Hasta La Gadget!

Today is the day: Xbox One is available in at least 13 territories. The PlayStation 4 launched last Friday to massive sales. The next-gen is officially on, having kicked off last year with Nintendo’s Wii U. Don’t believe us? We even reviewed all three!

• Nintendo Wii U review
• PlayStation 4 review
• Xbox One review

Of course, Nintendo’s not playing the same game that Microsoft and Sony are. The latter two are pushing serious horsepower and attempting to woo gamers with the promise of very pretty games and gameplay streaming, while Nintendo’s pursing a second-screen input approach. As such, it’s Microsoft’s and Sony’s new consoles that we’re here to examine today — the two big console makers that are taking each other on directly in the decades-long battle for the living room.

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, Software, HD, Sony, Microsoft

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Google has slowly trickled out more authorized commercial apps that can stream to its Chromecast dongle since launch (Hulu, Pandora, and most recently HBO Go) but what about homebrew? So far developers have been able to work with a preview Cast SDK (creating a few impressive demonstrations) but restrictions have prevented these apps from being released for widespread use. That will probably change next month, as Google has invited several developers including CyanogenMod / AirCast dev Koushik Dutta and Thomas Kjeldsen to a hackathon on December 7th and 8th in Mountain View. An opportunity to test drive the “upcoming release” of the Cast SDK is promised, plus an opportunity to talk with Google engineers about what it can do.

While we wait to find out what devs will be officially allowed to create for the $35 dongle, the official Android Chromecast control app got an update tonight. The new version brings a lightly refreshed design with the side-tray style seen in many Google apps lately, and adjusted the display of time zone settings and the Chromecast MAC address to ease troubleshooting.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google

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Source: Koushik Dutta (G+), Thomas Kjuldsen (G+), Android Central Forums

The time it took for my brother to get our new Super Nintendo out of the box and connected to our television couldn’t have been more than five minutes. I’m pretty sure we used the same coaxial cable connector that the NES before it used, though it’s possible he was bold enough to forge a new connection dedicated to the SNES. The time between when he arrived home with the console box and a copy of Super Mario World, and when we saw Mario’s astonishing level of detail, was extremely short. Open game console box, plug in game console, insert game, play game — pretty simple. I’ll never forget the yellow on Mario’s cape!

Today’s kids don’t have it so easy. The anticipation while waiting for holidays or birthdays or while saving enough allowance has turned into anticipation during firmware updates or software patches or mandatory installs, and all manner of nonsense. Even for those of us who grew up with PCs, the state of modern game consoles is a sad one when it comes to what’s inside the packaging representing what the outside says.

This is all the internet’s fault, as most things are. I’m joking! Partially, anyway. It’s really internet ubiquity that’s to blame for game publishers and console makers leaning on day one updates. With most buyers living in places with relatively strong connectivity, games can launch without, say, multiplayer, and consoles can launch without the ability to even play games. It might sound nuts, but it’s the story of the now-current generation of game consoles.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo

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This week’s giveaway is more or less amazing. More storage space, less wires and all topped off with one of Amazon’s newest in the Kindle slate series: the 7-inch Fire HDX. SanDisk has cut the cord with its Connect series of wireless portable storage gadgets and felt that two lucky Engadget readers should get a free taste of this next-gen hocus pocus. The SanDisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive offers up to 32GB of space and works double duty, as both a wireless drive and a standard USB device. The Connect Wireless Media Drive in this prize package is the largest capacity version, with 64GB of internal storage, and is capable of streaming media wirelessly to up to eight devices at once. This is the ideal setup for tuning out on your holiday travels or even just vegging on the couch, or pretty much anywhere. We’ve got two sets of awesomeness ready and waiting thanks to SanDisk Connect, and you could be one of the lucky winners. Just head on down to the Rafflecopter widget below and get in it to win it!

Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile, Alt

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In light of accusations that its Smart TVs were sending private data to its servers, LG has admitted that some of its sets are behaving in ways they shouldn’t be. In a statement, the Korean manufacturer conceded that it has been collecting channel, TV platform and broadcast source data from some units, even when the feature was switched off. However, the company said that when the feature operates normally, it helps provide viewing recommendations to other LG Smart TV owners based on what they are watching. In response to claims it was also beaming over names of files located on connected USB keys, LG admits that it actually forms part of an upcoming service that searches the internet for detailed information on a particular film or TV show.

Understandably, both features might leave a nasty taste in your mouth, especially if you own one of the affected Smart TVs. With that in mind, LG says that while it has never stored private data, it is working on a new firmware update that will ensure its data-collection settings adhere to user preferences — that’ll include killing off its file metadata-matching service before it had the chance to live.

LG regrets any concerns these reports may have caused and will continue to strive to meet the expectations of all our customers and the public. We hope this update clears up any confusion.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, LG

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