In case you haven’t heard, there are websites out there that will let you download movies and software using a little something called the BitTorrent protocol . And while the majority of cinematic fare available is of a non- DMCA -approved nature, filmmakers and organizations are increasingly turning to torrent sites to get the word out. For instance, in 2009 a filmmaker named Hanna Sk
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Once solely slated for the Chevy Volt , the OnStar MyLink smartphone app has gained considerable ground — last July, GM expanded the iPhone and Android remote domination over your horn, door locks, and real-time data to every 2011 automobile , and now it’s reaching back through time to activate fourteen vehicles from 2010. As you’d expect, that’s mostly a smattering of SUVs and crossovers like the Cadillac Escalade, Buick Enclave, GMC Yukon and Chevy Avalanche, though the Impala will also get the goods, and if you live in the lap of low-end luxury, you may be able to listen to Facebook updates on your 2010 Cadillac DTS or Buick Lucerne. Find the full list of compatible vehicles at our source link. GM extends OnStar smartphone control to 14 more vehicles originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …3D fog projection display brings purple bunnies to life, just in time to lay chocolate eggs (video)
March 17, 2011 No Comment
Fog projectors have been around for ages, but projecting a 2D image onto a wavy field of 3D smoke doesn’t exactly result in the most immersive experience ever. This system from a team at Osaka University is different, relying on three pico projectors all focused on a single column of steam that, as far as we can tell, is dropped down through a slew of multicolored drinking straws. Each projector has a slightly different perspective of the violet hare in question and, as you move about, the fog acts like a parallax barrier, only showing one angle at a time. With a few more projectors and a whole lot more fog the could be even greater. The bunnies, they would be majestic . Continue reading 3D fog projection display brings purple bunnies to life, just in time to lay chocolate eggs (video) 3D fog projection display brings purple bunnies to life, just in time to lay chocolate eggs (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …New York Times reveals labyrinthine subscription plans, Canadian readers already hitting pay-wall
March 17, 2011 No Comment
We knew it was coming , and now The New York Times has followed through on its promise to erect a pay-wall for online content , which means no more free news — kind of. Starting today in Canada and March 28th in the US, NYTimes.com will ask visitors reading more than 20 articles per month to pay for their info fix. The new plan offers monthly subscriptions of $15 with a smart phone app, $20 with an iPad app, or $35 for complete digital access — subscribers with a physical subscription will be granted a full pass, except on e-readers. Further convoluting the pay structure, entry from sites like Twitter and Facebook won’t face the same restrictions, and access via Google is set at five free visits per day. Other news sources, including The Wall Street Journal , have already started charging for online content in the face of declining ad revenue, but this is certainly one of the most elaborate systems we’ve seen so far. The subscription plan was unleashed in Canada today, allowing the paper to iron out any kinks before hitting the US, which means you’ve got just under two weeks to hit NYTimes.com completely free — after that, prepare to be confused. New York Times reveals labyrinthine subscription plans, Canadian readers already hitting pay-wall originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Motorola didn’t say when pre-orders for the WiFi-only Xoom would be available when it finally announced the device yesterday, but some retailers have now stepped in and answered that question. You can currently pre-order the device from Amazon, Staples and Costco, with other participating retailers presumably set to follow shortly. In case you missed the news, the Xoom WiFi will run you $599 for the one and only 32GB version, and it will be available on March 27th. Staples will apparently be shipping them out on March 25th to ensure you get it on launch day (if you pre-order before March 23rd), while Costco says it will only begin shipping on April 1st — it’s throwing in a free gel case to make up for it, though. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Motorola Xoom WiFi now available for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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A former animal research technician pleads guilty in the 2009 killing of a Yale University graduate student. Raymond Clark III, 26, was accused of strangling 24-year-old Annie Le and stuffing her behind a wall. (March 17)
Continue reading …NAVI hack uses a Kinect to let the blind see, wear awesome headgear (video)
March 17, 2011 No Comment
They’re getting ever more practical, these Kinect hacks. Two days ago it was creating 3D models in free-space , today it’s letting the blind see. Well, not really see , but better navigate through and stay informed about their environment, at least. A Kinect is attached to a helmet and connected to a backpack-mounted Dell laptop. Also connected to the laptop is an Ardunio -controlled belt that has three separate regions of vibration and a Bluetooth headset of the “obnoxious guy talking loudly to his stock broker on the train” variety. Finally, thanks to a little C#, the whole package allows someone to walk down a hall and receive verbal and tactile notifications of obstacles in their path. Wearers can also receive navigation to different areas and, thanks to ARToolKit identifiers stuck on the walls, even have signs read to them. It’s called NAVI (Navigational Aids for the Visually Impaired), created by Michael Z
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FastMac’s U-Socket may have veered perilously closer to vaporware territory after what seemed like an endless series of delays, but it finally started shipping out back in January to those patient enough to hang onto their pre-order, and we recently got our hands on one to see if it was really worth the wait. The short of it is that it does indeed work as promised once you get it installed, although that process may not be quite as painless as you’re expecting. Read on for our full review. Gallery: FastMac U-Socket Continue reading FastMac U-Socket review FastMac U-Socket review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Been wondering when BMW’s all-electric i3 city car would turn up on video ever since its bigger, sportier counterpart did its thing last week ? Well, here’s your answer. The folks from GMotors recently managed to catch the pint-sized car doing a bit of drifting at the same cold weather test location in Sweden that the i8 was spotted at, and it certainly looks like the 150 horsepower vehicle could be a fun little car to drive. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like you’ll be able to take one for a spin yourself anytime soon, as it’s not expected to go on sale until 2013 (at a cost of around $40,000). Head on past the break for the video. Continue reading BMW’s all-electric i3 city car gets captured on video BMW’s all-electric i3 city car gets captured on video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Samsung hasn’t exactly been as big on glasses-free 3D TVs as some other manufacturers in recent years, but it’s now showing one off at the FPD China trade show — or a prototype of one, anyway. According to Tech-On! , the 55-inch display is able to accomodate nine different viewpoints for glass-free 3D viewing, and it can be switched into a 2D mode at any time, which works by changing the optical refraction index of an LCD panel that sits on top of the main LCD that’s actually used to display images. Right now, the prototype is also relying on a direct-lit CCFL backlight, although Samsung notes that would likely be replaced with an LED backlight before it actually hits the market — something that’s still a good three years away. Samsung shows off 55-inch glasses-free 3D TV prototype originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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