iida Polaris: Phone meets robot, robot meets Japan (video!)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/09/iida-polaris-phone-meets-robot-robot-meets-japan-video/

While Sony's Rolly is about as useful as, well, a tiny dancing robot, at least iida's Polaris concept doubles as a cellphone plus dock. Beneath the enormity of the flowery product page rests little in the way of specs -- it is just a concept after all, developed in partnership with Flower Robotics. The robot features "learning functions" to monitor your physical condition and suggest recipes and exercise. Failing that, it can also suggest possible medical intervention. The longer he's with you the more attune he is to your well-being. Perfect -- when we're old and infirmed at the end of days, our personal Polaris can represent us at the government mandated death panel. Take a peak at your doomsayer in the videos after the break.

[Via Akihabara News]

Continue reading iida Polaris: Phone meets robot, robot meets Japan (video!)

Filed under: Cellphones, Robots

iida Polaris: Phone meets robot, robot meets Japan (video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permal! ink& nbsp;| Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Pandora comes to Android, world's networks that much closer to buckling

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/09/pandora-comes-to-android-worlds-networks-that-much-closer-to-b/

As must-have mobile apps go, Pandora ranks high on the books -- with the proliferation of 3G and WiFi, it comes dangerously close to obsoleting the need to carry around your own 8, 16, or 32GB worth of tracks -- and another big-ticket platform has now joined the compatibility short list. This time around it's Android that's getting hooked up, offering a home screen widget and background playback (we'd expect no less on Android) over whatever type of network connection you've got handy. Using Wham! as a station seed is still indefensible, but we'd say the argument for scooping up a G1, myTouch 3G, or Sprint Hero (when it's available, anyhow) just got a bit stronger.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Portable Audio

Pandora comes to Android, world's networks that much closer to buckling originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

ASUS dubs self SonicMaster, outs N61 an N71 laptops to prove it

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/09/asus-dubs-self-sonicmaster-outs-n61-an-n71-laptops-to-prove-it/

If what's been missing from your life lately can be quantified as a large widescreen laptop with "unparalleled audio reproduction" and up to a GeForce GT240M graphics card, you'd better listen up, partner. ASUS has just introduced the 16-inch N61 and 17.3-inch N71, both of which will sport up to a Core 2 Quad Q9000 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a Blu-ray drive, and the aforementioned GPU with a gigabyte of dedicated memory. The primary differences are in resolution and storage, where the N61 makes do with 1366 x 768 and 500GB versus 1600 x 900 and up to 1TB spread over two HDDs on the N71. We suspect the SonicMaster "dedicated resonance space arrangement" might be as useful as those 'shopped speakers in the picture, so we'd still advise getting a solid pair of headphones.

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS dubs self SonicMaster, outs N61 an N71 laptops to prove it originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Co! mments

Read More...

Summary only...

Video: Hard Rock Cafe Vegas Strip gets ginormous interactive Rock Wall

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/09/video-hard-rock-cafe-vegas-strip-gets-ginormous-interactive-roc/

We didn't think too much of Obscura Digital's multi-touch hologram when we spotted it last August, but evidently the company has been working overtime in order to outfit Hard Rock's newest cafe with a monstrous interactive video wall. Hard Rock Cafe Vegas Strip is the chain's second venue in Sin City, but it's far and away the one to hit if you're a self-proclaimed nerd. Aside from having access to a number of Microsoft Surface-based installations, you'll also spend a good bit of time navigating the Rock Wall. The 18- x 4-foot touch wall (video after the break) enables up to six guests to simultaneously surf through the outfit's expansive memorabilia collection, with options to zoom and flick through oodles of images. Obscura claims that it just might be the world's highest resolution interactive display available to the public, with a trio of HD projectors beaming the content from behind the glass. Not like you really needed another excuse to add one more HRC shirt / pin / glass to your collection, but feel free to express your gratitude in comments below.

Read - Hard Rock's press release
Read - Obscura Digital's take

Continue reading Video: Hard Rock Cafe Vegas Strip gets ginormous interactive Rock Wall

Filed under: Displays, Misc. Gadgets

Video: Hard Rock Cafe Veg! as Strip gets ginormous interactive Rock Wall originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 05:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

ASUS gets classy with sleek UL series laptop range

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/09/asus-gets-classy-with-sleek-ul-series-laptop-range/

If ASUS' N61 / N71 laptops were just too -- shall we say, glamorous -- for you, how's about the ultra-classy UL lineup? Short for UnLimited possibilities (groan), the UL series offers up a variety of models, all of which rely on Intel's CULV platform for juice and can squeeze up to 12 hours of claimed battery life thanks to having both discrete and integrated graphics onboard. The 1-inch thin machines arrive in either black or brushed aluminum, with room for up to 8GB of DDR2 RAM, a dual-layer DVD burner, a Core 2 Duo CPU and hard drives as large as 500GB. Both 14- and 15.6-inch models are available, though your guess is as good as ours when it comes to pricing and availability.

[Via HotHardware]

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS gets classy with sleek UL series laptop range originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...