4/19 Engadget

Please add updates@feedmyinbox.com to your address book to make sure you receive these messages in the future. Engadget Netflix Blu-ray movies showing up cracked and unplayable? April 18, 2009 at 11:42 pm That's the word, with a small but vocal group of subscribers claiming their discs are repeatedly arriving with small cracks on their outer edges. It's unclear what might be to blame, even with the extra coating to prevent scratches on Blu-ray, they could still be susceptible to automated mail processing machines, manufacturing defects or perhaps a spontaneous game of mail Frisbee. The Mars Box blog experienced this issue back in '07 with the disc pictured above, but in the last few months reports seem to be picking up again. It's really too bad those extra costs can't buy tougher packaging like the cardboard slips GameFly uses, but Netflix told Wired the problem is "infinitesimally small" and changing shipping wouldn't be cost effective. We know plenty of you rent your discs, let us know, have you been afflicted? [Via Hacking Netflix] Read - The Mars Box Read - Wired Read - AVS Forum Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment Netflix Blu-ray movies showing up cracked and unplayable? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 22:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Festo shows off robot penguins and other visions of the future April 18, 2009 at 9:14 pm The folks at Festo have already proven themselves to be more than adept some intoxicating, slightly unnerving feats of robotics, but they look to have really outdone themselves with their latest group of creations, which all fall under the banner of the company's Bionic Learning Network. While they're all certainly impressive, the real star is undoubtedly the AquaPenguin which, in addition to being creepily realistic, is fully autonomous and even able to outperform its real-life counterpart in a few tasks, like swimming backwards. Of course, Festo apparently couldn't help themselves and also built a flying, blimp-like AirPenguin, and they applied some of the same basic technology to a number of other devices, including a robot arm that's precise enough to change a lightbulb, and a freestanding interactive wall that's sure to spruce up any lobby. Hit up the YouTube link below for a video that provides a brief overview of the whole lot, or head on over to Festo's site for the even better German version (plus some additional details on the projects themselves). Read - YouTube, "Festo Bionic Learning Network 2009" Read - Festo [Thanks, Gunter] Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Robots Festo shows off robot penguins and other visions of the future originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Keepin' it real fake, part CXCIX: NokiPhone N3000i dual slider is one part N95, two parts iPhone, and six parts win April 18, 2009 at 6:54 pm Combining two pretty great ideas in a way that is all kinds of illegal in the US, the China-produced NokiPhone N3000i looks to be a pretty straightforward iPhone ripoff with bonus N95-esque dual slider capabilities. The GSM smartphone's got 3.2-inch QVGA screen, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, dual SIM support, microSD slot, and video recording capabilities. Price of admission is $129 right now, which according to chinagrabber is a hefty discount from its $400 MSRP. Your move, NOKLA. [Via PMP Today] Filed under: Cellphones Keepin' it real fake, part CXCIX: NokiPhone N3000i dual slider is one part N95, two parts iPhone, and six parts win originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments XO Generation 1.5 promises some beefed up internals while we wait for XO-2 to change everything April 18, 2009 at 5:11 pm We're pretty stoked to see that upcoming dual-screen sequel to the XO, OLPC's promised XO-2. Until then, OLPC is sprucing up the insides of its current design with a new VIA C7-M processor that can be clocked between 400MHz and 1GHz depending on the task at hand. Alongside the new processor the "Generation 1.5" model will sport a hot new VX855 chipset that can handle 3D graphics, HD video, and general management duties, and should be able to do it with a smaller footprint and less power consumption. The screen will likely remain the same, but might be tweaked slightly to improve brightness and efficiency, and the whole package should be built with components that will be more likely to drop in price. Developers should get the main board by May, with prototypes for testing going out in August and we suppose wide availability sometime after that. Filed under: Laptops XO Generation 1.5 promises some beefed up internals while we wait for XO-2 to change everything originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Windows 7 RC coming May 5 for public consumption, out now for MSDN / TechNet subscribers? April 18, 2009 at 3:39 pm It's not as good as gold, but according to Microsoft's Partner Program website, Windows 7's release candidate is due out to the masses on May 5, a bit earlier than the BBC report had previously noted. MSDN and TechNet subscribers can apparently download the new build now, although Ars Technica is reporting it may not be up just yet. There's always the chance that this date was posted in error or will be pushed back, so in the meantime, perhaps marking your calendar with pencil or erasable pen isn't such a bad idea. [Via Ars Technica; thanks, John] Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablet PCs Windows 7 RC coming May 5 for public consumption, out now for MSDN / TechNet subscribers? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Nikon's D5000 up for pre-order at Amazon April 18, 2009 at 2:35 pm If you can't possibly wait one more moment to spend some money on Nikon's latest DSLR -- the D5000 -- you're in luck. The digicam is now up for pre-order at Amazon, so you can finally find a really good reason to max out your last credit card. Financial apocalypse? Please. Filed under: Digital Cameras Nikon's D5000 up for pre-order at Amazon originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Engadget Podcast 142 - 04.18.2009: 5th birthday edition April 18, 2009 at 2:24 pm We don't really get too reflective here at Engadget -- usually we're too busy getting news up to think much about ourselves. Still, when you hit your 5th birthday, you tend to want to look back and review how far you've come. We thought there'd be no better way to celebrate the milestone than by having the site's founder Peter Rojas, and instrumental architect Ryan Block on the show to discuss the early days of Engadget. So without further ado -- sit back and enjoy our 5th birthday podcast! Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller Guests: Peter Rojas, Ryan Block Producer: Trent Wolbe Song: Glomag - Pocket Calculator 00:18:45 - Phantom Controller Rebranded Saitek 01:03:12 - Engadget 1985 01:07:00 - Would you sell your kidney(s) for a Hush? 01:10:38 - PSP vs. DS 01:12:13 - The Engadget Interview: Bill Gates, Part 1 Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Filed under: Podcasts Engadget Podcast 142 - 04.18.2009: 5th birthday edition originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Media Files Engadget_Podcast_142.mp3 (MP3 Audio, 47.1 MB) Solar-powered 'guiltless green' home theater system makes your Wall-E Blu-ray very happy April 18, 2009 at 12:42 pm When Home Theater Specialists of America (HTSA) executive director Richard Glikes wanted a home theater system, he didn't just max it out with the best high definition equipment. He also thought to run it entirely from solar energy from four roof-mounted panels that produce an aggregate of 700 watts per hour in sunlight. It'll reportedly run things for 19 hours straight without having to dip into your traditional power grid. Hardware-wise, we're talking about a 100-inch screen, Sharp projector, six SpeakerCraft in-wall speakers, Integra AV receiver, Lutron lighting, and a universal remote. See how it was made, with the help of time-lapse photography and 1980s infomercial-genre background music, in the video after the break. Continue reading Solar-powered 'guiltless green' home theater system makes your Wall-E Blu-ray very happy Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household Solar-powered 'guiltless green' home theater system makes your Wall-E Blu-ray very happy originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Kenwood SP0001 speakers sure to spice up your in-house raves April 18, 2009 at 11:34 am Kenwood's about to unleash some really crazy speakers upon the world... if you live in Japan anyway. The bad-looking dudes have 10-watt, 2 channel speakers with 6-centimeter woofers and 2.5-centimeter tweeters, which isn't exactly super powerful, granted -- but they are transparent. Oh, and they have some awesome LED effects, as well. We're not sure exactly when they'll be available, but they're going to run you ¥100,000 (about $1,000) when they are. Check another shot (with LEDs in full effect) after the break. Continue reading Kenwood SP0001 speakers sure to spice up your in-house raves Filed under: Home Entertainment Kenwood SP0001 speakers sure to spice up your in-house raves originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 10:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Ora ilLegale clock tips to compensate for daylight savings time April 18, 2009 at 10:12 am Genius. Pure genius. In order to save us all from smashing buttons on our digital alarm clocks or stripping the gears in our analog ones, designer Denis Guidone has dreamed up this masterpiece. The Ora ilLegale clock boasts no numbers and is obviously missing a significant portion of its base; these two factoids enable it to become the easiest clock to adjust to changes in daylight savings... well, ever. The best part? We're told that it'll actually hit production soon, though there's no indiciation of just how pricey it'll be. Not like it matters -- you're totally buying one, and you know it. [Via Coolest-Gadgets] Filed under: Misc. Gadgets Ora ilLegale clock tips to compensate for daylight savings time originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 09:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Prox Dynamics' Black Hornet nano-copter gets demoed on video April 18, 2009 at 8:28 am Prox Dynamics' PD-100 "Black Hornet" nano-copter has already gone through a number of different prototypes and test flights, but it looks like things have really started to come together with the last few models, and the company has taken advantage of the opportunity to show off their progress in a couple of videos. One of those shows a "simulated" indoor mission, in which the 15 gram copter scouts out a nondescript office building whilst some suitably dramatic music plays in the background. The other, slightly more interesting video demonstrates how the two latest models are able to handle themselves in flight, and hold up against some obstacles, like the always problematic flapping clip board. Head on past the break to check 'em out for yourselves, and hit up the link below for some more information about the copter itself. Oh, and watch the skies, people. Very, very closely. Continue reading Prox Dynamics' Black Hornet nano-copter gets demoed on video Filed under: Misc. Gadgets Prox Dynamics' Black Hornet nano-copter gets demoed on video originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments AEE boasts that its new "Mini DV" camera is the "world's smallest" April 18, 2009 at 6:31 am AEE Wireless' new "Mini DV" camera may or may not actually be the "world's smallest" video camera (alright, it's probably not), but it certainly has a strong claim to the title of least imaginatively-named, and it is, in fact, pretty darn small. What's more, unlike some other world's smallest cameras, this one is actually a full-fledged consumer device, including some controls, a built-in lithium-ion battery, a USB connection, and a microSD card slot, which handles all of the storage duties as the company has ditched any internal memory to keep the size down. You'll even get some full 640 x 480, 30 fps video out of the thing, plus some 2-megapixel JPEG images. Interestingly, while an official price is a bit hard to come by, a number of online retailers already seem to be offering the camera for between $85 and $159. Filed under: Digital Cameras AEE boasts that its new "Mini DV" camera is the "world's smallest" originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 05:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments GameStop offers up silver DualShock 3 controller for North America April 18, 2009 at 4:07 am If that all-black DualShock 3 controller has just grown stale, and you're not about to drop any coinage to have Colorware liven things up, GameStop has a fantastic solution -- so long as you're a fan of silver, that is. As of today, the firm's website has a clear listing for a satin silver version of the wireless SIXAXIS, and anyone familiar with the silver PS2 controller will no doubt notice the striking similarities. Just so you know, this one's been available in the Japanese market for eight centuries now, but it looks like the North American crowd can finally yell "me too!" when parting with $54.99 on June 24th. [Via Joystiq] Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals GameStop offers up silver DualShock 3 controller for North America originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 03:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Video: Epson's multitouch X-Desk is your next coffee table April 18, 2009 at 2:23 am When you think about it, it makes perfect sense for Epson to get into the touch-surface game -- most of the larger versions are projector-based, and Epson's been making great little beamers for quite some time. Showcased earlier this year at ISE 2009 alongside a multitouch air hockey table, the Core 2 Duo-powered X-Desk boasts a 1,024 x 768 resolution panel and possesses the ability to recognize up to 16,000 objects using "Smart Tags." Also of note, gesture recognition software enables users to actually speak to the table and see results, though there's no word on whether raising your voice or blurting out obscenities improves efficiency. Like all of these things, we've nary a clue when they'll really be available for the layperson to purchase, but you can certainly live vicariously by hopping past the break. [Via AboutProjectors] Continue reading Video: Epson's multitouch X-Desk is your next coffee table Filed under: Displays Video: Epson's multitouch X-Desk is your next coffee table originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 01:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Leyio's UWB-touting personal sharing device unboxed, handled on video April 18, 2009 at 12:59 am We first caught a glimpse of Leyio's Ultra-wideband-pushing personal sharing device back in January, and while UWB is still teetering near mostly dead and slightly alive, Le Journal du Geek has acquired a pair for some fun unboxing action and video hands-on accompanied by lovely French narrative. The reviewer predicts most people will be discouraged by the 179 euro (US $233) price tag, and with wireless filesharing here limited pretty much to just other Leyios at the moment, we can't say we disagree. Check out the video for yourself after the break -- if you're not a native French speaker or your babel fish is on the fritz, you should still be able to figure out what's going on. Continue reading Leyio's UWB-touting personal sharing device unboxed, handled on video Filed under: Wireless, Storage Leyio's UWB-touting personal sharing device unboxed, handled on video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments   This email was sent to yinvisibledetector@gmail.com.  Create Your Account Don't want to receive this feed any longer? Unsubscribe here.