Engadget News |
- Microsoft outlines new features for Windows Phone Mango's Music and Video Hubs
- iTunes leak suggests 'Automatic Download' over-the-air updates are coming in iOS 5
- Insert Coin: Eyez 720p video-recording glasses (video)
- Nintendo Wii HD / Project Cafe rumor roundup: What will E3 hold for the gaming giant?
- Radioshack sucks at OS recognition: close, but no Android
- PhotoFast i-FlashDrive does USB on one end, 30-pin dock connector on the other
- YouTube embraces Creative Commons licensing, turns your cutesy kitty into mashup fodder
- Compal's 'Ultra Mobile' Ultrabook eyes-on
- Leadtek AMOR 8218 DECT phone with Tegra 2 Android tablet hands-on
- Gigabyte M2432 laptop with GeForce GT 440 graphics card dock hands-on
- Scientist cooks up adjustable strength metals
- Simple DIY cellbot ditches Arduino, jousts poorly (video)
- Google Apps is moving on, you'll need an HTML5 browser to go with it
- PSN 'Welcome Back' package is here, our long global nightmare is over
- Kinect hack turns your living room into a crazy one-man laser techno dance party (video)
- Flexible wireless charging sheet could eventually turn your skinny jeans into power pants (video)
- Garmin in talks to buy Navigon?
- Introduce yourself to the brand new TUAW!
- LG LW5600 3D LCD HDTV review
- Acer Iconia Tab A100 hits the FCC
- Syrian internet knocked out as protests fill the streets (video)
- Steve Jobs talks iCloud, iOS 5, OS X Lion and more at WWDC, liveblog starts at 10AM PT on June 6th!
- Panasonic shrinks WiGig for cellphones, sets our hearts a flutter
- Decoy swarm has the potential to protect attacking jets with hundreds of drones
- BlackBerry Torch 2 preview! (video)
- Engadget Podcast 242 - 06.03.2011
| Microsoft outlines new features for Windows Phone Mango's Music and Video Hubs Posted: 04 Jun 2011 11:04 AM PDT  First off, podcasts. Now it's true, Windows Phone users can already listen to them, but this involves downloading episodes on a PC and then syncing them to their device. Now, says Microsoft, there will be a podcast option in the Music Hub, from which you can listen to programs on the spot. When it comes to listening, you can, indeed, stream them on the fly, but you can also subscribe to a series -- and control how many episodes you have stored on your device at any given time. Microsoft also introduced Smart DJ, a Genius-like feature that crafts a playlist around a given artist, song, or album. You can expect to see it integrated throughout the Music Hub, and if ever you stumble on a particularly awesome playlist, you can pin that list of songs to the Start screen. On the usability front, Microsoft added auto suggestions to Marketplace searches, which will be organized by content type (apps or games, music, and podcasts). The company also made a bunch of changes to both the Music and Video Hubs, making the playback controls more obvious; displaying your recent history in a vertical -- not horizontal -- pane and expanding the list to 25 items (up from eight); adding new lock-screen and wallpaper options; and slightly enlarging the mini-playback controls. Then there's a slew of tweaks to the music player itself, some of which include bigger playback controls, better artist images, a preview of what song is up next, a "Repeat Once" option, full-screen toggling for video, and the ability to build playlists manually on the device itself. None of these updates are coming until Mango's fall release, of course. In the meantime, take a stroll through the gallery of screenshots, and let's hope Microsoft updates its blog post with a demo video. |
| iTunes leak suggests 'Automatic Download' over-the-air updates are coming in iOS 5 Posted: 04 Jun 2011 10:05 AM PDT  In the lead-up to this year's WWDC, we so far know three things for sure: Apple will unveil OS X Lion, iCloud, and... automatic, over-the-air app updates for iOS 5, apparently. While searching for updates in iTunes, a MacRumors reader stumbled upon this page, which alludes to an "Automatic Download" feature that allows for wireless syncing. Also, the fact that Apple went out of its way to say "...if your device has Automatic Download enabled for apps" makes us wonder what else we'll soon be able to update over the air. The company has since pulled the tattletale page in iTunes, but MacRumors grabbed a screenshot while it was still live. Looks like the cat's out of the bag, but we'll let you know when Jobs & Co. make it official on Monday. |
| Insert Coin: Eyez 720p video-recording glasses (video) Posted: 04 Jun 2011 09:00 AM PDT In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.  We first heard about the Eyez video recording glasses concept back in March, when those familiar black frames packed a 1080p camera, 16GB of flash memory, WiFi, and dual exawatt-class lasers (ok, we made that last part up). Named for the product's "utopic vision," ZionEyez now has a prototype with a more grounded spec list, including a 720p camera and 8GB of memory, along with micro-USB and Bluetooth connectivity for livecasting to Qik or LiveStream -- The Truman Show style. Afraid you won't be able to pull off those high-tint lenses at night or in that top-secret (indoor) business meeting? You can swap out the removable sunglass lenses for clear versions, or throw in your prescription in daylight (tinted) or indoor flavors, since many optical stores stock appropriately sized lenses. Availability for these $199 HD Ray-Ban clones is currently slated for fall (assuming ZionEyez hits its funding target), but you can pre-order your pair for $150 on Zion's Kickstarter page. |
| Nintendo Wii HD / Project Cafe rumor roundup: What will E3 hold for the gaming giant? Posted: 04 Jun 2011 08:01 AM PDT  Let's start with a genuine bit of information: back in April, the company's CEO, Satoru Iwata, confirmed that Nintendo is, in fact, working on an HD followup to the Wii that is most likely due out in 2012. A few days prior to that revelation, the requisite blurry images of console concepts surfaced, detailing controllers with embedded touchscreens that display the system's 1080p gameplay via a technology called Stream Screen. These certainly weren't the first concepts of the console we've seen -- and they were apparently first brought to light by the folks at 4Chan.  In May, controller rumors turned even more DSi-like, after an "insider" let slip that they would also pack front-facing cameras for snapping images, potentially letting users live out fantasies of having their heads pasted on Link's body. A few days later, Swedish tech site TechRate.se had the above images of the black and white plastic consoles, which seemed to line up with the earlier leaked concepts. Halfway through the month, the above video, claiming to be footage from a closed developer meeting, popped up on YouTube, complete with similar blueprints and a plastic console more or less matching the ones we'd seen before, which the lady in the video keeps gesturing wildly at, seemingly for our benefit. The month wrapped up with a big reported spec leak, outfitting Project Cafe with a 766MHz AMD RV770 processor, 512MB of XDR2 DRAM, Blu-ray support, the long predicted HD video, and backward compatibility with both GameCube and Wii discs. More information can be found in the links below -- after all, you've got a few days to kill before the fun really starts. |
| Radioshack sucks at OS recognition: close, but no Android Posted: 04 Jun 2011 07:03 AM PDT |
| PhotoFast i-FlashDrive does USB on one end, 30-pin dock connector on the other Posted: 04 Jun 2011 06:07 AM PDT  Apple's iOS devices may lack native memory expansion, but PhotoFast has now come up with solution that just about bests the official camera connection kit. What you're looking at here is the i-FlashDrive, a memory dongle that sports both a USB plug and an Apple 30-pin dock connector, and it comes in three flavors starting from 8GB at $95 up to 32GB at $180. What's more, the drive also works with a free Cupertino-approved app that provides both external and internal file management (for music, photos, movies, and more), contact backup, and native MP3 playback. Want one? Then head over to Taiwan for a mid or late June launch, or watch out for its US debut shortly afterwards. Demo video after the break. |
| YouTube embraces Creative Commons licensing, turns your cutesy kitty into mashup fodder Posted: 04 Jun 2011 05:10 AM PDT  |
| Compal's 'Ultra Mobile' Ultrabook eyes-on Posted: 04 Jun 2011 04:05 AM PDT  |
| Leadtek AMOR 8218 DECT phone with Tegra 2 Android tablet hands-on Posted: 04 Jun 2011 02:04 AM PDT  Alas, there's no direct interaction between the phone and the tablet, but we were still intrigued by the latter's specs: Android 2.3 (although this demo unit had 2.2), Tegra 2, 7-inch 1,280 x 720 LCD, HDMI-out, and a front-facing camera for video calls. For a home device, this is actually a pretty powerful package and certainly a significant upgrade from the AMOR 8210 announced earlier this year. No word on US availability, but Taiwanese buyers will be able to grab hold of an 8218 starting in September. |
| Gigabyte M2432 laptop with GeForce GT 440 graphics card dock hands-on Posted: 04 Jun 2011 12:02 AM PDT  There's a bit of a surprise inside the expansion dock: by laying the M2432 on top of it, not only are you adding six extra USB 2.0 ports plus DVI-out and another HDMI-out, but you're also kicking up its graphics power with the built-in desktop-class NVIDIA GeForce GT 440 with 1GB video RAM. So essentially, the dock doubles as an external graphics card. No word on prices or availability just yet, so stay tuned. |
| Scientist cooks up adjustable strength metals Posted: 03 Jun 2011 10:02 PM PDT  |
| Simple DIY cellbot ditches Arduino, jousts poorly (video) Posted: 03 Jun 2011 08:35 PM PDT Want an adorable little Android cellbot to call your own, but aren't quite ready to tackle Arduino code? Darrell Taylor's got you covered with an audio-controlled, jousting cellbot: no muss, no fuss, no microcontroller. The Make project, called TRRSTAN, accepts commands via Google chat, web browser, or Wii remote piped through the headphone jack of your Android phone -- the robot's brain, of course. Tack on a few makeshift weapons procured at the local dollar store, and you've got a homemade warrior you can be proud of. Want one? Taylor has a ready-made kit available for just shy of $50, and offers a 'fully assembled' option for the extra-lazy robot enthusiast. Of course, you could always go back to playing Android-bots with your Legos if you aren't quite ready to big-boy world of DIY. Just sayin'. |
| Google Apps is moving on, you'll need an HTML5 browser to go with it Posted: 03 Jun 2011 07:04 PM PDT  |
| PSN 'Welcome Back' package is here, our long global nightmare is over Posted: 03 Jun 2011 06:08 PM PDT  |
| Kinect hack turns your living room into a crazy one-man laser techno dance party (video) Posted: 03 Jun 2011 05:01 PM PDT  |
| Flexible wireless charging sheet could eventually turn your skinny jeans into power pants (video) Posted: 03 Jun 2011 03:52 PM PDT  |
| Garmin in talks to buy Navigon? Posted: 03 Jun 2011 03:17 PM PDT  |
| Introduce yourself to the brand new TUAW! Posted: 03 Jun 2011 02:42 PM PDT  |
| Posted: 03 Jun 2011 02:10 PM PDT  Design and ControlsRight out of the box the LW5600 impressed with its design, it's a slim edge-lit LED model and while the bezel is wide, from the side it is incredibly slim measuring at just 1.2-inches thick. There aren't any annoying lit-up logos on the front, with the only light coming from the power / standby indicator that can be toggled to off in the settings. The power and volume controls mounted at the lower right are touch sensitive and although we found them easy to use and responsive, they can be hard to find since they don't light up. The stand matches the rest of the frame with an unassuming design that keeps the 49-pound screen steady while also easily swiveling left or right so we could access the inputs on the back. HDMI (2) and USB (2) jacks are mounted on the side where they're easily accessible. That slim frame means you'll need to use the included dongle to connect any component video inputs, Ethernet cables or headphones in the rear. We're still not sure why so many "connected TV" platforms don't simply have Wi-Fi built in, but this model does include a USB dongle that was relatively easy to setup. There were a couple of instances where it lost connection to our network, but after a few of the firmware updates that came through during testing we didn't experience that again.  Another key feature for a TV is how easy it is to customize the settings and as usual LG came through on that front. While we quickly dived to turn the TruMotion 120Hz motion processing off as we always do, it allows several degrees of customization for dejudder and deblurring and at low settings the effect was tolerable. Creating the right settings for each input and saving them was as easy to do as we've seen on any set, whether inputting presets we found online or calibrating with a disc. Less enjoyable is the set's propensity to suddenly switch between two different types of menus while presenting the same information, which can be confusing and makes it harder than it should be to navigate. There's a lot to experience with all of the apps and features included, and as result the stock remote features three different menu buttons for the quick menu, home menu and premium menu. Beyond the initial three menus, there's a different menu setup for use with the Magic Motion gesture control remote, and yet another design that shows up when viewing content in 3D. The problem is this is far too much for the average user to deal with, and while there are good elements like being able to choose which apps pop up in the home menu and easy access to picture presets in the quick menu, we'd prefer if it were slimmed down to just one look. There was also no way to get one button access to the display settings which quickly became annoying. If you're sticking with the stock remote the worst design decision is how the menu buttons wrap around the D-pad, meaning one wrong push to the right or left could sometimes pull us right out of Netflix and back to the beginning. To its credit, the remote does feature a backlight that far too many units forego and switching 3D modes was also an easy process kept to the minimum amount of button presses.   One way to keep things simple is to use the Magic Motion Gesture Remote that LG is featuring for the second year, which controls basically like a Wiimote to guide an onscreen cursor. Unfortunately, we didn't find this any easier to use than the standard remote whether in its custom mini-menu or in the larger home menu. It's possible to customize the cursor speed which helped a bit, but we suspect this is an accessory that will quickly be banished behind the couch and left there. It's particularly disappointing how inelegant the control schemes are because there's so much to do built right into the TV. Being able to use a smartphone or a QWERTY keyboard to type in login information for some of the menus would be great and while there is such an app available for LG's Blu-ray players, it doesn't work with the HDTVs.  Special FeaturesOf course, what separates this TV from so many others are its built features, and if you're looking a screen to access media without adding an additional box then you'll appreciate the extra mile LG has gone here. There's access to Netflix, Vudu, Amazon, MLB.tv, YouTube, and more services built right in, along with apps that bring channels like Revision3 easily accessible from the main menu. The latest firmware update added the ability to view YouTube 3D videos which greatly enhanced the amount of available video and Hulu Plus is supposed to arrive later this month. Most of the keystone apps mentioned above are well made and load in about the same amount of time as other devices, although so far the rest of the app store is populated by junkware that was slow to load and largely useless. What we found useful was LG's inclusion of a Plex Media Server client. While we wouldn't put it on par with a competitor like Boxee, once we got the server software up and running on our PC (the server runs much more reliably on 32-bit Windows 7 than 64-bit) we were browsing through our media with additional metadata and well-designed menus everywhere we looked.  If you don't want to set up a Plex server, the LG can also pull up video, music or pictures from other devices on the network via DLNA. If there's a server available it pops up just like another input and the frontend provided here made for some of the speediest browsing we've seen from the technology. It played back most of our clips including AVIs and MKVs although as always YMMV depending on audio and video codecs used. Picture QualityAs far as the picture quality, the LW5600 has 16 zones of LED lighting on the 55-inch model we tested, and while they still couldn't match a plasma for precise backlighting in dark scenes, they came closer than ever to local dimming sets. Watching movies like Tron or The Dark Knight revealed minimal light bleed during the darkest scenes and while videophiles may want to opt for other technology to get the most striking image, we were impressed by its ability to be dark in one area and bright in another without ruining the scene. The screen also handled glare well, and was viewable in a brightly sunlit room without being washed out. The out of the box picture settings weren't perfect, but switching to the cinema preset corrected most of the issues beyond the aforementioned 120Hz issue. If you absolutely must use the TV speakers, it has two of them that are well hidden along the bottom edge, and that's the best thing we can say about that.  One of our main questions before we reviewed this TV was this: how will it perform on 3D content? While the future of 3D is still uncertain, the potential of FPR-based displays is that users can buy a TV and share in cheap passive glasses to be tossed around and shared among friends but the technology does limit the resolution viewable per eye. After watching Blu-ray 3D movies, broadcast 3D TV shows and sporting events, and playing videogames in 3D and have come away with the opinion that it depends on the conditions. In general, high quality sources like Blu-ray 3D movies take the least hit compared to active shutter 3DTVs, since they're in 1080p the reduction in resolution isn't particularly noticeable, and after a recent firmware update changed the algorithm for video processing (more detail from Ultimate AV Mag is available here) it improved some minor artifacts we'd seen at CES. Sitting up close revealed the aliasing caused by missing pixels, particularly on elements popped up to appear in front of the screen, like the ESPN 3D score bug in the corner and if you're close enough, there can appear to be lines in the picture.  The effect is more pronounced on broadcast TV like ESPN 3D and certain videogames since they're already compressing to a lower resolution before the TV cuts it in half again, but we found again that sitting at a Kinect-friendly distance the 3D effect more than made up for the lost resolution. Our ability to notice the difference while playing videogames varied depending on the title. Call of Duty and Wipeout HD in 3D on this TV look about the same as they always do mostly because they often run at sub-HD resolutions already and the art is designed for that, while NBA 2K11 was unacceptably grainy. One other issue is that while the viewing angle is wide side to side, if your TV is mounted in a place where you'll be looking down at it or staring up outside of the normal viewing angle you'll start to experience crosstalk. If you've been to a movie theater to see a flick in RealD 3D then you've basically experienced the glasses, we found that they fit easily and were lighter than their active counterparts. The other advantage here is that if you want more glasses than the four that were included all you have to do is keep them after you leave the theater, or buy compatible replacements from a number of outlets. We still believe active shutter 3D provides the best picture available without cutting the res, but if your viewing experience is only complete with more people watching then fear of a lost pixel shouldn't keep you from this TV -- assuming you have the space to watch from a decent distance and angle. Wrap-upThe TV industry's love affair with 3D and connected TV features doesn't appear to be waning any time soon and this set's features keep it in line with the expectations of a midrange display. Retail prices are currently floating between $1,700 to $2,100 for the 55-incher we reviewed, which puts it in the range of similar models from Panasonic and Samsung like the TC-P55GT30 and UN55D6000. In terms of 2D performance this set is as good as any we've seen with edge LED lighting, and its 3D will keep most viewers satisfied without requiring expensive accessories. Despite the number of menus, its performance on the most important apps for streaming our own media or from other sources like Netflix make it as capable as many of the external add-on boxes available. Matching some plasma or local dimming sets in 2D performance and resolving every pixel of 3D feeds is out of the question due to the technology, but for slim design and ease of viewing it's hard to beat and should be considered by anyone looking at a TV with this size and specs. |
| Acer Iconia Tab A100 hits the FCC Posted: 03 Jun 2011 01:44 PM PDT  It hasn't been an easy few months for anyone holding out for Acer's 7-inch Iconia Tab A100. After being announced without a firm release date, it then went up for pre-order in the UK with a promised April 20th ship date, only to be delayed until the second half of the year a month later -- possibly due to some Honeycomb compatibility issues. Now the device has finally hit the FCC, which could indicate that an eventual release will at least be closer to the beginning of the second half of the year than the end. Unfortunately, the FCC's still holding back on any actual pictures, so you'll have to get your gadget dissection fix another day. |
| Syrian internet knocked out as protests fill the streets (video) Posted: 03 Jun 2011 01:30 PM PDT  |
| Steve Jobs talks iCloud, iOS 5, OS X Lion and more at WWDC, liveblog starts at 10AM PT on June 6th! Posted: 03 Jun 2011 12:59 PM PDT  Bookmark that and return at the times listed below, and if your neck of the woods ain't listed, shout it out in comments. Oh, and any predictions? Anything somewhat sane is welcome below. 07:00AM - Hawaii 10:00AM - Pacific 11:00AM - Mountain 12:00PM - Central 01:00PM - Eastern 06:00PM - London 07:00PM - Paris 09:00PM - Moscow 02:00AM - Tokyo (June 7th) Take a look through the archives with our past WWDC liveblogs! |
| Panasonic shrinks WiGig for cellphones, sets our hearts a flutter Posted: 03 Jun 2011 12:39 PM PDT  Panasonic Develops 60GHz Multi-Gigabit Wireless Circuit Technology for Mobile Devices Based on Major Wireless Standards OSAKA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Panasonic Corporation has successfully developed a 60GHz multi-gigabit wireless communication technology that is optimized for mobile devices, and supports the WiGig [1] specification and/or the IEEE802.11ad [2] draft specification. This multi-gigabit wireless communication technology consists of a 60GHz transceiver and a baseband processor which are integrated individually onto CMOS semiconductor chips through circuit technologies optimized for mobile devices. The technology enables multi-gigabit wireless communication of more than 20 times faster than existing wireless LANs using the 60GHz frequency band, and through the optimization of both the transceiver core and peripheral circuits, it also enables lower than 1W low-power, multi-gigabit wireless communication in the future. Up till today, only the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands have been used in high-speed wireless communication for mobile devices while 60GHz ultra-high-speed wireless communication remains to be employed only in stationary devices such as TVs, but not in mobile devices due to the higher energy consumption associated with the use of wider frequency bandwidth. With high-speed communication of 20 times faster than existing wireless LANs, this technology allows the transferring of a 30-minute long compressed high definition (HD) video content within 10 seconds. In combination with the low power features made possible through the transceiver core and peripheral circuits optimization, it has been made viable for mobile devices such as smart phones that requires lower than 1W of power consumption in their radio function unit. This is a big step forward to realize stress-free, fast HD video content transfer and streaming on mobile devices. The technology has the following features: 1. The world's lowest noise signal generator (-95dBc/Hz at 1MHz offset frequency) enables high sensitivity wireless performance. The transceiver has been integrated into a CMOS chip, which leads to miniaturization of the mobile devices. 2. Forward error correction (FEC) code is indispensable to maintain reliability in high-speed wireless communication. In this technology, the circuit size of decoding block is 30% smaller than that of Panasonic's conventional architectures by optimizing decoding circuits. This reduction results in lower power consumption. 3. The chipset supports the WiGig specification, which is going to be an industry standard for a multi-gigabit, short range wireless communication system. It will provide reliable interoperability among various devices. The technology consists of the following new Panasonic's technologies: 1. A unique multiband voltage controlled oscillator technology, which achieves excellent phase noise while covering over 9GHz frequency bandwidth required by the WiGig specifications. 2. A FEC decoding circuit technology, which enables the use of common functional units to handle various error correction codes specified in the WiGig and at the same time, achieves low power by reducing the circuit complexity and the operation frequency. On this development, Panasonic holds 16 domestic patents and 16 overseas patents, including pending applications. This development will be presented at ICC 2011 (International Conference on Communications 2011) to be held at the Kyoto International Conference Hall, Japan from June 5 to 9, 2011. This new technology was partly supported by "The research and development project for expansion of radio spectrum resources" of The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan. *Based on Panasonic data as of June 2, 2011 [1] Wireless Gigabit Alliance was established by technology leaders within the consumer electronics, personal computer, semiconductor and handheld industries to address the need for faster, wireless connectivity between computing, communications and entertainment devices. Panasonic has been a board member of WiGig Alliance. [2] The IEEE802.11 is a Working Group that defines a set of standards for Wireless Local Area Network. The Task Group IEEE802.11ad has developed a draft standard specification for next generation high speed communication of above 1Gbps in the 60GHz frequency band. About Panasonic Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of 8.69 trillion yen (US$105 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2011. The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE:PC) stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/. |
| Decoy swarm has the potential to protect attacking jets with hundreds of drones Posted: 03 Jun 2011 12:17 PM PDT  MALDs (miniature air launched decoys), for those of you not up on your wargadgets, are a cross between cruise missiles and aerial drones -- a hybrid used to protect attacking jets by confusing or distracting the enemy during combat. Various branches of the US military have been using them for years, but now one company's figured out a way to unleash hundreds of 'em, creating a veritable drone swarm. Defense contractor Raytheon has developed a system that ejects MALDs from a cargo aircraft, sending clusters of eight missiles into the air, at which point they initiate the standard wing deployment and engine ignition sequence. And, according to Wired, the company is considering putting sensors and warheads inside future MALDs, which would make these swarms more intelligent and, you know, explosive. PR after the break. [Image credit: Raytheon via Wired] Raytheon Deploys Miniature Air Launched Decoys From C-130 Cargo Aircraft |
| BlackBerry Torch 2 preview! (video) Posted: 03 Jun 2011 12:00 PM PDT  The first thing you'll notice about the Torch 2 is the new gunmetal grey finish that encloses the entire device. It's not quite as shiny as the original, and we prefer the matte finish to the cheap-looking plastic of the original. We're also big fans of the new checkered silver back cover, which looks extra purty against the new color scheme. RIM still has yet to figure out how to avoid those black rubbery accents along the side rails, but it almost matches the black screen bezel, so we're not going to nitpick. The sliding mechanism feels quite sturdy and satisfying, as is the keyboard. So far as we can tell, the keyboard is identical to that of the original Torch (which we loved) -- and as the saying goes, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.' One thing is for sure though, RIM has always been able to make nice looking phones, and the Torch 2 is certainly not a departure from that.  On the inside is where major overhauls have taken place -- and that's a good thing. In our original Torch review, we lamented on the already outdated at-the-time specs and didn't really cut the company too much slack for its decisions on its newest flagship device. The Torch 2 bumps the processor up to 1.2GHz (likely the same one as in the Bold 9900) from the paltry 624MHz of the original, and performance seems notably improved. Granted, we're using a prototype device with pre-release software, so everything is subject to change.   The screen res improves upon the original's mediocre 480 x 360 with a significantly more up-to-date 640 x 480 pixels. Clarity and colors of the updated panel are a worthy centerpiece of the display-centric device, and we didn't experience any of the same text viewing problems we had on the original. Viewing angles are superb, as is richness of color. We're also a lot more satisfied with touch sensitivity on this display; pressure needed to swipe or interact seems much more natural, and it's almost on par with sensitivity of the iPhone 4. If you haven't figured it out, we really like the screen on this phone. The Torch 2 packs the same 5 megapixel camera as its older sibling, but raises the bar in the video department. It's still got continuous autofocus as well as image stabilization, but you can now capture video in 1280 x 720p HD. We took a quick sample video, and were pretty impressed with the final result -- autofocus worked pretty well, even indoors.  The BlackBerry Torch 2 is also running the latest OS out of Waterloo -- BlackBerry 7. Like the device it's found refuge on, most of the improvements and changes with this iteration take place under the hood. There's a laundry list of new APIs and hooks for developers to take advantage of, and to be honest, we couldn't find all that much newness on the surface. Liquid Graphics -- RIM's fancy nomenclature for its more responsive touch tech -- is definitely a marked improvement over the touch sensitivity of the original. While we were left unsatisfied with the touchscreen of the original Torch, using the Torch 2 is like night and day. The browser still defaults to loading web pages in their WAP format, but adds in support for HTML5 video (though YouTube HTML5 wouldn't load for us). Performance generally seems a lot better, and the upped screen resolution makes reading text a much more enjoyable experience. BlackBerry Protect also seems to be a bit more robust, and comes preinstalled in the new OS. It'll automatically back up all your content at a set interval, as well as allowing you to link your device to a BlackBerry ID for locating if you drunkenly leave it in a taxi or bar. Speaking of BlackBerry IDs, there's a new option in the settings to link up to your own, though we're not quite sure how deeply integrated it is to the OS just yet. The device still had a PIN, but we're unsure of whether you'll be able to use a BB ID in its place as rumored. Finally, there's a new compass app like on the Bold 9900, so all the spelunking BlackBerry users can breathe a sigh of relief.  The BlackBerry Torch 2 is definitely a giant leap ahead of the original in almost every regard, even in this pre-release state. The hardware still feels sturdy and well-built, but we wish RIM could've trimmed some of the fat and slimmed this baby down a bit. BlackBerry 7's speed improvements are noticeable, which is especially welcomed considering the sluggishness of the original. It's important to keep in mind that this device hasn't even been announced yet -- let alone released -- and everything here is subject to change.  Still, the latest intel points to this device hitting AT&T shelves sometime this summer, and it'll probably very similar to what we've just walked you through. With the Bold 9900 seemingly delayed until September, it seems that it won't be a completely dry season for RIM after all. The company really needs to get these devices out the door if it wants to compete with other smartphone makers that are releasing devices at lighting speed. We'll be back with more information when this thing is, you know, announced, but for now hopefully this was able to tide you over until RIM decides to get down to business and spill the full details. [Thanks, Ryan] |
| Engadget Podcast 242 - 06.03.2011 Posted: 03 Jun 2011 11:36 AM PDT  Host: Tim Stevens Guests: Brian Heater, Richard Lawler Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Are You Gonna Go My Way 04:03 - Microsoft unveils Windows 8 (video) 10:30 - HP's Leo Apotheker totally open to licensing webOS to other handset makers 13:40 - Live from D9: Google's Eric Schmidt takes the stage 19:45 - ASUS targets Christmas for Padfone launch, hints at Ice Cream Sandwich (video hands-on) 23:52 - Acer W4 Windows Phone Mango handset eyes-on (video) 24:42 - Acer Iconia M500 runs MeeGo on an Atom CPU, coming at the end of this year (hands-on video!) 25:08 - ASUS outs UX21 ultrathin laptop with up to Core i7 CPUs (video hands-on!) 26:10 - Intel ships 100 million Atoms, celebrates third birthday of netbook CPU 27:02 - LG V300 does multitouch, 3D, all-in-one 29:10 - Apple to unveil iCloud, iOS 5 on Monday, June 6 38:10 - Barnes & Noble Nook WiFi review 44:43 - Sony stands behind its digital projectors, claims the only thing ruining movies is Russell Brand 47:50 - Hulu, Miramax deal means Netflix, Hulu Plus both add Pulp Fiction and more starting today 49:30 - Sony promises global PSN restoration by week's end, except in some parts of Asia 49:52 - Nokia's online stores go offline in France and Spain (update: Netherlands too) 50:15 - Danger's iconic Hiptop fades away / the Sidekick is here to stay 50:55 - Patent reveals Microsoft's Zune Nano, reminds us of an ambitious past 51:40 - Cellphones are dangerous/not dangerous: the WHO changes its mind 52:48 - Palm.com quietly replaced by HPwebOS.com, no wake to follow 54:20 - Sony Pictures hacked by Lulz Security, 1,000,000 passwords claimed stolen 55:35 - Listener questions Hear the podcast Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast Send your questions to @tim_stevens. Leave us a voicemail: (423) 438-3005 (GADGET-3005) E-mail us: podcast at engadget dot com Twitter: @tim_stevens @bheater @rjcc This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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