So, we've two main issues here. One, who in their right mind would pay $219.99 for a device that still requires a dedicated stereo in order to play back the internet radio streams that Grace Digital's Tuner Wireless Radio & Media Player delivers? And secondly, who would want to put up with Grace Digital's thoroughly lackluster UI? If you can't grok the grumbling, the aforementioned company now has a slender new component it'd love to stick on your shelf, with the device shown above able to stream WiFi radio content from 30,000 stations, Pandora, iheartradio, Sirius, Live365, MP3tunes and a smattering of other sources. It can be wired up via Ethernet or used over 802.11g, with composite, Toslink and coaxial digital audio outputs around back. There's a 4-line backlit LCD for displaying not nearly enough metadata at once, and there's even a remote thrown in for those looking to build out their collection. It's available now if you're feeling the itch, though we'd suggest you get that checked out before blindly indulging.

Continue reading Grace Digital's Tuner Wireless Radio & Media Player adds internet radio to existing stereos

Grace Digital's Tuner Wireless Radio & Media Player adds internet radio to existing stereos originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Grace Digital Audio  | Email this | Comments

It's late and you're feeling bored? Head over to #whitenoise! The folks there are bound to make you laugh like crazy. More »

It's like Transformers and a Rubik's Cube had a baby, and it wanted to be a piece of furniture, but somewhere along the line it got magnetized so the pieces are doomed for all eternity to never touch one another. More »

You might've heard about a new Kindle model or two this evening, and good news if they tickled your fancy -- they're now on Amazon and available for pre-order. Both the WiFi-only and WiFi / 3G models are shipping August 27th, the former in graphite and the latter in graphite and white options. Search your pocketbook, if you know it to be coveted.

P.S. - UK customers, try here.

New Kindles now available for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Amazon (WiFi), (WiFi + 3G)  | Email this | Comments

Evatran's Plugless Power Station hopes to juice electric cars by sending charges wirelessly. Pull up, park and its power station will handle the rest. No plugging in necessary. More »

Trading gas nozzles for electric sockets may be the green thing to do -- in more ways than one -- but wouldn't plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles be that much sweeter if you could just forget about the plug? That's what Evatran is trying to do with its Plugless Power technology, shown off at Plug-In 2010 in San Jose, which charges your car automatically when you pull up to the company's specially-designed curb. The "station block" above is a wireless induction charger (yes, a car-sized Powermat) that beams electricity to a shoebox-sized device you mount to the undercarriage of your vehicle, magnetically detecting and gravitating towards said shoebox even if you park somewhat crooked. The system presently works with 80 percent efficiency when firing electrons across a two-inch gap (engineers are shooting for 90 percent by the time it hits production) but of course the base station itself doesn't get power from the ether -- it requires one of the company's own Level 2 wired chargers (and compatible wiring) to run. Should your residence or place of business be equipped, the 240 volt towers will set you back $3,245 this December, and the proximity charger will be available to early adopters in Q2 2011 (we're hearing April) for the bargain price of $800.

Evatran's Plugless Power gives your wheels a wireless proximity-based charge originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

If you find the look of a typical espresso maker, with all its dainty knobs and levers, lacking in character, you're not alone. Israeli design student Schmuel Linkski's concrete-encased Lavazza unit is a bold ode to refinement and durability. More »

The BookLiberator Project is kit of open source hardware and software, designed to help you digitize your personal library without damaging your collection. It won't spare you from having to turn each page, but it is some seriously clever design. More »

Back when we outlined the iOS 4 features missing from iPhone 3G, we forgot one key bullet point: performance. As more and more two-year veterans of Apple's phones have taken the plunge and upgraded to the latest firmware, slowdown and battery drain issues have become a common complaint, which is even more irksome when you think of just how little the update really adds to the UI. The Wall Street Journal reports speaking to an Apple spokesperson who said the company is looking into the matter. That doesn't necessarily mean a fix is coming anytime soon, but hey, at least you can hold the darn thing however you want.

Apple investigating issues with iOS 4 upgrade on iPhone 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  WSJ  | Email this | Comments

Woah! My head is spinning after watching this video demo of a Tweetdeck beta release which uses Twitter's new user stream API. It lets you watch people replying, retweeting or favoriting tweets in real time. Amazing. More »