Hasta La Gadget!

We took delivery of a Recompute recently. This doesn’t sound like a stunning statement: we get fancy new tech to play with all of the time, some of it stamped with the “green” moniker for better or worse. But the Recompute is just so far fetched: an entire desktop PC… built with cardboard! Sure, the internals are standard off-the-shelf PC components, but from the outside Recompute looks like nothing we’ve ever seen, and that’s really saying something for a desktop industry that’s tried just about every look twice. Check out our impressions of the green machine after the break.

Continue reading Recompute cardboard PC in the flesh: it’s real, it boots, it’s made of cardboard

Recompute cardboard PC in the flesh: it’s real, it boots, it’s made of cardboard originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 18:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, well, well… would you look at what we found lounging around Best Buy’s NYC holiday event! Yes, indeed, it’s the T-Mobile G2 (the US version of the HTC Desire Z if you happen to think it looks familiar). After months of leaks and blurry shots we finally got to check out T-Mobile and HTC’s G1 replacement, and it’s got everything we’ve been waiting for — a 3.7-inch display, Android 2.2, 4GB of internal memory, an 800MHz Snapdragon processor and a 5 megapixel cam with a flash. Oh, what’s it like to use? That answer, dear friends, is after the break along with a hands-on video.

Continue reading T-Mobile G2 preview

T-Mobile G2 preview originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 16:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen plenty of applications for NeuroSky’s brainwave-sensing chip already, but it looks like we’re going to be seeing… more. Luckily, some of these are pretty neat. A sweat-band embedded “Thket Brain Athlete” product will allow athletes and trainers to track concentration levels through a workout or through a particular activity (a golf swing, for instance) and analyze that performance later. An iPad app (for the Japanese market, we’re assured) allows you to concentrate on a girl avatar until she kisses you. Just like real life! NeuroSky itself will be selling its own Mindwave headset (a PC version of the iOS-compatible XWave) starting as soon as next month, which will be packed with a few games. Of course, the technology is still a little rough and one dimensional — it can track attention, meditation, and blinks — and NeuroSky is still on the lookout for the “killer app,” but as it gets cheaper and more ubiquitous, we’re sure to see some good come out of this nascent market. The Brain Athlete band and software should be out next month for $350, while NeuroSky’s headset will retail for a much more palatable $80-$100. Check out video of both after the break.

Continue reading NeuroSky shows off upcoming Mindwave headset, other new chip applications

NeuroSky shows off upcoming Mindwave headset, other new chip applications originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re not sure what we were expecting to experience when we picked up this gun-style “shooting attachment” for the PlayStation Move, but it was hardly full of surprises. Basically, it’s a comfy, lightweight attachment that makes holding your Move controller feel like holding a gun, and pulling the trigger button feel like pulling a trigger. We do love the retro look, quality Sony construction (we’re pre-rolling our eyes at the inevitable crappy third party versions and their inferior plastics) and pretty much everything else about the attachment. The biggest perk is that for shooting games you’ll be able to hold your arm out straight more naturally, instead of pointing “up” at the screen with the traditional Move controller grip. Unfortunately, the Big 3 Gun Shooting title we tested it on wasn’t showing off 1:1 aiming to really let us know how this would feel in that scenario, but for the on-rails-shooter lovers out there (the attachment puts the face buttons out of thumb’s reach, so it’s useless for more in-depth games like SOCOM 4 or Killzone 3) we’d say there are worse things you could spend $20 on. Check it out on video after the break.

Continue reading PlayStation Move shooting attachment preview: it’s a shooting attachment!

PlayStation Move shooting attachment preview: it’s a shooting attachment! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Digg So we’ve just had a chance to take our iPad out for a spin sporting iOS 4.2… and it’s pretty great. The addition of multitasking, folders, and big improvements in mail (amongst other things) finally make the device feel more like a computer and less like a gigantic iPhone. Ironic really, since these updates rolled out to the iPhone first. In our brief use of the new and improved iPad (and particularly with multitasking), we’re impressed to see that there doesn’t seem to be any lag or slowdown on the device while swapping between apps (despite the smaller amount of RAM on board here) or throwing together folders. We’re pretty heartened to see performance matching what we’ve come to expect on our iPhone 4 — admittedly we had reservations about what the experience would be like. Folders are an especially notable inclusion here due to the pure silliness of scrolling through multiple iPad pages, and we’re happy to see them intact on the bigger device.

We get the sense that this update is going to be a huge improvement for general navigation, but there’s also going to be a learning curve because it changes the overall feel of the iPad (for the better, of course). The device has gone from seeming bulky and sluggish to something far more sleek. With the addition of multitasking and folders (along with sizable usability improvements) the iPad finally begins its evolution into the product it’s seemed destined to be — the middle ground between netbook, game device, and media hub. Keep on reading after the break for a look at some of the major changes in 4.2, as well as a quick walkthrough video of the OS in action.

Continue reading iOS 4.2 on iPad preview (video) (updated)

iOS 4.2 on iPad preview (video) (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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