Sponsoer by :

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Engadget News

Sponsored

Engadget News

Registry hack allows for direct loading of media on Windows Phone 7 devices

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 10:32 AM PST

Prefer to load media onto your Windows Phone 7 device the old fashioned way? Then it looks like your solution is just a simple Windows registry hack away. Coming shortly after the USB tethering hack, the folks at Windows Phone Central have now discovered that you can effectively turn your Windows Phone into a USB drive by modifying just three entries in the registry of your Windows desktop PC. Once done, you'll be able to drag and drop files to your heart's content -- albeit only on a computer that's had the registry hack done, of course. Hit up the source link below for the complete details.

Motorola Defy review

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 10:10 AM PST

The Android landscape's certainly getting crowded, isn't it? We can still vividly remember the days when the T-Mobile G1 was the only game in town, and now here we are -- just two years later -- flush with options covering virtually every market segment from the ultra-high end to the ultra-low and everything in between. One niche market that's usually underserved, though, is the beat-the-crap-out-of-your-phone market. You know who you are: you work hard, you play hard, or you've just got an incurable case of butterfingers -- but whatever the case, you need a phone that you aren't breaking, bricking, melting, freezing, or otherwise destroying every few weeks.

It's not that rugged phones haven't existed, of course. Far from it: Nextel and Motorola practically invented (and thrived off of) the concept, and options like AT&T's Samsung Rugby and Verizon's Casio G'zOne series have been available for some time. By and large, though, it's been a field devoid of smartphones -- and these days, that's just not going to cut it. The kinds of people that need a phone that can take a few knocks don't necessarily want to buy them at the expense of power or capability anymore. On that note, Motorola's new Android-powered Defy for T-Mobile USA (and other carriers abroad) is one of the few to take a shot at elegantly combining environmental resistance with a no-compromise smartphone experience, featuring Blur atop Android 2.1 with a 5 megapixel autofocus cam, LED flash, 800MHz TI OMAP3610 core, and a 3.7-inch 854 x 480 display. In other words, on paper, it's no slouch -- but can it hang? Let's find out.
Motorola Defy review




The Defy's packaging is nothing to write home about -- but with the exception of the G2 and the myTouch 4G, no T-Mobile smartphone in recent memory has shipped in anything other than a standard sleeved box printed up with T-Mobile branding. Other than the phone, you get the usual goodies: a wired stereo headset, micro-USB cable, USB wall charger, and a Motorola BF5X battery good for 1500mAh of capacity. You also get a 2GB microSD card pre-installed -- odds are you're going to want to upgrade, though the card plus the nearly 2GB of internal storage might be enough for those that don't download a ton of apps and don't care to carry their entire music libraries with them. Then again, the Defy ships with Android 2.1 -- Motorola's among the worst of the major Android manufacturers at staying current right now -- so you won't be able to offload apps to your microSD card out of the box anyway.

Physically, the Defy is unusual in that it looks so... well, usual. Typically, ruggedized phones are overbuilt, over-engineered behemoths that are obviously designed to look tough, and that's just not the case with this one. For the overwhelming majority of potential buyers, we'd say that's a good thing. It feels neither unnecessarily heavy nor inappropriately light in the hand, and there's very little bezel beyond the screen -- a characteristic that tends to give phones a premium look. From the front, in fact, there's no hint whatsoever that this is a tough device -- all you see is the big, flat, glossy black surface indicative of a modern smartphone; it's on the sides and rear where you get your only hints that this thing might be able to take a splash or two. The sides are a smart-looking combination of black and white plastic, both of which feel really high-quality with a soft touch finish. The two bands of color are fused with a series of six small Torx screws (at least, they seem to be Torx to our untrained, non-mechanically-inclined eyes) -- and really, that's probably the Defy's single biggest hat-tip toward its rugged roots. The side-mounted micro-USB port and top-mounted 3.5mm headphone jack are both protected by covers (since holes are a weak spot when you're trying to waterproof a phone, obviously), though they differ in design; the jack gets a soft flap, while the USB port has a harder material cover that rotates out. The jack's flap is a little annoying to use if you listen to a lot of music on your phone -- and it could be nearly impossible to dislodge if you don't have fingernails -- but the USB cover is fine. Rounding out the side detail is a white volume rocker on the right side; we found it just a little difficult to find and press while on the phone, partly because it's quite short, but it's probably all in the name of water resistance. Not a big deal.

The rear cover seems to be made of the same soft touch material as the black strip on the side, and it's quite nice. The cover design and latching mechanism is a little unusual -- once again owing to the water resistance requirements -- and it's a little tricky to close correctly. There's a slider at the bottom that you slide to the right (with some difficulty) to unlatch, then the cover will basically spring open -- the latch is actively holding the cover tight. Inside, you'll find the battery along with the microSD card and SIM card underneath. If you look closely, you'll notice that there's a raised edge on the underside of the cover that slips inside a rubber gasket in the battery compartment to help keep water out, but you've got to be careful -- it's pretty easy to reinstall the cover in such a way that it's not latched fully, potentially allowing nasty substances inside. We actually found this out the hard way: one of our Defys died in a water test, and though we were able to recover the phone itself after being dried in rice overnight, the battery was toast. Obviously, it probably isn't your goal (nor Motorola's) to leave the Defy in water for any length of time, but you really wouldn't expect a gasket-sealed cover to be the breach point when the phone finally does succumb to your abuse. Motorola probably could've fixed this by adding metal contacts on the back and showing a warning on the screen when the cover isn't latched correctly (the Streak can't be turned on if the cover is missing, for instance), but perhaps not without raising the price a bit.

The display is, as you'd probably expect, fashioned from Gorilla Glass -- so it should hold up admirably against your careless (and non-malicious) handling. We didn't try too hard -- we've got souls, after all -- but we weren't able to scratch it in our casual testing. It's got good feel and good tactile response; we never found ourselves in a situation where we felt like the screen had missed a tap. Like many of Motorola's other Android devices, the Defy doesn't feature any fancy screen tech like IPS, SLCD, or AMOLED, so although it looks great straight-on, it starts to wash out about 30 degrees off-center in any direction. Most users won't be bothered by that, but it's something to keep in mind. Perhaps more importantly, we found that the screen stays readable outdoors, which is more than we can say for many AMOLED components.

So if we haven't made it clear, apart from a couple niggles, we really like the Defy's hardware -- it feels premium in a way you're probably not used to. It's a little off the beaten path, and we mean that in the best way possible. From a software perspective, it's more of a mixed bag. This is a Motoblur-enabled phone, featuring the UI customizations first introduced on the Droid X earlier this year. Here's the problem: we can honestly say with a straight face that we don't like Blur any more than we did when we first saw it on the CLIQ. When you take into account Android's improvements in social network integration in Eclair and Froyo, the concept of Blur makes less and less sense -- and we just always had the vague sense it was slowing us down, not making us more efficient in any way. Here's a prime example (and it's something we've seen on every Blur phone we've tested this year): when you first sign into your Blur account, the phone will start downloading Twitter messages you've "missed" since the last time you signed into Blur. And it'll keep downloading them... and downloading them... and downloading them, by the thousands, until it has caught up. What does this mean for you? It means you'll get a notification every few seconds that you've received 500 new tweets, and you'll keep getting them for quite a while if you haven't been on Blur recently. Obviously this isn't a problem for many users, but it's a microcosm of the basic usability misses Blur suffers from throughout.

The good news is that the Defy seems to perform admirably despite being saddled with Blur's nonsense. Though it would occasionally lag very badly for a moment -- seemingly without reason -- the phone performed smoothly and swiftly for the most part. We scored 782 in Quadrant, which is roughly on par with a 1GHz Hummingbird-powered Samsung Galaxy S and well ahead of both the Android 2.1-powered Nexus One and the original Droid... though it pales against the Nexus One, EVO 4G, and Droid X running Froyo. And therein lies one of our biggest beefs with this phone: it's shipping with Android 2.1, which is pretty insane these days, particularly in light of the fact that Gingerbread is just around the corner. We've no doubt we'd be getting better numbers with 2.2, but Motorola's spotty track record delivering timely updates worries us how long it's going to take to get there (much less to 2.3).

One high point among Motorola's many UI customizations is the multitouch soft keyboard. As on the Droid X and others, we adore it -- in fact, it's the only third-party Android soft keyboard that everyone seems to agree is superior to the stock one. When we reviewed the Droid X, we were thinking that part of our love for it could be attributed to the ease of typing on a giant 4.3-inch display, but happily, the experience actually translates very well to the Defy's much smaller screen. And if you're not into it, the phone also includes Swype -- which always works great for us -- in ROM.

In our experience, the Defy seems to have stellar battery life, which is relatively hard to come by among Android phones. Not only we were able to consistently make it comfortably through an entire day on a charge, but we were surprised to find that after putting the phone away with about 75 percent charge, it was still on with 21 percent remaining two days later. Granted, it spent most of that time in WiFi calling range (which disables the cellular radio), but many smartphones give up the ghost from 100 percent charge in less time, so we were pleased to see that. A low point, though, is charging a dead battery: like most Motorola smartphones, there's a pretty long delay between plug-in and when you're finally allowed to turn it on. The Defy reaches that point quicker than the Droid or Droid 2 do, but it's still annoying -- we can think of plenty of phones that can be powered up immediately when you start charging.

The shooters on most recent Blur-equipped phones have typically been lackluster 3 megapixel fixed-focus affairs, so it's refreshing to see the Defy join the ranks of the CLIQ, CLIQ XT, and Backflip with a proper 5 megapixel autofocus camera. For stills, the results are pretty good (on par with the Droid and Droid 2). White balance is sometimes off, but exposure and color balance are decent. Noise is managed well, and low-light performance only suffers from a slight lack of detail. Thankfully, this is somewhat alleviated by the presence of an LED flash. Video capture is smooth (clocking in at 30fps) and compares favorably to other VGA recorders. Audio is better than most Android devices, thanks to a smart choice of codec (AAC, as opposed to AMR). The camera interface is similar to other Android phones from Motorola. Most settings are easy to access, but some live buried deep within menus. There's no touch-to-focus and no 2-stage shutter key -- or any physical key at all, for that matter; we're guessing Motorola tried to minimize the number of possible entry points for water, and camera controls suffer as a result. The camera only focuses when the on-screen button is pressed, and the delay makes it easy to miss that special moment. The lack of physical controls means you can't take pictures under water (since the capacitive touchscreen is unresponsive when wet), but you can start recording video and then submerge the device. Just remember, it's only water resistant, not waterproof.
Motorola Defy camera samples


Wrap-up

At $99.99 on contract at launch, it'd be easy to write off the Defy as a forgettable midrange device -- after all, Motorola has yet to really prove its muster making decent Android phones that aren't high-end $200 monsters. Happily, this thing is genuinely good. Seriously! We're not going to pretend to like Blur -- we still don't -- but Moto seems to be getting better at making sure it doesn't ruin the phone completely (and we're guessing the fast OMAP3610 core helps, too). Additionally, the fact that we kept forgetting this is a genuinely rugged phone while using it really speaks to Motorola's efforts to keep mass market appeal in mind as they designed it. So hey, you know... if Blur finally sends you over the edge some day, don't expect a softball throw against the wall to end the Defy's life. That's a good thing, right?

Additional reporting by Myriam Joire

The Engadget Show returns Saturday, November 20th with Sprint's product chief, Google TV's lead dev, and giveaways to really be thankful for!

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 09:51 AM PST

Attention humans: in case you forgot, the Engadget Show is back in a big way this Saturday, November 20th at 6:30pm! Join us in New York City, where we'll be interviewing Sprint's product chief Fared Adib as well as Google TV product manager Salahuddin Choudhary, plus we'll have the usual mix of raucous editor roundtable, insane giveaways (somebody is leaving with an EPIC 4G and more!), crazy segments, and mind-bending chiptunes music from exileFaker! You don't want to miss it! Remember, giveaways happen at the live show only, so make the trek and join us at The Times Center in person. We have a new ticketing policy, so if you're coming to the live show, be sure to read about it below. If you're geographically incapable of joining us in New York City, just tune into the stream right here on Engadget.

The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). Tickets are -- as always -- free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served... so get there early! Here's the updated info on our new ticketing policy that you need to know:
  • There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free
  • The event is all ages
  • Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 2:00PM on Saturday, November 20th, doors will open for seating at 5:45PM, and the show begins at 6:30PM
  • We now have assigned seating, so the first people to get their tickets -- and the Sprint text-to-win winners (see below) -- will get priority seating. This also means that once you get a ticket, your seat is guaranteed -- you won't have to get back in line to get a good seat.
  • Ticketing will continue until all tickets are given away
  • You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket
  • Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we're full, we're full
  • The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break)
  • The show length is around an hour
If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com.

Sprint is offering 50 guaranteed tickets to the Engadget Show taping to the first 50 entrants who text "ENGADGET" to 467467 or enter online! Standard text messaging rates apply. Click for the Official Rules and see how to enter online.

Subscribe to the Show:

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.

Exclusive: Woz misquoted! 'Almost every app that I have is better on the iPhone'

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 09:31 AM PST


Some comments attributed to Steve Wozniak caused quite a kerfuffle this morning -- according to Dutch paper De Telegraaf, Woz said that "Android phones have more features," which would help Google's OS become the dominant smartphone platform. Obviously, a statement like that from Apple's co-founder rocketed around the web, and it's set off yet another round of furious Android-vs-iOS debate. There's just one problem, though: Woz never said anything like that. Turns out Woz is an Engadget commenter just like you, and when we saw that he'd left a clarification on the post, we called him up for a quick chat to sort everything out.

Woz says he gave the De Telegraaf reporter a lengthy demonstration of voice commands on iOS and Android, pointed out that Android offered the ability to say "Navigate to Joe's Diner," and suggested that Apple would catch up through its purchases of Siri and Poly9. According to Steve, that's about it -- he says he'd "never" say that Android was better than iOS, and that "Almost every app I have is better on the iPhone." Woz did say he lightly prognosticated that Android would become more popular "based on what I've read," but that he expects Android "to be a lot like Windows... I'm not trying to put Android down, but I'm not suggesting it's better than iOS by any stretch of the imagination. But it can get greater marketshare and still be crappy." He's not shy, that Woz -- listen to him say it all for yourself after the break.

Samsung Galaxy Tab to ship with exclusive MTV content

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 09:12 AM PST

Looks like Samsung is hoping to tap into some of that magical magic that made Speidi and the Situation household names, and it's doing so by developing an app in partnership with MTV Networks International. Called Touch MTV, it will feature single episodes of various shows including The Hills and Jersey Shore, content from MTV Iggy, and regular updates that are sure to be of great interest to a certain "very lucrative and trend-setting audience." The app will be pre-installed on the Galaxy Tab, alongside games from Gameloft and more. Certainly not a bad idea, bulking up on the entertainment value of the device -- especially since there's at least one other tablet out there with a pretty big share of digital music and video sales. But we have one suggestion: someone, will you please bring back Ed Lover, Dr. Dre, and Fab 5 Freddy? PR after the break.

Update: Since the deal was inked with MTV Networks International, it looks like the app's only being bundled with devices shipping in the Czech Republic, Germany, Croatia, Holland, Hungary, and Poland for the time being. America, you're safe -- for now.
Show full PR text
MTV Delivers First Bespoke, Content-Led Application With 'TOUCH MTV'

Entertainment giant creates new opportunities for MTV fans and partners

LONDON – 17 November, 2010 – MTV Networks International (MTVNI), owned by Viacom Inc (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced a unique partnership with consumer technology giant Samsung that will see the entertainment brand deliver its first, bespoke, content-led application for mobile devices with TOUCH MTV.

TOUCH MTV developed exclusively as part of the new Samsung GALAXY Tab, demonstrates how MTV multi-media and entertainment experiences can showcase a product's usability and product features to great effect.

TOUCH MTV comes pre-loaded on the device and includes premium MTV content:

* One episode each of 5 shows: The Hills, Jersey Shore, The Dudesons, Pimp My Ride and Cribs,
* Tailored MTV Iggy content (http://www.mtviggy.com/) – a first in the European market, and;
* Regularly updated news and competitions, such as the chance to win tickets to multiple MTV events and gigs across Europe.

"MTV's unrivalled efficiency in reaching young adults makes for an exciting partnership for brands looking to reach this very lucrative and trend-setting audience," explained Antonio Canto, SVP Viacom Brand Solutions International. "Over the last few years, our main mission has been to make MTV available to consumers wherever they are, bringing them the opportunity to customize their experience with the MTV brand and its content. This also allows for our marketing partners to leverage these touch points in unique and fully customizable ways, being particularly attractive to consumer technology brands. Creating bespoke applications using MTV premium content can help showcase a product's technology with effective results. MTV then tops it up with comprehensive consumer campaigns on all of its communications platforms, all created to draw the consumer's attention via entertainment."

"Samsung and MTV have taken strategic partnerships to a whole new level. Combining the Samsung GALAXY Tab's unique design with MTV's bespoke entertainment solution, the customer experience is enriched and more advanced giving us a competitive advantage," said Lenka Horakova, Global Marketing Manager, Samsung Telecommunication Europe.

TOUCH MTV is available exclusively on the Samsung GALAXY Tab through Deutsche Telekom. It is currently available in the Czech Republic, Germany, Croatia, Holland, Hungary and Poland.

ENDS

About Viacom Brand Solutions International:
Viacom Brand Solutions International (VBSI), is Viacom's international in-house brand solutions sales business. VBSI represents all the TV, digital and mobile channels of MTV Networks International – MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, Flux, Paramount Comedy, Comedy Central, Game One, Neopets, GameTrailers, Shockwave, Addicting Games, Atom Films and Xfire. MTV Networks' brands are seen globally in 560 million households in 162 countries and 33 languages via more than 150 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 350 digital media properties.

VBSI delivers advertisers creative cross platform solutions that engage consumers by investing in significant insight and by utilising the strengths of our youth and entertainment brands across multiple markets. These solutions are founded upon definitive creativity and innovative solutions constructed around branded content, sponsorship, promotions, events, new media and licensing opportunities. For more information, please visit www.vbs-media.com

About MTV Networks International:
MTV Networks International includes the premier multimedia entertainment brands MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, MTVNHD, TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, Comedy Central and Game One. MTV Networks' brands are seen globally in 640 million households in 161 countries and 34 languages via 170 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 400 digital media properties. The company's diverse holdings also include interests in television syndication, digital media, publishing, home video, licensing & merchandising and feature films. MTV Networks International is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

Jabra debuts six touchscreen-paired headsets designed for Microsoft Lync

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 08:27 AM PST

Microsoft's Lync, the supposed "next generation of unified communications" (a.k.a. the rebranded Office Communicator) just made its official debut this week, and it looks like it's already racking up some pretty big hardware partners. Among the first is Jabra, which has just rolled out no less than six new headsets that each come paired with their own touchscreen. Those all fall under the Jabra Pro 9400 and Jabra Go 6400 series, which each pack similar base units but come with headsets of varying portability, from a full-size set of headphones to a standard Bluetooth headset that you can also use with your phone. And just for good measure, Jabra has also rolled out its new Jabra SPEAK 410, which is the company's first USB-powered speakerphone. Of course, they all also come with some decidedly business-minded prices (upwards of $500), but it looks like they're all available immediately.
Show full PR text
Jabra® Launches Revolutionary Solutions for Microsoft Lync

Jabra® releases six new headset solutions Optimized for Microsoft Lync, including multi-use headsets with intuitive touch screens and a speakerphone for Microsoft Lync with call control

(Copenhagen, Denmark - November 17, 2010 – Jabra, a world leader in innovative headset solutions, today announced the expansion of its suite of products optimized for Microsoft Lync 2010 demonstrating the company's commitment as a major device partner and developer of Unified Communications (UC) solutions. A new portable speakerphone and five touch-screen, multiuse headsets expand the company's portfolio of products, providing a full range of solutions to meet the needs of enterprises deploying Lync-based voice and conferencing. The new offerings are being unveiled at the worldwide launch of Lync.

"We are committed to delivering the most extensive portfolio of audio endpoints for Lync to both the market and to our customers. These new, innovative additions demonstrate Jabra's continued investment in developing a portfolio that addresses how businesses are extending communications through desk, mobile, and soft phone applications," said Chris Briglin, vice president, strategic alliances, Jabra. "With each generation of new products, we seek to deliver on our goals to increase end-user productivity, improve their experience, and reduce the costs for enterprises through improved design, functionality, and durability at cost effective prices. All devices in the portfolio feature wideband audio for richer sound quality as well as, plug-and-play call-control functionality for ease of use and large scale deployment."

"Microsoft is pleased to be working with Jabra to deliver customers choice in devices and peripherals," said Kirk Gregersen, senior director of product management, Microsoft Lync. "The combination of Jabra's Optimized headsets and Lync provides a quality, easy to-use audio solution to meet the voice and conferencing needs of our mutual customers."

Jabra has developed a suite of corded and wireless headsets, handsets, and speakerphones that are optimized for Lync. The line now includes the following new products:

Jabra SPEAKTM 410: The Jabra SPEAK 410, is Jabra's first USB powered speakerphone. It offers full duplex and true wideband sound (6,800 Hz) for maximum call clarity, an omni-directional microphone with 360 degree coverage, a built-in ringer, and a 3.5mm headset jack for privacy in open office environments. The Jabra® SPEAKTM 410 speakerphone offers a comprehensive UC experience with a built-in ringer, on-device hook, mute, and volume control.

Jabra GOTM 6470/ Jabra PROTM 9400 Series: With the Jabra GO 6470 and Jabra PRO 9400 Series, users can easily manage multiple phones using the intuitive touch screen, start or end calls, adjust the volume, or switch between desk, soft and mobile phones all from one device. The Jabra PRO 9400 and Jabra GO 6400 Series feature have been shown to increase workforce productivity by saving a minimum of twenty minutes per day, ensuring a return on investment within three months. The Jabra PRO 9470 and Jabra GO 6470 combine the sound, range and quality performance of a professional office headset with the flexibility of mobile headsets.

About GN Netcom
GN Netcom is a leading specialist in hands free solutions that help people communicate freely in any location and across any voice communication platform. The CC&O division develops and sells UC-ready headsets for contact centers and offices and the Mobile division provides headsets for mobile phones and speakerphones for the car. GN Netcom markets the headsets globally under the Jabra brand. By the end of 2009, GN Netcom had about 850 employees and is a subsidiary of GN Store Nord A/S. Read more at www.jabra.com

Jailbroken Apple TVs getting Last.fm and a browser, for a price

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 08:00 AM PST

There's something deep down inside of us that makes us want to believe Apple has some sort of app plan for Apple TV, and by "deep down inside" we mean "jailbreaking." Fire Core, the people behind the aTV Flash software package for older Apple TVs, has just shown off its work on aTV Flash (black), a port of its hackery to the new Apple TV. Basically, aTV Flash converts your Apple TV into most of the interesting parts of the Boxee Box, and we're particularly interested in the "Couch Surfer" browser aspect -- at least as far as it can fend off encroaching jealousy for Boxee and Google TV. Unfortunately, the current version of aTV Flash costs $50, and while $50 + $100 is less than a Boxee Box, you don't have to hack the Boxee to make it work. Hopefully Fire Core will reconsider that price by the time it launches aTV Flash (black), and in the meantime maybe some white knight hacker will get something like this working on Apple TVs gratis. Check out a video of the browser and Last.fm in action after the break.



Dell Inspiron Duo finally official, can be yours the first week of December for $549

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 07:00 AM PST

That's right, just as we had heard, Dell is finally putting an end to the Inspiron Duo's mysterious marketing videos and officially spinning its screen for the world to see! You won't be able to hit the order button on the totally unique 10.1-inch tablet / netbook hybrid today, but according to Dell, it should go up for pre-order sometime soon and start shipping out the first week of December. As for pricing, the base model will start at $549 (£449), and will pack a dual-core Intel Atom N550 processor, 2GB of RAM, a Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator, 250GB of storage, and Windows 7 Home Premium. Naturally, you'll be able to configure it with a larger hard drive, and adding that JBL speaker dock will bring the price up to $649 (no word on what it will cost on its own). We're guessing those are the details you've been waiting on, but undoubtedly you've got to be dying to know what we think of that crazy-looking laptop. Well, we've got you covered there too -- hit the break for our impressions and a brief hands-on video.
Dell Inspiron Mini Duo hands-on


As you may have guessed, the Inspiron Duo looks like your regular netbook from afar. It's got a shiny lid -- it'll be available in that "Marlin" blue color as well as in "foggy night" black and "fastback" red -- and its plastic edges house the typical ports, including two USB ports and one audio jack. Under the lid it's got a nice feeling chiclet keyboard that looks quite similar to the one on the Dell Inspiron M101z and a decently sized touchpad with two dedicated mouse buttons. Yep, it sounds like your run-of-the-mill netbook, that is until you take a look at its 10.1-inch, 1366x768-resolution, capacitive touchscreen and push it backwards. Spin the screen, lock it into place, push the lid down, and voila, you've got a tablet!

The touchscreen itself was quite responsive to light taps, but more interesting is that it automatically launches Dell's Duo Stage UI layer once in slate mode. The interface, which packs a lot of the same social networking features as the one on the Streak, is finger-friendly and provides access to Dell's MusicStage, VideoStage, PhotoStage, and BookStage applications. It's not going to make navigating Windows 7 easier per se, but it does provide an alternative area for media consumption activities. Stay tuned for our full review of the Inspiron Duo, but in the meantime hit the play button below to see this thing flip out!

iPod nano review -- as a watch

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 06:30 AM PST

iPod nano watchbands -- they're everywhere! Seriously, ever since Steve Jobs said that an unnamed Apple board member jokingly planned to wear the new nano as a watch, we've seen all shapes and sizes of wristbands designed to put the diminutive media player on your wrist, ranging from the super-basic to the super-silly to the super-amazing. But hold up -- yes, we thought the new nano was a great little media player when we first reviewed it, but why hasn't anyone talked about what it's like to wear one as your watch? Is replacing your current timepiece with the nano's 1.5-inch 240 x 240 multitouch display actually a good idea? We took the nerd-bullet for you and wore one for a week to find out -- read on!
iPod nano review -- as a watch

First things first: you've got to get the nano on a band. That's actually pretty easy -- not only are there a million accessory manufacturers out there willing to sell you a nano-specific band, you can also clip it onto pretty much any bigger watchband you can find. Just make sure you can tighten things down so the nano doesn't slide around -- the white band we used didn't have any adjustments so the nano felt a bit precarious. We didn't have any problems, though -- the nano's clip is definitely strong enough to survive normal use. Of course, it's a bit huge -- we tend to favor large watches, so we didn't think it was a problem, but if you have dainty wrists it might look a little silly.

Next, head into Settings / Date & Time and turn on "Time On Wake," which pops open the clockface when you hit the wake button instead of dropping you right into the homescreen. Without this setting flipped on, you're just a dork with an iPod on your wrist. You also get a choice between white and black clock face backgrounds, and... that's about it. Turns out you're going to be a dork with an iPod on your wrist no matter what, because displaying the time when the wake switch is pressed is pretty much the only watch-type function you're going to find here beyond the stopwatch and timer. And here's the biggest problem: you can't just glance at your wrist and check the time! The screen is completely dark when it's asleep, so you have to reach over and hit the wake button with your other hand to see the time, and worst of all, hitting the wake button doesn't light the screen up instantly -- there's a significant and noticeable delay of over half a second before the clock is displayed. We'd love to see something like the Nokia N8's AMOLED screen tech that dimly self-illuminates with zero power draw to display a clock while asleep used here -- it feels like a perfect solution.

Of course, you can always plug in headphones and listen to music, but it turns out having a wire connecting your head to your wrist isn't as ideal as you might imagine. Not only do you have to make sure your headphone cord is long enough for your height to avoid yanking the buds right out of your ears, but you also have to be ever-vigilant that you're not tangling things with every move of your hands. Besides, if you're the type of person who's wearing an iPod nano as a watch, well, we're going to go out on a limb and say you have a smartphone, and that's almost certainly a better music playback experience than the nano.


None of these issues are the end of the world -- most regular watches don't do more than tell the time either, and the wake button delay isn't intolerable -- but you definitely start to wonder why you have a multitouch LCD on your wrist if all you're doing with it is looking at an analog clock face. Do we have ideas on how better to make use of it? Oh, do we have ideas.
  • At the bare minimum, Apple should offer multiple clock themes. Ship with a handful of classy standards -- digital, a couple analog styles, maybe an ironic calculator face -- and sell the rest for 99 cents in the iTunes store. Instant moneymaker.
  • There's Nike+ support in this thing, which means it's likely just a firmware update away from full-on Bluetooth, and that makes things very interesting. We'd love to see the nano connect to the iPhone and act as a secondary display for notifications -- how cool would it be to check your watch and quickly see who's calling, scan your text messages and triage email subject lines? You could even add in some basic control functionality for music and video playback, and we'd kill to be able to switch a phone to mute just by tapping on our watch. Apple's getting seriously beaten to the punch here by Android -- just check out the Sony Ericsson LiveView, which almost every Engadget editor is dying to own. (Update: We misread the spec sheet -- you need to add a dongle for Nike+ on the nano. All the more reason to add full-on Bluetooth!)
  • You've got eight to 16GB of flash storage on your wrist -- you should never think about needing a USB stick ever again. All you need is the ability to partition some of that space to show up as a mass storage device -- it's not like iPod cables are hard to find anywhere you go.
  • If you're connected to an iPhone, that means you have access to the GPS -- that's instant Foursquare / Facebook Places check-ins from your watch right there. Or hey, just tap your watch while you're out taking pictures to store a log of geotagging data that you can sync up to your photos later on.
  • Why limit connectivity to the iPhone? We'd love to be able to see new IMs and emails from our PC on our watch, and the idea of a simple, wearable Apple TV remote control seems remarkably intriguing.
Trust us -- we can go on. Putting a multitouch display on your wrist opens up an entire world of limitless wearable computing possibilities, and we're sure we haven't even scratched the surface of what could be done here. The problem is that none of these things are even close to reality -- as we said in our general iPod nano review, the new nano is all about listening to music and maybe looking at photos, and that's about it. That's a crying shame -- while the iPod nano is extremely competent at the tasks for which it was designed, it's obvious that it could be even better as a connected watch, and all of that potential is completely untapped at the moment. Here's hoping Apple's hard at work at a firmware update that makes all of these nano wristband accessories more than the amusing novelties they currently are -- until then, you'll find us in line for a LiveView.

Dark excitons could light up your quantum computer, life

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 06:09 AM PST

Dark excitons could light up your quantum computers, lifeYeah, we're still hanging around playing Q*bert and waiting on folks to get those qubits a spinning. Meanwhile, researchers have found a new path to follow on the way to quantum enlightenment. A new, darker path, which entails the use of so-called dark excitons as quantum bits. While doubling as a great name for future robo-gigolos, a dark exciton is an electron-hole pair with parallel spins. The parallel spin, which makes this quasiparticle "dark," also enables it to be long-lasting and, critically, to be excited with an electrical charge to set its state, a state that can then be read by looking for an emitted photon. Fascinating? Absolutely. Coming to a desktop near you? Not likely -- not unless your desktop is kept at a temperature of 4.2K, anyway.

[Image credit: Smite-Meister]

Virgin Mobile USA partners with Walmart for Broadband2Go offer, $20 a month for 1GB

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 05:48 AM PST

Virgin Mobile USA partners with Walmart for Broadband2Go offer, $20 a month for 1GB
If you took a gander at Virgin Mobile USA's latest Broadband2Go plans you might have noticed a bit of a hole between $10 a month for 100MB and $40 a month for unlimited data. Consider it plugged, with a new $20 monthly 1GB plan that starts today. That's quite a bit nicer than the previous $20 for 300MB plan, but of course there's a catch: it's available only at Walmart, and only to owners of a Novatel MiFi 2200 or Ovation MC720. We hate to say it, but this might just be worth putting aside your hate of all things Walton and making a run over to your local big box -- though a trip to Walmart.com would certainly be easier.

Google's spicy new Android Market to display high-res images, videos, be more tablet-friendly?

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 05:26 AM PST

Google's spicy new Android Market to display high-res images, videos, be more tablet-friendly?
We're pretty sure that Gingerbread is to be Android 2.3, but we're still missing the official Google confirmation, and beyond that still waiting to hear exactly what the heck this point release will entail. It's certainly looking like there's a new Android Market in the works, though, with Google adding new fields to the submission that accept higher resolution icons, a high-res "feature graphic" measuring 1024 x 500, and an optional link to a YouTube-hosted promotional video. Google has also confirmed that up to eight screenshots will be able to be submitted in the near future, with a maximum resolution of 480 x 800. This could all be to make things rather more friendly for higher-res displays, like one would find on a tablet or a TV, or it could simply be the web-based interface that the Market so desperately needs. We'll surely find out when Google dishes all the details on this next version, which should happen any day now. Any day now...

Panasonic and Pentax pack a pair of pickled firmware updates, DMC-G2 gets 3D, K-5 better bursting

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 05:05 AM PST

Panasonic and Pentax pack a pair of pickled firmware updates, DMC-G2 gets 3D, K-5 better bursting
Well, lookie here, a couple of little firmware files have wandered into our midst. Panasonic gets credit for the most interesting with its 1.11 update for the DMC-G2, offering a "performance enhancement," an improved AE lock that holds even when using the touch shutter, and support for the new H-FT012 lens we recently played with -- the one that adds a third dimension to your otherwise 2D shooter. Pentax, meanwhile, has a 1.01 update for its K-5 that will let you capture 20 RAW images in a burst, which a lot more than the eight it can grab currently. Then there's "improved stability for general performance such as exposure range on HyP mode," which sounds awful nice too. Both are available now, so mosey those SD cards on over and click on through.

Grippity 1 back-typing keyboard finally up for pre-order, asks for $60 and your patience

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:33 AM PST

To say the Grippity has been a long time in coming would be an understatement. The quirky keypad that stashes the buttons around back seemed to have all but vaporized into thin air after showing some early promise, but hey, it's back now! Back with a vengeance, which in this case means pre-order availability on its eponymous site at $60 a pop. Mind you, the earliest deliveries are scheduled for February, so we do hope you have enough to distract you while waiting through this holiday season. January should be nice and fun, though, as we're sure the Grippity guys will find a way to hit up our CES 2011 trailer for another hands-on opportunity with this trackball-equipped peripheral -- which is now billing itself as the ideal media center controller. We'll let you know how well the Grippity plays that role as soon as we can.

FT subsidizes employee iPads, wants them to keep up with the times

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 03:57 AM PST

You know tablets have officially become a mainstream craze when even the reserved, serious types over at the Financial Times start splashing subsidies around to stimulate their ownership. We've just heard that a $480 purse of gold coins will be extended to any FT workers who decide to purchase an iPad or another tablet between now and the end of June 2011, reportedly in an effort to help the paper's staff become "expert and experienced in using them." We already knew the FT, which happens to have its own iPad and Galaxy Tab apps, saw slate devices as an important piece of the puzzle that is our future, and this move cements that attitude in place. Paper's dead, long live electronics-filled plastic.

Orb TV is the $99 video streamer that will do Netflix and Hulu, but not HD

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 03:06 AM PST

Orb TV is the $99 video streamer that will do Netflix and Hulu, but not HD
Your Apple TVs and your Google TVs hold a lot of potential, but their limited access to content freely available to any 'ol PC and Mac is what you'd call a bit of a problem. The latest product from Orb fixes that by being a simple media streamer, relying on a computer elsewhere on the network to pull that content locally before turning around and pumping it back out to the company's new Orb TV coaster, which in turn displays it on your actual TV. Since the content is hitting the computer first (the "Orb Caster") Hulu is available on-tap, but somewhere along the way support for HD video quality goes out the window: this thing maxes out at VGA. Sure, you can already do this with your TVersity's and the like, but the Orb TV is a lot smaller than your average media extender hardware, has a very handy remote control app for iPhones and Androids, and kindly will support multiple Orb devices on the same network. Best of all? It's shipping right now, so make with the clicking and get your Gleek on.

Update: We're being told the Android app is available now as well.

ViewSonic's trade-in program: send in your laptop for a ViewPad discount

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 02:41 AM PST

No thanks.

Steve Wozniak: Android will be the dominant smartphone platform

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 02:04 AM PST

Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak, has never been one to mince words. Today's no different as demonstrated in an interview with the Dutch-language De Telegraaf newspaper in The Netherlands. The first revelation is an admission that Apple had collaborated with a well-known Japanese consumer electronics company in 2004 to develop a phone that was ahead of its time. Woz is quoted as saying that while Apple was content with the quality, it "wanted something that could amaze the world." Obviously, the phone was shelved followed by Apple's announcement of the iPhone in January 2007.

Woz then moved on to the topic of Android saying that Android smartphones, not the iPhone, would become dominant, noting that the Google OS is likely to win the race similarly to the way that Windows ultimately dominated the PC world. Woz stressed that the iPhone, "Has very few weak points. There aren't any real complaints and problems. In terms of quality, the iPhone is leading." However, he then conceded that, "Android phones have more features," and offer more choice for more people. Eventually, he thinks that Android quality, consistency, and user satisfaction will match iOS.

Steve closed the interview with a jab at Nokia calling it, "the brand from a previous generation" suggesting that the boys from Finland should introduce a new brand for a young consumer. Hmm, so we guess he'll be in line for the launch of the MeeGo-based N9 then?

Update: We've contacted Steve (an Engadget commenter) for clarification. He says he was misquoted by De Telegraaf.

[Thanks, Nguyen T.]

Jolibook to cost £279 in the UK, could be with us tomorrow

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 01:37 AM PST

Netbooks might no longer be the sexy must-have accessory they once were, but maybe having Jolicloud's custom Linux-based OS on board will sway people to give this one a second look. Yes, the Jolibook that we so recently saw for the first time is about to make its retail debut, with the UK getting the first opportunity to spill some cash on it. Netbook News reports the precise levy will be £279 ($443), while the Wall Street Journal has word that the whole shebang could start as early as tomorrow. That price is, as promised, competitive, but it's not quite cheap enough to attract buyers all by itself -- Jolicloud will have to hope its OS is as good in long-term use as it's looked in brief glimpses so far, in which case this 10.1-incher shouldn't have much trouble justifying its cost.

Apple bringing iAds to Europe in December, nobody rejoices

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 12:35 AM PST

If there's one benefit to living in the technological backwater that is Europe, it's that "innovations" like iAds take a little longer to filter though -- but filter through they eventually do, as evidenced by Apple's announcement that its mobile advertising platform is hitting the Old World this December. French and British iOS users will get to enjoy being pestered by L'Oreal, Renault, Louis Vuitton, Nespresso, Perrier, and Unilever next month, while their German counterparts will have their lives enriched in January. This follows on the heels of news that iAds is headed to Japan in early 2011 as well, covering the biggest developed markets with glorious promotional material. Advertisers don't seem to be shying away from the platform, either, as Apple boasts it has signed up half of the top 25 US ad buyers (as judged by Ad Age). Full press release follows after the break.
Show full PR text
Apple's iAd Coming to Europe in December

Revolutionary Mobile Advertising Network Will Launch in Europe with L'Oréal, Renault, Louis Vuitton, Nespresso, Perrier & Unilever

CUPERTINO, California-November 18, 2010-Apple® today announced it will expand its revolutionary iAdâ„  mobile advertising network to the UK and France this December, with Germany to follow in January. iAd will launch in Europe with iAds from L'Oréal, Renault, Louis Vuitton, Nespresso, Perrier, Unilever, Citi, Evian, LG Display, AB InBev, Turkish Airlines and Absolute Radio. Since its US launch in July, iAd has emerged as a powerful new way for advertisers to reach millions of iPhone® and iPod touch® users right in their favorite apps, while providing a significant new revenue stream for developers. iAd has signed on over half of the top 25 leading US national advertisers in just four months,* with a projected 21 percent share of US mobile display advertising revenue for 2010 according to research firm IDC.**

"We're thrilled to add leading global brands to the iAd Network in Europe and create even more great opportunities for developers," said Andy Miller, Apple's vice president of iAd. "In just four months, we've doubled the number of advertisers on the network and thousands of developers now have a valuable new source of revenue."

"As the world leader in the beauty business, L'Oréal aims to create the most meaningful connections between its brands and its customers, so iAd was a natural choice," said Marc Menesguen, L'Oréal's Head of strategic marketing. "We're thrilled by the quality, the interactivity and the depth of iAd's user experience, giving us an unparalleled opportunity to reach and serve the most engaged and discerning customers at the digital forefront of beauty, hence our choice of Lancôme to lead our iAd campaign."

iAd, which is built into iOS 4, lets users stay within their current app while engaging with an ad, even while watching a video, playing a game or using in-ad purchase to download an app or buy iTunes® content. With user engagement times averaging more than 60 seconds per visit, iAds combine the narrative quality of TV ads with the interactivity of digital for something entirely new.

Advertisers can learn more at advertising.apple.com. Developers who join the iAd Network can easily incorporate a variety of advertising formats into their apps. Developers will receive an industry standard 60 percent of the iAd Network revenue, which is paid via iTunes Connect. Developers can visit developer.apple.com/iad to join the iAd Network or to learn more about the iAd platform.

* Advertising Age "100 Leading National Advertisers" rankings for 2009 by spend, June 20, 2010. ** US mobile display advertising 2010 forecast, published by BusinessWeek.com, September 26, 2010.

Palm Pre 2 available unlocked from HP for $450, ships within 24 hours (update: $200 off for devs)

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 12:14 AM PST

Get your SIMs ready, dear readers, for the unlocked GSM Pre 2 has made its promised debut on HP's online outlet. In spite of looking all too similar to its predecessors, this 1GHz device is still the best (read: only) option for getting your webOS 2.0 action going, so if you simply must have that experience on your smartphone, it's a no-brainer of a decision. HP will ship it to you in exchange for $450 and if all goes to plan, you could be swiping cards off your home screen in buttery smooth fashion by this time tomorrow.

[Thanks, Michael]

Update: Are you a dedicated webOS software developer? Then HP will kindly knock $200 off the price of the unlocked Pre 2 in order to facilitate the free flow of your creative juices. Thanks, Chieze O!

Netflix CEO says consumers just aren't interested in long-form video on portable devices

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 12:03 AM PST

We were undeniably excited about Netflix coming to the iPhone and iPad, but according to CEO Reed Hastings -- who spoke on the subject during a Web 2.0 Summit panel discussion -- that move has actually had little impact on the company's business. In his mind, these results indicate that consumers just aren't interested in streaming long-form video on mobile devices and instead prefer the experience on bigger screens. To support his conclusion, Hastings cited how Netflix integration on the Xbox 360, PS3, and Mac significantly grew its subscriber base. While we personally disagree with his judgment on mobile and grant him honorary captain obvious credentials for his bigger screen preference remarks, we'll still entertain the possibility that Hastings may know somethings we don't. That's not to say the phrase correlation does not imply causation isn't tickling the back our throat though. But what about you, reader? Are you taking advantage of the little red app on your Apple portable devices or even on your new Windows Phone 7 handset? Hit the poll on the next page to tell us what's up.

Are you interested in long-form video on mobile devices?

Kin ONEm and Kin TWOm back at Verizon

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 10:54 PM PST

That's no typo, folks, Microsoft's own-brand pseudo-smartphones are back at Verizon, this time sporting an "m" appendage to their names and what looks like better pricing across the board. The Kin ONEm will set you back a cent under $20 with a two-year contract, whereas the TWOm costs just under $50 but is also subject to a Buy One Get One Free offer (the free phone being an LG Ally). We've spotted Zune Pass is still present on the pair, though it's on a "WiFi and sideload only" basis, seemingly forbidding 3G streaming. Plans start at $39.99 for voice and $9.99 for 25MB of data (while the $9.99 option is advertised, the cheapest data plan we're presently able to add is the $15 a month 150MB option), plus there's a $35 activation fee. Compared to the original pricing, which had the One asking for $50 in upfront costs and $70 as the minimum levy for voice plus data, we'd say this is a definite move in the right direction. A few months late, but better late than never, eh?

[Thanks, Wyatt]

Panasonic GF2 shipping December 3rd in Japan, turning gringos green with envy

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 10:33 PM PST

As far as we know, the western hemisphere should still have the mirrorless GF2 from Panasonic penciled in on its January 2011 must-own list, but Japan is (predictably) getting the party started a little early. Panny has shot out a brief statement this morning to say that its home nation will receive the GF2 -- alternately attired in red, white or black -- on the 3rd of December. That's a good couple of weeks before we expected to even have pricing for North America and Europe, leaving the rest of us to just pout and stare at the calendar with disdain. And if pricing is what you need, Impress has some of its usually deadly accurate estimates to offer you, with the GF2 body set to cost ¥60,000 (about $720) by itself, ¥80,000 with the F2.5 14mm pancake kit lens, or ¥90,000 if paired with the 14-42mm glass. We'd advise not taking straight currency conversions as indicators of pricing anywhere outside Japan, however, due to the atypically high value of the yen at the moment. Wistful sighs, on the other hand, are free everywhere.

Qualcomm teases 28nm dual-core Snapdragons, pixel-punching Adreno 300 GPU

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 10:15 PM PST

By the time Qualcomm's 1.5GHz QSD8672 Snapdragon finally makes it to market, it might be obsolete -- the company just announced that the new 28nm dual-core MSM8960 system-on-a-chip will have five times the performance and consume 75 percent less power than the original Snapdragon when it arrives in 2011. It's got the usual WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and FM radio modules but also a multi-mode LTE / 3G modem too, and reportedly four times the graphical muscle on board. Speaking of graphics, Qualcomm seperately took the time to detail a new GPU: the Qualcomm Adreno 300 series, which will allegedly offer the gaming performance of an Xbox 360 or PS3. We'd say "We'll believe it when we see it," but that would imply doubt -- the reality is that we just want to feast our eyes on mobile gaming bliss as soon as humanly possible.

[Thanks, PhineasJW]

Jawbone Jambox Bluetooth speaker now available for $200

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 09:10 PM PST

It's hardly the most affordable Bluetooth speaker around, but Jawbone's new Jambox did manage to impress us when we got our hands on it earlier this month, and you can now finally pick one up yourself directly from Jawbone, or at your local Apple store and "select" Best Buy stores. As expected, it'll set you back $200, and it's available in your choice of four different colors / designs, each of which pack the same 800mAh lithium-ion battery that promises ten hours of continuous use, a built-in mic that will let you use it as a speakerphone, and an output capacity of 85 decibels that Jawbone says "fills even the largest rooms with stellar hi-fi sound." If you're looking to judge that for yourself, you can apparently do so at an Apple store, where Jawbone says the Jambox will be "featured alongside the iPad."

OnLive MicroConsole official at $99, we go hands-on and bombard you with details

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 08:08 PM PST

Everybody's favorite instant streaming video game service just came into its own: OnLive is launching the MicroConsole right now, a tiny box that turns your Speedy Gonzales internet connection into a virtual game console. Sure, the company's cloud computing service already lets you do the same from any old netbook -- that's kind of the point -- but the $99 OnLive Game System gives you the leanback HDTV experience complete with a custom wireless gamepad, and (assuming you use HDMI) it'll come with all the wires too when it ships December 2nd. We sat down with OnLive VP of Engineering Joe Bentley to get a handle on the hardware within, and learn about the budding ecosystem you'll be dealing with if you buy in. See what the long-awaited system looks like below, and get the full scoop after the break!
OnLive Game System unboxing and hands-on

If you're a little rusty on what OnLive's all about, it works a little something like this -- giant server farms process the games far away, then pipes the rendered images (using proprietary compression technologies and custom hardware) straight to your screen. The MicroConsole grabs that stream using a standard 10/100 ethernet connection, decodes it and upscales it all the way up to 1080p using a custom SOC, and outputs the resulting images to your TV at up to 60fps over HDMI 1.3. (There's also an optional 1080i component video cable available for an extra $30.) Like the PC version, the technique introduces noticeable video compression artifacts, but not as much lag as you'd think -- we had a perfectly playable session of Unreal Tournament III today (by console standards) on an admittedly excellent connection. The system presently supports only stereo audio over a 3.5mm minijack, optical S/PDIF or HDMI, but surround sound is on the way; Bentley says a firmware update next month will bring at least basic LPCM 5.1, if not necessarily your favorite flavors of SRS, DTS and Dolby. Unbelievably, Bentley claims the entire system uses just six watts under full load, thanks to an underclocked chip, and sure enough the rock-solid unit has no fan or even so much as a vent to exhaust heat from within.

As it turns out, the MicroConsole doesn't technically use ZigBee, though it most certainly takes advantage of IEEE 802.15.4 -- that's the underlying RF technology that connects the console's custom wireless controllers. Bentley told us that when the company decided latency was paramount, it was the only way to go, with 2.4GHz too saturated and Bluetooth too slow -- though admittedly we've rarely heard Microsoft or Sony complain about either one. Regardless, OnLive built a custom software stack for 802.15.4 that responds in 800 microseconds flat, or under 2ms when or if you've got four controllers paired at once. We were immediately impressed by the build of OnLive's gamepads, which feel first-party through and through, with buttons and analog sticks not quite as ergonomically fine-tuned as Microsoft and Sony's best, but constructed out of quality plastics and with a pair of excellent triggers, as well as a set of dedicated media buttons on the bottom row. Like Microsoft's Xbox 360 pad, these ship with a pair of AA batteries but you can also buy a rechargeable 2400mAh lithium-ion pack for $20, which is reportedly good for 36 hours and charges using a standard microUSB port. The company won't be selling extra pads until December 1st, the day after the system ships, but you can also plug in any old mouse, keyboard or gamepad (including an off-the-shelf Xbox 360 controller) into two front-facing USB ports and start playing right away. There's also built-in Bluetooth to connect wireless headsets though the firm doesn't have a final compatibility list yet.

The hardware's pretty badass from what we can tell, but the service is still struggling to build out -- it launched with 23 games in June, and it's only up to about 40 now. Though membership fees have been dismantled and WiFi works now, the only figure the company can share about adoption is that there have been "two million sessions" of OnLive played on Mac and PC so far, and some are wary of spending full price for a PC game that one can't actually download -- even if said service comes with 30-minute demos and game rental options. That said, the future's looking far more bright, as Bentley tells us there are presently 100 more games in the pipeline, all of which are slated to appear before the end of 2011, and the company's adding about a game a week right now. OnLive's getting Driver: San Francisco, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, FEAR 3, Duke Nukem Forever and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, to name a few, and it's actually planning a Netflix-like flat rate pricing plan for back-catalog and indie games as well.

Speaking of Netflix, Bentley told us that those media buttons on the OnLive controller aren't just for show -- while he wouldn't confirm any particular multimedia partnerships, he said "It's technically all possible, and with time we'll bring all that forward." He also informed us we'll see iPad, iPhone and possibly even Android apps to let you keep track of friends (and dastardly rivals) in OnLive's video-based social network. Further down the road, the MicroConsole will apparently even have 3D gaming support, as the company's figured out a way to encode and decode a pair of discrete video streams with this very hardware.

We're working on a full review of the MicroConsole and its accompanying controller and hope to bring that to you soon, but if you want a jump on things you'll find a perfectly sensible write-up from our friends at Joystiq, too. And of course, for all you early adopters, the time to buy is always now -- through the end of the year, the system comes with a free game of your choice as well.

Dish Network Sling Adapter review

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 08:01 PM PST

Sling Adapter
It's been a long time coming since Sling announced the super slim Sling Adapter at CES, and surprise, surprise, the first cable or satellite provider to make it available to its customers is Sling's sister company Dish Network. The Sling Adapter should be available for order at $99 by the time you read this, and with a single USB plug it will add Slingbox capabilities to your Dish Network 722 DVR. Dish was nice enough to send us one a tad early, which means you should click on through to learn all the wonders and sorrows of the device.
Dish Network Sling Adapter review

The hardware and setup

There really isn't anything to this thing; it looks like a cheese grater with a single USB cable and an LED light that most Slingbox owners will recognize. There's no remote, no IR emitter, and no inputs, which is A-okay with us. It's small enough that you could slide it just about anywhere, but based on the shape, we assume it needs some air to stay cool.


The setup is just as simple. Now, any Sling device needs a network connection, but since Dish DVRs have a few features that require that already -- like Dish Remote Access and VOD -- there's a pretty good chance you're one step away from enjoying all your Dish content on the go. In that case, all you do is plug in the attached USB cable into the back of your DVR, and that's it. A message pops up on the screen to let you know setup is complete and you're done.

Software, usability and picture quality


Dish users are probably already familiar with the Dish Remote Access web site, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch apps (BlackBerry and Android coming soon) and we have good news: the Dish Sling feature is built right in to all of them. This is good because unlike the Sling mobile Apps, it's free. (You can also use the Sling apps on every platform except OS X and PCs, if you like, and an update to the iPad app that adds streaming is coming soon.) Basically adding the Sling Adapter to your DVR simply adds a Play On Web button to the interface. This makes it simple to manage and control your DVR, as well as watch content on your mobile device, but fans of the Sling software might prefer using what they're used to.


Of course the real question is, is this better than just buying a Slingbox? The answer is absolutely. In fact it's much better: you can use the DVR's second tuner to watch live TV while someone at home watches something else, and you can directly access DVR content without navigating the DVR's UI via the Sling player's laggy on-screen remote. This might not be as rosy if you're using the TV 2 out of your VIP 722 or 722K, but at the most, it's no more annoying than any other Slingbox. The other small change is that there's an on screen indicator to make you aware that the Sling feature is in use.

Waiting for the stream to stop and start is still laggy, but that's true of any Sling experience, and the great news is that since you can find what you want to watch via the Remote Access interface, the lag isn't nearly as noticeable as trying to control the DVR's interface via an IR blaster. The HD quality is as good as any streaming we've seen on the local network -- the instructions state you need a 3Mbps connection for HD, and we saw streaming rates as high as 8Mbps, which looked great even at full screen.



Wrap up

We've loved Sling Media products since, well, forever, and the Sling Adapter could be the best one yet. The quality is awesome, the Dish Remote Access interface is enjoyable and accessible just about everywhere, it's useful for much more than just watching TV, and the setup couldn't be simpler. These points alone would make us recommend the Sling Adapter, but add in the fact that it only costs $99, which is less than half as much as the Slingbox Solo at $189 for a much better experience, and we're over the moon. It isn't all good, since the Slingbox we've come to love works universally, while the Sling Adapter only works with Dish Network's 722 and 722K DVRs -- and Dish also offers the ViP 922 that has Sling features built in, a 1TB hard drive and a far superior user experience than the older 722's design. The dream, of course, is that Dish is just the first of many to support and sell the Sling Adapter, but based on how crappy most cable and satellite DVRs are, we aren't holding our breath that that'll ever happen.

Droid 2 Global GSM bands locked, camera bulge added to case

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 06:45 PM PST

No surprise here, but it looks like Verizon's on-sale-but-never-really-announced Droid 2 Global has its GSM radios locked down, meaning you can't just throw an AT&T SIM in there and expect anything to work. Of course, the enterprising hackers at xda-developers are hot on the case, so there's a chance things will be opened up, but we wouldn't hold our breath.

In other news, it looks like there's been a slight case modification to the Droid 2 Global -- the camera module now sports a slight hump as seen in the comparison photo above. We're not sure if this is to accommodate the extra radio or (please please please) perhaps a better sensor, but whoomp, there it is. No big thing in the grand scheme of things, but between the dark blue casing and the camera bulge, you'll totally be able to spot D2G owners out of the crowd. And that... that will make you a super nerd weirdo. But it's okay, because we love you.

GSM Association proposes embedded SIM cards with remote activation for 2012

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 05:53 PM PST

The GSM Association is taking a serious look at embedded SIM cards that can be remotely activated, in both traditional (e.g. phones) and non-traditional devices (e.g. cameras, MP3 players). According to the presser, a task force has been assembled, culled from "leading technical experts" whose home turfs include virtually every major worldwide carrier. An "analysis of market requirements" is due in January 2011, and devices with the new technology are reportedly expected in 2012.

If all that sounds familiar, perhaps you'll recall a recent rumor that pegged Apple and SIM gurus Gemalto as privately collaborating on a similar (if not virtually identical) idea. Coincidence? Don't blame us if your Krispy Kreme Android phonelet's nanoSIM doesn't mesh with the iPhone 6.

Kinect sensor bolted to an iRobot Create, starts looking for trouble

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 05:38 PM PST

While there have already been a lot of great proof-of-concepts for the Kinect, what we're really excited for are the actual applications that will come from it. On the top of our list? Robots. The Personal Robots Group at MIT has put a battery-powered Kinect sensor on top of the iRobot Create platform, and is beaming the camera and depth sensor data to a remote computer for processing into a 3D map -- which in turn can be used for navigation by the bot. They're also using the data for human recognition, which allows for controlling the bot using natural gestures. Looking to do something similar with your own robot? Well, the ROS folks have a Kinect driver in the works that will presumably allow you to feed all that great Kinect data into ROS's already impressive libraries for machine vision. Tie in the Kinect's multi-array microphones, accelerometer, and tilt motor and you've got a highly aware, semi-anthropomorphic "three-eyed" robot just waiting to happen. We hope it will be friends with us. Video of the ROS experimentation is after the break.

Verizon execs propose speed-based pricing for LTE data plans, say LTE has 'drawn the interest of Apple'

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 04:56 PM PST

Paying for data overage is the new hotness in the wireless biz, and Verizon was the latest to dive head-first into the nasty world of usage-based pricing for its wireless data plans just a few weeks ago. But how about paying for speed instead? Seems both outgoing Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg and CFO Fran Shammo commented today that the company's shiny new LTE network could support charging different rates depending on the speed subscribers select -- just like in the landline internet business -- though they wouldn't commit to implementing such a system just yet. Speaking of LTE, Seidenberg also mentioned that he "expects" Verizon's first LTE phone to launch in February (likely the LG we saw or HTC's Mecha, if we had to guess), coming in on the early side of its 1H 2011 plan -- and what's more, he's saying more LTE-equipped devices will launch than originally anticipated. We certainly won't complain about that.

On the undying topic of the iPhone, Seidenberg's basically holding the same line he's maintained for some time, which is that the companies' "interests are coming together" and that the phone will come when "Apple thinks it's time." The gem, though, is that Seidenberg specifically says that Verizon's adoption of LTE has attracted Apple's attention and helped it score the iPad -- and seeing how Verizon's cobbled-together iPad / MiFi bundle doesn't support LTE, we can only assume it was a peace offering to help the two companies come together and prepare to work together more closely down the road. Question is, just how soon would Apple like to play the LTE card?

BoxWave's Keyboard Buddy turns your iPhone 4 into the Droid it always wanted to be

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 04:14 PM PST

Suffering from a little bit of Droid envy? It happens to even the most loyal of iPhone users, and now BoxWave is stepping in to make your life almost complete (we say "almost" because there's still no native Gmail client for the iPhone, and all your tears aren't going to solve that). The BoxWave Keyboard Buddy Case is just what it sounds like, a Bluetooth keyboard embedded in an iPhone 4 case, only instead of flipping out like the TK-421 or slide-tilting like the ultra-bulky Nuu Mini Key, BoxWave's solution is a simple sliding affair that adds very little to the iPhone 4's profile and hardly anything to its footprint. Also, it's your buddy. It'll start shipping next month, and it's a little spendy at $70, but can you really put a price on the flattery of imitation?

Dell's mobile chief Ron Garriques is out

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 03:33 PM PST

Ron Garriques, who has been leading Dell's mobile communications group ever since its formation a year ago, is leaving the company. Ron originally joined Dell in 2007, after a high profile career at Motorola, and has overseen a rather ambitious entry for the company into the phone industry. Now Dell is folding the communications unit into its "core operating structure," and Garriques won't be along for the transition. Of course, it's not like there haven't been some missteps and head scratchers along the way (we still don't know if the Streak is a phone or a tablet or a phonelet or a tabset or whatever), and it's a little hard to tell whether Ron decided to leave willingly when he heard his unit was being absorbed, or if Dell gave him a little "push." True or not, it would be the perfect comeuppance for the man who re-dubbed the Lightning the Dell "Venue Pro." Not that we're bitter or anything.

AT&T: 80 percent of network now upgraded to HSPA+

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 03:11 PM PST

AT&T promised that it would be expanding its HSPA+ rollout this year, and it's now finally touting some actual results. Speaking at the Sencha Conference in San Francisco this week, AT&T CTO John Donovan confirmed that the carrier has upgraded a full 80 percent of its network to HSPA+, which promises to offer two and half times the performance of regular HSPA. Donovan also talked a bit out mobile data use in general, and revealed that data traffic growth has actually slowed over the past few months from a rate of 50 times to 30 times what it was three years ago. Donvon was quick to point out, however, that "If you look in absolute numbers, it's still a tremendous growth rate," and actually represents a three thousand percent uptick in data traffic over the past three years.

FingerPrint app for Mac enables AirPrint for the printers Apple left behind

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 02:36 PM PST

Printing never "just works," does it? There always has to be some wrench thrown in. We were hoping Apple was about to solve some of that with AirPrint, but at the last minute it left out the Mac printer-sharing functionalities that were supposedly going to arrive with Mac OS X 10.6.5. That means as of right now the only way to do AirPrint with the yet-to-be-released iOS 4.2 is to buy one of those fancy new HP printers with the AirPrint-compatible ePrint functionality. We're guessing Apple is just giving this feature a little more time in the oven, but if you're just too passionate about printing things to wait, the FingerPrint application from Collobos might fill the void. The $8 app shares just about any printer that your Mac can find over Bonjour and... well, that's about it. Some printers work, some don't, and there's a trial period to find out if it'll work with your particular setup. Too rich for your blood? There's always the hack.

Motorola video survey says Americans are still into paying for TV service, buying new TVs

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 02:02 PM PST

It doesn't seem like everyone's jumped on the cord cutting bandwagon just yet, as the 2010 "Media Engagement Barometer" conducted by Vanson Bourne for Motorola surveyed 7,500 consumers in 13 countries (1,000 in the US) before issuing its findings that 86 percent of Americans subscribe to pay TV providers and 6% are using video/TV on the internet, even while free OTA TV is available. And those 3D TVs that are everywhere? Worldwide, they figured 75 percent of viewers either own or plan to own an HDTV in the next 18 months, while 4% currently own 3D sets, 25 percent indicated they plan to upgrade to one in the same time period. US stats pegged 59 percent of respondents with HDTVs, 20 percent with an internet enabled set and 25 percent with a smartphone. Other results indicate we haven't seen the last of the Twitter widget on our TVs and set-top boxes either, with 58 percent of responses showing people have used social media during a TV broadcast and would switch providers to have it integrated in their TV service. Check out the press release after the break and PDF fact sheet for more statistical breakdowns while we figure out exactly what this means for any a la carte TV dreams.

LSI's WarpDrive SSD is a steal at $11,500

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 01:29 PM PST

We want one of these so bad. The LSI WarpDrive SLP-300 packs 300GB of solid state storage onto a PCI Express card and promises up to 240,000 sustained IOPS (Input / Output Operations Per Second), with 1,400MBps sustained throughput -- about double the performance of OCZ's substantially cheaper RevoDrive X2. According to LSI, you would need over 400 regular hard drives in 36U of rack space and 300 times the power to match the WarpDrive for sheer IOPS. Sure, LSI recommends all sorts of fancy server applications to put this $11,500 card to good use, but we've been noticing some serious browser launch lag time lately... and we're worth it.
Show full PR text
LSI Bolsters Channel Portfolio with PCI Express Solid-State Storage Card for Application Acceleration

New LSI™ WarpDrive™ plug-and-play I/O acceleration card dramatically improves application performance while reducing rack space, power and cooling costs

MILPITAS, Calif., November 16, 2010 – LSI Corporation (NYSE: LSI) today introduced in the channel the LSI WarpDrive™ SLP-300 acceleration card, a PCI Express (PCIe®) card offering performance up to 240,000 sustained IOPS and 300GB of SLC solid-state storage capacity within a low profile form factor. The WarpDrive card can help customers accelerate application performance, reduce energy costs and eliminate racks of storage by delivering the I/O performance of hundreds of hard disk drives while consuming less than 25 watts of power.

"The LSI WarpDrive card sets a new standard for data center efficiency by providing IT administrators with previously unattainable levels of performance while helping to reduce operational and capital expenditures," said Brent Blanchard, director of worldwide channel sales and marketing, LSI. "The WarpDrive card complements the LSI CacheCade™ and FastPath™ solid-state storage acceleration solutions, providing our channel partners with a one-stop shop to address the performance, deployment and integration requirements that high-performance applications and dense computing demand."

The low-profile, half-length WarpDrive card plugs into a standard 8 lane PCIe Gen 2.0 server slot and is designed to deliver high performance with low latency and a low CPU burden independent of main memory size. It offers system builders, system integrators and their end customers a cost-effective, plug-and-play solution for maximizing the transactional I/O performance of applications such as Web serving, data warehousing, data mining, professional video and high-performance computing.

A WarpDrive card can sustain up to 1,400MB/s of throughput, with reliable and consistent performance across both sequential and random reads and writes. It delivers up to 240,000 4K read IOPS and up to 200,000 4K write IOPS, with access latency of less than 50 microseconds. To achieve equal performance on a write IOPS basis utilizing hard disk drives would require over 400 drives, 36U of rack space and consume more than 300 times the power.

"The LSI PCIe-based WarpDrive card offers simple, effective, and affordable application acceleration for enterprise servers," said Bob Farkaly, director of marketing, Storage System products for Exar. "Utilizing two WarpDrive cards combined with Exar's BitWackr ™solution, we measured an aggregate performance of 1,028 MB/second, which is almost twice the speed we were able to achieve with other PCIe-based flash products."

"Schooner's MySQL and NoSQL solutions combined with the LSI WarpDrive card provide industry-leading performance for database and key-value stores, delivering over 9x performance throughput increase relative to hard drive configurations and over 3x performance throughput increase relative to alternative PCIe flash-based solutions," said Dr. John Busch, founder and CTO, Schooner Information Technologies. "Beyond raw IOPS and latency performance, we are very impressed with the LSI WarpDrive card's performance stability, observing negligible performance variance over time. Also, the LSI WarpDrive card's very low overhead consumption of server processor and DRAM memory resources enables even higher performance by leaving these resources available for useful application processing and data caching."

The WarpDrive card utilizes industry-standard and widely deployed LSI SAS software drivers to provide channel partners with simple integration and management using existing SAS infrastructure. It features the LSISAS2008 6Gb/s SAS I/O controller and is based on the enterprise-proven LSI Fusion-MPT™ architecture. The WarpDrive card is bootable, has no external power requirement and installs as a single drive with no user configuration required. The WarpDrive card helps to ensure high reliability with a management infrastructure offering extensive monitoring, including health, error rate and drive failure.

The WarpDrive card builds upon LSI enterprise-level experience in the design, manufacture and support of advanced server and storage solutions. The WarpDrive card is designed to provide system integrators and system builders with a robust and stable solution with assured interoperability and a low-risk path to market. The WarpDrive card also helps to minimize hardware requirements, reducing initial investment costs and eliminating points of failure for greater overall system reliability.

Samsung Galaxy Tab price wars: US carriers face off

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 01:03 PM PST

Samsung's Galaxy Tab. You know our thoughts on the device, so let's assume you've passed the "should I buy it?" question and onto the more specific, "whom should I sign on with?" You're certainly not bereft of choices: by the end of November, five of the six largest US carriers (sorry, MetroPCS) will offer the Android slate -- but not all pricing schemes were made equal. Carrier-agnostics, we're here to help!

While we've already bemoaned the $50 premium on AT&T's model, we have confirmed there is no activation fee, which narrows the price between it and Verizon's offering to just $15 (and Ma Bell, along with Sprint, seem to be the only two offering a $50 Media Hub voucher). On paper, US Cellular has the lowest two-year cost with $760 on contract, but $15 monthly for 200MB is pretty ridiculous when just $20 gets you an entire gig on Verizon's network, or $30 for 2GB on Sprint. T-Mobile wins the award for the most insane disparity in data offerings: $25 for 200MB, or 25 times the data allotment (5GB) for just $15 more. 'Twas the best of deals, 'twas the worst of deals.

If you ask us, there isn't really a clear-cut winner, but we'd definitely contend Big Magenta's got the most alluring on-contract value if 5GB is in the range of your data usage; the equivalent plan costs $60 on Sprint and $50 on Verizon, with the latter offering no discount for making a two-year commitment. Then again, if you're the kind who prefers to be unrestrained and plan to spend $600 regardless, it's Verizon with the most competitive data plans overall. And of course, your decision will undoubtedly be influenced by network performance in your area. Consider yourself informed.

Kinect data massaged into retro-futuristic 'Box Cloud,' iPad tilts its way into the action

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 12:32 PM PST

We're sorry if you're like, so over Kinect hacks, but with a million tinkerers just getting warmed up on the thing, we recommend you just get comfortable and try to enjoy it. A new processing app by Chris Rojas takes the distance data and renders objects in neon cubes, with the size of the cube based on the object's distance from the sensor. Sure, it won't cure world hunger, but it looks pretty sweet. Of course, that wasn't good enough, so Chris hooked his app up to TouchOSC on the iPad, which gives him sliders to define and adjust different "planes of interest," along with the accelerometer input of the iPad to control zoom and pan of the virtual camera. Just don't get too close to that sensor, Chris, or the MCP might decide to digitize you entirely! Check out the original, iPad-less Box Cloud video after the break.

at 11:49 AM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

My Blog List