4/21 Engadget

Please add updates@feedmyinbox.com to your address book to make sure you receive these messages in the future. Engadget Twitter-brain interface offers terrifying vision of the future April 20, 2009 at 11:48 pm We'll be honest, we're always on the lookout for faster and better ways to annoy our Twitter followers with hopelessly mundane status updates, and this brain-control interface from the University of Wisconsin's Adam Wilson seems to be the perfect to get all Scoble on it with a minimum of effort -- you think it, you tweet it. Okay okay, we kid -- it's actually just the usual brainwave-control setup you've seen everywhere, and the average user can only do ten characters a minute, but think of the potential, people. Soon everyone will know that you are "Walking on sidewalk, LOL" almost the second you think it, and all it will take is a mindreading cap paired with a sophisticated computers running an advanced signal processing algorithm connected to the massive infrastructure of the internet via a multibillion-dollar mobile broadband network. That's progress. Video after the break. [Via Hack A Day] Continue reading Twitter-brain interface offers terrifying vision of the future Filed under: Misc. Gadgets Twitter-brain interface offers terrifying vision of the future originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Ugobe files for bankruptcy, Pleo facing extinction April 20, 2009 at 10:33 pm Looks like Pleo couldn't dodge that meteor -- everyone's favorite lovable robot dinosaur company Ugobe has laid off all its employees and filed for bankruptcy. That confirms a month of speculation that things were on the brink -- Ugobe's website has been up and down for a while, and a major supplier filed suit a couple weeks ago for nonpayment. There's a chance that some other toymaker will swoop in and pick up the pieces during the liquidation, but we wouldn't hold our breath -- Pleo owners, feel free to commiserate in the comments. Painful bonus: Link your pics of the Pleo going extinct on our comment form here and we'll make a gallery. C'mon. You know you want to do it. [Thanks, Andrew] Continue reading Ugobe files for bankruptcy, Pleo facing extinction Filed under: Robots Ugobe files for bankruptcy, Pleo facing extinction originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments D-Link finally ships the DXN-221 Coax Ethernet adapter April 20, 2009 at 9:17 pm It's taken almost a year, but D-Link is finally shipping its DXN-221 Coax Ethernet network adapter. The MoCA-certified box does exactly what it says -- it turns your existing coax cabling into a giant Ethernet network without interfering with TV signals, allowing you to get hardwired network speeds anywhere in your house without having to run Cat6. A pair will set you back $239 at retail, but it looks like D-Link is selling them direct for $156. [Via HotHardware] Filed under: Networking D-Link finally ships the DXN-221 Coax Ethernet adapter originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Vivace portable music studio features multitouch interface, loads of style April 20, 2009 at 8:19 pm It was not too long ago that we were lusting over OpenLabs' attempt to bring us a dedicated digital audio workstation as a single device, and now it looks like the ante's been upped yet again. Sure, the Vivace is but a mere concept at the moment, but designers Young-Shin Lee and Hae-Jin Jung clearly know what we want. This guy has the same form factor as a laptop, but instead of a keyboard features a second multi-touch display. On the downside, we can't imagine that playing a "keyboard" on a smooth surface would give one anywhere near the control of honest-to-goodness keys. But on the upside? This thing looks really, really sweet. Check out the gallery below for some more mouth-waterin' pics. Gallery: Vivace multitouch portable music studio concept [Via SlashGear] Filed under: Misc. Gadgets Vivace portable music studio features multitouch interface, loads of style originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments MobiTV demonstrates mixTV mobile DTV service April 20, 2009 at 7:43 pm This one is still only in the very earliest stages, but it looks like MobiTV has taken advantage of the big National Association of Broadcasters Show in Vegas this week to show off a new mobile DTV service that it's developed in partnership with Sinclair and PBS, which it hopes will eventually find its way to a few interested cellular carriers. The service itself is a combination of free over-the-air DTV broadcasts (from PBS and the CW, at the moment) and subscription-based on-demand content, which would apparently be made available for a seven-day window and be delivered via mobile WiMAX. Unfortunately, there's no indication whatsoever of a potential roll-out, but it looks like MobiTV will be working hard during the next few days to woo some additional partners, so there's at least a slight chance that we could be hearing a few more details before the show wraps up later this week. [Via Phone Scoop] Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment MobiTV demonstrates mixTV mobile DTV service originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments NVIDIA rolls out Quadro FX 4800 graphics card for Mac Pro users April 20, 2009 at 7:05 pm Been itching to add an $1,800 graphics card to your shiny new Mac Pro? Then you're in luck, as NVIDIA has now finally made its high-end Quadro FX 4800 graphics card available to Mac users, just a few short months after PC folk first got their hands on it. Of course the core specs of the card remain unchanged, and include a 1.5GB frame buffer with memory bandwidth up to 76.8 GB/sec, a pair of dual-link DVI connectors with some added support for 3D stereo glasses, 192 stream processors, a maximum power consumption of 150W, and some Boot Camp support right out of the gate. You'll still have to wait a tiny bit longer to check out all that for yourself, however, as the first cards apparently won't be available until some time next month. Filed under: Desktops NVIDIA rolls out Quadro FX 4800 graphics card for Mac Pro users originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Okoro debuts new rack-mountable RK Series media servers April 20, 2009 at 6:34 pm Rack-mounted media servers aren't exactly for everybody, but those looking to really go all out with their home theater may want to consider one of Okoro's new RK Series models, which boast some base specs that are sure to make almost anyone a little envious. That includes an Intel Core i7 processor, an 80GB SSD OS drive, a minimum 2TB of additional storage, at least 6GB of RAM, a built-in Blu-ray drive, multiple CableCARD TV tuners, and full support for multi-zone audio controllable from a UMPC or MID, among other equally high-end specs. Naturally, pricing appears to be on a need to know basis, but Okoro will throw in a free Quantum of Solace Blu-ray with each system -- which we're sure will be just the thing to push folks over the edge. Filed under: Home Entertainment, Media PCs Okoro debuts new rack-mountable RK Series media servers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Panasonic developing 1080p twin-lens P2 camcorder for native 3D captures April 20, 2009 at 6:09 pm You know that 3D bandwagon you're still hesitant to jump on? We get the feeling that this year's NAB show may just push you over the top. Shortly after hearing of Fujifilm's newest P2 memory cards comes this, a conceptual camcorder in which to eventually slot 'em in. Currently, Panasonic's 3D Full HD Camera Recorder is merely a prototype, but it's made clear that the company intends to bring this to market as soon as possible. Essentially, the device will boast a twin-lens system for capturing 3D footage natively in 1080p, and all of the video streams will be stored on Panny's professional P2 cards. It's hard to say if this would even be useful for 2D shooting on the side, but with practically every major studio at least considering (if not committing to) 3D production, we'd say it's a solid investment on Panasonic's part either way. Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV, Home Entertainment Panasonic developing 1080p twin-lens P2 camcorder for native 3D captures originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Video: Theremin-esque digital synth sure to get Brian Wilson up in arms April 20, 2009 at 5:43 pm The theremin is just one of those instruments that nerds can't stop digging and modding. This newest iteration, the Squaremin, resembles the much-loved instrument in that you don't touch it to play it -- rather you move your hands about to control the octave and output of notes. The Squaremin was made using an ATmega168 chip, and boasts two infrared sensors to measure proximity -- one to control the note played, the other to control the octave which is played out of the front speaker of the instrument. Check out the video after the break. [Via Make] Continue reading Video: Theremin-esque digital synth sure to get Brian Wilson up in arms Filed under: Misc. Gadgets Video: Theremin-esque digital synth sure to get Brian Wilson up in arms originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments AMD's 40nm ATI Radeon HD 4770 outed, slated for May release? April 20, 2009 at 5:20 pm Ever since we saw the glowing review AMD's ATI Radeon RV740 prototype received, we've been looking forward to the day that the company would make one of these 40nm wonders available. It looks like that day might be close at hand -- according to these purloined slides, a little something called the ATI Radeon HD 4770 is due to make the scene next month in the $99 price point. This handsome lad sports GDDR5 memory, DirectX 10.1 support, a 750 MHz clock speed, a memory clock of 800 MHz using a 128-bit memory bus, a frame buffer size of 512 MB, and much, much more. Curious? Of course you are. Check the slides out below for all of the glorious details. [Via Tom's Hardware] Gallery: ATI Radeon HD 4770 Filed under: Desktops AMD's 40nm ATI Radeon HD 4770 outed, slated for May release? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite available worldwide for $399 April 20, 2009 at 5:04 pm The verdict is already out on Netgear's EVA 9150 Digital Entertainer Elite, and now the ball's squarely in your court. The self-proclaimed "flexible digital media player" -- complete with its dual-band 802.11n WiFi, integrated 500GB hard drive and broad video codec support -- is now shipping worldwide. In case you've forgotten, this unit plays nice with Windows, Mac and Linux platforms and boasts a pair of USB ports for adding flash drives and additional storage. Worth $399? Answer with your wallet, bub. Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite available worldwide for $399 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments DIY geodesic media pod: forged from cardboard, filled with shame April 20, 2009 at 4:41 pm While those with tens of thousands of dollars to burn can buy themselves a pre-built, space age media pod like the Ovei, the rest of us have to have to either make do with a comfy couch and a darkened room, or improvise, as one enterprising Instructables member did with this so-called Geodesic Media-Pod. Both recession and environmentally-friendly, this contraption is apparently constructed almost entirely out of recycled refrigerator boxes, and it even employs a ventilation system (including parts salvaged from a Shop Vac) to ensure that it stays somewhat comfortable inside. Of course, while it's partly intended to be used as a flight simulator, there isn't actually any movement going on, although there are at least accommodations for some surround speakers and, of course, a mount for a monitor. Head on past the break for a video, and hit up the link below for the complete how-to if you're feeling inspired. Continue reading DIY geodesic media pod: forged from cardboard, filled with shame Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Gaming, Home Entertainment DIY geodesic media pod: forged from cardboard, filled with shame originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Sidekick LX gets "unboxed," shows off its creepier side April 20, 2009 at 4:19 pm Fake corporate-marketing unboxing videos aren't anything new -- some of them are even pretty amazing -- but this latest one from T-Mobile is definitely the skeeziest we've ever seen. Follow along as a sex-crazed Sidekick LX attempts to limit access to his bubbly new owner's "spring break photos," pushes her into watching her "hot friends" play beach volleyball, and lament that he's ended up in the purse rather than her pocket -- yep, the Sidekick LX is the creepy little brother you wish you never had. No wonder she stashes it next to the pepper spray. Video after the break. Continue reading Sidekick LX gets "unboxed," shows off its creepier side Filed under: Cellphones Sidekick LX gets "unboxed," shows off its creepier side originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments TiVo survey hints at new name, direction for Series4 boxes April 20, 2009 at 3:58 pm We don't know exactly what the next generation of TiVo hardware will be like, but if these survey screenshots are to be believed, we have an idea what they might be called. EHD reader Justin tipped us off to a recent online survey road testing new names like TiVo eVO, TiVO OmniBox, TiVo Series4 and TiVo OnDemand for new hardware with the TiVo features we've come to know and love plus video on-demand access. Squaring off against competition like the Roku player and Xbox 360, peep the gallery and see how these roll off the tongue, or suggest innovation and environmental friendliness. Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment TiVo survey hints at new name, direction for Series4 boxes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments LaCie debuts 8TB 4big Quadra, new RAID bundles at NAB April 20, 2009 at 3:35 pm Not sure if you've noticed, but NAB is in full swing over in Las Vegas. Not one to let a spotlight pass it by, LaCie has today introduced a new 8TB model of its 4big Quadra alongside a trio of new storage bundles for professionals who need gobs of free space and loads of speed. The 4big Quadra is a 4-bay RAID solution that handles hot-swappable disks and seven RAID modes, and by hitting up one the outfit's new combos (8TB, 16TB and 32TB), you also get a 4-port eSATA II PCI Express Card 3Gb/s card. Check 'em this May starting at $1,999. Gallery: LaCie debuts 8TB 4big Quadra, new RAID bundles at NAB Filed under: Storage LaCie debuts 8TB 4big Quadra, new RAID bundles at NAB originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments CompoBank's prototype 3D digital camera and digiframe April 20, 2009 at 3:13 pm Sure, it's not the first 3D camera we've seen 'round these parts -- and it sure ain't the wackiest -- but it looks like CompoBank of South Korea is diving headlong into three dimensional imaging with the release of both a camera and a 7-inch digiframe, sometime in late 2009 or thereafter. The company's prototype 3D digital camera features a parallax barrier 3D display, which uses two pictures to assemble the image, and an anaglyph format option (for those who prefer the old school red/cyan glasses). Parallax 3D images can be viewed on the digiframe, which boasts an 800 x 480 screen resolution and a function to convert pictures and video files from 2D to 3D. The company plans on making its products compatible with Fujifilm's 3D camera and display systems, which should also see the light of day sometime this year. There's no word yet on a release date, except that it will be this fall "at the earliest." Check out that fine camera after the break. Continue reading CompoBank's prototype 3D digital camera and digiframe Filed under: Digital Cameras, Displays CompoBank's prototype 3D digital camera and digiframe originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Plantronics Voyager PRO gets purchased, unboxed early April 20, 2009 at 2:52 pm Plantronics isn't planning to share intimate details about its Voyager PRO Bluetooth headset until April 23rd, but evidently its supply chain executives didn't exactly touch base with marketing before sending out stock to Best Buy. Jeff and John both managed to procure the $119.99 Bluetooth headset over the weekend, and we've got the shots to prove it. Based on the teaser site down in the read link, this here headset should be it's most advanced yet, but for a buck twenty, it better answer and respond to our calls without us having to intervene. [Thanks, Jeff and John] Gallery: Plantronics Voyager PRO gets purchased, unboxed early Filed under: Peripherals Plantronics Voyager PRO gets purchased, unboxed early originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Nokia heads deeper down CDMA path with FCC-outed dual slider April 20, 2009 at 2:24 pm For better or worse, dual sliders are quickly becoming one of Nokia's trademark form factors -- but one thing we'd never really expected out of Espoo was a dual slider equipped with EV-DO Rev. A. Sure enough, FCC documentation has revealed a diminutive black dumbphone that packs CDMA800 / 1900 with 3G and slides two ways: one to reveal a numeric keypad, the other to offer up music controls. Historically, Nokia has "co-ODM'd" its CDMA devices with an unnamed Asian partner, and we suspect this device is no different -- but we've got to give them credit for crafting a genuinely Nokia-esque device here. The draft user's manual doesn't reveal a retail name or model number, but we do see references to UIMs (the CDMA equivalent of SIMs) and British spellings of "organiser," which leads us to believe North America might not be on the VIP list for this one. Would be a shame, wouldn't it? [Via Phone Scoop] Update: Commenter Kunal points out that this looks an awful lot like the China-bound 8208, which makes us wonder -- why the FCC approval? Did that bad boy pique the interest of Verizon or Sprint? Filed under: Cellphones Nokia heads deeper down CDMA path with FCC-outed dual slider originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments MSI's Wind Top AE1900 all-in-one PC comes to US at $529 April 20, 2009 at 2:00 pm MSI's eco-friendly Wind Top AE1900 has already been formally introduced and spotted over in Hanover earlier this year, but the outfit notorious for withholding price and availability information until the last possible moment has finally let loose those very details. The 18.5-inch all-in-one PC is available with an Atom 230 or 330 CPU, a 1,366 x 768 resolution touchscreen, integrated GMA950 graphics, 2GB of DDR2-533 RAM, a 160GB or 250GB hard drive, 4-in-1 multicard reader, dual-layer DVD writer, WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and audio in / out sockets to boot. Two configurations are available (both are shown after the break), with the lesser of the two going for $529. Gallery: MSI's Wind Top AE1900 all-in-one PC Continue reading MSI's Wind Top AE1900 all-in-one PC comes to US at $529 Filed under: Desktops MSI's Wind Top AE1900 all-in-one PC comes to US at $529 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments $400 Xbox 360 Elite Games of the Year bundle with Halo 3 and Fable 2 gets official April 20, 2009 at 1:52 pm Those of you guessing that our mystery Xbox 360 birthday prize was that rumored new Elite bundle with Halo 3 and Fable 2 were exactly right -- and now that Microsoft's gotten official with it we can share the full details. $400 gets you a 120GB Elite 360 with the two games, a free Netflix trial, a 12-month Live Gold subscription and tokens for the Halo 3 "Mythic Map" and Fable 2 "Knothole Island" downloads. Not a bad deal at all, especially if you're looking to upgrade to a Jasper unit -- anyone going to pony up? Update: Microsoft pinged us to let us know that the free Live subscription and DLC tokens were just for the giveaway bundles they made up for us -- the regular GOTY bundles just have the games and the Netflix trial. Lame, we know. Filed under: Gaming $400 Xbox 360 Elite Games of the Year bundle with Halo 3 and Fable 2 gets official originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments BlackBerry Pip-Boy theme: a post-apocalyptic nightmare world in the palm of your hand April 20, 2009 at 1:48 pm Look, there's really nothing special going on here -- it's just a theme for BlackBerry devices. A totally, totally awesome theme for BlackBerry devices. So awesome, in fact, that it makes our corporate-issued / controlled phone seem somehow cool again. What are you waiting for? Go get it. [Via Gizmodo] Filed under: Cellphones BlackBerry Pip-Boy theme: a post-apocalyptic nightmare world in the palm of your hand originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments AT&T likely skipping 14.4Mbps, moving straight to HSPA+ April 20, 2009 at 1:21 pm While it puts the finishing touches on its nascent 7.2Mbps upgrades and starts certifying devices to use it, AT&T has revealed a juicy tidbit: that's probably the end of the line for old-guard HSPA on the country's largest GSM network. Before LTE, though, AT&T plans on upgrading to HSPA+ which should bring 21Mbps speeds out of the gate; straight-up HSPA is theoretically capable of moving to 14.4Mbps, but AT&T says that it's had technical difficulties in maxing it out and HSPA+ equipment is now ready for implementation anyhow. Simultaneously, the company says it's adding additional carriers at cells on a case-by-case basis to help with white-hot demand and is upgrading its backhaul network to handle the blazing speeds promised by the newer standards. We'll see. [Via Phone Scoop] Filed under: Cellphones AT&T likely skipping 14.4Mbps, moving straight to HSPA+ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Engadget's recession antidote: win Radius earphones for iPhone 3G! April 20, 2009 at 1:00 pm This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got a set of Radius Atomic Bass Silver Aluminum Earphones for iPhone W/ Built-in Mic ready to rock your skull and let you chat it up. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff! Oh, and for those who miss out, coupon code 'engadget' will net you 20 percent through Google Checkout at Radius' site. Huge thanks to Radius for providing the gear! The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) set of Radius Atomic Bass Silver Aluminum Earphones for iPhone W/ Built-in Mic. Approximate retail value is $49.99. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Monday, April 20th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here. Filed under: Announcements, Portable Audio Engadget's recession antidote: win Radius earphones for iPhone 3G! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Toshiba updates Qosmio and Dynabook SS RX2 laptops April 20, 2009 at 12:49 pm It's sort of funny that Toshiba's packing the Cell-based SpursEngine HD video co-processor into most of the Qosmio line when it still refuses to offer Blu-ray drives, but we guess some wounds just don't heal. In any event, Japanese customers can now pick from a whole host of updated Qosmios with clock-bumped Core 2 Duos and GeForce 9600M GT graphics, including the ¥320,000 ($3,241) 18.4-inch Qosmio G50 and the ¥210,000 ($2,119) 15.4-inch Qosmio FX, as well as a new 1.4GHz 12.1-inch Dynabook SS RX2 with 128GB SSD for ¥280,000 ($2,840). Great, but hey Tosh -- what we really want to see is the SpursEngine chip stuffed inside one of your new netbooks, you know? Think about it. Check the SS RX2 after the break. Read - Qosmios Read - Dynabook SS RX2 Continue reading Toshiba updates Qosmio and Dynabook SS RX2 laptops Filed under: Laptops Toshiba updates Qosmio and Dynabook SS RX2 laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Transparent OLED rearview mirror both dazzles and distracts April 20, 2009 at 12:28 pm Although we've been hearing about transparent OLEDs for years now, mum's been the word on an actual product. So far the focus has been on Germany, but it looks like some interesting things have been going down in Korea as well. Researchers at ETRI (the flexible OLED folks) have apparently applied for 51 patents both nationally and internationally for the tech, including one for a transparent oxide resistor that helps increase the aperture ratio of AMOLEDs. And while all this is going down, NeoView KOLON has unveiled a new prototype rearview mirror that utilizes a transparent OLED display for -- well, displaying things. Just be sure to keep your eyes on the road, eh? Read - "Korean Researchers Develop Transparent Transistors OLED Displays" Read - "Neoview Kolon transparent OLED prototype" Filed under: Displays Transparent OLED rearview mirror both dazzles and distracts originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Video: NanoTouch spotted doing a little gaming April 20, 2009 at 12:06 pm Back when we first caught a glimpse of the NanoTouch, we'll freely admit that we thought it might be superb for small-scale gaming. The 2.4-inch LCD, developed by Microsoft and the Hasso Plattner Institute, the tiny screen boasts a capacitive touchscreen on the back (much like the LucidTouch), and is apparently quite sensitive. Check out the video demonstration of the NanoTouch in some gaming action after the break. [Via Engadget Japanese] Continue reading Video: NanoTouch spotted doing a little gaming Filed under: Displays Video: NanoTouch spotted doing a little gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Samsung: OLED screens on half of mobile phones within 5 years April 20, 2009 at 11:47 am Truthfully, we wouldn't put too much stock in that headline considering that Samsung Mobile Display, a company that makes its ends off of selling active-matrix OLEDs, is the source. But on the other hand, we can definitely see it coming to fruition. According to a new report, said outfit has stated that OLED screens of some sort will be on over half of all mobile phones (not just smartphones, mind you) within the next five years, and that these same power-sipping displays will be on 20 percent of digital cameras and 30 percent of portable game players (PSP2, anyone?) within the same window of time. While it may seem a bit far-fetched now, we actually have good reason to believe that OLED adoption will indeed skyrocket on the small scale; it's those big screen TVs that we're worried only our grandchildren will truly enjoy. [Via OLED-Info] Filed under: Cellphones Samsung: OLED screens on half of mobile phones within 5 years originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments China Mobile planning to subvert Unicom's iPhone launch with the OPhone? April 20, 2009 at 11:26 am We've known for some time that China Mobile was planning to launch the KIRFy OPhone from Lenovo. Now, with word on the street that China Unicom has snagged the iPhone in that provider's home turf, a report from DigiTimes is suggesting that China Mobile might be trying to undermine the competition's supposed June iPhone launch by dropping the OPhone a month earlier. That sounds sensible enough, but are people there so eager for iPhone they'd jump on the imitation rather than wait another month for the real thing? We'll find out soon enough. [Image courtesy of modmyGphone] Filed under: Cellphones China Mobile planning to subvert Unicom's iPhone launch with the OPhone? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Nexto's NVS2500 archives your photos, dreams, and memories April 20, 2009 at 11:04 am What, you're still looking for the perfect place to archive your photos between candid, booze-fueled wedding reception moments? If JOBO's GIGA didn't do it, nor Digital Foci's Photo Safe, maybe Nexto's half-terabyte NVS2500 is the one you've been waiting for. It packs a 2.5-inch drive that can be as small as 160GB if you're so inclined, a 2.4-inch LCD, and of course integrated readers for just about every memory card format known to man. It can even write simultaneously to an external USB device, ensuring you never lose that precious photo of Uncle Saul scaring the flower girl with his dentures. No word on availability or price, but perhaps by the time the Smith-Fitzimmons party pays off its album you'll be able to pick one up. Filed under: Digital Cameras, Storage Nexto's NVS2500 archives your photos, dreams, and memories originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Panasonic's AG-HMC40 does 1080p24 on something of a budget April 20, 2009 at 10:43 am Panasonic's latest camcorders have been well-liked by the masses, but haven't quite had enough features to appease those consumers with higher expectations -- or professionals on limited budgets. To captivate the eyes and ears of that prosumer market the company has announced the AG-HMC40, a 2.2 pound semi-pro cam that will do 1080i or 720p at 60 frames-per-second, but more important for many can manage a cinematic 1080p at 24 frames-per-second, all written to SDHC cards. With 10.6 megapixel stills and a 12x optical zoom on tap it sounds like a very well-rounded offering, and, while $3,195 may not fit into every budget, it should do well for modestly funded aspiring filmmakers when it ships in August -- just in time for capturing some back-to-school teen angst drama. Filed under: Digital Cameras Panasonic's AG-HMC40 does 1080p24 on something of a budget originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Get ready for another co-processor: further details on Caustic Graphics's RTPU April 20, 2009 at 10:21 am Ray tracing is the current holy grail of gaming graphics, the rendering technique that might finally make the licensed game based on Pixar's latest look as good as the film itself. But, the typically random nature of rays has made rendering them on traditional hardware inefficient, a problem Caustic Graphics claimed to have solved, and is now backing that up by giving PC Perspective some further details and demos. The company's tech will rely on a new graphics co-processor called the Ray Tracing Processing Unit (RTPU), working in concert with existing 3-D accelerators to deliver rays at frame rates high enough for interactive applications. How high? Early hardware dubbed CausticOne (that giant slab of silicon above) manages 3 - 5 frames-per-second in the demonstration video after the break. That's not nearly enough for twitchy first-person shooters, but second-gen hardware due next year is looking to deliver 14 times that -- plenty to get your high-reflectivity frag on. Continue reading Get ready for another co-processor: further details on Caustic Graphics's RTPU Filed under: Desktops, Gaming Get ready for another co-processor: further details on Caustic Graphics's RTPU originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Adobe Flash platform for HDTVs & connected devices on display at NAB April 20, 2009 at 10:03 am The plan is to get Flash from every computer to every television screen, and Adobe's ready to take the next step this week at the National Association of Broadcasters show in Las Vegas. Broadcom, Comcast, STMicroelectronics, NXP Semiconductors, and Sigma Designs join Intel as set-top box makers with chipsets ready to stream widgets and HD video to connected televisions, while content is on the way from Netflix, New York Times, Disney and Atlantic Records. Of course, Yahoo's widgets and Microsoft Silverlight aim to turn up the interactivity and streaming video to TVs and handhelds as well, though Adobe seems content to share with Yahoo! if need be -- Vizio's Connected HDTV demo and Intel's CE 3100 support both -- expect the blades to come out when Flash enabled hardware comes to market in the second half of this year. [Via Venture Beat] Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment Adobe Flash platform for HDTVs & connected devices on display at NAB originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Apple's iPod touch tackling "networked warfare" for US military April 20, 2009 at 9:47 am While the British military has had a love-hate relationship with Apple's darling, the US armed forces are reportedly warming up quite well to the iPod touch. A fresh Newsweek report asserts that the touch is increasingly replacing far more expensive dedicated devices in the field, noting that it is being used to spearhead the future of "networked warfare." Equipped with a rugged shell and software developed by language translation firms (among others), the device is being used to aid communications and acquire information from databases. In fact, the US Department of Defense is "developing military software for iPods that enables soldiers to display aerial video from drones and have teleconferences with intelligence agents halfway across the globe," and snipers are already utilizing a ballistics calculator to add precision to shots. And hey, it's not like easy access to Tap Tap Revenge is really bad for morale, either. [Via CNET] Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video Apple's iPod touch tackling "networked warfare" for US military originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Subaru yanks concept label, begins testing Stella plug-in EV April 20, 2009 at 9:21 am Anyone that follows the automobile sector with any semblance of regularity would know that quite a few concepts never make it beyond the drawing board. Thankfully, Subaru's Stella is one of the lucky ones. Fuji Heavy Industries, parent company and maker of Subaru automobiles, has just announced its plans to begin testing prototypes of its Subaru plug-in Stella electric vehicle, which will be introduced in Japan this summer. Furthermore, the company has managed to boost power output from 40kW in the previous iteration to 47kW, and it also stripped away some unnecessary weight and fine-tuned the output management system. There's no mention of a price or expected launch date in North America, but you'll never stop us from hoping the answer to the latter is "soon." Filed under: Transportation Subaru yanks concept label, begins testing Stella plug-in EV originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Toshiba 10-inch Dynabook UX's got talent April 20, 2009 at 9:09 am How much would you pay for an Intel Atom N280-based netbook? $300? $400? How about $600. That's the tax-inclusive starting price for Toshiba's 10.1-inch Dynabook UX followup to its dowdy NB100. While ditching the wooly-eyebrowed chub infecting most 1.6GHz N280 netbooks, the UX remains saddled with 945GSE graphics (not GN40), a 10.1-inch, LED backlit 1024 x 600 pixel resolution and 160GB disk. A bit steep considering CULV thin-and-lights are about to flood the market. Get up tight with the Tosh chicklets after the break. Continue reading Toshiba 10-inch Dynabook UX's got talent Filed under: Laptops Toshiba 10-inch Dynabook UX's got talent originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Nintendo moves 435,000 DSi handhelds during first week in US April 20, 2009 at 8:47 am We already heard that the Big N managed to lighten its DSi inventory by 300,000 during the handheld's first full weekend in America, and apparently another 135,000 procrastinators swooped in to grab one as the week finished up. Potentially more amazing, however, is the overall impact of Nintendo in the month of March. Last month, Nintendo systems accounted for just south of 60 percent (58.4 percent, if you must know) of all video game hardware sold in America. And yeah, that's even despite a shocking 17 percent drop in Wii sales during the same 30 day window. Have we mentioned lately that things seem to be going quite well in the Mushroom Kingdom? 'Cause they definitely do. [Via Joystiq] Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds Nintendo moves 435,000 DSi handhelds during first week in US originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments World's first waterproof solar cellphone from Sharp makes Somalian pirates say arggg! April 20, 2009 at 8:19 am In continuation of a recent trend of major manufacturers announcing a new-found interest in making a buck off developing nations solar-powered cellphones, AU (KDDI) and Sharp have announced the June launch of this unnamed solar handset. Besides being the world's first waterproof solar handset, it charges to a minute of talk or 2-hours of standby after just 10 minutes in the sun. No other specs were announced though we seriously doubt it'll be a power-sucking feature- or smart-phone. Naturally, it'll still be a boon to people where electricity is scarce but what about the industrious guy who owns the village car battery? [Via Akihabara News] Filed under: Cellphones World's first waterproof solar cellphone from Sharp makes Somalian pirates say arggg! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Space Observer to innocently watch you at San Jose's airport April 20, 2009 at 8:08 am It's every child's dream to one day walk through a trio of space robot legs as entering Silicon Valley, and if a proposed art project goes through, said dream will become a reality for budding tech superstars who land in Mineta San Jose International Airport. The $300,000 initiative would see a so-called Space Observer built and showcased prominently in the venue, allowing patrons to walk underneath its two-story-tall body and emit all sorts of "oohs" and "ahhs." The monolithic space robot would sport three legs and propeller-tipped kinetic camera arms, the latter of which would collect live video to be displayed on embedded monitors within its body. San Jose Public Art Director Barbara Goldstein has already stated that "it won't follow you anywhere," but it's not like she really has the power to control what this obviously sentient creature does / doesn't do. Filed under: Robots Space Observer to innocently watch you at San Jose's airport originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Filco's SmartTrack Neo multi-touch trackpad gives PCs the 2-fingered salute April 20, 2009 at 7:06 am It sure took awhile but you're looking at one of, if not the first external USB trackpads with multi-touch gesture support. The $50 (¥4,980) SmartTrack Neo model FTP500UB rocks USB 1.1 and XP / Vista drivers to bring your legacy laptop up to fighting specs with fancy modern rigs. A two-handed mouse the size of a brick -- really, how can you resist? [Via Akihabara News] Filed under: Peripherals Filco's SmartTrack Neo multi-touch trackpad gives PCs the 2-fingered salute originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments RAmos RM990 iOne2 PMP looks surprisingly desirable April 20, 2009 at 6:51 am RAmos definitely isn't the most respected name in PMPs here in the US, but as of late, it's done a commendable job of staying relevant... at least on the design front, anyway. The firm's latest concoction, which goes by RM990 iOne2, is a touchscreen-heavy media player that's clearly not anorexic. Specs wise, we're told that it features a 3-inch WQVGA touch panel, haptic feedback, a built-in accelerometer, 4GB of internal storage and support for a whole gaggle of file formats. Not bad for the low, low asking price of just 399 yuan (around $58), but it's hardly worth a trip to Shanghai. [Via PMPToday] Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video RAmos RM990 iOne2 PMP looks surprisingly desirable originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 05:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Braille e-reader concept can't be far from reality April 20, 2009 at 5:22 am The technology's already here, we just need a venture capital firm and a determined entrepreneur to make it happen. A foursome of designers -- Seon-Keun Park, Byung-Min Woo, Sun-Hye Woo and Jin-Sun Park -- have banded together to create the above pictured concept, an e-reader for those with limited or no vision. Their Braille E-Book concept theoretically relies on electroactive polymers in order to change the surface's shape as pages are turned, and while we fully expect the battery life to suffer due to all the necessary commotion, it's definitely a start that needs to happen. Filed under: Displays, Handhelds Braille e-reader concept can't be far from reality originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Washington DC announced as first MPH mobile TV market April 20, 2009 at 4:28 am In the 22 city-strong foot race to get a live MPH-based mobile TV network up, running, and available to anyone who wants it, it looks like Washington DC's poised to come out on top. Raleigh has already deployed a handful of transmitters for the benefit of bus-goers, but the Open Mobile Video Coalition has announced that Washington DC's local CBS, PBS, NBC, and Ion affiliates plus a Fox-owned independent will all be ready to roll with MPH transmissions by late summer; of course, what remains to be seen is what sort of hardware will be ready to take advantage of the tech by then. We can likely count AT&T and Verizon out for offering MPH-enabled handsets seeing how they're still trying to figure out how to profit from their MediaFLO-based networks, so T-Mobile and Sprint's decisions to take a wait-and-see approach to the mobile TV phenomenon may really end up working in their favor here. Moving beyond the phones, it's said that Dell will be showing some sort of netbook this week with an integrated MPH tuner at the NAB show in Vegas this week, while Kenwood has in-car solutions in the works. As long as the broadcasts stay free -- which by all accounts they will -- the standard has a fighting chance at relevancy, assuming hardware comes to the table. Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Video Washington DC announced as first MPH mobile TV market originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 03:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Pilotfish's Ondo music editing mobile concept puts new twist on smartphones April 20, 2009 at 4:00 am It's been nearly three years since the Onyx tickled our imagination, but Pilotfish is looking to completely melt our brains with its latest concept. The Munich-based industrial design firm has just introduced its Ondo music editing mobile, which is half cellphone, half music mixer and thoroughly amazing. In theory, the phone would boast a small mixing panel, three removable recording sticks with internal memory and a bendable center to give music lovers the ability to insert pitch bends and relieve stress. Essentially, the trio of OLED-infused sticks serves two purposes: when installed, they're the main phone panel, and when removed, they can be clipped onto instruments for recording purposes. Afterwards, they can be swapped with other Ondo owners or edited on the fly right on the device itself. Needless to say, there's a better shot at you winning the lottery than seeing this thing hit mass production, but you can feel free to dream by checking the full release, Q&A and demonstration video just past the break. Gallery: Pilotfish's Ondo music editing mobile concept puts new twist on smartphones Continue reading Pilotfish's Ondo music editing mobile concept puts new twist on smartphones Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio Pilotfish's Ondo music editing mobile concept puts new twist on smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Samsung's 10.1-inch N120 netbook now on sale April 20, 2009 at 3:23 am Samsung's long-awaited (okay, so we made that part up) N120 netbook has finally transitioned from "might ship someday, maybe" to "oh, I'm definitely shipping." Consumers interested in the 10.1-inch, 2.8 pound netbook can surf over now to Amazon and order one up in black or white for the not-totally-tantalizing price of $465.99. If you've forgotten what all that buys you, here's a rundown, and feel free to say it with us in unison: 1.6GHz Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, Windows XP Home, a 1,024 x 600 resolution panel, 6-cell battery, a 3-in-1 multicard reader, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and an Ethernet jack for good measure. Oh, and there's a "2.1-channel" sound system, for whatever that's worth. [Thanks, Chuckles McGee] Gallery: Samsung's 10.1-inch N120 netbook now on sale Filed under: Laptops Samsung's 10.1-inch N120 netbook now on sale originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:23:00 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.