Author: Tymbndr

Having trouble with the barrage of smartphone news in recent weeks? Don't worry, we've got you covered in this Friday's edition of our e-publication. The focus this week is the on-going quest for the ultimate smartphone champion. In our search, we take a look at the recently outted Samsung Galaxy S III while putting both the AT&T HTC One X and the Sprint Galaxy Nexus through their paces. While he's a fan of their thin frames, Darren Murph demands better battery life in new laptops and his editorial offers some thoughts on the matter. Our hands-on section is all CTIA this week, as we look back at a handful of gadgets that caught our eye. Smartphone reviews just not doing the trick this week? Well, we take the Jawbone Big Jambox for a spin in this week's issue as well. Yes, all the regulars are here -- including Reaction Time with a word on The Avengers and Call of Duty. Stat takes a look at phone profits, Switched On tackles smartplayers, IRL takes another peek in our backpacks, Square's CTO Bob Lee gets cozy with the Q&A and Dustin Harbin offers the Last Word on excessive texters. So, grab a seat in your favorite reading chair and hit the download link of your choice to get your copy of our tablet mag.

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Distro Issue 40: the battle for smartphone dominance continues and we go hands-on at CTIA 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 09:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sure, it's not as revolutionary as the new automated ad skipping built into its DVRs, but Dish Network has also just revamped its Remote Access iPad app. While other pay-TV providers are proud about streaming channels to mobile devices only within the home or shifting a few recordings, Dish's tight Sling integration still provides the most video wherever the user might be, as well as DVR management, a full guide and remote control. The 3.0.3 upgrade brings an entirely new user interface that's optimized for the retina display, guide data without interrupting the video, favorite channels list, and claims to speed up the process of both loading various screens and connecting to stream live TV. Hit iTunes for the updated app or read the press release after the break for more details and let us know how it's working for you.

Gallery: Dish Network Remote Access iPad app

Continue reading Dish Network Remote Access iPad app upgrade brings a new UI, more speed

Dish Network Remote Access iPad app upgrade brings a new UI, more speed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 08:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After a disappointing initial go-round on Blu-ray back in '06 due to poor picture quality (which was improved upon slightly in a later Studiocanal release overseas), the 1990 version of Total Recall is coming back to the US with a "Mind-Bending" Blu-ray Edition this summer. Timed to hit shelves along with the remake that's arriving in theaters, Blu-ray.com mentions this one promises a video transfer process supervised by original director Paul Verhoeven. There will even apparently be brand new extras including an interview with Verhoeven and featurette comparing the restoration process from the original film negative, although the Governator himself Arnold Schwarzenegger appears to be absent. The new version should run $14.99 when it arrives July 31st, assuming you're not already camped out for the Colin Farrell / Kate Beckinsale / Jessica Biel flick which opens up August 3rd. Theatrical trailers for both versions follow after the break.

Continue reading Total Recall 'Mind-Bending' Blu-ray remembers a better looking video transfer July 31st

Total Recall 'Mind-Bending' Blu-ray remembers a better looking video transfer July 31st originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 06:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We may still be years away from watching the sweet, sweet 33MP resolution video promised by Super Hi-Vision in our own homes, but over in Japan, NHK engineers are slowly working out the various kinks keeping it from us. Their latest development is this camera seen above on the left, capable of recording 8K in a camera head that is smaller and lighter than the previous unit (the new one weighs 4kg, about 1/5th the weight) shown on the right, and is more comparable to the size of a standard HDTV camera. According to the NHK the savings were achieved by developing a new single plate color imaging mechanism and eliminating the need for a prism to separate the colors beforehand, so it's small enough to be used with standard SLR camera lenses. Sure, it's not quite ready to go on your next vacation, but if you're in Japan you can get a peek at it (and that 145-inch 8K Panasonic plasma) at the broadcaster's open house later this month.

NHK shrinks its 8K Super Hi-Vision-ready camcorder to the size of HD cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 05:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking for something a little more than your average online music store has to offer? Then you may soon want to give Onkyo's somewhat niche e-onkyo service some consideration. It's set to be the first store to offer music in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 -- something that will initially be limited to just 100 albums (heavy on the classical, from the looks of things) and require a compatible Onkyo receiver. Those downloads will also only be available in Japan initially (where they're rolling out on May 30th), but Dolby says they'll be available "elsewhere in the world" sometime this fall. Not surprisingly, that new option will demand a bit of a premium as well, with albums starting at ¥3,000 (or about $35) and singles setting you back ¥400 (or $5).

Continue reading E-Onkyo music service becomes first to offer Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio

E-Onkyo music service becomes first to offer Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 04:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last we heard from Cablevision, it was bringing its Optimum Online live TV streaming to Windows and Macs. Shifting directions to its more "traditional" cable offerings, the company now has good news for folks who've been generally bummed out about the 24-hour viewing window allotted with movie rentals on its iO TV service. Just in time for your weekend movie marathon, the company has announced that "hundreds" of its on-demand movie rentals will now last for 48 hours with unlimited viewing -- huzzah! As usual, content pricing starts at three bucks, and you'll be pleased to know that all that extra time comes at no additional cost to your subscription. Better yet, the amount of titles part of the deal to grow over time, and you'll find all the details in the press release after the break. Perhaps most notable is all the time you'll have to grab more microwaveable popcorn.

Continue reading 'Hundreds' of Cablevision iO TV on-demand rentals now last 48 hours, procrastinators rejoice

'Hundreds' of Cablevision iO TV on-demand rentals now last 48 hours, procrastinators rejoice originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 02:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Life, Liberty and the pursuit of free WiMAX? According to FreedomPop, yeah, that seems to be the deal. The outfit, started by one of Skype's co-founders, is peddling $99 WiMAX-equipped iPhone cases that share up to 500GB of free data per month via an embedded WiFi module. The case also extends battery life by six hours and enables FaceTime everywhere you go. FreedomPop Sleeve rumors have been circling the net since December, but now the company is taking things to the next level by officially accepting pre-orders for a launch some time after July 1st. It seems that the company intends to get you hooked on free data in the hopes of selling you premium features later on, such as a VoIP tool and a $0.01 charge per megabyte over the monthly data limit. There's a video of the device in action after the break.

Continue reading FreedomPop Sleeve wants to spread 'free' WiMAX love in the form of a $99 iPhone case

FreedomPop Sleeve wants to spread 'free' WiMAX love in the form of a $99 iPhone case originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 02:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Most every touchscreen in the market today can only register your finger input as coordinates; that's fine for most uses, but it leads to a lot of double-taps and occasionally convoluted gestures. A pair of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, Chris Harrison and Scott Hudson, have suggested that shear touch might be a smarter solution. Instead of gliding over fixed glass, your finger could handle secondary tasks by pushing in a specific direction, or simply pushing harder, on a sliding display. Among the many examples of what shear touch could do, the research duo has raised the possibility of skipping through music by pushing left and right, or scrolling more slowly through your favorite website with a forceful dragging motion. The academic paper is still far away from producing a shipping device, although a Microsoft doctoral fellowship's partial contribution to funding the study indicates one direction the technology might go. You can take a peek at the future in a video after the jump -- just don't expect a tablet-based Van Gogh this soon.

[Thanks, Chris]

Continue reading New shear touch technology lets you skip a double-tap, push your device around (video)

New shear touch technology lets you skip a double-tap, push your device around (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 01:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The carrier-backed Isis mobile payment service added a batch of new financial partners earlier this year, and it's now back with another fairly big addition. The venture announced today that it has brought American Express' various credit card offerings into the fold (including the company's own mobile-linked Serve cards), which will let users of those cards load them into the Isis app and make payments with their NFC-equipped smartphone -- when the service begins its rollout this summer, that is. As you may recall, American Express itself had already signed on as an Isis partner last year, but this is the first time that the company has committed to tying its cards to the platform -- which is a rather important little detail.

Continue reading Isis bolsters its mobile wallet with American Express cards

Isis bolsters its mobile wallet with American Express cards originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 00:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you like your computing to be neither seen, nor heard (or less seen and less heard), J&W has announced another bantam slab of nettop for your consideration. On the inside there's a choice of Cedar Trail D2550, N2800 and N2600 dual-core options, with support for up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM. Diminutive machines don't mean lack of I/O, and in this case you'll be getting three USB ports, a multicard reader, LAN, HDMI, VGA and RS232. Fanlesstech points out that it's actually a nano-ITX system, which measuring in at only 135 x 128 x 45 mm means it can be tucked away into even more convenient crevices. Just make sure not to hide it away too securely, else that 8011.n WiFi might suffer.

J&W announces M001 Cedar Trail nettop, to keep desks and ears happy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 23:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last we heard from Cablevision, it was bringing its Optimum App live TV streaming to Windows and Macs. Shifting directions to its more "traditional" cable offerings, the company now has good news for folks who've been generally bummed out about the 24-hour viewing window allotted with movie rentals on its iO TV service. Just in time for your weekend movie marathon, the company has announced that "hundreds" of its on-demand movie rentals will now last for 48 hours with unlimited viewing -- huzzah! As usual, content pricing starts at three bucks, and you'll be pleased to know that all that extra time comes at no additional cost to your subscription. Better yet, the amount of titles part of the deal to grow over time, and you'll find all the details in the press release after the break. Perhaps most notable is all the time you'll have to grab more microwaveable popcorn.

Continue reading 'Hundreds' of Cablevision iO TV on-demand rentals now last 48 hours, procrastinators rejoice

'Hundreds' of Cablevision iO TV on-demand rentals now last 48 hours, procrastinators rejoice originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 02:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: TV

Second and third generation Apple TV boxes have a new software update to keep an eye out for, and now that the changelog has been posted for 5.0.1 we can see what it brings. According to this screen grab from Apple's support page, the update adds HD previews for TV shows and movies in the iTunes store, and fixes issues affecting AirPlay, Home Sharing, Netflix and more. Of course, FireCore warns jailbroken fans to stay away from the update button for now, all others should get a prompt on their hockey puck sooner rather than later.

Apple TV 5.0.1 update rolls out, brings HD iTunes previews and a few fixes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 19:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting this week, you'll find any newly-minted DVDs and Blu-ray discs will now include a similarly fresh anti-piracy message. Homeland Security's special agent badge now partners up with the FBI's own emblem on the new warning played before DVDs -- and it looks like it'll still be unskippable. If this dynamic duo isn't enough to scare into legitimate media consumption, how about another warning screen to really bring it on home? This one features the National Intellectual Property Center, which follows the same "piracy is bad" message, offering a helpful link as to why -- one we're sure you're going to investigate in the middle of movie night. Interestingly, these new screens themselves are still not in the public domain and only the major US movie studios are authorized to use them. No news yet on whether the authorities plan to include another screen explaining this, but you can check that second warning that you'll soon be yelling at right after the break.

Continue reading New DVD anti-piracy warning now packs double the nag

New DVD anti-piracy warning now packs double the nag originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 16:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With the recent spring TiVo Premiere update we figured it was as good of a time as any to spend some quality time with the newly-renamed TiVo Premiere XL4. The highest model in the TiVo line, the XL4 costs $399 plus $15 a month, or $499 for lifetime service. For the money, it records four HD shows at once with a single CableCARD and offers 2TB of storage. More tuners and space aren't the only things that have changed since we gave the original TiVo Premiere a once-over just two years ago. No, there have been a few notable releases as well as the release of the TiVo Slide Remote and a number of TiVo companion apps for phones and tablets. How all that comes together is exactly what you'll find out should you choose to click on through to the other side.

Gallery: TiVo Premiere XL4 review

Continue reading TiVo Premiere XL4 review

TiVo Premiere XL4 review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 12:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: YouTube

As promised at CES earlier this year, TiVo has released its Spring update with the anticipated new Netflix and YouTube apps, as well as porting parental control options to the Premiere's HD user interface. Netflix is the most intriguing of the additions, but while TiVo Premiere owners can now watch Netflix 1080p programming with Dolby Digital Plus discrete surround sound, like Hulu Plus, it isn't a TiVo experience. The new Google-built YouTube app is also like any other streamer and with the exception of search, there isn't much integration at all. Parental control options can finally be set when using the HD UI, but still isn't as full featured as it was with the old UI and is a far cry from KidZone. What the update doesn't do yet however, is complete the HD interface transformation that some Premiere owners have been waiting two years for. Still, we suspect that caveat won't stop owners from rolling the dice on an update check for their TiVo every day over the next few weeks.

TiVo Spring update brings new Netflix and YouTube experience originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 12:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: YouTube