Hasta La Gadget!

Well, lookie here: we just came across an extraordinarily trapezoidal device that we’re told is the new Slingbox to be offered by Verizon on a monthly subscription basis to LTE customers. Not much to see, really, but they’ve definitely dialed down the industrial design here in favor of a tiny, matte black shell that’s got some creative angling to it. It’s standard definition only, as far as we can tell — the only connections on back are for composite video. If you’ve already got something like a Solo or a Pro-HD, we’re not sure there’s any compelling reason at all to consider it — but it might be a good way for Sling newbies to get into the game. Check out more shots below.

Exclusive: Verizon Slingbox in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We just got a chance to meet iRobot’s AVA and talk to iRobot’s CEO Colin Angle about his plans for this intriguing new bot. What we’re looking at right now is basically a developer platform, or a “concept car” as Colin put it, showing off ideas for a consumer-facing bot with a lot more smarts than a Roomba, with hopes to attract developers who can extend its functionality. What wasn’t clear to us before is that the tablet perched atop the bot can be any iPad or Android tablet — not some first-party model by iRobot — and the point of that is to let existing iPad and Android devs to develop apps using their regular tools that can control the bot through an API iRobot will give them access to. That means, unlike some robotic SDKs out there, developers won’t have to learn the ins and outs of robots before they build an app for the AVA, they just have to pass simple instructions to the bot which can be interpreted by iRobot’s already impressive software. For instance, the robot can already drive itself around a building and map it entirely, so then a software dev would just have to pick a point on a map and send AVA on its way — no complicated navigation work on the app dev’s part. iRobot also sees potential for game devs, which is particularly interesting because they could combine two of the “hot” areas of current game development: Kinect-style motion controls and touch controls. It’s all very exciting, we assure you, so we suggest you follow after the break and watch this video — before we sic AVA on your ass.

iRobot AVA chills with us at CES, will turn Android and iPad app developers into roboticists (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re seeing a few companies mixing a little Android on the dashboard, most notably Parrot, and while we think the little green guy certainly has a future in next-gen infotainment systems, we’re not quite sure this is it. It’s a prototype display, running on Tegra power and developed in conjunction with Fujitsu Ten. Right now it’s offering little more functionality than a raw Android tablet, made more car-friendly only by the addition of big home, back, and menu buttons. The UI is showing only a simple maps app, centered in Tokyo, and overall things look… early. But, we’re certainly eager to see what the companies can do with Android on the dash — down the road a little.

Continue reading NVIDIA and Fujitsu Ten’s Android Car Nav hands-on (video)

NVIDIA and Fujitsu Ten’s Android Car Nav hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bad news, folks, Polaroid’s GL20 camera glasses aren’t wearable yet. The Haus of Gaga-designed Grey Label product is indeed coming out, but the prototype at the company’s CES booth lacked the ability for the wearer to see anything out of it — then again, it’s not clear we’re ever supposed to, even after its release later this year. The GL30 digital camera was also non-functional, so all we can say right now is it’s a design great for making a big, conspicuous statement. On the other hand, the GL10 printer does work, but it’s a printer — eh, nothing else we can say. Curse us for succumbing to a Lady Gaga pun in the eleventh hour and check the pictures below.

Lady Gaga’s Polaroid digital camera, printer, and glasses hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pandora founder and chief strategy officer Tim Westergren just rolled up to our CES trailer in the new Mini Cooper Countryman with Mini Connected, which features integration with Pandora’s iOS app when an IPhone is plugged in. Once you plug the phone in and switch to the app, Connected takes over and you navigate and control Pandora using the Mini’s rotary jog dial — BMW doesn’t want you to mess with the phone while driving, so the iPhone essentially serves as a 3G modem. The Connected interface is quite clean — it’s definitely more user-friendly than the BMW iDrive system from whence it sprang — and we were jamming along to 32Kbps Pandora streams in no time. That’s a little better than FM quality, and the Pandora app does a little buffering so any gaps or blips in signal are smoothed over. Phone calls are handled by the Mini’s Bluetooth system, so Pandora fades out when a call comes in, and fades back in when you hang up. It’s definitely slick — and Pandora is actually just the first Connected app to launch, with more iOS apps from Mini’s partners due to come in the future. Video and PR after the break.

Continue reading Mini Cooper Connected with Pandora drive-on

Mini Cooper Connected with Pandora drive-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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