Engadget

Developer runs WebKit on Chumby to bypass Flash

Sarah Silbert — Thu, 31 May 2012 07:54:00 EST

Things haven't been looking so good for Chumby recently -- in April, the company stopped hardware sales, and that was pretty much its bread and butter. Though the device may be well past its prime, at least it has some worth to the hackers among us. Take Huan Troung, who decided to use the Chumby as the starting point for making a temperature logger. To be fair, he ended up using the Insignia Infocast, a rebranded Chumby, and while the device was a good fit for his project, he wanted more freedom than the Flash framework allowed him. So Huan decided to run WebKit on the gadget. The result is a more app-friendly interface with support for a wide range of coding languages. Check out the video below for a look at the device running the temperature app.

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Developer runs WebKit on Chumby to bypass Flash originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 07:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic Viera touchpad controller prototype hands-on (video)

Billy Steele — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:08:00 EST

Looking for a more comfortable web browsing and app using experience on your Panasonic Viera Smart TV? The company is looking to lend a hand with upcoming peripherals like the Viera touchpad prototype that we took for a spin here in Vegas. Compatible with the 2012 line of televisions that share the same moniker, the controller enables you to peruse the web on your wall-mounted display via Panasonic's Webkit browser. We spent a few minutes browsing the Engadget site, so read on for our impressions.

Using HTML5, the browser scrolled pages at a decent clip. Don't get your hopes up about Flash though, as in its absence you'll certainly be disappointed. Text wasn't as crisp as we'd like and a lack of font support made rendered pages look off. In terms of the prototype, we were able to navigate the web with ease despite the occasional hiccup with the touchpad's responsiveness -- a quirk you'd expect with a device still in beta. Some basic TV remote functions like volume and channel controls were also on the mouse-sized peripheral which can be paired with wired or wireless keyboards for some text-heavy couch surfing. We're hearing that it'll be included with a few models this spring and also offered as a solo option for those who may have already purchased a compatible HDTV. If you're itching for a look at the action, a short preview video awaits after the break.

Gallery: Panasonic Viera touchpad controller prototype hands-on

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Panasonic Viera touchpad controller prototype hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia N9 review

Myriam Joire — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EST

MeeGo to be folded into Linux-based Tizen OS, slated to arrive in 2012

Want a Nokia N9 in the US? Expansys has some, but it'll cost ya

Motorola Droid 2 stars in its first video, touts 1GHz CPU and 512MB of RAM?

It's taken a long time for Nokia's MeeGo-packing N9 to make its way into our top secret labs (the N9 moniker was first applied to early E7 prototypes), but it's here in our dirty little hands, at last, and it's glorious -- well, as glorious as a stillborn product can be, anyway. The N9 is the latest and greatest in a long line of quirky, interesting, yet ultimately flawed touchscreen experiments from Nokia that includes the Hildon-sporting 7710, a series of Maemo-based "internet tablets" (770, N800, N810, N900) and most recently, the N950 MeeGo handset for developers. What makes the N9 special is that it represents Nokia's last flagship phone as an independent player. MeeGo is already dead, and future high-end devices from the manufacturer will run Windows Phone and use Microsoft's services. So, is this the company's final bittersweet hurrah? Did MeeGo ever stand a chance against Android, iOS and Mango? In its attempt to stay relevant, is Nokia throwing out the baby with the bathwater? Most importantly, how does the N9 fare in today's merciless dual-core world? Find out after the break.

Gallery: Nokia N9 review

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Nokia N9 review originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chumby NeTV unfurls its web-connected tentacles for the FCC

Joseph Volpe — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:28:00 EST

FCC appearances are usually a good indication of a product's imminent arrival. And with Chumby's NeTV already headed to developers' hands later this month, this Commission filing isn't exactly catching us off guard. Now, a firm retail date is all that's missing to complete the once huggable platform's official outing. Those unfamiliar with the Flash-based, WiFi-enabled device can look forward to a webified HDTV experience that'll stream online content, as well as texts and photos from your Android phone, to a flat panel display. Sure, there are plenty of other options to bring the net to your livingroom, but how many of them can claim an octopus as their mascot? Check out the source link below if emissions testing and user manuals tickle your fancy.

Chumby NeTV unfurls its web-connected tentacles for the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chumby NeTV turns any HDTV into a Chumby that's hard to hug (video)

Daniel Cooper — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:42:00 EST

Existing HDTV owners cursing because they don't have a Smart TV will soon catch a break from Chumby. It's developing the NeTV, turning any TV (geddit?) into a giant, unhuggable Chumby that connects in-line between source and TV, overlaying the interface on top of your picture. It ships with a seven button remote, but most people should consider using their Android phones to get the most out of the on-board WebKit browser, seamless photo sharing and notifications that put your SMS messages and emails onto the big screen. Developers are gonna get their mitts on the device later this month, but you can catch a sneak peek after the break

[Thanks, Torin]

Continue reading Chumby NeTV turns any HDTV into a Chumby that's hard to hug (video)

Chumby NeTV turns any HDTV into a Chumby that's hard to hug (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WebKit turns 10, celebrates a decade of speedy, standards-compliant browsing

Terrence O'Brien — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:46:00 EST

It's hard to believe but WebKit, the rendering engine inside Safari and Chrome, is now ten years old. The forked child of KDE's KHTML received its first commit of code from Apple back on August 24th of 2001. It would be well over a year before the debut of Safari in 2003, and another two years before it was fully open sourced. Since then it's begun to replace Gecko (Mozilla) as the rendering engine du jour and even spawned a sequel in Webkit2. So, happy birthday to Apple's greatest contribution to the open source community.

WebKit turns 10, celebrates a decade of speedy, standards-compliant browsing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google's Chrome 13 brings 'Instant Pages' to the masses, saves precious seconds of your life

Dante Cesa — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:43:00 EST

Google just wouldn't be Google if it wasn't wringing out every last iota of performance from its products. The latest Chrome release is no different, ushering Instant Pages out of the dev channel and into the hands of the proletariat. The headline feature uses an algorithm to "guess" where you'll click next, pre-fetching and pre-rendering the result if it's confident enough. Mountain View says it's the only "high-profile" site to support the tech, but interested web masters can can partake of the instantaneous Google goodies by peeping the more coverage link below. Tweaks to the Omnibox -- which now returns URL and title history results based on partial queries -- and the addition of print previews for Windows and Linux round out the 13th version of the popular browser. Video of the über-swift search in action's below.

Continue reading Google's Chrome 13 brings 'Instant Pages' to the masses, saves precious seconds of your life

Google's Chrome 13 brings 'Instant Pages' to the masses, saves precious seconds of your life originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia E7 review

Myriam Joire — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:15:00 EST

Over the years, we've seen a steady stream of business and messaging-centric landscape QWERTY smartphones come and go, with HTC arguably leading the pack via its collection of Windows Mobile, Android, and WP7 devices featuring sliding keyboards and tilt-out displays. But few of HTC's offerings are as iconic or memorable as Nokia's line of Communicator clamshell phones -- starting with the Nokia 9000 in 1996, continuing with Symbian S80 models, and culminating with the Nokia E90 atop S60v3. The Nokia E7 is the latest Communicator in this distinguished series and the manufacturer's current flagship device, dethroning the Nokia N8 which continues on as the company's media mogul. A lot has changed in the six months since the N8 was introduced, including Nokia's recent partnership with Microsoft and the stunning announcement that it will be adopting Windows Phone for future high-end smartphones. So, is the E7 -- which is finally shipping in the US -- the greatest Communicator to date? Can it carry the torch for Symbian in the immediate future? And more importantly, how does it fare in today's shark-infested Android and iOS waters? Jump past the break for our full review.

Gallery: Nokia E7 review

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Nokia E7 review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix ported WebKit to the PS3 to enable HTML5 goodies, a dynamically updatable UI

Paul Miller — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 04:39:00 EST

Netflix caused a lot of head scratching in October when it started rolling out its new, disc-free Netflix experience for the PS3. Namely, different people were getting a different UI, and there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the differentiation. Well, it turns out Netflix was flexing a bit of its HTML5 muscle, rapidly testing different experiences to see which ones worked best for users, all without having to push out app updates or back-end changes to accommodate its indecision. Apparently, Netflix's engineers actually ported WebKit to the PS3 to make all this possible, and hopefully it's a sign of things to come in the HTML5 iPhone, iPad, and Android apps -- which could probably use some serious sprucing, or even a bit of scattered rapid prototyping just to relieve the monotony. It's also seems to be good news for other PS3 apps which can lean on the framework -- presumably VUDU's own HTML5-based UI took advantage of this when it landed on the PS3 in November. What we'd really love is if Sony and Google are secretly in cahoots to bring the entirety of Chrome and its couch-friendly Google TV UI with it. Hey, we can dream, right?

Netflix ported WebKit to the PS3 to enable HTML5 goodies, a dynamically updatable UI originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 04:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Insignia's Infocast gains a web browser, a little dignity in the process

Darren Murph — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 23:18:00 EST

Nah, it's not an officially supported browser, but it's a browser nonetheless. Chumby founder Andrew Huang has recently posted up instructions (along with a prebuilt file for those stretched thin) on how to port a WebKit-based browser onto Best Buy's self-proclaimed Internet Media Device. Currently, the browser requires a USB keyboard for text input, though the touch panel still functions just fine when it comes to window management / navigation. Hit the links below if you're looking for good reason to dust your Infocast off and put it to better use. Or don't, and just become more bitter at the world around you for no good reason at all. Your choice.

Insignia's Infocast gains a web browser, a little dignity in the process originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 23:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TomTom Go Live 1000 plus future Magellan units hit FCC

Ben Bowers — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 01:36:00 EST

Surprise surprise, the Webkit interface-packing TomTom Go Live 1000 just hit European shelves earlier this month and now it's popped up at the FCC complete with a user manual and a posse of mysterious brethren dubbed the GO 1000, GO 7100 and GO LIVE 9100. Clearly the lack of Live in two of the titles implies they won't feature TomTom's real-time traffic updates, but it's still unclear how any will compare to the Go Live 1000's 4.3-inch capacitive touch screen and 500MHz ARM11 processor hardware-- which we experienced mixed results using during our early hands on with a prototype. Two new Magellan models listed as the RoadMate 9020 and 9055 also have surfaced with very few details, however considering their high model numbers we're guessing they'll be top of the line devices. Looking at the ruler in the included 9055 photos does roughly hint it has a 5-inch screen though -- exciting, we know. There's also no mention in any of the documentation about new systems to prevent dumb couples from off-roading in the Oregon wilderness. So much for safety in new technology eh?

TomTom Go Live 1000 plus future Magellan units hit FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 01:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boxee's new browser is built on Webkit and HTML5 ready

Richard Lawler — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:52:00 EST

Expect to see some changes to Boxee when its $199 D-Link-built Box ships in November, as Lead Apps Developer / Community evangelist Rob Spectre tells NewTeeVee that among them will be a new Webkit based browser. The current Mozilla based browser is clearly useful for some quick & unblocked Hulu viewing, but still doesn't render many sites properly. According to Spectre, HTML5 "absolutely should be the future for the browsers you use on your TV," with competition from Google TV we can see why he'd say that, and it should be ready to stream video from even more sites that don't build Boxee apps. The desktop versions of the software will get the new browser in version 1.0 after the Boxee Box is released, so make sure your comparison charts are appropriately updated.

Boxee's new browser is built on Webkit and HTML5 ready originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Bold 9780 caught on video running OS 6

Paul Miller — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:34:00 EST

This new Bold 9780 is really looking like the real deal, isn't it? The phone, which includes some ultra-minor aesthetic tweaks over the 9700, along with 512MB of RAM to handle the new BlackBerry 6 OS, has been described on paper, caught on camera, and now has gotten the requisite video walkthrough. The video, obtained by Driphter.com, includes some nice WebKit browsing, with fast page loads but some slightly sluggish scroll speeds. Of course, this is still pre-release software, so we'll see where we end up when BlackBerry 6 starts landing on these RAM-bumped devices for reals. Video is after the break.

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BlackBerry Bold 9780 caught on video running OS 6 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry 6's WebKit-based browser bests the competition in a good 'ol standards showdown

Tim Stevens — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:44:00 EST

It's been almost a year since RIM picked up Torch Mobile and locked its newly acquired division in a closet, telling those coders to not come out until BlackBerry had a world-class browser. Early tests from Salomondrin, the self-described "007 of the Phone World," indicates that those tired engineers can now finally go home and get some sleep. The new WebKit-based browser, a part of BlackBerry OS 6.0, managed a score of 208 on the ~~Acid~~ HTML5 tests, measuring browser compliance and performance. Meanwhile the iPhone 4 scored 185 and HTC's Incredible pulled down 151. Mind you, benchmark performance doesn't always equate to real-world browser responsiveness, but regardless this is good news for CrackBerry addicts. The only question now is: when will they get their fix?

Update: The browsers were run through a suite of tests, and the above scores were actually from The HTML5 Test!

BlackBerry 6's WebKit-based browser bests the competition in a good 'ol standards showdown originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android 2.2 (Froyo) versus iOS 4: the browser showdown (video)

Richard Lai — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:56:00 EST

A little while back Google boldly claimed that Froyo would have the world's fastest mobile browser, but the lack of final software back then meant we'd had to tie up our itchy hands until now. And boy, it sure looks like it was worth the wait -- Ars Technica's JavaScript benchmarks show that not only is Froyo's browser almost three times faster than its Éclair counterpart, but it also beats iOS 4's Safari by at least two-fold. That said, numbers alone don't always reflect real-life performance -- especially with Froyo supporting iPhone's much-missed Flash -- so we went ahead and conducted our own browser speed test. Read on for our videos and results after the jump.

Update: for those who were concerned about the battery affecting the Nexus One's performance, we did use Android System Info to verify that the CPU was still clocked at 1GHz. We were also able to reproduce the same results with a full battery. Either way, it's still a win for Android.

Continue reading Android 2.2 (Froyo) versus iOS 4: the browser showdown (video)

Android 2.2 (Froyo) versus iOS 4: the browser showdown (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Bold 9800 slides open, shows off promising WebKit-based browser

Darren Murph — Fri, 21 May 2010 12:54:00 EST

We've known RIM has had a WebKit-based browser in its rear pocket since Mobile World Congress, and with confirmation that BlackBerry OS 6.0 would have traces of WebKit throughout, this discovery was simply inevitable. The BlackBerry Bold 9800 (polarizing design and all) has just made its most interesting appearance yet, this time showing off a purported WebKit-based web browser with a trio of tabs collected up top. Never mind the fact that whoever was using this clearly wishes he / she was browsing on an iPhone -- it's the 100/100 Acid3 test result that really titillates. 'Course, that could very well be a JPEG loaded up to fool us all, but we aren't losing the faith just yet. Head on down to the source for a few more teases.

BlackBerry Bold 9800 slides open, shows off promising WebKit-based browser originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 May 2010 12:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM shows off BlackBerry 6 on video

Vlad Savov — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:44:00 EST

While RIM's WES 2010 keynote is still ongoing, the company's YouTube channel has kindly released the first teaser video for the incoming BlackBerry 6 operating system. There's a lot of movement on screen -- so much, in fact, that it's almost like RIM really doesn't want you to see the OS at all. We did catch sight of a Cover Flow-aping music organizer, an onscreen keyboard engaging in some threaded messaging, Facebook and Twitter clients, and even the briefest of glimpses at that famed WebKit-based browser. Interaction in the video is done via touch, but you'll naturally be able to utilize the new interface on more conventional, touch-less devices as well. Skip past the break for the moving pictures.

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RIM shows off BlackBerry 6 on video originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TomTom Go Live 1000 to offer capacitive touchscreen, WebKit-based UI

Vlad Savov — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:00:00 EST

TomTom has just outed its new flagship PND, the Go Live 1000, and wouldn't you know it, it's the first of the company's stable to offer a capacitive touchscreen. This comes mere days after Garmin updated its lineup with capacitive options. The 1000 is a little slimmer than its predecessors, but its major feature is "instant" route planning and re-planning once it has a satellite lock -- the industry's fastest. Achieved using a custom-built Broadcom GPS module, that capability is backed up by a 500MHz ARM11 CPU (yawn), 4GB of storage, 128MB of RAM, a new WebKit-based UI, and 12 months of free TomTom Live services. Beginning in June, this suite of services will be rolled out to 33 countries across Europe, featuring local information about petrol prices, services and weather, while its headline HD Traffic -- which tracks congestion on secondary roads as well as motorways -- and safety camera alert features will come to only 16 nations. It's a decent year-long freebie to have and TomTom promises it'll cost less than €50 ($67) per annum thereafter. That's more reasonable than the previous $9.95 monthly cost, but still not price-competitive with Google and Nokia's offerings. There's also a SIM card slot, but don't expect to be developing new modes of sidetalking, it's most likely there purely to facilitate all those data transactions. Check out the new UI in the gallery below and expect the TomTom Go 1000 Live to show up in Europe some time this summer.

Gallery: TomTom Go 1000 Live to offer capacitive touchscreen, WebKit browser

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TomTom Go Live 1000 to offer capacitive touchscreen, WebKit-based UI originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry OS 6.0 screenshots and details leak out

Nilay Patel — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:25:00 EST

The leaks, they keep coming. Boy Genius has some new images and details on BlackBerry OS 6.0 today, and while we've got our fair share of questions, there's no denying that what we're seeing looks like a substantial and much-needed improvement to the platform. First off, it appears that RIM's acquisition of Torch Mobile has paid off with a totally new WebKit-based browser, complete with tab switching, redesigned favorites, and pinch-to-zoom. About time, we'd say. Pinch-to-zoom and multitouch are also said to be present system-wide, along with kinetic scrolling, and long-pressing on the screen brings up a new modal context menu. That's definitely intriguing. The media player, photo viewer, and messaging apps have all also been re-done, and we're told the new inbox offers Facebook, Twitter, and RSS integration. The best part? BGR says this is all due out in June / July, "100%."

Now, here's the interesting parts. First, it's obvious that this system is made for and being demoed on a touchscreen device, yet BGR says it was being shown off by an "AT&T connect." That suggests Ol' Blue is about to get a touchscreen BlackBerry of its own to counter Verizon's Storm sometime soon -- perhaps that leaked slider? We can't say for sure. What we can say for sure is that this is the third set of 6.0 leaks we've seen that have content about San Francisco and the earthquake in Haiti displayed on the screen -- and while RIM has said the previous two leaks were just mockups, it's more than a little odd that SF / Haiti has become a theme here. What does it all mean? We may never know, but whatever -- just hit us with that new browser and we'll stop asking questions.

BlackBerry OS 6.0 screenshots and details leak out originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple announces WebKit2 with Chrome-like process splitting

Nilay Patel — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:31:00 EST

Apple's big announcement of the day might have been iPhone OS 4, but another reveal that's gone slightly under the radar might actually turn out to be a bigger deal: WebKit2, which now runs browser elements as separate processes, much like Google Chrome. Actually, Apple's devs say it goes a little farther than Chrome, since the process model is built into the foundation so other non-Safari clients can use it. That's pretty wild stuff, considering how prevalent WebKit has become across the mobile space and the fact that Chrome itself uses the rendering engine. No word on when this will all go final, but hey -- it's all open source, and you can actually grab Mac and Windows binaries right now. Let us know how it goes, won't you?

Apple announces WebKit2 with Chrome-like process splitting originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM demos new WebKit-based BlackBerry browser at MWC -- it's fast!

Nilay Patel — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:56:00 EST

We weren't expecting much out of RIM's presser here at MWC this morning, but the company managed to bust out one surprise -- a demo of the company's new WebKit-based BlackBerry browser. We're assuming this is what came out of that Torch Mobile acquisition, and the early build shown off on-screen looks pretty solid, rendering Amazon.com quickly and scoring a full 100/100 on the Acid3 test. Unfortunately, there's no word on when BlackBerry users will actually be able to get their hands on this, but rest assured we're digging for more info. Video after the break.

Continue reading RIM demos new WebKit-based BlackBerry browser at MWC -- it's fast!

RIM demos new WebKit-based BlackBerry browser at MWC -- it's fast! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dulin's Books brings Onxy's 6-inch Boox 60 e-reader to US shores for $349

Darren Murph — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:52:00 EST

It has taken longer than anticipated, but the Boox e-reader that we toyed with at CeBIT earlier this year is finally available for order here in the US of A, with shipments expected to begin in a fortnight. Onyx International's 6-inch reader -- which features WiFi, a Vizplex e-ink display, a 532MHz processor, 512MB of memory, a 1,600mAh battery and an SD / SDHC expansion slot -- is bring slung across the seas courtesy of Dulin's Books, and while it won't ship with integrated 3G support, it's still coming here with a lofty $349 price tag affixed to it. Sure, that WebKit browser may impress some, and the bundled white leather cover is a pleasant touch, but we can only wish it luck as it tries to rival the (less expensive and more capable) Nook and Kindle.

[Thanks, Jorge]

Dulin's Books brings Onxy's 6-inch Boox 60 e-reader to US shores for $349 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM posts job listing for 'WebKit Developer,' gets one step closer to a real browser

Joshua Topolsky — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:33:00 EST

Needed some more evidence that future BlackBerrys may be getting a much needed improvement in the browser department? You got it. Following up on the news that Research In Motion has acquired Torch Mobile (developers of the WebKit-based Iris browser), the Candian phonemaker is now looking to fill the position of "WebKit Developer," according to a job listing. The posting calls for a number of skills which would come in handy whilst creating a next-gen browser for the BlackBerry OS, clearly calling for someone with hands-on experience coding... WebKit style. Look, if you love Canada and hate the BlackBerry browser, here's your chance to make the world a better place. What are you waiting for?

[Thanks, Daniel M]

Filed under: Software

RIM posts job listing for 'WebKit Developer,' gets one step closer to a real browser originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM posts job listing for 'WebKit Developer,' gets one step closer to a real browser

Joshua Topolsky — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:33:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones

RIM posts job listing for 'WebKit Developer,' gets one step closer to a real browser originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 3GS bested by Android Archos 5 tablet in browsing benchmarks

Nilay Patel — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:46:00 EST

We've already seen the iPhone 3GS handily win an ARM Cortex A8-powered browsing bakeoff against the Palm Pre, but now that a few more devices have hit the scene with the processor it's time for another round, don't you think? Pocketables certainly does, and they've pitted the 3GS against a pretty eclectic group of devices, including the Sharp NetWalker Android "smartbook," the Archos 5 IMT, and the Archos 5 Android PMP. That's two Android devices, one funky proprietary OS, and the iPhone, all running different browsers on different variants of the same chip design, so there are obviously a lot of variables at play here, but the results are still interesting: the 800MHz Android Archos 5's WebKit browser was just a tick faster than the 600MHz iPhone 3GS, turning in an average page-load time of 9.0 seconds as opposed to 9.6, while the 800MHz NetWalker and 600MHz Archos 5 IMT trailed at 10.3 and 11.6 seconds. All we're taking away from that is that WebKit-based mobile browsers still seem to be the speed champs, but we're sure you have a different opinion.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

iPhone 3GS bested by Android Archos 5 tablet in browsing benchmarks originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lighthouse SQ7 MID brings voice recognition to Facebook, Twitter

Joseph L. Flatley — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:07:00 EST

If you're savvy enough to want to use the Facebook Mobile app, we're guessing you're savvy enough to get it up and running on your phone or portable -- so buying an additional device for responding to friend requests seems a little silly. Hopefully, AdelaVoice (a company that develops voice-enabled apps for the Internet and social networks) has more plans for its Lighthouse SQ7 than what we see here. Based on the Linux-powered SmartQ7 Internet tablet, the heart of this bad boy is a UI that allows you access to Facebook, Twitter, the web, and an image slideshow. But that ain't all! Taking advantage of Webkit's integrated voice recognition, this thing will let you input text through the mic -- perfect for posting to Facebook or tweeting sans stylus. Perhaps for some people these features might be a big deal, but we've been asking around -- and we have yet to find anyone who'll 'fess up. We have to admit, though -- what this thing does do, it seems to do pretty well. Tell you what, AdelaVoice -- add JDate and Classmates.com and we'll give the thing another shot, okay? Video after the break.

[Via Best Tablet Review]

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Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

Lighthouse SQ7 MID brings voice recognition to Facebook, Twitter originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM buys Torch Mobile, BlackBerrys might finally get a decent browser

Nilay Patel — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:43:00 EST

The default BlackBerry browser has long been laughably sad, but it looks like things are about to get better: RIM's just acquired Torch Mobile, the developers behind the Iris mobile browser. If you'll recall, Iris is a well-received WebKit-based browser for Windows Mobile that offers tabbed browsing, touch, and a skinnable UI -- and we hear it does a pretty good job rendering pages as well. Of course, since it's Windows Mobile-only at the moment it'll be a while before BlackBerry fans actually see any results from this acquisition, but it's nice to see RIM taking some big steps to address what's become a major shortfall with the platform -- and hey, maybe that extra time is what it'll take to add the promised full Flash and Silverlight support to the system. Yep, lots of solid potential here -- now if only RIM would build in proper IMAP support, we'd be all set.

[Via MobileTechWorld, thanks Ike]

Filed under: Software, RIM

RIM buys Torch Mobile, BlackBerrys might finally get a decent browser originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM buys Torch Mobile, BlackBerrys might finally get a decent browser

Nilay Patel — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:43:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones

RIM buys Torch Mobile, BlackBerrys might finally get a decent browser originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Wave dev preview hands-on and impressions

Ross Miller — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST

After an impressive debut at Google I/O, the company's newest experiment and collaborative chat client has been making its way into the hands of developers in the lead-up to a torrent of new testers on September 30th. We had a chance to stop by Google's San Francisco office last week for a guided tour of the latest build of Wave with creators Lars and Jens Rasmussen, and have since then spent the better part of our free time working through the ins and outs of the new communication platform. Does it live up to the hype, even in this bug-infested interim build? Read on to find out.

Continue reading Google Wave dev preview hands-on and impressions

Filed under: Software

Google Wave dev preview hands-on and impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's Omnia family hands-on, Samsung Jet and Pixon 12 come along for the ride

Paul Miller — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:28:00 EST

Samsung just pulled a bit of a "Samsung" and completely blew out its Omnia lineup. We just got some face time with the new Omnia II, Omnia Pro, Omnia Lite and the Omnia-inspired Jet, along with the Pixon 12 -- which runs the same in-house Samsung OS as the Jet, but packs a 12 megapixel camera. It's hard not to notice the stunning AMOLED screens on these phones, especially up against the dull-by-comparison Omnia Lite with its petty LCD. Unfortunately, while the build quality is good and the specs are certainly all there, all the phones were fairly slow in regular operation. The Jet and Pixon were passable (and the Jet certainly ought to be, with an 800MHz "application processor"), but we can't imagine anybody finding any pleasure in the molasses Windows Mobile 6.1 experiences on the Omnia trio. The Jet has a fun little 3D UI "cube" gimmick, which involves the pointless spinning of a cube to access different media apps, but most of what we saw was pretty standard TouchWiz. We did like the speed of Pixon's camera, which does a Pre-style trick of sending photo processing duties to the background so you can snap another photo with little delay in between -- it's also pretty good at auto focus and color accuracy for a phone, but we won't be trading in our regular point and shoot in the near term. None of the phones we looked at had network access, so we weren't able to test out the WebKit browsers, but it sounds like a major win for the Jet and Pixon. Let's just work on that Omnia responsiveness a bit, yeah Samsung? Perhaps Windows Mobile 6.5 (the Omnia II and Omnia Pro are 6.5-ready) will help.

Gallery: Samsung's Omnia family hands-on, Samsung Jet and Pixon 12 come along for the ride

Filed under: Handsets, Samsung, Windows Mobile

Samsung's Omnia family hands-on, Samsung Jet and Pixon 12 come along for the ride originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's Omnia family hands-on, Samsung Jet and Pixon 12 come along for the ride

Paul Miller — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:28:00 EST

Gallery: Samsung's Omnia family hands-on, Samsung Jet and Pixon 12 come along for the ride

Continue reading Samsung's Omnia family hands-on, Samsung Jet and Pixon 12 come along for the ride

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Samsung's Omnia family hands-on, Samsung Jet and Pixon 12 come along for the ride originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Jet packs an 800MHz processor, AMOLED display, featurephone OS

Nilay Patel — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:56:00 EST

Samsung's busy launching a bunch of handsets across even more timezones right now, and in addition to all the Omnia updates, there's also the Jet, which is an interesting hybrid: it's got an 800MHz processor, five megapixel camera, 3.1-inch AMOLED screen, WebKit-based Dolfin browser and a host of media features including DivX support, but it's running TouchWiz 2.0, so it's not a proper smartphone. Yeah, it's weird, but we're sort of into it -- we'll see what's it's like in person.

Filed under: Handsets, Samsung

Samsung Jet packs an 800MHz processor, AMOLED display, featurephone OS originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Jet packs an 800MHz processor, AMOLED display, featurephone OS

Nilay Patel — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung Jet packs an 800MHz processor, AMOLED display, featurephone OS originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iris Browser escapes beta at MWC, now ready for WinMo devices

Darren Murph — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:02:00 EST

While most of the mobile browser attention these days seemed focused on Fennec and Opera Mini, there's another game in town, too. Torch Mobile has just announced that its long-awaited WebKit-based Iris Browser has finally reached version 1.1.0, and it's now ready for use on Windows Mobile 5 and 6 platforms. Torch Mobile's making some pretty bold promises about this here software, claiming that its "advanced WebKit-based engine easily renders virtually any site on the web the same as if viewed on a PC." Of course, you know what a phrase like this means, right? You better get to downloading in order to see if it's legit. Go on, get!

Filed under: Software, Windows Mobile

Iris Browser escapes beta at MWC, now ready for WinMo devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WebKit-based Iris browser for Windows Mobile hits beta v2

Darren Murph — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:00:00 EST

We know how it goes -- once you get your Windows Mobile setup situated how you like it, making tweaks is a rare, rare occurrence. To that end, you probably passed on the highly dangerous first beta of the WebKit-based Iris browser. At long last, the entirely more stable beta v2 has emerged for those courageous enough to give it a go, and the designers are promising that the over 100 fixes and improvements make it "incredibly fast" and almost life-altering. If you're not keen on waiting for the next iteration of Internet Explorer Mobile, and if you're somehow not pleased with Opera Mini or Mobile Firefox, roll the dice with this one and see how things turn out.

[Via the::unwired]

Filed under: Software

WebKit-based Iris browser for Windows Mobile hits beta v2 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung L870 S60 slider features Webkit-based browser

Thomas Ricker — Wed, 28 May 2008 05:29:00 EST

Yup, you read that right. We're not talking about just any Webkit-based browser, Samsung's long-rumored L870 slider features a full "Safari" browser (which we'll take to mean Webkit). The 13.5-mm thin phone pumps Symbian v9.3 and S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 at its core with a 3 megapixel camera, 2.4-inch QVGA display, FM radio, Stereo Bluetooth, and microSD expansion. Unfortunately, this pup is tri-band GSM with single-band UMTS/HSDPA 3.6Mbps support so it'll be heading to Europe around the August time frame.

Update: As per the full press release (posted after the break), Samsung claimed that they'd brought mobile Safari to this device. Technically feasible, we suppose, but far more unlikely than some clueless PR flack screwing up the release. We'll let you know if Samsung HQ has anything differently to say about the matter, but until then we're calling this Webkit, not Safari.

Update 2: Yup, it's Webkit all right.

Continue reading Samsung L870 S60 slider features Webkit-based browser

Filed under: Handsets, Samsung, Symbian, GSM, HSDPA, UMTS

Samsung L870 S60 slider features Webkit-based browser originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 May 2008 05:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung L870 S60 slider features Webkit-based browser

Thomas Ricker — Wed, 28 May 2008 05:29:00 EST

Continue reading Samsung L870 S60 slider features Webkit-based browser

Samsung L870 S60 slider features Webkit-based browser originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 May 2008 05:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iris browser brings WebKit to Windows Mobile

Nilay Patel — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:04:00 EST

The Windows Mobile browser market is getting awful crowded lately, and the latest entrant brings a little Apple to the mix -- the Iris browser, from Torch Mobile, is based on WebKit, the same KHTML-derived rendering engine in Safari. We won't know how it compares to the iPhone's Mobile Safari until we get a chance to play with it, of course, but with support for touch, rotation, tabbed browsing and multiple windows, a customizable interface, and Netscape plugins, it's safe to say that we'll be keeping an eye on this one. If you're feeling brave, the preview release is available just beyond the read link.

Filed under: Windows Mobile

Iris browser brings WebKit to Windows Mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iris browser brings WebKit to Windows Mobile

Nilay Patel — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:04:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones

Iris browser brings WebKit to Windows Mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Safari 3 for Windows

Paul Miller — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:12:00 EST

Sign one more up for the browser war, Apple is shipping the third version of its well received Safari WebKit-based browser over to foreign shores to duke it out with the likes of IE, Firefox and Opera... on Windows. The Mac-only browser has already attained a 5% market share, and it seems the Apple folks plan to use it in much the same way they've used iTunes to grow the Mac fanbase by giving Windows users "a glass of ice water to somebody in hell!" Apple claims their browser is up to twice as fast as the competition, and the public beta of Safari 3 is being released today as a free download for Mac OS X, Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Safari 3 for Windows originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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