IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 04/03/2010

Motorola HS1001 cordless Android phone hands-on

Well this is a bit different -- it looks as if the big M is looking to put a little Android (v1.6, if you must know) in the home with this DECT 6.0 phone. Though the device is made by Binatone, the Hong Kong-based company will be selling a $150 Motorola branded version of its cordless phone in the US come this summer. While this isn't the first time we've seen an Android desk phone, this particular one packs WiFi so you can use the 2.8-inch touch display on its back to not only dial up mom, but also surf the web or check email. We did ask if you could make Skype calls on WiFi, but the app won't be preloaded and the phone won't have Marketplace support. That's not to say it doesn't have some intriguing tricks up its sleeve, though -- we were duly impressed with the speaker-equipped charging station, which enables it to blast out your favorite jams from the 70s while docked. It's no Droid or Devour, but it may not be a bad home calling option if you just can't cut ties with your landline. We've got some more pictures in the gallery below as well as some shots of Binatone's future Android tablet, so go on, indulge.

Gallery: Binatone / Motorola Android Home phone hands-on

Motorola HS1001 cordless Android phone hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WD's first SiliconEdge Blue SSD launches, gets reviewed

Remember when Western Digital picked up SiliconSystems for a song during the height of last decade's Great Recession? Here we are a year later looking at the first fruit of that relationship, as WD has just introduced its first consumer-oriented solid state drive in the SiliconEdge Blue and its enterprise-ready SiliconDrive N1x. Both 2.5-inch families feature a native SATA 3.0Gbps interface along with read speeds as high as 240 - 250MB/sec and write rates peaking at around 140 - 150MB/sec, and the former has already hit the test bench on a number of occasions. For those considering the upgrade, you should probably dive into those links below -- most everyone came away feeling that the SiliconEdge Blue was a wee bit underwhelming for the price, with Hot Hardware noting that the "Micron C300 and Intel X25-M were measurably faster overall," and the lofty MSRP just left 'em looking for more. Here's hoping for a price drop and / or a SiliconEdge Black, eh?

WD's first SiliconEdge Blue SSD launches, gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nikon says it's developing a competitor to Canon's G11
Well, here's something you don't hear everyday -- a Nikon exec saying that Canon's PowerShot G11 is the "benchmark" against which other compact cameras are measured. According to Nikon UK's senior product manager Kevin Egan, however, that may not be the case for much longer, as he says that Nikon is now developing a new Coolpix model that will give the G11 a run for its money. That word comes from an interview in the latest issue of Amateur Photographer, in which Egan also revealed that the camera will use "combine some of the technology of Nikon's DSLRs with the build quality of a high-end Coolpix." What's more, Egan said that Nikon has actually planned to introduce the camera alongside its latest batch of Coolpix models, but that it wasn't quite ready. No official word on when that new release date might be, but Nikon has already begun teasing something ahead of a press event on March 8th.

Nikon says it's developing a competitor to Canon's G11 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer Aspire 1820PT convertible hands-on, priced for 599 euros

Craftily unhidden at the tail end of its press conference, Acer's long-awaited Aspire 1820PT convertible laptop has finally passed into our hands for ever the briefest of moments. Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Strong hinge, accelerometer for tablet mode, capacitive multitouch, and the ability to use stylus for input (protected in a slot just below and to the right of the screen when not in use). Beyond that, seems like the typical underpowered laptop you know and love -- well, maybe not love, but you get the idea. Under the hood there's an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 8GB RAM, and 320GB HDD, all priced at 599 euro, which we'd venture a guess to mean it'll be about $599 when it comes to the US (actual release date MIA). Gallery below, and brief video demonstration after the break.

Gallery: Acer Aspire 1820PT convertible hands-on

Continue reading Acer Aspire 1820PT convertible hands-on, priced for 599 euros

Acer Aspire 1820PT convertible hands-on, priced for 599 euros originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google responds to Apple's HTC lawsuit: 'We stand behind our Android operating system'

We were wondering when Google would have something to say about Apple's patent lawsuit against HTC, since the majority of the claims appear to implicate Android itself, and while the knives aren't out yet, we just got a short-but-sweet statement from a spokesperson:

"We are not a party to this lawsuit. However, we stand behind our Android operating system and the partners who have helped us to develop it."

We're quite curious to see whether this means Google will contribute money and/or manpower to HTC's legal defense -- we'd bet we'll see some of Eric Schmidt's crew at the table when this thing finally hits a courtroom. In related news, HTC 's posted up a short, more formal version of the statement we received yesterday, saying that it "believes that consumer choice is a key component to success in the smartphone industry," and that it doesn't think the suit "poses a short-term material impact to its business." That makes sense, seeing as it'll be weeks before HTC even files a response to the suit, and months -- if not years -- before it's resolved. We'll see how it goes.

Google responds to Apple's HTC lawsuit: 'We stand behind our Android operating system' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lego arm moves slowly, rocks mightily (video)

If you've made a Lego skull you're ultimately going to need some appendages to go with it, and Polish Lego-mistrz Paul (who goes by the handle Sariel) is the man behind this fully-articulated right arm. It uses a combination of electric motors and pneumatic valves that enable it to move... slowly. In a video embedded below that's overflowing with Marilyn Manson angst (turn down those speakers, office-bound readers) you can see it shambling from side to side and rotating at the wrist as the pneumatic fingers are actuated. The range of movement is impressive, but this thing looks about as easy to operate as a dockside crane and seems slightly less precise. Still, it's an impressive feat of plastic engineering; that it was whipped up over a weekend makes it even more so.

Continue reading Lego arm moves slowly, rocks mightily (video)

Lego arm moves slowly, rocks mightily (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USB-IF certifies 50 SuperSpeed USB products, leaves five shrouded in mystery

That 80-port hub you bought to increase your military might? Obsolete. Novelty thumb drives? Their days are numbered as the USB-IF announces the completion of SuperSpeed USB (3.0) compliance on 50 devices. Yes, of all the countless, teeming masses of USB 2.0-compliant whatsits out there, a whole 50 3.0 devices currently officially exist, ranging from PCIe adapters to... well... ExpressCard adapters. Yes, there are a few legitimate devices in there, like HP's Envy 15 laptop and WD's My Book 3.0 external hard drive, but that the vast majority are adapters says a lot about how early this format is. Of the 50 said to be certified only 45 are listed on the site, meaning there are five left unidentified, ready for a stunning, blue-plugged unveiling. It'll surely be a magical event.

USB-IF certifies 50 SuperSpeed USB products, leaves five shrouded in mystery originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | BusinessWire, USB 3.0 Compliance List | Email this | Comments
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Acer Aspire One 532G with ION 2 priced at an aggressive 379 euros

Now that's how to get our attention. While the English-speaking portion of the Acer press conference left much to be desired, the second half, decidedly more German in vernacular, had a couple great tidbits. Most notable is a price of Acer's AspireOne 532G, the ION 2-equipped netbook initially espied at Mobile World Congress. The slide says it all, sort of: 379 euros -- mighty aggressive, and if history tells us anything, there's a good chance it'll be about $379 when it comes stateside, too. No word on release date as far as we can tell, but you'll definitely want to keep an eye out for this one.

Acer Aspire One 532G with ION 2 priced at an aggressive 379 euros originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coby $85 smartbook feels like a hundred bucks (hands-on)

Funny how our tune on smartbooks totally changes when one's got an $85 price tag. We happened upon Coby's booth at CeBIT this morning and of all the fairly cheap feeling laptops the company had on display it was its 7-inch NBPC722 smartbook that cozied right up to us. Okay, so it isn't as thin or attractive as the $499 Lenovo's Skylight, but again let us remind you that it costs about as much as a couple of new printer ink cartridges. Inside the little guy packs a 624MHz Marvell PXA303 processor, 2GB of flash storage and runs Windows CE which all should be good enough for some light Web browsing and e-mail writing. There was actually a YouTube shortcut on the desktop, but the NBPC722 wasn't connected to try it out. Apparently this inexpensive laptop should be making its way stateside this spring, but until the flowers start blooming you've got the video below.

Gallery: Coby NBPC722 smartbook

Continue reading Coby $85 smartbook feels like a hundred bucks (hands-on)

Coby $85 smartbook feels like a hundred bucks (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zotac's ZBOX HD-ID11 has NVIDIA Ion 2 and Atom D510 to thank for excellent media playback (updated)

Like gaming? Move right along to the iBuyPower booth, please. Want an unobtrusive PC that will feed your Hulu and YouTube HD streaming addiction? Say hello to the ZBOX HD-ID11. It's basically a desktop version of the same Ion 2 setups you saw announced on the mobile front yesterday, and as such should provide flawless Flash 10.1 playback while occupying an extremely lean footprint on your desktop. Zotac has matched MSI's Wind Box DE220 with its inclusion of a dual-core 1.66GHz Atom D510 CPU, though it obviously differs with its NVIDIA Ion 2 graphics subsystem that includes 512MB of dedicated DDR3 memory. HDMI 1.3a and standard VESA wall-mounting are expected extras, with six USB ports, integrated 802.11n WiFi, dual-link DVI, and a 6-in-1 media card reader covering the rest of your bases. Check out some 1080p playback on a similarly specced system right here while you wait for pricing and availability to be revealed.

Update: We've heard directly from Zotac on the matter of pricing and we're told that the American MSRP will be $209.99 for the barebones edition, which will require you to add your own hard drive, memory and OS.

Zotac's ZBOX HD-ID11 has NVIDIA Ion 2 and Atom D510 to thank for excellent media playback (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Redesigned LG Watch Phone caught showing off shapely figure in Brazil

LG's £500 ($800) GD910 Watch Phone made quite an impression when we reviewed it late last year, but part of that impression was of a bulky, blocky thing that feels decidedly substantial on the wrist. A subtly redesigned version was spotted recently at the LG Digital Experience in Brazil, sporting a slightly more curvaceous shape and a new logo placement -- up top rather than below the screen. It's hard to tell what (if anything) else has changed, and apparently LG reps weren't forthcoming with information, but with any luck this new version will offer a more affordable price point than its stately but spendy predecessor.

Redesigned LG Watch Phone caught showing off shapely figure in Brazil originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS introduces O!Play HD2, first networked media player with USB 3.0

Chances are you're not a part of the SuperSpeed revolution yet, and that's okay. It's early days yet, but ASUS is doing its part to make that transition to USB 3.0 a little more appealing with its O!Play HD2. A follow-up to the earlier O!Play models, the HD2 offers what looks to be plenty of connectivity options (we're seeing USB, memory cards, and eSATA) and promises a "wealth of cloud infotainment." ASUS isn't sharing any more details than that right now, but we're going to try to track this guy down on the CeBIT show floor and, when we find, it you can be sure we won't spare the hard questions.

ASUS introduces O!Play HD2, first networked media player with USB 3.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archos 7 Home Tablet (and PMPs) hands-on

Why hello there, Archos. My, what nice Android you have there. Tucked away in a little booth at CeBIT, the PMP maker was showcasing its latest 7-inch Home Tablet. Unfortunately, it was pretty barebones as far as content goes, but the vanilla Android 1.6 was running smooth, and if company precedence indicates anything, the video playback is still fairly solid. The selling point here, really, is a decent screen and that $200 or so price tag. No dice on espying Archos 8, though; we've passed by the company's booth twice now, and both times it had yet to be sent to the show floor. Instead, on hand were the A14VG and AV15VS, but there isn't a lot to say about music players with the same feature set you'd find in PMPs sold at grocery stores -- there's definitely a market, but it's targeted at your wallet more than your desire for cutting edge goods. Video of Archos 7 after the break.

Gallery: Archos 7 Home Tablet hands-on

Gallery: Archos Vision A15vs and A14vg hands-on

Continue reading Archos 7 Home Tablet (and PMPs) hands-on

Archos 7 Home Tablet (and PMPs) hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon suffering 'nationwide' data outage (update: fixed)
Having a little trouble checking in on your tweeps this morning on your Droid? Is your new Pre Plus not syncing with Facebook, or your Storm2 acting a little too calm? The problem seems to lie with Verizon, which is suffering from a "nationwide" data outage at the moment. The reason we keep putting that in quotes is because we in NY are not affected (our Droid is connecting just fine) but Verizon representatives have confirmed the issue, while people in various places all over the US are unable to connect according to the forums we've been perusing this morning. Verizon indicated it does not have an ETA for when things will be fixed and, sadly, it doesn't have any status message on its site, but we'd advise not calling and bothering the support folks about this -- based on how long we were on hold we're guessing they have their hands full at the moment.

Update: We're hearing that things are popping back online for most folks, so enjoy a little 3G with your morning cuppa.

Update 2: According to this official tweet the problem has been resolved: "VZW resolves early AM data issue that involved parts, not all, of eastern US: mix of some out, slower service, many unaffected from 4-8 AM." So, if you're still out, the time has come to hit up those customer service agents.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Verizon suffering 'nationwide' data outage (update: fixed) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI's race car inspired F Series packs NVIDIA Optimus, we go hands-on

While MSI didn't have an official unveiling of the new F Series laptops at CeBIT, the 14-inch FX400 and 15.6-inch FX600 models and their NVIDIA Optimus placards were the first thing that caught our eye at the company's booth. In typical MSI fashion, it looks like there will be a number of configurations of the two models, but it appears that both with pack Core i5 processors and use NVIDIA's technology to automatically switch between the integrated and discrete GeForce GPU. While there's no word on availability, an MSI rep on hand suggested that the systems would start somewhere in between $800 to $1,000. That doesn't sound too bad, though the early units we got to play around with were a bit plasticy and the keyboards could sub as a trampoline. Those issues aside, we're quite excited that MSI's been added to the Optimus team, and that the company has designed a fairly nice looking chassis with a (thankfully) non-glossy lid.

Gallery: MSI F-Series hands-on

MSI's race car inspired F Series packs NVIDIA Optimus, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA's Optimus technology shows its graphics switching adroitness on video

Explaining automatic graphics switching and the benefits thereof can be a somewhat dry affair. You have to tell people about usability improvements and battery life savings and whatnot... it's much more fun if you just take a nice big engineering board, strap the discrete GPU on its own card and insert an LED light for the viewer to follow. NVIDIA has done just that with its Optimus technology -- coming to a laptop or Ion 2-equipped netbook near you -- and topped it off by actually pulling out the GPU card when it wasn't active, then reinserting it and carrying on with its use as if nothing had happened. This was done to illustrate the fact that Optimus shuts down the GPU electrically, which is that little bit more energy efficient than dropping it into an idle state. Shimmy past the break to see the video.

Continue reading NVIDIA's Optimus technology shows its graphics switching adroitness on video

NVIDIA's Optimus technology shows its graphics switching adroitness on video originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia and Alpine integrating handsets into cars, bringing Ovi Maps to your dashboard

What's the one biggest hurdle to throwing out your dedicated GPS nav unit and going ahead with the free turn-by-turn navigation offered by your smartphone? If your answer was that most phones don't have the great big screens or easy installation systems of some satnav devices, look out, because Nokia's about to shake up your world all over again. Alpine has just announced its partnership with the Finnish giant aimed at integrating Nokia handsets -- complete with free Ovi Maps navigation -- into car dashboard systems. Yes, that means you can use your superb six-amp speaker system to boom out music or voice nav instructions from the phone, as well as your in-dash 7-inch LCD for showing you the right way home. There's further interaction with widgets keeping an eye on your fuel levels and engine condition, leading to location-based services such as the phone notifying you of the nearest and cheapest petrol station. Connectivity is done over either USB or Bluetooth, and Nokia promises that this Terminal Mode will be showing up in its phones in the very near future. The sooner the better, we say.

Nokia and Alpine integrating handsets into cars, bringing Ovi Maps to your dashboard originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roger Ebert dramatically regains his voice with help from CereProc (video)

Roger Ebert, perhaps best known as the Hardy to Siskel's Laurel during his days spent thumbing up and down criticisms at films, has achieved a technological miracle of sorts. After a series of cancer treatments and operations left the man mute and without a lower jaw, Ebert regained his voice in dramatic fashion on Oprah, of all places. A company called CereProc has recreated his voice through its text-to-speech technologies assisted by decades of recordings captured from his television appearances and DVD movie commentary tracks -- not exactly applicable to everyone with speaking disorders. Nevertheless, check the clip after the break to witness the impact his semi-recovered voice has on his wife, Chaz. While it definitely needs tweaking, the results are pretty remarkable.

Continue reading Roger Ebert dramatically regains his voice with help from CereProc (video)

Roger Ebert dramatically regains his voice with help from CereProc (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T CEO: iPad will be mostly used on WiFi, won't drive many new 3G subscriptions
We all know by now that AT&T has secured the rights to furnish US iPad owners with 3G connectivity, but apparently the market desire for that service won't be quite as big as we might have expected. That comes straight from Randall Stephenson himself, AT&T CEO and eternal believer in the power of i-branded devices, so it may have some legitimacy to it. Surely Randall's dearest wish would be to announce his network is about to be overwhelmed by new subscribers, and the rather cooler news has already caused a small dint in AT&T's stock price. Then again, this is hardly shocking news given that 3G on the iPad can be had on a month-by-month basis without contract, and in truth any subscriptions related to it would have to be achieved by AT&T's own ingenuity -- which, judging by its CEO's comments, won't be suffering any undue exertions any time soon. Not only that, Randall's also taken the opportunity to advise us that higher data rates are likely for intensive users of unlimited 3G data plans -- whether on the iPad or on smartphones. Way to endear yourself to the masses, dude.

AT&T CEO: iPad will be mostly used on WiFi, won't drive many new 3G subscriptions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The apocalyPS3 ends in global resurrection, ARM chip at fault

The early belief that the PSN was spreading a brickitis infection to PS3s around the world has turned out to be not quite accurate. Yes, PSN was inaccessible over that extremely stressful day (for PS3 owners, the rest of us have been quite fine, thank you), but we're hearing from Eurogamer that the villain in this story was an ARM chip inside the console -- the very same one, in fact, that led to a few Zunes losing their minds back in 2008. The big problem here was simply a bit of hardware that couldn't get its bearings straight after expecting 2010 to be a leap year, and the arrival of March 1 "fixed" everything for all eight affected PS3 SKUs (of a total of eleven). That leaves Sony with four years to make sure this problem isn't heard from again, and if it doesn't, we'll be placing blame for the real 2012 apocalypse firmly on Howard Stringer's shoulders.

The apocalyPS3 ends in global resurrection, ARM chip at fault originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia 5230 Nuron excites the T-Mobile nervous system

The US will wake up to a fine howdy do from Nokia's 5230 Nuron now that it's officially announced for T-Mobile. The device first introduced by Nokia back in August will be available to middle America "in the coming weeks" on T-Mobile's 3G network. And unlike yesterday's wee C5, Nuron features a reasonable 3.2-inch, 640 x 360 (nHD) touchscreen for your Ovi Store apps and free Ovi Maps with turn-by-turn navigation to dance upon. Hell, it even has an onscreen keyboard if you want to do something productive like tap out a few emails, enter a URL to surf the web, or update your social networking status(es). While no price or specific date was announced, we've seen rumors of a 17 March launch for $70 on contract, or $180 without. Just remember that Nuron runs S60 5th; and with the improved Symbian ^3 touchscreen UI just around the corner (and no clear upgrade path) you'd better really want this device to make the jump whenever it does launch.

Update: Nokia's own Joe Gallo has confirmed that the Nuron will sell for $69.99 on a 2-year contract at T-Mob.

Nokia 5230 Nuron excites the T-Mobile nervous system originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia adds Skype to Ovi Store, foreshadows death of regular phone calls

Skype for Symbian. A freely downloadable application that allows you to converse with your Skype-equipped friends over a WiFi or 3G connection. Seriously, why would you ever make another cellular call again? Nokia's just announced the addition of the online communications client to its Ovi Store, meaning that now more than 200 million users worldwide have access to essentially free calls over their beloved Symbian S60 5th handsets. You knew there was a reason to stay loyal to that stale user experience and here it is. There's not much else to say here, we're off to sell whatever stock we have in mobile network operators while you should click the source links for the full list of compatible handsets. High fives all around.

Nokia adds Skype to Ovi Store, foreshadows death of regular phone calls originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Reader Daily Edition reviewed: unworthy of cost premium or love

For all the fuss made at its launch back in August, Sony's Reader Daily Edition has all but dropped off the map in terms of interest. Remember, Sony's response to the Kindle gave us a 7-inch touchscreen device with free AT&T 3G data for a street price of $399. Now we've got a proper in-depth review of the thing. On the plus side, the interface is simple and easy to understand right out of the box with nice, oversized icons suitable for your meat digit manipulation. Unfortunately, the Daily Reader was also sluggish. According to Laptop, it was common to suffer a delay of a few seconds after tapping an icon or other interface item. Worse yet, about a third of the time the Daily Reader's touchscreen display wouldn't respond to taps or swipes at all. Conversely, page turns responded with a relatively snappy (for E-Ink) one second delay -- faster than both the Nook or the Kindle. The EPD display was also a bit "dull" compared to non-touchscreen e-readers like the Kindle and Nook thanks to the additional screen layer that enables touch -- a common issue that affects all touch-enabled e-readers, we might add. This resulted in some eye strain in medium to low light. Connectivity also proved a sore spot. AT&T's network would inexplicably drop out during testing. It was plenty fast, however, when available, capable of delivering new books to the device in just seconds. Performance still lagged both the Kindle and Nook during comparison testing though. Laptop's verdict isn't surprising then, finding the $140 premium you'll pay for the Daily Reader difficult to justify compared to the EPUB supporting Nook or Kindle 2 with its better design and superior content selection.

It's worth noting that Laptop did not test the Daily Reader's library finder services that lets you check out e-books from the local branch for free for a period of up to a month. A shame; as library nerds we think that's one of the killer features compared to the competition.

Sony Reader Daily Edition reviewed: unworthy of cost premium or love originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kogan announces $200 HD tablet, with networked TVs, Agora handset, and leprechauns to follow

Ah, Ruslan Kogan -- we can't help but want to see this starry-eyed dreamer succeed, even if we still haven't got our Android handset. According to Australia's APC, the man's gunning for the iPad market with an as yet unnamed tablet of his own. The goal? A full HD, ARM 600MHz-powered capacitive touchscreen device with 512MB RAM, 2GB storage, and an SDHC card for under $200 (presumably that's Australian dollars, meaning about $180 US). Apparently the above prototype runs Windows, Android and Ubuntu, although Windows won't be an option if -- and we do mean if -- this thing ever solidifies, due to production costs. As for that display, it's tipped to be 800 x 480, the sting of which is taken out by the unit's 1080p HDMI output. You say you're not in the market for a slate? Kogan's also said to be working on networked TVs ("probably by the end of the year") and a Blu-ray player with WiFi and YouTube widgets. As for the aforementioned Agora handset? "[S]oon," he says. "I can't give a time frame on that, though. It'll be as soon as we're allowed to." This is one mysterious man indeed. We can't help but wonder when he's going to get serious and tackle something big, like perpetual motion.

Update: We just realized that this is none other than SmartQ 7 MID first handled, oh, back in May!

Continue reading Kogan announces $200 HD tablet, with networked TVs, Agora handset, and leprechauns to follow

Kogan announces $200 HD tablet, with networked TVs, Agora handset, and leprechauns to follow originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corsair's 128GB Flash Voyager GTR thumb drive takes USB 2.0 to new heights

Who needs USB 3.0 adapters when you've got Corsair, right? In a feat of engineering that can only be described as earth-shattering (or supercalifragilistic, if you prefer), said outfit has somehow created a USB 2.0 flash drive that not only beats the competition in head-to-head speed tests, but obliterates it. The 128GB Flash Voyager GTR utilizes a fancy quad-channel architecture in order to deliver read speeds up to 34MB/sec and write speeds up to 28MB/sec, which is around six times faster than some mysterious competitor that the company pit its drive against. There's no mention of a price or release just yet, but at least you can put off the inevitable leap to SuperSpeed USB for a few more months, right?

Corsair's 128GB Flash Voyager GTR thumb drive takes USB 2.0 to new heights originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Researchers shows off self-contained, 9mm solar power system

Advances in solar power aren't always the most immediately exciting sort of developments (a more efficient solar panel still looks like a solar panel), but this new solar power system developed at the University of Michigan certainly won't have any trouble turning a few heads. Not only is it 1,000 times smaller than any comparable commercial counterpart (just 9 cubic millimeters), but its processor, solar cells, and battery are all self-contained, and the researchers say it would be be able to operate "nearly perpetually" if not for the battery eventually giving out after "many years." What's more, they say the system could also be adapted to be powered by movement or heat instead of light, which means that it could eventually power medical implants in addition to a whole range of other devices. No word on when that might happen, but the inventors are already busily working to commercialize the device. Extreme close-up after the break.

Continue reading Researchers shows off self-contained, 9mm solar power system

Researchers shows off self-contained, 9mm solar power system originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Red Ferret | University of Michigan | Email this | Comments
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Averatec outs light as air 10-inch netbook, can move move move any mountain

Averatec's just outed its super thin, super light, 10-inch netbook, the N1200. Available in silver or black, it's a good looking little package which weighs in at just 2.2 pounds. It boasts an Atom N450 CPU, a 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM which is expandable up to 2GB, plus a webcam and 802.11n Wi-Fi. You can get this bad little dude with either XP or Windows 7 Starter. The battery life is apparently about 3 hours, though you can upgrade to a better, 6 hour battery. The N1200 starts at $330. The full press release is after the break.

Continue reading Averatec outs light as air 10-inch netbook, can move move move any mountain

Averatec outs light as air 10-inch netbook, can move move move any mountain originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keepin' it real fake, part CCLVIII: shanzhai PSP Phone dampens our excitement for an actual PSP Phone

When one thinks of a PSP Phone, they usually imagine a handset with a number of cool, gamer-centric features, such as some sort of integration with the PlayStation network or -- imagine! -- the ability to actually play PSP games. What they don't imagine -- correct us if we're wrong -- is some sort of KIRFy cellphone shoved inside what is essentially the shell of a PSP. That said, we do have to give our friends in Shenzhen some props: not only have they beat Sony with this knock-off, but with the way things are going, they might have the PSP Phone market all to themselves in perpetuity. No specifics on this one yet -- price, stats, or street date -- but you probably weren't going to buy one anyways. Get a closer look after the break.

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CCLVIII: shanzhai PSP Phone dampens our excitement for an actual PSP Phone

Keepin' it real fake, part CCLVIII: shanzhai PSP Phone dampens our excitement for an actual PSP Phone originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Unwired View | M8 Cool | Email this | Comments
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TiVo Premiere hands-on (update: video!)

We've gotten our first look at the new TiVo Premiere interface, and it sure is shiny. You sure wouldn't see that it's running in Flash at first blush, since the UI is quite responsive and "native" feeling, with live streams of video playing without a hitch. The biggest hint that there's a big amount of reliance on the internet is the fact that the choked connection here was causing thumbnails and even some UI icons to take a little while to pop in. The rep we spoke with said that TiVo is still considering what elements exactly they'll be caching.

The new ways to find and promote relevant content are pretty intuitive and helpful. Everything is "connected," so it's easy to start from a category like the "Oscars" or an actor like "Jack McBrayer" and end up on the other end of the universe, IMDB style. There's a certain amount of dumbing down, to be sure, and nothing's going to beat your laptop for speed or comprehensiveness in bopping around this sort of information. Although, TiVo helps out a bit in this department with the optional QWERTY remote. Unfortunately, while we appreciate the full QWERTY input, the sliding mechanism is utterly cheap and shoddy -- we're assured that it's a couple revisions away from a final design, and we certainly hope so! The QWERTY buttons themselves are rubbery and not very clicky, but perhaps they'll helped along as well by this promised revision.

Update: We've got video. It can be found after the break, though unfortunately you can't hear a single thing our helpful guide says because she's drowned out by the "fist pumping" good times of the party that TiVo's event devolved into.

Gallery: TiVo Premiere hardware hands-on

Gallery: TiVo Premiere software hands-on

Continue reading TiVo Premiere hands-on (update: video!)

TiVo Premiere hands-on (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry slider photos leak out!

You can consider our minds completely and utterly blown tonight, as we've just stumbled upon these photos of what appears to be a new BlackBerry device... a vertical slider. The source (BlackBerry Leaks) doesn't seem to be able to confirm the legitimacy of the photos, but we're mostly convinced that this is some variation of a RIM device. While BB Leaks speculates on the possibility of this being the Storm 3, Kevin Michaluk over at CrackBerry suggests this might not be a device headed to market, rather an early version which has been scrapped, similar to that Magnum handset that floated onto the internet recently (though Kevin suggests that our friends in Canada may very well have plans for something in this form factor). What we can say with assurance, however, is that this device coupled with those new BIS 3.0 Gmail integration upgrades, that forthcoming RIM WebKit browser, and a rumored new OS would help push things into the territory of that dream smartphone we pleaded for back in 2008. Coincidence? We think not.

BlackBerry slider photos leak out! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI and ASUS show off 3D all-in-ones at CeBIT

There's no escaping that 3D trend, that's for sure. Both ASUS and MSI are demoing 3D versions of their respective all-in-one PCs here at CeBIT, though both companies say they are just concept models at this point. ASUS' 3D Eee Top wasn't up and running, but there was a pair of NVIDIA-branded glasses next to it which hints that they may be exploring putting 3D Vision into its touchscreen system. We had better luck at MSI, where we got to put on a rather large pair of shades and watch some very happy show-goers play Left 4 Dead in 3D. We're not sure what to make of the 3D in a touchscreen all-in-one thing, but it was pretty cool to just tap the screen to enable some three-dimensional images. Hit the break for a quick video of MSI's 3D Wind Top.

Gallery: MSI and ASUS 3D all-in-ones at CeBIT

Continue reading MSI and ASUS show off 3D all-in-ones at CeBIT

MSI and ASUS show off 3D all-in-ones at CeBIT originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TiVo Premiere and Premiere XL usher in a brand new interface, optional QWERTY remote

Over three years after the original Series3 launched, TiVo's back with Series4 -- say hello to the new TiVo Premiere and Premiere XL, which will arrive in early April. The new slimmer hardware is nice, but the big news is the totally revamped HD interface built on Flash -- yes, Flash -- with all kinds of new options for discovering content from recorded, on-air, and internet sources. The new UI is only for the Series4, and TiVo's pitching the Premiere line as a single-box solution for getting content on your TV, so although there's long been support for services like Netflix and Amazon Video on Demand, it's now being pushed to the front -- content will show up in searches and be exposed on the main screen. There are also new partnerships with Pandora and FrameChannel, both of which will also come to Series3 boxes. And yes: there's finally a capacity meter. We could kiss the ground.

Both models will do up to 1080p output and have single multistream CableCARD slots and eSATA jacks for storage expansion; the $299 Premiere will do 45 hours of HD recording on the 320GB internal drive, while the $499 XL will do 150 on 1TB and adds in THX certification. The bad news? There's still no support for tru2way, so you still won't have access to your cable company's video on demand service -- although one of the screenshots has a Comcast logo on it, so we're intrigued.

There's also a new optional Bluetooth slider QWERTY remote, which will ship later this year for an undisclosed price -- we played with a hush-hush prototype at CES and we can say that it'll be a must-buy for Premiere owners. We're actually a little miffed that it's not packed in the box as the standard remote -- all that searching almost demands it. Same with the new Wireless N Adapter, which will be $90 and go on sale with the Premiere; it should at least be included with the Premiere XL. We're okay with the omission of the new optional phone line adapter, though, it'll be $30 and only sold online. Press release after the break, a full set of pics in the galleries, and PDF spec sheets at the read links.

Gallery: TiVo Premiere UI gallery

Continue reading TiVo Premiere and Premiere XL usher in a brand new interface, optional QWERTY remote

TiVo Premiere and Premiere XL usher in a brand new interface, optional QWERTY remote originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Live from TiVo's 'one box' press event

We're here at TiVo's press event, taking place in a pretty swanky spot atop Rockefeller Center. CEO Tom Rogers just got up on stage and is about to drop some knowledge! Follow us after the break for live updates.

Continue reading Live from TiVo's 'one box' press event

Live from TiVo's 'one box' press event originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony files for 'PlayStation Arc' trademark in Japan -- all but a done deal?
Sony's PlayStation Motion Controller has gone through a few different names during its development, but "Arc" has cropped up far more than any other over the past few months, and it's now looking increasingly like a sure thing. While any official announcement will likely have to wait until GDC next week, the folks at Siliconera have discovered that Sony recently filed to trademark the name "PlayStation Arc" in Japan, which is just the latest form of confirmation of the name following a domain registration, and some noticeable name-dropping from gaming CEOs seemingly in-the-know. Of course, Sony could always pull a surprise out of its hat, and we'll be there live at GDC to report on whatever happens.

Sony files for 'PlayStation Arc' trademark in Japan -- all but a done deal? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq | Siliconera | Email this | Comments
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Microsoft Research working on portable Surface

Microsoft's Surface has managed to carve out a small niche for itself, but there's only so many places that a large, touchscreen installation can find a home (a yacht, for instance). Microsoft Research seems to be aware of that, and it's apparently been hard at work on a more portable Surface for some time now. As you can see above (and in the video after the break), the so-called Mobile Surface would rely on a combination of a projector and a camera (and mobile phone, in this instance), which would offer about the same level of interaction as a regular Surface, and even a few advantages -- like being able to use a pair of drumsticks to play the drums. If this all seems a little familiar, it should, as Light Blue Optics and others have already employed nearly identical systems to turn any surface into a touchscreen display. Curiously, Microsoft Research has since pulled the Mobile Surface page from its website, but you can find all the pertinent details by diving into the links below.

Continue reading Microsoft Research working on portable Surface

Microsoft Research working on portable Surface originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Pocket-lint | TechFlash, ZDNet | Email this | Comments
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LG's LU2300 set to challenge Samsung's M100S for Korean Android dominance?

Eternal archrivals-to-the-death Samsung and LG have a tendency to match one another tit for tat in virtually every consumer electronic category, but for whatever reason, LG's been far less interested in going for broke with Android over the past year -- though a preoccupation with Windows Phone 7 Series is a solid guess at this point. Things may be changing, though, now that we've got news out of Telecoms Korea that they're prepping a more brutal assault than the weakling GW620 could ever provide in the form of a so-called LU2300 for the domestic market (we're assuming the actual thing will be a little more... well, "designed" than the snow-white mockup above). The site is playing up LG's announcement that the phone will bundle a bunch of popular apps in ROM (awesome?) but the real news is the impressive spec sheet, which is said to include a Nexus One-like 1GHz Snapdragon and WVGA AMOLED display paired with Android 2.1 and a 5 megapixel cam capable of 720p video. It certainly sounds like it's ready to give Samsung's M100S a run for its money, but we'll need to wait until its second quarter release to know for sure.

LG's LU2300 set to challenge Samsung's M100S for Korean Android dominance? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MobileTechWorld | Telecoms Korea | Email this | Comments
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Microsoft tells IE faithful on Windows XP to avoid F1 key

Still hanging around on Windows XP? Perfectly acceptable. Still using Internet Explorer to browse the world wide web? Just a wee bit less forgivable, but we understand that some of you simply can't get around it. If we just rung your bell, you might want to rip the F1 key right off of your keyboard (at least temporarily), as a recently discovered vulnerability in VBScript -- which can only bother Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 -- could allow malicious code to weasel its way right into your life with a single keystroke. As the story goes, some ill-willed web sites are encouraging users to smash the F1 key in order to access a Microsoft Help file, and when said key is depressed, "arbitrary code could be executed in the security context of the currently logged-on user." Microsoft has promised to fully investigate and resolve the issue in due time, but 'til then, we'd highly suggest avoiding your F1 key like the plague switching to Firefox.

Microsoft tells IE faithful on Windows XP to avoid F1 key originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Switched | Microsoft | Email this | Comments
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Smartbook's laptops hands-on: a MacBook and a VAIO walk into a bar...

Bewildering. We're pretty sure that's the only way to describe our adventure at Smartbook's CeBIT booth. First off, let us just clear up that there are absolutely no smartbooks on display -- don't forget that this is the company that's going after Qualcomm's jugular for using the term smartbook in the first place. Now that that's out of the way, the German outfit introduced two new 11.6-inch laptops at the show, both which are clearly a rip on Apple and Sony laptops. What's confusing there? Well, the fact that they are actually nice. First you have the Atom N280-powered Razor that's clad in a brushed aluminum that feels impeccably similar to the unibody MacBook. Sure, it will run like a last-generation Windows 7 netbook, but it felt seriously solid in hand. Next up is that ULV-packing Logo we told you about last week, and with a glowing power button embedded in its circular hinge there's no doubt that it was Sony VAIO "inspired." Again, the make is actually quite good, and we were shocked to feel how sturdy the chiclet keyboard was. Both KIRFs the Smartbook Logo and Razor should go for about 699 Euros when they become available in Europe this spring. Not amused yet? The pictures of the Swarovski covered netbook below should just about do it -- and we have video proof after the break, if you're into that sort of thing.

Gallery: Smartbook Logo netbook hands-on

Gallery: Smartbook AG with Swarovski crystals hands-on

Gallery: Smartbook Razor hands-on

Continue reading Smartbook's laptops hands-on: a MacBook and a VAIO walk into a bar...

Smartbook's laptops hands-on: a MacBook and a VAIO walk into a bar... originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS DR-900 e-reader hands-on

After weeks of hearing about the DR-900 (or DR-950) e-reader, you had to know that we'd sprint (okay, walk at a brisk pace) over to ASUS' booth to finally handle the touchscreen device in person. The 9-inch ebook reader was quite light in hand, and though we didn't have Amazon's Kindle DX with us, it appeared very comparable in size. As far as the reading experience goes, the preloaded text-based PDFs looked crisp on the 1024 x 768 display and as per usual the e-ink display took about a second or two to refresh. Unfortunately, here's where we tell you that the former touch experience was less than stellar -- we had to press quite hard to select the homescreen icons and light finger taps didn't register when we tried to type "engadget" into the address bar. We got the hang of having to press firmly, but we're happy there are the up and down arrows on the right edge for alternate navigation. Perhaps it will all be fixed up once it heads into production, though we don't have details on when that will be. What we do know is that there's a just lovely hands-on video for you after the break.

Gallery: ASUS DR-900 e-reader hands-on

Continue reading ASUS DR-900 e-reader hands-on

ASUS DR-900 e-reader hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS EeeKeyboard PC hands-on (slight return)

Has it really been almost a year (to the day!) since we last gave some first-hand thoughts on ASUS' audacious Eee Keyboard PC? Given the recent news of an apparent April release date, we thought we'd give the perennially-delayed machine another walkthrough, albeit via the touchpad only since it wasn't connected to an external display. The software is definitely still in need of some work -- we managed to crash the sucker within minutes, but the startup to Windows XP (the full version) was quick and admittedly pretty interesting to witness -- maybe at some point we could get a miniature game of Peggle going. When working, the menu was pretty smooth. None of the shortcuts were working, unfortunately , as the internet was down in the booth. As a keyboard, it feel pretty strong, resilient, and most of all clicky. Live through us vicariously, via still shots and moving pictures below.

Gallery: ASUS EeeKeyboard PC hands-on (slight return)

Continue reading ASUS EeeKeyboard PC hands-on (slight return)

ASUS EeeKeyboard PC hands-on (slight return) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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