Since a group of students from the University of Texas unveiled the Lynx A 3D camera project on Kickstarter earlier this year, it has raised far beyond the project’s $50,000 fundraising goal. And as of last week, Lynx Laboratories was getting ready to ship out the first cameras. At the DEMO Mobile SF event, Engadget had an opportunity to demo a prototype, watching firsthand as the camera scanned a person’s head in real time. Continue reading Kickstarter-Funded Lynx 3D Camera Works as Advertised

Hasbro announced its “Fan Built Bot” poll to help kick-off the Transformers 30th anniversary celebration scheduled for 2014. The global poll to create the next Transformer character is open to all age groups and runs until May 5th. The fan designed Transformer will be featured in new comic books and be a part of the “Thrilling 30” special edition collectible action figures from Hasbro. Continue reading Hasbro Reaches Out to Fans for New Transformer Character

At the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC, doctors are taking a new approach to pain therapy. Patients are encouraged to be active through the use of interactive video gaming consoles such as the Xbox 360. This new type of therapy allows doctors to track data and progress of patients, while the children are physically and mentally stimulated in order to improve their health. Continue reading Gaming Takes Physical Therapy Program to the Next Level

In a 288 to 127 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protect Act (CISPA), which encourages businesses to share cyberthreat information with the government. Privacy advocates have been fighting passage of the act, concerned that it allows agencies to conduct warrantless searches of data collected from e-mail and Internet providers. The bill overrides current privacy and wiretap laws. Continue reading CISPA: House of Representatives Passes Controversial Bill

Facebook announced this week a partnership with Santa Clara-based Rovi Corporation that will integrate the Rovi Video digital entertainment service into the social platform. Rovi’s database of TV shows, movies and celebrity information will be integrated with Facebook profiles, allowing users to share details of content they like. The partnership comes following Facebook’s Timeline update, which includes the ability for users to tell friends what they were watching. Continue reading Facebook Teams with Rovi: TV and Movies Get More Social

Starting April 26, “Iron Man 3” will be shown in 4DX (fourth dimension effects) at a theater in Nagoya, located in central Japan. The theater is operated by Korona World chain, which plans to screen 12 titles per year using the new format. 4DX can include tilting seats, blowing wind, odor effects, strobe lights and equipment built into the ceiling that can drop bubbles onto the audiences. A ticket will cost $13 for 3D and $10 for 2D. Continue reading Fourth Dimension Effects: Iron Man 3 to Be Shown in 4DX

A federal judge in New York has ruled in favor of Google’s YouTube in the ongoing $1 billion copyright infringement suit initiated by Viacom. The judge ruled that the video website did not violate copyright, despite its users posting unauthorized video clips from some of the TV giant’s top shows. Viacom first filed the suit in 2007, and the case has been closely watched by those concerned with content distribution and digital disruption. Continue reading Federal Court Sides with Google in YouTube Copyright Case

If its large asking price is met, Facebook could turn its anticipated video-ad units into a more-than-$4 million daily business right from the start. While all the details are not yet finalized, Facebook has been trying to sell agencies on the idea, attempting to secure accounts for the first slots which are to be available in June or July, according to executives. While the price tag is a concern, there is also a question regarding the possible backlash from users. Continue reading Facebook Pursues Agencies to Launch Video-Ad Business

Rather than crawl websites like a traditional search engine, Shodan navigates back channels tracking servers, webcams, printers, routers and other devices connected to the Internet. Each month, it gathers information on roughly 500 million connected devices and services. CNNMoney calls Shodan “the scariest search engine on the Internet.” As we move closer to the Internet of Things, it raises questions about how easy it may be to hack anything that is connected to the Internet. Continue reading Search Engine Exposes Vulnerability of Connected Devices

In an effort to regain revenue lost from shrinking DVD sales, Universal Pictures chairman Adam Fogelson suggested that studios should consider partnering with theaters to test out the idea of premium video on demand. Fogelson made his remarks during a panel discussion at the Cinema-Con convention in Las Vegas this week. Typically, movies are made available on-demand at home about three months following theatrical distribution. Premium VOD would shrink that window. Continue reading Industry Leaders Discuss Possible Change to VOD Window

According to fourth quarter estimates released this week by the NPD Group, Apple’s iTunes continues its stronghold with a 63 percent unit share of the U.S. market for digital music downloads. Amazon.com’s MP3 store held second place at 22 percent. Notably, the NPD “Annual Music Study 2012” indicates that eight out of 10 consumers downloaded digital albums or tracks during the fourth quarter from iTunes. Continue reading After a Decade, iTunes Continues its Market Dominance

Google is following Apple’s example as it is looking to develop more apps for Google Glass. The company released guidelines for developers on Monday, but with limitations, as the company wants more control over what apps are created for the cloud-based “Glassware.” With these limitations, developers cannot sells ads or use third parties to collect and sell data, in addition to other restrictions. Continue reading Developers Face Initial Restrictions for Google Glass Apps

As the shift to mobile devices continues, media including e-books, music and video are becoming increasingly popular when distributed through a “less is more” model. Consumers are gravitating to short form content they find more convenient. Amazon has brought back serial novels for its Kindle, Capitol Records Nashville has debuted at number one with its EP releases, and shorter films such as the 42-minute documentary “Inocente” are drawing viewers and winning awards. Continue reading Less is More as Consumers Turn to Short Form Content

Online music startup Shuffler.fm is expanding with the launch of its own online music video service. ShufflerTV curates popular videos from leading online music magazines and blogs to provide users with continuous streaming music videos via individual stations. The new system also allows users to skip songs, preview what’s next on their playlists, subscribe to stations, and share favorites through social media including Facebook and Twitter. Continue reading Shuffler.fm Launches New Online Music Video Channels

Jenna Mourey, better known as Jenna Marbles, has reached over one billion views on her YouTube channel. The 26-year-old digital entertainer has developed an impressive following of fans (especially teenage girls) with her collection of five to eight minute videos. As she rants, performs impressions, creates parodies and pokes fun at celebrities, she may also end up becoming a pioneer of a new genre of online entertainment. Continue reading Jenna Marbles YouTube Channel Draws One Billion Views