LG Revolution spotted running on Android 2.2.2

post from Ubergizmo on 14 February 2011 11:51:48 PM. © Ubergizmo

The LG Revolution was caught in Barcelona (where MWC 2011 action’s at) running on Android 2.2.2, which does come across as a surprise. As you all know, it has been the gospel truth that Android OS updates always arrives on Google’s own phone first – a tradition that started off with the Google Nexus One, and followed by the Nexus S (which was manufactured by Samsung). Basically, Android 2.2.2 is a new build of Froyo which has been made available to Nexus One users as it fixes a bunch of bugs, hence pushing it down the pecking order in terms of importance. After all, 2.2.2 brings it closer to Android 2.3 Gingerbread, as the LG Revolution is tipped to arrive in anyways.

LG Revolution spotted running on Android 2.2.2, By Ubergizmo. Top Stories : LG Optimus 2X Review, Nexus S Review,

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RURO robot teaches younglings about recycling

post from Ubergizmo on 14 February 2011 11:46:41 PM. © Ubergizmo

They say that we do not inherit the planet, but rather, we look after it for the next generation. If that saying is true, then shouldn’t we do our part to educate the little ones on recycling so that when they grow up, they will be able to make better eco-friendly choices? RURO, a diminutive communication robot that is cute-as-a-button was specially constructed to do so, where it will also be able to do much more such as play back recorded messages including greetings. Standing at 60cm tall, it relies on Kondo KRS-4024HV hobby servo motors to move around slowly, while a spinning light atop its head enables it to detect a thief as touted in our source – no idea how it does so though. Check out RURO in action in the extended post.

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RURO robot teaches younglings about recycling, By Ubergizmo. Top Stories : LG Optimus 2X Review, Nexus S Review,

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Kinect hack gives you magic powers over Roomba

post from Ubergizmo on 14 February 2011 11:42:47 PM. © Ubergizmo

The Microsoft Kinect has proven itself to be more than a gaming tool that is to be enjoyed by millions in the world over, as enthusiasts have taken the Kinect to do so much more. One of the latest (and most interesting) hacks to date would be getting the Roomba to obey gesture commands, as long as the Kinect’s sensor is connected to a PC. Said sensor will communicate with the Roomba through a tiny Bluetooth dongle, where driving and steering commands are sent to it based on the positions of your hands and hips. This is the perfect hack to trick your nephews and nieces into thinking that you are Luke Skywalker’s long lost descendant, and still wield mastery over the Force. Of course, this overriding of the Roomba makes it redundant since the robotic vacuum cleaner is supposed to go about its tasks without having you bothering it (or it bother you), but that certainly detracts from the coolness factor. A video of this setup in action is available after the jump.

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Kinect hack gives you magic powers over Roomba, By Ubergizmo. Top Stories : LG Optimus 2X Review, Nexus S Review,

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Sleep apnea sufferers get some relief from CPAP

post from Ubergizmo on 14 February 2011 11:34:58 PM. © Ubergizmo

The CPAP device – also known as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, is actually an aid which intends to ease breathing for folks who suffer from sleep apnea. The device itself will not only do that, but also function as a humidifier as it is easily integrated into the home environment. The design of this conceptual device could definitely be worked on further, since it does seem as though it is more of a medical device than something you won’t be ashamed of using in the living room while chilling out. Of course, it definitely isn’t that much of a turn on either, so your home relations might also suffer from some downtime in the process, but at least it beats having sleep apnea permanently, right? We look forward to a refined design and someone willing to take up the manufacturing cost of this idea.

Sleep apnea sufferers get some relief from CPAP, By Ubergizmo. Top Stories : LG Optimus 2X Review, Nexus S Review,

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BlackBerry PlayBook accessories pricing leaked

post from Ubergizmo on 14 February 2011 11:29:51 PM. © Ubergizmo

It seems to be the cardinal rule these days – roll out a piece of hardware, and make sure it comes with more accessories than what the average teenage girl has in her make up kit. Well, that’s one fast way to make a quick buck off gullible consumers who tend to give their devices more value than what it is worth. A pristine looking iPhone 4 five decades down the road isn’t going to fetch very much, we believe, so why not use it like a man – scratches, warts and all? The BlackBerry PlayBook is no different, with a slide of its accessories having leaked out so that you have a brief idea on how much to save for an OEM carrying case – we’re talking at anywhere from $29.99 to $59.99, depending on the type of quality and protection you’re looking at.

BlackBerry PlayBook accessories pricing leaked, By Ubergizmo. Top Stories : LG Optimus 2X Review, Nexus S Review,

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Traccia phone concept throws writing into the mix
as well

post from Ubergizmo on 14 February 2011 11:26:09 PM. © Ubergizmo

Now here’s an interesting concept (and we’ve seen our fair share of concepts as well) that ought to excite your senses – known as the Traccia, this handset is modeled after how one uses a writing instrument, which is a pen in this case. This intuitive method of writing on a sheet of paper is then translated to commands for the phone, courtesy of its embedded optical sensor that is located at the end of the stick. Of course, whatever you write will be translated to a command or function thanks to the installed software. To put it in layman’s terms, your invisible writing will be transformed into an SMS or email format. Thanks to its built-in polycarbonate, the phone comes with a natural feel and makes the touchscreen all the more alluring. With a camera located at the center of the arc right under the display, this is truly a thing of beauty. One thing though, this doesn’t look too comfortable to hold, so good luck writing a few thousand words with this.

Traccia phone concept throws writing into the mix as well, By Ubergizmo. Top Stories : LG Optimus 2X Review, Nexus S Review,

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Panopreter Plus helps the visually impaired to
use computers

post from Ubergizmo on 14 February 2011 11:11:42 PM. © Ubergizmo

Panopreter

If you’ve used Windows computers for awhile, I’m sure most of you (if not all of you) have heard of Microsoft Sam. The text to speech engine that shipped with Windows was atrociously bad at pronouncing words you could recognize, but nevertheless it pretty much laid down the foundation of things to come. It’s been many years since Microsoft Sam was introduced, and breakthroughs in technology has allowed better text to speech to develop. Panopreter has just released a new version of their award winning dictation software ? Panopreter Plus. Their text to speech software is touted to read text aloud with natural sounding voices and convert text to spoken files in mp3 and wave file formats, giving users the ability to bring their documents with them wherever they go in audio form. A definite boon for the visually-impaired yet literature-fond crowd. Panopreter Plus also makes surfing a breeze with its Internet Explorer toolbar to offer text to speech conversion on the fly. Panopreter are offering a free 30-day trial on their website for Panopreter Plus ($29.95 to buy) though they also have a Panopreter Basic version for free if you’re not interested in all the extra bells and whistles. If you’ve ever needed a text to speech program that does better than Microsoft Sam, you can do no harm to give it a shot. Head here for more details.

Panopreter Plus helps the visually impaired to use computers, By Ubergizmo. Top Stories : LG Optimus 2X Review, Nexus S Review,

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More Facebook phones rumor persist, with mock up
image now

Remember the recently renewed Facebook phone rumor by HTC? Well, it seems that words are now backed up with at least a couple of purported press shots, where the most notable feature would be located at the bottom right hand corner of the handset – fancy having a dedicated Facebook button there? Of course, you can tell that this is not the real deal, but it could be an early detailed image of what could be the final piece of hardware from HTC. We do find it interesting that HTC has still not come out of the closet, consistently denying that they will be churning out a Facebook phone. Of course, we too, wonder, what the whole point of having a dedicated Facebook button would do to add value to the overall phone experience since an icon on the phone’s home screen is also good enough.

More Facebook phones rumor persist, with mock up image now, By Ubergizmo. Top Stories : LG Optimus 2X Review, Nexus S Review,

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Rumors of iPhone with sliding QWERTY keyboard

To see a physical keyboard on the iPhone is clearly the byproduct of having too much wine to drink the night before, or is it? A Taiwanese website claims that Apple has already come up with a trio of hardware prototypes that are part of its next-generation iPhone, where one of the three will feature a slide-out physical keyboard. It does seem as though the prototype is some sort of iPhone 4 clone, although you do get better innards including an improved camera and superior battery life. What do you think of this rumor – does it hold any water? Of course, the presence of a physical keyboard on an iPhone will naturally have us thinking that Apple is looking to pierce into the enterprise market with new hardware while offering a similar ease-of-use where its user interface is concerned.

Rumors of iPhone with sliding QWERTY keyboard, By Ubergizmo. Top Stories : LG Optimus 2X Review, Nexus S Review,

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Nokia might venture into CDMA phones with Verizon

We do know that Nokia has decided to team up with Microsoft and their Windows Phone 7 platform, incurring the wrath of their engineers (who mostly deal with the Symbian platform), and the Finnish company has certainly not lost any time in making sure that they will be establishing their presence among various carriers in the US once again. Word has it that Nokia has already been talking to Verizon Wireless, so it does leave the question of when the first Windows Phone 7 from Nokia will arrive via Verizon? After all, having CDMA support for Windows Phone 7 arriving next month, both Sprint and Verizon will certainly be playing catch-up with their range of WP7 devices. So far, Verizon did not comment on the situation just yet, so we do hope that something more concrete will roll out in due time.

Nokia might venture into CDMA phones with Verizon, By Ubergizmo. Top Stories : LG Optimus 2X Review, Nexus S Review,