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Android on your phone can send texts, perform searches, set alarms and execute plenty of other tasks with little more than a simple voice command. Google TV is, for all intents and purposes, just Android blown up to fill your 42-inch TV -- so it would only make sense that Voice Actions might one day come to the Mountain View-branded set top solution. Well, a patent application filed back in September hints that just such a thing is on its way. Rather than require new hardware though, an Android phone would act as an intermediary, passing commands to the Google TV device. An added bonus to being able to ask your TV "when is Seinfeld on?" is that, since the phone is actually passing on the instructions, you can control your set remotely. As an example the filing suggests using GPS to determine when a user is within a quarter mile of their home, then turning on the TV and tuning in to whatever station happens to be airing The Soup Nazi. Hit up the source for all the details.

Patent application hints at Voice Actions for Google TV originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hot on the heels of its dimensionally-average predecessor, Origin's revealed a second, 3D-capable, desktop-replacing laptop; stereoscopic gamers, rejoice. This EON17-X3D utilizes a pair of overclocked GPUs, with 3D panoramas provided by a pair of NVIDIA's 3D Vision 2 wireless glasses -- although you'll have to buy them extra. Hardware-wise, it's a similar story to the EON17-X, with a back-lit keyboard and the same-size 17.3-inch display -- the 3D function is actually a customization choice for the original model. Build options for this chunky gaming beast also include up to 32GB of quad channel memory and two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M GPUs in SLI on the priciest custom build. The basic model will set you back around $3,030, but an eye-catching paint job? That's going to cost a little extra.

Continue reading Origin PC launches new 3D gaming laptop: two graphics cards for three dimensions

Origin PC launches new 3D gaming laptop: two graphics cards for three dimensions originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia's Pulse app looks and smells familiar to anyone who's ever used Google Latitude. The difference being that the Finnish handset maker has the benefit of Navteq's $8 billion geolocation technology that it picked up back in 2008. Now the Haus of Elop is opening a Boston skunkworks that'll port the app, as well as future social software over to Android and iOS. It's part of a wider project to coax users toward Windows Phone by getting them hooked on a suite of features hoped to be "more than the sum of its parts." What do you think dear readers, will it work?

Nokia's social apps coming to Android and iOS: lions expected to lie down with lambs shortly originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Touchscreens can't differentiate between you, your friend or your cat. Truth is, they're actually amazingly simple pieces of technology without much in the way of brains. A new type of display shown off at the International Nanotechnology Exhibition & Conference in Tokyo last week does imbue the panels with at least enough smarts to tell people apart. Gunze Ltd pairs a special capacitive screen with electrodes, which a user touches with one hand while interacting with a game or app. The immediate use would be for table-top arcade games, which would differentiate between up to four different players based on what particular circuit they complete when touching the screen. We wouldn't be shocked if a version of the tech started showing up in multi-player video poker machines and bar games relatively soon.

Gunze's new touchscreen tech knows who's touching it originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not everyone's smartphone has NFC, and of those that do, an even smaller subset have official Google Wallet support. It would seem Mountain View's complacency is Moneto's gain, as the outfit's recently put up for sale its $30 NFC-enabled microSD card -- enabling plebes everywhere sans contactless circuitry to sashay their way into mobile payment heaven. That card is also stuffed with 1GB of storage for your exploits and those plunking down three Hamiltons are also privy to a $10 credit thrown in. There's one caveat, however, as per its website the service currently only works on variants of the Galaxy S (including carrier permutations like the Vibrant, Fascinate and Galaxy S 4G). Support for an additional forty devices is inbound but before committing, we'd peep the latest compatibility info from the horse's mouth in the more coverage link we've included below.

Continue reading Moneto's $30 Android mobile payment kit goes on sale, brings contactless payments to six Samsungs

Moneto's $30 Android mobile payment kit goes on sale, brings contactless payments to six Samsungs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Q4 of fiscal year 2012 was another rough one for Dell. The company fell short of expectations yet again, collecting roughly three quarters of a billion dollars in net income on revenues of $16 billion. The one bright spot was its enterprise division, which had another record quarter -- accounting for 30 percent of revenues ($4.9 billion). While there was some growth in high end systems, Dell has clearly seen the writing on the wall and plans to refocus primarily on enterprise products and services in 2013. Interestingly, despite the disappointment on Wall Street, Dell still managed to rake in almost a $1 billion more in profit this year than it did last, making 2012 both a record breaker and a let down. Check out the complete PR after the break.

Continue reading Dell falls short on Q4 earnings: $16 billion in revenue, only $764 million in profit

Dell falls short on Q4 earnings: $16 billion in revenue, only $764 million in profit originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LightSquared to cut staff by 45 percent as troubles grow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While the company wouldn't reveal specific plans, Dell did say it's interested in entering the server arena with an ARM-based product. Earlier this year HP debuted its first ARMv8-powered server, but Dell seems to think the launch was a tad rushed. As it said during the Q&A session of its earnings call today, CEO Michael Dell said the company had "been experimenting with making an ARM server for over a year ... but the software stack just isn't mature enough yet." It is, however, intrigued and sees "some interesting opportunities emerging."

Dell wants in on ARM server field, says software still has some maturing to do originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung / Blockbuster reportedly sign streaming deal in Oz, US and Europe next? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading RB3D develops Hercule robotic exoskeleton, boosts strength without P90X

RB3D develops Hercule robotic exoskeleton, boosts strength without P90X originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The official Twitter app has just received an update on iOS and Android, bringing new features to both platforms, plus an "optimized" Ice Cream Sandwich experience as seen above. The app is also currently available on Amazon's Appstore for the Kindle Fire now, and the company says it will pop up in the Barnes & Noble Nook Store February 23rd. For both Android and IOS the app has brought back / added a swipe gesture to reply to, reweet or favorite something without leaving your timeline, plus a notification on the Find Friends feature that it will be uploading their address book to Twitter's server -- a welcome change after the Path fiasco. The iOS-specific changes are the return of copy and paste, more options to share or save links in tweets, a mark all read for DMs and configurable font sizes. While it is optimized for ICS, on our CyanogenMod 9 tablet, the layout still looked reminiscent of the Gingerbread version instead of the iPad's richer layout. Hit the source links below to give it a look yourself and let us know if it's beating out your favorite mobile app yet.

Twitter's Android and iOS app get updates; out on Kindle Fire now, Nook soon originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We're not suggesting Sony has a Kinect style controller coming soon, but it certainly filed a patent for one. The application for a "User-Driven Three-Dimensional Interactive Gaming Environment" was initially logged in October last year by Richard Marks of PlayStation Eye fame. The controller can "determine when to interact with the system by allowing part of the user's body, or an object, to cross the maximum depth range plane" meaning input could be limited to just the hands etc. This wouldn't be the first time Sony has created controller technology similar to its competitors, but the company is careful not to outright state that's what it's for. That said, amongst the legalese it does go as far too say the system can be implemented by an entertainment system "such as" its flagship console. So, sadly there's no way of knowing if we'll be getting a PlayStation Motion any time soon, but feel free to wave over the source link to see the patent for yourself.

Sony makes a patent move for Kinect style controller originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Considering the pain and loss she's just endured, you may have a hard time convincing professional skier Elyse Saugstad that she's a lucky woman, but it's true. Saugstad was tackling Tunnel Creek in the Cascade Mountains with a group of other experienced backcountry skiers, when a large sheet of snow broke loose from the side of the mountain. Elyse and three others were sent hurtling 3,000 feet down the slope, sadly, only she survived the ordeal. Her almost miraculous escape was thanks in large part to the inflatable airbag system she wore. The safety gear has been available for sometime in Europe, but it only recently started making a splash here in the US. The large bladders filled with nitrogen helped keep her near the top of the avalanche, making it easier for her to breathe once the snow had settled and easier for rescuers to find her. Hit up the source link for an interview with Elyse Saugstad.

[Thanks, Aaron]

Skier saved from deadly avalanche by airbag backpack originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Welcome to a special President's Day Engadget HD podcast (ok, not that special) where we kick things off with last week's hot button topic: universal pricing. Is a forced even playing field between online and B&M retailers fair, or harmful to the consumer? You guys sounded off in the comments, so we took another look at Samsung's plan for its 2012 HDTVs. We've also got plenty of HTPC news, with InfiniTV access on more platforms, a new round of arguments between Boxee and the NCTA and Kinect for Media Center. It's also time to say hello to Aereo -- even if we think it may not be long for this world -- before taking a look at the latest receivers from Onkyo and what's on TV this week.

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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)

Producer: Trent Wolbe

00:23:45 - BBC 3D London Olympics plans include one live sporting event, daily highlights
00:28:43 - Premium cable TV comes to XBMC, GoodPlayer and more via InfiniTV 4 tuner
00:34:50 - Boxee and the NCTA debate if ClearQAM is good for us
00:40:00 - March Madness streams to more platforms in 2012, but not everything is free
00:42:56 - Blockbuster On Demand pulls back from TiVo and others, is it on its way out?
00:47:15 - HBO Go rolls out to most Samsung Smart HDTVs -- but not through all providers
00:52:46 - Xbox 360 system update gets its colors in order, makes it mandatory
00:55:01 - Kinect for Media Center released, why not wave and shout at your HTPC?
00:57:03 - Comcast slows the flood of video customer losses in Q4 2011
00:58:24 - Time Warner Cable's TWC TV launches for PC, brings live TV streaming to the desktop
01:01:04 - Aereo puts TV antennas in the cloud, streams OTA broadcasts on the internet
01:05:04 - Onkyo debuts new entry level receivers, HTIBs for 2012
01:09:30 - Must See HDTV (February 20th - 26th)

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Engadget HD Podcast 287 - 02.21.2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's not the first time that rumors have surfaced of Google working on some heads-up display glasses (9 to 5 Google first raised the possibility late last year), but The New York Times is now reporting that the company is not only working on them, but that it's set to release them by the end of this year. Citing "several Google employees familiar with the project," the paper's Nick Bilton reports that the glasses will be based on Android, pack 3G or 4G connectivity, plus GPS and a range of sensors, and cost "around the price of current smartphones," or somewhere between $250 and $600. They're also said to include a low-resolution camera that can monitor your surroundings in real time and overlay relevant information, although Google is said to be paying attention to potential privacy concerns, and "wants to ensure that people know if they are being recorded by someone wearing a pair of glasses with a built-in camera."

What's more, the Times says that none other than Sergey Brin is a "key leader" on the project, with another being Google engineer Steve Lee, the creator of Latitude. Notably, Bilton also says that Google sees the project as an "experiment that anyone will be able to join," and that the company is not currently thinking about potential business models for the glasses, which could suggest that they may be more of a small-scale hobby than part of a major push into consumer hardware.

NYT: Google to sell Android-based heads-up display glasses this year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another pre-Mobile World Congress tease from LG? Yup, you're looking at it. While the company's technically already spilled the beans on its upcoming Galaxy Note-rival, the Optimus Vu, this occasion marks the first time we've gotten to see the phablet in video form. In the roughly 1,000 frames of animation above, you're treated to closeups of the Vu's 5-inch 1024 x 768 IPS display, its 8-megapixel camera and a brief demo of its screenshot annotation abilities. That's really all there is to it, so watch and learn folks, as you mentally prepare yourself for our more intimate rendezvous with it in the coming week.

LG's Optimus Vu shows up on video, flaunts note taking expertise (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We're not sure if the world was anxiously awaiting a follow-up to LG's Optimus 3D (the AT&T Thrill 4G here in the states), but here it is: the LG Optimus 3D Cube. Only announced for Korean carrier SK Telecom so far, the Optimus 3D Cube is slightly thinner than its predecessor at 9.6mm vs. the Thrill 4G's 11.9mm, with a faster 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and 16GB of storage built-in, confirming most of the rumors we'd heard previously. According to LG, it will also be the world's first that can handle 3D photo and video editing right on its glasses-free 4.3-inch screen, all shot by the dual 5MP cameras mounted on the back. It also has NFC baked in to support the new LG Tag+ stickers that change the phone's settings when swiped, just like the Optimus LTE Tag. It's scheduled for release in early March with Android 2.3 and although we didn't see it mentioned in the Korean press release, is likely looking forward to a quick Ice Cream Sandwich makeover just like its cousin, the Optimus Vu. Check out the machine-translated specs and press release after the break, there should be a native English version along soon and of course, we'll be getting a look firsthand when Mobile World Congress kicks off on the 27th.

Continue reading LG Optimus 3D Cube is a slimmer sequel, world's first phone with 3D video editing

LG Optimus 3D Cube is a slimmer sequel, world's first phone with 3D video editing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Epson joins fitness market with world's lightest GPS watch

Epson joins fitness market with world's lightest GPS watch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G making its way into T-Mobile stores in March for $150

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G making its way into T-Mobile stores in March for $150 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did you just brave the lines of a midnight launch party and snag yourself a PS Vita in the US? Good news ye early adopters, Sony's PlayStation Blog has just announced that select free apps will be available today as part of today's PlayStation Store update. Currently, you'll find Netflix, LiveTweet and Flickr, but there's still nary of trace of Facebook or Foursquare among the bunch (nor any official word on release dates for that matter). We gave each app a download and quick spin prior to them being officially listed, and everything's running fairly smooth so far. Disappointingly, Vita's 20MB cap on 3G data is totally in effect on Netflix, as switching to our cellular connection denied us any access to the service. We're giving the apps some extended use to bring you our initial impressions shortly, but for now, you'll find more info at the source link below.

'Select' PS Vita apps hit the US PlayStation Store: Netflix, LiveTweet and Flickr originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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