| Samsung files for patent on safe taxi service, we hope we never fully test it Aug 9th 2012, 17:34  Anyone who often relies on taxi service to get around, as good as it can be, has likely had a driver who was less than courteous -- and in the worst cases, outright scary. Samsung wants to keep passengers safe, and drivers honest, through a just-published patent application for an end-to-end taxi service. On a basic level, it's a taxi finder with a rating system: the mobile app in the patent can hail a nearby cab based on the driver's "kindness" rating and verify that it's the right vehicle with a short-range wireless link, not unlike an even more genteel version of Uber. It's when passengers hop inside that Samsung's implementation takes on a more distinct shape. If the driver puts customers or the whole cab in danger, a passenger-activated SOS mode flags the car's location to get the police on the scene before it's too late. We don't know how likely Samsung is to implement such a system, although it has been actively developing more advanced backseat technology and filed the US patent in February, a year after its Korean equivalent. We do know this is one of the few patents we'd rather not completely experience first-hand -- the only crazy taxis we're comfortable with sit inside game consoles. Filed under: Transportation Samsung files for patent on safe taxi service, we hope we never fully test it originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 13:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  USPTO | Email this | Comments | | Engadget Podcast 305 - 08.09.2012 Aug 9th 2012, 17:10 Robots are so advanced these days that they even know how to make themselves prevalent during otherwise-humdrum news weeks to get themselves extra-featured on important and widely-listened-to technology audio programs. Almost live, from Portland, it's the mechanized takeover of The Engadget Podcast. Don't worry: the worst they can do is crush you underfoot. Hosts: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Orbital - Never 02:28 - Microsoft launches Outlook.com, a new email service with limited ads, unlimited storage and built-in Skype
06:58 - Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 official: Windows 8, NFC and a fingerprint reader, arrives in October
11:30 - RIM chief: we looked 'seriously' at Android, didn't want to join the herd
14:32 - Apple seizes on Samsung internal document as proof of mimicry
18:53 - CE-Oh no he didn't!: Acer's JT Wang tells Microsoft to 'think twice' about Surface
23:24 - NASA's Curiosity Mars landing successful, first pictures trickling in (video)
27:42 - WiFi-Extending Robot is built like a tank -- we talk to the people behind the project (video)
31:16 - Stompy gets off the ground with a Kickstarter: buy a ride on a 2-ton hexabot
33:33 - Cranial Drilling Device puts a hole in skulls, not brains
34:52 - Rethinking the robot hand at Harvard (video)
35:54 - TakkTile turns digital barometers into open-source robot touch sensors
37:22 - SLIPS liquid repeller is inspired by carnivorous plants, enemy to insects and graffiti artists alike
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E-mail us: podcast at engadget dot com Filed under: Podcasts Engadget Podcast 305 - 08.09.2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 13:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | TiVo Premiere 4 confirmed early, promises a 4-tuner DVR for the masses Aug 9th 2012, 16:51  TiVo owners who've wanted to record any more than two shows at a time or use more recent technology like MoCA have had to look towards the wallet-busting Premiere XL4, at least if they didn't happen to rely on a cable provider bundling the Premiere Q. Thankfully, TiVo has told Zatz Not Funny that a more affordable Premiere 4 option is on the way. The new DVR will still require QAM digital cable or FiOS TV for its tuners to sing, but its 500GB of space will likely lead to a significant price cut versus the 2TB-touting XL4 -- if also a whole lot of deleted old shows. MoCA, an eSATA port and a single CableCARD slot will carry over, so there's few other penalties in store for those who pass on the XL4 flagship. We don't have any official word on the launch strategy so far, although one loose-lipped rep has floated the rumor of a release within the next one to two months at $250 price tag. If true, the Premiere 4 will go a long way towards satisfying TV junkies who are more concerned about catching every show in a crowded prime time slot (and a lower cost) than digging through months-old archives. Filed under: Home Entertainment TiVo Premiere 4 confirmed early, promises a 4-tuner DVR for the masses originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 12:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Zatz Not Funny | Email this | Comments | | Amazon Cloud Player now lets you play content on your Sonos system, helps get the party started Aug 9th 2012, 16:32  Along with letting us know it had pleasantly updated its Cloud Player with 256 Kbps matched files, Amazon also briefly mentioned that Sonos compatibility would be coming sometime "soon." Well, it turns out you won't have to wait much longer to blast those jams on your HiFi wireless speakers, as the online retailer's announced its Cloud Player can now be used with any Sonos system. Naturally, the experience will be enhanced by using one of Amazon's apps, including those on iOS and, of course, its own Kindle Fire -- though you're not limited to these, as there are plenty more ways to stream content. Sound good? You can give it a try yourself now, or check out the meaty presser after the break if you're interested in perusing over the official notes. Continue reading Amazon Cloud Player now lets you play content on your Sonos system, helps get the party started Filed under: Home Entertainment, Wireless, Software Amazon Cloud Player now lets you play content on your Sonos system, helps get the party started originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 12:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Amazon | Email this | Comments | | Engadget's back to school guide 2012: e-readers Aug 9th 2012, 16:00 Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we're flippin' through the pages on our e-readers -- and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here!  Most of us are still walking around hunchbacked from years of carrying heavy textbooks in our overstuffed backpacks. Thankfully, an e-reader can significantly lighten the loads for students everywhere. Sure, we've still got a ways to go before electronic devices can replace textbooks altogether, but in the long run, they could significantly impact the postures of backpack wearers all over. Jump past the break for our recommendations, and another opportunity to enter our back to school giveaway. Simply leave a comment at the bottom to be entered to win, and head over to our giveaway page for more details. Continue reading Engadget's back to school guide 2012: e-readers Engadget's back to school guide 2012: e-readers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | |
