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Alternative Wii U controller design makes brief appearance on Twitter, goes into hiding
May 20th
Excited for Nintendo’s new tablet-esque controller? So are the kids in TT Games’ QA department. An over-excited tester tweeted out an image of a slightly different Wii U slab than the one we laid hands on at E3 2011, teasing “look we what we have at work!” Answering the call does indeed reveal something worth looking at — a somewhat wider looking Wii U slate featuring two full-sized analog sticks (as opposed to 3DS-like circle pads), a pair of unmarked button-like squares, and a new starboard home for the controller’s plus and minus buttons.
The tweet was summarily pulled, of course, but not before our friends at Joystiq nabbed a screenshot. Naturally, the rumor mill started right up, churning out speculation of developer specific slabs, early prototypes and late redesigns. The truth? We’ll probably need to wait until E3 to find out, but we reached out to Nintendo for a comment all the same. We’ll let you know if we hear anything more than the usual “Nintendo doesn’t comment on rumors and speculation” line.
Alternative Wii U controller design makes brief appearance on Twitter, goes into hiding originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 02:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Samsung Galaxy S3 full firmware now available, time for all those ROMs and feature to start spreading
May 20th
The Samsung Galaxy S3 is about the most anticipated device of 2012, and it was only a matter of time before someone got a hold of all the new features it comes with. The guys at XDA Developers have managed to get the device’s full stock firmware, and it is now up for grabs.
Simply put, this is a gold mine for custom ROM developers. They will be able to take advantage of all software features, like Smart Stay and S-Voice. Devs are working on it as we speak, so let the fun begin.
We will also be able to extract all those .apk files. People have already extracted S-Voice and it is working with other devices. It does seem to have its fair share of issues, though. It should mostly work with other Samsung smartphones. Users can download it here if they are feeling adventurous.
If you want to download all 786 MB of Galaxy S3 glory, just head over to the XDA Developers thread and have at it! At least to look around until we start seeing it being ported to all other devices.
[Source: XDA Developers Via: Android Police]
Neuroscientists develop game for stroke rehabilitation, give the Wii a run for its money
May 20th
Think the Wii has the market cornered on gaming rehab? Think again — neuroscientists at New Castle University are developing a series of motion controlled video games to make stroke rehab more fun and accessible. The team’s first title, dubbed Circus Challenge, lets patients digitally throw pies, tame lions and juggle to help them build strength and regain motor skills. As players progress, the game ratchets up its difficulty, presumably to match pace with their recovery.
Although Limbs Alive, the game’s publisher, has only described their motion controller as “next-generation,” it affirms that the game will be playable on PCs, laptops and tablets later this year. In an effort to lower costs and provide at-home therapy, the team hopes to leverage a £1.5 million award from the UK’s Health Innovation Challenge Fund to build a system that will allow therapists to monitor patient progress remotely. The whole enchilada still needs some time to bake, but you can hit the break for a video and the full press release.
Continue reading Neuroscientists develop game for stroke rehabilitation, give the Wii a run for its money
Neuroscientists develop game for stroke rehabilitation, give the Wii a run for its money originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 00:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Ask Engadget: Electric commuting on the cheap?
May 20th
We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from is from Warren, who wants to find an electrical moped within his budget. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
“What’s the cheapest two-wheeled electric vehicle that goes over 45mph available in the US? I looked at the Gas-powered ,500 Sym Symba, but as far as I can tell, I’d have to spend four times that much for an electric equivalent. Am I missing something? Thank you!”
Unfortunately, you are. The biggest barrier to joining the EV parade is the price of batteries, which are often more expensive than the vehicles they’re situated inside. For example, even a motorized bicycle like the Grace One is ,000 — but that’s as far as our knowledge goes on the subject. Perhaps there is a solution out there, all it needs is for one of our friendly commenters to tell all in the river of text below.
Ask Engadget: Electric commuting on the cheap? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 22:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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ZTE Score M found to have security vulnerability
May 19th
Chinese manufacturer ZTE has confirmed the Android-based Score M (MetroPCS, ) handset is susceptible to a backdoor security hole. Once enabled, the bad guys could gain root access and add, remove or copy data from the smartphone. Apparently the process starts with a hardwired device password which can be easily found online. If there’s an upside to the news it’s that the ZTE Score M is not a top-selling handset.
“ZTE is actively working on a security patch and expects to send the update over-the-air to affected users in the very near future,” ZTE said. “We strongly urge affected users to download and install the patch as soon as it is rolled out to their devices.”
The vulnerability was discovered by Dmitri Alperovitch of CrowdStrike and calls the flaw “highly unusual”. As he sees it, either this was a simple mistake cause by poor development or that it could be that it’s done for nefarious purposes. ZTE, alongside fellow Chinese manufacturer Huawei, have been tied to allegations of links to the government. Although each companies have denied said claims, this sort of vulnerability doesn’t help the image. Other ZTE models such as the Skate are said to possibly contain the security flaw.
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ZTE Score M found to have security vulnerability originally appeared on AndroidGuys.
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Samsung Galaxy S III S Voice APK leaked online
May 19th
If you find yourself with nothing better to do this weekend, then you might have a bit of fun playing around with Samsung’s soon-to-be-released S Voice application on your rooted Android 4.0 smartphone. The APK has now made its way into the wild, and we couldn’t help but take it for a spin on our Nexus S. First off, while we can’t vouch for the security of the file, we can confirm that it’s indeed functional. Secondly, while some of the S Voice features work just fine — such as search or contact queries — other requests such navigation repeatedly caused the app to crash. In other words, if you’re expecting this app to behave as it should on the Galaxy S III, you might be in for a disappointment. If you’re merely looking to poke around with the S Voice functionality, however, the download seems quite worthwhile. At this point, we’re most curious to know whether non-Samsung owners have similar luck. If you’re willing to give ‘er a go, let us know your experience in the comments below.
Update: We’ve also now tested the leaked APK on our Galaxy Nexus, and are happy to report that S Voice works quite flawlessly. As always, your mileage may vary.
Samsung Galaxy S III S Voice APK leaked online originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 21:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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