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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Google Navigation video hands-on: you want this

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/28/google-navigation-video-hands-on-you-want-this/

We apologize for being fanish, but Google has pulled off something with its new Navigation elements in Google Maps (or is it Google Maps in a Navigation app? It's hard to tell) that has serious ramifications for a navigation device industry used to charging money for functionality. The introduction of satellite view, a tasteful touch of street view (peep a still of your next turn, or see your destination), and of course regular stuff like spoken directions and street names, and Google's voice recognition applied to search (anywhere on the device just tap voice search and start your phrase with "navigate to") make this a pretty astonishing offering for what's essentially a free app with the purchase of an Android 2.0 device. The biggest worry here is that if you lose signal you won't be able to pull maps, but while there's no whole-map caching, it does cache a route when you enter it in, so as long as you don't stray too far from the beaten path you should be fine with a dropped signal here or there. But enough of our blather, check out a video walkthrough after the break.

Gallery: Google Navigation hands-on

Continue reading Google Navigation video hands-on: you want this

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

Google Navigation video hands-on: you want this originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia's N97 mini gets its shipping papers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/28/nokias-n97-mini-gets-its-shipping-papers/

Right on cue, the smaller-but-just-barely N97 mini is now ready for public consumption over in Europe. Granted, we're certainly at the tail end of October, but we can't say that we caught Nokia in a lie or anything based on what was said last month in Stuttgart. You've already committed the specifications to memory and read all about firmware 2.0, so now all that's left to do is run along, fork out €450 ($667) and wonder forever if this decision will positively or negatively change the course of your life.

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia's N97 mini gets its shipping papers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Droid Eris priced at $99 for Verizon?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/28/htc-droid-eris-priced-at-99-for-verizon/

Sure, the DROID's getting all the attention today, but you might recall that it's not the only thing Verizon has in the pipe has it preps its first Android assault -- HTC's got the Droid Eris in there somewhere, too, which is shaping up to be little more than a branded Hero in a slightly different shell. Against the insanely-spec'd DROID, that may not be a drool-worthy proposition, but fortunately, it's looking like Verizon is going to be pursuing an aggressive tiered pricing strategy that might allow these phones to coexist in peace and everlasting harmony: unlike the DROID's $199 sticker, gdgt has it on good authority that the Droid Eris will run a hundie less at $99. That spanks Sprint's version which currently runs $179.99, but hey, if this means we're going to see a price war down in the 528MHz trenches for the Android midrange, we're all for it.

[Image via AndroidGuys]

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC Droid Eris priced at $99 for Verizon? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix streaming purportedly hitting Nintendo's Wii next

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/28/netflix-streaming-purportedly-hitting-nintendos-wii-next/

Mmhmm. We see precisely where this is going. First came Microsoft's Xbox 360, then came the PlayStation 3. Now, the beast that is Netflix's "Watch Instantly" is coming to Nintendo's Wii... or that's the scuttlebutt, anyway. According to StreamingMedia, an undisclosed source close to the project has confirmed that the Big N is currently testing Netflix streaming on the Wii, and that it'll be rolled out to the public "very soon." Our initial reaction is to think that "very soon" will translate into "before the holidays," though we all know that only time will tell. But hey, when you've been waiting for this to happen since March, patience comes naturally.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

Netflix streaming purportedly hitting Nintendo's Wii next originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MTube Android MID streams media to the TV and back via touchscreen (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/28/mtube-android-mid-streams-media-to-the-tv-and-back-via-touchscre/

MTube, known most famously in these parts for its diminutive, WiMAX-sportin' media player, seems to be putting some time and effort into Android as of late. While the MTube II hybrid Android / XP / tablet / netbook has certainly inspired its share of techno-lust, the Android MID hits us where it counts: in front of the television. The unholy union of a handheld and a multimedia controller, this guy lets you drag and drop video from the device to your TV, stream media to the TV or vice versa, and transfer files between multiple MTubes -- all this in addition to the core functionality of the OS. Details are still scant: although we know it's rocking an ARM Processor, a 7.6-inch 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen OLED, and Android 1.6, there's no word on storage or memory, or even how the video is streamed (we think that WiFi might be a good guess). As it stands, the thing is most certainly not ready for prime time (as becomes painfully obvious when the system crashes at 1 minute 45 seconds), but as a taste of things to come we're definitely intrigued. Peep the video after the break to see for yourself.

Continue reading MTube Android MID streams media to the TV and back via touchscreen (video)

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Video

MTube Android MID streams media to the TV and back via touchscreen (video) originally appeared on Engadget on ! Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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