Hasta La Gadget!

As if waiting around until fall to get iOS 4 weren’t enough of a downer for iPad owners, the latest rumor we’re hearing is that they’ll have to pay a fee in order to do so. That’s right, for the privilege of waiting patiently to get some semblance of multitasking on your slate device, you’ll have to pony up the cash — or so the story goes. Stuff has it on strong authority from app developers in the know that Apple will be asking for a (relatively small) tithe from those wishing to update their iPads when the leaves start turning amber. We’d advise keeping the pitchforks stowed for now — at least until there’s some solid corroboration for this — but then it’s not like Apple hasn’t done this before.

Update: Apple’s iPad licensing docs have been known to carry a provision that the “next major iPad OS software release” will be free, although iOS 4 and the word “free” do not happen to coincide in the same sentence — overall though, that renders this rumor rather less likely to materialize.

Apple to charge upgrade fee for iPads moving to iOS 4? (update: unlikely) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 06:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Livescribe’s Pulse smart pen that can automatically digitize written notes is a big hit among students and business professionals who want to move away from paper.

Now the company has introduced a slimmer version of the its pen called Echo that offers more storage and improved features  including support for PDF files.

The Echo pen has double the capacity of the Pulse and is available in 4 GB and 8 GB models that record 400 and 800 hours of data respectively. The 4 GB version will cost $170 and the 8 GB version is priced at $200. The 2 GB Pulse pen will cost $130, down from $200 when it was first introduced.

Livescribe has also added a 3.5 mm audio jack so consumers can use their own headphones, instead of having to buy specifically designed ones from LiveScribe.

Livescribe introduced its first smart pen Pulse in March 2008. Users write notes on Livescribe’s sheets of paper, just as they would on a notepad. The Pulse pen captures everything the user hears using a audio record feature. As for the notes, they can be accessed by simply tapping the pen at any point on the sheet of the paper or through a computer using the Livescribe desktop software. The only drawback is that the pen will work only with Livescribe’s proprietary paper. The company also launched an app store that now has more than 60 apps including study aids and dictionaries.

With Echo, Livescribe has updated the user interface so it is easier to access apps, added features such as password protection so the audio recorded on the smartpen can have more privacy,  and introduced the idea of custom notebooks so users can group and organize notes more easily.

Later this year, Livescribe plans to add new software called Connect, which will allow users to email notes, audio and PDFs from the smartpen and paper when the pen is is docked to a Mac or PC.

The company also plans to introduce a collaboration software called Paper Tablet, that will allow consumers to communicate directly from a Livescribe notebook to a computer using the Echo pen and a USB cable. That means if you draw an image on the Livescribe notebook then it can directly appear on the screen in real time–a feature that should be very useful for creating graphics and for artists.

Check out Livescribe’s video of the Echo pen and some of its key features:

See Also:

• Livescribe Pulse Pen Garners Notable Buzz at Demo
• Video Review: Smart Pen Records Your Writing, Voice
• For Hardware Entrepreneurs, Getting From Idea to Reality Isn’t Easy
• Entrepreneurs Find Gold in Gadget Startups

Photo: Livescribe

Looks like more than HTC’s description was erroneous yesterday afternoon — we’ve just confirmed that the HTC Sync desktop client for the AT&T Aria allows users to install third-party apps on non-rooted devices, just as promised. We ran some quick tests, and while it doesn’t actually enable anything on the handset end, it most certainly does allow those of you with Windows PCs (or VMware) to sideload APKs like Swype over USB with a simple drag-and-drop maneuver. Given how quickly the company sought to correct our original post on the subject, we’d expect HTC will be issuing a rather different version of the software soon, so hit up that source link, pound in your serial number, grab the EXE, and get while the getting’s good.

[Thanks, Dylan]

Continue reading Confirmed: HTC Sync lets tethered AT&T Aria sideload apps

Confirmed: HTC Sync lets tethered AT&T Aria sideload apps originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Jul 2010 12:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just in case you weren’t really sure how deep into this 3DTV thing Sony is, senior director of Sony Europe Mick Hocking announced the PS3’s update for Blu-ray 3D movie playback will be released in September — but it won’t stop there. Expect future firmware upgrades that give the PS3 3D rendering for photos (.mpo files), any broadcasts it can pick up on PlayTV, and even YouTube videos. Not running out the door to buy one yet? CVG reports the rest of the presentation was devoted to extolling the virtues of 3D to hardcore gamers in racing games, God of War, or LittleBigPlanet. Demos so far haven’t completely convinced us the PS3 is capable of rendering games in high enough resolution to satisfy, but if Fat Princess 2 features a good 3D implementation, someone hide our credit cards, please.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

PlayStation Blu-ray 3D update arrives in September; 3D photo, PlayTV and YouTube support to follow originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Think Sony ain’t serious about 3D? Think again. The Japanese giant has just outed a promised firmware update for its ultra-slinky NEX series of shooters that will allow users to shoot 3D panoramas. Panorama stitching was already one of the touted features on these cameras, but with a little extra software magic they’ll now be able to collect “depth information” as well. We don’t know how strong a 3D effect you’re going to get, but since this is a free upgrade and a new way to play with your toy, we suggest grabbing the firmware first and asking questions later. Hit the source link for the download.

Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 can shoot 3D panoramas with new firmware originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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