Back in February, General Motors debuted its MyLink smartphone integration for the Chevy Volt and Equinox on the Engadget Show , letting drivers control their iOS, Android, and BlackBerry smartphone apps via voice or touchscreen. The company announced today that it will be offering the same technology — albeit rebranded as the tongue-twisting IntelliLink — on several 2012 Buick and GMC models, including the Buick LaCrosse, Regal, Verano, and the GMC Terrain. IntelliLink offers up a fairly similar feature set as its Chevy counterpart — connecting to iPhones and Android handsets via Bluetooth or USB, and leveraging Nuance voice recognition and Gracenote databases to control the likes of Pandora and Stitcher Radio. Autoblog reports that IntelliLink will hit the Buick Verano first, followed by the LaCrosse and Regal, though you might be more interested in the Terrain — owners will also be able to control their vehicle’s rear-view camera with IntelliLink, and who doesn’t like manipulating megapixels in the name of pedestrian safety? Continue reading Buick, GMC getting IntelliLink smartphone connectivity Buick, GMC getting IntelliLink smartphone connectivity originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 01:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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With this ruggedized, GPS-equipped FinePix XP30 from Fujifilm, you won’t have any trouble proving to your friends that that penguin photo your grandmother uses as her “screen saver” really was taken in Antarctica. Unless it happens to be snowing in Antarctica. Or even cloudy. This otherwise average 14.2 megapixel camera is the first to include GPS, but the gurus at Photography Blog had trouble getting a fix while testing in England. They also had issues with the battery door flipping open when the camera was dropped, and sand getting trapped in the zoom rocker — not problems you want to see on a ruggedized cam . Like most rugged cameras , the XP30′s image quality also doesn’t compare to its land-limited cousins, according to the review, so this $240 Fuji might be a better bet as a second shooter than your be-all and end-all camera. Head on over to Photography Blog for the full review. Fujifilm FinePix XP30 reviewed: average ruggedized cam, with GPS originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We already knew the dual-core Sensation 4G will be showing up in the states “beginning this summer,” though HTC and T-Mobile have been mum on an actual date — or so we thought. If you look up said phone on Google, you should see a cheeky Adwords ad mentioning a “6/8″ date in the link. But wait, there’s more: TmoNews also spotted the same date stamped on the Sensation 4G product shot from last week, which we’ve embedded after the break for your convenience. Of course, anything could change between now and June, but this preliminary date is certainly a good sign for all HTC Gingerbread anticipators — or, you know, you could just get the leaked ROM right now. Continue reading HTC Sensation 4G launching on June 8th, because Google AdWords says so HTC Sensation 4G launching on June 8th, because Google AdWords says so originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 23:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …UPenn’s PhillieBot throws out first pitch, Skynet calls for a reliever (video)
April 20, 2011 No Comment
We’ll hand it to the University of Pennsylvania — mixing robotics and sport definitely isn’t easy . But in the heart of Citizens Bank Park today, the so-called PhillieBot came close to generating a universal chorus of boos after it failed to successfully toss a first pitch to the Phanatic. We’re guessing it’ll be wound up a bit more before trying again; after all, it’s not like Philly needs another reason to pelt an otherwise lovable character with vitriol (or snowballs). UPenn’s PhillieBot throws out first pitch, Skynet calls for a reliever (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The folks at Fraunhofer IPMS have done it! After years of tireless research and promises of Borg-like eyewear , the group has delivered a prototype of the world’s first bidirectional, eye-tracking OLED microdisplay (got all that?) at SID 2011. The rig is much like a monocle, except with a transparent OLED display inside, which overlays digital information on top of the reflected light that usually hits your eyeballs. What’s more, there are integrated photodetectors inside and special software to monitor the direction of your gaze, allowing you to interact with your newfound augmented reality using only the flick of an eyeball. Fraunhofer foresees joggers taking in movies while out for a run, which sounds more than just a little dangerous. We, on the other hand, envision a world in which the first thing anyone does upon meeting someone new is discreetly check their relationship status on Facebook — finally fulfilling the social network’s full creep potential. One more pic and the poorly translated PR after the break. Continue reading Eye-tracking microdisplay delivers Terminator vision, distracts joggers Eye-tracking microdisplay delivers Terminator vision, distracts joggers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 21:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Now, you’d think ColorWare would be working furiously to release some flashy iPad 2 s, but that’s not what we’re getting today — instead we now have a pair of Monster headphones to complement that ever-so-necessary neon Dyson Air Multiplier we assume you’ve already added to every room in your tastefully decorated mansion. These very limited edition ColorWare “Chrome Beats” headphones don’t actually have any color, but they admittedly do look pretty slick, excepting the $1,000 price tag necessitated by this perfect storm of overpriced branding. ColorWare is only decking out 50 of these ‘cans, so grab that platinum card and head over to our source link to get your pair. Continue reading Beats by Dr. Dre get the ColorWare treatment, minus the color (video) Beats by Dr. Dre get the ColorWare treatment, minus the color (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …KnightHawk 3G network-in-a-box breaks soldiers’ backs, helps them get online anywhere
April 20, 2011 No Comment
While it’s easy enough to envision soldiers scaling battlegrounds with portable hotspots in tow, it’s a useless solution for warriors deployed to remote areas that have patchy service to begin with. Enter the KnightHawk 3G, a rugged network-in-a-box that cooks up connectivity in otherwise uncovered areas. The self-contained WCDMA network runs over the 2100MHz spectrum, promising download speeds as fast as 14.4mbps and max upload rates of 5.76mbps. It has capacity for up to 60 simultaneous voice calls and can handle 14 HSPA connections at a time. And it’ll help keep our troops in top shape — you can’t tell from the photos, but that thing weighs 45 pounds. Gallery: KnightHawk 3G Continue reading KnightHawk 3G network-in-a-box breaks soldiers’ backs, helps them get online anywhere KnightHawk 3G network-in-a-box breaks soldiers’ backs, helps them get online anywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 18:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The biggest challenge of owning an electric vehicle aside from having to awkwardly pal around with Ed Begley Jr. all of the time? Finding a place to charge it, of course. The ever-green folks at Google have teamed up with the US Department of Energy and more than 80 companies to form the GeoEVSE Forum, an organization aimed at bringing diverse electric car resources under a single umbrella. Looking for one of those illusive Best Buy charging stations ? Use the Google Maps database, helmed by the DOE, which currently offers some 600 alternative fueling stations, including electric charging, hydrogen, and natural gas. Now if only it could help us find a good deal on a Tesla . Continue reading Google helps electric car owners find battery charges, peace of mind Google helps electric car owners find battery charges, peace of mind originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The biggest challenge of owning an electric vehicle aside from having to awkwardly pal around with Ed Begley Jr. all of the time? Finding a place to charge it, of course. The ever-green folks at Google have teamed up with the US Department of Energy and more than 80 companies to form the GeoEVSE Forum, an organization aimed at bringing diverse electric car resources under a single umbrella. Looking for one of those illusive Best Buy charging stations ? Use the Google Maps database, helmed by the DOE, which currently offers some 600 alternative fueling stations, including electric charging, hydrogen, and natural gas. Now if only it could help us find a good deal on a Tesla . Continue reading Google helps electric car owners find battery charges, peace of mind Google helps electric car owners find battery charges, peace of mind originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Verizon Wireless: we might sell the BlackBerry PlayBook, if we feel like it
April 20, 2011 No Comment
Frightened by the mere thought of picking up a partially-baked BlackBerry PlayBook ? So is Verizon Wireless, it seems. Despite a March 22nd press release (embedded after the break for convenience) from Research in Motion suggesting that VZW would indeed be a ” retail channel ” for the QNX-based slate, the carrier’s Brenda Raney is singing a different tune. According to her: “We’re still evaluating the BlackBerry Playbook and have not made a determination as to whether we’re going to distribute it.” ‘Course, we wouldn’t cry too hard if Big Red ends up passing — Sprint’s 4G version ought to satisfy anyone pining to pick one up with an integrated cell radio. Too bad Mike Lazaridis isn’t around to opine on just how ” unfair ” such a statement is. Continue reading Verizon Wireless: we might sell the BlackBerry PlayBook, if we feel like it Verizon Wireless: we might sell the BlackBerry PlayBook, if we feel like it originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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