Hasta La Gadget!

We just saw some leaked shots of a Hero running Android 2.1 with HTC Sense a couple days ago, and now it looks like you can get in on the action yourself, thanks to a leaked ROM now up on XDA-developers and AllDroid. Installation appears to be pretty straightforward, but there are some steps involved, so make sure you backup and set aside some time to get things right — and let us know how it all goes in comments!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

HTC Hero gets a leaked Android 2.1 ROM with Sense originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At this point, there have been so many Sonic games on so many different platforms, that you don’t really need to run an old school Sega Genesis or Sega CD to play with the blue hedgehog. Need, however, is not what this is about. A fellow calling himself Neon (whose real name is presumably Thomas Andersonn) has put together a proof of concept video to show off a custom PSP Go firmware capable of running Sega CD images. Alas, he’s only keen to prove said concept for bragging rights alone, and there are no plans to unleash this unto the retro-loving world, but isn’t it enough to know that you can bring back all those memories of an insecure youth whiled away in a poorly lit room with a 12MHz console pushing about 200 pixels in total? Of course it is, check the video after the break.

Continue reading PSP Go turned into a homebrewed Sega CD emulator (video)

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

PSP Go turned into a homebrewed Sega CD emulator (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ll readily admit that most Arduino mods tend to be exercises in creativity (and eccentricity) with little real world utility, which is why this one piqued our interest. A wedding present conceived of and built by Mikal Hart, the box you see above is set to only open in one particular geographic location, and the puzzle of it is to find out where that might be. You’re allowed 50 attempts at opening the box by hitting the button next to the LCD screen, which in turn gives you a distance from, but not direction to, your destination. What tickles us about this idea, aside from its ingenuity, is the potential to use it without the helpful hints in securing your own valuables. Check out the read link for a full shopping list of ingredients and the amusing reaction to the quirky gift.

[Via Slippery Brick]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Homemade GPS puzzle box puts a modern spin on treasure hunts originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you build a specialized type of hardware which, by design, rarely arouses emotions of physical desire in the general populace, you can see how you might have a bit of a challenge promoting your wares. How you get around that tiny issue is by pulling off a stunning steampunk mod while retaining the full functionality of the hardware, as British company Hi Tech have done with their Comptometer. The server controller, customized for use in live video broadcasting and editing, has already won a design award for what we understand to be “general awesomeness” and an unmissable video of its obscure workings lays just past the break.

[Via TechnaBob]

Continue reading Video: Comptometer does broadcast controls the steampunk way

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Video: Comptometer does broadcast controls the steampunk way originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia has been handing out the N900 for selective “artsy” uses lately through its “Push” program, and the folks at Tinker it now! sure seem to have put their model to good use. They’ve paired the device with all matter of nostalgia, including a Rolodex, FM radio and a 3D Viewmaster. Our favorite by far, however, is the Speak & Spell hack, which puts the gargantuan Speak & Spell keyboard to good use in penning text messages for the N900 — which displays them in the classic font and even articulates your words with a speech synthesis engine. It’s all a testament to the flexibility of Linux, hacker ingenuity and of course liberal application of Arduino, but it’s also a little advertorial-ey, so you might want to leave your gag reflex at home for this one.

[Via Nokia Conversations]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Peripherals

N900 hacked to replace the innards of a Speak & Spell, can never bring back your childhood originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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