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CSI: Waterloo? We’re not sure how compelling that spin-off would be (inexplicable popularity of the David Caruso-headlined Miami version aside). So, you’ll excuse us for scratching our collective tech head over this recently surfaced patent application filed by RIM in November of 2010. The claims of this bizarre USPTO doc describe an apparatus containing some form of a “display element” attached to a portable electronic device that would generate light on nearby objects, snap photographs and then display results indicating potential contamination. Sounds a lot like those UV wands forensics researchers use on crime scenes, non? Well, whatever it is Heins and co. may have brewing in their Canadian R&D labs, we just pray this isn’t BB 10’s killer feature. Hit up the source below to peruse the legalese for yourself.

RIM patent application shines a light on unseen filth, might make forensics mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 17:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re at Samsung’s NX-series launch event at Citi Field in Queens, NY, taking a closer look at the NX20, NX210 and NX1000 mirrorless ILCs that began hitting stores earlier today (the NX1000 will arrive in June). All three cameras are virtually identical when it comes to core components like the 20.3-megapixel Samsung-designed APS-C image sensor, so performance on that front should be consistent to what we saw with our flagship NX20 sample. From a spec perspective, these are fine shooters, but the systems’ high pricing and (relatively) limited lens selection aren’t likely to contribute to Samsung’s mirrorless success. Join us past the break for some New York Mets action through the lens of Samsung’s NX20.

Continue reading Samsung NX20, NX210 and NX1000 sample images and video

Samsung NX20, NX210 and NX1000 sample images and video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 15:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just because you’re not an astronaut, it doesn’t mean you can’t dress yourself in clothes that are out of this world. Artist Tom Sachs recently teamed up with Nike to create a limited edition lineup of spacey sports clothing, dubbed NikeCraft, to coincide with his current Space Program project — a rendition of a four week trip to Mars. The company highlights that the roster was made with “materials that have never been used in sportswear,” some of which has already made its way onto NASA’s equipment for space-travel. As ecouterre points out, among what’s on offer, you’ll find bags made from the Ortho fabric used on the outside of spacesuits to the Mars Yard shoe with Vectran fiber — the same stuff from the airbags of the Mars Excursion Rover. There’s nary a detail about pricing, but the goods will be available at various boutiques around the world and at Space Program: Mars while it’s open until Jun 17th inside of New York City’s Park Avenue Armory. Hit up the links below to gaze at all the details.

Nike and Tom Sachs reach for the stars, create NikeCraft sportswear with space-grade materials originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 21:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been a battle of epic proportions over a microscopic piece of plastic, but the warring sides appear to be working together to find a compromise. We’re referring to the fight between Apple and a coalition formed by RIM, Motorola and Nokia as each group attempts to make their own nano-SIM design the ETSI standard. Neither entity has seemed willing to extend an olive branch and come up with any compromise — until recently. RIM and Motorola has updated their design proposal in an effort to reach middle ground with Cupertino, and it appears that they were more than accommodating in the chip’s refreshed look (seen above).

So how different can two nano-SIM designs be? Worlds apart, it turns out. For instance, RIM and Motorola have insisted from the beginning that a notch is necessary to allow for “push-push” mechanisms (push to lock the chip in place, push to pop it back out again); Apple, on the other hand, has been entirely anti-notch — not a surprise, given the fact that the company uses SIM trays on the iPhone, therefore making the concept of a notch completely irrelevant. In its redesign, however, RIM and Motorola took elements from both sides of the fight and combined them. The new look retains Apple’s simple rectangular style, but still makes room for a low-key notch on one side. It’s difficult to say whether this move will be enough to gain the affection of Tim Cook’s company and sway the vote — Apple is still hard at work modding its own design, after all — but it’s nice to see both factions playing nice with each other prior to the next ETSI meeting on May 31st. Head to the source to see the difference between the original designs and the latest version.

RIM and Motorola modify nano-SIM proposal, hope to meet Apple halfway originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 00:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We already had a fairly good idea of pricing for Samsung’s trio of NX cameras, but until the company’s US arm released figures of its own, we withheld hope that the entry-level NX1000 would break the critical $600 barrier. Sadly, that’s not the case — that curvy flavor will retail for $700 in white, black or pink finishes come June, with a 20-50mm kit lens in tow. Timing couldn’t be more unfortunate for Samsung’s NX line, considering that Sony upped the stakes earlier today with its NEX-F3, the successor to the wildly-popular NEX-C3, which is priced to sell at $600 with an 18-55mm kit lens. That camera’s 16.1-megapixel APS-C sensor is the same physical size as what you’ll find on the NX1000, NX210 and NX20, but Samsung’s version ups the resolution to 20.3MP. Still, seasoned shooters know that megapixel count isn’t a critical spec, making that extra 100 bucks a hard swallow for would-be NX1000 owners. Samsung’s other mirrorless models, the NX210 and NX20, are available now for $1,100 and $900, respectively, so if you’re in the market for an upgrade, those cameras may be worth considering. Full PR is after the break.

Continue reading Samsung NX210 and NX20 now available, NX1000 to ship in June for $700

Samsung NX210 and NX20 now available, NX1000 to ship in June for $700 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The FCC has been making a big push towards freeing up the airwaves for medical uses, and it just took one of its biggest steps on that front by proposing to clear space for wireless body area networks. Agency officials want to let devices operate in the 2.36GHz to 2.4GHz space so that patients can stay at home or at least move freely, instead of being fenced in at the hospital or tethered to a bed by wires. Devices would still need the FDA’s green light, but they could both let patients go home sooner as well as open the door wider for preventative care. Voting on the proposal takes place May 24, which leaves our tech-minded hearts beating faster — and if the proposal takes effect, we’ll know just how much faster.

FCC wants to set aside wireless spectrum for medical body area devices, our hearts are literally aflutter originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 17:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pre-orders are nothing new in the realm of video gaming — they’re the requisite hype before the release day-storm. On the digital download front, however, that anticipatory frenzy hasn’t gotten much major industry support, until now. Sony, purveyor of all things PlayStation, has just tossed a bone to its many PSN subscribers, offering the option to purchase unreleased titles in advance of their planned launches. First up for the newly announced service is Sorcery, one of the company’s Move-compatible game due out later this month. Gamers who opt-in for the arrangement will receive an unlock key that should allow their consoles to begin the download process in tandem with the software’s official debut. Hit up the source below for the full FAQ.

Sony opens up PSN to digital download pre-orders originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 00:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comcast’s bandwidth policy has come under fire from several directions lately, and today it’s announced plans to test two new systems for managing capacity. In a company blog post, VP Cathy Avgiris describes the new “flexible” approaches it will be testing out in certain markets that start off by raising the limit to 300GB (from 250GB where it’s been since 2008) per month. One of the plans involves offering 300GB as a base on its Essentials, Economy, and Performance internet packages, and higher limits on its Blast and Extreme tiers, with extra data available as an add-on, possibly $10 for 50GB or so. The other plan simply bumps all tiers to 300GB per month and offers the additional blocks of data as needed. For markets where it’s not testing the new plans, it’s suspending enforcement of the 250GB cap entirely for now, although it says it will still contact “excessive” users about their usage.

We’re currently on a conference call concerning the changes and Comcast is reaffirming its belief that the FCC has decided it can “manage” data usage on its network, and that it will continue to do so in a “non-discriminatory” way. Particularly since the launch of its Xfinity TV Xbox 360 app others like Netflix and some consumer and networking watchdogs would beg to differ, it will be interesting to see if these approaches change anything. Executives on the call noted “noise” around the Xbox 360 app in making the change, but also pointed to an “ongoing internal discussion” and simply that times have changed from four years ago. The words that keep coming up so far are choice and flexibility, as well as mentioning that even today, very few customers approach the previous 250GB limit. In response to a question, Avgiris indicated the median usage for customers is still around 8-10GB per month.We’ll find out more like where the test markets are later, for now hit the source link for all the information currently available.

Update: Netflix has responded to the move, and it’s about what you’d expect. In other words, it appreciates the notion, but it’s still mad.

Comcast rethinks bandwidth caps, trials two new policies that involve higher 300GB monthly limits originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 13:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Music just isn’t the same without a host of flashing colors to go with it, right? iHome, at least, seems to think so. Its first Glowtunes speaker tower, the new iP76, comes packed with LEDs in seven different hues that can fade, pulse or strobe as your playlist requires. The three-foot iP76 sports a dock for your iPhone or iPod and packs four speakers with Reson8 technology. There’s also Bluetooth for streaming from other devices. The iP76 will go on sale for $200 in July. Already dreaming about all the sonic light shows you’ll host? Jump past the break for some press info to tide you over.

Continue reading iHome iP76 LED color-changing speaker indulges your love for pretty colors

iHome iP76 LED color-changing speaker indulges your love for pretty colors originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 18:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been more than a year and a half since Pentax first put out the K-r as its entry DSLR, so it’s about time that a sequel roll along to keep the company in the game. If we believe a French catalog, the K-30 should soon one-up its 2010-era brother with a new 16-megapixel sensor and an upgrade to “full HD” (read: likely 1080p) video from the 720p of today. Most of the real change, though, appears to be on the outside: the body would be “tropicalized,” which we’re sure means weather resistance and not a trip to Tahiti. We’ll be a bit disappointed if there aren’t subtler under-the-hood changes, though, as the ISO 25,600 sensitivity wouldn’t be any different than with the K-r, and the four frames per second continuous shooting would be a decided step back from the six of the K-30’s ancestor. The €799 ($1,014) with-tax price for an 18-55mm kit version likewise seems a bit steep for an entry DSLR, although we’ll bite given that this is the “maximum.” Let’s just hope there’s some wild color options in the pipeline whenever the K-30 arrives.

Pentax K-30 leaks out in French catalog, teases us with weather resistance and 1080p video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 14:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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