Barely a fortnight after the Android 4.2 binaries were added to the Android Open Source Project database, here comes Android 4.2.1. It appears as if the files have been uploaded for the Nexus 10, Nexus 7, Galaxy Nexus (Verizon model included), but the Nexus 4 is being omitted for the time being. In short, this opens the doors for custom ROM makers to dig in and update their own wares with the latest and greatest from Google. And come December, the users of those wares will be hugely appreciative of that extra 0.1. Hit the source links to grab the newness.
NASA has confirmed a surprising, counterintuitive discovery. The burning hell known Mercury—the closest planet to the Sun—has water. Frozen water. Three new research papers, based on data obtained by the Messenger spacecraft, show undeniable evidence. More »
Happy holidays, guys: last year, 13 kids died while playing with toys, and over a quarter of a million children were sent to the ER by their own toys. The biggest lesson here? Scooters are time bombs. More »
Last night was the premiere of Season 2 of The History Channel’s inventor show, Invention USA. No sooner did the season begin, that casting calls for Season 3 of the hit series get on the road too. So now inventors have another chance to strut their stuff before the casting directors and the show’s hosts, Reichart Von Wolfsheild and Scotty Ziegler.
If you thought JayBird’s Freedom Sprint headphones were the only pair the company had planned for release this year, think again. Today marks the launch of BlueBuds X, an in-ear Bluetooth set with a microphone for taking calls, and a selection of the company’s trademarked features. “Shift” technology promises lossless decompression of audio, while “PureSound” filters out white noise present in the vocal range. The headphones also boast “SignalPlus” to ensure stable pairing, the secure fit wings you see above so they stay nice and snug, and an eight-hour battery life. As usual, JayBird is targeting BlueBuds X at the fitness and sports market, but we reckon they’ll probably work just as well outside of the gym. If you fancy picking up a pair, then head to the source link below to order them in “Midnight Black” or “Storm White” for $169.95 a piece.
Thousands of people lose their lives each year to car accidents. The sad thing is some of these deaths could have been prevented, had they taken more care when crossing the road. We can only do so much by raising awareness. The second step is coming up with a system to force people to be aware of their surroundings, so they will only actually attempt to cross the road when it’s safe. That’s where the Guardian comes into play.
Ho-Joon Lim’s simple, but smart concept uses laser lights to guide people on their short walk across the street. It also works effectively to keep people off the streets and on the sidewalk when it’s not time to cross the road yet.
The only real challenge with the design is that you need some sort of fog or smoke in the air to make low-power laser beams visible – especially in daylight. So unless you live in a really foggy city, or the design incorporates a smoke machine, it might not be too practical.
With all the gear passing through Giz headquarters, we fall in love with our fair share of tech. Sadly, we have to return the objects of our desire. Just as we fall for one, we’re forced to covet from afar. These are the gadgets we’ll be crushing on the hardest this holiday season. More »
Today a brand new iTunes app and digital content store is about to launch with a completely redesigned set of aesthetics and user interface elements. The new iTunes app works with a brand new “edge-to-edge” design with no less than custom designs for each of the content bits in your library – TV shows to music albums to movies and back again. Personalized recommendations have been updated and boosted as you enter the iTunes Store as well – and that’s only the beginning.
Once you’re in the new iTunes Store, you’ll find another complete redesign with a cleaner look and, again, recommendations galore based on your interests and past purchases. This update is also connected with iCloud intrinsically. You’ll have the ability to play purchases from iCloud, this meaning you’ll be able to stream your content – so to speak – from anywhere you can access iCloud. You can also download your content directly from iCloud to sync to a device for offline playing as well.
There’s a new MiniPlayer in the iTunes app that allows you to see what’s playing at any time complete with album art and connections to “Up Next.” With “Up Next” you’ll be seeing which sings are playing next with the Up Next icon in your center display.
This version of iTunes has an improved search ecosystem with instant results from across your content library with a click of any result bringing you in to that piece of media to play. You’ve got Playback syncing now as well, this allowing you to play the same movie or TV show from the place you left off between your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple TV – like magic!
You can download this new version of iTunes starting today – we’ll let you know as the update rolls out across the USA and abroad!
Hot on the heels of a deal for Canada, Netflix and Warner Bros. have spread their newfound affection for each other to a multi-year, exclusive agreement for Ireland and the UK. Both island nations are getting streaming access to past seasons of four Warner-distributed TV shows, with availability staggered over the next several months. The Vampire Diaries is first out of the gate, with three seasons coming to Netflix on December 1st; five seasons of Gossip Girl follow on March 1st, while less definite schedules have all of Chuck and four seasons of Fringe appearing sometime in 2013. The arrangement isn’t quite as ideal as it would be if episodes appeared as they aired, but it’s a welcome expansion for a young regional service that’s still locked in a battle for supremacy.
While you were watching Nolan’s third and final Dark Knight flick, did you wonder how in the hell they got the Bat to do all of its hovering, darting and intimidating? Sure you did! More »
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