elf
Latest
HTC's Touch with TouchFLO -- the Elf with new 3D sweep interface
HTC just made their "major" announcement. Are you ready for it... wait... it's the Elf now official with its "Touch" street name. Right, the Windows Mobile device we first saw six months ago and already formally announced by O2 Germany as the Xda nova. HTC's big surprise? Well, the Touch is the first device to feature TouchFLO touchscreen technology "developed by HTC" -- though we think Microsoft had a little something to do with it. It's not multi-touch like the iPhone, but it does offer a "new and unique" way to sweep a finger (or stylus) across the screen to control the 3D interface. To recap, the diminutive 99.9 x 58 x 13.9-mm Touch runs Windows Mobile 6 with TouchFLO UI on a 2.8-inch display and OMAP850 processor while packing tri-band 900/1800/1900 GSM with EDGE, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, 1GB microSD expansion included, and a 2 megapixel cam. Best of all, it's available now in the UK, later this month around Europe and Asia, and then North and Latin America in the 2nd half of the year.%Gallery-3653%Read -- press releaseRead -- TouchFLO interactive
Is HTC's "major announcement" a multi-touch device?
The plot is starting to thicken ahead of HTC's press conference on the fifth of June -- and as we suggested before, it appears that the company does indeed have its sights set on stealing some of Apple's thunder. As far as consumer electronics releases go, the crown for the month of June had pretty much been handed to the iPhone; yeah, pretty much any Apple release is considered something of a landmark event, but one of the iPhone's big draws is its support for multi-touch. So what if HTC were to announce its own multi-touch device -- based on the lovely Elf -- just days before the iPhone's release? A little deflating for Apple, yeah? Smartphone Thoughts is reporting that HTC plans to introduce said device at its June 5th event with the intention of releasing it quickly on a global scale. Microsoft was showing off its "Shift" touch-based interface not long ago; while we don't know that the rumored HTC device uses it, this could all work out very nicely indeed considering the cozy relationship Microsoft and HTC enjoy.
HTC P3450 Elf unboxed
We peeped HTC's P3450 "Elf" in the wild a little earlier this month and now the Boy Genius Report brings us the full unboxing experience. The Elf is a pretty beast, all clad in glossy white but comes up short in the front face usability category with a distinctive lack of application keys. As a refresh, the Elf packs a 2 megapixel cam, is quad-band EDGE capable, and is powered by the somewhat feeble OMAP850 hobbling along at 201MHz. Of course depending on how you slice it, this, one of HTC's newest unofficial offerings, may be a bonus by not hauling as many pennies from your pockets as some of its other more capable sets might. Hit the read link to get at more pics of HTC's newest Windows Mobile 6 effort.
More shots of the HTC Elf
Again, we really can't stress enough how appropriate the name "Elf" is here. HTC's latest QWERTY-less Windows Mobile 6 Professional device seems as though it could've dropped right off a spaceship, looking distinctly un-HTC -- and that could be a good or a bad thing, depending on who you ask. Click on for views from every conceivable angle, including some alongside the Artemis, one of our favorite HTC devices of recent memory.
HTC P3450 "Elf" in the wild
HTC's 2007 plan is starting to play itself out, and the latest device to make a cameo is this here lovely looking (but only so-so spec'd) "Elf" in HTC-branded P3450 guise. Guts include a rather anemic OMAP850 putting along at 201MHz, 128MB of ROM, 64MB of RAM, microSD expansion, a 2 megapixel cam, Bluetooth 2.0, and quadband GSM plus UMTS (though it's not clear whether there are any American 3G bands kicking around in there). The big draw here -- besides the presence of Windows Mobile 6, of course -- seems to be a shell that clocks in at a rather svelte 14 millimeters. If this all pans out, expect an official introduction in the next couple months.[Via Slashphone]
O2 Germany announces new HTCs as Xda "terra" and "nova"
Though O2 spends plenty of time getting cozy with Quanta for its Windows Mobile needs, that doesn't mean they've thrown HTC to the curb. The latest two HTCs to get the O2 treatment -- in Germany, anyway -- will be the Herald and Elf, released as the Xda "terra" and "nova" respectively. As you might recall, the Herald is the facelifted Wizard, replacing O2's own Xda mini S and offering all the same slide-out QWERTY action in a 17 millimeter shell; 3G data is sadly missing, though O2 is going to one-up the competition here by rolling out Windows Mobile 6 Professional on this bad boy out of the gate -- expect it in May for €150 (about $200). Meanwhile, the Xda nova (also a 2.5G device) brings Windows Mobile to the masses with a relatively low price point -- €100, about $130 -- while still managing to pack 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD expansion, and version six of Microsoft's ubiquitous platform. Look for it a month after its Xda terra stablemate in June.Read - O2 Xda terraRead - O2 Xda nova
Meet your shiny new 2007 HTCs
If the X7500 "Athena" somehow managed to fail to attract your attention and you found the Vox, Libra, Love, and Cavailer positively forgettable, first verify that you have a pulse (because we really don't think that's normal) then check this out: HTC's 2007 arsenal is shaping up to be a doozy, with several previously-unknown models stepping into the spotlight. First up is the "Kaiser" (pictured top left), a follow-on to the Hermes that adds GPS -- a feature that's becoming increasingly common in high-end Pocket PCs. The "Elf" (top right) and "Panda" (not pictured) are midrange devices; they'll lack 3G radios, but the Panda's claim to fame will be a giant QVGA display that weighs in at well over 3 inches, while the Elf makes a name for itself with a fashion-friendly design and a touchpad in place of the typical d-pad. The "Wings" (bottom left) will ultimately take the torch from the Vox -- yes, the still-unreleased Vox -- by adding 3G, GPS, and a beefier processor. Finally, a new clamshell Smartphone will pick up where the Star Trek left off, rocking a GPS receiver and more wireless radios than its predecessor. If you can't find yourself an '07 HTC to your liking now, well... that's just crazy talk, but we know a Finnish outfit that might like your business.[Via PDA247]
Sony's holiday marketing campaign sniffed out
Whatever flavor of eggnog Sony's marketing gurus are sipping, we'd like a few cartons sent to Engadget HQ. While the PlayStation 3 ads were, um, interesting to say the least, and though the Bravia commercials are somewhat understandable, trying to rip an Apple mainstay isn't likely to catch fire (in a good way). But beyond all that, Sony's PSP advertisements have bordered on zany and offensive for some time, with everything building up to the "all i want for xmas is a psp" campaign. While we noticed something was a tad off kilter with the childishly-worded site, all it took was a few hundred detectives to spoil the company's fun. Unfortunately for Sony, the firm was busted in an attempt to construct an undercover website urging folks to urge their parents to pick up a PSP this December. This most certainly isn't the first time this year that the firm has started a "quasi-official" weblog, but trying to fool all those eagle-eyed readers out there didn't quite work out as planned. Nevertheless, the site remains up to provide "nothing but the facts on the PSP" from here on out, but that just makes you wonder what all the other propaganda before this was.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Japanese hardware sales, 9 October - 15 October: Oscar acceptance speech edition
The DS Lite! (deafening applause) Oh, I couldn't possibly ... take the stage, me? No, no, no ... please ... well, if you insist .... What can I say to you lovely people that I haven't already said before? But you know, being up on this stage for the thirty-seventh time is really something significant; I mean, I'll remember this one for sure. We here at Nintendo have always pushed the boundaries, daring to do what no one else in the industry would ... we supported the first elvish video game character, you know, and we even backed the gay population with everyone's favorite character, Tingle. (scattered chuckling) And of course, I'd like to thank ... what the hell? PSP, get off the stage! You can't tell me what do to ... I mean ... to dooooo .... Are you drunk? Heavens, man. I deserve the award, me! I have the leet warez, and an arrowww ... a green one, you know? Yours is red, they hate you, they hate you .... Security? Can I get a little help here? Long live the PSPPPPPPPPP! Hey! Put some pants on, man! - DS Lite: 104,487 19,650 (15.83%)- PS2: 24,727 3,537 (12.51%)- PSP: 21,603 553 (2.63%)- GBA SP: 2,299767 (50.07%)- Xbox 360: 1,743 358 (17.04%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,714 441 (34.64%)- Gamecube: 653 165 (33.81%)- DS Phat: 273 13 (5.00%)- GBA: 37 25 (208.33%)- Xbox: 3 5 (62.5%) [Source: Media Create] [A special thanks to Zoolander for the inspiration.]
The Question on Everyone's Mind...
Beyond racial skills and available guilds, I know everyone's just dying to know what the new race's dance is. Well, here's one of them - the male blood elf dance. The voice commentary in the video also does a good job of addressing the obvious questions brought to mind...
Breakfast Topic: Home is where your hearthstone is
Travelling in WoW can be helped or hindered by the casual application of a hearthstone. Hearthing can be a quick way to get out of an instance or cave, a shortcut across continents or even a handy thing to do before logging off.Sometimes, though, it's annoying rather than useful. I've acted hastily and hearthed from Un'Goro Crater to Stormwind a couple of times -- the repeat journey isn't something to be casually undertaken. Fortunately, several classes -- as well as engineers -- have tricks to help with travel, from the Shaman's Astral Recall to the Druid's Teleport: Moonglade.Where is your hearthstone set? Have you found an efficient way of getting around that relies on these travel tricks to work? My druid is parked in Stormwind, as Moonglade gives her access to Kalimdor, although the flight from Moonglade to Gadgetzan or Silithus is still a long one. On some of my lower characters, I've forgotten to set the hearthstone at all -- I managed to run a level 10 dwarf to Darkshore, but left the hearthstone near Anvilmar. Oops!
