ZAGGsparq 1220, 3100, and 6000 portable batteries debut

ZAGG has been producing some interesting accessories for tablets and smartphones for a while now. The company is perhaps best known for its line of super-strong protective films for the screens of smartphones and tablets. The company also has a line of external batteries called the ZAGGsparq.

ZAGG has unveiled three new lithium polymer external batteries to help keep your gadgets charged. The new batteries include the ZAGGsparq 1220, 3100, and 6000. The 3100 and 6000 units both feature Hypercharge Technology promising to allow your gadgets charge up to four times faster than using a standard USB charger.

All the batteries have a standard USB port and have built-in prongs for plugging the battery directly into the wall. Having integrated prongs means that you don’t need a USB port to charge the external battery, and you don’t have to keep up with an external power adapter. The difference between the three batteries comes in capacity.

The 1220 has a 1200 mAh 1A power source and sells for $39.99. The 3100 has an internal battery with 3100 mAh of juice and can charge a smartphone fully two times and sells for $69.99. The 6000 has 6000 mAh of power, two USB ports, and sells for $99.99.


ZAGGsparq 1220, 3100, and 6000 portable batteries debut is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Steam for Linux entering private beta in October for just 1,000 users

Image

Next month, Valve is inviting 1,000 fortunate gamers to take part in the first external beta test of Steam for Linux. The trial includes the service itself and one game (which we’re taking to be Left 4 Dead 2) that’ll run on systems running Ubuntu 12.04 and above. Users won’t get their hands on any other Valve titles, or Big Picture Mode, and the company is asking that only experienced Linux users get in touch — novices are politely asked to wait for a subsequent release. It’ll offer up details of how to sign up shortly, and given the love for the Valve’s other products, we suspect it’ll be a little oversubscribed.

Filed under: ,

Steam for Linux entering private beta in October for just 1,000 users originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink VentureBeat  |  sourceValve  | Email this | Comments

Apple Patents In-Screen Speakers, Flexible Displays And Tactile Keyboards For Future iPhones And iPads

iPhone-flex-display-speakers

Apple has published a new patent today, one that takes the possibilities for future iOS mobile devices and adds a whole heap of abilities seemingly ripped from sci-fi thanks to flexible display technology. Some of this we’ve seen before: tactile keyboards that essentially rise up to meet your fingers have long been a theoretically possible addition to screens, and there’s been talk of Apple using them in the past. But a display that’s also a built-in surround sound system? That’s new.

The patent, uncovered by Unwired View, describes displays that could be either concave or convex, allowing for the kind of design Google provided in its Nexus S smartphone, but physical changes are just the tip of the iceberg. Moving to a flexible display provided the opportunity to build in tech that leverages it to accomplish some neat tricks, including a keyboard that detects fingers and provides physical resistance to mimic a hardware one (where would RIM be if Apple ever got this out the door); laser microphones that can register sound without requiring an actual opening on the device case; and  speakers that can be individually programmed to operate as tweeters, woofers and more, integrated into the screen itself.

As mentioned, flexible displays and the benefits they provide have been talked about for a long time. LG demoed flexible digital newspapers in 2010, and announced earlier this year that it would be deploying them soon in Europe and elsewhere. Samsung is reportedly gearing up to bring them to smartphones as early as next year, but at this point that’s still primarily a best guess and likely to be subject to further delays.

All of which adds up to very little likelihood that you’ll see this kind of tech in your next iPhone or iPad. But the things flexible screens enables, specifically a reduction in the number of holes, ports and other breaks in the external casing of mobile devices, are perfectly in line with Apple’s gadget design strategy, so look for them to use this kind of thing as soon as it makes economic sense to do so.


Nintendo Wii U launch day games for North America revealed

As some of you guys are aware by now, the Nintendo Wii U will be making its debut in North America come 18th of November, but what good is a brand new console without any games to play with, right? Well it seems that a list of games that will be available come launch day in North America has been revealed and it is a pretty extensive list. Some of the games listed are physical copies while others are downloadable, so if you’d like to see which games will be available when, you can see the full list after the break. In the meantime for those who don’t recall, the Nintendo Wii U will be launched in two versions – a basic set priced at $299.99, and a deluxe set that will go for a more expensive $349.99. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Wii U developers already complaining about underperforming CPU, Nintendo Wii U launch for Europe might be brought forward to 23rd November thanks to advertising glitch,

Torchlight 2 for Mac still a couple of months away

It was just last week that Runic Games officially released their highly anticipated Torchlight 2 RPG for Windows. Unfortunately for Mac OS gamers, if Torchlight 2 is a game you would love to play on your computer and don’t want to have to shell out money for Boot Camp and Windows, it looks like you will be in for a wait. According to Runic Games’ CEO, Max Schaefer (via Reddit), he revealed that the Mac OS version of Torchlight 2 is on the agenda of things to do, but unfortunately it is still a couple of months away from being completed at the very least. This is pretty disappointing news for Mac OS gamers who were hoping to get their hands on the game in a timely manner, but we guess better late than never, right? In the meantime, it seems that gamers who use the Linux platform have not been forgotten too and support for Linux will be added in the future. Until then, gamers on Windows who have forgotten about the release will be able to get their hands on it via Steam or on the Torchlight 2 website.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Torchlight 2 developers sign off on Act 2, still has some way to go, Torchlight 2 expected to be four times bigger than its predecessor,

Garmin adds Nokia-powered Urban Guidance to iOS and Android apps

Maps and mobile-navigation extras are high-profile news right now, given the Apple Maps saga, and now Garmin has inked a deal with Nokia to break its esteemed pedestrian tools off of Symbian and Windows Phone. Garmin Urban Guidance will be added to its StreetPilot Onboard and Navigon apps for iOS, and to Navigon for Android, as an in-app purchase, introducing Nokia-powered mass transit and walking directions complete with points-of-interest.

The deal uses the same Nokia Transit and Pedestrian Content (TaP) as has been so well received on previous Nokia devices, but brings it to iOS and Android as a local app for the first time. There’s data on walkways, bridges, tunnels, crossings, passages, and stairs, as well as an understanding that pedestrians can cross over squares, parks, and other open spaces rather than being limited to regular sidewalks.

As for mass transit support, there’s guidance for railways, tram and bus lines, stops, stations, and access points. In short, everything Apple is missing from its first-gen iOS 6 Maps app, which relies on third-party provisions for public transportation and pedestrian guidance.

Pricing for the in-app Urban Guidance purchases is $3.99 on Android and iOS, with the new packs available now. The financial terms of Nokia’s deal with Garmin have not been revealed.


Garmin adds Nokia-powered Urban Guidance to iOS and Android apps is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Production-ready Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive supercar unveiled

We’re pretty sure we’ve suffered some amount of vision loss from staring at the ridiculously bright paint scheme on Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell over the past few years. MB has rolled it out at virtually every auto show it can and we’ve always topped for a gander, but now we finally have the full production version — and it’s in a slightly more tame but visually perhaps even more stunning color, a sort of chrome blue that even in the flesh looks CG rendered. It’s the SLS AMG Electric Drive, it’s launching next June and we have the full details after the break.

Continue reading Production-ready Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive supercar unveiled

Filed under:

Production-ready Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive supercar unveiled originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Netgear Centria announced

Netgear is famous for their collection of networking products, and this time around, we have what Netgear has dubbed the Netgear Centria, where it has been slated to be an all powerful, all-in-one automatic backup/media server that also wears another hat by being a high-speed WiFi router, now how about that?Just to make sure that everyone is on the same page, the Netgear Centria is a dual band high-performance router that has the added convenience of automatic data backup for both PCs and Macs.

This particular backup capability that is found in the Centria router is definitely something that provides it with an edge over the rest of the competition, not to mention giving you that added peace of mind since you know that barring any mishaps, your precious data will remained backed up at all times.

Assuming your Mac or PC is lost or experiences some sort of nasty downtime, you are still able to continue living life normally, accessing all of the backed up data from the Centria via a different computer. Routers do seem to be the ideal place where one can enjoy data backup as they remain on most of the times, and are also the central point of connection for all computers in the home.

Not only that, if you prefer, you can always use the Netgear Centria as a storage repository for photos, media and documents that might just consume way too much space on your computer. The Centria will rely on an internal SATA drive and/or external USB drives in order to have it perform all of its storage and backup needs.

The Centria, as mentioned earlier, also doubles up as a high-performance 900 Mbps (450+450 Mbps) Dual Band WiFi router so you need not worry about enjoying fast, smooth streaming and gaming. You can pick up the Netgear Centria WNDR4700 for $229.99 a pop, while the Netgear Centria WNDR4720 that boasts of an internal 2TB hard drive will be more expensive at $349.99.

Press Release
[ Netgear Centria announced copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


BMW i3 sheds its skin, shows off carbon skeleton

Want to know how the BMW i3 electric car can be so light (2,800 pounds) despite hauling around a massively heavy battery pack? A lot of it has to do with its carbon chassis. BMW uses something called CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) to create a material that is light, strong and, crucially, cheap enough to actually be used in production. The car is still on track for its 2013 release, where it will be sold out of posh i Stores like the one recently opened in London.

Steve Dent contributed to this post.

Filed under:

BMW i3 sheds its skin, shows off carbon skeleton originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 07:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Samsung GT-I8190 “Golden” rumored for mid-November release

It seems that Samsung has a new Galaxy device planned for the end of 2012, and according to SamMobile’s tipster, the device has been codenamed “Golden” and will sport the model number GT-I8190. Specifications of the alleged device remain a bit unclear at this point in time, but based on what’s been tipped, we can expect a 5MP rear-facing camera and will be available in Ceramic White and Metallic Blue. Given its 5MP camera, we don’t expect this to be a high-end device – after all, the flagship phones from competing companies, along with Samsung’s own Galaxy S3, all sport cameras of higher resolution. The Samsung GT-I8190 “Golden” is expected to be available starting mid-November, assuming all goes according to plan, so if your phone’s contract runs out at that time and you’re in the market for a new phone, check back with us then to see if this alleged “Golden” smartphone by Samsung could be your next one.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 set for October 24th US release?, Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus gets early 2013 release date?,