Saturday, January 05, 2013

Here's Proof That Wearable Tech Is The Next Big Thing

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/wearable-tech-is-the-next-big-thing-2013-1

wellie boots

People today are already pretty much inseperable from technology, whether it's a smartphone, laptop, or tablet. 

But that's not stopping innovators and creators from coming up with ways to bring technology even closer to us. 

Google Glass is probably the most well-known wearable tech item, but other examples include a pair of boots that charge your cell phone, and a glove that allows deaf and blind people to send text messages.

Drum Machine t-shirt lets you make beats on the go

What: Electronic Drum Machine T-shirt

How it works: The drum pads on the front of the shirt let you tap out a beat using your fingers. The shirt also comes with a mini amplifier that clips on to your pants.

Cost: $29.99



This solar-powered bikini soaks up sun rays to power your smartphone and other small electronics

What: Solar Bikini

How it works: The bikini, which is equipped with photovoltaic film strips, absorbs sun rays to charge your phone and other electronics. It's also waterproof!

Cost: Anywhere from $500 to $1,500



Glove One acts a cell phone, but it's not going to keep your hands warm, unfortunately

What: Glove One

How it works: The glove has a slot for a sim card to make and receive calls. On the underside of each finger, there are numeric touch keys for making phone calls. The speaker on the thumb and microphone on the pinky allow you to mimic the standard method of holding a phone while making a call.

Cost: Not for sale, but you can learn how to make your own for about $340 here.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Behringer announces OMNI series AirPlay speakers and connecting receiver amps

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/05/behringer-announces-omni-series-airplay-enabled-speakers-and-rec/

Behringer announces OMNI series, brings your legacy gear to the AirPlay party

Behringer made a bit of a splash as CES last year with its oversized iPhone dock, this year it's keeping things a little more front-room friendly. Launching its new OMNI system, the audio maker hopes to bring a little AirPlay magic to your house, without excluding some of your legacy hardware. The system consists of modular elements that let you add your passive speakers into the mix, as well as work together as a whole. More specifically, the OMNI SP3 and SP5i units are all-in-one 2.1 systems, and there's a dedicated subwoofer too. But, if you don't have or want their own breed, you can bring in your own. The OMNI Amp is a 2 x 40W stereo amplifier and AirPlay receiver that lets you play your music with your existing passive bookshelf or floor-mounted gear, and active speakers can be looped into the AirPlay party with the OMNI link box. The speakers are provisionally set to cost $249 (for the SP3i) and $349 (for the SP5i and sub), while the amp and link boxes will likely set you back $199 and $129 respectively. No word on the official launch date, but head on over to the press release for more info.

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Friday, January 04, 2013

SuperTooth launches the $199 Disco Twin and $89 HD Voice at CES (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/04/supertooth-disco-twin-hd-voice/

SuperTooth launches the $199 Disco Twin and $89 HD Voice at CES video

Gallic Bluetooth audio house SuperTooth wants you to buy its Disco speakers in pairs to better show off its stereo prowess, not to mention make a little more cash. That's why it's outing the Disco Twin here at CES, a $199 pair of noisyboxes that offer discrete left and right stereo -- each pumping out 16 watts of RMS power. You'll be able to squeeze up to four hours of juice out of each one if you use them to host a (short) rave, or up to 10 hours in more serene circumstances. At the same time, it's also releasing the HD Voice, an $89 hands-free car kit that clips to your sun visor and will even pair with your phone using voice commands. The company isn't ready to say when the pair will be available, but we can't imagine it'll be a long wait.

Continue reading SuperTooth launches the $199 Disco Twin and $89 HD Voice at CES (video)

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ZTE readying 5.7-inch P945 smartphone, 9mm thick, quad-core processor, 720p display

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/04/zte-5-7-inch-p945-smartphone-9mm-quad-core/

ZTE readying 57inch P945 smartphone, 9mm thick, quadcore processor, 720p display

ZTE may be warming up more than one phone for tech writers making their way to CES this weekend. Alongside the company's top-drawer Nubia Z5, Unwired View has spotted yet another phone and this one measures in at 5.7 inches. Currently going under the moniker P945, the screen resolution has apparently 720p (unlike the 5-inch 1080p display found on the Nubia device) while there's an unnamed quad-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz doing the heavy lifting. A 3,000mAh battery should (hopefully) be able to power that screen for a decent amount of time, with a front-facing 1-megapixel sensor paired with a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera for your imaging needs. This particular phone has China Mobile livery along the bottom edge and according to the leak, it should arrive over in Asia around the end of Q1 this year.

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Source: Unwired View

Westinghouse set to launch 'Roku ready' CES lineup of HD, 4K models

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/04/westinghouse-set-to-launch-roku-ready-ces-models/

Westinghouse set to launch 'Roku ready' CES lineup of HD, 4K models

Westinghouse is already jockeying for CES 2013 position in the crowded connected-TV arena, saying it'll announce a bevy of MHL-compliant models at the show that'll work with Roku's HDMI Streaming Stick. That would presumably give the panel maker Smart TV options without having to bake the circuitry into the new models, letting Roku take the load in providing WiFi connectivity along with 400 channels like Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and Hulu Plus -- all accessible with the TV's remote. Westinghouse teased LED side-lit models ranging from 27- to 60-inches that'll have the option, along with UHDTV sets like the 110-incher it trumpeted earlier. Pricing and availability are still in the air until at least CES, of course, but considering the company's lack of a premium reputation and the fact that you'd also need to purchase the $99 Roku stick, we don't see them looking at the haut de gamme set.

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Move Over GPS, a New Positioning System Has You in Its Sights

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5973070/move-over-gps-a-new-positioning-system-has-you-in-its-sights

Move Over GPS, a New Positioning System Has You in Its SightsGPS is now so widespread that we take it for granted. But it's not always perfect—so what if a new technology could achieve more than those triangulated military satellites in the sky?

In fact, a team of researchers has been mulling exactly that, and come up with a new positioning technology called Locata. New Scientist explains:

Instead of satellites, Locata uses ground-based equipment to project a radio signal over a localized area that is a million times stronger on arrival than GPS. It can work indoors as well as out, and the makers claim the receivers can be shrunk to fit inside a regular cellphone. Even the US military, which invented GPS technology, signed a contract last month agreeing to a large-scale test of Locata at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

You see, GPS often struggles with indoor environments and big cities: towering concrete buildings make it hard to get a signal, and tight road and pedestrian networks mean inaccuracy is problematic. By contrast, Locata already has accuracy of 18 centimeters along any axis, and claims to be able to get that number down to 5. Crazy.

The technology is, however, still in its early days, and it would take some impressive performance and marketing if it's ever to supersede GPS. Chances are, then, that it would work alongside GPS, creating a hybrid system which combines the best features of both technologies. In fact, such a thing already exists: Leica is trialling a briefcase-size Jigsaw Positioning System which is being used to guide drilling in the gold mines in Western Australia. How quickly that can translate into a consumer product, though, remains to be seen. [New Scientist]

Image by Mukumbura under Creative Commons license

OpenCL mod for the Kindle Fire HD reveals untapped graphics potential (hands-on video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/04/opencl-mod-for-the-kindle-fire-hd/

If a Kindle Fire HD could run OpenCL accelerated graphics, it'd look like this handson video

As neat as the Kindle Fire HD already is, just a few dinky tweaks could turn it into so much more -- a platform for true physics-based gaming, for example, or even for surprisingly fast photo manipulation. How come? Because both the 8.9-inch and 7-inch versions of the Android-based slate come with a graphics engine that can handle OpenCL acceleration. It certainly won't work out of the box, but Amazon has been working quietly with Imagination Technologies -- the folks behind the tablet's PowerVR GPU -- to try it out. The demo after the break is subtle, perhaps, but it's fluid, detailed and goes far beyond anything that a stock device can achieve. It also proves that, in certain circumstances, OpenCL has the power to boost frame rates by 50 percent while simultaneously lowering power consumption by the same proportion. Read on for more.

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Qualcomm Atheros announces StreamBoost technology to improve home networks, router performance

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/04/qualcomm-atheros-streamboost-router-technology/

Qualcomm Atheros announces StreamBoost tech to improve home networks, router performance

Tired of gadgets fighting for bandwidth around your humble abode? Well, the outfit behind the Killer Wireless-N technology that we took a gander at back at E3 is looking to oblige. Qualcomm Atheros has unveiled its StreamBoost router technology with the goal of making in-home streaming experiences all the more enjoyable. By allocating optimum bandwidth to each device and app on a network, StreamBoost shapes and prioritizes the traffic stream to insure that your Netflix viewing of Sons of Anarchy gets ample attention. This also insures that intense gaming sessions won't be interrupted by Hulu Plus or other apps jostling for a download thanks to a constantly updating bandwidth allocation. A user interface offers a hub for monitoring traffic and all of the devices / apps on a given network while a cloud-based service will increase router intelligence on the regular -- automatically sorting new devices as they're added. StreamBoost will be in action next week at CES, where Alienware and D-Link will be showing off the goods with routers built around Qualcomm's VIVE 802.11ac WiFi technology. Until then, the full announcement resides just past the break.

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Velocity Micro unveils tiny Edge Mini desktop, Cruz D610 and Q610 tablets

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/04/velocity-micro-unveils-tiny-edge-mini-cruz-d610-and-q610/

Velocity Micro unveils tiny Edge Mini desktop, Cruz D610 and Q610 tablets

Velocity Micro was busy this December, and it's not about to let up with CES right around the corner. At the forefront of its Las Vegas launches is the Edge Mini. While we're sure some companies might take issue with the PC builder's claims of having the world's smallest desktop, there's no denying that the extra-small Edge's 4 square inches of surface area and 1.5-inch thickness let it slot easily into a home theater. A Core i3 won't make the Edge Mini the most powerful tiny desktop, either, although its $499 asking price may not be an obstacle for those willing to buy the PC when it ships next week.

The tablet crowd also gets its fill with a pair of 10-inch Cruz tablets (pictured after the break). The D610 and Q610 respectively use dual- and quad-core, 1.5GHz Allwinner processors that help keep the starting price down to $199, a company spokesperson tells us. Velocity Micro expects both Cruz models to ship toward the end of March with Android 4.1 inside.

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Source: Velocity Micro

Cisco and NXP invest in Cohda, will work together to enable connected car

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/04/cisco-and-nxp-invests-in-cohda/

DNP Cisco and NXP invests in Cohda, will work together to enable connected car

More than a year after NXP Semiconductors worked with Cohda Wireless to hook up cars via 802.11p, the chip maker has decided to invest in its partner with a little help from Uncle Cisco. While the PR is mum on the exact amount, the investment is apparently significant enough that all three companies are set to work together. Cohda's wireless knowhow, NXP's semiconductor chops and Cisco's vast infrastructure would join forces -- á la Voltron -- to help usher in the era of the connected car. By enabling car-to-car (C2C) and car-to-infrastructure (C2I) communications, drivers could avoid hazards, evade bad traffic and even form "trains" of vehicles on the road like what Volvo's demonstrated with its SARTRE project. No word on a timeline for when we'll see this on public roads, but automotive-qualified IEEE 802.11p products are said to be one of the trio's first goals, so hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later.

[Image credit: Creativity103, Flickr]

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Source: NXP

Thursday, January 03, 2013

Archos reveals Android-powered TV Connect, puts Play store on your big screen

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/03/archos-reveals-android-powered-tv-connect/

Archos reveals Androidpowered TV Connect, puts Play store on your big screen

There are plenty of ways to get Android on your TV -- from smartphone docks, to dongles and even the officially sanctioned Google TV. But most of them are missing something, be it a simple way to control them or access to the full Play store. Archos is aiming to solve those conundrums with its new TV Connect, an Android computer, complete with HD camera and a handheld remote with a pair pointer sticks used to simulate a multitouch screen. Under the hood is a 1.5GHz "multi core" CPU, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable storage. For networking you can go old school and plug in an Ethernet line or lose the cables and rely on WiFi. The remote has more control options than you could possibly desire crammed in a form factor that's more than a little reminiscent of a certain failed Atari console. In addition to the pair of pointer sticks, there's a full QWERTY keypad, a directional pad, four game buttons, the standard Android keys and volume controls -- not to mention you can move an onscreen cursor simply by pointing the remote at your TV.

The strongest selling point of the ! TV Conne ct, however, is its unfettered access to the Google Play store. That means its vast repositories of music, movies and TV shows are available to you but, more importantly, so are the hundreds of thousands of apps like Netflix, Google Talk and Skype. The Jelly Bean running set top box will be hitting shelves in February for $130. For a bit more check out the gallery below and the PR after the break.

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iHome unveils CES 2013 lineup, outs Lightning port-compatible docks and others

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/03/ihome-ces-2013-lineup-lightning-port-compatible-docks/

iHome unveils its CES 2013 lineup, outs Lightning portcompatible docks and others

Joining the fray of other companies ready to jump the pre-CES gun, iHome's announcing its full product suite just prior to its official Vegas showcase. Billed as a first for the audio solutions outfit, the iDL100 and iDL45 -- set to retail for $150 and $100, respectively -- are both charging stereo FM clock radio docks that feature Lightning port connectors (two in the case of the former model) to link up with Apple's latest batch of iOS products, in addition to a sole USB port and auxiliary in jack. The company's also releasing a slew of Bluetooth-enabled, USB-charging products, the most notable of which are a new $200 "retro boom box," dubbed the iBT44, that allows for wireless music streaming from any compatible iOS or Android device and the iB85, foldable headphones that incorporate an inbuilt mic and on-ear remote for $100. There's a bit more to the company's lineup than just those headliners, so head on past the break for the full rundown of what iHome has to offer next week in Vegas.

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Corning introduces Gorilla Glass 3, promises ape-sized improvements in durability

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/03/corning-gorilla-glass-3/

Corning announces Gorilla Glass 3

Once, twice, three times a gorilla? Corning's primate-themed glass is ready for a third go-round, and as you'd expect, it's even tougher than the first two iterations. Gorilla Glass 3 has been improved at the molecular level, incorporating a proprietary feature called Native Damage Resistance (NDR). According to Corning, NDR reduces the propagation of flaws, the appearance of scratches and does a better job of maintaining the overall retained strength of the glass. As a result, GG3 claims a three-fold improvement in scratch resistance, 40 percent reduction in the number of visible scratches and 50 percent boost in retained strength after the glass becomes flawed. None of this actually means your phone or tablet will survive a five-foot drop onto concrete, granted, but you'll at least feel more comfortable keeping your keys somewhere close by. The full press release can be found below.

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Samsung NX300 Hands-On: This Mirrorless Camera Shoots Realistic 3D Photos and Video From a Single Lens

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5972761/samsung-nx300-hands+on-this-mirrorless-camera-shoots-realistic-3d-photos-and-video-from-a-single-lens

Samsung NX300 Hands-On: This Mirrorless Camera Shoots Realistic 3D Photos and Video From a Single LensThe Samsung NX300's a big revamp of last year's NX210 including a lot of common sense improvements to Samsung's mid-range mirrorless camera. And then there's the 3D photo and movie mode. Nobody asked for a brilliant new technology that uses a single lens to capture 3D images, but Samsung made it anyway. And it actually works!

The NX300 is the first mirrorless, interchangeable-lens camera to shoot 3D. So how does it work? To use it, you'll need the special new $600 45mm f/1.8 2D/3D lens. As the name implies, it can shoot both 2D and 3D footage. When you flip the switch on the side of the lens from 2D to 3D, a two little liquid crystal doors appear as below:

Samsung NX300 Hands-On: This Mirrorless Camera Shoots Realistic 3D Photos and Video From a Single Lens

When shooting video these little doors alternate blocking light from one side and then the next at 30-rotations per minute. The 3D effect is created by interlacing the images from each of the perspectives.

Even though it seems like such a small difference in perspective could possibly create a 3D effect, it actually works. It's not Avatar, but based on the footage and images that Samsung showed us, the effect absolutely works. The subject in focus appears physically distant from the background. The third dimension is more of a sense of depth than of objects jumping off the screen at us. At times it can look a little hokey, and sometimes when there's an object in the foreground that's out of focus the effect can be weird.

Samsung NX300 Hands-On: This Mirrorless Camera Shoots Realistic 3D Photos and Video From a Single Lens

Will anyone ever use this? Samsung says the 3D will work on any 3DTV—but does anybody even care about the 3D on their 3DTVs? We'll have to wait and see, but kudos to Samsung for developing it.

Or so it would seem. We've been fooled before by NX cameras that are almost incredible—save for the annoying performance quirks. This time around Samsung promises a little more polish: Improved Wi-Fi connectivity features, improved autofocus, upgraded hardware inside and out.

As for what's the same, the camera still has a 20.3-megapixel APS-C image sensor. It's the same size as the sensor on all DSLRs under $2000, and if our tests with previous iterations of this sensor are any indication, the photos will be excellent. A minor detail: The camera now shoots at 60 frames per second at full HD resolution (1920 x 1080).

Like many of the cameras that have been released over the last year, the NX300 uses a hybrid AF system, which combines contrast and phase detection to improve the speed and accuracy of the camera's focus. On previous NX models, the autofocus has been a major low-point. We tried out a near-production prototype of the NX300 and the focus was impressively snappy in broad daylight.

Samsung NX300 Hands-On: This Mirrorless Camera Shoots Realistic 3D Photos and Video From a Single Lens

In addition, the Wi-Fi features introduced to Samsung cameras last year have been mercifully streamlined. There are two important changes. First of all, what used to be a smattering of smartphone apps are now all rolled into a single Smart Camera App that does everything. Secondly, the Wi-Fi connect button introduced on the NX1000 last year is now programmable to a default action. So, for example, when you push it, the camera automatically sets you up to send an email, rather than just taking you to the Wi-Fi main menu. We certainly hope Samsung's promises hold true here, because so far, the Smart Wi-FI features have been too complicated.

What else? On the outside, the NX300 now features a 3.3-inch AMOLED tiltable touchscreen. Not a minor improvement! Touch to focus can now be yours.

The NX300 ships in March $750 with a 20-50mm kit lens. That's a pretty competative price considering this camera has basically every feature its competitors have—we'll see if this new shooter is enticing enough for people to try something new.

Hot Chocolate Tastes Much Better In an Orange Cup

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5972777/hot-chocolate-tastes-much-better-in-an-orange-cup

Hot Chocolate Tastes Much Better In an Orange CupScientists have discovered that an orange or creme-colored cup definitely makes chocolate taste better, while a white or red cup will not enhance the flavor. The discovery demonstrates once again that our taste buds are definitely influenced by the colors our eyes perceive.

Published in the Journal of Sensory Studies, the research by scientists at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and Oxford University involved 57 participants. They had to taste the same type of hot chocolate in cups of four external colors—white, creme, red and orange—and white interior. The results were clear: all of them thought the chocolate in the orange and creme cups was better than the others, even while it was the exact same type. Some even said that the chocolate in the creme cups tasted sweeter and was more aromatic.

We already knew that the color of food itself may affect our perception of taste. A spicy meal, for example, will be perceived as hotter than the same food if it's more red. We also knew that containers themselves may affect the flavor but the relationship is still not well understood. There are no common rules, and changes depend on the food itself, says Betina Piqueras-Fiszman, one of the authors of the study:

The color of the container where you serve food and drinks can enhance some of its attributes, like flavor and aroma. There's no fixed rule to tell which color enhances what food. This varies depending on the type of food but the truth is that the effect is there. Companies should pay more attention to the container because it has a lot more potential than what you imagine.

The same team has conducted other experiments that confirm all this. One showed that strawberry mousse tastes more intense and sweet in a white plate as opposed to a black one. Soda and lemon-based beverages are more refreshing and lemony in a blue can, while those in pink vessels are perceived as sweeter (which explains Tab). Coffee is affected too; a brown packaging makes its taste stronger and more aromatic, while red makes it less strong and yellow or blue make it smoother. [El Mundo—In Spanish]

Image by Brandonht/Shutterstock

Trolling YouTube On Your TV Just Got Easier

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5972830/trolling-youtube-on-your-tv-just-got-easier

Trolling YouTube On Your TV Just Got Easier Last November Google announced a nifty little feature that lets you browse for YouTube videos on your Android device and then sling and control them to your Google TV TV. Pretty cool if you have a Google TV that hasn't kicked the bucket or you're even still using it.

Today Google is announcing that you'll be able to do just that with even more devices from the likes of LG, Sharp, Samsung, Philips, Toshiba, Vizio, Western Digital, Panasonic, Sony, Bang & Olufsen and "others" some time this year. And they'll all support full 1080p HD videos, subscriptions and channels.

I guess if I actively trolled YouTube for videos this would be super useful. Huh. Maybe I will start actively trolling YouTube videos now. If you're still a little confused as to how it all works, then check out this marketing page.

eFun unveils Nextbook 7GP for $130: 7-inch screen, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.1

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/03/efun-nextbook-7gp/

eFun unveils Nextbook 7GP for $130 7inch screen, 15GHz dualcore processor, Android 41 on offer

Not to miss out on the CES action, eFun has announced it will be bringing a new slate to the show. The 7-inch Nextbook 7GP is part of the cheekily-named Google Play Series and runs Android 4.1 with help of a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and a gig of RAM -- all yours for $130 when it ships next month. The 1,024 x 600 display resolution can't really be labeled "high-definition", and most other specs are plain Jane too -- 8GB storage (expandable), dual snappers, WiFi and HDMI-out. While we aren't sure whether that moniker will jerk Mountain View's chain or not, penny-pinching shoppers can look forward to some more deets when the budget tablet graces the CES floor next week.

Continue reading eFun unveils Nextbook 7GP for $130: 7-inch screen, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.1

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Via: Ubergizmo

Wednesday, January 02, 2013

A perfect match: PC game designers and the quest for compatibility

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/02/pc-game-compatibility-and-design-challenges/

A perfect match: PC game designers and the quest for compatibility

Making games for computers is apparently akin to churning out sausage. For the most part, consumers are privy to the final yummy-looking package, give or take the occasional wandering bug that decides to crash their gaming spread. Underneath all that sumptuous, juicy meat, however, is a healthy helping of mystery meat. This includes the amalgamation of hours upon countless hours of the proverbial blood, sweat and tears piled up by the modern-day artisans who ply in the video game trade. At the top of their list of concerns? Making sure a game works across the multitude of computers that proliferate out in the wild.

With the industry essentially settling on NVIDIA and ATI/AMD these days, the narrowing of card choices to two brands has made working on compatibility "a little easier" than it used to be, said Travis Baldree, president and lead engineer for Runic Games. Note he said "a little easier" not "a cakewalk."

"Compatibility is always the biggest challenge -- it isn't a new problem at all," Baldree said. "The sheer number of permutations of cards, drivers, devices and third-party software -- and their unexpected interactions with one another -- can be a trial to deal with."

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MeterPlug Bluetooth power monitor tracks usage, sends stats to your smartphone (hands-on video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/02/meterplug-power-monitor-hands-on/

MeterPlug Bluetooth power monitor tracks usage, sends stats to your smartphone handson video

If there's one constant in this world, it's that the cost of energy continues to climb, be it household electric or good ole petrol. We can't help you with the latter today, but we have found a pretty slick tool for keeping tabs on electricity consumption. Now, before you head down to the comments section or send your angry emails letting us know, we're fully aware that power monitoring solutions have been around for some time now. MeterPlug isn't your run-of-the-mill device, though. This solution is relatively inexpensive (it'll retail for about $60), very compact (it plays nicely with other plugs in your power strip), and with the included Android and iOS apps, it's quite powerful as well. The device will be available with US, UK or European plugs, and slips between your existing cord and an ordinary socket. Then, you pair it with your smartphone and you're good to go.

Once connected, MeterPlug uses your handset's GPS to find electricity rates for your location, then displays your current usage in watts and cost -- during our hands-on in NYC, a connected MacBook Pro pulled about 60 watts of power at a cost of $0.01 per hour. Connect a TV or household appliance though and you might just be surprised about how much you're spending on each gadget. Naturally, there's also a few tools to conserve energy. A simple (and responsive) power toggle lets you turn your device on and off using a smartphone, a proximity sensor cuts off power when you leave the room (and pops it back on when you arrive), ! and a fe ature called Vampire Power Shield keeps track of your gadget's typical consumption, then pulls the plug when you flip your television or Xbox to standby mode, potentially saving you a fair amount of money each year. The plug module and app worked very well during our test, as you'll see in the video after the break. Then, head over to the source link to submit your pre-order on Indiegogo.

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Source: MeterPlug (Indiegogo)

Polaroid plans experimental Fotobar stores that will let you print your photos

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/02/polaroid-experimental-fotobar-stores/

Polaroid plans experimental Fotobar stores that will let you print your photos

Polaroid hasn't been shy to try various tactics as it attempts to compete in the age of digital photography, but it always seems to come back to the idea it's best known for. It's latest effort is a bit more of a roundabout way to get some tangible photos in your hands, though: a series of "experimental" Photobar stores where you can go and have your digital photos professionally printed. The first of those will open in Delray Beach, Florida in February, with a total of at least ten stores promised for 2013, including locations in New York, Las Vegas and Boston -- each staffed with so-called Photenders to help you get the best results, and equipped with a "patent-pending proprietary technology" that'll let you wirelessly transfer photos from your phone to a workstation. What's more, the stores won't just be producing glossy photos, but what Polaroid describes as handcrafted pieces using canvas, metal, acrylic, wood or bamboo -- those will be shipped to the customer within 72 hours, and are apparently of the same variety that can currently be ordered on Polaroid's Photobar website. You'll still need to get your Polaroid film elsewhere, though.

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Via: Cult of Android

Source: Polaroid

Raspberry Pi gets an open source educational manual

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/02/raspberry-pi-gets-an-open-source-educational-manual/

Raspberry Pi gets an open source educational manual

Been staring at that Raspberry Pi trying to figure out where to start? You're hardly alone. We've spent some time with the diminutive Linux machine and even tried to point you in the right direction when booting up your Pi for the first time. If you're looking for something a little more in depth than our own tutorial however, its worth checking out the just released Raspberry Pi Education Manual. The book, drafted by a team of teachers from Computing at School (CAS) and released under the Creative Commons licence, is available for free either through the Pi Store or at the source link in PDF form. It's a little more education-focused than say a tome like Getting Started with Raspberry Pi, but it's certainly an excellent introduction to the platform.

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Source: Raspberry Pi

Sony Xperia Z 'Yuga' and ZL 'Odin' make a press shot debut on New Year's Day

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/01/sony-xperia-z-and-zl-press-shots/

Sony Xperia Z 'Yuga' and ZL 'Odin' make a press shot debut on New Year's Day

Are you ready to welcome in 2013? It's sure to be another hot year for handsets, and if this pair of leaked Xperia smartphones is any indication, Sony is likely to be off to a solid start come CES. The svelte Xperia Z "Yuga" and slightly sleeker ZL "Odin" have made a premature debut on the Japanese tech giant's site, with a pair of straight-on press shots appearing overnight. The Xperia Z shot appears to be in line with earlier leaks, while the ZL is shaping up to be a slightly more compact variant, potentially squeezing identical hardware into a smaller shell. Both devices are rumored to include 5-inch 1080p LCDs, quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processors with 2 gigs of RAM and Adreno 320 graphics, along with a 13-megapixel Exmor RS sensor on the rear -- oddly, the ZL's front-facing camera appears to be positioned on the bottom. Sony has yet to confirm either device's specifications, but with CES just around the corner, we don't have long to wait for either device to become official.

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Via: Engadget Spanish, Xperia Blog

Source: Sony Mobile (Z), Sony Mobile (ZL)

Zenbook Touch U500VZ quietly surfaces on ASUS website, price and availability still MIA

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/01/zenbook-touch-u500vz-quietly-surfaces/

Zenbook Touch U500VZ surfaces on ASUS website

A 15-inch Zenbook Touch U500VZ has quietly appeared on ASUS' website. Though the company has yet to announce this model officially, it's hardly a surprise, as its 13-inch UX31A is already available with a capacitive display, and the line's 11-inch models are confirmed to get touchscreens as well. Essentially, it looks to be the UX51Vz with a touch panel, as this machine's other specs look familiar. It packs a Core i7-3632QM processor, discrete NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics and dual 256GB SSDs. Naturally, the touchscreen features IPS technology and boasts the same 1080p resolution as other Zenbooks. Though the laptop is listed online, price and availability aren't yet clear, but for now you can click through to the website and feast your eyes.

[Thanks, Bob]

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Source: ASUS

GigaOM: Intel Media TV service won't launch at CES, but it is coming soon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/01/intel-media-tv-service/

GigaOM Intel Media TV service won't launch at CES, but it is coming soon

We've seen several reports over the last week about Intel's set-top box efforts, and an impending CES launch. According to GigaOM, some of those rumors simply aren't true. The site has confirmed with several sources at Intel that a set-top box (and a whole lot more) is in the works, but a CES announcement has not been planned. Instead, Media, the mysterious Intel division, which is run like a startup with staffers hired from other Silicon Valley companies rather than shifted from different departments, could be unveiled in March, or perhaps even at the AllThingsD Dive Into Media conference in February.

A detailed GigaOM report outlines the company's plans, which do include a STB manufactured by Intel that would compete with Apple TV, but also solutions for other platforms, including computers, tablets and smartphones. According to GigaOM sources, the company has spent more than $100 million on Intel Media, so it's clearly taking the effort seriously. Still, until Intel Media has been exposed to the market, it's too soon to judge its success. Hit up our source link for the full scoop.

Update: Now the Wall Street Journal has chimed in, with its own reports from usual unnamed sources indicating that a launch could be pushed as far as Q4. The reason for the wide launch window? Trouble negotiating content agreements for those unbundled packages (at much higher rates than the channels currently receive) it reportedly wants ! to offer , although the rumors say Intel has reached at least one content deal -- we're guessing it wasn't with ESPN. Whether this will ever appear or simply remain vapor like so many other rumored Intel software products remains to be seen, but just like the often hinted at Apple television, the licensing issues will probably be much harder to work out than any software or hardware.

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Source: GigaOM, Wall Street Journal

LG 55-inch OLED TV available for pre-order in Korea this week, ready to ship next month

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/01/lg-55-inch-oled-available/

LG 55inch OLED TV available for preorder in Korea this week, ready to ship next month

If you spent the entirety of 2012 with 11 million won ($10,000 US) in your savings account and begging LG to take it, we'd wager that you were hoping that the Korean manufacturer's 55-inch WRGB OLED HDTV -- announced at last year's CES -- would make its way to your doorstep in a reasonable amount of time. Whether or not you feel that one revolution of the Earth around the Sun can be called reasonable, LG will begin taking pre-orders for the breathtaking screen in Korea on Thursday (January 3rd) and will ship the first batch to early adopters next month. There's still no word on when we can expect to see one in other parts of the world, but this -- as well as its stamp of approval by the FCC -- is a good sign that the wait may soon be over. Check out the full press release after the break.

Continue reading LG 55-inch OLED TV available for pre-order in Korea this week, ready to ship next month

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Source: LG

Tobii REX brings Gaze eye-tracking tech to any Windows 8 machine

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/02/tobii-rex/

Tobii REX brings eyetracking tech to any Windows 8 machine

Tobii may not be a household brand name yet, but that doesn't make the company's eye-tracking technology any less impressive. At last year's CES we got an opportunity to preview Gaze UI, an interface that allowed us to navigate, zoom, select and scroll on a proprietary Windows 8-enabled laptop with just our pupils and a touchpad; this year, Tobii is introducing the REX, a USB-connected peripheral that adds these features to any Windows 8 PC. The device, slightly larger than a pen, adheres to the base of any PC monitor and can be integrated with other existing controls such as the keyboard, mouse or touchpad. Though this may sound quite similar to the PCEye launched in 2011, it's different in that the REX isn't intended for use as an assistive technology, so you'll still need to keep that mouse and trackpad around. Consumer pricing and availability haven't been announced, but Tobii plans to offer 5,000 units to consumers before the end of 2013; for developers, however, a special edition (seen above) should be available starting today for $995.

Continue reading Tobii REX brings Gaze eye-tracking tech to any Windows 8 machine

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Samsung will showcase its Smart TV Evolution Kit at CES 2013

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/02/samsung-evolution-kit-ces2013/

Samsung will reveal its Smart TV Evolution Kit at CES 2013

The Smart TV Evolution Kit that Samsung's been teasing us with since last year's CES will finally be revealed at the same trade show a full year later. The hardware kit will plug into the back of compatible Samsung Smart TVs and "evolve" 2012 models to the latest 2013 versions by adding a smorgasbord of hardware and software enhancements including CPU, memory and GPU upgrades, plus enhanced voice / motion control features. We reckon this just might help elevate your Angry Birds experience to a whole new level. Given that CES 2013 is just around the bend, it shouldn't be long before we get you a proper peek -- stay tuned!

Continue reading Samsung will showcase its Smart TV Evolution Kit at CES 2013

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Via: SammyHub

Source: Samsung

Monday, December 31, 2012

Samsung announces Windows 8-optimized Series 7 Touch monitor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/31/samsung-announces-series-7-touch-monitor/

Samsung announces Windows 8optimized Series 7 Touch monitor

Samsung is wrapping up 2012 by announcing two new monitors: the Series 7 Touch (SC770) and the Series 7 (SC750). The 24-inch Series 7 Touch is Sammy's first multi-touch display made for Windows 8, and it features a resolution of 1,920 x 1080 with 178-degree viewing angles. It also sports an adjustable stand that can tilt up to 60 degrees. The 27-inch Series 7 doesn't support touch input, but it boasts the same 1080p resolution and can pivot 90 degrees so users can view content in both landscape and portrait modes. Both models will hit the market in the first quarter of 2013 -- Samsung hasn't released pricing info for either, but both will be on hand at CES next week. You can check out the press release after the break.

Continue reading Samsung announces Windows 8-optimized Series 7 Touch monitor

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Source: Samsung Tomorrow

Shocker: Samsung introducing new HDTV at CES, albeit with 'unprecedented new shape'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/31/samsung-new-hdtv-ces-new-form-factor/

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How do you break the silence on one of the slowest news days of the year? Well, if you're Samsung, you tease the obvious. The Korean company has been counting down the days till CES with mini-previews of upcoming HD products -- first hinting at a refurbished Smart Hub on Christmas and today confirming that a new Smart TV will indeed be unveiled next week. But not just any TV; Samsung Tomorrow is drumming up anticipation for "an unprecedented new TV shape" to be unveiled in Vegas. From the photo, it looks like a monitor in the portrait form factor, -- and a transparent one, at that -- but we won't have to hold our horses too long before we learn more. In the meantime, you can check out the video below the break.

Continue reading Shocker: Samsung introducing new HDTV at CES, albeit with 'unprecedented new shape'

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Source: Samsung Tomorrow, Samsung Tomorrow (2)