Archive for June, 2009
Report: Sony considers adding phone to PSP
June 28th, 2009
The newest version of Sony’s PlayStation Portable isn’t even on sale yet, but the company is already looking ahead to what’s next, according to Reuters.
The electronics giant is looking into making a combination gadget that would meld its PSP gaming system with the cell phones made …
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Remainders – Things We Didn’t Post [Remainders]
June 27th, 2009
…Adam Savage’s Savage Phone Bill…A Proverbially Dumb Doorknob…Undead Robot Mickey…Cheaper iMacs Imminent…
MythBuster and Giz amigo Adam Savage got back from a trip to Canada, only to discover that AT&T had charged him $11,000 in broadband-modem data fees—equal to 9GB of downloads and uploads—while he was there. Worst of all, they said they’d cut off his phone service until he pays. It’s not exactly tech news, and it’s already over thanks to a surge of Twitter buzz. Isn’t it nice to know AT&T listens to customers…with 54,539 Twitter followers? [Adam Savage's Twitter Feed]
Here’s a concept for a doorknob that spots you via infrared and glows softly when you’re within 10 feet. Not only do I think it would be hard to build and market for “under $20,” you could only sell it to people who have rooms large enough that it’s not always glowing, and yet don’t have the wherewithal to afford a two-way lightswitch. That’s quite the niche market. [Gizmag]
In 1989, my buddy Dave and I wrote a song called “We Shot Mickey Mouse.” However, we did not have the sculptural talent or truly twisted minds to go so far as to die-cast a zombified roboticized Mickey Mouse, finish it with chrome, and charge $1000 for it, like KAWS and Hajime Sorayama did. Too bad it’s not a real live robot, cuz that would be worth $10K. Regardless, it still sold out immediately. By the by, the artists naturally couldn’t use the Disney-TM’d name so they went with “No Future Companion,” some sort of statement on the amusement-free wasteland that lies ahead. [KAWS via Like Cool]
Since an Apple-free Remainders is like a sextape starring a horse (something you may think you want to see but seriously you don’t want to see), here’s a relatively baseless but believable rumor for you to chew on: iMacs, already low-ish in price, are gonna get even lower-ish soon. AppleInsider expects a 7-10% price drop to accompany a fall iMac refresh. [AppleInsider]
Oh, and you want to hear something crass? Somebody claimed to be selling Steve Jobs’ white earbuds on eBay. eBay squashed that crap ASAP, but can you believe it? I mean, his surgically extracted liver, stolen from a hospital, sure, but his earbuds??!!?? [TechEBlog]
Panasonic Z1 wireless HDTV appearing in US retailers
June 27th, 2009
Hey, look at that — it’s Panasonic’s super-hot one-inch thick Z1 wireless HDTV, just cold sitting out for sale in a San Jose Magnolia store. No official availability announcement yet, but we’re guessing it’s coming soon, right on time for the Z1′s planned summer debut. Everyone got their $6,000 ready?
Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment
Panasonic Z1 wireless HDTV appearing in US retailers originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
LG LX370 is a decent mid-tier Sprint handset
June 27th, 2009
Slider handsets are a dime a dozen these days, but that doesn’t mean they can’t deliver the goods. The LG LX370 is one such example. It’s a simple mid-tier phone from Sprint, with a sleek slider design we’ve seen before, and yet it’s not at …
Sure, your black DualShock3 is clad in a timeless color. But this silver DualShock3 can match that pile of obsolete cellphones you have in the bottom of your closet. And it’s available now at Gamestop for $55. [
Schematic’s Cannes touchwall identifies users via RFID, almost escapes gimmick status
June 26th, 2009
We love us a good multitouch wall experience, sizing up and rotating irrelevant bits of media like the Tom Cruise wannabes we are, but this new multitouch wall unveiled by Schematic at the Cannes Lions advertising festival almost brings the tech into the realm of relevance. The main innovation is the identification of specific users through the swipe of an RFID badge, allowing multiple users to operate the display simultaneously with personalized data and “social” functionality. Schematic’s dream really is a Minority Report-style world of advertising, but until that chilling future is fully realized, we suppose we can handle a few gimmicky multitouch walls and half-developed socializing functionality in the near term. Hit up the read link for video.
Filed under: Displays
Schematic’s Cannes touchwall identifies users via RFID, almost escapes gimmick status originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Pioneer VSX-1019AH-K: Best midrange AV receiver yet
June 26th, 2009
The iPod is the most popular audio gadget of the decade, which is why it’s incredibly frustrating that it’s not easier to use it with your AV receiver. Either you’re stuck using a patch cable and getting up from the couch to make playback changes, or you …
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If you happen to be a U-Verse customer, AT&T has an app for you. AT&T Remote Mobile Access allows iPhone / iPod Touch users to control their DVR remotely.
Much like the offering from DirecTV, U-Verse subscribers can browse through channels and set recordings to their home DVR. You can also search with filters and even look up shows by your favorite actors. Seriously, these apps are great for TV buffs, and since it’s free there is no excuse not to check it out. [iTunes]
New iPhone and iPod touch Application From AT&T Lets Customers Schedule U-verse TV DVR Recordings On The Go
DALLAS, June 25, 2009 – AT&T U-verseSM TV customers can now use a free application from the Apple App Store to make scheduling and managing recordings on their DVR even easier when they’re away from home. The U-verse TV Mobile Remote Access App for iPhone and iPod touch lets customers record their content from virtually anywhere and is another example of U-verse TV applications and DVR enhancements that have been rolled out to customers at no extra charge.
“This is the perfect example of how AT&T is bringing services together to deliver a better experience for customers,” said Jeff Weber, vice president of video services for AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “With AT&T U-verse, you get DVR capabilities you can’t find from any other provider, and this app gives users the freedom to schedule their DVR from their iPhone or iPod touch.”
The app allows users to easily search U-verse TV program listings from the full program guide, view descriptions of selected programs, schedule program or series recordings, manage or edit scheduled recordings, and delete stored DVR content.
The Mobile Remote Access App is available for free from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.
The launch of the new U-verse TV Mobile Remote Access App follows several DVR enhancements that are currently being rolled out to U-verse TV customers, including an exclusive new Total Home DVR feature that allows customers to schedule and delete recordings from any U-verse receiver in the home – all from a single DVR.
AT&T U-verse was one of the first providers to introduce Web Remote Access to the DVR in November 2006, and it brought three-screen DVR access to all U-verse TV customers with Mobile Remote Access to the DVR in April 2007. In 2008, AT&T launched AT&T U-verse Total Home DVR, allowing all U-verse DVR customers to watch standard and High Definition recorded shows from a single DVR on any connected TV in the home.
U-verse TV customers can also enjoy several other integrated applications, including personalized, on-screen weather, sports, traffic and stock information via AT&T U-bar; local and national weather forecasts with Weather On Demand; the ability to view personal photos on your TV that you have uploaded to flickr.com; and more.
AT&T U-verse customers enjoy quadruple-play integration, enhanced features and greater value, all made possible by IP technology. AT&T U-verse TV ranked “Highest in Residential Television Service Satisfaction in the North Central, South, and West Regions,” according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Residential Television Service Provider Satisfaction StudySM.
While some interesting things may or may not be happening under the hood, the freshly announced BlackBerry Tour for Verizon and Sprint (pictured in Verizon garb on the left) is hardly a departure on the surface. It mostly appears to be a minor modification to the Curve (right), though it does seem inexplicably thicker. The Bold seems positively overwrought in comparison. We didn’t get much time to play with the OS, but the screen and the keyboard are pure new-generation BlackBerry charm.
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
BlackBerry Tour hands-on, wild sibling confrontation with Curve and Bold originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The iPhone 3GS records video underwater too
June 25th, 2009
One of the hallmark features of the iPhone 3GS is video recording. Waterproofing, however, is not a part of the package.
YouTube user KhenaKara was filming some poolside footage on his shiny new iPhone 3GS when disaster struck: the phone slipped out of his hand and into the depths of …