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T-Mobile Dash debuts
Well, we can finally talk about the Dash. Not that we weren't talking about it before, but you know what we mean. T-Mobile's debuting the device today; you already know what the hell it is, so let's cut to the chase on specs: 2.4-inch transflective TFT display Quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE WiFi and Bluetooth 128MB flash, 64MB SDRAM, microSD slot 1.3 megapixel camera myFaves support 960mAh battery (vs 1130mAh on the Moto Q) 4.4 x 2.5 x 0.5-inch body (vs 4.57 x 2.5 x 0.47-inches on Q) 4.2 ounces (vs 4.06 ounces on Q) It's selling for $350 without contract, $250 with 1 year, and $199 with two years (and rebates, etc.), and will be available the 25th of this month. Want more on this sucka? Then peep our review!
T-Mobile Dash pricing leaked, myFaves confirmed
We all know when T-Mobile is planning to release the Dash, now the only question is at what cost. Consider that base covered as well to our old pal Roc A Fella. The retail units started appearing at corporate stores last week (no chances of you getting one early so don't bother) and the pricing is pretty attractive for such a feature rich phone. More than likely it's becuase Tmo wants you to use it on myFaves. Full Retail $349.99 One Year $299.99 Two Year $249.99 Customers who are willing to sign both a one and (gulp!) two year commitment are eligable to get an additional $50.00 mail in rebate off this beauty. For some the 16th of October won't come soon enough.
Switched On: Dashing through the slow
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment: Last week's Switched On explained how Dash Navigation's use of wireless technology intends to teach the GPS bloodhound some new tricks, but the company plans to primarily use its new design to tackle two of the hottest trends in portable navigation. Many GPS units now offer real-time traffic information based only on incident reporting, and the devices are not very intelligent about weighing the traffic in alternative routes to determine the fastest path. As a result, you could drive off of the freeway and into the fire. In contrast, Dash's traffic esimates are based on traffic flow. It begins with a historical database of what traffic speeds are like for sections of highways at specific times of the day. Beyond that, Dash GPS units act as probes, reporting back on actual speed of cars on those segments. This clues in those who come after them about construction and other aberrations from traffic patterns. To do this effectively, though, Dash must take advantage of a network effect; the company estimates that a few thousand Dash units should provide good coverage of major roadways within large cities. While the Dash unit includes a point of interest database, it can use its connectivity to query a local search engine such as those offered by Yahoo! and Google, leveraging the efficient if fallible semantic categorizations that these Web-based local search engines offer. Typing in practically any word will return listings, even if they are not in the title of the business. For example, typing "burrito" might return local Mexican restaurants that have them on the menu. Dash is also exploring RSS feeds -- a natural fit for this kind of device -- as well as enhanced business listings that might include, for example, hours of operation.
T-Mobile leaks Dash docs, October 16 confirmed
While we'd secretly hoped we'd see the T-Mobile Dash before September was out, we've gotten hold of some internal T-Mobile documentation that tells us October 16 is the date. We've always been told not to look a gift horse in the mouth (whatever that means) so we're going to keep our mouths shut and just thank the good folks at T-Mobile for seeing fit to launch HTC's Q-munching Excalibur at all. Keep reading for a transcript of their "Selling Aid" cheat sheet for the Dash -- something tells us it'll pretty much sell itself, but kudos to T-Mob for making sure their peeps are properly informed![Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Switched On: Dash puts wireless in the driver's seat
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment: No one would ever accuse the Dash team of low self-esteem. "What the TV did for entertainment and the cell phone did for communication, Dash will do for driving." the company's Web site crows, A more accurate analogy for Dash, though, would be what TiVo did for television, that is, give consumers a greater degree of control over the media or information they're trying to manage in a contextually relevant way. Dash plans to achieve its five-star impact rating via a portable GPS device. The portable GPS market shifted into high gear a few years ago when Magellan offered a hard disk inside of its Roadmate 700 units. Consumers no longer had to deal with cumbersome PC downloads; street-level maps of the whole country could be pre-loaded. A year later, a gigabyte or two of flash memory is enough to include street-level maps for the United States. Magellan representatives recently noted that it plans to switch completely from hard drives to flash in the next generation. The TomTom Go 910 can even hold maps of the U.S. and Europe for those leisurely drives across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Boy Genius Report: T-Mobile Dash
Field report tidbits from Engadget's mobile insider, the Boy Genius.As Pete so eleganty reported earlier the HTC Excalibur -- or T-Mobile Dash -- will be coming stateside soon. How soon is still unconfirmed, but I've heard as early as the end of this month; review units have indeed already found there way into the hands of the paparazzi press. Stare at the T-Mobile logo, let it control you. Thanks to none other than super-producer Just Blaze for the teamwork on this one!
Hands-on with the HTC Excalibur
Alright, we're not going to hold back here. We really thought the HTC Excalibur was going to fall way short of expectations, but when the Boy Genius got a hold of his and told us how stellar it was, we were prepared to be swayed. We picked one up at MobileFocus hoping to remain neutral, but we just can't help it, we fell in love. There's no way to easily describe how thin it feels in the hand, but it has the molded, shapely curved body of a Treo combined with the thinness of a Q (which, unfortunately, is much boxier). But it also just feels damned good in the hand, way more solidly built that Moto's handheld. No, it's not as speedy on the cellular data, but it does have a few things the Q doesn't, like WiFi, and, well, a keyboard we're actually pretty fond of. Sorry Moto, it might soon be time to step to the side with this new device class (at least for this round).
HTC Excalibur = US T-Mobile "Dash"?
We're not entirely sure under what means it was acquired, but a T-Mobile branded Excalibur showed up on MoDaCo's forums, and is apparently intended for US release under the listed codename Dash, which we assume refers to the touch-scroll on the right hand side. Expect a 200MHz OMAP, 128MB flash memory, 64MB RAM, and QVGA display (which we pretty much knew); we'll keep you apprised as to the launch status of this sucker.[Via Smartphone Thoughts]
Dash Navigation launching secret consumer product
Silicon Valley start-up Dash Navigation has taken a few of the wraps off its super-secret in-car navigation system, also called Dash, although it looks like we're gonna have to wait 'till the DEMOfall Conference next month to get all the deets. The product that Dash says will do for driving "what TV did for entertainment" and "what the cellphone did for communication" is actually an Internet-connected in-car navigation system that can also communicate with other devices on the road to relay real-time traffic information -- exactly how it does all that is still a bit unclear. According to Dash CEO Paul Lego, it won't let you do things like check your email or browse the web (at least not yet), instead employing what he calls a "55 mph user interface" so you can keep your eyes on the road (they're still perfecting the I Can't Drive 55 interface).[Via CrunchGear]
Why wait for Leopard? Get Dash Clipping now
Let's face it: Apple on Monday previewed some really slick new features in the next version of Mac OS X, but they aren't going to let us get our hands on them until some time next spring. Even though that's technically 6 months or so away, that's really like a few years when translated into computer industry years. So why wait for Leopard?Some of the features in the upcoming Mac OS X 10.5 either already exist in present applications (as Dan pointed out), or developers have been inspired from Monday's keynote and are producing their own versions, with Web Clippings as our first example. The developer of Shrook looked at this new tool, realized that it's utilizing a fairly simple trick and whipped together his own Dash Clippings tool.After playing with this for a bit, I can say it more or less works very similarly to the Web Clippings tool demoed in the keynote. You enter a URL into the widget, and it loads up the page. You then drag the widget to the proper size and over the specific area of the page you want to clip, and presto - you've just made yourself a live, dynamic web clipping tool that will check the page for updates as often as you tell it to.Hey, who says Apple is the only company that can use the "good artists copy, great artists" steal philosophy? Once you're done answering that (or not), go snag yourself a copy of Dash Clippings and check one drool-inducing feature off your Leopard shopping list.
Eidos and PlayFirst team up to bring Diner Dash
In announcing handheld versions of the PC downloadable game Diner Dash, Eidos and PlayFirst are attempting to establish a unified front and achieve success in the handheld arena when they bring Flo, ex-convict waitress, to store shevles for eager gamers in 2007. Diner Dash, which can be found in various different versions throughout the internet, has players seating customers, clearing dishes, and taking orders in this restaurant simulation game.
