Hasta La Gadget!

Before you ask: it looks like the real deal. Popcorn, Indiana has decided that it’s just too much trouble to reach into that bag or bowl and has devised the Popinator, quite possibly the world’s only smart popcorn launcher. A binaural microphone array on the machine’s front listens for a clear “pop” command — say the magic word and the Popinator will aim one of its many corn projectiles at your mouth, no hands required. We’re still working to glean all the details, such as whether or not the snack delivery vehicle will be a commercial project and how much money it would take to install one at home (and, we’ll admit it, the Engadget offices). In the meantime, you can hop past the break to catch one of the most appetizing and laid-back promo videos you’ve likely ever seen.

[Thanks, Peter]

Update: Popcorn, Indiana has answered back and says the Popinator is currently an in-house project, but it may well become something you can buy if everything lines up. We’ll let the full statement speak for itself:

“All we have to say is: it is a work in progress right now. We certainly hope that one day it will become a commercial project, but as of now there is no shipping date and no price tag. It is purely a fun internal project we are toying with here at Popcorn Indiana. Based on the very positive responses we are getting online, we think this is well worth looking into as a commercial product.”

Continue reading The Popinator voice-activated popcorn launcher: because greasy hands are just so 2011 (update: yep, may become a product)

Filed under: Household

The Popinator voice-activated popcorn launcher: because greasy hands are just so 2011 (update: yep, may become a product) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 11:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As noisy as we found Project Morpheus’ tethered flight test, its untethered follow-up was far, far louder. Yesterday, the experimental lander suffered a hardware component failure, which NASA says “prevented it from maintaining stable flight.” This caused it to crash into the ground and well, explode. On the upside, the space agency says that these kinds of failures were anticipated, stating that they are a normal part of the development process and will be used to build better systems moving forward. You didn’t think Curiosity made its touchdown on Mars without learning from a few mistakes, did you? Click onwards to check out the test — and its aftermath — in 5, 4, 3, 2, er…

Continue reading Morpheus lander crashes, burns and explodes in untethered flight test, NASA remains optimistic (video)

Filed under: Transportation, Science

Morpheus lander crashes, burns and explodes in untethered flight test, NASA remains optimistic (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 07:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After a false start to its Kickstarter funding, the Chameleon launcher project for Android is finally arriving — at least in beta form. It’s currently ready for install from Google Play by anyone with an Android tablet running 3.2 or higher, however to actually unlock the software you’ll need to have your account authorized on its servers . For the moment that’s restricted to a VIP list of early testers to bash on its core systems as well as the included HTML5 widgets. The beta for Kickstarter backers and pre-orderers will be staggered to let the company test its activation system, so if you haven’t been switched on yet it shouldn’t be too long of a wait. If you’ve hopped over the velvet rope, let us know how the new experience is running on your slate, those stuck on the outside looking in can catch a quick demo video embedded after the break, as well as hit the company’s website to register for access and progress updates.

Continue reading Chameleon Android launcher appears, pre-orderers and Kickstarter backers get beta access soon

Filed under: Tablet PCs, Software

Chameleon Android launcher appears, pre-orderers and Kickstarter backers get beta access soon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 23:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So, that first round of Nexus Q hacks? Impressive in terms of turn around time, not so much when functionality is your primary metric. But, a couple of weeks with the gorgeous, if questionably useful device, has started to produce some truly exciting results. The one that has our tinkering fingers itching most, puts a launcher and apps right at your finger tips… well, mouse pointer. The hack is hardly for the meek but, if you’re already in possession of a Nexus Q, we’re sure pushing a few .apks via adb won’t unsettle you too much. The solution is far from perfect, but the Android foundation is able to recognize keyboards and mice it seems without issue. What really makes this a great hack, of course, is the ability to install apps like Netflix and Angry Birds finally freeing the Q from its arguably artificial shackles. If you’re looking for something a little less involved (and decidedly less cool) there’s also QRemote, an .apk you can push to your Q that lets you control it via a web browser. It doesn’t expose any additional functionality, but at least it lets you skip tracks from your PC or other non-Jelly Bean device. You can see both in action after the break, and all the relevant files and accompanying instructions live at the source links.

Continue reading Nexus Q hacked to launch apps, gets remote control web app

Filed under: Software

Nexus Q hacked to launch apps, gets remote control web app originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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