It looks like we might have two new iriver DAPs to get semi-not-really excited about in the very near future, if the leaked photos and specs are to be believed. We know very little about the uber-basic T5 (picture above) beyond the fact that it supports MP3, WMA, and OGG formats and has a built-in USB jack. It's quite small, weighing just 25.9 grams, and will come in 2GB and 4GB sizes. The T6 is a little bigger, but also an apparently quite basic 4GB player with an added FM tuner. The rumor mill also reports that the T5 will run €50 (about $65) while the T6 will be €60 (about $77), but nothing's official and we don't know when they'll hit us with these bad boys.
[Via
Engadget Spanish]
Filed under: Portable Audio
Lackluster line-up of new iriver DAPs leaked originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments So, you and hundreds of thousands
of others picked up your Blu-ray copy of
The Dark Knight today, huh? We know you haven't had time to fiddle with the
BD-Live extras just yet, but one Joe Lynch from
G4 TV has. One of the most intriguing aspects of the flick's
interactive feature set is the fan commentary; put simply, users hook up a USB webcam to their player (PS3 included) and then commentate as the film progresses. From there, you can upload your take(s) to the BD-Live servers for others to enjoy. Granted, we aren't too sure how you'll actually find someone bored enough to listen to you jabber on about a film they purchased, but we reckon that's beside the point. Vid's waiting after the break.
Continue reading The Dark Knight fan commentary BD-Live feature shown on video
Filed under: Home Entertainment
The Dark Knight fan commentary BD-Live feature shown on video originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments We spent some time on the phone with NVIDIA today in the wake of
last night's official release of the
OpenCL GPU-processing spec, and we learned some interesting things. NVIDIA thinks OpenCL is going to bring a lot more attention to general-purpose GPU computing, and it's planning on stoking the flames -- not only is it accelerating the
CUDA release schedule, it's planning on working with Microsoft on DirectX 11 Compute. Hit the break for some more highlights!
Continue reading NVIDIA dishes about OpenCL
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
NVIDIA dishes about OpenCL originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments 
Sure, this isn't the first
homebrew security system we've seen, but as long as there are nosey little sisters in the world, there will be a need for this sort of project. Based on the
Arduino, the NoKES (NintendO Keyless Entry System) allows the user to set an entry code, which will then have to be entered via the retro-hip NES controller in order to unlock the door. The deadbolt itself is moved by a CD tray, and if you enter the wrong code, attempt to disable the device, or just stop by and knock on the door you'll get your picture taken. Sounds like just the thing to keep those valuable comic books and He-Man action figures out of harm's way while you're off earning your
Copyright Activity Badge. Hit the read link for step-by-step instructions, and be sure to check out the demo video after the break.
Continue reading NES controller, CD-ROM reconstituted as security system
Filed under: Household
NES controller, CD-ROM reconstituted as security system originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments 
No real surprises here but, in a recent interview with GamePro, Sony's John Kohler said that the company doesn't have any plans to pull a Microsoft and redesign its
XMB interface, nor does have any intention to offer Netflix service on the PS3 in the foreseeable future. More specifically, while Kohler says that Sony is willing to make changes "if consumers pound on our door loudly enough," it's not likely to make any "grand-scale changes" to the XMB "because it's something that's been so well-received." As for Netflix, Kohler expectedly shifted the focus to Sony's own download service, saying simply that "our efforts will continue to be there, because our customers want to own the content." Not surprisingly, Kohler didn't exactly invite any door-pounding on that matter, though there's certainly nothing stopping anyone that feels so inclined.
[Via
PS3 Fanboy]
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment
Sony says it has no plans for revamped XMB, Netflix service originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments 
This should make a lot of people unhappy. According to a press release issued today, TiVo will now offer ad space on its pause menu. Designed to outsmart those who fast-forward through the ads (we assume that's almost everyone at this point, right?) buyers will be able to target viewers of a specific show, or they can opt to "cast a wider net" and advertise within genres or keywords of program descriptions. Even if this means we'll be seeing ads for Shrute Farms beets during
The Office, we're still going to hold out hope for the TiVo version of Adblock.
[Via
Zatz Not Funny]
Filed under: Home Entertainment
Ads coming soon to a paused TiVo menu near you originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments We first caught wind of Sprint's plans to launch a couple dual-mode CDMA / WiMAX devices
under the "Sprint 4G" brand a couple days ago, but we're thinking about it a little more, and we're struck by the carrier's decision to run its 4G services as an MVNO on Clearwire's
new Clear network. Sprint's balance sheet is
basically upside-down at the moment, so we sort of understand why it's not eager to directly invest in a build-out of 4G infrastructure, but at the end of the day, leasing access to a network for general voice and data services is a totally failed business model -- there's a reason we have an
MVNO graveyard. We're not saying Sprint's turning itself into the next Helio, but you just don't see the other major carriers doing things like
selling off almost all of their existing towers and then letting a spinoff handle their 4G buildouts. We'd say there's some deep juju going on behind the scenes here, and with company spokespeople saying things like
"nothing's off the table," it feels like some radical changes are about to hit Overland Park. We'll see how it shakes down
soon enough, we think -- the status quo doesn't seem like it can last much longer.
What's going on with Sprint? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments 
We've already heard about NVIDIA's apparent interest in getting into the netbook space, despite the fact that it dropped its own grand designs with VIA not too long ago, and it now looks like it could be wrangling its way into other Atom-based territory as well, at least if DigiTimes' latest reporting is to be believed. Supposedly, NVIDIA has been working on getting its MCP79 chipset to support Intel's Atom processors, but it's apparently only focusing on desktop-bound nettops during the "initial period," and leaving the more plentiful netbooks for another day. Unfortunately, there aren't many more specifics than that, but ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI are apparently welcoming the partnership, and saying that it'll give them "more pricing flexibility."
Filed under: Desktops
NVIDIA chipset support rumored to be coming to Atom-based nettops originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments 
As you've no doubt noticed, the deadline for the Windows XP downgrade option keeps getting pushed back and back, and it looks like it's now also getting more and more expensive, as Dell has now tripled the cost of the option on its consumer laptops and desktops to $150. As TG Daily notes, this latest move follows a similar increase to $99 on Dell's more business-minded Vostro laptops and desktops which, for the time being at least, seem to be remaining as is. Of course, you can always put that $150 towards a Windows XP-equipped netbook instead, which seems to be fast becoming the primary home for the venerable OS.
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
Dell raises cost of Windows XP downgrade option to $150 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments 
It usually takes a lot to get us stoked on a digiframe -- after all, there are so many, and they all pretty much do the exact same thing. That said, the new ImpactV from eStarling doesn't seem so shabby. Of course, we've seen some of these features on
prior models (such as an 8-inch display, WiFi, the ability to email pictures to the frame, photo scheduling, and RSS feeds), but DVD quality video playback (up to 4 minutes), a custom iPhone app, Photobucket and YouTube search, and Facebook support are all very interesting. Retailing for $199, the PR we received may be stretching things a bit when they call it "an exciting evolution in furniture," but that's OK. They've probably never seen the
RoboStool.
Filed under: Digital Cameras, Displays
eStarling's ImpactV digiframe does video, WiFi, handstands originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments File this one in the category of "Oh, no they didn't!" Sadly, it seems they really have. DirecTV has sent out an email stating the following: "DirecTV has suspended the development of the
HDPC-20 tuner project that was designed to integrate DirecTV service into Windows Media Center after assessing the impact of missing the August 2008 release of Windows Media Center update and considering timing of the next release." The note goes on to say that both the satcaster and Microsoft understand that folks are clamoring for an easy way to get DirecTV content on the PC, and that both companies are "continuing to explore ways to integrate DirecTV service with Windows-based PCs in the future." And to think, that
hands-on we got late last month just might be the last you ever see of this promising little box. Why... just, why?
[Via
Gearlog, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Filed under: Home Entertainment
DirecTV "suspends development" on HDPC-20 tuner originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments
Remember not so long ago when Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said that Android was "
not yet good enough" for the Sprint brand, and how weird and awkward that was,
all things considered? Well, it turns out that Google's VP of mobile technology, Rich Miner, is set to deliver the keynote at Sprint's mobile developer's conference on December 12th. We assume he'll be there to talk about how much he loves hot dogs, or... an Android and Sprint teamup. So, does this mean that the platform is now approaching Sprint Speed, or what?
Filed under: Cellphones
Google's Rich Miner to deliver keynote at Sprint's mobile developer's conference originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments 
While most of the complaints about the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros have focused on things like the screen or the absence of a certain
much-loved port, it appears that another problem has been bugging some folks that went ahead and maxed out the RAM on their shiny new laptop. Apparently, loading 4GB of RAM (either from Apple or a third party) has caused at least a few MacBooks and MacBook Pros to freeze up randomly which, for the time being at least, can only be remedied by dialing things back to 2GB or 3GB of RAM (something tested by jkOnTheRun). While Apple isn't saying anything publicly about this just yet, one member of the Apple support forum claims to have heard from an Apple engineer who says that Apple is, in fact, aware of the problem and that a software update is on the way to fix it, possibly within a few days.
In related MacBook news, The Inquirer is now reporting that the new MacBook Pro's NVIDIA 9600M GPU suffers from the same so-called "bad bump" problem that has plagued
previous generation MacBook Pros (and provided plenty of
fodder for The Inq) which can, in some cases, lead to blank screens and other video errors. It's not clear, however, if the problem affects all MacBook Pros or just a bad batch, although there does appear to be a somewhat sizable number of complaints cropping up.
Read - jkOnTheRun, "MacBook fussy memory situation- maybe 4 GBs is too much"
Read - the Inquirer, "Inquirer confirms Apple Macbook Pros have Nvidia bad bump material"
[Via
Electronista]
Filed under: Laptops
New MacBooks said to have issues with maxed out RAM, faulty NVIDIA GPU originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments
Manhattan's Algonquin Hotel has a long tradition of nurturing the literary-minded -- Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, even Harpo Marx hung out there in its heyday. Keeping up with the times, the folks running the Algonquin today apparently still have literature on their minds, and are offering Amazon's Kindle pre-loaded with a book of their choice for guests of the hotel during their stay. If they don't have all seven volumes of
À la recherche du temps perdu loaded up and ready for us when we get there we're totally heading to the Holiday Inn.
[Via Kindle Boards]
Filed under: Handhelds
Kindle offered during your stay at the Algonquin Hotel? Yes Sirree! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments Doesn't look like
Black Friday escaped the sad face known as the US economy -- the NPD Group just ran the numbers and found that overall sales during the weekend after Thanksgiving went down eight percent from 2007, which is the first decline ever. Of course, maybe we'd have all been tempted to buy more if the bargains weren't all
so totally lame -- there was no way we were going out there to face the
crazy murderous rush to get $5 off a 1GB flash drive or whatever. That said, sales of laptops went up 19 percent, and 30-inch and larger LCD TVs went up 18 percent, so things weren't entirely gloomy, but NPD says Black Friday might be turning into more of a showcase event rather than a blitzkrieg holiday shopping kickoff, which would be just fine with us -- don't worry, we'll still
give away tons of gear. We love you, after all.
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Black Friday sales decline for the first year ever originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments Okay, let's say you're big into ergos. You've got your
iPosture beeping at you like crazy whenever you slouch,
ball-chair toning those core abdominals, and a split
adjustable keyboard to make hunting and pecking that much more of an adventure. But what about maintaining the proper mousing angle? Put those fancy silicon pads away and reach for the riboflavin. We've seen a
baguette-styled wrist rest before, but if that's a little too fancy for you, Brando has a another option: the plain white sliced bread. Sure, it's probably stuffed with GM wheat and has been bleached so thoroughly there's not a lick of nutrition left, but it might just delay the onset of carpal tunnel by a few years while whisking away any troublesome wrist perspiration. You're just six dollars a slice from this healthy mousing option -- $10 if you want enough to make a wrist sandwich.
[Via
Crave]
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
White bread wrist rest is non-organic yet ergonomic originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments It seems like every tale of impending bandwidth "
disaster" is soon countered by a new bandwidth "
breakthrough." In this case, researchers at Intel have been testing a silicon-based Avalanche Photo Detector (APD) (as opposed to the traditional, and rather expensive, indium phosphide), and so far results have been quite promising. On one key metric, something called the "gain-bandwidth product," the APD achieved speeds of 340GHz, or as the gang at Intel puts it, the "best result ever." It is hoped that this product could significantly lower the price of 40Gbit/s (and faster) optical links and find a home in areas like quantum cryptography, biochips and eventually chip-to-chip and on-chip interconnects. And most importantly, this could be huge for our national entertainment infrastructure: with online television gaining momentum and a spin-off of
The Hills dropping soon, bandwidth has to be stretched to the breaking point as it is.
[Via
VNU Net]
Filed under: Networking
Intel's opto-electronic 'breakthrough' could save this doomed Internet (or not) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments
So, this is a pretty ingenious use of spare time. With a vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) from a VCR used as the amplifier, a crafty DIY-er was able to power a pair of headphones. We'll be honest, the wiring specifics are totally irrelevant to our interests, but this sure does look awesome and we
might buy one if it was commercially available. The amplified power is, in the maker's own words, "limited," but that's not really the point, and we have a feeling that Thomas Dolby sounded just as scientific (and awesome) as he would through the
greatest headphones ever made.
[Via
Make]
Filed under: Portable Audio
VFD from VCR generates 40 VDC to power DIY amp originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments We don't want to judge a book by its cover, but JingPeng's China-bound E1181 doesn't really scream quality. Still, there's some pretty great stuff here, like a 3-inch stylus-based touchscreen,
number buttons, and an incredibly great detachable wireless digital camera. The 2 megapixel spy cam can transmit a continuous stream of images to the phone over some unspecified RF technology from up to 30 feet away, and hooks back into the phone for charging. Espionage opportunities abound, and we think it goes without saying that we want every single phone on earth to harbor such detachable wonderment.
[Thanks, Tim]
Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras
JingPeng E1181 shoddyphone harbors totally excellent detachable spy camera originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments 
Say you're James Bond (or similar), and for once, you're actually not the one behind the wheel. While you're being chauffeured around the elegant Italian countryside at breakneck speeds, you'll probably want a little live TV entertainment from the back seat. Enter Microtune's MicroTuner, a "first-of-its-kind tuner chip for high-speed in-car TV." Put simply, the MT2067 is built to provide "superior, stable TV reception for passengers in vehicles traveling at top speeds along the autobahn or highway," and supposedly, it can retain a clear signal whilst motoring at 125 miles-per-hour. Better still, it's supports worldwide analog / digital terrestrial standards including NTSC, PAL, SECAM, DVB-T, DVB-H, ISDB-T, DTMB, ATSC and ATSC-M/H. $20 says this comes integrated into next year's TV-infused line of Bentley motorcars.
Filed under: Portable Video, Wireless
Microtune's in-car TV tuner snags 'Days of our Lives' at 125mph originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments 
The Open Handset Alliance just made a major score with 14 more members: AKM Semiconductor Inc., ARM, ASUSTek Computer Inc. (previously rumored), Atheros Communications, Borqs, Ericsson, Garmin International Inc., Huawei Technologies, Omron Software Co. Ltd, Softbank Mobile Corporation, Sony Ericsson, Teleca AB, Toshiba Corporation and Vodafone. That's not quite everyone that matters, but pretty darn close. Were we to climb not-very-far onto the limb of conjecture, we might posit that Garmin might be looking at Andoid for its much-delayed nuviföne, or some sort of followup, while the emergence of an ASUS "Eee Phone" or a XPERIA X1 running Android (Sony Ericsson may very well be the biggest win here, consumer-wise) would be welcome moves from those manufacturers. We'd say at this point the holdouts are starting to stick out more than the actually OHA members, which spells good things for the industry no matter what specific hardware is the fruit of this relationship... but seriously guys, build us some more Android phones.
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
Open Handset Alliance signs up 14 more Android-lovers, including Sony Ericsson, ASUS and Garmin originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments A mere two days after launching a
large capacity version of its multi-hued IdeaPad S10 netbook, Lenovo's gone and chopped prices through and through, with specialty-color netbooks that used to retail for $439 landing at $359, and the boring black or white models retailing for $349, down from $399. Large capacity versions, with their fancy 1GB of RAM and 160GB hard drives go for $399 and $409 now, respectively. That's a savings of $50 or $80 for all you math whizzes out there, which is great but Lenovo is certainly not the only one to be
pushing down netbook price points to what one might call "recession levels."
[Via
LogicBUY]
Filed under: Laptops
Lenovo drops IdeaPad S10 pricing across the board originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments Creative's
recently unleashed Vado HD 720p pocket camcorder isn't dramatically different (design wise, anyway) than
its predecessor, but it's obviously what's tucked inside that counts. Still, we have to admire the subtle but meaningful updates that Creative has applied here, and while beauty will strike everyone differently, we personally like the direction the Vado HD has taken. For a few more looks, saunter on down to the read link.
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Hands-on shots of Creative's Vado HD 720p pocket camcorder originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments Man, these guys and gals are
quick. Just weeks after we were finally able to hold an iriver SPINN
in our own palms, along comes this marvel from China-based QQ. The K819 unashamedly apes the most telling design characteristics of iriver's latest, though the phony does come in multiple hues while boasting "high-grade texture" and oodles of "elegance and style." To be honest, we're not so sure any of these images are more than mere renders, though QQ does promise a 3.0-inch WQVGA display, MP4 support and guaranteed humiliation from your pals.
[Via
PMPToday]
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
Keepin' it real fake, part CLXXII: QQ spins iriver SPINN into lookalike K819 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments Curious to know if your Benjamin will be well spent on mophie's
iPhone 3G Juice Pack?
TestFreaks is out to make sure you have an accurate answer to that, and judging by their report after two solid weeks of usage, the response is an emphatic "yes." Not only was the device sleek enough to not be incredibly cumbersome, but it actually performed as advertised. Reviewers were able to get their iPhone 3G from near-death to fully charged (twice!) on a single mophie charge, leading them to conclude that it "basically doubles the run time of the iPhone 3G" in a worse case scenario. Granted, even they couldn't overlook the particularly large price tag, but if you've been running bone dry with any level of frequency, we suspect the asking price won't matter nearly as much.
[Thanks,
Kristofer]
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals
mophie's iPhone 3G Juice Pack unboxed and tested: high marks all around originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments Scandyna Speakers isn't pushing out just another
iPod dock with its Pink Dock Pack, as evidenced by the retro-inspired design, $300 price tag and a sales deal with Saks. The set includes a stylish pink motif, 2 x 15-watt Class T amplifier, stereo line output, dock inserts to fit a variety of dock-connecting iPod models, a remote and a pair of Micropod SE speakers. Call us crazy, but we're guessing these would sell quite a bit better if that PMP there was included and we could purchase one in a color not called pink. Full release after the break.
Continue reading Scandyna Speakers intros $300 retro-inspired iPod Pink Dock Pack
Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio
Scandyna Speakers intros $300 retro-inspired iPod Pink Dock Pack originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments Now that
Acer's Aspire One is on top, there's really little shame in rebadging the popular netbook with everyone's favorite cow-themed computer brand and shipping it on over to Singapore, which is what Acer-owned Gateway has apparently done with the LT1001G. Details are slim, but specs are pretty standard, with a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB HDD. It'll retail for $688 Singapore dollars (about $458 US), and is accompanied by a few other low and high-end laptops to help mark the company's re-emergence in Singapore after splitting nearly eight years ago -- we'd say we're looking forward to seeing the netbook in the rest of the world, but we pretty much
already have.
[Via
Netbook Era]
Filed under: Laptops
Gateway goes netbook in Singapore with the LT1001G, an Acer rebadge originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments And you thought
The Shining cuckoo clock was terrifying -- imagine waking up to
this. Designed by French artist Stephane Vigny, the loudspeaker clock does exactly what you'd expect it to. When the time comes, the doors flip open, the bottom woofer extends out and a cacophonic emission of sound is heard as you angrily wake from your slumber. We can't imagine that outstretched woofer surviving too many mornings of you waking on the wrong side of the bed.
[Via
MAKE]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household
Cuckoo clock loudspeaker kicks out the jams, you out of bed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments Note to
Roomba owners -- shut that bad boy off before leaving the house and arming the alarm system. In what we can only imagine was a pretty comical scene, a runaway Roomba in a Denmark home tripped the motion sensors after it acted on its itch to suck up a few pints of dust and debris while its owners were out on the town. Once the alarm was tripped, authorities were automatically phoned in to see what kind of shenanigans were going on. Needless to say, it proved difficult to charge the innocent looking autovac with breaking and entering, but we hear it has been tagged and given a parole officer just in case it tries to cut loose in the future.
[Thanks, morten]
Filed under: Household, Robots
Renegade Roomba trips home alarm, cops underwhelmed upon arrival originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments Our EV-DO ExpressCards are looking a whole lot frumpier (and less functional) today now that Novatel's shown off this hot little metallic number, the "MiFi" mobile 3G hotspot for getting high-speed data to you and your closest friends on the go. Routing your choice of EV-DO Rev. A or HSPA over WiFi, the slab is about as wide and long as a credit card -- goodness -- and features an internal battery that'll allegedly be good for four hours of use or forty hours of standby on one charge. The MiFi is scheduled to blast off in the first half of 2009 for roughly $200 through carriers and retail channels, which means we can finally look forward to ditching our
N78 with
Joikuspot and a couple hundred dollars worth of spare batteries.
Filed under: Wireless
Novatel MiFi proves "3G hotspot" and "sexy" can coexist originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments Right now, the vast majority of RIM talk is centered around its
touchscreen offering, but those firmly committed to its more traditional kit haven't forgotten for a second about the next-generation
BlackBerry Curve. We knew the 8900 was
destined for a life on Rogers, but we had no idea we'd feel this compelled to head north once it launched. The handset boasts a 2.4-inch, light-sensing 480 x 360 resolution display, 512MHz processor, quad-band EDGE / WiFi, 3.2-megapixel camera, GPS, a microSDHC card slot, removable 1,400mAh battery and Bluetooth 2.0; sadly, the omission of any 3G support isn't in error, and we're certain that'll be a deal-breaker for some. For those who don't mind (you know, those who just "live" near WiFi hotspots), it's available now in Canada from $179.99 with a pathetically lengthy 3-year contract (with minimum monthly rate plan of $45).
[Via
BlackBerry News]
Filed under: Cellphones
RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8900 has arrived on Rogers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments Most of the world probably missed this stunt because of how short lived it really was (thanks, NYPD!), but at any rate, we found it wacky enough to pass along. Back in late November, a few
Peek faithful donned prisoner uniforms and walked around chained to
BlackBerry Storms on the day Verizon launched the touchscreen RIM device. Naturally, Verizon officials were none too pleased, and everyone involved in the protest was asked to leave shortly after they arrived. Thanks to the wonders of YouTube (vid's after the break), you'll be able to watch it over, and over, and over again. Death to contracts... er, something!
[Via
SlashGear]
Read - Peek's take on the event
Read - YouTube video of the prank
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
Video: eccentric Peek demonstration highlights the pain of 2-year contracts originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 06:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments We know you aren't going to
believe it 'til you
see it, but SCEA has confirmed to our brethren at
Joystiq that
PlayStation Home will hit the US market before 2009 dawns. In the words of PS Home director Jack Buser: "We've been saying it will launch by the end of calendar year 2008, and that's getting very, very close." He continued by affirming that "launch is imminent," but stopped short of giving us a date to mark down in our calendars. Tick, tock.
Filed under: Gaming
SCEA confirms: PlayStation Home launch coming this month in US originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments We understand that there's a snowstorm underway at HTC's website, but we're pretty darn confident that the HTC Touch Diamond there in the middle is white not from hours under the powder, but from a certain
hue of paint. 'Course, it's no surprise to find that this
beauty is real, but there's nothing quite like the sweet, sweet taste of official confirmation. Now, about a US release date...
[Thanks, Robert]
Filed under: Cellphones
White Touch Diamond now on HTC's website originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 04:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments As mobile service providers ramp-up for the
WiMAX vs. LTE battle, LG just announced a significant milestone: the world's first 3GPP LTE chip for cellphones and data cards. While theoretically capable of 100Mbps/50Mbps download/upload speeds, LG's 13 x 13-mm chip was able to demonstrate 60Mbps down and 20Mbps up, under what we can only assume to be controlled (read: optimum) conditions -- easily besting existing 7.6Mbps HSDPA networks. Great, too bad this isn't
the year 2010 else we'd have a national LTE infrastructure (right!) and we'd all be driving plug-in hybrids (sure).
P.S. We don't know what those thin handsets are flanking the chips, but we doubt those are functional LTE devices. LG said that it used a "test terminal running Windows Mobile" to demonstrate its new chips. Could be data cards but we think we're seeing a volume rocker along the side. Check another pic after the break.
Continue reading LG tests world's first LTE cellphone chip: 60Mbps downloads are go
Filed under: Cellphones
LG tests world's first LTE cellphone chip: 60Mbps downloads are go originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 03:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments The bad news from the Japanese consumer electronics industry continues. Sony just announced plans to cut about 8,000 global jobs from its beleaguered electronics business while making unspecified reductions to its seasonal and temporary workforce. The move, as Sony explains it, comes "in response to the sudden and rapid changes in the global economic environment." Ominously, it looks like Sony will also be raising prices (
blame Jay) in the countries where "Sony makes significant sales" (read: US and Europe) if we're reading this statement correctly:
"Going forward, Sony intends to adjust product pricing to mitigate the impact of the appreciation of the yen."
Sony is also delaying or at least curtailing some of its investments while planning to "downsize or withdraw from unprofitable or non-core businesses." All these moves are meant to cut operational costs by some $1.1 billion in operational efficiencies before the fiscal year closes on 31 March 2010.
Update: Yup, we were right.
According to Reuters, Sony will "raise prices on some electronics products in Europe from the beginning of 2009." Also,
Bloomberg reports that 8,000 contract workers from the electronics division will also be shed for a total of 16,000 personnel added to the world's unemployment roster.
Sony to shed 16,000 jobs, increase prices in bid to bolster profitability (Updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 02:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments The
hotter-than-ever netbook market -- which has seemingly been
headed Acer's way for a while now -- has seen its numbers for the third quarter of 2008 arrive, and the Aspire One has indeed overtaken ASUS Eee PC as top dog in units moved. Acer's captured 38.3 percent of the market share, selling 2.15 million netbooks, while ASUS sold about 1.7 million, or 30.3 percent. Possibly adding insult to injury, we hear that an XP-loaded Aspire One can be yours for $299 today at Best Buy. We doubt ASUS will be taking its toys and going home any time soon, but we
might've heard a few sniffles coming from its corner during recess.
[Via
Laptop]
Read - Best Buy
Read - Strong netbook shipments buoy notebook PC market in Q3 '08
Filed under: Laptops
Acer takes the "most netbooks sold" crown from ASUS originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 02:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments 
Phones have lagged -- understandably, we suppose -- behind desktops and laptops in bringing 802.11n to market, but it was bound to happen eventually; to that end, Broadcom has announced its BCM4329, one of the first mobile 802.11n solutions on the block. On top of delivering up to 50Mbps of real-world WiFi throughput on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, the darned thing throws in Bluetooth, an FM receiver, and an FM transmitter, too -- in other words, everything but the kitchen sink, where the "kitchen sink" is the cellular radio itself. Sadly, the 4329 sticks with single-stream transmission to conserve battery life -- no MIMO here, folks -- but considering the 802.11g alternative, we'll take what we can get. The chip's already being sampled (and hopefully being integrated into future products) by Broadcom's customers with mass production following on sometime in 2009.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless
New Broadcom chip for phones does 802.11n, lots of other stuff originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments 
We can't count the number of times we've heard from one random source or another that Apple was about to pull the trigger on a subscription-based / 100% DRM-free music service, and given how those have worked out in the past, we'd highly recommend taking this one with a huge dose of salt. French site ElectronLibre has it that Apple will finally offer up all of its music in DRM-free form starting as early as tomorrow, specifically calling out Sony, Universal and Warner as outfits who would join the protection-free cause. Should this happen, it would obviously be a dream come true for ole Steve, but we're still left to wonder what would happen to bitrates, prices and (potentially most important) all other iTMS content. Something tells us Hollywood isn't quite as ready to release its death grip.
Update: Don't hold your breath -- CNET says that while Apple is in negotiations with the bigs to go DRM-free, nothing's set in stone and changes are unlikely before the end of the year. Amazon it is!
[Via AppleInsider]
Filed under: Portable Audio
Apple rumored to be turning iTunes into a DRM-free music store UPDATE: Not anytime soon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments How time flies -- it was just a few weeks ago that the
OpenCL spec was finalized and sent out for final legal review, and now it's here and ready to go. Over 20 partner companies (including AMD, NVIDIA, and,
somewhat surprisingly, Intel) have signed on to the parallel programming standard originally proposed by Apple as part of
Snow Leopard, and the final spec should allow apps to tap into multi-core CPUs, GPUs, DSPs and even variants of the Cell chip for everything from raw number crunching to interfacing with OpenGL. Sounds hot -- now we'll just have to see how Microsoft counters with the GPU acceleration expected to be
built into Windows 7.
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
OpenCL 1.0 spec released, GPUs everywhere to get a workout originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments You received this email because you are subscribed to the real_time feed for http://www.engadget.com/rss.xml. To change your subscription settings, please log into RSSFWD.
