Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
Google has wrapped up judging on its very first Android Developer Challenge, and some twenty dev shops (or in some cases, individual developers) are finding themselves considerably richer as a result. Of the fifty apps to make it through to the final round, ten have been awarded $275,000 each and another ten have made off with a cool hundred grand — good coin for some really good ideas. As you might expect of anything being backed by Google and the Android platform, a good number of the finalists made location-based services an integral theme; take grand prize winner Locale, for example, which automatically switches device settings based on your current location (if that’s not a “why didn’t we think of that?” kind of product, we don’t know what is). The more we scan it, the more we realize that the list of winners reads like a who’s-who catalog of apps we know we want installed on our Dreams out of the gate — and more importantly, it looks like Google has a great way here to encourage best-of-breed Android development over the long run.
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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment
Sony’s family of projectors just grew by one, with the 1080p VPL-HW10 combining triple-panel SXRD technology, the new BRAVIA Engine 2 eight step image processing, 1000 ANSI lumens, 30,000:1 contrast ratio and x.v.Color support. Dual HDMI inputs, HDMI-CEC control tech, 24p True Cinema, Real Color Processing and quiet 22dB operation ensure a top of the line home theater experience — for something (no MSRP or shipping details here) less than the reiging king of the hill VPL-VW200 and another as-yet-unrevealed higher-end model. So Sony, guess we’ll be seeing you at CEDIA next week?
[Via Akihabara News]
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Filed under: Ask Engadget, Gaming, Laptops
Although netbooks seem to be all the rage right now, there’s still a lot of demand out there for laptops that are only able to be labeled as such due to their design. Take a look at Paul’s question as he attempts to locate the best desktop replacement on the market today.
“I am currently looking to replace my desktop PC with a high spec laptop. Portability isn’t a concern as it will spend most of its life on a desk. Here are a couple of things I am looking for: biggest screen possible, plenty of HDD space, plenty of RAM, and plenty of GHzs. Cheaper is better, but my budget is up to around $3,000.”
This fellow didn’t specifically mention gaming as a concern, but we’ll go ahead and assume he’s not buying a 9+ pound laptop to tinker on Minesweeper all day. So, what’s the preferred laptop that weighs more than some mini-towers? And what’s a question that’s been on your mind? Send it in to ask at engadget dawt com.
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Filed under: Transportation
Tire monitors are nothing new, but Pirelli’s taking the idea a step farther by inserting sensors and microchips directly into the tires themselves. The Cyber Tire and Cyber Tire Lean can measure pressure, temperature and vehicle load, sending the information along using RFID. The self-powered Cyber Tire Lean, which will hit the market first in 2010, embeds the sensors in strip glued to the inner lining of the tire and communicates in one direction only; the proper Cyber Tire with directly embedded sensors will arrive later, and is being billed as an “intelligent tire” that will interface with vehicle systems like ABS and traction control to “correct wrong behavior in advance.” Sure, okay — but please tell us all this stuff can get switched off when we need to do some wicked burnouts, okay?
[Via Autoblog]
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Filed under: Gaming
Well, it looks like all that experience Nintendo has half-explaining Wii supply issues isn’t going to waste — the company just issued a statement regarding shortages of Wii Fit that sounds awfully familiar. Seriously, follow along with us here:
- Wii shortages, Nov. 14, 2007: “The demand for Wii hardware globally has been unprecedented and higher than Nintendo could ever have anticipated.”
- Wii Fit shortages, Aug. 28, 2008: “Nintendo had a substantial supply nationwide for launch, though some stores saw spot shortages due to unprecedented demand for this unique product.”
Here’s a thought, guys: if there’s “unprecedented” demand for the console, the demand for arguably the biggest accessory for that console since launch probably isn’t unprecedented as well — and your PR people shouldn’t be so well-versed in making excuses like this.
[Via Slashgear]
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Filed under: Desktops
If it’s Thursday, then it must be time for more AMD rumors - this time a few different sources report the chipmaker’s given its channel partners the high sign indicating “Kuma” dual-core Phenom-based processors will finally see the light of day. For those too shy to indulge in triple- or even quad-core action, El Reg says Phenom X2 dual core chips will range from 2.3GHz to 1.90 Ghz, sporting 1MB L2 cache and 2MB L3 cache for. Freaky 3-core overclockers can look forward to new, better performing 2.4Ghz Black Edition Phenom 8750s, and more efficient 125-watt Phenom 9950 CPUs, if we can trust leaked German sales charts — and we always do, don’t you?
Read - The Register
Read - PC Perspective
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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
Apple’s taking a pretty lackadaisical attitude toward one of the most easily avoided security flaws in recent memory, calling the iPhone’s passcode lock bypass a “minor iPhone security issue” and saying that a fix will be rolled out in September. Thanks, Apple; we suppose it’d be a little too much trouble to ask for a fix sooner, even though you already fixed it once in 1.1.4. For what it’s worth, a company spokeswoman is quick to point out that the flaw can easily be hidden by changing the home button double-click functionality to take you to the home screen, but most users don’t know that, now do they? Way to show some hustle, guys — cookies and gold stars all around.
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Filed under: Home Entertainment
Still not satisfied by any of the Blu-ray home theater in a box systems
out there? Then perhaps Sony’s just announced Bravia BDV-IT1000 unit will be more to your liking. This one boasts 700W of total power, and includes some wireless rear speakers for added convenience, and slim speakers all around that Sony says are made possible thanks to its brand new finger-sized full-range speaker drive units. The Blu-ray player / receiver at the heart of the unit also looks to be capable enough, with it sporting BD-Live readiness, a pair of HDMI inputs, optical digital and analog stereo audio inputs, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD support, and Sony’s trademark Digital Media Port to accommodate a range of
add-on devices. No word on a price or release just yet, but we’re guessing there’s at least a decent chance that’ll slip out before Sony packs up and leaves the IFA stage.
[Via Sony Insider]
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Filed under: Handhelds
Well, so much for those rumors of a thinner, cheaper, less 80s-hot Kindle coming soon — Amazon spokesman Craig Berman told the New York Times today that there’s nothing in store for this year, and that a new version won’t happen before “sometime next year at the earliest.” So much for that, unless there’s some huge surprise in store — looks like all you college kids are going to end up killing some trees this year after all.
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Filed under: Cellphones
Android’s gaining a head of steam as it heads towards release — Google just posted up some details on the upstart OS’s app distribution system, Android Market. Just like Apple’s iPhone App Store, Android Market will run on Android phones like the HTC Dream and allow users to browse and install apps, as well as comment on and rate apps they’ve already purchased. (Somewhat terrifyingly, Google describes the rating and comment-system as “similar to YouTube,” but we’re hoping the reference is to user-generated ratings in general and not the grammar and language catastrophe that is YouTube comments.) Unlike Apple’s store, however, Android Market will be open to all — Google wants devs to “have an open and unobstructed environment” for their apps, and it’ll only take three steps (register, upload, describe) to put content on the service. The first Android handsets will come with a beta version of Market that supports free downloads only, but a version that has app sales, versioning, and other features will arrive soon after launch — given the number of mediocre apps that have somehow passed Apple’s vetting process, it’ll be interesting to see what shows up in Google’s store with no filters at all. More screenshots after the break.
[Via Mobile Burn]
Continue reading Google talks Android Market app store
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