Hasta La Gadget!

Almost every day it seems like folks are finding a way to add to the number of practical uses for 3D printers. What was once a hobbyist’s dream gadget is now being used to produce faux arteries for lab-grown tissue and Magic Arms. As the pricey peripherals work their way into the mainstream, are they soon to be found in most homes? That’s the quandary we tackle in this edition of our weekly tablet mag as Brian Heater spends some quality time with the MakerBot Replicator at Engadget’s NYC Headquarters. Not really into $2,000 output devices? No sweat. The Meizu MX 4-core, Toshiba U845W and Parrot Zik headphones all get the proper review treatment. “Hands-on” visits SIGGRAPH, “Weekly Stat” examines the shortcomings of our handsets, “Reaction Time” discusses THQ, “IRL” packs in three more of our gadget confessions and GameStop CEO Paul Raines admits his affinity for Jelly Bean in this week’s Q&A. Go on and usher in the weekend by hitting up your download link of choice down below.

Distro Issue 52 PDF
Distro in the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Google Play Store
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

Filed under: Announcements

Distro Issue 52: Does the MakerBot Replicator signal the dawn of in-home 3D printing? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  iTunes, Google Play  | Email this | Comments

Geotagging. It’s not exactly a long, lost art, but it’s certainly not something most folks bother to do after a trip. Avid travelers, hikers and the general outdoorsy crowd have been embracing the feature for years, though, and it’s actually seeping into the mainstream without most individuals even noticing. How so? Smartphones. Given the proliferation of iPhones, Android handsets and Windows Phone devices making their way onto the market — coupled with the explosive use of geo-minded social networks like Path, Instagram and Foursquare — an entire generation is now growing up in a geotagged world. Phone users have it easy; so long as there’s a data connection and an embedded GPS module (commonplace in modern mobile devices), there lies the ability to upload a photo with a patch of metadata embedded. Snap a shot at a national park, upload it, and just like that, viewers and friends from around the world now have an idea as to what a specific place on the Earth looks like.

Solmeta N3 geotagging module review

Columbia’s GPS Pal app for Android and iOS

Casio Exilim EX-H20G (with Hybrid GPS) review

For travel hounds like myself, that’s insanely powerful. I’m the kind of person that’ll spend hours lost in Google Earth, spinning the globe around and discovering all-new (to me, at least) locales thanks to the magic of geotagging. It’s sort of the photographic equivalent to putting a face to a name. By stamping latitude, longitude, altitude and a specific time to any given JPEG, you’re able to not only show the world what you saw, but exactly when and where you saw it. It’s a magical combination, and with GPS modules finding their way into point-and-shoot cameras — not to mention external dongles like Solmeta’s magnificent N3 (our review here) — there’s plenty of opportunity to start adding location data to your photos. For more on the “Why would I want to?” and “How would I best display ’em?” inquiries, let’s meet up after the break.

Continue reading Embracing geotagging: how to journal your trips (and contribute to Google Earth) with snapshots

Filed under: Digital Cameras, GPS

Embracing geotagging: how to journal your trips (and contribute to Google Earth) with snapshots originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 12:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

While Yahoo was busy hiring its new CEO away from Google, we were hard at work crankin’ out this week’s edition of Distro to help feed your slate reading desires. Let’s just say that if a C&C gantry router that implements a Wiimote piques your interest, you’re in for quite the treat this time around. We head north to Massachusetts to visit Artisan’s Asylum for a glimpse of the craftiness and general hackery that takes place in an old office supply warehouse. We throw down the review gauntlet for the Nintendo 3DS XL, LG Optimus 4X HD and Sony VAIO T13 and offer some detailed reactions on said trio. AllThingsD’s Mike Isaac has a go at the Q&A, “Switched On” discusses the next Office, Steam’s annual sale occupies “Reaction Time” and “IRL” returns. As you might expect, all of the requisite download links await your clicks below.

Distro Issue 49 PDF
Distro in the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Google Play Store
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

Filed under: Announcements

Distro Issue 49: a visit to the craft and hackerspace at Artisan’s Asylum originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  iTunes, Google Play  | Email this | Comments

After a brief respite to recover from last week’s hot dog and homemade ice cream comas, our tablet mag is back in action. Getting our e-publication affairs back in order, Brian Heater sits down with Levar Burton to chat about Reading Rainbow, a new iPad app and Star Trek gadgetry. Hitting on another bit of childhood nostalgia for many of us at Engadget HQ, Alexis Santos drops by NASA’s Launch Control Center (LCC) for a tour after more than three decades of operation. On the review front, we roll up our sleeves and put both the Nexus Q and the Samsung Series 9 through the wringer while offering some in-depth impressions. “Eyes-On” takes a peek at the Google booty offered to I/O attendees, “Hands-On” our latest gadget outings and Gaikai’s founder admits his reliance on the PowerPoint gods in the Q&A. Don’t take our word for it. Snag your copy of the e-magazine with a few clicks on the download links that follow.

Distro Issue 48 PDF
Distro in the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Google Play Store
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

Filed under: Announcements

Distro Issue 48 arrives with the Nexus Q, Levar Burton and more originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  iTunes, Google Play  | Email this | Comments

It’s that time of the year when folks in the US of A tend to get a tad bit patriotic. Pretty soon, those of us in the States will be all about grilling and putting back a few hot dogs and / or hamburgers before rushing off to catch some fireworks. We’re looking to keep the spirit alive in our weekly, too. This time around, we offer up a Made in the USA edition with editorials that tackle Nevada’s solar-geothermal hybrid power plant and just how much coin it takes to offer internet in American Samoa — along with a few more stops in between. The Nexus 7 and Nexus Q were revealed at Google I/O and we offer some initial thoughts on the pair of gadgets from the folks in Mountain View. Find yourself jonesin’ for a closer look at that fancy Tesla S? You’re in luck. You’ll find some detail shots of the new $50,000 EV in “Eyes-On” this week. So what are you waiting for? There’s a monster truck on the cover for crying out loud! Dive right in to the latest issue via your download method of choice.

Distro Issue 47 PDF
Distro in the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Google Play Store
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

Distro Issue 47: Made in the USA edition originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  iTunes, Google Play  | Email this | Comments