Sharp investing $1.2b in expanding smartphone LCD production, Apple fingered as the major client
December 17, 2010 No Comment
Apple’s practicing its self-imposed rule of supplier polygamy this week and Japan’s Nikkei is telling us all about it. It started off on Monday, when we learned that Toshiba’s throwing down some cash to build a new smartphone display production plant, with Apple as the key investor and subsequent consumer, and today we’re hearing pretty much the same story, only with Sharp playing the role of Japanese producer to Apple’s hardware whims. A “large portion” of the $1.2 billion cost — identical to what Toshiba’s said to be spending — of expanding Sharp’s Kameyama factory is expected to be shouldered by Jobs’ cash-rich crew, a postulation also confirmed by Reuters , who’s managed to dig up a pair of sources agreeing with the Nikkei . Our own Japanese team reports that Sharp has made its expansion plans official, but obviously there’s nary a peep about any Apple connection, while DigiTimes says Toshiba has outright denied any involvement with Cupertino. Guess we’ll just have to wait for the iPhone 7 teardowns to find out. Sharp investing $1.2b in expanding smartphone LCD production, Apple fingered as the major client originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 08:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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When we spent some quality time with Flipboard over the summer, when the iPad was still a new and exciting thing, we liked the idea but not so much the implementation — there just wasn’t enough stuff filling the pages of our pretend magazines. Since then Flipboard of course went on to win Apple’s US iTunes iPad app of the year award and is now celebrating with a major update: Google Reader support. This quite naturally means a huge boost in available content and turns this into a serious way to get your news, with much nicer presentation than your average RSS aggregator. That presentation has also been boosted by Flickr integration, meaning a treasure trove of pretty pictures to go along with that dire news about US politics you can’t help but subscribe to. Flipboard updated, finally does Google Reader and Flickr right originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 08:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Pleo RB robosaur now on sale for $469, Christmas now cleared to take place
December 17, 2010 No Comment
Worried that your holiday celebrations just wouldn’t be able to take place without an autonomous robotic dinosaur roaming the halls and frightening the grandparents? Fret no more. With under a fortnight to go, Innvo Labs has managed to put the revitalized Pleo RB ( Pleo Reborn , if you must know) on sale, with a stiff $469 getting you a newborn dinosaur with a Li-Polymer battery, a charging cradle and a training leaf. Yeah, a training leaf. Unfortunately, the MSRP here is a fair bit higher than the $350 that Ugobe charged for the original, but at least the price premium does include a tougher hide, a newfangled RFID sensing system and a stronger, longer-lasting battery. And really, who could say no to a smile like that? Continue reading Pleo RB robosaur now on sale for $469, Christmas now cleared to take place Pleo RB robosaur now on sale for $469, Christmas now cleared to take place originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 08:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Sega, the once proud innovator of console design , is back in the gaming hardware business! Only not in the fashion you might think. The company has just rolled out a trial of its Toylets system, which embeds a pressure sensor into otherwise innocuous urinals and gives life to every bad piece of joystick-related innuendo you ever heard. Four games are available right now, to be enjoyed through a display mounted at eye level, including one where the intensity of your delivery helps blow a girl’s skirt up and another that offers ( asynchronous! ) multiplayer competition. The latter game matches you against the previous dude to have used the porcelain repository, thereby finally providing Japanese men with a measurable way to settle pissing contests . It’s official: we’re moving to Japan. Continue reading Sega Toylets lets you game with your boy bits (video) Sega Toylets lets you game with your boy bits (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 07:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Xbox 360 gets a limited edition orange Tron controller, because wired gamers need love too
December 17, 2010 No Comment
In most circumstances, we’d argue a self-illuminating controller crisscrossed by bright bands of orange is a couple of notches over the top , but when it’s Tron you’re talking about, it all makes sense. This latest peripheral for the 360 is up for pre-order now at $39.99 and comes prepackaged with the smugness of knowing that each one sold will be part of a very limited 250-unit production run. It’s officially licensed by Microsoft and arriving at snowy doorsteps some time later this month. A less exclusive blue brother should be joining it soon as well, in case the current hue’s not quite to your liking. Xbox 360 gets a limited edition orange Tron controller, because wired gamers need love too originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 07:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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C’mon now, don’t act all surprised. This one followed the picture perfect path to shipping: announcement , hands-on , a stop by the FCC’s database and now, a formal portal in Creative’s webstore. If the Galaxy Tab, eLocity A7, G Tablet and Advent Vega haven’t exactly tickled your fancy, there’s hardly a chance the 7-inch ZiiO will have what it takes. That said, it’s now up for grabs at $269.99, with that sum getting you 8GB of storage, an 800×400 resolution display, Android 2.1, a ZiiLABS ZMS-08 HD processor, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a front-facing VGA camera. Unfortunately, this thing has a zero percent chance of revolutionizing your life in the way that the ZiiEagle already has, but perhaps it’ll bring you joy in some smaller, less meaningful way. [Thanks, Terrence] Creative’s 7-inch ZiiO Android 2.1 tablet now on sale for $270 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 06:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Kindle for Android updated with periodicals and integrated web store, can be installed on SD card
December 17, 2010 No Comment
Version 2.0 of Amazon’s Kindle for Android software has snuck out tonight, bringing with it access to the company’s library of newspapers and magazines, the ability to purchase content in-app, and the freedom to choose where you want to store the app itself, which is now happy to reside on your microSD card. Other additions include social networking updates of your reading progress, the appearance of chapter titles in the reader status bar, zoom for images and graphics, and the volume keys doubling up as your page turners should you wish them to do so. The updated app’s available in the Market now — you know what to do with that QR code, right? Kindle for Android updated with periodicals and integrated web store, can be installed on SD card originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 06:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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If a product doesn’t change for two years, it’s got to be doing something right, and such was the tale about Razer’s Destructor gaming surface . Alas, all good things must come to an end-of-life, if only to encourage people to buy the new hotness, which in this case is the shiny new Scarab. It’s a hard gaming mousepad doused in Razer’s Fractal 2.0 coating, ensuring uniform responsiveness and the right balance between speed and control. It includes a carrying case — because, as all serious gamers know, you’ve got to look good to play good — and that ever-elusive “feeling of awesomeness during usage.” The price is one of those hilarious, currency-agnostic ones, as the Scarab will cost you $39.99 in the US or €39.99 in Europe. We’re sure Euro gamers are laughing it up right now. You’ll find the PR after the break and the Scarab in stores later this month. Continue reading Razer Scarab has regular mousepad looks, precision gaming DNA Razer Scarab has regular mousepad looks, precision gaming DNA originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 05:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Chip implanted in spinal cord could help sufferers of chronic pain (video)
December 17, 2010 No Comment
Researchers at Sydney’s National ICT Australia (NICTA) have spent the past two years developing an incredibly futuristic invention which could bring relief to those who suffer from chronic pain. What it amounts to is a series of ‘smart’ chips inserted into biocompatible devices and strung together. These are then sewn into a very small (1.22mm wide) lead made of a polymer yarn and wires, which are then inserted into the spine . The device is them connected to a battery and computer which can measure and gather information about the pain-carrying nerves signalling the brain. The device can also respond by sending 10 volt electrical pulses to block the signals’ path to the brain, tricking the brain into thinking there is no pain. There are devices such as this one already in existence, but they are much larger than this new device, and its smaller size increases accuracy as it can be implanted closer to the spine than previous models. The NICTA’s device is set to go into human trials next year. Video after the break. Continue reading Chip implanted in spinal cord could help sufferers of chronic pain (video) Chip implanted in spinal cord could help sufferers of chronic pain (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 05:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Budding hobbyists almost have it too easy these days, what with all the ready-made components, Mindstorms and Arduino boards, but there’s still a couple of folks out there kicking it old-school… and printing transistors at home. Yes, that’s a RepRap 3D printer you see there, with a MakerBot Unicorn pen head, depositing tiny dots of silver ink to form intricate rows of tiny electrodes. Sadly, the printer doesn’t currently automate the entire process, as you’ll also need to separately apply a dielectric material and a host of chemicals to get a working field effect transistor from scratch, but once the basic process is perfected the possibilities, as they say, are endless. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got a hot date with some vacuum tubes. Find the basic formula for DIY transistors at our source link. RepRap prints transistors, but fabs have little to fear originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 04:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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