Nov 01

Kinect commercial SDK coming in 2012 (video)

Posted in: kinect, Microsoft, minipost, Today's Chili, video, Windows

So much for it being a fad. Kinect has evolved from a way to play with Elmo to a key tool in scientific research, delivering interactive presentations and managing your bank account. We’ve always called these non-standard uses of the device “Kinect Hacks” as people find more weird and wonderful ways to use it to their advantage. Unsurprisingly, Redmond has been paying attention and it’s planning a commercial Kinect SDK. It’s teaming up with developers to create the new software and has already received 200 applications from interested parties. It all kicks off early next year, and interested parties should be chatting up the company as we speak. Stuck for inspiration? We’ve got you covered, check out what other clever bods have already achieved with the technology in the video after the break.

Continue reading Kinect commercial SDK coming in 2012 (video)

Kinect commercial SDK coming in 2012 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Register  |  sourceMicrosoft  | Email this | Comments

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Nov 01

Logitech’s Mini Boombox is a $99 Bluetooth speaker, we go hands-on (video)

Posted in: audio, bluetooth, hands-on, logitech, MP3, Music, speaker, Today's Chili, Travel, video

$99? For a portable speaker? Yup, that was our reaction too — especially when the Mini Boombox’s larger sibling boasts four times as many drivers (eight instead of two) and costs just $50 extra. But then we gave this more suitcase-friendly version a whirl and discovered that it’s actually loud and balanced enough to do some justice to your tunes while you’re on the move. In fact, it could well make a smarter purchase than those $30 speakers you keep buying in airports and then deliberately losing. It’s available from the end of this month, works with any A2DP Bluetooth-equipped smartphone or tablet and incorporates a mic for handling calls — plus its rechargeable battery is claimed to last up to ten hours. Ears-on video and a quick round of ‘name that tune’ right after the break, along with the full PR.

Gallery: Logitech Mini Boombox hands-on

Continue reading Logitech’s Mini Boombox is a $99 Bluetooth speaker, we go hands-on (video)

Logitech’s Mini Boombox is a $99 Bluetooth speaker, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 01

Tweephone is a rotary phone Twitter client, even your grandma could love

Posted in: arduino, diy, Today's Chili, twitter, video
Tweephone

The collectives behind the Tweephone, UP digital Bureau and Unteleported tech agency, claim that it’s the first analog Twitter client. We find that hard to believe but, while we’ve seen rotary phone-based Twitter tools before and analog meters that measure microblogging activity, we couldn’t come up with a single example of a client that lets you punch in messages through non-digital means. Even if it’s not the first of its kind, the Tweephone is still a pretty neat hack. Inside the old-school chassis is the ubiquitous Arduino, which interprets your pulls of the dial as letters. Like a phone with only a dial pad, you’ll have to ring up numbers multiple times to get the right letter (i.e. dial “2” three times to get a “c”). It definitely not the most efficient method for sending out 140-character missives, but certainly one of the more unique. Check out the video after the break to see it in action.

Continue reading Tweephone is a rotary phone Twitter client, even your grandma could love

Tweephone is a rotary phone Twitter client, even your grandma could love originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceUnteleported, Habrahabr (translated)  | Email this | Comments

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Nov 01

PlugBug adds an iPad / iPod / iPhone USB charging port to your MacBook power adapter

Posted in: accessories, Apple, charger, charging, peripheral, Today's Chili, video

Twelve South, the same South Carolina-based outfit that’s been keeping the Bass(Jump) coming, has just outed the best MacBook power adapter accessory… ever. Almost. The PlugBug is an iPad / iPhone / iPod / USB-based-whatever charger that snaps right on top of your existing MacBook or MacBook Pro AC adapter, allowing you to charge your Mac laptop as well as a single USB-based device at the same time. It’s a ten-watt adapter, so your iPad and those other high-powered gizmos should take take to it just fine, and it’s actually capable of acting on its own should you ever need to dismount it. Unfortunately, those in need of a non-US adapter will be out of luck, but on the upside, this converts international adapters for US use should you head over this way. It’s on sale now for $34.99 at the source link below, and if it only had more than one USB port, we’d recommend it without hesitation. Ah well — there’s always version 2.0, right? Promo vid’s after the break.

Gallery: Twelve South intros PlugBug charging accessory

Continue reading PlugBug adds an iPad / iPod / iPhone USB charging port to your MacBook power adapter

PlugBug adds an iPad / iPod / iPhone USB charging port to your MacBook power adapter originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceTwelve South  | Email this | Comments

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Nov 01

Wahoo Fitness bringing $80 BlueHR heart-rate belt to iPhone 4S users

Posted in: Apple, bluetooth, exclusive, iphone 4s, mobilepostcross, Today's Chili, video

Remember that nondescript heart-rate monitoring belt we peeked back in June? Now you know the company that’s tossing out purchase orders for ’em. Wahoo Fitness has just revealed that it’ll soon be shipping its own branded version of the product — dubbed BlueHR — and at least for now, it’ll work exclusively with the iPhone 4S. Why, you ask? The 4S just so happens to have Bluetooth 4.0, and this here belt happens to utilize that very protocol. In a brief demo vid (embedded after the break), the company demonstrates it beaming out vitals to a nearby iPhone, and we’re told that it’ll be “compatible with all the top running apps like Runkeeper [as well as with] Wahoo’s own free app.” We’re guessing that the outfit will do everything it can to have this guy out by Christmastime, but for now, you can start pinching pennies in an effort to afford the looming $79.99 sticker.

Continue reading Wahoo Fitness bringing $80 BlueHR heart-rate belt to iPhone 4S users

Wahoo Fitness bringing $80 BlueHR heart-rate belt to iPhone 4S users originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 01

Lego CD / DVD ripper lets you drop your physical media — literally (video)

Posted in: arduino, lego, Today's Chili, video

If the only thing standing between you and a full abandonment of physical media is the tedious task of ripping all of your CDs and DVDs, boy have we got the Lego-based gadget for you. Paul Rea whipped up this little beauty — it’s an Arduino-powered Lego arm that swings to pick up a disc, deposit it in the drive and then drop it (perhaps a bit too literally) into a finished pile. It’s not quite perfect — the arm is a bit loud as it moves, and anyone who’s ever owned CDs or DVDs may likely grimace as the thing tosses finished discs into a pile, but it’s an entertaining break from what can ultimately prove an arduous task.

Continue reading Lego CD / DVD ripper lets you drop your physical media — literally (video)

Lego CD / DVD ripper lets you drop your physical media — literally (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Hack a Day  |  sourcePaul Rea  | Email this | Comments

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Nov 01

Google promises ‘greater transparency’ for targeted ads, gives users more control over them

Posted in: ad, ads, advertising, Gmail, Google, search, Today's Chili, video
Chances are you’ve visited at least one Google site or another today, and chances are you were delivered some ads tailored just for you while you were there. Exactly how those ads got from the advertiser to you hasn’t always been clear, but Google’s now announced a new effort that it promises will provide “greater transparency and choice” regarding the ads you see. The most immediate change is a new “Why this ad?” link that will be displayed in search results and on Gmail — click on it and Google provides a brief explanation of how that particular ad came to appear on your screen (based on your current search terms, your location, etc.). You’ll also soon be able to access a new Ads Preference Manager, which will let you block specific advertisers or opt out of personalized ads entirely. Google says those options will be appearing “over the coming weeks,” but you can get a peek at what’s in store in the video after the break.

Continue reading Google promises ‘greater transparency’ for targeted ads, gives users more control over them

Google promises ‘greater transparency’ for targeted ads, gives users more control over them originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceOfficial Google Blog, Inside AdWords  | Email this | Comments

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Nov 01

Zediva ordered to permanently shut down operations, pay $1.8 million to MPAA

Posted in: hdpostcross, Law, lawsuit, money, netflix, streaming, Today's Chili, video
The last time we checked in with Zediva, the DVD streaming service was reeling from a court-ordered preliminary injunction that effectively brought its operations to a halt. At the time, the California-based company was still pinning its hopes on the promise of a forthcoming appeal, but those hopes were summarily quashed on Friday, when US District Judge John Walter rendered the injunction permanent. Zediva had previously exposed an apparent loophole in US copyright law, by allowing users to stream movies from physical DVDs located in Silicon Valley. This strategy allowed the firm to offer newly released movies well before other on-demand services, but according to Judge Walter, it was also illegal. Zediva will now have to cease all operations and pay $1.8 million in damages to the MPAA. The defendant has yet to comment on the decision, but MPAA Associate General Counsel Dan Robbins seemed understandably delighted: “This result sends a strong message to those who would exploit the studios’ works in violation of copyright law, on the Internet or elsewhere, and it is an important victory for the more than 2 million American men and women whose livelihoods depend on a thriving film and television industry.”

Zediva ordered to permanently shut down operations, pay $1.8 million to MPAA originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 01

Google Street View walks through parks, so you don’t have to

Posted in: Google, london, Today's Chili, video

Need to take a walk through the park, but hate all of the fresh air, foliage and sunshine that comes with it? Good news: Google has added a number of parks to Street View, including New York City’s High Line, elevated train tracks that have been converted into a 1.5 mile plant-filled walkway. Also on the list are the statue-filled Kensington Gardens in London and Tokyo’s cherry blossom-lined Koganei Park. The parks and their blurry-faced visitors can be easily accessed in the source link below. There’s also a video of the High Line project after the break.

Continue reading Google Street View walks through parks, so you don’t have to

Google Street View walks through parks, so you don’t have to originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Official Google Blog  |  sourceGoogle Maps  | Email this | Comments

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Nov 01

Trio of Microsoft projectors lets you get quasi-physical with AR interaction (video)

Posted in: augmented reality, AugmentedReality, kinect, Microsoft, pico projector, PicoProjector, projector, research, Today's Chili, video

You have to hand it to the tireless folks toiling away within Microsoft’s Research department. They’re hard at the task of making tomorrowland today’s province. Perhaps spurred on by the rapturous response to their HoloDesk, the Cambridge gang’s previewing yet another virtual reality, and this time it’s a handheld trio. The palm-friendly devices, split up into camera, room and SLAM models, incorporate pico projectors, coaxial IR cameras, inertial measurement units (IMUs) and the company’s Kinect (for the latter two only) to project augmented visions onto surrounding surfaces. If you’ve been honing your shadow puppetry game over the years, that oft-used skill’s about to get very useful. The environmentally aware (no, not the Go Green! kind) systems allow for shadow- and touch-based interaction with the CG overlays, offering pinch functionality, icon selection and even painting — don’t worry, it’s definitely removable. This neat tech hat trick could one day soon spare you a trip to IKEA, letting you test out potential decorative pieces from the comfort of your home. Unfortunately, we can’t get handsy with the futuristic projectors just yet, so the video after the break will have to suffice.

[Thanks, Pradeep]

Continue reading Trio of Microsoft projectors lets you get quasi-physical with AR interaction (video)

Trio of Microsoft projectors lets you get quasi-physical with AR interaction (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Microsoft News  |  sourceNext at Microsoft (TechNet)  | Email this | Comments

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