Hasta La Gadget!

Social Bicycles is a bike sharing system with a twist. Using an iPhone app, the system allows users to drop off, locate, and borrow a bike nearly anywhere. The bikes are equipped with a GPS device which is locked to one of the wheels, and when the bike is locked, it’s locatable using the app, so that someone can borrow it; when it’s in use and unlocked, it doesn’t appear in the app. The real upside to Social Bicycles is that the regular infrastructure required for bike lending systems — such as docking stations in a lot of convenient locations — are unnecessary with this system, which can get by with regular old bike racks, making it a much cheaper, fly-by-night option. It’s coming to New York City in very limited beta this fall, and we expect it to outperform Segs in the City in no time. Video is below.

Continue reading Social Bicycles bike sharing system powered by iPhone app to hit NYC this fall

Social Bicycles bike sharing system powered by iPhone app to hit NYC this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just as we’d heard it would, AT&T has officially launched version 2.0 of its iPhone app for U-Verse TV customers. Now dubbed U-Verse Mobile, it still allows users to manage and schedule DVR recordings on the go, but now has an updated UI, a favorite channels list, and most notably will allow users (with the U399 or U450 packages) to download a limited selection of shows directly to their phone. While that should make it easier to catch up with Lost, Grey’s Anatomy or whatever other shows AT&T makes available while on the subway or otherwise out of streaming reach you won’t be downloading your own DVR recordings, and you won’t downloading any of them over 3G since that’s WiFi only. While AT&T is loudly proclaiming it’s the first to allow downloads, by comparison Dish already lets users Sling whatever they want from its 922 — if they can get it to work right now. Check out the press release and a quick video demo after the break if you’re still not exactly sure how all this will go down, or just go straight to iTunes and grab the free app right now. Blackberry Torch fans should keep an eye out too, since a compatible version is on the way — no word yet on Android or webOS.

Continue reading U-verse Mobile 2.0 for iPhone available, combines downloadable TV shows with remote DVR access

U-verse Mobile 2.0 for iPhone available, combines downloadable TV shows with remote DVR access originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Got yourself a QNAP NAS, do you? If you’re also in legal possession of an Android or iOS-based device, you could soon be streaming your dusty Boyz II Men and / or Our Lady Peace jams straight from your network. Over the past month, the outfit has released QMobile apps for both Android and iOS, enabling everything from Google’s Nexus One to Apple’s iPod touch, iPad and iPhone to remotely stream images, tunes and videos so long as their NAS is online (and connected to a halfway decent broadband line). The app is said to work just fine over 3G or WiFi, and there’s even a My Jukebox feature that essentially acts as a shuffle system for those who aren’t too picky about what comes through. Both apps are available now in the Android Market and App Store for no charge, but you’ll probably want to tap those source links and update your NAS management software to v3.3.0 before trying any fancy business. Video promo is past the break, if you need some encouragement.

Continue reading QNAP’s QMobile app enables multimedia NAS streaming to Android and iOS

QNAP’s QMobile app enables multimedia NAS streaming to Android and iOS originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 01:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Been wondering about Nokia’s strategy for conquering the rapidly expanding app space? Great! So were we, which is why we joined up with a recent dev event carried out by the Finnish company for an update on how and where things are going. It’s a familiar narrative by this point: Qt is all set to become the way that Nokia-friendly apps are made — whether it be for Symbian smartphones or MeeGo-powered mobile computers, coffee machines or infotainment consoles. Nokia did stress that its developer workflow has also been streamlined dramatically, and promised coders a better distilled experience that treats their time and money like the valuable commodities that they are. It’s an encouragingly frank discussion of where things have gone wrong in the past and how Espoo intends to remedy them in the future, and we’ve got it all on video for you after the break — no reading required!

Continue reading Nokia’s app development strategy: Qt, Qt, Qt (video)

Nokia’s app development strategy: Qt, Qt, Qt (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 06:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tired of waiting around for Apple’s “review process” to complete? So was PlayOn. Rather than sticking it out and dealing with the App Store’s near-limitless amount of red tape, the content streaming startup has kicked out an HTML5 web app that enables Hulu (for now, at least) and Netflix streaming to iPod touch and iPhone devices. It’s still hard at work perfecting things for the iPad, but given that it’s completely free to surf over to its mobile web site (linked below), it’s tough to complain with what we’re being given right now. Early testers have praised the app’s speed, and while you’ll still need a Windows PC (yeah, PlayOn still doesn’t have a Mac client) and a PlayOn subscription before indulging on your mobile, at least you’ve got an option that you once didn’t. So, anyone digging the new avenue?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

PlayOn’s web app brings Hulu and Netflix to iPod touch, iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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