Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Democratic Republic of Congo bans text messaging]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/20/democratic-republic-of-congo-bans-text-messaging/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/20/democratic-republic-of-congo-bans-text-messaging/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/20/democratic-republic-of-congo-bans-text-messaging/#comments
After a controversial presidential election that saw Joseph Kabila retain the office amid fierce protests, the Democratic Republic of Congo has shut down the nation's text messaging services in order to restore public order. Civil liberties concerns aside, it's proving to be highly dangerous for the one point four million deaf residents who rely on text messaging. Normally they would receive safety signals when conflict broke out in their vicinity -- leading to people being caught unawares in crossfires who would otherwise have remained indoors. Human Rights organization ASADHO has said the crackdown could lead to further deaths, especially for people in remote areas and has joined numerous others in requesting the repeal of the ban.

Democratic Republic of Congo bans text messaging originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AfricaASADHOCivil LibertiesCivilLibertiesCongoDeafDeaf CommunityDeafCommunityDemocratic Republic of CongoDemocraticRepublicOfCongoDR CongoDrCongoFree SpeechFreeSpeechJoseph KabilaJosephKabilaPoliticsSMSSocial MediaSocialMediaText MessagingTextMessagingTue, 20 Dec 2011 18:34:00 EST<![CDATA[VMK Way-C tablet shows off its full figure, on sale for $300 in select countries this October]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/20/vmk-way-c-tablet-shows-off-its-full-figure-on-sale-for-300-in/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/20/vmk-way-c-tablet-shows-off-its-full-figure-on-sale-for-300-in/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/20/vmk-way-c-tablet-shows-off-its-full-figure-on-sale-for-300-in/#comments We got a look at the back of the African-designed VMK tablet awhile ago, and today we got a bit more info about its pending release. The slate, now named the Way-C, is set to go on sale in October -- a month later than initially expected -- for $300, and we finally got a look at the front side of the thing. If you like what you see, hopefully you're reading this in Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Gabon, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Senegal or Belgium, 'cause those are the only places you can pick one up. If not, well, the plethora of pics in the gallery below will have to suffice.

Gallery: VMK Way-C tablet shows off its full figure, on sale for $300 in select countries this October

VMK Way-C tablet shows off its full figure, on sale for $300 in select countries this October originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 06:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>africaafricanandroidandroid 2.3Android2.3congocongolesegingerbreadslatetabletvmkvmk way-cVmkWay-cway cway-cWayCTue, 20 Sep 2011 06:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Congolese VMK Gingerbread tablet eager to show its face, shipping in September]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/27/african-designed-vmk-gingerbread-tablet-eager-to-show-its-face/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/27/african-designed-vmk-gingerbread-tablet-eager-to-show-its-face/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/27/african-designed-vmk-gingerbread-tablet-eager-to-show-its-face/#comments This is the upcoming tablet from Congolese company VMK -- or, rather, this is the back of the upcoming tablet. We received a note from the company's CEO explaining that, while the Gingerbread slate is making its internet debut, the front isn't quite ready for public consumption, seeing as how the company is a bit worried about getting poached by copycats as it attempts to register a few trademarks. The Android 2.3.3 tablet is apparently ramping up for a September release in its native Africa, though the company is still looking for more funding, seeing as how difficult it can be to launch a CE product in that part of the world. The device is targeted toward developing nations, and will likely have a price to match, for now, feel free to get acquainted with its rear in the gallery below.

Gallery: Congolese VMK Gingerbread tablet eager to show its face, shipping in September

Congolese VMK Gingerbread tablet eager to show its face, shipping in September

Congolese VMK Gingerbread tablet eager to show its face, shipping in September originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>africaafricanandroid 2.3.3android tabletAndroid2.3.3AndroidTabletcongocongolesegingerbreadtabletvmkMon, 27 Jun 2011 12:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Just say no: Apple and Intel stop using conflict minerals]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/05/just-say-no-apple-and-intel-stop-using-conflict-minerals/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/05/just-say-no-apple-and-intel-stop-using-conflict-minerals/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/05/just-say-no-apple-and-intel-stop-using-conflict-minerals/#comments While the US government hasn't issued an outright ban against the use of 'conflict minerals' coming from the Congo, it has passed a law that will require companies who use them to tell all of us when our gadgets have been paid for (in part) with blood. Looks like Apple and Intel weren't too keen on the bad PR that would come from such disclosures, and joined the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition and its Conflict-Free Smelter program. The program requires mineral processing plants either prove that they don't fund the ongoing hostilities in central Africa or peddle their war-supporting wares elsewhere. For now, that means that the folks in Cupertino and Santa Clara will have to find other sources for the three Ts (tungsten, tin, and tantalum) needed to sate our technological appetites.

Just say no: Apple and Intel stop using conflict minerals originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 05:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>africaapplecomponentsconflictconflict mineralsConflictMineralscongocopperEICCElectronic Industry Citizenship CoalitionElectronicIndustryCitizenshipCoalitionintelmaterialsmetalmineralspoliticsresourcestantalumtintungstenworld eventsWorldEventsTue, 05 Apr 2011 05:02:00 EST<![CDATA[New law requires gadget companies to disclose 'conflict mineral' use]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/26/new-law-requires-gadget-companies-to-disclose-conflict-mineral/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/26/new-law-requires-gadget-companies-to-disclose-conflict-mineral/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/26/new-law-requires-gadget-companies-to-disclose-conflict-mineral/#comments When President Obama put his pen to the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act last week, it wasn't just financial reform he signed into law, but also a stipulation that may affect your gadget purchases down the road. You see, at present your technology includes some amount of tantalum, tungsten and tin, three rare earths that happen to be mined heavily in the Congo... and thus indirectly linked to poverty, rape and death. The new US law won't stop that, and doesn't restrict any sort of trade -- it merely requires companies to disclose the use of such materials in independent audits filed with their annual financial reports. It does, however, allow companies that don't use bloody rocks to label their products "conflict-free," so we're sure astute marketing gurus are developing plenty of new all-plastic gizmos even as we speak. For the children, of course.

Continue reading New law requires gadget companies to disclose 'conflict mineral' use

New law requires gadget companies to disclose 'conflict mineral' use originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>africaconflictconflict mineralsConflictMineralscongometalmineralspoliticstantalumtintungstenworld eventsWorldEventsMon, 26 Jul 2010 07:12:00 EST<![CDATA[ASUS' Congo-based Eee PC 1201T pops up on Amazon's German portal]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/21/asus-congo-based-eee-pc-1201t-pops-up-on-amazons-german-portal/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/21/asus-congo-based-eee-pc-1201t-pops-up-on-amazons-german-portal/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/21/asus-congo-based-eee-pc-1201t-pops-up-on-amazons-german-portal/#commentsTired of waiting for the Eee PC 1201T to ship? Impatient, aren't we? We've been wondering about the status of this here netbook since it came to light last November, and now it looks like the Germans are about to get a real, live taste of AMD's Congo platform. Boasting a 1.6GHz MV40 CPU, the same look and feel that we've grown accustomed to on Eee PC netbooks, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, ATI HD3200 GPU and Windows 7 on the OS front, this is certainly one of the more unique machines in the sea of Atomized "me-toos." The pain? €399 ($560), and the first batch is expected to ship out tomorrow. Here's hoping the price dips somewhat when it makes its Stateside debut.

ASUS' Congo-based Eee PC 1201T pops up on Amazon's German portal originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1201tamazonamdamd congoAmdCongoASUSasus eee pcasus eee pc 1201tAsusEeePcAsusEeePc1201tavailabilityavailablecongoeee pceee pc 1201tEeePcEeePc1201tgermanyionmv40netbooknow shippingNowShippingnvidianvidia ionNvidiaIonshipshipsThu, 21 Jan 2010 10:55:00 EST<![CDATA[ASUS' Ion 2-based Eee PC to launch in April]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/21/asus-ion-2-based-eee-pc-to-launch-in-april/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/21/asus-ion-2-based-eee-pc-to-launch-in-april/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/21/asus-ion-2-based-eee-pc-to-launch-in-april/#comments Rather than mongering yet another rumor, DigiTimes is apparently reporting as fact that an Ion 2-powered Eee PC will launch in April. It's also expected to host a 12-inch display if we're reading this report correctly. That NVIDIA boost is welcome news since the Pine Trail-only bump given to its Eee PC 1005PE didn't offer much in the way of performance improvements and still can't handle YouTube video in HD. While no direct prices were given, Atom N450-based Eees are expected to drop in price to NT$14,000 (about $439) in Q2 after ASUS depletes its stock of legacy N270- and N280-based Atom netbooks. DigiTimes also notes that its 10-inch Eee PC T101 convertible touchscreen tablet (the T101MT presumably) will launch in late February along with a 12-inch Eee PC built around AMD's Congo.

ASUS' Ion 2-based Eee PC to launch in April originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amdasusatomcongodigitimeseee pcEeePcionion 2Ion2netbooknvidiat101t101mtThu, 21 Jan 2010 02:50:00 EST<![CDATA[ASUS shows off Congo-based Eee PC 1201T netbook]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/30/asus-shows-off-congo-ion-based-eee-pc-1201t-netbook/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/30/asus-shows-off-congo-ion-based-eee-pc-1201t-netbook/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/30/asus-shows-off-congo-ion-based-eee-pc-1201t-netbook/#comments ASUS' Eee PC 1201HA just went on sale here in the States earlier today, but already it seems that the debatable father of netbooks is looking to one-up its own with the 1201T. Shown off recently at an event overseas, this 12.1-inch netbook gets powered by AMD's Congo platform. The 1.6GHz MV40 CPU was at the helm, followed along by 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 250GB hard drive, 6-cell battery and an enclosure that looks pretty much like every other Eee PC announced within the past six months. Mum's the word on price and availability, but we're guessing both of those will clear themselves up in short order.

Update: The Eee PC 1201T doesn't have the ION chipset. Those responsible have been responsibly sacked.

ASUS shows off Congo-based Eee PC 1201T netbook originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1201tamdASUSasus eee pcasus eee pc 1201tAsusEeePcAsusEeePc1201tcongoeee pceee pc 1201tEeePcEeePc1201tin the wildInTheWildionmv40netbooknvidianvidia ionNvidiaIonMon, 30 Nov 2009 12:37:00 EST<![CDATA[AMD's Congo platform getting really official next month?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/18/amds-congo-platform-getting-really-official-next-month/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/18/amds-congo-platform-getting-really-official-next-month/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/18/amds-congo-platform-getting-really-official-next-month/#comments
AMD's never been much for keeping to the roadmap, and it looks like the curious launch of its Congo platform is evidence of that very fact. If you'll recall, we actually saw a Congo-based netbook launch way back in June, and it was expected that a flood of other ultrathin machines would follow shortly thereafter. According to DigiTimes, the demand in the market just wasn't there (thanks, recession!), so everything was pushed back until November. Lo and behold, our Gregorian calendar has that very month on deck for next, and according to mythical sources at laptop makers, the platform should make its super-duper official debut within a matter of weeks. The dual-core Turion Neo X2 L625, Athlon Neo X2 L335/L325 and / or single-core Athlon Neo MV-40 should be front and center, and AMD is apt to announce progress on its Nile and Brazos platforms -- both of which should help carry the chip maker through the next two years. Look out Atom, you've got some delayed competition coming your way.

Update: Seems as if this may all just be a "second wave" of sorts when many PC makers choose to launch machines based on this platform alongside Windows 7's debut. AMD informed us that the November delay notion was also false, and we get the feeling that Congo's just been waiting for Win7 to really get itself out there.

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AMD's Congo platform getting really official next month? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 08:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>45nmamdathlon neoAthlon Neo MV-40Athlon Neo X2 L335AthlonNeoAthlonNeoMv-40AthlonNeoX2L335brazoscongoculvdual coredual-coreDualCoreL325L335m780gmidneoNeo MV-40Neo X2 L325NeoX2L325netbookNileplatformrumorthin and lightThinAndLightTigristurionTurion Neo X2 L625TurionNeoX2L625ultraportableultrathinumpcSun, 18 Oct 2009 08:14:00 EST<![CDATA[Acer Ferrari One hands-on, and more from AMD's VISION event]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/11/acer-ferrari-one-hands-on-and-more-from-amds-vision-event/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/11/acer-ferrari-one-hands-on-and-more-from-amds-vision-event/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/11/acer-ferrari-one-hands-on-and-more-from-amds-vision-event/#comments Despite the infamous logo and hot red lid, Acer's Congo-based Ferrari One "ultrathin notebook" (read: netbook) managed to blend in rather well among a number of other laptops (at least 15, by our count) on display at AMD's VISION event yesterday. The chassis felt pretty sturdy and the keys had the right amount of bounce... and we'd love to tell you more, but like all but a handful of portables on display, it was resolved to play the same video over and over again, refusing to acknowledge our key-pressed directives. We also decided to take snapshots of the entire display lineup, although more than a few here are previously-seen models -- it was pretty much just a rebranding, after all. See them all for yourself in the galleries below!

Gallery: Acer Ferrari One hands-on


More Galleries

Acer
ASUS
HP
MSI
Toshiba

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Acer Ferrari One hands-on, and more from AMD's VISION event originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>16844540 g4540G5538 g5538G55405542a500 dA500Daceracer aspireacer ferrariacer ferrari oneAcerAspireAcerFerrariAcerFerrariOneamdamd visionAmdVisionaspireaspire 4540 gaspire 5538 gaspire 5540aspire 5542Aspire4540GAspire5538GAspire5540Aspire5542asusasus f83tasus n60dpasus premiumAsusF83tAsusN60dpAsusPremiumcongocr610dv2dv4dv6f83 tF83Tfeaturedfeaturesferrarihands onhands-onHandsOnhewlitt packardHewlittPackardhphp dv2hp dv4hp dv6hp pavilionHpDv2HpDv4HpDv6HpPavilionmsimsi 1584msi cr610msi x430Msi1584MsiCr610MsiX430n60dpnet bookNetBookonepavilionpremiumtoshibatoshiba a500 dToshibaA500Dtouch smarttouch smart tx2TouchSmartTouchSmartTx2tx2ultra thinUltraThinvisionx430Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Acer's Congo-based 11.6-inch Ferrari One: finally, a netbook with speed]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/acers-11-6-inch-ferrari-one-finally-a-netbook-with-speed/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/acers-11-6-inch-ferrari-one-finally-a-netbook-with-speed/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/acers-11-6-inch-ferrari-one-finally-a-netbook-with-speed/#comments We've seen a couple of netbooks that we'd actually consider to be mildly quick, but given that locating an Ion-based netbook is about as easy as entering North Korea with a US passport, we haven't had much of a chance to really love on 'em. Today, Acer is extending its boutique Ferrari lineup with the Ferrari One, an 11.6-inch machine that is among the first to rely on AMD's newly announced Congo platform. Packed within the chassis is a dual-core 1.2GHz Athlon X2 L310 CPU, ATI's Radeon 3200 graphics, an XPG port for connecting an external graphics solution, a 1,366 x 768 panel, WiFi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN and a 6-cell battery. You'll also notice AMD Vision and Windows 7 badges alongside the obligatory prancing pony, but you can bet you'll be paying dearly for this when it ships on (surprise, surprise) October 22nd. How dearly? Try £435 ($724), or roughly the cost of a single lug nut on an F430.

[Via TrustedReviews]

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Acer's Congo-based 11.6-inch Ferrari One: finally, a netbook with speed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aceramd visionAmdVisionathlonathlon x2Athlon X2 L310AthlonX2AthlonX2L310congoexternal gpuexternal graphicsExternalGpuExternalGraphicsferrariferrari f200FerrariF200l310netbookultraportablevisionwindows 7Windows7xgpThu, 10 Sep 2009 19:22:00 EST<![CDATA[AMD Tigris and Congo mobile platforms focus on multimedia, longer battery life]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/amd-tigris-and-congo-mobile-platforms-focus-on-multimedia-longe/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/amd-tigris-and-congo-mobile-platforms-focus-on-multimedia-longe/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/amd-tigris-and-congo-mobile-platforms-focus-on-multimedia-longe/#comments Stop the presses! AMD has kept to its roadmap. Alright, start the presses up again. The Tigris laptop platform, announced today, is all set to become AMD's "mainstream" weapon of choice, with the centrally touted features being full 1080p, DirectX 10.1 support and offloading video encoding to the Radeon HD 4200 GPU. Add in the new 45nm dual core Caspian CPUs, with speeds ranging up to 2.6GHz, and the result is a substantial 42 percent improvement in multimedia performance to go along with 25 percent longer battery life. Alas, that'll still only net you an hour and 55 minutes of "active use" and just under five hours in idle, according to AMD. The Congo, offering the same HD video and DX10.1 support, does a little better at two hours 26 minutes of utility, thanks to its HD 3200 and dual core Neo chips inside. That'll hardly trouble Intel's CULV range of marathon runners, but then Intel's processors don't pack quite as much grunt. AMD's own Pat Moorehead got to test drive laptops based on the two new platforms and was enraptured by their raw, snarling power. Of course, he would be. The majority of OEMs have signed up for this party, with models expected to arrive in time for the release of Windows 7.

[Via TG Daily]

Read - Tigris processors
Read - Pat Moorehead tests Tigris laptop
Read - Congo features
Read - Pat Moorehead tests Congo laptop

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AMD Tigris and Congo mobile platforms focus on multimedia, longer battery life originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AMDAMD CongoAMD TigrisAmdCongoAmdTigrisCaspianCongoCongo platformCongoPlatformFull HDFullHdlaptopmainstreammainstream notebook platformMainstreamNotebookPlatformmobile platformMobilePlatformTigrisTigris platformTigrisPlatformThu, 10 Sep 2009 05:04:00 EST<![CDATA[AMD plans 'Congo' chipset for a future world of thin-and-lights, dodging netbooks for now]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/11/amd-plans-congo-chipset-for-a-future-world-of-thin-and-lights/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/11/amd-plans-congo-chipset-for-a-future-world-of-thin-and-lights/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/11/amd-plans-congo-chipset-for-a-future-world-of-thin-and-lights/#comments
Just like your mom keeps telling you, AMD thinks netbooks are a bit of a fad, and is laying down a roadmap for thin-and-lights while keeping its distance from any sort of "Atom killer." The existing Yukon platform -- featured in HP's dv2 -- just got an upgrade in the form of a dual-core AMD Neo chip, but things will really start to get exciting later this year with the introduction of Congo, which will pair a dual-core Neo with much better graphics and a more modern chipset. Perks in Congo, which is based on the M780G chipset and sports ATI Radeon HD 3200 IGP graphics, include hardware decoding for HD formats, DirectX 10 gaming, love for DisplayPort, HDMI and eSATA, and Hybrid Graphics potential for pairing the integrated chipset with discrete graphics. The hope is to compete well against Intel's CULV and NVIDIA's 9400M in the low-cost thin-and-light space, and if the price stays down and performance pans out, Congo just might.

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AMD plans 'Congo' chipset for a future world of thin-and-lights, dodging netbooks for now originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amdcongoneoroadmapthin and lightThinAndLightyukonThu, 11 Jun 2009 18:49:00 EST<![CDATA[British surgeon saves life by obeying SMS instructions]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/10/british-surgeon-saves-life-by-obeying-sms-instructions/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/10/british-surgeon-saves-life-by-obeying-sms-instructions/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/10/british-surgeon-saves-life-by-obeying-sms-instructions/#commentsNot that we haven't seen text messaging save a life before, but this situation was clearly more intense than anything we've heard of in the past. British vascular surgeon David Nott was volunteering in the Democratic Republic of the Congo when faced with a 16-year-old boy that had "his left arm ripped off." With the knowledge that it was "badly infected and gangrenous," he relied on SMS instructions from a colleague in England in order to perform a forequarter amputation. Out of respect for your stomach, we'll spare you the details (believe us, plenty are in the read link), but the end result was that the boy was able to survive thanks to the text-based how-to guide. Who says messaging has no practical purpose?

[Via textually]

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British surgeon saves life by obeying SMS instructions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>africabritishcongodoctordr congoDrCongoglobalhealthmedicalmessagingmobilesmssurgerytexttext messagestext messagingtextingTextMessagesTextMessagingWed, 10 Dec 2008 00:11:00 EST