Insert Coin: Dash car stereo gives your iPhone a new home, away from the cupholder (video)

We're pretty fond of new ways to integrate smartphones with car stereos here at Engadget, which is why we're particularly intrigued by a new Kickstarter project called Dash. Unlike MirrorLink, which reflects a phone's interface onto a larger touchscreen, this nifty creation puts the smartphone front and center in the stereo itself. While the Dash will initially support only the iPhone 4 / 4S and iPod Touch -- which connects via the dock connector -- the company seems ambitious to target other platforms in the future.

The Dash comes in two parts, the double-DIN stereo itself, along with a detachable aluminum faceplate that's held to the main unit with neodymium magnets. The only interface element is a volume knob, as every other interaction is performed on the iPhone's 3.5-inch display -- just promise to keep your eyes on the road when you sort through your tunes. The stereo contains four 50W channels and two 2V preamps. The Dash is currently projected to ship in July for $300, but a $250 donation serves as a discounted preorder right now. It'll be available in a variety of colors, which you can peep in the gallery below, and be sure to check out the project's video after the break.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Dash car stereo gives your iPhone a new home, away from the cupholder (video)

Insert Coin: Dash car stereo gives your iPhone a new home, away from the cupholder (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Love Box is an analog video mixer, house of mirrors for your iPhone (video)

There's something romantic about hacking the iPhone, especially when it means finding ways to personalize the massively popular handset. Apps like Instagram may help you realize artistic talent, but software just doesn't get those creative juices flowing like an old-fashioned piece of hardware can. Despite its taboo-sounding name, The Love Box isn't an adult toy in the traditional sense, instead serving as an analog video (and stills) mixer for your iPhone 4 or 4S. Consisting of a wooden box and an angled sliding mirror, the homegrown contraption lets you simultaneously capture the action in front of and behind you in a single image. It was originally designed in Barcelona to capture two people conversing for a documentary called "The Love Box Conversations," hence the name. The "lowest-tech accessory for the highest-tech phone" is available now as part of a very limited initial run of 100 units, and can be yours for €57.63 (about $77.50) if you hit up the source link below.

Continue reading The Love Box is an analog video mixer, house of mirrors for your iPhone (video)

The Love Box is an analog video mixer, house of mirrors for your iPhone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google upgrades Earth with better rendering, teaches it to sing in perfect harmony

Google upgrades Earth with better rendering, teaches it to sing in perfect harmony originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft reportedly working on Kinect-enabled laptops

It remains to be seen when or if they'll turn into actual products, but The Daily reports that Microsoft is at least working on getting its Kinect technology shoved into laptops. While details are light, the iPad-based publication says that it's seen a pair of prototypes that "appear to be Asus netbooks running Windows 8," but which have had their webcams replaced with an array of sensors that run along the top of the screen (a set of LEDs are said to be at the bottom). The Daily also says that it's confirmed with a source at Microsoft that the devices are indeed official prototypes of a Kinect-enabled laptop, and it unsurprisingly suggests that Microsoft would likely license the technology to laptop manufacturers rather than build its own hardware.

Microsoft reportedly working on Kinect-enabled laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Xperia S jogs past the FCC carrying plenty of AT&T / T-Mobile Radios

Sony Xperia S jogs past the FCC carrying plenty of AT&T / T-Mobile Radios originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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