Tuesday, October 26, 2010

IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 26/10/2010

RIM announces PlayBook simulator and SDK for BlackBerry Tablet OS
We know you're all partyin' up a storm at the Adobe MAX conference, but just in case one of you missed it, RIM's announced the availability of the Adobe AIR SDK for BlackBerry Tablet OS -- not to mention a little something called the BlackBerry PlayBook Simulator. Needless to say (but we'll say it anyways), we're more than anxious to get our hands on the latter. Unfortunately, it requires Adobe AIR 2.5 to run, while the latest release RIM's site is offering is 2.0.2. Buzzkill, right? That said, we suggest you keep an eye on the source link if you're looking to get in on the action yourself. Otherwise, if you're not willing to go all the way, we have some fine PR explaining matters after the break.
Continue reading RIM announces PlayBook simulator and SDK for BlackBerry Tablet OS
RIM announces PlayBook simulator and SDK for BlackBerry Tablet OS originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 09:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceResearch In Motion  | Email this | Comments
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Barnes & Noble launching Nook Kids this week, set to be the Nook Color's killer app?
Barnes & Noble launching Nook Kids this week, set to be the Nook Color's killer app?Say what you want about the current spate of e-books, few will do anything to hold the interest of your three-year-old nephew. To those who like to keep peanut butter and jelly out of the keys if their Kindles that's a good thing, but for Barnes & Noble that's a business opportunity waiting to be tapped. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company will soon launch Nook Kids, a dedicated collection for young readers expected to start with an impressive selection of 12,000 titles. Many of those will be "enhanced," like the book Jamberry, having one page with falling blueberries that kids can pop with a tap. That seems to be further proof of a full touchscreen on the rumored Color Nook, expected to be unveiled this Tuesday. Later in the year look for a Nook Kids app on the iPad and other devices, so now might be a good time to start teaching little Joey about regular hand cleaning.

[Thanks, Carson R.]
Permalink   |  sourceThe Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments
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VLC downsized to fit on the iPhone and iPod touch, now playing in the App Store
VLC gets downsized to fit on the iPhone and iPod touch, now playing in the App Store
If you like your players orange and portable but don't have a tablet, you may be in luck. The VLC Media Player app, which recently made the iPad a little more codec-friendly, is now available in the App Store for the iPhone (4 and 3GS) and iPod touch. This new version is also said to support even more file types, offer better performance, and allows for the deletion of files right through its own interface. It's available now, so get downloading -- your classic cartoons await.
VLC downsized to fit on the iPhone and iPod touch, now playing in the App Store originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 08:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Covering Web  |  sourceiTunes  | Email this | Comments
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Logitech Revue with Google TV torn down, netbook specs found within
There's a lot we already know about Logitech's Revue with Google TV, and after our walkthrough on Saturday's Engadget Show, we also know just how NSFW the search results can be. All jesting aside, we did notice some amount of stuttering during our testing, and now we know why: for all intents and purposes, it's a netbook. The knife wielding gurus over at iFixit tore into the Revue in order to see what kind of internals were powering it, and sure enough, a 1.2GHz Atom CPU was at the core. That's marginally faster than the 1GHz A4 housed in the newest Apple TV, but there's a lot more to process here than on Cupertino's darling. There's also 1GB of DDR3 memory as well as a grand total of 5GB NAND Flash (split between a Samsung and Hynix chip). Essentially, the hardware here is on par with netbooks from fall 2008 (the Dell Mini 9 is accurately mentioned), with "tons of open space" allowing the box to stay cool under pressure. So, you down with paying $300 for hardware you could've scored two years ago, or are you just now realizing that a basic HTPC isn't that hard to setup.
Logitech Revue with Google TV torn down, netbook specs found within originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 08:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceiFixit  | Email this | Comments
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Wi-Fi Direct certification begins today, device-to-device transmission starting soon
So, Bluetooth -- last fall didn't end up being as frightful as you had probably imagined, but this fall is bound to be different. Or so the Wi-Fi Alliance says. If you'll recall, Wi-Fi Direct promised to do what Bluetooth had been doing for years, but with far less fuss and on a protocol that's much more widespread. A solid year has come and gone, and we've heard nary a word from any company who plans on implementing it. Thankfully for us all, that changes today. Starting in mere moments, Wi-Fi Direct devices will begin the certification process, and while we couldn't extract exact product details or a release time frame for future wares on a media call regarding the announcement, we did get the impression that at least a few partners were trying to get Wi-Fi Direct wares onto shelves before Christmas.

As for functionality, the claims are fairly impressive. In order to make a direct device-to-device connection over WiFi, just one of the two need to be Wi-Fi Direct certified. In other words, a Wi-Fi Direct printer can recognize and interface with your Latitude D410 laptop from 1999, as all Wi-Fi Direct certified devices have to be able to control the one-to-one relationship. The goal here is pretty simple -- it's to create a protected connection between two devices over WiFi with as little hassle as possible. Think Bluetooth, but using WiFi. We also learned that "most" products certified will also support "one-to-many" connections, enabling a Wi-Fi Direct laptop to be in contact with a printer, connected HDTV and a tablet simultaneously, with no router in-between at any point. We should also point out that while 802.11a/g/n is supported over 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, there's no requirement for Wi-Fi Direct products to support 802.11b, so legacy users may want to pay attention to that quirk.

There's also no new hardware requirements here, so in theory, any existing WiFi chipset could be upgraded via firmware to handle Wi-Fi Direct -- whether or not that'll happen on a large scale was a question the Wi-Fi Alliance couldn't answer for us. Finally, they noted that the app ecosystem is likely to make this whole rollout a lot more interesting, particularly considering that Direct is simply a pipe that software can dictate as it sees fit. We'll be keeping a close eye on the developments here; we've waited way too long for this to blossom, but we're pretty jazzed about the possibilities. Head on past the break for a video overview of how Wi-Fi Direct works.Continue reading Wi-Fi Direct certification begins today, device-to-device transmission starting soon
Permalink   |  sourceWi-Fi Alliance  | Email this | Comments
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More details emerge of supposed PSP2 with backside touch controls, HD screen, hot personality
More details emerge of supposed PSP2 with backside touch controls, HD screen, hot personality
About a month before this year's Tokyo Game Show we started hearing new reports of the PSP2, a device that's been rumored since roughly the dawn of time (which could explain the prehistoric creatures on the concept render above). These rumors, however, were different, specifically the mention of a touchpad on the back of the device. Alas that device didn't make an appearance to the press at TGS, but supposedly Sony was showing it off to some developers. Kotaku has learned a few more things, most notable being a display an inch larger than the current PSP's and having a high-def resolution -- a detail that should surprise none. According to the report Sony is still tweaking the internal hardware, trying to mitigate overheating issues ahead of a release sometime in the fall of 2011. That would likely mean an unveiling at the 2011 E3, the same place the original unit was first shown in the flesh eight whole years earlier.
Permalink   |  sourceKotaku  | Email this | Comments
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EVO 4G picks up stylish Powermat induction charger (video)
This isn't your father's Powermat. The company who's name is synonymous with induction charging has undergone a makeover of sorts, reducing the bulk of its egregious logo in addition to the custom battery covers it makes for select devices. The $59.99 mat and receiver door (or $39.99 for the receiver only) for the notoriously power hungy EVO 4G is a good example of where Powermat's aftermarket induction charging tech can melt away into the design without affecting the overall aesthetic. In fact, if it wasn't for that logo and charging connector on the case to the right we'd swear that was a stock EVO 4G handset. See it unboxed and put to task in the video after the break.Continue reading EVO 4G picks up stylish Powermat induction charger (video)
EVO 4G picks up stylish Powermat induction charger (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 07:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceSmart KeiTai  | Email this | Comments
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The 3D cellphone lands in India for $97, no glasses required
It's not every day that you hear about an autostereoscopic 3D cellphone launching let alone for less than $100 (Rs. 4,299)... off contract. But that's exactly what Spice Mobility just announced in India. The M-67 3D phone features a 2.36-inch 240x320 pixel display with dedicated 3D shortcut key letting users switch between 2D and 3D viewing modes for the UI, images, and video. Unfortunately, this dual-SIM phone is only equipped with a 2D camera, not one of those 3D jobbies being cooked up by Sharp. We're guessing that at this price the viewing experience doesn't approach the Nintendo 3DS, but it's certainly a harbinger of things to come.

[Thanks, Jay]
The 3D cellphone lands in India for $97, no glasses required originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 06:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Techtree  |  sourceSpice Mobility  | Email this | Comments
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Samsung Galaxy Beam projector smartphone helped to light up the lives of the Chilean miners
Samsung Galaxy Beam projector smartphone helped to light up the lives of the Chilean miners
Did you hear the one about the trapped Chilean miners? Turns out they were a little bit under the weather. But, seriously folks, living in a cave for a couple of months is no fun, and thankfully those guys had a crew of support people sending down all sorts of toys. One of those toys, we're now learning, was a Samsung Galaxy Beam Android projector phone, loaded with a "message of encouragement" from Chile's Mining Minister along with a recording of an exhibition soccer match between Chile and Ukraine (which we were previously told was beamed down via fiber optics ). We have to admit feeling the smallest pang of jealousy, as down there is one of the few places where a six lumen pico projector is more than bright enough.
Permalink Samsung Hub, Phone Arena  |  sourceThe Chosunilbo  | Email this | Comments
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Recycle old gadgets (and make a buck or two) with eBay Instant Sale
You might already hawk your valuable old gadgets on eBay, but the auction house wants to broker your smaller transactions too -- that's why it launched eBay Instant Sale this last week. If you've got a (moderately recent) gizmo you want to get rid of right away, it looks as easy as can be -- answer the two questions above and get an instant offer, plus a free shipping label to mail it out. From the looks of a few sample queries, you won't get much for older items like the Dell Inspiron 8200 above, but we found a used Palm Pixi in good condition was worth a respectable $57, and even if your old featurephones aren't worth a cent, eBay's partners will recycle them for you and pay your shipping fees. Sure, you could donate the lot and write them off your taxes, but this sounds like it might be a worthy alternative to us.
Recycle old gadgets (and make a buck or two) with eBay Instant Sale originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 04:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Hot Hardware  |  sourceeBay Instant Sale  | Email this | Comments
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Ortustech unveils world's smallest Full HD display, puts Retina to shame
Ever heard of Ortustech? Probably not. But you have heard of Casio, right? Ortustech is a joint venture between Casio Computer and Toppan Printing to develop small and medium sized displays. Today, the company is announcing a doozy with its 4.8-inch 1920 x 1080 pixel HAST (Hyper Amorphous Silicon TFT) LCD with 160-degree viewing angle, 16.8 million colors, and a pixel density of 458ppi. Amazing when you compare that to the lauded 326ppi of iPhone 4's Retina display. However, it still pales in comparison to that little 546ppi panel Casio announced back in 2008 which we still haven't seen put into a consumer product. Doesn't bode well for this one being made available anywhere other than the trade show circuit.
Ortustech unveils world's smallest Full HD display, puts Retina to shame originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 03:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink New Launches  |  sourceImpress  | Email this | Comments
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Pioneer and Buffalo announce first 128GB BDXL optical disc burners for PCs
The dream of burning 128GB of PC data onto a single optical disc just took a step closer to reality with the announcement of this BDXL burner (model BDR-206MBK) from Pioneer. Buffalo will ship it as both an external USB 2.0 model (BRXL-6U2) and internal SATA model (BRXL-6FBS-BK). The drive handles new 4-layer (128GB) and 3-layer (100GB) BD-R XL at 4x speeds in addition to 3-layer BD-RE XL and older BD-R/BD-R DL and BD-RE/BD-RE DL Blu-ray disc media. Pioneer will begin shipping the drive in November for an undisclosed price -- no word on pricing from Buffalo or when it'll have its act together to ship product.Continue reading Pioneer and Buffalo announce first 128GB BDXL optical disc burners for PCs
Pioneer and Buffalo announce first 128GB BDXL optical disc burners for PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 03:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Akihabara News  |  sourceBuffalo [translated], Pioneer [translated]  | Email this | Comments
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PSP Go price cut to $200 in the US and Japan
Sony just slashed ¥10k off the price of the PSP Go in Japan (effective starting Tuesday). That brings the price down to ¥16,800 or right around $200 -- a more reasonable price point Sony has been toying with in the US for awhile. A quick search online shows a $199 listing on Amazon and Gamestop while Sony's US PlayStation site still has it listed at $249.99. That'll likely change any minute now.

Update: US price cut confirmed.
PSP Go price cut to $200 in the US and Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 02:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourcePlayStation [translated]  | Email this | Comments
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Galaxy Tab WiFi-only model hitting Best Buy for $499.99, Sprint 3G model on sale November 14th?
We knew it was coming, now the WiFi only Galaxy Tab looks to have leaked with pricing in a Best Buy advertisement. According to some extracts obtained by Pocketables, a silver WiFi-only Tab will be available for $499.99 (a buck more than its WiFi-only iPad rival). Best Buy will also be selling a black 3G model (Verizon) and silver 3G model (Sprint) with contract or month-to-month plans. The "and up" verbiage is probably a hat tip to the $599.99 on-contract price that Verizon announced for the 3G Galaxy Tab it will begin selling on November 11th. Unfortunately, no date was revealed for the Best Buy offerings but a second rumor sourced from an inventory spreadsheet (pictured after the break) by the cats over at AndroidCentral has the Verizon Tab coming to Sprint on November 14th. In other words, it's safe to expect Best Buy to start selling Samsung's 7-inch Android tablet in November in the run-up to the holidays. See a screengrab of that after the break.

Update: As noted in the comments, the Galaxy Tab doesn't ship with a 7-inch Super AMOLED display -- it's Super TFT LCD. We suspect that's a printing error and not a hint of things to come.

[Thanks, Chris]Continue reading Galaxy Tab WiFi-only model hitting Best Buy for $499.99, Sprint 3G model on sale November 14th?
Permalink   |  sourcePocketables, Android Central  | Email this | Comments
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Acer Liquid Metal S120 spotted running Android 2.2 on AT&T bands in FCC
Rumors of a 3.6-inch 800 x 480 Liquid Metal handset from Acer have been heating up in recent months. Now the aluminum handset said to be housing an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230-1 processor just cleared the FCC sporting GSM/EDGE 850/1900 and WCDMA Band II and V making it the perfect candidate for an AT&T launch. The listing also confirms Android 2.2 Froyo, GPS, Bluetooth, and 802.11b/g/n WiFi on the tested model S120 DVT2 (that's Design Verification Test 2) prototype. With an October launch set for the UK, well, it won't be long before we see this babe in North America. A bit of documentary evidence after the break.Continue reading Acer Liquid Metal S120 spotted running Android 2.2 on AT&T bands in FCC
Acer Liquid Metal S120 spotted running Android 2.2 on AT&T bands in FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 01:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceFCC  | Email this | Comments
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Adobe announces Air 2.5 for TVs, tablets and phones, launches Adobe InMarket to package apps
Adobe's making a serious play for the app space today, and it's not limiting itself to phones -- its new Air cross-platform runtime environment is designed to toss apps on your smart televisions and tablets as well. Air 2.5 supports accelerometers, multi-touch gestures, cameras and microphones, GPS data and hardware acceleration in a variety of silicon. What's more, the company wants a piece of the action, so it's going to help developers bring their Air 2.5 apps to market by partnering with the stores themselves, and charging a mere 30 percent to take care of your hosting, billing and app store approval -- though we're informed the service will be free for the first year if you sign up today. The newly-christened Adobe InMarket won't help you get into the iTunes App Store, as you might expect, but it should assist with the Intel AppUp store... and perhaps a pair of brand-new marketplaces from RIM and Samsung as well.

Remember when Samsung said it had a single platform for TV and phones late last week? We think this was what the company was talking about, because we have Adobe's word that the Samsung SmartTV will run Air 2.5 apps when it launches in early 2011. Air will also come standard in RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook, but it's not just for fun, productivity and games there -- Adobe told us that the PlayBook's entire UI is built on Air. We're not sure quite what we think of Adobe's role as encapsulated software middleman in the TV and tablet spaces, but we suppose that's what the firm's been doing on desktop PCs for years -- after all, what's Adobe Reader but a free way to open licensed PDFs? You should find the Adobe Air 2.5 SDK available on the company's website today, and a full press release after the break.Continue reading Adobe announces Air 2.5 for TVs, tablets and phones, launches Adobe InMarket to package apps
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Google revises internal privacy practices, appoints director of privacy
Google's run into quite a number of privacy concerns in the past, and things hit something of a tipping point earlier this year when it was revealed that the company was snooping on WiFi data while it was collecting Street View images. Now Google has finally come back with some answers to some privacy questions it says it's been studying for the past several months. First and foremost is the appointment of Alma Whitten as the company's new directory of privacy, who will manage Google's privacy efforts across both engineering and product management, and ensure that the company builds "effective privacy controls" into its products and internal practices. Backing that up is some expanded privacy training, including a new program that all employees will be required to take beginning in December, and some new internal compliance procedures, which includes a requirement that every engineering project leader maintain a privacy design document for each project they're working on. Hit up the source link below for the company's complete statement on the matter.
Google revises internal privacy practices, appoints director of privacy originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 22:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Yahoo! News  |  sourceOfficial Google Blog  | Email this | Comments
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Nook Color revealed by overzealous screen protector?
Barnes & Noble's done a pretty decent job of keeping a supposed Nook Color hidden from our prying eyes, but an errant accessory may have jumped the gun -- the "Nook Color Screen Film Kit," to be precise, whose product image is pictured immediately above. CNET discovered the protective film hanging out on Barnes & Noble's website, and quickly grabbed this picture before it could be removed. Even if we're legitimately looking at the new Nook, of course, this doesn't tell us much about the seemingly button-less product underneath. How's this: We'll go out on a limb and tell you it's got a color touchscreen.
Nook Color revealed by overzealous screen protector? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 21:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceCNET  | Email this | Comments
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Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar paper planes, Denmark's flaming tower, and used coffee power
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

Green power lit up the world this week as ZenithSolar smashed the record for solar efficiency with its massive parabolic mirrors and Denmark unveiled plans to construct a towering "cathedral" that will transform waste into energy. We were also all abuzz about these batteries made from used coffee capsules and MIT rolled out a new type of foldable paper-thin solar cells.

Speaking of super-thin foldable tech, this week we showcased the world's first biodegradable paper watch and we spotted an ingenious folding beer box that can transform a six-pack into a pitch-perfect xylophone. And while you're working on that one, you can keep your rowdy kids busy with our Top 5 smart smartphone apps for kids that educate and entertain.

High-tech lighting was another hot topic this week as GE launched a new super-bright LED bulb that harnesses jet engine cooling techniques to cut its energy use. GE also flipped the switch on its funky new hybrid halogen-CFL light bulbs, and we saw San Diego blaze a trail for energy-efficient lighting as they unveiled plans to construct the nation's largest interactive LED light show - on a bridge! Finally, we wrapped up this week's Apple news with a look at a chic new laptop bag courtesy of vegan handbag company Matt & Nat.
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Windows 8 about two years away, according to Microsoft Netherlands
When will Microsoft bring Windows 8 to market? 2012's looking like a safe bet -- not only was it slated for that date in an allegedly leaked product roadmap, but Microsoft Netherlands hints that the OS is just two years away. Buried at the bottom of a press release celebrating the first birthday of Windows 7, you'll find the above Dutch phrase, which Google Translate returns as "Furthermore, Microsoft is of course the next version of Windows. But it will take about two years before "Windows 8" on the market." There are certainly plenty of reasons why Microsoft's riskiest product bet might not hit its target date, but the machine translation seems clear. Here's hoping the OS will ship with some suitably futuristic hardware.
Windows 8 about two years away, according to Microsoft Netherlands originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 19:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Windows 8 Beta, Download Squad  |  sourceMicrosoft Netherlands  | Email this | Comments
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Notion Ink founder claims Adam tablet will go 15+ hours on a charge
The Pixel Qi and Tegra 2-packing Notion Ink Adam has long been one of our favorite pieces of perfectly plausible vaporware, but founder Rohan Shravan's just made a pretty fantastic claim -- he says he's getting a minimum of 15 hours of battery life from his personal tablet and calculates you'll get up to twenty with the 24Wh, potentially user-replaceable battery nestled in its frame. While those are the figures for the $498 transflective version of the tablet and not the $399 juice-gulping LCD, they're still so stellar that they could easily make or break the Adam's sales depending on their veracity. Oh Rohan, please don't let us down.
Notion Ink founder claims Adam tablet will go 15+ hours on a charge originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink I4U News  |  sourceNotion Ink Blog  | Email this | Comments
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Reckless Racing review (iPhone)
Developed by Swedish firm Pixelbite and released just a few days ago by EA and Polarbit, Reckless Racing is a game we've been following since it was known as "Deliverace" early this year -- and honestly, there was a spell where we'd gone so long without having heard anything about it that we'd kind of assumed the awesome-looking project had been canceled. Fortunately, that wasn't the case -- it's now available on iPhone, iPad, and Android -- so we decided to take it for a quick spin. After all, top-down racers haven't really made much noise since the heady days of R.C. Pro-Am and perennial arcade favorite Ivan "Ironman" Stewart's Super Off Road... and after playing Reckless Racing for just a few minutes, we're not sure why that is.
Continue reading Reckless Racing review (iPhone)
Reckless Racing review (iPhone) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 17:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Exclusive: future LG Android phone for Verizon sports LTE
We were just handed this image with very little detail other than the fact that we're looking at "a future LG high end Android phone for Verizon," but we can deduce a few things: one, and perhaps most notably, you can just barely make out an LTE logo toward the bottom of the back. That likely makes this one of the six-odd LTE phones Verizon has publicly said are slated for the first half of next year. Secondly, it's got an HD camera of some sort -- probably indicating either 720p or 1080p capture -- and finally, it appears to have a huge, mirrored display and possibly a front-facing cam in the upper right. Looks like there's also a WiFi logo on back (of course), but can anyone make out the other two logos there? And more importantly, can anyone wait for this to launch?

Update: It's been proposed that one of the logos might be for DLNA, since LG's a major DLNA player -- most recently with its PlayTo service on the LG Optimus 7.
Exclusive: future LG Android phone for Verizon sports LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Droid Pro appears at Verizon for $299?
If you're looking to get some BlackBerry up in your Droid, brace yourself for a premium price. Motorola's Droid Pro worldphone was just spotted at a Verizon test website for $299 on-contract and as much as $700 unsubsidized. Should the 1GHz unit arrive as shown without a chunky rebate of some sort, it would be the most expensive Android handset on offer -- a solid $50 more than Samsung's $250 Epic 4G -- a heck of a thing for an 320 x 480 resolution phone without a huge Super AMOLED screen. Perhaps this pricing is preliminary, however, or perhaps dual-mode CDMA / GSM chipsets don't come cheap. We suppose we'll find out the answer to the latter question when the HTC Merge finally appears.

[Thanks, JP]
Droid Pro appears at Verizon for $299? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 15:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Droid Life  |  source@wade_county (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments
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ASUS Eee PC 1015PW peeks out of hiding with dual-core Atom, royal purple shell
Can you keep track of all the different variants of ASUS' Eee PC netbook? It's not easy when the Taiwanese computer company pumps out new ones nearly every month, but we doubt we'll easily forget the Eee PC 1015PW's distinctive shade of purple. Otherwise, TechinStyle reports it's much the same as the 1015PEM, which isn't a terrible thing -- it's got a dual-core 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 CPU, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 and a 250GB or 320GB hard drive under that chiclet keyboard, plus the usual 10.1-inch, 1024 x 600 LED-backlit screen. No word on pricing or availability, but the way these things usually go, you'll find it in Europe well before the States.

[Thanks, Sal]
ASUS Eee PC 1015PW peeks out of hiding with dual-core Atom, royal purple shell originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 14:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceTechInStyle.tv  | Email this | Comments
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EFO's iPazzPort grows a touchpad and laser pointer, tickles our fancy
What exactly is a fancy, anyway? As we ponder that, and other far-fetched meanings of life, we're forced to take a look a yet another mystery of our planet: EFO. Who are these guys? Where do they spend quality time? Did they ever consider that the iPazzPort would become a worldwide phenomenon? Merely months after rolling out a minuscule Bluetooth keyboard for controlling HTPCs and other doodads, the company is now outing a slightly larger version -- one with a multitouch trackpad on top of the keys. Oddly enough, it also saw fit to throw a laser pointer into the mix, though this version will rely on those tried-and-true RF frequencies for wireless communication. Check out a downright exhilarating video of it in action past the break, and tap that source link if you're eager to drop $55 (including shipping) on one.Continue reading EFO's iPazzPort grows a touchpad and laser pointer, tickles our fancy
EFO's iPazzPort grows a touchpad and laser pointer, tickles our fancy originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 10:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceEFO  | Email this | Comments
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