Backers pledge over $1 million to bring Reading Rainbow to the web
Few things in this world are as moving as a potent mix of nostalgia and passion. Don’t just take my word for it: just look at the more than 22,000 people who backed LeVar Burton’s vision of bringing Reading Rainbow to the web on Kickstarter. That’s more than a million dollars raised in less than a day, and it’s all to help kids realize that theeeeeey can be anythiiiiiiiiing.
This isn’t the first time Reading Rainbow has been brought back to life since it left public airwaves in 2009 — Burton and company launched a Reading Rainbow iPad app nearly two years ago. The real issue here is access. Wanting to teach kids the joy of reading is a noble goal, but affecting change on a wider scale requires more than just hardware designed in California and assembled in China. Now that the team has shattered its funding goal, they’re going to make the books and “video field trips” from the app available on the web, and craft a version specifically meant for classrooms.
Alas, Reading Rainbow’s public television days have long since passed, so you’ll actually have to pay a subscription fee for all that fine content. LeVar’s looking out for the disadvantaged too, though — the team plans to make that web version available for free in underprivileged schools. Perhaps the best part of the entire campaign (erm, besides getting kids excited about books)? All the Star Trek backer goodies Burton has on offer. On the off-chance you’ve got $10,000 burning a hole in your wallet, you’ll be able to don Burton’s straight-from-the-set VISOR from Star Trek: The Next Generation (and without the risk of being called to Engineering to diagnose a warp core hiccup).
Source: Kickstarter
Injoy Labs’ Draw A Box game will bring out the OCD in Everyone
Flappy Bird was an extremely unique game in that it was able to tap into our addictive natures despite being the most frustrating game on the planet. It’s something that many game developers have since tried to emulate, whether by making a direct clone of Flappy Bird or by coming up with a game with a similar, addictive concept. Developed by small Australian indie developer InJoy Labs, Draw A Box works on the latter of those two ideas and introduces a simple concept that aims to help you in times of procrastination. Check out the trailer to get a better look at how the game is going to play:
It may look quite simple to just be drawing boxes around something, but having played Draw A Box briefly, I can safely say that if you have any obsessive or compulsive tendencies, you will become addicted to this game. If you want to compare yourselves to your friends, Draw A Box also has a leaderboard which is made up of all your Facebook friends after you sign in.
Draw A Box is available to download on Google Play now for free so if you’re hankering for something addictive to play, think you’re the best perfect square drawer in the world, or just need to burn some time, be sure to give the game a try (Play Store links below).
Game: Draw A Box
Price: Free
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Nova Launcher 3.0 Beta Brings on New Features and Enhancements
Nova Launcher is still running strong in the Android Community, and yesterday the team updated their precious launcher to version 3.0 beta 1. Today they added beta 2 to the list, and it brings in some new features and of course enhancements.
- Subgrid positioning.
- Snap widgets/icons to half cells.
- Greater control of placement/size without shrinking/cropping app icons.
- Custom label colors (desktop, dock, drawer).
- Individual drawer tab colors (tap on the tab and select Edit).
- New tab style Colorblock.
- Vertical drawer scrolls under transparent navbar.
- Backup/Restore using Kitkat’s Document Provider (supports ext-sdcard, Drive, Box, etc).
- Full 4×1 widget support in dock.
- Individually toggle widget padding (long-press on widget and select Padding).
- Nova Action for First Item In Folder (Use with swipe/tap action of folders).
- Honeycomb style persistent searchbar available on phones.
- Slight visual refresh (settings screen, menu icon, color picker)
Nova Launcher becomes that much more customizable. To get the beta version of this update, go into your Nova settings and click “check updates”. Make sure you check the beta updates to get it, and you will be able to download the apk. Let us know how you like it.
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Join the 400th Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 9:30PM ET
It’s Tuesday Wednesday, which is time for the Engadget HD Podcast and we hope you’ll join us for the live recording at 9:30PM. This might be our 400th show, but that doesn’t mean we’re taking the week off from covering the latest news. Sure, we’ll pause to reflect about the last eight years, but we’ll also cover the latest in net neutrality — again — and the latest content from our favorite providers. We will have at least one surprise for you too, as we work our way to the end where we’ll cover what we’re watching this week . If you’ll be joining us, take a peek at the topics after the break and then get ready to participate in the live chat.
Cox will start its gigabit internet rollout in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Omaha
Google Fiber won’t charge content providers for quicker access
Sony’s PlayStation 4 is already profitable and on course to beat the PS2′s success
Xbox One’s June update adds your friends’ real names and external drive support
Old console, new tricks: Getting the most out of your Xbox 360
Amazon invites customers to try Fire TV free for a month
Amazon’s Prime Instant Video gets its first HBO shows, right on cue
Normandy landings recreated in Oculus Rift D-Day simulation
ESPN mulls streaming Major League Soccer to fans without cable subscriptions
What’s on your HDTV this week: Watch Dogs, The Life Aquatic, Wil Wheaton, Mario Kart
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Google highlights the lack of diversity in tech by publishing worker data
While many will tell you that there isn’t much diversity among technology workers, it has been tricky to back up that claim with real, hard numbers. Well, Google now has some evidence: it just published diversity figures for its own staff, broken down by ethnicity and gender. And it’s not a pretty sight, at least in the company’s eyes. About 91 percent of Googlers are either Asian or white, and 70 percent are men. That’s not exactly a wide variety of people, and the ratios only get worse when you examine technology-specific jobs.
The search firm argues that this narrow range partly stems from longstanding educational challenges that limit who it can recruit. Less than 5 percent of Americans earning computer science degrees are black or Hispanic, for example, while women make up 18 percent. Google has poured money into educational programs in hopes of diversifying the technology industry in the long run, but it’s clear that there’s a long way to go before Google’s offices (and those of other companies) represent a broader range of cultural experiences.
[Top image credit: Campus Party Valencia, Flickr]
Filed under: Misc, Internet, Google
Via: New York Times
Source: Google Official Blog, Google Diversity
Homey gives your living room a voice
Too lazy to flick on a light switch? There’s a Kickstarter campaign you should check out. Homey isn’t the first crowdfunded home automation platform we’ve seen, but it is one of the most personable: the entire device is controlled by human speech. It’s designed to ape the computers on Star Trek, explained creator Emile Nijssen, which interact with the users using an artificial intelligence. Homey isn’t quite that advanced, but early demos show potential.
In a demo video, the device responds to a scripted question naturally. “Homey,” the demonstrator asks, “I’d like to connect a new lamp, please.” The white orb immediately asks the user to flick the light on, then off. Once that’s done, the lamp is paired. The device is designed to be compatible with almost any wirelessly controlled device, and has eight disparate radios covering WiFI, Bluetooth, Zigbee and infrared communication standards, among others.
The automation sphere has apps, too, which can be published by both developers and hobbyists to the device’s Labs section. The group’s founders have taken the device to Kickstarter to secure funds for manufacturing, licensing and certification. The cost of giving your home a voice? About €229 ($340). Check it out at the Kickstarter link below.
Filed under: Misc
Source: Kickstarter
Apple May Introduce 8GB iPhone 5s and Lower-Cost iMacs at WWDC
Apple may introduce a new 8GB iPhone 5s model for emerging markets and the much-rumored lower-cost iMac at next week’s Worldwide Developers Conference, according to a new research note from KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi Kuo.
As iPhone 5S is a highly popular model, we predict Apple may launch an 8GB version to boost market share in emerging markets.
Kuo notes that Apple may not announce the new 8GB iPhone 5s model on-stage at WWDC, but will possibly debut the phone around the same time.
In addition, Kuo predicts that a lower-cost iMac is likely to debut as well, following up his earlier report and rumors that were fueled after shipping estimates for the machine began to slip in Apple’s Online Store. Earlier today, references to new iMac models appeared in OS X Mavericks 10.9.4 beta before it was pulled from the Mac App Store and Developer Center.
Finally, Kuo notes that if Apple does in fact launch a smart home software platform that it will likely involve iCloud, iBeacons and Airplay. Both iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 are expected to debut at the conference as well.
WWDC 2014 will kick off on June 2 with a keynote address from CEO Tim Cook at 10 AM Pacific Time.
Flyhunter Origins will be Steel Wool Games’ first Platforming/Adventure romp on handhelds and Mobile
What happens when 60 years of animation experience comes together to make a game for handheld consoles and mobile? Naturally, you get an indie development studio called Steel Wool Games which features talents from Disney Pixar movies like Brave, Toy Story, and countless others. And their first game, which is going to be due out in Summer 2014, is Flyhunter Origins.
Flyhunter Origins features a bumbling protagonist called Zak, who works as a janitor on a Flyhunter ship called the “The Frog”. While Zak has only ever dreamed of being a Flyhunter like the ones he works for, as destiny would have it, the dangerous creatures stored on the “The Frog” escape onto Earth and is Zak’s job to become a Flyhunter and make everything right. For a better idea of how the game is going to play, check out the trailer from Steel Wool Games:
Flyhunter Origins, which is being published by Ripstone Games, is going to be coming out this Summer on “PS Vita, PC, Mac, Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Tegra powered devices”.
Who wants to be a Flyhunter? Let us know what you think about Flyhunter Origins in the comments.
Press Release
Steel Wool Games Super-fly Platform-Adventure game is landing this summer!
Flyhunter Origins will be swooshing onto PS Vita, PC, Mac, Mobile and Tegra powered devices!
May 28, 2014–Steel Wool Games and Indie Publisher Ripstone announced today that their Platform-Adventure game Flyhunter Origins will be coming to PS Vita, PC, Mac, Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Tegra powered devices this summer!
Developed by some of the finest artists and animators in the film industry –Flyhunter Origins delivers the sort of high quality cutscenes, characters and story that you would expect from a team with Steel Wool Games extraordinary credentials.
Let’s set the scene… Zak is a bumbling alien spaceship Janitor and wannabe Flyhunter from Burgarol 3. He works on board the Flyhunter Crew’s legendary spaceship; ‘The Frog’ but deep down he longs for an exciting adventure of his own. Somewhere in Earth’s orbit, while the heroic Flyhunters are deep in cryo sleep; The Frog’s cargo of super-important exotic insects from the latest hunt is mysteriously jettisoned into Space, crash-landing back on planet Earth! It seems that clumsy Janitor Zak is the only one around to save the day. Can this accidental hero swap his sweeping brush for a super-cool fly swatter and take on the role of daring Flyhunter? It’s a good job Zak’s used to cleaning up – because he’s in a huge mess! Hurry! Help this little dude complete his mission, before “The Investors” find out their expensive bugs are missing!
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Apple’s Acquisition of Beats Electronics to End Several Third-Party Partnerships [iOS Blog]
Apple’s acquisition of Beats Electronics will include the severing of several deals and partnerships that the headphone and music company has with other designers and vendors, including HP.
According to Hewlett-Packard (via CNET), which sells laptops with “Beats Audio” branded speakers, the company will cease to develop products with new Beats Audio technologies at the end of 2014. Under the terms of its deal with Beats, HP will continue to sell devices though 2015, however, with the licensing agreement terminating after that period.
A company spokesman said in an email that HP is allowed to continue developing products with new Beats Audio technologies through 2014. But it’s allowed to continue selling devices with the Beats Audio logo and technology through 2015. HP says it’s planning an aggressive lineup of new products that includes the Beats branding through 2014.
Beats will also be ending an ongoing partnership with design firm Ammunition (via TechCrunch), which has created the company’s lineup of headphones and speakers, including the Beats Studio, Beats Pro, and Beats Pill. The transition away from Ammunition will happen over the next few months as Apple takes over designing new Beats hardware, under the leadership of Apple marketing head Phil Schiller.
Apple first announced its $3 billion Beats purchase earlier this afternoon, with Tim Cook suggesting Beats was the first music subscription to “get it right,” as both Apple and Beats believe that a “great music service requires a strong editorial and curation team.”
Beats’ co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre will both take on roles with Apple, with the entire Beats team serving under iTunes chief Eddy Cue.
Hands-on with the PadFone X: ASUS’ phone-tablet hybrid arrives in the US
If you’re a special sort of person — I don’t know, like a tech writer– the ASUS PadFone is old news. Since June 2012, Engadget has reviewed three versions of the phone, which comes with a tablet-like dock allowing you to transform it into a big-screen slate. For our American readers, though, it’s always been a curiosity — the sort of thing you could read about, but were unlikely to import all the way from Taiwan. Now you can finally see it for yourselves: AT&T announced earlier today that an American version, the PadFone X, will go on sale June 6th, priced at $199 on-contract. As it happens, I received a loaner unit today at a press event, which means Engadget will have a review up soon, probably closer to the on-sale date. For now, though, I’ll regale you with some early impressions of both the 5-inch phone and the 9-inch dock. Come with me if you want to live.
I’ve only had a short time to play with the PadFone X, but so far, at least, it seems much more comfortable to use in its native handset form. The phone, which rocks a 5-inch screen (small by today’s standards), is easy to hold. It’s not the thinnest handset I’ve ever held, but it’s light and in fact, I think that slight thickness might actually make it easier to grip. The 1080p display is sharp too, and the viewing angles are good enough that I was able to peek at some guy’s email from off to the side, even with me sitting a couple feet away (apologies, dude).
Design-wise, the PadFone X has more in common with ASUS’ new budget ZenFone line than it does the last-generation PadFone Infinity. The removable back cover is made not out of brushed metal this time, but instead smooth, plain plastic. It’s inoffensive, but definitely not as premium as some other flagships you’ll find on AT&T’s shelf. Clearly, then, your $200 isn’t buying design flair so much as specs. Specs and, well, innovation.
Speaking of the sort, let’s talk about that tablet dock. The screen itself measures nine inches diagonally, and there’s, of course, a phone-sized slot in the back where you slip in the handset. To be clear, the dock is a paperweight without the phone inside; even in tablet mode, the phone’s Snapdragon 800 chipset is running the show. By the way, performance throughout feels smooth, as you’d expect with such a top-of-the line processor. ASUS’ skinned version of Android KitKat might come as a bit of a surprise, especially to Android purists, but it’s hardly the heaviest skin I’ve seen.
In use, the whole thing feels heavier than your typical tablet, not least because there’s a big ol’ hump around back where the phone is. That said, the bulge also creates a natural resting spot for your hands, so it’s hard to totally knock it when the ergonomics might actually make sense. And the tablet’s resolution — 1,920 x 1,200 — is fairly sharp for a 9-inch screen. Also, the dock contains its own 4,990mAh battery — a big improvement over the 2,300mAh cell inside the phone. So even if you find the tablet mode a little unwieldy, the dock is a good accessory to have handy — you never know when you’ll need a spare battery. All told, the two combined should last through 10 hours of video playback, according to an ASUS rep (we’ll of course be the judge of that in our full review).
So far, I’ve covered just what comes in the box: the phone and the tablet dock. There will be some other accessories, though, including a set of folio cases ($80) and a Bluetooth keyboard dock ($99). Some early thoughts: You might want to think hard about the keyboard. Not only is it cramped and flimsy, like a netbook’s, but also certain fairly important keys are either hidden or hard to reach. Both the quotation mark and apostrophe, for instance, require you to hit a special Function key, as opposed to the usual left Shift button. As such, typing on it doesn’t feel natural. (Here’s a mental image for you: an old colleague, a tech editor, at the AP, peering over my shoulder, trying to no avail to help me find the apostrophe.) If I were you, I’d look into other Bluetooth keyboards before buying ASUS’. Everything else, though (the tablet, dock) has a little more promise. More on that in our full review, of course.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, ASUS
Source: AT&T
AIVAnet 