Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Sony Ericsson's 8-megapixel C905 makes sweet love to the FCC

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/420962029/

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So what do you think they take pictures of in an FCC lab when they've got an 8-megapixel cameraphone handy? Oh, come on -- you know the technicians lucky enough to fiddle with fresh gadget after delicious, fresh gadget as they burn through specific absorption rate paperwork engage in a little extracurricular activity from time to time. Our guess, honestly, is that they probably snap that scary apparatus that looks like a human head made out of gelatin and MMS it to their daughter with a message like "look what I found in the ditch, honey!" Of course, that prank only works once before little Julie figures out what daddy's up to, then all hell breaks loose as she tips off the gadget blogs that there's an unannounced Sony Ericsson on the way. Yeah, the C905. Thanks, Julie.
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Posted by Augustine at 9:38 PM

Lenovo launches ho hum $399 H210 desktop PC

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/420983138/

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As you very well know, Lenovo's entirely more associated with rock solid laptops than desktops of any stature, but that's not stopping the outfit from dishing out a new tower today for under four bills. The H210 sports a glossy black finish, Lenovo's VeriFace facial recognition technology (which bites, by the way) and a feature dubbed File Management to "save critical data on a special system partition in the event of system failure." As for specs, you'll find your choice of Intel's dual-core E2200 or the Core 2 Duo E7200, between 2GB and 4GB of RAM, 500GB / 640GB hard drive, a dual-layer DVD writer, Intel's GMA3100 graphics set and a bunch of software you'll probably find more annoying than useful. It's available now for those somehow enthused starting at $399.
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Posted by Augustine at 9:32 PM

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Researchers demo "unbreakable encryption" based on quantum cryptography

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/416203168/

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Call us devilish, but we just can't help but love these types of stories. Here we have yet another overly confident group of researchers grossly underestimating the collective power of the hacking underground, as gurus from all across Europe have joined together to announce "the first commercial communication network using unbreakable encryption based on quantum cryptography." Interestingly enough, quantum cryptography has already been cracked in a kinda-sorta way, but that's not stopping these folks from pushing this claim hard to government agencies, financial institutions and companies with distributed subsidiaries. We've no doubt this stuff is pretty secure, but the last time we heard someone utter a claim similar to this, we saw him uncomfortably chowing down on those very words merely months later.

[Via Physorg]
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Posted by Augustine at 5:40 AM

Mitsubishi's 65-inch LaserVue L65-A90 gets evaluated

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/416288714/

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We'll be frank -- Mitsubishi's 65-inch LaserVue L65-A90 was one of the most stunning things we saw at CEDIA 2008, so we're not surprised to hear that one of the very first production units impressed the lucky folks over at TheTechLounge. Said individuals were able to take a first-hand look at Mitsu's forthcoming beast, and while the situation was obviously optimal for viewing, they couldn't help but praise the TV. The demonstration included two LaserVue sets, one of which was displaying 3D 1080p content from an HTPC and another that was setup beside LCDs for comparison. When staring at the aforesaid comparison setup, critics noted that "color performance on the LaserVue was noticeably more impressive." There's lots more reaction and images where this came from, so delve on into the read if this here set is on your wish list.
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Posted by Augustine at 5:40 AM

ATM skimmers: now with SMS notification built right in

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/416563853/

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Aw, how convenient! Now, when you purchase your next ATM skimmer, you don't even have to risk being arrested when you wander out to retrieve it. For those outside of the know, an ATM skimmer sits on credit / debit card machines and swipes information as unsuspecting civilians pass their cards through. In the days of old, scammers would have to physically retrieve the skimmer in order to acquire all that precious information; now, models with built-in SMS notification are becoming available, meaning that numbers, expiration dates and that easy-to-forget three digit code on the back can be shot out instantly after the data is snatched. Word on the street has these devices going for $8,500 a pop, and they can dish out around 2,000 texts. Just another zany hack to be aware of in the wide world of ATM shenanigans.

[Via Hack-A-Day]
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Posted by Augustine at 5:39 AM

T-Mobile G1 gets early user review

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/416595889/

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Oh sure, you've already read over our (and Ryan Block's) brief one-day impressions of T-Mobile's G1, but one lucky (lucky!) user over at AndroidCommunity has been able to handle one for more than just a few hours. As a precious gift to the world, he's penned a nice list of pros and cons along with a Q&A, and it seems that the "review" is actually growing with time. Right from the top, he notes that the G1 is lke a "SideKick on massive steriods," albeit one with a minty fresh OS. Speaking of, he also states that the handset "doesn't run as smoothly as you would think," asserting that some of the applications "suttered" upon opening. We're also told that it requires a reboot from time to time just to keep things humming along, but we're hoping all of these quirks are just part of the Rev. A rigamarole. It's glaringly obvious that the user adores Android (and the phone, too), but we can't help but hope these niggles he speaks of are addressed in short order.

[Thanks, Oscar]
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Posted by Augustine at 5:38 AM

Ao-LAB's eSATA SSD flash drive conveniently includes USB port

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/416717009/

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We're still baffled that traditional eSATA flash drives require power from the USB port in order to operate (at least until that Power Over eSATA initiative starts bearing fruit), but it seems that Ao-LAB has found a nice, practical workaround for the time being. The outfit's eSATA / USB Combo Drive arrives in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB flavors and provides dual interfaces along with a convenient way to power it if you're dead-set on using eSATA for transfers. And given that speeds over eSATA absolutely obliterate those over USB 2.0, you're going to want to. Shame there's no pricing / availability information, but we suspect you can get a few hundred of 'em sans issue should you contact the company seeking a bulk contract.

[Via EverythingUSB]
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Posted by Augustine at 5:38 AM

Panasonic, Renesas team to mass produce 32nm chips

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/416730721/

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We've seen some big names working on 32nm chips, and now we can add two more to the mix. According to Nikkei, Panasonic and Renesas have recently developed technology necessary to mass produce the little guys, using metal oxide film (instead of a silicon material) for the insulating layer and titanium nitride for the conducting layer. This has allowed the chips to consume less power, so the 32nm chips operate comparably to their 45nm siblings. Look for a street date sometime in 2011 -- but considering that Toshiba, IBM and others have set a target date of 2010 for their 32nm chips, and Samsung and Intel are aiming at 2009, Panny might be showing up to this party a little late.


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Posted by Augustine at 5:37 AM

Onkyo introduces wireless MHP-UW2 headphones, iPod adapter

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/416750840/

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Onkyo's latest aren't the most stylish headphones we've ever seen -- far from it, actually -- but those more concerned with audio fidelity and iPod compatibility may be able to overlook the pedestrian design. The wireless MHP-UW2 headphones transmit tunes over the 2.4GHz frequency and come bundled with a handy-dandy iPod adapter that should work with practically any dock-connecting unit out there. We're told it can last around 8 hours before needing a recharge via USB (or AC adapter, should you choose), though it's hard to say when it'll ever ship to any market outside of Japan. Nevertheless, those in and around Tokyo can find the kit next month for ￥20,000 ($201).

[Via UberGizmo]
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Posted by Augustine at 5:37 AM

HTC's first WiMAX-enabled handset revealed: T8290, from Russia with Speed

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/416781753/

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With Sprint snagging the vast majority of the WiMAX limelight of late, we aren't going to complain with a similar network halfway across the globe yanking it back. Out of absolutely nowhere comes HTC's first WiMAX-enabled handset, the sure-to-be-delightful T8290. Reportedly, this bugger packs a 3.8-inch 800 x 480 resolution display, 802.11g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, GSM and WiMAX radios and is expected to launch soon on Russia's Yota. Granted, we can't take this as hard truth or anything quite yet, but the images that reside in the read link are more than convincing. Oh, and HTC -- given that you're passing on the US with the Touch HD, do you think it'd be possible to get this over here for use with XOHM? We'd really, really appreciate it.

[Via Slashphone, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
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Posted by Augustine at 5:37 AM

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