Hasta La Gadget!

In the world of the HTPC, the quest for the least inconvenient means of controlling on-screen action continues. We had a winner with the Rii Mini wireless keyboard in March, but the familiar aesthetics of this EFO iPazzPort keyboard make us want to have one lying about our coffee table. This is the newly redesigned third generation model, a big step forward from the first gen and, from the second revision, adds on function keys that can be used during bootup (for the “Hit F1 to enter BIOS” types), dedicated keys for playing and pausing and whatnot, and a laser pointer — crucial for indicating the fatally arcing trajectories of contestants on Wipeout. All that’s in addition to the already present QWERTY keyboard resting just below a functional touchpad. The cost? $45. Watching your friends try to make a call from your keyboard? Priceless.

EFO iPazzPort Keyboard looks like a BlackBerry, calls your HTPC instead of your boss originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So, you’ve either purchased a Streak, or you’re anxiously awaiting your own here in the US. Fantastic. Now what? If you’ve just over $100 to spend and even a pinch of smarts, you’ll give strong consideration to Logitech’s diNovo Mini. Though launched around two years ago, this portable Bluetooth keyboard looks like a match made in heaven for Dell’s newfangled 5-inch smartphone, with the cover holding the Streak (almost) perfectly in order to create a makeshift Android laptop. Better still, the Bluetooth device pairs seamlessly with Dell’s doodad, and both the keys and finger pad operate sans any major issues. But hey, it’s not like you ought to be taking our word for it — head on past the break to see the magic happen on video, and dig down in that source link for even more inspiration. It might just convince your cold, hardened heart that love does indeed exist.

Continue reading Dell Streak makes friends with Logitech diNovo Mini (in more ways than one)

Dell Streak makes friends with Logitech diNovo Mini (in more ways than one) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember that episode of The Simpsons where Homer gets too fat to be able to dial a number? Well, he wouldn’t have had that problem had BlindType been around. This soft keyboard is described by its makers as being extremely resilient to inaccurate input and looking at the demo video after the break, you kinda have to agree — it seems to have a pretty kickass predictive algorithm. Aside from that, the keyboard also dynamically adjusts to wherever and however you choose to type, meaning its size and orientation track along to your input, which goes some way to justifying the somewhat odd name (it’s meant for blind operation, not blind people). Text can be inserted without the keyboard even being on screen, while spaces are added by swiping to the right. BlindType should be coming to Android and iOS devices some time in the near future.

[Thanks, Fadl]

Update: We asked BlindType’s makers whether implementing their software will require replacing Apple’s default button slate and they’ve confirmed that it would. They’re making and submitting it for iOS use, nonetheless, “to put pressure on Apple to finally allow this kind of thing.”

Continue reading BlindType vows to autocorrect all wrongs with your iPhone or Android virtual keyboard (video)

BlindType vows to autocorrect all wrongs with your iPhone or Android virtual keyboard (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 02:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look, it’s summer break. What better to do than learn a little piano in preparation for the upcoming release of Harmonix’s Rock Band 3? The next installment — which promises to bring all sorts of new kit to the market — was finally given a release date today, and not surprisingly, it’ll be quickly climbing the Santa Lists of rug-rats the world over. According to the company, the title will ship on October 26th in North America, with the Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions priced at $59.99 sans hardware and the DS rendition at $29.99. Hop on past the break if you’re interested in learning about your wealth of pre-order options.

Continue reading Rock Band 3 crashing into living rooms on October 26

Rock Band 3 crashing into living rooms on October 26 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The software and language engineers at Swiftkey have been toiling on this app for the past two years, and at long last, it’s being made available for precisely nothing to anxious Android users. Hot on the heels of Swype’s own beta, the Swiftkey beta is now available to download directly from the App Market, and once installed (along with language packs of your choice), it can be used in place of your stock Android soft keyboard. We’ve never been the biggest fan of Google’s factory keys, and while we still feel that Swiftkey’s letters are a tad on the skinny side, it’s definitely an improvement. But that’s not where the magic’s at — this software has an uncanny ability to guess what your next word will be, and it actually looks at your prior SMS list (if allowed) in order to “learn” how you converse. In our early tests, we’re pretty darn impressed, and yes, it’s definitely worth the $0.00 price tag. Get your download on right now, or hop past the break for a video demonstration if you still need convincing.

[Thanks, Martino]

Continue reading Swiftkey beta brings new keyboard, world class predictive text to Android

Swiftkey beta brings new keyboard, world class predictive text to Android originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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