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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Xerox to sell on-demand Espresso Book Machines to retailers who sell books to people (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/28/xerox-to-sell-on-demand-espresso-book-machines-to-retailers-who/

Xerox now selling on-demand Espresso Book Machines to retailers who sell books to people (video)

When we got our first glimpse of the Espresso Book Machine from On Demand Books we were of course thoroughly charmed by the Rube Goldberg nature of the thing, but were left feeling unconvinced of the practicality of it -- would people really pay money for custom-printed physical copies of classic books they can download for free? Is it really a viable choice for self-publishing? We may be skeptics, but Xerox is a believer, putting its reseller weight behind the machine (which uses not one but two of the company's printers internally), selling, leasing, and servicing the things through its retail connections. This means Espressos could start showing up more frequently at bookstores and perhaps even coffee shops early next year. Until then, watch the magic happen after the break.

Continue reading Xerox to sell on-demand Espresso Book Machines to retailers who sell books to people (video)

Xerox to sell on-demand Espresso Book Machines to retailers who sell books to people (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bose VideoWave fits surround sound into TV, custom UI aims to simplify set-top box clutter (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/28/bose-videowave-fits-surround-sound-into-tv-custom-ui-aims-to-si/

Keep it simple, stupid. That seems to be Bose's driving philosophy in its just-announced VideoWave entertainment system, and it's all about integration. There's no separate sound system to speak of: everything is built into the 46-inch 1080p LCD display. There are 16 speakers in all, including six woofers in a magnesium enclosure -- yeah, that's heavy; the total weight of this sucker is just under 100 pounds, according to PR. The surround sound is calibrated automatically via Bose's own Adaptiq, and its PhaseGuide sound radiator technology shoots high frequency audio waves to bounce off adjacent walls to recreate the effect of surround sound (i.e. a surround sound bar). The bare minimum of wires runs out of the TV, connecting to the separate console set-top box. There are three HDMI and two component ports on the back, and on the front are composite, HDMI, and USB ports (one apiece). There's an IR emitter in front for controlling other consoles, and while Bose claims you won't need IR blasters if the STBs aren't hidden away, they're bundled just in case.

The second pillar of VideoWave is a radio-frequency ClickPad remote control, and it's as basic as it gets -- power, input, channel selection, volume, and mute. Bose claims that this remote will run all the connected boxes, with the console detecting what they are and automatically adding to the input list. Now, here's where it gets interesting: running your finger along the surface activates a border of options around your screen (the video source is shrunken) and you can select options that are custom-tailored to the source (DVR, cable boxes -- there's even a custom iPod interface with a proprietary dock). Like we said, the company believes it's got a handle on the set-top box scene and has custom-tailored border interfaces for pretty much everything out there, which can be upgraded via firmware (hence the USB input on the console). In person, the software and control is pretty slick and snappy.

And now for the price and release date. It's actually just around the corner, October 14th, and sold exclusively through Bose stores. The upfront cost is mighty steep at $5,349, and that includes a mandatory personal delivery and installation. Then again, if you have much money to spend, is a 46-inch screen really large enough? And what of any number of other TVs with integrated sound bars? (Mitsubishi's similar Unisen series, for example, starts at $1,699.) Too early to say, but it's Bose, and that name alone packs a premium. Video after the break.

Gallery: Bose VideoWave press shots

Gallery: Bose VideoWave hands-on (and peek at internals)

Continue reading Bose VideoWave fits surround sound into TV, custom UI aims to simplify set-top box clutter (video)

Bose VideoWave fits surround sound into TV, custom UI aims to simplify set-top box clutter (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roku adding Hulu Plus channel this fall

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/28/roku-adds-hulu-plus-channel/

Oh boy, here we go: Hulu Plus is coming to Roku's lineup of players, which now starts at $59 and goes up to $99 for the Roku XDS we just reviewed highly. That certainly makes the Roku / Apple TV comparison far more interesting -- ten 99-cent Apple TV rentals or the $10 Hulu Plus monthly subscription fee? -- and depending on what you watch, it could make cutting your cable subscription a no-brainer. We don't know about resolution or bitrate yet, but we're working to find out -- and we're definitely looking to get some hands-on time before the channel goes live this fall, so stay tuned. PR after the break.

Continue reading Roku adding Hulu Plus channel this fall

Roku adding Hulu Plus channel this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile G2 preview

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/28/t-mobile-g2-preview/

Well, well, well... would you look at what we found lounging around Best Buy's NYC holiday event! Yes, indeed, it's the T-Mobile G2 (the US version of the HTC Desire Z if you happen to think it looks familiar). After months of leaks and blurry shots we finally got to check out T-Mobile and HTC's G1 replacement, and it's got everything we've been waiting for -- a 3.7-inch display, Android 2.2, 4GB of internal memory, an 800MHz Snapdragon processor and a 5 megapixel cam with a flash. Oh, what's it like to use? That answer, dear friends, is after the break along with a hands-on video.

Gallery: T-Mobile G2 preview / hands-on

Continue reading T-Mobile G2 preview

T-Mobile G2 preview originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 16:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Operation Cyber Storm III underway, makes digital certificates cool again

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/28/operation-cyber-storm-iii-underway-makes-digital-certificates-c/

Fans of cyberwarfare (which we are, if only because we like to imagine that it looks like Battlezone) take note: following hot on the heels previous Cyber Storm I and II and Cyber ShockWave wargames, the Department of Homeland Security is sponsoring a little something called Cyber Storm III. Starting yesterday, the three-day exercise simulates more than 1,500 different types of attack, with a special emphasis on identities, trust relationships, and digital certificates. As Brett Lambo, director of Homeland Security's Cyber Exercise Program, told AFP, "we're kind of using the Internet to attack itself. At a certain point the operation of the Internet is reliant on trust -- knowing where you're going is where you're supposed to be." The exercise will test the National Cyber Incident Response Plan as well as the new National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center. But you can breathe easily: the operation is focusing on defense, not offense (for now).

Operation Cyber Storm III underway, makes digital certificates cool again originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's Google TV makes an early public appearance, reveals little

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/28/sonys-google-tv-makes-an-early-public-appearance-reveals-littl/

We weren't expecting to see Sony's first Google TV for a few more days, but that didn't stop this 46-inch LCD from showing up today at Best Buy's press event in New York. Sporting a NSX-46GT1 model number, it sat up on that chrome lipped stand pictured in the invite for its October 12 debut but didn't have much to show in terms of software that we haven't seen already. HDGuru was also on hand and notes a rear USB-mounted WiFi dongle used for the internet features to go along with the Dish Network receiver below. Still waiting to see a production remote/keyboard or remote control apps on a mobile device before you decide to stroll into an IR-blaster connected future? So are we, but for now check out a few more pictures of the set in this gallery.

Gallery: Sony Google TV

Sony's Google TV makes an early public appearance, reveals little originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iOS 4.2 beta 2 now available for iPhone, iPad developers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/28/ios-4-2-beta-2-now-available-for-iphone-ipad-developers/

Hey, would you look at that: if you're a developer, you can download iOS 4.2 beta 2. We're installing it right now, and we'll let you know as soon as we see what's new -- but we're hoping it fixes some of the nasty bugs we grappled with in beta 1.

Update: We've only used beta 2 for a couple minutes, but it's already so much less buggy than beta 1 we're weeping with joy.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

iOS 4.2 beta 2 now available for iPhone, iPad developers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Onkyo dropping three Windows 7 slates on totally-suspicious-by-now public

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/28/onkyo-dropping-three-windows-7-slates-on-totally-suspicious-by-n/

Never saw this coming, did you? Oh, right, you did. Onkyo is joining the Windows 7 slate tablet fray with three new models, which will begin shipping next month in Japan. The variety is minor, though each tablet is getting its own design language: the 11.6-inch and 10.1-inch TW317A5 and TW217A5 both rock 32GB SSDs, while the TW117A4 kicks it old school with a 160GB HDD. Thanks to Windows 7 Home Premium the trio will be getting all the touch-friendly benefits the OS can offer, and Atom N450 and Z530 processors will sipping battery on behalf of the machines. No word on price, but we really prefer the "Windows 7 slate that will only ship internationally and that nobody we know will buy" more as a construct anyway.

Onkyo dropping three Windows 7 slates on totally-suspicious-by-now public originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 19:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sonos controller goes live for iPad

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/29/sonos-controller-goes-live-for-ipad/

It's been a long three months, but the Sonos app for iPad is finally here, joining your iPhone in a quest to easily serve up music to every one of your fancy mesh-networked rooms. It's a free 7MB download, so if you've obtained the requisite technology, what have you got to lose? And hey, once you get used to the extra real estate, the company has a nice resting place for your iPhone, too. PR after the break, iTunes link immediately below.

Continue reading Sonos controller goes live for iPad

Sonos controller goes live for iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, September 24, 2010

SiftLinks Turns Links in Your Twitter Stream Into an RSS Feed [RSS]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5642138/siftlinks-turns-links-in-your-twitter-stream-into-an-rss-feed

SiftLinks Turns Links in Your Twitter Stream Into an RSS Feed Twitter is great for short, 140-character snippets, but sometimes you don't have a chance to click on everyone's links and read full articles. To make it easier, web service SiftLinks puts all those links into an RSS feed.

Not everyone wants to sift through unread tweets looking for interesting articles, especially if you follow a lot of people. However, you probably follow those people because you find them interesting, and if you're not on Twitter 24/7 you can miss out on some good articles. Free web service SiftLinks creates a custom RSS feed that contains all those links and links to the original tweets, so they're a bit more condensed, better organized, and ready for you in your RSS reader when it's time to sit down and read. Hit the link to check it out.

SiftLinks [via One Thing Well]

Crestron Core 3 OS Lets You Control Your Entire House from Android, iPhone and iPad [Home Entertainment]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5646200/crestron-core-3-os-lets-you-control-your-entire-house-from-android-iphone-and-ipad

There's lot going on in home automation giant Crestron's new Core 3 OS, but up there is the fact that it runs on basically anything—from the iPhone and iPad to the Samsung Galaxy tablets sprinkled around their booth.

Core 3 supports HTML5, Flash, h.264 video, and from it you can control AV equipment, lighting, climate control and pretty much anything else networked into the system. [Crestron]

Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL: Insane Audiophile-Worthy Electrostatic Speakers for Under $2000 [Speakers]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5646214/martin-logan-electromotion-esl-insane-audiophile+worthy-electrostatic-speakers-for-under-2000

Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL: Insane Audiophile-Worthy Electrostatic Speakers for Under 00 "Affordable" for futuretastic electrostatic speakers means a few grand. Martin Logan's ElectroMotion ESL electrostratic speakers'll be under $2000 when they're out in March, using the cheapest full-size electrostatic transducer ever. They sounded superclean during a five-minute demo. [Martin Logan]

This Is the Fanciest Farm House You Can Imagine [Architecture]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5646462/this-is-the-fanciest-farm-house-you-can-imagine

This beautiful 4564-square-foot house reminds me of Magneto's base in Secret Wars, with its second floor almost fully suspended over the air. At night it looks like the Jawas' Sandcrawler. It's actually a farm house on the Minija Valley, Lithuania.

The owner of the Utriai Residence, who is dedicated to the production of chicken eggs and pigs, and his wife, an art college student interested in furniture design, wanted a house that looked like a place "made from huge logs". Like Noah's Ark, "where the family with all their belongings and animals moved from the city."

And on top of having an awesome house, they can have fresh eggs and bacon every morning. I want to marry the farmer's daughter. [Archdaily]

Advanced Camera System Revealed in Apple Patent Application [Apple]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5646587/advanced-camera-system-revealed-in-apple-patent-application

Advanced Camera System Revealed in Apple Patent Application Apple's latest patent application details a new camera flash system that would optimize the flash based on the photo's subject. It combines a flash redirector, imaging sensors that concentrate on scene conditions, and a touch screen.

This combination of these elements could be used to provide the equivalent of a touch-to-focus for light for dark areas of a soon-to-be photograph: a touch-to-illuminate feature. The system could be incorporated into iOS devices, the iMac, MacBooks, and even a dedicated video camera. [Patently Apple]

GE stuffs DLP projector into 14MP PJ1 point-and-shoot camera, we go hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/23/ge-stuffs-dlp-projector-into-14mp-pj1-point-and-shoot-camera-we/

It ain't the first point-and-shoot to emerge with a beamer within, but it's the first from GE's General Imaging branch. Boasting a 14 megapixel sensor, a vanilla enclosure and a DLP projector, the PJ1 was seen making its debut here at Photokina in Germany. The highlight of the device is obviously the 854 x 480 resolution projector that's somehow stuffed within the casing, while the most impressive part to us was just how thin it remained with such a unit inside. In other words, the projector itself was certainly lacking, and with just 15 lumens, we felt that the darker-than-dark test room (shown in the video just past the break) still wasn't dark enough. On the capture side, there's a 7x optical zoom, SD / SDHC card slot and support for 720p movies; thankfully, GE's not planning to include too hefty a premium for the projector, as we were told to expect it for "around €250 ($334)" when it lands in Europe next February.

Gallery: GE PJ1 projector camera hands-on at Photokina 2010

Continue reading GE stuffs DLP projector into 14MP PJ1 point-and-shoot camera, we go hands-on

GE stuffs DLP projector into 14MP PJ1 point-and-shoot camera, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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