Engadget

Steam remote downloads exit beta, make impatience an option for everyone

Jon Fingas — Thu, 17 May 2012 05:47:00 EST

That was quick. Just two weeks after Valve posted a new Steam beta that allows remote game downloads, it now has a truly polished release for everyone. Both Mac and Windows gamers can now queue up demos and full games, whether it's from a browser at work or from the Steam mobile app. Appropriately, Valve will let you reinstall games as well as start downloading a purchase as soon as the credit card clears. Either way, it'll guaranteed that your new copy of Bastion or that attempt to relive your Quake nostalgia will be ready when you get home.

Steam remote downloads exit beta, make impatience an option for everyone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 05:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam's latest beta client enables remote installation of games, with emphasis on 'beta'

Sharif Sakr — Thu, 03 May 2012 07:19:00 EST

Considering it's supposed to be a democratic free-for-all, Steam has been running a tight ship lately. We've already seen a video of a forthcoming native client for Linux, and now there's a new beta client for Windows and Mac that also brings something different: remote game management. This can save you time by letting you trigger the download and installation of a title to your home computer while you're still in the office or on the move, via any web browser. That said, this type of thing was already possible using remote desktop apps, and so far the community response to the buggy beta has been decidedly mixed -- so make sure you read up on Valve's forum (at the source link) before you expect to find your slippers, Pinot Grigio and Sniper Elite V2 all lined-up and waiting when you get home.

[Productive workplace photo via Shutterstock]

Steam's latest beta client enables remote installation of games, with emphasis on 'beta' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 07:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam for Linux captured on video, one step closer to reality

Sarah Silbert — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:42:00 EST

Yesterday, Phoronix had encouraging news about the prospect of Steam for Linux: photo evidence of Left 4 Dead running on Ubuntu 11.10 with AMD Catalysts drivers. Today, the site followed up with video footage of that same scenario, posting a hastily shot clip to show that Valve is indeed making progress -- slow as it may be -- on porting the game engine to Linux. Got 14 seconds? Check out the video demo below the break.

Continue reading Steam for Linux captured on video, one step closer to reality

Steam for Linux captured on video, one step closer to reality originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam for Linux is coming, and after waiting epochs what's a few more months?

Sharif Sakr — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:19:00 EST

It's been a long-running saga as to when Linux users will finally see some native gaming action on Steam, but according to Phoronix that happy day will likely arrive within "months." Valve has been busily hiring Linux OpenGL boffins, including people recommended by Phoronix's founder, Michael Larabel, who certainly seems to be on the inside track. His photo above offers some proof of progress: it shows Left 4 Dead 2 running natively on Ubuntu 11.10 with AMD Catalysts drivers. Why has it taken so long since news of a Linux client was first floated (and officially denied) back in 2010? Larabel attributes it to Valve's "flat management structure" that allows its developers to work on what they want. (And you still question the importance of hierarchy?)

Steam for Linux is coming, and after waiting epochs what's a few more months? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Screen Grabs: Serena's packing Steam, Gossip Girl turns gamer

Sean Buckley — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 07:28:00 EST

Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com.

Didja hear the latest? Little Ms. Serena van der Woodsen is a closet gamer. Well, at least that's what her icon tray is saying. A screen grab from a fresh episode of Gossip Girl betrays the little busybody while she's negotiating the future of show's namesake hearsay blog over chat. No, not Steam chat -- she's obviously running games distribution service in offline mode. We'd like to think she's putting that HP Envy 14 Spectre to good use, but let's face the facts: she's probably just playing Bejeweled.

[Thanks, Michael]

Screen Grabs: Serena's packing Steam, Gossip Girl turns gamer originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve employee spills the hardware beans: wearable computers, ahoy

Sean Buckley — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:44:00 EST

When Michael Abrash started working for Valve, he expected the higher-ups to hand him a pile of work and tell him to hop to it. They didn't. Instead, he was told to figure out the most valuable thing he could do for the company, and then do it. So, Abrash wound up kicking off an in-house R&D project for wearable computers, and according to a recent blog post, is looking to expand his research team. More than me-too mice and gamepads, indeed. Abrash is quick to put a lid on rumors of "Steam glasses," however, and warns readers not to expect any big reveals at E3 -- this is just an "initial investigation into a very interesting and promising space," he says, and is more "research than development." Rearing to give Google's Project Glass a run for its money? Or maybe you're just itching for a detailed narrative of employee and employer? Either way, you'll find what you're looking at the source link below.

Valve employee spills the hardware beans: wearable computers, ahoy originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve job posting reveals plans for homegrown hardware, promises it won't suck

Sean Buckley — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:54:00 EST

Rumors fluttering about Valve's entry into the hardware market just got a little less salty. According to the outfit's own jobs page, it's prepping to offer consumers "whole new gaming experiences." A call for an experienced electronics engineer says it all, "For years Valve has been all about writing software that provides great gameplay experiences. Now we're developing hardware to enhance those experiences." The ideal candidate ought to have a hefty load of prototyping experience, a knack for working with embedded systems and microcontrollers, a proficiency in thermal management, high speed serial interfaces, ARM / x86 system design, and more. We're not about to hazard a guess at what this adds up to, but Valve promises it's more compelling than "me-too mice and gamepads." Hit the source link below to apply, get hired, and let us know what's up.

[Thanks, Alexis]

Valve job posting reveals plans for homegrown hardware, promises it won't suck originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam mobile beta now open to all, still of questionable utility

Terrence O'Brien — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:35:00 EST

If you were dismayed to find yourself waiting in the queue for a beta invite after downloading the mobile Steam client the other day, fret no more -- the trial is now open to all who desire entry. Of course, it's still really just a companion to the desktop shop and not a must-have mobile gaming market. We're sure some of you have more friends on Steam than you do in meatspace, though, so being able to chat with fellow gaming addicts or purchase the latest DLC pack for Arkham City while on the go might be the greatest thing to ever happen to you.

Steam mobile beta now open to all, still of questionable utility originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam beta journeys to Android and iOS, for select invitees

Zachary Lutz — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:02:00 EST

Our friends at Joystiq are members of a privileged club of which we are not. We've both downloaded and installed the mobile version of Steam -- now available as a free beta download for Android and iOS -- but where they found Mac and PC games for sale, along with the ability to chat with friends, browse profiles and read gaming news, we were greeted with red text that states our accounts are not part of the beta. Damn our luck! For those interested to give Valve's handiwork a spin, it seems that downloading and installing the app puts you in the queue for a future invite. Won't you join us in the line?

Steam beta journeys to Android and iOS, for select invitees originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Razer's Project Fiona hands-on (video)

Sean Buckley — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:52:00 EST

Breaking new ground in the nearly nonexistent market of "hardcore gaming tablets" with renders is interesting, but there's nothing quite grasping something tangible. Razer's project Fiona, for example, is something to grasp -- sporting twin joystick handles on either side, it begs to be held. We couldn't help but oblige, and dropped by Razer's CES booth for a few minutes with the bold Windows 8 slab. Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan gave us the skinny -- read on get it yourself.

Gallery: Razer's Project Fiona hands-on

Continue reading Razer's Project Fiona hands-on (video)

Razer's Project Fiona hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam Trading steams out of beta in a cloud of, er, water vapor

Daniel Cooper — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:23:00 EST

Steam Trading's emerged from the hot wet clouds of beta after more than a million in-game items were swapped in the first month of testing. Purchased in-game objects can now be bartered between all players of Team Fortress 2, Portal 2 or Spiral Knights and more games will be supported soon. The bigger news is that you can also exchange Steam gifts and extra copies of games you've got -- such as that spare edition of Half-Life 2 that you downloaded with the Orange Box bundle -- as long as they're unplayed. Hey, cash it in and go buy your avatar something nice.

Steam Trading steams out of beta in a cloud of, er, water vapor originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar train tunnels, refillable battery goop, and the world's first 3D-printed bikini

Inhabitat — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 21:15:00 EST

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

This week green transportation left fossil fuels in the dust as Inhabitat reported that a record-breaking electric VW Bug rocketed from 0-60 in 1.6 seconds and Team Steam unveiled a space age vehicle that is vying for the title of "fastest steam car on earth." We also spotted the world's first natural gas-powered supercar, while a team of Cambridge students unveiled a sleek solar racer that will attempt to travel 1,800 miles in the World Solar Challenge. Oil fuels also lost more luster as GM's CEO called for a $1 gas tax increase in the US, while MIT unveiled a new type of liquid flow battery that could refuel electric vehicles in a snap.

As the summer sun hits its stride groundbreaking solar power projects are lighting up left and right - this week Google unveiled a new solar patent that could make solar energy cheaper than coal, while QSolar rolled out an array of rainbow-hued Kristal panels that can replace windows and walls. Photovoltaic gadgets also had their moment in the sun as Pixel Qi pulled back the curtain on a cheap, efficient solar-powered tablet and a wave and sun-powered seafaring robot received $22 million in funding.

Speaking of solar power, this week we applauded the opening of a two-mile-long photovoltaic train tunnel that will provide power to the Paris-Amsterdam high-speed rail line. We were also wowed by Steve Jobs' vision for Apple's new spaceship-shaped clean energy campus, and our Bright Ideas Lighting Design Competition is really heating up, so be sure to vote for your favorite green lamp before the contest ends next week. Finally, we shared 6 great green Father's Day gifts for tech-savvy dads, and as summer gets set to begin we brought you exclusive photos of the recently opened section 2 of New York's High Line park, a beautiful suspended swimmer's oasis in Denmark, and the world's first 3D-printed bikini.

Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar train tunnels, refillable battery goop, and the world's first 3D-printed bikini originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Jun 2011 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Permanent anti-fog coating could mean end to steamy specs

Christopher Trout — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 04:04:00 EST

Unless you're blind, or just plain out of the loop, you've probably noticed a proliferation of folks rocking spectacles as accessories of late, but for those of us who wear the things out of necessity, there's no taking 'em off when our lenses fog up. Lucky for us, a team of Canadian researchers have patented a new permanent anti-fog coating that they claim is the first of its kind. To make sure the stuff wouldn't wash away, the crew applied four successive layers of molecules to a transparent material (either glass or plastic) before overlaying it with polyvinyl alcohol, allowing water to spread uniformly and avoiding the steamy-windows effect. The result? A super durable, multilayer coating that won't rub off, regardless of the freakish conditions you and your face encounter. Its creators see endless applications for their invention, including windshields, visors, camera lenses, and, of course, eyewear. Now that that's out of the way, we suggest they concentrate their efforts on sweat-less nose pads.

Permanent anti-fog coating could mean end to steamy specs originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Mar 2011 04:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CHIP-8 emulation comes to Half-Life 2, you can finally retire your Telmac 1800 (video)

Joseph L. Flatley — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 20:46:00 EST

We've seen quite a few programming projects lately, from CPUs built in the world of Minecraft to a full-blown Game Boy emulator in JavaScript. And now? Wiremod forum member Techni has taken the CHIP-8 virtual machine and got it up 'n running in the Garry's Mod sandbox for the Source game engine. Sure, CHIP-8 has been around since the 70s, and since it's small and easy to program it has a following that persists to this day -- but that said, we never expected to see it running Space Invaders from inside a game of Half-Life 2, in all its 8-bit glory. That's what we call progress! Or at least a satisfying hack. See it in action for yourself after the break.

[Thanks, Jason]

Continue reading CHIP-8 emulation comes to Half-Life 2, you can finally retire your Telmac 1800 (video)

CHIP-8 emulation comes to Half-Life 2, you can finally retire your Telmac 1800 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 20:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve denies having a Linux version of Steam in the works

Paul Miller — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:09:00 EST

It was a beautiful dream, and someone even went to the trouble of pushing some decent proof, but for now at least Valve is denying any Linux version of Steam in the works. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, when asked about the Linux Steam rumors, Valve marketing VP Doug Lombardi dropped the word: "There's no Linux version that we're working on right now." Of course, things can change, or Valve could be lying to our face in the interest of a good surprise, but for now we're going assume the worst for our freedom-loving brethren. What, are those penguin tears we see? Don't cry, Tux. Don't cry.

Valve denies having a Linux version of Steam in the works originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Moonbase Alpha takes NASA where it's never gone before: the Unreal Engine (video)

Joseph L. Flatley — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:14:00 EST

Using video games to trick kids into learning is nothing new, and now NASA is getting into the action with something called Moonbase Alpha. Not to be confused with the fictional moonbase from Space: 1999, this is the first of the space agency's two commercial releases based on the Unreal Engine 3. In the multiplayer game you assume the role of an astronaut assigned to the aforementioned moonbase. When life-support systems are damaged by a meteorite, you and your teammates must repair the damage before ~~the Space Vampires steal your soul~~ you all die due to lack of oxygen (and so on, and so forth). Available now for free from Steam. Trailer after the break.

[Thanks, Andrew]

Continue reading Moonbase Alpha takes NASA where it's never gone before: the Unreal Engine (video)

Moonbase Alpha takes NASA where it's never gone before: the Unreal Engine (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve says Apple, NVIDIA and ATI are working to improve Mac gaming performance

Donald Melanson — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:40:00 EST

We've already seen some evidence that Macs running Steam are generally more powerful than PCs running Steam, and it looks like Apple is busily working to make sure that all potential performance is put to good use. As Valve's Rob Barris has confirmed on the company's forums, Apple, ATI and NVIDIA are all "involved" in improving Mac gaming performance, and that "performance is going to improve as drivers are updated." Barris further went on to say that he expects "modest improvements in short term and larger ones in longer term," but wouldn't offer any specific dates as to when some of those updates might roll out.

Valve says Apple, NVIDIA and ATI are working to improve Mac gaming performance originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Macs running Steam are more powerful than PCs, on average

Sean Hollister — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 01:31:00 EST

No matter which three-legged sentry turret you pick, Steam games run fine if it houses a decent graphics card. That said, stick this in your breech and shoot it -- the latest edition of Valve's hardware survey shows the glossy white Apple models outgun Windows counterparts in a number of areas. Whereas the majority of Windows PCs have 2GB or 3GB of memory, 53 percent of Macs sport 4GB of RAM -- though that's likely attributable to the popularity of 32-bit OS. While 17 percent of Windows users are also stuck with a single CPU, over 90 percent of Macs running Steam have a dual-core... and internet connectivity's biased towards Mac gamers too, with 65 percent reporting download speeds over 2Mbit compared to under half of PCs. Of course, where it truly counts for games, Macs still sorely lag behind; the top six Windows GPUs reported are all capable performers, but only 32.5 percent of Macs surveyed had anything but a bottom-barrel graphics card. Get with the times, Apple -- even your mobile guys know gaming's not a niche anymore.

[Thanks, Ryan B.]

Macs running Steam are more powerful than PCs, on average originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 01:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve celebrates Half-Life 2 for OS X with a nod to Apple's '1984'

Ross Miller — Wed, 26 May 2010 08:57:00 EST

Apple's "1984" commercial has become the stuff of legend -- a symbol of breaking free from what was then an IBM-dominated market. But in a stroke of irony, Valve has released its own parody of the ad to celebrate the launch of Half-Life 2 on OS X (praise be to Steam), about five and a half years after the highly acclaimed game originally debuted on PC. Better late than never, we suppose, and like always, Valve's marketing hits just the right pitch. Video after the break, along with Apple's original and another parody near and dear to our hearts.

Continue reading Valve celebrates Half-Life 2 for OS X with a nod to Apple's '1984'

Valve celebrates Half-Life 2 for OS X with a nod to Apple's '1984' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 May 2010 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam arrives for the Mac with 57 games in tow, all your PC using friends are really happy for you

Paul Miller — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:47:00 EST

Thanks to Valve, Mac users can finally claim to own a "gaming rig" without resorting to Boot Camp or causing PC gamers to burst into laughter. Sure, you're still going to be better off cost-for-pixel-crunching with a mid-range PC desktop than anything Apple offers, but for a MacBook Pro user looking to get in a few frags during lunch, the arrival of Steam for Mac is probably the best news they've heard this year -- and luckily that Source engine isn't too hard on older hardware. Mostly the same crop of games that were available to beta testers are available in the final product, with Portal and ~~Team Fortress 2~~ standing atop the heap (Portal's even free for a limited time!), while Half-Life and Left 4 Dead remain notably absent. Check out Joystiq if you want a full breakdown of the games, including a few of the highlights, we have... um, some stuff to do. You know, boring work stuff. You probably wouldn't be interested. Hit that source link for the download.

Update: We're not seeing Team Fortress 2, and we're not getting an option for picking up the Mac version of Civ IV, even though it's a "Steam Play" title. The free Portal download isn't working either, but at least we're relatively certain that it will at some point.

Steam arrives for the Mac with 57 games in tow, all your PC using friends are really happy for you originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7, Mac OS X, and Ubuntu 10.04 meet up for an OpenGL benchmarking session

Vlad Savov — Wed, 12 May 2010 04:09:00 EST

So these three operating systems walk into a bar one night ... alright, we'll behave. With all the Steamy conversation about gaming on non-Windows desktop platforms going on, we thought you might care to peek at a little OpenGL performance comparison review. As the chief cross-platform API, it's the only way we're going to be seeing the latest games running natively on Mac OS and Linux, but how will that experience compare to the market leader? As it turned out, Windows maintains superiority in this field, with frame rates that were habitually above those on the latest Ubuntu and well ahead of what you might get on Mac OS 10.6.3. It's still early days -- after all, Steam's non-DirectX cupboard is pretty bare right now -- but at this point in time, OpenGL gaming is a crown that Microsoft retains with relative ease. Hit the source for all the line graph evidence, and let's hope things improve for the rest of us in rapid fashion.

Windows 7, Mac OS X, and Ubuntu 10.04 meet up for an OpenGL benchmarking session originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 04:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam on Mac preview roundup: all but identical to PC

Sean Hollister — Mon, 10 May 2010 18:59:00 EST

With that hotly-anticipated May 12th release date just around the corner, you might be wondering how Steam on Mac will perform. You're in luck, because some of our favorite Mac news sites have just finished testing the software's closed beta. The verdict? It's practically the exact same as the Windows version, except there's almost nothing to buy. Save for the Growl-like notifications at the top of the screen, the UI is all but indistinguishable, and as promised,data and purchases (if playable) automatically carry over in their entirety from your Windows Steam account. Team Fortress 2 even has cross-platform capability, allowing Mac users to play online with their Windows counterparts, though several journalists noted you might want to invest in a two-button wheel mouse if you don't want to be found out. Source Engine performance on Mac wasn't quite as good as on Windows in tests using the exact same hardware (thanks, Boot Camp), but admirably comes close nonetheless; Electronista was able to maintain a similar framerate in Portal just by disabling two levels of anti-aliasing. Not all Mac users will be able to partake in these games, however; though a MacBook Pro with a discrete 512MB GeForce 8600M card could run them well and a GeForce 9400M laptop managed on low settings, those with only integrated Intel graphics chips might find themselves in for a painful surprise.

Read - Electronista
Read - MacRumors
Read - MacWorld
Read - AppleInsider

Steam on Mac preview roundup: all but identical to PC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Screenshots emerge of Steam Linux client, BeOS wonders if it's next

Darren Murph — Mon, 03 May 2010 14:04:00 EST

There's some old adage referring to smoke and fire meant to explain this phenomenon, but frankly, we're too focused on the promise of the future to go and look it up. Merely weeks after the Steam for Mac beta proved that Linux support may be in the works, along comes this: two glorious screenshots proving as much. 'Course, nothing much about this situation has changed, but having pictorial evidence that a Steam client exists in some stage for Linux is a boon for hopefuls. A Phoronix reader managed to snag a capture of the client working its magic early on, and while it's pretty obvious that it's not ready for primetime, we're just stoked to see that there's legitimate reason to believe such an app is on the way. Hang tight, Penguin Nation -- your Steam should be just about the bend.

Screenshots emerge of Steam Linux client, BeOS wonders if it's next originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 May 2010 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam for Mac opens a portal to May 12, steps through

Sean Hollister — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:20:00 EST

Valve promised that Steam on Mac would arrive in April. As you're no doubt aware, April is nearly over. Does that make Steam... vaporware? Not quite. Put away the Caruso sunglasses for two more weeks, because our friends at Joystiq just received a one-line email reading: "Valve today announced the public release of Steam for the Mac is May 12. Please stay tuned for more information." Oh well -- at least you're not waiting for Steam on Linux, and you can always stock up on Razer peripherals while you endure the delay.

Steam for Mac opens a portal to May 12, steps through originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam for Mac beta reveals possible Linux compatibility in the pipeline, penguins rejoice

Richard Lai — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:03:00 EST

Gaming on Linux? That's not something we hear every day just yet, but it looks like the good folks at Valve might be considering a penguin revolution. In one of the latest beta releases of Steam for Mac, Phoronix spotted a mention of the open-source platform in the launcher script, and we were also able to verify this code ourselves. Furthermore, the eagle-eyed Linux blog has previously seen a handful of evidence hinting Linux compatibility for Valve's Source gaming engine. We're probably still a ways off from any announcement (if ever) so for now, let's just leave the guys alone -- we don't want to distract them from bringing the Portal goodness to our Macs now, do we?

Steam for Mac beta reveals possible Linux compatibility in the pipeline, penguins rejoice originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Omnimo: desktop Windows given fashion makeover with Phone 7 Series flair

Sean Hollister — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:48:00 EST

Can't wait for Windows Phone 7 Series, but can't hack the emulator, either? Don't lose hope, Windows junkies -- you can still bring some semblance of WP7S order into your life with this Metro UI-inspired desktop HUD. Based on the open-source desktop customization platform Rainmeter, the "Omnimo UI" will overlay your desktop with a minimalist, tiled interface not unlike the one you've been drooling over for weeks, with live hooks into many useful services (including Gmail, iTunes, Steam, Twitter and SpeedFan) as well as the usual widgets and a host of program shortcuts. The best news of all? It's available now for all versions of Windows since XP, completely free of charge; simply follow the source links or flit over to Lifehacker, where good folks will teach you how it's done.

Omnimo: desktop Windows given fashion makeover with Phone 7 Series flair originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Razer and Sixense distribute SDK and FPS shooter utility through Steam

Darren Murph — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:55:00 EST

Surely you remember those Sixense motion controls that we caught lounging around at Razer's CES booth, right? Yeah. Today at the Game Developers Conference, both outfits have teamed up in order to distribute the Ultra-Precise Motion Controller SDK and FPS utility library via Steam, which should give devs the ability to create new games and port existing titles for use with the aforementioned sticks. We're told that these new tools will require "require virtually no knowledge of the inner workings of the controller," enabling coders to craft titles that take full advantage of the six degrees of freedom. Will this turn the PC into the next Wii? We kind of doubt it, but at least someone's looking out for non-console gamers who have a secret obsession with Nintendo's Wiimote.

Continue reading Razer and Sixense distribute SDK and FPS shooter utility through Steam

Razer and Sixense distribute SDK and FPS shooter utility through Steam originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve confirms Steam for Mac, debuts in April

Donald Melanson — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:44:00 EST

Eager gamers have no doubt already seen the teasers, but Valve has now finally confirmed that its Steam game distribution service and Source engine will at long last be headed to the Mac. According to Valve, the company's current line-up of games (including the Half-Life and Left 4 Dead series) will be available to Mac users in April, while Portal 2 will represent the company's first simultaneous release for PC and Mac later this year. Better still, Steamworks for Mac also boasts a new feature called "Steam Play," which will let you buy a game once and, for instance, start playing it on a PC at work and then pick up where you left off on your Mac at home (we'll give you a moment to let that sink in). Game publishers will have to enable that feature themselves, but Valve says it expects most to take advantage of it.

Valve confirms Steam for Mac, debuts in April originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corsair pushes speed envelope with 2,333MHz Dominator GTX RAM modules

Darren Murph — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:02:00 EST

Corsair and speed generally run in the same circles, so it follows logic to see said memory outfit cranking out the planet's fastest Intel XMP-certified RAM. The 2,333MHz Dominator GTX now has Intel's stamp of approval, and it easily surpasses the company's 2,000MHz stuff that was king of the castle just yesterday. As the story goes, each module is "hand screened" and tested to the hilt before being shipped to end users, which apparently explains the $200 per 2GB stick that you'll be asked to lay down. Speed kills... the wallet.

Corsair pushes speed envelope with 2,333MHz Dominator GTX RAM modules originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buffalo brings 4TB TeraStation III WSS NAS to America, streamers in tow

Darren Murph — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 07:04:00 EST

Remember that 4TB TeraStation NAS that we saw surface in Japan last September? Liar. We know you're faking it just to save face, but we'll let you slide -- next time, just be straight with us, cool? The TeraStation III WSS has just been cleared for takeoff here in America, boasting four quick-swap SATA hard drives, Windows Storage Server 2003 R2 Express Edition and native Active Directory support. Check it right now in 2TB and 4TB editions for $1,599.99 and $1,999.99, respectively.

Buffalo brings 4TB TeraStation III WSS NAS to America, streamers in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 07:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World's fastest camera manipulates supercontinuum laser pulses, moonlights at the Hacienda

Joseph L. Flatley — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:47:00 EST

Researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles have developed a new imaging system called Steam, or Serial Time-Encoded Amplified imaging. Billed as the"fastest imaging system ever devised," it works by carefully manipulating so-called supercontinuum laser pulses, for imaging fast-moving or random events, such as communication between neurons. Instead of a flashbulb, this bad boy disperses a fast laser pulse, which then gets stretched in time and detected electronically, for a "shutter speed" of half a billionth of a second. When not being used to "trip people out" at "raves," this camera can capture over six million images a second. Our old PowerShot can't even do half that! According to the head of the research team, Bahram Jalali of UCLA, the next step is to improve the spatial resolution of the technology so they can take crystal clear pictures of the inner structure of cells. The team is also working on a similar technique for 3-D imaging.

[Via BBC]

Filed under: Digital Cameras

World's fastest camera manipulates supercontinuum laser pulses, moonlights at the Hacienda originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 May 2009 06:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam powered USB charger keeps your iPod alive with Victorian sensibility

Joseph L. Flatley — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 05:41:00 EST

We love this steam powered USB charging device. It's well built, useful, loud, and totally anachronistic -- the same could be said of many of our editors here. According to the inventor, the thing is based on a Jensen #75 steam engine, which is used to drive a Lego Technic motor. The motor, in turn, feeds into a voltage regulator circuit, providing a continuous 5V charge to which ever USB device you might connect to it. This prompts us to ask a few obvious questions, including: "when is someone going to build us an appropriate steampunk PMP to go with the thing?" And, of course, "aren't Legos awesome?" Video after the break.

Continue reading Steam powered USB charger keeps your iPod alive with Victorian sensibility

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Steam powered USB charger keeps your iPod alive with Victorian sensibility originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 05:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam-powered vehicle looks to scald world record

Darren Murph — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:16:00 EST

Sheesh -- what is it with UKers and their stupidly fast alternatively powered vehicles? Just days after Britain's own Richard Jenkins set a new world record by going 126MPH in a wind-powered vehicle, Charles Burnett III is gearing up to smash a record of his own in the contraption pictured above. Hailed as the planet's fastest kettle, this steam-powered automobile is currently being shipped to Southern California in order to blister the Mojave Desert and hopefully obliterate the current record of 127.659MPH. For the historians in the crowd, we needn't tell you that said record was set way back in 1906 by American Fred Marriott, but we won't be surprised in the least to see this honor head across the pond in late June. Lots more images and nitty-gritty details are positioned in the read link.

[Thanks, Robert]

Filed under: Transportation

Steam-powered vehicle looks to scald world record originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Parker Steam Synthesizer runs on steam, sounds like a theramin, Bjork wants

Joshua Fruhlinger — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:04:00 EST

If synth rock was meant to go hand-in-hand with fantastic steampunk universes (and we really can't see why it wasn't), instruments would look something like the thing you see here. This is the Parker Steam Synthesizer, a steam-powered music synth that runs on water and some coal. Designer Lorin Edwin Parker controls steam pressure with a ball valve which activates a dynamo. The dynamo is a magnet motor attached to a flywheel that creates an alternating magnetic field which is then turned into electricity by an inductive pickup. That pickup is finally plugged into an amp and you have some trippy electro from a device that could have been around years ago. He says it will run for about 20 minutes on one tank of water, which, in our estimation, is just long enough for Bjork to hear it and add to her band's already-insane inventory. By the way, the Read link includes a .mov file so you can see this thing in action.

[Via MusicRadar]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

The Parker Steam Synthesizer runs on steam, sounds like a theramin, Bjork wants originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG announces steam dishwashers, dryers

Donald Melanson — Tue, 08 May 2007 05:52:00 EST

It's been quite a while since LG introduced its first SteamWasher, but the company has finally decided to extend its newfound love of old school technology to some other household appliances, introducing its first steam dishwasher and steam dryer, as well as a new washer/dryer combo. Like the original SteamWasher (pictured at right), the new appliances boast a built-in steam generator to back up the traditional washing and drying processes, which promises to not only do the job better, but save on energy as well. Also like the SteamWasher, these latest appliances don't exactly come cheap, with the steam dishwasher (available in stainless steel only) running you $1,599, and the new washer and dryer units (also stainless steel) set to demand a hefty $3,499 apiece -- all should be available in the third quarter of this year. A separate SteamDryer will also apparently be available for those that already thrown down the cash for a SteamWasher, with it a comparative bargain at $1,149 to $1,399 in your choice of white or wild cherry finishes. All the laundry units are also compatible with LG's Remote Monitoring System, which'll let you check up on your clothes from anywhere in your house, although you'll have to drop an extra hundred bucks for that pleasure.

Read - LG Steam Dishwasher
Read - LG Steam Laundry System

Filed under: Household

LG announces steam dishwashers, dryers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2007 05:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam Walker steampunk walking robot

Jeannie Choe — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 21:30:00 EST

There's definitely a good deal of steampunk gear out there, but this little dude can also keep you company -- kinda. Steam Walker, a steam-powered walking robot of Japanese origin, looks as if it walked (at an unbearably slow pace) out from the pages of a romanticized steam-bot storybook, complete with a makeshift exoskeletal hot bod and loud-as-all-hell engine. The site doesn't offer up much info, but we can tell you that Steam Walker operates via a series of components including the head as a boiler / combustion chamber, an engine, steam pipe, gear box, and yes, a funny little water-drawing bucket.

[Via Boing Boing]

Read - Steam Walker
Read - Video of steampunk bot in "action"

Filed under: Robots

Steam Walker steampunk walking robot originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Feb 2007 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inventor patents automatic, no-look cooking

Darren Murph — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:15:00 EST

In a patent filing that appears to belong to Philips, an inventor is attempting to lock down the secret to no-look cooking, giving hope to clueless culinarians everywhere. The patent focuses on a method for determining the very moment during the cooking process in which the food "has reached a ready state," and seeks to use precise scales in an oven to determine exactly how much water has left the foodstuff and converted into steam in order to determine just how dry, crisp, and / or ready to devour it is. Of course, this fellow isn't the first bloke to iron out the details of automatic cooking, and interestingly enough, it seems this idea itself may have already been in the works, so we'd highly recommend consulting the folks behind Daewoo's autonomous microwave (and the subsequent technology) before boasting too proudly.

[Via NewScientistTech]

Filed under: Household

Inventor patents automatic, no-look cooking originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engineuity developing hydrogen-creating, emission free vehicle

Darren Murph — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 11:05:00 EST

Just in case there weren't enough alternate fuel developments going on around the world, it looks like we've got yet another vying for business over in Israel. Engineuity, a company started by Amnon Yogev, has reportedly developed a method for vehicles to "produce their own fuel" using metals such as magnesium and aluminum to create hydrogen and steam. Similar to a solar-powered "zinc-to-hydrogen" approach that gained attention in 2005, this method utilizes a "long metal coil" which would be inserted into a metal-steam combustor that stands to "separate hydrogen out of heated water." After intense heating, the metal atoms would purportedly bond to the oxygen from the water, creating metal oxide; the result would free up hydrogen molecules to be sent to the engine alongside the steam to provide the juice. The firm also insinuates that "refueling" the vehicle would be "remarkably simply," and construction could be completed on current production lines without requiring entirely new infrastructures. According to Yogev, the "running cost of the system should be equal to that of conventional cars today," and hopes to have a full scale prototype ready to rumble in "around three years."

[Thanks, Mike]

Filed under: Transportation

Engineuity developing hydrogen-creating, emission free vehicle originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jan 2007 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The steam powered internet machine

Darren Murph — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 02:25:00 EST

Ok, so we're not exactly certain how Apple will incorporate this feat into their next batch of "I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC" ads, but running an internet connected iMac off a steam engine is impressive, for lack of better words. Two Brits struggling for an artistic concept to connect the "industrial revolution to the digital revolution" somehow settled on this contraption, and have garnered a good bit of attention. The demand for the spectacle has become so large that the creators, Jeremy Deller and Alan Kane, are touring through Kent and Margate over the next month to show off their machine; it can also be seen at the Turner Contemporary. Be sure to stop by if you can, because who knows when you'll next get to see a steam engine facilitate Engadget access.

[Via Guardian]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

The steam powered internet machine originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jul 2006 02:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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