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Alt-week 11.17.12: freestyle brain scans, hovering moon base and robot dolphin replacements
HTC Droid DNA review
HTC Windows Phone 8X for T-Mobile: what's different?
Engadget's holiday gift guide 2012: tablets
iRobot's RP-VITA mobile telepresence robot iPad app eyes-on (video)
It's a mouthful, we know, but the gist of the below video is this: a few months back, iRobot unveiled RP-VITA, a teleconferencing robot with a rolling base. The company's got all sorts of plans for the 'bot, but is starting things off with medical applications. It's co-branded the device with InTouch Health, positioning it as a method for allowing doctors to tend to patients remotely. An iRobot employee took RP-VITA for a spin around InTouch's Southern California mock hospital location, courtesy of an iPad at the robotics company's Bedford, MA location.
The interface appears to be quite user-friendly -- just touch a location and RP-VITA starts driving, using its sensors to avoid obstacles along the way as a video feed show you where you're going. Once you reach a patient, you can tap on their image to interact with them (in the case of the dummies in the demo, however, that was easier said than done, of course). Along the bottom, the app offers the doctor large, easy-to-read vitals.
Check out a full video of the demo after the break.
Microsoft outlines Play To for Windows 8 developers, shows media sharing just a heartbeat away
Play To is often an unsung advantage of Windows 8; it's the key to spreading media throughout the home without jumping through hoops, much like Apple's AirPlay or the more universal Miracast. Microsoft wants those quieter Windows advocates to pipe up a bit. It just posted a sweeping developer overview of Play To support that addresses the basics and dives into the nitty-gritty details. The biggest takeaway may be that programmers sometimes don't have to do anything -- unprotected music and video in common formats are usually shareable as a matter of course, and it's only with photos or complicated conditions like playlists that a "contract" is needed to reach another screen or speaker. The document does have some warnings for developers, however, both official and otherwise. There's a (fairly evasive) explanation as to why copy-protected media won't work, while commenters remind us that hardware compatibility isn't as surefire as we'd always like. Any developers who want their media apps to shine on an XPS 12, however, could still find the guide to be just what they need.
Android 4.2 bug omits December from the People app, makes end-of-year birthdays even less bearable
The launch of Android 4.2 brought a welcome smattering of extra features to the mobile world, but a recently discovered bug omits something slightly important: namely, the month of December. Dive into the People app on any device using the new OS, and the last 31 days of the year will be unavailable for contacts' anniversaries and similar special occasions. Google is aware of the flaw, although it hasn't yet said when it will have a fix in place. We've reached out to get a more definitive timetable for a solution beyond just what's implied by the Gregorian calendar. In the meantime, don't lean too heavily on that smartphone to remember an imminent birthday; people born in December are stiffed out of enough presents as it is.
[Thanks, Waverunnr]
[Thanks, Waverunnr]
Qeexo's FingerSense lets touchscreens listen, makes any object an input device (video)
While the humble touchscreen has become the standard interface for most smartphones, and capacitive displays make it a painless experience, the folk at start-up Qeexo think things could still be improved. It's developed a technology called FingerSense that could add even more functionality. Essentially, by using a small acoustic sensor, it measures the vibrations as objects tap the screen, and can tell the difference between them. So, for example, a knuckle tap could be used for "right-click." The tech is able to spot the difference between materials, too, so even when no finger is involved, it can register input, a great assistance to those with longer fingernails. The fun doesn't stop there, though, with the demo video after the break showing a Galaxy SIII with a modified display, able to register stylus input, even without official support for it. More input options can never be a bad thing, and if nothing else, it could certainly make those GarageBand drumming sessions a little more interesting.
Nintendo Wii U review
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Nintendo's new console is an anomaly in the game console ecosystem, but not for Nintendo. The company that -- in just the last decade -- popularized stylus-powered gaming, microphone-powered gaming and motion-based gaming, is once again pushing game control inputs forward. And just like its previous consoles, lessons learned from past hardware build the foundation of its latest effort: the Wii U and its bizarre-looking, but conventionally named, "GamePad."
The Wii U console itself, for instance, looks almost exactly like the original Wii. It's longer (10.6 inches vs. 8.5 inches for the Wii), a bit rounder on the edges, and there's an HDMI port out back, but overall it's quite similar to its squatter predecessor. It's enough that you'd get the two confused if they were sitting in the same entertainment center. Naturally, the beefed-up internals and Wii backwards compatibility mean you'll likely be replacing the ol' virtual tennis machine should you choose to pick one up.
Of course, the GamePad is the real star of the show here, bolstered by Nintendo's ambitious "TVii" experiment. Everyone's favorite Italian plumber looks super in HD, no doubt, but how software employs the multifaceted touchscreen tablet / traditional game controller hybrid is what really matters. So, how does the Wii U fare? Find out below.
Note: Nintendo delayed TVii into December, and the majority of promised functionality was not made available to reviewers ahead of the console's November 18th release date (including crucial components like online infrastructure, the Miiverse social network, Nintendo Network, Nintendo TVii, and Wii backwards compatibility). As such, we're updating our review as we use those features, post-launch.
Ask Engadget: best universal remote?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Marc and Jack, who are going ocean-mad with all of their remote controls. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
Marc wrote
"My home theater currently has seven remote controls, which I'd like to narrow down. I know there are solutions available which are massively arcane, but is there something simple that the crowd can recommend?"
Jack wrote
"Can you recommend a universal remote control that works with a PS3 and Apple TV that doesn't suck?"
Well friends,
- Gear 4's Unity remote has earned rave reviews thanks to its ease of use and near universal application (except for the PS3)
- While Griffin's Beacon offers the same capability, but also works with Android devices
- If you're serious about including the PS3 in your setup, you could splash out on Logitech's Harmony IR-to-Bluetooth adapter.
But perhaps, out there, is something even better. That's where you, the Engadget Faithful come in. Why not share your experience (or your product) in the comments below?
PSA: Nintendo Wii U day-one patch now live, includes entire online infrastructure
It's well past midnight, you're home with your brand new Nintendo Wii U -- now what? Well, you've got yourself a hefty firmware update to download should you wish to do anything other than play disc-based Wii U games. Say, for instance, you wanna check out Nintendo's Mii-based social network, Miiverse? You're gonna need that update. Or you want to check out the digital storefront, the eShop? Update. Browse the internet? Up ... you get the picture. The file download clocks in at just over an hour (at least on our retail units ahead of launch), and the install takes another five minutes, so we'd suggest you grab it ASAP before the rest of the world is trying to hungrily snap it up as well. Remember: your brand new Wii U can do literally nothing outside of build Miis and play disc-based games before the update, so don't go freaking out when your console seems to be missing a few key functions out of the box.
And no, this doesn't include Nintendo TVii, which Nintendo says won't arrive until some time in December. We'll update this post with more specifics as we explore the update further, so keep an eye out!
Update: The update includes, from what we've seen thus far, the entire eShop, Miiverse, an internet browser, and access to Netflix. Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, and YouTube remain conspicuously absent, but should be available "in the coming weeks" (per Nintendo's update earlier this week). Backwards compatibility is also packed in the update, in form of the entire original Wii menu (which makes us feel like we just downloaded the entire Wii console to our Wii U -- the future!). The Wii U actually fully resets to launch the Wii menu, and can only be navigated using a classic Wii remote control. Kinda bogus, but it sure is nice having a full Wii built in to the Wii U.
Update 2: Netflix is a separate download required (an update) for use.
Google Play Store update on Android brings post-install suggestions, translations
Google likes to stealthily roll out Google Play Store updates for Android users on a frequent basis, whether it's to add new sections or to encourage a little more impulse shopping. We'd put a brand new revision in that last camp. The 3.10.9 tweak no longer just leaves us lingering at an app's page during an installation: start the process and the store offers suggestions based on fellow adopters' habits as well as a shortcut back to the main portal. Language mismatches in the store could also be a thing of the past with an option to translate descriptions into the device owner's native tongue. Along with a quicker way to add Google+ friends and get better app recommendations, Google's refresh is clearly built to remove those last points of hesitation before trying something new; if the app drawer is looking a little bare, hit the source link (or wait for an automatic update) to fill up.
Alt-week 11.17.12: freestyle brain scans, hovering moon base and robot dolphin replacements
Alt-week takes a look at the best science and alternative tech stories from the last seven days.
This week we're all over the place. Sorry about that, but it's all for the greater good. We start things off right down at the quantum level, then head to the oceans, before a quick jaunt into space before landing back deep inside your mind. All in the name of science, of course. Science and hip-hop that is. This is alt-week.
Green Throttle Games Atlas and Arena hands-on (video)
Amid Nintendo's latest piece of kit and the buzz for the next generation of home consoles, a quiet voice is whispering in the consumer's ear: Android, it says. Between dual-analog gamepads, crowd funded hardware and hardcore gaming tablets, Google's mobile OS is gaining ground among gamers. It certainly has Guitar Hero co-creator Charles Huang's attention -- he's teamed up with Matt Crowley and Karl Townsend (who both had a hand in building various Palm devices) to create Green Throttle Games, an outfit that joins the ever-growing legion of firms out to convert your Android device into a full fledged gaming console. How's it work? We dropped by their Santa Clara offices to find out.
iRobot's DARPA-funded mechanical hand can take a beating, lift 50 pounds
Most companies might think twice about inflicting blunt force trauma upon their carefully crafted prototypes, but most companies just don't love baseball the way iRobot does. While developing a mechanical hand for DARPA's Autonomous Robotic Manipulation program, iRobot took a metalbaseball bat to its three-fingered prototype. No need to cringe, though -- the artificial appendage came away virtually unscathed. The hand's durability comes from its flexible feelers, fingers molded from soft polymers with embedded tactile sensors. Rather than bending at metallic joints, these digits are pulled tight by inexpensive cables made from fishing line -- not only can they take a beating, but should one snap, they're easy to replace. The soft fingers can pick up small objects, such as keys or credit cards and can hold about 50 pounds before slipping up. The hand's current iteration is in use on a DARPA test robot, but you can see the prototype take its licks in the video after the break.
Apple pulling the plug on Messages beta for OS X Lion on December 14th
Apple is notifying OS X Lion users that the platform's preview of Messages will end on December 14th. Originally available as a free beta download for Lion 10.7, Messages went on to become an official feature of Mountain Lion 10.8. Obtained by Cult of Mac, the email from Apple advises that in order to continue using Messages, you'll need to upgrade to Mountain Lion. While it's saddening to have pay for an app that you're accustomed to having for free, keep in mind that this was only a preview. Besides, the upgrade to Mountain Lion is $20 and if you can afford any of Apple's products, we're pretty sure that this expense won't be too much of a stretch. Be sure to take a look at the email in question after the break, because it could be lurking somewhere in your junk mail folder.
Algoriddim's vjay gets remixed for iPhone, mobile movies meet the mash-up (video)
When it comes to holding the party down on an iPad or iPhone, djay by Algoriddim's been a front-runnerever since it came out. Then came vjay for video spinning iPad owners. Now, that video follow-up is ready for the main arena, as it's just been release for iPhone / iPod touch. Now you can mash-up your favorite videos right on your phone, add soundtracks to your existing clips, and throw down some effects for good measure. If you kinda dig what you create, you can -- of course -- share it with the world, or throw it up on the big screen. Not sure your cat clips will cut the mustard? Worry not, as there's purpose-made bundled content thrown in with the deal. And at just $0.99, it won't hurt the pocket it was built for, either.
Microsoft announces SkyDrive SDKs for .NET and Windows Phone 8, highlights web integration
After the introduction of new APIs last year, Microsoft has released SkyDrive SDKs for almost every major platform including Windows 8, JavaScript Web library, Android and iOS. Now the cloud service has opened its doors to more of Microsoft's own with new SDKs for .NET and of course, Windows Phone 8. To entice even more developers to its side, the team at SkyDrive also integrated with services like IFTTT (If This Then That), which lets you customize action triggers between different web services, DocuSign, an electronic signature site and SoundGecko, a text-to-audio transcription service. It'll likely take a lot of work for SkyDrive to win over fans of Dropbox and Box.net, but opening up its doors to developers is a step in the right direction.
Lenovo's upcoming five-inch 1080p phone to feature dual-SIM connectivity
By now you should already know that HTC, Sharp and Oppo share a common theme: 1080p display on their five-inch phones. As it turns out, Lenovo also wants in on the VIP list. Spotted on Sina Weibo earlier this week (but have since been deleted) are the above three screenshots showing off Lenovo's customized Android UI in 1080p glory. As with many phones in China these days, the device in question supports dual-SIM connectivity -- the screenshots indicate that it's connected to China Telecom's CDMA2000 network and China Mobile's 2G network simultaneously.
Our own source wouldn't directly confirm that it's a five-inch display on this mysterious phone, but we were told that it'll be somewhere between 4.5 inches and 5.5 inches -- we'll take that as a yes, especially since the only 1080p mobile panels available right now are the five-inch, 440ppi ones from Sharp and JDI. Our source also said the phone's entered DVT (Design Verification Test) phase for some time, so it might not be long before we hear an official announcement in China. As always, stay tuned.
Netflix finally comes to Linux! (Sort of...)
Netflix's reluctance to support playback on Linux computers is infamous notorious ridiculous well documented. Well, while the company isn't ready to officially start streaming to your Ubuntu box, youcan gain access to its vast library with a specially patched version of Wine. For those of you that don't know, Wine is a compatibility layer that allows Windows apps to run under Linux. Fire up the Windows version of Firefox with this version of the software, install Microsoft's Silverlight and voilà -- Netflix on Linux. Unfortunately, that makes the whole ordeal sound a lot simpler than it is. For the moment you'll need to download Wine from its Git repository, then download and apply five different patches. Then you'll have to download and install Firefox 14.0.1 and Silverlight 4, neither of which are the current (read: easy to find) versions. So far the hack is only confirmed to work on the 32-bit version of Ubuntu 12.10, but we imagine getting it up and running on other distros shouldn't be too difficult. The work around should get easier once the crafty devs get a PPA up and running that will streamline installation. If you're the impatient type you can hit up the source link to get complete instructions.
Kohler's Moxie shower head makes it rain music, sticks with you all morning
Like to sing in the shower? Take a seat on your grandma's old bathing stool -- your own shower head is about to show you up. Kohler's latest water dispersal nozzle, Moxie, features a detachable Bluetooth speaker secured in the shower head's center with a magnet. It sounds like a bad Yakov Smirnoff gag: inSoviet Russia, shower sings to you! The speaker pops off the sprayer when it's time to towel off, and promises to provide up to seven hours of sudsy tunes before needing a recharge. The only thing it seems to be missing is a water powered micro-turbine. Read on for Kohler's official press release.
'Tis the season: Amazon now offering customizable video gift cards from JibJab
Amazon announced a partnership with digital media company JibJab on Friday that will introduce free, personalized video gift cards to its customers. This new feature gives you the option to attach pictures to over 50 pre-themed videos, which includes holidays, birthdays and other special occasions. Customers can load up to $2,000 on a video gift card, which can be sent instantly or at a scheduled date and time via email or a Facebook wall post. The cards never expire and recipients can share their videos throughTwitter, Facebook, Pinterest or email, while keeping the gift's cash value private. So, if gift cards from the people with the smile on the box rank high on your holiday wish list, get ready to have your inbox hit with a barrage of disco grannies and snowball-throwing elf cat videos.
PSA: HTC One X+, five other devices from ASUS, HTC, Novatel and Samsung on sale at AT&T
American carriers love to launch their device lines in bundles, and AT&T just proved the rule in style. Forget the LTE iPad mini -- six other devices have shipped in one day, covering just about every category Big Blue offers. Want a Windows tablet? There's a $500 ASUS VivoTab RT waiting for you. Smartphones? HTC's $200 One X+ covers the high-end, while its $50 One VX and Samsung's $100Galaxy Express target the more frugal among us. Even shutterbugs and cutting-edge networkers can pick up a $500 Samsung Galaxy Camera or Novatel's $50 MiFi Liberate hotspot. There's no doubt that AT&T is cramming the channel full of new gadgets in the hopes of scooping up all the Black Friday sales it can, but we'll forgive the slightly cynical strategy for the sake of a wider device selection.
Amazon stops testing monthly Prime subscriptions, leaves the results a mystery
Amazon's trial periods must be as quick as its shipping -- just days after we first learned that it was testing monthly subscriptions for Amazon Prime, the online retailer has already put a halt to the program. A spokesperson says only that the company has "completed" its testing and has stopped taking sign-ups. We haven't been told whether or not the test was successful, although it's not hard to see the math working against Amazon's experiment when a $79 yearly Prime subscription is unquestionably the better deal. Chalk up the rapid-fire testing to the competitive heat in the streaming video world.
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