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Acer to acquire Gateway: so long cow spots?
Acer -- the third largest PC company globally -- just announced a definitive agreement to acquire Gateway. The acquisition has been approved unanimously by both boards and is expected to close by December 2007. You know, following the usual international, anti-trust approvals. Sure seems like a win-win what with Gateway steadily losing market share (but still tied for third largest PC maker in the US) while finally giving Taiwan's Acer a dominant position in the Americas to match their aggressive growth in Europe and Asia. From the looks of the press release, it would appear that the Gateway (and eMachines) brands will continue under Acer's new "multi-branded company." Fine, but could we now get rid of the cow spots, please? It's not 1985 anymore. [Via Notebooks]
UniquePhones indefinitely delays release of iPhone SIM unlock software
So, as you may have seen, earlier this morning at 3AM local time UniquePhones (the team behind iPhoneUnlocking.com, who've claimed to have the second proper iPhone SIM unlock software hack) got a threatening call from AT&T's legal team urging them to not release their software -- or else. Now, we can understand why any smallish business wouldn't exactly want lawyers repping AT&T (and Apple) breathing down their necks for a potentially market-shifting discovery -- which is why the company is now officially holding the release of their SIM unlock solution indefinitely while they assess their legal position. Fair enough, but we still haven't even had a chance to verify their solution does unlock iPhones.However, the interesting (and possibly telling) bit comes up at the end of their release, where apparently UniquePhones is "evaluating what to eventually do with the software should they be legally denied the right to sell it." Here's to hoping that, should UniquePhones not find themselves able to actually sell their software, at very least the unlock method they've discovered gets opened up to the public. After all, there's no reason why everyone shouldn't be able benefit from this knowledge just because one company isn't able to sell it, right?
Latest Palm Centro leaked shot looks official
You probably know the storied history of Palm Centro leaks, you might even be aware of our feelings on the subject, but we've finally got ourselves what looks to be an honest to goodness "official" photo of the device. It's a big step up aesthetically from what we've been seeing, and even bears a passing resemblance to T-Mobile's fan-fave Dash, but the keyboard still looks like a distinct step in the wrong direction for Palm. The teensy youth-friendly phone is expected to do the EV-DO thing, with Sprint exclusivity for 90 days and a $99 price tag.[Thanks, Mark]
Alltel launches HTC PPC6800
Gee, Verizon, go ahead and take your time there, will ya? Alltel follows up Sprint to become the second network in the US to launch HTC's next-gen CDMA Windows Mobile 6 Professional handset (Alltel's site claims it's Windows Mobile 5, but we're not believing that -- check the screen shots), offering WiFi, stereo Bluetooth, 2 megapixel cam, and just about all the EV-DO you can handle as the HTC PPC6800. Grab it for $549 off contract, or $249 after two-year agreement and a $100 snail mail rebate.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Second iPhone software unlock promised tomorrow
The iPhone is getting used and abused today with a second software-only unlocking solution making itself known. Uniquephones has now surprised with word that it will be offering a downloadable software unlock service between 12 and 2 PM EST tomorrow at iphoneunlocking.com. Pricing will be somewhere between $25 and $50 with a 25 to 50 percent discount for people who have already signed up for the service -- apparently as many as 450,000 already have.Read - iPhone Unlockers Lining UpRead - iPhoneunlocking.com (not active until tomorrow)
Palm says Foleo still on schedule... for Summer
It seems possible that Palm took our advice when we asked the company to "stop keeping us in the dark," because the last few days have been filled with transparency. The latest bit of see-through from the PDA-maker comes today in the form of a denial concerning the recent Barron's news that the company's sorta-kinda-laptop, the Foleo, would be delayed due to syncing problems. According to Palm's director of communications, Jim Christensen, "As stated on May 30, U.S. availability for the Palm Foleo mobile companion will begin this summer. We will let you know if this changes," which runs contrary to rumored street dates for the laptop, and to what Deutsche Bank analyst Jonanthan Goldman reported on Wednesday. The company has had its share of activity over the past two weeks, including solid news on the tiny new Centro (AKA the Gandolf), rumored delays for the Foleo, and of course our gentle prodding. We can only hope all this movement, good or bad, is working as a wake-up to Colligan and co.
Toyota to purchase Sony's robotic division?
According to Japan's Nikkei Business, Toyota is set to purchase Sony's robotics division. The whole shebang: robots and researchers. Apparently, Sir Howard Stringer is looking to rid Sony of the money losing division to Toyota's delight. Does this mean the resurrection of little AIBO? No telling (though it's surely a quick way to win converts... hint), but we're pretty certain that the news will raise the eyebrow of Honda's Asimo, you know, if he had any. Update: Sony just issued a statement denying the sale (but confirming their lack of a soul).[Via GetRobo]
Palm's Ed Colligan responds to our open letter!
Ok, so we totally weren't expecting this one, but Palm's CEO Ed Colligan publicly responded to our open letter to Palm. He's brief, but he cuts to the quick: "I forwarded it to our entire executive staff and many others at Palm have read it. ...We are attacking almost every challenge you noted, so stay tuned." Wow, um, alright, we'll do just that. Granted, we'd prefer it if Ed would engage us in a chat about the future of Palm -- you name the time and place, Ed, we're totally there! (It's probably worth noting that he's turned down multiple interview requests with us in the past, so you'll all know right quick if that whole transparency thing changes any.)Read - Our open letter to PalmRead - Ed Colligan's response
Nikon officially announces D3 and D300, lenses
Alright, Nikon's two new flagship DSLRs are officially announced. (Better images coming right up.) Here's what you need to know:D3 12.1 megapixel, full-frame friggin sensor! (23.9 x 36mm) Finally. ISO up to 6400 3-inch VGA live view LCD Two (count 'em, two!) CompactFlash card slots for overflow, backup, or copying New EXPEED image processor 9fps in full frame, 11fps in DX crop; 51 point autofocus (with "3D focus tracking") HDMI out with optional cable $5000, November release D300 12.3 megapixel DX (1.5 crop) sensor 3-inch VGA live view LCD New EXPEED image processor 51 point autofocus $1800, November release Lenses AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8G ED VR AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4G ED VR AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR %Gallery-6273%%Gallery-6274% Read - D3 press releaseRead - D300 releaseRead - Pro zoom Nikkor lens releaseRead - Super telephoto lens release
Microsoft rolls out Windows Live services for Nokia S60 devices
Wait, what? File this one at the very top of the "strange bedfellows" category: Nokia and Microsoft have stopped scrapping for smartphone supremacy long enough to bring a full suite Windows Live services to a number of Nokia's S60 devices -- devices, may we add, that do direct battle with Windows Mobile hardware. Specifically, Hotmail, Messenger, Contacts, and Spaces are all available immediately as downloads for N73, N76, N80 Internet Edition, N93i, and N95 in select European and Middle Eastern countries (no US love for the time being); Microsoft's saying that the services are free for now, but users may be looking at a subscription fee down the road. To be fair, this isn't the first time Microsoft has extended a Windows Live olive branch to Espoo, but it's the first time the partnership has been this broad. It's gonna get even broader, too; look for Windows Live to find its way into Nokia's Series 40 platform some time next year.
Palm Foleo delayed amid criticism on development
According to a Barron's report published today, Deutsche Bank analyst Johnathan Goldberg has released a short note claiming that the Foleo -- Palm's much-derided quasi-laptop -- is headed for production delays. Goldberg states in the note that "In a round of checks yesterday we learned that the Palm Foleo will be delayed," and went on to say the snag is caused by "software bugs," which prevent the system from syncing properly with "most models of the Treo." Clearly not the news that Palm wants people to hear right now, with pressure already to-the-nines on the Foleo and its place (or lack thereof) in the market. With the recent addition of Elevation Partners to Palm's board, the company is due to take on $400 million in new debt, but on a phone call to Barron's later in the day, Goldberg said that "a leveraged re-cap is not going to help them." Succinctly mirroring Engadget's own feelings on the matter, the analyst noted that "There's something wrong with the company," and suggested Palm alleviate some of its problems by introducing "...new software," and "...new form factors." We couldn't have put it better ourselves.Read -- Palm Sub-Laptop "Foleo" Delayed, Says Deutsche; Does Anyone Care?Read -- Palm: It's The Software, Stupid, Says Deutsche's Goldberg; Where's the Sense of Urgency?
More details on Sony's new PlayTV
The info is flying fast today as Sony's launches a multi-tiered attack on the entertainment community. Luckily, we've got some additional info on the just announced PlayTV TV tuner / DVR for the PS3, and we'd like to share it. The unit will apparently be coming to Europe "early in 2008" with other territories to follow (PAL only for now). The new box will feature two 1080p tuners, which utilize the European Digital Video Broadcasting system (DVB-T) -- which should dash any US hopes for the time being. The system will allow you to store recorded broadcasts on your PS3 drive, and also transcode and transfer the saved files to your PSP. Additionally, you'll be able to use the PSP's "Remote Play" feature to program and watch your PlayTV away from home. Sony reps also make the bold pronouncement that the PlayTV architecture will "never be out of date" due to automatic network updates from the company. We're gutted that the US gets no love from Sony on this one, but it's a good time to be a European PlayStation 3 fan, that's for sure.
Sony's PlayTV turns your PS3 into a TV tuner / DVR, plus VoIP on PSP, DualShock 3 rumors
The PS3 rumor mill is working overtime today, delivering not one, not two, but three whoppers that should have fans and foes alike feeling alive with pleasure. The first top-secret super-rumor comes direct from the BBC, a small, but fairly trustworthy news organization, who is reporting that Sony's game box will be getting a digital TV tuner (at least in the UK) which allows you to record your favorite shows à la TiVo, called PlayTV, which will also let you transfer those shows onto your PSP. Of course, this news was announced by Sony at their not-so-secret Leipzig Game Convention keynote, so you can probably bank on this one. Additionally, Sony has partnered with Britain's BT Group to bring video and voice telephony to the PSP via the Go!Messenger software, which is set to launch in January of 2008. In other, less official PS3 news, word on the street is that the DualShock 3 -- not the infamous SIXAXIS -- will be compatible with Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, at least based on a second-hand report from the Japanese game magazine Dengeki PlayStation. The report has fueled suspicion that the new controller pictured in silhouette in recent GT5 ads is actually the DualShock 3, and that the controller will be made available coupled with a GT5 demo. We'll have to wait and see on this one, so try and stay tuned.Read -- LGC07: SCEE announces PlayTV for PS3, "watch, record and replay TV shows"Read -- BT, Sony unveil PlayStation with video callingRead -- DualShock 3 rumbles with GT5 Prologue, Japanese gaming mag claims
Behold: Dell's XPS 420 revealed
Should anyone be wondering what Dell's got up its sleeve with its next-gen XPS system, here's the scoop: the XPS 420 will be appropriately bigger, badder, better equipped, and even have fun features like a hardware MPEG-4 encoder and SideShow display up top. Core 2 Duo, Extreme, or Quad (up to 8MB) processor options Intel X38 Express chipset, DDR2 800 (up to 8GB) MiniView LCD 3 x 2-inch QVGA display (runs SideShow on the front, picture after the break) Dell Xcelerator - dedicated media coprocessor for transcoding video streams to MPEG-4 formats. Can cut encode time on a 2 hour HD movie in half and use far fewer CPU cycles. SATA II (with RAID 0 or 1 support) PCI Express x16, gigabit Ethernet (2) front USB, (6) rear, (2) internal; one front and rear 1394; one eSATA, frontal audio ports MiniView shot and details after the break.
Sharp's 52-inch LCD TV prototype: Just 1.1-inches thick!
Like your flat panels flat, we mean, really flat? Then check this, Sharp's prototype LCD which jams a 100,000:1 contrast ratio into a 52-inch LCD display only 20-mm (0.78-inches) thick. Right, we're talking LCD, not OLED. In fact, the entire TV measures just 29-mm (1.14-inches) at its thickest point while covering 150% of the NTSC color gamut and consuming just 140 kWh/year. Shazam! Unfortunately, Sharp fails to mention the resolution but tells us to expect the new TVs sometime in 2010. See her in profile after the break with plenty more over at Japan's Impress in the Via link below.[Via Impress]
Motorola day: Verizon gets Q9m, Sprint gets V9m
As expected, Verizon and Sprint have given Motorola a venue for its latest and greatest hardware today, releasing the Q9m Windows Mobile smartphone and RAZR 2 V9m flip respectively. Though the media centric Q9m's $350 price on a two-year contract ain't exactly pocket change, it's interesting to note that it whittles right down to a more manageable $250 after rebate -- a mere $20 more than you'll pay for an old school Q Black. Meanwhile, minions from the other side of the CDMA camp (yes, we mean Sprint) have prepped the V9m for launch today at the same $250 price point after rebate, making it the first of several US carriers committed to a RAZR 2 launch to actually get it out of the door. If everything goes the way we expect it to, both of these devices will land on the other carrier in the next few weeks, so the "grass is greener on the other side" effect should be kept to a bare minimum here.[Thanks, Dan and Boy Genius]Read - Verizon Motorola Q9mRead - Sprint Motorola V9m
Toshiba announces 32GB, 16GB SDHC cards
Yeah, Toshiba just announced an 8GB microSDHC card and even a massive 16GB full-size SDHC card (launching in October for ¥40,000, about $350), but it's the friggin 32GB card we're eyeballing. Due out January of next year for ¥80,000, soon enough you'll be plunking down seven bills for what's surely the last memory card you'll need for, what, six months?[Via Engadget Japanese]
iRobot's new Roomba 560, 530: totally redesigned vacuumbots
iRobot hasn't released a new, proper Roomba servantbot since late 2004's Discovery (Scooba, of course, excepted). Today that changes, with the 560 and 530 we caught wind of back in May. There's a lot going on here, so we'll start at the top: iRobot is touting these new Roombas as being "totally redesigned" from the ground up. The new vacuum system is supposedly 100% more effective at picking up the grime in your floors. Really makes the old model suck. Thanks, we'll be here all week. The 560 features 2.4GHz RF that activates its new Virtual Wall Lighthouse system (we'll get to that in a sec. The 530 doesn't have RF. Scheduling is now built into the robot. Friggin FINALLY! The new Roombas have IR sensors built into the bumper, and have a second, slower running speed. When Roomba is approaching an object, it slows down so as not to bump it so hard. Lighthouses are Roomba's new RF-based progress tracking system. Place one in each doorway, and they switch on via RF when your Roomba does. When Roomba's done with a room, it won't re-enter until the next time it runs. The battery is still removable, but you have to unscrew the bottom plate to get it out. Oh, and now you can add faceplates. The system is far better sealed off, so most of the crap you're vacuuming up supposedly won't actually get inside the robot anymore. Extra bonus: that black arc between the bumper and buttons is a handle that lies flush. The 560 goes for $350, the 530 goes for $300 -- snag 'em both starting now. %Gallery-6207%
iPhone 1.0.2 update released
Before you get your hopes up, there's allegedly no new functionality here -- "bug fixes" only. Then again, that was the verbiage last time, too, and there ended up being a few little goodies packed in there. Word to the wise: we're getting an error on our hacked unit right now, so let us know what y'all are getting.Update: Yep, Jailbreak still works! Phew. Update (code BAD): We take it back about our backup working properly. Despite the fact that we had a couple of error messages during the upgrade which seemed innocuous, this iPhone update wiped out our device and refused to restore our last back backup, instead creating a new backup based on a fresh restore. In other words: we just lost everything on our friggin device and the automatic backup is gone.
MTV, Real and Verizon Wireless join hands for new music service
According to the Wall Street Journal, Wal-mart's welcome entry into DRM-free MP3 sales isn't the only thing going on in the online music space this morning. Apparently MTV and Real have decided to team up against Apple's juggernaut, and will be announcing a merged online store at 11AM ET today. They've even got Verizon and Vodafone signed up for mobile distribution, says the Journal. At this point it's still unclear how this will impact MTV's Urge partnership with Microsoft, and Real's Rhapsody service, but we just hope they're aware of the fact that things are basically looking DRM-free or bust at the moment, 'cause the market really doesn't need too many more also-rans.Update: We're tuning into the press conference call as we speak, so standby for updates. MTV, Real and Verizon are launching a new integrated music service. MTV and Real are spinning off a new company called Rhapsody America, partnering with Verizon Wireless. V CAST as mobile platform. Rhapsody America will by run by Urge's Michael Bloom. Kicking off marketing at MTV Video Music awards September 9th. Verizon promises 8GB of phone music storage this year, and 16GB in 2008. Most likely refers to removable storage via (micro)SDHC, since they mentioned a current 4GB cap, and don't offer any 4GB phones. Not just songs, the service will also include ringtones, album covers, ringback tones and music videos. Urge is sticking around on Windows Media Player 11 until further notice, they're currently in talks with Microsoft. Over-the-air downloads likely to be "important part of the service going forward." Emphasis is on being able to access your music collection wherever. All of Real's DRM-free efforts (including the Universal DRM-free trial launch today) will be included in Rhapsody America. They think 2008 is when DRM-free will start to go mainstream. Will most likely support subscription and purchase models. No word on price or when the service is going to be available.
