I’m not responsible enough to get a real dog. I can barely take care of myself and you want me to care of another living being? No way, not yet! Thankfully, Cube Dogs for iPhone are super easy to care for, it’s like Tamagotchis but in dog form. Which means, it’s better silly. More »
Back when we first laid eyes on Tango, the startup was sticking strictly to mobile, serving up free video calls over 3G, 4G, and WiFi to both iOS and Android devices (with front-facing cameras, of course). Now the company’s thinking big — quite literally — with the announcement that it plans to bring its video calling service to PCs sometime later this summer. As of now, it looks as if this will be a Windows-only affair, and will remain free of charge — as before, you won’t need to register to get your videophone on. We’ve yet to see Tango at work on the big screen, but from what we gather from the press stills, the desktop edition will bring a bit of the old Apple to your PC. Full PR after the break.
Continue reading Tango brings video calling to desktop PCs — giant baby head not included
Tango brings video calling to desktop PCs — giant baby head not included originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Contour brings viewfinder app to Android, goes with you where we won’t originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 02:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We know, we know. You’re fit to be tied waiting for the complete Star Wars collection to be released on Blu-ray in September, but there’s good news for impatient iPad owners here in the US. You see, some of the collection’s bonus materials can be had for free a bit early — as in tomorrow — courtesy of the Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access App. Even better, we’ve got video of the app in action plus a gallery of pics for you to drool over until you can download it yourself. And for folks abroad or those with an iPhone or iPod touch, the same sneak peek will be available in August.
The app itself is a ported version of what you’ll see on the Blu-ray discs, but there’s some added touchscreen functionality — pinch-to-zoom on the concept art and users can spin props and models with the flick of a finger in the “Collection” section. The app also lets you selectively download the content, so all that artwork and video won’t eat up an undue portion of your iPad’s memory. After getting handsy with it in person, we found the app easy to use and the content compelling (where else can you examine the Death Star up close?), but we were left wishing that there was a bit… more. Of course, the lion’s share of extras are reserved for the paying customers come September 16th — though we were disappointed to discover that, currently, there are no plans to make it all available on the app even if you buy the Blu-rays. Regardless, you get what you pay for, and that makes this gratis addition to the Star Wars universe a darn good deal.
Gallery: Star Wars Blu-ray companion iPad app
Continue reading Hands-on with the Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access iOS app
Hands-on with the Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access iOS app originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Could this be a case of Baidu’s browser in Chrome’s clothing? The Wall Street Journal seems to think so and the Chinese company isn’t exactly dismissing the KIRF claims. Announced back in April, the recently beta-released Baidu Browser brings a “sleek, stripped-down interface” eerily reminiscent of Google’s web-surfing entry (or a likely fork of Chromium). The copycat similarities don’t just end in the looks department: there’s also an app store, fast-tab functionality and familiar menu icon placement. In its defense, the company claims its 30,000 plus free app offerings, in addition to China-specific entertainment features are enough to set it apart. Sure, this may seem like a case of the Asian search giant that doth protest too much, but it’s the company’s desire to drive traffic to its own engine that has us seeing Google.
[Thanks, Hardy]
Baidu Browser tips hat to old Steve Jobs quote, copies Chrome’s special sauce originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Could this be a case of Baidu’s browser in Chrome’s clothing? The Wall Street Journal seems to think so and the Chinese company isn’t exactly dismissing the KIRF claims. Announced back in April, the recently beta-released Baidu Browser brings a “sleek, stripped-down interface” eerily reminiscent of Google’s web-surfing entry to an otherwise Internet Explorer 6-loving Chinese population. The copycat similarities don’t just end in the looks department: there’s also an app store, fast-tab functionality and familiar menu icon placement. In its defense, the company claims its 30,000 plus free app offerings, in addition to China-specific entertainment features are enough to set it apart. Sure, this may seem like a case of the Asian search giant that doth protest too much, but it’s the company’s desire to drive traffic to its own engine that has us seeing Google.
[Thanks, Hardy]
Baidu Browser tips hat to old Steve Jobs’ quote, steals Chrome’s special sauce originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Maybe, just maybe, this wireless technology in development at Fujitsu makes some sense. When you walk within range of an NFC sensor or GPS coordinate, the cloud-based system takes the liberty of pushing location-relevant apps to your phone or tablet. Enter a museum, for example, and you’ll automatically receive its tour guide app. Your device could even be made to work as a viral transmitter, spreading the app to other visitors’ handsets. Finally, when you leave, all the bloatware just magically disappears. Alternatively, the museum’s marketing department conveniently forgets to configure this last step, accidentally signs you up to its newsletter and grabs a donation from your PayPal account while it has the chance. We would obviously find this rather upsetting, unless the museum has dinosaurs.
Fujitsu wants to push out location-based apps, pull them back again originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Sitting in the backseat of a car while your parents are taking you somewhere can be a bore for a young, energetic child. As a parent, having a jittery son constantly pestering you with questions like “are we there yet?” definitely tests tests your nerves. Toy Toyota, Toyota’s new division that aims at creating innovative projects directed towards families, has worked with Party, a new creative super-group set up by some of Japan’s leading creative artists to develop an interesting iPhone app that allows children to join in on the driving experience.
The “Backseat Driver” uses GPS to let kids follow their “daddy car” in their “my car,” driving along the same path as their parents are in real life. Given the ability to steer left and right, users are awarded points when making correct turns and passing through landmarks and famous sites which appear as little objects on the road. The rarer the landmark, the more points that are rewarded, which can then be converted into unique designs for the car in a “garage.” Users can then share with friends and family their customized car and travel routes via Twitter, showing off the “cool” places that their parents had taken them, including the new candy store down the road.
The video below is an ad launched by Toy Toyota introducing this new app, available for free download on iTunes. It is interesting that the ad uses their Prius, their iconic hybrid vehicle, closely tying into their CSR activities.
Innovative apps like the Backseat Driver prove to be a great way of keeping the kids entertained on a long road trip. Although I’m not particularly sure if children at this age would have a Twitter account, if Toyota believes this young generation to be intact with the SNS trend, this would certainly be a huge marketing opportunity for sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Toyota seems to be heavily invested in CSR activities, evident in their announcement today to create several new in-house schools in the Tohoku region (where the 3/11 disaster struck) to train junior high school students the basics of manufacturing before actually hiring them.
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In the mood for some homebrew iOS app-building fun? Well, Make’s got a kit just for you that bundles the Redpark Serial Cable for iOS with an RS232-to-TTL board and the 60 plus component Minitronics Survival pack for $80. Hailing it as “the first general-purpose serial cable that Apple has approved,” this limited supply pack will let you get your Arduino-tinkering hands all sorts of iPhone dirty — jailbreak not required. And if you’re the uninitiated type, the DIY magazine’s also put together a helpful, hand-holding guide to walk you through some basic first-timer projects. Hit the source to order your own Jobs-certified cable.
[Thanks, Marc]
Make’s Redpark Breakout Pack lets you build iOS apps with Arduino assistance originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Still trying to scratch that itch left by the slow fade out of the Casey Anthony drama? Well, good news kiddies, CNN is pointing its 24-hour news hose straight at your face over a little thing we like to call the internet. The OG cable news network is finally returning to the streaming fray (die-hard Blitz-heads may remember a little service called CNN Pipeline) and offering live feeds of CNN and HLN, online and through its iOS apps. Unfortunately, just like HBO Go, you’ll need to have a pay TV subscription through AT&T, Comcast, Cox, DISH Network, Suddenlink or Verizon to access the streams. For the moment Android users are left out in the cold but, that’s ok, fans of dessert-themed OS names can pull in Al Jazeera English free of charge.
Continue reading CNN starts streaming 24 hours of ‘news’ online and on your iPhone
CNN starts streaming 24 hours of ‘news’ online and on your iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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