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Monday, November 15, 2010

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HTC Trophy with Windows Phone 7 coming to Verizon in 'early 2011'

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 10:04 AM PST

It's unclear whether Verizon will ever get HTC's 7 Pro, but it's a lock that Big Red will eventually have some manner of Windows Phone 7 gear in its lineup -- and now we've got one in the flesh. Looks like HTC will be remixing the Trophy for use on CDMA networks, featuring a 3.8-inch WVGA display, 5 megapixel cam, 16GB of storage, and 802.11n, and Verizon is circulating a brochure for Microsoft employees saying they'll be able to buy the Trophy in "early 2011" for $199.99 at launch when they renew their contracts now (they'll also get a leather case and a car charger for free, but hey, they're Microsofties). Oh, and that's not the best part: the Trophy is also identified as being a "quad band global phone," meaning you'll be able to roam on GSM networks when you leave the US behind -- a feature Verizon seems to be pushing pretty hard across its smartphone lineup now. Follow the break for a bigger version of the pamphlet.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

LG Vortex puts a Verizon spin on budget Android -- yes, Bing's there, too

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 09:46 AM PST

It's not exactly the Optimus T / S we saw hit T-Mobile and Sprint, respectively, but for all intents and purposes, it's a fraternal twin. The LG Vortex for Verizon brings with it Android 2.2, a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 3G Mobile HotSpot capability, Skype, Swype, a suite of pre-installed carrier / manufacturer apps (e.g. VZ Navigator), and as you might've guessed from it being a non-Droid Verizon Android phone, Bing Search and Bing Maps. Despite being a later arrival, this one's actually the most expensive of the three -- $80 on contract after $100 mail-in rebate. November 18th, if you want to mark a calendar.

Galaxy Tab coming to AT&T November 21st for $650, US Cellular on the 19th for $399 / $599

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 09:24 AM PST

So, AT&T, it's true: you're charging $50 more for the Galaxy Tab than everyone else in the States off-contract. That's a pretty gutsy sense of entitlement, though you're bundling $50 in Samsung Media Hub credit -- and, of course, no other Tab has access to AT&T's $15 and $25 pay-as-you-go data plans at 250MB and 2GB, respectively. Pick your poison, we suppose. In related news, regional carrier US Cellular is going to start telling the Tab on November 19th for $399 on-contract or $599 off, effectively the same price schedule as all the big guys except AT&T. Data pricing on USCC seems like it needs another tier, though, because right now you'll be able to choose between $14.99 for 200MB or $54.99 for 5GB with tethering enabled. Where's the happy medium, guys? Follow the break for both press releases.

Show full PR text
AT&T INTRODUCES SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB WITH PAY-AS-YOU-GO MONTHLY DATA PLANS

November 15, 2010

Android-Powered Tablet Available Nov. 21 Online and in 2,200 AT&T Stores Nationwide

DALLAS, NoV. 10, 2010- AT&T* and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.1, today announced the Samsung Galaxy Tab™ will launch on Sunday, Nov. 21 on the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, and just in time for the holiday season.

The Galaxy Tab will be available for $649. .99** at more than 2,200 AT&T company owned stores and online at Samsung Galaxy Tab (www.att.com/galaxytab). AT&T will offer two pay-as-you-go data plan options for the Galaxy Tab, a $14.99 pay-as-you-go plan for 30 days with up to 250 MB of usage and a $25 pay-as-you-go plan for 30 days with up to 2 GB of usage. If customers use all the data included in their plan before 30 days, they can purchase another pay-as-you go plan. For additional convenience, these plans can automatically renew every 30 days, when customers pay for these plans with a credit card or debit card.

AT&T data plan subscribers also get access to AT&T's entire national Wi-Fi network at no additional charge. Subscribers can activate their service plan directly on the Galaxy Tab, without making a phone call or a visit to the store, whenever they need access to data within the allocated U.S. footprint.

The data plans do not require a long-term contract. Customers have the option to change plans or purchase more data without penalty as needed. As a courtesy reminder, AT&T will notify customers with a text and email when their 30-day plan is close to expiring or when they are close to depleting the amount of data available in the plan.

In addition to the domestic data plans, international passes are also available which provide data coverage in more than 100 countries, including Canada, Mexico, and countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Plans start at $24.99.

"Consumers are seeking cutting-edge mobile computing devices and we're proud to give them another great choice in our product portfolio," said David Haight, vice president of business development, AT&T Emerging Devices. "Samsung's Galaxy Tab is a sharp device boasting a brilliant screen for watching videos, a powerful processor and a host of cutting edge features that everyone in the family will enjoy. Pairing it with the nation's fastest mobile broadband network and most extensive Wi-Fi network gives AT&T Galaxy customers the best mobile broadband experience in the market."

"We are excited to bring the Galaxy Tab to AT&T customers for the holiday season," said Omar Khan, Chief Strategy Officer, Samsung Mobile. "Its seven inch form factor, pocketable weight and robust feature set make it ideal for work and play. It's the kind of device users will want to carry with them every day."

Powered by the Android™ 2.2 platform, the Samsung Galaxy Tab touts a 7-inch enhanced TFT touch screen, 1Ghz Hummingbird application processor, support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1, Media Hub - Samsung's own content service that offers an extensive library of acclaimed films and TV programming – Samsung Social Hub, dual cameras, and many additional features.

For a limited time, AT&T customers will receive a $50 Media Hub Movie Rental credit with Galaxy Tab purchases.2

AT&T consumers will enjoy a rich web browsing experience with the mobile tablet, along with access to many forms of multimedia content on the 7-inch display, including movies, photos, ebooks and more – all on the go Also, users can communicate via e-mail or social networking with the optimized user interface.

In addition to the numerous Samsung Mobile features, the AT&T-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab also features AT&T Connection Manager, which automatically connects users to AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots to better manage data usage.

Additional information on AT&T data plans for the Galaxy Tab is available at www.att.com/galaxytab. For more information on AT&T, please visit the AT&T website.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
** Price established by AT&T for AT&T-owned retail locations.
1 Number one mobile phone provider in the U.S claim for Samsung Mobile based upon reported shipment data, according to Strategy Analytics, Q2 2010 U.S. Market Share Handset Shipments Reports.
2 Galaxy Tab customers are required to register their device at www.samsung.com/register to receive their $50 Media Hub Movie Rental credit. For additional information and terms and conditions, please visit www.samsung.com/atttabpromo.com.

Mobile broadband coverage not available in all areas.

Show full PR text
SAMSUNG GALAXY TABTM AVAILABLE TO U.S. CELLULAR CUSTOMERS IN STORES AND AT USCELLULAR.COM ON NOVEMBER 19

With "no contract after the first" from The Belief Project, customers can purchase the mobile tablet for $399 with a two-year contract and never have to sign another one

CHICAGO (November 15, 2010) – Holiday shoppers who want to get a head start on their gifts can pick up the Samsung Galaxy Tab from U.S. Cellular beginning Friday, Nov. 19. The carrier's first mobile tablet will retail for $399 after a $100 mail-in rebate and two-year contract.

The Galaxy Tab's large 7-inch touchscreen creates a web browsing experience that is more like a PC and the vibrant graphics and 1 GHz processor deliver games with dazzling clarity. It's loaded with Samsung's Media Hub, a single source for buying and watching movies and TV shows that are optimized to fit the brilliant display. The Galaxy Tab can also be a convenient e-reader with free downloadable applications from Kindle and Nook. It's a world of information and entertainment that is still small enough to hold in one hand.

Customers can access data on their Galaxy Tab via Wi-Fi or on U.S. Cellular's high-speed nationwide network. The carrier offers two rate plans that are tailored to match how often customers will use Wi-Fi for their data needs. The $14.99 plan is ideal for customers who will use Wi-Fi most of the time and comes with 200 MB of monthly network data usage on U.S. Cellular's network for those occasions when Wi-Fi isn't available. Customers who don't want to rely on a Wi-Fi connection can select U.S. Cellular's $54.99 plan, which provides 5GB of network data usage and can turn the Galaxy Tab into a mobile hotspot for other Wi-Fi devices.

Customers who opt for the $54.99 plan will receive all the benefits of The Belief Project, U.S. Cellular's series of industry-leading initiatives designed to elevate the customer experience. All customers on a Belief Plan get automatic upgrades of their device at promotional prices every 18 months and get rewards just for being a customer that can be used for even faster upgrades.

"We're bringing tremendous value to our customers through The Belief Project, with plans to match how they use their devices and products they really want, all backed by innovative services that make their lives easier," said Edward Perez, vice president of marketing and sales operations for U.S. Cellular.

Watch Facebook's messaging event right here!

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 09:00 AM PST

Nope, we're not liveblogging Facebook's messaging-related event today, since we're en route to the Web 2.0 summit -- and a new email service isn't really our bag anyway. But we know a lot of you are interested, so we thought we'd throw up the stream. Any guesses on what might be in store? And whether our own Josh Topolsky will get mobile, social, and Four Loko with it after last week's podcast rant? The floor is yours.

Rahul Sood leaving HP

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 08:45 AM PST

HP acquired VoodooPC and its founder Rahul Sood in 2006, and it's been a wild ride ever since. The ever out-spoken Rahul has brought a lot of "Voodoo DNA" to HP products, most notably the Envy line, but also witnessed the slow fade of the actual Voodoo brand. He also went on a lot of extreme cycling trips in-between all the product teases and wild statements. Rahul isn't saying exactly why he's leaving HP, but he has penned a substantial blog post detailing some of Voodoo's history and thanking a whole bunch of people and companies. As for his time with HP: "We merged, we invented, we kicked ass, and we had fun, but then things got a little complicated." What he means by "complicated" is unclear, but whatever Rahul is moving on to next (he says he "can't wait to be directly involved in a product pipeline again," for what it's worth), we're sure he'll do it with his trademark flair for the dramatic that we've come to know and love.

White HTC EVO 4G leaves the Best Buy nest, migrates to Sprint stores

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 08:25 AM PST

Once a Best Buy exclusive, the white version of HTC's still-badass EVO 4G is finally making its way into actual Sprint retail locations, the carrier's website, and other third party stores for the same $199 on contract after $100 mail-in rebate as usual. Gives us a good opportunity to levy the same complaint we'd levied before -- that the front of the phone should be white, not just the back -- but hey, at least passers-by will know you're stylin' when you've got it held to your face.

THQ uDraw Gametablet for Wii review

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 08:02 AM PST

There comes a time when fiddly buttons and D-pads just don't do it anymore, a time when you need a little more control. Nintendo was first of the current generation to show its hand with the fling-sensitive Wiimote, and of course Sony and Microsoft are both now doing similarly intended things with the PlayStation Move and the Kinect, respectively. Now THQ is trying to do its own little new thing by launching the $69.99 uDraw Gametablet on the Wii, supplanting the wavy wand with a stylus. Next logical step in gaming? Tool to unleash a torrent of creativity? Half-baked third-party accessory? Read on to find out.
THQ uDraw Gametablet

Hardware

First impressions of the uDraw Gametablet are that it's, well, rather chubby, but falls to hand nicely. It's maybe a half-inch thicker than a standard Wii Remote, one of which gets slotted into the left. That's how the tablet connects to the console itself, and rather nicely doesn't require any batteries of its own. A short cable clips in the Nunchuck port, wedge the Wiimote in the slot, and you're good to go.

The tablet is also fairly hefty, which is odd considering there can't be much circuitry in here, but despite obviously being a third-party add-on it feels decidedly first-party. Nothing creaks, nothing squeaks, and the plastics all feel reasonably high-end, including the fat stylus that pops in the bottom and looks like a futuristic pencil for stubby fingers, a silver ring where the eraser should be, a two-way button toward the pressure-sensitive tip, and a short tether keeping it from disappearing.

Not everything is first-class, though. For one thing, there's no hole on the top of the tablet to let the Wii Remote's IR sensor peer through. Since you can't use the uDraw outside of supported games you'll need to pop the Remote out, interact with any system menus, then pop it back in again. Also, as you can see the Remote wedges in on the left side, with the intention that you draw on the 4 x 6-inch pad on the right. It would have been a minor design alteration to allow the Remote to slot in either way, but as-is that's not possible.

Drawing time

The uDraw Gametablet comes bundled with a title called uDraw Studio, which is a sort of Wii-ified, super-simplified version of Corel Painter. No, you won't be mixing virtual paints on a digital canvas here to create amazing effects, but you do have a selection of media at your disposal, including naturally a paintbrush, chalk, pencil, a pen, charcoal, an airbrush, and that's about it. You can specify the size of each individually, choose from hundreds of color palettes or create your own, and use a rubber stamp to place fish silhouettes just so.

Putting stylus to plastic results in a somewhat unpleasant sensation at first. The 4 x 6 drawing surface is smooth plastic and the plastic nub drags a bit, like the feeling of a little stylus on a resistive touchscreen with a cheap screen protector slapped on it -- probably with a few too many bits of dust trapped beneath. Naturally there's no dust trapped here, but the feel is similar, and it's not particularly good.

Not particularly precise, either, but ultimately as a tool for kids to make cool pictures it works well enough -- and good enough for us to make our own cool pictures that only look like they were made by kids. Pressure-sensitivity is here, though you annoyingly have to go into a menu and enable it with every tool selection. In fact you have to go in the menu and toggle a lot of things. Sure it's only a button press away, but it'd be nice if you could custom-assign specific tools to the Wiimote inputs. As it is 1 always loads the eraser and 2 always the bucket fill -- because, you know, the bucket is widely regarded to be the most often-used tool of real artists.


We made a few simple sketches, including a lovely chalk rendition of Kirby, exported to SD card via the game, which supports JPEG or "high quality" PNG. (The latter equates to a curious and decidedly non-high resolution of 576 x 396, complete with annoying uDraw watermark on there.) Sure, we're no David Kassan, but then neither did we go to art school. And, unfortunately unlike Nintendo's Art Academy on the DS, there are no tutorials here to help us actually get better at drawing things.
uDraw scribbles


Two other launch titles are available with the uDraw at a budget-friendly $30 each:
  • Dood's Big Adventure - This is a mediocre platformer with a few tablet-specific gameplay devices that just serve to make the game more frustrating to play than it would be without them. Yes, being able to paint your character (the Dood, naturally) and his enemies and a lot of random floating animals that hover in the background is a little fun, but if you need more than one hand to count your age you'll get bored here before the title screen has finished loading.
  • Pictionary - This is the closest to a truly family-friendly fun (i.e. adults might want to play too) that you can get on the uDraw right now, and in fact this game is reasonably well done. It has a Mania mode, which throws a lot of odd challenges at you, like drawing on a rotating piece of paper or giving you a limited amount of virtual ink. With the right crew this game is genuinely entertaining, but then so is the pencil-based one.
uDraw Gametablet Games


Neither of these is exactly a system seller as it were, and of course the big question is how many more uDraw games are coming in the future.

Wrap-up
The uDraw may not be the most powerful artistic creation on the planet, but in the right hands it can be a lot of fun. Really, though, those hands need to be right-dominant and attached to a youthful (or youthful-minded) individual for it to be worth the purchase. If you have a young relative who is showing signs of creativity but who you don't trust running around the house with art supplies, or one who can't be bothered to pay any attention to anything without a game controller involved, this could be their perfect gateway drug onto some powerful artistic stuff, man. But, if you're a bit older, a bit more mature, have a computer, you should skip this and go straight for something a little more serious -- a similarly priced Wacom Bamboo would probably do you nicely.

Comcast Xfinity remote app for iPhone, iPad launches, video streaming & Android version on the way

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 07:34 AM PST

The Xfinity remote app Comcast CEO Brian Roberts showed off earlier this year is now available in the app store for the iPad and iPhone. Currently they allow Comcast customers with compatible digital TV service to browse listings and On Demand content from their portable device and change channels right from the app. Video streaming, additional remote features and enhanced search are all promised for future releases, while other platforms should also get their own versions soon. Android apps are promised for later this year, with Blackberry to follow. For now, check out the press release and original demo video embedded after the break or grab the app from iTunes and break out your Comcast e-mail address to try it out prior to a live demo at 8:30 (EST) this evening at the Web 2.0 conference. It may not be the improved interface for our cable boxes we've been expecting for such a long time, but it's at least a step in that direction.
Comcast Xfinity Remote for iPad



Show full PR text
COMCAST ANNOUNCES LAUNCH FOR XFINITY TV APP FOR IPAD
WITH THE ABILITY TO WATCH TV SHOWS AND MOVIES ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

Find What to Watch Quicker and Easier than Ever Before, Change Channels and Program DVRs –
Free for Comcast Digital Customers
SAN FRANCISCO and PHILADELPHIA – November 15, 2010 – Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) today unveiled its new Xfinity TV™ app, which will enable Xfinity TV digital customers to watch TV shows and movies directly on the iPad™ either at home or on-the-go in the coming weeks.

The Xfinity TV app is a TV guide and a mobile video player all in one. It enables customers to change TV channels from the iPad and helps them to search and instantly find what to watch among thousands of choices – including top movies and premium cable shows – on TV, On Demand, online or on the iPad.

Demonstrated today at the Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco, the first version of the app will be available on the iTunes Store® this week and is free to Comcast digital customers. With it, customers will be able to:
· Browse and discover video content from either TV listings or selections from the On Demand library in a rich user interface with colorful poster art and details.
· Use it as a TV guide so, in just a few finger taps, users can find what to watch by reviewing their TV listings and change the channel in real time.

· Program their DVRs to record TV shows, series and movies so they never miss their favorites.

Sort content based on different filters like Networks and Genres such as Movies, Kids, Sports, or by HD content.
Search by keyword or by title A-Z in TV listings or On Demand.
Watch movies and TV shows directly on the iPad anytime, anywhere (coming in December).
Personalize viewing with a "MyTV" feature to create a "Watchlist" of favorite TV shows and movies (coming soon).
Seamlessly access social networking sites to share what they're watching with others (coming soon).


"This Xfinity TV app is part of a much larger effort to reinvent the way consumers interact with their televisions by transforming the way they search, navigate, discover and share entertainment," said Neil Smit, President of Comcast Cable. "The remote control hasn't changed in years and this app will enable millions of consumers to instantly search thousands of live TV and On Demand choices and also watch the best content whenever and wherever they want."



Initially, Comcast will offer hit shows and blockbuster movies from the top premium networks on the app. In the coming weeks and months, the app will continue to expand its content and functionality through a series of regular development updates. It will include thousands of additional entertainment choices, added remote control features, and enhanced search across platforms.



This week's launch on the iTunes Store is the first in a series of scheduled app releases Comcast's development team will deliver for iPad, iPhone® and iPod touch®. Comcast will launch several Android™ apps this year and also plans to offer apps with similar functionality on as many different devices as possible including BlackBerry® and other smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs. Comcast first offered its popular communications app on the iTunes Store for free to customers in 2009, which enables customers to view integrated email, voice mail, receive home voice mail alerts and manage calendars, among other features.

The Xfinity TV app is another example of the company's larger commitment to deliver more choice and control to its customers through its Xfinity services, which include 150,000 online entertainment choices through Xfinity TV (at www.xfinitytv.com) as well as other applications that enable customers to program a DVR from the Internet or a mobile device, and cross-platform features like Caller ID to the TV and PC.

To learn more about the iPad app, please visit www.xfinity.com/tvapp. To visit Web 2.0 Summit online, go to www.web2summit.com/web2010.

About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information and communication products and services. With 22.9 million video customers, 16.7 million high-speed Internet customers, and 8.4 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, 11 regional sports networks operated by Comcast Sports Group and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, which owns two professional sports teams, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, and a large, multipurpose arena in Philadelphia, the Wells Fargo Center, and, through Global Spectrum, manages other facilities for sporting events, concerts and other events.

###

HP Mini 1103 released for business people on a budget

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 07:01 AM PST

Devastated that you won't be able to nab an HP Slate 500 in time for the holidays? How about a brand new HP business netbook as a consolation? The Mini 1103 looks a lot like the consumer Mini 210 but drops the colorful lid options as it's more for Suits in search of an affordable mini-laptop. Starting at $299, the 10.1-inch netbook is available with Intel Atom N455 and N475 processor options, 1GB of RAM, three- and six-cell batteries, and your choice of Windows 7 Starter, SUSE Linux, or FreeDOS OS. Obviously, if you're looking for a higher-end netbook with an HD display, touchscreen, dual-core processor, and more durable aluminum lid, there's still the $399 Mini 5103, but the Mini 1103 does have HP's business applications, including QuickSync and QuickWeb. Hit the gallery below for shots of the new little guy and the source link for a full rundown of the configurations.
HP Mini 1103

Apple says tomorrow is 'just another day that you'll never forget,' teases iTunes announcement

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 06:12 AM PST

Whoa, what's this? Apple just updated its homepage with a new splash screen teasing an "exciting announcement from iTunes" at 10AM ET tomorrow, saying that "Tomorrow is just another day. That you'll never forget." All streaming subscription service based out of that North Carolina data center? More video content in the store? Apps for the Apple TV with the iOS 4.2 update? The Beatles? Whatever it is, we're digging for more, and we'll let you know as soon as we find out.

Adobe Air gets Saltier 2.5.1 release, adding flavor to Android Gingerbread

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 06:01 AM PST

Adobe Air gets Saltier 2.5.1 release, adding flavor to Android Gingerbread
Adobe Air 2.5 is barely cool yet here we have the company announcing its successor. Release 2.5.1, dubbed "Saltier," is out and available with only one purpose in mind: desiccating some compatibility issues with Gingerbread. Users of the 2.3 version of Android will apparently receive a Force Close when trying to load any Air app and, while we're guessing that isn't an issue affecting too many people at this particular moment, it's always good to be prepared.

Pulito, the Lego Mindstorms swiffer-bot that seeks out electricity (video)

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 05:16 AM PST

You could certainly buy a ready-made robot to sweep your hardwood floors, but doesn't building your own out of Lego bricks sound like loads more fun? That's what PlastiBots did with the Pulito pictured above, a Lego Mindstorms NXT sweeper with a host of sensors to navigate around furniture and a standard Swiffer pad to scrub. There's no fancy NorthStar or Celestial navigation packages to keep the bot on track, so it meanders about much of the time, but there is an fancy infrared beacon on the robot's charging dock to guide the creature home. When the Pulito's running out of juice from a long, tiring session of painstakingly traversing your floors, it's programmed to automatically seek out that invisible light and receive a loving 12 volt embrace from the station's brass charging bars. See it in action after the break, and hit our source link for more.

[Thanks, Dave]


Microsoft exec caught in privacy snafu, says Kinect might tailor ads to you

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 04:54 AM PST

Microsoft's Dennis Durkin voiced an interesting idea at an investment summit last week -- the idea that the company's Kinect camera might pass data to advertisers about the way you look, play and speak. "We can cater what content gets presented to you based on who you are," he told investors, suggesting that the Kinect offered business opportunities that weren't possible "in a controller-based world."
And over time that will help us be more targeted about what content choices we present, what advertising we present, how we get better feedback. And data about how many people are in a room when an advertisement is shown, how many people are in a room when a game is being played, how are those people engaged with the game? How are they engaged with a sporting event? Are they standing up? Are they excited? Are they wearing Seahawks jerseys?
Needless to say, sharing this level of photographic detail with advertisers presents some major privacy concerns -- though it's nothing we haven't heard before -- but moreover it's explicitly against the privacy policy Microsoft presents Kinect users. "Third party partners use aggregated data to deliver Kinect experiences (games or applications), to understand how customers use their Kinect experiences, and to improve performance or even to help plan new experiences," the Kinect Privacy and Online Safety FAQ reads, but also "They are not permitted to use the information for marketing purposes such as selling you games or services, or for personalizing advertising" (bolding ours).

In an email to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft flatly denied that the Kinect would do anything of the sort, whether via third-party partners or otherwise. "Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE do not use any information captured by Kinect for advertising targeting purposes," representatives wrote. Honestly, some of us at Engadget still think targeted advertising is kind of neat, but we know how seriously you take this stuff.

ViewSonic ViewPad 7 tablet up for pre-order, now costs a wallet-crunching $599

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 04:32 AM PST

Excuse us, ViewSonic, but we think there's been some sort of mistake -- your ViewPad 7 tablet is on sale at Amazon for $599, over a hundred dollars more than you said it would cost just two weeks back. Yes, we certainly understand you have to import the OlivePad rebadge from a substantial distance and negotiate with Google for its Android Market innards, but we're not exactly ecstatic about the 600MHz ARM CPU -- even with front- and rear-facing cameras on board. Given that Samsung's Galaxy Tab doesn't have phone functionality stateside, we admit there's a market for a seven-inch Froyo tablet that can do voice calls, but did you really have to take Sammy's controversial price point as well?

[Thanks, onelove]

Marshall's Major headphones and Minor earphones become official, pricing strikes the right note

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 04:06 AM PST

It's November 15, which means Marshall is finally lifting the cardboard veil away from its debut personal headgear products. The headliner is unsurprisingly titled the Major, which is the collapsible set of cans you see above. It comes with both 3.5mm and 6.3mm (via an adapter) connectability as well as "super soft" cushions to keep your ears cozy. The exterior of the headband's made up of the same vinyl Marshall uses on its amplifiers, for that extra sense of familiarity, and the price is set at 99, whether you're talking euros or dollars. Similarly currency-agnostic is the Minor set of in-ear drivers, pictured below, which comes in at 59 eurodollars. For that you'll get a tangle-resistant fabric cord with an integrated mic, a patented EarClick system for securing the buds in your ear, and the admiration of consumer types everywhere. Or you would if they hadn't already sold out.

[Thanks, Damjan]
Marshall Major headphones
Marshall Minor earphones

AMD will contribute 'engineering expertise' to MeeGo development project

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 03:37 AM PST

Now here's a very positive new sign for MeeGo's future. AMD, Intel's oldest and boldest nemesis, has added its name to the list of companies actively supporting the development of the platform -- which got its start as a joint project between Intel and Nokia -- and has pledged the contribution of its "engineering expertise" to the further advancement of the open source OS. In simpler terms, AMD must be aware of the great potential of MeeGo and is seeking not to be left behind, as illustrated by Ben Bar-Haim, the company's software development VP, who expressed AMD's hope that "this operating system will help drive our embedded plans and create expanded market opportunities for our forthcoming Accelerated Processing Units." Good to know, guys, good to know. Jump past the break for the full press release.
Show full PR text
AMD Joins MeeGo Linux Open Source Project for Next-Generation Mobile, Embedded Platforms

AMD to Contribute Engineering Resources to Help Drive Linux-Based Open Source Operating System

DUBLIN, IRELAND--(Marketwire - November 15, 2010) - At the MeeGo Conference 2010, AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced it has joined The Linux Foundation's MeeGo open source Linux project, and will provide engineering expertise intended to help establish the technical foundations for next-generation mobile platforms and embedded devices.

"MeeGo represents an exciting, open-source mobile operating system we expect to be adopted by mobile and embedded device makers over time," said Ben Bar-Haim, corporate vice president, software development, AMD. "We are glad to provide engineering resources to joint industry efforts like MeeGo and expect that this operating system will help drive our embedded plans and create expanded market opportunities for our forthcoming Accelerated Processing Units."

"Built from the ground up for a whole new class of mobile computing devices, MeeGo gives companies like AMD and its partners unlimited opportunities to accelerate innovation for the next generation of computing," said Jim Zemlin, executive director at The Linux Foundation. "As an existing Linux Foundation member, AMD will be an important and valuable contributor to the MeeGo Project."

The MeeGo Linux-based open-source operating system is primarily designed for mobile hardware platforms such as ultra-mobile notebooks, tablets, embedded in-vehicle infotainment systems and smart phones.
The MeeGo project is hosted by The Linux Foundation, a non-profit consortium dedicated to fostering the growth of Linux. AMD is currently a gold level member of the Linux Foundation and has a seat on The Linux Foundation's board of directors.

About AMD
Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.

About MeeGo
MeeGo is an open source, Linux project which brings together the Moblin project and Maemo into a single open source activity. MeeGo integrates the experience and skills of two significant development ecosystems, versed in communications and computing technologies. The MeeGo project believes these two pillars form the technical foundations for next generation platforms and usages in the mobile and device platforms space. For more information, visit http://meego.com.

PS Jailbreak gets support for PS3 versions 3.42 and 3.5, is no firmware safe?

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 03:05 AM PST

PS Jailbreak gets support for PS3 versions 3.42 and 3.5, no firmware is safe
The update wars continue, and call us crazy but it sure looks like Sony is on its heels. The PlayStation 3 firmware version 3.50 was supposed to be the one to really protect the console, forcibly installed with Medal of Honor and reportedly the cause of the latest (and last) Gran Turismo 5 delay. But, it was all for naught, with PS Jailbreak announcing downgrade support for firmware 3.42 and 3.50 "and beyond." The only question now is: what's the next firmware version going to be called? Maybe if Sony started naming these updates after delicious pastries we'd be a little less tired of applying them.

Update: To clarify, this will not let you play 3.42 or 3.50 games, but will let you downgrade your firmware from those versions to an earlier, more hackable release.

[Thanks, Mattias]

Giorgio Armani wants to captivate Galaxy S buyers with new Samsung handset (video)

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 02:39 AM PST

Shock of all horrors, Samsung and Giorgio Armani have teamed up yet again to produce a specially endorsed handset for the fashion-conscious public. The fun thing about this oh-so-exclusive piece of Armani luxury is that it looks remarkably (read: exactly) like the AT&T Captivate that Americans have had the pleasure of using for a good few of months now. We're hearing there's some extra multimedia bundled in along with the GA brand name, so we're absolutely positive your €700 will be well spent. If you're not yet convinced, how's about an unboxing video after the break?

[Thanks, Gianluca]



AMD promises Radeon HD 6900 series launch for the week beginning December 13th

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 01:52 AM PST

AMD's cutting it mighty close, but the latest word from its PR mouthpiece is that the hotly anticipated Radeon HD 6970 and HD 6950 will be unveiled just in time for the gift-giving holidays. Fudzilla has heard directly from the Radeon team, who say they're "going to take a bit more time before shipping the AMD Radeon HD 6900 series." The NDA is expected to lift on the week beginning December 13th, but it's anyone's guess whether reviews of the cards will be accompanied by widespread in-store availability. Our hearts say yes, but our minds are already making other plans.

IOGEAR rolls out two trackball-equipped HTPC keyboards

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 01:07 AM PST

If you've been spending an inordinate amount of time on the couch... well, that's not exactly something we'd happily admit to all. But that doesn't mean you actually have to get up and get moving. IOGEAR's making it even easier to access Netflix, the world wide web and your mum's Picasa account through your HTPC, all courtesy of a new pair of 2.4GHz wireless couch keyboards. The GKM571R is the smaller of the two (shown above), with a palm-sized design, backlit keys, a tiny optical trackball in the top-right corner and a svelte lid to cover things up when bedtime calls. The GKM571R is an oval shaped board that's closer to full size, with a row of dedicated media hotkeys and an even larger trackball for moving your cursor. You'll find 'em both available later this year, with the former going for $99.95 and the latter for $89.95. Good thing you won't even have to leave said sofa to order one.
IOGEAR's GKM571R and GKM581R HTPC keyboards
Show full PR text
IOGEAR's 2.4GHz Wireless Keyboards Enable Comfy and Mobile Home Multimedia Navigation
An optical trackball, scroll wheel and convenient hotkeys make content management a breeze for IOGEAR's two CES Innovations 2011 Design and Engineering Award Honorees.

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. – November 11, 2010 – Continuing its pursuit of convergence through connectivity, IOGEAR today introduced two 2.4GHz Wireless Keyboards with built-in mouse functionality. Designed to accommodate different end users, the GKM571R is a palm-sized keyboard with LED backlight ideal for mobile content management in light or dark rooms. The GKM581R model is larger in form and ergonomically designed for on-lap productivity.

IOGEAR is also pleased to announce that both wireless keyboards are CES Innovations 2011 Design and Engineering Award Honorees in the category of Home Theater Accessories by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA®).

Engineered for ergonomics, aesthetics and mobility, IOGEAR's 2.4GHz Wireless Keyboards with Optical Trackball and Scroll Wheel provide a comfortable solution for managing multimedia content up to 33 feet away, whether stationary or on the move. Media servers, home theater PCs or HDTV set ups can all be managed from lap or hand, no matter which direction a user is facing.

Integrating full mouse functionality was pivotal to IOGEAR so both keyboards feature built-in left and right mouse buttons and an optical trackball with 400, 800 or 1200 DPI selections for scrolling directly from the keyboard. To further ease navigation, there are multimedia shortcuts (hotkeys) at the top of each keyboard for a quick transition between Internet Browsers, email, Media Player, volume control and more.

GKM581R
Using the human form as a model, IOGEAR's GKM581R all-in-one keyboard is designed with a slip resistant rubber bottom and contoured form to sit comfortably on laps of all shapes and sizes, eliminating awkward leaning and unnatural contorting. The wireless keyboard serves as an ideal productivity solution for PC to TV setups, as well as media center applications and game consoles like the PS3™ and Xbox 360.

GKM571R
Designed to fit comfortably in one hand, the GKM571R mini wireless keyboard is more compact and ideal for mobile content management in the home. An added feature is the LED backlight that allows for use in a dark room with the benefit of an auto on/off control for battery saving. The hand-held model also has an auto on/off lid that provides protection for the keyboard.

"By simply plugging in the included USB RF receiver, our 2.4GHz Wireless On-Lap Keyboard enables consumers to instantly navigate their preferred multimedia content from the comfort of their couch," states Bill Nguyen, director of marketing for IOGEAR. "With advanced ergonomic design and 2.4GHz technology, this keyboard is the optimal solution for enhancing any home entertainment setup. We are proud that CEA has recognized IOGEAR's contribution to the growing home theater accessories segment."

IOGEAR's 2.4GHz Wireless Keyboards will be shipping late in Q4, 2010.

MSRP of the GKM571R is $99.95. MSRP of the GKM581R is $89.95.

ASUS' Sandy Bridge motherboards are pretty, come with Bluetooth and USB 3.0 as standard

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 12:10 AM PST

We already got an early glimpse at what ASUS is bringing to Intel's upcoming Sandy Bridge party, now how about some glamor shots of the actual hardware? The Taiwanese company has taken the shroud of mystery away from its latest range of motherboards and the first thing that stood out to us was the TUF-looking Sabertooth P67 above. It comes with an extended five-year warranty, "military-grade" electrical components, a litany of thermal sensors, and of course that Tactical Jacket up top. Beyond its obvious visual appeal, the Jacket serves to channel airflow throughout the board, aiding the cooling of more peripheral components. On the more diminutive front, ASUS is showing off a Mini-ITX board, the P8P67-I, that fits everything but full-sized RAM slots within a minuscule footprint. Check it out after the break. Oh, and ASUS is sticking USB 3.0 and Bluetooth connectivity on almost all its future boards. Yay!

Universal remote arrives within a pillow, makes channel surfing hip again

Posted: 14 Nov 2010 11:15 PM PST

It's a pillow. And a remote. And if your powers of observation are anywhere near "strong," you've probably deduced by now that you're looking at a universal remote control... albeit one that's wrapped within a pillow. We've seen similar creations come around in concept form, but leave it to the folks at Brookstone to turn this thing into a reality. Purportedly, this unit can be programmed to work with over 500 devices, and there's a power-saving auto shutoff feature that'll definitely be overrode by your incessant squeezing. We wouldn't count on this thing actually working well, but for $29.95 (in addition to the cost of two AAA batteries, of course), we highly doubt you'll find a more fashionable, lovable cube of cotton.

Researchers develop 'blood camera' to spot crime scene stains in a flash

Posted: 14 Nov 2010 10:02 PM PST

Could inspecting a crime scene for even the most minuscule blood stains one day be as simple as taking a picture? It will if some research now being conducted at the University of South Carolina in Columbia pans out. A team there led by Stephen Morgan and Michael Myrick have developed a so-called "blood camera" that uses a combination of infrared light and a transparent layer of the protein albumin -- the latter of which acts as a filter and is able to highlight blood stains by filtering out wavelengths that aren't characteristic of blood proteins (or so we're told). That's as opposed to current methods for detecting blood at a crime scene, which rely on the chemical luminol to make the stains appear in the dark. As New Scientist notes, however, that method can also dilute blood samples and make DNA difficult to recover, and create false positives. The researchers don't seem to be stopping at blood, though -- they say the camera could also be easily adapted to detect detect trace amounts of other materials that aren't visible to the naked eye, like drugs or explosives.

Toys R Us Black Friday doorbuster includes $80 netbook, $140 Sylvania tablet

Posted: 14 Nov 2010 07:57 PM PST

Believe it or not, America's favorite holiday is under a fortnight away. And this year, it looks as if Toys R Us won't even wait for Thanksgiving Day to conclude before forcing employees behind registers and breaking families apart as they seek out lukewarm deals camouflaged as revolutionary purchases. This year, Black Friday begins at 10PM on Thanksgiving Eve, meaning that quite a few desperate souls will be lined up in a parking lot rather than circling a stuffed bird and chuckling with loved ones. The culprit? Two devices in particular. The first is an unnamed 7-inch netbook, complete with WiFi, three USB sockets, a sub-two pound weight, a red chassis and a mind-scrambling $79.99 price tag. The second is a 7-inch Sylvania tablet, sporting Android 2.1, WiFi and an SD card slot; we're assuming it's the same unit Kmart is hawking for $180, but Toys R Us will have it for the low, low price of $139.99. Other hidden treasures include a Vivitar point-and-shoot for $39.99, 7-inch Coby digiframe for $24.99 and a Vivitar pocket camcorder for just $19.99. We know your gears are already turning, but lest we forget that time with family is priceless... right?

[Thanks, Dave]

InstantAction dies in an instant, future of embedded gaming looks questionable

Posted: 14 Nov 2010 06:04 PM PST

Well, that was brief. Just a few short months after InstantAction went public with its embedded browser-based gaming platform at GDC 2010, the Oregon-based startup has gone belly-up. If you missed out on what this here outfit was offering, you clearly aren't alone -- but for the historians in attendance, we'd invite you to revisit our hands-on for an overview of what was planned. Unfortunately, the company has yanked all of its Vimeo clips detailing the system's features, and its website now affirms that the service as a whole is "no longer available." We're hearing that it'll be selling the underlying Torque Game Engine (and presumably that fancy "chunking" tech that enabled games to be played in a browser with just a broadband connection), but based on the tepid response so far, we're guessing it won't fetch much. We definitely saw a bit of promise in the concept -- after all, browser-based games like Solipskier are all the rage in some circles -- but bona fide console / PC games simply don't fit that mold, or so it seems.

Inhabitat's Week in Green: of electric tractor unicycles, garbage-powered garbage trucks, and luminous nanoparticle trees

Posted: 14 Nov 2010 05:00 PM PST

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

This week we were blinded by the light as researchers unveiled a way to transform city trees into luminous streetlights using gold nanoparticles. We also showcased a mesmerizing paper LED structure shaped like a tree at Tokyo Designers Week, and speaking of stellar architecture, check out this stunning star-shaped Taiwanese tower topped with a built-in wind turbine.

In other news, strap on your rollerblades and hang tight - from the Department of Questionable Transportation comes the FlyRad, an insane electric unicycle that pulls you down the street at 25 miles per hour. Meanwhile, the city of Toronto is doing their part to preserve the environment by rolling out a fleet of garbage trucks that can be powered by the very waste they collect. Finally, the University of Rhode Island signaled a bright future for efficient transportation as they unveiled four designs that could tap the United States' 2.7 million miles of roadways for solar energy.

This week we also looked at several new applications for futuristic manufacturing technologies - a dutch designer has pioneered a way to create 3D printed shoes that fit feet perfectly, and researchers have found that activated carbon cloth is a quicker picker-upper for toxic waste. Finally, with the holidays on their way, this week we rounded up our top ten green gadget gifts for 2010!

Hack turns Kinect into 3D video capture tool

Posted: 14 Nov 2010 04:06 PM PST

We all knew this would inevitably happen, but seeing it in action is something else -- the Kinect transformed by the power of open-source drivers into a true 3D video camera for capturing oneself. UC Davis visualization researcher Oliver Kreylos fed the streams from his peripheral's infrared and color cameras into a custom program that interpolated and reconstructed the result, generating a mildly mindblowing 3D virtual reality environment he can manipulate at will. And if it makes him look a little bit like the proficiently penciled protagonists in Take On Me, that's just the cherry on top. Don't miss the videos after the break to see what we're talking about.



Switched On: Getting from Kno to yes, part 1

Posted: 14 Nov 2010 03:00 PM PST

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Oh, e-readers are e-readers. And tablets are tablets. And surely the twain shall meet. Indeed, they already have, with the iPad hosting not only its own integrated bookstore, but client software from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and others. Barnes & Noble, in turn, describes its new Nook Color as a "readers' tablet." But these devices and their affiliated digital bookstores are all chasing the same avid readers of bestsellers. These readers read mostly for leisure or self-directed enrichment as they can fit it in to their schedules.

But those who sell e-readers and tablets would really like to tap into a market of people who have to read versus want to read -- not just the low-stakes novellas of Amazon singles, but hefty, cumbersome, expensive, perpetually obsolete tomes that are assigned to 19 million full-time college students annually. The National Association of College Stores estimates that the average full-time college student spends nearly $700 per year on course materials. For the 2008-2009 school year, the average new textbook price was $64. And the mean gross margin on course materials for a college bookstore is 27 percent.

That is a prize worth pursuing. But can a device dedicated to the way students study survive amidst an onslaught of tablets from every corner of the PC, consumer electronics and cell phone industries? Kno thinks the answer is yes.

Kno debuted at D: All Things Digital conference with an expansive dual-screened 14" tablet. The company announced that product's price this week at $899. But a recent visit to Kno's offices provided an opportunity to try out a $599 single-screen version of the tablet. The Kno product is packed with hardware, promise and questions. The large screen size was chosen for its ability to accommodate 95 percent of textbooks, but it begs the question of whether the Kno is the Dell Streak of tablets, pushing past the point of diminishing returns for screen size given its usage scenario.

The Kno experience will rely heavily on touch while incorporating pen input for diagramming and handwriting, and is focused on three tasks -- reading and annotating, web browsing, and apps. Perhaps because it is an unfamiliar orientation for such a wide display, it took some getting used to get working with such a tall display on a flat surface, and I saw potential for some of the "hand jet lag" experienced when using a large-screen smartphone such as the Droid X .

As with medication, big tablets are hard to swallow, but Kno says its product is less cumbersome than many textbooks.

Kno counters by noting that the device should rest fine on the chairs with small writing surfaces in most higher education classrooms, and that even the two-screen version will do so while folding under itself. Furthermore, it says that when its beta testers were asked which unit they would prefer, they overwhelmingly chose the one offering double the work surface. That said, even the single-screen Kno is a handful, weighing about a pound more than an iPad, which itself can get uncomfortable for extended reading sessions in the hand. As with medication, big tablets are hard to swallow, but again Kno brings it back to context, noting that its product is less cumbersome than many textbooks (true at least for the single-slab version), much less a backpack toting several of them.

The next Switched On will draw some comparisons between the Kno tablet and other products, address Kno's return on investment argument, and discuss the potential for digital learning beyond those of higher-education students.

Ross Rubin is executive director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPD Group. Views expressed in Switched On are his own.

Samsung i9100 is the dual-core Galaxy 2, sequel to the Galaxy S?

Posted: 14 Nov 2010 02:33 PM PST

Along with a Sony Ericsson Anzu, the James Bond of cellphones -- alias Eldar Murtazin -- claims to be playing with a Samsung GT-i9100 right now, calling it the "Galaxy 2" and saying it's "so technically advanced" thanks in part to a dual-core processor. It seems like a long shot that this would be the Cortex-A9-based Orion since chips and development boards are just now being sampled -- but considering how far in advance Murtazin tends to score phones, we can't rule anything out.

One possible scenario is that the i9100 could be something akin to a TouchWiz-skinned version of the upcoming Nexus S, much as HTC's Desire was essentially a Sense-skinned version of the Nexus One. Samsung, of course, has been pushing TouchWiz very hard across its Galaxy S line this year, and if the Nexus S is as beastly as the rumors are claiming it to be, there's little doubt that Samsung would love to repurpose the hardware for something with a little more of its flavor thrown in. Speaking of the Galaxy S, keep in mind that the original European GSM model goes by the code GT-i9000, so it would stand to reason that the i9100 could be the proper successor -- and with Gingerbread-based TouchWiz and a dual-core processor on board, we'd say they're off to a strong start.

[Thanks, Peter]

HTC attempts to trademark 'HTC EVO Shift 4G'

Posted: 14 Nov 2010 02:04 PM PST

What would you name your next superphone? HTC may be calling its device the HTC EVO Shift 4G, as that's the name its lawyers filed for trademark for on the 21st of last month. We can't say which particular gizmo the moniker refers to, though it evokes a Sprint leaning, as well as dredging up our suppressed feelings towards a certain QWERTY-equipped MID. Though, interestingly enough, the company applied for "HTC EVO 4G Shift" before changing the name to "HTC EVO Shift 4G." We'll let you draw your own conclusions about what that could possibly mean.

[Thanks, Naval P.]

Verizon happy to offer Windows Phone 7 devices 'as soon as Microsoft has 'em ready'

Posted: 14 Nov 2010 01:41 PM PST

Yes, Verizon's calling them "Windows 7 mobile devices," but the underlying message is clear -- Verizon's tossing the Windows Phone 7 CDMA ball squarely into Microsoft's court. There are no CDMA-ready smartphones running Microsoft's latest mobile operating system (save the late-blooming HTC 7 Pro for Sprint) and Verizon doesn't intend to take any of the blame for that. You're up, Microsoft. Time for a three-point basket.

P.S. We suppose this could also be a coy reference to CDMA-ready Windows 7 tablets.

[Thanks, Daniel R.]

PC World stops selling the Toshiba Folio 100, we go hands-on to find out why (video)

Posted: 14 Nov 2010 12:33 PM PST

£999.99 ($1,612) for a Toshiba Folio 100?! That's a fair bit more expensive than its original $560 price point -- either its Tegra 2 chip's made out of gold (which would explain its rarity) or someone got super bored at that PC World store in the British Midlands. Soon after receiving this photo, we put on our detective hat and headed over to our local branch in London, only to find that it had already stopped selling the offending Android tablet merely ten days after its European launch. We quizzed the staff about the aforementioned £999.99 pricing and then all was clear: apparently this is a standard internal convention to stop its folks from selling certain products, so the price tag and display unit you see above weren't supposed to be there at all. Oopsie!

So why is PC World (and the whole DSG International chain) pulling the Folio 100? Turns out this has nothing to do with Toshiba; but it's simply because of a high return rate from disappointed customers. In fact, head over to MoDaCo and you'll see a screenshot of PC World's internal memo that confirms this sad news. We had already given the tablet some decent (and disheartening) hands-on time back at IFA, but since our new friends at the store kindly offered to let us unbox a Folio 100 for a giggle, we decided to give it another go. And boy, it sure was a letdown: you'll see in our hands-on video after the break that the 10.1-inch LCD is haunted by an inferior pixel density plus narrow viewing angles; and the cheap plastic casing doesn't help, either. Most importantly, the official Android Market app was still MIA, which is no doubt the biggest turn-off for the buyers. Too bad, Toshiba, but do come back next year when you have Honeycomb and some decent screens.

[Thanks, John L. and Adam C.]

Update: Some commenters are pointing out that many software bugs -- especially in the Toshiba Market Place app -- and the lack of pinch-to-zoom in the browser are to be blamed as well. Yikes.
Toshiba Folio 100 in-store unboxing

Nokia E7 hits FCC with as much 3G support as you can handle

Posted: 14 Nov 2010 11:57 AM PST

In our inevitable Utopian future (assuming we make it past this 2012 noise), we'll all use one frequency for our high-speed wireless broadband across the globe. Actually, we'll probably just beam information directly between our brains and brain-like supercomputers at speeds so fast they can't be measured, and we won't need smartphones at all because they'll be installed in our bodies at birth, complete with eyeballs capable of 1080p video capture. Until then, though, we've got companies like Nokia showing some hustle to put pentaband 3G radios on the market, and the trend continues with the upcoming E7. Of course, we already knew it was going to be pentaband -- Nokia had said as much -- but seeing it in the cold, hard graphs and tables of an FCC filing is still music to our ears. Won't be long now, folks.

'The Gadget Blog' trailer

Posted: 14 Nov 2010 10:43 AM PST

You know, our readers are really awesome. Super awesome. Not only are you guys really smart and funny, but you're wildly creative -- and there's no more compelling evidence for that argument than the video in this post. Based on nothing more than an Engadget Podcast rant, commenter (and podcast listener) Michael Jacob created an amazing parody trailer for the non-existent film The Gadget Blog. And that image up top? Created by commenter AWartinger! If you're not familiar with the source material, go back and take a listen to our most recent 'cast, but for the rest of you, enjoy the hilarity below.


at 11:45 AM

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