Onkyo's top of the line receivers get a HDMI 1.4a makeover this fall Say hello to the high end of Onkyo's receiver line, now refreshed with the newest tech already featured in its lower end and midrange receivers earlier this year. Beyond the eight 3D-capable HDMI 1.4a inputs, DLNA 1.5 (Windows 7 Compatible) and streaming support that we've come to expect from any 2010 home theater equipment, the TX-NR3008 and TX-NR5008 receivers include THX Certification, 9.2 channel audio, two HDMI outputs, HQV Reon VX video processing and powered audio output for up to three different rooms. Still, the best information from the press release (after the break) is that the upgraded components haven't increased prices from last year -- the TX-NR3008 has an MSRP of $2,099 while the TX-NR5008 will add on upgraded transformers, capacitors and extra USB for $2,699 when both ship this August. Gallery: Onkyo TX-NR3008 & TX-NR5008 networked receivers Continue reading Onkyo's top of the line receivers get a HDMI 1.4a makeover this fall Onkyo's top of the line receivers get a HDMI 1.4a makeover this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Documents show that Dell knowingly sold defective computers, misled those needing sup What happens when capacitors go bad, spewing out their tangerine innards like the ones in the photo above? Components die. In the early to mid naughties there was a rash of failures, the so-called "capacitor plague" that affected many manufacturers thanks to millions of bogus units filled with an electrolyte mixture that was a bit off. However, nobody was quite affected like Dell. The company took a $300 million charge in 2005 to cover costs related to the faulty machines that went out with these components, and now we're getting a better picture of just how bad it was -- and continues to be. According to recently released documents stemming from a three year-old lawsuit, Dell not only knew about the bogus components but some of its employees were actively told to play dumb, one memo sent to customer service reps telling them to "avoid all language indicating the boards were bad or had issues." Meanwhile, sales teams were still selling funky OptiPlex machines, which during that period had a 97 percent failure rate according to Dell's own study. (And you thought the Xbox 360 had problems.) With that on the minds of shoppers, plus Throttlegate and some other recent laptop quality issues, we have to think consumer confidence for Dell must be at an all-time low at the moment. [Image courtesy of Bushtails]Documents show that Dell knowingly sold defective computers, misled those needing support originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | The New York Times | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
TeliaSonera gears up to ship first dual-mode LTE / 3G USB WWAN modem Care about Samsung's GT-B3730? Probably not... but what if we told you that that very device is the planet's first commercially available dual-mode LTE / 3G WWAN modem? Now that we've got your attention, you may be interested in knowing that overseas operator TeliaSonera -- hailed as the first carrier on the planet to fire up an LTE network and make it available to Joe and Jane last year -- is just about ready to start shipping the aforesaid Samsung. As of now, the only way to hop onto their LTE superhighway is with a 4G-only modem, and while it had promised a two-faced stick in the second quarter of 2010, we're elated to finally put a face to a promise. The primary downside is that there's no current way for the USB modem to switch from LTE to 3G (or vice-versa) on the fly; instead, you'll need to kill the connection and start a new one when you leave / enter a 4G zone. Purportedly, the stick will play nice with both Windows and OS X, and it can hit real-world download rates as high as 80Mbps and upload rates of 16Mbps. Suddenly, a relocation to Sweden seems altogether more inviting, no?TeliaSonera gears up to ship first dual-mode LTE / 3G USB WWAN modem originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | PC World | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Jaybird's SB2 Sportsband Bluetooth headset ain't afraid of no rainbow Not wasting any time on trumping the original, are we Jaybird? Just a scant five months and change after introducing the eye-pleasing SB1 Sportsband Bluetooth headphones, along comes the SB2 for those who just like to live life on the vivacious side. In fact, the SB2 isn't all that different than the SB1 in terms of features, but if you're scouting a set with a little lot more flair, you'll find these available in nine fresh colors: Limonade Green, Sonic Blue, Orange Crush, Runner's Red, Toffee Apple Red, Midnight Black, Polar Blue, PowderPuff Pink and -- drum roll, please -- Snow White. You should know, however, that these also ship with apt-X onboard, which is said to "clean up" your jams while adding depth, bass and treble, and if your BT device has apt-X (or if you use an apt-X enabling BT adapter), these guys can kick it up a notch further with "CD quality output." Best of all, these are still priced at $99, making the toughest decision of all which hue to pick.Jaybird's SB2 Sportsband Bluetooth headset ain't afraid of no rainbow originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Engadget Spanish | Jaybird | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Apple hiring iPhone antenna engineers for some reason Three Apple job postings for iPhone / iPad antenna engineers to "Define and implement antenna system architecture to optimize the radiation performance for wireless portable devices." All three were posted on June 23rd, the same day that we started seeing widespread reporting of the left-handed reception issues. Coincidence? [Thanks, Abe]Apple hiring iPhone antenna engineers for some reason originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 06:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Apple (1), (2), (3) | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
ASUS Eee PC 1215N with NVIDIA Ion and dual-core Atom D525 is a netbook powerhouse The phrase "netbook powerhouse" would typically be considered an oxymoron. That was before ASUS announced its Eee PC 1215N bumpin' a 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Atom D525 processor with NVIDIA Optimus to intelligently switch between its NVIDIA Ion discrete and integrated graphics. That means it'll cut through 1080p video without any problem when displayed on the 12-inch 1,366 x 768 pixel display or out to an HDTV via the included HDMI jack. Other specs include Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11n WiFi, integrated webcam with lens cover, choice of 250GB or 320GB hard disk drives augmented by 500GB of ASUS WebStorage, and pass-through USB to charge connected devices like cellphones when the Eee is powered off. Sorry, no mention of battery performance, price, or availability on this so-called netbook.Continue reading ASUS Eee PC 1215N with NVIDIA Ion and dual-core Atom D525 is a netbook powerhouse ASUS Eee PC 1215N with NVIDIA Ion and dual-core Atom D525 is a netbook powerhouse originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 05:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink EeePC.IT | ASUS (Facebook) | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
RIP: Emblaze kills First Else Hate to say it but we were right: Emblaze just announced that it's shutting down the First Else handset. $40 million and the hopes of many (ok, a few) gone in an instant. In a regulatory announcement issued today, Emblaze states the following: Due to critical delays in deliveries and the current status of the project, the board has now decided to cease any further investment towards manufacturing of the First ELSE mobile device and to concentrate efforts only on licensing the ELSE Intuition platform and technology in order to realize its potential upside. So there's still hope that we'll see the First Else user experience applied elsewhere if Emblaze can find a buyer. See the full release after the break. [Thanks, Yair M.]Continue reading RIP: Emblaze kills First Else RIP: Emblaze kills First Else originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 04:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Screen Grabs: Pretty Little Liars is TV's newest home to egregious product placement Scene: Impossibly mature high school "girls" mingling in front of a locker. Action! Bitter Barbie: "What are you doing? Is that a new phone?" Bland Barbie: "Yeah, I'm checking my Kin. I'll just write on Hannah's wall from here." End scene. Yes, ABC's new Pretty Little Liars show is the future of American television, where entertainment morphs into infotainment and bakes the minds of an entire generation into a lovely pie of corporate servitude. We blame TiVo. Oh, and just because Palm quit making creepy commercials doesn't mean that they've given up on promoting its Pre to women. Looks like Roger McNamee was right about that backside mirror's appeal. See what we mean in the PLL episode 3 embeds posted after the break. [Thanks, Dave]Continue reading Screen Grabs: Pretty Little Liars is TV's newest home to egregious product placement (video) Screen Grabs: Pretty Little Liars is TV's newest home to egregious product placement (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 04:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Lenovo's Skylight and U1 Hybrid being revived with fresh Qualcomm silicon? What's this? A new sliver of hope in a dark, lost world? Before you throw your hands up and shut your eyes, you should know that all of this is coming from Digitimes, so taking it all in with an unhealthy dose of salt is highly suggested. According to them, Lenovo is actually planning to eventually ship its Skylight and IdeaPad U1 Hybrid (yeah, the two machines that were kinda-sorta shelved a month ago), but with far different specifications. For starters, they'll rely on Qualcomm's recently announced dual-core processor line, and rather than using the now-nonexistent Skylight OS, they'll both rely on Google's Android. If all goes well, the official launch will occur before the dawn of 2011, but there's no solid word on when they'll actually ship. In related news, there's also word that Toshiba will be readying a smartbook in its long-standing Dynabook line, with NVIDIA's Tegra 250 under the hood, a 10.1-inch panel and Android running the show. Now, who's up for seeing if any of this actually comes to fruition?Lenovo's Skylight and U1 Hybrid being revived with fresh Qualcomm silicon? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink I4U News | Digitimes | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
RoboCup Soccer 2010 finals show impressive realism by feigning injuries (video) The World Cup may still be ongoing (despite what the US, England, and a handful of others may think), but the RoboCup 2010 in Singapore has just closed shop with an edge-of-your-seat display of autonomous action. The final game came down to two German teams, the Darmstadt Dribblers and the FUmanoids. As seen at numerous points, both android teams have even learned the ancient art of diving, toeing the uncanny valley a little to close for comfort. Video after the break -- we won't to spoil the ending, so let's just say Germany won by a sizable margin. If fierce competition isn't your cup of tea, we've also got footage of DARwin-LC, a low cost (hence the name) humanoid from our friends at Virginia Tech's RoMeLa. These adorable little guys cost about $2,500 apiece and will be going out to 11 of VT's partner universities. [Thanks, Stefan]Continue reading RoboCup Soccer 2010 finals show impressive realism by feigning injuries (video) RoboCup Soccer 2010 finals show impressive realism by feigning injuries (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Twitter (@Dribblers), Plastic Pals | I, Bioloid, RoboCup 2010 | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Hulu Plus preview arrives in iTunes App Store, Flash be damned The free Hulu Plus app just hit the iTunes App store, kids, with the promise of 720p streaming over WiFi or 3G to iOS devices including the iPad, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and 3rd generation iPod touch. They're calling it a "limited preview" release that will ultimately require a $10 per month subscription on top of the commercials you're forced to watch. Oh, and it's still restricted to US-only viewership. Well, at least the Flash barrier has been removed. Huzzah? [Thanks, MT H.]Hulu Plus preview arrives in iTunes App Store, Flash be damned originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 01:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | iTunes | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Does adjusting or trimming the iPhone 4's micro SIM fix the antenna issue? Probably n Ever since Apple decided to do little about the iPhone 4's pronounced reception issues except suggest that users hold the thing differently and / or buy a nice case, the voodoo engineering remedies have been flying in full force -- sure, we'll admit we tried sticking some tape over the side of our phone (no dice), but we stopped short when people suggested we try a couple coats of nail polish (insanity). Even we have limits, after all. But the latest snake oil fix is definitely the craziest we've heard so far: according to a 13-page (and growing) thread at MacRumors, the iPhone 4's reception issue can be fixed by adjusting or even trimming the micro SIM so the contacts don't touch the metal tray. The popular belief is that touching the side of the phone somehow shorts across the micro SIM, causing (mumble mumble) and leading to dropped signal. Making things more interesting, Apple and AT&T are apparently using several different types of micro SIMs, including one with a significantly larger contact area -- you can check a shot of two of our iPhone 4 micro SIMs side-by-side after the break. So does all this hocus pocus actually work? In a word, no. We tried it on a few of our particularly bad iPhone 4s -- the ones that consistently demonstrate the issue -- and achieved no meaningful results. We even went so far as to line the edge of one of our trimmed micro SIMs in electrical tape (pictured above) to ensure that no contact was being made, and we were still able to flatline the phone using the "death grip." Sorry folks -- we wanted this to work too, but it looks like people are just being hopefully optimistic. We'd say the real fix is going to have to come from Apple -- and given the growing discontent over this relatively severe issue, the sooner the better.Continue reading Does adjusting or trimming the iPhone 4's micro SIM fix the antenna issue? Probably not. Does adjusting or trimming the iPhone 4's micro SIM fix the antenna issue? Probably not. originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | MacRumors | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Cisco's second tablet runs Linux, manages home energy use Looks like the Android-toting Cius wasn't the only tablet out of Cisco this week -- the company's also announced a countertop unit for home energy management with a 7-inch, 800 x 480 capacitive touch screen. Running Ubuntu Linux for MID on a 1.1GHz Intel Atom chip, the Home Energy Controller connects to smart thermostats and appliances over 802.11n WiFi or gigabit ethernet using protocols including ZigBee. It then lets you keep tabs on your electricity usage, and suggests ways you could improve -- assuming you're using the tablet for its intended purpose instead of watching hardware-accelerated videos on Mediafly, browsing the included app store, or (potentially) using it as a phone of some sort. Forbes reports the device will run $900 per installation, though it's more likely it'll arrive subsidized by a monthly power bill. See it in action right after the break, and hit up that PDF at the more coverage link for a full spec sheet.Continue reading Cisco's second tablet runs Linux, manages home energy use Cisco's second tablet runs Linux, manages home energy use originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 22:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Cisco | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Samsung T-Mobile Vibrant and Verizon Fascinate preview You'd think we'd be totally sick of Samsung's Galaxy S phones after seeing AT&T's Captivate and Sprint's Epic 4G, but we're just not done lovin' the 4-inch Super AMOLED, Android devices. Verizon's Fascinate and T-Mobile's Vibrant happen to be the last two Sammy phones to jump into our hands-on, but coincidentally, they're also the most alike. Design-wise, both remind us of the iPhone 3G / 3GS -- they're all screen on the front, strikingly thin, and have black shiny backs. And just like the Captivate and Epic 4G, they've got four touch sensitive buttons along the bottom edge. The Super AMOLED screens continue to impress, and watching a clip of Avatar on both versions was pretty breathtaking. (No, we didn't have an iPhone 4 on hand for comparisons, but make sure to check out the post where we put them head-to-head). We didn't get to put the 1GHz Hummingbird CPU to the test in our short hands-on time, though both Android 2.1-running phones seemed to perform briskly when opening videos and pulling up the browser. Beyond Samsung's TouchWiz skin, both are preloaded with Swype and other carrier apps -- Verizon's version had Skype Mobile as well as a number of VCAST applications. Oh, and unlike most of the other Galaxy S phones, the Fascinate had a flash on its backside. We don't have much more on these bad boys for now -- we're still waiting on pricing and availability -- but the pictures and videos after the break should hold you over. Gallery: Samsung T-Mobile Vibrant hands-on Gallery: Samsung Verizon Fascinate hands-on Note: Pay no attention to the background -- there isn't any intended symbolism to draw here, it was just the best lighting arrangement we could muster.Continue reading Samsung T-Mobile Vibrant and Verizon Fascinate preview Samsung T-Mobile Vibrant and Verizon Fascinate preview originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Palm retroactively refunding $50 webOS app submission fee -- each and every one Palm's made a few half-baked attempts at wooing developers in the past, like that time in October when it waived the fees and review process for open-source apps (but not App Catalog entries) or when it provided discounted handsets that happened to carry a large carrier-specific ball and chain. This week, Palm's decided to be a bit more generous -- it's eliminating the $50 App Catalog submission fee entirely and putting every last cent back where it came from. With only 2,684 apps in the store, that's just $134,200 in total, but symbolically it's a very welcome gesture, no? According to the official Palm Developer Center Blog, developers should see credits appear in their PayPal accounts soon -- though perhaps not soon enough to spend it on the fruit of their fellow man's labor at 50 percent off.Palm retroactively refunding $50 webOS app submission fee -- each and every one originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink PreCentral | Palm Developer Center Blog | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Switched On: Token gestures Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. In early 2005, even after the launch of the Nintendo DS, Switched On critiqued pen computing, noting that it was too cumbersome and unnatural to become a mainstream input method. That column was validated by the launch of the iPhone, which banished the stylus to "blown it" status and popularized "finger-friendly" handset designs from all major smartphone OS developers. Many have described the user interfaces of products such as the iPhone and Surface as ushering in the post-WIMP (windows-icon-mouse-pointer) era. Former Windows Magazine editor Mike Elgan has referred to the new paradigm as "MPG" (multitouch, physics, gestures) However, while these user interfaces feature streamlined designs and more direct manipulation, they still form a bridge with the graphical user interface. The main shift has been to more direct manipulation as the device processes more natural inputs. The same can be said for Kinect. For a tidy sum and some untidiness, Kinect enables the kind of motion-sensing gameplay that has become the Wii's hallmark without having to strap the controller to various limbs (as with EA Active for Wii). In fact it eliminates the need to hold a controller entirely, just like the iPhone and iPad free users of mice and styluses. Beyond Soviet Russia, the input device uses you.Continue reading Switched On: Token gestures Switched On: Token gestures originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Samsung's American Galaxy S phones pose for family portrait Samsung's US team held a swanky event in NYC this evening to launch all four of its new US-spec Galaxy S phones in style. If you haven't been brought up to speed on Samsung's stateside Android invasion, the Captivate is headed to AT&T, the Fascinate to Verizon, the Epic 4G to Sprint and the Vibrant to T-Mobile. Each of the phones have 4-inch Super AMOLED screens, 1GHz Hummingbird Cortex A8 CPUs, and cams that can capture 720p video. We've already got detailed hands on impressions of the Captivate and Epic 4G, but stay tuned for Fascinate and Vibrant previews tonight. In the meantime, check out the family all together in the pictures in the gallery below. Gallery: Samsung Galaxy S family Samsung's American Galaxy S phones pose for family portrait originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Samsung says all Galaxy S phones will get Android 2.2 Samsung has mercifully confirmed at an event in New York this evening that all Galaxy S versions -- including the Captivate, Epic 4G, Vibrant, and Fascinate -- will be receiving updates to Android 2.2 Froyo later this year and offer compatibility with Flash 10.1. All of the devices will be shipping with Android 2.1 out of the gate, so considering that Froyo's already launched, we're sure there'll be no shortage of pressure to get the updates fast-tracked. Sprint says it won't be a long wait on the Epic, but otherwise, we don't have any time frames at this point.Samsung says all Galaxy S phones will get Android 2.2 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Twitter (via @SamsungMobileUS) | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Optimus Popularis keyboard finally pictured, still on track for sub-$1000 release Art Lebedev doesn't have a fantastic track record when it comes to timing, but we'll be damned if those boutique devices don't look hot when they hit the scene -- just check out this first render of the Optimus Popularis keyboard, which the studio informs us will still (despite years in the making) cost less than $1000 when it eventually arrives. We're loving the new chiclet keys with typewriter spacing, even as we mourn the loss of a dedicated numpad in favor of industrial design -- though Art Leb says a press of the FN key will remedy that issue. When every button has a screen built into it, you can put that ten-key wherever you want, right?Optimus Popularis keyboard finally pictured, still on track for sub-$1000 release originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Optimus Project (LiveJournal) | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
AT&T explains, basically ignores criticism for locking down Android handsets When the Moto Backflip launched we were a wee bit miffed that AT&T stuffed its ROM with what our esteemed Chris Ziegler referred to as "unremovable crapware." But, even more annoying was the handset being locked down to only accept apps installed via the Android Market, preventing users from the wealth of other goodies floating around these great internets. A few months on the situation is still the same for the HTC Aria and the company is responding directly to criticism with a statement that indicates it's all in your best interests: AT&T selected Android Market as the exclusive source for applications because it forces developers to be accountable for the apps they submit. If the Android community has issues with an app, the app can be flagged and removed. This minimizes the risk of malicious apps harming customers and provides more protection to the customer's private data stored on the phone. There, don't you feel safer now? AT&T explains, basically ignores criticism for locking down Android handsets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Information Week | AT&T and Android | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
HP / Palm buyout officially complete -- get ready for webOS printers It's only been a couple short months since HP announced its intentions to buy Palm, but apparently all the investors are happy and the lawyers are rich, because the two companies have just announced that the $1.2b transaction is official and the buyout is complete -- Palm is now part of HP. Yes, it's the end of an era -- Palm's been a part of the tech landscape in one confounding way or another since 1992 -- but it's also the start of what could potentially be a webOS renaissance, as HP plans to use Palm's ideas and OS on everything from smartphones (phew) to tablets to even printers. We still don't know exactly how Palm's people and structure will be folded into HP, or what exact role CEO Jon Rubinstein will play, but Palm's already lost some important people, and managing that transition while still keeping the product roadmaps on course will be the next great challenge for these two companies. Here's to the best -- now how about some of that rumored new hardware? P.S.- Now that things are official, we can't help but wonder about the fate of the HP Slate -- there have been rumors of its death since the buyout was announced, and HP's gone from crowing about it to total radio silence. We honestly don't know one way or another, but we'd sure love to find out.HP / Palm buyout officially complete -- get ready for webOS printers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | HP, Palm | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Nyko announces two silky new Raven PS3 controllers Silky isn't typically an adjective we'd associate with game controllers, but that's exactly how gaming accessory maker Nyko is describing the feel of their new Raven controller line for the PlayStation 3. The line includes a standard PS3 configuration as well as an Xbox 360 inspired "alternate" layout which flips the position of the left analog stick and d-pad for a more ergonomic feel. Both will connect wirelessly to your system via a USB dongle, and will cost $35 once they hit shelves later this summer. But will any game top the entertainment value of the Raven promo video? Check it after the break.Continue reading Nyko announces two silky new Raven PS3 controllers Nyko announces two silky new Raven PS3 controllers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Joystiq | Nyko | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
iPhone 4 gets a $1 alternative to pricey Bumpers If you ask us, Apple should be giving away free bumpers, lollipops, and anything else it can think of to keep its otherwise loyal followers from revolting. But the Great Bitten One isn't doing any one of those things, and most of us are stuck either having to pony up $30 for the official salvation from self-inflicted signal harm or looking out to the grey markets. Entering this morose situation with a bit of ingenuity is Oliver Nelson, who alerts us to the fact that rubber wristbands of the sort your favorite cyclist wears are apparently an almost perfect fit when stretched around the 4's antennae. He advises that a 1.125-inch long by 0.125-inch wide incision (into the unstretched band) is necessary to keep the 30-pin port and speakers open, but otherwise it seems like a pretty effortless and dirt cheap way to avoid all this drama.iPhone 4 gets a $1 alternative to pricey Bumpers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Wired | The iPhone Guru | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Samsung's 'tank-like,' AMOLED-screened TL500 compact camera reviewed Another player has entered the high-end compact camera fold, and this time it looks like Samsung is in it to win it. The TL500 (aka EX1) is a 10 megapixel shooter with a larger than usual 1/1.7-inch CCD backing up a 24 - 72mm 3x zoom lens that will take you all the way down to F1.8. In the Photography Blog review, that lens earned the camera one of its few criticisms, starting very wide but not offering enough magnification on the other end of the scale. A lack of 720p video recording is another bummer, but other than those two it's basically all positive, with the build quality and controls earning high marks, and the resulting images (helped by full manual exposure controls) looking as good as you'd expect. The camera isn't particularly reasonable at $449, but it does at least deliver on everything it promises.Samsung's 'tank-like,' AMOLED-screened TL500 compact camera reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 09:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Photography Blog | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Did Nokia just confirm a MeeGo tablet? We've heard the rumors, hell, we've even seen Intel reference designs (pictured) running the MeeGo OS. But now we seem to have confirmation that a proper MeeGo tablet built by Nokia is on the way. Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia's newly crowned chief of Mobile Solutions, said the following in an interview captured by the Wall Street Journal: Due to the spread of cloud computing and new advances in electronics and network technology, mobile devices will increasingly move beyond smartphones to include other computer-like gadgets such as tablets, and the MeeGo platform will be an important asset for Nokia. Remember, Nokia already makes a netbook and the smartphone qualifier would seem to remove any speculation that Anssi is referring to its Internet Tablet class of Maemo devices. So maybe, just maybe that rumored 7- or 9-inch Nokia tablet is real. Did we say maybe?Did Nokia just confirm a MeeGo tablet? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 09:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Wall Street Journal | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Hands-on with Hulu Plus via Samsung HDTV, iPhone and iPad After months of speculation the wait is almost over and Hulu Plus is just about upon us. Hulu was nice enough to share an invite with us so we could to try it out -- sorry, we don't have any extras -- and we happen to have a Samsung LED LCD TV in the lab to give it a go. And of course, we also tried it the old fashioned way (in the browser) as well as via Hulu Desktop, on the iPhone, and on the iPad -- sadly it isn't live on the Xbox 360 or PS3 yet. The bottom line is it isn't perfect, but doesn't disappoint either, and you'll have to click on through for the rest Gallery: Hulu Plus on the iPhone Continue reading Hands-on with Hulu Plus via Samsung HDTV, iPhone and iPad Hands-on with Hulu Plus via Samsung HDTV, iPhone and iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Swiss lab builds lightweight, tree-perching glider robot, swarms to follow Last we heard from Mirko Kovac of the Switzerland-based EPFL Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, he was setting a robot high-jump record with his grasshopper-inspired bot. Now he's back with what might be an even more impressive robot -- a 4.6 gram glider that can fly headfirst into any surface, perch itself, and then detach on command. The idea there being that the gliders could be outfitted with sensors and deployed en masse in difficult to reach areas -- Kovac gives the example of a swarm equipped with heat-sensors that could attach themselves to trees and monitor for forest fires. What's more, he says that the same perching mechanism could also be applied to other robots -- possibly even a hybrid of the glider and his grasshopper bot that could hop and fly around before finding a spot to perch itself. Head on past the break to see Kovac explain it himself on video.Continue reading Swiss lab builds lightweight, tree-perching glider robot, swarms to follow Swiss lab builds lightweight, tree-perching glider robot, swarms to follow originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | EPFL | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Intel Classmate PC becomes Toshiba CM1 in Japan Toshiba and Intel have announced that they're partnering up to deliver the latter's convertible Classmate PC to Japanese youths -- just in time for the new school year. Sporting a 1.66GHz Atom N450 and an overhauled design, this latest iteration of the educational use netbook will start filtering through Nipponese school corridors this August. It packs 160GB of storage room and 2GB of RAM under a nice 1,366 x 768 10.1-inch touchscreen. The latter flips around to facilitate pen input with an included stylus, while the whole package is protected by a well rubberized and ruggedized case. Now if only it had some multitouch and one of those crazy 15-hour batteries, we might have considered going back to school and using it to finish our floristry studies. Full PR after the break.Continue reading Intel Classmate PC becomes Toshiba CM1 in Japan Intel Classmate PC becomes Toshiba CM1 in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Hulu CEO: we're 'complementary' to cable Hoping to trade in your expensive cable or satellite plan for a nice, juicy melon ball of cottage cheese-like... we mean, a portable Hulu Plus subscription at $10 a month? Not so fast, my fine fingered friend, because Hulu CEO Jason Kilar has revealed that killing cable is not a part of the company's evil plan, and he's not entertaining any ideas to the contrary. Kilar told AllThingsD that the service is "broadcast-focused" and "complementary to your cable and satellite service" by design, which is a nice way of saying the incestuous relationships between cable companies, content providers and Hulu itself keep it from offering premium programming -- at least, not at this sort of price. Speaking of getting what you pay for, you may be surprised to hear Hulu Plus displays advertising even if you slap down currency every month, but the CEO said lengthy consumer research found that users were more willing to pay if the service were partially subsidized by ads. Think of them as tiny little brain tenderizers, and we're sure you'll be just fine.Continue reading Hulu CEO: we're 'complementary' to cable Hulu CEO: we're 'complementary' to cable originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 07:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink CNET | AllThingsD | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Starbucks begins offering free two-click WiFi access in US and Canada Mmm... nothing like the smell of a warm caramel macchiato in the morning being masked by the smell of fresh greenbacks being burned, right? All jesting aside, we're pretty stoked about the world's most recognized coffee joint turning off the paywall surrounding its in-house WiFi hotspots, and in case you missed the original announcement, we're here to remind you that the free-for-all begins today. As of this very moment, the next US / Canadian corporately-ran Starbucks that you enter should be offering free one two-click WiFi, meaning that no password is required and no time limits will be set. Of course, this also means that you'll never see an open chair in any Starbucks ever again, but hey -- that's why sidewalks were created, right? Update: Ha, as our good friend Dave Zatz points out, it's actually two-clicks, not one: 1) agree to terms and services, 2) connect. But let's not let the facts ruin a snappy press release.Continue reading Starbucks begins offering free two-click WiFi access in US and Canada Starbucks begins offering free two-click WiFi access in US and Canada originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 07:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Nokia (N9 / N8-01?) prototype sized up against iPhone 4 and EVO 4G on video Setting aside the naming confusion, this Nokia prototype procured by Negri Electronics just keeps attracting our attention. Though we saw plenty of it in an earlier video, this latest rendezvous between Finnish hardware and camera lens includes a few familiar suspects to offer us the best size comparison we've had so far. Squaring up against a 3.5-inch iPhone 4, the QWERTY slider from Nokia seems barely any larger from the front though quite a bit thicker from the side -- an expansion justified by its inclusion of a physical keyboard. It does a lot better when compared to the EVO 4G and the departing iPhone 3GS, looking only marginally chunkier than those keyboard-less devices. Don't take our word for it though -- skip past the break and see for yourself. P.S. -- The UI on this device looks to us a lot more like Symbian^3 than the S60 the narrator believes it's running, leading us to think that this is most likely a keyboard-equipped variant of the N8. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Continue reading Nokia (N9 / N8-01?) prototype sized up against iPhone 4 and EVO 4G on video Nokia (N9 / N8-01?) prototype sized up against iPhone 4 and EVO 4G on video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | TechnoBuffalo | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Toshiba Book Place full-color e-book store is powered by Blio, launches soon (video) And here we go, an honest to goodness book store built around Ray Kurzweil's Blio e-reader software. It's been a long time coming and still it's only a teaser page, but Toshiba is promising to unleash its Book Place store "in the coming weeks" stocked with "thousands" of full-color e-books. The Blio software, you might remember from our video hands-on, offers a fully interactive reading experience rich in multimedia capabilities and should run beautifully on oh, say, Toshiba's new dual-screen Libretto W100. Man, when did Toshiba suddenly become interesting? See it in a cheesy, promotional packaging rager (that hints at an iOS app at the 2.42 mark) after the break.Continue reading Toshiba Book Place full-color e-book store is powered by Blio, launches soon (video) Toshiba Book Place full-color e-book store is powered by Blio, launches soon (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Akihabara News | Book Place | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Cisco suggests WiFi Flip Video camera by Christmas, wants to integrate products with A rambling Computerworld report from Cisco's Live! event is bringing us news of even more goodies, beyond the business and home tablets already revealed. In an interview with Marthin De Beer, Senior VP of Cisco's Emerging Technologies Group, De Beer strongly hints at a WiFi enabled Flip Video camera by the end of 2010. While he didn't say it in so many words, he did say, "We didn't buy Flip to have it be only a video recorder," adding, "I look forward to Christmas," when asked about a possible timeline. That seems clear enough. The conversation then gets muddied when De Beer begins discussing video as a "pervasive play" for Cisco, something that will "ultimately span across everything we do." And in a bid to interoperate with all devices, including Apple's new handset and certainly future iOS devices, De Beer said, "We would absolutely love to integrate with FaceTime." When, is the question left unanswered. Until then Cisco plans to introduce a mobile Movi iPhone app to the App Store that ties back into Cisco's Tandberg SIP-based video conferencing solution. Now, maybe it's a stretch, but with Cisco slowly creeping into the consumer space, it's hard not to take away a sense that it will be introducing software and devices interoperable with its Silicon Valley neighbor's FaceTime solution in the not too distant future. Hit the source to read the interview in full.Cisco suggests WiFi Flip Video camera by Christmas, wants to integrate products with Apple's FaceTime originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 05:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | ComputerWorld | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
LG Application Store aims to sate WinMo, Android and featurephone users alike Like a bad perm in the 1980s, you just can't be hip in the mobile world these days without an app store. We had secretly hoped that LG would take the wise route, à la Motorola with Android, of supporting a better established app platform and sticking to serving out delectable hardware, but alas it ain't so. The Korean company is today unveiling an "all new" Application Store with over 3,000 apps in tow, about half of which are aimed at featurephones. The rest seem to be targeting Windows Mobile devices, though LG promises Android-compatible apps will also be available later in the year, all set to deliver "greater value and genuine benefits" to owners of LG handsets. Judging by the early roster of 23 countries, this effort has "emerging markets" written all over it, but there are ambitions to bring this Store to Western Europe as well. Oh goodie!Continue reading LG Application Store aims to sate WinMo, Android and featurephone users alike LG Application Store aims to sate WinMo, Android and featurephone users alike originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 04:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | LG Application | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Pixel Qi netbook display replacement kit finally on sale You've waited and waited and, let's face it, waited for this day to arrrive. Now Pixel Qi's 10.1-inch display is available for DIY types looking to swap out their LCD for a dual-mode reflective Qi display capable of slipping into a power-sipping e-paper mode that's visible even in direct sunlight. It's only certified to work with Samsung N130 and Lenovo S10-2 machines but we're sure you'll figure out how to slide this pup into the Acer or ASUS netbook of your dreams. On sale now at MakerShed for $275, the swap reportedly takes about 5 minutes using only a screwdriver. So get out of here -- stop waiting for the majors to introduce a Pixel Qi netbook, it's time to build your own and put those claims of a 20+ hour laptop to the test. [Thanks, Philpax]Pixel Qi netbook display replacement kit finally on sale originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 03:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | MakerShed | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 can shoot 3D panoramas with new firmware Think Sony ain't serious about 3D? Think again. The Japanese giant has just outed a promised firmware update for its ultra-slinky NEX series of shooters that will allow users to shoot 3D panoramas. Panorama stitching was already one of the touted features on these cameras, but with a little extra software magic they'll now be able to collect "depth information" as well. We don't know how strong a 3D effect you're going to get, but since this is a free upgrade and a new way to play with your toy, we suggest grabbing the firmware first and asking questions later. Hit the source link for the download.Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 can shoot 3D panoramas with new firmware originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Sony | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Mozilla submits Firefox Home to Apple App Store, considers approval a formality (vide Emboldened by the (great) success enjoyed by Opera's Mini in making it onto Apple's hallowed iPhone platform, Mozilla has today submitted its own browser implement to the App Store censors. We already knew Firefox Home -- a weird sort of incomplete browser that syncs your desktop bookmarks, history, and tabs with the iPhone -- was in the works, but now we're finding the team behind it is so confident of its approval that it's already promising a guide on how to set it up once it's approved. We suspect the fact it'll allow you to shift browsing sessions over to Safari will be looked upon favorably, but there's no escaping the fact that Firefox Home will still browse the web for you should you wish it. This is going to be a highly entertaining approval process indeed. Your move, Cupertino.Continue reading Mozilla submits Firefox Home to Apple App Store, considers approval a formality (video) Mozilla submits Firefox Home to Apple App Store, considers approval a formality (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Mozilla | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Amazon Kindle just $149.99 on Woot! (update: sold out) You read that headline correctly: Amazon's 3G 6-inch Kindle is selling for just $149.99 on Woot, an eReader that will cost you $199 $189 on Amazon's own site. It's a one day deal no doubt helped by the fact that big daddy Bezos just purchased the deal-a-day site on Wednesday. It's exclusive and it won't last forever so you'd best get to clicking if you've been on the fence. Update: And it's sold out. You know what they say about the early bird... [Thanks, Kristin]Amazon Kindle just $149.99 on Woot! (update: sold out) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 01:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Woot | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Sony's active shutter glasses now on sale, $150 buys your eyes a third dimension Sony may have an impressive lineup of 3D HDTVs, but only the LX900 series comes with the requisite glasses for out-of-the-box 3D enjoyment. Thankfully, the company sells active shutter specs separately, and they're now on sale -- you'll find pairs shipping now for $150 a pop at the Sony Store and several small e-tailers via Amazon. Keep in mind you'll still need an IR emitter to sync those shades -- also available, for a $50 extra charge -- and likely a 3D Blu-ray player (or a PlayStation 3) if you want to have anything to watch. Isn't the future grand?Sony's active shutter glasses now on sale, $150 buys your eyes a third dimension originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 01:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink 3D-Display-info | SonyStyle, Amazon | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Graphite Kindle DX coming July 7th for $379, now available for pre-order Amazon's having a field day with its Kindle lineup as of late. Hot off the heels of its Kindle price drop, bigger brother Kindle DX has gotten a new shade, a touted 50 percent improved contrast, and a $379 price tag -- much lower than the $489 it asked for when first hitting the scene. Not to worry, there's still a 9.7-inch E-ink display and free 3G wireless. Though not shipping until July 7th, you can go ahead and give Bezos and co. your money today, whether you're a domestic or international customer. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Continue reading Graphite Kindle DX coming July 7th for $379, now available for pre-order Graphite Kindle DX coming July 7th for $379, now available for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Amazon | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Facebook for iPhone / iPod touch now iOS 4 compatible We'll get right to the point: the Facebook app for your iPhone / iPod touch is now drinking the iOS 4 Kool-Aid. Fast app switching, high resolution icons (better than the one seen above, since that's pre-update), Korean / Russian localizations, and... that's about it for now. Maybe background image / video uploading is on the list of to-do's, but at least it won't look quite as pixel-deficient on the home screen next to Twitter. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Facebook for iPhone / iPod touch now iOS 4 compatible originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 22:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | iTunes | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Milestone XT720 spec changes again, this time for the worse Hey, we admit it, as far as Motorola's concerned hacks like us probably have no business browsing its Motodev pages, but we can't help but be a little peeved at the freestyle updates the company is making to its Milestone XT720 spec sheet. The processor hasn't changed -- it's always been a 720MHz-capable TI OMAP3440 -- but its speed rating has fluctuated between 550MHz, 720MHz exactly, and now the most enigmatic value yet: "up to" 720MHz. The RAM too has gone on a rollercoaster journey, jumping from 256MB at first, to a tasty 512MB, and now back down to a lean quarter gig. What's going on over there, too many webmasters spoiling the spec soup? [Thanks, Marius]Milestone XT720 spec changes again, this time for the worse originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Motodev | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Apple patches iOS 4 Exchange issue It hasn't gotten quite the attention of the iPhone 4's antenna problems or its proximity sensor troubles, but iOS 4 has caused some heartbreak for corporate users who connect to Exchange servers -- checking mail or syncing contact and calendars can stall out interminably, with no option but to restart and try again. We've definitely had this problem ourselves, but happily Apple's right on the case with this one -- iOS 4 users who need to get their Exchange on can download an updated configuration file that seems to make things better. The new settings don't seem to do much other than increase iOS 4's idle timeout, but if it works, it works -- and in our limited testing things appear to be going swimmingly. Okay, that's one -- now let's polish up the rest, shall we? [Thanks, Paul]Apple patches iOS 4 Exchange issue originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Apple | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
What killed the Kin? While the news today that Microsoft has killed its troubled Kin line didn't come as the craziest of surprises, it's definitely left a lot of lingering questions about just what happened. Now we may have a little insight into what went wrong -- and what might be in store down the road -- thanks to a reliable source of ours who's shared some news on Redmond's inner turmoil. Apparently, the troubles started long before the swirling Pink phone rumors (and way before the name Kin was ringing in our ears). According to our source, the birth of these devices began with a decision at Microsoft to create a platform agnostic, cloud-centric featurephone. A featurephone that could be had at a relatively low cost, and sold to a burgeoning market of teens and young adults who had little need for a BlackBerry-level device (or pricing). The first step in the project was acquiring Danger to leverage the work it had done with the Sidekick platform, and aligning with Verizon as a launch partner who could offer attractive pricing plans for the devices to a big pool... and here's where the trouble begins.Continue reading What killed the Kin? What killed the Kin? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Popbox's Netflix-less launch now scheduled for July 23 Our wait for the Syabas Popbox just got a little longer, with the official blog announcing it will not ship from Amazon until July 23. Like the Boxee Box, the delay is being blamed on software being not "quite where we wanted it to be" but the real bad news here is the official list of content partners which, for the time being, is missing Netflix. Also not included (but likely not as missed) is SDTV support -- even via analog outputs, the Popbox is apparently an HDTV only affair. As far as whether we will ever see Netflix support Syabas is still giving it the Voldemort treatment, but without naming names it refuted rumors regarding a lack of hardware DRM support with the claim that "the PopBox that ships is, TODAY, capable of supporting all foreseeable App partners in the future WITHOUT requiring a hardware upgrade." Check the blog for a complete list of content providers (Revision3, YouTube, Picasa, Clicker, Twitter and others will be ready to go) and decide if that preorder is still worth holding on to.Popbox's Netflix-less launch now scheduled for July 23 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Review Horizon | Popblog | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Google: HTML5 is good, Flash is the 'best platform' for YouTube today, WebM is the fu We can't say there's a ton of surprises here, but, if you're curious to know exactly where Google stands on the whole HTML5 / Flash debate, the company has now laid out its position in a post on its official YouTube API Blog. The short of it is that while Google says it has been "excited" about HTML5 for some time now and that the tag is a "big step forward for open standards," it says that Flash will continue to play a "critical role in video distribution," and that it remains the "best platform" for YouTube's requirements today. Of course, Google also didn't let slip the opportunity to once again talk up the recently-announced WebM video standard, which it says is the open video format the web has been waiting for. It isn't saying, however, that it will replace Flash for video, and notes that Adobe itself has committed to supporting VP8, the video codec for WebM. Hit up the link below to read the company's complete argument for yourself.Google: HTML5 is good, Flash is the 'best platform' for YouTube today, WebM is the future originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | YouTube API Blog | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Hulu Plus will be a downloadable app on PS3, require PlayStation Plus subscription? The mathematical symbols are aligned... and they're pointing to a greater cash outlay if you want to have (a legitimate copy of) Hulu on your PlayStation 3. Technologizer recently discovered the highlighted line above in the source code for the Hulu website, and if correct, you'll need a PlayStation Plus subscription on top of your Hulu Plus one in order to stream the best brain-numbing shows from broadcast TV. While that adds up to an additional $18 for three months or $50 annually on top of your $10 monthly Hulu Plus fee, it's not like you'll get a better deal on a different game console -- Microsoft has confirmed Hulu will require Xbox Live Gold when it launches on Xbox 360 next year. Besides, this isn't like those janky Netflix Instant Streaming Discs -- further down the source code, there are hints that Hulu's developing a bona fide app for PlayStation 3. See the relevant section of the code right after the break.Continue reading Hulu Plus will be a downloadable app on PS3, require PlayStation Plus subscription? Hulu Plus will be a downloadable app on PS3, require PlayStation Plus subscription? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Technologizer | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Droid X ad pokes fun at iPhone 4 antenna troubles The world of corporate cheap shots has today been enriched in its number with one supersized ad for one supersized phone. BGR reports that Motorola took out a full-page spread in the New York Times on this final day of June, which was ostensibly dedicated to promoting the positives of its mighty Droid X. But Moto has also followed in the footsteps of Nokia in making a not so subtle jab at the latest king of the smartphone realm. According to the ad, one of the most important things about the Droid X is that:"It comes with a double antenna design. The kind that allows you to hold the phone any way you like and use it just about anywhere to make crystal clear calls." Glad we got that established -- next Moto will be telling us the alarm clock on its phones works just fine too. Skip past the break for the untrimmed ad.Continue reading Droid X ad pokes fun at iPhone 4 antenna troubles Droid X ad pokes fun at iPhone 4 antenna troubles originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Boy Genius Report | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
Microsoft Kin is dead We're learning this afternoon that Microsoft's Kin line, for all practical purposes, is riding off into the sunset just a few short weeks after its release. Sources close to Microsoft tell us that Andy Lees has rolled Kin into the Windows Phone 7 team and has canceled the existing product's launch later this year in Europe on news that sales weren't as strong as expected. Speaking of sales, Verizon's already-launched Kin One and Kin Two are soldiering on for the time being, but for how long is anyone's guess. Here's Microsoft's official statement:"We have made the decision to focus exclusively on Windows Phone 7 and we will not ship KIN in Europe this fall as planned. Additionally, we are integrating our KIN team with the Windows Phone 7 team, incorporating valuable ideas and technologies from KIN into future Windows Phone releases. We will continue to work with Verizon in the U.S. to sell current KIN phones." Interestingly, CNET is reporting that Roz Ho -- the exec who masterminded Kin under the codename "Pink" following Microsoft's acquisition of Danger -- will "oversee" her team's move over to Windows Phone 7 before taking a to-be-determined role elsewhere in the company. For what it's worth, we didn't think much of the Kin when we reviewed it -- to be fair, we're not the product's target demographic, but it certainly seems as though the phones got no love from the tweens, teens, and twentysomethings it sought to win over, either. It's hard to say how the Kin's untimely (or is it timely?) death ties into Robbie Bach and J Allard's departure, but since Lees has his hands more closely wrapped around this project than he had in the past, it stands to reason that there's a link there. After all, just how bad do sales have to be to kill a project mere weeks into its retail launch? And for NVIDIA, what does it mean that they've yet to release even a single blockbuster, wildly successful Tegra device? Update: What killed the Kin?Microsoft Kin is dead originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...
We finally, really did it: Engadget gets a new commenting system Some things seem like they might never happen: man traveling at light-speed, AI that is truly sentient, a striped shirt that doesn't make you look fat... and a respectable Engadget commenting system. Well folks, today you can cross one of those lofty goals off of the bucket list. Yes, you read that right. Starting today -- right now -- Engadget has a brand-spanking-new comment system powered by the dynamic and insanely flexible Disqus architecture. Even if you don't know the name, you've probably seen Disqus in one form or another -- it's used on CNN, Mashable, All Things Digital, and a slew of other sites you likely frequent. So what's new with Engadget comments? Pretty much everything. For starters, the inner and outer workings of our system have changed substantially -- for the better. We've added multiple, threaded reply levels (hello 1998!), real-time updating of new comments, image and video attachments inline, and yes... comment editing. That means next time you write "dandroid" instead of "fandroid," you can actually make the fix (unless you were nicknaming your friend Dan -- then carry on). Using Disqus also allows us to make commenting on Engadget easier than ever before (for new and old users alike) by providing login connectivity with Facebook, Twitter, and OpenID. That also means that you can tweet or post to your wall when commenting, and we've got future plans for all kinds of funky integration with the services you know and love. If you don't want to use those pesky social networking services, you can create a Disqus account as well (you'll be able to comment on other Disqus sites using that account too). We're also scrapping the down- and up-ranking scheme we've had for voting on comments. If you like something, give it the +1 you've been talking about for years. And of course, if something is offensive or out of line, report it to us so we can deal with it properly. Which brings us to... moderation. Switching over to Disqus in comments also means that our ability to moderate is dramatically and drastically upgraded, which is bad, bad news for the trolls and spammers who have made commenting life on Engadget a royal pain in the backside at times. Thanks to a set of pretty powerful tools we'll be deploying, we'll be better equipped than ever before to deal with rogue commenters -- from minor pains to major trollbursts. From here on out, the editors' and moderators' ability to track, control, delete, and ban inside and outside of comments will be markedly improved, meaning that we'll act quicker and more precisely to scrap the bad eggs and keep the conversation civil. Fanboys, you're officially on notice. For those of you who love Engadget and are responsible commenters, keep up the good work, because we're toying with moderator promotions for those of you who have what it takes to keep the troublemakers in check. Active commenters -- you should know that the one thing we leave behind along with our commenting system is your Engadget account. Starting with this post, you'll need to either create a Disqus account, or use one of the aforementioned services to login and comment. Older comments and accounts won't go away, but the ability to comment on older posts will cease after a short while. We think this is a minor tradeoff considering the benefits, and we know that a lot of readers who have had some trepidation about getting into the Engadget commenting pool will finally have a chance to get their feet wet. We know everyone is going to take a little time adjusting, but we'll be on-hand to try and answer questions, and we'll also be keeping a close watch on comments for rising stars and early abusers. So, with that said, we think it's a good time to remind everyone of what we think commenting should be like on the site, so we're including our Human's Guide to Commenting on Engadget below. Enjoy... and get writing! Update: Just a note, if you see weirdness, don't panic! We're still working out a few kinks and tweaking stuff like the comment count and mobile app implementation. Continue reading We finally, really did it: Engadget gets a new commenting system We finally, really did it: Engadget gets a new commenting system originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments More info after the jump...