Hasta La Gadget!

Using your Android phone as a remote is hardly new, but using it to actually send content to a TV-connected set-top box? Now that’s a novel concept. Skifta for Android has just become the first piece of software to be certified by the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) under its new Software Certification program, enabling any Android-based smartphone or tablet to stream onboard media to any DLNA source, including TVs, stereos, PCs and Sony’s PS3. It’s hard to say what kind of phone (and what kind of bandwidth) will be needed for this to actually be an enjoyable experience, but those curious to find out can download the app for free in the Android Marketplace… provided you’re using a device with Android 2.2 (Froyo) or higher, of course. Head on past the break for a explanatory video.

Continue reading Skifta Android app nabs DLNA certification: tablets and smartphones now streaming to STBs and more

Skifta Android app nabs DLNA certification: tablets and smartphones now streaming to STBs and more originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We didn’t spot this one at CES where the phone-like RMC30D and standard remotes were the only options, but it looks like Samsung has an alternative Bluetooth remote planned for its Smart TVs (but not any Google TV products judging by that Yahoo! button on the remote side) that features standard buttons on one side and a full QWERTY keyboard on the other, much like the Boxee Box’s remote. Judging by the ruler in the remarkably unflattering FCC photos, this one appears to be a bit larger and it’s not immediately clear what that display on the QWERTY side is for. Obviously, if there’s any chance users will be logging into their various Twitter or Comcast/Time Warner accounts on the TV they’ll need something better than T9 to do it, but we’ll have to wait to get our hands on this one to know if it’s an improvement. Check the gallery for a few more pictures, we’d expect some kind of announcement on the RMC-QTD1 before Samsung’s 2011 line of TVs hit stores.

Samsung’s new dual-sided QWERTY remote for Smart TVs revealed by the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Philips has been touting its uWand “direct pointer” remote for a good while now, but we’ve never had the chance to actually use one ourselves. Today that omission has been rectified as we got our mitts around this motion / gesture-based controller and gave it a quick test drive. It works by having an infrared camera embedded in the front, which detects an IR beacon in your TV and thereby judges its own distance, tilt and relation to the TV. That then allows for things like motion-based zooming, pointing the remote at the particular thing on the television that you want to “click” on, and navigational shortcuts attached to gestures performed with this handheld. There’s also a nice spacious keyboard on the back, assisting in the use of all these Smart TVs CES has been littered with. Philips’ intention is to license the technology out to other manufacturers, which could result in consumer products by 2012 — so yeah, it’s not terribly close to your living room yet, but our gallery of images is.

Continue reading Philips uWand hands-on

Philips uWand hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 19:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do you love 3D? Do you love pictures? Do you love 3D pictures? The ViewFun 3D Show picture frame from ViewSonic may just be your fix you’ve been dreaming of. The $179 photo viewer jankily converts 2D stills to 3D (and videos, too, apparently, although we didn’t get to see a demo) and eliminates the use for those funky glasses. The images remind us of holograms we used to find in cereal boxes, except bigger. The 8-inch frame sports capacitive buttons on the bezel that light up on contact. Along the left side of device, you’ll find a USB 2.0 port, SD slot and power button. In order to stand this thing up, the company packed a pull-out plastic kickstand that felt pretty flimsy. Oh, and the remote control we demoed had improper button mapping, which made it virtually useless. Peek the gallery below the fold for a bunch of shots of this thing on the CES show floor.

ViewSonic ViewFun 3D Show photo frame hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 21:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don’t quote us on this, but we’ve got a feeling that remotes will be more than just remotes by the time 2012 rolls around. HDTV companies have been slyly adding motion support to their remotes here at CES, and with PrimeSense’s technology going over so well in the Kinect, there’s an obvious next-step when looking at TV control. Movea — the company responsible for the Gyration Air Mouse and Air Mouse iOS app — has just teamed up with Sunrex here at CES, with the newly formed relationship expecting to yield new kit based on the former’s MotionIC platform and SmartMotion technology. We’re told to expect the first products to be available in Q1 of this year, with the SmartMotion Air Mini Keyboard remote and SmartMotion Air Mouse being named in particular. The former includes a full four-row QWERTY keyboard and relies on 2.4GHz wireless technology, but no images, pricing and availability details are available just yet.

Continue reading Movea SmartMotion Air Mini Keyboard remote and Air Mouse revealed alongside Sunrex partnership

Movea SmartMotion Air Mini Keyboard remote and Air Mouse revealed alongside Sunrex partnership originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 01:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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