Esper Dominoes topple without touching, we fall all over ourselves (video)
February 3, 2011 No Comment
Quick, what’s wrong with this picture? Oh, that’s right — dominoes don’t topple all by themselves , do they? But these aren’t your average tiles. Constructed by Japanese interaction researchers in 2009, these “Esper Dominoes” each have ZigBee radios inside, and as each stone falls it wirelessly tells the next to follow suit, all down the line. Of course, knowing all that, why would you ever settle for a boring row of five? Hit the break to see what these bones are really capable of, and join us in praying that some entrepreneur mass produces these perfect stocking stuffers before another two years fly by. Continue reading Esper Dominoes topple without touching, we fall all over ourselves (video) Esper Dominoes topple without touching, we fall all over ourselves (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Panasonic’s 2011 HDTVs shown off in Japan with prices, March release dates
February 3, 2011 No Comment
Panasonic’s found time to show off its latest series of HDTVs in Japan, including the new top 3D-capable VT3, GT3 and ST3 generation plasmas, and DT3 LCDs, . As one might expect, the feature list is predictably similar to the US models with the next iteration of 3D panel technology, including a few Japan-specific features like VOD services and recording TV to USB drives.According to AV watch it looks like the starting prices have gone down slightly YoY as well, with the new 50-inch VT3 predicted to arrive March 18 for 380,000 yen ($4,654) down from 430,000 yen ($5,267) last year. The lower end GT3 series and new DT3 3D LCDs should arrive a week earlier on March 11, though we’ll probably have to wait until much closer to launch again to find out precisely what the predictably lower US pricing will be this time around. Click on through for all the details you can stand in the meantime. Panasonic’s 2011 HDTVs shown off in Japan with prices, March release dates originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 10:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Algae biodiesel has looked so promising (as in 100 times more fuel than corn or soy) that the U.S. Department of Energy gave $9 million to Cellana, a joint research venture between Shell Oil and HR Biopetroleum, specifically to look into the alternative energy source’s prospects. It seems, however, that those prospects were no longer attractive to Shell, which has announced it will no longer pursue algae biodiesel, because it feels it doesn’t have sufficient commercial viability. Partner HR Biopetroleum has stated it cannot continue the project on its own as Shell pursues other biofuel initiatives with other companies. Shell Oil pulls the plug on its last algae biodiesel research project originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 10:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Xperia Play commercial surfaces, makes back alley surgery fun again (video)
February 3, 2011 No Comment
You know, it just wouldn’t be an ad campaign for a Sony game system without a suitable ” WTF?” moment . And why would Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play (a.k.a. PlayStation phone , a.k.a. the Worst Kept Secret in the Business ) be any different? There isn’t much to say about this ad, except that the fine folks at Droid NYTT got hold of a copy, and that we hope these back-alley thumb transplant goons know a thing or two about anesthetics. See for yourself after the break. Continue reading Xperia Play commercial surfaces, makes back alley surgery fun again (video) Xperia Play commercial surfaces, makes back alley surgery fun again (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …AMD Radeon HD 6970M reviewed: major leap from HD 5870M, not quite a GTX 485M
February 3, 2011 No Comment
What has 960 shaders, two gigabytes of dedicated GDDR5 memory with throughput of 115.2GBps, and the ability to churn 680 million polygons each and every second? Yes, the Radeon HD 6970M . AMD’s fastest mobile chip to date has been doing the review rounds recently and the response has been unsurprisingly positive. Most modern games failed to trip up the 6970M even at 1920 x 1080 resolution, though the usual suspects of Crysis and Metro 2033 did give it a little bit of grief. All in all, the leap from the HD 5870M was significant, although NVIDIA’s still relatively new GeForce GTX 485M has managed to hold on to its crown as the most powerful GPU on the mobile front. Benchmarks, architectural details, battery life tests ( what battery life?), and value-adding enhancements await at the links below. AMD Radeon HD 6970M reviewed: major leap from HD 5870M, not quite a GTX 485M originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Skifta Android app nabs DLNA certification: tablets and smartphones now streaming to STBs and more
February 3, 2011 No Comment
Using your Android phone as a remote is hardly new , but using it to actually send content to a TV-connected set-top box? Now that’s a novel concept. Skifta for Android has just become the first piece of software to be certified by the Digital Living Network Alliance ( DLNA ) under its new Software Certification program, enabling any Android-based smartphone or tablet to stream onboard media to any DLNA source, including TVs, stereos, PCs and Sony’s PS3. It’s hard to say what kind of phone (and what kind of bandwidth) will be needed for this to actually be an enjoyable experience, but those curious to find out can download the app for free in the Android Marketplace… provided you’re using a device with Android 2.2 (Froyo) or higher, of course. Head on past the break for a explanatory video. Continue reading Skifta Android app nabs DLNA certification: tablets and smartphones now streaming to STBs and more Skifta Android app nabs DLNA certification: tablets and smartphones now streaming to STBs and more originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …JVC GC-PX1 can’t decide if it’s cam or camcorder, does 1080p60 video and 10.6 megapixel stills
February 3, 2011 No Comment
We missed JVC ‘s GX-PX1 camera when it was at CES , just a concept at that point but now getting more real. Impress got a little hands-on time with the curious model that features an incredibly slim, compact-like body behind a hunky, camcorder-like lens assembly. It’ll do 1080p60 at 36Mbps, writing to SDXC or 32GB of internal memory, can capture 10 megapixel stills and, if you don’t mind stepping down to 640 x 360, will manage 300 frames per second. There’s a tiltable LCD on the back and a 10x optically stabilized zoom lens up front. The camera is due to be released later this month, but JVC hasn’t seen fit to tell us how much it’ll cost just yet. JVC GC-PX1 can’t decide if it’s cam or camcorder, does 1080p60 video and 10.6 megapixel stills originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 08:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Our initial reaction to the Bernstein Research chart above is to wonder what value Nokia’s massive R&D spending has achieved. Sadly, that’s our second and third reaction, too, having spent some time with the company’s Symbian OS. Let’s just hope all that money was poured into MeeGo or some other megaprofitable ecosystem that it will ” build or join ” in 2011. Update : Added a snapshot of Nokia’s R&D spending from 2007 and 2008 (when the company topped the EU with US$7.24 billion spent on R&D) after the break. Continue reading Visualized: Nokia R&D spending, almost 3 times its peers Visualized: Nokia R&D spending, almost 3 times its peers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 07:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …GM CEO Dan Akerson wants next-gen Chevy Volt to be $7,500 cheaper, we do too
February 3, 2011 No Comment
We like the idea of the Chevy Volt , but at a starting price of $40,280 it’s a bit of a tough sell — even considering the $7,500 tax break you’ll get for being on the cutting edge. GM CEO Dan Akerson agrees, according to GM-Volt.com giving his designers the task of cutting $7,500 out of the car’s cost by the time its next generation appears at dealers. Assuming our federal tax credit still exists that would push the out the door figure for the car down to around $25,000, about the same as the Nissan Leaf and into the budgets of far more Americans than it currently targets. We’re not sure exactly what corners will be cut to make this happen, but we’re hoping they don’t try to make the wheels any thinner . GM CEO Dan Akerson wants next-gen Chevy Volt to be $7,500 cheaper, we do too originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 07:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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