You won’t find this hack available for download just yet, but Erica Sadun over at TUAW has posted a video showing AirPlay streaming from an iPad to an XBMC media server running on Ubuntu. As we understand it, the Linux box runs the AirPlay client service with XBMC advertising its availability using the Bonjour-compatible Avahi. Erica, who helped initiate all this AirPlay trickery with her early code spelunking efforts, says that Windows hacks are also in development. Click on through to see AirPlay take another bold step down the path of device agnosticism. Continue reading AirPlay hacked onto XBMC Ubuntu PC, Windows next (video) AirPlay hacked onto XBMC Ubuntu PC, Windows next (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 04:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Gmail’s free voice calls will be available through all of 2011, still only in the US
December 21, 2010 No Comment
While the rest of the world has yet to taste the sweet elixir of free voice calls from its email supplier, US-based Gmailers are having their fun extended for a whole new year. Back in August , Google made it possible to dial up voice numbers in the US and Canada for free, and now, in the true holiday spirit of keeping users happy and advertising bottom lines black, Google promises to keep that service free through all of 2011. Gmail’s free voice calls will be available through all of 2011, still only in the US originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 03:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Android 2.3, get your Android 2.3! A Gingerbread ROM for the Droid Incredible that’s been cooking on xda-developers for a couple of weeks is finally looking ready for mass consumption. It hit version 4 overnight, fixing a few niggling issues and enabling the 8 megapixel camera, which leaves only its video recording and GPS functions on the to-do list. Otherwise, it’s looking like a very slick implementation of Google’s latest OS, and it’s particularly pleasing to see how its responsiveness has improved between builds. Hit the source link for more info, though don’t expect to find out why HTC, Verizon et al can’t do things this quickly themselves. [Thanks, Stuart] Continue reading Droid Incredible takes a stable bite out of Gingerbread (video) Droid Incredible takes a stable bite out of Gingerbread (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 02:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …TomTom’s Map Share update brings crowdsourced navigation to iPhone GPS app
December 21, 2010 No Comment
Buckled early and sprung for TomTom’s iPhone GPS app , did you? If so, that very app just got a lot better today, as version 1.6 has brought TomTom’s Map Share — a crowdsourcing aspect that’ll keep your maps more up-to-date than you ever thought possible. Map Share enables iPhone users to make changes instantly to their own maps and to benefit from free map updates made by the TomTom community and verified by the company itself. That means that users will now be able to edit street names, set driving directions and block / unblock streets directly on their maps, and if you’re kind enough, you can share those updates with the rest of the TomTom community. Furthermore, the app will automatically check for new verified updates (including turn restrictions, speed limit changes and crossing changes), so the previously tried-and-true “my maps were old!” excuse will sadly no longer work. Give and take, as they say. Continue reading TomTom’s Map Share update brings crowdsourced navigation to iPhone GPS app TomTom’s Map Share update brings crowdsourced navigation to iPhone GPS app originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 02:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Ben Heck constructs military-grade, self-contained PlayStation 3 suitcase (video)
December 21, 2010 No Comment
If you caught the latest episode of The Ben Heck Show , then you no doubt saw this era’s modding mastermind piece together a PS3 console suitable for use in the wilds of Afghanistan. The military-grade portable gaming system was designed and built for a couple working with the military overseas, and it’s Pelican’s iM2600 Store Case there on the outside keeping things safe and secure from flying shrapnel. As Ben always does, he managed to carefully place an entire PS3 console deep within the confines of the enclosure, and he even threw in an integrated LCD into the lid to prevent any additional external hookups. Generator equals gametime, as they say. Head on past the break for the latest episode, which shows the play-by-play on how it was constructed. Continue reading Ben Heck constructs military-grade, self-contained PlayStation 3 suitcase (video) Ben Heck constructs military-grade, self-contained PlayStation 3 suitcase (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 01:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Pentax’s K-5 DSLR has been around for a little while now, but it’s only just recently received enough reviews to establish something of a critical consensus. The short of it is that the camera largely addresses most of the criticisms leveled at the K-7 it’s replacing — namely, lackluster image quality and poor high ISO performance in particular — but those improvements come at a fairly hefty cost. The K-7 costs about $300 more than the Nikon D7000 , which Digital Photography Review notes has has a similar sensor but a “significantly more versatile AF system.” Photography Blog also came to some similar conclusions, but notes that the “headline-grabbing top-speed of 512000 is frankly unusable,” and suggests that Pentax should have simply followed Nikon’s lead and capped things at 25600. Despite that high price and some minor issues, however, DP Review says the camera is a “no-brainer” upgrade for current Pentax users, but obviously still something of a tough sell for Canon or Nikon users. Hit up the links below for some additional takes on the camera. Read – Digital Photography Review Read – Photography Blog Read – Imaging Resource Read – Pocket-lint Pentax K-5 review roundup: solid but pricey upgrade from the K-7 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Heart Spark pendant blinks with your heart, automatically gets you into B.E.D. (video)
December 21, 2010 No Comment
Not that we haven’t been inundated with circuit-related fashion accessories in the past, but if you’ve already started thinking about what to get that lovely lad (or lady) in your life come February, look no further. SenseBridge, a research group with loads of passion, has just revealed the Heart Spark ($69, on sale now) — a wearable pendant with an integrated wireless receiver, a smattering of LEDs and a wow factor that’s downright heartwarming. The fortunate wearer must also strap a belt around their chest in order to monitor their heart rate, which is then transmitted wirelessly to the Heart Spark; upon receiving the information, the onboard lights will flash at the same rate as your heart, making it easy for the love of your life to see when your heart is aflutter. Video demonstration is just past the break, and yes, it’s about as precious as you’d imagine. Continue reading Heart Spark pendant blinks with your heart, automatically gets you into B.E.D. (video) Heart Spark pendant blinks with your heart, automatically gets you into B.E.D. (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …T-Mobile finally getting in on the mobile 3G (or 4G) router craze next March?
December 21, 2010 No Comment
Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T have all deployed MiFis (and MiFi equivalents ) at this point, leaving T-Mobile as the sole US national carrier to do without a dedicated mobile router — some sort of device you can throw in your pocket and turn on for those occasions when you need to turn a cellular data signal into a nice little pocket of WiFi. Looks like that’s finally changing, though, with TmoNews leaking some shots suggesting that a device codenamed “Lil Wayne” — yes, Lil Wayne — will be introduced in March of next year, offering full 21Mbps HSPA+ speeds, followed by a second model in the second quarter of the year. The move makes a whole lot of sense for T-Mobile now that they’re offering WiFi tethering on select phone models… and really, shouldn’t we be using that shiny, new “4G” network in as many data-intensive ways as possible, anyway? T-Mobile finally getting in on the mobile 3G (or 4G) router craze next March? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 22:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Windows Phone 7′s Marketplace grows faster than Android did at launch, doesn’t mean much
December 21, 2010 No Comment
An analyst note released by research firm IDC yesterday points out that in the nearly two months since Windows Phone 7′s retail release, the Windows Marketplace has swelled to 4,000 applications — a number that the Android Market took five months to reach. That’s impressive, no doubt, and the analyst behind the numbers notes that he “would not be surprised if Microsoft had the third largest app portfolio in the industry by the middle of next year.” Now granted, hitting number three would take very little effort on Microsoft’s part — they’d just have to beat webOS, BlackBerry OS, and Symbian, none of which have sparked iOS- or Android-like levels of developer interest. So beyond that, what does the growth mean? Read on! [Thanks, Stephen] Continue reading Windows Phone 7′s Marketplace grows faster than Android did at launch, doesn’t mean much Windows Phone 7′s Marketplace grows faster than Android did at launch, doesn’t mean much originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 22:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Viewsonic: There’s no G Tablet ‘manufacturing defect,’ it’s a user experience issue
December 21, 2010 No Comment
In case you missed it , this weekend Staples announced that it was no longer offering the 10.1-inch Viewsonic G Tablet because of a “manufacturing defect.” Well, as it turns out, Viewsonic is claiming there’s really no hardware defect at all — instead, the manufacturer of the Android 2.2 , Tegra 2 -powered tablet is reporting that there’s really a “user experience issue.” Nope, that doesn’t sound much better, but according to Viewsonic’s VP of Marketing Adam Hanin, the G Tablet saw a fair number of returns because of its sluggish software experience, which was caused by the preloaded Tap and Tap Android layer. A number of issues were also caused by the lack of Flash, which Adobe hasn’t yet certified for Tegra 2 . “We believe it is the user experience that caused all the returns, and we are taking important steps forward with the G Tablet,” Hanin told us. So, what are those steps exactly? Viewsonic will be releasing an over-the-air software update before the end of the week and will also provide links for users to manually download and install a beta version of Flash on its support page. Naturally, we asked Hanin why the G Tablet was shipped in this half-finished state at all — he told us that while Android and Tegra are great platforms, Google’s lack of support for larger devices means that companies like Viewsonic have to “go out and put together their own software and app stores.” We’re not sure that’s a great answer — in fact, it sort of sounds like Viewsonic is trying to blame Google, Adobe, and NVIDIA for its own half-finished and laggy software, when it released the tablet on its own to retailers. Either way, we’ve now seen more than enough terrible “user experience” issues on the early crop of Android tablets — Honeycomb , where are you? Continue reading Viewsonic: There’s no G Tablet ‘manufacturing defect,’ it’s a user experience issue Viewsonic: There’s no G Tablet ‘manufacturing defect,’ it’s a user experience issue originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 21:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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