For old Dead Heads like ourselves, there is nothing sweeter than sleeping in a tie-dyed t-shirt for weeks at a time and living on the road, in search of that great lost chord. We only wish we had one of these new-fangled digital audio recorders while Dylan was rockin’ out with Jerry Bear and the gang back in ’87. Due out in March 2011, Beseto Japan’s DP1000 handheld features three mics (right, left, and center) for either mono or stereo recording, 2GB internal memory, support for microSD and SDHC cards up to 32GB, both Linear PCM (16bit / 44.1kHz) and MP3 recording, and while it holds two AAA batteries (for up 168 hours of use) you can attach an external battery case which will give you an entire week of operation with only four AA batteries. Just imagine a week long guitar solo! Your mind would like, melt, dude. Also includes a 300Hz low-cut filter, ten second pre-recording (just in case), and USB 2.0 jack. Open price, but it’s estimated retail is
Continue reading …Microsoft’s adorable new Windows 7 ad touts Blu-ray, shows Macs and PCs really just want to be friends
November 12, 2010 No Comment
With the holiday buying season descending upon us, fancy new commercials are naturally ramping up in tandem. Microsoft has a new spin on its Windows 7 promotional efforts with its latest ad, which shows a Mac and a PC bonding over a Blu-ray copy of Avatar during a long flight. Naturally, the PC is the only one who can play Blu-ray, which is Microsoft’s semi-subtle pitch, but really this commercial is about the power of Friendship and Sharing Things With Others. We were halfway about to ruin it all by smarmily suggesting the fact that the Mac can play a very similar HD copy of Avatar pulled down from iTunes that won’t put as much of a hurt on his battery, but for whatever reason there’s no Avatar on the US iTunes Store right now (possibly James Cameron’s upcoming extended special collector’s millennium edition release has something to do with it?). Which brings us around to Apple’s real reason for not supporting Blu-ray: they can’t take it away from you. Microsoft’s adorable new Windows 7 ad touts Blu-ray, shows Macs and PCs really just want to be friends originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Ford adds race-ready TracKey to Mustang Boss 302, leaves no doubt about who’s in charge
November 12, 2010 No Comment
The use of a second key to unlock extra potential in a vehicle isn’t exactly new: Bugatti’s mind-blowing Veyron has a special tumbler-tickler that will let it hit 253mph; the Segway PT offers different fobs for different speeds. But such high-tech foppery on a Mustang? Yes, Ford continues to impress as the domestic marque with the techiest toys, announcing that buyers of next year’s Boss 302 can purchase an optional TracKey package, shown after the break. Take the standard black key and you’ll have a rip-roaring, 444hp monster. Take the red key, though, and you’ll see how fast that pony can run down the rabbit hole. The car detects a different RFID chip in the fob and loads a secondary, track-specific engine tune, tweaking 200 ECM parameters to boost everything from throttle response to engine braking. It’ll turn a semi-civilized muscle car into a completely track-ready monster, including launch control. When it’s time for a more leisurely cruise users can just switch back to the black key, return to daily driver status, and leave Wonderland — for a little while, at least. Continue reading Ford adds race-ready TracKey to Mustang Boss 302, leaves no doubt about who’s in charge Ford adds race-ready TracKey to Mustang Boss 302, leaves no doubt about who’s in charge originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 10:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Apple contributing to OpenJDK project, ensures continued Java availability on OS X
November 12, 2010 No Comment
As of just a few weeks ago, Java ‘s legacy of write once, debug everywhere was looking in doubt. Apple ‘s flavor of the Java 6 runtime was deprecated and all those .class and .jar files on Macs were looking like they’d swirl to a lingering death in the great coffee pot in the sky. That all changes today with an announcement from both Apple and Oracle that Cupertino developers will “contribute most of the key components” for OpenJDK Java SE 7 implementations on 32- and 64-bit flavors of OS X, with runtime virtual machines set to cover both Snow Leopard and the upcoming Lion release. Additionally, Apple will continue to make the SE 6 version of Java available, while Oracle will take over responsibility for ownership and distribution of version 7 and those to come. You know what this means, developers: time to dust off those debuggers and get ready to flood the Mac App Store . Continue reading Apple contributing to OpenJDK project, ensures continued Java availability on OS X Apple contributing to OpenJDK project, ensures continued Java availability on OS X originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 09:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime dishes cumulative sales numbers for current console generation
November 12, 2010 No Comment
Rather like Nokia and its market share obsession, Nintendo just can’t seem to stop talking about its hardware sales lead. The company’s US chief, Reggie Fils-Aime, recently dished some NPD data detailing the specific advantage that the Wii has over its competitors in the US since the current console generation launched: Mario’s team has managed to sell 30.4 million units of its hardware, followed by Microsoft’s Xbox 360 at 21.9 million and Sony’s PS3, which lags somewhere far behind with 13.5 million total sales. On the more mobile front, DS sales have ratcheted up to 43.1 million, more than doubling the PSP’s 17.7 million shipments to the US of A. Nothing we haven’t heard before, really, but it’s always good to get a statistical update for the sake of keeping flamewars as informed as possible. Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime dishes cumulative sales numbers for current console generation originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 08:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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What’s that, the greatest Android tablet of the moment caught without its pants on again ? Oh, no, it’s just another iFixit special, tearing down a Samsung Galaxy Tab into its requisite bits, bobs, and a slab of Gorilla Glass . The removal of that pane turned out to be the trickiest part, requiring a lot of heat and a little “nervous prying” before it yielded. But, yield it did, and you can see the piece-by-piece teardown on the other end of the source link below. Samsung Galaxy Tab torn down, is indeed not full of stars originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 08:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …USC Institute for Creative Technologies gets new building to amp up its military VR work
November 12, 2010 No Comment
University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies has just moved into 72,000-square feet of shiny new facilities in Playa Vista, California — on the same grounds which once served as the headquarters for Howard Hughes’ aircraft company. Funded by the US Army to develop virtual reality technology, the ICT’s work is now found on 65 military sites across the country. Before your brain starts wandering towards thoughts of Call of Duty on military-grade steroids though, keep in mind that much of the institute’s innovations revolve around simulating surrogate interactions with so-called “virtual humans”. For example, thanks to advanced AI language programming, soldier patients projected on life size semi-transparent screens help teach doctors about treating combat trauma, while virtual Army personnel characters such as Sergeant Star can interact naturally with soldiers in leadership training exercises. Still, that shouldn’t imply ITC doesn’t dabble in good ole’ fashion combat simulation work. In fact, it’s currently running a training exercise on three military bases designed to prepare soldiers for an insurgent ambush within a highly-realistic virtual town reconstructed from satellite imagery. No, it may not sound as wild as robotic exoskeletons , flying Humvees or ultrasound-based mind control , but it does make your life on The Sims seem totally fake. To judge for yourself, check out the video overview on the next page. Continue reading USC Institute for Creative Technologies gets new building to amp up its military VR work USC Institute for Creative Technologies gets new building to amp up its military VR work originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 07:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Sorry, Apple mobile device users, your first little pre-holidays gift has been delayed. Apple has reportedly canceled today’s expected iOS 4.2 release, the controversial one that might or might not be lacking AirPrint . We’d hoped to solve that particular mystery before the weekend, but it seems we’ll have to wait a little longer thanks to a serious looking connectivity bug plaguing the iPad. Many users of the Golden Master version of 4.2 reported that a WiFi connection could be established by their devices but, once made, they were unable to actually do anything on the ‘net, and not being able to do anything on the ‘net is what we like to call a Very Bad Thing. No word on exactly when a new version will be available, but it should still drop within the next few weeks. iOS 4.2 reportedly delayed, iPad WiFi issues to blame originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 07:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Want the cheapest way to try out Windows Phone 7? Outside of getting yourself hooked up with a job at a tech blog, Amazon might have the very finest option for you with its newly discounted $0.01 pricing on two AT&T handsets for the new platform. The HTC Surround and its slide-out speaker are available immediately whereas the LG Quantum , which slides to reveal a more conventional QWERTY keypad, is on back-order. Fear not, though, both will cost you a mere cent when obtained in conjunction with a new AT&T line and a two-year bond with the carrier. We might still prefer their European counterparts, but you can’t deny these phones look to be priced just about right for what they are. Shame that this pricing will only last through the weekend. HTC Surround and LG Quantum available for $0.01 at Amazon this weekend originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 06:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …CE-Oh no he didn’t!: NVIDIA chief calls Galaxy Tab ‘a large phone,’ can’t wait to show you some real tablets
November 12, 2010 No Comment
We’ve literally been waiting for Tegra 2 tablets since CES in January , but that isn’t stopping NVIDIA boss Jen-Hsun Huang from extolling their virtues yet again, this time on a roadmap that points to just after next year ‘s CES. In his company’s most recent quarterly results call, Huang was bullish about the disruptive potential of tablets, but insisted that they can’t simply be built like the Galaxy Tab (or the Folio 100 , for that matter), which uses a smartphone OS stretched out to a larger screen. “A tablet is not a large phone,” said Huang, and he’s of course not alone in expressing frustration with Android’s current immaturity for the tablet realm, but once Google’s slate-friendly OS update drops, he promises NVIDIA will be ready to capitalize: “Our tablet and phone business is going to ramp. And it’s going to ramp hard.” We’re looking forward to all this ramping, oh yes we are. CE-Oh no he didn’t!: NVIDIA chief calls Galaxy Tab ‘a large phone,’ can’t wait to show you some real tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 03:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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