Toshiba is just the latest company to enter the robovac fray. Samsung , ASUS and LG have already tested the waters against the mighty iRobot , now it’s Smarbo’s turn to try its hand at automated vacuuming. Inside the round floor cleaner are 38 sensors that help it avoid obstacles and keep it from falling down stairs, as well as a CPU or CPUs that sport “double brain function” according to the machine translated PR. The bot is quite quick, supposedly able to clean 100 square meters (over 1,000 square feet) in about 90 minutes, and only uses a few pennies worth of electricity to do so. Toshiba’s vacubot will hit shelves in Japan for around $1,100 on October first, but it does suffer one distinct disadvantage — DJ Smarbo just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Continue reading Toshiba Smarbo takes on dirt, Roomba, music playing prowess unclear Toshiba Smarbo takes on dirt, Roomba, music playing prowess unclear originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …UK Advertising Authority smacks Motorola for misleading Atrix advert (video)
August 24, 2011 No Comment
Oh dear. Remember Motorola’s advert claiming the Atrix was the “world’s most powerful smartphone?” Well it’s now been banned in the UK by the Advertising Standards Authority . Viewers complained about the misleading phrase as the Galaxy S II has a faster 1.2 GHz processor, compared to Atrix’s 1GHz. Moto said it meant “powerful” in the sense it could drive various devices — the ASA didn’t agree, since the phrase was read out over the final shot in the advert, where the phone appears in isolation. It ruled that as such, the advert was misleading and can only reappear on UK TV with the contentious phrase removed. Armchair adjudicators can decide for themselves in the video after the break. Continue reading UK Advertising Authority smacks Motorola for misleading Atrix advert (video) UK Advertising Authority smacks Motorola for misleading Atrix advert (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Picked up one of those $300 Vizio tablets ? Good news: your entertainment options just expanded a bit with the addition of Hulu Plus support. The eight-inch tablet now handles the TV / movie streaming Android app — so long as you don’t mind dropping another $7.99 a month for the premium video service. Continue reading Vizio Tablet gets Hulu Plus, lets you watch your ’30 Rock’ on the go Vizio Tablet gets Hulu Plus, lets you watch your ’30 Rock’ on the go originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Picked up one of those $300 Vizio tablets ? Good news: your entertainment options just expanded a bit with the addition of Hulu Plus support. The eight-inch tablet now handles the TV / movie streaming Android app — so long as you don’t mind dropping another $7.99 a month for the premium video service. Continue reading Vizio Tablet gets Hulu Plus, lets you watch your ’30 Rock’ on the go Vizio Tablet gets Hulu Plus, lets you watch your ’30 Rock’ on the go originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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One thing’s for sure: we’re utterly thrilled with the direction that ruggedized cameras are heading. Canon’s PowerShot D10, while impressive, was more like a small stone than a bona fide P&S, but it wouldn’t take much convincing to make someone believe that Fujifilm’s FinePix XP30 was just another run-of-the-mill compact. Our pals over at Photography Blog already ran this thing through the wringer earlier in the year, but we couldn’t resist the opportunity to take it to a few other places for testing. Namely, the Big Island of Hawaii. We spent a solid week with the XP30 and Samsung’s W200 , and while neither ended up impressing us from a visual standpoint, they both shared one common lining of the silver variety: price. At just $184, the XP30 is quite the bargain given its neatly trimmed exterior, but was the performance enough to warrant a recommendation? Head on past the break for out thoughts, as well as a heaping of sample shots and even an underwater video taken… after dark . Gallery: Fujifilm FinePix XP30 hands-on Continue reading Fujifilm FinePix XP30 hands-on: a week of underwater testing (video) Fujifilm FinePix XP30 hands-on: a week of underwater testing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Welcome to Engadget’s Back to School guide ! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we’re here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we’re walking around with new bags in tow — and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back — at the end of the month we’ll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides — and hit up the hub page right here ! Cutting a bag free from an oversized cardboard container isn’t nearly as exciting as unboxing the latest, well, anything else — but you’re probably gonna need one, unless you don’t mind biking around campus with a laptop under your arm. We’ve rounded up some of our perennial favorites that are sure to keep your gadgets safe on any budget. And see that messenger bag up above? It’s stuffed full of some of this season’s hottest gadgets — and we’re giving one away to 15 of you. Simply leave a comment below and at each of our other back to school guides to be entered to win, and check out our giveaway page for more details. Continue reading Engadget’s back to school guide 2011: bags and cases Engadget’s back to school guide 2011: bags and cases originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Possessing a camera with RAW output is great, but working with those data-rich files often isn’t — not least because most manufacturers use proprietary file formats. However, Lightroom fans who update to version 3.5 (currently at release candidate stage) should discover that it effortlessly handles RAW images from a bunch of recent cameras including the Olympus E-P3 and E-PL3 , Panasonic G3 and GF3 , and the Sony Alpha NEX-C3 The update will also fix a number of bugs, such as inconsistent processing times and a loss of geo-tagging metadata when converting to Adobe’s Digital Negative format. Time to get those psychedelic HDR images flowing. [Thanks, Rob] Adobe Lightroom 3.5 will support Olympus, Panasonic and Sony RAW formats originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Add another model to the gadget deluge that was last night’s Sony camera announcements . The electronics giant debuted the NEX-VG20, the followup to the admittedly snazzy NEX-VG10 . The new interchangeable lens camcorder does full HD video and can capture 16 megapixel stills (including RAW support). The Handycam also rocks a three-inch LCD that can be rotated 270 degrees and a mic that supports stereo and 5.1 channel surround recordings. The camcorder will hit stores in November for $2,199 with an SEL18200 F3.5-6.3 E-mount lens and $1,599 for just the body. Continue reading Sony debuts the Handycam NEX-VG20 Sony debuts the Handycam NEX-VG20 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Netherlands judge rules that Samsung Galaxy S, S II violate Apple patents
August 24, 2011 No Comment
A judge in The Hague just issued a ruling in Apple’s patent infringement case against Samsung, prohibiting “the marketing of Samsung smartphones Galaxy S, S II and Ace for violation of Apple Inc. EP 2,058,868. ” Developing… Netherlands judge rules that Samsung Galaxy S, S II violate Apple patents originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 09:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Engineer hacks a Kindle, creates easy to use prototype for sister with cerebral palsy
August 24, 2011 No Comment
This may not be Amazon’s next version of the Kindle , but this rad mod does fill a very unique purpose. Glenn, an electrical engineer, created what he’s calling the Frankenkindle for his sister, who has cerebral palsy. This e-reader features controls that are much easier for her to use than the stock buttons on the factory offering. Using the keypad from a children’s reader and Amazon’s pride and joy, the fully functional device is only lacking a permanent mount for the hacked digital library and some wire organization. In between the buttons and the Kindle, he’s customized a Teensy USB microcontroller to interpret and pass along the proper input commands. While fully aware the device will need some user testing, Glenn intends to tailor this bad boy to his sister’s specific needs — and if that wasn’t enough he’s got more tricks up his sleeve that will help others with physical disabilities. If you’re wanting a quick walk through, check out the video after the break. Continue reading Engineer hacks a Kindle, creates easy to use prototype for sister with cerebral palsy Engineer hacks a Kindle, creates easy to use prototype for sister with cerebral palsy originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 07:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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