Engadget RSS Feed http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2013 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[Facebook's move to mobile powered by intensive internal training]]> http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/04/facebooks-move-to-mobile-powered-by-intensive-internal-training/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/04/facebooks-move-to-mobile-powered-by-intensive-internal-training/ http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/04/facebooks-move-to-mobile-powered-by-intensive-internal-training/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments

Facebook's made no bones about the fact that its focus has shifted from a desktop web- to a mobile-focused company. Today, Director of Mobile Engineering, Mike Shaver informed us exactly how the company is making the change. It turns out, the company started an intensive training program last July in order to bring people up to speed on coding native apps for iOS and Android. How intensive? The program, run by Big Nerd Ranch, is five straight days of training for eight hours each day -- after which, those who make it through can "start writing code for apps the very next Monday." While roughly 80 percent of employees who take the training are engineers, it's important to note that any Facebook employee can take the course. Thus far, designers, product managers, engineering managers and even a recruiter are among the 450 who have completed the training.

It's all a part of the Social Network's plan to build "mobile empathy" among all of its employees, and getting everyone thinking mobile first. Facebook's able to go this route because it keeps the bar high when hiring new employees, seeks generalists to fill engineering slots, and folks are expected to get up to speed as needed once they've joined Zuckerberg's flock. So, if you thought building that slick new game for Android or iOS was going to give you a leg up on the coding competition when seeking work at Facebook HQ... think again.

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]]> androidengineerfacebookhiringiosmobilepostcrosssoftwaretraining Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:33:00 -0500 21|20487850 <![CDATA[Former Rdio software engineer joins Google's Project Glass team]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/28/former-rdio-engineer-joins-google-project-glass/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/28/former-rdio-engineer-joins-google-project-glass/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/28/former-rdio-engineer-joins-google-project-glass/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Former Rdio software engineer joins Google's Project Glass team

There's still quite a few months before those lucky early adopters can get their eager hands (and eyes) on Google's Explorer Edition set of wearables, but in the meantime, the company's not wasting any time and is building up its team to have the frames as loaded as can be. One of the latest additions to Mountain View's Project Glass squad is former Rdio and Danger software engineer Ian McKellar -- who'd previously worked on the streaming service's API, among other things. Mum's the word on what exactly he'll be tinkering with at the Project Glass laboratories, though we can't imagine it'll be anything short of amazing. In case you'd like to dive into his thoughts a little more, you can check out his tweet on the matter at the link below.

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Via: SlashGear

Source: Ian McKellar (Twitter)

]]> engineerGooglegoogle glassGoogle GlassesGoogle Project GlassGoogleGlassGoogleGlassesGoogleProjectGlassIan McKellarIanMckellarminipostProject GlassProjectGlassRdiosoftware engineerSoftwareEngineer Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:44:00 -0400 21|20310045 <![CDATA[Apple Senior VP of Hardware Engineering Bob Mansfield to retire, be replaced by Dan Riccio]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/28/apple-senior-vp-of-hardware-engineering-bob-mansfield-to-retire/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/28/apple-senior-vp-of-hardware-engineering-bob-mansfield-to-retire/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/28/apple-senior-vp-of-hardware-engineering-bob-mansfield-to-retire/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Apple Senior VP of Hardware Engineering Bob Mansfield to retire, be replaced by Dan RiccioApple has announced that its Senior VP of Hardware Engineering, Bob Mansfield, will retire and over the course of the next few months transfer his role to Dan Riccio. Mansfield is credited with leading the Mac engineering team since 2005 and took on a more visible role as an exec during the reshuffling in 2008. He's also mentioned as leading iPhone and iPod engineering since 2010 (when he took over the role from Mark Papermaster in a move curiously timed around those antenna troubles) and the iPad since it began. He'd been with Apple since 1999 when it acquired his previous employer, Raycer Graphics, and most recently popped up on our radar earlier this year while integrating another acquisition, flash memory maker Anobit. If you'd like to get familiar with his replacement, Dan Riccio is currently vice president of iPad hardware engineering. Check the press release after the break for a few more details on both individuals, there's no word on Mansfield's post-retirement plans.

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]]> anobitapplebob mansfieldBobMansfielddan riccioDanRiccioengineerexecexecutiveimacipadiphoneipod touchIpodTouchmacmark papermasterMarkPapermastermobilepostcrossretirementsenior vp harfware engineeringSeniorVpHarfwareEngineeringvp Thu, 28 Jun 2012 18:35:00 -0400 21|20268693 <![CDATA[Engineer makes light-up business cards with 555 timer, proves PCB skills]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/09/light-up-business-cards-555-timer/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/09/light-up-business-cards-555-timer/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/09/light-up-business-cards-555-timer/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Engineer makes light-up business cards with 555 timer, proves PCB skills

Sure, there have been some pretty creative variations on the standard paper business card, but if you're looking to make a career in electronics engineering, card stock isn't necessarily the best option for material. Such was the case for one student, who had the canny idea to make a card that demonstrates his printed circuit board know-how. He used a 555 timer that outputs a clock to the LEDs on the biz card, and placing a nine-volt battery on the terminals sets off the mini light show. See for yourself in the video below.

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]]> 555 timer555Timerbusiness cardbusiness cardsBusinessCardBusinessCardsElectronics EngineerElectronicsEngineerEngineerengineeringengineerspcbPCBsprinted circuitprinted circuit boardprinted circuitsPrintedCircuitPrintedCircuitBoardPrintedCircuitsvideo Sat, 09 Jun 2012 11:09:00 -0400 21|20254872 <![CDATA[Dyson's engineers head off to the races, create dragsters using spare parts, DC-16 motors (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/13/dyson-engineers-spare-parts-drag-race-dc-16-vacuum-motor/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/13/dyson-engineers-spare-parts-drag-race-dc-16-vacuum-motor/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/13/dyson-engineers-spare-parts-drag-race-dc-16-vacuum-motor/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments ImageDyson engineers certainly know a thing or two about creating innovative vacuums and fans Air Multipliers, but did you know they've also dabbled in the world of high-speed racing? Such is apparently now the case, as these folks were tasked with building go-kart drag racers out of spare parts, resulting in a variety of wheeled wonders viaing for the fastest run on a makeshift strip in the office. Of course, there was a catch -- all of the dragsters had to use the motor from Dyson's DC-16 handheld vacuum in a battle for maximum torque. We won't spoil the outcomes for you, so scroll down to catch a video mashup of all the hijinks in the video below.

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]]> dc 16Dc16drag racedrag racingDragRaceDragRacingdragsterdysondyson dc-16DysonDc-16engineergo-karthandheld vacuumHandheldVacuummotorofficeoffice raceOfficeRaceracevacuumvacuum motorVacuumMotorvideo Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:23:00 -0400 21|20214512 <![CDATA[Carrier IQ VP says software poses no threat to user privacy, backs up his argument with metaphor]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/03/carrier-iq-vp-says-software-poses-no-threat-to-user-privacy-bac/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/03/carrier-iq-vp-says-software-poses-no-threat-to-user-privacy-bac/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/03/carrier-iq-vp-says-software-poses-no-threat-to-user-privacy-bac/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments The final chapter of the Carrier IQ saga has yet to be written, but at this juncture, even the rosiest of rose-tinted observers would be hard pressed to find a silver lining. The specter of federal investigation looms larger by the day. Implicated carriers and manufacturers are washing their hands with Macbethian fury. Al Franken is on the verge of going Al Franken. And at the epicenter of all this sits Carrier IQ -- a California-based analytics company that has already gone to great lengths to defend its innocence. First, it sought to discredit Trevor Eckhart's ostensibly damning research with a cease-and-desist letter. Then, CEO Larry Lenhart flatly denied Eckhart's findings with an impassioned YouTube address. In recent days, the company has markedly softened its stance, arguing that its apps are only designed to meet operator demands and to "make your phones better." Now, Carrier IQ has elaborated upon these arguments with a more detailed breakdown of how its software functions, and a more substantive defense of its practices. Head past the break to read more.

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]]> Andrew CowardAndrewCowardAndroidcarrierCarrier IQCarrierIqDan RosenbergDanRosenbergdatadiagnosticengineerfederal trade commissionFederalTradeCommissionfilterFTCinterviewkeystroke loggingKeystrokeLoggingLarry LenhartLarryLenhartmobilepostcrossoperatorpersonal datapersonal informationPersonalDataPersonalInformationprivacyprovidersmartphoneSMStext messageTextMessageTrevor EckhartTrevorEckhart Sat, 03 Dec 2011 09:19:00 -0500 21|20120057 <![CDATA[Galaxy Nexus barometer explained, Sam Champion not out of a job]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/20/galaxy-nexus-barometer-explained-sam-champion-not-out-of-a-job/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/20/galaxy-nexus-barometer-explained-sam-champion-not-out-of-a-job/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/20/galaxy-nexus-barometer-explained-sam-champion-not-out-of-a-job/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments

Google's Galaxy Nexus may be a lot of things: the fourth-coming of Android, an HD Super AMOLED showcase and iPhone 4S competitor. But weather forecaster? Alright, so it won't give you hourly atmospheric updates with an air swipe, but the built-in barometer that's got so many of us scratching our heads has a much different purpose. Android engineer Dan Morrill took to the social pages of Google+ to clarify the confusion. Turns out, Sammy added the barometer to help the device more rapidly acquire a GPS lock by delivering altitude coordinates to the required latitude and longitude GPS equation. Morrill goes on to note that the original Xoom also packed a similar feature, so if anything, this Nexus is simply following that Moto tab's lead. Next quandary Morrill needs to solve? Why, that would be the omission of carrier release dates.

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]]> Androidandroid 4.0 ice cream sandwichAndroid4.0IceCreamSandwichbarometerDan MorrillDanMorrillengineerGalaxy NexusGalaxyNexusGoogleGoogle Galaxy NexusGoogleGalaxyNexusGPSIce Cream SandwichIceCreamSandwichICSmobilepostcrossNexusSamsungSamsung Galaxy NexusSamsungGalaxyNexus Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:03:00 -0400 21|20086482 <![CDATA[Julius Blank, chip-making pioneer and Fairchild co-founder, dies at 86]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/26/julius-blank-chip-making-pioneer-and-fairchild-co-founder-dies/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/26/julius-blank-chip-making-pioneer-and-fairchild-co-founder-dies/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/26/julius-blank-chip-making-pioneer-and-fairchild-co-founder-dies/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Somber news coming out of Palo Alto today, where Julius Blank, the man who helped found the groundbreaking chipmaker Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation, has passed away at the age of 86. The Manhattan-born Blank (pictured third from left, above) began his engineering career in 1952, when he joined AT&T's Western Electric plant in New Jersey. As a member of the engineering group at the plant, Blank helped create phone technology that allowed users to dial long-distance numbers without going through an operator. It was also at Western Electric where he met fellow engineer Eugene Kleiner. In 1956, Blank and Kleiner left AT&T to work at the lab of Nobel Prize-winning physicist William B. Shockley, but departed just one year later (amid to start Fairchild, alongside a group of six other computer scientists that included future Intel Corporation founders Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore. At their new labs, Blank and his peers developed an inexpensive method for manufacturing silicon chips, earning them $1.5 million in capital from a single investor. As the only two with any manufacturing experience, Blank and Kleiner were charged with bringing the dream to fruition -- a task that required them to build the chips from scratch, beginning with the machinery for growing silicon crystals. They succeeded, of course, and in 1969, Blank left Fairchild to start Xicor, a tech firm that Intersil would later buy for $529 million, in 2004. But his legacy will forever be linked to those early days at Fairchild, where, as Blank described in a 2008 interview, he and his colleagues were able to experience the unique thrill of "building something from nothing." Julius Blank is survived by his two sons, Jeffrey and David, and two grandsons.

[Photo courtesy of Joan Seidel / AP 1999]

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]]> attchipchip makerchipmakerchipmakingcomputer chipComputerChipdeathengineereugene kleinerEugeneKleinerfairchildfairchild semiconductorFairchildSemiconductorgary mooreGaryMooreintel corporationIntelCorporationJulius BlankJuliusBlankobitobituarypalo altoPaloAltorobert noyceRobertNoycesiliconsilicon chipsilicon crystalsilicon valleySiliconChipSiliconCrystalSiliconValleystart upStartUpwilliam b shockleywilliam shockleyWilliamBShockleyWilliamShockleyxicor Mon, 26 Sep 2011 06:59:00 -0400 21|20065789 <![CDATA[Layoffs underway at HP's webOS division, hundreds of employees may be in jeopardy]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/20/layoffs-underway-at-hps-webos-division-hundreds-of-employees-m/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/20/layoffs-underway-at-hps-webos-division-hundreds-of-employees-m/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/20/layoffs-underway-at-hps-webos-division-hundreds-of-employees-m/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments HP's webOS-powered devices are riding off into the sunset and so too, apparently, are hundreds of jobs. Sources close to the company tell All Things Digital that upwards of 525 employees at HP's Palm division are slated to lose their jobs in the near future, as part of a layoff process that began this week. In a statement, an HP spokesperson explained the decision thusly:

"As communicated on August 18, HP will discontinue the development of webOs devices within the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2011, which ends Oct 31 2011. As part of this decision, the webOS GBU is undergoing a reduction in workforce. Today's actions are part of this initiative. During this time, we stand by our commitment to our webOS customers and will work to ensure that support and service for customers are not adversely affected."

The company went on to say that it's still "exploring ways to leverage webOS software," but declined to specify the exact number of hardware-related jobs that would be cut.

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]]> businessemployeeengineerhardwarehewlett-packardhphp palmhp touchpadhp webosHpPalmHpTouchpadHpWebosindustrylayoffminipostmoneypalmtouchpadwebos Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:28:00 -0400 21|20047173 <![CDATA[German engineers want to halve EV manufacturing costs by 2018, seem confident about it]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/20/german-engineers-want-to-halve-ev-manufacturing-costs-by-2018-s/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/20/german-engineers-want-to-halve-ev-manufacturing-costs-by-2018-s/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/20/german-engineers-want-to-halve-ev-manufacturing-costs-by-2018-s/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Yearning for an EV that can fit within your budget? You may not have to wait too long, according a group of engineers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), who are aiming to halve plug-in manufacturing costs by 2018. It's all part of something called Competence E -- a €200 million ($273 million) initiative that will draw upon the expertise of 250 scientists from 25 different institutes, in the hopes of creating new and more cost-effective methods of producing power trains and batteries. Under the publicly funded project, which was announced at last week's International Motor Show, KIT's researchers will construct a "research factory" where they'll develop and demonstrate their processes and technologies. According to project leader Andreas Gutsch, the idea isn't to create concepts that could bear fruit a few decades down the road, but to develop more pragmatic solutions that can be integrated at the industrial level within a relatively short time frame. "We are no longer focused on studying individual molecules or components, but on developing solutions on the system level, which meet industrial requirements," Gutsch told Science|Business. "We are actively approaching industry and will even intensify these efforts...We are conducting excellent research for application, not for the drawer." A full 50 engineers will begin working on Competence E next year, with the project scheduled to wrap up by 2018. Purr past the break for more details, in the full press release.

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]]> batterycarcompetence ecompetence e projectCompetenceECompetenceEProjectcostelectric vehicleElectricVehicleenergyengineerengineeringevfrankfurt international motor showFrankfurtInternationalMotorShowfundgreeninitiativeinternational motor show 2011InternationalMotorShow2011Karlsruhe Institute of TechnologyKarlsruheInstituteOfTechnologyKITmoneyplug inPlugInpower trainPowerTrainresearchsciencestorage Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:26:00 -0400 21|20047042 <![CDATA[Researchers use wireless network to monitor breathing, could save lives]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/19/researchers-use-wireless-network-to-monitor-breathing-could-sav/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/19/researchers-use-wireless-network-to-monitor-breathing-could-sav/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/19/researchers-use-wireless-network-to-monitor-breathing-could-sav/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
When Neal Patwari and his team of researchers developed a wireless network capable of seeing through walls, we assumed they were simply looking to cultivate their Alastor Moody-like superpowers. Turns out, they had far more important things on their minds. Patwari and his colleagues at the University of Utah have now penned a new study in which they demonstrate how their motion detecting technology could be used to monitor breathing patterns, as well, potentially enabling doctors to keep closer track of patients with sleep apnea or babies susceptible to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). To do this, Patwari reclined on a hospital bed and surrounded himself with 20 wireless transceivers operating at a frequency of 2.4GHz, as pictured above. He then timed his breathing at about 15 breaths per minute (the average rate for a resting adult), which he measured with his array of nodes and a carbon dioxide monitor. The engineer ultimately found that his system's algorithm could accurately measure respiration within 0.4 to 0.2 breaths per minute -- a relatively low error rate, since most monitors round off to the nearest full breath. Patwari says this development could offer a non-invasive and low-cost alternative to the devices used in most hospitals, and hopes to implement his technology into at-home baby monitors, as well. He acknowledges, however, that it will likely take at least five years before any of that happens -- so don't hold your breath. Full PR after the break.

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]]> 2.4ghzalgorithmapneababiesbabybaby monitorBabyMonitorbreathingbreathing monitorBreathingMonitorcostdetectordoctorengineerfrequencyhealthinfantmedicinemonitormotion detectorMotionDetectorneal patwariNealPatwarinodepaperresearchSIDSsleep apneaSleepApneatransceiveruniversity of utahUniversityOfUtahutahwirelesswireless transceiverWirelessTransceiver Mon, 19 Sep 2011 07:16:00 -0400 21|20045971 <![CDATA[Quantum Phantom program turns your smartphone into a wireless mouse (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/30/quantum-phantom-program-turns-your-smartphone-into-a-wireless-mo/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/30/quantum-phantom-program-turns-your-smartphone-into-a-wireless-mo/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/30/quantum-phantom-program-turns-your-smartphone-into-a-wireless-mo/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments The last time we saw Ben Wu, he was busy hammering away at Quantum Phantom -- a prototype program that allows users to manipulate their desktops with a simple webcam. Now, the engineer has expanded the concept to smartphones, as well, with a system that effectively turns any camera-equipped handset into a wireless mouse. To achieve this, Wu hooked up his Android phone to his PC via WiFi and used the IP Webcam app to create a video stream server. The results, by Wu's own admission, aren't exactly elegant (due to an unwieldy configuration process and low-res camera), though he still managed to use his creation to sketch an onscreen smiley face. Watch it for yourself in the demo video, after the break.

[Thanks, Ben]

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]]> androidappben wuBenWucameraengineerIP webcamIpWebcamlinuxprogramprototypequantum phantomQuantumPhantomsmartphonesoftwarestreamstreamingvideovideo streamVideoStreamwebcamwifiwireless mouseWirelessMouse Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:12:00 -0400 21|20030003 <![CDATA[Quantum Phantom prototype lets you control your computer screen with a webcam (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/12/quantum-phantom-prototype-lets-you-control-your-computer-screen/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/12/quantum-phantom-prototype-lets-you-control-your-computer-screen/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/12/quantum-phantom-prototype-lets-you-control-your-computer-screen/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
A guy named Ben Wu sent us this video recently and it sort of blew our minds. Wu, an engineer and self-described dreamer, has spent the past year developing a program he calls Quantum Phantom -- an Iron Man-inspired system that allows users to control a computer's cursor using only an ordinary webcam. With his Windows software onboard, Wu can draw, write and move onscreen icons or widgets, simply by waving his camera in front of a set of dual monitors. The prototype is even sophisticated enough to recognize his own webcam-produced handwriting and automatically convert it to rich text. In most cases, the sensor relies upon an ordinary cursor to navigate a screen, but Wu has also developed a pointer-free solution, as demonstrated toward the end of the above, three-part video. Be sure to check it out for yourself and get lost in the magic.

[Thanks, Ben]

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]]> ben wuBenWucameraconceptcontrolDisplaydrawingengineeriron manIronManmonitorperipheralprogramprogrammingprototypequantum phantomQuantumPhantomscreenvideowindowwindowswriting Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:53:00 -0400 21|20016155 <![CDATA[Plick hitches an elastic ride on the DIY robotics train (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/16/plick-hitches-an-elastic-ride-on-the-diy-robotics-train-video/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/16/plick-hitches-an-elastic-ride-on-the-diy-robotics-train-video/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/16/plick-hitches-an-elastic-ride-on-the-diy-robotics-train-video/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Man, we hope Gumby's collecting some royalty checks for this one. One part incredible-stretching toy, and one part DIY robotics kit, the Plick project takes the traditional hobbyist approach to brick-building your own bot and slaps a little rubber all around it. The industrial design prototype from Brazilian engineer Gabriel Paciornik combines programmable robotic parts with an elastic wired connection suitable for strapping your mad scientist creations to everyday objects. So, what can you make? The kit packs a variety of sensor-based circles that react to distance and sound, giving your mod-jobs the power of movement and light. It's safe to say this not-for-market toy veers far from LEGO Mindstorms NXT territory -- and that's exactly the point. Far out video demo and its 60s beach music soundtrack after the break.

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]]> BrazilianDIYelasticengineerGabriel PaciornikGabrielPaciornikGumbyhobbyIndustrial DesignIndustrialDesignlego mindstorms nxtLegoMindstormsNxtmodPlickprototyperoboticsrobotssensorsensorsvideo Sat, 16 Jul 2011 05:14:00 -0400 21|19992571 <![CDATA[HP seeks NFC engineer for 'smartphone and tablet products']]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/hp-seeks-nfc-engineer-for-smartphone-and-tablet-products/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/hp-seeks-nfc-engineer-for-smartphone-and-tablet-products/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/hp-seeks-nfc-engineer-for-smartphone-and-tablet-products/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments HP's mystery-wrapped Touch-to-share functionality already does something very similar to Near Field Communication, but it looks like the company's not satisfied with its own tech and will be jumping into the rapidly growing field of companies embracing NFC. A new job listing that has popped up online this week invites applications for the position of NFC Design Engineer on HP's tablet and smartphone team. Responsibilities include the design, testing, and debugging of NFC antennae and systems, but also expand to "support of product in field," indicating that HP is working on an aggressive roadmap here. Don't take our word for it, though, the job advert also advises prospective applicants that they'd have to work in a "high paced, schedule driven environment." Only question we have is this: since when are webOS devices being produced at a high pace?

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]]> employmentengineerengineeringengineershardwarehpjobjobsnear field communicationNearFieldCommunicationnfcpalmplansprerecruitmentrfidtrovixweboswork Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:22:00 -0400 21|19973397 <![CDATA[Researchers build synthetic synapse circuit, prosthetic brains still decades away]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/25/researchers-build-synthetic-synapse-circuit-prosthetic-brains-s/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/25/researchers-build-synthetic-synapse-circuit-prosthetic-brains-s/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/25/researchers-build-synthetic-synapse-circuit-prosthetic-brains-s/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Building a franken-brain has long been a holy grail of sorts for scientists, but now a team of engineering researchers have made what they claim to be a significant breakthrough towards that goal. Alice Parker and Chongwu Zhou of USC used carbon nanotubes to create synthetic synapse circuits that mimic neurons, the basic building blocks of the brain. This could be invaluable to AI research, though the team still hasn't tackled the problem of scope -- our brains are home to 100 billion neurons, each of which has 10,000 synapses. Moreover, these nanotubes are critically lacking in plasticity -- they can't form new connections, produce new neurons, or adapt with age. All told, the scientists say, we're decades away from having fake brains -- or even sections of it -- but if the technology advances as they hope it will, people might one day be able to recover from devastating brain injuries and drive cars smart enough to avert deadly accidents.

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]]> AIAlice ParkerAliceParkerArtificial intelligenceArtificialIntelligencebrainChongwu ZhouChongwuZhoucircuitcircuitsengineerengineeringengineersfake brainFakeBrainnanotechnanotechnologynanotubenanotubesneuronneuronsprosthesisprostheticresearchresearcherresearchersscientistscientistssynapsesynthetic synapseSyntheticSynapseUSC Mon, 25 Apr 2011 19:24:00 -0400 21|19922636 <![CDATA[Carbon nanotubes used to more easily detect cancer cells, HIV]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/31/carbon-nanotubes-used-more-easily-detect-cancer-cells-hiv/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/31/carbon-nanotubes-used-more-easily-detect-cancer-cells-hiv/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/31/carbon-nanotubes-used-more-easily-detect-cancer-cells-hiv/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Cancer's not slowing its march to ruining as many lives as it possibly can, so it's always pleasing to hear of any new developments that act as hurdles. The latest in the world of disease-prevention comes from Harvard University, where researches have created a dime-sized carbon nanotube forest (read: lots of nanotubes, like those shown above) that can be used to trap cancer cells when blood passes through. A few years back, Mehmet Toner, a biomedical engineering professor at Harvard, created a device similar to the nano-forest that was less effective because silicon was used instead of carbon tubes. Today, Toner has teamed up with Brian Wardle, associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT, who together have redesigned the original microfluid device to work eight times more efficiently than its predecessor. The carbon nanotubes make diagnosis a fair bit simpler, largely because of the antibodies attached to them that help trap cancer cells as they pass through -- something that's being tailored to work with HIV as well. Things are starting to look moderately promising for cancer-stricken individuals, as hospitals have already began using the original device to detect malignant cells and ultimately prevent them from spreading -- here's hoping it's qualified for mass adoption sooner rather than later.

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]]> antibodiesBrianBrian WardleBrianWardlecancercarboncellsdetectiondevicediseaseengineerharvardharvard universityHarvardUniversityHIVmalignantMehmetMehmet TonerMehmetTonernanonano tubenanotechnologynanotubepreventionprofessorresearchresearcherssciencespreadTonertrapuniversityWardle Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:31:00 -0400 21|19897564 <![CDATA[Turing machine built from wood, scrap metal and magnets, 'geek' achievement unlocked (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/25/turing-machine-built-from-wood-scrap-metal-and-magnets-geek/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/25/turing-machine-built-from-wood-scrap-metal-and-magnets-geek/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/25/turing-machine-built-from-wood-scrap-metal-and-magnets-geek/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments We take it for granted nowadays that thumbnail-sized silicon chips can crunch through the most complex of calculations, but early last century, mathematical tasks were still being carried out by humans. It was around that time that one Alan Turing, Enigma code breaker and general computer science pioneer, came up with what was essentially a thought experiment, a mechanical machine capable of simulating and solving algorithms just like a grown-up CPU. Well, you know where this is going by now, one British software engineer decided to build just such a device, out of old bits and bobs he had lying around his geek lair, producing a working model that was recently shown off at the Maker Faire UK in Newcastle. The only downer, as he points out, is that it'd take "months to add two numbers together," but all good things start off humbly. Video after the break.

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]]> alan turingAlanTuringalgorithmsball bearingsBallBearingscamscomputationcomputerdiyengineerengineeringhandmadejim macarthurJimMacarthurleversmachinemagnetsmechanicalmechanical computerMechanicalComputerscrapsturingturing machineTuringMachineuniversaluniversal turing machineUniversalTuringMachinevideowood Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:24:00 -0400 21|19891446 <![CDATA[Engineers create 3D microscope lens, see the tiny elephants in your ear]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/23/engineers-create-3d-microscope-lens-see-the-tiny-elephants-in-y/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/23/engineers-create-3d-microscope-lens-see-the-tiny-elephants-in-y/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/23/engineers-create-3d-microscope-lens-see-the-tiny-elephants-in-y/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments The ability to view tiny images in the third D has been made possible by Lei Li and Allen Yi of Ohio State University. The two have crafted a one-of-a-kind 3D lens that, unlike other three-dimensional microscopes that capture images by circling around the subject, sees teeny objects while stationary. Although the engineers crafted the lens on a precision cutting machine using a diamond blade themselves, they say it can be produced using traditional molding methods. At the size of a fingernail, the thermoplastic material, aka acrylic glass, was cut with 10 nanometer spacing (that's tiny) to ensure a flat plane. The top is surrounded by eight facets -- sort of like a gem stone, but not symmetric -- allowing the viewer to see 9 different angles at once. This should pave way for scientists to get better angles of microscopic objects, but they can always try using the 3DS and some DIY lens attachments, right?

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]]> 3d3d imaging3d microscope3dImaging3dMicroscopeallen yiAllenYiengineerengineerslei liLeiLilensmicroscopenanometersciencethree dimensionalThreeDimensional Wed, 23 Mar 2011 02:33:00 -0400 21|19887903 <![CDATA[Steve Ballmer looking for a few good engineers for Microsoft management?]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/07/steve-ballmer-looking-for-a-few-good-engineers-for-microsoft-man/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/07/steve-ballmer-looking-for-a-few-good-engineers-for-microsoft-man/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/07/steve-ballmer-looking-for-a-few-good-engineers-for-microsoft-man/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Bloomberg's heard a couple whispers that Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer is looking to fill senior product executive roles with engineers. In other words, people who can really understand the products they're planning, pushing, and promoting -- a smart move, if it comes to pass. An announcement could reportedly be made as early as this month alongside a Courier resurgence. (Okay, not really, but let us dream a bit.)

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]]> ballmerbusinessengineerengineersexecexecutiveexecutivesmanagementmicrosoftproduct executiveProductExecutivereshufflesenior product executiveSeniorProductExecutiveshufflesteve ballmerSteveBallmer Mon, 07 Feb 2011 21:37:00 -0500 21|19833879 <![CDATA[Apple job listing calls for Verizon iPad engineer, hints at a lot more]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/13/apple-job-listing-calls-for-verizon-ipad-engineer-hints-at-a-lot-m/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/13/apple-job-listing-calls-for-verizon-ipad-engineer-hints-at-a-lot-m/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/13/apple-job-listing-calls-for-verizon-ipad-engineer-hints-at-a-lot-m/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Do you "have enterprise sales experience and an existing knowledge of the mobile market and the technologies that support it?" Do you "have strong IT knowledge in the areas of enterprise messaging and collaboration, VPN, WiFi and enterprise security technologies?" And most importantly, do you "possess the ability to work without direct supervision or detailed direction?" If so, you might just be suitable for Apple's latest and greatest job listing. The HR team in Cupertino is apparently looking for a Verizon iPad system engineer, primarily to work with Apple's sales team and legions of business partners in order to "drive the adoption of iPad in enterprise accounts." What's interesting is the Verizon angle; if Apple simply wanted nondescript iPads in Corporate America, why hire someone familiar with Big Red? Moreover, this certainly says something about Apple's relationship with Verizon -- namely, that it's growing, and we're guessing that the pleasantries will eventually extend far beyond a tablet. So yeah, it's no real shocker that Apple and Verizon are in cahoots on some level, but this kind of invitation usually comes with one or two undercover intentions. Any upstanding gentleman attached to his better half would understand.

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]]> appleapple ipadAppleIpadcdmaengineerenterpriseiosipadjobjob listingJobListingpartnerpartnershipsalesslatetablettablet pcTabletPcverizonverizon ipadverizon wirelessVerizonIpadVerizonWirelessvzw Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:24:00 -0500 21|19758659 <![CDATA[Apple engineer uses Lego to rebuild ancient Greek mechanism, will surely try to patent it (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/10/apple-engineer-uses-lego-to-rebuild-ancient-greek-mechanism-wil/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/10/apple-engineer-uses-lego-to-rebuild-ancient-greek-mechanism-wil/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/10/apple-engineer-uses-lego-to-rebuild-ancient-greek-mechanism-wil/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments The Antikythera Mechanism is what you call truly old school technology. Argued to be the world's oldest known computer, this ancient Greek invention was used some time circa 100BC to calculate and "predict celestial events and eclipses with unprecedented accuracy." Skipping past the two millennia in which it lay lost on a sea floor somewhere, the Mechanism has now been recreated by an Apple software engineer by the name of Andrew Carol, who has lovingly pieced 1,500 Lego Technic blocks together, creating 110 gears and four gearboxes in total. Each box is responsible for performing one piece of arithmetic, and when the resulting machine is fed with appropriate calendar data, it spits out a (hopefully accurate) prediction for the next time a solar eclipse should occur. All well and good, but we're really just amazed by the beauty of those gears working. Check them out after the break.

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]]> ancientandrew carolAndrewCarolAntikythera MechanismAntikytheraMechanismapplearithmeticastronomybeautifulcalculatorengineergearshistoricinventionlegolego technicLegoTechnicmachinemathematicsmathsmechanicalmechanicsmechanismprecisionreplicavideo Fri, 10 Dec 2010 06:28:00 -0500 21|19754931 <![CDATA[UC Berkeley researchers craft ultra-sensitive artificial skin, robots dream of holding eggs]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/13/uc-berkeley-researchers-craft-ultra-sensitive-artificial-skin-r/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/13/uc-berkeley-researchers-craft-ultra-sensitive-artificial-skin-r/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/13/uc-berkeley-researchers-craft-ultra-sensitive-artificial-skin-r/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Researchers and engineers have been toiling on synthetic skins for years now, but most of 'em have run into one major problem: the fact that organic materials are poor semiconductors. In other words, older skins have required high levels of power to operate, and those using inorganic materials have traditionally been too fragile for use on prosthetics. Thanks to a team of researchers at UC Berkeley, though, we're looking at a new "pressure-sensitive electronic material from semiconductor nanowires." The new 'e-skin' is supposedly the first material made out of inorganic single crystalline semiconductors, and at least in theory, it could be widely used in at least two applications. First off, robots could use this skin to accurately determine how much force should be applied (or not applied, as the case may be) to hold a given object. Secondly, this skin could give touch back to those with artificial hands and limbs, though that would first require "significant advances in the integration of electronic sensors with the human nervous system. Dollars to donuts this gets tested on the gridiron when UCLA and / or Stanford comes to town.

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]]> artificial skinArtificialSkinberkeleye-skinengineernanowirenanowiresprostheticprostheticsresearchsciencesensingsensorsensorsskinUC BerkeleyUcBerkeleyuniversity Mon, 13 Sep 2010 12:37:00 -0400 21|19631147 <![CDATA[Computer controlled Bayan from 1988 makes us want to go back to the past]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/06/computer-controlled-bayan-from-1988-makes-us-want-to-go-back-to/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/06/computer-controlled-bayan-from-1988-makes-us-want-to-go-back-to/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/06/computer-controlled-bayan-from-1988-makes-us-want-to-go-back-to/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Back in 1988, Russian engineer Vladimir Demin combined a bunch of solenoids (loops of copper wire) and a Bayan (a Russian accordian), to create a self-playable instrument controlled by his awesome, self-built computer. Yes, we're impressed, and you will be too, if you take a look at the video below.

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]]> 1988bayancomputercomputersdiydo it yourselfDoItYourselfengineerhackerhackershacksrussiansolenoidsolenoids Mon, 06 Sep 2010 22:41:00 -0400 21|19622641 <![CDATA[Google's Amit Singhal tells us about the dreams search engines are made of]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/googles-amit-singhal-tells-us-about-the-dreams-search-engines-a/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/googles-amit-singhal-tells-us-about-the-dreams-search-engines-a/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/googles-amit-singhal-tells-us-about-the-dreams-search-engines-a/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Do Googlers dream of electric algorithms? For a little insight into what makes the search engine that became a verb tick, we recently attended a talk by Amit Singhal, one of its chief engineers. Amit is part of the team in charge of tweaking and improving Google's ranking algorithms and has 20 years of experience when it comes to sorting through data, with that time split into even decades spent within the academic sphere and over in Mountain View. What he had to tell us mostly revolved around his aspirations from when he started out back in 1990, but it's the way that Google has acted to meet each of those goals that's the fun and interesting stuff (or as we like to call it around here, the meat). So do put on your reading monocle and join us past the break.

Gallery: Google Fellow Amit Singhal discusses the evolution of search

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]]> algorithmalgorithmsamit singhalAmitSinghalaspirationscaffeinedreamsengineerfellowgooglegoogle fellowgoogle rankingsgoogle searchGoogleFellowGoogleRankingsGoogleSearchsearchsearch engineSearchEnginesoftware engineerSoftwareEngineer Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:53:00 -0400 21|19556820