Monday, January 31, 2011
Windows Phone 7 'phantom data' leaker unmasked as Yahoo Mail, fix due in 'coming weeks'
J'accuse... ! Remember the unnamed third party that Microsoft had found to be abusing 3G data on Windows Phone 7? Secret's out, and the culprit is none other than Yahoo Mail. According to a statement obtained by Microsoft guru Paul Thurrott, a fix is expected in the "coming weeks," but in the interim, you can mitigate the pain by going into settings and choosing less taxing options for "Download new content" and "Download email from" -- say, for example, "manually" and "the last 7 days,"
Skinny Cameras Can Have Grips Too [Cameras]
Camera grips are quite useful for one-handed camera wielding, but when it comes to point and shoots, they come at the cost of portability. This patent here indicates Sony found a way to have their cake and eat it too.
As you can see in the scematic, Sony took the sliding lens cover, found on many of their Cybershot cameras, and added a hinge mechanism, which folds into a triangular grip on one side. Sure, it doesn't exactly scream out ERGONOMIC; but I mean it's a point-and-shoot and it's
As you can see in the scematic, Sony took the sliding lens cover, found on many of their Cybershot cameras, and added a hinge mechanism, which folds into a triangular grip on one side. Sure, it doesn't exactly scream out ERGONOMIC; but I mean it's a point-and-shoot and it's
Clover SunBook offers 'first sunlight ready netbook,' questionable graphic design
When we first made contact with Clover System's SunBook, it was but a glimmer in Pixel Qi's transflective eye, but today, the little guy is ready to step out on its own. Like Notion Ink's Adam, the "the first sunlight-ready netbook" packs dual lighting displays, allowing you to shut off LCD backlights while under direct sunlight and cut your power consumption in half. You can also leave both functions on for easy indoor-outdoor transitions. It's sporting a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 CPU, 1GB of
Brammo Empulse RR electric race bike goes screaming by at Thunderhill test (video)
We haven't heard an awful lot about the Brammo Empulse since it launched last summer, but Asphalt and Rubber managed to catch the thing doing its thing at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, California. The bike and its crew were out for some testing, abbreviated tail all taped full of telemetry and spitting back data as the it quietly screamed its way around the track. The race-ready Empulse RR is getting ready for the 2011 TTXGP series for electric race bikes, where it'll be competing against
UM students make cheap and portable solar charger / light source for developing nations
Solar power is the most egalitarian of all energy sources, yet residents in many parts of the world still lack access to electricity. Three University of Michigan engineering students have created an affordable solution to this problem -- to the delight of camping geeks everywhere -- with the Emerald, a portable solar panel that does double duty as both a cellphone charger and personal light source. We've seen the personal solar panel idea before, but the price of entry made it an untenable
Sunday, January 30, 2011
A Stormtrooper Falls [Lego]
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This Video Will Further Ruin Crime TV Shows for You [Video]
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WeSC Karmatech concept makes your shoes more social with RFID
We've been seeing more and more shoes infused with different sorts of technology in recent years, but none quite like this WeSC Karmatech concept developed by some students at Sweden's Hyper Island "digital school." Described as a "social take on Nike+," the shoes apparently wouldn't have an accelerometer but they do pack an RFID chip that allows the wearer to interact with their surroundings -- automatically check in at a location and share it on Facebook or Twitter, for instance, or get
Golden Gate Bridge plans to collect all tolls electronically by September 2012
San Francisco's world-famous Golden Gate Bridge looks much like this right now, but come September 2012 the last of those yellow "cash" signs are scheduled to wink out. That's because the bridge's board of directors voted 13-2 to approve a $ 2.9 million plan to replace the bridge's 30 full-time human tolltakers with an all-electronic system. The existing FasTrak subscription RFID transponder system will continue to work, and there will be a backup camera-based system -- if you pass through
Enspert Identity Tab E201 rings up at $350 with Froyo, Gmail and Android Market
Enspert blindsided us at CES 2011 with a pair of quality Android tablets, and here's another surprise -- next month, the company's Identity Tab E201 will apparently ship 100% Google-certified. Importer Dynamism is taking preorders on February 1st for the 7-inch Android 2.2 tablet, which comes with both Gmail and Android Market on board, though admittedly for a somewhat larger outlay than we originally heard. $ 350 is what you'll pay for the 800 x 480 slate, which sports a 1GHz Hummingbird
Olympus XZ-1 reviewed: $499 for sweet simplicity
We had a feeling the Olympus XZ-1 would be a winner, and Digital Photography Review seems to think so, too -- it called the 10 megapixel, full-manual point and shoot "the best photographers' compact currently available" at the end of a thorough review. Most of the praise was heaped on that F1.8-2.5 Zuiko lens, providing an "unbeaten combination of range and brightness" whose potent, detailed low-light performance was practically enough to cancel out the publication's worries about the lack of
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Switched On: A suite segment for PlayStation games
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
One thing that has set Sony apart from its home console rivals has been the extended lifecycles of its hardware. Riding the momentum of a massive install base, both the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 each kept selling strong nearly a decade after their debut, and years after their respective successors were introduced. In fact, as late as 2009, Audiovox began offering a PS2 integrated into an aftermarket ovehead
One thing that has set Sony apart from its home console rivals has been the extended lifecycles of its hardware. Riding the momentum of a massive install base, both the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 each kept selling strong nearly a decade after their debut, and years after their respective successors were introduced. In fact, as late as 2009, Audiovox began offering a PS2 integrated into an aftermarket ovehead
Aaron Rodgers Broke a Photographer's Monopod to Score a Touchdown [Photography]
Scott Kelby, an excellent photographer, was taking pictures in the end zone during last week's Packers game when Aaron Rodgers decided to run and dive in his direction. Rodgers scored a touchdown but accidentally broke Kelby's $ 350 monopod in the process.
Kelby jokingly recounts the tale on his blog (all of which is in good humor) and knows that it's not Rodger's fault at all. It's awesome that Kelby was able to snap pictures of the whole exchange, he says:
I'm shooting my 400mm f/2.8 on
Kelby jokingly recounts the tale on his blog (all of which is in good humor) and knows that it's not Rodger's fault at all. It's awesome that Kelby was able to snap pictures of the whole exchange, he says:
I'm shooting my 400mm f/2.8 on
What's the Difference Between the Human Eye and a Camera? [Cameras]
Pixiq has a great write up on the similarities and differences between the human eye and a camera. Apparently, we're the same in image focusing and light adjustment but different in lens focus and sensitivity to light. What else?
Pixiq's breakdown gets even more interesting when they explain how cameras work like our eyes. The cornea acts like a lens, the iris and pupil act like the aperture of a camera and the retina is like the imaging sensor of a digital camera.
There's much more
Pixiq's breakdown gets even more interesting when they explain how cameras work like our eyes. The cornea acts like a lens, the iris and pupil act like the aperture of a camera and the retina is like the imaging sensor of a digital camera.
There's much more
A Blind Man Drove a Car at Daytona International Speedway [Cars]
Mark Riccobono is legally blind. But that doesn't stop him from trying to enjoy life. Today, thanks to tactile technology, he became the first blind man to drive around the track at Daytona International Speedway.
The National Federation for the Blind issued a challenge to see if anyone could come up with a solution to allow driving for the blind. A team at Virgina Tech figured it out, they've developed a system that includes the use of fancy gloves that provide tactile feedback for the
The National Federation for the Blind issued a challenge to see if anyone could come up with a solution to allow driving for the blind. A team at Virgina Tech figured it out, they've developed a system that includes the use of fancy gloves that provide tactile feedback for the
Friday, January 28, 2011
With iFusion, You Can Combine the Worst Aspects of Landlines and iPhones! [Phones]
Love having a phone that's more or less stationary? Love shitty reception? Then you will absolutely LOVE the iFusion. This has a FULL DUPLEX and ERGONOMIC HANDSET DESIGN and BLUETOOTH that will supposedly make your iPhone calls BETTER. Hmmm...
Considering that most issues with call quality on the current iPhone hardware revolve around reception, the iFusion isn't going to make you calls thaaaat much better if you don't have a good signal to begin with. And it doesn't have any meaningful
Considering that most issues with call quality on the current iPhone hardware revolve around reception, the iFusion isn't going to make you calls thaaaat much better if you don't have a good signal to begin with. And it doesn't have any meaningful
Al Jazeera English Live for iPhone [AppOfTheDay]
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The Video Game Controllers You Might Not Want... Until You Use Them [Power A]
The people who make unusual game products like a Wii Remote that can be customized with LEGO blocks—one of their more successful video game controllers—can sometimes make a controller better than Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft, I've learned.
Power A is the company who makes official LEGO Wii Remotes, which unless you're the creator of Final Fantasy and a major LEGO brick enthusiast—he once crafted an airship from the Build & Play Wii Remote—you might wonder why you'd want such a
Power A is the company who makes official LEGO Wii Remotes, which unless you're the creator of Final Fantasy and a major LEGO brick enthusiast—he once crafted an airship from the Build & Play Wii Remote—you might wonder why you'd want such a
Cella Energy says its hydrogen microbeads could fuel your car, cost $1.50 per gallon
Your average hydrogen-powered car is a marvel of modern science -- fuel cell sifting electrons out of pure H2 and emitting nothing but water -- powered by big, heavy, high-pressure tanks of gas. Cella Energy is here to ditch the tank, having first developed a means of storing hydrogen in microfibers that could greatly simplify the design of these vehicles. But, perhaps even more impressive is a "synthetic fuel" the company is working on which is, essentially, pure hydrogen captured into
Stalk Gizmodo and Its Staff on Twitter, Avoid Restraining Orders [Promotion]
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Thursday, January 27, 2011
Samsung's new dual-sided QWERTY remote for Smart TVs revealed by the FCC
We didn't spot this one at CES where the phone-like RMC30D and standard remotes were the only options, but it looks like Samsung has an alternative Bluetooth remote planned for its Smart TVs that features standard buttons on one side and a full QWERTY keyboard on the other, much like the Boxee Box's remote. Judging by the ruler in the remarkably unflattering FCC photos, this one appears to be a bit larger and it's not immediately clear what that display on the QWERTY side is for. Obviously, if
OpenPandora begins 'private' sales, fast-track your open-source gaming handheld for an extra $150
What with all the excitement about Sony's quad-core handheld and Nintendo's autostereoscopic screen, we have to say, we nearly forgot about the open-source Pandora handheld slowly but assuredly shipping from the UK. Well, we've got some bittersweet news to share, and here it goes: you can now purchase an Pandora for $ 500, and have it ship within a week. What's bitter about that? Because normally you pay $ 350 and get put on the pre-order waiting list. That extra $ 150 sounds like quite the
Motorola Atrix 4G goes up on AmazonWireless, $150 on February 11th -- mistake?
We suspect the boys and girls over at AmazonWireless threw their Atrix 4G product page up early, because -- among other red flags -- the buy button doesn't work, but one important detail we can glean from it is that they seem interested in selling it for $ 149.99 on a new contract or $ 599.99 off-contract. Now, there are a couple of possibilities here; first off, since the page likely isn't supposed to be online, these prices might just be guesses or placeholders, but furthermore, keep in
Why Should I Care About HTTPS on Facebook (or Other Web Sites)? [Ask Lifehacker]
Dear Lifehacker,I'm not a huge nerd, but everyone's talking about switching to HTTPS on Facebook because it's so much better. Why is it better and why should I care?
Sincerely,Insecure About HTTPS
Dear Insecure,
HTTPS is a significantly more secure version of HTTP, which is the protocol you generally use to load up your webpages (whether you're aware of it or not). HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, so HTTPS stands for the same thing but with Secure on the end of it. This is
Sincerely,Insecure About HTTPS
Dear Insecure,
HTTPS is a significantly more secure version of HTTP, which is the protocol you generally use to load up your webpages (whether you're aware of it or not). HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, so HTTPS stands for the same thing but with Secure on the end of it. This is
Hubble telescope sees furthest galaxy, 13.2 billion light years from Earth
If you think Star Wars took place in a galaxy far, far away, you should probably prepare to have your perceptions of distance rocked. NASA astronomers believe they've laid their eyes what appears to be the most distant object ever spotted by humans... in the history of mankind, no less. The galaxy was first peeked back in 2009, but NASA has just confirmed (via that trusty Hubble contraption) that what it saw is actually the oldest known galaxy in existence. At a distance of 13.2 billion light
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
This Is How a Supermassive Black Hole Looks [Astronomy]
You can't see black holes. They absorb everything, even light. But you can see how things looks around them. In fact, you are looking at one right now: The supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M84,
M84 is in the Virgo Cluster of galaxies, 50 million light-years from Earth. This black hole has the mass of 300 million Suns. Scientists used Hubble Space Telescope's Imaging Spectrograph to capture this zig zag shapes, which shows the "rapid rotation of gas at the galaxy's center" as
M84 is in the Virgo Cluster of galaxies, 50 million light-years from Earth. This black hole has the mass of 300 million Suns. Scientists used Hubble Space Telescope's Imaging Spectrograph to capture this zig zag shapes, which shows the "rapid rotation of gas at the galaxy's center" as
Amnesia Razorfish Connect lets your smartphone share your Surface
It's practicality may be a bit questionable until folks actually start using Surfaces in their homes, but Amnesia Razorfish has now produced a rather unique way to share content between your smartphone and Microsoft's would-be household device. The basic idea is fairly simple: just place your smartphone (or tablet) on the Surface, and then simply drag photos and other documents directly onto the device (where you can also, incidentally, preview them instantly). Exactly how that's done isn't
Visualized: Giorgio Armani Galaxy S
In front of the sculpted jaw and haunting eyes of this ridiculously-good-looking man, there is a phone. And it says: "Thanks for the cash, sucker."Visualized: Giorgio Armani Galaxy S originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Giorgio Armani | Email
Kids Act Out The Social Network [Video]
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Reminder: we'll be live from Sony's Tokyo event tonight at 1AM ET!
Heads up: we're the sort of people who'll drop everything and get on a 12-hour flight (sometimes longer) to Japan just in case Sony's "business strategies" meeting turns out to be the platform from which the company unveils its oft-rumored PSP2. If you happen to be awake, the fun starts around 1AM ET tonight (which is actually tomorrow, but hey, you get the message). Link to our impending liveblog? Why, we never thought you'd ask: here you go!Reminder: we'll be live from Sony's Tokyo event
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Volkswagen's XL1 concept plug-in diesel hybrid has 313MPG fuel efficiency, questionable aesthetics
Steaming down the autobahn could be about to get a whole lot more efficient. Volkswagen has carted out its newly updated Super Efficient Vehicle concept, now dubbed the XL1, which -- after a great deal of fuzzy math, we're sure -- is rated at a 313MPG fuel efficiency and produces only 24g of CO2 per kilometer traveled. There's an electric motor and a TDI diesel engine making all the buzzing and roaring noises inside, while the overall body design is focused on making the car as light and as
This Clock Looks like the Wall of an Alien Spaceship [Video]
You see that clock on your wall? That clock is awful. Why? It's awful because it isn't this clock—the shape-shifting, sci fi Art du Temps. It pulses instead of ticks. It flips open by voice command. It's... expensive.
As if it has a life of its own, the Art du Temps' mechanical square plates beat with each passing second—maybe it's inhabited by some advanced AI! Or, $ 90,000 worth of Swiss engineering. Yes, $ 90,000—a sum you could probably use to explore the cosmos and bring back
As if it has a life of its own, the Art du Temps' mechanical square plates beat with each passing second—maybe it's inhabited by some advanced AI! Or, $ 90,000 worth of Swiss engineering. Yes, $ 90,000—a sum you could probably use to explore the cosmos and bring back
Google I/O includes Google TV app development session; software speedup in the works
Take this for what it's worth, but the schedule for Google's 2011 I/O conference includes a little session called "Building Android Apps for Google TV," as well as "Building Web Apps for Google TV." That's certainly interesting, as Google's reportedly asked TV manufacturers to delay (or at least downplay) their smart TV products at CES until the core software is revamped, and we're hearing that the relaunch will focus heavily on apps. We're also told by a trusted source that there's a big
German robot hand takes a licking, apparently keeps on ticking (video)
Sadists at the German Aerospace Center's (DLR) Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics are showing off their latest development in anthropomorphic appendages: a robotic hand that can take a beating from a baseball bat and still give you the middle finger (or a thumbs-up, we suppose). Researchers apparently designed the limb to function like only a human hand can, and it seems they've done a decent job: it's got five independently functioning fingers, sports 19 degrees of freedom (one less than
Soundfreaq's SFQ-01R Sound Platform goes red and black for Valentine's Day
Remember that SFQ-01 Bluetooth audio system you were swooning over late last year? If you twiddled your thumbs on buying one, here's a shot at redemption: Soundfreaq has just pushed out a limited edition red and black version just in time for Valentine's Day, and outside of the color change, everything else remains the same. It's up for pre-order now at Amazon for a penny under $ 200, and trust us, your significant other will love it. Even if said SO is... you.Continue reading Soundfreaq's
Monday, January 24, 2011
Toshiba introduces industry's first 1.8-inch hard drives with LIF SATA connectors
Don't ever knock Toshiba for not pumping up the little guy. Well, unless you're producing microSATA-based 1.8-inch HDDs. Tosh has just revealed its newest line of PMP-friendly hard drives, with the industry's first 1.8-inch units being issued with low-insertion force (LIF) SATA connectors. They're being designed for use in media players, tablets and most anything else that can fit within the palm of your ever-sweating hand, with 160GB, 200GB and 220GB models being available. We're told that
Robot camel jockeys found packing illegal stun guns, Dubai police say 'Don't tase them bro!'
It's been awhile since we've talked about the remote controlled robot jockeys used in Arabian camel racing, but a recent scandal that has rocked the camel-racing world compels us to revisit the topic. The Dubai police discovered that some shady characters have been selling robot jockeys equipped with stun guns to "encourage" camels to run faster. We're pretty sure that the animals don't need any more incentive to run -- they already have a robot whipping them -- and it's good to see that the
Print from Your Phone with Google Cloud Print [Cloud Print]
Google recently released Cloud Print, a web feature that allowed you to print documents on your home printer from anywhere. Today, they're going to start rolling out that feature for mobile Gmail, so you can print straight from your smartphone.
Until today, Google Cloud Print was only available for Chrome OS, but now iPhone and Android users can print anything from mobile Gmail on-the-go. So, if you're out and about and want to print out an email (or one of its attachments, like a .doc or
Until today, Google Cloud Print was only available for Chrome OS, but now iPhone and Android users can print anything from mobile Gmail on-the-go. So, if you're out and about and want to print out an email (or one of its attachments, like a .doc or
What Jack LaLanne Did For Your Body [Video]
Jack LaLanne wasn't just a fitness guru. Mere fitness gurus don't tow 70 rowboats—while handcuffed—at age 70. Jack was a powerhouse. He died today, at 96. But not before eating and lifting his way through exercise gear history.
Jack LaLanne started off life as an unhealthy, junkfood-addled mess of a child. He was "a miserable goddamn kid," explained to the San Francisco Chronicle. "It was like hell."
So he turned himself around. He read obsessively about physiology, and devoted himself
Jack LaLanne started off life as an unhealthy, junkfood-addled mess of a child. He was "a miserable goddamn kid," explained to the San Francisco Chronicle. "It was like hell."
So he turned himself around. He read obsessively about physiology, and devoted himself
BlackBerry Balance details emerge: available in two months' time, coming to PlayBook too
If you're champing at the bit to separate your work life and personal life into two distinct, impenetrable entities, RIM's got your back: it turns out that the Balance product announced a few days ago will be available in just a couple months' time. In a recent chat with Retuers, the company's senior VP of business and platform marketing revealed that Balance is already in testing with carriers ahead of a wide-scale launch -- and furthermore, it'll be available on the upcoming PlayBook as well.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Budding Molecular Cuisine Chefs Take Note... [Cooking]
...for Think Geek has a Molecular Cuisine Starter Kit that should get you well on the way toward that coveted sous chef job at Alinea you've been eyeing ever since Chez Gizmodo's Taste Test.
At $ 70, it's not necessarily cheap, but the exotic vaporizer dishes you'll be cooking up in the near future at your chic molecular gastro-pub will no doubt make that money back and then some. The full, expanded materials list includes:
5 sets of food-additives:- Agar-agar - 10 sachets of 20g each-
At $ 70, it's not necessarily cheap, but the exotic vaporizer dishes you'll be cooking up in the near future at your chic molecular gastro-pub will no doubt make that money back and then some. The full, expanded materials list includes:
5 sets of food-additives:- Agar-agar - 10 sachets of 20g each-
Switched On: When Gadgets Talk in Their Sleep
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
The Nintendo 3DS stands to democratize stereoscopy in a way society hasn't experienced since the View-Master craze, by offering 3D hardware more affordable than the current crop of televisions and PCs, and without requiring special glasses to see images pop out of the handheld's screen. But when it comes to innovation, the 3DS could represent a two-way street, for even as its 3D screen is focused on enhancing
The Nintendo 3DS stands to democratize stereoscopy in a way society hasn't experienced since the View-Master craze, by offering 3D hardware more affordable than the current crop of televisions and PCs, and without requiring special glasses to see images pop out of the handheld's screen. But when it comes to innovation, the 3DS could represent a two-way street, for even as its 3D screen is focused on enhancing
Breath, Booze—Etiquette Checker Judges All the Same [Video]
Bar breathalyzers are ubiquitous these days (and are totally for entertainment purposes only!) but the one from Topland offers something new: An etiquette checker! What that means, at least in Japan, is it checks for bad breath too.
The science behind a device that claims to rate the stink factor of your maw is dubious to say the least, but let's review what Topland's promising anywa, just because.
The unit displays six levels of breath detection, and will show you the "score" using one of
The science behind a device that claims to rate the stink factor of your maw is dubious to say the least, but let's review what Topland's promising anywa, just because.
The unit displays six levels of breath detection, and will show you the "score" using one of
Sony's Music Unlimited service infiltrates France, Germany, Italy and Spain, offers streaming tunes
See this message? You no longer have to if you live in France, Germany, Italy or Spain, as Sony's rolled out its Music Unlimited subscription streaming service in each aforementioned nation just yesterday. Basically, it's the same deal that launched in the UK last month, but at a slightly cheaper price given the exchange rate: €3.99 a month buys you a virtual radio station that streams millions of songs to your Sony TVs, Blu-ray players or PS3 -- with portable devices and phones on the
Grace Digital punts WiFi radio into a wireless bookshelf speaker system, can't escape Reciva's ghost
Just when we thought Grace Digital Audio had turned over a new, touch-friendly leaf, the company's back with another WiFi internet radio that uses the frustrating Reciva interface. We can't say we're pleased, but the firm's new $ 250 Wireless Stereo Micro System does have one new feature that might be worth checking out -- it comes with a pair of handsome bookshelf speakers that connect over the ether as well. This time, you can not only connect to your home wireless network (or auxiliary
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Japanese Toilets Have Crazy Video Games to Play While Peeing [Toilets]
Sega has installed toilet games in bars and arcades across Tokyo. It's called Toylet and games include measuring volume of urine, measuring power of stream, wiping a wall clean of graffiti and even controlling wind to lift a girl's skirt up.
It sounds insane but also potentially awesome, the games use a pressure sensor attached to an eye level LCD screen for gamers to watch. Those who can pee hard and long will separate themselves from the soft and short. Sega says the games would be
It sounds insane but also potentially awesome, the games use a pressure sensor attached to an eye level LCD screen for gamers to watch. Those who can pee hard and long will separate themselves from the soft and short. Sega says the games would be
Art Lebedev's Optimus Popularis delayed, but new Optimus Mini Six is on the way
We've always taken Art Lebedev's product launch forecasts with a grain handful of salt, so this doesn't come as a surprise: the firm's sub-$ 1,000 OLED keyboard won't be out anytime soon. However, the second thing the indie peripheral design house revealed today makes us giddy despite our misgivings -- before the full-sized Optimus Popularis comes to market, it's planning to release a new miniature keypad like the Optimus mini three, but with six keys inside. Still... is it bad if all we
Apple brings AT&T and Verizon together for a happy dance in latest iPhone commercial (video)
The unthinkable has happened. After spending 99 percent of their recent marketing budgets figuring out ways to sling mud at each other, AT&T and Verizon have now come together to dance a merry waltz -- all in the name of Apple's hallowed iPhone. The latest commercial for the phone that really doesn't need advertising shows that you can FaceTime, read iBooks, navigate maps, and do everything else on the Verizon iPhone just as well as you could do it on the AT&T-friendly GSM variant of
Sportswriter Tracks Down Rude Twitter Haters In Real Life [Internet]
When Jeff Pearlman, a sportswriter, wrote a recent column, he received his typical slew of hate, slurs and rude remarks on Twitter. But this time, he didn't want to ignore it. Instead, he sought out his "online haters" in real life.
Pearlman ended up calling one of his "online haters" (one who sent him a nasty pornographic picture over Twitter) and turns out, the guy was a "meek and apologetic" college-aged student. Pearlman thought he would hate the guy but actually ended up liking him.
Pearlman ended up calling one of his "online haters" (one who sent him a nasty pornographic picture over Twitter) and turns out, the guy was a "meek and apologetic" college-aged student. Pearlman thought he would hate the guy but actually ended up liking him.
IBM looks back on 100 years of history, finds plenty to be proud of (video)
Want to know who the self-confessed "mother of the motherboard" is? Or why every piece of organically farmed, tenderly loved food at your local Trader Joe's has a barcode on it? Or perhaps you're curious to learn more about how millions of airline reservations can be made around the world with unfailing reliability? All those queries have their answers in IBM's self-congratulating videos after the break. Commissioned as a celebration of the company's upcoming 100th birthday, they chronicle
Friday, January 21, 2011
Let's Be Best Friends On Facebook! [Promotion]
Did you know that you can easily add some Gizmodo to your Facebook? You'll get all the best stories, discussions, and contests right in your Facebook feed. All you need to click that "like" button on our Facebook page.
Actually, we're making it extra easy for you. You can just click the like button below. You'll get fun daily questions, see how your fellow readers look, get all the best stories in one place, earn a special place in our hearts, and have the chance to enter awesome contests.
Actually, we're making it extra easy for you. You can just click the like button below. You'll get fun daily questions, see how your fellow readers look, get all the best stories in one place, earn a special place in our hearts, and have the chance to enter awesome contests.
The Great Facebook Reply Dilemma [Image Cache]
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The Internet Facts of Life as Explained by a 12-Year-Old [Humor]
"Mom, I know you have a lot of questions, and I want us to be open with each other. So, I think it's time you learned where blogs and tweets come from."
Mom, it's gonna be a long ride to Grandma's, and while we have some time alone together, I think it'd be good for us to talk about some things. I'm getting older, and I'm not always gonna be around the house to explain stuff to you. I know you have a lot of questions, and I want us to be open with each other. So, I think it's time you
Mom, it's gonna be a long ride to Grandma's, and while we have some time alone together, I think it'd be good for us to talk about some things. I'm getting older, and I'm not always gonna be around the house to explain stuff to you. I know you have a lot of questions, and I want us to be open with each other. So, I think it's time you
Kinect meets Minecraft, animates a giant statue in your honor (video)
This isn't the first time Kinect and Minecraft have crossed paths -- scavenge the 'nets and you'll find plenty of user interface examples. What Nathan Viniconis has done, however, is different. What you're looking at above is rendered instantly by way of using what the Kinect sees and constructing an in-world monument in real time. Not only that, but the project has now evolved into a sort of stop motion animation. It's pretty impressive, even for those who have little to no idea what
Sir, I Believe There's a Giant Jellyfish on Your Ceiling [Video]
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Thursday, January 20, 2011
Is Google Working on a Group Buying Service? [Unconfirmed]
The folks at Mashable have gotten their hands on a "confidential fact sheet straight from the Googleplex" which describes a new Google product: Google Offers. It appears to be a group buying service similar to Groupon and LivingSocial.
The documents discovered by Mashable explain the basic idea behind the service: Customers receive an email describing a local deal and are given the chance to buy that deal within a certain timeframe. Assuming enough people buy the deal, the offer is
The documents discovered by Mashable explain the basic idea behind the service: Customers receive an email describing a local deal and are given the chance to buy that deal within a certain timeframe. Assuming enough people buy the deal, the offer is
Verizon's First Overly Dramatic iPhone Commercial Is Here [Video]
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Verizon's 'It Begins' ad plays up the iPhone wait for all it's worth
"To our millions of customers, who never stopped believing this day would come..." Alright, we guess they earned just this one moment of visual hyperbole.Verizon's 'It Begins' ad plays up the iPhone wait for all it's worth originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email
How Can I Find Out If Someone’s Stealing My Wi-Fi? [Ask Lifehacker]
Dear Lifehacker,Lately it seems like my high speed connection is bogged down, and I'm getting a creepy feeling that someone's stealing my bandwidth on my Wi-Fi network.
How can I find out if other people are leeching my Wi-Fi, and how do I stop them if they are?
Signed,Paranoid or Not?
Dear PoN,Besides the fact that your Wi-Fi moocher may be slowing down your connection, people connected to your network may also have access to some of your shared folders (depending on what security measures
How can I find out if other people are leeching my Wi-Fi, and how do I stop them if they are?
Signed,Paranoid or Not?
Dear PoN,Besides the fact that your Wi-Fi moocher may be slowing down your connection, people connected to your network may also have access to some of your shared folders (depending on what security measures
iFixit rails Apple about getting screwed five ways (Pentalobe)
January 20, 2011 at 7:01 am
Apple is screwing your iPhone: what the issue is is that Apple is quietly moving to a new kind of tamper-resistant screw on its iPhone to keep you out, as iFixit explain in the video above. (And indeed as our own Mark Gurman spotted first way back in November).
Writing on the team blog, the intrepid disassemblers note, “This is not a standard Torx, and there are no readily available screwdrivers that can remove it. This isn’t the first time they’ve used
Apple is screwing your iPhone: what the issue is is that Apple is quietly moving to a new kind of tamper-resistant screw on its iPhone to keep you out, as iFixit explain in the video above. (And indeed as our own Mark Gurman spotted first way back in November).
Writing on the team blog, the intrepid disassemblers note, “This is not a standard Torx, and there are no readily available screwdrivers that can remove it. This isn’t the first time they’ve used
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Next-gen iPad may come with proximity sensor, iOS 4.3 beta reveals
Some careful digging in the iOS 4.3 beta has revealed an intriguing new string intended for the iPad's Settings menu. As you can see above, users will be able to toggle a new auto-unlocking feature on their iPad, which would respond to closing and opening of the slate's cover (or case, or sleeve, or whatever). Though the iPad already has an ambient light sensor, the one true way to make this functionality work is by employing a good old proximity sensor, so we can probably pencil that into our
Sony A580 reviewed: 16.2 megapixels of mid-range DSLR goodness
Like the Sony A560 DSLR but need a few million more pixels at your disposal? That's basically what you get with the A580, a successor to the A550 and doing basically everything the A560 does -- but with a 16.2 megapixel sensor. So it sports 1080i recording, a 3-inch tilting LCD, and 7fps burst shooting, but can't match the continuous autofocus of the funky A55 and its mystical, magical, translucent mirror and overheating sensor. Overall performance and image quality are said to be good, with
Kongregate app pulled from Android Marketplace, CEO hopes it's just a misunderstanding
We've heard of apps getting 187'd from the iTunes App Store ad nauseum, but Google's Android Marketplace? That's pretty novel. In what is probably the most high profile bait-and-switch since the mobile platform's launch, Kongregate found its eponymous software pulled on the very same day it came out. As CEO Jim Greer tells Joystiq, the app was pulled due to the "claim you can't use their app store to distribute another app store." Which is all well and good until you realize that what
Xbox 360 mandatory update restores boot to disc, detains Call of Duty pirates for a tad
The story of the Trojan Horse must be a favorite among video game console manufacturers, because software updates these days often come with more than bargained for -- today, Microsoft issued a mandatory Xbox 360 update, reportedly for a single bugfix, but which seems to have coincidentally halted scores of pirates and hackers from playing Call of Duty: Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 on the console. Members of the Xbox-Scene forums noted the update was taking suspiciously long to download,
Set Your Desktop to a Place Off in the Distance [Wallpaper Wednesday]
This Wednesday we've got a collection of wallpapers that look out into the distance, admiring nature—whether it's photographed or illustrated.
Getting a nice shot of the moon is a hard thing to do, but it's definitely beautiful when you succeed. This is one excellent example and makes for a great wallpaper, too.
Submitted by Aditya G.
This point in Angeles National Forest has since burned in a fire, but it is forever preserved as your next wallpaper.
For those of you who prefer your
Getting a nice shot of the moon is a hard thing to do, but it's definitely beautiful when you succeed. This is one excellent example and makes for a great wallpaper, too.
Submitted by Aditya G.
This point in Angeles National Forest has since burned in a fire, but it is forever preserved as your next wallpaper.
For those of you who prefer your
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
iPhone Battery Pack Draws Power From the Yellow Sun [Iphone Case]
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Watch this Short Video to Help Find the Owners of a Lost Roll of Film [Video]
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Apple hints at 15-inch MacBook Air, lower entry price on iPad?
January 18, 2011 at 3:22 pm
As part of today’s earnings calls, Apple execs Peter Oppenheimer and Tim Cook gave “some color” on their future thinking. Some notable hints:
(From Macworld’s transcripts):
JP Morgan: Peter, can you give us a little more insight on iPad gross margins going forward? Given Tim’s comment earlier about competitors, should we assume Apple can increase features while keeping price stable?
Peter (about future direction of iPads): We don’t talk about
As part of today’s earnings calls, Apple execs Peter Oppenheimer and Tim Cook gave “some color” on their future thinking. Some notable hints:
(From Macworld’s transcripts):
JP Morgan: Peter, can you give us a little more insight on iPad gross margins going forward? Given Tim’s comment earlier about competitors, should we assume Apple can increase features while keeping price stable?
Peter (about future direction of iPads): We don’t talk about
Apple's invested in a 'very strategic' $3.9b component supply agreement, but what is it?
Here's an interesting little note from Apple's record-breaking Q1 2011 financial sales call: according to CFO Peter Oppenheimer and acting CEO / COO Tim Cook, the company's made a two-year, $ 3.9 billion deal with three suppliers to secure a "very strategic" component for its products. Cook wouldn't identify what the component was, citing competitive reasons, but he did say the arrangement was much like Apple's famous deals to source iPod flash memory that date back to 2005. According to Tim,
What Future Technology Is Apple Secretly Spending a Lot of Money On? [Apple]
In a long-winded bit about components and the future during Apple's earnings call, Apple COO (and acting head honcho) Tim Cook talked about how, in 2005, they invested a lot in securing agreements and pre-payments for tons of flash memory—around $ 1 billion worth—because they thought it'd be important in the future. Well, he says, Apple's identified another area where they've started investing like they did with flash—agreements and pre-payments—where they feel they can innovate,
Monday, January 17, 2011
Lag-free Wii on PSP episode II: Mario Kart strikes back
It looks like our favorite PSP Fanboy, Obiwan222222, is up to his old tricks once again, and his latest video shows that he has finally eliminated the lag problem that plagued his first attempt to play Wii on a PSP four years ago. Using a Wii emulator on a PC, some custom firmware, and a program called PSPDisplay, he has managed to stream video and sound to his PSP Go in real time. He also mapped the Wii controls (Wiimote waving excluded, we presume) to the handheld to complete the full
Idiot's Idiotic Live Grenade Bookend Explodes after Idiot Pulls Pin [Explosives]
Sort of stupid: using WWII grenades as bookends. Really stupid: giving one of those grenades to a neighbor, no questions asked. Extremely stupid: accepting said grenade. Maximum stupid: immediately pulling the pin from that grenade. Bomb squad, come on down!
For the record, it's surprising that someone dumb enough to use a grenade as a bookend would read enough to require a bookend, but I digress. The gent, Orlando's WKMG Local 6 reports, "Quickly realized something wasn't quite right" and
For the record, it's surprising that someone dumb enough to use a grenade as a bookend would read enough to require a bookend, but I digress. The gent, Orlando's WKMG Local 6 reports, "Quickly realized something wasn't quite right" and
Disney to sell Android phone in Japan, apparently Apple doesn't care
Disney has decided to debut a new smartphone in Japan, and given Steve Jobs presence on the company's board of directors, we are surprised to find that the handset will run Android instead of iOS. The phone is essentially a Sharp Galapagos 003SH with a Disney-fied version of Froyo hat comes with a Disney email address, exclusive content, and optional custom Disney-themed cases for users who wish to broadcast their allegiance to Mickey Mouse and company. The device is slated for release next
Pentax K-7 and K-x firmware upgrades pack SDXC compatibility
Last November Pentax's mid-range front runner, the K-5 DSLR, got an upgrade, now the K-7 and K-x are following suit. New firmware updates for both cameras tout SDXC card compatibility, increasing memory, but failing to follow through on speed -- Pentax notes transfer rates won't hit UHS. Despite the company's Japanese website listing the K-7 as a discontinued product, the camera also gets increased video editing functions in playback mode, as well as improved image sharpening settings. Now,
A Basic Sketch of the Next iPad [Rumors]
Apple is a cyclical creature, like bears, unicorns and ladyfolk. iPods in September; iPhones in June; and likely, iPads in April. April is not so far away! So, unsurprisingly, we're starting to hear what the next iPad looks like.
The brains
While one generation of devices does not a trend make—three's a trend, in journo-land—Apple is less mystical and more economical than most internet denizens would suspect. The A4 chip that first showed up in the iPad also made its way into the iPhone
The brains
While one generation of devices does not a trend make—three's a trend, in journo-land—Apple is less mystical and more economical than most internet denizens would suspect. The A4 chip that first showed up in the iPad also made its way into the iPhone
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Humble Radish Survives 30 Minutes In the Vacuum of Space [Space]
Radish Log, 2011.15: Took those bastards 30 minutes in a vacuum to finally wilt me. Thirty minutes in hell, or 29 minutes longer than that human sap back in '65. I'm king of the world and I'm just a radish.
What the hell is that radish talking about, you ask? It's actually pretty simple, and not quite as corny as that lead would suggest. Honest!
NASA scientists, hoping to learn a bit more about how food behaves in a vacuum, subjected a variety of vegetables to a sudden vacuum and then sat
What the hell is that radish talking about, you ask? It's actually pretty simple, and not quite as corny as that lead would suggest. Honest!
NASA scientists, hoping to learn a bit more about how food behaves in a vacuum, subjected a variety of vegetables to a sudden vacuum and then sat
Macintosh Plus celebrates 25 years by becoming ultimate DJ headgear (video)
Don't have $ 65,000 and / or seventeen months to build yourself a Daft Punk helmet? Here's the next best thing: crack open a Macintosh Plus, add an iPad, an old bicycle helmet and some electroluminescent gear, and get to soldering. Originally a school project for design student Terrence Scoville, this visualizer helmet now sits atop the cranium of DJ Kid Chameleon. Because there's nothing like a few digital fireworks to celebrate an old computer's birthday. Video after the break.Continue
Inhabitat's Week in Green: sexy green cars, glass strong as steel, and Tianjin's Eco-City revealed
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.
This week Inhabitat brought you unveilings of the world's hottest new eco vehicles as we hit the floor of the Detroit Auto Show and rounded up the seven sexiest green cars on display. We also took a first look at Toyota's new Tesla-infused RAV4, and we caught up with Venturi's powerhouse electric concept car. And if unconventional transportation spins
This week Inhabitat brought you unveilings of the world's hottest new eco vehicles as we hit the floor of the Detroit Auto Show and rounded up the seven sexiest green cars on display. We also took a first look at Toyota's new Tesla-infused RAV4, and we caught up with Venturi's powerhouse electric concept car. And if unconventional transportation spins
Research shocker! Keyless car entry systems can be hacked easily, elegantly
We know you are vigilant enough not to trust your car's security to a wireless system, but plenty of other folks like the convenience of putting away the metallic keys and getting into their vehicles with a bit of Bond-like swagger. Professor Srdjan Capkun of ETH Zurich found himself perched on the fence between these two groups when he recently purchased a vehicle with a keyless entry system, so he did what any good researcher would: he tried to bypass its security measures. In total, he and
Humanoid Robot Mirrors Its Master, Courtesy Kinect [Video]
This nifty Kinect demo involving a robot mimic is all sorts of amazing, but after I viewed it I couldn't help but wonder: When people talk about Kinect, do they ever mention the games anymore?
Seems every Kinect story that surfaces on the net these days is about some glorious hack or modification involving the hardware, with nary a nod to Kinect Sports or Dance Central.
Since this is a post about a hack, though, we'll talk hacks. This one is impressive! Watch how the robot politely mimics
Seems every Kinect story that surfaces on the net these days is about some glorious hack or modification involving the hardware, with nary a nod to Kinect Sports or Dance Central.
Since this is a post about a hack, though, we'll talk hacks. This one is impressive! Watch how the robot politely mimics
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Did You Know It Costs More Than a Penny to Make a Penny? [Money]
I just found out that it costs more than a penny to manufacture a penny. Specifically, it costs 1.62 cents to produce that 1 cent copper coin. And that's been the case for a while now! What the hell?
Why's it cost so much? Apparently, the penny is made from 2.5% copper and 97.5% zinc and those metals have gone up in price as of late. In fact, if you could melt the coin, you'd have materials totaling 1.62 cents—more than the cent that measly penny is worth. That's crazy! What's crazier is
Why's it cost so much? Apparently, the penny is made from 2.5% copper and 97.5% zinc and those metals have gone up in price as of late. In fact, if you could melt the coin, you'd have materials totaling 1.62 cents—more than the cent that measly penny is worth. That's crazy! What's crazier is
Three iPad dummy SKUs appear at Best Buy website
There's not much to see here, folks, just a few listings on Best Buy's website for Apple iPads that don't currently exist. They could be the result of a database error, an employee prank, or even just wishful thinking. Still, in the wake of well-placed sources informing us that a super-high-resolution, SD-card bearing, dual-mode iPad 2 is on the way and a feeling of déjà vu, we can't help but think there might be a rather exciting prize behind doors number one, two and three. Or
Creep Used Women's Facebook Info to Hack E-Mail Accounts and Steal Nude Pics [Crime]
George Bronk, a 23-year-old guy, scoured Facebook profiles to hack e-mail accounts of dozens of women. He would then send any nude pictures he found to the women's entire address book because he thought "it was funny".
The stuff Bronk did was pretty nasty. He would target female Facebook users who happened to have public e-mail addresses and glean any and all types of info from their profile and conversations (from favorite colors to food to father's middle name, etc) in order to answer
The stuff Bronk did was pretty nasty. He would target female Facebook users who happened to have public e-mail addresses and glean any and all types of info from their profile and conversations (from favorite colors to food to father's middle name, etc) in order to answer
Children checking out vintage gadgets continues to be an enthralling experience to watch
The video we've embedded after the break has been around for a few weeks, but we simply couldn't resist posting it. As you'll see, it's a video (in French, but with English subtitles) of children contemplating a ton of vintage gear including the Game Boy, a Colecovision cartridge, and several sizes and shapes of computer discs. Their reactions -- especially if you were alive when most or all of these gadgets were the cutting edge -- is pretty incredible. Like we said, the video (with some
Wikipedia Celebrates 10 Years Today: Here Are Wikipedia's First Entries [Wikipedia]
Wikipedia turned 10 years old today and to celebrate the wonderful crowdsourced, potluck of information, here's a look at their awkward (and sometimes, wild) past. Their first six weeks of existence, all 10,000 entries, are logged right here.
Wikipedia had some pretty bumpy times back then, in the entry on American Football there was a line that said "Dallas Cowboys suck" and referred to Mariah Carey as a "chick with big tits and a hell of a voice (capable of spanning seven octaves)".
Wikipedia had some pretty bumpy times back then, in the entry on American Football there was a line that said "Dallas Cowboys suck" and referred to Mariah Carey as a "chick with big tits and a hell of a voice (capable of spanning seven octaves)".
Friday, January 14, 2011
How would you change Windows Phone 7?
Fair's fair, right? The last time we spoke, we gave you all ample opportunity to tell webOS' new owners how revision 2.0 should be changed, and now that Microsoft's latest and greatest has been on the open market for a few months, it's time to do the same with Windows Phone 7. It's obvious that WP7 is a huge, huge leap forward over Windows Mobile, but as a fledgling mobile OS, there are naturally quite a few areas where improvements could be made. If you were blessed with the ability to
Sierra On-Line games hit iPad via web app, those old enough to remember them rejoice
You may or may not be old enough to remember Sierra On-Line, makers of such fine games as Leisure Suit Larry, the King's Quest, and Police Quest, but none of that matters anymore. Thanks to the folks over at Sarien, you now have access to these glorious titles via your iPad's web browser. The entire catalog has been ported over, and the games which were previously available via the web only are now there on your Apple tablet! The whole shebang is now hosted on Amazon's content distribution
Skype's acquisition of Qik is now complete
Huh, that was fast. Barely one week has passed since Skype announced plans to acquire rival Qik, and now the buyout is complete. Skype celebrated with a blog post announcing the deal and reaffirms that its teams will be "working together... to make our mobile video products even better." Not to worry, Qik faithful, we doubt you're world will change much -- not yet, at least.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Skype's acquisition of Qik is now complete originally appeared on Engadget on Fri,
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Skype's acquisition of Qik is now complete originally appeared on Engadget on Fri,
A Few More Unconfirmed iPad 2 Details [Unconfirmed]
We've heard that the iPad 2 might have dual cameras, a better display, and something that requires an extra opening on its cases, but now Engadget reports that "reliable sources" have provided them with details about all those things:
The device will remain at 10-inches, though will now feature both front and rear cameras (not a huge surprise), and... an SD slot. That's right — our sources say with near certainty that the device will have a dedicated SD slot built in (with no traditional
The device will remain at 10-inches, though will now feature both front and rear cameras (not a huge surprise), and... an SD slot. That's right — our sources say with near certainty that the device will have a dedicated SD slot built in (with no traditional
Vudu movie streaming app is live on the Boxee Box
There's no official confirmation from Boxee's blog or Twitter account yet, but owners of its Box are experiencing a fully activated Vudu app with the SD, HD, HDX and 3D streams the service is famous for. The only glitches reported so far seem to have been cleared up by just restarting the device so hopefully whatever delayed its launch past the planned 2010 window is entirely resolved. There's no firmware update needed, so give it a shot if you haven't already, especially since Vudu's still
Thursday, January 13, 2011
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
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.
'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
This Isn't an Outpost on Another Planet, It's the South Pole [Imagecache]
Does it get cooler than this? A telescope, called BICEP, collecting data on BLACK BATTER, located on the SOUTH POLE. I think that it does not. It's hard to believe something this incredible looking is found on earth.
Those red lights you see are actually meant to improve visibility within the telescope, blocking out ambient light pollution (as much as there is on the South Pole) while still allowing the station's crew to navigate. Oh, and that gorgeous ribbon of color in the background? The
Those red lights you see are actually meant to improve visibility within the telescope, blocking out ambient light pollution (as much as there is on the South Pole) while still allowing the station's crew to navigate. Oh, and that gorgeous ribbon of color in the background? The
Qualcomm unveils dual-core Snapdragon reference handset at CES 2011
NVIDIA's Tegra 2 was tearing up 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
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
New Goo.gl URL shortener API lets third party developers in on the outrageous fun that is Google URL shortening
Just a quick note, because we know how much you love APIs: Google has opened its URL shortening service to third party developers. That's right -- not only can you use Goo.gl to generate QR codes, but now you can build it into your own software. As well as support for URL shortening and expanding, the API will also let you track your history and analytics. Says Ben D'Angelo of the URL shortening team: "You could use these features for a wide variety of applications, enabling behaviors
PBS's New iPhone App Lets You Watch Full Episodes [Apps]
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Kinect hacked to work with Flash, Wiimotes, we can't imagine what's next (video)
It's safe to say that, on the console gaming front, the Wiimote and the Kinect are competitors. But, take a step away to the world of PC gaming, and suddenly they can get along like old chums. That's what's demonstrated in the video below, created by YouTuber demize2010, which shows Call of Duty controlled by Wiimote, Nunchuk, and Kinect, enabling reloads, knife attacks, and peeking around corners. But wait, there's more! The Blitz marketing agency has worked up a demo in which the Kinect can
Is this Wireless Graphics Card Stupidly Intuitive or Just Stupid? [GraphicsCards]
Cable cutting is almost a reflexively good thing, right? Wireless mice, wireless console controllers, wireless internet—but is this wireless KFA2 GeForce GTX460 graphics card just wireless for the pure sake of it? Or is this the future?
The ostensibly cool factor of a graphics card like this—which KFA2 claims can output 1080p video at 60hz via a monitor receiver—is that it'll allow you to place your display and (wireless) keyboard/mouse anywhere you want, freed from your desktop.
The ostensibly cool factor of a graphics card like this—which KFA2 claims can output 1080p video at 60hz via a monitor receiver—is that it'll allow you to place your display and (wireless) keyboard/mouse anywhere you want, freed from your desktop.
Incipio shows off Game Boy-themed iPhone case and no, you can't have it
Do you want this Game Boy-themed iPhone 4 case? Well, how does it feel to want? Not all that hot from where we're sitting, that's for damn sure. Spotted at Incipio's CES booth, the company put the case together to demo the company's production capabilities. Sadly, for us, the thing won't be coming to market at any time in the near future (unless someone in Shenzhen decides to take on the cause, that is). We must say, this is a big improvement over the company's iPod nano watch bands -- and an
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
MetroPCS finally prepping Android smartphone with LTE from Samsung?
LTE's great... but only if it's got phones and modems that can take advantage of it. Though MetroPCS beat Verizon to become the first American carrier to launch the technology, it's been scraping by so far with nothing other than the Samsung Craft, a middling dumbphone without the chops to attract the powerusers that would normally want to be involved with a 4G network anyway. Looks like that's finally about to change, though, because BGR's scored a shot of a so-called SCH-R510 -- also from
Sony asks for restraining order against Geohot, fail0verflow over PS3 exploits
We knew Sony would be non-plussed about the PlayStation 3 jailbreak, and now we have a better idea as to the full extent of its anger. The company has filed suit against George "Geohot" Hotz, the "hacking group" fail0verflow (Hector Cantero, Sven Peter, "Bushing," and "Segher"), and numerous John / Jane Does over the exploit and its release. To be more specific, the company cites violations of Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, various copyright infringements,
Notion Ink Adam delayed pending FCC certification
Just when it seemed the Notion Ink Adam had escaped the pit of dubious pre-orders and moved onto the glowing preview stage, here comes another hurdle to trip up its 10-inch PixelQi screen. Android Police reports that US buyers have received email notifications that their orders are ready to ship out, except for that little matter of FCC approval. We've yet to see the Adam pass the FCC -- perhaps because it hasn't done so quite yet -- and the tablet will need to have its paperwork in order and
This Bike Takes You Uphill Without Any Pedaling [Video]
However much fun it is to barrel down a mountainside on two wheels, it's equally painful to pedal those heights in the first place. Unless you've got this 1200-watt motor kit handy. Then it's pure joyride.
The Ego-Kits E-Powered Downhill Bike Kit is a mountable motor that's compatible with 70% of bikes out there. It also includes a battery pack, crankset, chain, throttle, and charger to ensure it lasts your whole ride. Which, by the looks of this promo video, is going to be happening some
The Ego-Kits E-Powered Downhill Bike Kit is a mountable motor that's compatible with 70% of bikes out there. It also includes a battery pack, crankset, chain, throttle, and charger to ensure it lasts your whole ride. Which, by the looks of this promo video, is going to be happening some
Nintendo's Game Boy Advance SP once had an autostereoscopic screen
It may seem like 3D sprung from the ashes of discontentment -- not to mention red / blue glasses -- but Nintendo never stopped believing. It's been secretly refining stereoscopic technology for years in the likes of the Game Boy Advance and GameCube. And while president Satoru Iwata already mentioned early last year that the GameCube had hidden 3D circuits, he recently revealed that the 3DS's autostereoscopic panel actually dates back to the clamshell Game Boy Advance SP. Which, as you might
Monday, January 10, 2011
Make Your PC Gaming Gear Theft-proof [Accessories]
Are mean bullies always stealing your mouse and keyboard at LAN parties? Show those jerks by popping the NZXT Bunker into one of your drive bays, which secures USB peripherals and accessories with a heavy-duty locking mechanism.
Essentially, the Bunker is just a USB hub with a door and a lock. When latched and locked, the Door allows just enough room at the bottom for the cord of your usb accessories to slip through (but not their connectors). The lock uses an internal 20 key mechanism that
Essentially, the Bunker is just a USB hub with a door and a lock. When latched and locked, the Door allows just enough room at the bottom for the cord of your usb accessories to slip through (but not their connectors). The lock uses an internal 20 key mechanism that
Intel's Sandy Bridge hits the desktop realm: Dell, CyberPower, Digital Storm and more
For the most part, Intel's Sandy Bridge introduction at CES made a giant impact in the outlook of future laptops, but not as much was said over in the desktop world. Quietly, a slew of custom PC makers have slid out revised towers with the second generation Core lineup, with Dell's XPS 8300, Digital Storm's entire family, Cyber Power's Gamer Xtreme 1000 / 2000 and iBuyPower's Chimera XLC seeing the new Core i5 and Core i7 chips. Care to dig in deeper? Hit the source links below, and be sure to
Automato: The Remote-Controlled Butler That Kicks Ass, Takes Names, Dispenses Ketchup [Video]
Whirling muscle arms? Check. High-powered squirting mechanism? Check. Pinpoint accuracy? Irrelevant. If you're going to invite the Automato into your home, you need to let it do what it does best: dispense ketchup in the most badass way possible.
And let's not leave out the little Automato, which, in its free time, enjoys spinning donuts while squirting ketchup. And it's stunt squirt at the 1:30 mark is pure class.
Point is this: In the future, I don't need a practical devoces to help make
And let's not leave out the little Automato, which, in its free time, enjoys spinning donuts while squirting ketchup. And it's stunt squirt at the 1:30 mark is pure class.
Point is this: In the future, I don't need a practical devoces to help make
A Two-Piece Speaker Dock So Gorgeous That You'll Overlook Its Price [Docks]
The Perch is a pretty little gadget with a two-piece design that allows you to use it as a standalone Bluetooth speaker or as a dock for your smartphone. It's a bit steeply priced at $ 180, but it's definitely beautiful.
The Perch connects to smartphones or media players using Bluetooth and has a built-in microphone in case you want to make some calls while charging your gadget. If that's enough to tempt you, then know that the gadget is available for pre-order right now. [Quirky via
The Perch connects to smartphones or media players using Bluetooth and has a built-in microphone in case you want to make some calls while charging your gadget. If that's enough to tempt you, then know that the gadget is available for pre-order right now. [Quirky via
Library of Congress receives 200,000 vintage master recordings from Universal, will stream them online
The US Library of Congress hasn't been shy about embracing the modern age of digital media, though in this case it's having to deal with some decidedly lower-fi data storage. Universal Music Group has announced it's donating over 200,000 master recordings of early 20th century music to the Library, which will be cataloged and digitized -- for future safekeeping and in order to be streamed online starting in the spring. It doesn't seem, however, that the intellectual property rights will be
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Pioneer prototype laser-based heads-up display with Android hands-on (video)
Looking down at gauges? Officially passe. Check out Pioneer's vision of the future, a prototype that uses an embedded laser projector (a Microvision, as it were). They showed it a little earlier in Japan but this is the first time we've seen it in the US, and we got a chance to try it out. Right now it's just running a static demo, but the idea is that a virtual concierge (represented by our favorite mascot pops up to give you information, and you could also get streaming video from traffic
Today's One-Armed Bandit Wins...Even When You Win [Slot Machines]
In a 60 Minutes segment this evening, we learned modern slot machines are so well designed that addicts often think they're winning even when they're losing. Other users report disliking jackpots (i.e. "winning") because they slow down the action!
Gambling addiction is nothing new, of course, but the hook with tonight's segment was that modern-day slot machines are so well designed that they may be even more addictive than ever before.
In a series of interviews with recovering slot machine
Gambling addiction is nothing new, of course, but the hook with tonight's segment was that modern-day slot machines are so well designed that they may be even more addictive than ever before.
In a series of interviews with recovering slot machine
Obama Administration Sets Ambiguous National Internet ID Program In Motion [Id]
Prepare yourselves, my fellow Americans, for the coming age of the National Internet ID.
What's that oppressive-sounding thing, you ask? Why, ask the President Obama, who has moved forward with plans to give each American an online ID as part of an ambitious—and currently ambiguous—cybersecurity initiative that will be headed up by the U.S. Commerce Department.
Now, before you panic about national ID cards or huge, expanding governments, Commerce Sec. Gary Locke wants to assure everyone
What's that oppressive-sounding thing, you ask? Why, ask the President Obama, who has moved forward with plans to give each American an online ID as part of an ambitious—and currently ambiguous—cybersecurity initiative that will be headed up by the U.S. Commerce Department.
Now, before you panic about national ID cards or huge, expanding governments, Commerce Sec. Gary Locke wants to assure everyone
Engineer Demonstrates How to Steal Nearly $1 Million from EMC One Piece at a Time [Boneheads]
How does one steal nearly $ 1 million worth of electronics and hardware from storage giant EMC? Easy: Just use a small bag and lots of patience. Unfortunately for him, not getting caught while doing this proved a bit more difficult.
The engineer in question is Kevin Kelly, who worked at EMC's North Carolina location as a tester. Also, as a catpurse, since he was able to smuggle approximately $ 930,000 worth of goods out the door in a small bag over the course of an undisclosed amount of
The engineer in question is Kevin Kelly, who worked at EMC's North Carolina location as a tester. Also, as a catpurse, since he was able to smuggle approximately $ 930,000 worth of goods out the door in a small bag over the course of an undisclosed amount of
LG's CES 2011 booth tour
If there is one booth at CES this year that is going all out, it's arguably LG's. The massive, supermarket-sized chunk of show floor real estate showcases everything from the manufacturer's latest phones -- like the Revolution, Optimus Black and Optimus 2X -- to SmartTV devices, network Blu-ray players and HDTVs. You'll also find smart appliances linked with WiFi and smartphone apps using LG Thinq, and even a scanner mouse -- not to mention a mesmerizing display wall. Sample the insanity in
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air: Oh Yeah, This Is Why We Were Excited about AirPlay [Video]
The new Zeppelin Air is exactly like Lady Gaga—looks amazing, sounds wonderful, and includes upgraded electronic components. Also, it finally brings AirPlay's potential awesomeness to fruition—tap a couple buttons and your room is filled with beautiful wireless music.
I had a chance to test out the new AirPlay functionality—sort of. The halls of CES are filled with a fog of competing wireless signals thicker than the second hand hooker smoke in Vegas' casinos, so testing out a
I had a chance to test out the new AirPlay functionality—sort of. The halls of CES are filled with a fog of competing wireless signals thicker than the second hand hooker smoke in Vegas' casinos, so testing out a
Clickfree Wireless hands-on (video)
We went out on the CES show floor to find the clickfree Wireless Backup and all of its wireless backing-up power. Coming in two versions -- 500GB or optional 1TB capacities -- the Wireless Backup seems to be a fully capable backup option, competing with other wireless solutions like the Apple Time Capsule and the LaCie Wireless Space. It includes the company's patented AutoRUN feature that takes care of the initial setup, which is simple enough that even non-Engadget readers would be able to
Amazingly, This Turntable Was Built From Motorcycle Parts [Design]
In a collaborative effort, Triumph Motorcycles and art students transformed motorcycle parts into everyday gadgets: like turntables, bowls, corkscrews, scales and even a hat stand. They're all so classically gorgeous and uniquely designed, it's amazing. Check them out:
Here are a few of my favorites:That's a scalea corkscrewand a bowl. Check out more items made from motorcycle parts here. [designboom]
Send an email to Casey Chan, the author of this post, at cchan@gizmodo.com.
Here are a few of my favorites:That's a scalea corkscrewand a bowl. Check out more items made from motorcycle parts here. [designboom]
Send an email to Casey Chan, the author of this post, at cchan@gizmodo.com.
This Clever DIY Briefcase Only Opens When You're at the Right GPS Coordinates [Case]
The case is called a reverse geocache and it can only open when it's in a certain spot in the world. It was made with a metal box, IKEA door handles, nixietubes to display distance, a GPS sensor and an Arduino.
It looks like a pretty complicated project (the paint and IKEA door handles as bars do a good job to add to that), but I love the idea of reverse geocaching. It's like the perfect gift box. [Arduino via MAKE]
Send an email to Casey Chan, the author of this post, at
It looks like a pretty complicated project (the paint and IKEA door handles as bars do a good job to add to that), but I love the idea of reverse geocaching. It's like the perfect gift box. [Arduino via MAKE]
Send an email to Casey Chan, the author of this post, at
RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook using a 1GHz OMAP 4430 processor
We already confirmed that RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook was deadly fast in use, but up until now, we've still been left to wonder what kind of silicon was powering it. According to a RIM representative that spoke to us just now on the CES show floor, a dual-core OMAP chip from Texas Instruments is doing the honors -- more specifically, it's the blisteringly fast 1GHz OMAP 4430. And now, you know.RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook using a 1GHz OMAP 4430 processor originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08
Friday, January 7, 2011
The Clearest Pictures of the Sony PlayStation Phone [PlaystationPhone]
Hey there PlayStation Phone. You look like a PSP Go. Why weren't you announced at CES? We'll never know. Anyway! Chinese site IT168 gives an in-depth look at the once anticipated PlayStation Phone by posting the clearest images and videos yet.
IT168 says that the PSPhone has a 854 x 480 resolution screen sprawled across its 4-inch LCD display and comes equipped with specs similar to what we've heard from before: 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a Qualcomm Adreno 205 GPU, 512MB of RAM, 512MB of
IT168 says that the PSPhone has a 854 x 480 resolution screen sprawled across its 4-inch LCD display and comes equipped with specs similar to what we've heard from before: 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a Qualcomm Adreno 205 GPU, 512MB of RAM, 512MB of
The Engadget Podcast Show livestream extravaganza starts at 8PM PST / 11PM EST!
We're not sure if we can top the excitement of a power outage tonight (in fact, we hope we dont), but what we can do is talk about the second official day of CES and whine about being hungry for around an hour. How does that sound? It all kicks off at 8PM PST / 11PM EST, livestream and chat are after the break, like always.
Oh, and here are the last three shows, in case you missed them:
Engadget Podcast Show 003
Engadget Podcast Show 002
Engadget Podcast Show 001Continue reading The Engadget
Oh, and here are the last three shows, in case you missed them:
Engadget Podcast Show 003
Engadget Podcast Show 002
Engadget Podcast Show 001Continue reading The Engadget
Crapgadget CES, round one: the Magic MousePad returns!
We stumbled upon Fortrend here at CES expecting to find their existing Magic MousePad and were shocked to discover something else entirely: a new and improved Magic MousePad! You'll still get the same multitouch trackpad / keypad combo as before, but it now comes with a "high texture" glass surface, and "friendlier" design available in a range of colors. We're sure you'll agree those changes make all the difference.
Gallery: Magic MousePad hands-on
Crapgadget CES, round one: the Magic MousePad
Gallery: Magic MousePad hands-on
Crapgadget CES, round one: the Magic MousePad
Turtle Beach Earforce PX5 gaming headset preview
On the show floor of CES the madness is virtually endless. But lucky for us, within the sea of rabid gadget lovers and enthusiasts we came across Turtle Beach's booth and got our greasy In-n-Out Burger fingers on the just-announced Earforce PX5. Not only did we get to wear the headphones and feast our eyes on the wireless hub, we experienced Dolby 7.1 surround sound while playing Halo: Reach on the Xbox 360. We've got pics and our initial impressions after the break, so hit it!
Gallery: DNP
Gallery: DNP
Audiovox to buy Klipsch, we can't help but worry
It's true. Audiovox, a relative no-name in terms of consumer end products in the music industry, has just signed a non-binding term sheet to purchase all of the shares of Klipsch Group and its worldwide subsidiaries. We're told that the transaction is subject to a number of contingencies, "including satisfactory completion of due diligence, negotiation and signing of definitive agreements and requisite approvals," but we can't imagine anything popping up to stop the inevitable. No hard
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Mili Power MiFlip re-ups your smartphone battery without the extra baggage
As if we weren't excited enough about MiLi's HDMI iPhone dock, the battery powerhouse has announced yet another multifunctional device for re-juicing your smartphone. The MiFlip foldable smartphone charger -- compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and BlackBerry -- functions as a charger, battery backup, and viewing stand, and it's small enough to keep your mobile phone, well, mobile. This skinny battery booster provides eight hours of talk, 15 hours of video, or 80 hours of music, and uses a
ContourGPS Uses Your Smartphone as a Viewfinder [Video]
Hey, people with ContourGPS sports cameras: CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE WON A PRIZE! That camera you've got strapped to your helmet has been hiding a secret Bluetooth chip, which you'll soon be able to use to stream live video to your smartphone.
By applying a firmware upgrade for the camera and downloading a free phone app, Contour GPS users can stream their cameras' view to their smartphones over Bluetooth. Having a viewfinder for one of these cameras is a huge deal—it's easy to end up with
By applying a firmware upgrade for the camera and downloading a free phone app, Contour GPS users can stream their cameras' view to their smartphones over Bluetooth. Having a viewfinder for one of these cameras is a huge deal—it's easy to end up with
Samsung Series 9 hands-on preview (video)
Do we deliver or what? Just as promised, we went back for seconds with the Samsung 9 Series laptop, and man, it is one beautiful laptop. As you already know, it is incredibly thin, but it also has a very rigid construction thanks to its duralium build. (Fun fact: apparently they build planes out of the same stuff.) As you will see in the video below, the design is very clean and the sharp edges have been designed to make the system look even slimmer. The lead designer of the system Youngkyu
App of the Day: ADWLauncher EX [Apps]
Launchers are wonderful things! In a nutshell, they're homescreen replacements, but really, they can magically tranform an entire phone—especially if your phone has been saddled with crappy manufacturer skin. ADWLauncher EX is the latest and greatest launcher available.
What is it?
ADWLauncher EX, Android, $ 3.34. Think of ADWLauncher EX as a home screen replacement. The screen you see when you use your phone? So boring (and tasteless)! That'll be replaced with something faster,
What is it?
ADWLauncher EX, Android, $ 3.34. Think of ADWLauncher EX as a home screen replacement. The screen you see when you use your phone? So boring (and tasteless)! That'll be replaced with something faster,
HyperMac's external hard drive enclosure for iPad hands-on
HyperMac is known more for its power-extending solutions than its other peripherals, but this still-unannounced iPad external hard drive enclosure we spotted at the company's booth is certainly interesting. Capable of accepting a standard 2.5-inch hard drive, the brushed metal box has two miniUSB ports around back -- one to connect to your computer, and another to connect to your iPad. Unfortunately, unlike other iPad storage solutions like the AirStash, because it interfaces through Apple's
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
TDK 3-Speaker Boombox: Oh. Hell. Yes. [Audio]
Rememeber TDK? They made the blank tapes you used for those mix tapes that creeped out all the ladies in highschool. Well they're getting the brand back together, baby! With gear hot enough that it might even help you score.
The appropriately named 3-Speaker Boombox is a tasteful blend of early-80's swagger and new-school ass-kickery. The center speaker is a dedicated subwoofer, while the two cones that flank it pump out the midrange. But check it: Those drivers are edge-driven, leaving the
The appropriately named 3-Speaker Boombox is a tasteful blend of early-80's swagger and new-school ass-kickery. The center speaker is a dedicated subwoofer, while the two cones that flank it pump out the midrange. But check it: Those drivers are edge-driven, leaving the
Watch Microsoft's CES Keynote Live: All Their New Stuff This Year [Microsoft]
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T-Mobile G-Slate announced: 4G, Android 3.0, made by LG
T-Mobile and LG have decided not to sit still in the shadow of Motorola and Verizon's high-powered 4G Honeycomb tablet partnership and have just announced their intention to introduce the T-Mobile G-Slate. Few details are known at present other than those headline-grabbing 4G (or pseudo-4G) capabilities and Android 3.0 operating system. This is probably the exact same tablet that LG is hosting an event for tomorrow. Jump past the break for some video conferencing, browser, and e-reading demos
Motorola Xoom 10-inch Tablet: Android 3.0 Means a Lot Less Sucky [Motorola]
The Moto Xoom tablet is like the tablet equivalent of Motorola's Atrix Android phone, with the dual-core 1GHz processor, 2-megapixel front camera, 5-megapixel rear camera and 1280x800 display. But it actually runs Android designed for tablets. Not sucky!
There is also an HDMI output, 1080p HD video support, 720p video shooting, gyroscope, barometer, e-compass, accelerometer. It will be available in Q1 as just a 3G/Wi-fi device, but Q2 as a 4G LTE/Wi-Fi version. And they say you can upgrade
There is also an HDMI output, 1080p HD video support, 720p video shooting, gyroscope, barometer, e-compass, accelerometer. It will be available in Q1 as just a 3G/Wi-fi device, but Q2 as a 4G LTE/Wi-Fi version. And they say you can upgrade
Live from Motorola's CES 2011 press event!
We're hanging out in the lobby of Las Vegas' illustrious Venetian Hotel and Casino -- along with about eleventy billion of our closest friends and colleagues. It's Motorola's CES press conference, after all, and we're expecting big things -- things involving Honeycomb and 10-inch displays, if we had to place a wager (and seeing how this is Sin City, we just might). Read on!Continue reading Live from Motorola's CES 2011 press event!Live from Motorola's CES 2011 press event! originally appeared
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
OnStar partners with Verizon to bring LTE 4G to your rear view (video)
We're lucky to be bathed in warm, refreshing 4G waves while reporting live from Vegas, Sprint and Clearwire taking care of that. Verizon's catching up in a big way with its LTE rollout and now OnStar is onboard -- conceptually, anyway. The company has outfitted a Buick LaCrosse with a 4G LTE modem for the purpose of experimenting with what can be done in a car with that kind of bandwidth. It wouldn't have been our choice of cars for such application, Buick not exactly screaming "hot new thing"
Relive The Glory Days Of DOS...On A Website [Internet]
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Amazing World of Insect-Wing Color Discovered [Bugs]
A closer look at seemingly drab, transparent insect wings has revealed realms of previously unappreciated color, visible to the naked eye yet overlooked for centuries.
Until now, the wing colors of many flies and wasps were dismissed as random iridescence. But they may be as distinctive and marvelous as the much-studied, much-celebrated wings of butterflies and beetles.
"Given favorable light conditions, they display a world of brightly patterned wings that are apparently unnoticed by
Until now, the wing colors of many flies and wasps were dismissed as random iridescence. But they may be as distinctive and marvelous as the much-studied, much-celebrated wings of butterflies and beetles.
"Given favorable light conditions, they display a world of brightly patterned wings that are apparently unnoticed by
Spot Connect Turns Your Smartphone Into a Satellite Communicator [GPS]
So you're lost in the wilderness. Thoughts of a parched, solitary death are entering your mind. Well, with the Spot Connect, you can share these final thoughts one the Internet! (And also save your yourself. But mainly: Tweet.)
The Spot Connect is essentially an outgrowth of the Spot tech we saw earlier this year, paired with the Delorme's PN-60w personal GPS device. That is to say the satellite communicator module pulls the same tricks, sending Twitter, Facebook, email and SMS messages
The Spot Connect is essentially an outgrowth of the Spot tech we saw earlier this year, paired with the Delorme's PN-60w personal GPS device. That is to say the satellite communicator module pulls the same tricks, sending Twitter, Facebook, email and SMS messages
Imagine an iPad Dock With a Built-In Projector [Projector]
Wowwee's Cinemin Slice is a pretty useful kitchen dock, perfect for the iPad, which is a kitchen computer. You dock in an iPad or iPhone, and the DLP Picoprojector takes care of putting the image where you can see it.
It also takes in mini-HDMI and VGA, but it's not spectacularly bright (only 16 ANSI lumens), if you're trying to watch stuff in a brightly-lit room. And it's only a 854x480 resolution, which is fine enough for iPad resolutions. No price yet. [Wowwee]
Send an email to Jason
It also takes in mini-HDMI and VGA, but it's not spectacularly bright (only 16 ANSI lumens), if you're trying to watch stuff in a brightly-lit room. And it's only a 854x480 resolution, which is fine enough for iPad resolutions. No price yet. [Wowwee]
Send an email to Jason
Monday, January 3, 2011
Disney commits to 'at least 15' Blu-ray 3D releases for 2011 including Tron: Legacy
Even though Blu-ray 3D officially hit the streets in 2010, actually finding any discs available at retail was easier said than done, but that may be turning around this year starting with Disney announcing it plans "at least 15" releases this year. Recent 3D hits like Tron: Legacy and Tangled will be available at retail in 3D day-and-date with the 2D DVD & Blu-ray releases, with conversions of classics like The Lion King and Beauty in the Beast also in the works. Like it or not, the
LG's 2011 Smart TVs focus on easy, instant access
We already got a peek at LG's Smart TV Upgrader box, but now it's revealing a bit more info about why it thinks anyone will be opting for their app-laden displays this year. Deriding the QWERTY remotes offered by competitors, LG's big idea is a simple dashboard with four elements, controlled by its Magic Motion gesture control remote. We'll still need to wait for some hands on time with its DLNA sharing and web browser to see if the simple life is the way, but if you were freaked out by all
HTC HD2 gets a shot at MeeGo, still suffering from abandonment issues
Poor HD2, it could never know life as a (legitimate) Windows Phone 7 handset, and instead has to sustain the indignity of hack after hack -- slouching back to the slums of its Windows Mobile 6.5 default as its only respite. Well, here's another shovelful of shame: MeeGo 1.1 has been ported to the phone, and it looks pretty snazzy. It runs about as well as anything runs MeeGo right now (which is to say: very poorly), but we see some promise in this OS as a deliciously open Android alternative,
Mitsubishi i MiEV electric car launches in Costa Rica next month for a mere $61,500
Did you miss out on the Nissan Leaf pre-orders? Yeah, us too. Are you planning on cruising around in Costa Rica sometime after February? Sadly you can count us out there, but if you've checked both boxes you might want be interested to know that Mitsubishi's i MiEV electric car will be available there starting next month, making it the first country in this hemisphere to sell them. The car offers a 100 mile maximum range and a top speed of 80, quite comparable to the Leaf, but the $ 61,500
iHome intros iDM12 micro-soundbar, iDM15 Bluetooth speakers and iDM70 'Sound Sleeve'
It just wouldn't be CES without a gaggle of new products from iHome, now would it? Kicking things off in this year's line of audio-related gadgetry from the company is the iDM12 (shown above), a rechargeable portable Bluetooth speaker that's described as something like a mini-soundbar. It'll stream tunes from any Bluetooth-equipped phone or PMP, but naturally, it's being aimed at iPad, iPhone and iPod owners. Moving right along, there's the iDM15 rechargeable portable BT speakers. Here, you'll
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Retro-Looking Analarm Wristwatch Awakens Wearer with Vibration [Wristwatches]
Hate the buzzer alarm clock, as I do? Radio station alarm mode not up to the task? Maybe vibration will get you out of bed. Since vibrating beds are expensive and a bit tacky, check out this Analarm wristwatch instead.
It's certainly not cheap at $ 450, but for those of us looking for a trendy, reto way to get up in the morning (and without waking others, perhaps), this could do the trick. [Creative Greed via technabob]
Send an email to Jack Loftus, the author of this post, at
It's certainly not cheap at $ 450, but for those of us looking for a trendy, reto way to get up in the morning (and without waking others, perhaps), this could do the trick. [Creative Greed via technabob]
Send an email to Jack Loftus, the author of this post, at
WSJ: Google plans a 'digital newsstand' to unite all newspapers and magazines under Android's umbrella
The Wall Street Journal has rounded up its cabal of sources today to present another delicious new battlefield in the struggle between Google and Apple for mobile supremacy. Specifically, it reports that the Mountain View team has approached Time Warner, Condé Nast and Hearst -- three of the biggest publishers of periodicals in the US -- with a view to offering their content through a Google-operated "digital newsstand" for Android devices. The appeal for media companies will be an
HTC Thunderbolt has 8 megapixel camera and video chat, according to the ad up there
HTC's slogan is "quietly brilliant," and the company's living up to it right now -- it snuck new details about its mystery handset directly under our nose. What you see above are three screencaps from a banner ad running on the pages of Engadget even as we speak, hinting at an 8 megapixel imager, a sizable screen, and perhaps even 4G video chat. Why, hello there HTC Thunderbolt / Mecha / Droid Incredible HD, and hurray for controlled leaks!
[Thanks, Taylor S.]HTC Thunderbolt has 8 megapixel
[Thanks, Taylor S.]HTC Thunderbolt has 8 megapixel
MSI details Sandy Bridge, Fusion all-in-ones ahead of CES, teases a sliding screen
We just finished reviewing a feature-packed MSI Wind Top, but come CES next week we'll have three more to try: the AE2410, AE2210 and AE2050, each with the very latest silicon inside. Notebook Italia reports that the Taiwanese computer company's using Intel's new Sandy Bridge CPUs in each of its 24- and 22-inch rigs, and grabbed a low-power AMD Brazos APU for the likely budget 20-inch model -- which will reportedly still include a Blu-ray drive like its Core 2 Duo cousin. All three will sport
Vizio Debuts Via Tablet, Via Phone Devices In Run Up to CES [Vizio]
Well that didn't take long: Mere days after a Vizio executive cheekily pawed at a mystery tablet device during the Rose Bowl, the company has confirmed the existence of a Via line of devices featuring a cellphone and a tablet.
The big reveal appeared in the Wall Street Journal this evening, coming complete with a few additional specifics beyond the name:
The Irvine, Calif., company said its first mobile phone, to be called Via Phone, will have a 4-inch screen, a front-facing camera for
The big reveal appeared in the Wall Street Journal this evening, coming complete with a few additional specifics beyond the name:
The Irvine, Calif., company said its first mobile phone, to be called Via Phone, will have a 4-inch screen, a front-facing camera for
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Vizio teases entry into the tablet fray with pizazz via Rose Bowl spot
Teasing tablets ahead of the CES deluge is nothing new for manufacturers now, but we'll at least give Vizio a few style points for its expensive approach to the tactic. That's because a Vizio tablet made a not-so-secret appearance during the Rose Bowl. Specifically, the device appeared about 15 seconds into the chairman's message in the hands of Vizio chief sales officer Randy Waynick. Just in case the mere sight of it was too subtle, Waynick's script was also kind enough to mention Vizio's
This Is Probably the Best DIY Lightsaber Ever [Video]
The blade is ridiculously bright and lights up in an instant, the handle is gorgeous and beautifully constructed, I mean, everything about this lightsaber is just perfect. Even Luke Skywalker would be drooling over this. Watch it light up:
The Return of the Jedi lightsaber was made by Bradley Lewis and he documented his entire process over at Slothfurnace. Follow every step of the way, from pre-planning, to cutting, to wiring the lights and testing. It's a truly remarkable piece of
The Return of the Jedi lightsaber was made by Bradley Lewis and he documented his entire process over at Slothfurnace. Follow every step of the way, from pre-planning, to cutting, to wiring the lights and testing. It's a truly remarkable piece of
Switched On: The 2010 Switchies
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
It's that special time of year between the post-holiday sales and the pre-CES hype that present an opportunity to consider some of the most innovative devices of the year. Switched On is proud to present the Saluting Wares Improving Technology's Contribution to Humanity awards, also known as The Switchies. This year marks the fifth annual Switchies, which are decided based on a rigorous examination of the opinion
It's that special time of year between the post-holiday sales and the pre-CES hype that present an opportunity to consider some of the most innovative devices of the year. Switched On is proud to present the Saluting Wares Improving Technology's Contribution to Humanity awards, also known as The Switchies. This year marks the fifth annual Switchies, which are decided based on a rigorous examination of the opinion
The Human Eye Looks Like a Crater [Photography]
This is a stunning macro image of a human eye. Yes, an eye. It's part of a series by Suren Manvelyan called "Your Beautiful Eyes". Some eyes are electric, others are blooming and a few are haunting. All are amazing.
Here's another shot, this eye almost looks like Earth:It's pretty intense to see the things we use to see up close, isn't it? Check out the full set of pictures here. [Your Beautiful Eyes via io9]
Send an email to Casey Chan, the author of this post, at
Here's another shot, this eye almost looks like Earth:It's pretty intense to see the things we use to see up close, isn't it? Check out the full set of pictures here. [Your Beautiful Eyes via io9]
Send an email to Casey Chan, the author of this post, at
NES emulator lands on Windows Phone 7, barred from the Marketplace
It's an important time in any young OS's life: NES emulation. Windows Phone 7 has just passed this important puberic milestone, thanks to the hard work of Matt Bettcher. Unfortunately, Microsoft doesn't seem to recognize the significance, and is keeping the emulator out of the Marketplace (as per its no-funny-business terms of service). Matt's trying to drum up some community support to change Microsoft's mind on the matter, and in the meantime he's planning to open source his project. There's
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