Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Samsung Galaxy Note II for T-Mobile review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/update/samsung-galaxy-note-ii-usa/

Samsung Galaxy Note II for TMobile review

The Samsung Galaxy Note II is coming to America, and unlike its predecessor, it's not being as quiet about the move. In a completely unprecedented feat, the mammoth smartphone not only won over the hearts of four national American carriers and one regional network, it did so without having to make sacrifices in its design, specs or even its name. This is a considerable amount of progress when taking into account the fact that only two mobile operators adopted the original Galaxy Note -- the inaugural phablet, if you will -- and they did so months after its global launch. Heck, T-Mobile released its variant of the Note just three months ago, which likely will be a sour point to early adopters for a long time to come.

As you may have seen in our review of the global Note II, there's a reason for all of the buzz circulating around this new flagship device; it's good. It's very good. Once you get used to the idea of a 5.5-inch smartphone with an included st ylus S Pen, you'll take heed of the incredibly fast quad-core processor, the latest version of Android, the high-end camera and the litany of other top-notch features that have helped the device become worthy of our praise.

This review, as you see it today, discusses our impressions of T-Mobile's version of the Note II and how it sizes up against the global model (the N7100), but we're changing things up this time around. Since there will be very few differences across the five different versions offered on US carriers, we're simply going to add our reviews of each carrier-specific unit to this space as we go along. The idea is that this review will encompass every Galaxy Note II sold stateside. Enjoy the galleries below, and continue past the break as we dig into Samsung's latest flagship... again.

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Samsung Galaxy Note II for T-Mobile review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Store now has Lightning to HDMI and VGA adapters at $49 a pop, souped-up iPad charger

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/24/apple-store-lightning-adapters-camera-hdmi-vga/

Apple Store now has Lightning to HDMI and VGA adapters at $49 a pop, soupedup iPad charger

We noticed during the iPhone 5 launch that Apple had a big caveat with its Lightning to 30-pin adapter: no video or iPod out support. Now that the new iPads are here with that same connector, the problem's been partially rectified -- for a sum. Namely, you can grab the Lightning to VGA or digital AV (HDMI) adapters for a rather princely $49, though there's no sign of any iPod support yet. If you're still holding out for generic models instead, you may want to rethink that plan, as there's a control chip inside each, and so far only Apple holds the authentication keys. Also, a new $19 12W USB power adapter (which connects directly to the Lightning port) has also appeared for the 3rd and 4th generation iPads, bumping the previous version's 10W -- meaning your slate might get charged a bit quicker.

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Apple Store now has Lightning to HDMI and VGA adapters at $49 a pop, souped-up iPad charger originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 09:38:00 EDT. Please see o! ur terms for use of feeds.

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Broadcom's 2012 Q3 sees $2.13 billion sales turn into a $220 million profit

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/24/broadcom-q3-2012/

Broadcom's 2012 Q3 sees $213 billion sales turn into a $220 million profitIf you need to borrow a couple of bucks to tide you over until payday, then the folks over at Broadcom should be feeling altruistic. The chip maker's latest financials show that it pulled in $2.13 billion turnover and a cool $220 million profit. While that's more than the $160 million it pulled in in the second quarter, it's a little off the $270 million it made in the same period last year. Given that the company's innovating with both 802.11ac chips and branching out into the wireless headphone business, they might even lend you some cash next month, too.

Continue reading Broadcom's 2012 Q3 sees $2.13 billion sales turn into a $220 million profit

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Broadcom's 2012 Q3 sees $2.13 billion sales turn into a $220 million profit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 10:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hummingbird is a 'pre-Arduino' for kids (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/24/hummingbird-is-a-pre-arduino-for-kids-video/

Humminbird is a 'preArduino' for kids video

It's an Arduino -- you know, for kids. Or, as BirdBrain Technologies' chief robot design Tom Lauwers put it, a "pre-Arduino." It's never too early to get kids into robot building -- or so goes the thought process behind this nectar-loving kit. At its center is a custom controller that can be used to manipulate a slew of different sensors, motors and lights, a number of which are included in the box. Getting started is extremely simple -- don't believe us? Check the video after the break, in which Lauwers connects two wires to get the whole process underway.

The kit's also reasonably priced at $199 a piece. On top of the controller, you get a handful of LEDs, two vibration motors, four servos and light, temperature, distance and sound sensors. The kits are currently available through the company's site (click on that source link). Lauwers tells us that his company (which you may remember from last year's MakerFaire NYC) is working on a slightly more affordable option priced at around $130, which scales back a bit on the in-box components.

Check out a conversation with Lauwers -- and a pretty awesome cardboard dragon -- below.

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Hummingbird is a 'pre-Arduino' for kids (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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System76 debuts Sable Complete all-in-one PC with Ubuntu pre-installed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/24/system76-debuts-sable-complete-all-in-one-pc-with-ubuntu-pre-ins/

System76 debuts Sable Complete allinone PC with Ubuntu preinstalled

Sure, it's not too much trouble to install Ubuntu on the all-in-one PC of your choice, but those looking for an out-of-the-box option now have a new one to consider courtesy of System76. The company has today added the Sable Complete to its Linux-minded line-up, an all-in-one PC that starts at $799 and comes pre-installed with the recently released Ubuntu 12.10. As for hardware, that base model offers a 21.5-inch 1920 x 1080 display (behind edge-to-edge glass), a 2.9GHz Core i5 3470S processor, integrated Intel HD Graphics 2500, 4GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. Those looking for an optical drive can add a slimline model for $45, and you'll also somewhat curiously have to shell out an extra $35 for built-in WiFi. Naturally, there's also a number of other configuration options available that can push the price well over $1,000. You can check out those and get a closer look at the system at the source link below.

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System76 debuts Sable Complete all-in-one PC with Ubuntu pre-installed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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