Ultrawideband tech could connect your body to doctors, bring Tricorders to the mainstream
July 7, 2011 No Comment
The academic paper ‘Experimental Characterization of a UWB Channel for Body Area Networks’ won’t reshape your mental state, but that’s because academic papers are rarely titled ‘OMG. Tricorders !’. A team of scientists at Oregon State University have examined ultrawideband tech to see if it’s capable of transmitting the enormous load of data required to monitor a human body. Imagine it; your heart rate is monitored on your watch, smart bandages examine your blood insulin levels and feedback-pants measure your muscle responses, all viewed online by a doctor. Sadly you can’t rush to your nearest hospital and demand to be wired with some X Prize – winning kit — there’s a couple of hurdles to overcome before you can more efficiently post your bodily functions to Twitter. Transmission had to be line-of-sight and the energy needs are too vast for a handheld device. Still, given how sophisticated the network technology will be when it’s perfected, don’t be surprised if civilization grinds to a halt when Quake is ported to your temporal lobe. Ultrawideband tech could connect your body to doctors, bring Tricorders to the mainstream originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
You’ll need to wait until Sunday to get your hands on a Toshiba Thrive at Best Buy , but the Honeycomb slate is ready to head out Newegg’s door, with free shipping to boot. $430 nets you an 8GB tablet with two-day shipping, or you can add 30 bucks to get it overnight. That’s unlikely to mean tomorrow at this point, but if you play your cards right, you could be sliding through emails a la Swype before the weekend is out. Update : Best Buy has confirmed that the Thrive will be available on July 10th, both in-store and online. Toshiba Thrive in stock at Newegg, is ready to ship free to your door originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 18:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Navy tests bacteria-powered hydrogen fuel cell, could start monitoring your underwater fight club
July 7, 2011 No Comment
Microbial fuel cells aren’t exactly new , but microbial fuel cells scouring the ocean floor? Now that’s an initiative we can get behind. The Naval Research Laboratory is currently toying around with a so-called Zero Power Ballast Control off the coast of Thailand, presumably looking for treasures dropped from the speedboat of one “Alan Garner.” Purportedly, the newfangled hydrogen fuel cell relies on bacteria to provide variable buoyancy, which allows an autonomous ocean sensor to move up and down water columns with little to no effort. Furthermore, it’s able to get its energy from microbial metabolism (yeah, we’re talking about hot air), and while it’s mostly being used to measure things like temperature and pressure, it could be repurposed for more seirous tasks — like mine detection. There’s no clear word yet on when America’s Navy will have access to this stuff, but if we had to guess, they’ve probably be using it behind our backs for the better part of a score. [Image courtesy of U.S. Navy Reserve / Tom Boyd] Navy tests bacteria-powered hydrogen fuel cell, could start monitoring your underwater fight club originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …LightSquared creates rural America intitiative, promises to be more help than hindrance
July 7, 2011 No Comment
With GPS interference issues now resolved , LightSquared’s going back to the farm to reassure rural America it means no harm. The wholesale-only 4G LTE service that already signed up a plethora of partners is turning to Sen. Byron Dorgan and Reps. George Nethercutt and Charlie Stenholm to oversee its newly-created Empower Rural America Initiative. The plan calls for oversight of the service’s bucolic deployment, promising its filtering tech will keep GPS-dependent precision agriculture on-point and pesticides away from your country home. Also under the proposed guidelines are plans to assist emergency first responders with network access in the event existing communication systems get knocked out. It’s a comforting pat on the rustic back that should shore up “broadband adoption gap” issues currently plaguing underserved areas. But while it may look like the farmer and the technologist can be friends, we have a sneaking suspicion there are more self-serving motivations at play here. Hit the break for LightSquared’s pastorally empowering PR. Continue reading LightSquared creates rural America intitiative, promises to be more help than hindrance LightSquared creates rural America intitiative, promises to be more help than hindrance originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 22:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Lenovo IdeaPad K1′s videos pair easy listening with helpful how-to’s (video)
July 7, 2011 No Comment
Know what really sells a Honeycomb-based tablet ? No, not its 10.1-inch display, Tegra 2 processor, nor those 32GBs of storage space — it’s the background music , man. Someone in Lenovo’s marketing department must have an iTunes library chock full o’department store-worthy Lite FM jams, because that schmaltzy muzak is all over its dozen-plus IdeaPad K1 how-to videos. We’re kind of disappointed the company couldn’t get Lisa Stansfield for a voice-over cameo, but hey — who says we’re living in a perfect universe? Prospective IdeaPad owners should check the source, where they’ll be treated to such instructional, chart-topping gems like “Getting to know your Tablet,” or our personal favorite “Adding and Removing Shortcuts.” All kidding aside, we still don’t have a firm date on this tablet’s launch, but with its FCC presence cleared expect to see it sooner rather than later. Continue reading Lenovo IdeaPad K1′s videos pair easy listening with helpful how-to’s (video) Lenovo IdeaPad K1′s videos pair easy listening with helpful how-to’s (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 21:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Tragic. Just tragic. It seems like just yesterday we were dashing to our local Kmart in hopes of securing one of the hottest, most demanded products on the market. First, it was the $99 GenBook , and days later, it was the Gentouch 78 . Now, it appears that neither of those absolutely astounding pieces of kit will ever be produced again, as Augen’s website has been cold and unresponsive for the better part of a month. It’s not picking up the phone, and it’s not replying to emails. We’d bother to weep, but we have to wonder how bad things truly are if it took the world four full weeks to notice one’s disappearance. Augen mysteriously dies, dirt-cheap Android tablets can’t keep it afloat originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Kingston’s iOS-lovin’ Wi-Drive wireless storage device hops into FCC database
July 7, 2011 No Comment
You know what that means, right? It means that Kingston’s on track for keeping its “July” release promise for the above-pictured Wi-Drive. For those who missed our preview last month, this is essentially a portable, battery-powered hard drive that’s meant to stream content exclusively to iOS devices. Think of it as a way to add more storage to a device that simply cannot accept more storage. Barring any last-minute fights with the number crunchers, this guy will ship for $130 (16GB) / $175 (32GB), and while an FCC appearance is no clear indication of “when,” it almost always means “soon.” Kingston’s iOS-lovin’ Wi-Drive wireless storage device hops into FCC database originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Motorola Titanium coming to Sprint on July 24th for $149, still stubbornly rocking Eclair
July 7, 2011 No Comment
When Motorola took the wraps off it’s rugged Titanium in May it left out a pair of pretty crucial details — namely price and release date. Thankfully, our friends over at Sprintfeed scored some details and it looks like the “Sturdy and QWERTY” Android handset will be landing on July 24th for $150. Otherwise there’s nothing new to report, you’re still getting the same military-grade resistance to the elements, support for Nextel Direct Connect, and five megapixel camera. Sadly, it’s also still shipping with Eclair leaving this Moto a solid two generations behind the current crop of Google phones. Still, if you need a smartphone with a physical keyboard that can withstand some serious abuse there aren’t too many other options out there. [Thanks, Jon] Motorola Titanium coming to Sprint on July 24th for $149, still stubbornly rocking Eclair originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 18:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
There’s nothing but a photo, a few dimensions and confirmation that LTE / CDMA radios are onboard, but it’s sure looking like the device linked down in the source is Motorola’s elusive followup to the Xoom . For those camped out under a boulder the past day or so, the Xoom recently saw a permanent $100 price drop for the WiFi-only model, and eagle-eyed observers may recall a brief glimpse of what appeared to be an unannounced Verizon Wireless slate a few weeks back. Of course, having a storyline that fits is only half the battle, but with the IHDP56LU2 measuring 259mm long and 166mm wide, it’s getting harder and harder to reject any lingering thoughts that the Xoom 2 may indeed be on its way. For the curious, those dimensions are ever-so-slightly more compact than the existing Xoom, and it’s not just anything that gets hooked up with radios to support both of VZW’s native networks. So, what say you? Is the Xoom 2 really getting ready to bust your summer wide open? Or are we looking at the world’s largest LTE smartphone? Motorola’s LTE-infused Xoom 2 tablet caught skipping through the FCC? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Roger’s first LTE network is live in Ottawa, aims to become fastest in North America
July 7, 2011 No Comment
Good news for those of you waiting for Roger ‘s first LTE network launch in Ottawa , Canada: it happened. Ottawa’s LTE debut now puts Rogers firmly at the top of the heap amongst its chief rivals Bell and Telus — at least where speed is concerned. To start, the only device on offer is the Sierra Wireless AirCard 313U, which retails at $79.99 on a three-year deal or $169.99 completely off-contract. As you’re likely aware, LTE is all about the speed, and with that speed comes the potential for cost as this network will see you burning through a gigabyte of data in mere minutes. To help balance that out, Rogers has also introduced a new tiered LTE Flex Rate Plan with prices starting at $45 for 1.5GB to $90 for 9GB — with every GB thereafter deftly removing another $10 from your billfold. To help the addiction really settle in, the carrier has wisely made the first two months of service free with overage costs also getting the boot. Of course, this all sounds like a recipe for a challenge, so we’ve arranged to get our hands on one these devices for some first impressions on speed and quality and then begin a two month odyssey of its LTE network — and fair use policy — abuse. Roger’s first LTE network is live in Ottawa, aims to become fastest in North America originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …