Centaur's Engadget

Kseniya Simonova - Sand Animation (Україна має талант / Ukraine's Got Talent)

2010-08-29T13:27:00.007+01:00

Amazing video:
Kseniya Simonova - Sand Animation (Україна має талант / Ukraine's Got Talent)

Kseniya Simonova is a 24 year old Ukranian sand animation artist. She won top prize from “Ukraine’s Got Talent” as much £75,000.

Her drawing method is to use fingers to create a series of pictures on an illuminated sand table, lighted by candles.

Dramatic music make our imagination created so real. Her "sand painting" figures Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during World War II. Though her craft is so simple it is so touchful, wonderfully presented.

Here is a quote from http://babyboomeradvisorclub.com/2009/12/07/kseniya-simonova-sand-art-video/:

She begins by creating a scene showing a couple sitting holding hands on a bench under a starry sky, but then warplanes appear and the happy scene is obliterated.

It is replaced by a woman’s face crying, but then a baby arrives and the woman smiles again. Once again war returns and Miss Simonova throws the sand into chaos from which a young woman’s face appears.

In the Kseniya Simonova Sand Art Video, she quickly becomes an old widow, her face wrinkled and sad, before the image turns into a monument to an Unknown Soldier.

This outdoor scene becomes framed by a window as if the viewer is looking out on the monument from within a house.

In the final scene, a mother and child appear inside and a man standing outside, with his hands pressed against the glass, saying goodbye.

The Great Patriotic War, as it is called in Ukraine, resulted in one in four of the population being killed with eight to 11 million deaths out of a population of 42 million.

Kseniya Simonova stated that:

“I find it difficult enough to create art using paper and pencils or paintbrushes, but using sand and fingers is beyond me..
The art, especially when the war is used as the subject matter, even brings some audience members to tears. And there’s surely no bigger compliment.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=518XP8prwZo

ASUS Eee PC 1218 trades veil of secrecy for popular design award

2010-04-29T23:03:00.001+01:00

Well, will you look at that. In its haste to proclaim itself winner of a 2010 Red Dot design award, ASUS has inadvertently or perhaps intentionally announced the brand-new netbook that received it -- the Eee PC 1218. She's a beaut, too, with a slim, one-piece aluminum shell that evokes the MacBook Air but still packs a substantial number of expansion ports. There aren't any hard specs quite yet, but the above shot shows it'll come with a webcam and chiclet keyboard, and in a second pic after the break we can make out three USB sockets, Ethernet, VGA, a pair of 3.5mm audio jacks and an HDMI port -- the last of which possibly suggests a dedicated GPU (here's hoping an Ion 2) for HD video playback. Oh, and lest we forget, ASUS says it's also got a soft-touch plastic underside, for all you coffee-swilling, netbook-slinging butterfingers out there. No word on pricing or availability.

Continue reading ASUS Eee PC 1218 trades veil of secrecy for popular design award

ASUS Eee PC 1218 trades veil of secrecy for popular design award originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google, Sony, Intel & Logitech's TV project to be unveiled next month as Dragonpoint?

2010-04-29T23:02:00.007+01:00

The conclusion to the sudden flurry of rumors around Sony HDTVs featuring Android, Intel Atom processors and Logitech-designed QWERTY remotes may be near, as Bloomberg Businessweek reports the project will be revealed during Google I/O next month. The latest wrinkle for the supposed product is a name, "Dragonpoint," for the new flavor of Android destined to operate on displays, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes. It's obvious that Google wants search in the living room, Sony needs something to overcome the app (Samsung is back on the list of possible partners) and widget powered competition, and Intel needs a home for its CE4100 chips to show off their power outside of a demonstration for once, but we'll have to wait and see what they've cooked up to know if we need any of that in our next HDTV.

Google, Sony, Intel & Logitech's TV project to be unveiled next month as Dragonpoint? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Engadget Podcast, live at 5:45PM EST!

2010-04-29T23:02:00.005+01:00

It's been an incredible week in news, and we're getting ready to break it all down, podcast-style. Won't you join us? We'll be live at 5:45PM EST, but the chat below is open, so settle in and get comfy!

P.S.- And hey, don't forget that Ustream has Android and iPhone apps if you're out and about and can't join in on the Flash-based fun below. Is that deeply ironic today? Yes, it is.

Continue reading The Engadget Podcast, live at 5:45PM EST!

The Engadget Podcast, live at 5:45PM EST! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft confirms, kills Courier in one fell swoop

2010-04-29T23:02:00.003+01:00

Well this is depressing. Word has just gone fluttering out of Redmond that work on the Courier project -- a heretofore rumored dual-screen tablet which rightfully set the tech world ablaze -- has been spun down by the company. Here's the official line from Frank Shaw, Microsoft's VP of corporate communications:

At any given time, across any of our business groups, there are new ideas being investigated, tested, and incubated. It's in Microsoft's DNA to continually develop and incubate new technologies to foster productivity and creativity. The "Courier" project is an example of this type of effort and its technologies will be evaluated for use in future Microsoft offerings, but we have no plans to build such a device at this time.

All very sad, of course. So how did we get here? And was this thing ever really real to begin with? After all, it's hard to kill something that never lived. Well here's the deal, according to a source familiar with the situation: the Courier did indeed start life as a potential new product category for the company, one which was being incubated internally with very real plans for a marketable device. It seems, however, that things just didn't manage to take shape, and word was handed down very recently that the incubation period had reached its conclusion -- sans product -- and resources would be directed elsewhere. Now, that doesn't mean that we won't see some of this technology turn up in other products which Microsoft has in the pipeline (the company does keep quite a few balls in the air), but it does mean that those rendered videos of the Courier in action will remain, unfortunately, renders. As far as the Engadget team is concerned, there isn't a dry eye in the house right now -- but the Courier will always remain in our hearts as one of the finest unicorns that ever unicorned across our screens.

Microsoft confirms, kills Courier in one fell swoop originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon AE-1 Program SLR gets a digital retrofit

2010-04-29T23:02:00.001+01:00

A classic SLR film camera gutted and given a digital upgrade -- blasphemy? Maybe, but there's no denying that this mod by Diego Monge is plenty impressive. He started out with a Canon AE-1 Program SLR, and apparently simply stuffed the guts of a compact digital camera of some sort inside, resulting in what he calls the AE-1 Program Digital -- a 9-megapixel camera complete with image stabilization, a functional flash, and 4GB of memory (non-removable, it seems). Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any details on the build process, let alone a how-to, but you can at least get a glimpse of it in action in the video after the break.

Continue reading Canon AE-1 Program SLR gets a digital retrofit

Canon AE-1 Program SLR gets a digital retrofit originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adobe's CEO: Jobs' Flash letter is a 'smokescreen' for 'cumbersome' restrictions

2010-04-29T21:32:00.001+01:00

There's no official transcript yet, but the Wall Street Journal just live-blogged an interview with Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, in which he responded to the Steve Jobs "Thoughts on Flash" letter posted this morning. Substantively, Narayen didn't offer much we haven't heard Adobe say before, but his frustration with Apple is palpable even in summary form: he called Jobs' points a "smokescreen," said Flash is an "open specification," and further said Apple's restrictions are "cumbersome" to developers and have "nothing to do with technology." What's more, he also said Jobs' claims about Flash affecting battery life are "patently false," and suggested that any Flash-related crashes on OS X have more to do with Apple's operating system than Adobe's software.

Perhaps most importantly, Narayen reiterated that Adobe is fundamentally about making it easier for devs to write multiplatform tools -- a stance Jobs specifically took issue with in his letter, saying multiplatform tools lead to bad user experiences. Apple and Adobe and the rest of us can argue about battery life and performance all night, but that's clearly the central philosophical difference between these two companies, and we doubt it's ever going to change. That is, unless Adobe absolutely kills it with Flash 10.1 on Android 2.2 -- and given our experiences with Flash on smartphones and netbooks thus far, we'll be honest when we say that's going to be a major challenge. We'll link over to the full transcript when it goes up, but for now, hit the source link for the liveblog.

Adobe's CEO: Jobs' Flash letter is a 'smokescreen' for 'cumbersome' restrictions originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony taken to court over PS3 'Other OS' removal

2010-04-29T21:03:00.003+01:00

Sony forced PS3 owners into a tough decision with the mandatory 3.21 firmware update: either lose online play, or forgo Linux support. On Tuesday, Anthony Ventura chose door number three -- and filed a lawsuit in California, asking the judge for class-action status. The complaint quotes Sony executives on numerous occasions saying how vital and important the "Install Other OS" feature was to the game console (it's a computer, remember?) and claims breach of contract, false advertising, and several other causes of action against the entertainment giant. Sure, a lawsuit was bound to happen, given the number of angry PS3 owners out there, but here's the thing: there's no telling whether the court will grant a class-action certification here, and even if the case gets that far it's pretty unlikely to force Sony to turn the feature back on -- instead, customers will probably receive a token amount in damages while the lawyers get their full fees. For example, a rare, successful class-action suit against Palm -- filed in 2004 -- got Treo 600 owners only $27.50 in store credit, five years later. Meanwhile, we hear European PS3 owners just have to ask for their money back -- which, we promise you, is the fastest way to put an end to your Linux-based PS3 nightmares. Either that, or just wait for Geohot to make it all better.

Sony taken to court over PS3 'Other OS' removal originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget app update: iPhone app passes the 1m download mark, Android and webOS get an update!

2010-04-29T21:03:00.001+01:00

Hey cats and kittens, here's an exciting little piece of news we wanted to share with you. Thanks to the love and support of our readers, our iPhone app has just crossed the million downloads mark in the App Store! That is, of course, just iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users -- we're growing our numbers steadily across BlackBerry, webOS, and Android formats as well. And Speaking of Android, we've got a little update that's available right now in the Market which should fix those nasty force close issues some users were seeing. If you're still having issues, make sure you reach out to us -- we really love the feedback! We've also just issued a webOS update, so look for that on your Pre or Pixi. We have even more stuff in the pipeline as far as apps are concerned, including a major forthcoming iPhone update, as well as updates and tweaks for the other existing apps... and we're at work on a dedicated iPad application as we speak!

Yes, exciting times are ahead people, but for now, you can grab our current offerings right here:

iPhone / iPod touch / iPad

Android

webOS

BlackBerry

Engadget app update: iPhone app passes the 1m download mark, Android and webOS get an update! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Poseidon floating power plant features wind turbines, location for Waterworld II

2010-04-29T20:32:00.003+01:00

We've seen plenty of attempts to harnass the movement of the sea for power, including underwater turbines and Searaser pumps, but those technologies are sadly unreliable. Denmark's Floating Power Plant has thought of that, however -- ingeniously outfitting its 350-ton Poseidon platform with wind turbines as well as the underwater variety, so it can harvest energy even when the sea is calm. As stability is a major concern, the company took design cues from oil rigs, so this bad boy should hopefully stay right-side-up even in the most perfect of storms. According to Inhabitat, the company is pegging energy costs between 10 and 15 Euro cents per kilowatt hour -- competitive for the continent. This thing is currently stationed off the coast of Lolland in Denmark, although with any luck they'll be all over the world soon enough, at which point we will use them as bases from which to launch our futuristic, dystopian undersea armies.

Poseidon floating power plant features wind turbines, location for Waterworld II originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone covered front to back with camera-related rumors

2010-04-29T20:32:00.001+01:00

Well, here's a nice bit of symmetry to emerge from the Apple rumor mill in recent days -- some new purported details on both the rear and front-facing camera on the next-generation iPhone. The first, and more straightforward of the two, comes courtesy of The Chosum Ilbo, which is reporting that the next iPhone will pack a 5-megapixel camera supplied by LG Innotek. Details on it are otherwise pretty light, but the site says that LG has already started producing the "sophisticated cameras" at its plant in Gumi this month, with mass production supposedly set to begin in the second half of this year. The second rumor concerns the iPhone's front-facing camera, and comes after a bit of digging in the latest iPhone 4 SDK beta. According to MacRumors, the SDK not only includes an unfortunate bit of code that suggests video calls will be WiFi-only, but evidence that video chat will be integrated into Apple's Game Center as well -- exactly how remains unclear, although there's certainly no shortage of possibilities. Dive into the links below for the complete details.

iPhone covered front to back with camera-related rumors originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubuntu 10.04 ' Lucid Lynx' arrives on the scene

2010-04-29T20:02:00.001+01:00

It's been less than a year since Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" was released, but the next big version of the Linux OS has now already arrived to take its place: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx." In addition to the usual tweaks and fixes, this one promises a boot speed that is "noticeably quicker" on almost any machine (and especially on those with SSDs), along with a range of new features including a social networking-oriented "Me Menu," Ubuntu Software Centre 2.0 for easier access to new software, and a slew of new cloud-based services courtesy of Ubuntu One -- not to mention the Ubuntu One music store. The release also marks the first time that GIMP doesn't come pre-installed (you get F-Spot instead), and it is naturally complemented by Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition, which promises even faster boot speeds and other optimizations. Ready to make the jump? Then you can grab the Release Candidate right now at the link below, or you can wait a bit for the final Long-Term Support (LTS) version, which is said to be "just around the corner."

Update: And just like that, the LTS version is out!. Get it at the source link below.

Ubuntu 10.04 ' Lucid Lynx' arrives on the scene originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP and Palm: what happens next

2010-04-29T19:33:00.001+01:00

HP announcing that it's going to buy Palm in a $1.2b all-cash transaction certainly took everyone by surprise, but in many ways the deal makes perfect sense. HP is a gigantic player in the tech industry but has no appreciable presence in rapidly-growing mobile space, and Palm -- well, you should know how we feel about Palm by now. Even still, we can't say we were expecting this one, and it looks like most of you weren't either -- HP only got two percent of the vote in our "who should buy Palm" poll, while Engadget (that's us!) got... fourteen percent. Oops.

But now that we've had a day to wrap our heads around the news and think about what Palm and HP said to us last night and to analysts on the conference call announcing the deal, we think we've got a pretty good set of educated guesses on how things might shake out over the next few months. Read on!

Continue reading HP and Palm: what happens next

HP and Palm: what happens next originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pioneer announces CD ripping, Internet radio playing, DLNA sporting iPod docks

2010-04-29T19:02:00.001+01:00

Up until this point, when Pioneer and iPhone were uttered in the same sentence (or the same Engadget post) it's been in the guise of some sort of integration with an existing product (such as a car stereo or home theater hardware). This time around, however, the consumer electronics company is debuting a line of a/v docks that, truth be told, don't look nearly as boring as most do to these jaded blogsters. All of the kit included herein feature 2.1 speakers, HDMI, component video, and composite video out, and Bluetooth audio streaming. Of all of these, the HTD Series (XW-NAV1K-K) is the "jack of all trades," featuring a DVD/CD player, FM tuner, USB connectivity for external storage, CD-to-MP3 ripping, and "scaling of DVD video to 1080p near HD resolution" via HDMI. Available in June with an MSRP of $299. For someone with simpler needs (and greater means) the Audition Series (XW-NAS3/-K) "unparalleled reproduction of compressed audio files" come April, for an MSRP of $449. Last but not least, the Duo Series systems sport dual docking ports for two different iPods or iPhones and a Double Shuffle feature for continuous playback of music between the two docked players. The XW-NAC1-K ($349) is a more modest device, while the XW-NAC3-K ($449) adds a number of features to the basic dock, including DLNA 1.5 home network support, vTuner Internet Radio, external storage support via USB, and more. Both these bad boys will be available in May. PR after the break.

Continue reading Pioneer announces CD ripping, Internet radio playing, DLNA sporting iPod docks

Pioneer announces CD ripping, Internet radio playing, DLNA sporting iPod docks originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skyfire 2.0 beta for Android video preview!

2010-04-29T18:35:00.001+01:00

We just spent a few minutes playing with the beta version of Skyfire 2.0 for Android that was released today, and we'll cut to the chase: this is easily the best browser we've used on the platform. Clearly we'll need to spend more time with it to make sure it can handle all the typical sites you'd want to visit while you're on the road -- but loading the desktop version of Engadget is always a great barometer for this sort of thing, and this browser rocked it. Rendering is about as reasonably fast as you can expect it to be (on our Snapdragon-powered Nexus One, anyhow), and everything we saw displayed spot-on perfect (save for embedded Flash, of course), but if you're in a situation where you don't need to see the full page or it looks screwy, you can toggle it to send an Android user agent right from the app's toolbar below the URL field. Interestingly, the experience is noticeably slower than Steel on a G1 we tested -- but on the upside, Flash videos work just fine there.

The browser touts compatibility with Flash videos, too, so we headed over to YouTube to try our hand at it; it immediately detected the presence of a video and popped up the so-called "SkyBar" at the bottom of the screen, where you can press the Video button to load the video in a new window. It doesn't work embedded in the page, but considering how small your phone's screen is, that's really for the best -- you get the full-screen experience, and in our testing, it looked fantastic. One downside is that you don't seem to be able to scrub videos while they're playing, but maybe this is something these guys can get patched up for the final release. Follow the break for our full video!

Continue reading Skyfire 2.0 beta for Android video preview!

Skyfire 2.0 beta for Android video preview! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At least one lucky fellow's 3G iPad arrives a day early

2010-04-29T18:33:00.001+01:00

That's right -- you're probably already aware that tomorrow, April 30th at 5PM marks the beginning of retail availability of the 3G version of Apple's iPad, and a lot of those who pre-ordered can expect to receive theirs in the mail tomorrow too. It shouldn't come as a huge surprise, but at least one guy's happy today -- his iPad 3G arrived already! We're sure we'll be seeing way more of these crop up as the day progresses, but for now, here's to the first!

[Thanks, Mike]

At least one lucky fellow's 3G iPad arrives a day early originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola posts another tiny quarterly profit, phone division not yet pulling its weight

2010-04-29T18:02:00.001+01:00

Moto's earnings for the first quarter came out today, and they pretty much echo what the company managed to do in the fourth quarter of 2009 -- pull a small profit thanks to performance from the Home, Enterprise Mobility, and Network groups in the face of an operating loss from the Mobile Devices (read: phones) division. Unfortunately, all of the numbers are just a little bit worse across the board; Motorola didn't have any Droid-style blockbuster launches or major gift-giving holidays to help it along this quarter, and ended up dropping $192 million in the hole compared to $132 million in the quarter prior. Co-CEO Sanjay Jha still seems upbeat, though -- and he'd better, considering that he'll lead the spun-off phone division after the breakup -- pointing out that shipments actually increased in the quarter with the release of six new handsets. When you throw all the numbers together, the combined company posted $69 million in earnings, down from $142 million in the fourth quarter; hey, that's still better than a loss, especially considering that it's estimating considerably higher earnings in the current quarter. Follow the break for Motorola's release.

Continue reading Motorola posts another tiny quarterly profit, phone division not yet pulling its weight

Motorola posts another tiny quarterly profit, phone division not yet pulling its weight originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Plantronics Explorer 395 Bluetooth headset review

2010-04-29T17:33:00.001+01:00

At Engadget, we're used to playing with premium Bluetooth headsets like the Jabra Stone and Jawbone Icon, so it's only natural this $49.95 Plantronics headset would lower our expectations, but turns out it's not bad for the money. For starters, the actual earpiece looks much better than the renders we saw, with a retro look that we quite liked. We're also promised easy operation with few buttons -- the silver paddle-like button (with LEDs underneath) for phone calls and Bluetooth pairing; the black volume button on one side with five incremental volume steps; and the ridged power slide switch on the other side. You'll find a micro-USB port at the end of the silver button, followed by the ear plug underneath and the mic on the other end. Enough with the list of features -- read on to find out how well this headset performs.

Gallery: Plantronics Explorer 395 Bluetooth headset review

Continue reading Plantronics Explorer 395 Bluetooth headset review

Plantronics Explorer 395 Bluetooth headset review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SmartQ R7 e-reader boasts 3G, touchscreen LCD, magazine service and IPTV (video)

2010-04-29T17:05:00.003+01:00

Late to the touchscreen MID party, Chinese manufacturer SmartQ was determined not to miss another opportunity. That's why it spent the month of April touting its new R7 e-reader as -- you guessed it -- the iPad killer. With the same ol' 600MHz ARM11 and 256MB of RAM inside as its ho-hum MIDs, that claim's quite a stretch, but our cohorts at Engadget Chinese actually found the Ubuntu-powered 7-inch SVGA touchscreen device moderately capable in a recent hands-on. Like fellow PMP / e-Reader the Onda VX560, the device supports 1080p in most every video format under the sun, reads e-books (PDF, EPUB and CHM), and has a built-in 3G modem for on-the-go capability. Ubuntu standbys Midori and Pidgin handle web browsing and IM, respectively, and it can even stream live video and purchase Chinese magazines through SmartQ's services. Sluggish as it might be, for $1,680 RMB (about $250) we'd say that's a pretty respectable featureset. Video after the break, specs and hands-on pics at our source links.

Continue reading SmartQ R7 e-reader boasts 3G, touchscreen LCD, magazine service and IPTV (video)

SmartQ R7 e-reader boasts 3G, touchscreen LCD, magazine service and IPTV (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PMP Today | Engadget Chinese (1), Engadget Chinese (2), Ownta | Email this | Comments http://digg.com/d11Po8C

Skyfire 2.0 now ready to set Android ablaze

2010-04-29T17:05:00.001+01:00

We've been seeing mobile browsers steadily raising their game lately, so it was inevitable that Skyfire would look to shock and awe us with its first release for the Android platform. Version 2.0 introduces a brand new SkyBar -- which ironically sits at the bottom of the screen -- providing users with a trifecta of new features. Firstly, the Video link serves as a workaround for those pesky "your phone ain't got no Flash" missives by doing server-side conversions of Flash video into universally comprehensible formats like HTML5. If implemented well, this should be a major coup for the company, particularly in light of a potential iPhone release as well. There's also a streamlined sharing feature for social networks, and an Explore function that suggests internet content on the basis of what's currently on display. We'll be testing out the usefulness of these shortly -- for now, hit the source link to get your own Skyfire going.

Gallery: Skyfire 2.0 now ready to set Android ablaze

Continue reading Skyfire 2.0 now ready to set Android ablaze

Skyfire 2.0 now ready to set Android ablaze originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shuttle unveils Core i7-powered J3 desktop, changes how you look at little PCs

2010-04-29T16:41:00.001+01:00

Earlier in the month Shuttle unveiled a pair of serious little desktops, the J1 and G2, and teased about a third model that would knock all of our proverbial socks off in one fell swoop. That desktop is here and, well, our feet are bare. The J3 packs an Intel Core i7-980X Gulftown processor, about the fastest available for consumers today, and pairs it with NVIDIA's monster GeForce GTX 480. Shuttle isn't telling other details of the machine at this point (all will be unveiled at Computex in early June), but in a video after the break you can gaze upon its healthy stack of USB ports and stare longingly at its shapely cooling system as it spins about and slowly shedding its clothing -- and its dignity.

Continue reading Shuttle unveils Core i7-powered J3 desktop, changes how you look at little PCs

Shuttle unveils Core i7-powered J3 desktop, changes how you look at little PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Droid Incredible arrives as promised

2010-04-29T16:17:00.003+01:00

Don't say we didn't warn you. HTC's impressive Droid Incredible has arrived, so if you pre-ordered one you can expect it today (if you haven't already gotten it) -- and if you didn't, well you can pick one up at a nearby Verizon store. If you haven't already, be sure to check out our full review of the Incredible.

Continue reading HTC Droid Incredible arrives as promised

HTC Droid Incredible arrives as promised originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI Android, Windows 7 tablets launching in June, dualscreen delayed until Q4

2010-04-29T16:17:00.001+01:00

It looks like ASUS won't be the only Taiwanese manufacturer whipping out new tablets at Computex in early June, and MSI will be joining the party with its Android and Windows 7 touchscreen devices. According to the company, the tablets will come in 8.9- and 10-inch varieties, and will ship sometime in the third quarter. We can't promise you big M's Tegra 2 and Atom-powered slates will be all that different from what we've been seeing from the others out there, but we are told the pricing will be "extremely aggressive." That's intriguing, but unfortunately, that awesome dualscreen tablet we saw at CES is farther behind. According to MSI's Andy Tung, the hardware implementation is the reason for the delay as the Atom-based tablet is not providing adequate endurance. "The two screens are a major drain on the battery, and even with a higher density battery and the Menlow CPU we are only getting three hours," he said. It looks like we will be waiting until the fourth quarter to get some two screen action, though we guess we could always pick up an Android and Win 7 slate and tape 'em together.

MSI Android, Windows 7 tablets launching in June, dualscreen delayed until Q4 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puppet Pouch puts fur on your DS / DSi, smiles on people's faces

2010-04-29T15:58:00.001+01:00

As jaded as we are, we just can't bring ourselves to criticize this. Produced by CTA Digital, authors of other questionable gaming accessories, the Puppet Pouch acts as a superfurry (and annoyingly cute) case for your Nintendo portable console. Coming with a felt interior and elastic straps to keep your Ninty nice and minty, it also offers a zipped compartment for storing games and accessories, as well as "puppet functionality." That last bit means you can shove your hand inside it and use the little fella as part of your awesome ventriloquist act. Priced at $19.99, it's available now, but we've just got one oustanding question -- what animal is this supposed to be?

Continue reading Puppet Pouch puts fur on your DS / DSi, smiles on people's faces

Puppet Pouch puts fur on your DS / DSi, smiles on people's faces originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | CTA Digital, Amazon | Email this | Comments http://digg.com/u1UnLa

Steve Jobs publishes some 'thoughts on Flash'... many, many thoughts on Flash

2010-04-29T15:55:00.005+01:00

Steve Jobs just posted an open letter of sorts explaining Apple's position on Flash, going back to his company's long history with Adobe and expounding upon six main points of why he thinks Flash is wrong for mobile devices. HTML5 naturally comes up, along with a few reasons you might not expect. Here's the breakdown:

It's not open. "While Adobe's Flash products are widely available, this does not mean they are open, since they are controlled entirely by Adobe and available only from Adobe. By almost any definition, Flash is a closed system." Man, that's some strong irony you're brewing, Steve. Still, we get the point -- HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript are open web standards.

The "full web." Steve hits back at Adobe's claim of Apple devices missing out on "the full web," with an age-old argument, YouTube, aided by the numerous new sources that have started providing video to the iPhone and iPad in HTML5 or app form like CBS, Netflix, and Facebook. Oh, and as for flash games? "50,000 games and entertainment titles on the App Store, and many of them are free." If we were keeping score we'd still call this a point for Adobe.

Reliability, security and performance. Steve hits on the usual "Flash is the number one reason Macs crash," but adds another great point on top of this: "We have routinely asked Adobe to show us Flash performing well on a mobile device, any mobile device, for a few years now. We have never seen it." You've got us there, Steve, but surely your magical A4 chip could solve all this?

Battery life. "The video on almost all Flash websites currently requires an older generation decoder that is not implemented in mobile chips and must be run in software." Steve Jobs is of course H.264's #1 fan, and it's hard to blame him, since he cites 10 hours of H.264 playback but only 5 hours with software decode on the iPhone. Still, those "older generation" sites that haven't moved to H.264 yet are pretty much the exact same sites that aren't viewable with HTML5, which means we're being restricted in the content we can access just because some of it doesn't perform as well.

Touch. Steve hits hard against one of the web's greatest hidden evils: rollovers. Basically, Flash UIs are built around the idea of mouse input, and would need to be "rewritten" to work well on touch devices. "If developers need to rewrite their Flash websites, why not use modern technologies like HTML5, CSS and JavaScript?" That doesn't really address the Flash-as-app scenario (that's point #6), but it's also a pretty silly sounding solution to a developer: your website doesn't support this one UI paradigm exactly right, so why not rewrite it entirely?

The most important reason. Steve finally addresses the third party development tools situation, but it's really along the lines of what we were hearing already: "If developers grow dependent on third party development libraries and tools, they can only take advantage of platform enhancements if and when the third party chooses to adopt the new features." We doubt this will end all debate, but it's clear Apple has a line in the sand.

He concludes in saying that "Flash was created during the PC era - for PCs and mice." Basically, it's for the olds. And you don't want to be old, do you? Follow after the break for the whole thing in brilliant prose form.

Continue reading Steve Jobs publishes some 'thoughts on Flash'... many, many thoughts on Flash

Steve Jobs publishes some 'thoughts on Flash'... many, many thoughts on Flash originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's technicolor N150 netbook gets Verizon-powered 3G

2010-04-29T15:55:00.003+01:00

Recently, about the only thing worth getting excited about regarding the Samsung N150 was the plethora of colors that its casing could be ordered in. Now, though, the little thing has been finally been updated to include the 3G modem it's always promised, and is ready to connect up to Verizon Wireless. Sure, it isn't the LTE model that was spied at MWC -- that is still a few months off, at least -- but it does mean there's yet another option out there for road warriors who like little lappys. Some bad news, though: this model appears to be only available in black, but we do dig red highlights.

Samsung's technicolor N150 netbook gets Verizon-powered 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's Dash goes on sale, officially this time

2010-04-29T15:55:00.001+01:00

Yeah, we spotted the Dash at Best Buy a few days ago, accidentally eating up shelf space, but we've finally hit that April 29th launch date and Sony has unleashed the non-tablet touchscreen device into the wild. The $199 unit, which is somewhat of a branded Chumby, sports a 7-inch screen, best-alarm-clock-you-ever-owned good looks, and access to streaming media from CBS, Netflix, Pandora, and more. If you can bottle your enthusiasm for just a bit longer we'll have our own impressions of the device posted soon enough, but nobody's stopping you from snapping this up from Sony's website, your local Sony Style store, or whatever other retailer you might have in mind. PR is after the break.

Continue reading Sony's Dash goes on sale, officially this time

Sony's Dash goes on sale, officially this time originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TomTom reveals plans for App Store in battle against smartphone navigation

2010-04-29T15:14:00.001+01:00

You know how TomTom is moving to a WebKit-based UI with its new flagship Go Live 1000 satnav? Well, there's good reason for it. While TomTom called it a "platform for innovation" at Tuesday's press event in Amsterdam, going so far as to show a few in-house developed prototype apps for Facebook, Wikipedia, and street cams, it stopped short of revealing its true plan: an app store it can cuddle and call its own. Pocket-lint had a sit down with TomTom CEO Harold Goddijn who revealed TomTom's plans to launch the app store by the end of the year. Apps that will easily migrate to its in-car platform, and to and from other WebKit based devices. In essence, it's TomTom's consumer-focused survival plan against free turn-by-turn offerings from Google and Nokia. While there's no doubt that dedicated satnav devices offer great functionality and better performance compared to their part-time smartphone navigating competitors, selling the average consumer (not hardened road warriors) on the need for two devices won't be easy. Besides, are Facebook updates really that critical when driving? Pics of the Wikipedia and street cam sample apps after the break.

Continue reading TomTom reveals plans for App Store in battle against smartphone navigation

TomTom reveals plans for App Store in battle against smartphone navigation originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 hits 100 million licenses mark, becomes Microsoft's fastest-selling OS

2010-04-27T23:27:00.001+01:00

It's hardly been a secret that Windows 7 was on track to become Microsoft's fastest-selling operating system, but the company has just now finally made that designation official, and also revealed that the OS has crossed the magical 100 million licenses sold mark in the process. In other words, that translates to Windows 7 being installed on one in ten of the world's PCs just six months after it launched, which is pretty darn impressive any way you slice it -- or punch it, as the case may be.

Windows 7 hits 100 million licenses mark, becomes Microsoft's fastest-selling OS originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia says leaked N8 has early software, shouldn't be reviewed

2010-04-27T23:14:00.001+01:00

It looks like Nokia isn't too happy that its big N8 / Symbian

Google's Andy Rubin talks Android and Apple, promises Flash support in Froyo

2010-04-27T23:11:00.001+01:00

Gather 'round, Android fans, because Google's Android boss Andy Rubin has done a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times, and we're guessing you're going to want to hear what he has to say. The biggest news to come out of it is word that Android 2.2, a.k.a. Froyo, will come complete with full support for Flash, which is far and away the most official confirmation we've had to date, and slightly contradicts earlier talk that Flash support wouldn't necessarily be built into the OS. Why the change? Rubin says that sometimes being open "means not being militant about the things consumers are actually enjoying." On a similar note, Rubin also said that while he doesn't know when the number of Android phones sold would exceed the number of iPhones and BlackBerrys sold, he's "confident it will happen," adding that "open usually wins." And the hits just keep on coming from there, with Rubin not so subtly working in a mention of North Korea after a discussion about Apple and closed computing platforms, before closing things out with the line: "with openness comes less secrets." Hit up the source link below for the complete interview, in which Rubin also address the issue of Android fragmentation, and reveals that he does indeed own an iPad, but naturally has a few things to say about it.

Google's Andy Rubin talks Android and Apple, promises Flash support in Froyo originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 external HDD to hit stores this May

2010-04-27T23:10:00.001+01:00

The gang at LaCie sure do love their orange, life raft-esque external HDDs. As you've probably guessed, the Rugged USB 3.0 takes the already familiar device, which is designed to resist drops up to 2.2 meters, and throws SuperSpeed USB into the mix. The 500GB (7200 RPM) model becomes available in early May for $150. If anything, it looks like this company definitely got its money's worth out of Neil Poulton!

LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 external HDD to hit stores this May originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple purchases Intrinsity, just 498 more ARM licensees to go

2010-04-27T22:59:00.001+01:00

With P.A. Semi under its belt, and now "people familiar with the deal" reporting to The New York Times that a purchase of Intrinsity is a go, Apple's march to ARM preeminence is becoming much more clear. A rumor about an Intrinsity purchase surfaced a few weeks ago when the processor design firm's website went down and a few of its employees switched their LinkedIn employee status over to Apple, but now we've got some solid confirmation -- though Apple and Intrinsity are still staying tight-lipped about the deal. Intrinsity's rumored contribution to the iPad's A4 chip is the a modified A8 core it designed dubbed the Hummingbird, which squeezes 1GHz of performance out of a chip regularly limited to a mere 650MHz. It's unlikely that this acquisition will shed much more light on the internals of the iPad or future Apple devices -- in fact, it might help obfuscate them -- but it's clear that Apple is dead set on owning as much IP and "smart people" in relation to ARM as it can muster. Of course, the next big rumor on this front is a purchase of ARM itself, but that's an entirely different can of worms.

Apple purchases Intrinsity, just 498 more ARM licensees to go originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Allerta's inPulse watch for BlackBerry spied at WES, turns on this time

2010-04-27T21:46:00.001+01:00

You might recall that we got a quick look at the inPulse back at CES, but it didn't turn on back then, so we were excited to see the Allerta dudes back in action here at WES this week with a more functional prototype. This time, we were able to see the Bluetooth-connected watch flash its AMOLED display and it was plenty readable in harsh meeting room lighting; outdoor readability is another matter altogether, but we won't be able to answer that until we've got a review unit secured. What we saw was just a demo unit without a functional connection to a phone, but it was pre-loaded with enough content so that we got the basic idea of how it's going to work.

From the quick run-through of the UI, it seemed clear to us that Allerta understands its target demographic -- they're not trying to do anything with the inPulse other than present enough message, calendar, and caller ID content to get you by during that meeting when you'd feel uncomfortable pulling your phone out of your pocket. We're told that the hardware we're seeing here represents final ID -- paying customers will get exactly what you see here -- but they still don't have a firm shipping date, simply saying that they'll send them off to customers as soon as they have them in their hands. We're told the company has compatibility for other platforms in the works, but there's no date on that; for now, it's all BlackBerry, all the time. Oh, and the neatest trick? Firmware updates happen over the Bluetooth connection from your phone. Check it out in the gallery below.

Gallery: Allerta's inPulse watch for BlackBerry spied at WES, turns on this time

Allerta's inPulse watch for BlackBerry spied at WES, turns on this time originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 Media Center coming to embedded devices

2010-04-27T21:44:00.001+01:00

We love Windows 7 Media Center, but at the end of the day we'd never give one to our mom and expect it to just work the way an embedded DVR like a TiVo or a Moxi would. But dependability isn't the only concern about using a PC as a DVR, there is noise and how it looks in the living room to consider as well. The compromise before us might just be a thing of the past as Microsoft has announced that Windows 7 Embedded has been released to manufactures and includes many of the great features of the regular Windows 7 family, like Windows Media Center. At this point there aren't any announcements from manufactures leveraging these new found features, but in the press release Microsoft is certainly bolstering the broadcast TV and other media features in a set-top box. AOpen is the only manufacturer mention by name that we're familiar with, which also makes good small-form-factor PCs, but that won't stop us from dreaming of the best, easy to use and dependable whole house DVR ever.

Show full PR text

Microsoft Delivers Windows 7 Technologies to Device Manufacturers With Release of Windows Embedded Standard 7

Newly unveiled Windows Media Center feature helps OEMs deliver differentiated connected media, TV and set-top box device experiences with rich user interface capabilities and integrated multimedia.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - April 27, 2010 - Today during an industry address at the Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) Silicon Valley, Microsoft Corp. announced the release to manufacturing of Windows Embedded Standard 7, delivering the power, familiarity and reliability of the Windows 7 operating system in a highly customizable and componentized form. OEMs can leverage Windows Embedded Standard 7 to create differentiated experiences and enhanced connectivity with Windows-based PCs, servers and online services on specialized devices, such as thin clients, digital signage and industrial controls for the enterprise, as well as set-top boxes (STBs), connected media devices (CMDs), and TVs for consumers.

"With the release of Windows Embedded Standard 7, Microsoft has furthered its commitment to the integration of Windows 7 technologies in the specialized consumer and enterprise device markets by providing OEMs with the latest innovative technologies to differentiate through rich, immersive user experiences and streamlined connectivity," said Kevin Dallas, general manager of the Windows Embedded Business Unit at Microsoft. "The addition of the Windows Media Center feature in Windows Embedded Standard 7 is driving the set-top box, connected media device and TV markets by providing OEMs with opportunities to develop uniquely branded experiences and service providers with capabilities to explore additional revenue streams with unique content through a centralized media hub in the home."

Announced in September 2009 during the community technology preview, Windows Embedded Standard 7 helps OEMs build enterprise devices with seamless connectivity, allowing companies to extend their existing investments in management and network infrastructure. The platform also features the latest Windows technology innovations to drive rich, immersive user experiences, including multigesture touch interfaces and context-aware applications with Windows Touch, and the ability to develop "green" solutions with smart power management APIs.

In addition to support for enterprise devices, STBs, CMDs and TVs built on Windows Embedded Standard 7 and leveraging the Windows Media Center feature will enable consumers to merge multimedia content from disparate sources, including Internet and broadcast TV, social media portals, and personal libraries of photos, music and videos, into a centralized home entertainment hub. Information can easily be shared across Windows-based PCs and individual devices.

Industry analyst firm Strategy Analytics estimates the potential market opportunity for connected STBs, digital video recorders, digital media adapters and flat-panel TVs to experience annual growth of more than 50 percent through 2014, expanding from 40 million units to more than 360 million. OEMs can take advantage of this opportunity by coupling Windows Media Center and additional features within Windows Embedded Standard 7, such as Windows Defender and Parental Controls for heightened security, to create differentiated consumer entertainment devices with integrated user experiences. This includes leveraging the customizable, extensible platform in Windows Media Center for content, services and applications, as well as powerful backend support for metadata, TV listings and content providers.

For service providers, including cable, telecommunications and satellite operators, STBs and other consumer entertainment devices with Windows Media Center provide opportunities for over-the-top content, incremental services and applications to be delivered directly to consumers, offering opportunities to build new revenue streams. Service providers also can leverage the flexible x86 architecture of Windows Embedded Standard 7, Windows Presentation Foundation, Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player 12 and the latest desktop innovations from Microsoft to develop customized user experiences, while ensuring integrated content from the Internet, broadcast TV and personal media through HomeGroup.

Windows Embedded partners and customers already have plans to begin shipping products and solutions for a variety of specialized devices built on the Windows Embedded Standard 7 platform. Examples include AOpen Inc., C-nario, DT Research Inc., Micro Industries Inc. and YCD Multimedia for digital signage; HP and Wyse Technology for thin clients; and Heber Ltd. for industrial control systems.

Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president of the Original Equipment Manufacturer Division at Microsoft, shared more insight around recent OEM and partner activities with Windows Embedded Standard 7, the upcoming availability of Microsoft and Intel Corporation's digital signage platform during Screen Media Expo Europe 2010 in London, and Microsoft's commitment to Windows 7-based technologies for specialized devices, in his blog at http://blogs.technet.com/microsoft_blog/archive/2010/04/26/putting-windows-7-technologies-to-work-in-specialized-devices.aspx.

Windows 7 Media Center coming to embedded devices originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jumper JK01-TT tablet enters the states with multitouch, 3G, Windows 7 (video)

2010-04-27T21:06:00.001+01:00

Looking for a sweet, sweet tablet to compliment your GiPhone? The import/export folks at Ownta wholesale have recently dug up Jumper's JK01-TT, a 10.1-inch touchscreen device that features Windows 7, an Intel Atom N450 processor (667MHz) with GMA950 graphics, Realtek audio, 2GB RAM, 250GB SATA HDD, 2 megapixel camera, three USB ports, 4-in-1 card reader, HDMI out, WiFi b/g, and 3G. But wait, there's more: this bad boy ships with a wireless keyboard, mouse, and a stand (which you'll need -- this thing weighs in at well over 2.5 pounds). When you put it like that, it almost sounds like a netbook, don't it? Available now for $671. Video after the break.

Continue reading Jumper JK01-TT tablet enters the states with multitouch, 3G, Windows 7 (video)

Jumper JK01-TT tablet enters the states with multitouch, 3G, Windows 7 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Horus coffee table/iPod dock will make friends question your sanity

2010-04-27T20:31:00.001+01:00

Hey, you know that whole Silent Hill design theme you've been aiming for, with the faceless nurse mannequins scattered about and the constantly running fog machine? We think we've found a coffee table for you. It's (naturally) called the Horus and its made of "ultra-high performance concrete," offering a spot for you to dock your iPod or iPhone on top, a pair of speakers down below, and an illuminated glass plane bisecting the thing. It's the creation of designer Stephane Thivend and, while it doesn't appear to be available in red nor does it come with a giant sword, it would certainly serve as a visual symbol of your guilt over spending so much on high-concept furniture.

Gallery: Horus coffee table

Horus coffee table/iPod dock will make friends question your sanity originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sanwa rolls out wattage-watching power strip

2010-04-27T20:30:00.001+01:00

Devices that keep watch on the amount of electricity you're using are hardly anything new, but Sanwa has managed to refine the idea somewhat with its new 700-TP1052DW power strip, which is considerably more compact and a tad less unsightly than some other similar options. Nothing too complicated here -- just plug in your devices, switch on each outlet as needed, and keep watch on the total wattage being used on the handy built-in LCD (it'll even alert you if you reach a critical level). No word on pricing or availability just yet, but you can check out an enthralling 21 second video of the power strip after the break.

Continue reading Sanwa rolls out wattage-watching power strip

Sanwa rolls out wattage-watching power strip originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Portuguese carrier TMN pairs Samsung Blue Earth with world's first paper SIM card

2010-04-27T19:48:00.001+01:00

Tiny SIM cards seems like the last thing worth worrying about in our bid to save the environment one tree at a time -- but let's not forget that you end up throwing away about 80 percent of the card as soon as you pop the actual chip out and stick it in your phone. Portuguese carrier TMN has rolled out what it claims to be the world's first recycled paper SIMs in combination with the release of the Samsung solar-charging Blue Earth handset, delivering a powerful one-two combo of feel-good environmental responsibility that should boost your karma for a solid day or two (if not more). You can't get the paper SIM with TMN's other devices just yet, but in the meantime, you can pick up the Blue Earth package for a stout €239 ($318).

[Thanks, Ricardo]

Portuguese carrier TMN pairs Samsung Blue Earth with world's first paper SIM card originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bayer Didget blood glucose monitoring system does double-duty as a DS game

2010-04-27T19:08:00.001+01:00

Until we reach the time when tattoos make checking blood glucose levels cool, we're going to need another way to keep kids with diabetes healthy. And hey, kids love videogames, right? Bayer's Didget is based on the company's Contour glucose meter, but instead of connecting by USB it's shaped like a Game Boy cartridge, enabling it to slot into a Nintendo DS or DS Lite. When kids upload their scores to a custom game (the less than thrilling sounding Knock 'Em Downs: World Fair) they'll unlock new characters and items, but there's one fatal flaw in this plan: the system necessarily isn't compatible with the DSi (or its XL brother) and we're guessing the big cartridge slot isn't due for a comeback in the 3DS. In other words, this meter is on a fast-track to obsolescence.

Bayer Didget blood glucose monitoring system does double-duty as a DS game originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geely IG is covered in solar cells, two years away from marketability

2010-04-27T18:36:00.001+01:00

Chinese carmaker Geely is no stranger to building derivative designs, and its latest PHEV effort takes so much inspiration from Volkswagen's Beetle that even the press release begins with a metaphor about caterpillars flourishing into butterflies. That's also a little nod to the car's development, which has seen its initial design overhauled into the four-seater, photovoltaic cell-laden transporter you see above. The powertrain is still a hybrid number and not entirely electric, but seagull-wing doors have been added for some extra flair. Geely's IG is currently on display at the Beijing Auto Show, alongside its all-electric EK-1 and EK-2 brethren, the latter of which is promised to deliver 150kmph top speeds together with 180km cruising ranges and an 18-minute recharge time for 80 percent of the battery capacity. We'll believe it when we see it. This trifecta, along with a pair of other alternative fuel vehicles, is slated to "be marketed" in two years' time. You can wait that long, can't you?

Continue reading Geely IG is covered in solar cells, two years away from marketability

Geely IG is covered in solar cells, two years away from marketability originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Palm and AT&T give the Pre Plus (and WebOS) an ad we can all agree is not completely terrible

2010-04-27T18:14:00.001+01:00

Hey, hey, look at this! A short, sweet Palm Pre Plus ad that shows off the phone's innovative UI, its ability to multitask, and its 3D gaming -- you know, all the great stuff it can do. This is just what pretty much everyone who's ever had the misfortune of seeing the creepy Palm lady or the Verizon "Mom" ads has been desperately seeking. Sure, it's taken a over a year for a half-decent ad, and sure, we've only seen this one on the web thus far, but we're hoping to see this one make it to real, live tv, too -- because even if it's a little boring and the music kinda stinks, it's better than the other options.

Continue reading Palm and AT&T give the Pre Plus (and WebOS) an ad we can all agree is not completely terrible

Palm and AT&T give the Pre Plus (and WebOS) an ad we can all agree is not completely terrible originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Floppy drives, Arduino board mangled into audio delay effects (video)

2010-04-27T17:32:00.001+01:00

If you're a DIY music hardware developer, there's a pretty good chance you're familiar with the charms of the Arduino. In this space alone we've seen it used for everything from controlling Max/MSP effects to an entire robot band. The above jumble of parts, however, might be our fave yet. Part of an ongoing project by a certain Daniel McAnulty, the Floppy Audio website details the use of the magnetic media inside a floppy disk for looping analog audio. The most ambitious of the lot even combines three floppy disk drives and the aforementioned Arduino to create a continuous tape delay effect! Things are still really rough, but he does have working prototypes, and he's not at all shy about sharing his methods and results with the rest of the world -- so feel free to hit the source link to get started yourself! If you're not the type to get your hands dirty, at least peep the videos after the break.

Continue reading Floppy drives, Arduino board mangled into audio delay effects (video)

Floppy drives, Arduino board mangled into audio delay effects (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McAfee patches customers' hearts with subscription extension, reimbursement for PC repairs

2010-04-27T17:02:00.001+01:00

McAfee's little issue with a security update that sent Windows XP computers far and wide to a screeching halt was fairly unprecedented as far as anti-virus software goes, and it looks like the company is now taking some considerable steps to make up for the mess it created. Not only is it handing out a free two-year subscription extension to all current customers, but it will soon be starting a program to reimburse "reasonable expenses" that customers have incurred in repairing their PCs. Complete details on that program aren't available just yet, but it will apparently be starting "within a few days," and will involve submitting a reimbursement request to McAfee. Given the number of users involved, however, we've got to guess that McAfee won't be buying folks new PCs, and chances are it'll take quite a while to get your check in the mail, though we'll just have to wait to see exactly what McAfee has planned.

McAfee patches customers' hearts with subscription extension, reimbursement for PC repairs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Eee PC T101MT review

2010-04-27T16:34:00.001+01:00

A really good netvertible -- that's all we want. No, not just a netbook with a touchscreen, but a device with a combination of solid ergonomics and performance in clamshell mode that can swivel into a really responsive tablet. It doesn't seem like too much to ask for, right? And after being disappointed by the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t, we really thought the $499 ASUS Eee PC T101MT -- with its multitouch screen, chiclet keyboard, and standard netbook organs -- could have been it. Keyword being could. But, as you may have guessed by now from our wistful tone, there are a few reasons this particular convertible netbook didn't turn out to be all peaches and cream. If you know what's good for you, you'll be hitting that read more link to find out what was this Eee lacking in our full review.

Gallery: ASUS Eee PC T101MT review

Continue reading ASUS Eee PC T101MT review

ASUS Eee PC T101MT review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eye-Fi announces Apple-exclusive Geo X2 card, more WiFi hotspot support

2010-04-27T16:32:00.001+01:00

In the event that none of Eye-Fi's existing 802.11n-capable offerings meet your wireless photo upload needs, take heart, because there's a new model getting shoehorned between the $49.99 Connect X2 and the $99.99 Explore X2 that might just satisfy your discerning tastes. Like the entry-level Connect X2, the Geo X2 brings 4GB of Class 6 (read: high-speed) photo and video storage plus an "Endless Memory Mode" that can automatically delete shots once they've been safely uploaded to their destination -- but like the name implies, the new model adds the automatic geotagging support offered by its pricier siblings. It'll be an Apple Store exclusive starting next month for $69.99.

Along with the Geo X2, Eye-Fi is announcing a partnership with Devicescape that's yielding significantly expanded support for open WiFi hotspots with splash screen logins such as those offered by schools, cafes, and WiFi providers like Boingo, arguably addressing one of the card's biggest weaknesses. The new capability will be available to users by the end of May -- so start finding more awesome stuff to photograph, alright?

Eye-Fi announces Apple-exclusive Geo X2 card, more WiFi hotspot support originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TiVo's $90 Wireless N Network Adapter now available

2010-04-27T16:01:00.001+01:00

Took you long enough, eh TiVo? Just under five months after the AN0100 802.11n WiFi adapter splashed down in the FCC's database, the company responsible for the Premiere has finally decided to ship this here dongle. The newly christened TiVo Wireless N Network Adapter is designed to function with all dual-tuner TiVo boxes (though it won't play nice with the DirecTV DVR with TiVo), enabling those who'd rather not run a 50 foot Ethernet drop to still access web features. Fortunately, it's available now for those who've waited; unfortunately, it'll cost you a staggering $89.99. Check it out now from TiVo's website or pick it up later this week at your local Best Buy.

Continue reading TiVo's $90 Wireless N Network Adapter now available

TiVo's $90 Wireless N Network Adapter now available originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keepin' it real fake: PSP-shaped Mini Game King makes classic emulation a royal decree

2010-04-27T15:32:00.001+01:00

Flamboyantly attired in a flowing fuchsia scarf, the Mini Game King is probably guilty of countless copyright violations, but we don't care. The real question is whether this latest KIRF PSP can actually play games, and we're happy to say it does. Summoning the full might of its infringing power, the King can emulate eleven classic consoles and handhelds when it's not playing AV files from 4GB of internal memory, and its Chinese manufacturer triumphantly claims that the device "will make you happy unlimited" if you hook up an wireless six-axis controller as well. "This controller does not come with the console, you have to pay for it," reads the box, but we're dying to try "3Dthergame" and "Othergame" as soon as we can dig one up.

Keepin' it real fake: PSP-shaped Mini Game King makes classic emulation a royal decree originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM shows off BlackBerry 6 on video

2010-04-27T15:02:00.001+01:00

While RIM's WES 2010 keynote is still ongoing, the company's YouTube channel has kindly released the first teaser video for the incoming BlackBerry 6 operating system. There's a lot of movement on screen -- so much, in fact, that it's almost like RIM really doesn't want you to see the OS at all. We did catch sight of a Cover Flow-aping music organizer, an onscreen keyboard engaging in some threaded messaging, Facebook and Twitter clients, and even the briefest of glimpses at that infamous WebKit-based browser. Interaction in the video is done via touch, but you'll naturally be able to utilize the new interface on more conventional, touch-less devices as well. Skip past the break for the video.

Continue reading RIM shows off BlackBerry 6 on video

RIM shows off BlackBerry 6 on video originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mini Altair 8800 looks authentic, runs Windows 7 (video)

2010-04-27T14:33:00.001+01:00

It was just a few weeks ago that we lost Dr. Henry Roberts, the pioneer whose company created the Altair 8800, and while this project isn't exactly a tribute to the man it is at least a sign that his legacy lives on. Bob Alexander had always wanted an 8800 of his own, but now that he could afford one didn't want a gigantic blue case filling up his life. So, be bought a repurposed Altair 680, little brother of the 8800, and set about stuffing it with an Intel Core i5-650 processor on a Mini-ITX motherboard with 4GB of RAM, 80GB of SSD and 500GB on platters. That's all standard fare, but the front of the case pulls it all together, a custom-made, USB-powered circuit board with LEDs that turn on and off similarly to how the 8800's would. Those blinkenlights and the rest of the project are demonstrated after the break, but sadly there's no word of whether Kill the Bit is playable.

Continue reading Mini Altair 8800 looks authentic, runs Windows 7 (video)

Mini Altair 8800 looks authentic, runs Windows 7 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba NB305 and HP Mini 210 to be upgraded with Atom N455 CPUs and DDR3 memory

2010-04-27T14:07:00.001+01:00

A little bit of Euroland investigation this morning has revealed signs that Intel's upcoming 1.66GHz N455 and 1.83GHz N475 Atom processors are close to making their official debut. Netbook Italia spotted the official Toshiba website posting up an NB305-10F model a little prematurely -- a page that was promptly yanked, but not before our amici were able to note the inclusion of the DDR3-compatible N455 CPU, a gigabyte of RAM, 250GB hard disk and otherwise unchanged specs. The expected price for that netbook is noted at €350 ($467), which is also the price at which the upgraded HP Mini 210 -- spotted by German outfit nDevil -- is listed on Amazon.de. Shipping dates are predictably not yet ascertained, though it's looking like things are about to get moving nice and swiftly from here on out.

Toshiba NB305 and HP Mini 210 to be upgraded with Atom N455 CPUs and DDR3 memory originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 08:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Live from RIM's keynote session at WES 2010!

2010-04-27T13:31:00.003+01:00

Though WES technically kicked off yesterday, the show gets really real this morning with RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis' keynote speech to attendees -- the vaunted (and somewhat ominously-named) "General Session." We think we're going to see the first glimpses of the company's upcoming BlackBerry 6 platform here, so stay tuned -- things could get interesting!

Continue reading Live from RIM's keynote session at WES 2010!

Live from RIM's keynote session at WES 2010! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TomTom Go Live 1000 given a first test drive

2010-04-27T13:31:00.001+01:00

We've just returned from a ride with the TomTom Go Live 1000. In general, the device met our relatively high expectations set by a purported flagship navigator from the likes of TomTom. Unfortunately, the prototype unit guiding our vehicle was limited to a scripted demonstration on pre-selected routes. And when we did veer off course thanks to an unhelpful, but rather posh, voice guiding us to turn left a bit early, it took about 8 seconds for the ARM 11 device to reroute -- not bad but not exactly the 0 seconds we were promised during the pitch. Again, we were told that this was the result of using a prototype device... though it must be a near production-ready model given the summer launch timeframe. The unit also wasn't equipped with the automatic volume adjustment that raises and lowers volume based on the ambient noise around it. We did witness the Webkit UI in action and it does seem significantly improved based on our brief 15 minute test ride with it. However, it was still cumbersome enough to give our tour guide (a TomTom product manager) fits as he tried to jump between 2D and 3D navigation modes. And the capacitive touchscreen was a mixed bag: at times it seemed to require the kind of finger mashing usually reserved for resistive screens; at others it was a bit too sensitive to effectively target street names from a pick list while being jostled about on a Dutch road (accidentally brushing the display selected the entry either above or below the street desired). As bad as all this sounds, we had the good fortune to have a Garmin nuvi 1690 in the vehicle with us to go head-to-head, flagship-to-flagship... and the Go Live 1000 was the clear winner in getting us back to our starting location. We'll have video processed shortly and a gallery in just a few minutes.

TomTom Go Live 1000 given a first test drive originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iRetrofone Base: perfect for homes with cutting-edge GPRS reception

2010-04-27T13:01:00.001+01:00

Still looking for that perfect iPhone dock? Struggling to convince ma and pa that ditching the landline really is the best thing to do? Freeland Studios is up for helping with both quandaries, as the handmade iRetrofone Base provides both a perfect resting place for your iPhone (or any phone, really) and a pinch of vintage to boot. Cast from resin with the utmost care, this here adornment can be ordered in both black and clear, though you'll have to wait around a fortnight for one of the $195 devices to actually ship. Up next? A resin-based bag phone holster for those who constantly lose their smartphone between the seat and center console. Thanks for repeating yourself, history.

iRetrofone Base: perfect for homes with cutting-edge GPRS reception originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 07:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Avermedia trots out AVerLife Cinema media playing set-top box

2010-04-27T12:31:00.001+01:00

Need a new digital media player? Can't say that you have any particular need for network connectivity? We're guessing you're in the minority, but hey, that's what Avermedia's here for. The company has just introduced its newest media playing STB, the AVerLife Cinema. The relatively simplistic box supports a variety of multimedia files, and it plays back content on USB 2.0 drives or memory cards at up to 720p over HDMI; it should be noted that component and composite outputs are also included for those operating with a set from yesteryear. The dearth of an Ethernet port or WiFi module is a downer for sure, but the comparatively low $69.99 price point just about makes up for it. It should be available starting today for those interested.

Continue reading Avermedia trots out AVerLife Cinema media playing set-top box

Avermedia trots out AVerLife Cinema media playing set-top box originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 07:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia N8 goes official: 12 megapixels, Symbian

2010-04-27T12:01:00.001+01:00

3, shipping in Q3

TomTom Go 1000 Live to offer capacitive touchscreen, WebKit browser

2010-04-27T11:31:00.001+01:00

TomTom has just outed its new flagship PND, the Go 1000 Live, and wouldn't you know it, it is the first of the company's stable to offer a capacitive touchscreen. This comes mere days after Garmin updated its lineup with capacitive options, and TomTom is also following suit in the looks department: the 1000 unit is slimmer and somewhat perkier than its predecessors. The external looks are backed up by a 500MHz ARM11 CPU (yawn), 4GB of storage, 128MB of RAM, a custom-built Broadcom GPS unit, a WebKit-based browser, and 12 months of free TomTom Live services. Beginning in June, this suite of services will be rolled out to 33 countries across Europe, featuring local information about petrol prices, services and weather, while its headline HD Traffic -- which tracks congestion on secondary roads as well as motorways -- and safety camera alert features will come to only 16 nations. It's a decent year-long freebie to have and TomTom promises it'll cost less than €50 ($67) per annum thereafter. That's more reasonable than the previous $9.95 monthly cost, but still not price competitive with Google and Nokia's offerings. There's also a SIM card slot, but don't expect to be developing new modes of sidetalking, it's most likely there purely to facilitate all those data transactions. Expect the TomTom Go 1000 Live to show up in Europe this summer.

TomTom Go 1000 Live to offer capacitive touchscreen, WebKit browser originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon brings out Jackie Chan-branded Rebel T2i / 550D for Chinese market

2010-04-27T11:01:00.001+01:00

"Eye of Dragon" must be Chinese for "better kit lens, fancier neck strap, a branded photo album, and a leather case." Because that's the totality of substantive changes you'll be getting if you opt for the upgraded Jackie Chan variety of Canon's Rebel T2i. Of course, there's also the knowledge that you'll be one of only 2,010 owners of this exclusive kit, which will set buyers back an unenviable 10,000 Yuan ($1,467). If you ask us, we'd rather just buy the body and add on the EF-S 18-135mm lens ourselves, but then we were always more partial to Bruce Lee anyway.

Canon brings out Jackie Chan-branded Rebel T2i / 550D for Chinese market originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 05:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba Mobile Display touts 21-inch glasses-free 3D HDTV, raises a few eyebrows

2010-04-27T10:01:00.001+01:00

While we were fretting about what special tech Nintendo's 3DS would use to generate autostereoscopic imagery on its comparatively puny screen, Toshiba Mobile Display (and others) have been working on bringing that same headgear-free 3D to TV-sized panels. Employing a "multi-parallax" technique, the latest from the Toshiba spinoff firm promises "significant reduction in eye fatigue" as well as approximately a 30 degree horizontal viewing angle. The latter might be peanuts compared to a quality 2D display, but let's not begrudge being offered at least some positional flexibility. Other specs include a 1280 x 800 effective resolution and 480 nits of brightness, which are notable achievements when you consider that the 9-parallax implementation requires the generation of 9 separate images and therefore could be achieved with only an "ultra-high definition LCD module." We've sadly no info about this panel's potential for retail availability, but judging by the bezel-free picture we've been given, that might be a good way off from now.

Toshiba Mobile Display touts 21-inch glasses-free 3D HDTV, raises a few eyebrows originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rovio robot controlled via Skype with Emotiv brain-reading headset

2010-04-27T09:31:00.001+01:00

The Emotive EPOC "mind-control" headset may not be quite as advanced as some of the brain-reading devices unavailable to the general public, but it looks like it's at least accurate enough for some basic tasks -- like controlling a WowWee Rovio robot via Skype. That impressive feat was accomplished by the folks at ExtremeTech, who paired the headset with the Robodance 5 software program and Skype (not to mention plenty of custom code), which allows the Rovio to be controlled from afar using both facial and mental commands. Needless to say, that's a lot easier said than done, but you can check out the results in the video after the break, and find the complete details on the project at the source link below.

Continue reading Rovio robot controlled via Skype with Emotiv brain-reading headset

Rovio robot controlled via Skype with Emotiv brain-reading headset originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD's 3.2GHz hexacore Phenom II X6 1090T comes out for a review roundup

2010-04-27T08:31:00.001+01:00

How's your memory today? Specifically, can you remember the last time AMD had a legitimate claim to the desktop performance crown? Don't hold your breath, the latest and greatest Phenom II still can't steal the spotlight from Intel's spectacular top-of-the-line Core i7-980X, but if prices actually matter to you, you'll wanna read on. Whereas you'd need to shell out $999 to get six cores from Intel, AMD is offering you its flagship 3.2GHz 1090T model at a reasonable $285, or an even more affordable option with the 2.8GHz 1055T at $199. The T in those names stands for Turbo Core, which automatically downclocks half the cores in order to provide a little extra speed (up to 500MHz more) to the other three. Reviewers agreed that its inclusion helped significantly improve single-threaded performance, to the point where the faster (in default clock speed) 3.4GHz Phenom II X4 965 was falling behind in benchmarks. The general opinion by the typically jaded journalists was that AMD has finally regained some pep in its step and that these new 6-core CPUs are going to give Intel's upper midrange offerings something to worry about. Lest we forget, the 1090T and 1055T also retain socket compatibility with current AM2+ and AM3 motherboards, making upgrades a cinch too. The full reviews await below.

Read - AnandTech

Read - HotHardware

Read - PC Perspective

Read - Hexus

Read - Legit Reviews

Read - TweakTown

AMD's 3.2GHz hexacore Phenom II X6 1090T comes out for a review roundup originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Denon's 2010 receivers, Blu-ray players are Control4, streaming & 3D ready

2010-04-27T07:31:00.001+01:00

Right on time, Denon's dropped the details on its hardware for 2010 on us. Taking top honors are two Blu-ray players: the DBP-2011UDCI ($799, August, not pictured) and the DBP-1611UD ($399, June, pictured above) that are touted as "true universal players"; with DVD-Audio and SACD playback out of the box and Blu-ray 3D on the way in a fall firmware update the company's confident they'll play most any 5-inch optical media you may be able to get your hands on. If you're past discs don't worry, Netflix, DLNA and YouTube streaming is also part of the deal.

Those should pair well with any of the slew of receivers due up including the AVR-991 (SRP: $999, July), AVR-891 (SRP: $799, May), AVR-791 (SRP: $499, May), AVR-591 (SRP: $349, May) and the AVR-391 (SRP: $249, July); or the custom install-focused AVR-4311CI (SRP: $1,999, Sept.), AVR-3311CI (SRP: $1,199, June), and AVR-2311CI (SRP: $899, June). All of the above bring HDMI 1.4a repeaters for 3D compatibility, onscreen displays through HDMI, and some include web browsers plus music streaming from Pandora or connected PCs. Check the press releases after the break for all the details including a few new headphone models, though we recommend taking it in just a bit at a time -- the threat of overdosing on this much info is high.

Gallery: Denon 2010 receivers, Blu-ray players & headphones

Continue reading Denon's 2010 receivers, Blu-ray players are Control4, streaming & 3D ready

Denon's 2010 receivers, Blu-ray players are Control4, streaming & 3D ready originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 02:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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(You can't get no) SATAsfaction 6Gbps SSDs (yet)

2010-04-27T06:31:00.001+01:00

Enterprise solid state drives aren't typically our foray, but when they support SATA 6G, we pay attention. It also doesn't hurt when they sport a fantastic name. The SATAsfaction drives from Accelerated Memory Production (AMP) have both Sandforce controllers and the speedy ports to match, alongside 12 byte per sector ECC error correction and TRIM support. Still, they're not the fastest SSDs around, clocking in at only 260MB / sec reads and 150MB / sec writes, but they do have SLC flash memory for likely higher reliability than the current speed demon. No pricing or availability yet, but SLC NAND is pretty expensive stuff... so unless you're buying for a corporation with a large bankroll, better count on waiting for the cheaper Devo version.

Continue reading (You can't get no) SATAsfaction 6Gbps SSDs (yet)

(You can't get no) SATAsfaction 6Gbps SSDs (yet) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 01:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FiOS adds Youtube and internet radio for all HD customers

2010-04-27T05:31:00.001+01:00

Verizon FiOS likes to try and set itself apart from the competition and the latest in the list is the addition of Youtube and internet radio support to its Media Manager software. If you already have a FiOS DVR and Media Manager installed on your PC, all you have to do is hit the update button -- Mac fans are once again left on the outside looking in on this one. The good news for non-DVR users is that Media Manager, and its video and pictures sharing features, is now available to all FiOS customers. While these features are certainly appreciated, we're not exactly sure why Media Manager is required to stream internet content. You see all FiOS set-tops are network connected already and in fact all the VOD and EPG data is delivered via IP. That aside, it is good to see more viewing options without switching inputs, because we don't know about anyone else, but we're definitely feeling some set-top box fatigue.

Show full PR text

Verizon Enhances FiOS TV With YouTube and Internet Radio

Verizon Further Redefines Home Entertainment by Expanding Internet Content on TV

and Making Media Manager Available to All FiOS TV HD Customers

NEW YORK -Verizon is taking the next step in redefining the way people watch TV by adding YouTube to its innovative FiOS TV Internet Video capabilities. Qualified customers can now simply use their remote controls to search for and enjoy any YouTube video -- right on their TV screens. Verizon is also introducing Internet Radio, for FiOS TV subscribers, providing access to hundreds of stations nationwide and the ability to stream music from the PC to the TV.

Verizon's Internet Radio and Internet Videos services are both accessible via Media Manager, which already allows subscribers to search and view on their TVs user-generated content from online video-sharing sites blip.tv, Dailymotion and Veoh. In addition, Verizon has expanded the Media Manager service, making it available to all FiOS TV HD customers. Previously, it was available only to DVR customers. The availability of YouTube, the world's most popular online video community, will add thousands more daily videos to the service.

(For screen shots and video, visit http://verizon.mediaseed.tv/Story.aspx?story=37370).

"Adding YouTube and Internet Radio to FiOS TV further expands our customers' digital home-entertainment world by giving them access to an unprecedented amount of online content on the biggest screen in their home - their TV," said Shawn Strickland, vice president of consumer strategy for Verizon. "When customers connect their homes to our all-fiber network, their TV and Internet worlds seamlessly come together to create experiences cable can't deliver. We are working with some of the most popular companies on the Web to create a high-quality, engaging Internet-to-TV experience that will only grow richer with time."

Internet Radio, Internet Videos and all other FiOS TV features can be controlled via Mobile Remote, which Verizon introduced in February. Customers who have a Droid by Motorola or HTC Imagio mobile phone can use those devices as a television remote control. The mobile remote has virtually the same functionality as the standard FiOS remote, plus additional features including instantly transferring photos from the handset to the TV screen.

According to Steven Hawley, principal analyst and consultant of the industry research firm tvstrategies, these latest additions will markedly increase the value of FiOS TV to its customers and move FiOS TV further ahead of competing cable TV products.

"While other providers see the Internet as something of a threat, Verizon has embraced it in order to deliver the kind of socially-enabled personal media experience that so many of today's consumers want to see, and have been asking to have on their TV," said Hawley. "Rather than blurring the line between TV and the Internet, Verizon has moved the line to embrace them both, and has raised the bar against its competition.

Set Up is Easy

To watch YouTube on FiOS TV, customers need a FiOS TV DVR or high-definition set-top box and Verizon's Media Manager software - accessible for Window-based PCs. Users visit http://www.verizon.com/MediaManager to download and install free Media Manager software on their PC. They then access the service by selecting the "Media Manager" option on the FiOS TV Interactive Media Guide menu or through the Widget carousel. Subscribers already using Media Manager simply click on the upgrade prompt to receive the free software update, which will be automatically added to their service by Verizon.

Users can search YouTube and other available video-sharing sites individually, or all sites at once, using key words or by selecting "most watched" and "top rated" categories; view thumbnail screen grabs of videos that appear in search results and bookmark favorite videos -among other features. Consumers also have the option to watch videos in full-screen mode. Using the FiOS TV remote control, customers can log onto their YouTube account and view their favorite or self-uploaded videos stored with their online account.

In addition to the video-sharing features, Media Manager for PC includes Photo Manager and Music Manager features that help customers organize, manage and enjoy multimedia both on the PC and on TV. The service also includes a library of all personal videos, Internet videos from select Web sites, photos and music stored on a PC.

FiOS provides next-generation interactive services including an advanced interactive media guide; social-networking, news and entertainment widgets; remote DVR management via broadband or cell phone; multi-room DVR; Internet videos on TV; streaming of personal videos, photos and music from home computers to the TV; and many others.

For more information on FiOS TV, consumers can visit www.verizon.com/fiostv or call their local Verizon sales office or 888-438-3467. Check out our new 'Fans of FiOS' Facebook page to get breaking news on upcoming product releases. For the latest news, updates and information about FiOS TV, visit www.verizon.com/newscenter and http://www.verizon.com/athomeblog.

FiOS adds Youtube and internet radio for all HD customers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rhapsody for iPhone updated, now takes its music offline (in a good way)

2010-04-27T04:31:00.001+01:00

We heard back in mid-March that Rhapsody for iPhone was getting an offline mode for downloading music and playing at times of no reception (like most subway rides). Good news, folks, today is the day the app get this coveted update. Lest we forget, too, with this summer's OS 4 release finally enables background music, Real's aural offering just got even more enticing. Press release after the break, or hit up the iTunes link to download now -- don't forget, though, that a monthly subscription plan is still required for playback.

Continue reading Rhapsody for iPhone updated, now takes its music offline (in a good way)

Rhapsody for iPhone updated, now takes its music offline (in a good way) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 23:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bacteria's back with portable Nintendo 64, complete how-to guide

2010-04-27T03:32:00.001+01:00

The quest to build the perfect portable Nintendo 64 continues, but we imagine we'll stop seeing so many disparate designs soon. That's not because Bacteria's latest bulbous handheld has achieved perfection -- far from it -- but rather because he's provided a 2.5-hour, step-by-step video guide to help you build it from the ground up. And hey, the system isn't too shabby, either. The "iNto64" portable features integrated Controller, Rumble and Expansion Paks for complete N64 functionality, built-in speakers and a headphone jack, rechargeable batteries for up to three hours of play, even a video-out port if you get tired of staring at the ubiquitous 5-inch Sony PSone LCD. The only obvious oversight is controller ports for more inputs -- seems our buddy Bacteria wasn't a big fan of GoldenEye. See it play some of N64's other best games after the break, while we dust off our gamebit screwdriver. Obvious though it may seem, know what you're getting into before you do likewise; ripping up classic cart-based consoles isn't for the faint of heart.

Continue reading Bacteria's back with portable Nintendo 64, complete how-to guide

Bacteria's back with portable Nintendo 64, complete how-to guide originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo, Retro Thing | Bacteria (1), Bacteria (2) | Email this | Comments http://digg.com/u1UYhI

Eken's $100 Android MID reviewed: you get what you pay for

2010-04-27T02:32:00.001+01:00

When we first spotted the Eken M001 MID, we immediately liked its honest nature. The M001 didn't claim to be an iPad killer, or boast ridiculous specs and decades of battery life; it was simply cheap, and proud of it. Now, Shanzai.com has discovered the tablet is exactly what we expected. Running Android 1.6 with a VIA WM8505 processor, the device is pokey with terrible battery life, and the 7-inch, 800 x 480 resistive screen has noticeable lag. Still, the M001's moderately capable; think of it as a digital photo frame with tablet functionality -- like the HP Dreamscreen, but affordable and battery powered -- rather than the other way round. Were it readily available stateside, we could see a few souls actually picking it up for $680 RMB (about $100)... but definitely not the $200 Haleron asked for in February. Video after the break.

Continue reading Eken's $100 Android MID reviewed: you get what you pay for

Eken's $100 Android MID reviewed: you get what you pay for originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inhabitat's Week in Green: cow treadmills, electric cars, and the Milan Furniture Fair

2010-04-27T01:32:00.001+01:00

The Week in Green is a new item from our friends at Inhabitat, recapping the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us.

It was a busy week in green design as the design world's most important trade show, the Milan Furniture Fair, wrapped up, and Earth Day hit with full force on Thursday, April 22nd. Inhabitat brought you the most incredible green designs from Milan -- from LED lamps made almost entirely from soap to Inigo Mauerer's stunning new stripped-down OLED chandelier to gigantic architectural LEGO bricks (with life-size lego furniture to match!)

We also caught wind of several curious new energy developments from across the pond -- first, the UK is hatching a plan to recycle human waste into fuel by piping biomethane from the sewage system back into homes in Oxfordshire. Meanwhile a farmer in Norther Ireland has created a treadmill for cows that he thinks could generate 6% of the world's power. More conventional alt energy sources are on the rise as well - this week researchers announced advances in dye solar cells that make strides towards grid parity and a gasification process that is capable of doubling biofuel production.

Several major auto manufacturers also got our engines racing this week as they unveiled the next generation of sleek electric rides. Toyota officially revealed plans for a minivan sequel to it's ever-popular Prius while Chevy charged ahead with the MPV5, a larger version of the Volt sedan that seats five and packs extra space in the trunk. And finally, if classic cars are more your style, don't miss this cloth-covered retrofit to a rusty old MG Midget.

Inhabitat's Week in Green: cow treadmills, electric cars, and the Milan Furniture Fair originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia N8 earns FCC seal with T-Mobile 3G on board

2010-04-27T00:31:00.001+01:00

If you're a Symbian fan, a Nokia fan, or simply a lover of 12 megapixel cameraphone sensors, it's a great week to be alive what with the mighty N8's specs and Eldar Murtazin-penned mini-review all going live ahead of Nokia's official unveiling. But wait, the N8 fest isn't over quite yet: the AWS 3G version of the phone just garnered the FCC's blessings, turns out. How do we know this is the T-Mobile-ready N8, exactly? Well, the device is listed simply by its internal code, RM-596, throughout the paperwork -- but the shape of the FCC ID label (which is laser etched, as the filing points out) is exactly what we'd expect given the shots of the N8 we've seen so far, and it looks like it'll appear on the endcap of the phone with the camera hump visible just underneath. Given the leaked specs, we're expecting a version with T-Mobile support anyway, so we're nearly certain this is it. If Murtazin's take on Symbian

OCZ's Agility 2 SSD reviewed: despite limits, SandForce SF-1200 drive performs well

2010-04-27T00:01:00.001+01:00

Contrary to popular belief, one solid state drive isn't the same as another solid state drive necessarily. OCZ's new Agility 2 is proof of that, boasting the final (v3.0.5) version of SandForce's SF-1200 firmware. The issue here is that Corsair's recently released Force series of SSDs are shipping (and continue to ship) with v3.0.1 installed, which -- according to SandForce -- will never be viewed as the final version ready for mass consumption. As the story goes, v3.0.1 may experience a reliability issue with a power management state, but v3.0.5 caps small file random write performance as to better separate the SF-1200 drives from the pricier SF-1500 drives. Our compadres over at AnandTech were able to put the (factory limited) Agility 2 SSD through its paces, and for the most part, it came out looking pretty decent. Critics found 5- to 10-percent performance gains when compared to Intel / Indilinx offerings, but unless you have to have the absolute best, paying extra for that bump may not be the most intelligent move. The other point here is that while the Agility 2 may be capped with the v3.0.5 firmware, at least its upgrade path is a lot clearer than the aforementioned Force; if you ever take v3.0.1 away from that unit, you can kiss that extra performance goodbye. Hit the source link for the full, drama-filled look.

OCZ's Agility 2 SSD reviewed: despite limits, SandForce SF-1200 drive performs well originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mysterious Motorola MT820 poses for a long, leisurely spy shoot

2010-04-26T23:31:00.001+01:00

Two in one week -- Two leaked Chinese Motorola phones with Android and transparent MOTOMING-like flip covers, that is. However, this one's a little more exciting. Dubbed the Moto MT820, this sleek handset's got a full leaked gallery of nice, clear images courtesy Chinese forum HiAPK, and word has it this might be the first device to make use of the dual-screen 3D patent Motorola applied for early this month. Actual facts are a little more scarce, though spy shots show a front-facing camera, physical home, power, volume and camera buttons, and a microSD slot hidden inside the back cover. Oh, and that spiral G3 logo? That means this particular device is destined for China Mobile's TD-SCDMA network. See all the spicy pics at our more coverage link.

Mysterious Motorola MT820 poses for a long, leisurely spy shoot originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashPhone | HiAPK Forums | Email this | Comments http://digg.com/u1UXEO

Student's Windows-based media center brings our own slacker childhoods into perspective

2010-04-26T23:02:00.001+01:00

When Andrew Macdonald was asked to design a product for a high school class, he went above and beyond the call of duty -- not only did he dream up a piece of kick-ass kit, but he took the next step and made it reality. Taking cues from his Xbox (and taking care to the front-facing lights that drive him to distraction on his current DVR) this bad boy is passively cooled, features the usual HTPC connections (HDMI, optical and coax S/PDIF, eSATA, and USB) as well as 802.11n WiFi and a hot-swappable drive bay. Under the hood, one finds a 1.6GHz Atom 330 with NVIDIA ION graphics, 4GB memory, and the OS (a custom Windows XP hack running Boxee Beta) runs on its own internal flash drive. Things have certainly changed since we were in school, when our home entertainment experience usually amounted to taping Rebel High off of USA Up All Night. Check out the gallery and video (after the break) to see this ting in all its glory.

Gallery: Watchbox media center by Andrew Macdonald

Continue reading Student's Windows-based media center brings our own slacker childhoods into perspective

Student's Windows-based media center brings our own slacker childhoods into perspective originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD FirePro 2460 Multi-View: four Mini DisplayPort sockets, 13W, no frills

2010-04-26T22:31:00.003+01:00

It's no Radeon, but AMD's new range of FirePro GPUs might just strike a chord with a few of you multi-monitor maniacs. Just a few short weeks after the debut of the FirePro V8800, AMD as launched the ATI FirePro V7800, ATI FirePro V5800, ATI FirePro V4800, and ATI FirePro V3800, all of which are aimed at assisting digital content creators, well, create content. Frankly, those pro-oriented cards don't do a lot for us, but the FirePro 2460 Multi-View most certainly does. Boasting a low profile (half height) form factor, this relatively simple (read: not for hardcore gaming) card packs 512MB of video memory, hardware acceleration of DirectX 11, an average power drain of just 13 watts and not two, not three, but four video outputs. AMD tells us that this was designed for day traders who need four displays to accurately watch their stock prices fluctuate, but we can think of quite a few others who'd benefit from having access to four Mini DisplayPort sockets on a single, low-power card. All of the devices mentioned here should begin shipping today, with the 2460 in particular demanding a reasonable $299.

Continue reading AMD FirePro 2460 Multi-View: four Mini DisplayPort sockets, 13W, no frills

AMD FirePro 2460 Multi-View: four Mini DisplayPort sockets, 13W, no frills originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Police investigating lost iPhone prototype raid Gizmodo editor's home

2010-04-26T22:31:00.001+01:00

The backstory of the lost fourth-gen iPhone prototype acquired by Gizmodo last week is certainly already the stuff of some legend, but hold on tight, because it just got even wilder: Giz editor Jason Chen's house was apparently raided by California's REACT computer crimes task force under the authority of a search warrant on Friday night and his computers and several other items were seized. That means a criminal investigation led by the San Mateo police and district attorney is almost certainly in full swing, which is, well, crazy. As you know, we published images of the iPhone prototype last Saturday, so we're tracking this story as closely as we know all of you are. For now hang tight and we'll share more info as we get it.

Police investigating lost iPhone prototype raid Gizmodo editor's home originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter not accomplishing the simplest of tasks

2010-04-26T22:01:00.001+01:00

Look, there's no arguing that Apple charges a boatload for its first-party adapters, and this isn't the first time that one of those overpriced dongles has caused an uproar (Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter, anyone?). But when the company trots out an iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter and promises to enable users to "see their videos and slideshows on the big screen," it should probably make a few clarifications. Instead, more than a handful of consumers are revolting over on Apple's own webstore, noting that any video laced in any type of DRM (iTunes flicks and Netflix streams included) won't output at all. Contrary to popular belief, this adapter doesn't actually mirror the iPad's display, which is fairly absurd in our eyes -- teachers are even stating that Apple's own Pages and Keynote apps won't output via the dongle, making this effectively worthless for blowing up presentations for all to see. We (sort of) get the DRM thing, but not including support in your own presentation app? Unacceptable. A tipster has noted that Apple informed him that "it's up to the app makers to enable the video out function," so we suppose all that's needed to solve a lot of controversy is for some switch to be flipped in some direction. Any other hang-ups with this thing that the world should know about? Drop 'em in comments below.

[Thanks, Tony]

Apple iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter not accomplishing the simplest of tasks originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Neofonie's WePad tablet shown to German journalists, seems legit

2010-04-26T21:31:00.003+01:00

Though "Neofonie" is the most apt name for a vaporware company we've heard since "Phantom," it's looking like that very firm's 11.6-inch WePad tablet is actually the real deal. Fed up with all the skepticism it has received of late, the German firm just held a press conference in Berlin to show off a pair of working devices to allay our fears. Netbooknews.de was on the scene, and they took a pair of high-res videos that prove the tablets do, in fact, have a working (though somewhat laggy) touchscreen, and that fancy-pants vertical UI is quite functional. Full screen YouTube videos were choppy, but they played, and the Atom N450 CPU loaded OpenOffice and flipped through browser windows without a hitch. But don't take our word for it -- watch the whole 25-minute demonstration after the break, plus a bonus video from AndroidPIT. Then, if you'd be so kind, tell us what the nice company reps are saying.

Continue reading Neofonie's WePad tablet shown to German journalists, seems legit

Neofonie's WePad tablet shown to German journalists, seems legit originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Netbooknews.de, AndroidPIT | Email this | Comments http://digg.com/u1UWm6

Nokia N8's full spec sheet leaks, nothing shocking spied within

2010-04-26T21:31:00.001+01:00

Just one day after finding a pretty thorough review of the Nokia N8 on a Russian website, the full spec sheet seems to be floating about as well -- also from a Russian source. Unwired View's published what it believes to be the full N8 spec sheet. So what do we find contained within? Well, no shockers, to be sure, but here's what we know: the phone will boast a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen OLED, a 680MHz CPU, 256MB of RAM, swappable microSD capacity up to 32GB, and a 12 megapixel cam. Now, there are also a few rumored features floating around, which include a DRM-free Ovi music store, and LAN IEEE802.11 b/g -- so we'll let you know for sure when we do if those features are going to hit reality. Until then, hit up the source link to check out the full listing.

[Thanks, Staska]

Nokia N8's full spec sheet leaks, nothing shocking spied within originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA Verde to sync up desktop and laptop GPU driver releases, generate smiles galore

2010-04-26T21:02:00.001+01:00

Good news, mobile gamers -- NVIDIA's looking out for you and yours, and if you're tired of lobbying to Congress about the inequities between driver releases for desktop GPUs and driver releases for mobile GPUs, you can finally move on to some other just cause. NVIDIA's Verde driver program has been a relative success over the years, but it's about to become a lot more gnarly when the company outs its 256 Series drivers in a few months. At that time, NVIDIA plans to "completely unify its GPU drivers, so mobile and desktop users will be able to get the latest releases simultaneously." Users won't find the desktop and laptop drivers in the same package, but we're sure each one will be clearly marked on the download page. It's worth noting, however, that these unified releases will only work with laptops featuring discrete GPUs, hybrid solutions utilizing NVIDIA-branded IGPs and Optimus-enabled machines; rigs with multi-vendor solutions (like the Alienware M11x, which uses an integrated set from Intel) won't be allowed to join the party.

In related news, the upcoming release of the 197.16 driver for laptops will bring along support for external displays with 3D Vision, enabling 3D Vision-ready laptops to pipe 3D content to 3D Vision-ready LCDs with ease. Good news all around, but you'll have to give those links below a visit if you're hungry for more.

NVIDIA Verde to sync up desktop and laptop GPU driver releases, generate smiles galore originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FCC launches Spectrum Task Force, unused frequencies become wanted criminals

2010-04-26T20:31:00.003+01:00

It's no secret that Julius Genachowski and his posse up in Washington are taking spectrum reallocation very, very seriously in an effort to nip any danger of a wireless broadband crunch in the bud, and the FCC's taken another small step in that process today with the creation of the "Spectrum Task Force." It sounds like the Task Force's main job is to get the entire agency on the same page with regards to its long-term spectrum planning, ultimately playing "a critical role in the execution of the spectrum recommendations in the National Broadband Plan." In other words, the critical topic of spectrum reallocation isn't going away -- and while Genachowski continues to emphasize his intention to make license sales by TV broadcasters fully voluntary, we could see things starting to get hostile if the broadcast industry's mood doesn't change. Unfortunately, we're not aware of any plans for these guys to actually dress up in SWAT uniforms and ride around on Segways should the need arise. Follow the break for the FCC's full statement.

Continue reading FCC launches Spectrum Task Force, unused frequencies become wanted criminals

FCC launches Spectrum Task Force, unused frequencies become wanted criminals originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Bold 9650 video hands-on

2010-04-26T20:31:00.001+01:00

We'll be very honest with you: unless you're a Tour user amped to upgrade to something that directly addresses your specific complaints, this video might be of little interest. That said, we were able to browse a little site called Engadget (using the same old non-WebKit browser, of course) over the Bold 9650's newfound WiFi support, and while it wasn't about to set any speed records, it'll take some more comprehensive analysis to understand how much blame the WiFi radio, the hotspot, and the browser's rendering engine should take, respectively. We totally dig the optical pad over the old trackball (pardon our stupidity in the video where we attempt to keep scrolling beyond the end of the page -- it wasn't the Bold's fault, honest), and the keyboard is every bit as good as it is on the Tour of old. Check the full, mind-bending experience on video after the break.

Continue reading BlackBerry Bold 9650 video hands-on

BlackBerry Bold 9650 video hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Home Server 'Vail' beta now available for download, brings improved UI and streaming options

2010-04-26T20:01:00.001+01:00

It's been a long (long!) time since we've caught wind of a substantial Windows Home Server refresh, but for those waiting on pins and needles, we're thrilled to say that the excruciating wait has finally ended. Sort of. Microsoft has revealed today its public beta of the next version of WHS, code named "Vail." The primary upgrades / changes include the extension of media streaming outside of the home or office, improvements in multi-PC backup and restore, simplified setup and user experience as well as "significantly" expanded development and customization tools for partner. Beyond that, the company's playing things pretty close to the chest, but you can feel free to grab a 64-bit copy of the beta starting today and dig in yourself. 'Course, Microsoft recommends that you install the software on a secondary (read: not important to your livelihood) machine, and on the development front, it's introducing a new SDK for those who wish to "create add-in applications using Vail's new extensible programming model." So, whatcha waiting for? That download is a-callin', and a brief demo video is just beyond the break.

Update: And we've already got our first review -- good for those too chicken (or busy, frankly) to completely wipe a second PC just to see how Vail stacks up.

Continue reading Windows Home Server 'Vail' beta now available for download, brings improved UI and streaming options

Windows Home Server 'Vail' beta now available for download, brings improved UI and streaming options originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | The Windows Blog, Microsoft Connect [Download Link] | Email this | Comments http://digg.com/u1UV9k

BlackBerry 6 coming in third quarter of this year

2010-04-26T19:31:00.001+01:00

RIM's co-CEO Mike Lazaridis just announced in an analyst call today that the company's next platform -- coined BlackBerry 6 -- will be available "in the next calendar quarter," which we take to mean the third quarter of 2010. We weren't able to see a video preview of the platform that was shown to analysts attending the event, but the demo apparently showed a touchscreen interface; a follow-up question from the audience confirmed that it'll be available for both touch and non-touch devices, though. Interestingly, Lazaridis said that the company's all-new WebKit-based browser is part and parcel with 6, pointing out that the rendering engine will have implications throughout the platform and the apps that run on it, not just on the browser alone; in other words, we wouldn't expect a release of a WebKit browser from these guys for OS 5.0-based devices. Speaking of OS 5.0, the intention is that every device in RIM's portfolio will eventually run 6, but not everything in the market today will necessarily be upgradeable -- Lazaridis says that they'll "do [their] best," but he's not making any guarantees. More on this as we get it.

BlackBerry 6 coming in third quarter of this year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple IIe hacked into Twitter station, still looks better than most digiframes

2010-04-26T19:01:00.003+01:00

This project has all the hallmarks of a classic hack: obsolete hardware, a somewhat frivolous function, and thrilling 8-bit graphics. As you can imagine, getting to the point where this Apple IIe could display Tweets was no mean feat! Custom 6502 assembler code on the PC sends Twitter updates (and user avatars dumbed down to 8-bit) over a custom USB-to-joystick port interface on the Apple. One can even save the data to a 5.25-inch floppy -- you know, because most Tweets are worth archiving for later, even if you must do so in a dead storage format. See it in action after the break!

Continue reading Apple IIe hacked into Twitter station, still looks better than most digiframes

Apple IIe hacked into Twitter station, still looks better than most digiframes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink UberReview | Atoms & Electrons | Email this | Comments http://digg.com/u1UUrD

Virginia Tech researchers reveal full-sized CHARLI-L humanoid robot

2010-04-26T19:01:00.001+01:00

Dr. Dennis Hong was kind enough to give us a glimpse the CHARLI robot on The Engadget Show this weekend -- or its leg, anyway -- but he and his students have just now finally revealed the full-sized bot that's been described as a "robot teenager." As we'd heard, CHARLI is actually a series of robots that initially consists of the 5-foot tall CHARLI-L (or lightweight, pictured above), and the forthcoming CHARLI-H (or heavy), both of which are completely autonomous, with a full range of movements and gestures thanks to a series of pulleys, springs, carbon fiber rods, and actuators (not to mention some slightly more mysterious AI). What's more, while CHARLI-L is currently restricted to walking on flat surfaces, CHARLI-H promises to be able to walk on the uneven ground around the Virginia Tech campus, and eventually even be able to "run, jump, kick, open doors, pick up objects, and do just about anything a real person can do." Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any video of CHARLI-L in action just yet, and it is still somewhat of a work in progress -- the researchers say it will be able to speak soon, and they're also busily working to improve its soccer skills in time for this year's RoboCup.

[Thanks, Kyle]

Virginia Tech researchers reveal full-sized CHARLI-L humanoid robot originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Intel to launch Atom N500 series in June, ASUS netbooks to follow

2010-04-26T18:31:00.001+01:00

Details on this one are pretty light at the moment, but DigiTimes is reporting that Intel will be launching its Atom N500 series of dual-core processors this June. That word comes from the site's "sources from notebook players," who also say that Intel will be revealing more details on its third generation netbook platform at the same time. Unfortunately, that's about as specific as they're getting right now, but there are naturally some netbooks rumored to be launching alongside the new processors as well, with ASUS apparently already planning at least one N500-based netbook for the third quarter of this year that will sell for around $575. Of course, Intel itself isn't isn't saying any more on the matter than it did during its recent earnings call, but the timing of the rumor does line up suspiciously well with this year's Computex (June 1-5), which would be as good a place as any for a big netbook-related launch

Rumor: Intel to launch Atom N500 series in June, ASUS netbooks to follow originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | DigiTimes | Email this | Comments http://digg.com/u1UUjV

BlackBerry Pearl 3G video hands-on

2010-04-26T18:01:00.001+01:00

Observe, the rare BlackBerry Pearl 3G feeding in its natural habitat. Just look at the majestic display of vibrant colors as it attempts to court the journalist in a mating dance never before captured on camera! All kidding aside though, here's a quick look at the user interface on the 20-key version of the Pearl 3G; it's stock OS 5.0, so you're not really going to notice anything fresh here, but what we did see worked smoothly and without delay -- the delightful result of pairing a responsive optical pad, 624MHz processor, and what we would assume is a pretty well-optimized build of the platform. As we mentioned earlier, we're pretty sure the keyboards on these things are going to be a polarizing experience for users -- some will love them, others will hate them, still others will tolerate them at first and grow used to them over time. To be fair, the peak-shaped keys are probably an improvement over flat keyboards of Pearls gone by; when you've got five keys per row on a fairly narrow body, you need all the tactile help you can get. For some reason, we weren't able to connect to RIM's open WiFi network with the particular unit we were given -- the Bold 9650 next to it fared just fine, so we're not sure if the 802.11n-capable radio in this bad boy is a little dodgier than its cousin, but it's definitely something to keep an eye on. Follow the break for the video.

Continue reading BlackBerry Pearl 3G video hands-on

BlackBerry Pearl 3G video hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alienware M17x now shipping with dual 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 GPUs

2010-04-26T17:31:00.003+01:00

Tossing a pair of GPUs into a single, beastly laptop ain't nothing new -- in fact, Alienware's own M17x has been offered in such a way since last year -- but having said machine arrive at your doorstep with a pair of ATI's world-beating Mobility Radeon HD 5870s has been downright impossible until now. The earliest of adopters are now reporting (with ear-to-ear grins, to boot) that their dual 1GB HD 5870-equipped M17x machines are finally shipping, and we suspect it'll only be a matter of time before those CrossFire assisted benchmarks surface to make our existing lappies look patently pathetic. So, hit that inbox once more and tell us if you've seen a shipping notification of your own -- and if you've already got your unit in hand, why not expound with a few opinions on how things are running?

[Thanks, Max]

Alienware M17x now shipping with dual 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 GPUs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Notebook Review | Email this | Comments http://digg.com/u1UUUk

Landscape orientation with physical iPad keyboard possible, thrilling

2010-04-26T17:31:00.001+01:00

When "Joe," our favorite bloggin' anesthesiologist, sat down for his daily Twitter session (he takes social media very seriously) he couldn't get past the fact that Apple's hardware iPad keyboard was oriented in portrait mode. Pretty weak, right? Well, fear not, iPad users! It seems that your basic dock extender cable will let you attach the keyboard and orient the screen however you desire. Now all of you proud iPad users can get back to worrying about things like protecting your phalanges and Flavor Flav wannabes.

Landscape orientation with physical iPad keyboard possible, thrilling originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Book of Joe | Email this | Comments http://digg.com/d11PVUJ

Motorola gives Google the boot, turns to Skyhook for location services

2010-04-26T17:02:00.001+01:00

Well, this is... something. Out of seemingly nowhere, Motorola has just made the decision to shun Google's location services in favor of those from Skyhook, proudly becoming the "first Android device maker to abandon Google for its location services." According to the release -- which feels atypically jovial to us -- the device maker will marry Skyhook's GPS, WiFi and cellular location in the "vast majority" of its phone models, and since Skyhook will be baked into the OS, every single app can reap the benefits. Reportedly, developers are pretty stoked about the news, and it's pretty clear that Motorola is equally confident that Skyhook's location solution is the best on the market. Not like Google really needs any more frenemies right now, but hey -- you won't find us kvetching about anyone keeping the Big Shot on its toes.

Continue reading Motorola gives Google the boot, turns to Skyhook for location services

Motorola gives Google the boot, turns to Skyhook for location services originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's 1TB / 2TB external Story hard drive goes the USB 3.0 route

2010-04-26T16:31:00.001+01:00

It was inevitable, really. Samsung's not-so-storied Story hard drive first took the leap to eSATA in November of last year, and for those always in need of the latest and / or greatest, now this very drive has made the logical leap to SuperSpeed. Introduced today as the fastest Story of all time, there's actually not much else that's changed besides the addition of a USB 3.0 socket -- the enclosure's the same, the capacity choices are the same (1TB or 2TB), and it's still unlikely to truly solve all of your problems in one fell swoop. That said, the removal of eSATA here may be a detractor for some, but we're told that the USB 2.0 + eSATA version will still be around in some parts of the globe. Check this one starting today for an undisclosed amount.

Samsung's 1TB / 2TB external Story hard drive goes the USB 3.0 route originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alex e-reader rooted, five users overwhelmed with joy

2010-04-26T16:01:00.001+01:00

Well, it was only a matter of time before the Alex e-reader got it's Android sportin' self hacked, right? According to e-reader enthusiast (and oddly named pirate) Bluebrain, this is exactly what he did over the weekend! You're psyched, right? Want to see pics? Get instructions? Try it out for yourself? What else are you going to do on a Monday morning -- work? Hit that source link to get started.

Alex e-reader rooted, five users overwhelmed with joy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2 now available for the kids

2010-04-26T15:32:00.001+01:00

We may have dropped the Convertible Classmate PC on its head back at its CeBIT launch, but obviously that didn't throw the little netbook off its educational course. Intel along with its hardware partners are now officially launching the improved and re-ruggedized netverible, and here in the US, CTL's added the kiddie laptop to its lineup. The $499 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2, which is configured with an Intel Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, Windows XP Home and a four-cell battery, will start shipping to those ever so studious school children this week.

We can tell you that the kids are lucking out this time. We've been playing around with the netvertible for the last few days, and must say it's one tough piece of hardware. Though we can see the 3.7-pound rubberized chassis putting a bit of strain on smaller arms, it's really easy to grip and the retractable handle is less cumbersome than the previous versions. We've got to admit we were a bit disappointed that the resistive screen still doesn't support multitouch, but it's responsive to finger touches and the included stylus takes some pretty smooth notes. Our $599 unit came with Windows 7 Professional installed, but we continue to love Intel's Blue Dolphin software layer for easily opening programs with a finger. The accelerometer is slightly sluggish to rotate the screen orientation, but we were quickly distracted by the anti-microbial keyboard and rotating webcam. We'll be here wondering why the kids get to have all the fun, but we encourage you to check out the hands-on pictures and PR below.

Gallery: CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2 hands-on

Continue reading CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2 now available for the kids

CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2 now available for the kids originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ThinkPad Edge beats Vostro V13 in LCD stress test (video)

2010-04-26T15:31:00.001+01:00

They might officially be targeting the lower end of business budgets, but a quick peek at the attractive stylings of Lenovo's ThinkPad Edge and Dell's Vostro V13 would suggest that both have no shortage of consumer market appeal. So, for the sake of differentiating between these two thin-and-light machines, Lenovo has provided us with one of its torture test videos. Subjecting the V13 and Edge to (hopefully identical) pressure at varying points across the LCD lid, this procedure assesses the robustness of each machine's screen design. In spite of lacking all the fancy metals presented in its elder ThinkPad siblings, the Edge comes through the test unscathed and begging for more, whereas the V13 ... well, it doesn't. Skip past the break to see the hideously disfigured LCD that resulted from its visit to the Lenovo labs.

Continue reading ThinkPad Edge beats Vostro V13 in LCD stress test (video)

ThinkPad Edge beats Vostro V13 in LCD stress test (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Bold 9650 hands-on: yeah, it's a Tour with an optical pad

2010-04-26T15:02:00.003+01:00

If you had any illusions about what exactly the Bold 9650 is, make no mistake: owning a Tour takes you 95 percent of the way to understanding the experience. The only thing you'll really notice on an ongoing basis is the optical pad, which is definitely a big improvement over the trackball of old -- not only does it eliminate the issue of gunk buildup, but it's totally responsive and arguably even easier to use than the ball for most tasks. The version we used was Sprint-branded, but RIM has unbranded units on hand, too; we can only assume Verizon will end up picking it up, though Big Red has been uncharacteristically silent about the matter so far. Hit up the quick gallery below (or, you know, take your Tour and just tape a picture of an optical pad over the trackball to get the experience firsthand).

Gallery: BlackBerry Bold 9650 hands-on: yeah, it's a Tour with an optical pad

BlackBerry Bold 9650 hands-on: yeah, it's a Tour with an optical pad originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint gets BlackBerry Bold 9650: $200 on contract, ships May 23

2010-04-26T15:02:00.001+01:00

We suspected that both Sprint and Verizon Wireless would eventually pick up RIM's hot-off-of-the-press BlackBerry Bold 9650, and sure enough, the former has already come forward with a glowing press release stating as much. Starting on May 23rd (that's just under a month, for those operating sans any sense of time), Sprint loyalists will be able to score this very smartphone for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and 2-year contract. It'll reportedly be available in "all Sprint sale channels," tempting you with that 480 x 360 resolution display, BB OS 5, Wi-Fi module and 3.2 megapixel camera. So, VZW -- got a similar announcement you'd like to make?

[Thanks, Travis]

Continue reading Sprint gets BlackBerry Bold 9650: $200 on contract, ships May 23

Sprint gets BlackBerry Bold 9650: $200 on contract, ships May 23 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Pearl 3G first hands-on!

2010-04-26T14:32:00.001+01:00

We just wrapped up a quick play with RIM's just-announced BlackBerry Pearl 3G, and our initial impression is a positive one -- if you've currently got a Pearl 8100 series (or even an 8200 series flip, for that matter), this looks like a must-have upgrade. The phone's UI is lightning fast, the optical pad is plenty responsive (as RIM's optical pads tend to be), and 802.11n and HSDPA are obviously both welcome additions. The keyboards are a little funny, but that's nothing new -- Pearls have always had polarizing keyboards, dating back to the early days -- but we think we prefer the 14-key just a smidge over the traditional 20-key. For whatever reason, RIM has chosen to give the 14-key version more rounded, curved keys, whereas the buttons on the 20-key version have angled tops that put a little more pressure on the fingertips (we're sure you could handily get used to either version, of course). The company is quick to note that the numeric keypad is not using T9 -- it's using a flavor of SurePress -- so... you know, don't get it twisted. Hit up the gallery below!

Gallery: BlackBerry Pearl 3G first hands-on!

BlackBerry Pearl 3G first hands-on! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony shutting down Japanese floppy disk sales by March 2011, kills a tech dinosaur

2010-04-26T14:31:00.001+01:00

Believe it or not, Sony managed to shift 12 million 3.5-inch floppy disks in Japan last year -- presumably to die-hard old schoolers. Alas, time waits for no one, and the venerable data transporter that started its life way back in 1981 is going to all but cease production by March of next year. Sony was the last of the major manufacturers to keep churning these bits of plastic out, but soon that too shall be no more. Having already shut down operations in most of the world, it's now noted the end of life for its domestic market, and thereby effectively consigned the floppy to the past. Good riddance, you might say, but we still remember fondly the wonder we experienced upon tearing apart our first 5.25-inch floppy disk. Ah well, the diskette goes the way of the cassette, guess that was predictable.

Sony shutting down Japanese floppy disk sales by March 2011, kills a tech dinosaur originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Pearl 3G revealed: two keypad styles and 802.11n WiFi

2010-04-26T14:01:00.003+01:00

As smartphones go, the original BlackBerry Pearl 8100 series' longevity is nothing short of astounding -- with some minor tweaks, the phone has lasted essentially unchanged for well over three years. Needless to say, it's time for the granddaddy of consumer-grade BlackBerrys to start collecting pension, so it's an awfully good thing that RIM has chosen its WES conference this week to announce the all-new Pearl 3G. Rumored as the Pearl 9100, the phone becomes RIM's very first with 802.11n WiFi support (in addition to 802.11b and g, naturally) and features a 3.2 megapixel camera, 256MB of internal storage with microSD expansion up to 32GB, GPS, triband HSDPA with quadband GSM / EDGE, and a 360 x 400 display. RIM is making the Pearl 3G available in "several lustrous colors" and two different keypad configurations -- numeric 14-key and the more traditional SurePress 20-key -- though there's no indication that the rumored QWERTY version will make it to retail (at least, not yet) or that the company intends for users to be able to swap modules themselves. Expect the phone to launch with "various carriers" in May -- and considering that they've got both AWS and 850 / 1900MHz 3G versions in the mix, we'd expect to see it launch on AT&T and T-Mobile alike. Follow the break for RIM's full press release.

Continue reading BlackBerry Pearl 3G revealed: two keypad styles and 802.11n WiFi

BlackBerry Pearl 3G revealed: two keypad styles and 802.11n WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Bold 9650 announced, targets Tour owners' big complaints

2010-04-26T14:01:00.001+01:00

RIM has a longstanding track record of refining its hardware with near-surgical precision -- from one generation of BlackBerry to the next, you almost always see a very careful, deliberate evolution, from the Storm2's revamped SurePress tech to the Bold 9700's optical pad and countless examples in between. "Evolution" is exactly how we'd describe the CDMA- and GSM-equipped Bold 9650, the Tour's spiritual successor that ditches the old name to join forces with the remainder of the Bold line. Dimensionally, the Bold 9650 is a dead ringer for the Tour -- it's still 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.56 inches -- but it packs on two-tenths of an ounce worth of weight in exchange for oft-requested WiFi support and an extra 256MB of internal storage (it's now up to 512MB total). The other big difference, of course, is the replacement of the dodgy trackball with an optical pad, continuing a trend that has now permeated throughout virtually all of RIM's lineup. Look for the Bold 9650 to hit American carriers -- presumably both Verizon and Sprint -- in May. Follow the break for a second shot and RIM's full press release!

Continue reading BlackBerry Bold 9650 announced, targets Tour owners' big complaints

BlackBerry Bold 9650 announced, targets Tour owners' big complaints originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nook outsells Kindle in March?

2010-04-26T13:31:00.003+01:00

Given DigiTimes' spotty record when it comes to pushing rumors you might be inclined to read "Digitimes Research" as a kind of oxymoron. Unfortunately, as long as Amazon refuses to publish specifics with regard to units sold, these analyst estimates are as good as it gets. What's interesting is that DigiTimes' checks at upstream suppliers reveal that Barnes & Noble's Nook accounted for 53 percent of all e-book readers shipped to US vendors in March. Interesting since Kindle is Amazon's bestselling product and an increasing share of the company's revenue is based on sales of electronics and general merchandise. Still, it's our guess that Amazon doesn't care too much about selling it's own hardware (it's in the business of selling other people's content and goods). Besides, the Kindle app is already available on a wide range of devices including Apple's iPad and a wide variety of smartphones. One place you can't install it, however, is on the steadily improving Nook.

Nook outsells Kindle in March? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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