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The Daily Roundup for 07.23.2013
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.
Insert Coin: Beacon Audio Blazar Bluetooth speaker brings back Play 360 memories (hands-on)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. We called Beacon Audio's Phoenix "our new favorite portable speaker" just over a year ago. Today, the company's taking to Kickstarter to fund the production of its followup: the Blazar. The speaker features a grown-up design wrapped in aluminum (the Phoenix was plastic), with a softball-sized, cube-esque design. The slightly bulky shape allows for 12 hours of battery life, aside from promising big and clean multi-directional sound thanks to two 50mm drivers and a 65mm bass radiator. Beacon's also loaded the speaker with a microphone, NFC and a dual pairing mode for completely wire-free stereo sound between two units -- like Nokia's Play 360. On top you'll find rubber playback controls, while one side of the unit houses a microUSB input, 3.5mm input and output jacks, power switch and a pairing / mode button. Early-bird pledges of $99 dollars will be available for the first 198 units (split between silver and graphite), followed by an additional 600 priced at $124. Beacon's counting on its artist collaboration editions, however, offering three more colors (500 pieces each) at $134 with Neon Trees, AWOLNATION and Halestorm. If you're up for the risk, Beacon plans to ship all orders by December 1st. Join us past the break for some impressions with pre-release units.%Gallery-194431%
Beacon Audio Phoenix review: our new favorite portable speaker
We'll admit it: we're jaded. There is so much bad, middling and just okay stuff floating around in the portable speaker universe that we're tired of even thinking about it. We've had our distinct favorite -- the Tivoli iPal -- for almost 10 years now, and it takes a lot to knock it off its unglamorous, but distinctive, pedestal. And we predict that it will continue to stay there. But newcomer Beacon has a hot little number in a soft-touch red dress that we're willing to put right next to it on a slightly more diminutive pedestal. The $99, baseball-sized, Bluetooth-packing Phoenix has gotten under our collective skins, and we'd like to tell you why.
AT&T says Galaxy S III pre-orders won't land until June 25th, Samsung decides to celebrate anyways
Samsung's US Galaxy S III launch is turning out to be quite the muted affair. Along with news of staggered Sprint and T-Mobile releases, AT&T is now adding that its Galaxy S III version likely won't make June 21st at all. Pre-order customers who were promised the phone this week are instead being told to wait until June 25th; they might get it early, should the smartphone stars align properly. If you're having pangs of regret for not pulling the trigger earlier, you'll have to wait up to 10 business days before before that Marble White or Pebble Blue beauty shows at your door. AT&T is pinning the delay on short supply, much like its fellow American launch carriers. Not that the lack of handsets is stopping Samsung from kicking off an elaborate launch campaign of its own. Along with the usual celebrity and Times Square stunts, the Korean corporation is starting up a curated media hub, Beacon, and placing NFC-equipped Share-to-Go Stations: those in the happy position of carrying a Galaxy S III in their hands can download free content just through swinging by a kiosk. You can catch the full details of Samsung's escapades after the break.
Insert Coin: Rowdy Robot creates Bluetooth 4.0 beacons that activate automatic alerts
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. It's no secret that Bluetooth 4.0 is energy efficient, but now a startup called Rowdy Robot wants to use it for something rather less predictable than monitoring heart palpitations during your Tour de France training. A network of little beacons ("tōds") interacts with your iPhone or iPad and lets you receive movement-triggered alerts: like when your kid wanders too far, or when they finally return home after hanging out with the corner cartel. Many uses will be similar to NFC tags, but with the advantage of a vastly greater range of up to 500ft -- plus a single beacon can last for years on a single battery. Of course, it could also work with location-based services, triggering automatic updates as you pedal past the Arc de Triomphe -- but none of this will happen unless you check out the video after the break and help Rowdy Robot meet their $50,000 target.
Hands-on with Dijit's universal remote app for iPad
By now, you should all be familiar with Griffin's Beacon universal remote system, as we've gotten our hands on the iPhone version and let you know about the one for Android, too. Well Dijit, who creates the apps that work with the Beacon hardware, wasn't done, and so has released an iPad-specific app to take advantage of the extra screen real estate it affords. Dijit calls it a "reimagined" version of the iPhone app and it provides both a new look and some new functionality to the Dijit experience. We got to spend some time with the app at gdgt Live in San Francisco, and found it to be quite similar to the recently released Android version. Head on past the break for a video breakdown of Dijit for iPad and our impressions of the app in action.
Griffin's Beacon universal remote control system now available for Android, ships for $70
It's been quite a while since we got our hands on Griffin's Beacon universal remote control, way back at CES. The IR converter has since hit the market for iOS users, but the Android community, until recently, had been left in the dark. That changed yesterday, however, when Griffin announced that its wire-free system is now available for Google-powered handsets and tablets. The transmitter, fueled by a quartet of AA batteries, converts an Android device's Bluetooth signal into infrared and sends out commands to your TV, DVD or Blu-ray player, effectively allowing users to place it anywhere around their home entertainment system. The remote control functions are handled by Dijit's customized app, where you'll be able to browse, search and call up TV shows, using the integrated guide. The app, like its iOS counterpart, is available for free, but the system itself will set you back about $70. If you're even remotely interested, check out the source links below, or the full PR after the break.
The Light and How to Swing It: Throttling holy paladins in PVP
Every week, WoW Insider brings you The Light and How to Swing It for holy, protection and retribution paladins. Every Sunday, Chase Christian invites you to discuss the finer side of the paladin class: the holy specialization. Feel free to email me with any questions you want answered, like why paladins are so awesome. Last year, Nethaera, a Blizzard community manager, informed us that the interaction between Protector of the Innocent and Beacon of Light was completely intentional. Holy paladins were still feeling out the new spells and talents that we received in Cataclysm, so it was nice to know that at least one thing was working as intended. Now, some ten months later, we're seeing Beacon of Light and Protector of the Innocent disconnected from each other on the patch 4.3 PTR. Why break a mechanic that's worked right since its inception? The developers aren't happy with healers in PVP situations. The massive Holy Radiance changes were a nerf to PVP holy paladins, and the PotI nerf affects them more than raid healers. The devs are also buffing Mortal Strike effects to allow them to cut our healing down by 25%, up from the 10% healing debuff that we've been working with for months. The Seal of Insight/Judgement changes also affect us negatively in PVP environments. Removing Holy Radiance from our Speed of Light talent reduces holy's mobility.
Help for the lost: a fabric antenna to keep you from being a castaway
Doesn't look like much, does it? But the next time you're lost at sea, you just might be thankful you've got it. That little square of fabric is actually a flexible antenna designed for the Cospas-Sarsat distress signal network, a Cold War-era system built to help pinpoint missing ships, planes and people. Designed to be sewn into a life vest, the antenna broadcasts an emergency beacon at a low frequency for greater range; in field tests, that helped rescuers find it within minutes. It's also tear- and water-resistant, which you'll be grateful for when you're being tossed around like a ragdoll in a sea of whitecaps. The technology was developed by the European Space Agency in partnership with a Finnish company. Next on their agenda? A round, floating companion for the marooned, codenamed Wilson.
Which universal remote for iOS should you choose?
This week I ran in-depth reviews of three iOS-based universal remote systems. Each uses a separate remote unit, as opposed to dongle-based IR blasters like the Ri remote and others. We'll take a look at those other IR remotes another time. The question is, of the Peel, UnityRemote and Beacon, which one should you choose? As usual, it depends upon your needs. The basic universal remote If all you need is a working universal remote, your best bet is the UnityRemote from Gear4. While it lacks the bells and whistles of Peel's guide and Beacon's customization, I found it "just works" and is better at controlling your devices than the others. UnityRemote tries to make sure it gathers discrete on/off codes, for example, walking you through a testing sequence upon setup. The relative simplicity of the UnityRemote is a good thing for the average user, I believe, and its small footprint and advanced settings menu will appeal to home theater enthusiasts as well. Plus, the advantage of a native iPad app can't be understated -- the iPad is a natural living room companion, probably more than your iPhone would be, and UnityRemote really shines on the larger screen real estate. The TV junkie If you watch a lot of TV but not necessarily the same thing every day, preferring to "zone out" on some TV whenever you get the chance, take a look at Peel. You will have to put up with a more complicated setup than the others, but you won't have to activate the remote every few hours, and the way Peel handles show discovery is unparalleled thus far. That said, you can always use the Peel app by itself. The hardware won't work well in large homes or if your router is far from your TV, and I found that as a universal it was lacking several controls one might need. If you want to tune to a specific channel or program a recording, for example, it falls down completely. But it does allow you to set reminders for shows, and that's a plus -- but the remote hardware isn't needed for reminders. Still, if you aren't bothered by the cost of a somewhat limited remote hardware solutions, Peel is worth a look. The home theater power user If you want the ultimate combination of guide, customization and affordable hardware, Griffin's Beacon is a good choice. While there's work yet to do on the Beacon, the combination of Netflix support, Roku control, and universal remote can't be beat. Plus, the Dijit app allows more customization than any other remote on the market (including those dongle-based remotes), making it a pleasure for those of you with complicated setups. Actions and gestures are icing on the power user cake, so there's very little you will find Beacon can't do. Beacon does use more batteries than the others, and lacks some of the advanced tuning features found in UnityRemote, but Beacon hopes to avoid that by providing updates to the app and hardware so that everything "just works." For now, the product is early in its lifecycle and I expect it will only get better. Plus, as the lowest cost solution of all the remote with the most flexibility, I'd say it is overall the best bargain of the bunch. That's a good thing if you've already maxed out your credit cards buying all that AV gear for your home theater! Conclusion There's no such things as "one size fits all" when it comes to technology. Each remote had quirks and flaws that could be deal killers for you personally. I recommend downloading all the associated apps first and trying them out before you buy the hardware. Since the interface you'll be using will be on your iOS device, you'll want to spend some quality time ensuring buttons are comfortable to you, and all the additional features are things you'll use. When you do buy a remote, look for a retailer with a generous return policy as these are all first generation products prone to issues anyway. If you don't like it, you'll want to return it. If you have suggestions for other universal remote solutions, leave us those in the comments.
Griffin Tech's Beacon: A highly customizable universal remote
Griffin debuted an early version of the Beacon at CES, but it has only recently become available for sale. The Beacon is another iOS-controllable IR blaster combo to control all your audio/video components. Like the UnityRemote, there's a Bluetooth IR blaster. Unlike the UnityRemote, however, Griffin's Beacon is controlled by an app from another company: Dijit. How do these two work together? Read on to find out. %Gallery-128442% Hardware The Beacon is just under 4 inches square, with what sort of looks like a stone on a small platform. The stone is actually the IR blaster portion, and it is directional, with the Griffin logo molded on top to ensure proper placement. The IR blaster is directional with the Beacon, with the IR LEDs on the front of the stone, and a receiver on the back of the stone. There is also a small blue LED on the back of the stone to give certain feedback (more on that in a moment). The Beacon uses 4 AA batteries. The Beacon unit is pretty clever and well-designed, with icons on the bottom to ensure you know where the front is and where remotes should be pointed when you're programming the hardware. Also, you turn the Beacon off after the one-hour shutdown timer by simply tapping the top of the unit, pressing down on the stone. The blue LED slowly blinks a couple of times to let you know the unit is indeed powered up. The stone is a bit of a fingerprint magnet, but that's being picky. I was told the Beacon could do firmware updates via the Dijit app, which is nice. While the Beacon's footprint isn't tiny, it isn't so big as to be intrusive. The design will work with almost any aesthetic, really, so you won't notice it hanging out on your coffee table. The range of the Beacon is constrained by the same Bluetooth and IR limits of all of these units: around 30 feet or less for Bluetooth controls, and IR has to be line-of-sight to work. Software There's a lot going on in the Dijit app, a free download which controls the Beacon. I didn't like the fact that while there's a lot going on in the app, it is not optimized for the iPad. That's a major bummer, considering Dijit has a ton of tiny buttons. But it's a free app, and you can try it before you invest in the Beacon, which I highly recommend you do; if you have large fingers, you may not like it. There are gestures, but sometimes I found it hard to initiate them without hitting a button on the virtual remote. The Dijit app could be used by itself, as it has TV listings (a grid, no landscape view) and what amounts to a mini Netflix app. The TV listings are quite basic, like an early version of i.TV, but if you are signed in to a Dijit account you can give shows a thumbs-up or down or comment on them. The Netflix tab allows you to manage your streaming queue, conduct searches and view suggested items and add those to your queue. Netflix detail view (left) and Instant Queue There's also built-in support for a Roku box, but as I don't have one I was unable to test this. In fact, the Beacon supports over 200,000 devices, including your Xbox 360 -- possibly worth the price of admission right there if you have a vast array of gear. The only problem with this Guide portion of the app is a lack of landscape view for anything, and some of the buttons are really tiny. On-screen help works, but I was still left wondering what was the point of leaving comments on things -- I don't see Dijit building a social network like GetGlue or other competing products. One excellent feature is the thumbs up rating, which moves shows to your "My Shows" tab up top of the Guide. The Guide listing (left) and episode listing The Devices screen is next on the nav bar at the bottom of the app, and I wonder if there was a spirited debate about making that button second. Generally I need to power up my TV before watching it, although I suppose you could see if there's anything worth watching first. At any rate, Devices is where you will go to control all your components. It'll drop you into the last-used component's control screen, which in my case was the TV. As with all of these apps, you get back to your list of devices with a tiny button up top. I'll go into more depth on the Devices screen in a moment, as it is really quite powerful. Remote being modified (left) Devices view (right) Continuing to the right of the nav you'll find Activities, which is a way to set up a series of actions for your various remotes. If you want to watch a movie, you may want your TV to power up, switch inputs and power up the DVD player. Of course, you'll have to set all this up for each action, and I found the process to be somewhat confusing and sometimes limiting. For example, let's say I wanted to set up an action for "watch the news," and I had a particular station I always watch for news. I can power up my cable box and TV (unless they are already on and can't receive discrete power on codes -- then you're just toggling and they'll switch off instead) but switching to another channel beyond 9 is laborious. If you want your cable box to go to channel 701, you'll add 3 commands, one for each number! You can, however, set a delay, which allows you to wait until your device is in a ready state before sending more commands. That's a welcome touch. The Rooms screen allows you to configure more Beacons in other rooms, and from what Griffin says they will re-associate by tapping the Beacon's stone. I only had one unit and was unable to test this. It also allows you to change service providers, in case you have cable in one room and satellite in another. Nifty, but something most people probably won't use. Lastly there's Settings, which includes a battery indicator (which seemed to work adequately), options for the Guide, account settings, a way to jump to Griffin's support page in Safari, and the requisite About and Reset items. You can do a bit of customization in the Settings, including editing those shows you gave a thumbs-up to, and viewing your activity within the Guide. General settings allows you change what device does the TV tuning, add/edit gestures (which can only be picked from a specific set of gestures), find devices automatically, and toggle sound effects and the help button. Remote in use In Devices you can choose one of your devices, then see the remote button layout for that particular component. Where Dijit really shines is on these remote screens. The button layouts, while logical and great, are completely configurable. You can not only re-arrange things, but in several cases you have a choice of interface element. Volume, for example, can be an up/down button, or it can be a circular jog wheel you spin left or right. Not only that, but helpful blue alignment grid lines appear as you drag these items around the screen. Unfortunately you cannot scale these buttons, which would have been nice. But when you click Edit the buttons will do the jiggly dance (like apps in iOS when you wish to move them around), and you can delete or add buttons. Editing the layout is a breeze, but one thing you cannot do is mix and match component controls. This proves to be a real pain, because my DVR has a volume control that does nothing to affect the actual volume going through the TV (via HDMI). More helpful would be a TV volume on the DVR screen, but instead I have to tap that Devices button, choose my TV, then hit the volume. UPDATE: Turns out you can you mix-and-match device buttons on the screen. All the more reason I wish there was a proper iPad version of the app. See pic below for how this works. In terms of responsiveness, the Beacon does a great job. I found almost no lag, and once I set up my screens (not necessary as the defaults are adequate, but I'm a control freak) the Beacon was pleasant to use. By default the app will make a noise when you tap on buttons, and I noticed a glow in the jog wheel as I used it. Some buttons may be a bit small for large fingers. Gestures were not always easy to trigger, and I found myself hitting another key by accident too often, but the button controls worked just fine.* *OK, so while the buttons worked for my TV, the DVR was completely messed up. Beacon would actually send codes twice! If I pressed channel up it would actually go up two channels. I was told by a representative for Dijit that this was actually going to be fixed in the next version of the app, and it's a problem with the IR codes, not the hardware itself. Apparently IR blasting is tricky, and spacing out the blanks between blasts requires a lot of testing with each manufacturer. If Beacon had better troubleshooting or an ability to tweak those things (as the UnityRemote does), I don't know that an app update would have been necessary. Also, my DVR is a Scientific Atlanta box that is quite common, but I'm told only a very few units are reporting this issue. We'll revisit the issue when the app is updated. Setup Setup is really quite simple, with Dijit walking you through a series of questions before you use the app. You can actually skip all setup, but what's the point in that? Bluetooth pairing will happen in Settings on your iPhone, as with all Bluetooth devices. You'll do that first, then drop back into the app. First you'll choose TV listings by zip code, then a provider. Then, you'll be prompted to add a TV, cable box/DVR and AV receiver. You can add these later, and I only added the first two to begin with. Dijit has you test the power button only (in my testing), which I think can be problematic. In fact, it only tested the power button on my TV and said it found a remote for the DVR. You can use these, or you can go through another assistant to try finding one that works better. If you need to teach the Beacon the codes for your remotes, you can do that with the Dijit app, the Beacon hardware and your remote. Since my unit was apparently experiencing a known issue, I found it a little tricky to program the Beacon with my remotes. In theory, you position your remote 2 inches behind the Beacon and teach the Beacon by pressing down to start the LED flashing quickly, then hold down keys on your remote to match the ones you're programming on the Dijit app. Maybe it was my flaky unit, but 2 inches behind the Beacon, resting on the table, meant that my remotes were actually firing infrared beams into the black base, and not the IR receiver section. I had to prop my remote up on a book to make sure it was in-line. Despite this, I was able to work around my DVR issue (noted earlier) by programming the keys. Still, I would not want to do this for the 2 dozen or so buttons on all my remotes. I found the task a bit tedious and tricky, going from app to Beacon to remote to ensure the training worked properly. Be prepared to spend an hour or more doing this if you are stubborn enough or unlucky enough to have an unsupported remote. Other than training the remote, there's very little to worry about in setup. Have your Netflix login ready if you want to use that, of course, and be prepared to set up a Dijit account (you can use Facebook as well) if you want to participate in the rather limited social features. Conclusion Looking beyond the fact that my unit was defective (and will be fixed via app update soon), the Beacon is a pretty good deal at an MSRP of US$79.95. With the ability to control all your AV gear, including an Xbox, I think you'll find there's little it can't adequately control. The Netflix and Roku features are icing on the cake, to be sure. The Beacon is stylish and easy to use, and the interface customization will ensure you're able to enjoy using it for some time to come. Still, I found some rough edges. Manually training the Beacon with a remote is somewhat frustrating (although all IR blaster training sessions lack any fun quotient), and the smallish buttons and lack of an iPad-optimized app hindered what could have been a fabulous interface. The Beacon hardware could be considered large by devout minimalists, and the inability to tweak the length of time the unit stays on (or other more advanced tunings) put it behind the competition somewhat, but most of these are minor details. I will say it seems very un-Apple to have separate vendors for the hardware and software, but I'm sure Dijit and Griffin have plenty of contracts to keep each other in check (Dijit will also appear on Android, so there's that). If you're looking for a highly customizable interface and a pretty simple remote with a few extra bells and whistles thrown in for other services, you'll find the Beacon is a capable unit for your home theater or living room AV setup.
Griffin's Beacon for iOS devices now shipping, post-remote living for just $80
Sure, you could get a Peel Fruit to turn your iPhone into a universal remote, but if you want a totally wire-free solution Griffin's Beacon is finally available as an alternative. If you'll recall, the battery powered base -- controlled by Dijit's remote control app -- takes your iPhone or iPad's Bluetooth signal, converts it to IR, and blasts commands to your A/V gear. We spent some time with the device at CES and found the package to be quite nice thanks to the versatile base and relatively seamless app. If you're feeling the urge to switch up how you've been flipping through channels, $80 will get you one from Griffin's website or an Apple Store starting today.
Griffin Beacon universal remote control system hands-on
We visited Griffin's CES booth to check out the Beacon universal remote control expecting yet another Redeye clone, but instead wound up walking away impressed. Two notable features of the prototype Bluetooth to IR converter device are that it's battery powered and includes a 360 degree IR blaster. These are key since they give users the freedom to place the transmitter almost anywhere around an entertainment center. The free iPhone remote app built by Dijit was the real highlight though. The UI and functionality was incredibly intuitive, and we especially liked that the setup process doesn't require inputting device model numbers. Instead, users just pick the brand and then test a series of code cycles to see if their components respond. The TV guide and Netflix integration are also points of distinction over competitors -- since you can select shows or movies to watch directly from the app. Last but not least, your remote settings can be saved and downloaded to as many devices as you like. To give you a feel for the system, we've included plenty of shots of the app's UI in the gallery below along with more photos the device. %Gallery-113456% %Gallery-113458%
Garmin's $23 Chirp wireless beacon brings geocaching thrills to Oregon, Dakota GPS units
Looking for an avenue to join millions of others in geocaching, eh? We know, there's hardly a better way to spend a weekend than by playing a sophisticated game of hide-and-seek, and Garmin's right there with us. If you, like it, are stuck in Kansas with nary a Jayhawk game in sight, this here pebble is the answer to all of your boredom woes. The Chirp is a wireless beacon that's designed to work with any compatible wireless-enabled Garmin handheld (the Oregon, Dakota and the recently announced GPSMAP handhelds are mentioned by name), and once you've set it up to cooperate with your device, it'll automatically transmit program coordinates so other cachers can find each stage of your multicache -- it's touch-and-go in its simplest form. The whole thing measures just 1.3- x 0.9-inches, weighs under an ounce and can be had for just $22.99. So yeah, good luck sticking to Segway polo with an offer like that. Update: Video after the break!
Second Life Jira issue highlights new Search/teleportation problem
Coyote Momiji alerts us to this issue, where teleporting to a Second Life sim with no point-to-point tp means that you emerge at a telehub. The previous version of Search provided a red beacon to appear at your actual destination, allowing you to complete your journey, but the new Search leaves you beacon-less, with no way to easily find where you need to go.This is currently JIRA issue #SVC-1125, and it needs attention! Go vote for this, and let's hope it gets resolved quickly ... or at least, as quickly as such things get fixed. I'm hopeful, but not silly! Well, I'm silly, but not ridiculous. Well, I'm ridiculous, but ... nevermind.[Thanks, Coyote!]