graphing calculator
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Texas Instruments makes it harder to run programs on its calculators
Texas Instruments has pulled the support for assembly-based programs on its graphing calculators -- it's meant to fight cheating, but also hurts hobbyists.
Casio's touchscreen graphing calculator arrives in 2013, makes the TI-84+ look dated
Everything's a battleground these days, isn't it? Even the makers of humble graphing calculators can't resist a scrap. Casio is now throwing down the gauntlet, announcing that its fx-CP400 will arrive shortly after rival TI's color-screened TI-84+. Casio's offering comes with a 4.8-inch, 320 x 528, stylus-driven display and can switch from vertical to horizontal modes at the touch of a button. If you're planning on some illicit classroom movie-watching, however, then you should know it only has around 30MB of storage -- but hey, that might be good enough for one thing.
Texas Instruments TI-83 Plus review
The year was 1999. I was pondering all too carefully what kind of threads I'd be wearing come the new school year. But all I could really think about was exactly how much of my styling budget would be blown on some antediluvian piece of technology that -- in my mind -- was no longer necessary due to the invention of the internet. That hunk was Texas Instruments' TI-83 Plus. So far as I could understand it, the "Plus" meant that it had a few extra megabytes of RAM; why you needed loads of RAM in a graphing calculator, I had no idea. At $119.99, it was the most expensive purchase I made leaving middle school, and now that I've had well over a decade to toy with it, it's about time I sat down and gave it a proper review. Join me after the break, won't you?
Google brings graphing calculator functionality to search, still can't play 'Snake'
Well, Google's gone an done it, turning the Internet into one giant graphing calculator. The software behemoth has brought graphing capabilities to search, letting users input a mathematical function into the engine -- or multiple functions, separated by commas. And, this being Google, users can explore the graphs more closely by zooming in and out and panning across. According to the company, it "covers an extensive range of single variable functions including trigonometric, exponential, logarithmic and their compositions." If you know what all of that means, we're guessing you're pretty psyched about this news.
Retro gadget orchestra nails House of the Rising Sun, puts your garage band to shame (video)
YouTube user BD594, also known as James Cochrane, is no stranger to pushing retro tech to its musical limits. Back in 2009 he coaxed a scanner, an Atari 800XL and a host of other antiquated gadgets to perform Bohemian Rhapsody. The results, while certainly enjoyable, were a tad tone deaf. Well, in the years since he's tweaking his "musicians" and his orchestra has just issued its second single -- a stunning rendition of House of the Rising Sun, in the style of the Animals. Seriously, this staple of '60s high school rockstar wannabes is absolutely nailed by the assortment of hard drives, oscilloscopes and the scanner. Cochrane isn't alone in his quest to turn obsolete tech into musical magic. Christopher Mitchell managed to hack a Ti graphing calculator and floppy-disk drive into a monophonic media player. While his accomplishment is impressive, he loses this round for wasting his skills on the saccharin stylings of Cold Play. Check out both videos after the break.
Graphing calculator web browser lets you visit your favorite sine wave fan sites (video)
Graphing calculators: essential tools for math education or low-res Game Boys? The debate rages on. Advocates of non-mathematical applications for the devices have scored a major victory with the introduction of Gossamer, a new web browser for various TI graphing calculators, which lets users visit some very basic versions of webpages, using the CALCnet and globalCALCnet protocols. The 1.0 version can request, display, and scroll pages. Logging in will bring you to a portal with links -- the application's developer has promised to add the ability to directly enter URLs in a future version, however. There's a demo video after the break, though you may want to wait until after math class to check it out.
TI-Nspire CX graphing calculator now shipping, color officially 'in'
It may have been hard to believe when it was announced back in February, but you can rest assured that Texas Instruments' new color TI-Nspire CX calculator is indeed real, and shipping right now. Assuming you're ready to make the jump from monochrome, the $165 asking price will buy you a 3.2-inch 320 x 240 display, 100MB of storage, 64MB of memory, and TI's new version 3.0 operating system that comes complete with 3D graphing capabilities. Of course, TI isn't completely breaking new ground here -- Casio's had a graphing calculator with a "high res" color screen since way back in 2010. [Thanks, Michael]
TI-Nspire graphing calcs get full color displays, 3D, WiFi, and new OS
It's been a good year or so since the TI-Nspire line of graphing calculators got a refresh, but that was nothing compared to what the company's planning for this year. Possibly responding to changing times (or the Casio Prizm), the new Nspire devices are getting a WiFi dongle for communication with TI-Navigator workstations, a 16-bit (320 x 240) full color display, and a number of new functions, including the ability to load images and analyze images for such things as curve fitting functions and regressions. Perhaps even more exciting, the new Nspire OS 3.0 features 3D functions -- and, yes, the original grayscale TI-Nspire models will be able to upgrade to the new OS when it becomes available this spring. Tech Powered Math is reporting a mid-April release date, for an MSRP of $165. Totally psyched? We bet you are! See the PR after the break for more info.
TI-Nspire calculator: yes, it plays Doom
Sure, folks have ported games over to the good ol' number cruncher for ages, but getting a fully rendered classic like Doom to run on a calculator is a different feat altogether. The folks over at omnimaga have successfully moved a beta version of nDoom (a reworked version of the original id Software's FPS) over to a Texas Instruments TI-Nspire and -- with all things considered -- the game runs shockingly smooth. As of right now, the only proof of concept is the video you see above, with a tragic crash bringing all things dangerous to a dismal halt. We're looking forward to a fully working version of nDoom because, you know, video games and calculators are two things close to our nerdy hearts.
Casio debuts Prizm graphing calculator with 'high-res' color screen
Texas Instruments recently rocked the graphing calculator world by adding a touchpad to its TI-Nspire calculator, and Casio has now come back with a technological revolution of its own: a high-res color screen. Of course, a 3.7-inch, 384 X 216 display may not be much by smartphone standards, but Casio insists that the "Blanview" LCD will let equations and text be "displayed just like they appear in textbooks." The rest of the calculator's specs aren't too shabby either, and include USB connectivity, 16MB of flash memory, and a promised 140 hours of battery life. You'll still have to stick to your cold, hard black-and-white world for a while longer, however, as the Prizm won't be available until sometime in January, when it'll set you back $129.99.
DIYer constructs 4.3-inch Open SciCal graphing calculator, puts your TI-83+ to shame
What's 4.3-inches diagonally, costs $200 to build and has absolutely no reception issues when held as shown in the image above? Why, the Open SciCal! Matt Stack, the genius who pieced this gem together, relied on a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU, 8GB SD card, WiFi module and a spartan web browser in order to concoct what's likely the most desirable graphing calculator this side of Pluto. The handheld device weighs about 1.6 pounds, runs Linux as well as the statistically inclined R, and is reportedly capable of doing roughly twice as much crunching as Texas Instruments' Nspire. Skeptical? Considering that this bad boy sucked down stock data from Yahoo! Finance and ran auto-correlation on the numbers in order to near-instantly report current trends, we're guessing TI (or any other graphing calculator company, really) has no room to argue. Hit the source for more details, and don't worry -- that feeling of insignificance wanes with time.
Ask Engadget: what's the best graphing calculator for under $200?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Brian, who just can't help but think about the dreaded back-to-school season already. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hello Engadget. I'm currently scouting a calculator for school. What's the best calculator to buy for around $200 dollars?" We're going to guess this guy's majoring in poetry, but those blasted math courses that "they" make everyone take is driving this need. It's funny to think how slowly graphing calculators have evolved (and how prices have fallen at an even more lethargic pace), but there's just got to be something better out in 2010 than the tried-and-true TI-83. Right? Let the man know in comments below.
TI-Nspire graphing calculator gets a new touchpad, nerds swoon world o'er
Texas Instruments has been making graphing calculators for twenty years now, and things look pretty much the same as they were in that bygone era of Amy Grant and C&C Music Factory. The company's latest, TI-Nspire with Touchpad, features -- you guessed it! -- a touchpad above the keypad for scrollin' around, as well as a letterpad (apparently they had to forgo QWERTY to make this compliant with tests like SAT and ACT). And, like its precursors, it comes with a snap-in TI-84 Plus keypad so your old dog won't have to learn any keystrokes. Available now from your fave e-tailer, look to pay around $140.
Texas Instruments finally gets fresh, unveils TI-Nspire calculators
We're not exactly sure if Texas Instruments' widely utilized TI-83 / TI-84 line of calculators have reached the same success as Casio (but it's fairly safe to assume a "yes"), but the firm is finally throwing out a substantial update to the graphing calculators that you, your folks, and probably your grandparents all used throughout high school. The TI-Nspire lineup maintains the same relative form factor, but offers up a few swank advancements such as multiple representations, "grab-and-move" functionality, resizing, dynamic linking, and of course, the oh-so-sweet ability to save and edit in-progress work (shown after the jump) right on the device. Additionally, Windows / OS X software will be available to mimic the on-screen abilities of the handhelds, which means those days of viewing the monochrome display via an overhead projector are long gone, and for those who just aren't willing to make the transition, TI is even including a snap-in TI-83 / TI-84 Plus keypad so you can upgrade your machine without relearning keystrokes. The TI-Nspire and TI-Nspire CAS are both slated to hit instructional dealers this Fall for educators (commercially available by Fall 2008), so we'd suggest pinching those pennies now in back-to-school anticipation.
