Netflix on PS3 goes disc-free, gets 1080i streaming and 5.1 surround sound
October 14, 2010 No Comment
Rejoice, PS3 owners, your Netflix streaming experience just got vastly better than anything else on the market. Starting October 18 Netflix on the PS3 will no longer require a disc, and it’ll stream some content with 1080i resolution and / or 5.1-channel surround audio, while everyone else will be stuck with a max of 720p stereo for the time being. Oh, and you’ll get subtitles on some content as well. Netflix is partnering with Dolby on the audio side, and the surround format will be Dolby Digital Plus, which is the same codec used by the VUDU HDX streaming service — we’re guessing it’ll require a tiny bit more bandwidth but the results should sound pretty great. Netflix says 5.1 will come to other platforms “over time,” so we’ll see how long that takes — and given that the PS3 is now disc-free and the company’s eschewed the SRS surround features baked into its Silverlight-based platform, we’re guessing Microsoft’s exclusivity period has now completely run its course. Video and PR after the break. Continue reading Netflix on PS3 goes disc-free, gets 1080i streaming and 5.1 surround sound Netflix on PS3 goes disc-free, gets 1080i streaming and 5.1 surround sound originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Skype 5.0 for Windows busts out of beta, integrates your Facebook friends
October 14, 2010 No Comment
Nope, it’s not a Facebook “phone,” but it’s probably the closest you’re gonna get to one right now. Skype has just unleashed the no-longer-in-beta version of its 5.0 Windows software, and not only has it drastically tided up the interface, but just like the rumor said , it’s taken advantage of Facebook Connect in a big way. The new version, which will apparently be available for public download within minutes of this post hitting the internet, still has a familiar look and feel, but the most noticeable changes are the addition of photos to the contacts list and the new Facebook tab. Logging into your Facebook account within the program populates your regular News Feed, but also attaches Skype call / SMS buttons next to friends that have either their Skype handles or mobile phone numbers listed on Facebook. Hit one of the buttons and you’re, well, connected ! There’s also an option to view your Facebook Phonebook, which basically lists all your contacts’ mobile phone numbers — though, oddly, it doesn’t list Skype handles within that area. Of course, the final version still allows for 10-way video calls and includes the automatic call recovery feature, which brilliantly reconnects dropped calls as if the drop didn’t really happen. If and when these features will hit Skype’s mobile version, your guess is as good as ours — a company spokesperson told us there’s nothing to talk about on that end right now. Of course, we could go on and on about the new software, or you could hit the source link, download it yourself, and let us know what you think about it below. Update : The source link should work — even though it says it’s Skype 4.2, the software is 5.0. Gallery: Skype 5.0 screenshots Continue reading Skype 5.0 for Windows busts out of beta, integrates your Facebook friends Skype 5.0 for Windows busts out of beta, integrates your Facebook friends originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It might not be the Apple-Verizon tie-in you are most anxious to see happen, but the big red network has gone official with its plans to offer the iPad in its brick-and-mortar stores starting on October 28. VZW will be bundling the WiFi-only iPads with its own MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot with pricing set at $630, $730 and $830 for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variants of Apple’s tablet, respectively. There’s only one access plan on offer for now, granting users 1GB of monthly data allowance in exchange for $20 and no contractual commitments. AT&T will match the release date and upfront prices for each model, although its iPads will be of the WiFi + 3G variety, eschewing the need for a bundled MiFi. Full press releases follow after the break. Continue reading iPad going on sale in Verizon Wireless and AT&T stores October 28 iPad going on sale in Verizon Wireless and AT&T stores October 28 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 08:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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See that tiny black box? It’s a streaming audio hub, designed specifically for the hard of hearing who have Siemens earphones buried in their lobes. Connect special Tek transmitters to traditional TVs and stereos, or hook it up directly to a phone, audio player or PC over Bluetooth or 3.5mm jack, and the matchbox-sized, two-ounce remote will wirelessly stream stereo audio from two devices for up to five hours a time. (It’s also apparently got an integrated coil for induction loop audio.) Just don’t expect it to come cheap — it’s a medical product, you know. [Thanks, Klaus] Siemens pumps streaming audio to hearing aids with miniTek remote originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 08:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Dean Liou, the same fellow responsible for the ToiletPC and LovePC, has just concocted what’s likely his most splendorous mod yet. The ArcadeDock Laptop Dock is a half-height arcade machine, complete with a flame job from a dark corner of 1994, a full-on joystick + large button splay and a secret cabinet for a touchpad-equipped keyboard. Put simply, this rig is designed to hold an IdeaPad Y560 , and when plugged in and connected via USB, the controls you’re peering at above function exactly as you’d expect them to. Toss on a couple of your favorite ROMs ( Street Fighter II , anyone?), grab a Go-Gurt and settle in — a demonstrative video is after the break, and feel free to tap that Lenovo link below if you’d like to vote this mod up above the competition. Continue reading ArcadeDock converts Lenovo laptop into retro gaming machine (video) ArcadeDock converts Lenovo laptop into retro gaming machine (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 07:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Robots learning our pain threshold by punching humans and seeing if they cry
October 14, 2010 No Comment
The first rule of robotics is you do not talk about robotics that a robot should not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. But how does a robot know when its acts or omissions are causing nearby fleshies discomfort? The obvious way is to scan for the same signals of distress that we humans do — facial, physical, and aural — but another, more fun, way is to just hit people over and over again and ask them how much each blow hurt. That’s what professor Borut Povse over in Slovenia is doing, in a research project he describes as “impact emulation,” where six test subjects are punched by a robotic arm until they can’t take it anymore. It’s funny, yes, but it’s also novel and a somewhat ingenious way to collect data and produce more intelligent machines. Of course, whether we actually want more intelligent machines is another matter altogether. [Thanks, Anthony] Robots learning our pain threshold by punching humans and seeing if they cry originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 06:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Pioneer blings out HDJ-1000 headphones, turns them into a $209 Limited Edition
October 14, 2010 No Comment
The thing with headphones, and sound equipment in general, is that if you get the design right the first time, you don’t leave yourself much room for significant upgrades down the line. Pioneer seems to have fallen into that trap with its HDJ-1000 set of cans, which are today getting rehashed in a pair of new shades: the extrovert gold number above and an understated all-black look. Pioneer hasn’t left the innards completely unretouched, however, as it has nipped and tucked a few bits to allow better low-range reproduction and a more comfortable fit overall. Neither sounds likely to justify the price bump to $209, but those golden highlights sure look appealing from where we’re sitting. Continue reading Pioneer blings out HDJ-1000 headphones, turns them into a $209 Limited Edition Pioneer blings out HDJ-1000 headphones, turns them into a $209 Limited Edition originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 05:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Opera Mobile coming to Android within a month, bearing hardware acceleration and pinch-to-zoom
October 14, 2010 No Comment
Forget all that Mini stuff , Opera is bringing its full-flavored mobile browser to Android some time very soon indeed. To tempt people on board, the new software will support hardware acceleration for buttering up frame rates while you zoom around at potato-scalding speeds, while pinch-to-zoom will also be implemented in a big O Android browser for the first time. Opera Mini will be partaking in the latter upgrade as well, while Opera Mobile proper is expected to make its debut on the Android Market at some point over the next month. All versions of the ” well diversified ” OS are supported too! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Opera Mobile coming to Android within a month, bearing hardware acceleration and pinch-to-zoom originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 04:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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T-Mobile had become the only top-tier carrier in the US to endorse data throttling over capping back in April, and at the time, we’d thought the feature was being turned on immediately — but new communication being passed around internally has us thinking that they’re just now getting around to flipping the switch. A screen up on TmoNews says that the policy will start this Saturday, October 16, after which exceeding 5GB of data usage in a month will result in “web browsing capabilities… at slower speeds… which will be determined by [the user's] device type.” If it’s any consolation, the same screen says that less than one percent of users will actually be affected in practice… and something tells us most of you know who you are. But hey, getting throttled is still better than getting slammed with overage, right? Warning, heavy users: T-Mobile just now turning on data throttling? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 04:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Nokia N900 will soon give users the option to dual-boot into MeeGo, experience the future
October 14, 2010 No Comment
Whatever else you might say about Nokia, the company knows how to keep a promise. Back in March, we were told there’d be a dual-boot solution for the N900, providing users of the Maemo 5 phone with a taste of the MeeGo life, and even though it might have taken a while, that firmware will soon indeed be available. Mind you, there’s quite a distance between offering users the option and supporting the dual-boot experience (which Nokia isn’t doing), but given the choice between some MeeGo and complete NoGo, we know what we’d prefer. Hit the source to get fully educated while waiting on the dual-booting PR 1.3 update to drop. Nokia N900 will soon give users the option to dual-boot into MeeGo, experience the future originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 03:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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