Tag Archives: video
Smule Guitar app plays nicely with Sing (video)
Bay Area app developer Smule has amassed an army of mobile instruments, but really, what fun are all those music makers without a little good, old fashioned jamming? Today, the company’s offering up the simply named Guitar, an app that lets you strum along to songs recorded through its equally straightforwardly named Sing. At present, the company has hand-picked a dozen or so singers, letting you play along (though expect that number to increase, as time goes on), becoming “the first pair of [Smule] apps that actually talk to each other,” according to the company.
Using the app is pretty straightforward for anyone who’s messed around with Guitar Hero and its ilk, letting you know when to strum via swipe through a dynamically scrolling layout. On more advanced modes, you can choose the chord you want to play, but in Easy, it’ll just do it for you. You can pick a single string with a tap and add vibrato by shaking your iPhone / iPad. We got a preview of the app during a recent visit to the Smule office for the Engadget Show, back when it went under the (arguably superior) name “Strum.” Check out video of that and the final version after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software
Source: iTunes
Video: Brian Urlacher remembers when Tom Brady ‘juked me out of my shoes’
In his 13-year career, Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher established himself as one of the greatest NFL players of the new millennium. And when he officially retired on Wednesday, it got people thinking about his legacy. A Super Bowl appearance, 180 regular-season starts, 41.5 sacks, 22 interceptions, 1,052 solo tackles, eight Pro Bowls, four First-Team All-Pro nominations, and his status as one of the few players to rack up the AP’s Defensive Rookie of the Year (2000) and Defensive Player of the Year (2005) awards all will likely lead Urlacher to the Pro Football Hall of Fame sooner than later.
That said — and this happens to every great player — there are those moments one would rather forget. When Urlacher called into the Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday morning, Patrick went through many of Urlacher’s great moments, and then got him to remember one of the goofier plays of the 2006 season — which may have been Urlacher’s best.
When Patrick asked Urlacher, “Who was the quarterback or running back you didn’t get, and you really wanted to?” it didn’t take Urlacher long to remember one particularly embarrassing play against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. It was Week 12 of the 2006 season, and Brady — who will hardly go down as the most mobile quarterback of all time — managed to elude Urlacher in the open field on a fourth-quarter scramble. As you can see in the video above, it was an atypical play for several reasons.
“Brady always kicked our butts — I don’t think we ever beat [New England] when Tom Brady was the starting quarterback,” Urlacher remembered. “He juked me out of my shoes in 2006.”
As Patrick said, “Every white guy who couldn’t move loved that play, because it was Brady who was doing it.”
“Man, he really got me, and he’s one of the best of all time,” Urlacher concluded. “There were just some guys I had a hard time with.”
Not too many, but Urlacher also remembered his first experience against Minnesota Vikings superstar back Adrian Peterson, which did not go well at all for the veteran linebacker. It was Week 5 of the 2007 season, and Urlacher said something that got up Peterson’s nose. He soon found out that it was a bad place to be.
“We had decent games against Adrian, but the one game I wish I could take back was the first game of his rookie year. He rushed for, I think, 220 yards (224 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries), and ran a kickoff back 70 yards. At the beginning of the game, I said something … I don’t remember what I said, but I think I pissed him off. I said something about being a rookie, and he had a good game. ‘Rookie this, rookie that,’ and that was a bad move.”
And that’s one of the things we like best about Brian Urlacher — one of the things that has always made him a rare individual. No matter how great he was at his peak (and he was spectacular), he could always be honest about the foibles that even the greatest must endure.
AT&T to allow FaceTime, other video chat apps over cellular for all customers
AT&T on Monday said it plans to more broadly enable the use of Apple’s FaceTime for users over its cellular network in the next few weeks, and by year’s end plans to allow video chat apps use over its network by all customers. This latest position on FaceTime and similar apps represents total shift from its position almost a year ago.
AT&T’s statement to the Verge on Monday notes that “by mid-June, we’ll have enabled those apps over cellular for our unlimited plan customers who have LTE devices from [Apple, Samsung and BlackBerry].” Besides FaceTime, Samsung and BlackBerry’s pre-installed video chat apps will also be included.
And more will be coming for all of its customers before the end of the year: “Throughout the second half of this year, we plan to enable pre-loaded video chat apps over cellular for all our customers, regardless of data plan or device; that work is expected to be complete by year end.”
When Apple updated its mobile video chat app to work over cellular last summer, AT&T came under fire when it announced subsequently that only customers who subscribed to one of its Mobile Share plans could use it. Several open internet groups threatened to file complaints with the FCC, calling the carrier’s policy a violation of net neutrality. Several months later, AT&T opened the service to anyone with an LTE device.
Based on broadness of the statement, it sounds like video chat apps like Google’s new Hangouts app, available for both iOS and Android, will also be free to operate over AT&T’s network later on this year.
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Video: Jerome Bettis Talks About His New Anaphylaxis “Playbook”
Did you know that up to six million Americans may be at risk for anaphylaxis – a severe allergic reaction that happens quickly and may cause death?
Former Steelers RB Jerome Bettis knows personally the role that having severe allergies can cause in everyday life – he lives with a severe allergy to shellfish.
Together, Bettis and Sanofi US are launching The Severe Allergy & Anaphylaxis Playbook – a guide of valuable “plays” or tips to help people living with severe allergies, and their caregivers, avoid allergens and plan effectively in case of an emergency.
Listen to the interview above on all about the Playbook, as well as info on Jerome’s life after football and the Hall of Fame.
Sony Xperia UL announced for Japan: 5-inch 1080p display and 15-frame burst photography skills (video)
The FCC might have spoiled the surprise, but Sony’s now gone official with yet another smartphone and this one’s for its native Japan. The Xperia UL appears to be a slightly thicker riff on the Xperia Z, matching the display of the company’s early-2013 flagship, while adding a Snapdragon 600 processor to the 5-inch 1080p screen. It’s worth noting that those are two substantial spec bumps up from the similar-looking NTT DoCoMo Xperia A. That improved processor taps into the built-in Exmor RS 13-megapixel camera sensor, offering up the ability to capture 15 frames in a second. NFC, naturally, is already in attendance as well as the Felica wireless payment system. You’ll also get the benefits of both a physical camera button and water (IPX5/8) and dust resistance (IP5X) — two features in tandem that should help separate it from Sony’s pair of existing 5-inch 1080p smartphones. The Xperia UL will launch on KDDI’s au network in white, black and hot pink colors on May 25th. Check out the obligatory close-up ad after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
Source: Sony (Japanese)
Arduino Robot launches at Maker Faire, we go hands-on (video)
There’s a new kid on the Arduino block, and it’s called the Arduino Robot. Launched yesterday at Maker Faire Bay Area, it’s the company’s first product that extends beyond single microcontroller boards. The Roomba-like design, which we first saw in November 2011, is the result of a collaboration with Complubot. It consists of two circular boards, each equipped with Atmel‘s ubiquitous ATmega32u4 and connected via ribbon cable.
The bottom board is home to four AA batteries (NiMH), a pair of motors and wheels, a power connector and switch plus some infrared sensors. By default it’s programmed to drive the motors and manage power. The top board faetures a color LCD, a microSD card slot, an EEPROM, a speaker, a compass, a knob plus some buttons and LEDs. It’s programmed to control the display and handle I/O. Everything fits inside a space that’s about 10cm high and 19cm in diameter.
Pre-soldered connectors and prototyping areas on each board make it easier to customize the robot platform with additional sensors and electronics. It even comes with eleven step-by-step projects and a helpful GUI right out of the box. The Arduino Robot is now on sale at the Maker Faire for $ 275 and will be available online in July. Take a look at our gallery below and watch our video interview with Arduino founder Massimo Banzi after the break.
Gallery: Arduino Robot at Maker Faire 2013
Via: Make
Source: Arduino
Cast AR hands-on with Jeri Ellsworth at Maker Faire 2013 (update: video interview)
When Valve‘s first hardware hire, Jeri Ellsworth, tweeted back in February that she was fired from the company, we were disappointed but also intrigued by what she meant by “time for new exciting projects.” Well we finally saw what she’s been up to here at at Maker Faire 2013. It’s called Cast AR, and it’s a pair of 3D augmented-reality glasses that she and former Valve programmer Rick Johnson were working on at Valve before they left.
The model we saw is still in the early prototype stages, but the concepts are already in place. Perched atop a pair of active shutter glasses are a couple of miniature LCD projectors, which bounce images from a connected computer onto a special reflective surface at a 120Hz refresh rate. A camera module sits on the eyewear’s bridge and monitors an array of infrared LEDs embedded in the reflective surface. This allows for quick and accurate head tracking. Join us after the break for our impressions and our video interview with Jeri Ellsworth.
Gallery: Cast AR hands-on at Maker Faire 2013
University of Glasgow makes 3D models with single-pixel sensors, skips the cameras (video)
Most approaches to capturing 3D models of real-world objects involve multiple cameras that are rarely cheap, and are sometimes tricky to calibrate. The University of Glasgow has developed a method that ditches those cameras altogether. Its system has four single-pixel sensors stitching together a 3D image based on the reflected intensity of light patterns cast by a projector. Reducing the pixel count lowers the cost per sensor to just a few dollars, and extends the sensitivity as far as terahertz wavelengths. Real-world products are still a long way off, but the university sees its invention as useful for cancer detection and other noble pursuits. Us? We’d probably just waste it on creating uncanny facsimiles of ourselves.
Via: New Scientist
Source: University of Glasgow
Sony’s 13.3-inch e-ink paper prototype shown off at education expo in Japan (video)
Earlier this week, we learned of Sony’s plans for a 13.3-inch e-ink slate with stylus support pitched at students, and now Diginfo has caught up with the prototype device at the Educational IT Solutions Expo in Japan. The A4-sized tablet is said to be the first piece of hardware with an E Ink Mobius display that’s flexible and light due to its new plastic construction. Co-developed by Sony and E Ink, the display only contributes 60g to the overall weight, which is apparently 50 percent lighter than similar screens built with glass. Sony says the software isn’t quite as slick as it’d like it to be just yet, but nevertheless, you can check out people scrawling, annotating and highlighting on the prototype in the video below.
Filed under: Sony
Source: DigInfo (YouTube)
Amazon lands Prime Instant Video exclusives for five NBCUniversal shows
Amazon is still determined to snag every TV exclusive possible, and it just scored one of its better deals — or at least, one of the more forward-thinking. It now has the sole unlimited subscription streaming rights to the previous seasons of five NBCUniversal shows. The highlight could be Hannibal, which will reach the service later this year; gamers may also like the crossover SyFy series Defiance, which should be ready in early 2014. Those who just can’t wait to stream something will get their fill through exclusives for Covert Affairs, Grimm and Suits, all of which are in the catalog today. Amazon isn’t completely shutting out rivals like Netflix, however: its expanded NBCU deal includes regular deals for Alphas, Eureka, Smash, Warehouse 13 and a collection of children’s shows destined for Kindle FreeTime Unlimited. While we’d prefer that there be as few exclusives as possible, there’s no question that some Prime members will feel better about springing for that $ 79 yearly fee.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Amazon
Source: Amazon
