The Engadget Show 42: Expand with OUYA, Google, DJ Spooky, robots, space, hardware startups and more!

Listen, we’re not going to promise you that watching an hour-long episode is the same as going to Expand. The good news for those of you who were unable to attend due to scheduling or geography, however, is that the ticket price is a bit lower, and many of our favorite moments have been saved for posterity. We’ve done our best to whittle a weekend at San Francisco’s beautiful Fort Mason center into one bite-sized chunk of Engadget Show goodness. We’ll take you behind the scenes at the event and show you what it takes to run your very own consumer-facing electronics show.

We’ve got conversations with Google’s Tamar Yehoshua, OUYA’s Julie Uhrman, Jason Parrish and Corinna Proctor from Lenovo, Chris Anderson, DJ Spooky, Mark Frauenfelder, Veronica Belmont, Ryan Block, plus folks from NASA, 3D Robotics, Oculus, Google Lunar X Prize, TechShop, Lunar and IndieGogo. We’ll go for a spin on ZBoard’s latest electric skateboard and show off the da Vinci surgical robot, the Ekso robotic exoskeleteon and the latest UAV from 3D Robotics — we’ll also be taking you out on the town in a Tesla Model S. And for a little bit of high drama, there’s our first-ever Insert Coin: New Challengers competition, including conversations with the semi-finalists and the big moment of truth. All that plus kids, dogs and your favorite Engadget Editors. Join us after the break for a warm and fuzzy Engadget Show, won’t you?

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Sony’s PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller and Eye found at GDC 2013, we go eyes-on

Sony's PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller and Eye found at GDC 2013, we go eyeson

Sony’s next-gen console, the PlayStation 4, is getting an updated DualShock controller when it arrives at retail this holiday. It’s also getting an updated PlayStation Eye camera, which brings the camera much more in line with Microsoft’s Kinect than any previous versions. We found the PS4 peripherals trapped under a glass box on the Game Developers Conference show floor, and Sony sadly wouldn’t let us free them. We of course snapped a mess of pictures regardless, which you can see just below in the gallery. We anticipate the first hands-on opportunity with the DualShock 4 and PS4 Eye at E3 2013 in June, so hang tight for a few months!

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A Game of Thrones Android app guides you through the world of Westeros and beyond

Game of Thrones Android app guides you through the televised world of Westeros and beyond

Perhaps the second screen experience for HBO megahit show A Game of Thrones provided through Xbox 360’s SmartGlass functionality and HBO Go’s iPad app isn’t enough for you? And maybe you want a bit more of a George R. R. Martin touch to your Game of Thrones book companions? This week’s release of “A Game of Ice and Fire” for Android — the previously iOS-only Game of Thrones app that acts as an “official guide” to the series and its myriad characters / relationships / political struggles / etc. — is clearly for you. And yes, it goes beyond what just the show covers; it can even be customized for spoilers based around how far you are.

The initial cost to download is nothing and comes with several characters as well as a companion for the first book, but for books two through five you’ll need to grab the upgrades: $1 apiece, or $5 for those four plus an additional “InfoPack” which would otherwise cost $2 by itself. Those $2 “InfoPacks” include, “new characters and places and additional data and background info” (whatever that means), and more are expected in the future. The third season of A Game of Thrones kicks off on March 31st, and wouldn’t you know it, this app is perfectly timed to accompany it. That’s what we call synergy. Head to the Google Play link in the source link and grab it for free, or risk *paying the iron price.

*Thankfully, in this case, that price is just potentially looking ignorant about A Game of Thrones. So … not that big of a thing, actually.

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Via: Mashable

Source: Google Play

Nintendo European eShop restriction lifted, get your 18+ games at any hour

Nintendo’s European arm worked out a deal with Germany’s video game regulation body, USK, and its 18+ eShop games are now available at any hour on the 3DS and Wii U. In a missive issued to European Nintendo console users, the company said “adults can browse and buy all games at any time of day” from now on. Said agreement was only reached after “analysis of the Parental Controls system on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS” by USK, which found the parental control systems “in practice” with standards.

The bizarre restriction, which originally allowed sales of 18+ games through the European eShop only between 11PM and 3AM, was caused by USK’s decency and violence standards. As Nintendo’s European branch is based out of Germany, the German laws impacted the entire region’s eShop access. But no longer! Assassin’s Creed 3 at 10AM? You bet! ZombiU at 2:13PM? Why not! Of course, with download / install times topping four hours, you may wanna get started sooner than later on downloading the bigger games.

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Via: Joystiq

Source: Twitter – @NintenDaan

NYT: ABC crafting live streaming app for tablets, phones

NYT: ABC crafting live streaming app for tablets, phones

According to unidentified sources speaking with The New York Times‘ media desk, ABC is currently working on a mobile application to bring its broadcast programming to mobiles and tablets. Unlike CBS’ offering, which offers a select choice of programs 24 hours after airing on broadcast TV via its mobile app, ABC’s is said to sync up with existing cable and satellite providers to provide live TV on-the-go — a first in the television industry. Beyond just offering cable and satellite customers a way to extend their viewing options, the app is said to potentially extend the reach of ABC’s ad network at a crucial moment when traditional broadcast network ad revenues are being threatened by other mediums taking a piece of the pie.

It seems that ABC’s parent, the Walt Disney Company, is looking to forge its own digital path when it comes to TV, rather than waiting for its multi-company partnership with Hulu to right itself. Disney and its several partners are said to be in talks to buy each other out; meanwhile, Hulu is left without captain at the helm.

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Source: The New York Times

Skype for Windows Phone 8 gets HD video, People Hub integration in latest update

Skype for Windows Phone 8 gets HD video, People Hub integration in latest update

Avid Skype video users on Windows Phone 8, now is the time to get your hair did — HD video is now possible employing “higher-end” WP8 devices, such as the Lumia 920, HTC 8X, and Samsung Ativ S. “Lower end handsets” will have to settle for VGA video, though Microsoft says call quality across the board was improved in update 2.4. All WP8 handsets will enjoy People Hub integration, meaning you can jump right into Skype calls from your contacts list, rather than having to independently open the app. And should a friend need to use your phone to Skype a buddy in Belgrade, account switching is now integrated into the main menu. The update is of course free, and available right now in the Windows Phone store. Head past the break for the full list of updates.

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Source: Windows Phone Store, Skype

Engadget Expand wrap-up: Google, Kinect, electric cars, robots, makers and more!

Engadget Expand wrapup Google, Kinect, electric cars, robots, makers and more!

Not all that long ago, we were staring at spreadsheets, table layouts and sketch-ups, squinting our eyes and attempting to wrap our brains around all of it. On Friday, we popped by Fort Mason in San Francisco, to test drive ZBoard’s latest and greatest electric skateboard, and things were already underway, the stage was being erected and banners with our familiar logo were draped everywhere. That moment, however, had nothing on the surreality of the following morning, when, bright and early, the companies began setting up tables.

Outside, a Tesla Model S was parked for test drives, and inside were a pair of electric Toyotas, one sporting a giant, decorative plug on its roof. There were big booths from Lenovo and Nokia, an Indie Corner jam-packed with and impressive displays like the the Ekso Bionics robot exoskeleton and Da Vinci’s truly awe-inspiring surgical robot. Next to that, was Insert Coin, a gathering of all the semi-finalists for our first-ever startup competition, who had flown from all over to show off a truly diverse and impressive selection of innovation.

On stage, an equally diverse array of panelists joined us, from reps for companies like Google, Microsoft, Toyota, and OUYA, to 3D printing companies, roboticists, futurists, sci-fi writers, space explorers, indie gamers and a multimedia DJ / philosopher. Frankly, we’re exhausted. And we can’t wait to do it again. See you in New York.

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YouTube Capture iOS app updated with iPad / iPad mini support for all your tablet filming needs

Okay, maybe the YouTube Capture iOS app update with iPad and iPad mini support won’t support all your tablet filming needs, but it does aim to fix your ability to instantly capture and upload video to YouTube. And hey, let’s be honest, that video of your cat playing with the soda box really should be on YouTube.

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Source: iTunes

Google Chrome receives minor updates across Windows, Linux, Android and iOS

Google Chrome receives minor updates across Windows, Linux, Android and iOS

There you were, using that old and busted version of Google Chrome on your Windows or Linux-based PC, iOS or Android device, when Google decided to hook you up with an update, thus validating your previous assertion about Chrome’s old and busted-ness. “Hot dog!” you thought, “The Googleplex wants to give me more free stuff!” But what free stuff will you get? Chrome on iOS is moving to the big two five, adding long-press to the back button for exploring your recent history and a handful of other tweaks; its Android cousin is optimizing scrolling for your super fast fingas fingers. On the full computer side of things, both Windows and Linux are getting 25.0.1364.152, which adds the less thrilling “security and stability improvements along with a number of bug fixes.” Now that you’ve got that new hotness, you’re feeling pretty good, right? The future! We’re in it!

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Source: Google (1), Google (2), Google (3)

Mobile World Congress 2013: best of show

Mobile World Congress 2013 best of show

Another Mobile World Congress has come and gone. While we weren’t treated to a mountain of device launches, as seen in previous years, we definitely all came away with some favorites. LG outed a few handsets, HTC‘s One made its first public appearance and Firefox OS made a grand entrance with additions to the new platform from a few different handset makers. And, on the wireless side, we were treated to what has to have been the biggest NFC love fest we’ve ever witnessed. Follow on past the break to check out some of our favorites from this year’s MWC, then weigh in and let us know what you think about the show.

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