Engadget’s massive back to school 2011 sweepstakes ends tomorrow… find out how to win!
September 8, 2011 No Comment
We really, really love gadgets, but nothing brings us greater joy than to see our readers unbox a new toy, especially when it can help improve your experience at school. So this year we’re giving away bags — 15 of them, in fact — each filled with 20 amazing prizes. Each winner will score a laptop, tablet, a killer camera, and even a new dual-core cell phone, along with plenty of other awesome items. We’ll be choosing one commenter from each of our back to school category pages , and one from our main contest announcement , so if you meet the qualifications listed on each post, simply leave a comment to be eligible to win. You won’t be penalized for commenting more than once on each post, but it won’t help your chances, either. And since we’ll be randomly selecting one commenter from each post, enter at each of the 14 pages linked to here , along with this page to boost your odds. We’ll wrap things up at 12PM ET tomorrow, so better get clickin’! Note: Comments added below will not be eligible, nor will those left on the main back to school page — if you see a long list of terms and conditions above the comments section, then you’ve made it to the right place. Engadget’s massive back to school 2011 sweepstakes ends tomorrow… find out how to win! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Audio-Haptic Navigation Environment makes music the hands-free way (video)
September 8, 2011 No Comment
You’ve heard of pianists, flutists and organists, but have you heard of Thereminists? The title, originally applied to players of another hands-free instrument from the 1920s, has been repurposed for those who can manipulate invisible sounds in a 3D space called an Audio-Haptic Navigation Environment (AHNE). By tweaking a Kinect sensor and using the OpenNI framework and OSCeleton, researchers at the SOPI Research Group at Media Lab Helsinki were able to create an AHNE “proof concept” called “Tension.” Outfitting a volunteer with sensor-laden gloves with a small vibration motor for haptic feedback, they were able to create “music” — add a pinch of Pitbull, and you’re looking at the world’s next great mellow anthem. Check out the full music video after the break. Continue reading Audio-Haptic Navigation Environment makes music the hands-free way (video) Audio-Haptic Navigation Environment makes music the hands-free way (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play 4G hitting AT&T on September 18th for $50 on contract
September 8, 2011 No Comment
We knew good and well it was coming , and come it has. Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play has made the natural GSM shift in the States in order to grace Ma Bell’s airwaves, and despite the “4G” naming convention, this fellow will be topping out at HSPA+. In other words, LTE lovers will need to look elsewhere . This marks the first launch of a PlayStation-certified smartphone for AT&T, and given that it’s been around the block a time or two, the carrier is (smartly) pricing it at just $49.99 on a two-year contract — a buck-fifty less than what it launched for on Verizon Wireless. As we’d heard, it’ll ship with Android 2.3.3, a 1GHz CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, a 4-inch display (854 x 480) and will arrive in an exclusive ‘stealth blue’ hue. AT&T customers will also be blessed with a Multimedia Dock (DK300) and MC100 music cable, not to mention seven pre-loaded games at no charge. Full details on that are hosted up after the break, and interested consumers can line up to grab their own on September 18th. Gallery: Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play 4G for AT&T press photos Continue reading Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play 4G hitting AT&T on September 18th for $50 on contract Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play 4G hitting AT&T on September 18th for $50 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It’s been said that absence makes a heart grow fonder, so it was with very willing and eager hands this week that we received the Droid Bionic, Motorola’s latest high-octane, robot-themed assault in Verizon Wireless subscribers. The phone was first announced at CES in the beginning of 2011 and we got to see it in the flesh just an hour later… but then the story took a turn for the tragic. The Bionic was attacked , killed and then reborn with all new internals. Phoenix-like, the thing is now available for purchase on Verizon Wireless, $300 for a supposedly top-shelf device that packs both LTE connectivity and a dual-core processor. That makes it a first for Verizon, and it also happens to be the thinnest LTE handset yet to cross that carrier’s airwaves. Oh, and it has the biggest battery yet, too. Was it was worth the wait, then? Maybe. Gallery: Droid Bionic review Continue reading Droid Bionic review Droid Bionic review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Ever feel the temptation to run your iDevice straight into a set of 250-ohm Beyerdynamic or Sennheiser cans? You could , but the resulting sound would hardly rock you. Thankfully, NuForce’s colorful Icon iDo is ready to assist in your iAudiophile needs for only $250. This headphone amp — supporting sampling rates up to 48kHz, 24-bits of resolution and a 10-20kHz frequency — cables into your iPod’s 30-pin connector to bypass the digital audio converter and uses its own to amp up the quality of your audio. The iDo promises to drive headphones all the way up to 300-ohms with 12mW of power via its 3.5 jack, and it’s also sporting digital / analog RCAs if you want to share the love with some speakers. You’ll be at the whim of wall outlets as plug-in power is required for operation, but at least its built IR receiver will let you remote control your playlists from afar. It’s available today if you’re finding your HiFi bugged piqued, and a backside shot with PR is just past the break. Continue reading NuForce’s Icon iDo amp improves iPod sound, costs more than a Classic NuForce’s Icon iDo amp improves iPod sound, costs more than a Classic originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Contour has already produced a handful of imagers for football players and cyclists , but the company has now come out with a solution for underwater explorers, as well, with its first waterproof camera — the ContourRoam. This hands-free device boasts a super wide-angle, 170-degree rotating lens, capable of capturing HD video in three different resolutions (1080p, 960p, and 720p) at 30fps. Its lens can also rotate up to 270 degrees, and projects a horizontal laser to help you align your shots. The camera’s instant on-record option, meanwhile, allows you to start recording as soon as you turn it on, while its waterproof aluminum body lets you shoot video at underwater depths of up to one meter for up to 30 minutes at a time — meaning you can leave that old ContourHD case at home. Aspiring Steve Zissous can buy one now for $200, at the source link below. Otherwise, just wade past the break for more information, in the full presser. Continue reading ContourRoam waterproof camera takes hands-free filmmaking underwater ContourRoam waterproof camera takes hands-free filmmaking underwater originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Between Samsung’s Galaxy Note and the Boogie Board Rip , a mini-trend emerged at IFA last week with companies attempting to bridge the gap between paper notebooks and digital devices. Japanese office supply manufacturer Kokuyo is looking to get in on the action, utilizing devices that consumers already own. In August, the company’s CamiApp was released for iOS, with an Android version coming later this month. The app scans and digitizes handwritten text, letting users edit, highlight, email, tag and share the information with apps like Evernote and Dropbox . The apps are specially designed to work with forthcoming “smartphone-friendly” paper notepads from the company. According to Kokuyo, the notebooks have “special features” that make digital capture easier. Eight different notebooks will be made available tomorrow. The company is also working on making the CamiApp notebooks available overseas. Continue reading Kokuyo’s CamiApp brings paper back to note-taking (video) Kokuyo’s CamiApp brings paper back to note-taking (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 06:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Citrix’s GoToMeeting app now freely available for Android, comes pre-loaded on Droid Bionic
September 8, 2011 No Comment
Motorola and Citrix have already teamed up to pre-load the latter company’s GoToMeeting and Citrix Receiver apps on the Droid 3 , and they’re now back doing the same with the long-awaited Droid Bionic . The good news for everyone else this time around is that Citrix has also decided to release GoToMeeting as a free app on Android Market. Granted, GoToMeeting may not be quite as exciting as the latest augmented reality app or a mobile version of Minecraft , but it is a fairly significant piece of the enterprise puzzle, which Motorola in particular seems to be targeting heavily these days. Hit the link below to try it out for yourself (provided your phone makes the grade), and head on past the break for the full press release. Continue reading Citrix’s GoToMeeting app now freely available for Android, comes pre-loaded on Droid Bionic Citrix’s GoToMeeting app now freely available for Android, comes pre-loaded on Droid Bionic originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 07:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Belkin announces a trio of new products to help your HDTV get its stream on
September 8, 2011 No Comment
Belkin today unveiled a handful of new products aimed at making your TV a bit more streamy. The ScreenCast AV 4 lets you stream content from devices like Blu-ray players to an HDTV without the need for an HDMI cable. The transmitter plugs into the source device and the receiver plugs into the TV, making it possible to watch 1080p video wirelessly. The ScreenCast AV 4 will run $249.99 when it hits next month. The company’s Universal HDTV Adapter and Universal Wireless AV Adapter, meanwhile, offer up wireless for TVs, making it possible to stream content with dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz. The Universal Wireless HDTV Adapter offers up streaming for a single Internet-ready set, while the Universal Wireless AV Adapter works with up to four AV devices. Both are available this month, and will run you $79.99 and $99.99, respectively. More info on all three after the break. Continue reading Belkin announces a trio of new products to help your HDTV get its stream on Belkin announces a trio of new products to help your HDTV get its stream on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 05:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Michael S. Hart, e-book inventor and Project Gutenberg founder, dies at 64
September 8, 2011 No Comment
There’s some sad news coming out of Illinois today, where Michael S. Hart, the e-book inventor who founded Project Gutenberg, has died at the age of 64. Hart’s literary journey began in 1971, when he digitized and distributed his first text, after being inspired by a free printed copy of the Declaration of Independence he found at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. That same year, the Tacoma, Washington native founded Project Gutenberg — an online library that aims to “encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks” and to “break down the bars of ignorance and illiteracy.” By 1987, he’d already digitized a total of 313 books, including works from Homer, Shakespeare and the Bible, before recruiting more volunteers to help out. As of this June, Hart’s pioneering library housed about 36,000 works in its collection (most of which are in the public domain), with an average of 50 new books added each week. Described by Project Gutenberg as an “ardent technologist and futurist,” Hart leaves a literary legacy perhaps best summed up in his own words. “One thing about eBooks that most people haven’t thought much is that eBooks are the very first thing that we’re all able to have as much as we want other than air,” he wrote in July. “Think about that for a moment and you realize we are in the right job.” Michael S. Hart is survived by his mother and brother. Michael S. Hart, e-book inventor and Project Gutenberg founder, dies at 64 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 04:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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