Posts

Posted on

Microsoft: I’m a PC, and Kinect open-source drivers were my idea

When word first reached Microsoft that the open-source community would hack the Kinect, the company’s response was pretty heavy-handed: “Microsoft does not condone the modification of its products,” a rep told CNET, pledging to “work closely with law enforcement and product safety groups to keep Kinect tamper-resistant.” But now that Kinect mods blow our minds on a near-daily basis, Redmond has changed its tone. Microsoft’s Alex Kipman told NPR Science Daily listeners that as far as the company’s concerned, the Kinect hasn’t actually been hacked thus far, and that Microsoft actually left the camera’s USB connection unprotected “by design” to let the community take advantage. Though he and fellow Microsoftie Shannon Loftis wouldn’t commit to official PC software drivers for the device, he did say that the company would “partner sooner rather than later” with academic institutions to get the hardware doled out, and suggested that some universities started playing with Kinect even before its commercial launch. Read a transcript of the pertinent section of the podcast after the break, or listen for yourself at our source link starting at the 18:22 mark.

[Thanks, Fred T.]

Continue reading Microsoft: I’m a PC, and Kinect open-source drivers were my idea

Microsoft: I’m a PC, and Kinect open-source drivers were my idea originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 12:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Adafruit  |  sourceScience Friday  | Email this | Comments

Posted on

Splashtop Remote Desktop brings Windows PC access to your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

Oh, sure — you’ve got a smorgasbord of virtual machine clients out there for the iDevice in your life, but you haven’t had this one. Until today, of course. Splashtop (the former DeviceVM) has just unleashed its Remote Desktop app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, enabling users to funnel Windows PC content onto their handheld. The catch is an obvious one — you’ll need a WiFi connection to make the magic happen, though we’re assuming you wouldn’t even want to imagine how sluggish the process would be over 3G. The company claims that this app will let users “watch movies, listen to music, or access any other Windows files and programs, including full web browsers with Flash,” and you’ll need a WiFi-connected Win7, Vista or WinXP machine nearby to take advantage. We’ve got a feeling this won’t work nearly as well as advertised (sorry, it’s just the nature of tunneling / emulation), but those willing to take the plunge can tap into the App Store as we speak.

Continue reading Splashtop Remote Desktop brings Windows PC access to your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

Filed under:

Splashtop Remote Desktop brings Windows PC access to your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 06:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSplashtop Remote  | Email this | Comments

Posted on

Archos 101 now shipping, Android tablet game really heating up

We were really digging this 10-inch Android tablet when we spotted it back in August, and now it’s shipping for a totally palatable $300 pricetag. It’s powerful enough to play 720p video, has a 1024 x 600 screen, HDMI out, 802.11n WiFi and even a front facing camera. Plus there’s even the somewhat comforting notion that this isn’t Archos’ first time to the Android tablet rodeo. Of course, the big drawback is the lack of Android Market, but there are always hacks to solve that, and Archos preloads some good apps to get you started. The tablet is shipping with Android 2.1, but Archos pinky swears it’ll be getting 2.2 by the end of the month. Can’t handle 10 whole inches of Android? Try the 7-incher Archos 70 on for size. You can’t say they aren’t trying.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Archos 101 now shipping, Android tablet game really heating up originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceArchos  | Email this | Comments

Posted on

The tablet wars infographic

Apple has taken the tablet world by storm, there is no doubt that they have dominated a market and to this day, face little competition in the marketplace. While the Samsung Tab does offer solid competition, the jury is still out about if it will stand the long term test…

Posted on

Dell Inspiron Duo finally official, can be yours the first week of December for $549

That’s right, just as we had heard, Dell is finally putting an end to the Inspiron Duo’s mysterious marketing videos and officially spinning its screen for the world to see! You won't be able to hit the order button on the totally unique 10.1-inch tablet / netbook hybrid today, but according to Dell, it should go up for pre-order sometime soon and start shipping out the first week of December. As for pricing, the base model will start at $549 (£449), and will pack a dual-core Intel Atom N550 processor, 2GB of RAM, a Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator, 250GB of storage, and Windows 7 Home Premium. Naturally, you'll be able to configure it with a larger hard drive, and adding that JBL speaker dock will bring the price up to $649 (no word on what it will cost on its own). We’re guessing those are the details you’ve been waiting on, but undoubtedly you’ve got to be dying to know what we think of that crazy-looking laptop. Well, we’ve got you covered there too — hit the break for our impressions and a brief hands-on video.

Continue reading Dell Inspiron Duo finally official, can be yours the first week of December for $549

Dell Inspiron Duo finally official, can be yours the first week of December for $549 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments