Tuesday, February 22, 2011

IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 21/02/2011




GammaTech's Durabook S15C is deceitfully rugged, unashamedly mobile
Shopped for a rugged laptop of late? If so, you've probably become overwhelmed with grief, likely due to the fact that 99.95 percent of them are both a) huge and b) unsightly. GammaTech's got a better idea: craft a rugged, shock-proof lappie that actually looks like every other 15.6-inch laptop on the market. Fancy that! The outfit's new Durabook S15C is its latest in a long line of field-tested machines, with this guy using a magnesium alloy case that's 20 times stronger than ABS plastic. We're told that it's tested to Mil-Standard 810G for drop and shock resistance, and there's a flexible HDD cable that'll absorb shock from drops. Moreover, an anti-shock mounting technology around the LCD helps to protect the screen from accidental damage, and if you're curious about the innards, here goes: there's the option for Core i5 / i7, a pair of dual-channel DDR3 RAM slots, an internal optical drive, a 15.6-inch Full HD display, three USB sockets, a serial port, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and WiFi. Mum's the word on pricing, but considering that you'll need to dial 'em up to place an order, we highly doubt all that ruggedness will come cheap.Continue reading GammaTech's Durabook S15C is deceitfully rugged, unashamedly mobile
GammaTech's Durabook S15C is deceitfully rugged, unashamedly mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Hot Hardware  |  sourceGammaTech  | Email this | Comments
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Volvo releases more details on 124MPG V60 plug-in, shows off iPhone app (video)
Volvo releases more details on V60 plug-in, promises 124mpg, shows off iPhone app (video)
Current gasoline-powered hybrids can barely manage to keep ahead of small diesels in the mpg wars that will shape our future transportation structure, but in theory a diesel hybrid would rule the roost -- for the moment, at least. That's what Volvo will be showing off in Geneva shortly, promising a whopping 124MPG from the V60 plug-in diesel hybrid it announced a few weeks back. The car uses an internal combustion engine driving the front wheels and an electric one to spin the rears, meaning 2WD efficiency but AWD grip -- and a combined 285hp to handily blow the doors off any Prius that dares step up at a streetlight. Volvo is saying the car will take about five hours to charge on a standard household outlet and that you'll be able to monitor that status from your iPhone. Check it out in the video below and turn up those speakers in preparation for one heck of an inspirational piano solo.Continue reading Volvo releases more details on 124MPG V60 plug-in, shows off iPhone app (video)
Volvo releases more details on 124MPG V60 plug-in, shows off iPhone app (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Xtreamer Ultra HTPC launching with Ion 2, €100 price point
Name recognition? Ah, who cares? Particularly when you're hawking an Ion 2-based media PC for €100. Xtreamer -- the same folks responsible for the e-TRAYz NAS -- is gearing up to unveil its latest concoction at CeBIT 2011, but it looks as if most of the beans have already been spilled. It's billed as a portable HTPC, and it can be ordered with a dual-core Atom D525 / Ion 2, up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, HDMI / DVI outputs, six USB ports, an eSATA socket, Bluetooth, WiFi, gigabit Ethernet and support for IR control. Predictably, that low (low!) price point doesn't include an operating system, but at least that gives you the option to slap whatever you want on there. If you're looking for a TV tuner or optical drive, you'll need to turn to external options, but those looking for a barebones system to build on should be able to procure one in a matter of weeks. That is, if the Boxee Box doesn't lure you in while you wait.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Xtreamer Ultra HTPC launching with Ion 2, €100 price point originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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NEC's MEDIAS N-04C is only 7.7mm thick, has Android 2.2, NFC, and no ambition to leave Japan
It's only been three months since the last avalanche of NTT DoCoMo phones, but that's not stopping the Japanese carrier from scheming up another hardware refresh. Leaked out ahead of what's expected to be a February 24th launch, we've now laid eyes on what's likely to be the highlight device of this year's spring batch : the 7.7mm-thick NEC MEDIAS N-04C. It follows last year's N-04B in nomenclature only, what with the older model being a flip phone, and offers a spacious 4-inch touchscreen, a 1seg TV Tuner, NFC contactless payments using Sony's FeliCa standard, and a skinned version of Android 2.2. Look out for it in Japan soon, but don't hold your breath if you live outside the sunlit kingdom -- history has shown devices like the N-04C tend to stick to their native market.
Permalink Akihabara News  |  sourceDraft Life With Blog  | Email this | Comments
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Motorola Xoom will ship without Flash support on February 24th, expects it in 'Spring 2011'?
Verizon's webpage dedicated to the Xoom has just gone up and one of our eagle-eyed readers has already spotted a disquieting bit of small print: "Adobe Flash expected Spring 2011." You don't sit around expecting what you already have, so that leads us to conclude that the Xoom, the mighty iPad-slaying, Honeycomb-bringing, world-changing tablet... won't have Flash at launch. The version of Adobe's rich media player it's waiting for is most probably 10.2 for mobile devices, scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks, which should mean first-day buyers this Thursday will get a limited-time premium feature on their tablets: no Flash ads.

[Thanks, Chris]
Permalink   |  sourceVerizon Wireless  | Email this | Comments
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Antistatic E-3POD concept wins Citroen design award, job for its student creator
Who says dreaming doesn't pay? A young designer by the name of Heikki Juvonen recently won himself a six-month job placement at Citroen's PSA Design Centre in Paris after producing the most compelling response to the company's Double Challenge set to students at London's Royal College of Art. The premise was simple -- put together an aesthetic for an ultra-compact urban vehicle that Citroen could call its own, and judging by the imagery above, we can all probably agree that Heikki achieved a very distinctive look with his E-3POD. We're not yet certain how we feel about being inside the largest of the three wheels for the duration of our electrically powered journeys, but the young gent has half a year on his hands to tweak and refine his eye-catching design. We'll be ready to test-drive the prototype as soon as Citroen becomes mad enough to build one.
Antistatic E-3POD concept wins Citroen design award, job for its student creator originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Translogic, Carscoop  |  sourceHeikki Juvonen  | Email this | Comments
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Huawei offers to build out London Underground cellular coverage for free
No such thing as a free lunch, is there? China's Huawei has generously offered to pick up the roughly £50 million ($81 million) tab for equipment to line London's sprawling subway system with mobile phone reception, a package it says it's extending as a gift from Olympic host nation to another (London will host the 2012 Summer Olympics, and it has said in the past that it'd like the Tube wired in time). The official line is that Huawei would make its money back over time through maintenance contracts, but some politicians are raising red flags over the Chinese firm's potential control over a critical piece of London's wireless infrastructure -- a sentiment that seemed to help kill a potential Huawei deal with Sprint in the States. Of course, the over-connected nerd in us is tempted to brush off espionage concerns if it means we can stay on email all the way from the West End to the Docklands.
Huawei offers to build out London Underground cellular coverage for free originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceYahoo News  | Email this | Comments
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Kno looking to sell off ambitious tablet hardware business, focus on software instead
Competition usually giveth, but sometimes it taketh away too. All Things D is reporting today that Kno, the company that aimed to deliver a most bodacious dual-screen tablet to students, is investigating the possibility of selling off its hardware venture and focusing exclusively on its software offering. Internal sources claim the "quicker-than-expected" move into tablets by big electronics makers has made the environment tougher for Kno, which is now said to be negotiating with a pair of companies about offloading its slate-selling business. Apparently, just a few hundred pre-orders of the Kno were fulfilled before the company stopped shipping them recently, which could be an indication that a deal may be close. We can only guess what a purchaser would want to do with the Kno tablet designs, but as for the company itself, it'll look to the iPad and Android-based tablets for its new market of opportunity -- no point in wasting all those textbook distribution partnerships.
Permalink   |  sourceAll Things Digital  | Email this | Comments
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Panasonic's HV200 portable TV is controlled with a wave of the hand
The Fistful of Lard conundrum, heard of it? Probably not because we just made it up. Nevertheless, it's the classic dilemma faced by any home cook: how do you control the counter-top set without subjecting the TV remote or all-in-one touchscreen to a slathering of semisolid hog fat? Easy, if you own Panasonic's new ¥50,000 (about $600) DMP-HV200 digital terrestrial television just announced for Japan. The IPX-3 rated, drip-proof set features gesture control that lets you change the channel or adjust the volume without touching the 1024 x 600 pixel LCD display or bundled remote. It's also available with an optional battery pack giving you about three and half hours of untethered image or video fed over 802.11n WiFi, SDXC cards, or USB cable. There's even a DMB-BV300 version with HDMI-out if you're willing to forgo the gesture control and fork over ¥80,000 (almost $1,000) for the illusion of Blu-ray magic on a 10-inch screen.
Panasonic's HV200 portable TV is controlled with a wave of the hand originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 03:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Impress  |  sourcePanasonic Japan  | Email this | Comments
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Product placement gets a logo of its own, turns the world inside out
So the UK is finally catching up with the fine money-grubbing nations of this world and allowing product placement in British-made TV programming, starting from next Monday, February 28th. Advertising embedded in internationally sourced films and shows has long been tolerated as a necessary evil within the Queen's realm, but now that the telecoms regulator Ofcom is opening up locally farmed TV content to the blight of commercialization, it's come up with a suitably austere logo to warn us of its dangers. Basically, any future episodes of Hollyoaks that may contain a "stray" Diet Coke or Nokia N8 within the frame will be preceded by the above P placed within a P, which will prep you for the pernicious potentiality that the programming you are perusing may provoke you into purchasing new property. Capiche?
Product placement gets a logo of its own, turns the world inside out originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 03:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Brand New  |  sourceOfcom  | Email this | Comments
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TI-Nspire calculator: yes, it plays Doom

Sure, folks have ported games over to the good ol' number cruncher for ages, but getting a fully rendered classic like Doom to run on a calculator is a different feat altogether. The folks over at omnimaga have successfully moved a beta version of nDoom (a reworked version of the original id Software's FPS) over to a Texas Instruments TI-Nspire and -- with all things considered -- the game runs shockingly smooth. As of right now, the only proof of concept is the video you see above, with a tragic crash bringing all things dangerous to a dismal halt. We're looking forward to a fully working version of nDoom because, you know, video games and calculators are two things close to our nerdy hearts.
TI-Nspire calculator: yes, it plays Doom originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 02:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Kotaku  |  sourceOmnimaga  | Email this | Comments
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Dell XPS 14 discontinued, will be replaced with something thinner and lighter
Sure, it was only about four months ago that Dell released its XPS 14, but unfortunately, those looking to snatch up the Core i5, NVIDIA GeForce 400M-powered laptop today will have a mighty hard time. Some keen-eyed tipsters noticed that Dell's 14-inch mainstream system was out of stock, and a quick call to one of our friends at Dell confirmed that the smallest version of the series won't actually be making a comeback. However, that's not because the system didn't sell well -- Dell maintains that it actually exceeded sales expectations. Considering it was a very aggressively priced rig that doesn't really surprise us, but why not bring it back? That's where things get interesting, and we'll give you Dell's exact quote on this one...
"With the transition to Sandy Bridge technology, we chose to re-focus our efforts on incorporating this feedback into future thin and light products launching later this year. Stay tuned!"
Yep, it seems like Dell is gearing up to bring some Adamo qualities back in to the XPS brand, which is actually what were told last year when the company killed off the Adamo brand altogether. We're staying tuned alright!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Dell XPS 14 discontinued, will be replaced with something thinner and lighter originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Robot hand hits 20WPM, nearly ready to embrace infinite monkey theorem
Robot hands have been grabbing, crushing, drawing and otherwise actuating for years, but have you ever seen one properly type? That's the primary purpose of a new Virginia Tech design. Engineers built this Dexterous Anthropomorphic Robotic Typing (DART) hand to mimic the real deal as best they could, down to individually-actuating three-segment digits and 110 degrees of wrist rotation in a package the size of a real human arm. Using a total of 19 servo motors and high tensile strength wire for the tendons, they managed to create a single mechanical paw that can achieve an estimated 20 words per minute while typing. Next, they plan to cover it in silicone skin and add piezoelectric sensors to provide tactile feedback. Imagine that: the next time a secret family member severs your arm with a focused plasma beam, you'll know where to go for replacement. Find a quick video and the full scientific paper at the links below.
Robot hand hits 20WPM, nearly ready to embrace infinite monkey theorem originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 22:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourcePhysOrg  | Email this | Comments
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Inhabitat's Week in Green: trains speed up, paint improves planes, and the CO2-scrubbing artificial trees
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.
This week Inhabitat saw high-speed railways pick up steam around the globe as China announced plans to build a trans-continental railroad in South America and Japan began developing the world's fastest high-speed train. We also saw eco transportation reach new heights as a kite-powered car completed an epic 5,000km journey across Australia and researchers developed a nanotech paint that will increase the fuel efficiency of airplanes. The automotive world is also gearing up for the Geneva car show as Toyota is getting set to roll out an all-electric IQ and Porsche pulled back the curtain on its Panamera S Hybrid and Boxster EV.

In other news, this week we brought you an exclusive video interview where celebrated environmentalist Stewart Brand argues that nuclear power could save the world. We also explored several other alternative energy sources that are decidedly less controversial - PurposeEnergy is transforming beer brewing waste into a source of clean-burning biofuel, and a design duo has proposed a series of beautiful solar-powered artificial trees that scrub CO2 from the air.

Roughly one in every six people do not have access to safe drinking water, so we were excited to learn about a pedal-powered water purification system based on the bicycle that holds great promise for the developing world. Speaking of cleaning up dirty water, this week Stephen Baldwin sued Kevin Costner over the oil-separating technology that cleaned up the BP oil spill. And last but not least, we were wowed by this hydrofloor system, which can save space and energy by concealing a swimming pool beneath your living room floor!
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Ixonos shows off windowed UI for Android
When your tablet needs a windowed UI, has it crossed some undrawn, implied boundary that makes it too complex for the kinds of casual tasks you'd want to accomplish on a tablet? Hard to say, but the mobile developers at Ixonos took to MWC last week to showcase a windowed build of Android on top of a tablet developed by Aava -- so at the very least, we know it's possible. The system is built atop Froyo and allows apps to continue running in the background -- they don't suspend, which means you can, say, play a video while you're off composing messages. The company also demonstrated the software on a dual-screen 7-inch tablet, allowing apps to be launched on either screen and transferred between them -- all seemingly without any customizations needed to individual apps, which is going to be key for a system like this to gain any market traction. Follow the break for Ixonos' press release and demo video.Continue reading Ixonos shows off windowed UI for Android
Ixonos shows off windowed UI for Android originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 20:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Switched On: Nokia's Windows of opportunity
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Perhaps it bore repeating for the shock value to sink in, but Nokia CEO Stephen Elop missed nary an opportunity to defend his company's choice of Windows Phone as its future smartphone foundation. Nokia, he said, was making "a big bet" on Microsoft and vice versa. However, Windows Phone is only one leg of Nokia's strategy moving forward. Its "next billion" initiative is tied to handsets in which Nokia and Microsoft interests do not meet. And Nokia's third task, creating or planning for the next disruption, will keep the company tethered to the MeeGo operating system.

Indeed, the Wall Street Journal's behind-the-scenes look at how the Microsoft-Nokia alliance came to be, revealed how close it came to not being at all. Nokia seriously considered Android as the operating system of choice for its smartphones, and was only persuaded differently by a big check and an exceptional flexibility to make changes to the Windows Phone 7 operating system. Because, for all the attention around Nokia's selection of Windows Phone, it ultimately neither guarantees Nokia's success nor dooms it to failure in the US smartphone market. Here's what will:Continue reading Switched On: Nokia's Windows of opportunity
Switched On: Nokia's Windows of opportunity originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Nanocade kit now on sale in the USA, somewhat less pricy at $229
Nanocade turns your netbook into a lap-friendly arcade cabinet
If you asked us to drop $350 for 23 pieces of laser-cut plastic, we'd probably shoo you away, but it's hard to resist the incredible charm of the Nanocade. Besides, designer Rasmus Sorensen's actually selling the miniature arcade cabinet parts for just $229 right now, which makes the decision to finally build your own MAME machine a wee bit more affordable. You'll still need to supply all the internals yourself, including buttons, an arcade stick, a monitor and glue, and even should you succeed, good luck prying guests away from your new coffee table conversation piece. Find the basic kit in your choice of Midnight Black or Arctic White at our source link.

Note: It's a bit of a bummer, but the Nanocade website says that handsome curved control panel displayed above actually isn't part of the initial kit -- it comes with a pair of flat pieces that meet at a (seemingly) wrist-chafing angle instead.
Nanocade kit now on sale in the USA, somewhat less pricy at $229 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 18:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Momentus XT hybrid drive causing headaches, Seagate working to fix
All's not well in hybrid solid state storage land, as owners of Seagate's Momentus XT are facing serious issues with their drives -- despite glowing initial reviews, a number of long-term users claim that the drives chirp, crash, stutter, and freeze with alarming regularity, particularly when installed in a Mac. Seagate forumgoers speculate these are symptoms of the XT's magnetic platters spinning down inappropriately, due to an overzealous power management scheme. That's the bad news -- and it sounds pretty bad -- but the good news is this: Seagate's owning up to the issues, and is actively involved in getting them fixed. So far, a pair of new firmware updates have addressed some symptoms, a third is on the way, and a Seagate engineer known only as STX_NB is proactively chatting with affected customers about possible fixes. That's what we call technical support -- take notes, tech companies.
Momentus XT hybrid drive causing headaches, Seagate working to fix originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 17:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceComputerworld, Seagate Knowledge Base (1), (2), (3)  | Email this | Comments
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The Engadget Podcast, live at 4:15PM EST!
MWC was insanely insane, and we're going to spend this week's podcast hour just trying to count all the Android phones that were launched. If you're aware of any good whole numbers, we'd love to enlist your help! Check out the live stream and chat after the break.

P.S. And don't forget that Ustream has Android and iPhone clients as well, if you're out and about and you can't join in on the Flash-based fun below.Continue reading The Engadget Podcast, live at 4:15PM EST!
The Engadget Podcast, live at 4:15PM EST! originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 15:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple patent application points to denser batteries, improved charging technique
Some might think a ten-hour Macbook battery mighty fine, but we're happy to say that Cupertino's not quite satisfied. AppleInsider spotted a pair of Apple patent applications detailing a improved way of juicing up those lithium-polymer cells, which should greatly increase the number of recharge cycles they can endure -- or, optionally, allow Apple to use denser batteries that last longer on a charge. We'll break it down for you: the graph in the upper-left shows how Li-ion batteries currently charge, first very rapidly (constant current, increasing voltage) and then more slowly (constant voltage, decreasing current) to top the cells off.

What Apple's proposing is the multi-step method depicted on the right, where current and voltage trade off, to charge the battery while being far less harsh on the physical chemistry of the electrodes inside. As you can see in the bottom graph, the multi-step CC-CV cells lose much less of their potential after 300 recharge cycles, but that's not all Apple's cooking up -- the company figures that it can increase the thickness of the electrodes to improve battery life (by as much as 28Wh/L, according to one chart) without negative effect thanks to the softer charge. Sure, we'd rather have plant-eating graphene supercapcitors, but this sounds like a plan for now.
Apple patent application points to denser batteries, improved charging technique originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Apple Insider  |  sourceUSPTO (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments
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Imperia plug-in hybrid does 0 - 60 in four seconds, looks classy while doing it
If you're tired of hybrids like the Prius or Volt, cars that could easily get lost in a Hertz parking lot, check out the GP. It's the first and only product from resurrected Belgian auto maker Imperia, which previously operated in the early 20th century, but other than the pronounced front grille offers little resemblance to its forbears either above or below that pronounced bonnet. It has an inline four cylinder turbo engine offering 212hp that's paired with a 134hp electric engine, itself backed by a Li-polymer battery pack. It'll do about 45 miles on batteries alone but, more importantly, will roll the 0 - 60mph sprint in under four seconds. Or, at least, it will if it ever hits production. A concept of the car was unveiled at the Brussels Auto Show, but it's anyone's guess when it might actually hit the road for reals.
Gallery: Imperia GP
Imperia plug-in hybrid does 0 - 60 in four seconds, looks classy while doing it originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 14:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Jalopnik  |  sourceImperia  | Email this | Comments
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Kinect hackers give us iOS-friendly dodgeball and Human Tetris
Remember that Microsoft Rally Ball demo from a few days ago that showed Windows Phone 7's integration with Xbox? Well, the gang at Supertouch has stolen a bit of Ballmer's thunder with a new Kinect hack that lets you hurl digital orbs at your Kinect-controlling friend using an iOS device instead of a WP7 handset. The graphics for the game and the iDevice controls aren't nearly as pretty as Microsoft's cross-platform gaming solution, but the end result is pretty much the same -- flingin' balls with a phone while your friend dodges them courtesy of Kinect.

Meanwhile, Frog Design has added a Human Tetris game to the Kinect's repertoire where players perfect their Vogue-ing skills by striking a pose to match an approaching cut-out on screen. Finally, all the shape-shifting fun with none of the goofy silver jumpsuits. Vids are after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent these in]Continue reading Kinect hackers give us iOS-friendly dodgeball and Human Tetris
Kinect hackers give us iOS-friendly dodgeball and Human Tetris originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 12:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceKinect-hacks (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments
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Google's Native Client almost 'ready for takeoff,' ready to make ActiveX look visionary
Google's Native Client almost 'ready for takeoff,' ready to make ActiveX look visionary
We're almost there, almost to the release of the Native Client we first got wind of last May. It is, basically, a way to run native code within a browser -- low-end stuff capable of delivering performance good enough for 3D games and the like. Christian Stefansen, a Google Product Manager, said that the stuff is getting closer to delivery, that the team behind it has reached an "important milestone," that code will be "as portable and secure as JavaScript." It was of course security, or the lack thereof, that derailed Microsoft's plans for this sort of functionality in Internet Explorer via ActiveX, a stigma that technology has still yet to escape from. Will Native Client do better? Will Crysis ever be available in the Chrome Web Store? Could a Cr-48 run it anyway? Questions questions...
Permalink TechCrunch  |  sourceThe Chromium Blog  | Email this | Comments
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Best Buy adding new Apple laptop SKUs to its systems, foreshadows MacBook Pro refresh
Best Buy's laptop discovery tool is doing a slightly overzealous job this morning by listing a set of "new SKU" laptops from Apple Computer before said company has had a chance to announce them. This seems to corroborate recent rumors of a MacBook Pro refresh coming next week, as do the $1,199, $1,499, $1,799, and $2,199 price points, all of which are presently occupied by current-gen 13- and 15-inch MBP variants. There is an additional $2,499 sticker for a laptop identified only as "New SKU I," which presumably points to an upgrade to Apple's 17-incher. Regrettably, there's nothing more than the pricing for us to go on, but feel free to fill your time until Best Buy populates its listings with speculation about the hot new processing, storage, and interconnect options Apple might have in store for us.

[Thanks, Michael]
Permalink   |  sourceBest Buy Laptop Configurator  | Email this | Comments
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Apple announcing new high-speed interconnect, Light Peak here we come?
There's not a scrap of evidence to back this rumor, but everything seems to line up: CNET reports that Apple will announce "a new high-speed connection technology" soon -- and Intel's Light Peak seems to be a shoo-in for the job. We've long known that Apple's been secretly backing the 10Gbps interconnect, but with a likely MacBook Pro refresh right around the corner and Light Peak allegedly due for a 1H 2011 launch, it seems the time for action could be right around now. It also doesn't hurt that this latest rumor comes from CNET, actually, as we're pretty sure the publication has an inside source. The very same reporter wrote that Light Peak would be downgraded to copper, a full month before Intel would admit anything of the sort.
Apple announcing new high-speed interconnect, Light Peak here we come? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 08:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceCNET  | Email this | Comments
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Elite Porsche tuner RUF gets in on the electric game with three eRUF models
Elite Porsche tuner RUF gets in on the electric game with three eRUF models
If you want a Porsche with a little bit more -- more power, more handling, more brakes, more outrageous styling -- you want a RUF. It's technically an independent auto manufacturer, but every model starts with a Porsche that gets systematically turned up to 11. The haus that Ferdinand built just announced a handful of electric cars and now RUF is getting in on the game too, creating three separate models. First is the all EV Single Motor Concept, a 911 with a 241hp motor that'll do 93 miles on a charge, has a top speed of 136mph, and can hit 60 in about seven seconds. Next up is the Twin Motor Concept, pairing two 335hp motors to a larger battery, enabling 124 miles of range, top speed of 137mph, and 0 - 60 in a much more respectable five seconds.

Finally there's the Twin Motor Concept with Torque Vectoring. This again has two 335hp motors but this time each one drives a separate rear wheel, enabling dynamic torque vectoring. Range and acceleration are the same but handling should theoretically be much better when going through the twisties. And, really, that's what it's all about. Right now ten of these cars have been built for testing. They're not available for general purchase but we have it on good authority that they'll be very, very expensive when they do ship.
Elite Porsche tuner RUF gets in on the electric game with three eRUF models originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 05:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Autoblog Green  |  sourceRUF  | Email this | Comments
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Motorola Xoom up for in-store pre-order at Best Buy, $800 for Thursday availability
No more stunt prices, no more premature web appearances, this (we hope) is finally Best Buy's fully official listing for the Motorola Xoom. It brings no great surprises to those who've been tracking the tablet's progress to retail shelves, offering first dibs to buyers willing to make the effort and pre-order one in store today, with full availability coming on Thursday, February 24th. The $800 3G-equipped model is accompanied on Best Buy's site by a $40 portfolio case, a $50 basic charging dock, a $130 stereo speaker dock, and a $70 Bluetooth keyboard, but there's no sighting of the cheaper WiFi-only Xoom. There was some suspicion that the $600 SKU would launch a little later on and that is indeed what appears to be happening. One final note of caution: even if you're intending to use the Xoom as a pure WiFi-only device, remember that you'll be required to activate data with Verizon for at least a month first -- don't ask us why.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Permalink   |  sourceBest Buy  | Email this | Comments
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Amazon Appstore for Android will let you buy apps without a device
No Android device? No problem! Turns out Amazon's upcoming Appstore for Android -- which has been in the works for some time -- will allow you to purchase apps even before you receive the device you intend to install them on, presumably so that you're stocked up and ready to go by the time the phone (or tablet, or whatever miscellaneous gizmo) arrives on your doorstep. As AllThingsD points out, the concept appears to go partway toward mimicking Amazon's Kindle business model, which does a decent job of decoupling content (which is associated with your Amazon account) from the actual hardware you've got it installed on. We still don't know exactly when the Appstore is launching, but considering Amazon's retail chops, these guys might actually stand a chance at cutting into the Android Market's revenue by some noticeable margin.
Amazon Appstore for Android will let you buy apps without a device originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 02:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceAllThingsD  | Email this | Comments
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Archos Arnova is ready to exterminate your clock radio, your Squeezebox too
Archos Arnova is ready to exterminate your clock radio, your Squeezebox too
The consumer electronics company with the phlegmatic name has just dropped its latest device on us, and for once it isn't a tablet or some form of PMP. It's the Archos Arnova, a fancy clock radio, with a 3.5-inch touchscreen in the middle plus the ability to connect to 12,000 streaming radio stations and 1,500 "web TV" channels too. If that's not enough you can play media directly from an SD card or pull it over your local network via uPNP. Why, you can even view pictures on there, if you don't mind squinting. What you can't do is know how much money to save or when you'll need to save it by if you're looking to buy one, as Archos hasn't seen fit to tell us that just yet.
Gallery: Archos Arnova

[Thanks, Joshua]
Archos Arnova is ready to exterminate your clock radio, your Squeezebox too originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 23:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceArchos  | Email this | Comments
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US Air Force raises concerns over LightSquared's LTE network messing with GPS
Following a navigation system's instructions without driving into a ravine is hard enough as it is -- can you even imagine how hard it'd be if you kept losing GPS reception every time you drove within range of an LTE tower? There have been a few anecdotal concerns raised over the last several weeks that LightSquared's proposed LTE network -- which would repurpose L-band spectrum formerly used for satellite -- is too close to the spectrum used by the Global Positioning System, leading to unintentional jamming when the towers overpower the much weaker GPS signals. Things have gotten a little more interesting, though, now that the US Air Force Space Command has officially piped in. General William Shelton has gone on record saying that "a leading GPS receiver manufacturer just ... has concluded that within 3 to 5 miles on the ground and within about 12 miles in the air GPS is jammed by those towers," calling the situation "unbelievable" and saying he's "hopeful the FCC does the right thing."

Presumably, the USAF thinks that "the right thing" would involve pulling LightSquared's license, but for its part, the company says it believes Shelton is referring to a test conducted by Garmin (possibly explaining that recent outage in the Southeastern US?) using simulated interference filters -- not the actual filters that it has spent several million dollars developing and perfecting. Regardless of how effective the filters might be, the idea that the only thing standing between a functional GPS system and a constellation of space-borne paperweights is a private company's privately-developed, privately-operated filtering equipment... but then again, we love LTE. Decisions!

[Thanks, Brian]
US Air Force raises concerns over LightSquared's LTE network messing with GPS originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 22:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceDoD Buzz, Flightglobal  | Email this | Comments
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BlackBerry Dakota / Montana spotted in the wild, sporting threads of carbon
So how's our little leaked friend the alleged BlackBerry Bold Touch doing as Canada's winter continues to rage? Looks like he's all wrapped up and toasty in a tasteful carbon fiber weave. N4BB nabbed the first real-life photos of the triple-input-device OS 6.1 smartphone, which confirm its 640 x 480 VGA screen, though the publication says it's also gained storage space (6.5GB flash) and lost memory (512MB of RAM) since the last time we heard its specs. There's apparently still a 5 megapixel camera to be had, as well as a magnetometer, accelerometer and proximity sensor, and -- as the rumor mill whispered in January -- integrated NFC. Still no word on processing power, but it sure sounds like it'll mop the floor with the Torch either way.

[Thanks, Mike]
BlackBerry Dakota / Montana spotted in the wild, sporting threads of carbon originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 21:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceN4BB  | Email this | Comments
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Samsung Galaxy S 4G will actually cost $200, unfortunately
Here's a quick heads-up, if you had your heart set on Samsung's Galaxy S 4G: T-Mobile says it'll actually cost $199.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. That means you're paying $250 out the door for an HSPA+ capable Vibrant, not counting taxes and related fees. T-Mobile says the original $150 price was a mistake on its part, and while you're welcome to bring as many false advertising lawsuits as you'd like, we doubt you'll get very far.
Samsung Galaxy S 4G will actually cost $200, unfortunately originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 20:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink @T-Mobile (Twitter), TMoNews  |  sourceT-Mobile  | Email this | Comments
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AT&T opens up video archives, shares the history inside
Where can you find Orson Welles, Marconi's daughter, Alexander Graham Bell's grandaughter, and inventors of the transistor and television? You might try To Communicate is the Beginning, a 1976 educational publication tracing the history of electronic communication, which AT&T recently decided to exhume from its archives of Bell Labs material. The 30-minute video's just the first in a series, too, as AT&T's website is already playing host to films about the origins of the laser and integrated circuit too, with more on the way. Find them all at our source link -- you do want to know how your favorite technologies evolved, right?
AT&T opens up video archives, shares the history inside originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 20:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceAT&T Tech Channel  | Email this | Comments
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Nokia CEO: cheap Windows Phones can come 'very quickly'
We'd raised our own concerns in interviews with both Stephen Elop and Microsoft's Aaron Woodman in the past week that Nokia could have difficulty pushing the Windows Phone platform low enough to fill the holes left by Symbian's departure in the bottom rungs of the market, but the Nokia CEO is making it very clear that he thinks that won't be a problem. In a talk with Finnish journalists on Friday, Elop said that it has become "convinced" that it can hit "a very low price point" and do it "very quickly," a strategy that will be key to converting significant swaths of Symbian market share into Windows Phone market share without losing it to other manufacturers or platforms. Of course, something tells us the leaked design concept (pictured right) doesn't represent the types of hardware Nokia has in mind for those low price points -- but no single device or market segment is going to take Espoo to the promised land here.
Nokia CEO: cheap Windows Phones can come 'very quickly' originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 19:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink SlashGear  |  sourceReuters  | Email this | Comments
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Rolls-Royce electrifies Phantom sedan, tests the waters of luxury (video)
If you have the money to consider owning a Rolls, we doubt you're worried about gasoline, but that hasn't stopped the manufacturer from finally electrifying its Spirit of Ecstasy. Two years after teasing a fully-electric Phantom, Rolls-Royce has built the car for real, a one-off prototype it's dubbed the 102EX, or Phantom Experimental Electric. You won't be able to buy one, though, no matter your estate, as rather than produce the vehicle Rolls is taking it on a world tour to gauge the reaction of the luxury automobile community. First stop: the Geneva Motor Show on March 1st, where the company will reveal the vehicle's full technical specs. While you wait, you're welcome to peruse the entirely unhelpful video teaser and modestly useful press release after the break.Continue reading Rolls-Royce electrifies Phantom sedan, tests the waters of luxury (video)
Rolls-Royce electrifies Phantom sedan, tests the waters of luxury (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 18:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Autoblog ES  |  sourceRolls-Royce  | Email this | Comments
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German researchers take mind-controlled car for a carefully-controlled spin
Emotiv's mind-reading EPOC headset may not have changed the face of video games, but it looks like it's proven to be more than adequate for a team of German researchers, who've used it as the key component in their BrainDriver project. Yes, that's a mind-controlled car and, after a bit of training, is does appear to have performed reasonably well -- albeit with a slight delay that makes any real world test a worse idea than it already was. Interestingly, this latest effort actually follows some previous attempts at a completely autonomous car by the same group of researchers at the Freie Universität Berlin, and they say that the two could eventually be combined at some point in the distant future -- for instance, in a taxi that's able to drive itself but also responds to the thoughts of its passengers. Head on past the break for the video.Continue reading German researchers take mind-controlled car for a carefully-controlled spin
German researchers take mind-controlled car for a carefully-controlled spin originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 16:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Slashdot  |  sourceIEEE Spectrum  | Email this | Comments
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Intel to spend $5 billion on new 14nm fab in Arizona, create 4,000 new jobs this year
When Paul Otellini isn't too busy talking about being jilted by Nokia, he spends his time hosting presidents and splashing billions of dollars on new manufacturing facilities. Intel's CEO is wrapping his tumultuous week on a high note, having welcomed Barack Obama to Chipzilla's Oregon facility and treated the president to the happy news that Intel will invest $5 billion back into the US economy by building its most advanced fab yet -- which will introduce an impossibly small 14nm production process -- in Arizona, to begin operation in 2013. Construction starts in the middle of this year and is expected to create "thousands" of jobs, both temporary and permanent. Aside from that, Otellini has disclosed Intel's intention to create 4,000 new jobs in the US, mostly in R&D and product development. Music to Obama's ears, we're sure.Continue reading Intel to spend $5 billion on new 14nm fab in Arizona, create 4,000 new jobs this year
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BlackBerry Monaco makes brief video appearance with Verizon branding
Needless to say, the Storm 2's past its prime -- if it ever had a prime -- and if Verizon is going to continue with the touchscreen BlackBerry theme, it needs to re-up fast. That would be where the so-called Monaco comes into play, a phone that's been leaking under various names for over half a year now, and now we've got it captured on a brief, moderately blurry video with a Verizon logo clearly and prominently featured around back. It's looking pretty laggy here, but it's unclear how close the phone is to production -- both the hardware and software (said to be BlackBerry OS 6.1 with mobile hotspot capability, among other features) could be extremely early or near final. RIM's still got some repenting to do for the original Storm, so it'll be interesting to see if the Monaco (which could come to market as the Storm 3, or some other name altogether) fits the bill. Follow the break for the video.

[Thanks, Zecharias]Continue reading BlackBerry Monaco makes brief video appearance with Verizon branding
BlackBerry Monaco makes brief video appearance with Verizon branding originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 14:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceCrackBerry  | Email this | Comments
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Motorola Atrix 4G already rooted, and it's not even out yet
If you thought the lack of root on the Atrix 4G was going to save you a couple hundred bucks next week... well, we hate to break the bad news, but you're going to need to find another excuse not to buy it (more on that in a second). Long story short, the phone's already been rooted by a gentleman over on the ever-resourceful xda-developers forums, which means you can do all the normal things that require root access like enabling the standard Froyo mobile hotspot feature, using root apps like Titanium Backup (pictured above), and generally looking 1337 compared to your friends locked up in their walled gardens. Now, the bad news: the bootloader remains firmly locked and presumably encrypted given Moto's track record, so custom kernels are still just a dream -- but hey, where there's a will, there's a way. Keep the faith!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Motorola Atrix 4G already rooted, and it's not even out yet originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourcexda-developers  | Email this | Comments
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GAEMS Xbox 360 traveling case gets sleek redesign, still won't help you spell correctly
The last rendition we saw of the GAEMS console-carrying case looked more like a giant lunch box than a solution to your portable gaming needs. If you're still interested in bringing your Xbox 360 on the road, the company has redesigned the case and it now supports the fat and slim versions of the 360 and even the PS3-skinny. What's new in this compact carrying case is the fact there's actually room to store the console, controllers and power brick. It comes bundled with a remote, HDMI cable and power supply to power the speakers and LED screen. If you're road trippin' any time soon and want this beast, you can save yourself 20 bones by pre-ordering before April 20th and you'll receive the $300 case come June.
Permalink Gadget Review  |  sourceGAEMS  | Email this | Comments
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