iRobot’s updated Mirra 530 pool-cleaning robot promises to make it even easier to tidy up your cement pond come summer. Designed to replace the company’s Verro 500 model, the Mirra features a set of large wheels instead of treads to better hug the ground and walls of a pool, as well as a more powerful suction and filtration system. More »
After a week off to take advantage of the holidays, the Distro crew is back in action. In the latest issue of our tablet mag, we run down all of the major categories with a preview of what our editors expect to see — or not see — when CES cranks up in a few days. On top of that, Eyes-On has a look at a Lomography panoramic camera, Hands-On offers impressions on some of the latest gadgetry and tech writer Taylor Hatmaker drops by for the Q&A. Once the annual Las Vegas tech madness gets started next week, we’ll be publishing daily issues of this e-publication beginning Tuesday, January 8th to keep you up to speed with all of the happenings in the desert. Arriving just in time for the events, our Windows 8 Distro app is now available and can be procured like its Android and iOS counterparts, via the download links below.
Distro Issue 72 PDF
Distro in the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Google Play Store
Distro in the Windows Store
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter
Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile
Source: iTunes, Google Play, Windows Store
Velocity Micro was busy this December, and it’s not about to let up with CES right around the corner. At the forefront of its Las Vegas launches is the Edge Mini. While we’re sure some companies might take issue with the PC builder’s claims of having the world’s smallest desktop, there’s no denying that the extra-small Edge’s 4 square inches of surface area and 1.5-inch thickness let it slot easily into a home theater. A Core i3 won’t make the Edge Mini the most powerful tiny desktop, either, although its $499 asking price may not be an obstacle for those willing to buy the PC when it ships next week.
The tablet crowd also gets its fill with a pair of 10-inch Cruz tablets (pictured after the break). The D610 and Q610 respectively use dual- and quad-core, 1.5GHz Allwinner processors that help keep the starting price down to $199, a company spokesperson tells us. Velocity Micro expects both Cruz models to ship toward the end of March with Android 4.1 inside.
Continue reading Velocity Micro unveils tiny Edge Mini desktop, Cruz D610 and Q610 tablets
Filed under: Desktops, Tablets
Source: Velocity Micro
We get it. You love your iPhone 5 so much that you’re willing shrug off the money you lost on the two-year-old, 30-pin speaker dock that’s now obsolete. You’re ready to invest in an 8-pin dock because Apple wouldn’t dare change its proprietary standard again. Right? RIGHT? Don’t worry, this burly burnt orange speaker dock for Apple’s Lightning iOS devices will disappear your cash in a flash. More »
Tired of gadgets fighting for bandwidth around your humble abode? Well, the outfit behind the Killer Wireless-N technology that we took a gander at back at E3 is looking to oblige. Qualcomm Atheros has unveiled its StreamBoost router technology with the goal of making in-home streaming experiences all the more enjoyable. By allocating optimum bandwidth to each device and app on a network, StreamBoost shapes and prioritizes the traffic stream to insure that your Netflix viewing of Sons of Anarchy gets ample attention. This also insures that intense gaming sessions won’t be interrupted by Hulu Plus or other apps jostling for a download thanks to a constantly updating bandwidth allocation. A user interface offers a hub for monitoring traffic and all of the devices / apps on a given network while a cloud-based service will increase router intelligence on the regular — automatically sorting new devices as they’re added. StreamBoost will be in action next week at CES, where Alienware and D-Link will be showing off the goods with routers built around Qualcomm’s VIVE 802.11ac WiFi technology. Until then, the full announcement resides just past the break.
Filed under: Wireless, Networking
ROCCAT made its debut in the States a year ago and now the German gaming outfit is looking to get a jump start on the happenings at this year’s CES. The company has announced the Ryos, its first mechanical gaming keyboard with per-key lighting and up to two 32-bit ARM Cortex processors. This method of illumination allows the peripheral to display key functions and macros in addition to information like health stats. The unit also sports 2MB of internal flash storage, up to four Cherry MX key switches in a variety of colors and an included SDK. No word on pricing yet, but the Ryos is expecting to ship during Q1 2013. If a few more details are what you’re after, take a gander at the PR that awaits just past break.
Continue reading ROCCAT unveils Ryos gaming keyboard ahead of CES, individually lit keys in tow
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals
Alta Devices has already laid claim to one solar charging-related record, now it’s claiming to add world’s lightest to its list of selling points. The company is still touting its mats as the most efficient (though, there are some valid challenges to that claim), but it’s adding portability and versatility to its resume. It’s smallest military model weighs just four ounces, is roughly the size of a sheet of paper and delivers 10 watts of juice while meeting all the requisite durability standards. There’s also a larger 20 watt, eight-ounce version that the company claims can keep a soldier supplied with power all day in strong sunlight. The next step is to put these light, efficient cells in unmanned drones and, hopefully, consumer electronics. For a bit more check out the PR and video after the break.
Continue reading Alta Devices claims world’s lightest, most efficient military solar chargers
Filed under: Misc
The Las Vegas Convention Center’s expansive exhibition space may not be open for another five days, but we’re already on site, gearing up for the CES madness to come and setting up shop in our temporary headquarters — that beautiful trailer just above. Sure, we have a pretty good idea of which new mobile gadgets we might see — and what products not to expect — and it’s pretty much a given that Windows 8 will be just about everywhere, but as always the show is bound to bring some surprises. For now, though, we’ll all have to sit tight as thousands of exhibitors put the final lavish touches on their enormous booths. In the meantime, get a taste of the pre-show scene at the LVCC in the gallery just below.
Gallery: We’re live from CES 2013!
Zach Honig contributed to this report.
Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile
Looking to sneak in some announcements ahead of its arrival in Vegas for CES, Polaroid has taken the wraps off of a 7-inch kids tablet running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The slate wields a capacitive, multi-touch display with a resolution of 800 x 480 wrapped in side and rear bumpers for added protection. Built-in parental controls monitor content and safe web browsing alongside 35 preloaded apps and streaming media. As far as internals go, the Polaroid tablet houses a 1GHz Cortex A8 processor with 512MB of RAM to power the Google OS. A 2-megapixel camera sits around back with 8GB internal storage, SD slot, a 3,500mAh battery and WiFi connectivity in tow. The $150 slate is available now from the source link below and will arrive at Kohl’s later this month.
Filed under: Tablets
Source: Polaroid
There are plenty of ways to get Android on your TV — from smartphone docks, to dongles and even the officially sanctioned Google TV. But most of them are missing something, be it a simple way to control them or access to the full Play store. Archos is aiming to solve those conundrums with its new TV Connect, an Android computer, complete with HD camera and a handheld remote with a pair pointer sticks used to simulate a multitouch screen. Under the hood is a 1.5GHz “multi core” CPU, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable storage. For networking you can go old school and plug in an Ethernet line or lose the cables and rely on WiFi. The remote has more control options than you could possibly desire crammed in a form factor that’s more than a little reminiscent of a certain failed Atari console. In addition to the pair of pointer sticks, there’s a full QWERTY keypad, a directional pad, four game buttons, the standard Android keys and volume controls — not to mention you can move an onscreen cursor simply by pointing the remote at your TV.
The strongest selling point of the TV Connect, however, is its unfettered access to the Google Play store. That means its vast repositories of music, movies and TV shows are available to you but, more importantly, so are the hundreds of thousands of apps like Netflix, Google Talk and Skype. The Jelly Bean running set top box will be hitting shelves in February for $130. For a bit more check out the gallery below and the PR after the break.
Gallery: Archos Connect TV
Continue reading Archos reveals Android-powered TV Connect, puts Play store on your big screen
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
