Remote Auxiliary Power System recharges our special forces straight from overhead power lines (video)
If you're the type who gets a little nervous connecting jumper cables to your Accord after you forgot and left the trunk open overnight (again), this is one military gadget you will probably not be coveting. It's called RAPS: the Remote Auxiliary Power System. US Air Force Spec Ops personnel requested "something like Batman" that would enable them to add some juice to their night vision goggles, GPS units, and Hello Kitty media players while in the field, and this is the result. When thrown over a power line it makes contact with the bare ground and then cuts through the insulation into the live wire within, pulling the power down to an AC/DC transformer built into the spool. This device has proven safe for use in the rain and even underwater, but we're thinking we'd rather sing "Kumbayah" to ourselves than recharge our iPods in this manner. Video demonstration after the break, which also explains where the power actually comes from!
Remote Auxiliary Power System recharges our special forces straight from overhead power lines (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Second Shipment of iPhone 4s On Their Way [Iphone4]
The second shipment of iPhone 4s are on their way and will reach your door by July 7th. We don't know what happened to the original July 2nd date of the second batch, but at least you didn't have to deal with launch day lines, right? More »
iPhone - Smartphone - Handhelds - Apple - China
7 Apps For Smart, Smartphone-Wielding Drivers [Apps]
Don't use your phone while you're driving! Unless, of course, you're using it to help you drive better. Consumer Reports rounded up seven apps for iPhones, Androids, and BlackBerrys that will bring a touch of tech to your commute. [ConsumerReports] More »
Business - Education and Training - Device Drivers - Beijing - Commuting
HTC HD2 caught running Android 2.1 and Ubuntu with touchscreen enabled (video)
Still clinging on to your HTC HD2? Good on ya, cos this WinMo slate's about to last you a wee bit longer -- team HTC Linux has recently made a breakthrough with getting the touchscreen to talk to the HaRET Linux bootloader. In other words, us mere mortals can finally use Linux variants like Android and Ubuntu on the HD2 the way it's meant to be, although we're apparently still a few bugs away from a stable release. Until then, enjoy the techno-fueled video demo after the break.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Continue reading HTC HD2 caught running Android 2.1 and Ubuntu with touchscreen enabled (video)
HTC HD2 caught running Android 2.1 and Ubuntu with touchscreen enabled (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
MeeGo for handsets makes its first appearance
As promised, Nokia and Intel have revealed the pre-alpha version of MeeGo for handsets today, supporting the Intel-powered Aava reference phone and the Nokia N900. What's most interesting at this early stage is the UI, which appears to have taken a big Nokia-influenced step away from the Intel-designed MeeGo netbook and tablet UI -- and we're definitely detecting some hints of Android and webOS here and there. Seriously, just check out that task switching interface. Of course, MeeGo is open-source, so we're sure Nokia has some deeper UI customizations in store -- like homescreen widgets, which are notably missing here.
On a deeper level, this build of MeeGo includes the base MeeGo APIs, including Qt and the MeeGo touch frameworks, the Firefox-based browser, a photo viewer, and some basic UI elements like the status bar, app launcher, and virtual keyboard. There are pre-built images for the Atom-based Aava handsets available now, but N900 owners will have to do a little building until someone makes an image available. Be warned, though: there's a long enough list of known bugs, and while that's totally fine for pre-alpha code, it might not be too fine for your device. That's not going to stop us from installing this thing, but you be careful, alright? And let us know how it goes. Video of the UI after the break.
P.S. Given that the N8 is destined to be the last Symbian N Series device, we can't help but feel it's being overshadowed by MeeGo before it's even out. Can we pre-pour one out? Is that a thing? It is now.
Continue reading MeeGo for handsets makes its first appearance
MeeGo for handsets makes its first appearance originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Netflix Hiring Android Developers, Client Should Be On The Way
Android-owners should be quite happy to hear that Netflix is looking out for an Android developer to help them build a streaming client for Android devices, which basically means that an official Netflix app should be on its way, allowing subscribers to watch their movies directly on their mobile device. Of course, the bad news is that there still isn't any official timeframe as to when we can expect such an app to arrive, so it looks like we'll have to be patient.
: Netflix Hiring Android Developers, Client Should Be On The Way from Ubergizmo | Hot: Evo 4G Review, iPad Review
Screen Grabs: Pretty Little Liars is TV’s newest home to egregious product placement (video)
Scene: Impossibly mature high school "girls" mingling in front of a locker. Action!
Bitter Barbie: "What are you doing? Is that a new phone?"
Bland Barbie: "Yeah, I'm checking my Kin. I'll just write on Hannah's wall from here."
End scene.
Yes, ABC's new Pretty Little Liars show is the future of American television, where entertainment morphs into infotainment and bakes the minds of an entire generation into a lovely pie of corporate servitude. We blame TiVo. Oh, and just because Palm quit making creepy commercials doesn't mean that they've given up on promoting its Pre to women. Looks like Roger McNamee was right about that backside mirror's appeal. See what we mean in the PLL episode 3 embeds posted after the break.
[Thanks, Dave]
Screen Grabs: Pretty Little Liars is TV's newest home to egregious product placement (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 04:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
JayBird SB2 Bluetooth Headphones Look Retro
Folks who are looking for a set of Bluetooth headphones that look rather retro will want to check out the JayBird SB2 Sportsband Bluetooth Headphones, which are available in a wide variety of colors. It'll work with any Bluetooth A2DP audio device and also audio devices with a 3.5mm audio jack, via its uSport Universal Bluetooth Adapter. If you want better quality audio from your iPhone, you can also add-on the iSport, which steps up the signal quality, giving you a better audio experience. It's currently going for $99, and you can check out the color variations at the product page.
: JayBird SB2 Bluetooth Headphones Look Retro from Ubergizmo | Hot: Evo 4G Review, iPad Review
Palm Eliminates App Submission Fee For Its App Catalog
Looks like the folks over at Palm are trying to curry favor with developers by removing the $50 submission fee that every developer usually has to pay in order to submit an app to Palm's App Catalog. To make the deal sweeter, aside from the removal of the fee, Palm is also returning the $50 that was already paid for each app. Considering that there are a good 2,600 apps in the App Catalog, that means that Palm is going to be returning about $130k to developers. The refunds will be processed through developers' PayPal accounts. Do you think this will help spur developers to make apps for the webOS platform, or will they still continue to flock to Apple’s iOS and Google's Android?
: Palm Eliminates App Submission Fee For Its App Catalog from Ubergizmo | Hot: Evo 4G Review, iPad Review
Lenovo’s Skylight and U1 Hybrid being revived with fresh Qualcomm silicon?
What's this? A new sliver of hope in a dark, lost world? Before you throw your hands up and shut your eyes, you should know that all of this is coming from Digitimes, so taking it all in with an unhealthy dose of salt is highly suggested. According to them, Lenovo is actually planning to eventually ship its Skylight and IdeaPad U1 Hybrid (yeah, the two machines that were kinda-sorta shelved a month ago), but with far different specifications. For starters, they'll rely on Qualcomm's recently announced dual-core processor line, and rather than using the now-nonexistent Skylight OS, they'll both rely on Google's Android. If all goes well, the official launch will occur before the dawn of 2011, but there's no solid word on when they'll actually ship. In related news, there's also word that Toshiba will be readying a smartbook in its long-standing Dynabook line, with NVIDIA's Tegra 250 under the hood, a 10.1-inch panel and Android running the show. Now, who's up for seeing if any of this actually comes to fruition?
Lenovo's Skylight and U1 Hybrid being revived with fresh Qualcomm silicon? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
