Hasta La Gadget!

As you might have heard a little while back, Windows Phone 7 is the latest smartphone OS to have joined the SlingPlayer gang, meaning WP7 fanatics like Ballmer can be couch potatoes wherever they are. Well, assuming they have data connectivity — be it 3G or WiFi — and some battery juice on their phones. For better or for worse, the latest SlingPlayer Mobile app is very much like its other flavors — same easy preparation, a familiar interface, and a similarly tear-inducing $30 price tag. There is, however, one nice addition: a new “Zoom” button on the menu page, which actually chops away a good portion of the black border around the picture. Another noteworthy difference is the more stylish interface in comparison to the Android and iOS versions, but of course, some might think otherwise.

Also on the menu page is a “Quality” button for toggling between standard video quality and high video quality. Annoyingly, said switch is always set to standard at every launch. We can’t help but to think that this is for covering up the app’s shortfall — we noticed while high quality streaming does indeed have good picture quality, the frequency of buffering increased over time. Similarly, response time to our button and gesture inputs also got longer and longer — at one point it took about 20 seconds for us to change a channel on our Freeview box, and that’s with our HTC 7 Mozart sitting on the same network as our Slingbox Pro HD! Needless to say, it took even longer over 3G. We then double-checked using our iPhone and Nexus One but failed to reproduce the same bugs. Thankfully, a simple restart of the app eased our frustration, but we expect Sling Media to actually deliver a fix soon. Anyhow, there’s a video walkthrough after the break while you wait for the update.

Continue reading App review: SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Phone 7

App review: SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve known about the 3DS for what seems like ages but now, finally, we have US launch details, courtesy of dueling press events in New York and Amsterdam. The price for Americans is $249.99 and the release date is March 27, while Europeans will get it a few days earlier, on March 25th. European pricing, however, will be decided by retailers, which leaves us feeling a little bit unfulfilled. Courtesy of our chums at Joystiq and various retailers, it looks like £229.99 is the going rate in the UK, while the rest of Europe is looking at €249.99. (Curious how it sizes up with portable’s past? Joystiq’s got you covered.)

Nintendo is promising “30+” games to be available in the US during the launch window, more than 25 in Europe, with that window spanning between the actual launches in March and E3 in June. Sadly we’re still in the dark regarding which games exactly will be available when the system drops in March. Many games were discussed, including Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D, Dead or Alive Dimensions, Rabbids 3D, Resident Evil: Revelations, a new Paper Mario, and an obligatory Madden game too. There are plenty more mentioned in PR below. This is in addition to titles we already knew about, like Pilotwings Resort and Kid Icarus: Uprising. As for pricing, retailers are showing $40 to $50 per game, so yeah, that’s a We’re also told that remakes of classic GameBoy and GameBoy Color titles will be hitting the Virtual Console.

Meanwhile, European gamers are going to be getting a taste of exclusive 3D video content from a variety of partners, most notable being EuroSport, which will be serve up depth-enabled sports footage to portable consoles. We’re also told episodes of Shaun the Sheep, a new series from Wallace & Gromit creators Aardman, will be available as well. For now these deals look Europe-only, but here’s to hoping American folks will get something similar.

We have European and American press releases embedded below for your reading enjoyment, as well some video we shot from the New York.

Continue reading Nintendo 3DS coming to US March 27th for $249.99, Europe first on March 25th (video)

Nintendo 3DS coming to US March 27th for $249.99, Europe first on March 25th (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This article was written on February 14, 2008 by CyberNet.

A few different people have posted screenshots of Windows 7 Milestone 1, which is a very early look at what’s supposed to be released in 2009 or 2010. The last time we saw screenshots of Windows 7 Milestone 1 there wasn’t really anything that exciting, but a Russian site (English translation by Google) has really busted the lid off of any mysteries.

Aside from the article that was written there are also two screenshot galleries that accompany it (here and here). From the article and the two galleries here are the things that we found interesting:

• After you first setup the computer with Windows 7 you’ll be able to establish a “HomeGroup.” Sounds similar to a Workgroup, but I guess this is yet another step that Microsoft is taking in making networking an easy process for anyone that uses a computer.

  (Click to Enlarge)
   

• The Status Bar, as we already knew, expands hidden icons in a popup window to conserve the precious Taskbar space.
   
• The search box in Windows Explorer is now resizable, which I’m surprised to see.
  
• The Start Menu now makes it a bit easier to pin items that you use the most:

  (Click to Enlarge)
  

• The size of the Control Panel icons can be adjusted for those that like things a bit smaller:
  
• In just a few clicks you’ll be able to restore Windows back to the original state. It would be cool if this feature didn’t include the bloated software that the manufacturers typically bundle with Windows, but that’s doubtful.
  
• One of the features that I want right now in Vista is the full-width Start Menu searching (I trimmed out the middle of the screenshot to eliminate the abundance of whitespace). Super sweet!
   

After looking at the screenshots in the article and the gallery I have to say that there is a lot more new stuff in Windows 7 Milestone 1 than I had expected. Microsoft still has about a year to develop new features and improve usability before they need to start focusing on polishing the operating system and squashing bugs. Well, that’s if they want to make the projected release date of 2009.

We’ll keep you informed when more Windows 7 news becomes available, but I have a feeling that the first milestone has been milked for everything it’s worth.

[via istartedsomething]

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We’re used to seeing all sorts of funky motion-based games on smartphones, but here’s something a little bit different: a retro-themed desktop 3D flash game that utilises your iOS device as an accelerometer and gyroscope-based wireless controller. The objective of kijjaa! is simple: just fly your vessel around, shoot down or avoid the enemies, and pick up extra lives. Don’t worry, there’s no jailbreaking involved here — all we had to do was visit kijjaa.com/air, and then copy the code onto our iOS app to establish the link via WiFi or 3G.

There’s no serious challenge in kijjaa! — based on the app’s description on iTunes, the game’s designed with students and office workers in mind, so it’s ideal for those seeking a fun quickie during their short breaks. We’d say the hardest part is trying to dodge the ghosts that show up randomly in short notice, but what really annoyed us were the occasional control lags that popped up even over WiFi. Still, for a promotional $0.99 pricing (the 70 percent price drop ends on January 17th), this game has gone much further than most other games have, and it’ll only get better — already in the pipeline are Game Center support, new enemies, new bonuses, and achievements. Hopefully the developer will also throw in some more chiptune soundtracks as well. Demo video after the break — it kinda makes you want this on the Apple TV too, doesn’t it?

Continue reading App review: kijjaa! (video)

App review: kijjaa! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alternative means of propulsion are the norm at the North American International Auto Show this year in Detroit, and VW had a few options on display. First up is the Touareg Hybrid, the company’s first, with a 3.0 liter supercharged V6 paired to an electric motor, offering a combined 380hp, 0 – 60 times of 6.2 seconds (not bad for a 5,000lb SUV), and up to 27mpg — if you don’t dip too deep in the throttle. Keep things light, and under 30mph, and you can drive it as a purely EV car so long as there’s charge. It’s available now.

Also on display is the Golf Blue-e-motion that our friends at Autoblog previously got to spend a little time with in Germany. This is currently built on the Golf Mk VI platform but, by the time it is released in 2013, will be applied to the upcoming Mk VII platform. It’s said to offer a realistic 80 miles of range and, unlike the Focus Electric, hasn’t made too many sacrifices in the cargo compartment.

VW Golf Blue-e-motion and Hybrid Touareg strike a pose in Detroit originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 05:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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