Hasta La Gadget!

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p class=”image-caption”New York politician prohibits video chatting on the road./p
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pUnfortunately, Natali Del Conte is still posted up in the West coast a href=”http://reviews.cnet.com/E3/”covering E3 2010/a, but the three of us are still in New York and today we’re talking about a New York assemblyman whose mission is to a href=”http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/06/state_assemblyman_ban_ipad_4_v.html”ban the iPhone 4’s FaceTime videochat application from the road/a./p

pNew York State Democratic assemblyman a href=”http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=051″Felix Ortiz/a wants to make it illegal for drivers to use FaceTime in the car based on the principle that “any object which distracts a driver’s attention while they are driving should be banned regardless of whether it is a cell phone or a new aspect of technology.”/p

pThe three of us fully support Ortiz’s efforts, and we’ve seen a few other things people do in their cars that ishould/i be banned, stuff like flossing, wardrobe changes, makeup application, dog grooming, kid scolding, and those people who stare blankly at a GPS device instead of the road. Wilson brings up a good point: how come nobody’s come up with a device that projects an augmented-reality-style display directly over the windshield so that drivers don’t have to avert their gaze from the road?/p

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p class=”image-caption”An upcoming Michael Jackson dance-along game will use Microsoft#39;s new Kinect motion-sensing accessory./p
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pWe told you on Monday that we needed more voice mails, and you guys delivered big time! The second half of today’s show is all about listener feedback, and a few listeners are taking issue with Jeff’s lack of enthusiasm about a href=”http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-21539_7-20007707-10391702.html?tag=mncol”Microsoft Kinect/a, the new motion control accessory for Xbox 360./p

pThe device comes out November 4 here in the states, and although Jeff’s face is far from melted, the very casual gamer in me is actually excited about the new a href=”http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-21539_7-20007710-10391702.html”Michael Jackson dance-along karaoke game/a that uses Kinect to provide an interactive experience of some of MJ’s most iconic songs, including “Beat It” and “Billy Jean.” Look for the yet-to-be-named game this holiday season./p

pWe definitely have enough Calls From the Public to last for the rest of this week, but what about next week? It’s up to you to keep the calls coming, so dial us up at 1-866-404-CNET and let us know what you think! You can comment on the show, declare your love for Jeff, or even ask a question that we’ll halfheartedly attempt to answer on the air. Thanks for calling, and as usual, thanks for listening!/p

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/b/liliba href=”http://twitter.com/jeffbakalar”Jeff Bakalar/a
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/span pOriginally posted at a href=”http://www.cnet.com/8301-13952_1-20008049-81.html” class=”origPostedBlog”The 404 Podcast/a/p

We’ve become so familiar with the “Project Natal” codename over the years that our tongues are still having a little trouble wrapping around Microsoft’s new Kinect moniker for it. Still, what’s in a name? Microsoft has finally shown us what matters with real games, real gameplay, and real hardware, and after spending some time with it using our very own human flesh to control the on-screen action, we feel like we’re starting to get a pretty good grip on the experience. Follow after the break as we break down the complicated workings and emergent gameplay of Kinect.

Continue reading Kinect guide: a preview and explanation of Microsoft’s new full body motion sensor

Kinect guide: a preview and explanation of Microsoft’s new full body motion sensor originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cloud-based surveillance hardware Dropcam has a new upgraded model that adds audio recording and triggers. pOriginally posted at a href=”http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20008050-248.html” class=”origPostedBlog”Web Crawler/a/p

Why make an artificial butterfly out of wood and plastic? Researchers think it can shed light on the mechanics of butterfly flight.

Android 2.1 aka Eclair is eclipsing other flavors of the Google-designed operating system to become the dominant version on Android phones.

50 percent of Android phones now run Android 2.1, compared to about 37 percent a month ago and 27 percent in April. The rest of Android devices are split between almost evenly between Android 1.5, aka Cupcake, and Android 1.6, or Donut.

The data comes from Android Developers, the official Android developers’ community website, and is based on operating system data reported by devices accessing the Android Market during a 2-week period ending June 16.

The rapid rise of the Android 2.1 indicates that the fractured nature of the platform–a major concern among Android developers and users–may no longer be an issue by the end of the year. In the 16 months since the first Android phone hit the market, Google has made four major upgrades to the operating system.

So far, smartphone makers seemed to be unable to keep up with that pace. Android smartphones running different versions of the OS also make it more expensive for developers to create apps since they have to ensure it runs on multiple versions.

But in the last few months, companies such as Motorola and HTC have been steadily updating the operating systems on their older phones. For instance, HTC confirmed Thursday that it will upgrade the Android 1.5-powered HTC Hero to 2.1 by the end of the month.

Meanwhile, Google Nexus One, Motorola Droid and HTC Incredible users among others can look forward to the next Android update called Android 2.2 or FroYo. FroYo updates will flow this summer.

See Also:

• Sprint, HTC Unveil First 4G Android Phone
• Android Fragmentation Declines, But Older Versions Still Rule
• Android Comes of Age at Google Developer Conference
• Independent App Stores Take On Google’s Android Market

Data: Android Developers