Google will drop H.264 support from Chrome, herd the masses towards WebM and Theora
January 11, 2011 No Comment
We knew Google was rather fond of its WebM video standard, but we never expected a move like this: the company says it will drop support for the rival H.264 codec in its HTML5 video tag, and is justifying the move in the name of open standards somehow. Considering that H.264 is presently one of (if not the ) most widely supported format out there, it sounds a little like Google shooting itself in the foot with a .357 round — especially considering the MPEG-LA just made H.264 royalty-free as long as it’s freely distributed just a few months ago. If that’s the case, Chrome users will have to download a H.264 plug-in to play most web video that’s not bundled up in Flash … which isn’t exactly an open-source format itself. Or hey, perhaps everyone will magically switch to Chrome, video providers will kowtow, unicorns will gaily prance, and WebM will dominate from now on. Google will drop H.264 support from Chrome, herd the masses towards WebM and Theora originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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ASUS may not be anywhere close to ready for its Wavi Xtion to hit retail shelves (we’re hearing Q2 of 2012), but that didn’t stop our brethren over at Engadget Spanish from stopping by for a hands-on demonstration at CES. We’ll spare you the details on how it works, but in practice, we learned that it’s quite similar to Kinect . Not shocking considering that PrimeSense is behind both boxes , but the primarily difference seemed to be the reaction time. ASUS’ solution wasn’t quite as snappy as the Kinect, being slower to recognize and translate motions in testing. Of course, we wouldn’t expect a product that’s 18 months out from mass production to be completely on top of its game, but feel free to head on past the break to see exactly what we mean. Continue reading ASUS Wavi Xtion motion sensing control system demoed at CES (video) ASUS Wavi Xtion motion sensing control system demoed at CES (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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BAE Systems has had its hands in some pretty crazy research in the past, from Bug Bots to invisibility cloak development and more. But as this next item has implications for our planned dystopian gadget community on the high seas (think Waterworld -meets-The Engadget Show), we took notice tout de suite . Being marketed as a non-lethal deterrent to pirates, the heart of the ship-based system is a Nd:YAG laser that can be used to warn off attackers over half a mile away — and disorient them at closer ranges. “The effect is similar to when a fighter pilot attacks from the direction of the sun,” said BAE’s Roy Evans. “The glare from the laser is intense enough to make it impossible to aim weapons like AK47s or RPGs, but doesn’t have a permanent effect.” Wild, huh? Check out the PR after the break for the complete low-down. Continue reading BAE’s lasers blind high seas pirates, have no effect on Ice Pirates BAE’s lasers blind high seas pirates, have no effect on Ice Pirates originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We were wandering the floor at CES just before the end of the show when we stumbled upon this oddly familiar device . It’s the Aigo A8 — n
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It’s not just the iPhone 4 that’s going the way of CDMA. Verizon CFO Francis Shammo has told Bloomberg that the iPad will also be getting similar treatment. Although light on details like price (which we can guess) or release date (which we have no idea, really), Shammo did explicitly say a version that connects directly to Verizon’s network is in the pipeline. We assume he meant the current iPad, which the carrier currently sells as WiFi-only with a MiFi bundle, but hey, anything’s possible . CDMA iPad coming to Verizon, too, says CFO originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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China’s radar-eluding stealth fighter made its first-known test flight Tuesday, marking dramatic progress in the country’s efforts to develop cutting-edge military technologies. (Jan. 11)
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We’ve always liked the idea of having a Bluetooth watch streaming feeds from our phones, because deep down inside, we all want to act like special agents in the public. Sadly, there aren’t many of these wearables to choose from in the present market. In fact, with the inPulse smartwatch for BlackBerry seemingly stuck in limbo, what we have left is the Europe-only Sony Ericsson LiveView for Android, and maybe something nice from Fossil as well if its concept design gets picked up. To seize this opportunity, Velocity Micro is now working on its own connected Android watch — currently known as the Cruz Watch — that’s destined for the sub-$200 market in mid-Q2 2011. Here’s what we learned about this cool-looking prototype during our exclusive hands-on at CES: in many ways, it’s conceptually identical to the LiveView — it’s a watch, it’s a Facebook feeds reader, it’s a multimedia remote control (for Android’s music app and Android-powered TVs), and it can show you incoming caller IDs. While the Cruz Watch may be a bit of a lightweight when it comes to apps, its hardware certainly bests SE’s offering in several ways: for starters, it has a full touchscreen that takes swipe and tap gesture inputs (instead of using navigation touch controls on the bezel), and it sports a 1.8-inch LCD instead of a 1.3-inch OLED display. There are also a few software features that we dig, especially with the interchangeable clock face: two analog, two digital; and the incoming call notifier pulls the caller’s profile photo from your contact list, which is something that the LiveView can’t do. We’re told that since this watch is powered by Android 2.0 (and possibly something different on retail units), Velocity Micro might be able to implement app installation in the near future, so we shall see. Video walkthrough after the break. Gallery: Velocity Micro Cruz Watch hands-on preview Continue reading Velocity Micro Cruz Watch hands-on preview Velocity Micro Cruz Watch hands-on preview originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Denso dash with iPhone steering wheel knows when you are sleeping, knows when you’re awake (video)
January 11, 2011 No Comment
Smartphone integration is the next big thing that’s happening right now, but it isn’t quite happening the way Denso is doing it. This is the company’s dashboard of a future, with its most predominant feature being an iPhone embedded right in the steering wheel. That drives an infotainment system and a small, circular LCD above with a bunch of widgets you can bounce with a touch from the phone to the display. Most interesting is one that communicates with traffic lights to let you know how fast to go if you want to miss ‘em all. The idea is to save fuel by not stopping and starting, but we’re thinking this could also do a lot to ease hypertension rates nationwide. Another thing the dash can do is tell when you’re about to drowse off. One of those widgets is a cup of coffee that empties as you’re getting sleepy. An all-seeing webcam perched atop the dash tracks your face and eyes to know just how alert you are. Drop below a threshold and the dash starts blinking red. It’s time for a nap — or maybe more coffee, for goodness’ sake. Gallery: Denso next-generation dashboard with iPhone integration Continue reading Denso dash with iPhone steering wheel knows when you are sleeping, knows when you’re awake (video) Denso dash with iPhone steering wheel knows when you are sleeping, knows when you’re awake (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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There’s no company in the industry that’s better at consistently having confidentiality come off its products in the FCC’s database right on time better than Apple — and indeed, the CDMA version of the iPhone just hit the filing system. Model A1349 (as opposed to the GSM version’s A1332) has the expected test results for CDMA / EV-DO Rev. A on the 850 and 1900MHz bands along with Bluetooth and WiFi without a whiff of GSM support for global roaming — not to say Verizon gave any hint that you might be able to roam outside of CDMA countries anyway. iPhone 4 with CDMA for Verizon gets FCC approval, right on time originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We just got a look at the Verizon version of the iPhone 4 . Guess what? It’s just like an iPhone 4! There’s no custom pre-loaded Verizon software (like VCAST or some such bloatware), just that mobile hotspot tweak in the settings menu. There’s also no Verizon branding on the phone, though that’s hardly a surprise given Apple’s hatred of all logos that aren’t its own. The only real physical difference we can find are those tweaked CDMA-compatible antennas running around the edge — four in all, placed symmetrically and bumping down the volume / mute buttons. Interestingly, the phone is running iOS version 4.2.5, so perhaps that mobile hotspot functionality will make its way over to other iPhones when they sync up on iOS updates. Gallery: Verizon iPhone 4 detailed comparison shots Gallery: Verizon iPhone 4 full hands-on Continue reading Verizon iPhone first hands-on! (update: video) Verizon iPhone first hands-on! (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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