TiVo Mini goes on sale for $99.99 with a $5.99 monthly subscription

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/11/tivo-mini-retail/

Remember the adage that good things "come to those who wait?" Well, if you managed to hold your nerve and resist signing up with Suddenlink, then your patience is ready to be rewarded. The TiVo Mini is finally ready to strike out on its own two feet four rubberized corners. The DVR extender will set you back $99.99, plus a monthly charge of $5.99, or a one-off payment of $149.99 -- in a way, you kinda wish the company had just priced it at $249.99 and let us get on with it.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Comments

Via: The Verge

Source: TiVo

Read More...

Summary only...

Latest Apple TV reveals smaller A5 chip, adds to rumors of split with Samsung

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/11/apple-tv-smaller-a5-processor/

Quiet, mid-cycle component upgrades are a thing with Apple, and they're sometimes worth watching out for. The iPad 2 got a chip update last year, for example, which significantly extended its battery life by using a 32nm A5 SoC instead of a 45nm one. Well, much as expected, a very similar processor update has just come to the Apple TV. MacRumors popped open the latest version, known as "AppleTV3,2", and found good evidence of a further die shrink: the central block of silicon is just 6 mm x 6 mm, which is even smaller than the 8 mm x 8 mm chip in the newest iPad 2. This inevitably leads to speculation that Apple has shifted to a 28nm fabrication process, possibly snubbing Samsung's 32nm foundries, but we'd need a proper silicon-level analysis to be certain. In the meantime, though, we'd guess that this update may not be worth hunting down to the degree that the new iPad 2 was -- the level of shrinkage here doesn't seem enough to have a huge impact on power draw, and in any case that's less of an issue for a device that's fed from the wall.

[Image credit: MacRumors]

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Apple

Comme! nts< /strong>

Via: iMore

Source: MacRumors

Read More...

Summary only...

TI shows off LaunchPad-based prototype mouse, hints at a big followup

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/10/ti-launchpad-mouse/

If you've been needing a little inspiration for your next TI LaunchPad project, look no further than the company itself. Texas Instruments set up shop in the maker tent across from the Austin Convention Center this week, showing off creations built atop its line of microcontrollers. The rep we spoke with was particularly excited about this mouse hack that the company put together in a few hours, while getting ready for SXSW. The creation utilizes the Stellaris board's accelerometers to control the cursor of a windows machine on X, Y, Z axes, via USB.

The project is more than just a hack, according to the company -- it's actually a prototype of something it's set to unveil later this year. No specifics on that front, but TI promised a 'big surprise." In the meantime, you can check out video of the project after the break.

Gallery: Texas Instruments LaunchPad-based prototype mouse hands-on

Filed under: Peripherals

Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Palm Top Theater turns your iPhone into a mini-3D display

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/10/palm-top-theater/

"Pepper's ghost" isn't the sort of phrase you hear very often at a show like SXSW. In amongst all the latest generation technology, there aren't too many folks discussing hundreds years old optical concepts. But the the idea's a driving force in the Palm Top Theater, an iPhone case that turns smartphone videos into a miniature 3D viewing experience. The peripheral utilizes three small drop down displays -- the rear is a full mirror with two half mirrors in front it, reflecting images from the phone display into what appears to be a three-dimension object -- and really, it a stunning little effect.

The Palm Top requires the use of a proprietary file format that essentially splits the displayed image or video into three parts. The company's providing some video for users, as well as a converter app to make custom footage. The device is available now for around $36 -- not super expensive, though it's hard to see such a device as anything but a niche product, especially since the opening makes for a fairly limited viewing space. It would be extremely cool to see this on a larger space, but in the meantime, you're stuck with a little window into the technology.

Gallery: Palm Top Theater for iPhone hands-on

Filed under: Mobile, Apple

Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Chrome OS fends off all hacks at Pwnium 3, others fall at Pwn2Own

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/08/chrome-os-fends-off-all-hacks-at-pwnium-3-others-fall-at-pwn2own/

Google's Pwnium challenge followed a familiar pattern in its first two years, with white hat hackers invariably finding a Chrome vulnerability and prompting a round of patches that ultimately made the software stronger. For the Chrome OS-focused Pwnium 3, there's been a slight hiccup: there were no hacks to patch. Despite Google offering a total of $3.14159 million in bounties, entrants couldn't demonstrate a working exploit on the Series 5 550 target machine. That may be a testament to Google's steady security improvements, but it doesn't help discover what holes are left. We'd add that few were left unscathed at the Pwn2Own competition running in tandem -- the regular Chrome browser, Firefox and Internet Explorer all came tumbling down, and Safari may have escaped only because contestants didn't register in advance. Even so, the Chrome OS results may have Chromebook Pixel owners feeling better about their purchases.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Apple, Microsoft, Google

Comments

Source: Geek.com, eSecurity Planet

Read More...

Summary only...