Engadget

Latest Posts

All News

Reviews

Motorola MT710 bringing its Droid-ish good looks to China this month

By Vladislav Savov

posted Dec 8th 2009 at 9:38AM

China Mobile is about to spoil its half billion subscribers with yet another Android smartphone in the 3.something-inch category. The Droid's keyboard-deprived younger sibling, the MT710 is about to hit Chinese stores this month, with TD-SCDMA 3G capabilities and OPhone OS 1.5 giving it a distinctly local flavor. WiFi connectivity will also be available, thanks to Moto playing nice with China's new security protocol, and the CPU has also changed to a 624MHz Marvel PXA310 chip, which is growing a bit long in the tooth now. Still, with that dashing red stripe on its side and a presumably thinner chassis, the MT710 just might be somebody's idea of a Droid perfected. You'll find the full specs of the new handset at the Moto Developers links below.

Yahoo! News

Leave A Comment

Read Here

* required

Haier's Theater PMP sports a 3-inch touchscreen, recession-friendly price

By Tim Stevens

posted Dec 8th 2009 at 9:19AM

Haiter's Theater PMP sports a 3-inch touchscreen, recession-friendly price

There are PMPs in every shape and color, and while we've never been particularly fond of Haier's contributions to the segment, its latest might just find a home in that all-important lower-end of the spectrum. It packs a three-inch capacitive touchscreen of undisclosed resolution, an FM tuner, voice recorder, support for plenty of audio formats, a rather more spartan list of video formats (apparently just AVI and MPEG4), and comes in either four or eight GB sizes. Earth-shattering? No, but at prices of $89 and $99 it's a good value -- well, the bigger of the two is, anyway. Who wouldn't drop another $10 for twice the capacity?

* required

JVC's Everio GZ-HD620 crams 1080p sensor and 120GB storage into world's smallest HDD camcorder

By Tim Stevens

posted Dec 8th 2009 at 8:58AM

JVC's Everio GZ-HD620 packs 1080p sensor and 120GB storage, world's lightest HDD camcorder

It's been a continual process of evolution with JVC's Everio line, each iteration getting more pixels and smaller bodies, and the latest entry is the best combination yet. It's the GZ-HD620, a full 1080p-recording camcorder (courtesy of a 1920 x 1080 backside illuminated CMOS sensor) that also sports a 120GB HDD in a package that weighs just 270g. Footage is shot through a 30x optical zoom lens and can also be written to a microSDHC card, though that internal storage will be good for 11 hours of footage at the maximum bit rate (24Mbps), and a vacation-encompassing 50 hours at the minimum (5Mbps). The cam is said to be shipping tomorrow in Japan at a price somewhere north of ¥100,000, which should equate to a few hundred over the $1,000 mark whenever it hits the Territories.

* required

WHDI specification hits 1.0 -- is this what wireless HD has been waiting for?

By Darren Murph

posted Dec 8th 2009 at 8:30AM

We've been waiting for what feels like an eternity for wireless HD to really have a place in the world (outside of the elite home cinema world, that is), and while the dream definitely took a hit with the FlyWire's death, it sounds as if things may be rounding the ever-present corner. Amimon, a company responsible for bringing wireless high-def capabilities to all manners of pricey wares through WHDI, has just announced the 1.0 specification of its protocol. Mind you, there are already quite a few big players onboard with the outfit, so hitting the one dot oh could very well kick start a new round of devices (set-top boxes, HDTVs, media streamers, etc.) designed to handle wireless transfers of 1080p material. You can catch the relatively calm press release after the break, and rest assured we'll be keeping our eyes peeled at CES for new gear based on the spec.

* required

Sugar on a Stick OS goes to 2.0, gets Blueberry coating and creamy Fedora 12 center (video)

By Tim Stevens

posted Dec 8th 2009 at 8:09AM

It didn't take long for Sugar on a Stick, the OLPC-free version of the Sugar OS, to go from concept to bootable, and it's only taken a few further months to go from that first version, called "Strawberry," to this twice as fruity "Blueberry" flavor. Updates are evolutionary here, with a core built on Fedora 12 and Sugar .86, adding in Gnash for Flash support as well as a suite of new apps. Most notable is the recently released Open Office 4 Kids, a streamlined version of the suite that probably won't be great for squeezing every character of your resume onto one page but should be good enough to spread a 500(ish) word book report over two. There is a number of other updates included, some demonstrated after the break, all available for your download now. You're just 589MB away from sweet OS simplicity.

* required

Molinker is no more on the App Store -- ratings scam results in expulsion

By Vladislav Savov

posted Dec 8th 2009 at 7:47AM

Well, here's the happy side to the police state known as Apple's App Store. One of the more prolific app makers out there, Molinker, has been recently unceremoniously expelled from the Apple orchard due to its manipulation of app ratings and reviews. As it turns out, Molinker has been massaging the truth by pumping out false five star reviews for its wares, and now Phil Schiller himself has stepped in and pulled the company's whole catalog -- consisting of more than 1,000 apps -- seemingly permanently:

Yes, this developer's apps have been removed from the App Store and their ratings no longer appear either.

So the App Store is now a bunch of travel guides lighter and Mr. Schiller gets a "good boy" badge from the blog brigade. Good news all around then.

* required

Joojoo tablet hands-on (video)

By Ross Miller

posted Dec 8th 2009 at 7:10AM

Hands-On

Marked more by its story than its design, the Joojoo tablet is somewhat of a mythical (and controversial) beast. So when we got a phone call to see it for ourselves with Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan, we jumped at the opportunity. Turns out it's quite a capable little device, and chief among its feats so far seems to be smooth 1080p YouTube playback. Seriously, we were quite impressed with just how crisp and lag-free it was, at least for the Avatar trailer we tested. Throw in a Webkit-based browser with Silverlight and Flash support (why hello there, Hulu), and yeah, we're pretty pumped. Read on for more impressions.

Joojoo tablet hands-on

* required

Seagate's 7mm Momentus Thin 2.5-inch hard disk for slim, high-capacity laptops: a world's first

By Thomas Ricker

posted Dec 8th 2009 at 6:23AM

Any advancement in commercial storage is big news 'round here so we're stoked to learn of a new ultra-thin hard disk from Seagate meant to slake our jones for super-slim portable computing. Seems that Seagate's already sampling a 7-mm high disk as part of its Momentus Thin series of drives scheduled to be launched at CES in January. Impressive, especially when you consider that just about every 2.5-inch SATA disk we cover measures in at 9.5-mm high. Although Seagate doesn't give specifics, we assume the drive will be spinning a single platter. And knowing that dual-platter 2.5-inch disks currently max out at 640GB (or 320GB per platter), we expect Seagate to at least match that single-platter capacity, but probably improve upon it via a boost in areal density. Feel free to offer your guess in comments until all is revealed on January 5th.

* required

Cowboys Stadium first to demo real time conversion of 2D HDTV video into 3D

By Vladislav Savov

posted Dec 8th 2009 at 6:03AM

The Cowboys might not be doing so well on the field these days, but that's not stopping Jerry Jones from constructing a gadget lover's nirvana for them to call home. The world record-holding Mitsubishi displays at the center of Cowboys Stadium will this weekend be treated to the first public demo of a new real time 3D conversion technology from HDlogix. Touted as a glasses-free autostereoscopic method, it will be demonstrated before Sunday's game against the Chargers, and used during the game on highlights and live video to give the good people of Dallas an extra dimension to their already supersized visual experience. The list of promises from HDlogix is mighty impressive, including the ability to convert to and from all the 3D standards floating around at the moment (more on that in the source PDF below), but we advise waiting until Sunday when said good people can judge for themselves. Full PR after the break.

Update: We've received a quick note from the company to say that the actual feed on the Cowboys' megatron will be based on old school glasses-needy anaglyphs, since the humongous structure isn't capable of doing the more sophisticated stuff.

* required

Seagate's first Pulsar SSDs ready to blast the enterprise

By Thomas Ricker

posted Dec 8th 2009 at 5:04AM

We first heard of Seagate's plans to enter the SSD market way back in mid 2007 and then again in 2008. Here we are in the final days of 2009 and guess what: the first Seagate SSD has been announced. Unfortunately, Seagate's 2.5-inch SATA Pulsar SSD targets the raised-floor crowd locked away in your corporate data center, not you directly. The SLC-based Pulsar tops out at 200GB and claims a peak performance of 30,000 read IOPS and 25,000 write IOPS and a 240MBps sequential read and 200MBps sequential write -- damn quick compared to Samsung's enterprise-class SSDs released last year clocking 100MBps sequential reads and 80MBps writes. Hopefully, we'll see Seagate push into the consumer sector once they finish milking corporate IT budgets, or what's left of 'em.

* required

Optima OP5-E resurfaces with English OS, gets lengthy video review

By Darren Murph

posted Dec 8th 2009 at 4:06AM

By now, you're sufficiently aware that the Optima OP5-E is the first non-Nokia MID to arrive with a Maemo-based operating system. In fact, you've already seen what this bugger looks like on video. What you probably haven't seen, however, is a finalized version of the handheld for the US market, but all that's about to change if you head on past the break and mash play. Oh, and there's even an unboxing gallery down in the source link -- you know, if a 13 minute video review just doesn't quite cut it.

* required

Hanwha SL-888 laptop cooling stand for casual, classy blogging

By Joseph L. Flatley

posted Dec 8th 2009 at 3:12AM

We've seen a laptop cooling stand or two in our day, so we'll try not to belabor the point here: Hanwha -- which may or may not be the same conglomerate responsible for the Shin-Gung surface-to-air missile and the Duo for Laptop -- is proud to debut the evocatively named SL-888, a portable table for your notebook. Want to sit in a chair? The legs extend to about 12-inches off the ground. Want to sit on the floor? You can do that, too -- the legs collapse. Want to rest it on your lap? Hope you have a big lap, but that too is an option. Featuring a mousepad, a cup holder (perfect for that Whiskey Sour), and a cooling fan for your notebook du jour, all this can be yours for ¥3,980 (roughly $44). Hit the source link to order -- or get a closer look after the break.

* required

Maplock chains GPS unit to steering wheel, dares thieves to interfere

By Darren Murph

posted Dec 8th 2009 at 2:44AM

Remember The Club? Sure you do. We can't say that Who-Rae's Maplock is destined to become just as goofy in the pop culture scene, but it's certainly one of the more absurd peripherals that we've seen this year. Put simply, this contraption provides a locking mount for your navigation unit and a presumably snip-proof cable that locks around one's steering wheel. We suppose the point here is to easily show pondering thieves that they should probably select another vehicle to jack, but the easier solution is to figure out a mounting setup that doesn't involve suction cup residue. For those who'd rather be safe than sorry, the Maplock can be procured for right around $50 -- just be prepared for all sorts of jeering from your car club mates. Vid's after the break, vaquero.

* required

First Nooks begin shipping as demo (and retail?) units hit stores

By Thomas Ricker

posted Dec 8th 2009 at 1:59AM

You've waited and waited and now it's happening: the first Nooks are shipping. Those of you who pre-ordered early will receive your Nook in the "next day or two," while anyone with a December 7th confirmation date will now receive theirs on the 16th -- delayed, sure, but at least it'll be home before the chubby man and his elves arrive with the in-laws. Select Barnes & Noble stores are also receiving the first demo units. A quick search with the handy Nook locator tool reveals broad availability of demo units across the US. Interestingly enough, we found a single store (Lincoln Triangle, Manhattan) showing an in stock "pick me up" option for what appears to be the ability to reserve a Nook for purchase, as unlikely as that sounds given the limited supplies. Still, if you're in NYC and like to gamble, and you just can't wait for the first firmware update to tweak the performance and interface issues we found, then you might want to arrive at 9am when the store opens.

Update: We gave the Lincoln Triangle store a call this morning, and they definitely don't have any Nooks in stock!

[Thanks, Kris]

Barnes & Noble, Barnes & Noble (Nook locator)

* required

Sony Reader Store goes 100% EPUB on Friday

By Thomas Ricker

posted Dec 8th 2009 at 1:31AM

Listen up Sony Reader owners: you've got three days to change your ways. On December 11th, the eBook Store from Sony will be renamed the Reader Store with a new URL to prove it. In addition to a new store layout, the change also extends the open EPUB format to Sony's entire inventory of eBooks. In fact, any new electronic books will only be available in EPUB which helps explain the motivation for Sony's PRS-500 trade-in program. As such, we can say goodbye to Sony's proprietary BBeB ("BroadBand eBook") format which goes the way of ATRAC (outside of Japan, anyway). Sony's also making its Reader Library 3.1 software for Mac and PC available on the same day with support for the imminent Reader Daily Edition launch and compatibility with Windows 7 and OS X Snow Leopard -- how timely.

[Thanks, Ben]

Sony

Leave A Comment

Read Here

* required