Sphero is making a retail version of Star Wars’ BB-8, could cost $150
BB-8, the adorable droid that stole the spotlight at the Star Wars Celebration convention last week, is coming to stores this fall thanks to collaboration between Disney and connected toy maker Sphero.
Earlier this week, Sphero CEO Paul Berberian confirmed rumors that Sphero is involved in the creation of BB-8 and that a retail version will be hitting stores later this year. Sphero (or rather Orbotix, as the company’s formal name goes), a Boulder-based startup that has received funding from Disney, is best known for its eponymous motorized ball, which users can control with their smartphones through Bluetooth.
While Sphero’s toys are fairly well known in tech circles, the connection to Star Wars will almost definitely catapult the company into mainstream.
“What an incredible honor it is to work with the team at Disney on one of the most interesting new characters in the Star Wars franchise,” said Berberian. “Opportunities this significant are rare. If anyone can execute and deliver on an exceptional BB-8 experience, it’s our Sphero team in Boulder.”
Official details are scarce for now, as Sphero only put up a teaser page with the outline of a BB-8 and the obligatory “this is the droid you are looking for” tagline, along with a signup form.
However, Gizmodo discovered a listing from a toy store (since removed) showing what could be Sphero’s BB-8 robot, along a $150 price tag and a September 1 release date. Separately, the New York Times reported that the Sphero BB-8 will be about the size of a large apple, though larger versions will be made that will be shown at Disney’s amusement parks.
You’ll probably have to wait for the end of the year to get your hands on a BB-8 toy from Sphero, unless you’re the handy type and you’re willing to get your hands a little dirty, like this guy did.
How much would you be willing to pay for your very own BB-8?
Friday Debate podcast: Are flagship phones still worth paying a premium?
This week we welcome another guest to the podcast, writer Nirave Gondhia as we take on a topic that was picked by you, our fans. A poll posted on Google+ yielded our topic for this week – the question of whether flagship devices still make sense with a growing midrange market. Phones coming in a lower price point are gradually bringing high-end experiences, with perhaps just a few holes left in their evolution. So, we ponder the question of how midrange devices fare against the current crop of flagships from the likes of Samsung, HTC, and future phones from the likes of LG and Sony. We run the gamut and veer off course a few times, but that’s just how it goes on the FDP.
Follow our poll on Google+ once again this week and let us know which topic you want us to talk about next! Thank you for your participation and we look forward to seeing your responses!
The Friday Debate Podcast by Android Authority – discussing topics in Android every week.
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Recorded on April 16, 2015 – Hosted and Produced by Joshua Vergara
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‘Full House’ revival is official, will arrive on Netflix in 2016
Whatever happened to predictability? Well, if you had paid attention to the rumors surrounding Netflix’s upcoming roster of shows, you’d have seen this recent news coming from everywhere you look. Yep, that Full House sequel we heard about earlier this month wasn’t an April Fool’s joke, and yes, it will actually be called Fuller House (No, really). John Stamos AKA Uncle Jesse confirmed the news on Monday night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, revealing that he’s also slated to be the show’s producer plus occasional guest star.
As for the show’s premise, we’ll see a bit of a gender flip. This time around, pregnant and widowed DJ Tanner (Candace Cameron Bure) will have the help of sister Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin) plus best pal Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber) in the rearing of her two sons and yet-to-be-born child. Aside from Stamos, the appearance of other former Full House stars such as Bob Saget, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and Dave Coulier is apparently in the works. When you’re lost out there and you’re all alone, just rest assured that starting some time in 2016, you’ll finally be able to see what has happened to the Tanner family over the past 20 or so years.
Filed under: Internet
Source: Variety
YouTube app will soon stop working on older smart TVs and iOS devices
If you own a smart TV or an iOS device that’s getting a bit long in the tooth, you may need to do some upgrading this week if you want to continue using the YouTube app. Due to certain changes in the app’s API, it’ll no longer work on a number of models released in 2012 or earlier, including second-generation Apple TVs, Panasonic TVs, Sony TVs and Blu-ray players, as well as devices running Google TV versions 1 or 2. You’ll know you’re affected if a video showing the notice above plays upon firing up the app, though most models released in 2013 or later are safe.
Now, if you want continued access to the YouTube app, you’ll have to update iPhones, iPads and iPods to iOS 7, at least. Third-gen Apple TVs need a platform upgrade, as well, while Google TV version 3 or 4 devices need the latest app update available on Google Play. Just because your product is too old for upgrades doesn’t mean you’ll have to bid your YouTube binges farewell, though. The website still loads on Safari (even on older iOS devices) or on any smart TV browser than supports flash/HTML5.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, Mobile, Apple, Samsung, Google
Via: Android Central
Source: YouTube Help
GameStop’s going retro with classic consoles and games
GameStop is trying a new tactic as it faces increased competition from the likes of Gamefly, Amazon and other online retailers: It’s going old school. IGN reports that beginning April 24th, the company will once again begin accepting classic consoles for trade-in and sale in 250 of its brick-and-mortar locations around NYC and Birmingham, Alabama. Technically, sellers will be able to offload their old consoles in an actual store but buyers will only be able to purchase these units online. Most every console from the 8-bit era on up to PS2‘s will reportedly be offered. And because the used consoles are first inspected and certified by GameStop before being put back up for sale, they’re expected to come with warranties on par with those offered by the original manufacturers. GameStop hopes to roll the service out nationwide by the end of the year.
Via: MCV
Source: IGN
Daily Roundup: Nokia making phones again, Sony wants better selfies and more!
Today, read how Nokia is planning to get back into the phone game, ponder why Sony’s added image-stabilization technology to the front of its new flagship phone and get all the details on the best vaporizers around — because it’s that day. All that and more, just after the fold.
Recode: Nokia’s planning a return to phones next year
When Nokia sold its devices and services business to Microsoft, we assumed it was getting out of the hardware game for good. Not so. The company has since launched its N1 tablet in China and now, according to Recode, it’s developing a new phone too. Exactly what it’ll look like and, perhaps more importantly, the software it’ll run is unclear at the moment though.
Sony’s new flagship smartphone has an image-stabilizing selfie camera
Sony’s unveiled its new smartphone in Japan, the Xperia Z4, and like you might tell from the press images, it’s a mighty familiar-looking one from a company still looking for its next big hit. Yep there’s a lot of similarities compared to the Z3 (a phone that we were pretty happy with), including a 5.2-inch screen, metal frame, support for Hi-Res audio and the same wide-angle 25mm lens on the main camera. But that front camera….
The Pax 2 vaporizer makes its predecessor look half-baked
I immediately fell in love with the original Pax vaporizer when it debuted back in 2012. Its compact and lightweight construction belied a powerful three-stage conduction oven, while the sleek, push-button design made it far more intuitive and user-friendly than other portable vaporizers available at the time. Granted, the OG Pax wasn’t perfect — what with its habit of clogging every few sessions or so. Now, more than two years after the release of the first Pax, PAX Labs is back with a new iteration that’s smaller, lighter and more powerful than its predecessor. Say hello to the Pax 2.
The Best Portable Vaporizer (so far)
After testing ten portable vaporizers so far, we recommend the Crafty, a new portable model from Storz and Bickel. Out of all the models we tested, the Crafty was one of the few that could produce the kind of truly tasty, powerful vapor you get from a much bigger unit. At $400, it’s an investment, but will make up its cost over time because it vaporizes cannabis more efficiently than its peers.
Elon Musk nearly sold Tesla to Google in 2013
Tesla frequently comes across as a fiercely independent automaker, but that wasn’t always the case… at least, if you ask Bloomberg. Its sources claim that Elon Musk almost secured a deal for Google to buy Tesla in early 2013, when vehicle sales were tanking so badly that Tesla closed its factory. Reportedly, the deal would have kept Musk in charge of his company for eight years, or until Tesla’s mainstream electric car (the Model 3) was on the road.
It took two days before someone built their own BB-8 ball droid
The first proper trailer may have stolen the show at Star Wars Celebration, but the revelation that spherical droid BB-8 was a physical prop came a very close second. Like a lot of people, when industrial designer Christian Poulsen saw the adorable sentient ball roll onto stage, he decided he had to build one of his own. Unlike plenty of others, however, the BYU student was able to design and build a working copy the following day. Turns out that you can too, as long as you’ve got a Sphero and a CNC machine lying around the place.
The law that predicts computing power turns 50
Today represents a historic milestone in technology: it’s the 50th anniversary of Moore’s Law, the observation that the complexity of computer chips tends to double at a regular rate. On April 19th, 1965, Fairchild’s Gordon Moore (later to co-found Intel) published an article noting that the number of components in integrated circuits had not only doubled every year up to that point, but would continue at that pace for at least a decade.
Filed under: Misc
Android powered ZTE Spro 2 Smart Projector launching exclusively with AT&T on April 24th
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April 24th is going to be a pretty good day for current and would be AT&T customers. Earlier this morning they announced that the LG G Flex 2 would be coming to customers. They also announced that they would be the exclusive carrier to offer the ZTE Spro 2 Smart Projector.
The ZTE Spro 2 Smart Projector bring users a 5-inch touch screen user interface that runs on Android 4.4.4 and is powered by a quad-core 2.3 GHz Qualcomm processor. You have access to the Google Play Store to grab apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus or your favorite mobile game to project out up to 120-inches at a resolution of 1280 x 720 at 200 lumens.. The projection can be what is displayed on the screen of the device, anything that can cast through a miracast enabled device or directly hardwired with a HDMI port. Internal battery power is listed at 6,300 mAh, but watch time unplugged is only 2.5 hours. The Spro 2 packs in the usual 16GB of storage, but does offer a micro SD card slot as well as a USB port.
The unit also is Wi-Fi enabled with dual-band access to both 2.4 and 5 GHz. Being that AT&T is offering this smart projector also means it connects to their 4G LTE network for mobile access and it also acts a mobile hotspot device too. That means that there is an outright purchase price and a contracted purchase price. If you buy it outright you will drop $499.99 to own one. If you go with a contract then you are looking at 2-years for $399.99 and a $10 per-month access charge to share your data allotment with it.
Compared to last years ZTE SPro
Source: AT&T 1 | AT&T 2 | AT&T 3
The post Android powered ZTE Spro 2 Smart Projector launching exclusively with AT&T on April 24th appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
AT&T finally brings its gigabit internet to Chicago’s suburbs
Back in October of last year, we learned about AT&T’s plans to launch its 1Gbps fiber network, GigaPower, in cities like Chicago. And today, more than six months after the original announcement, the company’s finally flipping the switch in some areas of The Windy City — including Elgin, Oswego, Plainfield, Skokie, Yorkville and other “surrounding communities.” The U-Verse gigabit internet will be available as a standalone service and as a bundle with a cable or phone package, with prices ranging from $90 to $150 per month, depending on your selection. If you’re not in any of the aforementioned zones of coverage, fret not — AT&T says it will be expanding the service across Chicago later this summer.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Networking, Internet, HD, AT&T
Source: AT&T
LG showcases the Watch Urbane in beautiful time lapse video of Barcelona
The LG Watch Urbane could be released as soon as next week, and LG has released another video to wet your appetite. This video shows a wonderful time lapse of Barcelona while the Watch Urbane is shown with different faces in time lapse as well.
LG’s tagline is “Your real living moments in the eyes of the LG Watch Urbane. How busy was your day?”
I am not sure which was more beautiful? The Watch Urbane or the time lapse video of Barcelona? Check out the video below…
Click here to view the embedded video.
The Watch Urbane is head and shoulders above the Apple Watch in terms of looks, but will it get the attention it deserves?
Come comment on this article: LG showcases the Watch Urbane in beautiful time lapse video of Barcelona
Humble Bundle teams up with Tin Man Games for latest mobile bundle
Gamers listen up because Humble Bundle has a new mobile bundle that might be one of their best ever. They teamed up with Tin Man games for a chance at not only an amazing deal on 10 games, but a chance to grab some merchandise as well.
This bundle works like any other bundle in that you can pay what you want and receive a few games. Those games include An Assassin in Orlandes, Siege of the Necromancer, Slaves of Rema, and Judge Dredd: Countdown Sector 106. But you know there’s always more right? Just pay more than the average price ($6.19 at the time of this post), and receive 4 more games: Sultans of Rema, Fighting Fantasy: Caverns of the Snow Witch, Curse of the Assassin, and Trial of the Clone.
The deals don’t stop there because you can pay another $9 and receive Fighting Fantasy: Starship Traveller and Ryan North’s To Be Or Not To Be in addition to the eight games I already mentioned.
Humble Bundle is still not done as you can add another $35 and receive a Humble Tin Man Bundle Shirt ‘n’ Button. The t-shirt was designed by Adam Works. Lastly, if you’re one of the first 1,000 customers, you will also get a limited edition Pinny Arcade Tin Man Pin.
This bundle will be available until May 4, 2015 at 11:00 am, and you know they will likely add another 2 or 3 games to the mix for those that pay over the average price. So what are you waiting for? Hit the source link to get your game on.
source: Humble Bundle
Come comment on this article: Humble Bundle teams up with Tin Man Games for latest mobile bundle
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