Saturday, May 29, 2010

IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 29/05/2010



Shuttle opens US pre-orders for pricey Core i7-based J3 SFF PC
Shuttle teased us just under a month ago with its Core i7-powered J3 desktop, and now that little bugger is finally up for pre-order in the States. The J3 5800P workstation is easily one of the most powerful small form factor PCs this planet has ever seen, boasting a six-core Core i7 980X Extreme Edition CPU, your choice of NVIDIA Quadro or ATI FirePro professional graphics, up to 16GB of DDR3 memory, room for two SATA hard drives, an optional Blu-ray drive, plenty of ports and a 500-watt power supply. Somehow or another, all of that fits into a chassis that measures just 8.5- x 7.5- x 13.1-inches, and if you've been looking to downsize without taking a hit in the performance department, you can finally do so starting at $1,899. The journey begins right there in the source link -- good luck keeping it below three large, Yes Man.

Continue reading Shuttle opens US pre-orders for pricey Core i7-based J3 SFF PC

Shuttle opens US pre-orders for pricey Core i7-based J3 SFF PC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 12:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceShuttle (J3 5800P), (J1 4100P), (G2 7600P) | Email this | Comments
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Shogo 10-inch Linux tablet is a Qooq minus the recipes -- and the feet (video)
Shogo 10-inch Linux tablet is a Qook minus the recipes -- and the feet (video)
Last year's Qooq tablet hardly made much of a splash in the gadget industry, despite its cooking prowess and silly little feet. Now, the manufacturer behind the device, Realease, is shaving down the appendages and ditching the recipes to create the Shogo, a 10-inch, capacitive-touch Linux tablet. Two models will be offered with Freescale processors, one with the i.MX37 and another with the faster i.MX51, and much of the device's functionality will be provided through a webkit-based browser. We're a little unclear about the distribution plans here, as it really sounds like Realease would prefer to sell this thing in bulk to businesses than individually to shlemiels like us, but the thing apparently could go into mass production within a few months. Will it? Let's just say we're not quite as excited about that possibility as Charbax gets in the demonstration video below.

Continue reading Shogo 10-inch Linux tablet is a Qooq minus the recipes -- and the feet (video)

Shogo 10-inch Linux tablet is a Qooq minus the recipes -- and the feet (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 12:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceARMdevices.net, Realease | Email this | Comments
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RAmos W7 Android MID is alive and shipping (in China)
It's been a long strange trip for the onetime "mystery MID," but now it looks like the RAmos W7 is finally finding its way to customers. According to Pocketables, the Android 1.5 device is selling for 999 yuan (about $146), which isn't bad seeing as how they've gone on eBay for four times that -- although the price suggests that the rumored 3G connectivity is a non-starter. Whatever the case, we'll definitely keep our eyes peeled for a stateside appearance.

RAmos W7 Android MID is alive and shipping (in China) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 11:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Slashgear | sourceMumumusic | Email this | Comments
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X2 promises a clutch of elusive iTablets for Computex
We're gearing up for Computex, and so is X2, apparently. The iTablet (which has been announced and then failed to materialize in the past) will be making an appearance at the show with not one but five variants. Seems like they're throwing the kitchen sink at us to see what will stick, eh? According to JKK Mobile we can, look forward to no less than three Intel-sportin' devices (including the iTablet Lite, which features a 10.1-inch display and 1.6GHz Atom CPU and both the T23A and T23X tablets with Core 2 Duo 743 1.30GHz CPU and 12.1-inch display) as well as a pair of 10.1-inch bad boys including the iTablet Speed-Lite (Nvidia Tegra 2 1GHz, 1GB RAM, 512MB NAND Flash storage) and the iTablet Ex-Lite II, which is pretty much the same but for the Freescale 800MHz CPU. The latter two will rock either Windows CE 6 or Android 2.0, apparently. We'll hold out for prices and actual product before passing judgement, but until then you can hit the source link -- you know, if you've never seen rendered images of vaporware tablets.

X2 promises a clutch of elusive iTablets for Computex originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 10:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear | sourceJKK Mobile | Email this | Comments
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The next Apple TV revealed: cloud storage and iPhone OS on tap... and a $99 price tag
148diggsdiggIf you thought that Apple's foray into the world of home entertainment died with the last iteration of the Apple TV, you're quite wrong. A tip we've received -- which has been confirmed by a source very close to Apple -- details the outlook for the next version of the Apple TV, and it's a doozy. According to our sources, this project has been in the works long before Google announced its TV solution, and it ties much more closely into Apple's mobile offerings. The new architecture of the device will be based directly on the iPhone 4, meaning it will get the same internals, down to that A4 CPU and a limited amount of flash storage -- 16GB to be exact -- though it will be capable of full 1080p HD (!). The device is said to be quite small with a scarce amount of ports (only the power socket and video out), and has been described to some as "an iPhone without a screen." Are you ready for the real shocker? According to our sources, the price-point for the device will be $99. One more time -- a hundred bucks.

Not only will this be priced to sell (like hotcakes), it seems that Apple is moving away from the model of local storage, and will be focusing the new ATV on cloud-based storage (not unlike Amazon's streaming scheme, though we're talking instant-on 1080p, a la Microsoft). For those still interested in keeping their content close, there will be an option to utilize a Time Capsule as an external storage component, but the main course will be all about streaming. The new ATV will do away with its current OS X-lite variation as a operating system, and will instead adopt the iPhone OS for the underlying experience. There's no word at this point on whether apps and the App Store will be coming along for the ride, but it makes sense given the shared platform. Of course, scaling iPhone apps to that 52-inch plasma in your living room isn't exactly a no-brainer. Perhaps not surprisingly, Apple won't deliver the ATV news at the upcoming WWDC -- that event will be focused on the capabilities of the new iPhone -- but development on the product is most definitely full steam ahead. Is your TV screen the next battleground in the platform wars? Survey says: hell yes.

The next Apple TV revealed: cloud storage and iPhone OS on tap... and a $99 price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 10:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shanghai's Roewe 350 auto rolls off the assembly line with Android 2.1
This is probably not what Google means by a mobile OS, but no matter: SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) has recently announced that the Roewe 350 -- which began production last week -- will feature a custom variant of Android 2.1 called Inkanet for its entertainment and GPS system. This bad boy sports Internet access (via China Telecom 3G), OnStar, and a "walkie-talkie" function for chatting with other Inkanet users. With the vehicle estimated to cost upwards of 130,000 yuan ($20,000), this is certainly the most expensive Android MID we've seen yet -- as well as the least pocketable. Peep the car itself after the break.

Continue reading Shanghai's Roewe 350 auto rolls off the assembly line with Android 2.1

Shanghai's Roewe 350 auto rolls off the assembly line with Android 2.1 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 09:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AutoBlog | sourceChiniTech | Email this | Comments
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HTC EVO 4G accessories detailed ahead of launch
So you live in the land of WiMax and rainbows. Lucky you. Then you'll be needing some accessories to go along with that new EVO 4G you'll be purchasing next week. While we've seen some of these before (image from a previous leak after the break), we now have the benefit of pricing to assist with your decisions. And hey, if $30 for a leather pouch with belt clip seems like a reasonable purchase then you might want to check out our fine selection of pocket protectors and Bluetooth headsets. Don't be shy, embrace your outer nerd... no one else will. Oh!

Continue reading HTC EVO 4G accessories detailed ahead of launch

HTC EVO 4G accessories detailed ahead of launch originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 09:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia N8 video overview: Symbian^3 homescreens, messaging, email, and Flash-capable browser on show
It seems like the only question really left about the Nokia N8, albeit the most important one, is just how it'll interface with the user and what the experience of living with it will be like. The Nokia Conversations team is now aiming to answer just that with the first of three video walkthroughs taking us on a tour of the new device and its Symbian^3 operating environment. We now know you can have up to three homescreens with six widgets apiece, and -- gasp -- wallpapers are available right off the bat. Threaded messaging is also implemented in the new OS, as well as a soft QWERTY keyboard and a set of emoticons... yes, emoticons. Notably, the entire demo is done with the phone held in landscape, suggesting that might be the preferred method of use, while transitions between menus look as quick and pleasurable as you might expect from a promo video. See the whole thing after the break.

Continue reading Nokia N8 video overview: Symbian^3 homescreens, messaging, email, and Flash-capable browser on show

Nokia N8 video overview: Symbian^3 homescreens, messaging, email, and Flash-capable browser on show originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 09:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceNokia Conversations | Email this | Comments
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Boutique publishing house les éditions volumiques shows us that print is far, far from dead
Boutique publishing house les éditions volumiques shows us that print is far, far from dead
Say what you will about traditional media and the continually shrinking size of print magazines, but we've got some proof right here that good 'ol pulp still has a lot of life left. French publishing house les éditions volumiques has been doing research into new and... interesting ways to use the print medium and to combine it with mobile devices. The company's site is like a playground for bookistas, with short videos showing off all sorts of wondrous things. One project is The book that disappears, a volume printed on reactive paper that turns black after 20 minutes. Another is The Night of the Living Dead Pixels, a graphic novel (shown above) that allows you to choose your path, with terminal pages featuring QR codes that trigger videos on your smartphone. There's a board game that uses iPhones for pawns, and even a book that turns its own pages. All are demonstrated at the company's site (in Flash, so watch out for Steve), and most are destined to actually see print by the end of the year. We've already made room on our bookshelves.

Boutique publishing house les éditions volumiques shows us that print is far, far from dead originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 08:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceLes éditions volumiques | Email this | Comments
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Stores open early June 4th for EVO 4G with mobile hotspot loophole
When you've got the world's most desired** handset, you don't keep people waiting. As such, Sprint is recommending that its "preferred retailers" open extra early on June 4th. That should give you a bit of time to grab the new EVO 4G on the way to the office for some good ol' fashioned bragging rights in the cubicle farm. At least until you remember that one-third of your life is spent working inside of a beige box. Oh and here's a pro tip: according to the official EVO 4G Launch Guide we're staring at, the mobile hotspot functionality that turns your EVO into a WiMax hotspot for up to 8 devices will initially work without paying the $29.99 monthly fee if you're happy with using it on 4G only (no 3G). Sprint expects to correct this sometime in July after which the Sprint Mobile Hotspot add-on will require activation. Read the details for yourself after the break.

** assuming you have WiMax coverage

Continue reading Stores open early June 4th for EVO 4G with mobile hotspot loophole

Stores open early June 4th for EVO 4G with mobile hotspot loophole originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 08:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opera parodies Google's Chrome speed tests mercilessly (video)
63diggsdiggThis, dear friends, is the height of comedy. Opera's pair of Scandinavian browser testers are back, this time applying some extremely high-tech speed tests to determine whether the Norwegian browser is faster than boiling a potato. Seriously, if you're not laughing at this, you either work for Google or you have a funny bone missing. In more concrete news, the acceptance of Opera Mini to the iPhone has accounted for a cool 70 percent of the Mini's growth over the month of April, with 2.6 million Apple users downloading the software worldwide. But that's not what you're here for, you're here to see the epic video, which awaits after the break along with Google's original.

[Thanks, Ian G.]

Continue reading Opera parodies Google's Chrome speed tests mercilessly (video)

Opera parodies Google's Chrome speed tests mercilessly (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 07:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceoperasoftware (YouTube), Yahoo! News | Email this | Comments
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Nokia N8 to launch on August 25 in UK, according to local store employee
As official confirmations go, this is the weakest kind. A Nokia store employee has informed Pocket-lint that the N8 hero device we've all been waiting for will be launching in the Queen's backyard on Wednesday, August 25. That's only a day off from the August 24 tip that we had and definitely seems to narrow down the release window, but let's retain our signature skepticism. Until one of Nokia's higher-ups or their PR team busts out an official release date, we're still dealing with speculative information. Then again, if you wanna book that week of August off from work, we'd totally understand.

Nokia N8 to launch on August 25 in UK, according to local store employee originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 07:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourcePocket-lint | Email this | Comments
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UK iBookstore surprise: premium content appears
UK's iBookstore gets some premium content, contrary to earlier statements
The iPad has officially hit Europe today (though some lucky duckies got theirs a bit early), and contrary to earlier descriptions of the iBookstore as being "US only" it seems UK virtual bookshelves are now receiving some decidedly in-copyright texts to fill in the gaps between the dusty, out-of-copyright volumes previously available. Prices are displayed in the local currency, nice for those living in fear of the NWO, and purchases are made in just two taps. So, UK owners, download yourself a new book, find a comfy chair, pour a nice cuppa, and enjoy your weekend with your new toy.

UK iBookstore surprise: premium content appears originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 07:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceSlashGear | Email this | Comments
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Skype Mobile with video support coming to Android Market later this year?
Skype's PR folks have been unusually loquacious today, as they've responded to a query about whether HTC's EVO 4G would get a Skype client with a deep and meaningful forward-looking statement, underpinned by a promise of an Android app "for all consumers globally to download regardless of carriers." This universally available addition to the Market should arrive "later this year," but what's important about it is that it's preceded by a lengthy spiel about Skype's ambition to "set the bar on mobile video calling," which it also intends to do this year. Does this necessarily mean that Skype video calling is coming to Android in time for us to wish granny happy Hanukkah over video chat? No. Is it a well constructed insinuation to that effect? Hell yes. Read the full statement at the source, or find the juiciest excerpt after the break.

[Thanks, Jeremy]

Continue reading Skype Mobile with video support coming to Android Market later this year?

Skype Mobile with video support coming to Android Market later this year? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 06:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceSkatter Tech | Email this | Comments
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Foxconn raising wages, relocating 20 percent of Shenzhen workers closer to home (updated)
After a string of highly localized suicides at Foxconn's manufacturing campus captured the world's attention -- again -- the company has decided to increase worker wages by about 20 percent. Foxconn says that the pay raise had been planned for some time but did not say when it would be implemented. Mind you, a 20% bump in the third quarter is not unusual as Foxconn ramps up production for the holidays. In fact, Foxconn has given raises by as much as 50% in the past according to Vincent Chen, analyst at Yuanta Securities in Taipei. At the moment, Foxconn entry-level line workers are paid 900 yuan (about $131.80) per month -- remuneration that exceeds the local minimum wage in the area. And that's before bonuses and that oh-so tempting overtime pay are factored in. It's also worth noting that Foxconn is said by a factory worker surnamed Wang, to pay 100,000 yuan (about 10 times a worker's annual base salary) to families of suicide victims -- a sum he says has tempted some to their death.

Update: CEO Terry Guo is being quoted as saying that Foxconn plans to relocate some facilities and about a fifth of its Shenzhen workforce (that's about 80,000 people based on the 400k estimates tossed around) to western parts of China so that the workers can be closer to their families. Meanwhile, Sony, Nokia, and Nintendo, all Foxconn customers, have joined Apple, Dell, and HP in expressing their public concern over the working conditions in Foxconn.

Foxconn raising wages, relocating 20 percent of Shenzhen workers closer to home (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 06:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo | sourceMSNBC | Email this | Comments
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Intel mulling WebM hardware acceleration in Atom CE4100 chip
Hey Google, shall we try the other box? Maybe it has hardware acceleration built in for your new WebM video format? Intel's Wilfred Martis has told IDG News that his company is keeping a close eye on Google's new VP8-based format, and should it prove popular enough, hardware acceleration for it will be built into the CE4100 and other Atom chips headed to TVs and overpowered cable boxes in the future:
Just like we did with other codecs like MPEG2, H.264 & VC1, if VP8 establishes itself in the Smart TV space, we will add it to our [hardware] decoders.
Not exactly astonishing news, as Google TV is still likely to proceed on those chips with WebM getting decoded by software in the mean time, but at least Intel's absenteeism from the WebM hardware partner list can now be explained as simple precaution, rather than some deeper division between the companies.

Intel mulling WebM hardware acceleration in Atom CE4100 chip originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 06:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceComputerworld | Email this | Comments
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Nokia sells just 100,000 N900s after first five months: so? (updated: more like 5 weeks)
Look, the N900 might be sitting at the top of Nokia's handset pyramid in terms of capabilities, but as we've said all along, the N900 is not a mass-market device. Nokia's been very clear that the N900 was launched as a means to strengthen its Maemo development community (on the path to MeeGo we now know). And by all accounts, it's done just that while winning a rabid fanbase of nerds in the process. Nevertheless, Reuters uses Gartner's estimate of less than 100,000 units sold in the device's first five months as proof that Nokia can't mount a challenge to RIM and Apple. True the numbers are paltry compared to the 8.75 million iPhones Apple sold from January to March, but a more apt comparison might be the oft noted Nexus One sales that reached just 135k units moved after 74 days. Regardless, in its defense, Alberto Torres, head of Nokia's solutions business said that "Sales have substantially exceeded expectations." So yeah, Nokia has problems, but the N900 isn't wasn't one of them.

Update: While Nokia doesn't normally give out detailed sales figures per device, we've just been told that more than 100,000 N900s sold in the first five weeks -- not months -- globally.

Nokia sells just 100,000 N900s after first five months: so? (updated: more like 5 weeks) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 05:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Navy Surgeon General eyes Wii Fit, Dance Dance Revolution for boot camp
We understand that Wii Fit has dubious health benefits at best (whatever CTA Digital might say top the contrary), but apparently word hasn't reached the Navy's top brass. According to the Navy Times, recruits need more work than ever before to get into fighting shape, "given that many young people prefer computers and video games" to sports and physical activity. The solution, says Navy Surgeon General Vice Adm. Adam Robinson, is to use break in would-be sailers slowly, introducing "the equivalents of Nintendo's Wii Fit or Konami's Dance Dance Revolution" in basic training. This sounds rather silly to us, but what do we know? We're lovers, not fighters.

Navy Surgeon General eyes Wii Fit, Dance Dance Revolution for boot camp originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 05:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET | sourceNavy Times | Email this | Comments
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Autonomous quadrocopter flies through windows, straight into our hearts (video)
37diggsdiggWe don't know whether we should be terrified or overjoyed. We've just come across a video demo from the University of Pennsylvania's GRASP Lab that shows an autonomous quadrotor helicopter performing "precise aggressive maneuvers." And trust us when we say, nothing in the foregoing sentence is an overstatement -- the thing moves with the speed and grace of an angry bee, while accompanied by the perfectly menacing whine of its little engine. See this work of scientific art in motion after the break.

[Thanks, William]

Continue reading Autonomous quadrocopter flies through windows, straight into our hearts (video)

Autonomous quadrocopter flies through windows, straight into our hearts (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 04:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceUniversity of Pennsylvania | Email this | Comments
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Intel Core i7-875K and Core i5-655K unlock multipliers, better performance
Intel's back in its familiar saddle today with the unveiling of a pair of new CPUs, marking the start of a new K-series that will cater to the overclocker inside all of us. The Core i7-875K is a 2.93GHz quad-core unit, which can scale heights of 3.6GHz via Turbo Boost, or even higher if you have the patience, tenacity and appropriate cooling to make it happen. Review action for this chip shows it to be Intel's premier offering short of the enthusiastically overpriced and overpowered Core i7-980X. Even more affordable will be the Clarkdale-based Core i5-655K, which trots along at 3.2GHz (with a 3.46GHz gallop option), but response to it was a little more muted. It's a dual-core CPU, after all, and if you don't plan on exploiting that unlocked multiplier to achieve some madness above 4GHz, you might be better off looking elsewhere. In amidst all the mad benchmarking, we've also found a review of a Falcon Northwest i7-875K rig as well, so give it all a read if you're mulling over a desktop upgrade.

Read - Tech Report
Read - AnandTech
Read - PC Perspective
Read - Hot Hardware
Read - TweakTown
Read - Legit Reviews

Intel Core i7-875K and Core i5-655K unlock multipliers, better performance originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 03:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung debuts business-minded P80, P30 series laptops, NB30 Pro netbook
Are you a businessperson in search of a portable computing device? Then Samsung claims to have a few new options designed with just you in mind in the form of its new P80 Premium and P30 Essential series laptops, and NB30 Pro netbook. On the laptop side of things, the P80 and P30 series are each available in 14-inch and 15-inch versions, with the P80 models packing a Core i5 processor, 320GB hard drive and a docking connector, while the P30 models dial things back to a Core i3 and a 250GB hard drive. As you might expect, the NB30 Pro (pictured above) is simply a slightly updated version of Samsung's regular NB30 netbook, with it boasting an Atom N450 processor, a 160GB hard drive, up to 2GB of RAM, and Windows 7 Professional for an OS. Look for it to run you $519, while the P30 and P80 will start at $849 and $999, respectively -- all should be available by the end of the month. Head on past the break for the complete press release.

Continue reading Samsung debuts business-minded P80, P30 series laptops, NB30 Pro netbook

Samsung debuts business-minded P80, P30 series laptops, NB30 Pro netbook originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 03:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba AirSwing UI puts you on the screen with your data
We've seen a Minority Report-esque interface or two hundred by this point, but Toshiba's AirSwing really caught our attention. Using little more than a webcam and some software, this bad boy places a semi-transparent image of the operator on the display -- all the easier to maneuver through the menus. And according to Toshiba, that software only utilizes about three percent of a 400MHz ARM 11 CPU -- meaning that you have plenty of processor left for running your pre-crime diagnostics. There is no telling when something like this might become commercially available, but the company plans to bundle it in commercial displays for malls and the like. Video after the break.

Continue reading Toshiba AirSwing UI puts you on the screen with your data

Toshiba AirSwing UI puts you on the screen with your data originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 02:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceDiginfo | Email this | Comments
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Samsung planning Android 1.6 update for Behold II -- but that's it
Remember the good ol' days when companies were honest to their customers? Aw, who are we kidding -- those days never actually existed, so it's good to see Samsung carrying on the time-honored tradition of playing the CYA game by belting out a bald-faced lie or two. So the Behold II for T-Mobile USA has been the subject of some serious buzz the past few days as buyers have grown weary of the lack of new builds, all while the Android world has passed them by with not one, not two, not three, but four major updates. Samsung Mobile finally broke the silence today on a forum -- good on them -- saying that there's a Donut update in the works featuring "Swype, an improved Media Player, updated core Android applications and improved Bluetooth capabilities."

That's all well and good, but Samsung goes on to say that "the Behold II is not upgradeable beyond Android 1.6" -- and we've got a serious problem with that wording. We know (and Samsung knows) damn well that they could upgrade the Behold II beyond Android 1.6, considering that the community has managed to shoehorn even Froyo onto prehistoric devices like the Dream; rather, Samsung chooses not to upgrade it beyond Android 1.6. That's a business decision that Samsung has to make, and far be it from us to try to push Sammy into continuing to sink cash into a phone that didn't sell very well -- but the least these guys could do is be honest, face the music, and tell us that's what's going on rather than insulting our collective intelligence and insisting that there's some cosmic force preventing Eclair or Froyo from loading onto a phone that was just released a few months ago. Seriously though, Sammy -- thanks for the Donut, we guess.

Update: We've now received Samsung's official response independently and have it for you after the break.

Continue reading Samsung planning Android 1.6 update for Behold II -- but that's it

Samsung planning Android 1.6 update for Behold II -- but that's it originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 01:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung i897: the answer to your AT&T Android dreams?
Tired of your woeful selection of Android devices on AT&T? We hear you. Now buck up Mr. Sad Britches 'cause Samsung's riding to your rescue. AndroidGuys has a purportedly leaked Samsung handset it's calling the i897 that looks very similar to the Galaxy S specwise: 4-inch AMOLED display, Android 2.1 (for the moment anyway), and 5 megapixel camera. It's built around a Snapdragon processor apparently, and even goes well with chicken. Now hit up the source for a few more pics.

Samsung i897: the answer to your AT&T Android dreams? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 01:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceAndroidGuys | Email this | Comments
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Android 2.2 wastes no time getting hacked onto HTC Dream and Magic
Though we're not even a wee bit shocked to see a "usable" version of Froyo already available to owners of the G1 / Dream and Magic, we're definitely heartened to see that phones running 2008 specs can handily run a mid-2010 version of the platform. There's plenty of stuff that doesn't work yet -- WiFi and GPS, just to name a couple of biggies -- but we suspect that this is one dev community that won't give up until everything is working to their satisfaction. Motivation to hang on to otherwise outdated hardware for a few more months, perhaps?

Android 2.2 wastes no time getting hacked onto HTC Dream and Magic originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 00:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android France | sourcexda-developers | Email this | Comments
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Sound ID's 510 Bluetooth headset has iPhone app to match
Occasionally, we long for simpler times -- times when "handsfree" meant little more than connecting a corded earbud to your phone and calling it good. Nowadays, of course, things are a little different: Bluetooth is quite literally everywhere, headsets have their own frickin' apps, and bone conduction tech is the real deal. Take this Sound ID 510, for example, featuring its very own iPhone app (which Sound ID made sure to get approved by Apple ahead of the actual hardware's release) that lets you control a number of settings, check your battery level, and find the set if you misplace it. To be fair, it's not the first time we've seen an on-phone companion app for a Bluetooth earbud, and something tells us it won't be the last; that's right, welcome to our frightning new reality. Look for the 510 to hit shops in early June for about $130.

Sound ID's 510 Bluetooth headset has iPhone app to match originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 00:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Wired | sourceSound ID | Email this | Comments
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Wi-Fi Sync now compatible with Windows and iPad
Wi-Fi Sync is quite the gem (at least we think so) but it had some limitations -- namely, it only worked on OS X for desktop, and only with iPhone / iPod touch. Developer Greg Hughes pinged us earlier today to let us know he's thrown the gates off such restrictions. The jailbroken app now works for both iPads and Windows -- XP, Vista, and 7. The desktop client is free to download but it still cost just a hair under $10 for the appropriate mobile device. Worth the price of breaking free from wires? Your call.

Wi-Fi Sync now compatible with Windows and iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceGet Wi-Fi Sync | Email this | Comments
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Senators push for tracking of pre-paid cellphones
New York Senator Chuck Schumer has already taken aim at texting while driving, and it looks like he's now set his sights on pre-paid cellphones, which he says can also be dangerous -- when in the wrong hands, at least. To that end, he and Republican co-sponsor John Cornyn of Texas have introduced legislation that would give authorities the ability to identify the owners of pre-paid cellphones, which they say is long overdue "because for years, terrorists, drug kingpins and gang members have stayed one step ahead of the law by using prepaid phones that are hard to trace." That new tracking ability would also consequently place some new requirements on cellphone carriers and people buying the phones -- specifically, anyone buying a pre-paid cellphone would be required to present identification before buying a phone, and cellphone carriers would have to keep that information on file for 18 months after the phone has been deactivated. Of course, the legislation still has a ways to go before it becomes law, but Schumer says it at least has a good chance of winning support from the Obama administration. Head on past the break for the complete press release.

Continue reading Senators push for tracking of pre-paid cellphones

Senators push for tracking of pre-paid cellphones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 23:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Switched | sourceWall Street Journal | Email this | Comments
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Hitachi and LG tease HyDrive: an optical reader with loads of NAND (video)
Want a speedy, drop-proof SSD in your laptop? In all but the largest of 'em, you've got just two choices: pay through the nose for a reasonable amount of storage, or settle for a cheaper boot drive at the expense of capacity. Hitachi and LG are pulling a Monty Hall by opening door number three -- an optical drive with a built-in 32GB or 64GB SSD. Dubbed the HyDrive and currently being showcased at mysterydrive.net, the product is presently being labeled a "concept," but a set of impressive demo videos already show the ODD / SSD combo booting, multitasking and error-correcting Keanu Reeves like a trained pro. We'll have more details at Computex, at which point we'll let you know whether to be hesitantly expectant or gravely disappointed. Personally, hybrid HDDs be damned -- we want one of these suckers yesterday. Videos after the break.

Continue reading Hitachi and LG tease HyDrive: an optical reader with loads of NAND (video)

Hitachi and LG tease HyDrive: an optical reader with loads of NAND (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 23:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourcemysterydrive.net | Email this | Comments
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Ask Engadget: best backpack for holding a laptop and textbooks?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Eric, who is just about ready to ship off to the "best years of his life." If he can find a backpack, that is. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
"I am going to be attending college in the fall and am l looking for a good backpack that not only provides protection for my 15-inch laptop but also has space for accessories and books. I don't care about brand; I want something that will last and I don't have to replace for a while. Thanks for your suggestions!"
Look, this guy doesn't need yet another thing on his plate when it comes time to get ready for college. The least you can do is provide him a name and model of a solid backpack for carrying around his LAN party rig and [Insert Course Here] 101 books. Bone throwing is encouraged in comments below.

Ask Engadget: best backpack for holding a laptop and textbooks? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 22:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple iPad launches globally: lines form to the left, gauche, izquierda, hidari... (updated)
Hey, it's May 28th somewhere, and for all those places, the iPad is now officially launched -- not that the UK cares anymore, cake was served early across the pond. Keep tabs on data prices, check out the app store, and be sure to let us know your launch day experiences below!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: We've got our first queue pictures popping up and are adding them in after the break. Keep them coming, guys!

Update 2: We've heard direct from Best Buy that the iPad is today on sale in its Thurrock branch, and also in the brand new Hedge End outlet, which opened today in Southampton.

Read - AFP (Australia)
Read - Reuters (Japan)

Continue reading Apple iPad launches globally: lines form to the left, gauche, izquierda, hidari... (updated)

Apple iPad launches globally: lines form to the left, gauche, izquierda, hidari... (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 22:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qik charging $5 monthly for EVO 4G video chat (updated)
Last we thought, that mandatory $10 "premium data add-on" for Sprint's EVO 4G would additionally include YouTube and Qik video chat, and well, we may have been only half right. The gang at Android Guys have what's alleged to be a scan from Sprint's training materials, and according to one image, Qik's gonna cost you another $4.99 monthly via PayPal (not through the carrier) to use. We've reached out to see if we can confirm, but if true, it's a bit of a bummer to see the premiums continuing to add up. At least Fring's Skype video is still free, and as you can see in the video after the break, it works pretty well.

Update: We're now privy to the official May 26th edition of the Evo 4G launch guide and can confirm the $4.99 fee. While Sprint hasn't said anything publicly, it's looking like that fee will stick saving a last minute call from the governor.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Qik charging $5 monthly for EVO 4G video chat (updated)

Qik charging $5 monthly for EVO 4G video chat (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 21:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceAndroid Guys | Email this | Comments
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Motorola to launch two smartphones on Verizon in July, says WSJ
Motorola's been making good with Verizon as of late, and according to the Wall Street Journal, the two just signed a deal to "ensure some of its upcoming smartphones will be heavily promoted" by the carrier." The article goes on to say that Motorola is planning to launch a pair of such devices on VZW this year, with the obvious platform choice being Android for both. Our best guess would be the 4.1-inch Shadow / MB810 for one, but as for the smartphone? No clue. Even with great choices like the Incredible and EVO 4G on the market, like we said on last week's Engadget Show, there's never been a better time to wait on a new mobile purchase. Better yet, does this mean we can finally start retiring the original Droid from television? Thanks.

Motorola to launch two smartphones on Verizon in July, says WSJ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 21:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japan building a robot moon base in 2020, and you're not invited
Not content with the sheer badassery of sending a humanoid robot to the moon in 2015, Japan has just unveiled a mission for 2020 that will involve setting up a whole robotic moon base. It will be unmanned in the flesh-and-blood sense, but will be populated with a 660 pound rolling bot. The station will be self-powered, and will let its citizen roam over 60+ miles of terrain, gathering scientific samples that can be sent back to earth. While rocks are great, we're even more excited about the HDTV the station will be beaming back as well. The whole project will run somewhere in the ballpark of $2.2, and will be developed simultaneously with Japan's manned moon program. We're going to get working on our "I'm 660 pound a scientific exploration robot" costume right away.

Japan building a robot moon base in 2020, and you're not invited originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 21:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Crave | sourceNode | Email this | Comments
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ABC's subscription video plans leaked in consumer survey?
At Engadget HQ, we take great care not to trumpet the claims of a web survey, as it's always difficult to tell who's actually doing the surveying -- and even if we could, consumer surveys are all about a "what if" that may never actually come to pass. That said, it looks like maybe ABC is conducting a study asking folks whether they'd be interested in a subscription to an ABC.com streaming video service, and maybe that service might have a wide variety ABC shows, past and present, fully on-demand. Sound familiar? Interestingly, the subscription would seem to be offered alongside the existing free service, and both paid and free would have advertising, though reduced by 20 percent for those coughing up the fee. You can find a list of potentially potential shows included in the gallery below, forwarded to us by an anonymous tipster; we tried to take the survey ourselves, but were promptly rejected for our love of FlashForward.

Gallery: ABC's streaming subscription service survey?

ABC's subscription video plans leaked in consumer survey? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 20:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iota Flex wants to be a MiFi for voice and text
Would you believe us if we told you that that rubber bracelet-looking thing is actually going to have a built-in SIM card and bring voice / text capabilities to Android tablets, e-readers and netbooks via Bluetooth? Yeah, it sounds super crazy, but that's exactly what it'll eventually do. Convinced that 2G capabilities like talking and texting should be easier to add to MIDs, tablets and netbooks, Seattle-based startup Iota has come up with the Flex. It's definitely in the early stages of development, but in essence they see people clipping the bendable device to a bag, pairing it to an Android tablet, e-reader or MID, and then making calls from said devices.

We caught some time with Iota and the prototype at the Netbook Summit this week and were told that they plan to sell the Flex through retailers for under $100 -- it would be an extra $40 a month for unlimited calling and texting thanks to a partnership with Simple Mobile. Here's where we say we wouldn't hold your breath for this thing to hit the market -- though if they can pull it off, it'll certainty be an interesting solution for adding voice and text to those hoards of incoming Android tablets. After you're done wrapping your brain around this wearable voice and text accessory, check out the hands-on pics and hit the break for a hacked together demo of the dev kit they've been selling.

Gallery: Iota Flex prototype hands-on

Continue reading Iota Flex wants to be a MiFi for voice and text

Iota Flex wants to be a MiFi for voice and text originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 20:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceIota Flex | Email this | Comments
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Microsoft considers a Zune Pass price drop
Zune Pass already felt like a pretty sweet deal for music buffs -- $15 per month for unlimited streaming and 10 DRM-free MP3s -- and now Microsoft might be lowering the subscription price even further. Or so says Senior Product Manager Terry Farrell, who added, "it's a very definitely a challenging business." No indication what that new price might be, but just this past April, RealNetwork dropped Rhapsody's monthly fee from $15 to $10. If it does come to fruition, the new price would surely be a welcome boon to an already-promising Windows Phone 7 launch -- and maybe even Kin. Maybe.

Microsoft considers a Zune Pass price drop originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 19:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo | sourceBloomberg | Email this | Comments
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ReQuest threatens to enable DVD piracy on its media streamers, announces one sans DVD
Enjoy copying DVDs onto $5,000 boutique home servers? If you've got the dough, ReQuest has got you covered -- CEO Peter Cholnoky says that even if California courts make the practice illegal, his firm isn't afraid to push back. When CE Pro asked whether he was concerned about the fallout from the Kaleidescape lawsuit, he said, "Nope, should I be?" adding that ReQuest could convert existing equipment to use third-party DVD-copying software "in two seconds" should the courts try to shut him down. Given that the company's new $1,200 MediaPlayer (above) doesn't have the requisite DVD drive for ripping discs anyhow, that sounds an awful lot like braggadocio, but we have to say we love Peter's stick-it-to-the-man tone. Oh, and in case you're wondering, that MediaPlayer is slated to ship in June; you'll find a full spec sheet at our source link.

ReQuest threatens to enable DVD piracy on its media streamers, announces one sans DVD originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 19:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceCE Pro | Email this | Comments
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SlingPlayer Mobile for Android teased on an EVO 4G
It looks like those private beta rumors earlier this month were legit, seeing how Sling Media is now officially showing off its latest SlingPlayer Mobile incarnation on HTC's lovely EVO 4G for Sprint. The company is boasting that the app has the fastest load time of any version of SlingPlayer Mobile to date -- and we can't imagine that WiMAX hurts, either -- so this should be the perfect accessory to your EVO 4G purchase when the phone launches early next month. It's not clear yet what other Android devices will be compatible with the software, but we imagine Sling will be saying more soon, so stay tuned.

Continue reading SlingPlayer Mobile for Android teased on an EVO 4G

SlingPlayer Mobile for Android teased on an EVO 4G originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 18:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink the::unwired | sourceFacebook (via Slingbox) | Email this | Comments
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Google officially acquires AdMob
It was only a (brief) matter of time once it cleared the FTC's final approval last week (with a special thanks to Apple's iAd): Google is now the proud owner of one AdMob. According to Product Management VP Susan Wojcicki, the company is now integrating all the teams and products together. Full details are at the Official Google Blog, and after the break, check out an email purportedly from AdMob CEO Omar Hamoui.

Continue reading Google officially acquires AdMob

Google officially acquires AdMob originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 18:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | sourceOfficial Google Blog | Email this | Comments
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