Wii Fit balance board hack takes a virtual Segway ride around Google’s mapped world (video)
August 3, 2011 No Comment
You can do a lot in seven hours — fly coast-to-coast, slow-cook a pot roast, create a Google Maps-navigating, Wii Fit-controlled virtual Segway . Wait, what? Yes, that Nintendo-branded, dust-collecting relic of holidays past has been given a new lease on life thanks to an intrepid troop of Ivy-educated geeks, and a seven-hour hackathon. The marathon modding session, held by Stanford University’s SVI Hackspace, banded together a like-minded set of overachieving modders to produce a balance board-guided Street View romp through Google Maps . The students’ hack connects the Wii Fit board to OS X via the Osculator app, with a Node.js server processing the data and Socket.io handling board-to-browser communication. A Google Earth plug-in and pre-rendered Segway were all that was left to complete this foot-mapped joy ride through our digitized world. Video demo awaits you after the break. Continue reading Wii Fit balance board hack takes a virtual Segway ride around Google’s mapped world (video) Wii Fit balance board hack takes a virtual Segway ride around Google’s mapped world (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …OnStar Family Link brings loved ones closer together through vehicle tracking
August 3, 2011 No Comment
Add this to the ever-growing list of things we’re glad we didn’t have back when we were teenagers. GM this week announced the release of Family Link, the latest addition to its OnStar service . The new feature lets subscribers track the exact location of vehicles at any time via an online map. Subscribers can also set up a text message alert to keep on top of the car’s location. There’s certainly potential for the feature as a safety tool, but it’s also no doubt a long awaited addition for overbearing parents everywhere. The service is beginning life as an invitation-only pilot program that includes around 10,000 OnStar subscribers. Continue reading OnStar Family Link brings loved ones closer together through vehicle tracking OnStar Family Link brings loved ones closer together through vehicle tracking originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …FCC measures US wireline advertised broadband speeds, fiber dominates cable and DSL
August 3, 2011 No Comment
Ever wonder if the speeds your ISP advertises are actually what you’re getting while reloading Engadget all day? The FCC did, and decided to team up with 13 major broadband providers in the US to test how they performed from February to June of this year. Notably, during peak hours the average continuous download speeds of fiber connections were 14 percent faster than advertised, while cable and DSL were slower than claimed by 8 and 18 percent, respectively. Upload speeds also varied, with DSL again dipping the lowest at 95-percent of what’s advertised — might be time to ask your phone-based ISP for a partial refund, no? In addition to sustained speeds, the FCC analyzed consumer connections’ latency and the effect of ISP speed boost tech on activities like VoIP, gaming, and video streaming. In concluding its research, the Commission noted that it should be easy to get tools in users’ hands for keeping better tabs on ISP-provided services, without needing to contact customer frustrations relations. The study is chock full of even more graphs and stats, which you’ll find by hitting that source link below. Now, if only we could get those speeds on par with our friends across the Atlantic . Continue reading FCC measures US wireline advertised broadband speeds, fiber dominates cable and DSL FCC measures US wireline advertised broadband speeds, fiber dominates cable and DSL originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 07:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Korean regulator fines Apple $2,800 over iPhone location tracking controversy
August 3, 2011 No Comment
The iPhone location tracking saga took yet another twist today, with South Korea’s communications regulatory body ordering Apple Korea to pay three million won (about $2,828) for collecting personal information without authorization. The fine certainly won’t break Cupertino’s bank, but it does set a precedent, marking the first time that a regulator has taken Apple to task over the issue. A few weeks ago, a Korean court ordered the company to pay about $1,000 in compensation to an individual who brought action against Apple, as part of a case that is expected to blossom into a larger, class-action suit. Kim Hyung-suk, the lawyer spearheading the campaign, told Reuters that he’s looking to file the lawsuit “by next week.” Apple’s Korean unit, meanwhile, is still claiming innocence , with spokesman Steve Park saying: “Apple is not tracking the location of your iPhone. Apple has never done so and has no plans to ever do so.” Park, however, would not say whether or not the company will agree to pay the fine. Korean regulator fines Apple $2,800 over iPhone location tracking controversy originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 07:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …RIM launches three new handsets, Torch 9810, Torch 9860 and Bold 9900, we go hands-on!
August 3, 2011 No Comment
Here they are folks. Months after we first got our hands on pre-release Torch and Bold Touch handsets, RIM is finally ready to show off its latest hardware . They’re all powered by a 1.2GHz processor, have 768MB of onboard RAM and — most importantly — run the latest operating system BB OS7. RIM claims its new OS is 40 percent faster at browsing compared to OS6-based smartphones, and 100 percent faster than OS5 handsets. It also supports RIM’s Liquid Graphics technology, which uses a dedicated graphics processor for smoother scrolling, zooming and panning. Hands-on impressions follow after the break, and stay tuned because we’re updating this with more info from the London launch event as we get it, with full galleries and a hands-on video following imminently. Gallery: Blackberry Torch 9810 hands-on Gallery: Blackberry Torch 9860 hands-on Gallery: Blackberry Bold 9900 hands-on Gallery: BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860, 9810 press shots Continue reading RIM launches three new handsets, Torch 9810, Torch 9860 and Bold 9900, we go hands-on! RIM launches three new handsets, Torch 9810, Torch 9860 and Bold 9900, we go hands-on! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Sprint’s 4G service is taking a turn for the wholesale — the company announced this week that it will be offering up some 4G-packing products to resellers. The list of available products includes the EVO Shift-esque HTC Detail and a data card from Sierra Wireless. More products are expected in the coming months. The model is not a new one for Sprint — the company already offers rebrandable 3G products for companies. At present, Sprint’s 4G coverage is available in 71 markets across the US. More info in the press release below. Continue reading Sprint extends 4G coverage to wholesale Sprint extends 4G coverage to wholesale originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 05:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sprint’s 4G service is taking a turn for the wholesale — the company announced this week that it will be offering up some 4G-packing products to resellers. The list of available products includes the EVO Shift-esque HTC Detail and a data card from Sierra Wireless. More products are expected in the coming months. The model is not a new one for Sprint — the company already offers rebrandable 3G products for companies. At present, Sprint’s 4G coverage is available in 71 markets across the US. More info in the press release below. Continue reading Sprint extends 4G coverage to wholesale Sprint extends 4G coverage to wholesale originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 05:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Toshiba is dropping out of Fujitsu / Toshiba phones while Hitachi considers exiting the TV biz
August 3, 2011 No Comment
Fujitsu Toshiba Mobile Communications has only been in existence as Japan’s number two mobile company (behind Sharp) for a short time , but it appears even a decent earnings report wasn’t enough for Toshiba to stay in the business. While the joint venture prepares to release the au IS12T WP7 handset running Mango Fujitsu, Fujitsu is preparing to buy out Toshiba’s 19.9 percent stake and take sole ownership in 2012. Toshiba may not be the only Japanese tech giant taking a step back, as Hitachi is considering following Pioneer and exiting the TV biz stage left. As price competition squeezes out all but the largest manufacturers and even Sony feels the pinch , Hitachi is considering outsourcing the brand to overseas manufacturers. Neither announcement should put brakes on hardware we’ve been anticipating, but that REGZA phone or Wooo television you just dropped a few yen on could become a vintage item very soon. [Thanks, Colin] Toshiba is dropping out of Fujitsu / Toshiba phones while Hitachi considers exiting the TV biz originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 02:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Verizon announces Android 3.2 update for Motorola Xoom 3G, available today?
August 3, 2011 No Comment
It looks like Motorola Xoom 3G owners will soon be able to reap the same benefits as their WiFi-only brethren, now that Verizon has published more details on a forthcoming Android 3.2 update. According to the company’s support page, software update HTJ85 will bring essentially the same features we saw in last month’s, exclusively Wi-Fi refresh — microSD card support, movie rental improvements and, of course, that ” zoom to fill screen ” option for non-tablet optimized apps. Verizon hasn’t announced an official release date for the 15.4MB Honeycomb update, though rumor has it that it could drop as early as today. For more details and installation instructions, check out the pair of PDFs below. Verizon announces Android 3.2 update for Motorola Xoom 3G, available today? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 03:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Is the world’s next showstopping Gingerbread smartphone seriously coming from Huawei? The same company that shocked us all with the S7 Slim tablet (and pulled a similar stunt with the MediaPad ) has just taken the wraps off of its newest handset in Beijing, and the curtly-titled Vision offers quite the stat sheet. While it still falls short of Samsung’s Galaxy S II and HTC’s EVO 3D in terms of raw horsepower, it’s still more than capable of holding its own. Within the unibody frame, you’ll find a 3.7-inch capacitive touchpanel, a five megapixel autofocus camera (with LED flash and 720p video recording), 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM 8255 processor and a 1,400mAh battery. Moreover, there’s 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, 512MB of RAM, 2GB of ROM, a microSD slot capable of holding 32GB, and a micro-USB 2.0 socket to boot. Per usual, A-GPS, an FM radio tuner, proximity sensor and light sensor are thrown in, and for those with varying moods, you’ll likely appreciate the availability of silver, gold and charcoal back covers. The chassis measures 9.9 millimeters at its thinnest point while weighing 121 grams, which Huawei curiously points out is “less than a bottle of perfume or aftershave.” We’re told that it’s loaded with a “3D interface,” but given that we’re not hearing anything about a “3D display,” it’s probably little more than spruced-up 2D. We’re still waiting to hear back on a price, but “select markets” can look for it to land in September. Continue reading Huawei Vision smartphone: Android 2.3, 1GHz CPU, unibody construction Huawei Vision smartphone: Android 2.3, 1GHz CPU, unibody construction originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 03:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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