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The Engadget Show returns, this Saturday, May 22nd with Sprint's Evo 4G, Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch, and an Engadget editors Q&A!
Guess what humans? It's that time again -- the Engadget Show returns this Saturday, May 22nd at 5pm... and it's shaping up to be a killer! First up, we'll have an exclusive interview with Adobe's CTO Kevin Lynch (taped at the Google I/O conference), which is sure to be both informative and wildly entertaining. What's more, Josh, Paul, and Nilay will be putting the new HTC Evo 4G through its paces live onstage, then they'll be joined by our very own Chris Ziegler and Laura June for a hard-hitting round of Q&A with the audience. That's right, it's your chance to ask the Engadget editors anything, live and in-person, plus much more (see instructions in the bullet points below). And as usual, we'll have some rocking 8-bit music from minusbaby and visuals from notendo and plenty of those good 'ol Engadget Show shenanigans. You like giveaways? Well then, this is your lucky week (if you attend). Many of you will be walking away with shiny new Voyager Pro headsets, courtesy of Plantronics and we've got tons of Engadget t-shirts to hand out! Oh, and did we mention we're also giving away a brand new iPad (courtesy of The Little App Factory and bundled with all of their software titles)? Well we are, alongside a handful of other goodies. The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). Tickets are -- as always -- free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served... so get there early! Here's all the info you need: There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free The event is all ages Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 2:30PM on Saturday, doors will open for seating at 4:30PM, and the show begins at 5PM You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we're full, we're full The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break) The show length is around an hour If you have a question for the editor Q&A, email your question to showquestions [at] engadget [dot] com, or hand the question in to us at the venue by 3:30PM. You must hand in the query on an index card or piece of paper when you pick up your tickets. If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com. Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V). [RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
What the HTC EVO 4G packaging does -- but hopefully won't -- look like
There are actually days when we envy those who are paid to hawk telephones. Today, for instance, we hear that certain Sprint employees have recently obtained an HTC EVO 4G. However, our jealousy is tempered by the fact that we've already spent considerable quality time with the superphone, and, quite frankly, by the ridiculous packaging you see immediately above. Pardon our French, but it looks like a microwavable food tub. See a pair of close-ups after the break. [Thanks, Anonymous]
Sprint's HTC EVO 4G put through its bandwidth-sucking paces
So, since you're stuck paying $10 extra per month for "premium data services" (not that bad of a 4G tax, if you ask us), what wonders await you on the HTC EVO 4G, fueled by Sprint's next-gen network? Well, if these best-case-scenario tests we just did are any indication: everything you ever dreamed of. Of course, Sprint's WiMAX might end up stumbling up the steps of reality, but there's no denying that this is 21st century technology that's worthy of some of the excitement that's been lavished upon it. We just saw demos of Qik video conferencing, YouTube HQ (output brilliantly over HDMI), simultaneous data and voice usage, and even a straight-up speed test (4Mbps down, 1Mbps up, the latter of which is a hard cap). The phone performed brilliantly in each scenario, but of course that's to be expected when you have a 4G tower in the building. Check out the videos of all this breathless action after the break. Added bonus? All four (totaling about 100MB) were uploaded with our laptop tethered over WiFi to an HTC EVO 4G. Don't be jealous. Okay, be just a little bit jealous. %Gallery-92917%
Sprint selling HTC EVO 4G on June 4 for $199
Everyone's favorite WiMAX-powered Android device finally has a date and a price, and you don't have terribly long to wait: June 4 is the date that you'll want to be lining up outside your local Sprint store for an EVO 4G, $199 in hand (assuming you're signing up for a new contract, of course -- according to the fine print, the full cost is $450 before all discounts). Interestingly, Sprint has specifically called out that you'll be able to video chat (remember, the EVO 4G has a front-facing cam) over both 3G and 4G using Qik -- not a bad choice, considering the company's well-established expertise with streaming live video out of handsets. Unfortunately, there's a downside to all this: customers will be paying a mandatory (as confirmed to us by Sprint reps) $10 per month "Premium Data add-on" on top of their plan -- ostensibly for the privilege of enjoying WiMAX when they're in a Sprint 4G market -- and the 8-device WiFi hotspot feature runs an extra $29.99 a month, which Sprint is quick to point out is half what you'd pay for a dedicated mobile broadband account. As we saw at CTIA, the phone is the first to offer on-phone YouTube high quality video, a feature that automatically kicks in when you're in the sweet confines of a WiMAX tower. Oh, and check this out: Sprint was hesitant to commit to offering simultaneous voice and data before, but HTC must've worked out the kinks, because it's all systems go -- you'll be able to yap and browse on 4G at the same time. We're at the EVO 4G's announcement in New York as we type, and we can tell you that everything Sprint is demoing is crazy fast -- we'd expect no less from an WiMAX device with a 1GHz Snapdragon -- and we're particularly stoked to see them demo Need For Speed Shift on it, which will be launching on Android around the same time as the device. Follow the break for Sprint's full press release! Update: According to Phone Scoop, that $10 premium add-on has the benefit of no data cap for either WiMAX or 3G connections. Since we're on the subject of updates, have you seen our bevy of new EVO 4G videos yet? Update 2: Starting today, Best Buy is accepting pre-orders for the device, and per usual, they won't require you to wait for the mail-in rebate -- it's just $199.99 straight-up on contract. Thanks, all!
HTC EVO 4G training begins at Sprint, reveals a few surprises
The HTC EVO 4G has already turned up in Sprint's inventory, hit the FCC, and pushed away anything in its path, and it looks like it's now hit one more milestone on its way to availability: the all-important Sprint employee training program. While there's still no indication of an actual release date, the training materials do reveal a few new details, including the first real indication that customers who buy the phone will also have to sign up for special "plans designed for the HTC EVO 4G" -- details on those plans remain a mystery, unfortunately. The materials also seem to suggest that both Sprint Navigation and Google Navigation will be present on the device, that the hotspot feature will support WEP and WPA encryption, and that phone does indeed pack an FM radio. Hit up the source link below for a look at the rest of the materials. [Thanks, LOVEisPEACE]
Sprint cans Nexus One in favor of EVO 4G
In light of Verizon's recent decision (or was that Google's decision?) to say goodnight to the Nexus One in favor of the Droid Incredible, we thought it might be wise to reach out to Sprint and get a comment on its own version -- the EVO 4G is just around the corner, of course, and it's lying in wait to cast a long, long shadow over any other Android device in Sprint's lineup. Sure enough, the carrier says that it's now taking a pass on Google's first "superphone," seeing how the EVO 4G is basically better in every respect: WiMAX support, larger screen, better camera, and so on. Of course, this might peeve a few folks who'd prefer stock Android over HTC's Sense UI -- if for no other reason than the fact that Sense-powered devices tend to have wildly longer firmware upgrade lag times than stock ones do -- but otherwise, the move seems to be a perfectly logical one. Oh, and as for that EVO? No update on a launch window, but Sprint says that it's still targeting Summer, thank goodness.
Clearwire WiMAX to cover 120 million prospective HTC EVO 4G owners by end of year
With the HTC EVO dual-mode 3G/4G handset launching this summer (and nearly ready for pre-order) with built-in hotspot capability, we've got a pretty good idea what all you US Americans are wondering: is WiMAX available in my city? Well, buried inside the Clearwire financials is mention of the 19 additional cities scheduled for WiMAXing this summer, joining the 32 markets (pictured above) and 41 million people already served by its 4G network offering 3Mbps to 6Mbps average downloads with an occasional 10Mbps peak: Clearwire also today announced plans to launch 4G mobile broadband service in 19 additional cities this summer, including previously announced markets Kansas City, KS; St. Louis, MO; Salt Lake City, UT, and the core area of Washington, D.C. and newly announced markets Nashville, TN; Daytona, Orlando and Tampa, FL; Rochester and Syracuse, NY; Merced, Modesto, Stockton, and Visalia, CA; Wilmington, DE; Grand Rapids, MI; Eugene, OR; and Yakima and Tri-Cities, WA. Things will get really interesting later in 2010 when Clearwire and Sprint take their 4G mobile broadband network to New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, the San Francisco Bay Area, Miami, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburgh for a 120 million person strong data footprint. LTE who?
Sprint HTC EVO pre-orders start this month at The Shack
HTC's EVO 4G super-speced handset seems to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. That situation looks set to change soon based on the pic above nabbed off The Shack's internal website showing a big "coming soon" exclamation that translates to pre-orders starting "later this month." Remember, in addition to Android 2.1, an 8 megapixel camera, and 4.3-inch 480 x 800 display backed by fierce Snapdragon silicon, the Evo also comes packing WiMAX with built-in hotspot capability. We're still not sure if Sprint will charge for that or make it a freebie a la Verizon's Palm Pre and Pixi offering, but we can hope. [Thanks, Erin and David]
Celebrity Nerds: Oprah has an EVO 4G and you don't
Celebrity Nerds confirms what you always knew, deep in your heart of hearts: that stars are nerds like us. Send in your own confirmations of this fact right here. We wish we could tell you that Oprah caused a small riot in Chicago by handing out HTC EVO 4Gs to everyone in her audience but, alas, she seems to have just kept this one for herself. More specifically, she used the "fancy new" phone to show "those of you who actually know how to text" how easy it is to sign her "No Phone Zone" pledge. No discounts, no Bono, just a fleeting glimpse of one of the most anticipated phones of the year. Head on past the break for the video evidence of this momentous event. [Thanks, Luis]
HTC EVO 4G found loitering in Sprint store
It's not the biggest of pictures -- the PPCGeeks forum poster says he shot this with his Touch Pro 2 -- but what we're looking at is allegedly the HTC EVO 4G. Wish we could have a better look, but who knows, maybe some lucky contest winner in the next few weeks will have a decent DSLR handy. [Thanks, Rigo]
HTC EVO 4G shows up in Sprint inventory, shots of the accessories surface
Need something to wash that Kin marketing out of your mouth? How about some new tidbits on the superphone to end all superphones? For whatever reason, the HTC EVO 4G has showed up in Sprint's inventory, a couple months early by all accounts. It's carrying a completely reasonable $5,555 pricetag, and the appropriate HTC A9292 model number. If that doesn't quite satiate your EVO 4G thirst, LeakDroid has managed to get shots of those EVO 4G accessories we've been hearing about, including a home dock, extended battery case, colored silicon sleeves, and a car dock. Hit up the source link for the shots. [Thanks to an anonymous tipster for the inventory screen]
HTC EVO 4G to get boatload of accessories in Sprint stores
So we just got handed some sort of Sprint "overview deck" going over some of the HTC EVO 4G's finer points -- and rest assured, there are many fine points -- but all told, there's not a lot new here; there's no release date that we can see, and we're already well acquainted with its 4G hotspot capability and the major features of Android 2.1 integrated with Sense. That said, our attention was drawn to the last couple slides, which reveal a bunch of accessories that'll be available just in case the phone itself isn't enough to max out the plastic. Specifically, there's a dock with HDMI out ("likely" available after launch), a car mount, screen protectors, several kind of cases and gels in every color of the rainbow, and a couple different kinds of replacement shells -- one multi-color kit with a handful of snazzy shades, and a custom design option that sounds similar to what T-Mobile has done in the past with some of its devices. Oh, and there's another gem in here: a battery charging holster -- something along the lines of a Case-Mate Fuel, from what we can tell -- that'll come after the initial launch. That's about it as accessories go, but we'd like to call your attention to the second slide in the deck, which calls out a mysterious "Segment 1" as Sprint's primary target market for the EVO 4G, with "Segment 6" gaining importance after the phone drops in price -- possibly around the holidays this year. From what it sounds, Sprint actually has all of its target demographics grouped into numbered buckets; we'd love to know what they all are, but needless to say, you can count us (and probably most of you) in this fun-loving, awesome Segment 1. You know, the cool kids.%Gallery-90242% [Thanks, Crimmage]
HTC EVO 4G landing on Sprint mid-June, 4G hotspot to be a $10-20 add-on?
We're getting some intel today that says that "a lot of upper management" inside Sprint has been discussing Sunday, June 13 as the mighty EVO 4G's date with destiny, just a smidge over two months from now. That certainly lines up with the company's stance of a Summer release -- and while our contact at Sprint says that the date hasn't been set in stone (how could it be this far in advance?), June 6 and June 13 are said to be the front runners at the moment, with the 13th getting more attention. We're also hearing that 4G will be a $10-20 plan add-on, a price that would almost certainly include access to the EVO's 8-device WiFi hotspot capability. We're definitely buying that 4G won't be included with the base Simply Everything plans since we encountered an EVO at CTIA that hadn't had WiMAX access "enabled" on its account even though EV-DO worked just fine; the services are being treated separately. Verizon's recent announcement about free hotspot access on its Palms certainly puts some price pressure on Sprint here, but charging a premium specifically for 4G probably isn't an issue as long as they're clearly able to demonstrate its speed advantages in the markets that have it live. Update: We've been written by several folks insisting that the add-on fee will be for the 4G hotspot service alone, not 4G access from the EVO itself. Let's hope. Thanks, everyone!
HTC EVO 4G, Nexus One, and Droid face off on the charted field of battle
HTC EVO 4G Google Nexus One Motorola Droid Android OS 2.1 with Sense UI 2.1 2.01 Carrier Sprint All2 Verizon Wireless Network technology 1x / EV-DO Rev. A / WiMAX Various (including 3G) 1x / EV-DO Rev. A Processor 1GHz Snapdragon 1GHz Snapdragon 550MHz TI OMAP 3430 RAM 512MB 512MB 256MB Screen size 4.3-inch 3.7-inch 3.7-inch Resolution 800 x 480 800 x 480 854 x 480 Touch Capacitive multitouch Capacitive multitouch Capacitive multitouch Physical keyboard -- -- Slide-out landscape QWERTY Internal storage 1GB 512MB 512MB Expandable storage microSD microSD microSD Rear camera 8MP w/ LED flash 5MP w/ LED flash 5MP w/ LED flash Video recording 1280 x 720 720 x 480 720 x 480 Front camera 1.3MP -- -- Battery 1500mAh 1400mAh 1400mAh WiFi 802.11b/g 802.11b/g 802.11b/g HDMI out Yes -- -- Kickstand Yes -- -- As you've probably noticed, we have something of a propensity for charts -- hey, organization is key to a well-balanced life, right? Since we last tackled an Android device faceoff, the sheer number of competitors has branched out far and wide, but despite the propagation / fragmentation, including today's unveiling of the HTC EVO 4G, three clear frontrunners have taken most of the spotlight for being the pinnacle of the Android experience: the aforementioned, HTC / Google's Nexus One, and the Motorola Droid. Here, the latter device is looking a bit long in the tooth, but that physical QWERTY keyboard and its volcanic rise to prominence gives it some strong staying power. Cold, hard data isn't going to tell the full story, but until you can get to try each of these yourself -- all at the same time, if you're lucky -- it's a great place to start. Notes: 1 A purported 2.1 upgrade has been promised and delayed more times than we care to count anymore. 2 The Nexus One is currently available unlocked for T-Mobile's and AT&T's 3G networks, separately, and on track to hit Verizon, Sprint in the near future.
HTC EVO 4G is Sprint's Android-powered knight in superphone armor, we go hands-on
We've been rumoring a WiMAX "HTC Supersonic" for a while now, and Sprint just dropped the hard news: the phone will be dubbed the HTC EVO 4G, will be released this Summer and it's easily the best specced phone we've ever witnessed. The hardware is of quite obvious HD2 descent, but with Android onboard and some nice aesthetic tweaks, the EVO 4G takes on a life of its own. The handset is centered around a 480 x 800 4.3-inch TFT LCD, with a Snapdragon QSD8650 1GHz processor under the hood (the CDMA version of the QSD8250 in the HD2 and Nexus One), and even a helpful 1GB of built-in memory and 512MB of RAM -- hello app storage! Even the battery is bigger than the HD2, and the camera is an 8 megapixel monstrosity with flash, that's capable of 720p video, and is augmented by a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for good measure. The phone features HDMI out (though you'll need an adapter for turning it into a TV-familiar HDMI plug), 802.11b/g WiFi, and an 8GB microSD card. There's that still-rare Android 2.1 underneath an updated version of HTC's Sense UI. But... despite all these wild features, what actually sets the EVO 4G apart is the fact that it's Sprint's first 4G phone. The handset runs a combo of EV-DO Rev. A and WiMAX, with calls still being made over CDMA and the EV-DO / WiMAX options for data. Interestingly, it sounds like concurrent data and voice use might be possible for the first time on CDMA carrier in this way (killing AT&T's well-advertised differentiator), though Sprint says that's still in the testing phase. One other new feature is the Sprint hotspot app, another MiFi-style connection sharing number, which is obviously aided greatly by the WiMAX on board and can support up to eight concurrent users. Follow after the break for our hands-on impressions and videos of the phone in action, including an up-close-and-personal test of the touchscreen keyboard. Below you'll find galleries of the phone by its lonesome and up against the Nexus One and iPhone 3G. Update: We've got a graph comparing the Nexus One and Droid with the EVO spec for spec, and there's also a pictorial shootout with the Desire and HD2. Pick your comparo poison! %Gallery-88840% %Gallery-88836% %Gallery-88834%
Stream EVO 2K9 from home, maintain a safe distance from stray Shoryukens
If you like to watch crazy high-level play in fighting games this weekend, but are among the few people who won't be in Las Vegas from the 17th through the 19th, you'll be pleased to learn that this year's EVO 2K9 fighting game tournament will be streamed online on Capcom-Unity, Shoryuken.com, and the EVO 2K9 site. From the comfort of your own home, you'll be able to watch people like national Street Fighter IV champion Justin Wong and the legendary Daigo Umehara deliver swift punishment to so-called "competitors" in games including Street Fighters III and IV, Soul Calibur IV, SSF2THDR, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core, and more. If you do happen to make it to Las Vegas's Rio Resort and Casino, you'll be able to play the first public demo of PSN/XBLA Marvel Vs. Capcom and more on the tournament's demo stations.
TiVo survey hints at new name, direction for Series4 boxes
We don't know exactly what the next generation of TiVo hardware will be like, but if these survey screenshots are to be believed, we have an idea what they might be called. EHD reader Justin tipped us off to a recent online survey road testing new names like TiVo eVO, TiVO OmniBox, TiVo Series4 and TiVo OnDemand for new hardware with the TiVo features we've come to know and love plus video on-demand access. Squaring off against competition like the Roku player and Xbox 360, peep the gallery and see how these roll off the tongue, or suggest innovation and environmental friendliness.
Justin Wong wins national SFIV tourney, Daigo remains world champ
We have to hand it to Justin Wong -- he put up a good fight. Defeating all American contestants in a three-round, GameStop-sponsored Street Fighter IV tournament over the course of the past two months, the NY-based Street Fighter enthusiast can walk tall knowing he took down the best of what America had to offer. What we didn't know when this tournament was announced, however, was that a brief "international title championship" would take place immediately following the battle's end.After toppling Korea's Poongko, as well as Japan's Iyo, Wong (playing as Rufus) was left to compete with Japan's other entry, Daigo. Daigo apparently swept Wong using Ryu four to zero. Though Wong may not have walked away with the title of "international champion," he did likely need a truck for the Street Fighter IV arcade machine he won and, ya know, that enormous trophy he's holding.[Image Credit: kineda]
San Fran's SFIV championships to host food drive
It appears Capcom is getting used to tapping the veins of semi-altruistic gamers. Its latest idea: "Street Fighter Fights Hunger." In conjunction with GameStop, the publisher will hold a food drive at the EVO Street Fighter IV US National Championship Finals, to be held at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco on April 18 at 7 pm PT.Food items will be given to the Second Harvest Food Bank and donations should be made in the form of canned goods or "nominal donations." Oh, you want to know what'll actually go down at this public event beyond the charitable stuff? Check out the details after the break.
EVO Linux game console now up for pre-order
The last time we heard from Envizions, the company was just starting to get its game plan together -- but it looks like the gears are officially in motion on its Linux-based game console. The final specs for the box now seem to be in place, with off-the-shelf components like the Athlon 64x2 5600 CPU (clocked to 2.4GHz), an ATI HD 3200 graphics chipset, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, and a 120GB hard drive filling out what is essentially a standard PC housing. Envizions say that the console will run a modified, quick-boot distro of Fedora called Mirrors (which can be upgraded to a beefier build named Mirrors Evolution X), and will feature a "cloud" service stacked with Amiga (!) games and an Akimbo-based video service. Beyond that, proper titles will be sold online and on SD cards for around $20. Envizions is currently taking pre-orders for the box, and say beta units will be shipped on April 10th. Pricing for those consoles will run between $280-350, while the final retail version can be had for $380, and should be available sometime in June. We have just two words of advice for the fledgling company: get some killer games on there fast, and please, please update your site.[Via Digg, Linux Devices]
