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Verizon's CEO sidesteps questions on iPhone, Android handset

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 24th 2009 at 7:58AM

The last time we heard from Ivan Seidenberg, he was letting Sprint know precisely what he thought of it. This go 'round, in a new 'Charlie Rose' interview, the Verizon chief is being entirely more coy. In speaking to recent political happenings, he mentions that the communication coming from the citizens of Iran is "a great thing," and he also notes that attempts to block internet use "can't work long term" as the "power of the people will override that without any question." Sort of comical given VZW's prior persistence to cripple phones in spite of consumer backlash, but we digress. He also dodged (with great skill, might we add) questions on whether Verizon Wireless would carry the iPhone, noting that it was "Apple's decision" on whether it would build one to support the company's forthcoming LTE network. As for Android? He did confess that recent reports of a Motorola handset coming its way "might be true," which is CEO speak for "oh, that's absolutely happening." Hop on past the break for a video of the whole shakedown.

Continue reading Verizon's CEO sidesteps questions on iPhone, Android handset

Garmin "getting very close" to a US Nuvifone launch... or so it says

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 5th 2009 at 5:41PM

If you've a proven track record of delivering solid products to consumers (much like Garmin has), we'll cut you some slack for awhile if you happen to hit a snag or two along the way while bringing a completely new device to market. But after more delays than we care to count and a 1.5 year gap between announcement and right now, the benefit of the doubt vanishes. To that end, we couldn't be happier to report that Garmin's president and COO Cliff Pemble feels that it's "getting very close" to a carrier launch (AT&T, perhaps?) in the US. Said statement was given at a shareholders meeting today, and he also mentioned that the Asian market would see the Nuvifone "this month or in early July." We appreciate the update, but at this point, the burden of proof is squarely on you, Garmin.

[Via Electronista]

MSI now shipping Wind Top AE1900 Black / Dual Core

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 3rd 2009 at 6:03PM

MSI's traditional Wind Top AE1900 -- you know, the one with the white and clear frame -- started shipping here in the US just over a month ago, but now two new family members are joining in. The AE1900 Black and Dual Core models have just landed down in a handful of respected e-tailers for right around $600, so if you've managed to hold off this long and prefer darker shades of most anything -- well, what are you waiting for? Full release is post-break.

Gallery: MSI now shipping Wind Top AE1900 Black / Dual Core

Continue reading MSI now shipping Wind Top AE1900 Black / Dual Core

Engadget Labs: The best mobile data carrier in America

by Darren Murph, posted May 26th 2009 at 4:41PM

When T-Mobile finally decided to join the 3G data card bandwagon earlier this year, we figured it prudent to grab a few sticks from the likes of T-Mob, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and AT&T in order to see which carrier provides the most bang for the buck in the mobile data arena. And trust us, it's about more than just uplink and downlink rates in 2G / 3G regions these days -- it's about figuring out which operator provides the coverage you need at the price you can afford, all while dodging those precarious overage charges and finding yourself out of luck when traveling overseas. Join us after the break as we delve into the deep, murky realm that is mobile broadband, and prepare to have your every preconceived notion about this stuff utterly destroyed.

Gallery: Mobile Data Card Shootout

Continue reading Engadget Labs: The best mobile data carrier in America

Debunk: Sony has not discontinued Rolly in America

by Darren Murph, posted May 14th 2009 at 2:23PM

Two years in, we still can't say with any level of definitiveness or authority what exactly Sony's Rolly is, but here's what we can say: it's still hanging around. After catching wind of a somewhat innocent Sony Insider report (which was seemingly misunderstood / misreported elsewhere) that the curious music maker was being canned in the US, we contacted Sony directly to sort things out. From Sony to you: "There is no truth to these reports at this time." 'Nuff said, yeah?

Nokia N97 pre-order falls to $524.25 in the US

by Chris Ziegler, posted May 8th 2009 at 3:01AM

Yes, technology tends to fall in price as it ages, but is the still-unreleased N97 prematurely getting on in the years or something? Did we miss that memo? Nokia USA is already blowing out N97 pre-orders for $174.75 off the $699 retail price after having originally gone up for sale just earlier this week -- and you still get a free BH-703 headset thrown in for good measure. Considering that this means you're getting the most full-featured device Nokia has ever made for the same price as a NAM E75, it seems like a no-brainer; hurry up, though, because we suspect this discount is a limited-time sort of deal.

[Thanks, Trudy]

Update: With code CARTP409N, the price falls to a ridiculously low $454. Seriously, what's up with the fire sale? Thanks, Lee!

Update 2: Sadly, the code's no longer working, but it seems like Nokia may honor pricing for those that ordered -- here's hoping. Thanks, everyone!

Sony's OLED Walkman priced in the US... sort of

by Darren Murph, posted May 7th 2009 at 2:01PM

We wouldn't carve this in stone quite yet, but we'd say that points-to-dollars conversion from Sony's official 'Rewards' site is pretty legitimate. The outfit's highly anticipated OLED Walkman, which we had the pleasure of toying with earlier this week, is now listed in 16GB and 32GB forms at SonyRewards. While no ship date is given, we are told that the smaller of the two will run members 29,995 points, while the larger one demands an extra 10,000. For those who only speak real currency (you know, like Schrute Bucks), that translates to $299.95 and $399.95, respectively. Furthermore, the first official OLED Walkman accessories have popped up, proving that a leather case / kickstand, clear screen protector and a hard plastic shell will be made available. Oh, and Sony -- any moment now would be great for a confirmation.

[Via SonyInsider]

Read - 16GB OLED Walkman
Read - 32GB OLED Walkman

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 gets officially detailed, priced for US market

by Darren Murph, posted May 6th 2009 at 12:22PM

It's been a long, winding road to get to this point, but we've finally got Panasonic coming clean and telling us a little of what we already knew and lots of stuff we didn't regarding its Lumix DMC-GH1. The hotly anticipated Micro Four Thirds shooter is indeed getting priced at $1,499.95 when it lands in the US in "early June," and that MSRP will include the LUMIX G VARIO 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH/MEGA O.I.S. lens. Speaking of the lens, it'll boast a silent motor and continuous auto focusing (AF) capability for HD video, a feature that's sorely (sorely!) lacking from video-capable DSLRs. The cam will ship only in black and will capture video in AVCHD 1080p/24p (or 720p/60p) form, and Panny also tells us that users can adjust shutter speed and control aperture during motion recording. Can you say: "want?"

Navigon withdraws from GPS business in North America

by Darren Murph, posted May 4th 2009 at 11:39AM

Man, talk about coming straight out of left field. After blowing it out at CeBIT just two months ago, Navigon has just announced its intentions to pull out of the navigation business here in North America. According to CEO Egon Minar: "Due to the difficult economic environment and the aggressive pricing we have decided to withdraw from the PND business in North America for the time being. We are however not closing down our Chicago office which will continue to serve our automotive and mobile phone businesses in North America." He did assert that the company would "continue to fulfill all obligations to its existing PND customers in terms of map updates, etc.," but nothing else on the subject was said. So long, Navigon -- we'll miss your "uber-premium" wares.

[Via SlashGear]

Cincinnati Bell lands Nokia's XpressMusic 5800: $149.99

by Darren Murph, posted May 3rd 2009 at 12:14PM

Good one, Cincinnati Bell -- you totally got us. Oh, wait. This isn't a joke? For the second time in as many months, the aforesaid carrier has somehow managed to land a white-hot Nokia handset before any other operator in America. This go 'round, the company is becoming the first in the US to offer a subsidized version of Nokia's polarizing XpressMusic 5800, bringing it to customers in the Ohio region for $149.99. Those looking to do without any strings can procure one for $349.99 (which is still $50 less than what Nokia's asking), but it's the bragging rights here that make it all worthwhile. So, how long before a real carrier follows suit?

Update: And here's the press release.

[Thanks, Adam]

Cowon's 32GB S9 PMP goes on sale in America

by Darren Murph, posted May 3rd 2009 at 4:44AM

We knew you'd do the right thing Cowon, we just knew it. Barely a fortnight after the company introduced its most capacious S9 to date over in South Korea, said player has made its way stateside... at least that's the impression that we get. Listed now as "in stock" on Amazon, the 32GB Titanium / Black unit is shown as being sold by JetAudio, which just so happens to be Cowon's official online home for sales. If you surf over to the S9 section on JetAudio's website, however, the 16GB model is still listed as the largest one available. We're guessing the latter's admin hasn't had time to update things between that Friday night rave and that six pack of Dos Equis on Saturday, but we hear Amazon has a pretty good reputation, anyway.

[Via PMP Today]

Nokia throws up "pre-order soon" logo on US N97, drives the kids crazy

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 30th 2009 at 9:26AM

Thanks to the always revealing FCC, we knew good and well Nokia's painfully expensive N97 had Carolina (and probably the other states, to be fair) on its mind, but now we know the moment of truth is drawing near. As of right now, Nokia's US website has a teaser block informing us Yanks that we'll be able to pre-order this here smartphone "soon." Hitting the link only directs us the European legalese that we've digested before, but surely it'll lead to something meaningful in due time. Patience... it's a virtue.

[Via phoneArena]

Navy shells out for development of missile-killing free-electron laser

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 24th 2009 at 6:09PM

You may think that the Navy's just the baby brother to the two other US Armed Forces, but its weapon development record definitely shows otherwise. Just over two years after building an 8-Megajoule railgun, the branch has penned two $7 million checks to defense contractors Boeing and Raytheon for the design and development of a free-electron laser (FEL). For what it's worth, such a device has been yearned for since a day after the dawn of time, as unlike chemical-based lasers, the FEL would be 100 percent electric and easier to move. For those unaware,this stormy petrel of a weapon would be used to blast down missiles in mid-flight, all while putting on a pretty impressive light show. 'Course, the Navy must also figure out how to build a massive energy generating ship in order to use it, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here, okay?

[Image courtesy of AIP]

MSI's CULV-packin' X-Slim X340 ships this month in US

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 21st 2009 at 1:09PM

MSI already told us that its ultraslim, super-sexy, WiMAX-ready X-Slim X340 would be starting at right around $1,000, and now we're being told that the planet's first laptop to be based on Intel's CULV (consumer ultra low voltage) platform will be shipping in April. As in, this month. For the forgetful souls in the crowd, this here ultraportable will ship with an SU3500 CULV processor that consumes just 5.5 watts of power and a 4-cell battery. Now, to find a retailer 'round these parts willing to let you pre-order one...

MSI's Wind Top AE1900 all-in-one PC comes to US at $529

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 20th 2009 at 1:00PM

MSI's eco-friendly Wind Top AE1900 has already been formally introduced and spotted over in Hanover earlier this year, but the outfit notorious for withholding price and availability information until the last possible moment has finally let loose those very details. The 18.5-inch all-in-one PC is available with an Atom 230 or 330 CPU, a 1,366 x 768 resolution touchscreen, integrated GMA950 graphics, 2GB of DDR2-533 RAM, a 160GB or 250GB hard drive, 4-in-1 multicard reader, dual-layer DVD writer, WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and audio in / out sockets to boot. Two configurations are available (both are shown after the break), with the lesser of the two going for $529.