Shenanigans Archive

  • Android + Asteroids + multiplayer = Androideroids (video)

    Android + Asteroids + multiplayer = Androideroids (video)

    Android + Asteroids + multiplayer = Androideroids (video)
    iPad Scrabble playable on your iPhone? Pretty neat. Desktop Asteroids playable on your Android smartphone? Rather more action-packed -- and a little less expensive to get into. Androideroids is a project of Grant Skinner and runs on Adobe's Air platform. It's an eight-player game hosted on a desktop, with each participant given a first-person smartphone view of the vast expanses of space and the hollow rocks scattered throughout it. Meanwhile, a desktop client displays an overhead perspective of the shenanigans, displaying everyone's life and score. Players can either shoot asteroids or each other, tapping on the screen to thrust and fire while tilting to turn. Honestly the move to first-person doesn't seem to have done anything to improve gameplay, but this is still one game of Asteroids we'd make room for in our games folder.

    Continue reading Android + Asteroids + multiplayer = Androideroids (video)

    Android + Asteroids + multiplayer = Androideroids (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Vodafone UK details iPhone 4 plans a little early, we keep the screenshots

    Vodafone UK details iPhone 4 plans a little early, we keep the screenshots

    We don't know what shenanigans are going on over in Vodafone HQ, but the UK carrier gave the world a quick glimpse of its iPhone 4 pricing today, before promptly removing the data sheets from the ether. Thankfully, a fast-witted reader by the name of Liam Gladdy captured the incriminating data for us, and we can now sit and ruminate on what Voda has in store. As you might surmise from above, the vast majority of users won't be getting the handset for free, though that doesn't necessarily preclude the contracts from representing good value. We note with glee that Vodafone keeps its data limit at a robust 1GB, unlike a certain other network, and the £30 ($44) a month two-year contract is looking decent from where we're sitting. Prices over 18 months just jump by £5 in monthly outlay with handset costs remaining the same. Click past the break for the full breakdown, including details for the 32GB variety.

    Continue reading Vodafone UK details iPhone 4 plans a little early, we keep the screenshots

    Vodafone UK details iPhone 4 plans a little early, we keep the screenshots originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Tips and tricks to extending the HTC EVO 4G and Incredible’s battery life (and what this says about Android)

    Tips and tricks to extending the HTC EVO 4G and Incredible’s battery life (and what this says about Android)

    MG and I came at our EVO 4G reviews from different backgrounds. Even though I'm married to a  BlackBerry with a little Droid action on the side and he's a self-proclaimed iPhone fanboy, we both came to the same conclusion: the battery life on the EVO 4G sucks. Sorry, it does. But that's the state of high-powered Android phones at the moment. Both the EVO 4G and Incredible are in the same boat. The 1GHz Snapdragon CPU makes the phones a joy to use, but drains the battery in no time. It's not entirely the snappy dragon's fault either. Android users have been putting up with these type of shenanigans since the G1 debuted in late 2008. It's really sad that the battery life issue still exists and users have to work around it just to use the latest and greatest hardware. I read every single comment on my EVO 4G review with the hope that I was wrong about the phone's battery issue and was simply doing something wrong. But none of the suggestions significantly improved my EVO 4G's battery life. However, by doing a bunch of little things, I extended it's idle life from about 12 hours to 14:30 -- this is the phone's battery life with everything turned off besides 3G and it just sits. All the tweaks are easy to do, but you're going to have to forgo some of the more fun things about Android. It's a shame, really, that a user has to give up fun widgets, advance wireless connections, and auto setting just to squeeze a few more hours from their phone.

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  • Don’t cry for the workers at Foxconn

    Don’t cry for the workers at Foxconn

    I’ve been interested in gadget manufacturing for a while now and, as I reported a few months ago, things are pretty bad but they’ve been worse. Now, however, we’re seeing clusters of suicides at Foxconn as well as an undercover “report” from Foxconn’s “Hell Factory.” I’m calling bull. First, consider that Foxconn has 400,000 employees in [...]

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  • The Engadget Show returns, this Saturday, May 22nd with Sprint’s Evo 4G, Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch, and an Engadget editors Q&A!

    The Engadget Show returns, this Saturday, May 22nd with Sprint’s Evo 4G, Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch, and an Engadget editors Q&A!

    Guess what humans? It's that time again -- the Engadget Show returns this Saturday, May 22nd at 5pm... and it's shaping up to be a killer! First up, we'll have an exclusive interview with Adobe's CTO Kevin Lynch (taped at the Google I/O conference), which is sure to be both informative and wildly entertaining. What's more, Josh, Paul, and Nilay will be putting the new HTC Evo 4G through its paces live onstage, then they'll be joined by our very own Chris Ziegler and Laura June for a hard-hitting round of Q&A with the audience. That's right, it's your chance to ask the Engadget editors anything, live and in-person, plus much more (see instructions in the bullet points below). And as usual, we'll have some rocking 8-bit music from minusbaby and visuals from notendo and plenty of those good 'ol Engadget Show shenanigans.

    You like giveaways? Well then, this is your lucky week (if you attend). Many of you will be walking away with shiny new Voyager Pro headsets, courtesy of Plantronics and we've got tons of Engadget t-shirts to hand out!

    Oh, and did we mention we're also giving away a brand new iPad (courtesy of The Little App Factory and bundled with all of their software titles)? Well we are, alongside a handful of other goodies.

    The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). 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!

    Sprint is also offering 50 guaranteed tickets to The Engadget Show taping to the first 50 entrants who text "ENGADGET" to 467467 or enter online! Standard text messaging rates apply. Click for the official rules and see how to enter online.

    Here's all the info you need:
    • There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free
    • The event is all ages
    • Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 2:30PM on Saturday, doors will open for seating at 4:30PM, and the show begins at 5PM
    • You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket
    • Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we're full, we're full
    • The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break)
    • The show length is around an hour
    • If you have a question for the editor Q&A, email your question to showquestions [at] engadget [dot] com, or hand the question in to us at the venue by 3:30PM. You must hand in the query on an index card or piece of paper when you pick up your tickets.
    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.

    Continue reading The Engadget Show returns, this Saturday, May 22nd with Sprint's Evo 4G, Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch, and an Engadget editors Q&A!

    The Engadget Show returns, this Saturday, May 22nd with Sprint's Evo 4G, Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch, and an Engadget editors Q&A! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 May 2010 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Alistair Overeem will be in EA Sports MMA (then hide out in Japan for 3 years)

    Alistair Overeem will be in EA Sports MMA (then hide out in Japan for 3 years)

    You wouldn't know it, but Strikeforce, TNA to UFC's WWE, has a big show this weekend, and it marks the first time that Alistair Overeem has fought in the U.S. for some three years. This is relevant to us here because EA has revealed that Overeem will, indeed, be in its upcoming EA Sports MMA. That's him on the right. I thought that would have been a given, given that he's the current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, but here we are, treating this like it's news. (Overoids, amirite?!)

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  • Android 2.2 to feature USB + WiFi tethering as standard

    Android 2.2 to feature USB + WiFi tethering as standard

    Our motherblog, TechCrunch, found out today that the Froyo-flavoured (and bloody fast) Android 2.2 will feature USB and WiFi tethering as standard. This will give users the ability to access their phone's 3G connection by either physically connecting the phone to their laptop external-USB-modem-stylee, or over a temporary WiFi access point beaming out from within the phone's magical inner chamber.

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  • April Fools Shenanigans: The 2010 Definitive List

    April Fools Shenanigans: The 2010 Definitive List

    Time to live blog April Fools 2010! Some of us got a jump start on the time-honored tradition (not to name any names here), but we still have about 24 hours of shenanigans left. As the new hire, I have the dubious honor of managing the TechCrunch April Fool’s Scorecard.

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  • NBC pulls anti-Jay Leno forum thread after everyone already had their fun

    NBC pulls anti-Jay Leno forum thread after everyone already had their fun

    Well, it was fun for a whole lot of people while it latest, but the “Here’s what I wanna show Jay Leno” thread is gone forever. NBC no doubt pulled it after the pro-Conan shenanigans got out of hand and attracted the attention of Internet media. You’re just no fun at all, NBC.

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  • Foxconn’s suppliers denies iPad delay rumors (big surprise)

    Foxconn’s suppliers denies iPad delay rumors (big surprise)

    There's been some unfounded rumors swirling around the Internet water cooler the last few days that Apple's initial shipment of iPads will only be around 300,000. That's far less than the expected numbers of 600,000-700,000, which would no doubt cause fanboy riots and shenanigans at Apple Stores nationwide. John called BS on these rumors a few days back and now Foxconn's suppliers has done the same.

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  • Help, iPod jailbreaker, call the police!

    Help, iPod jailbreaker, call the police!

    If you’ve jailbroken your iPhone or iPod touch with little to no regard for the law, maybe it’s time you reconsider your evil ways. Apparently, jailbreaking your iDevice will get the cops on your back if you’re not careful. Not knowing any better, a fellow who goes by the name of hotrod1964 (whom we shall call [...]

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  • World Record texting speed broken – but can you really call this texting?

    World Record texting speed broken – but can you really call this texting?

    Look, I don’t want to sound like a baby or anything, so a huge congrats to Pedro Matias of Portugal for breakin’ the texting speed World Record. Congrats out to our pair of ladies from the US for their performance as well – walking home with 2nd place $20,000 heavier is nothing to laugh at. What [...]

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  • Thanko rolls out not one but two spy cams

    Thanko rolls out not one but two spy cams

    Tokyo-based USB gadget maker today started selling two spy cameras, the so-called Camera Cap [JP] and the LED Spy Light [JP]. While it's a bit of a stretch to call the latter a spy accessory, the bizarre cap can surely be used for undercover reconnaissance and other shenanigans. As to be expected, both gadgets are kind of silly and powered by USB.

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  • Leaked: BlackBerry Bold 9700 and Samsung Behold 2 pricing for T-Mobile

    Leaked: BlackBerry Bold 9700 and Samsung Behold 2 pricing for T-Mobile

    There you were, just this morning, sitting over your latté. "When the hell is the pricing for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 and/or Samsung Behold 2 going to leak?", you thought. Both handsets are coming within roughly a week or so, yet there was still no word on how much you needed to set aside? Pardon my french, friends, but that is shenanigans. Fortunately, its been dealt with.

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  • Dutch court orders, again, TPB to delete torrents, block Dutch users

    Dutch court orders, again, TPB to delete torrents, block Dutch users

    More news about The Pirate Bay to bore you all! (Seriously, it's not like people are still talking about the old Suprnova or Torrentspy anymore, yet the TPB has stuck around.) Some time ago, a Dutch court ordered TPB to delete a number of torrents and block Dutch IP addresses from being able to visit the site. Using a sledgehammer on a thumbtack, yes. Then TPB protested, as it does all the time, saying that it had no idea about the court case to begin with, so it couldn't make a proper defense, etc. The Dutch court agreed to give TPB a a little bit of time to work out its issues, and has now reached another, similar verdict: remove the torrents, and block Dutch IP addresses. Fun all around, really.

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