| Insert Coin: Modkit Micro asks us if we're ready for six-year-olds coding Arduino boards May 29th 2012, 14:01 In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.  What does microcontroller programming have in common with Tetris? Quite a bit if you're doing it with Modkit Micro from a Kickstarter project out of Cambridge, MA., which allows almost anyone to visually set up their hardware using graphical blocks to write the code. The partially-hooded trio behind it promises that the software is ideal for use with protyping boards from Arduino, Evil Mad Science, Lilypad, Seeed Studio, Wiring and SparkFun, and they even claim that elementary school students have used it to "take their projects from concept to reality in just a few hours." Purists should have no fear either: you can still get into a code view to see what's going on behind the scenes. A web-based Modkit Micro is being offered online starting June 1st for $25, and there'll be a desktop variant for Windows, OSX, and Linux as early as July if they reach their funding target. Check out the video after the break and then try to get your kids to wait for college before inventing version 2.0 of this. Continue reading Insert Coin: Modkit Micro asks us if we're ready for six-year-olds coding Arduino boards Insert Coin: Modkit Micro asks us if we're ready for six-year-olds coding Arduino boards originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 10:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Boing Boing |  Kickstarter, Modkit Micro | Email this | Comments | | Google patents view augmentation method and glasses, sees what you cannot May 29th 2012, 13:29  Google continues to keep our friends down at the US Patents and Trademark Office busy with its latest filing, involving augmented reality and a pair of relatively staid (at least by these sketches) pair of glasses. The patent outlines a system where a view-finder could identify what we're gawking at, adding in extra factual details and also outlining new points of interest -- including those that aren't necessarily within the view of our own eyes. The glasses would then be able to notify us with a medley of visual indicators and cues (including the slightly awkward notion of light-up frames), guiding our gaze to something we'd hopefully want to take a look at. There's more to Google's latest idea than simple tourist-centric finger-pointing though, also looking to augment how we read. The device would detect when someone is reading from a digital display and even feel out the rest of the information currently out of view. It would then direct readers to points of interest; possibly pictures, possibly those important factual nuggets -- the patent still plays loose with the specifics. But if you're into such vague and fanciful product description, you can take a look at the full filing at the source below. Google patents view augmentation method and glasses, sees what you cannot originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 09:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | USPTO | Email this | Comments | | Dell adds XPS One 27 with 2560 x 1440 screen to its all-in-one lineup, prices start at $1,399 (video) May 29th 2012, 13:00  HP, Sony and Toshiba have already outed their new offerings for the back-to-school season, and now Dell is stepping up to the plate with announcements of its own. First up is the XPS One 27 all-in-one. As the name would suggest, it has a 27-inch screen, and the resolution is an impressive 2560 x 1440 pixels. All configurations are going to ship with Ivy Bridge processors (Core i5 or i7) with up to 16GB of memory, and the standard 1TB 7,200RPM hard drive can be swapped out for a 2TB HDD or 32GB SSD. Meanwhile, Waves MaxxAudio 4, Infinity-branded speakers, a Blu-ray drive and optional 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT640M GPU memory (upgradeable from integrated Intel graphics) up this machine's multimedia cred. An optional internal TV tuner will also be offered. Wrapping things up, there are four USB 3.0 sockets, two USB 2.0 ports with power charge, audio out, HDMI, VGA, mic and headphone jacks and an 8-in-1 memory card reader. The XPS One 27 starts at $1,399, and while it's available in Asia starting today, it's not expected to hit the US for a few weeks. Continue reading Dell adds XPS One 27 with 2560 x 1440 screen to its all-in-one lineup, prices start at $1,399 (video) Dell adds XPS One 27 with 2560 x 1440 screen to its all-in-one lineup, prices start at $1,399 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Dell announces Inspiron One 23 and One 20 all-in-ones (video) May 29th 2012, 13:00  In addition to the XPS One 27, Dell just unveiled a pair of Inspiron all-in-ones that will launch in the US in the coming weeks. First up, there's the One 23, the larger version of the two with more robust internals, and then there's the One 20, which has a 20-inch display and a more budget-friendly price. Starting at $749, the Inspiron One 23 is available with either second- or third-generation Intel CPUs, ranging from a 3.3GHz Core i3-2120 processor at the entry level to a Core i7-3770s in top-of-the-line models. It comes standard with 500GB of storage, though that can be upped to 2TB. You can also add an AMD Radeon HD 7650A graphics card with 1GB of video memory, if the standard Intel HD 4000 graphics aren't going to cut it. The port selection is similar to what you'll find on the new XPS One 27: four USB 3.0, two USB 2.0 with power charge, audio out, VGA, mic and headphone jacks and a card reader (HDMI-in is optional). Other features include Waves MaxxAudio 3 and an optional Blu-ray drive. While the XPS One 27 and One 23 both offer Ivy Bridge processors, the more competitively priced Inspiron One 20 has only Sandy Bridge options: a 2.2GHz dual-core G620T processor on up to a 2.6GHz Core i3-2120T CPU. Starting at $549, it leaves out discrete graphics, with Intel's HD 2000 solution being the only option. Its 20-inch screen has a pixel count of 1600 x 900, and optical media fans can add a Blu-ray reader. Storage-wise, you're looking at 500GB up to a 1TB 7,200RPM drive. Ports include five USB 2.0 connections, mic and headphone jacks and an 8-in-1 media card reader. Check out the galleries past the break for a closer look. Continue reading Dell announces Inspiron One 23 and One 20 all-in-ones (video) Dell announces Inspiron One 23 and One 20 all-in-ones (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | |
