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Monday, April 20, 2009

RAmos RM990 iOne2 PMP looks surprisingly desirable

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/20/ramos-rm990-ione2-pmp-looks-surprisingly-desirable/

RAmos definitely isn't the most respected name in PMPs here in the US, but as of late, it's done a commendable job of staying relevant... at least on the design front, anyway. The firm's latest concoction, which goes by RM990 iOne2, is a touchscreen-heavy media player that's clearly not anorexic. Specs wise, we're told that it features a 3-inch WQVGA touch panel, haptic feedback, a built-in accelerometer, 4GB of internal storage and support for a whole gaggle of file formats. Not bad for the low, low asking price of just 399 yuan (around $58), but it's hardly worth a trip to Shanghai.

[Via PMPToday]

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

RAmos RM990 iOne2 PMP looks surprisingly desirable originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 05:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday, April 19, 2009

We Are Hunted Digs up the Web's Most Popular Tracks [Music]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/fYzWLW90YEU/we-are-hunted-digs-up-the-webs-most-popular-tracks

Looking for some new tunes? We Are Hunted is a music aggregator that pays attention to what people are actually listening to, not what the radio plays.

We Are Hunted scours the internet, peeking into the playlists of Last.fm users, Twitter rolls, torrent search engines, music blogs, and dozens of other sources to get a feel for what people are actually listening to at any given moment. Every day a list of the top 100 songs is published; you can also dig down into the last week, month, and year. A quick spin through the daily and weekly archives of We Are Hunted yields a pile of new and talented artists, and it's an excellent departure from life on the commercialized Top 40 charts. If you've got a favorite way to find new music online (MixTape.me, perhaps) or just want to share a song you found via We Are Hunted, sound off in the comments below.

We Are Hunted [via TechCrunch]

Google Fx Adds Loads of Features to Google Search [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/HJ7TaoXFO14/google-fx-adds-loads-of-features-to-google-search

Firefox with Greasemonkey: User script Google Fx adds a ton of features to the Google search interface—from related searches and Wikipedia results to thumbnail previews and search suggestions.

Using the script is fairly obvious, just install it and search for any term in Google—you'll see all of the added functionality immediately. The added features include related searches, Wikipedia results, thumbnail previews, Google suggestions, image lightbox, auto-paging, additional search engines, and more, but it's the integrated settings dialog that really makes this extension interesting—you can use the user script commands menu under the Greasemonkey icon to pull up the Google Fx settings, and turn features on or off to suit your own preferences.

Google Fx is a free download, requires Firefox with the Greasemonkey extension. For more Google customizations, see how to add the Google Reader unread count to the FavIcon, or Internet Explorer users can check out Customize Google for IE.

Thanks, Rambo!

Google Fx [userscripts.org]

DoInk Makes Simple Animations a Snap [Animation]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/MqrOXDpSLA8/doink-makes-simple-animations-a-snap

We've shown you how to make your own comic strips, but what about animations? DoInk is a free and sophisticated web-based tool that brings your still images to life.

DoInk is both an application and an online community for animators; the actual animation application we're linking to is quite feature rich, especially for a free offering. You can use the drawing tools to create objects from scratch or pull them from the substantial database of user created submissions. Cloning individual frames is easy and the ability to fine tune changes from frame to frame makes smooth animation a snap. Your animations are easily shared via email, embedded links and through social networks. There is even direct-to-YouTube publication tool if you're dying to get your creation out to as big an audience as possible. Check out the tutorial video below to see it in action:

For samples of work created using DoInk, check out the featured animation section here. As always, if you create something cool, make sure to share it in the comments below.

DoInk [via Webware]

Five Best Screen Capture Tools [Hive Five]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/jHaj0RCuW1o/five-best-screen-capture-tools

Capturing your computer screen is a terribly handy trick in all sorts of situations, ranging from creating tutorials to capturing web moments for posterity. Take a peek at the five most popular screen capture applications.

Image created with Wordle.

Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite screen capture tools. You logged hundreds of votes, and now we're back with five great screen capture tools for your consideration as king of the screen capture kingdom.

Snipping Tool (Windows, Free)

Included in Windows 7, Windows Vista, and the Experience Pack for Windows XP Tablet Edition, Snipping Tool fits into a perfect niche for many users. For those of you who don't need high-powered screen capture tools, the basic functionality of Snipping Tool allows you to capture the whole screen, individual windows, or user-specified capture areas. Snipping Tool also has extremely basic editing functions, like the ability to highlight and write on your screen captures. It lacks the more advanced features included in other screen capture tools, but it does a great job filling the gap between the frustrating Print Screen and Paste style screen capture in earlier versions of Windows and more advanced applications. Snipping Tool is a solid choice if you've! already got it on your system and your screen capture needs are minimal and far between.

FastStone Capture (Windows, $20)

FastStone Capture lives up to the fast in its name; this application is lightweight and extremely responsive. It doesn't have a large interface, but within the tiny user interface is a screen capturing workhorse. FastStone Capture can capture multiple windows, regions, and multi-level menus. You can set it to automatically upload screenshots to an FTP server, send them by email, or embed them into a Word or Power Point presentation. In addition, this flexible tool includes a basic but very effective screencasting tool that supports audio input. FastStone Capture can be set to automatically prompt your for a caption with preset options, which makes bulk-producing screenshots a snap. Another small but handy feature is the built in color picker for easy color sampling.

Jing (Windows/Mac, Free)

Jing is the spartan baby brother of another screenshot tool, Snagit, both of which are products produced by software company TechSmith. Jing fills a niche in the screen capture crowd, allowing folks who want to share their screen captures to do so as quickly as possible. When you install Jing and set up an account at Screencast.com, you can also set Jing to upload to your Flickr account or YouTube account. Once you've set it up, going from capturing a screenshot or screencast to sharing the URL for your hosted file takes a matter of seconds. Jing has basic annotation tools, but the real draw is speedy sharing. Upgrading to Jing Pro for $15 a year removes ! the Jing branding from your images and video and adds in a few features, like the ability to record your screencasts in MPEG in addition to Flash.

Skitch (Mac, Free)

Skitch is a screen capture tool in the same vein as Jing. Skitch the application is closely tied to Skitch.com, the screen capture hosting site. Skitch captures your screen, annotates it, draws on it with swanky graphics, and when you're ready, sharing it online is as easy as saving it to your desktop. If you don't want to use Skitch.com to share your screenshots, you can just as easily use your own FTP, Flickr, or .Mac account. The interface of Skitch is particularly user friendly; nearly all the editing functions are laid out in a ring around your screen capture, making it easy to find the tool you're looking for.

Snagit (Windows, $50)

Snagit is as far removed from the classic Print Screen school of screen captures as possible. Snagit helps you capture both still images and grab frames from video. You can capture your entire screen or regions of it, and thanks to a robust profile system, you can create profiles for all manner of capture techniques. Whether you only want to generate a screen capture after a menu is activated or you want every screen capture to be automatically uploaded to a server, you can create a Snagit profile to fit your purpose. On top of the highly customizable feature set, Snagit offers a built in editor for annotating your screenshots and adding basic effects. Finally, the app's screenshot organizer keeps your grabs in order with date, name, and tag-based searching. Snagit also has t! he abili ty to easily capture images from objects that are larger than the screen.

Now that you've seen the contenders for king of the screen capture tools, it's time to log your vote for which nominee will take home the crown:

Which Screen Capture Tool is Best?
( online surveys)

If you have your own favorite screen capture tool that didn't make the list or a tip about screen captures, sound off in the comments below to share the wealth with your fellow readers.

Crank: High Voltage Directors Talk Cameras and Filming While Rollerblading [Filmmaking]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/OEwpu7dNa0g/crank-high-voltage-directors-talk-cameras-and-filming-while-rollerblading

As you can probably guess from their movies, Crank: High Voltage directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have sort of a different filmmaking philosophy that's as dangerous and awesome as what they produce.

In a recent interview, the two directors discuss their need to use handheld, consumer cameras (from RED, Canon, and Sony), as well as their tendency to make the filming of their movies as badass as the movies themselves. Many of the scenes are filmed while rollerblading (sometimes while hanging onto cars), and they acknowledge that filming the Crank movies is a legitimately dangerous task.

More to our interests, Neveldine and Taylor seem to be total camera nerds, using dozens of different cameras to capture exactly the right feel for each scene. They're early adopters and even joke that "Pretty soon, I think we'll both walk to set with BlackBerrys that have HD capabalities, and then we'll just shoot the movie on our little phones."

Check out the interview, it's great to see exactly how these guys are making the sometimes-dreary action movie genre totally fun again. [Moveline]

Viliv S5 pre-order details firm up: $599 and it's yours May 8th

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/19/viliv-s5-pre-order-details-firm-up-599-and-its-yours-may-8th/

It's been a long and winding road filled with unboxings, impressions, and comparisons, but it looks like the last few details surrounding the U.S. release of Viliv's Atom-powered S5 MID have now finally been firmed up. According to retailer Dynamism, the device will be available for pre-order on April 27th (at 1PM Eastern) for just $599, or $50 less than previously expected, with the first orders expected to ship on May 8th. Better still, those that pre-order the S5 will also get a free spare battery, a car kit, and a leather pouch, which Dynamism says is a $135 value. No word on the number of units available in that initial batch but, if the Hong Kong and Korean releases are any indication, they could sell out pretty quickly.

[Via thegadgetsite, thanks K.C.]

Filed under: Handhelds

Viliv S5 pre-order details firm up: $599 and it's yours May 8th originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Apr 2009 01:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Velocity Micro's Atom N270-packing NoteMagix M10 coming this month for $380

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/19/velocity-micros-atom-n270-packing-notemagix-m10-coming-this-mon/

Largely under the radar since its CES debut -- and even then there wasn't much to say, frankly -- Velocity Micro's 10.2-inch NoteMagix M10 is on sale with an April 30 estimated ship date. Base price is $380, and color notwithstanding (it comes in red, blue, and black), the only customization option really is a DVD writer for $70. What you do get, however, is the usual spec list that comes along with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, along with the pleasant surprise of a 6-cell battery. The big question now is if there's really enough here to divert attention from any of the other, more dominant brands in this hyper-saturated netbook market.

[Via PC Launches]

Filed under: Laptops

Velocity Micro's Atom N270-packing NoteMagix M10 coming this month for $380 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Apr 2009 06:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OCZ outs its first Mini-PCIe SSDs in 16GB / 32GB capacities

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/19/ocz-outs-its-first-mini-pcie-ssds-in-16gb-32gb-capacities/

Just as Buffalo did in December of last year, OCZ Technology is busting out a duo of netbook / notebook-ready SSDs in 16GB and 32GB capacities. Obviously aimed at the smaller, more low-cost machines, the company's first ever Mini-PCIe solid state drives are a so-called "affordable flash-based storage option to significantly increase the capacity for netbooks." The pair will be available in SATA and PATA interfaces, which will deliver read speeds of up to 110MB/sec and write speeds as high as 51MB/sec (or 45MB/sec [read] and 35MB/sec [write] for the PATA versions). Regrettably, there's no mention of price, but you can bet these will come packed in a specced-out version of the firm's Neutrino.

Filed under: Storage

OCZ outs its first Mini-PCIe SSDs in 16GB / 32GB capacities originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Apr 2009 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LitPhone projector phone, new pocket PJs surface in Hong Kong

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/19/litphone-projector-phone-new-pocket-pjs-surface-in-hong-kong/

Outside of Samsung's W7900 Show and a few nondescript prototypes, the projector phone sector has been largely stagnant. Thankfully, it seems at least one no-name company is looking to make a name for itself by developing yet another entrant. The LitPhone, designed and showcased by China's own SCT Optronics, is a GSM handset that sports CMMB TV tuning, a touchscreen and a built-in projector with an undisclosed native resolution. Furthermore, the company also demonstrated its USB-powered PCLit mobile projector at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair, which debuted alongside Join Technology's JP77 and WE3 Technology's WE8626. Have a glance at the whole bundle down in the read link -- just don't get those hopes too high about a US release date anytime soon.

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Home Entertainment, Portable Video

LitPhone projector phone, new pocket PJs surface in Hong Kong originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Apr 2009 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saturday, April 18, 2009

Shuttle intros Atom 330, SUSE Linux-packin' X270V nettop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/shuttle-intros-atom-330-suse-linux-packin-x270v-nettop/

Go 'head, Shuttle -- break on out of that shell! The company notorious for pumping out the same barebone rectangle with a different model name and a few extra ports has finally seen fit to do something a touch different, and what we're dealt is the X270V. This so-called Mini-PC relies on Intel's 1.6GHz Atom 330 to push the computations, while up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM keeps things in order. There's also gigabit Ethernet, 6-channel audio, a PS/2 connector for the retro folks, six USB sockets and VGA / DVI outputs. Shuttle also claims this bugger is energy efficient, though it doesn't go into great detail about just how much it'll save you each month. Oh, and it also comes loaded with openSUSE 11 (a Linux flavor, for those unaware). Interested? Move to Europe and plop down at least €299 ($390).

[Via Slashgear]

Gallery: Shuttle intros Atom 330, SUSE Linux-packin' X270V nettop

Filed under: Desktops

Shuttle intros Atom 330, SUSE Linux-packin' X270V nettop originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Epson's multitouch X-Desk is your next coffee table

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/18/video-epsons-multitouch-x-desk-is-your-next-coffee-table/

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense for Epson to get into the touch-surface game -- most of the larger versions are projector-based, and Epson's been making great little beamers for quite some time. Showcased earlier this year at ISE 2009 alongside a multitouch air hockey table, the Core 2 Duo-powered X-Desk boasts a 1,024 x 768 resolution panel and possesses the ability to recognize up to 16,000 objects using "Smart Tags." Also of note, gesture recognition software enables users to actually speak to the table and see results, though there's no word on whether raising your voice or blurting out obscenities improves efficiency. Like all of these things, we've nary a clue when they'll really be available for the layperson to purchase, but you can certainly live vicariously by hopping past the break.

[Via AboutProjectors]

Continue reading Video: Epson's multitouch X-Desk is your next coffee table

Filed under: Displays

Video: Epson's multitouch X-Desk is your next coffee table originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 01:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prox Dynamics' Black Hornet nano-copter gets demoed on video

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/18/prox-dynamics-black-hornet-nano-copter-gets-demoed-on-video/

Prox Dynamics' PD-100 "Black Hornet" nano-copter has already gone through a number of different prototypes and test flights, but it looks like things have really started to come together with the last few models, and the company has taken advantage of the opportunity to show off their progress in a couple of videos. One of those shows a "simulated" indoor mission, in which the 15 gram copter scouts out a nondescript office building whilst some suitably dramatic music plays in the background. The other, slightly more interesting video demonstrates how the two latest models are able to handle themselves in flight, and hold up against some obstacles, like the always problematic flapping clip board. Head on past the break to check 'em out for yourselves, and hit up the link below for some more information about the copter itself. Oh, and watch the skies, people. Very, very closely.

Continue reading Prox Dynamics' Black Hornet nano-copter gets demoed on video

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Prox Dynamics' Black Hornet nano-copter gets demoed on video originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, April 17, 2009

IBM, Samsung, Globalfoundries, and more looking to beat Intel to 28nm market

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/ibm-samsung-globalfoundries-and-more-looking-to-beat-intel-to/

Sure, Intel's one-upping AMD in the 32nm department, but IBM and its merry band of Technology Alliance members -- including Samsung, STMicroelectronics, and AMD chipmakers Globalfoundries -- are looking to ramp up the competition and develop even smaller, low power 28nm processors before Intel gets a chance to size down. The group additionally promises migration plans for companies who've got 32nm on their roadmap and want to maybe shrink a few of the later, already planned models. Early risk production for the 28nm chips are planned for second half 2010, which means it's very unlikely we'll be seeing them in consumer gadgets until at least 2011.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

IBM, Samsung, Globalfoundries, and more looking to beat Intel to 28nm market originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Impressive Trailer Shows Why You'd Want a Philips 21:9 Cinema LCD [Philips]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/kBfx31DyWxQ/impressive-trailer-shows-why-youd-want-a-philips-219-cinema-lcd

Although the video itself, entitled Carousel, is pretty phenomenal, the premise is strange. It's supposed to be selling us on the idea that you NEED 21:9 to see some films correctly. Not quite.

It's true, you'd fill up the entire Philips Ultra-Widescreen with picture on a 2.40:1 movie, but you're just exchanging having black bars on the top and bottom when you're watching movies with black bars on the side when you're watching TV. You don't actually "miss" any of the action.

But still, that's a pretty awesome video, and that's a slick looking TV. [Philips Cinema and Beam.tv - Thanks Dave!]

I'm Officially a Fan of 'Light Art Performance Photography' [Art]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/z_mOtyx3vFw/im-officially-a-fan-of-light-art-performance-photography

At first, I misread the phenomenon as LARPing , the pastime for aspiring night elf mohawks. Now I've realized the acronym reads "LAPP."

These photographs were captured through what at least one group of awesome Germans are calling Light Art Performance Photography. Practically, all that means is long exposure photography capable of transforming a dot of light into a solid string when moved. The performance aspect is, presumably, that these photos are acted out in one continuous shot.

We've seen the same photographic phenomenon in Sprint commercials, or even in the recent Light Writer iPhone app. But the work we see here is exceptional—a stunning artistic statement with a remarkably analog sensibility. You can see lots more by following the link below.[LARP via Gearfuse]

SciPhone Dream G2+ adds WiFi to the Android KIRF madness

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/sciphone-dream-g2-adds-wifi-to-the-android-kirf-madness/

Months later we're still thrilled at the discovery that the original Dream G2 doesn't run the free and open Android OS, but instead a carefully built, stylus-driven clone. Well, SciPhone's Dream G2+ followup continues in that noble tradition, running with some tweaked looks and the addition of WiFi on top of what looks to be that same Android-cloning interface. It's pretty thrilling stuff, and not at all bad for the $185 asking price.

[Via PMP Today]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

SciPhone Dream G2+ adds WiFi to the Android KIRF madness originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AlloSphere three story virtual environment not available for birthday parties, Bat Mitzvahs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/allosphere-three-story-virtual-environment-not-available-for-bir/

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara are developing an immense, wholly immersive VR environment that would allow groups of researchers the opportunity to explore their data aurally and visually on a scale never before seen. The AlloSphere is a three story metal sphere housed in an echo-free chamber, large enough that twenty researchers can stand on a bridge and take a walk through an atom, for instance, or a human brain. The project relies on a supercomputer for generating real-time, high-res 3D video and audio streams from a mountain of scientific data, and currently the team is hard at work building the bad boy's computing platform and interactive display. The project leader JoAnn Kuchera-Morin has yet to state whether or not the sense of smell would be incorporated into the finished product, but we sure hope not -- that would be rather distracting, don't you think? Check it out on video after the break.

[Via TED]

Continue reading AlloSphere three story virtual environment not available for birthday parties, Bat Mitzvahs

Filed under: Displays, Science

AlloSphere three story virtual environment not available for birthday parties, Bat Mitzvahs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Public rage stalls Time Warner trials of consumption-based internet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/public-rage-stalls-time-warner-trials-of-consumption-based-inter/

Time Warner's new data capping broadband scheme was never expected to win any popularity contests, and the details of its plans are so frustrating, that this probably should not come as a surprise. Regardless, it looks like the company's plan to further roll out testing of the consumption-based billing method has been foiled, or at least stalled, because it couldn't find enough customers to participate in the testing. TWC had planned to test in several locations, including San Antonio and Austin, Texas, but the response has apparently been so negative, and there were so many complaints, that the company has "delayed" the trials until October. So... maybe if we keep moaning about it the plan will be abandoned altogether? Here's to hoping, anyway.

[Via The Register]

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Networking

Public rage stalls Time Warner trials of consumption-based internet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer AspireRevo: the Ion-infused unboxing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/acer-apire-revo-the-ion-infused-unboxing/

We just tore the packaging off of Acer's new AspireRevo nettop and dove into its Ion-powered goodness. The computer is in many ways a product of NVIDIA's designs, since the Ion-powered nettop reference platform has been a part of the Ion ecosystem for a while, and this Revo apple doesn't fall from the NVIDIA tree. Still, Acer had to go ahead and build the thing, and it's a pretty great package all-in-all. We're still in the preliminaries -- the HDMI didn't work out of the gate, but after swapping back and forth a few times with the VGA plug we were in business -- and we're playing with a potentially buggy "engineering sample," but hopefully we'll be able to pull together some cohesive impressions on the thing, and play a bit of Spore while we're at it. It's already obviously the fastest Atom-powered device we've played with, and while it still pretty much chokes on Hulu and that whole "multitasking" concept, we're pretty pleased so far.

Gallery: Acer Apire Revo: the Ion-infused unboxing

Filed under: Desktops

Acer AspireRevo: the Ion-infused unboxing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung comes clean with self-encrypting SSDs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/samsung-comes-clean-with-self-encrypting-ssds/

It seems that Dell jumped the gun a wee bit by shedding some light on Samsung's forthcoming self-encrypting SSDs, but now Sammy is providing us with all the missing details... er, most of them, anyway. In conjunction with Wave Systems, Samsung is launching what it calls an industry first with its new line of solid state drives. Said devices are able to automatically encrypt information as it's saved to the drive, and they each come bundled with Wave's EMBASSY management software. At least initially, these super secure SSDs will ship in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB flavors, and while we're told that the whole lot is available now "through at least one major OEM," there's no specific mention of price. Shocker, we know. The full release is after the break.

Continue reading Samsung comes clean with self-encrypting SSDs

Filed under: Storage

Samsung comes clean with self-encrypting SSDs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unlocked HTC Touch Pro2 to retail for $880, Touch Diamond2 for $725

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/unlocked-htc-touch-pro2-to-retail-for-880-touch-diamond2-for/

HTC's been pretty coy with pricing on the Touch Pro2 and Touch Diamond2, but now that units are starting to trickle out overseas, the numbers situation is getting slightly clearer. HTC's just announced that an unlocked Pro2 will set Singaporeans back S$1,328 ($887), while a Diamond2 will hit 'em up for S$1,088 ($726) -- a little more than in Taiwan, but probably close to what we'll see off-contract in the States. A little rich for our blood, though -- let's hope T-Mobile cleans the goo off soon.

[Via Unwired View]

Filed under: Cellphones

Unlocked HTC Touch Pro2 to retail for $880, Touch Diamond2 for $725 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Symbian ports its platform to Atom, just for the heck of it

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/symbian-ports-its-platform-to-atom-just-for-the-heck-of-it/

Companies and enterprising individuals have been dabbling with the tantalizing concept of slapping Android on a cheap netbook for months now, and seeing how Android and Symbian could end up locked in a heated battle for the hearts and minds of the open-source mobile platform world, it stands to reason that the boys and girls at the Foundation would want to counter the OHA's every move. Some good people in the S60 On Symbian Customer Operations group (try fitting that on a business card) have managed to compile and run an S60-skinned Symbian build on one of Intel's Atom reference boards, showing a stock S60 screen and an OpenGL demo -- which, as you might imagine, runs circles around the performance of a garden-variety S60 handset. To quote the Foundation's boss, "I was most impressed with the responsiveness of the UI and upper application layers" -- the only question left to be answered is whether there's a place in the world for a Symbian-powered netbook.

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops

Symbian ports its platform to Atom, just for the heck of it originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Psystar Open(3) manages to ship, gets unboxed by lucky customer

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/psystar-open-3-manages-to-ship-gets-unboxed-by-lucky-customer/

Take a good look at the box above, folks -- it just might be the first, the last and the only Open(3) you ever see. Psystar's latest Mac clone, which was launched right around a month ago, has miraculously managed to ship out (or, at least one has). If you'll recall, the company has been battling with Apple for months on end for selling OS X-equipped machines without Cupertino's blessing, but apparently it's still doing at least a bit of business under the table. Hit up the read link for a Flickr gallery full of this here slap in the face. It's good stuff, trust us.

[Thanks, Mike]

Filed under: Desktops

Psystar Open(3) manages to ship, gets unboxed by lucky customer originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyocera shows off preposterous, beautiful EOS folding OLED phone concept

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/kyocera-shows-off-preposterous-beautiful-eos-folding-oled-phone/

We're big fans of reality and feasibility, we swear, but something like this "EOS" concept phone Kyocera was showing off at CTIA is just too good to pass up. The handset folds up into what could roughly be described as a wallet shape, but folds out into two configurations: portrait QWERTY mode (pictured), and full-on widescreen OLED display (after the break). Samsung was showing similar screen-folding folding abilities, but a much less impressive handset, at CES. Things get even wilder, tough, with Kyocera envisioning shape memory keys that can morph flat when not in use, and a kinetic charging method based on piezoelectric generators and Mary Poppins. Sure, our great grandkids are going to have a good laugh at us for thinking this is lovable, but they always were a bunch of theoretical brats. Kyocera plans on implementing some of the concept ideas into its "near future" lineup of devices. We'll see how that pans out.

[Via Inhabitat, photo courtesy of Jeffrey Sass]

Continue reading Kyocera shows off preposterous, beautiful EOS folding OLED phone concept

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays

Kyocera shows off preposterous, beautiful EOS folding OLED phone concept originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

AMD releases another notebook roadmap, does not release Fusion chips

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/15/amd-releases-another-notebook-roadmap-does-not-release-fusion-c/

Well, well, a new AMD roadmap promising a superior hybrid CPU/GPU chip sometime in the distant future. That doesn't sound like the same old vaporware refrain we've been hearing about Fusion since 2006 at all, does it? Yep, everyone's favorite underdog is back in the paperwork game, and this time we've got a sheaf of pointy-eared details on the company's upcoming notebook plans, all culminating in the "Sabine" platform, which is wholly dependent on Sunnyvale actually shipping a mobile variant of the delayed Fusion APU in 2011 once it finds the Leprechaun City. In the meantime, look forward to a slew of forgettable laptops getting bumped to the "Danube" platform, which supports 45nm quad-core chips, DDR3-1066 memory, and an absolutely shocking 14 USB 2.0 ports. Ugh, seriously -- does anyone else think AMD should suck it up, put out a cheap Atom-class processor paired with a low-end Radeon that can do reasonable HD video output, and actually take it to Intel in booming low-end market instead of goofing around with the expensive, underperforming Neo platform and a fantasy chip it's been promising for three years now? Call us crazy.

[Via PC Authority; thanks Geller]

Filed under: Laptops

AMD releases another notebook roadmap, does not release Fusion chips originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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California May Get Some Power From Solar Space Cells By 2016 [Solar Power]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/IVXxDe8VGmc/california-may-get-some-power-from-solar-space-cells-by-2016

The idea of harnessing solar power from space has been around for a while; Asimov included it in at least two of his stories that I remember—but may finally be a reality come 2016.

PG&E, the state's largest power utility (and the one who gets my money every month), just signed a deal to get solar space power from Solaren.

The plan is to have solar panels collect the energy in space, shoot it down via RF transmissions, and convert that into usable electricity.

There's no risk to PG&E because they're not investing anything into the company, just agreeing to buy power at a certain rate if the space power does come through by 2016. [MSNBC]

The Verizon Hub Widget Phone Just Got a Lot More Exciting [Verizon Hub]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/7g5sxxPwnEk/the-verizon-hub-widget-phone-just-got-a-lot-more-exciting

I'm reviewing the somewhat anachronistic Verizon Hub connected phone. Now that I've seen its future—an open platform built on Linux with sleek hardware from this decade, like capacitive touchscreens—it's way more exciting.

The Hub isn't going to be a single, one-off device—there's going to be a lot of different hardware running it—which alone makes the proposition much more interesting, since platforms by definition are extensible, flexible and more likely to benefit from active development. In other words, it can and will get better over time.

Today I saw the software update that's coming in a few weeks, as well as builds further out in the future running on prototype hardware, which introduces among other things, a WebKit browser (same as Safari, Chrome, Palm Pre, etc.) a real email client, and a Twitter app. The big thing is that, like every other phone OS it seems, it's getting an App Market or "Widgets Bazaar," where you can—duh—download apps to your Hub. For now, every widget will come from Verizon, like a Flickr screensaver app or a pretty swell Rhapsody app that lets you stream music. But! The Hub is built on Linux and will eventually be opened up for anybody to develop for, which is obviously when it'll be able to reach its full potential. It kind of reminds me of Chumby, except it's a full-fledged VOIP phone too. Unfortunately, they don't have a timeline on when that's happening.

There's also no exact timeline for the new hardware either, though a "new release of some kind every few months" is what they'! re aimin g for. The new Hub hardware corrects a lot of the first-gen's problems: Namely, it's got a capacitive touchscreen (the kind that the iPhone, G1 and Storm have) meaning it'll be a much better—maybe even multitouch—experience. It's also just way sexier: The excess fat has been trimmed off, so one version is just like a glossy seven-inch upright touch tablet, while another version has it floating on a speaker, more like a multimedia hub. The new phone is more commensurate with the device too—glossy, ergonomic and with a nicer screen. Verizon's thinking about offering a range of different handsets with more capable premium models that can text message from the phone and cheaper basic ones.

Also down the road is more integration with other Verizon stuff, like FiOS. They're toying with a remote DVR app, for instance, which would be pushed just to people who have FiOS. With everything on a common Linux platform, the hope is that developers will be able to whip up a single app that'll run across everything Verizon—their FiOS boxes, phones and of course, the Hub.

If you're wondering what direction the phone companies are trying to roll in, this is pretty much it—AT&T is doing similar things with U-Verse and its mobile side—wrapping you in a giant, head-to-toe Snuggie of data supplied exclusively by them. [Verizon]

Prototype Sanyo projector throws up 1080p at near point-blank range

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/14/prototype-sanyo-projector-throws-up-1080p-at-near-point-blank-ra/

Sanyo's had a knack for pumping out short-throw projectors, but its latest prototype unquestionably takes the cake. Debuting without so much as a model name, this here DLP beamer -- which, at 93- x 20- x 25-inches, easily doubles as a bench -- throws up a 100-inch 1080p image with just 24-inches of space between it and the wall. Better still, that can scale up to 150-inches by adding just another foot of breathing room -- and just to remind you, we're talking full 1,920 x 1,080 resolution here. Sanyo also tossed in 7,000 lumens of brightness, though mum's the word when it comes to price or nearness to production.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Prototype Sanyo projector throws up 1080p at near point-blank range originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raleigh, North Carolina buses get on-board DTV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/14/raleigh-north-carolina-buses-get-on-board-dtv/

Planning to hop on a bus in Raleigh, North Carolina anytime soon? Then there's a chance you could be treated to an added distraction during your trip, as the city has just rolled out its first CAT bus equipped with mobile DTV, which looks to be one of the first projects resulting from those MPH tests that took place last year. This little bit of magic also comes courtesy of a little help from LG and Harris Corp., who are supplying the displays and mobile transmission equipment for the pilot program, which will be expanded to five buses by August, with another 20 planned for the second phase that'll run though August 2010. Of course, your viewing options will be somewhat limited, with a simulcast of local station WRAL apparently the only channel on tap, along with some weather information and, of course, a healthy dose of advertising.

[Thanks, Dana]

Filed under: HDTV, Transportation

Raleigh, North Carolina buses get on-board DTV originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OWC ships 4-bay Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 RAID box

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/14/owc-ships-4-bay-mercury-elite-al-pro-qx2-raid-box/

You won't find an Ethernet port here, but you will find everlasting peace, love and a grand total of four direct connection options alongside four hot swappable bays for up to 8TB of local storage. OWC's latest is the quad-interface Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 RAID box, which sports FireWire 400, FireWire 800, eSATA and USB 2.0 sockets 'round back. Users are graced with a number of selectable RAID settings -- 0, 1, 5, 10 or Span (NRAID) -- and the front-panel LEDs keep you informed at a glance. The box is shipping right now in a variety of configurations ranging from $679.99 (500GB x 4) to $1,149.99 (1TB x 4), and despite the unmistakable cheesegrater design, these actually won't zero out your data if plugged into a PC.

Filed under: Storage

OWC ships 4-bay Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 RAID box originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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