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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Android's Best Augmented Reality App Hits the iPhone [IPhone Apps]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/-El3KL99Dtc/androids-best-augmented-reality-app-hits-the-iphone

Layar, the first camera-based AR app to really blow us (or anyone) away, has quietly slipped into the App Store. As with the Android version, the app overlays all kinds of information onto a live view of the world around you.

Since OS 3.1 dropped, giving devs (almost) open access to the iPhone's camera we've seen a minor avalanche of augmented reality apps hit the store; some have been interesting, like Yelp's, but most feel a little bit like tech demos. Layar, for what it's worth, has grown up since we last saw it: now you can overlay all kinds of data, from geotagged Wikipedia entries to Flickr photos to local Tweets.

You don't need a 3GS to use it—UPDATE: Oh, maybe you do—but without the compass function you kind of lose the WTF LIFE HUD appeal, and the app feels more like a party trick than a useful tool. Layar is live (and free) in the App Store as we speak. [Layar via Gadget Lab]

Nikon D3S shows its high ISO prowess in two sample videos

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/nikon-d3s-shows-its-high-iso-prowess-in-two-sample-videos/

Well, we just got the first round of Nikon D3S previews this morning, but it looks like we now also have the first few sample videos shot with the camera -- possibly a bit ahead of Nikon's preferred schedule. While it's a bit hard to draw some firm conclusions due to their YouTube-ness (not even a "High Quality" version, unfortunately), the videos do go some way towards backing up claims that the camera truly delivers the goods when it comes to high ISO shooting -- something that's particularly evident in the stunning wildlife video shot by Vincent Munier (pictured above). Head on past the break to check it out for yourself, along with a second, also impressive short shot down under.

[Via CrunchGear]

Continue reading Nikon D3S shows its high ISO prowess in two sample videos

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Nikon D3S shows its high ISO prowess in two sample videos originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No-contract $30 / $45 Straight Talk wireless plans storm Walmart

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/no-contract-30-straight-talk-wireless-plans-storm-walmart/

Remember when TracFone horrified the world with its Straight Talk phone selection back in July? Clearly the suits in Bentonville weren't so scared, as now Walmart is latching on to that very plan and claiming it as its own. In over 3,200 of the outfit's retail stores across America, consumers will be able to snag an admittedly pathetic cellie and a rather decent calling plan for just $30 a month. Three Hamiltons gets you 1,000 voice minutes, 1,000 texts and 30MB of mobile web access, not to mention nationwide coverage and free 411 calls. If that's not quite enough, a $45 per month option provides unlimited everything (voice / SMS / mobile web). Of course, the price of using an antediluvian LG 220, LG Slider 290 or Samsung 451 can't be measured in mere dollars, but hey, humiliation's only temporary -- right?

Gallery: No-contract $30 / $45 Straight Talk wireless plans storm Walmart

Filed under: Cellphones

No-contract $30 / $45 Straight Talk wireless plans storm Walmart originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Pavilion dv8 gets official, complete with HP Long Life battery

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/hp-pavilion-dv8-gets-official-complete-with-hp-long-life-batter/

HP didn't exactly do the best job keeping this one under wraps, but it's now finally gotten official with its new Pavilion dv8 "entertainment laptop," which packs some fairly impressive (if not all that surprising) specs across the board. That, of course, starts with a big 18.4-inch, full 1,920 x 1,080 screen, and continues along the high-end track with a Core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM (expandable to 8GB), dual 320GB hard drives, NVIDIA GeForce GT230 graphics with 1GB of RAM, a built-in TV tuner, and a Blu-ray drive. Of particular note, the laptop also comes standard with HP's Long Life battery, which makes use of Boston Power's Sonata cells and promises a lifespan three to five times better than traditional lithium-ion batteries. Still no official pricing over here, but it looks like this one will be available in the UK starting October 22nd for £1,300 (or just over $2,000).

[Via Shiny Shiny]

Filed under: Laptops

HP Pavilion dv8 gets official, complete with HP Long Life battery originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba announces touchscreen notebooks, netbooks for Windows 7 launch

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/toshiba-announces-touchscreen-notebooks-netbooks-for-windows-7/

Toshiba's just announced a couple new lappies -- and a whole host of refreshes -- in anticipation of the Windows 7 launch later this month. The big news here is definitely the touchscreen models: The Satellite U505 (due out November 1) is a 13.3-inch, 5 lb device with an MSRP of $1,049.99, while the Satellite M505 (street date October 22) has 14.4-inches of real estate and an MSRP of $949.99. Both come with the touch-ready LifeSpace software package that includes Bulletin Board (some sort of organizer with to-do lists, calendars and the like), and ReelTime, which apparently "helps you find files based on when they were opened using a visual history." Tosh is promising to ship Windows 7 devices with minimal software running in the background -- which is important if you want to retain performance increases that the new OS might provide over Vista.

Also included in this batch of lappies are new Satellite A500s (optional Blu-ray, Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Turion II Ultra CPU, discrete graphics options, a 16-inch HD Edge-to-Edge display on select models, starts at $589.99), Satellite L500 Series (displays ranging from 14 to 17.3-inch, Turion II and Athlon II CPU, hard drives up to 500GB, starting prices range from $504.99 to $579.99), Satellite P500 Series (18.4-inch HD TruBrite display, Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Turion II processors, Blu-ray in some models, starting at $799.99), Satellite L500 Series (up to 17.3-inch display, up to 500GB HDD, and various processor options, starting at $504.99), the Qosmio X505 with an 18.4-inch display and optional 64GB SSD / 320GB HDD dual-drive configuration priced at $1,899.99, and finally the mini NB205, a 10.1-inch netbook with a nine hour battery life, up to 250GB HDD, and five fabulous finishes including Sable Brown, Frost White, Indigo Blue, Posh Pink and Onyx Black (starting at $! 399.99). PR after the break.

[Via Hot Hardware]

Read - The new Satellite U500 Series
Read - The new Satellite M500 Series
Read - The new Satellite A500 Series
Read - The new Satellite P500 Series
Read - The new Satellite L500 Series
Read - The new Qosmio X500 Series
Read - The new mini NB200 Series

Continue reading Toshiba announces touchscreen notebooks, netbooks for Windows 7 launch

Filed under: Laptops

Toshiba announces touchscreen notebooks, netbooks for Windows 7 launch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Droid (alias Sholes) finally gets a decent headshot

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/motorola-sholes-finally-gets-a-decent-headshot/

At last eluding the omnipresent Mr. Blurrycam, Motorola's Android-powered Sholes handset has finally gotten the sort of photography it deserves, apparently with an official go-to-market name of Droid -- or at least one decent photo of it. This pic, which doesn't really confirm or deny any of our suspicions about the device (Verizon was already in the bag), made a berth on the locked Twitter profile of Boy Genius, and hopefully there's more where this came from: we're getting tired of the tease.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Cellphones

Motorola Droid (alias Sholes) finally gets a decent headshot originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Appirion's iDriver app lets iPhone control minivan (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/appirions-idriver-app-lets-iphone-control-minivan-video/

Believe it or not, a device-controlled car isn't exactly fresh. In fact, we've actually seen a PSP control a Civic before Barack Obama was even a glimmer in the media's eye. That said, we're always willing to give credit where it's due, and the iDriver app just might be the most impressive use of Apple's smartphone... well, ever. As the name implies, this here app is able to control a heavily wired vehicle seemingly with ease -- the accelerometer handles the steering, and two soft buttons on the screen handle braking and acceleration. We'd bother explaining more, but we know you've already clicked past the break to see the whole thing demonstrated on video. Right?

[Via Engadget German]

Continue reading Appirion's iDriver app lets iPhone control minivan (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

Appirion's iDriver app lets iPhone control minivan (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer Aspire One D250 Android netbook gets fondled and photographed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/acer-aspire-one-d250-android-netbook-gets-fondled-and-photograph/

Acer (a company that we always knew as ambitious... but not too ambitious) finally launched its Aspire One D250 dual boot Windows 7 / Android netbook today, and as you can imagine the ears of the gadget world have all perked up a little bit. According to Pocket-lint, the implementation of the open source OS on a touchscreen deficient PC is not without its issues. For instance, without any designated Android keys, one can find themselves going to the trackpad and ESC key a bit too often. Also worth noting is that this machine will only boot Android -- to access Windows you've got to select "Switch OS" from within Android itself and then wait for Microsoft to take over. According to Register Hardware, Acer VP Jim Wong explained that the company expects people to use Android for the majority of their computing while only hitting up Windows while looking to use software and tools specific to that OS. And sure, that's a decent rationalization -- but why not give us the choice? Either way, we know you're jonesin' to get at all the red hot hands-on action contained within the read links below. And what are you waiting for? Go on!

Read - PHOTOS: Acer Aspire One D250 with Android
Read - Hands on with Acer's dual-OS netbook

Filed under: Laptops

Acer Aspire One D250 Android netbook gets fondled and photographed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung rolls out Amazon, Blockbuster video store access across HDTVs, HTIBs and Blu-ray players everywhere

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/samsung-rolls-out-amazon-blockbuster-video-store-access-across/

Just as promised, the (still SD only) Blockbuster OnDemand service is now available on a slew of Samsung hardware via firmware update, while the Internet@TV lineup (LCD and Plasma HDTVs Series 650 and above and LED HDTVs Series 7000) has a brand new toy with the Amazon VOD Yahoo! widget (which does support HD.) Both services offer a slew of rental and/or purchase options for the digital delivery fanatic, though we still hunger for the audio and quality of VUDU plus the all you can eat goodness of Netflix Watch Instantly, of the millions of TVs out there, there's surely someone willing to sift through those menus for the ease of viewing Ghosts of Girlfriends Past without resorting to cable VOD -- or getting up from the couch. The "convenience" goes both ways, since they'll also be able to pick up compatible Samsung blu-ray players at Blockbuster stores, right next to the TiVo section -- check for exact model #s supported in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Samsung rolls out Amazon, Blockbuster video store access across HDTVs, HTIBs and Blu-ray players everywhere

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Samsung rolls out Amazon, Blockbuster video store access across HDTVs, HTIBs and Blu-ray players everywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Switched On: Microsoft's touchy subjects

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/switched-on-microsofts-touchy-subjects/

Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

As CEO of Microsoft, Bill Gates would often talk about his dream of "information at your fingertips." The company he co-founded, though, is now taking literal steps toward that goal. By the end of the month, Microsoft will have released three new devices or platforms that embrace or extend touchscreen support -- but the impact touch will have on each varies significantly by their legacy, usage, and manufacturers.

Windows has long had touchscreen support. Such support, in fact, was the basis of the Tablet Edition of Windows XP, and Tablet PCs were proclaimed to be the future of notebooks. Early iterations were larger and thicker keyboard-lacking slates much like the new Archos 9pctablet. But this was before rampant Web browsing, streaming video, casual games and electronic books -- all of which now provide relevance for a new generation of touchscreen PCs as content-consumption devices.

Continue reading Switched On: Microsoft's touchy subjects

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video, Tablet PCs

Switched On: Microsoft's touchy subjects originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia N900 can ride the Google Wave

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/nokia-n900-can-ride-the-google-wave/

We're not talking about some mobile version here à la iPhone, no sir. MobileDeveloperTV has itself a Maemo-powered Nokia N900, and sure enough, it runs the full version of Google Wave. There looks to be some lag between the keyboard and text box, but if you're hankering to mash up Espoo's latest and greatest with the G man's latest and greatest, there's nothing standing in your way. See for yourself, victorious laughs and all, in the video after the break.

[Thanks, Welly]

Continue reading Nokia N900 can ride the Google Wave

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

Nokia N900 can ride the Google Wave originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Mini 10v reviewed with Ubuntu Moblin Remix

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/dell-mini-10v-reviewed-with-ubuntu-moblin-remix/

Dell's "highly experimental" Mini 10v with Ubuntu Moblin Remix may not be ready for the mainstream just yet (though it is on sale to everyone who dares), but it's more than ready for the enthusiasts over at ArsTechnica. After purchasing a $299 base unit, they proceeded to take a closer look at just how Moblin fared on a netbook -- probably because the actual hardware specifications are the same as always. Reviewers noted that the UI they were graced with looked an awful lot like the shell they saw back in May, though this build was decidedly more stable and "complete." That said, they still managed to uncover a few bugs, and they were indeed saddened to find that the integrated web browser was downright "weak." All told, critics were impressed with the progress on Moblin, but they still proclaimed that it has a long ways to go before it'll be "ready for regular users." If you've been thinking about exiting your comfort zone and picking one of these up, you owe it to yourself to give that read link a tap.

Filed under: Laptops

Dell Mini 10v reviewed with Ubuntu Moblin Remix originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer partially fulfills prophecy, overtakes Dell as number two PC maker in US

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/acer-partially-fulfills-prophecy-overtakes-dell-as-number-two-p/

As if on cue, here's some new data research firm Gartner lending credence to Lanci's boasting. Looks like Acer has leapfrogged over Dell for the number tow spot in terms of US market share for the third quarter of 2009, from 12.5 to 15.4 percent of the Big Pie Chart[TM]. Meanwhile Dell is just below at 12.8 percent, and HP is sitting happily atop with a 19.9 percent ownership. It's not worldwide domination, but hey, it's a start.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Acer partially fulfills prophecy, overtakes Dell as number two PC maker in US originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer claims Aspire 5738DG as its first 3D laptop, we worry over the future of things

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/acer-claims-aspire-5738dg-as-its-first-3d-laptop-we-worry-over/

3D theaters? Okay, that's acceptable. 3D HDTVs? Sure, go ahead and waste your dollars inventing something that no one's asking for. But 3D laptops? We're pretty sure the line was somewhere back there, and now it's been decidedly crossed. Acer's Aspire 5738DG (not to be confused with the two-dee Aspire 5738PG) is the company's first portable machine to utilize its 3D CineReal technology, which is little more than a "3D coating" on the display that gives off mind-bending effects when viewed with a pair of polarized eyeglasses. The 2D-to-3D conversion takes place thanks to the bundled TriDef 3D Experience software (meaning that no special GPU is needed), and while we are told that the rig will be based around a Centrino 2 platform with up to 4GB of RAM, the only other information we're given is a NZ$1,999 ($1,484) price tag. Now, if only we could decide if laughing or crying would be the appropriate reaction here...

[Via Pocket-lint]

Filed under: Laptops

Acer claims Aspire 5738DG as its first 3D laptop, we worry over the future of things originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Ericsson Aino now Remote Playing with European PS3s

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/sony-ericsson-aino-now-remote-playing-with-european-ps3s/

We know Sony Ericsson's PS3-lovin' Aino would be hitting European shelves at some point during the month, and now Sony itself has stepped forward to confirm that the handset is on sale. We're hearing that it's selling for £399.99 ($639) sans a contract, and just in case you're wondering why you and your PlayStation 3 should care, the Aino is capable of turning your console on and off, browsing the XMB user interface, accessing DRM-free content on the HDD, shopping for items in the PS3 Store and watching live TV via PlayTV. Hit up the read link for all the nitty-gritty, and be sure to hit your British friend up if you're stuck yearning here in the States.

[Via Joystiq]

Filed under: Cellphones

Sony Ericsson Aino now Remote Playing with European PS3s originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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