Autodesk 123D solid modeling software hits beta, hobbyists cheer $0.00 pricetag
June 13, 2011 No Comment
If you’ve spent any time whatsoever in SketchUp, there’s a better-than-average chance you’ll have a ball within Autodesk 123D. The new Windows-based program — which quietly slid into beta a couple of weeks ago — is a gratis, stripped-down version of Autodesk’s famed Inventor application, but it still offers a plethora of design tools for something that’s being given away free of charge. We’re told that just the basics are here, and sadly, it’s not open source; that said, it does have an option for exporting to STL, and you will find support for assemblies and constraints. Eager to toss something else in your 3D modeling toolkit? Hit the links below to get started, and feel free to check your wallet at the door. Autodesk 123D solid modeling software hits beta, hobbyists cheer $0.00 pricetag originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Autodesk 123D solid modeling software hits beta, hobbyists cheer $0.00 pricetag
June 13, 2011 No CommentIf you’ve spent any time whatsoever in SketchUp, there’s a better-than-average chance you’ll have a ball within Autodesk 123D. The new Windows-based program — which quietly slid into beta a couple of weeks ago — is a gratis, stripped-down version of Autodesk’s famed Inventor application, but it still offers a plethora of design tools for something that’s being given away free of charge. We’re told that just the basics are here, and sadly, it’s not open source; that said, it does have an option for exporting to STL, and you will find support for assemblies and constraints. Eager to toss something else in your 3D modeling toolkit? Hit the links below to get started, and feel free to check your wallet at the door. Autodesk 123D solid modeling software hits beta, hobbyists cheer $0.00 pricetag originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Logitech G400 optical gaming mouse available for pre-order, wants to replace your aging MX518
June 13, 2011 No Comment
It’s been almost a decade since Logitech introduced the now revered and oft- imitated MX518 optical gaming mouse, and this mainstay peripheral is finally getting a well-deserved upgrade as the new G400. Externally, the design isn’t much different; it’s merely sporting a stealthier grey hue and a cable that’s “thinner and twenty-five percent lighter.” All of the tweaks Logitech has made to help improve your fragging life are internal. The optical sensor is twice as sensitive with a maximum 3,600 DPI resolution (selectable down to 400) that maintains a tracking speed of 140 inches per second, and the mouse reports 1,000 times per second over USB (up from 250). This little guy will even work with the macros on G-series keyboards . If your clicker-finger is starting to itch for one, $50 will snag you a pre-order from Logitech in the US where it’s due out on June 19th, while the rest of the planet will have to rock their 518s into July. Logitech G400 optical gaming mouse available for pre-order, wants to replace your aging MX518 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 07:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Bill Gates doesn’t give too many interviews, but the Daily Mail ‘s Caroline Graham sure managed to get a lot out of him during their recent sitdown. Gates spent much of the time discussing his global health foundation, which, according to him, has become “full-time work for the rest of my life.” And, while he acknowledged that he’s still involved with Microsoft on a ” part-time ” basis, he reaffirmed that he has no desire to return to the throne. Does this mean he’s finally ready to lift his household’s notorious Apple embargo and allow his kids to own iPods? Not exactly: “They have the Windows equivalent. They have a Zune music player, which is a great Windows portable player. They are not deprived children.” Hear that? Bill’s kids aren’t in need! In fact, they even earn allowances and “do chores,” just like your kids. Sure, their pops may have billions of dollars stowed away under his mattress, but he says his offspring will only receive a “minuscule portion” of that fortune. Cue the violins. Bill Gates’ kids ‘aren’t deprived,’ they have Zunes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Toshiba Thrive pre-order now live, starts at $430 and ends up in your hands in mid-July
June 13, 2011 No Comment
As promised , Toshiba is marking June 13th with pre-order availability of its Thrive Android ( 3.1 !) tablet, a device whose life aspiration and name happen to coincide perfectly. This 10-inch Tegra 2 portable has the usual 1280 x 800 resolution, dual cameras (5 megapixel on the back, 2 megapixel up front), a gigabyte of RAM, and a 23WHr battery, but it also brings nice expandability with full-size HDMI, USB 2.0 and SD card slots. The Easy Grip back covers can be swapped — which, yes, means you can also replace the battery — though you’ll have to splash out $20 for any non-black hues. The 8GB Thrive costs $430, followed by the 16GB unit at $480 and the 32GB option at $580. You can order yours directly from Toshiba or at Amazon, Best Buy or Office Direct, with deliveries slated for mid-July. [Thanks, Matthew] Toshiba Thrive pre-order now live, starts at $430 and ends up in your hands in mid-July originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 05:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Over in the UK, Sky TV is streamlining its efforts to serve up TV channels away from the TV by launching the new Sky Go service July 6th. It combines and replaces the existing online Sky Player and Sky Mobile TV services into one offering that’s free for subscribers, and in August will open up to those who don’t have Sky TV service for between
Continue reading …Codemasters website hacked, ‘tens of thousands’ of personal accounts compromised
June 13, 2011 No Comment
This must be the season of the hacking witch as we’ve now seen yet another company’s online security walls breached. Independent UK games developer Codemasters, responsible for titles like Dirt 3 and Overlord , has reported that its website was hacked on the third of June, exposing the names, addresses (both physical and email), birthdays, phone numbers, Xbox gamer tags, biographies, and passwords of its registered users. Payment information wasn’t compromised, but when you consider that almost everything else was, that feels like hollow consolation. For its part, Codemasters says it took the website offline as soon as the breach was detected and a subsequent investigation has revealed the number of affected users to be in the tens of thousands. Those who might have been affected directly are being emailed with penitent apologies, while the rest of us are being pointed to the company’s Facebook page while its web portal is kept offline. Codemasters website hacked, ‘tens of thousands’ of personal accounts compromised originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 04:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …PhoneIt-iPad available via Cydia now, claims it’ll turn your iPad 3G into a phone (video)
June 13, 2011 No Comment
They hacked Facetime onto the iPhone 3GS , and now they’ve done it again — the iPhoneIslam team’s bringing cellular calling and texting to your jailbroken iPad 3G. We haven’t been able to test it for ourselves quite yet, but the new PhoneIt-iPad app should be available through the team’s Cydia repository right now, and it’ll cost $20 to bring out the full potential of your slate. And with that, it’s only a matter of time before iPad sidetalking becomes a meme. Continue reading PhoneIt-iPad available via Cydia now, claims it’ll turn your iPad 3G into a phone (video) PhoneIt-iPad available via Cydia now, claims it’ll turn your iPad 3G into a phone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 04:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sonic.net starts trial of 1Gbps fiber-to-the-home internet in California, asks just $70
June 13, 2011 No Comment
You’ll be forgiven for not being intimately familiar with Californian ISP Sonic.net, though we get the feeling you’ll also wish it operated a little closer to your abode by the time you’re finished reading this. You see, Sonic has always dabbled in the business of high-speed, low-price internet connectivity, and now it’s going for the jugular with a new fiber-to-the-home service, which costs just $69.95 a month, reaches speeds up to 1Gbps , and bundles in two phone lines and unlimited long distance calling. Just for reference, Comcast’s “Extreme” 105Mbps connection costs $105 a pop when taken as part of a bundle, whereas Sonic’s budget menu option will net you a 100Mbps line for $39.95 (plus a phone line with unlimited calls). Understandably, Sonic’s grand plan is starting out small, with a trial in Sebastopol spanning 700 households, but provided the company doesn’t go bust by giving people so much for so little, expansion to bigger cities will follow, with San Francisco and Santa Rosa being the prime candidates. And just in case you’re questioning Sonic’s credentials, Google’s chosen the ISP to manage its gigabit fiber network at Stanford University, and who knows ultrafast broadband better than Google? Sonic.net starts trial of 1Gbps fiber-to-the-home internet in California, asks just $70 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 02:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …HP rolls out the YouTube carpet for TouchPad slate, prices accessories (video)
June 12, 2011 No Comment
Now that HP’s TouchPad has a confirmed July 1st release date , the company’s going to do its darnedest to make sure you’re excited for the slate, and the company’s starting off rather well if you ask us — instead of attempting to find a new anthem , it’s simply showing off what the dual-core tablet actually does . The nine YouTube videos after the break may not be the most exciting things you’ll watch all day, but they certainly do show off the multitasking magic of HP’s card-based operating system. If that’s not nearly enough TouchPad information, though, Geekazine taped also a 37-minute conversation with HP product manager Tim Pettitt, where he reveals that the final TouchPad won’t have a traditional gesture area, but it will recognize the traditional swipe up for opening and closing apps. By the by, all the TouchPad’s accessories have now been priced: you’ll drop $30 for a charger, $50 for the official folding case, $70 for the Bluetooth keyboard , and $80 for the new Touchstone dock. Pricey. Continue reading HP rolls out the YouTube carpet for TouchPad slate, prices accessories (video) HP rolls out the YouTube carpet for TouchPad slate, prices accessories (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 02:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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