Hangouts upgrade disables outbound Google Voice calls in desktop Gmail, company promises it will return 'soon'

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Anyone who’s tried out the new Hangouts feature in Gmail in place of the traditional Google Talk option got a bit of surprise when they went to make an outbound call from their computer. That feature gets disabled when the new Hangouts replacement is switched on, leaving folks looking to make calls with no other option than to revert to the old Google Talk in Gmail or seek out another alternative. That’s apparently just a temporary change, though, as Google’s Nikhyl Singhal has now confirmed that both outbound and inbound calls will “soon be available.” Unfortunately, he’s not getting any more specific than that for the time being. He did, however, reiterate that “Hangouts is designed to be the future of Google Voice,” and that “making/receiving phone calls is just the beginning,” further adding that “future versions of Hangouts will integrate Google Voice more seamlessly.” Filed under: Internet , Google Comments Source: Nikhyl Singhai (Google+)

 

United Airlines puts Dreamliner back in the air after four-month grounding

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Four months after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with an emergency airworthiness directive, United Airlines is putting the fuel-friendly plane back in the air today. The Dreamliner had overheating issues with its lithium-ion battery, which saw two notable failures prior to its January grounding, but a recent revamp of the battery system might put some fliers’ fears to rest. It’s worth nothing that the FAA approved the battery fix despite the fact that it doesn’t quite address the root cause of the problem, but airline executives don’t appear to be overly concerned — both Boeing CEO Jim McNerney and United CEO Jeff Smisek will be on today’s Dreamliner flight from Houston to Chicago. For the moment, United’s Dreamliner is limited to domestic flights but if all goes well, it’ll return to international travel on June 10th, with a flight from Denver to Tokyo. Filed under: Transportation Comments Via: Business Insider Source: United Airlines

 

Engadget is proud to be the home of the 2014 Best of CES Awards

When it comes to tech events, there’s nothing quite like the International CES. It’s a challenge, it’s a marathon and it can be a little overwhelming — but we wouldn’t miss it for the world. CES has evolved dramatically since its inception in 1967 as a small, NYC offshoot of the Chicago Music Show and at Engadget we’re proud to have been the Official Blog and Online News Source for the past five years running. This year we’re taking that relationship a step further. A big step further. We’re thrilled to announce that Engadget is the official home of the 2014 Best of CES Awards! In January, the Engadget editorial team will be scouring the International CES show floor to find the best, most exciting products making their debut there. We do this every year, but in 2014 we’ll formalize the procedure. Finalists will be selected for each of 15 categories and, through an entirely editorially controlled process, individual products will be awarded the honor of Best of CES. Those lucky standouts will receive custom, 3D printed trophies courtesy of our friends at 3D Systems . Awards will be printed live at the International CES, so you can see them emerging from nothing as the show goes on. We’ll be detailing our judging process in the coming months and providing more information on how companies can submit their products for our consideration ahead of the show in January. For now, know that we’re very excited to be the new home of the 2014 Best of CES Awards. Here’s what Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of CEA, had to say: Engadget and CEA share a passion for technology and for showcasing innovations to a global audience. Their dedicated editorial team canvases the CES show floor to cover the best products across all key categories of CES. Their quality coverage is sought after by CES exhibitors and the independent editorial judgment they will bring to these awards will help highlight the top products at the 2014 CES. We can’t wait to see you in Vegas. Filed under: Announcements Comments

 

Google+ app update for Android adds auto-backup and enhancement tools for photos

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Google (and especially the Google+ team) are keeping very busy. While I/O 2013 may have wrapped up last week, the company’s just unveiled a new update for its social network on Android devices. Packing some familiar new photo features (like auto-backup and auto-highlights ), the refresh includes even more Snapseed filters and tools. Location sharing can now tap into your circle arrangements, and you’ll be able to share geo-locations with specific sets of people. Related hashtags will now function within the app, like we’ve already seen on the web-based version , while (perhaps predictably) there’s now one-tap access to Mountain View’s Hangouts app too. Gotta keep ‘em all connected, right ? Filed under: Cellphones , Software , Mobile , Google Comments Source: Google Plus

 

Insert Coin: Linkbot modular robotic platform lets you quickly build a bot, skills

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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line. Everybody loves robots, but the initial ardor for building one can quickly be snuffed out by the complex reality of actually programming it to do anything. That’s where Linkbot comes in, a new project from the Barobo team that brought us the Mobot . It’s designed as a modular system that can be expanded infinitely with accessories like a camera mount, gripper, and wheels, thanks to three separate mounting surfaces — which also have standard #6-32 screw attachment holes on the mounting plate to attach personality-enhancing cutouts. Despite the expansion potential, though, it can still be used right out of the box to do robotics without touching a lick of code. That’s thanks to several built-in modes like BumpConnect, which permits wireless connections between the modules by touching them together; and PoseTeach, to program complex motions by hand in a similar (but less time-consuming) manner to stop-motion animation techniques. For those who want to step it up a notch, the system lets you go far past basic mech fun. The Linkbot itself has two rotating hubs with absolute encoding, along with an accelerometer, buzzer, multicolored LCD and ZigBee wireless system with a 100m line-of-sight range. There are also optional breakout and Bluetooth boards to connect sensors like range finders, IR proximity sensors, photo detectors and thermostats. The outfit’s BaroboLink software for Mac, PC or Linux is included to program the Arduino -compatible bot in several languages as well, and can even translate previously created PoseTeach motions into computer routines. So far, the company has created working prototypes and even shipped them to local schools, so if you’re interested, you can pledge a minimum $129 toward the company’s $40,000 target to grab one. That’ll net you a Linkbot, two wheels, the BaroboLink software, access to the MyBarobo community — and hopefully a jolt to your robotics confidence. Filed under: Robots Comments Source: Kickstarter

 

Sony's not showing its new PlayStation 4 just yet, but here's a taste (video)

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What does the PlayStation 4 look like? We didn’t find out back at Sony’s big New York City reveal gala in February, but it looks like we’re edging ever closer to that moment: June 10th at 6PM PT seems to be exactly when we’ll find out. Hey, wouldn’t you know it, that lines up with Sony’s E3 2013 press conference, which we’ll be liveblogging right here on Engadget. The coincidences simply won’t stop! A new tease video today gives us a few glimpses at what we might see in a few weeks, but for now you’ll have to be sated by looking through individual video frames. Take a look (and then another, and then another) just below the break. The PlayStation 4 has a projected launch of “Holiday 2013,” and is Sony’s next entry in its long-running PlayStation line of game consoles. The company’s already shown off its new DualShock 4 controller , as well as its PlayStation 4 Eye motion camera (akin to Microsoft’s Kinect), and we expect to see not just the console, but a smattering of other PlayStation-related news at the June 10th press conference. Today’s tease comes just one day before Microsoft’s expected next-gen Xbox reveal event kicks off in Redmond. Oh you guys! Update: Intrepid commenter GoldenRabbit snatched all the stills from the tease and put them all in one place, right here . Thanks dude! Update 2: And gaming forum NeoGAF goes even deeper in this thread . We’re pretty sure it’s a game console. Or a fancy scale. Or maybe a panini press? Filed under: Gaming , HD , Sony Comments Source: Sony

 

Seamless and GrubHub are merging to form a giant food delivery service

Seamless and GrubHub, two of the biggest food delivery services in the US, have just announced they’ll be merging into a combined company, with the name of the new operation to be decided at a later date. (SeamHub? Grubless?) Unlike some other transactions we cover around here, this does seem to be a merger in the truest sense of the word, with GrubHub founder Matt Maloney stepping up to the role of chief executive officer and Seamless CEO Jonathan Zabusky staying on as president. Though we don’t yet know what the new service will be called, the companies are already saying it will serve 500-plus US cities, with more than 20,000 restaurants taking orders. Also, as hinted in that press release below, the merger will give the new mega-company more financial flexibility when it comes to further growth opportunities. Next up: Delivery.com? Filed under: Internet Comments Via: The Next Web

 

Side project: The Phraseology Project

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The Phraseology Project was originally setup by Drew Melton as a way for him to hone his typography skills. The idea is that people submit words or phrases and Drew, or a guest contributor, creates a typographic treatment of the submissions. The list of contributors include designers such as Ray Brown, Luke Ritchie, Simon

 

ASUS Zenbook Infinity Ultrabook to appear at Computex 2013 with Gorilla Glass 3 lid

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ASUS’ Transformer Book hybrid may have just graduated from our review testing, but the company already has a new product to tempt you. The Zenbook Infinity will be the “world’s first Ultrabook with a lid made form Corning Gorilla Glass 3 ” and will be revealed in full at Taipei’s Computex 2013 in a few weeks. It’ll measure in at just 15.5mm thick, which a full 14 percent thinner than previous Zenbooks . Next-generation Gorilla Glass will cover the outer lid and the keyboard surround, although you can expect to see that familiar concentric circle pattern beneath the protection. ASUS says the Ultrabook will launch Q3 2013, but expect to see the full specs before then . Filed under: Laptops , ASUS Comments

 

Sony Entertainment Network web store launching in Japan on May 29th

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The Sony Entertainment Network , which is already live in the US and Brazil among other countries, will launch in Japan on May 29th. As you may recall, the service is a browser-based marketplace with games, movies and other media available for download. SEN is especially targeted at PlayStation users; games and videos purchased will automatically show up in the PlayStation store. Given that Sony calls the Land of the Rising Sun home, it’s high time its Entertainment Network opened its doors to Japan. And with E3 less than a month away, the world may get a taste of Sony’s next-gen hardware for enjoying this service — stay tuned. Filed under: Gaming , Sony Comments Via: The Next Web Source: Sony Computer Entertainment Japan