Hasta La Gadget!

Earlier in the week Microsoft finally unveiled Windows Phone 8.1, the major OS update we had all been waiting for. There were a lot of rumors and speculation about the features expected to come with the update, now that everything is out in the open, we just have to stay put until summer because that’s when Windows Phone 8.1 drops. Among the various improvements and features is Miracast support. While it will make beaming content to a TV and other gadgets easy, there is a hardware limitation to keep in mind.

Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore, who runs the team that does Windows Phone product definition and design, was asked on Twitter if Lumia 1520 will support Miracast sharing after its updated to Windows Phone 8.1. Belfiore replied that while WP8.1 does support Miracast, “it will require new HW.” He said that maybe the Nokia Lumia 1520 “is new enough,” but adds that “most WP8 hw’ won’t be.

While Belfiore’s statement rings true for the entire Windows Phone ecosystem, Nokia has already detailed what features owners of its handsets will receive after the update drops. The manufacturer confirms that Lumia 1520, Lumia 930 and the Verizon exclusive Nokia Icon will all support Miracast sharing after being updated to Windows Phone 8.1. Users on older devices may very well be out of luck.

Windows Phone 8.1 Miracast Support Has Hardware Limitation , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Cellphones, Microsoft, windows phone 8.1,

Microsoft has a home in the automotive world, but it doesn’t have a way to bring a phone’s interface to your car’s infotainment system — there’s no Windows Phone equivalent to Apple’s CarPlay. That might change before long, though. The software…

After creating a robot bird and dragonfly, automation company Festo shows off with another impressive animal replica. Like real kangaroos, Festo’s BionicKangaroo is not only great at jumping and keeping its balance, it can also store the energy generated from landing and use it for the next jump.

BionicKangaroo uses a combination of pneumatic actuators and electric servos to move and keep its balance.

According to Festo, the robot has an rubber elastic spring element that acts like an Achilles tendon: “It is fastened at the back of the foot and parallel to the pneumatic cylinder on the knee joint. The artificial tendon cushions the jump, simultaneously absorbs the kinetic energy and releases it for the next jump.”

To make the robot even fancier, Festo also made it so it can be controlled with gestures. The company uses the Myo armband to make BionicKangaroo move, stay or rotate in place. Watch BionicKangaroo hip hip hop and not stop:

It would’ve been way cooler if they made a BionicTigger instead. Check out Festo’s report (pdf) if you want to learn more about BionicKangaroo.

[via Ubergizmo]

For those who don’t know, AmazonFresh is a service that’s only being offered in certain parts of Seattle and California. It makes grocery shopping very easy, users really don’t even have to leave their couch to get fresh groceries. Same-day delivery is offered for items ordered by 10 a.m., orders placed after that are delivered the following morning. Customers can order things like fresh produce, fish, dairy products as well as toys and electronics. The company has launched a new accessory called Amazon Dash for AmazonFresh members which makes grocery shopping even easier.

It is only being provided to select AmazonFresh customers on a trial basis, so Dash isn’t quite in the mainstream just yet. Even AmazonFresh is limited to a few cities on the West Coast, so it may take a while for this service to be rolled out in other major parts of the country.

Amazon Dash is roughly the size of a conventional flashlight. There’s a barcode scanner built-in which can scan the codes off the back of household products. Users can also press the microphone button to speak into Dash, effectively creating a list of products they need. All products scanned or spoken of are then compiled in an Amazon shopping list. Lists are updated in real-time as Dash connects to Wi-Fi. Users can then view the entire list, makes changes if they want and schedule delivery.

AmazonFresh membership costs $299, though customers in supported cities get a 30-day free trial at first. The membership also gets them Amazon Prime’s two-day free shipping benefits.

Amazon Dash Aims To Make Shopping Easy For The Lucky Few , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Gadgets, Amazon, AmazonFresh,

Its safe to say that Google TV wasn’t a hit, even though Google chairman Eric Schmidt had predicted that it would ship on majority of new televisions in 2012. It didn’t. Instead, products like Roku or the Apple TV continued to extend their dominance. For quite a while now we have been hearing that Google is working on something new to better compete in this market. Recent the Android TV moniker was dropped a few times. Now certain documents and screenshots have leaked online which give a glimpse of Android TV.

Received by folks at The Verge, and assuming they’re correct, it appears that Google’s next TV offering might be a lot similar to other set-top boxes, such as the Apple TV and Roku. In fact, it seems to be quite similar to the recently announced Amazon Fire TV. The $99 set-top box runs a highly forked version of Android and boasts over 130 gaming titles.

One document says that “Android TV is an entertainment interface, not a computing platform.” This clearly shows that the company isn’t sticking with the same ideology that held Google TV back. Android TV will be about letting users enjoy content with “the least amount of friction,” designed to be “cinematic, fun, fluid and fast.”

Screenshots reveal that the user interface will consist of scrolling cards which will present apps, movies, tv shows and games on a shelf. A remote control with four-way directional pad will be used for control, it will also have Enter, Home and Back buttons. Optional game controllers will also be available for Android TV, pitting it straight up against the Amazon Fire TV. Voice input and notifications will be supported but apparently Google encourages developers to limit notification use to extreme cases.

The leaked documents suggest that Google is tapping app developers to develop games and apps for the Android TV. Screenshots not only show Google’s own Play Movies, Hangouts and YouTube apps for the TV, but apps of popular services like Netflix, Hulu, Pandora and Vevo. Rumor has it that Google will build the Android TV set-top box itself, which would pit it against partners like LG. The Korean company is building smart TVs based on webOS.

When contacted by the scribe, Google declined to comment on this report. It is unclear if and when Android TV is destined to be released.

Android TV Leak Shows Google’s Ambition Of Taking Over Your TV , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Gadgets, android tv, Google,