Less than a week after it disappeared from iTunes , the Apple-friendly Google Voice app is back and declared iOS 5 friendly, per its official Twitter account. Also improved is operation when you don’t have a data connection, as there’s no data required for all numbers previously called. Hit the source link below for v1.3.1.1891 — we’ll never go back to the dark days of v1.3.0.1771. Google Voice app returns to iTunes, iOS 5 crash bug fixed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Wealthy road warriors can now custom order a seriously decked out — and seriously weird-looking — mobile home. It looks abruptly futuristic on the outside, but that’s only the half of it. The Elemment Palazzo, made by Austrian company Marchi Mobile features an en suite bedroom, a pop-out roof terrace, under-floor heating, a skylight, a
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Webcams have certainly narrowed the distance between loved ones, but it’s hard to argue that two people hovering over their laptop screens can rival an in-person conversation. Moving things over to the big screen could make the exchange much more comfortable for everyone involved — you just need an HDTV, and a Biscotti. The small black box should be ready to turn the biggest screen in your home into a high definition video phone fairly soon, having just landed in the FCC’s living room. Packed inside is a camera, microphone and 802.11b/g/n WiFi — plug the contraption into your TV and you can instantly make calls to family and friends, with no monthly charges. A pair of HDMI ports let the device serve as a bridge between your television and cable box, so folks with limited connections don’t have to choose between Dad and Mr. Mom . Biscotti will also interact with computers, tablets and smartphones via an as-yet unnamed “video player” to bring life-sized video chat to the masses. There’s no word yet on pricing or availability, but if the FCC has finished nibbling at it, then it shouldn’t be long before we get a taste ourselves. Continue reading Biscotti TV dunked in the FCC’s latte, still a bit hard Biscotti TV dunked in the FCC’s latte, still a bit hard originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Styli and Android haven’t exactly been strangers as of late — with devices like the HTC Flyer and Samsung Galaxy Note offering pen-based input — but it looks like that option will soon be even easier to implement with Ice Cream Sandwich. As noted on Reddit , Google’s recent overview of some Android 4.0 platform highlights includes a small tidbit towards the end that details the “full support for stylus input events” in the OS — including features like pressure sensitivity and the ability to distinguish motion events from different sources (i.e. a pen and your finger). Of course, it still requires someone to actually use it, but the native support could well open up some interesting possibilities, especially when it comes to third-party apps. Android Ice Cream Sandwich includes native stylus support originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Ever go to a LAN party and find it’s taking too long to get your gear set up the way you like? Probably not, especially if you own a Razer or other gaming mouse that stores your preferences on its internal memory. Still, it would be far easier if your tweaks were stored in the cloud and available everywhere — which is the thinking behind Synapse 2.0. All of your button, axis and sensitivity adjustments will be available for you to pull down and use with the company’s range of peripherals if you’re at home, the LAN center or at work (after hours, of course.) The service is currently in internal beta but 500 lucky Razer Naga owners will get access to the second beta if they sign up at the source link below. There’s also a press release — scroll down at 5600dpi and click “Read More.” Continue reading Razer Synapse 2.0: take your fussy gaming setup wherever you go Razer Synapse 2.0: take your fussy gaming setup wherever you go originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Amazon adds e-readers to Trade-In program, ebook lovers pass the old Kindles to the Bezos side
October 21, 2011 No Comment
Early adopters are usually SOL a few months into owning their new doodads. After helping make products successful, their version 1.0 devices are often cast aside to make room for the newer, better, faster kit waiting in the pipeline. If you happened to jump on the Kindle bandwagon early on or even just a short while ago, you may be feeling these very flames of tech fury whenever you consider the company’s newly refreshed line . Well, buck up bookworms, a partial solution to your economic woes is now available. Amazon’s accepting your used and abused e-readers in exchange for a gift card applicable to any purchases you make on the site. It’s the same old trade-in program the Bezos-backed company’s been running for years, only now you’ll have a more sensible way to upgrade your E Ink or tablet game. Amazon adds e-readers to Trade-In program, ebook lovers pass the old Kindles to the Bezos side originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Walter Isaacson’s new book on late Apple CEO Steve Jobs has yet to be released, but the Huffington Post recently obtained an advanced copy of the authorized biography, and highlighted some of its most salient revelations. Throughout the course of the 656-page book, Isaacson provides fascinating and often intimate insight into Jobs’ life and times, including details on his childhood, his Bob Dylan-drenched iPod and, perhaps most notably, his curious philosophy on apps. Strange as it may seem, Jobs was initially opposed to the very concept of an app-based environment, for fear that his company may not be up to the task. According to Isaacson, Apple board member Art Levinson called the CEO “half a dozen times to lobby for the potential of the apps,” but Jobs was initially reluctant. “Jobs at first quashed the discussion,” Isaacson writes, “partly because he felt his team did not have the bandwidth to figure out all the complexities that would be involved in policing third-party app developers.” Needless to say, Jobs and his team eventually figured it out. Walter Isaacson’s book, “Steve Jobs,” will be released on October 24th, but you can pre-order it from Amazon, at the link below. Steve Jobs was initially opposed to apps, new biography reveals originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Portable LTE network in a box demoed, ready to deliver 4G to war zone near you
October 21, 2011 No Comment
What’s four pounds, rugged and essential for the smartphone toting soldiers of the future? Why it’s a portable LTE network in a box, of course. BTS and Radisys recently demoed their CoreTx and Trillium products, which may one day bring 4G connectivity to dangerous spots like disaster areas and battlefields. BTS already delivers 3G to areas of Afghanistan and is now working on this upgraded system with support for both LTE and HSPA+. You’ll find a few more details in the PR after the break. Continue reading Portable LTE network in a box demoed, ready to deliver 4G to war zone near you Portable LTE network in a box demoed, ready to deliver 4G to war zone near you originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 05:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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For all the buzz around Samsung’s latest hi-def smartphone , the absence of one little word has largely been glossed over. That word is “Plus” — the wizened Galaxy S II has a “Super AMOLED Plus” display, for example, whereas the sparkly Galaxy Nexus is merely “Super AMOLED.” Did the marketeers simply forget those extra hyperbolic keystrokes, or does the difference actually mean something? Well, regrettably, it does. Samsung uses “Plus” to refer to full RGB displays, in which each pixel possesses its own trio of red, green and blue sub-pixels. Meanwhile, a non-Plus display uses a cheaper PenTile system — which forces pixels to share each other’s sub-pixels. Aside from potential hygiene issues, this results in a lower overall sub-pixel density, reduced sharpness and worse color rendition. We saw the difference clearly enough when Engadget Spanish microscopically compared the original non-Plus Galaxy S against the GS II, and now the folks at FlatPanelsHD have undertaken a more up-to-date comparison at the source link. The upshot? They calculated that, despite its 4.65-inch screen size, the Galaxy Nexus has the same number of sub-pixels as the 3.5-inch iPhone 4/4S . Think of a word with no r, g or b in it, and you eventually arrive at “disappointed.” The Galaxy Nexus’ Super AMOLED display is a minus, not a Plus originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 05:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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For all the buzz around Samsung’s latest hi-def smartphone , the absence of one little word has largely been glossed over. That word is “Plus” — the wizened Galaxy S II has a “Super AMOLED Plus” display, for example, whereas the sparkly Galaxy Nexus is merely “Super AMOLED.” Did the marketeers simply forget those extra hyperbolic keystrokes, or does the difference actually mean something? Well, regrettably, it does. Samsung uses “Plus” to refer to full RGB displays, in which each pixel possesses its own trio of red, green and blue sub-pixels. Meanwhile, a non-Plus display uses a cheaper PenTile system — which forces pixels to share each other’s sub-pixels. Aside from potential hygiene issues, this results in a lower overall sub-pixel density, reduced sharpness and worse color rendition. We saw the difference clearly enough when Engadget Spanish microscopically compared the original non-Plus Galaxy S against the GS II, and now the folks at FlatPanelsHD have undertaken a more up-to-date comparison at the source link. The upshot? They calculated that, despite its 4.65-inch screen size, the Galaxy Nexus has the same number of sub-pixels as the 3.5-inch iPhone 4/4S . Think of a word with no r, g or b in it, and you eventually arrive at “disappointed.” The Galaxy Nexus’ Super AMOLED display is a minus, not a Plus originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 05:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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