WD TV Play media hub revealed by the FCC, puts Texas Hold'em on the big screen

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/18/wd-tv-play-media-hub-revealed-by-the-fcc/

Western Digital must not want to leave casual TV gaming to the Roku crowd. Our friends at the FCC have just posted a filing that shows the as yet unannounced WD TV Play taking on its set-top rival with a dedicated gaming channel. We're only given a small peek into the new media hub's gaming universe through the pre-release user manual, but we know that a Texas Hold'em variant and other titles will find their way in through the gaming services Funspot and PlayJam. No signs have surfaced of a Roku-like motion control, either, although the remote has been given an overhaul compared to its WD TV Live cousin with prominent shortcut buttons for Hulu Plus, Netflix and Vudu. There aren't any immediate clues as to when the otherwise pedestrian-looking Play will take over store shelves -- that said, the virtually complete details hint that there's not long to wait.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

WD TV Play media hub revealed by the FCC, puts Texas Hold'em on the big screen originally appeared on Eng adget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 21:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YouTube add face blur tech to its videos, creates anonymous copies of your clips

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/18/youtube-adds-face-blur-tech/

YouTube has added another feature to its enhancements tool, allowing you to automate the process of blurring out people's faces in your photos. Its makers are quick to add that it's still an emerging technology, and that it may still miss out on faces depending on lighting obstructions and video quality. YouTube cites footage from human rights issues for bringing the idea forward, where identification of those involved could prove dangerous. You'll be able to preview how it looks, and if you choose to include the blurred option, a new copy is made to avoid losing the unedited original. The feature is rolling out to the site today -- now you just need a decent video camera.

Continue reading YouTube add face blur tech to its videos, creates anonymous copies of your clips

YouTube add face blur tech to its videos, creates anonymous copies of your clips originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 11:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung 75-inch ES9000 smart TV makes stateside debut: on sale in August for $9,999

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/18/samsung-75-inch-es9000-smart-tv-stateside-debut/

The mammoth 75-inch ES9000 LED smart TV that Samsung recently unveiled for the Korean market is making its way stateside. Today the 3D-capable, LED-backlit set was on display in New York as part of the Sammy-sponsored SpaceFest marking the Space Shuttle Enterprise's arrival at the Intrepid. How smart TVs relate to Space Shuttle orbiters is beyond us, but the ES9000's US debut is welcome news for those with a massive living room to fill, and were disappointed after the ES8000 75-incher shown at CES and even given a price tag earlier this year failed to materialize.

Detailed specs are currently MIA, but as we noted before in our hands-on, the 75-incher's bezel measures just 0.31 inches, and the frame sports a rose-gold finish. There's also a built-in web camera that retracts when not in use, and the TV comes with four pairs of 3D glasses. Being a smart TV, this guy also includes the full suite of Smart TV features, such as Smart Interaction for enabling gesture and voice controls and Smart Content for sharing media across several devices. Samsung also used today's occasion to introduce a new Angry Birds app for its smart TVs, which lets users play the game entirely with gesture controls. The app will be available for a free download later this month, and the ES9000 will go on sale in August for a super-sized price of $9.999. Check ou! t the PR below for more info.

Continue reading Samsung 75-inch ES9000 smart TV makes stateside debut: on sale in August for $9,999

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household

Samsung 75-inch ES9000 smart TV makes stateside debut: on sale in August for $9,999 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google opens Web Lab at London's Science Museum, because 'the internet is incredible'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/18/google-web-lab-uk/

Still unable to resist its techno-philanthropic urges, Google has just unveiled the Web Lab at the Science Museum in London. Paid for entirely with Google juice and constructed in a basement area that was previously used for storage, the exhibition consists of five experiments that help us to "discover the power of the internet while we're on the internet." That might sound cheesy, but we've had a good play with each installation and they're actually very well thought out and accessible -- although, if you're already a hyper-connected nutcase then you might find it more appropriate for friends and family.

We won't give too much away in case it spoils your fun, but you can get a flavor from the attached promo video we saw back at Google I/O, plus our gallery and the PR after the break. In any case, it's safe to say that each experiment involves creating and sharing media in a way you've never tried before. What's more, everything you do is stored in a little personal account in the cloud that you can access using the unique "lab tag" shown in the photo above. (Incidentally, all those symbols floating around in the background represent other individuals who are also currently participating in the project -- which ought to give you some idea of the overall premise.)! The exh ibition opens to the public tomorrow, is free to enter and follows the same opening hours as the main museum -- although the lab's online dimension will remain active for a distinctly un-British 24-7-365.

Gallery: Google Web Lab

Continue reading Google opens Web Lab at London's Science Museum, because 'the internet is incredible'

Filed under: Science, Internet

Google opens Web Lab at London's Science Museum, because 'the internet is incredible' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Series 9 13-inch lands 1.9GHz Core i7, 256GB SSD edition for the power user set

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/18/samsung-series-9-13-inch-lands-1-9ghz-core-i7-256gb-ssd/

When we looked at the 13-inch Samsung Series 9, we lamented that there was only one version on offer: if anyone wanted more than a Core i5 and a 128GB drive, their dreams were crushed. Samsung must feel that there's hope for us yet, as there's now a higher-end spec that slots in a 1.9GHz Core i7 and doubles the storage to 256GB. That's good news to us, even if the 4GB RAM ceiling will still have some avid Ultrabook fans turning elsewhere. Springing for the new flagship will set shoppers back by about $300 more than the previous top of the line, or $1,700 -- still pricey relative to the competition, but much more palatable you're searching for a premium Windows 7 ultraportable and aren't willing to budge on screen size.

Filed under: Laptops

Samsung Series 9 13-inch lands 1.9GHz Core i7, 256GB SSD edition for the power user set originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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