The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

Volkswagen's latest 'Gran Turismo' concept is a 500-horsepower hatchback Posted: 14 Apr 2015 02:57 PM PDT For those who think Volkswagen's Golf GTI and Golf R hot hatches just aren't "hot" enough, the carmaker's latest virtual concept for Gran Turismo 6 (PlayStation 3) may be up your alley. The GTI Supersport Vision Gran Turismo offers up more than 500 h...

LG's Google Cast speakers are ready to take on Sonos in the US Posted: 14 Apr 2015 02:24 PM PDT We may have gotten a closer look at LG's latest audio gear back at CES, but now the collection of speakers and soundbars is shipping in the States. If you'll recall, the company's Music Flow line of gadgets are equipped with Google Cast -- the same t...

Apple bought a company that makes depth-sensing cameras Posted: 14 Apr 2015 01:59 PM PDT Your next iPhone's camera may be decidedly more sophisticated. Apple has snapped up LinX, a camera technology company that specializes in depth-sensing cameras that can create 3D image maps -- think Intel's RealSense, or the Duo Camera in the HTC One...

SpaceX rocket launched successfully, landed 'too hard for survival' Posted: 14 Apr 2015 01:37 PM PDT Today SpaceX successfully launched its latest mission to the International Space Station, but couldn't reach its goal of safely landing the rocket's first stage on a barge. According to CEO Elon Musk, while the ascent was successful, the "Rocket land...

EU expected to file antitrust suit against Google Posted: 14 Apr 2015 01:32 PM PDT The Wall Street Journal reports that after a half decade-long investigation, the EU's chief antitrust regulator will be moving forward with a case against Google for reported violations of European law. The official declaration is expected to take pl...

Universal record gives all your music that vinyl sound Posted: 14 Apr 2015 01:19 PM PDT So you've bought a turntable with hopes of hearing that warm vinyl sound, but you don't have a record collection just yet. What to do? If you're Jesse England, you 'cheat' using digital tunes. He recently built the Universal Record, a device that let...

Google launches family-friendly app program for developers Posted: 14 Apr 2015 12:51 PM PDT In case you're worried about your kid getting a hold of the upcoming copy of Mortal Kombat X for Android, well, don't be. That's because Google is finally launching a family-friendly version of its Play Store in a few weeks. To fill the upcoming sect...

Netflix adds descriptive audio tracks after Daredevil snafu Posted: 14 Apr 2015 12:20 PM PDT Netflix hit a nerve last weekend when its new series Daredevil, which follows the sightless crimefighter's early rise, premiered without a descriptive audio track for blind viewers. As The Mary Sue reports, that irony did not sit well with viewers, m...

Robot arms will cook your meals like a 'Masterchef' Posted: 14 Apr 2015 11:58 AM PDT You could swap hands with the Robot Devil and still not be as good a chef as this prototype from Moley Robotics. The unit consists of two mechanical arms terminating in a pair of highly dextrous biomimetic hands. Designed by 2011 Masterchef winner Ti...

JXE Streams: 'Mortal Kombat X' pits Engadget against College Humor Posted: 14 Apr 2015 11:30 AM PDT Mortal Kombat is funny. NetherRealm's decades-old fighting series has never been Old Boy by way of Hostel. Its brand of dumb, outsized action is Shogun Assassin crossed with Evil Dead 2. When you pull off fatalities in Mortal Kombat 2, people explode...

Dish makes it easy to watch Netflix in every room Posted: 14 Apr 2015 11:18 AM PDT Netflix became available on Dish set-top boxes back in December of last year. Now, as a way to make the experience better for subscribers, the satellite provider is improving the integration between its platform and the video-streaming service. As of...

Apple finally realized that audiobooks aren't music Posted: 14 Apr 2015 10:59 AM PDT Have you scratched your head wondering why Apple would put audiobooks in iOS' music player, rather than... y'know, a book app? So has Apple. Besides a redesigned music app, the early iOS 8.4 beta also moves audiobooks into iBooks, where they arguably...

NASA demos incredibly agile, remote-controlled EV Posted: 14 Apr 2015 10:28 AM PDT When we talk about the cars of the future, we're normally bandying around names like Google and Tesla. NASA's engineers at the Johnson Space Center might have just trumped those other names after unveiling its new Modular Robotic Vehicle prototype. W...

Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge is ridiculously expensive to make Posted: 14 Apr 2015 09:57 AM PDT It's no secret that Samsung's curvy Galaxy S6 Edge costs a pretty penny, but there's now a good explanation as to why. IHS estimates that the raw price of assembly for a 64GB Verizon model is $290. That's more expensive to make than not just the Gala...

Apple's ResearchKit is now open to medical researchers Posted: 14 Apr 2015 09:26 AM PDT ResearchKit, Apple's open-source initiative to transform iDevices into medical diagnostic tools, is now available to researchers so they can create their own apps. ResearchKit launched with apps aimed at studying asthma, breast cancer, cardiovascular...

The world's first USB Type-C phones may upset Apple, Huawei and HTC Posted: 14 Apr 2015 09:14 AM PDT Following the Nokia N1, the new Chromebook and the new MacBook, who knew the world's first USB Type-C smartphones would come from a Chinese company? The brand in question is LeTV, who has today unveiled three new Android 5.0 "Superphones" that featur...

Hackers take down Google's Malaysian homepage Posted: 14 Apr 2015 09:01 AM PDT What if, one day, you woke up your computer only to find that Google wasn't there? It's the nightmare that greeted some Malaysians after hackers managed to redirect users toward a malicious page. In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, company rep...

'Mortal Kombat X' and the comedy of violence Posted: 14 Apr 2015 08:30 AM PDT Mortal Kombat is synonymous with violence -- hell, it's baked into the franchise's name. But despite how increasingly gruesome the series has become with each successive release throughout its 23-year history, it hasn't lost sight of keeping the tone...

Engadget giveaway: win a Jamstik and SOL Republic speaker courtesy of Zivix! Posted: 14 Apr 2015 08:00 AM PDT There's a new generation of MIDI-connected interface tools to help your creative juices flow without being tethered to a computer or lugging around a full kit. The Jamstik smartguitar is a mobile instrument for the digital age, whether you're a seaso...

Amazon and HarperCollins renew friendship with multi-year contract Posted: 14 Apr 2015 07:29 AM PDT Amazon started mending its tattered relationship with the big five publishers last year, signing deals with Macmillan, Simon & Schuster and even Hachette. Now it's HarperCollins' turn to make peace with the e-commerce giant, according to The Wall Str...

'Guitar Hero' gets born again with a new look and a new controller Posted: 14 Apr 2015 07:00 AM PDT Guitar Hero has no business being relevant in 2015. Ten years is an eternity for video games, especially so for games tied so closely to specific technology like Harmonix's revolutionary PlayStation 2 game was to its inner-rock-star-summoning control...

Resurrecting 'Guitar Hero' through live rock and robots Posted: 14 Apr 2015 07:00 AM PDT Guitar Hero Live is trying to pull off one of the most difficult acts in rock and roll: the return to relevance. Not just a reunion tour feeding off nostalgic fans looking to recapture the good, old days of 2005, but a bona fide resurrection. After a...

easyJet's iOS app is now your personal guide to Gatwick Posted: 14 Apr 2015 06:45 AM PDT easyJet already has a mobile app that many airline peers would do well to take inspiration from. Beyond storing electronic boarding passes, the app lets you manage bookings, track flights and even check in using a photo of your passport. The low-cost...

Showing off 'Grand Theft Auto V' for PC comes with a high price Posted: 14 Apr 2015 06:41 AM PDT If someone accidentally puts some personal information online, you'd hope that others wouldn't prey on the mistake. Unfortunately, mercy is a rare commodity on the internet, as a few honest (albeit preventable) mistakes have cost some game streamers ...

Google's phone service reportedly has you paying by the gigabyte Posted: 14 Apr 2015 06:22 AM PDT Google said it would launch the "Nexus" of phone networks in the near future, and we may now have a good idea of what that means. Android Police has unearthed Nexus 6 firmware with an app for Project Fi, which appears to be the in-progress name for G...