Masdar City’s driverless pods now whisking students around on a limited basis (video)
February 19, 2011 No Comment
Oh, sure — Masdar City’s driverless pods may not make nearly as many stops as your average metro, but it essentially matches the usefulness of the subway station in Pyongyang. And with a lot less energy waste, to boot. If you’ll recall, these driverless pods were planned years ago, and while the ambitions have been quelled somewhat thanks to the economic crunch, that hasn’t stopped students and engineers from using 2GetThere’s pods, magnets and a fiber optic system to create a two-stop transfer system at the university. For now, they’re whisking students between a pair of drop points that are 800 meters apart, traveling 15 miles per hour and instilling fear into everyone who dares step inside. As for the future? Only The Jetsons truly know, but you can take a glimpse in the video just past the break. Continue reading Masdar City’s driverless pods now whisking students around on a limited basis (video) Masdar City’s driverless pods now whisking students around on a limited basis (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 22:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Yeah, Boxee just gave you all what you’ve been asking for, but here’s the real question: what else does your little heart desire? D-Link’s Boxee Box has most certainly shaken up the industry, providing a killer UI and a not-so-AV-cabinet-friendly design. You’ve got more media streamer options than ever before, and if you held out to buy the D-Link-built box, you’ve a right to throw your opinions in comments below. Would you have made the chassis a bit more typical? Changed any of the outputs? Added any hardware features? The floor’s wide open, so don’t let this chance go to waste. You know what Lee Ann Womack says about getting the chance to dance… don’t you? How would you change D-Link’s Boxee Box? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 22:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Land Rover develops Range_e hybrid, will show it off at the Geneva Motor Show
February 19, 2011 No Comment
You know electric cars are in the ascendancy when even the fearsome 4x4s start looking to add an extra little spark to their energy production and storage. Land Rover has just announced it’ll demo one — there are multiple working versions — of its development prototypes at the Geneva Motor Show next month, treating us to an exhibition of what a diesel engine can do when augmented with some electric firepower. The Range_e’s design is based on the Range Rover Sport and its 3.0-liter TDV6 core, however the new vehicle is capable of going a full 20 miles purely on its electric charge and touts a whopping 690-mile range altogether. Let’s hope Geneva shows enough interest in the Range_e to compel Land Rover to turn it into a commercial reality. Land Rover develops Range_e hybrid, will show it off at the Geneva Motor Show originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 21:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Idapt’s $40 i2+ universal charging dock now shipping, patching over divides
February 19, 2011 No Comment
Fancy a way to charge his and her phones with a single dock? Idapt’s i2+ has you covered — the multifaceted mobile charging machine that launched at CES is now shipping directly from the company, with Walmart, Crutchfield, Costco and loads of others slated to pick it up in the coming weeks. It’ll set you back $39.99 (or €34.99 across the way), with that tally netting you six of the most popular charging tips: miniUSB, microUSB, iPod / iPhone, Samsung 4, Nokia 2 and Sony Ericsson 2. Head on down to the source link if you’re anxious to drive one more faction out of your current domestic situation. Continue reading Idapt’s $40 i2+ universal charging dock now shipping, patching over divides Idapt’s $40 i2+ universal charging dock now shipping, patching over divides originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 20:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Internet tools like Facebook and Twitter are playing key roles in ongoing political protests in the Middle East. But some scholars say it’s really the people who are putting their lives on the line who should get the credit, not technology. (Feb. 18)
Continue reading …Qualcomm fends off Smartbook AG, can legally write ‘smartbook’ on the platform’s tombstone
February 18, 2011 No Comment
It’s perhaps a little too little and a little too late, but Qualcomm can now use the word “smartbook” to describe low end smartphone/laptop hybrids — the sort of machine the company’s CEO have been all but killed off by tablets . The unfortunate legal action initiated by Smartbook AG way back in 2009 has now been deemed invalid by the German Patent and Trademark Office. The combination of the words word “smart” and “book” are no longer covered by German trademark law, which seemingly leaves Smartbook AG in a rather more vulnerable position than it was in before. Not as vulnerable as the poor smartbook platform, though. Qualcomm fends off Smartbook AG, can legally write ‘smartbook’ on the platform’s tombstone originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We were plenty impressed when we saw the initial tests of AeroVironment’s robo-hummingbird — now officially dubbed the Nano Hummingbird — but we can’t say they quite prepared us for the final product that the DARPA -funded company is now showing off. Not only does the bot look and fly like a real hummingbird (at least if you don’t look too closely ), but it packs a built-in camera and a downlink of some sort that’s capable of transmitting live video. According to the company, the hummingbird’s also able to hover for up to eight minutes, reach speeds of eleven miles per hour in forward flight, and remain stable in wind gusts of five miles per hour — not to mention make a perfect landing. Head on past the break to check it out in action — it may well be one of the few chances you’re actually able to see one in the wild. Continue reading DARPA-funded Nano Hummingbird spybot takes flight (video) DARPA-funded Nano Hummingbird spybot takes flight (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …In a piece for Slate titled “My Puny Human Brain,” former-Jeopardy-greatest Ken Jennings talks briefly through his experience playing against IBM’s Watson . If you were hoping for some sour grapes, you won’t find it here, but Ken gives a great insight into what it feels like to be an underdog human up against a PR darling supercomputer. “Watson has lots in common with a top-ranked human Jeopardy! player: It’s very smart, very fast, speaks in an uneven monotone, and has never known the touch of a woman.” Ken wraps it up on an uplifting, humans-are-going-to-be-alright-after-all note, and we seem to have something in our eye… Ken Jennings talks about losing to Watson, being human after all originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 18:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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My So-Called Cellphone is part of a series of retrospectives where the editors of Engadget detail their first brushes with technology. Join them, won’t you? The first laptop was a major life change for the nerds among us, but the first cellphone has become a milestone in life that nearly all of humanity can share. It seems like every year kids are getting phones at a younger age, racking up bigger SMS bills than ever, and generally just getting up to no good with this awesome, ubiquitous technology. Follow after the break as Engadget editors step into the mental Wayback Machine and walk through those happy, simpler times when getting their very first cellphone was greatest thing ever. Then hit up the comments and regale us with your own story. And yes, we do want to know your Snake high score. Continue reading My So-Called Cellphone My So-Called Cellphone originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 18:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Videogame hardware and software sales declining, time to roll out some new consoles?
February 18, 2011 No CommentThere was a time when you couldn’t go three years without having to shell out $300 for the latest and greatest videogame console, something with mind-blowing graphics and slight refreshes of the games you’d already bought twice before. Those days are past, with the Xbox 360 over five years old and the PlayStation 3 four, yet neither having any replacements in the wings. Perhaps this is partly why videogame hardware sales are declining, down eight percent in January compared to this time last year according to NPD. Software sales are meanwhile down five percent and we’re hearing reports that Mario is falling behind on payments for his Mediterranean villa. Maybe it’s’a time to downsize, big guy. Videogame hardware and software sales declining, time to roll out some new consoles? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 18:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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