New Gadgets
- iBooks Author sees 600,000 initial downloads, 3 million for iTunes U
Apple announced on their quarterly earnings call this afternoon that iBooks Author had seen 600,000 downloads since its unveiling last week. The folks in Cupertino also mentioned that iTunes U has seen 3 million app downloads, feeling a bump from the revamped releash a few days ago. One other interesting tidbit: currently, 1.5 million iPads have been deployed in schools. We’d surmize that those numbers will go up as iBooks 2 and iBook Author start to pound the pavement in the months ahead.Developing…
iBooks Author sees 600,000 initial downloads, 3 million for iTunes U originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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- eye3 hexicopter helps your DSLR take flight for $999
Your camera wants to take flight — trust us, it does — and an ambitious new project aims to make your DSLR’s aeronautic ambitions a reality. The eye3 hexacopter is a six-armed carbon-fiber unmanned arial vehicle (UAV) that hopes to make aerial photography accessible to the masses. Designed by a couple with a hankering for robotics, the flying machine is modular (for easy repair) and navigates using a combination of Google Maps and open-source code. Those without a pilot license need not worry: the eye3 utilizes the oft-improving APM2 software for a “compact yet powerful” autopilot experience. The UAV can carry a payload of five to ten pounds, boasts three CPUs and has a 350-watt motor strapped to each tentacle. Fly past the break to watch a video from eye3′s creators… get to the choppa’!
Continue reading eye3 hexicopter helps your DSLR take flight for $999
eye3 hexicopter helps your DSLR take flight for $999 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Apple announces Q1 earnings, sets quarterly record with $46.33 billion in revenue
It’s that time folks: time for the quarterly running of the spreadsheets. Today Apple, one the most anticipated of all, is revealing its earnings for the past three months and let’s just say things are lookin’ pretty good for the Cupertino crew. The company set a new record for quarterly revenue and profit in Q1 of 2012, netting $46.33 billion in total with $13.06 billion earnings — the latter number representing about half of the company’s annual profit. That’s nearly twice what Apple announced for the same (at the time record-setting) period last year — $26.74 billion and $6 billion, respectively. In total the company shipped 15.4 million iPads, 15.4 million iPods and 5.2 million Macs this quarter. That last number is particularly surprising since it represents a growth of 26 percent over last year, bucking trends that indicated PC growth would remain flat.
Perhaps more importantly, though, the company sold just over 37 million iPhones — a 128 percent increase over the same quarter last year and greatly exceeding industry estimates. This also moves Apple back into the number one slot, ahead of Samsung which sold a stunning 35 million units this last quarter. Sales of iPhones and accessories accounted for 24.4 billion of the quarter’s revenue. Apple also anticipates to have a strong Q2, though maybe not a record-breaking one, thanks to “some amazing new products in the pipeline.” But even if Q2 turns out to be a slow one, Cupertino should be perfectly fine thanks to its $97 billion in cash on hand. Check out the complete PR after the break.
Developing…
Continue reading Apple announces Q1 earnings, sets quarterly record with $46.33 billion in revenue
Apple announces Q1 earnings, sets quarterly record with $46.33 billion in revenue originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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- Magnetic soap could make your next oil spill less oily
Instead of spending millions upon millions to clean up the next oil spill, why don’t we just all pitch in and buy some soap? That’s basically what researchers at the University of Bristol are proposing, with a new kind of soap that’s apparently like no other. This soap, you see, is magnetic, which means it could be easily removed from water without leaving behind any hazardous chemicals — a potentially major selling point for cleanup crews and environmentalists alike. To create it, the team collected water with chlorine and bromine ions, and used it to dissolve iron particles, creating a metallic core. They proceeded to test their creation by placing the soapy particles within a test tube, underneath layers of water and oil. Much to their delight, they were able to remove the particles with only a magnet, ostensibly providing a template upon which disaster response crews may build.Magnetic soap could make your next oil spill less oily originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
- Sony reminds Japan that Walkmans still exists, new E series packs built-in noise cancellation
The latest addition Walkman series continues the petite styling we’ve seen over the years, and Sony’s cheerleading that it’s both thinner (9.1mm) and lighter (37g) than its predecessor. The E-series includes a 1.4-inch colour LCD display, while we’re promised at around 30 hours of music playback per charge. Alongside the standard NW-E060 model (9,000 yen, $116) the NW-E060K (11,000 yen, $142) throws in a plug-in speaker. Both models offer noise-cancelling features and promise to cut surrounding noise by around 98 percent, with train, flight and indoor modes hopefully able to absorb most audio irritations.
The new music players are joined by a pair of new docks. The RDP-NWG400B (13,000 yen, $181) can connect to devices through Bluetooth, while the RDP-NWM7 (8,000 yen, $140) wants to take your music outside, bigging up the built-in handle for that very reason. Both are available now in white and black. No news on whether the player refreshes and docks will travel beyond the Land of the Rising Sun, but we’d imagine it’s pretty likely. Check out the docks after the break and get the whole (Google-translated) picture at the source below.
Sony reminds Japan that Walkmans still exists, new E series packs built-in noise cancellation originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The Verge | 
Sony (translated) (1), (2) | Email this | Comments - Microsoft’s MIX is no more, to be rolled into another BUILD-like conference
Whispers that Microsoft’s MIX conference was on life support have just proven true. Redmond confirmed on its blog that the yearly web-centric conference will no longer be held, as it refocuses its efforts on larger and more broad platform-centric events, much in the vein of last year’s BUILD. Following its pull-out from CES, the company muses focusing on less events means it’ll maximize the effectiveness of its engineers and the press alike. We’re also told, an event on the calibre of BUILD is still in the cards, and that more details will follow later in the year. Full explanation awaits at the source.
Microsoft’s MIX is no more, to be rolled into another BUILD-like conference originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The Verge, ZDNet | The Official Microsoft Blog | Email this | Comments - G-Shock prototype phone hides its craggy looks at CES, only fears your stares
Like your phones tough? Casio’s apparently crafted another hardy device and this one appears to be running Android Gingerbread. The unnamed device can handle ten-foot drops and ten meters of water, while scaring small children at the same time. Hiding
under a bridgesomewhere in Las Vegas, it somehow avoided our patrols of the CES showfloor. The rubberized smartphone holds on to those G-Shock looks, with nubs mimicking the layout of Casio’s ubiquitous digital watch. Aside from the super-tough credentials emblazoned on the back of the device, other specs remain unknown. MyNavi reports that the device remains a concept at the moment, although Casio still seems more than happy to show off the phone on its Facebook page. Interested in another option besides those smartphone-friendly G-Shocks? You can peruse the source for a full gallery of the hardware.[Thanks GreeKNastY]
G-Shock prototype phone hides its craggy looks at CES, only fears your stares originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Droid-Life | MyNavi (translated), Facebook | Email this | Comments - UK Greenlights first marine-energy park in the heart of Brunel-country
The West Country is home to some of the finest engineering anywhere in the UK, thanks to the region’s historical patronage of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. That reputation will continue thanks to the Department of Energy and Climate Change naming it as the home of the nation’s first marine energy park. Running from Bristol, past Cornwall and out to the Isles of Scilly, the tidal-power plant is expected to generate 27 Gigawatts of power, the equivalent of eight coal-fired power stations. Of course, harnessing the energy of the seas isn’t something we’ll be seeing soon as the project’s earmarked to be ready for 2050, around the same time we’re likely to get LTE.Continue reading UK Greenlights first marine-energy park in the heart of Brunel-country
UK Greenlights first marine-energy park in the heart of Brunel-country originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Inhabitat | DECC | Email this | Comments - BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9981 review
Research in Motion, regardless of how you may view its recent history or its long-term future, still has a stronghold on the corporate world. Its lineup of BlackBerry smartphones are known for great battery life, comfortable keyboards with intuitive shortcuts, top-notch native email and Enterprise clients and — most important to businesses — unrivaled security features. Sure, its influence is waning as competitors have caught up in some areas (and surpassed it in others), but there are plenty of companies that have clung to their CrackBerries and held on tight.
RIM’s been hard at work trying to regain lost momentum by introducing a series of new devices featuring its latest OS, BlackBerry 7, and the BlackBerry Bold 9900 / 9930 series has been the star of the show so far. The problem is, it’s not flashy enough. How is a C-level exec supposed to walk proudly on the golf course with a $300 (subsidized) phone? Talk about embarrassing. Have no fear, poor corporate top dog, luxury brand Porsche Design has come up with a solution: the $2,300 BlackBerry P’9981, a Vertu-ized version of that lesser handset you wouldn’t be caught dead using.
The P’9981 is available only in the UK and the Middle East for now, so until the device arrives in the US this Spring, anyone who lives stateside will have to rely on retailers to import some in. Fortunately we got the hookup by our friends at Negri Electronics, who happily lent us one of the few handsets they have in stock. As a result, we’re now able to discuss the real questions circling around such a Richie Rich smartphone: what in the blue blazes makes this so expensive? Is it even worth it? How different is it from a standard BlackBerry Bold 9900? You’ll find these answers and plenty of mysteries unravelled after the break.
Continue reading BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9981 review
BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9981 review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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