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Sunday, October 2, 2011

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Engadget News

Boston Dynamics Alpha Dog makes Alyx Vance's pet look like a toy (video)

Posted: 02 Oct 2011 10:57 AM PDT

Boston Dynamics' BigDog is one of our favorite insane-level DARPA projects; a robotic pack-mule that can carry 400 pounds of kit for troops. At some point, the Massachusetts mechanics decided the bot would be far better if it was the size of a bull, or, you know, an SUV. The Alpha Dog loses the un-stealthy buzzing noise of its predecessor, has a range of 20 miles and can take much more punishment. If you check out the video after the break, you'll see two people unsuccessfully attempt a takedown on the monster -- Half-Life 2 diehards might experience a combat flashback at the mere sight of it. AT-AT Jr is expected to see field testing sometime next year when it won't have a test bed of rocks to contend with, but the US Marines. Mark our words: we expect 'em to appear in every nightmarish dystopia of the 2020s, and take a staring role in the forthcoming Robopocalypse.

The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 2PM ET!

Posted: 02 Oct 2011 10:01 AM PDT

Friday afternoons just aren't the same without a mobile podcast to listen to, but hopefully your Sunday afternoon is now a heckuva lot better this weekend. It turned out that 2PM ET was the perfect window of time for Myriam and Brad to get their rants in order and dissect the absolutely gargantuan week of wireless happenings all at the same time. Join us for a special Sunday edition of the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 2PM ET (11AM PT, 6PM GT)!

Sony Ericsson lends hand to FreeXperia devs, shows love for CyanogenMod 7.1

Posted: 02 Oct 2011 09:07 AM PDT

Turns out, Sony Ericsson is really coming around to the understanding that Android phones are not a one-size-fits-all proposition. After taking notice of the FreeXperia team's tireless efforts to bring CyanogenMod 7.1 to certain SE devices, the company is now "pulling a Samsung" by lending its support to the cause. The firm has provided the group with approximately 20 phones, along with debugged and rebuilt camera library binaries to ensure a proper user experience. Not stopping there, Sony Ericsson hopes to make these bits available to all developers under a special EULA in the near future. Of course, the company continues to remind its users that it doesn't specifically condone unlocking the bootloader -- which still results in a void warranty -- even though it's willing to help you do just that.

[Thanks, Thorsten]

Refresh Roundup: week of September 26, 2011

Posted: 02 Oct 2011 08:00 AM PDT

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Official Android updates
  • The top story this week revolves around the HTC Thunderbolt's long-awaited Gingerbread OTA update. It was finally rolling out, which was exciting news for owners of the device -- until it had to be pulled because of some rather significant bugs. The largest of them all was that voicemail notifications no longer worked properly; video chatting through Google Talk was also slightly messed up as well. No word on when we can expect to see it come back with those bugs fixed. [Droid-Life]
  • Unfortunately, the Thunderbolt isn't the only phone falling victim to pulled revamps; the LG Optimus S on Sprint had its Gingerbread update kiboshed, though users have had two weeks to get it -- plenty of time for anyone to experience some of the bugs, which included the phone not charging, the SD card not being recognized when the phone's connected to the computer, no access to data services, and predictive text on the virtual keyboard stopped working. It's disappointing to see this happen so soon after the Kyocera Echo update went through a similar debacle. [SprintFeed]
  • LG Optimus 3D: V10K firmware update, enables phone to convert OpenGL-capable 2D games into stereoscopic 3D. Note: this still runs Android 2.2.2, so we're still waiting for Gingerbread. [AndroidCentral]
  • Motorola Xoom WiFi: Android 3.2.1 is beginning to roll out. [AndroidCentral]
  • Dell Streak 7: Honeycomb update rolling out now to unspecified regions [AndroidCentral]
  • Asus Eee Pad Transformer: Revamped to Android 3.2.1, adds other bug fixes [AndroidCommunity]
  • Casio G'Zone Commando: Gingerbread rolling out now [Droid-Life]
  • Motorola Droid 3: Minor maintenance refresh; enhances Google Talk with video chat support, several other fixes. [PhoneDog]
  • T-Mobile Samsung Nexus S: OTA install (with option to manually install) to Android 2.3.6; doesn't appear to break tethering. [AndroidCentral]
Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery
  • The Android 2.3.5 ROM for the global Samsung Galaxy S II leaked early this week. [Pocketnow, SamFirmware]
  • You can now download the Android 2.3.4 SBF for the Motorola Droid X2, courtesy of XDA. [Droid-Life]
  • If you have a Sony Ericsson Xperia-branded device from 2010 or 2011, CyanogenMod7 support will most likely come included as part of an upcoming update. Ten Xperia devices will be added, though a timeframe for release wasn't announced. Check here to see if your device made the list. [XperiaBlog]
Other platforms
  • Check here to see if your phone is ready to receive Windows Phone Mango.
  • The ultra-rare AT&T HP Pre 3 just received an OTA update to 2.2.3.2207, right after a new webOS Doctor became available for the same refresh. [PreCentral]
Refreshes we covered this week

LiveLens MFT adapter brings aperture control to Canon EF lenses

Posted: 02 Oct 2011 06:59 AM PDT

It may be serving a somewhat small niche, but we're guessing that niche will be plenty pleased that something like the LiveLens MFT adapter now exists. That's MFT as in Micro Four Thirds, and the adapter is for Canon EF lenses. Nothing too special there, but this particular adapter now also allows for aperture control for the first time, which is actually done on the adapter itself, not the camera -- the only remaining drawback is a lack of autofocus. Expectedly that ability comes at quite a premium -- you'll have to fork over $442 for the adapter and an extra $52 for the necessary 9V battery cable.

Sony cuts the VAIO SA's starting price to $1,000, starts shipping the 15-inch VAIO SE

Posted: 02 Oct 2011 05:30 AM PDT

Lots of PC news flowing out of Sony Electronics' US headquarters this fine Sunday morning. First, the company slashed the starting price of the 13-inch VAIO SA laptop from $1,250 to $1,000, while the lower-end SB series now starts at $780 (it had been going for $800 after instant savings). We asked Sony's PR team what that means for folks who recently purchased either of these through Sony's online store, and still haven't gotten a response, but the company was quick to remind us that it's up to retailers such as Best Buy to set their own price protection policies. (Thanks, Sony!)

Moving along, that 15.5-inch VAIO SE series we reviewed a month ago is at last up for sale, beautiful 1080p display and all. You can find her on Sony's site starting at a thousand bucks with a Core i5-2430M processor, 4GB of RAM, a 640GB 5,400RPM hard drive, DVD burner and, of course, that 1920 x 1080 panel. So, is all that worth a flaky trackpad and poor battery life (sans $150 slice)? That, friends, is a decision you'll have to make for yourself. Finally, in more granular news, the 14-inch C and E series are getting expanded Sandy Bridge processor options, while the 16-inch F series and L series all-in-ones will come with Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum, Sound Forge Audio Studio and ACID Music Studio pre-installed. In addition, the SA, L, F and E series are all getting speed bumps, as are pre-configured SB and Z series laptops. Oh, and the SB is now available in red. Got it? Good. Lots of up to date specs at the source link.

JBL On Tour iBT Bluetooth speaker now available for $150, iPad stand included

Posted: 02 Oct 2011 03:47 AM PDT

Have a soft spot for wireless speakers? There were tons of options out there already, but JBL just threw one more into the ring with its On Tour iBT. As we'd expect form the audio gurus, the system boasts wireless audio internals that play nice with both A2DP and AVRCP Bluetooth devices. In addition to four JBL Odyssey trasnducers, the kit packs a built-in microphone for Facetime or hands-free calls, an adjustable iPad stand and a USB connector for charging -- when the Katy Perry tune blastin' device is plugged in itself, of course. Interested? It can be yours now via the source link for $150, but if you'd care to take a closer look before committing, peep the gallery below.
JBL On Tour iBT

Need RAID? Fusion F2QR packs two 1TB drives into a portable shell

Posted: 02 Oct 2011 12:28 AM PDT


Do you demand portability from your Redundant Array of Independent Disks? Then you've probably already seen Sonnet's Fusion F2, with its two 1TB drives and eSATA connector. Today the company introduces the Fusion F2QR, which also features two 2.5-inch, 1TB hard drives -- but now comes with four interface options. You've got your eSATA, of course, but also Firewire 400, Firewire 800 and USB 2.0 connectors. There's a new built-in RAID controller that smooths configuration as well, and the aluminum case and fanless design keep noise to a minimum. All of that fits in a shell measuring 5.9- x 6.1- x 0.95-inches. This slender slab of storage is available now and will set you back $569.

Samsung Galaxy S II now available on AT&T for $200

Posted: 01 Oct 2011 10:00 PM PDT

October 2nd. Boy, the date sure creeped up on us, but it's here regardless -- the Samsung Galaxy S II has finally debuted on AT&T. Many of you who've been waiting several months for a subsidized GSM model in the US may find it hard to believe that you're able to head on over to the carrier's site and purchase one for a couple C-notes. Rest assured, we've checked it out ourselves and it's really, really there, waiting for you to click that "add to cart" button. So if the style and carrier fit your fancy, friends, carpe diem.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Is this Apple's cheaper iPhone 4?

Posted: 01 Oct 2011 09:37 PM PDT

See that? That just might be the cheaper iPhone that Apple's rumored to formally unveil on Tuesday. Gizmodo Brazil managed to get a hold of a purported iPhone 4s from within a Brazilian Foxconn factory, and while the hardware itself looks just about identical to the iPhone 4 that exists today, there's a new SKU that's leading to understandable speculation. The N90A model number that popped up has certainly emerged before, but where things really get interesting is the "reprovado" ("disqualified") labeling. Is this batch an early set of prototypes that didn't quite pass QA? Will the eventual iPhone 4s even look anything like the iPhone 4 that's on shelves today? You can bet we'll be on hand in Cupertino to find out, and there's no time like the present to clear out your Tuesday morning / afternoon / evening schedule (depending on time zone, of course) to find out with us.

Ask Engadget: best earbuds for outdoor / fitness use?

Posted: 01 Oct 2011 07:38 PM PDT

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Henri, who seems understandably tired of his earbuds falling out whilst exercising. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"I'm planning to buy a set of earbuds for outdoor use, mainly for sport. There are so many options -- I'm curious if anyone has any specific suggestions. It goes without saying that the plugs should be easy to pop in the ear as well as take them off, and the wire to player should be as light as possible. Thanks for the help!"

Got any headphones you love taking to the gym? How's about a set that doesn't fall out? Toss your suggestion(s) in comments below!

Prototype magic carpet uses electrified threads to 'fly,' Aladdin pre-orders (video)

Posted: 01 Oct 2011 06:06 PM PDT

If you spent your childhood longing to fly, you're not alone -- and one Princeton grad may have come one step closer to making it a reality with a prototype magic carpet. Ok, it's not actually a rug of the magical variety, but a 4-inch piece of plastic electrified by tiny conducting threads. It works as such: by applying a current to the sheet, tiny air pockets form underneath, propelling it forward one centimeter a second. Since it requires air pockets to move forward, the carpet must stay close to the ground -- making it more like Marty McFly's hoverboard than Aladdin's preferred mode of transportation. Better yet, the inventor has plans for a solar powered version, which would free the carpet from heavy battery constraints and allow it to travel freely over larger distances. Check out the video and source after the break for more deets.

ASIMO mimics your every move, edges closer towards Single White Robot territory (video)

Posted: 01 Oct 2011 04:39 PM PDT

Hey, look Engadgeteers! It's another Kinect hack -- except this one uses a real deal robot. Honda ushered ASIMO out to the crowds at IEEE's 2011 International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems to show off its newly acquired pop and lock skills. Alright, so the silicon-gutted fella can't krump with the best of'em yet, but he can probably do the locomotion -- it all depends on your dance repertoire. After toiling away in their mad scientist lairs, the researchers behind the bot have managed to devise a means of mimicking human movement that translates mapped points on a user's upper body into real-time, robot-replicated motion. The devious among you are likely imagining left-of-center uses for the tech, but let us deflate that mischievous balloon; there'll be no instances of "stop hitting yourself ASIMO" here, as engineers have built-in collision and stability safeguards. The so-lifelike-it's-Uncanny advancements don't end there either, as ASIMO now also contains a database of text-inspired gestures -- giving our future robot friend a means of physically expressing his cold, "I hate you so much right now" robo-tone. Other than finding himself at home in Italy, these innovations are sure to put ASIMO on the other end of our remote-controlled behest. Click on past the break to see this automated mime drop it like it's hot.

Mutewatch wrists-on: stay on-task with good vibrations (video)

Posted: 01 Oct 2011 03:00 PM PDT

No, the picture above isn't some modernized Power Ranger's wrist communicator. This is the Mutewatch, and we've been intrigued since we first laid eyes on it over a year ago. At a glance, it looks akin to a rubber fashion bracelet, which could make its $260 price tag a shocker. But with the right touch or flick it reveals itself to be much more. The Stockholm-based start-up behind it, dubbed Mutewatch AB, envisions the device serving as "time management tool" for setting quick wrist-felt vibrating reminders during the course of the day. Think Growl, but on your wrist. The wristwatch lacks a dial and crystal, and instead has an angled, touch-sensitive section for a face with hidden LEDs, an ambient light sensor, a motion sensor and a vibrating motor for alarms. We've spent some time using a near-final unit seeing what it would be like silently manage our days, and it's all laid out just past the break.
Mutewatch hands-on


Up until opening the box, we'd only seen renders of the Mutewatch, but thankfully, it was nearly identical to them despite some rough machining. The watch is molded from a flexible TPU (similar to a Livestrong wristband) with a great soft-touch feel. Notably, it was water-resistant enough to survive washing dishes, but the downside is that it's not serviceable if the insides go bonkers. You'll have a choice of two eye-pleasing colors (gray and red), but make no mistake, this won't be your "Friday night on-the-town" wrist bling -- especially as the face is positioned underhand, which we'll detail in a bit. Overall, the look is mysterious and ultra-modern, and the asymmetrical button snap on its band adds a splash of pizazz. You'll be happy to know the snap's adjustable, but sadly with a maximum length of just over 7-inches, it won't fit larger wrists.


Before we could strap-on the watch we had to charge it -- weird for a watch no matter how you spin it. Folding back the band reveals a hidden half-stack USB stick -- doubling for firmware updates -- that can sort-of plug into a laptop, but a 3-inch extension cable is included to help out. Usually, within about two hours, it was ready to tick vibrate. Expect to do that a lot, as we never managed more than four days on a charge. Notably, if the watch isn't used for a week, it'll go into a hibernation mode to preserve its battery. Using the Mute was treat after figuring out its offbeat ways.

The main hurdle is that the numbers aren't perpendicular to its band like a normal watch, but rather horizontally in-line with it. The intent is to wear it under the wrist, so that a quick flick puts it in your line of sight when you extend your arm, while otherwise keeping from being a distraction. It's an interesting placement, but constantly typing with wrists laid out on a desk could potentially scuff the face from the friction. We managed to put a few minor dings on our initial unit while wearing like a normal watch in our day to day hustle, but we're told the final consumer versions will have a slightly more resilient TPU, along with cleaner edging.


The touch-panel itself uses nine capacitive panels and an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the intensity of its LEDs, which seem to magically shine through the TPU when activated. They aren't bright enough to compete direct sunlight, though, making this nearly impossible read outdoors at times. A flick of the wrist or a single tap brings up the display, and from there you can swipe sequentially back and forth through its menus: the clock (military format only), up to five alarms, vibration length and a timer (up to an hour). Setting the time or an alarm (with an option to repeat) only required a few simple taps or swipes, and deleting one was as simple a quick inward pinch. It's a very intuitive interface for a digital watch and effective for setting quick reminders during the day. Sure, smartphones are loaded with real touchscreens, clock apps and vibing functionality, but with the Mutewatch focused solely on managing time using vibrations, it makes it fun in a delightfully quirky way.


So, about those vibrations. The SH-RT mode gives a quick bzz bzz, while its L0-NG mode pumps out longer buzzes for up to a minute unless a sequence of LEDs is tapped to disable it. While on the move, it was hard to ignore despite being fairly quiet. Interestingly, we're told that the watch senses how much movement is going on and automatically adjusts the strength of the vibes, which get stronger with less movement. We couldn't tell the difference really, but if you're a heavy sleeper like us, relying on the Mutewatch as a wearable alarm might have you snoozing past your morning routine. We really hope a future firmware update could bring an extra-long mode with it for that purpose.


All in all, the Mutewatch is a clever little gizmo that adds a bit a of joy to the otherwise mundane experience of staying on task. It's got a modern look, comfortable fit and it's a oh so easy to use. On the not so positive side, the underhanded placement isn't always ideal, battery life is bad, the 12 format's been left in the dust and there's no way to sync it with your calendar. Furthermore, our initial unit got bruised fairly easily, but again, these were early-run units. We're told by the folks at Mutewatch AB that the builds shipping out to customers are better polished overall, and that they're not aiming for it to be like a G-Shock. The glaring problem blocking the Mutewatch's way through the door, though, is the $260 price tag -- one could procure a beastly Galaxy S II on contract in the US for less.

On the other hand, when you consider other fashionable timepieces from the likes of Nooka, Tokyoflash and more, the cost of adoption for a Mutewatch is well positioned in line. If that's the kind of thing you're into, there's a lot to like about the Mutewatch, and it's currently available for order with about a five to ten week wait. Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz. Do you hear that? Our Mutewatch is telling us it's time to move on to another post.

iPhone 5 / 4S placeholders pop up at Cincinnati Bell, questionable specs in tow

Posted: 01 Oct 2011 02:44 PM PDT

It looks like the iPhone speculation train is gaining steam on the way to its final destination, and this time it's flying by Cincinnati Bell's pre-paid service, i-Wireless. A helpful tipster sent in the above screenshot of an iPhone 5 placeholder, accompanied by a $639.99 price tag and a handful of specs: 32GB, 4-inch screen and 4G data speeds. Our friends over at TUAW have also procured a screenshot (after the break) from the same site, displaying a $99.99 16GB iPhone 4S, sporting a 5MP camera, 3.5-inch screen and an A5 processor. Of course, there's also a chance these are just placeholders, but we're hoping Tuesday's announcement will bear dual fruits, nonetheless.

[Thanks, Cory]

Nokia developing 'Meltemi' OS for feature phones?

Posted: 01 Oct 2011 01:21 PM PDT

Although Nokia still hopes Windows Phone will round out a "three-horse race" with iOS and Android, it's said to be cooking up an entirely new operating system aimed at lower-end handsets. According to the Wall Street Journal, the OS (codenamed "Meltemi") is meant to cement Nokia's top dog status in emerging markets, where feature phones remain king. Makes sense: low-end phones accounted for 47 percent of the company's device-and-services earnings in the second quarter. We're not sure if the adage "when one door closes, another one opens" exactly applies here, but either way, it looks like we've hardly seen the end of software updates out of Suomi.

Radio Shack inventory screen pegs iPhone 5 for Sprint

Posted: 01 Oct 2011 11:46 AM PDT

Could it be? Are the rumors true? If this screenshot, apparently culled from Radio Shack's inventory system, is any indication, Sprint will indeed be among the carriers offering the iPhone 5. That lines up just right with previous reports from Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal, slating the phone to hit the Now Network in mid-October. There's no indication of actual dates at this point, but if Sprint's getting Apple's next-gen iPhone, we're guessing we'll hear more about it on Tuesday.

[Thanks, Anon]
at 11:46 AM

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