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[Shocker! New RIM CEO targets existing BlackBerry users for upgrades]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/27/shocker-new-rim-ceo-targets-existing-blackberry-users-for-upgra/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/27/shocker-new-rim-ceo-targets-existing-blackberry-users-for-upgra/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/27/shocker-new-rim-ceo-targets-existing-blackberry-users-for-upgra/#commentsAll of new RIM CEO Thorsten Heins' fresh ideas will apparently still be revealed to the company's board in a couple of weeks, but he's already dropped some gems in interviews with the Wall Street Journal and Reuters (update: and Bloomberg). First item on the agenda? Getting current users upgraded to the latest and greatest BlackBerry hardware. Citing internal statistics that indicate 80- to 90- percent of the company's customer base aren't running BlackBerry 7 hardware yet, it will work closely with US carriers to promote upgrades until the new BB10 devices hit later this year. There's no word on what the carrier deals include, but he hinted at device or preloaded app bundles. He also promised an LTE version of the PlayBook would arrive this spring, with LTE connected handsets also planned for the BlackBerry 10 lineup. Is that enough to turn around RIM's fortunes in the US, where he acknowledged the company is "a turnaround candidate"? We'll find out, but as obvious as the need to placate the already BBM-addicted may be, execution of the plan is everything.

Shocker! New RIM CEO targets existing BlackBerry users for upgrades originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bb7BlackBerryblackberry 10blackberry 7blackberry osBlackberry10Blackberry7BlackberryOscarriersltemobilepostminiplaybookrimshockertabletThorstenHeinsupgradeusFri, 27 Jan 2012 22:47:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Tablet ad requests up 700 percent during 2011]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/22/shocker-tablet-ad-requests-up-700-percent-during-2011/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/22/shocker-tablet-ad-requests-up-700-percent-during-2011/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/22/shocker-tablet-ad-requests-up-700-percent-during-2011/#comments Good news: all those new tablets you see reported on these pages aren't being stolen by elves; they're entering the human population at large and -- most Christmassy of all -- they're displaying ads. Google told TechCrunch that its AdMob platform saw eight billion ad requests from tablets during the month of November, compared to one lonely billion back in December 2010. Total AdMob requests amount to roughly three billion per day, however, so tablet advertising is still sugary froth compared to that on smartphones.

Shocker! Tablet ad requests up 700 percent during 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011admobadvertisingchristmasgooglegoogle admobGoogleAdmobmobile advertisingMobileAdvertisingshockerstatstablettablet PCTabletPctabletstrafficThu, 22 Dec 2011 15:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Microsoft to produce dual-core, LTE Windows Phones, other modern things]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/10/shocker-microsoft-to-produce-dual-core-lte-windows-phones-oth/http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/10/shocker-microsoft-to-produce-dual-core-lte-windows-phones-oth/http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/10/shocker-microsoft-to-produce-dual-core-lte-windows-phones-oth/#comments This just in: Microsoft is ready to take the plunge into mobile modernity... at its own pace. During a recent interview with All Things D, Windows Phone President Andy Lees revealed a few details about Redmond's future crop of handsets, which will apparently include both LTE capabilities and dual-core processors. The exec confirmed that LTE-equipped devices are indeed in the pipeline, but declined to specify whether they'd hit the market this year or next. Turns out, Microsoft wants to wait until current LTE networks prove capable of supporting more power-efficient smartphones. "The first LTE phones were big and big [users] of the battery," Lees said. "I think it's possible to do it in a way that is far more efficient, and that's what we will be doing."

Lees was similarly opaque about Microsoft's plans to incorporate dual-core CPUs into its mobile lineup, saying only that they're on the way. According to him, however, even single-core Windows Phones can hold their own against the dual-core competition: "They're all single core, but I suspect that they will be faster in usage than any dual-core phone that you put against it, and that's the point." Lees went on to wax Panglossian about Microsoft's strategy, claiming that the absence of LTE and dual-core processing doesn't necessarily mean that his company is behind the times. "I think that what our strategy is is to put things in place that allow us to leapfrog, and I think that's how we've gone from worse [sic] browser to the best browser," he explained, "and I think the same is true with hardware." Check out the full interview for yourself, at the source link below.

Shocker! Microsoft to produce dual-core, LTE Windows Phones, other modern things originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>andy leesAndyLeesbatterybusinessCPUdual coredual core CPUdual-coreDualCoreDualCoreCpuhandsetinterviewLTEmangomicrosoftmobilepostcrossnetworkprocessorshockersingle coreSingleCoresmartphonestrategywindows phoneWindowsPhoneMon, 10 Oct 2011 13:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony PlayStation Vita battery life: as little as three hours on a charge]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/16/sony-playstation-vita-battery-life-as-little-as-three-hours-on/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/16/sony-playstation-vita-battery-life-as-little-as-three-hours-on/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/16/sony-playstation-vita-battery-life-as-little-as-three-hours-on/#comments We've had plenty of QT with the Vita on the floor at TGS, but battery life is hard to judge when you can't take the device away with you. Back at our earlier hands-on in June we were told that longevity should be on a par with first-gen PSPs, which were all rated at 4-6 hours and -- with the PSP-1000 -- achieved around 3.5-5.5 hours in real-world tests. Now though, Sony says the Vita has just enough juice for 3-5 hours' gaming. We need to play this thing to death before we can be sure, but this does sound like a potential 15-25% drop in minimum play time. Do we care at this point? Not particularly. We're too busy salivating over this.

Sony PlayStation Vita battery life: as little as three hours on a charge originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>batterybattery lifeBatteryLifeNGPPlayStationPlayStation VitaPlaystationVitaPSP2shockerSonySony PlayStation VitaSonyPlaystationVitaTGSTGS 2011Tgs2011VitaFri, 16 Sep 2011 10:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! British civil servants spend a lot on new PCs]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/28/shocker-british-civil-servants-spend-a-lot-on-new-pcs/http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/28/shocker-british-civil-servants-spend-a-lot-on-new-pcs/http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/28/shocker-british-civil-servants-spend-a-lot-on-new-pcs/#comments The British government just got put on Supernanny's naughty step for paying too high a price for new PCs. A parliamentary scrutiny committee accused civil servants of being naively ripped off by a "cartel" of big IT firms, who steal charge as much as £3,500 ($5,700) per file-donkey -- that's around ten times the open market rate for a basic machine. However, at risk of pooping on the UK's moral outrage party, an equally moral sense of fairness compels us to play devil's advocate here. After all, the figure of £3,500 covers "infrastructure" and "applications" as well as the plain old computer, and those categories might include a whole array of expensive add-ons, like tailored software, servers, high-speed internet, and even technical support. Of course, we could be wrong about this, in which case Jo Frost can punish us however she sees fit.

Shocker! British civil servants spend a lot on new PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BritainBritishBritish governmentBritishGovernmentcivil servantsCivilServantsgovernmentgovernment spendingGovernmentSpendingparliamentparliamentaryparliamentary committeeParliamentaryCommitteescrutinyscrutiny committeeScrutinyCommitteeShockerspendingThu, 28 Jul 2011 10:44:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Gamer behavior is actually quite predictable]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/14/shocker-gamer-behavior-is-actually-quite-predictable/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/14/shocker-gamer-behavior-is-actually-quite-predictable/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/14/shocker-gamer-behavior-is-actually-quite-predictable/#comments Isn't it curious how you always crack open a beer before settling in for some GTA? Or how you tend to put an anxious hand over your wallet when logging onto PSN? No soldier, it is not curious. Not at all. But this is: Researchers at North Carolina State University claim they've found a way to predict your in-game behavior with "up to 80 percent accuracy." After analyzing the decision-making of 14,000 World of Warcraft players, they noticed that different players prefer different types of achievements. These preferred achievements clump together into statistically significant groups, known as "cliques", even if they have nothing obvious in common. So a WoW player who likes to improve their unarmed combat skills also, for some psychological reason, tends to want points for world travel. What's more, the researchers believe that clique-spotting can be exploited outside the rather specific world of WoW, in which case their method could prove lucrative to game designers, online retailers and pretty much anyone with an interest in predicting your next move. Want to know more? Then we predict you'll click the PR after the break.

Continue reading Shocker! Gamer behavior is actually quite predictable

Shocker! Gamer behavior is actually quite predictable originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analysisbehaviorgamernorth carolina state universityNorthCarolinaStateUniversityobservationpredictionpredictivepsychologyresearchsequentialshockerstatisticsstudyworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftTue, 14 Jun 2011 16:47:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! The internet is not egalitarian, popular forum posters have it easy]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/13/shocker-the-internet-is-not-egalitarian-popular-forum-posters/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/13/shocker-the-internet-is-not-egalitarian-popular-forum-posters/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/13/shocker-the-internet-is-not-egalitarian-popular-forum-posters/#comments Researchers at the University of Georgia analyzed six years' worth of Usenet posts, and you know what they discovered? Life ain't fair. The most popular two percent of posters who started discussion threads hogged 50 percent of all replies, while everyone else struggled for attention. What made some thread-starters more attractive than others? Thankfully it wasn't rampant flaming. The distinguishing trait was actually how factual they were: only 12 percent of posts by popular posters contained personal opinions or comments. However, posting a bit of news isn't all it takes to win followers. In a related experiment, 200 volunteers were unleashed onto "simulated" discussion forums and their behavior revealed an even more important factor. The slightly flummoxed researchers called it a "preferential attachment", which pulled readers towards posters who already had an excess of followers. In other words, life still ain't fair. For a delightfully factual breakdown of the full results, check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Shocker! The internet is not egalitarian, popular forum posters have it easy

Shocker! The internet is not egalitarian, popular forum posters have it easy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>behaviorcommunicationdiscussionexperimentforumhierarchymessageboardpopularpopularityresearchshockerstatisticsstatsstudyuniversity of georgiaUniversityOfGeorgiausenetMon, 13 Jun 2011 11:11:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Microsoft commands 79 percent of worldwide OS revenue (update)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/30/dnp-shocker-microsoft-commands-79-percent-of-worldwide-os-reven/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/30/dnp-shocker-microsoft-commands-79-percent-of-worldwide-os-reven/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/30/dnp-shocker-microsoft-commands-79-percent-of-worldwide-os-reven/#comments
Everyone knows that Windows is installed on the vast majority of computers, but it's always interesting to be reminded of what a cash cow the OS has been for Redmond. According to Gartner, Microsoft owned 78.6 percent of the global market revenue share for desktop operating systems at the end of 2010 -- revenue up almost 9 percent from 2009. That means, of the $30.4 billion in revenue that various companies generated, $23.8 billion lined Microsoft's coffers. But while Windows remains the kingpin, Mac OS X and -- wait for it -- Red Hat, posted more substantial gains. Apple's market revenue shot up almost 16 percent to 1.7 percent, Red Hat surged 18 percent, while dark horse Oracle leaped from ninth place to fourth, with a 7,683 percent growth in income -- no small thanks to its 2009 acquisition of Sun Microsystems. Only one question remains, then -- who's the loser here?

Update: Looks like we got this one wrong, folks, as it's not market share that's being measured here, but rather revenue share -- how much money each company made from its operating systems relative to one another. That means companies that price their operating systems cheaper will be at a disadvantage in the rankings, not to mention those organizations that charge nothing at all -- Ubuntu, anyone? Oh, and as some of you have pointed out in comments, there are both desktop and server operating systems in the chart above.

Continue reading Shocker! Microsoft commands 79 percent of worldwide OS revenue (update)

Shocker! Microsoft commands 79 percent of worldwide OS revenue (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AppleGartnerLinuxMac OS XMacOsXmarket shareMarketShareMicrosoftMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoftWindowsoperating systemoperating systemsOperatingSystemOperatingSystemsoracleOSRed HatRedHatshockerstatisticstatisticsstatsstatsaholicsun microsystemsSunMicrosystemsWindowsSat, 30 Apr 2011 15:22:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Free Android apps outnumber free iPhone apps]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/28/shocker-free-android-apps-outnumber-free-iphone-apps/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/28/shocker-free-android-apps-outnumber-free-iphone-apps/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/28/shocker-free-android-apps-outnumber-free-iphone-apps/#comments
Good news for Android users who hate paying for stuff: according to new numbers from Netherlands-based mobile analytics group Distimo, there are now more free apps available for Google's mobile OS than the iPhone, at 134,342 to 121,845. There are a few things to consider here: first, when one adds free iPad-only apps, the total number of gratis iOS apps increases to a more competitive 132,239. And then there's Apple's sometimes rigorous vetting process, which has probably played a role in its numeric slippage -- after all, this report doesn't highlight things like legality, repetition, or the overall number of apps dedicated to making farting noises. Also, Apple has a lot more premium apps, giving it the overall lead at 333,124 to 206,143 -- but between Android's rapid growth and what the report terms iOS's relative stagnation, Distimo expects Google to take the top spot in five months' time, outnumbering iPhone and iPad apps combined -- a rough scenario for Cupertino to stomach, no doubt, but at least the company will still have Windows Phone to kick around a while longer. [Source link requires registration]

Shocker! Free Android apps outnumber free iPhone apps originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analyticsAndroidandroid marketAndroidMarketappApp StoreAppleapple app storeAppleAppStoreappsAppStoreDistimofreefree appsFreeAppsGoogleiosipadiphonemobile appsMobileAppsshockerThu, 28 Apr 2011 22:04:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Instant messaging gains popularity as TXTing declines, BBM to blame]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/25/shocker-instant-messaging-gains-popularity-as-txting-declines/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/25/shocker-instant-messaging-gains-popularity-as-txting-declines/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/25/shocker-instant-messaging-gains-popularity-as-txting-declines/#commentsApparently, those young'uns just love their BBM. According to a report by the research group Mobile Youth, young folk (read: those of you between 15 and 24) are increasingly abandoning SMS in favor of instant messaging apps, with texting expected to drop off 20 percent over the next two years. The main culprit? BlackBerry Messenger, which now boasts over 39 million users, many of them living outside the US. In fact, it's in the UK, Indonesia, South Africa, and Brazil -- all popular markets for BBM -- that Mobile Youth expects texting to dwindle the most. And if BBM is to blame, well, that drop-off could be just the beginning.

Shocker! Instant messaging gains popularity as TXTing declines, BBM to blame originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BBMblackberry messengerBlackberryMessengerDeclineOfPrivateEquitydeclinesIMinstant messagingInstantMessagingmobile IMMobile YouthMobileImMobileYouthRIMshockerSMSStatisticalMethodsstatisticsmajortexttext messagetext messagestext messagingtextingTextMessageTextMessagesTextMessagingtrendstrendspottingMon, 25 Apr 2011 18:19:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! President Obama owns an iPad and computer, won't have to borrow yours (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/29/shocker-president-obama-owns-an-ipad-and-computer-wont-have-t/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/29/shocker-president-obama-owns-an-ipad-and-computer-wont-have-t/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/29/shocker-president-obama-owns-an-ipad-and-computer-wont-have-t/#comments Barack Obama is quite likely the most computer literate president (which isn't saying much) these united states have ever had. So it's really no surprise to hear that the BlackBerry wielding prez also owns an iPad and, gasp, his own computer -- except, perhaps, to Univision's Jorge Ramos. Obama's incredulous stare and jocular response to the questions are as hilarious as they are candid in their casual delivery. See for yourselves in the video after the break.

Continue reading Shocker! President Obama owns an iPad and computer, won't have to borrow yours (video)

Shocker! President Obama owns an iPad and computer, won't have to borrow yours (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 07:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleBarack ObamaBarackObamaipadobamapresidentpresident obamaPresidentObamashockerusvideoTue, 29 Mar 2011 07:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Sprint officially opposes AT&T's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/28/shocker-sprint-officially-opposes-atandts-proposed-acquisition-o/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/28/shocker-sprint-officially-opposes-atandts-proposed-acquisition-o/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/28/shocker-sprint-officially-opposes-atandts-proposed-acquisition-o/#commentsYes, you read that right. Sprint is actually going out on a limb and officially opposing AT&T's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile USA. Apparently, it thinks that the transaction would "reduce competition and harm consumers" if it's allowed to go through, and it's vowing to "fight this attempt by AT&T to undo the progress of the past 25 years and create a new Ma Bell duopoly." It further goes on to note that the combined company would be almost three times the size of Sprint in terms of wireless revenue, and that it and Verizon would "overwhelmingly dominate" the US wireless industry and have "unprecedented control" over the post-paid market. Full press release is after the break.

Continue reading Shocker! Sprint officially opposes AT&T's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile

Shocker! Sprint officially opposes AT&T's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquisitionattmergershockersprintt-mobilet-mobile usaT-mobileUsaMon, 28 Mar 2011 16:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Profit shocker! Android brings home more bacon than iOS for Pocket Legends developer]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/09/profit-shocker-android-brings-home-more-bacon-than-ios-for-pock/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/09/profit-shocker-android-brings-home-more-bacon-than-ios-for-pock/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/09/profit-shocker-android-brings-home-more-bacon-than-ios-for-pock/#comments Back in 2009, we wrote a story on crack mobile developer Larva Labs lamenting its inability to make a living off top-rated games in the Android Market. Well, to put it lightly, it ain't 2009 anymore: the Android ecosystem has expanded exponentially in every conceivable direction, the Market has taken on tens of thousands of additional apps, and -- according to one research firm, anyway -- Android has now overtaken BlackBerry to become the most prolific smartphone platform in the US.

To that end, Spacetime Studios -- the company behind mobile MMORPG Pocket Legends, which brings in revenue through in-app purchases -- was shocked to discover that it's making some 30 to 50 percent more from its Android users than its iOS ones. Furthermore, they're spending more time playing and downloading the app with far greater frequency, which might be a testament to the fact that really great apps still stand out in the Market better than they do in the more mature (and more populated) App Store. The in-app purchase disparity is a little more difficult to explain, though -- especially since iOS has a slick, integrated purchase mechanism that Google won't be rolling out in Android for a little while yet. At any rate, the online mobile economy -- regardless of platform -- clearly still has some growing, maturing, and stabilizing to do.

[Thanks, Michael]

Profit shocker! Android brings home more bacon than iOS for Pocket Legends developer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 03:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidandroid marketAndroidMarketapp storeAppStoreiosmarketpocket legendsPocketLegendsprofitrevenueshockerWed, 09 Mar 2011 03:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Pay-as-you-go shocker! CDMA iPhone 4 makes its way to Cricket Wireless (via jailbreak)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/07/pay-as-you-go-shocker-cdma-iphone-4-makes-its-way-to-cricket-wi/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/07/pay-as-you-go-shocker-cdma-iphone-4-makes-its-way-to-cricket-wi/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/07/pay-as-you-go-shocker-cdma-iphone-4-makes-its-way-to-cricket-wi/#comments
As any astute follower of the "pay-as-you-go" world knows, there are quite a few back alley Cricket dealers (and quite a few main street ones as well) that will happily flash any phone you give them for use on their network -- and not even Verizon's CDMA iPhone is immune. Ready to jump ship from "America's largest?" Of course, you'll have to jailbreak, install some third party MMS software, and trust some random dude at the Cricket store with your precious smartphone. We're not saying it's wise, but it is possible, as the video below attests. See for yourself after the break.

[Thanks, Mark]

Continue reading Pay-as-you-go shocker! CDMA iPhone 4 makes its way to Cricket Wireless (via jailbreak)

Pay-as-you-go shocker! CDMA iPhone 4 makes its way to Cricket Wireless (via jailbreak) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applecdmacricketcricket wirelessCricketWirelessflashiosiphoneiphone 4Iphone4shockerverizonvideovzwMon, 07 Mar 2011 12:37:00 EST<![CDATA[USB 3.0 shocker! Supersonic Magnum thumb drive rocks 200MB/s read times, sure to be rather pricey]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/04/usb-3-0-shocker-supersonic-magnum-thumb-drive-rocks-200mb-s-rea/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/04/usb-3-0-shocker-supersonic-magnum-thumb-drive-rocks-200mb-s-rea/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/04/usb-3-0-shocker-supersonic-magnum-thumb-drive-rocks-200mb-s-rea/#comments
You thought the 70MB/s write speeds were wild? The kids at Patriot are making the scene at CeBIT with the successor to the Supersonic USB thumb drive we first saw at the tail end of last year, and it's putting its old man to shame. The Supersonic Magnum series, sporting capacities up to 128GB, boasts a single eight channel controller with 200MB/s read and 110MB/s write speeds. And it will fit in your hip pocket! Release date TBA, and we can only imagine it will cost you a pretty Deutschmark.

USB 3.0 shocker! Supersonic Magnum thumb drive rocks 200MB/s read times, sure to be rather pricey originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flashflash driveflash memoryFlashDriveFlashMemorykeyPatriotPatriot Supersonic MagnumPatriotSupersonicMagnumshockersolid statesolid state storageSolidStateSolidStateStorageSupersonicsuperspeed usbSuperspeedUsbthumb driveThumbDriveusbusb 3usb 3.0usb driveusb flash driveusb keyUsb3Usb3.0UsbDriveUsbFlashDriveUsbKeyFri, 04 Mar 2011 12:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! UK regulator finds average broadband speeds are 'less than half' those advertised]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/02/shocker-uk-regulator-finds-average-broadband-speeds-are-less-t/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/02/shocker-uk-regulator-finds-average-broadband-speeds-are-less-t/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/02/shocker-uk-regulator-finds-average-broadband-speeds-are-less-t/#comments You don't have to go to the lengths of compiling a statistical project to know that advertised and actual broadband speeds are two pretty disparate entities, but it does help. Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, recently took a thorough look at 11 broadband packages, which collectively account for over 90 percent of all British broadband subscriptions, and found that actual download throughput was less than half (only 45 percent) of the advertised "up to" speed. The worst offenders were resellers of BT's ADSL lines, with Orange dipping below 3Mbit on its 8Mbit lines and TalkTalk occasionally offering only 7.5Mbit to users paying for a 24Mbit connection, while Virgin's cable connectivity won out by sticking most loyally to its listed rating. What Ofcom proposes for the future is that all these service providers start offering Typical Speed Ranges that more accurately reflect the bandwidth a potential subscriber would be buying into -- a proposal that might actually have some teeth as the British Advertising Standards Authority is currently in the midst of a review specifically concerned with broadband advertising practices. Transparency in the way we're sold broadband? That'd make a welcome change!

Shocker! UK regulator finds average broadband speeds are 'less than half' those advertised originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessadvertisingbroadbandcommunicationsconnectivitydatafiguresinternetispnumbersofcomregulatorresearchshockerspeedstatsthroughputtransparencyukunited kingdomUnitedKingdomwatchdogwebWed, 02 Mar 2011 05:42:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Apple product placements dominate Hollywood]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/23/shocker-apple-product-placements-dominate-hollywood/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/23/shocker-apple-product-placements-dominate-hollywood/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/23/shocker-apple-product-placements-dominate-hollywood/#comments Something you already knew to be true has just been confirmed by Omnicom's Interbrand brand consultancy division: Apple reigns supreme in Hollywood films. Interbrand's Brandchannel website dug deep into the fetid bowels of product placement to reveal Hollywood's preferences (paid or personal) in the 33 films that hit the US box office number one slot in 2010. Brandchannel identified 591 total brand or product appearances for an average of 17.9 placements per film, with Apple appearing in ten of the top films for a 30 percent share -- Nike, Chevrolet, and Ford each appeared in eight. Incidentally, Iron Man 2 won the dubious distinction of being cluttered with the most identifiable brands (64) in 2010. Apple is actually off from its peak of 50 percent of number one films in 2008 and 44 percent in 2009 as demonstrated in the chart after the break. But it's not for a lack of trying. Brandchannel contends that the competition for brand placement has simply intensified resulting in fewer appearances of Janoff's U+F8FF.

Continue reading Shocker! Apple product placements dominate Hollywood

Shocker! Apple product placements dominate Hollywood originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 04:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adadvertisingapplebrandbrandchannelcoca-colacokefilmfordhollywoodinterbrandiron man 2IronMan2logomovieomnicomproduct placementProductPlacementshockerWed, 23 Feb 2011 04:39:00 EST<![CDATA[iTunes shocker! Apple announces App Store subscriptions]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/15/itunes-shocker-apple-announces-app-store-subscriptions/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/15/itunes-shocker-apple-announces-app-store-subscriptions/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/15/itunes-shocker-apple-announces-app-store-subscriptions/#comments
Hot on the heels of the Daily, the oft-rumored Apple subscription service is finally spreading out to the rest of the app store. Love it or lump it, anything currently available in the company's online marketplace, including magazines, newspapers, video, and music, can now be offered on the subscription model. "All we require," said Steve Jobs in the press release, "is that, if a publisher is making a subscription offer outside of the app, the same (or better) offer be made inside the app, so that customers can easily subscribe with one-click right in the app." (This sounds familiar.) Publishers are also restricted from linking out of the app to locations that allow the user to circumvent the in-app purchase (and publishers can't offer better deals outside of the app store). The rationale here? Apple gets thirty percent off the top off in-app purchases -- enough of a cut, we're guessing, to prompt some bigger publishers to skip the platform altogether (outside purchases, of course, are exempt from this fee). PR after the break.

Continue reading iTunes shocker! Apple announces App Store subscriptions

iTunes shocker! Apple announces App Store subscriptions originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app storeappleAppStorein-app purchasesIn-appPurchasesitunesshockersubscriptionsubscription musicsubscription serviceSubscriptionMusicSubscriptionServicethe dailyTheDailyTue, 15 Feb 2011 09:43:00 EST<![CDATA[3DTV shocker! Toshiba's first glasses-free TVs selling slowly in Japan]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/05/3dtv-shocker-toshibas-first-glasses-free-tvs-selling-slowly-in/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/05/3dtv-shocker-toshibas-first-glasses-free-tvs-selling-slowly-in/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/05/3dtv-shocker-toshibas-first-glasses-free-tvs-selling-slowly-in/#comments In truly surprising news, it appears that a combination of high prices, small sizes and a somewhat questionable viewing experience have caused Toshiba's new GL1 line of glasses-free 3DTVs to sell more slowly than the company expected. In their first month of availability the 20-inch set, priced at 240,000 yen ($2,940), sold around 500 units while its 12-inch cousin sold even less than that, despite projections both would sell at least 1,000 units. Don't think Toshiba's letting its hard work go the way of the old Sony XEL-1 OLED TVs just yet, as we saw at CES, it's still committed to bringing autostereoscopic 3D in larger screen sizes to the masses despite the potential technological hurdles like providing more viewing angles for the 3D effect.

3DTV shocker! Toshiba's first glasses-free TVs selling slowly in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Feb 2011 19:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3d3d tv3dTvautostereoscopicautostereoscopic 3dAutostereoscopic3dgl1japanshockertoshibaSat, 05 Feb 2011 19:52:00 EST<![CDATA[Study shocker! Mobile users piddle around on the internet while watching TV]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/29/study-shocker-mobile-users-piddle-around-on-the-internet-while/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/29/study-shocker-mobile-users-piddle-around-on-the-internet-while/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/29/study-shocker-mobile-users-piddle-around-on-the-internet-while/#comments Shocker of shockers, folks: people do more than just watch TV when they're watching TV. A study of over 8,000 willing individuals from Nielsen and Yahoo recently discovered that some 86 percent of mobile internet users tinker around on their devices while situated in front of the tube. It seems that Googling random facts, checking their Facebook news feed and seeing who has tweeted in the past 30 seconds were atop the list of activities to do while watching, but strangely, a full 20 percent confessed to search for more information about a commercial they recently saw. Hit the source link below (PDF) to be instantly bombarded with facts and figures, but first, refresh that TweetCaster feed. Ah, so much better.

Study shocker! Mobile users piddle around on the internet while watching TV originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 07:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contentemailmobilemobile internetmobile tvMobileInternetMobileTvnielsenprogrammingresearchshockerstudytelevisionyahooSat, 29 Jan 2011 07:19:00 EST<![CDATA[Robo-guitar shocker! Gibson opening Firebird X platform to third party developers, app store imminent]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/24/robo-guitar-shocker-gibson-opening-firebird-x-platform-to-third/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/24/robo-guitar-shocker-gibson-opening-firebird-x-platform-to-third/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/24/robo-guitar-shocker-gibson-opening-firebird-x-platform-to-third/#comments
We've seen the future of guitars, and it's an app store. At least that's what Gibson would have us believe, as it announces that it's opening the Pure-Analog Engine and the whole Firebird X platform to third party devs. Didn't know it was a platform, did you? Thought that it was an over-priced guitar with features that we didn't need (and a headstock we didn't particularly care for)? Same here. Apparently the company will soon be unleashing all sorts of Pure-Analog guitars upon the world, at all different price points. We don't know what this means for rock'n'roll, although we are fairly certain that the guy from Muse already owns three of these. Hit the source link for all the awesome deets.

Robo-guitar shocker! Gibson opening Firebird X platform to third party developers, app store imminent originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appapp storeAppStoreaudiodeveloperdevelopmentfirebirdfirebird xFirebirdXgibsonguitarmusicmusic makingMusicMakingpure-analogpure-analog enginePure-analogEngineshockerthat guy from MuseThatGuyFromMuseMon, 24 Jan 2011 12:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Mobile broadband shocker: AT&T looking at tiered data pricing and speeds for upcoming LTE service]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/22/mobile-broadband-shocker-atandt-looking-at-tiered-data-pricing-an/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/22/mobile-broadband-shocker-atandt-looking-at-tiered-data-pricing-an/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/22/mobile-broadband-shocker-atandt-looking-at-tiered-data-pricing-an/#comments We all know AT&T just loves its tiered pricing models, so it's no surprise to hear that the carrier intends to turn its forthcoming LTE service into a tier-vana of great new sophistication. BGR has come across an internal document detailing how AT&T plans to segment its 4G pricing on the basis of both speed and data allowance, meaning that your price will reflect both the amount of data you consume and the rate at which you gobble it down. To add further complexity flexibility, Top Ups will be available that'll allow users to amp up their connection speed for a limited time or increase their allowance on a per-month basis. We're hearing trials of this new offering will commence in May, which fits in neatly with the currently planned LTE rollout in the second half of this year. So it's not all set in stone yet, but irrespective of the number of data options AT&T throws our way, the paramount question will always be the same: how much?

Mobile broadband shocker: AT&T looking at tiered data pricing and speeds for upcoming LTE service originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Jan 2011 04:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4gattbroadbandcostdatadata plansDataPlansleakltemobile broadbandmobile internetMobileBroadbandMobileInternetplanspremierpremier platformPremierPlatformpricepricingrumorshockerspeculationtieredtiered dataTieredDatatiersSat, 22 Jan 2011 04:38:00 EST<![CDATA[Research shocker! Keyless car entry systems can be hacked easily, elegantly]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/16/research-shocker-keyless-car-entry-systems-can-be-hacked-easily/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/16/research-shocker-keyless-car-entry-systems-can-be-hacked-easily/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/16/research-shocker-keyless-car-entry-systems-can-be-hacked-easily/#comments We know you are vigilant enough not to trust your car's security to a wireless system, but plenty of other folks like the convenience of putting away the metallic keys and getting into their vehicles with a bit of Bond-like swagger. Professor Srdjan Capkun of ETH Zurich found himself perched on the fence between these two groups when he recently purchased a vehicle with a keyless entry system, so he did what any good researcher would: he tried to bypass its security measures. In total, he and his team tested 10 models from eight car makers and their results were pretty conclusive: each of the tested vehicles was broken into and driven away using a very simple and elegant method. Keyless entry systems typically work by sending a low-powered signal from the car to your key fob, with the two working only when they're near each other, but the wily Zurich profs were able to intercept and extend that signal via antennas acting as repeaters, resulting in your key activating your car even when it's nowhere near it. The signal-repeating antennae have to be pretty close to both the key and the car, but that's why heist movies stress the importance of teamwork. Hit the source link for all the chilling details.

Research shocker! Keyless car entry systems can be hacked easily, elegantly originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 19:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>antennacarcarscrimeencryptionentryeth zurichEthZurichfobhackhackingkeykeylesskeyless entryKeylessEntrylockrelayrepeaterrepeatersresearchsecurityshockerswitzerlandtheftuniversityunlockwirelesszurichSun, 16 Jan 2011 19:07:00 EST<![CDATA[4G Shocker! Study finds consumers want what they fail to understand]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/07/4g-shocker-study-finds-consumers-want-what-they-fail-to-underst/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/07/4g-shocker-study-finds-consumers-want-what-they-fail-to-underst/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/07/4g-shocker-study-finds-consumers-want-what-they-fail-to-underst/#comments
We've certainly seen our fair share of 4G devices in the Las Vegas sun (well, convention center) this year, but as you might have guessed, a recent study finds that increased awareness does not necessarily equal increased understanding. As the Nielsen Company recently discovered, the majority (54 percent) of consumers who know or care about 4G were relying on the old International Telecommunications Union definition of mobile data speeds over 100 Mb/s, even though carriers have sort of been making up their own rules (for instance, T-Mobile and AT&T are calling their HSPA+ networks 4G). And what to make of the large percentage of people who think that 4G somehow refers to the iPhone 4? That one's a perpetual head-scratcher. But in the end, the study finds that none of that really matters: almost three in ten consumers are gearing up to buy a 4G device within the next twelve months. And \that's what really matters, right?

4G Shocker! Study finds consumers want what they fail to understand originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4gconsumerconsumershspa+NielsenresearchshockerstudysurveyFri, 07 Jan 2011 10:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Late mid-week shocker: young adults get their 'news' from the 'net, not from television]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/late-mid-week-shocker-young-adults-get-their-news-from-the-n/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/late-mid-week-shocker-young-adults-get-their-news-from-the-n/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/late-mid-week-shocker-young-adults-get-their-news-from-the-n/#comments In what is undoubtedly a shocking and groundbreaking revelation, the Pew Research Center has conducted a recent study which has caused it to conclude that young adults now get their news predominantly from the internet, rather than from television (and even less from ham radio). According to the study, which the center seems to have been conducting yearly for a while now, 67 percent of adults under 30 said in 2010 that the 'net was their primary source of news, up from 34 percent in 2007. Curiously, respondents could choose up to two 'main' news sources, so 52 percent report that television is a main news source in 2010, down from 68 percent in 2007. While none of this probably comes as any surprise to any of you, our readers, it does tend to explain that strange and ever-growing tendency we've noticed in our friends of talking about things like Groupon, Facebook, and some meme some webpage made up to sell something as if they were talking about actual news.

Late mid-week shocker: young adults get their 'news' from the 'net, not from television originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adultseducationhumansinformationinternet newsInternetNewsnewspew research centerPewResearchCenterresearchshockerstudytelevisionthe futurethe internetTheFutureTheInternettv newsTvNewsyayoung adultsyoung peopleYoungAdultsYoungPeopleyouthThu, 06 Jan 2011 13:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Parental supervision shocker! iPad use leads to costly in-app Smurfberry orders]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/20/parental-supervision-shocker-ipad-use-leads-to-costly-in-app-sm/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/20/parental-supervision-shocker-ipad-use-leads-to-costly-in-app-sm/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/20/parental-supervision-shocker-ipad-use-leads-to-costly-in-app-sm/#comments
After the Soviet Union collapsed, many of its so-called satellite states had to struggle to find ways to keep afloat -- none more so than Smurf Village, that bastion of communal living where everyone looks nearly identical, has the same surname, and works "according to his ability" (and in return lives "according to his needs"). How has Papa Smurf and Co. survived in the post-Soviet geopolitical climate? It seems that Capcom's Smurfs' Village game for iOS might be free, but the in-app purchases will cost you dearly. Actually, it's the in-app purchases that your pre-literate toddlers make that will cost you dearly. And this is a lesson that a lot of parents are finding out, according to a recent AP article, which notes that "warnings may alert parents, but it's doubtful that they'd deter children who can't read and don't understand money." Sure, Smurfberries may grow freely on magical trees, but a virtual wheelbarrow full of 'em will run you $60.

Parental supervision shocker! iPad use leads to costly in-app Smurfberry orders originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applecapcomin-app purchasesIn-appPurchasesioisipadiphoneipod touchIpodTouchshockersmurfssmurfs villageSmurfsVillageMon, 20 Dec 2010 19:12:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Internet use now ties TV in time spent avoiding outdoor activity]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/13/shocker-internet-use-now-ties-tv-in-time-spent-avoiding-outdoor/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/13/shocker-internet-use-now-ties-tv-in-time-spent-avoiding-outdoor/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/13/shocker-internet-use-now-ties-tv-in-time-spent-avoiding-outdoor/#commentsDespite a huge dropoff in cable subscribers this year, Forrester Research's 40,000-strong survey pegs consumer TV consumption at about 13 hours weekly, same as it ever was. But lo and behold, reported internet use has also risen to 13 hours weekly, a veritable tie to which we naturally reply, "what took it so long?" This number represents a 121 percent uptake in the past five years and attributes its success to multitaskers and those who are spending less time with radio, newspaper, and magazines -- again, nothing too mind-blowing to our perception of reality. If the survey has revealed anything surprise to us, it's that email is only used by 92 percent of those questioned, leaving at least eight percent classically trained in case the post-apocalyptic world of Kevin Costner's The Postman ever becomes reality.

[Image Credit: ICHC]

Shocker! Internet use now ties TV in time spent avoiding outdoor activity originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 19:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>forresterforrester researchForresterResearchinternetshockerstudysurveytelevisiontvMon, 13 Dec 2010 19:17:00 EST<![CDATA[Street View Shocker! Google pays Boring couple $1 for trespassing]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/04/street-view-shocker-google-pays-boring-couple-1-for-trespassin/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/04/street-view-shocker-google-pays-boring-couple-1-for-trespassin/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/04/street-view-shocker-google-pays-boring-couple-1-for-trespassin/#comments It's hardly a surprise that there's a cadre of individuals who aren't too fond of Google's seemingly omnipresent Street View fleet, but the ending of this dispute is downright absurd. Back in 2008, Aaron and Christine Boring were looking for a little excitement, and decided to find it in a courtroom; the duo sued Google for trespassing on their property while collecting photographs for Street View. According to them, Google's Street View car ignored the "No Trespassing" sign planted out front, and while they noted that they would've accepted a simple apology letter, they had no qualms pushing for damages when that wish fell upon deaf ears. The payout? A single dollar. Let's repeat that: 100 pennies. A buck. Barely enough to buy a Whopper Jr. in Portland, and definitely not enough to do so across the way in Vancouver. We suspect both parties are eager to put the whole mess behind 'em, but if you've been looking for a story to prove that America actually isn't as aimlessly litigious as the world thinks they are... well, this one ain't it.

Street View Shocker! Google pays Boring couple $1 for trespassing originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 20:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>googlegoogle street viewGoogleStreetViewGPSlawsuitlegalprivacyshockerstreet viewStreetViewsuesuittrespassingSat, 04 Dec 2010 20:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! WiLAN drums up another lawsuit, this time against big cable]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/24/shocker-wilan-drums-up-another-lawsuit-this-time-against-big-c/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/24/shocker-wilan-drums-up-another-lawsuit-this-time-against-big-c/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/24/shocker-wilan-drums-up-another-lawsuit-this-time-against-big-c/#comments As the saying goes, every time an iPhone is dropped, another wide sweeping patent lawsuit in the tech world sprouts up in the plaintiff-friendly US District courts of east Texas. Okay, so perhaps there's no factual basis for that, but who knows if the latest case filed by suit-happy Canadian wireless company WiLAN against Comcast, Time Warner, and Charter Communications is any more legitimate. The dispute is over US patent No. 5,661,602, which is one of the company's 970 issued or pending patents, and was awarded in 1998. It covers "hybrid multichannel data transmission systems utilizing a broadcast medium" -- a.k.a. the broadcasting of data to remote networks and computers. WiLAN has tapped their ole' favorite US law firm, McKool Smith for the case, and asserts that the big cable triumvirate is in violation of the patent, though a spokesperson for Comcast did note they had not been served with a complaint just yet. Sadly (or not-so-sadly, depending on perspective) we can't take part in the gavel swinging, but considering that WiLAN filed suit against Alcatel-Lucent, Sony Ericsson and LG last month, and sued Acer, Apple, Dell, HP, and Lenovo in April, there's plenty of evidence that this outfit's lawyers are the hardest working employees on the payroll.

Shocker! WiLAN drums up another lawsuit, this time against big cable originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>602661Charter CommunicationsCharterCommunicationscomcasteast texasEastTexashdinfringeinfringementinfringement suitInfringementSuitlawsuitlawsuitsMcKool SmithMckoolSmithpatentpatent infringementPatentInfringementpatentsshockersuesuittime warnertime warner telecomTimeWarnerTimeWarnerTelecomus district courtus patentus patent 5us patent officeus patentsUsDistrictCourtUsPatentUsPatent5UsPatentOfficeUsPatentsWiLANWed, 24 Nov 2010 08:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! GameStop expects Kinect and Move to be in short supply this holiday season]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/20/shocker-gamestop-expects-kinect-and-move-to-be-in-short-supply/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/20/shocker-gamestop-expects-kinect-and-move-to-be-in-short-supply/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/20/shocker-gamestop-expects-kinect-and-move-to-be-in-short-supply/#comments Are you prepared to be blown away? Have your mind flipped inside-out? Experience a revelation to end all revelations? Tough luck, bubs. During an earnings call yesterday, GameStop president Tony Bartel was cited as saying that both Microsoft's Kinect and Sony's PlayStation Move would both be difficult to find this holiday season, noting that the Kinect would be "a hot item through the holiday season and the key opportunity will be just to continue to keep them in stock." He also stated that the Move would be "in short supply," and even went so far as to predict that consumers would be "following the UPS truck to our stores to pick up that product as soon as they can find it." Naturally, GameStop's in-stock guarantee won't apply to the two things it actually should (read: Kinect and Move), and Tony stopped short of providing hard evidence that this so-called shortage would in fact occur. But hey, no one ever said that drumming up demand for a product your store hawks was a bad business move, you know? And on the real, we're guessing that Santa will actually have the hots for these things, and if you're considering one, it's always wise to be proactive. Or spend countless nights attempting to snipe Johnny Doe on eBay -- your call.

[Image courtesy of Geek In Heels]

Shocker! GameStop expects Kinect and Move to be in short supply this holiday season originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 01:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>controllerGameStopgamingkinectmicrosoftmotion sensingmotion sensorMotionSensingMotionSensorplaystationplaystation 3playstation movePlaystation3PlaystationMoveps3shockershortagesonysupplySat, 20 Nov 2010 01:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Clumsy Kinect players make for entertaining viral videos]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/09/shocker-clumsy-kinect-players-make-for-entertaining-viral-video/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/09/shocker-clumsy-kinect-players-make-for-entertaining-viral-video/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/09/shocker-clumsy-kinect-players-make-for-entertaining-viral-video/#comments
We knew there was more viral video goodness to be had with Kinect than lots and lots and lots of little green dots. And here you have it: people the world o'er punching each other, falling into things, and just generally making asses of themselves by paying more attention to the TV than whatever objects might exist in the physical world that surrounds them. And you wondered why commercials for the device all featured players in very, very large rooms! Check out a couple of our faves after the break, and be sure to sound off in the comments if you have any of your own.

Continue reading Shocker! Clumsy Kinect players make for entertaining viral videos

Shocker! Clumsy Kinect players make for entertaining viral videos originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>clumsykinectproject natalProjectNatalshockervideoviral videoViralVideoTue, 09 Nov 2010 15:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Kids spending too much time in front of TV screens, too little in loving parents' embrace]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/02/shocker-kids-spending-too-much-time-in-front-of-tv-screens-too/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/02/shocker-kids-spending-too-much-time-in-front-of-tv-screens-too/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/02/shocker-kids-spending-too-much-time-in-front-of-tv-screens-too/#comments Not that anyone really needed to have this spelled out, but America's tots are apparently spending too much time in front of the telly tubes. The latest study, conducted by the Seattle Children's Research Institute and the University of Washington, finds that children under the age of five are spending 4.1 hours of each day watching movies or TV, doubling the recommended maximum of two hours a day. Whether you take the slightly arbitrary two-hour RDA to heart or not, it's undeniable that all of us -- not just the young 'uns -- are spending increasingly larger chunks of our time looking at the world through a screen and not through our own retinas. And, if you want an extra topping of alarmist extrapolation, these figures come from a research sample concluded in 2006, today's better-equipped toddlers are very likely to outdo those numbers when mobile devices and the like are factored in. Imagine how bad this would all be if the US didn't have so much quality programming to entertain and educate them with.

Shocker! Kids spending too much time in front of TV screens, too little in loving parents' embrace originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 01:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>american academy of pediatricsAmericanAcademyOfPediatricschildrendatafiguresjournal of pediatricsJournalOfPediatricskidsmoviesnumbersoverexposurepediatricsresearchscreen timeScreenTimeseattle childrens research instituteSeattleChildrensResearchInstituteshockerstatisticsstatsstudytelevisiontvuniversityuniversity of washingtonUniversityOfWashingtonwatching tvWatchingTvTue, 02 Nov 2010 01:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Study shocker: babies think friendly robots are sentient]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/16/study-shocker-babies-think-friendly-robots-are-sentient/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/16/study-shocker-babies-think-friendly-robots-are-sentient/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/16/study-shocker-babies-think-friendly-robots-are-sentient/#comments
There's certainly been no shortage of studies involving humans' interaction with robots, but a team of researchers from the University of Washington's Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences have now made one of the most shocking discoveries to date: babies can be tricked into believing robots are sentient. They made this finding by acting out a skit with a remote-controlled robot in which the robot behaves friendly with its human counterpart. Following the skit, they left the baby alone with the robot and found that in 13 out of 16 cases the baby followed the robot's gaze, which suggests the baby believed it was sentient. In contrast, babies only interacted with the robot in 3 of 16 cases when they were simply left alone with it without first seeing it interact with a human. What does it all mean? Well, it seems that a robot's human-like appearance is less important than its behavior when it comes to establishing trust -- or that all the robots need to do to take over is get us while we're young. One of the two.

Study shocker: babies think friendly robots are sentient originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Oct 2010 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>babiesbabyhuman robot interactionHumanRobotInteractionrobotsentientshockerstudyuniversity of washingtonUniversityOfWashingtonSat, 16 Oct 2010 10:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Cellphone touchscreens are dirty]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/15/shocker-touchscreen-cellphones-are-dirty/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/15/shocker-touchscreen-cellphones-are-dirty/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/15/shocker-touchscreen-cellphones-are-dirty/#comments If you have even the slightest inclination towards Mysophobia then please, do yourself a favor and stop reading now. A Stanford University study found that if you put a virus on a touchscreen surface then about 30 percent of it will make the jump to the fingertips of anyone who touches it. From there it goes into the eyes, mouth, or nose -- whichever face-hole is in most urgent need of a rub. And just to drive the point home, the Sacramento Bee adds this little nugget from an unspecified British study: "Mobile phones harbor 18 times more bacteria than a flush handle in a typical men's restroom." Eww. You know, sometimes it's best not to know how the sausage is made.

Shocker! Cellphone touchscreens are dirty originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 05:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bacteriagermsshockerstanfordStanford UniversityStanfordUniversitystudytouchscreenvirusFri, 15 Oct 2010 05:53:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Nintendo 3DS will have shorter battery life than DS]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/08/shocker-nintendo-3ds-will-have-shorter-battery-life-than-ds/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/08/shocker-nintendo-3ds-will-have-shorter-battery-life-than-ds/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/08/shocker-nintendo-3ds-will-have-shorter-battery-life-than-ds/#comments Who'd have thought that adding extra grunt under the hood, a glasses-free 3D display up top, a wireless "tag mode," and automatic wireless updates to the 3DS would serve to degrade battery life? Certainly not our naive souls. The same Q&A that informed us about Nintendo's Spot Pass plans for the 3DS has been found to also contain some commentary on battery endurance from Satoru Iwata himself. The company chief says "it is inevitable that Nintendo 3DS will be a device which requires more frequent recharging than Nintendo DS" and notes that as a major reason why a charging cradle will be bundled into the new console's retail package. With tongue firmly wedged in cheek, Iwata suggests that perhaps Nintendo ought to advise users to deposit the 3DS into its cradle as soon as they get home, but the overall point is as clear as it is obvious: your more powerful handheld will require more power.

Shocker! Nintendo 3DS will have shorter battery life than DS originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsbatterybattery lifeBatteryLifeiwatanintendonintendo 3dsNintendo3dsq and aQAndAsatoru iwataSatoruIwatashockerspot passSpotPassstreet passStreetPassFri, 08 Oct 2010 03:39:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Samsung licenses Windows Phone 7]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/01/shocker-samsung-licenses-windows-phone-7/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/01/shocker-samsung-licenses-windows-phone-7/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/01/shocker-samsung-licenses-windows-phone-7/#comments Okay, two crazy bits of news here: first off, it seems Samsung intends to start making cellphones. Second, some of them will be running Windows Phone 7! Insane, right? Okay, we kid, but Sammy is just now getting official with the news that it has licensed Microsoft's upcoming mobile platform for its own purposes, and that the company "plans to launch several models based on Windows Phone 7 this year in the US, Europe and Asia." Of course, one of the most prominent WinPho 7 prototypes Microsoft has been trotting around this year has been a Samsung loosely based on the i8910 HD, so this should come as... well, absolutely no surprise whatsoever. Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Shocker! Samsung licenses Windows Phone 7

Shocker! Samsung licenses Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftsamsungshockerwindows phone 7WindowsPhone7Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Tech media loves Apple]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/27/shocker-tech-media-loves-apple/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/27/shocker-tech-media-loves-apple/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/27/shocker-tech-media-loves-apple/#comments Study confirms that Apple commands an inordinate amount of the technology media's attention as demonstrated by this post about the Apple study.

[Thanks Mrinal, original image courtesy of Lyina]

Shocker! Tech media loves Apple originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 03:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applemediapressshockerstudyMon, 27 Sep 2010 03:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Excessive cell phone chatter is seriously annoying]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/25/shocker-excessive-cell-phone-chatter-is-seriously-annoying/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/25/shocker-excessive-cell-phone-chatter-is-seriously-annoying/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/25/shocker-excessive-cell-phone-chatter-is-seriously-annoying/#comments
It looks like science has confirmed what we were all thinking: being party to one half of someone else's cell phone conversation is seriously annoying. In a paper to be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, Cornell University grad student Lauren Emberson explains it thusly: not being able to hear the responses to one part of the convo proves inherently unsettling, because it's unpredictable, and thus makes it hard to concentrate. According to Science News, Emberson found that, while performing "attention tasks" in silence or while listening to various conversations (including a normal, two-sided conversation, a one-sided cell phone conversation, and a monologue) accurate completion of the tests "declined slightly but to a statistically significant extent" during the one-sided conversations, relative to the other conditions. Now if someone could only do a similar study involving The Best Of Sade, maybe we could cite it the next time we have to ask the barista at the Liberty Avenue Crazy Mocha to turn down the music while we're trying to read.

Shocker! Excessive cell phone chatter is seriously annoying originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cellphoneconcentrationcornell universityCornellUniversityLauren EmbersonLaurenEmbersonshockerstudySat, 25 Sep 2010 16:21:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker! Jorno folding Bluetooth keyboard available for pre-order]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/21/shocker-jorno-folding-bluetooth-keyboard-available-for-pre-orde/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/21/shocker-jorno-folding-bluetooth-keyboard-available-for-pre-orde/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/21/shocker-jorno-folding-bluetooth-keyboard-available-for-pre-orde/#comments
Of all the Bluetooth keyboards that have been released for portable devices lately, this is certainly one of them. Cervantes Mobile's Jorno doesn't look particularly comfortable, but it does fold up into a tiny square, it's got a cradle that will fit most handsets, and it's compatible your favorite Bluetooth HID profile-enabled devices. It will be out early next year for $99, although if you pre-order it now you can get it for a smooth $79 -- which is probably the upper limits of what we'd pay for it. That is, if we were going on a modern day On The Road-type odyssey with nothing but a backpack and our dreams, and an iPad to keep a journal of our thoughts. Which we aren't. PR after the break.

Continue reading Shocker! Jorno folding Bluetooth keyboard available for pre-order

Shocker! Jorno folding Bluetooth keyboard available for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bluetooth keyboardBluetoothKeyboardcervantescervantes mobileCervantesMobilefoldingjornokeyboardportableshockerTue, 21 Sep 2010 16:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Shocker: Verizon says Droid Eris won't get Froyo]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/16/shocker-verizon-says-droid-eris-wont-get-froyo/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/16/shocker-verizon-says-droid-eris-wont-get-froyo/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/16/shocker-verizon-says-droid-eris-wont-get-froyo/#commentsThough the HTC Droid Eris soldiers on in user pockets in a variety of guises, Verizon has unsurprisingly decided to disavow future updates for the canceled device. Carrier spokespersons told Computerworld that the Eris won't see Android 2.2. "We have other options in Android devices, so this is part of the normal evolution of our portfolio," a spokeswoman reportedly said. While we didn't really expect Verizon to pull a T-Mobile and support phones that died even before the original G1, we have to imagine there'll be a few ruffled feathers at that particular choice of words. No one likes to be told to buy a new device in order to get a software update. On the plus side, we expect XDA-developers will get a few new members this week, the better to unleash the potential of future neglected devices for us all.

Shocker: Verizon says Droid Eris won't get Froyo originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 23:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Android 2.2Android2.2DroidDroid ErisDroidErisErisFroyoHTCHTC Droid ErisHtcDroidErisShockerupdateupdatesVerizonverizon wirelessVerizonWirelessVZWThu, 16 Sep 2010 23:25:00 EST