Hasta La Gadget!

Ok, this one’s odd. In fact, we didn’t believe the images until a video just surfaced showing Nokia CEO, Stephen Elop, foolishly asking a crowd of people to “put away their cameras” for the unveiling of something “super confidential,” codenamed “Sea Ray.” Naturally, a few people ignored the plea for “no pictures please” and, indeed, someone leaked what appears to be a Nokia-produced video of the unveiling to the blogosphere. What is it? Why, it’s Nokia’s first Windows Phone. While it looks nearly identical to the just announced N9, the different LED placement on the back (in line with the same 8 megapixel Carl Zeiss lens) confirms it’s a new device as does the additional hardware button (for shutter release, we presume) along the side. And the fact that it’s running Windows Phone 7 Mango seals the deal. See a few more shots and the full uncut video (and relevant snippet) after the break.

[Thanks, Advil and Zeban]

Continue reading Nokia’s first Windows Phone: images and video, codenamed ‘Sea Ray’

Nokia’s first Windows Phone: images and video, codenamed ‘Sea Ray’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 08:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft just earned itself a boatload of geek-cred and made Apple and Sony look pretty bad in the process. We knew the Windows Phone team was playing nice with the jailbreakers from ChevronWP7, but we didn’t realize just how cozy the two were going to get. Today the devs announced that ChevronWP7 Labs would open up soon, with the approval of Redmond, allowing users to load homebrew apps on their handsets. Unlike tools from the iPhone Dev Team, this service won’t be free. Instead, customers will have to cough up a small fee via PayPal — but we’re sure many of you are more than willing to pay a reasonable price to avoid the sort of cat and mouse game Apple has been playing with hackers since 2007.

ChevronWP7 Labs will jailbreak your Windows Phone with Microsoft’s approval originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 13:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fancy accessing your Windows Home Server directly from your Windows Phone? Then you might want to experiment with the Phone Connector add-in for WHS 2011 beta (aka Vail). This lets you connect you to core network functions and settings via an app on your handset, including alerts, user accounts and connected devices. Crucially, it also streams all your lovely media, so long as it’s in WP-supported codecs. And if you pin the app to your home screen, you’ll get a nifty live tile with your network’s name, free disk space and a breakdown of network health alerts. Sure, you might have a bit of fuss to get this RC working, but then that’s half the fun.

Windows Phone beta app plays nice with WHS 2011, streams media from your network originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 05:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft’s already brought Xbox Live integration to Windows Phone 7, and it looks like you can count on some similar, if not deeper, integration in Windows 8 as well. Speaking to The Seattle Times, Microsoft VP Mike Delman said that “Live has been successful on the Windows Phone,” and that “Live will be built into the PC. It will be the service where you get your entertainment.” Delman went on to add that “Xbox Live will the pervasive media service across devices,” and that “whether it’s us or Apple or anybody else, people want to be able to navigate through multiple devices in a certain ecosystem very seamlessly so we’re committed to that.” As you might expect, however, he was still fairly light on any further specifics, but he did say that assets like Live and SkyDrive will be unified, and he promised that Microsoft will have plenty more to show at next year’s E3 — according to Delman, “you will not just see consoles and handhelds at this show next year, this show’s going to morph into other devices.”

Microsoft talks Xbox Live integration in Windows 8, says service will be ‘pervasive’ across devices originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We already had a chance to try out Immersive Motion from Aiken Labs at CES, but now the nine-axis modular sensing system is making its way to Android and other mobile platforms, including iOS and Windows Phone. The more compact battery-powered server brings motion-controlled gaming to mobile environments, capturing position data from matchbox-size modular sensors that you can tape to a wooden sword or Viking helmet for live-action outdoor role-playing, or on you paws and dome during a virtual jam session with friends, for example. The mobile kit includes a pair of wireless sensors with a 50-foot range that you can attach to literally any accessory or appendage, and is expected to sell for about $300 when it ships later this year. You’ll also be able to connect up to two smaller wired sensors to each wireless sensor, for about $50 a pop.

The kit’s price tag makes it cost-prohibitive for all but the most hardcore gamers and devs (there’s an SDK available as well), but Aiken hopes to make its flagship product more affordable if its able to sell the kits in high volume. The tool has applications in other industries as well, including research and Hollywood, where it could be used as a (relatively) low-cost outdoor motion-capture suit. The early version we saw at E3 today is definitely not ready to head to production, but we’re still months away from an actual release, giving Aiken some time to improve accuracy, and perhaps find a way to reduce that price. Jump past the break to see how it works.

Tim Stevens contributed to this report.

Continue reading Aiken Labs brings 9-axis modular motion sensing to Android, we go hands-on (video)

Aiken Labs brings 9-axis modular motion sensing to Android, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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