Hasta La Gadget!

Frankly, a few things in life are just too hard. Taxes being one of them, and moving from one’s spot in a hot tub to adjust the temperature and / or jet pressure being another. In a bid to solve issue number two, Arctic Spas has shoved out an iOS app (Android and BlackBerry are inbound) that interfaces with a WiFi module on some of the company’s hot tubs. Once loaded up, owners can control temperature and jets with a simple touch, though we hear that loads of steam and moist fingers aren’t exactly great for consumer electronics. Either way, you’ve got a video to entice you down below.

Continue reading Arctic Spas shows off hot tub-controlling iPhone app, waterproof iPhone case sold separately (video)

Arctic Spas shows off hot tub-controlling iPhone app, waterproof iPhone case sold separately (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pretty handy: The iPad 2’s Smart Cover can stick to refrigerators and other metal surfaces. Photo: Gizmodo

Gadget Lab Notes is an eclectic roundup of gadget news briefs and intriguing products that catch our eye.

Your iPad 2 Can Stick to Your Fridge
Be careful trying this one at home in case your fridge isn’t quite as magnetic, but several people have found that the new iPad’s Smart Cover will stick to metallic, magnetic surfaces like a fridge. This could make it very convenient to look at recipes online or watch videos in the kitchen as you cook. This is a much more reasonable application for the iPad’s magnetic capabilities than as an oversized clock dangling from your neck.

Smartcover Doubles As an iPad Fridge Magnet [9to5 Mac via the Giz]

Burglar Blaster Shoots Pepper Spray to Ward Off Intruders
The wailing alarm and the threat of police on the way aren’t enough to keep some criminals from robbing you blind. Set up an alarm they’ll never forget: the Burglar Blaster. When this passive infrared detection system is triggered, the canister’s 4 oz squirt contains enough juice to coat 2,000 square feet in its eye-searing contents. $600 will get you the system, but you’ll probably have to shell out extra for a cleaning service if it ever does go off.

Burglar Blaster [BedBunker via Oh Gizmo]

Samsung 55-inch Glasses-Free 3-D TV Prototype Has 9 Different Viewing Angles
A prototype 55-inch 3-D TV from Samsung features 9 different viewing angles, so you and 8 friends could strategically sit around it and enjoy the same 3-D experience. It can also easily be switched into 2-D mode by altering the optical refraction index of an LCD panel on top of the TV’s LCD. Samsung hopes to use an LED backlight in the finished product—right now it uses a CCFL backlight.

Samsung 55-inch Glasses Free 3-D Prototype [Tech On! via Engadget]

Ford Goes Green with SmartGauge With EcoGuide Patent
The SmartGauge with EcoGuide helps drivers maximize their miles per gallon, alerting drivers when they could be driving more efficiently (ie when they’ve put the pedal to the metal). The EcoGuide displays vines and leaves that “react” to short-term driving behaviors. The SmartGauge displays what mode hybrid vehicle drivers are operating in, shows information related to gas and electric power use, and lets drivers monitor their level of driving efficiency.

Ford Receives Patents for SmartGauge with EcoGuide [Crunchgear]

Western Digital’s My Book Studio Edition II Stores 6TB, But Lacks Thunderbolt
The My Book Studio Edition II is an external dual-drive array with a storage capacity of up to 6TB with RAID 0 (but can also be set to RAID 1 to help ensure you won’t lose any data). It can connect through FireWire 400, FireWire 800, eSATA, and USB 2.0, and is Time Machine compatible, but it lacks Thunderbolt. You can get it now for $550.

Western Digital My Book Studio Edition II [Slashgear]

Pinball Magic Transforms Your iPhone into a Mini-Pinball Machine
Now you can sure play a mean pinball (The Who, anyone?) on your iPhone or iPod, as long as it’s running iOS 3 or higher. The iDevice accessory works with a free pinball app from Apple’s App Store. It’s not quite the same as the real thing, but it looks pretty fun anyways.

Pinball Magic for iPhone and iPod Touch [Mobile Fun via Ubergizmo]

If we referred to an Apple or Android army, you might assume we’re talking about a legion of brand-loyal fanboys, with which most Engadget commenters are intimately familiar. Defense contractors, however, are trying to turn the US Army into a lethal Apple / Android force with soldier-centric apps. Harris Corp. has a tablet app in the works that allows soldiers to control IP cameras on UAVs for more pertinent intel on the ground while simultaneously sending that information to command centers anywhere in the world. Meanwhile, Intelligent Software Solutions aims to bring mapping mashups to the battlefield (no purpose-built device needed) with an app that combines smartphones’ geolocation with historical data to show troops what’s been going down in the area — from IED explosions to insurgent arrests. Best of all, these apps lower training costs since most warriors are already fluent in Android or iOS and the consumer handhelds can be cheaply ruggedized to replace the more robust $10,000 units in the field today. Should protective measures fail, the devices’ (relatively) low replacement cost makes them “almost disposable.”

Apple and Android get drafted, soldier-centric Army apps coming soon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 02:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s 2011 product showcase is underway in New York City and while most of these products we got a peek at during CES, it’s only finally ready to show off the new QWERTY flip remote for its smart TVs. The QWERTY TV remote is looking a lot sleeker in its glamour shot than it did in the FCC tests weeks ago, and is available in the box with all D7000 and D8000 model HDTVs, or as an add-on compatible with the D6300 line and above (no mention of the Smart Touch remote or Google TV devices in the press release we received.) Samsung’s also putting a lot of stock in its new lighter 3D glasses and officially announced the new 3D Starter Kit that includes two pairs along with a copy of Megamind and all the Shrek movies on Blu-ray 3D, along with prescription-ready models for kids and adults. Finally, an app market is nothing without apps, and there’s two new ones to announce today with HBO GO making its debut on the TV and MTV Music Meter. Check the details (Update: now including MSRPs!) in the press release after the break and the gallery for a few pictures.

Updated: We got a few minutes to play around with the new QWERTY flip remote after Samsung’s NYC press event today. It’s not exactly the most glamorous handheld keyboard remote control out there with its monochrome screen, although we do like that the center of the D-pad can me morphed into a touch sensitive mouse-like control. Okay, so this thing isn’t exactly ground breaking, but check out the shots below for a closer look.

Continue reading Samsung’s QWERTY flip Smart TV remote is official along with new TV apps and Megamind Blu-ray 3D pack-in (updated: hands-on!)

Samsung’s QWERTY flip Smart TV remote is official along with new TV apps and Megamind Blu-ray 3D pack-in (updated: hands-on!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What you once knew as the Google Mobile App has been rechristened the Google Search app, signifying a renewed focus for Google’s primary iOS application. Having formerly served as a multifunctional access point to all of Google’s varied web apps, the new software is now geared to serve search needs first, with its other offerings relegated to a secondary “Apps” menu. There’s also the addition of a new toolbar, accessible by swiping left to right, and improved fast-app switching support. The ever-present bug fixes and a few more user interface tweaks complete the list of changes. To get your download on, you may exploit either the source link below or the QR code above.

Continue reading Google Search app for iPhone introduces new side-swipe toolbar and other UI tweaks

Google Search app for iPhone introduces new side-swipe toolbar and other UI tweaks originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 07:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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