Know those emergency alerts that always seem to crop up when your sports team of choice is about to score a crucial goal? Yeah, well they’re headed to a Sprint phone near you, signature auditory tone and all. After successfully testing the service in San Diego last fall, the carrier’s gearing up for round two of the FCC and Mayor Bloomberg-approved system in New York City later this year, issuing FEMA alerts from the President, National Weather Service and local emergency operators to over a dozen compliant Android phones. If you’re sporting a compatible handset, you can opt-in for the service by either dialing ##CMAS## or selecting the appropriate settings prompt, after which you’ll receive geographically-specific texts of up to 90 characters. And don’t worry about dismissing these warning messages as any ‘ol SMS or racking up additional fees, they’ll arrive free-of-charge bearing a unique “vibration cadence” and inbox icon. Curious to see if your phone’s made the cut? The skip on past the break for the official PR.

Continue reading Sprint plans Emergency Alert messaging system in New York City, claims this is only a test

Sprint plans Emergency Alert messaging system in New York City, claims this is only a test originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Garmin Forerunner 205 GPS Receiver and Sports Watch

• High-sensitivity, watch-like GPS receiver that provides exceptional signal reception
• One-piece training assistant that provides athletes with precise speed, distance, and pace data
• Includes training center software, which allows users to download workout data for a detailed analysis
• Used for multiple sports, such as cycling, cross- country skiing, and windsurfing

Just when you thought Garmin had cornered the market on powerful, affordable, and effective wrist-mounted GPS devices, here comes the Forerunner 205. The release of this device is a major achievement from a design and technology perspective. This isn’t just marketing-speak; the Forerunner 205 is the most accurate, most reliable wrist-mounted performance and GPS tracking tool we’ve ever tested. Yes, it’s that good. While no device this compact can do everything (yet), the 205 pushes the boundaries of what is possible from something strapped around your wrist. While the 205 doesn’t offer heart rate monitoring, or connectivity with Garmin’s wireless speed and cadence sensor — for that, you’ll need to step up to the Forerunner 305 — but it’s a great way to get basic GPS location and performance data. View Garmin’s Forerunner demonstration video.

Choose from 12 data fields to display on the 305′s screen. View larger.

The design cleverly integrates the GPS ant

Rating: (out of 499 reviews)

List Price: $ 267.99

Price: Too low to display

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Garmin GSC 10 Speed/Cadence Bike Sensor

• Cycling speed sensor for select Garmin wrist-mounted personal trainers and cycling computers
• Self-calibrating, wireless design measures both cycle speed and cadence in pedaling strokes per minute
• Provides up-to-the-minute feedback or captures results for later workout analysis
• Compatible with Garmin Edge 305, Edge 305CAD, and Forerunner 305
• Attaches easily to any bicycle; 1-year warranty

The Garmin 010-10644-00 Speed/Cadence sensor (GSC 10) can monitor your pedaling cadence as you ride with this self-calibrating, wireless speed/cadence sensor. It measures and reports your pedaling strokes per minute, providing feedback for optimal performance. Use with the Edge 305 or Edge 305CAD, Included With The Edge 305CAD GPS PlusA good companion for Garmin’s Edge 305 and 305CAD cycle computers and the Garmin Forerunner 305 personal trainer, the GSC 10 monitors your cycling rhythm for up-to-the-minute results and later analysis. The self-calibrating, wireless unit measures both speed (in pedaling strokes per minute) and cadence , then provides feedback to the user for optimal performance. You can later feed the results to Garmin’s Training Center software, which helps you tailor your workouts to meet specific goals and objectives. Like the Garmin heart rate monitor, the GSC 10 attaches easily to your bike, where its sensors detect signals from your wheels and send the informatio

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List Price: $ 59.99

Price: $ 31.95

Cadence announced their Wrist Rocket watch today, you may remember we told you about their incredibly cool 4-Bit watch. Well, the Wrist Rocket isn’t quite as geeky, but it’s definitely unique and interesting looking.

It’s a sports watch, but it’s a little larger then your average G-Shock or Ironman. The most interesting feature is the LCD display. Because it’s quite a large piece the display is curved, which makes the dot-matrix display look slightly fluid on your wrist. Retail on the Wrist Rocket is quite affordable $55, and it’s currently available through the Cadence website. I have one sitting on my desk right now, and to be honest the pictures don’t do it justice. Expect a review in the near future.

From the press release:

Philadelphia. April 16, 2010. The Cadence Watch Company today launched the Wrist Rocket watch, the first watch in its line of oversized digital watches. The Wrist Rocket watch measures 45 mm across with a display 31mm wide. These extra large measurements are commonplace in analog watches, however digital watches have largely ignored this trend of oversized cases. The Wrist Rocket reverses this trend by creating a brand of oversized digital watches.

Cadence designed the Wrist Rocket watch to be a performance sport watch while adding a bold punch with its oversized design. “We found that athletes like big watches because they are easier to read and the buttons are easier to press,” says Vanya Buvac, Cadence’s CEO. Until now the only oversized digital watches available were performance watches with an altimeter, barometer, and compass. These ABC watches typically sell for around $200. The Wrist Rocket however retails for only $55 through Cadence’s website – CadenceWatch.com/wrist-rocket

The Wrist Rocket’s oversized case is complemented by a point of sale display in the shape of a rocket. The rocket is cut out of red acrylic. To develop this POS display Cadence commissioned NextFab Studio, Philadelphia’s new high-tech workshop and prototyping center. “The mission of NextFab Studio is to enable entrepreneurs, inventors, and artists to realize their vision in the fastest and most cost effective manner – by providing state of the art design and prototyping services close at hand, and through membership to our facility, the option of minimizing development cost by doing the work for themselves,” says Evan Malone, founder of NextFab Studio. “The Cadence Watch Company was our first contract customer, and it is thrilling to be able to support such an innovative local business.”

Cadence also abandoned traditional 7-segment digit design for the display. Instead the Wrist Rocket watch uses a dot matrix-style display. Cadence argues that the display is easier to read than traditional 7-segment displays. More readable or not, the dot matrix-style display is certainly more stylish, especially with technology enthusiasts.

The Cadence Watch Company designs, produces and distributes branded performance and lifestyle watches. The company started in 2001 by making a patented stroke rate monitor for rowing. Cadence’s Oarsman precision chronographs represent a performance lifestyle inspired by the rowing heritage. In 2009 Cadence started it’s Cadence Collective program that empowers designers to create unique watches. Cadence watches have been featured in prominent design and gadget media outlets including CrunchGear, Thrillist, Mocoloco, YankoDesign, TreeHugger, CoolMaterial, Fashionably Geek, and many others. For more information and to order the Wrist Rocket, visit CadenceWatch.com/wrist-rocket

Here’s a geeky watch that won’t destroy your budget. Cadence teamed up with designer John Flear to produce the 4-BIt watch. The geek angle? All of the time indications are shown in 4-bit binary language instead of arabic or roman numerals.

It’s not just a novelty watch either, the 4-BIT is made from stainless steel with a japanese quartz moment. It’s also only $99, so it’s affordable too. I think I might be picking up one of these up for myself when they are released in June. You can sign up now to be notified when they are available for order by going to the Cadence website.

The Astro A40 is the premier chat-ready 5.1 surround sound gaming headset on the market, compatible with Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. But unlike the Turtle Beach X41, it’s wired.

Price

$250 with mixamp needed to combine chatting and surround sound.

Verdict

I still vastly prefer the convenience of Turtle Beach’s wireless X41 headset, but I have to admit, the Astro A40 sounds better.
Playing Borderlands, everything from the growls of skaggs to the cadence of machine gun fire sounded richer and rounder on the A40s than my X41s. Maybe the sounds weren’t always as distinct, but especially when cranking the volume on each headset, I realized the general listenability—the whole package of sound—was more pleasant with Atro’s product, making me long for hearing loss. It’s a difference in mid range that, while not absolutely Earth-shattering, will probably be noticeable to most in a side-by-side test.

Both headsets have extremely similar sound localization. And chatting, on both, is an equal joy.

But there’s one, huge, horrible, despicable Achilles’ heel to the Astro A40s. To connect the headset to an Xbox 360 (or PS3/PC), wires will invade your entire living room because the console needs to plug twice into a mixamp (the big, retro box you see in the lead photo), then the mixamp connects your headphones and controller. That’s confusing, I know. Here’s the full workflow:

Xbox 360 optical out and USB cord => A40 Mixamp => Headphones/Mic and Xbox 360 controller.
Ultimately, not only are you negotiating four wires for this one headset, but you’ll still be tethered close to your console because of one, generally short/inflexible wire: the optical cord from your Xbox to the Mixamp (you can always opt for stereo plugs, but that sort of spoils the fun).

So while I knew the A40s sounded a bit better than my X41s, I couldn’t kick back and enjoy the game in the same way. For one long cord or tight quarters PC gaming, I might opt for the A40s. For four cords sprawled across my living room, I’m sticking with the X41s—especially since they’re $50+ less.

Maybe you’ll feel differently.

Excellent sound


Headphones work with any 3.5mm source, too


Wiring gets obnoxious