A long time ago, in a boardroom far, far away… a designer (flanked by marketing execs) pitched an idea for a set of Star Wars: The Old Republic branded peripherals, and the CEO of Razer told his troopers to “make it so.” Or, at least that’s how we imagine it happened. In addition to mixing up his sci-fi references, whoever approved this gaming keyboard, mouse, and headset also abandoned any notion of subtlety. All three are slathered in interchangeable Sith or Jedi insignias, bright LEDs, and a texture not unlike the exterior of a Star Destroyer. The most ostentatious is easily the keyboard, which sports both a multitouch screen and two rows of adaptive buttons over an LCD (
Continue reading …
We always have to chuckle when laptop makers talk about making business systems look more palatable to the employees toting ‘em. After all, it’s not like we’re going to walk off the job because we don’t like the looks of that black box we’ve been assigned. Or are we? Nonetheless, laptop manufacturers are going out of their way to make their corporate systems look (and perform) more in line with their sexier consumer cousins. Take the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 , for instance, a slimmed-down version of the company’s signature design — updated with a buttonless touchpad, Dolby sound, and a much-maligned glossy display. Toshiba, meanwhile, recently revamped its line of business notebooks to look like the lightweight Portege R705 — also a crossover hit. Which brings us to the HP ProBook 5330m. This 13.3-incher has a metal-clad body and Beats Audio — a first on an HP business machine, but a staple across its consumer stable. And yet, the company’s wooing the IT guys, too, with a matte display, optional prepaid mobile broadband, Intel vPro technology, and TPM circuitry. With a starting price of $799, it scores big points for value, but can it hang? Let’s find out. Continue reading HP ProBook 5330m review HP ProBook 5330m review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Mac users certainly have quite a few more gaming options these days than they once did, and they can now also add Mad Catz’s series of Cyborg R.A.T. gaming mice to that list. The company finally released some Mac drivers for the complete range of mice today, which will let you take advantage of all the advanced features Windows users are already accustomed to. Those still putting off that Snow Leopard update will have to take care of that first, however, as the drivers won’t accept anything less. Mad Catz brings Mac support to R.A.T. gaming mice originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
We’ve already seen some blurry pictures of T-Mobile’s forthcoming MyTouch 4G Slide running Gingerbread, and we now have our best look yet at the phone itself (or a dummy unit, anyway) courtesy of an unknown accessory maker. As you can see, however, the shot above obtained by Pocket Now still leaves some of the phone obscured by those cases, but at least you now know what it looks like in argyle. T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide spotted trying on some cases originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …IATA’s Checkpoint of the Future uses biometric IDs to separate do-gooders from terrorists (video)
June 8, 2011 No Comment
This, ladies and gentlemen, could be your Checkpoint of the Future — a new airport security prototype that promises to move away “from a system that looks for bad objects, to one that can find bad people.” Unveiled at the IATA’s annual conference in Singapore yesterday, the setup is comprised of three, 20-foot long detectors — one for “known travelers,” one for high-risk flyers, and one for everyone else. Instead of funneling passengers through the same checkpoint, then, the prototype would use eye scanners and biometric chips to verify their identities and analyze their personal history, before dividing them into groups. People who complete and pass government background checks would waltz through the fast pass lane with their carry-on luggage in tow, whereas those deemed particularly risky would have to undergo a more intensive, full-body scan within the “Enhanced” security lane. The rest of us, meanwhile, would be directed to the “Normal” detector, which would automatically scan us for liquids, metals and everything that is evil. The IATA says this risk-based approach would reduce security lines and lower airport costs, but it would still require governments to share data on their own citizens, which could pose a major hurdle to widespread adoption. For now, the IATA and governmental agencies are still hammering away at the details and have yet to announce a pilot program, but you can check out an audio-less demo video of the prototype, after the break. Continue reading IATA’s Checkpoint of the Future uses biometric IDs to separate do-gooders from terrorists (video) IATA’s Checkpoint of the Future uses biometric IDs to separate do-gooders from terrorists (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 09:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Another day, another digital DJ interface : hardware controllers for Traktor and other mixing software occupy an expanding market, to be sure, and Pioneer’s latest entry into the upmarket side of the fold is a beefy contender. Its differentiating features are distinctly vinyl-flavored: a pair of grooved, free-spinning jog-wheels with lighted time indicators and a pair of “needle search” touch strips. Are they forward-thinking innovations or just another cultural tip of the hat to an ancient medium ? Click on to reveal our deepest thoughts on the gunmetal-tinted, Terminator-inspired* DDJ-T1. *Terminator inspiration purely conjectural Gallery: Pioneer DDJ-T1 Review Continue reading Pioneer DDJ-T1 review Pioneer DDJ-T1 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Samsung brings Van Gogh ‘paintings’ to Korea via Smart TV, makes us reach for the absinthe
June 8, 2011 No Comment
This is sort of strange. People in Korea are looking at masterpieces of Western art on a TV screen — and not from the comfort of their laptops . It’s all part of something called R
Continue reading …Nintendo admits its Wii U highlight reel was spiced up with PS3 and Xbox 360 footage
June 8, 2011 No Comment
Nintendo’s E3 2011 keynote yesterday gave the world its first official look at the all-new Wii U hardware plus (we thought) a glimpse at the graphical capabilities of its next console. As it turns out, the impressive list of upcoming games for the 2012-bound console was just that, a list, with the visuals we saw on screen coming from PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of said titles. Nintendo of America chief Reggie Fils-Aime has confirmed that to be the case in an interview with GameTrailers , where he also points out that the eventual Wii U games will look at least as good as their PS3 / 360 counterparts. Which is why, in his eyes, it’s okay to show us those games being played on the competition’s (current-gen) hardware. He does remind us that the Wii U will be delivering graphics at a 1080p resolution, and points to the garden tech demo that also graced E3 as an indicator of what can be done with Nintendo’s next console. That’s all well and good, but maybe tell us in advance next time, Reggie? Nintendo admits its Wii U highlight reel was spiced up with PS3 and Xbox 360 footage originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 06:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Boxee hits London with updated iPlayer app, Blinkbox video and new Media Server
June 8, 2011 No Comment
Boxee threw a meetup in London last night where it revealed the return of its BBC iPlayer app and upcoming addition of streaming movies and shows from Blinkbox. This continues a trend that has seen the addition of Headweb video on-demand for Scandinavian regions and Databazaar’s library of Bollywood flicks in the last week. Boxee had iPlayer before but it stopped working after some technical changes, while the blog post reveals Blinkbox support is expected arrive around the end of the year. Boxee flashed its iPad app at the party too, promising to bring the existing experience to your tablet plus the ability to send video back to a Boxee Box for watching on the big TV screen. Finally, VP of marketing Andrew Kippen mentioned streaming locally stored video to the iPad from new Boxee Media Server software. While adding Plex-style functionality is nice by itself, we’re just excited to see any kind of reference to the software for PC and Macs that seemed to have been ignored since Boxee got into the box business, so we’ll keep an eye out for any additional news on that front. Boxee hits London with updated iPlayer app, Blinkbox video and new Media Server originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 07:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Replicating Reality demos 3D virtual reality system powered by pixel-rich microdisplays
June 8, 2011 No Comment
Kopin’s a company known for diminutive displays destined for duty as electronic view finders in camcorders and digicams. At E3 this year , the company’s subsidiary Forth Dimensions Displays has unveiled a new use for its teeny tiny screens — virtual reality. Called Replicating Reality, it uses two .8-inch 1280 x 1024 LCD panels and head tracking to place you in a 3D virtual world. We got to test the system through a racing game, and found that it works pretty darn well. Graphics were of console quality, with nary a hint of image distortion from the system’s magnification lenses and pixel pitch was imperceptible to our eyes. Basically, there was no indication that the screens our gaze was fixed upon were less than an inch across. The sharp picture combined with the system’s head tracking — which let us look around while taking turns and weaving through traffic — to create quite an immersive experience. Of course, it still looked like a game, but there’s a pixel packed 2048 x 1536 panel in the works that the company claims can deliver visuals nigh-indistinguishable from the real world. We were told that prototypes of these QXGA screens will be ready in ten months, and they’ll be suitable for public consumption in a year. So, the real question is: will your eyeballs be prepared to handle such prodigious pixel density by then? Gallery: Replicating Reality VR demo system Replicating Reality demos 3D virtual reality system powered by pixel-rich microdisplays originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 04:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …