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The first Braun speakers in 28 years are unexpectedly modern
When the news broke in July that Braun Audio's speaker line was making a comeback, pretty much everyone at Engadget was immediately hooked. Thanks to a deal with Proctor & Gamble, Pure Audio now has the rights to the iconic speaker name. While many of us expected a similar aesthetic to the Dieter Rams-designed devices from 1959, Pure is taking a decidedly modern approach with the revival of the LE line. They still have a minimalist look, but have been entirely redesigned both inside and out. This means that all the modern features are along for the ride. And it means the company is taking direct aim at Sonos.
What's on TV: 'Castlevania,' 'Snowfall,' 'Candy Crush'
It's a holiday week, but if you're up from people setting off fireworks early, you can check out six new comedy specials on Netflix Tuesday morning as part of The Standups, with Deon Cole, Beth Stelling, Nate Bargatze, Dan Soder, Nikki Glaser, and Fortune Feimster. Then, later this week the service drops season one of its animated Castlevania series, as well as the most recent season of CW's iZombie. FX is premiering Snowfall, its crack cocaine era drama from John Singleton, while Hulu drops season one of Pure. The most unusual debut, however, is probably the new Candy Crush game show on CBS. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
Dyson's updated air purifiers remove more harmful gases
It's been a little over a year since Dyson launched its first connected air purifier, the Pure Cool Link, and to celebrate this occasion, the company is about to update its entire line of air purifiers with improvements aimed at the Chinese market. Well, what's going to be different is really just the replaceable cylindrical glass HEPA filter: the new version's inner layer will pack three times more specially treated graphite crystals than before, which helps remove more gaseous pollutants (and odors) in addition to the usual particulates as small as PM 0.1.
Mini review video: Our verdict on the Moto X Pure in under a minute
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-325864{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-325864, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-325864{width:570px;display:block;}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-325864").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Thanks to upstarts like OnePlus, Motorola has more competition in the "cheap but good" phone category than it used to. That said, the company's third-generation flagship, the Moto X Pure, ushers in enough improvements that it continues to be our favorite handset in the $400-or-so price range. As ever, we love the Moto X's customizable design, useful software tricks and the fact that it runs on every US carrier. This time, however, Motorola made some major enhancements to the camera, which has never been the company's strong suit. Yes, the 21-megapixel sensor still struggles a bit in low light, and maybe that's something Moto will address in next year's version. Even as is, though, the camera is much better than it used to be. Other than that, our main gripes are that the performance and battery life fall slightly short of other flagships, but that's not saying much, especially since some of the rival devices we compared it to cost significantly more off-contract. That, in under 200 words, is the gist of our review, and if you have less than 60 seconds, you can see the device in action in the video above.
Disney draws up 20 games on Steam, including Epic Mickey 2
Disney Interactive jumped into the magical world of Steam this week, launching 20 PC games on the platform. Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two ($17.99) is among the list of games from the publisher now available on Steam, and the one on the list that is new to PC entirely. Epic Mickey 2 first launched in November 2012 to an unenthusiastic reaction at retail, leading to developer Junction Point's closure in January 2013. Disney also dropped the price on each game on Steam by 10 percent until Sunday, October 12. The complete list, which features Pure ($17.99) and Split/Second ($17.99 each), can be found after the break. The launch sale page also includes five game packs, such as the seven-game "Other-Worldly Adventure Pack." [Image: Disney Interactive]
Pure delves deeper into multi-room audio with higher-end Jongo and Evoke systems
Pure first set foot into the multi-room audio space at last year's CES with its frugal Jongo line; in 2014, it's targeting slightly more affluent listeners who would otherwise go for Sonos gear. Its $299 Jongo T4 speaker (above) is reaching the US for the first time, and carries enough oomph at 50W to fill a living room. The $229 Evoke F4 (below), meanwhile, is the company's first internet-savvy radio with Jongo support built-in. There's also a pair of big software upgrades on the way, including SiriusXM streaming (for subscribers) and a developer kit for third-party app support. Both the T4 and F4 reach the US this later this month, while the software should arrive during the first quarter of the year.
Pure Jongo multi-room speaker system now available in North America
If you've been thinking of adding speakers around the house but are loath to run wires, Pure's Jongo system is now available in North America, joining the likes of Sonos' Play:3 in the wireless multi-room sound game. For now, it consists of the $129 Jongo A2, a WiFi- and Bluetooth-equipped bridge (at bottom) that spreads "perfectly synchronized" sound to different rooms, and the $199 Jongo S3 portable speaker (top left). The products will work on their own by receiving Bluetooth sound from your handheld device, together with other Pure devices like the Sensia 200D or with your existing sound system, thanks to digital and analog audio outputs on the A2. The Pure Connect iOS app coordinates the hardware and also lets you stream your local playlists, along with 15 million tracks from the Pure Music subscription service. You can deck out either product with the room-coordinating grilles (above) at $30 for the S3 and $20 for the A2, while a Jongo T6 100W flagship speaker will join the party later in the year at an undisclosed price. To see where to grab them, check the PR after the break.
Pure unveils Jongo for low-cost multi-room audio, revamped Pure Connect app
Many consider Sonos the main game in town for mobile-friendly, multi-room audio. Pure wants to give us at least one major alternative. Its new Jongo speaker line delivers multi-speaker streaming for radio, podcasts and Pure Music subscriptions across the home through WiFi, rather than a proprietary network, and includes Bluetooth for those who want to skip the network altogether. The system promises to cut the traditionally high costs of spreading sound throughout the home, as well: the inaugural Jongo S340B portable speaker (at left) coming in the first quarter of the year should cost $229, or about $70 less than its stationary Play:3 rival. An A140B audio-to-WiFi bridge (bottom) and a 100W S640B flagship speaker (top) should fill out Pure's plans when they ship later in the first half of the year, although there's no immediate pricing for a point of reference. In tandem with the hardware, there's a matching refresh of the Pure Connect app. The software update brings in the control of Jongo speakers that you'd expect, but it also promises simpler navigation, tie-ins with Audioboo's user-recorded spoken word content and a dedicated discovery area to find music beyond the beaten path. Android and iOS users should have access to the app during the first quarter. Pure Music, a music store and a social listening component should reach the app in the near future, although Americans will have to wait until sometime in 2013 to use the service that their British and German friends have today. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub. Ben Gilbert contributed to this report.
Nokia 808 PureView flashes backstage pass, shows off video chops
When it comes to smartphone photography and videography, the Nokia 808 PureView is the truth. We glowed about the device's optical prowess in our in-depth review, but some of you still may not be convinced. For the skeptics still out there, we present you with Exhibit A: a clip from an 808 taken at a Foo Fighters cover-band gig. Cacophonous sound, constant lighting changes and front men with long flowing locks swaying to and fro... there's no doubt that a rock concert is the place where a video camera can prove its mettle, especially when it comes to audio. Slide past the break, crank the video quality up to 1080p and watch Nokia's 41-megapixel machine do its thing. Be sure to pay special attention to the audio clarity and feel free to pay homage to the 808's Rich Recording engine in the comments.
Pure unleashes Contour 100i iDevice speaker with swiveling dock
It was this past CES when we got a quick look at Pure's curvy Contour 200i AirPlay system, and now the company is getting a bit more basic -- and wallet-friendly -- with its 100i. It may not be wireless, but this little rig pumps out a maximum of 20 watts through its speakers and features an FM radio, an auxiliary port, a headphone jack and a remote. Although it's exceedingly par the course as far as speaker docks go, the 100i does feature a swiveling dock that stows away when you're not mounting your iDevice. Additionally, Pure's made its internet radio-enabling Lounge app free for a limited timed from the iTunes and Google Play store, noting plans to launch a subscription service later this year. The unit is only compatible with iThings, but it can be had now at Brookstone for $169 bucks if your interest is piqued. You'll find more info in the press release after the break.
Pure releases AirPlay compatible Contour 200i Air
Consumer electronics firm Pure has just released the Contour 200i Air wireless digital music system. Not only does the Contour 200i Air act as a dock for your favorite iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, but it also provides AirPlay compatibility so that you can beam your favorite sounds from any iOS (and soon OS X) device on your network. The US$249.00 Contour 200i Air delivers 36W of digital quality sound to any room; Pure notes that you can install multiple Contours throughout your house and stream music to all of them from your iOS device for a house- or office-wide sound solution. The Contour works not only with Wi-Fi, but also features an Ethernet port for a wired solution. Pure provides a free "Pure Lounge" app to users of several of its devices, including the Contour 200i Air. The app gives owners access to over 16,000 internet radio stations and over 5,000 podcasts, as well as a library of ambient sounds for relaxation. There's no word on when the Contour 200i Air will ship, other than it is "coming soon."
Pure updates Evoke Mio radio with six new colors, thinks you need a new shade for summer
Do you really think a black FM radio -- or even worse, one in an off-season shade of grape --- can get you through the summer? Radio maker Pure wants to correct your errant ways. The company is expanding its Evoke Mio radio line with six new "on-trend" color options. The radio is already available in black, teal, grape and cherry, and now Pure is adding pepper, mustard, paprika, sage, rose and seagrass shades. While the colors are new, the specs are the same as on the original model: there's digital and FM radio, space for 30 presets, an auxiliary input for a PMP and an auto-dimming OLED panel. The new Pure Evoke Mio collection will go on sale in June for £130 (it's unclear if the radios will head stateside as well).
Pure intros the Contour 200i and Sensia 200D, we rock out with our hands on
It's the same old story -- a company coming to the States, attempting to make a splash in the US during the craziest tech week of the year. In the case of Pure, however, the company actually has some pretty cool looking products to show off. Take the Contour 200i Air, a slick Airplay speaker system that offers up the same build quality as some of the pricier models in this space. We played with the device a bit, and have to say, the half-circle build really is quite nice. The speaker also has a bit of heft to it -- it's not really small by any stretch -- after all, the thing does have to support iPads, via the built-in dock in the front. It also gets fairly loud, though at higher volumes, the bass does tend to distort things, a fair bit. Look for it to hit the US around March for $329. Also making its debut tonight is the oddly named Sensia 200D, a little football-shaped music system with a touch display on its front. Like the 200i, the Sensia feels like a solidly built product -- one with some weight to it. We fiddled around with the thing, a bit. The touchscreen wasn't quite as responsive as we liked, though that may have had something to do with the fact that the player really couldn't do much at the moment -- the company's network was down, and without connectivity, the thing is really just a pretty-looking paperweight. When it does work, you can use the device to stream music from your home computer, listen to internet radio stations and use the Pure Music service, which the company promises will hit North America at some point this year. We'll be sure to put the thing through its paces at some time in the future, when the internet gods are smiling on us a bit more. The Sensia will run you $450 when it hits our shores in April. Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Pure swings by the FCC with Contour 200i-Air(play) dock
Remember Pure's Contour iPhone dock / WiFi radio that debuted last year at CES? Between us, you and the wall, we suspect a sequel is on the way in the shape of the Contour 200i Air that's just been escorted out of the FCC's underground bunker and dumped unceremoniously on a Washington highway. It's packing the same setup as this year's model, except now it's packing Airplay chops for when you wanna stream music from your couch-based iDevice. Stay tuned, we'll try to get our hands on one of these in a fortnight's time.
Pure Music looks to give Spotify a run for its money, but only in the UK
If you're looking to save a little coin on your Adele streaming habits, Pure Music may be worth a look. Beginning in December, you can have millions of songs at your fingertips for £4.99 (about $8) a month -- but only in the UK. Music on-demand, internet radio and other programs will be available for your laptop, iOS device or one of the company's many WiFi capable devices, all for a monthly sum that's slightly cheaper than Spotify. Should you make use of the Tag bookmarking system on one of Pure's radios, you'll be able to access those highlighted tracks on your smartphone or computer as well. Don't worry Android faithful, an app tailored for you is in the works. Need a peek at the fine print? No worries, just hit the source link below and read away.
The Engadget Interview: Nokia's Peter Skillman talks design (video)
Peter Skillman knows a thing or two about making beautiful devices. He's Palm's former VP of design, and he's the man behind Nokia's glorious N9 -- its look, feel and user experience. We bumped into him at Nokia World here today and asked him what went into the N9's -- and by association the Lumia 800's -- design. He shared quite a few interesting details with us, including tidbits about the "curvature continuous form" of MeeGo's icons, Nokia's Pure font and the nuances of the N9's sinuous taper. We even discussed the Play 360 Bluetooth / NFC speaker, which follows the same aesthetic principles. Take a look at our exclusive video interview after the break.
Is it time to kill pure DPS?
Hi guys, you may remember me from last week when I threw a rock into a hornet's nest. I was frankly blown away by the responses, some of which were very well thought-out, that supported, refuted, or elaborated on the issue of tanking and if it is here to stay or on its last legs. Since I find that kind of discussion valuable, I thought, "Well, I can always find another rock, right?" And so here we are. The DPS classes in World of Warcraft present us with a conundrum. If we consider the holy trinity of tanking, damage dealing and healing to be a pyramid that the game relies on, then the base of the pyramid is most easily envisioned as cornered by the tanking and healing classes and the apex occupied by the DPSers. The issue is, only four classes can hold up the tanking corner, only four can hold up the healing corner (and two of those classes are also in the tanking corner), and absolutely every single class in the game can stand on the top of the pyramid. This results in a pyramid that's metaphorically heavier on top than at the bottom. Furthermore, of the game's 10 classes, four of them (the rogue, mage, warlock, and hunter) can only stand at the top. Whether or not they want to do something else is immaterial (although one assumes that they do not, elsewise they might have chosen a different class), because they simply cannot do so -- at least if we continue to visualize the game as based around the tanking/damaging/healing triad. So what to do? Well, we can get rid of DPS classes entirely.
OnLive gets Disney Interactive support, universal controller, heading to UK this fall
Black Rock Studios' excellent racers, Pure and Split/Second, are sliding to OnLive, the streaming game service announced today. The duo of arcade racing titles will lead the charge for Disney Interactive titles on the service, with LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean up next on the list. And that's not all -- OnLive had a bunch of news to drop just before E3 begins next week. For starters, the service will be officially launching in the UK at some point this fall. As with the company's North American debut, UK residents are encouraged to sign up for early "Founding Members" access -- the official UK site goes live in the coming days. Additionally, OnLive revealed intentions to make its way to a variety of "Intel-based consumer TVs, Blu-ray players, and set-top boxes" later this year. The first such devices will begin arriving this fall, and will reportedly stretch beyond the company's currently deal with consumer electronics manufacturer Vizio. Alongside the Intel deal, OnLive plans on launching a "universal wireless controller" that will work with said Intel-based devices. It looks and operates very much like the OnLive MicroConsole controller, and will come with a USB dongle for non-wireless devices. It's said to contain several different radio signals for working with a multitude of devices. You'll be able to brag to your friends all about how you're playing high-end PC games on your Intel-based TV on a wireless controller right from within games, pushing brag clips to Facebook. Which is to say, yes, OnLive is getting Facebook integration as well, starting June 7. Now, you'll excuse us if we take a moment to catch our breath.%Gallery-125195%
Nokia continues reinvention, details new fonts and branding
Nokia's current typeface -- Nokia Sans -- feels like one of the great constants in the consumer electronics industry, a design that instantly screams "Nokia" the moment you see it (for better or worse). That kind of strong, tight brand recognition from something as basic and simple as a character on a screen really isn't something that you can buy -- it needs to be built and cultivated over many, many years -- so we're sure that Espoo's decision to chuck it and start fresh wasn't taken lightly. In fact, we're sure it wasn't taken lightly because the company has published an 800-plus word explanation and defense of its decision to kill off Nokia Sans and replace it with Nokia Pure, a font it describes as the embodiment of "beauty in supreme usability." Of course, it's no coincidence that the font change comes just as Nokia's trying to go back to the drawing board, both with its hiring of outsider Stephen Elop and its decision to phase out Symbian and add Windows Phone into the mix; sure enough, the company says that it plans to use Pure on its devices and that "it has been designed specially for mobile and digital environments." What do you think? [Thanks, Esko] %Poll-62187%
Pure launches Contour, One Flow and i-20, also debuts FlowSongs cloud-based music service
It's a heavy day at CES, and it's also a big day for the folks at Pure. Not only have they provided an updated release time table for the Sensia ("later in 2011" for an unknown amount) and Sirocco 550 (March for $499), but it's also branching out with a few unexpected launches. In order to get even more tunes to the outfit's blossoming line of WiFi radios, Pure has revealed its FlowSongs cloud-based music service -- put simply, it enables consumers to buy music directly from their radio and Pure's Lounge iPhone app. Users are instructed to 'Like' songs on FM or internet radio, and then within the same interface, they're able to click 'Buy' while simultaneously scratching that Instant Gratification itch. Customers can download high-quality versions of the MP3 onto their Mac and PC, and it'll work on any Flow radio. Currently, the service is expected to launch as a public beta in North America this spring, with individual tracks priced between $0.99 and $1.49 depending on the publisher. Unfortunately, there's a $5.99 yearly subscription to actually use FlowSongs, which all but guarantees failure in a world where $1.49 tracks feel too pricey on their own. Moving on, the company is also dishing out a few hardware announcements. Up first is the Contour (shown above), an iPod / iPhone-friendly WiFi radio that touts a black crescent shape (not too unlike Meridian's M80), touch-sensitive controls and a trio of video outputs (composite, component and S-Video). The One Flow ($149) is about as basic as it gets, rocking a truly retro motif, a 3.5mm auxiliary input and a pair of alarms. Wrapping things up, there's the i-20, which is hailed as the only digital iPod dock available that supports component, S-Video and composite outputs. In a nutshell, it's a video output stand for your iPod or iPhone, which may or may not be worth the $99 asking price. Head on past the break for specifics on availability, and tap that source link once your credit card is ready. %Gallery-112399%
