April 4th. Once the projects are in, a panel of real-life teachers will select 60 semi-finalists. From there, the pool will be narrowed down to a group of 15, who will attend an in-the-flesh fair at Google headquarters in Mountain View, CA, this July. The big event's judges include CERN's Rolf-Dieter Heuer, Google's Vint Cerf, and Nobel Laureate Kary Mullis. Grand prize winners in three age groups will receive a $50,000 scholarship, a trip to the Galapagos islands, and some stuff from LEGO and Scientific American. On second thought, maybe the baking soda volcano isn't such a great idea. (Rube Goldberg-inspired promo video after the jump.)Continue reading Google Science Fair 2011 boasts big names, big prizes (video)
Google Science Fair 2011 boasts big names, big prizes (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 04:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Slashdot  |  sourceGoogle Science Fair  | Email this | Comments
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KFA2 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 WHDI graphics card is first to go wireless
What you're looking at is the world's first wireless graphics card affectionately dubbed the KFA2 (aka, Galaxy) GeForce GTX460 WHDI 1024MB PCIe 2.0. The card uses five aerials to stream uncompressed 1080p video from your PC to your WHDI enabled television (or any display courtesy of the bundled 5GHz WHDI receiver) at a range of about 100 feet. Otherwise, it's the same mid-range GTX 460 card we've seen universally lauded with 1024MB of onboard RAM helping to make the most of its 336 CUDA cores. Insane, yes, but we'd accept nothing less from our beloved graphics cards manufacturers.
KFA2 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 WHDI graphics card is first to go wireless originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 04:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Bit-Tech  |  sourceKFA2  | Email this | Comments
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Sunswift IV, world's fastest solar-powered racer, leaves GM Sunraycer in its dust
The Sunswift IV (aka IVy) might look like a mobile dinner table, but it's actually the world's fastest solar-powered vehicle. The table-top on wheels got the official nod from the Guinness Book of World Records last week, for hitting a top speed of 88km/h (about 55 mph) -- nearly 10 km/h faster than the previous record-holder, the GM Sunraycer, which bears a striking resemblance to a disembodied Android monster. IVy, designed by Sunswift, a student-run non-profit at the University of New South Wales, reached its top speed using 1050 watts, about 400 watts less than the Sunraycer, and performed its record-smashing run without the 25kg battery it's usually packing. Faster runs have been clocked, including by IVy, but Guinness has not been on hand for confirmation.
Sunswift IV, world's fastest solar-powered racer, leaves GM Sunraycer in its dust originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 03:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink AutoBlog  |  sourceSunswift  | Email this | Comments
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DIY ArduSpider robot battles household pets, beats other homemade gifts
So Christmas is coming and your daughter asks you to build her a robot after she sees you building so many for yourself -- what do you do? You could build a cute and simple robot, or you could do what Jose Julio did and build something like the Arduino-based ArduSpider robot (since nicknamed Sara), which he's now showing off for everyone to see. As you can see in the video after the break, the bot is able to both operate autonomously or be controlled remotely, and it packs a surprising number of tricks, including the ability to get tired or bored, and even some basic gymnastic and acrobatic skills. Interested in building your own? You can find all the details and code you need at the source link below.
Continue reading DIY ArduSpider robot battles household pets, beats other homemade gifts
DIY ArduSpider robot battles household pets, beats other homemade gifts originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 02:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceDIY Drones  | Email this | Comments
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Modu closing up shop in February
Looks like the bad news just got worse for Modu fans. According to reports from Israel, Modu, maker of impossibly small modular handsets, will be forced to close its doors in February as it attempts to payback debt and the salaries owed to its workers. Ironically, the news will likely spark an increase in demand as nerds battle to curate an elusive Modu W for their vintage gadget collections.
Modu closing up shop in February originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 02:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceBGR  | Email this | Comments
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World's first room-temperature semiconductor plasmon nanolaser created by Berkeley scientists
We're big proponents of the idea that everything is better with lasers, and a team of researchers at UC Berkeley has created a new type of semiconductor plasmon nanolaser, or spaser, that could eventually find a home in many of your favorite devices. The big breakthrough is that Berkeley's spaser operates at room temperature -- previous spasers could only sustain lasing at temperatures below -250° C -- enabling its use in commercial products. Plasmon lasers work by amplifying surface plasmons, which can be confined to a much smaller area than the light particles amplified by conventional lasers. This allows for extreme miniaturization of optical devices for ultra-high-resolution imaging, high sensitivity biological sensors, and optical circuits 100 times faster than the electronic variety. There's no word on how soon the technology will be commercially available, so you'll have to wait a bit longer for your first laser computer.
Permalink Technology Review  |  sourceUC Berkeley  | Email this | Comments
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Motorola Atrix hitting March 1st, according to AT&T document leak?
Motorola said its fantastical modular dual-core smartphone the Atrix 4G would appear in the first quarter of the year -- and it's looking like the device will be as late in that first quarter as can be managed without completely bumming us out. Alleged AT&T internal documents found their way into the hands of Android Central, which specify a March 1st launch date for the handset, as well as pointing out pentaband radio frequencies which might help it roam globally but probably won't play nice with T-Mobile data. And what, pray tell, is the Atrix 4G? We'll have to assume you were living in a cave during CES if you need to ask, but we're more than willing to bring you up to speed with the hottest item of the show -- just click on this, this and this.

[Thanks, Ahmad A.]
Motorola Atrix hitting March 1st, according to AT&T document leak? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Electronista  |  sourceAndroid Central  | Email this | Comments
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Ask Engadget: best non-garish ATX mid-tower for the budget gamer?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Zach, who needs a new home for his PC internals. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
"For various reasons, I am going to be moving my computer around a lot more frequently soon, and I am looking for a new computer case that's relatively easy to take around. Basically, I mean the type of case with handle(s) on the top. It needs to be an ATX mid-tower, and I'd like it as cheap as I can get without it being horrible (I do have an overclocked CPU and a dedicated cooling unit, so it needs to be well-vented).

I'm not a fan of garish cases with lots of LEDs -- I especially really dislike green / blue LEDs (I'm getting really sick of my current case, which is decked-out in blue). I might be cool with red or orange, though. However, any aesthetics come second to utility and price."
Zach, we like your style. You're probably well on your way to becoming a man, and a sophisticated one at that. Here's hoping you'll receive loads of similarly sophisticated answers from sophisticated men and women below.
Ask Engadget: best non-garish ATX mid-tower for the budget gamer? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 23:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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More iOS 4.3 digging hints at new iPad 2 camera, same 1024 x 768 display
We love all the little goodies that come out of iOS developer builds. It's been only a day since 4.3 hit the scene and already we've seen hints of future iPhone / iPad models, a Find My Friends feature, and now more hints of a camera for the next iPad. Which, of course, is far from the first time we've heard iPad and camera in the same utterance (cases, mockups, paperwork, even more code). Today's revelation comes in the form of shutter screens and camera / video icons care of 9 to 5 Mac, but here's the catch: to believe these imagery to be the real thing is to also accept that the iPad 2 might have the same 1024 x 768 display, given that's what these pictures are optimized for. You didn't really believe the iPad 2 would have a 9.7-inch, 2530 x 1897 resolution retina display... did you? Well, it's only speculative, anyway.
More iOS 4.3 digging hints at new iPad 2 camera, same 1024 x 768 display originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 22:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  source9 to 5 Mac  | Email this | Comments
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HP Envy 14 aficionados rejoice! Radiance displays are back for a limited time
What once was lost, now is found...for a little while, at least. HP has finally decided to undo its previous mistake, and make the 1600x900 Radiance Infinity LED display a $200 upgrade on its Envy 14 laptops for a limited time. Alas, Dr. Dre fans are not afforded the same luxury, as the Beats Edition only comes with the standard 1366x768 BrightView screen, but we're just glad to see that beautiful, bright Radiance panel is on one Envy, even if only temporarily.

[Thanks, Maciej]
HP Envy 14 aficionados rejoice! Radiance displays are back for a limited time originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 22:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Notebook Review  |  sourceHP  | Email this | Comments
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Powermat's 2011 product roadmap: colorful iPhone cases, extended batteries, and more
Much of this stuff was shown off publicly for the first time at CES last week, but we thought it might be interesting to get everything that wireless charging company Powermat has planned for 2011 into one convenient place -- and that's exactly what this here slide deck has done for us. The first products in the pipeline for this year include a charging case for the Nokia N8, targeted for early Q2, along with a two-device portable charging mat that includes a built-in battery (7,800mAh!) that promises up to four full smartphone charges while staying completely off the grid; look for those to run $40 and $130, respectively. Later in the quarter, you'll get a white two-unit mat (all of Powermat's gear is black right now, so it's a nice change of pace), several colored iPhone 4 cases, a BlackBerry Torch case, and an $80 so-called Power! Case for the iPhone 4 that integrates an external 1,800mAh battery for extra juice on the go.

Moving on to the third quarter of the year, you'll see a dual-power one-device mat that can be powered either from the wall or a USB port for $40, a car mount that inductively charges your Powermat-enabled device, and an iPod touch case. Finally, the 1X Rechargeable Mat comes late in Q3, packing some undetermined (or at least unlisted) amount of juice into a mat that looks roughly similar to the existing one-device mat that's already on the market; like Powermat's other battery-powered mats, this one lets you juice devices when you're not near an outlet, and it'll be available for $70. Hit up the gallery for the full deck!
Gallery: Powermat's 2011 product roadmap: colorful iPhone cases, extended batteries, and more
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BlackBerry Torch 2: a Torch with significantly bumped specs?
Whether you love or hate the design of the Torch, that was never where the main beef lay -- instead, that honor would have to go to the lackluster internals, capped off with an awful, washed-out 480 x 360 display that had no business sitting in a device that's supposed to be the crown jewel of RIM's phone lineup. Well, capping off a wild day of BlackBerry leaks and rumors over at BGR comes news of a Torch 2 in the works that might just make good on those shortcomings (and a whole lot more) thanks to a 1.2GHz processor, 14.4Mbps triband HSPA, a VGA display at the original Torch's same 3.2-inch size, BlackBerry OS 6.1, and -- like some of the other leaks we've seen -- integrated NFC, which suggests the Nexus S may have started something good here. Specs aside, yeah... the phone itself is nearly a dead ringer for the model it replaces, adding some chrome accents and calling it good. If BGR's sources are on, you can look for this in the third quarter on AT&T.
BlackBerry Torch 2: a Torch with significantly bumped specs? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 21:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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'The Daily' iPad newspaper set for launch, according to sources (update)
The good old Associated Press has a couple of good old unnamed sources pinpointing the launch of The Daily -- the first iPad-only newspaper venture -- as January 19th. They even name the location as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Rupert Murdoch's News Corp is the company making this leap into the unknown (do people even care about news anymore?) and he is specifically named as a presenter at this alleged event for next week, to be joined on stage by Apple's Steve Jobs. An ancillary little note is that journalists are said to have already been hired in bureaus across the country, including the big news-spinning markets of New York and Los Angeles -- which makes all the sense in the world given the widespread expectation that the news app they'll be working for will launch by the end of this month.

Update: Did we say the end of this month? Looks like The Daily's more likely to debut in early February instead -- News Corporation confirmed to All Things D that the iPad news service has been delayed, and an unnamed source says that it will be "weeks, not months" before we see it emerge again.
'The Daily' iPad newspaper set for launch, according to sources (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 20:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceAssociated Press (Yahoo! News)  | Email this | Comments
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Intel CEO Paul Otellini addresses Microsoft's ARM move in the wake of record earnings announcement
We're kind of getting used to Intel setting records with its earnings this year, and it capped off its 2010 with another killer quarter. With $11.5 billion in revenue, and a total of $43.6 billion for the year (up 24 percent from last year), Intel is naturally riding high. There's danger lurking on the horizon, however, with Microsoft announcing at CES that the next version of Windows will also run on ARM chips, potentially ending a decades-long x86 dominance in the desktop OS space. Naturally, the topic came up in the earnings call, and here's Intel CEO Paul Otellini's level-headed statement on the topic:
The plus for Intel is that as they unify their operating systems we now have the ability for the first time, one, to have a designed-from-scratch, touch-enabled operating system for tablets that runs on Intel that we don't have today; and, secondly, we have the ability to put our lowest-power Intel processors, running Windows 8 or the next generation of Windows, into phones, because it's the same OS stack. And I look at that as an upside opportunity for us.

On the downside, there's the potential, given that Office runs on these products, for some creep-up coming into the PC space. I am skeptical of that for two reasons: one, that space has a different set of power and performance requirements where Intel is exceptionally good; and secondly, users of those machines expect legacy support for software and peripherals that has to all be enabled from scratch for those devices.
After careful analysis of Paul's voice, we couldn't detect any hints of panic or fear in it, and we buy about 50+ percent of what he's putting down -- a lot better than we expected, to be honest. It's very interesting that he sees the new version of Windows being a "designed-from-scratch, touch-enabled operating system for tablets," and the idea of Windows Phone running on regular Windows is also news to us -- though it certainly makes plenty of sense in the long run (and perhaps Ballmer has been hinting at it). Still, Intel has just as much of a disadvantage making a phone processor as ARM guys have a disadvantage at making high-powered PC processors, and when it comes to legacy support, they'll at least be on pretty equal footing when it comes to a "designed-from-scratch" tablet OS. No matter what, Intel certainly has a great roadmap and a ton of cash right now, so we look forward to a fair CPU fight on all sides of the form factor coin.
Permalink   |  sourceIntel earnings conference call, Intel earnings  | Email this | Comments
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Fujitsu launches 11.6-inch Lifebook PH50/C, complete with AMD Fusion APU
Now that AMD's Fusion is finally real, we're all sorts of excited to see what kind of numbers the E-350 Zacate APU puts up in honest-to-goodness machines like Fujitsu's latest. The minty fresh Lifebook PH50/C is just one of the many new lappies unveiled this week by the company, but this particular 11.6-incher has managed to grab our heartstrings and not let go. Boasting a cute, albeit familiar design, the PH50/C is equipped with a 1.6GHz E-350 APU, Radeon HD 6310 graphics, 2GB of memory, a 500GB hard drive, Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and a 5,800mAh battery good for up to seven hours of life in ideal conditions. For those more interested in Intel's Sandy Bridge, the like-minded PH74/C gets powered by a Core i3-2310M, and given that it's a Japanese machine designed for Japanese owners, an in-built WiMAX module is thrown in for good measure. We're also getting the impression that both of these can be ordered up with Intel's Wireless Display technology, and considering that Buffalo just introduced a new WiDi adapter for this very market, we'd say things have lined up quite nicely. Pricing remains up in the air, but they should be out in Q1 for under $800 or so.
Fujitsu launches 11.6-inch Lifebook PH50/C, complete with AMD Fusion APU originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Netbook News  |  sourceITMedia  | Email this | Comments
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Gaming's first-person history lesson: 1958 to 2008 edition (video)
There's just so much to love about this video, described by co-creator Florian Smolka as a university video-project from Munich. In a little over four minutes, we're given a first-person tour of console gaming from 1958's Tennis for Two (played on an oscilloscope) through late 2008's Rock Band for Xbox 360 (using a Guitar Hero drum set, but hey, nobody's perfect). Not every console gets a mention -- apologies to Atari Jaguar and 3DO apologists -- and it unfortunately stops before new hotness Move and Kinect get a nod, but that should in no way deter you from setting aside a handful of minutes to watch. Be sure to note the passage of TVs, too, and remember fondly the CRTs of your youth. Unless you grew up with LCD flatscreens, you lawn-lounging whippersnapper, you. Video after the break.Continue reading Gaming's first-person history lesson: 1958 to 2008 edition (video)
Gaming's first-person history lesson: 1958 to 2008 edition (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Kotaku  |  sourceVimeo  | Email this | Comments
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Qualcomm unveils dual-core Snapdragon reference handset at CES 2011
NVIDIA's Tegra 2 was tearing it up on the CES 2011 show floor in a host of new tablets, but unbeknownst to us, Qualcomm's long-awaited dual-core Snapdragon made a pair of cameo appearances as well. The first was in ASUS' Eee Pad MeMO, which showed off its pressure-sensitive stylus action on the floor, and the second is in the new Qualcomm reference design you see immediately above. According to a video released on Qualcomm's website -- which you can watch after the break -- Qualcomm attempted to distract tech journalists from Verizon's press conference by giving them a sneak peek at the HTC Thunderbolt here instead. Then, we like to imagine, the company brainwashed the lot into believing the 1.2GHz MSM8660 with Adreno 220 graphics is destined for a host of tablets and phones. Of course, if that's actually the case, we'll gladly join the throng. Where do we sign up?Continue reading Qualcomm unveils dual-core Snapdragon reference handset at CES 2011
Qualcomm unveils dual-core Snapdragon reference handset at CES 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceAnandTech  | Email this | Comments
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