| Valve employee spills the hardware beans: wearable computers, ahoy Apr 14th 2012, 00:44 When Michael Abrash started working for Valve, he expected the higher-ups to hand him a pile of work and tell him to hop to it. They didn't. Instead, he was told to figure out the most valuable thing he could do for the company, and then do it. So, Abrash wound up kicking off an in-house R&D project for wearable computers, and according to a recent blog post, is looking to expand his research team. More than me-too mice and gamepads, indeed. Abrash is quick to put a lid on rumors of "Steam glasses," however, and warns readers not to expect any big reveals at E3 -- this is just an "initial investigation into a very interesting and promising space," he says, and is more "research than development." Rearing to give Google's Project Glass a run for its money? Or maybe you're just itching for a detailed narrative of employee and employer? Either way, you'll find what you're looking at the source link below. Valve employee spills the hardware beans: wearable computers, ahoy originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink The Verge | Valve Software | Email this | Comments | | HTC fixes rare One S chipping finish issue, swaps phones for free Apr 13th 2012, 23:55 The black HTC One S uses a process called micro arc oxidation (MAO) to harden its aluminum unibody and make it feel like ceramic. We've recently experienced some chipping on the finish of one of our review units, so we reached out to HTC to find out if this is a known problem. Turns out we're not the only ones to report the issue, and while rare, the company's gone ahead and tweaked its manufacturing process and is offering to swap affected phones for free for existing customers. Here's HTC's statement: HTC is committed to delivering a high quality product and great experience for all our customers. There have been a few, isolated reports of this issue. The finish on the One S was laboratory tested as being at a hardness similar to ceramic. While that's hard, it doesn't mean it's impossible to damage. Regardless, HTC takes quality very seriously and are providing all customers with an immediate fix and we are implementing some small changes to ensure customers do not experience this issue in the future. HTC fixes rare One S chipping finish issue, swaps phones for free originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Canon firmware update for XF camcorders incoming, brings broadcast friendly format along Apr 13th 2012, 23:34 Still loving your XF video shooter from Canon, but lamenting the lack of 1440 x 1080, 35 mbps HD? Better sit down on your director's chair then, as it looks like a forthcoming firmware update for the series adds exactly this (at both 50i and 60i.) The format is popular with broadcast and news, and no doubt Canon is hoping to broaden the appeal of the XF line by bundling it in -- or smoothing the workflow of existing owners. The update will be available to all four cameras in the range (XF100, XF105, XF300, and XF305,) and you'll be able to start shooting with it from end of May. Continue reading Canon firmware update for XF camcorders incoming, brings broadcast friendly format along Canon firmware update for XF camcorders incoming, brings broadcast friendly format along originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Lets Go Digital | | Email this | Comments | |