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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

MacBook goes unibody, available today

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/20/macbook-goes-unibody-available-today/

Like a bat out of hell, Apple has just shuttled a new, unibody MacBook in the gadget world's direction. The new model -- which looks like an arctic, glossy version of the familiar 13-inch MacBook Pro line -- will be landing in stores today (yes, today), with a familiar price tag: $999. In terms of changes, besides the new, high-test plastic casing (built in the same fashion as the aluminum MacBook Pros) the 13-incher boasts a LED-backlit display, new glass multitouch trackpad, and a built-in, "7 hour" battery. Inside the single SKU will be a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM (upgradable to 4GB), an NVIDIA 9400M GPU, 250GB hard drive and the old standby SuperDrive. We had a chance to play around with the laptop, and it's pretty snazzy for a hunk of plastic. The surface is super slick (AKA super fingerprint friendly), though the base of the laptop utilizes a soft-touch, non-slip surface that's nice to handle. The display certainly is brighter and better looking than the previous model, though the one on the desk we saw was slightly dimmer than we would prefer -- in its defense it was sitting right next to a super bright iMac. As stated, the new model can be picked up right this very second at stores around the globe, and we'll have a much closer look very soon -- so stay tuned! A full spec breakdown is after the break.

Update: Check out our hands-on!

Gallery: New MacBook unboxing and hands-on!

Gallery: MacBook goes unibody

Continue reading MacBook goes unibody, available today

Filed under: Laptops

MacBook goes unibody, available today originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple's new MacBook unboxing and hands-on!

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/20/apples-new-macbook-unboxing-and-hands-on/

We just took delivery of Apple's new MacBook -- it's an interesting revision to the MacBook formula, built using the same unibody techniques as the Aluminum Pros but with white plastic. That means it feels much more solid than the previous plastic MacBooks: there's zero flex when you pick it up by a corner, and the keyboard is nicely rigid. There's a price for that heft, though -- the battery is now sealed in, although we're guessing it won't be too hard to replace if you remove the soft-touch rubber bottom panel. Unlike the Pros, the screen is still set in by a plastic bezel instead of edge-to-edge glass, which means it's a little less glossy overall -- but make no mistake, it can still serve as a mirror in a pinch. Ports are looking pretty dismal -- there's no FireWire, no SD card slot, no dedicated line-in. Instead you get just two USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, Mini DisplayPort, and a combo headphone / line-in jack. That's pretty weak in a thousand-dollar machine. We're going to spend some more time playing with this thing before we dish out a proper review, though -- anything you want to know?

Gallery: New MacBook unboxing and hands-on!

Filed under: Laptops

Apple's new MacBook unboxing and hands-on! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New iMac and Magic Mouse unboxing and quick hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/20/new-imac-and-magic-mouse-unboxing-and-quick-hands-on/

They're in the house! The brand new ultra-wide all-aluminum iMac has been unboxed inside the hallowed halls of the Engadget HQ, and inside was a real scarcity of wires, a keyboard (which now requires one less battery but otherwise looks exactly the same), and of course that brand new multitouch Magic Mouse. It feels much thinner than its predecessor, and the whole front of the unit provides a satisfying, unified click. The runners on the bottom make the mouse seem almost more appropriate for sledding than mousing, but it glides around just fine on a solid surface. Pics galore in the gallery below.

When we flicked the mouse on it was easy enough to spot it over Bluetooth on our regular Mac, but it only worked with tracking and single click -- none of this capacitive nonsense without a software update, naturally. On the iMac's first boot it was able to pick up the mouse and keyboard without a problem, even letting us use the capacitive scrolling to work through the setup wizard. We quickly spotted our first usability problem: coming from a trackpad heavy workflow, our fingers were expecting a capacitive tap-to-click action, instead of having to physically click the mouse. It's not a huge problem, but there's no 1:1 usability model between an Apple trackpad and this mouse. Scrolling is single finger, with a two finger left or right swipe doing back / forward in a browser or the finder. Right clicking requires a lifting of the left click finger, just like the Mighty Mouse, though all-in-all it feels much less frustrating to use than the Mighty Mouse, which almost seems to rage against the click at times. Like we said before: no pinch to zoom, but given the shape and texture of the surface, we're not sure we could pull it off even if the software allowed fo! r it.

Gallery: New iMac and Magic Mouse unboxing and quick hands-on

Filed under: Desktops, Peripherals

New iMac and Magic Mouse unboxing and quick hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader leaks a bit early: $259, pre-orders are live (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/20/barnes-and-noble-officially-launches-nook-e-reader-259-pre-orde/

Looks like all those whispers were true -- the "Android-based" nook is alive and well, and it's calling itself the planet's "most advanced e-book reader." Measuring 7.7- x 4.9- x 0.5-inches and weighing 11.2 ounces, the device includes a top e-ink display from Vizplex and a color touchscreen (3.5-inches) below, which supports one-touch control and swipe-to-browse books with full-color covers. The rechargeable battery takes 3.5 hours to go from zero to full if using a wall outlet, and B&N claims that it'll last for up to ten days if you flick the wireless to "off." Speaking of which, inbuilt WiFi (802.11b/g) and AT&T 3G is included, not to mention 2GB of internal storage, a microSD expansion slot, MP3 player, built-in mono speaker, 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, a micro USB port and support for EPUB, PDF and MP3. The nook also supports bookmarking, making notes, and highlighting passages, and the 'LendMe' feature allows users to lend books for up to a fortnight at a time to other e-readers, cellphones or computers.

B&N also tells us that you can pick up where you left off (with markings and highlights in tact) on your iPhone or BlackBerry using its free eReader software, which just so happens to be the same app that allows sharing to iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry, PC or Mac. As expected, the company will also let you sample ebooks before you buy, and you'll enjoy free WiFi each and every time you sashay into a Barnes & Noble retail location. It's available to pre-order as we speak for $259, with initial shipments expected to happen at the end of November. Introductory video is after ! the brea k, along with a few highlights about accessories and features.

Update: Aw snap, B&N just yanked everything related to nook from its website. Thankfully for you, everything you'd ever need to know is right here.

Update 2: Looks like it's back! Though, the landing page itself still seems down. Hurray for backdoors!

Update 3: Be sure to check out our live reveal coverage and our hands-on images / video!

Gallery: Barnes & Noble Nook in-depth

Gallery: Barnes & Noble nook's! first c lose-up

Gallery: Barnes & Noble officially launches nook e-reader: $259, pre-orders are live (video)

Continue reading Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader leaks a bit early: $259, pre-orders are live (video)

Filed under: Displays

Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader leaks a bit early: $259, pre-orders are live (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola 'Calgary' to bring BLUR to Verizon, Droid not looking worried

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/20/motorola-calgary-to-bring-blur-to-verizon-droid-not-looking-w/

The Droid's shaping up to be a beast of an Android phone -- well played, Verizon -- but Motorola's banking much of its future on its MOTOBLUR platform, which the Droid curiously lacks (though Android 2.0 adds at least some of BLUR's functionality back in). Don't worry, though -- Verizon hasn't forgotten about BLUR altogether, and the rumored Calgary is looking to arrive as the carrier's next Android phone from Moto featuring BLUR in all its social network-aggregating glory. It's clearly positioned as a lower-end device than the Droid, stepping down to a 3 megapixel cam but still managing nifty features like an optical pad, 3.5mm jack, and naturally, a full QWERTY keyboard. Considering Rubin's ties to Danger, you could think of this as the ill-fated Sidekick Slide all grow'd up. Word has it this might hit before the end of the year, so we'll see just how much breathing room Verizon and Moto feel like giving the Droid before coming back for Round 2, eh?

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Motorola 'Calgary' to bring BLUR to Verizon, Droid not looking worried originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Canon EOS-1D MKIV footage on display, 5D MKII will join the fun with new 24 / 25 fps firmware next year

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/20/first-canon-eos-1d-mkiv-footage-on-display-5d-mkii-will-join-th/

Double good news on the Canon front. First off we've got sample footage shot with a brand new Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, which does a good job of showing what the camera can handle under low lighting conditions, as well as serving as a poignant morality tale for skaters, who should never get in cars with strangers. But perhaps even more exciting is word that Canon is developing its own firmware update for the 5D Mark II that will take it into the indie filmmaker-friendly territory of 24 fps and 25 fps -- something that's always been assumed doable since the camera already shoots at 30. Details are scarce, and the firmware won't hit until the "first half of 2010," but if anything it should up the resale value on that 5D of yours while you claw against your credit limit for an EOS-1D Mark IV.

Read - First Canon EOS-1D MKIV movie from Vincent Laforet
Read - Canon EOS 5D Mark II to get 24 and 25fps in a firmware update!

Filed under: Digital Cameras

First Canon EOS-1D MKIV footage on display, 5D MKII will join the fun with new 24 / 25 fps firmware next year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell SX2210T adds touchscreen functionality to 1080p panel (Update: multitouch!)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/20/dell-sx2210t-adds-touchscreen-functionality-to-1080p-panel/

You asked, questioned and implored -- why, with all these underpowered touchscreen all-in-ones prowling our lands, can we not get a decent standalone touchscreen monitor? Well, somebody somewhere listened, and somebody else, presumably elsewhere, leaked. Presenting the entirely unofficial, but all the same real, Dell SX2210T: a 1920 x 1080 21.5-inch panel that has HDMI and DVI inputs alongside an integrated 2 megapixel webcam and microphone for your Skyping convenience. If its 1,000:1 contrast ratio and 2ms grey-to-grey response time sound familiar, it's because the non-touch sensitive SX2210 has been available for a while already. From the support documentation we're looking at, you'll need to hook up an extra USB connection for the touch interface, which doesnt appear to be multitouch, but we can always hope for a miraculous firmware update down the line, right?

Update: More info has surfaced on this monitor and the firmware we'd hoped for turns out to be named Windows 7. Multitouch panning and zooming is now a confirmed feature, but only if you're using Microsoft's latest and greatest.

[Thanks, Bruce and dennispg]

Filed under: Displays

Dell SX2210T adds touchscreen functionality to 1080p panel (Update: multitouch!) originally appeared on ! Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barnes & Noble Nook's first close-up (now with video!)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/20/barnes-and-noble-nooks-first-close-up/

There she blows, we'll be getting hands-on and try to scrap together some impressions of the Nook if they let us touch it once this Q&A is done. The device is a bit thicker than some, and certainly looks minimal up front. The LCD is nice, but not overly bright, and that's about all we spotted before it was snatched away. Check out the gallery for a few more fleeting shots and a look at a non-functioning prototype for a better idea of the unit's shape.

Gallery: Barnes & Noble nook's first close-up

Update: We got a closer look at the device, though they still haven't let us touch it. The LCD seems very "passive," and has a shallow viewing angle -- obviously to gather more ambient light and save on battery. The interface appears relatively intuitive, but we're a little confused and doubtful about the highlighting features -- it brings up a software d-pad on screen, and seemed a little unwieldy, though we'll only find out for ourselves when they actually let us get our grubby paws on the thing.

Update 2: We've got some video! It's so very exciting, and can be found after the break.

Gallery: Barnes & Noble Nook in-depth

Continue reading Barnes & Noble Nook's first close-up (now with video!)

Filed under: Handhelds

Barnes & Noble Nook's first close-up (now with video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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