Hasta La Gadget!

Comcast rolled out a v1.5 update today for the iPhone / iPod Touch versions of its Xfinity TV app which allows them to access the video on-demand streaming that has been available on the iPad since February. Just like the iPad however, they’ll only work over WiFi — no streaming over 3G or downloading for offline viewing here, although unlike Cablevision and Time Warner’s iPad apps, you don’t have to be on your own WiFi for it to work. The slate of content has expanded to include 25 networks and over 6,000 hours of video, so for those confusing times when you’re within reach of WiFi but can’t get close to a TV, you can still queue up something for viewing. The official Twitter account advises a delete / reinstall for those having issues since upgrading, if you’re a Comcast subscriber who hasn’t already snagged the free app for its channel changing and remote DVR scheduling capabilities, you can do so at the link below.

[Thanks, Nick & Colby]

Comcast brings Xfinity TV VOD to iPhone, iPod Touch, but only on WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 02:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This, dear reader, is the iDVM Digital Multimeter — the world’s very first iDevice-enabled voltmeter, from Redfish Instruments. Designed with auto technicians, electricians and engineers in mind, the iDVM uses an ad hoc wireless network to connect to any iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch, allowing users to record voltage, resistance and current directly from their palms. Once you’ve purchased the multimeter and downloaded the accompanying iDVM app, you’ll be able to gather electrical measurements from up to 30 yards away from your target, log data over extended periods of time and export your findings in spreadsheet or graph displays. The rechargeable battery-powered device can also read your measurements back to you, which should make you feel slightly less lonely while digging around your car’s engine at 3 am. We’re still not sure why anyone would want to juggle their iPhone while chasing down a shorted wire, but if you do, the iDVM starts shipping on June 1st, for $220 — which could buy you about 40 less complicated multimeters from Harbor Freight. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading iDVM Digital Multimeter collects voltage readings on your iDevice, shares them with whoever cares

iDVM Digital Multimeter collects voltage readings on your iDevice, shares them with whoever cares originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 May 2011 21:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey there fellow iOS users, just thought we’d let you know that the Engadget app for iPhone and iPod touch has now been updated to version 2.2. What’s new, you ask? Well, on top of a stash of performance tweaks, there’s now a handy landscape viewing mode along with much improved sharing features; or if you prefer saving the goodies for yourself, then you’ll also like our new “save for later” options for Evernote, Instapaper, and Read It Later. Head over to the App Store to nab the fresh update now.

Oh, don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten our buddies on the Windows Phone boat. We can assure you that our devs are hard at work at cooking up an Engadget app for Windows Phone 7 just as we speak, so stay tuned for an announcement soon.

Engadget app for iPhone and iPod touch updated to 2.2.0, get it now! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 14:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You can toss it on a plane. You can toss it on a train. You can toss it in a car. You can toss it near and far.

Kiloo’s new Frisbee(R) app for iOS gives geeks a safe environment to toss the disc (so no more broken windows or dents in the lawn). We managed to keep that little blue saucer parallel to the ground for several seconds during our hands-on. It even flew through one or two of those enormous black and white hoops (enormous relative to the finger-nail-size frisbee). Many of the interface elements feel like they were borrowed from Angry Birds, from buttons and other graphics, to the way you progress through levels. This brought a certain familiarity to the game, though gently sliding a Frisbee(R) across the screen is arguably much less addictive than catapulting feathered fowl to their explosive deaths. We tossed (or flicked) the disc on an iPhone, but if you’re ready to step up to the big leagues, the free app is available for iPad (and iPod touch) as well. Jump up and catch it at the source link.

Frisbee Forever app hits your iPhone screen, doesn’t crack it originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 May 2011 02:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Having spent a good part of our day yesterday negotiating with iTunes and downloading a whopping 666.2MB file to update our iPhone to version 4.3.3 — a version, we might add, whose sole claim to fame is the removal of things — we know well the pains of updating Apple’s mobile software. Those aches, however, may soon be coming to an end. 9to5Mac has multiple sources informing it that Apple and Verizon are scheming to start delivering iOS updates over the air from this fall, or just as soon as iOS 5 is made available. Untethered OS updates are a familiar feature to users of other smartphone operating systems and even the iOS-infused Apple TV, but getting Apple’s mobile devices up to date has so far always required going through the company’s own cable and software.

There’s no reason to believe this wireless update feature will be limited to Verizon, mind you — that’s just where the informants are coming from in this instance — though Apple will almost certainly have to alter the file sizes of its updates. We can’t think of many carriers who’ll be happy to push more than half a gigabyte of data per user per update. Additionally, since iTunes currently acts as the major backup hub, 9to5Mac speculates Cupertino must be working on a cloud backup service as well, which would seem a very sensible idea. Of course, that doesn’t paint a very happy or busy future for iTunes, but so what?

iOS 5 updates expected to be carried over-the-air, at least for the Verizon iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 04:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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