Hasta La Gadget!

We’ll give Nicholas Negroponte one thing, he’s nothing if not ambitious. The OLPC founder always has some pie-in-the-sky vision for the XO line of child-centric computers, including dual-screens and hand-cranks. Now that we’ve skipped right past the XO-2 for the ARM-powered, and still MIA, XO-3 it’s time for a whole new round of concepts. The latest is a series of accessory cases for the potentially Android-sporting tablets that boast satellite internet capabilities or solar panels for charging its battery. The former MIT Media Lab head has even suggested that a more mundane cover with a keyboard could be on tap. Of course, it would probably help if the foundation could get the machines out the door first. We haven’t heard much about the XO-3 since the last round of delays pushed its release back to February… of 2011. But you know what they say, better late, and all that jazz.

OLPC XO-3 cases may sport solar panels, satellite internet, grant three wishes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gun accessories for your Wiimote or Move wands are old hat but, we can’t help but be at least a little intrigued by this rifle-like dock for the iPhone. The appBlaster is an accessory from apptoyz designed specifically for use with the company’s Alien Attack iOS game. Slide in your iDevice and fire up the AR shooter and you’ll be treated to a bit of Piper-vision, exposing the invisible aliens in our midst. Pull the triggers and two capacitive pads touch the screen to fire at the invaders that only you can see. The appBlaster is available for pre-order now at RED5 for £19.99 (about $32) and will official hit shelves on July 7. Check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading appBlaster iPhone accessory lets you kick AR alien butt, bubblegum not included

appBlaster iPhone accessory lets you kick AR alien butt, bubblegum not included originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 04:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The SoftStep KeyWorx is primarily being sold by music shops and, while the PC pedal board certainly has a number of uses when it comes to music production, Keith McMillen Instruments has grander visions — like aiding amputees and RSI sufferers. The 10 pressure-sensitive buttons and directional pad can be used to control almost any function on a computer, and it can store up to 100 customized commands for everything from launching apps, to strafing opponents while getting your deathmatch on. The foot control peripheral is available now for $290 and you’ll find both a demo video and some PR after the break. Now, someone get Rick Allen one so we can challenge him to a round of Call of Duty.

Continue reading SoftStep KeyWorx controls your PC with your feet, turns browsing into DDR (video)

SoftStep KeyWorx controls your PC with your feet, turns browsing into DDR (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 02:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AliveCor’s iPhoneECG case was pretty sweet but, being a case, could only be strapped to an iPhone 4. Doctors content with their 3GS or patients who prefer to hug an iPad to their chest will be elated to hear the company is working on a more hardware-agnostic option for your iOS heart monitoring needs. The business card-sized iCard ECG mounts to the back of your iDevice using velcro and wirelessly feeds data from its electrodes to the AliveECG app. The app automatically records 30 seconds of your heart’s rhythmic pulse before uploading it to AliveCor’s servers for sharing with your doctors. The bad news? They’re still awaiting FDA approval, so you can’t run out and pick one up just yet. But, when it does hit shelves, it looks like you’ll have a choice of red or black — so you can make sure your medical accessories match your scrubs. Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading iCard ECG brings heart monitoring to the iOS device of your choice (video)

iCard ECG brings heart monitoring to the iOS device of your choice (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At first glance, the N-Control Avenger looks like the fevered dream of a quirky lunatic, destined for fame and failure as a legendary crapgadget. When one showed up on our doorstep, we were admittedly skeptical. Could a lever- and pulley-laden Xbox 360 controller clamshell really give us a competitive edge? Wouldn’t all the extra bits and pieces only result in a cumbersome mess? Is this doodad really worth the $50 asking price? We went hands-on to find out, and boy howdy, were we surprised.

Continue reading N-Control Avenger Xbox 360 attachment makes it look complicated, we go hands-on (video)

N-Control Avenger Xbox 360 attachment makes it look complicated, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 22:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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