Nerds cannot live on tech news alone. That's why, every so often, we'll be hosting a Very Special Episode of the Engadget Podcast where we touch upon the cultural and social impacts of the technology that matters most to you. Sometimes, that means...The Neptor dual battery charger for iPhone and iPad is cute, colorful, and powerful enough to charge up to two of your devices while you're on the go. There a 2.1A USB port for iPads and 1.0A port for iPhones. It's capable of fast charge if you're really in a pinch and even has a flashlight built in if you're also in the dark.
Every day dozens and dozens of new and updated apps and games hit the iOS and Mac App Stores. It's impossible to keep up with them all, but it's not impossible to pick out the very best. Today we've got updates to Microsoft Office on the iPhone, a popular gaming service and a top restaurant app for North America Let's take a look!
If you try any of the apps or updates, let me know how they work for you. If you got any new or updated apps today that you loved, but don't see here, let us know about them!
A coalition of 100 investors announced plans to build a "Chinese-controlled economic zone" populated by skyscrapers and luxury residences. Their new city will be in Kenya, but the goal is to "match the glamour of Dubai." What would motivate investors to go to the trouble of building a massive new city in a country other than their own? It's pretty simple, actually.
Ever wondered how far and wide the love of your local cheap brew spreads? Well, wonder no longer, because this map shows where regional beers are most loved.
Microsoft Office for iPad is a pretty full featured product – now it's finally here – but it turns out it has no native printing functionality. However, that won't be forever. In 2014 printing documents onto paper may feel antiquated, but for many regular Office users it's all part of the experience. And according to PCWorld, Office for iPad will get this and more in future updates:
When asked for comment, Microsoft representatives implied that printing would be added in the future—and that printing was perhaps not all that common for iPad users.
“Office for iPad was designed from the ground up for the iPad and for the productivity scenarios that an iPad is well suited for,” the company said in a statement. “For example, delivering a PowerPoint presentation, reviewing and annotating a Word document or making changes to a financial analysis in Excel."
PCWorld goes on to highlight that many of the early reviews of Office for iPad didn't even notice the lack of printing. Speaking personally, I can't remember the last time I even turned my printer on. It's sat gathering dust.
So if you're missing it, you'll get it at some point. And that's good to know. Are you one of those people?
Source: PCWorld
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Most large tech companies are either making wearable devices, or at least showing an interest in them. Sony's got a smartwatch, sure, but it's bored of such "in-the-box" thinking. Either that, or someone at Sony's been hitting the pipe, as the company's trying to patent what it calls a "SmartWig" (yeah, seriously). The application describes a standard wig that could "be made from horse hair, human hair, wool, feathers, yak hair or any kind of synthetic material," with a circuit board hidden among those luscious locks. That board can talk to a "second computing device" wirelessly -- such as a phone or even a pair of smartglasses -- and actuators embedded in the hairpiece could "provide tactile feedback to the user." In other words, the wig could vibrate when you receive emails and the like. The wig-chip could also include GPS and an ultrasound transducer, with different regions buzzing to give navigation cues. If all that doesn't sound ludicrous enough, how about an integrated camera? Or, get this, a laser pointer.
The filing goes on to claim a wig is the perfect hiding place for delicate electronics, as humans tend to "instinctively protect their heads more than other body parts." While its potential utility for guiding the blind is mentioned, Sony's apparently tested the SmartWig in a far less meaningful scenario: giving presentations. Switching slides by "touching side burns" is expected to be of some merit, as is an ability to sense facial gestures like the raising of eyebrows. It may be the wearable device Doctor Evil has been dreaming of, but for some reason, we doubt SmartWig could ever make it mainstream.
Source: USPTO
With Google, Apple and Nokia making so much fuss about navigation these days, it's easy to forget good 'ol MapQuest. That doesn't mean it isn't still going strong, though, as evidenced by the service's plans to launch updated apps for iOS 7 and Android sometime today. The apps will get a completely ...
Trains are awesome. Their serpentine strings of steel cars travel hundreds of miles an hour, yet give passengers enough stability to sip a tasty beverage. On the other hand, trains are awful. Have you ever seen the sickly cafe cars that serve those drinks?
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