The worst part of going to the doctor’s is being poked and prodded with any number of terrifying probes and needles, but you probably haven’t seen many of the really scary implements that are out there. Here are 16 crazy ones you probably don’t want anywhere near you. More »
That eerie wonderland of weird and misery that is North Korea has its epicenter on this place: the Ryugyong Hotel—the 105-story skyscraper erected in Pyongyang to the glory of whatever Kim was ruling back in 1987, when construction started. More »
Getting out of town for a weekend to recharge the batteries does wonders. Some of us opt for outdoors while others just want to relax. Some like to visit family or friends, some go solo. Some travel by air, others by bus or train (or bike or feet). But one thing our getaways have in common is the need to pack a variety of stuff. Clothes, sports gear, toiletries, gadgets. It is rare to find a bag that meets all needs. But we think the Skooba Laptop Weekender, $179.99 at Brookstone, may be the perfect solution.
The Weekender has a rectangular, gym bag look. The main compartment provides plenty of space for a few days of clothing or even sports equipment. What makes the Weekender unique are the four zip down compartments on the sides. One end perfectly stores most 15” laptops. It contains Skooba’s exclusive Bumper Bar™ protection on the sides and bottom for extra cushioning. And for the airplane travelers the laptop is easily accessible for security checks. The other end of the bag provides a tablet space. The longer sides contain space for files and phones or smaller devices. In total the Weekender has 12 compartments or pockets – plenty to keep you organized on your short journey. And of course it will easily fit in standard commercial overhead bins. So prepare yourself for you next quick trip, and rest assured that your belongings will be safe and sound in the Skooba Laptop Weekender.
[ The Ultimate Weekend Bag copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Apple had a bad situation on their hands when it became apparent over the past week that their new non-Google “Maps” app appeared to fall short of expectations, but Tim Cook took this situation today and flipped it on its head entirely. It’s not that Cook apologized for the situation – the situation being that Apple Maps (without Google) isn’t as perfect as they wanted it to be – it’s that inside this apology, he encouraged users to use other products while they remain patient for Apple Maps to improve. Tim Cook took a situation where Apple could easily have said “just chill out” to the public and said instead, in so many words, “we’re confident enough in our own product that we’ll literally tell you to use other solutions while we prove to you that you’ll want to return to us when the time is right” – this is rare in the tech industry.
The full apology can be found in our other post from earlier today called “Apple CEO Tim Cook apologizes for Apple Maps fiasco”, but the most important bit can be found here. In one line, Cook takes iOS 6 users down a road containing maps from all of Apple’s new Maps’ main competitors. He even tells users to use Google Maps in a browser.
“While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app.” – Tim Cook
It’s absolutely unimportant at this very moment if any other company would have done the same or even if Apple would have done the same in the past. Apple has right this moment entered a new age in which they don’t just create products that compete only with their past products – notice their advertisements that don’t mention the competition – they’ve officially encouraged their competitors to make products that will help them move into the future.
Of course if you think Apple made it this far on it’s own, you’re sorely mistaken. Apple has always relied on their friends AND their competitors to create an ecosystem in which they’ll thrive. I leave you with this undeniably awesome, lighthearted vision from all the way back in 1983 – the Apple Software Dating Game. See what you make of it!
Tim Cook’s Maps apology a massive display of power is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Socks go missing all the time. I don’t know what about socks make them specifically so easy to lose, but every other month or so I find myself having to hit the store to buy a couple new pairs. Nothing extremely pressing, but annoying all the same.
But if you have a tendency to go ape crazy over missing socks, then you probably need the Smarter Socks system.
Created by Samy Liechti of Blacksocks, the system comes with socks embedded with RFID chips so tracking their usage is a breeze. All you have to do is run the sock through the scanner and it’ll show all sorts of useful (or useless?) information, like how many times the sock has been washed, when it was ordered, and if its still got its pair or not.
Really, what more can you want from your socks?
The Smarter Socks system, which includes the scanner and ten pairs of socks, and will cost $189(USD). Now $18.90 for a pair of socks seems expensive, but on the other hand, you’ll never have to worry about losing them.
After waiting in line to buy and spending seven days with the iPhone 5, living with it, owning it, I can say confidently that it’s the best smartphone you can buy. The whiners, the babies, the cranky zealots who think it’s boring, or disappointing, or not different enough? They don’t understand. The iPhone has finally grown up. There’s nothing boring about it. More »
It’s been a long time, and we shouldn’t have left you without a dope ‘cast to Jam to, but we’re back, inmates-running-the-asylum style, reporting on the bleeding edge of the future of the #3 mobile phone dominator position. In this rap-rock edition of the Engadget podcast we’ll also tackle the age-old question: are magazines dead, or just in sleep mode?
Hosts: Brian Heater
Guest: Terrence O’Brien, Dana Wollman
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Orbital – Never
02:08 – Engadget Live: Join us at 4AM ET for an ‘ask me anything’ Q&A with Nokia CEO Stephen Elop!
02:50 – From the lab: Lumia 920 low-light shootout with Nokia 808, iPhone 5, HTC One X and Galaxy S III
12:10 – Live from Blackberry Jam Americas 2012!
13:18 – RIM reveals more details about Blackberry 10
13:53 – RIM pledges ongoing support for BlackBerry devs by serenading them (video)
15:00 – RIM puts BlackBerry 10 on display: new alarm, Peek gesture and more
16:00 – BlackBerry’s new Dev Alpha B handset runs BB10, we go hands-on
30:45 – RIM shows off native Facebook and Foursquare apps for BlackBerry 10, confirms Twitter and LinkedIn for launch
31:07 – RIM: BlackBerry 10 carrier testing starts in October, OS remains on schedule
31:23 – BlackBerry App World to sell music and movies, open to BB 10 app submissions on October 10th
32:45 – Barnes & Noble launching Nook Video this fall with a little help from HBO, Sony, Disney, Viacom, more
33:07 – Barnes & Noble’s Nook HD 7-inch Android tablet, hands-on (video)
34:04 – Barnes & Noble announces Nook HD+ 9-inch tablet, we go hands-on (video)
47:25 – Hands-on with Wikipad, the $500 Android gaming tablet (video)
50:35 – Lytro light-field camera hitting Amazon, Target and Best Buy sites next month
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Filed under: Podcasts
Engadget Podcast 311 – 09.28.2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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If you ever try to use a power bar anywhere but on the floor, you’ll quickly realize that gravity will do everything it can to drag it off a table, a ladder, or anything not at ground level. That’s not the case with Quirky’s new Prop Power extension cord, though. Its six-foot cable is made with flexible wiring and a conforming plastic sleeve, so it holds its shape. More »
This is a bit of a surprise! Apple typically takes a stone faced approach towards consumer anger at new products (you’re holding it wrong). But since no rubber bumper will magically improve Apple Maps, an open letter apology is the best CEO Tim Cook can do. Posted early this morning, the letter follows Apple’s official line so far: the decision was made in order to provide turn-by-turn and it will get better with more use. But the surprisingly contrite letter also throws in this goodie:
While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app.
Wow. Of course the internet’s going to be buzzing about how this is a move that a certain legendary CEO never would’ve done, but it’s really an eminently practical move. The mapping switch, while annoying for some, is not the end of the world. In fact, Apple’s got a great software ecosystem that provides for several alternatives. Now that Tim Cook has made clear that there’s no problem with using a third-party app for directions, we can stop complaining. And we can start using Bing.
Take a look at the whole open letter here.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google says iOS Google Maps in App Store hopefully “before Christmas”, Tim Cook speaks up regarding product rumors and speculation,
If you’re an IT security nerd specialist holed up in some corporation’s basement, you probably don’t find this real-time visualization of the world’s cyber attacks to be beautiful. But the rest of us can sit back and appreciate the eye candy. More »
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