Volleyball-playing robots may only come around each ten years or so, but they at least bring along some fairly big improvements when they do show up — like actual mobility, in this case. Of course, “volleyball-playing” is still a bit of a stretch. The bot is actually designed to be more of a training aid, with it making use of a range of sensors, built-in GPS, a compass, and an iSight camera (all linked to a Mac mini) to track down balls and set them up for spiking drills. As you can see in the unfortunately short video after the break, all of that more or less works as advertised, although it seems that we’ll still have to wait quite a while for the inevitable robot vs. robot match.

Continue reading Volleyball-playing robot has Mac mini brain, heart of a champion

Filed under: Robots

Volleyball-playing robot has Mac mini brain, heart of a champion originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 May 2009 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: ABC, The CW, ESPN-HD, MyNetworkTV, Listings

What we’re watching tonight:

• TLC (1080i) has the season finale of Wild Weddings at 7 p.m., the season premiere of What Not to Wear at 9 p.m. and Wedded to Perfection at 10 p.m.
• MyNetworkTV (720p) airs WWE SmackDown at 8 p.m.
• Discovery (1080i) has Nature’s Most Astounding Events at 8 & 9 p.m.
• Cartoon Network (1080i) has Batman: The Brave and the Bold at 8:30 p.m.
• History (720p) brings Patton 360 at 9 p.m.
• ESPN (720p) has Lakers/Nuggets NBA WCF Game 6 at 9 p.m.
• ESPN2 (720p) continues the Women’s College World Series with Florida/Michigan at 9 p.m.
• ESPNU (720p) has Fresno State/UC Irvine at 11 p.m.

HDTV Listings for May 29, 2009 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 29 Might 2009 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The SwirlyTeam has released a quick update for SwirlyMMS, a homebrew application that lets iPhone users send MMS messages. This bumps the application up to version 1.2.1. The developers describe this update as minor, with the most notable change being that the text in an MMS now has a larger font and a white background. This update also includes a few bugfixes along with improved error handling and error messages. SwirlyMMS version 1.2.1 is now available on Cydia. Related articles: SwirlyMMS v1.2: send MMS messages through your iPhone Features that the iPhone doesn’t have

Via [apple.qj.net]

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We’ve finally got the details on that Ford SYNC refresh we recently warned you about. According to the company, current owners of 2010 cars with the device now can download and install the latest TDI (Traffic, Directions and Information) app for free. As mentioned before, the app connects a customer’s Bluetooth-enabled cell phone to Ford’s Service Delivery Network voice portal for turn-by-turn driving directions, real-time traffic, business searches, news, sports and weather. This bad boy will be available on all 2010 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with SYNC, $395. The sale price includes service for the first three years. Ready to SYNC your ride? Do you find the phrase “SYNC my ride” as amusing as we do? Hit that read link.

Filed under: Transportation

Ford offers SYNC TDI update free for 2010 model owners originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Might 2009 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Following last week’s announcement of the production version of the new BMW 5-series Gran Turismo comes a new more fuel efficient engine variant. For the last two years, BMW has offered a twin turbocharged 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine in the 335i, 535i and X5. When the new 535i Gran Turismo launches this fall it will be powered by a new single turbo edition of the same engine. Like the twin turbo, the new unit is also direct fuel injection with piezo injectors.

Loosing a turbo costs the engine 20 hp, bringing it from 326 hp to 306 hp, but peak torque stays the same at 295 lb-ft. The new engine does gain BMW’s Valvetronic system with variable lift and cam phasing. The Valvetronic system reduces the amount of engine vacuum at light load reducing pumping losses. The combination of technologies allows the engine to achieve its peak torque at just 1,200 rpm so that drivers can get good low speed acceleration without having to excessively rev the engine. The 535i GT is rated at 26.4 mpg (U.S.) on the combined EU test cycle. Further aiding efficiency is a an electronically controlled oil pump to reduce parasitic losses.

Finally, the engine is mated up with a new eight speed automatic transmission that’ll be standard on 5-series Gran Turismos regardless of what engine is installed.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading New BMW 5-series GT gets more efficient 6-cylinder turbo engine

Filed under: MPG, BMW

New BMW 5-series GT gets more efficient 6-cylinder turbo engine originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 28 Might 2009 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Popularity: 1% [?]

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Filed under: Handsets, Palm, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, EV-DO, CDMA, webOS

Ready for your daily dose of obvious? Good. After Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam proudly proclaimed that America’s largest mobile operator would be painting the Palm Pre red “in about six months,” Sprint has come forward to make sure we know that stated statement is probably right on the money. According to Sprint spokesman James Fisher: “We have the Pre through 2009.” Short, sweet and chock full of pent-up rage. ‘Course, six months after the Pre’s launch on Sprint lands us in December, giving VZW just enough time to cripple the phone’s hottest features and push it out before Valentine’s Day. Sounds pretty reasonable, no?

Sprint affirms Palm Pre exclusivity “through 2009″ originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Fri, 29 May 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are you ready to have your mind blown by some truly breathtaking gadget news? No, we’re not talking about our peek at the Zune HD with none other than Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. In fact, we’ve spicy hot new Windows licensing details. According to Tech ARP, Microsoft will soon allow end users to downgrade from Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate editions to either Windows Vista Business or Window XP Professional. If that weren’t enough, OEMs may now choose to install XP Professional, XP Pro Tablet, or XP Pro X64, instead of Windows Vista Business / Ultimate — as long as they fulfill a bunch of legalistic requirements regarding activation markers, certificates of authenticity, Windows Vista Logo criteria, and other stuff you probably don’t care about. It looks like the repudiation of Windows Vista is continuing apace… and we’re guessing that it doesn’t stop until it results in a series of war crimes tribunals in The Hague. (We can dream, can’t we?)

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Updated Windows 7 and Vista downgrade rights leaked originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 May 2009 10:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Push up those Armani shades and tighten your white trousers, the Dustbot is coming to wash the scum off the streets like a Segway riding Travis Bickle. Give him a call from your mobile and the Dustbot will come to your home and dispose of the rubbish. At least that’s the plan for this Italian disposal-bot fitted with GPS navigation, gyroscope, and a bevy of sensors meant to keep it from crushing the innocents. Look, we get that it’s a prototype and is meant to traverse the narrow streets of ancient cities, but a trash collecting robot with the capacity of just two kitchen cans seems like a serious limitation. Watch the long slow ride after the break.

[Thanks, Craig]

Continue reading Video: Dustbot takes out the Eurotrash

Filed under: Robots

Video: Dustbot takes out the Eurotrash originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Might 2009 07:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Displays, Media streamers, Sharp, LCD, Internet

With Akihabara, mobile TV that works and games like this, does Japan really need another nicety to remind us of how awesome it is? Starting this week, Yahoo Japan has started to deliver free video services to loads of Sharp AQUOS HDTVs. The so-called Douga Channel currently offers some 3,000 videos gratis, and absolutely no member registration is required to tap in. At least initially, the service will target Sharp’s AQUOS DS6 family of products, which are equipped with a revised Sharp GUI and an ‘Ex System’ for handling the video processing. Better still, the material coming through can be viewed in SD or HD, which has to make local cable companies cringe. At any rate, the company is still trying to hammer out a business model before delving into pay-TV, and it’s hoping to service at least one million TV sets in the not-too-distant future. So… any news for North America?

Yahoo Japan fires up video delivery service for Sharp AQUOS Televisions originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 28 May 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Via [apple.qj.net]

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