Thomas Ricker
Sonos and Spotify join hands to stream sweet sweet music, at last
Sonos owners, like most nerds, have been patiently waiting for three things: jetpacks and flying cars to go mainstream and the Spotify music service to play on their beloved whole home wireless audio system. Of these, only one is being announced today. At this very moment, in this very time, upstart media darlings Spotify and Sonos have announced plans to wed… in Europe. Sorry Yanks. When the free 3.3 Sonos software update finally arrives at the end of September, new and existing Spotify Premium (£9.99 per month) customers living in Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the UK will be able to stream millions of Spotify music tracks throughout their Sonos home network. The deal not only brings Spotify its first global hardware partner, it also brings European Sonos owners up to par with US netizens who’ve long enjoyed streaming subscription services from the likes of Rhapsody and Napster. Finally. Click through the break for a demo and the full press release.
Gallery: Sonos and Spotify press pics
Continue reading Sonos and Spotify join hands to stream sweet sweet music, at last
Sonos and Spotify join hands to stream sweet sweet music, at last originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Logitech takes its wireless Z515 and tethered Z305 speakers on the road
Sure, that laptop you’re staring out might have been purchased by your company’s IT department, but who hasn’t snuck on a film or game to fill the desperate void between PowerPoint presentations and time sheets? Problem is, those teeny tiny tinny laptop speakers aren’t exactly immersive. That’s where Logitech comes in with its new Laptop Speaker Z305 ($99.99, pictured above). A compact USB speaker that hangs off the open display to deliver 360-degree audio that will “fill the room,” according to Logitech — no additional software required. Otherwise, why not untether with Logitech’s Wireless Speaker Z515 (pictured after the break) when it arrives for $59.99. The Z515 offers a range of about 50 feet (15 meters) over a 2.4GHz USB dongle with up to 10 hours of life from its rechargeable battery. Both will be available for purchase in the US and Europe begining this month. See the pitch in the video after the break.
Continue reading Logitech takes its wireless Z515 and tethered Z305 speakers on the road
Logitech takes its wireless Z515 and tethered Z305 speakers on the road originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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XF105 and XF100: Canon’s smallest professional camcorders yet
Be clear on this, Canon’s XF105 and XF100 camcorders are for professional videographers. Sure, they’re compact enough to temp any new father… just as long as he’s interested in recording his princess’ first steps to hot-swappable Compact Flash cards in either 1080/60i/30p/24p or 720/60p/30p/24p using Canon’s MPEG-2 4:2:2 50Mbps XF codec. Although crowned Canon’s smallest professional camcorders, both manage to feature infrared and stereoscopic 3-D shooting capabilities (using OIS Lens Shift to optically align a pair of XF105 or XF100 shooters), a DIGIC DV III Image Processor, and a Full HD CMOS sensor for native 1920 x 1080 HD video. The two models differ only in support for HD-SDI output: the XF105 has it, the XF100 doesn’t. Look for them at retail sometime in the first quarter of 2011.
Continue reading XF105 and XF100: Canon’s smallest professional camcorders yet
XF105 and XF100: Canon’s smallest professional camcorders yet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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PS3 homebrew jailbreak released into the wilds
Poor, poor Sony. First PSJailbreak splayed wide the PS3’s security model, now PSGroove has arrived calling itself the “open source PSjailbreak.” The code must first be downloaded and installed onto a $30ish AT90USBkey or a $25ish Teensy++ USB development board. After that, homebrew enthusiasts can then execute unsigned third-party apps and games on their PS3. At the moment, the ability to boot ISO files (read: pirated or “backup” games) is temporarily disabled. But we’re sure that some of the internet’s more nefarious types will find their way around that. Cat, welcome to the world outside of the bag.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
PS3 homebrew jailbreak released into the wilds originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sanyo’s Eneloop Stick and Mobile Boosters will juice your gadgets on the go
Make no mistake, we’re unabashed Eneloop rechargeable battery fanboys around here. How could we not be given our mobile lifestyle and obsessive need to keep all our toys juiced. As such, we’re stoked by the announcement of a pair of Sanyo power packs: the Eneloop Mobile Booster (model KBC-L2BS) and Eneloop Stick Booster (KBC-D1BS). The Mobile Booster is a rechargeable slab of lithium-ion with a pair of built-in USB terminals (and microUSB adapter) capable of pushing a relatively hefty 1 Amp charge for about 2 hours (or 500mA for 4 hours if charging two device) to gear that requires that kind of suck… like the iPad. The battery pack can then be recharged over AC or a USB connection on your PC. The highly portable Stick Booster, meanwhile, ships with a pair of AA Eneloops — so when the electrons cease to flow you can just swap out the dead batteries for a pair of fresh rechargeables. The Stick Booster is also an official Nintendo licensee so you can be sure that it’ll charge your DSLite, DSi, or DSi LL (no mention of the 3DS). Look for these to ship October 21st in Japan.
Sanyo’s Eneloop Stick and Mobile Boosters will juice your gadgets on the go originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Philips GoGear Connect is a legitimate Android-based iPod touch competitor
For all its success, the iPod touch has few dedicated media player competitors capable of matching its big-touchscreen, WiFi, and voluminous App Store. Until today. Philips just went official with its GoGear Connect featuring the full suite of Google Mobile applications pre-installed with access to the Android Market for pretty much everything else. Spec-wize we’re looking at a 3.2-inch display, WiFi, sound isolating earphones, built-in camera, and microSD slot. Sorry, no mention of the Android OS version though we’ve seen it listed at retailers with 2.1. Syncing your music is done over Bluetooth or a USB tether to your PC with Philips’ Songbird providing the software assist. The MP4 player also supports Maps and location-based services — presumably accomplished with the help of Skyhook and not via a GPS radio (though the Philips post is tagged “GPS”). Look for the GoGear Connect to land in Western Europe, China, and yes, the US, starting in late October with the price pegged at €249 (about $315) for the 16GB model.
Philips GoGear Connect is a legitimate Android-based iPod touch competitor originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Canon develops world’s largest CMOS sensor, shoots 60fps video in moonlight
Did you ever think that you’d see a CMOS sensor measuring 202 x 205 mm? That’s 7.95 x 8.07 inches to our fine imperial friends. Its impressive size — about 40 times larger than Canon’s largest commercial CMOS sensor — translates to staggering light-gathering capabilities, capturing images in one one-hundredth the amount of light required by a professional DSLR. Better yet, the sensor is matched by new circuitry allowing for video capture at 60fps in just 0.3 lux of illumination (think full moon on a clear night). Unfortunately, the press release is more concerned with promoting Canon’s engineering prowess than with product launch. Nevertheless, we’re impressed.
Continue reading Canon develops world’s largest CMOS sensor, shoots 60fps video in moonlight
Canon develops world’s largest CMOS sensor, shoots 60fps video in moonlight originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Samsung Epic 4G now on sale at Sprint (update: save $50 at Amazon)
We told you it was coming, now the Samsung Epic 4G is on sale at Sprint for a cool $249.99 plus two year life commitment. In other words, it’s time to let Sprint know whether this Galaxy S variant (with — gasp — working GPS) is worth the $50 premium over HTC’s EVO 4G. Well, is it?
Update: As usual, Amazon’s offering a discount showing a $199.99 listing for new contracts. It still shows a pre-order status (with 2-3 weeks ship time) but that’s likely to change any minute now.
[Thanks, Jonathan P. and Jason J.]
Samsung Epic 4G now on sale at Sprint (update: save $50 at Amazon) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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