Toshiba’s 3D monocle may have been a joke, but what you’re looking at above is not. It’s one of the latest additions to its 3D Satellite lineup , now growing to include the P770 and P775 3D. Both include massive 18.4-inch displays that clock in at 120Hz, enabling use of NVIDIA active-shutter glasses — which you’ll have to find a spot for in your laptop bag. Dual webcams in the bezel let you add a little depth to your video calls, while the HDMI output can manage depth-enabled content too. There’s a re-writeable Blu-ray drive and what’s sure to be a massive price tag to match, though that part has yet to be confirmed by Toshiba. We don’t have a release date just yet either. Toshiba’s P770 and P775 3D Satellite laptops do 120Hz on the go originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …PlayStation websites, PSN suffer outage: Anonymous claims responsibility, Sony claims ‘sporadic maintenance’
April 4, 2011 No Comment
Been having trouble with the PlayStation Network or any Sony website today? You’re not alone. A widespread outage that started in Europe last night has now spread to North America, and none other than Anonymous is claiming responsibility for the attacks. As you can see above, however, Sony is singing a slightly different tune, and says simply that “sporadic maintenance” may cause PSN service to be interrupted throughout the day. Because, really, you can never do too much “sporadic” maintenance. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] PlayStation websites, PSN suffer outage: Anonymous claims responsibility, Sony claims ‘sporadic maintenance’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Google bids $900 million for Nortel patent portfolio, will use it as shield against patent trolls
April 4, 2011 No Comment
Google and Nortel have agreed on the princely sum of $900 million to start off a “stalking horse” auction — wherein outside parties are still free to outdo Google’s bid — for the acquisition of Nortel’s rather vast patent portfolio. The sale comes as part of the latter company’s bankruptcy selloff and involves some 6,000 patents and patent applications, which encompass both wired and wireless communications, semiconductors, data networking, voice, and the internet — going so far as to even touch on web search and social networking. The thing is, Google’s not really enamored with these tidbits of intellectual property to the tune of nearly a billion dollars. No sir, a rather bitter blog post from the company this morning makes it quite clear that Google’s acting in order to bolster its own intellectual property library and to “create a disincentive for others to sue .” Both Android and Chrome get obliquely mentioned in Google’s announcement as benefiting from the move, which should be completed by June of this year pending other bids and regulatory approvals. Continue reading Google bids $900 million for Nortel patent portfolio, will use it as shield against patent trolls Google bids $900 million for Nortel patent portfolio, will use it as shield against patent trolls originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Brooklyn Motorized looks to bring classic styling to new-age electric motorcycles
April 4, 2011 No Comment
One of the most beautiful things about motorcycles is that their styling is rather less restrained than your average automobile. Bikes have covered just about every shape and size, largely ignoring crash testing results and aerodynamic concerns, and the upcoming electric motorcycle from Brooklyn Motorized certainly makes little concession for either. It’s a scooter-sized thing, with about a 60MPH top speed and a 30 mile range, figures that don’t fare particularly well to the competition from Brammo or Zero . But, this two-wheeled wonder is designed for apartment living, the battery pack coming out of the frame for easy charging indoors — something Zero is only just starting to get behind . Also, cost here is expected to be less than $6,000, which could be plenty enticing indeed. That is, of course, if you don’t have very far to go. Brooklyn Motorized looks to bring classic styling to new-age electric motorcycles originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’ve had our eye — so to speak — on Bionic Vision Australia (BVA) for sometime, and with the invention of a new implantable microchip it’s coming ever closer to getting the bionic eye working on real-deal humans. The tiny chip measures five square millimeters and packs 98 electrodes that stimulate retinal cells to restore vision. Preliminary tests are already underway, and clinicians are in the process of screening human guinea pigs for sampling the implants — the first full system is still on track for a 2013 debut. In the interest of future success: here’s mud in your eye, BVA! Full PR after the break. Continue reading Bionic eye closer to human trials with invention of implantable microchip Bionic eye closer to human trials with invention of implantable microchip originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Refactr turns whiteboard into giant 3DS AR card, proves bigger is better (video)
April 4, 2011 No Comment
If you haven’t already seen our demo of the 3DS’ rather impressive bag of augmented reality tricks, then let us take this opportunity to show you — once again — why we’re excited about the thing’s AR capabilities. The folks over at software development firm Refactr have done some tinkering and found that all you need to make your very own 3DS AR card is a white board, some dry erase markers, and a projector. By tracing the outlines of that mysterious question mark card on to a shiny white surface, they found that conjuring the device’s AR interface is actually quite simple, and mostly a matter of contrast. Going big, in this case anyway, not only makes for a good time — as evidenced by the video below — but it should also put to rest any questions about whether or not these things are sprinkled with pixie dust, Juju powder, or some other magical substance. Continue reading Refactr turns whiteboard into giant 3DS AR card, proves bigger is better (video) Refactr turns whiteboard into giant 3DS AR card, proves bigger is better (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’ve already seen Evoluce toy around with using a Kinect to control Windows, but it’s now taken things one step further with its new “Win & I” software, which promises to let anyone do the same with minimal effort. That comes in both a home edition that offers gesture controls for Windows 7 itself, plus Media Center and other applications (which could be particularly handy for a home theater), as well as a business edition that apparently adds some extra controls specifically tailored to Microsoft Office, and PowerPoint in particular. Head on past the break for a quick video demonstration, and hit up the link below to snag the software if you’re interested — the home edition runs €20, or just under $30 (Kinect not included, obviously). Continue reading Evoluce releases Kinect-based ‘Win & I’ gesture interface for Windows 7 Evoluce releases Kinect-based ‘Win & I’ gesture interface for Windows 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Larry Page takes over as Google CEO today, ready to show Tim Cook how it’s done
April 4, 2011 No Comment
The Page-machine, the Larry-meister, the chief of all Google execs. As announced in late January , Google’s top decision-making position is today changing hands from the trusty grip of Eric Schmidt to the slightly less proven hold of co-founder Larry Page. Monsieur Page should be familiar with the role, having performed it until Schmidt was hired back in 2001, but the Google of a decade ago was quite a different beast from the multi-tentacled, omnipresent one it is today. It’s probably a good thing, then, that Schmidt is remaining on Google’s board in the role of Executive Chairman, with a focus on outward-facing deals and partnerships, while Page takes care of strategic and product development decisions. The other original Google gangster, Sergey Brin, is still a big part of the company’s triumvirate at the top, but his attention will be dedicated to developing new projects — things like that gigabit broadband network Google’s just started building in Kansas City, Kansas. As to us, our undivided focus will be placed on coming up with fresh “do no evil” jokes. Larry Page takes over as Google CEO today, ready to show Tim Cook how it’s done originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 08:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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For those stuck between the flexibility of HDD storage and the archiving ease of BDXLs Panasonic is finally ready to bridge the gap with its new triple layer BD-RE XL discs, set to arrive April 15th in Japan. Being the first rewriteable BDXL is the LM-BE100J’s claim to fame, which works out since the 10,000 yen ($118 US) asking price means buying two is probably out of the question. The latest burners from Pioneer and Buffalo already support the new discs, owners of other hardware may want to double check their spec sheets before ordering. Panasonic’s first rewriteable 100GB BD-RE XL discs launch later this month originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Blaze’s U-Move controls your Wii, makes you jog to play effectively (video)
April 4, 2011 No Comment
Now that your Wii Balance Board is safely tucked underneath the couch and you’ve long ago discovered that every standard Nintendo title can be played with the flick of a wrist, you might be wondering how you’ll ever convince yourself to exercise again. Well, there are certainly a few dangling-carrot solutions to your problem, and here’s one that actually makes sense — the Blaze U-Move, a Nunchuk replacement (with built-in pedometer) that effectively locks your joystick in place. The idea is that unless you’re moving, your avatar can’t move, and when you do, it can — each time you jog in place, you’re building up virtual momentum. That certainly sounds like a much more graceful and practical solution than others we’ve seen, which turn off the entire controller or (Miyamoto forbid) cut power to your entire game machine. This way, you can stop running when you need to do some precision aiming, and set your mind at ease regarding your save game. Yours for
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