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Friday, May 28, 2010

NEC's 3D Valuestar N all-in-one PC: orcas all up in your retinas

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/27/necs-3d-valuestar-n-all-in-one-pc-orcas-all-up-in-your-retinas/

Golly. We never thought to invest in a 20-inch all-in-one PC just to watch converted versions of Free Willy in 3D, but darn if we're not reconsidering now. NEC has today revealed its Valuestar N range, with the VN790/BS being the standout in the range. The machine offers up a native 1,600 x 900 resolution panel, integrated Blu-ray drive, 4GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive, WiFi, six USB 2.0 sockets, an undisclosed Intel Core 2010 CPU, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), and of course, native 3D support. You'll need to spring for an optional (but not really) pair of glasses to fully enjoy the third dimension sans intense headache-inducing blur, but given that they aren't of the active variety, any ole set will probably get you through. Pricing looks locked at ¥220,000 ($2,422) for a June debut in Japan, with approximately none of that actually going to save the whales. A crying shame, we say.

NEC's 3D Valuestar N all-in-one PC: orcas all up in your retinas originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 16:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SlingPlayer Mobile for Android teased on an EVO 4G

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/27/slingplayer-mobile-for-android-teased-on-an-evo-4g/

It looks like those private beta rumors earlier this month were legit, seeing how Sling Media is now officially showing off its latest SlingPlayer Mobile incarnation on HTC's lovely EVO 4G for Sprint. The company is boasting that the app has the fastest load time of any version of SlingPlayer Mobile to date -- and we can't imagine that WiMAX hurts, either -- so this should be the perfect accessory to your EVO 4G purchase when the phone launches early next month. It's not clear yet what other Android devices will be compatible with the software, but we imagine Sling will be saying more soon, so stay tuned.

Continue reading SlingPlayer Mobile for Android teased on an EVO 4G

SlingPlayer Mobile for Android teased on an EVO 4G originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 18:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iota Flex wants to be a MiFi for voice and text

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/27/iota-flex-wants-to-be-a-mifi-for-voice-and-text/

Would you believe us if we told you that that rubber bracelet-looking thing is actually going to have a built-in SIM card and bring voice / text capabilities to Android tablets, e-readers and netbooks via Bluetooth? Yeah, it sounds super crazy, but that's exactly what it'll eventually do. Convinced that 2G capabilities like talking and texting should be easier to add to MIDs, tablets and netbooks, Seattle-based startup Iota has come up with the Flex. It's definitely in the early stages of development, but in essence they see people clipping the bendable device to a bag, pairing it to an Android tablet, e-reader or MID, and then making calls from said devices.

We caught some time with Iota and the prototype at the Netbook Summit this week and were told that they plan to sell the Flex through retailers for under $100 -- it would be an extra $40 a month for unlimited calling and texting thanks to a partnership with Simple Mobile. Here's where we say we wouldn't hold your breath for this thing to hit the market -- though if they can pull it off, it'll certainty be an interesting solution for adding voice and text to those hoards of incoming Android tablets. After you're done wrapping your brain around this wearable voice and text accessory, check out the hands-on pics and hit the break for a hacked together demo of the dev kit they've been selling.

Gallery: Iota Flex prototype hands-on

Continue reading Iota Flex wants to be a MiFi for voice and text

Iota Flex wants to be a MiFi for voice and text originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 20:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qik charging $5 monthly for EVO 4G video chat (updated)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/27/qik-charging-5-monthly-for-evo-4g-video-chat/

Last we thought, that mandatory $10 "premium data add-on" for Sprint's EVO 4G would additionally include YouTube and Qik video chat, and well, we may have been only half right. The gang at Android Guys have what's alleged to be a scan from Sprint's training materials, and according to one image, Qik's gonna cost you another $4.99 monthly via PayPal (not through the carrier) to use. We've reached out to see if we can confirm, but if true, it's a bit of a bummer to see the premiums continuing to add up. At least Fring's Skype video is still free, and as you can see in the video after the break, it works pretty well.

Update: We're now privy to the official May 26th edition of the Evo 4G launch guide and can confirm the $4.99 fee. While Sprint hasn't said anything publicly, it's looking like that fee will stick saving a last minute call from the governor.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Qik charging $5 monthly for EVO 4G video chat (updated)

Qik charging $5 monthly for EVO 4G video chat (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 21:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitachi and LG tease HyDrive: an optical reader with loads of NAND (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/27/hitachi-and-lg-tease-hydrive-an-optical-reader-with-loads-of-na/

Want a speedy, drop-proof SSD in your laptop? In all but the largest of 'em, you've got just two choices: pay through the nose for a reasonable amount of storage, or settle for a cheaper boot drive at the expense of capacity. Hitachi and LG are pulling a Monty Hall by opening door number three -- an optical drive with a built-in 32GB or 64GB SSD. Dubbed the HyDrive and currently being showcased at mysterydrive.net, the product is presently being labeled a "concept," but a set of impressive demo videos already show the ODD / SSD combo booting, multitasking and error-correcting Keanu Reeves like a trained pro. We'll have more details at Computex, at which point we'll let you know whether to be hesitantly expectant or gravely disappointed. Personally, hybrid HDDs be damned -- we want one of these suckers yesterday. Videos after the break.

Continue reading Hitachi and LG tease HyDrive: an optical reader with loads of NAND (video)

Hitachi and LG tease HyDrive: an optical reader with loads of NAND (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 23:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba AirSwing UI puts you on the screen with your data

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/toshiba-airswing-ui-puts-you-on-the-screen-with-your-data/

We've seen a Minority Report-esque interface or two hundred by this point, but Toshiba's AirSwing really caught our attention. Using little more than a webcam and some software, this bad boy places a semi-transparent image of the operator on the display -- all the easier to maneuver through the menus. And according to Toshiba, that software only utilizes about three percent of a 400MHz ARM 11 CPU -- meaning that you have plenty of processor left for running your pre-crime diagnostics. There is no telling when something like this might become commercially available, but the company plans to bundle it in commercial displays for malls and the like. Video after the break.

Continue reading Toshiba AirSwing UI puts you on the screen with your data

Toshiba AirSwing UI puts you on the screen with your data originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 02:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel Core i7-875K and Core i5-655K unlock multipliers, better performance

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/intel-core-i7-875k-and-core-i5-655k-unlock-multipliers-better-p/

Intel's back in its familiar saddle today with the unveiling of a pair of new CPUs, marking the start of a new K-series that will cater to the overclocker inside all of us. The Core i7-875K is a 2.93GHz quad-core unit, which can scale heights of 3.6GHz via Turbo Boost, or even higher if you have the patience, tenacity and appropriate cooling to make it happen. Review action for this chip shows it to be Intel's premier offering short of the enthusiastically overpriced and overpowered Core i7-980X. Even more affordable will be the Clarkdale-based Core i5-655K, which trots along at 3.2GHz (with a 3.46GHz gallop option), but response to it was a little more muted. It's a dual-core CPU, after all, and if you don't plan on exploiting that unlocked multiplier to achieve some madness above 4GHz, you might be better off looking elsewhere. In amidst all the mad benchmarking, we've also found a review of a Falcon Northwest i7-875K rig as well, so give it all a read if you're mulling over a desktop upgrade.

Read - Tech Report
Read - AnandTech
Read - PC Perspective
Read - Hot Hardware
Read - TweakTown
Read - Legit Reviews

Intel Core i7-875K and Core i5-655K unlock multipliers, better performance originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 03:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autonomous quadrocopter flies through windows, straight into our hearts (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/autonomous-quadrocopter-flies-through-windows-straight-into-our/

We don't know whether we should be terrified or overjoyed. We've just come across a video demo from the University of Pennsylvania's GRASP Lab that shows an autonomous quadrotor helicopter performing "precise aggressive maneuvers." And trust us when we say, nothing in the foregoing sentence is an overstatement -- the thing moves with the speed and grace of an angry bee, while accompanied by the perfectly menacing whine of its little engine. See this work of scientific art in motion after the break.

[Thanks, William]

Continue reading Autonomous quadrocopter flies through windows, straight into our hearts (video)

Autonomous quadrocopter flies through windows, straight into our hearts (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 04:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel mulling WebM hardware acceleration in Atom CE4100 chip

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/intel-mulling-webm-hardware-acceleration-in-atom-ce4100-chip/

Hey Google, shall we try the other box? Maybe it has hardware acceleration built in for your new WebM video format? Intel's Wilfred Martis has told IDG News that his company is keeping a close eye on Google's new VP8-based format, and should it prove popular enough, hardware acceleration for it will be built into the CE4100 and other Atom chips headed to TVs and overpowered cable boxes in the future:

Just like we did with other codecs like MPEG2, H.264 & VC1, if VP8 establishes itself in the Smart TV space, we will add it to our [hardware] decoders.

Not exactly astonishing news, as Google TV is still likely to proceed on those chips with WebM getting decoded by software in the mean time, but at least Intel's absenteeism from the WebM hardware partner list can now be explained as simple precaution, rather than some deeper division between the companies.

Intel mulling WebM hardware acceleration in Atom CE4100 chip originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 06:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia sells just 100,000 N900s after first five months: so?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/nokia-sells-just-100-000-n900s-after-first-five-months-so/

Look, the N900 might be sitting at the top of Nokia's handset pyramid in terms of capabilities, but as we've said all along, the N900 is not a mass-market device. Nokia's been very clear that the N900 was launched as a means to strengthen its Maemo development community (on the path to MeeGo we now know). And by all accounts, it's done just that while winning a rabid fanbase of nerds in the process. Nevertheless, Reuters uses Gartner's estimate of less than 100,000 units sold in the device's first five months as proof that Nokia can't mount a challenge to RIM and Apple. True the numbers are paltry compared to the 8.75 million iPhones Apple sold from January to March. But a more apt comparison might be the oft noted Nexus One sales that reached just 135k units moved after 74 days. Regardless, in its defense, Alberto Torres, head of Nokia's solutions business said that "Sales have substantially exceeded expectations." So yeah, Nokia has problems, but the N900 ~~isn't~~ wasn't one of them.

Nokia sells just 100,000 N900s after first five months: so? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 05:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Comcast to offer Extreme 105Mbps broadband package starting in June?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/26/comcast-to-offer-extreme-105mbps-broadband-package-starting-in-j/

We've had the megahertz and megapixels races, now how about a megabits per second contest? A Comcast customer has posted a note from his latest bill online, showing a new Extreme 105 service that will puportedly be launching on June 1. You'll need to obtain an Arris WBM760 cable modem to make it work, while also ponying up $249 for installation and $200 each month thereafter, but such is the price of sailing in the mostly unexplored waters of 105Mbps downstream and 10Mbps upstream speeds. Guess that will have to do until Google rolls out that gigabit fiber network later this year.

Comcast to offer Extreme 105Mbps broadband package starting in June? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 May 2010 08:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's rollable OLED display can wrap around a pencil, our hearts (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/26/sonys-rollable-oled-display-can-wrap-around-a-pencil-our-heart/

Nothing says "future" quite like a rollable display. Today Sony's giving us a glimpse into what will one day be with its 80μm-thick organic TFT-driven OLED display. The 4.1-inch display integrates Sony organic thin-film transistors and OLED technology onto a flexible 20μm substrate lacking any rigid driver IC chips. As such it can be wrapped around a cylinder with a 4-mm minimum radius. Display specs include a 432 x 240 pixel resolution (121ppi) supporting 16M colors while exceeding 100nits brightness and a 1,000:1 contrast. It's still research, but it's clearly advancing towards product... someday. See it in action after the break.

Continue reading Sony's rollable OLED display can wrap around a pencil, our hearts (video)

Sony's rollable OLED display can wrap around a pencil, our hearts (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 May 2010 02:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rooms With Great Views Catalogs Hotels with Scenic Views [Travel]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5547314/rooms-with-great-views-catalogs-hotels-with-scenic-views

Rooms With Great Views Catalogs Hotels with Scenic Views If the view from your hotel window is an important part of your travel planning you'll want to check out Rooms With Great Views, a web site devoted to cataloging the impressive views from hotel windows around the world.

At Rooms With Great Views (RWGV), you can browse entries in a sequential blog interface to get an idea of scenic places you may want to travel or search using a Google Maps mashup to cherry pick entries from locales you'll be visiting. You can also browse by country, city, and region to save yourself the swooping around in Google Maps.

RWGV catalogs everything from high-rise hotel views to rural cabins. If you're visiting an unlisted locale or hotel, snap a few pictures to expand the database. Rooms With Great Views is a free service and requires no registration. Have a favorite travel tool for finding great hotels? Let's hear about it in the comments.

Rooms With Great Views [via The Seattle Times]

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

MyPhoneDesktop Links Your Computer and iDevice the Way Apple Should Have [Apps]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5547707/myphonedesktop-links-your-computer-and-idevice-the-way-apple-should-have

MyPhoneDesktop Links Your Computer and iDevice the Way Apple Should Have Froyo? That's just what the myPhoneDesktop app eats after a hard day of wirelessly zapping links, text and images from your computer to your iPhone or iPad—a taste of the mouthwatering functionality Google demoed on Android last week.

As it becomes clearer that smart phones and tablets aren't people's lesser computers but simply their other computers, one of the greatest frustrations—and something Google tantalizingly promised to address with Android 2.2—is how isolated all of these devices are from one another. Thankfully, myPhoneDesktop lets your iPhone and iPad get intimate with your Mac, Windows or Linux PC, without the USB chastity belt or overbearing iTunes chaperone.

MyPhoneDesktop Links Your Computer and iDevice the Way Apple Should Have Despite its unwieldy name and its unforgiving website, myPhoneDesktop is a pretty smooth operator. You just copy something to your clipboard on your computer—a phone number, a scrap of text, a URL, an image—and the desktop app will beam it over WiFi or 3G to your device of choice. It's a quick, smart way to dial a phone number you encounter on the net, zap a map from your browser to your iPhone as you go out the door, or push a website over to your iPad for further perusal. To be fair, it's not nearly as ambitious as the stuff Google was showing off—you can't, say, buy songs or apps and send them to your phone—but myPhoneDesktop is here now, and it works well.

Best of all, things go where they're supposed to. When I copied YouTube links, they opened in the native YouTube app; crazy-long Google maps links opened in the Maps app; and images were instantly saved in my iPad's photo album. Simply put, this is how computers and mobile devices should interact—seamlessly. Everything you send has to go through myPhoneDesktop's app, which means that the app has to open, log you in, and then process the image/link/whatever you just beamed to it, but it's only a hiccup compared to the ordeal of syncing a new iPad background image via iTunes, or even compared to the workaround of emailing yourself the image.

MyPhoneDesktop Links Your Computer and iDevice the Way Apple Should Have Sweetening the deal, push notifications give you the option to check your beamed material that very second or let it collect in the app where you can check it out later.

There are myPhoneDesktop clients for Macs, PCs, and Linux machines, as well as a web-based app if you find yourself needing to zap from an unfamiliar computer. There's support for Growl and a bunch of keyboard shortcuts and the next version, pending App Store approval, will have support for multiple iDevices and and and, drum roll please, the app that has got me so breathlessly excited can be had in the App Store right now for only $2.

It almost seems ludicrous to heap so much praise on an app that accomplishes such a stupidly simple task, but the other side of that coin is realizing just how ludicrous it is that iPhones and iPads don't have this type of integration to begin with. For iDevice users who've been yearning for that connection, MyPhoneDesktop will help you go back to the days when the only froyo you secretly craved was Pinkberry's. [App Store via myPhoneDesktop]

ASRock Vision 3D HTPC sports Intel Core processor and USB 3, but you'll have to buy your own glasses (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/25/asrock-vision-3d-htpc-sports-intel-core-processor-and-usb-3-but/

It's been a while since an ASRock piqued our interest (though we do love that name). That said, we are getting close to Computex, so we've been expecting to hear from a few old friends over the next week or so. For instance, TweakTown has just got a peek at ASRock's new Vision 3D HTPC and we must admit it's a pretty solid looking piece of kit. Inside its glossy aluminum housing one rests an Intel Core mobile processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GPU for 3D Vision graphics support, and a quick trip around the case finds four USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI 1.4 port, dual-link DVI, 7.1 audio, and a Blu-ray drive. If you're a 3D TV nut, however, you'll have to shell out extra for NVIDIA's 3D Vision kit (with glasses an appropriate software). No price yet, but they're aiming for a July street date. Video after the break.

Continue reading ASRock Vision 3D HTPC sports Intel Core processor and USB 3, but you'll have to buy your own glasses (video)

ASRock Vision 3D HTPC sports Intel Core processor and USB 3, but you'll have to buy your own glasses (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 May 2010 15:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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