Friday, September 13, 2013

Google Coder lets you build Raspberry Pi web apps in your browser (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/12/google-coder/

Coder tool lets you build Raspberry Pi web apps in your browser

It's undoubtedly possible to turn a Raspberry Pi into a web server, but it's not always easy. Thankfully, Google just streamlined the process with its new Coder project. The open source tool lets developers build web apps for a ready-made Raspberry Pi web server using only a desktop browser. Coder manages all the files, including any media. The mini PC, meanwhile, only requires a network connection and an SD card reader to store the server. Beyond the hardware, Coder is free to use; if you've wanted a cheap testbed for web programming, you'll find one at the source link.

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Source: Coder

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Microsoft offers $200 credit for used iPads, hopes you'll become a Surface convert

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/13/microsoft-ipad-trade-in/

DNP Microsoft offers $200 for used iPads, hopes you'll become a Surface convert

Microsoft's new recycle-for-reward initiative doesn't target one of its own devices -- instead, it focuses on another company's popular gadget: Apple's iPad. The US trade-in program offers at least $200 in exchange for a "gently used" iPad 2, 3 or 4. You can probably get more than $200 in other places, especially for the newer slates, and you can even get cash instead of the Microsoft Store gift cards Redmond's giving out. However, outgoing CEO Ballmer and Co. are hoping you'll find the project helpful if you've been wanting to buy their products anyway -- particularly the Surface tablets, as evidenced by their prominent placement on the program's page. Before you surrender old iPads to give Surface a chance, know that the trade-in scheme will run until October 27th, which gives you time to see Microsoft's next attempt.

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Via: ZDNet

Source: Microsoft

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Hack your ride with Motobrain, the smartphone controllable fuseblock (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/13/motobrain-bluetooth-automotive-pdu/

Hack your ride with Motobrain, the smartphone controllable fuseblock video

Tweaking your car's electrical system can be downright scary, but one Kickstarter project hopes to make it a little easier. With Motobrain, you can control up to eight accessory circuits on your vehicle of choice (boat, car or motorcycle, basically anything with an engine) with a compact box and a Bluetooth 4.0 smart device. The power distribution unit's app displays real-time feedback and information for all the accessories it's controlling, and you can even adjust how much current each one gets. The refreshingly simple pitch page mentions GPS systems, heated clothing and dimmable LED auxiliary lights as controllable gizmos, but Motobrain could be killer for car audio, too. Some of these features may be redundant for owners of newer vehicles, but the possibilities for the automodding community are staggering. The discounted backer tier is already sold out, but as of this writing there are still 156 units left at the $260 pledge level. Now, where's our soldering gun?

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Source: Kickstarter

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Intel's updated NUC squeezes in Haswell Core-i5, HD 5000 4K graphics

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/13/intels-haswell-core-i5-nuc-overclocking-hd5000/

Intel's Haswell NUC squeezes in overclocking, HD5000 4K graphics

Intel has cranked up its NUC (Next Unit of Computing) mini-computer to near gaming levels of power with the release of its 4th-gen Core-i5 D54250WYK kit. The new model comes with the latest HD Graphics 5000, for one, and also uses Intel's Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 to ratchet the CPU clock past stock levels when the need arises. It's got the chip giant's Quick Sync video to speed up encoding, a DisplayPort 1.2 jack with 4K capability, four USB 3.0 ports, an infrared sensor, stereo/mic jacks and a gigabit Ethernet controller. There's no pricing or date yet, but bear in mind that you'll need to add RAM (up to 16GB), an mSATA drive and some kind of monitor to make it fly -- though dwarfing it with a 4K display (like this one) might be overkill.

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Source: Intel

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Thursday, September 12, 2013

drag2share: LG's Nexus 5 visits the FCC again, this time with clearer external shots

source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/12/lg-nexus-5-fcc-again-photos/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi

LG's Nexus 5 visits the FCC again, this time with clearer external shots

New FCC documents spotted by Phone Scoop have given us a closer look at what could be LG's rumored Nexus 5 handset. Curiously, photos of this D820 were filed alongside documentation for Verizon's G2 (VS980), but the clear view of the front and back appears to be of the same LG-branded smartphone that was approved by the FCC just a week ago.

The D820 offers same rounded-off top and bottom edges found on the Nexus 4, while stepping away from the glass-covered back of its predecessor. Last week's FCC filing also points to LG including a 5-inch display and a Snapdragon 800 SoC, boosting not only its size but performance too. There's also room for Qi wireless charging and support for 7-band LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and dual-band 802.11 b/g/n/ac.

While the shots don't feature the same giant Ne! xus logo we saw on the mysterious LG phone used by a Google employee recently, we're almost certainly looking at the same device. We just hope he got to keep his job.

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drag2share: Darwin for a Day lets you play scientist, explore the Galapagos in Street View

source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/12/darwin-for-a-day/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi

Darwin for a Day lets you play scientist, explore the Galapagos through Street View

You can't turn back time and become the father of the theory of evolution, sorry. But, thanks to Google, Galapagos National Park, the Charles Darwin Foundation and iNaturalist you can pretend to be a 19th century British naturalist. Today, the Mountain View crew unveiled their 360-degree Street View imagery of the Galapagos Islands that it captured back in May. While you could certainly just drop the little yellow man down and start virtually strolling the paths of this volcanic archipelago with its countless unique species of flora and fauna, the groups have much more planned. For starters, there's Darwin for a Day, a site created by the Charles Darwin Foundation and iNaturalist that asks for people to play armchair scientist. You explore the islands through Street View and, as you spot plants and animals, you can catalog them and take notes on their appearance. Those observations will then be reviewed by researchers on the island who continue to di! scover n ew things about Galapagos' myriad endemic species.

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Facebook's changing the way News Feed videos display, but it's mobile-only for now

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/12/facebook-changing-the-way-news-feed-videos-display-on-mobile/

Facebook's changing the way News Feed videos display on mobile, but it's only a test for now

Facebook's experimenting with a new way to play videos uploaded to its News Feed, but not everyone will get to take part -- not yet, anyway. This new Vine-like feature, which will begin rolling out to a limited group of US-based mobile users, allows for videos viewed on mobile to play silently as a user browses the News Feed. Audio will only play when a user elects to click on the video, at which point it will expand for the duration of the clip. So far, Facebook is limiting these auto-play videos to those that come from accounts with verified pages (read: celebrities) and individual users, not marketers. So you don't have to worry about your News Feed getting spammed for now, although the company is evaluating whether or not to let the big bad wolves of the ad world join in. For a preview of what this new video tweak will look like, head on past the break.

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Gigabyte shows off tiny BRIX gaming PC with Haswell and Iris Pro graphics (hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/12/gigabyte-brix-gaming-pc/

Gigabyte shows off tiny BRIX gaming PC with Haswell and Iris Pro graphics handson

While we had an inkling that Gigabyte would be fitting its latest miniature BRIX PCs with Haswell processors, we were pleasantly surprised to learn it had also built a tiny gaming computer with Iris Pro graphics on board. Indeed, the BRIX pocket gaming PC has similar internals to the recently announced Gigabyte BRIX II -- it has an HDMI port, Ethernet, four USB 3.0 slots, Bluetooth 4.0, a Mini display port, built-in WiFi and a headset jack -- but with the added benefit of Intel's latest integrated graphics and the choice of red, yellow or black aluminum housing.

We had a chance to play around with a prototype model at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, and we have to say we're impressed. We played a short round of Grid 2 and the race car looked amazing as it roared across a large 1080p TV. While the performance appeared robust enough in our brief hands-on, an Intel rep did warn us it probably won't replace a system with a dedicated GPU. The box itself is an adorable little thing that we felt was compact and light enough to bring to our next gaming party without taking up too much space in the trunk.%Gallery-slideshow84011%

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The Bonavita Immersion Dripper Combines the Best of Two Coffee Methods

Source: http://lifehacker.com/the-bonavita-immersion-dripper-combines-the-best-of-two-1293056577

The Bonavita Immersion Dripper Combines the Best of Two Coffee Methods

This new porcelain dripper from Bonavita produces the bold, full-bodied coffee you'd get from a French Press with the convenience and control of pour-over coffee. It's a great way to upgrade your coffee brewing.

The Bonavita Porcelain Immersion Dripper works like the popular and appropriately named Clever Coffee Dripper. Both have an open/close valve at the bottom of the cone that lets you steep coffee grounds for a few minutes (in a #4 paper filter) before releasing the brew into your mug. Thus, you get the best of all worlds with this hybrid press-pot-meets-pour-over, with none of their downsides. The result is smooth, sediment-free, and complex coffee with really easy cleanup.

Bonavita's porcelain version has a few advantages over the plastic Clever. You don't have to worry about the possible health risks from hot water mixing with plastic, and the porcelain retains heat better. It's also really sturdy and dishwasher safe.

One downside is the bottom of the porcelain cone has little parts that can be tricky to clean, but, again, you can run it in the dishwasher. Also, because it's opaque, when you first get used to brewing with it, it helps to use a clear or translucent mug or one of those fancy brewing stands.

You can get a couple of cups out of this at a time (or one large mug), thanks to the 16-ounce brewing capacity.

The Bonavita Porcelain Immersion Dripper also costs $40 versus the Clever's $22, but I think the porcelain dripper is well worth that small investment (as does Serious Eats).

Interested? Here's a video of the Bonavita in use from Eight Ounce Coffee:

Bonavita Porcelain Immersion Dripper | Amazon

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Google+ brings Snapseed-powered photo editing tools to desktop Chrome (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/11/google-plus-snapseed-chrome-nacl/

Google added Snapseed photo editing to its Google+ apps on Android and iOS back in March, and now it's bringing them to the desktop. The new tools include Auto Enhance, selective adjust editing, and filters, all powered by the Chrome browser's Native Client tech. Not familiar with how that works? Google brought Native Client to Chrome back in 2011, and it allows developers to port code written in languages like C and C++ so it runs in the browser. Vic Gundotra said on Google+ that this is the Snapseed app built for Chrome, so we'll see if more mobile apps and features follow it over.

If you're not using Chrome you'll have to live with basic crop and rotate editing tools on Google+, but even those have been shifted around to make them easier to find. Once the new options are available on your account (as usual, they're rolling out slowly over the next few weeks) all you'll need to do is select one of your photos in Chrome and hit "edit" to see them. Until then, check out the video demo embedded after the break.

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Source: Josh Haftel (Google+)

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Node modular sensor gets Android compatible version

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/11/node-android/

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Variable's been promising an Android version of Node since we first heard about it in early February of last year. The company's finally delivering on that promise with the launch of the latest edition of its modular monitor. The new Node is dually compatible Google's mobile operating system and iOS. The model also features a souped up wireless sensor, a quicker processor and more memory. That version'll run you $149, a fact the company is celebrating by dropping the original iOS-only version down to $99.

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Source: Node

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ASUS reveals Transformer Book T100 with Windows 8.1 for $349, we go hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/11/asus-reveals-transformer-book-t100-with-windows-8-1-for-349-we/

ASUS reveals Transformer Book T100 with Windows 81 for $349, we go handson

ASUS already added new members to its Transformer family back at Computex, and now at IDF 2013, the company's added yet another, called the Transformer Book T100. It's got a 10.1 inch 1366 x 768 IPS display, 31Wh battery, quad-core Bay Trail-T Atom CPU and runs Windows 8.1. There are 32 ($349) and 64GB ($399) storage options augmented by one free year of ASUS's WebStorage service and a micro-SD reader, plus 2GB of RAM to keep things running smoothly. Connectivity includes micro-USB, micro-HDMI, and a single USB 3.0 port in the detachable dock. The T100 arrives in stores on October 18.

Company CEO Johnny Shih, calls the T100 a transformation of the ASUS's venerable EeePC line. You see, with the EeePC, compromises were made to hit its $399 price point. Naturally, the T100 makes no such compromises, according to Shih, and in fact, he calls it a "game changer for mobile devices designed to achieve ultimate mobility." Do we agree with his glowing assessment? Read on for our hands-on impressions.%Gallery-slideshow83873%

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HP Chromebook 14 with Haswell hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/11/hp-chromebook-14-with-haswell-hands-on-video/

HP Chromebook 14 with Haswell handson video

Aside from the new Acer Chromebook, we also got a hands-on look at the new HP Chromebook 14. The latest Haswell-powered Chromebook from HP comes in an array of eye-popping colors -- Snow White, Ocean Turquoise and Coral Peach -- which certainly makes them the most colorful Chromebooks we've ever seen. In person, the colors seem bright and playful, though we can't help but feel they look like they belong in Toys R Us rather than an electronics store. The Chromebook's chassis is made out of plastic, which makes the whole thing seem even more toy-like. The top cover has a smooth rubberized finish, but the plastic-molded keyboard feels a bit gritty; the texture reminds us of the material used in 3D printing.

As the name suggests, the Chromebook 14 has a 14-inch display with 1,366 x 768 resolution. It looked bright enough underneath the convention center's lighting, though it's difficult to tell after just a few minutes of use. It's certainly not the lightest Chromebook we've ever held -- it measures about 0.81-inch thin and weighs in at a whopping 4.08 pounds. HP opted to adhere to the standard Chromebook keyboard layout instead of its own, and the trackpad has just a single button instead of the two found on the HP Pavilion 14. Other features include a HDMI port, 16GB of storage, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports, an HD webcam, an SD card slot and a battery that promises up to 9.5 hours of continuous use. If you decide to buy one, it comes with 100GB of Google Drive for free for two years. The HP Chromebook 14 is priced at around $299.99 to start, and should be available for purchase before the holiday season. To get a closer look at the candy-colored laptops, have a peek at the gallery or hit the video after the break. %Gallery-slideshow83881%

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iPhone 5s fingerprint reader has a timed safeguard, dislikes sweaty digits

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/11/iphone-5s-fingerprint-reader-extras/

iPhone 5S' fingerprint sensor has a 48hour unlock window, dislikes sweaty digits

Beyond the basics, Apple has said little of how the iPhone 5s Touch ID fingerprint reader works -- we mostly know that it's inaccessible to the outside world. Thankfully, the company has shed further light on Touch ID through statements to the Wall Street Journal. To start, iPhone owners will have to unlock with a passcode if they either reboot or haven't unlocked within 48 hours. The safeguard prevents hackers from simply biding their time while they look for a workaround, Apple says. Legitimate users will also want to keep their hands dry, as the reader doesn't work well with fingers covered in sweat and other liquids. You won't want to try unlocking immediately after running, then, but it's evident that Apple already knows many of Touch ID's real-world limitations.

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Source: Wall Street Journal (1), (2)

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Wednesday, September 11, 2013

HP, Acer, ASUS and Toshiba all announce new Haswell Chromebooks; HP model arriving in the holiday season for $300

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/11/google-and-intel-announces-new-haswell-chromebooks/

HP, Acer, ASUS and Toshiba all announce new Haswell Chromebooks; HP model arriving in the holiday season for $300

Intel has just announced a new line of Chromebooks that run on Haswell. Chromebooks have previously run lower-powered processors like ARM and Atom, though the Pixel did break the mold by running on a dual-core 1.8GHz Intel Core i5. Upcoming Haswell Chromebooks include new iterations from Acer and HP, along with Chrome OS newbies ASUS and Toshiba. Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Chrome and Android, came on stage to say that Haswell will offer superb battery life without compromising performance. At first glance, the Acer Chromebook on stage is a slim and light affair, while the HP model sports a larger display. Intel even showed off a special ASUS Chromebox that serves to be an extremely lightweight PC. As you might expect, there's no announcement of pricing or availability just yet, though we did hear we'll see them "over the coming months."

Update: The New Acer Chromebook and the HP Chromebook 14 pages are now live. So far, we have the most details about the Chromebook 14, which will arrive sometime this holiday shopping season for $300. It will have a 14-inch, 1,366 x 768 display and 16GB of built-in storage with HDMI, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports. Unusually, too, it will be available in an array of punch colors, including "Snow White," "Ocean Turquoise" and "Coral Peach." Find the full press release embedded below.

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Source: Chrome Blog

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