Hasta La Gadget!

Delphi has allied itself with Verizon to launch a new Vehicle Diagnostics service. It works through a cloud system that connects your four-wheeler to your smartphone (or internet browser), showing precisely where your car is, as well as options to secure it and check its vitals. Delphi promises the new system will work in most vehicles sold in the US since 1996 and users can pick up alerts for driving and vehicle performance issues, as well as setup geo-fences to monitor if your car goes outside specified zones. Connecting your phone to the car is done through Bluetooth and adds access to key fob commands including remote door control. The compatible smartphone app will arrive on devices running Android 2.2 or later and iOS 5.0 onwards, while the Delphi Web portal works on Internet Explorer 7, with Firefox, Chrome and Safari versions still in the works.

Continue reading Delphi and Verizon launch new connectivity system: track and monitor your vehicle through your smartphone

Filed under: Transportation, Verizon

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Contrary to popular belief, Blackjack is not an easy game to play or master. You could learn how to count cards but you’ll get kicked out of the casino and possibly banned, like those MIT students from the book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions or the movie “21”. More »

After introducing the world to its GameSmart crossplatform hardware initiative last week just ahead of CES 2013, Mad Catz today revealed exactly what that’ll mean for consumers: several of the company’s peripherals are being reappropriated for use across mobile, PC, and Mac platforms. That includes the R.A.T. mouse, the F.R.E.Q. headset, the M.O.U.S.9 wireless mouse, and the C.T.R.L.R. wireless gamepad, all of which are being branded into the GameSmart line. Beyond the PC / Mac / mobile applications of these devices, Mad Catz says “some” are also designed for console use without going into specifics — we’ll be sure to ask Mad Catz about that when we get our first hands-on with the line of GameSmart peripherals this evening. All four devices become available “in a range of distinctive colors” to the general public in “early 2013.”

Continue reading Mad Catz reveals line of multiplatform gaming peripherals alongside GameSmart initiative

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Gaming, Tablets, Software, Mobile

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BodyMedia’s line of armbands has been helping folks monitor their health for years, and today the company has announced a new, smaller and more fashionable member of the family. Called the CORE 2, it packs a three-axis accelerometer, plus temperature, heat flux and galvanic skin response sensors to measure all kinds of biometric data. Those internals gather over 5,000 bits of data every minute to track how hard you exercise and how many calories you burn when doing so. It doesn’t take nights off either, as the band also tracks sleeping patterns to give wearers a full 24/7/365 picture of their health.

Using Bluetooth 4.0, those biometrics get passed on to BodyMedia’s existing mobile apps and web portal to track your fitness over time, create custom workouts and recommend dietary adjustments to help your body be the best it can be. What really sets the CORE 2 apart from other fitness bands is that it has interchangeable faceplates, straps and cuffs, so folks can tailor the bracelet’s appearance to match their outfit. Unfortunately, the CORE 2 isn’t yet ready for sale just yet, so we don’t know when it’ll be available or how much it’ll cost. However, fitness fashionistas stay tuned — we’ll be seeing it in person here at CES, so there’ll be more pictures coming your way this week.

Continue reading BodyMedia’s CORE 2 armband tracks your health, or lack thereof

Filed under: Wearables

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I know what you’re thinking and I thought the same thing too. But this little activity tracker is different from the others, I swear. More »