New York DOT now adding 2-point driver’s license penalty for talking on the phone while driving
February 18, 2011 No Comment
It has been illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving in New York for years now, but the state has just steeply upped the penalties associated. The $100 fine which is currently imposed has been joined by a 2-point penalty on the driver’s record — which should serve as a real deterrent for most. The DMV has estimated that one in five crashes now involve so-called distracted drivers , resulting in about 5,000 deaths last year. So please, keep your eyes on the road and your New York DOT now adding 2-point driver’s license penalty for talking on the phone while driving originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Motorola Xoom manual now available for download, ready to expose the ins and outs of Honeycomb
February 18, 2011 No Comment
Wish you had your Xoom tablet already? Yeah, us too. We can’t get you there, but thanks to Droid Live you can at least pore over every page of the thing’s manual. 64 pages, actually, covering everything from how to turn it on to, well, how to turn it off again. Looking for other excitement? You’ll find a hipster on a bench on page 10, what appears to be Joanna Newsom on page 30, and a disgustingly happy couple on page 33. Oh, and lots and lots of details bout Honeycomb too. Check it out! [Thanks, Andy] Motorola Xoom manual now available for download, ready to expose the ins and outs of Honeycomb originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Verizon just began trials of its Home Phone Connect service in New York and Connecticut in December, but it looks like it’s already ironed out any kinks there might have been, as it’s now made the service available across the entire U.S. As with the trial, it will run you $19.99 a month for unlimited domestic calling or $9.99 a month to share minutes on your existing family plan, each option of which will let you make calls using any old landline phone that’s connected to the Home Phone Connect base station (included for free with a two-year contract). You’ll also, of course, get all the usual features you’d expect from a phone service, including caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, three-way calling, voice mail, and 911 service. Hit up the source link below for all of the fine print. Verizon makes Home Phone Connect service available nationwide originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’d heard rumors that Motorola’s Atrix 4G would cost $150 , but after AT&T priced the handset at $200 we figured they were all for naught. The Shack begs to differ: it’s just revealed it will sell the modular Tegra 2 superphone on Feburary 22nd for that original $150 price. That’s with a two-year contract, of course, and a data plan on top, but that means you’ll shave $50 off the sum AT&T is asking, or $20 off the combo deal with the ( somewhat disappointing ) laptop dock. Still, if history’s any judge , we don’t expect savings like this to be exclusive to RadioShack for long. [Thanks, Andrew F.] RadioShack offers Atrix 4G for $150 on launch day, undercutting AT&T? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Chevrolet launches MyLink smartphone integration for 2012 Volt and Equinox
February 17, 2011 No Comment
Welcome to the wonderful world of smartphones, Chevrolet . The company has just announced (on our very show , no less) a system it calls MyLink. It’s a definite competitor to things like Ford’s AppLink and the recently unveiled Toyota Entune system. Offering compatibility with iOS , BlackBerry , and Android it allows for a driver to interact with apps running on their smartphones using controls in their car. Connectivity is totally wireless for the last two, with data going over Bluetooth, but as of the current version iOS devices need to be physically tethered to the car. That’s a bit of a bummer. Currently there are only two compatible apps: Stitcher and Pandora , the latter maintaining its status of the world’s most popular infotainment app. Naturally, more are coming. Drivers can interact with the apps using voice, courtesy of Nuance , or using the touchscreen displays found in the Volt and Equinox, the first cars that will offer this system and which will also offer PowerMat charging, meaning you can not only stream tunes wirelessly but also charge your device. No word yet on cost or what option packages this system will be available in, but we’ll be bringing that to you as soon as we can. Until then, enjoy the video demo after the break. Gallery: Chevrolet MyLink show Chevrolet launches MyLink smartphone integration for 2012 Volt and Equinox originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …The Engadget Show Live! with GM Volt engineer Micky Bly, Watson’s creators, new products and much more!
February 17, 2011 No Comment
Humans, keep your eyes tuned to this post — because at 7:00 PM ET , we’ll be starting The Engadget Show live, with GM’s head engineer Micky Bly (the man responsible for the Volt) and a never-before-seen GM announcement exclusive to the Engadget Show! We’ll also have Engadget auto editor Tim Stevens , a very special guest from IBM’s Watson team , hot new devices, crazy giveaways, and much more! We’ve also got amazing chiptune music from Note! and visuals from Batsly Adams . You seriously don’t want to miss it. Continue reading The Engadget Show Live! with GM Volt engineer Micky Bly, Watson’s creators, new products and much more! The Engadget Show Live! with GM Volt engineer Micky Bly, Watson’s creators, new products and much more! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Just as we lay to rest the ghost of a phantom Tegra 2 chip inside the LG Revolution, here comes the specter of another unconfirmed appearance for NVIDIA’s dual-core application processor, this time inside Samsung’s Galaxy S II . If you’ll recall, we were initially informed by Samsung’s PR crew that their new Android flagship would run on NVIDIA’s hardware, however a subsequent correction informed us that the processor inside would in fact be Samsung’s own Exynos . Now, it turns out, both might be true. AnandTech have come across some benchmark results showing a GT-i9103 with Tegra 2 listed as its grunt provider, while Pocket-lint and others have noted that Samsung’s own spec sheet for the Galaxy S II states that the dual-core Exynos “may not be applicable in some regions.” The likeliest scenario here is that Samsung hasn’t yet reached sufficient volumes with its own processor production and will rely on NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 for handsets outside its critical markets — much in the same vein as it replaced Super AMOLED with Super Clear LCD screens in Russia and some other territories. Don’t fret too much, though, performance disparities between the two aren’t likely to be overly significant. Samsung’s Galaxy S II to have a Tegra 2 version? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …The Engadget Show returns tonight with GM head engineer Micky Bly, Watson’s creators, new products, and much more!
February 17, 2011 No Comment
Clear your calendars everybody, because tonight at 7:00pm ET , the Engadget Show is back in a big way! GM’s head engineer Micky Bly (the man responsible for the Volt) will be on hand for some frank conversation about the future of cars and a bunch of mind-blowing demos to go with it. Oh, and GM says they have a big announcement that they will be making exclusively on the Engadget Show, so be a part of tech history and come join us, won’t you? Engadget auto editor Tim Stevens will be joining the fun and we’ll also have a very special guest from IBM’s Watson team , fresh off the game-show-playing supercomputer’s three-day run on Jeopardy. It will be a night to remember, with some incredible chiptunes music by Note! with visuals from Batsly Adams . As usual, we’ll be streaming live at 7:00PM from SIR’s Stage 37 (a new venue!) and we’ve got around 350 seats available on a first-come, first-served basis if you want to join us in person. Also, trust us when we say that the giveaways for this taping are going to absolutely blow. your. mind. REMINDER: The Show will be taking place in a lovely new venue, the SIR Stage37 (ie. not the TimesCenter or Cooper Union), located in Manhattan at 508 West 37th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues . Tickets are — as always — free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served … so get there early! Also, because of the nature of the space, we won’t be able to do assigned seats so the seats will be first-come, first-served as well (we know, just after you got used to assigned seating!). Here’s the updated info on our new ticketing policy that you need to know: There is no admission fee — tickets are completely free The event is all ages Ticketing will begin at the SIR Stage37 at 5:00PM on Thursday, February 17th, doors will open for seating at 6:15PM, and the show begins at 7:00PM We can’t do assigned seating in this venue, so remember that your ticket guarantees you entry into the show, but where you sit is up to you. You cannot collect tickets for friends or family — anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket Seating capacity is limited (we’ve got room for approximately 350), and once we’re full, we’re full The venue is located at 508 West 37th St, between 10th and 11th Avenues. (map after the break) The show length is around an hour If you’re a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at : engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we’ll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com. Subscribe to the Show: [ iTunes ] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). [ Zune ] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V). [ RSS M4V ] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically. The Engadget Show returns tonight with GM head engineer Micky Bly, Watson’s creators, new products, and much more! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Route 66 Maps + Navigation brings AR to the road, keeps drivers’ eyes on their phones (video)
February 17, 2011 No Comment
It’s been a good four years since we reported anything on Route 66 , but with a new collaboration with TomTom on the horizon, these bearers of PNDs have once again sparked our interest. At the heart of the partnership is a new Android app, appropriately titled Route 66 Maps + Navigation, that brings augmented reality to GPS navigation — specifically, a feature called Follow Me that allows real drivers to follow virtual cars turn for turn. Follow Me uses your smartphone or tablet’s camera to display real-time video of the road ahead, and places a virtual 3D car directly in front of you on your route — the car’s rear lights indicate when to turn right or left. Maps + Navigation also includes simultaneous voice directions in 57 languages, up-to-date TomTom maps of 100 countries with 3D graphics, and multitouch gesture control. You can get your hands on the app via Android Market soon, or check out the rather cheesy demo video after the jump. Continue reading Route 66 Maps + Navigation brings AR to the road, keeps drivers’ eyes on their phones (video) Route 66 Maps + Navigation brings AR to the road, keeps drivers’ eyes on their phones (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Skype hints at video calling for Android users on AT&T, promises improvements to Qik
February 17, 2011 No Comment
We haven’t heard a ton out of Skype since its acquisition of Qik last month, but executives from the two companies have finally done a bit of talking at Mobile World Congress this week. As you might expect, any actual merger of the two applications is still a ways off, but Skype has revealed that it plans to share some of its technical expertise to improve the quality of Qik video calls on Sprint and T-Mobile devices, and Skype exec Rick Osterloh also said that we should “watch out for some announcements” when it comes to AT&T. Considering Skype for iPhone already does video calls on AT&T, we assume that means we should look for video calling to come to Android phones on the carrier as well. In the longer term, PC Magazine reports that the “new vision” for Skype and Qik involves Skype’s video call technology being used alongside Qik’s video mail, video sharing and live streaming abilities, although the companies aren’t providing any timeline for when any of that might happen. Skype hints at video calling for Android users on AT&T, promises improvements to Qik originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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