A concept printer from Seattle-based designers Artefact wants to bring those touchscreen editing skills learnt from smartphones and tablets to the not-so-electrifying world of printers. The streamlined SWYP (See What You Print) has a pretty striking design — for a printer. The paper tray even folds away flush on top of the touchscreen in a very ( very !) familar way. That contraption shown above would be able to connect directly to your camera or phone, foregoing the PC step with editing and collating all done on-screen; there’s even an augmented reality interface that visualizes ink levels and those inevitable printer woes. At present, these guys aren’t gunning to take out the only thing HP hasn’t flubbed lately , but hopefully the glossy concept vid after the break will tide you over till commercialization (prayerfully) hits. [Thanks, Gene ] Continue reading SWYP concept printer combines good looks with touchscreen editing SWYP concept printer combines good looks with touchscreen editing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Despite one of its execs pegging this Spring’s lengthy PSN outage as a ” great experience ” the folks at Sony have been pounding the pavement to drum up consumer morale. Back at IFA , the outfit unveiled its new all-in-one Sony Entertainment Network, and its already giving the VOD wing, Video Unlimited, a facelift. Starting today, PS3 owners holding a PlayStation Plus subscription can download the creatively titled “Video Unlimited-preview” app from the PlayStation Store. According to Sony, the new user interface is all about giving the people what they want, and in this case that means a streamlined UI, with big bright graphics and understated, glowing blue text. It also means Gracenote integration, opening up the possibility of endless rabbit-holes of related content searches. We had a few minutes with the new setup, and found ourselves searching content related to Danny McBride’s Your Highness under categories like “Bumbling Buffoons” and “Mythical Beasts,” although we could just as easily have called up titles featuring the film’s director or any of its stars. If that’s not enough of a departure from the conventional video on demand arrangement, the new UI also features “tumbler search technology,” which abandons regular keyboard-style input for PS3 controls — click the right button to select a letter as you scroll vertically through the alphabet. This “patented technology” also autocompletes your query and similarly takes advantage of Gracenote’s database, allowing you to search by title, actor, director or tag. The new UI is specific to the company’s video service and is currently only available via the PS3, but we’re told it will roll out to the entire network and supported devices sometime in the future. All PlayStation Network users will be able to download the preview app starting October 11th, check out a video preview embedded after the break. Gallery: Sony Video Unlimited Continue reading Sony Video Unlimited-preview brings Gracenote metadata to SEN Sony Video Unlimited-preview brings Gracenote metadata to SEN originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Presumably feeling a little left out after being turned down from the global love-in that is the International Space Station , China’s decided to go it alone . The ever-expanding nation will be ready to launch the first module of it’s very own space station, the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace), by the end of this month. The initial launch will be unmanned, delivering an 8.5-ton module ready for docking practise and other interactions with three more spacecraft that are planned to join it later this year. Pegged for completion by 2020 and with a complete weight of over 60 tons, the Tiangong will look positively petite compared to the hulking 419-ton ISS, but is also said to be significantly cheaper. Meanwhile, we still await China’s take on the Robonaut . China readies its own space station module for launch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 08:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Scientists prove that active exploration isn’t required to create memories, +1 for 2D learning
September 27, 2011 No Comment
In a small victory for gamers and TV junkies everywhere, scientists found that viewing 2D images helped create long-term memories, meaning that visual media can help your learn . To form lasting memories, nerve cells normally experience “long-term potentiation” and “long-term depression” — both essential for learning. Researchers found that long-term depression was achieved when they let rats actively wander around a new environment. When they replaced the explorable area with a computer screen, the same memory-making phenomenon still occurred. The study’s conclusion? Video games and TV shows can help us learn, similarly to traditional non-electronic methods. Of course, there are concerns that visual media overload could lead to shorter attention spans, interfere with lessons taught at school and… oh look! A cat! Check out the full findings by hitting the source link below. Scientists prove that active exploration isn’t required to create memories, +1 for 2D learning originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 04:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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After months of rumors and pre-orders , the Nokia N9 has finally begun shipping. Today, the Finnish manufacturer announced that its Meego-drenched handsets are now available for consumption, in both 16GB and 64GB variants. Of course, those of us in the US are out of luck , as are those in Germany and the UK (barring any back-door wizardry ), but everyone else can grab a 16GB model for the not-so-small price of €480 (about $650), or the 64GB version for the similarly steep price of €560 (roughly $757). Pricing and availability, of course, will vary by region, but you can find more details in the full press release after the break, or at the source link, below. Continue reading Nokia N9 begins shipping at not inexpensive prices Nokia N9 begins shipping at not inexpensive prices originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …LG Optimus EX gets official in Korea, sporting 1.2GHz Tegra 2 chip, 700 nits of brightness
September 27, 2011 No Comment
So, about that LG Optimus EX we saw last week — it’s now gone official in South Korea and it’s looking slightly more alluring. Announced yesterday, this Gingerbread-coated handset is the first to ship with NVIDIA’s revamped 1.2GHz Tegra 2 processor, which means it’ll support 1080p video, much like the Galaxy S II . It also boasts a four-inch LCD with 480
Continue reading …ZTE T98 tablet with next-gen NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor spotted in Beijing
September 27, 2011 No Comment
Until now we’d only come across NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 (aka Kal-El) in reference tablets and demos, but here we are finally looking at an actual product revealed at PT/Expo Comm China. It’s a 7-inch tablet from ZTE called the T98, apparently running the quad-core 1.5GHz processor slightly underclocked at 1.3GHz, beneath Android 3.2, a 1280×800 display, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, a 5MP rear camera and 2MP front-facer. The 11.5mm-thick body also houses a 3G modem and a 4000mAh battery, which won’t see many easy days powering this beast. No definitive word on price or release date. ZTE T98 tablet with next-gen NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor spotted in Beijing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Nuance adds WP7 support, gives devs better service with NDEV Mobile developer program
September 27, 2011 No Comment
You know Nuance right? They’re the folks who make Dragon speech recognition software for Macs , iThings , Blackberrys , Androids and cars . Earlier this year, the company released its Dragon Mobile SDK to provide the tools needed to get folks talking to their phones, instead of with them. Now, Nuance has added support for Windows Phone 7 (no Mango support… yet) and upgraded its developer program to provide devs with more support so it’s easier to make voice-enabled applications. Additionally, it’s added eight new languages to its repertoire — Canadian French, Americas Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Korean, Taiwanese Mandarin, and Cantonese — with more to come. We got to speak with Nuance about its new program, now called NDEV Mobile, and were told it’s broken into three tiers: Silver, Gold, and Emerald. NDEV Silver is the base level that gives devs free access to Nuance’s text-to-speech and voice recognition technology. Gold service provides access to SSL data encryption and a web services interface through per-user or per-transaction pricing models. At the top end, the Emerald level rolls out the red carpet with integrated custom vocabulary and grammar — for creating apps that recognize industry jargon — and dedicated account management. The company sees the Emerald tier appealing most to enterprise customers, but it’s available to any dev willing to pony up for the extra Nuance TLC. So, intrepid app-makers, now that you’ve got the tools to make our phones understand us better than ever, how will you use them? Continue reading Nuance adds WP7 support, gives devs better service with NDEV Mobile developer program Nuance adds WP7 support, gives devs better service with NDEV Mobile developer program originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Sprint may have plenty of changes in store for its upcoming ” strategy update ,” but it looks like one crucial policy will remain in place — unlimited data plans. Speaking to reporters at Mobilize in San Francisco yesterday, company CTO Stephen Bye confirmed that even though competitors like Verizon and AT&T are phasing out their unlimited plans, Sprint remains committed to providing its customers with infinite data. Doing so won’t come without costs, since, as Bye explained, not all unlimited subscribers eat up the same amount of data. But the exec pointed out that these efforts are counterbalanced by the relative simplicity of managing unlimited schemes, and don’t seem quite as prohibitive when compared with the hidden customer support costs involved with more complex, tiered plans. Yet despite all this optimism, Sprint seems fully aware that some major expenses are on the horizon, especially with a revamped 4G LTE network in the pipeline and, perhaps, with the iPhone 5 on the way . “Is there pressure? Yeah,” Bye acknowledged. “There’s a challenge for all engineers to work on how we get the cost structure down.” Bye went on to reiterate, however, that although a new data network may attract new investors, it’s ultimately Sprint’s unique data plans that will keep its customer base intact. Sprint’s unlimited data plans aren’t going anywhere, CTO confirms originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 03:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Boeing officially delivers 787 Dreamliner to ANA, future of air travel finally arrives
September 26, 2011 No Comment
It’s the plane so nice, they unveiled it twice. Boeing once again presented its long-awaited and much-delayed 787 Dreamliner to client All Nippon Airways, but this time the goods were officially delivered . After taking the wraps off the airliner early this August , the aerospace company managed to get a flight-ready unit over to its Everett, Washington production plant for a celebratory hand-off. Despite a fit of stops and starts for the line’s rollout, Boeing expects to meet ANA’s order of its future 55-strong fleet, producing an additional 20 craft for the Japanese airline by 2013′s end. If you want to be among the select few to call “First!,” you might want to consider booking that Japan-bound vacation now. Boeing officially delivers 787 Dreamliner to ANA, future of air travel finally arrives originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 02:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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