Hasta La Gadget!

Summer in Paris — you can’t walk a block on Champs-Élysées without locking eyes with at least one camera-equipped tourist. But Steve Mann’s shooter wasn’t dangling from his shoulder and neck; it was mounted on his head, with a design strikingly similar to Google’s Project Glass. Unlike that mainstream Mountain View product, however, Mann’s version has reportedly been around in one form or another for 34 years, and was designed with the objective of aiding vision, rather than capturing stills and video or providing a bounty of database-aided readouts. It’s also street-ready today. While on vacation with his family, the Ontario-based “father of wearable computing” was sporting his EyeTap as he walked down the aforementioned French avenue, eventually entering a McDonald’s to refuel after a busy day of sightseeing. He left without his ranch wrap, but with seriously damaged hardware.

What allegedly occurred inside the restaurant is no doubt a result of the increasing presence and subsequent awareness of connected cameras, ranging from consumer gear to professional surveillance equipment. As Mann sat to eat, he writes that a stranger approached him then attempted to pull off his glasses, which, oddly, are permanently affixed to his skull. The man, at that point joined by one other patron and someone that appeared to be a McDonald’s employee, then pushed Mann out of the store and onto the street. As a result of the attack, the eyewear malfunctioned, resulting in the three men being photographed. It wouldn’t be terribly difficult for police to identify those involved, but this encounter may have greater implications. McDonalds has since launched an investigation into the matter and seems to be denying most of the claims, but it’ll be some time yet before the full truth is uncovered. Still, the whole ordeal got us at Engadget thinking — is the planet ready for humans to wear video recorders, and will it ever shake a general unease related to the threat of a world filled with omnipresent cameras? Join us past the break for our take.

Continue reading Editorial: Engadget on EyeTap, Project Glass and the future of wearable cameras

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Displays

Editorial: Engadget on EyeTap, Project Glass and the future of wearable cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zoom is known for making audio recorders, but its latest product, the Q2HD, brings video to the recording party — HD video, no less. Sure, there are many ways to shoot and share our lives these days, and it’s a wonder that services like Ustream aren’t just full of videos of people unboxing cameras, checking in and uploading pictures to Pinterest (while also watching Ustream). Zoom, however, evidently believes that though the method might evolve, the medium largely remains the same — voice and video. As such, the Q2HD Handy Video Recorder (to give it its full name) promises to play, capture and stream, all in “HD audio and video.” Paraphrasing of the box aside, we got our hands on one and took it for a spin. Want to know how it fared? Let’s reset the levels, then head past the break for the mixdown.

Continue reading Zoom Q2HD Handy Video Recorder lets you stream and record on the move, we go hands-on

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Misc. Gadgets

Zoom Q2HD Handy Video Recorder lets you stream and record on the move, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 08:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBC mentioned it would deliver two complementary mobile apps for its extensive London Olympics coverage and now they have arrived. Available for Android phones and tablets as well as the iPhone and iPad, they’re built on Adobe technology to deliver the information and live streaming video, as well as handle the TV Everywhere authentication with the cable providers that’s necessary to view all of the content. The NBC Olympics Live Companion is specifically designed to operate as a second screen for users to pull up stats and extra info on while they watch TV, and the NBC Olympics Live Extra app delivers video of every event streaming live to users wherever they are. It supports multiple camera angles, social features like the Facebook tie-ins NBC announced yesterday and users can even switch between the two apps at will.

Check after the break for a quick video preview of some of the technology at work, and if you’re planning to tune into the games, hit NBC’s Olympics site now to sign in and authenticate so once the Opening Ceremony kicks off, all you’ll have to do is press play.

Continue reading NBC’s 2012 London Olympics second screen and streaming apps for Android and iOS launch today

Filed under: Home Entertainment

NBC’s 2012 London Olympics second screen and streaming apps for Android and iOS launch today originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While there has been a lot of speculation recently about which platforms the OnLive Google TV app will support for gameplay, the company is confirming support for / collaboration with Marvell’s 1500 HD SoC Google highlighted for its v2 hardware. While no specific devices are mentioned, there’s a Marvell brain in the Sony Google TV box we recently reviewed and the upcoming Vizio Co-Star, so unless a manufacturer blocks it, we’d expect to be able to install it and get playing — Gaikai purchases notwithstanding. Not mentioned in the press release (after the break) is LG’s custom CPU for its Google TVs, but since we’ve already got video evidence of it running there, we’re simply left waiting for the app to launch for the full console gaming experience sans-console.

Continue reading OnLive reaffirms support for Marvell powered ARM Google TV boxes

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

OnLive reaffirms support for Marvell powered ARM Google TV boxes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T launched an iPad app earlier this year and it’s recently been updated with a few new features for subscribers to the service bringing it closer to the vision of the ComplenTV app we saw demonstrated at CES. Now, it can link directly to your U-Verse TV box to pull in up to the minute companion content for any sports events might be watching like scores, reviews of previous games and schedules, or share what you’re watching to Twitter and Facebook. Also available for all iOS devices is an expanded lineup of video on-demand content including HBO(R), Cinemax(R), Starz, Encore, Movieplex and Music Choice videos. Also recently added for the iPhone and iPod touch is a full remote control with DVR and guide controls, just like the iPad app already had. There’s more details on the free apps in the press release after the break, or in their descriptions on iTunes.

Continue reading AT&T U-Verse iPad app adds more streaming video, new sports and sharing features

Filed under: Home Entertainment

AT&T U-Verse iPad app adds more streaming video, new sports and sharing features originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Jul 2012 11:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  iPad app, iPhone app  | Email this | Comments