Hasta La Gadget!

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Nikunj, who wants to produce his own apps for both sides of the smartphone war. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’m a C++ student and I was wondering what’s the best language to develop apps in both Android and iOS? Is C++ enough, and if not, could you all suggest some other languages? Thank you.”

Your humble narrator isn’t a developer, but has scratched out the knowledge that neither platform’s SDK is that germane to C++. iOS, for one, uses Objective-C or Cocoa, while Android at least does provide a C++ developers kit, it’s apparently not as nice to use as the Java equivalent. Beyond that? That’s where we’ll turn this question over to those developers who proudly call themselves members of the Engadget fraternity.

Filed under: Mobile

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Good news for Rick and Corey fans. A&E’s brought its streaming app across from the iPad to the iPhone. Better still, it’s all the full length content from favorites like Storage Wars and Pawn Stars. Both the History and Lifetime have followed suit, and there’s even some extra A&E content found within the app, the kind that’s typically found on the show’s dedicated site — expect plenty of behind-the-scenes antics. If you’re also in possession of an Xfinity Comcast account, the app will open up access to previous seasons of the network’s top shows. There’s still no AirPlay support, although 9to5Mac reports that it’s certainly in the works. Hopefully, that means dozing off in front of A&E content on your Apple TV shouldn’t be far away. In Duck Dynasty‘s Si Robertson’s immortal words: work hard, nap hard.

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile

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Via: iDownload blog, 9to5Mac

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Berry2Droid, who wants to geek-up monitoring his first-born. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“My wife and I are having a baby soon and need a video monitor. We’d like it to be compatible with our Android phones, rather than having a separate screen in the package. We’d also like some sort of visual aid as my wife is deaf so she would need some sort of other signal. If there was any ability to add additional cameras, that’d also be great. Thanks for your help!”

We could certainly point you in the direction of Samsung Techwin’s Video Baby Monitor or Y-Cam’s offering, both of which are infrared-and-internet capable cameras that pump the picture straight to your mobile device. We came a little unstuck on the visual warning element for your wife, however, but that’s why we’ll turn this question over to our faithful group of commenters to see if their knowledge stretches further than our own. Dear friends, help out a lovely couple as they embark upon the majestic (albeit fraught) journey of parenthood and provide some wisdom in the comments below.

Filed under: Cameras

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Sam, who needs to find a new way of attaching a Galaxy S III to a windshield. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’ve ditched my GPS unit for a Galaxy S III in my car, but I can’t find a good windshield mount. Are there any models that don’t use suction cups? For some reason they won’t stick to my window, and yes, before you ask, yes I do keep it clean. Thanks!”

While we wouldn’t recommend doing anything unhealthy, we’ve found a good lick on the suction cup before attaching it sometimes helps. Your mileage, however, may vary. Still, you could always try one of TomTom’s generic smartphone dashboard mounts or perhaps even using a Bean Bag mount? As for a window mount that doesn’t use suction cups? That’s a question we’ll leave for our friendly commenters to join in on.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Mobile

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Charles, who’s capping off the year with a fine question about DIY PC chassis. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I work in motion graphics and it’s upgrade time. I’m a DIY and Windows nut, so I’m looking to build my own tower, but the cases are all so horrible! I don’t need a plastic window, or something that looks like it was designed by aliens — just something that’s sharp, solid, good looking and has a respectable airflow. Is that too much to ask?”

Well, we trawled our brains (as well as a fair chunk of the internet) looking for some classy chassis, and this is what we found:

• Corsair’s Obsidian 550D may have a plastic window, but otherwise it’s a monolithic piece of imposing black metal that won’t ugly up your office.
• Coolermaster’s Silencio 650 is hewn from diamond-cut aluminum and drops the plastic window, and given the company’s heritage, should have excellent airflow.
• Finally, there’s the Lian-Li PC-A71F, which can only be described as terrifyingly sleek.

But what about you all? Let’s cap the year off with some stylish PC cases, peace and goodwill to everyone and a very happy New Year to you, the Engadgeteers.

Filed under: Desktops

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