Hasta La Gadget!

Guess what humans? The Engadget Show is back in a big way next Tuesday, September 14th at 8pm! We’re celebrating our first birthday and lucky 13th episode with an incredible show for you… first up, Josh is sitting down with NASA’s new Chief Technologist Bobby Braun, the man tasked with recharging NASA technology! Next, Engadget investigative correspondent Rick Karr is back for a deep look at wireless net neutrality with Columbia law professor and Free Press chair Tim Wu. Then, Nilay and Josh sit down with interface designers TAT, The Astonishing Tribe, to check out some never-before-seen prototype UIs and demonstrations. Oh, and did we mention that one lucky audience member will be walking away with a Parrot AR Drone remote quadricopter? We’re rounding the night out with live chiptunes music from Starscream and some more special giveaways at the live show only, so make the trek and join us at The Times Center in person. We have a new ticketing policy, so if you’re coming to the live show, be sure to read about it below. If you’re geographically incapable of joining us in New York City, just tune into the stream at right here on Engadget.

The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). Tickets are — as always — free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served… so get there early! Here’s the updated info on our new ticketing policy that you need to know:

• There is no admission fee — tickets are completely free
• The event is all ages
• Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 2:00PM on Tuesday, September 14th, doors will open for seating at 7:15PM, and the show begins at 8PM
• We now have assigned seating, so the first people to get their tickets — and the Sprint text-to-win winners (see below) — will get priority seating. This also means that once you get a ticket, your seat is guaranteed — you won’t have to get back in line to get a good seat.
• Ticketing will continue until all tickets are given away.
• You cannot collect tickets for friends or family — anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket
• Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we’re full, we’re full
• The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break)
• The show length is around an hour

If you’re a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we’ll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com.

Sprint is offering 50 guaranteed tickets to the Engadget Show taping to the first 50 entrants who text “ENGADGET” to 467467 or enter online! Standard text messaging rates apply. Click for the Official Rules and see how to enter online.

Subscribe to the Show:

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Continue reading The Engadget Show returns next Tuesday, September 14th with NASA Chief Technologist Bobby Braun, net neutrality advocate Tim Wu, giveaways, and more!

The Engadget Show returns next Tuesday, September 14th with NASA Chief Technologist Bobby Braun, net neutrality advocate Tim Wu, giveaways, and more! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Sanyo launches Xacti VPC-GH4 full HD camcorder with YouTube, Facebook integration

Sanyo launches Xacti VPC-GH4 full HD camcorder with YouTube, Facebook integration originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carry all your data with you. LaCie has just introduced Minimus and the Rikiki, both small USB 3.0 drives. The Rikiki transfers data at 5GB per second, proving that you don’t have to sacrifice performance for mobility. The Minimus is larger, but offers more storage.

Both cases offer a sturdy brushed aluminum shell (which not only looks good but protects from drops, offers improved heat dissipation, and is fully recyclable). Also, both come with LaCie’s Software Suite for easy backups on both Windows and Macintosh computers.

The Rikiki is available in 500GB and 1TB capacities starting at $99.99. The Minimus is available in 1TB/2TB capacities starting at $129.99. Both are available now.

A Japanese research group recently created a prototype for a “gaming system” utilizing a camera synced with a portable projector. The gizmo projects an adorable little cartoon character (it is Japanese after all) who reacts with the 2D world he is projected on to. For example, if you jerk the projection up, he acts like he’s flying. But also he will “walk” along a bold horizontal line or climb down a zig-zag.

As you may have already concluded, at this point in its development, this game is pretty lame (from a gaming point of view).

However, it shows one of the branches in the developing field of Augmented Reality. Many people are developing AR in terms of personal electronic devices–iPhones, iPads, things with “i” in front of them–in the form of Google Goggles, QR codes, etc. This is the on-screen category (also including the inevitable rise of glasses).

But there’s also people developing AR with projected content.

In the battle of projected vs. on-screen augmented realities, on-screen wins hands-down. Projected AR has zero practicality for individuals (mostly due to the ever-present problem of lookey-loos). For everyday use, a hand-held device are the way to go. Projected AR might be useful in group settings like presentations, marketing to pedestrians, or tour groups. But aside from that, do you really want strangers to be all up in your to-do list and Google searches? 

While the concept of projected AR has a certain kitschy value, it’s going to be of limited appeal when you can have the same experience on your private hand-held device, or down-the-line with AR-enabled glasses or contact lenses.

Best Buy today announced that it will be offering up Amazon’s popular eBook reader, The Kindle, beginning this fall. The big box retailer will be selling the Wi-Fi version of the reader for $139 and the 3G version for $189. The Kindle DX is set to hit the retailer shortly after.

“There’s no question that e-readers have found their rightful place in today’s digital lifestyle,” Best Buy SVP Chris Homeister said of the news. “Our goal is to help people choose the device that’s right for them by providing the broadest selection of popular e-readers of any retailer, in one convenient place that enables people to easily see, touch, try and buy.”

The Kindle joins Barnes and Noble’s Nook reader and the Sony Reader Touch, which are already available in the store.

Target earlier this summer began selling the e-reader in its retail locations.