PBS has just announced its own app for iPhone and iPod touch, and from the looks of it, it’s a doozy (if you’re super into PBS, that is). That’s right, the free PBS app will allow you to watch full-length PBS productions on your device — including its popular news programs like FRONTLINE and the PBS Newshour. You won’t be able to watch everything that PBS offers just yet, but the app also has a built-in calendar which should be super useful if you happen to structure your entire life around PBS programming like we know some of our avid readers do. PBS developed the app with help from Bottle Rocket Apps, and adds this to its other apps currently available, the Antiques Roadshow game app and the PBS for iPad app. This one’s available right this second in iTunes and it’s free. Full press release is after the break. [Thanks, Jake] Continue reading PBS launches free iOS app for watching full-length video PBS launches free iOS app for watching full-length video originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Back in 2008, Lenovo’s ThinkPad X200 was getting folks all hot and bothered, and it seems some people never cooled down. If you’re one of the few looking to reignite the flames sparked when your first laid eyes on the laptop, take a look at this impressively rendered knockoff. Despite the absence of a Lenovo logo and slightly off dimensions, it really does look like the X200, — that is, until you look under the hood. The original sports a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, while the knockoff’s got a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450; the real deal has SSDs up to 64GB, while the fake doesn’t even have the option; and finally, the impostor lacks 4GB RAM upgradability. According to M.I.C. Gadget, the ThinkPad clone rings in at 1900 Chinese yuan (about $286), and can be purchased online, though we couldn’t tell you where. Anyway, you weren’t seriously considering it … were you? Lenovo ThinkPad X200 clone takes us back, way back originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We already showed you a quick tour of two of the three Automotive X-Prize winners . Wondering where the third was? Hanging out in the booth of its creator, Li-Ion motors, looking green and decidedly outclassed by the second car that company is showing off. It’s the Inzio, a proper supercar of the electric variety, the base model hitting 60 from a standstill in four seconds and topping out at 130 — perhaps not Ferrari-busting but surely more than enough to get your license taken away. If that’s not enough there will be multiple models with different power levels and carbon fiber construction, with the higher-end dropping that 0 – 60 time to 3.4 seconds and boosting the top speed to 200. We spent some time chatting with Li-Ion Motors Project Manager Paul Daigrepont about the design of the car, most interesting being the transmission. It’s a custom-made four-speed unit that, interestingly, has no clutch. It’s directly driven by the motor, shifting via paddles with the ECU dropping the torque on the motor momentarily to unload the gears, allowing an upshift to happen. At a stop the motor simply stops spinning and, if you want reverse, the car engages first gear and runs backwards! The company is accepting orders, starting at $139,000, a price that makes the leaf feel like even more of a bargain. Gallery: Li-Ion Motors Inzio electric supercar Li-Ion Motors Inzio electric supercar stops by Detroit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sony follows up, officially sues Geohot and fail0verflow over PS3 jailbreak
January 12, 2011 No Comment
We figured Sony would follow up last night’s temporary restraining order against Geohot and fail0verflow for distribution of the PS3 jailbreak with a copyright infringement lawsuit, and well, here it is. It’s actually pretty straightforward, as far as these things go — Sony alleges that George Hotz, Hector Martin Cantero, Sven Peter, and the rest of fail0verflow are: Violating
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Let’s just end the speculation right here: a Sprint-locked CDMA iPhone on the heels of Verizon’s wouldn’t be much of an “industry first,” so we’re thinking that whatever the company has to unveil on the evening of February 7th in New York will be of a very different flavor. The event invite goes on to say that they’ll show “that the impossible is possible,” which could very well mean the Epic 4G is getting Froyo . Burn! Also look for guest David Blaine to hold his breath in a tank of things that bite for 45 minutes or so, which will make for an awesome liveblog (yes, we’ll be there). Sprint promises ‘industry first’ at February 7th event originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Harman Experimental HMI with netbook internals, augmented reality aspirations hands-on (video)
January 12, 2011 No Comment
Yes, folks, more fun infotainment systems to hope that your manufacturer of choice picks up before your ‘Ol Bessie gives up the ghost and has to be put out to pasture. Regardless of which logo you prefer on your grille there’s a good chance that Harman works with them, and so maybe they’ll pick up this. It’s called the Experimental HMI and it’s basically a netbook for your dash — minus the keyboard and junk. It’s running an Atom processor and has a Flash -based interface, making it easy to develop for. The killer app at this point is an augmented reality navigation system you can see demoed in the video below, but it’ll ultimately be up to the manufacturers to do what they will with it. Continue reading Harman Experimental HMI with netbook internals, augmented reality aspirations hands-on (video) Harman Experimental HMI with netbook internals, augmented reality aspirations hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We don’t see too many spectrum analyzers ’round these parts, and when we do the applications are usually pretty obscure. But catching cheating cheaters before they cheat again? That we can understand — and apparently that’s exactly what happened in Taiwan recently, when folks being tested for government jobs were overseen by folks packing a Rohde and Schwarz FSH4 spectrum analyzer. In addition to being a “closed book” test, this one was also a “closed phone” test, and the analyzers allowed examiners to listen for (and pinpoint the location of) mobile phone signals. As of right now, it looks like officials have uncovered three prospective cheaters, although additional evidence will have to be offered before a conclusion is made (perhaps they were just sexting). Can we offer a friendly word of advice? The next time you’re taking a test somewhere, and the room is full of people outfitted with large spectrum analyzers and Secret Service-style earbuds, you’d probably want to take that as fair warning and turn off your celly. Examiners use spectrum analyzers to bust cellphone-packin’ cheats originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …T-Mobile UK backs down a bit, limits 500MB fair use policy to new and upgrading customers
January 12, 2011 No Comment
Alright, folks — if you’ve already got a T-Mobile UK account in your back pocket, you can breathe a sigh of relief, because that ugly new data cap doesn’t apply to you. It took the operator just a day to realize that putting a hazy “fair use” restriction of just 500MB per month on existing accounts wasn’t going over too well with its customer base, so they’ve conducted a “further review” and decided that they’ll instead only be applying the rule to new and upgrading customers as of February 1 only. We wouldn’t call this an outright win by any stretch — the policy is still enormously restrictive, vague, and a pretty clear-cut disadvantage of the competition-reducing Everything Everywhere hookup, and it looks like they’ll still end up tagging you as soon as you try to upgrade your plan or your hardware anyway… but we’ll take whatever reprieve we can get. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] T-Mobile UK backs down a bit, limits 500MB fair use policy to new and upgrading customers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Tried booting your corporate PC lately? Dollars to donuts it takes longer than three minutes to complete. The point? You need Sandy Bridge , and you need it now . Dell’s hoping your IT department will agree, with the introduction of the Vostro 460 mini tower bringing along Intel’s second generation Core processors (Core i5 and Core i7 options are available), Turbo Boost 2.0 and an understated design. Customers can also load it up with as much as 3TB of storage, a Blu-ray drive, 1GB NVIDIA or AMD discrete graphics card and a USB 3.0 expansion card. You’ll also get a tool-less chassis, eight USB 2.0 ports, inbuilt security services from Trend Micro and a starting price of $599. Surely that fits into the Q1 budget somewhere, right? Dell implants Sandy Bridge CPUs within biz-minded Vostro 460 mini tower originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Johnson Controls Connected Center Stack plays nice with a quartet of smartphones, we go hands-on
January 12, 2011 No Comment
Smartphone integration in your car’s head unit isn’t of all that much use if it’s only going to play nice with one brand or another (we’re looking at you, Mini Connected ). Johnson Controls is being rather more open with what it’s calling the Connected Center Stack, basically a framework that OEMs and aftermarket radio makers can build upon to create their ultimate infotainment system. It quite naturally connected and played audio over USB or Bluetooth, augmenting that with support for Pandora and even Terminal Mode , as implemented on a Nokia N97 , replicating the phone’s UI exactly. There are both touchscreen and jog dial controls, and the unit can get data either directly from a smartphone or through a USB connected 3G modem. Or that’s the theory, at least. The unit on display was a little buggy and not reliable enough for us to get a video of it in action, but with any luck it’ll be cleaned up and hitting production center stacks… eventually. Gallery: Johnson Controls Connected Center Stack Johnson Controls Connected Center Stack plays nice with a quartet of smartphones, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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