| Apple hacker digs up Qualcomm baseband proof by decompiling iTunes? Posted: 22 Jan 2011 09:44 AM PST We're a little short-staffed on Qualcomm chipset engineers at the moment, so forgive us if we can't immediately confirm this tale, but we're hearing iPhone hacker Zibri has discovered proof of the Apple / Qualcomm collaboration in his very own build of iTunes. Zibri claims that by tearing apart the latest version, he found the chunk of code above, which contains files that are allegedly the exclusive "building blocks" of Qualcomm radio firmware. That doesn't tell us anything about a supposed iPhone 5 or iPad 2, unfortunately, as it's probably just referring to that CDMA chipset in the Verizon iPhone 4... but with the right building blocks, one can craft any number of wonders. |
| Shogun Bros. Chameleon X-1 review: the mouse that's a gamepad, too Posted: 22 Jan 2011 08:30 AM PST Peanut butter and jelly. Gin and tonic. Peaches and cream. Some strange combinations make perfect sense paired, but how about the mouse and the PC gamepad? Those two items are what a Hong Kong peripheral manufacturer decided to combine, and the result was the Shogun Bros. Chameleon X-1 -- a gaming mouse you can flip to find twelve buttons and two miniature analog sticks on the bottom. It works as a gamepad, sure enough, and functions as a one-handed multimedia remote too. But is it any good? We've used it as our primary peripheral for over a week, and after the break, we'll tell you.
As a mouse
If the Chameleon X-1's basic shape looks familiar, that's probably because you've seen it before -- it's a dead ringer for the right-handed mouse design Logitech introduced in 2002, and could have nearly sprung straight from an MX518 mold. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, though, and we don't fault them one bit for it here, as the Logitech ergonomics are fantastic and dare we say it, the Shogun Bros. design looks and feels even better in the hand. Silky soft-touch rubber covers the entire surface, excepting the chrome trim, leading to a firm, comfortable grip, which doesn't attract dirt nearly as much as the glossy plastic buttons on earlier Logitech mice. What's more, the ruby red version tested we tested has a bit of a pearlescent sheen -- pretty attractive compared to the drab, or overly flashy machismo competition. Pull off the rear panel under that X-1 logo and more welcome surprises await: compartments for a single AA battery and the wireless USB dongle. The mouse comes with an alkaline cell by default, but you can actually replace it with a rechargeable unit instead and even juice it up with a mini-USB port underneath the cover too -- though we would have preferred the charge port at the front of the mouse, so you could play and charge simultaneously. Meanwhile, the 2.4GHz dongle is of the pleasantly tiny variety, and cleverly holds itself in place with a magnet -- something we wish Shogun Bros. had done with the entire rear panel, to be frank, as every time we pried it off, it responded with a sickening crack. Unfortunately, Shogun Bros' buttons and optical sensor leave much to be desired, both in terms of their responsiveness and placement -- sure enough, the components feel very last-gen, and there are some awkward design decisions. The left and right mouse buttons click well enough, and the mouse wheel scrolls just fine, but all three of these feel a little shallow when pressed, compared to competing mice at this price. What's worse, the other four buttons for mouse sensitivity and paging forwards and backwards have been relegated to the right pinky side, and in places where they're not terribly easy to reach on the fly. This is obviously a concession for Shogun Bros' gamepad mode, and we'll get to that in a sec, but it's good to note that they're going to be pretty useless when mousing -- and honestly they're not very good buttons to begin with. The 1600dpi optical sensor isn't bad, and three PTFE feet propel the rodent across surfaces just fine, but there's no comparison to that aforementioned Logitech MX518 in terms of accuracy. As a gamepad Spin that tiny transparent wheel up front to lock the mouse buttons in place, flip 'er on her back, and hold down the Start button for three seconds to turn the Chameleon into a PC gamepad -- albeit a fairly uncomfortable one to hold. Interestingly, it's not the recessed thumbsticks and buttons that are a problem here, as most of them are actually fairly accessible; it's just that the Logitech ergonomics that made for a good mouse didn't leave many places for the rest of our fingers to go. The best we could do was curve our index fingers around the top edge to reach the shoulder buttons, middle fingers around back, and let the other four digits dangle. Not bad for short bursts of gameplay, but it got tiring after a while. We've already spoken to the shallow, cheap shoulder buttons back when they were on the pinky side of the mouse, but the rest of the Chameleon's gamepad controls aren't bad. The two analog nubs are oh-so-slightly convex for better grip, comfortable, and the four face buttons are middling but with a good amount of give. With these, we could throw our share of fireballs and shoryuken uppercuts in Street Fighter IV, and could toss out Super and Ultra Combos with ten minutes practice (not to mention plenty of experience doing the same on the Xbox 360 gamepad). We can't say the same for the Chameleon's D-pad, though, as it's not a standard directional pad at all, just a series of four discrete buttons in that shape with no directional rockers to roll one's thumbs across. We'll also say that while the analog nubs were convenient for sweeping motions, they're not terribly good for pinpoint control, as we found when painstakingly trying to level weapons at foes in shooting games. Unfortunately, getting to the level of game functionality we describe above is mildly annoying to begin with, because the Chameleon only supports the DirectInput controller scheme, not the newer XInput one, and has a non-standard button layout (X is Button 1 here, for instance) which can't be reconfigured in hardware. What that means in plain English is that the X-1 won't play nice with recent PC titles designed to use an Xbox 360 controller -- though you can find a free XInput emulator if you know where to look -- and you may have to change your key bindings in other games to comfortably play them as well. As a remote Though Shogun Bros. certainly plays up the gamepad angle, the wireless peripheral actually has a third function too -- if you hold down the Select button for three seconds rather than Start, it becomes a fully-functional multimedia remote. You can pull up iTunes with a single press of the X button; change tracks, volume and mute; flip through documents with the shoulder keys a page or a line at a time; shut down or put the computer to sleep; or even -- using one of the analog nubs and a pair of nearby buttons -- emulate a slow-moving mouse pointer. While the latter was a little too lethargic to be much use on our 1080p screen, the remote came in handy when sick in bed, and the function works equally well with OS X. Wrap-up Shogun Bros' Chameleon X-1 combo mouse may look like a hundred bucks, but looks can be deceiving. The X-1 is a few design decisions and some circuitry short of what even entry-level gaming mice and gamepads can achieve individually. While we could see the all-in-one functionality appealing to travelers who want to pack a single device, the battery life just isn't there -- our pack-in alkaline lasted barely a week before the mouse sensor started puttering out, a travesty in an era where mice can squeeze out years. But you know what? It works, and we're as gung-ho about the idea of combining a mouse and gamepad as ever, because the X-1 honestly comes within a (hefty) stone's throw of something we'd highly recommend. We have the technology to build one better, stronger... more accurate. Here's hoping a peripheral manufacturer sees the same potential. |
| Audi Auto Union Type C e-tron study puts your pow-pow-Power Wheels to shame Posted: 22 Jan 2011 06:57 AM PST Top speed of 18mph, and a range of 15 miles? Charges in only two hours? No, this isn't the future of transportation we're talking about here, it's a toy. A toy from Audi, of all places. The company has created this electric-powered and half-scale recreation of an Auto Union Type C, grand prix racer of the late 1930s, and done it in e-tron guise, applying the moniker from its grown-up line of EVs, like the luscious e-tron Spyder. This one's intended for kids of all ages -- so long as they're shorter than 5'11'' -- and it will be on display at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg. At this point there's no mention of a plan to produce it nor a price if Audi did, but surely it's one of those "if you have to ask" things -- that body is entirely made of carbon fiber, and that stuff doesn't come cheap. Show full PR text A small-scale e-tron study: Audi at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg
Prototype with electric drive travels at up to 30 km/h (18.64 mph)
Audi's second appearance in Nuremberg
From racing bodysuit to exclusive soccer table from Audi design
AUDI AG will be showing a selection of its products again at the 62nd International Toy Fair in Nuremberg. Last year Audi became the first car manufacturer ever to present a selection of model cars and new products from the Audi children's world to visitors on its own stand in Nuremberg. The highlight in 2011 will be the "Auto Union Type C e-tron study" with electric drive. The International Toy Fair will take place from February 3 to 8.
Audi will be continuing the subject of electric mobility in a fun way at the Nuremberg fair: The brand with the four rings is presenting a unique specimen, which is as innovative as it is exclusive, on its 75 square meter (807.29 square feet) stand – the Auto Union Type C e-tron study. This is based on the limited-edition pedal car model which is sold through quattro GmbH, a subsidiary of AUDI AG. The body of the hand-finished unique specimen is made of aluminum and carbon-look material and is suitable for children and adults of up to 1.80 meters (5'11") in height. The 1:2 scale study is 2.32 meters (7.61 feet) long and 97 centimeters (38.19 inches) wide.
The electric motor drives the rear wheels, is charged by a lithium-ion battery and, with an output of 1.5 hp, reaches a torque of 40 Nm (29.50 lb-ft) – and briefly as much as 60 Nm (44.25 lb-ft). This enables the car to reach a top speed of 30 km/h (18.64 mph). The study is also equipped with a reverse gear.
Depending on how it is driven, the little Audi e-tron has a range of around 25 kilometers (15.53 miles). It can then be charged at a standard 230 volt household socket. Depending on the battery charge status, this takes about two hours.
The exclusive soccer table from Audi design will also be making an appearance in Nuremberg. Alongside its emotive styling, this toy is also noted for its Vorsprung durch Technik. Its materials, finish and technical workmanship satisfy the highest standards. Aluminum and high-strength plastic are added to the wooden core by hand. The table, incidentally, is absolutely suitable for professional tournament use. Its combination of functionality and design is unique in table soccer. Only 20 tables will be built initially, with each small-series soccer table costing €12,900.
quattro GmbH is showing prototypes of a rather different kind in the area of baby and children's products: The racing bodysuit, the power/brake socks, the pit stop baby bottle and the mini sound absorber kit (pacifier) were all inspired by the world of motorsport. Audi is also showing a study of the successor model to the current "Audi Junior quattro" ride-on toy car in Nuremberg.
Audi will of course also be presenting its high-quality range of classic car-related toys: remote-controlled models, plush cars and the Audi motorsport bear. The Wörthersee models of the Audi A1 to a scale of 1:87, among others, will be displayed in the model car paternoster.
Industry professionals, journalists, commercial resellers and large-volume buyers can view the world of toys offered by Audi by visiting the exhibit stand. Through its presence at the fair in Nuremberg, Audi is looking to draw attention to the wide range of toys offered in its portfolio. The International Toy Fair in Nuremberg is one of the world's leading professional exhibitions for toys and leisure products. About 2,600 exhibitors will display their wares from February 3 to 8. |
| AirPlay video support comes to Linux courtesy of Totem media player plug-in Posted: 22 Jan 2011 05:38 AM PST This one's about as unnofficial as it gets, but Linux users do now have a relatively easy way to receive and play video streamed to their PC via Apple's AirPlay. To get things going, all you have to do is download a plug-in for the Totem media player (which ships with most popular Linux distributions), install it in the usual Linux fashion, and then start streaming video to your Linux PC with AirPlay just as if it were an Apple TV. That's it. Hit up the link below to find the plug-in, along with some more detailed installation instructions if you need them. |
| AMD ships 1.3 million Fusion APUs, 35 million DirectX 11 GPUs, says it has 'momentum' Posted: 22 Jan 2011 03:57 AM PST Hey, this interim CEO thing doesn't seem to be too hard at all. Thomas Seifert, the temporary solution to the problem created by Dirk Meyer's departure from AMD's top spot, has had a pretty comfy ride reporting the company's latest quarterly results. The pecuniary numbers themselves ($1.65b revenue, $375m net income) were tame and unexciting, but Seifert got to make a pair of juicy milestone announcements. Firstly, on the mobile and ever-so-efficient front, he noted that 1.3 million Fusion APUs (Accelerated Processing Units) have been shipped to partners since AMD started deliveries in November, and secondly, in terms of discrete graphics chips, he disclosed that the Radeon HD 5000 and HD 6000 series DirectX 11 GPUs have surpassed the 35 million units shipped mark. To give you some perspective on what that means, sales of Nintendo's bestselling Wii console are hovering somewhere around the same figure. So yes, AMD, your wagon has momentum, but shouldn't it have a driver too? Show full PR text AMD Reports Fourth Quarter and Annual Results
Fourth Quarter 2010 Results
* AMD revenue $1.65 billion, 2 percent sequential increase and flat year-over-year
* Net income $375 million, EPS $0.50, operating income $413 million
* Non-GAAP1,2 net income $106 million, EPS $0.14, operating income $141 million
* Gross margin 45 percent
2010 Annual Results
* AMD revenue $6.49 billion, an increase of 20 percent year-over-year
* Net income $471 million, EPS $0.64, operating income $848 million
* Non-GAAP1,2 net income $360 million, EPS $0.49, operating income $553 million
* GAAP annual gross margin 46 percent, non-GAAP annual gross margin 45 percent
SUNNYVALE, Calif. -1/20/2011
Jan. 20, 2011 – AMD (NYSE:AMD) today announced revenue for the fourth quarter of 2010 of $1.65 billion, net income of $375 million, or $0.50 per share, and operating income of $413 million. The company reported non-GAAP net income of $106 million, or $0.14 per share, and non-GAAP operating income of $141 million. The non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP operating income primarily excluded a net of tax gain of $236 million, and a pre-tax gain of $283 million, respectively, that the company recognized related to a patent license and legal settlement.
For the year ended December 25, 2010, AMD reported revenue of $6.49 billion, net income of $471 million, or $0.64 per share, and operating income of $848 million. Full year non-GAAP net income was $360 million, or $0.49 per share, and operating income was $553 million.
"AMD enters 2011 with significant momentum, amplified by the successful launch of our first Fusion APUs," said Thomas Seifert, CFO and Interim CEO. "I am confident we can drive profitable growth based on the strength of new products we will bring to market. Our customers recognize that Fusion APUs are at the core of delivering the world's most vivid digital experiences."
Quarterly Summary - Gross margin was 45 percent, down one percentage point sequentially primarily due to lower microprocessor average selling price (ASP).
- Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities balance at the end of the quarter was $1.79 billion.
- Computing Solutions segment revenue was flat both sequentially and year-over-year.
- Operating income was $91 million, compared with $164 million in Q3-10 and $161 million in Q4-09.
- Microprocessor ASP decreased sequentially and was flat year-over-year. The sequential decrease was due to lower notebook and server ASPs.
- AMD kicked off the next era of vivid computing with the launch of the industry's first Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) aimed at providing better experiences on the types of visual and data-intensive applications that are becoming increasingly popular. Our first AMD Fusion APUs combine a low-power x86 microprocessor with DirectX®11 capable graphics to deliver optimized mobile experiences.
- Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba plan to deliver affordable thin and light mobile PCs based on the new APUs that offer full 1080P HD experiences and long battery life.
- Key software partners announced support for AMD Fusion APUs, including Adobe, ArcSoft, Corel, DivX and Microsoft.
- Notebooks powered by AMD's new APU received nine prestigious innovation awards, including best innovation and editors' choice awards.
- AMD introduced its fastest six- and dual-core processors with the AMD Phenom™ II X6 1100T and the AMD Phenom™ II X2 565 Black Edition processors.
- AMD continues to be adopted in the world's highest performance computers. AMD technology powers more top 50 supercomputers than any other processor vendor in the latest Top500 Supercomputing list.
- Graphics segment revenue increased nine percent sequentially and was flat year-over-year. The sequential increase was driven by increased discrete graphics processor unit ASP and a seasonally strong increase in game console revenue.
- Operating income was $68 million, compared with $1 million in Q3-10 and $50 million in Q4-09.
- AMD introduced its second generation of DirectX 11-capable graphics cards to widespread acclaim and market reception, receiving more than 120 awards. The unprecedented game performance, energy efficiency and unrivaled feature set drove 50 awards for the AMD Radeon™ HD 6900 series graphics alone. Popular Science magazine recognized the ATI Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity 6 graphics card with the magazine's coveted 'Best of What's New 2010' award.
|
| Apple's App Store hits 10 billion downloads Posted: 22 Jan 2011 01:28 AM PST Now that the number of App Store downloads to iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads around the world has handily exceeded the population of Planet Earth, we can hopefully put this story to bed until they hit another factor of ten -- and as unreasonable as 100 billion downloads sounds, we'll bet it actually won't take that long. That's right: just a few days after kicking off its online counter, Apple's officially hit the 10 billion mark, which is a whole lot of software any way you slice it. So, Android Market, you're next? |
| Mobile broadband shocker: AT&T looking at tiered data pricing and speeds for upcoming LTE service Posted: 22 Jan 2011 12:38 AM PST We all know AT&T just loves its tiered pricing models, so it's no surprise to hear that the carrier intends to turn its forthcoming LTE service into a tier-vana of great new sophistication. BGR has come across an internal document detailing how AT&T plans to segment its 4G pricing on the basis of both speed and data allowance, meaning that your price will reflect both the amount of data you consume and the rate at which you gobble it down. To add further complexity flexibility, Top Ups will be available that'll allow users to amp up their connection speed for a limited time or increase their allowance on a per-month basis. We're hearing trials of this new offering will commence in May, which fits in neatly with the currently planned LTE rollout in the second half of this year. So it's not all set in stone yet, but irrespective of the number of data options AT&T throws our way, the paramount question will always be the same: how much? |
| Real-life mailbox mod tells your iPhone when you've got snail mail (video) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 10:03 PM PST Do you spend your days desperately awaiting credit card bills, coupons to Pizza Hut, and reminders from your dentist's office that it's time for another cleaning? We've pared down our dependence on USPS, but for those who still get physical communications of note, Make has developed an Arduino-based mailbox mod that sends push notifications when the post is in. Back in 2005, we saw a clunky device called POSTIN that did much the same thing. Thankfully, this system doesn't require an extra gadget, instead it sends messages straight to your iPhone. The postal alert system uses a snap-action switch, connected to an Arduino sensor, to signal when your mailbox is opened. A piece of code waits for the signal and then requests a URL from a PHP-enabled server, pushing an alert to your cellphone using the Prowl iPhone app. Die-hard USPS fans can check out the instructional video after the jump. |
| How would you change Apple's 11-inch MacBook Air? Posted: 21 Jan 2011 06:41 PM PST Apple may not be much on the idea of a 7-inch tablet, but an 11-inch ultraportable? Now that's an idea even the engineers in Cupertino could dig. When we reviewed the 11-inch MacBook Air, we found an awful lot to love -- that all-Flash design is definitely a boon, and the more-mobile-than-mobile design is sure to be loved by road warriors and light packers everywhere. But it's still (comparatively) sluggish, and it's lacking a backlit keyboard. Enough from us, though -- we're here to hear what kind of changes you would make. Would you have thrown a faster chip in there at the expense of the case? Boosted the screen resolution? Added an SD card slot? Bit the bullet and tossed in USB 3.0? Comments are open below -- dive on it! |
| China nationalizes eleven rare earth mines for environmental and strategic reasons Posted: 21 Jan 2011 05:26 PM PST Most of our favorite gadgets are constructed with parts made of rare earth minerals, and as many of you already know, China produces the lion's share of the stuff. So news that Hu Jintao and company recently took control of 11 rare earth mines in order to more tightly manage the mines' production is of great interest to hi-tech companies and consumers the world over -- and could mean your next hybrid, smartphone, or PC just got a bit more expensive. The Chinese Ministry of Land and Resources indicates that nationalization of the facilities was prompted by illegal strip mining and dumping of toxic tailings in nearby waterways, but given China's pledge to reduce rare earth exports by ten percent this year, it seems likely that the move isn't entirely driven by environmental concerns. Consumers needn't worry too much, however, as Japan and the US are currently searching for ways to break China's monopoly on rare earths and keep us flush in affordable flat-screen TVs and hybrid cars for years to come. |
| Kinect meets Minecraft, animates a giant statue in your honor (video) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 04:11 PM PST 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 Minecraft is. All the nitty gritty details are available on the project page. The video, of course, is after the break. |
| Android source code, Java, and copyright infringement: what's going on? Posted: 21 Jan 2011 03:15 PM PST So it's been a fun day of armchair code forensics and legal analysis on the web after Florian Mueller published a piece this morning alleging Google directly copied somewhere between 37 and 44 Java source files in Android. That's of course a major accusation, seeing as Oracle is currently suing Google for patent and copyright infringement related to Java, and it prompted some extremely harsh technical rebuttals, like this one from ZDNet and this one from Ars Technica. The objections in short: the files in question are test files, aren't important, probably don't ship with Android, and everyone is making a hullabaloo over nothing. We'll just say this straight out: from a technical perspective, these objections are completely valid. The files in question do appear to be test files, some of them were removed, and there's simply no way of knowing if any of them ended up in a shipping Android handset. But -- and this is a big but -- that's just the technical story. From a legal perspective, it seems very likely that these files create increased copyright liability for Google, because the state of our current copyright law doesn't make exceptions for how source code trees work, or whether or not a script pasted in a different license, or whether these files made it into handsets. The single most relevant legal question is whether or not copying and distributing these files was authorized by Oracle, and the answer clearly appears to be "nope" -- even if Oracle licensed the code under the GPL. Why? Because somewhere along the line, Google took Oracle's code, replaced the GPL language with the incompatible Apache Open Source License, and distributed the code under that license publicly. That's all it takes -- if Google violated the GPL by changing the license, it also infringed Oracle's underlying copyright. It doesn't matter if a Google employee, a script, a robot, or Eric Schmidt's cat made the change -- once you've created or distributed an unauthorized copy, you're liable for infringement.* Why does this matter? Because we're hearing that Oracle is dead-set on winning this case and eventually extracting a per-handset royalty on every Android handset shipped. In that context, "those files aren't important!" isn't a winning or persuasive argument -- and the more these little infringements add up, the worse things look for Google. Whether or not these files are a "smoking gun" isn't the issue -- it's whether Android infringes Oracle's patents and copyrights, since the consequences either way will be monumental and far-reaching. Ultimately, though, the only person who can resolve all of this for certain is a judge -- and it's going to take a lot more time and research to get there. -- *They're not directly comparable, but think about the Psystar case for a second. Even though Psystar desperately wanted to argue that Apple's OS X license agreement was invalid, the judge never got there -- he simply ruled Psystar wasn't authorized to copy and distribute OS X, and swung the hammer. It really is that simple sometimes. |
| Nexus S OTA 2.3.2 update rolling out now, your SMS relations will thank you Posted: 21 Jan 2011 02:59 PM PST Embarrassing SMS misdirect bug on your Android device? Nexus S owners should start checking their phones now for an over-the-air update that's supposed to fix the problem. It's being rolled out gradually, so just be patient if it's not there yet. How will we know the problem's gone for good? We'll just assume so until we find out otherwise, in some unfortunate manner. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] |
| Motorola Xoom priced at $800 at a minimum, according to Verizon leak Posted: 21 Jan 2011 02:41 PM PST Wow, insider tipsters are getting efficient! Verizon appears to have only just added Minimum Advertised Pricing for the Motorola Xoom to its internal systems, but already it's been leaked out by more than one source. Android Central has the damning evidence, which lists an $800 levy for any prospective owners of the flagship Android Honeycomb device. It's accompanied by a listing of the HTC Thunderbolt at $250, with the logical conclusion being that the Moto tablet will come unsullied by subsidies while the HTC LTE handset will probably cost that much on a two-year deal. That makes plenty of sense to us -- the typical smartphone price is $200 and Verizon can point to the 4G goodness the Thunderbolt brings as justifying its $50 premium, whereas the Xoom's cost seems to be in line with the Galaxy Tab's pricing. Now, how about some launch dates, leaksters? |
| The Engadget Show returns next Sunday with Steve Wozniak! Posted: 21 Jan 2011 02:30 PM PST Clear your calendars everybody, because next Sunday, January 30th, the inimitable co-founder of Apple Steve Wozniak will be joining us for the first Engadget Show of 2011! It will be a night to remember as Woz joins us for an evening of frank, eye-opening, and all-around awesome conversation. We'll be streaming live at 6:00PM from Cooper Union's Rose Auditorium and we've got about 200 seats available on a first-come, first-served basis if you want to join us in person. We'll also have music from the talented Zen Albatross and the usual crazy giveaways. Trust us when we say that this episode is going to be epic. REMINDER: The Show will be taking place in a lovely new venue, the Rose Auditorium in Cooper Union's New Academic Building (ie. not the TimesCenter), located in Manhattan at 41 Cooper Square. Seating is extremely limited, so get there early! Tickets are -- as always -- free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served... so get there early! Here's the updated info on our new ticketing policy that you need to know: - There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free
- The event is all ages
- Ticketing will begin at the Cooper Union New Academic Building at 2:00PM on Sunday, January 30th, doors will open for seating at 5:15PM, and the show begins at 6:00PM
- We now have assigned seating, so the first people to get their tickets will get priority seating. This also means that once you get a ticket, your seat is guaranteed -- you won't have to get back in line to get a good seat.
- You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket
- Seating capacity is limited (only about 200 seats in the theatre), and once we're full, we're full
- The venue is located at 41 Cooper Square New York, NY 10003 (map after the break)
- The show length is around an hour
Unfortunately, we won't be running the usual text-to-win sweepstakes for this episode (we know it sucks, but it's out of our hands), so if you want a seat you'll have to show up in person. If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com. Subscribe to the Show: [ iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). [ Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V). [ RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically. |
| Motoblur coming to Xoom as software update, still considered Google flagship product? (update) Posted: 21 Jan 2011 01:53 PM PST Maybe you thought the Motorola Xoom would be devoid of -- or dare we say, spared from -- a coat of Motoblur. Being the inaugural Honeycomb device, you'd expect Google to keep the tablet as vanilla as possible (e.g. G1, Nexus One, Nexus S). Indeed, Android's director of engineering Dave Burke tells CNET UK that Xoom is a flagship product for Mountain View, but in the same reported meeting, Motorola's Jonathan Nattrass said Motoblur will be coming to the tablet as a software update. In what form? We don't know, but if we had to guess, it's gonna be much more isolated that previous devices -- special widgets, perhaps, and services for backup or tracking a lost slate. Let's play wait-and-see on this one, at least until the top bar gets a cartoonish blue aesthetic. Update: Motorola reached out to Phandroid to say that, yes, this is a "Google Experience Device" and as such, you should expect the platform and UI to be Google's. Doesn't exactly explain where Nattrass got his talking points, but for now let's call it a strong rebuttal and move on. Certainly we'll have a clearer picture once we can actually try Xoom / Honeycomb out for ourselves. |
| Apple patent application details magical mouse with a built-in display Posted: 21 Jan 2011 01:12 PM PST Could the Magic Mouse be replaced by an even more "magical" input device? It might, if a just-published Apple patent application ever results in an actual product. Described simply as a "computer input device including a display device," the application clearly details a mouse that would have both a touch-sensitive surface and a built-in display. That, the application suggestions, could open up a whole range of new input possibilities, including using the mouse as numeric keypad, a phone, a personal digital assistant, or a graphics pad, to name just a few. What's more, the nature of the collimated glass used for the mouse would also apparently allow it to display a magnified image of anything underneath, and the images displayed would seemingly appear to be directly on the surface on the mouse, and not appear to be under the glass (we're not talking about a regular capacitive touchscreen on a mouse here). Of course, all of this is still just a patent application, and Apple has a long, long string of those that have yet to result in anything -- still, something about this one strikes us a bit more likely than, say, a head-mounted iPhone display. |
| JTT's Chobi Cam One 'micro DSLR' is sure to meet your micro expectations Posted: 21 Jan 2011 12:50 PM PST Japanese retailer JTT has already proven itself to be a fan of tiny cameras, but it's truly outdone itself with its latest offering: the Chobi Cam One. At last you'll be able to carry a DSLR in your pocket, with only some minor trade-offs in things like image quality, features, and usefulness. You can swap in your choice of three different magnetically-attached lenses, though -- and while you won't exactly get great pictures or video from the thing, you can at least store a lot of them thanks to the camera's microSD card slot. Look for the camera itself to set you back ¥9,800 (or about $118), with extra lenses running between $30 and $60 (bundles are also available). |
| Hot Wheels Video Racer has a VGA camera under its hood, confirms that kids have it all Posted: 21 Jan 2011 12:25 PM PST Damn kids these days and their cool tech toys! We know we sound cranky, jealous, and old, but how are we supposed to react to Mattel's new Hot Wheels Video Racer? Yep, just as the headline reveals, everybody's favorite matchbox car is now home to a VGA video camera that can capture 30 to 60 frames per second and a .95-inch LCD that allows you to play back that recorded footage right on the belly of the tiny vehicle. While a short clip of the Video Racer flying off a self-made jump may be pretty awesome, Mattel will also include protective cases so those wild and crazy kids can mount the cam to a skateboard or helmet. Disappointingly, the small car only houses 512MB of storage, which can only hold 12 minutes of video, but at $60, Mattel also includes a rubberized mini USB to USB cord for connecting the cam to a Mac or PC and child-friendly editing software. The Video Racer won't actually peel out until the fall, but we managed to take a few shots of the little thing this week and nab some video of it while at CES. Hit the break for that video and start saving that allowance! Sam Sheffer contributed to this very serious report. |
| Sony Reader app finally available for Android, only works with 2.2 and higher Posted: 21 Jan 2011 11:55 AM PST Well, it's about time! We knew Sony was prepping some Reader apps to go along with its physical Pocket, Daily, and Touch Edition e-readers, and while it may have missed that December release date, the Android version of the app is now available in the Market. The free app is pretty much what you'd expect -- you can log in with your username and it automatically syncs previously purchased books, and like the e-readers, it also supports ePub and PDF formats. In addition, you can easily highlight text and adjust font and brightness settings right from the page you're reading. We downloaded the app and found it to be pretty decent, however, the Store shortcut launches within the browser rather than in the app. Ready for the twisted part? Sony has confirmed for us that the app will only work with handsets that run Android 2.2 and higher, which is incredibly ironic considering most Sony Ericsson handsets are, you know, still stuck with 2.1. Of course, it looks like that PlayStation Phone will work just fine when it's finally released, but that's neither here nor there -- hit the gallery for a pile of screenshots of the app. Updated: Sony just let us know that the iOS version is still pending Apple's approval, but it should be available soon. |
| Samsung Vibrant's Android 2.2 update now available, it seems Posted: 21 Jan 2011 11:34 AM PST As promised, it seems that T-Mobile's version of the Vibrant is getting Froyo today after a brutally long wait. The good news is that you won't need to wait for a staggered rollout, apparently -- but the bad news is that currently you'll need to get it using Samsung's Kies Mini PC app, not over-the-air. Tethered updates are always less convenient than their OTA equivalents (though Samsung continues to be particularly fond of them), and in the case of Kies Mini, there's no Mac version, so you'll need to be near a Windows machine to make it happen. This hasn't been officially announced yet, though commenters over on TmoNews appear to be having luck -- so if you give it a go, let us know how you fare. |
| HTC profits leaping and bounding up, Peter Chou promises tablet and production expansion Posted: 21 Jan 2011 11:09 AM PST HTC's fourth quarter of 2010 has gone exactly the same way as the first three: the company reports a 160 percent rise in profits (to $500 million) year-on-year and a 31 percent increase relative to Q3 2010. Total revenue for the final three months of last year rounded the $3.5 billion mark, having been a trifling $1.4 billion the year before. Company CEO Peter Chou sees no end to this dramatic growth, forecasting it'll remain in double digits through 2011, and he plans to match up to it by doubling monthly production capacity at HTC's Shanghai plant to two million handsets. If necessary, he says he'll even outsource manufacturing. Even more intriguing, however, is Chou's admission that HTC is strategizing an entry into the tablet realm: "It's a new market with many competitors, and we don't want to rush into it." Hardly a surprise, but good to have it from the horse's mouth. |
| Toshiba launches Flashy tablet teaser site, still doesn't have a name for said tablet Posted: 21 Jan 2011 10:55 AM PST  Nope, Toshiba's recently announced Android 3.0 tablet doesn't have a name yet, but it does have its own Flash-based website. The site doesn't reveal anything all that new about the device -- we already knew it had a Tegra 2 processor, replaceable battery, and a 1280 x 800-resolution, 10.1-inch display -- however, it does provide a pretty nice tour of the tablet with a 360 view of the hardware. Speaking of that tour, Toshiba specifically points out that the tablet will in fact keep those "Quick-Key buttons," even though Google's Matias Duarte told us that they aren't required. You still have to wait until the spring to get this one in hand, but hit the source link to get a pretty nice virtual look at it right now. Updated: Ah, it really is all about Flash, isn't Toshiba? Ina Fried over at AllThingsD noticed that if you try and load Toshiba's new tablet site on an iOS device the following message appears: "Such a shame... if you had a Toshiba Tablet you would enjoy the entire internet. Yep, Flash sites too." That's true Toshiba, but we don't have your tablet right now, do we? |
| Evidence of Duke Nukem Forever's existence continues to mount with new trailer, release date Posted: 21 Jan 2011 10:31 AM PST Gearbox Software promised last fall that they'd finally, really finish and release Duke Nukem Forever, and it's starting to look like they're actually going to come through. The studio has just released a full trailer for the game, and it's announced something that many though they'd never see: a release date. Assuming nothing goes horribly awry in the next few months, you can expect the game to hit the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on May 3rd in North America, and May 6th worldwide. Still need a bit more convincing? Head on past the break for the trailer. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
|
No comments:
Post a Comment