Since Netflix is experiencing new competition to its popular movie distribution model it only fits that Redbox should too and the most interesting entrant we’ve seen in the movie kiosk business is “Spot. The Difference”. It recently test launched 25 boxes in Riverside County California and currently beat Redbox’s pricing by renting DVDs and Blu-ray discs for $1 / day each, or 89 cents if rented in pairs. Of course, just winning on price isn’t enough to keep us from sticking with our coupon codes and smartphone apps , but the company has fixed our main beef with the red boxes by designing a kiosk with two slots, one for rental, and another for return. That way you’re not waiting behind the people of Walmart as they skim through every disc in the box when all you want to do is return Glee, Season 2, Volume 1 and be on your way. It also claims to fit more movies in a smaller space, but really, you had us at express disc return slot. Continue reading Spot movie rental kiosks aim to beat Redbox on price and convenience Spot movie rental kiosks aim to beat Redbox on price and convenience originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Since Netflix is experiencing new competition to its popular movie distribution model it only fits that Redbox should too and the most interesting entrant we’ve seen in the movie kiosk business is “Spot. The Difference”. It recently test launched 25 boxes in Riverside County California and currently beat Redbox’s pricing by renting DVDs and Blu-ray discs for $1 / day each, or 89 cents if rented in pairs. Of course, just winning on price isn’t enough to keep us from sticking with our coupon codes and smartphone apps , but the company has fixed our main beef with the red boxes by designing a kiosk with two slots, one for rental, and another for return. That way you’re not waiting behind the people of Walmart as they skim through every disc in the box when all you want to do is return Glee, Season 2, Volume 1 and be on your way. It also claims to fit more movies in a smaller space, but really, you had us at express disc return slot. Continue reading Spot movie rental kiosks aim to beat Redbox on price and convenience Spot movie rental kiosks aim to beat Redbox on price and convenience originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Since Netflix is experiencing new competition to its popular movie distribution model it only fits that Redbox should too and the most interesting entrant we’ve seen in the movie kiosk business is “Spot. The Difference”. It recently test launched 25 boxes in Riverside County California and currently beat Redbox’s pricing by renting DVDs and Blu-ray discs for $1 / day each, or 89 cents if rented in pairs. Of course, just winning on price isn’t enough to keep us from sticking with our coupon codes and smartphone apps , but the company has fixed our main beef with the red boxes by designing a kiosk with two slots, one for rental, and another for return. That way you’re not waiting behind the people of Walmart as they skim through every disc in the box when all you want to do is return Glee, Season 2, Volume 1 and be on your way. It also claims to fit more movies in a smaller space, but really, you had us at express disc return slot. Continue reading Spot movie rental kiosks aim to beat Redbox on price and convenience Spot movie rental kiosks aim to beat Redbox on price and convenience originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Since Netflix is experiencing new competition to its popular movie distribution model it only fits that Redbox should too and the most interesting entrant we’ve seen in the movie kiosk business is “Spot. The Difference”. It recently test launched 25 boxes in Riverside County California and currently beat Redbox’s pricing by renting DVDs and Blu-ray discs for $1 / day each, or 89 cents if rented in pairs. Of course, just winning on price isn’t enough to keep us from sticking with our coupon codes and smartphone apps , but the company has fixed our main beef with the red boxes by designing a kiosk with two slots, one for rental, and another for return. That way you’re not waiting behind the people of Walmart as they skim through every disc in the box when all you want to do is return Glee, Season 2, Volume 1 and be on your way. It also claims to fit more movies in a smaller space, but really, you had us at express disc return slot. Continue reading Spot movie rental kiosks aim to beat Redbox on price and convenience Spot movie rental kiosks aim to beat Redbox on price and convenience originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Square Enix isn’t exactly a stranger to the smartphone scene, but it looks like the company behind Final Fantasy (among countless other games) is now going to be moving quite a bit beyond ports of its existing games for other consoles. The company has just announced the launch of its new Hippos Lab game development studio, which will be primarily focused on creating “high quality original content” for smartphones. Details are unfortunately still pretty light beyond that, but the studio has apparently been up and running since March 7th, and it says it hopes to have its first game “ready soon.” No word if they’ve scored the license for Hungry Hungry Hippos. Square Enix launches Hippos Lab for smartphone game development originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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3D HTCs , dual-core LGs , 8.9-inch Samsungs , and a sun-soaking display : needless to say, it’s been a fun CTIA Wireless as usual, and that’s not even including all the AT&T / T-Mobile madness from last weekend! We’re curled up beside the fire (you know, because there are fireplaces strewn about the CTIA show floor) with a microphone to bring you the week in mobile news… live from sunny Orlando, Florida. Join us! Continue reading The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live from CTIA at 2:45 ET! The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live from CTIA at 2:45 ET! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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See that chart up there? That’s a beautiful visualization of a dozen folk models surrounding the idea of home computer security, devised by Michigan State’s own Rick Wash. To construct it (as well pen the textual explanations to back it), he interviewed a number of computer users with varying levels of sophistication, with the goal being to find out how normal Earthlings interpreted potential threats to their PC. His findings? A vast amount of home PCs are frequently insecure because “they are administered by untrained, unskilled users.” He also found that PCs remain largely at risk despite a blossoming network of preventative software and advice, and almost certainly received an A for his efforts. Hit the source link for more, but only after you’ve spiffed up, thrown on a pair of spectacles and kicked one foot up on the coffee table that sits in front of you. Visualized: preconceived notions about personal computer security originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Ford Focus Electric hooks up wirelessly with AT&T, incurs jealous looks from T-Mobile
March 24, 2011 No Comment
AT&T is keeping up its wheeling and dealing this week, signing an agreement with Ford to provide the built-in wireless connectivity for its upcoming Focus Electric hatchback. The deal’s pretty simple, really. Ford has put together a comprehensive MyFord Mobile application to go with its EV, which will allow you to keep track of and schedule charging, while also serving up status notifications, range information, and nearby recharging stations’ locations, the latter facility being provided with the help of MapQuest . All that data exchange will need a nice dumb pipe to carry it between the Focus and your smartphone and AT&T is obligingly fulfilling that role — and don’t worry if your phone doesn’t support the app (works with Android, BlackBerry and iOS), Ford’s got a web interface too. Full PR after the break. Continue reading Ford Focus Electric hooks up wirelessly with AT&T, incurs jealous looks from T-Mobile Ford Focus Electric hooks up wirelessly with AT&T, incurs jealous looks from T-Mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …AT&T planning access to Amazon Appstore, sideloading still an open question
March 24, 2011 No Comment
Angry Birds developer Rovio announced on its Facebook account a few hours ago that “AT&T is also working on enabling purchases from the Amazon Appstore soon,” which would mark a pretty big move on AT&T’s part since they’ve been firm in their resolve to keep apps from outside the Android Market ecosystem off their branded Android devices — a frustrating (and arguably illogical) stance, to say the least. Well, first the good news — AT&T has confirmed to us that they are, in fact, setting up access to Amazon’s store: “We’re working to give our Android customers access to third party application stores. This requires updates to our systems and finalizing arrangements with Amazon. We will share more info with our customers in the near future.” The bad news is that AT&T’s having any discussions with Amazon about this at all, which would seem to indicate that they’re planning on making an exception to their Android Market policy for the Amazon Appstore rather than simply enabling sideloading on devices altogether and calling it a day. We suppose this could involve a round of firmware updates that drops the Appstore in ROM, but that seems like an awful lot of work considering how much red tape is involved in pushing even a single update for one handset on a major carrier. More on this as we get it; hopefully, AT&T subscribers will have their Angry Birds Rio fix soon enough. [Thanks, Thomas] AT&T planning access to Amazon Appstore, sideloading still an open question originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Some robots may already look pretty lifelike , but it’s still quite a different story when they’re actually moving, when all the mechanical parts inside make themselves known with some unmistakable, robot-like movements. Some researchers at New Zealand’s Auckland Bioengineering Institute now have one possible solution to that problem, however — a motor with none of the usual moving parts. Instead, the rubbery, Cronenberg-esque contraption relies on some electroactive structures that can stretch by more than 300 percent, and expand and contract when a voltage is applied. While things are obviously still very early, it’s conceivable that robots could eventually be built entirely out of these artificial muscles — or, as lead researcher Iain Anders succinctly puts it, “the future is soft.” Video after the break. Continue reading Rubbery artificial muscles promise to make robots more lifelike Rubbery artificial muscles promise to make robots more lifelike originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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