WD TV Live supports Windows 7's Play To feature

Anyone who owns the WD TV Live HD media player from Western Digital knows that it's kind of painful to navigate among movies using the device's tiny remote control. Now, however, users can take advantage of software that's already on their Windows 7 computers.
Western Digital on Thursday said that its WD TV Live media player will be the first that supports the Play To feature of Windows 7. This features allows users to initiate and control the streaming of digital content to the WD TV Live HD media player, or any other compatible home entertainment systems, from any Windows 7-based PC on their network.
For example, if you want to play a movie that resides on a network computer or on the external hard drive that's attached to the WD TV Live, instead of having to use the remote control to browse for it, just add it to the Windows Media Player 12 playlist on the Windows 7-based computer that you're using. From within the WMP 12, right-click on the movie in the list and pick the WD TV Live as the playback device. The movie will then be "pushed" to the media player and played back on the TV to which it is connected.
To take advantage of this new feature, WD TV Live HD digital player owners need to update the device to the latest firmware (version 1.02.21), which can be downloaded here for free, or you can do the firmware upgrade from within the device's interface if it is connected to the Internet.
Once updated, the WD TV Live will be automatically recognized by Windows 7 and added to the list of devices that are compatible with Play To.

WD TV Live DH Media Player photos

Autobots vs. human World Cup champs by 2050 ?

The line has been drawn and the goal set.
The RoboCup Federation, a nonprofit organization based in Japan, aims to develop autonomous humanoid robots that are advanced enough to pit themselves against human World Cup champions by 2050.
While we're probably still some way off from the military drones in "Iron Man 2," the organizers of the yearly RoboCup competition, which will take place in Singapore between June 21 and 24, hope the event will fuel interest among students of robotics and artificial intelligence.
At the press conference Thursday morning, we learned from Jonathan Kua that the committee aims to develop more robotics solutions for the medical, logistics, and transportation industries. Kua is a member of the steering committee for RoboCup 2010 and director of new businesses at the Singapore Economic Development Board.
Tan Hang Cheong, co-chair of the steering committee for RoboCup 2010, and principal of Singapore Polytechnic, added that "a couple of millions" have been invested to put together this competition. The organizers expect about 4,000 people and more than 500 teams from more than 40 countries to participate in the event happening in Southeast Asia for the first time.
The competition comprises activity-type categories, with the soccer tournament being the main draw, as well as bots developed for rescue missions and assisted-living at home. There is also a junior segment where primary and secondary students will get to challenge their robots in soccer, rescue, and dance.
We don't have to worry, though, that autonomous robots will soon take over the human race or drones blowing up bridges and cars. "Folding clothes is [still] one of the most difficult tasks for robots," Kua said.

Researchers at the University of Missouri are developing computer graphics visualization software that enables search-and-rescue teams to improve the virtual navigation of spaces unsafe for humans.
Remote-controlled robots have already proved invaluable in search-and-rescue missions, reaching places that humans often can't--or shouldn't. (Think earthquakes, bomb threats, or the recent mine explosion in West Virginia.) But software developed in Columbia, Mo., aims to improve what we do with the data these bots collect.
"We are developing computer graphics visualization software to allow the user to interactively navigate the 3D data captured from the robot's scans," says Ye Duan, associate professor of computer science at MU's College of Engineering. "I worked with my students to develop computer software that helps the user to analyze the data and conduct virtual navigation, so they can have an idea of the structure before they enter it."
The bot at the Missouri University of Science and Technology transports a light detection and ranging unit (LIDAR) that wirelessly transmits data about spacing to emergency responders attempting to enter hazard zones. The LIDAR unit takes scans at a rate of up to 500,000 point measurements per second, and can scan through windows and doors.

The group's new software converts these data points into 3D maps, separating out individual objects, generating floor plans, and color-coding areas based on levels of stability. It takes 30 minutes to about two hours to create these maps, depending on the volume of data gathered--a speed the researchers hope to continue improving.
As for hardware, the team is already working on a proposal to make the robot smaller, lighter, and more flexible so that it could, in effect, catch up with the sophisticated software. Just named on Kiplinger's list of 8 Robots That Will Change Your Life, it weighs a whopping 200 pounds, making it admittedly heavy for many of the precarious settings it needs to navigate.
Of course, this set-up won't likely be limited to search-and-rescue missions. "This system could be used for routine structure inspections, which could help prevent tragedies such as the Minneapolis bridge collapse in 2007," Duan says. "It also could allow the military to perform unmanned terrain acquisition to reduce wartime casualties."

LG's DP570MH combo unit set to become first Mobile DTV released

LAS VEGAS--With mobile digital television (DTV) technology officially in the process of being rolled out, a few new Mobile TV devices are set to hit the market later this year, including LG's DP570MH, a model that combines a portable DTV with a DVD player.
Mobile DTV technology is different from the over-the-air signals you can pull in with a standard ATSC digital TV tuner and antenna. The key to Mobile TV is that you can pick up signals while you're moving in a car or even a fast train. According to LG, the new Mobile DTV standard allows broadcasters to use a portion of the existing 19.4 Megabit-per-second DTV channel capacity to transmit data with "extremely robust characteristics suitable for mobile, pedestrian and handheld applications."

The $249.99 DP570MH has a 7-inch wide-screen display (480x234-pixel resolution) and stereo speakers. The screen is designed to tilt to achieve the best viewing angle. When not in use, the screen folds down, with the total footprint of the device shrinking to about 9.5 x 6.5 inches, according to LG.

As for battery life, LG says that you can get up to 2.5 hours in TV mode or up to 4.5 hours during DVD playback. You get both AC and car power adapters and the DP570MH can also display JPEG images and play WMA music files from its USB 2.0 connection.
Since LG is a co-developer of the chip at the heart of the Mobile DTV standard it's not surprising that it's among the first to put out a Mobile DTV device. The company notes that LG began mass production of the critical component for Mobile DTV reception--the LG2160A integrated circuit chip--in June 2009. The latest version, the LG2160R single chip design, which includes both the tuner and demodulator, was released at CES. And, by March 2010, LG plans to release its next-generation mobile DTV chip, the LG2161R receiver IC. LG says the new chip is, "Even smaller, consumes less power, supports various interfaces and provides improved performance."

Naturally, the company hopes to see its Mobile DTV chips find their way into a wide variety of products, including netbooks and laptop USB accessory receivers. Also, accessories like Tivit will allow you to stream Mobile DTV video to your iPhone, BlackBerry, or notebook PC.

Mobile DTV seems poised to launch later this year, but we suspect it will only take off in 2011 as more stations and devices hit the market along with better coverage. Mobile broadcasting signals have been available in South Korea and Japan for a number of years.

Take wireless charging on the go

WildCharger's products have always left us a bit divided. Though the wireless charging pads certainly work as promised, we haven't rushed out to buy them. Sure the ability to charge several gadgets at once is convenient, and the technology certainly is novel, but we can be content with powering our handset the normal way.

WildCharge, however, is busily expanding its product line, and at CES 2010 the company (now called Pure Energy Solutions) showed the a new Portable WildCharge Pad. At 5.24 inches long by 2.7 inches wide by 0.47 inch deep, the pad can fit one cell phone comfortably. It weighs just 4.23 ounces so it slips easily into a bag or even a large pocket.

It accommodates all current handset skins, which are required to charge your phone using the company's wireless technology. The pad has an internal battery so it doesn't need to be plugged in to operate; just power it ahead of time and you're all set. You even can charge the pad from a larger WildCharge device like the one that we reviewed last year.

The Geek Squad goes electric, thanks to Mitsubishi

LAS VEGAS--Best Buy leased four iMiev electric vehicles from Mitsubishi in a test program for its Geek Squad. The cars, sporting Geek Squad livery, were on display at CES. All right-hand drive, the cars were built to Japanese specifications.

Best Buy will run the cars out of its El Segundo, Calif., store, using them to provide in-house tech support to residents in the area. Given the 80- to 100-mile range of the cars, Geek Squad members will have to reserve them for local calls.

Mitsubishi has been signing up partnerships with various organizations, including utilities and Best Buy, to get the cars into a road testing environment. Data gathered from these lease deals will let Mitsubishi further refine the electric power trains.

Based on the Mitsubishi i Kei car platform currently sold in Japan, the iMiev uses an electric motor producing 63 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque. With its 330-volt lithium ion battery pack located under the floor, it emits no CO2 on the road.

Geek Squad members will have to wait 7 hours for a full charge off of a 220-volt power supply. If Best Buy installs Mitsubishi's quick charger, an 80 percent can be achieved in 30 minutes.

Decipher your car's idiot light with CarMD

LAS VEGAS--A new version of the CarMD device and service was released here at CES. Like RepairPal and DriverSide, CarMD now has a database of common repairs for most modern (post-1996) cars, including price ranges and do-it-yourself instructions for some of them.

What makes CarMD different is its hardware: There's a probe that attaches to your car's diagnostic port (it's probably under the dash). The probe reads data from your car's computer. It will display simple info on its LEDs and LCD screen, and if you connect it your computer (via USB) it can tell you a lot more.

The new hardware looks the same as the previous version of the device but is more attuned to safety and emissions than the previous model, reading in additional data about airbags, for example. It's also been updated to handle diagnostics from hybrid cars.

The site itself has been updated with new, folksy, medical-like terminology. It tells you about your car's proposed "cure" and how to keep it "healthy."
The device costs $99 and looks like a good second opinion to your local mechanic. And if you're shopping used cars, you can take the gizmo with you to see what the car's computer knows or to verify the owner's claim that the lit check-engine light is just because the gas cap wasn't screwed on tight a week ago. One thing the CarMD won't do is reset your own car's check-engine light.