And so it goes. Samsung Electronics’ Chairman, aka The Notorious Lee Kun-hee , has just seen his son Lee Jae-yong promoted to the position of president of the chaebol kingdom. Lee previously served as executive VP in the flagship arm of the Samsung Group conglomerate. As if that wasn’t enough nepotism, Lee’s little sis was promoted to the position of president of a Samsung-owned theme park / resort operator. Naturally, Samsung stock closed at a record high on the news. Chairman’s son promoted to president of the Samsung Electronics gang originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 05:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Fan of the original 1,500mAh Mophie Juice pack for the iPhone 4? Sure, we certainly were when we reviewed it a few months back. So let us introduce you to the new Mophie Juice Pack Plus featuring a bigger 2,000mAh battery that more than doubles the life of Apple’s non-removable iPhone 4 battery. Unfortunately, the extra oomph bumps the price from $79.95 to $99.95 and adds another 1mm of bulk to the pack — not that a minor size bump should matter too much when you’re already strapping your svelte phone to a battery sled. It’s available now in black with yellow, Engadget Mobile magenta, and classic Engadget cyan coming soon. Continue reading Mophie Juice Pack Plus ‘more than doubles’ iPhone 4 battery life Mophie Juice Pack Plus ‘more than doubles’ iPhone 4 battery life originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 04:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …CALM Act approved by Congress, should make TV commercials slightly less obnoxious
December 3, 2010 No Comment
We did say it’d take an Act of Congress to lower the volume on televisual commercials and, shockingly enough, that’s exactly what we’ve got now. The House of Representatives has given its nod of approval to the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act, which, having already cleared the Senate, is now on its way to President Obama’s desk for final validation. Once signed into effect, the new legislation will require that all advertisers modulate their volume down so it’s no higher than that of the program you’re watching, and it’ll be the FCC ‘s duty to ensure that they all adhere to the new rule. A year’s leniency will be allowed for all those who struggle with figuring out how to turn it down from 11, but after that we should all be able to watch the dying medium that is live television without dreading the commercial breaks. CALM Act approved by Congress, should make TV commercials slightly less obnoxious originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 04:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Best Buy Mobile will offer free smartphones, mostly Android, every day in December
December 3, 2010 No Comment
Holiday spirit over in Best Buy land must mean “getting rid of old stock by discounting it.” The Droid Incredible and Xperia X10 are among the handsets to be featured in the big retailer’s December mobile sale, which will involve offering up four free phones each day (one for each carrier) at a price of $0 upfront and subject to the usual two-year agreement. LG’s Optimus T and Optimus S will also get their moment in the spotlight this month, though the discount there isn’t exactly massive when you consider that the S started life costing $50 on contract . Speaking of S-branded Android phones, wasn’t it Best Buy that first leaked out the next Nexus ? Now that ‘d be a holiday offer worth talking about. Continue reading Best Buy Mobile will offer free smartphones, mostly Android, every day in December Best Buy Mobile will offer free smartphones, mostly Android, every day in December originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 03:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Former Israeli electronics and defense engineers wouldn’t be the first group of people we’d peg to leap into the robot massager biz , but that’s exactly who’s behind the Wheeme from DreamBots inc. According to the firm’s about page, the Wheeme was developed to meet “the increasing demand for smart products that offer the natural feeling of caressing, relaxation, falling asleep and even just tickling.” True to those goals, the device works by moving slowly across a person’s body to provide a gentle massage using its soft silicone rubber “fingerettes” (a.k.a wheels). Special tilt sensor technology ensures it won’t fall off or lose grip while motoring either — making the Wheeme a master at its trade — at least for customers lying down. Officially this rover will start shipping in the spring of 2011, but pre-ordering the device which costs $49 plus shipping will guarantee you don’t miss out on any of the drive by goodness. To view the Wheeme going to work while narrowly avoiding crashes, check out the embedded video after the break. Continue reading Wheeme massage robot asks where it hurts to drive away the pain Wheeme massage robot asks where it hurts to drive away the pain originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 02:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The majority of augmented reality applications these days may be visual ones, but that’s hardly the only type of augmented reality possible, as fully evidenced by this so-called TagCandy device built by Yasuaki Kakehi of Keio University. As you can see above, it consists of a rather large base that accommodates a regular lollipop, which not only makes it easy to hold the candy, but uses bone-conduction technology to produce different sounds ranging from fizzy soda to fireworks. Of course, it is just a concept, and still something of a work in progress — future possibilities apparently include the ability to detect biting in addition to sucking, and the ability to buy and share different “sensations” on the internet. Head on past the break to check it out on video. Continue reading Augmented reality TagCandy creates a virtual taste explosion Augmented reality TagCandy creates a virtual taste explosion originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 01:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …8-inch robot wreaks havoc on Denver commuters, Cylon war narrowly averted
December 3, 2010 No Comment
The Capricans in Denver, Colorado should can consider themselves blessed by the Gods. An 8-inch tall Centurion was spotted near Coors Field park, prompting one citizen to notify the police. You probably know what happened next: adjacent 20th street was closed causing rush hour traffic to pile up, and two hours later, after being unable to determine at the time if it was safe, the bomb squad remotely detonated the little Centurion. Move along, nothing to see here. It’s not like they walk among us in human form or anything. Yet. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] 8-inch robot wreaks havoc on Denver commuters, Cylon war narrowly averted originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 22:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Ozair, who is no longer down with forking out monthly for a subpar DVR experience. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com . “With the unveiling of (pricey) Google TV, what are the other, cheaper alternatives to setting up HDTV via a cable box rather than renting out Optimum / Cablevision’s outdated and laggy set-top box? TiVo? Any other standalone DVRs? Something I’m not considering?” For those of you who’ve purchased a standalone DVR + CableCARD setup (or possibly even an HTPC + CableCARD setup), how are you enjoying it? Let this fellow know your optimal arrangement down in comments below — make it quick, it’s not like he can afford to miss this year’s burning of the Yule Log in HD. Ask Engadget: best alternative to a cable company-issued set-top box? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 22:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …2011 Chevrolet Volt: constructed from start to finish in two mind-melting minutes (video)
December 3, 2010 No Comment
It took half a score to actually get real , but did you know that it takes but two minutes to construct a 2011 Chevrolet Volt ? Okay, we lied — one minute, fifty-five seconds. Hit play below to enter what Kenny Loggins would describe as “The Danger Zone.” Continue reading 2011 Chevrolet Volt: constructed from start to finish in two mind-melting minutes (video) 2011 Chevrolet Volt: constructed from start to finish in two mind-melting minutes (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The case of 28-year old CSU student Matthew Crippen has come and gone. Arrested last year on Digital Millennium Copyright Act violations — specifically, for modding Xbox 360s to enable them to play pirated games — federal prosecutor Allen Chiu announced on the third day of trial that the government was dropping its case against him “based on fairness and justice.” It’s not a complete surprise: according to Wired , on the previous day (Wednesday), an undercover agent testifying against Crippen claimed the defendant used a pirated game to test a modded console in his presence. That detail, required for the prosecution’s case (the use of pirated software), was never mentioned in any of the previous reports or sworn declarations, so once the judge dismissed it as evidence, the case against Crippen hit a snag. Source link’s got the full, very interesting tale, but if you’re patient, there’s always a chance one of the Law and Orders will pick up the story in the years to come. Accused Xbox 360 modder finds case pleasantly dismissed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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