In a fiscal climate where profit margin reigns
intensely supreme, we've got yet another dollop of bad news to heap upon the parfait of pain that is the $199 (after $50 mail in rebate) BlackBerry Storm. Research firm, iSuppli, estimates that the cost for the components and assembly of RIM's BlackBerry Storm are just shy of $203 -- an estimate that does not include software development and uh,
bug fixing costs or those attributed to patent licensing, physical distribution, marketing or anything else in the product lifecycle. The most costly component is the $35 Qualcomm MSM7600 processor that gives the Storm its dual GSM / CDMA personality. Now, $203 isn't that big of a spread compared to the per unit cost of a
$175 8GB iPhone 3G, $169 BlackBerry Bold, or
$144 T-Mobile G1. However, the lost
prophets profits add up quickly when you've moved
a million units globally.
Filed under: Cellphones
iSuppli: BlackBerry Storm costs $4 more than its purchase price to build originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Nokia just launched three new handsets said to "build on the formula that made Nokia the world leader in mobile phones." The threesome includes the new 6700 classic (pictured) that continues the legacy of the
Nokia 6300, a phone that "topped all sales records for a mid-range mobile phone" back in 2006 according to the tall slender cats from Espoo. As such, don't expect any fancy-pants software or touchscreen novelties here -- the "slim" 6700 classic (pre-tax €235 / about $311) plays it straight as a small-screened candybar with a 5 megapixel camera, aGPS navigation, and "high-speed" data access undoubtedly of the HSPA variety. Nokia has the nerve to call the 2.2-inch display on the (€135) 6303 classic, "large," but makes up for that assery with the inclusion of supposed "excellent" battery performance, a 3.5-mm audio jack, and aGPS with Nokia Maps. Bringing up the rear is the (€65) Nokia 2700 classic touting 2GB of on-board memory plus memory card expansion, a 2 megapixel camera, and full integration with Nokia's Ovi suite of services, natch. All are expected to ship before June. Hey, Nokia, we understand your quest for mid-market domination, but with
market share in decline and your unlauched,
flagship N97 receiving a lukewarm response at announcement (think Palm Pre by comparison)... might we suggest looking forward, not back?
Filed under: Cellphones
Nokia rests on laurels, launches 6700, 6303, and 2700 classic handsets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 03:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments Remember that DARPA initiative from a few years back to
create cyborg insects? With funding from the agency, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have managed to control a rhinoceros beetle via radio signals, demonstrated in a flight test shown on video at this week's IEEE MEMS 2009 conference. A module placed on the arthropod uses six electrodes affixed to the brain and muscles to commandeer its free will. The device weighs 1.3g -- much less than the 3g payload these guys can handle, and with enough wiggle room to attach sensors for surveillance. Ultimately, scientists say they want to use the beetle's own sensors -- namely, its eyes -- to capture intel and its own body energy to power the apparatus. Keep an eye on this one, we expect it to play a major role in the impending
robots vs. humans war.
[Thanks, Mimosa]
Filed under: Robots, Wireless
Cyborg beetles commandeered for test flight, laser beams not (yet) included originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 03:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments So
KDDI's latest lineup of new phones features the usual array of 8.1 megapixel cameras, wide VGA displays, one-seg TV tuners, and teleporters, but one particular handset stood out: Hitachi's
Wooo H001. The dual-hinge flip's claim to fame -- well, besides the bizarre color scheme -- has to be the stereoscopic IPS display that presumably uses the same parallax barrier method
shown off by the carrier late last year. The phone will happily serve up 3D-ified versions of various UI elements and mobile TV content, and when you start to get woozy (or Wooozy, as it were), just flip a switch and you're back to the reassuring flatness you're used to. It'll launch in three colors in April, and naturally, you'll have to be in Japan to get it.
[Via
Akihabara News]
Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Video
Hitachi H001 with 3D display leads up KDDI au's Spring 2009 lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments Sure, that new
iriver Siren DP150 was... unimpressive at best. Well, you know what could really help it out? A bunch of Swarovskis and a few cuddly toys! Lucky for us, that's exactly what iriver's just done: the little keychain-sized DP150 is literally coated in crystals, and comes with a Clasky stuffed critter (monkey, hippo, or bunny) sporting an "I heart iriver" tee. Sorry, folks: this one's a Japan-only release, but if you really must know, they're going for ¥19,800 -- nearly $220. What a deal!
[Via
DA Preview]
Filed under: Portable Audio
iriver Siren DP150 gets outfitted in crystals, cuddlies originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We're not quite sure what the folks at
Projectiondesign consider to be a "harsh environment," but it seems a pretty safe bet that their new F32 projector should at least be able to hold up in even the dustiest conference rooms, and deliver a full 1080p image to boot. If that's a bit more than you need, the company has also just rolled out similar SXGA+ or WUXGA models, which boast 4100 or 3800 ANSI lumens, a 7,500:1 contrast ratio, and the usual full complement of ports, including dual HDMI inputs. Just don't plan on lugging any of 'em around too far, as they each weigh in at close to 30 pounds. Pricing, as you may have guessed, appears to be on a need to know basis, though all three are apparently shipping now.
[Via
About Projectors]
Filed under: Displays
Projectiondesign debuts F32 1080p projector for "harsh environments" originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Could Apple possibly be working on another iPhone? Well, yes, of course -- but Mac Rumors may have stumbled upon the first solid evidence that there's a major hardware revision in the works (and no, we're not necessarily talking about the nano). Seems that the latest firmware revisions have some juicy metadata buried deep within that refers to a product code of "iPhone2,1" -- a decidedly higher number than the "iPhone1,2" representing the current iPhone 3G. What's more, an ad network is reporting web hits from an iPhone2,1, so it looks like this is very much the real deal; only question is, just what the heck is it?
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
Next-gen iPhone evidence lurking in latest firmware? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments Hey, Palm, you know when
isn't a good time to brag about your rich, time-honored tradition of gaming software stretching back some ten-plus years? Right before the release of
webOS and the
Pre, a device you've straight-up told us isn't intended for games -- that's when. A lighthearted post on Palm's official blog today waxes poetic about the top
Palm OS game downloads on Handango and mentions a few favorite classics from around the blogosphere, but here's the thing: unless Palm wants to get serious about bringing entertainment to the Pre, this just rubs salt in our TurboGrafx-16 emulator-craving wounds. The TI-sourced OMAP3430 underneath the Pre's skin is
more than capable of knocking console-quality games out of the park, so we'll just have to twiddle our thumbs for a few months and see how this plays out; at the end of the day, it might simply be a question of
how open Palm ultimately wants to get with its SDK.
Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Handhelds
Palm touts its gaming roots, Pre conspicuously missing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments 
Sure, radiation's not high on
our personal list of threats, but that doesn't mean it's not on
someone's, right? Well, to that end, Radiation Shield Technologies has developed a full line of radiation-defeating garments (the thyroid collar being our favorite). In fact, the company has just been awarded a patent for the nanotechnology which they say is the "world's first protective material designed for all types of chemical, biological, radiological and even nuclear incidents." The material, called Demron, is a nanopolymeric compound (which they call "liquid metal") fused between layers of fabric and concocted into gear which is lead-, toxin-, and PVC-free, and is capable of blocking gamma rays, X-rays and other nuclear emissions. The garments are currently used by NASA and various governments across this planet of ours, but they also seem to be commercially available for prices ranging from about $700 up to $6,500 for the nuclear blanket. Citizens of Megaton: rejoice!
[
Via TG Daily]
Read - Radiation Shied Technologies
Read - U.S. Patent #7,476,889
Filed under: Wearables
Demron garments resist radiation without overlooking style originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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LeapFrog's been very busy of late -- they recently added
Tag Junior to their line of edutainment products for the wee ones --and now there's
this. The Text and Learn children's "PDA" hasn't been officially announced yet, but details are slipping out from the U.K. Toy Fair, so here's what we know about the must-have device of the year: boasting a full QWERTY keyboard, the Text and Learn has a calendar (for learning dates), phonics functions (for learning... phonics) on the keyboard, and games to teach spelling and basic computer skills, as well. There's also some "texting" -- the child can interact with their onscreen buddy / guide, Scout. The Text and Learn is set to launch in August for about $30. Man -- armed with this and our
totally sick laptop, we're going to be the talk of the town.
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
LeapFrog intros "smartphone" for your little one (or you) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sometimes we get the impression that somewhere out there is a community of ultra-wealthy individuals that live lives of unimagined excess and opulence. And when they get together to do whatever it is that they do -- think of ways to take over the world, perhaps -- they can be recognized by the fact that all of their belongings are encrusted in Swarovski crystal. From
cameras to
coffee makers, they live in a world of such rarefied elegance that any non-Swarovskified gadget is a blight, an eyesore. Even if you think we're a bit off base, it appears that someone at Yubz might know where we're coming from. The company is known for its plug-in handsets for cellphone users who want to kick it old school (like, "bakelite" old school). These things are usually available in cool colors like "Russian Red" and "Regal Gold" for somewhere around $45 ($75 if you want Bluetooth support). According to
Chip Chick, the company has announced their newest handset line: beginning with "Lust" and working its way up through the Seven Deadly Sins, these guys will feature Bluetooth, a hell of a lot of Swarovskis, and an $1,800 price tag. Should be hitting the streets in the spring, if you can wait that long. And we've included a couple pictures of the standard device after the break, so you could see what all the fuss is about. You're welcome.
Continue reading Yubz Swarovski-covered cellphone handset plunges us into a sea of despair
Filed under: Cellphones
Yubz Swarovski-covered cellphone handset plunges us into a sea of despair originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments Sure, Lady Liberty and a bald eagle are great symbols of American freedom, but they're also perfect covers for keeping tabs on your friends. Ajoka's cigarette lighter video camera discreetly records 640 x 480 or QVGA in AVI format at 30 frames per second and supports microSD up to 8GB. It's got a lithium ion battery for 6 hours of filming and is charged via USB. Best of all, it's still a working lighter -- perfect for cheering up your favorite band's love ballads and simultaneously bootlegging the performance. Your local spy shop can order these wholesale for $150 apiece.
Filed under: Digital Cameras, Misc. Gadgets
Cigarette lighter camera shows there's nothing more patriotic than espionage originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments We can't say with any level of certainty why
Toshiba chose to announce its new
Camileo after CES and before CeBIT, but whatever the reason, we're sure it's a good one. Introduced today over in Germany are three new camcorders, all of which boast simple controls for the technologically challenged and easy uploading to YouTube. The whole lot captures in gorgeous 1080p, and they all feature a handy HDMI output for showing off clips as soon as you snag them. The higher-end Camileo P30 arrives with 128MB of internal storage, an SD card slot, a 3-inch LCD monitor and a 5x optical zoom; the H20 steps down to a 2.5-inch display, while the S10 remains mostly mysterious. As for the bits that matter most, the S10 and P30 will be available early next month for €149 ($197) / €199 ($263), respectively, while the H20 can be snapped up now for €249 ($329).
[Via
Stuff]
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Toshiba readies three 1080p Camileo camcorders for Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments Aw, lookie here -- a happy ending! That suddenly popular Chris Ogle -- you know, the New Zealander who
accidentally purchased an MP3 player full of classified US Army documents from a thrift store -- is basking in the glory of his 14th minute of fame. According to a new report from
Reuters, Mr. Ogle peacefully handed the device back over to US authorities, and for his cooperation, a brand spanking new player was handed over to him. It's unclear what kind of unit he received and if it was your tax money paying for it, but we get the feeling we'll never truly know answers to either question. As for Ogle's next move? We hear he's jockeying for a guest spot on
Flight of the Conchords.
Filed under: Portable Audio
New Zealander gives classified DAP back to US, gets a new one in exchange originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It's not exactly the most extensive round-up, but photographers looking for suggestions on a laptop to pair up with their DSLR would do well to check out Rob Galgraith's latest comparison, which takes a look at the late-2008 MacBook Pro, the Dell Mini 9, and a pair of Lenovos (the
W700 and
T60). Not so surprisingly, he didn't have too much positive to say about the MacBook's switch to a glossy-only display, but other than that, he found that it mostly held up against its predecessor. It apparently wasn't able to match up against the two Lenovo offerings, however, which came in at number one and two in both color accuracy and viewing angle tests. The W700, in particular, proved to have color accuracy "
on par with a fine desktop display," a feat enabled in no small part by its built-in calibrator. He was also especially impressed by the Dell Mini 9, which actually beat out the MacBook in terms of color accuracy, but fell a bit short in viewing angle tests. The fact that it also fits nicely in a DSLR bag certainly doesn't hurt things either. Hit up the link below for the complete breakdown.
[Via thegadgetsite]
Filed under: Displays, Laptops
Laptop display comparison awards top marks to Lenovo originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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As you may be aware, the Davos conference for the super-rich and powerful is going on in Switzerland right now, and throwing all those egos into a room together can lead to some testy moments -- like today, when Michael Dell asked Vladimir Putin how the US could help Russia improve its IT infrastructure. Putin's response? "We don't need help. We are not invalids. We don't have limited mental capacity." Saucy! Vlads followed up by pointing out that Russian scientists mainly focus on software, not hardware -- interpreted by many as a further slap at Dell. Any bets on whether Mikey D replied by saying that if he were in charge, he'd shut Russia down and give it back to the people?
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Putin to Dell: "We don't need help. We are not invalids." originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments These days, it's pretty tough to find an
iPod dock that differentiates itself from the crowd. Then again,
Universal Remote Control isn't your average iPod accessory maker. Designed specifically for the custom install crowd (but aimed at anyone who appreciates tight home integration) is the PSX-2 Personal Server. Put simply, this doodad enables users to control their iPod like never before by providing users a method of "exploiting all of the iPod's features, including some obscure and rarely-used ones," with any ole IR remote. The device provides "hundreds of discrete IR codes that cover virtually every iPod function, and even functions that aren't available on the iPod itself, such as commands for each of the iPod's EQ settings and the ability to perform alpha searches." Sure, it'll set you back $399, but that's a small price to pay for giving your
universal remote one more reason to hang around.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Portable Video
URC's PSX-2 iPod dock enables control via universal remote originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments We've been toiling away for a few weeks now on a dedicated podcast for Engadget readers with particularly sick, twisted cellphone obsessions, and now that we've gotten our RSS, Zune, and iTunes feeds totally sorted out, we wanted to pass the love onto you! Join us each and every week on the Engadget Mobile Podcast for an in-depth look at the mobile industry -- because even if you don't give a rip about phones, we're occasionally entertaining. Think of it like
Car Talk but with more Canadians and demonstrably less helpful advice.
Subscribe to the podcast
[
iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes
[
RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically
[
RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator
[
Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace
Filed under: Announcements, Cellphones
The Engadget Mobile Podcast is good for your heart, soul originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments Whoa, whoa -- calm down hiptoppers. Don't act like you didn't know
a new Sidekick was coming in the year two-thousand and nine. Actually, there is a fair reason to celebrate here, 'cause if these specs are true, the
Sidekick LX 2009 will be a surefire winner. A reader over at
HipTop3 reportedly came across this image above while taking an online survey, which -- as your eyes have no doubt confirmed -- shows off the very first 3G / GPS enabled Sidekick ever. Specs wise, it'll supposedly boast a 3.2-inch WVGA display (854 x 480), a 3.2 megapixel camera, microSD card slot, easy access to YouTube, MySpace and Twitter, turn-by-turn navigation and video recording capabilities. Sadly, there's still a sliver of a chance this could all be a hoax, but we know your brain isn't letting itself accept that fact at the moment, now is it?
Filed under: Cellphones
Sidekick LX 2009 outed in survey, could possibly be real originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments 
Those crazy kids over at
bit-tech got their hands on
SilverStone's new Raven RV01 PC case and have been kind enough to give us their impressions. The big news here is that the motherboard's been rotated 90 degrees clockwise, so that your expansion cards are slotted in vertically (they face up, not out the back). This is intended to facilitate cooling -- cool air is taken in at the bottom and exhausted through the top of the machine -- but as the reviewer points out, although this "seems the most logical orientation for a high-end PC," the actual case design is poor enough to rate as fairly frustrating. "For every welcome piece of design," he writes, "there's another to annoy." Cable management is described as nigh on impossible, especially with drive trays and mobo in such close proximity that there isn't any wiggle room. Judging by all this -- and by an appearance that betrays not one wit of "innovation" -- you might want to hold off on this bad boy. Someone is sure to take another stab soon, hopefully with a package that is nowhere near as goofy looking. Available now in the UK for £171.35 MSRP and Stateside for $249.99.
Filed under: Desktops
SilverStone Raven's unique case design highlights cooling, not to mention "ugly" originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We're getting rather tired of having to "
roundup" the misery,
loss of profits, and layoffs in this modern era of
plenty and
luxury, but there's seemingly no end in sight, so here we go. Texas Instruments announced plans to cut 12 percent of its workforce (apparently as a safety measure as its profits last quarter actually topped analysts' estimates). Meanwhile, Panasonic's announced some modest cuts of roughly 600 workers, in addition to closing some of its plants in Asia as it posted a net loss for the first time in six years. Moving on, Hewlett-Packard's laying off nearly 25,000 people in a "restructuring" scheme, while those IBM losses we've been hearing about (and which have been rumored to number nearly 16,000) are now quietly happening in several locales across the U.S. Finally, big boxer Best Buy's just confirmed impending cuts at their headquarters in Minneapolis, but won't release any hard numbers until February. Seriously, world: the future is disgusted with us.
Read - Texas Instruments cutting jobs
Read - Panasonic to cut 560 jobs, close plants
Read - IBM, HP quietly cut thousands of jobs
Read - Best Buy plans layoffs at headquarters
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Recession roundup: volume eleventeen zillion originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments What we're staring at here is apparently the first "in the wild" shot of the promised
dual touchscreen OLPC 2.0. As far as we can tell (thanks, Mr. Blurrycam), we'd wager this is a purely non-working mockup, since that "touchscreen" looks a bit too much like "glued-on paper" to us, but we're really short on info otherwise. What is encouraging here is that apparently
someone is taking this dual screen idea seriously, and it's hard to deny that such an improbable form factor could really end up being the shot-in-the-arm
this project needs.
Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs
OLPC 2.0 dual touchscreen mockup surfaces in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments In an absolutely shocking move, the United States House of Representatives has failed to pass the digital TV transition delay bill that was
all but certain to fly through just days ago. The bill needed two-thirds of the votes of the House under "special rules adopted for the vote," and reportedly, the vote was just 258 to 168 in favor of changing the date. As it stands, an estimated 6.5 million Americans are not yet prepared for the switch -- which is now
back on track for February 17th -- and the
money well for government-issued vouchers has ran dry. Honestly, we're elated to hear the news. The February date has been blasted from the rooftops for years now, and changing it this late in the game would wreak all kinds of havoc in the industry, not to mention instill even more
confusion. Soon-to-be-vacated
airwaves, we're ready for you.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment
Digital TV transition delay bill fails to pass in House originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments Apple and Palm kicked a lot of dirt at each other last week -- acting Apple CEO Tim Cook flatly told analysts that
"We will not stand for people ripping off our IP" when asked specifically about competition like the Palm Pre, and Palm responded with a similarly-explicit
"We have the tools necessary to defend ourselves." At issue, of course, is that the Pre employs a multitouch screen and gestures almost exactly like those made famous on the iPhone -- and if you'll recall, Steve Jobs
introduced multitouch on the iPhone with a
slide reading "Patented!" To top it all off, the past few days have seen a number of media outlets proclaim that Apple's been awarded a "multitouch patent" without so much as a shred of analysis, instead hyping up a supposed future conflict. That's just not how we play it, so we enlisted
Mathew Gavronski, a patent attorney in the Chicago office of
Michael Best & Friedrich, to help us clear up some of the confusion and misinformation that's out there -- read on for more.
Continue reading Apple vs. Palm: the in-depth analysis
Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video
Apple vs. Palm: the in-depth analysis originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments 
It may not boast quite the same desk-friendly looks as some of its
competitors, but Buffalo's new 7-inch FTD-W71USB display should at least get the job done in a pinch, and most likely do so for a bargain price if the company's track record is any indication. As with similar displays, this one boasts a standard 800 x 480 resolution, and it can be oriented vertically or horizontally to suit the task at hand. Otherwise, you can expect a reasonable 300 nits brightness, a 500:1 contrast ratio, and a whopping 25ms response time, which'll no doubt dash the hopes of anyone actually thinking of using it as a primary monitor. No firm word on a price, but it should be available in Japan by the end of the month.
[Via
Akihabara News]
Filed under: Displays
Buffalo rolls out 7-inch USB external display originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments Along with the
Pearl, the
Curve series represents the kinder, gentler side of BlackBerry; it's the side that appeals to consumers without sacrificing power, and from time to time, it's the side that's even been known to show some sex appeal. The
Curve 8900 really takes that sex appeal to the next level, delivering one of the most drop-dead gorgeous phones ever to grace a corporate boardroom -- and it just so happens that T-Mobile USA's the first American carrier to deliver it, so we've taken the opportunity to put it through its paces. Does it out-Bold the Bold? Head on over to Engadget Mobile for the full rundown.
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8900 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments Are your company meetings a series of boring charts about how the global economy is negatively impacting your bottom line? Wacom's latest business-minded PL-900 LCD tablet is sure to bring a little
zest, giving you a chance to add sportscaster-esque commentary to those pessimistic PowerPoints. The PL-900 features 1280 x 1024 SXGA resolution on an anti-glare 19-inch screen, along with two USB 2.0 ports, DVI-I input and output, and a stand that inclines between 18 and 73 degrees. It's available now from the company's website for a smidgen under 1,499 euros ($1,988).
[Via
Far East Gizmos]
Filed under: Desktops, Displays
Wacom's PL-900 tablet is perfect for mapping out falling profits in style originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments 
You've heard the old saw "fake it 'til you make it," right? This is an instrument that takes those words to heart. Developed by the Magnetic Musical Training project, FielDrum sees a pretty standard percussion instrument fitted with a series of electromagnets. Placed beneath the drum head, the magnets can either be told to "attract" or "repel" via-MIDI, creating some kick-ass paradiddles as the new drum student holds his or her sticks over the instrument. Sure, this all sounds like fun, but this is the kind of research that could have serious ramifications: How do people learn things involving "complex physical gestures?" Can people "learn-by-feel?" How does this approach compare to traditional motor training? We're dying to find out the answers -- but mostly we're dying to get out hands on one of these drums for our robot marching band. Video after the break.
[Via
Make]
Continue reading FielDrum magnetic drummer frees you from the tyranny of learning your instrument
Filed under: Peripherals
FielDrum magnetic drummer frees you from the tyranny of learning your instrument originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments Usually, we'd just brush something such as this off and carry on about our day, but there are just too many stars aligning to ignore this one. Given that Olympus
pledged its allegiance to
Micro Four Thirds early on -- not to mention that we've already
seen proof of
prototypes -- we're really, really tempted to believe the latest rumors from Russia. As the story goes, Olympus is gearing up to launch a pair of MFT cameras, likely named the M-1 and M-100. Both units are apt to be about the size of a bulky point-and-shoot, with the former boasting a 3.2-inch LCD monitor and HD video capture. Oh, and did we mention that
PMA is just over a month away? Sounds like a
perfect spot to launch this duo into the mainstream.
[Via
Engadget Spanish]
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Two Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras rumored for soonish release originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments 
The future has been so...
boring lately! We used to dream of flying cars and
nanotech, and now we're lucky if we can get a
GE SmartMeter appliance 'round our way. Adding one more to the list of things that do not particularly excite anyone, robuRIDE is a device that harnesses the power of cutting-edge robotry and puts it in what amounts to a bus stop. With wheels. Developed in France by a company called robosoft, previous iterations of the thing are in service at Vulcania Park and Simserhof Fort in France, while robuRIDE30, the latest prototype (captured on video after the break) will be wowing visitors to the Rome Exhibition Center soon-ish. The good news is that, since they top out at around 15 mph, these autonomous vehicles are probably too slow to be at the forefront of the coming robot invasion. Unless that's just what we're supposed to think...
[Via
Robots.net]
Continue reading robuRIDE30 robot vehicle shuttles people into the future -- with boredom
Filed under: Transportation
robuRIDE30 robot vehicle shuttles people into the future -- with boredom originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments We already knew that Daimler was
looking in Tesla's direction for electric vehicle batteries, but we certainly didn't know that those passing glances were only the beginning of an underground battle for supply chain supremacy. As automakers struggle to move cars from lots, it's being reported that some --
Toyota, Tesla, Daimler and Nissan, in particular -- are looking to parts fulfillment for profit. Toyota already has an edge on its rivals by being one of the only companies to actually produce its own batteries, and if demand begins to outstrip supply, other car makers could come running in hopes of stocking up. Of course, you've also got
Nissan ramping up production in order to equip some 200,000 electric / hybrid vehicles annually over the next few years, so who knows if all this
scheming will eventually backfire. Though, if one firm can somehow figure out how to make their battery stronger, more potent, lighter and cheaper -- well, we needn't tell you how
that would play out.
[Image courtesy of
AutoBeYours]
Filed under: Transportation
Battery wars: automakers seek profits in supplying EV parts originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments Is it a portable media player, or just a media player? Should it be worn around the neck, or simply left on the living room table? These questions and more become yours to answer should you choose to invest in
mobiBLU's A10 UFO. All we're told is that it's available in glossy red or glossy black and that it features Bluetooth, support for a multitude of file formats, a built-in battery, headphone jack and 2/4/8GB of internal storage. If you look carefully, you'll notice that the red version is actually already starting to float upwards upon the strumming of the first chords in "White Rabbit." Far out, man.
[Via
AnythingButiPod]
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
mobiBLU's A10 UFO player may lift off when playing Jefferson Airplane originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments We already
covered the numbers from Netflix's impressive earnings call this past Monday, but there was another story lurking in there too; a potential sign of the coming apocalypse for physical media. The company is reporting that many of its customers are replacing mailed movies with streamed ones, taxing the USPS less and their broadband connections more. CEO Reed Hastings is playing coy about whether this is a strong trend or just the curious behavior of early adopters, and since his company gets paid either way he probably doesn't care, but you can be sure those still firmly attached to profits from plastic discs are going to be watching this pattern rather closely. (As if Sony needed any
more bad news.)
Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment
Netflix sees subscribers opting for streaming over mailing, global surplus in red envelopes predicted originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments We heard some impressive claims about LG's
Renoir earlier this month at CES courtesy of a
rather desperate spokesman, but nothing compares to the torture test the phone recently underwent and, unlike
Nokia's 5800, survived. The handset was left in the freezer at -20C (-4F) for 12 hours, dropped to the floor, stepped on, thrown in a clothes drier for 15 minutes, caked in dust, dunked in wine, and run over by a Ford Focus. After all that it functioned just fine, suffering only a few scratches on the screen inflicted by the pavement -- a small price to pay if you're clumsy enough to drive over your own phone. Curiously soothing videos of the abuse after the break.
Continue reading LG's Renoir tortured in the name of science and art
Filed under: Cellphones
LG's Renoir tortured in the name of science and art originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments We know what you're thinking -- "great, another SSD." Right though you may be, OCZ's
Apex line is rather unique. It manages to combine the low cost of MLC technology with the high performance more commonly associated with SLC designs by instituting a dual-controller RAID-0 configuration. The 250GB version that was tested by
PC Perspective managed to hold its own, and while it still didn't wow critics the way Intel's
X25-M did, it seemed to notch a very solid second place. In fact, they couldn't help but recommend it (and the much, much cheaper 120GB sibling) for those scouting a speedy upgrade without completely decimating the bank account. We couldn't possibly run down the results from the litany of benchmarks this thing endured, so we'll just point you to the read link and suggest you slice out a solid half hour to really look this over.
Filed under: Storage
OCZ's 250GB Apex SSD reviewed, recommended originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments An interesting concept from Sony has come to light courtesy of the US Patent & Trademark Office, deftly titled: "Image forming device, having an ejection tray, and a display is mounted to a cover." That's a lot of words to describe what is basically a
Surface-like touchscreen mounted onto a flat, clamshell printer (shown open after the break). The idea is for users to set their cameras down, view and manipulate images wirelessly, and then print them directly to honest to gosh paper. It appears to be quite a bit smaller than Microsoft's uber-table, and a lot less likely to get Al Roker's
groove on too, but it also looks rather more practical and affordable; something you might actually expect to see in someone's home in the next few years. But, don't get too excited about the real-world prospects here -- your guess is as good as ours about Sony's plans for bringing this to market.
Continue reading Patent app for touchscreen printer from Sony Surfaces
Filed under: Displays
Patent app for touchscreen printer from Sony Surfaces originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments 
We've seen
plenty of
swollen and
exploding batteries 'round here, but this is the first Li-Polymer battery (a technology generally assumed to be more stable and less prone to swelling and fire than Li-Ion) that we can recall ballooning into such a possible danger. Reader Christian sent us these pics of what's normally a 4-mm thick battery (pictured right) inside his W880i handset now swollen to a full 7-mm. The BST-33 sits at the heart of a long list of SE phones, a list we've included after the break along with one more picture. Do let us know if you're seeing similar issues.
Continue reading Sony Ericsson's BST-33 Li-Polymer batteries swelling into a lawsuit?
Filed under: Cellphones
Sony Ericsson's BST-33 Li-Polymer batteries swelling into a lawsuit? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 07:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments We won't lie -- we've always been
harsh on
Vertu handsets. As a rule, they're technologically inferior to handsets that are a twelfth the price, and honestly, they're usually pretty unsightly. But you know,
Boy Genius Report's hands-on experience with the stainless steel
Signature S Design really has us back on the fence. Sure, it's the price of a decent subcompact, but man, it's as sleek as sleek could ever hope to be. Have a look in the read link for a hands-on gallery that's sure to make you envious -- whether you're willing to admit it or not.
Filed under: Cellphones
Vertu's overpriced Signature S Design gets hands-on treatment originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments DS owners in Japan have been enjoying the spoils of the
KORG DS-10 synthesizer for over half a year, but at long (long!) last, we Americans are about to receive equal treatment. The game itself, which is graciously priced at just $29.99, is now up for pre-order on GameStop's website. The listed ship date is February 9th, but we wouldn't go betting the farm on that being entirely accurate. Nevertheless, we're down to counting days and hours rather than months and weeks before we'll be able to shove a synth in our pockets without paying import prices. Huzzah!
[Via
Joystiq]
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals
KORG DS-10 synthesizer up for pre-order in America originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 06:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comments Shortly after Acer
snapped up E-Ten last year it's been making public and private mention of plans to launch an Acer-branded smartphone. Now we've got a date: February 16th at the big Mobile World Congress cellphone event in Barcelona. We'll be there so let's call it a date, deal? Iaaaaiaiaiiaa!
Filed under: Cellphones
Acer smartphone launching February 16th, everybody flamenco! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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