Reminder: don’t forget to design your own Kindle and take it home!
July 22, 2009
We know you’ve been wracking your brain for the past week trying to dream up that perfect etching for the Kindle’s hindquarters, but time’s running out — Friday at 11:59PM EDT is the deadline — so put digital pen to digital paper and get your entry submitted on the double!
Need a refresher Head on over to the announcement to learn all about our awesome Kindle design contest — and a massive thanks to Amazon and Adafruit Industries for making it possible!
Filed under: Announcements, Misc. Gadgets
Reminder: don’t forget to design your own Kindle and take it home! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Plastic Logic e-book reader will use AT&T for its 3G needs
July 22, 2009
Things seem to really in motion for Plastic Logic, first with news of a partnership with Barnes & Noble and now this. AT&T is announcing that it’ll be providing 3G data for the company’s upcoming e-reader, the capabilities of which we found out during a noteworthy showing at D7. Still lots of questions up in the air, though, such as if AT&T will charge monthly for the use or provide service gratis like Sprint does with the Kindle. We’re also wondering if it’ll have access to AT&T’s numerous public Wi-Fi hot spots. One bright note is that, unlike Sprint and its CDMA towers, AT&T’s GSM network is compatible with carriers worldwide, which makes an international transition theoretically much smoother. Early 2010 can’t come soon enough.
[Thanks, Tom]
Filed under: Handhelds
Plastic Logic e-book reader will use AT&T for its 3G needs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Chinese Employee Commits Suicide Over Lost iPhone Prototype
July 22, 2009
A young man responsible for a massively popular tech prototype suddenly finds himself under the scrutiny of police and his employer when a top-secret project goes missing. After intense pressure, possible abuse at the hands of officials, and an illegal search of his private space, the employee can’t take it any more, and he commits suicide. A thrilling novel No, this is the ongoing saga unfolding at Apple’s Chinese manufacturer right now.
Twenty-five-year-old Sun Danyong was a recent engineering graduate working for Foxconn, a company responsible for creating the prototypes that turn into the iPhone. Living in the Guangdong province near Hong Kong, Sun was responsible for shipping his company’s prototypes to Apple. Details are sketchy and yet to be translated to English by the major press, but DigitalBeat reported yesterday that the Chinese Twittersphere was abuzz with what happened next.
Continue reading Chinese Employee Commits Suicide Over Lost iPhone Prototype
Filed under: iPhone
Chinese Employee Commits Suicide Over Lost iPhone Prototype originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Best Earbuds Under $100
July 22, 2009
A reader asks: I travel and commute a lot, and I need a set of headphones for my iPod and laptop. Those white earbuds just don’t cut it on a plane or subway - especially for blocking out noise. I like to watch action movies, so they need to have good bass for those Hollywood explosions. But I’m also a jazz fan.
Hey Reader: We’re not crazy about stock earbuds, either, and we’ve tried just about every alternative on the market. While in-ear models from Etymotic and Shure are popular for their excellent noise blocking and ber-clear sound, they’re pricey — and uncomfortable on long trips. Instead, we recommend an affordable set from Ultimate Ears, the MetroFi 220. For $79, you get full, crisp bass without sacrificing clarity in the middle and upper ranges — making the headphones versatile enough for all kinds of movies and music.
The extremely compact earbuds look pretty snazzy, with shiny, titanium-colored accents and a red-tinted ring clearly marking the right-ear bud. You get three sizes of smooth silicon tips. That way, you can choose the ones that go just far enough into your ear canals to stay put and block noise — without tickling your cochlea. Their black, hard-plastic carrying case fits easily in your pocket. For an extra $10, Ultimate Ears also makes an iPhone-compatible version, the MetroFi 220vi, which features an inline mic and a call-answer button.
Filed under: Audio/Video, Advice, Editor’s Picks, iPod, iPhone, Reviews, Peripherals, Portable Audio, Handheld Devices
Ideal Earbuds Under $100 originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Germans to Use Networked Vehicle Horns for Disaster Warnings
July 22, 2009
What’s a country without emergency sirens to do That’s the question Germany has been pondering ever since its sirens were dismantled at the end of the Cold War. The country has long used a satellite-based system that broadcasts warnings via TV and radio, but not everyone watches TV or listens to radio. So, over the years, they’ve considered everything from using cell phones to smoke detectors, but nothing’s really stuck.
But now, some researchers at Germany’s INT believe they’ve found the perfect solution, according to Oh Gizmo!. Vehicle horns. Yes, automobiles will honk when disaster is near. Starting in September 2010, all new German automobiles will be equipped with a system called eCall. It’s similar to OnStar, but if a disaster is about to strike, the system can trigger even parked cars’ horns to sound. Since the system uses GPS, it can activate horns in specific areas, too. So only certain neighborhoods will think there are hundreds of vehicle thieves outside.
Continue reading Germans to Use Networked Automobile Horns for Disaster Warnings
Filed under: Automobile Tech
Germans to Use Networked Vehicle Horns for Disaster Warnings originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
‘Dark Flash’ Eliminates Annoying Light From Picture-Taking Process
July 22, 2009
Flash photography lets us, among other things, take pictures in dimly lit situations. Unfortunately, when taking photos of people, it often leads to the dreaded red eye and/or the deer-in-headlights effect, with blown out highlights and harsh shadows. The light itself can also be distracting, hence its exile from many museums, concerts, and public performances. But if NYU student Dilip Krishnan and assistant professor Rob Fergus’s “dark flash” concept can iron out some wrinkles, all those problems may soon be a thing of the past.
According to New Scientist, this innovative flash works by emitting light in a wide range of frequencies, and then by filtering out the frequencies that wind up being visible. The result is a sharp, but oddly tinted image. To compensate for distorted colors, a second, flash-free image is taken immediately afterward, and the two are combined in software to produce a naturally toned, well lit image (see example above). Because the invisible flash depends upon ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) light, objects or materials that absorb stated kinds of light won’t appear in the pics. Even with that caveat, though, we could be looking at the biggest thing in cameras since, well, the flash. [From: New Scientist via Engadget]
Filed under: Cameras
‘Dark Flash’ Eliminates Annoying Light From Picture-Taking Process originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Visceral execs wooed away from EA by Activision [update]
July 22, 2009
Update: An EA spokesperson confirmed to IndustryGamers that the two have indeed flown the coop. There’s no word on replacements for them as of yet, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted.
Original post: EA’s Visceral Games (formerly EA Redwood Shores) might have lost two key personnel, if a rumor originating at GameSpot is to be believed. General manager Glen Schofield and COO Michael Condrey supposedly jumped ship to rival Activision, with a memo circulating at Visceral apparently describing the departure of the execs. Schofield is best known as the guy behind Dead Space, whereas Condrey got his start by directing this Levi’s commercial.
This news comes following some job listings (via superannuation) for a San Mateo-based studio with Activision. The company currently has nothing in the area, so this lends credence to the rumor that Activision is looking to start up something around the Bay. Add what Schofield and Condrey bring to the table and you’ve the makings of a fine studio.
Inside sources close to GameSpot said the departure follows weeks of rumors circulating about Activision aggressively pursuing Visceral talent. We’ve put in word to EA and Activision for comment and will be sure to get back to you if we hear anything.
[Via Big Download]
Visceral execs wooed away from EA by Activision [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
T-Mobile G2 To Have 5mp Camera
July 22, 2009
It looks like T-Mobile is certainly intent on being one of the carriers that provide Android-powered devices, and now word is out that the HTC Sapphire (G2) will sport a 5-megapixel camera, instead of the 3.2-megapixel offering that other carriers use. The device might be released this July at Walmart for $179 on a 2-year contract.
Permalink: T-Mobile G2 To Have 5mp Camera from Uberphones | Good deals | Hot: BlackBerry Storm
iPhone Magnetometer
July 21, 2009
Pictures of the iPhone with a magnetometer menu have surfaced on the web, confirming that there will most likely be sure a feature in a future version of the iPhone’s firmware or even a future hardware revision. Of course, there isn’t any official confirmation on such a feature yet, but it’s hard to ignore these things when screenshots appear, don’t you think
Permalink: iPhone Magnetometer from Uberphones | Good deals | Hot: BlackBerry Storm
Fans creating Star Fox sequel (it doesn’t look like a SNES game)
July 17, 2009
The game is called Shadows of Lylat and will likely not be received so well at Nintendo HQ, though that hasn’t stopped SOL Team from planning Windows, Mac OS, and Linux releases. If you’re skilled in the ways of Code-Fu and want to lend your talents to the project, the team is looking for you! They can’t promise you any money, but we’re pretty sure you’ll get all the disappointment you could ever want when the cease and desist letters begin pouring in.
Gallery: Shadows of Lylat
[Via Ars Technica]
Fans creating Star Fox sequel (it doesn’t look like a SNES game) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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