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- Kin Studio closing January 31st, Verizon offers free phones to affected customers
- LG Star preview
- Android Market update streamlines content, nukes tabs, dismantles 24-hour return policy to appease devs
- iKit debuts touchscreen-equipped AutoCon FM transmitter
- HTC Legend finally updates to Android 2.2 in Europe
- Patriot intros Supersonic USB 3.0 flash drive, milks 100MB / sec from a single chip
- TimeCommand dock turns your iPad into a very pricey dimmer switch
- How would you change the second-generation Apple TV?
- Shogun Bros. Chameleon X-1 mouse flaunts its hidden gamepad
- Nexus S review
- The Engadget Podcast, live at 7:30PM EST!
- Chrome Web Store, HTML5 and the iPad: symbiosis at its best
- Modder creates robotic Level 10 case, intimidates fellow gamers in the process
- FCC report finds 68 percent of US broadband connections aren't really broadband
- Razer Orochi crafted from oil and glycerin, scrubs your bod between frag sessions
- T-Mobile says it'll launch '4G' tablets in 2011
- Novatel sues ZTE and Franklin over MiFi-related patents
- Motorola's new logo: it's red
| Kin Studio closing January 31st, Verizon offers free phones to affected customers Posted: 11 Dec 2010 09:51 AM PST  [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]  |
| Posted: 11 Dec 2010 07:30 AM PST  Before we get to the raw power encased within the LG Star, it's requisite to discuss the phone's external hardware. This isn't a blade server, after all, and people are going to expect their smartphone to look the part too. Some perfectionists will be put off by the generous heaping of bezel at the bottom of the Star and the quirky spine-like column that spans its rear, but on the whole it's mostly an unadventurous and safe design, exuding the same uncomplicated slate aesthetic as most of its contemporaries. There's one device we're immediately reminded of when handling the Star and that's HTC's Droid Incredible -- albeit with the slight (major?) difference that LG's new handset offers a larger 4-inch display.  A pair of grilles at the bottom of the handset provides the sound output and, presumably, input -- there's only one loudspeaker sat behind one of the meshes, we're guessing the other's occupied by a mic (if that seems familiar, it's because Apple's been doing it for a good while now). We were pleasantly surprised by the loud and punchy sound the Star's solo speaker puts out, which, allied to the strong display, provides the basic competency required of a compelling multimedia phone.  An additional note worth making here is that the initial Star leak came with the juicy implication that Gingerbread could be the Android version shipping with final units, so we'll have to just wait to find that out. The unknown maturity of the software should also be kept in mind when looking at our benchmark scores -- for all we know, LG could already be testing much better code than the stuff that's on our proto unit. Still, check out the video below for our performance test results, we doubt you'll be disappointed. Those numbers were also borne out by our hands-on experience with the LG Star, which tracked our homescreen swipes without hesitation or perceivable lag. The unfinished software does chug down quite often, seemingly entranced in an existential contemplation as to where it's going and what it's doing with its life, but the hardware performance is unquestionably top-notch. Hell, it's punching out a new notch all for itself when it comes to raw CPU prowess. Sadly, the Star refused to play back any video clips we loaded onto it, irrespective of format, so we weren't able to verify our suspicion that it's capable of handling 1080p content. YouTube video in HQ mode and Flash clips embedded on webpages played without a hitch.  |
| Posted: 11 Dec 2010 07:29 AM PST  Update: There are also two new categories being added: widgets and live wallpapers. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] |
| iKit debuts touchscreen-equipped AutoCon FM transmitter Posted: 11 Dec 2010 04:37 AM PST  FM transmitters may not usually be much to look at, but iKit has bucked that trend somewhat with its new AutoCon unit, which packs some illuminated touchscreen controls into a sleek, glossy black enclosure. You'll also naturally get a 3.5mm cable to accommodate the phone or MP3 player of your choice, along with a handsfree function, and a USB car charger to keep the device itself (or your other USB devices) powered at all times. Head on past the break for the complete press release, and look for this one to set you back $45. iKit® Debuts a Sleek FM Transmitter With an Innovative Fully Functional Touch Screen Display The AutoCon™ is a handsfree FM transmitter that delivers maximum control of your MP3 player in your car Santa Monica, Calif. (December 9, 2010) – iKit, a licensed Apple accessory brand and manufacturer of a wide range of innovative accessories, unleashes the AutoCon. The AutoCon features a 3.5mm Aux Cable and rapid auto scan technology to play music from your MP3 player through your car radio with crisp sound and no interference. The AutoCon allows you to have full control of the play/pause, volume, track, and skip features of your MP3 player. This unique control also displays the current song and library selection, guaranteeing clear and simple use. The AutoCon also integrates a handsfree wireless option to answer incoming calls on your iPhone while driving. iKit's AutoCharge USB car charger is also bundled with the AutoCon to provide a powerful and rapid charge so your FM transmitter will never run out of juice. The AutoCon FM Transmitter is now available at www.iKit.com in a bold black finish for $44.95. About iKit iKit.com Ltd. is a privately owned company with offices in Hong Kong, United States and United Kingdom. In a short period of time they have become a licensed Apple accessory brand, with a wide range of products such as iPad, iPhone & iPod cases, chargers, earphones, speakers, docks and more. iKit design and manufactures innovative accessories with a unique flair for apple products and digital media devices. Our aim is to produce products at affordable prices without compromising our goal, which is bringing to the market products of practical use and unique style. www.iKit.com |
| HTC Legend finally updates to Android 2.2 in Europe Posted: 11 Dec 2010 02:25 AM PST  |
| Patriot intros Supersonic USB 3.0 flash drive, milks 100MB / sec from a single chip Posted: 10 Dec 2010 11:31 PM PST  |
| TimeCommand dock turns your iPad into a very pricey dimmer switch Posted: 10 Dec 2010 09:02 PM PST  XtremeMac has been crankin' out iPod docks for years, and now former CEO Gary Bart has launched Stem Innovation, a company dedicated exclusively to iOS accessories. For its first trick, Bart and company have introduced TimeCommand which (as its name implies) goes beyond the whole dock thing and comes across as a control station for the bedroom. Among its many charms are iPhone / iPod / iPad compatibility, the ability to control your mood lighting (including a dimmer and a "wake by light" feature), battery backup (don't miss work, even if the power goes out), an app with Internet Radio playback, and something called Stem:Sonic iQ digital signal processing. Available now at the Apple store for $100. |
| How would you change the second-generation Apple TV? Posted: 10 Dec 2010 06:36 PM PST  |
| Shogun Bros. Chameleon X-1 mouse flaunts its hidden gamepad Posted: 10 Dec 2010 05:35 PM PST  |
| Posted: 10 Dec 2010 03:58 PM PST  And what a device it is -- the Nexus S boasts a 1GHz Hummingbird CPU, 512MB of RAM, a 4-inch, 800 x 480 curved Super AMOLED display (dubbed the Contour Display), 16GB of storage, a 5 megapixel rear and VGA front-facing camera, and near field communication capabilities. But hardware is only half the story here -- the big news is that the Nexus S showcases the next major evolution of the Android OS, namely, Gingerbread (or version 2.3). The update comes with a slew of new features alongside some UI improvements that show Google isn't slowing down when it comes to pushing its mobile operating system forward. So is the Nexus S a real standout in the Android world, or is it more of the "me too" tech we've seen lately? Read on after the break for the full Engadget review to find out! Hardware The front of the device is obviously all screen, save for the earpiece. You can see the proximity and light sensors peeking out from behind the glass, as well as that VGA camera. On the left side of the phone you've got a volume rocker, on the right is the power / sleep button, and along the the bottom is the Micro USB and headphone jack. The latter has been the cause of some concern amongst potential buyers, but we actually like having the headphone jack access down below. Overall, the design of the phone is sleek and frankly odd enough to make it stand out amongst contemporaries, but we wish that Samsung had utilized more inspiring materials on this model. Internals Besides the storage and CPU, the device sports a Super AMOLED display at 800 x 480 (235 ppi) which looks gorgeous (if slightly yellowish) to our eyes. The device also has it's fair share of wireless radios, including tri-band HSPA (900, 2100, and 1700MHz), and quad-band GSM / EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz), WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, A-GPS, and that NFC chip you've been hearing all about. There's also a gyroscope, accelerometer, and digital compass inside. We were a little disappointed to discover that Samsung didn't include a notification light on the device -- we like the reassuring blip telling us we've got an email waiting. As far as that NFC chip is concerned (pictured above), right now there's not a lot to test it with, though Google is hoping that devs will find all kinds of uses for it. Right now it's read only, so you can't write to the device from a target -- that's a security measure right now. When we spoke to reps, they told us that there were three methods of using NFC: read, write, and exchange. Exchange sounds interesting, because it would (in theory) allow you to simply swipe your phone against or near another NFC device and swap contacts (or other info).  Speakerphone / earpiece / call quality / networkThe sound quality on the Nexus S is right up there with some of the best phones we've tested. Speakerphone calls and music came through loud and clear over the external speaker, and we were downright wowed with how loud and clear the earpiece sounded. Even when we were having a conversation in a crowded room, the Nexus S pumped out audio that was crystalline to our ears. Coupled with excellent service on T-Mobile's network, we were not only able to make calls where our iPhone failed, but the clarity and volume of those calls were superb. Connections on T-Mobile's network were excellent in most places, allowing us to make calls where AT&T's network couldn't, though we did see EDGE data crop up on the Nexus S more than our AT&T devices -- and there's no HSPA+ to be found here (unlike T-Mobile's other flagship Android phones), just in case you were wondering. Still, speed certainly wasn't a major issue, and network throughput was decently strong (though not mind-blowing) when we were on T-Mobile's 3G. We averaged about 1.5 Mbps down and up on T-Mobile with the Nexus S, and a slightly higher 2 Mbps down and 1.5 up on AT&T devices in the wilds of Brooklyn. Camera On the bright side, the Nexus S camera seems to excel at low-light images, pulling impressive detail in situations where we expected much less. In fact, we can't say that we've seen a smartphone recently with better low light performance. We're not sure what this is attributable to, but we're certainly happy about it. Unfortunately for video, the Nexus S is still a slouch -- we're guessing this doesn't have to be the case, but there's no true HD option here. The highest quality video you can shoot is 720 x 480. Kind of a bummer. As far as the front-facing camera goes, it's pretty standard VGA fare, which mean low-res, grainy, and artifacted. Maybe we're spoiled by all these high resolution shooters, but no matter how you slice it, 640 x 480 is tough to take. We really wish Google would include a native video chat feature with its phones -- we're all for third-party apps, but a dedicated, codified piece of software from the mothership would go a long way to making the presence of this camera more useful. Also, remember how you guys make Google Talk with video chat? It's pretty cool. Obviously this is coming in Honeycomb (Andy Rubin kind of let it slip during his Dive Into Mobile chat), but it would be great to have right now. Battery life You'll certainly be able to make it through a day with the Nexus S, but if you're a heavy talker or plan on doing a lot of gaming, you may want to consider a second battery. Software User interfaceComing from Froyo, you won't see massive changes to the look and feel of Gingerbread, but there are nice tweaks and some cleanup that shows Google is moving in the right direction. For starters, the status bar icons, window shade, dialer, and some applications (and their icons) have gotten a fresh coat of paint. By the looks of things, Google is moving away from the colorful, almost cartoonish look of previous OSs, and dipping into a more somber a sophisticated palette, mostly featuring shaded grays and blacks with green highlights. The company has made some thoughtful choices in terms of user experience as well -- if you're synced with a Google account, your status bar icons go from white to green, and instead of obscuring menus on the camera app, there's now a row of contextual items at your disposal while shooting. Other little updates include a new orange burst of color which happens when you reach the end of a long list, and added transparency in menus, giving the OS a glassy feel. Additionally, the battery use and task manager have new views to graphically depict usage on the phone. Speaking of task managers, Google has now seen fit to add a proper menu option to the task manager right from the home screen menu. We're guessing the popularity of third-party killers was enough to convince the company that confronting the issue head on wasn't such a bad thing after all. It's a welcome addition here, and we found ourselves reaching for it fairly often (not due to performance issues... just because we're fastidious when it comes to application management).  The biggest change you'll notice, however, comes in the form of the new keyboard. Not only has the company cleaned up and refined the look of the onscreen QWERTY, but it's added new functionality for word suggestions, copy, paste, and selection. Additionally, the keyboard finally exhibits more expected multitouch behavior, thanks in part to new threading that the company has added. Those changes allow you to do things like tap the punctuation key and then slide your finger to the character you want. We'd be gushing about what a great addition that is, except Google forgot one important thing -- when you lift your finger off of your selected character, the keyboard should then flip back to the ABCs. It does not. Instead, you're left stranded in the punctuation menu, meaning you've got to tap the toggle again to get back to your QWERTY. What kind of sense does that make? The whole point of being able to slide your finger to another character is to save clicks and time -- but having to click back out defeats the purpose. The intention is good, but the way Apple has it working on the iPhone is a much better, smoother method. Another gripe we have about the keyboard is that Google seems to have shrunk the height of the keys, making the keyboard on the Nexus S's 4-inch display feel cramped. We're not sure of this, but it definitely seems like the company has reduced the keys in size. On a slightly brighter note, there are big improvements in word suggestion and selection, including new markers which you can use to grab selections of text. Well, let's be clear -- Google still has major issues with text selection and editing on Android devices. The first striking problem is that there is not a consistent method of selecting text on the device. None. At all. In the browser, you long press on text to bring up your anchors, then drag and tap the center of your selection -- boom, copied text. In text editing fields, however, in order to select a word you must long press on the word, wait for a contextual menu to pop up, and then select "select word" -- a completely counterintuitive process. In the message app you can long press to select only the entire message, and in Google Reader? You can't select any text at all. Even worse, Gmail has a different method for selecting text from an email you're reading, and it's far more obnoxious than any of the others. There, selecting text goes from being mildly annoying to downright silly. Want to grab some text out of an email? Here's your process: hit the menu key, hit "more," hit "select text," and then finally drag your anchors out. Funnily enough, a little cursor appears when you start selecting -- a holdover from Linux? To have this many options and discrepancies over something as simple as copy and paste should be embarrassing to Google. What it mostly is, however, is a pain to the end user. And that's kind of the crux of our problem with Android in its current state. We don't question the power of the OS, but the fit, finish, and ease of use simply is still not there. There is something disconcerting about an operating system that changes its rules from app to app -- for a mobile interface to work well, it has to be approached holistically and organically. There is something cohesive in OSs like webOS and iOS -- a language that you can easily learn to speak and feel confident about using to get what you want -- that just seems to be missing here. New appsThere aren't a ton of new pieces inside 2.3, but there are a few notable new additions to the app lineup. The first one is Tags, which is an NFC app which records all of the links you've gathered using the new tech in one easy to locate bag. You can star and delete these links much like Google Reader or Gmail. The second app which is notable is Downloads. This collects anything you've pulled down from the browser in one easy to reach spot. It certainly makes identifying where specific apps or files came from much easier, though it doesn't offer a ton of day-to-day utility. Under the hoodBesides all the front-end stuff you can see, there's a lot that's less obvious happening in Gingerbread. Firstly, Google has added integrated support for VoIP / SIP calling, which means you can plug in your favorite service and access it through the native menus in the OS. This won't appeal to everyone, but there's definitely a certain segment of users that will be stoked to see this feature. What really gets our juices flowing, however, is the fact that Google seems to be going full tilt on making Android a gaming platform. The company has enriched the OS with a handful of new APIs and dev tools which improve native code support and set the stage for faster, better looking games (and other graphics-heavy applications as well). It will be exciting to finally see developers taking advantage of the formidable hardware inside a lot of these devices. We don't know if the Nexus S is already utilizing some of these new tools, but as we said before, the OS seems blazingly fast and silky smooth when it comes to animations and transitions. Wrap-up There's no shortage of great phones available right now, and there's no question that 2011 will usher in a flood of devices that make 2010's offerings seem forgettable. Like we said earlier, this isn't a perfect device -- and in fact a lot of what's exciting about this phone is what's happening behind the scenes. It's as if the stage is set for the arrival of Honeycomb along with a slew of features. Still, when it comes to state of the art for Android right now, the buck stops here. |
| The Engadget Podcast, live at 7:30PM EST! Posted: 10 Dec 2010 02:53 PM PST  P.S. And don't forget that Ustream has Android and iPhone clients as well, if you're out and about and you can't join in on the Flash-based fun below. Update: It's over, but if you missed it, the regular post will be up tomorrow! |
| Chrome Web Store, HTML5 and the iPad: symbiosis at its best Posted: 10 Dec 2010 02:29 PM PST  Interestingly, Google's move actually gives some teeth to statements from Apple about HTML5 being a fully supported "completely open, uncontrolled platform," a response to criticisms about the locked-down nature of the App Store. It also could end up vindicating RIM's "you don't need an app for the web" stance as well, although that theory leans on Flash a bit more heavily. Indeed, the fault line comes down to Flash once again: the main Chrome apps that don't work on the iPad are ones that use Flash or rely on a keyboard. This won't be a hurdle for the PlayBook, or a theoretical Chrome OS tablet or Android tablet, Oh, and speaking of Android tablets: we tested out some of these more HTML5-intense Chrome web apps (like the finger-friendly New York Times viewer) on the Galaxy Tab and didn't have much luck. Google itself said it wasn't fully supporting all of this functionality in Android yet, or even on the Google TV's Chrome-lite browser, but hopefully that's only a temporary problem. Here are a few examples of standout Chrome Web Apps and their stats: Utilities Underlying tech: Flash Compatibility: Chrome, iPad (app), Galaxy Tab (web) Offline: No  Underlying tech: HTML5 Compatibility: Chrome, iPad (app, almost web), Galaxy Tab (phone app, almost web) Offline: No Notes: The iPad and Galaxy tab seemed to load Flixster's UI just fine, but none of the movies in the main content pane would show up when we selected them.  Underlying tech: HTML5 Compatibility: Chrome, iPad (app), Galaxy Tab (phone app) Offline: No Music Underlying tech: HTML5, Flash Compatibility: Chrome, iPad (phone app), Galaxy Tab (phone app) Offline: No  Underlying tech: HTML5, Flash Compatibility: Chrome, Galaxy Tab (web) Offline: No Notes: It's super slow on the Tab, but it works. News Underlying tech: HTML5 Compatibility: Chrome, iPad (different app, almost web), Galaxy Tab (phone app, almost web) Offline: No Notes: Similar to the Flixster problem, the page loads on the iPad and Galaxy Tab, but none of the content shows up.  Underlying tech: HTML5 Compatibility: Chrome, iPad (almost web) Offline: Yes Notes: Everything looks great on the iPad, but you can't scroll the articles, so it's essentially useless.  Underlying tech: HTML5 Compatibility: Chrome, iPad (app, web), Galaxy Tab (phone app) Offline: Yes  Underlying tech: HTML5 Compatibility: Chrome, iPad (app, web), Galaxy Tab (phone app) Offline: Yes  Underlying tech: HTML5, Flash Compatibility: Chrome, iPad (app, almost web), Galaxy Tab (phone app, full web) Offline: No Notes: The site loads perfectly on the iPad, but the audio doesn't work because it's Flash-based. Right now one of the biggest problems we see with these apps, as opposed to their boring non-HTML5 website counterparts and native application competition, is the somewhat sluggish performance we've witnessed on the iPad, including in their actual App Store "native" app incarnations, and on the underpowered Cr-48 hardware. Hopefully this is something that WebKit engineers are hard at work at improving, and we have to say that a touch of hardware acceleration wouldn't hurt. And, of course, this doesn't even touch on the fact that the functionality on display so far doesn't quite match the power of many native iOS and Android applications. It's also worth remembering that Apple actually tried and failed miserably to rely on web apps when it launched the iPhone initially, and while we've come a long way in browser power, UI innovation, and mobile chipsets, it's possible that tech still isn't mature to make web apps a compelling alternative to native apps -- or at least not mature enough to be an OS's primary crutch. Over time we'll be curious to see how closely applications adhere to strict HTML5 and iPad-compatible, touch-capable UIs, or if the freedom of Flash and power of the keyboard / mouse tag team will make this rash of early synergy merely a beautiful anomaly. Is HTML5 the undisputed "future of the web"? Can it be the future of apps as well? |
| Modder creates robotic Level 10 case, intimidates fellow gamers in the process Posted: 10 Dec 2010 01:56 PM PST  Thermaltake's Level 10 chassis is not only pretty bad-ass in its own right, it's also inspired Stephen "LeatherFace" Popa to do a little case moddin'. The outcome of all this, Rog-R, is described as a "remote operating gaming rig," and it features a remote control, motorized base, and robotic arm: just the thing for playing really, really dirty at your next LAN party. Hit up the source link to get a closer look. |
| FCC report finds 68 percent of US broadband connections aren't really broadband Posted: 10 Dec 2010 01:15 PM PST  As the FCC itself has made abundantly clear, the definition of "broadband" is an ever-changing one, and its latest report has now revealed just how hard it is for the US to keep up with those changes. According to the report, a full 68 percent of "broadband" connections in the US can't really be considered broadband, as they fall below the agency's most recent minimum requirement of 4 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream. Also notable, but somewhat buried in the report, are the FCC's findings on mobile broadband use. The agency found that mobile wireless service subscribers with mobile devices and "data plans for full internet access" grew a hefty 48% to 52 million in the second half of 2009, and that when you consider all connections over 200 kbps, mobile wireless is actually the leading technology at 39.4 percent, ahead of cable modems and ADSL at 32.4 and 23.3 percent, respectively. When it comes to connections over 3 Mbps, however, cable modems account for a huge 70 percent share. Looking for even more numbers? Hit up the link below for the complete report. |
| Razer Orochi crafted from oil and glycerin, scrubs your bod between frag sessions Posted: 10 Dec 2010 12:32 PM PST  |
| T-Mobile says it'll launch '4G' tablets in 2011 Posted: 10 Dec 2010 12:01 PM PST  Oh, you too, T-Mobile? Without delving into details, T-Mobile USA has gone tit-for-tat with Sprint by dropping the knowledge that it'll be adding tablets (other than the Tab, of course) to its product portfolio in 2011 -- and as you might expect, they'll be using the network T-Mobile has taken to calling "4G." Though it doesn't meet any technical definition of 4G, the company's ever-expanding HSPA+ network is definitely hanging with the big boys running WiMAX and LTE right now, delivering downlink speeds of 10Mbps or more in some areas if you're lucky -- and that's just the kind of special sauce you're going to want when you've got a big touchscreen to consume content. No word on brand or platform, but we've no doubt some of that Honeycomb noise will be in the mix. Here's the full statement:
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| Novatel sues ZTE and Franklin over MiFi-related patents Posted: 10 Dec 2010 11:33 AM PST  Smartphones aren't the only mobile devices caught up in patent warfare, it seems: Novatel's just sued ZTE and Franklin over five patents related to the "key architecture and functionality" of its MiFi series of mobile hotspots. What's interesting is that Verizon carries the MiFi and ZTE-built Fivespot, while Sprint's MiFi lives alongside the ZTE Peel and carrier-branded Franklin modems, so we're curious to see if any of the carriers step in to mediate the dispute. We also took a quick skim of the complaint, and it looks like the five patents in question are broad enough to cover WiFi tethering from phones, so we've got a feeling this suit could affect more than ZTE and Franklin -- we'll see what happens. |
| Posted: 10 Dec 2010 11:04 AM PST  |
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