Archive for October, 2009
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New Sony Ericsson Rachael UI video hits, still looks nothing like Android
Posted on October 31, 2009 | No CommentsFiled under: Software, Sony Ericsson, Android
Calling this Rachael UI an Android "skin" is like calling Windows 95 a "DOS skin," but that's not to say there's nothing to love about it. In fact, we're rather relieved that Sony Ericsson seems to be addressing Android's incredibly lackluster media playback interface, the SE "mediascape" version of which dominates this particular video -- a sequel to the first Rachael UI tease we got back in July. You know what else is great? The video title name drops the same lucious screen resolution as the DROID, 480 x 854, which spells all sorts of good things for SE's first Android entry. Video is after the break, and if that doesn't do the trick for you, the Rachael hardware is being teased over on this end of the internet.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Continue reading New Sony Ericsson Rachael UI video hits, still looks nothing like Android
New Sony Ericsson Rachael UI video hits, still looks nothing like Android originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Link as Link
Posted on October 31, 2009 | No Comments
Inspired by this post back in August, I decided to learn how to knit just so I could make this costume of Link from The Legend of Zelda for our 3-month-old son, also named Link. My wife and I just finished it just in time today to go to a party with some other new parents. Happy Halloween!
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Update: Downgrading to 2.4 is the best way to get back Boxee and XMBC back on your Apple TV
Posted on October 31, 2009 | No Comments
To repeat, do not upgrade your Apple TV to 3.0 if you're running hacked ATV plugins like XBox Media Center or Boxee. I'm sure this will be fixed in a matter of days - if not hours - but as of right now it means a ride on the Failboat to Sad Trombone Town. That's right: this update destroys the only thing that makes Apple TV usable and good.
Also, as an added bonus, Apple TV firmware 3.0 is insignificant. It adds Internet radio to the package and improves the UI. It also adds Genius playlists. My cup, as they say, runneth over.
UPDATE - Post has been update with instructions for downgrading to firmware 2.4.
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Laziness on the move: robot plays Rock Band on the iPhone
Posted on October 31, 2009 | No CommentsFiled under: Peripherals, Apple
Why confine your nerdy sloth to your living room, where large robots mime fake guitar and serve you sloppy mixed drinks? Take that zest for the sedentary life with you on the road by having one of your robot ninjas steal this iPhone Rock Band robot from its ingenious creator, Joe Bowers. The Arduino-based device uses ambient light sensors to detect the falling notes and then taps out the music with some conductive foam attached to some squeaky fake fingers. Joe did a fairly detailed write-up, and even uploaded his code, so there's presumably nothing stopping you from actually doing something with your life and building one of these with all that free time you've saved up by hacking your way through all the console-based guitar games. Video is after the break.
[Via Daily Mobile]Continue reading Laziness on the move: robot plays Rock Band on the iPhone
Laziness on the move: robot plays Rock Band on the iPhone originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone and Windows 7 don’t play nice, Intel P55 chipset to blame
Posted on October 31, 2009 | No CommentsThe iPhone is one of the most wildly popular phones the world has ever seen, while Windows 7 is well on its way to becoming the globe's most ubiquitous OS. So compatibility between the two would be kinda sorta important, right? Tell that to Intel's quality control team who seem to have somehow missed an issue between Apple's app carrier deluxe and the P55 Express chipset's USB controller. Consistent (and persistent) syncing issues have been reported on Apple's support forums, wherein iTunes on Windows 7 machines recognizes the iPhone, but spits out an "error 0xE8000065" message whenever the user attempts to sync. While some have found limited success with using PCI-based USB cards (and bypassing the chipset), this is clearly a major issue and something Apple would expect to be fixed before shipping its Core i5 / i7 iMacs, which are likely to sport the chipset. Hit the read link for the original thread of sorrow and regret, and do chime in with your own experience in the comments.
[Via The Register]iPhone and Windows 7 don't play nice, Intel P55 chipset to blame originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Palm Pixi definitely shipping with a new webOS version, but which?
Posted on October 31, 2009 | No CommentsFiled under: Software, Palm, webOS
Whoa, is that webOS 2.0 we see on the horizon? No, sorry, it definitely isn't -- but we can say with relative confidence that the upcoming Pixi will be shipping with a newer, slightly more feature-rich version of webOS than its Pre brethren around the world; if nothing else, Synergy supports Yahoo on the new model, as PreCentral observes. What remains to be seen is the exact version number that'll be shipping out of the gate -- recent DSLReports user agent logs suggest that 1.2.9 might be the gold build (for the record, the Sprint Pre currently rocks 1.2.1), but apparently there's some chatter going on about a 1.3 as well. Doesn't seem like much of a difference, but a 0.1 increment usually means more features, fixes, and changes than a 0.01 increment does, so naturally, we're pulling for a bigger number. There isn't any intel on what this mythical 1.3 might contain just yet or whether it'd be heading to Bell, Sprint, and O2 Pres, but we'll keep an eye out.Palm Pixi definitely shipping with a new webOS version, but which? originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Leaked docs show HTC’s DROID Eris launching on November 6th for $99, running Android 1.5
Posted on October 31, 2009 | No CommentsFiled under: Handsets, HTC, Verizon Wireless, Windows Mobile, EV-DO, CDMA
Like it or not, we've got it on pretty reasonable authority that HTC's first "DROID" phone is nothing more than a rebadged, shape-shifted Hero (something we've been hearing for a while now), and that it'll be launching on Verizon on November 6th, the same day as Motorola's DROID. That means Android 1.5 "Cupcake," Sense UI, 3.2-inch screen, 528MHz processor and so forth. The Eris will retail for $199 but with a $100 mail-in rebate. It'll pack in an 8GB microSD card and the hopes and dreams of a generation of cheapskates that will be hopin' and prayin' that HTC manages to push Android 2.0 onto this thing so they don't look too bad in front of their DROID-toting buddies on Verizon.
[Thanks, anonymous]Leaked docs show HTC's DROID Eris launching on November 6th for $99, running Android 1.5 originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Fox News: Watch John mumble about gadgets while wearing orange socks
Posted on October 31, 2009 | No CommentsEnjoy. We did. -
What’s next for some of the biggest gadgets of 2009?
Posted on October 31, 2009 | No Comments
It's time to put on the Swami hat and predict just what we have in store for 2010 and beyond. Considering all of the movement in the gadget world in the past few months, I'm fairly sure most of this going to be accurate. Given the current status of some of these technologies, it's hard to prognosticate very far out but there are a few things that have become apparent over the past year, especially the rise of Android and our expectations for the iPad.
Without further ado... the envelope please:
Apple TV -> 27-inch iMac -> Wall Mount for 27-inch iMac
It's sad but true: Apple doesn't care about Apple TV. All the real brain power is going to the desktop and laptop and probably onto the iPad. They've made it clear with the 27-inch iMac that they can make a high-resolution screen and powerful computer inside of a case the thickness of a college textbook. Who needs a TV, let alone an Apple TV?
The obvious conclusion here is that the 27-inch iMac becomes a real Apple TV. The Mac Mini already makes a great multi-media system and a quick update to FrontRow, now considered abandonware, may make it a great 10-foot interface.
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Daily Crunch: Down at the Station Edition
Posted on October 31, 2009 | No Comments
Review: Sanyo Xacti CG10 compact HD camcorder
Advertisers get creative at Waterloo Station, create craziness with projectors
Heated slipper looks downright dangerous
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Dear Valve, where is Episode 3?
Posted on October 30, 2009 | No Comments
Sometimes less is more. In the case of a fan comic recently posted to Valve's forums, it definitely raises a valid question. Where on earth is Half-Life: Episode 3?
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Advertisers get creative at Waterloo Station, create craziness with projectors
Posted on October 30, 2009 | No Comments
Advertising is rough. People get jaded, technology gets old. Viral videos aren't what they used to be. It's not just a case of throwing a simple website up and hoping they come to you, you have to actually work for it.
Projectors seem to be where it's at these days. Companies are using them on walls, pool tables, and now train stations. Sweet video inside.
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Bioshock 2 video preview
Posted on October 30, 2009 | No Comments
I've been told that I need to play the original Bioshock. I missed out on it when it first came out, but picked it up on Steam a while back and just never played it. I've been told it's a great game, but I haven't had the time to check it out yet. Guess I should get to it, since the hands-on videos are already coming out for the sequel.
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Smartphone Showdown: iPhone 3GS vs Motorola Droid
Posted on October 30, 2009 | No Comments
If hype were to be believed, the Motorola DROID is the pièce de résistance of the mobile world; the conclusive creation sent down by the Great Smartphone in the sky to rid us of our woes. It would prepare your breakfast promptly each morning, tuck you in at night, and, maybe -- just maybe -- knock the iPhone down a notch or two.
Beginning about a week before its launch (largely due to Verizon's incredibly intense marketing campaign) I began getting calls and tweets from friends and colleagues asking about the Droid. They always had two questions: the first would be something like "What do you think of the Droid?", followed by "Would you recommend it over the iPhone?" Same questions, each.. and.. every.. time.
I've been using the Droid as my primary phone for a few days now, and I think I'm finally ready to answer them.
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More on the DROID: thoughts from the rest of Engadget
Posted on October 30, 2009 | No CommentsFiled under: Handsets, Motorola, Verizon Wireless, Android
Somewhat unusually, Verizon and Motorola actually gave us four DROID review units to play with -- and while Paul, Nilay, and Chris all contributed to Josh's official Engadget review, there were definitely some different perspectives (and dissenting opinions) amongst the team. Rather than try to squeeze everything together into one jumbled whole, we thought we'd let everyone add their own take on what's clearly a watershed device for Motorola, Google, and Verizon. Read on for more!
Continue reading More on the DROID: thoughts from the rest of Engadget
More on the DROID: thoughts from the rest of Engadget originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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