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Monday, October 05, 2009

HP Envy 13 review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/05/hp-envy-13-review/

In more ways than one, the HP Envy 13 seems like a "new generation" of PC laptop for HP or even the industry. Intentional or not it bears more in resemblance with Apple's lineup than its own predecessors, it's part of the very first wave of computers with Windows 7 pre-installed, it places a large emphasis on battery life but still manages great performance, and it's a "luxury" PC that actually provides some pretty good excuses for its inflated pricetag. We've spent a nice solid week with the laptop, so find out if the Envy 13 can live up to its promise after the break.

Continue reading HP Envy 13 review

Filed under: Laptops

HP Envy 13 review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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QNAP debuts 'low cost' TS-410 Turbo NAS for home use

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/05/qnap-debuts-low-cost-ts-410-turbo-nas-for-home-use/

QNAP's various NAS devices may not do much to distinguish themselves from one another based on appearances, but the company's apparently hoping that's its new TS-410 model will attract a bit more interest nonetheless, and its aiming it squarely at home and home office users. Helping it in that respect is its relatively low-cost price tag, "just" $449 (sans hard drives), which still gets you plenty of NAS-ness, even if it may be just slightly behind the latest and greatest. That includes a less powerful 800MHz Marvell processor instead of the increasingly common Atom, and a mere 256MB of DDR2 RAM, which is a good deal short of the 1GB or 2GB offered in some of QNAP's higher-end options. Of course, you will still get support for up to four 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch hard drives, a full range of RAID options, and four USB ports and 2 e-SATA ports for further expansion. Sound good enough? Then you can pick this one up right now.

Filed under: Storage, Networking

QNAP debuts 'low cost' TS-410 Turbo NAS for home use originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Dragon Android device surfaces in firmware build, could pack 1GHz processor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/05/htc-dragon-android-device-surfaces-in-firmware-build-could-pack/

This one's about as early as it gets, but what you're looking at above is purported to be a screenshot of a firmware build for a hereto unheard of Android device called the HTC Dragon. Now, that's interesting enough in and of itself, but the real kicker is that the phone is said to pack a 1GHz processor (most likely Snapdragon), which should help make HTC's Sense UI snappier than ever -- the rumored 800 x 480 display certainly doesn't hurt things either. Not much more to go on than that, unfortunately, but you can check out a few more exciting screenshots at the link below.

[Via HTCPedia]

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC Dragon Android device surfaces in firmware build, could pack 1GHz processor originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adobe lets you use Flash to create... non-Flash apps for the iPhone

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/05/adobe-lets-you-use-flash-to-create-non-flash-apps-for-the-iph/

Notably (or not so notably) absent from this week's mobile announcements out of Adobe's Flash camp is the iPhone, a platform that many want to see pick up official Flash support for a number of totally valid reasons -- but realistically, the gap between Adobe's stance and Apple's stance on the subject seems no closer than it did in 2007. The solution? Let developers make Flash apps for the iPhone and convert 'em over to native code prior to submission to the App Store. Of course, this effectively means that there's nothing "Flash app" about these Flash apps, but if nothing else, it lets devs apply their existing knowledge and code libraries in a way that'll make Apple happy and get real, native apps out to users without the muss and fuss of a manual port. The apps look pretty cheesy compared to most purpose-suited iPhone apps, but skeptics should note that there are already 8 apps live in the App Store that were compiled this way -- Adobe boasts that it's a 100 percent acceptance rate so far -- and the Flash CS5 dev environment required to make it happen should be available as a public beta "later this year." Pretty cool, but no, seriously... how about real Flash, Apple?

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Software

Adobe lets you use Flash to create... non-Flash apps for the iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds! .

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HP Mini 311 with ION benchmarked: it goes very fast

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/05/hp-mini-311-with-ion-benchmarked-it-goes-very-fast/

We've already seen the NVIDIA ION-based HP Mini 311 perform impressively during demos, but now that the netbook is hitting reviewers it's time for some real benchmarks -- and according to the crew at Laptop, they're more than solid. The 311 scored a 1,917 on the PCMark 05 test, almost 500 points above the average netbook, and put up a scorching 1,386 in the 3DMark06 test -- 1,200 points over the netbook average, and basically the same score as a MacBook Air. That's not too surprising, seeing as ION is just a netbook-oriented variant of the GeForce 9400M, but it's still rather impressive -- and combined with 1080p video playback, the potential for some light gaming, and (eventually) ION-accelerated Flash, we'd say the Mini 311 is looking like a real contender.

Filed under: Laptops

HP Mini 311 with ION benchmarked: it goes very fast originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netbook Linux Guide Lets You Easily Kick Windows XP To The Curb [Linux]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/10BpXCn0S94/netbook-linux-guide-lets-you-easily-kick-windows-xp-to-the-curb

Sometimes I think if I see another blue sky, green grass background on a netbook I am going to throw it out the window. Maximum PC is ridding my Windows XP blues with a guide to lightweight netbook computing.

They have rounded up some of the best Linux netbook solutions, including Easy Peasy and Eeebuntu. I'm a big fan of the latter and used it for quite a bit of time on my MSI Wind U100. The nice thing about the guide is that it provides step by step instructions on how to load the new OS on along with productivity software alternatives.

Left from the roundup is Moblin 2.1. I have been testing it out for the last few days and will post my impressions soon. In the meantime, if you are also suffering from Win XP sickness try one of these penguin-friendly options or you could always check out our Hackintosh guide. [Maximum PC]

Netgear RangeMax WNR3500L Wireless-N Router Packs USB, Linux Punch [Netgear]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/HR2uDptjlkU/netgear-rangemax-wnr3500l-wireless+n-router-packs-usb-linux-punch

If you haven't upgraded to wireless-N yet, now is a great time. The spec is finally ratified and Netgear is celebrating by dropping the WNR3500L with USB networking and pre-loaded Linux for open source tinkerers.

Indeed, having Linux on the RangeMax right from the start means you can load unofficial firmware on the router out of the box. And the USB port means you can also set it up as a media server. Other features include a a 480MHz MIPS processor with 8MB of flash and 64MB of RAM. Expect the WNR3500L to ship sometime this fall for $140. [Netgear via Electronista]

HYPOLED develops mega-tiny VGA projector display, has a tiny coin in the photo to prove it

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/05/hypoled-develops-mega-tiny-vga-projector-display-has-a-penny-in/

HYPOLED, an 18-month-old project tasked with creating OLED microdisplays for upcoming pico projectors, has just released a report of its recent progress. Among the advances is a Fraunhofer IPMS-designed all digital VGA, full color OLED microdisplay backplane with matching pico projector optics. The display measures just 0.18-mm thick and is already in prototype manufacturing. The super miniscule display is connected to a MediaBox enabling it to operate via WiFi. Fraunhofer is now expected to begin developing a prototype of the full projector, meaning that with any luck, our picos should be getting a teensy, tiny bit cooler in the near future.

[Via About Projectors]

Filed under: Displays

HYPOLED develops mega-tiny VGA projector display, has a tiny coin in the photo to prove it originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Sholes to launch by holidays, along with the BlackBerry Storm 2 and Nokia Booklet 3G

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/05/motorola-sholes-to-launch-by-holidays-along-with-the-blackberry/

Well well, it looks like the Android-powered Motorola Sholes will be out on Verizon by the holidays. That's at least the impression we're getting from a bunch of leaked Verizon retailer documents posted up by Boy Genius Report, which also indicate the BlackBerry Storm 2, Curve 2 and LG Chocolate Touch will hit Big Red in time for eggnog, along with an unspecified netbook -- we're guessing this Gateway number. Speaking of netbooks, a similar document from Best Buy Mobile also leaked over the weekend, and it looks like the Nokia Booklet 3G will be exclusive to Best Buy and compatible with AT&T 3G. Oh, and the Pixi is coming, but you already knew that. Here's the real mystery, though: "There are multiple Android launches across multiple carriers, along with some new technology that doesn't exist today." That's certainly open for interpretation, so we leave it to you -- is Best Buy Mobile about to start selling teleporters, or what?

Read - Sam's Club and Target Verizon docs
Read - Best Buy Mobile docs

Filed under: Cellphones

Motorola Sholes to launch by holidays, along with the BlackBerry Storm 2 and Nokia Booklet 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Research shows off multitouch mouse prototypes

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/05/microsoft-research-shows-off-multitouch-mouse-prototypes/

Rather odd timing, given some recent developments in the Apple camp, but Microsoft Research has just surfaced some of its incredibly wild multitouch mouse prototypes. Each one uses a different touch detection method, and at first glance all five seem to fly in the face of regular ergonomics. The craziest two are probably "Arty," which has two articulated arms to cradle your thumb and index finger, with each pad housing its own optical sensor for mission-critical pinching gestures, and "Side Mouse" which is button free and actually detects finger touches in the table immediately in front of the palm rest. Of course, there's plenty of crazy in the FTIR, Orb Mouse and Cap Mouse (pictured), which rely on an internal camera, orb-housed IR camera and capacitive detection, respectively. Of course, there's no word on when these might actually see the light of day, but it should be quite obvious that Apple's not the only game in town thinking about this stuff. Check out the utterly enlightening video of these things in action after the break.

Gallery: Microsoft Research shows off multitouch mouse prototypes

FTIR (Frustrated Total Internal Reflection)

Orb Mouse

!

Arty

Side Mouse

Cap Mouse

Continue reading Microsoft Research shows off multitouch mouse prototypes

Filed under: Peripherals

Microsoft Research shows off multitouch mouse prototypes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's PlayStation Motion Controller now codenamed Sphere?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/05/sonys-playstation-motion-controller-now-codenamed-sphere/

Sony may still have officially been using the less-than-imaginative "Motion Controller" name for its, um, motion controller at the Tokyo Game Show last month, but it looks like some developers working with the technology weren't sticking as close to the script, and may have revealed the project's proper codename. As Joystiq notes, Sega producer Yasuhito Baba referred to the device as "Sphere" during an interview at the show, and Polyphony Digital's Kazunori Yamauchi also seemed to respond to the "Sphere" name without missing a beat when asked if Gran Turismo would support the peripheral. So, certainly less of a mouthful, and not exactly the worst of names if true -- in fact, it's such a good codename that none other than Microsoft has already adopted it for one of its projects.

Filed under: Gaming

Sony's PlayStation Motion Controller now codenamed Sphere? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Behold II Hits T-Mobile, Pairs Android with TouchWiz Interface [Cellphones]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/e24bFtdsJxk/samsung-behold-ii-hits-t+mobile-pairs-android-with-touchwiz-interface

Wow, another T-Mobile Android phone (Sprint's HTC Hero is the only Android-handset on another carrier). The Behold II has a 3.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, and TouchWiz UI (now with 3D cube menu for quick access to multimedia).

Those multimedia features include music, photos, videos, the Web, YouTube, and Amazon MP3 for music downloads. The phone's other key specs include 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, microSD card expandable memory (up to 16GB), and support for Google services and Exchange ActiveSync.

With a completely new OS compared to the original Behold (and even the upgraded Memoir), it's kind of strange that Samsung kept the Behold name. Especially when it resembles the Android powered Samsung Galaxy. Still, there you have it. T-Mobile hasn't gone into pricing, but did say the Behold II would arrive "before the start of the holidays."

Samsung Behold II Hits T-Mobile, Pairs Android with TouchWiz Interface [Cellphones]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/e24bFtdsJxk/samsung-behold-ii-hits-t+mobile-pairs-android-with-touchwiz-interface

Wow, another T-Mobile Android phone (Sprint's HTC Hero is the only Android-handset on another carrier). The Behold II has a 3.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, and TouchWiz UI (now with 3D cube menu for quick access to multimedia).

Those multimedia features include music, photos, videos, the Web, YouTube, and Amazon MP3 for music downloads. The phone's other key specs include 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, microSD card expandable memory (up to 16GB), and support for Google services and Exchange ActiveSync.

With a completely new OS compared to the original Behold (and even the upgraded Memoir), it's kind of strange that Samsung kept the Behold name. Especially when it resembles the Android powered Samsung Galaxy. Still, there you have it. T-Mobile hasn't gone into pricing, but did say the Behold II would arrive "before the start of the holidays."

Toshiba's Cell-Powered REGZA 55X1 LCD TV Can Record and Display 8 Channels At Once [HDTVs]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/pmYJ9mNh3lU/toshibas-cell+powered-regza-55x1-lcd-tv-can-record-and-display-8-channels-at-once

Toshiba's first TV with the PS3 Cell processor it helped develop has seriously kick-ass specs. For starters: The 55-incher's LED backlighting divides the 240Hz display into 512 individually controlled areas, and has a dynamic contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1.

The Cell processor also provides self-congruency for improved image quality at the edge of the picture, enhanced color and brightness balance, and a super-high luminance of 1250cd/m². A 7-speaker sound bar is attached underneath the display, and network functionality includes DLNA support, and an HD Web browser based on Opera.

The Cell chip is housed in an external box about the site of an older Blu-ray player. That's also where a 3TB hard disk is installed to allow the TV to time-shift up to 26 hours of programs from up to 8 channels simultaneously. (1TB of storage is reserved for longer-term recordings). Another neat visual trick: the 55X1 can show eight channels on screen at the same time—and step through each without the delay common with rival HDTVs.

The TV is on show at CEATEC (Japan's version of CES), and will go on sale there in December for 1 Million Yen (about $11,115). Toshiba hopes to sell about 1,000 models a month before the 55X1 arrives in the U.S sometime in 2010.

Toshiba also gave some insight into its future plans for CELL processor-based TVs. It talked about using the chip in a range of concepts, including a 3D TV, and a 4K x! 2K mode l that upconverts 1080p to 3840 x 2160. Holy crap. More please. [Toshiba via Impress AV Watch]

AT&T touts Opera-powered full web browsing with new phones from Samsung and Pantech

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/05/atandt-touts-opera-powered-full-web-browsing-with-new-models-from/

AT&T wants you to know that you don't need a smartphone just to get a rich, full web experience from your handset -- theoretically, anyway -- with the introduction of four new models from longtime partners Samsung and Pantech alongside a new featurephone browser. First up from Samsung comes the Flight (pictured left), billed as a "next-generation messaging device" on account of its full QWERTY portrait slide paired with a full touchscreen up top; it'll be available next month for $99.99 on contract after rebate -- that is, if you didn't buy it on Craigslist already. That silvery slate in the middle that's more likely to be catching your eye is the Mythic, rocking TouchWiz on a 3.3-inch display along with AT&T Mobile TV, making it a fitting successor to the Eternity and big brother to the Solstice; like the Flight, it swings onto retail next month, but you'll be paying a stiffer $199.99 on contract after $50 rebate.

Turning our attention to the Pantech side of the table, we've got the Reveal (pictured right) that lets you have it both ways with a numeric keypad up top twined with a QWERTY slider underneath. It's 3G-capable, AT&T Navigator-equipped, and available for your enjoyment on October 18 in red and blue. Finally, the Impact (not pictured) has an OLED touchscreen up front, but when the texting gets hot and heavy, the phone opens up to reveal a second display along with a QWERTY keyboard. It'll be available in pink and blue, though neither pricing nor availability are being announced just yet.

Gluing everything together is AT&T's new mobile browser, described as "a rich hybrid experience that gives you a HTML experience similar to your PC browser at home" that "works really well on a feature phone." Additionally, users visiting att.net from their PCs will be able to send bookmarks to their phones' mobile portals -- kind of a neat trick, especially when you're trying to minimize the number of URLs you have to mash out on an on-screen keyboard. Of course, featurephone browsers have a reputation for generally sucking, so considering that AT&T bills its new line of devices as "full web browsing phones," it'll be interesting to see how close they actually come to delivering on the claim; it's said the phones use "advanced data compression from Opera Software," which we're thinking is very likely some variation of Opera Turbo -- not a bad start.

Filed under: Cellphones

AT&T touts Opera-powered full web browsing with new phones from Samsung and Pantech originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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