Tech

DARPA, the people who brought us The Internet(tm), have another project in the works. Pet-Proto is a robot designed to maneuver around obstacles and make autonomous decisions. Eventually, robots like Pet Proto will be sent to places humans cannot tread. Or maybe will be employed as very athletic butlers. One thing is for sure: They definitely won't come to your house and murder you in the middle of the night... Because robots are our friends... right?

For more on DARPA's robots, check out DARPA's robot challenge page!

Hisense recognizes that the differentiating factor in a post-SmartTV world is not based on the number of features that can be offered but rather on how those features actually function. Netflix streaming, YouTube, web browsing; you’ll find all of it with a SmartTV or set-top SmartTV. The products that stand out are the ones that consumers have an easy time using. That's the driving philosophy behind the design of the company's Pulse with Google TV box, an attempt to provide what the company messaging calls a "lean back experience" in your living room.

For those who don't know, the Pulse is a set-top box that effectively adds SmartTV functionality to TVs that lack it. There's value here for SmartTV owners as well, but the real target audience seems to be those who would like to have most of their multimedia entertainment center's features in a single package.

The Pulse is a small device, roughly the size of two Apple TV boxes stacked on top of one another. Once connected, you've got web browsing, access to video streaming services, live TV, and, thanks to the Google branding, access to a range of compatible apps and multimedia content available through the Google Play store. There's also a USB port that can read audio/video content off of any connected hard drive with a Windows or iOS directory structure.

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Apple announced the 4th generation iPad seven months after the release of their third generation iPad. This announcement has left nearly half of iPad owners disgruntled. According to Toluna QuickSurveys, 45% of the 2,000 US iPad owners questioned were upset about the announcements.

• NEWS: Apple Announces New iMac

The 4th-gen iPad will launch on November 2, 2012.

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Microsoft will launch Windows 8, the latest version of its ubiquitous Windows operating system, tonight at midnight.  Windows 8 is built on top of Windows 7, but was created in order to run across different platforms, from phones to desktop PCs.

Windows 8 is likely to surprise some users -- it looks completely different from previous versions of the operating system, featuring a "tile-heavy" design, and is considered the biggest overhaul in Windows since Windows 95 took the place of Windows 3.1. 

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Attack of the Show's guest host, Horatio Sanz, spoke with gdgt co-founder Ryan Block about Apple's latest tech announcements. Apple recently revealed a handful of new products including the iPad mini, the new iMac and a 13" MacBook Pro.

Find out what these two tech-gurus think!

Eton has announced the Boost Line of portable chargers. The first in the series, The BoostTurbine Series will provide on-the-go powers to mobile devices with dead batteries.

The BoostTurbine Series is a portable charger with a hand-turbine generator. Cranking the generator like an old car window will restore life to your mobile device. The BoostTurbine is equipped with a rechargeable lithium battery. Eton estimates about a minute of cranking will result in 30 seconds of call time. Not ideal, but creating power with your hands is pretty cool. Using the hand-turbine as a source of power not only sounds like the perfect way to get in a quick workout, it's also ideal for the zombie apocalypse.

BoostTurbine is expected to retail for about $49. It's available now for pre-order in the Eton store.

Mad Catz have announced the S.T.R.I.K.E. 5 Professional Gaming Keyboard. The keyboard, which is equipped with high-performance keys complete with customized backlighting and 21 programmable macro buttons, sports a modular design, meaning you can rearrange its configuration to suit your own personal style. One of the modules is the new E.Y.E. OLED Command Module, used for easy access to media functions, backlighting brightness, and web quick-launch triggers. It can even display respawn timers.

"Our range of S.T.R.I.K.E. keyboards has captured the imagination of passionate gamers and we are pleased to expand the range with the newly announced S.T.R.I.K.E.5." said Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. "The S.T.R.I.K.E.5 is part of our strategy to grow our market share with best in class products for all gamers."

Mad Catz hasn't announced the release date of the keyboard, but has said you'll be able to pick up a S.T.R.I.K.E. 5 at the Mad Catz store soon for $200.

The Pulse Wireless Headset: Elite Edition is a solid, reliable offering from Sony. It looks and feels more expensive than its $150 price mark, and more importantly, the wireless headset's sound quality is fantastic. It even comes with a number of special features that tech junkies like yourself will enjoy, including preset sound modes and a BassImpact feature that lets you "feel the sound."

When it comes to headsets, sound and comfort are definitely the most important factors to me, and that's exactly where the Pulse delivers. The Pulse boasts 7.1 virtual surround sound, which definitely helps to accentuate many types of gaming experiences. Don't expect the type of quality from a true 7.1 home audio system or anything. But let's say if you're in to shooters, you'll be able to hear your enemy before they creep up on you, so they offer a similar level of immersion.

The sound quality from the Pulse is pristine, and you can even customize the headset for an optimal experience when watching movies and listening to music, as well as when you're playing games, by using the device's side controls. The various modes (movies, music, shooters, fighting, and racing games) use the Pulse's innovative BassImpact technology, which delivers bass-triggered pulses to the cans based on what you're doing. For example, if you're playing a racing game with BassImpact on, you'll actually feel the motor rev. The intensity of the pulses changes based on the mode you're on, and it even works with music if you really want to feel that bass.

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The Nikon 1 J2 digital camera was recently reviewed by Matt Mira and Horatio Sanz on Attack of the Show! In the video below, you can find out what the two thought of the $550 camera, which sports a 3-inch LCD screen and features 1080p video recording. It has new functionality, like custom filters, but ultimately the two find that this version of the camera isn't much of an upgrade over the original Nikon 1.

Apple has announced a new MacBook Pro with Retina display and a Mac Mini. These announcements come after the not-so-surprising reveal of the iPad Mini and the unveiling of a new iMac.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro features Apple's second best display, coming in at 2,560-by-1,600 pixels. It will display more vibrant colors, deeper blacks and a 75% reduced reflection. For $1,699 you'll get the 2.5-HGz, dual-core i5 version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of flash, but a dual-core i7 Ivy Bridge processor will be an option.

Despite coming with upgaded tech, the new MacBook Pro will be smaller than current builds, coming in at 0.75 inches thin. That's 20% smaller than current MacBook models. It's also the lightest MacBook Pro to date, weighing in at 3.5 pounds.

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That skinny device above is the new design of the just announced iMac. The new iMac starts at $1299, and features Apple's new "Fusion Drive"  that combines 128GB flash, with a 1 or 3 terabyte hard drive. The new kind of drive allows you to run apps from either Flash memory or off the hard-drive.

The new iMac starts shipping next month. 27" version will run $1799 and ships in December

Apple's new iMac sports a 5mm edge on the display and is 80 percent thinner than the previous generation. The 21.5-inch version features 1,920 x 1,080 resolution and the 27-inch version features 2,560 x 1,440 resolution.

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Horatio Sanz co-hosts with Candace Bailey on tonight's new Attack of the Show, bringing you Kurt Yaeger from Sons of Anarchy for the series' fifth season and all the latest news to come out of Apple's event today, including the new iPad Mini, while Chris Gore reviews Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter for DVDuesday. Also, who wants a new Epic Giveaway? Tune in tonight 7/6c!

PowerA aims to make Android gaming more appealing with its newly released MOGA Mobile Gaming Controller. Look at any app reviews resource, and you'll invariably see a caveat in nearly every game write-up panning the use of touch-based virtual controls. The MOGA turns those fake buttons into real ones, syncing via Bluetooth to put an actual gamepad in your hands.

The $49.99 peripheral doesn't work with every game out there, but it doesn't need to. As long as the top developers include support for their console-style gaming experiences, the MOGA is doing what it's supposed to. The good news is that Gameloft, Namco, Sega, and a handful of others are already stepping up to patch in support.

I spent much of the past week tooling around with a MOGA and paired Samsung Galaxy SIII during commutes and such, and I've been very satisfied with the performance. It's a well-designed peripheral that fits snugly into your two hands. You notice immediately when you hold the thing that you're dealing with a much smaller gamepad than you would for a full-blown gaming console, but there's no awkward feeling as you reach for the two analog nubs, two shoulder triggers, and four face buttons.

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Wi-Fi lightbulbs has long been considered the lighting of the future, and with the GreenWave Reality Connected Lighting Solution, the future is now. With this lighting solution, you'll be able to turn on and off lightbulbs in your home with a simple touch of your iOS or Android device. Each LED Energy Star Certified bulb has its own IP address and can be adjusted and controlled individually . You can even set Smart Controls to time when certain lights turn on and off. The Connected Lighting Solution will be available soon.

Connected Lighting Solution Kit: $200  |   More Info: Greenwave Reality

Microsoft Surface pre-orders for all models of the new tablet device scheduled to ship on October 26 are now completely sold out for U.S. customers.

Microsoft initially sold out of the entry level, 32 GB, Surface model less than 24 hours after its announcement. Microsoft says that the two higher end Surface models, a 32GB tablet with a Touch Cover for $600 and a 64GB tablet with a Touch Cover for $700, are now sold out on The Microsoft Store as well.

• VIDEO: Microsoft Surface Video: Go In-Depth On Microsoft's New Tablet

The Surface is Microsoft's latest offering to the tablet market. It sports a 10.6" touchscreen and comes with Windows RT, Microsoft Office 2013 RT, Xbox apps, and other essentials pre-loaded in. Most models even feature an integrated kickstand and touch cover that you can type on. 

If you were still hoping to get one, the Surface will be available at Microsoft stores around the country starting Friday at midnight.