IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 26/04/2010

Dell Sparta and Athens netbooks, Looking Glass Pro and Streak variants teased in Android roadmap

Good morning to you too, Dell! Android Central's just gotten hold of yet another leak from the Texan computer giant, only this time we have two new Android or Linux (as suggested by the Tux icon) Moblin devices. First, we have the Sparta netbook tablet featuring an 11-inch 1024 x 768 TFT display, ARM processor, optional connectivity modules (3G, WiFi, Bluetooth) and a unique swivel mechanism -- the screen appears to be rotatable within its frame. The second device is the Athens sub-0.9kg (1.98 pounds) netbook sporting the same screen size, ARM processor and optional connectivity modules. If all goes well, the Sparta and Athens should be launched in early and late Autumn respectively, but there's a lot more so keep reading after the break.

Update: thanks for pointing out the Moblin logo, thoughtmonster!

Continue reading Dell Sparta and Athens netbooks, Looking Glass Pro and Streak variants teased in Android roadmap

Dell Sparta and Athens netbooks, Looking Glass Pro and Streak variants teased in Android roadmap originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NC State's computer vision software promises improved self-driving vehicles

Well, NC State researchers sure seem to be keeping themselves busy these days, with them not only recently developing some improved smart sensors, but some computer vision software that could one day lead to self-driving vehicles. The big advantage with their software is that it's basically able to watch the road and recognize real world driving conditions a few steps in advance -- lane changes, stop signs, etc. -- while also watching out for other cars and pedestrians. Of course, at the moment, that "road" is actually the hallways of NC State, and the vehicle is a toy Jeep, but you get the idea. The researchers are also quick to point out that while the software could eventually lead to truly autonomous vehicles, they first see it being used in the event of an emergency, with the car able to slowly and safely pull itself over and then dial 911. Head on past for a quick overview, local news style.

Continue reading NC State's computer vision software promises improved self-driving vehicles

NC State's computer vision software promises improved self-driving vehicles originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Apr 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eken's Android-powered MID looks mighty nice for $100

Okay, so the last time we told you about an inexpensive Android tablet/MID things didn't turn out so well. So, this time we bring you one to appreciate from afar -- no credit card needed nor, as you'll see, wanted. It's seven-inch, 800 x 480 device from Eken that is selling for $680 RMB in China. That translates to $99.53 currently that, at first glimpse, looks to be quite a bargain. Sure, it has only 2GB of storage, but you can expand that to 32GB with SD. The VIA 8505 processor certainly won't be confused for a Snapdragon but despite that the device pledges only two hours of battery life on a charge. To top it off it's stuck with good 'ol Android 1.5 installed, leaving us to conclude that this is hardly a bargain after all. Shucks.

Eken's Android-powered MID looks mighty nice for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Apr 2010 06:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jetyo's HDV-T900 solar-powered camcorder will capture only your brightest holiday memories

This traditionally-shaped camcorder may not be ergonomically friendly, but it is environmentally friendly -- ostensibly, anyway. It's the HDV-T900 from Jetyo, a 720p30 model that records to SDHC memory cards through what appears to be a fixed zoom lens (its specs promise only an 8x digital zoom). The thing that makes this a conversation piece is the solar cell on the backside of the three-inch LCD display. It's hardly encouraging that the company's site doesn't say anything about how quickly it recharges the 4 AA batteries used for power, or indeed how long those batteries can power the thing in the first place. But, the site does say the current from the solar cell is 120mA, so we can do the math. Assuming you're using something like 2,500mAh AA rechargeable cells, you're looking at about 25 hours of sunlight to recharge one battery and there are, of course, four used here. Hey, sounds like a good excuse to extend your vacation to us.

Jetyo's HDV-T900 solar-powered camcorder will capture only your brightest holiday memories originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Apr 2010 02:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freetalk Everyman HD webcam up for pre-order at Skype store

For all the talk of HD webcams, we've seen precious little at the Skype shop -- until now. Freetalk's Everyman HD (Talk-7140) features on-board H.264 hardware encoding for up to 720p video at 22fps, with minimum system requirements of WIndows XP, 1GB RAM and a dual core 2GHz CPU. Apparently, Mac users (OS X 10.4 or better) can expect VGA quality at 30fps (sorry, guys). Available soon, pre-order now for $50.

Freetalk Everyman HD webcam up for pre-order at Skype store originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Apr 2010 01:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS3 firmware 3.30 sneaks in remote play from PC, bitstream audio options

Additional trophy sorting and 3D gaming readiness should have been enough to satisfy and PS3 owner after the latest v3.30 system update (hey, at least it didn't take anything away this time) but there's a couple other surprises in store. If you're the kind of person who loves (or hates) their beeps and bloops, there's a toggle for Bitstream Direct (output audio with the original digital signal prioritized) or Mix (mixed with sound effects such as button sounds and then converted to bitstream format) on Blu-ray movies, while future VAIO PC owners can get a taste of remote play without any PSP intermediary. Other, unconfirmed, reports include updated Flash compatibility, enhanced region free Blu-ray movie playback, the usual complaints of bricked or otherwise busted consoles as well as erroneous claims of an updated EULA that maintains Sony can update your PS3 whenever it wants (newsflash - it's always said that.) Sure, you can always wait for a custom build from Geohot instead, but we've got a Fat Princess to rescue.

PS3 firmware 3.30 sneaks in remote play from PC, bitstream audio options originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Dash spotted on shelf at Best Buy a few days early

166diggsdiggNow, what do you know about that? Our very own Chris Ziegler stopped into Best Buy (undoubtedly right after leaving CB2) and spotted something we didn't expect to see just yet... the Sony Dash. That's right, the Dash - which is available for pre-order but wasn't supposed to hit retail until April 29th -- is already on the shelf. Now, there was only one unit available and it was just squeezed in between some other wares, so we're not sure if it was put out by accident or what, but if you're really dying to get your hands on one a few days early, hitting up your local BB might turn up something. Let us know in the comments if you nab one!

Update: Chris reported back to us to say that when he tried to purchase it, it came up with a price of $999 and a code of "DO NOT SELL." He was also told to come back next Friday if he wanted to purchase it.

Sony Dash spotted on shelf at Best Buy a few days early originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Apr 2010 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP ships Swing motion controller hardware with Pavilion PCs in India

The vaguely kidney bean-shaped device above is actually, believe it or not, yet another motion controller. Details are scant, but apparently the HP Swing is being bundled with HP Pavilion desktop PCs in India (starting at 29,990 Rupees, or about $670). The thing will not be available separately, and as far as we know there are no plans to release it in the states. We're not saying that it won't be released in the US, but we are saying that we probably don't care. Either way, we'll let you know when we hear more.

Continue reading HP ships Swing motion controller hardware with Pavilion PCs in India

HP ships Swing motion controller hardware with Pavilion PCs in India originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Apr 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Engadget Show Live! With roboticist Dr. Dennis Hong, Ryan Block, Rick Karr, and more!

Keep your eyes tuned to this post -- because at 6:00 PM ET, we'll be starting The Engadget Show live, with roboticist Dr. Dennis Hong of the RoMeLa Lab at Virginia Tech, investigative correspondent Rick Karr, GDGT founder Ryan Block, our own Ross Miller and Paul Miller, plus music from Neil Voss and visuals from NO CARRIER and much, much, more! You seriously don't want to miss it!

Can't make it? We forgive you, and there's a live video stream that can be found after the break. In the spirit of awesome, we've enabled tweeting directly to the live stream! To be a part of The Engadget Show broadcast, just include the hashtag "#engadgetshow" and watch for your tweet on the ticker at the bottom of the screen. One thing to note, The Engadget Show is a family program, so any single instance of swearing or trolling will force us to turn off the ticker... and it won't come back on. So, keep it clean and have fun!

Update: Well that's another show done and thanks for joining us. Don't worry if you missed it -- we'll be delivering the edited video (without the echo from earlier; sorry about that) to you within a day or two, so keep an eye out on iTunes, Zune Marketplace, and our RSS feed. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Continue reading The Engadget Show Live! With roboticist Dr. Dennis Hong, Ryan Block, Rick Karr, and more!

The Engadget Show Live! With roboticist Dr. Dennis Hong, Ryan Block, Rick Karr, and more! originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Apr 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One more thing... two iPod touch prototypes with camera briefly show up on eBay

Another day, another Apple leak. This time it's an eBay double whammy of the camera-donning iPod touch, which appears to be of the same design from August but now with iPod branding on the back. Better yet, the two devices bear the prototype identification codes "DVT-1" and "DVT-2" ("DVT" stands for "design verification test" in Apple-speak, according to Daring Fireball), while the DVT-2 model wears an extra bar code label seemingly stamped by the "Apple Development Team." What's interesting is that the model number "A1318" at the bottom matches the current iPod touch's, which may suggest the camera feature was ditched just before the current line went into mass production, or that we may see this variant as a minor update instead of a redesigned iPod touch in the coming months. We tried to verify using the FCC ID "BCGA1318," only to be let down by a kaput FCC database -- we'll give it another spin later. Unsurprisingly, the eBay listing was quickly taken down, but it's not like any mere mortal could've gotten much use out of that Transformer-themed (and familiar-looking) "SwitchBoard" test-bed software -- maybe it was a displeased Michael Bay who killed the auction. A couple of backside shots after the break.

[Thanks, Sam]

Continue reading One more thing... two iPod touch prototypes with camera briefly show up on eBay

One more thing... two iPod touch prototypes with camera briefly show up on eBay originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Apr 2010 14:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corsair Flash Survivor GTR keeps up enduring tradition of rugged survivalism

Was the torture-tested Survivor GT flash drive just not extreme enough for you? Time to slap an extra letter on the end of the model name and take the plunge with the Flash Survivor GTR from Corsair. As far as we can tell, it retains all the salient features of its predecessor -- meaning a CNC-milled aircraft-grade aluminum shell that can withstand ridiculous amounts of punishment -- while tweaking the aesthetics a bit and adding water resistance down to a 200-meter (656-foot) depth. With transfer rates of 34MBps and 28MBps for reads and writes, respectively, it's no slouch either, though that's to be expected from what will surely be a pricey accessory for your superhero utility belt. 32GB and 64GB versions are expected to ship soon.

Corsair Flash Survivor GTR keeps up enduring tradition of rugged survivalism originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Apr 2010 12:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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