Thursday, June 03, 2010

Inventec's Dr. Eye puts Android in a pocket-sized laptop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/inventecs-dr-eye-puts-android-in-a-pocket-sized-laptop/

It may sound like a mid-boss in some forgotten and poorly translated NES game, but Dr. Eye (aka the N18C) is actually a sort of keyboard-endowed MID from Inventec. This chubby clamshell sports a QWERTY keyboard, a 4.8-inch VGA touchscreen, 3G, WiFi, and a front-facing webcam. Power is said to come from a "Marvell 624," which we're guessing is a 624MHz PXA310 and, while it's currently running 1.6, word is that it'll be dipped in 2.1's creamy filling in the near future. When will delivery be? Inventec has been showing this guy off since last year, and while the person doing the demonstration indicates they'll be available "pretty soon" at a price point around $400, we found this guy for sale already at a price of 2688 yuan, or about $395. So, if you're eager to get computing and prefer donuts to eclairs, we wish you happy importing.

Continue reading Inventec's Dr. Eye puts Android in a pocket-sized laptop

Inventec's Dr. Eye puts Android in a pocket-sized laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cheap, tiny camera for RC planes captures video proof when you buy the farm

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/cheap-tiny-camera-for-rc-planes-captures-video-proof-when-you-b/

Radio controlled airplanes aren't quite as exciting as their full-sized counterparts, but they're pretty darned fun just the same. What would be even more fun? Rigging up an RC craft so that you could see as if you were flying inside the thing, and that you can now do for less than you'd spend on a high-end servo. $47 gets you this aptly titled "RC Plane Camera," a VGA quality cam that won't deliver quality high enough to film an RC version of Les Chavaliers Du Ciel, but should be enough to see what your little plane sees. You can rotate the lens in any direction you like (while on the ground) and, since it weighs only 20 grams, it should work just fine even on a kite. What could you do with such a thing? Watch the video after the break and we think you'll get some ideas.

Continue reading Cheap, tiny camera for RC planes captures video proof when you buy the farm

Cheap, tiny camera for RC planes captures video proof when you buy the farm originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Flipout preview

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/motorola-flipout-preview/

We know you're excited -- the Nokia Twist finally has a legitimate competitor in the square-shaped pseudo-smartphone space! Motorola snuck up on us with its Flipout unveiling yesterday, so today we diligently trudged along to its local offices to get properly acquainted with this new Android handset. Running version 2.1 (Eclair) on a 600MHz processor might seem like a recipe for trouble, but it's the same Cortex A8 (TI OMAP 3410) as used in the Droid, and our time with the little quadrangle revealed it could handle itself with aplomb. The Flipout also boasts a freshened up Motoblur implementation and 512MB of both RAM and ROM, but only 150MB for user storage -- time to bring on Froyo, eh? With interchangeable back covers (two will come in the retail box) and that handbag-friendly form factor, the Flipout is unashamedly flirting with being a phone for style-conscious lady-geeks, but let's see if it doesn't appeal to gruff old types like us as well. Join us after the break for our full hands-on impressions.

Gallery: Motorola Flipout hands-on

Continue reading Motorola Flipout preview

Motorola Flipout preview originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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10 Things Android Does Better Than iPhone OS [Android]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5554293/10-things-android-does-better-than-iphone-os

Since its 2008 debut, Android has grown - not only meeting all of the functionalities of the iPhone, but besting it in nearly all aspects. Here is our list of the top 10 things Android does better than the iPhone.

1: Android can Run Multiple Apps at the Same Time

10 Things Android Does Better Than iPhone OS

Starting with version 1.0, Android has been able to run multiple applications at the same time regardless of whether they are system apps or apps from the Android Marketplace. The current version of iPhone OS does offer limited multitasking, but only allows native applications such as Mail, iPod and Phone to run in the background. Android users benefit greatly from this discrepancy, as they can receive notifications, listen to music, or even record GPS data without keeping the application open. Apple will try to level the playing field with iPhone OS 4, granting developers access to a small and limiting list of APIs that can run certain services in the background, but it's a long way from the true multitasking that Android has.

2: Android Keeps Information Visible on Your Home Screen

One of the key features Android has is a customizable home screen keeps active widgets right at your fingertips, always accesible and always visible - without having to launch an application first. There are widgets for just about every app in the Android Marketplace from playing music to checking the weather and keeping up to date on Facebook. Meanwhile iPhone users are force to flip through their app list to locate and launch each app. If you wanted to check the forecast, for example, you would have to find the app, launch it, and then wait for it to load. With Android, all of that information can be displayed directly on your home screen, never more than a finger swipe away.

3: Android Has a Better App Market

It's true that Apple's App Store has over 180,000 applications, while the Android Marketplace has only just broken the 50,000 mark but Android's rapid growth and adoption give it the potential to catch up to the iPhone App Store. Android also has another advantage: a completely open market. Apple receives around 10,000 app submissions per week, yet many apps are overlooked because they appear too simple or denied because a similar app already exists. The Android Marketplace is driven entirely by its consumers, so the best app is the one that succeeds - not the first one to reach the market. In addition, the Android Marketplace doesn't censor its apps, so the possibilities are truly endless.

4: Android Gives You Better Notifications

The iPhone has some trouble with notifications. Because it's restricted to pop-up notifications, it can only handle one at a time and because it lacks multitasking, applications must be open in order for them to make notifications. Android, on the other hand, has a convenient notification bar which displays an icon for every notification you have waiting. The notification bar can also be pulled downward to reveal more detail about each notification. Android also allows app developers to make notification details viewable from the lock screen, something the iPhone can only do with native applications.

5: Android Lets You Choose Your Hardware

Apple users are encouraged to "Think Different" but when it comes to the actual hardware, they don't get much choice. You can pick the color, either black or white, and you get to choose between the 16GB or the pricier 32GB version. Other than that, you're stuck with the 3.5-inch, 320x480 pixel display, 256MB of RAM, and 600MHz processor. Because Android is an open platform, manufacturers have the freedom to pair it with any hardware they want, like the Nexus One (with 3.7-inch, 480x800 pixel display, 512MB of RAM, and 1GHz Snapdragon processor) or the Motorola Droid which has a physical keypad. Obviously, available selections will vary by carrier - speaking of which....

6: Android Lets You Choose Your Carrier

AT&T truly is the iPhone's weakest link. The iPhone's success turned the country's fastest 3G network into a staggering mess of dropped calls and dodgy data connections. If you lust after an iPhone and live in an area with poor AT&T coverage, you're stuck struggling with low signal quality, slow data speeds, and missed calls. Android devices are available on every major cellular carrier (although AT&T only offers a single, somewhat underpowered, Android phone). Verizon has the Motorola Droid, Droid Eris, and Droid Incredible to start. T-Mobile has the Nexus One, MyTouch 3G, Behold II, and will soon carry the MyTouch Slide. And Sprint has the Hero, Moment, and plans for the very promising Evo 4G. No matter where you live, Android lets you pick the carrier that's best for you.

7: Android Lets You Install Custom ROMs

The iPhone can be Jailbroken for some additional functionality, like installing apps that aren't available in the App Store, but the overall experience is the same. You're still stuck with the same exact interface. Similar to the Jailbreaking movement, Android has a small community dedicated to building custom ROMs for Android devices. Not only do Custom ROMs bring the same functionality Jailbreaking does, but they also bring an additional level of customization to your phone. There are ROMs that port custom UIs from one device to another. Other ROMs strip down bulky features and optimize for speed. With Android, nothing is out of reach.

8: Android Lets You Change Your Settings Faster

Smartphones have been gaining more and more functionality over the past few years: Wi-Fi, GPS, 4G, Bluetooth, etc. While these are all great and necessary additions, they have very adverse affects on battery life. In attempts to counter poor battery life, users have taken to toggling system settings like turning on Wi-Fi or 3G on only when they are needed. iPhone users are stuck digging around in the system settings every time they want to use the internet or a Bluetooth device. Android lets you use widgets to manage your settings directly from your home screen - and for those lesser-used settings that might not have dedicated widgets, you can also create shortcuts on your home screen to take you directly to the setting you want to change.

9: Android Does Google and Social Integration

With Smartphones giving us constant connectivity, it's not surprising that the majority of our computerized lives are moving online. We have email for our messages, Flickr for our photos, Google Docs for our documents, and Facebook and Twitter for our social lives. Android offers the ability to integrate all of this natively. Your Gmail account can be automatically synchronized with your phone. Photos taken with your phone can be automatically uploaded to Flickr. Your phone can even be linked to your Facebook account and can sync your phone contacts with your Facebook friends - complete with profile images, email addresses, and phone numbers. The iPhone can do this only through use of third party apps, and is nowhere near as seamless to use as the Android alternative.

10: Android Gives You More Options to Fit Your Budget

If you've ever thought about buying an iPhone, you have probably noticed the price tag. The older iPhone 3G costs $99 with a two-year commitment and performs sluggishly with the latest OS updates when compared to the 3GS (which will run you a whopping $199 with two-year agreement). Because Android is an open source platform, it is very cost effective to implement which means savings for the end user. Every major cellular carrier (except for AT&T) has at least one Android phone available free with two-year agreement. Of course these are lower end Android devices, but they are still comparable in performance to the iPhone 3GS. The most expensive Android phones (which significantly outperform the iPhone 3GS) are $199 with two-year contract.

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Nokia E73 Mode brings a familiar form factor to T-Mobile US on the cheap

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/nokia-e73-mode-brings-a-familiar-form-factor-to-t-mobile-us-on-t/

Say what you will about Nokia's software, there's no faulting the E70-series of QWERTY candybars, which marry delectable keyboards with thin, classy, and surprisingly rugged design -- and of course top it off with an almost-just-too-small screen. The latest of these is the new Nokia E73 Mode for T-Mobile US (that's right, a Nokia phone on a US carrier!), which will start shipping on June 16th. The S60 handset has a 5 megapixel camera with flash and autofocus, WiFi, free turn by turn Ovi Maps, and not much more to speak of to set it apart from its predecessors, which is a good or bad thing depending upon what you want out of a phone. The best news, however, is that it's retailing for $69.99 on a two year contract. PR is after the break.

Gallery: Nokia E73 Mode press shots

Continue reading Nokia E73 Mode brings a familiar form factor to T-Mobile US on the cheap

Nokia E73 Mode brings a familiar form factor to T-Mobile US on the cheap originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Plextor gets all zen with PlexMedia: a modular, network-attached Blu-ray player

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/plextor-gets-all-zen-with-plexmedia-a-modular-network-attached/

It's not often we come across an external drive that looks like anything but a brick, so we were pleasantly surprised to see Plextor demoing something a little more svelte at Computex. We can tell the PlexMedia network attached media player (bottom) is a looker right off the bat, but it truly becomes useful when you plug in the PX-B120U (top) designed to go with it. The combination is a fully-functional Blu-ray disc player that apparently outputs to a TV, but the smaller box can also detach, slip into your bookbag and become an external Blu-ray drive for your PC. Since there's no specs or pics of the unit's rear, we honestly have no idea how it accomplishes either, but we imagine the info will spontaneously pop into our being if we stare long enough at those azure ripples, and thus complete our meditation. On the off-chance that doesn't work, we've also dispatched a carrier pigeon to Plextor HQ for the answers; in the meanwhile, you can peruse the presser after the break.

Continue reading Plextor gets all zen with PlexMedia: a modular, network-attached Blu-ray player

Plextor gets all zen with PlexMedia: a modular, network-attached Blu-ray player originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 08:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kazaa Creators Launch New Music Subscription Service [Music]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5554065/kazaa-creators-launch-new-music-subscription-service

The folks behind popular file-sharing program Kazaa are launching a new music subscription service called Rdio. From the sounds of things, it'll be similar to existing subscription services, but with a social element:

Rdio is betting in part on its social elements - the ability to follow friends on the site, see what they are listening to and see a list of the most popular music among people you know.

Beyond that feature, Rdio doesn't seem to be bringing anything terribly new to the table:

Rdio will charge $5 to $10 a month for unlimited access to a large music catalog, including songs from the major record labels. [...] Rdio customers paying the full amount will be able to stream and store songs on a range of mobile devices, beginning with the BlackBerry and iPhone, and soon, phones running the Android operating system from Google.

Worth the monthly fee? [NYT]

Photo by Jim Wilson/NYT

What the Next Apple TV Could and Should Be [Concepts]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5554017/the-new-apple-tv-could-be-big-hit

If the rumors are true, the next Apple TV will be a cloud-connected, iPhone-based device. Not only it makes sense, but it's the only way they can create a best-of-breed gadget that can best Google TV, and be truly successful.

In order for that to happen, this is what the new Apple TV should be:

It should be infinitely expandable and customizable using applications
Everyone is familiar with the applications model, which has become a natural way to add new functions to our gadgets. Of course, the Apple TV applications' user interface and controls would need to be tailored for the new device, but that's not hard to imagine, since Apple is already pushing two interface models with iPhone/iPod and iPad.

It will play any video file in any format in your network
Applications like Netflix, the ABC player, and Hulu (whenever it comes) would be there, providing with on-demand access to tons of content. Apple's own video library will be there too, and probably others—like Amazon's.

But the key for making this a completely successful device should be the ability to play any video format present in your network, from a DVD in your desktop PC to any ripped movie in a network disk. Thanks to applications like Air Video, this would be possible.

It will be a video game console
Given the amount of games available for iPod touch, iPhone and iPad, this is a given. The only problem here is the user interface, but Apple has already solved that. First, the existing developer tools support external controlling devices via Bluetooth. There have not been any of these out yet, but it's only logical to think that the new Apple TV would play games using external controllers, but also...

It should be completely integrated with the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
The current iDevices will make perfect controlling surfaces. Developers should be able to use them in new ways. Like with the iPad, a family would be able to play a game like Risk or Scrabble, using their iPod touch or iPhones as controlling devices, with the main display on the TV. Or you could be able to play a racing or a space combat or a strategy or a role-playing game using an iPad or iPhone as your control device.

And of course, it only makes sense that you would be able to take total control of the Apple TV using the iPad or iPod touch, like you can take control of iTunes using the Apple Remote application. I can imagine browsing Netflix on my iPad, choose a movie, and have it play automatically in this new Apple TV. In fact, given its rumored $99 price, it's not hard to imagine people getting the Apple TV as a complement to their iPad.

Apple needs to do the above to have a successful presence in the living room before Google TV takes over it. They can't afford to have the crap they have right now. If they can nail the wishlist above for $99, they will have a winner.

Aava Virta Android reference platform will be the first shipping Moorestown smartphone

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/aava-virta-android-moorestown-reference-platform-will-be-the-fir/

Sure, Intel might not be planning for Moorestown-based smartphones to hit the market for at least another six months, and the LG GW990 might have died a quiet death, but that's not stopping Aava from getting right in the game with its Virta Android, an Atom Z600-based reference smartphone designed for developer testing. Slated to ship in Q3, the Virta features a Moorestown processor, a 3.8-inch 864 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, quad-band EDGE radios with AT&T 3G support, WiFi, Bluetooth, a five megapixel video camera, and a microSD slot. We're assuming the shipping version will look a lot like the prototype Aava device we've been seeing for a while now, but Aava has some fancier renders up on its site, so we'll see what happens and how much this costs when this thing arrives.

Continue reading Aava Virta Android reference platform will be the first shipping Moorestown smartphone

Aava Virta Android reference platform will be the first shipping Moorestown smartphone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:03:00 EDT. Please see our t erms for use of feeds.

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iPad Camera Connection Kit a commodity item, now fetches $100+ on eBay

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/ipad-camera-connection-kit-a-commodity-item-now-fetches-100-o/

Now that the USB-wielding cat's out of the bag, it's looking like supplies of the iPad Camera Connection Kit aren't keeping up with demand -- one Engadget reader tipped us off to the fact that the $30 attachments are worth up to $180 on eBay. A quick bit of sleuthing showed that Apple's actually still selling the things -- they're simply backordered, with a three to four week shipping delay -- but sure enough, niche e-tailers currently list the dongles for as much as $150, and eBay auctioneers are finding the kits sell for two to five times the original MSRP. If your external HDD experiments didn't work out the way you'd liked, at least you can be sure you'll get your money back.

[Thanks, Paul P.]

iPad Camera Connection Kit a commodity item, now fetches $100+ on eBay originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC EVO 4Gs flooding into Best Buys, some Radio Shacks opening at 6AM on Friday

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/htc-evo-4gs-flooding-into-best-buys-some-radio-shacks-opening-a/

EVO fever -- have you caught it? Things are seriously starting to ramp up in preparation for Friday's festivities, the day that Sprint's EVO 4G hits shelves (though most will likely be sold before they even touch a shelf, truth be told). Radio Shack hit us up with the knowledge earlier today that it'll be opening some locations as early as 6AM -- and what's more, they claim to have "specifically set aside" some units for folks who didn't pre-order, so that might be your best chance. We're also getting a bunch of shots from tipsters who say their Best Buy locations have started taking delivery of the retail units, so at least you'll know they'll be in stock on Friday -- but for how long is another question altogether.

[Thanks to everyone who sent these in!]

Gallery: HTC EVO 4Gs flooding into Best Buys, some Radio Shacks opening at 6AM on Friday

HTC EVO 4Gs flooding into Best Buys, some Radio Shacks opening at 6AM on Friday originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OCZ reveals consumer-level RevoDrive PCIe SSD, blazing fast HSDL data interface

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/ocz-reveals-consumer-level-revodrive-pcie-ssd-blazing-fast-hsdl/

OCZ has a penchant for doling out new kit at trade shows, and this year's Computex is no different. The star of the new-release show was the RevoDrive, a PCIe card with between 128GB and 480GB of SSD onboard. The unit we saw here in Taipei was near-final, with a pair of SandForce SF-1200 controllers, a daughter board expansion slot (for possibly combining two in a RAID scenario) and a promised starting price of around $400 to $600 (not to mention read / write times of nearly 540MB/sec). Obviously, this hits well below the multi-thousand dollar PCIe SSD options from Fusion-io and company, and it's the first time we've seen PCIe SSD become even remotely affordable. If all goes well, the RevoDrive will start shipping within a few months. In related news, the company also announced that the Vertex 2 line of solid state solutions will be slimmed down for the 1.8-inch form factor (like you'd find in an iPod classic), but details on pricing or availability were nowhere to be found. Lastly, and potentially most importantly, the company revealed a fresh-out-of-the-lab prototype that could significantly enhance transfer rates from PCIe devices. Codenamed HSDL (high speed data link; shown above), the solution combines an industry standard SAS connector with an OCZ-built PCIe board in order to enable transfer rates as high as 20Gbit/sec. The company said a final product is at least six months out, but it's already toying with the idea of selling a single and quad-slot card in due time. Peek the gallery below for more of what's to come.

Gallery: OCZ RevoDrive and HSDL data interface hands-on at Computex 2010

Continue reading OCZ reveals consumer-level RevoDrive PCIe SSD, blazing fast HSDL data interface

OCZ reveals consumer-level RevoDrive PCIe SSD, blazing fast HSDL data interface originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 22:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASRock AIWI turns your iPhone / iPod touch into HTPC motion controller (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/asrock-aiwi-turns-your-iphone-ipod-touch-into-htpc-motion-cont/

You may not think to look at ASRock when considering a new pre-fabricated HTPC, but the company had two new SFF boxes at Computex that could certainly suffice. The Vision 3D (available in black / silver and with or without a Blu-ray drive) was the sleeker of the two, with a minuscule form factor that could easily be tucked beneath your cable box and a Core i5-520M CPU at the helm. Other specs include NVIDIA GeForce 300 / 400 series graphics, 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 2.5-inch 500GB hard drive, slot-loading optical drive, 7.1-channel audio (with a fancy THX certification logo, to boot), gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n WiFi and a bundled remote. The other guy (Core 100 / 200 series) looks an awful lot like the S330 that we spotted at CeBIT last year, offering a Core i3-330M CPU, integrated Intel graphics, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a Blu-ray combo drive and the same general port arrangement as the Vision 3D. Both units will ship with Windows 7 Home Premium, though no pricing or release date information was available.

In related news, the company was also showing off its newly released AIWI solution, which consists of an iPod touch / iPhone app and a lightweight application that runs on ASRock motherboards in order to allow for motion control gaming with an iDevice you already own. The demo that we saw here in Taiwan was perfectly seamless, and the responsiveness was on par with Nintendo's Wiimote. Apparently this is designed to be used exclusively with ASRock mobos (whereas similar alternatives from Sixense can work with any setup), but it's still a solid addition for those who tend to end up with ASRock-labeled gear. Enough yappin' -- head on past the break to catch the action yourself.

Gallery: ASRock HTPCs and AIWI motion control system at Computex 2010