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HMD's first Nokia tablet features a huge battery and costs $250
HMD/Nokia have launched their first tablet together, the 10.4-inch T20, with the key features being a large battery, cheap price and US availability.
EVE Evolved: Should CCP interfere in the sandbox?
When it comes to player outrage, EVE Online seems to make the headlines more than any other MMO. The game has endured several high-profile scandals in its 10-year history, from the T20 developer corruption incident in 2007 to 2011's famous Monoclegate scandal. As EVE is a true sandbox game with a focus on PvP and player competition, developers have historically limited their direct influence on the universe. The importance of limiting interference became abundantly clear during the T20 incident when it was discovered that a developer had given tech 2 blueprints and preferential treatment to the Band of Brothers alliance. This interference in the sandbox had a profound and lasting impact on EVE's political endgame and undermined the legitimate accomplishments of other alliances. Some of the same issues that were raised in the wake of that scandal have now resurfaced amidst controversy over CCP's community team and its involvement with third-party fansites. Gambling website SOMER Blink was selected to host a huge giveaway event with rare prizes provided by CCP, and the contest organisers were then given rare battleships worth billions of ISK to keep as thank-you presents. In this week's EVE Evolved, I run down the details of the latest EVE Online controversy and ask whether CCP should directly interfere in the sandbox at all.
Dell Streak 10 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1... fight!
Why look at this! Samsung's very own Galaxy Tab 10.1 decided to stop by in Beijing to greet Dell's latest tablet. As mentioned in our hands-on post, it's clear that the Streak 10 Pro would need to go on a little diet to match the Korean tablet's lovely figure and weight, though the latter won't be released in the country until some time next month. Also, there's no doubt that Sammy will continue to ask for a premium price in exchange for the better display and portability, so our wallets will be the final judge. For now, just enjoy our quick and dirty comparison photos in the gallery below. You're welcome. Update: It appears that some of our readers are missing the point: the 16GB WiFi Galaxy Tab 10.1 is being sold for $499 in the US, and it'll most likely be more expensive in China; whereas the Streak 10 Pro is priced at just ¥2,999 ($465). So again, you get what you pay for. %Gallery-129456%
Dell Streak 10 Pro tablet makes global debut in China, we go hands-on (update: video!)
There's a Chinese saying that will suit most of our Western readers here: "quenching thirst by gazing at plums." Oh yes, we're talking about Dell's Streak 10 Pro alright. Just as promised, said US company has skipped its home country to debut its first 10.1-inch Honeycomb tablet in China (ka-ching!), and we happened to be at the Beijing press event for some intimate hands-on time. To be honest, you won't be needing many imaginary plums for this Android's rather mundane specs: it's equipped with the oh-so-familiar 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 T20 chip, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 1,280 x 800 LCD (with Corning's Gorilla Glass), 5 megapixel camera and 2 megapixel camera back and front, and regular-size SDHC expansion. That said, Chinese buyers can grab this 16GB WiFi tablet plus 2GB of cloud storage for just ¥2,999 ($465) a pop -- a slightly more attractive price compared to its competitors. Check out our impressions after the break. Update: Hands-on video added after the break. Update 2: We've also done a comparison hands-on with our very own Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. You're welcome. %Gallery-129455% %Gallery-129450%
Dell Streak Pro Honeycomb tablet pictured, likely to be with us in June
Android Honeycomb OS, 10-inch screen size with 1280 x 800 resolution, and NVIDIA's Tegra 2 (T20) chip on the inside. If those specs sound familiar, it's because most manufacturers already have a tablet just like Dell's upcoming Streak Pro. This slate from Round Rock got us a little hot under the collar recently, when it appeared it would ship with the T25 Tegra 2 silicon -- which runs at 1.2GHz and offers 3D support -- but nope, it's same old, same old from Michael and company. Still, the Streak Pro will apparently come will a brushed aluminum back, 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB storage options, dual mics, dual cameras (2 megapixel on the front, 5 megapixel 'round back), and a choice of four colors: blue, pink, black, and red. If that's not enough customization for you, Dell's also adding its Stage UI atop Android, while support for AT&T's LTE network is also said to be under consideration. You can see some of the new tablet's accessories at the source link below, which also advises us to expect the Streak to go Pro in June, as previously anticipated.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v available tomorrow for €590, starting with Portugal
Some lucky Aussies might have been able to pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v ahead of the rest of the world, but it turns out the Portuguese will actually be taking this Honeycomb tablet home first, starting tomorrow. Originally known as the Galaxy Tab 10.1 but quickly superseded by a slimmer, impending model, said transitional device is now listed on Vodafone Portugal's website with a more delightful €589.90 ($860, which is no doubt off-contract) tag to go with its HSPA+ radio, along with a big red "available from April 26th" stamp. We dug through Vodafone's other European sites and the only country that also mentions this Tegra 2 slate is the Netherlands, though it only indicates a "week 17" launch -- in other words, any time between now and May 1st. If you're in Europe and don't mind this slightly out-of-date whopper, be sure to check back as we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for more details. [Thanks, Carlos O.]
Bose simplifies surround sound setup with Lifestyle systems, charges dearly for it
So, you've got a few options here. Do a little research and piece together your own surround system, hire a voyeur from Geek Squad to do it for you, or just hire a live-in technician to handle both present and future issues. Whatever you settle on, you can pretty much rest assured that it'll be cheaper than forking out for one of Bose's hilariously overpriced Lifestyle systems. In typical Bose fashion, the company is introducing a new trio of 5.1 rigs (the V35, V25 and T20), each of which utilize a new "Unify" technology that is said to make "connecting speakers and sources, programming remotes, and accessing content easier and faster than ever before." And by that, they mean "we'll show you pictures of the connectors on your television screen." Each setup comes with a handful of tiny, cube-like speakers and a surely unimpressive Acoustimass bass module, and if you're hoping to find detailed specifications -- you know, things like RMS, impedance, frequency response range and other vital audio statistics -- we wish you the best of luck. Oh, but here's a few figures that are being handed down: $3,299, $2,499 and $1,999. Yeah, those are the MSRPs in order of mention, and amazingly, we aren't kidding.
EVE Evolved: The Council of Stellar Management
If you play EVE Online or follow its news, you've probably heard of the Council of Stellar Management (or CSM for short). They're a democratically elected group of players that volunteer a lot of free time to help the developers improve EVE. The CSM's job is outlined in the official summary document as "to represent society interests to CCP". They act as an intermediary between CCP's development team and the EVE players but what do they actually do and have they made a positive impact on the game? I initially researched the CSM one month after the institution's inception when it was much too early to tell. With three six-month terms completed and a fourth about to start, there's now enough information to take a real conclusive look at how well the system works. Join me as I examine the creation of the CSM, how it works and what it's actually achieved since its inception.
Aiptek debuts USB-powered T20 pico projector, T30 model for iPods
Aiptek isn't dishing out a ton of details on these just yet, but the company has two fairly interesting pico projectors on display at CES, including the flask-like, USB-powered T20 model (pictured above), and the T30 (after the break), which is apparently intended for use with iPods and iPhones. About all that's known about the first of those is that it can display VGA images at sizes up to 42-inches, while the T30 can pump out a slightly larger 50-inch image, and boasts some AV-in recording capabilities -- and, presumably, some internal storage, much like the company's earlier V10 model. Incidentally, that model has also now been upgraded to the V10 Plus (which adds 4GB of memory and H.264 decoding), and Aiptek has also rolled out its new DDV-JF1 pico projector / camera, although that appears to be identical to DigiLife's model, right down to the model number. [Via PicoProjector-info.com]
MobiBlu pulls T20 PMP out of the ordinary bin
MobiBlu has certainly managed to turn a few heads with some of its PMPs in the past, but it seems safe to bet that won't be a very common occurance with its new T20 model, which looks to be relying primarily on questionably-sourced images of Wall-E to garner attention. That same-ness also extends down to the player's specs, which include a 2.4-inch WQVGA display, 1GB to 8GB of storage, an FM radio, a voice recorder, and support for all the usual file formats, not to mention some unspecified games. No word on a release 'round here, but those in Korea can apparently grab one right now, with prices topping out at the local equivalent of $200 or so for the 8GB model.[Via PMP Today]
The great divide between EVE's players and developers
Once upon a time, there was a game about internet spaceships set in a vast galaxy, just waiting to be explored and conquered. It wasn't a huge game in terms of subscribers, in fact it was quite niche, but its small following was devoted. The size of the community allowed the developers to really interact with them and refine the game. The devs were approachable, open, and direct. In many respects, the players and developers were friends. All seemed well in the internet spaceships game, until the player base's numbers grew, and so did the collective din of their voices. The developers soon found they had to be careful about what they said to the players, in case they'd be accused of going back on their word somewhere down the line. At the same time, the game company grew to handle all of these new faces. As with most internet communities, the ever-growing numbers of players became more and more hostile, and the developers grew more and more silent...Then, a developer -- let's call him "t20" -- used his knowledge of the game to cheat a little. Some players received an unfair advantage over others because of this lapse of judgment, and it was revealed publicly. The players became enraged. The developers were embarrassed and apologetic. Many players left the game, or at least loudly professed that they would. Many perceived that the developers, seen as a whole, were untrustworthy. Given how bad this situation was, and seeing no real way to change these perceptions, the game's creators had to accept that this was how things were. The people who built up the game from nothing saw little recourse but to withdraw even further from the very community which was so vital to their success. Does our story end there?
Expressing concerns for EVE Online's player-elected council
As a game developer, CCP has always been the type to do things in a rather unconventional way -- especially when it comes to how they choose to interact with their community. So it's safe to say their approach to dealing with public relations disasters -- such as the now-infamous T20 incident involving a CCP dev -- was going to be interesting. Their decision ended up being the formation of a player-elected council that would serve as a sort of advisory group to the CCP team.Well, Bitter Old Noob was kind enough to give a rundown on this new-fangled idea of putting a bit of democracy into our massively games. The whole post reads as decidedly concerned for what could essentially turn into a popularity contest with the wrong people getting elected and the possibility for CCP to stop listening to non-council players -- it's a valid concern. We'll just have to wait and see, though.Voting apparently begins in May, which gives players interested in earning one of the nine spots on the council time to start campaiging. We'll be keeping tabs on how this all ends up, because this the most extreme case of a developer trying to listen to the voice of their player-base.
Engadget Exclusive: Sony's 2007 Cybershot lineup
That's right, we've got 'em -- catalog shots for Sony's 2007 Cybershot line-up of digital cameras. Go ahead, check the new T20HDPR, T100, T20, H9, H7, G1 (pictured), W200, and W90 Cybershots -- you won't be sorry. All the new cams bring Sony's Super SteadyShot image stabilization and HD output to the show in addition to a hot mix of features spread out across the line; these include such notables as 802.11b/g WiFi with DLNA support, 2GB on-board memory for music playback, a 3-inch tilt-screen LCD, 3.5-inch (yes, 3.5-inch!) LCD, a couple of 15x optical zooms, face-detection technology, and BIONZ image processing -- good to know. Judging by the pics, we can expect a formal, pre-PMA show announcement from Sony on 27 February. Check the gallery below for all the details.%Gallery-1709%[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Pentax's Optio E20 for simple folk
In the rampup to Photokina nought-six, Pentax brings us another new Optio shooter with their entry-level Optio E20. As followup to the E10, the E20 brings 6 megapixels, a 3x optical zoom, 2.4-inch LCD, and a "simple" mode setting which relieves the user of all responsibility for doing anything other than pushing the shiny button up top. No, on TOP we said, that's the zoom button ferchrisake. The E20 runs off a couple of AA batteries 'cause Pentax doesn't trust noobs anywhere near a battery charger. Sorry, no pricing nor ship date, just these pretty pictures. Mmm, pre-tty cam-er-a.
Pentax Optio T20 is tiny, and tangibly sweet
Pentax is throwing down some lightweight love today, too, with its Optio T20 ultracompact joining the beefier K10D DSLR we just brought you. Sporting most of the niceties found on the Optio T10 -- including that ultrathin 0.77-inch enclosure and expansive 3-inch touchscreen LCD -- the Optio T20 also packs a 7 megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom, 640 x 480 movie mode at 30fps, and a nifty stylus used to decorate your images in-camera via the "Drawing Function." You'll also find a rechargeable Li-Ion battery, 12MB of internal storage, and an SD card slot here (sorry, no SDHC just yet) -- all for a reasonable $350. Sadly, though, you'll have to wait until next month to get your hands on one of these shiny little point-and-shoots -- but hey, that's the price you pay for demanding only the freshest gadget news.
