Wednesday, August 12, 2009

T-Mobile Touch Pro2 review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/12/t-mobile-touch-pro2-review/

Followers, fans, and casual observers of HTC alike all know that when the company launches a new landscape QWERTY model, it's a big deal. In fact, it's more than a big deal -- it's a Big Deal. Many describe it as the ultimate smartphone form factor, the perfect execution of everything a modern handset is capable of doing -- and realistically, no company has as much experience or know-how at making powerhouse landscape QWERTY sliders than HTC does.

That's why droves of subscribers on virtually every carrier are on the edge of their seats awaiting the Touch Pro2's release. Whether you love, hate, or feel nothing but pure, unadulterated ambivalence toward Windows Mobile, it's hard to argue that the Pro2 isn't a gorgeous smartphone at a distance, and T-Mobile USA's gently-tweaked version is no exception. Unless you're desperate for SLR-quality photography (which you're frankly not going to get regardless of what phone you buy), the spec sheet reads like a dream -- an expansive 3.6-inch WVGA display, full QWERTY, tilt-up display, all the 3G and WiFi you could ever want, and HTC's latest and greatest build of TouchFLO 3D constantly working to make sure that WinMo cleans up nice -- but is it true love or just lipstick on a pig? Let's have a look.

Continue reading T-Mobile Touch Pro2 review

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T-Mobile Touch Pro2 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 6:06 AM

T-Mobile hits the sauce, demands $350 for HTC Touch Pro2

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/12/t-mobile-hits-the-sauce-demands-350-for-htc-touch-pro2/


Jumpin' Jehoshaphat! With Apple lowering the smartphone price bar with its last-gen iPhone 3G at $99, any well-specced phone hitting the airwaves these days for over a buck ninety-nine on contract just seems outrageous. And then, there's this. T-Mobile USA has somehow found it within its heart to charge a near-astronomical $349.99 (on a two-year agreement, no less) for HTC's latest WinMo-packin' powerhouse, the Touch Pro2. Look, we aren't saying the phone isn't worth its weight in gold, but a quick look around the marketplace shows just how out of place this obscenely large asking price really is. The silver lining? We're betting this slips beneath the $200 mark just as soon as the HTC fanboys have chipped in their early adopter fees (and it hits every other carrier in America).

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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T-Mobile hits the sauce, demands $350 for HTC Touch Pro2 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 6:05 AM

Logitech Wireless Desktop MK700 'cradles your fingers,' caresses your soul

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/12/logitech-wireless-desktop-mk700-cradles-your-fingers-caresses/


There's just something about a keyboard that promises to "cradle our fingers" that gets us all hot and bothered, and right or wrong, we just can't stop thinking about what a joy it must be to bang out dissertations, love letters and Nigerian scam emails on one of the beauties shown above. Logitech's Wireless Desktop MK700 is a two-piece kit comprised of an LCD-equipped keyboard and an ergonomic mouse with built-in hyper-scrolling. Both devices seem to go easy on the juice, with the keyboard able to run for three years on a single set of AA cells and the mouse for 12 months. The included USB dongle certainly isn't as diminutive as the company's recently released Unifying Receiver, but need we remind your digits just how pleasured they'll be when pressing these keys? It'll be $99.99 to get in, and it ought to ship out this month. The full release is after the break.

Continue reading Logitech Wireless Desktop MK700 'cradles your fingers,' caresses your soul

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Logitech Wireless Desktop MK700 'cradles your fingers,' caresses your soul originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 6:05 AM

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Invisible Hand Subtly Shows Best Web Prices [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/4_ivHqawO5w/invisible-hand-subtly-shows-best-web-prices

Firefox: Invisible Hand is an apt name for a deal-finding Firefox add-on. Visit a priced item page at more than 50 U.S. or UK retailer sites, and a subtle drop-down bar informs whether you've got the best price out there.

The drop-down tells you the price difference between the page you're on and the lowest price it could find, and offers a link to that retailer and other sites' prices in right-hand buttons. That's all it does, and it doesn't seem to slow down page rendering to do so. Price isn't everything online, of course, and the add-on doesn't factor in average shipping costs, but serious shoppers won't mind checking out a competitor if a real savings is in play.

Invisible Hand is a free download, works wherever Firefox does.



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Posted by Augustine at 5:25 PM

Try Out Google's New "Caffeine" Search Architecture [Search]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/yEhEuQtXO2o/try-out-googles-new-caffeine-search-architecture

Google's asking searchers to go ahead and kick the tires on its new search infrastructure, dubbed Caffeine. Most users won't notice a major difference in search results, but testers will help them speed up and diversify their algorithms.

In a blog post, Google says its new system works "under the hood," and marks an attempt to improve "size, indexing speed, accuracy, comprehensiveness and other dimensions." Google Operating System finds that the results are sometimes more related to recent events, while Search Engine Watch blog offers side-by-side screens, noting that the SearchWiki icons are gone, and a few in-house promotion links are moved around. In our own tests, a few results for "lifehacker" came out different, but it wasn't immediately clear if they were actually better. If you try out Google's new code base, tell us what you find and what you like (or don't) in the comments.

Help test some next-generation infrastructure [Official Google Webmaster Central Blog]


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Posted by Augustine at 5:25 PM

Web Sites Using Flash Instead of Browser Cookies to Track Your Activity [Privacy]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/jDYcJ8zUrP4/web-sites-using-flash-instead-of-browser-cookies-to-track-your-activity

Wired reports that over half of the web's most popular sites are using Flash to track users who block traditional browser cookies.

Photo by i y e r s.

The findings come from a UC Berkeley study, which also found that only four of these top web sites using Flash cookies mention them in their privacy policies. From Wired:

Unlike traditional browser cookies, Flash cookies are relatively unknown to web users, and they are not controlled through the cookie privacy controls in a browser. That means even if a user thinks they have cleared their computer of tracking objects, they most likely have not.

We've shown you how to get around these sorts of "super cookies" in the past, most notably with the previously mentioned BetterPrivacy Firefox extension, but Wired also points readers to the always popular CCleaner and Flush.app, a Flash cookie removal app for OS X.

If you're serious about your online privacy and thought blocking traditional browser cookies was doing the job, you may want to consider trying one of the tools above and hitting up the Wired post for the full rundown.



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Posted by Augustine at 5:23 PM

Surprise! Zune HD Will Have Integrated Bing Search [Zune Hd]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/kzu3aFS_N1E/surprise-zune-hd-will-have-integrated-bing-search

After gushing over the Zune HD last week, CNet has now posted some pics of its self-rotating, pinch-able Web browser in action, including a shot that reveals a "Search with Bing" branded query box.

Not a major leap in logic, perhaps—it is a Microsoft device with a browser designed by the Internet Explorer team—but still new info on a player that we've come to learn a lot about recently, including likely pricing: 16GB ($220), 32GB ($290).

In the photo above you can see how the on-screen keyboard letters will bulge when pressed, and CNet also has pics of the browser showing Favorites (bookmarks), and running Facebook in landscape mode. [CNet]




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Posted by Augustine at 5:17 PM

Samsung N510 Ion Netbook Arriving Next Month for $599 [NetBooks]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/w-VNq6EuLdM/samsung-n510-ion-netbook-arriving-next-month-for-599

NVIDIA's Ion platform is pretty snazzy, welding an Atom and a 9400M graphics chip (the same found in Macbooks, fanboys) to handle high def content with ease. Samsung's N510 is an 11.6-inch netbook built on this platform, arriving next month.

According to Lilliputing, the 1366 x 768, HDMI-equipped N510 will make its way to the States in September for an introductory price of $599. Even for the extra power, that's more than we want to pay for anything loaded with a puny Atom processor—especially if it's loaded with but 1GB of RAM as we suspect. [lilliputing and image]




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Posted by Augustine at 5:17 PM

World's First Wireless, Internet-Connected Pacemaker Installed [Medicine]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/JUW4RLOIEhA/worlds-first-wireless-internet+connected-pacemaker-installed

Bionic people of the world rejoice, for your heart ticks and booms booms will be transmitted through the internet from now on. A New York woman has got the world's first wireless pacemaker, which allows constant remote monitoring via web:

If there is anything abnormal, and we have a very intricate system set up, it will literally call the physician responsible at two in the morning if need be. It is a tremendous convenience for the patient from even interacting with a telephone to call the doctor. On a larger scale it enhances our ability to pick up and evaluate any problems with their pacemaker and certain other rhythm disorders that could be potentially dangerous or life threatening in ways we really could not do before.

That's what Dr. Steven Greenberg —director of St. Francis' Arrhythmia and Pacemaker Center—says, predicting that this will change the way people with heart problems manage their condition, and interact with their doctors. Happy news indeed. [PC Magazine]




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Posted by Augustine at 5:17 PM

Impossible-to-Steal-or-Puncture Bicycle Won't Last a Day In NY [Bicycle]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/98qzn7CnlzE/impossible+to+steal+or+puncture-bicycle-wont-last-a-day-in-ny

Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman thinks that his beautiful Tron-like dream bicycle will never get stolen—even if it looks so cool that nobody would be able to resist. Fortunately, he says that they will be common in 20 years.

The new bike design has a built-in locking system that can only be activated and opened by the owner's fingerprint. The computer-equipped machine can also monitor the amount of calories burned. Made of carbon fiber, it will even have a battery that will assist you when going up a steep hill, as well as puncture-proof, self-inflating tires.

Unfortunately, for now it is just a concept, even while Boardman believes "it could be built now if there was a will. All the technologies are already there, it's just that nobody's put them all together before." The future is not coming soon enough. Heck, I would be glad if the weekend came already. [Daily Mail]




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Posted by Augustine at 5:16 PM

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