HTC Droid Eris peeks its head out once more, shows off 5MP camera

Hey, HTC — we’re onto you. We know you’re a little upset that the lower-end Droid Eris isn’t getting much attention now that the DROID is all over Verizon’s marketing agenda, but it’s not like we don’t feel your pain. For those interested in spending a full Benjamin less on their next Android handset (on Big Red, anyway), the Droid Eris looks to offer that very solution, and now a few more sneak peeks have shown that a 5 megapixel camera (with a video record mode) is gracing the rear. We’re also told that WiFi will be onboard (right, VZW?), and a bundle of joy will also be thrown in after mail-in rebate. Whatever that means.

Read – Boy Genius Report
Read – phoneArena

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HTC Droid Eris peeks its head out once more, shows off 5MP camera originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clean Air from AirManager

airmanager.jpg

Iconoculture: For those who fear deplaning with bugs they originally didn’t board with, global defense and aerospace company BAE Systems and Quest International have joined to develop a filtration system that removes viruses, bacteria and pollutants from cabin air.

AirManager, which can be retrofit to existing airline air conditioning systems, zaps particles with electrons, effectively sterilizing air and reducing the spread of disease on-board. Quest claims AirManager destroys swine flu, avian flu, MRSA and other airborne bugs.

AirManager makes plane air pure air [Iconoculture]

Sprint: Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile Updates Coming

Sprint executive David Owens sat down for a virtual chat on Sprint’s Web site with consumers today, and updated folks with some good news about his carrier’s plans.
  • Google Android OS updates are coming for the HTC Hero and Samsung Moment. While he didn’t specify a version – 1.6 or 2.0 – HTC has previously confirmed that they’re working on an Android 2.0 update for the Hero. 
  • Combination CDMA/GSM Android phones are also “a possibility but nothing this year.”
  • They’re considering an Android phone with a built-in MiFi-type router.
  • Android phones will get less expensive “as we see volume across the industry.”
  • Lots of HTC and BlackBerry phones coming next year. HTC phones “will be on the Android platform.” 
  • Sprint will “add Wi-Fi to [the BlackBerry] Tour” and have other Wi-Fi BlackBerries going forward.
  • They’re testing Windows Mobile 6.5 updates for the HTC Touch Pro2 and other Windows phones; “plan for early 2010.”
  • They want Windows Mobile 7.0 “as soon as possible, but dependent on Microsoft.”
  • Expect WiMAX phones next year.
  • No tethering for phones that require Everything plans (such as all smartphones) from here on out.
So, some stuff we knew, some we didn’t, but it’s all welcome and interesting. Looks like 2010 will be a very big year for Android.

ASUS to launch 3G, WiMAX-equipped e-book readers by March, 2010?

We’ve already heard some talk that ASUS might possibly be launching an e-book reader before the end of the year that may or may not be the world’s cheapest, and it looks like some unnamed execs at the company have now dropped a few more details on the matter. While it’s all still far from official, CENS reports that ASUS’ e-book reader could hit both American and European carriers by March, 2010, and that it’ll include both 3G and WiMAX versions (plus WiFi, naturally), but presumably not a version with both 3G and WiMAX. As previously rumored, the e-book reader is also said to have a larger than usual 9-inch screen, and those same unnamed execs reportedly say its price will be “competitive” with the Kindle and Sony’s e-readers.

[Via SlashGear]

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ASUS to launch 3G, WiMAX-equipped e-book readers by March, 2010? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pavegen taps pedestrians for power in East London (video)

When we were kids, we assumed that in the future everything would be powered by tiny nuclear fusion reactors: automobiles, toothbrushes, time machines (apparently we read a lot of sci-fi from the 1950s). The truth, as usual, is more mundane than all that: some of the more promising advances we’ve seen in green energy has been kinetic, taking the movement of automobiles or the tides and converting it into electricity. Pavegen, for example, can be set in public walkways to generate as much as 2.1 watts of electricity per hour from the footsteps of grizzled pedestrians. Using marine grade stainless steel and recycled materials, just five of these bad boys distributed over a well-worn sidewalk should be able to generate enough energy to keep a bus stop going all night. If not put into nearby lighting, the units are equipped with lithium polymer batteries for storage. Currently being tested in East London, look for them throughout the UK in 2010. Video after the break.

[Via Inhabitat]

Continue reading Pavegen taps pedestrians for power in East London (video)

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Pavegen taps pedestrians for power in East London (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple TV 3.0 Software Is Out, New Interface Looks Fugly

Atten-shun! The new Apple TV 3.0 is out. As rumored, it includes iTunes Extras, iTunes LP, and Genius Mixes, but also a surprise: A new user interface. Question: Is Steve Jobs too busy overseeing the tablet development? This looks uggghsome:

Conceptually, it reminds me of the PS3. More straightforward than the previous version. Graphically, it seems very unlike Apple. In fact, it looks like crap. I guess His Steveness is too busy doing the funky tablet shaking and whipping the iPhone OS people.

Update 1: We are downloading the update now and it’s huge. Actually, our connection is just crappy. And then, the updater needs to update before updating the software. So not only the update brings all this new stuff, but it also opens worm holes in the spacetime fabric.

Update 2: It is taking ages.

Apple Introduces Apple TV 3.0 Software With Redesigned User Interface

Enjoy iTunes Extras, iTunes LP & Genius Mixes on Your HD TV

CUPERTINO, Calif., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple® today introduced new Apple TV® 3.0 software featuring a redesigned main menu that makes navigating your favorite content simpler and faster, and makes enjoying the largest selection of on-demand HD movie rentals and purchases, HD TV shows, music and podcasts from the iTunes® Store even better on your TV. You can now enjoy iTunes Extras and iTunes LP in stunning fullscreen with your Apple TV, as well as listen to Genius Mixes and Internet radio through your home theater system. The new Apple TV software is available immediately free of charge to existing Apple TV owners, and Apple TV with 160GB capacity is available for just $229.

“The new software for Apple TV features a simpler and faster interface that gives you instant access to your favorite content,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of Internet Services. “HD movies and HD TV shows from iTunes have been a huge hit with Apple TV customers, and with Apple TV 3.0 they get great new features including iTunes Extras, Genius Mixes and Internet radio.”

The redesigned main menu on Apple TV gives you instant access to your favorite content. Recently rented or purchased movies, as well as other content including TV shows, music, podcasts, photos and YouTube, are accessible directly from the new main menu. The new software also allows Apple TV users to enjoy stunning fullscreen iTunes Extras and iTunes LP, including great new movie titles such as “Star Trek” or classics like “The Wizard of Oz” and albums such as Taylor Swift’s “Fearless (Platinum Edition)” and Jack Johnson’s “En Concert.” iTunes Extras gives movie fans great additional content such as deleted scenes, interviews and interactive galleries. iTunes LP is the next evolution of the music album, delivering a rich, immersive experience for select albums on the iTunes Store by combining beautiful design with expanded visual features like live performance videos, lyrics, artwork, liner notes, interviews, photos, album credits and more.

Now Apple TV users can enjoy Genius Mixes through their home theater system and listen to up to 12 endless mixes of songs that go great together, automatically generated from their iTunes library. Customers can also enjoy Internet radio, allowing them to browse and listen to thousands of Internet radio stations, as well as tag favorite stations to listen to later. Apple TV’s support of HD photos is enhanced with iPhoto Events, which simplifies finding your favorite photos on Apple TV, as well as iPhoto® Faces, which gives access to photos organized by people identified in iPhoto.

Apple TV users have direct access to a catalog of over 8,000 Hollywood films on iTunes including over 2,000 in stunning HD video available for rent or purchase. Users can also choose from a selection of 11 million songs, 10,000 music videos and over 50,000 TV episodes to purchase directly from their Apple TV or browse and enjoy the iTunes Store podcast directory of over 175,000 free video and audio podcasts. Purchases downloaded to Apple TV are automatically synced back to iTunes on the user’s computer for enjoyment on their Mac® or PC or all current generation iPods or iPhones.* iPod touch® or iPhone® users can download the free Remote app from the App Store to control their Apple TV with a simple tap or flick of the finger.

Apple patents headset MP3 player

Illustration of Apple headset.

An Apple patent design shows what would happen if its iPod Shuffle and Bluetooth headset mated.

(Credit:
United States Patent Application)

In a future where we’re all walking around wondering how our iPod brain implants came to exist, historians can point back to this Apple patent application from 2008 …

Make easy time-lapse movies with your iPhone

Watching ice cubes melt is much more fun when you speed it up. iPhone app Timelapser lets you do it right on your phone.

(Credit:
Josh Lowensohn/CNET)

Time-lapse movies can be a complicated affair, and quite often involve either a lot of special equipment, and/or post-processing skills. For just a buck though, you can use the recently released Timelapser app (link opens in iTunes) to turn your iPhone into a tool that can do this time-bending filming technique using nothing more than the onboard camera.

Timelapser's interface tells you how long your movie will be, and how many shots it's taken.

(Credit:
CNET)

Depending on what model of phone you have you can use the app to take a picture anywhere from every three seconds to once per half hour. All the while it grabs each frame and stitches it into a movie that’s saved on the phone, and that can also be e-mailed to friends.

Of course if you really want to cook with gas, you’ll need an iPhone 3GS, which lets you speed up how fast the phone can take shots. Alas, with my lowly 3G I was limited to taking a shot every six seconds. Owners of the original iPhone have to step it down to eight seconds.

The app has a wealth of settings that let you pick things like how large the video’s resolution is, how many frames per second it should be, and how long you want the delay to be before it starts shooting. This can be useful if you’re propping up your phone somewhere and need time to set up your scene. Users can also use the app just to take a series of photos one after another which get saved in your phone’s camera roll.

As I noted when I checked out the IP Camera app, which can turn your iPhone into a networked security camera, the very best way to use this app is with one of Apple’s fancy docks. You can also just prop it up with whatever you may have laying about the house, but with the dock you get the benefit of…

Originally posted at Web Crawler

Fuji Heavy Industries outs friendless, autonomous farming robot

Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan has announced what it’s calling ‘the first’ autonomous farming robot. This bot, which is about six and a half feet long and runs on gas, sends and receives laser signals to orient itself by way of reflective plates placed every 30 feet, using them to judge distances. This bad boy can grow fruits and veggies all by its lonesome, and can even operate in a greenhouse. The farming robot — which is expected early next year — will run about $100,000, but we’d suggest you buy two so he can have a buddy.

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Fuji Heavy Industries outs friendless, autonomous farming robot originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford announces open source Sync platform for third-party developers

Ford Sync in the Flex

Want to tweet with Ford's Sync? There’s an app for that.

(Credit:
CNET)

When Ford and Microsoft opened up their joint Sync platform for its own applications and updates, we wondered how long it would take before third-party developers would be given a crack at the in-vehicle …

Originally posted at The Car Tech blog