Grid10 review

Grid10 review

Second chances aren’t always easy to come by, and when Fusion Garage disappeared off the map following the unabashed failure of the JooJoo tablet, we certainly didn’t expect those doors would be opening again. But open they did, swinging wide as the company treated itself to a product launch of the sort usually reserved for big-named companies with big-named devices.

This time it’s the Grid10 tablet, a $299, 16GB, 10.1-inch slate that plays nice with Android while simultaneously thumbing its nose at the OS Google built, instead relying on the completely custom-built GridOS. This new challenger can run Android apps despite not actually running Android itself, purporting to give users another, better choice of armament in these tablet wars. Is it truly better, or is it just different? The answer is waiting for you just after the break.

Continue reading Grid10 review

Grid10 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Jobs in his own words

I’ll always stay connected with Apple. I hope that throughout my life I’ll sort of have the thread of my life and the thread of Apple weave in and out of each other, like a tapestry. There may be a few years when I’m not there, but I’ll always come back

— Steve Jobs, 1985

That’s a quote from a Playboy interview Steve Jobs gave back in 1985. February of 1985, to be specific, right before Steve would be ousted from the company that he co-founded with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976. Apple of course famously grew out of a garage, the brains of Woz, the drive of Jobs building the company over the next nine years into a powerhouse in the burgeoning home computer market.

Join us for a look back at the life of Steve Jobs.

Continue reading Steve Jobs in his own words

Steve Jobs in his own words originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android on HP TouchPad: yes, there’s an app for that (video)

TouchPad firesale hysteria may have finally died down, but those of you with newly acquired HP slates should pay attention. A poster by the name of Chomper has uploaded a walkthrough of Android running atop webOS. Yes, you may have seen that particular feat before, but this time ’round the appropriated Google OS gets the emulated treatment. The mobile platform, installed via an .ipk, is accessible as an app and appears to run somewhat smoothly, although certain tics become noticeable when switching between homescreens or attempting to playback YouTube video. Audio and multi-touch have both yet to be successfully implemented in this rogue use of Android, and there’s also a pesky power off issue that requires a hard reset of the system. Still, it’s good to see the dev community doing what it does best, and inching us ever closer to a Rubin afterlife on HP’s deceased tab. Skip past the break for a silent video tour.

Continue reading Android on HP TouchPad: yes, there’s an app for that (video)

Android on HP TouchPad: yes, there’s an app for that (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AndroidCentral  |  sourcePreCentral  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft reveals new TV providers including Verizon and Comcast coming to Xbox 360 (video)

Just as the rumors indicated, Microsoft is bringing video from a number of providers beyond the ones it initially announced to the Xbox 360 in its fall update, including big guns like Verizon and Comcast. While Verizon is promising “a selection” of its live TV channels on the Xbox 360 as expected, Comcast is only bringing its Xfinity TV video on-demand offerings (no AnyPlay powered live TV — yet) to subscribers when it launches “in the coming months.” Other notable providers include Lovefilm (UK, Germany), BBC TV (UK), HBO Go, and Syfy. As promised during E3, the services integrated with Xbox will offer support for search across all available video, as well as support for Kinect voice and gesture controls. The universal search is looking good since it pulls together various services into one UI (as we discussed on our podcast yesterday), but the reality is content providers and geographical limits on what services you can pick from are still throwing up walls between users and content. Check after the break for PR detailing what you’ll be able to access and where, as well as a video intro to all the tasty new TV services.

Continue reading Microsoft reveals new TV providers including Verizon and Comcast coming to Xbox 360 (video)

Microsoft reveals new TV providers including Verizon and Comcast coming to Xbox 360 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Major Nelson  |  sourceMicrosoft Technet, Verizon, Comcast, MS PR  | Email this | Comments

Samsung teases next week’s ‘Unpacked,’ offers a momentary glance at a mysterious device

See that image above? It’s Samsung’s way of being sly. The company put out a teaser video for its “Google Episode” of Unpacked occurring on October 11th (we’ll be there live, by the way), stating that “something BIG is coming.” And if you’re not looking close enough, you may completely miss the brief glimpse it gave us of a device with a curved screen. The vid doesn’t go so far as to loudly exclaim that this mystery device is the Nexus Prime, of course, but c’mon — we’re picking up what Sammy’s putting down. Check out the video below to do some sleuthing of your own.

Update: Samsung amended the end of the video to add the words “Ahead of the curve.” Discuss.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Samsung teases next week’s ‘Unpacked,’ offers a momentary glance at a mysterious device

Samsung teases next week’s ‘Unpacked,’ offers a momentary glance at a mysterious device originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iCub crawls closer toward the Robopocalypse (video)

Another day, another augur of doom for humanity — iCub has been spotted in the wilds of the IROS Expo in San Francisco. The cute (in a Demon Seed sorta way) robot is designed to replicate the trial-and-error learning process of a three year-old. We’ve already seen it learning how to speak and shoot arrows, and now it wants to show off it’s… erm, recently improved crawling abilities. Head down after the break and you can see it slowly navigating the dangerous carpets of the convention floor. That’s iCub, SkyNET drones, Cyborg Rats and Robotic Bulls all in the last month. Does anyone else think the Robopocalpyse will hit before Christmas?

Continue reading iCub crawls closer toward the Robopocalypse (video)

iCub crawls closer toward the Robopocalypse (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Door Edge Protector

I hope this becomes available for all vehicles soon. I can’t believe how inconsiderate and unaware people are when getting in and out of their vehicles. Great for the kids too!



Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update video leaks, tours Metro in silence




Last month, we sat down with Microsoft for a quick look at the Xbox’s upcoming Dashboard update — it was sleek, searchable, and extremely camera shy. A quick trip to Europe seems to have cured it of its bashful ways, however, and the budding update can now be seen in a slightly blurry piece of French cinema. This leaked video shows a Dashboard with a smidge more polish than the demo we saw in September, and silently plods on without so much as a bleep or bloop. Our mute host briefly peeks at the Xbox Live Marketplace, casually glances at the Bing search page and scrolls leisurely through the new Dash’s very Metro menu. The whole shebang is en français, of course, and the update's snappy voice-control gimmick is sadly absent. Sure, there's not a lot of depth here, but if you want a glimpse of what's coming when the update drops later this Fall, it's definitely worth a look.

[Thanks, John]

Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update video leaks, tours Metro in silence originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 02:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink IGN  |  sourceivazquez71 (YouTube)  | Email this | Comments

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet review

When Lenovo announced a pair of Android tablets this summer, we didn’t even pretend it was the IdeaPad K1 we were most jazzed about. Sure, it was exciting to see Lenovo enter the Android tablet market on any terms, but it was the ThinkPad Tablet that set our curious minds rolling. There was the design, for one — an obvious homage to those black, red-nubbed laptops with the same name. It has personality, one that’s inextricably tied to Lenovo’s laptop know-how. It offers a full-sized USB port, an SD slot, 1080p output, a 3G SIM and a slew of accessories that includes a dock, pen and keyboard folio case. It’s the kind of tablet we don’t review all that often: one that might actually make for some painless productivity on the road.

As you can imagine, we’ve been waiting months to learn more, and if your tweets, comments and emails are any indication, so have you. Well, wait no more, friends. We’ve been spending almost a week with one and have oh-so much to say. So what are you waiting for? Meet us past the break, won’t you?

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet review

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation is coming to Blu-ray, starting in 2012 (video)

It’s official, Star Trek: The Next Generation will follow the lead of the original series and be released in remastered HD form next year. The official site reveals 2012 will actually see two TNG releases on Blu-ray in honor of its 25th anniversary. A single disc preview package consisting of the pilot Encounter at Farpoint, and episodes Sins of the Father and The Inner Light called The Next Level arrives first in January with a $21.99 MSRP, followed by season one later in the year and subsequent seasons after that. All 178 episodes will get the treatment, converted to 1080p with 7.1 DTS Master Audio sound. This is being done by returning to the original film negatives and then recreating the special effects instead of converting them from videotape. Can’t wait until then? Check after the break for a (very) quick teaser trailer, or watch the eps in SD one more time on Amazon or Netflix.

Continue reading Star Trek: The Next Generation is coming to Blu-ray, starting in 2012 (video)

Star Trek: The Next Generation is coming to Blu-ray, starting in 2012 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Blu-ray.com  |  sourceStarTrek.com  | Email this | Comments

Ice Cream Sandwich gets a two-minute tour, courtesy of a lucky eBay shopper (video)

The one Android update to rule them all — better known as Ice Cream Sandwich — is penciled in for an official launch sometime in the next two months, so it’s only natural for some shots to leak out. We just weren’t expecting a two-minute video showing off a few of the new features. As the story goes, a lucky gent ordered a Samsung Nexus S on eBay and, upon its arrival, noticed that his new prized possession looked a little… different. Hopping over to the About screen, he was shocked to discover that the device was running ICS. The firmware appears to be operating on the same baseband as the screenshots leaked a few weeks ago, but it’s running on an updated build (IRK48) and kernel (3.0.1).

We can see plenty of influence from both Gingerbread and Honeycomb here, as well as four shortcuts on the bottom (a definite bump from the two found on vanilla 2.3). There’s a new Google Apps icon which opens up a tray containing a number of featured services put out by the search giant, and long-pressing the home button brings up a vertical Honeycomb-style multitasking menu. The notification bar, camera UI and other menus also have a much different look. Granted, all of this could just be a custom ROM built to emulate the latest Google dessert, so we can’t be a full hundred percent certain that it’s authentic. If it’s not, at least we can give credit for it being incredibly elaborate. Enjoy the video and additional screenshot below.

[Thanks, anonymous]

Update: Our anonymous tipster has confirmed to us that shortly after we posted this video, his Nexus S was remotely locked and wiped. You can follow the entire saga over at this XDA Developers thread.

Continue reading Ice Cream Sandwich gets a two-minute tour, courtesy of a lucky eBay shopper (video)

Ice Cream Sandwich gets a two-minute tour, courtesy of a lucky eBay shopper (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rover App-Controlled Spy Tank gives your cats another reason to hate your iPad (video)

If the only thing standing between you and the purchase of an iPad is the existence of a large, remote controlled spy tank, we’ve got some rough news for your bank account. Brookstone is offering up the Rover App-Controlled Spy Tank, an iPad / iPhone / iPod touch-controlled toy tank that can capture audio and video and send it back to your iOS device. The tank can be controlled at distances of up to 200 feet and works around walls. The app is available as a free download and the tank will run you $150. That price includes six AA batteries, but apparently won’t cover therapy for distressed house pets.

Continue reading Rover App-Controlled Spy Tank gives your cats another reason to hate your iPad (video)

Rover App-Controlled Spy Tank gives your cats another reason to hate your iPad (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scientists reconstruct images from our brains, plan to do the same for dreams (video)

This is your brain. And now this is your brain on YouTube. By using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) software, researchers at UC Berkeley created a visual representation of what our brains see when we watch a TV or movie. It works as such: scientists show subjects random clips and measure the corresponding cerebral activity. After the computer “learns” what vids evoke what brain activity, scientists feed 18 million seconds of random YouTube videos into the computer program where it reconstructs a movie representation of neural happenings based on the hundred clips most similar to what it sees. Although the method currently only works with images actually viewed, the future goal is to recreate what people see in their dreams and memories — which could give doctors major insight to the minds of the mentally impaired, stroke victims or those with neurological disorders. Inception in real life isn’t exactly around the corner, but the implications of this new technology are pretty mind-blowing. See for yourself in the video after the break — no totem required.

Continue reading Scientists reconstruct images from our brains, plan to do the same for dreams (video)

Scientists reconstruct images from our brains, plan to do the same for dreams (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 03:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Card.io launches visual credit card scanner on Android, shares the mobile payment love

Already in use on iOS, Card.io offers a lightweight alternative to Google Wallet, using your phone’s camera to glean payment details; and it’s now winging its way to your Android phone. It may not have that phone-tapping appeal of Google’s contactless payment system, but the app SDK (available now) skips the laborious process of entering your details number-by-number, booting up your camera and delivering your precious banking details to third-party merchants. You can check the video after the break for a (really brief) walkthrough, or click on the source below to give the Android demo a go.

Continue reading Card.io launches visual credit card scanner on Android, shares the mobile payment love

Card.io launches visual credit card scanner on Android, shares the mobile payment love originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 23:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink GigaOm  |  sourceCard.io, Android Market  | Email this | Comments

Facebook outs Timeline, gives your profile page a new outfit (video)

Well, Mark’s just unveiled Facebook’s new look at his f8 keynote, and he’s calling it Timeline. The idea is to make it easier to see events, pics and posts from your past by placing a, surprise surprise, timeline on the right edge of your profile page that breaks down your content by year and month. It’s a much more visual experience than Facebook’s previous incarnation, and Timeline Views allow you to filter the content by photos, locations (courtesy of Bing maps integration) and much more. You can also add apps, “likes”, and all of your other content in neatly organized panes on your profile page to let you “tell the story of your life” in the way you want to — including the ability to go back and add stuff to your timeline after the fact, no flux capacitor required. Timeline’s going live in beta immediately for some, and a broader roll-out will be happening over the next few weeks. Get ready people, Facebook’s future is here.

Update: Facebook’s Timeline promo vid is now embedded after the break.

Continue reading Facebook outs Timeline, gives your profile page a new outfit (video)

Facebook outs Timeline, gives your profile page a new outfit (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 8 ditches ’80s BIOS boot for streamline UEFI

Every time we reboot our computers, that scrolling code takes us right back to the days of War Games and Tab. Bringing us into the 21st century, Microsoft has decided to ditch the old boot by beautifying the whole experience with a graphical menu. Windows 8 will shift from the standard fugly BIOS system to a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) — giving users a high resolution logo and a graphical menu to gaze upon while powering up their PC. Besides just looking better, the menu lets you boot to a different disc, OS or USB drive using pretty pictures and words as prompts. If you’re into a little self-inflicted eye torture, you can always pull up the command prompt menu from nightmares past. Check out the throwback video tribute to the computers of yesteryear after the break.

Update: Just to clarify, Microsoft isn’t actually building flashing mobos, but it’s pushing towards UEFI to achieve “significantly richer capabilities” while booting.

Update: Microsoft isn’t actually building flashing mobos, but it’s using its considerable industry weight to push manufacturers towards UEFI to achieve “significantly richer capabilities” while booting.

Continue reading Windows 8 ditches ’80s BIOS boot for streamline UEFI

Windows 8 ditches ’80s BIOS boot for streamline UEFI originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo  |  sourceMSDN  | Email this | Comments