Thursday, September 11, 2008

Tesla readies new transmission, ramping production

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/388538496/

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To date, since production began in March, 27 Tesla Motors Roadsters have been delivered. Now the production rate is expected to ramp considerably thanks to a deal with BorgWarner to build the enhanced "Powertrain 1.5." The Telsa designed, single-speed gearbox is expected to help provide 30% more power allowing the Roadster to once again accelerate from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds as it did with the original, flawed, two-speed transmission. It's also more efficient resulting in an extended, 244-mile range (221 miles currently) from a single charge. All Roadsters equipped with the interim transmission will be upgraded free of charge. Tesla says that it will now ramp production to 10 Roadsters per week, hitting 20 per week within a few months, and 40 per week by early 2009. Most of which we expect to find riding the PCH in total, luxurious, battery-powered silence.
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Posted by Augustine at 1:19 AM

Sprint shows fall dumbphone lineup, new "One Click" user interface

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/388753784/

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Sure enough, there wasn't anything squished about the image we saw of the LG LX600 a while back -- it was just loosening the belt a couple notches to make room for a full QWERTY keyboard running across its naughty bits. Oh, and it's no longer the LX600; turns out Sprint is releasing it as the Lotus, one of four all-new dumbphones for the autumn months to complement today's announcement of the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro. It'll be available next month for $149.99 on contract. Others in the mix include the Samsung Highnote -- a music-focused dual slider that dedicates one slide direction to a hefty little loudspeaker -- and the curiously-named Rant, which apes the LG Rumor's form factor to give text addicts another affordable option. Like the Lotus, the Highnote and Rant will both hit in October for $99.99 and $49.99, respectively. Meanwhile, iDEN freaks (and we use that term in the most loving way possible) will be happy to see that they're getting their grubby, calloused hands on another rugged option, the Motorola i576 flip. It'll start getting beaten senseless at retail come October 19 for $69.99.

Sprint's also using those three new consumer sets (sorry, i576) to premiere "One Click," a new UI paradigm for its non-smartphone devices that allows folks to drop all sorts of commonly-used features with information-rich icons right on the home screen for... well, one-click access, hence the name. New Katana Eclipse colors coming later this fall will feature the new software, too. Check out Engadget Mobile ! for a fu ll gallery of all the wares!
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Posted by Augustine at 1:08 AM

HP shows off Vivienne Tam-designed Digital Clutch -- the 10-inch Mini-Note?

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/388753783/

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HP's 8.9-inch 2133 Mini-Note is apparently a raging success, so it makes sense that the company would want to expand the line, and it looks like we might be getting a preview of what's in store with the Digital Clutch, a bright red 10-inch netbook that debuted last night during designer Vivienne Tam's fashion week show in NYC. Not much is known about the internals, but the case sports an Asian-inspired peony flower design, and the screen fills the entire lid with very little bezel. If we had to guess, we'd say that it's more likely that there's a VIA Isaiah chip in there instead of an Atom, given the C7M found in the current Mini-Note, but we'll see -- and hopefully soon, since at least one HP rep apparently confirmed that the machine is the next generation Mini-Note. Hit the read links for tons more pics.

Read - First set of Laptop pics
Read - Second set of Laptop pics
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Posted by Augustine at 1:08 AM

ATI Radeon HD 4670 and 4650 released, tested

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/388840322/

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ATI just announced its new mainstream graphics cards, the Radeon HD 4670 and 4650. At the heart of both cards is a 55nm 320-core TeraScale GPU, which is a modified version of the RV770 chip found in the Radeon HD 4800 series -- it's a lower spec chip, but it has essentially the exact same feature set. The $80 HD 4670 has 512MB of GDDR3 RAM, while the $60 HD 4650 uses 512MB of GDDR2 memory; both are relatively power-sipping with 60 watt and 50 watt draws respectively under full load. Should be out soon -- HotHardware just tested an HD 4670 and found it to be quite a performer, check it all out at the read links.

Read - ATI Radeon HD 4600 series PR
Read - HotHardware test
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Posted by Augustine at 1:07 AM

More details on RED's DSMC (Digital Still & Motion Camera)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/388885361/

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You heard that Nikon busted out a DSLR with a 720p movie mode, right? Even that is going to pale in comparison to RED's alternative, or at least that's what RED would have you to believe. In a recent post over at the REDuser forums, Jannard points out that its DSLR "replacement" should be ready to rock by late 2009, and while an official name has yet to arrive, it's going by DSMC (Digital Still & Motion Camera) for the time being. Also of note, Jannard casually mentioned that this piece would be more advanced than Nikon's D90 and an undisclosed 1080p DSLR from Canon; that's the first we've heard of such a beast, but given the natural progression of technology, we suppose it fits. C'mon guys, 3K 4K 5K shooting in a DSLR, we know you can do it.
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Posted by Augustine at 1:06 AM

Sling Media's Slingbox PRO-HD / SlingCatcher up for pre-order

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/388917229/

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Check it, placeshifters -- two new must-have boxes have just popped up for pre-order on Sling's website and Amazon's online marketplace. Sling Media's awfully exciting SlingCatcher and the sleek Slingbox PRO-HD are now ready to be loved for $299.99 apiece, though neither site gives any indication of ship dates. Still, with the holiday season just around the bend, we'd expect to see 'em both out before too long.

[Via ZatzNotFunny]
Read - SlingCatcher pre-order
Read - Slingbox PRO-HD
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Posted by Augustine at 1:06 AM

AMD slashes prices on triple-core Phenom X3 processors

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/388939050/

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AMD may have some new dual-core Phenom processors around the corner, but it looks like those wanting to build an AMD rig on the cheap don't have to wait until then, as the company has just slashed the price on its triple-core Phenom X3 processors, a move that follows some similar price cuts just a few weeks ago. As of now, you can get an X3 8450 for $104 (down from $125 in July), an X3 8650 for $119 (down from $145), an X3 8750 for $129 (down from $175), or even an X3 8750 Black Edition with overclocking support for just $134. As TG Daily points out, that pits the processors up against the low-end of Intel's Core 2 Duo offerings, which certainly makes 'em an attractive option for those looking to get the most bang for the buck.
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Posted by Augustine at 1:06 AM

T-Mobile to offer Android handset "soon," Reuters reports

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/388956721/

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It's not exactly a huge surprise, but Reuters is now reporting that T-Mobile will start selling a "mobile phone based on Google Inc's Android software" (otherwise known to everyone else as the HTC Dream) "within weeks," citing people familiar with the matter. The official announcement will apparently happen in New York City this month, with two sources further pegging the date for the announcement down to September 23rd, which mostly lines up with the details The New York Times reported last month. Buckle up, folks. Things are about to get interesting.
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Posted by Augustine at 1:05 AM

Altec Lansing rolls out new look, speakers aplenty

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/389035776/

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Altec Lansing sure came out fighting today, with it not only debuting a brand new logo, but a bundle of new speakers and iPod docks that sport the new branding. The most stand-out, by far, are the Expressionist Bass speakers pictured above, which are a full ten inches high and include built-in 4-inch subwoofers and two 1.5-inch drivers apiece. Look for them to set you back $130 when they're released next month in both black and white versions. On the slightly less intimidating front, Altec Lansing has the $40 Orbit MP3 iM237 single-speaker unit, which runs on three AAA batteries, and a pair of new inMotion iPod speaker systems: the inMotion Moondance GLOW and the inMotion MAX, the former of which even includes a special "snooze remote." Look for those to run you $200 and $180, respectively -- pics after the break.

Continue reading Altec Lansing rolls out new look, speakers aplenty

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Posted by Augustine at 1:05 AM

Buffalo pops out 22-inch WUXGA LCD monitor

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/389071615/

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Nothing much to phone home over here, just a run-of-the-mill 22-incher with a mighty respectable WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) resolution. The Buffalo FTD-HD2232HSR/BK also boasts a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 300cd/m2 brightness, HDCP-compatible DVI port, 170-degree viewing angles and an "ECO" mode that'll save energy... somehow. Word on the street has it landing here shortly for around €280 ($390).

[Via CrunchGear]
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Posted by Augustine at 1:04 AM

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