Hasta La Gadget!

“In advance, yes — you’re right, it’s impossible. But nonetheless, we have ten radios all working at the same frequency, all at the Shannon limit… and there’s no interference.” You may not fully grok the significance of that statement, but anyone heavily involved in solving the wireless bandwidth crisis is probably dropjawed. For a little background, there’s a perceived limit in wireless known as Shannon’s Law, which largely explains why no one can watch a YouTube clip on their EVO at Michigan Stadium. For whatever reason, it’s been assumed that this law was fundamentally unbreakable, but it looks as if an unlikely member of society may have just overrode expectations. OnLive’s CEO Steve Perlman recently revealed a breakthrough from Rearden Companies — in short, they’ve figured out a workaround, and in testing, it’s doing things like “removing dead zones” altogether. His slide, shown during a presentation at Columbia, notes that the implications here are “profound,” and we couldn’t agree more. Do yourself a solid and hit play in the video below the break — we’ve fast-forwarded to where this section begins.

Continue reading OnLive CEO reveals ‘entirely new approach’ to wireless, credits Rearden for toppling Shannon’s Law

OnLive CEO reveals ‘entirely new approach’ to wireless, credits Rearden for toppling Shannon’s Law originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After playing with the Xperia Play and the PS Vita, the answer is clear: there needs to be one PlayStation phone, and the Vita is it.

LeapFrog's LeapPad tablet has a 5-inch touch screen, a still camera and a video camera.

Today’s kids sure do have it lucky. My idea of a mobile gadget growing up was a Walkman cassette player with a Beach Boys tape inside, or maybe my dad’s wristwatch.

Times have changed. Now, kids are clamoring for their parents’ iPods and tablets, and they just seem to know how to use them as soon as they leave the womb.

But kids aren’t quite as careful with technology as their adult counterparts (as my dad unfortunately found out with his wristwatch). Luckily, LeapFrog has come to their iPad or Galaxy Tab’s rescue with the LeapPad Explorer.

The LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet is a $100 tablet PC encased in kid-proof plastic. It’s a pint size version of mom and dad’s tablet: It’s got a 5-inch display, a still camera and a video camera, a mic, and 2GB of memory.

LeapFrog develops educational toys for children, including a number of youthfully styled (and sturdily constructed) “me too” gadgets for the under 12 set, which in the past have included a digital camera and an MP3 player. The original LeapPad was released in 1999, and was the top-selling toy in the US in 2001 and 2002. The Leapster Explorer handheld gaming device was a more recent product release.

LeapFrog’s new LeapPad runs similarly to its predecessor, the Leapster Explorer, and is cross compatible with its gaming cartridges. Like grown-up tablets, the LeapPad can act as an ebook reader (for children’s books, of course), and play videos. It comes with apps that let kids create and personalize their own stories with photos taken by the device. The LeapPad’s educational games auto-adjust for difficulty level and are available in areas such as mathematics, spelling and phonics. A child-sized stylus even lets kids practice their writing skills.

The LeapPad is intended for kiddos between the age 4 and 9 with versions in pink and green (pictured).

You can pre-order the tablet beginning June 29th, but it won’t be available until August 15.

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

It’s been a year since we last heard about Social Bicycles (SoBi), the bike sharing concept that has potential to revolutionize the way we rent, ride, and lock bikes. Now the New York-based startup is working on a very promising second prototype, and is turning to Kickstarter for funding. The new version is still a few weeks out (that’s a rendered version in the image above), but we pedaled over to SoBi HQ in Brooklyn to take a look at the first model, which is already far more efficient than systems we’ve seen implemented in Europe and select US cities, including Denver. Both versions feature a main rear-mounted lock unit, containing a U-lock, rear wheel immobilizer, GPS tracking chip, GSM modem, and a hub dynamo electrical generator. The new version’s unit will be much more compact, two-thirds lighter, and will include an integrated solar panel for keeping the electronics powered up even when the bike isn’t moving.

SoBi interfaces with a mobile app, which lets you locate and unlock unreserved bikes around the city (you’ll use your PIN to control the lock during the reservation period). Users pay a monthly fee to subscribe, which will include an hour of free riding each day. The system implements a clever financial incentive to have bikes returned to strategically located hubs, charging a fee for users who prefer to leave bikes elsewhere, then offering the same amount as a credit for riders who rent that bike and return it to a hub. Because the SoBi will be a rental service and you won’t be buying a bike to own, early supporters will receive a future credit in exchange for a Kickstarter donation. Donations of $50 or more also include a slick AR-enabled t-shirt, which displays a “3D” model of the bike on your mobile device. Jump past the break for a hands-on with the first Social Bicycle, and a behind-the-scenes look at the company’s shared workshop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Social Bicycles bike sharing system (video)

Insert Coin: Social Bicycles bike sharing system (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This week: We explain the legal thinking behind this week’s Supreme Court case on video game sales, check out the latest rumors about a new MacBook Air, and watch Joe compare his new HTC Evo 3D to his original model.

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Supreme Court nixes video game law

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MacBook rumor control

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Originally posted at Digital City Podcast