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Monday, April 18, 2011

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Analogue Interactive crafts a Neo Geo MVS from walnut, yours for $649

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 11:04 AM PDT

There's plenty of folks that will sell you a so-called "consolized" Neo Geo MVS arcade system, but you won't find many quite as impressive as this bit of kit from Analogue Interactive. Crafted from 100 percent real walnut, the console boasts a seamless design without any visible screws or nails, all the audio / video outputs you could want (for a Neo Geo, that is), and even some working dust flaps. Of course, it does come at a bit of a premium price -- but $649 is actually the exact same price that SNK's original Neo Geo AES home console sold for back in the day, and it was only made out of plastic. Check out the gallery below for a closer look, and hit up the source link below to get your order in if you like what you see -- the first units are expected to ship early next month.
Analogue Interactive Neo Geo Consolized MVS

Best Buy slaps Blue Label on Sony and Toshiba laptops, packed to the exhaust vents with extras

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 10:39 AM PDT

Best Buy's new Blue Label laptops
That fancy new Toshiba E305 we checked out back in January is up for pre-order now, and it's brought along a friend from Sony (the VPCSC1AFM/S) to join the Best Buy-exclusive Blue Label party. In terms of specs the two machines are practically identical -- both boast a 2.3GHz Core i5-2410M, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hybrid hard disk, a Blu-ray drive, WiDi (and an adapter for your TV from Netgear), and a WiMAX radio. The big differences between the two PCs are price and size, with the 14-inch Toshiba weighing in just under 5 pounds and costing $900, while the Sony squeezes in under the 4-pound mark for $950. Considering the wealth of extras, including a year of Kaspersky anti-virus, 90 days of Geek Squad support, and an extended two-year warranty, the Blue Label machines are actually a pretty good bang for your buck and cost about $100 less than comparably equipped systems from their respective makers. If you don't care about things like Blu-ray or WiMAX, and distrust the Geek Squad though, you could save yourself some cash by skipping on these pre-configured models and going with a customized rig from Sony or Toshiba directly. PR after the break.
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Best Buy® Launches Pre-Sale of Exclusive Blue Label™ 3.0 Laptop Line
Collaboration with Intel, Sony and Toshiba yields two new notebooks that meet consumer expectations for performance and protection

MINNEAPOLIS – April 14, 2011 – Today Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) launches the online pre-sale of Blue Label 3.0 laptops, the latest computing solutions in an exclusive line created by and for consumers. Developed and manufactured in partnership with Intel®, Sony and Toshiba, the two new Blue Label notebooks deliver a combination of features such as pre-loaded anti-theft technology, streaming wirelessly to your TV in 1080p and solid state hybrid technology.

Blue Label 3.0 laptops are the latest arrivals in the customer-inspired You Spoke, We Listened program at Best Buy. The new Toshiba Satellite® E305 (priced at $899.99) and Sony VAIO® VPCSC1AFM/S (priced at $949.99) are available for online pre-order beginning today, and for sale in-store and on-line starting May 1.

"Three years ago, when we first launched Blue Label, we created thin, lightweight laptops with backlit keyboards and prolonged battery life because those were the features people said were really important to them," said Jason Bonfig, vice president of Computing at Best Buy. "Today, those form factors are really the new basics, and what we're creating now are notebooks with a whole new set of essentials that improve performance and deliver better data protection."

"Best Buy's Blue Label 3.0 program is bringing great PC innovation like 2nd Generation Intel® Core Processors, Intel® Anti-Theft Technology and Intel Wireless Display 2.0 to the market in attractive form factors. And when great performance and innovative features come together in cool form factors, consumers win," said Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of Intel's PC Client Group.

Blue Label 3.0 laptops offer a broad range of features to address consumer expectations for getting fast, reliable and safe performance from their notebooks. With a backlit keyboard and improved battery life to seven hours, the laptops also feature:

PC Theft Defense (PCTD) service powered by Intel Anti-Theft Technology provides hardware-enabled security for added peace of mind. If the PC is lost or stolen, PCTD service will automatically shut down the PC and lock down the data stored on the PC. Built directly into the hardware, Intel Anti-Theft provides local protection that works even if a thief reinstalls the operating system, uses a new hard-drive or stays off the Internet. These Blue Label 3.0 systems include three years' of PC Theft Defense service.

A built-in Blu-Ray drive and Wireless Display technology with push button streaming to provide easy transfer of content from the laptop to the TV in 1080p without wires. Included in the package is the NETGEAR Push2TV™ adapter that connects to the HDMI port on the television.

A Seagate solid state hybrid drive with up to 50 percent faster boot-up time over 7200 RPM1.

A two-year extended manufacturer's limitedwarranty, 90 days of Geek Squad phone and remote support, and 12 months of Anti-Virus protection.

More information about Blue Label 3.0 laptops is available by visiting www.bestbuy.com/bluelabel. Customers also can conveniently pre-order a new laptop at this site for free in-home delivery beginning May 1.

About You Spoke, We Listened

Since their launch in late 2008, laptops emerging from the You Spoke, We Listened program at Best Buy have changed the dynamics of how computers are designed. Each generation originates with insight into desired features, styling and performance gleaned from Best Buy's own customers and employees. These are translated into product specifications for further development by the retailer's computing partners. The resulting laptops are offered under the brand names Blue Label, Next Class and First Glimpse, and are available exclusively at Best Buy stores and online.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, China and Mexico, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $50 billion in annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy, Audiovisions, Best Buy Mobile, The Carphone Warehouse, Five Star, Future Shop, Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Napster, Pacific Sales, and The Phone House. Approximately 180,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. Community partnership is central to the way Best Buy does business. In fiscal 2011, the company donated approximately $25 million to improve the vitality of the communities where its employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bby.com.

White iPhone 4 appears to be ready to order at Three UK for April 20th delivery

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 10:01 AM PDT

Looks like somebody pulled the trigger on an order page for the mythical white iPhone 4 a little early over at Three UK. The phone that had previously been listed on the carrier's site for a long, long time (sans any ability to actually order it) has now sprouted up a page all its own with the magical option to "buy now." We managed to get all the way through to an order confirmation page, so if it's a mistake it's a very thoroughgoing one. Calling up Three's telephone ordering line and PR personnel brought us no closer to finding out the truth, but this particular order page was discovered via a tweet by a Three affiliate -- whose tweets have since gone private -- suggesting it was dug up from someone in the know. Our suspicion is that Apple's finally about ready to dish this phone up to the people and Three has been caught testing out its order page ahead of the inevitable onslaught of white iPhone orders. Hit the source link to see the premature revelation for yourself.

iPhone 5 to have 8 megapixel camera and improved antenna, same old design?

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 09:23 AM PDT

To date, we've heard scant few details about the next-generation iPhone, except for a rumor that it may or may not have a bigger screen, and that it almost certainly won't pack an NFC chip. Now, one analyst is reporting the design will remain unchanged, though its innards will get a slight boost. Ming-Chi Kuo of Concord Securities (who has been dead-on in the past) talked with sources in Apple's supply chain to learn that the iPhone 5 will boast the same A5 processor as the iPad 2, along with an 8 megapixel rear camera, improved antenna design, and that Qualcomm baseband for both GSM and CDMA models we've seen bandied about (technically, the one in the current Verizon version is already GSM-capable). His sources also claim that Apple will begin mass production of its next-gen phone in September, which aligns with what we already heard about Apple moving to a fall launch -- and because of the ongoing disaster in Japan, the company might not have sufficient supplies to launch a new iPod touch at the same time. Typically we take many Apple rumors with a grain of salt, but these tidbits all sound plausible. And given that Kuo has been right before, we're especially inclined to believe him -- even if the truth is more ho-hum than magical.

Epic 4G user agent string suggests Gingerbread is on the way?

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 08:33 AM PDT

Samsung's Epic 4G just recently got Froyo, but it might not be too long before the handset bites into another toothsome treat -- a user agent profile at Sprint's own website lists a newer software based on Android 2.3. We can't say definitively whether this ED12 build will actually make it to retail phones anytime soon, mind you -- our own Epic 4G is presently on EC05 right now -- but it seems very likely that Europeans won't be the only Galaxy S owners to snarf down gumdrop buttons this year.

iRobot Packbots enter Fukushima nuclear plant to gather data, take photos, save lives (video)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 07:56 AM PDT

iRobot recently deployed a pair of robots to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, where intense levels of radiation have made it increasingly dangerous for human rescue workers to operate. The remote-controlled Packbots entered one of Fukushima's reactor buildings on Sunday morning, in the hopes of providing authorities with a better idea of what's going on inside the plant's nether regions. Each Packbot entered the facility with an attached video camera, allowing Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) to receive live interior images and temperature readings of the troubled reactor building. It would certainly be a daunting task for any human to undertake, but the Packbot is specially designed to cope with hazardous conditions (in the past, it's been used to defuse bombs for the U.S. Army). And the Packbot isn't alone, either. Authorities are also using a mechanical excavator and transporter to wipe away some of the debris outside the plant, while an unmanned helicopter has been hoisted skyward, to take aerial photos of the area. TEPCO has yet to release information on the Packbots' findings, but if Sunday's mission proves to be a success, they'll be sent in to two other reactor buildings, to do it all over again. Check out a video and an extra image of the Packbot, after the break.


Wacom announces capacitive stylus to replace puny human fingers

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 07:26 AM PDT

Eager to unleash some serious creativity on your tablet computer, but stymied by the meaty nubbins you call fingers? There, there. We know your shame. You need grace and precision: you need a stylus. Yes, the stylus, that newly resurgent tech soon to ship with the HTC Flyer and a horde of other Android devices. But if you're unwilling to buy a new tablet, you might feel left out. So for you Wacom -- the company that built its fortune on pressure-sensitive tablets -- has unveiled its first capacitive pen, the Bamboo Stylus. Sporting a 6mm tip, it'll work with all capacitive screens, iPad, Android, or otherwise. The company plans to ship it in May (in the UK at least), along with several pen-based apps; retail price should be £25 (about $41). In the meantime, budding artists should consider crayons -- now shipping in over 150 colors.

[Thanks, Donna.]

Paul Allen compares working with Bill Gates to 'being in hell' (video)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 06:38 AM PDT


Paul Allen doesn't give many interviews, but Microsoft's famously eclectic co-founder recently decided to sit down with 60 Minutes' Lesley Stahl, to discuss his juicy new memoir, The Idea Man. It's a book peppered with old stories of Allen's early days as a programmer, when he and Bill Gates would spend their days searching for discarded code in dumpsters and building software for the original Altair computer. But the memoir's most intriguing (and controversial) revelations revolve around Allen's personal and professional relationship with Gates, whom he described to Stahl as a gifted businessman with a penchant for being a total jerk. According to Allen, Gates would regularly engage in testy shouting matches with his Microsoft brethren, and wouldn't hesitate to sling "personal verbal attacks" against anyone who dared to disagree with him. Allen says he tolerated Gates' explosions, for the most part, even though he desperately wanted to tell him that "working with you is like being in hell." The two hit a particularly rough patch after Gates allegedly plotted to squeeze Allen out of the company, not long after he was diagnosed with Stage 4 lymphoma -- an incident that spurred Allen to leave Microsoft, shortly thereafter. Gates, for his part, hasn't commented on Allen's tell-all, nor, apparently, has he even discussed it with his former partner. The next time the two men sit down for a chat, however, Allen says he expects a "heated discussion." Naturally. You can watch the interview after the break, along with a glimpse at some of Allen's most jaw-dropping toys.

Verizon brings out LTE-riding MiFi 4510L, asks for $100 on a two-year contract or $270 without

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 06:12 AM PDT

We saw this little guy back at CES in January and then last month heard it wouldn't be long before it started retailing around the good old US of A. That day has now come, with Verizon officially kicking off sales of its first LTE MiFi device, the 4510L. It's not cheap, at $100 on contract (with a $175 ETF, to boot) or $270 when bought by its lonesome. Still, if you can afford it, this Novatel-produced gadget will turn the nearest Verizon airwaves (4G or 3G, it can handle both) into familiar 802.11b, g or n WiFi signals, which your laptop, smartphone, tablet, or LAN rig can then gobble up with gay abandon. It's capable of serving as a mobile hotspot for up to five devices at a time, and promised LTE speeds range between 5Mbps and 12Mbps on the downlink and 2Mbps to 5Mbps when uploading. Check out the press release after the break or the source link to get your own.

P.S. -- Verizon has also tweeted a promise that it'll be launching LTE service in "a mess of new cities and towns" on Thursday.
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The MiFi® 4510L 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot Available on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Network Beginning April 18

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., April 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless and Novatel Wireless (NASDAQ: NVTL) today announced that the award winning MiFi® 4510L 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot that runs on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network is available online today at www.verizonwireless.com. The MiFi 4510L 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot is the next-generation of the Novatel Wireless MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, building on innovation and design, proven performance and industry-leading user experience.

The MiFi 4510L allows businesses and consumers to create a personal Wi-Fi cloud capable of sharing the high-speed Internet connectivity of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE and 3G Mobile Broadband with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices simultaneously. The 4G LTE MiFi 4510L includes new features, such as an intuitive status display on the device showing signal strength, battery level, roaming and number of connected devices.

Key features:

4G LTE – customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G Mobile Broadband coverage areas
Backward compatible with the Verizon Wireless 3G network
Simple one-touch connectivity
Intuitive eInk® display with status indicators
Security: WEP/WPA/WPA2 and VPN pass-through support
Supports Windows, Macintosh and Linux operating systems
Advanced integrated antenna technology
Battery: up to 5 hours usage
Wi Fi connectivity: 802.11b/g/n
Dimensions: 3.74"(H) x 2.36"(W) x 0.53"(D)

Pricing and availability:

The 4G LTE MiFi 4510L is available today online at www.verizonwireless.com and will be in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on April 21 for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a 4G Mobile Broadband plan.
4G LTE Mobile Broadband plans begin at $50 monthly access for 5GB. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Data usage can be tracked by logging on to My Verizon online at www.verizonwireless.com/myverizon.

The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, launched in December 2010, is the fastest, most advanced 4G network in the United States, providing speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless' 3G network. Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company's entire 3G coverage area over the next three years.

For more information on the MiFi 4510L 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot or other Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

First light wave quantum teleportation achieved, opens door to ultra fast data transmission

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 05:33 AM PDT

Mark this day, folks, because the brainiacs have finally made a breakthrough in quantum teleportation: a team of scientists from Australia and Japan have successfully transferred a complex set of quantum data in light form. You see, previously researchers had struggled with slow performance or loss of information, but with full transmission integrity achieved -- as in blocks of qubits being destroyed in one place but instantaneously resurrected in another, without affecting their superpositions -- we're now one huge step closer to secure, high-speed quantum communication. Needless to say, this will also be a big boost for the development of powerful quantum computing, and combine that with a more bedroom friendly version of the above teleporter, we'll eventually have ourselves the best LAN party ever.

Nissan Leaf Nismo RC swaps basic comforts for a carbon fiber body and some racing good looks

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 04:55 AM PDT

Electric vehicles may have that instant torque thing going for them, but they're still a bit behind when it comes to giving heart palpitations to those diehard petrolheads. Hoping to change that perception, Nissan is setting up to unveil a brand new concept vehicle, dubbed the Leaf Nismo RC (that stands for Racing Competition, not "radio-controlled"), which strips the one-size-fits-all Leaf down to its constituent elements. The drivetrain is still 100 percent electric, however it's now powering the rear wheels instead of the front, while things like the rear seats, trunk, audio system, carpeting, and navigation have been completely removed. A carbon fiber chassis helps the Nismo RC keep weight down to 2,068 pounds (938kg), equivalent to just 60 percent of the original Leaf's heft. Yes, the Leaf is now lighter! In performance terms, you're looking at a car that can hit 62mph within 6.85 seconds, max out the speedometer at 93mph, and last a terrifying 20 minutes under racing conditions. This prototype vehicle will debut at the upcoming New York Auto Show and will thereafter help Nissan research better aerodynamics and, presumably, slightly better energy efficiency.
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Nissan LEAF™ NISMO RC (Racing Competition) Takes Zero Emission Strategy to a New Dimension – the Race Track

– Purpose-Built Prototype Wraps Production Nissan LEAF Components and Technology
in a Dramatic Ready-To-Go-Racing Carbon Fiber Body –

The name on the back panel, just under the massive adjustable rear wing, says Nissan LEAF™. The powertrain is an 100% zero emission advanced Lithium-ion battery design, just like that found on the world's first affordable mass market electric vehicle. And despite its lack of rear doors, rear seat, trunk, audio system, navigation, carpeting and other amenities, there is a discernable family resemblance. But that is where the similarities between the production Nissan LEAF and the Nissan LEAF NISMO RC end. As indicted by the "RC" – for Racing Competition – this new electric vehicle, which makes its world debut at the 2011 New York International Auto Show, is purpose-built to bring new meaning to the term "Racing Green."

Already a world leader in zero emission production vehicles with the late 2010 launch of the Nissan LEAF passenger vehicle in the United States, Europe and Japan, Nissan is now looking to the racing world as a way to draw attention to the seemingly untapped potential of electric vehicles.

"Combining the talents of NISMO, Nissan's world renowned motorsports group, and engineers behind some of the company's Super GT and FIA GT1 race teams, the Nissan LEAF NISMO RC will serve as a rolling laboratory for the accelerated development of EV and aerodynamic systems, as well as a platform for the development of new green motorsports series," said Carlos Tavares, chairman, Nissan Americas, speaking at the New York International Auto Show.

The new electric race vehicle will likely make a series of special demonstration appearances at various motorsports venues in 2011, with the company exploring pioneer zero emission competition spec series in future years.

A Serious Racing Machine

The Nissan LEAF NISMO RC is designed and constructed as a real racing machine, starting with its full carbon fiber monocoque bodywork. The three-piece bodywork includes removable front and rear sections, fixed windows, LED headlights and taillights and driver-adjustable rear wing. Building on the unique exterior styling of the production Nissan LEAF, the 2-door race version was created by Nissan Global Design Center in Japan. Special 4-coat Pearl White paint with blue NISMO/Zero Emission graphics completes the exterior.

Dimensionally, the race car features a 3.9-inch shorter wheelbase, is 0.8 inches longer and 6.7 inches wider. The most dramatic difference is height, with the NISMO RC sitting more than a foot (13.8 inches) lower than the production Nissan LEAF. Ground clearance is limited to 2.4 inches, compared to 6.3 inches for the road going car. And, at 2,068 pounds, the race car weighs in at about 40 percent less than the production vehicle.

The layout of the NISMO RC is also markedly different from the production sedan, offering a mid-ship location for the battery pack, electric motor and inverter – with drive to the rear wheels versus the production Nissan LEAF's front-wheel drive. The NISMO RC also utilizes a double-wishbone suspension design front and rear and driver-adjustable brake balance. It rides on 18-inch 6-spoke wheels and P225/40R18 Bridgestone racing tires.

Like the production Nissan LEAF, the NISMO RC is powered by a lithium-ion battery composed of 48 compact modules and a high-response 80kW AC synchronous motor that generates 107 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque. It can be charged up to 80 percent of its full capacity in 30 minutes using the quick charging port located inside the rear cowl. And unlike other competition vehicles, the NISMO RC has no tailpipe, no emission of CO2 or other greenhouse gases while being driven, and no exhaust sound.

In preliminary testing the NISMO RC produces 0 to 62 mph acceleration in 6.85 seconds and a top speed of 93 miles per hour. It is projected to have a running time of around 20 minutes under racing conditions.

"There's a perception among some people that electric vehicles fall on the dull side of the automotive enthusiasm scale – which is certainly not the case with either the production Nissan LEAF or this electrifying Nissan LEAF NISMO RC," added Tavares. "Nissan LEAF owners are fully embracing this new world of zero emission technology. We believe the same potential exists in the motorsports world as well, with Nissan proud to be first on the starting grid."

Samsung's RF4289 WiFi 'smart fridge' gets a dumb $3,499 price

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 04:19 AM PDT

Samsung's RF4289 "smart fridge" has just been dated and priced. Remember, this is the WiFi connected refrigerator with LED lighting and 28 cubic feet of storage that we first peeped back at CES in January. And with an 8-inch LCD touchscreen, Samsung provides quick access to "kitchen relevant applications" like Google calendar, Weatherbug forecasts, Epicurious recipes, AP news, Pandora music, and Picasa photos. You can also leave notes for the family or tap out a quick tweet should the compulsion arise. The wireless touchscreen is available on both the RSG309 side-by-side and RF4289 four-door french door models, but only the latter has received an end of May US launch date. Just keep in mind that the suggested $3,499 retail price is exactly $500 more expensive than Samsung's existing 28 cubic foot french door model, the touchscreen-less RF4287. Instead of shelling out a premium for what amounts to a novelty, maybe you should consider dedicating an entry-level BlackBerry PlayBook to the kitchen or pick up a fridge-friendly iPad 2 instead.

Motorola Atrix to launch exclusively with Orange UK in early May

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 03:15 AM PDT

Just in time to duel with the Samsung Galaxy S II, Motorola's Atrix is crossing the Atlantic for an early May release in Orange livery. UK carrier Orange has proudly announced it'll be the "exclusive launch partner" for the Atrix in the UK, offering the dual-core handset for free on two-year contracts costing £35 per month or more. A Work and Play Kit that includes the phone's Multimedia Dock will be made available at a reduced £50 price to new customers buying the phone, or for free to existing Orange subscribers upgrading to the Atrix during May. Business customers on some of the more overpriced fully featured tariffs will also get the chance to snap up the Lapdock for free. Jump past the break for Orange's fulll press release or hit the source link to register your interest now.

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Orange Unveils Pricing And Availability For Motorola ATRIX™

The World's Most Powerful Smartphone

§ Motorola ATRIX™ will be available to purchase exclusively from Orange in early May

§ Customers can reserve their handset now through Orange retail shops and Orange telesales

London, UK – 18th April, 2011 – As Motorola's exclusive UK launch partner, Orange today announced pricing and availability for Motorola ATRIX™ – the world's most powerful smartphone. From today, consumers will be able to register their interest online or reserve their device from Orange retail shops and Orange telesales ahead of launch in early May.

Tipped to be one of the biggest device releases in 2011, Motorola ATRIX is the true epitome of mobile computing. The handset features a dual core processor which delivers up to two GHz of processing power. As a result, Motorola ATRIX is capable of opening web pages twice as fast as most other smartphones, and it has been designed to become a user's primary digital hub to create and edit media content on the go. It also features a biometric fingerprint reader for easily unlocking the phone.

Running the Android operating system, Motorola ATRIX also offers Motorola's revolutionary webtop application which runs a full Mozilla Firefox 3.6 browser and supports Adobe® Flash® Player for rich graphics, animation and video.

To support the device, Motorola has developed two companion accessory docks for purchase separately:

The Motorola HD Multimedia Dock, which has three USB ports and an HDMI port enabling connections to a keyboard, mouse, speakers and HDMI-compatible monitor for working at your desk, or connecting to an HDMI-compatible television and home theatre audio system for enjoying video, music, games and more

The Motorola Lapdock™, which has an incredibly thin design with an 11.6-inch screen, 36Wh three-cell battery that delivers up to eight hours of battery life, full keyboard, stereo speakers, and weighs just 1.1 kilograms. Users simply dock their Motorola ATRIX into the back for true mobility at work, at home and playing on the go in a form factor that's lighter and smaller than most laptops on the market

Motorola ATRIX will launch exclusively on Orange and will be free on a £35 per month, 24 month contract, which includes 600 minutes, 750 MB data allowance, unlimited texts, 50 MMS and unlimited wi-fi (subject to fair usage) per month.

Those who purchase Motorola ATRIX from Orange will also be able to take the Work and Play Kit which includes a remote control, mouse, HD multimedia dock and keyboard for only £49.99 (standard retail price £129.99), and to celebrate the launch, existing Orange pay monthly customers who upgrade to Motorola ATRIX during the month of May this year will receive the Work and Play Kit for free.

Customers will also be able to purchase the Motorola Lapdock from Orange, normally priced at £299.99, at reduced price points on select tariffs. A unique price plan is also being introduced which includes free tethering* allowing customers to connect to the internet on the move using the Motorola Lapdock – the new Panther Extra 60 plan** also includes 3,000 minutes, 1GB data allowance, unlimited texts and unlimited wi-fi (subject to fair usage) per month.

Business customers can also get Motorola ATRIX and the Motorola Lapdock bundle free of charge on Solo 55 and existing customers will get a great deal when re-signing with Motorola ATRIX.

Simeon Bird, Director of Propositions, Orange UK said: "We're pleased to be bringing Motorola ATRIX to our customers as it's one of the most innovative handsets we've seen this year and it supports our passion for innovation. With its intelligent support accessories, the handset not only stands out from the rest of the pack, but the overall experience takes mobile computing to the next level."

Andrew Morley, vice president marketing, international markets, Motorola Mobility said: "The award winning Motorola ATRIX ushers in a new era in mobile computing. We are excited to be bringing this highly anticipated smartphone to the UK with Orange."

For more information on Motorola ATRIX, accessories, and to register interest in the device, go to www.orange.co.uk/motorolaatrix or to reserve a handset, please visit Orange retail shops or call Orange telesales.

Samsung promises a dual-core 2GHz smartphone 'by next year'

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 02:59 AM PDT

Are you ready for a scorching-fast future? Samsung sure is, as today the Maeli Business Newspaper reports "a high-ranking" company official has disclosed Samsung's intention to deliver a dual-core smartphone that runs at 2GHz. That's 2GHz for each core, not the specious 1GHz multiplied by two mathematics that Sanjay Jha likes to dabble in. ARM already has a dual-core Cortex-A9 design capable of scaling such speed heights, which is most probably the basis on which Samsung is building its future processor on. The report goes on to state that Samsung will consider selling the chips separately, so you wouldn't necessarily have to buy a Samsung-branded handset in order to have what's being described as desktop-class performance in the palm of your hand. Man, just as we prepared one dual-core comparison chart, here comes the next next big thing.

Philips sells HDTV business to Hong Kong-based TPV Technology, will sate itself with royalty payments

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 02:41 AM PDT

Philips has been making teevees for over 80 years, but today its new CEO has announced that this storied history is coming to an end. Unable to generate a profit from its HDTV division -- it lost the company €87 million in the first quarter -- Philips will soon sell the majority stake in it to Hong Kong manufacturer TPV Technology, while retaining a 30 percent ownership share and agreeing guaranteed royalty payments of €50 million per year from 2013 onwards. It's not a bad deal for the Dutch consumer electronics maker, whose bottom line for the first quarter was €137 million in the black, but would have been double that had the new arrangement been in place. All 4,000 Philips employees working under the HDTV umbrella will be transferred over to TPV, though the company says it doesn't want the "market to misread that [it] intend to lay-off a lot of employees." Which is not to say that it won't. A video interview with Philips' chief Frans van Houten discussing the change of direction can be found after the break.

The iPad is taking away American jobs, Jesse Jackson Junior's sanity (video)

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 02:01 AM PDT

You know how ebooks are gradually taking over paper books as the most popular format for the consumption of the written word? Well, that's bad, mmkay? Publishers, librarians, and booksellers are losing their jobs and It's all entirely the iPad's fault. Forget the Kindle's millions of sales, the iPad did it. In a technophobic rant to rival all technophobic rants that have come before it, Illinois Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. accuses the iPad's popularity for the current level of unemployment in his nation, before proceeding to sculpt a rickety argument about how the First Amendment to the US Constitution is being exploited for the benefit of China. See his tirade on video after the break.

iOS and Android continue chipping away at mobile gaming market, consoles remain strong

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 01:35 AM PDT

Let's face it -- smartphones (namely, iOS and Android devices) are slowly chipping away at the portable gaming market. If you recall, Apple took a nice slice of the market-share pie -- and as you'll notice in the picture above, we're seeing the same trend this time around. According to data from Flurry and NPD Group, iOS and Android are earning a sizable chunk of the revenue in the portable gaming software sphere, with the Nintendo DS's dominant market share dropping from 70 percent in 2009 to just 57 percent in 2010 to accommodate the newcomers. We may be seeing the decrease in relative revenue because the PSP and DS are on the way out to make room for the NGP and 3DS -- however, this chart speaks only of the current-gen portables. But hey, it's easy for almost anyone to spend a single buck on a full-fledged game, right? Head past the break for some more videogame revenue stats, if you please.

In the chart below, you'll notice that the combination of iOS and Android only puts the two at 8 percent of the total revenue of the whole videogame software market. Sure, the two OSes have taken a bite out of the portable space, but in comparison to total video game software revenue, they aren't supplanting the consoles. We're actually seeing a decrease in portable gaming revenue overall from 29 percent to 24 percent of the United States' delicious gaming pie, while console games have jumped five percent in the meanwhile. Heads up though, these stats don't track usage, just the dollars being spent -- nothing says that guy who bought mounds of DS software didn't spend all day on his NeoGeo Pocket Color instead.

Some MacBook Airs sporting faster blade SSDs, probably from Samsung

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 12:32 AM PDT

When Apple released its redesigned MacBook Air in October 2010, much was made of the switch to flash storage using a custom-built Mini PCI Express form factor SSD drive. It took a few weeks but these SSDs would ultimately be released as the commercially available Toshiba Blade X-gale SSD module, model TS128C. Now we're seeing user reports showing MacBook Airs equipped with a second, even faster SSD with a SM128C part number -- the "SM" hinting at its presumed Samsung manufacturing origins. Samsung's SSD manages up to 260MBps read and 210MBps write speeds compared to Toshiba's 210MBps read and 185MBps write performance. Of course, it's hardly unusual for Apple to multi-source components. And a recent decision to source parts from Korea's Samsung would have been a smart move to keep just-in-time supply lines fully stocked following the spate of disasters in Toshiba's home country of Japan. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be any way of confirming which SSD you're about to purchase without cracking open the retail box and running the OS X System Profiler. Good luck with that.

NEC's waterproof MEDIAS N-06C to get a sprinkle of Gingerbread and 1GHz power

Posted: 17 Apr 2011 11:29 PM PDT

The MEDIAS N-04C might well be the hotness in the world of super slim phones right now, but if you're looking for something with a little more oomph and protection against water, then NEC's also got you covered. According to a pamphlet obtained by datacider, the MEDIAS family will soon be welcoming a Gingerbread-powered N-06C, which closely resembles the N-04C except for the extra 0.2mm thickness plus 10g weight, as well as touch buttons instead of physical ones. But what we really care about here are the IPX5 and IPX7 waterproof ratings, meaning this 7.9mm-thick Android's been tested against small water jets and one-meter immersion, respectively. On the inside, apart from the faster 1GHz chip and 14Mbps FOMA download speed, the rest are pretty much what we've seen before: 4-inch 480 x 854 LCD, 1GB ROM, 512MB RAM, 802.11n WiFi, and 5 megapixel camera with 720p video. There's no clear indication on a release date, but you're welcome to kill some time by checking out the full spec sheet after the break.

[Thanks, Pavlo L.]

Viewsonic G Tablet gets firmware update with Flash, USB peripheral support

Posted: 17 Apr 2011 10:18 PM PDT

Viewsonic's G Tablet may not have made much of splash when it debuted last fall, but it's certainly been picking up a bit of steam as of late. A recent price drop brought its cost down to just $280, and hackers have even managed to overclock its processor to 1.4GHz and get it running CyanogenMod 7 to boot. Now Viewsonic itself has given the tablet a further boost, with a new firmware update bringing support for both Flash and USB peripherals, which can apparently also be used with a docking station. The update's of the over-the-air variety, and should be waiting for you if you haven't turned on your G Tablet in the past few days.

UAE plans enterprise-class messaging ban for individuals and small companies?

Posted: 17 Apr 2011 08:54 PM PDT

Seems the United Arab Emirates wasn't satisfied with the spying agreements that RIM put in place -- now, the government's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority will reportedly restrict BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) services to companies with more than twenty BlackBerry accounts each. Interestingly, the TRA itself denies that any services will be halted to individuals or small firms, even as RIM itself claims that such a ban will indeed take effect, though RIM also claims that it "would be an industrywide policy applying equally to all enterprise solution providers," happily suggesting that competitors would also be affected. The ban is apparently scheduled for May 1st, so there won't be long to wait -- at the very least, we'll see who's telling the truth two weeks from today.

Meizu MX to be Jack Wong's next dream phone, coming with HDMI-out by year's end (update: HSPA+)

Posted: 17 Apr 2011 07:46 PM PDT

It's only been 109 days since Meizu's remarkable launch of the M9 Android, but as we all know, there's nothing stopping our man Jack Wong from teasing his next flagship phone on his forum. Previously known as the M9II, Wong has now renamed this 4-inch handset to MX -- apparently short for "meng xiang" or "dream" in Mandarin Chinese, though X can also cunningly double up as the Roman numeral for 10 here. Also shared is the above real-life shot of an MX mock-up -- not far off from the earlier render -- which is appropriately seen chillaxing on the CEO's bed. In a separate forum thread, we're told that HDMI and coaxial digital audio outputs will be present on the MX, and a 16GB model will be released by the end of the year probably for ¥3,580 ($548). While this is a significant jump from the M9's ¥2,699 ($413), Wong insists that both phones share the same profit margin, and frankly, this will still be a pretty good deal for some Cortex-A9 goodness under a larger screen. We'll be right here waiting for you, Meizu; or we could just pop by your factory again some time.

Update: Jack Wong's also confirmed HSPA+ support for some sweet 21Mbps download speed. The phone's getting better by the minute!

Inhabitat's Week in Green: crazy concept cars, the Milan Furniture Fair, and new solar technology

Posted: 17 Apr 2011 06:30 PM PDT

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

The world of renewable energy received a jolt of innovation this week as Inhabitat reported on a groundbreaking new solar technology that could render photovoltaics obsolete -- see Engadget's take right here -- and a plan to use common oven rust to generate immense amounts of cheap energy. We also saw green power projects pick up steam around the world as Pakistan announced it will build its first on-grid solar system, Chevron kicked off plans to invest in wind power for Kazakhstan, and Eriksson Architects unveiled an energy-efficient geodesic gemstone city for China.

Green transportation tech blasted off as we took a look at the insane 23-passenger electric superbus that can hit 155MPH and the Phoenix roadster - the world's first biodegradable car. Volkswagen also turned heads as it unveiled an all-electric concept version of the classic VW Bus, and we saw sustainable transportation set sail as Zyvex unveiled the nanotech Piranha boat, which is 75% lighter, 40% stronger, and 400% more fuel-efficient than aluminum vessels. Finally, we showcased several hot new green vehicles as the Shanghai auto show began to rev up -- Luxgen's all-electric Neora concept car and Peugeot's Hybrid SXC.

In other news, this week we brought you the best and brightest green products from the 2011 Milan Furniture Fair - from an energy-absorbing lamp that never needs to be plugged in to the world's first color-changing OLED panels to a stunning pendant light made entirely from recycled drink cartons. We also showcased several designs for greener electronics - a revolutionary paper alloy that could enclose the gadgets of tomorrow and a gorgeous bamboo MacBook case - and we shared 7 ways to get your kid excited about photography.

Switched On: Flip-flops

Posted: 17 Apr 2011 05:15 PM PDT

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

This week's announcement that Cisco is shuttering its Flip Video business was but the latest twist in the history of the market share-leading device. The Flip got its start after its creator, Pure Digital, modified its original disposable camcorder to be reusable after hackers showed it could be done. And its success continued to defy convention that the product would resonate against a slew of digital cameras and increasingly competent smartphones that could shoot competitive -- and even high definition -- video.

The Flip also soared above the market share of companies with far stronger brands such as Sony and Kodak, although the latter made gains on a string of hits, including the 1080p-shooting Zi8 and waterproof PlaySport. It even fought back an initial foray from Apple's iPod nano and was still holding its own after the debut of the latest iPod touch, which took the HD video capture feature from the iPhone and made it available without a contract. Yes, the Flip hung tough. That's why its cancellation says volumes about Cisco, the company that acquired it for some $590 million in stock.

Cisco needed to show growth with a consumer product line that could not be easily augmented with acquisitions and that derived little connection with the mother brand -- even less than Linksys, the company's networking line. Cisco certainly tried. But the Flip group made a few false moves that stuck out like a pop-out USB connector, and with little of that spring-loaded joy.

While Flip pioneered and benefited from its differentiated focus on sharing video, its take on two sharing scenarios fell flat. The first was its TV bridge, the $100 FlipShareTV, which tried to cater to those without a home network by including a fat USB transmitter. Unfortunately, that dongle needed to be connected to a PC or Mac, in order to send video to a box that worked only with FlipShare software, making things unnecessarily difficult.

The lesson: if you're going to lock in consumers, it's best to build a prison that people will want to move into anyway.
Another was on-the-go one-on-one sharing of the same screen like a palm-sized miniature theater, which was attempted by the Flip Slide HD. But the $230 Slide HD was thick, expensive, and its touch implementation compared poorly with those of later, cheaper competitors such as the Sony Bloggie Touch and Kodak PlayTouch. Then there was FlipPort, a classic lock-in attempt that aspired to rival Apple's dock connector but attracted even fewer add-on products than the old Springboard connector for Handspring's Visor PDA. The lesson: if you're going to lock in consumers, it's best to build a prison that people will want to move into anyway.

While none of these miscues sunk Flip, they all demonstrated how the product was stuck betwen a slab and two hard places -- the slab being subsidized smartphones that increasingly could do more with video; the first hard place being the high-end market of camcorders with manual white balance adjustment controls offending the Flip minimalism ideal; and the second hard place being the integration into Cisco's networked world. Had the Flip lived another month, we might have at least seen integrated WiFi, a key step toward progress on that front.

The Flip had a strong run for a longshot device and would all but certainly have years ahead of it in the hands of a more aligned owner. Cisco spent heavily promoting the camcorder during the 2009 and 2010 holiday seasons, asking consumers the question, "Do you flip"? Cisco surely did.

Next week's Switched On will look at the legacy of the Flip, which not only turned the camcorder category upside-down but has had implications for other tech companies as well, from startups to Fortune 500 firms.
Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) is executive director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPD Group. Views expressed in Switched On are his own.

Screen Grabs: HTC Hero caught running WP7 on Smallville, Tess Mercer due for an upgrade

Posted: 17 Apr 2011 04:12 PM PDT

Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com.

It looks like Tess Mercer's got more than one hero in her life, but only one of them is running Windows Phone 7. In this week's episode of Smallville, Lois Lane places a call to Tess Mercer, who appears to be packing a white HTC Hero. Oddly enough, though, it's not rocking Eclair. That's right, this Hero's a Microsoft man -- which has us wondering: what OS is Superman running?

[Thanks, Rich]

ASUS Eee Pad Slider making the jump from Tegra 2 to Atom Z670?

Posted: 17 Apr 2011 03:10 PM PDT

Last we heard, ASUS' Eee Pad Slider would pack a Tegra 2 processor just like its counterpart, the Eee Pad Transformer. There's now some pretty strong evidence suggesting that might not be the case, however, with none other than Intel letting slip that the Slider would actually pack its brand new Atom Z670 processor instead of NVIDIA's silicon. That evidence you see above cropped up on Intel's press page following its announcement for the new Atom processor, although it's since been removed -- suggesting that it was either a colossal mistake or, more likely, a reveal that was a bit too premature for ASUS' liking.

Update: We've yet to receive any confirmation ourselves, but Tweakers.net says it has confirmed that ASUS will indeed be producing an Eee Pad Slider that has an Atom Z670 processor and runs Windows 7 -- apparently in addition to the Android-based Tegra 2 model.

HP planning Veer launch party for May 2nd, AT&T brings cake for webOS 3.0 devs

Posted: 17 Apr 2011 02:07 PM PDT

We still don't have a solid release date for HP's tiny Veer -- we've been told it's "coming around the corner" and will be here "soon" -- but if we were the guessing type, we'd say that the pint-sized webOS 2.2 smartphone will hit the market on or about the 2nd of May. That's because a PreCentral reader stumbled across what looks like an official invitation to an "HP Veer Launch Party Event" in Los Angeles on that very date, and it's typically fairly difficult to launch a handset without a handset to launch, if you know what we mean. Still, this looks like a business-to-business event, so we wouldn't circle your calendar quite yet -- but if you've already got that red marker out, you might want to put a X over May 12th instead. That's the day that AT&T is hosting a webOS 3.0 developer webcast -- which might be worth attending in and of itself -- but is particularly noteworthy given that HP hasn't announced carriers for the Veer or SIM-slot packing HP TouchPad just yet.

[Thanks, Brian L.]

Samsung's super slender Galaxy Tab 10.1 snacks on some Honeycomb (video)

Posted: 17 Apr 2011 12:51 PM PDT


Honestly, we were a little bit worried that Samsung's rail-thin Galaxy Tab 10.1 was a mockup -- you know, seeing as how Sammy never turned it on -- but fast-forward to today and there's a working model in Tinhte.vn's capable arms. Yes, the Vietnamese site that's been leaking delicious Apple prototypes -- not to mention the HP TouchPad's SIM slot -- found the 0.33-inch thin slate at an unnamed Samsung booth, powered it up, and proceeded to dive into the sticky-sweet mess of Android 3.0 and iPad 2 comparisons that such a discovery affords. You'll find all that and some Angry Birds in the video immediately above.

[Thanks, Nate]

Evolve Three's Maestro C tablet has a swiveling bezel stand and a screen-protecting keyboard (video)

Posted: 17 Apr 2011 11:40 AM PDT


Evolve Three's goal of creating the world's most versatile touchscreen tablets seems to be going swimmingly so far -- first the boutique Australian outfit introduced the triple-booting Maestro, and now it's got an Oak Trail slate on the way with some most intriguing hardware. You see, not only does this Maestro C have a 1.5GHz Intel Atom Z670 inside, 2GB of DDR2 RAM and most all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a netbook PC, it's also got a bezel that physically rotates -- turning into a chunky kickstand and exposing ports at the same time -- and a removable wireless keyboard that doubles as a hard-shell protector for the entire 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen. There's also a 32GB "high performance" SSD, optional 3G connectivity, a pair of stereo speakers and once again, three operating systems (Android 3.0, MeeGo and Windows 7) to choose from at startup. The only things keeping us from purchasing our customary two units is lingering worry that the other shoe has yet to drop... not to mention a starting price of $729, sans optional keyboard.
at 11:30 AM

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