According to a report from The Verge, Nokia’s going to out its own Windows RT tablet early next year. That’s fine; it would be weirder if they weren’t. But what’s a little less expected is that the company’s elves are hard at work on creating a keyboard cover of their very own. More »
To this day, I remain in love with my HTC One X, but its fate has already been sealed. Soon enough, this fast and beautiful smartphone is going to find a new life in a drawer that holds my spare change, sunglasses, checkbook and various receipts. Is it wrong to relegate one of the best phones on the planet to my stash of odds and ends? Perhaps, but the past few months have taught me that excellent hardware alone doesn’t make a device that’s sufficient for enthusiasts.
Like many, I’ve been waiting for an upgrade to Jelly Bean ever since HTC first promised it back in July. I have no doubt that the company is working hard to prepare the Android 4.1 update for its customers, but the software is already past its expiration date. Google has moved onto something better. Quite frankly, I’m no longer willing to perpetually live behind the curve. I want to play with new toys as they come out, and that’s wholly impossible outside of the Nexus ecosystem.
Why should HTC care about my personal revelation, or the desire of anyone else who wants to stay on the cutting edge? Well, I’d like to offer the simple suggestion that enthusiasts matter. Take any introductory marketing class and you’ll learn the early adopters — in other words, the nerds who like playing with the very latest stuff — set trends and influence others. Companies should be falling over themselves to cater to this influential segment, and yet within the Android ecosystem, that’s the exception to the rule. There’s only one device for sale today that’s suitable for enthusiasts, and it’s high time for that to change.
Continue reading Editorial: All I want for Christmas is a new HTC Nexus
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC
Master modder Ben Heck recently finished a Holiday hack that could help the young ones stay behaved. I say could because as we all know how utterly wild these creatures known as “children” can be. But if your little loved ones are still spellbound by the concept of Santa, they could be controlled with Ben Heck’s Naughty or Nice Meter.
In keeping with the Holiday theme, the gadget is officially named Self-Aware Niceness Tester, Analog or S.A.N.T.A. for short. The idea is to have a meter that can magically update in real time to show kids how naughty or nice they’re being. Even though the meter itself is fairly large, the box only contains a TI Launchpad microcontroller, a Bluetooth module and a servo that moves the needle.
The magic happens in the companion mobile app, which was made by Ben Heck’s buddy Jesse Robinson. The app’s interface looks exactly like the dial of the meter; touch a spot on the app and the meter moves accordingly. You can see it in action over on episode 39 of The Engadget Show, which also contains a bit of trivia about and lots of useful tips from Ben Heck.
It’s a naughty way of keeping the peace at home, although knowing how savvy kids are with gadgets, I’m pretty sure this won’t work for long.
[via Engadget]
According to the WSJ, Acer’s going to build the world’s first tablet that manages to break the $100 barrier without being a glorified cheese plate. That’s the good news. The bad news? You probably won’t get the chance to buy it. More »
Depending on where you live, Staples might try to sell you a more expensive stapler. The Wall Street Journal has conducted an Important Investigation and found that a lot of online retailers vary their pricing based on the buyer’s location. More »
This holiday season, Market Warriors antiques pro (and mom of four kids under 10!) Benedicta “Bene” Raia weighs in on buying vintage gifts for her children, the contemporary toys that they collect, and what she wishes that she had held onto from her own childhood.
Raia’s favorite collectibles, and area of expertise, include antique dolls and toys. According to Raia, “Anything that relates to how children lived and played 100 years ago is very interesting for me. I tend to compare those children with mine and I find the similarities amusing and the differences thought-provoking.” Raia adds, “It’s fun for me to see that my kids want to do what mommy does. I love that they are thinking like true collectors.”
We interviewed Raia to learn more:
Did you run out of wrapping paper while covering those last-minute-gifts? Before heading out to the store, consider a gift wrapping idea using something you already have in the house. How about sheet music? This material is perfect for a music-lover or anyone who appreciates a repurposing DIY project.
Try it in place of traditional paper and embellishing it with a little bell or a guitar pick. These pages are also great to line envelopes for your holiday cards. Just trace the shape of the flap onto the paper, cut it out and stick with double-sided tape. You can do the same with old maps, dictionary pages and antique cookbooks, too!
The hole RIM has found itself in is deep, dark, and doused in despair. And as much as the company’s gambling on its new BB10 platform to pull itself up, an operating system’s only as good as the phones running it. So take a good, hard look at this supposed BlackBerry N-Series device. It could be RIM’s best shot at survival. More »
”An Affair to Remember”? Forget it! ”Citizen Kane”? A faded Rosebud! ”The Exorcist”? You laughed. PopWatchers list movies people have always said were must-sees — and then you saw them and wondered what the fuss was all about…
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