Hawt Gadgets

HP opens TouchSmart to third-party developers

Filed under: Desktops

Got a touchy-feely idea you'd like to see on HP's TouchSmart PC? Then by golly, it's about time you got to work! HP has recently released its TouchSmart Application Developer Guidelines to third-party developers, enabling anyone with drive, ambition and skill (all three, not just one or two) to create their own "touch-friendly applications that integrate and run within the TouchSmart Software suite." To generate buzz and give you a little motivation, the TouchSmart Community is offering one fortunate dev a trip to CES 2009, where they'll be able to demo their software in front of the gadget world (and us!). For all the details, be sure and give the read link a visit -- crack those knuckles, it's time to code.

HP opens TouchSmart to third-party developers originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted On: October 31st, 2008 Comments (0)

Panasonic and Sanyo change status to “it’s complicated”

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Displays, Misc. Gadgets, Home Entertainment

You know you've heard it from two lovebirds in junior high: "we're not going out, we're just talking." In a completely bizarre way, that's about the best way we can sum up what's apparently going on between Panasonic and Sanyo Electric. According to an unnamed company official "familiar with the negotiations," Panny is already in talks with Goldman Sachs, Daiwa Securities SMBC and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking about snapping up a "controlling stake in its smaller rival." Reportedly, these "talks" are at the so-called preliminary stage, and dialog regarding dollars and cents (and yen, probably) has yet to officially occur. Still, the insider asserts that a formal acquisition proposal will be submitted soon, potentially enabling Panasonic to quickly grab a "world-class" (wait, really?) battery operation and give it a leg-up in the exploding solar energy market. Stay tuned for more -- you know the unpredictable always happens on Saturday nights.

[Via Bloomberg]

Panasonic and Sanyo change status to "it's complicated" originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 11:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted On: October 31st, 2008 Comments (0)

Aspire One shipments on pace to beat Eee PC

Filed under: Laptops

Acer's Aspire One has been somewhat overlooked in the face of a relentless barrage of Eee PCs and other netbooks, but slow and steady tends to win the race -- Acer says it's on track to ship six million machines this year, which is ahead of ASUS's target of five million Eees. Acer's mostly pulled into the lead due to its size and ability to push the Aspire One globally, while ASUS (which less than half the revenue) has been building the Eee market by market. Of course, that doesn't mean ASUS is going down without a fight -- we've already seen some aggressive ads, and Acer doesn't have anything to match machines like the S101. Looks like the netbook market is starting to get heated -- it'll be interesting to see how this all shakes out over the next few months.

Aspire One shipments on pace to beat Eee PC originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted On: October 31st, 2008 Comments (0)

Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-G1 ninja-ships to consumers

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Panasonic had us fooled with that press release dating its micro Four Thirds camera, the Lumix DMC-G1, for mid-November. We're not sure what Panny was trying to pull, but when we took a gander at its online store today we discovered that the G1 has already started shipping. The price is $799.95 as expected, so your time has come if you've been dying to try this slim and sexy micro Four Thirds thing out -- though we might wait for a few reviews to drop to confirm that the performance matches the price.

Panasonic's Lumix DMC-G1 ninja-ships to consumers originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 08:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted On: October 31st, 2008 Comments (0)

Researchers considering syncing soccer matches with mobile vibrations

Filed under: Cellphones

Call us cynical, but we just can't see this one working out it. A team of researchers from Umeå University in Sweden are reportedly looking to sync up events on a soccer field to vibrations in a cellphone, essentially enabling you to keep track of the action without having to focus your eyes / ears on the handset. The proposed system could send vibrations to the phone that would act as a way of communicating possession, ball placement and (of course) gooooooooaaallllls, but obviously a few obstacles still stand in the way. For starters, buzzing your mobile through an entire tilt would do a number on the battery life, and even though you could "feel" the action, it would still require a great deal of attention. In all honesty, we'd say this whole system probably has more promise off the pitch than on, but then again, we call football soccer, so what do we know?

[Via UnwiredView]

Researchers considering syncing soccer matches with mobile vibrations originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 07:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted On: October 31st, 2008 Comments (0)

iriver cuts prices on three PMPs for the holidays

Filed under: Portable Audio

Fans of iriver's PMPs should be happy to hear that it's cutting prices on three of them for the holiday shopping season. The E100 and tiny Lplayer's prices will be $69.99 for 4GB models and $99.99 for the 8GB ones -- a drop of $40. The priciest of the three, the SPINN, will see its tag drop to $189.99 for the 4GB and $229.99 for the 8GB (they normally fetch $249.99 and $279.99 respectively), though that still seems fairly expensive given its storage capacity. The price drops are in effect starting November 1st (AKA today).

iriver cuts prices on three PMPs for the holidays originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 05:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted On: October 31st, 2008 Comments (0)

MSR-H101 Hexapod kit lets you build your own nightmares

Filed under: Robots

Robot builder Matt Denton apparently first built a one-off Hexapod robot for himself some time ago, but he's now taken things one big step further and is offering a kit of a similar bot to the general public through Micromagic Systems. In addition to being excessively creepy (just check out the video after the break), the MSR-101 Hexapod also looks to be relatively simple to get going straight out of the box, with it boasting a built-in HexEngine with plenty of pre-loaded settings, and built-in PS2 controller suppport, which'll let you parade your creation about without having to mess around with it too much beforehand. Of course, there's also plenty of room for more experienced robot builders to get their hands dirty, and Micromagic is more than happy to sell you a whole slew of optional add-ons for the kit. Those just looking to get started, however, can simply grab the base kit in their choice of black, red, or silver for an entirely reasonable €105, or roughly $168 -- just don't blame us if you never get a good night's sleep again.

[Thanks, David]

Continue reading MSR-H101 Hexapod kit lets you build your own nightmares

MSR-H101 Hexapod kit lets you build your own nightmares originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 03:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted On: October 31st, 2008 Comments (0)

Marware’s Game Grip for the iPhone complicates what should be simple

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming

We've seen a few accessories for augmenting the gaming experience on the iPhone which would give the device awesome functions similar to a game controller, such as the elusive and yet-to-materialize iControlPad and the totally fake JoyPod. Well, Marware's Game Grip is sort of like that -- silicone sleeves that your phone fits into -- except that it doesn't actually do anything beyond providing 'handles' for your phone while you game. Oh, and it exists. So let's refer to it as the 'enjoyment enabler' of your iPhone 3G or iPod touch 2G which can be used with headphones (just like normal), can be charged while gaming (just like normal), and has a 'cord management system' (kind of not normal). If that's not enough to convince you to reach for your wallet, the "lifetime guarantee" and ludicrously zany look of the thing will probably get you to bite... it's $49.99 and available for pre-order right now.

Marware's Game Grip for the iPhone complicates what should be simple originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 01:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted On: October 31st, 2008 Comments (0)

RIM’s BlackBerry Curve 8900 gets hands-on treatment, looks mighty good

Filed under: Cellphones

Oh RIM, why must you torture us? Just when we'd moved beyond our nightly dreams of the Javelin and had our sights set on a Bold, here you go reminding us of just how luscious the next-generation Curve looks to be. Sure, the omission of 3G makes us none too happy, but it's hard to kvetch about the design. The Boy Genius managed to get his paws around one of the forthcoming BlackBerry Curve 8900s, and his initial impressions are almost universally positive. He's totally digging the size, the screen, the keyboard and even the bezel. That's right, the bezel. Check the read link to see what the fuss is all about.

RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8900 gets hands-on treatment, looks mighty good originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted On: October 31st, 2008 Comments (0)

Vadersapien has little to do with Darth, much to do with a troubled childhood

Filed under: Robots

Our favorite robot-obessed entity on these fine internets, RobotsRules, has put out a fairly disturbing video entitled "Vadersapien" as a purported followup to last year's "Elmosapien." What at first might be perceived as a harmless way to enjoy halloween with robots and bit of Vadery goodness quickly devolves into the dark exploration of a mind turned sour by the constant companionship of robots. We're positive [insert name of favorite sci-fi novelist] tried to warn us of this day, but there's really no preparing for a product of so much psychological disruption. It's after the break, of course.

Continue reading Vadersapien has little to do with Darth, much to do with a troubled childhood

Vadersapien has little to do with Darth, much to do with a troubled childhood originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted On: October 31st, 2008 Comments (0)

How would you change Microsoft’s new Zunes / v3.0 software?

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Microsoft's newest Zunes (along with the 3.0 software) have been out for well over a month now, which means you've had ample opportunity to really test one out and form some educated opinions. Now, it's time to open up and let loose. Are you still down with the design? Do you appreciate the extras that came with three point oh? What else could've been added to really spice things up? Do us a favor and tell the suits in Redmond what you would've done differently, and moreover, how things can be made better the next time it feels the itch to bust out a software update.

How would you change Microsoft's new Zunes / v3.0 software? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted On: October 31st, 2008 Comments (0)