Thursday, October 23, 2008

Fuze turns up on AT&T's website, again

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/427754295/

Filed under: Cellphones

The Fuze, otherwise known as the HTC Touch Pro, first turned up briefly on AT&T's website more than a month ago only to be abruptly pulled down, but it's now finally made a reappearance, and it's apparently staying for good this time. As you might expect, however, there's not exactly anything new to be found, with AT&T's description of the device identical to the one it first put up, but if you had any doubts that the device was in fact headed to AT&T, and that it would indeed be called the Fuze, you can now safely put those to rest. Now, about that release date...

[Thanks, Steve]

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DroboApps go live, they grow up so fast

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/427754294/

Filed under: Storage

Data Robotics launched the Drobo dev program in beta back in July, and it looks like things have worked out swimmingly -- the company just officially launched the first set of DroboApps, including an iTunes server, DLNA server, BitTorrent client, and FTP server. Over 100 developers have joined the Drobo Developer Connection, and there are more than 20 apps available now -- a number Data Robotics expects to grow quickly. You'll need a DroboShare NAS adapter to take advantage of the new apps, of course -- a $199 toll we'd like to see integrated into a future unit. We'll see how it goes, though -- we see a lot of potential in this sort of NAS / server hybrid.

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Motorola Aura: The Phone that Thinks It's a Watch [Cellphones]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/427641019/motorola-aura-the-phone-that-thinks-its-a-watch

Love it or hate it, you have to respect Motorola for loosening the reins of design and announcing the premium Aura handset. (UPDATE: we knew it created déjà vu for some reason!) Inspired by high end watches, the phone's switch blade design alone is driven by over 200 parts—130 of them ball bearings used to open the handset up to an estimated 100,000 times before failure.

The display is the product of fine crafting as well. Just 1.55-inches in diameter, this "word's first" circular cellphone screen features 16 million colors and 300 dpi clarity, plus it's coated with 62-carat sapphire crystal to prevent scratching.

Internally, the phone is quad band with GPRS and EDGE featuring 7.3 hours of talk time, 2GB of internal memory, AGPS and 2MP camera. And when it goes on sale December 4th, it'll carry the hefty pricetag of $2,000 (which, to be fair, is actually far less than a premium watch). See more pretty pictures over at Motorola's site. [Motorola]

NYC Buses Testing Digital Ads That Change Depending on Location [GPS]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/427798075/nyc-buses-testing-digital-ads-that-change-depending-on-location

Creative marketing minds have developed a plan to use GPS to deliver neighborhood-specific digital advertising on the side of buses in NYC. Apparently, the ads run like TV commercials and they have begun airing on a single Manhattan route with expansion to 200 buses planned for Q1 of next year. Obviously, targeted advertising is the name of the game, so I wouldn't be surprised to find GPS systems like this one popping up in major cities across the country in the very near future. [WCBSTV]

Hands On Casio's EX-FH20, the "Budget" Super-Slow-Mo Cam [Digital Cameras]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/427943781/hands-on-casios-ex+fh20-the-budget-super+slow+mo-cam

Maybe you didn't even realize that the hallowed Exilim EX-F1 super-slow-mo cam got a little brother, the new $600 EX-FH20. We finally got to check it out today and it's definitely a winner. Slightly slimmer than it's pricier counterpart, it also has a cleaner UI making it easier for a novice to use. 1000fps slo-mo video looked great, and the 40fps burst mode worked well, prerecording images in order to capture the perfect moment, even if you have a slow trigger finger. It even has a slight bump in the megapixel department, 9.1MP to the EX-F1's 6.0MP. The EX-FH20 is just hitting stores, so check the gallery to see how it measures up to the EX-F1. And of course stay tuned for our full review.

Hands On Asus Eee S101, Just as Slim and Air-y in Person [NetBooks]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/427993913/hands-on-asus-eee-s101-just-as-slim-and-air+y-in-person

We took a look at Asus's Eee S101 today, and as predicted, it's the prettiest looking netbook we've seen since the birth of the category.

It's 2.2 lbs., extremely light and thin, and the chrome finish on the trackpad area is much better looking than the generic plastic of similar models. The 10.2-inch matte screen is compact without straining your eyes, and the keyboard feels bigger than the original Eee's (that or my fingers have gotten smaller to accommodate this segment of the PC industry). The only thing painfully tacky in the S101 is a Swarovski crystal accent on the hinge, but it isn't very obvious until you glance at it.

At $700, it's not exactly cheap for an Atom-powered laptop running Windows XP off of a 16GB SSD, and that's the only configuration you can order up. Still, in addition to its good looks, it's got more inputs than a new MacBook: 3 USBs, a 4-in-1 card reader and VGA video out. It'll arrive in copper brown and graphite; too bad that the champagne paint job, in the Continental's opinion the best suited to accompany the Swarovski accents, won't make it to the US. [Asus]

DroboApps Make Your Drobo Smarter and More Useful [Storage]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/428061981/droboapps-make-your-drobo-smarter-and-more-useful

If you have a Drobo, the storage robot that takes care of your hard drives so you don't have to worry about reliability—or so they say—you will be interested in the new applications for the platform. Called DroboApps, they will convert your Drobo into a web server, an iTunes media server, a BitTorrent client, or an FTP server. [Drobo via CrunchGear]

Super Skinny OLED Display Is Thinner Than a Sheet of Paper [Oled]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/428084965/super-skinny-oled-display-is-thinner-than-a-sheet-of-paper

If you thought OLEDs were thin already, researchers at the Universal Display Corporation (whose factory we visited last year) have made a flexible display that's positively anorexic. The ultra-thin metal foil screen is less than 50 micrometers thin, which means it's even thinner than a sheet of A4 paper. The UDC folks also claimed that their new invention exceeds the industrial target of 1,000 hours and the lifetime of conventionally sealed glass packaged OLEDs.

The researchers said they were able to get better lifetime ratings after identifying a flexible, highly impermeable barrier layer, which helps keep the OLED screen from degrading because of oxygen and water. Flexible, amazingly thin and with a very decent lifespan? It sounds like we're two steps closer to handing out Young Lady's Illustrated Primers. [AVS Symposium via Slashgear]

Stantum "True Multitouch" Lets You Use ALL Your Fingers [Multitouch]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/428172906/stantum-true-multitouch-lets-you-use-all-your-fingers

In case the two-finger multitouch seen on the new Macbook Pro and Fujitsu's upcoming notebook wasn't enough for you, French tech company Stantum recently showed off a ten-finger technology that it's calling "true multitouch." On Stantum's 15.4-inch screen, you can use as many points as you want to control the screen. Judging by the smears in the picture, a lot of people found that appealing and took advantage of their chance to feel the new technology up. [Electric Pig]

T-Mobile G1 now available

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/428210959/

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Now that T-Mobile's systematic discrimination against non-T-Mobile customers (how dare they?) has come to an end, we can all exhale, pull out our credit cards and get to maxin' out the plastic. That's right -- the Android-powered G1 is now available for sale from T-Mob's website to all comers, though we're only seeing the black and bronze models listed at the moment and both are tagged with an ominous "extremely limited availability" label which tells us they probably won't be there long. $179.99's the price on two-year contract, and if they do sell out online, don't sweat it just yet -- sweep your local stores today.

[Thanks, Elisha]

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ASUS Eee PC S101 hands-on

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/427853012/

Filed under: Laptops

Confession: we love, love slim laptops. Air, Envy, X300, slips of copier paper with "laptop" written on them... anything decently under that magical 1-inch thick mark has a special place in our hearts. And then there's the Eee PC S101. Don't get us wrong, we really like this little netbook. It's slim, light, solidly built, not entirely gaudy and comes with quite the pedigree, but we're having trouble choking down that $699 pricetag for what's still ostensibly a "second" computer. Here's the way we see it: this new, wonderful 0.75-inch thick form factor can't just be a random noodling by ASUS, we're expecting all sorts of trickle down to other models in the future -- except there's really no place to trickle down on the specs. Perhaps they could drop the Bluetooth, or the "n" spec from the WiFi, but at the end of the day 1GB of RAM and an Atom processor are pretty baseline for netbooks, and we expect something exactly delicious as this netbook from ASUS or elsewhere before the glossy paint is dry on the S101 -- or at least a built-in 3G option in a few weeks to make this thing obsolete. Our other big gripe is with the keyboard. The keys are good-sized and rather tactile for a netbook, but they could certainly be better, and the right shift key is inexplicably on the far side of the up arrow key -- basically unreachable by our mortal pinkie. It makes zero sense from a typing standpoint, and since we tend to over-rely on the right shift key out of bad Mavis Beacon-induced typing habits, we're not stoked about ASUS's choice here. Otherwise there's a nice collection of ports, a great (multi-touch) touchpad, a wonderful matte screen and that pesky hole in our wallet where all our cash used to be.

Gallery: ASUS Eee PC S101 hands-on

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T-Mobile G1 now available

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/428210959/

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Now that T-Mobile's systematic discrimination against non-T-Mobile customers (how dare they?) has come to an end, we can all exhale, pull out our credit cards and get to maxin' out the plastic. That's right -- the Android-powered G1 is now available for sale from T-Mob's website to all comers, though we're only seeing the black and bronze models listed at the moment and both are tagged with an ominous "extremely limited availability" label which tells us they probably won't be there long. $179.99's the price on two-year contract, and if they do sell out online, don't sweat it just yet -- sweep your local stores today.

[Thanks, Elisha]

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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

fit-PC slim: very small, otherwise no great shakes

source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/21/fit-pc-slim-very-small-otherwise-no-great-shakes/

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Oct 21st 2008 at 11:38PM

Remember the fit-PC slim we told you about last month? The folk at Extreme Tech have just had a sit down with the little bugger and found a very small machine that's really only noteworthy for its size. Of course, that alone is impressive: at 4.3 x 3.9 x 1.2 inches it's some 40% smaller than the original fit-PC, yet somehow it makes room for twice the memory (512MB) of its predecessor, WiFi (optional) three USB ports and VGA. But unless you really, really prize the miniscule form factor, you may just want to give this one a pass. According to the review, the device performs pretty much as you'd expect from a 512MB Windows XP machine (the 500MHz AMD Geode has no real problems running Firefox or OpenOffice, but larger apps are going to give you some grief) and some of you might not appreciate the lack of SATA and digital display support. Still curious? Hit the read link for the full review.

New HDPC from MIU offers sleeker shell and Intel Atom-power

source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/22/new-hdpc-from-miu-offers-sleeker-shell-and-intel-atom-power/

by Tim Stevens, posted Oct 22nd 2008 at 8:50AM

New HDPC from MIU offers sleeker shell and Intel Atom-power

When it was introduced two years ago, the premise of the Hybrid Dual Portable Computer was simple: mobile OS up front, Windows XP below, andugly all over. The most recent refresh was a big visual improvement, but MIU apparently isn't done, teasing another new version that looks far sleeker and packs an Intel Atom processor inside, though exactly which hasn't been revealed. Beyond that, this pocket-wunderkind offers the same bevy of features as before, obviating the need for a separate nav system, PMP, e-book reader, netbook, and even in-car rear-view camera monitor. It'll make phone calls too, and with GSM, GPRS, and CDMA connectivity, you're pretty well guaranteed to be able to check your mail anywhere. No information on price or availability just yet, but hopefully the former stays close to the current version's $500 and the latter extends to somewhere in North America.

[Via Pocketables]

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Innovation vs. Litigation

Source: http://adage.com/digitalnext/article?article_id=131858

Why Brands and Social Media Have a Legal Challenge

Posted by David Armano on 10.20.08 @ 11:30 AM

Take a good look at the "curve" visual that goes along with this post. Look familiar? It should.

Increasingly, as I talk to folks from a variety of large brands and companies, I'm seeing an interesting shift. Not only is there a desire from individuals within large corporations, brands and businesses to leverage social media in some capacity, but increasingly there's an interest in going beyond "viral." After my talk at the the Web 2.0 Conference in New York, an individual who worked in the health-care sector approached me. He said something along these lines: "I believe in everything you just said and I think there is tremendous opportunity for my company to participate in social networks, but each time we try to initiate something, our legal department shoots it down."

Though sectors like health care are especially sensitive, I've heard similar tales from others. And yet there seem to be some examples of big brands that get out there and participate in social networks despite the risks. Dell, one of the more well-known case studies, has been doing it for years, through blogs, communities it's created and by jumping into a number of networks. Zappos has taken to extending its customer experience across social channels such as Twitter. Whole Foods has a useful presence on Facebook, where one of its representatives is active in the discussion boards, not only alerting members to promotions but also encouraging them to share recipes. Is legal asleep at the wheel of these companies?

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