Ideum has taken the wraps off the latest addition to its growing family of multitouch tables , with the release of the MT55. The table, originally announced late last month, boasts a handsome 55-inch LCD display, which beams LED-backlit graphics in 1920
Continue reading …Augmented reality Tetris game uses Kinect hack, Wiimote, smooth jazz (video)
April 21, 2011 No Comment
What does it take for a gaming classic to survive in a world ruled by titles like Portal 2 and Homefront ? A Kinect hack , a Wiimote , and some electronic elbow grease, apparently. Trinity College student Keysosaurus — as he’s know to his YouTube pals — has used a bit of C#, XNA, and OpenNI coding to play 3D augmented reality Tetris using Kinect body controls and a Wiimote. The Kinect gestures do most of the work, rotating the board, zooming the camera in and out, and moving the pieces into place, while the Nintendo controller is used to rotate. Video’s after the break, but beware, the familiar strains of “Korobeiniki” have been replaced by smooth guitar jazz, so turn the volume up at your own risk. Continue reading Augmented reality Tetris game uses Kinect hack, Wiimote, smooth jazz (video) Augmented reality Tetris game uses Kinect hack, Wiimote, smooth jazz (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 10:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
We’ve been hit by a big batch of dismayed tips from PlayStation gamers this morning, who are finding themselves unable to log in to the PlayStation Network ( again ). Sony’s response has been to acknowledge there’s a problem in the vaguest of terms — “We’re aware certain functions of PlayStation Network are down” — and to promise an update on the situation as soon as it’s available. Alas, that statement was issued over nine hours ago and there’s still no word of either a rectification or an explanation for the outage. The error code provided by the console is, as you can see above, somewhat uninformative as well. So come on, Sony, what is going on with your Network? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] PlayStation Network down for a long count, what’s up Sony? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 09:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
It’s fast becoming apparent that no electric vehicle is complete without an accompanying smartphone app to help you find places to charge it, and it looks like ECOtality isn’t about to let that trend pass it by. It’s just announced its new Blink Mobile app for iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices, which will let folks locate Blink charging stations , check up on the charger’s status, and receive various alerts (like when your car is finished charging at home). Unfortunately, you can’t download it just yet, but ECOtality says it will be available sometime this summer, with the iOS and Android apps likely to come out a bit ahead of the BlackBerry app — a web-based app is also in development. Head on past the break for the complete press release. Continue reading ECOtality announces Blink Mobile EV charging app ECOtality announces Blink Mobile EV charging app originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Nokia’s Q1 2011: smartphone share down to 26 percent, ‘more challenging’ times ahead
April 21, 2011 No Comment
Nokia has just published its first quarterly results in the era of its Microsoft partnership and things aren’t looking too bright. Smartphone market share, which had been at 41 percent this time last year and 31 percent in January , has now dipped to 26 percent, while operating profits have taken a 17 percent tumble relative to last year. The company managed to ship one percent more phones in Q1 2011 than in Q1 2010, but its 108.5 million units was an 18 percent drop from last quarter’s totals. CEO Stephen Elop describes the first quarter as solid, but warns that the second will be “more challenging.” He’s encouraged by the “roadmap of mobile phones and Symbian smartphones” that Nokia has for the balance of the year, which sounds good on the surface, but we’d be more comforted if he’d have inserted the words “Windows Phone” or “MeeGo” in that sentence too. Hit the links below to see the full financial details. Nokia’s Q1 2011: smartphone share down to 26 percent, ‘more challenging’ times ahead originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 06:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
We recently deemed the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer the “best Honeycomb tablet yet.” Admittedly that was before we got our hands on the T-Mobile G-Slate , but it’s still an awfully nice hunk of glass, and now we know just how much you’re going to have to pay to get one — and exactly when you can plunk down that credit card. The 10.1-inch Transformer with its 1280 x 800 IPS panel and 16GB of storage will cost you $399, while the 32GB version will set you back $499. That docking station, which kinda sorta turns it into a laptop? That costs $150. Units are expected to hit retail on Tuesday, April 26th, meaning you have just five days to scrounge together four or five Benjamins — plus tax, of course. ASUS Eee Pad Transformer hits US on April 26th for $399 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 04:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Samsung Galaxy S II to arrive in UK on April 27th, but only through Phones 4u
April 21, 2011 No Comment
UK phone retailer Phones 4u has scooped itself a short-term but enviable exclusive — it’ll be the only place in the UK where you’ll be able to buy Samsung’s Galaxy S II in April. The 1.2GHz dual-core Android superphone has already been announced for wide availability in the Queen’s Kingdom on May 1st , but Phones 4u will get you one as early as April 27th, plus it’ll throw in a free 8GB microSD card if you pre-order one now. The Galaxy S II will be available for free on two-year contracts costing
Continue reading …
Just last week we reported on Fujitsu’s plans to get in on the gigabit broadband game, and now Virgin Media is taking things a step further by announcing its intention to test internet speeds up to 1.5Gbps in east London. The trial, which plans to deliver upload speeds of 150Mbps, uses a similar fiber optic setup as the one employed by Fujitsu, and targets multimedia companies near the junction of the city’s Old Street and City Road, also referred to as the Silicon Roundabout. These tests have been made possible by a
Continue reading …BiliBot combines Kinect, iRobot Create and gripper arm for affordable ROS fun (video)
April 20, 2011 No Comment
The Personal Robotics Group at MIT may have already strapped a Kinect to a iRobot Create , but BiliBot did them one better by adding an arm to the mix — not to mention this cherry-red frame. Better yet, you can order your own BiliBot Developer Edition now for the affordable price of only $1,200. OK, maybe calling $1,200 “affordable” is a bit of a stretch, but in the world of programmable robotics that’s not half bad , especially when you consider this self-contained robotics platform comes with its own Ubuntu-booting Core i3 computer with 4GB of RAM. The preinstalled ROS software can be used to steer the bot using data gathered through the battery operated Kinect and also to control the arm, which is connected to geared motors instead of more traditional servos. Those motors allow the BiliBot to lift three pounds up to a height of 17 inches — perfect for beer delivery , provided you’re sitting. Watch it navigate a relatively obstacle-free room in the video after the break. [Thanks, Travis] Continue reading BiliBot combines Kinect, iRobot Create and gripper arm for affordable ROS fun (video) BiliBot combines Kinect, iRobot Create and gripper arm for affordable ROS fun (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 02:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Yahoo to retain search data for 18 months, says it’s in your best interest
April 20, 2011 No Comment
We’ve heard this one before: a seemingly well intentioned corporation makes promises to uphold user anonymity, but when market pressure proves too much to handle, it’s left to weigh the benefits of privacy over profit. Well, it looks like Yahoo’s not immune to such goings on , as it’s just announced that it will renege on its previous data retention promises and hold on to raw search data for 18 months. That’s a pretty significant change, as the previous policy boasted data retention limits of only 90 days. If you ask Yahoo, though, it’s just good business. In a post to its policy blog, Anne Toth said “we will keep our log file data longer than we have been – offering consumers a more robust individualized experience – while we continue our innovation in the areas of transparency and choice to protect privacy.” We suspect “more robust individualized experience” actually means more aggressive targeted ads, but we’ll just have to wait and see. The new policy goes into effect this July. Yahoo to retain search data for 18 months, says it’s in your best interest originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 00:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …