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Media artists embark on “Under the HUD,” an animated Web series made with the aid of Microsoft’s motion controller.

Mechanical keyboards are the miniguns of gaming gear: Heavy, ostentatiously clacky, and downright murderous. They’re commensurately uncommon and expensive. Razer’s Black Widow is the latest, a surprisingly spare piece of kit from Razer, considering its typical aggro-gamer mode of existence. (What’s a mechanical keyboard, you ask? Read this.) More »

Best Buy knocks Nexus S down to $100 on contract for two weeks only originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple has just issued an update to its Internet-connected set-top box, opening up a few new features including connectivity with the official websites of the MLB and NBA.

Subscribers to MLB.tv and NBA League Pass can now watch live games directly from their Apple TV. Those without a subscription can also still tap into the new functionality, with live streaming scores pushed through the service. Subscriptions cost $20 – $30 per month.

The update also allows third-party apps to stream through AirPlay, allowing numerous iPhone and iPad apps to now be beamed directly from an iPhone or iPad to the TV.

The update can be applied by going to the General Settings tab in the Apple TV interface and selecting “Update Software.”

Via MTV

The Smart Cover is an optional $40-$70 accessory, and it partly addresses one of the iPad’s key weaknesses: It’s not very easy to type on the device for long periods of time. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

The iPad 2 is a stellar upgrade, even though the tablet’s low-quality cameras leave a lot to be desired.

That seems to be the critical consensus from the first crop of reviews on the iPad 2, which hits stores Friday.

About a dozen technology journalists have had their hands on the new tablet about a week,  from several mainstream publications including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today, as well as tech-oriented blogs such as TechCrunch, SlashGear and PCMag.com.

But who has time to read all that?

To save you time, we snatched the highlights from each review and posted them on Gadget Lab’s Twitter account. Here, then, is everything you need to know about the early reviews, in 140 characters or fewer for each one.

• WSJ: “As of now, I can comfortably recommend it as the best tablet for average consumers.”
• Macworld: “For Apple’s competitors in the tablet-device market, the iPad 2 is a bucket of water to the face.”
• SlashGear: “Apple has put together a superbly capable, class-shaping tablet.”
• NYTimes: The iPad … dominates in all the most important criteria: thinness, weight, integration, beauty — and apps.”
• The Daily: “It’s fast, light and a heck of a lot of fun to have around.”
• Engadget: “Whether you’re tinkering, writing, or recording, this software’s value will be clear right from the start.”
• PCMag: iPad 2 is the “clear standout in the ever-widening sea of tablets.”
• USA Today: “The 9.7-inch LED backlit screen … hits the sweet spot for FaceTime, browsing and numerous applications”
• TechCrunch: “If you don’t have an iPad and want one, it’s the easiest call in the world. Of course you should.”
• BusinessWeek: “Taken together, the changes are unremarkable.”
• The Root: “So far, no other device comes close in price and performance.”
• LaptopMag: “When you look at the whole package … the iPad 2 is the king of tablets.”

See Also:

• Hands-On With Apple’s Skinnier, Faster iPad 2
• Gallery: Apple’s Jobs Unveils Upgraded, More Colorful iPad 22
• G-Lab: iPad 2, Kinect Hacks, Zibits Robots