Many have tried and failed to bring a 3D desktop interface to an otherwise 2D operating system, but that certainly hasn’t stopped others from trying. The latest example to crop up comes courtesy of none other than Microsoft, which recently received a patent for what it describes as a “method and apparatus for providing a three-dimensional task gallery computer interface.” In other words, it’s an interface intended to help you better manage multiple tasks, which the patent suggests could be done in a 3D environment with a floor, walls and a ceiling. Apparently, you’d be able to group multiple windows at various spots in the “room,” which would let you rely on your spatial memory to easily find a given task — with the room getting deeper and deeper to accommodate more tasks. In the patent’s claims, the only means described for navigating around that room is a set of icons that would adjust to suit the 3D environment, although it certainly seems like it could easily be adapted to accommodate gesture controls as well. Hit up the source link below for plenty more line drawings where this one came from. Microsoft patent details a 3D desktop interface with a room for your windows originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 May 2011 12:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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If that offbeat Acer Aspire One 722 we told you about last month caught your fancy, well, we still don’t know when you’ll be able to buy it or how many pretty pennies it’ll cost. In the meantime, the folks at NewGadgets , at least, got to spend some time with one and gave it the full hands-on treatment, including a video (embedded below for your viewing pleasure) and gallery of close-up shots. So if you like your netbooks blue, dented, and loaded with AMD innards, head on past the break to get your eyeful. Now if only this had a release date to go with it… Continue reading Acer Aspire One 722 caught in the wild (video) Acer Aspire One 722 caught in the wild (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 May 2011 09:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It’s pretty fitting that BeBook chose the word “Live” for its new product, because until we got a note from a member of its staff earlier today, we weren’t entirely sure it was still kicking. The company has followed up its solid, if pricey, black and white e-reader with, get this, an Android tablet. The BeBook Live tablet has a seven-inch multitouch color screen, a 2MP front facing camera, 1080p HDMI out, Flash support, and 4GB of built-in memory. Weirdly, the device’s “tablet OS” is actually Android 2.2, which will no doubt feel downright antiquated when it launches in June for $279 — which, to the company’s credit, is significantly cheaper than its lower tech predecessor. Video after the break that may or may not be narrated by the Moviefone guy. Continue reading BeBook Live tablet delivers the goods for Froyo diehards BeBook Live tablet delivers the goods for Froyo diehards originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 May 2011 10:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The leaks should’ve already told you most of everything you need to know about the Lenovo ThinkPad X1, but here’s some affirmation of perhaps the most relevant bit of info, the release date. Amazon has listed the ultraslim 13.3-inch laptop for pre-order, giving it the extremely specific price of
Continue reading …Smithsonian announces titles for Art of Video Games exhibit, snubs Mario Paint
May 7, 2011 No Comment
GoldenEye 007 is certainly a fun way to waste your childhood…but is it art? According to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, yes. The game was one of 80 selected for an upcoming exhibit, The Art of Video Games , and the the venerable museum drew on fan expertise , using online voting to winnow the field of 240 nominees. The selections span the last four decades (!) of gaming, from the days of the Atari VCS and ColecoVision all the way to today’s modern time-sinks like Portal and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess . The exhibit won’t open until next spring, but in the meantime check out the source link to argue about who got left out. Smithsonian announces titles for Art of Video Games exhibit, snubs Mario Paint originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 May 2011 08:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’ll tell you what: if you even blink these days, you’re gonna miss a special guest on the Engadget Podcast. This week we’ve got Joystiq ‘s Chris Grant in the house to shoot the shizzle on Sony’s network hurt and the Wii 3D IMAX rumors bubbling up all around us. And we lure Richard Lawler to step out on his old lady, the Engadget HD Podcast , for a romp on the possibly slightly wilder side of the tracks. Let’s do it: let’s talk tech. Host: Tim Stevens Guests: Chris Grant, Brian Heater, Richard Lawler Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: You Shook Me All Night Long 02:15 – Apple iMac hands-on, with dual 30-inch displays! (video) 03:00 – Apple iMac refresh official: Thunderbolt and next gen quad-core processors 03:45 – AT&T officially announces HP Veer 4G, available May 15th for $100 (update) 04:55 – Star Wars Blu-ray set ships Sept. 12th/16th (world/NA), has 40 hours of special features 06:35 – Dish Network, EchoStar will pay TiVo $500 million to settle DVR lawsuit 07:55 – Latest Windows 8 leaks reveal cloud-based settings, more app store evidence 09:35 – Droid Charge review 11:16 – Verizon document suggests LG Revolution will have Netflix pre-installed 13:47 – Sony promises ‘phased restoration’ of PlayStation Network and Qriocity starting this week 20:22 – Sony woes continue as SOE confirms data breach (update: 24.6 million accounts affected) 31:03 – Sony responds to Congress: all 77 million PSN accounts compromised, finger pointed at Anonymous 33:52 – BlackBerry Bold 9900 hands-on (update: video) 34:30 – BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 (Bold Touch) official 34:45 – BlackBerry Bold Touch makes brief appearance on RIM’s website 35:05 – Android apps on PlayBook eyes-on (video) 35:48 – RIM announces BlackBerry 7 OS with better browser and BlackBerry Balance, but no legacy support 38:10 – Nintendo drops Wii price to $150 from May 15th, throws in a free Wii Wheel and copy of Mario Kart 48:05 – Nielsen estimates show first drop in TV ownership in 20 years, Mayans nod approvingly 50:40 – We won some Webby Awards, and now you can win a BlackBerry PlayBook! 51:44 – Listener questions Hear the podcast Subscribe to the podcast [ iTunes ] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [ RSS MP3 ] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [ RSS AAC ] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [ Zune ] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast Send your questions to @tim_stevens . Twitter: @tim_stevens @bheater @chrisgrant @rjcc Filed under: Podcasts Engadget Podcast 238 – 05.06.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 May 2011 12:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’ve already seen it pictured and detailed , but Chinese website Mydrivers.com has now scored what appear to be the very first in-the-wild shots of Lenovo’s new super-slim ThinkPad X1 . As you can see above and in a few more shots at the source link below, the laptop is indeed pretty thin — 21.5mm, or 0.85 inches thick, apparently — but Lenovo still found room to squeeze in a backlit keyboard (check it out after the break), not to mention the ThinkPad’s trademark pointing stick. Unfortunately, Lenovo has yet to officially say anything about it itself, so we still only have that rumored May 20th launch date to go on for the time being. [Thanks, leungxd] Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad X1 spotted in the wild Lenovo ThinkPad X1 spotted in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 May 2011 13:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Here’s hoping there’s more than a few military-style marches standing between us and a complete robotic takeover . If not, we’ve got some dire news: these are not simply miniature Roombas as they may appear, but 15 so-called Khepera bots capable of spelling out GRITS (for Georgia Robotics and Intelligent Systems) to demonstrate grad student Edward Macdonald’s Master’s thesis for the department. The diminutive robots aren’t told where to go in the letters — instead, they determine their spots via a control algorithm, positioning themselves relative to their fellow rolling machines, so that if one is removed from the equation, they quickly reform the letter without it. Fortunately, they haven’t learned to spell “KILL.” Yet. Get to know your new robotic overlords a little bit better in the video after the break. [Thanks, Ted] Continue reading Robots learn to march / spell, still not capable of love (video) Robots learn to march / spell, still not capable of love (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 May 2011 05:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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If you’ve been on the hunt for a USB 3.0 drive to pair with your newly minted notebook, the list of options just keeps on growing. LG just released the XE1 and XE2, a pair of 2.5-inch HDDs available in 500GB, 750GB, and 1TB sizes. The only difference: the XE1 has a glossy finish and its sibling, a matte one — both more conservative-looking than what Samsung’s been peddling . If you’re in Korea, you’ll soon be able to snag one in the size and style of your choice for somewhere between ₩100,000 and ₩160,000 ($92 to $147). LG trots out XE1 and XE2 USB 3.0 drives for the Korean market originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 May 2011 13:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sony misses promised PlayStation Network and Qriocity restoration date, begs for more patience
May 7, 2011 No Comment
Whoops. If you’ll recall, Sony held what can only be described as an emergency press event in Japan a week ago in order to issue a number of assurances about the resumption of service as it relates to the PlayStation Network and Qriocity. Seven days later, things are still as dead as they were pre-Cinco de Mayo. This evening, the company’s Senior Director of Corporate Communications Patrick Seybold punched out a quick update to let the world know that they could actually leave the house and find something else to entertain ‘em — like it or not, PSN isn’t coming back online today. The reason? On May 1st, Sony was apparently “unaware of the extent of the attack on Sony Online Entertainment servers,” and now, it’s spinning its wheels in order to restore security on the network and “ensure” that user data is safe. Mr. Seybold seems to understand that you’re overly anxious about getting back into the swing of things, and he’s even going so far as to ask your trust that Sony’s doing “everything [it] can” to get the lights blinking once more. Oh, and if you were planning on visiting that source link just to find the new ETA… don’t. Sony’s planning to update you “as soon as it can.” [Thanks, Alex] Sony misses promised PlayStation Network and Qriocity restoration date, begs for more patience originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 May 2011 03:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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