T-Mobile and HTC to launch first 21Mbps HSPA+ smartphone in September

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/t-mobile-and-htc-to-launch-first-21mbps-hspa-smartphone-in-sept/

T-Mobile might be busy expanding its we-swear-it's-like-4G HSPA+ network to all sorts of metro areas in the US, but those theoretical 21Mbps speeds have been limited to those wielding WebConnect Rocket data cards, not any actual phones. It looks like that's about to change, though: a spokesman for T-Mobile parent company Deutsche Telekom told Light Reading that an HTC-built Android phone capable of HSPA+ speeds will launch in September, followed by another device in the fourth quarter sometime before the holidays. That lines up with what we've been hearing, as we've been told that the first device will actually be the leaked HTC Vision QWERTY slider (pictured above) that's been popping up in the wild lately. We're not so sure what the second phone will be, but we'll get there -- for now we're just stoked that another high-end Android set with a hardware keyboard will be making the scene.

[Thanks, Rod]

T-Mobile and HTC to launch first 21Mbps HSPA+ smartphone in September originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Intercept for Sprint now totally official: July 11 for $100

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/samsung-intercept-for-sprint-now-totally-official-july-11-for/

Well, that didn't take long, did it? Just earlier today we were talking about how the Intercept was starting to make its way into bits and pieces of Sprint's system, but now, the announcement's here and it's the real deal. Most notably, the Android-powered landscape QWERTY slider will go to market for under $100 (by a penny, anyway) on contract after rebate, making it a value-oriented alternative for the monsters like the EVO 4G and Epic 4G that Sprint is pushing on the high end. Of course, if you pay a midrange price, you're going to get midrange features; the 3.2 megapixel cam with video capture, isn't going to blow anyone away, and amazingly, Sammy has gone with an EV-DO Rev. 0 radio (as opposed to Rev. A) which means you'll be limping along with slower data speeds than you'd expect from your average modern CDMA smartphone. Look for it to hit Sprint's site and stores starting this Sunday, July 11. Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Samsung Intercept for Sprint now totally official: July 11 for $100

Samsung Intercept for Sprint now totally official: July 11 for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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125cc motorcycle + DIY fiberglass fairing = 214mpg, super cool looks

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/125cc-motorcycle-diy-fiberglass-fairing-214mpg-super-cool-l/

While the quest for alternate fuels goes on, so too other peoples' search for the ultimate in economy while running on good 'ol petrol. Allert Jacobs DIY creation reaches near the pinnacle of two-wheeled efficiency, almost doubling the stock Honda Innova 125i's 114mpg rating. He hand-crafted the fiberglass shell above, which slides forward to allow easy egress and looks rather close to the dustbin fairings post-WWII race bikes used to achieve incredible speeds -- before they were banned in 1958 due to crosswind instability. No word on what Jacobs' creation is like to ride in a stiff gale, but we must say his bike looks rather more badass than the stock model.

[Photo credit: Hans Pieterse]

125cc motorcycle + DIY fiberglass fairing = 214mpg, super cool looks originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mamiya churns out 33 megapixel RZ33 digital camera: yours for $18k

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/mamiya-churns-out-33-megapixel-rz33-digital-camera-yours-for-1/

It's sort of affordable by Mamiya standards, but the $17,990 asking price affixed to the outfit's new RZ33 large-sensor digital camera kit is still apt to detract all but the most professional of professionals. Boasting a 33 megapixel CCD sensor, CompactFlash support and a promise to produce mind-blowing images, this beast-of-a-digicam is said to offer "cable-free digital operation [that's] just as smooth and trouble-free as shooting with film." As you'd expect, it's fully compatible with all RZ system lenses, viewfinders and (most) accessories, and you'll also find rack and pinion bellows focusing, inbuilt vertical-horizontal rotation and an optional interchangeable power winder. Hit the source link for the nitty-gritty, but only if you've got the cheddar to cover the biggest impulse buy of your life.

Mamiya churns out 33 megapixel RZ33 digital camera: yours for $18k originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entelligence: The evolution of the TV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/entelligence-the-evolution-of-the-tv/

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

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In a world of connected screens, the venerable TV continues to wait in isolation while the personal computer and the cell phone have become ubiquitously connected. Sure, there have been experiments in interactive TV -- gadgets like WebTV and modern game consoles are connected devices, and set-top boxes like the Roku and TiVo add connected components -- but most TVs in the US remain blissfully ignorant of the internet. There's arguably more TV content viewed on PCs than there is web content consumed on TVs. Here's why the TV remains disconnected and how that might change.

First, the PC and TV don't get along well. It's been a match that's been tried for more than a decade. It would seem like a no brainer: take a device with great connectivity and pair it with the TV. In the 90s Gateway introduced a line of Destination PCs that were designed for living room use, Microsoft later built some of the best TV and PC integration with their Media Center efforts, and even Apple has added a ten foot user experience to Mac OS with its Front Row UI. None of these efforts ever went mainstream. Why? Simple: PCs are designed for smaller screens, mice and keyboards, and TVs aren't. No matter what shell you layer on top, you're still stuck with a PC OS underneath that's not optimized for the TV experience.

Continue reading Entelligence: The evolution of the TV

Entelligence: The evolution of the TV originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YouTube launches Leanback, mobile site gets HTML5 revamp (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/youtube-launches-leanback-mobile-site-gets-html5-revamp-video/

Looks like YouTube's having quite the day. The site has officially rolled out Leanback, its television-friendly interface first espied during Google TV's big unveiling. The interface works via keyboard arrow keys -- sorry, no option to use the mouse -- letting you scroll through your feeds / recommendations, categories, playback options, and search bar. Videos encompass the entire browser menu and will crank up the HD when available. So far, we're seeing snappy response with navigation, and some utter embarrassment at the (unfortunately accurate) suggestions YouTube is throwing our way.

Meanwhile on the handheld front, YouTube's also pushed live a new mobile site. New touted features include a more touch-friendly UI, further incorporation of the main site's elements such as favorites and ratings, and a generally speedier existence. YouTube also promises to work at bringing update parity across its desktop and portable kin, "unlike native apps which are not updated as frequently" (come on, tell us how you really feel, guys). Since the TV season is in a bit of a lull anyway, might as well grab your iPhone, Android device, HTPC remote, laptop, or whatever other screen you have and play catchup with your viral videos. Promotional footage after the break.

Continue reading YouTube launches Leanback, mobile site gets HTML5 revamp (video)

YouTube launches Leanback, mobile site gets HTML5 revamp (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cathay Pacific bringing 50Mbps WiFi, live TV and in-flight calling to fleet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/cathay-pacific-bringing-50mbps-wifi-live-tv-and-in-flight-calli/

Mmm... we like where this is headed. While legacy airlines in America are struggling to outfit their fleets with in-flight WiFi alone, Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways is showing 'em how it's done. The airline has just inked a memorandum of understanding with Panasonic Avionics for the "provision of full broadband connectivity on all Cathay Pacific and Dragonair passenger aircraft." Yeah, you read that correctly -- by early 2012, Cathay will make 50Mbps internet service, in-flight GSM cellphone service (voice, SMS and data) as well as live and pay-per-view television available to every last passenger. The finer details are still being hammered out, and we aren't told whether every single bird in its fleet will be online from Day 1, but we're still as giddy as ever for this to become a reality. Here's hoping this pushes those other airlines into getting with the program, and at the very least, it ought to give you plenty of reason to take that Asian vacation you've been putting off.

Continue reading Cathay Pacific bringing 50Mbps WiFi, live TV and in-flight calling to fleet

Cathay Pacific bringing 50Mbps WiFi, live TV and in-flight calling to fleet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:46:00 EDT. Please see our term! s for us e of feeds.

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Facebook Dominates Third-Party Logins For All But News

Source: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_dominates_third-party_logins_for_all_but.php

More and more, we're logging in to websites using our credentials from sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google or Yahoo. But who's leading in the battle of the third-party login? What login do we chose when it comes to entertainment sites like MTV? How about news sites like Reuters?

According to Gigya, a provider of tools for social sharing and third-party logins, Faceboook leads the pack in all realms but one - news sites.

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Looking at logins across all sites, Facebook is the clear leader. When we looked at similar statistics from Gigya last January, Facebook led by a factor of nearly 2-to-1 over Twitter and Myspace. Since then, Gigya has added a number of logins and now Facebook leads by nearly 3-to-1, with 46% of all social network logins. The closest competitor across all sites is Google with 17%. Twitter follows behind Google with 14%, barely leading Yahoo's 13%.

The numbers switch around when we start breaking them down into different categories. Facebook becomes even more dominant, with 52%, when we look at entertainment websites, with Twitter and Myspace jumping into second and third place. For B2B websites, the distribution is a bit more even overall, with Facebook taking 37% of the pie, and Google, Yahoo and Twitter all coming in with around 18%.

The one sphere that really sticks out, however, is the login we chose when it comes to the news. Of all the logins to news sites tracked by Gigya, 45% are completed using our Twitter credentials, with only 25% using Facebook and 16% using Google. The numbers seem to solidify our vision of Twitter as a network best used to quickly share links and "newsy" bits of information.

For the full results of Gigya's look at what logins we're using where, take a look at the full infographic on its website.

Images courtesy of Gigya.

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You Can Get Great Images from a Not-So-Great Camera [Photography]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5581273/you-can-get-great-images-from-a-very-cheap-camera

It's not a new idea, but it bears repeating: setup and skill are usually a lot more important than how expensive your camera is. A photo shoot using only an iPhone 3GS camera puts the lie to camera stat obsessions.

Lee Morris of the Fstoppers blog took the image up top, and many similarly striking shots, using only an iPhone 3GS. Well, only in the sense that he was using studio lights, a backdrop, a professional model, and his experience as a photographer. Still, as you can see from the raw and slightly edited Flickr set, blaming your camera for not capturing what you want can only get you so far. It hits on the same point as the "Best Camera" community: your time is best spent learning how light, angle, and other factors affect your photos, rather than wondering if other shooters are trucking with more megapixels than you.

For a full 10 minutes of iPhone 3GS shooting, check out Morris' video of his shoot:

What's the best set of photos you've taken with a seemingly crappy cam? How have you compensated for older equipment to grab great shots? Spread the links and wisdom around in the comments.

The iPhone Fashion Shoot By Lee Morris [f stoppers via Strobist]

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Android 2.2 Dusts iOS4 In JavaScript Performance [Smartphones]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5581281/android-22-dusts-ios4-in-javascript-performance

Testing stock browsers found within Android 2.2 (Nexus One) and iOS4 (iPhone 4), ars technica discovered that there's no comparison in JavaScript performance. But DoodleJump plays a bit smoother on my iPhone, which is 99% of what really matters. [arstechnica]

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Sharp's LR388G9 LCD controller suggests more products with dual screens

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/sharps-lr388g9-lcd-controller-suggests-more-products-with-dual/

While we'll let competitors tell us whether the chip's "an industry first," Sharp's certainly serious about devices with twin screens -- this new LR388G9 controller chip pumps pixels simultaneously to each of two 1,024 x 480 LCDs. Sure, that resolution may sound pathetic compared to your Cinema Display, but this silicon's intended for the likes of e-readers and phones, where a single image that size is desirable and a pair would be most welcome. Never mind that the chip can send 1080p content at 24fps to an external display, too. Of course, what we really want to see is a nice autostereoscopic smartphone fitted with Sharp's 3D HD camera module. Pretty please?

Sharp's LR388G9 LCD controller suggests more products with dual screens originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 06:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Borders' Kobo-powered eBook Store now live with 1.5 million titles, Android and BlackBerry apps (update)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/borders-kobo-powered-ebook-store-now-live-with-1-5-million-titl/

Exactly how many eBook stores do we need? Depends. If you own a dedicated e-reader then one is all you get. Own a tablet or smartphone and the world of eBook stores is pretty much yours for the taking through competing apps. Borders looks to be taking a hybrid approach by offering up the $150 Kobo, $120 Aluratek Libre (available July 20th), $170 Sony Touch, and $150 Sony Pocket eReaders and today's launch of a self-branded eBook store powered by Kobo's catalog of more than 1.5 million titles -- "thousands" of which are free and available in a variety of formats including ePub (primarily) and PDF. Borders also has desktop PC and Mac apps ready for download in addition to a few apps listed as "coming soon" for both Android and BlackBerry devices -- these join the apps already released for Apple's iOS. It just went live so why not hit the source and have a browse.

P.S. Funny enough, there's not a single mention of Spring Design's Alex on Borders' new site. Funny sad, not ha ha.

Update: The Android and BlackBerry apps are now live.

Continue reading Borders' Kobo-powered eBook Store now live with 1.5 million titles, Android and BlackBerry apps (update)

Borders' Kobo-powered eBook Store now live with 1.5 million titles, Android and BlackBerry apps (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 07:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aava Moorestown phone running MeeGo hits the wilds

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/aava-moorestown-phone-running-meego-hits-the-wilds/

If you don't understand the significance of what you're looking at then you're probably not paying attention. First off, that Aava slab of WoW slaying smartphone is underpinned by Intel's Moorestown processor. Yes, Intel, not ARM, as Chipzilla gets serious about taking its silicon mobile. Second, that's the freshly minted MeeGo OS for handsets that just made its first alpha appearance last week. And it just happens to be the OS that Nokia, the world's largest handset manufacturer, will be building its future generation of super smartphones upon. We'll give you a second to take it all in.

Fortunately for us, the device is in the hands of Steve "Chippy" Paine over at Carrypad / UMPC Portal. As such, this is just the first of many revelations to come. Hit the man up on Twitter if you want to follow his adventure first hand.

Aava Moorestown phone running MeeGo hits the wilds originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 07:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung pushes out BX2350 and BX2335 1080p monitors

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/samsung-pushes-out-bx2350-and-bx2335-1080p-monitors/

We've always been fairly fond of Samsung's Touch of Color design scheme, so we're glad to see it's still firmly in place on the company's new "eco-friendly" LED displays. The outfit's debuting its 50 and 30 series panels today, with the BX2350 and BX2335 both offering a 2ms response time, 1080p resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio and a rather unique new feature called Magic Return. Put simply, this allows users working with two monitors to have their desktop automatically moved to a powered-on screen if one screen happens to shut down -- Sammy doesn't mention if both monitors have to be in this new series, but we suspect those details (along with price and availability dates) will seep out soon.

Continue reading Samsung pushes out BX2350 and BX2335 1080p monitors

Samsung pushes out BX2350 and BX2335 1080p monitors originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 07:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hacker creates Lego Mindstorms NXT-606 drum kit, just because he can (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/hacker-creates-lego-mindstorms-nxt-606-drum-kit-just-because-he/

If you've taken your Lego Mindstorms NXT kit to the Nerd Cup, created a 3D scanner to digitize your Precious Moments collection, and trained it to solve a Rubik's Cube, you might think you've run out of things to do. Perhaps this was the problem that Peter Cocteau faced -- or maybe he just wanted to make the most bombastic NXT project yet. He created an 8-bit sample drum machine with 24 sounds controlled entirely by two Lego rotation sensors. He did have to make a few augmentations to get the audio output working (and to add in that bitching DJ-style light to make it more club friendly). He's kindly provided all the source that you'll need to get your little blocks bumpin', but if you want yours to be just like his you'll need to do your own soldering.

Continue reading Hacker creates Lego Mindstorms NXT-606 drum kit, just because he can (video)

Hacker creates Lego Mindstorms NXT-606 drum kit, just because he can (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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