I still remember Joel’s plea to forgive George Lucas for his many sins. He had a point. Kind of. A little. Ish. Had. Whatever mercy I had left for this man—a man who I greatly respected and admired as a creator—has completely disappeared after watching the trailer for Star Wars’ Detours, a comedy. More »
We almost called this episode of the Engadget Podcast Mr. Biggs And The OnDead, but our boss said she’d take away our tickets to IFA if we did that, so we’ll go with the traditional numeric structure. Just know that we tried. Hey, at least it’s Friday, right?
Hosts: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater
Guest: John Biggs
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Orbital – Never
03:11 – OnLive hits reset after being dragged down by expensive servers, confirms service will continue
05:00 – OnLive reportedly shutting down, new company forming in its wake (update: OnLive says ‘of course not’)
07:00 – Source: OnLive undergoing buyout in wake of dire financials, laying off ‘at least 50 percent’ of staff
09:20 – HTC to lose its $40 million investment from OnLive’s financial restructuring
22:00 – Amazon throwing press conference September 6th
34:25 – Samsung teases Galaxy Note II, ‘a small and light thing’ (video)
39:40 – Archos announces 101 XS tablet with built-in keyboard dock, arriving in November for $400
42:45 – All-weather motorcycle helmet heats and cools your face, protects grey matter (video)
46:13 – How 3D printing changed the face of ‘ParaNorman’
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Filed under: Podcasts
Engadget Podcast 307 – 08.24.2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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You want to give the handyman/woman thing a shot, but you don’t want to invest in an entire toolbox worth of gear in case it turns out you’re inept. Try Black & Decker’s new Modular Matrix system—it fits most of a workshop in one relatively affordable handheld tool. More »
It appears that the iPad mini has been making the rounds in the accessories market once again as a couple of internationally-sourced photos have appeared with the unconfirmed hardware in plain view. While said cases could still have been falsified in one way or another, there are several interesting details that one should pay attention to where they anticipating the next-generation tablet. The back of this tablet – if these cases are indeed made for the real-deal device – will have not one, but two microphone holes in the center back and top of the tablet when held in portrait mode.
Another point to be aware of is the size of these cases are obviously too small for the classic iPad model. The bottoms of these cases are each created to make way for a new port configuration, as previous “leaks” have been, and the headphone hack appears to be at the top of the device – not at the bottom as the new iPhone 5 tips have suggested. The bottom of this iPad does, however, continue to have the double set of speaker hole grids like the smartphone has been teased with.
These cases appear to make the supposed smaller iPad appear quite thin. This thinness lends itself well to the idea that the tablet will essentially be an “iPad Air” as suggested just yesterday in a post all about how an iPad mini will not be appearing on September 12th. That date will more than likely play host to the iPhone 5 exclusively, paired with iOS 6 for a smartphone-centric reveal.
This iPad mini situation is more than likely headed for October, also suggested yesterday in the same post from last night, where a new iPod touch and additional smaller iPods may well be revealed. These cases being shown are being made either without any physical specifications at all, or the manufacturers have gotten their hands on a very early model of the device made specifically for accessory makers. If it’s the second option, Apple will not be happy with them, that’s for certain.
Have a peek at other recent iPad mini news bits to stay caught up on this unicorn as it edges closer and closer to reality.
[via KnowYourMobile]
iPad mini appears in pre-fab case photos is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Oh New Yorkers and their marvelous, no-cost WiFi access points. Only a few days after Google Offers and Boingo happily announced they’d brought gratis wireless connectivity to additional underground locations within the city, The Wall Street Journal is now let it be known it too will be kind enough to gift the NYC crowd with some WiFi hotspots of its own. The nice gesture will bring around 1,300 network units to areas such as SoHo, Greenwich Village, Union Square, Chelsea and, naturally, the renowned Times Square during the month of September — all in hopes of giving “people the opportunity to sample The Wall Street Journal.” Meanwhile, folks in San Francisco can also grab the internet-friendly freebies in a couple of different places, including Nob Hill and Fisherman’s Wharf. And don’t worry, there won’t be any donkeys involved here.
Filed under: Misc, Wireless, Internet
Wall Street Journal to offer free WiFi hotspots in NYC and San Francisco during September originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 15:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Looking for the perfect way to combine your love of Mexican wrestling and getting drunk? Well, the former probably goes hand-in-hand with the latter, but if you can’t make it out to the ring, these masked Luchador bottle openers will spar with your favorite drink. More »
You love your gadgets because they’re awesome. Or maybe you love them because you spent $500 and decided you’d better learn to like them. Whatever the case, chances are you’ve learned to forgive their flaws and enjoy them enough as they are, force-quits and all. That about describes this week’s IRL, in which three Engadget editors make peace with their imperfect gadgets: an occasionally crash-prone Transformer Prime, the easily scratched V-Moda Crossfade LP headphones and Verbatim’s Dual USB Power Pack, with its short little charging cables.
Filed under: Misc
IRL: ASUS Transformer Prime, Verbatim Dual USB Power Pack and V-Moda’s Crossfade LP headphones originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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I am enough of a chess enthusiast to argue that chess should be included in the Olympics. I think it takes a lot more to be good at chess than it does to be good at… water polo. Or badminton. Or team handball. I mean, think about all the ridiculous sports that have been in the Olympics. Chess doesn’t rank as better than those? When IBM wanted to prove they had a smart robot, they made it good at chess! If a robot is good at chess, it’s good at anything and will soon turn humanity into its pawns as long as we only attack at a 45 degree angle. Besides that, it’s the king’s game! And what better way to celebrate that fact than to go medieval with your chess set for 43% off? More »
It would appear that a new Samsung smartphone will be getting a Verizon release, but sadly, details are still mysteriously slim. The Samsung Galaxy Stellar is its name, and it comes sporting a $99 price tag, which suggests that this is a low-end piece of equipment. Of course, we can’t confirm that, because Samsung hasn’t talked specs yet, and for that matter, the company hasn’t even announced the phone yet.
The Verizon ad, which was spotted by Droid Life, says that the phone will be $99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a two-year commitment. It also comes with something called “Starter Mode” which signals that this will be a phone aimed at users who are upgrading from feature phones for the first time. If this is similar to starter modes we’ve seen on other phones, then users won’t be getting hit with the full Android experience all at once. Instead, starter mode will help them ease into the world of smartphones, learning the basics of the Android OS before unlocking all of the operating system’s features.
It will no doubt be a handy tool for newcomers to have, but another curious thing is that the Verizon listing says it comes pre-loaded with the Amazon App Store. This may or may not be at the expense of the Google Play Store, which is an odd, odd move for an Android manufacturer. Perhaps Samsung thought that the Amazon App Store would provide a better experience for new users? It’s impossible to guess Samsung’s motivation behind pushing the Amazon App Store, so for now we’ll have to remain baffled.
So there you have it – Samsung is apparently planning to launch a smartphone aimed at new users through Verizon. Other than the bullet points listed in the Verizon ad, we know next to nothing about the Galaxy Stellar, but maybe that will all change soon. We’re not going to expect a marketing frenzy for a low-end smartphone, but an announcement would be nice, Sammy.
Samsung Galaxy Stellar launching at Verizon for $99 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
This week we’ve got our hands on the next generation in Bluetooth (or wired!) stereo sound with the SuperTooth DISCO 2 A2DP wireless speaker. This device touts the ability to connect with style to any Bluetooth A2DP device – including the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch – as well as a variety of PCs, MP3 players, and more. This next-generation device takes all the great qualities of the original SuperTooth Disco and adds a whole new body, color collection, and an upgrade to Bluetooth 4.0.
The previous version of this device brought on 28 Watt RMS audio power while this “2″ model brings just 16 Watt RMS – but before you go scratching your head wondering why SuperTooth would deliver a lower number on a newer product, you’ll want to check the price. While the first generation DISCO would and still very well may cost you close to $150, this DISCO 2 model is popping up for $99.00 – savings in the blaster department.
While the first model does have some more hardcore specifications to back up its price – this model still on the market and going strong, mind you – the DISCO 2 appears more appealing for the youth generation simply because it’s prettier. You can get this device in Black (as seen in this review), Pink, Yellow, or Red. It’s an machine that’s undeniably simple to operate, it’s a hundred bucks, and it blasts audio right in your face.
You’ve got apTX protocol compatibility so you can keep the sound levels of your original audio files each time you hook up with the unit. Sound quality remains powerful regardless of if you’re using the basic 3.5mm stereo analog audio input or the wireless Bluetooth connection this device was made to show off. With 2 speakers up front and a “high efficiency bass reflex system” as they call it on the back, your ability to get loud is quite apparent.
This device comes in at 182 mm tall and 108 mm wide with a depth of 70mm, and the whole thing weighs just 552.7 grams – aka just over a pound. You can plug this speaker into the wall for as much life as you want, or you can use its internal rechargeable battery for several hours of completely wireless action. On average we’ve gotten several full-length 2 and 3 hour movies played with this device as the sole wireless speaker without need for a charge – quite nice indeed.
Check out your options and let us know if you plan on picking this speaker up SOON – check out SuperTooth’s online shop for availability – for $99 USD right out the gate. Also check out our timeline below for additional SuperTooth review and hands-on experiences!
SuperTooth DISCO 2 Review is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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