Reality Bites
Sony has released another awesome action shot from Marc Webb's new Spider-Man reboot — which is now called The Amazing Spider-Man. Check out our first official look at the new Spider-Man mask! More »
Google Chrome: We’re visual creatures, and sifting through an entire inbox organized only by text isn’t exactly pretty. Chrome extension SocialGmail adds contact thumbnails to your inbox, so you can more easily recognize who that new message is from. More »
However, even the WoW quest wasn’t as stupid as this:
Link (YouTube) |
I realize that certain compromises are made for dramatic effect, but the very idea of examining the reflection in a person’s eye, in a photograph taken from an overhead angle, on a security camera… sigh. It would have been less immersion-breaking if they just resorted to elven magic to find the killer.
Link (YouTube) |
So, a couple of detectives are surfing the internet on their mouse-less large-screen TV, when one of them realizes the website they’re looking at is being updated live. They decide they need the IP for this website. Or for someone who is updating the website. I’m not sure they know themselves. And then one of them says, “I’ll make a GUI interface using Visual Basic, see if i can track an IP Address out of this.”
Here is a cool project:
Try to list everything wrong with that conversation. It’s hard. Josh and I worked on it for a minute or two, and we were still coming up with new, ridiculous things to point out. There is so much wrongness packed in here it’s actually sort of daunting.
Of course, if she was really doing what she said she was doing, it would look like this:
Link (YouTube) |
Hello? CSI? Yes, I’d like to report a crime. You see, apparently someone is stealing money from CBS. I don’t know what they look like, but I know they’re posing as a writer on a procedural crime drama. They’re writing hilarious gibberish and then making off with a paycheck at the end of the week. Catch them? No! I don’t want you to catch them. I want you to put me in contact with them. I’ve been writing stuff that’s coherent for a few years now, and I have to say it’s a lot more work and way less profitable. If you could hook me up with a job writing asspull fiction, I would really appreciate it.
You may remember back at Computex we caught a very quick look at Intel’s MeeGo for tablets. Well, Intel’s landed at MWC with that very same tablet user interface, except it has done a bit of work to the underlying software and it’s finally ready to start letting the press play around with it. If you were to closely compare the design of the UI or what Intel is calling its “tablet user experience” to the one we saw back in June, you probably wouldn’t notice much of a difference in terms of aesthetics, and that’s because most of the work Intel’s been doing has been to the code and framework — it shifted it away from C++ and moved it over to QML, which is part of the Qt language. The brunt of the experience and the individual apps (we’ll get to those, or the lack there of soon) are all built on QML, which Intel’s Mike Richmond promises will enable lots of neat UI elements. So yes, Intel’s done some important retooling on the technical and software end of things, but unfortunately, that doesn’t mean the interface is anywhere close to done yet. We got a look at the software running on an Atom-powered ExoPC, so hit the break to find out just what we are talking about.
Continue reading Intel shows off more of its MeeGo Tablet UI, still needs lots of work
Intel shows off more of its MeeGo Tablet UI, still needs lots of work originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 06:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We’ve just gotten back from playing around with LG’s 8.9-inch, 3D-friendly Optimus Pad (known as the G-Slate in the US). This Android Honeycomb tablets sports a dual-core CPU inside and a dual-camera array outside, giving you both the optical and processing capabilities to produce 3D video. Its screen cannot actually play back glasses-free 3D, but if you really have to have that third dimension on the move, you’ll be able to buy a set of glasses to recreate the effect. The Optimus Pad is slim, though we couldn’t get a great feel for its ergonomics with all the wiring attached to it, has nicely curved corners, a matte black back cover that’s pleasant to the touch and seemingly durable, and an extremely glossy screen up front.
We likened the Pad to the Optimus 2X in an earlier post and it carries over a lot of industrial design elements from its smartphone sibling, including the metallic strip down the middle of its rear branded with a “with Google” logo. That’s actually meaningful this time — the Optimus 2X wasn’t a stock Android installation, it was subjected to LG’s (not entirely successful tweaks), however the Pad looks to be a straight Google Experience Device, in much the same vein as the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, its nearest and most direct competitors. That being said, the code on the device we handled still wasn’t up to scratch on the software front, as evidenced by us managing to crash both the browser and Google Maps within a few minutes of putting down our first fingerprints on the tablet. The 3D camcorder also seems like a memory hog, we weren’t able to get it started up initially because of the number of apps that were already open (which at the time was no more than four). Let’s remain optimistic, though, this wasn’t exactly a slate we snatched off a retail shelf and LG has time to optimize and spruce things up before shipping this thing out. We’ve got pictures for you below and a press release after the break. Video is incoming at the very fastest speed our wireless connection can carry it.
Update: Video is now in, get to the ogling!
Gallery: LG Optimus Pad first hands-on!
Continue reading LG Optimus Pad first hands-on! (video)
LG Optimus Pad first hands-on! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 05:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Motorola just went official with its WiFi-only Xoom headed to Europe along side its 3G and WiFi cousin in the second quarter of 2011. Besides that little detail, it’s still the original 10.1-inch Honeycomb tablet built upon a dual-core 1GHz processor and 1280 x 800 pixel resolution display. Oh, and look at what we spotted here in Barcelona. Yup, a Xoom decked out in silver just for your viewing pleasure in the gallery below.
Gallery: Motorola Xoom in silver at MWC 2011
Motorola Xoom gets Q2 European launch, WiFi-only and silver models now extra official originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 05:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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While we’re probably still years or decades away from getting our very own animatronic clones, Google’s released the next best thing for the time being. Available on the Android Market is this Androidify app, which, as the name says for itself, lets us mere mortals craft our Android mascot lookalikes. Hell, you can even slap on some facial hair or a baby droid while you’re at it. We’ll say no more — see the app in action after the break, if you’re not already busy dishing out your new avatar across the web.
Continue reading Google’s Androidify app lets you create your very own bot avatar (video)
Google’s Androidify app lets you create your very own bot avatar (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 02:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google’s been notoriously tight-lipped about when Honeycomb will come to cellular handsets, but we may have gotten our answer at a recent Adobe event, as the company’s Anup Murarka tells us Flash 10.2 will be coming to both tablets and smartphones “in the next few weeks.” Come again? You see, Adobe Flash 10.2 uses fewer CPU cycles to play back web video, likely providing better battery life in Android devices (and BlackBerry tablets), but Adobe told us it can’t support the function in earlier versions of the Android OS — Google had to specifically add new capabilities in Honeycomb to let Flash 10.2 take full advantage of hardware. In short, if Flash 10.2 requires Android 3.0 and Flash 10.2 is headed to phones soon, the transitive property of equality suggests that Android 3.0 will soon appear on smartphones as well. Our algebra teacher would be so proud.
In related news, both Flash and Adobe AIR seem to be doing quite well in the mobile arena thus far, as Adobe reports that that AIR is presently in over 84 million smartphones and tablets — with over 200 million such devices ready for the cross-platform apps by the end of the year — and Flash has shipped on 20 million devices across 35 different models (twelve percent of all smartphones, says Adobe) with 50 new Flash-ready tablets scheduled to appear in 2011. PR after the break.
Adobe says Flash 10.2 coming to handsets soon, offers roundabout confirmation of Honeycomb for smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Twitter user Terrordome noticed an amusing sight in New York City outside of Hasbro's Toy Fair gala — the Optimus Prime rig parked outside had received a ticket. Even robots in disguise are not exempt from the rules of the road. More »
BlackBerry may be the go-to enterprise smartphone platform, but Samsung is positioning its newly unveiled Galaxy S II as new contenders for the crown. To get there, Samsung’s working with Sybase to bring far more advanced security to the handsets than stock Android offers, including control of individual applications and ports and also allowing for remote administration — including admin-pushed app updates. Samsung also talked up the phone’s Exchange compatibility and, with help from Cisco, the phone offers WebEx compatibility, VPN support, and VOIP calling. Know what this means? Your next corporate phone just got a lot more interesting.
Continue reading Samsung working with Sybase and Cisco to make Galaxy S II enterprise-friendly
Samsung working with Sybase and Cisco to make Galaxy S II enterprise-friendly originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 17:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We’ve spent extensive time with our prototype of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, but how’s it feel to use the real, near-finished model? Quite a bit better, actually. The phone looks identical, to be sure, but the hinge is much sturdier. The speaker quality has gone up, too, although in the crowded room it was much too noisy to really make a solid judgment call there. The screen attracts fingerprints like no other, but it’s basically on par with other Xperia models. Its skinned Android Gingerbread UI was snappier, to be sure, and the customizations obviously a lot more complete, but really our biggest concern here was the games. (Check out our Pro, Neo, and Arc previews for more thoughts on the interface.)
We were able to play three titles: Star Battalion, FIFA, and Asphalt. All were found via the applications pane amongst all the other software, but they were also highlighted by the eponymous Xperia Play app. (There was additionally the infamous PlayStation Pocket app, but more on that later.) The former title, very much a StarFox ripoff, had tight controlling via both the gamepad and optional accelerometer option. The trackpads wasn’t supported, however, but when we swapped over to FIFA, we found the left “pad” could be used for moving the player. Though definitely usable, it felt rough under our thumbs and we couldn’t smoothly slide about as we would with an analog nub. It is large enough to do varying degrees of a direction like an analog stick, but you won’t really be fine-tuning your shot so much. The indents work really well to help gauge your thumbs’ position without having to look down. Both titles took quite a while to load, crashing a few times in the process; we were told multiple times this was largely due to early software. Multiplayer was not an option at the show, but we did make it through Asphalt far enough to notice it was being run still by Gameloft and not via Sony servers. As for Xperia Play (the app), we couldn’t help but notice the Get More Games section, no matter how simple, does a much better job at highlighting individual games than the Android Market currently does.
The PlayStation Pocket app on most demo units was as barren as our own model, but we found at least one running Crash Bandicoot for PS One (the “legendary pre-installed title,” as referenced in the press conference) at a smooth 60 frames per second. To compensate for only two L and R triggers, the settings menu offers six different button layouts where you can use the trackpads as secondary shoulder buttons (which prevents their use as analog nub replacements) or have L2 / R2 on screen virtually. Thankfully, jumping out of the app saves the game’s state, and you can return by clicking on the app. An additional confirmation screen confirms you’re really ready to play, which though we can see being a nuisance to some, will be welcome to others who often mis-click. The rep told us no multiplayer, but still you can toggle between the game pad being seen as controller one or two. We also heard that the PS One library will likely be rolled out on a weekly basis and not be available all at once.
What we needed to convince us of the Xperia Play’s viability as a game platform was the games itself, and we will say that Sony and SE are doing well to assuage our concerns there. The form factor is still sleek despite the slide-out gamepad, which feels great to use. The initial PlayStation Suite launch line up is… promising, but we hesitate to give it higher marks without more flagship original titles. What it’ll take to attract more developers is a larger reach for the platform, which ironically will take more PlayStation Certified devices — and as for when that’ll happen, no one’s saying yet. We’ll have hands-on video of the Xperia Play later tonight; meanwhile, find hands-on pictures of the phone (and dock!) in the gallery below!
Update: Fleshed out impressions, and video after the break!
Gallery: Xperia Play MWC 2011 hands-on!
Continue reading Sony Ericsson Xperia Play MWC 2011 hands-on! (updated with video)
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play MWC 2011 hands-on! (updated with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 15:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Subliminal messages work everytime…
(Thanks, Jeaux Janovsky, via 9gag.com)
Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation |
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Post tags: Tangled
Update: Official image of the latest concept is now pictured above.
Nokia hints we’ll see first Windows Phone 7 device this year originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 12:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Geez, it’s been a long weekend of almost incessant Galaxy Tab II teasing, but the time has come: Samsung’s finally releasing the official details of its 10.1-inch, Android Honeycomb tablet to the world. Contrary to the leaks, the tablet is called the Galaxy Tab 10.1 — grabbing its moniker from the screen size, obviously — and like the rest of the upcoming Android 3.0 tablets it’s powered by a dual-core Tegra 2 processor, will be available with 16GB or 32GB of storage, and has a front-facing 2 megapixel camera as well as a 8 megapixel imager around back. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, but we’ve got the nitty-gritty too — find specs, full impressions and even some video of the slate in action after the break! Oh, and don’t forget to stop by the galleries below to see the new Tab 10.1 up close and then face off with Sammy’s original Tab, not to mention the Apple iPad.
Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 hands-on
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 official: Tegra 2, Honeycomb, dual cameras (hands-on with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 12:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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One of the worst-kept secrets of MWC this year — the Galaxy S II — is finally official, and we’d say it definitely lives up to its name as a proper successor to the original Galaxy S that lit the Android marketplace on fire last year. Major (and largely expected) features include a 4.27-inch 800 x 480 Super AMOLED Plus display, an 8 megapixel primary camera with 1080p video capture accompanied by a 2 megapixel cam up front, Gingerbread with TouchWiz 4.0, integrated NFC support (on some versions), and a shell measuring just 8.49mm thick, making it likely the thinnest smartphone ever to roll off an assembly line — in fact, it’s over 0.2mm slimmer than the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc’s thinnest point. The biggest news here, though, might be that Sammy’s going with an NVIDIA Tegra 2 core — the same as the LG Optimus 2X, Motorola Atrix 4G, and Droid Bionic — despite the fact that its own Exynos 4210 was just announced for March production.
Update: We were originally told that the Galaxy S II would be using an NVIDIA Tegra 2 SOC, but have been informed that was incorrect — the phone will indeed have a dual-core 1GHz Samsung chip, and quite possibly the Exynos. There’s also 1GB of RAM.
We were able to spend a little bit of time with the Galaxy S II today, and we can conclusively say that this is one gorgeous device. It shares the Infuse 4G’s aspirations as an ultra-thin Android device and arguably shares most of its industrial design elements, but interestingly, the Infuse steps down from 4.5 to 4.3 inches — either a nod to the fact that 4.5 is too big for a mainstream smartphone, or a sign that the 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus component simply isn’t ready yet. You totally notice how ridiculously thin the phone is as it rests in your hand, and the effect is amplified by the fact that it’s got so much surface area — the screen-to-edge ratio is off the charts. Though we still prefer the stock Android experience, TouchWiz 4.0 (as it’s being called) on top of Gingerbread is clearly Samsung’s most refined custom Android skin to date; a new Game Hub in ROM has potential to do battle with Sony’s PlayStation Suite and allows developers to bypass the download size limits of the Android Market, but we weren’t able to test it on the preproduction unit we were given.
Owing to a lack of time and connectivity, we weren’t able to put the phone through a suite of speed tests, but the entire UI felt perfect fast and smooth, a testament to the processor’s chops. As at CES, we were blown away by the clarity and brightness of the Super AMOLED Plus display — picture the already-excellent Super AMOLED technology amped up on steroids, and you’ll have a good sense of what we’re talking about here. All told, this seems like a great upgrade to the Galaxy S; if anything, we’re a little concerned that it’s going to be a smidge too big for people that were perfectly happy at the 4-inch tier, but odds are good Samsung will continue to crank out smaller devices for those folks. It’ll be on the market in parts of Europe and Asia as soon as this month; no word on North America, but as always, there’s little doubt Samsung has some plans in the works. Follow the break for our quick video and the full press release.
Gallery: Samsung Galaxy S II first hands-on!
Gallery: Samsung Galaxy S II official shots
Samsung Galaxy S II official: dual-core 1GHz CPU, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus, coming this month (hands-on with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 12:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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As fans of sci-fi television, we must perpetually worry that our favorite stories are going to end suddenly and nonsensically. Any time a season comes to an end, there is a very good chance that it won’t come back, and especially if there have recently been changes to the writing staff, management, timeslot, network executive whim, or astral positioning.
Lookie here. Intel may have been the jilted bride left at the altar by Nokia, but it’s not giving up on MeeGo just yet. The above poster has been hung up here in Barcelona, in the area us humble journalists still aren’t in allowed yet, and shows a smartphone and tablet running Intel’s Linux variant as their OS. There are plenty of details to pore over, such as the multiplicity of home screen items on the tablet that includes Big Buck Bunny — a favorite for testing HD video playback — in its top right corner; the handset, meanwhile, could very well be that Aava Mobile device we’ve been hearing about lately. MWC is opening its doors tomorrow, so even if Intel doesn’t announce these devices in full, we’ll snoop its booth out and find out for ourselves.
Intel promises, teases MeeGo smartphone and tablet for MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 09:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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There are still twelve hours to go before Samsung unveils its new products at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but somehow there are already a series of pictures allegedly “from the event.” We’re not complaining, though, because four of them show off the new 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab II. We discovered yesterday that Sammy’s slate will run Android 3.0 Honeycomb at 1280 x 800 resolution and on a 1GHz processor, and heard rumors it’d have an 8 megapixel camera with HD video recording as well, but this is the first time we’ve laid eyes on a decent image of the tablet, and we imagine you’re in the same boat. Join us on a journey over to Samsung Hub to see the full set (and more shots of the Samsung Galaxy S II), or if you’re too busy priming your touchscreen-smudging thumbs, simply hit the break to see a render of what the unit’s back might look like.
[Thanks, Dell P.]
Update: We’ve gotten another apparent shot of the Galaxy S II in all its glossy, rendered, press-shot-quality glory — and you can see it after the break.
Samsung Galaxy Tab II and Galaxy S II pics leak out ahead of Barcelona event (update: new pic!) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Feb 2011 23:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
