Pioneer launches the VSA-LX53 3D-capable 7.1-channel AV amplifier that is compatible with iPod/iPhone. The amp offers a maximum of 190Wx7-ch output and features PQLS Multi-surround. It supports the iControlAV that allows users to control the amp from iPhone or iPod via Bluetooth, using a dedicated app.

Pioneer VSA-LX53 also offers HDMI 1.4a.

[pioneer]

• Pioneer VSX-920-K, VSX-1020-K and VSX-1120-K AV Receivers with iPhone Control
• Pioneer BDR-03J 8X Blu-ray Burner
• Pioneer XW-NAS3 and XW-NAS5 iPhone Speakers
• Logic3 i-Station Rotate iPhone / iPod Dock
• Pioneer BDP-V6000 Blu-ray Player and HD-V9000 HD Video Player

Today, we’re announcing the completion of a new web indexing system called Caffeine. Caffeine provides 50 percent fresher results for web searches than our last index, and it’s the largest collection of web content we’ve offered. Whether it’s a news story, a blog or a forum post, you can now find links to relevant content much sooner after it is published than was possible ever before.

Some background for those of you who don’t build search engines for a living like us: when you search Google, you’re not searching the live web. Instead you’re searching Google’s index of the web which, like the list in the back of a book, helps you pinpoint exactly the information you need. (Here’s a good explanation of how it all works.)

So why did we build a new search indexing system? Content on the web is blossoming. It’s growing not just in size and numbers but with the advent of video, images, news and real-time updates, the average webpage is richer and more complex. In addition, people’s expectations for search are higher than they used to be. Searchers want to find the latest relevant content and publishers expect to be found the instant they publish.

To keep up with the evolution of the web and to meet rising user expectations, we’ve built Caffeine. The image below illustrates how our old indexing system worked compared to Caffeine:

Our old index had several layers, some of which were refreshed at a faster rate than others; the main layer would update every couple of weeks. To refresh a layer of the old index, we would analyze the entire web, which meant there was a significant delay between when we found a page and made it available to you.

With Caffeine, we analyze the web in small portions and update our search index on a continuous basis, globally. As we find new pages, or new information on existing pages, we can add these straight to the index. That means you can find fresher information than ever before—no matter when or where it was published.

Caffeine lets us index web pages on an enormous scale. In fact, every second Caffeine processes hundreds of thousands of pages in parallel. If this were a pile of paper it would grow three miles taller every second. Caffeine takes up nearly 100 million gigabytes of storage in one database and adds new information at a rate of hundreds of thousands of gigabytes per day. You would need 625,000 of the largest iPods to store that much information; if these were stacked end-to-end they would go for more than 40 miles.

We’ve built Caffeine with the future in mind. Not only is it fresher, it’s a robust foundation that makes it possible for us to build an even faster and comprehensive search engine that scales with the growth of information online, and delivers even more relevant search results to you. So stay tuned, and look for more improvements in the months to come.

Posted by Carrie Grimes, Software Engineer

The guy behind Spirit untethered jailbreak tool for iPhone , iPad and iPod touch has now managed to run “real” Flash content right on the iPhone or the iPod touch. Even though its only a preliminary release, but it looks promising, specially because its coming from non other than well … — full article at redmondpie.com

Related Stories:

• A preview (video) — youtube.com

We aren’t trying to lump these two together or anything, but we figured we’d give those of you who opted for Palm’s second set of webOS handsets an opportunity to pool your thoughts in order to make the smartphone landscape an even better place to survey. We personally didn’t find too much new to laud on Verizon’s Palm-branded twofer compared to the original Pre and Pixi, and those of you who were hoping for all new hardware from the company at CES were undoubtedly let down. Still, there’s something to be said about a webOS product on America’s “largest 3G network,” and frankly, we’re interested in hearing how you’d change things. Would you have overhauled things more drastically? Expanded the screen size? Bumped the resolution? Enlarged the keys? Go on and tell Jon exactly what you think in comments below — who knows, the Pre Plus Plus might just carry your calling card.

How would you change Palm’s Pre Plus and Pixi Plus? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Pioneer VSX-1020-K AV receiver with iPhone app up for pre-order

Pioneer VSX-1020-K AV receiver with iPhone app up for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone Savior

In the 10 billionth song that Apple sold through iTunes, Johnny Cash’s “Guess Things Happen That Way”, a man other than Steve Jobs famous for black attire bemoans the happenstance of his romantic misfortune. But nothing could be further from the story of iTunes, in which Apple’s meticulously crafted ownership of the end-user experience led to a dominant position in music sales. Now, on the dawn of releasing a new device that could be to television shows what the iPod was to music, Apple has an opportunity to create as commanding a lead in TV distribution — if it is willing to again capitulate to consumers’ media consumption habits.

Apple has enjoyed great success with iTunes in part because it adopted the purchase-to-own model that had been so successful with CDs and records before them. However, Apple didn’t simply mirror that model. By allowing consumers to purchase the vast majority of songs as singles, it provided better perceived value, Such an option was also a natural fit for the iPod, where playlists made it trivial to create the digital equivalent of “mix tapes.” The iPod’s capacity for thousands of songs was also no match for most albums that typically had a dozen or so songs.

Continue reading Switched On: Why it’s time for an iTunes TV subscription

Switched On: Why it’s time for an iTunes TV subscription originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple / Nokia federal lawsuit put on hold pending ITC investigation originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s hard to say why we’ve seen a glut of these adapters hit all within the same week, but hey, the more the merrier! North Carolina’s own New Potato Technologies (yes, we’re serious) has followed up on ThinkFlood and Power A’s efforts by introducing an Infrared iPhone / iPod touch dongle of its own. The difference? This one connects to the dock connector, and when used with the accompanying app, it can control lights, stereo systems, home cinemas and pretty much anything that allows dictation via IR. The best part just might be said app, as it allows users to search a database of over 14,000 device codes and just add the products they already own, which means that you’ll probably only be stuck programming that LaserDisc player you refuse to give up. It’ll start shipping today from the company’s own website for $79.99, or you can consult the middleman (read: Best Buy) on starting on March 28th.

Continue reading New Potato’s FLPR IR dongle gives your iPhone home automation capabilities

New Potato’s FLPR IR dongle gives your iPhone home automation capabilities originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you are looking for a speaker that looks just as awesome as your MP3 player, then you’re in luck.  This retro ammo box is sure to make you stand out from the crowd.  It would look great in anyone’s home that enjoys first person shooter games or just likes the look of military supplies.  Although it’s made out of metal, don’t worry, the creator has taken all the necessary precautions to still make sure this has quality sound.

It has a 6mm trespa on the inside with vibration dampening material, to help out the quality of sound.  It’s durable enough that you can cart it around outside without having to worry about it being damaged somehow.  It has a rechargeable battery that has a light to let you know the status of the battery.  There are a few variations with this speaker and options you can choose from.  Such as, there’s a heavier version that has warning lights behind the speakers to warn you against distortion when the speaker is cranked up too much.  You can purchase it for 350 euros or about $479.

Source: RetroThing

Of course, the $148 estimate is just for an 8GB Touch. When you get into 64GB territory, you’re looking at a grand savings of $348! I don’t know exactly where these signs are posted, but that’s probably for the best—it’d take no time at all to whip up my generous offer of $51.01. [The High Definite via The Daily What]

The Engadget app for BlackBerry gets updated to 1.0.1 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We should all be pretty familiar with the specs of Canon’s latest mainstream DSLR, so let’s skip past the new 18 megapixel CMOS sensor, SDXC memory card compatibility and high-res 3-inch LCD screen, and just focus on the one area where the Rebel T2i has a shot at matching the EOS 7D: 1080p video. Ron Risman of Cameratown has perched the two black-clad champs atop a tripod, installed identical (for the purposes of the test) lenses on them, and gone to town with testing the ISO performance of the two bodies. As he sees it, there’s no perceptible difference between the two up to ISO 1600, though looking at his video test we’re also hard pressed to distinguish any notable discrepancies at the maximum 6400 setting. Needless to say, the conclusion is that if you’re just after the 7D’s video performance with a smaller price tag, the Rebel T2i / 550D is the shooter for you. To make that decision as informed as possible, there’s also a feature comparison list, so skip along to the source link to get informed.

Canon Rebel T2i / 550D squares off with EOS 7D in video performance test originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ThinkFlood’s original RedEye was pretty swank, but unfortunately, it was both expensive and somewhat convoluted. It’s only been four months since that very device hit the scene, but it’s safe to say it’s already history. Today, the RedEye mini is setting a new bar in the world of iPhone / iPad / iPod touch remotes, with a single plug-in Infrared (IR) adapter enabling your Apple device to beam out a near-limitless array of IR commands. All that’s needed is the 3.5mm dongle (read: your dock connector remains open), the latest iPhone OS and the free RedEye app; once you’re setup, you can then control your TV, AV receiver, Blu-ray player and whatever else is lucky enough to be in your home theater rack and support IR dictation. Better still, the app allows users to customize the way they control their gear, with full multitouch and accelerometer support complementing the ability to add (soft) macro buttons. Oh, and did we mention that this wealth of functionality will only set you back $49? Huzzah!

Update: Not feeling the dongle? Power A has a similar option, but their solution is built right into a case. Not bad!

Continue reading RedEye mini converts iPhone, iPad or iPod touch into IR-beaming universal remote

RedEye mini converts iPhone, iPad or iPod touch into IR-beaming universal remote originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is Skinput, a conceptual technology that can recognize a user’s taps of a finger on the skin, but it seems to be limited to the hand and the rest of the arm.

This tech is under development from Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft, and requires that the user wear a certain armband with “piezoelectric cantilevers, or sensors that measure pressure, acceleration and force”. Click on the video after the jump to see this technology in action, and a most unusual method of controlling Tetris.

Skinput also uses a pico-projector to create images like menus on the user’s arm. With a tap on the skin above or below the menu, the user has a very unusual form of navigation.

You have to admit that this technology could have all sorts of applications for the mobile world. Just picture selecting your tunes on your arm instead of your iPod, or dialing your phone on your palm instead of your mobile device.

Still, I can’t help but this tech will lead to an age when we are all comfortable with integrating technology with our flesh. Then our cyborg teachers will say that it all began with Skinput.

Source

It’s not like your two ears really need 7.1 channels of audio, but what your home theater does need is simplicity and an eagerness to support the third dimension. In truth, we can only safely say that those beliefs are shared by Pioneer, who has today introduced a new pair of 5.1 AV receivers that offer Bluetooth streaming, HDMI 1.4 and an unmistakable “3D ready” label. There’s also the obligatory Works with iPhone certification on the VSX-820-K, which enables it to transfer iPod navigation control and on-screen graphics from the remote back to the Apple device. Outside of that, most everything else is identical between the two, as they each offer five channels of 110 watts, at least 3 HDMI sockets and rather reasonable price tags. Speaking of, you’ll be asked to pay $229 for the 520 and $299 for the 820 when they splash down later this month.

Pioneer brings Bluetooth streaming, 3D-readiness to VSX-520-K and VSX-820-K receivers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iLuv rolls out iMM178 Vibe Plus iPod dock with built-in ‘bed shaker’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Truly our craziest show yet. In case you didn’t tune into the livestream of The Engadget Show on Saturday (and if you somehow didn’t hear about the news), then you’re in for a real treat. The crew gets especially wild on this episode while talking Hulu and plans for world domination with Boxee’s Avner Ronen, revealing the first partner handset for Windows Phone 7 Series with Microsoft’s Aaron Woodman, and playing around with the Dell Mini 5, as well as the forthcoming Engadget app for Android. Oh, and there’s also a fascinating short piece on chiptune music and visuals and the folks who make the magic happen. If you do one thing today, make it The Engadget Show. You won’t be sorry. The full video is available to stream after the break, or you can download it below.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel
Special guests: Avner Ronen and Aaron Woodman
Produced and Directed by: Chad Mumm
Executive Producer: Joshua Fruhlinger
Edited by: Michael Slavens
Music by: Nullsleep
Visuals by: Paris and Outpt
Opening titles by: Julien Nantiec

Download the Show: The Engadget Show – 006 (HD) / The Engadget Show – 006 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted)

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Continue reading The Engadget Show – 006: Avner Ronen, the first Windows Phone 7 Series device, Dell Mini 5, and more!

The Engadget Show – 006: Avner Ronen, the first Windows Phone 7 Series device, Dell Mini 5, and more! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget found this 29 hours ago on telegraph.co.uk

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