Tech News Updates

In the early, chaotic, primordial years of the mobile phone era, you had to press real, actual “buttons” to get things done. Almost barbaric to think about now, isn’t it? As society advanced and we gradually became a more civilized species, buttons gave way to touchscreens and voice control, mercifully giving the atrophied sausages we call “arms” and “fingers” a bit of respite every time we needed to surf through cyberspace, place a phone call, or send a text message. Now, it seems the evolution of Homo sapiens is reaching its inevitable final stage with the release of the PLX XWave, headgear that plugs into your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and — after a bit of training — lets you control the device with your mind alone. As you might expect, the headset makes use of the NeuroSky technology that we’ve seen several times through the years and will be made available with a number of apps upon its release next month including a game, dedicated training app, a music controller (which will let you compare brainwaves with other XWave users, interestingly), and an “Om Meditation Timer.” If none of those titles have captured your imagination, you’ll be able to write your own apps with the device’s SDK; needless to say, we’ll be patiently waiting for the levitation app depicted here. Orders are online now for $100 with delivery in October. Continue reading XWave lets you control your iPhone with your noodle, levitate if you’re lucky XWave lets you control your iPhone with your noodle, levitate if you’re lucky originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

In the early, chaotic, primordial years of the mobile phone era, you had to press real, actual “buttons” to get things done. Almost barbaric to think about now, isn’t it? As society advanced and we gradually became a more civilized species, buttons gave way to touchscreens and voice control, mercifully giving the atrophied sausages we call “arms” and “fingers” a bit of respite every time we needed to surf through cyberspace, place a phone call, or send a text message. Now, it seems the evolution of Homo sapiens is reaching its inevitable final stage with the release of the PLX XWave, headgear that plugs into your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and — after a bit of training — lets you control the device with your mind alone. As you might expect, the headset makes use of the NeuroSky technology that we’ve seen several times through the years and will be made available with a number of apps upon its release next month including a game, dedicated training app, a music controller (which will let you compare brainwaves with other XWave users, interestingly), and an “Om Meditation Timer.” If none of those titles have captured your imagination, you’ll be able to write your own apps with the device’s SDK; needless to say, we’ll be patiently waiting for the levitation app depicted here. Orders are online now for $100 with delivery in October. Continue reading XWave lets you control your iPhone with your noodle, levitate if you’re lucky XWave lets you control your iPhone with your noodle, levitate if you’re lucky originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

We thought that our homemade Theremin was difficult to control, but this one is in a different league altogether! The, ahem , brainchild of Apples In Stereo’s Robert Schneider, the Teletron takes a Mattel Mindflex game and uses it as a control voltage source for… well, any piece of musical equipment that has a CV input. In the video below, the musician / producer plugs it into a Moog analog synth and increases / decreases the pitch solely with his mind . At least the thing doesn’t give you an electric shock when you hit the wrong note! But enough jabberjaw out of us — see / hear it in action (and get some instructions, if you’d like to build your own) after the break. Continue reading Apples In Stereo man controls his Moog… with his mind! (and you can too) Apples In Stereo man controls his Moog… with his mind! (and you can too) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

We thought that our homemade Theremin was difficult to control, but this one is in a different league altogether! The, ahem , brainchild of Apples In Stereo’s Robert Schneider, the Teletron takes a Mattel Mindflex game and uses it as a control voltage source for… well, any piece of musical equipment that has a CV input. In the video below, the musician / producer plugs it into a Moog analog synth and increases / decreases the pitch solely with his mind . At least the thing doesn’t give you an electric shock when you hit the wrong note! But enough jabberjaw out of us — see / hear it in action (and get some instructions, if you’d like to build your own) after the break. Continue reading Apples In Stereo man controls his Moog… with his mind! (and you can too) Apples In Stereo man controls his Moog… with his mind! (and you can too) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Despite the downright sexy hardware, it was no surprise that the Toshiba AC100 (which has just been launched in the UK ) didn’t review very well : Android just isn’t ready to give an enjoyable smartbook experience. Our hands-on experience with the laptop at IFA did nothing to disabuse us of this notion. Again, the hardware is pretty great, a nice order of magnitude thinner and lighter than most Atom netbooks, and despite the razor thin build, Toshiba still managed to put a pretty great keyboard and trackpad in here. Unfortunately, the software just isn’t good. In fact, it isn’t even “alright,” since Toshiba has put a bunch of customizations on top of stock Android 2.1, including the same lame launcher we just saw on the Folio, and two extra browsers. We appreciate the effort, but if you’re not prepared to go all-in, Samsung-style , recent history has shown that it’s better to just leave well enough alone. Check out a quick video walkthrough after the break. Gallery: Toshiba AC100 smartbook preview Continue reading Toshiba AC100 smartbook preview: what were you expecting? Toshiba AC100 smartbook preview: what were you expecting? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Despite the downright sexy hardware, it was no surprise that the Toshiba AC100 (which has just been launched in the UK ) didn’t review very well : Android just isn’t ready to give an enjoyable smartbook experience. Our hands-on experience with the laptop at IFA did nothing to disabuse us of this notion. Again, the hardware is pretty great, a nice order of magnitude thinner and lighter than most Atom netbooks, and despite the razor thin build, Toshiba still managed to put a pretty great keyboard and trackpad in here. Unfortunately, the software just isn’t good. In fact, it isn’t even “alright,” since Toshiba has put a bunch of customizations on top of stock Android 2.1, including the same lame launcher we just saw on the Folio, and two extra browsers. We appreciate the effort, but if you’re not prepared to go all-in, Samsung-style , recent history has shown that it’s better to just leave well enough alone. Check out a quick video walkthrough after the break. Gallery: Toshiba AC100 smartbook preview Continue reading Toshiba AC100 smartbook preview: what were you expecting? Toshiba AC100 smartbook preview: what were you expecting? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Well, thar she blows — we just got this shot of the HP’s seven-inch Zeen Android tablet that’s shipping with the leaked PhotoSmart eStation C510 printer system just straight chilling in the wilds of China. Apparently this unit is a little bit closer to final than the one our other tipsters have been playing with — and unfortunately, the stock Android homescreen has been totally removed in favor of the TouchSmart UI. As we’d guessed, there’s also no Gmail app or Market access, although there is a homegrown email client and a fair bit of integration with Yahoo services like Mail and Messenger. Facebook is also preloaded, and the screenshot shows apps for 60 Minutes, MSNBC, and Dreamworks, so it looks like there’ll be some video action going on — and that Barnes & Noble logo all but confirms the Nook compatibility our previous tipsters had mentioned. There’s also a printing app and that Coupons app, which we’re guessing… prints coupons, but maybe HP’s trying to surprise us. We’re told the software is better than on earlier Zeen units and that the previously-bad touchscreen has been improved, but that there’s still work to be done before the projected late September launch. Don’t get your hopes up about snagging this one without a printer, though — we’re told the solo SKU has been canceled, and only the $399 bundle with the Zeus printer will be available. Makes sense — we’re guessing it’s all webOS for HP from here on out. One more pic after the break. Continue reading Exclusive: HP’s Zeen C510 Android tablet in the wild Exclusive: HP’s Zeen C510 Android tablet in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Well, thar she blows — we just got this shot of the HP’s seven-inch Zeen Android tablet that’s shipping with the leaked PhotoSmart eStation C510 printer system just straight chilling in the wilds of China. Apparently this unit is a little bit closer to final than the one our other tipsters have been playing with — and unfortunately, the stock Android homescreen has been totally removed in favor of the TouchSmart UI. As we’d guessed, there’s also no Gmail app or Market access, although there is a homegrown email client and a fair bit of integration with Yahoo services like Mail and Messenger. Facebook is also preloaded, and the screenshot shows apps for 60 Minutes, MSNBC, and Dreamworks, so it looks like there’ll be some video action going on — and that Barnes & Noble logo all but confirms the Nook compatibility our previous tipsters had mentioned. There’s also a printing app and that Coupons app, which we’re guessing… prints coupons, but maybe HP’s trying to surprise us. We’re told the software is better than on earlier Zeen units and that the previously-bad touchscreen has been improved, but that there’s still work to be done before the projected late September launch. Don’t get your hopes up about snagging this one without a printer, though — we’re told the solo SKU has been canceled, and only the $399 bundle with the Zeus printer will be available. Makes sense — we’re guessing it’s all webOS for HP from here on out. One more pic after the break. Continue reading Exclusive: HP’s Zeen C510 Android tablet in the wild Exclusive: HP’s Zeen C510 Android tablet in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Toshiba will be happy to tell you that its upcoming CEVO-Engine, which launches early next year in a “sub-€5,000″ TV designed by former B&O-fave design firm Jacob Jensen Design, is the best thing ever, but it takes some work to figure out just exactly why that’s the case. We did some digging, subjected our eyeballs to the display’s brilliance, and have our full thoughts on the new tech after the break. Gallery: Toshiba LED TV 55ZL1 Gallery: Toshiba 55LZ1 preview Continue reading Toshiba’s CEVO-Engine is Cell on steroids, with an ultra-bright LED LCD to burn your eyeballs into submission Toshiba’s CEVO-Engine is Cell on steroids, with an ultra-bright LED LCD to burn your eyeballs into submission originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Toshiba will be happy to tell you that its upcoming CEVO-Engine, which launches early next year in a “sub-€5,000″ TV designed by former B&O-fave design firm Jacob Jensen Design, is the best thing ever, but it takes some work to figure out just exactly why that’s the case. We did some digging, subjected our eyeballs to the display’s brilliance, and have our full thoughts on the new tech after the break. Gallery: Toshiba LED TV 55ZL1 Gallery: Toshiba 55LZ1 preview Continue reading Toshiba’s CEVO-Engine is Cell on steroids, with an ultra-bright LED LCD to burn your eyeballs into submission Toshiba’s CEVO-Engine is Cell on steroids, with an ultra-bright LED LCD to burn your eyeballs into submission originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink