Tech News Updates

Looks like our pals at Research In Motion are taking the company name literally this week — they’ve got a pair of patent applications target ads to automobiles and pedestrians on the street by dynamically changing their information density. By taking a page out of Google’s book and measuring the relative position of GPS-equipped phones (or using traditional sensors should that fail), RIM wants to create digital billboards that automatically add details the slower traffic gets. In one example, a “Road House Restaurant” could display only the name and exit number of the joint in giant letters when traffic moves quickly, but pitch that delectable pecan pie more thoroughly when it’s stop and go — but RIM’s thinking a bit further than that, suggesting that when vehicles are particularly slow, you could pull out your phone and get a coupon by photographing a projected QR code . The future, ladies and gentlemen. RIM tries to patent billboards that adjust to roadside traffic originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 07:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

We still maintain that you’ve got better options than TomTom when it comes to iPhone GPS software, but if you pulled the trigger before giving yourself a moment to consider what you were actually doing, this here news may just interest you. In an effort to maintain compatibility with Apple’s latest and greatest iPhone , TomTom is now including a simple adapter for all Car Kit orders going out on September 1st or later. If you ordered one prior to that, you can apply down in the source link for a freebie to be sent your way. Or just hack something up in the garage that looks like the insert above. Your call, vaquero. [Thanks, Dan] Continue reading TomTom offers free iPhone 4 adapter for Car Kit TomTom offers free iPhone 4 adapter for Car Kit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Nike’s dalliances with technology should be familiar to our readers by now, with the crowning jewel of course being the Nike+ run-tracking software that pairs a shoe-mounted sensor with your iPhone or iPod. Well, it was . The gargantuan sportswear company is moving with the times and throwing the hardware away with the introduction of its all-new Nike+ GPS application. No longer restricting our running shoe choice is groovy, but the app itself has the even loftier aim of simultaneously acting as your fitness guru, motivator and record keeper. And all it asks in return is access to the accelerometer and GPS modules in your iOS 4 -equipped iPhone or iPod touch. So, let’s see how this baby runs, shall we? Gallery: Nike+ GPS app screenshots Continue reading App review: Nike+ GPS App review: Nike+ GPS originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Nike’s dalliances with technology should be familiar to our readers by now, with the crowning jewel of course being the Nike+ run-tracking software that pairs a shoe-mounted sensor with your iPhone or iPod. Well, it was . The gargantuan sportswear company is moving with the times and throwing the hardware away with the introduction of its all-new Nike+ GPS application. No longer restricting our running shoe choice is groovy, but the app itself has the even loftier aim of simultaneously acting as your fitness guru, motivator and record keeper. And all it asks in return is access to the accelerometer and GPS modules in your iOS 4 -equipped iPhone or iPod touch. So, let’s see how this baby runs, shall we? Gallery: Nike+ GPS app screenshots Continue reading App review: Nike+ GPS App review: Nike+ GPS originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Digg We got an early look at TomTom’s Go Live 1000 navigation unit back in April, and it looks like you’ll soon finally be able to get your hands on it as well — if you’re in Europe, that is. The company’s just announced that the 4.3-inch GPS will be available this month, and will soon be followed by the Go Live 1005 in October, which adds a larger 5-inch screen. One of the big selling points here is that both screens are of the capacitive variety (complete with TomTom’s so-called “Fluid Touch”), and you’ll also get a nifty new magnetic windshield mount that lets you easily remove the device when you leave the car. Otherwise, you can expect to get a year of free “HD Traffic” information with each, along with TomTom Weather, IQ Routes, and Local Search with Google, among some other standard fare. Still no word on a release over here, but you can look for the 1000 and 1005 to run

We still consider Samsung’s Hummingbird application processor to be among the very best for mobile computers, but this morning Sammy itself is stepping up the charge to make it look real old real fast. The freshly announced dual-core Orion promises to whip us all into a frenzy of geek lust with “5 times the 3D graphics performance over the previous processor generation from Samsung,” 1080p video encoding and decoding at 30fps, embedded GPS, a native triple display controller, and on-chip HDMI 1.3a interface. Those last two bits mean you can drive two displays on your mobile device while feeding a third, such as a HDTV, all thanks to the one all-powerful chip inside. Availability for “select customers” is coming late this year, with mass production set for the first half of 2011. To say we’re looking forward to it would be a massive understatement. Continue reading Samsung’s Orion is the 1GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 we’ve all been waiting for Samsung’s Orion is the 1GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 we’ve all been waiting for originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Looks like we can take the guesswork out of today’s leaked render , after all. A generous (and, as usual, anonymous) reader just sent us a handful of pictures of what appears to be — quite convincingly, we might add — the Samsung NX100 we’ve been eying since a low-res snapshot came to light last month. According to our tipster, video on the camera is great and changing settings is easy, on par with DSLRs, but the of course size still doesn’t compare to point-and-shoots. And to repeat the earlier specs, now that they seem more likely: 4.74 x 2.8 x 1.36 inches, 9.95 ounces, an external GPS receptor, an external EVF with 201K resolution, and a (non-articulating) display that’s 921K AMOLED. A shame we can’t claim those fingers for our own just yet, but patience is a virtue. Or something like that — it’s not like we have a choice, might as well say something to feel better about it. Gallery: Exclusive: Samsung NX100 in the wild Exclusive: Samsung NX100 in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 21:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

We’re not quite sure what to make of this, as our first reaction is to label it a fan made render and move on. But it’s a very detailed render, so let’s hear this one out in between bites of freshly grilled burger (or whatever you do to celebrate Labor Day; we think more working is an appropriate course of action, but to each his or her own). So what you see surfaced on the Digital Photography Review forums is an apparent render of the Samsung NX100 and a diagram pictured after the break — labeled by number but missing the complementary key. We still don’t know much about the forum poster nor the images’ origins, but later on he or she did provide supposed dimensions and some display specifications: 4.74 x 2.8 x 1.36 inches, 9.95 ounces, an external GPS receptor, an external EVF with 201K resolution, and a (non-articulating) display that’s 921K AMOLED. We’re intrigued to say the least, but nothing tangible at the moment. Continue reading Alleged Samsung NX100 pics and specs surface Alleged Samsung NX100 pics and specs surface originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

First the good news, for those who’ve waited months to get their paws on that 11.6-inch multitouch capacitive screen: there’s no longer anything stopping you from dropping a stack of change on the Windows 7-wielding ExoPC . Originally restricted to the first 1,200 dedicated fans, preorders are now open to all, with the 32GB tablet setting you back CAD $649 (about $624) and the 64GB version CAD $749 (about $720), with both models featuring up-to-160MB/s fast SanDisk P4 mini-SSDs and up to four hours of battery life. The bad news is that you’ll no longer find GPS on that 64GB model, as the prototype didn’t pan out, and we’re afraid that September 30th ship date has already slid back to October 15th. Take a gander at our hands-on preview (or better yet, wait for our review) if you’ve yet to make your mind up. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] ExoPC preorders open to all from CAD $649, tablet loses GPS but gains SanDisk SSD originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Looks like Garmin’s cellular n