IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 16/04/2010

TVLogic debuts 56-inch LUM-560W 4K x 2K LCD a few years ahead of time

Oh sure, it's not that we've never seen a 4K x 2K display before, but few are both a) this small and b) this connected. Introduced over at NAB 2010, the LUM-560W is quite a different beast from the two OLED sets already shown by TVLogic. Boasting a 56-inch 10-bit panel, a native 3,840 x 2,160 resolution, 1,500:1 contrast ratio and support for the company's own color calibrator utility, the only major bummer is the totally corporate bezel that we're forced to deal with. There's also too many ports to count, but we'll try: four HDMI inputs, four DVI-D inputs, four 3G/HD/SD-SDI inputs and four 3G/HD/SD-SDI outputs. There's nary a mention of price of availability, but you'll probably need a nice archive of raw RED footage before you genuinely care about either.

TVLogic debuts 56-inch LUM-560W 4K x 2K LCD a few years ahead of time originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympus serves up autofocus update for PEN E-P1, E-P2 and E-PL1 cameras

Got yourself a new PEN? If you're nodding your head furiously up and down, you owe it to yourself to take ten minutes late next week and install a minty fresh update. Olympus has today let loose a new firmware build that improves auto focus performance for still images and high-definition video recording for the PEN E-P1, E-P2 and E-PL1 cameras. Better still, it enables the menu and recorded image to be displayed on the E-P2 and E-PL1 LCD while the VF-2 electronic viewfinder is in use. Unfortunately, the bits and bytes you're after won't be available to download until next Thursday (the 22nd), but till then, you can keep on using your Micro Four Thirds shooter while imagining how much better your images will be in just a few short days.

Continue reading Olympus serves up autofocus update for PEN E-P1, E-P2 and E-PL1 cameras

Olympus serves up autofocus update for PEN E-P1, E-P2 and E-PL1 cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony PlayTV getting Facebook, still no love for stateside PS3 owners

Sony PlayTV, the digital TV tuner / DVR for PS3 that is still painfully unavailable in the United States, is getting "great new features," according to the PlayStation Blog. What does that mean for you? Well, if you're in England, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, or the UAE, it means Facebook integration! What else does it mean? "Other great enhancements," the likes of which the company refuses to divulge at this point. That said, it looks like we'll know "later this year," at least according to James Thorpe, PlayStation Network Product Manager. We'll keep you posted.

Sony PlayTV getting Facebook, still no love for stateside PS3 owners originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keepin' it real fake: Moonse iPad knockoff loses a few inches, runs Android

This is far from the first iPad knockoff to emerge from KIRF-land, but Moonse's new E-7001 tablet may just be the first to garner some serious interest -- if it ever actually turns up for sale, that is. Supposedly, the tablet will sell for as little as 900 Chinese yuan (or about $130), which will get you a 7-inch touchscreen, a 600MHz Rockchip RK2808 processor (which could possibly be upgraded to a Cortex-A8 before launch), Android 1.5 for an OS, an SD card slot for storage, built-in WiFi, and a promised five hours of battery life. What's more, while it is slightly thicker than an iPad, it apparently weighs just 0.7 pounds, or about half as much as the iPad, and it boasts a few advantages of its own, in a front-facing camera and a USB port. As you may have guessed, there's not even a hint on availability, but it does seem to at least exist in prototype form, and there's plenty more shots of it at the source link below.

Keepin' it real fake: Moonse iPad knockoff loses a few inches, runs Android originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pantech's Sirius Sky smartphone does Android 2.1 on Snapdragon

One gigahertz is becoming the bar of entry in the world of Android, and the upcoming Sirius Sky from Pantech meets that with its Snapdragon processor. It's also helped along by an Android 2.1 install and a 3.7-inch 800 x 480 OLED screen that does look rather vivid in the above shot -- presumably taken indoors. 500MB of storage is offered internally by the phone while expandable memory bumps things up to 32GB, upon which pictures from the five megapixel camera can be stored for later mockery. The phone is said to be hitting Asian markets "pretty soon" and, while there are rumors of a US release, they're sounding a bit unsubstantiated at this point.

Pantech's Sirius Sky smartphone does Android 2.1 on Snapdragon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba's latest HDDs are automotive-grade, dashboard-bound
We'd like to think that platters are a dying breed; that SSD-based mass storage will rule all our computing devices thanks to its increased durability, performance, and efficiency. Some folks are just stuck on platters, though, including Toshiba, which is introducing a new line of disks intended for in-car infotainment systems. The two current models come in 100 or 200GB capacities and, while they won't win any awards for their 4,200RPM rotational speeds, they will operate at a temperature range of -30 to 85 degrees celsius (that's -22 to 185F) while offering vibration resistance of up to 2Gs and operational shock survivability of up to 300Gs. If you can avoid firing your minivan out of a gauss rifle in Minnesota in February this could be the drive for you.

Toshiba's latest HDDs are automotive-grade, dashboard-bound originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sleek Audio's SA7 earphones withstand 14,000 Gs of acceleration, dent your wallet accordingly

Do you find yourself whipping about earbuds like boleadoras when you're bored? Here's a pair that can take your abuse. The long-awaited successor to Sleek Audio's famous SA6 'phones -- dubbed the SA7 -- have the same adjustable bass / treble ports and removable cords of their predecessor, but in a case machined from solid aluminum with a carbon fiber shell and titanium screws. Inside, the drivers are cushioned by shock-absorbing silicone that lets them take a 14,000 G beating, which Wikipedia tells us is roughly the same rating as a navigation chip inside an artillery round. The company told Popular Science the SA7's thin aluminum shell lets listeners hear a whole extra octave; if that tempts you, you'll only have to cough up $400 and change (plus an extra $100 for a wireless Kleer kit) for the privilege.

Update: Sleek Audio pinged us to say that the SA6 is still hanging around; the SA7 is simply the new flagship. It'll be shipping at some point in 2010 -- we'll keep you posted.

Sleek Audio's SA7 earphones withstand 14,000 Gs of acceleration, dent your wallet accordingly originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba reveals more tablet details, confirms Windows and Android versions

74diggsdigg It wasn't that long ago that we heard confirmation from Toshiba America's Jeff Barney that there was a slate coming from the company in early 2011. Now Jeff has disclosed a bit more information to Reuters, including the presence of not one but at least two of the things, and he's saying they'll be out before the year is through. The first will be a premium model running Windows 7, roughly 10 inches in size and, interestingly, having not one but two screens. (Is this you, Courier?) The second will run Android and is said to come in at a lower price, though beyond that it's up to you to decide what kind of specs it should have. The prime intent for both is "media consumption" according to Barney, who sees the presence of slates as "expansive like netbooks." In other words: not stealing sales from the company's laptop business. Given he also took the time to talk up the 50-percent boost in Toshiba laptop and PC sales this year, he'd better hope that's the case.

Toshiba reveals more tablet details, confirms Windows and Android versions originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel's experimental sensor analyzes appliance power consumption from single outlet

It's pretty much set in silicon -- in the future, you will monitor your home power consumption, and perhaps even enjoy doing so. Futuristic touchscreen panels and free monitoring software abound, each designed to reward you with a warm, fuzzy Captain Planet feeling and a reduced energy bill when you finally turn off that blasted light. Thing is, unless you've got a home automation system, you won't know which switch to flip. Intel wants to change that with a new wireless sensor that can identify each individual appliance in your house by their unique electrical signal, just by plugging into a single outlet in your house. The reportedly low-cost sensor works by simply recognizing voltage drop patterns when devices are turned on and off, and doesn't require special appliances to function; Intel demonstrated it on a standard toaster, microwave and fridge in Beijing this week. Demonstrate your supreme demand for this "why didn't I think of that" idea by directing traffic to our source link -- you can jump to 20:10 to see the sensor in action.

Intel's experimental sensor analyzes appliance power consumption from single outlet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft gives us a look through Project Natal's eyes (video)

27diggsdiggIlan Spillinger, Microsoft's Xbox 360 VP, was on hand in Tel Aviv yesterday for a showcase of Project Natal. Although there wasn't much in the way of groundbreaking stuff, the resulting video does show off the motion control system's gender recognition (done through Natal's facial recognition ... you filthy child) and ability to track two players within the frame at the same time. A tipster from the audience tells us that earlier lag issues have been eradicated, although some jitter was indeed apparent when the second person stepped into Natal's field of vision. Either way, it's looking like Microsoft's Xbox 360 peripheral is progressing well toward its release near the end of this year. Go past the break to see for yourself.

[Thanks, Roy]

Continue reading Microsoft gives us a look through Project Natal's eyes (video)

Microsoft gives us a look through Project Natal's eyes (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo to launch new ThinkPads, probably on April 22

Those wily social media hounds over at Lenovo are at it again, this time teasing us with a crossword puzzle relating to a new "ThinkPad Series" of machines. Referencing our handy, and so far wholly accurate, leaked slide from February shows that the only Think-branded laptops not yet revealed are the midrange L series. Positioned to replace the aging R models, the L400 and L500 are expected to slot in as bulkier alternatives to the premier T-label ThinkPads. This puzzle tells us that whatever the new computers, they'll be firmly focused on energy and resource efficiency, and for an extra bit of PR kick, they are likely to be announced on Earth Day 2010, which just happens to be this April 22nd. Let's wait and see what Lenovo does to justify the name change and grab for green attention, eh?

Lenovo to launch new ThinkPads, probably on April 22 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 07:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mobile High-Definition Link supergroup upgrades to Consortium status
The Nokia / Samsung / Toshiba / Sony / Silicon Image team hoping to bring a standard to the world of high definition outputs on mobiles just got a bit official-er, shifting from the old working group title to the newly formed MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) Consortium. If you haven't been paying attention over the last couple of years (we understand, we've been caught up in the Twilight series too -- Bella's life is so complex) Silicon Image has been pushing a 5-pin alternative to pared down HDMI jacks that are capable of outputting 1080p to connected displays while also providing power to the mobile device over a single cable. A 1.0 draft of the spec is due in the first half of the year, but an early peek is available now for $100. Since we're not CE companies looking to implement the jack or build cables and docks we'll pass but you might be interested in perusing the FAQ on the site if you're still not sure why we need yet another type of connector to feed HD from our pocketable devices to the big screen.

Mobile High-Definition Link supergroup upgrades to Consortium status originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 07:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boxee seeks iPad and iPhone app developer, bigger slice of Apple pie

Hey there, got any Objective-C experience and a desire to help out a budding young company? You'll wanna hit that source link right quick, as Boxee is presently on the search for a Lead iPad and iPhone App Developer who will be responsible for starting the company's Mobile Applications team. It's no secret that Boxee is keen to get its media streaming software out on any and all hardware possible, and iPhone OS presents the company with an ever-expanding audience for its wares. Additional job requirements include a minimum of a year's professional development experience and that you'll have previously developed an app for the iPhone, though that last bit's not exactly a high hurdle to overcome. We like the added note that Android dev experience is "a plus," which suggests to us that the Mobile Apps team will eventually be spreading its wings beyond Apple's mobile OS as well.

[Thanks, Abed]

Boxee seeks iPad and iPhone app developer, bigger slice of Apple pie originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 06:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OCZ Colossus refreshed as 'enthusiast' 1TB SSD, not worthy of enthusiasm
The formula for last year's OCZ Colossus 1TB solid state drive was simple: Two. Two of the company's 2.5-inch solid state drives in one 3.5-inch desktop package, with two Indilinx controllers reading and writing from two-bit MLC memory at up to 260MB / sec, over a thorougly saturated SATA II connection. To improve the drive, the company would likely have had to upgrade to SATA 6G, support TRIM and possibly choose new controllers to boot. That's not what happened. The new OCZ Colossus LT is the exact same drive as its predecessor down to the read / write speeds, but with slightly cheaper 34nm flash memory. If the drive were substantially cheaper as a result, that might be enough, but pricing around the web shows that Colossus' price tags remain intact. You'll pay almost exactly the same -- about $1600 for 500GB, or $4000 for 1TB -- for this hefty SSD.

OCZ Colossus refreshed as 'enthusiast' 1TB SSD, not worthy of enthusiasm originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 05:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad will have 'dedicated tariffs' on O2 UK, Orange and Vodafone also doing Western Europe and Australia
A bevy of identically worded UK carrier announcements has emerged in the wake of Apple's statement about the iPad's delayed international release. The good news is that you'll be able to take your pick from O2, Orange or Vodafone, though the bad news, by the sound of their robotic PR, is that there probably won't be too much price differentiation in their eventual offerings. Naturally, we'll have to keep waiting until at least the May 10th pre-order date to find out how much an iPad will set us back with either of them. Concurrent with its UK announcement, Orange has revealed it'll also offer iPad plans in Switzerland, France and Spain, while Vodafone adds Germany, Italy, Spain and Australia. We've also heard from an insider at O2 that the network operator will not itself stock the iPad, with only Apple's retail, web and "authorised dealers" offering the device for purchase.

[Thanks, Rob and anonymous O2 tipster]

Continue reading iPad will have 'dedicated tariffs' on O2 UK, Orange and Vodafone also doing Western Europe and Australia

iPad will have 'dedicated tariffs' on O2 UK, Orange and Vodafone also doing Western Europe and Australia originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 05:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Niveus shows how it can help cable and satellite providers get HD on your PC

It's just a tech preview, but our favorite high end Media Center maker, Niveus, is showing off Project Snowbird at NAB this week. Niveus hopes its PC client will help cable and satellite providers bring more premium HD content to the PC. This version was copying and streaming content from a Dish Network DVR and works with Sling's protocol, DLNA and DTCP-IP -- you remember it right, the CableLabs certified DRM for IP transport? Also baked in is Microsoft's PlayReady so envisioning playing the content on a Zune HD or in Media Center aren't too unfounded either. Dish Network was involved to show its commitment to working towards this type of solution in the home, but Niveus hopes to get all the providers on board and is anxious to fill in the PC client no matter what protocol the provider wants to use. We're told that these goals are inline with those of the IP Gateway we've been talking about, so it'll be interesting to see how this all shakes out. But at this point there aren't any product announcements and so this might just be yet another tech preview that never makes it to our homes. More shots of what it might look like after the break.

Continue reading Niveus shows how it can help cable and satellite providers get HD on your PC

Niveus shows how it can help cable and satellite providers get HD on your PC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 04:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel gives MeeGo 1.0 its first public performance (video)

Here we go open source fans, the first debut of MeeGo 1.0 running on Intel silicon -- an Acer Aspire One netbook (the 532h, from the looks of it) with a Pinetrail processor to be precise -- sporting a simplified UI that looks to have inherited far more Moblin DNA than Maemo. You've got tasks, appointments, most-used apps, and a quick-launch bar all up front. We're also seeing 3D gaming support; Zones, Applications, People, Internet, Media and Settings tabs; and real-time social networking integration for Twitter, Facebook, and instant messaging with task bar alerts. Can't wait to see how the MeeGo user experience translates to a smaller, say, 4.8-inch Moorestown device or the TI OMAP-based followup to the Nokia N900 later this year. Until then, check the video after the break.

Update: Second video added showing MeeGo running on a TV, an unidentified AAVA Moorestown-based smartphone (see after the break), and digital coupon machine. It's worth mentioning that this is Intel's take on the MeeGo UI and Nokia's will likely look much different. [Thanks, Atlantian, pdexter]

Continue reading Intel gives MeeGo 1.0 its first public performance (video)

Intel gives MeeGo 1.0 its first public performance (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 03:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PhoneGap framework fine for App Store development, sez Apple
Now, we've all been concerned about recent updates to the iPhone dev agreement -- you haven't been sleeping and your parents are, quite frankly, worried for your sanity. And it's a heady subject: "what is the fate of PhoneGap in the wake of the iPhone OS 4 beta SDK?" Well, worry no more, little one -- it seems that Jesse Macfadyen, a contributor to the project, pinged Apple to make sure that users of the mobile development platform wouldn't find their apps rejected simply for using the tool. As you remember, the agreement states: "Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine" (and of course HTML and CSS are cool), so PhoneGap -- which indeed sticks to HTML, CSS and Javascript -- is totally safe. Now developers can get back to having their apps rejected for any number of other silly reasons.

[Thanks, Bea]

PhoneGap framework fine for App Store development, sez Apple originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 03:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Droid Incredible specs confirmed on Verizon site

Yes, good people of Engadgetland, we finally have an official spec sheet for the eagerly awaited Incredible handset. A 3.7-inch OLED touchscreen leads the way, with an 800 x 480 resolution, which will offer the full Google Experience on Android version 2.1. That sounds remarkably like a refashioned Nexus One to us, even down to the 1GHz Snapdragon chip inside, but where the Droid Incredible differs is in its inclusion of Sense UI (à la the Desire) and an 8 megapixel autofocusing camera. We're also seeing GPS and 8GB of integrated memory -- expandable to 24GB via MicroSD cards -- on this list, which can be found in its entirety at the source link below. Not long to wait now.

[Thanks, Henry]

Droid Incredible specs confirmed on Verizon site originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 02:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel says Light Peak coming next year, can and will coexist with USB 3.0

How do you sell a generation of hardware manufacturers on yet another standard? If you're Intel, you tell them that it'll transfer files at 10Gbps and is compatible with every major protocol that came before... and if that doesn't work, you simply fail to give your competitor hardware support. But PC World reports that while Intel is still dragging its feet regarding USB 3.0, it's planning to have Light Peak fiber optic devices in the market next year. Intel insists Light Peak isn't meant to replace USB, in so much as it can use the same ports and protocols (photographic evidence above), but at the same time it's not shying away from the possibility of obliterating its copper competition with beams of light. "In some sense we'd... like to build the last cable you'll ever need," said Intel's Kevin Kahn. Now, we're not going to rag on Light Peak, because we honestly love the idea of consolidated fiber optic connectivity. We just want to know now whether we should bother locking ourselves into a USB 3.0 ecosystem if better things are just around the corner.

Intel says Light Peak coming next year, can and will coexist with USB 3.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad printing: solved

1,412diggsdigg Magical in its simplicity.

iPad printing: solved originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Charlie Kindel on Windows Phone 7: some things will be missing at launch
In the weeks since Microsoft's MIX conference, the company has obviously done a little introspection and refined its message around Windows Phone 7 -- there's no greater example of that than the fact that they simplified the name at the public's urging. Microsoft's Charlie Kindel, who's been leading up developer evangelism for the platform, has gone on record a few times recently with some interesting tidbits around their post-launch strategy, including the very good news that they want to "do the right thing" with copy / paste -- not a meaty answer to the problem, obviously, but a heartening sign that they'll end up adding a clipboard into the mix at one point or another. Managed multitasking -- something similar to what Apple has announced in iPhone OS 4.0 -- also appears to be on the docket, though it's not something we can expect in the first volley later this year.

Speaking in more generic terms, Kindel says that the company is well aware that "some things are missing at the launch," choosing to concentrate instead on getting a limited set of functionality perfectly polished for version 1.0 -- a distinctly different philosophy than in versions past. Fortunately, both OTA and tethered updates will be possible, though it sounds like Microsoft will be using a mix of the two depending on the size and complexity of the update -- you can't pick your own poison, the way you can with BlackBerrys and Android devices today.

On a related note, we wanted to take this opportunity to spruce up our complete guide to Windows Phone 7, which you'll be able to use over the course of the year to stay abreast of the latest and greatest information we have about the platform as we get close to launch. Check it out here!

Charlie Kindel on Windows Phone 7: some things will be missing at launch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 23:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung NB30 netbook gains touchscreen, inflated price tag

A touchscreen on a netbook may not be everyone's idea of a good time, but it looks like Samsung thinks there's a sizable enough market for them, as it's now introduced a touchscreen-equipped counterpart to its NB30 netbook. Dubbed the NB30 Touch, this version packs a 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 touchscreen (matte, no less) and remains otherwise identical to the standard NB30, including an Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB or 250GB hard drive, and Windows 7 Starter Edition for an OS. Of course, the one other big change is the price, which comes in at €399 (or about $545) for the NB30 Touch, compared to just €279 (or $380) for the non-touchscreen version.

Samsung NB30 netbook gains touchscreen, inflated price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skyfire boss on possible iPhone port: 'stay tuned for news'

So Opera Mini for iPhone has proved to be kind of a big deal, and that HTML-laden beacon of hope is putting a twinkle in some other developers' eyes. Take Skyfire, for instance. CEO Jeff Glueck posted this week a congratulations to the Opera team for its inclusion in the iTunes app store -- a surprise to many, us included. He also explained that "this will certainly accelerate our strategy on iDevices," and seeing as its only product is a mobile browser with Flash and Silverlight, Jeff certainly has our attention here. That said, we're not exactly getting our hopes up, especially since the App Store's rules have always forbidden any app from running a code interpreter and we don't see how SkyFire can bypass that aspect of Flash and Silverlight entirely, even though it uses a server-side rendering model similar to Opera Mini's. We'll see what happens.

Skyfire boss on possible iPhone port: 'stay tuned for news' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony UK's 3DTV launch includes a few free games to get early adopters started

As the GMT turns, Sony's divisions are revealing their 3D plans for the rest of the year and the latest is its UK branch. The HX803 3D-ready model is first out the door in June, with LX903 and HX903 models arriving shortly afterward packing specs identical to their US cousins, with the addition of Freeview HD tuners and PAL-friendly refresh rates. Since the HX803 doesn't come with any of those 100-hour battery rated glasses , viewers getting ready for the 2010 World Cup will likely opt for one of the 3D accessory packs with two pairs included plus the necessary IR emitter. No word on prices for any of these yet, but PS3 owners who buy a new TV within the launch "limited period" can expect to vouchers with download codes for 3D-upgraded versions of four PSN games: PAIN (3 episodes), WipEout HD (full game), Motorstorm Pacific Rift (single level demo) and Super Stardust HD (full game). Movie heads get Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Deep Sea Blu-ray 3D discs bundled with unspecified "selected products," with the former going on sale by itself June 14. Check out all the details in the press release below or just refresh the Sony UK store until that preorder button shows up and we find out just how many pounds are needed to bring one home.

Continue reading Sony UK's 3DTV launch includes a few free games to get early adopters started

Sony UK's 3DTV launch includes a few free games to get early adopters started originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reminder: Original Xbox games lose Live support tonight at midnight PT
Just a heads up for those who long for Halo 2's embrace: as of midnight PT tonight, Microsoft is pulling the plug on Live support for original titles. As of this publication, you have a little less than seven hours (as of this writing) to get in a few more rounds of Capture the Flag and Oddball with your friends of old, before having to go out and pick up an used copy of Halo 3 -- at least there's 400 MS points in it as a consolation prize.

Reminder: Original Xbox games lose Live support tonight at midnight PT originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MacBook Pro Core i7 review

50diggsdigg While the MacBook Pro is just another Intel-based computer with standard internals, slightly inflated price tags, and a familiar (if legendary) design sense, Apple having the absolute corner on the market for building machines that legitimately run OS X can be a little rough on the upgrade obsessed. Waiting 10 months for a new computer, without an industry full of hungry competitors with wild alternatives to quench your thirst, can be difficult, and the January launch of Intel's new Core i5 and Core i7 chips for laptops further fueled the saliva. Still, Apple would like you to believe these new MacBook Pros with their 2010-ready internals and same-as-last-year good looks have been worth the wait. Find out for yourself in our full review after the break.

Gallery: MacBook Pro Core i7 unboxing

Continue reading MacBook Pro Core i7 review

MacBook Pro Core i7 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GPNC Korea announces the first me-too Android HDTV

Anyone opposed to another Android packing TV announced by a foreign manufacturer of questionable validity? We figured you weren't, so say hello to GPNC Korea's television running Android 1.5 on a 833 Mhz ARM Cortex A8 chip. While it's claiming NTSC and ATSC support among other broadcast standards, the USA doesn't appear to have made the cut for availability, with 10 different countries including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Poland, Australia and Dubai. Practically identical to People of Lava's effort, it is slated for 42-, 47- and 55-inch LED-backlit versions with no real price or date, and even this promo pic looks very familiar. GPNC managed to keep the screen clear of error messages this time, but its website is flagged by Google as "dangerous" so we'd probably wait for something more official before making any attempts to preorder. At this rate, these TVs will be as ubiquitous as Android/ARM tablets before long -- let's hope Sony and Intel spill the details on those Google TV plans sooner rather than later.

GPNC Korea announces the first me-too Android HDTV originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earloomz get Lady Gaga designs to help you look cooler, she's still k-kinda too busy to take your call

You know, we're starting to wonder if Lady Gaga is secretly a gigantic nerd. She's not only the Creative Director over at Polaroid, as well as having her own Beats by Dre headphones, but now... her likeness is on a Bluetooth headset. Now, we don't know if this is officially licensed Gaga gear or not, and there are plenty of other wild designs to choose from (though this is obviously the eyecatcher of the collection). This bad boy supports Bluetooth v2.1+EDR, and uses an internal rechargeable lithium polymer battery with around eight hours of talk time. They're available now for around $60. So our only question is: how long until Gaga gets a giant Bluetooth earpiece made out of her hair?

Earloomz get Lady Gaga designs to help you look cooler, she's still k-kinda too busy to take your call originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flip Slide HD review

Sure, it was leaked over a week early, but the Flip Slide HD is still quite a surprise in many ways. If you'd asked us to bet, we'd have put money on the next Flip camera including minor-but-important enhancements like image stabilization and perhaps a 1080p sensor with better low-light performance. After all, competitive products like the Kodak Zi8 and Sony Bloggie get great reviews for these simple incremental feature additions, and it's been nearly a year and a half since the original Flip Mino HD came out. But apparently you get to play by different rules when you own nearly 40 percent of the "shoot and share" camera market, and Flip's latest cam eschews the spec upgrade game in favor of repackaging the Mino HD into a radical new form factor with a tilt-slide screen that's designed as much for playback as it is for recording. It's an interesting take on sharing video, but we can't say it's worth it -- especially not for $279. Read on for our full review.

Gallery: Flip Slide HD unboxing and hands-on

Continue reading Flip Slide HD review

Flip Slide HD review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hello from eBoy

Pew pew pew.

Hello from eBoy originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Magnificent wormhole to 2009 spontaneously opens in Sony Style store, expels Satio, closes

Hey, if you want to pay $650 for a phone announced in February of last year, don't let us stop you -- just don't get too close to the blinding light. Alternatively, you can use the same wormhole to travel to circa-October 2009 London and buy a retail unit, then take another wormhole to December 2009 where you'll be offered some firmware to make it not suck. The choice is yours.

Magnificent wormhole to 2009 spontaneously opens in Sony Style store, expels Satio, closes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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National Labor Committee report on Chinese CE factories uncovers deplorable conditions

237diggsdigg Yesterday, the National Labor Committee produced a report on the working conditions at the KYE Factory in Dongguan City, Guangdong, China. KYE operates (like many factories in China) a live-work facility and generated sales of $400 million in 2008. KYE manufactures outsourced products for HP, Best Buy, Samsung, Foxconn, Acer, Logitech, and ASUS. Their largest customer, however, is reportedly Microsoft. The report details some of what we've come to expect in stories of labor abuses -- near children, most of them women, working for 16 or 17 hours a day, living in nearly deplorable conditions, for less than a dollar an hour -- all so that the world's ever-growing need for / addiction to consumer electronics can be fed. Now, the gadget industry isn't the only offender by a stretch -- but it's quickly becoming one of the largest (in addition to producing a truly horrific amount of toxic garbage). After the break are some choice facts from the report that our readers might be interested in ingesting, so read on.

Continue reading National Labor Committee report on Chinese CE factories uncovers deplorable conditions

National Labor Committee report on Chinese CE factories uncovers deplorable conditions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Kin: everything you ever wanted to know

31diggsdigg For as long as Windows Mobile 6.x overstayed its welcome, Microsoft seems to be doing what it can to launch a full-out assault on the mobile battlefield -- first with Windows Phone 7, and now less than a month later with Kin. As we were reminded ad nauseam at the unveiling, the pair of devices -- dubbed Kin One and Kin Two -- aren't for the tech enthusiasts in the crowd, but rather for a younger audience Microsoft is calling "generation upload." That's apparently a group whose life is focused around capturing memories and updating Facebook, without any care or concern whatsoever for apps. Will Microsoft's gamble for control of the feature phone market prove successful? That remains to be seen, but for everything we know so far, read on!

Gallery: Kin One and Two hands-on part two

Continue reading Microsoft Kin: everything you ever wanted to know

Microsoft Kin: everything you ever wanted to know originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scosche intros Revive II charger with iPad-optimized USB power port

Still weeping over the fact that your iPad won't charge on that 2002 Latitude your company refuses to replace? Take heart, young buck. Scosche understands your frustrations, and it's out to make coping somewhat easier with the Revive II dual-USB chargers. With one for the car and one for the home, you'll most likely never, ever be in a location where your iPad can't be juiced. In case you haven't guessed, one of the USB ports on each charger is of the high-power variety, while the other will happily charge your iPhone, iPod or nearly any other USB-infused gadget that's smaller than a 9.7-inch tablet PC. Both of 'em are up for pre-order now through the company's website, though the $24.99 (car) and $29.99 (home) price tags do feel a touch steep.

Scosche intros Revive II charger with iPad-optimized USB power port originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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JSCO's noiseless mouse: coming soon to your local library, church and mime convention
For years now, Thanko has had the silent mouse market on lock-down. You need a silent mouse? You buy Thanko. End. Of. Story. At long last, a formidable opponent has entered the fray, with JSCO recently showcasing its new Noiseless Mouse. Purportedly, the left / right click buttons provide the same travel and "click" feedback, but without all the extra racket. If the video beyond the break is to be believed, this thing really does operate silently (to human ears, anyway), and best of all, there's a variety of designs to choose from at around £9 ($14) a pop. Huzzah! Oops... we mean, huzzah.

Continue reading JSCO's noiseless mouse: coming soon to your local library, church and mime convention

JSCO's noiseless mouse: coming soon to your local library, church and mime convention originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opera Mini now the number one free download in all 22 App Stores

834diggsdiggSeems like users actually do want a choice, Steve.

Update: 1 Million downloads in 1 day, ta da!

[Thanks, Atesh]

Opera Mini now the number one free download in all 22 App Stores originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget and The Engadget Show are nominated for Webby Awards!

Hey guys, we just wanted to share a little bit of good news with you. We just found out that both Engadget as a site and The Engadget Show have been nominated for Webby Awards! Now of course, we feel like the work we do on the site speaks for itself -- with or without gold stars -- but we thought this was a pretty cool nod and wanted to tell you. You can vote for us in the runnings (if you'd like) by registering at the Webby Awards site (we're in the Marketplace / Consumer Electronics section for the site, and Online Film & Video / Technology for the Show). We won't force you or anything, but we'd love your support if you're into what we're doing. We'd also like to say thanks to you -- the reader -- for helping us get the word out and spread the Engadget message; we would quite honestly be nothing without you. Thanks!

Note: The Webby Awards are sponsored by AOL (Engadget's parent company). Sponsored, not produced or selected by AOL in any way.

Engadget and The Engadget Show are nominated for Webby Awards! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ABC reveals iPad app statistics, says it's 'pleased' with results

There's no question that ABC's free iPad app was one of the highest-profile apps to launch with the device, and ABC has now finally revealed some hard numbers to give an indication of just how successful it has been. According to The Wall Street Journal, ABC says the app has been downloaded 205,000 times in the ten days following the iPad's debut, and that is has been used to watch at least part of 605,000 TV shows. Perhaps the best news for ABC, however, is that the app has served up "several million" ad impressions, although the exact number is apparently still being calculated, with ABC only adding that it is "pleased with the results." Also, the most popular single show watched with the app? Why the episode of Modern Family where Phil Dumnphy gets an iPad, of course.

ABC reveals iPad app statistics, says it's 'pleased' with results originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT researchers demonstrate more efficient wireless power

MIT researchers have been working on wireless power longer than most (Nikola Tesla aside), and it looks like they've now made a somewhat surprising discovery that could lead to more efficient wireless power. In addition to reducing the size of the transmitters and receives used in their system to something approaching practical, the researchers found that the system's efficiency at transmitting energy increased "significantly" if multiple devices are charged at the same time. What's more, while the amount of power transmitted in the latest experiment only amounted to 100 watts, MIT's André Kurs says that is only limited by the amplifier used for the transmitting coil, adding that the system could easily "feed power to a medium-sized room and power a dozen devices."

MIT researchers demonstrate more efficient wireless power originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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