Apple pushes software update for new iPod nano, still makes an iffy wristwatch
February 24, 2011 No Comment
If you bought the new iPod nano to wear as a watch , well, more power to you. However, if you’re a music junkie and purchased the PMP to actually consume media, you might be interested to know that Apple isn’t only updating the iPad , iPhone and iPod touch . The company has just put out the first software update for the 6th generation nano , 1.1, which allows you to actually turn off the device — nope, before this update there was no way of actually powering the thing down. In addition, you can now pause or play your music with the sleep/wake button. Sadly, that’s about all this new software does. When will Apple make the nano cool for your wrist? The future looks bleak, friends. Apple pushes software update for new iPod nano, still makes an iffy wristwatch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 23:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’re pretty certain that once embedded wireless sensors catch on, they’ll pervade every aspect of our lives , and Green Goose is building a microcosm of that eventuality in the form of a role-playing game. The five-person SF Bay Area startup has embedded custom 915MHz radios and MEMS accelerometers in a variety of tiny transmitters which you can mount to household objects — like a water bottle, bicycle, or the toothbrush above — which report back to the receiver with your actions and thereby increase your score. Brush your teeth on time, take your vitamins, or exercise repeatedly within a couple hundred feet of the receiver, and you’ll eventually level up. (Or, optionally, muck with the sensor just right, and it’ll register points anyhow.) Presently, that level isn’t worth anything, but founder Brian Krejcarek says there are tentative plans to tie these points into a real game and an API to build the idea out, and he’s presently looking for partner companies here at the Launch Conference in San Francisco to help roll out the sensors (which cost approximately $4 each) under branded marketing initiatives of some sort. If you don’t want to wait, the company will sell starter kits starting February 28th for $24. Not bad for a head start on the future, right? Gallery: Green Goose lifestyle sensors Green Goose sensors monitor your life, you earn experience points originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Attention humans! At approximately 12:35 ET, you can tune into our fearless leader’s latest performance on national TV! Yes, that’s right, Engadget editor-in-chief Joshua Topolsky will astound and delight viewers of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon yet again with the latest gadgets in his toolbelt, so head on over to NBC at the designated time to partake in a delicious brainwashing episode you won’t soon forget! (Liza Minnelli and Anthony Mackie will also appear, in case you’re curious.) Josh hits up Late Night with Jimmy Fallon tonight, new gadgets in tow! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Motorola Xoom will get LTE in ‘approximately 90 days,’ requires one week for hardware upgrade?
February 24, 2011 No Comment
When will the Motorola Xoom , ahem, justify its price point with a dose of Verizon’s speedy LTE ? According to an allegedly leaked Verizon document at Droid-Life , it seems we’ll see it by the end of May. You can read the rest for yourself immediately above, but if you have an aversion to JPEG images we’ll also spell out the salient points here: the upgrade will reportedly be completely free, including shipping; both hardware and software tweaks will be carried out by Motorola; and the whole process will take up to six business days. If these facts are all correct (and we don’t honestly doubt a one), you should see them mirrored at our more coverage link in the days to come. Motorola Xoom will get LTE in ‘approximately 90 days,’ requires one week for hardware upgrade? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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As we put rubber to road on our Motorola Xoom review, it’s important to note that it was only a matter of time before the Android army delivered a proper iPad competitor. Moto’s partnership with Google (and use of the 3.0 version of its mobile operating system, Honeycomb ), has made that assumed inevitability a very serious reality. There can be little question that the Xoom is certainly a contender for the hearts and minds of potential tablet buyers in the market. Besides boasting that fancy new software (a completely redesigned experience masterminded by the man behind webOS, Matias Duarte ), the Xoom is equipped with formidable hardware. The 1GHz, NVIDIA Tegra 2-based slate boasts a sizable 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 capacitive display, 3G connectivity (Verizon on our review unit), along with front and rear facing cameras, HD video capability, and loads of wireless options. Not only is the Xoom clearly competitive (and frankly, more stacked) than most of its competition, Motorola has attempted to futureproof the device by offering a free hardware upgrade down the road which will give the tablet access to Big Red’s 4G LTE network. Of course, all this power comes with a cost… literally. With a list price off contract of $799, the Xoom is quite a pricey piece of technology to own. Still, with all that’s packed inside — and more importantly with what Google has done on the software side — the Xoom could represent the next stage of tablet evolution. Is it time to take the plunge? Read on for our definitive answer in the full Engadget review! Gallery: Motorola Xoom review gallery Continue reading Motorola Xoom review Motorola Xoom review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Snoop Dogggg goes 4G to celebrate launch of Samsung Galaxy Indulge, was probably paid more than 4Gs to do it
February 24, 2011 No Comment
You laugh, but D-O-Quadruple-G does have a certain ring to it. In fact, it sounds a little like the ringing of Samsung’s Galaxy Indulge , which is tucked inside the pocket of MetroPCS’ CEO right about now. You see, the aforesaid carrier has presumably paid Snoop Dogg (or Snoop Dogggg, as he’ll be known until he scurries outside of a 4G coverage area) to change his name in order to celebrate the commercial launch of the world’s first LTE Android smartphone. The Froyo-based phone is just barely beating out LG’s Revolution and HTC’s Thunderbolt , and you can bet that MetroPCS is doing everything it can to let the world know about it. Taking things one step further too far, Snoop’s also appearing a new series dubbed “The G-Connection,” and you can peek the first episode just after the brizzle. For rizzle, homedizzle. Gallery: Snoop Dogggg goes 4G to celebrate launch of Samsung Galaxy Indulge Continue reading Snoop Dogggg goes 4G to celebrate launch of Samsung Galaxy Indulge, was probably paid more than 4Gs to do it Snoop Dogggg goes 4G to celebrate launch of Samsung Galaxy Indulge, was probably paid more than 4Gs to do it originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 20:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Scosche’s goBAT II portable battery pack handles two USB devices at once, including your iPad
February 23, 2011 No Comment
We’ll just keep it real simple for you: the object you’re looking at above is the Revive II charger , but slimmer, and with a rechargeable battery pack thrown in rather than a wall / cigarette adapter. Got it? Good. The goBAT II contains a 5000mAh rechargeable lithium ion battery, and it offers a pair of USB ports for charging. One’s a 10-watt (2.1 Amp) port capable of handling high-maintenance devices like Apple’s iPad, while the other is a more conventional 5-watt (1 Amp) socket. Scosche is also throwing in a USB adapter for the Galaxy Tab, theoretically letting those with divided households charge both an iOS and Android tablet at the same time . Brain melting, we know. It also works with the company’s Revive charging app, which indicates how long a device will take to charge on any of Scosche’s chargers and can also be configured to send an email notification once a device has been fully charged. She’s all yours down at the source link for $89.99. Continue reading Scosche’s goBAT II portable battery pack handles two USB devices at once, including your iPad Scosche’s goBAT II portable battery pack handles two USB devices at once, including your iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …DirecTV previews its iPad remote app: no streaming, but very customizable
February 23, 2011 1 Comment
iPad remote apps are the new Netflix streaming — any DVR worth its salt has to have one and DirecTV isn’t going to let Comcast , FiOS , Dish and TiVo lord over it anymore. It’s launched a preview page for a new remote app “coming soon” that looks like it could challenge for the title with plenty of customizable options and ability to display information from multiple sources at once. The home screen, pictured above can tell you about what you’re watching, what’s on your favorite channels and keep tabs on current sports scores all at once. All the usual remote control stuff comes natural, as well as local or remote DVR management just like its mobile app . We’ll wait until it comes out to pass judgement but clearly the company has been watching the competition and seeing where it can improve. Now, where’s that DirecTiVo ? DirecTV previews its iPad remote app: no streaming, but very customizable originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It started as a leak on TmoNews earlier today, and T-Mobile’s now made it official — the carrier is bumping the prices of both the T-Mobile G2 and MyTouch 4G from $200 to $250 on a two-year contract (with no mail-in rebate). That, of course, follows the T-Mobile’s little ” mistake ” last week with its pricing for the Samsung Galaxy S 4G, which was first listed at $150 before being changed to $200 a few days later. A number of other more inexpensive phones have also seen some minor prices changes — hit up the link below for the complete rundown on those. T-Mobile bumps myTouch 4G, G2 prices to $250 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Been sick with jealousy over all those people reading The Daily on their iPads? Well, it looks like that could all end some time soon if AllThingD’s PKafka has heard correctly. Apparently, News Corp’s tablet-only magazine / newspaper will be heading to Android this spring (or some time in Q2). Considering the team has gotten quite a bit of help from Apple on the development side (word is Apple also rushed to help them fix some of the early bugs) and was the first to use Apple’s new subscription service , that does seem a bit quick, but we’re certainly not complaining about more apps coming to those Honeycomb tablets . We just hope the random crashes and slow load times are fixed by then. The Daily coming to Android tablets this spring? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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