Monday, October 12, 2009

BMW makes the awesome look SIMPLE with leaning three-wheeler (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/12/bmw-makes-the-awesome-look-simple-with-leaning-three-wheeler-vi/

BMW's latest concept isn't quite as far out as some of its earlier efforts, and the company has dubbed it SIMPLE, but don't let that fool you. Joining Nissan's Land Glider in a new trend toward leaning vehicles that have motorbike-like footprints, the "Sustainable and Innovative Mobility Product for Low Energy consumption" is said to have similar seating space to a BMW 3 Series coupe. Its space fighter appearance isn't just for show either -- with a drag coefficient of 0.18 and a weight of only 992 pounds, this bad boy is capable of harnessing a small internal combustion engine and electric motor to tear up the autobahn at up to 124mph. Zero to sixty in under ten seconds and 118 miles per gallon fuel efficiency fill out the sexy stat sheet, though sadly there are no productions plans as of yet. The concept is being exhibited in the BMW Museum in Munich, but if you can't make it over to Germany right now, there's a video for you after the break.

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BMW makes the awesome look SIMPLE with leaning three-wheeler (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CTIA jumps on the micro-USB bandwagon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/12/ctia-jumps-on-the-micro-usb-bandwagon/

CTIA jumps on the micro-USB bandwagonThink the CTIA is only good for swank trade shows? Think again! It's actually a trade group created to fight for your interests -- or at least those interests of your duly elected wireless providers -- and apparently top among those lists of interests is plug standardization. Yes, we're not the only ones sick of still having a sprawling mess of a gadget charging station, so CTIA is saying that micro-USB will be the power standard for all handsets and mobile devices. Likewise, the 3.5mm audio plug will be the standard for audio output on those same gadgets. It's shocking, we know, if only because we thought the entire gadget universe was already on board, with everyone and their mommas signing up for micro-USB and even HTC finally making room for a 3.5mm hole in the bottom of their handsets. These standards are set to go into effect in January of 2012, meaning we should get a good 11 months or so of dongle-free gadget harmony before the apocalypse.

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CTIA jumps on the micro-USB bandwagon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eee Keyboard splayed, detailed by FCC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/12/eee-keyboard-splayed-detailed-by-fcc/

Several of the documents hidden from our anxious eyes during the FCC filing have now gone public. Not only can you visually inspect its innards, the feds have also laid bare the full spec sheet for the ASUS Eee Keyboard model EK1542. Beneath the 5-inch, 800 x 480 pixel touch panel (with stylus) we'll be getting Windows XP Home running on an Intel Atom N270, 945GSE / ICH7-M chipset with Broadcom AV-VD905 video decoder, 1GB of DDR2 memory, either 16GB or 32GB of flash storage, 4-hour battery, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, HDMI and VGA outputs, integrated stereo speakers and mic, 3x USB, headphone and mic jacks, and external WiFi / UWB antenna. The Eee Keyboard's on-board Ultra-Wideband (UWB) throws 720p content to your TV within a 5-meter range (10-meters for non-video transmissions) via a UWB receiver packing 2x USB ports, another mini-USB port, audio out, and HDMI. You can even connect to two external monitors at the same time using UWB and either VGA or HDMI cable. Now all we need is a final date and price... ASUS?

[Via EeePC.it]

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Eee Keyboard splayed, detailed by FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Mini 311 set for spec bump, Windows 7 Professional

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/12/hp-mini-311-set-for-spec-bump-windows-7-professional/

With the overdue passing of Windows XP into the next world comes the cheery note that Microsoft's ceiling on netbook specs will also be no more -- and the Mini 311 is among the first to get upgraded in time for the new king of Windowstan. The already competent performer will be getting the full (non-LE) ION treatment, max memory of 3GB, an 80GB SSD option or up to 320GB of the old school storage stuff, and a choice of Windows 7 flavors up to the Professional level. This info comes from the machine's maintenance guide, so we can't be certain of when the upgrades will be ready for consumption, but HP's track record would suggest the answer to that is soon.

[Via Liliputing]

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HP Mini 311 set for spec bump, Windows 7 Professional originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some HTC Hero units shipping sans EV-DO Rev. A on Sprint? (update: nope!)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/12/sprints-htc-hero-shipping-sans-ev-do-rev-a/

Ruh roh. Without claiming that there's some sort of high-speed conspiracy going on at Sprint (read: there's not), we'd like to point out that quite a few early adopters are claiming that their Hero refuses to hop on the carrier's EV-DO Rev. A network. We took a peek back at the company's press release for this very phone, and sure enough, the Rev. A experience is promised. We're guessing that a simple firmware update will be all it takes to remedy the issue (if there's truly an issue at all), but 'til then, there's always WiFi! Right, guys?

[Via Examiner, thanks Tracknod]

Update: We just heard directly from HTC about this snafu, and as it turns out, the message that Sprint Hero users are seeing is merely a mislabeling. If you're within an EV-DO Rev. A area, you'll get Rev. A speeds -- despite that fact that your phone says it's only on Rev. 0. We're also told that a future maintenance release will address the message. Check the full quote after the break.

Continue reading Some HTC Hero units shipping sans EV-DO Rev. A on Sprint? (update: nope!)

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Some HTC Hero units shipping sans EV-DO Rev. A on Sprint? (update: nope!) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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