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IRL: A few rounds with Babolat's Play Pure Drive smart tennis racquet
The market for connected, stat-tracking tennis gadgets has blossomed seemingly overnight. Some companies offer motion-sensing, snap-on attachments; others sell fancy racquets with built-in sensors. The French company Babolat is taking the latter route with its pricey but capable Play Pure Drive racquet. I took advantage of Tennis Warehouse's demo program to see if the $400 sensor-laden racquet could help me up my game.
What it's like to drive a Tesla Model S in the UK
In a nutshell: more fun and more practical than you might expect, despite the high upfront cost. The right-hand drive model of the Tesla Model S has just arrived in the UK and it instantly transforms the story of electric cars in this country. Instead of being a glossy, distant, sometimes Hollywood-ised drama taking place along the West Coast of America, I find myself looking at a sleek, relatively unostentatious saloon parked up in the grey drizzle of Canning Town, East London. And I'm holding the keys.
IRL: Choosing the Nexus 5 over the Moto X (and the Galaxy Note, too)
I enjoyed using the Nexus 4 during my time with it last summer, but its short battery life, glass back and quirky camera behavior made it tough to truly love. The Nexus 5 is theoretically a different beast: it addresses all those flaws while introducing huge leaps in performance and display resolution. I was tempted enough by those upgrades to buy the new phone and give it a spin on Rogers' network here in Canada. Would it be the Nexus phone I'd always wanted, and make me forget about other Android flagships that launched at the same time, like the G2 and Galaxy Note 3?
Engadget UK giveaway: win an iPad Air courtesy of Misco
You lucky devils, you. Last week you were in with a chance of winning a free Galaxy S5, and today we've only gone and got ourselves an iPad Air to send someone's way. It wouldn't be possible without the generosity of our pals over at Misco, an IT service provider and online retailer of all things computing. They've supplied us with a "Space Grey," 16GB WiFi version of Apple's latest full-fat tablet, meaning you can potentially save yourself £400 with a couple of clicks. Anyone can submit up to three entries via the Rafflecopter widget below, and we'd recommend you give the rules a quick scan while you're down there. Godspeed. Winning: congrats to X. Qi from London!
BBC to test 4K broadcasts of World Cup matches, but you can't watch them
UHD TVs are starting to make more sense now compatible content's slowly appearing. Traditional broadcasters can't react as quickly as streaming services to adopt the new format, but some are showing little interest in being left behind. Korean companies, especially, and now the BBC, which has announced it'll be conducting 4K broadcast trials this summer. Furthermore, it'll apparently be the "first time" 4K video will be sent initially by satellite (from Brazil to the UK), and then forwarded on to TVs via the internet (kind of like Sky's centralized receiver model).
Relish drops the landline to offer 'fibre-fast' broadband without the hassle
UK broadband is in a state of flux. Fixed-line providers like BT and Virgin are expanding their services to deliver super-fast broadband into homes. Elsewhere, operators including EE, Vodafone and Three are cementing their mobile backbone to meet the UK public's insatiable thirst for data over the airwaves instead. A small number of companies have tried to find the middle ground, the space where broadband and mobile networks meet, but none have ultimately succeeded. A new service called Relish wants to change that, and it believes it has the credentials to win where others haven't.
Forget training wheels: This bike balances itself
Training wheels are great for getting kids rolling, but they don't really develop the balance required for real riding. Jyrobike takes a different approach to the learning process, providing a more authentic cycling experience while still offering the stability new starters need. That's because it's self-balancing, and though that sounds too good to be true, the technology that makes it possible is actually quite simple. Contained within the front wheel is a weighted, motor-driven disk that gets up to several thousand revolutions per minute (RPMs). This spinning disk, which emits a dull hum when at full speed, exerts a gyroscopic force that pushes against the turn and lean of the front wheel. As the rider tilts towards the point of no return, the front wheel corrects and as a result, nudges the child into a balanced body position. Watching someone ride a Jyrobike doesn't give you a good idea of how stable the thing really is, but we were incredibly impressed by a live demo. With just a small amount of forward momentum, the prototype easily shrugged off sideways slaps with only a slight waver.
Apple's WWDC 2014 liveblog!
Ready or not, here it comes: The annual WWDC keynote. This is the holy grail for Apple faithful, as CEO Tim Cook and his team of executives show off most of the company's new firmware and -- in many cases -- a few pieces of hardware as well. As usual, we're liveblogging the event, which means we're looking at roughly two hours of Apple news. So if that's your thing, or if you're simply just curious to see what Tim Cook's going to say, stay locked in right here as we fill you in on every detail!
IRL: Trading in Fujifilm's X-E1 camera for the X-E2
A quick look at my Engadget profile can confirm I've owned too many cameras over the years. For the most part, they've been unassuming tools that have helped me make a living. Fujifilm's recent X-Trans cameras, however, have been something more -– they've been conversation starters. From random passersby to billionaire CEOs, folks have often commented on the aesthetics and image quality of my previous X-100 and X-E1 models. Now that the X-E2 is here ($999 for the body), I expect that trend to continue.
Netflix's first show from the UK could be a £100m drama about the Queen
Netflix is going big on original programming: House of Cards and Orange Is The New Black are proof of that. However, no such content has so far come out of the UK. That could be about to change, after the streaming giant reportedly beat both the BBC and ITV to secure a new 20 episode biopic of the Queen, corgis and all. According to Broadcast Now, Netflix is on the verge of finalising a £100 million deal for the series, titled The Crown, which will centre on the Queen's "ascent to the throne at the age of 26, to the present day."
EE takes on Google and Tesco with £199 own-brand 4G tablet
Something told us that when EE unveiled an own-brand 4G smartphone, a similarly-equipped tablet wouldn't be too far behind. The UK's biggest operator today confirmed it's launching a new 8-inch Android slate, it's called the Eagle and it'll set you back £199 on a pay-as-you-go tariff or £49.99 if you sign up to a £15 pay monthly plan. For that, you'll get a 1280 x 800 display, 1.6GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage and a 5-megapixel rear camera. That puts it on a level footing with Tesco's £119 Hudl, a tablet that has already enjoyed over half a million UK sales. The Eagle has an ace up its sleeve, though, offering built-in LTE connectivity that takes advantage of EE's double speed 4G network to deliver download speeds of up to 60Mbps. While it may lack the power and speedy updates that the LTE-capable Nexus 7 enjoys, EE's budget slate costs £100 less than Google's top-end tablet.
Apple now letting UK customers trade in their iPad at retail stores
Seven months after it began letting customers trade in their iPhones at its retail stores, Apple's expanded its Reuse and Recycle programme to include iPads. From today, anyone with an iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4 and iPad mini can walk into an Apple Store, hand over their tablet and receive credit towards a new iOS device. However, the company will not accept current-generation devices like the iPad Air or iPad mini with Retina display. As with its iPhone programme, Apple will assess the condition of devices before providing a trade-in value, so don't expect a huge return if your iPad has seen better days.
EE Kestrel review: a good low-cost 4G phone, but with a Moto on its back
The adjectives "affordable" and "budget" often allude to something of inferior quality -- a questionable substitute for something more premium. Something out of financial reach. A few years ago, I would've assumed the same, having set up enough low-end Samsungs for family members to want only high-end handsets, extortionate contracts attached. Thanks to devices like Google's Nexus range and, most recently, the OnePlus One, we've never been more aware of value for money. The Moto G, in particular, proved that a solid smartphone could be an absolute bargain. It's this newfound, positive connotation of affordable that EE's aiming for with its first own-brand smartphone, the Kestrel. Launched earlier this month for £99 on pay-as-you-go, or free from £14 per month on contracts, it's EE's play for the 4G-curious, money-conscious consumer. The Kestrel's LTE radio and inviting price tag aren't the sum of its selling points, either; there's also expandable storage and a very capable processor. Components such as the display and cameras are understandably more modest, but on paper, the Kestrel still ticks the value box. In the increasingly competitive area of low-cost handsets, however, the question isn't just whether the Kestrel is a worthwhile purchase, but whether you'll see it the same way a month later.
First right-hand drive Tesla Model S and Superchargers coming to the UK in June
It's safe to say electric cars haven't yet captured the attention of UK drivers. Then again, Brits haven't officially been able to get their hands on a right-hand drive Tesla, despite the company opening a London showroom last year. That will all change when Elon Musk and co. bring the first Tesla Model S Performance Plus to the UK on June 7th. The £70,000 luxury car will come with all of the bells and whistles that drivers in North America and China have become accustomed to, including access to Tesla's renowned Supercharger network. It will place free supercharging stations on the UK's busiest routes, stretching from Dover and Bristol up to the M25 and heading north along the length of the M1, providing 130 miles' worth of juice in just 20 minutes. That's likely to appeal to those looking for improved range over the current crop of electric cars, especially if it means they can drive the length of the country with just a single break. With only 1,500 electric cars registered in the first quarter of 2014, the government hopes the luxury sedan will lead an electric car charge -- it appointed Elon Musk as an "electric car tsar" after all.
After two years of prep, Formula E cars are here and ready to race
What does it take to create an entirely new motorsport? In Formula E's case, two years, ten teams and ten city-street circuits, which will play host the first championship. Since the idea of Formula E started taking shape towards the end of 2012, several public demos have kept buzz for the all-electric racing series alive, but the atmosphere was different at the UK's Donington Park circuit yesterday. Attendees of the official opening of Formula E's operational headquarters and team facilities at Donington weren't there to watch a traveling circus visit a racetrack, but to witness a milestone in a sport where, until now, petrol has been king.
HTC's One Mini 2 is an awkwardly named, cut-down version of the excellent One M8
There's a lot riding on today's announcement. A smaller, cheaper, perhaps more mainstream version of the lovely (but long) HTC One M8 could be a good thing not only for phone buyers, but also for HTC itself, which urgently needs to capitalize on the M8's momentum. Well, the HTC One Mini 2 is here, and yes, its 4.5-inch display makes it significantly easier to hold in one hand, and it's certainly going to be more affordable (although we don't have exact pricing just yet). But this size-reduced handset is fundamentally different to the M8 in other ways too, especially on the inside. That's why HTC has deliberately avoided calling it the "M8 Mini," for fear of over-hyping it -- a decision that probably deserves some praise for its honesty, but which has resulted in some pretty clumsy branding. We've just been hands-on with the European LTE version of the phone (the only variant that has so far been announced), so go ahead and read on for our initial impressions and the key specs.
Tesco fixing Hudl screen responsiveness issues with new update
It's fair to say Tesco's Hudl has been a success: the company has sold more than half a million units and is prepping a new model for release later this year. It hasn't been all plain sailing for the supermarket giant though, as some of its Android slates shipped with a display issue that would often cripple the tablet by rendering the screen unresponsive. Tesco, to its credit, has been quick to replace customers' Hudls no questions asked, but it may not need to anymore after it's begun rolling out an Android update that eliminates those exact issues. The company tells us that some updates have passed Google certification and are already hitting affected Hudls, but it could take up to three weeks for the fix to reach everyone.
Sony will give your PlayStation controller a free World Cup makeover
Major sporting events serve as the perfect time for brands to thrust their latest wares in fans' faces. With only weeks until the start of the 2014 World Cup, Sony is maximising its marketing opportunities as one of only six official FIFA Partners by offering PS3 and PS4 owners the opportunity to give their DualShock controllers a World Cup makeover. Sony will set up Customisation Stations in three UK cities where teams of graffiti artists will adorn the controllers with names, numbers and countries completely free of charge. To take advantage of the offer, make your way to the PlayStation Customisation Stations situated in the Bullring Shopping Centre in Birmingham on May 24th, Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester on May 31st or Westfield Stratford City in London on either the 7th or 8th June. All you'll need is your PlayStation controller and an idea of what you want done with it.
Play: Steam games on the cheap thanks to daily Humble Bundles
Your average Humble Bundle is a fortnightly affair. Starting today, however, there's going to be a fresh bundle every 24 hours for a period of two weeks, which ought to add up to some decent savings for Steam gamers. If you've never partaken in one of these bundles before, then it's pretty simple: You visit the site to see what's on offer, choose how much (or how little) you want to pay for a bundle, decide how much of that money you want to allocate to a charity, and then look on in a contented stupor while the new titles magically weave their way into your Steam library. If you head over there today, you can get all the titles listed after the break for around £6 (although the site shows everything in dollars), or even less if you leave out one of the more mediocre titles, Dead Island: Riptide. (Update: the clock has ticked and the deal has already changed. There's now a new batch of goodies on offer.)
Google adds nearly all UK public transport routes to Maps for easier journey planning
Planning a journey across London using public transport has been possible in Google Maps from mid-2011. Since then, though, the search specialist has made only slight improvements to this feature, as well as extending its scope to cover other parts of south-east England. Google's finally making an effort to incorporate public transport info from further afield into Maps, announcing it's now got practically every route across Great Britain covered (Northern Ireland is still "in the works"). From today, Maps will look at train, bus, tram, ferry, underground and even airborne routes to help you get from one side of the country to the other, whether you be planning a trip from your computer, or within the iOS or Android apps. Support for a wider array of services and regions has been a long time coming, but at least you can now visualise where you want to go and how to get there, all without switching tabs.
