Samsung’s super slender Galaxy Tab 10.1 snacks on some Honeycomb (video)

Honestly, we were a little bit worried that Samsung’s rail-thin Galaxy Tab 10.1 was a mockup — you know, seeing as how Sammy never turned it on — but fast-forward to today and there’s a working model in Tinhte.vn‘s capable arms. Yes, the Vietnamese site that’s been leaking delicious Apple prototypes — not to mention the HP TouchPad’s SIM slot — found the 0.33-inch thin slate at an unnamed Samsung booth, powered it up, and proceeded to dive into the sticky-sweet mess of Android 3.0 and iPad 2 comparisons that such a discovery affords. You’ll find all that and some Angry Birds in the video immediately above.

[Thanks, Nate]

Samsung’s super slender Galaxy Tab 10.1 snacks on some Honeycomb (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 15:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kohler’s Numi $6,400 high-tech toilet does most of the dirty work for you (video)

We’ve seen some pretty fancy cans in our time, but perhaps none as tricked out as Kohler’s latest $6,400 john. The Numi does just about everything for you, aside from the stuff that, well, only you can do. Looking something akin to a fancy pop-top waste bin, Numi comes complete with a self-opening and closing lid so you never have to touch the toilet seat; a self-cleaning bidet with adjustable controls for temperature and water pressure; heating elements to keep your toes and tush toasty; an illuminated panel for nighttime rendezvous; a built-in speaker system that connects to a remote docking station to ensure only you know exactly what you’re doing in there; and a deodorizing element that sucks air from the bowl through a charcoal filter. Of course, no connected appliance would be complete without a touchscreen, and the Numi’s no exception; it has a touch panel remote that you can use to set to your specifications. Now, that’s what we call a porcelain throne. Check out the ridiculously lavish promo video after the break.

Continue reading Kohler’s Numi $6,400 high-tech toilet does most of the dirty work for you (video)

Kohler’s Numi $6,400 high-tech toilet does most of the dirty work for you (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 17:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink NY Times  |  sourceKohler  | Email this | Comments

RIM: PlayBook email client ‘very very soon,’ 3G model this summer

Lately, anything goes when a RIM CEO gets in front of the media. Fortunately, it was the other CEO, Jim Balsillie, talking to Bloomberg this time delivering a calm, cool rebuttal to all the lukewarm PlayBook reviews. His consumer defense is largely based upon the PlayBook’s ability to receive software updates (we received three in the brief time we had our review unit) throughout its lifetime. Jim, as you can imagine, preferred keeping the conversation focused on how the PlayBook is fully functional today when used in combination with a BlackBerry handset in business environments. Balsillie did seem to hint that the consumer experience could improve relatively quickly, saying, “We’ll have an over the air email client to announce very very soon. We have BlackBerry World — our user conference — in a couple weeks. Stay tuned for all capabilities we have coming out on this stuff.” See the man dance on the hotseat right after the break.

Continue reading RIM: PlayBook email client ‘very very soon,’ 3G model this summer

RIM: PlayBook email client ‘very very soon,’ 3G model this summer originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Magnetic fields shut down speech, permit love songs (video)

You already know the strange powers of Stephin Merritt, but today we’re talking about real magnetic fields. Powerful electromagnets, it turns out, can do remarkable things to the brain — in this case, prevent a volunteer from reciting “Humpty Dumpty.” The carefully directed magnets temporarily disrupt the brain’s speech centers; the volunteer can still sing the rhyme using different areas of the brain, but simply can’t overcome a series of stammers when trying to merely recite it. Of course, it’s not all mad scientist applications: the UK team experimenting with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) thinks it can help us understand and treat migraines (as we’ve seen before with the Migraine Zapper), depression, and ADHD, among other ailments. But improving physical well-being doesn’t make for nearly as entertaining media — see the British inflict some involuntary quiet time in the video above.

Magnetic fields shut down speech, permit love songs (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Physorg  |  sourceNew Scientist  | Email this | Comments

Archos flashes 7c Android tablet, brags about its 1.2GHz clock speed

After taking a breather from cranking out new tablets, Archos is at it again, this time with the Archos 7c Home Tablet, a 7-inch number that ARMdevices.net caught on camera during a visit to the company’s Chinese outpost. This slate packs a Cortex A8 processor and RK2918 chipset, which the rep quaintly says is “faster than any chipset you can find” — you know, owing to its 1.2GHz clock speed and all. Alas, it runs Android Gingerbread (2.3) and not Honeycomb (3.0), so you’ll have to do some hacking to get your Android Market fix. Although the 7c has a capacitive display, the woman leading the demo appears to jab at browser links with her finger — a throwback to some less-than-responsive resistive screens we’ve tested. On the bright side, 1080p video plays smoothly — at least in the few seconds before the camera pans away. The 7c is headed to the US and Europe in June for an unknown price, but for now you can head past the break to see it in action.

Continue reading Archos flashes 7c Android tablet, brags about its 1.2GHz clock speed

Archos flashes 7c Android tablet, brags about its 1.2GHz clock speed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Liliputing  |  sourceARMdevices.net  | Email this | Comments

Netflix for Xbox 360 updated with Kinect support, everybody wave!

The next time you hit the Netflix app on your Xbox 360 the update we heard about at CES will be waiting, bringing Kinect owners the ability to flick through their videos (like ESPN3 and Zune have since the peripheral launched) without digging a controller out of the couch cushions. After the 43Mb update downloads waving ones hand for the camera or saying Xbox will pull up the new menu seen above, which auto sorts selections for browsing by voice or gesture based on what it thinks you may want to watch next. Selecting “browse all” brings you right back to the standard menu and is probably the method most will want to stick with, however being able to pause the movie quickly during playback by simply saying Xbox, Pause (or FF, rewind, skip scene, etc.) is quite convenient. Not near your Xbox? Check out a brief video of it in action after the break.

[Thanks, George]

Continue reading Netflix for Xbox 360 updated with Kinect support, everybody wave!

Netflix for Xbox 360 updated with Kinect support, everybody wave! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMajor Nelson  | Email this | Comments

BlackBerry PlayBook review

The words “play” and “book” are a bit of an odd choice for RIM’s latest attempt at consumer relevance, a tablet that, at its core, runs one of the most hardcore and industry-friendly operating systems known to man. The OS is QNX and the hardware is, of course, the BlackBerry PlayBook. It’s an enterprise-friendly offering that’s also out to conquer the consumer tablet ecosphere, hoping to follow in the footsteps of the BlackBerry handsets that have filled the pockets of corporate executives and BBM addicts around the globe.

It’s something of a serious tablet when compared to the competition running software from Apple and Google and, while it certainly has games, its biggest strengths are rather more boring. It does a really great job at displaying PowerPoint presentations, for example, and has the security chops to keep last quarter’s dismal sales figures from falling into the wrong hands. Exciting stuff? No, but useful features for sure, and regardless of whether you find those intriguing or boring this is RIM’s seven-inch, Flash-having but 3G-lacking tablet clad in an unassuming but extremely sophisticated exterior. It’s what’s running behind the glass that disappoints.

Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook review

BlackBerry PlayBook review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft’s Kinect navigates the universe thanks to Windows SDK (video)


Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope — a collaboration with NASA that explores high-resolution photos and 3D renders of the cosmos — was already pretty cool, but Redmond upped the ante to incredible with the addition of a Kinect depth camera at MIX 11. Using a piece of software created with the company’s upcoming Kinect SDK for Windows, Microsoft gave us a virtual tour of Earth and the surrounding stars, guided by a deep-voiced narrator holding the whole world in his hands. Of course, you’d already know that if you watched the video above, so what are you waiting for? Oh, and we’ve got more MIX video on the way, so stay tuned.

Myriam Joire contributed to this report.

Microsoft’s Kinect navigates the universe thanks to Windows SDK (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM’s BlackBerry Torch 9860 makes blurry video debut

BlackBerry Torch 9860

Storm 3? Torch 9860? Touch 9860? Monza? Monaco? The latest all-touchscreen BlackBerry has more names than RIM has leaks, as evidenced by this hands-on video out of Thailand. We’re not sure what the handler’s impressions are of the, as yet, unannounced device (but if you speak Thai, please, feel free to enlighten us in the comments). It seems that 1.2GHz Snapdragon delivers some snappy performance, at least. It’s tough to tell, thanks to predictably out of focus camera work, but it also appears that the Torch 9860 (we’re sticking with that for now) is using Comic Sans. We hope that’s not by default. Vid’s after the break, per usual.

Update: A reader pointed us to another video (after the break) of the Torch 9860 in action. Nothing new to reveal, but the quality is much better — and not a trace of Comic Sans in sight!

[Thanks, Khalifa]

Continue reading RIM’s BlackBerry Torch 9860 makes blurry video debut

RIM’s BlackBerry Torch 9860 makes blurry video debut originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CrackBerry  |  sourceYouTube (artxenonart)  | Email this | Comments

FRIDA ‘concept’ robot will solve all of Foxconn’s problems by replacing its workers (video)

Don’t be fooled by the “concept” label that ABB has affixed to its new robot. There can be only one logical conclusion to this endeavor: FRIDA and its ilk will one day replace the millions of young Chinese workers assembling our gadgets. It’s no coincidence that this uniquely agile, dual-arm robot is compact enough to “fit into spaces ergonomically designed for human workers” and can be carried around “easily” to begin work with a minimum of installation requirements. In fact, ABB admits that several prototypes are already being piloted. The obvious advantage for Foxconn and friends is that FRIDA doesn’t require a swimming pool, cafeteria, housing, or professional counseling to keep out of the dormitory nets. Watch FRIDA obey the first law of robotics at the 44 second mark of the video posted after the break as assembly line workers everywhere lament their lack of a handle.

[Thanks, Johannes]

Continue reading FRIDA ‘concept’ robot will solve all of Foxconn’s problems by replacing its workers (video)

FRIDA ‘concept’ robot will solve all of Foxconn’s problems by replacing its workers (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 11:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beta 1 for webOS 3.0 leaks, lets you touch the TouchPad a little early (video)

Beta 1 for webOS 3.0 leaks, lets you touch the TouchPad a little early (video)

You don’t have to be a coder to appreciate the wonders that a software development kit can contain, especially when there’s a nice emulator tucked in there to give an early taste of things to come. That’s exactly what can be found within the webOS 3.0 SDK, and that SDK is exactly what’s been leaked to the world, giving anyone who wants it the ability to play with the OS that’ll make the HP TouchPad tick. PreCentral.net took the emulator within for a heck of a test drive, providing a lengthy textual overview of everything from keyboards to calendars, along with the video that’s embedded below. Sure, clicking and dragging in an early emulator isn’t nearly as much fun as tapping and swiping on some beautiful hardware, but it sure does cut down on the smudgy fingerprints. It’s cheaper, too.

Continue reading Beta 1 for webOS 3.0 leaks, lets you touch the TouchPad a little early (video)

Beta 1 for webOS 3.0 leaks, lets you touch the TouchPad a little early (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcePreCentral.net  | Email this | Comments

Intel Thunderbolt dev kits coming this quarter, hopefully ushering in more 10Gbps-capable devices

Intel has just announced it will soon be making development kits available for its new Thunderbolt interconnect. The cable that can carry 10Gbps (in both directions!) has so far only seen itself installed in Apple’s MacBook Pro computers, but storage and other peripheral manufacturers are starting to unveil their lightning-scorched offerings this week at NAB and this announcement is sure to give Thunderbolt an extra spur of momentum. What’s going to be intriguing going forward is to see whether manufacturers take it up instead of USB 3.0 or install the DisplayPort lookalike alongside the latest and greatest from the USB camp. If you ask us, we can never have enough high-speed interconnects… how does SuperSpeed Thunderbolt sound?

Continue reading Intel Thunderbolt dev kits coming this quarter, hopefully ushering in more 10Gbps-capable devices

Intel Thunderbolt dev kits coming this quarter, hopefully ushering in more 10Gbps-capable devices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 04:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceIDG News (PCWorld)  | Email this | Comments

Updated MeeGo interface gets shown off on Atom Z670-based reference tablet

Well, here’s something of a surprise. Not only has Netbook News managed to get its hands on a reference tablet based on Intel’s brand new Atom Z670 processor at IDF Beijing, but one running a new version of MeeGo with a spiffed-up UI. As you can see above and in the video after the break, it looks to be a marked improvement over the tablet interface that was just shown off at Mobile World Congress in February, with it offering both a more refined appearance and what appears to be a more intuitive navigation system. Like what you see? Then you’ll likely be seeing even more of it shortly — there’s a “MeeGo Day” planned for April 14th.

Continue reading Updated MeeGo interface gets shown off on Atom Z670-based reference tablet

Updated MeeGo interface gets shown off on Atom Z670-based reference tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNetbook News  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft pushes out preview build of Internet Explorer 10 (update: Windows on ARM!)

Happy with your shiny new copy of Internet Explorer 9? It’s already out of date — Microsoft just announced Internet Explorer 10 at its MIX developer conference in Las Vegas, and if you’re running Windows you can grab a spoon right now and sample an early taste. You can download the new Platform Preview right now at Microsoft’s Test Drive site and see where the company’s going with this early iteration, which adds support for additional web standards like CSS Gradients and CSS3 Flexible Box Layout. According to the press release, a gentleman named Dean Hachamovitch just revealed the new browser on the MIX stage, but we’re actually watching him speak right now, and… he’s not quite there yet. We’ll let you know what he says.

Update: Video after the break!

Update 2: Dean and Steven Sinofsky (president of the Windows division) are indeed showing it off on stage, but they’re just performing the same Test Drive tests you could run at home — go on, you know you want to dip your toe in that HTML5 fishbowl.

Update 3: Oh, Dean, you’re such a tease — that copy of IE10 (and by association, Windows) was running on a 1GHz ARM chip! Yes, Windows on ARM — photographic evidence after the break.

Update 4: NVIDIA just tweeted that the mysterious ARM chip is in fact a Tegra 2 processor.

Continue reading Microsoft pushes out preview build of Internet Explorer 10 (update: Windows on ARM!)

Microsoft pushes out preview build of Internet Explorer 10 (update: Windows on ARM!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMicrosoft, @NvidiaOptimus (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments

LG shows off 47-inch transparent IPS LCD with multitouch and Full HD resolution (video)

Where Samsung leads, LG inevitably follows (and vice versa, of course). The Korean electronic arms race has now heated up by an extra few degrees with LG’s demo of a crazy new 47-inch display that packs in everything a geek could want: IPS technology, 1080p resolution, multitouch, and some good old transparency… just because. This so-called Window Display is sadly intended for advertisers and other digital signage proprietors, meaning that even if it wasn’t still at the concept stage, it likely wouldn’t be populating living rooms anyway. Ah well, so long as LG makes sure John Anderton and the precrime unit get one, we’ll be happy. Video for the rest of us after the break.

Continue reading LG shows off 47-inch transparent IPS LCD with multitouch and Full HD resolution (video)

LG shows off 47-inch transparent IPS LCD with multitouch and Full HD resolution (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 03:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceOLED-Display.net  | Email this | Comments

Google snags PushLife, will probably use it to push music to your Android phone

At last year’s Google I/O we were tantalizingly teased with the idea of music streaming to our mobile devices. Since then, there have been hints and leaks, but nothing official from Google on when or how this new service would be rolled out. Well, now we can add a big piece to that puzzle with the news that Google has acquired mobile entertainment company PushLife, which has been developing a music app of its own for the Android and BlackBerry platforms. PushLife offers one-click purchases from an integrated music store, an overview of tunes you have both on your smartphone and on your computer (with the ability to access both sets on the phone), and automatic playlist syncing with iTunes or Windows Media Player libraries. There’s even more fanciness, such as recommendations based on the song you’re playing, artists bios and photo galleries, plus the inevitable Twitter and Facebook integration. The Canadian startup is believed to have cashed in to the tune of $25 million and will soon be shutting down its independent operations. Also soon: Google I/O 2011. Hint, hint, Google! Demo video after the break.

Continue reading Google snags PushLife, will probably use it to push music to your Android phone

Google snags PushLife, will probably use it to push music to your Android phone originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 16:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink StartupNorth, TechVibes, All Things D  |  sourcePushLife  | Email this | Comments