IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 14/05/2010

RIM's BlackBerry tablet starting to sound suspiciously like a Foleo

So BGR is reporting that it has "confirmed with multiple sources" that RIM's alleged BlackBerry tablet device is very real -- despite Mike Lazaridis' recent downer comments on the subject -- and that it'll have an 8.9-inch screen, WiFi, and Bluetooth connectivity to hook up with your phone. Oh yeah, about that Bluetooth connectivity: the tablet is being billed as a "companion" device, something to use when you need a little bit more horsepower and screen real estate for multimedia and the like. Sound familiar? Yeah, Palm tried this with famously catastrophic results a while back -- and considering RIM's ultra-conservative policy on product innovation, we can't imagine things going any better up in Waterloo. It's apparently slated for a December release with engineers scrambling to get it released even sooner... and, you know, discontinued sooner, too.

RIM's BlackBerry tablet starting to sound suspiciously like a Foleo originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 12:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keepin' it real fake: phoney Armani handset borrows some of that Samsung glamor

When we reviewed the Samsung Omnia II, we forgot to mention one major drawback: the lack of Giorgio Armani branding. Luckily the KIRFmeisters of Shenzhen have picked up where the original manufacturer dropped the ball. And they threw in a QWERTY keyboard to boot! No word on price or availability of the KIRF Samsung Omnia Pro Giorgio, but that's probably for the best. And yes, it has dual SIM cards.

[Thanks, Hiroshi]

Update: Egads! We totally forgot about the actual Samsung Omnia Pro Giorgio! But let's be honest here -- it is highly forgettable.

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake: phoney Armani handset borrows some of that Samsung glamor

Keepin' it real fake: phoney Armani handset borrows some of that Samsung glamor originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 11:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo's 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560 laptop goes on sale

Slowly but surely, each of Lenovo's CES introductions are popping up for sale. With nary a moment to spare, the 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560 has finally surfaced at the company's website, offering up Core i3, i5 and i7 options, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, ATI's 1GB Mobility Radeon HD 5730 GPU, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and a 1,366 x 768 native resolution panel. Plenty of options are tweakable should you not find the base configurations suitable for your needs, but you'll be hard pressed to secure one for under $949. Well, unless you've got the patience of Job.

Lenovo's 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560 laptop goes on sale originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Space Adventures undercuts Virgin Galactic -- announces $100,000 space tourism flight

Space tourism is something we here at Engadget have always been pretty fond of in theory -- it is the final frontier, after all -- but the prohibitive (exorbitant, extravagant, ridiculous) $200,000 price tag on a Virgin Galactic flight pretty much ended any small hopes we ever harbored of getting on one. So, would a reduction of about 50 percent be enough to get us to sign up? That's the question that Virginia-based Space Adventures is asking. The company's just announced it's going to offer flights into suborbital space through an exclusive agreement with Armadillo Aerospace, which is currently developing the rockets for the journeys. A trip with Space Adventures is set to cost just $102,000. We still can't afford it, but we're certainly glad to see the prices fall from insane to outrageous. So, what about you? Are you in?

Space Adventures undercuts Virgin Galactic -- announces $100,000 space tourism flight originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New iPhone in Vietnam spotted running iPhone OS 4?

This is a bit of a confusing one, but we just got tipped an additional shot of this 4th generation iPhone that leaked out in Vietnam, but this time with a big twist: it appears to be running iPhone OS 4. Or at least displaying a screenshot of the new OS, with that telltale wallpaper in the background. We have no idea how this crew might've circumvented Apple's lockdown of the device, and there's always the chance this is some sort of Photoshop or other trickery. Still, a source has confirmed to us that the markings "N90 PRO2" indicate an older prototype N90 (the Apple codename for the new iPhone), which refers to "Working Prototype 2" and might possibly be easier to enable than the newer, lock tight model Gizmodo obtained. Also, despite the photo's out-of-focus nature, the display (or at least its contents) doesn't appear nearly as sharp as those previous shots we saw of the "fireball" screen. We're digging for more info as we speak, but unfortunately the original source site, Taoviet, is down right now. We'll keep you posted if we hear anything else about this image's origins.

Update: The source link is loading for us sporadically. The translated text above the shot reads: "Iphone 4G VN is distributed by the network not it? Maybe not then, we'll be the first use:" It's all so clear now!

[Thanks, ITKINGDOM]

New iPhone in Vietnam spotted running iPhone OS 4? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archos 7 Home Tablet review

Upon first look is there anything not to love about the Archos 7 Home Tablet? It's .5-inches thick, has a seven-inch touchscreen, runs Android, and wait for it...only costs $199. It's all sounded pretty great to us since its CeBIT unveil, but then small, yet saddening details began to emerge about the device: it has a resistive touchscreen, lacks an accelerometer, and doesn't have access to the Android Market -- and worst of all, it runs Android 1.5. Sure, you get what you pay for, but can the Archos 7 rise above those shortcomings and persuade us to dig $199 out of our piggy banks? We've spent the last week with the tablet, so you'll just have to click on to find out.

Gallery: Archos 7 Home Tablet review

Continue reading Archos 7 Home Tablet review

Archos 7 Home Tablet review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Air Force feels afterburned as Sony clips the PS3's Linux wings

When we learned that the Air Force was buying 300 PS3s we knew it could mean only one thing: all-night HAWX LAN party. But, when the order came through for 2,200 more, it seemed something more serious was afoot, and sure enough the armed force that aims higher was aiming to use them as a cluster for high-def video processing. Naturally that's quite dependent on the machine's Linux capabilities, capabilities that Sony has, of course, since disabled. You might think this doesn't matter, since the units will never play games and so don't need the distro-disabling firmware update. But, hardware fails, especially when stacked as close as these units are and, according to the Air Force's Research Laboratory, Sony takes the liberty of applying the latest firmware even to refurb'd units. In other words, this is one cluster that's bound to fragment and not even Louis Gossett Jr. could bring it back together. Dramatic re-enactment after the break.

Continue reading Air Force feels afterburned as Sony clips the PS3's Linux wings

Air Force feels afterburned as Sony clips the PS3's Linux wings originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 09:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq | ars technica | Email this | Comments
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Bigfoot Networks Killer 2100 reviewed, 'completely destroys' on-board NICs
We're still trying to wrap our heads around the idea that an aftermarket NIC can really improve your gaming experience, but time and time again Bigfoot Networks Killer line of network interface controllers comes through reviews with flying colors, and its latest, the Killer 2100, is no exception. Boot Daily took one for a spin and found that it "completely destroys the typical on-board LAN port in all the gaming tests." Latency and UDP throughput were clearly improved, and the new software was found to be comprehensive and useful. We're still not seeing this as a product for casual gamers, but if you've ever blamed lag for your inability to rack up the headshots then this is $129 well-spent -- assuming you'll be able to come up with some other excuse.

Bigfoot Networks Killer 2100 reviewed, 'completely destroys' on-board NICs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 09:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kindle DX trial at Darden concludes it's academically woeful, personally enjoyable

Amazon's experiment of replacing textbooks with Kindle DXs in classrooms already took a pretty hefty blow from Princeton's feedback -- which described the jumbo e-reader as "a poor excuse" for an academic tool -- but here comes some more punishment courtesy of the trialists at Darden. The Business School describes the DX as clunky and too slow to keep up with the pace of teaching, with up to 80 percent of users saying they wouldn't recommend it for academic use. There is a silver lining to this cloud of hate however, as up to 95 percent of all project participants would be happy to recommend the Kindle DX as a personal reading device. That meshes rather well with the high satisfaction and sales figures e-readers are enjoying, but it does show that the hardware has a long way to go before it convinces us to ditch our paperbacks.

[Thanks, Miles B]

Kindle DX trial at Darden concludes it's academically woeful, personally enjoyable originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Optimus Popularis keyboard is still on target, due next year

Is your Optimus Maximus feeling a little... dated? OLED keys just not quite doing it for you any longer? Looking for something a little different, and maybe a little smaller? That's the Popularis, a product announced just about two years ago that the good folks at Optimus would like to remind you is still progressing quite nicely. Plans are to start production later this year with a release sometime in 2011. Like the Maximus, the Popularis will have full-color keys, but they are said to not be OLED-based this time, leaving us wondering. When it was initially announced the keyboard was set to retail for the bargain price of under $1,000 but, given the rate of inflation since then, we could be looking at an MSRP closer to $1,010. Better skip today's Starbucks run.

Optimus Popularis keyboard is still on target, due next year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adobe targets Apple in ad campaign launched today, publishes open letter from founders

diggIf you're reading Engadget today (and let's be honest, you're reading it right now), then you might have noticed that Adobe has launched a pretty full-force campaign to call out Apple on its anti-Flash mission. If you don't know what we're talking about, it's the advertisements that start with "We [heart] Apple." Along with the web ads, the company has also snagged a full page in today's Washington Post to address the battle in which the two companies have been engaged. All of this links back to a new statement from Adobe, as well as an open letter from founders Chuck Geschke and John Warnock ("Our thoughts on open markets"), addressing Apple's recent spate of clear and direct attacks against the company and its products. Most of the reading should sound familiar to those of us who've been following the saga, but here are a few choice quotes from the duo:

We believe that consumers should be able to freely access their favorite content and applications, regardless of what computer they have, what browser they like, or what device suits their needs. No company - no matter how big or how creative - should dictate what you can create, how you create it, or what you can experience on the web.

When markets are open, anyone with a great idea has a chance to drive innovation and find new customers. Adobe's business philosophy is based on a premise that, in an open market, the best products will win in the end - and the best way to compete is to create the best technology and innovate faster than your competitors.

We believe that Apple, by taking the opposite approach, has taken a step that could undermine this next chapter of the web - the chapter in which mobile devices outnumber computers, any individual can be a publisher, and content is accessed anywhere and at any time.

In the end, we believe the question is really this: Who controls the World Wide Web? And we believe the answer is: nobody - and everybody, but certainly not a single company.

So, it's clear this issue isn't going to die out any time soon, and it's also clear that Adobe is going to go to great lengths to defend and protect its cash-cow. Of course, if they really want this message to hit home to the core iPad and iPhone users out there, they're going to need to run that ad in HTML5.

Note: As you should know, the ad sales and editorial teams at Engadget are separate entities, so this campaign was as much a surprise to us as it probably is to you!

Adobe targets Apple in ad campaign launched today, publishes open letter from founders originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 07:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Adobe (letter), Adobe | Email this | Comments
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N-trig demos advanced N-act multitouch gestures, coming to laptops and tablets later this year

N-trig has made a few multitouch advances in the past, and it's now trying to push things a bit further once again with its new so-called N-act hands-on gesture vocabulary, which promises to open up a new range of four-fingered, two-handed multitouch gestures. That includes new tricks like a three-finger side sweep gesture to scroll between windows, a three-fingered tap to display all open windows (just hold to cycle through them), and the ability to select something by making a rectangle with four fingers, to name but a few options. What's more, N-trig says that at least some OEMs have already committed to shipping laptops and tablets using the technology later this year (Windows 7 only), although it's unsurprisingly staying mum on any specific companies or products. Head on past the break for a quick demo video.

Continue reading N-trig demos advanced N-act multitouch gestures, coming to laptops and tablets later this year

N-trig demos advanced N-act multitouch gestures, coming to laptops and tablets later this year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 07:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Philips' new LED light bulbs are brighter, more efficient, not cheap

Philips' Master LED bulbs may well have been forgotten in the US -- as far as we can tell, they never showed up for that hot date last July -- but it's hard to be miffed when the company's new bulbs, dubbed EnduraLED, are four times as bright. Due in the fourth quarter of the year, the 60W equivalent at left sucks down only 12 watts of electricity but emits a reported 806 lumens of soft white light -- a ratio green enough to save the world, Philips claims, if only you'll buy in. Problem is, people's generosity typically depends on price, and a company rep told us we'll shell out around $60 per bulb when the shiny silver socketables ship. Mind you, that's just an initial figure, but until we hear different we'll be going to Home Depot for our lighting needs, thank you very much. Press release after the break.

Continue reading Philips' new LED light bulbs are brighter, more efficient, not cheap

Philips' new LED light bulbs are brighter, more efficient, not cheap originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 06:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S and Wave 'coming soon' to Vodafone UK

Perhaps eager to steal some of the thunder from Everything Everywhere's recent debut, Vodafone has updated its Coming Soon page to show a selection of new handsets, which is highlighted by Samsung's pair of Super AMOLED beasts, the Wave and Galaxy S. The Wave brings the new Bada sensibility to British shores, while the Galaxy S will be pretty much the most advanced Android handset the UK has yet seen. It runs version 2.1 with Samsung's own skin on top, but it's the hardware behind it that'll be pushing Brits to upgrade. Hit the source link to peruse the full list, which also includes the new BlackBerry Pearl 3G, but do remember to be patient -- an Amazon pre-order listing for the Wave (priced at £350, or 521 greenbacks) indicates a one to three month waiting period.

Samsung Galaxy S and Wave 'coming soon' to Vodafone UK originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 06:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iiView slates M1Touch Windows 7 tablet for release later this month

Never given much thought to owning something with an iiView label on it? Think again, vaquero. Teased here beside two of Apple's most well-known cash cows, the M1Touch packs a rather delicious list of specifications. Behind the 10.1 multitouch display (1,024 x 600) is a 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, integrated webcam, USB socket, 4-in-1 card reader and an inbuilt accelerometer. She's running Windows 7 Home Premium and should last around three hours (sad, we know) on a full charge, with pricing set for just over $500 when converted to Greenbacks. Further details are few and far between, but given that it's expected to ship by the end of May, we suspect we'll know more as Computex kicks off in Taiwan.

iiView slates M1Touch Windows 7 tablet for release later this month originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 05:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android 2.2 'Froyo' to include USB tethering, WiFi hotspot functionality

And the good Froyo news just keep flowing in. TechCrunch have flexed their exclusive muscle this morning in revealing their discovery that Android 2.2 will come with built-in tethering and WiFi hotspot support. That means you'll be able to use your phone's 3G internet connection to hook your laptop up to the worldwide webosphere, with a choice of wired or wireless methods. Of course, this dreamy scenario will be subject to the big bad network operators permitting -- or at least not forbidding -- you to do such awesome things with your hardware, but at least we know the goods are being baked into this forthcoming release from Google. Frozen yogurt for all!

Android 2.2 'Froyo' to include USB tethering, WiFi hotspot functionality originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 05:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung i5801 makes a cameo, script reads 'entry-level Android 2.1 device'

INT. APARTMENT - DAYTIME

An unseemly Samsung touchscreen device opens the scene, being held by one HOWARD CHUI. Its size is comparable to the Galaxy Spica but something doesn't feel as momentous here. Background is calm, likely the top of a table. He improvises from the script.

HOWARD (improvising)

What we're looking at is the Samsung i5801, an entry-level Android 2.1 phone sporting a slightly customized UI. The device sports a 240 x 400 (possibly 240 x 480) screen and a 3 megapixel camera. Storage is around 300MB built-in but supports MicroSDHC. Connectivity-wise, there's Wi-Fi, GPS, and possibly Bluetooth 3.0. Pretty run of the mill, no word on price or release, but it's almost certain to target a much more cash-conscious section of the market.

CUT TO: AFTER THE BREAK

Continue reading Samsung i5801 makes a cameo, script reads 'entry-level Android 2.1 device'

Samsung i5801 makes a cameo, script reads 'entry-level Android 2.1 device' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 04:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kin Media Sync for Mac syncs Kin media with Mac

Sync music, sync photos, sync too much money into a mediocre phone. Now that we've gotten the amateur comedy hour out of the way, it's time to bring you the news that Kins and Macs will henceforth play very nicely together thanks to the just released Media Sync software from Mark/Space. Chosen by Microsoft as the exclusive provider of Mac syncing capabilities for Kin, the company is offering iTunes and iPhoto integration, whereby you'll able to transfer playlists and image albums both to and from your Kin device, as well as a neat transcoding feature to make videos playable on it. The software's free and can be found at the source link below, while the press announcement awaits after the break.

Continue reading Kin Media Sync for Mac syncs Kin media with Mac

Kin Media Sync for Mac syncs Kin media with Mac originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 03:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype VP says company isn't developing software for Windows Phone 7
Consider the bombshell dropped. Skype, the godfather of VoIP apps and an increasingly ubiquitous piece of mobile as well as desktop software, has just let it be known that it's not planning on bringing its goodies to Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 OS. Dan Neary, the company's Vice President for the Asia Pacific region, said that it's "not developing software for the new Windows Mobile software due later this year," but seemed reluctant to expand on the reasons why. Perhaps, like Mozilla, the Skype devs felt they weren't getting access to the right tools. Whatever the reason, this would be a major competitive disadvantage for Microsoft's great new hope on the mobile front, which is already expected to launch with a few things missing. Then again, we shouldn't get too far ahead of ourselves as this isn't an official renouncement from Skype, merely a statement of the status quo -- and from a regional exec at that. All we can take away from it for now is that the road ahead looks a bit bumpier than before for WP7.

Skype VP says company isn't developing software for Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 03:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aigo debuts Maemo-based Walkshow NX7001 MID

We're not quite sure what's gotten into Aigo these days, but we're not about to try to stop 'em -- the company has just followed up its impressive-looking N700 Android tablet with this Maemo-based Walkshow NX7001 MID. While this one isn't quite as sleek as the Android tablet and has a few drawbacks (a resistive touchscreen, for starters), it is a Mameo-based MID, which isn't exactly all that common these days -- DIY jobs aside. The rest of the device's specs also look to be decent enough, if not necessarily all that impressive, including an 806MHz Marvell PXA310 processor, a 4.3-inch WVGA display, 128MB of RAM, built-in WiFi, 3G and GPS, dual cameras, and a microSD card slot for expansion. Still no word on a release date, but it looks like this one will set you back about $500.

Aigo debuts Maemo-based Walkshow NX7001 MID originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 02:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'What is iPad?' spot deviates little from the days of Newton (video)

It's far from unusual to see Apple ripping off others when it comes to spots, and the same is true in reverse. But copying itself? Head on past the break to catch the similarities between Cupertino's freshest iPad commercial and an eerily familiar Newton ad from yesteryear -- something tells us the former will make a somewhat more indelible mark on the world than the latter, though.

[Thanks, Jordan]

Continue reading 'What is iPad?' spot deviates little from the days of Newton (video)

'What is iPad?' spot deviates little from the days of Newton (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 01:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon produces 40 millionth EOS-series SLR, half of 'em digital

Oh, Canon -- you and your milestones. Just under two years ago, you took time out of your busy schedule to gloat about the shipment of your 100 millionth compact camera, and today you're bragging about the production of your 40 millionth EOS-series SLR camera. In all seriousness, we're pretty proud of ya. After all, it took a full decade (1987 to 1997) for you to conjure up 10 million EOS film cameras, and six more after that to hit the magical 20 million mark. Once you blew through 30 million in 2007, it took but 28 months to get where you are today. What's really wild, though, is that half of the milestone is all digital, and given the state of film today, we're guessing that the delta between the two will only grow larger in the future. You've come a long way since the introduction of the EOS-1, but we know you've got a few surprises in store yet -- how's about a sub-$1,000 DSLR that shoots native 4K video and has an ISO ceiling of 1,000,000 to celebrate the rapidly approaching 50 million mark?

View Poll

Continue reading Canon produces 40 millionth EOS-series SLR, half of 'em digital

Canon produces 40 millionth EOS-series SLR, half of 'em digital originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 00:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Common Cents Mobile becomes Sprint's latest prepaid brand, exclusive to Walmart

That new prepaid business for the anti-power user crowd that Sprint was fixing to launch? Yeah, it's here and it's official: meet Common Cents Mobile. Billed as a way to help folks "cut unnecessary costs," Common Cents Mobile is about as simple as it gets, offering pay-as-you-go 7-cent minutes and 7-cent text messages, plus unlimited messaging for $20 a month and data for $1 per megabyte per day. The bigger news, though, might be that voice minutes round down, which is a first in the US market as far as we know (in other words, frugal customers will want to make sure they hang up 59 seconds into the minute). As you might expect, the handset selection is bare-bones and easy on the pocketbook, consisting of the LG 101 at $19.77, the Samsung M340 at $39.77, and Kyocera's portrait QWERTY S2300 coming in at $69.77 -- all totally contract-free, of course. Look for these all to launch in select Walmarts across the land starting this Saturday, May 15. Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Common Cents Mobile becomes Sprint's latest prepaid brand, exclusive to Walmart

Common Cents Mobile becomes Sprint's latest prepaid brand, exclusive to Walmart originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gateway NV has a new matte lid and social networking button, same tempting price

Remember the Gateway NV Series laptop that we reviewed? Of course, you do -- it's pretty hard to forget a laptop with a Blu-ray drive and Core i3 processor for $650. Well, Gateway didn't forget about it either, and has updated the 15.6-inch NV5 and 17.3-NV7 with new blue, black and red matte lid options, and a one-touch social networking button. The former is pretty self-explainatory, but the latter seems um, interesting. Apparently, a button on the keyboard deck will launch some sort of Facebook, YouTube and Flickr interface that will display a feed of updates. We're not sure why you wouldn't just launch your browser to check out those things, but we know, we know, it's hip to include social networking features. Other than that, the laptop still has an Core i3-330M processor, 320GB hard drive, Windows 7 Home Premium, and a 4x Blu-ray drive. The 15.4-inch NV59C09u will turn up on shelves at around $799, but we don't have final word on the 17-incher's price yet. Hit the break for the full PR, and sift on through the warm press images.

Gallery: Gateway NV press shots

Continue reading Gateway NV has a new matte lid and social networking button, same tempting price

Gateway NV has a new matte lid and social networking button, same tempting price originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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4G shocker! The good people of Boston enjoy Verizon's trial LTE network

You know what makes us happy? Pizza. But a close second has to be 4G technology, which makes us truly envy the Bostonians who were treated to a sample of Verizon's trial LTE deployment in the friendly confines of a downtown pizza joint last month. Big Red filmed the event -- and while the whole thing comes off a little bit like a carefully-orchestrated PR stunt, it's hard to argue with nearly 10Mbps down and over 2Mbps on the upstream. That's good stuff that should have Sprint, Clearwire, and the rest of the players on notice -- assuming Verizon's network holds up under the crushing pressure of commercial availability once thousands of rowdy Harvard students start hammering it, of course. Follow the break for the full video.

Continue reading 4G shocker! The good people of Boston enjoy Verizon's trial LTE network

4G shocker! The good people of Boston enjoy Verizon's trial LTE network originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 22:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Garmin nuvi 295W like a bolt from the blue, bearing email, camera and WiFi (video)

Ever heard of the Garmin nuvi 295W? Neither had we, until the GPS showed up spontaneously on Amazon. More Garminfone than PND, the device features the same 3.5-inch touchscreen, 3 megapixel camera and Garmin UI as its call-friendly counterpart, but without the front buttons, 3G data connection and subsidized price. That means you'll have to hoof it to a hotspot to send email, perform Google Local Search and upload geotagged photos -- all of which this unit can do -- but at least you'll have a dedicated GPS to help you get there. $280, available May 16th, see it in action after the break.

Continue reading Garmin nuvi 295W like a bolt from the blue, bearing email, camera and WiFi (video)

Garmin nuvi 295W like a bolt from the blue, bearing email, camera and WiFi (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 21:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint's HTC EVO 4G put through its bandwidth-sucking paces

So, since you're stuck paying $10 extra per month for "premium data services" (not that bad of a 4G tax, if you ask us), what wonders await you on the HTC EVO 4G, fueled by Sprint's next-gen network? Well, if these best-case-scenario tests we just did are any indication: everything you ever dreamed of. Of course, Sprint's WiMAX might end up stumbling up the steps of reality, but there's no denying that this is 21st century technology that's worthy of some of the excitement that's been lavished upon it. We just saw demos of Qik video conferencing, YouTube HQ (output brilliantly over HDMI), simultaneous data and voice usage, and even a straight-up speed test (4Mbps down, 1Mbps up, the latter of which is a hard cap). The phone performed brilliantly in each scenario, but of course that's to be expected when you have a 4G tower in the building. Check out the videos of all this breathless action after the break. Added bonus? All four (totaling about 100MB) were uploaded with our laptop tethered over WiFi to an HTC EVO 4G. Don't be jealous. Okay, be just a little bit jealous.

Gallery: HTC EVO 4G hands-on speed tests

Continue reading Sprint's HTC EVO 4G put through its bandwidth-sucking paces

Sprint's HTC EVO 4G put through its bandwidth-sucking paces originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 20:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iMONO 13-port USB hub with independent power switches kills vampires en masse

USB hubs with independently switchable ports to disable vampire power draw are nothing new, but this unit from iMONO takes things to the next delightfully absurd level, with a full complement of 13 ports -- enough for an entire army of undead novelty flash drives. Of course, you could also just unplug your devices after you're done using them to save power, but come on -- like you're gonna say no to an array of switches and blue LEDs. Next step: combining this with the 49-port hub we saw last year.

iMONO 13-port USB hub with independent power switches kills vampires en masse originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time Warner and Verizon bring TBS, TNT content to FiOS TV Online

Verizon gave some FiOS subscribers access to on-demand content from TBS and TNT in its FiOS TV Online trials way back in August of last year, but the company has just now announced that it'll finally be launching the service for all FiOS TV customers sometime next month. That will thankfully be a free service, and will give you on-demand access to shows like The Closer, Southland, and Lopez Tonight in "HD video quality" within 24 hours after they air on television. As before, Verizon is also saying that it is working with other networks including CBS, MTV and Fox News to bring additional on-demand content to FiOS TV Online, but it's not going any further than to say that content is coming "soon." Full press release is after the break.

Continue reading Time Warner and Verizon bring TBS, TNT content to FiOS TV Online

Time Warner and Verizon bring TBS, TNT content to FiOS TV Online originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 18:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint selling HTC EVO 4G on June 4 for $199

342diggsdigg Everyone's favorite WiMAX-powered Android device finally has a date and a price, and you don't have terribly long to wait: June 4 is the date that you'll want to be lining up outside your local Sprint store for an EVO 4G, $199 in hand (assuming you're signing up for a new contract, of course -- according to the fine print, the full cost is $450 before all discounts). Interestingly, Sprint has specifically called out that you'll be able to video chat (remember, the EVO 4G has a front-facing cam) over both 3G and 4G using Qik -- not a bad choice, considering the company's well-established expertise with streaming live video out of handsets.

Unfortunately, there's a downside to all this: customers will be paying a mandatory (as confirmed to us by Sprint reps) $10 per month "Premium Data add-on" on top of their plan -- ostensibly for the privilege of enjoying WiMAX when they're in a Sprint 4G market -- and the 8-device WiFi hotspot feature runs an extra $29.99 a month, which Sprint is quick to point out is half what you'd pay for a dedicated mobile broadband account. As we saw at CTIA, the phone is the first to offer on-phone YouTube high quality video, a feature that automatically kicks in when you're in the sweet confines of a WiMAX tower. Oh, and check this out: Sprint was hesitant to commit to offering simultaneous voice and data before, but HTC must've worked out the kinks, because it's all systems go -- you'll be able to yap and browse on 4G at the same time.

We're at the EVO 4G's announcement in New York as we type, and we can tell you that everything Sprint is demoing is crazy fast -- we'd expect no less from an WiMAX device with a 1GHz Snapdragon -- and we're particularly stoked to see them demo Need For Speed Shift on it, which will be launching on Android around the same time as the device. Follow the break for Sprint's full press release!

Update: According to Phone Scoop, that $10 premium add-on has the benefit of no data cap for either WiMAX or 3G connections. Since we're on the subject of updates, have you seen our bevy of new EVO 4G videos yet?

Update 2: Starting today, Best Buy is accepting pre-orders for the device, and per usual, they won't require you to wait for the mail-in rebate -- it's just $199.99 straight-up on contract. Thanks, all!

Continue reading Sprint selling HTC EVO 4G on June 4 for $199

Sprint selling HTC EVO 4G on June 4 for $199 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 18:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC's complaint against Apple examined

Okay, we've just gotten the full complaint HTC filed with the International Trade Commission this morning, alleging that the iPhone, iPad, and iPod infringe five of its patents and asking for sales and imports to be halted. What's odd here is that HTC hasn't yet filed a lawsuit in federal court, which could mean a lot of things -- HTC could just be banking on the ITC's somewhat faster process to force Apple's hand, or it could be less sure of its patent claims and avoiding the harsher scrutiny of a courtroom in favor of an administrative decision. We can't say for sure what the reasoning is -- but we can read the ITC complaint and break down the claims, and that's exactly what we're going to do. It's all after the break, grab the PDF or check out the gallery and follow along.

Gallery: HTC's ITC complaint against Apple

Continue reading HTC's complaint against Apple examined

HTC's complaint against Apple examined originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 18:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MusicLites shoves a speaker, wireless transmitter and LED light into single canister
Look, we've no beef with Osram Sylvania (nor Artison, for that matter), but calling these MusicLites "a first of its kind" is a bit of a stretch, if not an outright falsity. Klipsch launched essentially the same thing back at CES this year with the LightSpeaker, but hey, we've no gripes with a little competition in the space. The aforementioned duo has joined up in order to produce something that should make the art of integrating whole home audio into your own abode a good bit easier, with the MusicLites design combining a 10-watt LED light, a 70mm full-range loudspeaker and a wireless audio receiver. The device can slide into four-, five- or six-inch recessed cans, and we're told that it'll provide light output equivalent to a 65-watt reflector bulb. As you'd probably expect, there's a proprietary 2.4GHz transceiver that works with a variety of sources, some of which include USB, smartphones and PMPs. Each kit will ship with a pair of 3.8" x 5.3" modules and a remote that controls light dimming and audio settings, and while mum's the word on pricing, it'll be commercially available sometime in the fall.

Continue reading MusicLites shoves a speaker, wireless transmitter and LED light into single canister

MusicLites shoves a speaker, wireless transmitter and LED light into single canister originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cellbots get Nexus One upgrade, ad-hoc motion control (video)

Sprint and Verizon may have shunned the Nexus One, but that doesn't mean the handsets can't be put to good use: these Android-controlled, Arduino-powered Cellbots now feature the one true Googlephone as the CPU. At Intel's 2010 International Science and Engineering Fair in San Jose, we got our hot little hands on the DIY truckbots for the first time, and found to our surprise they'd been imbued with accelerometer-based motion control. Grabbing a Nexus One off a nearby table, we simply tilted the handset forward, back, left and right to make the Cellbot wheel about accordingly, bumping playfully into neighbors and streaming live video the whole time. We were told the first handset wirelessly relayed instructions to the second using Google Chat, after which point a Python script determined the bot's compass facing and activated Arduino-rigged motors via Bluetooth, but the real takeaway here is that robots never fail to amuse. Watch our phone-skewing, bot-driving antics in a video after the break, and see what we mean.

Continue reading Cellbots get Nexus One upgrade, ad-hoc motion control (video)

Cellbots get Nexus One upgrade, ad-hoc motion control (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 17:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AA rechargeable battery shootout: Energizer, PowerGenix and Sanyo Eneloop

If there's one thing that has become abundantly clear to us these past few months, it's that there's really no excuse to not invest in at least one set of rechargeable batteries if you find yourself chewing through more than a few on a regular basis. If you're an avid user of Apple's power-hungry Magic Mouse, Nintendo's oh-so-demanding Wii remote or one of the many professional camera flashes on the market, chances are you've considered buying stock in Duracell or Energizer based on how often you find yourself in the battery aisle. Quite a few devices have moved to proprietary rechargeables -- many of which can be rejuvenated over USB -- but for everything else, it's typically AA or bust. We tested out PowerGenix's NiZn cells late last year, and it wasn't long before we found ourselves in possession of two alternatives from Energizer and Sanyo. Care to see how all three of these stacked up against one another and those traditional non-rechargeables? Read on for more.

Gallery: Energizer, PowerGenix and Sanyo Eneloop batteries

Continue reading AA rechargeable battery shootout: Energizer, PowerGenix and Sanyo Eneloop

AA rechargeable battery shootout: Energizer, PowerGenix and Sanyo Eneloop originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 17:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15 get AMD's latest, start at $549
We don't yet have much insight into the performance of the many laptops now being powered by AMD's new mainstream CPUs, but we can say we're big fans of the prices they're ringing up. Starting at $549, Lenovo's rolling out the Edge 14 and 15 with big A's latest Athlon II X2 P320, Turion II X2 P520 and Phenom II X3 P820 processors on June 22. They won't be available with discrete graphics options, but the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400 IGP should at least go easy on the 4- and 6-cell battery options. Other than that the Edge is the same machine we have come to know and love over the past few months -- now let's just hope that AMD power lives up to its promise.

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15 get AMD's latest, start at $549 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Erick Tseng leaves Google and Android... for Facebook

Looks like Google's Android team is being shaken up a little: senior product manager Erick Tseng just announced on Twitter that he's leaving for a new position at Facebook. You might remember Erick from his appearance on The Engadget Show and a brief video we did with him at CES -- he was an instrumental part of the Android team, and a pretty great interview to boot. We'll see how Google decides to fill his shoes, but for now let's wish Erick luck with the new gig -- we're sure he's got a million new friend requests coming his way.

Erick Tseng leaves Google and Android... for Facebook originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix stealth launches HD streaming to PC and Mac

It appears HD Netflix Watch Instantly streams aren't just for living room set-top boxes anymore now that Netflix is streaming more than half of its 720p-encoded titles to Macs and PCs (through the Silverlight web player, no word on the Media Center add-on.) According to Hacking Netflix, you can tell which ones are ready to go by checking the mouseover box for the (HD Available) tag as seen above. Our experience matches several other reports that not everyone is seeing the tag on all the same titles, so until it's rolled out fully, YMMV. It's not the new release flicks or surround sound add-ons that many are waiting for, but it could slide PQ up another notch for HTPC owners and everyone who just has to watch Killer Klowns from Outer Space at work -- but you'd never do that.

[Thanks, @DaveZatz]

Netflix stealth launches HD streaming to PC and Mac originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 16:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam arrives for the Mac with 57 games in tow, all your PC using friends are really happy for you

Thanks to Valve, Mac users can finally claim to own a "gaming rig" without resorting to Boot Camp or causing PC gamers to burst into laughter. Sure, you're still going to be better off cost-for-pixel-crunching with a mid-range PC desktop than anything Apple offers, but for a MacBook Pro user looking to get in a few frags during lunch, the arrival of Steam for Mac is probably the best news they've heard this year -- and luckily that Source engine isn't too hard on older hardware. Mostly the same crop of games that were available to beta testers are available in the final product, with Portal and Team Fortress 2 standing atop the heap (Portal's even free for a limited time!), while Half-Life and Left 4 Dead remain notably absent. Check out Joystiq if you want a full breakdown of the games, including a few of the highlights, we have... um, some stuff to do. You know, boring work stuff. You probably wouldn't be interested. Hit that source link for the download.

Update: We're not seeing Team Fortress 2, and we're not getting an option for picking up the Mac version of Civ IV, even though it's a "Steam Play" title. The free Portal download isn't working either, but at least we're relatively certain that it will at some point.

Steam arrives for the Mac with 57 games in tow, all your PC using friends are really happy for you originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comcast Xfinity iPad remote app changes channels and invites friends to watch RHONY

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts just hit the stage at The Cable Show and displayed the company's prototype iPad app, the Xfinity Remote. At least so far it doesn't appear to let you stream television programs directly to Apple's media consumption device, but it does let you turn it into a TV guide browser and remote for your set-top box that outpaces even its already released iPhone prog. They pulled in G4's Kevin Pereira for the quick video demo (embedded after the break) highlighting not only the remote DVR scheduling but also a social feature that lets you invite friends to watch live TV with you -- as long as they have Comcast, and the app, and an iPad. Of course, the innovation we'd like to see is a new UI for our cable boxes like the one shown on the iPad... or the one we saw a few years ago. So far the reaction to Facebook and Twitter chat on the screen via widgets has been mild at best, but social tie-ins to another screen could be just what our Real Housewives of New York viewing parties need.

Continue reading Comcast Xfinity iPad remote app changes channels and invites friends to watch RHONY

Comcast Xfinity iPad remote app changes channels and invites friends to watch RHONY originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 15:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mind-controlled prosthetic arm moving to market in Europe

Germany-based Otto Bock Healthcare has announced that its prototype prosthetic arm which can be controlled by thought is ready to hit the market. The device has been in testing on Christian Kandlbauer -- who doesn't have any arms and has a conventional prosthetic on his right side -- for the past four years. He's the first person in Europe to have a thought-controlled prosthesis installed, but the research is complete and the finished product should soon be available to the public. The arm makes use of targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR), which uses nerves that controlled the lost arm to control the prosthesis. The nerves are transplanted to the chest in a six-hour operation and enable the prosthetic control. The full details of the arm's operation and controls have yet to be unveiled, but hit up the source link for more information.

Mind-controlled prosthetic arm moving to market in Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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