MIT reinvents the Post-It note… with Post-It notes May 1, 2008
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We've seen countless attempts to re-invent the Post-It note, but no one's ever really managed to improve on the basic design -- which might be why MIT's "Quickies" concept doesn't even try. The electronic note system is instead based around a digital pen and special pad, which saves your notes as you jot them down on RFID-embedded Post-Its. Software on your PC then does some quick OCR and, according to the inventors, "uses its understanding of the user's intentions, content, and the context of the notes to provide the user with reminders, alerts, messages, and just-in-time information." Since the database can also store location information, sticking the note on a book or other object allows you to locate it later using the RFID tag, and you can even have notes SMS'd to their recipients. Pretty wild -- but we're more impressed someone finally found a good use for all those digital pens out there. Check a video of the system in action after the break.Continue reading MIT reinvents the Post-It note... with Post-It notes
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsQmotions bringing skate controllers to the 360
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Qmotions has been hawking various specialty sports controllers for a while now, but it looks like the company is about to take the next-gen plunge with an upcoming skateboard controller called the Qmotions Big Air for the Xbox 360 -- and best of all, Microsoft is going to let the company build official wireless peripherals. That's an honor Microsoft is pretty hesitant to dole out, but it seems like the ability to wirelessly rip up some Tony Hawk swayed J Allard and co. (We hear Ballmer is a monster in the pipe.) No word on price or game compatibility other than "skateboard games currently on the market," but look for this one to ollie into your heart sometime later this year. Amazing 1992-style animated GIF of Qmotions' PS2 XBoard controller, pictured above, after the break.[Via Engadget Spanish]
Continue reading Qmotions bringing skate controllers to the 360
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsSharp 880SH Review - 3G
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3G reviews the Sharp 880SH and writes, "The 880SH is fitted with both an external and front-facing camera (allowing the option to make video calls). While the external two-megapixel camera is nothing more than average, the quality of the front-facing camera was wholly disappointing. We continuously found the image to be blurred even when the object we were photographing was stationary. The video camera also proved to be lacking. Presented with three recording modes; normal, fine and super-fine, the latter, while decent enough quality only allows a maximum of 30 seconds of recording time, while normal mode is little better at 60 seconds."
Read more about the Sharp 880SH.
Samsung F110 miCoach Review - Mirror
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Mirror reviews the Samsung F110 miCoach and writes, "The phone itself boasts a 2MP camera, GPRS, EDGE and Bluetooth connectivity (but no 3G), 1GB of storage and an FM radio. And, while it’s no substitute for a flesh-and-blood personal trainer, the shameful stats the miCoach provided this reviewer with certainly helped motivate him to start working out more regularly...Relatively easy to use, the fitness features are certainly no gimmick, and anyone looking to get in shape should find it useful."
Read more about the Samsung F110 miCoach.
Samsung F110 miCoach Review - Mobile Choice
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Mobile Choice reviews the Samsung F110 miCoach and writes, "Although many of the features, like the camera and data speeds, are bog standard, the phone’s fitness function is first rate...Everything about the phone just works. It’s simple to set up and, once you’ve done so, provides very accurate data. The music player is great too and integrates beautifully with the phone’s fitness function."
Read more about the Samsung F110 miCoach.
Apple quietly enables movie purchases from Apple TV
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a commentFiled under: HDTV, Home Entertainment
We can't say we're too terribly fond of purchasing movies on a proprietary set-top-box (à la VUDU), but for those with no real attachment to physical media, Apple's looking to hook you up. Aside from announcing that day-and-date DVD releases were coming to iTunes, Cupertino has also enabled its Apple TV to purchase full-length films; prior to today, users could only rent them for a window of time. Details are pretty scant at the moment, and we're not even sure if HD films can be purchased (or if a premium is added on), but feel free to fire up your box and let us know how it goes in comments below.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsRIM BlackBerry 8820 (T-Mobile) PDA/Cell Phone
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a comment This solid business phone gets a boost from the addition of voice over Wi-Fi.RIM BlackBerry 8820 (T-Mobile) PDA/Cell Phone
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a comment This solid business phone gets a boost from the addition of voice over Wi-Fi.Hitachi’s 1.5 UltraThin LCD HDTVs now available in US
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You heard it right -- Hitachi's UltraThin 1.5 family that caused such a stir at CES is finally available for US consumers. Available in 32-, 37-, 42- and 47-inch sizes, the lot has been broken down into two distinct clans: the Director's Series (X) and Ultra Vision (V) models. Each member of the former comes with a 2-year warranty and a sticker ranging from $1,999 to $4,699, while the latter gets a 1-year warranty and price tags between $1,799 and $4,499. Curiously enough, it seems that several sets (the UT47X902, UT47V702, UT32A302/W, UT32V502/W, UT42V702 and UT37V702) may actually not yet be ready for shipping judging by their July to September availability dates, but we'll leave it to you to sort out the contradictions in Hitachi's press release with your dealer. Hit the read link for more details, and hop on over to Engadget HD for a gallery of press shots.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsAsk Engadget: Which are the best full-size headphones?
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Late last year, you dear readers chimed in with your opinions for best earbuds in the land. Now, however, Ask Engadget is comin' atcha from a slightly different angle. Take it away, Jose: "I'm looking for some good headphones for around $150. I hate earbuds (so uncomfortable and the audio quality seems to depend on the angle that they're stuck in there,) so now I'm looking for full-on cans. I've been told both positive and negative things about Bose cans, but I'm looking for a few more opinions here. Help me and my ears!"
Just as a note, we got the impression that Jose would be willing to stretch that budget a bit if a real winner was available just north of two bills, so feel free to pass out suggestions even if they're a touch pricier than what was mentioned. If you're looking to have your question heard loud and clear, shoot it over to ask at engadget dawt com and wish upon your lucky star(s), alright?Permalink | Email this | Comments
Telnet “hack” allows for network remote control of TiVo
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[Via Zatz Not Funny!]
Continue reading Telnet "hack" allows for network remote control of TiVo
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsTelnet “hack” allows for network remote control of TiVo
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a commentFiled under: Home Entertainment
[Via Zatz Not Funny!]
Continue reading Telnet "hack" allows for network remote control of TiVo
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsiTunes Movie Buyers Lose Wait
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a commentCase manufacturers getting early 3G iPhone size specs?
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Next-gen iPhone rumors are swirling fast and furious, but the latest out of iLounge matches up with what we've heard: the 3G iPhone will be glossy black and slightly thicker than before. iLounge says that Apple has once again provided overseas case manufacturers with details of a new device, and they've mocked up the image above as an illustration, with the old model on the left and top for comparison. There's not much to go on, but we're curious as to what that additional front-mounted sensor is, and we know a few people that would kill for a red iPhone. iLounge says that developers and case manufacturers believe the specs to be correct and have already started work on accessories, but only Steve (and a couple hundred Apple employees) know for sure -- the rest of us will just have to wait.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsAdobe Opens Formats to Shine Flash on More Screens
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a commentACARD’s dual 2.5-inch RAID enclosure is slim, hungry for power
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If you're looking for an odd, yet usable storage solution, perhaps ACARD's Mirror Smart Mini is the thing for you. The device uses two 2.5-inch SATA drives side by side in a small enclosure; the drives can be mapped as a hardware-based RAID 1 array, or can be used as separate devices. The aluminum casing plugs into your system using USB 2.0, but unfortunately requires an AC adapter for power, thus making it slightly less awesome than we want it to be. Regardless, if you're moving around a lot and need a backup option, you might have found your $69 answer.[Via Everything USB]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
ACARD’s dual 2.5-inch RAID enclosure is slim, hungry for power
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a commentFiled under: Storage
If you're looking for an odd, yet usable storage solution, perhaps ACARD's Mirror Smart Mini is the thing for you. The device uses two 2.5-inch SATA drives side by side in a small enclosure; the drives can be mapped as a hardware-based RAID 1 array, or can be used as separate devices. The aluminum casing plugs into your system using USB 2.0, but unfortunately requires an AC adapter for power, thus making it slightly less awesome than we want it to be. Regardless, if you're moving around a lot and need a backup option, you might have found your $69 answer.[Via Everything USB]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
SUNRGI, University of Tel Aviv boast of solar power advances
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Read - USA Today, "Start-up: Affordable solar power possible in a year"
Read - EETimes, "Researchers claim photovoltaic cell advance"
[Via Next Big Future, thanks Jonathan]
Data Centers May Spew More Carbon Than Airlines by 2020
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a commentKeepin’ it real fake, part CXVIII: iPhone on the farm
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Yeah, we too are hoping that these overseas impostors will have to start changing up their game if they still want to ape the iPhone in just a few months, but as it stands, the Toggolino Phone actually does a fantastic job of shaming itself. Apparently this handset, er, device comes packaged with some form of German kit meant to teach kinder a few things about words, animals and the equitable distribution of wealth throughout social classes. Okay, so maybe that last bit isn't in there, but seriously, those animal apps look way more interesting than stocks, weather and company email.[Thanks, Oliver]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Top 10 All-Purpose Laptops
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a comment These laptops can do it all and are a great choice for most notebook users. Ratings and rankings can change due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info.Top 10 All-Purpose Laptops
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a comment These laptops can do it all and are a great choice for most notebook users. Ratings and rankings can change due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info.Researchers design “malicious circuits,” warn of potential risk
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We've already seen a few viruses delivered via hardware, but a group of researchers from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are now warning that we may not have seen anything yet. As New Scientist reports, they've apparently managed to develop their own "malicious circuits," which they say can interfere with a computer at a deeper level than a virus, and completely bypass traditional anti-virus software. To accomplish that slightly unsettling feat, the researchers created a replica of the open source Leon3 processor, and added about 1,000 malicious circuits not present in the original processor. Once they hooked that up to another computer they were apparently not only able to swipe passwords from memory, but install malware that would allow the operating system to be remotely controlled as well. Of course, they admit that sneaking such malicious circuits onto a chip isn't exactly an easy proposition, given that someone would either need to have access to a chip during its manufacturing process, or have the ability to manufacture their own. Or, as the project's lead researcher puts it, it's "not something someone would carry out on weekends."[Via TG Daily, image courtesy Actel]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Sezmi looks to provide alternative for cable / satellite, confuse everyone
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In case you're not content with just keeping your current cable / satellite / fiber TV service and using the recently launched ZvBox to pull in content from the web, a new startup is aiming to satisfy your bizarre desires. In what's potentially the most befuddling launch of the year, said firm is looking to introduce its 1TB set-top-box to consumers on a city-by-city basis. Put simply (or, as simply as possible), the box will fetch content from a number of places: the built-in OTA receiver will grab locals, and it will use the owner's broadband internet connection to snag IPTV material and web-based content (YouTube, Hulu, etc.). Sezmi plans to launch the product with "3G and DSL" telcos that don't currently have a way to offer a triple-play package, and while some sources say that monthly fees will be as low as "half" of a typical cable / satellite bill, we've also seen Phil Wiser, co-founder, chairman and president, quoted as saying that it will be "roughly comparable" to its rivals. Hit up the links below for loads more info, and join us as we sit back and wait for this entirely-too-complex endeavor to implode.[Via PC Magazine]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Sezmi looks to provide alternative for cable / satellite, confuse everyone
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a commentFiled under: HDTV, Home Entertainment
In case you're not content with just keeping your current cable / satellite / fiber TV service and using the recently launched ZvBox to pull in content from the web, a new startup is aiming to satisfy your bizarre desires. In what's potentially the most befuddling launch of the year, said firm is looking to introduce its 1TB set-top-box to consumers on a city-by-city basis. Put simply (or, as simply as possible), the box will fetch content from a number of places: the built-in OTA receiver will grab locals, and it will use the owner's broadband internet connection to snag IPTV material and web-based content (YouTube, Hulu, etc.). Sezmi plans to launch the product with "3G and DSL" telcos that don't currently have a way to offer a triple-play package, and while some sources say that monthly fees will be as low as "half" of a typical cable / satellite bill, we've also seen Phil Wiser, co-founder, chairman and president, quoted as saying that it will be "roughly comparable" to its rivals. Hit up the links below for loads more info, and join us as we sit back and wait for this entirely-too-complex endeavor to implode.[Via PC Magazine]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Net Nanny 5.6
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a commentNet Nanny 5.6 39.99 Net Nanny 5.6, a review of Net Nanny 5.6 Laptop Magazine reviews Net Nanny 5.6, Net Nanny 5.6,
Mvix unveils pocket-sized MV-2500U HD multimedia drive
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a commentFiled under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Portable Video
If you're already taken care of on the HD media streamer front, Mvix is hoping you'll look its way for a more portable solution. The pocket-friendly MV-2500U checks in at just 5- x 3- x 0.8-inches and makes room for a 2.5-inch internal hard drive. The simple, LCD-less exterior means that you'll need to access the interface on-screen after plugging in the (component, we presume) cables to your HDTV, after which you'll be able to watch video files encoded in MPEG1/2/4, DVD (VOB, IFO), DivX, XviD, BivX or VCD (DAT) for both PAL and NTSC systems. You'll also find support for AC3, MP2, MP3, WMA, OGG and M3U audio formats, and even JPEG photos can be shown in beautiful 720p / 1080i. Unfortunately, this wee piece will run you a stiff $149 before you even go hard drive shopping, but Mvix will happily add an 80GB, 160GB or 250GB HDD in there if you've got the coin.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsApple iMac (24-inch, 2.8GHz)
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a comment A slight bump to the specs for the same price in addition to a much appreciated option to upgrade the graphics means the 24-inch iMac keeps the Editors' Choice it earned last year when the brushed-aluminum-and-glass design was first introduced.Robometer concept device promises to help you feel happy
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[Via Gizmo Watch]
HP Breakthrough Could Spawn Computers That Don’t Forget
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a commentDell launches the Vostro 1510 and 1310 laptops
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Just like we warned, Dell's new cheapo business laptops, the Vostro 1510 and Vostro 1310 have hit virtual shelves. The 15.4- and 13.3-inch models both feature Intel CPUs (up to Core 2 Duos), a maximum of 4GB of RAM, 80GB to 250GB hard drives, and a bunch of other features that should be totally adequate for your business affairs. The 1510 starts at $599, and the 1310 at $749; both are available now.[Via Laptoping]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Researchers tout progress towards graphene-based gadgets
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We've heard researchers tout the many benefits of graphene before, and it doesn't look like they're showing any signs of letting up, with a group from the University of Manchester now boasting that they've made even more progress with the material that was created only a few years ago. Specifically, they've apparently found a way to develop graphene-based films (an alternative to the current indium-based options) more cheaply by simply "dissolving" chunks of graphite into graphene and then "spraying the suspension onto a glass surface." What's more, the researchers say that there are only a "few small, incremental steps" remaining before the graphene film is ready for the mass production stage, after which they say we could be seeing graphene-based LCD products within "a few years." As you may recall, this all follows some similar developments from researchers at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, although their method apparently "involved several extra steps," and they weren't making any promises about actual products turning up anytime soon.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Researchers tout progress towards graphene-based gadgets
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a commentFiled under: Displays, Misc. Gadgets
We've heard researchers tout the many benefits of graphene before, and it doesn't look like they're showing any signs of letting up, with a group from the University of Manchester now boasting that they've made even more progress with the material that was created only a few years ago. Specifically, they've apparently found a way to develop graphene-based films (an alternative to the current indium-based options) more cheaply by simply "dissolving" chunks of graphite into graphene and then "spraying the suspension onto a glass surface." What's more, the researchers say that there are only a "few small, incremental steps" remaining before the graphene film is ready for the mass production stage, after which they say we could be seeing graphene-based LCD products within "a few years." As you may recall, this all follows some similar developments from researchers at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, although their method apparently "involved several extra steps," and they weren't making any promises about actual products turning up anytime soon.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Canadian bank hands out free Eee PCs
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It used to be if you signed up for a new checking account, a bank might throw off a toaster, alarm clock, or in extreme modern cases, a 1GB iPod shuffle. Well times, they are a'changing, and boy do we wish we lived in Canada right now. Up north, RBC Royal Bank is offering a free ASUS Eee PC when you switch to their checking account service. That's right, you get an actual computer after completing the move (and dealing with a lot of red tape). Sure, it's only the 7-inch, 2GB version, but it still runs Xandros way better than this solar calculator we got from our bank.[Thanks, Matt]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Court Hits AOL, Yahoo, Real With Staggering Music Royalties Tab
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a commentHands-on with the LG Vu in retail clothing
Posted by admin in : Tech Reviews , add a commentFiled under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Portable Video
Engadget Mobile literally just took delivery of a shiny new LG Vu with support for AT&T's Mobile TV service, and they've gone and posted a few quick shots in between long stretches of ogling the CNN channel (we kid, we kid). Have a look, why won't you?Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments










