Continue reading Box for Android updated to 1.5: adds widgets, uploading from any app, magic

Box for Android updated to 1.5: adds widgets, uploading from any app, magic originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Though HP announced two desktops today, the most interesting tidbit might not be the computers, but the software installed on them. As the company releases new hardware, it’s also rolling out a revamped version of its TouchSmart UI. Now called Magic Canvas, it’ll work even on PCs without touchscreens, and it’s going to ship on every HP tower and all-in-one, including already-announced models like this. The most significant improvement is that you can now access the Start Menu and all your Windows apps, even when you’re immersed in this UI that frankly looks more like a mobile OS than Windows 7. (If all this reeks of bloatware, you can uninstall or choose not to launch it.) As for that mobile-inspired experience, we’re talking about those widgets and large, finger-friendly shortcuts, sure, but also the fact that you get an unlimited number of home screens for pinning notes and leaving documents open. Forget where you left your 15-page term paper? You can right click to bring up a search screen (we’re not clear if there will be a keyboard shortcut for that). As we said, you can expect this to become ubiquitous on HP’s desktops but if you want to see it in action now, you can head past the break for a short promo video.

Continue reading HP renames its TouchSmart software Magic Canvas, plans to install it on all desktops (even non-touch ones)

HP renames its TouchSmart software Magic Canvas, plans to install it on all desktops (even non-touch ones) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen monitors with touch input and displays powered only by USB, but combining both those features into a single unit would make for something truly unique. We’ve gotta hand it to Mimo Monitors for pulling it off — the Magic Touch and Magic Touch Deluxe deliver 10.1 inches of capacitive interactivity using only a single USB 2.0 cable. The panel itself offers a resolution of 1024 x 600 for keeping video chats out of your way, displaying email or monitoring social networks. The Deluxe version also adds a two-port USB hub but, if you plan to charge your devices through it, you’ll have to hook up the optional AC adapter. Sadly, while they can act as a secondary monitor regardless of OS, you’ll need a Windows 7 machine to take advantage of the touch capabilities — and even then it’s single touch only (though, the panel itself is technically capable of four-point multitouch). Both models are available to pre-order now for 0 (Magic Touch) or 0 (Magic Touch Deluxe) with delivery expected before Christmas. Check out the complete PR after the break.

Continue reading Mimo Magic Touch adds 10 inches of capacitive touchscreen to your PC using only USB

Mimo Magic Touch adds 10 inches of capacitive touchscreen to your PC using only USB originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Booyah was one of the early leaders in the location gaming market with MyTown, a check-in game that raced out ahead of Foursquare and Gowalla, but differentiated itself with its Monopoly for the real world approach. After 4.5 million downloads of MyTown, Booyah is back with MyTown 2, a new take on gaming that incorporates more of a CityVille approach while still using the real world as a game board.

MyTown 2, a universal iOS app which hits the App Store Thursday, works the city building angle but allows you to apply it to the real world. The original game also allowed you to buy real locations but the sequel now comes with an overhead view of the world that looks more like CityVille and We Rule. It also changes some of the mechanics. Now the price of a location is based on its real-world popularity with other players, who can also own the same property, and that also determines how much money the location produces. Gamers look to expand their town’s population, which allows players to build more business and improve their economy. Check-ins are no longer necessary to buy locations, but can be used to get bonuses, boosts and special rewards.

Booyah CEO Jason Willig, who replaced founder Keith Lee a month ago, said the sequel tries to find game experiences from the first game that spoke to people and expand upon them.

It’s an interesting move for Booyah, which has moved away from location-based gaming with titles like Night Club City and Early Bird. It’s now showing it still wants to innovate on this idea of location-based gaming. Booyah was never really in competition with Foursquare and Gowalla, which provide more of a utility for check-ins. And now those companies are moving even further away from their gaming mechanics while MyTown is trying to be even more like a real game.

I think it’s interesting that MyTown has also de-emphasized the check-in, which Willig said is not central to the game anymore but can serve more like a slot machine providing extras. It reminds of what Ville Vesterinen, founder of location-based game Shadow Cities noted, that much of location games are played from home or work so games need to allow people to play without necessarily always venturing out into the real world. Will MyTown 2 find an audience? Its predecessor raced out to 3 million downloads in its first year though growth slowed after that. MyTown 2 has got an interesting take on city-building in the real world and I’m hoping it can help explore more of the location-gaming genre, which is still just getting going.

Booyah could use some more momentum to justify the almost million it’s raised from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Accel and DAG Ventures .

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
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By now, the specs on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus are already publicly known, but what other magic is hiding within all the wires and circuitry? To find out, we’ve enlisted the help of developer Francois Simond (SuperCurio) to break down as many of the inner components of the Android 4.0-loaded device as possible. And while there isn’t anything particularly earth-shattering revealed here, we at least have a better idea of the kind of wizardry taking place underneath that bedazzling HD display. Read on with us to learn all of the deliciously nerdy details.

Continue reading Behind the glass: a detailed tour inside the Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Behind the glass: a detailed tour inside the Samsung Galaxy Nexus originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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