Pleco Chinese Dictionary iPhone app now handling real-time image translations
November 25, 2010 No Comment
Talk about timely. We’ve been waiting for months (with bated breath, might we add) for Pleco 2.2 to finally hit Apple’s App Store, and after dealing with a few launch day bugs last week, we can finally say it’s out and ready to dominate any Chinese homework you’ve been hastily procrastinating on. The Pleco Chinese Dictionary is now available in the app store at version 2.2.1, supporting both fullscreen handwriting input and live camera-based character recognition. Have a peek at the video past the break if you’re still curious as to what this app can do for you, and feel free to toss your experiences with it down in comments below. Here’s hoping this is only the first of many languages Pleco decides to tackle — not that we’re much on tossing out subtle hints . Continue reading Pleco Chinese Dictionary iPhone app now handling real-time image translations Pleco Chinese Dictionary iPhone app now handling real-time image translations originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 20:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Ready to have your mind blown? XM and Sirius never merged in Canada. Even after the two companies joined forces in the United States, they continued to operate as separate entities north of the border, with XM Canada wholly owned by Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings, while Sirius Canada operated through a partnership of CBC Radio, Slaight Communications, and Sirius XM in the US. That’s now finally set to change, however, with the two companies today announcing plans to merge in an all-stock deal valued at $520 million (including $120 million in long-term debt). Assuming the deal is approved by the CRTC, the combined company would boast a total user base of 1.7 million, and Canadian Satellite Radio chairman John Bitove promises that the new entity will deliver an “exceptional value to subscribers.” XM, Sirius finally announce plans to merge in Canada originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 20:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Team at Purdue University working on high-temp generators to suck power from car exhaust
November 24, 2010 No Comment
You know all that gas spitting out the exhaust of your car? Not only is it full of carbon monoxide and other things you shouldn’t breathe, it’s also full of heat. Heat is wasted energy, and students at Purdue University , led by mechanical engineering professor Xianfan Xu, are working to capture it. With some funding from General Motors the team is working to create better thermoelectric generators, or TEGs, that work at much higher temperatures than those we’ve seen before . A current Purdue prototype works at 700C, or 1,300F, which could be found behind a car’s catalytic converter and generate enough electricity to reduce fuel consumption by around five percent. Future versions would work at higher temperatures and offer better results. Last year BMW indicated it is working on similar tech with deployments coming as early as 2014, and so now the race begins, though the culmination of their efforts will surely look something like this . Team at Purdue University working on high-temp generators to suck power from car exhaust originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Nintendo won’t be exhibiting at CES 2011 after all, will conduct meetings behind closed doors
November 24, 2010 No Comment
Wait, put the cork back in the champagne, Nintendo isn’t making its triumphant return to CES after all. The Consumer Electronics Association has just blasted out a new press release, presumably with a face red with embarrassment, to correct its erroneous note that Nintendo will be an exhibitor at the 2011 tech showcase. As it turns out, Satoru Iwata ‘s crew have booked some meeting rooms during the show — to discuss what, we don’t know — which somewhere along the line was misinterpreted to mean that the company will be exhibiting its wares. It won’t. We’ll be there anyway, this just means we’ll have to be a little craftier about extracting our information. [Thanks, Curtis] Continue reading Nintendo won’t be exhibiting at CES 2011 after all, will conduct meetings behind closed doors Nintendo won’t be exhibiting at CES 2011 after all, will conduct meetings behind closed doors originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …HTC HD7 greets Black Friday with a Buy One Get One Free offer from T-Mobile
November 24, 2010 No Comment
Been feeling blue this holiday season? Finding all the special offer WP7 phones a little too little ? Fear not, T-Mobile and Microsoft are ready to give you a pair of HD7s for the price of one next time you drop into one of the Magenta stores asking about Windows Phone 7 devices. You’ll need to commit to the usual two-year contract and whatnot, but it’s a straight up BOGO on what’s probably the most desirable handset sporting Microsoft’s new OS on the American market. Then again, even with this discount, you still might be able to find the HD7 cheaper at online retailers, so as per usual on Black Fridays , we’d advise doing your due diligence before letting your dead presidents out for a walk. And please, try not to think of how sweet a day this could have been if Dell’s Venue Pro had actually been released on schedule . [Thanks, David] HTC HD7 greets Black Friday with a Buy One Get One Free offer from T-Mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We said you needed to be on the lookout for a giveaway back when we reviewed Phosphor’s latest E Ink wristwatch last month… and, well, here we go! These lovely fashion accessories, which you’ll find in today’s edition of our Holiday Gift Guide , feature a curved E Ink display capable of showing two time zones of your choice simultaneously — perfect for the geeky globetrotter. Though we can’t guarantee it, we’re fairly confident the winners will also receive the admiration of passers-by that happen to observe the watch on their wrists, so this is really a two-for-one sort of prize. Let’s do this! The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you’ll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you’ll be fine. Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winners will be chosen randomly. Four winners will receive one Phosphor World Time E Ink watch. If you win, we choose which style you receive. Unfortunately, we’re unable to take requests. Sorry! If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Monday, November 29, 2010, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here. Engadget giveaway: win one of four Phosphor World Time E Ink watches! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Game Gripper continues its evolution with a new Epic 4G model, Genesis button layout (video)
November 24, 2010 No Comment
Sweet, sweet Game Gripper . You make smartphone gaming a rather less cramping experience, and now you’re spreading joy to the fourth generation. Owners of Sprint Epic 4G can now get their Gripper on, and can do so with a lovely new Genesis -inspired layout that offers two rows of three buttons plus a D-pad — and then another four buttons for good measure. It’s rather excitedly demonstrated after the break and, like the earlier models, will set you back $14.99. Now, if only we could get handset makers to start adding shoulder buttons on their cellies. Continue reading Game Gripper continues its evolution with a new Epic 4G model, Genesis button layout (video) Game Gripper continues its evolution with a new Epic 4G model, Genesis button layout (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide ! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today’s bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the holiday season. Accessories. One word, two Cs, three Ss, endless possibilities. Thankfully, we’re here to bring order to the chaos, and recommend a few products that are best when paired with something other than themselves — be it your computer, your car, your phone, or yourself. Head on past the break for our complete guide. Continue reading Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Accessories Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Accessories originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Is there something in the air? Hot on the heels of Rupert Murdoch’s impending The Daily newspaper for the iPad, we’re getting word of a Richard Branson-funded, iPad-specific magazine dubbed Project . The magazine will cover entertainment, travel, business, design, and international culture. It’s hard to tell if these two announcements are somehow related to each other, or if they imply some sort of shift in Apple’s treatment of publications , but either way they do indeed seem to be happening . The full announcement of Project is due for Tuesday next week. Richard Branson launching ‘Project’ magazine for iPad next week originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sony Ericsson faults ‘especially rigorous’ firmware testing in US for X10′s Eclair update delay on AT&T
November 24, 2010 No Comment
We think this is a veiled way of passing the buck to AT&T — but whatever it is, Sony Ericsson USA has extended an old, crusty, TimeScape-enabled olive branch to Xperia X10 owners in the States by attempting to explain what’s going on with the Eclair update ’round these parts. Basically, the company says that getting an update out in the US is way harder than it is elsewhere because of “the technical requirements that must be met” over which Sony Ericsson has “no control.” The blame is levied on an “especially rigorous” testing cycle that can (and presumably, often does) take several months, which is why they’ve thus far refused to offer guidance on when the update will be released. Honestly, is there any way we can trade in our warranty card to get on the fast track with this stuff? And more importantly, would us bleeding-edge types be willing to take that risk on a wide scale? Sony Ericsson faults ‘especially rigorous’ firmware testing in US for X10′s Eclair update delay on AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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