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Dundee student designs Passive Play toy cube to stimulate parent interaction with autistic children
A University of Dundee scholar has been working on a wonderful tool that aims to evoke the emotional connection between children with autism and their parents. While we've seen novelties like the My Keepon in the past, any addition to the cause is always a pleasant one, and the Passive Play's no exception. The concept comes in the form of an interactive toy cube for the kid (pictured above), which pairs up with an iOS app and allows the parent to see any interaction the little one is having with the device. Passive Play's creator, Tom Kirkman, says his inspiration comes from "wanting to learn more about autism," and in case you happen to be in the UK, he'll be showing off the project at Dundee University later this month. For all those details, be sure to check out the PR after the break.
Spotify offering students in the UK a 50 percent discount on Premium service
Streaming outfit Spotify and the National Union of Students have teamed up to offer scholars in the UK a whopping 50 percent discount on the music service's Premium plan. Of course, you'll have to meet a few requirements first, including having an "extra" NUS card and, naturally, a Spotify account. Once you've got those credentials in place, Spotify's Premium service will only set you back £4.99 per month, which gets you an all-you-can-stream buffet on both desktop and mobile -- yes, that includes the shiny new iPad app. The deal's said to be good for 12 months from the moment you sign up, and you can get started now at the NUS link below.
Rdio grows its European presence, hits France and the UK starting at £4.99 per month
The hottest tech news of the day in Europe will undoubtedly be the next Galaxy phone, launching tonight in London. Music fans on that side of the pond woke up to another surprise, however, with the launch of Rdio's online streaming service in France and the UK. Pricing starts at £4.99 (about $8) per month for unlimited web streaming, jumping to £9.99 (roughly $16) when you add mobile support. Ready to rock? Hit up the source link below for a six-day free mobile trial, without any need to hand over those precious credit card deets.
Newcastle University preps in-car GPS for the elderly, helps grandmum get home safely
Most Engadget readers will have grown up with GPS, but the UK's Newcastle University has realized that many in the older generation might be first-timers and unfamiliar with all those keep-lefts and turn-rights. Development is underway at the school for a new satellite navigation system that would be easier and more intuitive for your grandfolks, with features that include calling out direction changes by landmark names, limiting turns to the safer variety and keeping the route off of high-speed motorways. When this might come to your local high street shop isn't known, but the university has a £12 million ($19.5 million) research grant to help sort that out.
Motorola Droid Maxx hitting the UK in mid-May, available for pre-order now
We were aware of Motorola's plan to send the husky member of the RAZR lineup on an overseas quest next month, but aside from telling us it was heading to Europe, we hadn't heard any specifics -- at least until now. Earlier today, Moto announced the RAZR Maxx will bring its long-lasting powers to the UK, with expected availability around mid-May and pre-orders commencing today. Currently, this 4.3-inch, Gingerbread handset is up for grabs from Clove and Expansys for £430.80 and £429.99, respectively, while Amazon is also planning to offer the device. If that kind of cash isn't an objection, you can hit up either of the source links below to snag one for yourself.
Nokia reportedly delays Lumia 900 release in the UK, cites high US demand (update)
Despite remaining mum on how many Lumia 900s it's moved in the US, Nokia has been raving about how it's trying to keep up with demand for the flagship Windows Phone device. Consider us unsurprised, then, that the company has apparently delayed the phone's previous April 27th release date in the UK to "around May 14th," citing a need to keep the device stocked in the States. The news comes from V3.co.uk, which got the information from a Nokia spokesperson referring specifically to retailer Phones 4u. Hit up the links below if you'd like to catch the full spiel -- and why not check out our review for a second time to solidify your decision while you wait. Update: And just like that, Phones 4u has officially confirmed the May 14th release date and US demand. The carrier will indeed be the first to carry the device when it launches, and notably, folks who pre-ordered early will also receive a free pair of Nokia Purity by Monster in-ear headphones -- this, on top of the already bundled-for-free Play 360 wireless speaker. You'll find all the details in the press release after the break and at the more coverage link below.
BlackBerry Curve 9320 shows up on T-Mobile's site, heading to the UK next month?
Last month we heard the Curve 9320 was readying itself for a discrete trip to India, and a recent "coming soon" page on T-Mo's site suggests the device could soon be heading to the UK. While the carrier's register sheet isn't revealing many details (save for the teasing photo above), The Inquirer claims the handset's warming up for an eventual launch in May. Of course, don't count on this OS 7.1-packing Curve to change much in comparison to the Indian flavor, as it's still expected to ship with identical lower-end specs, including the 3.2-megapixel rear camera, a 320 x 240 screen and 512MB of RAM. No word on pricing yet, but we're guessing it'll fall somewhere between "mildly tempting" and "almost free."
Huawei Ascend G 300 coming to Vodafone UK on April 13th
We've laid our eyes (and hands) on the Ascend G 300 a pair of times, first while it was sneaking past the FCC, then shortly after that when we took it for a quick spin at MWC in Barcelona. Now, Huawei's Gingerbread handset is prepping to land in the UK on Friday the 13th, being available exclusively at Vodafone. Just as we predicted, the device won't be much of a burden on anyone's wallet, with the carrier pricing it at £100 (around $160) on PAYG (£10 top-up minimum) or gratis on £15.50, two-year plans. Unfortunately, the G 300 won't have Ice Cream Sandwich on board at launch, but Vodafone says the 4.0 update will be coming later this summer. Good enough for you? The source link below lets you register to be one of the first to know when this 4-inch Ascend is up for grabs.
Netflix for Windows Phone hits v2.0, heads to the UK, Ireland and Latin America
Via its blog site, Netflix announced that version 2.0 of its Windows Phone app is now ready for your downloading pleasure. The refresh hands the application a passport to head over to the United Kingdom, Ireland as well as 47 other countries in Latin America. In addition to its global quest, Netflix added an array of new bits in the update, including subtitles, closed captions and an alternate audio option, while performance improvements and the promise of a more pleasant browsing / viewing experience are also in tow. Naturally, you'll need a Mango-flavored Windows handset to enjoy the app; if that's you, the source link has something you clearly need.
Apple prepping London stores for 2012 Olympics
TUAW has learned that Apple has quietly begun making preparations for the "onslaught of journalists" that are set to arrive in London for the 2012 Olympics, which are less than four months away. A high-level Apple retail employee here in London told me today that the company is planning to stock its London area retail stores with international replacement MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook keyboards. This way, the retail outlets will have the spare parts on hand should international journalists need a quick turnaround on a damaged laptop. As my source told me, "London is going to be overrun by an onslaught of journalists when the games begin. We want to be prepared should they need help with their equipment during the time they are here." Over 10,000 print journalists -- a large number of them Mac users -- are set to descend upon London when the games begin on July 27. That's not even counting all the professional videographers, TV and radio reporters and editors, photographers, bloggers, and new media journalists. However, press won't be the only Mac users coming for the games. With an expected extra 325,000 daily visitors to London for the games, Apple wants to be fully prepared to take care of all of its users. While my source could only confirm at this time that London area stores will be stocking international replacement MacBook keyboards on hand, I was also told that Apple is considering carrying stock of MacBooks with American, Asian, and other international keyboards in the London stores. The stores can take advantage of the expected rush of international shoppers that may pump millions of GBP into the high street shops.
Roku celebrates 100 channels in the UK and Ireland, says more are on the way
Hitting any milestones or goals are usually worthy of a celebration, and on this occasion it's Roku's turn to party on. The LT, HD, XD and XS creator is flaunting the reach of 100 channels in its UK and Irish boxes, adding over 60 since its launch date back in January. The outfit isn't planning on slowing down anytime soon, though, saying more channels are expected in the upcoming months and that it aims to bring the one-channel-per-day model to streamers across the pond. Congrats, Roku, congrats.
ASUS rolls out firmware update to UK Transformer Primes (update: US, too)
Less than 48 hours after teasing us with promises of upcoming "awesome new features," ASUS is now delivering the refresh to Transformer Primes in the UK. Via its Euro Facebook page, the Taiwanese outfit has announced that all TF201 owners in the United Kingdom can expect to see the OTA update anytime now. With the fresh ICS version, you'll be able to tinker with notifications in the lockscreen, connect to Ethernet via USB (adapter not included) as well as get support for wireless ad hoc mode. Unfortunately, TF101 owners will have to exercise some patience, as ASUS says the update for the elder Transformer is still in the works. Update: According to folks in the comments (and our own Transformer Prime's notification pop-ups) the update is now rolling out stateside. [Thanks, Noah]
PSA: HTC One X priced up to £330 in the UK, also available for free (update: $800 in Canada)
Chances are you're still melting over the impressive HTC One X benchmarks, and that's just the dual-core Snapdragon S4 taking care of business. As you may know, those of you in the Old Continent will see a quad-core flavor hit the shelves, and it's looking like that version is getting priced a wee bit earlier. So, just how much will you have to shell out to snag one of HTC's latest? Phones4U and Carphone Warehouse both have the One X listed as high as £329.99 (about $527) on contract, though you can also grab a free one if you take on a longer, more expensive plan on Orange, O2 and Vodafone. Carphone's site shows you can expect the device to land at your doorstep in the week of April 2nd. In the meantime, take a look at our hands-on to remind you how badly you need it. Update: It looks like Canadians can now also pre-order the HSPA+ version of the phone courtesy of NCIX, although they'll have to part with a hefty $800 (off-contract, of course).
Surprise! Study finds internet worth a lot of money, is responsible for 4.7 percent of US economy
Ever wondered how much the interwebs contribute to the Uncle Sam's bottom line? Thanks to the Boston Consulting Group, now you don't have to. It's estimated the net contributes a cool $684 billion to the US gross domestic product. That's roughly 4.7 percent of US GDP, the same tranche as its effect on Japan's economy, but less than the 5.5, 7.3 and 8.3 percent clocked in by China, South Korea and the United Kingdom, respectively. And per the report, the internet is just getting started, with future growth expected to hit eight percent on average by 2016 for developed countries, and well north of 20 percent in booming economies like those of Argentina and India. Hit the source for the full report.
Windows 8 to bring better language support, finally including English
In addition to better file management, accessibility and that all important new logo, Redmond's engineers are also promising improved language support in Windows 8. So far, Microsoft admits it's seen this as a "local-market feature," putting the onus on non-English users to track down special copies of the OS or language packs online. But the new OS will bring a friendlier philosophy, in which multilingual support is regarded as a "feature for everyone everywhere" and the Control Panel becomes a "one-stop place" to find and install any of 109 different idioms. These will include 13 new interface packs, allowing commonly used Windows features to be displayed in Scottish Gaelic, Punjabi, Uyghur, Cherokee and other tongues listed at the source link. Lastly, there'll also be one entirely new display language: English for the United Kingdom, with Old World spellings and the eternal blessing of David Mitchell (after the break). [Thanks, Rahul]
Raspberry Pi's Linux computer nears completion, should ship by end of February
Raspberry Pi's commercial future became a little clearer yesterday, with an announcement that the first batch of its Model B Linux computers will be finished by February 20th. The $35 board went into production last month, but has been beset with delays in bringing it to market. In a post on its site, the UK-based manufacturer expressed some regret over the setback, attributing it to a hiccup it encountered while trying to procure specific quartz crystals. Fortunately, though, everything is finally in order, and the computers should begin shipping by the end of the month. In the meantime, particularly hardware savvy users can find out more about the BCM2835 SoC behind the Model B, courtesy of a datasheet that Broadcom released alongside Raspberry Pi's announcement. You can dig through it yourself, at the coverage link below.
Samsung confirms Galaxy Nexus White arriving in UK mid-February, misses the snow
Well, we thought it would already be here, but it looks like Samsung had other ideas. It's confirmed that the HSPA+ version of its premier Android 4.0 phone will be available across UK retailers from February 13th -- that's next week. The suitably snowy smartphone packs all the specifications of the original and, well, it just suits that Ice Cream Sandwich OS a little bit better, doesn't it?
Xbox 360 adds Crackle and CinemaNow to list of up and running apps
You can't deny one of Microsoft's main goals with its revamped 360 dashboard update was to enhance the box's entertainment attributes, and now the Redmond crowd has flipped the live switch on two more vid-focused apps. Crackle and CinemaNow are joining the likes of Vudu and UFC as part of the latest additions to the Xbox app locker. Both apps are available now for those of us in the States, and while CinemaNow won't be heading elsewhere, Sony's Crackle is hitting three other markets: Australia, Canada and United Kingdom. There's no more info on when -- or if -- both apps will make way into more countries, but Microsoft did say that it'll "continue to enhance and expand" its Xbox Live offerings. We know you're eager to check out some Godzilla collections, so power on that console, head to the apps section and let the crackles set you free.
Netflix close to signing deals with Sony, Disney, Paramount and ITV, to debut in the UK soon? (update: pricing pegged at £5.99/month, website live)
Those with a PS3 in the United Kingdom might have gotten a sneak peek at a placeholder, but according to The Guardian, apparently its proper "early 2012" launch isn't far off. Purportedly the video streaming service is close to signing rights to content from Sony, Disney and Paramount, which'll join existing agreements with Lionsgate, Miramax and MGM. But it isn't just studios, as Channel 4 and ITV are supposedly close to joining the UK bash as-well. If everything goes to plan, most of the British Isles will be treated to an ad campaign that'll reveal all next week. Game on, Lovefilm. Update: Well, it looks like we don't have to wait until next week for all of those details after all. Some Google ads have now started appearing in searches for Netflix that peg the price at £5.99 per month (or about $9), and also confirm that the service is headed to the Wii and Xbox 360 in addition to the PS3. Unfortunately, that netflix.com/UK page isn't functional just yet. Update 2: Looks like the UK website is live for many, confirming the Google ad pricing. Check it out after the break. [Thanks, Chris, James]
White Galaxy Nexus to strut its stuff in UK on February 6th
If you're thinking about picking up an unlocked GSM Samsung Galaxy Nexus, you now have a choice of pigments. UK retailer Clove Technology is accepting pre-orders for Google's latest superphone, complete with 16GB of storage and smothered in a milky-white finish. Interested parties living across the pond can part with £498 ($770, VAT included) on February 6th to acquire this vanilla Ice-Cream-Sandwich-running machine. If you're stateside, the retailer also offers shipping to the US -- you can import yourself a bleached Nexus for around £431, or $666. So, will any of you Galaxy Nexus hold-outs be pushed over the purchasing precipice by this new hue?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
