4/18 Engadget

Please add updates@feedmyinbox.com to your address book to make sure you receive these messages in the future. Engadget How would you change HP's Mini 1000 Mi? April 17, 2009 at 11:47 pm Judging by recent PC shipment reports, HP's had a pretty good run in Q1, and we fully suspect that a good chunk of those sales are in the netbook category. The outfit's Mini 1000 Mi was highly anticipated and chock full of promise, though we're not totally convinced the whole Mi interface lived up to the mile-high hype. So, now's your chance to tell us -- did it? Are you pleased with the software? Do you feel the user interface attracts or detracts? Could the hardware use a retooling? Are you totally looking forward to the 2000 Mi (or 1000 Mii, whatever HP settles on)? Feel free to blast our your really real opinions in comments below -- we'll be listening. Filed under: Laptops How would you change HP's Mini 1000 Mi? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 22:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments The Daily Roundup: here's what you might've missed April 17, 2009 at 11:02 pm T-Mobile Sidekick LX officially announced all over again Sound familiar? Indeed, this isn't the first time T-Mobile has offered a Sidekick LX -- but much like last year's simply-named Sidekick, the carrier is once again carrying forward branding while totally revamping the hardware. The Pirate Bay founders sentenced to prison, website soldiers on In what's being described as a landmark verdict, four men responsible for assisting throngs of dubious internet users to download all sorts of copyrighted material are being ushered off to prison cells for twelve whole months. Engadget endorses Monster Cable? Uh, hell no. You know, we were as surprised as anyone to see a totally out-of-context quote of ours used on a Monster Cable site (without permission, mind you) to sell the company's "Beats by Dre" headphones. Other news of import Bridgestone's 13-inch color e-paper display handles pen input, has the future written all over it GM proposes standardized plug for electric vehicles Palm Pre finds a totally unofficial home in China Best Buy prepping an entry into the digital distribution game Apparently Blu-ray sales aren't increasing fast enough for everyone, in its ongoing plan to not pull a Circuit City, Best Buy is reportedly in talks with CinemaNow and other, unnamed, movie services about launching a digital delivery arm as early as this summer. HTC Magic up for pre-order from Vodafone: due out May 5th, free with monthly plan While the jury's still out on its US name or release date, the HTC Magic is gearing up for its European debut by way of Vodafone. Fixstars CE-10 encoder puts Playstation 3 to work on h.264 video Crestron 200 Disc Blu-ray changer due in June AT&T Samsung Impression hands-on Sony Ericsson says no Android phone anytime soon The Daily Roundup: here's what you might've missed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 22:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Philips' OLED Lumiblade showcased in variety of shapes, sizes, and colors this month in Milan April 17, 2009 at 10:16 pm If you're planning to be in Milan later this month, and we know a good lot of you are, we suggest stopping by Superstudio Piú in Zona Tortona between April 22 and 27 to check out Philips' OLED Lumiblade exhibit. The company's promising lighting with dozens of different shapes, sizes and colors will be on display. Can't say we'd necessarily call OLED a "magic material," as the press release does multiple times, but with illuminated designs like this, they're putting up a good argument. Now how about bringing some of these fancy designs to the mass market? [Via OLED-Display] Filed under: Displays Philips' OLED Lumiblade showcased in variety of shapes, sizes, and colors this month in Milan originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 21:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Pogoplug iPhone app makes its way into the world April 17, 2009 at 9:12 pm Just in case you've been trying to worm your way into your network-connected hard drive via your phone, the folks at Pogoplug have made their iPhone application available, free of charge. After you're done Skype'ing, you can check out some family photos. C'mon -- you know you need those files. Filed under: Storage Pogoplug iPhone app makes its way into the world originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments HTC Magic up for pre-order from Vodafone: due out May 5th, free with monthly plan April 17, 2009 at 8:17 pm While the jury's still out on its US name or release date, the HTC Magic is gearing up for its European debut by way of Vodafone. The pre-order page is now live with an irresistible price of zilch, provided you agree to a monthly plan of £30 or more. The company says it plans to ship out the Cupcake-powered phone by May 5th. [Via Phandroid; thanks to everyone who sent this in!] Filed under: Cellphones HTC Magic up for pre-order from Vodafone: due out May 5th, free with monthly plan originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Shuttle intros Atom 330, SUSE Linux-packin' X270V nettop April 17, 2009 at 7:59 pm Go 'head, Shuttle -- break on out of that shell! The company notorious for pumping out the same barebone rectangle with a different model name and a few extra ports has finally seen fit to do something a touch different, and what we're dealt is the X270V. This so-called Mini-PC relies on Intel's 1.6GHz Atom 330 to push the computations, while up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM keeps things in order. There's also gigabit Ethernet, 6-channel audio, a PS/2 connector for the retro folks, six USB sockets and VGA / DVI outputs. Shuttle also claims this bugger is energy efficient, though it doesn't go into great detail about just how much it'll save you each month. Oh, and it also comes loaded with openSUSE 11 (a Linux flavor, for those unaware). Interested? Move to Europe and plop down at least €299 ($390). [Via Slashgear] Gallery: Shuttle intros Atom 330, SUSE Linux-packin' X270V nettop Filed under: Desktops Shuttle intros Atom 330, SUSE Linux-packin' X270V nettop originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Video: Navy UAV uses hydrogen fuel cells for greener surveillance April 17, 2009 at 7:19 pm It sure is nice to see that the military is paying attention to the environment, always on the lookout for greener ways to spy on people, foreign and domestic. Ion Tiger, for instance, is an unmanned vehicle being cooked up at the Naval Research Laboratory that incorporates a hydrogen fuel cell, offering many improvements on earlier battery powered designs -- including a greater range (up to seven times further than that of current designs), heavier payloads, smaller size, reduced noise, a low heat signature, and zero emissions. The Office of Naval Research is making much of the possible civilian potentials for this technology, pointing out that research contributes "directly to solving some of the same technology challenges faced at the national level," but we know the truth: the US military is in cahoots with Greenpeace. You heard it here first, folks. Video after the break. [Via PhysOrg] Continue reading Video: Navy UAV uses hydrogen fuel cells for greener surveillance Filed under: Robots Video: Navy UAV uses hydrogen fuel cells for greener surveillance originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments GiiNii's Movit Mini Android tablet coming in October, Movit Maxx in January April 17, 2009 at 6:47 pm We were pretty stoked by GiiNii's Movit Mini when we got some hands-on time with it at CES this year, and while the 4.3-inch, Android-powered tablet was originally due out in the middle of this year, the company's now targeting an October 1st ship date for the Mini and January 1st, 2010 for the 7-inch Max. Specs look to be the same as before, although given the new date we'd say Cupcake is now all but guaranteed. Mum's still the official word on pricing, but last we heard the Mini was expected to cost "less than the iPod touch" -- here's hoping the company manages to keep that goal. Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video GiiNii's Movit Mini Android tablet coming in October, Movit Maxx in January originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments A quick note about the Engadget Podcast this week April 17, 2009 at 6:23 pm We just wanted to give you guys a heads-up and let you know that while you won't see a new Engadget Podcast today -- don't worry -- it's not going anywhere! We had to shuffle our schedules a little bit to have on some very special guests, namely, Peter Rojas and Ryan Block. We decided it would be fun to celebrate Engadget's 5th birthday with a chat about how the site got its start. So... you should see the new podcast pop up in your queue sometime tomorrow. Thanks for your patience! Filed under: Podcasts A quick note about the Engadget Podcast this week originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60 to rock LiMo, launch in 1H 2009 April 17, 2009 at 6:16 pm We've been waiting on pins and needles for confirmation, but it looks like an all-too-vague Reuters report actually is referring to the Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60. After a senior company official noted that a "Linux-based operating system" would be used in one of its two smartphones, we pinged Garmin directly to cut through the mystery and get down to the meat. What we were told was this: "The Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60 has a proprietary Linux-based OS, and we're still working towards delivering the nüvifone G60 in the first half of 2009 in limited markets, which haven't been named yet." Of course, the tandem is quickly running out in months in that window, so we're pretty jazzed to be all up on top of an imminent release. Now, if only we knew where those patience pills made off to... [Via Boy Genius Report] Gallery: Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60 to rock LiMo, launch in 1H 2009 Filed under: Cellphones Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60 to rock LiMo, launch in 1H 2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Sony Ericsson says no Android phone anytime soon April 17, 2009 at 5:48 pm There's a mild chance that Sony Ericsson CEO Hideki Komiyama has been hitting the sauce just a wee bit too hard of late, but we're guessing it's mostly just an inability to comprehend his own company's situation. As SE pushes out awful report after awful report, the company's head honcho has just revealed that it'll be some time yet before it hops on the Android bandwagon -- as if it really has time on its side. In an interview with Reuters, he stated: "[Going Android] does require a lot of evaluation, as well as a lot of testing, a lot of acceptance from a consumer viewpoint, and there is still some time to go." He did confess that "looking ahead," he viewed it as an "important operating system," but he definitely gave no indication that we'd see an Android-based SE handset in the near future. Which is strange, really, considering that we'd already heard it would produce one during this calender year... Filed under: Cellphones Sony Ericsson says no Android phone anytime soon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Stone Neo 101 drops into the netbook pond, doesn't cause a ripple April 17, 2009 at 5:22 pm We haven't heard much from Stone since it fulfilled its destiny and bought Rock Computers last year, but it looks like the company is now finally having a go at a netbook of its own, and blending right in with the masses with its just-announced Neo 101 model. As you can no doubt guess, this one packs a standard issue 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 display and an unspecified Atom processor, along with built-in WiFi and optional 3G, a pair of USB ports and, somewhat notably, an ExpressCard slot for a bit of expansion. You'll also get a slightly better than usual three-year warranty, which apparently doesn't add much of a premium to the netbook's £275 price tag (or about $400). Look for this one to be available in the UK starting May 1st. Filed under: Laptops Stone Neo 101 drops into the netbook pond, doesn't cause a ripple originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments BBC breaks down the new DRM rules for Blu-ray recorders April 17, 2009 at 5:01 pm The reason Blu-ray recorders have migrated from Japan to the UK recently -- and why you'll likely never see them in the U.S. -- is all about the copyright holders. Danielle Nagler, head of BBC HD, hit the blogs to break down the wheres and hows of the DRM changes associated with bringing FreeSat disc HD DVRs like the Panasonic DMR-BS850 and Humax FOXSAT-HDR to market, basically meaning users are allowed one HD copy of a show, which can be played back on protected devices and connections only (transfer to portable players is planned to the future.) Follow the flow chart for the details, and figure out if it'd be worth it to make your own BD-R DVR backups so easily. [Via Pocket-Lint] Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment BBC breaks down the new DRM rules for Blu-ray recorders originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Verizon's subsidized HP Mini 1000 leaks out April 17, 2009 at 4:38 pm Hey, look at that -- Verizon employee training materials that prominently feature the HP Mini 1000. That's exactly what we predicted after we heard the two companies were talking about offering subsidized 3G laptops last month, and while we won't congratulate ourselves too much, well, we told you so. Sadly, there's no pricing on these slides, but we'll go out on a limb and say it won't blow minds when it's finally released. Hit the read link to check out the rest. Filed under: Laptops Verizon's subsidized HP Mini 1000 leaks out originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Nokia prepping updated 5800 XpressMusic with capacitive screen? April 17, 2009 at 4:16 pm It's certainly not unheard of for Nokia to take existing models in its lineup, tweak 'em with slightly improved hardware and software, and re-release them -- see the N85 / N86, N93 / N93i, N95 / N96, and so on -- so we can totally buy that the company's hard at work at updating its 5800 for a future revision. DigiTimes (which admittedly doesn't have a pristine record for nailing these sorts of rumors) cites "sources" with Taiwanese component suppliers as saying that Nokia wants to replace the 5800's resistive touchscreen with a capacitive one -- the S60-based Samsung i8910 does that, by the by -- in an effort to better compete with its rivals. That would certainly make the device more usable and responsive, but in all likelihood, this isn't a simple matter of swapping out a component (how would you use that totally awesome plectrum, after all?) so we'd expect this to be more of an indication that Espoo's looking to move to capacitive going forward, particularly as it transitions over to the Symbian Foundation's builds. Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds Nokia prepping updated 5800 XpressMusic with capacitive screen? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Windows Mobile 6.5 to officially "launch" on May 11 April 17, 2009 at 3:53 pm Well hey -- it looks like Windows Mobile 6.5 will arrive a little earlier than expected. A post on the WinMo team blog says that the update to Redmond's smartphone platform will officially launch on May 11, the first day of the Tech Ed conference. We're figuring that could mean we'll see the gold build demoed for the very first time, seeing how the version showed off at the glamorous MWC launch was described as an "alpha" cut. Of course, after that it's all up to the carriers and handset manufacturers as to when we'll actually see the OS loaded onto devices, but we're sure the hacking community will find a way to satiate the impatient until then -- or until Windows Mobile 7 comes out. [Via Electronista] Filed under: Cellphones Windows Mobile 6.5 to officially "launch" on May 11 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Engadget endorses Monster Cable? Uh, hell no. April 17, 2009 at 3:30 pm You know, we were as surprised as anyone to see a totally out-of-context quote of ours used on a Monster Cable site (without permission, mind you) to sell the company's "Beats by Dre" headphones (you can see the screen cap after the break). It's ironic, really, given that we currently have a blacklist in place for the overpriced cable-maker because of their rotten business practices (like regularly going after other companies that happen to use the word monster in their name, faking performance tests, and generally bilking customers out of their hard-earned dough). Regardless, if Monster wants to use a quote from Engadget, that's no problem. We suggest this one: Monster Cable sucks. Update: Monster has removed the quote from the site. Now that was fast. Power to the people! [Thanks, Michael K.] Continue reading Engadget endorses Monster Cable? Uh, hell no. Filed under: Meta, Portable Audio Engadget endorses Monster Cable? Uh, hell no. originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments LEGO MP3 player: another brick in your kid's wall of sound April 17, 2009 at 3:12 pm So this is pretty out-of-the-ordinary looking. LEGO's recently-announced MP3 player -- produced through a partnership with Digital Blue -- fits in nicely with the rest of the company's kiddie gadget offerings, though we'll admit that this is probably the first one we're truly tempted to check out for ourselves. These bad boys have 2GB of storage, LCD displays, and unlimited attitude. It's got that sweet brick shape that brings to mind memories of our olden days while staying on top of the latest tech that kids today demand... you know, MP3s of Miley Cyrus and stuff. Right? The MP3 players -- in multi-color and pinkish (for girls) -- will be available sometime this summer for $39.99 LEGO MP3 player: another brick in your kid's wall of sound originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Leica special edition white M8 spotted at car show in Tokyo April 17, 2009 at 2:48 pm Some keen-eyed fellows at the Audi Forum Tokyo car show were just hanging out, checking out an R8, when bam! The recently announced special edition white Leica M8 appeared out of thin air, ready to impress. We don't know what the circumstances were, or how the cam came to be there, but it's looking really fly, we can tell you that much. There's still no official word on pricing or availability, but rumor has it that it's going to appear sometime in May and might cost around €7,000 (about $9,150). One more shot after the break. Filed under: Digital Cameras Leica special edition white M8 spotted at car show in Tokyo originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Nintendo shares fall after surprising drop in Wii demand April 17, 2009 at 2:26 pm Nintendo may have been denying any rumors of a Wii price cut earlier this month, but it looks like it could possibly be reconsidering its options if this latest sales trend keeps up. Apparently, sales in the U.S. for the month of March clocked in at around 601,000 consoles, or about a 17% drop from a year earlier. During the same period, however, Xbox 360 sales were reportedly up a healthy 26%, while PlayStation 3 sales dipped 15% -- although, in sheer numbers, both were still well behind the Wii. That unsurprisingly didn't make investors too happy, with Nintendo shares falling 6.6% on the Osaka Securities Exchange after the news broke, which accounted for it's biggest drop in more than two months. Also contributing to the sell-off was a 19% drop in Nintendo DS sales compared to the previous year, although the company seems to be betting pretty heavily that the DSi will quickly turn those numbers around. Filed under: Gaming Nintendo shares fall after surprising drop in Wii demand originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Fujitsu's secure USB tech keeps your data from wandering off (or just plain deletes it) April 17, 2009 at 2:03 pm With corporate espionage on the rise, you just cannot be too careful, right? We've all heard the horror stories: Someone takes a spreadsheet home to do a little number crunching on his personal PC and, next thing you know, some ne'er-do-wells in Tehran have the specs for the President's personal helicopter. Well, the brain trust at Fujitsu Labs has put its collective heads together and come up with a pair of new technologies aimed at preventing sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands. First, the "secure USB memory device" is a thumb drive containing a processor and a battery. Data security policies can be set to delete data after a specific period of time or if the drive is accessed by an unauthorized computer -- handy if the thing gets lost or misplaced. Second, the company's "file redirect technology" restricts the data to the USB memory device itself, or to a specified server. The company is currently conducting internal trials of the technology, but we'll let you know as soon as we see one of these bad boys in the wild. [Via Akihabara News] Filed under: Storage Fujitsu's secure USB tech keeps your data from wandering off (or just plain deletes it) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Verizon releases early data-focused LTE specs, CDMA nowhere in sight April 17, 2009 at 1:44 pm Verizon's got a lot of work to do before it lights up its next-gen LTE network in 2010, and things are beginning to move along: the company just released the first set of specs for device manufacturers as part of its Open Development Initiative. It's still a rough draft, but there are a few big-picture tidbits buried in the dense jargon -- the LTE network will start out as a data-only service, and right now devices aren't required to support CDMA at all, which is a pretty bold move. That certainly makes sense as Verizon's test networks go live in the next few months, but the company's has already said that phones will be available at launch, so we're guessing things are going to change quickly as time marches on -- 60Mbps mobile downloads, here we come. Read - Verizon PR Read - Specs site (registration required) Filed under: Wireless Verizon releases early data-focused LTE specs, CDMA nowhere in sight originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Fujitsu's PalmSecure takes high-speed, contact free biometric readings April 17, 2009 at 1:23 pm This next item should be music to the ears of security professionals, fans of biometric devices, and germophobes alike. Fujitsu has just announced a new palm vein authentication device -- one that's being touted as the world's fastest, and the first that works without the user actually touching the device. Unlike past implementations of this technology, which moved at a comparative snail's pace, PalmSecure works in as little as one millisecond. We can think of a number of places where this sort of thing could be particularly useful, from top secret lairs housing doomsday devices to anyplace where people might not be washing their hands as often as they should be (we really hate that). Despite its speed, Fujitsu insists that this bad boy performs with the same level of accuracy as its slow moving brethren. More pics after the break. [Via Akihabara News] Continue reading Fujitsu's PalmSecure takes high-speed, contact free biometric readings Filed under: Misc. Gadgets Fujitsu's PalmSecure takes high-speed, contact free biometric readings originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Engadget's recession antidote: win a be.ez LAbesace LIME DROP laptop case! April 17, 2009 at 1:00 pm This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery -- including today's news from Toshiba and Sony Ericsson -- without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got delightful LAbesace LIME DROP messenger bag for 15-inch laptops, complete with a rugged nylon exterior, plenty of room for your smaller gizmos and a sign that says "Kiss Me, I'm Famous." Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff! Big thanks to be.ez for providing the gear! Gallery: be.ez LAbesace LIME DROP The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) be.ez LAbesace LIME DROP case for 15-inch laptops. Approximate retail value is $89.99. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Friday, April 17th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here. Filed under: Announcements Engadget's recession antidote: win a be.ez LAbesace LIME DROP laptop case! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Switched gets a redesign! April 17, 2009 at 12:54 pm We know that a lot of you hardcore gadget nerds can't get enough of what Engadget is laying down (and we love that) -- but we've got other sites in the tech network here that contribute their own special blend of insight when it comes to gadgets and geek culture. One of the finest examples would be our main bros over at Switched. We just wanted to turn your attention to their web locale for a moment to make you aware of the totally rad redesign they've just undergone. Not unlike our compatriots over at Joystiq, the Switched folks have just gotten a much-needed fresh coat of paint (and some undercarriage work). Be sure and take some time to check out their new duds -- you won't be sorry. Filed under: Announcements Switched gets a redesign! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments LEGO Boombox looks sweet, still can't make your kid's music sound good April 17, 2009 at 12:27 pm The collaboration between LEGO and Digital Blue has already produced a couple of interesting gadgets for the wee ones, so here's another one to add to the stack. The LEGO Boombox is a decidedley low-techish CD player / AM/FM radio, with two 1 watt speakers, and a few buttons to boot. The saving grace of this little guy is obviously its shape -- which is awesome -- but we really need to know if its going to come in other colors (like hot pink) before we can think about buying it. This bad boy is going to be available sometime this summer, and it'll run $39.99 Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio LEGO Boombox looks sweet, still can't make your kid's music sound good originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Bridgestone's 13-inch color e-paper display handles pen input, has the future written all over it April 17, 2009 at 12:08 pm While it'll always be difficult to accept innovative technology from a company that makes our tires, there's just no faulting Bridgestone's work in the e-paper space, or their latest color entry, above. The 13-inch display, based on "QR-LPD" tech, has what looks to be great color depth, along with snappy 0.8 second screen refreshes (great for this screen size) and actual Wacom-based pen input. There's video of it in action after the break, and if we didn't know better we'd think they were putting a Sharpie to a perfectly good display. Unfortunately, the image does look a little dim at the moment, so hopefully that's something Bridgestone can improve upon as they approach commercialization -- whenever that might be. Continue reading Bridgestone's 13-inch color e-paper display handles pen input, has the future written all over it Filed under: Displays Bridgestone's 13-inch color e-paper display handles pen input, has the future written all over it originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments David Beckham bends it like a Terminator for Motorola's Aura April 17, 2009 at 11:46 am Never before in the history of humankind has a company that's been doing so badly had such an enormous amount of money to waste. Enter Motorola, and, consequently, their new Aura advertisement featuring megahunk David Beckham doing what he does best: absolutely nothing. There's not much that we can say that the Terminator-inspired ad won't say for us, so putter on after the break and catch the ad itself, plus Beckster beefcaking it up like a pro and sharing his innermost insights on Moto's $2,000 phone. [Thanks, ugotamesij] Continue reading David Beckham bends it like a Terminator for Motorola's Aura Filed under: Cellphones David Beckham bends it like a Terminator for Motorola's Aura originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Autonomous sniper system combines Xbox 360 controller, .338 rifle for deadly drone action April 17, 2009 at 11:23 am You know how it is -- we're frightened and appalled by the thought of unmanned killing machines, but if they must exist we really, really want to play with one. The US Army's latest nightmarish deathcopter / awesome tech toy is a little something called the Autonomous Rotorcraft Sniper System (ARSS). Essentially a .338-caliber rifle mounted to the bottom of a Vigilante unmanned helicopter (though it could eventually be made to work on a Predator drone, for instance), this bad boy utilizes a modified Xbox 360 game controller for targeting while the vehicle itself stays put courtesy of its autopilot functions. Never again will your favorite sniper need to leave the comfort of his barracks! Airborne testing begins in July, with autonomy to come soon after that and a possible robot apocalypse estimated for Q4 2011. Filed under: Robots Autonomous sniper system combines Xbox 360 controller, .338 rifle for deadly drone action originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Panasonic expands Lumix FS line: DMC-FS12, DMC-FS62 and DMC-FS42 April 17, 2009 at 10:59 am We tell ya, that Panasonic FS line sure knows how to expand. Just months after we saw a few more added to the mix, the point-and-shoot Lumix family is growing yet again with three new members. Kicking things off is the 12.1 megapixel DMC-FS12, which boasts a 4x optical zoom, optical image stabilization, 2.7-inch LCD, a WVGA (848 x 480) movie mode and digital red-eye correction. The 10.1 megapixel DMC-FS62 packs most of the same features, though it does step down to a 2.5-inch LCD. Finishing up the trio is the DMC-FS42, a 10.1 megapixel shooter that does most everything the FS62 does save for the omission of optical image stabilization and a few other minor exclusions. The whole lot is expected to arrive soon in a variety of hues, though precise pricing and availability details are still missing. Gallery: Panasonic expands Lumix FS line: DMC-FS12, DMC-FS62 and DMC-FS42 Filed under: Digital Cameras Panasonic expands Lumix FS line: DMC-FS12, DMC-FS62 and DMC-FS42 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Yoichi Yamazaki's latest bot has hungry eyes, nothing else April 17, 2009 at 10:34 am A quick glance can say a lot, but sometimes its meaning can get lost in translation. For example, there's not a lot of difference between a dirty look and a, uh, dirty look, but Yoichi Yamazaki and cohorts at the Tokyo Institute of Technology hope to quantify that (and many more) by creating a so-called Eye Robot. It's a pair of disembodied eyeballs that create expressions in concert with pink eyelids; a user views each expression and then indicates how it makes him or her feel. At this point it seems like something of a scatter-shot affair, throwing out expressions at random and seeing which elicit a reaction, but hopefully in the near future Yamazaki's metrics will help make the vacant gaze of other bots a little less disconcerting. [Via Engadget Poland] Filed under: Robots Yoichi Yamazaki's latest bot has hungry eyes, nothing else originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Transplant's Dale Earnhardt Jr. GPS will get you where you're goin', good buddy April 17, 2009 at 10:12 am Computerized GPs voices too dispassionate for you? K.I.T.T. too snarky? Mr. T always falling asleep? Maybe what you need is a good 'ol boy GPS, something with a hint of southern drawl and Wrangler Jeans style. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the man for the job, providing his voice to a special edition Rightway Spotter GPS from Transplant and ALK Technologies. He'll give you distances, speak some street names, and even tell you to "park it" when you're there (watch the video below to feel like you're actually going somewhere). It's got custom data for Junior's favorite hangouts and naturally has all the NASCAR series tracks programmed in, too. For $229 all this can be yours; buy now and they'll throw in the ability to turn right. Continue reading Transplant's Dale Earnhardt Jr. GPS will get you where you're goin', good buddy Filed under: GPS Transplant's Dale Earnhardt Jr. GPS will get you where you're goin', good buddy originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Hilco / Gordon Brothers acquires Polaroid brand, assets and dignity April 17, 2009 at 9:41 am After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (again) in December of last year, Polaroid may have just made its last shakeable memory. Today, the Federal Bankruptcy court for the district of Minnesota has approved a motion for "substantially all the assets of Polaroid, including the Polaroid brand, intellectual property, inventory and other assets," to be acquired by Hilco Consumer Capital and Gordon Brothers Brands. If those names sound familiar, have a cookie on us. You see, this very same joint venture picked up The Sharper Image around this time last year, and while it's still unclear what these suits plan to do with the 72 year-old name, we are told that it doesn't plan on shelving it anytime soon. In fact, it's hoping to "partner with a number of global institutions in the ongoing development of the Polaroid brand." Personally, we would've used "revival" rather than "development," but we'll refrain from bursting any bubbles here. Filed under: Digital Cameras Hilco / Gordon Brothers acquires Polaroid brand, assets and dignity originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments GM proposes standardized plug for electric vehicles April 17, 2009 at 9:11 am Say what you will about General Motors (okay, so maybe you should say it under your breath), but there's no denying the brilliance of this idea. On the company's FastLane blog, one Gery Kissel explains that engineers and suits will be meeting up next week to discuss the standardization of common components that will hopefully be installed in forthcoming electric vehicles. Notably, the SAE J1772 Task Force will be responsible for designing a plug that links each plug-in vehicle to an "ecosystem," ensuring that drivers can pull into any charging station from Key West to Neah Bay and see a socket that fits their ride. Specifically, the group is being charged with defining a "common electric vehicle conductive charging system architecture for all major automakers in North America," but it remains to be seen if said standard can be hammered out before the Volt's not-to-be-missed 2010 introduction. Filed under: Transportation GM proposes standardized plug for electric vehicles originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Special Edition Advent Children PlayStation 3 unboxed in all its matte glory April 17, 2009 at 8:48 am There's a lot to love about the special edition 160GB Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete Cloud Black PlayStation 3 bundle that was unleashed this week in Japan -- a fancy Strife Wolf emblem, a copy of Advent Children Complete on Blu-ray, and a Final Fantasy XIII demo you can't play anywhere else -- but perhaps our favorite part is the console's matte finish. For us, a smudge-resistant PS3 is well worth the 49,980 yen (US $505) price of admission. 1UP has the unboxing, hit up the read link for more pics. [Via Joystiq] Filed under: Gaming Special Edition Advent Children PlayStation 3 unboxed in all its matte glory originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 07:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments The Pirate Bay founders sentenced to prison, website soldiers on April 17, 2009 at 8:12 am In what's being described as a landmark verdict, four men responsible for assisting throngs of dubious internet users to download all sorts of copyrighted material are being ushered off to prison cells for twelve whole months. The Stockholm district court in Sweden found the defendants guilty not of hosting materially illegally, but of "providing a website with sophisticated search functions, simple download and storage capabilities, and a tracker linked to the website [that helped users commit copyright violations]." As expected, the foursome seems unaffected by the ruling, with Peter Sunde (shown) tweeting that "it used to be only movies, now even verdicts are out before the official release." After jail, the crew will be forced by pay 30 million kronor ($3.56 million) to a number of entertainment companies, which is far less than those firms were hoping for. Curiously, we're told that the verdict didn't include an order to shut down The Pirate Bay website, and you can pretty much bank on an appeal being filed in record time. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Portable Audio, Portable Video The Pirate Bay founders sentenced to prison, website soldiers on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 07:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Best Buy prepping an entry into the digital distribution game April 17, 2009 at 7:31 am Apparently Blu-ray sales aren't increasing fast enough for everyone, in its ongoing plan to not pull a Circuit City, Best Buy is reportedly in talks with CinemaNow and other, unnamed, movie services about launching a digital delivery arm as early as this summer. CinemaNow is well prepared to set up online video stores for others, with Blockbuster (bad example) and Dell already on board. Variety suggests Best Buy could market and sell Internet-connected TVs and set-top boxes that include CinemaNow access, with a shared revenue stream between the two, but nothing is final. Netflix has a hit on its hands with Watch Instantly so think it over, would you give an Insignia Blu-ray player or HDTV a second look if it could download movies? Filed under: Home Entertainment Best Buy prepping an entry into the digital distribution game originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 06:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments IBM, Samsung, Globalfoundries, and more looking to beat Intel to 28nm market April 17, 2009 at 6:42 am Sure, Intel's one-upping AMD in the 32nm department, but IBM and its merry band of Technology Alliance members -- including Samsung, STMicroelectronics, and AMD chipmakers Globalfoundries -- are looking to ramp up the competition and develop even smaller, low power 28nm processors before Intel gets a chance to size down. The group additionally promises migration plans for companies who've got 32nm on their roadmap and want to maybe shrink a few of the later, already planned models. Early risk production for the 28nm chips are planned for second half 2010, which means it's very unlikely we'll be seeing them in consumer gadgets until at least 2011. Filed under: Misc. Gadgets IBM, Samsung, Globalfoundries, and more looking to beat Intel to 28nm market originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Ultmost Technology's 42-inch oval LCD on display April 17, 2009 at 5:19 am There's perilously scant detail to be had here, but this puppy -- a 42-inch LCD by Ultmost Technology --was on display at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair. Called the Fuss LC-4212B, we don't know anything about its specs, pricing, or availability... but we do know that it's pretty crazy looking, and we'd like to see a little more of it. One more shot after the break. Continue reading Ultmost Technology's 42-inch oval LCD on display Filed under: Displays Ultmost Technology's 42-inch oval LCD on display originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 04:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Palm Pre finds a totally unofficial home in China April 17, 2009 at 3:58 am Before phones show up at retail, they start showing up in totally random places in China -- it's basically a law of physics. And once that happens, they almost inevitably end up posted in a forum somewhere, and... well, you can gather where that leads. Chinese firm Ludle -- which, according to its own description is in the business of "exploiting, producing and selling" -- somehow came across a Pre (or possibly just an empty shell thereof), and a staff member took the time to do a quick set of comparo shots against a Centro and iPhone 3G. He notes that the Pre gets clogged with fingerprints as easily as the iPhone but handles scratching on the back a little better; the front is a different story, though, where the iPhone's glass display wins. He goes on to say that the phone is currently in mass production (we'd certainly hope so), but what we don't know is whether we're looking at a CDMA version for Sprint or the GSM variant destined for sundry networks around the globe. We'll take either, personally. [Via PreThinking and TreoCentral] Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds Palm Pre finds a totally unofficial home in China originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 02:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments   This email was sent to arildinho13@gmail.com.  Create Your Account Don't want to receive this feed any longer? Unsubscribe here.