| Insert Coin: GameDock lets your iPhone interface with a TV and controllers, game it old school Jul 4th 2012, 20:57 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.  With its GameDock, Cascadia Games has a new twist on iOS arcade play -- it lets you use your TV and two classic controllers. While retro games are popular on iPhones right now, an intense session can go haywire if your digits slip around on the tactile glass, and head-to-head play is literally that if you're sharing a small device with a foe. That aforementioned situation inspired the GameDock, which turns into a full-blown console when you plug in and pair your iPhone, iPad or iPod using Bluetooth, then connect your TV, along with a couple of USB game controllers. Just like that, you and a buddy are playing big-screen Asteroids, Centipede and 100 or so other iOS games that work with iCade. With 43 days remaining, just shy of 10 grand has been upped toward the $50K goal, so check the source if you want to revel in the gaming days of yore -- eye or thumb strain-free. Continue reading Insert Coin: GameDock lets your iPhone interface with a TV and controllers, game it old school Insert Coin: GameDock lets your iPhone interface with a TV and controllers, game it old school originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  Kickstarter | Email this | Comments | | Qualcomm enlists Samsung, UMC to help meet 28nm Snapdragon S4 demand Jul 4th 2012, 20:34  Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 chipset is certainly hot (well, not too hot), but it looks like demand is expected to grow even further, causing the San Diego-based SoC maker to turn to allies in the east to help beef up supply. According to China Economic News Service, United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) and Korea-based Samsung will join Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) to manufacturer the 28nm chips beginning later this year, in an attempt to increase S4 availability ahead of the Windows RT launch. The article cites Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs as saying that a shortage is expected to continue, due to the complicated techniques necessary to manufacturer 28nm chips, and that the company may consider adding its own manufacturing plant in the future. All in all, it doesn't seem like a terrible position for QCOM to be in. Full details are at the Taiwanese source link below. Qualcomm enlists Samsung, UMC to help meet 28nm Snapdragon S4 demand originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  SlashGear | China Economic News Service | Email this | Comments | | Key MeeGo team members leave Nokia, N9 owners swipe away a few tears Jul 4th 2012, 20:13  This week will be remembered as a volatile one if you're a MeeGo fan. Just hours after Nokia posted the PR 1.3 update for N9 owners, the company's MeeGo development lead Sotiris Makyrgiannis and other team members have confirmed that they're leaving for greener pastures. The split appears to be an amicable one, with the crew largely going to CloudBerryTec to write mobile apps (including for MeeGo) and consult on software even as they share fond memories. What's left is a lot of doubt over the fate of the swipe-driven OS itself. Nokia promised years of support for the OS as a side project following the big leap to Windows Phone, but it also hadn't mentioned the possibility of important staff departures, either. We've reached out to the company for a fuller answer -- if it turns out that MeeGo development is winding down, the staff shift could be the end to completely in-house OS creation at a company that was once defined by its custom platforms. Key MeeGo team members leave Nokia, N9 owners swipe away a few tears originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink GSMArena, My Nokia Blog | Sotiris Makrygiannis (Twitter), Maemo.org | Email this | Comments | | Belkin WeMo Switch and Motion home automation system for iOS hands-on (video) Jul 4th 2012, 19:26  Proper home automation systems can cost upwards of $10,000, and while budget alternatives can't touch the level of integration you'll enjoy with a behemoth rig, all but the most sophisticated of homeowners can squeak by with a simple timer setup -- or the modern equivalent. Belkin's WeMo duo utilizes two types of plug-in modules paired with an iOS 5+ app, which you'll use to set macros, control lights and schedule on/off times. A Switch module can turn on and off a lamp, fan, coffee maker, television or heating appliance from a connected iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. You can also set a seemingly unlimited number of detailed schedules for each device, all from the comfort of your WiFi-equipped touchscreen handheld. You can integrate the optional Motion device with a set of macros as well, configuring your lights to turn on once you step through the foyer, or your coffee maker to launch a brew as you walk through your bedroom door. We wired up a lamp in a New York City apartment to give WeMo a go, and things generally worked as advertised. Setup is fairly straightforward -- simply plug in a module, select its corresponding SSID broadcast from iOS then launch the free app to force the device onto your home WiFi network. You'll need to repeat the process to add each gadget or sensor, but once you do, you'll be able to config and control any connected gadget from anywhere on the network, or beyond. The system theoretically supports remote access without any additional setup (modules are registered to the app) but we weren't able to power up the lamp while on 3G during multiple attempts. That detail aside, we'd be happy to welcome WeMo into our home, though the absent Android app throws in a speed bump for sure. You have two options for adding WeMo -- there's a Switch + Motion kit available for $100, which includes a power control and motion sensor, or you can opt for the Switch solo for $50. Then, simply add as many outlet controllers as you wish, at 50 bucks a pop. You can see that first combo in action in our hands-on video after the break. Continue reading Belkin WeMo Switch and Motion home automation system for iOS hands-on (video) Belkin WeMo Switch and Motion home automation system for iOS hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Belkin | Email this | Comments | |
