iOS 4.2 said to blocking iPad Camera Kit from supporting some USB devices
December 6, 2010 No Comment
It seems that folks hoping for the Apple’s Camera Connection Kit to solve all their USB-related iPad problems just can’t catch a break. First the kit was nearly impossible to find , and now we’re seeing a slew of user reports saying that iOS 4.2 has made the USB portion of the camera kit nearly useless for many USB devices that were previously supported. As 9 to 5 Mac reports, the problem seems to boil down to the amount of power that can be emitted from the iPad’s 30-pin connector — it used to be 100mA, but iOS 4.2 appears to have cut that down to just 20mA, presumably in an attempt to conserve battery life. The big issue there, of course, is that everything from USB keyboards to microphones and even some cameras no longer work, and there isn’t much for users left to do other than to hope that Apple brings back support in a future update. Feel free to share your own tales of woe in comments, or let us know if you’re having problems with the iPad camera kit. iOS 4.2 said to blocking iPad Camera Kit from supporting some USB devices originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Google eBooks is live: just in case Amazon, B&N, and Apple aren’t enough
December 6, 2010 No Comment
You hear about this whole e-books thing? We hear it’s gonna be a pretty big deal . Google, always with its finger on the pulse of our ever-evolving digital lifestyles, has decided to take a wild stab at this nascent market, and is launching Google eBooks today. Formerly known as Google Editions , the Google eBooks ecosystem is actually a pretty grand gesture, and seems to combine most of the positives of the primary e-book contenders ( Amazon , Barnes & Noble , and Apple , naturally), while skimping on the UI flourishes, in traditional Google fashion. Books you buy are stored in the cloud, with your progress synced Whispersync-style, and can be read on your choice of native Android, iPhone, or iPad apps; from your browser; or on any device that supports the Adobe Digital Editions DRM for PDF and ePub files, which includes the B&N Nook and the Sony Reader (and plenty of other devices). Google is also trading on its vast repository of public domain books, with 3 million free eBooks on offer at its Google eBookstore, in addition to traditional paid fare. It’s certainly a crowded market, full of sharp elbows, but it seems Google is having no trouble adjusting. Continue reading Google eBooks is live: just in case Amazon, B&N, and Apple aren’t enough Google eBooks is live: just in case Amazon, B&N, and Apple aren’t enough originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It’s said to be “The world’s simplest cellphone.” That’s a bold claim from anyone let alone a previously unknown (in gadget circles anyway) Dutch team of creatives over at John Doe Amsterdam who wanted to build a basic phone — the most basic phone ever — that wasn’t as dull and boring as other affordable phones on the market. So is it? Well, it certainly is basic. In the age of smartphones and cheap featurephones, John’s phone is more clearly defined by what it lacks than what it has: no fancy color touchscreen display; no camera; no 3G radio, WiFi, Bluetooth or even GPRS data; no FM radio; no user-accessible storage; and no music player or apps of any kind. It’s just a quad-band GSM phone with an ink pen and paper notepad tucked neatly into its capacious recesses. That’s right, pen and paper. So, it’s definitely basic, but is it simple to use? Read on to find out. Gallery: John’s Phone review Continue reading John’s Phone review: ‘the world’s simplest cellphone’ Filed under: Cellphones John’s Phone review: ‘the world’s simplest cellphone’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 11:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Android 2.3 update now rolling out to Nexus One owners (update: not yet)
December 6, 2010 No Comment
Nexus One owners feeling a little Nexus S envy can breathe a little easier — we’re hearing that Android 2.3 Gingerbread is being pushed out to the N1 as we speak . We’d imagine that all the slick new features that don’t require new hardware (like NFC support ) will be there, and we’re definitely interested in playing with this built-in WiFi calling stack. We’ll let you know what we find — won’t you do the same? Update: Looks like our flood of tips came from people who were seeing their N1s get a different, less-interesting update. Google tells us that Gingerbread isn’t rolling out just yet, but is coming. Of course, we’ll let you know when the actual 2.3 update hits the OG Nexus. Ah, the heady optimism of hope. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Android 2.3 update now rolling out to Nexus One owners (update: not yet) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 11:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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And finally, here it is! Android 2.3 — perhaps better known as Gingerbread — is now official, bringing a host of tweaks that should get the Android faithful pretty stoked. Most notably, the new build is being called out as significantly better for game development, tying in nicely with all these Sony Ericsson rumors we’ve been hearing as of late. Also on deck is tightly-integrated VoIP support, video calling support via a front camera, better cut-and-paste, NFC integration, gyroscope support for more accurate orientation data, an improved download manager, a redesigned keyboard with multitouch support, and an integrated task manager. Follow the break for the platform’s introductory video. Continue reading Android 2.3 SDK revealed, Gingerbread improvements called out Android 2.3 SDK revealed, Gingerbread improvements called out originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 11:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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This thing is all but official anyway, but for what it’s worth, Google’s now got its own product page live for the upcoming Nexus S from Samsung. Here’s the rundown: 4-inch WVGA display, triband HSPA with AWS support (no HSPA+, seemingly), 5 megapixel camera, NFC , 16GB of onboard storage, 512MB of RAM, available on T-Mobile. It’s also got a gyroscope — as do the existing Galaxy S phones — along with something being called the “contour display” (which matches up with rumors we’ve heard ), integrated VoIP support, and Android 2.3 Gingerbread . Interestingly, the phone’s quoted as having nothing more than a 1GHz Cortex A8-based Hummingbird processor, seemingly shooting down rumors that this thing would be rocking the Orion dual-core setup. Ah, well! Peep all the shots in the gallery below. [Thanks, Tony] Gallery: Google Nexus S Google’s Nexus S product page goes live originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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If you recall, last year it was revealed that up to 35 percent of the world’s spam could spring from one source: a bot known as Mega-D. According to FBI files acquired by The Smoking Gun , the bot infected over half a million computers and could sent ten billion pieces of spam per day. According to the files, an ongoing investigation targets a 23-year old Russian man named Oleg Nikolaenko, who is suspected of violating the anti-spam law. Two people have previously been charged with felony conspiracy for the spam assault — which sold fake Rolexes and herbal stimulants — both of whom seemingly pointed the finger at Nikolaenko as the actual transmitter. The Mega-D bot was shut down last year by FireEye network security after identifying it a a mega-source of spam. While it’s back up and running today, it is only a shadow of its former self. Nikolaenko appeared in federal court in Wisconsin on Friday, was formally charged and entered a ‘not guilty’ plea. [Image credit: M86 Security Labs ] FBI charges 23-year old Russian in Mega-D spambot investigation originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 10:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …EPFL’s fly-inspired 3D camera takes omnipresence to the third dimension (video)
December 6, 2010 No Comment
Just in case you were concerned that the 3D revolution hadn’t yet taken over the scientific research field, EPFL is here to convince you that all is well. Researchers from a pair of EPFL laboratories have recently invented a fly-inspired dome camera that’s not only loaded down with cameras to snag views from (nearly) all angles, but also equipped with an output algorithm that constructs a bona fide 3D image. The trickeration lies within the hardware platform, which calculates depth on each camera image and then reconstructs a 3D visual based on how far away things truly are. That’s a far more sophisticated approach than the stereoscopic one used on existing 3D televisions, as the depth would (theoretically) change as your angle of view changed. There’s an outstanding patent application on the approach, and if the world at large latches on, we could see this thing used for “video surveillance, movie making, and creating backgrounds for video games.” Among other things , of course. A demonstrative vid awaits you just after the break. Continue reading EPFL’s fly-inspired 3D camera takes omnipresence to the third dimension (video) EPFL’s fly-inspired 3D camera takes omnipresence to the third dimension (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 09:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Slow Down app slows down your tunes until you slow down your car (video)
December 6, 2010 No Comment
Speeding is easy to do, and like it or not having someone else in the car nagging you about it actually can help. What to do if your mother is unavailable? Check out Slow Down in the App Store . It’s a product of the Belgian organization OVK, Parents of Children Killed in Road Accidents, and it has a very simple idea: if you drive too fast it slows down your music, as demonstrated below. Cross the limit and your thumping beats get run through molasses, but get back to a legal speed and Joanna Newsom’s lilting highs stop sounding like a zombie’s baleful lamentations. We’re not entirely sure whether the app works outside of its native land at this point, and given how unreliable the indicated speed limits in navigation software tend to be we’re not sure we want it to. But, if you have a bad habit you can’t kick, this free app might just help. Continue reading Slow Down app slows down your tunes until you slow down your car (video) Slow Down app slows down your tunes until you slow down your car (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 09:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Sharing is caring, and imaging devices that pack pico projectors sure do make it easy to care — assuming you’re in a dimly-lit room with a flat, color-free surface at your disposal. BenQ ‘s DV S11 is the latest, a 1080p zoomless camcorder that exists in the Flip style and can also capture five megapixel stills. No specs are listed for the projector itself, except that it’s said to be able to push a 50-inch picture out its hole — presumably only if you’re at the bottom of a cave or in some similarly light-free environment. The combo is available now in Hong Kong priced at $2,399 HKD, which equates to about $300 American. BenQ DV S11 camcorder has a pico up in there originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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