Hasta La Gadget!

Last time we checked in on STARMAC, the autonomous hover bot was fuming over his near-miss in a desperate bid to assassinate Robert Scoble. Recently paroled, the bot has turned his energies to more constructive pursuits, like performing a controlled flip and selling drugs to kids. Still, do we detect a hint of brooding in these acrobatics? Video is after the break.

Continue reading STARMAC learns the loop de loop, puts on brave face despite Scoble’s continued existence

Filed under: Robots, Transportation

STARMAC learns the loop de loop, puts on brave face despite Scoble’s continued existence originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

At least since the advent of the first camera phones, people have been wondering whether the cell phone would limit the opportunity for all kinds of other products, particularly portable electronics. Even the more pedestrian features of basic cell phones have been blamed for the declines in (or at least limiting the market for) pagers, Family Radio Service (FRS) radios, and even watches. And beyond portable electronics, cordless phones have also been in a state of decline for years as more consumers cut the cord.

But the iPhone 3GS has renewed the old debate for a number of reasons, including data that shows that iPhone users are disproportionately inclined to use their phone’s advanced features and changes in the hardware and software that improve the digital camera, add video capture, and open the door to in-vehicle turn-by-turn navigation. TomTom, which has returned to its roots by demonstrating navigation software for the third-party hardware of the original iPhone 3G, can now offer that software through Apple’s App Store. So, will the iPhone shutter Canon, run Garmin off the road, or make Flip flop? Thankfully, for the sake of all wishing to avoid reading headlines containing these atrocious puns, not for the foreseeable future, at least in the U.S.

Continue reading Switched On: iPhone 3GS is fine, young, but not a cannibal

Filed under: Cellphones

Switched On: iPhone 3GS is fine, young, but not a cannibal originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting today, all Flip video cameras will come with new preloaded software that makes it incredibly easy to share your videos with friends. Called FlipShare, the software arrives on the camera itself and works with Windows and Macintosh computers. Existing Flip camera owners can download the software for free by visiting the Flip site and clicking the FlipShare link.

FlipShare creates a drag-and-drop interface where users can easily upload their clips to MySpace and YouTube, among other sites. They can also create their own video channel with Flip’s new Flip Channels feature.

With a Flip Channel, users can decide who they want to give access to their videos, so they could be open to the world or just to select family and friends. They can even create multiple groups with different videos in each.

While sharing is the main feature, the new software also lets people organize their videos, create video greeting cards, make HD snapshots, and produce custom movies by arranging clips and then adding music. If you want to send your videos to a relative who isn’t plugged in, you can use the software to order a DVD and have it shipped.

iPhone owners will soon gain a new way to view FlipShare videos, as a free FlipShare app will soon appear in the iTunes store. I get the feeling the Flip people were hoping it would be there already, but Apple takes its time with app approvals. The iPhone app will let people access Flip Channels and view videos from anywhere. Flip already made shooting high-quality video easy; now it’s making sharing just as simple.

After months of leaks, Verizon Wireless is finally coming clean with its intent to carry the 3G-enabled BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230. Said phone will arrive in silver on June 19th, bringing with it a 2 megapixel camera (with flash and video recording), a SureType QWERTY keyboard, microSD / SDHC slot and support for VZ Navigator. The pain? $129.99 after a $70 mail-in rebate and a new two-year agreement.

Filed under: Cellphones

Verizon gets official with 3G BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230: $129.99 on June 19th originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who said Nokia doesn’t have a major commitment to North American carriers? We’ve landed news of a whole plethora of Espoo-sourced devices scheduled to hit AT&T over the coming months, and a few in particular caught our eye. Most notably, the Mako (pictured) is unlike anything we’ve ever seen Nokia make, mostly thanks to a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard that doesn’t really resemble any existing hardware. It rides on the same S60 3.2-based platform as the 6650 and E71x, features dual-band HSDPA, a 2.4-inch QVGA display, AGPS, 2 megapixel camera, Video Share, and 128MB of internal storage with microSD expansion. Sadly — this is going to be a dream killer for some folks, we think — it’s only got a 2.5mm headphone jack, which is a step back for multimedia support. This one was at one time targeted for June 5, but if we had to guess, it’s been pushed back — maybe we’re crazy, but we feel like it hasn’t leaked enough to meet that date at this point. Anyhow, looks like this one’s a good foil for that QWERTY swivel allegedly due on Verizon.

Speaking of “this looks nothing like a Nokia,” the Thresher is an ultra-glossy slider that doesn’t quite resemble anything officially announced in other markets. It shares its Series 40 guts with Grouper, which was the codename assigned to the 6750 Mural flip we recently saw hit the FCC. Both devices do HSDPA and AGPS; the Grouper makes do with a 2 megapixel cam, though, while the Thresher steps up to 3.2 with an integrated flash. The Thresher’s signed up for September and the Grouper for July, but as with all of these, it’s anyone’s guess whether those dates will hold.

Finally, the Snapper flip is a lower-end device that we could envision replacing the 6555, lacking the Grouper’s style but still staying strong with triband HSDPA, Bluetooth 2.1, AGPS, and a 2 megapixel camera. This one’s tentatively targeted for August.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Nokia Grouper, Mako, Snapper, and Thresher rolling deep on AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 May 2009 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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