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Rumor: DROID 2 hitting on August 12th

Andrew Munchbach — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:39:35 +0000

Fresh out of the rumor oven, still warm. Engadget is reporting that the Motorola DROID 2 could launch on Verizon Wireless as soon as August 12th. The tech site quotes a “trusted source” who also detailed that the 12th could be some sort of “soft launch” — as a full DROID creepy commercial media blitz is not set to kick off until the 26th. There was also mention of a Star Wars special edition DROID 2 with a picture of R2-D2 on the back of the phone. If the report is accurate, August 12th is just 23 days away… who’s excited?Read

Android versus iPhone live multiplayer gaming made possible in SGN’s Skies of Glory

Vlad Savov — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 10:45:00 +0000

Shocking as this might sound, there are no only a few games in which iPhone and Android users can go at each other in live multiplayer mode. Exploiting this vast void is Social Gaming Network, whose Skies of Glory aerial dogfighting title has been ported to Android (2.0 and above) while retaining the ability to communicate with iOS devices over WiFi, 3G or Bluetooth connections. Frankly, we can't think of a better game to get the cross-platform multiplayer movement going: fAndroids and iPhoneys gunning each other down while talking smack to themselves should prove therapeutic for both parties. On a more serious note, given the tireless growth that both platforms are showing, this kind of thing should hopefully tend toward being the rule rather than the exception.

Update: Our readers have sagely reminded us that Raging Thunder 2 and Homerun Battle 3D have done the cross-platform dance already. The more the merrier, we say.

Continue reading Android versus iPhone live multiplayer gaming made possible in SGN's Skies of Glory

Android versus iPhone live multiplayer gaming made possible in SGN's Skies of Glory originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 06:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FaceTime video call works beautifully on airplane’s in-flight WiFi (video)

Darren Murph — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 02:05:00 +0000

Yeah, seriously. While Aircell's Gogo in-flight WiFi service has been blocking VoIP calling services (Skype being the most obvious example) from day one, it's apparently not throwing the same brick wall in the face of Apple's new standard. Our good pals over at TUAW managed to record a (relatively) solid two minute FaceTime conversation with an iPhone 4 owner, and only after you realize that said owner is a few thousand feet above the Earth's surface does this all become a lot more interesting. We know for a fact that certain iPhone 4 owners have had difficulty with FaceTime conversations when using highly firewalled access points (like those found in hotels and corporate offices), but it seems as if seat 16A is cleared for transmission. For now, anyway. Head on past the break to peek the FaceTime ad that Apple forgot to make.

Continue reading FaceTime video call works beautifully on airplane's in-flight WiFi (video)

FaceTime video call works beautifully on airplane's in-flight WiFi (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 4 carrier unlock teased, not released just yet (update: video)

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 01:37:00 +0000

While we wait for a full, no-strings-attached jailbreak for the iPhone 4, let's turn our attention to the other important matter of unlocking, shall we? iPhone Dev Team member planetbeing is teasing the world with a picture of an unlocked AT&T iPhone 4 being used way up north on Canada's Bell -- and while we don't have a timeline for a release just yet, this should be particularly exciting news for Canadians who don't have much interest in waiting any longer for their version of the phone to officially arrive. We'll update you just as soon as it's available.

[Thanks, Brad]

Update: Numerous readers have written in to remind us that the above image isn't proof of an unlock, since an AT&T iPhone can roam on Bell. True -- but considering how this is coming straight from an iPhone Dev Team member, we're going to stay optimistic.

Update 2: Planetbeing has uploaded a video of the carrier unlock (embedded after the break), but he confesses that the existing build "sucks." A cleaned up version should be ready for mass consumption shortly, though. [Thanks, all!]

Continue reading iPhone 4 carrier unlock teased, not released just yet (update: video)

iPhone 4 carrier unlock teased, not released just yet (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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XpanD heads to Paris, comes back with Jean Paul Gaultier… in 3D!

Joseph L. Flatley — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:43:00 +0000

The crossroads of fashion and gadgetry is fraught with danger, bad taste, and ill-conceived promotional campaigns. Taking its place among both the Calvin Klein crapgadget and the subtle elegance (and overall silliness) of Sony's Vaio P campaign, XpanD decided that the best way to sell consumers on its 3D technology was by following folks like Jean Paul Gaultier and Dita Von Teese around with a 3D camera. So they headed to Paris to film the outrageous clothing and personalities during something called Paris Haute Couture Week. "At XpanD, fashion is a religion-we aim to not only make 3D content look fabulous, but to make the people wearing our glasses look fabulous as well," says Maria Costeira, XpanD CEO. Sounds great! Because, really, if American consumers are going to be sold on 3D it will be on the runway (and not, say, on the basketball court). Learn all about the XpanD Universal 3D glasses (designed to work with any 3D-enabled device!) in the PR after the break.

Continue reading XpanD heads to Paris, comes back with Jean Paul Gaultier... in 3D!

XpanD heads to Paris, comes back with Jean Paul Gaultier... in 3D! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Colorware douses iPhone 4 in double rainbow, might just solve your reception issues

Darren Murph — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:19:00 +0000

Given just how much that white iPhone 4 bumper is about to cost you on eBay, it seems as if a Colorware'd alternative has never been a better bargain. The master of gadget coloration is back once more, this time promising to dress Apple's latest problem child up with just about any combination of hues that you choose. Consumers can splash paint on the frame, back, button, SIM card tray and earbuds, with the minimum price set at $250 for a sent-in device. There's no guarantee that a coat of Colorware will serve to remedy those awfully annoying reception issues, but at least you can pocket a beautiful reminder of just how happy a pair of colorful bands can make the average vacationer. And that, friends, is priceless.

Gallery: Colorware paints Apple iPhone 4

Continue reading Colorware douses iPhone 4 in double rainbow, might just solve your reception issues

Colorware douses iPhone 4 in double rainbow, might just solve your reception issues originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon catalog reveals Motorola Droid 2, new dumbphones

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:44:00 +0000

We knew the original Droid's replacement was coming, but we were never able to nail down the market name with confidence -- until now, it seems. The Droid 2 makes a prominent appearance in an official catalog of Verizon devices leaked to BGR, talking up its 5 megapixel cam, 8GB of onboard storage, and 1GHz processor, positioning it just ever so slightly below the mighty Droid X. Also finding their way into the catalog are the recently-launched Pantech Jest, the self-branded Verizon Salute, and the Intensity II and Gusto both from Samsung, all dumbphones that just add more evidence to the theory that all the good names for mobile devices have already been taken. No date's given for the Droid 2, but we imagine it can't be long now that they're openly talking about it, right?

Verizon catalog reveals Motorola Droid 2, new dumbphones originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kondo aims lower down the food chain with cute turtle robot kit (video)

Sean Hollister — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:20:00 +0000

Kondo's bipedal robots have always filled us with a sense of awe, whether they're duking it out in the arena or practicing touchscreen moves. However, we'd never quite seen a Kondo bot that we'd classify as cute until this robot turtle came along. The Kame Robotto is apparently the first in the Kondo Animal series, and it's honestly a pretty simple kit -- nine servos, a tiny board and a 10.8V, 300mAh NiMH battery pack , plus software and a simple frame. That said, it's pretty amazing how tightly these off-the-shelf components come together to create a scuttling, waving little thing, and we dare you to watch the video after the break without feeling the slightest twinge of compassion for the bot. RT Robot Shop wants ¥39,900 (about $450) for the creature, which is reportedly limited to 100 pieces -- if you happen to live in Japan, get your preorder (for July 15) in at the source link.

Continue reading Kondo aims lower down the food chain with cute turtle robot kit (video)

Kondo aims lower down the food chain with cute turtle robot kit (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yes, the iPhone 4 is broken / No, the iPhone 4 is not broken

Nilay Patel — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:28:00 +0000

The controversy over the iPhone 4's antenna issues continues to grow, particularly after Consumer Reports confirmed yesterday that every iPhone 4 suffers from signal attenuation when the phone is held with the lower left corner covered -- a report that we confirmed with results from our own custom signal metering app. At this point, there's no longer any question in our minds that the iPhone 4's antenna can be made to lose signal by holding it "wrong" -- and we definitely think it's more than a little silly that simply holding the phone in your left hand has been nicknamed the "death grip."

That said, however, it's not at all clear what the real-world effects of the antenna issue actually are for most people -- as we've repeatedly said, several iPhone 4s owned by the Engadget staff (including our review unit) have never experienced so much as a single dropped call, while others suffer from signal issues that results in lost calls and unresponsive data in a dramatic way. What's more, at this point Apple's sold well over two million iPhone 4s, and we simply haven't heard the sort of outcry from users that we'd normally hear if a product this high-profile and this popular had a showstopping defect. Honestly, it's puzzling -- we know that the phone has an antenna-related problem, but we're simply not able to say what that issue actually means for everyday users.

So we're doing what we can do: we've collected reports from every member of the Engadget staff who's using the phone, as well as reached out to a variety of tech industry colleagues for their experiences. As you'll see, it seems like most of our peers seem to be doing perfectly fine with their iPhone 4s, but the people who are having problems are having maddening issues in an inconsistent way. We'd say it all comes down to the network -- particularly in New York City, where AT&T just completed a major upgrade -- but even that isn't a consistent factor in predicting experience. Ultimately, we just won't know what's really going on until Apple comes clean and addresses this issue (and the growing PR nightmare it's become), but for now we can say with some certainty that not everyone is affected, and those that are seem to be in the minority. Read on for the full report.

Continue reading Yes, the iPhone 4 is broken / No, the iPhone 4 is not broken

Yes, the iPhone 4 is broken / No, the iPhone 4 is not broken originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel has its best quarter ever, brings in $2.9b profit

Nilay Patel — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:31:00 +0000

Sure, smartphone and tablets might be the Next Big Thing, but desktop computing ain't dead yet -- just ask Intel, which just reported its best-ever quarter with a $2.9b profit on $10.8b in revenue. That's an increase of $445m in profit from last quarter and a whopping $3.3b from last year, all driven by record laptop and server chip revenue, as well as a 16 percent increase in Atom revenue. What's more, the average sale price of all those chips went up, and selling more chips at a higher price is always good for business. Intel's got a call to discuss these numbers in depth at 5:30PM ET, we'll let you know if we hear anything good.

Intel has its best quarter ever, brings in $2.9b profit originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexus One now a step closer to FM radio support, thanks to modified kernel

Ross Miller — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:41:00 +0000

As you may or may not be already aware, the Nexus One and HTC Desire have the same Broadcom chip. Seems trivial at cursory glance until you realize the Desire has a FM radio app, which should ergo be just as feasible on the Google-branded device. Cut to xda-developers' intersectRaven, who's released a custom N1 kernel that theoretically brings life to the FM receptor. It's available to download, but as for when you'll get a chance to really use this yourself, that's entirely up to the custom ROM developers updating their respective wares. For his part, Paul O'Brien said today he's already got it working on an upcoming Froyo Sense build for the device -- hang tight, folks, it's coming.

[Thanks, John]

Nexus One now a step closer to FM radio support, thanks to modified kernel originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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South Korea enlists armed sentry robots to patrol DMZ

Donald Melanson — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:49:00 +0000

South Korea has been working on deploying armed sentry robots along the border with North Korea since at least as far back as 2006, and it looks like it's still keeping at it. While complete details are a bit light, they country apparently put a pair of new sentry robots in place in the Demilitarized Zone last month, which pack both a machine gun and a grenade launcher to ward off intruders. Those would of course be controlled by humans, but the robots apparently use heat and motion sensors to do all the monitoring on their own, and simply alert a command center if they spots a trespasser. Of course, they are still just in the testing phase, and the military says it's waiting to see how things work out before it begins a more widespread deployment.

South Korea enlists armed sentry robots to patrol DMZ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tec Hideoto portable cassette player time-travels from 1994, gets USB audio for its trouble

Joseph L. Flatley — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:06:00 +0000

Of all the USB tape players we've seen in our day, this is certainly one of them! Available from a Japanese company called Tec, Hideoto is a Walkman-esque portable cassette player that features USB and stereo headphone outputs, powered by either the aforementioned Universal Serial Bus or two AA batteries. It also comes with Cassette Mate software for Windows, which presumably makes saving your audio to MP3, WAV, or WMA a figurative snap. Available next month in Japan for roughly $57, at which point we expect to see these pop up at our favorite import e-tailers here in the states. Get a closer look after the break.

Continue reading Tec Hideoto portable cassette player time-travels from 1994, gets USB audio for its trouble

Tec Hideoto portable cassette player time-travels from 1994, gets USB audio for its trouble originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Velocity Micro shows off $199 Cruz Reader

Donald Melanson — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:43:00 +0000

We haven't heard much about Velocity Micro's Android-based Cruz Reader since it sort of came out of nowhere back in April, but it's now finally nearing a release (sometime in August), and the company is starting to show it off a bit more. As expected, the Cruz Reader is just one of a series of tablets from the company and, despite the "reader" moniker, is actually more of a full-fledged Android tablet, complete with support for apps, games, web browsing, and other tablet-like activities. Velocity Micro is playing up the reader angle though, and has announced a partnership with Borders and Kobo to deliver ebooks to the device. Somewhat confusingly, however, it will be joined later in August by the $299 Cruz Tablet, which opts for a 16:9 capacitive display, adds 4GB of internal storage and an 8GB SD card, and Flash support, which the Reader apparently doesn't have (we're not quite sure what that means OS-wise). Rounding out the initial group is the kid-friendly Cruz StoryPad, which boasts a spill-resistant case and will run $149. Head on past the break for a look at the Cruz Reader on video, and the complete press release.

Continue reading Velocity Micro shows off $199 Cruz Reader

Velocity Micro shows off $199 Cruz Reader originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boeing Phantom Eye unmanned spy plane stays aloft four days, sort of bums us out

Joseph L. Flatley — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:21:00 +0000

Sometimes, in the seat of our despair (which almost always corresponds with a viewing of The Real Housewives of New Jersey), we reflect on the sorry state of the world and note that the one thing we don't have to doubt is that history is marching us towards a mechanized slaughter that will make World War I look like Burning Man (the rave, not the actual burning people). Sure, it never occurred to anyone to maybe figure out how to cap an undersea oil well, but at least we are making headway in our development of autonomous, long range aircraft (you know, for shooting people and eavesdropping and whatnot). Our latest example of a world gone mad comes courtesy of Boeing, and it's called Phantom Eye. The unmanned aircraft system looks something like a bowling pin with wings and can spend up to four days at 65,000 feet. Also featured on the craft is a hydrogen propulsion system that promises great fuel economy, and whose only byproduct is water. At the unveiling ceremony in St. Louis, Boeing Phantom Works president Darryl Davis noted that the "capabilities inherent" in its design "will offer game-changing opportunities for our military, civil and commercial customers." Awesome! Look for the device later this summer, when it begins a series of ground and taxi tests in preparation for its first flight early next year.

Continue reading Boeing Phantom Eye unmanned spy plane stays aloft four days, sort of bums us out

Boeing Phantom Eye unmanned spy plane stays aloft four days, sort of bums us out originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drumssette DIY drum machine was once a four track, perfect for your Big Audio Dynamite cover band

Joseph L. Flatley — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:33:00 +0000

This is probably the most charming instrument that we've seen in a long time. It looks great, it's analog, and it's useful despite certain limitations (and, as any musician will tell you, sometimes you need limitations to get the creative juices flowing). Designed and built by Mike Walters (aka Mystery Circuits), the Drumssette is a drum machine derived from an old Tascam four track cassette recorder. It features sampled Roland TR-808 drum hits, a sixteen step sequencer, analog echo and digital delay, clock output for controlling the rhythmic phrasing of an external instrument (allowing it to act like an arpeggiator, except that it controls the phrasing of the note, but not the pitch) and more. It's pretty wild! This guy goes into extreme geeky detail as to the inner workings of this device, which you can see at the Source link if you're so inclined. If not, make sure you check out select videos of the thing in action after the break.

Continue reading Drumssette DIY drum machine was once a four track, perfect for your Big Audio Dynamite cover band

Drumssette DIY drum machine was once a four track, perfect for your Big Audio Dynamite cover band originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba’s Canvio for Mac external HDD family makes OS X backup a cinch

Darren Murph — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:12:00 +0000

Not taking another chance on that Time Capsule, even after it's repaired? Can't say we blame you, and neither will Toshiba. Following up on the debut of the Canvio hard drive line in March, Tosh has just outed a Canvio for Mac family that's aimed at making OS X backups a lesson in simplicity. Available now in 500GB, 750GB and 1TB sizes, the new trio ships with pre-loaded Mac-customized backup software, and they'll be doused in either Radiant Silver or Infinite White. Internally, there's a shock sensor for keeping things safe from minor bumps and bruises, and as you'd expect, USB 2.0 provides all of the power and connectivity you need. Check 'em right now for $99.99, $119.99 and $139.99 in order of mention.

Continue reading Toshiba's Canvio for Mac external HDD family makes OS X backup a cinch

Toshiba's Canvio for Mac external HDD family makes OS X backup a cinch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo University’s Grape-DR supercomputer is a tangled green powerhouse

Tim Stevens — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:29:00 +0000

We live in an ecologically minded era, where Ford spends more time talking up the new Mustang's mpg rating than its 0 - 60 times. Appropriate, then, that supercomputers are now being rated not on ultimate speed but on speed relative to power consumption. Top of the Green500 supercomputer list is the Grape-DR, a Japanese cluster at the University of Tokyo powered by a combination of 128 Intel Core i7-920 processors and four bespoke accelerator chips. That combination enables the system to manage 815.43 megaflops per watt, a good bit higher than the 773.38 rating an IBM-based machine in Germany managed. That's quite a bit lower than the team hopes to achieve, indicating they can boost that rating by 50 percent by the end of the year. Hopefully by then they invest in some cable management. Two of our staff network engineers passed out after just glancing at the picture above. The third... well, he didn't fare so well.

Tokyo University's Grape-DR supercomputer is a tangled green powerhouse originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint’s Hesse: there’s ‘logic’ to a T-Mobile merger — if they both move to LTE

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:46:00 +0000

Sprint's riffed about the possibility of migrating to LTE in the past -- as has its 4G partner, Clearwire -- so it's no big surprise to hear CEO Dan Hesse tell the Financial Times today that he's still open to the idea down the road, possibly side-by-side with the company's existing WiMAX deployment thanks to its deep spectrum holdings. What's far more interesting, though, is his concession that there's "logic" to exploring a merger with T-Mobile USA in the event that they both move to LTE for their next-gen networks. For its part, T-Mobile hasn't announced its 4G plans yet, but it's an open secret than Deutsche Telekom has explored the idea of selling off its US outpost in the past. Combined, it seems that Sprint and T-Mobile -- neither of whom have the firepower to compete with giants AT&T or Verizon on every level -- would create a strong third-place carrier capable of nipping at their heels. FT says that the idea of a Sprint deal was rejected back in 2008 on grounds that the two have incompatible networks, so who knows... if that restriction were removed, there might yet be love in the air.

Sprint's Hesse: there's 'logic' to a T-Mobile merger -- if they both move to LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Universal USB controlled ‘Power USB’ strip turns on when your PC says it can

Darren Murph — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:23:00 +0000

Needlessly annoyed by how much energy is being wasted in your home thanks to vampire draw? Regrettably, it looks as if you'll have to just tough it out for the remainder of summer (or winter, depending on hemisphere), as the device you're peering at above won't be on sale until August. The USB controlled "Power USB" power strip is a rather unique device, housing a grand total of four universal power sockets (hello, travelers!) and a single USB port; as you may expect, the USB port links the strip to your computer, giving it the power to turn a given socket on or off. Two of the plugs are actually on at all times (a good thing -- trust us), while the other two can be turned on automatically when triggered by a software program or a print job, for example. There's no mention of a price just yet, but even more alarming is the omission of a 12 socket version for the hardcore users among us.

Universal USB controlled 'Power USB' strip turns on when your PC says it can originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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mSpot brings movie rentals to the iPad, works just fine over 3G

Tim Stevens — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:51:00 +0000

If you find yourself a little unimpressed with Netflix's Instant selection and you're needing to rent something a bit newer right now, the new iPad-optimized version of the mSpot movie streaming app should fit all up in your niche. For between $2.99 and $3.99 you can rent and watch a movie streaming right to your little slab of delight over either 3G or WiFi, though we're told those who do it via 802.11 can expect higher quality. You can also rent movies on your home computer, pause them there, and then resume playback on your iPad right where you left off. Handy when it's time to run to the train and you just can't wait to see whether George Clooney's Up in the Air character manages to find room for true companionship in his backpack.

mSpot brings movie rentals to the iPad, works just fine over 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 09:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 4 plus Brailliant-32 display enables even blind men to experience the magic (video)

Tim Stevens — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:28:00 +0000

The evolution of phones away from physical buttons toward touchscreens is great if you're into clean, aesthetic design. But, if you're suffering from limited vision, there are some obvious issues. Thankfully the iPhone 4 at least has support for Braille displays like those Brailliant, as kindly demonstrated by acoustic guitar virtuoso and software guru Victor Tasaran. Using the six buttons on his Brailliant-32 he's able to navigate across icons, then feel the text beneath each one -- or wait for the hurried text-to-speech to read back to him. It's an encouraging solution for smartphone accessibility, but does have a rather negative impact on portability -- and, we're sad to say, on cost as well. His 32-character unit will set you back just under $4k, which is many times the cost of the phone itself. But, at least when it's used like in the video below, sitting on the table, he won't have to worry about signal issues.

Continue reading iPhone 4 plus Brailliant-32 display enables even blind men to experience the magic (video)

iPhone 4 plus Brailliant-32 display enables even blind men to experience the magic (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 09:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nemoptic’s Active Matrix Binem displays look perfect for your low-power Game Boy (video)

Tim Stevens — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:06:00 +0000

While the grocery stores in our hood are apparently a little too low-tech for the stuff, Nemoptic has made quite a name for itself in produce circles with its tiny, cheap e-paper price tags, able to reflect the continually rising costs of Cap'n Crunch. Now the company is branching out with rather more high-tech but still tiny displays called Binem Active Matrix E-paper, which show a variety of interesting tricks in a series of videos from June that Technology Review is just now bringing to light. The two-inch, 170dpi screens can manage a 30ms refresh rate -- just fast enough to handle video -- and can do partial refreshing, changing only portions of the display. Perhaps most interestingly the screens can be backlit, meaning they use a rather different construction than traditional E-Ink, but exactly how they work has yet to be disclosed. Check out the thrilling demonstration after the break and see if you can solve the mystery.

Continue reading Nemoptic's Active Matrix Binem displays look perfect for your low-power Game Boy (video)

Nemoptic's Active Matrix Binem displays look perfect for your low-power Game Boy (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 09:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Phone Live to offer remote wipe, location, and sync for your Windows Phone 7 device

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

See, Android owners don't ever lose their phones, so that's why they don't need this capability... right? Right? Hot on the heels of yesterday's news that RIM would be delivering a comprehensive remote wipe solution to BlackBerrys this year, Andy Lees is mentioning at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference today that an all-new Windows Phone Live website will figure prominently into the Windows Phone 7 equation when devices launch toward the end of 2010. It looks like the site is divided into two, arguably equally important parts: a sync function, which lets you transfer photos directly from your phone (a la Kin Studio, perhaps?), move OneNote content, synchronize contacts, and so on, and a suite of tools for dealing with a lost or stolen device -- you'll be able to remotely wipe it, locate it, lock it, or just make it ring until you drive the thief out of his gourd.

On a related note, Lees is also announcing that we'll be seeing the first volley of Windows Phone 7 devices in five languages -- English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish -- and that Windows Phone Marketplace (the Windows Phone 7 version of it, presumably) will be available in 17 countries out of the gate. That's not what we'd call global domination, of course, but you've got to start somewhere.

Windows Phone Live to offer remote wipe, location, and sync for your Windows Phone 7 device originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT’s piezoelectric fibers can act as speaker or microphone, don’t mind auto-tune

Sean Hollister — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:27:00 +0000

Piezoelectric materials work quite simply, in theory -- motion in, electricity out, or vice versa -- and since that's just how speakers and microphones transmit their sound, it's not much of a stretch to imagine someone would figure out audio on a micron scale. That someone is MIT's Yoel Fink, who's reportedly engineered a marvelous process for producing fibers that can detect and emit sound. Following up their famous work on flexible cameras, Fink's team discovered they could keep piezoelectric strands rigid enough to produce audible vibrations by inserting graphite, AKA pencil lead. Better yet, the lab process can apparently make the threads on a fairly large scale, "yielding tens of metres of piezoelectric fibre" at a single draw. The potential for fabric made from such fibers is fantastic, of course -- especially combined with this particular scientist's previous research into camera cloth.

MIT's piezoelectric fibers can act as speaker or microphone, don't mind auto-tune originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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