Archive for July, 2009
How would you change Apple’s iPhone 3GS?
Some might argue it’s the most subtle update in the iPhone family thus far, but Apple’s iPhone 3GS still seems to be moving the sales meter, regardless. The latest and greatest iPhone officially hit the market a few weeks back, and even though Apple claims that demand is still far outpacing supply, we’re of the belief that most everyone who wanted one has managed to snag one by now. During our time with the unit, we definitely didn’t find too many reasons to upgrade from the already solid iPhone 3G, but given that you probably did anyway, we’re eager to hear how things have turned out. Did you upgrade from a prior iPhone to this? Are you joining the iPhone family for the first time? What gripes have you found impossible to ignore? Are you still up in arms about AT&T’s inability to provide MMS / tethering service? Are you, like us, completely roiled by the unit’s lack of multitasking abilities? Go ahead and let it rip in comments below — we’re guessing Apple has about 11 months or so to take your opinions to heart.
Filed under: Cellphones
How would you change Apple’s iPhone 3GS? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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PlayStation 3 slim listing pops up on Amazon Germany
tweetmeme_url = ‘http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/31/playstation-3-slim-listing-pops-up-on-amazon-germany/’; tweetmeme_source = ‘engadget’; digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/playstation/PlayStation_3_slim_listing_pops_up_on_Amazon_Germany’; Here’s something fun to start your weekend with. Amazon’s German site now has a listing for “PlayStation 3 Konsole slim” from Sony Computer Entertainment, and really, it doesn’t take years of foreign language class to figure out that English translation. It’s listed as “platform independent” (har) and has its own Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN), but on the flip side, we’re lacking a picture, release date, or any other tangible details. Can’t say we’ve got a feel for the site’s track record on random listings, but after all the rumors and possible sightings as of late, it really makes ya wonder.
[Thanks, Mitchell B]
Filed under: Gaming
PlayStation 3 slim listing pops up on Amazon Germany originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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PlayStation 3 slim listing pops up on Amazon Germany
tweetmeme_url = ‘http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/31/playstation-3-slim-listing-pops-up-on-amazon-germany/’; tweetmeme_source = ‘engadget’; digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/playstation/PlayStation_3_slim_listing_pops_up_on_Amazon_Germany’; Here’s something fun to start your weekend with. Amazon’s German site now has a listing for “PlayStation 3 Konsole slim” from Sony Computer Entertainment, and really, it doesn’t take years of foreign language class to figure out that English translation. It’s listed as “platform independent” (har) and has its own Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN), but on the flip side, we’re lacking a picture, release date, or any other tangible details. Can’t say we’ve got a feel for the site’s track record on random listings, but after all the rumors and possible sightings as of late, it really makes ya wonder.
[Thanks, Mitchell B]
Filed under: Gaming
PlayStation 3 slim listing pops up on Amazon Germany originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The Daily Roundup: here’s what you might’ve missed
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iPhone OS 3.0.1 update released, fixes SMS vulnerability Looks like Apple pulled the trigger on patching that nasty iPhone SMS vulnerability a little earlier than we expected. It’s not some lightweight, either: you’re looking at 280MB of love here, so get downloading, friends. |
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Take Back the Beep: how to disable voicemail instructions Thanks to some helpful comments we’ve got instructions for Sprint, AT&T and Verizon for lopping off bits of the message, and, in Verizon’s case, speeding up the talking. |
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TASER X3 video hands-on: watch out, baddies the appeal of a “non-lethal” deterrent is understandable (and certainly preferable to the alternative variety). |
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Netflix Watch Instantly coming to Windows 7 Media Center No hard release date yet or big surprises here as Vista owners got this access some time ago and Extenders still don’t support Silverlight. |
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Nokia Surge review Some might say that this is the most un-Nokia-like Nokia device produced in quite some time (if not ever), but remember, this one was custom made for US consumers and AT&T’s audience |
The Daily Roundup: here’s what you might’ve missed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Brain Carpet microelectrodes could help translate thoughts into actions more effectively
Researchers at the University of Utah have developed a new, more precise way of placing microelectrodes on the surface of the brain to enable patients to turn thoughts into action. Led by Bradley Greger, a professor of bioengineering, the “Brain Carpet” as it’s called, represents a “modest advance” in techniques already in use. The Brain Carpet makes use of smaller microelectrodes, and also employs many more than are usually used. The method involves sawing off the skull of the patient, then placing 32 electrodes about 2mm apart on the surface of the brain. Though they’ve conducted tests on just a handful of patients — all epileptics — the technique, they believe could also be used to help people control their prosthetic limbs much more effectively. The electrodes allow detection of the electric signals in the brain which control arm and hand movements. In the tests, patients have successfully controlled a cursor on a computer screen following the operation, and they see applications for brain-machine interface devices in the future. There’s no word on when the Brain Carpet will move from the research to reality phase, but the group’s findings have just recently appeared in the journal Neurosurgical Focus.
Filed under: Science
Brain Carpet microelectrodes could help translate thoughts into actions more effectively originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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FCC queries AT&T, Apple on Google Voice iPhone app rejection
tweetmeme_url = ‘http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/31/fcc-now-inquiring-about-atandts-involvement-in-google-voices-iph/’; tweetmeme_source = ‘engadget’; digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/FCC_queries_AT_T_Apple_on_Google_Voice_iPhone_app_rejection’; Yeah, we’re pretty much all peeved by Apple suddenly ejecting all traces of Google Voice from the app store, but now it looks to have drawn the ire of the Federal Communications Commission, as well. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the agency has sent out three letters, one each to Apple, AT&T, and Google. To the latter company, it asked for a description of the Google Voice app and whether previous Google apps have been approved for the store (it has, but that’s another interesting story). To Cupertino, it’s asking the phone manufacturer to explain itself over the sudden exorcism and what involvement, if any, AT&T had in this decision. The report doesn’t make a direct indication of what the letter to the carrier said, but we can imagine it’s similar to what Apple got, plus some doodles at the end of a stick figure letting out an exasperated sigh. In a statement today, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said it “has a mission to foster a competitive wireless marketplace, protect and empower consumers, and promote innovation and investment.” Hey Julius, while you’re at it, can you see about Skype and Slingbox for us, too? Thanks.
Filed under: Cellphones
FCC queries AT&T, Apple on Google Voice iPhone app rejection originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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LEDSAUR Tyrannosaurus Rex desk lamp makes chewing through paperwork less monotonous
[Via CrunchGear]
Filed under: Household
LEDSAUR Tyrannosaurus Rex desk lamp makes chewing through paperwork less monotonous originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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PS3 manufacturing costs down 70 percent? Strange, it doesn’t feel that way
We understand that Sony has a long way to go in making up the losses it’s incurred by selling the PS3 at a loss — even if it was commanding the highest price in the industry the whole while — but if this latest word on manufacturing costs is correct, we’d say Sony has some room to get the console under that dastardly $400 mark. During an overseas call with investors over Sony’s Q1 financials, Nobuyuki Oneda, Sony’s CFO and Executive VP, apparently stated that manufacturing costs for the PS3 are down 70 percent, which is right “on schedule.” While there’s no official cost published by Sony, those in the know estimate the console originally cost around $800 to produce, and should be down to roughly $240 at this point. Maybe a holiday price cut is in the cards? Boy, we sure hope so. Either that, or he’s already spouting off the PS3 Slim’s production cost, which is a win for everybody.
[Via Joystiq]
Filed under: Gaming
PS3 manufacturing costs down 70 percent? Strange, it doesn’t feel that way originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Video: Arduino-based ‘insecure, egotistical’ robot band
Continue reading Video: Arduino-based ‘insecure, egotistical’ robot band
Filed under: Robots
Video: Arduino-based ‘insecure, egotistical’ robot band originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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In: Uncategorized
Movie Gadget Friday: Strange Days
Ariel Waldman contributes Movie Gadget Friday, where she highlights the lovable and lame gadgets from the world of cinema.
On our last episode of Movie Gadget Friday, we rode around the robotics-dependent world of Runaway. Traversing from robots-gone-wrong to “wire-tripping”-technology-junkies, this week jacks-in to the cyberpunk streets of LA in Strange Days. While lacking in computer gadgetry, there is no shortage of leather pants, grunge metal, huge cell phones and random rioting in this 1995 film. Keeping true to the times, we can’t get over how even the murderer commits crimes while managing to sport a fanny pack.
SQUID Receptor Rig
Short for Super-conducting Quantum Interference Device, the SQUID receptor rig consists of a two-part system: a lightweight, flexible mesh of electrodes and a recorder. The technology had originally been developed for the feds to replace body wires, but has since leaked onto the black market. The SQUID acts as a magnetic field measurement tool on a micro level. By placing the electrodes over your head and activating the recorder, your first-person audio-visual-sensory experience is recorded wirelessly, direct from the cerebral cortex onto a TDK 60-minute MiniDisc. The rig can also be hacked using a signal splitter and simstim attachment – allowing someone else to experience your experience in real-time. Optional accessories for the rig include a fanny pack for closely storing the recorder and various wigs for concealing your otherwise obvious surveillance of others.
Unfortunately, there appears to be no way to directly upload these recordings to the net, leaving room for inefficient, in-person, illegal “playback” dealings of MiniDiscs similar to buying and selling drugs. From sex to committing crimes, clients to the self-proclaimed “switchboard of souls” dealers are able to jack-in to a variety of illicit activities without leaving their home. More after the break.
Continue reading Movie Gadget Friday: Strange Days
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Movie Gadget Friday: Strange Days originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.