Pretty soon millions—tens of millions!—of suckers will own a pair of Apple EarPods. If you hated the old Apple buds because they sound terrible and don’t fit, good news is that these are better. And they still come free with a device. The bad news is that they’re still a pretty poor way to experience music. More »
Adding to the fun and games already hidden within its search box, Google’s new not-so-secret addition gives you a quick way to calculate exactly how many degrees your favorite (or most obscure) actor falls from Kevin Bacon. Sure, it may take half the debate out of it, but at least the definitive answers are now out there — just type in “bacon number” followed by your thespian of choice.
Filed under: Internet
Google adds ‘Bacon Number’ easter egg to its search engine originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 11:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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If you’ve got a Kindle you’re planning on upgrading, and you’re wondering what to do with your old eReader, then check out what Gef Tremblay did with his old Kindle. He hacked it into something he calls a Kindleberry. With the mod, his Kindle serves as a display for his Raspberry Pi computer.
On recent European trip, whilst traveling light, Gef only took a Kindle, a camera, an Android smartphone and a Raspberrry Pi. His goal was to actually get some work done with this pared down workstation. He planned to use the Kindle as a screen, connect it to the Raspberry Pi while using an external keyboard to work comfortably. He used the Raspberry Pi as a hub to get this done.
The Kindleberry served as his main computer for a couple of weeks, and it’s definitely a low-cost as well as light computing solution, if you’re on the go. I wonder if he would be able to use a Kindle 3G to tap into some cellular goodness.
[via Hacker News via Make:]
If gleaming white plastic and brushed aluminum don’t suit your fancy when it comes to keyboards, a French design shop called Orée will hand craft you a beautiful alternative made from your choice of either maple or walnut wood. But if you thought keeping your current keyboard clean was a pain, imagine having to sand and re-stain it every year. More »
This morning you’re likely either pre-ordering an iPhone 5 or attempting to avoid all contact with news on the subject – lucky for you, we’ve got two avenues for you to travel down! You’ll find yourself seeing news like iPhone 5 compromises and choices for each different carrier you’re about to work with. Today you can also pre-order a Wii in the UK and Europe if you wish.
If you want an iPhone dock that’s already out, you may be thinking about converters – with Bang & Olufsen’s upgrade you’ll get that functionality for free! HP will be taking another stab at a smartphone in the future – Meg Whitman says so. You’ll see some lovely Space Shuttle Runway Action this morning with historical markers galore.
Take a peek at iPhone 5 Lightning confusion and the madness that surrounds it. You can now watch the Curiosity landing on Mars with sound effects. PowerSkin has made a lovely new NFC-ready skin for the Galaxy S III. Raise a torch and remember the late, great Super Mario Kart.
If you’re a Microsoft employee, you may well be getting some free Surface gear while the big time gear sits in the pipeline for the public. Stay tuned for more official info – sooner than later, more than likely – on the Olympus E-PL5 and E-PM2 – big time cameras! If you’re pre-ordering the iPhone 5 and haven’t picked one up already, you’ll be waiting two weeks or more at this point.
SlashGear Morning Wrap-up: September 14, 2012 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Given Israel’s precarious position within the Middle East, border security is of paramount importance. Problem is—it’s also labor-intensive and really quite dangerous. That’s why the IDF puts a fleet of autonomous off-roaders between its human forces and the front lines. More »
As you may or may not know, Photokina’s taking place in Cologne, Germany in a few days, which has caused a plethora of cameras to make an appearance before they’re even made official. The latest round of unannounced, leaked shooters brings us a couple of Leicas, including the high-end, LX7-esque compact pictured above and a superzoom that takes a design cue from its smaller sibling. Unfortunately, details like pricing and availability are still at large, but with Photokina right around the corner, it won’t be long before we know more about this sleek pair. For now, head past the break to check out an extra pic, where you’ll find the larger member of the two posing for the camera — ironic, huh?
Continue reading Pair of unannounced Leica cameras get leaked ahead of next week’s Photokina
Filed under: Cameras
Pair of unannounced Leica cameras get leaked ahead of next week’s Photokina originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 11:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple’s new iPhone 5 went up for pre-order today, and demand has already been huge: new orders from Apple’s online store face a two week wait, as day-one supplies were snapped up within an hour. Yet, with three different models to choose between – before you even get to color and capacity – there’s a big decision upfront if you’re not going to get increasingly frustrated over the course of your two-year agreement.
Apple probably would have liked to have offer a single iPhone 5 SKU and simply vary it by color – black or white – and capacity – 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB – but the hassles of LTE connectivity forced its hand. In fact, there are three different hardware variants, each equipped with slightly different radios and antennas, to handle 4G LTE networks (among other things) in different locations and with different carriers.
Each of those variants has its advantages and its compromises, however. AT&T’s model, the GSM A1428, supports the US carrier’s LTE network as well as those of Bell (and Virgin), Rogers, (and Fido), and Telus (and Koodo) in Canada. However, its two LTE bands and absence of CDMA support mean there’s no slapping in a Verizon LTE SIM and using that carrier’s network, nor indeed roaming onto LTE networks in Europe or Asia.
In fact, take the AT&T iPhone 5 out of North America, and the best you can hope for is HSPA+ or DC-HSDPA, depending on the capabilities of the network you’re roaming onto. That doesn’t necessarily mean tiny speeds – DC-HSDPA is capable of up to 42Mbps download rates, in theory at least – but it’s certainly slower than LTE can manage.
In fact, when it comes to roaming, Verizon’s CDMA A1429 iPhone 5 comes out on top. That version supports five LTE bands – including three commonly used in Europe and Asia among LTE operators – as well as HSPA+/DC-HSDPA roaming. However, you won’t be able to use it on AT&T’s LTE, even if you somehow managed to persuade Verizon to unlock it, and – more frustrating in day to day use – there’s no support for simultaneous voice calls and data. Instead, Verizon expects iPhone 5 users to rely on WiFi for their data needs while they’re making calls.
Finally, there’s the single international version offered outside of North America. That, the GSM A1429, supports multiple LTE carriers in Europe and Asia; however it also lacks all support for North America LTE, meaning no 4G fun if you’re roaming in the US or Canada. The spray of different bands supported by European LTE roll-outs so far means that you’ll be working with HSPA+/DC-HSDPA on the majority of carriers actually offering the iPhone 5.
Interestingly, according to ExtremeTech, there are really only two versions out there: the A1428 and the A1429, with the GSM version of the latter simply having the CDMA and two bands of the LTE radio disabled. Meanwhile, FCC documents seemingly confirm that the A1428 secretly has LTE band 2 (PCS, 1.9GHz) and LTE band 5 (Cellular 850, 850MHz) support, despite Apple not actually mentioning it.
Of course, arguably most pressing is the fact that you really get what you’re given. In the US, you can’t buy the GSM A1429 version of the iPhone 5, so if you want the best option for international roaming then you probably should opt for the Verizon model. If you plan on making calls while simultaneously browsing over 3G/4G, however, the Verizon model’s lack of support for that means the AT&T version is your friend. And, if you’re in Europe or Asia, you’re stuck with no option to buy the Verizon handset, even though it’s arguably a more flexible version.
Let us know if you plan to pick up the iPhone 5 in the poll below.
Choose carefully: Each iPhone 5 version has its compromises is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
After purchasing Palm, putting webOS on smartphones and tablets, and then giving up, it seems that HP has finally decided it needs to offer a smartphone. Pressured on the point in an interview with Fox Business, HP’s CEO Meg Whitman said that the company “ultimately has to offer a smartphone.” But when, where, how, and what are still up in the air. More »
Apple gave in. As every other smartphone ballooned, adding inch upon inch, birthing the horror realm of the phablet, the iPhone stood its ground at 3.5 inches—the world’s best phone was still compact. Not anymore! And that’s sad. More »
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