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Puma is recruiting beta testers for its self-lacing sneakers
When Engadget took an exclusive look at the Puma Fi self-lacing shoes earlier this year, the company teased an upcoming beta program for those who want to try their luck. Well, the time has come. Between now and April 28th, you can apply for the Puma Fi beta testing program via the PUMATRAC app (available on iOS and Android) or Puma's online form. The catch is you need to be residing in one of the following 11 regions: US, UK, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Spain, India and Turkey.
Fi's GPS pet tracker lasts three months between charges
From keys to luggage, smart technology lets us keep track of pretty much everything these days -- and that includes our pets. Whistle is perhaps the most prominent company in the pet tracking business, but now a new contender has entered the ring with a feature-packed dog collar that makes keeping tabs on our furry friends even easier. Fi's smart GPS dog collar monitors your pet's activity, tracks its location instantly and, most importantly, has a whopping three-month battery life.
Puma wants to let you try its new Fi self-lacing shoes
With the upcoming release of Nike's $350 Adapt BB, self-lacing shoes are set to become more commonplace, and Puma isn't about to let its rival take all the credit. After all, the German company showed off its own self-lacing sneaker, the Autodisc, back in 2015 -- around the same time as Nike's iconic (and ultra rare) Mag before it evolved into the HyperAdapt. The only problem was the Autodisc just wasn't practical enough to enter retail -- it was too expensive, too heavy and could have been more comfortable. But that's about to change with Puma's latest creation, the Fi (pronounced as "F-I" aka "Fit Intelligence").
Google's Project Fi now has family plans
If you don't use a ton of data, Google's Project Fi (a cell phone service that jumps between Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular, depending on signal strength) is one of the better deals in wireless. Now, Google's making it a bit easier and cheaper to use if you have a family: the company is rolling out group plans starting today. If you're a Project Fi user, you can add up to six total people to your plan. Each additional user costs $15 per month for unlimited talk and text, down from the $20 Project Fi charges when starting up service on your own. Data stays at the same $10 per GB rate that Fi has always offered.
Google's Project Fi offers fast data when you travel
Starting today, Google Project Fi subscribers who use data abroad can expect between 10 and 20 times faster data connections thanks to a new deal with Hutchinson Whampoa, the parent company to Three in the UK.
Google's Fi wireless service now supports data-only devices
If you ever wished you could have Google's Project Fi wireless service on your tablet as well as your Nexus phone, well now you can. Google announced today that Project Fi now has support for data-only devices on top of its existing phone service. Even if you have a primary Project Fi SIM card, you can request an order for a data-only SIM that you can use with a compatible tablet -- it should work with any unlocked tablet that also works with T-Mobile. Confirmed compatible tablets include the Nexus 7, the Nexus 9, the iPad Air 2, the iPad mini 4 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S.
After six months with Google's Project Fi, I'd switch to it if I could
If there's anything that needs disrupting in the US, it's wireless carriers. By and large, Americans pay far too much for our monthly cell phone bills. Additionally, we tolerate practices like data throttling and let's not even mention the terrible international roaming rates. So when Google announced its own Fi wireless service earlier this year, I was pretty excited. Finally, there was a real challenger to the throne of the Big Four that promised to offer a more affordable and more reasonable experience. I hopped on board, got an invite, and have been using it for the past six months with a loaner Nexus 6 and, eventually, a 5X. In sum: If Fi were compatible with my iPhone (or even more Android phones), I'd switch in a heartbeat.
ICYMI: Gameroulette, 3D-glass printing and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-356435{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-356435, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-356435{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-356435").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: An MIT group built a 3D printer that extrudes glass rather than plastic; they believe the technology could be used to make cheaper fiber optic cables. Chatroulette users were treated to a surprise live first-person shooter game that pitted them against creepy zombies. The rest of us totally missed out. A new tech-enabled bartending buddy would sync with its smartphone app and walk you through making the perfect cocktail: All for $39.
A cheat sheet to Project Fi, Google's mobile phone service
Rumors of Google breaking into the wireless carrier game have been fodder for scoops, breathless reports and thinkpieces for years now, and for the longest time it looked like the search giant just couldn't make it happen. Yesterday Google put all that to rest. Project Fi is finally here (if invite-only and fully compatible with one phone) -- here's what you absolutely need to know about it.
Google's Project Fi service turns multiple phone networks into one
Got a Nexus 6? Itching to dump your traditional wireless service provider for something a bit more ambitious? Google's got you covered. After months of speculation and a not-so-subtle nod from Sundar Pichai at Mobile World Congress, the search giant's new mobile phone service -- Project Fi -- is finally official. The company's plan is both as savvy and as unorthodox as we'd expect: Instead of trying to build out and maintain its own nationwide network of cell towers and repeaters, Google's instead combining Sprint and T-Mobile's coverage footprints with millions of pre-vetted WiFi hotspots to provide users with the fastest, most seamless mobile experience it can in real-time. Well, that's the plan anyway. You're probably just clamoring for the invite link at this point (here you go), but it's important to note that Google created Fi to fill in the gaps that already exist in our more-mobile-by-the-day lives.
Fi cuts through hundreds in latest Hyrule Warriors trailer
First introduced in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Fi is the latest character torn from Nintendo's verdant fields to appear in Koei Tecmo's musou beat' em up, Hyrule Warriors. Though Fi is technically not a person - Fi is actually the living embodiment of the Goddess Sword - she has no trouble dispatching enemies en masse. Most of the time, Fi floats through battle, using attacks that are largely magical, though the trailer also includes moments where the character drops the bipedal act in favor of being the aforementioned sword and cutting a Rupee-spattered swath through her foes. Far from the only Legend of Zelda character in Hyrule Warriors, Fi joins perennial protagonist Link, Midna, Impa, Agitha and Lana, among others. Hyrule Warriors is currently scheduled to make its North American Wii U debut on September 26. [Image: Koei Tecmo]
Massively's Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn launch impressions
I failed to save Final Fantasy XIV. Back in November, the launch version of the game had its final event. I was there, fighting against the forces that would ultimately bring Dalamud crashing down upon Eorzea, but all those efforts were for nothing. And I knew it. All veteran players knew that this was a losing fight, that Eorzea could not be saved. The moon fell, destruction rained down upon the land... and the launch version of the game was no more. Now, nine months later, the MMO is relaunching to an unenviable task. Final Fantasy XIV doesn't just have to be a good game; it has be such a good game that its original launch is no longer under discussion. It has to turn itself from a punchline into a praiseworthy title. The end result, much like the launch version, is a game that's not going to be for everyone, but it's going to be just right for a lot of people who might never have expected it.
First Impressions: LEGO Universe's Gnarled Forest
Yarr matey, are ye lookin' for more information on NetDevil's upcomin' MMO, LEGO Universe, then we've got a treat for you today! In an interesting move, the team at NetDevil has decided to drop the NDA one zone at a time, thereby allowing us to give you some early impressions of the game while it's still in beta. With that said, I must reinforce that due to the game being in beta, some of this may well change. Nonetheless, the story should still hold true -- and it's a story chock full of pirates, monkeys, bananas and other bizarre things you might expect to find in a place called the Gnarled Forest. Before we start, I should perhaps explain a bit about the game's known back-story for those who haven't been watching too closely. The idea is that this dark force known as Maelstrom Energy (that's the weird purple glowy funk you see spread throughout these screenshots) has corrupted certain parts of the LEGO universe, and it's your job to help stop it. In the case of the Gnarled Forest, ships full of pirates touched down on the nearby beach and after adventuring into the forest, found large cracks in the ground that contained glowing purple crystals. Being pirates, they figured the glowing purple crystals were probably valuable gems. So, they greedily stuffed them into their pockets and treasure chests, only to wind up witless, mutated minions of this dark force. Curious? Join me for more on LEGO Universe's Gnarled Forest behind the break, and be sure to check out the screenshots in the gallery below too! %Gallery-97712%
First Impressions: Fallen Earth
In First Impressions, Krystalle takes on a MMO and reports back at what you can expect from the game. Is it painful? Awesome? Find out as she takes an unscientific (and fairly opinionated) view of a game you may not have had a chance to play. Also remember, this is not a review; simply a First Impression - as such, we always recommend you give games that seem interesting a shot and decide for yourself.Welcome back my friends, for some games that never end. With most of the craziness of the summer travel season and an injury behind me, it's time to dig in and get back to First Impressions. This time we're taking a look at the crunchy, post-apocalyptic indie title, Fallen Earth. Set to launch on the 15th, with a pre-launch start on the 9th, Fallen Earth is the first entry into the market for Fallen Earth, LLC, a spin-off of Icarus Studios. To say that it is an ambitious step into the field is an understatement of some pretty extreme proportions. It's not every day an MMO company decides to drop an MMO smack into the middle of a scale map of the Grand Canyon. More properly, a post Shiva-virus and nuclear post-apocalyptic Grand Canyon. Ambitious? Definitely. Whether or not it works, well... read on for my First Impressions, and make your own call once you have more of an idea what's in play here. Welcome to the Apocalypse >> %Gallery-71539%
