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Former HTC execs equip latest Kazam budget phone with LTE
Say hi to the Kazam Thunder² 4.5L Android smartphone. It's an LTE-enabled follow-up to the original low-cost Thunder (without the "squared" sign) that launched in Europe last year. The brainchild of two HTC execs who decided to go it alone, the 4.5L offers a low-res 854 x 480 4.5-inch display, a Snapdragon 400 processor, 8GB of expandable storage, 1GB of RAM and a widely copied screen replacement promise. We're missing the most important spec -- namely, the price -- but Kazam says the device should start arriving in select countries over the next few months. Meanwhile, the company has also added irksome mathematical symbols to its Thunder² 5.0 and Trooper² range, which have received minor spec bumps, but are still 3G-only. Honestly, we'd normally be helpful and lay out all the details, but there are only so many times we can press ALT-zero-one-seven-eight.
Former HTC execs launch Kazam smartphones, with free cracked screen replacement and stock Android
Kazam is brand new to the smartphone scene and, as its founders Michael Coombes and James Atkins know well, making a dent it the market is pretty tough. The two former HTC UK execs announced the creation of the company in June, and they're now ready to announce the first devices. And, wow, are there a lot of them. In total seven models were revealed: two higher-end handsets under the Thunder line and five lower-end phones in the Trooper line. (We'd like to believe the latter moniker was chosen because Coombes and Atkins are huge Iron Maiden fans.) Of course, "high-end" here is a relative term. Specs for the Thunder Q5.0 are still a mystery, but the Thunder Q4.5 is powered by a 1.3GHz, quad-core processor from MediaTek and 1GB of RAM. The 4.5 in its title refers to the four and a half-inch screen up front that boasts a lowly 854 x 480 resolution. The various Trooper models (X3.5, X4.0, X4.5, X5.0 and X5.5) all lose a pair of cores and half the RAM, with the smaller 3.5- and 4.0-inch versions even opting for lower resolution displays. Obviously, Kazam isn't going to take on the Nexus 5, but that doesn't appear to be the point. The company is positioning itself as a consumer-friendly value brand. There are microSD slots for expanding storage and a removable battery in every device, and there's no heavily branded skin here -- just pure, unadulterated Android. Each device also has two SIM slots -- so there's your flexibility. But, the biggest marketing push is reserved for its support. Kazam Rescue instantly puts you in touch with a support rep that can remotely access your device to solve issues. And, get this: Kazam will replace the screen if you crack it within the first year -- for free! (iPhone owners, feel free to scream.) Does this prove, as Atkins claimed in the press release, that "Kazam is not about gimmicks or corporate bulls**t"? Not really, but it does prove the two industry veterans know how to identify pain points in the current field of phones and attempt to exploit them. There's still no word on pricing or release dates, but we wouldn't hold our breath waiting for a US debut.
NASA captures red sprite, puts it in a jar
Lightning doesn't always shoot downwards. Just occasionally, a thunderstorm will be accompanied by a red sprite: a huge, momentary electrical explosion that occurs around 50 miles high and fires thin tendrils many miles further up into the atmosphere. Sprites have been caught on camera before, but a fresh photo taken by arty astronauts on the ISS helps to show off their true scale. Captured accidentally during a timelapse recording, it reveals the bright lights of Myanmar and Malaysia down below, with a white flash of lightning inside a storm cloud and, directly above that, the six mile-wide crimson streak of the rare beast itself. Such a thing would never consent to being bottled up and examined, but somehow observers at the University of Alaska did manage to film one close-up at 1000 frames per second back in 1999 -- for now, their handiwork embedded after the break is as intimate as we can get.
Belkin upgrades its Thunderbolt Express Dock before it's even available
At $399, this is a lot pricier than the $249 Matrox DS1 Thunderbolt dock we saw yesterday. That said, it'll bring superior connectivity when it arrives in September -- not least because Belkin has improved on the design it previously showed off at CES. There's Thunderbolt in and out to allow full 10Gbps daisy-chaining of further peripherals, alongside FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, Mini DisplayPort (with included HDMI adapter) and audio in and out. As of the update, eSATA and three USB 3.0 ports have also been added to that healthy list.
Apple TV gaming hinted strongly in iOS 4.3 beta code
Let's not jump to any conclusions, but a trusted tipster has uncovered evidence that's suggests some folks in Cupertino have learned a thing or two from Xbox Live. New code in the iOS 4.3 beta 3 firmware hints that Apple TV may soon support online gaming. Several references have been found pertaining to "ATVGames" and "ATVThunder" that point to a controller of some sort, leaderboards (think Game Center), a way to schedule games (multiplayer?), and a store front (think App Store, iTunes). We're particularly intrigued by two strings -- "com.apple.appletv.play.live.thunder" and ".play.archive.thunder" -- but what those actually mean in the grand scheme of things is ultimately ambiguous. Apple TV's minimum storage capacity (about 8GB) suggests the company might look to streaming not entirely unlike how OnLive works; as our tipster speculates, the OpenGL is mature and thoroughly implemented enough that streaming low bandwidth data and computing locally could happen, but that's just theoretical with nothing in the code to back it up. Additionally, there are two more codenames and a handful of other strings that popped up relating to Apple TV: Sedona and Flagstaff. Based on references to director, episode, season, and the like, we reckon Sedona is all about video merchandising and streaming, something tightly integrated into the traditional iTunes experience. As for Flagstaff, aside from a nod to Account Types and Merchants (i.e. iTunes merchandising), there's really nothing else to say. Think of it as a mystery wrapped in an enigma hung on a, erm, flag staff. Our tipster found numerous other little goodies, but the only other one really worth bringing up is feature_remote_screensavers, which suggests that you can use screensavers from other devices -- like, say, your Mac. Finally, elsewhere in the world, Alex Hisrbrunner used a Harmony remote to find hidden Apple TV commands that resemble iOS functions not normally possible with the standard ATV remote -- namely, wiggling icons that can me resorted using the directional pad. Video of that is after the break.
Dell Venue announced for the US, will be sold unlocked
We knew the Dell Venue was coming stateside, but now we know it. Dell has announced the phone for our fine country at its CES 2011 press conference, although it failed to mention a price, a release date, or anything else very helpful. Right now Dell doesn't have a carrier partner, so they're planning on selling the handset unlocked from Dell.com. Apparently they're flirting with the idea of a T-Mobile version, but the unlocked model won't have the T-Mobile 3G bands -- basically, it's an unlocked AT&T phone that AT&T hasn't blessed. Oh, and just in case you forgot the specs: WVGA 4.1-inch AMOLED screen, 8 megapixel camera, Android 2.2, and a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8250 processor. Got it? Good, now we wait.
Dell Venue launched in Hong Kong, we go hands-on
Isn't it fun when you hit the right place at the right time? We just happened to be chillaxing in Hong Kong when Dell chose the city for the Venue's global launch (and it's actually hitting the shops slightly ahead of South Korea), so a quick hands-on is inevitable. As we've seen previously, this HK$3,999 (US$514) handset is essentially the Venue Pro's Android 2.2 cousin, sporting the same curved (or "Shear Design") vibrant AMOLED display at 4.1 inches and 800 x 480, but missing the slide-out keyboard. Under the hood lies a 1GHz Snapdragon with 1GB ROM and 512MB RAM, along with the usual microSD expansion, 1400mAh battery, 8 megapixel AF camera with LED flash, Bluetooth 2.3 EDR, WiFi and AGPS. There aren't any surprises in terms of software -- the Venue shares the same snappy Stage UI and Swype keyboard with the Streak, except for the lack of landscape orientation for the homescreen (and that's with orientation enabled in system settings). As for hardware, the killer feature here is the screen, and we found its curved Gorilla Glass to be surprisingly nice for our thumbs while swiping across it. The AMOLED panel underneath is also vibrant with great viewing angles. Elsewhere, build quality is almost solid bar the squeaky battery door, but at least it provides some grip. That's all we got for now -- we'll delve into more details in our forthcoming review, so stay tuned. %Gallery-111900%
Dell Venue Thunders into Korea this month with Android 2.2 and 4.1-inch Gorilla Glass screen
Dell's keeping up its usual habit of sneaking devices out with today's announcement of the Dell Venue for launch in South Korea. Local carrier KT has revealed the details of this 4.1-inch Android 2.2 device (sans keyboard, unlike its WP7 cousin the Venue Pro), which is set to arrive by the end of this month at a price of 700,000KRW ($606). Formerly known by its codename of Thunder, this has actually been one of the most hotly anticipated Android handsets of the year, though the only other information confirmed by KT so far is that it'll have a curved Gorilla Glass screen. We're sure a US launch can't be far behind.
Dell Venue hits FCC again, this time with a soothing 1700MHz aroma
We've already seen one variant of the Dell Venue -- formerly Thunder -- pass through the FCC, but that was a WCDMA Band II / V version ripe for use on AT&T, Rogers, Bell, and Telus. What about T-Mobile? No worries! Dell's got your back, it seems, with a second version going under model code "V03B002" that features 1700MHz AWS 3G in place of 850 and 1900MHz. Of course, you might recall that the Streak got approval in an AWS version that has yet to see the light of day, so we wouldn't call this a slam dunk for retail availability... but it's a start.
Dell Venue hits the FCC: is this the Thunder's new name?
Yes, that's right, just "Venue," not Venue Pro -- and from a glance, it looks to us like this might be the new name for the Thunder Android phone we played with a little while ago judging by this FCC filing that just crossed the wires. As far as we can tell, this thing is basically a carbon copy of the Venue Pro, except it's running Android instead of Windows Phone 7 and drops the sliding portrait keyboard in favor of a full-touch setup. Notably, the curved glass 4.1-inch AMOLED display carries over, so that should make the design nerds in the audience swoon a bit. Additionally, turns out there's a Bluetooth SIG certification under the same model name -- V03B -- that confirms the display's specs and the fact that it's a "smartphone" (whew!). Stay tuned on this one -- something tells us we won't be waiting terribly long for an announce.
Exclusive: Dell Thunder prototype preview (video)
Christmas came early at Engadget HQ this year, as evidenced by the picture above -- you're looking at two Dell Thunder prototype smartphones, each with some surprising quirks, and hints that they might include global HSPA, AWS for the likes of T-Mobile, and maybe even a dash of CDMA support. We'll warn you ahead of time that these are labeled EVT1 for "engineering verification test" and date back to the April leak, so they're about as early as you can get -- don't expect the final handset to arrive without some significant differences. Good? Then peek the gallery below, hit the break, and let's get on with the show. %Gallery-99899%
Engadget Podcast 208 - 08.13.2010
It's the Engadget Podcast....to go! Would you like a little Joanna Stern with that? Easy on the Ziegler, buddy - and 86 the Paul, please. All that plus a special toy for kids ten and under that manage to listen all the way to the end. Update: If you've been unable to download the podcast in iTunes or Zune, it's because we had a naming issue -- it's since been fixed and should download properly once the cache breaks. Sorry for the inconvenience! Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel Guests: Joanna Stern, Chris Ziegler Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: California Gurls 00:01:30 - The Engadget Show - 011: Peter Molyneux, Fable III, Milo, BlackBerry Torch, Windows Phone 7 00:01:40 - BlackBerry Torch review 00:12:48 - Exclusive: Sony Ericsson to introduce Android 3.0 gaming platform and PSP Go-like smartphone 00:18:38 - Microsoft to open mobile games studio, develop and incubate Windows Phone 7 titles 00:24:42 - Exclusive: Upcoming Apple TV loses 1080p playback, gains apps... and will be renamed iTV 00:36:10 - iPod touch coming in a 'few weeks' with dual cameras and Retina Display, suggests John Gruber 00:39:49 - CDMA iPhone in engineering tests, may arrive in January, says John Gruber 00:43:05 - Plastic Logic kills QUE, 'shifts focus' to second-generation ProReader 00:43:56 - Notion Ink Adam delayed, this time investors are to blame (updated!) 01:47:00 - Notion Ink Adam priced at $498, lives up to promise of being below $499 00:50:20 - Dell Streak on sale August 13 for $300 on AT&T contract, $550 without 00:51:14 - Off-contract Dell Streak is still SIM-locked to AT&T, wrongs still being done in the world 00:52:40 - Exclusive: Dell Thunder prototype rumbles into the wild (video) 00:57:05 - Motorola Droid 2 (and R2-D2 edition!) finally official: Android 2.2, Swype, $200 on contract 00:57:50 - Droid 2 R2-D2 edition spied in the wild, ready to repair your X-wing 00:58:30 - Motorola's Droid 2 in the wild, looking as blue as ever 01:04:18 - Motorola's Jha says MOTOBLUR brand will fade from view 01:05:22 - Epic 4G coming August 31st for $249.99 on contract (updated) 01:06:14 - HP CEO Mark Hurd resigns over sexual harassment investigation (updated with liveblog!) 01:07:35 - Former HP CEO Mark Hurd rewarded with a $40m severance after being forced to resign over fraudulent expense reports 01:09:42 - HP tells employees webOS tablet coming Q1 2011 01:11:20 - Pre designer Peter Skillman latest to leave Palm, entire senior staff now in exodus 01:14:56 - Google and Verizon announcing something policy-related at 1:30PM ET -- we're liveblogging right here 01:16:00 - Google and Verizon publish joint policy proposal for 'an open internet' 01:17:00 - Google and Verizon's net neutrality proposal explained Hear the podcast Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @reckless @engadget @zpower @joannastern
Dell Thunder spied again, still looking awesome
Looks like the faucet's starting to turn wide open on Thunder leaks, seeing how this would be the second we've seen in a single day -- and we suppose you could even count this one twice since the source appears to have two units at his disposal. AndroidSPIN doesn't have any new details to report with this round of shots, but needless to say, talk of a 4.1-inch AMOLED display looks as real as ever, and it looks like all of these test units are running stock Android 2.1. Sadly, considering how long the Mini 5 / Streak was in the leak pipeline prior to release, we can't promise that we're going to see a retail launch on this one any time soon -- but it certainly gives you pause before pulling the trigger on an AT&T-locked version of the Streak now, doesn't it?
Exclusive: Dell Thunder prototype rumbles into the wild (video)
Did it get hot in here all of a sudden or is it just this extremely sexy prototype we're looking at? Yes, the Dell Thunder that boomed onto your internet screens back in April is back, and this time we've got video of it too. Our tipster reports an 8 megapixel camera with LED flash on the back -- which includes 720p video capture capabilities -- along with a removable 1,400mAh battery. His prototype's running vanilla Android 2.1 at present, though the final units can probably be expected to ship with Dell's custom skin on top. Screen resolution is purportedly 800 x 480, though judging by that 7 x 4 icon grid up there and our tipster's own experience, it could be even higher; the 4.1-inch display looks to indeed be of the OLED variety, as our earlier leak had indicated. All that and it has the looks of a pocket-sized supercar. Enough teasing, skip past the break for the video. P.S. With Thunder now confirmed as an honest to goodness device (and not just renders), the rest of the April leak would seem to be validated including the Windows Phone 7 Lightning handset, the 7-inch Looking Glass Android tablet, and the two mid-range Flash and Smoke Android devices. [Thanks, Fahad]%Gallery-99260%
Dell's Lightning, Thunder, Flash, Smoke and more: rounding up a storm of mobile leaks
You might have missed it if you were sleeping, but we broke open a huge treasure trove of leaked Dell mobile devices last night, including the high-end Lightning Windows Phone 7 slider and Thunder Android set. We also got wind of the mid-range Flash and Smoke Android phones, as well as the Looking Glass seven-inch Android tablet, and to round things out we scored more details on the Aero and Streak. Yeah, it was a hell of a night, but we've got it all rounded up for you right here, so click on through if you missed anything! Lightning: the ultimate Windows Phone 7 Thunder: 4.1-inch OLED, Android, Hulu app Flash: Android Froyo in 'dramatic' package Smoke: 'Like a Pixi but awesome' Looking Glass: 7-inch tablet with Tegra 2 Streak: Android 2.1 in September Aero: Spec'd Dell's mobile outlook
Dell Thunder explodes Android with 4.1-inch OLED screen, promises Hulu app
It's like Dell's making up for lost time with smartphones: while "Lightning" is the company's answer to Windows Phone extravagance, the Dell Thunder that's leaking out along side does up Android 2.1 with similar aplomb and a 4.1-inch WVGA OLED screen. There's a heavily custom Dell "Stage" UI on top, which seems much different (and classier) than what we've seen on the Streak or Aero. It apparently ties into Facebook and Twitter for social networking, and taps Swype for a touchscreen keyboard replacement, along with grabbing just a pinch of HTC's Sense good looks. Dell's document also claims this has Flash 10.1 for watching web videos, along with a mention of an "integrated web video Hulu app." We're not sure how that works, but hopefully it's everything we ever dreamed mobile Hulu could be. Under the hood we'd guess there's the same Snapdragon chip that's powering the Lightning, but we don't have specific specs. There is supposed to be an 8 megapixel camera, however, and the phone will be sold in AT&T and world-friendly HSDPA versions around Q4 of this year, with an LTE model to follow near the end of 2011. We can hardly wait. %Gallery-91360%
BlackBerry Thunder codename reemerges after lengthy sabbatical
Back in the heady pre-9500 days when "touchscreen BlackBerry" was still a novel and exotic phrase, "Storm" and "Thunder" were both rumored as codenames for RIM's first foray into touch territory. Of course, "Storm" would ultimately prevail as the retail branding -- and the rest, as they say, is history. Or is it? A BlackBerry Thunder has apparently magically reappeared in Verizon's systems this week, though it's not clear whether this is a new device -- the Storm 2, for instance -- or just residual offal from the original Storm launch last year. If it's new, we get the theme, but what's next? Hail? Tornado? Sleet?
Google Sync for BlackBerry gets into your contacts
If you're a BlackBerry user or a prospective user, and also happen to be a Gmail enthusiast, you're going to be a lot happier than you were yesterday, because Google's just added over-the-air contact syncing to its Google Sync application. Previously, the app was only able to sync up calendars between the cloud and RIM devices every two hours. Now you can get your names and numbers in the mix, so it looks like the nightmare days of having one list of contacts in Gmail and another, totally different one in your 'Berry are apparently at an end. Sure, Google's timing on this seems a little convenient to us, coming as it does just before the BlackBerry Storm launch, but we're not going to complain about something that makes ours lives easier, okay? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
iPhone 3G, BlackBerry Storm and Bold compared on video: awkward...
One might think that the BlackBerry Bold and the BlackBerry Storm could get along together, but similar to twin brothers who both aspire to graduate Magna Cum Laude from an Ivy league school, these two aren't exactly the most loving of siblings. Oh, and toss in that iPhone 3G -- which played a huge role in helping Apple sell more phones than RIM last quarter -- and you've got yourself a bona fide mess. Check out all three getting shoved up on one another in the name of comparison just after the break. It's a little uncomfortable at first, but you'll get used to it.
BlackBerry Storm User Guide surfaces
Look, we love finding out the pre-release minutiae just as much as anyone, but this is getting a little absurd. Yesterday we spotted a Storm slide pack, just this morning we ran across a sneak peek of RIM's BlackBerry Application Center, and merely hours later we're being treated to the BlackBerry Storm User Guide. What's next, internal information on how to best polish the casing? C'mon Verizon, get this thing out in the open already!
