How Do You Reach the Moon with Your SLR? Strap on Five Huge Lens Extenders (Updated)

So you want to snap some detailed shots of the moon's surface, but you're over 200,000 miles away and lack any sort of telescope. No problem! At least if you have a bevy of focal length extenders. Improvised astronomy!

The crew at BorrowLenses stacked five Canon 2x focal length extenders under their 800mm lens, providing an image that was actually too close:

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Toyota looks set to launch two new Prius models in Detroit, one's a mystery

It's a sure-fire bet that Toyota will unveil its upright Prius MPV at the North American International Auto Show in a couple of weeks, a rather more roomy and practical version of the hybrid that really started it all. And, of course, the plug-in model we tested in October will be surely rocking the floor. Now we're hearing that another as of yet unreleased Prius will be on display, simply referred to as a "Prius concept vehicle." Concept cars of course range from the mundane to the insane, and knowing Toyota we're guessing this one will fall squarely into the former category. Just the same we're hoping for a

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DIY Tron Laptop-Bag Project Will Leave You Glowing

Looking for a quick geeky task to keep you busy this Christmas? If so, then look no further than this neat DIY project which takes your average laptop-bag and transforms it, Tron-style.

We've covered a couple of Tron related stories these past few weeks,including the very real $55,000 lightcycle, but none have grabbed our attention quiet as much as this one; so much so that it even got a mention in our recent podcast. But why, you ask? Because, Tronifying your own laptop-bag is cheap and fairly straightforward — with more than just a little sewing and soldering required.

The cool glowing effect (pictured) is made possible due to the use of electro-luminescent (EL) wire and a tucked-away small battery pack. If you're not familiar with EL wire, it's a relatively cheap, flexible product that glows when a current passes through it. Thankfully, the end result looks pretty neat, meaning you won't look like this guy.

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Google Lets You Track Santa Online and Even Leave Him a Voicemail

Google is getting into the Christmas spirit by letting you track Santa on Google Earth or Maps; watch highlights from the man-in-red's magical journey on YouTube; and even leave him a voicemail on his Google Voice Number.

Google has once again teamed up with the Northern American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to keep an exact fix on the jolly old elf's location in real time. This year, according to Google and NORAD, Santa's 2010 route plan includes more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. You can follow Santa starting at 2 a.m. Eastern Time Friday using the Google Earth Web browser plug-in, Google Maps for mobile or desktop, Twitter, and Facebook. The best part is you can teach your child a little about the world while satisfying their curiosity about Santa's annual journey.

Here's how you to keep tabs on Santa during Christmas Eve 2010.

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Apple Remote app updated for AirPlay video streaming

Version 2.0 of the app already brought support for the new Apple TV and the iPad, but Apple's has now just released another more minor update to its Remote app for iOS devices that adds another much-anticipated feature: support for AirPlay video streaming. What's more, the app now also boasts the ability to access internet radio stations from iTunes on your computer, as well as the ability to control

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The Engadget Podcast, live at 3PM EST!

It's Christmas Eve, a.k.a. "the holidays," and we're here to kick back with our best cup of hot chocolate (marshmallow-crowned, naturally) and talk about what's really important in life: technology. Check out the stream and the live chat after the break.

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HTC 7 Pro shows up on O2 Germany's site, promises January launch

HTC had pegged "early next year" for the 7 Pro's launch in Europe, and when you think about it, January is just about as "early" as you can get. O2's boys and girls in Germany have thrown up a teaser page for the QWERTY-equipped Windows Phone 7 handset, saying it's expected to be available next month -- a promising sign, indeed. Granted, launch dates

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ASUS O!Play Mini player ditches the USB 3.0 but keeps the 1080p

The O!Play HD2 may be the first media device to support USB 3.0, but we're guessing that hasn't exactly inspired too many of you to run out and buy the things -- assuming you can actually find one for sale. Maybe a slimmer, shaplier form factor would do the trick. That's the new O!Play Mini, a much more petite entry into the series that makes do with a single USB 2.0 connector along with an SD/MMC/MS/XD card reader up front. Around back are optical audio and an HDMI 1.3 connector, through which it will pump 1080p video and up to 7.1 audio in Dolby Digital AC3, DTS 2.0+, even TrueHD and DTS-HD, plus a

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How would you change Nokia's N8?

There's no need to tell you that a lot was (and still is, in a way) riding on Nokia's N8. It was said to be the outfit's first dead-serious smartphone to rival the giants of today, and it was also Nokia's first chance to truly reveal Symbian^3 to the world. We've already churned out our two pennies on the matter, but for those of you who bought in, now's the time to get really real. Are you satisfied with where Nokia's going with the N8? Do you seriously see a long and lively future when looking at Symbian^3? If someone (read: UPS) accidentally delivered the keys to the Finnish kingdom to you, how would you go about tweaking

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Reva's text-to-recharge electric car rolls to a standstill the US

Remember the electric car with the ingenious hook of a reserve battery that can only be accessed in the case of an emergency by texting or calling the car's manufacturer? Well, it appears that the project is having a bit of trouble getting off the ground in the US, though it shockingly doesn't have anything to do with that flagship feature. As the story goes, upstart Bannon Automotive signed a deal with the car's

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Monster sues Fanny Wang, purveyor of fine knockoff headphones

Monster Cable's reign of legal terror has resulted in several things over the years -- a tiff with the Chicago Bears over the "Monsters of the Midway" nickname, a lawsuit against a minigolf company, and eventually even a hard ban on the pages of Engadget -- but we can't say we ever expected the target of a Monster lawsuit to try and use the case for cheap free publicity. Well, surprises come in all forms: the delightfully-named Fanny Wang is now proudly proclaiming that it's being sued for copying Monster'sBeats headphones and trying to score some free good press -- even though it appears that Fanny's headphones are indeed a fairly close copy of Beats. (Just check the image above.)

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AT&T Enables Carrier Billing For Android Market Purchases

Users of Android smartphones on AT&T's network will now be able to charge their Android Market purchases to their monthly phone bills. Instead of using credit cards to buy apps from the Android Market, users can have their purchases incorporated in their monthly smartphone contract bill.

Google engineer Eric Chu announced the new billing option in a blog post on the Android Developers blog, saying carrier billing is "a great way to make it easy for users to purchase and pay for applications" from the Android Market. T-Mobile introduced carrier billing for Android Market purchases last year.

To pay for an app from the Android Market via your carrier contract, a new option tab was added in the checkout interface in the Market, where you can select to pay either with a credit card or via your AT&T account. If the AT&T account option is selected, after entering your credentials, the cost of the application will be added to your phone bill.

As Google announced this week, Android Market shoppers will also able to return an app they downloaded and receive a full refund within 15 minutes of the purchase time. This feature, though not particularly popular with developers, is a good way for users to evaluate whether the app they purchased is what they wanted.

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Computing on the Go: A Road Warrior Survival Kit

The traditional notebook and netbook PCs have been joined by tablets like the iPad, and increasingly powerful smartphones to make computing while tethered to a desk almost a foreign concept. But, there is still a difference between a little Web surfing or text messaging on the go, and a business professional that relies on mobile technology to get the job done: a road warrior.

An Apple iPad might suffice as a mobile computing device for some--even the iPhone or top Android smartphones like the Droid X can do the trick in a pinch. Road warriors, though, have different needs and need a different bag of tricks to stay productive on the go. Here are a few things any stalwart road warrior could use in their survival kit:

Mobile Broadband Hotspot. One thing that desk workers sitting in an office take for granted is being connected to the network and the Internet. Mobile professionals can use public Wi-Fi hotspots like those at Starbucks or McDonald's--but those have some additional security concerns and may not always be conveniently located (although near my house you can find one or both in any given quarter mile radius).

A mobile broadband hotspot like the Clearwire Puck or the Virgin Mobile MiFI let road warriors set up personal Wi-Fi hotspots that connect over 3G or 4G cellular networks to access online resources from virtually anywhere.

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Turn Your Smartphone Into a Home Theater Remote Control

A universal remote control saved my marriage.

Okay, I'm exaggerating, but only slightly. My family room sports a 7.1 audio system, an Onkyo TX-NR1007 receiver, a Sony 1080p HDTV, aBlu-ray player, a Dish Network satellite receiver, and two game consoles. The chore of juggling the various remote controls was too much for my long-suffering family. They're used to my predilection toward tech geekiness, but figuring out which remote to use was the last straw. So I invested in an activity-based Logitech Harmony remote control and set it up once--and everyone has been happy ever since.

But dedicated universal remotes are so 20th century. Today people have smartphones and tablets, both of which are poised to replace universal remotes. Though this is still early-adopter territory, new apps and hardware are arriving rapidly.

What's cool is that smartphones and tablets are redefining the remote control. A universal remote used to be a device that controlled your AV rack. If you had a ton of money, you might throw a few thousand dollars at dedicated home automation gear, such as equipment from Crestron, and get whole house control. Today's universal remote controls particularly emphasize the remote concept--in some cases, allowing you to control your TV viewing from any location.

In this article, I'll first look at using a smartphone or iPad as a standard universal remote control. Then I'll briefly explore the world of home automation. After that, I'll discuss remote remote control. Finally, I'll provide a couple of real-world examples, one for using the iPhone as a universal remote, and the other for using an iPad to control a DVR remotely.

Smartphones as Universal Remotes

Using your smartphone as a universal remote isn't a new idea; it has been around almost as long as smartphones have. Back in the early days, when smartphones used Windows Mobile, various remote control apps surfaced. They were all a little clunky, though, and most of the versions I've seen took what I'd describe as a traditional, device-centric approach: Users had to turn on each device individually, and then control the devices independently.

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Get a Huge Windows Software Bundle for $19

Do you like top-rated software? And saving money? And helping people in need? Then today's your lucky day.

AppSumo's Windows Holiday Bundle for Charity includes 11 fantastic programs, games, utilities, Web services, and even an e-book, all for just $19. Purchased separately, these items would cost you $255.

If that's not enough incentive, consider this: 40 percent of the proceeds from each bundle sold will go toCharity:Water, which provides clean drinking water to people around the world.

Full disclosure: This is sort of my baby, as I worked with AppSumo (which specializes in these kinds of bundles) to put together something that would help a worthy cause. I really hope you'll consider supporting it.

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Indamixx 2 music tablet now on sale: $699 for beta hardware

So, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that $699 is $300 less than the purported $999 price tag we had originally heard would be affixed to the Indamixx 2 slate. The bad news? It's just a rebadged iiView M1 Touch, which can be had for around $500. That said, those who fork out the premium will get a copy of Transmission 5.0 running atop MeeGo, not to mention a 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM, a mini HDMI output and a 250GB hard drive.

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HTC Incredible HD teased for January 6th reveal?

See that? No, not all the ambiguous 4G talk, we mean the veiled phone. If we had to guess we'd say that we're looking at a January 6th reveal of the HTC Incredible HD / Mecha -- a device rumored to be headed to Verizon's new LTE network. Unfortunately, we don't know who 2mymob.com is (the domain carrying the tease) or how it's affiliated with HTC. So don't go entering your mobile phone number into the field where you can sign up for notifications. The site seems to be linked with Yahoo! marketing and by

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Install Office 2010 Over Office 2007

Boghound asked the Office & Business Software forum if he could install Office 2010 over Office 2007 and retain macros, default fonts, and other settings.

My immediate response to that question was "I would assume so. Even Microsoft wouldn't be that stupid." Then I figured I should test it and make sure.

I found out that Microsoft is, well, just a little bit stupid. Most of the data and settings stayed, but not everything, and not always without effort.

I concentrated on two programs: Outlook and Word.

Outlook was simple. Everything that was in Outlook 2007 before the installation--accounts, emails, contacts, and so on--were there afterwards.

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iPad 2 features a thinner bezel, flat back, and chunky wide-range speaker?

Nothing says truthiness quite like anonymous Chinese sources telling next generation iPad secrets to a Japanese blog lacking any notable successes on the professional rumor mongering circuit. Nevertheless, the Apple rumor sites have jumped all over the story like a Bay Area cop on prototype thief. So here's the dirt, which certainly seems plausible in its specificity: a 3-mm reduction in bezel width, same 9.7-inch display size, and flattening of the back allowing it to rest wobble-free on a desktop. Mac Otakara also explains that there's a "wide-range speaker" covered with "metal mesh"

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Ambarella's Cortex A9-based iOne is the smartphone processor of your dreams... but it's for your camera

You may not have heard of Ambarella factoring into the smartphone processor race alongside Qualcomm, TI, and Samsung, and there's a good reason for that: they don't do smartphone processors. Rather, these guys are in the business of making video and photographic processing chips, and their latest -- the iOne -- is a doozy. Starting with a dual-core Cortex-A9 at 1GHz, the iOne adds in an extra ARM11 core at 533MHz dedicated to handling camera functions and ensuring ready times of under one second. It's capable of real-time encode and decode of H.264 1080p video content at 30fps and includes a GPU that can run OpenGL ES 2.0 for what we can only assume would be the wildest camera UI you've ever seen. What kind of beastly point-and-shoot is this, anyway? Well, Ambarella envisions cameras running Android before too long, and when you think about it, the hardware difference between a smartphone

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Moto Mundo world tour pushes all-electric Nissan Qashqai to its limit

They're far from the first to put an all-electric car to an endurance test, but the team behind Moto Mundo are certainly near the head of the pack when it comes to sheer ambition. They set out from Denmark with a pair of Nissan Qashqai SUVs turned electric by AfutureEV back in June, and recently entered the US after making treks across Scandinavia, Russia, Mongolia and China. As for the vehicles themselves, they apparently have a top speed of 130 kilometers per hour and a range of 200 kilometers on a charge (at 80 kph), although they can apparently eek out 300 kilometers in "slow city driving."

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LG Optimus 2X dual-core Android phone hits Europe in January

We already knew that it was coming to its home country of Korea in January. Now we know that LG's Tegra 2 Optimus 2X will bring its 4-inch display and 1080p video recording capability to the Android loving shores of Europe in the first month of 2011. The detail was hidden in a rather mundane press release touting the inclusion of 25 audio files (including 15 custom ringtones) from famed film composer Ennio Morricone, a man most recognizable for scoring those Sergio Leone "Spaghetti Westerns."

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Google's Honeycomb Android tablet release slated for March?

The only official timeframe we have for an Android 3.0 Honeycomb release is sometime "next year." A little too vague for our liking and for a seemingly infinite list of manufacturers chomping at the bit to release their fully sanctioned Android

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Firefox 4 Beta 3 lands on Android and Maemo devices

Mozilla has made its latest beta of Firefox 4 available for Android and Maemo users. Firefox 4 Beta 3 to give it its full, rather complicated name beefs up the mobile search features with a number of improvements.

It's the third beta of the search service since October and offers improved support for Android keyboards, new menus, better file uploading, a Save as PDF command, Firefox synch and the user interface has been simplified.

Video improvements

When it comes to viewing video through the browser, there is now a full screen option, improved audio performance, copy and paste in the URL bar and you can browse recommended add-ons through the add-on manager.

You can access the download, which is available from Android and Nokia N900 devices.

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Dell Venue launched in Hong Kong, we go hands-on

Isn't it fun when you hit the right place at the right time? We just happened to be chillaxing in Hong Kong when Dell chose the city for the Venue's global launch (and it's actually hitting the shops slightly ahead of South Korea), so a quick hands-on is inevitable. As we've seen previously, this HK$3,999 (US$514) handset is essentially the Venue Pro's Android 2.2 cousin, sporting the same curved (or "Shear Design") vibrant AMOLED display at 4.1 inches and 800 x 480, but missing the slide-out keyboard. Under the hood lies a 1GHz Snapdragon with 1GB ROM and 512MB RAM, along with the usual microSD expansion, 1400mAh battery, 8 megapixel AF camera with LED flash, Bluetooth 2.3 EDR, WiFi and AGPS.

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Chevy explains why two MPG numbers are better than one

So, are you confused about the presence of two MPG numbers on your newly delivered Volt? Fear not, the folks at GM are doing their best to educate the huddled masses about the Volt's industry-leading fuel

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Pioneer's 3D Blu-ray compatible, Netflix streaming player triumvirate now shipping

After debuting quietly at CEDIA Pioneer's 2010 line of Blu-ray players is finally available for purchase, including the low end BDP-430 and its two Elite cousins, the BDP-41FD and BDP-43FD. Other than the obvious addition of Blu-ray 3D compatibility, key upgrades from 2009 include WiFi readiness with optional dongle, streaming from YouTube (after a firmware update),

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Iain Sinclair Poco Pro: little camcorder, big expectations

The Poco Pro from Iain Sinclair, manufacturers of fine tiny things, is said to be "the world's thinnest" 1080p HD pocket camcorder. Poco's specs tout dimensions of 54 x 85.6 x 5mm, much smaller thanJVC's Picsio, Samsung's HMX-E10, and even Toshiba's Camileo, but we are definitely

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Olympus E-5 DSLR reviewed: solid upgrade for E-3 owners, not much appeal for anyone else

The DSLR market just seems to keep on speeding up, and it looks like Olympus might be lagging back toward the caboose a bit with its latest full-body DSLR, the E-5. It's the successor to the E-3,

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AMD Launches 2GB Radeon HD 6900 Series Video Cards

Opened Radeon HD 6970 with Vapor Chamber Cooling (click to enlarge)

AMD's PowerTune technology (click to enlarge)

Architectural overview

Targets NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 570

AMD has launched its latest Radeon HD 6970 and Radeon HD 6950 video cards with 2GB of GDDR5 using a 256-bit wide memory bus. The new cards feature new 40nm CaymanGPUs produced by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Retailers are expected to sell the Radeon HD 6970 for $369 and the Radeon HD 6950 for $299 starting today.

The Radeon 6900 series was originally designed for the 32nm node, but problems at TSMC forced the cancellation of the plans and a quick backport of the design for 40nm design rules. Cayman chips consist of

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Ford to Build Next Gen Gas, Hybrid, and Plug-In Vehicles on a Single Line

Ford's new Wayne, Michigan plant is an exercise in smart production

Henry Ford, who founded Ford Motor Company in 1903 was one of the fathers of the assembly line, which to this day remains one of the most popular mass production techniques internationally.  Today, Ford Motor Company has grown and changed greatly, but its spirit of innovation when it comes to production is certainly alive and well.

On Tuesday, we toured Ford Motor Company's retooled Michigan Assembly Plantin Wayne, Michigan and received a taste of the improvements Ford has been cooking up.  What is clear is that the company has arrived at a production process that should make it very competitive in the near-term.

Image: On Tuesday we toured Ford Motor Company's new Michigan plant, which will create 3,200 high-tech jobs in the state.Credit: Jason Mick/DailyTech LLC

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Photos Emerge of Super-bright, Super-slim LG Android Phone

The LG B (center), appears to be much brighter than the iPhone 4 (left) and the Galaxy S (right).  (Source: Phandroid)

LG B (right) is slimmer than the iPhone 4 (left).  (Source: Phandroid)

What appears to be a spec sheet, with the LG B as "B", Galaxy S as "S", and iPhone 4 as "R".  (Source: Phandroid)

The LG B is slimmer than an iPhone 4, with more than double the brightness

LG appears to be really upping its ante in the high-end smartphone market in 2011. First, we have the announcement of the world's first dual-core smartphone, the Optimus 2X. Now, Phandroid has gotten their hands on some shots of an ultra-bright, ultra-slim Android-based device that could take the iPhone 4 to task in either department.

The device, codenamed the LG B, appears to be brighter than both the iPhone 4 and the Galaxy S, and is slimmer than "the world's slimmest smartphone," the iPhone 4.

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Browser Wars 2: Opera 11 Released, Benchmarked

[Click to Enlarge] Opera 11 features a cleaner look, a new mail pane, tab grouping, a speedup, and ... extensions

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