Sure, the novelty may have worn off years ago when it comes to those miniature USB-powered accessories that reside on your desk and suck power from a PC, but this nifty lamp from Satechi has a bit more going for it. The simply named USB LED Bottle Lamp consumes just 1.2 watts of power, and while it won't likely have enough output to fill a room, it'll probably do a fair job of bringing some warmth to your workstation. The kit includes only a lampshade, LEDs (rated for 50,000 hours) and a USB cable -- that's right, it's BYOB (Bring Your Own Base). A heavy liquor bottle might be the best fit when it comes to support, but you can use a vase or any similar vessel to keep the lamp upright, too. The USB Bottle Lamp can be yours today for just 25 bucks. Hit the source link below to pick one up.

Filed under: Household, Peripherals

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Source: Amazon

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Engadget RSS Feed johalputt Zach Honig

09:04

Notice some fresh spring in Boingo's step? It's probably the new iTunes integration, bringing streamlined subscription billing to the company's Wi-Finder app. Free WiFi is always our first pick, followed by LTE, then 3G, EDGE, GPRS, a short-term WiFi pass, and then, far down at the bottom of the list, a monthly subscription from Boingo. But hey, someone must be keeping the lights on -- there are now a whopping 600,000 compatible hotspots worldwide. And if you're one of those aforementioned subscribers, there's a convenient new option for handing over your cash. Beginning today, iOS users can have the $7.99 monthly tariff billed directly to their iTunes accounts, joining up with a single tap. The new offering will presumably cover multiple mobile devices, but it's unlikely to get your laptop online -- you'll need to splurge for a much costlier plan for that. iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users can download the updated app today.

Filed under: Wireless, Software

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Source: Boingo (iTunes)

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Engadget RSS Feed johalputt Zach Honig

09:53

What's next for Tesla's Model S? Road safety and assistance tools may be on the docket, including self-driving technology that Elon Musk refers to as "autopilot," according to a Bloomberg report. The CEO has reportedly been in talks with Google about assistive tech -- the feature could be similar to what we've seen in Mountain View's recent self-driving demos, though a system developed in-house by Tesla is more likely. Bloomberg states that some automakers, such as Nissan, think autonomous vehicles could be a decade away, so don't expect a next-gen Model S to navigate roads on its own.

Meanwhile, a hidden configuration page in current vehicles reveals some additional features, including Blind Spot Detection, Adaptive Cruise and Lane Departure Warning. All three are currently disabled, but they could bring at least some additional automation to the all-electric car. It's unlikely that the required hardware is installed within sedans already on the road, but it's clearly on the company's radar, giving us hope that some of the concerns we outlined during our review may soon be addressed.

Filed under: Transportation, Google

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Source: Bloomberg

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Engadget RSS Feed johalputt Zach Honig

08:49

Apple's pre-configured 21.5- and 27-inch iMacs both ship with 1TB hard drives, but if you're willing to wait a day or two for a custom model to ship, two new flash storage options are now on offer. Any iMac configuration can now be had with either a 256GB or 512GB flash upgrade, priced over the base drive at $300 and $600, respectively. A 768GB flash option remains available with the 27-inch model only, for an additional $900. Education and corporate discounts still apply, but even with a modest price drop, be prepared to fork over quite a bit of cash for the turbo-charged drives, available through Apple's online store at the source link below.

Filed under: Desktops, Storage, Apple

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Via: AppleInsider

Source: Apple Store

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Engadget RSS Feed johalputt Zach Honig

09:04

Red's clean room on the NAB show floor is typically no place for camera crews, but after adding a bit of protection, Red President Jarred Land gave us the green light to step inside the company's sacred space for a closer look at operation Dragon upgrade. The view from behind the glass wall separating spectators from technicians isn't significantly different, but we were able to get quite a bit more insight into how the process goes down, including stops at each of the workstations.

The temporary assembly center that Red built at the Las Vegas Convention Center is a miniature version of the company's primary facility in Irvine, California -- while Dragon upgrades are underway in Las Vegas, a structure that's estimated to be 20 times the size of the one here in Nevada is processing the updates remotely, though admittedly with far less fanfare. Join us past the break for an exclusive look at the process, live from Red's booth at NAB.

Gallery: Red Dragon upgrade eyes-on

Filed under: Cameras

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Engadget RSS Feed johalputt Zach Honig

08:20

Looking to refresh your polo shirt collection -- today -- without making a trip to the store? There's a Google venture for that, and it's called Shopping Express. The service, which offers same-day delivery from Target, Walgreens, Toys R Us, American Eagle, Staples, Office Depot and a few local shops, has just opened its doors to testers in the San Francisco Bay Area. After signing up on Google's microsite, you'll be on your way to six months of unlimited free deliveries from select retailers. The service competes with similar offerings from Amazon and eBay, and, well, doesn't exactly seem like an obvious fit for Google. We're eager to see how it pans out -- hopefully, if it does turn out to be a worthwhile venture, it won't succumb to the search giant's annual "spring cleaning" ritual. The company is only accepting "a limited number of shoppers" right now, so if you're eligible, sign up at the source link ASAP.

Filed under: Household, Internet, Google

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Google

via Engadget RSS Feed http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/28/google-shopping-express/

Engadget RSS Feed johalputt Zach Honig

07:49

How do you boost screen real estate on a smartphone without increasing the device's footprint significantly? You could add a pair of slide-out panels mounted behind the main display. But you wouldn't. We'd hope. Such a concept made its way out of LG HQ and into the hands of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, however, and three years after its submission date, the proposed device has returned to haunt the South Korean manufacturer, in the form of an issued patent. The concept in question is quite simple: a primary LCD would be visible at all times, and when the occasion called for another panel or two, they'd simply slide into view, ready to serve as a number pad, or settings control, predictive text display, or even a full-fledged split keyboard.

Now, considering that there's been plenty of time since this filing to bring such a smartphone to market, we're going to guess that LG's abandoned plans for its tri-screen device, opting instead to boost the primary display size in smartphones like its Optimus G Pro, or the poorly received 5-inch Optimus Vu. That's not to say that multi-screen handsets won't continue to make an appearance, however -- NEC's Medias W has already hit NTT DoCoMo in Japan, and it's possible that BlackBerry may be considering a split device of its own. This LG concept, however, is probably destined for a dusty filing cabinet at the patent office, where it's unlikely to surface again.

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Mobile, LG

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Source: USPTO

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Engadget RSS Feed johalputt Zach Honig

08:04

Want to get a first-hand look at Microsoft's updated OS? You might be able to download the unreleased Windows Blue operating system on your own machine. Leaked build 9364 hit file sharing sites earlier today -- according to Neowin, the 32-bit edition is available for download as a 2.63GB ISO, and likely hit the web from a Microsoft partner in France. Notable adjustments include larger and smaller Live Tiles, enabling a bit more Start screen customization, along with an updated side-by-side app view, which boosts multitasking efficiency by displaying two applications with matching width. Other additions include a Play option under the Devices panel, a screenshot button on the Share sidebar, and Internet Explorer 11, which comes packaged with the new OS. Windows Blue build 9364 appears to be an unauthorized leak, but even if you have any reservations about installing it on your own machine, you'll surely be able to check out plenty of eye candy from other users over the hours and days to come. In the meantime, hit up the source links for a few more screenshots.

[Thanks, Jim]

Filed under: Software, Microsoft

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Source: Winforum, Neowin

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Engadget RSS Feed johalputt Zach Honig

07:34