Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, January 22, 2009

LogMeIn App Allows Remote Access of Your PC or Mac via the iPhone or iPod Touch [IPhone]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/s9sqNQ52btE/logmein-app-allows-remote-access-of-your-pc-or-mac-via-the-iphone-or-ipod-touch

LogMeIn has taken their awesome remote access desktop app and ported it to the iPhone and iPod Touch—allowing one click control of your PC or Mac from anywhere.

The guys at TUAW gave the LogMeIn Ignition app a thorough test and discovered that it was stable and worked exceedingly well on Wi-Fi and 3G. You can even use EDGE in a pinch. And it was a lot easier to configure than other free or low priced VNC solutions. However, there is one very big downside. The $30 price tag makes it one of the more expensive apps in the store—a small price to pay for support pros that could make use of the anytime, anywhere access, but probably a bit pricey for the casual user. [LogMeIn and TUAW]

Win 7 Tip: Gadgets Are Integrated Directly onto the Desktop, But Are Slightly Buggy [Windows 7]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/PFMbkoz2jrI/win-7-tip-gadgets-are-integrated-directly-onto-the-desktop-but-are-slightly-buggy

Windows 7 has eliminated the Windows Sidebar and instead has placed gadgets (widgets) directly onto the desktop. They've also gotten rid of the Notes gadget and replaced it with a program called Sticky Notes. Updated.

Getting rid of Windows Sidebar has actually made using the gadgets less cumbersome than it was to use in Vista. Previously in Vista, the Show Desktop function would minimize the Sidebar program, so you wouldn't be able to see your gadgets. In addition, memory dumps and program crashes in Sidebar prevented you from using your gadgets completely.

Accessing the gadgets in Window 7 may seem like a mystery at first, until you right-click the desktop. In the drop-down menu, you should see "Gadgets," or as an alternative, you can access them in the Control Panel. In the beta, eight default gadgets come installed: Calendar, Clock, CPU Meter, Currency, Feed Headlines, Media Center, Picture Puzzle, Slide Show, Stocks and Weather. There hasn't been any major overhaul to the gadgets that come preloaded with Windows 7 themselves—they are just as customizable and function exactly the same as if they were in Vista. Not surprisingly, I had no trouble installing any gadget made for Vista from Microsoft's collection online.

Notes gadget is not installed by default—I was surprised to find it missing, but instead I found a program called Sticky Notes that is apparently intended to replace it. Accessible from the Start Menu under Accessories, the Sticky Notes will actually resize to its contents unlike the Vista gadget. It's an overall improvement, but the notes lack! the abi lity to customize your font and the ability to change the opacity. But it does bring Windows 7 up to OS X's Stickies in desktop-level sticky note functionality.

Even though the Windows 7 beta seems stable for the most part, there are a few quirks here and there and gadgets are no exception. The gadgets seem to be incompatible with certain User Account Control (UAC) settings. I didn't notice it until I turned my UAC settings completely off to do something and my gadgets disappeared. I turned them back on (and voila!) my gadgets came back. Seeing how UAC settings now seem to be directly involved with Administrator status (more to come on this), it's annoying to constantly reboot if you want your gadgets. Hopefully, Microsoft will fix this bug in the final release.

Update: Commenter Gank pointed out a solution to the gadget/UAC bug here (thanks Gank!). Also, Sticky Notes is apparently not a new feature, but a carryover from previous editions of Windows. That doesn't change the fact that the Notes gadget is still gone. Also, if you have a computer with any type of pen input, you can "ink" straight onto the notes as well (thanks Anthony!).

View our other Windows 7 tips and our continuing coverage here.

How Illegal Satellite Combated the Censorship of Obama's Speech in China [China]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/woyF8MqcrDI/how-illegal-satellite-combated-the-censorship-of-obamas-speech-in-china

While Americans had millions of ways to watch Obama's inauguration speech, here in China, I'm giving thanks for my one: gray-market Filipino satellite. Without it, I would've missed anything past where Obama muttered "communists."

Right now, satellite television is still technically illegal in China, thanks to a 1993 regulation that said only hotels, media outlets and apartment buildings that are specifically for foreigners are allowed to use satellite dishes. Because of that, there's no China-branded satellite company and most TVs come with just the smattering of local regional Chinese channels and, of course, the CCTV.

There's a way around it though. A gray market has popped up in most cities to provide satellite cable services – including cable boxes and regularly updated encryption cards – for anyone willing to pay. Roughly $300 a year will get you channels like BBC World and CNN, HBO and (my personal favorite) the Discovery Channel.

The cards catch satellite signals from the Philippines, which are usually good at not crapping out and give you the added bonus of occasionally glimpsing a crazy mirror world of good ol' American pop culture. Did you know the Philippines had a Project Runway of their own called... Project Runway Philippines?

But I digress. Illegal Filipino satellite equipment saved me from what local Chinese had to watch: The CCTV's live (up until a certain moment) broadcast of the President's inauguration address.

Oh crap! Did he just say "fascism and communism"?! CUT CUT CUT. Um... so, person translating the broadcast... uh... what kind of problems do you think Obama will be facing with regards to the U.S. economy?

The rest of the address was only broadcast later in government-approved snippets.

I suppose I should also take time to be thankful that I speak English, sin! ce trans lations of his speech also had offending parts edited out.

Early Windows Mobile 6.5 Leak Hints at New Interface, Zune Integration [Windows Mobile]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/mllBPERKmEI/early-windows-mobile-65-leak-hints-at-new-interface-zune-integration

One of the obsessives at the XDA Developer forum has an early build of the OS for the old HTC Blue Angel handset. There's not a whole lot to see yet, but here's what matters:

These observations are taken from a video, viewable here.

There is a new interface! Sort of! The typical 6.1 home screen is still present at times, but there appears to be an alternate, Zune-like menu too. It's glitchy for the time being, but it looks like a step in the right direction, and like it runs significantly more smoothly than many of the third-party interface layers out there (Yeah, I'm talking about you, TouchFlo 3d). There are also a few new element skins—namely a new dialer, finally. The keyboard doesn't get shown off, but I'd assume that'll be changed too.
Zune integration is here, in a way. The aforementioned new menu doesn't just look and feel like the clean Zune UI we're all so used to, it contains icons for media playback at the bottom, including music and photos. Both had image previews in their entries, and there were specific music functions built into the first layer of menus. In other words, the default user interface for Windows Mobile will be usable as a media player.
Intertial scrolling is everywhere now. This might seem minor, but the psychological impact of smooth interface movements is huge. Grids of icons can now be thrown around, as can the contact list and web browser (though we saw this in the Mobile IE6 emulator).
There are a few other new, minor features seen in the video, but it's unclear which of them belong to Microsoft, which to HTC and which to random third parties (this is XDA, after all). And as I said before, this is probably ! a very e arly build and not totally representative of the final product. However, if these few improvements are anything to go by, the user experience will be markedly improved for users of WinMo 6.5, especially on touchscreen handsets. [WMPoweruser via Phonemag via SlashPhone]

DVR Remote Is Another, Better Way to Control TiVo With Your iPhone [Software]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/FLnHdXQ-d2M/dvr-remote-is-another-better-way-to-control-tivo-with-your-iphone

Not long after we saw the App Store's first TiVo remote for the iPhone, we see its second, DVR Remote.

DVR Remote uses Wi-Fi to connect to TiVos on your network with a one-button command. I've tried out the $3 program, and even though it's $2 more than its competitor (which has recently been renamed RemoteT), it also feels far more polished with nicer graphics, instantaneous TiVo syncing and handy-looking Now Playing list that I couldn't spot in my build.

The iPhone isn't quite our ultimate universal remote, but with enough specific apps it could certainly get us a bit closer to the dream. [DVR Remote (iTunes Link)]

Obama sported bulletproof suit for inaugural proceedings?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/obama-sported-bulletproof-suit-for-inaugural-proceedings/

Apparently, the Photosynth glitching and iPhone-like GPS blip on CNN weren't the only high tech actions in play at President Obama's inauguration yesterday. According to one of our favorite daily reads, Officer.com, the Prez was wearing "bullet-resistant clothing," which experts (and sci-fi fanatics) are taking to mean a bullet-proof suit. The folks over at Slate speculate that he might have been adorned in an outfit manufactured by MIguel Caballero, a Colombian company that specializes in bullet-resistant gear like leather jackets, windbreakers, and yes... ruffled tuxedo shirts. We'd like to imagine that stuffed into the pocket of that handsome outfit he was sporting was a Kevlar handkerchief -- but listen up Obama: Sasha and Malia are not going to be down with that bulletproof backpack.

Update: VBS.tv went down to Colombia and actually tested out Caballero's wares -- check out a video after the break.

[Via Wired]

Continue reading Obama sported bulletproof suit for inaugural proceedings?

Filed under: Wearables

Obama sported bulletproof suit for inaugural proceedings? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Adamo to hit the streets in the second half of 2009?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/dell-adamo-to-hit-the-streets-in-the-second-half-of-2009/

If the "reliable source" that spoke to Digitimes is, well, reliable, it looks like Foxconn has landed the Dell Adamo gig. According to the article, the sleek and stylish device is in sample production as we speak, but won't enter volume production until the second half of 2009 -- to the tune of about 400,000 units. Of course, this flies in the face of Dell's statement at the CES unveil, where a company spokesperson said that the thing would be out in the first half of this year -- and that's not the only contradiction here, as Foxconn's Edmund Ding has stated that "he has no idea what the hell anybody is talking about." (OK, so we paraphrased that last bit).

[Via Electronista]

Filed under: Laptops

Dell Adamo to hit the streets in the second half of 2009? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corsair joins SSD party with 2.5-inch 128GB drive

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/corsair-joins-ssd-party-with-2-5-inch-128gb-drive/

Corsair is entering the solid-state market with a 2.5-inch 128GB SSD. The MLC NAND-based drive boasts rather moderate 90MB/sec read and 70MB/sec write speeds. At £326 / $449, it's priced on par with OCZ's offerings, but you're still paying a hefty premium to say goodbye to hard disks. No word yet on availability. The company promises more SSDs are in the pipeline.

Filed under: Storage

Corsair joins SSD party with 2.5-inch 128GB drive originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple records another record quarter -- $1.61B profit

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/apple-records-another-record-quarter-1-61b-profit/

Apple just announced its quarterly results, and it looks the brutal economy isn't bruising the fruit at all -- the company posted a record $1.61B profit on $10.17B in revenue. Adjusted to reflect the subscription accounting Apple uses for the iPhone and Apple TV, that's $2.3B of income on $11.8B of revenue. Sales were all strong -- Macs were up nine percent to 2.5M sold, iPods up three percent to 22.7M sold, and iPhones were up 88 percent to 4.3M sold. If you're keeping track, that means Apple's now sold well over 10M iPhone 3Gs on top of beating its goal of 10M total iPhones in 2008, which is pretty tremendous. Acting CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer are taking questions from analysts now, we'll let you know if anything interesting happens -- as you'd expect, the first question was "How's Steve?" and it got basically a non-answer.

2:18PM - After rattling off Apple's core goals and beliefs, Tim Cook said that "regardless of who is in what job, those values are so embedded in this company that Apple will do extremely well." Neither him or Peter would speak to succession plans or comment on Steve's health.

Continue reading Apple records another record quarter -- $1.61B profit

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Laptops

Apple records another record quarter -- $1.61B profit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel readying 320GB SSDs?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/intel-readying-320gb-ssds/

Hot on the heels of the news that Intel's shutting down a big old manufacturing facility in the Philippines, we get a little unrelated ray of sunshine out of the company. We're hearing they'll apparently debut some new, 320GB solid states this fall, about doubling the capacity of its current models. None of this has been confirmed by Intel, of course, but the reports are that the company is telling PC manufacturers to expect them. That's all we've got on it for now but we'll let you know when something more concrete appears, okay?

Filed under: Storage

Intel readying 320GB SSDs? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei bringing Android smartphone to next month's MWC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/huawei-bringing-android-smartphone-to-next-months-mwc/

We already knew Huawei's gearing up to enter the Android smartphone market -- at least in Australia -- and now the company has confirmed plans to show its first device at February's Mobile World Congress. Unfortunately we don't know much else at the moment, but we expect to shed some more light on this next month. Additionally, the company says it'll be showing the world's smallest modem, the world's first commercial HSPA+ Stick, and a new digital photo display, among other surprises. We're hoping those known unknowns turn out to be more Android phones, but something tells us they wouldn't be so coy with that.

[Via Phonescoop]

Filed under: Cellphones

Huawei bringing Android smartphone to next month's MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Specs for HP's Mini 1100 pop up, ExpressCard/54 slot is a go

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/22/specs-for-hps-mini-1100-pop-up-expresscard-54-slot-is-a-go/

Looks like HP's web monkeys are filling in the product pages for those unannounced Mini 1100s we spotted earlier -- spec pages for the 1133CL, 1135NR, 1140NR and 1141NR have been posted, and those rumors of an ExpressCard/54 slot are apparently true. It sounds like the 1141NR is the Vivienne Tam edition -- it comes with a "Vivienne Tam sleeve" -- but apart from that and Bluetooth in the 1135NR and 1140NR, they've all got the same 10.1-inch 1024 x 576 display, 1.6GHz Atom N270, 1GB RAM, 60GB drive, and three-cell battery. No idea why HP's got so many different confusing model numbers for what seems like the exact same product, but we're guessing we'll find out more soon -- hopefully there's a bit more sense behind this silliness than with the Eee alphabet soup.

[Thanks, Ricardo]

Read - 1133CL
Read - 1135NR
Read - 1140NR
Read - 1141NR

Filed under: Laptops

Specs for HP's Mini 1100 pop up, ExpressCard/54 slot is a go originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:29:00 EST. Please see our te rms for use of feeds.

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Adapt MPJ-101 pico projector: tiny, cute, available

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/22/adapt-mpj-101-pico-projector-tiny-cute-available/

Go ahead, you can admit it: you're really, really into picos -- the best of us are. Adapt's update to its pocket projector, the MPJ-101 -- which is nearly identical to the previous model -- shouldn't fill us with joy, but it does. This little (125 x 55 x 23 mm) monster's got 1GB of built in memory, an SD slot, and two .5 watt speakers. It projects up to 10 lumens of brightness at a resolution of 640×480 from around 6 to 50 feet. All this excitement doesn't come cheap, though -- expect to shell out about a thousand bucks for this teeny bundle of joy. Oh boy.

Filed under: Displays

Adapt MPJ-101 pico projector: tiny, cute, available originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 06:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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boxee mulls production of its own set-top-box

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/22/boxee-mulls-production-of-its-own-set-top-box/

boxee took full advantage of its space at CES this year, and according to a recent post on its blog, it fielded quite a few inquiries from other companies about crafting a boxee-branded set-top-box. Currently, the only way to get boxee running is to install it on your TV-connected PC or inelegantly onto an Apple TV. A number of companies approached boxee asking for its thoughts on embedding the application into "existing or future products," so the cats at boxee are coming right out and soliciting your opinion on the matter. boxee does caution that getting it baked into a device would take "a long time," but it certainly seems like that ball is rolling. So, what say you? Would you snap one up? Or would you balk at the notion of adding yet another STB underneath your television?

[Thanks, cros13]

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

boxee mulls production of its own set-top-box originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Sanyo's collection of new "dual cameras" handled, critiqued

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/22/video-sanyos-collection-of-new-dual-cameras-handled-critiqu/

Video: Sanyo's collection of

Sanyo announced a plethora of "dual camera" models (camcorders with still capture aspirations) just yesterday, and Geek.com's Chris Gampat was lucky enough to get a little hands on time with the lot, choosing three favorites: the VPC-FH1, VPC-HD2000, and VPC-WH1. The first two are similar in terms of specs, both capturing 1080p video at 60fps and 8 megapixel stills at 12fps through a 10x optical zoom. They differ only in form factor, the VPC-FH1 offering a traditional style and the VPC-HD2000 coming with a pistol grip. Then there's the more daring VPCP-WH1, waterproof down to 10 feet and coming in a "look at me, sailor" yellow, but only shooting 720p video at 30fps and 2 megapixel stills. However, its 30x optical zoom is perfect for spotting Piping Plovers, and the 3.5 hour battery life means this thing can probably survive longer underwater than you. Videos of these three are below, and surely one them fits your lifestyle, so make a little room this spring, won't you?

Read - Hands-on: Sanyo VPC-FH1 and VPC-HD2000
Read - Hands-on: Sanyo VPC-WH1 waterproof camcorder

Continue reading Video: Sanyo's collection of new "dual cameras" handled, critiqued

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Portable Video

Video: Sanyo's collection of new "dual cameras" handled, critiqued originally a! ppeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC debuts new Touch Cruise phone with 'Footprints' geotagging

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/22/htc-debuts-new-touch-cruise-phone-with-footprints-geotagging/

HTC's got an all-new version of its GPS-centric Touch Cruise handset, with a thinner, slicker design and a new HTC Footprints app for integrating that location data with photos and notes. Of course, the phone doubles as a traditional in-car navigation system, cradle included, with GPS and a-GPS, but there's plenty else to love here, including quad band GSM, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, a microSD slot and a 3.2 megapixel camera. The 2.8-inch QVGA screen betrays this phone's consumer-bent, but the truly notable functionality here is actually in the software: HTC Footprints takes geotagging a step further, allowing to to take notes and audio clips and embed them in a "postcard" of sorts, all still tied to that GPS location data -- the cards are even auto-named by their location. Footprints also works outdoors and indoors, which isn't quite explained, but we're guessing it just remembers where you were when you lost a signal. There's a world-friendly WCDMA / HSPA 900 / 2100MHz version, of course, but us North Americans will be getting the 850 / 1900MHz flavor as a unlocked handset for $500 to $600 in Q2. Check out the read links below for the full PR and some early hands-ons, and there's video after the break.

Gallery: HTC's new Touch Cruise

[Via Phone Scoop; thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Read - HTC PR
Read - Touch Cruise hands-on (in Russian)
Read - Touch Cruise hands-on (in English)

Continue reading HTC debuts new Touch Cruise phone with 'Footprints' geotagging

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Handhelds

HTC debuts new Touch Cruise phone with 'Footprints' geotagging originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 09:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

ikea hotels

http://www.google.com/search?q=ikea+hotels

Positive Fanatics - The Unofficial IKEA Web Journal

IKEA Hotels coming? March 21st, 2006. Goto comments Leave a comment. Dft. " Golden Tulip Hospitality Group and Inter IKEA Systems Holding B.V. initiate the ...
www.positivefanatics.com/2006/03/ikea_hotel.html - 41k - Cached - Similar pages -

Ikea opens instore hostel in Norway | Travel | guardian.co.uk

Jul 13, 2007 ... Mr Ullebust said that, as far as he knew, this was Ikea's first foray into thehotel business. Every night, the 30 lucky few will be able to ...
www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/jul/13/travelnews.norway - 85k - Cached - Similar pages -

London: B&B Belgravia - Traveler Reviews - Ikea hotel - TripAdvisor

B&B Belgravia: Ikea hotel - See 120 traveler reviews, 35 candid photos, and great deals for B&B Belgravia, London, England, at TripAdvisor.
www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g186338-d253921-r3638728-B_B_Belgravia-London_England.html - 88k - Cached - Similar pages -

COMPANY NEWS; Ikea Joins Venture To Build Hotels - New York Times
- 3:49pm
Allegiance Capital N.A., headed by the hotel developer Jonathan Myette, and the Swedish furniture retailer Ikea A.B. are beginning a joint venture to build ...
query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEEDD163BF934A15752C1A966958260 - 39k -Cached - Similar pages -

Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook: Experiential Marketing ...
- 3:48pm
IKEA hotels. Given the commoditized status and lack of differentiation of ... In summary, both the hotel and IKEA achieve "experiential marketing" which ...
www.augustinefou.com/2007/08/experiential-marketing-ikea-hotels.html - 146k -Cached - Similar pages -

Pittsburgh Shopping Hotel & Pittsburgh IKEA Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA

Discover the ultimate Pittsburgh shopping hotel positioned as the top Pittsburgh IKEA hotelin Pittsburgh, PA.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Nokia's Comes With Music service plans world tour

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/20/nokias-comes-with-music-service-plans-world-tour/

Nokia's all-you-can-eat Comes With Music service has been humming along quite nicely across the pond, but until now, we've been left in the dark about its plans for world domination. No more, as a recent Reuters report has it that the unlimited music service should be headed to Australia, Asia and Singapore later this quarter and Latin America / USA sometime this year. We're also told that more corners of Europe should get served in the future, though no window of time was handed out there. It should be interesting to see if any carriers jump in to subsidize these, but our gut feeling says they'll be sold for a premium unlocked at your nearest Nokia flagship.

[Via UnwiredView]

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio

Nokia's Comes With Music service plans world tour originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Sexy Eee PC Touch UI demonstrated

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/20/video-sexy-eee-pc-touch-ui-demonstrated/

Having trouble figuring out how a touchscreen Eee PC could fit into your life? No worries, ASUS just did all the heavy synaptic lifting for you with the release of a near 6-minute video showing its new Eee PC Touch UI. A UI teased at CES and built specifically for ASUS' new touchcreen Eees. All in all it makes a pretty case for why you should pick up a new Eee PC T91 or T101H convertible tablet later this year. Let's just hope the processor can cope.

Continue reading Video: Sexy Eee PC Touch UI demonstrated

Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

Video: Sexy Eee PC Touch UI demonstrated originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"Shining" phone steals a little Agora magic

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/20/shining-phone-steals-a-little-agora-magic/

Okay, we don't really know what's going on here, but a "Shining" phone that looks almost exactly like the original version of the Kogan Agora Android phone just popped up on Alibaba with a three-day delivery time and a 100-unit wholesale price of $240. Of course, the Agora was just delayed indefinitely, so this could just be nothing; contracting design and development out to faceless Chinese manufacturers like Kogan's doing is pretty much a deal with the KIRF devil, and those are definitely renders on the site, not actual pictures. Still, we're dying to see a flood of non-G1 Android handsets shake up the mobile market, and if getting stoked over sketchy Asian copies of semi-vaporware Australian phones is how we have to get our kicks, well, we're looking for new friends with an extra 24 grand and a healthy sense of forgiveness.

[Thanks, Raymanism]

Filed under: Cellphones

"Shining" phone steals a little Agora magic originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 06:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Albatron 22-inch multi-touch LCD becoming a reality in March

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/20/albatron-22-inch-multi-touch-lcd-becoming-a-reality-in-march/

Albatron 22-inch multi-touch LCD becoming a reality in March

After Microsoft announced Windows 7 would natively support multi-touch displays, Albatron was one of the first to show off a prototype panel intended to take advantage of that functionality. Seven months later the company is finally letting you know when you'll be able to buy one, and is also taking another opportunity to talk up its optical touch tech, which features sensors embedded into the bezel rather than the surface itself -- in theory resulting in a brighter image and greater durability. The company is planning to release its 21.5-inch LCD in March, and, while provided details are few, we know that the display will support 120Hz, have DVI and VGA inputs, and will relay touch information to the PC over USB. We also know that the company's motto is "captures the spirit of the Albatross," which we're going to go ahead and assume is a reference to Monty Python and not Baudelaire.

Filed under: Displays

Albatron 22-inch multi-touch LCD becoming a reality in March originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's VAIO P spotted for sale in Hong Kong, price tag spotted too

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/20/sonys-vaio-p-spotted-for-sale-in-hong-kong-price-tag-spotted-t/

Sony's VAIO P spotted for sale in Hong Kong, price tag spotted too

Just last week our hopes for an affordable VAIO P were quickly dashed as Amazon's UK site fixed what was apparently typo, setting the price on Sony's "don't call me a netbook" ultraportable to over $1,000. That's in-line with what we've been expecting for the US release, but still we'd held out some hope for a last-minute price cut. Now, like a twist of the knife, we have photos of the machines for sale in the wild -- with a wild price tag to match. Kip HT took these pictures (one above, one below) at a Hong Kong retailer and passed them along, sending word that the top-spec model was going for the equivalent of $2,188.48. No word on a price for the cheapest model, but it seems we now have confirmation that the Sony tax also applies overseas.

[Thanks, Kip HT]

Continue reading Sony's VAIO P spotted for sale in Hong Kong, price tag spotted too

Filed under: Laptops

Sony's VAIO P spotted for sale in Hong Kong, price tag spotted too originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: OQO model 2+ MID gets unboxed, previewed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/20/video-oqo-model-2-mid-gets-unboxed-previewed/

We were pretty stoked about the OQO model 2+ when we got to spend a few quality minutes with it at CES this year, and apparently actually getting one delivered to your house is even more spectacular. The cool cats over at MID Moves were able to score one of the Gobi / OLED-equipped handhelds for review, and rather than making us wait until all opinions were formed, they've hosted up a nice preview video along with a few high quality unboxing shots. Initial impressions seem pretty positive, with the SSD helping things along quite significantly. Granted, we would've preferred a WiFi-on battery life of more than two hours, but what fun would it be to not have a single gripe to harp on? More pictorial delight is in the read link, and the vid's just past the break.

[Via Slashgear]

Continue reading Video: OQO model 2+ MID gets unboxed, previewed

Filed under: Handhelds

Video: OQO model 2+ MID gets unboxed, previewed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tron For iPhone's Multitouch Multiplayer Mode is Awesome: Four Hands, One iPhone [Video]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/lXXNxdo4ndE/tron-for-iphones-multitouch-multiplayer-mode-is-awesome-four-hands-one-iphone

A well-implemented Tron for iPhone is cool enough on its own, but most impressive is this version's incredibly cool approach to multiplayer: a vertical splitscreen puts both players' hands in the game at once.

Credit goes to Japanese devs Pankaku, who have several other nice-looking music apps. The game's called Light Bike, and it's not in the store yet, but it will be soon—a free version is single-player only, and the multiplayer version (which can also play over wi-fi with up to four players—two on each phone) will cost a few bucks. [YouTube]

Windows 7 Beta takes another crown, besting Vista in SSD performance

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/18/windows-7-beta-takes-another-crown-besting-vista-in-ssd-perform/

It's no huge surprise, since Microsoft was planning on improving performance on this front, but now we've got some of our first solid numbers on Windows 7 Beta SSD performance. Nothing crazy spectacular, but Windows 7 looks to have a slight edge over Vista pretty much across the board, with better speed, access time and lower CPU usage -- not bad for a beta, let's hope things continue to improve as we approach "Microsoft would like your money for this" status.

Filed under: Storage

Windows 7 Beta takes another crown, besting Vista in SSD performance originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Viliv uncovers gorgeous X70 Atom Communication MID

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/18/viliv-uncovers-gorgeous-x70-atom-communication-mid/

Maybe we're just hot for sleek, thin, ultra sexy renders of handheld computing devices, but we dare anyone to call the unit pictured above unsightly (and mean it). Shortly after showcasing its swiveling S7 at CES, Viliv has taken the wraps off of its X70 Atom Communication MID. The handheld comes stocked with a 1.33GHz Atom Z520 CPU, a 7-inch WSVGA touchscreen, your choice of a 30GB / 60GB hard drive or an 8GB / 16GB SSD, Windows XP or Linux, a battery good for six hours of continuous movie playback, 1GB of RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, an SD / SDHC card slot, optional WiMAX / HSDPA modules, stereo speakers, a USB port and a built-in microphone for good measure. There's nary a mention of pricing / availability, but we're almost ready to hand over whatever it takes. Almost.

[Via iTechNews]

Filed under: Handhelds

Viliv uncovers gorgeous X70 Atom Communication MID originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CherryPal calls its Bing netbook a nettop, can't win for losing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/18/cherrypal-calls-its-bing-netbook-a-nettop-cant-win-for-losing/

We know, these newfangled terms can certainly get confusing, but you'd think a company producing miniature laptops would do a little research before assuming that "nettop" is actually just another word for "netbook." CherryPal has made it exceptionally easy for us to joke on it by introducing the first nettop we've ever seen that actually looks nothing like a diminutive desktop. In fact, the eco-friendly Bing has a fold-up 10.2-inch LCD -- you know, exactly like a laptop. Inexplicably launched this weekend at the Sundance Film Festival, the machine includes a 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 160GB hard drive, three USB 2.0 ports, an SD / MMC / MS card reader, WiFi, dual speakers, a 1,024 x 600 resolution panel, 0.3 megapixel webcam and a headphone jack to boot. Pricing is expected to hover around $250, but for a limited time, users interested in an actual nettop (imagine that, right?) can snag the Bing along with the C114 PC for a grand total of $399.

[Via Liliputing]

Filed under: Desktops

CherryPal calls its Bing netbook a nettop, can't win for losing originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon launching Wireless Network Extender femtocell on January 25

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/18/verizon-launching-wireless-network-extender-femtocell-on-january/

Sprint had the jump on this by a few months with its AIRAVE, but Verizon's not far behind in bringing femotcells to the masses with its less-elegantly-named Wireless Network Extender later this month on the 25th. The little black box will puke out a cloud of CDMA covering up to 5,000 square feet of domicile with support for up to three simultaneous calls -- enough for you, the hubby / missus, and little Joey / Susie to all be yapping away at the same time. Like Sprint's solution, the Wireless Network Extender uses GPS to verify that you're not creating little tiny Verizon networks in Laos, Kenya, or Uruguay and plugs into the internet source of your choice via Ethernet. It'll be available in Verizon stores and online starting January 25 for $249.99 -- not a bad deal for Verizon, considering you're saving them the expense of erecting a tower.

Gallery: Verizon launching Wireless Network Extender femtocell on January 25

Filed under: Cellphones

Verizon launching Wireless Network Extender femtocell on January 25 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 23:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seagate offers fix, free data recovery for disks affected by firmware bug

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/19/seagate-offers-fix-free-data-recovery-for-disks-affected-by-fir/

After a ground-swell of angry Barracuda owners voiced concern over their failing disk drives, Seagate has fessed-to the issue. According to Seagate, a firmware bug in Barracuda 7200.11, DiamondMax 22, and Barracuda ES.2 SATA drives could make the disks "inaccessible when the host system is powered on." Right, inaccessible -- Seagate assures owners that data is not lost (it's still on the disk). However, should data loss occur, it's providing a free data recovery service. Hit the read link to find out if your drive is affected. If so, a link is provided to contact Seagate to expedite resolution on a case-by-case issue. Good on ya Seagate, way to flip a public relations fiasco into a customer support victory.

[Via The Register]

Filed under: Storage

Seagate offers fix, free data recovery for disks affected by firmware bug originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 01:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Belkin pleads for mercy over paid Amazon reviews deception

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/19/belkin-pleas-for-mercy-over-paid-amazon-reviews-deception/

Remember how Michael Bayard, a Belkin Business Development representative, was apparently hiring people from Mechanical Turk to post glowing reviews of Belkin products on Amazon and elsewhere? Well, we just received an apologetic letter tucked firmly between the quaking legs of Mark Reynoso, President of Belkin -- a man clearly fearful of a consumer backlash. Reynoso expressed "surprise and dismay" that one of his employees "may have" (er hem, may have?) invited positive reviews for payment. While Belkin isn't admitting fault, it's at least taking responsibility to "re-instill trust" through the following actions:

"We've acted swiftly to remove all associated postings from the Mechanical Turk system. We're working closely with our online channel partners to ensure that any reviews that may have been placed due to these postings have been removed."

Hit the read link for the full, ethical grovel.

Filed under: Networking

Belkin pleads for mercy over paid Amazon reviews deception originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 06:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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