Apple TV gaming hinted strongly in iOS 4.3 beta code

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/09/apple-tv-gaming-hinted-strongly-in-ios-4-3-beta-code/

Let's not jump to any conclusions, but a trusted tipster has uncovered evidence that's suggests some folks in Cupertino have learned a thing or two from Xbox Live. New code in the iOS 4.3 beta 3 firmware hints that Apple TV may soon support online gaming. Several references have been found pertaining to "ATVGames" and "ATVThunder" that point to a controller of some sort, leaderboards (think Game Center), a way to schedule games (multiplayer?), and a store front (think App Store, iTunes). We're particularly intrigued by two strings -- "com.apple.appletv.play.live.thunder" and ".play.archive.thunder" -- but what those actually mean in the grand scheme of things is ultimately ambiguous. Apple TV's minimum storage capacity (about 8GB) suggests the company might look to streaming not entirely unlike how OnLive works; as our tipster speculates, the OpenGL is mature and thoroughly implemented enough that streaming low bandwidth data and computing locally could happen, but that's just theoretical with nothing in the code to back it up.

Additionally, there are two more codenames and a handful of other strings that popped up relating to Apple TV: Sedona and Flagstaff. Based on references to director, episode, season, and the like, we reckon Sedona is all about video merchandising and streaming, something tightly integrated into the traditional iTunes experience. As for Flagstaff, aside from a nod to Account Types and Merchants (i.e. iTunes merchandising), there's really nothing else to say. Think of it as a mystery wrapped in an enigma hung on a, erm, flag staff. Our tipster found numerous other little goodies, but the only other one really worth bringing up is feature_remote_screensavers, which suggests that you can use screensavers from other devices -- like, say, your Mac.

Finally, elsewhere in the world, Alex Hisrbrunner used a Harmony remote to find hidden Apple TV commands that resemble iOS functions not normally possible with the standard ATV remote -- namely, wiggling icons that can me resorted using the directional pad. Video of that is after the break.

Continue reading Apple TV gaming hinted strongly in iOS 4.3 beta code

Apple TV gaming hinted strongly in iOS 4.3 beta code originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Rovi Connected Platform brings another flavor of Android-to-anything streaming

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/rovi-connected-platform-brings-another-flavor-of-android-to-anyt/

And then, there were two. Just days after Qualcomm pushed out its DLNA Certified Skifta Android app for streaming content from your smartphone / tablet to just about anything else, along comes Rovi with an awfully similar alternative. The company -- which swallowed up Sonic Solutions just months ago -- obviously has a thing for slinging contained media all over the place, and its new Connected Platform will soon be available pre-ported to Android 2.1 or higher. In short, that'll enable Android devices to beam multimedia stored on their microSD cards to an array of PCs, set-top boxes or NAS devices, which in turn would be connected to a monitor or HDTV of some sort. The dirty details on what kinds of devices it'll support remain murky, but we're hoping to hear more once the app makes its debut in the Android Marketplace sometime this quarter. Something tells us you'll need a phone with a bit more oomph than the Acclaim to actually have decent streaming performance, though.

Continue reading Rovi Connected Platform brings another flavor of Android-to-anything streaming

Rovi Connected Platform brings another flavor of Android-to-anything streaming originally appe! ared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 01:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Rovi  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Mophie sneaks out new Juice Pack Air with Verizon and AT&T iPhone 4 compatibility

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/mophie-sneaks-out-new-juice-pack-air-with-verizon-and-atandt-iphon/

There's been no shortage of cases for Verizon's flavor of the iPhone 4 -- Ballistic, iLuv, iKit, AGF and Scosche have already announced ones of their own -- but if you're looking for a mainstay in the industry, you can now turn to Mophie. The company's life-doubling Juice Pack Air has been ever-so-slightly reengineered to work with both AT&T and Verizon iPhone 4 units, with initial shipments expected by the end of the month. At first it'll ship in black with silver accents, while soft-touch red and glossy white versions are scheduled for release shortly thereafter. Still $79.95, and still awfully hard to resist for 3G power users.

Continue reading Mophie sneaks out new Juice Pack Air with Verizon and AT&T iPhone 4 compatibility

Mophie sneaks out new Juice Pack Air with Verizon and AT&T iPhone 4 compatibility originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 02:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Mophie  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Skype for iPhone upgrade lets it videocall Skype for TV, if you actually want to

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/skype-for-iphone-upgrade-lets-it-videocall-skype-for-tv-if-you/

There's a new update out for Skype on iOS devices today that which expands the new videocalling compatibility to "a wider selection of Skype clients and devices" by adding the h.264 compatibility necessary to chat with any Skype for TV clients. That's available on certain LG, Panasonic and Samsung HDTVs right now, while Sony and Vizio have both announced it will be in some of their new HDTVs coming out later this year. The ability to call mobile devices seems to give a big edge to Skype over other living room videochat setups from Cisco, Logitech or Microsoft's Kinect, but even with a compatible (& pricey)camera in hand, good luck finding someone out enjoying the world who wants to chat while you're chilling on the couch.

Skype for iPhone upgrade lets it videocall Skype for TV, if you actually want to originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 03:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink 9to5Mac  |  iTunes, Skype  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Olympus E-PL2 Micro Four Thirds camera now shipping, Penpal still has us buzzing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/olympus-e-pl2-micro-four-thirds-camera-now-shipping-penpal-stil/

Right on cue, Olympus' latest entrant into the world of Micro Four Thirds is now shipping. Just a month after receiving its official unveil at CES, the E-PL2 is finally taking over for the E-PL1. Aside from an ISO range topping out at 6,400, a 3-inch rear LCD, an SDXC slot, RAW image support and a newfangled accessory port, this guy's also fully compatible with the Penpal Bluetooth dongle. For those unaware, that enables photos to be shared and uploaded on the fly so long as your BT-enabled, 3G-ready smartphone is by your side, though it looks as if the camera itself has beat said accessory to market. The camera's yours for the taking at $599.99 (bundled with a ED m14-42mm f3.5/5.6 zoom lens) at the source links below.

[Thanks, Tom]

Olympus E-PL2 Micro Four Thirds camera now shipping, Penpal still has us buzzing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 04:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Olympus, Amazon  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...