Engadget

While this might not be the first kid-centric tablet we've seen, it's certainly got the coolest name. All we know about the MEEP! kiddie-slate right now is that it's made by Oregon Scientific, has a 7-inch touchscreen display, WiFi, an SD card slot, a "G-sensor" for improving viewing angle -- and runs on an as yet unspecified version of Android. The makers claim it's suitable for ages six and up, and parents can monitor and limit web access via an online control panel. We're told that accessories will soon be on their way, including every parent's favorite: musical instruments. The full unveiling will be at the TIA toy fair this weekend. Road-run over the break for the full press release. MEEP! MEEP!

Is there such a thing as revolutionary technology? Many Egyptians believe there is. A year ago, they used mobile phones, social networking and banned TV channels to spread word of the protests in Tahrir Square. Hearing the news, thousands of young people risked their lives to join in and overthrow the dictator Hosni Mubarak. To mark the revolution's anniversary, Engadget caught up with five Caireans of different ages and backgrounds to find out about the gadgets they use to keep in touch with their world. For the love of freedom, democracy and at least one bar of mobile reception, please read on.

While Moxi may live on in spirit as a white label multiroom HD DVR for cable companies, parent company Arris announced on its website this week the retail boxes and extenders are no longer being sold. Initially, a note on the company's home page indicated tech support and guide data would come to an end at the end of 2013 as noted by Zatz Not Funny, but references to that have since been removed. Potentially abandoned users on AVS Forum have already started looking for alternative ways to keep the guide data flowing and possibly get help from Arris in prying open the code to do so. We've contacted Arris for more information but haven't received a response yet -- we'll update you when / if we do. In the meantime Digeo's baby is still operational, so owners can enjoy however much time they have left, we'd recommend studying up on the stages of grief so you'll understand how to handle them over the next several months.

[Thanks, Alfred]

Ever found yourself without a signal and wished you could just spray one on like magic? Well, maybe soon, you'll be able to do just that. Chamtech Enterprises has developed a spray-on antenna it says is more lightweight and energy-efficient than current technology. Revealed at Google's inaugural Solve for X shindig, the antenna can be "painted" onto almost anything, including trees, walls and fabrics. Chamtech's already talking with government-based customers, and as such can't spill too much detail on how it works, but said it uses organic elements to tinker with magnetic and radio-frequency fields. The start-up's CTO, Rhett Spencer, claims the antenna could increase mobile energy efficiency by 10 percent. It was also found to work particularly well under water, and being organic, we presume, would make it ideal for sub-aquatic telecom infrastructure, and of course, rainy days.

We knew the folk at Foursquare had been trying NFC out for a while, and Symbian's had it since November, but now tap check-ins are available for Android 4.0. Okay, so that means it's pretty much limited to Galaxy Nexus owners at the minute, but the chosen few can now share their Venue, Lists, Me pages, initiate friend requests and, of course, check-in at the touch of a phone. Foursquare claims it'll save vital seconds when checking in, but we're just glad there's another way to use Andoid Beam.The update's available now, so if you're snacking on an Ice Cream Sandwich, head on down to the source link and get your download on.

After the numerous leaks that preceded the Droid 4's launch, you'd think we'd have a handle on every detail (read the review here) but some day one buyers have one more question. While the spec sheets indicate 16GB of internal storage, a few readers noticed their units only report 8GB. So why the variance in what's being reported and what the phones actually show? While Android vets may be used to this, not all are aware of how some phones are partitioned, and Motorola has opted to go with an 8GB for the user / 3GB for apps / 5GB for OS and updates split (just like the Razr). So the phones do have the 16GB you were promised, it's just how it's being used that may not be immediately evident -- and now you know.

[Thanks, Chaz]

Just one year ago, HP officially introduced the TouchPad, Pre 3 and Veer to its lineup. Much has happened in the 365 days since that time, which marked the end of the Palm brand, the discontinuation of the company's webOS hardware development and the decision to open source the crown jewel, webOS. Today, we hope you'll join us after the break as we bow our heads, sing some praises and remember the final three members -- for now, anyway -- of HP's webOS lineup. We'll have fireworks at the end.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. For a phone that single-handedly resuscitated the business prospects of its parent company, gave a much-needed boost to Google's fledgling Android and finally added a compelling product to Verizon's lineup, the Droid can't get no respect. Initially billed as the anti-iPhone, the OG flagship embodied an aggressively tech for tech's sake design ethos, with its masculine, hard-edged build, geeky OS and Lucasfilm licensed moniker.

That was all once upon a time. Now, two years later and sucked of its disruptive significance, the only legacy remaining for the red-eyed Droid franchise is its brand equity and QWERTY slider appeal. Aside from BlackBerry addicts, most consumers appear none too chuffed to see those slide-out keypads become the stuff of mobile lore, and instead prefer those increasingly ubiquitous slabs (namely, of the 4.3-inch-and-up persuasion). So, where did it all go wrong? Why is the Droid 4, now imbued with LTE, getting the B-list treatment? Does a $200 price tag and a host of minor spec bumps (a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 1.3 megapixel front-facer and beefier 1,785mAh battery) merit another spin around the two-year contract pole? Head on past the break to see whether this former trailblazer can still do what it's namesake robot supposedly does.

According to one of Japan's big dailies, The Nikkei, Amazon will attempt to brave the tricky e-reader waters of Japan, aiming to launch its Kindle Touch as the flagship device in April. The newspaper reports that the device will land for less than 20,000 yen ($260), teaming up with Japanese mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo for 3G access to the Kindle's online store, gratis. Amazon hopes that the device's very competitive pricing, at least in comparison to existing 3G-friendly e-readers, will make in-roads to the notoriously frosty Japanese e-reader market. It will also bring Amazon's e-readers to the home turf of one of its biggest rivals; Rakuten.

We here at Engadget tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there individually, we've gathered up an exhaustive listing of every phone and / or tablet getting the stamp of approval over the last week. Enjoy!

You can pretend you care about cameras, tablets, and browsers all you want. But we'll still know you're here for the Lazer Tag news.

Host: Brian Heater, Dana Wollman, Terrence O'brien
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Orbital - Never

00:02:35 - Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 review (global edition)

Mattel thinks it has the secret to succeeding where so many others have failed in bridging that divide between the virtual and the physical -- and it might be right. While plenty of other toy companies have tried pairing hunks of plastic with apps in the past, Mattel has gone the extra mile, incorporating its recognizable brands and partnering with top tier developers. Later this year the company will launch Apptivity, a line of toys made from conductive plastic that interact with iPad games -- some which you're already quite familiar with, like Cut the Rope, Fruit Ninja and, of course, Angry Birds. The games will get an update when the toys hit the market with new features and play modes specifically designed to utilize the physical pieces. Other brands, including WWE, Batman and Hot Wheels will also be part of the first batch of toys designed to be played with on your iPad screen.

None of the apps or the toys themselves were quite ready for prime time yet, but Hot Wheels, WWE, Fruit Ninja and Cut the Rope were all at least playable. The Apptivity mode in Cut the Rope and Fruit Ninja are pretty intuitive, but it took a bit of practice to get the hang of Hot Wheels. We had trouble finding the sweet spot on the screen that kept our car speeding along while leaving room to see upcoming obstacles. The line of toys will launch exclusively in Apple Stores in May with Hot Wheels (which will cost $20), followed by the rest in July. Check out the gallery below and the video after the break for a few more impressions.

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

What do you do after reporting "blow-out" earnings and instituting larger, pricier, data plans? If you're AT&T, why not go for the jugular by doubling upgrade fees? Per the above leaked memo, that's exactly what Ma Bell plans to do come February 12th, upping the existing $18 fee to a new high of $36. That might sound familiar, as it's much in the same vein as cross-town rival Sprint, who went through the same kerfuffle back in September. We've pinged AT&T about the price hike and will update when we hear back.

Update: AT&T sent us the following statement confirming the increase:

Wireless devices today are more sophisticated than ever before. And because of that, the costs associated with upgrading to a new device have increased and is reflected in our new upgrade fee. This fee isn't unique to AT&T and this is the first time we're changing it in nearly 10 years.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Hertz has been offering up electric vehicles amongst its fleet of rental cars, and now it's getting ready to pull the plug. The company is teaming with Evatran to test out the those cool little Plugless Power discs, installing some at its corporate headquarters this month. Hertz, along with a number of other companies will be logging "feedback on daily usage routines, user interfaces, and any additional functionality needed." No word on when such technology might see wider distribution.