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Elgato EyeTV Mobile dongle brings live TV to the iPad 2
Sure, Elgato already has an app that lets you stream TV to your iPad -- but that's only if they're being broadcast online. To pull in live TV over the air you'd need a TV-tuner, something that has, until now, been unavailable for Apple's popular slate. By the end of September that lack of broadcast television will become just a distant memory with the release of EyeTV Mobile, a £100 (about $163) dongle that connects to the iPad's proprietary port. The tuner will be able to pull in MPEG 2 streams over DVB-T, but won't work with DVB-T2 broadcasts like Freeview HD. Check out the source for more details.
Will Toshiba's next tablet be named the Excite? Trademark filings suggest so
Yesterday, we caught wind of a rumor that Toshiba would be unveiling a new, ultra-thin tablet at this year's IFA. Today, word on the street is that the company's forthcoming slate may be called the "Excite." According to US Trademark filings obtained by Android Police, Toshiba has apparently registered the purported product name under the category "Tablet Computers." The manufacturer has also snatched up a whole host of domain names, including "excitetablet.com," "toshibaexcite.com," and "thetoshibaexcite.com" -- all of which currently redirect to a Toshiba site. As you may recall, remarkably similar evidence surfaced right before the Thrive launched, so recent history certainly lends a bit of credence to today's report. As always, we'll be sure to keep you abreast of the latest developments.
Polymer Vision drops the ball on its flexible display, literally
Flexible displays may well be the future, but it's not hard to see that they won't truly be practical unless they're also as durable as they are flexible. Polymer Vision is well aware of that fact, of course, and it's now gone to some "extreme" lengths to demonstrate the progress it's made on that front. See the results for yourself in the video above.
Snow Leopard to get iCloud support in 10.6.9 update?
Apparently those of you who aren't upgrading to Cupertino's latest and greatest desktop OS will be able to sling bits through iCloud with the upcoming 10.6.9 update. The screenshot above comes via an eagle-eyed developer, who's already upgraded his MobileMe account to the service and also happened to open its forebearer's preference pane on a machine running Tiger. No word on when it'll drop (we'd place our bets alongside iOS 5's launch this fall), but looks like those of you running Snow Leopard got some readin' to do.
Microsoft details Windows 8 Explorer tweaks, adds ribbon UI
Lots of things are getting tweaked, if not completely overhauled, for Windows 8. That includes the ever-present Windows Explorer. Just like many other Microsoft apps, the file manager will be adopting the slightly more finger-friendly ribbon interface. But don't freak out about your precious screen real estate, the next version of Explorer will actually display more files than Windows 7 could by moving the details pane to the right-hand side and tweaking the padding. The up button has also returned and a slew of new keyboard shortcuts are being introduced. Check out the source link for more detail and a demo video.
Sonnet's Echo brings ExpressCard to Thunderbolt machines
Looking for more stuff to plug into that Thunderbolt port? If you've got a smattering of ExpressCard/34 doodads laying around, Sonnet's upcoming Echo adapter might just fit the bill. Scheduled for an October release, the $149 gizmo can now be pre-ordered from the company's online store, but be forewarned that it'll ship sans cable. So if you haven't already picked up one of these guys, be prepared to part with a half Benjamin before you join in on all the fun. All in all, a pricey affair, but that's what you get for living on the bleeding edge, you futuristic maverick, you. [Thanks, Mmm]
OWC Mercury Electra 6G SSD lineup updated with smaller 60GB option for $130
Looking for a peppy SSD to turbo charge your workflow and don't need a whole lot of storage capacity? Back in June, Other World Computing introduced its speedy SandForce-endowed Mercury Electra 6G SSDs with a base model priced at $230 $200 for 120GB. Now the company's added a cheaper option to keep things fast and your wallet happy. Those wanting a taste of its 556MB/s read and 523MB/s write speeds can now opt for a 60GB variation, priced at just $130. Sure, it may not be ideal for saving your entire Queen back catalog, but it could be a nifty route for faster boot-up and load times, right? It's available now from OWC. Zip past the break for the full PR.
Nissan's Leaf rollout speeds up in Chicago this fall
Oprah may have left town and packed up her "You get a car!" philanthropic ways, but that's not stopping Nissan from injecting the windy city with a little auto excitement. Responding to an overwhelming customer demand for its all-electric Leaf vehicles, the Japanese car maker is accelerating the line's rollout to Chicago residents, with the first models to be available this fall. The launch will be bolstered by a planned 280 EV charging stations, funded in part by a pledged $1 million from the state and an additional $1 million grant. If you're living in the second city to our north and haven't yet hitched your ride to the electric hatchback caravan, now might be the time.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers to use iPads as playbooks, not PlayBooks
With the NFL season just a few days away, players and coaches have been busy lifting weights, doing interviews and counting their money. Sometimes, they even get the chance to study their playbooks -- or, in the case of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their iPads. This year, the franchise has distributed a fresh batch of iPad 2's to all of its 90 players, as part of a new initiative from coach Raheem Morris. With the tablets, the Bucs can spend their free time reviewing their downloaded plays, while analyzing video footage from practices, games and opposing teams. In related tech news, the Detroit Lions just discovered fire.
Sony's Digital Link Sound System brings all-in-one iOS integration to your dashboard
Is your car yearning for more iOS integration? Sony's got you covered, with its new Digital Link Sound System. The company's new audio package is available in two models: the all-in-one XDP-PK1000 and the more compact XDP-MU110. The former consists of five components, including an iPhone / iPod Touch cradle (pictured above), wireless remote control, customizable digital sound processor, 12-inch box subwoofer and 300 watt Class D mono block amp. The XDP-MU110, on the other hand, is geared toward drivers who are already content with their amp / subwoofer setup, but simply want to outfit their ride with a fresh audio system, with the help of Sony's cradle, processor and remote. If you're interested in getting one, however, you'll have to wait a little longer; the XDP-PK1000 is expected to start shipping in September, for about $800, with the XDP-MU110 slated to ship in November, for $400. Cruise past the break for more information, in the full PR.
WebKit turns 10, celebrates a decade of speedy, standards-compliant browsing
It's hard to believe but WebKit, the rendering engine inside Safari and Chrome, is now ten years old. The forked child of KDE's KHTML received its first commit of code from Apple back on August 24th of 2001. It would be well over a year before the debut of Safari in 2003, and another two years before it was fully open sourced. Since then it's begun to replace Gecko (Mozilla) as the rendering engine du jour and even spawned a sequel in Webkit2. So, happy birthday to Apple's greatest contribution to the open source community.
X10 AirPad is a warm slab of Gingerbread for under $200
Couldn't get your hands on a discount TouchPad? It's not quite as cheap, but X10 does boldly claim that its new AirPad is "the best tablet on the market for under $200." It's important to have realistic goals, after all. The seven-inch slate packs in 4GB of storage (plus a microSD slot), WiFi, and Android 2.3.
CineSkates smooth your camera's roll (video)
Wheels make everything better, right? That certainly seems to be the case with CineSkates. Joby has given a big thumbs up to the Kickstarter project, which help the Gorillapod Focus capture some pretty sweet tracking shots, because nothing says "elegance" like a gorilla on wheels.
Gunnar Optiks crafts limited edition Modern Warfare 3 specs, keeps the bad guys in clear sight
Serious gaming requires serious gear, and by the looks of this latest Call of Duty marketing tie-in, you should be decked out in your Modern Warfare finest when that third installment hits stores. Publisher Activision and Gunnar Optiks have teamed up to bring the eyewear company's fatigue-reducing i-AMP lens tech to a branded line of limited edition gaming specs. The $99 glasses, designed with "venting details inspired by... military machinery," are set to hit stores worldwide on November 8th, and can be found stateside as a Best Buy exclusive. Sound like your kind of late-night gaming accessory? Then click past the break for a 20/20 look at the official PR.
EEE Pad Transformer gains Netflix support, minor fixes
This may be of no consequence to those of you who frequent XDA Developers, but obviously, not all of us are comfortable rooting Asus' EEE Pad Transformer just to get Netflix support. Now you might never have to, thanks to a build lovingly named HTJ85B.US_epad-8.6.5.9-20110816. In addition to enabling sideloading support for the streaming service, this Honeycomb update provides a choice of cursor icons, improves boot times and adds the ability to enable or disable the virtual keyboard while docked. Hitting the update? Let us know how you fare in the comments. [Thanks, Zack]
Sony redesigns PlayStation Home, makes it the game outside the game
Sony updated PlayStation Home in the spring of this year, and gave its virtual world multiplayer support and better graphics. Evidently that update wasn't quite what Sony wanted, so the company will roll out a complete redesign of the community this autumn to make it easier for folks to connect with desired content. The revamped Home lets users find games by exploring several themed districts (Action, Adventure, Sportswalk and Pier Park) with their digital doppelgängers. Sony's saying the changes will make PlayStation Home itself a game, so maybe it's time for Second Life to start shaking in its boots. Denizens of Sony's digital world can get more details in the PR below.
Vizio Tablet gets Hulu Plus, lets you watch your '30 Rock' on the go
Picked up one of those $300 Vizio tablets? Good news: your entertainment options just expanded a bit with the addition of Hulu Plus support. The eight-inch tablet now handles the TV / movie streaming Android app -- so long as you don't mind dropping another $7.99 a month for the premium video service.
Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program: now you can find out if you made the cut
Remember the Nintendo "Ambassador Program" for 3DS owners with the price drop blues? Early adopters were offered 20 free games if they signed in to the Nintendo eShop before August 11th, but the software didn't confirm if they'd successfully joined or not. Now they can check for themselves by heading to Nintendo's support page via our easy-to-click source link, enter their 11 digit serial number and see if they're due some freebies courtesy of delicious corporate guilt.
Amazon grabs two more Kindle related domains, keeps gadget writers in work
Amazon is sending book-loving gadget fans into a frenzy with another round of domain name buys. It registered KindleScribe and KindleScribes.com to go along with the KindleAir and KindleSocialNetwork addresses it picked up earlier this month. All that's left to do is speculate wildly on what they could represent (Thin and light e-reader? Tablet-style touchscreen? Kindle that comes pre-loaded with the Social Network?) and hope the new devices come packing Jeff's newly patented mobile airbags.
Fanatec's ClubSport racing wheel is definitely not for Sunday drivers (video)
The Fanatec ClubSport is coming this winter to steer that fine line between desirable and ridiculous. The wheel rim can be quick-released from the all-metal, ultra-customizable base, allowing you to switch between a Formula style wheel (depicted), or GT, NASCAR and rally styles. Pricing will be equally hardcore: $450 (excluding taxes) for the base, plus between $150 and $300 for each rim, and an extra $200 if you want machined aluminum ClubSport pedals to match. Full demo in the video after the break.
