Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, October 03, 2008

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/409407830/

While it may not be Nokia's first touchscreen phone (anyone out there remember the 7710?), the 5800 XpressMusic is certainly the first to come out of Finland with a mainstream appeal. What we've alternately known as the "Tube" throughout much of its development cycle is the first production device to run S60 5th Edition -- the fourth major overhaul of Nokia's ubiquitous smartphone platform since 2002 and the first to support fingers, styli, and high-res displays. Speaking of high-res displays, the 5800 comes equipped with an impressive 3.2-inch 640 x 360 resistive touchscreen to go along with its 3.2-megapixel autofocus cam, Carl Zeiss optics, dual LED flash, GPS, WiFi, 3.5mm jack, and a microSD slot with support for 16GB cards. It'll be available in three versions -- European HSDPA, North American HSDPA, and GSM only -- and ships this quarter in black, red, and blue for €279 (about $392) unlocked with an 8GB card thrown in for good measure. Music fans with voracious appetites for new tunes might want to hold out, though, for the Comes With Music-equipped version that follows on "early next year" at a to-be-announced price.

Gallery: The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

BIOTRONIK gets go-ahead for GSM-based implant monitoring system

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/409451383/

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Wireless

The folks at BIOTRONIK have been trying to make medical implants behave a little more like cellphones for some time now, and it looks like they're still keeping at it, with the EU recently green-lighting its latest home monitoring system that lets physicians keep tab on patients at home. As with its other systems, this one relies on the GSM network to send vital information to the patient's physician (with a base station acting as a go-between), but it now boasts an "intelligent traffic light system" that promises to let physicians quickly monitor the status of a number of different patients, and even customize the alerts via the web if they like. The system also promises to work with a whole range of different implants, including pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices, and the company expects it to be widely available in early 2009, though a lucky few will be able to start using it this month.

[Via MedGadget]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Verizon prices Motorola Krave ZN4 at $149.99

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/409451354/

Filed under: Cellphones

For those of you who firmly believe that Verizon plus Motorola plus touchscreen equals pure, unadulterated bliss, heads up: we have a bit of information that might be of interest to you. phoneArena has scored a screen shot of what appears to be some promotional material for Moto's upcoming MING-esque doohickey, the Krave ZN4 -- and it looks like we'll be shelling out about $150 on a two-year contract for the honor of carrying one in our knockoff Louis Vuitton backpacks. Not a bad price for a phone clearly designed to rest toward the upper end of Verizon's non-smartphone lineup, we suppose, and we'll admit that it's looking better in this dolled-up promo shot than it was last time we saw it. Separately, they've landed pricing for the Moto VU204, a basic flip that's probably not going to turn as many heads as the Krave; that one is going to go out the door for $29, and you'll get three free with the purchase of the first for the ultimate four-pack of mediocrity. We don't have a solid line on when these are coming to market, but the Krave's still a possibility for this month.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Android Market will offer free trials, but not free bandwidth

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/409476704/

Filed under: Cellphones

Android Market will offer free trials, but not free bandwidth

Apple's App Store, with its millions of downloads, is clearly a hit with consumers. But with developers? Not so much. Like a dashing hero to a scorned mistress, Google's Andy Rubin is pledging a different, more loving and respectful relationship with those who would fill his company's Android Market with selections -- and his pockets with royalties. He indicates that the Market will enable free downloadable trials, something that Apple is stubbornly refusing to add, and that those downloads would not be subject to any arbitrary bandwidth caps. Meanwhile, T-Mobile at least will be levying a $2/month fee on developers of free apps expected to use more than the (somewhat arbitrary) amount of 15MB of data per user per month, though how they'll be keeping track of that data outside of their own content stack is unclear -- our guess is that they can't.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Help Engadget Energize Education in the 2008 DonorsChoose Blogger Challenge

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/409476703/

Filed under: Announcements

Last year Engadget -- and its good looking, smart, talented readers -- took a break from the PC and Mac wars and endless discussion of which Linux distro rules the roost to put some cash towards a good cause: DonorsChoose, a fund-raising group dedicated to making kids' education needs a reality.

Here's how it works -- we've picked a handful of technology related causes that all need funding to get off the ground. You simply decide how much you want to give and which charity appeals to you, and the money goes directly to one or more programs that will impact high-need public schools. Still feel the desire for a little healthy competition? You can track our progress against other like-minded sites on the Blogger Challenge leaderboard, so you get to do something good for kids and shout "PWNED!"

You have until October 31st to make a donation -- either by clicking here, using the widget after the break, or by following the Read link -- and we sincerely hope that you'll consider helping out these projects that really do have a chance of giving kids a better future. Also, "PWNED!"

P.S. If you see a project that seems perfect for Engadget and our readers but isn't in our list, let us know in comments!

Read - Donate!
Read - Blogger Challenge leaderboard
Read - Opening news story on the Blogger Challenge
Read - About DonorsChoose.org

Continue reading Help Engadg! et Energ ize Education in the 2008 DonorsChoose Blogger Challenge

Permalink | Email this | Comments

D-Link debuts SharePort-packing DIR-825 dual-band router

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/409500792/

Filed under: Wireless

It's pretty tough for a wireless router to stand out from the pack these days, but D-Link's new DIR-825 models looks to at least make an admirable stab at it, with it not only boasting dual-band capabilities to pump out 2.4GHz and 5Ghz signals simultaneously, but some fancy USB sharing as well. That latter bit comes in the form of D-Link's trademark SharePort technology, which will let you plug in any USB printer or storage device and access 'em from any computer on the network. The router is also supposedly "optimized for HD video streaming" and, according to D-Link, it'll also out-perform most other Draft N routers in general and save the planet in the process. Sold? You can snag one now for $200 even. Those that already have an 802.11n D-Link router (namely, the DIR-628, DIR-655, DIR-855, or DGL-4500) may want to think twice, however, as they can now add SharePort support to their existing router with nothing more than a firmware update, which is already available on D-Link's website.

[Via Crave]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic phone intimately detailed on video

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/409528458/

Filed under: Cellphones

If you've been enjoying those still pictures of Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic touchscreen phone, but feel you're lacking an in-depth experience, we think we can help. A slew of demo and instruction videos have just been slapped up on the Ovi Share site, allowing you to get a better idea of just how the device works, and what it looks like when it's doing it. Luckily for you, we've taken the trouble of including all of the videos after the break for your viewing pleasure, saving you the painful and laborious experience of hitting a read link. Enjoy.

[Via Cellpassion]

Continue reading Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic phone intimately detailed on video

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

T-Mobile launches Mobile Broadband Share Dock 3G WiFi router

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/409616808/

Filed under: Wireless

3G WiFi routers aren't anything new at this point, but T-Mobile's new Mobile Broadband Share Dock is one of the slicker implementations we've seen from a carrier -- the unit consists of a USB HSDPA modem and a base which shares the connection over WiFi, which means you can unplug the modem and take your access on the road. As long as you don't need a persistent connection at home and can live with the bandwidth, that makes the £20 / month dock sound like a pretty good deal for someone who lives by themselves, since you'd avoid paying both mobile and fixed data fees -- too bad it's UK only for now. Should be out in the next couple of days, we're hearing.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Eee marketing getting adorably bitchy

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/409692492/

Filed under: Laptops

When every company out there is cranking out the same 10-inch 1.6GHz Atom netbook, there aren't many ways to make your product stand out: the obvious trick is to go low on price, but ASUS isn't messing with its profit margins. Instead, it's apparently going negative in the most adorable way possible -- check this hit piece on the Acer Aspire One. If all these frowny faces are to be believed, using the Aspire One will basically be awkward and unergonomic for a short while, at which point you'll burst into flames. Not only that, but ASUS can't even bring itself to spell out "Aspire," instead starring it out like someone might catch them saying it out loud. Very mature. Still, if anything can revive our flagging enthusiasm for the entire netbook category, it would be one of these WINNER crowns packed in with every Eee -- now that's a real differentiating factor, ASUS. Full image in the gallery.

Gallery: ASUS Eee vs A***** 1