WD TV Play media hub revealed by the FCC, puts Texas Hold'em on the big screen

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/18/wd-tv-play-media-hub-revealed-by-the-fcc/

Western Digital must not want to leave casual TV gaming to the Roku crowd. Our friends at the FCC have just posted a filing that shows the as yet unannounced WD TV Play taking on its set-top rival with a dedicated gaming channel. We're only given a small peek into the new media hub's gaming universe through the pre-release user manual, but we know that a Texas Hold'em variant and other titles will find their way in through the gaming services Funspot and PlayJam. No signs have surfaced of a Roku-like motion control, either, although the remote has been given an overhaul compared to its WD TV Live cousin with prominent shortcut buttons for Hulu Plus, Netflix and Vudu. There aren't any immediate clues as to when the otherwise pedestrian-looking Play will take over store shelves -- that said, the virtually complete details hint that there's not long to wait.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

WD TV Play media hub revealed by the FCC, puts Texas Hold'em on the big screen originally appeared on Eng adget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 21:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YouTube add face blur tech to its videos, creates anonymous copies of your clips

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/18/youtube-adds-face-blur-tech/

YouTube has added another feature to its enhancements tool, allowing you to automate the process of blurring out people's faces in your photos. Its makers are quick to add that it's still an emerging technology, and that it may still miss out on faces depending on lighting obstructions and video quality. YouTube cites footage from human rights issues for bringing the idea forward, where identification of those involved could prove dangerous. You'll be able to preview how it looks, and if you choose to include the blurred option, a new copy is made to avoid losing the unedited original. The feature is rolling out to the site today -- now you just need a decent video camera.

Continue reading YouTube add face blur tech to its videos, creates anonymous copies of your clips

YouTube add face blur tech to its videos, creates anonymous copies of your clips originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 11:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung 75-inch ES9000 smart TV makes stateside debut: on sale in August for $9,999

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/18/samsung-75-inch-es9000-smart-tv-stateside-debut/

The mammoth 75-inch ES9000 LED smart TV that Samsung recently unveiled for the Korean market is making its way stateside. Today the 3D-capable, LED-backlit set was on display in New York as part of the Sammy-sponsored SpaceFest marking the Space Shuttle Enterprise's arrival at the Intrepid. How smart TVs relate to Space Shuttle orbiters is beyond us, but the ES9000's US debut is welcome news for those with a massive living room to fill, and were disappointed after the ES8000 75-incher shown at CES and even given a price tag earlier this year failed to materialize.

Detailed specs are currently MIA, but as we noted before in our hands-on, the 75-incher's bezel measures just 0.31 inches, and the frame sports a rose-gold finish. There's also a built-in web camera that retracts when not in use, and the TV comes with four pairs of 3D glasses. Being a smart TV, this guy also includes the full suite of Smart TV features, such as Smart Interaction for enabling gesture and voice controls and Smart Content for sharing media across several devices. Samsung also used today's occasion to introduce a new Angry Birds app for its smart TVs, which lets users play the game entirely with gesture controls. The app will be available for a free download later this month, and the ES9000 will go on sale in August for a super-sized price of $9.999. Check ou! t the PR below for more info.

Continue reading Samsung 75-inch ES9000 smart TV makes stateside debut: on sale in August for $9,999

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household

Samsung 75-inch ES9000 smart TV makes stateside debut: on sale in August for $9,999 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google opens Web Lab at London's Science Museum, because 'the internet is incredible'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/18/google-web-lab-uk/

Still unable to resist its techno-philanthropic urges, Google has just unveiled the Web Lab at the Science Museum in London. Paid for entirely with Google juice and constructed in a basement area that was previously used for storage, the exhibition consists of five experiments that help us to "discover the power of the internet while we're on the internet." That might sound cheesy, but we've had a good play with each installation and they're actually very well thought out and accessible -- although, if you're already a hyper-connected nutcase then you might find it more appropriate for friends and family.

We won't give too much away in case it spoils your fun, but you can get a flavor from the attached promo video we saw back at Google I/O, plus our gallery and the PR after the break. In any case, it's safe to say that each experiment involves creating and sharing media in a way you've never tried before. What's more, everything you do is stored in a little personal account in the cloud that you can access using the unique "lab tag" shown in the photo above. (Incidentally, all those symbols floating around in the background represent other individuals who are also currently participating in the project -- which ought to give you some idea of the overall premise.)! The exh ibition opens to the public tomorrow, is free to enter and follows the same opening hours as the main museum -- although the lab's online dimension will remain active for a distinctly un-British 24-7-365.

Gallery: Google Web Lab

Continue reading Google opens Web Lab at London's Science Museum, because 'the internet is incredible'

Filed under: Science, Internet

Google opens Web Lab at London's Science Museum, because 'the internet is incredible' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Series 9 13-inch lands 1.9GHz Core i7, 256GB SSD edition for the power user set

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/18/samsung-series-9-13-inch-lands-1-9ghz-core-i7-256gb-ssd/

When we looked at the 13-inch Samsung Series 9, we lamented that there was only one version on offer: if anyone wanted more than a Core i5 and a 128GB drive, their dreams were crushed. Samsung must feel that there's hope for us yet, as there's now a higher-end spec that slots in a 1.9GHz Core i7 and doubles the storage to 256GB. That's good news to us, even if the 4GB RAM ceiling will still have some avid Ultrabook fans turning elsewhere. Springing for the new flagship will set shoppers back by about $300 more than the previous top of the line, or $1,700 -- still pricey relative to the competition, but much more palatable you're searching for a premium Windows 7 ultraportable and aren't willing to budge on screen size.

Filed under: Laptops

Samsung Series 9 13-inch lands 1.9GHz Core i7, 256GB SSD edition for the power user set originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung updates MultiView camera lineup with MV900F point-and-shoot for $350, we go hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/18/samsung-multiview-mv900f/

When we were first introduced to Samsung's MultiView series with last year's MV800, we were certainly intrigued by the original design -- the LCD flips up to face directly forward, resting just above the main camera module and enabling front-sided operation, for self-portraits and the like. What the camera appeared to offer in ingenuity, however, it lacked in image quality -- shots looked quite mediocre during PC-based reviews, and when viewed on the low-res capacitive touchscreen display. This year's iteration, the MV900F, promises improvements down the 800's list of shortcomings, ranging from an f/2.5-6.3, 25mm 5x optical zoom lens to added WiFi, which brings the model's social feature set in line with other Samsung SMART cameras. There's also a 16.3-megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS sensor on board, along with that 180-degree MultiView display, this time equipped with a 3.3-inch WVGA AMOLED panel. Physically, the camera is similar in appearance, but it's noticeably larger, to accommodate that larger touchscreen (the MV800 included a 3-inch display).

We were able to take an early look at the MV900F, and the display improvements were immediately noticeable. We weren't permitted to review sample shots on a computer, but with so much room to grow from its predecessor, it's safe to say that this lens/sensor combo should yield a noticeable image quality boost. The front-facing display is certainly the star of the show, even enabling gesture controls -- you can zo! om in an d out or capture a shot just by waving your hand (there's a tutorial on-board, but the movements aren't difficult to master). There's also a handful of WiFi options, including Facebook integration, along with instant uploading to sites like Picasa and YouTube, and integration with Samsung's other products, including TVs and Galaxy smartphones. Video capture has also been boosted from 720p to 1080p, letting you take full advantage of HDTV playback, while a variety of photo and movie filters let you get creative in-camera, including a twilight mode that combines three sequential frames in order to snap steady shots in low light. The camera is set to ship in late August for $349.99, and will be available in black and white, so if you were considering the MV800 but opted to hold out while Samsung worked out the kinks, this may be the time to jump. Catch the MV900F in action, including those nifty gesture controls, in our hands-on video after the break.

Gallery: Samsung MultiView MV900F hands-on

Continue reading Samsung updates MultiView camera lineup with MV900F point-and-shoot for $350, we go hands-on

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Samsung updates MultiView camera lineup with MV900F point-and-shoot for $350, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM gets patent for logic-based text prediction, BlackBerry 10 keyboard now preserved for the ages

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/17/rim-gets-patent-for-logic-based-text-prediction/

For those of us who aren't fans of swipe gestures, the highlight of BlackBerry 10 is undoubtedly a unique keyboard that's often a step ahead of its user. It's a good thing for this last camp that RIM was just granted the final version of a related patent for logic-based text prediction. Instead of simply hunting for typos, the patented keyboard guesses the next word based either on the context of the words around it or on other criteria, like common expressions. About the only time the technique doesn't predict words is for passwords -- RIM would rather not be that clever. While there looks to be a few differences in the practical implementation of the patent as we've seen it in a pre-release BlackBerry 10, theory and reality are close enough that RIM won't be worried about anyone else poaching its seemingly mind-reading technology anytime soon.

Filed under: Cellphones

RIM gets patent for logic-based text prediction, BlackBerry 10 keyboard now preserved for the ages originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 22:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Swarming quadrocopters complete trial recon mission for Japanese police (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/17/quadrocopter-recon-japan/

Formation-flying quadrocopters have already given us hours of entertainment, but now they've also accomplished something serious. Earlier this month, mini choppers developed at Japan's robot-loving Chiba University assisted in an emergency drill that simulated an explosion at a chemical plant. Four machines and a host computer (shown off after the break) used spherical markers, image processing and a heck of a lot of math to autonomously scan the site for survivors. The researchers claim the exercise went "very well" and that the local police force would like to "introduce this system" for genuine reconnaissance. That could include monitoring volcanic eruptions or inspecting power lines, but alas there's no mention yet of using quadrocopter swarms to sneak up on yakuza.

Continue reading Swarming quadrocopters complete trial recon mission for Japanese police (video)

Filed under: Robots

Swarming quadrocopters complete trial recon mission for Japanese police (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 23:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Etymotic Musicâ¢Pro 9-15 earplugs bring high-end hush to audiences, lets us enjoy speed metal safely

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/18/etymotic-music-pro-9-15-earplugs-bring-high-end-hush-to-audiences/

Premium electronic earplugs usually find their homes with musicians eager to preserve their hearing at all costs; anyone within the crowd has more often been left to either use cruder plugs or cover their ears. Etymotic wants to bridge that difference with the Musico.Pro 9-15. The combination of ER-9 and ER-15 earplugs matches its namesake not just through the choice of components, but through active noise cancellation that removes 9 to 15 decibels from the sound only when the rock gets too raucous: listeners can hear fellow concert-goers and even boost their volume without skewing the sound of the band. Pricing plays its own part in reaching out to the crowd, too. As high as the new Musico.Pro set's $399 price might be compared to a typical pair of ear blockers, it's low enough that a dedicated fan of virtual Tupac can afford to go to the concert protected rather than voluntarily take on some hearing damage.

Continue reading Etymotic Music•Pro 9-15 earplugs bring high-end hush to audiences, lets us enjoy speed metal safely

Filed under: Peripherals

Etymotic Music•Pro 9-15 ear! plugs br ing high-end hush to audiences, lets us enjoy speed metal safely originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 01:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And Now For Something Completely Different: The 'Ultimate' Death Cross

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/and-now-for-something-completely-different-the-ultimate-death-cross-2012-7

James Ross, the University Architect at UNC Wilmington and an astute observer of the economy, called my attention to an amusing Business Insider piece published yesterday: The S&P Is On The Verge Of The Ultimate Death Cross. The piece mentions a note published Monday by Societe Generale analyst Albert Edwards, who points out that the S&P is on the verge of an "ultimate" death cross. And what, pray tell, is that? A 50-200 moving average crossover, based on months, not days (or even weeks).

So let's check this out. The S&P 500 only dates back to March 1957. Since that time the 50-month MA has never crossed below the 200 month MA. The closest it came was the June 1978 monthly close, which gave us a 2.09 point spread between the 50-month (92.09) and the 200-month (90.00). During the 55-plus years that the S&P 500 has existed, there has never been an "Ultimate" Death Cross.

At the end of last month, the spread was a little over 11 points.

Click for a larger image

How disastrous would a trip to the "Death Zone" be? Let's look further back in time. The chart below uses the S&P Composite data set popularized by Yale professor Robert Shiller. It consists of the monthly averages of daily closes since 1871 -- over 140 years of US market history.

Click for a larger image

 

The annotations on the chart speak for themselves.

---

Postscript: Yes, the title of this piece includes an allusion to a regular Monty Python feature, a favorite of many of my fellow Boomers.

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Faraday Porteur concept e-bike becomes a reality, launches pre-sale on Kickstarter (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/17/faraday-e-bike-launches/

Last time we saw the Faraday electric bike, it had just emerged victorious from the Oregon Manifest design competition. Designed by Ideo and built by Portland's Rock Lobster Cycles, the retro-styled ride was destined to rot in concept hell for all eternity -- that is until lead designer Adam Vollmer quit Ideo to press the bike into production under the Faraday Bicycles name. Now he's perfected the design, the company's launching a pre-sale on Kickstarter to, er, kickstart the first production run.

Don't be fooled by its low-fi looks, parallel top tubes hold a series of lithium-ion batteries which power a front motor, good for between 10 and 15 miles of travel. The two front prongs are the basis of a modular racking system and contain a pair of LED headlamps that activate automatically in bad light. It charges in 45 minutes and weighs around 40 pounds. The bike will set you back $3,500, $300 less than when a second run is produced next year -- significantly cheaper than the current price for the $5,400 Grace One we rode around New York. If you've got some baller-style cash to throw around, you can spend $10,000 on a collectors edition hand-finished by Rock Lobster's Paul Sadoff. After the break we've got video and more details, but be warned -- you might find yourself opening your wallet a little too rapidly.

Continue reading Faraday Porteur concept e-bike becomes a reality, l! aunches pre-sale on Kickstarter (video)

Filed under: Transportation

Faraday Porteur concept e-bike becomes a reality, launches pre-sale on Kickstarter (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 15:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crucial ships mSATA-based m4 SSD upgrade, your Ultrabook never felt better

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/17/crucial-ships-msata-based-m4-ssd-upgrade-for-ultrabooks/

Crucial has already managed to stuff its m4 SSD into Ultrabook sizes, but the 7mm thick design may still be too portly for the thinner laptops in the pack. With that in mind, the flash memory guru has just started shipping the m4 mSATA, a barebones card that sits cozily next to the motherboard either as a cache for a rotating disk or as a main drive. It's still as speedy as many of its bigger cousins, with read speeds of up to 500MB/s per second. We suspect most buyers will be lured in by the low prices: at just $53 for a cache-friendly 32GB SSD and no more than $226 for a 256GB example, it's entirely feasible to give that spinning-drive Ultrabook a shot in the arm.

Continue reading Crucial ships mSATA-based m4 SSD upgrade, your Ultrabook never felt better

Filed under: Laptops, Storage

Crucial ships mSATA-based m4 SSD upgrade, your Ultrabook never felt better originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul! 2012 15 :21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OnStar seals partnership with RelayRides, makes renting out your car even easier (hands-on video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/17/onstar-seals-partnership-with-relayrides-makes-renting-out-your/

Remember that partnership between OnStar and RelayRides we wrote about last March? Well it's finally coming to fruition today, with the peer-to-peer car sharing service launching support for remote door unlocking via OnStar's proprietary API. As a result, RelayRides members with OnStar-enabled vehicles no longer have to exchange keys in person if they so choose. Another benefit is that participants can list their automobile on RelayRides directly from their OnStar account -- renters then benefit from the added safety and security that comes with OnStar.

We had the chance to test an early version of the functionality on a Chevy Volt at SXSW a few months ago and it worked pretty much as advertised. There was a bit of a delay between the time we sent the unlock command from RelayRides' website on the demo iPad and the moment the doors actually unlocked on the car, but we're told this has been significantly improved since our hands-on. Of course, RelayRides also supports remote unlocking via text message. Take a look at the galleries below then hit the break for our hands-on video, RelayRides' video and OnStar's PR.

Gallery: RelayRides with OnStar hands-on

Gallery: RelayRides with OnStar PR

Continue reading OnStar seals partnership with RelayRides, makes renting out your car even easier (hands-on video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Transportation, Software

OnStar seals partnership with RelayRides, makes renting out your car even easier (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comcast, Scripps deal brings more internet streaming video on Xfinity TV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/17/comcast-scripps-deal-brings-more-internet-streaming-video-on-xf/

While some pay-TV providers are tied up in nasty battles with the studios that provide them content, Comcast and Scripps have just inked an agreement to bring the company's lifestyle programming to cable subscribers over the internet. As noted in the press release (embedded after the break) the multi-year deal brings HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Travel Channel and Great American Country to Comcast's TV Everywhere portal, via mobile (and "other" devices) and on Scripps websites. Probably not a minor element in the deal is the inclusion of support for Comcast's on the fly ad-insertion for VOD, which should push the efforts of both partners along, although potentially unskippable ads could be less viewer friendly.

Continue reading Comcast, Scripps deal brings more internet streaming video on Xfinity TV

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Comcast, Scripps deal brings more internet streaming video on Xfinity TV originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 04:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple's Trying to Kill the Free In-App Purchase iPhone and iPad Hack (But It's Still Working) [Apple]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5926328/apples-trying-to-kill-the-free-in+app-purchase-iphone-and-ipad-hack-but-its-still-working

Obviously, Apple isn't pleased with the crazy-easy way to get free in-app purchases in iOS. It's doing its best to shut down Russian hacker Alexy Borodin's scheme, but right now, it's just chasing shadows.

So far, Apple has issued a takedown request of the original server, had the YouTube instruction video pulled, and had PayPal remove the donation account Borodin had set up. But Borodin has moved his servers offshore, and improved the hack to not use Apple's servers, as you can see in the flow chart above.

Here's what Apple told The Loop:

"The security of the App Store is incredibly important to us and the developer community," Apple representative Natalie Harrison said. "We take reports of fraudulent activity very seriously and we are investigating."

You can follow the ongoing back and forth at the Borodin's site, In-Appstore. He raised a little money to keep hosting running for a month, and he seems committed to keeping the whack-a-hack with Apple going as long as he can sustain it. [In-Appstore via TNW via MacRumors, The Loop]

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