One of the greatest allures of self-driving cars is the prospect of never needing your own vehicle — you could just catch robotic rides whenever you want personal transportation. Well, Singapore is about to explore how well that concept works in pra…
Technical
Amazon’s free Crimbo app bundle includes Terraria, Plex and Djay 2
Plenty of Brits will be unwrapping Android devices this Christmas, so as an extra festive treat Amazon has assembled another one of its free app collections to get you up and running. The new promotion is one of its highest value bundles to date, pac…
What’s on your HDTV: ‘Mozart in the Jungle’, ‘Black Mirror’, ‘Anger Management’
This week we will enjoy a selection of holiday programming, which pretty much means the regular stuff is taking a break for Christmas movie repeats and bowl games. Amidst all the “you’ll shoot your eye out” and unpaid football players, the holiday it…
HP quietly adds a touchscreen model to its Chromebook 14 line
If you’re after a Chromebook with premium specs, HP quietly released a touch-friendly model that might just do the trick. The Chromebook 14 Touch touts a 14-inch FHD WLED backlit touchscreen with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution — up from the 1,366 x 768 …
Snapchat alternatives (and their users) vanish from Windows Phone
Snapchat warned that it was clamping down on third-party apps to prevent sketchier examples from compromising your security, and it appears to be making good on its word — much to the chagrin of Windows Phone users, who haven’t had an official Snapc…
Watch the first steps of a robot inspired by stick bugs
They grow up so fast, don’t they? It was just a few years ago that HECTOR the stick bug robot was little more than a twinkle in Bielefeld University’s eye, and it’s already taking its first steps. Okay, so this isn’t quite a tear-jerking moment, but …
Google+ can automatically ‘enhance’ your mobile video recordings
Google’s no stranger to tweaking your photos automagically, and now it’s extending that expertise to video. By using Google+ and its auto-backup system for your media, Mountain View says it can adjust the lighting, color, stability and, soon enough, …
Evernote now adds context to your memos on Android and Windows
Evernote’s bringing Context, one of its more interesting announcements during its fourth conference in October, to Android and Windows. This feature, which was first made available to iOS and Mac users in November, pulls content (based on what you’re…
Netflix drops in a surprise ‘Bojack Horseman’ Christmas special
Wondering how to get the weekend started? If you’re a fan of Netflix’s original series Bojack Horseman, there’s a pretty easy choice, since the service just released an extra episode out of the blue. As Bojack (voiced by Will Arnett) and Todd (voiced…
Engadget Daily: FBI confirms North Korea involvment in Sony Pictures hack, RuPaul on ‘gaymers’ and more!
Sony’s had a seriously rough go of it lately, but hopefully its hacking nightmare has finally come to an end — the FBI has confirmed that North Korea was definitely involved in the initial cyberattack and the White House is formulating its response….
Reuters: Google’s ‘Android M’ project hooks cars directly to the internet
If Reuters’ rumors are true, then apparently the folks at Mountain View think the Android Auto overlays rolling out this year don’t go far enough. Citing unnamed sources, it indicates an Android M initiative that’s built directly into cars — no smar…
How Microsoft redesigned the Surface Pro for the NFL
Earlier this year, Microsoft revealed its plans to take over NFL sidelines. How so? With a partnership with the National Football League, a collaboration reportedly valued at $400 million — though neither party ever confirmed this. Powered by the Su…
Hangouts for Gmail brings back the status update
Back when Google Talk ran Gmail-based chats, a handy custom status window made sure all your colleagues and pals knew what you were up to. When Hangouts took over, the tool fell by the wayside. Well, now it’s back. Hangouts in Gmail allows you to del…
Facebook’s going after eBay and Craigslist with group-based selling
Facebook likes to experiment with little projects that could, someday, be as popular as Poking and Graph Search. One such project is enabling selected users to sell their unwanted items on the social network, in a move that’ll surely strike terror in…
Microsoft wants you to stream apps and games
Microsoft has explored software streaming before, but it looks like the company is about to give it a second shot. The company is hiring people to work on “Arcadia,” a technology that ZDNet understands will let you stream “certain apps” and games on …