Sony’s SMP-N200 player set to take on Roku, Apple TV for $99 next month
September 18, 2011 No Comment
The successor to Sony’s underappreciated Netbox was introduced at IFA recently, and now the company has revealed pricing for the SMP-N200 in the United States. It’ll be on sale for $99 in October, and updates the old box with support for 3D, live streaming content and other unspecified new features. The original featured then-impressive support for local media playback and streaming, but does the Blu-ray-less wonder does it have what it takes in 2011? If it has a UI refresh and access to comparable sources thanks to Sony’s now streamlined Video Unlimited / Music Unlimited media approach then this could play well as a one-two punch with a connected PC, phone or tablet . We’ll find out next month, check out the details after the break or our hands on pics from CEDIA here . Continue reading Sony’s SMP-N200 player set to take on Roku, Apple TV for $99 next month Sony’s SMP-N200 player set to take on Roku, Apple TV for $99 next month originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 21:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Inhabitat’s Week in Green: sun-powered homes, retro robots and a solar laptop chipset
September 18, 2011 No Comment
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green. This week Inhabitat shined a light on the future of high-tech architecture as we brought you 20 stunning sun-powered homes that are getting ready to battle it out in this year’s Solar Decathlon – including Team New York’s prefab Roof Pod , Canada’s TRTL solar shell house , and China’s Y Container home . We also brought you exclusive photos of the recently unveiled 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero , while the Empire State Building soared to new heights as it achieved LEED Gold certification . In other NYC news, we covered an underground park in the Big Apple which is to be illuminated entirely by fiber optics. Vicent Callebaut also unveiled plans for an incredible self-sufficient skyscraper for Taiwan , and we learned that scientists are planning to build a fake volcano for climate change research. It was also a hot week for energy-generating tech as Intel unveiled a solar laptop chipset that can be powered by a desk lamp and MIT developed a tiny kinetic generator that can produce 100 times more power than previous devices of its kind. Meanwhile, Google invested in the power of pig poop and researchers rolled out a new inexpensive, powerful, and lightweight jelly battery that could one day power laptops and electric vehicles. Energy infrastructure also got a boost as a UK competition showcased six designs for next-generation power pylons , and New Mexico announced plans to build an entire city for the sole purpose of testing green technologies . In other news, this week we spotted several pulse-pounding electric vehicles: a streamlined carbon fiber jet ski and an incredible mirrored motorcycle . We also went back to the future with a look at Nike’s new pair of LED studded kicks , and we spotted a slick set of retro robots made from salvaged materials. Finally, we shared a bevy of tips for living a more sustainable lifestyle — check out these seven gadgets that can improve your health and five ways to green your home entertainment system . Inhabitat’s Week in Green: sun-powered homes, retro robots and a solar laptop chipset originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 20:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It’s not as cool as Chipzilla’s other augmented reality project , but at least this one exists out in the real world. Present at select storefronts, the camera-based AR tech uses image recognition on Lego boxes to superimpose their brick-ladden contents in fully animated form. New at IDF was the second generation of the already existing product, which despite being functionally identical to its predecessor, has now been miniaturized thanks to second generation Core processors. Ready to see it in action? Peep the gallery below and the video after the break. Myriam Joire contributed to this report. Gallery: Lego augmented reality at IDF 2011 Continue reading Lego’s augmented reality at IDF, eyes-on (video) Lego’s augmented reality at IDF, eyes-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 14:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On , a column about consumer technology. Just as Windows Phone 7′s “touch-only” interface threw away the past to create a streamlined, more approachable experience, Microsoft is creating a “touch-first” experience for Windows 8 that has more in common with its new phone software than previous versions of Windows. This “Metro-style” UI will be able to run on virtually any modern PC, with screens from 10- to 30-inches and above. The touch interface will be only occasionally relevant on desktops, though, more so on laptops. Where it’s obviously meant to shine is on pure slates — will consumers really flock to Windows 8 for such slates, though? Continue reading Switched On: The great slate debate of Windows 8 Switched On: The great slate debate of Windows 8 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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A company called Osram Opto Semiconductors has created a new infrared LED that can be used in conjunction with detectors to create ultra-thin touchscreens. We’ve seen infrared used in touchscreens before, most notably in Microsoft’s Surface and recent e-readers from Barnes & Noble and Kobo . But, Osram’s solution is complex enough to work in a multitouch tablet, while being as space-saving zForce . At only 0.45mm tall the diodes and sensors can easily be crammed into a bezel around a screen and sip just 35mW during regular use. Now the company just has to convince someone to put the tiny IREDs in their products. Tiny infrared LEDs could find a home in ultra-thin multitouch screens originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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So, it works as such. You dig up ancient photos — a few generations prior, or even a few decades ago — scan ‘em in, and tag them to their rightful place on Google Maps. Then, folks who visit the ‘What Was Here’ project website or download the iOS app (all linked below) will be able to see what kind of world they’d be living in if Uncle Rico’s time machine actually worked. ‘Course, the initiative needs you, you and you to participate if it’s to be dubbed a success, so we’d recommend using whatever’s left of your weekend to contribute. And then send your mum a “thinking of you” letter using the very map you’re improving . Who said retro had to be retro, anyway? ‘What Was Here’ project adds a pinch of history to augmented reality originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 16:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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This dizzying array might seem like overkill, but Sony’s premium “Experience Balanced Armature” (XBA) ‘phones are carefully targeted at different price points and types of listener. You’ve got the entry-level XBA-1 containing a single full-range driver. Add a woofer for bigger bass and you get the XBA-2. The XBA-3 also squeezes in a tweeter for high-freq perkiness, while the XBA-4 rounds it all off with a super woofer. Each pair also has a smartphone twin with inline controls, denoted by the iP suffix. Finally, there’s a trio of single-driver specialists: the noise-cancelling XBA-NC85D, the sporty XBA-S65 with basic waterproofing for sweat and rain, plus the Bluetooth XBA-BT75. It’s unclear when these will hit our hemisphere, but we’re looking at a November release in Hong Kong and Taiwan with prices ranging from 3,000 to 14,000TWD ($100 to $475) depending on the model. Need more detail? We have product pics and info slides below courtesy of our bros at Engadget Chinese. Gallery: Sony XBA headphones Gallery: Sony XBA headphones info slides Sony releases XBA balanced armature headphones, eleven times over originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 15:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Samsung countersues Apple in Australia, claims iPhone / iPad 2 violate its patents
September 18, 2011 No Comment
Man. Exciting stuff, here. Stuff like lawyers yelling at each other in varied continents because “your stuff looks too much like my theoretical stuff.” The long, winding and increasingly mind-numbing battle between Samsung and Apple has taken yet another turn in Australia, with the former slapping the latter with a bold countersuit. According to The Wall Street Journal , Sammy feels that the iPhone and iPad 2 both “violate a number of wireless technology patents held by Samsung.” Spokesman Nam Ki-yung stated the following: “To defend our intellectual property, Samsung filed a cross claim for Apple’s violation of Samsung’s wireless technology patents.” The suit is being filed just days / weeks before a ruling will decide on whether the Galaxy Tab 10.1 can be legally sold Down Under, and in related news, Samsung is also appealing a recent ruling back in Germany. If ever the world needed an out-of-court settlement… Samsung countersues Apple in Australia, claims iPhone / iPad 2 violate its patents originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 13:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …AT&T flips 4G LTE live, nearly 97 percent of America wonders where the party is
September 18, 2011 No Comment
According to Ma Bell, AT&T covers 97 percent of all Americans. Of course, that’s including those “one bar of EDGE” places that are uncovered so far as reality’s concerned, but regardless of all that — there’s no denying that AT&T’s LTE launch is on the subdued side. With Verizon rolling out five times more LTE markets this month than AT&T is even launching with, the country’s largest GSM carrier definitely has some catching up to do. Regardless of the standings, the company appears to have (quietly) gone live with five LTE markets as of today, with Chicago, Atlanta, San Antonio, Dallas / Fort Worth and Houston getting first dibs. The source link below takes you to the new coverage map, as well as to a promise from the carrier to expand “4G LTE” (not to be confused with the other 4G, more accurately known as HSPA+ ) to 15 major metropolitan areas by the year’s end. Notice how rural areas aren’t mentioned, despite plenty of grandstanding near D.C.? Don’t worry, guys — it’s just Rethinking Possible . [Thanks, Marcus] AT&T flips 4G LTE live, nearly 97 percent of America wonders where the party is originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 12:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We discovered this little gem hidden deep within the recesses of the show floor at IDF 2011 . It’s none other than Opera Mobile running on a Honeycomb tablet — not just any tablet, mind you, but Intel’s Oak Trail -powered (Atom Z670) Green Ridge device . That’s right, you’re looking at Opera’s web browser, compiled using the latest Android NDK and running natively on top of Android x86. First impressions? It’s fast , even without hardware acceleration — scrolling and zooming are smooth as butter, with no signs of checkerboarding anywhere. According to Phillip Gr
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