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Twitter for Windows 10 gets a 'trending stories' page
Windows 10 just got a new Twitter app, and while it did get one interesting new feature, other changes merely brought it up -to-date with other versions. For instance, the new app (version 4.1.0) now allows Windows 10 users to quote tweets without wasting valuable characters, a feature that's been around on the web and mobile apps since April. It did get one interesting new feature called "happening now" that shows popular Twitter stories in a grid (above). However, that may need some tweaking, as the stories I saw didn't reflect my interests whatsoever.
Samsung WiFi Washer and Dryer hands-on (video)
We've all needed to keep the laundry going while we're out and about. Samsung is looking to help with that and let us in on their plans at yesterday's presser. The WF457 washer and dryer set houses an 8-inch touchscreen, is WiFi-enabled and can be controlled from inside or outside of the home via a mobile app. With your smartphone or tablet, you can choose the cycle, duration and set-up notifications on your mobile device once the job is done. Neither are available as of yet, but rest assured, this will be a neat piece of tech you should consider. Want a demo? Head on to the gallery below and video. After spending some time controlling a few eight second demo cycles, we were pretty impressed with the system as a whole. Amazingly enough, our load of towels was completely dry. The app worked well and stayed connected for the most part -- granted, we were in the midst of the CES WiFi crossfire. We did encounter some issues when controlling the dryer with a smartphone and then interacting with the appliance's touchscreen. The SmartHome tech seemed to only like to take orders from one source at a time. Other than that, everything went off without a hitch and the phone notification feature is quite a nice touch. Either way, not having to get up to fluff those 400-thread-count sheets is a luxury we can all enjoy in some capacity.
How would you change the TwitterPeek?
It's Christmas day, so we're asking you to go a little easy on Peek here, but we've got a sneaking suspicion that our request will be cutely ignored in comments below. This week's episode of How Would You Change features Peek's latest handheld -- you know, the one that only does Twitter. We didn't find the creature too incredibly useful / valuable during our time with it, but that's not to say it couldn't be molded into a pristine object of desire. Speaking of which, how would you go about tweaking or overhauling the TwitterPeek? Make the screen resolution higher? Change the user interface? Add support for apps, email and calling? Make Peek pay you to use it? Sound off below!
Klipsch headquarters walkthrough: behind the scenes and between the ears
Every time trade shows such as CES and CEDIA open their doors, the collective masses are flooded with headphone after headphone, speaker after speaker. After awhile, one driver looks just as round as the next, and frankly, you start to take for granted what all goes into bringing the tunes we all dig to our ears, dens and underutilized kitchens. One of the mainstays in the audio industry opened their doors up to us this past weekend, and it didn't take much arm pulling to get us inside. We've generally found the design and sound qualities associated with Klipsch gear to be top-shelf, and we've struggled in the past to find too many gripes with the headphones and sound systems we've had the opportunity to review. Needless to say, we were quite curious to hear about (and see) what all goes into imagining, designing, testing and qualifying the 'buds and speakers that we've enjoyed for so many years, and if you share that same level of curiosity, join us after the break for the full walkthrough (and a few heretofore unreleased secrets, to boot).
Ask Engadget HD: What's the best large LCD (42-inches and up) for the buck?
It looks like the time is right to pick up some the best HDTVs 2008 had to offer on the cheap and Louis has the same question as most of us, which one to pick? "My old CRT is on its last legs and I've decided my next HDTV is an LCD for my TV watching and Blu-ray needs, but with all the options I'm having trouble telling the difference. I'm not worried about any extra features unless they affect picture quality, and I want to go bigger than my last (40-inch) TV. Samsung, Sharp, Sony or ?????? -- which one should I be checking the sales pages for?" We've done this on the plasma side recently, but surely some of you are among the many rocking brand new LCD sets. Let us know which of the outgoing models made your eyes happiest in the last year.Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.
Wrath 101: PvP welfare gear
With gear upgrades these days being so easy to come by, I'm not so sure 'welfare epics' is such an accurate term for PvP gear anymore. That said, Arena Season 5 started the other day without so much as a whimper. It kind of crept in quietly, without even a patch to go along with it. I'm sure it's taken a few players by surprise to see so many new PvP gear available from different sources that it can get confusing. I know I wrote about it in an old post, but quite a bit has changed since Beta, and some things don't quite apply. Don't worry, we're here to help you make sense of it all.First of all, in the new PvP rewards system there are three tiers of PvP gear. The Savage Gladiator, Hateful Gladiator, and Deadly Gladiator are equivalent to Level 80 dungeon blues, 10-man raid epics, and 25-man raid epics respectively, with a lot of item points thrown in the way of Resilience and sometimes Stamina. These items aren't the best for PvE, so gear accordingly. You'll be wasting a lot of item points by way of Resilience, so keep in mind that all this new gear is best for your Battleground and Arena pursuits.
Sharp LC-65XS1U-S and LC-52XS1U-S X-Series AQUOS LCD HDTVs eyes-on
While we knew these new Sharp Aquos HDTVs were coming, we had no idea how thin and bright they were in person. Today at CEATEC 2008 Sharp officially announced its LC-65XS1U-S (65-inch) and LC-52XS1U-S (52-inch) AQUOS LCD HDTVs right at CEATEC Japan's opening bell. The displays' 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 1080P panel are nice and all, but we now know they measure in at a super gaunt 2.28-cm (0.9-inch) depth and are outfitted with a 2.1-channel, three-way five-speaker system that Sharp jointly developed with Pioneer. Meanwhile, Sharp boasts some serious energy savings with the new displays, promising a 26% reduction in power consumption. Expect them to hit stores in Japan October 15 in limited numbers for an undisclosed (read: 'spensive) price. Check the emaciated photos in the gallery if you're so inclined.%Gallery-33036%
Rock Band 2 hands on, live shots, Ion drum kit, first impressions: woot!
If you're jonesing to get your Rock Band 2 on like we are, you'll be all over these new shots of the game's upcoming controllers that we got all grubby on today at E3. First, the new guitars not only look better, but they will include some welcome hardware tweaks. The new axe includes an optical sensor that will make syncing the game to your display a breeze. Rather than go through that annoying tap..tap...tap synchronization scheme, all you'll need to do is hold up your controller to your display and it will figure things out with you based on your screen's refresh rate. In addition, the new guitars have been updated with slicker fret controls that make it easier to slide from one to the other. Meanwhile, the strum bar has been tightened up a bit. No clicking, though -- the guys at Harmonix say no one "dreams of playing a metronome" anyway. A dig at Guitar Hero? Perhaps, but if you're looking for some click feedback from your controller, look elsewhere.%Gallery-27915%
