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Saturday, June 26, 2010

No one to test FaceTime with? Call Apple.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/25/no-one-to-test-facetime-with-call-apple/

Be it because you have no friends, or simply no friends with an iPhone 4, Apple's got your back if you're looking for a chum to test that curiously intriguing FaceTime feature. Just dial up 1-888-FACETIME (after cleaning yourself up a bit, of course) and hang tight, as a dapper Apple employee will be there in a moment to "show you the basics and a few advanced tips." And don't even try any of those late night shenanigans -- the help line's only open from 8AM to 8PM CDT.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

No one to test FaceTime with? Call Apple. originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas Instruments' Blaze tablet coming to developers this August

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/25/texas-instruments-blaze-tablet-coming-your-way-this-august/

Back in February when Texas Instruments announced its ARM-based OMAP 4 system-on-chip 'Blaze' dev platform, we sort of figured it might be tablet-bound. And, here it is -- Blaze is going to be a tablet! Not a shocker, but we're glad to hear it, of course, since the tablet wars are hotter than ever and we love a good fight. So, what do we know about TI's entry in the game? Hardware wise it's going to be a 10.4-inch XVGA touchscreen LCD with two USB ports. Internally, we hear it'll boast a 1GHz OMAP4430 cpu, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, WLAN, Bluetooth, GPS, and FM, plus external camera and pico projector modules. The tablet is not set for retail release, but for developers, but we're still pretty excited to see this one come out to play.

Texas Instruments' Blaze tablet coming to developers this August originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 4 or EVO 4G: which one should you get?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/25/iphone-4-or-evo-4g-which-one-should-you-get/

Hoo boy. This is a tough one, isn't it? In our years at Engadget, we've rarely seen such deafening debate and adulation for a pair of devices. In one corner we have the iPhone 4, coming off a few relatively easy rounds atop the smartphone mind share heap. However, the Droid and its ilk have weakened Apple's spot, and here comes the HTC EVO 4G in for the kill, sporting a larger screen, 4G data, and all manner of HTC sexy. If the devices themselves weren't enough, the debate has turned into something larger and metaphorical, with Apple representing tight restrictions and a singular top down vision, while Google's Android stands for something perhaps a bit more haphazard but democratizing. The gloves come off after the break.

Continue reading iPhone 4 or EVO 4G: which one should you get?

iPhone 4 or EVO 4G: which one should you get? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia N9 (or something) in the wild: 8 megapixel camera, American 3G?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/25/nokia-n9-or-something-in-the-wild-8-megapixel-camera-america/

We told you, didn't we? Whether you want to call this the N98, the N900's successor, or the N8 plus QWERTY, what you're looking at above is potentially the visage of Nokia's next smartphone. It's being dubbed the N9 by the folks at Negri Electronics, who also inform us it has an 8 megapixel imager on the back, 850 / 1900 3G bands (good for AT&T, Rogers, Telus, and Bell), and "ridiculous screen clarity." This sort of throws us for a loop, since we're looking at some straight Symbian action up there, whereas Nokia has told us directly that there'll be no more Symbian on the N Series after the N8. A clue to what might be going on is provided by the "C0" label at the upper left corner of this device, suggesting that it could be a future C Series member. All we know is that the thing seems pretty real and it's headed to a full video review in the next few days. Yay!

[Thanks, Jason]

Nokia N9 (or something) in the wild: 8 megapixel camera, American 3G? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android port for HTC HD2 overcomes big hurdle, finally getting close

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/25/android-port-for-htc-hd2-overcomes-big-hurdle-finally-getting-c/

The great thing about the HD2 is that it remains one of the most gorgeous pieces of smartphone hardware ever released -- but as long as it's saddled with the dead OS walking known as Windows Mobile 6.5, its stature in the power user community is perpetually stuck in first gear, no matter how pretty HTC has managed to make it. To that end, some of those very same power users have been working tirelessly to salvage the beast and shoehorn Android on there, but they've been tripped up by some errors involving the phone's Snapdragon core and the so-called HaRET tool used to boot Linux from Windows CE-based devices that have made a proper port seem all but impossible. Those hurdles have been overcome in the past couple days, though, which means a marginally consumer-friendly Android build might finally be within reach -- and considering that there's no proper EVO 4G equivalent from HTC in Europe yet, this project could have an awful lot of value.

[Thanks, Aaron H.]

Android port for HTC HD2 overcomes big hurdle, finally getting close originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, June 24, 2010

RT @ClickZ - think of the ecosystem around your product, not just the product itself #IntegratedMarketing - http://bit.ly/cSPdvX

iPhone 4 and the Top Android Phones: Compared on Cost-to-Own and Features [Infographic]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5570803/iphone-4-and-the-top-android-phones-compared-on-cost-and-features

iPhone 4 and the Top Android Phones: Compared on Cost-to-Own and Features Cost analysis geeks BillShrink have given the iPhone 4 and all of its top Android the side-by-side treatment, putting their features and performance up against their long-term costs. You might be surprised at the cheapest and most expensive offerings.

BillShrink's offered up this kind of smartphone comparison before, and the product is equally impressive. Each category of performance (battery life, screen resolution) and cost is granted a winner, but you'll probably skip down to the two-year cost of a data plan. With an "unlimited" (read: almost-all-you-can-eat) data plan, the Nexus One on T-Mobile is the cheapest option, but the iPhone 4 on a 200 MB plan is the cheapest option, all told.

Here's the full breakdown, which you can click for a larger view (at BillShrink's own post):

Smartphones: The Latest Generation [BillShrink]

Who knew? You CAN launch without large ad budgets (it's actually better that way) - http://bit.ly/cSPdvX

Swype is Developing an App for iPhone, But Will Apple Allow It? [Cellphones]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5571609/swype-is-developing-an-app-for-iphone-but-will-apple-allow-it

Swype is Developing an App for iPhone, But Will Apple Allow It? It's not just Android that Swype, the company which pioneered an ultra-fast texting method, has its eyes on—they're apparently developing an iPhone version, which they're hoping Apple will have no objections to.

Considering it's in the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest way to text message, Apple shouldn't have any problems with OK-ing it for the App Store. Unless they see it as being competitive to their own virtual keyboard.

Swype's CEO Mike McSherry said to Reuters that it "remains to be seen" as to whether they'll be able to launch the app or not. I don't think I've heard a single bad word said about Swype, so maybe Apple should consider buying the company—and then license the software out to HTC, Motorola, Samsung et al. [Reuters]

Mitsubishi's LaserVue HDTV makes triumphant 75-inch return, becomes 3D-ready

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/23/mitsubishis-laservue-hdtv-makes-triumphant-75-inch-return-beco/

Ah, the LaserVue. Launched way back in the heyday that was 2008, Mitsubishi's 65-inch monster didn't exactly fly off shelves being priced at seven large, but we still maintain that it's the best looking consumer-level set we've ever laid eyes on. 'Course, the fat-backed design didn't exactly do it any favors in a world dominated by flatscreens, but we've always been willing to bend a little on the design for beautiful execution in the image quality department. To that end, we're downright elated to hear that the forgotten line has been revived for 2010, with an all new 75-inch model (L75-A91) being introduced for those who just can't find a television big enough to fill their 8,000 square foot den. The behemoth measures in at 41.7- x 66.4- x 15-inches (so yeah, it's still got some junk in the trunk), and as you'd expect, it's fully 3D ready. Mistu's 3D Starter Pack is being sold alongside of it, containing a 3D emitter, 3D Adapter with remote, an HDMI cable and a Blu-ray Disc with a collection of clips to really show off your new purchase. Other specs include web connectivity (StreamTV can hit up VUDU, Pandora, Flickr, Picasa and more), four HDMI-CEC inputs, a wired IR output, 1080p native resolution and a price tag of "only" $5,999, not including the $399 3D Starter Pack and $99 3D Adapter. Oh, and be sure to call a buddy or four when it arrives -- you know, considering that you can't lift a 154 pound television on your own.

Gallery: Mitsubishi L75-A91 LaserVue HDTV

Mitsubishi's LaserVue HDTV makes triumphant 75-inch return, becomes 3D-ready originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon patent application takes in-camera HDR to the pixel level

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/23/canon-patent-application-takes-in-camera-hdr-to-the-pixel-level/

There's certainly cameras out there that offer in-camera HDR (or High Dynamic Range), but none that go quite as far as what Canon has detailed in a recently published patent application. The short of it is that Canon's proposed method would alter exposure values at the individual pixel level, which should effectively emulate what's now possible but stitching together multiple photographs taken at different exposure settings -- and, for that matter, even open up some new possibilities since those single-pixel exposure values could be tweaked at will. Of course, there's no indication as to what type of camera the method would be used in, or any evidence that Canon has actually taken it beyond the patent application stage, so we wouldn't recommend getting too excited about the possibilities just yet.

Canon patent application takes in-camera HDR to the pixel level originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Droid X for Verizon official: July 15 for $200

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/23/motorola-droid-x-for-verizon-official-july-15-for-200/

There was little about the mighty Droid X that we hadn't already known -- but for what it's worth, Verizon and Motorola have teamed up today to expose everything we want to know about the next Android beast for Big Red. The 4.3-inch 854 x 480 handset features Android 2.1 with an all-new UI skin, a TI OMAP3630 processor galloping along at 1GHz, HDMI out, 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash and 720p video capture, and 8GB of onboard storage with expansion of up to 32GB (you get a 16GB card in the box) all stuffed in a package 9.9mm thick. Software wise, you've also got an integrated mobile hotspot with support for up to 5 devices connected over WiFi, DLNA support, and a legit multitouch keyboard with Swype built-in. It won't launch with Froyo, but that'll come later in the Summer as an upgrade along with Flash 10.1 support; the phone will be available on July 15 for $199.99 on contract after rebate, while the mobile hotspot service will run $20 extra a month with a 2GB cap and 5 cent per MB overage (data consumed on the phone itself is unlimited). Mirroring AT&T's move with the iPhone 4, all Verizon customers with upgrade dates in 2010 will be pulled up so they're eligible for the Droid X as soon as it's available. Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Motorola Droid X for Verizon official: July 15 for $200

Motorola Droid X for Verizon official: July 15 for $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo Institute of Technology announces SSD-packing, 2.39 petaflop supercomputer

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/23/tokyo-institute-of-technology-announces-ssd-packing-2-39-petafl/

IBM has announced plans to start using SandForce SSDs in its enterprise machines, and now it looks like the Tokyo Institute of Technology is doing one better, working with NEC and HP to produce Tsubame 2.0. This next-gen supercomputer will reportedly operate at 2.39 petaflops (that's a lot of flops!) and uses a new multilevel storage architecture consisting of DRAM as well as SSDs. Not only will this bad boy have thirty times the computing capacity of Tsubame 1.0 (due in part to its some 2,816 Intel Westmere microprocessors and 4,224 NVIDIA Tesla M2050 GPUs), its power draw should be some 1/25th of its predecessor's. If all goes according to plan, it should be in operation this fall, at a cost of ¥3.2 billion (approx $35.5 million).

[Thanks, Dylan]

Tokyo Institute of Technology announces SSD-packing, 2.39 petaflop supercomputer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eye tracking Tobii Glasses enable 'fully valid research' from a bodaciously styled pair of shades

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/23/eye-tracking-tobii-glasses-enable-fully-valid-research-from-a/

Eye tracking Tobii Glasses enable 'fully valid research' from a bodaciously styled pair of shades

If you're looking to get in touch with some styling cues you left behind in the '80s, or perhaps just perform a study on effective product packaging, Tobii Technology would like you to get a load of these. They're called Tobii Glasses, a pair of eye-tracking specs that look a little less obtrusive than some others we've seen, but despite that are also a bit less practical. These glasses pack a VGA camera, write to a hip-mounted unit with SDHC storage, and rely on IR emitters ~~that apparently must be~~ scattered about the field of vision that the researcher is looking to study. Those emitters enable very accurate and reliable monitoring of where the research participant is looking, but also seem to restrict the glasses' to use in rather contrived circumstances. So, perhaps not the best solution for seeing just how far your husband's eyes wander on an average day, but possibly an ideal accessory for all you marketing research managers out there.

Update: We got a note from Rasmus Petersson at Tobii Technology indicating that, indeed, the glasses can be used without the IR transmitters -- you just lose some automation when it comes to data aggregation at the end of the study. So, married dudes, look out if your wife buys you a new set of specs for your birthday.

Eye tracking Tobii Glasses enable 'fully valid research' from a bodaciously styled pair of shades originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Droid X first (official) hands-on and unboxing! Update: video!

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/23/motorola-droid-x-first-official-hands-on-and-unboxing/

Yeah, we kind of already saw this phone, but if you don't tell Motorola and Verizon, we won't. We just got our hands on an official, final Droid X at the NY launch event, and it tastes just as sweet. Here are a few notes:

It's built of basically the same material as the Droid, but there's something almost kind of "taut" about the phone, where when you thwack it with a finger it resounds like a drum. The phone vibration seems to work on this same principle, giving it much less of the typical buzz (in the funky, cheap sense) you expect.
There are three mics, and in video mode you can select between "scenes" based on which mic you want to use: outward facing for regular shoots, inward facing for narration. The third mic is up top for noise cancellation during calls.
Yeah, there's not kickstand, but the EVO 4G really does seem chunky up against the Droid X, and the camera bulge on the latter is not annoying at all.
PHYSICAL BUTTONS.
You get your choice between Swype and Motorola's multitouch keyboard, which is really pretty great. We were typing at speed within a few seconds of using it.
You can tell that the processor is fast, but the UI still has a jerky quality to it -- it's not totally fluid. We'd say that's more of an Android thing, though.
The new version of Motoblur is much, much more attractive than before -- the widgets are sleeker, smaller, and less in your face. You can also resize them, and they rearrange themselves somewhat intelligently.

Update: Video after the break!

Gallery: Motorola Droid X unboxing

Gallery: Droid X vs. Evo 4G... fight!

Gallery: Droid X car dock hands-on

Continue reading Motorola Droid X first (official) hands-on and unboxing! Update: video!

Motorola Droid X first (official) hands-on and unboxing! Update: video! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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