High-end Lenovo K920 expected in early August
Lenovo is up to something big, and we should expect it to launch around August 5th. We’ve seen images and heard countless rumors of the Lenovo K920 in the past, and now we have an (almost) official launch date. For those who aren’t familiar, the Lenovo K920 is a rumored high-end smartphone that will push… Read more »
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Watch This App: Wear Hotspot
So you’ve got an Android Wear device and now you’re looking for some Android apps to go along with it. We’ve got you covered. Our Watch This App column is designed to help educate readers in the various apps available for the platform and highlight the best of the bunch. Watch This App: Wear Hotspot If you like…… Read more »
The post Watch This App: Wear Hotspot appeared first on AndroidGuys.
What’s on your HDTV: ‘Sharknado 2’, ‘Twin Peaks’ Blu-ray, TLoU and NFL
Syfy is going to try to capture social media lightning in a bottle one more time, with the sequel to last summer’s bad-but-popular Sharknado. We’re not exactly sure what Sharknado 2: The Second One is about but suspect has some combination of sharks and tornadoes. Fans of quality TV can grab the entire Twin Peaks series on Blu-ray, complete with some new “missing pieces” extras,. Penn & Teller’s old UK show Fool Us is going to be re-aired in the US this summer on CW, while NFL action starts to wind back up with the start of preseason football. Finally, PS4 gamers can enjoy a better-looking version of last year’s hit The Last of Us with a remastered version hitting shelves tomorrow, and on Netflix season four of The Killing arrives Friday morning. Check after the break for a list of what’s new this week plus a few trailers, and drop a note in the comments if you see any highlights we’ve missed.
Blu-ray, Streaming movies & Games
- Noah
- The Other Woman
- Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery
- The Protector 2 (3D)
- Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music
- The Last of Us: Remastered (PS4)
- Rogue Legacy (PS3, PS4)
Monday
- Switched at Birth, ABC Family, 8PM
- Running Wild with Bear Grylls (series premiere), NBC, 8PM
- WWE Raw, USA, 8PM
- 2014 Young Hollywood Awards, CW, 8PM
- American Ninja Warrior, NBC, 9PM
- The Fosters, ABC Family, 9PM
- Love Child, HBO, 9PM
- Major Crimes, TNT, 9PM
- Seed, CW, 9PM
- Backpackers, CW, 9:30PM
- Indris Elba: the King of Speed, BBC America, 10PM
- Under the Dome, CBS, 10PM
- Murder in the First, TNT, 10PM
- Teen Wolf, MTV, 10PM
- Longmire, A&E, 10PM
- Cee Lo Green’s The Good Life (season finale), TBS, 10:30PM
Tuesday
- Food Fighters, NBC, 8PM
- Pretty Little Liars, ABC Family, 8PM
- Face Off, Syfy, 9PM
- Matador, El Rey, 9PM
- Rizzoli & Isles, TNT, 9PM
- Chasing Life, ABC Family, 9PM
- Royal Pains , USA, 9PM
- Deadliest Catch, Discovery, 9PM
- The Wil Wheaton Project, Syfy, 10PM
- Finding Carter, MTV, 10PM
- Drunk History, Comedy Central, 10PM
- Perception, TNT, 10PM
- Tyrant, FX, 10PM
- Covert Affairs, USA, 10PM
- Nathan for You, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
- Sullivan & Son, TBS, 10PM
Wednesday
- Penn & Teller: Fool Us (series premiere), CW, 8PM
- Unsung: Montell Jordan (season premiere), TV One, 8PM
- Big Brother, CBS, 8PM
- Rogue (season finale), DirecTV 101, 8PM
- Young & Hungry, ABC Family, 8PM
- So You Think You Can Dance, Fox, 8PM
- Mystery Girls, ABC Family, 8:30PM
- Sharknado 2, Syfy, 9PM
- The Director’s Chair: Guillermo del Toro, El Rey, 9PM
- Soundclash, VH1, 9PM
- Extant, CBS, 9PM
- 60 Minutes Sports, Showtime, 9PM
- Suits, USA, 9PM
- Dual Survival, Discovery, 9PM
- Sex in the Wild, PBS, 10PM
- The Bridge, FX, 10PM
- Wilfred, FXX, 10PM
- Taxi Brooklyn, NBC, 10PM
- Motive, ABC, 10PM
- Virgin Territory, MTV, 11PM
Thursday
- The Quest (series premiere), ABC, 8PM
- Defiance, Syfy, 8PM
- Rush, USA, 9PM
- Dating Naked, VH1, 9PM
- Mythbusters, Discovery, 9PM
- Welcome to Sweden, NBC, 9PM
- Rectify, Sundance TV, 9PM
- Big Brother, CBS, 9PM
- Dominion, Syfy, 9PM
- The Sixties, CNN, 9PM
- Working the Engels, NBC, 9:30PM
- Gang Related, Fox, 9PM
- Married, FX, 10PM
- Satisfaction, USA, 10PM
- Ridiculousness, MTV, 10PM
- NY Med, ABC, 10PM
- Last Comic Standing, NBC, 10PM
- You’re The Worst, FX, 10:30PM
- Maron (season finale), IFC, 10PM
Friday
- The Killing S4, Netflix
- Masters of Illusion (Season premiere), CW, 8PM
- WWE SmackDown, Syfy, 8PM
- Cold Justice, TNT, 9PM
- Almighty Johnsons, Syfy, 10PM
Saturday
- Crossbones (season finale), NBC, 8 & 9PM
- Cedar Cove, Hallmark, 8PM
- The Choking Game, Lifetime, 8PM
- Hell on Wheels (season premiere), AMC, 9PM
- Sharktopus vs. Pteracuda, Syfy, 9PM
- Power (season finale), Starz, 9PM
Sunday
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series @ Pocono, ESPN, 1PM
- The Assets (series finale), ABC, 4 & 5PM
- Bills/Giants Hall of Fame Game, NBC, 8PM
- Dodgers/Giants, ESPN, 8PM
- Big Brother, CBS, 8PM
- Last Tango in Halifax (season finale), PBS, 8PM
- Poirot (season finale), PBS, 9PM
- Ray Donovan, Showtime, 9PM
- Reckless, CBS, 9PM
- True Blood, HBO, 9PM
- The Last Ship, TNT, 9PM
- The Musketeers, BBC America, 9PM
- Rising Star, ABC, 9PM
- Catching Hell, Weather Channel, 9PM
- Manhattan, WGN, 10PM
- The Lottery, Lifetime, 10PM
- The Strain, FX, 10PM
- Masters of Sex, Showtime, 10PM
- The Leftovers, HBO, 10PM
- Falling Skies, TNT, 10PM
- The Hunt, History, 10PM
- Halt and Catch Fire, AMC, 10PM
- Reckless, CBS, 10PM
- Vicious (season finale), PBS, 10:30PM
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Facebook is about to make everyone use the standalone Messenger app
It’s been coming coming, but Facebook told TechCrunch today that the time is just about here — starting “over the next few days” everyone will need Messenger to chat directly with their Facebook friends on mobile devices (iOS, Android and Windows Phone). Some users in Europe have seen the change for several months, but Facebook claims their positive response has led to the change rolling out worldwide. Of course, not everyone is going to be happy about downloading a second app to do what one was already capable of — just ask Foursquare users about Swarm. Facebook says the change will let it focus its development efforts better on the two apps separately, and “avoid confusion” by users, who send about 12 billion messages a day on the platform. So, are you already in love with Chat Heads and ready to make the swap full-time, or — assuming you still use Facebook — is this the final straw in sending you elsewhere for your communication needs?
Facebook:
In the next few days, we’re continuing to notify more people that if they want to send and receive Facebook messages, they’ll need to download the Messenger app. As we’ve said, our goal is to focus development efforts on making Messenger the best mobile messaging experience possible and avoid the confusion of having separate Facebook mobile messaging experiences. Messenger is used by more than 200 million people every month, and we’ll keep working to make it an even more engaging way to connect with people.
Filed under: Internet, Mobile, Facebook
Source: TechCrunch
BMW’s fast electric car charger rolls out to the US
Many direct current fast chargers aren’t exactly practical, even for stores that expect a lot of traffic; they’re frequently massive, power-hungry and expensive. BMW knows that’s a problem, which is why it just brought its i DC Fast Charger to North America. The device is small and light enough to be wall-mountable, but it can give an i3 an 80 percent charge within 30 minutes; that’s very handy if you only need to make a quick stop at a restaurant or the mall. The charger is compatible with EVs from most major automakers (Teslas need not apply), and businesses can put it on ChargePoint’s network to either make some cash or simply let drivers know when it’s unoccupied.
Don’t expect to buy an i DC Fast Charger for personal use in the US, at least not yet. The speedy power supply will initially be available for BMW i Centers and “authorized BMW partners” in the country this August. It’s just as well, since each charger costs $6,548. That’s trivial for companies like NRG, which will install at least 100 units across California, but it would negate the fuel savings you get by driving an EV. Still, the arrival should lead to more public power stations — and that may be all the incentive you need to ditch conventional cars.
Filed under: Transportation
HTC’s upcoming Windows Phone is coming to Verizon with an awkward name
More than a few eyebrows were raised when talk surfaced of an HTC One for Windows Phone. How close would it be to the Android original? Would it bring anything new to the table? And what’s the name, for that matter? Thankfully, sources for Engadget are happy to answer a few questions. For a start, they tell us that the device is tentatively called the “One (M8) for Windows.” Yeah, that’s not exactly going to roll off the tongue — the device’s codename, W8, is considerably more elegant.
Other details we’ve received mostly corroborate what we’ve seen from @evleaks, with one surprise. In addition to the previously hinted-at presence of features from the Android-based One, like BoomSound speakers and the depth-sensing Duo camera, the One for Windows will also support voice over LTE — Windows Phone users shouldn’t have to wait long to try high-quality calls for themselves. It’s not clear whether or not the device will ship with VoLTE out of the box, but Windows Phone 8.1′s GDR1 revision (aka Update 1) should add support if it’s not ready on launch. The release isn’t far away, either. Our tipsters back earlier claims that the Microsoft-powered One is expected to reach at least Verizon during the third quarter, or no later than the end of September.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC, Verizon
Facebook to Cut Messaging From Main App in Effort to Focus on Facebook Messenger [iOS Blog]
Facebook is planning to motivate people to download and use its standalone Facebook Messenger app by removing messaging capabilities from the standard Facebook mobile app.
Currently, users can chat through the Messages tab located on the bottom toolbar in the main Facebook app, but that tab will soon redirect users to download the Messenger app instead. When installed, a message received in the Facebook app will switch the user over to Messenger to chat, as it does now when both apps are installed.
According to TechCrunch, Facebook is making the switch so that it does not have to support two versions of Messenger, thereby improving both apps. Facebook gave TechCrunch an official statement on the upcoming changes:
In the next few days, we’re continuing to notify more people that if they want to send and receive Facebook messages, they’ll need to download the Messenger app. As we’ve said, our goal is to focus development efforts on making Messenger the best mobile messaging experience possible and avoid the confusion of having separate Facebook mobile messaging experiences. Messenger is used by more than 200 million people every month, and we’ll keep working to make it an even more engaging way to connect with people.
Facebook has already forced users in Europe to switch over to Facebook Messenger to send and accept messages.
Facebook for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Facebook Messenger for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
GM is bringing wireless phone charging to some Cadillac cars
General Motors may be going through a rough patch at the moment, but that’s not stopping the company from setting its sights on the future. Today, the Detroit-based automaker revealed that it plans to put wireless charging pads inside a number of Cadillac vehicles, starting with the launch of the 2015 ATS sport sedan and coupe later in the fall. Although the announcement highlights the compatibility with Powermat, a General Motors representative has confirmed to Engadget that the feature also supports Qi and “other in-phone wireless charging technologies.” What’s more, GM says this is coming to more vehicles soon (as had been previously reported), with the Cadillac CTS, Cadillac Escalade, GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado expected to be added to the list in Q4 of this year.
Filed under: Misc, Transportation, Wireless
Source: GM
NVIDIA found a way to quadruple display performance in low-res LCDs
Face it, the tech industry is obsessed with resolution; we want every display to be high definition, regardless of size. We also want our devices to be affordable, leaving device manufactures with an interesting problem: how do they manufacture low-cost products with high-resolution screens? NVIDIA researchers have one solution — stack two low-resolution panels on top of each other to increase pixel density on the cheap. The solution is so simple it sounds ridiculous, but apparently, it works.
Researchers disassembled two 1,280 x 800 LCD panels and rebuilt them into a single display with slightly offset pixels, a filter to weed out polarization conflicts and a bit of customized software to force the display components to work in tandem. NVIDIA calls the resulting prototype a “cascaded display,” and in tests it has quadrupled the spatial resolution of the original panels (thanks, in part, to how the pixel offset crams an additional four pixels behind every one of the first panel’s visible pixel).
The images produced by the cascaded display aren’t quite as good as the full resolution target image, but it’s leaps and bounds ahead of the capabilities of the original 1,280 x 800 panels. It’s also a comparatively inexpensive way to build higher resolutions screens for head mounted displays like the Oculus Rift. These hobbled together panels aren’t perfect, of course — the cascaded display is less bright than a typical screen and apparently has poor viewing angles — but the research could lead to a better way to build affordable, high definition electronics. Check out the video below to see the technology in action.
Via: ExtremeTech
Source: NVIDIA
Meet the judges of Engadget Expand’s Insert Coin 2014 competition
We know Insert Coin contestants shed blood, sweat and tears to complete their masterpieces, so we make sure they get scrutinized by people who know what they’re talking about. For this year’s event, we gathered a group of judges from different backgrounds to look at, poke and analyze every entry. They’re in charge of making sure that the best entries get the coveted prize money and that the winners embody what Insert Coin’s all about.
- Cyril Ebersweiler is the founder of HAXLR8R, an accelerator program for hardware startups based in San Francisco and Shenzhen, China. He also juggles several projects in both countries, including mentoring a number of startups and serving as a board member to Leap Motion.
- Rahul Sood is just as tireless as Ebersweiler and currently serves as the global head of Microsoft Ventures. Some might remember him as the creator of Voodoo PC, which was eventually snapped up by HP.
- Ben Einstein describes himself as a “lover of hardware” and is the Managing Director of Bolt, a start-up incubator that focuses on (your guessed it) companies that work on hardware.
- Devindra Hardawar’s probably a familiar name if you tend to visit a certain online publication other than Engadget — he’s a Senior Editor and the lead mobile writer at VentureBeat.
These four will join the very special roster of past Insert Coin judges, where they’re definitely in good company. Just look at this list, and you’ll understand what we mean:
- Ryan Block – AOL’s VP of Product, whom you might know better as one of Engadget’s former editors-in-chief.
- Gerard Furbershaw – Co-founded and COO of San Francisco design firm LUNAR, whose past clients include Apple, HP, Microsoft, Philips and Sony.
- Jim Newton – Chairman and founder of TechShop, a chain of workshops equipped with industrial equipment that members can use to build whatever they want.
- Danae Ringelmann – Co-founder and CEO of a crowdfunding website we’re sure you all know by now: Indiegogo.
- Ben Heck – Tinkerer, console modder and host of element 14′s The Ben Heck Show.
- Hilary Mason – Ex-chief scientist at URL shortener Bitly and current Data Scientist in Residence of VC firm Accel Partners.
- Peter Rojas – AOL Brand Group’s VP of Strategy and co-founder of both Engadget and Gizmodo.
Now that you know who’ll be examining Insert Coin entries from every angle, make sure to turn in yours before submissions close at September 26th, 2014.
Filed under: Misc
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