Joystiq: Your mother-in-law is going to love Angry Birds Space

Rovio's furious fowl have fought menacing swine on traditional battlefields, foreign fronts and even through seasonal holidays -- outer space was obviously the next logical step. In case you somehow haven't heard, Angry Birds Space sees casual gaming's most perturbed feathered heroes escaping terra firma to, as always, reclaim their stolen eggs. Joystiq describes the title as a tweaked, but familiar affair with a new twist that literally changes the gravity of the situation -- challenging players with inventive stages built around planetoids that divert and redirect the birds' trajectories. Sure, it might not resurrect a dead horse, but the new mechanic, they said, is probably enough to keep your in-laws entertained. Hit the source link below check out Joystiq's full review.

Joystiq: Your mother-in-law is going to love Angry Birds Space originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marvel announces augmented reality app, exclusive digital comics at SXSW

Not content with simply doling out free digital comics to fans who favor the tangible page, Marvel is now giving readers a new reason to reach for their tablets: augmented reality. Android and iOS devices will be able to look beyond the page using Marvel AR, an Aurasma-powered app slated to launch alongside Avengers vs. X-Men #1 this April. When pointed at a compatible comic, the app will server up creator commentary videos, extra art and interactive 3D models of Earth's greatest heroes.

Don't worry, your standard Marvel Comics app isn't being replaced -- in fact, it's getting a new line of sequential funnybooks called Marvel Infinite Comics. "Writers and artists now have a whole host of new tools at their disposal to redefine the comic book medium," Marvel Comics Editor in Chief Axel Alonso said at SXSW this week, "Current tablets and smartphones, along with comiXology's Guided View technology, allow us to develop new, full length stories for a different medium that are very much truly comics -- but experienced by readers in a way no other major company has ever executed." The digital-exclusive series kicks off with Avengers vs. X-Men #1 Infinite, which incidentally, will be free to folks who pick up the similarly named physical book. Ready for the revolution ReEvolution? Check out the links below for Marvel's official announcement and CNET's hands-on video.

Marvel announces augmented reality app, exclusive digital comics at SXSW originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 01:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WinZip comes to iOS, doesn’t nag you to register

WinZip comes to iOS, doesn't nag you to register originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tamaggo 360-imager concept hands-on

Why settle for a boring 62-degree view (the field of view of a 35mm lens) when you could be taking in the full 360? Well, we suppose iPhone attachments are needlessly bulky, and throwable camera orbs can easily concuss bad catchers -- but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have options. The Tamaggo 360-imager, for instance, might be a pretty good option. This egg shaped (Tamaggo / Tamago, get it Japanese students?) camera natively snaps 360-degree images -- at least we trust it does, the non-functional unit we saw on the CES show floor mostly just fit our hand well.

Snapping 360-degree images seemed like an easy enough task -- a large silver button sits comfortably on the device's top, representing the shutter. On the eggs bottom we found a spot reserved for a 2-inch touchscreen, specifically designed to be viewed while holding the device aloft. All in all, the Tamaggo seems like a very comfortable camera to use, and promises a fun gimmick -- we're just sad we didn't get to actually use it. Either way, we'll take a crack at the panoramic egg once its ready for prime time.


Daniel Cooper contributed to this post.

Tamaggo 360-imager concept hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iCade cuts the fat for CES, introduces handheld brother

The iCade has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a ThinkGeek April Fool's gag. After trading out a fictional 30-pin dock connector for a very real Bluetooth radio and well, actual existence, it even spawned a (notably competitive) copycat product. This week, ION is unveiling a pair of new iCade products at CES, streamlining the original nostalgic tablet dock, as well as expanding its tactile toggles to iPhone and iPod touch owners.

The iCade Core faithfully recreates the original rig's control setup, Bluetooth connectivity, and passthrough charging cable, but kills the cabinet motif in favor of landscape support. Although there's no word yet on pricing for slimmed down arcade dock, ION says it should launch sometime in 2012. The new iCade Mobile, on the other hand, is penned in for a Q2 launch; it'll set you back $100 and score your iPod touch / iPhone four shoulder buttons, four face buttons and a classic D-Pad. The gamepad dock also swivels your device into landscape and portrait modes. Stay tuned for our hands on, or read on for the official PR.

Continue reading iCade cuts the fat for CES, introduces handheld brother

iCade cuts the fat for CES, introduces handheld brother originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iTether app skirts AT&T tethering plan, sets up shop in iOS App Store

Ready to share your iPhone's data plan with your laptop without springing for the requisite tethering plan? No, it's not another brightly colored, data smuggling easter egg, it's iTether, a USB tethering app that has apparently made its way through Apple's approval process. The data sharing newcomer promises to pipe your existing data plan to your PC via a companion desktop application. If history is anything to go by, this $15 app won't be available for long, so you'd better get while the getting's good -- it seems that high demand has already taken Tether's website down.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

iTether app skirts AT&T tethering plan, sets up shop in iOS App Store originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Siri port now talking to Apple servers, avoiding Cydia

A little cajoling from a clever developer got Siri talking to the iPhone 4 and the iPad, but Apple's tight-lipped servers kept the conversation effectively one-sided. The last-gen port was still missing something, and developer Steven Troughton-Smith knew where to find it: a jailbroken iPhone 4S. In an interview with 9to5mac, Troughton-Smith said that getting Siri to talk to Cupertino's data servers only took ten minutes after he had all of the pieces in place. Ready for your personal assistant port? Hold the phone, the process is a bit dodgy -- our hacking hero said that getting Siri on the older device is a 20-step process, and it requires files from the iPhone 4S that he says aren't his to distribute. When asked about distributing the hack over Cydia, Troughton-Smith said it was something he couldn't be a part of. On Twitter he suggested that a release would "anger the hive," but promised to post detailed notes on the hack after a iPhone 4S jailbreak drops.

Filed under: Cellphones

Siri port now talking to Apple servers, avoiding Cydia originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Oct 2011 03:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Siri gets lost internationally, promises to do better next year

The iPhone 4S' Siri integration may be a potential game changer, but she's not quite the world traveler some of us would like her to be. In fact, it seems she's as lost outside of US borders as any unprepared tourist. Looking for a pub in London? Better find a traditional map. Need to know the time of day in Canada? Siri admits she has no idea, go buy a watch. Business search (via Yelp), directions, traffic data, and Wolfram Alpha search all appear to be US-only features for now. The automated assistant's international failings aren't too big of a surprise, however -- Apple's own Siri page outs the service as a beta, noting that some features may vary by area. Stuck with sub-par international support? Sit tight, it's coming: Apple's Siri FAQ states that additional language support (including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Italian and Spanish), maps and local search content are set to go international in 2012.

Siri gets lost internationally, promises to do better next year originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AirPlay Mirroring coming to iPhone 4S, not just for iPads

That snazzy AirPlay Mirroring feature Apple showed off at WWDC earlier this year is back for an encore, and now it's strutting its stuff on the iPhone 4S. Previously we saw AirPlay piping an iPad 2 to the big screen by way of Apple TV, but the upcoming iOS 5 features seems to have broadened it horizons -- letting Apple handsets get in on the HDTV mirroring love. AirPlay not your thing? Don't worry, you can still score high-def mirroring action using a wired dongle. Skip on past the break for a peek at the accessory that will make your next $2,000 Halloween costume that much easier to build.

Continue reading AirPlay Mirroring coming to iPhone 4S, not just for iPads

AirPlay Mirroring coming to iPhone 4S, not just for iPads originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim Cook: Macbook Pro and iMac are the best selling notebook and desktop in the US

Tim Cook kicked off today's 'Let's talk iPhone' event by the numbers, mentioning that "the MacBook Pro and iMac are the number one best selling notebook and desktop in the United States." Apparently the Mac platform grew by 23 percent over the last year, versus a four percent growth from the PC sector. Brandishing a chart tracing the trend back five years, Cook says that Apple is now pushing 60 million Mac users worldwide, leaving Cupertino just shy of owning a fourth of the personal computer market. "There are still 77 percent of people who are buying something else," Cook said, "We have an incredibly high ceiling here. We have a long way to go."

Follow along in our ongoing liveblog right here!

Tim Cook: Macbook Pro and iMac are the best selling notebook and desktop in the US originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ion Piano Apprentice plays nice with your iPad, lights up your life

It's not enough anymore to simply cram a single-octave keyboard into the bottom of a Nintendo DS, effective piano instruction requires at least twice as many keys -- and an iPad. The Ion Piano Apprentice (when coupled with a compatible iDevice and companion app) offers aspiring Tchaikovskys octave-selectable free play, lessons on reading sheet music, and even a view of award-winning piano instructor Scott Houston's handsome hands. If those mitts are too distracting for you, just follow along with the light-up keys, you'll be fine. This mini keyboard / iPad dock will land this fall to the tune of $100 -- -- it's either that, a real instructor, or a pair of haptic robot gloves. Your choice, really. Hit the PR after the break for a peek at Mr. Houston's official nickname, if you're into that sort of thing.

Continue reading Ion Piano Apprentice plays nice with your iPad, lights up your life

Ion Piano Apprentice plays nice with your iPad, lights up your life originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leak: future iOS update to introduce Siri-based voice control

When Apple snatched up Siri back in April, we had to wonder exactly what Cupertino was planning for the voice controlled virtual assistant. The answer, according to a new leak, is unsurprisingly obvious: iOS integration. A screenshot leaked to 9to5Mac flaunts an "Assistant" feature presumably built into a firmware update. To back up the screenshot, the aforesaid site dove into the iOS SDK and uncovered code describing Siri-like use of the iPhone's location, contact list, and song metadata. The code also outlined a "speaker" feature, opening a door for further Nuance integration in Apple products. Sound awesome? Sure it does, but keep it salty: 9to5's source says the assistant feature only just went into testing, and may not be ready in time for Apple's next big handset upgrade. Hit the source link to see the code and conjecture for yourself.

Leak: future iOS update to introduce Siri-based voice control originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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US Army runs smartphone trial, could see ‘limited deployment’ later this year

Sure, the US Army could continue to develop expensive proprietary gadgets for use in the field, or they could make the switch to (relatively) inexpensive off-the-shelf smartphones. It's a change that's been considered for some time, and the Army is now at the tail end of a six-week trial of more than 300 Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone devices for military use. The results have been promising, according to program director Michael McCarthy, stating that younger soldiers who grew up with smartphones and handhelds are very comfortable using them for military purposes.

Soldiers in the field can text GPS coordinates, send pictures of their surroundings, or file common reports directly from their phone. Despite positive results, the Army still has some hurdles to jump before taking the plunge -- some of the phones had OS bugs, others (specifically, iPhones running on AT&T) couldn't get signal in the New Mexico and Texas testing areas, and none of the devices were secure enough for use in overseas operations. The Army is considering tying the phones to tactical radios to help encrypt transmissions, and are testing self contained "cell tower in a suitcase" equipment to ensure coverage in sensitive locations. The Military hopes to push out limited deployment this year, and Army program director Ed Mazzanti has stated that they expect to select two mobile operating systems for official use, noting that "iPhone and Android have been very well received." Sure, using multiple platforms may help protect soldiers against cyber attacks, but we can't be the only ones worried the Army is unintentionally breeding a generation of fanboys with guns, can we?

US Army runs smartphone trial, could see 'limited deployment' later this year originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crowdflow tracks 880 iPhones across Europe, wants to put you on the map

Do you have dreams of becoming a digital firefly, flitting back and forth across Europe? The folks at Crowdflow can help with that -- all you need to do is use your iPhone, and adopt a share-alike attitude. Using location data collected from 880 iPhones, the team has created a video showing iPhone movement through Europe for the month of April, 2011. This glowing digital ballet is just a start, however -- Crowdflow is asking iPhone users to extract and submit their own location logs to help build a visual map of how cellular networks are distributed throughout the world. If you're not afraid of lending your geodata to an open database, hit up the source link for your own chance to join in Crowdflow's eerie cellular glow.

Crowdflow tracks 880 iPhones across Europe, wants to put you on the map originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Location-aware album gives Washington DC dynamically modified soundtrack

Musical duo Bluebrain has taken the guesswork out of listening to music -- their latest album dictates where you can listen to it, what songs it plays, and when it plays them. Take that, playlists! The album, titled The National Mall, will be available only as an iPhone app and the band is calling it the first location-aware album. The app... er, album, uses your phone's GPS to track one's proximity to hundreds of tagged zones spread throughout the landmarks of the Washington DC National Mall, dynamically tweaking the rhythm, melody, instrumentation, and pace of the music as you go.

Despite this fancy smartphone integration, Bluebrain stresses that this is still an album, not a toy or augmented reality application. The experience is strictly location specific, no user input necessary, or available. Want to hear a new melody or arrangement? Walk to a different monument. The project's location-specific nature means that fans outside of the DC area are out of luck for now. The band says two more GPS-powered albums are on the way -- one designed for Brooklyn's Prospect Park, and another spanning the entire length of California's Highway 1. Music, measured in miles -- neat, but Hwy. 1 manages just fine on its own, wouldn't you say?

Location-aware album gives Washington DC dynamically modified soundtrack originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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