Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Nokia's 5630 XpressMusic is 12-mm slim, HSUPA fast, and S60 powerful

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/10/nokias-5630-xpressmusic-is-12-mm-slim-hsupa-fast-and-s60-powe/

Like Symbian candybars? Then try this surprising little number, the 5630 XpressMusic. Nokia's 5800-sib is an N-Gage ready, 12-mm slimster with a 4GB microSD card dropped in the box along side a standard 3.5-mm headphone jack to rock whatever buds, plugs, or cans you have an itch for. It's also packing a 3.2 megapixel, "4x zoom" camera with dual-LED flash and HSDPA/HSUPA data to move your pics and videos up to your favorite photo sharing site on a rocket. Dedicated audio keys and Nokia's "say and play" feature makes the 5630 a media all-rounder. Expected in Q2 for around €200 pre-tax, pre-subsidy.

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia's 5630 XpressMusic is 12-mm slim, HSUPA fast, and S60 powerful originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, February 09, 2009

Sizemodo: The Kindle 2 vs Its Predecessor [Amazon Kindle 2]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/BUyQX5o5Dds/sizemodo-the-kindle-2-vs-its-predecessor

How does the new Amazon Kindle stack up size-wise when compared to the original version? Well, the first Kindle measured 7.5" x 5.3" x 0.7" while Kindle 2 clocks in at 8" x 5.3" x 0.36".

Right off the bat, the second-gen Kindle is significantly thinner than the original. At only .36-inches, it is nearly half the size—and around 25% thinner than an iPhone. It's also half-an-inch taller (the screen is still 6") but it weighs in at 10.2 ounces—just a shade lighter than the 10.3 ounce original.

It may not have shed much weight, but 10.2 ounces is still comparable to a traditional paperback book—and it's still quite an accomplishment given the 7-fold increase in storage and 25% increase in battery life. [Amazon]

Hallelujah: The iPhone Gets AT&T MicroCell Support [IPhone]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/7htbuv1IWRY/hallelujah-the-iphone-gets-att-microcell-support

If there's any phone in the whole world coupled with any service in the whole world that could benefit from femtocell technology, it's the iPhone on AT&T. Luckily, the iPhone has received an update.

Through an iTunes "carrier update" last Friday, the iPhone has been made compatible with AT&T's upcoming MicroCell—well, a .png file was added to signal MicroCell connectivity. The MicroCell is essentially a mini 3G tower for your home (connecting through your internet connection) that boosts your reception like a Wi-Fi router. And like we said, as much as we love the iPhone, it's pretty much the poster child for femtocell technology. [The iPhone Blog]

Texas Instruments Spills the Beans, Archos Working on an Android MID/Smartphone [Android]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/XxApCzaARAs/texas-instruments-spills-the-beans-archos-working-on-an-android-midsmartphone

Android Community has learned that Archos is working on a Mobile Internet Device that will run Android, have phone functionality and use the TI OMAP 3 processor (same as the Palm Pre).

The device was revealed by Texas Instruments in a press release for the OMAP 3 chip, but revolved around fairly vague details. What is known is that the device will have a five-inch screen, support HD playback, have a 10mm thickness and support Flash.

What isn't clear is why the press release keeps making a distinctions between the phone and mobile internet tablet functionalities, instead of just calling it a smartphone. But until we know the specifics, we'll just have to go along with it. [Android Community]

$2 Million DiMora Natalia SLS 2 Features World's First MP3-Enabled Car Horn [Cars]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Sv6OjiaPUws/2-million-dimora-natalia-sls-2-features-worlds-first-mp3+enabled-car-horn

If you could play any audio clip over your horn, what would it be? Would you honk more just to hear your jam? These are good questions for any potential owner of a DiMora Natalia.

Granted, the DiMora Natalia SLS 2 sport luxury sedan concept has been floating around for years, so it is really bordering on vaporware. Nonetheless, the company has announced that customizable MP3 horn tones will be part of the standard package for any V16 Natalia SLS 2 produced. Apparently, the "Horntones" system will feature 256MB of flash memory that can be loaded up with a digital file of your choice via the dash. The 150-watt speaker can blare your audio with a 110dB sound pressure level—most likely causing more accidents that it would prevent.

There is stil no word on when the DiMora SLS 2 might actually see the light of day, but at $2 million apiece, its a safe bet to assume most of you couldn't afford one anyway. [DiMora via Autoblog via BornRich]

BlackBerry Gemini 9300: The Curve-y 3G BlackBerry We Really Want [Blackberry Gemini 9300]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/uvfW7KLOFzU/blackberry-gemini-9300-the-curve+y-3g-blackberry-we-really-want

A fresh dump from Boy Genius's RIM spy reveals this perfect-through-evolution BlackBerry: The Gemini 9300 is about the size of the svelte BlackBerry Curve 8900, but with 3G and a bigger, higher resolution screen. Want.

It, in other words, is all of the Bold's power—maybe even more power than the Bold, with a faster processor—in the more pocketable package of the 8900. The keyboard is rounder, too, even more like the Bold's (which I love more than any other QWERTY keyboard on any other device, bar none).

The sad news is that it's looking like a late 2009, early 2010 release—the beginning (end?) of RIM's transition to 3G in all of their phones. Something that should've happened this year, really. Ah well. [BGR]

Samsung melds slate, slider with Ultra Touch S8300

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/09/samsung-melds-slate-slider-with-ultra-touch-s8300/

If having your cake and eating it too is just how you roll, you're probably the kind of hard-to-please son of a gun that wants a numeric slider keypad to go along with your phone's AMOLED WQVGA touchscreen. Wait, let us guess: you also want an 8 megapixel camera, AGPS with geotagging, integrated FM radio, stereo Bluetooth, and microSD support up to 16GB. And naturally, you want it all somehow magically packed into a shell measuring no more than 12.7mm thick. Well, guess what, sweet pea? Samsung's gone and called your bluff with the rumored Ultra Touch S8300, earning itself an official announcement ahead of MWC -- and as long as a real smartphone OS isn't on your shopping list, this 7.2Mbps HSDPA monster should fit the bill. We don't have launch territories or pricing just yet, but see that little "Barcelona" on the weather widget there? Yeah, we suspect we'll be seeing plenty of this one on the Mobile World Congress show floor.

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung melds slate, slider with Ultra Touch S8300 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's TouchWiz UI getting a MWC makeover

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/09/samsungs-touchwiz-ui-getting-a-mwc-makeover/

With Mobile World Congress around the corner, Samsung is prepped to launch the latest version of its increasingly impressive, finger-friendly TouchWiz UI. Already spotted on the Ultra Touch S8300 slider, the interface has been fitted with new 3D-effects eye candy, enhanced haptic feedback, and new gesture and voice controls. A new widget dock allows you to more easily manage an increased variety of downloadable widgets while Samsung's new Photo Contact feature provides better integration of your photos and contacts with what appears to be face recognition technology. We'll know more after getting our hands on with the UI at WMC next week -- an event that's shaping up to be the biggest cellphone show in years.

[Via I4U]

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung's TouchWiz UI getting a MWC makeover originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 04:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung introduces Lapfit monitors in a fit of insanity

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/09/samsung-introduces-lapfit-monitors-in-a-fit-of-insanity/

Samsung's Lapfit monitors are here to solve a problem most laptop owners are familiar with: the secondary monitor offset. See, a laptop's integrated display typically sits just a few centimeters above the desktop. That can create an unnatural panning effect when trying to move the mouse or drag a window from your laptop's display to the higher secondary. Samsung's solution is to offer these new low-profile monitors that sit at the same height as your (desktop replacement-sized) laptop's display. The 19- (LD190G) and 22-inch (LD220G) UbiSync Lapfit monitors offer a 10-30 degree tilt, a 1,360 x 768 (16:9 aspect) pixel resolution, 4ms response, and a 20,000:1 dynamic contrast. Great, a physical solution to a problem solved long ago by laptop stands or by your laptop's OS -- way to go Sammy.

[Via I4U]

Filed under: Displays

Samsung introduces Lapfit monitors in a fit of insanity originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 05:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS's little netbooks go big-box; Eee PCs expected in Walmart by year's end

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/09/asuss-little-netbooks-go-big-box-eee-pcs-expected-in-walmart-b/

ASUS's little netbooks go big-box; Eee PCs expected in Walmarts by year's end

Last year upstart Acer stole the netbook crown from ASUS, a sales stat that might have been helped by the ability to buy an Aspire One at your local neighborhood Walmart. While you can already pick up an Eee at places like Target and Best Buy, from what we hear at wholesale mixers you're nothing until you go Supercenter, and that's just where the company that started the netbook craze wants to go, said to be planning its own push into the biggest of big-box retailers. If this report is correct, expect to be able to pick up a little Eee with your groceries (and shame) sometime in the latter half of this year.

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS's little netbooks go big-box; Eee PCs expected in Walmart by year's end originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel slide shows Atom N280 with 945GSE and GN40 chipsets

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/09/intel-slide-shows-atom-n280-with-945gse-and-gn40-chipsets/

It may be hard for you monogamists to understand, but in the world of CPUs, it's perfectly acceptable to play friends with multiple chipsets. To that end, the leaked Intel slide above sure explains a lot about what's going on with the newfangled 1.66GHz Atom N280. First spotted in the ASUS Eee PC 1000HE with Intel's older 945GSE chipset, many wondered why the supposed match-made-in-heaven GN40 chipset (and its 720p hardware-based video decoder) was left out. Apparently, it's all part of the plan. Both the N280 + 945GSE and N280 + GN40 are considered "off-roadmap" solutions meant to give companies a subtle differentiating factor until the "real" N270 successor hits the scene. So yeah, that 1000HE you've got on the brain isn't actually a hodgepodge of components, but a real, certifiably okay combination of CPU and chipset -- though it'd be so much more bodacious with that GN40. Confused yet?

[Via Fudzilla]

Filed under: Laptops

Intel slide shows Atom N280 with 945GSE and GN40 chipsets originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD ushers in five new Phenom II CPUs, benchmarking ensues

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/09/amd-ushers-in-five-new-phenom-ii-cpus-benchmarking-ensues/

Just a month after AMD launched its Phenom II CPUs and Dragon desktop platform, the chip maker is hitting back with five new processors in the quickly expanding line. The newcomers include the planet's first 45nm triple-core CPU and three more quad-core siblings, all of which can operate in either AM2+ or AM3 sockets. As for performance? We hope your expectations haven't been set too high, as the chips were generally found to be just "a logical extension of [the company's] piecemeal upgrade plan and a fill in [the] gap to its lineup." Reviewers across the web were generally pleased but underwhelmed by test results, with HotHardware noting that "overall, Intel still has the performance edge clock-for-clock and core-for-core." In fairness, these chips were found to be good for overclocking, and for the right price, we could certainly see a few gamers giving them a go. For the full spill, dive on into the deep, intricate reviews below.

Read - Official AMD announcement
Read - HotHardware benchmarks
Read - PCPerspective benchmarks
Read - DesktopReview's review

Filed under: Desktops

AMD ushers in five new Phenom II CPUs, benchmarking ensues originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumored BlackBerry 9300 "Gemini" appears, Bold gulps

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/09/rumored-blackberry-9300-gemini-appears-bold-gulps/

After BlackBerry types lay eyes on the 8900, the same question immediately gets asked time and time again: "Why would I buy a Bold over this?" Indeed, it's hard to argue that the 8900 isn't the better looking handset, but for now, the Bold gets to lord its fancy-schmancy 3G radio over the 8900's technologically inferior head. That might just be where the rumored 9300 "Gemini" comes into play, though, which -- according to Boy Genius Report -- will feature a larger, higher-res screen than the 8900's already amazing display, a beefy processor, a slightly more "rounded" keyboard, and most importantly, quadband EDGE plus triband HSDPA. There isn't any solid information on a release window for this one yet (we'd doubt that even RIM has an answer for that one at this point), so if you had a Bold in mind, don't feel bad about pulling the trigger -- yet.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Rumored BlackBerry 9300 "Gemini" appears, Bold gulps originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia E75 outed by -- you guessed it -- Expansys

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/09/nokia-e75-outed-by-you-guessed-it-expansys/

We've been seeing the Nokia E75's face around for so long now that none of this is bound to be shocking. Still, the QWERTY slider's been formally outed by our trusty, leaky friends over at Expansys, confirming all we knew to be true about the device. Yep, it's got a 2.4-inch, 320 x 240 QVGA display, quad-band GSM / EDGE and dual-band HSDPA, WiFi, a 3.2 megapixel camera, and A-GPS. The E75 is expected to be on hand at MWC, and we're hearing it'll be available on or around March 13th for somewhere in the neighborhood of $580.

[Via Boy Genius Report]

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia E75 outed by -- you guessed it -- Expansys originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archos to release Android phone / tablet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/09/archos-to-release-android-phone-tablet/

We're guessing we'll hear more about this at MWC, but TI just let loose a press release crowing about Archos's use of the OMAP3 processor in an upcoming "Internet Media Tablet" that runs on Android and also doubles as a phone. No pictures yet, but the spec sheet makes it sound like a hotrodded Archos 5: five-inch screen, up to a 500GB hard drive, a battery capable of 7 seven hours of video playback, and Flash support, all in a package just 10mm (.39 inches) thick. The underlying OS will be Android, but Archos plans to really beef up the media features -- there's even mention of HD video playback. That sounds seriously sweet -- if Archos ditches the current mushy resistive screen in the 5 for a capacitive unit, this could be a knockout Android device when it launches in the third quarter.

[Via Archos Lounge; thanks, Daphné]

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Archos to release Android phone / tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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