8/16 Engadget

Please add updates@feedmyinbox.com to your address book to make sure you receive these messages in the future. Engadget Creepy, laughter-tracking PS3 patent has us rethinking Sony's whole PlayStation Eye strategy August 15, 2009 at 10:02 pm Don't they know people look at these things? A recently awarded PS3 patent includes this harrowing "FIG. 2," which portrays a fictional idiot laughing at some "Crazy Inventors" programming, while the PS3 tracks Mr. Laugh's every movement and sound through the PlayStation Eye. The brooding, spiteful console could theoretically pick up on different moods like sadness, excitement, joy and boredom -- before presumably changing up action onscreen to quell that pesky uprising of "emotion" in the subject. [Via Joystiq] Filed under: Gaming Creepy, laughter-tracking PS3 patent has us rethinking Sony's whole PlayStation Eye strategy originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Video: BlackBerry Storm 2 gets yet another prerelease review August 15, 2009 at 8:04 pm Still not convinced that the BlackBerry Storm 2 is alive and kicking in places outside of RIM's "secure" labs up in Waterloo? How's a seven minute long video showing off this perennially-leaked device for all you skeptics? The blur-free video shows off the updated SurePress screen that only clicks when the unit's actually in use, as well as some size comparisons with the Onyx and Tour. The mystery man behind the camera says that even though his OS is super old -- at least by pre-release firmware standards -- it's much faster than the previous-gen Storm. Also interesting is the fact that WiFi doesn't appear to be present in the "Manage Connections" screen, although we can almost say with 100% certainty that there will be WiFi at launch. The full video's posted after the break, conspiracy theorists: go wild. [Thanks, bighap] Continue reading Video: BlackBerry Storm 2 gets yet another prerelease review Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds Video: BlackBerry Storm 2 gets yet another prerelease review originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments HP teaming with Dr. Dre for new 'Beats' line, music ecosystem in the works August 15, 2009 at 6:39 pm Naturally, until proven otherwise this just sounds like an excuse for a computer company to charge more for Dre-branded semi-music-related products, but according to CNET there's a bit more meat to a new deal between HP and Dr. Dre to create a line of "Beats by Dr. Dre" laptops, headphones and software. Apparently Dre, Interscope's Jimmy lovine and HP hope to foster a new "digital music ecosystem," which would boost audio quality the whole way down the chain. Sounds great if they can pull it off, and it's not like they're going it alone: they welcome Apple and other CE companies to join forces. But if anything, we're just glad to see Dre and lovine expand their gear collaboration efforts outside of Monster Cable. [Via BusinessWeek] Filed under: Portable Audio HP teaming with Dr. Dre for new 'Beats' line, music ecosystem in the works originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Xbox Micro makes the Wii look overweight August 15, 2009 at 5:08 pm Welcome to Micro Saturday at Engadget! In the absence of hard hitting stories and shocking exposés, we thought we'd turn to the lighter -- and thinner -- side of the news. Enter the Xbox Micro, a 1-inch thick celebration of all that is good and holy about the world of DIY mods. It took six months to make, with a few clever design decisions along the way, but it looks good enough to make even the ninja-black Wii suck its gut in. Comparison pics with the original behemoth are after the break, and hit the read link to see the exposed guts of this little beauty. [Thanks, Matt and Jesse] Continue reading Xbox Micro makes the Wii look overweight Filed under: Gaming Xbox Micro makes the Wii look overweight originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Zune HD's HD Radio breaks through the FCC as well August 15, 2009 at 3:35 pm Can you feel it? The Zune HD is really really real, and the FCC just rubber stamped another internal component: the onboard HD Radio. With a September 15th release date already on the books, it's not exactly a surprise that the wireless insides of the device won't fry your babies, but it's still a comforting thought. And check out that sexy label! Totally worth the second trip to FCC land. Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video Zune HD's HD Radio breaks through the FCC as well originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Apple tablet pic 'leaked': this is the real one, we can feel it August 15, 2009 at 1:33 pm Throw away everything you thought you knew about the truth. This is the one. We can't wait to stuff one awkwardly into the fake keyboard tray of our fake MacBook Micro and live life just how Apple rumor sites have always wanted us to live it. Granted, Nowhere Else has gotten some pretty great scoops in the past, so we won't rule anything out just now. The pic above lines up pretty well with all the rumors we've heard so far -- which sort of helps and sort of hinders its veracity in our eyes. Nowhere Else isn't calling it either way, if that helps you in your soul search for the truth. Another pic is after the break. Update: Eagle-eyed tipster Terry points out that the "Welcome" graphic is an easy spot on Google Image Search, with that exact configuration and timing of converging letters from Leopard's intro video showing up in the very first result. Try it for yourself! Not a good sign, folks. [Via Boy Genius Report] Continue reading Apple tablet pic 'leaked': this is the real one, we can feel it Filed under: Tablet PCs Apple tablet pic 'leaked': this is the real one, we can feel it originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments CRISTAL combines 'The Sims' and Surface for full room control August 15, 2009 at 12:09 pm Have you ever yearned for more immediate control over your surroundings? No, we don't mean Magneto car-flipping abilities. We mean more like wrangling all of the gear in a room into some kind of understandable and connected system. If you said yes -- and you're a Sims aficionado -- you'll want to check into CRISTAL. We're not talking expensive champagne here, we're talking about the "Control of Remotely Interfaced Systems using Touch-based Actions in Living spaces" system (c'mon, it sort of makes sense). The premise is simple: instead of having to juggle multiple remotes and input systems to deal with a room full of technology, CRISTAL merges a Surface-like touch area (your coffee table in this scenario), an overhead camera, and connected devices to form a frighteningly intuitive control scheme. The idea allows for all sorts of handy arrangements, like being able to virtually drag media from a server on one side of the room to your TV on the other, dim lights in a particular area by swiping on that location, or draw a path for a Roomba to clean using the overhead view. Right now this is just a research project, of course, but the team working on the concept believes costs could move down from the astronomic $10,000-$15,000 the setup would cost now to a more affordable range. Until that happens, you'll have the video of CRISTAL in action after the break. Continue reading CRISTAL combines 'The Sims' and Surface for full room control Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household, Networking CRISTAL combines 'The Sims' and Surface for full room control originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Nissan says its new electric car, the Leaf, gets 367 miles per gallon August 15, 2009 at 9:02 am Nissan's gotten into a bit of a bragging contest on Twitter -- possibly fueled by Chevrolet's recent, shaky claim that the Volt will get 230 miles per gallon. The company is now saying that its new electric car, the Leaf, will get an astonishing 367 miles per gallon... even though it's a 100 percent electric car, and runs on absolutely no fuel. So, isn't that zero miles per gallon? Well, yes and no: all these massive numbers are based on both the Department of Energy and the EPA's calculations for estimating equivalencies in electric cars. Why? Well, it seems that car companies are still giving us -- the prospective buying public -- MPG figures because they think that's what we understand best. Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for Chevy's Volt recently admitted to the New York Times that the miles per gallon matrix is "probably not the best measure of goodness" for a car that uses no gallons at all, but that it's "what people are accustomed to." We agree -- he's got a point -- but people were also accustomed to the hi-fi, the corded landline, and the steam engine. We assure you: people understand that a car that runs on zero gas (and therefore gets an astonishingly low amount of miles per gallon) is really, really awesome. So the MPG matrix is useless when talking about electric cars -- we'll adjust! Read - Nissan claims 367 miles per gallon for electric Leaf Read - The Chevy Volt: mileage numerology Filed under: Transportation Nissan says its new electric car, the Leaf, gets 367 miles per gallon originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments The MacBook Micro is here, also might have a camera August 15, 2009 at 6:08 am Guys, the MacBook Micro has been announced. You're going to love it. It's three things: a Powebook from 1998, a student's art project, and a really short email. We hear it may boast a camera, too. Check out the gallery below to see this wonder of modern technology doing its thing... you will not be disappointed. [Thanks, James] Gallery: MacBook Micro Filed under: Desktops, Tablet PCs The MacBook Micro is here, also might have a camera originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 05:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments How would you change Nokia's N97? August 15, 2009 at 3:02 am It's the phone that Nokia should've used to introduced the world to Symbian S60 5th edition, but is it the "hero"-type device that it was marketed as? Nokia's N97 is undoubtedly expensive, debatably beautiful and thoroughly polarizing (as two of our own found out). While it's impossible to say the handset was introduced to go head-to-head with Apple's iPhone (the whole "only sold off contract" thing kind of hampers that), there's little doubt that this phone was Espoo's most significant attempt yet to make a name for itself in the full-touchscreen smartphone market. If you handed over the handful of C-notes required to take this bad boy home, why not tell us exactly how you feel now that you're an owner? What would you like to see changed on Nokia's next attempt? What measures up? What falls short? You've got one shot (maybe two, depending on the mood of our comment system) -- don't screw it up. Filed under: Cellphones How would you change Nokia's N97? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Apple iPAD outed in Borders bookstore survey? August 15, 2009 at 12:41 am Now, we don't really know what to think about this one, considering how many rumors are swirling about upcoming Apple devices at the moment, but make of it what you will. An online survey currently being conducted by Borders bookstore lists the "Apple iPAD (large screen reading device)" in one of its questions about e-readers. There along with the Amazon Kindle, the Kindle DX, the Sony Reader and the Plastic Logic Reader is the option to check "I plan to buy an Apple IPAD this year." It's safe to say that there are two options here: either Borders has access to some privileged Apple tablet / Kindle killer info that we, the wondering masses, do not (and yet is still making blunders like "Blackberry" and "Apple iTouch") -- or they're just assuming that there must be some truth to all the fuss. And hey, who could blame them? Like we said, we're not going to put too much stock in it, but go ahead and hit the read link to take the survey for yourself -- but be forewarned: you're going to have to dish on your opinion of Dan Brown before you get to the good stuff. [Via MacLife, thanks AC] Filed under: Handhelds Apple iPAD outed in Borders bookstore survey? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments   This email was sent to topblogsofthenet@gmail.com.  Manage Your Account Don't want to receive this feed any longer? Unsubscribe here.