| Ceton previews DVR companion apps on Android and iOS, teases Echo beta 'soon' Apr 17th 2012, 22:12  A quick stop by the Intel pavilion here at NAB 2012 revealed our friends from Ceton hiding within, and even though we just saw the Q DVR and Echo companion extender on our last trip to Vegas a few months ago, there's a few new items to show already. As shown above, the mobile companion app that we had only seen so far on Windows Phone 7 is also up and running on Android and iOS. While the apps are still very early in their development they're already running smoothly with metadata provided by Rovi and the usual set of features for DVR scheduling and management. Each one is designed specifically for the platform it's running on, rather than pulling the same UI from one device to all. This seems like a good approach to us, but Ceton's looking for feedback from potential users about what they might prefer. Speaking of potential users -- all those interested in this hardware should keep an eye out as we're told that the plan is to have a beta for the DTS-compatible Echo extender "soon", likely within a few weeks. Ceton previews DVR companion apps on Android and iOS, teases Echo beta 'soon' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Nintendo granted patent for emulating handheld consoles and software Apr 17th 2012, 21:48  Any geek worth his / her salt knows that techdom's territory-spanning intellectual property spats are far from over, so we don't begrudge heavyweights like Nintendo for endeavoring to bulk up their litigious arsenal. Filed back in October of 2003 and just recently granted by the USPTO, is patent number 8,157,654 that gives the Big N ownership of a method to emulate video game consoles bearing built-in displays (think: handhelds) and accompanying software on external computing devices. What does that mean in plain 'ol English, dear gaming fanatic? Well, it could presage a device agnostic service that would break the company's vast backlog of handheld titles out of its walled garden and into the vast consumer wild. Or it could just be another legal armament poised for deployment should the sue-happy titans of the electronics industry come a-calling. Either way, the house that Mario built's got another IP bullet locked and loaded. Nintendo granted patent for emulating handheld consoles and software originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  USPTO | Email this | Comments | | BlackBerry flagship store coming to Dubai, hopes you'll buy Apr 17th 2012, 21:11  While RIM's current fortunes are making plenty of execs nervously tug at their ties, there's still plenty of people cheerfully tapping away on BlackBerry keyboards -- especially in the Middle East. It makes at least some sense, then, to launch a big ole' flagship shop in Dubai. Teaming up with local carrier Axiom Telecom, the handset manufacturer is in the final negotiation stages for a 1,500 square-foot store. According to RIM, it's the first of several planned for the region and should mean plenty of places to snap up one of those (reassuringly?) expensive BlackBerry Porsche models on your next overseas trip. Business class, of course. BlackBerry flagship store coming to Dubai, hopes you'll buy originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Phone Arena | Bloomberg | Email this | Comments | | Twitter introduces Innovators Patent Agreement, vows to not abuse patent system Apr 17th 2012, 20:52  When it comes to patents Twitter doesn't want to be part of the problem. Or, at least doesn't want you to think it's part of the problem and its new IPA (that's Innovators Patent Agreement, not India Pale Ale) outlines how it plans to stay above the fray and avoid abusing the system. The document is a relatively simple contract between Twitter and its employees that says any patents related to their work will be used for "defensive" purposes only. Meaning that the microblogging service has no plans to take one of its engineers designs and hammer Google in court because a function of Google+ is similar to a feature of Twitter. Almost as important, these restrictions are bound to the patents themselves -- not the company. So, should Twitter ever sell off its patent quiver in an effort to boost its bottom line, the purchasers would still be bound by the IPA and unable to use them in offensive litigation without the inventors approval. Twitter intends to officially implement the agreement later this year and it will apply not only to all of its patents going forward, but will be retroactively applied to its existing stable. Check out the more coverage link to read the IPA in full. Twitter introduces Innovators Patent Agreement, vows to not abuse patent system originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Twitter | Email this | Comments | | Curved panel gives more depth to 3D projections, we take a look at NAB (video) Apr 17th 2012, 20:33  What we're about to show you is decidedly low-tech -- it's essentially a projection screen with a sharp curve at the bottom -- but the resulting effect conveys a more realistic 3D image, for certain applications, at least. The Communications Research Centre of Canada was on hand at NAB to demonstrate a small variety of lab projects, with agency representatives hoping to make an impression on attendees, who will theoretically apply these concepts to actual products, with no licensing fee making its way back to the True North. This particular project employs an off-the-shelf Optoma 3D projector, active glasses and a white screen positioned with a dramatic curve, that essentially works to provide a platform for 3D subjects to stand on. Believe it or not, the config really does make a difference, enabling a more immersive experience that makes 3D objects appear more realistic, assuming they're positioned in such a way that they're standing on the near-horizontal portion of the screen. Research Technologist Ron Renaud says that such a configuration would be ideal for video conferencing -- it's still no match for an in-person meeting, but it's certainly an improvement over the traditional approach. The demonstration projector wasn't configured to compensate for the curve, which theoretically makes it subject to warping, though we didn't notice any issues at the show. Like all 3D displays, you'll really need to see it for yourself to get an accurate impression of the experience, but jump past the break for an overview with Renaud, and a closer look at the screen. Continue reading Curved panel gives more depth to 3D projections, we take a look at NAB (video) Curved panel gives more depth to 3D projections, we take a look at NAB (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | |
