Apr 26

Apple IIe hacked into Twitter station, still looks better than most digiframes

Posted in: Apple, hack, mod, Today's Chili, twitter, video
This project has all the hallmarks of a classic hack: obsolete hardware, a somewhat frivolous function, and thrilling 8-bit graphics. As you can imagine, getting to the point where this Apple IIe could display Tweets was no mean feat! Custom 6502 assembler code on the PC sends Twitter updates (and user avatars dumbed down to 8-bit) over a custom USB-to-joystick port interface on the Apple. One can even save the data to a 5.25-inch floppy — you know, because most Tweets are worth archiving for later, even if you must do so in a dead storage format. See it in action after the break!

Continue reading Apple IIe hacked into Twitter station, still looks better than most digiframes

Apple IIe hacked into Twitter station, still looks better than most digiframes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 26

When not to buy a new camera

Posted in: Today's Chili

Regardless of your skills as a photographer there’s one time when you don’t want to buy a new camera.

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Apr 26

Return of the foldable Stowaway keyboard

Posted in: Today's Chili

Japanese peripheral maker Thanko is out with a replica of the Think Outside Stowaway keyboard from 10 years ago.

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Apr 26

Virginia Tech researchers reveal full-sized CHARLI-L humanoid robot (update: video!)

Posted in: robot, Today's Chili
Dr. Dennis Hong was kind enough to give us a glimpse the CHARLI robot on The Engadget Show this weekend — or its leg, anyway — but he and his students have just now finally revealed the full-sized bot that’s been described as a “robot teenager.” As we’d heard, CHARLI is actually a series of robots that initially consists of the 5-foot tall CHARLI-L (or lightweight, pictured above), and the forthcoming CHARLI-H (or heavy), both of which are completely autonomous, with a full range of movements and gestures thanks to a series of pulleys, springs, carbon fiber rods, and actuators (not to mention some slightly more mysterious AI). What’s more, while CHARLI-L is currently restricted to walking on flat surfaces, CHARLI-H promises to be able to walk on the uneven ground around the Virginia Tech campus, and eventually even be able to “run, jump, kick, open doors, pick up objects, and do just about anything a real person can do.” Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any video of CHARLI-L in action just yet, and it is still somewhat of a work in progress — the researchers say it will be able to speak soon, and they’re also busily working to improve its soccer skills in time for this year’s RoboCup.

[Thanks, Kyle]

Update: Video is now after the break!

Continue reading Virginia Tech researchers reveal full-sized CHARLI-L humanoid robot (update: video!)

Virginia Tech researchers reveal full-sized CHARLI-L humanoid robot (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 26

Google updates Nexus One page, tells Verizon customers to get a Droid Incredible instead (update: the Verizon Nexus One is dead)

Posted in: Android, availability, Google, NeXus, nexus one, NexusOne, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless

Now this, this is all kinds of silly. Google has been busy updating its phone sales site, and the latest word for Verizon Wireless subscribers encourages them to look at the “similarly feature-packed” cousin of the Nexus One, the Incredible. Importantly, what’s missing from the new wording is the “coming soon” tag, suggesting that for all intents and purposes the Nexus has been obviated by the arrival of the Incredible. In a separate blog post updating us on carrier partnerships, Google again reiterates its mini-advert for the new HTC phone on Verizon while keeping mum about the Nexus One’s future. A true CDMA variant of le superphone should still be coming wearing Sprint regalia, but it’s disappointing to see Google use such doublespeak techniques. Is the Verizon Nexus canceled or not?

Update: We just heard back from Google — the Verizon Nexus One is dead; long live the Incredible. Here’s the official statement:

We won’t be selling a Nexus One with Verizon, and this is a reflection of the amazing innovation happening across the open Android ecosystem. Verizon Wireless customers who want an Android phone with the power of the Nexus One can get the Droid Incredible by HTC.

Now, that’s certainly reasonable, given the similarities between the Nexus One and the Incredible, but here’s a question: given that the Incredible runs Sense on top of Android, isn’t the closest Verizon analogue to the Nexus One experience actually the Droid, which runs stock Android 2.1? Considering Motorola’s recent moves away from Google, maybe this is a sign of something deeper.

Google updates Nexus One page, tells Verizon customers to get a Droid Incredible instead (update: the Verizon Nexus One is dead) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 26

Rumor: Intel to launch Atom N500 series in June, ASUS netbooks to follow

Posted in: ASUS, intel, netbook, rumor, Today's Chili

Details on this one are pretty light at the moment, but DigiTimes is reporting that Intel will be launching its Atom N500 series of dual-core processors this June. That word comes from the site’s “sources from notebook players,” who also say that Intel will be revealing more details on its third generation netbook platform at the same time. Unfortunately, that’s about as specific as they’re getting right now, but there are naturally some netbooks rumored to be launching alongside the new processors as well, with ASUS apparently already planning at least one N500-based netbook for the third quarter of this year that will sell for around $575. Of course, Intel itself isn’t saying any more on the matter than it did during its recent earnings call, but the timing of the rumor does line up suspiciously well with this year’s Computex (June 1-5), which would be as good a place as any for a big netbook-related launch

Rumor: Intel to launch Atom N500 series in June, ASUS netbooks to follow originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 26

PS3 finally ready to yield profit for each sold

Posted in: Today's Chili

As recently as February, Sony was still losing around $18 per every PlayStation 3 sold. A whole three and a half years after the console’s November 2006 launch, it appears that a new component will finally allow for a profit to be made on each system.

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Apr 26

iPhone Wi-Fi sync app is real, but will Apple approve?

Posted in: Today's Chili

You won’t get wireless syncing from OS 4, but one developer has a Wi-Fi sync app ready to roll. The question is, will Apple approve it? pOriginally posted at a href=”http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-20003412-233.html” class=”origPostedBlog”iPhone Atlas/a/p

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Apr 26

Game character gets real-life birthday parties

Posted in: Today's Chili

Japanese man plans a real birthday party, complete with cake and presents that no one will eat or open, for a Nintendo DS dating sim character in Love Plus.

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Apr 26

BlackBerry Pearl 3G video hands-on

Posted in: BlackBerry, hands-on, HandsOn, RIM, Today's Chili, video

Observe, the rare BlackBerry Pearl 3G feeding in its natural habitat. Just look at the majestic display of vibrant colors as it attempts to court the journalist in a mating dance never before captured on camera! All kidding aside though, here’s a quick look at the user interface on the 20-key version of the Pearl 3G; it’s stock OS 5.0, so you’re not really going to notice anything fresh here, but what we did see worked smoothly and without delay — the delightful result of pairing a responsive optical pad, 624MHz processor, and what we would assume is a pretty well-optimized build of the platform. As we mentioned earlier, we’re pretty sure the keyboards on these things are going to be a polarizing experience for users — some will love them, others will hate them, still others will tolerate them at first and grow used to them over time. To be fair, the peak-shaped keys are probably an improvement over flat keyboards of Pearls gone by; when you’ve got five keys per row on a fairly narrow body, you need all the tactile help you can get. For some reason, we weren’t able to connect to RIM’s open WiFi network with the particular unit we were given — the Bold 9650 next to it fared just fine, so we’re not sure if the 802.11n-capable radio in this bad boy is a little dodgier than its cousin, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on. Follow the break for the video.

Continue reading BlackBerry Pearl 3G video hands-on

BlackBerry Pearl 3G video hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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