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Acer launches Liquid Gallant, Liquid Gallant Duo in preparation for IFA Aug 21st 2012, 12:29 Acer's itchy trigger-finger has caused it to launch two new Ice Cream Sandwich-powered smartphones before IFA kicks off next week. The Liquid Gallant comes in single (Solo) and dual-sim (Duo) variants, packing a 1GHz MT6575, 1GB RAM, a 4.3-inch qHD capacitive display, 5-megapixel camera and a 1,500mAh battery. It'll include 4GB on-board storage, which can be bolstered with microSD up to 32GB, there's 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0 + EDR. The budget-nature of the specs gives us hope that it'll be moderately priced when the Duo arrives in September, rapidly followed by its single-sim kid brother -- with both available in "Gentle Black" and "Ceramic White." Continue reading Acer launches Liquid Gallant, Liquid Gallant Duo in preparation for IFA Filed under: Cellphones Acer launches Liquid Gallant, Liquid Gallant Duo in preparation for IFA originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments MakerPlane lets you build an experimental aircraft with digital printers Aug 21st 2012, 12:24 If you're a member of that mildly crazy tribe who want to build and actually fly their own airplane, MakerPlane has a new way of enabling your obsession. The open source aviation organization will allow you to download its plans and schematics for free, then build your plane's parts using CNC (computer numerically controlled) mills and 3D printers. If you don't have one of those lying around, you'll be able to go to a "makerspace" replete with all the necessary tools to get your wings whipped up, instead. As for keeping the blue side up, open source avionics software will also be included, allowing bold dabblers to create digital flight instruments and displays. For now, the group is working on its first set of plans, led by an aeronautical engineer volunteer, and hopes to have that design (shown above) flying in time for the Oshkosh airshow in 2014. While you're waiting, start looking for trusting souls brave enough to fly in a small plane you built yourself. Filed under: Transportation MakerPlane lets you build an experimental aircraft with digital printers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink BoingBoing  |  MakerPlane  | Email this | Comments ooVoo updates its iOS and Android apps to support four-way video calls Aug 21st 2012, 12:00 First ooVoo opened up four-way video chats on Facebook, and now the video calling service is doing the same for its Android and iOS apps. The company just updates both applications so that you can view up to four video streams at once, though you can carry on text chats with as many as 12 people. That's true of both platforms, though the Android version is admittedly getting a few more changes. The newest version of the app brings deeper integration with Google services, plugging into the native Android address book to show missed calls, as well as a list of which friends are available to chat. To that end, Android users get not just the app, but also a widget that displays these tidbits at a glance. Rounding out the list of improvements, the updates introduce push notifications as well as the ability to text chat in the middle of a video call. Gallery: Updated ooVoo apps for iOS and Android with four-way video streams Continue reading ooVoo updates its iOS and Android apps to support four-way video calls Filed under: Software ooVoo updates its iOS and Android apps to support four-way video calls originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments Apple gets patent for process that replaces unwanted media with user content Aug 21st 2012, 11:27 If your favorite audio or video broadcasts are spamming you with obnoxious ads (or anything else you don't like) an Apple patent describes a process to cut them out -- then substitute your personal content. First, the system would check media in real time through audio analysis or metadata scanning. Then, it would determine if it's "of interest" to you by checking it against a profile based on your listening habits or personally defined preferences. Finally, if it thinks you're into a particular stream, it would continue playing it, and if not, it could blast something from your own collection. The patent claims even describe a TiVo-like time-shifting function -- ensuring you'd catch that entire guitar solo while not missing a single word from your favorite show. Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs Apple gets patent for process that replaces unwanted media with user content originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 07:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink   |  USPTO  | Email this | Comments Google grabs glove-based input patent, could spell out gesture control Aug 21st 2012, 10:52 Google might have already patented some nifty eye-tracking controls, but that doesn't mean it isn't considering other sensory input. A recently granted patent hints at a potential glove-based controller, with references to a pair of detectors that record "images" of an environment, and then determine gestures based on the calculated movement between them. The illustrations go on to show a hand drawing out the letter J, indicating it could be used for text input, while another suggests recognition of pinch-to-zoom style gestures. There's no mention of its fancy glasses in the patent, but we're thinking a glove to control the Nexus 7 might be a bit overkill. Filed under: Peripherals Google grabs glove-based input patent, could spell out gesture control originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 06:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink   |  USPTO  | Email this | Comments

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