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Video: Intel-backed Volkswagen infotainment system gets demonstrated

by Darren Murph, posted May 20th 2009 at 6:41PM

Volkswagen has been known to dabble in exotic places when it comes to in-dash entertainment, and while it's latest initiative isn't totally far-fetched, it's still worth a peek. The automaker has recently teamed up with Intel in order to develop a prototype head unit that's completely self-enclosed, meaning that there's no carputer hanging out in the trunk handling the dirty work. The touchscreen-based infotainment center shown in the video past the break is rocking Windows XP underneath and gladly accepts a number of gesture-based inputs. For example, motorists can swipe down to play or pause a track, while swiping left or right anywhere on the panel moves the playlist forward or back. The project manager doesn't bother to say when this stuff will actually hit the showroom floor, but CNET has it that you'll be waiting at least three years -- and that's if you're lucky.

[Via CNET]

Continue reading Video: Intel-backed Volkswagen infotainment system gets demonstrated

Acer Aspire One D250 and 531 pop official in Germany

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 1st 2009 at 7:20AM

This is it, folks -- our wildest dreams are coming true. Oh, and in case you aren't savvy on our wildest dreams, we're talking about having more Aspire Ones to talk about than we can even count. At any rate, the rumored Aspire One D250 and ultrathin Aspire One 531 have both grabbed a landing page over on the outfit's German portal, which likely means we're just minutes, hours or centuries away from seeing these slide over to North America. As for the D250, it checks in with a 10.1-inch WSVGA panel, 160GB HDD, 1.6GHz Atom N270 (or an upgraded 1.68GHz N280) processor, Intel's 945GSE chipset, a multicard reader, up to 2GB of RAM, 0.3 megapixel webcam, Ethernet, WiFi and optional WWAN. The latter machine is a sleek, 1-inch thick (maximum) rig with most of the same specs internally. As for pricing? Try €379 ($502) for the D250 and €399 ($529) for the 531.

[Via PortableMonkey]

Read - Aspire One D250
Read - Aspire One 531

Sony's VAIO P going for ?599.95 with T-Mobile Germany data contract

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 7th 2009 at 4:47PM

Thinking of picking up a VAIO P for your left rear pocket? Do you call Deutschland home? In need a mobile data plan? If you've somehow managed to answer yes (or "ja," as it were) to all three of those inquiries, T-Mobile Germany has a deal for you. Sony's WWAN-packin' VAIO P -- which has seen itself subsidized in America on Verizon Wireless -- is currently being offered for just €599.95 (VAT included) with a web'n'walk Connect L data plan. For those too uninspired to search, that's a €400 discount from what it costs to buy outright over there. Tempting, nein?

[Via Pocketables]

Toshiba's TG01 brings gl�ck to Germany with O2 exclusivity

by Ross Miller, posted Mar 3rd 2009 at 3:48PM

Toshiba's TG01 and its surprisingly awesome color bar-centric UI will soon be saying "guten tag" to its German friends. O2's announced that it'll be the exclusive carrier for the phone in Deutschland and will launch it sometime this summer, with mum being the word currently on price. So far it's the only TG01 launch we've heard about on this or any other planet, but we'd reckon a few more carriers will be chiming in soon to pick up the device for their respective countries.

[Via SlashGear]

Panasonic unveils new 11 Series plasma displays in Germany

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 5th 2008 at 5:35PM

While not quite as brain-melting as Panasonic's 150-incher and not nearly as sophisticated as its tru2way-enabled VIERA TH-50PZ80Q, Panny's 11 Series is still worth a gander. Announced today over in Deutschland, the line gets going with the 42-inch TH-42PH11EK/ES and 50-inch TH-50PH11EK/ES, which check in with a 1,024 x 768 and 1,366 x 768 resolution, respectively. Moving on to bigger (or similarly sized) and (mostly) better things, we've got the TH-42PF11EK (42-inch), TH-50PF11EK (50-inch), TH-58PF11EK (58-inch) and the TH-65PF11EK (65-inch), all of which offer a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution and a 30,000:1 contrast ratio. As for pricing and availability, everything smaller than 58-inches can be acquired now for undisclosed amounts, while the big daddies should follow in December.

[Via Macrush]

Gallery: Panasonic unveils new 11 Series plasma displays in Germany

More details on HTC's Touch Diamond / Touch Pro for Verizon and Sprint

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 5th 2008 at 10:22AM

There's no doubt that both of HTC's forthcoming handsets (yeah, the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro) are coming to Sprint and Verizon. What we're still curious about, however, are the respective launch dates and the eventual names. phoneArena has it that the Touch Diamond will go by HTC Victor on Sprint and HTC Diamond on Verizon, with the former packing a slightly speedier CPU, an aluminum frame, accelerometer, 4GB of internal memory and EV-DO Rev. A support. As for Verizon's, expect it to boast half the RAM (128MB), a wimpier CPU, microSD expansion slot and a stainless steel frame. Moving on, we're told that the Touch Pro will be rechristined HTC Herman for Sprint and HTC Raphael (nice to re-meet you!) for The Network. Finally, we're clued in on a September 2nd release date for Sprint's Victor, while the Herman is expected a month later. As for Verizon? It'll probably be 30 or so days behind in both instances thanks to a presumed exclusivity agreement with its nemesis. Get all that?

Nokia to pay German state ?1.3 million to settle Bochum dispute

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 28th 2008 at 10:24AM

Germany wanted $6.2 million in research subsidies back from Nokia, and in addition to the "tens of millions" that the company has already relinquished after the highly-disputed Bochum plant closing, it'll be coughing up another €1.3 million ($2.04 million) to hopefully close the door on the matter. Said payment will be addressed to North Rhine-Westphalia, which was quite angry after the handset maker decided to hack 2,300 jobs from Germany and relocate operations to Romania for "lower labor costs." The sum here is in addition to the €20 million "Growth for Bochum" foundation that the outfit started, but apparently that show of goodwill didn't really change the hearts of those already bitter.

[Via PhoneScoop, image courtesy of Reuters]

Introducing Engadget Korean and German!

by Ryan Block, posted Jul 3rd 2008 at 3:43PM

Remember how when we launched Engadget Poland a couple weeks ago we said that we were just getting started rolling out new international versions of the site? Well, today we're announcing two exciting new Engadgets we've waited for years to get started: Korean and German! They're both in beta, so to speak, so try not to mind the sawdust as we work out the kinks. Big ups to Brian, Jason, Manfred, and everyone at our international teams that made these new sites possible. Oh, and if you're waiting for Engadget in your language of choice, don't worry, Korean and German aren't the last we'll be rolling out!

Read - Engadget Korea
Read - Engadget Germany

Samsung demonstrates e-passport with flexible OLED display

by Darren Murph, posted May 20th 2008 at 1:24AM

It's been a tick since we've heard anything noteworthy on the e-passport front (that's probably a good thing, truth be told), but Samsung SDI and German security printer Bundesdruckerei are out to break the silence. The two have teamed up to demonstrate a passport that boasts a "slim and bendable" OLED color display within a "polycarbonate data page." Predictably, the aforementioned display can be used to "provide a raft of information including a video of the document holder." It's also noted that the units will be heat-resistant, enabling officials to laminate the cards and make them less susceptible to manipulation. Information about a potential release date wasn't divulged, but it sure sounds like this stuff is dangerously close to being ready for use.

Nokia settles with German unions for $314M

by Nilay Patel, posted Apr 8th 2008 at 4:46PM

Nokia's decision to close that factory in Bochum, Germany and move its operations to a cheaper site in Romania might lower costs in the long run, but for now things seem decidedly in red: Nokia and the German unions who represented the 2,000 laid-off workers at the plant have agreed to a €200M ($314M) settlement, which will probably end the demonstrations and calls for boycotts that have been going on. Of course, that's on top of the $92M (plus another $6.2M) the German government wants back in grants and tax breaks for subsidizing the plant, but what's another hundred mil between friends?

[Via Textually.org; image courtesy of Reuters]

Copulare's $2,350 iCoral iPod dock is just as absurd as you think

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 7th 2008 at 4:28PM

To be honest, JVC's P-Series LCD line may still hold the crown for most expensive iPod dock, but at least it comes with an expansive 1080p panel, right? Pushing aside a number of a worthy opponents on its charge to most absurd / unnecessary iPod dock evar, the iCoral supposedly features a top plate constructed from artificial coral and is proudly decorated with a "very artistic design" (Copulare's words, not ours). 'Round back, you'll find USB, S-Video and stereo analog outputs, but we're simply not seeing the slit in which your currency of choice comes out of at the press of a button. Due to that unfortunate omission, we're suggesting you hold tight to your €1,500 ($2,355) -- unless you're one David Beckham, of course.

[Via UberReview]

Germany wants $6.2 million in research subsidies back from Nokia

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 17th 2008 at 8:20AM

As if being on the hook for $92 million wasn't enough, Nokia is now being chased down for what looks to be another €4 million or so, which comes out to just over $6.2 million. This time, the German government is "demanding" that Nokia repay said amount in research subsidies now that it is closing its factory in Bochum. Reportedly, the German Research Ministry gifted the cellphone maker with €4 million in order to "fund four separate research projects dealing primarily with new antennae and wireless transmission technology," and now it's asking Nokia to "explain by early April which patent filings resulted from the projects and which German production or research sites benefited from the results of the projects." So much for basking in the glory of Q4, eh?

[Via IntoMobile, image courtesy of Reuters]

German state after $92 million in subsidies, interest from Nokia

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 11th 2008 at 5:38PM

Looks as if Nokia's going to be using a portion of that gigantic profit it raked in during Q4 to appease NRW.Bank -- unless a meeting it hopes to establish within the next few days changes matters, that is. Apparently, a German state has "asked" the handset maker to hand back government-issued subsidies (with interest, no less) that it received to build a cellphone factory in Bochum which it now plans to close. In sum, Nokia's looking at a tab of $92 million, as the folks in the industrial Ruhr region are none too pleased about what will likely result in the loss of some 2,300 jobs. Purportedly, the cash is due by March 31st, and if Nokia refuses to comply, the bank has stated that it will "take legal action to secure payment." Them's fightin' words there.

Vodafone's Otello draws a blank on Chancellor Angela Merkel query

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 5th 2008 at 8:24AM

If there's one person at CeBIT you don't want to not recognize, it's German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Nevertheless, we can only assume that Vodafone booth workers were left with their tails stuck between their legs after said figure gave its recently announced picture-based search engine a go. Upon Otella returning nothing after a picture was presumably snapped of Merkel, she quickly asserted: "I am not in the database." Better still, she continued by proclaiming: "That's a major gap." Heck, maybe she should be happy -- after all, Vodafone's set to trial the service with Europe's "best selling tabloid," and not being in there would most certainly be a good thing.

Vodafone's Otello search engine uses images, not text

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 4th 2008 at 9:36AM

We've certainly seen some clever methods of searching from one's mobile, but Vodafone's latest idea is quite the stroke of genius. Showcased at CeBIT, the Otello search engine simply uses images as input; in other words, handset owners just snap a picture of anything -- a landmark, DVD case, unidentified flying object, etc. -- and Otello then "returns information relevant to the picture to the mobile phone." Reportedly, Vodafone is expected to conduct a trial with German paper Bild in which readers can "find out more about specially-marked articles by photographing them with their mobile's camera and sending the image to [the aforementioned paper]." Unfortunately, the carrier is being tight-lipped with its plans for Otello beyond the trial, but if this stuff functions as advertised, we can't see it remaining a secret for long.

[Via Pocket-lint]