All the cool kids are doing HD video chatting. You want to be a cool kid, don’t you? FaceVsion wants you to be, introducing the new TouchCam V1. It’s a follow-up to the N1 that we reviewed last year and generally liked, fixing our biggest criticism: cost. That camera launched at $120 while the new V1 will sell for just $69.99. It has the on-board H.264 encoding and 720p sensor that SkypeHD likes, and a simple (if somewhat budgety looking) design that won’t look too out of place on a lower-end laptop — so long as it as a Core 2 Duo processor or the equivalent. Look for it to start shipping sometime in the first quarter. Continue reading FaceVsion’s TouchCam V1 does SkypeHD at 720p for $69.99 FaceVsion’s TouchCam V1 does SkypeHD at 720p for $69.99 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Well it’s official boy and girls — Apple’s Mac App Store is live as of this morning, and available to use and abuse via a Snow Leopard update (version 10.6.6 to be exact). The OS X application market takes the company’s wildly successful iOS App Store to its logical conclusion, bringing an orderly, structured app buying experience to desktops and laptops across the globe. The Store will launch with over 1,000 titles, including Apple standards like the iLife suite broken out into separate parts (iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand) selling for $14.99 each, Pages, Keynote, and Numbers for $19.99 apiece, and the bank-breaking Aperture for $79.99. Of course there’ll also be third-party apps present at launch, including Autodesk Sketchbook Pro, Pixelmator, Cheetah 3D, and Flight Control HD (yes, a port of the iPad version). The software itself will be a separate application that functions much like the App Store, providing update notifications and a universal installation process. That process, mind you, will be part of the requirements for getting your application into the store, along with Apple’s famous content policies — so we’re sure we’ll see some irate devs with painful rejection stories. Or maybe not. We know that the company is planning on getting lots of familiar developers into the Store, but we also know that some of what Apple is looking for may not gel with, say… Adobe’s installation procedures (or worse). Regardless, right now the number of apps available is small, but you can expect it to grow fast now that it’s open for everyone. We’re going to be doing a much deeper dive on the experience and report back — until then, if you’re using it, let us know what you think in comments. Apple’s Mac App Store goes live originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Striker integrated display helmet has something to tell you about that old saying ‘if looks could kill’…
January 6, 2011 No Comment
We’ve been told in the past that our mean, hate-filled looks could kill, but we never took that literally. Now, if Britain’s BAE Systems has its way, that phrase could seriously have a whole new meaning. The company has developed an RAF helmet that will allow pilots to deploy and steer their weapons by turning their heads. It all sounds incredibly horrifying and futuristic, of course, but the technology which enables the new gadget is pretty intense, as well. The helmet is fitted with an optical head tracker, with targets popping up in the visor, which provides a supposedly highly accurate missile fire with low latency, at any altitude. The system has been extensively tested on the Eurofighter Typhoon, but is modular in styling so that it can be fitted to many systems. There’s no word on when this tech will see actual action, but we have our reservations about it, so we hope they take their time. Striker integrated display helmet has something to tell you about that old saying ‘if looks could kill’… originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 07:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Nyko’s CES 2011 gaming peripheral lineup: Intercooler STS, Perfect Shot Pro, and more
January 6, 2011 No Comment
A pinch of gaming here at the annual Consumer Electronics Show? Yeah, we’ll take that. Nyko ‘s just revealed a wheelbarrow full of new goods to pore over at this year’s edition of the show, and we get the feeling that PlayStation Move owners will be particularly pleased with what’s on offer. For the PS3, the outfit has revealed that its Raven Standard and Raven Alternative controllers are shipping now for $34.99 apiece, as is the 2- / 4-port charging station. Moving onto newer goods, the Power Shot for Move is a newfangled rifle attachment (seen above) for Sony’s play on motion gaming, with an MSRP that’s not quite final and a projected release date of March 2011. Moreover, there’s a pistol-like Perfect Shot for Move (also shipping in March at a price that’s TBD), and if you’re looking for a similar charging solution for your Xbox 360, the Charge Base S will do just that for $24.99. Comically enough, this year marks the return of the infamous Intercooler, but hopefully the STS version won’t cause your Xbox 360 S to go up in smoke . For those who like to take chances, it’ll hit retail next month for $19.99. Closing things out is the Perfect Shot Pro for Wii, which is a revamped version of the original Perfect Shot that features vibration support; it’ll ship in April for right around $20. Head on past the break for the full release, or spend a few precious minutes digging into the eye candy below. Or both. Continue reading Nyko’s CES 2011 gaming peripheral lineup: Intercooler STS, Perfect Shot Pro, and more Nyko’s CES 2011 gaming peripheral lineup: Intercooler STS, Perfect Shot Pro, and more originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 06:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sony unveils new HomeShare network speakers, iPhone docks, and Wi-Fi universal remote
January 6, 2011 No Comment
We haven’t heard much about Sony’s HomeShare wireless networking protocol since the initial buzz in 2008 , but based on today’s announcements, it’s fairly clear that Sony intends to ramp things up in 2011. The SA-NS300 and SA-NS400 are two new wireless network speakers designed to broadcast tunes from a variety of sources such as DLNA-enabled PCs or BRAVIA internet music services found on Sony’s latest Blu-ray players . iPhones and iPods can join in on the streaming fun when placed in HomeShare compatible NAS-SV20i and NAC-SV10i docks. Since all of these components go beyond the realm of your average IR controller, Sony has kindly released the HomeShare-friendly touch screen RMN-U1 Wi-Fi universal remote, too. Using its activity-based control options, the remote allows those invested in the HomeShare system to send music throughout their network and a view a variety of eye-candy — you know, like album art. Even more interesting is that Sony says all of the components will be available this March for between $200 and $300 depending on the device, which is far below the four figure price points of its early HomeShare gear. For more details, hit up the press release below. Gallery: Sony Homeshare Components CES 2011 Continue reading Sony unveils new HomeShare network speakers, iPhone docks, and Wi-Fi universal remote Sony unveils new HomeShare network speakers, iPhone docks, and Wi-Fi universal remote originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 05:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Just yesterday, ASUS finally officially unveiled its brand new, IPS display-sporting EEE Slate EP121 . If you can’t remember yesterday, the EP121 boasts an Intel Core i5-470UM processor, up to 4GB of RAM, and a 64GB SSD all in a 12.1-inch package running Windows 7 . This high end tablet is due later this month, but if you simply must pre-order one today, well, taht’s now possible as it recently appeared at popular online retailer Amazon, for $999. Get over there! [Thanks, DocWllk] ASUS EEE Slate EP121 shows up for pre-order on Amazon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 05:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Pioneer wants to hold your iPhone and boost its GPS signal in its SmartCradle
January 6, 2011 No Comment
Yes, a little more news from Pioneer today, perhaps the biggest for those not looking for a new head unit. It’s the SmartCradle, which accepts an iPhone and offers integrated GPS, ala the Magellan GPS Car Kit . It also has a built-in amplified speaker and microphone for hands-free calling and, thankfully, has charging built-in to keep you from running out of juice half-way to Topkea. No word on a price yet, sadly, nor a release date, but good things come to those who wait. Gallery: Pioneer SmartCradle Continue reading Pioneer wants to hold your iPhone and boost its GPS signal in its SmartCradle Pioneer wants to hold your iPhone and boost its GPS signal in its SmartCradle originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 04:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Samsung’s John Revie shows off new 3D specs, waxes poetic on thin-bezel displays (video)
January 6, 2011 No Comment
Following Samsung’s press event yesterday, we caught up with SVP of the Consumer Business Division John Revie for a quick chat about its new 3D sets and specs. We found out the SSG-3700CR active frames, which do in fact fit comfortably over our glasses, will hit the market in spring for a cool $150, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the new flagship HDTV will be comparable in price to the ones it debuted last year. Wanna hear all about the qualitative perks of a decidedly bezel-deficient HD display? Our quick video interview’s after the break. Continue reading Samsung’s John Revie shows off new 3D specs, waxes poetic on thin-bezel displays (video) Samsung’s John Revie shows off new 3D specs, waxes poetic on thin-bezel displays (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 04:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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At CES, NEC’s showing off the hinged Android tablet it announced last month, pitching it as a great way for third parties to… well, do awesome stuff. They’re kind of leaving the doors wide open as to how (or to whom) it’ll be sold, suggesting it could make a great e-reader, a digital notebook for students, a scrapbook, or whatever devs dream up. The “Cloud” part of the “Cloud Communicator” name means that NEC thinks the LT-W would be great for generic cloud services, but really, it’s just an Android 2.1 tablet with WiFi, Bluetooth, and optional 3G — there’s nothing special in here that makes it particularly well-adapted for magically pulling data out of the cloud. Unfortunately — cloud or otherwise — we didn’t come away with a very positive impression of this thing. Our very first red flag was the stylus, which matches up with a pair of 800 x 600 resistive touchscreens that don’t seem particularly bright or contrasty. Some of NEC’s sample apps (which you can see in the video after the break) make decent use of the dual display setup, but nothing blew us away — and more importantly, everything seemed just a little too jerky for a Cortex-A8 core. If NEC were to remix this with a Tegra 2 , two capacitive touchscreens, and Honeycomb , we might be singing a different tune… but for now, this seems like little more than a Courier gone wrong. Gallery: NEC dual-screen Android Cloud Communicator LT-W hands-on Continue reading NEC dual-screen Android Cloud Communicator LT-W hands-on NEC dual-screen Android Cloud Communicator LT-W hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 04:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Here we go, another Engadget Podcast Show video conglomerate livestream from our trailer at CES. It’s going to be totally insane, we promise, so check out the Ustream and chat after the break! Continue reading The Engadget Podcast Show livestream extravaganza day two! The Engadget Podcast Show livestream extravaganza day two! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 04:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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