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The best gifts for coffee geeks
There are two types of coffee drinkers: people who drink coffee and people who are obsessed with coffee. I fall into the latter category. A few years ago I became friends with a couple roasters while living in Savannah, Georgia, and I've never looked back. I currently have five different methods for brewing coffee in my house (more if you count the multiple pour-over contraptions). It's a serious habit. And I'm not alone. Coffee culture is thriving all over the globe. It's easy to find roasters akin to your favorite local small-batch outfit anywhere in the world. However, there might not always be time to go exploring while traveling, or the people on your list could maybe use an upgrade to their at-home setup. No matter what you're looking for, we have a range options that make great coffee gifts for everyone, including travelers and aspiring coffee pros.
LSTN's Encore headphone blends vintage looks with a feel-good factor
I first met Bridget and Joe -- the duo, and driving force behind LSTN headphones -- in a London pub. The enthusiasm for their altruistic headphones (a portion of each sale goes to the Starkey Hearing Foundation) went beyond the charitable cause; it was genuinely infectious. If you didn't know, LSTN makes stylish, elemental headphones, with a charitable component to sweeten the deal. When they contacted me to tell me that LSTN was growing its portfolio -- with the Encore on-ears above -- I was pleased. Not only to see the range growing, but because Encore is LSTN's most striking headphone yet. This is a promising step forward for the burgeoning start-up, one that should help it continue its good work.
Toshiba's inexpensive Windows tablets now have a pen option
We've seen plenty of super-cheap Windows tablets, but until now, companies have invariably had to cut corners to get the prices so low. That's why Toshiba's new "Encore 2 Write" slates are interesting: Though they are indeed inexpensive, they allow for pressure-sensitive pen input, something you'll rarely see on a device in this price class. The two tablets come in 8- and 10-inch sizes, and will sell for $350 and $400 when they go on sale next week. For the money, you get a Wacom-made pen, with 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity. To put that in perspective, Microsoft's own Surface 2 costs $449 and doesn't have a pen option. If we're going by the price and spec sheet alone, then, Toshiba's new tablets are a good deal.
Toshiba gets aggressive with a $120, 7-inch Windows tablet
Over the years, Windows tablets have been getting smaller and smaller -- and cheaper and cheaper. Well, surprise! They're getting tinier, and we've just about hit bargain-basement pricing. Toshiba just announced the Encore Mini, a 7-inch slate that will sell for just $120 -- an aggressive move, considering 8-inch models hover around the $200 mark. Technically speaking, the Encore Mini is not the cheapest Windows tablet out there, but it's definitely the lowest price we've seen from a tier-one brand. For the money, you get full Windows 8.1, though the specs are, as you'd expect, pretty low-end. These include a 1,024 x 600 display, a quad-core Intel Atom Z3735G processor with 1GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage and dual 2MP/0.3MP cameras. At 0.78 pound, it's heavier than, say, the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 4 Nook, which we just reviewed, but either way, you shouldn't have a problem toting it around.
Daily Roundup: interview with Xbox's Phil Spencer, Google's Pokémon Challenge and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Toshiba Encore review: an 8-inch Windows tablet that struggles to stand out
Toshiba is no stranger to Windows tablets, but what we've seen to date has typically been targeted at businesses or has otherwise been... limited. In that sense, the Encore is something special. It's not just the company's first 8-inch Windows tablet -- it's the first aimed at a truly broad audience. That said, it faces stiff odds. Acer, Dell, Lenovo and others have comparable slates on the market, in many cases with similar features. Toshiba would have to do something truly out of the ordinary to stand out. And frankly, it doesn't. While the Encore is a worthy device, you'll have to be particularly enamored with its design to ignore its rivals. Read on to see what we mean.
Verizon's FiOS Mobile app adds Encore, Starz and more for live-streaming anywhere
Verizon's FiOS mobile apps for Android and iOS are about to get significantly more appealing, as the carrier has just added 16 additional channels for out-of-home live streaming. When this feature debuted back in September, it only supported nine channels, including the Travel Channel and the BBC. As of today, though, FiOS customers will also have access to Encore, Showtime, Starz and many more. Verizon's also targeting sports fans with the addition of beIN and NFL Redzone. Here's hoping even more channels are to come.
Toshiba Encore is the company's first 8-inch Windows tablet; coming November for $330 (hands-on)
Acer may have beaten everybody to market with the first 8-inch Windows tablet, but we knew it wouldn't be long before the other guys started catching up. Toshiba just entered the fray with the Encore, an 8-inch tablet that manages to be even cheaper than Acer's W3. Like the W3, it runs on an Atom processor, but because Toshiba waited longer it got to use one of Intel's new quad-core Bay Trail chips. What's interesting, too, is that Toshiba apparently worked closely with Microsoft on this, not just in optimizing the tablet for Windows 8.1, but in making sure the tablet's dual mics and 2MP front camera will be Skype-certified by the time it ships. The Encore arrives in early November - i.e., not long after Windows 8.1 ships. As for that price we alluded to, it'll cost $330 with a category-standard 1,280 x 800 display and 32GB of built-in storage (expandable via microSD). Not bad considering the W3 hit the market at $380, and is still going for about $350 in most places. That leaves just one teensy question: what's it like to use? Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Time Warner Cable taps into Starz Play and Encore Play
Many subscribers of Starz and Encore have known the joy of free, on-demand movies for some time now, but customers of Time Warner Cable are more likely accustomed to another feeling -- one of exclusion. Fortunately, that all changes today, as Time Warner now provides access to Starz Play and Encore Play. The services are free to subscribers of the pay channels, and are accessible both over the web and via apps for Android and iOS. As it stands, Starz Play offers access to 400 titles (including 300 movies), while Encore Play offers somewhere in the neighborhood of 900 titles, 300 of which are movies. Signing into Starz Play and Encore Play is simply a matter of plugging in your Time Warner Cable ID, which is used for authentication with the Play system. Naturally, the latest announcement serves as a nice complement to TWC TV, and could also prove itself a worthwhile Plan B for times when Netflix is on the fritz.
Chaos Theory: The Secret World's events deserve encores
Two, four, six, eight, No more Mayan Zombie hate! The end had finally come. No, not of the world -- of the in-game event that was celebrating the end of days in The Secret World. For just over two weeks, folks got to enjoy special missions, collect special loot, purchase special costumes, and even fight special mobs. But once the end came, the opportunity was lost forever. You see, the End of Days was a singular affair commemorating one particular real-world happening. As such, it was a bit of a once-in-a-lifetime deal. That particular happening -- the end of the Mayan calendar -- will never repeat, so it makes sense that TSW's event shouldn't either, right? Wrong. While I fully concur that events should not go on forever or be so frequent that they lose their special nature and the excitement that comes with being a part of them, I do not agree that The Secret World should have any one-time-only events. Like any successful performance, events should be granted encores. Instead of these events being once-in-a-lifetime, I propose that events should be once-in-a-long-time. Anything else actually hurts the game. Here's why.
New Starz Play website and apps stream only to Cox customers, but you might not need them
Earlier this year Starz pulled its online content library back from Netflix and now it's relaunching the old Starz Play branded websites and apps (iOS and WiFi only for now, 3G and Android coming soon) for authenticated streaming, similar to HBO Go and Showtime Anytime. There's also an Encore Play site, and it plans to launch one for its Movieplex channel in the future. Currently, the services only support logins from Cox cable subscribers, but if you're not on that pay-TV provider you may not be missing out after all. Starz has already licensed its content to providers like Comcast for streaming through its Xfinity website and apps, deals which it tells The Hollywood Reporter cover about 70 percent of its customers. Like HBO and Showtime, this probably is not a prelude to offering its service beyond the tethers of cable and satellite, but as exec Ed Huguez puts it, "it is an expression of (Starz') brand and user interface." That likely only applies domestically however, as Starz also announced it's licensing its content to the cable-free HBO Nordic service, and one can see how building up its technology means it could serve up its own streams internationally some day. Even if you get Starz, if your provider is large enough to handle its own business when it comes to online services this probably won't affect you. However, for customers on smaller cable companies or in the future when deals get renegotiated, you may have another app to add to your drawer for TV Everywhere-style viewing.
Just Mobile talks about working with Apple and why it manufactures in Taiwan exclusively
For the average Joe that have managed to stay out of the Apple circle, the Just Mobile brand might not immediately ring a bell, but chances are you would've come across one of its peripheral designs at some point. The only problem is unless you knew the company in the first place, you'd easily assume that the aluminum or even plastic knock-offs are just based on generic designs, because there are simply too many of them. It's no wonder Just Mobile co-founders Nils Gustafsson and Erich Huang take imitations of all forms very personally (especially the ones they and their lawyers see at CES), but fortunately, we were spared from prolonged ranting when we visited the duo's office in Taichung, Taiwan recently. What we were treated to instead was an insight into how an accessory maker works with Apple and why Just Mobile manufactures exclusively in Taiwan, as well as getting a preview of the upcoming AluRack, HeadStand and AluBase that are due out this month.
Shazam adds Last.FM integration to iPhone apps
Shazam is one of my favorite iPhone apps, and it was one of the first I downloaded from the App Store. Every time I'm in a store or listening to the radio and hear a song I like but don't know, I let Shazam listen. The free version is still in the store, but just recently they've also released Shazam Encore and (Shazam)RED, two paid versions of the app that offer up more functionality (the RED version gives part of the purchase price to charity). Among that new functionality is Last.FM integration: now, you can apparently send any songs you "tag" straight over to the Last.FM app (assuming you have it installed), and make up a radio station directly from there. Pretty slick, and the iTunes description for both apps says that Pandora works as well. Unfortunately, reviews for the paid version say that the app still includes ads (a weird choice for a paid app), and there are a few reviews that even say the app crashes occasionally (though I've never experienced the problem of it not finding a song for me -- even with rarities and b-sides, it's always come through). But it's a real shame that reviewers are having problems -- while Shazam definitely needs to find a way to monetize its service, failing to provide a premium experience on a premium app obviously isn't the way to do it. Still, if you made the jump to the paid app already, or use Last.FM and/or Pandora often, it might be worth a look.
Q-Games' Dylan Cuthbert taking aim at more PixelJunk Shooter
There's no doubt about it -- Q-Games head Dylan Cuthbert is very much interested in making more content for the latest in the PixelJunk series of games, PixelJunk Shooter. When he spoke recently to G4TV, Cuthbert said, "for PixelJunk Shooter we still have a ton of ideas on the drawing board and the engine has lots of potential we want to use before moving onto our next idea." He also teased the possibility of a full-on sequel, front-loading his last statement with, "normally sequels are just a re-hashing of the ideas in the original." Given the PixelJunk's all-over-the-place history with DLC and re-releases and Encore versions, we poked Cuthbert for clarification. When we asked which of the aforementioned options we might see for PixelJunk Shooter, Cuthbert told us: "It hasn't been decided yet, as it depends on how much content we end up making. Whatever we end up making, though, it will be even better than the first installment with loads of new stuff. (Obviously I know what some of that stuff is, but I can't say -- all I can say is that fans will be extremely pleased.)" So, there you have it, folks! We're gonna see ... umm ... something else from Shooter.
Crapgadget: USB back massager, limbo string and more obviously terrible ideas
Remember those battery-operated vibrating ladybugs that people used to pass around (multiple times) as office gifts? Yeah, that critter ain't got nothing on this stable of patently awful gizmos. We've seen a remarkable amount of garbage pass under our noses in the past few weeks, and we've rounded up the worst of the worst for your consideration. So, is a USB shell speaker really more embarrassing than a V-Sports console for folks tired of searching for a Wii? Is the i-Knock personal IM notifier more unnecessary than the Encore Rockin' Music Lamp? Or does the OMG-inducing Limbo String walk away with the gold here? We know, each and every item is a festering turd in one way or another, but which of the ones below just exemplify the word "crap?" Choose carefully.Read - USB shell speakerRead - USB back massagerRead - V-Sports consoleRead - i-Knock IM doohickeyRead - Encore Rockin' Music LampRead - Limbo String %Poll-17998%
Wynn Las Vegas nets HD VOD and WiFi
We've already seen Cox bring HDTV to The Donald's Las Vegas Hotel & Tower, but now cross town street rival Wynn is about to get its own dash of HD upgrades. Cox Business/Hospitality Network will be providing wired and wireless internet to Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, and furthermore, it'll be stringing free-to-guest programming in both SD and HD flavors to both the Encore and Wynn proper. Patrons will notice revised navigation menus rendered in high-definition, and the HD VOD platform will enable them to get instantly gratified when returning from a long night at the tables. Specific stations aren't listed, but CB/HN promises that guests will be treated to "a wide variety of HD and digital channels and on demand Hollywood blockbusters in HD." Your move, Luxor.
Starz Entertainment migrating to MPEG-4
Starz Entertainment has been making some pretty big moves of late, the most recent of which involves Motorola. The latter firm has announced that it will be "implementing a four-channel, high-definition MPEG-4/AVC encoding system" for Starz, which it will use to migrate away from its current MPEG-2 installations. It's reported that the change will enable Starz to "expand its HD offerings for subscribers," and as predicted, the system is being first implemented for the outfit's existing HD channels: Starz HD, Starz Kids and Family HD, Starz Edge HD and Starz Comedy HD. Oh, and if you were wondering, the recently unveiled Encore HD will be launched "concurrent with this migration."
Starz Entertainment to launch Encore HD in July
Shortly after dropping a cool $25 million on a new logo (among other things), Starz Entertainment is gearing up to launch its fifth distinct high-definition channel in Encore HD. Currently, the standard-definition Encore channel has 31 million subscribers, which means that quite a few eyes in the world will likely be seeing the same stuff in much greater quality. The channel is slated to launch in July for all of its cable, satellite and telco affiliates to pick up, and as expected, 5.1-channel audio will be delivered right alongside the high-def imagery. We're still left to wonder who exactly will make the high-definition version of Encore available to its customers, but at worse, you've only got a few months to wait before finding out.
Brazil's first Intel Classmate PC given to o presidente
The odd public relations battle among the various manufacturers of super-low-cost laptops is heating up once again, with Intel ceremoniously delivering Brazil's first Classmate PC to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (presumably it will not be his primary machine). The low-power Classmate -- competing with OLPC's XO and Encore's Mobilis for a bulk contract and presumably lucrative support deals -- was part of an initial lot of 30 machines for government eggheads to play with, and will be followed by a donation of 800 units sometime next month. Unlike the $150 XO, the Classmate is a multi-hundred dollar machine with some fairly decent specs -- for its class, at least -- as it features a Celeron M CPU, 256MB of DDR2 RAM, and 1GB of NAND flash, among other "luxuries." With this seemingly heated competition to provide cheap notebooks to the children of Brazil, it's amusing to think that along with teaching them about coding, writing, and web surfing, these little gadgets will also bring them another proud tradition of developed countries: the OS war.
Encore's Mobilis to compete with OLPC XO, Classmate PC in Brazil
While we didn't exactly expect the educational, beneficial, and "world-changing" laptops that are headed out to children all across the globe to battle it out like Intel and AMD, we guess a little competition can't hurt too much. Just days after getting word that Intel's Classmate PC would be tackling OLPC's XO, only to be joined by a dark horse Indian offering shortly thereafter, we now know precisely who that lucky third wheel is. Encore Software will reportedly offer up "around 50" of its Linux-based Mobilis machines for evaluation within Brazil, setting up a three-way grudge match between Doom-playing ultraportables. The machines will supposedly sport 7- to 7.5-inch LCD touchscreens, six hours of battery life, VGA output, Ethernet / 56k modem, optional GRPS / GPS modules, optional biometric scanner, stereo speakers, microphone, audio in / out, and a bevy of "hot keys" to activate your typical office applications. Although we've no idea how much Encore hopes to make off these things, we sure hope they prepped those demo units for battle before mailing them out.