Inside Google's amazing Accessory Development Kit demo hardware (video)

The coolest thing at Google I/O this year isn't a cheap tablet or a pair of overpriced glasses or even a killer keyboard. It is, believe it or not, an alarm clock. But not just any alarm clock -- this is an alarm clock with potential. What you see above, and demonstrated in the video after the break, is the gadget that was handed out to attendees who went to learn about the Android Accessory Development Kit. It has an array of RGB LEDs on the front which it can use to display simple numerals and digits, but thanks to a bevy of sensors -- and plenty of connectivity options -- that's just the beginning. USB? Check. NFC? Definitely. Accelerometer, colorimeter, magnetometer, barometer, hygrometer, thermometer? Yes, all that and more.

Unboxing the Nexus 7 [Video]

You’ve already seen us go hands-on with the newly unveiled Nexus 7 tablet from Google and ASUS, so let’s rewind things a bit. This is the Nexus 7 before it has been ripped from its packaging and all the anxiousness and anticipation that goes along with it. What’s in the box? Well you’ll just have to watch to find out.

Hands-on with the Nexus Q Media Streaming device (and using the Nexus 7 remote) [VIDEO]

You’ve already seen the Nexus Q, Google’s media streaming orb that looks stylish and is a lot more flexible than comparable competition, get unboxed by the Phandroid crew at Google I/O, but you haven’t seen our quality time with the device.

Ideum unveils speedy Platform and Pro multi-touch tables, says PixelSense ain't got nothin' (video)

Who knew giant multi-touch tables would trigger the next big speed race? Ideum clearly thinks that the PixelSense-based Samsung SUR40 is lagging with that AMD Athlon II X2, because it just rolled out a pair of speed demon 55-inch, 40-point touch surfaces (but not Surfaces) in the Platform and Pro. The Platform has a respectable dual 2.2GHz Core i7 and 8GB of RAM, but it also carries a pair of 256GB solid-state drives in case that museum exhibit app won't load quickly enough. Hopping to the Pro switches to two not quite as speedy 500GB hard drives in standard trim. It more than makes up for this with a quad 3.4GHz Core i7 and NVIDIA's Quadro 600 for the truly stressful projects -- the combination can juggle multiple users and tasks even more smoothly than its MT55 Pro ancestor. Outside of raw speed, picking a table depends mostly on svelteness versus expansion: the Pro has a full-fledged HP tower inside that can drop in SSDs and other upgrades you might fancy, while the Platform is half as thick as a SUR40 (at two inches) and sleeker overall than its big brother. We're working to get price quotes, but the early five-digit figures we've seen in the past likely rule out upgrading the family coffee table. You can convince yourself with a video after the break.

Valve Source Filmmaker makes a movie out of any Source game, now you're directing with Portals (video)

Creating machinima with a video game engine usually requires accepting one of two truths: either that it will require a lot of fudging or that it will have all the sophistication of playing with action figures. Valve Software isn't very happy with that dichotomy, which is why it's posting its very own movie-making tool, Source Filmmaker, as a public beta. Any game that runs on the Source engine, whether it's Left 4 Dead 2, Portal 2 or another in the family, can have gameplay run-throughs edited and dissected right down to custom facial expressions. As Valve expounds in the video after the break, throwing a gaming-grade PC at the task gives directors the advantage of seeing exactly how any changes will look in the final scene; there's no rough wireframes or pre-rendering here. Budding Francis Ford Coppolas can sign up for an invitation to the Filmmaker beta at the project page. If you'd just like to see how far someone can go with the end results, we've also included the latest Team Fortress 2 character profile video, Meet the Pyro, after the jump.

Video Chat, Bringing People Closer

Video chat is getting to be the most-recent methods of connection over and above, exactly what a style of connection it has now turned out to be. It will be forever changed the definition of chatting and precisely what technology can perform on this field. Video chat and video spreading has brought family members closer, one that was dispersed wide and apart by globalization. Right now, with the mouse click, it's possible to video chat with an individual sitting a long way and continents apart in several countries. The truth is those today grandparent are thankful to this invention because it is very easy for them to talk and see their loved ones, especially their grand children through the video chat.

Microsoft delves into Windows 8's media core, promises HD chat and 3D video for all

Microsoft's deep exploration of Windows 8's numerous tweaks has swung to one of the most important components for the onslaught of tablets we're about to see: the media foundations. The pipeline is now much leaner than it was in Windows 7, both through lower lag and miserly energy use that should keep that Skype video call from falling out of sync and killing your battery. Tuning up the video performance also makes in-the-box HD webcam support an easy feat, and Microsoft has thrown in extras like Stereo 3D video and multiple audio tracks for one video. There's much (much, much) more detail from Microsoft's group program manager Scott Manchester, so if you want to know the intricacies of Windows 8's moving pictures and sound, head on over to the source and get an eye- or earful.

Dausen iPhone pico projector battery case at Computex 2012 (hands-on video)

It's not the first iPhone 4/4S pico projector battery case we've come across here at Engadget, but we spotted this little number at Computex 2012 and just couldn't resist sharing it with you. What makes this accessory a bit more unique is that it incorporates the latest in DLP technology from Texas Instruments. As such, it's capable of projecting a 640x360-pixel image up to 70 inches across with 1000:1 contrast ratio. The 2200mAh battery lasts about 3 hours on a charge an can even top off your iPhone in a pinch. Additional features include a built-in speaker powered by a 0.5W audio amplifier. We spent a few minutes using the pico projector and while it works pretty much as advertised, it clearly struggled with the harsh lighting conditions of the show floor. Stay tuned for pricing and availability, but don't miss our hands-on gallery below and our demo video after the break.

AiAiAi takes its TMA-1 headphones out from the DJ box, into the Studio (video)

You pretty much can't say (or read) AiAiAi's name without feeling happy and performing a dancey hand gesture -- or maybe that's just us? It's fair to say we're fans of their work. So when we heard the Danish firm had released some new TMA-1 "Studio" cans, our ears perked up. Where as the original TMA-1s were all about the DJ, the new pair are for... well, the studio. So what's different? Mainly that 40mm titanium driver, which has been tickled to make it more transparent, and better for referencing. Those cushions now go fully over-ear for comfort and isolation, along with some more padding around the headband. You can grab them with or without a mic -- we assume for Skyping on the road, not singing a capella -- priced at $249 and $269 respectively and up for pre-order now.

ComScore: Nearly a quarter of US smartphone owners have tablets, love their video

If you've got a smartphone, it's increasingly likely that you're also carrying a tablet as a sidearm. ComScore understands that 23.6 percent of American smartphone owners also have an iPad, Kindle Fire or some other large touchscreen slab as of April. That's only 16.5 percent of all cellphone owners in the land, but that's a huge jump from 9.7 percent of smartphone owners (4.7 percent of cellphone owners) just one year earlier. And if you do own a slate, odds are that you're watching your fair share of movies and cat videos. More than half of tablet users, 53 percent, fire up the likes of Netflix or YouTube at least once a month, with almost a tenth (9.5 percent) tuning in daily. Tablet lovers are unsurprisingly three times more likely to watch than their smartphone counterparts, suggesting that it's just a short hop from buying a tablet to catching up on Daily Show episodes.

Sony intros Pulse Wireless Stereo Headset Elite Edition, lets your non-PlayStation gear feel the bass (video)

Sony's PS3 Wireless Stereo Headset made a splash when it landed last year, but there were two inescapable quirks: a lack of bass and a lack of any wired fallback for your other devices. The brand-new Pulse Wireless Stereo Headset Elite Edition should solve both. Its earcups now carry a new trick, BassImpact, that reportedly delivers the headset's eponymous pulses and just that bit more punch at low frequencies. We also can't help but appreciate having a 3.5mm headphone jack (and cable) to plug in an Xperia S or, if you're daring, a device that goes without Sony's logo. The noise-cancelling microphones and the overall headset are considerably subtler as part of the remake, to boot. Gamers will have to go without the Pulse-upgraded headset until the fall -- not to mention pay a higher price, at $150 -- but they can get a video overview after the break to bide their time.