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Watch the Navy's electromagnetic railgun blow stuff up before it hits the high seas
The Navy announced plans today to deploy an electromagnetic railgun that can do some epic damage. Set to go into testing on one of Navy's joint high speed vessels (JHSV) in 2016, the gun uses Lorentz Force to "rapidly accelerate and launch a projectile between two conductive rails." The result is a gun that can shoot a ton farther than a traditional weapon. Even better, it can maintain kinetic energy while it's in flight, making it so it doesn't need a lot of explosives on board to do some damage when it gets to the car, building, or other ship you're trying to blow up. The Navy's chief engineer, Rear Adm. Bryant Fuller says the gun will "allow us to effectively counter a wide-range of threats at a relatively low cost, while keeping our ships and sailors safer by removing the need to carry as many high-explosive weapons." JHSV's aren't used for combat, so the railguns will be on their way to some TBD boats soon. For now, you can see them in action in the official Navy video below.
Daily Roundup: $200 Micro 3D printer, Xbox One now shares to YouTube, 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.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: WarkaWater Tower, kangaroo-like robot and an energy-generating carousel
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. The world is flooded with electronic devices, which add up to a huge e-waste problem -- but if a team of MIT researchers has its way, the gadgets of the future could be made from living cells. The team is working on hybrid materials made from bacteria that could grow anything from solar cells to smartphones. The German engineering company Festo is known for its biomimetic creations, producing everything from flying seagulls to wind turbines that flap their wings like birds. Now the company has developed an energy-efficient robot that hops around like a kangaroo. In green lighting news, Torafu Architects has created a series of recycled glass pendant lamps that are inspired by droplets of water. And Philips has developed a new LED bulb that looks and feels like an incandescent. And for those travelers who just can't seem to fit everything in their carry-on luggage, we present you with the JakToGo, a new jacket that stores up to 10 kg of goods, freeing up space in your suitcase.
Daily Roundup: 5-year-old hacks Xbox Live account, Amazon Fire TV teardown 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.
WWDC for fun and tickles
It's that time of year again! This morning, when Apple announced its WWDC dates and opened its new lottery system, potential attendees started going crazy attempting to book flights and hotel rooms in the hope they'd get lucky. This morning thousands of developers signed up for a chance to pay $1600 (not to mention those hotel and flights) to participate in one of the most valuable -- but exclusive -- events on the Apple social calendar. Some tell me they're planning to travel regardless of whether they do or do not win that golden ticket. With a major swell in third party conferences and landing zones, WWDC has spilled out from the walls of Moscone into a much wider community event. Think of Burning Man, but with better dressed attendees... (If you like, you can skip the word "better" in that sentence.) Some developers I talked to this morning were busy contemplating a startup selling souvenir badges. "Why feel outcast when you can purchase a fake attendee thing to hang around your neck. You can walk around SF looking like a real hipster!" I don't believe they were being entirely serious. Meanwhile, others were busy carefully dissecting the new announcement art. Although we at TUAW still think it looks a bit like a horse's behind, we're curious about the suggestion it creates of display technology and pixels. Very intriguing if so. What do you think of the artwork? Any secret clues? Share your thoughts in the comments and tell us what you think about the new WWDC sign up system. Love it? Hate it? Fear it? Also, if you have any third party events you're organizing or planning to participate in, please drop us a line! We'd love to hear about it.
Canonical shutters Dropbox competitor Ubuntu One
Canonical announced plans today to shut down its Dropbox competitor Ubuntu One, a move that will also signal the end of its streaming music service. "If we offer a service, we want it to compete on a global scale," CEO Jane Silber noted in a blog post. "For Ubuntu One to continue to do that would require more investment than we are willing to make." Rather than compete with other cloud services that routinely offer substantial amounts of free storage, the company has instead decided to focus efforts on its operating system. Storage and music are no longer available for purchase from the Ubuntu One Store starting today. Existing customers can use the service until June 1st, while stored content will be available to download through July 30th. Annual subscribers, meanwhile, can expect a prorated refund soon.
Apples and Oranges: Amazon moves into the Apple TV space
Those of us who have been waiting for an Amazon Prime channel to finally show up on their Apple TV now have an explanation as to why it never arrived. Today Amazon introduced FireTV (US $99), an Amazon set-top box that seems perfectly situated to compete with Apple TV. Amazon cited a 350% growth in their video streaming service as their basis for entering this market. With a quad-core processor, a dedicated GPU, and 2GB of onboard RAM, the new unit's specifications compare extremely favorably against both Apple's latest unit as well as Roku. Standout features include enhanced "MIMO dual-band WiFi", a slick user interface, built-in Karaoke, and voice search. The box is about the same form factor as an Apple TV, with a small but much more solid-looking remote. The unit will offer many of the same channels, or "apps" in the Amazon parlance. These include Netflix, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN, SHO Anytime, Bloomberg, and Vevo. Streaming music services including Pandora and iHeart Radio should follow soon after launch. A feature called "X-Ray" will provide additional details about what you're watching as you watch it. This extra information is delivered to your Kindle Fire HDX tablet for tight product-line integration. There's also some sort of AirPlay equivalent on offer for watching slideshows of your tablet- and cloud-based photo collections. Apple has to be taking notice of Amazon's latest move. From the Kindle to the TV, Amazon is striding boldly into an arena of consumer content that Apple first pioneered with iTunes and Apple TV. If anyone can transform content delivery from a hobby to a business, Amazon can. FireTV's easier interaction style and spoken commands (yes, I struggle with entering text on Apple TV -- especially when I have to re-enter my WiFi network password) should set a new bar for streaming set top. Apparently there's even a mic built into the remote. I found the interface screenshots to be cleaner than the somewhat confusing menu system I currently see on my Apple TV unit.They're full of bright clear images that feel like a well thought out, navigable system -- and probably a bit of a WiFi hog. So how will Apple react? Certainly that $99 price point for Apple TV has got to give or the Apple unit needs a major refresh. If Apple intends to stay in this "hobby", I would expect an interface overhaul and perhaps some Siri support to stay competitive. I also would think they'd need to open a third party SDK, the way that Amazon will with its open HTML and Android ecosystem. At launch, you'll be able to download and play Minecraft, The Walking Dead, Monsters University, the Amazon exclusive Sev Zero -- all on your TV.
Daily Roundup: April Fools' roundup, a tour of ThinkGeek's headquarters, 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.
Weekends with Engadget: the future of Oculus Rift, new HTC One review and more!
Welcome to Weekends with Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines from the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. For even more news, subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
Daily Roundup: 8GB iPhone 5c rumor, Microsoft OneNote goes free, 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.
Cross-platform Android and iOS gaming arriving through Google Play
Android phone and tablet owners and iOS devotees might not be quite so divided in the video game space soon. Features recently added to Google Play game services, the tool used by developers to manage items like leaderboards and achievements in Android, included new multiplayer options for iOS devices. Additionally, as Engadget pointed out, an update to the Unity engine allows cross-platform multiplayer for iOS and Android players. Google Play game services also received a change to their categories, bringing the total number of video game genres on the platform to 18. Lastly, Google plans to launch a "game gifts" service, which will allow players to send one another in-game items. The company launched its game services software development kit in May 2013 as an answer to Apple's Game Center service. Google also recently purchased Android controller manufacturer Green Throttle Games. [Image: Google]
Daily Roundup: new Amazon and Valve controllers, Samsung's ultrasonic phone case 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.
Orderly: To do lists with lots of gestures
Orderly (US$0.99) is exactly the kind of app that I normally don't write about in posts. It's a good example of a somewhat okay app that was released too early without proper testing and development, and lacking in any number of killer features. Despite my reservations, I was encouraged to write this post to give a sense about apps that really don't fall into the "must buy" or "exquisitely awful" categories that you normally read about. The developer's pitch letter says, This has great 5 star ratings so far. This app is unique in the sense, it purely uses iPhone gestures in the most comfortable and natural way to create and manage TODOs on your iPhone. Sadly it does not deliver on this promise. Orderly is a to do list. It's pretty enough (despite an unoriginal icon) and was built to leverage gesture-based interaction. It starts with 11 pages of tutorial overviews before you jump into the app itself. Once in, the app is pretty easy to figure out despite those 11 pages. For example, you tap + to create a new to do list. There's even a pretty animated transition from the overviews to the detail screen. Here's an example of where the app disappoints. In the following video, I attempt to navigate between the detail and overview screen. Keep in mind the principal of least astonishment as you watch this. First, I end up tapping somewhere by accident and the screen flips on me. Then I use the un-pinch-to-zoom feature to go from overview to detail. That gesture is non-reciprocal. I cannot use similar gestures to move back to the previous state. Instead, I must tap the "<" button which, for iOS users, has a very specific meaning in navigation terms. That meaning is slightly distorted here. Finally, the actual animation back shows artifacts. None of this is damning -- the accidental touch at the start is entirely my fault -- but as reviewers we do notice the rest. We're looking for a slick interactive experience and this isn't it. When I pulled out a hardware keyboard to test text entry, I received another surprise. The app doesn't take that hardware into account. The text remains "indented" into the portion of the screen normally usable when the on-screen keyboard is shown. If you ask why this video is "on its side," that's because the app was apparently never tested on an iPad, let alone with hardware text entry -- a natural accessory for entering large quantities of text in an app that revolves around text. It's about at this point, where I normally make the review/don't review decision. There were enough quirks to prompt me to move onto the next item in my inbox. Only Dave's request that I showcase the exploration process brought this post to life. Had everything else worked properly, I would have tested the app over a few days in real life scenarios and then written up my overview. An app as pretty as this deserves better. Despite really good intentions, the developer failed to deliver the kind of product that earns a TUAW recommendation.
Why what you think about that "new category" thing may be all wrong
Spectacle. We love it. That moment when technology changes and our minds are blown. It's easy to forget that many "one more thing" things were actually pretty boring: the iPod mini, Safari for Windows, the Power Mac G5. Our current obsession with "new categories" derives from the heroin-like highs of the iPhone and iPad. While every year, Apple's laptop and desktop lines iteratively improve in user features and hardware, it's hard to get past that rush of newness that iOS delivered. Even iPod, the consumer device that more or less revolutionized Apple's marketplace in 2001, didn't produce the kind of magical expectations that iOS mobile did. Is Apple still innovating? Is the Tim Cook catholic...er...in the woods...um...wait, I'm pretty sure there's a metaphor here that means "yes". Yes, Apple is still innovating. Since we haven't had our next holycrapdoodle moment, I'm going to guess that none of these internally developed products have been suitable or mature enough to bring to market yet. There's the whole wearables thing... If you're willing to strap your iPhone 5S to your forehead, it's already here with its new-fangled motion chip supported by literally several apps! It's not what everyone was expecting, but it kind of positions Apple. There's also Apple TV, which keeps getting better but still doesn't "rule the living room" in any meaningful way. And then there's that car thing, which, *shrug*. Back in reality, there are lots of hints in iOS 7 about possible future directions. The latest OS now supports hardware keyboards including control keys, and alt keys, and stuff like that. There's also massively expanded support for document containers like RTF. It all could potentially hint at a toasterfridge merging of iOS and OS X -- or not. The problem is that two major innovations do not a corporate trend make. They were amazing but they may not have been defining as in specifically "Apple is the company whose new products always produce paradigm shift". Sure, we want more amazing but it's not something that it's reasonable to expect on a regular, scheduled basis. You know the meme. Meth, not even once.
iOS 7.1's new shift key icons are rad
"What's the matter with the shift key icon, honey? It's still Rock & Roll to me" -- Surprisingly not actual lyrics by Billy Joel Today, as 7.1 rolled in, major complainage could be heard echoing through the TUAW back channels. "OMG," the afflicted cried, "The world is at an end -- Apple has redesigned the shift key icons!" Our very own Dave Caolo even wrote about the change, saying that "It's a good change overall but will take some getting used to." For comparison's sake, here are the old versions. It's not exactly Malum in se as if Apple committed murder or wore white after Labor Day. And, if you're paying attention, the back delete button also got a little refresh. Me? I rather like 'em. The new shift and shift-lock icons are identifiable at a glance as being engaged and ready. They differ in color, with the lock adding an extra line underneath. And they've finally moved past those Unicode-y feeling outlines. These updates are fine. %Poll-87512%
Transformer-like Dock-It Pro provides quirky iPad keyboard case
To call the Dock-It Pro (US$159) quirky is to understate the oddness of this product. This Parle Innovation device offers a flip-case that enables users to treat their iPad as either a mini laptop or a very, very heavy tablet. A well-designed keyboard represents its strongest feature, but the weight, compatibility issues, and awkward usability let a promising product down. If you own an iPad air, this is not the product for you. It works only with the iPad 2, 3, and 4 form factor. To use, you slide the top element in a few directions (there are hints printed onto the product because it doesn't quite open like a laptop) and place your iPad inside. In my testing, this process went very smoothly and I was delighted to find a notch that allows me to connect my old-style charging cable to my iPad 2, even while docked to the unit. The built-in Bluetooth keyboard is battery powered, using a standard micro-USB charger -- which is exactly as hard to plug in as any other similar device. It helps to have good eyes and a steady hand. Now that I own Lightning products, I'm finding my patience wearing thin with some of these USB ports. Your iPad and your case charge independently. Unfortunately in "laptop" mode, the battery connector and the charging port notch are on opposite sides of the product, making cord organization a bit of a hassle. This is especially notable because in "laptop" mode represents the times when you're most likely to make extended use of the product. The built-in keyboard is my favorite part of this unit. Yes, the keyboard is small -- but so are all keyboard cases for iPads. And yes, the keyboard is chickleted, but it's a pretty decent chicklet keyboard with decent travel. There will probably never be a portable keyboard with proper mechanical switches and high key travel, so my evaluation was limited to: "Is this usable?" and "Does it feel pretty okay?" It certainly does. How good? About as good as it gets in the as the top of the middle to the bottom of the top of the keyboard case keyboard product pack. Decent. A set of handy function keys lines the top of the keyboard. At the very left, where the ESC key normally sits, is a home key equivalent -- very handy. Other built-ins include brightness control, volume control with mute key, and a lock key. The product is most suited to someone who needs to move between the touch world and text entry world, presumably in work areas where dictation is out of the question. Compared to my MacBook Air, which I bought refurbished, it's heavier, and less capable, and with the iPad, costs about the same. The target market that would best benefit from a device like this -- such as medical personnel and sales persons on the road -- would probably balk at the weight and awkward use. The product is not ruggedized in any way, so I wouldn't imagine taking it into a construction zone. In the end, I think the Dock-It Pro is probably a much better product concept than an actual product for sale despite its appealing keyboard and fun transformer screen.
Daily Roundup: Samsung's Milk Music, a stun gun-equipped drone 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.
Jukebox Heroes: Top 40 MMO themes, #30-21
We're back with our second part of our Top 40 MMO main themes countdown, this time digging into the middle of the pack. To repeat my self-imposed rules for this list: I limited myself to just one theme from a particular title, even if there were multiple themes in a game. Entries had to be a main theme or the closest equivalent of that; they had to be from MMOs, not from MOBAs; and I had to divorce my weighting of the track itself from the popularity of and my experience with that game. So there were no points added or subtracted based on my love of the game; I'm counting down the best music, period. If you missed the first part, check out themes #40-31. Otherwise, hit that continue button and get listening already!
BroApp coming to iOS amidst firestorm of opinion
BroApp, a US$1.99 Android app that sends automated texts to friends, partners, and family is heading soon to iOS. The app acts on your behalf as a kind of techno-Cyrano. It messages your recipient with a fortune cookie of attention. "Thinking of you." "Can't wait to see you." "Good morning! I hope you have a great day!". It's also smart enough to disable itself when it's near a target's Wi-Fi network by detecting SSIDs. The website advertises that the product "messages your girlfriend sweet things so you can spend more time with the Bros" (hence the name). And, already, Wired has taken a stance suggesting that some apps may turn us into sociopaths. Me? I disagree. We already live in a Hallmark age. A pre-printed sentiment is now de rigueur for nearly every holiday and life event. If you inadvertently skip these plastic emotions, the social sanction can be be harsh. BroApp is no more unrealistic than the over-the-top sentimentality we witness on Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and New Years. BroApp isn't creating a pathology. It just reflects the reality of one that already exists.
AnyFont helps you configure custom fonts for all your iOS applications
AnyFont (US$1.99) enables you to add custom True Type and Open Type fonts to your iOS device for use in any application. When I first heard about this app, I was curious. How could an app like this "break sandboxing," the security feature that keeps each app separate and safe? I contact the developer, Florian Schimanke, who explained the steps the application takes. "[In iOS 7], it is possible to include fonts in configuration profiles. You can do this for example using the Apple Configurator from the Mac App Store," he wrote. "[AnyFont] takes the fonts that are added to the app's storage by the user via iTunes file sharing or the 'Open in...' dialog and creates a configuration profile from it so it can be installed on the device. AnyFont hands over the newly created profile to Safari which then takes the user to the installation process. When finished, the user is then taken back to AnyFont." I added a copy of the app to my iPod and dropped in a copy of a True Type (ttf) font I found on my Mac. I then launched the app and selected the font, which moved me through a few screens to the "Install Profile" pane you see in the image at the top of this post. From there, I clicked Install and then consented to having the profile install the font. A further tap to "Done" and I was ready to start using my new font. What's more, once installed, the font appears in the General > Profiles settings, making it simple to remove the item should you change your mind in the future or wish to tidy up your device. A visit to Pages showed the new font was installed and ready for use. If you regularly perform content creation on iOS, this clever two-dollar utility will expand your font horizon. I found it easy to use and that it delivered exactly the functionality promised.
