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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

drag2share: T-Mobile Springboard hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/11/t-mobile-springboard-hands-on-at-ctia-eanda-2011-video/

CTIA Enterprise & Applications 2011 has blessed us with a 7-inch tablet by the name of the T-Mobile Springboard. Similar in look and feel to the HTC Flyer, this Huawei-made slate is just as easy to hold, though it's completely sans a fancy pen. The device has a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, runs on the latest version of Honeycomb (Android 3.2), and offers a 5MP rear camera with a 1.3MP front-facing shooter. We couldn't get any confirmation on pricing or availability, aside from being told to expect the Springboard sometime during the holiday season. That may not narrow the timeframe down as much as we'd like, but at least you know it's an idea for that holiday wish list you've been trying to put together. Head below for a full smorgasbord of pictures and a hands-on video.

Gallery: T-Mobile Springboard hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011

Update: We were informed by T-Mobile at this evening's media event that the Springboard will debut for under $200, though no additional solid information is available yet.

Continue reading T-Mobile Springboard hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)

T-Mobile Springboard hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Lapdock 100 brings a Webtop IQ boost to Moto phones on Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/11/lapdock-100-brings-a-webtop-iq-boost-to-moto-phones-on-verizon/

Looking to harness all the power of your smartphone PC-style? Motorola is looking to help with its Lapdock 100 for a number of devices, including the Atrix 2, Photon 4G and Droid Bionic. The laptop shell sports a 10.1-inch screen (smaller and hopefully cheaper than the Atrix 4G's axed lapdock), keyboard with dedicated Android keys, touchpad, multi-tasking and tabbed web-browsing via WiFi or your phone's data plan. You'll also be able to utilize a full Firefox browser, Adobe Flash, Quick Office, Google Docs and a PC-esque File Manager. Just in case your smartphone's SD card doesn't offer enough storage space, the dock packs two USB ports for all those extra documents you might collect. Looking to stay ultra-portable, the peripheral weighs a hair over two pounds (less than 1Kg) and touts five hours of battery life -- which can also be used to recharge that tired handset if needed. If you're looking to snatch up one of these bad boys, you'll have to wait until October 17... and even then, it'll only hit shelves at AT&T. Verizon and Sprint customers will get their chance "later this quarter" and there's no word yet on pricing. Need more info? Hit that coverage link for product page and get yourself better acquainted.

Continue reading Lapdock 100 brings a Webtop IQ boost to Moto phones on Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T

Lapdock 100 brings a Webtop IQ boost to Moto phones on Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: AMD FX processor brings eight cores to battle, we go eyes-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/12/amd-fx-processor-brings-eight-cores-to-battle-we-go-eyes-on-vi/

AMD fans have endured a long wait for this, while being reduced to spectators as Intel spews out an ever-increasing horde of Sandy Bridge variants and builds up the hype around its next-gen Ivy Bridge architecture. But the new FX series of processors is finally here and will be available to buy in the next few days, with the top-end FX-8150 priced at $245 in exchange for eight cores, a 3.6GHz base clock speed and easy over-clocking to 4.8GHz using the packaged Overdrive software. Your AM3+ motherboard is crying out for the upgrade, but don't succumb until you've clicked past the break -- we've got details of the full range and pricing, our initial impressions and an eyes-on video that includes a detailed chat with the guys from AMD.

Continue reading AMD FX processor brings eight cores to battle, we go eyes-on (video)

AMD FX processor brings eight cores to battle, we go eyes-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: PhotoFast iFlashDrive now available to pre-order in US and UK

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/12/photofast-iflashdrive-now-available-to-pre-order-in-us-and-uk/

We previewed the PhotoFast iFlashDrive back in June and it's a neat concept: a USB flash drive that also packs Apple's 30-pin dock connector, so you can increase the storage on your iDevice. If that piqued your interest, you'll be glad to know it's available to pre-order in the US and UK. The 8GB flavor will cost you $99.95 (£65), 16GB $149.95 (£95) and for users with a serious need for mobile storage, a 32GB stick is $199.95 (£130). iCloud? Who needs it.

Continue reading PhotoFast iFlashDrive now available to pre-order in US and UK

PhotoFast iFlashDrive now available to pre-order in US and UK originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Google TV 2.0: app developers get final add-on for Android SDK

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/12/google-tv-2-0-app-developers-get-final-add-on-for-android-sdk/

If you hadn't heard, Google TV is (over)due to get a major boost with Honeycomb and access to the Android Market. We've seen a few compatible apps leak out thanks to Google's early efforts to woo developers, but it's only now that we're getting the final add-on for the Android SDK. It brings a couple of revisions, like better placement options for the action and navigation bars, but more importantly it delivers the message that two-point-oh is almost two-point-here.

Google TV 2.0: app developers get final add-on for Android SDK originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Sony locks 93,000 PSN and SOE accounts due to 'massive' hack attempt

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/12/sony-locks-93-000-psn-and-soe-accounts-due-to-massive-hack-att/

Sony's not having a good morning. In addition to having to recall 1.6 million Bravia TVs, it's also been forced to temporarily lock 93,000 customers out of their PSN and Sony Online Entertainment accounts. You won't be surprised by the reason: an attempt by hackers to "test a massive set of sign-in IDs and passwords" against Sony's network database. Some of the affected accounts showed "additional activity prior to being locked" and are being investigated. On the flip-side, Sony's Chief Information Security Officer, Philip Reitinger, stressed that most of the hackers' details resulted in failed logins and in any case credit card details are not at risk. Users are being told to expect an email if they've been affected, which will contain further instructions. Has Sony finally realized the value of timely communication?

Sony locks 93,000 PSN and SOE accounts due to 'massive' hack attempt originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Sprint and Verizon confirm iPhone 4S Micro SIM unlock for international travel (update: Sprint remains locked?)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/12/sprint-and-verizon-confirm-iphone-4s-micro-sim-unlock-for-intern/

If you own an iPhone 4 on AT&T, using the device while traveling internationally means paying sky-high roaming fees, jailbreaking or limiting data use to when you're on a WiFi network, either with a public hotspot or through a service like Xcom Global. Verizon iPhone 4 owners, however, don't have the option of GSM roaming at all, and can only make calls and use cellular data in countries that support CDMA. All that changes with the iPhone 4S, however -- Macworld has confirmed that Sprint will sell its version of the device with the Micro SIM slot unlocked, with Verizon offering free unlocking to customers after the first 60 days of service. iPhone 4S owners will then be able to purchase a Micro SIM overseas, allowing them to access data and make calls at local rates, for a fraction of what it would cost to roam. AT&T iPhone 4S owners won't have this option, however, so if you make frequent trips overseas, this benefit alone may be enough to justify purchasing the phone through Sprint or Verizon, saving some users hundreds or thousands of dollars in international roaming fees.

Update: Our source article was incorrect, and Sprint has told us that its SIM will not be unlocked, adding that the card will not even be removable.

Our SIM does not come out of the device - I believe the same is true of Verizon's iPhone but you would need to confirm that with them. Customers can sign up for one of our international rate plans and use this phone all over the world. When traveling internationally, there is a setting that must be turned on within the device to connect to GSM. The phone will work with a SIM that is provided within the device out of the box. International voice and data charges are on a pay-as-you-go basis and vary based on the country where the customer is using their phone; a list of rates is available at www.sprint.com/international.

Update 2: We heard from Sprint a second time, which redacted part of its previous statement. The carrier further explained "the SIM is removable and is not affixed to the device," which as you may notice directly contradicts the statement made earlier today. We've reached out to Apple twice and are awaiting further clarification.

[Thanks, Julio]

Sprint and Verizon confirm iPhone 4S Micro SIM unlock for international travel (update: Sprint remains locked?) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: LG Doubleplay packs dual screens, likes being different

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/12/lg-doubleplay-packs-dual-screens-likes-being-different/

We double-took when we noticed this strange little handset on T-Mobile's leaked fall roadmap under a 'Flip II' codename, and now it's emerged in some press shots with a doubly playful new moniker and a touch more clarity. We can see a five megapixel rear camera with LED flash, a front-facer of unknown resolution, and what's reported to be a 320x480 HVGA main display. We know very little about the secondary display except that it seems to give you quick access to your apps -- although we're hoping there's more to it than that. The roadmap indicated an imminent November 2nd launch for $150 on contract and it surely won't be long before get some hands-on time. Til then, we'll just try to imagine the ergonomics.

LG Doubleplay packs dual screens, likes being different originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Archos 80 G9 review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/12/archos-80-g9-review/

As far as tablets go, a couple of interesting things are going to happen between now and the holiday season. One, we're going to see a glut of smaller 7- and 8-inch tablets running Honeycomb (like this, this and this) hit the market. And if the Kindle Fire and Acer Iconia Tab A100 are any indication, they're going to be cheaper, making slates palatable to folks who previously couldn't bring themselves to spend $500 on a plaything. The Archos 80 G9, then, is the perfect specimen on both counts. Here you have an 8-inch tablet running Android 3.2 with a kickstand and full-sized USB port -- costing just $300 for the base model ($270, even, on sites like Amazon). So how does it stack up against other diminutive, aggressively priced tablets? Let's see.

Gallery: Archos 80 G9 review

Continue reading Archos 80 G9 review

Archos 80 G9 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Intel may be giving up on smart TVs, ceding market to ARM

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/12/intel-may-be-giving-up-on-smart-tvs-ceding-market-to-arm/

Intel Atom CE4100

Well, it looks like Intel is throwing in the smart TV towel. As originally reported by AnandTech, and now confirmed by the company itself, Chipzilla is closing down its Digital Home Group and folding the team and resources into its tablet division. Its CE processors, which are found in the Boxee Box and the Logitech Revue, will continue to be sold, but it sounds like the focus will shift away from consumer-facing products. Obviously, that leaves the door wide open for ARM to sweep in. We already know that Google TV will be making the move to ARM-based hardware soon and the Boxee Box started life on Tegra before making the move to an Atom CE4100 (not to mention the A4-sporting Apple TV), so this isn't entirely new ground for the big players. Still, we're a little shocked to see Intel abandon the market just as it seems to be picking up steam.

Intel may be giving up on smart TVs, ceding market to ARM originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: iOS 5 review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/12/ios-5-review/

Now well into its fifth year of life, iOS has always been known for its exceptional polish -- and also, its glaring feature holes. But, just like clockwork, each year since its 2007 debut, those shortcomings have been addressed one by one in a sweeping annual update. In 2008, the platform was opened up to developers giving us the App Store, 2009 saw the introduction of copy and paste -- which we'd argue is still the best implementation to date -- and last year "multitasking" finally made a presence. So what has Apple chosen to rectify in 2011? Well, for starters, notifications gets a complete overhaul with Notification Center, tethered syncing dies at the hands of iCloud and messaging gets a do-over with the birth of iMessage.

If you recall, we first got acquainted with iOS 5 in May after downloading the developer preview, but how does the final release stack up? And does it have the chops to compete with the latest from Mountain View and Redmond? After drudging through seven betas, we're ready to conquer all that the final release has to offer, so join us, if you would, past the break.

Continue reading iOS 5 review

iOS 5 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Pantech Pocket for AT&T hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/12/pantech-pocket-for-atandt-hands-on-at-ctia-eanda-2011-video/

It's the glitz and glamour that typically defines shows such as this week's CTIA Enterprise & Applications 2011, but Pantech chose to fly under the radar this time around. Sure, the company didn't have its own multi-million dollar booth at the event, but it still at least had a significant product to show off. We were given the opportunity to spend some brief time playing with the Pantech Pocket, a follow-up to the crossover with better specs and another unique form factor. The pocket features a 4-inch SVGA (800 x 600) display, which means you can expect the device to be wider and shorter than your typical handset; in terms of width, we felt as though we were holding a 4.7-incher. We noticed, however, that its shorter length allowed for additional places to grip, which made it at least easier to hold in our hand as a result. Specwise, the Pocket is a Gingerbread phone running on Android 2.3.4, uses a similar UI to what's found on the Crossover, has a 5MP rear cam with 720p video capture (and no LED flash or front-facing camera) and is powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 single-core CPU and 512MB of RAM. No pricing has been set on the Pocket, but it's certain to be gracing the midrange section of your neighborhood AT&T store starting November 6th. Gallery and vid below.

Continue reading Pantech Pocket for AT&T hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)

Pantech Pocket for AT&T hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: RIM clarifies global service outage, doesn't provide ETA for restore

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/12/rim-clarifies-global-service-outage-doesnt-provide-eta-for-res/

If you don't own a BlackBerry yourself, chances are you know somebody who does. And if that person lives in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America or South America, they're probably quite unhappy with RIM at the moment. This week's service outage began with a server failure in the UK, and spread like wildfire to Africa and the Middle East, before continuing on to parts of Asia, the US, Canada and a good portion of South America. This is only the latest BlackBerry service outage for RIM, bringing email, BBM and web browsing services to a halt. But with BlackBerry services playing a critical role in real-time business and government communications, any interruption is unacceptable, and costly for all.

RIM CTO David Yach responded to questions during a press conference this afternoon, explaining the original cause of the outage (that UK server failure, along with a series of failed redundancies), and how that grew into the global outage we're experiencing now:

"It's a backlog issue. Clearly we have a backlog in Europe, based on the initial outage and the time it's taken to stabilize that. At this point, we have not throttled the other regions, but as you can imagine, with the global reach of BlackBerry, people using it to contact others around the world, there's a lot of messages coming to Europe from Asia and the Americas, and those would be backed up on the other system. It's looking like over time that backlog built, and started impacting those other systems."

The obvious solution would be to clear the backlog and restore service, but in doing so, RIM would purge any undelivered messages. Yach said that all emails will eventually be delivered, however, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about there (there was no related comment regarding BBM messages). When asked what the company would be doing to "make right" by way of its customers, Yach emphasized that his focus was only on restoring service at this point, and made no promises of restitution.

Is the BlackBerry outage effecting you? Let us know by voting in our poll, or leaving a comment after the break.

RIM clarifies global service outage, doesn't provide ETA for restore originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, October 07, 2011

drag2share: YT Background Search for Chrome Explores YouTube Without Leaving the Current Video [Chrome Extensions]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5847592/yt-background-search-for-chrome-searches-youtube-without-leaving-the-current-video

Chrome: Watching YouTube videos almost always generates ideas for more videos to watch, but initiating a new search means closing the current video. With YT Background Search, you can look up what you'll queue next without closing the currently playing video.

The extension splits the YouTube page apart when you type in a search and shows you the results at the top of the page while your currently playing video continues. That's all this extension does, but since it runs unobtrusively in the background and works its magic automatically, you'll never notice it's there.

YT Background Search | Chrome Web Store via Addictive Tips

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drag2share: Mailnesia Is a Temporary Email Tool That Automatically Clicks Registration Links [Email]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5847625/mailnesia-is-a-temporary-email-tool-that-automatically-clicks-registration-links

There are quite a few temporary and anonymous email options out there to help you skip the spam and still register for sites, but Mailnesia differentiates itself by automatically clicking registration links for you and supporting HTML.

You don't have to register for it, just type whatever name you'd like followed by @mailnesia.com and you'll be on your way. Unlike many temporary email services, Mailnesia supports most common email types, including HTML and MIME, which is handy if you're getting download links. It also allows you to generate a RSS feed for the email box so you can keep tabs on it if you want. The automatic registration clicking works as advertised and on most sites you can simply reload the page after a couple seconds and find Mailnesia has already taken care of the confirmation. Of course, you don't want to use this for anything involving private information, but it's handy for trials and downloads.

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