| iRobot's AIRarm prototype bot has an inflatable arm for manipulating objects, was built at DARPA's behest Aug 22nd 2012, 11:01  iRobot may be best known for its household automatons, but the company's expertise goes far beyond circular bots built for sweeping and scrubbing floors. Its Warrior and 110 FirstLook bots are built for the military, and now the Advanced Inflatable Robot (AIR) arm model is joining its armed forces brethren. The AIRarm prototype is essentially a Packbot whose metal arm's been replaced with an inflatable version able to lift four times its own half-pound weight. That might not seem like much, but considering most rigid robot arms can only lift a fraction of their own weight, it represents a sizable gain in strength-to-weight ratio. Plus, the arm can get stronger by simply dialing up the air pressure. As an inflatable limb, it can also operate delicately around meatbags -- just as the air pressure is increased for strength, it can be decreased when in close proximity to people so as not to injure them. For its prototype effort, iRobot's going to get a $625,000 contract from DARPA to continue the AIRarm's development, and you can see a bit of what that money will buy in the video after the break. Continue reading iRobot's AIRarm prototype bot has an inflatable arm for manipulating objects, was built at DARPA's behest Filed under: Robots iRobot's AIRarm prototype bot has an inflatable arm for manipulating objects, was built at DARPA's behest originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Wired |  Military and Aerospace Electronics | Email this | Comments | | Nikon Coolpix S800c hands-on: a closer look at the Android camera (video) Aug 22nd 2012, 10:40  It was only hours ago when Nikon officially unveiled the Coolpix S800c, but we've already laid our hands on this eccentric device. As you've probably already heard, the main selling point here is that said "smart camera" is powered by a slick (and near-vanilla) Android 2.3.3 with Google services, so with the built-in WiFi, you can upload your 16-megapixel images or 1080p videos straight to your various social networks or other cloud services. Or you can, if you're in the mood, just play Angry Birds on the S800c, but that 1,050mAh battery might not be ideal for prolonged entertainment. Sadly, we weren't allowed to share any images taken with the demo units (sorry, usual Nikon protocol), but what we can tell you is that both the camera's speed and quality weren't bad at all, and likewise with the 3.5-inch 854 x 480 OLED multitouch display -- the high pixel density makes the PenTile arrangement more forgivable. The most interesting thing we discovered was that it seems the camera part of the S800c can run independently from Android while the latter is still booting up. You see, rather than letting the device stay on standby like most other Android devices, Nikon uses a shut-down timer that activates once Android goes on standby. When the camera's completely switched off, hit the power button and you'll go straight into camera mode which lets you shoot immediately, then about half a minute later the interface seamlessly goes back to smart mode, which is when you can hit the back or home button to toggle the Android unlock screen (though we'd rather go straight into the home screen). This cunning trick would probably explain why we couldn't get any internal hardware detail from the few benchmark tools we installed, but we did squeeze out a score of 614 in Vellamo -- detailed breakdown in the gallery below. Anyhow, you can see the camera in action in the video after the break. The Nikon Coolpix S800c will be available next month for $350 in the US and £379 in the UK. As always, stay tuned for our review. Continue reading Nikon Coolpix S800c hands-on: a closer look at the Android camera (video) Filed under: Digital Cameras Nikon Coolpix S800c hands-on: a closer look at the Android camera (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 06:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Kingmax intros speedy, SandForce-packing SATA III Client Pro SSD Aug 22nd 2012, 10:24  Kingmax is known for pushing the limits now and then with its flash storage, so we're intrigued when it puts out a high-end solid-state drive for the mainstream. Its new SATA III Client Pro SSD lives up to that bill with the combination of a SandForce controller and faster flash memory that can reach some heady speeds for gamers and simple speed freaks alike. With the right drive and ideal conditions, we're looking at a brisk 550MB/s for sequential reads, 520MB/s for similarly ordered writes and a very capable 85,000 IOPS when writing at random. Kingmax isn't directly providing prices or release details, but it's offering capacities from 60GB to 480GB as well both laptop-focused (SMU32) and desktop-friendly (SMU35) kits. The Client Pro-inclined can find the full nuts-and-bolts details after the break. Continue reading Kingmax intros speedy, SandForce-packing SATA III Client Pro SSD Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Storage Kingmax intros speedy, SandForce-packing SATA III Client Pro SSD originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 06:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Kingmax (SMU32), (SMU35) | Email this | Comments | | Tritton Warhead 7.1 two-way headset for Xbox 360 now shipping Aug 22nd 2012, 09:48  Companies are no strangers to superlatives where new kit is concerned and Mad Catz is definitely no exception. With the release of its newest flagship, the Tritton Warhead 7.1, the outfit's claiming a novelty in the Xbox 360 space, labeling these cans as the "first... to deliver two-way communication" without the need for wires or controller adapters. Made specifically for Microsoft's green X gaming platform, the pair of 50mm drivers pump out Dolby 7.1 virtual surround sound over a 5.8GHz channel for up to 33ft of interference-free smack talk. The headset also offers gamers the ability to monitor their in-ear voice levels (SVM), control the volume of other players, as well as select EQ presets for a variety of media playback. And just so you never have to press pause to keep the friendly banter (read: cusses) flowing, the company's bundled in a dock and pair of of Li-ion batteries for "hot-swappable" recharging. These over-ears are available now for a cool $299 at BestBuy and the company's own site, so if you take your first-person action seriously, prepare to part with a few Benjamins. Official presser after the break. Continue reading Tritton Warhead 7.1 two-way headset for Xbox 360 now shipping Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals Tritton Warhead 7.1 two-way headset for Xbox 360 now shipping originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 05:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Nokia Windows Phone 8 devices said to arrive on Verizon this year Aug 22nd 2012, 09:21  We knew the date, we're even pretty sure that Nokia will be outing new hardware. What wasn't confirmed, however, was which carriers would be involved. If reports from Bloomberg are to be believed, we can expect Verizon to be one of them, and pretty soon too. Nokia has been a little more friendly with AT&T and T-Mobile, but this speculation could mean we see the first Windows Phone on Big Red since the middle of last year. Naturally we'll still have to wait and see exactly what pans out and when, but for now, the Verizon faithful (or contractually obliged) with Windows Phone yearnings, have a little glimmer of hope. Filed under: Cellphones Nokia Windows Phone 8 devices said to arrive on Verizon this year originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 05:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink WMPoweruser | Bloomberg | Email this | Comments | |
