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Grab Shark's IQ self-emptying robot vacuum for $170 off at Wellbots
Shark's IQ robot vacuum is on sale for $429, well under its usual $599 price.
Nest takes on home defense with its Secure alarm system
Nest wants to manage every aspect of your home's security -- not just its thermostats and cameras. The company has announced a slew of products designed to keep an eye on your home while you're away, under the Nest Secure banner. That includes a Google-Home-looking Guard control system, Detect sensors (placed in rooms, near windows and doors) and a Tag keychain that arms and disarms the security hub. The starter bundle will cost $499, with extra Detect sensors running $59. Need an additional Tag for your roommates or kids? Those will set you back $25 each. A bundle with the Nest Cam Outdoor (this is different from the latest Nest Cam IQ Outdoor) will be available at Best Buy as well as Nest's website for $598.
Toyota plans dialed-back launch of eQ and iQ EV city cars in December
Toyota's just-arrived RAV4 EV will soon get a much smaller cousin -- albeit a very elusive one. An electric version of the iQ city car will arrive in Japan (as the eQ) and the US (as the iQ EV) this December, but the automaker is significantly scaling back its 2010 promises of several thousand cars sold per year to just 100 fleet-oriented vehicles. The charging times, costs and range of EVs "do not meet society's needs," vice chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada says to explain the smaller ambitions. It's easy to understand the cautious approach after seeing the car's final details. While they're not out of line with the specs of other EVs, the eQ's 3-hour fast charge, 62-mile range and ¥3.6 million ($46,130) price wouldn't have regular customers flocking to dealerships. Most of Toyota's energy is instead being funneled into its tried-and-true hybrids, with 21 due on the market by 2015, as well as plans to deliver the company's first hydrogen fuel cell car by the same year. Eco-conscious drivers may be disappointed that Toyota isn't moving as aggressively into a pure electric realm as some of its rivals, but we'd rather see smartly planned baby steps than an overly risky plunge.
Ultrasone IQ unveiled as company's first in-ear headphones, hybrid drivers in tow
Heads up, audiophiles! Here's a little gem we spotted at the Hong Kong High-End Audio Visual Show over the weekend. Dubbed the Ultrasone IQ, these turn out to be the German company's first ever in-ear headphones, and luckily they're more than just ordinary buds. You see, packed within each aluminum alloy capsule is a combo of a traditional dynamic driver and a balanced armature driver, with the former taking care of the bass plus lower-mids, and the latter covering the rest -- specific frequency response to be confirmed at a later date. The technology isn't new, of course, but it's all about the fine-tuning to match the price tag -- we've been told to expect around HK$6,000, which is about US$770. This author was fortunate enough to try the pictured prototype at the event and was left impressed by its definition, but the final product will apparently perform even better when it hits the market in late September. Just to seal the deal for hardcore users, these buds feature MMCX connectors, meaning you can swap the original cables with the bundled headset kit (for iPhone and major Android devices) or other third-party wires. Launched alongside the IQ were the Signature DJ and two new additions to the Edition 8 line: Romeo and Juliet, which seem like a nice idea for audiophilic couples. Alas, details are light here in terms of prices and availability, but at least Romeo and Juliet will perform identically as the original Edition 8. The new DJ cups, on the other hand, await official specifications. For now, hit the gallery to take a look at all of Ultrasone's new offerings. %Gallery-162379%
Intel launches youth-focused iQ webzine, tells its brand story through aggregation
It's like Highlights for kids, but with a decidedly techno-centric spin. The company known more for what it's put inside our gadgetry has just unveiled a new digital magazine, iQ, intended for the youthful, über-connected masses. Looking much like Flipboard in design and borrowing a live tile-ish approach, the internally-curated Intel webzine culls content from outside pubs and mixes it in with original and partner-contributed pieces to, as EIC Bryan Rhoads puts it, "tell... the bigger story of who we are as a brand." Indeed, it may do just that via the circuitous route of social recommendations, given that each news box grows in prominence along with its viral importance. There's no paid or free app to download, just a simple URL to link you to that dynamic "front page." So, if you feel your angst-ridden teenagers are in need of an industry-specific educational focus, this might be one site to add to their bookmarks.
Sony partners with Scion, makes MotorStorm RC free for PS Vita
Getting set up with Sony's latest handheld can be an incredible drain on the wallet, what with the cost of pricey, proprietary memory cards and actual games to play. Consider this then the company's way of tossing early adopters a bone, because for a limited time US-based Vita owners can download MotorStorm RC gratis on the PlayStation Store starting today. Don't send those imaginary thank you cards to the electronics giant just yet; this special promo comes courtesy of a partnership with Scion (Toyota's Gen Y offshoot) and, as such, is pre-loaded with an exclusive, playable version of its subcompact iQ. Yes, you're being pandered to, but who cares? It's free, it's fun and it'll give your thumbs and Nathan Drake a mini-break.
Toyota to show off iQ EV prototype, put it into production next year
Toyota has been showing off an electric vehicle concept based on its iQ ultra-compact for a couple of years now, but it looks like it's finally worked up enough confidence to actually put it into production. The first step down that road will occur at the Geneva Motor Show next month, where Toyota will show off a "near-production" prototype of its iQ EV (not necessarily the actual name), which is apparently much like its FT-EV concept, but with an improved lithium-ion battery pack that promises a range of 105 kilometers (or 65 miles) on a single charge. Assuming all goes as planned, the car will then be put into production following some additional testing later this year, and Toyota will reportedly begin leasing it to consumers at some point in 2012 -- Europe seems to be first in line for the car, but it will apparently be headed to North America as well.
LG IQ (Monaco) demoed on video, coming to Telus 'this holiday season'
Clocking in at 1:48, this glimpse at LG's IQ (a.k.a. Monaco) is indeed very brief and not much is said. It's got a fingerprint sensor lock, S-class UI (which we knew), and that backing is definitely Windows Mobile 6.5, but for everything else we'll have to refer to the previous specs we've seen leaked. As noted twice by the voice behind the on-screen hand, it's coming "this holiday season" and will be exclusive to Telus, so all the fine print should be revealed soon. Video after the break.
LG's Monaco (IQ) spotted in Telus garb, rocking WinMo 6.5 and Snapdragon
It's been a hot minute since we've heard anything about LG's Monaco, but now it seems as if the wait for this to transition from presentation slide to reality is almost over. Unfortunately, Windows Mobile 7 won't be onboard as previously rumored, but prospective Telus customers can look forward to LG's S-Class interface sprucing things up somewhat. Other specs purportedly include a Snapdragon processor, WVGA display, 5 megapixel camera and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, though nitty-gritty details beyond that are nil. Peep that read link if you're lusting for a few more angles, and don't kid yourself -- you are.
Foxtel offers up free iQ DVR for 12 months
It's no iQ2, but it's free, and free is hard to complain with. Australians teetering on the fence about buying into pay-TV from Foxtel have a little more incentive thanks to a fresh offer from the company. For folks who sign up, they'll receive a free iQ DVR for a full 12 months, and better still, installation will also be free. We're actually a bit fuzzy on whether this deal is in effect now or starting in 2009, but it can't hurt to call and plead, right?
ReQuest produces HD user interface for its whole-home servers
We can't say we're thrilled to hear that ReQuest's wares didn't already come with a high-def interface, but given that HD GUIs are still mighty tough to come by, we can't harsh on it too much. The media server producer has just cranked out a presumably gorgeous high-definition graphical user interface for its iQ whole-home music system as well as its N-Series / F-Series media servers. Users can navigate the software with just five commands -- Up, Down, Left, Right, and Enter -- and while entering those inputs in that order won't give you a 1-Up or anything, they should be manageable with virtually any IR remote.
ReQuest intros media servin' Intelligent Media Client
We hate to burst your bubble, but the rather beautiful looking device you see above won't do you much good without one of ReQuest's pricey servers. Designed to interact within a ReQuest ecosystem, the Intelligent Media Client gives users the ability to stream stored media (pictures, videos, audio, archived DVDs, etc.) across their network and onto a primary HDTV. The unit provides upscaled 1080p content and can even rip / store DVDs locally for searching across the LAN. 'Course, you could probably get all of this functionality in October for much, much less than $2,495, but we suppose elegance has a premium, after all.
BBC asks: Are games making kids smarter? [Update]
After its laughable coverage of Brain Training's "discriminatory" stance on accents earlier this year, the BBC had some work to do to get back in our favor. The feature above, part of a recent edition of flagship news program Newsnight, does just that.Rather than automatically accusing videogames of having a negative effect on children (a default position for countless media outlets), the piece suggests that games have helped to produce brighter kids now than at any stage in history. Leading the charge for this side of the debate is Steven Johnson, author of Everything Bad Is Good for You. Johnson contends that because so much modern media (the internet, interactive television, games) is no longer consumed passively, many children grow up to be "more creative, more dynamic." Later in the piece, he also suggests that games help us to believe that "complex problem-solving is fun."There's some solid evidence to support Johnson's claims, most notably in the IQ scores of children, which have climbed considerably over the last century. Could computer games truly be assisting in making today's kids the smartest yet? We're not certain there's a conclusive answer to that, but it delights us to see the BBC covering the debate in such a measured fashion.[Update: Not actually shown in the UK on Friday, as original post stated.]
Jumpgate's A.I. evolves
More details have emerged from the jumpgate via Steve Hartmeyer's Dev Journal over on MMORPG.com. Steve is a programmer at NetDevil working on the hotly anticipated (at least it is for many of us here at Massively) space combat MMO, Jumpgate Evolution.Steve's latest entry, AI System: Nuts & Bolts, takes us on an amazing detailed journey through the evolution of Jumpgate's artificial intelligence system. He explains how it morphed from "simply" populating space and simulating everyday tasks of an immense number of AI ships to a system that ultimately allows players to react to and participate in spontaneous events originated by the AI itself! Uh... holy crap! No wonder the dev team is so stoked about this game's AI system. Between the comparison to X-wing games we heard about yesterday, and now learning of the off the charts Intelligence Quotient of the AI... the needle just done popped off my Hot Meter! But there's more to it then the pure glee of such a cool game on the horizon. When you realize the capabilities of today's gaming AI (not just in JE, but where gaming AI is at right now and where it will likely lead), it all actually gets a bit creepy-cool in the "Wow, this sounds a lot like the theoretical beginnings of the Matrix or Cyberdyne Systems' development of Skynet" sort of way. Things that make ya go hmmm...
