May 06
The Samsung SyncMaster 2333HD is another hybrid (HDTV/monitor) display.
May 06
Telekom Austria to turn phone booths into EV recharging stations, stave off obsolescence
Posted in: charging, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, Today's Chili
For most Engadget readers, telephone booths rank somewhere up there with smoke signals in the annals of communication devices — old, primitive, and bypassed by newer and better technology. Ah, but wait, what if we used all those cables we have wired into those boxes for something actually helpful? Telekom Austria’s trying to do just that with its newly unveiled plan to roll out 30 electric vehicle recharging stations over the rest of this year. Attached to what are admittedly rather swish phone boxes, these stations will juice up one of the 3,782 currently registered electric or hybrid transporters in Austria at remarkably low prices. The testing phase will allow free recharging, and even after that it’d be a single-digit Euro cost to boost your battery back up. Ironically, the fastest way to pay will be via your mobile phone, but let’s just get this project off the ground first, then we can worry about how to save the precious talker boxes from extinction.
Telekom Austria to turn phone booths into EV recharging stations, stave off obsolescence originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
May 06
Callo, a highly physical cell phone bot out of Simon Fraser University, can dance, walk, and mimic human gestures.
May 06
Scosche is launching four new earphones featuring its TapLine II remote and mic, but this time the controls have been moved closer to where the wires fork, making using them easier to access. The models include the IDR655m, IDR355m, IDR355md, and IDR305m. The integrated mic has also been moved up closer to the user’s mouth on the right channel.
The IDR655m is the top model, with a list price of $99.99. It’s audiophile grade with 11mm drivers and three sizes of silicone inserts. The IDR355m and IDR355md each list for $54.99 and come with six interchangeable color caps for varying the look (although they each come with different colors). The IDR305 is the bargain model at $39.95, and it’s available exclusively at Apple stores.
May 06
Grace Digital Allegro review
Posted in: app, review, Today's Chili, video
Dedicated internet radios have always been niche products; when you can get all the same content on your desktop, laptop or even smartphone, it’s hard to see the point of relying on WiFi. Without a traditional FM antenna, they’re many are chained to your network — if not your wall — and the lack of keyboard input for setup and channel search furthers their plight. Even so, there must be something to it, as this gadget category refuses to die, so we thought we’d give one promising newcomer a good, thorough try. The Grace Digital Allegro caught our attention with a packed feature list (including Pandora) and a clean, mobile design. Did it enthrall or disappoint? Find out after the break.
Continue reading Grace Digital Allegro review
Grace Digital Allegro review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 06
Having taken gaming functions as far as they can go, Razer is apparently focusing on style. This month it will introduce the Razer Abyssus Mirror Special Edition, which wraps the best-selling mouse in a black chrome mirror finish.
The Abyssus includes a 3,500-dpi infrared sensor, which can be adjusted to 4,500 or 1,800 dpi on-the-fly as needed via a switch underneath. It’s equipped with two large buttons that deliver tactile feedback, as well as the company’s Hyperesponse technology. Razer suggests it’s the perfect complement to other reflective peripherals, such as the Razer Lycoa Mirror Special Edition keyboard.
Look for this mouse on May 14 for a list price of $49.99.
May 06
NASA to Use Ocean Floor as Underwater Lab
Posted in: NASA, science, space, Space Tech, Today's Chili
We’ve already heard of expeditions in Antarctica to simulate conditions on other planets, but this idea reaches new depths.
NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston announced Wednesday that it will again participate in the NASA Extreme Environment Missions Operation (NEEMO) mission.
The mission will use the ocean’s floor as a way to simulate the low-gravity conditions astronauts would experience on another planet’s surface. The idea is to learn how a future crew might interact with the lander, rover, robotic arms, and other gear.
The 14-day undersea expedition will take place aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Aquarius Underwater Laboratory near Key Largo. In addition, teachers and students in the Middle School Aerospace Scholars program on May 11th will participate in an event to navigate a rover along a predetermined course on the ocean floor.
May 06
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower, which is already underway at a modest rate and consists of debris from Halley’s Comet, will peak tonight, May 6th, Astronomy reports.
Underneath a dark sky, observers could see up to 20 meteors per hour, or about one every three minutes, the report said. That number could persist tomorrow morning and the day after as well.
The meteors “began life as tiny specks of dust” from Halley’s Comet as it passed around the Sun throughout the eons, the report said. Every May, Earth runs through the dust streams, which pass over the planet at 148,000 miles per hour. They vaporize thanks to air friction, and leave beautiful “shooting stars,” or streaks of light.
Halley’s Comet itself last passed by Earth in 1986, and is due to arrive again in 2061. (Image credit: Astronomy.com)
May 06
Sprint Planning New Prepaid Brand
Posted in: Sprint, Today's Chili
In addition to revamping Virgin Mobile’s plans, Sprint had something else up its sleeve today: a new prepaid service.
The carrier plans to announce a cheaper, prepaid cell phone brand in the coming weeks, according to a Wall Street Journal report Thursday. The new brand would be Sprint’s fourth, coming after Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless.
The unnamed fourth brand will offer plans starting at under $30 per month, and will be targeted at budget-conscious customers desiring no frills, pay-per-minute offerings.
Carriers in the U.S. have seen renewed, and even increased, interest in lower-cost, prepaid plans as the economy emerges from recession.
May 06
Google Goggles starts to get useful, adds text translation
Posted in: Android, Google, Today's Chili
In our experience, about the only thing Google Goggles is good for is telling you that your can of Coke looks like someone’s face, but the company’s just-released version 1.1 sounds like it might be on a whole new level of awesomeness. Basically, Goggles can now recognize text within the “region of interest” that you specify on the screen then give you the option to translate it to any language of your choosing. Between this and Google’s already quite good Translate app, Android devices are getting dangerously close to letting monoglots (thanks for the great word, Google) travel safely and effectively in foreign lands. Other improvements in Goggles 1.1 include better barcode and image recognition (thank goodness), an improved UI, and the ability to initiate identification from your gallery, so it sounds like a must-download if you’ve got a phone running Android 1.6 or better. It’s available now.
Google Goggles starts to get useful, adds text translation originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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