Ultimate Ears’ new UE BOOM 2 might be the wireless speaker you’ve been waiting for
The UE BOOM Bluetooth speaker has been a fan favorite for many years, but it’s no secret that the line could definitely use a refresh. Today that changes, as Ultimate Ears have just announced the newest in its line of mobile speakers, the UE BOOM 2. Judging from the image attached above, you can see that the UE BOOM 2 looks very similar to its predecessor. But once you look at the spec sheet, you’ll quickly notice that most of the upgrades can be found under the hood.
The UE BOOM 2 features the same materials as the UE BOOM, but fans of the speaker will be happy to know that it’s now waterproof, thanks to its IPX 7 rating. Ultimate Ears says it’s also drop-proof from up to five feet, which is a nice touch.
It’s also 25 percent louder than its predecessor and features a longer wireless connection range up to 100 feet. The UE BOOM only offered users a 50-foot Bluetooth range, so it’s really great to see the company making improvements in this area. The UE BOOM 2 now features playback controls for skipping through tracks. This was a feature noticeably missing from the UE BOOM.
When it comes to battery life, Ultimate Ears is claiming the BOOM 2 can still achieve about 15 hours of playback time on a single charge, just like its predecessor.
If you happen to use the UE BOOM 2 application for Android, you’ll be able to pair the BOOM 2 with another Ultimate Ears speaker. Ultimate Ears says new updates will be sent out wirelessly through the app, so more features will make their way to the speaker in time.
The UE BOOM 2 is already available for purchase from Ultimate Ears’ website in Cherrybomb, Yeti, Phantom, GreenMachine, Tropical and BrainFreeze color options for $199.99. If you’re interested, head to the link below for more information.
Mission Electric’s record-setting motorcycle is dead
Electric motorcycle enthusiasts have been waiting a long time for the Mission RS, and that wait is finally over. Just not in a satisfying way. Mission Electric has announced it has filed for bankruptcy, effectively killing an impressive all-electric super-bike that its been teasing since 2010. The RS set records at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, helped the company secure a spot on the team behind Harley Davidson’s Project LiveWire and even caught the attention of Jay Leno — but none of that brought in the revenue Mission Electric needed to survive. “I have struggled to rescue the business to find a buyer for the assets,” co-founder Mark Seeger said during recent court proceedings. “To date, we have not earned any cash / revenue of any kind.”
The company’s financial troubles are a shame, but not too much of a surprise — since the Mission R and RS’ announcement back in 2013, the firm has faced lawsuits, unexpected restructuring and multiple shipping delays. Still, it’s a shame: the electric motorcycle’s 163HP motor, 100-mile+ battery life and fancy HUD information system held a lot of promise. We’re sad to see it go. Hopefully, someone will pick up will Mission Electric left off.
Filed under:
Misc, Transportation
Source:
Autoblog
Tags: brankruptcy, electricmotorcycle, electricvehicle, ev, jayleno, missionelectric, missionmotorcycle, missionrs, transportation
Playdate: Running wild in ‘The Deer God’ and ‘Castle Crashers’
Fun fact: If you do a Bing voice-search on Xbox One for The Deer God, instead of coming back with the option to download the indie sidescroller you’ll see results for the 1996 Greg Kinnear flick Dear God, an Avenged Sevenfold album with a song named “Dear God” on it and absolutely zero games named The Deer God. Actually finding the absolutely gorgeous venison-focused title takes a lot more work, which is strange considering that it’s one of this month’s free downloads as part of Xbox’s Games with Gold promotion. No matter! We did the digging for you and are going to play the game live on Twitch (along with Castle Crashers Remastered) starting at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT.
Is the game worth subscribing to Gold for? Find out with myself and Sean Buckley right here on this post, the Engadget Gaming home page or Twitch.tv/joystiq. You know, if it, ahem, behooves you to do so.
http://www.twitch.tv/joystiq/embedWatch live video from Joystiq on www.twitch.tv
http://www.twitch.tv/joystiq/chat?popout=
[We’re streaming The Deer God and Castle Crashers Remastered at 720p through OBS, so rest assured these will look much better on your TV at home.]
Filed under:
Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Tags: 2d, castlecrashers, castlecrashersremastered, deer, gameswithgold, gaming, hd, hdpostcross, indiegames, microsoft, playdate, sidescroller, thedeergod, twitch, xbox, xboxone
Hyundai N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo Concept looks ready for Le Mans
“It’s Bugatti versus… Hyundai? Yes, the revered hypercar manufacturer is facing some stiff competition for coolest car at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show from the affordable South Korean brand, and it’s because both companies chose the German show to introduce their Vision Gran Turismo Concepts.Slideshow-320065
While we’ll leave Bugatti’s entry to another scribe, we’re going to spill plenty of ink on the new N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo, Hyundai’s entry to the eponymous video game’s well-received Vision program. While so many of these concepts have some basis in reality, Hyundai has tossed out its production vehicles in favor of a far racier concept.
Yes, the N 2025 looks better suited to the 24 Hours of Le Mans prototype class than an auto show stage. Details are scarce – automakers don’t usually give out a lot of info on powertrains and the like in these Vision GT cars – but Hyundai says it “highlights sustainable technology,” which makes us think that there’s some kind of hybrid drivetrain underneath that aerodynamic body.
Perhaps the coolest thing about the N 2025, though, is that it’s not hard to imagine it on a race track of the future. Hyundai has only ever really played around in the World Rally Championship, but with this Vision GT car, it shows the South Korean brand may have the chops for a much higher tier of racing. Check out the photos from Frankfurt and let us know what you think about this latest Vision Gran Turismo car.
[Image credit: Drew Phillips/AOL]
Filed under:
Transportation
Source:
Hyundai
Tags: autoblog, ConceptCar, Frankfurt2015, GranTurismo, hyundai, HyundaiN2025VisionGranTurismo, partner, syndicated, visiongranturismo
Saturn’s moon Enceladus has a global, water-based ocean
Scientists have suspected for a while that Saturn’s moon Enceladus has a giant water ocean, and they now have some hard evidence to support their theories. Thanks to the Cassini spacecraft, NASA has discovered a “very slight wobble” in the moon that can only be explained by a global ocean that lets the icy crust move. Think of it like shaking an egg — the changes in Enceladus’ speed during orbit make its surface (the shell) shift around its rocky core (the yolk).
There are still some mysteries left, including why Enceladus’ ocean is relatively warm. It’s possible that Saturn’s tidal forces are warming the moon more than possibly thought. No matter what, you’re going to learn more about this celestial body in the near future. Cassini is conducting a very close (30 miles) flyby of Enceladus on October 28th, giving researchers the kind of data they’ve wanted for years.
[Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech]
Filed under:
Science
Source:
NASA
Tags: cassini, enceladus, moon, nasa, ocean, saturn, science, space
Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch coming to carriers on October 2nd
We’re hot off the reveal of the Gear S2, Samsung’s newest smartwatch, at IFA 2015 in Berlin. The new offering from Samsung is not an Android Wear offering but rather runs on Samsung’s own OS, Tizen. Even though that’s a bit of a disappointment, it will still work with your Android phone. Many are lauding it for it’s great looks and wondering when they can get their hands on it.
We may have just gotten our first piece solid info.
In a Samsung Electronics America (SEA) training video, October 2nd is the release date given for the Gear S2. At about the one hour and 55 minute mark of the video, the presenter reveals that the bluetooth only version of the new Samsung smartwatch will be coming to Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular on October 2nd. Sprint is not mentioned as one of the carriers offering the watch and it’s not stated whether the country’s fourth biggest carrier will pick it up later.
If you want the 3G variant of the Gear S2, you’ll be able to pick it up about a month later, on November 6th, but no details were given as to which carriers will offer it for sale. T-Mobile and Verizon have perviously stated that they’ll sell it but have not confirmed when they plan to do so nor how much it will cost.
Source: AndroidCentral
The post Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch coming to carriers on October 2nd appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Snapchat now charges users for multiple replays, adds face effect lenses in latest update
A big update is making its way to Snapchat for Android today, bringing some new features and paid options to the photo and video sharing application.
The big news with the latest update is the ability to purchase extra replays. Previously, if you watched a Snap and wanted to access it one more time, Snapchat would allow you to replay it, but normally only one time per day. The latest update lets you replay snaps over and over again if you’re willing to pay. You can now purchase three extra replays for $0.99, ten for $2.99, or 20 extra for $4.99. You’ll still be able to replay any snap you receive for free, but only one time.
Also along with this new update are some new camera lenses that can be used while taking selfies. Once you pull up the front-facing camera, press and hold on your face, and Snapchat will prompt you to select a face effect lens. You can choose from lenses that will replace your eyes with hearts, turn your face old and wrinkly or lenses that will make you puke rainbows. There’s even a lens that will turn your face demonic, which is actually pretty terrifying.
It should be noted that Snapchat says these new lenses can only be used with newer Android devices, though the company didn’t specify which devices were compatible. The new feature has been working fine on my Nexus 6, though we’re not sure if devices older than that are compatible or not. To get the latest update, head to the Play Store link below for the download.
Micromax announces Canvas Juice 3 and Juice 3+, starts at Rs. 8,999
Micromax has today officially announced the Canvas Juice 3 and Juice 3+. The Juice 3 went on sale last week, but the Juice 3+ is set to go on sale by the end of September.
The Canvas Juice 3 has a 5-inch 1280 x 720 HD display, a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek 6580 CPU, 2GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, microSD support up to 32GB, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front camera, and a massive 4,000mAh battery. The device is also running the latest version of Android Lollipop and can be bought for Rs. 8,999.
Specifications aren’t much different on the Juice 3+, with the only noticeable difference being the larger display. It has a 5.5-inch 1280 x 720 panel, a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek 6580 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, microSD support up to 32GB, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front camera, and that giant 4,000mAh battery. Interestingly, it’s only running Android 5.0 as opposed to the Juice 3’s Android 5.1. Details on pricing have yet to be released.
“At Micromax, we have always been committed to address today’s smartphone users’ biggest need of long lasting batteries. With the introduction of two new smartphones in our Canvas Juice series, we aim to create a perfect value proposition enabling our highly mobile consumers to make the most of these heavy duty marathon batteries for work and entertainment requirements,” says Micromax CEO Vineet Taneja.
While these smartphones are nothing to write home about, what is truly impressive is just how large the battery is. A 4,000mAh unit will take you a long way and would be nice to see in flagship devices today.
source: Fone Arena
Come comment on this article: Micromax announces Canvas Juice 3 and Juice 3+, starts at Rs. 8,999
New iCloud Pricing Tiers for All Countries Outlined in Updated Support Document
At last week’s “Hey Siri” media event, Apple announced new iCloud pricing tiers, expanding the amount of storage provided to users. The company has now updated its iCloud support document to outline the new pricing information in all countries where iCloud storage is available.
While Apple previously offered iCloud storage in 5GB, 20GB, 200GB, 500GB and 1TB tiers, the new tiers include only 50GB, 200GB, or 1TB of storage at lower prices. With the old pricing, 20GB of storage in the U.S. cost $0.99, but now users will get 50GB for the same price. 200GB was formerly priced at $3.99 and is now $2.99, and 1TB of storage, previously priced at $19.99, is now $9.99.
Pricing in 24 countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe are included in the support document. Countries where local currency isn’t supported will have storage upgrades billed in dollars, and Eurozone countries will be charged in Euros. For countries with Value Added Tax, VAT is included in the iCloud pricing.
Customers who purchased monthly plans before September 16, 2015, will have their accounts upgraded automatically, presumably when iOS 9 launches tomorrow. Customers on an annual plan will continue to renew annually at that rate.
Talk with the cast of ‘Citizen Mars’ during our Facebook Q&A
Would you give up everything you know on Earth to start a new life on Mars and never come back? The five people we profiled in our original series Citizen Mars are willing to do just that for the good of the world. If you’ve watched our short series, you probably have a lot of unanswered questions for the cast, so we’re giving you the opportunity to ask them whatever you’d like in an upcoming Facebook Q&A. On Thursday, September 17th at 11AM PT / 2PM ET, head over to our Facebook page with your questions and get ready for an exciting discussion.
We’ll also update this space with the Q&A post once it goes live on Facebook. See you Thursday!
The Citizen Mars series takes an in-depth look at five of the 100 finalists for the Mars One mission. In each episode, we chart progress of everyday people determined to be the first to colonize the red planet.
Through interviews and extensive vérité that spans Europe, Africa, Asia and the US, discover the obsession with the future, adventure and space that’s propelling them to leave everything — and everyone — behind.
Filed under:
Announcements
Tags: citizen mars, citizenmars, facebook, mars, mars one, video
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