It’s Smarter Than You Think

Despite its tiny footprint, the Kinect is loaded with sensors. To track players in real-time it employs an RGB camera, an infrared camera, five microphones, and a motorized sub-system. All of these systems communicates with the Xbox through either a dedicated port (for the new Xbox 360 S), or a dongle for older models.

It Recognizes Your Identity and Tracks Your Skeleton

What makes the Kinect different from other motion tracking systems like the Wii and the Playstation Move is how it scans its players. Instead of other motion-sensing consoles, the Kinect’s array of sensors maps the room, its characteristics, and its inhabitants—once it rules out stationary objects, the Kinect determines what’s a flesh and blood gamer and what’s a potted plant. And since the software knows the gist of a human form (head, shoulders, various joints), it can effectively distinguish between different people.

The Software Has Been Tweaked Too

Along with the hardware, Microsoft has rolled out some major software updates. The Kinect dashboard serves as the hub for configuring, exploring, and interacting with Kinect-ready content. Though it’s a little barren today,  Microsoft says we can expect to see a number of apps leveraging Kinect in the near future. Hellooo voice-activated Netflix app.

There Are Decent Games, Just Not Many

Kinect is launching with a modest selection of 12 games at launch day. Though Kinect Sports and Dance Central were office favorites, the selection of hardcore titles is practically nil. Developers like Lionhead Studios are integrating Kinect-capabilities into existing titles like Fable 3, so we expect more in the future.

It’s Not All Perfect; There Are Limitations

In our tests, Kinect straddles a line between delight and disappointment. In the tight confines of the Gadget Lab (roughly 7 feet deep), Kinect Sports had trouble “seeing” our feet during the soccer mini-game. However, when we moved our setup to WIRED’s kitchen, we gained more space (and motion-capturing reliability), but less voice-recognition accuracy due to the atmospheric din.

See The Kinect in Action

Terrence Russell (@terrencerussell) co-wrote WIRED UK’s November cover story on the Kinect.

For more on the Kinect, please read our extensive coverage on Game Life.

(Photos by Jon Snyder for Wired.com)

View full post on Product Reviews | Wired.com

Sure, multitasking and AirPrint are nice features coming to the iPad with iOS 4.2. But PCWorld’s Mike Keller is really excited about the forthcoming update’s MIDI APIs.

View full post on Macworld

In today’s technology-driven society, kids are growing up learning how to use technology to their advantage and adults are incorporating more of it into their lives. Like anything, once you get used to a certain standard, it’s hard to (or, more accurately, hard to want to) adopt anything else. More than anything, the QWERTY layout for English-speaking typists has proven to be quick to learn, easy to remember, and very efficient for character input. (And not because that’s how or why it was designed.)

The layout first appeared on typewriters where it was necessary for certain letters’ typebars to be as far from each other as they could be to be sure keys don’t accidentally strike each other. (These certain letters were ones used most often next to each other in a word, which is why the layout is top-heavy with vowels and bottom-heavy with consonants.)

But you don’t care about all of that. You care about the fact that it translates to a remarkable typing experience and you’ve never known anything outside of it. Not even Dvorak’s supposedly speedier layout could get you away from QWERTY.

That’s why I approach 8pen – a new software “keyboard” for mobile phones – with hesitation. (It’s more accurate to call it an input mechanism, than anything.) Go ahead and watch the video above to get an idea of what 8pen is all about and how it works. I’m not trying to say these folks haven’t created something worth trying – nor am I saying it isn’t interesting or original – but I just don’t think many people will stray too far from their comfort zones.

“What about T9,” you ask. T9 was invented because – at that point in time – there’d been no other choice on a device without a full set of keys. Most mobile phones in those days came with 10-number keypads while only the top-tier devices – namely PDAs – were graced with a full QWERTY keyboard. And the idea behind T9 and why it was needed differs greatly between a jump from QWERTY to something like 8pen.

Now that we have phones with large touchscreens and even low-end offerings with physical keyboards, the need to reinvent the wheel is not there. Even a phone whose screen isn’t large enough to comfortably type on with a software QWERTY keypad will allow you to revert back to an on-screen T9 experience, and that’s still good enough for a lot of people. (And I won’t even mention the more-than-adequate half-QWERTY that’s become quite the popular accommodation.)

And then we have Swype, which is gaining popularity each and every day. “Swype changes the fundamentals, doesn’t it?” No, Swype simply builds on an already-established norm. Combining the familiarity of QWERTY with the seemingly mind-reading nature of T9’s prediction system and the human’s natural intuition desire to swipe back and forth on a touchscreen, Swype starts feeling more like a natural extension of the software QWERTY experience.

BlindType has gained a lot of recognition lately, too, but not because it changes the fundamentals: it simply makes it easier to type on a layout we already know and love. That’s the single biggest thing people love about these two offerings. Is 8pen DOA? No. I think it will garner a lot of attention simply because of how unique it is, and a lot of people might fall in love with it. (Even some of the oddest of oddities attract fans.) But don’t expect carriers and manufacturers to rush to their table to strike up deals to include this on phones.

Having said all of that, I’m still excited to at least try 8pen out when it launches for Android 2.2 devices tomorrow (1.6+ support coming soon.) Who knows? I might even fall in love with it, but I wouldn’t count on it trumping my love for the comfortable typing experience on a layout I’ve grown up using that hasn’t posed any problems for me thus far.

View full post on Android Phone Fans

I had the chance to see a sneak preview of Secretariat a few weeks ago. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but ended up really enjoying it. Here are a few things parents should know before heading off to the multiplex:

1. Will my kids like it?

My two daughters are head over heels about horses these days. So much so, that one of my girls brought a stuffed horse with her to the screening. The horse scenes along with Diane Lane’s performance (see below) make it a must-see for horse geeks, young girls and movie fans, alike. My son, who is more of a sci-fi and superhero movie fan, enjoyed the movie for its great action scenes.

2. Will I like it?

The story of Secretariat is pretty well known. But, even with the ending never in doubt, the story was compelling and never dragged. I was surprised that – in the screening I saw – attendees were so engrossed, many people applauded during the race scenes. It’s a story that would be unbelievable if it wasn’t true, or as the movie poster suggests, an “impossible true story”. I appreciated that, even though the film flirted with some emotional storylines, it never crossed the line to being sappy.

3. Best time to take a bathroom break?

The movie runs almost exactly 2 hours. About 45 minutes in, there’s a scene involving a death in the family. This is a good time to step out or at the hour and forty minute mark, there’s a ballroom scene. Either time is good for visiting the rest rooms.

4. Any good previews?

Unfortunately, since I saw a sneak preview, there were no previews.

5. Should I stay after the credits to see anything?

Just prior to the credits, there are some “where are they now” vignettes that are worth seeing. Other than that, there’s nothing else to see.

6. Will I want to see it again?

It was an enjoyable movie, but not one that compels a second viewing in my mind. Kids, on the other hand, will likely want to see it over and over again, as they are wont to do.

7. Was it loud or scary?

Outside of the manufactured dramatic moments, there’s nothing remotely scary about this movie. The movie involves the death of older parents, which some kids may (or may not) have a tough time dealing with. During the scenes where the horses race, the volume and tension are ratcheted up a notch or two. Other than that, it’s a Disney movie – great for the whole family.

8. Is there anything else I should know about this movie?

John Malkovitch turns in a memorable performance as horse trainer, Lucien Laurin, but the movie is absolutely stolen by Diane Lane. As Secretariat’s owner, Penny Chenery, Lane portrays one of the strongest, most positive female roles in recent memory, made all the more enjoyable given the climate of women’s rights and societal expectations during the time that the movie’s action took place. The real Penny Chenery played an integral role in the making of the film. She appears as an extra in one of the spectator scenes.

9. How about some more trivia I can wow my friends with?

• They used five horses in the production of the movie. White paint was applied to make the horses appear to have marking just like Secretariat.
• Secretariat’s heart was twice the size of an average horse heart.
• Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths and still holds the record time at 2:24 for 1.5 miles.
• The production used the actual Triple Crown trophy, on loan from the Kentucky Derby Museum.
• The fluffy blonde wig that Diane Lane wore in the film was playfully nicknamed Peaches.

10. So, come on. What about the giveaway?

Disney is going to send us three shirts — one men’s, one women’s and one youth (no specific sizing info available) — plus a hat, all sporting Secretariat branding from the movie. If you’d like to win the whole package, just leave a comment below. We’ll pick a winner at the end of the weekend.

View full post on GeekDad

Online privacy is a matter that we take pretty seriously, particularly when it comes to our kids, though we don’t all agree on where to draw the line. For example, some of us on GeekDad don’t use pictures of our own kids at all, or only use photos where the faces are obscured. Others feel comfortable sharing photos and names; many of us fall somewhere in the middle. We’ve had some posts from various folks at the Center for Democracy and Technology, from tips on raising an Internet-savvy kid to handling Facebook privacy settings. Most of this information is targeted at the parents—it’s what we do as we train our kids.

Privacy Activism, in conjunction with NBM Publishing, has taken a different approach—teaching kids about privacy issues through comics. Privacy Activism is a non-profit organization helping people to be informed about their choices. It’s important to “make the discussion more concrete and relevant by helping people understand the ramifications of the choices that they make in everyday life,” and they’re using comics, videos and games as part of the process.

Networked: Carabella on the Run, written by Gerard Jones and illustrated by Mark Badger, is a comic book about online privacy, targeted at teens and college students and using a sci-fi action story to raise awareness of some of the risks involved. It’s an interesting approach, but does it work?

Initially, Carabella is very concerned about her privacy.

Carabella is a blue-skinned college girl who is very concerned about her privacy, at least at first. (Executive Director Deborah Pierce explained that Carabella was created several years ago and has been featured in a few of their games—”She was blue long before Avatar.”) Then she meets Nick, an engineering student working on some interactive, electronically-monitored shoes. They hit it off and she becomes his model—but when he manages to get hold of some advanced technology and incorporates them into his prototypes, things really take off. The story incorporates these “Soul Shoes,” the secret behind Carabella’s blue skin, and an inter-dimensional conspiracy to spark dialogue about the importance of privacy.

NBM sent me a copy of the trade paperback, which was just released this month. I read through it and I have mixed opinions about it. The story is a creative way to teach privacy issues, but isn’t the greatest on its own merits and took a little time to warm up. Then, once the action started, it got pretty melodramatic—it often felt like characters were overreacting, going from calm to completely outraged in no time. (And there’s a lot of smashing.) Also, the artwork is a little uneven, a bit too sketchy for my tastes.

Still, I applaud what Privacy Activism is doing, and I think (like the American Physical Society’s ventures into comics) reading a book like Networked is still a lot more interesting than reading a textbook or a bunch of legalese, hokey plot or not. If you want to get a teen to think about how they use the Internet, you could do worse than to hand them a comic book. Privacy Activism is also at work on a teacher’s guide which will include vocabulary, discussion questions, and various activities of different time lengths to fit into your schedule. That could be a pretty handy resource and would make Networked more valuable, too.

Visit the Privacy Activism website to read most of Networked online—sections of it are released every week, and it uses some motion and different framing so it’s not exactly like the paper version. You can also try out the earlier Carabella games and read about Privacy Activism’s mission. It’s important to note that Privacy Activism isn’t just about keeping everything secret; as Pierce mentioned, “too much privacy isn’t necessarily a good thing.” It’s about understanding how your personal information can be collected and how it’s used, and then deciding for yourself how much to share.

Networked: Carabella on the Run retails for $12.99 and is available directly from NBM Publishing as well as Amazon and other bookstores.

Wired: Privacy is taught using a sci-fi action-filled comic book instead of boring legal terms; might actually get teens to think about some important issues.

Tired: The comic itself isn’t spectacular, so it’s not a book teens will probably just pick up on their own.

View full post on GeekDad

I may have been kidding around a bit in my earlier post when I said I might want to register for the CTIA Developer Day to try to get a Nokia N8, but as I look at the Calling All Innovators, North America events and training page I am seriously thinking about the opportunities of developing for Symbian. Nokia is having some major training events with Mobile Monday and Qt training events being held right here in the Seattle area. I haven’t programmed anything in years, but understand I need to bone up on C++ first so I may pick up a few books and get cracking since I do have some ideas for apps I would like to see on the N8 and future Symbian devices.

The possibility of winning thousands of dollars by developing good apps is also a valid reason for considering development for Symbian. If Nokia can get someone like me excited about the opportunities, I think they may generate some excitement for these events in the developer community as well.

View full post on Nokia Experts

Nokia Gets Serious About U.S. Market
Nokia hires a Microsoft exec in a bid to break into Apple, Google territory.

Read more on TheStreet.com

Recently the Indian government announced that through a collaboration with the country’s top engineering colleges a $35 Android tablet had been developed to bring slate-style computing to the masses. That’s all well and good, except now Indian Android blog AndroidOS is making the claim that the tablet said to be developed and subsidized by the Indian government is actually the Chinese-made Hivision Speedpad. An image comparison of the two devices in question should settle any doubt as to the origin of the Indian tablet.

Now, we have no idea why the Indian government would make such a bold claim when the origin of the device they presented could easily be sleuthed out, so there is still a chance that the image provided as the table was just a poor choice for a placeholder or something similar. Meaning: not the final product. But the argument that the device was actually engineered in China is quite compelling. Do we have a case of government conspiracy here or can this all be chalked up to simple misunderstanding?

[via AndroidOS, thanks to Amit for sending this in]

View full post on Android Phone Fans

In Machete, Danny Trejo reprises his role from the Spy Kids films. Or perhaps not.

1. Will My Kids Like It?

You may remember the title character Machete, the gruff but lovable uncle played by Danny Trejo in the Spy Kids series. Turns out, this is NOT the sequel to Spy Kids 3D. But my kids – who have become extreme fans of director Robert Rodriguez, who also did Sin City and Grindhouse – already knew that when they begged me to take them. Here Machete, the former federale, illegally crosses the border from Mexico into Texas and gets caught up in a political scheme that gives him the chance to pay back the corrupt leaders who betrayed him. There’s also lots of romping about with such co-stars as Lindsey Lohan, Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez (the helicopter pilot from Avatar). So yeah, if your kids are teenage boys, they’ll like it.

2. Will the Clerk at the Ticket Booth Let Me Drop the Kids Off to See This R-rated Film While I Go Next Door to Watch George Clooney?

No.

3. Will I Like It?

Surprisingly, yes. Although I had to hide my eyes at several points in the action, this is a grainy exploitation flick with lots of humor and intelligence.

4. How is the Cast?

Danny Trejo’s lived-in face is of course worth watching all on its own. And with Robert DeNiro, Cheech Marin, Steven Seagal and Don Johnson in supporting roles, Rodriguez certainly had a lot to work with.

5. Does it Have Any Redeeming Social Value?

Although I hadn’t seen it mentioned in any of the reviews, the plot actually centers around the issue of illegal immigration. You will gain an appreciation of the role Mexican workers play in the US economy, versus how they are perceived by some of our louder politicians. So you could almost call it educational.

6. When Would be the Best Time for a Bathroom Break?

When the hero swings out of the hospital window using the bad guy’s disemboweled small intestine as a rope, or any time Trejo starts swinging those machetes. You’re not going to be looking at the screen then anyway.

7. Any Good Previews?

What is it with previews that show you the entire movie? I guess they’re helpful to keep you informed if you’re not planning on seeing those movies anyway. But Green Hornet looked promising.

8. How Are the Special Effects?

Did I mention the intestines?

9. Is It Loud or Scary?

No, it’s not particularly loud.

10. Is the Ending Satisfying?

Rodriguez puts an interesting twist on the classic hero riding off into the sunset ending – and then throws up title cards which promise sequels to come.

View full post on GeekDad

Adding on to the rumor of a November launch for the Galaxy Tab on Sprint, BGR is also reporting that just like the Samsung Epic 4G was a WiMAX variant of the Galaxy S, the tablet may also be getting the 4G treatment. That would be a pretty big incentive for the Sprint version if it turns out to be true, but we’ll just have to wait and see about that.

[via BGR]

View full post on Android Phone Fans

Net neutrality is one of the most important issues — if not the most important — in the life of the Internet so far. Yet it’s widely misunderstood. Here are the facts about net neutrality from PCWorld’s Paul Kapustka.

View full post on Macworld

The GAO recommends that the FCC collect more data about special access rates in the telecom industry and mobile early termination fees.

View full post on Macworld

Image: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC

Kids naturally love to try things to see what happens. They experiment, fiddle around and often have fewer restrictions on what they think is possible. To tap into this and direct these wonderful energies in the learning of science, you just need a little bit of guidance and direction.

One kind of direction can come in the form of books. Cy Tymony, the author of Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things, has also written the books Sneaky Science Tricks, The Sneaky Book for Girls and The Sneaky Book for Boys. They each teach about scientific principles and important skills, and have direction for useful crafts and fun projects.

Sneaky Science Tricks

Sneaky Science Tricks is about learning in a fun way using scientific principles (such as Bernoulli’s principle). You don’t just read about science, though, you get to do science. To get the maximum benefit, I suggest using this book with your kids, rather than having them do it on their own. This will allow you to explain any questions that they have and to share your own childhood experiences. Even if your kids aren’t science types, they’ll enjoy spending quality time together. When younger kids do these activities, all they know is that they’re having fun and only later realize the scientific basis. This kind of hands-on application leads to a lot of “aha!” moments.

Grouped by topic and full of very clear illustrations, the book introduces basic concepts such as air pressure and balance, with plenty of project ideas. It then builds on that knowledge with more complicated applications. Though definitely not comprehensive, the book almost feels like a basic science curriculum in one handy volume. The projects are fairly easy to implement, and use mostly household items. You could work through the book in order, or pick and choose projects as you like.

Chapter titles for this book include: Science Tricks, Measurement Projects, Astronomy and Navigation Tricks, Magic Tricks and Trivia. There is also a list of world and U.S. city latitudes in the back of the book for use with the Astronomy and Navigation chapter. Book projects include: making all kinds of weather measurements, making your own voltmeter, making tools to find your way home and using science to do magic. In the back of the book, the trivia section is full of facts that are all science-based and great for parties. Well, geeky parties anyway.

Image: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC

The Sneaky Book for Girls

The Sneaky Book for Girls has some similarities to The Daring Book for Girls (and The Double-Daring Book for Girls), but mostly tries for cool and science-y things that girls would want to do. Chapters include Spy Girl, Fly Girl, Danger Girl, Crafty Girl and Magic Girl. In Spy Girl you will learn to make your own periscope, create a vest to hold all your gadgets and write with invisible ink. It also includes a long section on notable women in history. Fly Girl addresses air pressure projects and boomerangs, and includes a section on women aviators. Craft Girl helps you use household items for projects such as making shadow puppets, and also includes a text message abbreviation list. Magic Girl teaches you some science-based magic tricks. At the very back of the book, there is a decent science and technology resource list.

This book will help your girl nurture her interests in science and technology. It includes directions on making plenty of cool gadgets that only the boys usually get to make. A particularly useful and important chapter is Danger Girl, which teaches crucial skills like escaping a grasp, how to protect yourself with everyday objects and being resourceful in general. Encourage your daughter to learn all the skills and you’ll have a little MacGyver on your hands. This is an especially good gift for geeky girls that are into science.

Image: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC

The Sneaky Book for Boys

The Sneaky Book for Boys is similar to the book for girls, but with a decidedly boy slant. It taps into boys’ natural tendency to be sneaky. Chapter titles include: Sneaky Tricks, Sneaky Science Projects, Sneaky Resourcefulness and Sneaky Animals and Humans. That last chapter has a sidebar on sneaky human tricks that describes what people have done to get out of situations in prison, war time and the collapsing World Trade Center. There is also a decent science and technology resource list in the back. Again, this book has definite similarities to The Dangerous Book for Boys, but it really serves a slightly different purpose. These sneaky books are all about projects and activities.

All three of these books are a very handy size, 5″ x 7″. While I think they are wonderful, all three do have significant overlap. Each one adheres to its title really well, though, so pick the one(s) with the slant you’re looking for. The Sneaky Resourcefulness chapter in the Boys book and the Danger Girl chapter in the Girls book are important reads for you and your kids, and those have little overlap with each other. For the rest of the chapters, give them a look on Amazon, where you can read the table of contents. This will help you decide which books are right for you. While you’re there, check out Cy Tymony’s other books in the Sneaky series.

I recommend these books to parents, parents-to-be and to interested children. All three of these books retail for $10.99 but, as usual, are cheaper on Amazon. Please use all possible safety precautions while trying experiments and activities in these books.

Wired: Very clear, simple and basic illustrations. Fun and interesting activities and projects that teaches kids while they have fun. The Boy/Girl books also contain some important basic safety knowledge.

Tired: Some of the content overlaps among the books.

Note: I received copies of these three books for review.

View full post on GeekDad

Thanks to everyone who shares their Android love and hate in 140 characters or less. Are you following the AndroidSpin twitter feed yet? You’ll always be notified of new articles and information.

View full post on AndroidSPIN | Your No.1 source for Everything Android.

Renting movies from the iTunes Store can be pretty simple if you don’t want to do anything special, though you’ll have to jump through some hoops if you want to move rented movies.

View full post on Macworld

Since the introduction of Motoblur, Motorola’s own user experience, the critics have spoken. Love it or hate it, Motorola continues to throw it at almost every device they have coming out. The latest mystery was whether or not the Motorola Droid X was running Motorblur or another type of “blur” UI. It seems that even Motorola was ashamed of their own user experience, because it has been stated before that the Droid X was not running Motoblur. In a recent conference call discussing the Q2 earnings, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha shared a little information that is sure to clear up some of the Motoblur rumors and sheds light on its future.

Remember that DROID X is not a Google-experience device. It’s a Motorola-experience device and we have spent a lot of time integrating a lot of experiences, which are unique to Motorola, MOTOBLUR is one. Certainly, the user interface is meaningfully improved also from what we delivered in our first MOTOBLUR experience.

When asked what his plans were for Motoblur through the end of the year, Jha stated:

With MOTOBLUR, we have found that being able to convey the value proposition around MOTOBLUR is not an easy thing to do in a 30-second ad spot. We have decided that we will focus on the value proposition of products and not MOTOBLUR as a brand name in its own right. MOTOBLUR continues to be important and I think you will see increased functionality in MOTOBLUR. This notion of push-Internet is going to be very important to us, but as a brand name, which we make matter in front of consumers as a brand name, I don’t think that’s going to be our focus going forward, but we see the experiences that we deliver is being relevant and differentiating us.

Android 3.0 aka “Gingerbread” will be bringing many changes to the UI, which is not helping the future of Motoblur when this firmware version hits. Until then, you Droid X users and future Droid 2 owners are stuck with the blur.

Source: Android and Me

Via: Droid-Life

Explain why or why you don’t like Motoblur in the comments below.

View full post on AndroidSPIN | Your No.1 source for Everything Android.

According to the twitter account of a PR spokesman for Orange, consumers on their network using HTC Desires will have the update to Froyo in about 4 weeks. The exact quote from his tweet says:

We are working with HTC to bring the 2.2 Android update to Desire customers as soon as we can. This process normally takes about four weeks

It is probably best (for the company) that consumers aren’t given an exact date for the upcoming release, as Android devices are notorious for having updates pushed back beyond release dates.

What do our readers on Orange think about this? Be sure to let us know in the comments!

[via Twitter]

For more information on Android and the current Android mobile phones, check out our Android Guides

Updates for HTC Desires on Orange should take about 4 weeks

View full post on Google Android News Android Forums

Here’s a short video about the future of jQuery, our favorite JavaScript library for creating rich, animated site interactions.

The interviewees are Mike Hostelter and Jonathan Stark, co-founders of appendTo, a consulting company that trains and supports jQuery programmers. The video was shot this week at O’Reilly OSCON 2010, taking place in Portland, Oregon through Friday.

In the interview, they talk a little bit about what’s next for the jQuery Core group — currently, jQuery creator John Resig is auditing mobile browsers to build more mobile features into jQuery, making it easier for JavaScript developers to make HTML5 iPad and smartphone web apps that are more “appy.” Also, there ultimately won’t be a separate pack for mobiles and desktops — the future of jQuery is one code library that works on all browsers and all devices.

See other OSCON 2010 videos on O’Reilly’s YouTube channel.

See Also:

• New Frameworks Give Mobile-Web Apps a Boost
• More Cool HTML5/JavaScript Video Players
• Get Started With JQuery

View full post on Webmonkey

It’s the iPad app everyone’s talking about. It’s free and available for download.

Flipboard is a social networking aggregator. While we’d argue that the flexibility of the open web experience is still more desirable than the closed-off app experience, Flipboard does a decent job of simplifying and “cleansing” the most important social web activities. You still get most of the functionality — tweeting, sharing, browsing — but without the clutter that web-based aggregators can’t seem to shake.

Give it a spin. And tell us: Where do you do your social networking? In the browser or on your touchy-shiny?

Nice bit of Aphex Twin on the video soundtrack, BTW.

View full post on Webmonkey

Things are not looking good for the Motorola Milestone as Motorola is “undecided” on whether or not to update the Milestone’s firmware to Android 2.2. On the Motorola forum, James King, the marketing director for the European region, stated that all things must be considered before upgrading firmware and that Motorola has yet to decide whether or not they’ll bring Froyo to the handset.

“Next European Milestone and 2.2 (Froyo). I have expressed over the last few days that the decision is pending. The team here has been collating key pieces of information and views from this community in the last month and providing input to relevant teams in Motorola so they are aware. I am pushing for that decision to be made as quickly as possible, and we can then all go from there. Some others ask why the decisions on upgrades take so long, and why does implementation then take much longer still. What I can say and have stated recently is that upgrades are not a walk in the park.

Sure there are short cuts that people can take, but when you have to integrate software to a specific hardware, then test it and integrate with third party applications, let alone any innovation from ourselves, plus then get approvals to make this all official and safe… its is a big undertaking that requires planning and resource and third party coordination to see this all through. As I say, once we have decision, we will inform.” JK

Things are looking like you will receive the update, but not as soon we thought. As soon as someone can crack that bootloader many of you could be enjoying Froyo a lot sooner.

Source: AndroidGuys

How many of you are irate right now? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

View full post on AndroidSPIN | Your No.1 source for Everything Android.

1. Will My Kids Like It?

It’s an excellent movie. It’s even that rarity among summer spectacles: a movie that requires a great deal of intellectual attention. I went to a showing with three of my four kids,who were 17, 14, and 11. All three pronounced it an excellent movie. My youngest (11 — my tech-genius minion) said it was very complicated and “in effect, an abyss of metaphors.” He enjoyed it very much, and it was much different from what he expected. So, if your kids think that sounds interesting or know what “abyss of metaphors” means, I would recommend it to them. It does have a great deal of mind-bending action sequences to keep attention on the screen. There’s no nudity, I didn’t notice many swear words, and the violence is stylized and not particularly bloody.

I do think that younger children might either be uninterested in the concept or confused by the layers of dreams. If you have kids who tend to ask a lot of questions at the movies, this one is going to produce a flurry of them. It might be best to hit the theater when it’s quiet.  There are some suspenseful sequences where danger or death seems inevitable, particularly falling to one’s death. It might produce nightmares in kids prone to them.

But I think this movie is going to appeal to geek kids especially. It reminded me in some ways of my childhood fascination with alternate earths.

2. Will I Like It?

It’s a fascinating movie and unlike a lot of movies that deal with heavy themes, it relies on actions and amazing visuals to keep things interesting. It also features a great performance by Leonardo DiCaprio as a man so obsessed with moving on and getting back to his children that he’s willing to take virtually any risk, even in his dreams.

3. What the Heck is This Movie Really About?

Ostensibly, it’s about Cobb (DiCaprio) gathering together a squad of experts in order to enter the mind of a business magnate and implant an idea so deep in his subconscious that the magnate thinks the idea is his very own. In that, it comes across as a caper-style movie. But it’s also about how humans handle loss, the nature of reality, and that what we think we know as the truth might not necessarily be the truth. Plus, buildings fall down, the universe is inverted, and there is a weightless fight sequence.

To summarize the plot more than that would give away spoilers. But this is definitely one movie that will stay with me for a long time.

4. When Would be the Best Time for a Bathroom Break?

There’s really not a good time. It is a long movie and all the visuals are important. If you take pre-teens, make sure they use the facilities before the movie starts. If you must take a break, wait for the part where Cobb goes to recruit a thief for his team.

5. Will I Want to See It Again?

I want to see it again and sort it out some more. It’s a story with many, many layers. I suspect it’s one of those movies that are more interesting on the second viewing than the first.

6. Any Good Previews?

It was a nice change of pace to get previews of adult movies. Oddly, I thought the trailer for the Expendables was the most interesting. That could say good things about the movie, it could say only good things about the trailer. The Social Network trailer struck me as confused and dull. Yet when I checked on-line, I found the script is by Aaron Sorkin. I can only say that if the movie’s good, the trailer did it a disservice.

7. How Are the Special Effects?

It’s 2-D, not 3-D, but that doesn’t stop the effects from being unique and living up to the term of “special” effect. There’s a sequence early in the movie where an architect in the dreamworld decides to completely alter perspective. My other favorite visual is one that plays tricks with mirrors.

8. Is It Loud or Scary?

It’s not so much loud as the visuals are so busy. The score does get pounding at times.

9. Is the Ending Satisfying?

The ending is ambiguous but that doesn’t detract at all from the story. As the tech genius minion said to me, the ending doesn’t really matter, it’s the questions raised by by what happens. The story does have a strong narrative drive and ends in a good place. You can pick the simple answer, if you like.

10. How is the Supporting Cast?

It’s wonderful. Michael Caine was, of course, easy to spot, and so was Ellen Page. But the movie also has Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard, Ken Watanabe and Tom Berenger, who I barely recognized at first. They’re all excellent. Murphy was the ultimate standout for me because he has so little of the movie and yet his character makes a huge impression.

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If you’ve had your phone very long at all, you probably have a pretty good idea of where you have good coverage, and where you don’t. Still, sometimes it would be nice to really have a break down of what towers you were connecting to and what kind of signal you were pulling from each one.

Enter Antennas. This app will show you what towers are in your area, which one(s) you’re connected to, and what kind of signal you’re receiving from each tower. If you’re on a 2G network, it is possible to receive info on multiple towers at once, as your signal spans across them all. For CDMA or networks that are exclusively 3G, you’re only going to get information on the one tower you are actively communicating with.

If this sounds useful, grab it from the market via the QR code below, and be sure and let us know what you think! I may be getting this one myself…

For more information on Android and the current Android mobile phones, check out our Android Guides

Antennas App Gives Detailed Information About Your Coverage

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After a long relaxing week of vacation, your remainders host has returned, refreshed and renewed! Just in time to hear all about how a certain mayor loves his iPad, a certain tech executive doesn’t love Steve Jobs, and a certain search giant wants to do some farming…for gold.

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Image © Universal Pictures

1. Will my kids like it?

Yes! Most of the humor is written for kids, and there are few scary moments of any sort: peril is kept to a minimum. There’s also very little to upset kids of moviegoing age, as even the fact that the children characters are orphans is fairly well glossed over.

2. Will I like it?

Maybe. There’s a fair dose of saccharine as the kids Gru (the main character) takes in predictably melt his heart as he turns into a good dad. There is also a good-sized dose of juvenile humor, so you may find yourself rolling your eyes a bit at the odd fart joke. The human characters are less imaginative than they could have been, though the minions (whatever sort of creature they are) are entertaining enough to carry a movie on their own. In general it’s a good film, but if you’re like me you’ll walk out of the theater thinking of lots of things you would’ve liked to see but didn’t.

3. When’s the best time for a bathroom break?

The film is 95 minutes long, and moves fairly quickly, so waiting until the end is best if it’s feasible. If not, the plot is fairly predictable, so there really isn’t any time in the film that’s significantly better or worse than any other.

4. Is it worth paying more for 3-D?

The 3-D effects don’t add a great deal to the movie, but are used cleverly in places. The movie was clearly made with 3-D in mind, and in fact there’s a very funny bit at the end that only makes sense if you see it in 3-D (see #5).

5. Do I need to sit through the credits for a bonus scene at the end?

You will want to stay for the beginning of the credits for the aforementioned funny 3-D bit. After that, there’s nothing interesting to see.

6. Will I want to see it again?

You probably won’t, but your kids probably will, if they’re anything like mine. It’s a fun film, but it doesn’t stay with you the way a really great film does. It suffers from the inevitable contrast with Toy Story 3, which is in every way a superior movie.

7. Is it loud or scary?

No, not really. My nine-year-old son has always been sensitive to loud noises, and I’m pretty sure he didn’t even flinch once.

8. How’s the animation?

It’s cartoony, very European-style, which fits the plot and characters well— I mean, Gru is trying to steal the moon, so verisimilitude would just get in the way. Plus, the minions are small yellow capsule-shaped creatures, some of whom only have one eye, so I think it’s safe to say that the filmmakers weren’t going for realism. I keep thinking that Gru looks like he could have stepped right out of a Charles Addams cartoon.

9. What about the voices?

Steve Carrell as the main character Gru does a funny vaguely Hungarian-sounding accent (though Gru’s country of origin is never specified). Julie Andrews is nigh-unrecognizable, but amusing, as Gru’s haranguing mother, and Jason Segel has a lot of fun as the voice of Gru’s upstart rival Vector. Other famous voices include Russell Brand, Will Arnett, Kristin Wiig, and iCarly’s Miranda Cosgrove. All the voices are well-done, and it’s very easy to forget the appearances you usually attach to the voices.

10. Anything else special about the film?

Yes. In a very creative move, Universal Pictures and Best Buy teamed up to make a free app for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry that will translate the noises the minions make into English, and promises to unlock more content after the film ends. I can neither recommend nor disparage the app, as it was not yet available when I saw the preview screening I attended. It sounds like it’d at least be worth trying out, seeing as how it’s free. The official website has some fun content, too, including a make-your-own-minion Flash app.

Oh, and, if (like me) your first thought on finding out that the main character’s name is “Gru” was “It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue,” give yourself +5 geek points.

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