UsbHost
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Certified testers (and tweakers) get Jelly Bean for their Honeycomb-era Xoom WiFis
Considering that the Motorola Xoom WiFi was one of the first tabs to devour Ice Cream Sandwich, its plans to pop Android 4.1 Jelly Bean are hardly a surprise. While there's no official delivery date for the average user, certified testers who signed up for a pre-release won't have to wait -- it's just been pushed out to their devices. Of course, enterprising tinkerers can always get what they want as well, by installing it using a USB host cable or flashing a recovery file. If you're one of those brave souls, you'll score smoother performance, new search options and better keyboard -- but there may still be a few bugs before the full rollout happens. Also, if you were looking forward to finally having the update's Chrome pack-in, it missed the pre-release Jelly Bean bus and you'll have to stop at the Play store to grab it. Check out the more coverage link below for the gritty details on how to install the latest update.
iConnectivity outs iConnectMUSE digital audio mixer for iOSers (video)
Some hot music tech for iDevices already dropped at CES, but the product announcement concerto plays on. The next act? The iConnectMUSE digital audio mixer from iConnectivity, featuring six stereo in / outs, headphone out, two USB ports, a "hub-able" USB host, Ethernet / network sharing and MIDI pass-thru. Maker iConnectivity claims studio-grade analog-to-digital conversion will make it a snap to record professional sounding mixes on tour, back at the hotel or even at home. Your garage band can get mixing from Q2 and iConnectivity is asking $230 for the privilege. Hit the PR and curiously silent video over the jump for more details.
Asus Eee Pad Slider up for pre-order at Amazon, starting at $480
Still no official launch date for Asus's funny-looking 10.1-inch hybrid, but we've already seen evidence of a September release and now there's a whole drum-roll of pre-order pages up at Amazon. You're looking at $580 for the 32GB model in white or mocha, or $100 less if you settle for the 16GB variant and cram the rest of your digital possessions onto microSD or -- yes indeedy -- some USB 2.0 external storage. Needless to say, all shades come with the same Tegra 2 processor, Honeycomb 3.2, 1GB of RAM, Mini HDMI out, a 5MP rear camera and 1.2MP front-facer. At this point, all these sliders need to do is turn up. Update: Looks like Amazon pulled those pages and spoiled our fun. [Thanks, Peter]
Android app tethers handsets to Canon cams, live view fanboys rejoice (video)
We're living in a post-pc world, folks. High time you got with the program and junked that heavy and outmoded relic called the computer. But how does one take tethered snaps from a Canon, sans EOS Utility? Meet DSLR Controller, an Android app from Chainfire that turns your little green robot into an external live view monitor, and gives you complete control over your shooter's finer sensibilities. It lets you tweak exposure, aperture, shutter, white balance and focus with sensuous swipes of your fingertip. To make the whole shindig work, you'll need an Android device packing a USB host port and an "on-the-go" USB cable -- which lets your handset wear the pants in the phone / DSLR relationship. We should also warn you that the $8.51 application is currently still in beta and thus streams video in live view mode at a less than optimal 15fps. Those and other foibles may be remedied by the final release, but if you're looking to practice your tethering voodoo immediately, hit the source below, and watch a vid of your photographic future after the break.
Samsung reveals 'premium accessory suite' for Galaxy Tab 10.1, includes premium prices
Loving your Galaxy Tab 10.1 but just itching for some accessories? Samsung knows you are, and today helpfully unveiled a "premium accessory suite" to soothe your jones for both add-ons and premium prices. The collection (parts of which appeared earlier on Sammy's German site) includes a full-size keyboard dock ($70) and a multimedia dock ($35) enabling HDMI pass-through – you can have Tab video on your TV, as long as you buy the separate HDTV adapter ($30). You have your choice of cases, as well: a book cover model ($60) you can leave on while using the tablet, or a leather pouch edition ($30) that is, you guessed it, a leather pouch. A few miscellaneous items round out the collection, including various chargers, a conductive stylus and the already-released USB adapter. The company also promises a Bluetooth keyboard and SD card adapter to come "mid-summer," just in time to ease your next bout of premium-accessory fever. [Update: Replaced keyboard image. Thanks for the feedback, everyone.]
Silhouette-spoiling USB host adapter arrives for the Galaxy Tab 10.1
Hot on the heels of Honeycomb 3.1 and its USB hosting capabilities, Samsung's US site has just listed a $20 USB adapter for the Galaxy Tab 10.1. The stubby add-on won't do anything for your Tab's slender figure, but it will convert the Apple-esque 30-pin connector into full USB and thereby open up a world of connectivity to "keyboards, mice, thumb drives" and potentially any other USB device that gets Android support. Unfortunately, the adapter is out of stock and listed as "back order", but after waiting this long for USB hosting on Android tablets we can probably hold out a little longer.
Eee Pad Transformer caught playing nice with PS3 controller (update: hands-on video)
Earlier this week the Eee Pad Transformer scored itself a sweet upgrade in the form of Android 3.1, and with it came USB host support. When we did our hands-on with the Honeycomb update we couldn't demo the feature because, well, the Xoom doesn't have any USB ports. But that Transformer keyboard dock has a pair of 2.0 jacks and someone was kind enough to post a YouTube vid of a PS3 controller and the ASUS tablet getting their game on. Theoretically, this should work with any USB gamepad, including those for the Xbox 360. The only drawback? You've got to be wired in -- no Bluetooth support here. Follow the break to see it in action and satisfy your Android-loving curiosity. [Thanks, Ben] Update: We managed to have a quick go on the same setup at Computex, and the tethered PS3 controller worked perfectly. Unsurprisingly though, we had no luck with the Bluetooth connection. Quick hands-on video after the break.
Android 3.1 on the Motorola Xoom: hands-on (video)
That Android 3.1 update that Google announced during I/O is slowly rolling out to 3G Xoom owners as we speak. How'd we know such a thing? Why, it just landed on our in-house Xoom, of course! Most of the changes to Honeycomb are happening under the hood -- better HTML5 support, faster performance, and USB host functionality for connecting peripherals like game controllers and mice -- but there are some improvements that will be a lot more obvious to the user. Perhaps our favorite is the addition of resizable widgets. For the moment only the email and Gmail inbox, calendar and bookmarks widgets can be stretched or shrunk, but we're sure others will follow. We're particularly appreciative of the expandable calendar widget, which always felt a tad cramped. The task switcher also received a much requested upgrade and now lets you scroll through your last 18 launched apps, instead of just the five most recent. Lastly, the Android Market now offers movie rentals, alongside books and apps, which range in price from $1.99 to $4.99 for 24 hours of playback. There isn't a ton of revolutionary stuff going on here, but it's certainly a welcome and worthwhile update. Check out the video after the break to see Android 3.1 in action.
Xoom gets USB host functionality, no thanks to Motorola or Google
The Xoom may have gotten a slight software update last night to prepare it for its long-awaited Flash playing capabilities, but some of the folks over at SlateDroid have an even more impressive -- though much less official -- update, bringing USB host functionality to Moto's slate. Tinkerer-extraordinaire roebeet is the man to thank, granting Xoom owners the ability to read media from USB drives, essentially giving you a limitless amount of storage -- provided you own the necessary microUSB OTG (on-the-go) cable and a rooted Xoom. If you've safely satisfied the pre-requisites, enabling the new-new is just a few file transfers and command line entries away. Full instructions available at the source link... if you dare.
Dell Streak gets SNES controller dock, navigates owner through Yoshi's Island (video)
Who'd have thought that a little thing like the inclusion of USB Host capabilities could open the door to such wonders as an SNES controller dock? That's exactly what we have here. The Dell Streak's ability to work with standard USB keyboards has enabled it to also work with a suitably modified SNES controller, having had a cablectomy and the addition of a PDMI connector on top. That, with the addition of a USB board, turns the controller into a keyboard and, hey presto, it's Super Mario World time. Modder 0TheRain0 did the handiwork here, which you can watch him demonstrate after the break.
Nokia Mobile TV Headset acts as a TV antenna for your unreleased Symbian^3 device
Okay, so Symbian^3 is still just a glint in our eyes, but that launch date is fast approaching and here's a neat little accessory to keep up excitement for the platform: the Mobile TV Headset. You know how most phones use the cord of your earphones as an FM aerial? Well, this thing does the same, only with DVB-H teevee signals, piping them straight through into your USB-on-the-go-equipped Nokia handset. It comes with channel-changing, call-receiving, and volume controls, and will set you back €40 ($51) before taxes in Q4 of this year. [Thanks, Maximus]
Intel may finally be ready to embrace USB 3.0
It's September so that can mean only one thing in Intel land: IDF. The second of this year's Intel Developer Forums is this year preceded by speculation that the big blue giant's next motherboard reference design -- codenamed Cougar Point -- will include USB 3.0 support. Intel's relationship with the 3.0 interconnect standard can at best be described as strained, but motherboard and laptop makers haven't shied from integrating it into their wares and as the number of devices supporting SuperSpeed increases, it's becoming somewhat inevitable that Intel would have to play ball as well. At least until Light Peak shines its "instant obsolescence" ray onto USB cables next year. Then again, bear in mind China's Commercial Times has been wrong before, so let's not credit this as fact until someone with a blue name badge tells us so.
Nexus One gets USB host driver from a dude with an oscilloscope (video)
For Sven Killig, running Android 2.2 wasn't enough. No sir, this dude wanted even more power for his Nexus One, so he went ahead and penned a few lines of code that have allowed his Googlephone to act as a USB host. As a result, he can now do cutting edge stuff like plugging in USB keyboards and webcams, as well as more useful things like watching movies off USB sticks or connecting to a monitor via a DisplayLink USB-to-DVI adapter. All these features are demonstrated in the video after the break, and you'll find the downloadable binaries at the source -- Sven expects them to work on Android 2.1 as well.
Droid gets a USB hack allowing it to control printers and cameras, humans put on alert
Time to resurrect that old Droid Does chant, folks. Already headed for Android 2.1 from official sources, the Droid is gettings some extra software capabilities courtesy of a few benevolent UK hackers as well. Chris Paget has revealed a mod for Motorola's flagship that turns it from a USB peripheral into a USB host, thereby letting it communicate with and control USB devices that speak the Linux language. That includes printers, webcams, and the vast majority of other things you typically jack into your computer. Mind you, this is one hack that'll require you to get your hands dirty, as you'll need to splice a few cables together and reboot your phone to switch between modes, but that's how real modders do it anyway, right?
LG's 120Hz LCDs now with 52-inches of wood
In that overly-dramatized photo above, LG is touting the wonders of their newest 120Hz LCDs coupled with their latest take on the wooden bezel. The new XCANVAS models share the stylings of their previous wood sets and ship in Korea with 42- (42LY4D), 47- (47LY4D), and 52-inch (52LY4D) panel options. Other than a 178-degree viewing angle, latest XD processing engine, and a USB-host jack for a quick audio or image fix, the machine translated details are notably scant. Fine by us, we're not feeling the whole natural TV thing anyway.
JVC's Sophisti DD-3 networked home theater system
We'll forgive JVC for giving its latest home theater system a name that could only have come from a Saturday Night Live spoof commercial, because in a product category that has become boring and predictable, the Sophisti DD-3 (not to be confused with the DD-1 or DD-8) offers up some refreshing and much appreciated features. Most significantly, the 220-watt DD-3 sports an Ethernet jack for streaming content from a single PC, or if you hook up a wired or wireless router, multiple machines throughout the house. You're also getting simulated surround from the 3.1 setup (two fronts, a center, and a sub), as well as an HDMI port and USB host compatibility on the media player for hooking up cameras, MP3 players, and even card readers. Available now, this "sophisticated" bit of tech will set you back an even thousand bucks -- just cheap enough to make this a little more convenient than cobbling together your own system with the same functionality, but not much.
LG's HT752TP home theater pyramid simulates 10.1 sound, talks to aliens
LG has a new home theater system so lightweight that it can be effortlessly balanced by a one-handed product waif. The new HT752TP "flat home theater" shares the design aesthetic of their HT702TN while introducing touch sensitive keys to evoke the ancient powers of the pyramid. It features a slot loading DVD, HDMI, and USB host port with 10.1 channel simulated audio from a 5.1 rig thanks to their Virtual Sound Matrix technology. Hey, that's what they say. Presumably it will even open a communication corridor to Marshall Applewhite when worn as a hat.[Via AVING]
Creative's 60GB Zen Vision:M now shipping?
While everyone was focused on the hubbub surrounding the launch of the Zen Vision W and settlement with Apple, Creative quietly went ahead and gave the Zen Vision:M a bump in disk like we've been expecting. The new 60GB player is available in either black and white (only) and appears identical to its 30GB sib albeit with the inclusion of a USB hosting capability -- a slick, convenient way to quickly transfer data off USB-enabled devices (think your digital cameras snaps) without a PC. Unfortunately, while the Creative website has plenty of deets on the 60 gigger, the Creative store makes no mention of the new player at all. Fubar. Anyway, expect this to get sorted in hours or days with the price to mirror that other 60GB player pretty closely at around $399. [Thanks, John]
