Thursday, July 21, 2011

Tango brings video calling to desktop PCs -- giant baby head not included

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/20/tango-brings-video-calling-to-desktop-pcs-giant-baby-head-not/

Back when we first laid eyes on Tango, the startup was sticking strictly to mobile, serving up free video calls over 3G, 4G, and WiFi to both iOS and Android devices (with front-facing cameras, of course). Now the company's thinking big -- quite literally -- with the announcement that it plans to bring its video calling service to PCs sometime later this summer. As of now, it looks as if this will be a Windows-only affair, and will remain free of charge -- as before, you won't need to register to get your videophone on. We've yet to see Tango at work on the big screen, but from what we gather from the press stills, the desktop edition will bring a bit of the old Apple to your PC. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Tango brings video calling to desktop PCs -- giant baby head not included

Tango brings video calling to desktop PCs -- giant baby head not included originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OLPC XO-3 cases may sport solar panels, satellite internet, grant three wishes

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/20/olpc-xo-3-cases-may-sport-solar-panels-satellite-internet-gran/

OLPC XO-3
We'll give Nicholas Negroponte one thing, he's nothing if not ambitious. The OLPC founder always has some pie-in-the-sky vision for the XO line of child-centric computers, including dual-screens and hand-cranks. Now that we've skipped right past the XO-2 for the ARM-powered, and still MIA, XO-3 it's time for a whole new round of concepts. The latest is a series of accessory cases for the potentially Android-sporting tablets that boast satellite internet capabilities or solar panels for charging its battery. The former MIT Media Lab head has even suggested that a more mundane cover with a keyboard could be on tap. Of course, it would probably help if the foundation could get the machines out the door first. We haven't heard much about the XO-3 since the last round of delays pushed its release back to February... of 2011. But you know what they say, better late, and all that jazz.

OLPC XO-3 cases may sport solar panels, satellite internet, grant three wishes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix app on Android updated to work on 24 models including Galaxy S, Droid 3 (update: tablets too!)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/20/netflix-app-on-android-updated-to-work-on-24-models-including-ga/

The number of Android devices officially compatible with the Netflix streaming app has more than doubled in v2.3, growing from 9 to 24. Last night the description was updated with a new list of devices but the actual updated APK only started pushing this afternoon, bringing Netflix not only to the Lenovo tablet announced last night but also to the Droid 3, HTC Thunderbolt, Motorola Atrix, several Galaxy S phones including the Epic 4G and Fascinate and more. Fragmentation is clearly still an issue for DRM'd apps like this and Hulu Plus, but at least now there's a growing number of recent superphones supported instead of sitting on the sidelines. We've got the updated list of devices after the break, hit the source link to download the app from the Android Market.

Update: As multiple commenters have noted, sideloading the Netflix APK will still work for devices that haven't yet made the list. We were able to confirm the app works fine on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Motorola Xoom, however we're hearing it's not up and running on the Tegra 2-based Transformer just yet. Itching for some Watch Instantly on your Honeycomb tablet? Check XDA-Developers for a download link.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Netflix app on Android updated to work on 24 models including Galaxy S, Droid 3 (update: tablets too!)

Netflix app on Android updated to work on 24 models including Galaxy S, Droid 3 (update: tablets too!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT's Backtalk project / art exhibit traces the unseen life of discarded gadgets

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/20/mits-backtalk-project-art-exhibit-traces-the-unseen-life-of-d/

Sooner or later, the device you're reading this on will either be sold, donated, recycled or otherwise disposed of; and unless you're particularly nostalgic about old gadgets like us, you likely won't ever give it much more thought. But no matter how you get rid of it, that device doesn't just vanish off the face the Earth. It's that extra life that got the folks from MIT's SENSEable City Lab thinking, and the Backtalk project is what they've come up with. Part research project and part art exhibition (now on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York), the effort involved using GPS tracking devices to trace where things like cellphones, batteries and printer cartridges end up after being discarded -- and, in the case of 40 netbook computers, some tracking software and their built-in webcams, which recorded data and images that were sent back to MIT at regular intervals (with the new owners' consent, of course). Some of the results can be seen in the video after the break and the site linked below, but you'll have to check out the exhibit first-hand to see the full scope of their findings.

Continue reading MIT's Backtalk project / art exhibit traces the unseen life of discarded gadgets

MIT's Backtalk project / art exhibit traces the unseen life of discarded gadgets originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBacktalk: SENSEable City Lab  | Email this | Comments

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MIT's Backtalk project / art exhibit traces the unseen life of discarded gadgets

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/20/mits-backtalk-project-art-exhibit-traces-the-unseen-life-of-d/

Sooner or later, the device you're reading this on will either be sold, donated, recycled or otherwise disposed of; and unless you're particularly nostalgic about old gadgets like us, you likely won't ever give it much more thought. But no matter how you get rid of it, that device doesn't just vanish off the face the Earth. It's that extra life that got the folks from MIT's SENSEable City Lab thinking, and the Backtalk project is what they've come up with. Part research project and part art exhibition (now on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York), the effort involved using GPS tracking devices to trace where things like cellphones, batteries and printer cartridges end up after being discarded -- and, in the case of 40 netbook computers, some tracking software and their built-in webcams, which recorded data and images that were sent back to MIT at regular intervals (with the new owners' consent, of course). Some of the results can be seen in the video after the break and the site linked below, but you'll have to check out the exhibit first-hand to see the full scope of their findings.

Continue reading MIT's Backtalk project / art exhibit traces the unseen life of discarded gadgets

MIT's Backtalk project / art exhibit traces the unseen life of discarded gadgets originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBacktalk: SENSEable City Lab  | Email this | Comments

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