the gadget site

Viliv S5 unboxed and handled in Hong Kong

2009-04-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

by Laura June,
We've seen plenty of Viliv's S5 tablet PC, but the fine folks of Engadget Chinese have scored some precious unboxing time with the little dude, and it's looking pretty great. The XP-running MID has a 4.8-inch touchscreen, a 60GB hard disk, an Intel Silverthorne-class 1.33GHz Z520 CPU, GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, and 1GB of memory. It's available in Korea now, though it appears to have missed its European / U.S. shipping dates at the end of March -- but we'll let you know when we start seeing these babies hit the streets. They're supposed to be priced at $649 when they do become available in the States. There are a few more shots after the break, but hit the read link for the entire, stunningly awesome set.

engadget.com

Zero S electric motard set to scare commuters later this month

2009-04-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

by Tim Stevens,
In the world of motorcycling the motard is a bike for crazies -- not packing much power but offering plenty of grunt for wheelies and other urban antics, making them quite popular amongst those who ride the city streets. They're typically modified off-roaders, as is the case with Zero X's new Zero S. The company took its electric dirtbike, added some street-friendly tires, tweaked the suspension, and doubled the battery life to offer 60 miles to a charge despite keeping the weight down to just 225 pounds. While a zero-to-60 time of five seconds won't win any awards from two-wheeled afficionadoes, that's more than quick enough to ensure victory at stoplights. A top speed of just 60 mph means highways are to be avoided, but they're no fun anyway. You can throw your leg over your own later this month for $9,950, or catch a video of this near-silent screamer right now after the break.

engadget.com

Toshiba's Satellite Pro S300-EZ2521 is as bland as they come

2009-04-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

by Darren Murph,
Ready for one more excuse to snooze through hump day? Here you go. Toshiba's Satellite Pro S300-EZ2521, obviously the latest in its growing S300 line, is about as perfectly average as a 15.4-inch laptop can be. We're talking a 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 3GB of DDR2 RAM, a 250GB (5400RPM) hard drive, SuperMulti DVD burner, WXGA resolution panel, GMA 4500MHD graphics, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a built-in webcam. Furthermore, the actual enclosure just screams "Designed For Office Cubes," and while we don't have confirmation just yet, we'd wager that the 40 metric tons of bloatware would further substantiate that claim. There's no mention of a price, but those in the market for a strictly-business machine should find it shipping any day now.

engadget.com

New iPhone parts begin shipping from suppliers for June launch?

2009-04-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

by Thomas Ricker,
At this point there's little doubt that a new iPhone model (possibly two) will at least be announced in June. Now the Commercial Times have chimed in with a report saying that components from Taiwan-based suppliers have begun shipments as Apple (or its China-based assemblers, rather) readies for a "June launch" pegged by said suppliers to reach about 2-3 million units per quarter. A phone that looks to be fitted with a 3.2 megapixel still / video CMOS camera, digital compass (magnetometer), possibly 802.11n WiFi, more storage, and all the MMS, copy/paste, and push-notifications you can shake a gesticulating finger at. Assuming all the firmware sleuthing and rumors are true, of course.

engadget.com

2010 Range Rover gets 12-inch 'dual view' touchscreen

2009-04-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

by Darren Murph,
We've seen dual view prototypes for ages now, but you can bank on said technology (dubbed Parallax Barrier) being front and center on Land Rover's forthcoming flagship vehicle. Announced today at the New York Auto Show, the 2010 Range Rover will arrive with a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system that puts off different images depending on the viewing angle. In order words, the driver can check out the route to grandma's house while the lucky soul riding shotgun peeks a DVD -- in theory, at least. The navigation system is HDD-based and also includes a USB socket and a dedicated iPod port. Land Rover even spruced up the voice activation system, giving motorists the ability to voice their concerns about climate and volume (and get instant results). Check the full snippet just past the break.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

engadget.com

Amico's Android handset is decent, misbranded

2009-04-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

by Chris Ziegler,
Don't know who Amico is? That makes two of us -- but the beauty of Android is that it's free and open for anyone who wants to have a crack at wrapping the platform with custom hardware. The Taiwanese firm was showing off a reasonably nice-looking full touch set at CTIA this week running some post-Cupcake build, but there was one little issue: they'd decided to slap a fake Sony BRAVIA logo (with the "I" conveniently removed, naturally) along the left side of the face. We understand the desire to ride the coattails of a well-recognized brand, we totally do -- but we would've liked to see Amico have the self-confidence to say, "You know what? We made a pretty decent phone here, so let's let it stand on its own two feet." Just saying. Anyhow, we're told that the phone's gone back to the labs to be retooled with 3G (it's only doing triband EDGE right now), but the rest of the specs are pretty solid: 3 megapixel autofocus cam, 624MHz Marvell core, microSD expansion, and a 3-inch resistive WQVGA display. If Amico's got a level head on its shoulders, it'll kill the BRAVA noise and switch to capacitive while it's upgrading the radio.

engadget.com

Giant Nokia 5800 XpressMusic invades Antwerp

2009-04-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

by Nilay Patel,
We're not sure why giant phones are suddenly all the rage, but it seems to be a trend -- Nokia just put up this four-foot 5800 XpressMusic in Antwerp. Unlike the giant Samsung Messager that recently invaded Chicago, it's not actually a working phone, but the custom Flash interface designed by Create Multimedia is meant to mimic the OS as closely as possible -- so we're guessing it's just as frustrating as the real thing. Passerby can play with the Maps app, browse photos, and listen to music through some nifty through-the-glass speakers -- hit the read link for the video.

[Via Nokia Conversations]

engadget.com

Lenovo MRT800 touchscreen PMP unveiled, pities no fool

2009-04-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

by Ross Miller,
On the surface, Lenovo's MRT800 doesn't seem to have any surprises, but if you look closer... well, it's more or less the same. The touchscreen PMP's got a 4.3-inch TFT LCD with 480 x 272 resolution, a microSD expansion slot, FM tuner, and a voice recorder. Codec support includes RMVB, AVI, ASF, MP4, and FLV for video, and MP3, WMA, OGG, APE, FLAC, and WAV for audio. Mum's the word on pricing, release date, or if anyone else mispronounces its name and gets the urge to watch A-Team reruns.

[Via iTech News]

engadget.com

CTIA Roundup, Day Three

2009-04-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

by Chris Ziegler,
CTIA Wireless 2009 has drawn to an anticlimactic close today, concluding one of the less memorable, less action-packed CTIAs in recent memory. Friday was as much about skedaddlin' out of town as quickly as possible as it was about making news and launching new products for exhibitors, but that doesn't mean we didn't unearth a few gems for you. No need to thank us, seriously -- click on!


Wistron's Snapdragon-powered PurseBook gets demoed NVIDIA is showing that wacky Mini 1000 / Tegra mashup at CTIA, but Qualcomm's not far behind with its own creative ways to repurpose smartphone silicon into MID and netbook-class devices.		Inventec's mirasol-equipped V112 smartphone goes on display We couldn't get the thing to turn on -- prototype buffoonery, zapped battery, or a classic case of trade show jitters, we figure -- but Inventec's curious V112 was on display inside Qualcomm's booth at CTIA.
Nokia E71x struts its stuff on video We were never able to track down an E71x with a SIM and an active AT&T Navigator account, but it's pretty clear from our time with the device that AT&T has left its S60 3.2-based core pleasantly untouched.	Also check out: Kyocera G2GO and Laylo hands-on Jabra HALO hands-on engadget.com

Japan sending biped robots to conquer moon by 2020

2009-04-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

by Ross Miller,
Remember back in 2006 when we told you about Japan's goal to colonize the moon with robots? Some dreams don't seem to die, and the country's Strategic Headquarters for Space Development said recently that they expect a two-legged droid traversing the satellite's surface by 2020. Should that prove successful, it'll be followed later by a joint mission with humans -- that is, if the robots don't find a way to take over before then and deny the spacemen their planetary visas.

engadget.com

Power Glove granted infinitely more power, bluetooth, and accelerometer in honor of 20th birthday

2009-04-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

by Ross Miller,
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Nintendo PowerGlove, and yes, birthday cakes are in order. To celebrate, game designer Matt Mechtley has augmented it with Bluetooth and accelerometer chips for a more modern take on the hand peripheral -- think of it as a more assimilated version of the Wiimote-embedded glove we covered in 2006. If you're interested in following in his footsteps, instructions are available at Instructables and in the video form after the break -- jump to 10:50 if you want to see it in action both with a test program and a brief glimpse at virtual boxing.

engadget.com

LED-infused HDMI cables add some light to your home theater

2009-04-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

by Ross Miller,
We know what you're thinking: you've decked out your gaming rig with a translucent case and a string of LEDs inside, and gave similar treatment to the wall just behind your display ... so why not add that special glow to your connection, too? Enter these HDMI 1.3 cables from Donya, available in only the finest of patriotic colors -- red, white, and blue. It'll set you back 999 yen (about US $10) plus an unknown amount for shipping, but if you're impatient, we're sure there's a little DIY weekend project to take from this.

[Via Akihabara News]

engadget.com

How would you change Dell's Inspiron Mini 10?

2009-04-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

by Darren Murph,
After a rocky, if not comical launch, Dell's Inspiron Mini 10 is now shuffling out in full force to legions of soon-to-be netbook owners. For those of you who already bought in -- via QVC or the more traditional street corner vendor model -- we're wondering what you'd do differently if magically given a mythical Do Over token. Would you simply offer up the options (TV tuner, for one) promised during the machine's announcement? Would you tweak that trackpad at all? Add a little bulk in exchange for a beefier battery? Paint the whole thing fuschia and make it reek of week-old bananas? Feel free to get as crazy as you'd like in comments below; who knows, maybe Round Rock's tuning in to just see what you have to say.

engadget.com

HP TouchSmart tx2z with 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD now $450 off with coupon

2009-04-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

by Ross Miller,
In the market for a multitouch tablet? HP's TouchSmart tx2z, both the readers' and editors' choice for Tablet PC of the Year in the 2008 Engadget Awards, currently has two stackable discounts totaling $450, dropping the price here to a much more manageable $650. That includes an AMD Turion X2 Dual-core processor, 4GB RAM and a 320GB hard drive. Offer expires tomorrow, so hit up LogicBuy soon via the read link for details and the promo code.

engadget.com

Former Gizmondo chief Stefan Eriksson lands back in jail, in Sweden

2009-04-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

by Donald Melanson,

While there's been no shortage of fresh Gizmondo rumors over the past year or so, we haven't heard much of anything about former bigwig Stefan Eriksson, who's known as much for a little car crash as he is for the company he helped bring into infamy. That looks to have changed in a big way this week, however, as Herr Eriksson has now landed back in jail in Sweden, where he's facing a whole slew of new, very serious charges, including extortion, aggravated assault, grand theft, embezzlement, and a firearms violation. No word on a new trial date or anything just yet, but it looks like Eriksson won't be resting easy anytime soon, as a district judge has granted a request to keep him in jail pending an investigation.

[Thanks, JC]

engadget.com

Screen Grabs: Nikon D60 served up with standard lens, chocolate frosting

2009-04-04T10:28:00.000-07:00

by Ross Miller,

Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com.

Ace of Cake's Duff Goldman and his Charm City Cakes shop pulled out all the f-stops to recreate a (presumably) delicious Nikon D60-shaped pastry for one family to celebrate their photographer father's birthday. The first trial ended up being too small, but instead of turning it into a point-and-shoot or micro four thirds they scrapped that iteration altogether. There's some impressive details here, but best of all (and unfortunately not seen in the gallery below) is the picture of another birthday cake in the viewfinder. Seriously, the only thing that could make this better is if they baked it with a longer lens.

Gallery: Screen Grabs: Nikon D60 served up with standard lens, chocolate frosting

[Thanks, Susie]

engadget.com

Eyes-Free shell for Android actually delivers on its name

2009-04-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

by Donald Melanson,
There's certainly no shortage of means to customize your Android experience, but there's few tweaks as innovative as this new Eyes-Free shell developed by Charles Chen and T.V. Raman., which makes the handset more accessible to the blind, or anyone simply looking to make a call without having to divert their attention. As those following Android development may be aware, the underlying code for the shell has actually been available for some time, but it's only just now been made available to general G1-toting public on Android Marketplace. One of the stand-out components is the brilliantly simple dialer, which automatically brings up a 5 no matter where you touch the screen, from which you can then simply slide your finger to dial the rest of the numbers, with an audible click providing some added assurance as you move over the numbers. Things don't stop there, of course, with the shell also able to provide things like single-touch access for the current date and time, audible notifications of battery life and signal strength, and even a mini app that draws on the phone's GPS capabilities to announce your present location. Head on past the break for a quick video of dialer, and dive into the read link below for a more thorough overview.

engadget.com

Wii MotionPlus can be oversensitive to your needs, say EA devs

2009-04-04T10:25:00.001-07:00

by Ross Miller,
The jury's still out on whether or not Nintendo follows our logic and is gonna release the Wii MotionPlus attachment before June 18th, the day Electronic Arts debuts the first compatible game Grand Slam Tennis. Regardless, the developers of that game want you to know that they had to actually to tone down the touted 1:1 responsiveness to make the game playable. We can't say that we blame them -- after all, the air resistance of a Wii remote is slightly different than that of a full tennis racket -- but we'd love to have the option to crank up that sensitivity and see just how unstable it really is. So when do we a chance to find out for ourselves, eh Nintendo?

[Via Joystiq]

engadget.com

NEC turns your home into a carbon-tracking game controller

2009-04-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

by Joseph L. Flatley,

Are you bored with keeping tabs of your carbon emissions? NEC and BIGLOBE have developed a system that not only performs this odious task, but makes it "fun" to do so -- if you're generous as to what constitutes "fun." A WiFi-enabled device is attached to your circuit breaker, where it keeps track of your power consumption and later transmits it to your home computer via ZigBee. The data is then sent to a website, where you can use it to play games against other green households in such thrilling arenas as Carbon Diet (users score "eco-points" with which they can purchase virtual soil, water, flowers and grass) and Carbon Ball, in which Dung Beetles compete to see who can travel the farthest, with distance being determined by -- you guessed it -- how well the user reduces power consumption. But that ain't all -- the system also keeps tabs on daily and hourly energy consumption, your rank in comparison with other households, and more. A three-month trial service is underway in the homes of 100 NEC employees, after which the companies will analyze the data and develop a business model for unloading this bad boy on local governments and the private sector. One more pic after the break.

[Via Pink Tentacle]

engadget.com

Samsung's 2009 Blu-ray player lineup officially priced

2009-03-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

by Darren Murph,
When Samsung's 2009 Blu-ray player lineup was outed at CES this year, all pricing and release date information was conveniently omitted. At long last, Sammy has pushed out the details we've been waiting for at its Spring Fever event in New York City. Granted, the BD-P3600 and BD-P1600 are already on store shelves for $399.99 and $299.99, respectively, but we figured it prudent to pass along those official numbers straight from the source. Of note, we're also told that the ultrathin BD-P4600 will indeed be coming in April for $499.99, and if Best Buy's website is to be believed, it'll be April 19th if we're talking specifics.

engadget.com

Samsung HZ15W and hands-on, with friends

2009-03-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

by Paul Miller,
We're not exactly enthused at all the granularity makes up Samsung's wide assortment of digital compacts, but it's not like they're the only offenders in the industry. In the high end they've got the HZ15W and TL320 -- we've seen the TL320 and is marvelous analog dials in the wild before, but the HZ15W is a new one on us. Overall the camera is a bit bulky for this segment, and we'd have a hard time sticking it into a pants or jacket pocket without discomfort. That said, the camera is flush with functionality like HDMI out, 720p video recording and a wide view lens. The second look at the TL320 reminded us how completely in love we are its analog dials, though unfortunately the pre-production model we were looking at was having trouble with its OLED screen. The rest of the line, including the SL820, SL620 and SL202, was hanging out for the photo op, but there wasn't much that stood out.

engadget.com

19-Inch Touchscreen Wind Sips On Less Energy than Most Light Bulbs

2009-03-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

By Mark Wilson,

To be honest, netbooks scare me, but nettops scare me even more. Why do I need a neutered PC that isn't portable? Well, at least the platform doesn't need much power—even with a monitor.

The Wind Top AE1900 is an Atom 230-based system, supporting a max of 2GB of RAM on top of a 160GB hard drive, DVD burner, wireless n, card reader and webcam. But what makes it all exciting is the system's 18.5-inch WSXGA 16:9 touch screen LCD, complete with a quick 5ms response time. You see, even with this much screen space, the computer needs only 45W to operate. And yes, that factoid is totally worth regurgitating my headline to reinforce that 45W is less than many light bulbs need.

As Rob at bbGadgets points out, "Now, I'm almost certain I had an Apple monitor that looked just like this about 7 years ago..." We're pretty sure, too. The crazy thing is that this whole computer will cost thousand(s) less than that Apple Studio Display when it comes out to an undisclosed market at an undisclosed time. [MSI via bbGadgets]

gizmodo.com

Teenage Engineering's OP-1 synthesizer sure to entice Mark Mothersbaugh

2009-03-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

by Laura June,
We've been thinking about picking up our own little synth lately, so we were pretty stoked to see Teenage Engineering's OP-1 -- even if it's not near production yet. The pocket-sized synthesizer -- which will also double as a controller for a digital workstation -- is going to boast eight synth models and eight samplers, effects, a sequencer and an arpeggiator. There's a built-in mic, speaker, and, excitingly, an FM radio. On the controller side of the device, it's got transport controls, four rotary encoders, plus 16 quick keys. There's no word yet on when (if) this thing will hit the market, though they're taking volunteers for beta testing as of now. Sounds awesome, looks rad: sign us up!

Update: Video of a display test of the OP-1 after the break!

[Via Music Radar]

engadget.com

Lifepack 15 Defibrillator: So Cool, You'll Forget You're Having a Heart Attack

2009-03-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

By Sean Fallon,

When all that bacon and candy finally catches up to you, you will definitely want your paramedic shocking you back to life with the Lifepack 15 defibrillator. I mean, just look at it.

And yes, it does have some great high-tech features:

•Noninvasive and continuous detection of carbon monoxide (SpCO), oxygen saturation (SpO2), and methemoglobin (SpMET) through integrated Masimo Rainbow technology.
•The CPR Metronome with audible prompts has been proven to aid users in performing compressions and ventilations within the recommended range of AHA Guidelines.
•Energy dosing to 360J for difficult-to-defibrillate patients.
•Easy to acquire pre-medication 12-lead ECG and reliable, continuous monitoring of all 12 leads in the background to alert you to changes via our ST Trending feature.
•Large, high quality dual-mode color LCD screen with one touch switching to high-contrast SunVue™ mode for use in bright sunlight
•Advanced Lithium-ion battery technology to give you up to six hours of operating time-enough juice to run a shift
•A platform with a new state-of-the-art processor and more memory so the 15 can grow and adapt as your needs change

The Medtronic Lifepack 15 has just been given the go-ahead by the FDA—so treat yourself to another donut. Your gonna be just fine fatty. [Checkoutthefuture via Medgadget]

gizmodo.com

Samsung YP-Q2 and YP-U5 hands-on

2009-03-31T11:14:00.001-07:00

by Paul Miller,
Samsung has rounded out its line of DAPs with the new YP-U5 and YP-Q2, both squarely targeted at what have come to be well-defined DAP categories in recent years. The Q2 (pictured) has a friendly icon-based interface, with familiar touch-sensitive controls below the screen -- though we found ourselves futilely tapping at the large bright icons out of habit. The interface is fast, the screen is great, and the feature set builds on Samsung's typical kitchen sink, now including DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement -- though we'd say the 50 hour battery life steals the show. The U5 looks thoroughly dated, though it's more ergonomically friendly to those athletic types among us than some thumb daps. The teensy black and white OLED screen makes it a bit of a chore to run through the functions, but at least it's there.

engadget.com

Dell Studio XPS 13 unboxing and hands-on

2009-03-31T11:11:00.000-07:00

by Joshua Topolsky,
We finally managed to wrestle one of the sleek Studio XPSs from Dell's mitts, and we've got the pics to prove it. At first glance, the 13-inch laptop is striking, with its leather wrapped back and high gloss finish. However, we have a few minor quibbles that make the laptop a little less exciting than we'd hoped. Firstly, the leather is a bit rippled across the top -- not a huge deal, but it skews the "design" aspect here. In a similar fashion, the super-glare display is just as distracting as it is on other screens of this type, and there seems to be another slight ripple -- or wave -- in the plastic (though this isn't wholly uncommon). Once you open the box, you're greeted to a matte, low-profile keyboard that feels terrific to the touch, though unfortunately the trackpad is not only minuscule in size, but located to the left of center, which makes no sense to us (especially on something of this size). For hands like ours, we found the experience to be a bit cramped. On the software side, the boot into Vista was certainly speedy, and though we had typical issues (crapware, pop-ups, general bugginess), the system still felt pretty snappy. We're going to be taking a more in-depth look -- especially at the capabilities of that NVIDIA GeForce ~~9400M G~~ 9500M GPU -- but for now, feast your eyes on the gallery below!

Update: Our mistake! We actually have the model with the 9500M GPU. Even better!

engadget.com

Apricorn rolls out pocketable Aegis Mini 240GB 1.8-inch hard drive

2009-03-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

by Donald Melanson,
240GB 1.8-inch hard drives have been out and about for a little while now, but they're still a bit of a rare sight in actual products, which is something the folks at Apricorn look set to rectify with their new Aegis Mini portable hard drive. As you can see above, the whole package isn't much larger than the hard drive itself and, better still, it's available in your choice of USB 2.0 or FireWire flavors, which'll run you the expectedly premium price of $269 and $279, respectively. If that's a bit more than you need, you can also grab an 80GB or 120GB drive, which also pack the same shock protection and retractable cable as their more capacious counterpart, plus Apricorn's own Data Protection Suite software.

[Via iTech News Net, thanks Sze]

engadget.com

Panasonic's 2009 VIERA Cast Blu-ray players priced, shipping in April

2009-03-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

by Richard Lawler,
We first got a peek at Panasonic's DMP-BD60, DMP-BD80 and VHS-packing DMP-BD70V at CES, and now they've got official pricetags ahead of their April release. Beyond the VIERA Cast support for Amazon VOD, YouTube and other Internet content, this year's decks also include improvements in power consumption, with the BD60 drawing 16% less juice than last year's DMP-BD35. The DMP-BD60 can be had for a suggested $299, while the BD80 and BD70V are both priced at $399, depending on whether you prefer VHS or 7.1 analog outputs. Check out the CES 2009 hands on for a better look before these show up at a retailer near you.

engadget.com

Viliv S5 MID detailed impressions, now with video!

2009-03-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

by Joseph L. Flatley,
We got to play with the Viliv S5 at CES, and now the gang at UMPC Portal have some detailed impressions they'd like to share with the world. The haptic touchscreen device has "one of the best" on-screen keyboards this reviewer's seen, although it pales in comparison to a physical keyboard. Other minor issues include a lack of a microphone and physical mouse pointer, though you could quite conceivably get along just fine without 'em. That said, this bad boy apparently has "an overall good feeling" that makes the reviewer want to use the device more and give the touchscreen typing situation "a chance." Kudos for the "incredibly impressive" battery life, and not even the lack of 3G and an SSD prevents him from declaring it "the best pocketable UMPC," one that "raises the bar." But that ain't all -- check out the video after the break for the handheld in all its glory.

engadget.com

Mitsubishi shows off "3D touch panel" display

2009-03-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

by Donald Melanson,
Bothered by all the touching involved with touchscreens? Then you may want to keep an eye out for Mitsubishi's latest and greatest bit of technology, which promises to detect the distance between a finger and the touch panel to allow for a whole host of new interface options. That's done with the aid of an array of sensors that can also be used to calculate the speed at which the finger is approaching, and allow for a so-called "mouse-over function," which would essentially let your finger control a cursor without actually touching the screen -- something Mitsubishi says would be ideal for devices with small screens. Of course, it is still just in prototype form (currently a 5.7-inch capacitive VGA display), but Mitsubishi says it's based on panels that are already on the market, which should help ease development and reduce costs. Not surprisingly, Mitsubishi also says that "it will first be used for our products," although it naturally didn't say exactly what those product might be.

engadget.com

Nintendo doubles up Sony's PSP, ships 100 millionth DS handheld

2009-03-12T08:03:00.000-07:00

by Darren Murph,
Nearly a month ago to the day, Sony triumphantly proclaimed that it had sold its 50 millionth PlayStation Portable. Now, Nintendo's making that figure look awfully small by shipping its 100 millionth DS handheld. The number includes original DS, DS Lite and DSi systems, and clearly, those sales are still going strong. The original DS launched way back in late 2004, while the totally hip DSi is slated to ship here in the United States in under a month. So, who's taking bets on how long it takes to hit the magical 200 million mark?

engadget.com

iriver WAVE-HOME internet phone thingamajig seen in the wild

2009-03-12T08:02:00.001-07:00

by Darren Murph,
Much like Sony's Rolly, we're still struggling to piece together exactly how iriver's WAVE-HOME device is supposed to revolutionize our lives. And, you know, figure out what exactly it does. Thanks to a unit floating out in South Korea (in black attire, no less), we're given a decent look of the internet phone / do-it-all home appliance getting unboxed and setup for the first time. Aside from phoning people, we're told that the handset can also double as a TV remote or controller for a radio / music player. We're still eager to get our own palms around one of these curious creations, but for now, you can tap the read link to get a few JPEGs closer.

[Via Portable Alliance]

engadget.com

Dell's multi-touch Studio One 19 PC makes exclusive debut in Japan

2009-03-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

by Thomas Ricker,
Well, well. Japan just scored an exclusive on this new multi-touch Studio One 19 PC from Dell. The All-in-One "entertainment PC" comes in a variety of colors to match your kitchen decor with specs that max-out on options such as a Core 2 Quad processor, 4GB of memory, 750GB hard disk, 6x USB, integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam, and NVIDIA GeForce 9400 graphics, and Blu-ray player. The 18.5 inch display features a 1,366 x 768 aspect ratio with touch or non-touch glass panels -- capacitive or resistive... that's the question. Prices start at about ¥149,800 which translates to a tax inclusive price of about $1,538 of the green stuff. Hey Dell, how about a shot from the side so we can measure the chub index?

Update: Helloooo chubby sexy! Profile and top-down pictures found (thanks LionelatDell!) and dropped in after the break and into the gallery. Who knew that the display was actually offset-forward from the main slab? Nice. And she sure is curvy.

Update 2: PC World got a demo of the new AIO and reveals a $699 starting price (now confirmed by an official press release) when it hits the US this Spring -- a lot more when you start adding the $100 touchscreen option, $200-ish Blu-ray, more memory, etc.

Gallery: Dell's multi-touch Studio One 19 PC makes exclusive debut in Japan

engadget.com

Brown University, DARPA give iRobot's PackBot autonomy

2009-03-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

by Joseph L. Flatley,
It's not easy to find research in the field of robotics without military applications (or militiary funding), and Brown University's latest is certainly no exception. Starting out with iRobot's PackBot (and some pocket change from DARPA and the Office of Naval Intelligence) researchers at the school have achieved several advances that will someday produce robots that follow both verbal and nonverbal commands from a human operator, indoors and out, without the need for a controlled environment or special clothing. The goal, according to Chad Jenkins, is to develop a robot that acts "like a partner. You don't want to puppeteer the robot. You supervise it, 'Here's your job. Now, go do it.'" The work is being presented this week at the Human-Robot Interaction conference in San Diego, but if you can't make it we've provided a video of the thing in action just for you (after the break). We for one salute our autonomous robot overlords.

[Via PhysOrg]

engadget.com

Video: Fun with a microwave and PS3

2009-03-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

by Thomas Ricker,
While the image above may be disturbing to the PS3 faithful, the path taken to its artistic destruction is oddly intoxicating. It's the latest console mod / art piece by the microwave Intertainer going by the alias d0vetastic. The video is long, real long at 12 and half minutes -- no sound track, no voice over, just you and your computer holed-up with a coagulating 60GB PS3 console and controller. So pull up a chair, set the video to full-screen and prepare to feel the darker side of your emotional response system. Anyone can microwave popcorn -- only an artist can microwave his gaming console. Heh.

engadget.com

Samsung BD-P3600 spied at retail

2009-03-12T07:54:00.000-07:00

by Richard Lawler,
After the BD-P1600 broke cover, it was just a matter of time until we got an in the wild look at Samsung's BD-3600 Blu-ray player, seen here hanging out at a Best Buy as some commenters had indicated. That $399 price is enough to pick up the BD-Live storage, 7.1 analog outs and 802.11b/g/n WiFi dongle missing from the BD-P1600, while super slim wall mounting bliss remains the exclusive domain of the BD-P4600. Deciding between this and the DMP-BD80 without some real hands on time may be tough, but at least until Amazon has some HD on top of their VOD, Netflix streaming is probably enough to sway our decision.

[Thanks, Eric]

engadget.com

$320 Kogan Agora netbook gets the hands-on treatment, Aussie-style

2009-03-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

by Tim Stevens,
We admit to being more than a little skeptical when Ruslan Kogan, Aussie tech entrepreneur, promised a cheap netbook within weeks, after his Agora smartphone stumbled out of the gates, but sure enough he's come through, making a run down to Australian PC Authority with a very working prototype of his upcoming netbook -- confusingly also called the Agora. What he demonstrated was a fairly standard 10-inch netbook package, featuring an Atom N270, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard disk, and a 3-cell battery, as well as a Pro model with twice the RAM and battery, both available with gOS and, eventually, Windows 7. What makes this upcoming model notable is the price: the cheaper model is expected to retail for $499 AUD, which in American dollars is just a tick over $320, while the Pro will go for $549 AUD, or about $355 US. Both models are expected to drop down under next month, and while no domestic release was confirmed, at that price this is one import we wouldn't mind seeing come up over.

engadget.com

Brother's SV-100B Bluetooth "Document Viewer" looks like an e-book reader to us

2009-03-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

by Tim Stevens,
It's finally coming true; all those e-ink readers we expected would flood the market after the Kindle's initial release were apparently just waiting for its successor before jumping into the fray. Joining recent announcements from iriver, Neolux, and Plastic Logic is Brother, with the SV-100B. The company is calling it a "Document Viewer," featuring a 9.7-inch, 1200 x 825 display -- larger and stocking twice the pixels of the Kindle 2. However, it's not meant to be a Kindle-killer, instead aimed at business users who will pair this over Bluetooth with PCs or mobile devices to keep its microSD card filled with content, content that must be run through a converter app prior to display. No MSRP was announced, but given its focus on the corporate clientele it will surely be priced accordingly when it ships early this June.

Gallery: Brother SV-100B e-book reader

engadget.com

Samsung Q1EX UMPC reviewed, dismissed

2009-03-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

by Thomas Ricker,
Rats. Just when we thought that someone had figured out how to make a winning UMPC configuration for consumers, out comes a review to pan it. While the Samsung Q1EX sounds good on paper with its 7-inch resistive touchpanel with 1,024 x 600 resolution, 1.2GHz VIA Nano processor, 4.5-hour battery, and $775 price tag; Laptop Mag was unimpressed when it came to go-time. Unfortunately, Laptop found text entry to be too much of a chore thanks to the loss of the thumbpad used on previous Q1-series UMPCs and the lack of a digitizer that severely impacts the unit's ability to accurately recognize handwriting under XP Tablet Edition. Boot times were slow and battery life was poor at just two hours compared to the 4.5 hours stated. Sure, you can add a dock with keyboard (pictured) and optional 6-cell battery (bringing the price to $977), but at that point, you'd be wise to look at the latest in wee netbooks offering bigger screens, the same power, and longer battery life at half the price.

engadget.com

Intel rated leading chip manufacturer again, AMD slips out of top ten

2009-03-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

by Tim Stevens,
This economic crisis has been tough for nearly every business worldwide, perhaps best evidenced by the number of corporate spats we've seen develop lately as everyone gets more and more protective of their respective turfs. While Intel and NVIDIA have lately been engaged in an epic war of PowerPoint presentations, fewer disputes have been bigger or longer-running than the one between Intel and its more direct competition, AMD. That "us inside" company just earned some bragging rights, being named the biggest processor manufacturer in the world again by iSuppli, with a 13.1 percent global market share. AMD, which came in tenth last year, dropped down to the number twelve position in 2008 after its revenue declined 7.8 percent compared to 2007. News was also bad for Texas Instruments, which dropped a position largely thanks to the success of mobile processors from Toshiba and Qualcomm. Don't be so glum, TI, maybe successes from Russell Crowe's favorite flavor of pico projector will make up for the difference.

engadget.com

Vodafone's music catalog goes DRM-free for mobiles and PCs

2009-03-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

by Darren Murph,
We were wondering (seriously, it has been on our conscience at night) which carrier would be the first to go completely DRM-free in respect to its music catalog, and now Vodafone has stepped in to claim said throne. This week, the operator has inked deals with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and EMI Music to bring tunes to handsets and PCs sans any nasty DRM, and for those who already downloaded DRM-laced files in the past, they'll be able to upgrade to DRM-free without a charge so long as they do it soon. And to think -- something like this would've been stopped cold at the drawing board by record label execs just a few years back. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?

engadget.com

New iPod shuffle first hands-on

2009-03-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

by Paul Miller,
We just nabbed one of Apple's new button-free iPod shuffles, and in case you were wondering: yes, it's really small. We're gonna play around a bit with the VoiceOver navigation and get you our full impressions in a few, but at first glance we think this is totally usable, especially for the shuffle's sweaty target demographic. Also: it's really small.

Gallery: New iPod shuffle first hands-on

engadget.com

MIT's quick charging batteries could revolutionize the world, maybe

2009-03-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

by Darren Murph,
Okay, so maybe the headline is a tad on the sensational side, but seriously, this has sensational written all over it. A team of brilliant MIT engineers have conjured up a beltway of sorts that allows for "rapid transit of electrical energy through a well-known battery material," something that could usher in smaller and lighter cells that could recharge in moments versus hours. There's even talk that this technology could be adapted for use in automobiles, and honestly, it doesn't take an electrical engineer to understand how rapid charge / discharge batteries could "induce lifestyle changes." Hey, laptop battery makers -- could you guys look into getting these ready to go in machines by CES 2010? That'd be swell, thanks.

[Via BBC, thanks Simon]

engadget.com

LG Versa hands-on

2009-02-27T08:46:00.000-08:00

by Chris Ziegler,
It takes a awful lot of ingenuity and creativity -- and maybe just a touch of dumb luck -- to come up with a unique, truly innovative phone form factor in the year 2009. Somehow, LG and Verizon have managed to hit that rare combo with the Versa, a full touchscreen bar that can be augmented with add-on modules for those times when function takes priority over form. Right now, the only module available is a full QWERTY keyboard -- a good first choice, we'd say -- and it's included with the package. Cool concept, yeah, but is it usable? Read on.

engadget.com

Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic finally up for grabs Stateside

2009-02-27T08:43:00.000-08:00

by Paul Miller,
There was a bit of a false alarm at the flagship stores yesterday -- Nokia's New York and Chicago stores got inventory, but didn't start selling the 5800 right away, causing much anguish in the hearts of American plectrum lovers and our very own Chris Ziegler. Well, all has been rectified, and now you can pick up Nokia's touchscreen pioneer, the 5800 XpressMusic, for $399, unlocked and unsubsidized. If you aren't so much into retail stores you can head to Nokia's online store, though the phone is still inexplicably listed as "pre-order" there -- we're sure things will be rectified soon enough.

engadget.com

Dell's Inspiron Mini 9 drops to a delicious $199

2009-02-27T08:41:00.000-08:00

by Darren Murph,
Been brushing the idea of a netbook off for months now? Let's see you ignore this. Hot on the heels of the Inspiron Mini 10 going on sale, Dell has lowered the barrier to entry on its marginally smaller Mini 9 to a rather amazing $199. For under two bills, you can now grab yourself an Obsidian Black 8.9-inch netbook with a 1.6GHz Atom CPU, WiFi, a 4-cell battery, GMA950 graphics, 512MB of RAM, a 4GB SSD and a copy of Ubuntu Linux. Of course, that price heads up a hundred bucks if you just can't live without Windows XP, but if there's ever been a time for learning how to deal within an open source environment, we'd say this is it. Good luck with that whole "resisting the temptation" thing.

[Via technabob]

engadget.com

NTT DoCoMo halts BlackBerry Bold sales after reports of overheating

2009-02-27T08:27:00.000-08:00

by Donald Melanson,

It's apparently not quite the same fire hazard that the truth in advertising standard-bearer Quickfire is, but NTT DoCoMo doesn't seem to be taking any chances with its newly-launched BlackBerry Bold, with the Japanese carrier now suspending sales of the smartphone after some reports of it getting a bit too toasty for comfort. Apparently, some 30 users reported that the keyboard "heated up" while the phone was recharging, although it's not clear if that's due to the charger or the handset itself. For its part, RIM says that the issue "appears to be specifically limited to the BlackBerry Bold devices sold in Japan," and that expects to be able to fix the problem and resume sales of the Bold "shortly." In the meantime, stay frosty, Japan.

[Via Yahoo! News / AFP]

engadget.com

Samsung's Ultra Touch S8300 handled ahead of MWC

2009-02-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

by Darren Murph,
Oh, brother. Really, Samsung? Are we seriously going to have to juggle completely unrelated names based on geographic location yet again? Unless our deductive reasoning skills are just utterly shot, Sammy's Ultra Touch S8300 -- which got official earlier this week -- will be known as the Tocco Ultra Edition in some corners of the globe. Nomenclature aside, what we're really here to discuss is just how striking this piece is, and if you're in disbelief, we'd invite you to give the read link a visit. Pocket-lint was able to score a pre-production sample over in the UK ahead of its "debut" at Mobile World Congress, and you know you don't want to miss that.

engadget.com

Speakal iBoo: when iPod docks and Pac-Man ghosts collide

2009-02-12T10:54:00.000-08:00

by Darren Murph,

You know, that's totally a recreation of Oikake up there holding that iPod, wouldn't you agree? In the spirit of Pac-man, Speakal has delivered the iBoo sound station, an iPod-friendly device that's cute enough for your kids and retro enough for you. For the low, low price of just $89.99, you too can join in the fun by grabbing one in red, blue or white. Specs wise, the device features an obligatory iPod dock, a 3.5 millimeter auxiliary input, touch volume control and music navigation, 15 watts of total power and a mini remote for controlling things from afar. Don't deny it, you're in love.

engadget.com

Rubik's TouchCube splashes modern day onto timeless classic

2009-02-12T10:52:00.000-08:00

by Darren Murph
We're having a tough time recalling the last year in which not one, but two new Rubik's Cube spinoffs were launched, but sure enough, the Rubik's TouchCube is gearing up to join the Rubik's 360 at the American International Toy Fair. Christened the "first completely electronic, solvable Rubik's Cube," this one maintains the shape of the original but replaces the colored stickers with actual lights. Users ready to engage their minds simply hit the scramble button on the cube, and then rearrange the blocks by swiping their finger. There's no mention of when this will take store shelves by storm, but we're pretty sure it'll be around for the pre-Christmas rush. Oh, and you know you can't wait to hack one, which was darn near impossible on the analog version. In-action video is just past the break.

engadget.com

First Tesla Model S teaser shot silently sneaks onto the scene

2009-02-12T10:43:00.000-08:00

by Donald Melanson,
Tesla just dropped word yesterday that a drivable prototype of its Model S sedan would be unveiled on March 26th, but the automaker has now gone one step further and let loose the first official teaser image of what we can only assume is said prototype. In true teaser fashion, there isn't a whole lot to see, but as AutoblogGreen points out, it is fairly evident that the Model S is at least shorter than the rival Fisker Karma, and it seems to boast a larger passenger compartment to boot. Hit up the link below to check out a higher res shot, and don't be surprised if Tesla continues to tease this one out right up until that March 26th launch date.

engadget.com

Windows 7 upgrade details released

2009-02-12T10:32:00.001-08:00

by Joseph L. Flatley,
The kids over at Tech Arp got their hands on a draft of Microsoft's Windows 7 upgrade scheme. According to the the document, titled "The Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade Program Rev. 2.1," Vista machines purchased from participating vendors after July 1st will be eligible for an upgrade to the new OS, whenever it comes out -- in a similar manner to the XP - Vista switchover. The idea here is to forestall a sales slump in the lead up to the new OS release. Upgrades will be tier-for-tier, with Vista Home Premium users getting to switch up to Windows 7 Home Premium when the time is right, Vista Business to Windows 7 Professional, and Vista Ultimate users getting an upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate. Additionally, 32-bit to 64-bit upgrades will not be allowed -- but folks using the 32-bit version will get to perform a clean install of the 64-bit version, if that's what their heart desires. Lastly, a system that has a valid Vista license but is running XP under the downgrade scheme will be allowed to perform a fresh install of Windows 7. You got all that? Good.

[Via SlashGear]

engadget.com

Sharp's 32- / 37-inch Blu-ray AQUOS LCD HDTVs up for pre-order

2009-02-12T10:29:00.000-08:00

by Darren Murph,
Right on cue, Sharp has offered two of its new Blu-ray-equipped AQUOS HDTVs up for pre-order. The 32-inch LC-32BD60U and 37-inch LC-37BD60U both feature 1080p panels, a trio of HDMI inputs, six millisecond response times and a slot-loading Blu-ray player on the side. Best of all, the 32-incher is coming up a dollar under a grand, while the 37-inch sibling will only run you $1,199. Sure, they're a bit pricey compared to optical drive-less alternatives, but if you've been holding off on simultaneously scratching the BD + new TV itch, here's your sign.

[Via GadgetReview]

engadget.com

Engadget's recession antidote: win a Mimo UM710 USB monitor!

2009-02-12T10:16:00.000-08:00

by Laura June,
You're probably getting used to it: bad economy, job losses sweeping the globe. Well, we here at Engadget are committed to trying to counter-attack a little bit of that suffering by handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got a Mimo UM710 USB monitor to offer up. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting!

Special thanks to The Gadgeteers for providing the gear!

The rules:

Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one Mimo UM710 monitor. Approximate value is $130.
Entries can be submitted until Thursday, February 12th, 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Full rules can be found here.

engadget.com

Samsung to show off LTE chipset at MWC

2009-02-12T10:09:00.000-08:00

by Laura June,
We've known Samsung was working on an LTE chipset for quite a while now, but word's come down from on high that we'll get to see it on show at MWC (which is now just days away). There's no word on which handset we're going to see with the new chipset, but we hear that, among other things, Samsung's going to show its GPP LTE Rel-8 standard-based video-on-demand (VOD) and Internet telephony service using the aforementioned LTE chip-adapted phone and data card, plus it's set to unveil its Mobile WiMAX Ubicell, which uses femtocell connections for use at home or in the office. Barcelona, here we come!

[Via Samsung Central]

engadget.com

Trojan PS2 made of wood earns store credit for craftsman, shame for retailer

2009-02-06T09:42:00.000-08:00

by Tim Stevens,
Ever wonder why retail boxes for videogame consoles have windows in them? It's so that retailers can scan the serial numbers when you buy them and then do so again should you decide to make a return, in theory preventing you from pulling a switcheroo. They're also supposed to take a peek inside and make sure that you're not trying to return a plastic shell and two turquoise weights, or a hunk of wood with a bar code sticker slapped on the back. Joystiq has acquired photos of what happens when they don't, submitted by a worker at a Sony distribution center, also showing an empty PS2 case full of towels and another with a flip-top cover still installed that (with a boot disc) enabled its former owner to circumvent that console's lackluster copy protection. All were returned by customers to retailers who then passed them right on to Sony, asking for credit. Surely the above craftsmanship is worth something, right?

engadget.com

INQ's next handset will get further up in your social networks

2009-02-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

by Tim Stevens,
INQ's first handset, the INQ1, got cozy with your friends on Facebook, letting you check their updates and let them all know what's happening in your 'hood while making Skype calls and checking your e-mail. The company's coming back for more with the ingeniously named INQ2, pledging to add Twitter support into the mix in a move to get more social network-agnostic. No further details are available at this point on what (if any) other services the upcoming handset will interact with, or whether it'll have a somewhat more original name, but you can be sure we'll keep you updated.

engadget.com

Stations can still yank analog plug this month, though many won't

2009-02-06T09:03:00.000-08:00

by Darren Murph,
Wow, this isn't confusing. At all. The on-again / off-again digital TV transition date -- which is now formally set for June 12th -- may or may not be honored by the hundreds upon hundreds of local broadcasters across America. You see, when Congress postponed the mandatory cutover date from its original place on the calender (February 17th), it also gave stations the option of sticking to that original date. Thus, what could end up happening is that half a city's local OTA stations would go all-digital in under two weeks, while the others delayed things until June. The good news is that most of the major US television networks (that's CBS, ABC, FOX and NBC) have reportedly decided to hold off until the new June date in order to prevent a chaotic series of events, but it's hard to say if each individual station will indeed abide. The bottom line? Get your converter box now if you need one, and if you're waiting around for one of those $40 vouchers, hats off to you and your patience.

engadget.com

Video: The $2,230 Ginza diorama speaker from Bandai

2009-02-06T09:01:00.000-08:00

by Thomas Ricker,
You're not the only ones wondering how a diorama speaker of Tokyo's Ginza district (circa 1955) could possibly cost more than $2,000. But after watching the video, somehow, it almost seems worth it. Almost. Hey, was that Lady Elaine?

engadget.com

HP rumored to have new Mini-notes on the way, father still unknown

2009-01-16T08:36:00.001-08:00

by Darren Murph,
While the Viviene Tam Edition Mini 1000 sure was pretty, it's hardly what you'd call "new." According to undisclosed sources cited by the always questionable DigiTimes, Hewlett-Packard is toying with the idea of bringing three new infants to market in the Mini-note line. If all goes to plan, the 10.1-inch Mini-note 2140 will hit the scene in February at around $567, while a WWAN-enabled Mini-note 2150 (13.3-inch, presumably) will follow in early June. For what it's worth, a new 11.6-inch model is also mentioned, and as expected, the whole trio is apt to arrive with Intel Atom's within. Guess we'll just wait and see, folks.

engadget.com

Circuit City fails to be wanted, will now be liquidated

2009-01-16T08:26:00.000-08:00

by Darren Murph,
Even Circuit City's CEO admitted that liquidation was a very real possibility if a sale of the company didn't occur by January 16th, and needless to say, time's up. According to a breaking report from the AP, the once colossal electronics retailer will indeed be forced to liquidate, which should bring happy times for bargain hunters and sad times for employees. Now that details are starting to flow in, we're told that it will liquidate 567 of its US stores after failing to secure a buyer or refinancing deal. For those who care, Great American Group LLC, Hudson Capital Partners LLC, SB Capital Group LLC and Tiger Capital Group LLC have been chosen as liquidators.

[Thanks, Doug]

engadget.com

App Store hits 500 million downloads: thanks, iFart

2009-01-16T08:22:00.000-08:00

by Paul Miller,
Wowsers, that little App Store side project Apple has going on sure doesn't seem to be settling down. After launching in July of '08 and hitting 100 million downloads in September, the App Store has just crossed the 500 million download mark -- a mere six months after opening. Compare that to the iTunes Music Store, which took two whole years to cross the 500 million mark, though to be fair we have little idea of the paid to free ratio of app downloads. There are over 15,000 apps in the App Store currently, and sure, 14,500 of them are crap, with the rest being tip calculators, but we gotta hand it to Apple for pretty much unprecedented success in the mobile download space -- now let us download SNES emulators!

[Thanks, Richard]

engadget.com

Sanyo's PLC-XF71 projector packs 10,000 lumens for extreme brightness

2009-01-16T07:46:00.000-08:00

by Ross Miller,
While not high definition like the company's most recent projectors, Sanyo's PLC-XF71 manages to compensate with 10,000 lumens for some serious brightness. By comparison, the recently-unveiled PDG-DHT100JL sports 6,500 lumens and its sub-$2000 PLV-1080HD just 1,200. Beyond that, it's got a 1024 x 768 picture and a 3000:1 contrast ratio. If you don't mind trading resolution for intense luminance, look for it to show up this month for a papered Abe Lincoln under $17,000.

engadget.com

Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FX150 reviewed, perfect for higher-end casual photographers

2009-01-16T07:44:00.000-08:00

by Tim Stevens,
If you've been waiting for SLR quality pics out of a camera you can slip into your pocket (and we're not talking cargo pants here), Panasonic's 14 megapixel Lumix DMC-FX150 is sadly not your product. However, if you've been looking for something that can take shots approaching the quality of something like a Canon G10 but do so in a more slender form factor, keep reading. PhotographyBLOG's review of this higher-end of the point 'n shoot range finds it to be quite good, capturing great images in bright light with very few chromatic aberrations. However, darker shots (bane of the pocket cam market) are still somewhat problematic, as the built-in optical IS fails to keep images sharp and noise appears at ISO 800 and above. Despite those annoyances the $399 camera (yours for about $100 less if you don't mind bargain hunting) scored overall high marks, becoming one of the best quality shooters you can buy and have a hope of fitting in your skinny jeans.

engadget.com

Rumored Mac Mini refresh confirmed to be Ion-based

2009-01-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

by Laura June,
People trading in salacious gossip have been counting on an update of the Mac mini for ages now, with most of the rumors centering on it making its appearance at Macworld. Well, the festivities came and went without a peep about the mini -- but that hasn't stopped the rumors from swirling. The latest we're hearing is that the refresh will be built upon NVIDIA's new Ion platform, which houses a 9400M GPU -- the same graphics processor as the new unibody Macbooks -- and could mean an even minier mini than the one we already know. Tom's Hardware, the source of this newest rumor, also speculates on a March release date, though they're not guessing on the price just yet.

engadget.com

Video: Taiyo's voice controlled Voice-Heli RC helicopter: "attack!"

2009-01-16T05:47:00.000-08:00

by Thomas Ricker,
We love RC helicopters. What self-respecting nerd doesn't? Add voice control and our dorktalic sensorloin careens into the red. Taiyo Co. plans to release a 7.2-inch radio controlled helicopter with 10-foot range sometime in 2009. At launch, the Voice-Heli will respond to commands such as "start engine," "up," "hold," "down," and "stop." Presumably, it'll recognize "quit spinning out of control you piece of Walmart shiznit!" in future versions. Taiyo says that it is targeting middle-aged men who would play with the toy rather than their children. Stop Taiyo, please, for your own sake, stop... you had us at voice controlled. Check the video after the break.

[Thanks, Vincent]

engadget.com

Peek for Life: $299.95 one-day sale means no monthly fees

2009-01-16T05:45:00.000-08:00

by Darren Murph,
Our biggest gripe with the Peek email-only handheld has always been the incredibly annoying $19.95 per month data plan. If you jump in today, however, you can forget all about those recurring charges. It seems the suits at Peek have finally stumbled upon what could actually be a viable business model for this unique handset, as they're offering the unit up for $299.95 with data included for the life of the device. Unfortunately, the deal is a one-day only affair, but truthfully, we fully expect this option to become the norm in the not-too-distant future.

engadget.com

Hey Sony, where's the 1.6GHz VAIO P for America?

2009-01-16T05:36:00.000-08:00

by Darren Murph,
Sure, we Americans are enamored by flashy designs, but that doesn't mean we don't appreciate performance. For whatever reason, consumers in the UK, Japan and the Principality of Sealand (among other locales) can order up Sony's oh-so-cute VAIO P with a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, while we Americans can't get anything other than the stock 1.3GHz chip. So, what gives Sony? Supply chain problems? Too much haterade? None of the above?

[Thanks, James]

engadget.com

HTC looking to NVIDIA's Tegra platform for high-performance phones?

2009-01-16T05:33:00.000-08:00

by Chris Ziegler,
We've been waiting patiently since Tegra's announcement half a year ago for some seriously awesome Tegra-powered hardware (well, any hardware) to get unveiled, but so far, you could hear a pin drop -- we've gotten nothing. That should hopefully change in a big way in 2009, and at least one analyst is predicting that HTC will play a role in getting that mobile NVIDIA silicon into pockets around the world. There's no question that HTC's supposed leaked lineup contains devices that would fit well into Tegra's high-function, multimedia-heavy aspirations, but on the flipside, we've also got rumors that the company moving toward Ericsson chipsets. Tegra's definitely flashier than anything in Ericsson's stable, and HTC's big enough to pursue multiple chipset strategies at the same time -- they have with software platforms, after all -- so let's hope this high drama all resolves itself by MWC next month, eh?

[Via wmpoweruser.com]

engadget.com

Windows 7 on Gizmodo, So Far

2009-01-14T10:35:00.000-08:00

By Wilson Rothman,

The PC galaxy is now a-frenzy with the Windows 7 beta—the largest OS beta test in history. Before we continue reporting, let's look back at its features, promises and proofs of awesomeness:

• The initial Windows 7 feature walkthrough, boot video and first taste of the user experience

• Giz Explains all the hidden benefits of Windows 7, and why it will smash Vista

• Our parody of 25 features you won't find in Windows 7

• How Windows 7 will extend laptop battery life by at least 11%

• What the totally upgraded Media Center interface on Windows 7 can do

• Early benchmarks of Windows 7 said to be "very promising"

• Finally, how to install and play with the Windows 7 Beta

[Windows 7 on Giz]

gizmodo.com

The Netbook Hackintosh Video Apple Is Suing Wired For

2009-01-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

By matt buchanan,
Gadget Lab writer and Giz friend Brian X. Chen reveals via Twitter that Apple "is suing Wired for my video tutorial on hacking netbooks to run Mac OS X."

Brian actually loaned his personal MSI Wind Hackintosh for the Giz Gallery. It seems more likely that Apple is actually sending Wired a cease-and-desist rather than asking for money—telling them to pull the tutorial, which explicitly lays out step by step how to put OS X on a netbook, including trips to The Pirate Bay to get the software, diving into the notebook's guts and other grisly details in a fantastic, super-complete guide to Hackintoshing a netbook.

We'll update with more details as we get them.

gizmodo.com

Clearwire Prepping a WiMax Wi-Fi Router For Portable 4G Hotspots

2009-01-14T10:31:00.000-08:00

By John Mahoney,

Clearwire early Wimax adopters will soon be able to buy a portable wi-fi router that will broadcast your ultra-fat 4G pipe to everyone within range of your pocketable little router.

Sidecut Reports spotted the little rig (in prototype form here) at Clearwire's Portland WiMax launch. It's basically a Cradlepoint device (it may even be made by them, as this Sprint EV-DO router is), and it will supposedly be on sale for around $125 by February in Clearwire's launch markets.

But don't believe the marketing hooey from Clearwire though that they're the only network provider encouraging such uses—he obviously hasn't seen Sprint's Cradlepoint. [Sidecut Reports via Electronista]

gizmodo.com

Nikon D3x reviewed: unmatched image quality, steep price tag

2009-01-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

by Ross Miller,
While all of the Nikon D3x previews from December largely heaped praise on the camera, Thomas Hogan's recent review is decidedly more evenhanded. Though lauded for what he calls the best image quality of any DSLR on the market, its $8000 price tag receives some harsh criticism. Compared to its D3 predecessor, he says you're paying a $3600 premium for what is essentially just twice the pixel count (12.1 megapixels vs. 24.4). If you're the kind of person who needs the higher resolution, this is the camera for you. For everyone else, it might be worth a pass. Hit up the read link for an exhaustive analysis.

[Via 1001 Noisy Cameras]

engadget.com

Sony VAIO GS series pops up in the FCC -- a cheap Sony ultraportable?

2009-01-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

by Nilay Patel,
We don't have a lot to go on, but a machine called the VAIO GS just popped up in the FCC database, along with the usual nasty gub'ment photos. Doing some extremely rough back-of-the-napkin calculations, it looks like it's Sony's answer to the Dell Mini 12 -- 11 inches wide with a 12ish-inch 4:3 screen. We're also seeing an optional built-in optical drive, WiFi, Bluetooth, three USB ports, a PC Card slot (that's what it's marked -- let's hope it's really ExpressCard), a Memory Stick slot, Ethernet and modem ports, and VGA out. We're guessing the optical drive explains the netbook-ish hinge battery placement, but nothing explains how ugly this thing is -- let's hope the downgrade in style from the VAIO P comes with a corresponding downgrade in price. A few more shots after the break.

engadget.com

DisplayPort 1.2 adds Apple's mini connector, stereoscopic 3D

2009-01-14T10:21:00.000-08:00

by Ross Miller,
If Apple's no-fee licensing wasn't enough to entice manufacturers, the Mini DisplayPort connector is now being added to VESA's DisplayPort 1.2 specifications. The update will also double the available bandwidth to 5.4Gbps, which can be used for 1920 x 1080 stereoscopic 3D imagery, four 1920 x 1200 screens, or one massive 3840 x 2160 display. According to Register Hardware, the 1.2 standard will be published by the middle of this year.

[Via Mac Rumors]

engadget.com

Aircell's Gogo in-flight internet coming to United Airlines

2009-01-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

by Darren Murph,
Aircell already managed to coerce American, Delta, Virgin America and Air Canada into installing its Gogo in-flight internet equipment into at least a few of their airplanes, and now United Airlines can proudly say that it's no longer looking in from the outside. Starting this year, a baker's dozen of the company's Boeing 757s -- which will fly between John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and California's Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport -- will be armed and ready with WiFi for the people. Pricing will remain set at $12.95 for the entire flight, and service is expected to roll out during the second half of this year.

engadget.com

Future Arcam Blu-ray player spotted at CES

2009-01-14T10:14:00.000-08:00

by Darren Murph,
Arcam may not be at the top of your list of must-have brands, but it's about to join the flourishing Blu-ray player market in the near future, regardless. Sadly, the only details about the deck you see above -- which was seen sporting a high-end-signifying FMJ-xxx logo at CES -- are that it's likely to be staggeringly expensive and it should ship next month. 'Til then, it looks like you'll be testing your patience.

engadget.com

NEC M155 Messenger watch phone for healthcare, hospitality, and those without shame

2009-01-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

by Joseph L. Flatley ,
The less we say about this one the better, we're afraid. Billed as "the ultimate messaging device for healthcare and hospitality," the M155 Messenger functions as a speaker phone, a wireless messaging device (presumably SMS), an alarm clock, and boasts a whopping three-line display. And we wouldn't be caught dead wearing it. Not as a watch or, as NEC-Philips recommends, a necklace. Of course, these things are meant to be purchased in bulk for use by hospitals and such, but don't you think those who are entrusted with our health deserve something a little less... insanely ugly? No price or release date -- but does that really matter? Suddenly, the LG watch phone looks pretty good. Pretty, pretty, pretty good.

engadget.com

Details on Intel Atom N280 begin to surface, are short on excitement

2009-01-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

by Paul Miller,
Sure, the Atom N270 has done great things for humanity during its brief tenure powering pretty much every netbook that comes down the pipes, but it's time for a change, and it looks like the N280 from Intel -- already slated for a couple Eee PCs -- could provide just the sort of marginal boost we're looking for. The single core chip bests the N270's 1.6GHz clock with blazing 1.66GHz speeds, and a 667MHz bus over the original's 533MHz. What could perhaps be much more interesting is the promised Intel GN40 chipset that accompanies the N280, which there's currently very little info on, but hopefully does a little bit towards competing with NVIDIA's ION -- or at least pepping up that game of solitaire we've been working on.

[Thanks, Jagslive]

engadget.com

Aiptek PocketCinema V10 hands-on

2009-01-14T09:59:00.000-08:00

by Joseph L. Flatley,
This is it! We just received video of the only pico projector endorsed by Russell Crowe (if by "endorsed" you mean "absolutely not endorsed," and by "Russell Crowe" you mean "the poor target of our Photoshoppery"). For a handheld VGA projector, the thing seems to handle itself pretty well. It's small and simple to use, but then again it doesn't really seem all that bright (something you might notice if you ever need it to, we don't know, "project" something). This bad boy has 1GB internal memory, an SD slot, and miniUSB, which should handle most of your I/O needs. Be sure to check out the explosive videos -- generously provided by Engadget Spanish -- after the break.

engadget.com

MIT's portable 'seeing machine' for the blind enters testing

2009-01-14T09:56:00.000-08:00

by Tim Stevens,
Many who are legally blind have functional retinas locked behind lenses so clouded they can't see a thing. Doctors can detect this type of ocular defect using a scanning laser opthalmoscope (or SLO), and can even focus an image onto those hidden retinas to allow the blind to see -- temporarily, since a cost of $100,000 and a rather non-portable design means SLO's are only suited for medical offices. We reported back in 2006 on the efforts of MIT's Elizabeth Goldring and colleagues to create a cheaper, portable version, and now a prototype is entering testing. It's comprised of a digital camera (looks like possibly a Lumix DMC-TZ50) mounted to an LED-backlit LCD that is able to focus to a point, penetrating lenses damaged by glaucoma or macular degeneration. No word on when this sort of thing might be generally available, but testing will take place at the Beetham Eye Institute in Boston, so head on over if you want to get some eyes-on time with one of these.

[Via tgdaily]

engadget.com

Daimler taps Tesla's battery know-how for electric Smart

2009-01-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

by Tim Stevens,
Daimler has been talking about electric Smart cars for about 10 years now, but the closest you've ever been able to come to a production model has been to go all KIRF-style and buy a knock-off CMEC City Smart. At the North American International Auto Show this past week the company again confirmed that a little Smart that runs on little batteries is still in the works, announcing plans to release 1,000 electric fortwos on lease here in the States by the end of the year. Now that the show is over, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is letting everyone know that his company will be producing those little batteries, a partnership the likes of which he must surely be hoping to develop with other manufacturers as they jump on the EV bandwagon. 1,000 cars is disappointingly few, but it's better than the paltry 500 plug-in Prius models Toyota plans to pilot here.

engadget.com

Smartfish Pro:Motion Keyboard prevents carpal tunnel syndrome, bops 'round your desk

2009-01-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

by Joseph L. Flatley,
Take it from us, kids. Computer use -- with its carpal tunnel-wrecking input devices, spine-bending office chairs and eye-straining displays -- can wreak havoc on the body of even the healthiest young blogger. And even though there are a million products out there to help us work in a more ergonomically correct fashion, many of them seem just plain silly. If you're looking for something that actually looks like it belongs on a desk, however, be sure to check out the Smartfish Pro:Motion Keyboard. Pretty standard gear, except that it's outfitted with motors that subtly shift the keyboard's angle throughout the day -- ostensibly eliminating the cause of repetitive stress injuries. If this weren't enough, the device can track your typing speed and self-adjusts its angle and separation according to your needs. There have been no clinical trials for the device yet, but if you're desperate for relief -- or feeling daredevilish -- you're not gonna let that stop ya, right?

[Via Everything USB]

engadget.com

Windows 7 beta update saves your MP3s, all other versions get security patch

2009-01-14T09:35:00.000-08:00

by Ross Miller,
Microsoft has pushed out its first patch for the Windows 7 public beta. The update saves your MP3s from a rather nasty bug that trims seconds off any song that's been edited, either by you or via automatic updates from Windows Media Player. If you've got afflicted files, there's a chance they're salvageable via properties window, according to the patch notes -- and if not, then here's hoping you backed up your library. Additionally, a new update has gone out to Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Server 2003 / 2008 that fixes some vulnerabilities in the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. Beta users won't get their fix until the next public release, explains Microsoft Security Response Team's Christopher Budd, since it's only considered a "moderate" risk for the new OS.

engadget.com

Apple suddenly approves a bunch of browsers for App Store; major policy shift in progress?

2009-01-14T09:32:00.000-08:00

by Chris Ziegler,
Okay, so maybe a new browser isn't the first thing we'd like to see replaced with some fresh thinking out of the App Store -- that honor probably goes to the email client, preferably with something that could rival the G1's capabilities -- but regardless, Apple's infamous "duplication of functionality" argument has hamstrung iPhone developers from even coming close to stepping on the mothership's toes from day one. Consistent application of policy is still at a premium when it comes to getting iPhone apps approved, it seems -- it's hit or miss, and as best as we can tell, a happy ending involves the crossing of fingers and getting a reviewer inside Apple who's having a good day. It looks like Apple's slowly and quietly tweaking its game in response to complaints, though, with MacRumors noting that a slew of browsers have gone on sale in the past day; some of these things have submission dates several months old, so it seems like they've been holding in some sort of purgatory while Steve and the gang debate the merits of letting programmers actually practice their trade in peace. Odds are none of these initial entries will hold up to Safari for good, old-fashioned browsing, but more importantly, this might just open up the door for Opera and others to get in on the game.

Update: As it turns out, all these new browsers are WebKit-based, so while things do appear to be changing, we wouldn't hold out hope for an iPhone edition of Mobile IE just yet.

engadget.com

The making of Logitech's G-series peripherals

2009-01-14T09:29:00.000-08:00

by Ross Miller, Design Partners, the company responsible for Logitech's G-series, has released a series of images offering a behind-the-scenes look at how the suite of wild gaming peripherals came to be. Interested to see the design process? Check out the galleries below -- we're particularly taken with the image showing a designer hand-crafting the G19's wrist rest.

Galleries

G35 Surround Sound Headset	G13 Gameboard
G19 Keyboard	G9x mouse

engadget.com

Uninspired Archos 10 netbook announced

2009-01-14T09:25:00.000-08:00

by Laura June, Archos is totally getting in on the netbook game with the announcement of their own branded model (actually just a re-packaged Hasee MJ125), the Archos 10. This little 10.2-incher (with 1024 x 600 resolution) is going to pack a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive, with a 3-cell battery, WiFi, and three USB ports -- nothing to get too excited about, for sure, but we'll wait with breath bated for word on pricing and availability.

[Via DAPreview]

engadet.com

HTC May Make Second Android Phone By April, Says Unreliable Site

2008-12-23T10:13:00.000-08:00

By Jason Chen,

Digitimes, who was already kinda wrong this morning, says that HTC will release a second Android phone by April and a third is already in development.

The third phone already being in development is a super-obvious rumor, since every company has tons of things going on simultaneously, but a second Android phone by April? Sure, that's possible. I mean, all HTC needs to do is pick one of the hundreds of form factors they already have, slap the Android OS on it, make sure stuff like the battery life isn't atrocious, and it's going to be better than the G1.

However, being possible is one thing, but being true is another. So we'll wait and see whether or not April is the right month. [Digitimes via Electronista]

www.gizmodo.com

Now You Can Read Twilight, Golden Compass On Your iPhone

2008-12-23T10:07:00.000-08:00

By Jason Chen,

If your one dream in life was to read the teenage vampire novel Twilight on your iPhone and pay twice as much as normal, you can now die happy.

ScrollMotion has designed a book reading interface wrapper for the iPhone and partnered with major publishing houses like Simon & Schuster, Random House, Houghton Mifflin and Penguin in order to bring books like Twilight and The Golden Compass to you. At $10.99, it's actually MORE expensive than buying the Twilight paperback ($6.04 on Amazon), so if you buy this it's more of a convenience thing than a price thing. And don't confuse your iPhone as an E-book reader, as that lcd backlight will kill your battery even when you're not turning page. (Unlike an E-ink display.)

More books will be rolling out gradually as more partners jump on. [Twilight]

www.gizmodo.com

An Extensive, Obsessive Performance Test Of... USB Keys?

2008-12-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

By John Herrman,

Test Freaks wrangled as many flash drives as they could and ran them through an oddly intense testing regime, finding out that your choice in USB stick brand may actually matter.

The test is by no means exhaustive, as there are many hundreds—if not thousands—of USB drives on the market today. The test did include popular sticks from recognizable brands, as well as some budget and novelty pieces that you might be likely to pick up. The results were somewhat predictable: sticks from reputable companies like OCZ, Lexar and Sandisk offer greater read/write speeds, and sticks in the 4GB range perform consistently well.

There were some surprises, namely the standout performance from OCZ units and the plodding, about-as-fast-as-it-would-be-if-it-stored-data-on-actual-wood Brando Wood drive. And results aside, I've derived some comfort from the fact that out there somewhere, there exists a man named Kristofer Brozio who is willing to actually run a dozen time-consuming benchmarks on over 20 USB keys. Check out the full results at the source link. [Test Freaks via Engadget]

www.gizmodo.com

2. What Beautiful Future Gadgets Will Be Made Of

2008-12-23T09:53:00.000-08:00

By Brian Lam,

I think we need to experiment with how we design the buttons that connect hardware and software experiences. This is a design element whose materiality has been relatively unchanged, and there is more opportunity here to create ceramic or wood details (where the drop test requirements can be quietly avoided)...What if the power button was made of stone? What if the LEDs shine thru a thin layer of bamboo? We also need to experiment with the screen itself, this element has been limited to the display of information. What if the screen folds or unfolds? What if the glass is textured or etched with communication icons or pattern? Finally, in the future, I think that we should experiment with creating decoration or function by introducing incredibly surprising technologies (high-tech or low-tech) – like ferrofluid or starch-based plastics.

If the next generation of gadgets is about experimenting with materials or materiality, then it will only be not about what materials we use but how we use materials to tell stories.

What does vinyl mean to music and media players? Can phone be made of fabric so it is ready-to-wear, like the clothes you keep in your closet? What does traditional craft mean to high-tech products? What is the physical connection between these objects of fetish and the internet buzz that proceeds/follows each product launch? How do we create real and tangible advertising for the next CE products? And look for the introduction of “new” materials in the small details of each product…the platform of these devices is relatively standardized by its components, phones and laptops are a commodity. The design is in the details and the story you tell."

—Kara Johnson, lead of the Materials Team at IDEO, is the co-author of Materials and Design: The Art and Science of Material Selection in Product Design and the forthcoming book, I Miss My Pencil

www.gizmodo.com

1. What Beautiful Future Gadgets Will Be Made Of

2008-12-23T09:50:00.000-08:00

By Brian Lam,

Wood paneling and silver-painted plastic used to be cool; so I wonder when our current metal and glass gadgets will go out of style, and if so, what will future gadgets be made from?

I asked several designers what they thought, but Kara Johnson, the lead of the Materials Team at design company IDEO, had the final word based on her focused expertise related to the question at hand. Her answer is a bit heady, but I won't get in the way of what she's telling us about tomorrow's gadget materials.

"Plastic as we know it is kind of on the way out, especially when it’s painted. No one likes the way your phone’s paint chips at the corners after a few months of use. Unpainted plastic is the future. And we need to move beyond injection molding, look at sheet processes to build structure from a series of 2d layers, instead of molding a complete 3d structure.

Glass, as a part of the screen, won’t go away very quickly. But maybe we’ll find ways to use glass so that it’s more difficult to create cracks with an accidental drop on the kitchen floor. Maybe there are lessons to be learned from automotive glass windshields or scratch resistant coatings on eyewear. And why not etch the glass?

Metal will continue to be a player in the world of gadgets. It’s beautiful and appropriate to create thin, mobile, technology-based products. Extruded aluminum is a design opportunity that has not yet been fully explored in terms of form or function. With the introduction of laser etching or chemical etching or a detailed craft process like wire filigree, we should be exploring the use of pattern on metal or to create surfaces. This is more evident in large-scale products or architecture where metal is used to create elegant structures or to create a frame for other elements of pattern. By translating innovations in metal from a large scale to something small, we will find new design opportunities, too.

So what’s next?.......

Morega's curious Qew may or may not eventually stream your media

2008-12-23T09:44:00.000-08:00

by Darren Murph,
Call us skeptical, but we're not so sure that Morega's Qew is anything more than a mere figment of someone's imagination. The outfit has a thing for showing up just before CES in an apparent attempt to drum up interest, but the outfit's Qew teaser site just screams vaporware. We're never actually shown what it is, though we're told that it can stream, archive, transport and share multimedia. Hmm, sounds a lot like the abilities of some other box we know of.

www.engadget.com

[Thanks, Mark]

Intel ships 160GB X25-M SSD, 1.8-inch X18-M flavor coming soon

2008-12-23T09:42:00.000-08:00

by Darren Murph,
Okay, so maybe Intel's running a bit behind schedule, but it's not like you can afford this thing anyway. The outfit has just announced that its 2.5-inch X25-M SSD is finally shipping in a 160GB flavor, though it politely declined to insult us with a presumably stratospheric sticker. Of note, the 1.8-inch X18-M counterpart should join it on select store shelves "next month." Hmm, are we feeling a joint debut with a gaming notebook and / or ultraportable at CES? Yes, yes we are.

www.engadget.com

Bag TV debuts multimedia mistake

2008-12-23T09:36:00.000-08:00

by Laura June,
Hey guys: if you're dating the kind of girl who covets a seriously hideous $700 bag with a useless LCD, you should probably call it off.

[Via Red Ferret]

www.engadget.com

NEC's L series is back -- now in four exciting colors!

2008-12-23T09:33:00.000-08:00

by Joseph L. Flatley,
The last time we saw a LaVie netbook we were seriously taken aback by the company's apparent decision to base its design on that of a ten year old Micron, so it's nice to see that NEC Japan will soon be releasing another of their (relatively) classy L series machines. Due out Christmas Day for about ¥175,000 (about $1,950) the LL750 sports a 15.4-inch, 1280 x 800 LCD display, a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo with Intel graphics, 4GB of memory, 320GB storage, HDMI out and a FeliCa port. No sure on Stateside availability, but lucky consumers in Japan will get their choice between white, pink, black, and red -- how debonair!

[Via Akihabara]

www.engadget.com

Nextar throws in free traffic updates for life on Q4-LT navigator

2008-12-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

by Darren Murph,
Nextar has been pretty steadily adding newcomers to its Q4 family of navigators, and it's not about to let up now with CES just around the corner. The latest member, the Q4-LT, touts a 4.3-inch touchscreen, built-in speaker / antenna, text-to-speech support, 2D / 3D NAVTEQ maps of the US and Canada, 1.6 million POIs, an MP3 / JPEG player, rechargeable battery and of course, free traffic updates for life. Hope you're not too fond of the feature set, though, 'cause it won't even be available for purchase until Q3 2009 for $249.99.

www.engadget.com

British physics professor perfects "tunable eyeglasses" -- no eye doctor required

2008-12-23T09:26:00.000-08:00

by Laura June,
We've seen small scale liquid lenses progress from concepts to commerical applications, and now Joshua Silver, a retired physics professor at Oxford University, has perfected what he calls "adaptive glasses," applying similar tech in a singular and ingenious way. Aimed at helping developing nations where glasses are expensive and doctors are often in short supply, Silver's spectacles are made of tough plastic with with silicon liquid in the lenses. When purchased, each lense will have a syringe attached to it, and the wearer will be able to adjust the amount of liquid in the lenses -- which essentially changes the prescription -- without the need for an optician. About 10,000 pairs have been distributed in Ghana on a trial basis, with plans to distribute one million pairs in India in the next year -- the ultimate goal is one billion by 2020. And somewhere else in the world, a room full of opticians cry into their beer.

www.engadget.com

Intel buys a little more Imagination, says it might want it all

2008-12-23T09:24:00.000-08:00

by Nilay Patel,
Man, that PowerVR mobile graphics core must be some hot stuff -- hot on the heels of Apple's $5M investment into developer Imagination Technologies, Intel's upped its own investment in the company to 3.04 percent. That's not quite as much as Apple's 3.6 percent stake, but Intel seems ready to commit -- it also filed a statement with the London Stock Exchange saying it might try and acquire all of Imagination if it thinks another company is on the prowl. Of course, Apple and Intel are like, besties, so maybe it'll all work out, but we'll see whose letter jacket Imagination shows up to homeroom in next week.

www.engadget.com

Viliv's Atom-powered S5 MID gets detailed and pictured

2008-12-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

by Darren Murph,
Viliv got us salivating when it introduced the S5 MID and S7 UMPC back at IDF, and now we've got a few tasty updates on both. Starting with the former, we've learned via an interview with parent company Yukyung that the S5 MID will come packing a 1.33GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 1.8-inch hard drive (1.3-inch when paired with a WiBro module in South Korea), a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 resolution touchscreen, integrated GPS / DMB and a primary battery good for up to six hours of use. The OS will be a home cooked system that's fairly attractive, though the outfit has made clear that WinXP versions will be available in the future. Speaking of the future, the currently unpriced S5 is expected to ship in South Korea this coming January or February, while the S7 is still on track for release sometime after that.

[Via Slashgear]

www.engadget.com