Google Instant for mobile studies abroad: now in 40 countries, 28 languages
December 12, 2010 No Comment
We’ll keep it short and to the point: Google Instant for Mobile — that is, for iOS4 and Android 2.2 devices and up, officially — has taken an accelerated language program or two. Or 28, rather, representing 40 countries. Which ones? We’ll let you find that out for yourself (which is a nice way of saying we don’t know). Pick up your phone of choice, head to google.com, and let us know if you get the new option. Google Instant for mobile studies abroad: now in 40 countries, 28 languages originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 21:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On , a column about consumer technology. Switched On presents a short quiz to determine your content-delivery personality. It’s most important that my on-demand entertainment: a) is easy and accessible b) is not blocked c) is available at the optimum bitrate d) offers a new navigation paradigm e) advances the species The place I usually find entertainment is: a) the cloud b) my PC c) the NAS connected to my TV d) the long tail of the Web e) Madagascar Continue reading Switched On: Which connected TV box are you? Switched On: Which connected TV box are you? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Weta Workshop builds real-life TF2 sentry gun, minus the screaming and blood (video)
December 11, 2010 No Comment
WETA Workshop is filled with engineers, and that means they solve problems. Practical problems. For instance, how Valve Software is going to keep its throng of Team Fortress 2 players in awe. The answer? Use a gun. Like this heavy-caliber, tripod-mounted, fastidiously crafted life-size reproduction of The Engineer’s level 1 Sentry Gun, which features a bona fide motion sensor for tracking whosoever is fool enough to venture into Valve’s geektastic lobby in Bellevue, Washington and touch the darn thing. We can think of a few souls offhand. Video after the break. Continue reading Weta Workshop builds real-life TF2 sentry gun, minus the screaming and blood (video) Weta Workshop builds real-life TF2 sentry gun, minus the screaming and blood (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …HTC EVO Shift 4G (Knight / Speedy) gets leaked picture, January 9th release date?
December 11, 2010 No Comment
We’ll warn you that we have nothing but the word of an alleged Sprint employee that this is the real deal, but we don’t know what else it could be — if it walks like a duck and quacks like an EVO with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, we’re inclined to believe it’s the HTC EVO Shift 4G . Factor in the noticeable lack of front-facing camera , silver trackpad and those throwback flat keys , and we’re even willing to forgive those hastily penciled watermarks on the keyboard and on top of the clearly ‘shopped screen. Even if this shot is legit, we haven’t seen the full device yet — it sure looks like this Knight is wearing a suit of plastic armor around the edges. In possibly related news, Android Central nabbed an alleged screenshot of a Sprint database showing an “HTC A7373″ handset coming to Sprint on January 9th, and while one Russian e-tailer seems to think that codename refers to the GSM-friendly Desire Z , we have to imagine a Knight / Speedy / EVO Shift release is far more likely than a T-Mobile G2 redux on Sprint’s CDMA frequencies. Update: Just to be clear, there are a few things about this image that irk us, not least of which that pasted-on screen. We’re inclined to think this might be a dummy unit that was touched up to look like a real phone. HTC EVO Shift 4G (Knight / Speedy) gets leaked picture, January 9th release date? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 18:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Google. Google, Google , Google , Google , Google !!! So precocious for an awkward tween. Fire up the Engadget Podcast Bingo site or iOS app and jump start your weekend with a hot tech injection full of a company that does much more than just search , these days, if you know what we mean. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Paranoid Android 00:00:55 – Nexus S review 00:08:00 – Google’s Nexus S official, coming December 16th to US, 20th to UK (update: $199 on contract, $529 unlocked) 00:17:07 – Google’s big week: Nexus S, Honeycomb tablets, Chrome OS laptops, and eBooks to boot 00:22:00 – Google rolls out NFC-equipped Places business kits, muscles in on location-based territory in Portland 00:27:07 – LG invents imaginary 1GHz processor requirement to say Optimus One won’t get Gingerbread 00:27:15 – LG pulls back, ‘will evaluate’ upgrading Optimus series to Gingerbread when specs and source code are public 00:27:45 – LG commits to upgrading Optimus Ones to Gingerbread, angry hordes abate 00:31:00 – Android 2.3 SDK revealed, Gingerbread improvements called out 00:31:30 – Android Honeycomb coming ‘next year,’ adds tablet support 00:32:30 – Google’s Andy Rubin live from D: Dive Into Mobile 00:47:50 – Live from Google’s Chrome event! 00:48:50 – Google Chrome OS gets detailed, first laptops from Acer and Samsung coming mid-2011 00:49:10 – Google unveils Cr-48, the first Chrome OS laptop 00:49:20 – Google Cr-48 Chrome laptop preview (update: in-depth impressions!) 00:49:30 – Google demos Chrome Web Store, rolling out later today to US (update: now live) 00:52:00 – Flash working poorly on your Google Cr-48? Adobe’s working on it 00:55:55 – Google partners with Verizon for free 3G data allowance with every Chrome OS netbook 01:03:50 – Chrome Web Store, HTML5 and the iPad: symbiosis at its best 01:16:50 – Mike Lazaridis live at D: Dive Into Mobile (with the PlayBook!) 01:18:00 – RIM’s Mike Lazaridis: QNX coming to BlackBerry phones when dual-core processors are ready 01:26:26 – The Engadget Show returns next Friday, December 17th with televisions, robots, giveaways, and more! Hear the podcast Subscribe to the podcast [ iTunes ] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [ RSS MP3 ] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [ RSS AAC ] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [ Zune ] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget Filed under: Podcasts Engadget Podcast 221 – 12.11.2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 17:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Navy’s prototype rail gun projectile hits mach 7 at 33 megajoules, our hearts skip a beat (video)
December 11, 2010 No Comment
Rail guns play a major part in nearly every fanciful battle of the future, whether it be giant robots fighting for control of the Inner Sphere or the last remaining member of Noble Team holding off the Covenant invasion for as long as possible. They’re the stuff of geeky dreams, and thanks to the US Navy they’re closer to deployment than ever. Three years ago our sea-borne force managed an 8 megajoule blast , now its researchers have more than tripled that: 33 megajoules accelerating a projectile using magnets. That power means speeds of Mach 7 for the slug and a current range of 100 miles, though the hope is for at least double that by the time these things start finding themselves mounted on the decks of battleships in 2025. At that point they’ll reduce the need for rooms full of powder charges and the associated dangers that come along with explosive shells, but will instead need to make way for what looks to be a warehouse full of capacitors. There’s a video of the thing in action below, and you’ll be sorry if you miss it. [Thanks, Jacob L.] Continue reading Navy’s prototype rail gun projectile hits mach 7 at 33 megajoules, our hearts skip a beat (video) Navy’s prototype rail gun projectile hits mach 7 at 33 megajoules, our hearts skip a beat (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Kin Studio closing January 31st, Verizon offers free phones to affected customers
December 11, 2010 No Comment
Though the final nail in the Microsoft Kin coffin has yet to be tapped into place, the software that made the pair of ill-fated handsets strangely compelling will soon get the axe. Come January 31st, Kin Studio will be no more, effectively neutering existing Kin phones by removing them from the cloud. They’ll still be able to make calls, send SMS, email, browse the web and even stream music via Zune Pass, but their formerly live homescreens will become lifeless, stripped of social networking functionality — and will actually remain stuck on their very last status update, much like a broken clock. Their online repository of pictures, videos and contacts will cease to exist, though you can back them up to a personal computer if you act now. Thankfully, Verizon seems to understands that not all Kin customers will be happy with a zombiephone, and has taken a drastic measure to help them out — through March 31st, 2011, Kin owners can trade it in for a free 3G phone of their choice. How kind. Find full Verizon FAQs on the transition at our more coverage links. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Continue reading Kin Studio closing January 31st, Verizon offers free phones to affected customers Kin Studio closing January 31st, Verizon offers free phones to affected customers originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 13:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The LG Star. The dual-core beast from the east that was once a mere twinkle in our eye has managed to find its way to the Engadget mansions, having been lent to us by a very generous (and very anonymous) tipster. It’s clearly a test device, as evidenced by its diagnostics menus and lack of a lockscreen, but there’s no disguising the power that lies within it. We put the Star through a battery of common Android benchmarks and the results were, in a word, outstanding. Basically, Tegra 2 will give anything your current phone ‘s running an inferiority complex. Join us after the break as we delve deeper into this upcoming powerhouse of a handset from LG. One thing’s for sure: CES 2011 can’t come soon enough. Gallery: LG Star hands-on Continue reading LG Star preview LG Star preview originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Android Market update streamlines content, nukes tabs, dismantles 24-hour return policy to appease devs
December 11, 2010 No Comment
Updates have been coming fast and furious to Google’s Android Market for a couple weeks now, but this is the biggest shift yet — that rusty tab-based interface is out, replaced with a rotating carousel of downloadable content, and a single scrolling pane of info for each and every app. What’s more, it seems that Mountain View has heard the cries of game companies in particular, as it’s got a couple of very special changes largely targeted at them — the size cap on individual apps has been upped to 50MB, and Android Market’s famous 24-hour return policy is no more. You’ll still have 15 minutes to decide whether you want a piece of software or prefer a refund, perhaps long enough to give it a basic test, but there’s no longer enough time to finish a game in one sitting before slyly giving it a pass. There’s also a number of behind-the-scenes changes that should help make sure you only see apps your device can actually run, based on screen size, pixel density and OpenGL support. Google’s pushing the update to every Android 1.6-and-above device over the next couple of weeks, so you can expect your app purchasing world to turn upside-down in time for Christmas cheer. Android Market update streamlines content, nukes tabs, dismantles 24-hour return policy to appease devs originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 11:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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FM transmitters may not usually be much to look at, but iKit has bucked that trend somewhat with its new AutoCon unit, which packs some illuminated touchscreen controls into a sleek, glossy black enclosure. You’ll also naturally get a 3.5mm cable to accommodate the phone or MP3 player of your choice, along with a handsfree function, and a USB car charger to keep the device itself (or your other USB devices) powered at all times. Head on past the break for the complete press release, and look for this one to set you back $45. Continue reading iKit debuts touchscreen-equipped AutoCon FM transmitter iKit debuts touchscreen-equipped AutoCon FM transmitter originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 08:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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