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THD N2-A is a KIRF MacBook Air that runs Ice Cream Sandwich for $149, we go hands-on (video)
It wouldn't be Computex without some KIRF Apple products. And what we have today isn't quite a MacBook Air. But it's amazingly close. The N2-A, as it's known in the OEM underground, is one of the most impressive MacBook Air lookalikes we've seen -- and one of the cheapest. $74,500 will net you 500 of these lovely 13.3-inch bundles of almost-Mac goodness, which comes out to just $149 apiece. The THD (Thread Technology Co.)-made clamshell comes complete with an LED-backlit 1366 x 768 LCD, 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 1 gig of DDR3 RAM and 8 gigs of SSD storage. There's also built-in 802.11b/g/n WiFi (we're a bit devastated about the lack of 802.11ac), and the option to add a 3G dongle or Ethernet adapter via the pair of USB 2.0 ports. As you may have gathered from the image, there's a full-size QWERTY keyboard and a familiar, yet incredibly mediocre trackpad, along with a 2-cell 4200 mAh battery (rated to 8 hours), an SD card slot, a not-so-MagSafe 110-240-volt AC adapter, a headphone out, mic in and an HDMI port.In typical MacBook Air fashion, the N2-A is very thin and quite light (1.55 kilograms or 3.4 pounds) -- it's not as svelte as a top-of-the-line ICS tablet, but it's manageable for sure. While it may look perfectly fine on camera, the device's build quality certainly isn't up to Apple's standards -- but then again, it doesn't cost $1,000+. After a few busy trade show days, the trackpad was noticeably scratched up, with plenty of other blemishes around the silver case to boot, along with some warping here and there. The N2-A wasn't hideous by any stretch, even upon close inspection, but any Apple newbie would be able to recognize that this didn't come out of Cupertino, even before noticing the missing Apple logo and the added Windows key (it's there to support the nearly identical N2-C, which adds a dual-core Atom processor and Windows 7 support).ICS felt quite snappy, though without a touchscreen you're forced to use the unimpressive trackpad, which wasn't responsive enough for regular use. (You can always sacrifice portability and use a USB mouse instead.) Overall, the N2-A is a pretty slick device -- not to mention quite a bit of fun. Don't expect to see this KIRF in any stores in the US -- you'll need to order 500 units or more directly from THD to take advantage of that $149 price tag, though we may see the Android laptop make its way to the public through third-party channels, perhaps with a retail price of about $200. For now, you can take a closer look in our meaty gallery below, or in the hands-on video after the break.%Gallery-157461%
China elevates the art of KIRF, copies Austrian village of Hallstatt
We've seen some impressive KIRFs in our day (and some not so impressive ones too), but we've got to hand it to China for ratcheting things up a notch and eyeing prizes a bit loftier than Nokia phones and MacBook Airs. In the southern Chinese province of Guangdong there is now a full size replica of the Austrian village of Hallstatt, a small enclave in the Alps known for its tourism and salt production. The Unesco-recognized World Heritage Site was painstakingly recreated, down to the historic clock tower. All in all, it's a stunning achievement in KIRFdom that perfectly exemplifies why China is kicking our American butts in the quest for global economic domination -- audacity and ambition. For more, check out the BBC report at the source.
Konka W900 hands-on
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, consider Konka the number one practitioner of that "craft." The company, (in)famous for its OEM-copycatting ways, has set up a booth here at CTIA 2012, letting us get some up close and personal time with its W900. The HTC-esque handset, previously released at this past Mobile World Congress, is yet another in a line of underwhelming Android offerings that subsists on design without delivering on performance. Although, the phone's official spec sheet lists it as running Ice Cream Sandwich, the build we encountered was actually that of Gingerbread 2.3.6 -- a very buggy version, at that. So, don't let your eyes deceive you, what you're seeing on the homescreen is simply a third-party launcher made to ape ICS's more streamlined UI. Beneath that 4-inch WVGA display lies quadband GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900) and WCDMA (2100) radios, VGA front-facing / rear 5-megapixel cameras, in addition to support for WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth. Unfortunately, the company couldn't confirm what processor's powering this lackluster affair. But no matter, this is one uneven device you can safely ignore. Terrence O'Brien contributed to this report.
Plum Mobile nicely KIRFs the Galaxy Note: hands-on with the Might
You've likely never heard of Plum Mobile before, and to be honest, neither had we before CTIA. Nonetheless, the smartphone creator is here to make a name for itself in New Orleans, even if it needs to ride on the coattails of other manufacturers. It goes without saying that of all the smartphones on display, it was the Might that immediately caught our eye. From a distance, it appeared to be a rebranded Galaxy Note. We then turned it on and discovered a clock widget that's undeniably reminiscent of HTC. The phone features Android 2.3.6 with an unusual UI that combines features of Sense, TouchWiz and stock Gingerbread, and while it's a bit of a mishmash, it's reasonably intuitive. Plum Mobile stopped short of cloning the Galaxy Note, but the resemblance is uncanny. Sadly, there's no stylus to speak of. The Might features a 650MHz CPU, a 5-inch display and a beefy 2,800mAh battery. Unlike the previous KIRF of the Note that we'd seen, this one features only a 5-megapixel camera, which is accompanied by an LED flash and a front-facing VGA. While none of the specs stand out as amazing -- including the display, which was a bit blurry -- we're told the phone will sell for approximately $180. Most fascinating about the Might, however, is its dual-SIM capabilities. Unfortunately, when we tried to play around with this functionality in the phone's settings, it locked up the phablet and we were unable to proceed. We know you're curious to see more, so be sure to check the gallery below. Sean Cooper contributed to this report.
The Engadget Show 32: ASUS, Huawei and a trip to Asia's gadget markets
Yep, we went way out for April's Engadget Show, taking our film crew to Asia this time out, to check out the markets of Taipei, Hong Kong and Shenzhen with our very own Richard Lai. We also scored interviews with Huawei's Chief of Design, Hagen Fendler and Michelle Hsiao of the ASUS Design Center. We'll be checking out the month's latest and greatest gadgets, including the HTC One X, S and V, Nokia Lumia 900 and the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, as well as a big ole pile of KIRFs -- some more convincing than others. We've also got a couple of performances by Brooklyn indie rockers Suckers and a whole bunch more. Hosts: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater Guests: Hagen Fendler (Huawei), Michelle Hsiao (ASUS), Richard Lai, Guy Streit Producer: Guy Streit Director: Michelle Stahl Executive Producers: Brian Heater, Joshua Fruhlinger and Michael Rubens Music by: Suckers Download the Show: The Engadget Show - 032 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 032 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) / The Engadget Show - 032 (Small) Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (MP4). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (MP4). [RSS MP4] Add the Engadget Show feed (MP4) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically. [HD RSS] Get the Engadget Show delivered automatically in HD. [iPad RSS] Get the Engadget Show in iPad-friendly adaptive format.
Keepin' it almost fake Kinect console has 23 games, no shame
So, it's not quite a fake Kinect, but to say there's a little bit of crossover in the DNA would be a bit of an understatement, wouldn't you say? Dubbed the iGame Move, it claims to be a "32-bit camera video game console," with 23 games baked right into the cycloptic device. If that weren't enough, you can enjoy those body-controlled titles in full 640 x 480 "high-resolution" graphics, which based on the screen shots look surprisingly good. Best of all it can run on four AA batteries, making it truly portable. Your move Microsoft.
KIRF Notes are the Slankets of the phablet world (video)
Today we've got a special treat for you: not one, but two knockoff Galaxy Notes from across the Pacific. Both lack the raw power of Sammy's 5.3-inch device, and even knock the resolution down to a paltry 800 x 480. Our first contestant is rockin' only a 1GHz single-core processor and 512MB of RAM, but it's using those rather pedestrian components to push ICS through its little 9.7mm thick body. The second of today's players certainly wins the audacity contest -- brandishing its clearly unearned Samsung logos. It also wins the spec war here by jumping up to 768MB of RAM and a dual-core CPU, even if the later is an asymmetrical design with a 650MHz ARM7 and a 250MHz ARM9 inside. It also trades up in the camera department going with an eight-megapixel sensor, though, it does settle for Gingerbread. Now all we have to do is think up a new name for the segment, it seems wrong to bless these KIRFs with the phablet name. We were thinking slone or phlate... either way, check out the bonus hands-on vid after the break.
Fake Android store spotted in China, includes Apple shop-in-shop
While we often see robot-themed booths at events like MWC, we've never come across a Google-owned stand outside the show floors -- and chances are what you see above is definitely not it. This KIRF Android shop is set up in Zhuhai, China, calling itself a "famous smartphone experience store." That said, if you're looking to pay it a visit for the special Green Army treatment, you may just throw a temper tantrum when you see Apple's own section where an array of legit iPhones and iPads are being showcased. Just be sure to get there before the black and white crew comes knocking...
KIRF MacBook Air is the prettiest netbook we've seen today
This is the Netbook Navigator NAV13X Windows 7 Ultrabook and if we're honest, we think it's a very attractive looking device. That said, we're not so sure it's going to be on sale for too long, which is a genuine shame. Despite being called an Ultrabook, it's not an Intel-sanctioned device, which won't go down well with Santa Clara's lawyers. Secondly, it's actually a netbook running a 1.86GHz dual-core Atom CPU with 2GB of RAM and a 32GB SSD, with build to-order options running to larger memory and storage. Thirdly, we're fairly sure we've seen industrial design like this before, and given the litigious nature of the company involved, we expect a metric ton of cease-and-desist notices to be delivered to Navigator's New Jersey HQ before the weekend's over. However, if it can survive the barrage of paperwork from two of the industry's biggest companies, it'll arrive very soon, setting you back a slight $500 sans OS or $600 with Windows 7 Home Premium.
Konka Falcon 3G hands-on
It wouldn't be MWC without us spotting a phone manufacturer that's blatantly channeling the design spirit of another. You may remember Konka's appearances at trade shows past, but this year its new (but not completely finished) Falcon device was on the showfloor in Froyo and Gingerbread forms. Both white and black color options were on hand for us, packing the same GSM (850/900/1800/1900) and WCDMA (900/2100) radios and a 3.75-inch 480 x 360 display. With a three-megapixel camera on the back, paired with a VGA shooter on the front, Konka caught our attention with promotional posters using a font that's more than a little similar to Nokia's own, regardless of the fact that the name itself is just one letter change and reshuffle away from the Espoo-based phone titan. Fortunately, the phone's sharp styling betrayed those middling specs, with a sturdy build and a screen that performed pretty well on the show floor. There's no Android capacitive buttons -- you'll have to use the physical buttons beneath those staple symbols. Take a look for yourself in the gallery below, which also includes Konka's homages to both HTC and Samsung. %Gallery-149174%Joseph Volpe contributed to this report.
There's literally no app for this: KIRF iPhone-branded gas stoves seized by Chinese authorities
Ordinarily, if you use your iPhone to fry eggs, it's time to check when your warranty expires. Not so for these KIRF iPhones, which can't make calls or download apps (let alone use Siri) but can fry your bacon rather well. 681 of these bafflingly branded gas stoves were seized by police in Wuhan, each bearing the legend "Apple China Limited." Apparently the units did not come with flame-out protection and only ran iOS 4.1, leading to the swoop. We should probably take that as solid confirmation that the iPhone 6's killer feature is going to involve making brunch on the go.
Samsung's Learning Hub demonstrates a commitment to education, profits
Samsung's R&D department has been working overtime as it strives to break the idea it copies wholesale ideas from its competition. Yesterday we heard word about its planned new cloud service and today it's announced that it'll be unveiling a unique education-focused app for Galaxy Tabs 8.9 and 10.1. Learning Hub will provide free materials from 30 major educational establishments from elementary schools through to universities, although there's no word on what certificates you'll be able to earn at the end of your course. The program will expand to other devices in the Galaxy family later on, once the company's done showing off the software at MWC.
BLU Studio 5.3 and Touch Book 7.0 hands-on
You know handset vendors like Samsung, LG, HTC and Motorola. You've probably even heard that manufacturers such as Pantech, Sharp and Acer produce phones as well. But have you ever heard of BLU? If you haven't, don't worry -- you'd be in the ranks of the 99 percent. Calling itself the "leader of the Latin America market with vision to expand worldwide," the outfit is nothing if not confident about its stature in developing countries. In the US, however, it's a completely different story: here, BLU is a virtual unknown: a low-profile brand, selling unlocked phones and tablets via e-tailers at bargain-basement prices.Our friends at Negri Electronics hooked us up with the BLU Studio 5.3 ($260) and BLU Touch Book 7.0 ($230) for a short time, giving us the chance to play around with them for a little bit. Rather than doing a full review on both items, we felt it was more appropriate to first give the product lineup a formal introduction to the site. BLU, meet Engadget. Engadget, BLU. Let's dive in.
P.S. it's not a Vita: Yinlips' Android-based YDPG18
Don't call it a KIRF -- it's a Yinlips "Android Smart Game Player." Which is to say, it's an Xperia Play-like experience wrapped in PS Vita clothing. So basically, yeah, it's a KIRF. This form factor doppelganger hails from China and lacks the internal quad-core pizazz of the Sony next generation handheld it purports to be. Instead of standing on the precipice of portable gaming, this 5-inch pretender will net you a hum drum FroYo / Gingerbread-based (even its own website couldn't decide) OS packed with a slew of old school gaming emulators (from NES to N64), an array of ports including HDMI, a single core 1.2GHz processor complemented by 512MB of DDR2 RAM and WiFi. It's a must have device for, well, no one. But if you're the type who likes to burn money and carry about a virtual collection of video games past, then by all means, import away.
Caption Contest: KIRF Facebook shop clicks 'like' on fashion
Apple isn't the only one to get some shop-based imitation flattery -- now it looks like Facebook's got its first retail homage. Yep, this clothing store in Nablus, Palestine is unlikely to be a Zuckerberg-sanctioned outlet. A giant Facebook sign hangs over several mannequins, although we're not exactly sure what angle they're trying to work here. Most of them appear to be channeling the Facebook founder's mute, inoffensive fashion stylings. That is, aside from the guy in the hot pink tee and, well, he's lacking a head. [Thanks Liviu] Mat: "Facebook likes jeans, ignores footwear." Dan: "You don't get 500 million friends without making a few terrible fashion decisions." Brad: "Meanwhile, Tom from MySpace is realizing that he's completely neglected the oft-overlooked mannequin demographic." Richard Lai: "The Bebo store was way more fun." Darren: "Third person there from the left... it's complicated." Jose: "Yes, all my friends are 'real', why?" James: "Once again, the reaction to the new Facebook wall was ambivalent." Joe Pollicino: "Added to my 'Block' list." Amar: "The Winklevii really have fallen on hard times." Josh: "People You May Know" Sean Cooper: "Where's that darn 'unlike' button." Tim: "Remember when you had to be a mannequin in a college bookstore to get in? Those were the good 'ol days." Billy: "You would think this crowd would have popped up in my news feed, sheesh." Dante: "Surprisingly, North Face fleeces were nowhere to be found." Zach Honig: "How many Credits to change the name to Google+?" Brian: "Social networking for dummies."
Not so ultimate Ultrabook: MacBook Air KIRF features mini-HDMI port, 3.5 hour battery life
Hey, who wiped the MacBook Air logo off? Nah, we're kidding -- it's a KIRF. Sure, Apple's svelte 13-incher may have a duo of USB ports and an SD card slot, but this rig adds in a 3-in-1 card reader and an odd, combo RJ45 / VGA jack (which we assume needs an adapter). For good measure, you'll also find a mini-HDMI output, although, with 3.5 hours of battery life it may prove problematic for getting through a 1080p movie marathon without nearby power. The alloy-encased lappy has a 1.86GHz Intel Atom N2800 CPU with a GMA3600 integrated GPU, 2GB of RAM, a 32GB SSD and a 13.3-inch LED display sporting a ho-hum resolution (for a 13-incher) of 1366 x 768, just like the 11-inch MacBook Air. Amazingly, this knock-off weighs merely .01 kilograms more than its real counterpart at 1.36 kgs (about three pounds), while being only 0.1 cm thicker. Giz-China expects this Ultrabook-wannabe by Shenzhen Technology Ltd to land on Chinese shelves sometime in November for about $471. Cue Apple's lawyers in 3... 2...
Keepin' it real fake: Chinese Nokia N9 makes but minor sacrifices
Chinese rip-off merchants have been crafting N9s since before the handset even existed and by now they're pretty good at it. This latest bogie comes in at just $64 -- way cheaper than a genuine budget smartphone -- but it still manages to pack in dual SIM slots, a mock iPhone UI and a resistive touchscreen that gives you the ergonomic pleasure of pressing everything three times. Sure, we have a few misgivings about the lack of functioning apps and the blurry 1.3MP rear camera, but then even the N-Man himself has the occasional phony moment. Update: We switched the pic to show you the iOS version, rather than the mock Sense variant depicted earlier. Yes, it seems you do get a choice.
WikiLeaks cables shed light on Apple's battle against counterfeit wares
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but if you're Rolex, Gucci or Apple, you probably aren't very interested in being flattered. Due to Apple's intense popularity, an entire industry has arisen that thrives on knocking off the iconic wares Designed in Cupertino. We've seen plenty in our day, and while it may strike some as if Apple's doing absolutely nothing to curtail the aping, a new WikiLeaks release confirms otherwise. According to an electronic memo from the Beijing embassy dated September 2008, Apple began to put obvious and deliberate pressure on China to act against businesses who were copying its wares a few years back. As it turns out, knocking out the knockoffs isn't exactly high on China's list of governmental priorities, and progress on halting the KIRF extravaganza has been sluggish at best. The entire story is quite the exhausting read, but it's worth delving into if you're curious -- per usual, you can get educated in the links below.
Apple cracks down on counterfeit products sold in NYC, files lawsuit against Queens vendors
There may be more than a few fake Apple Stores in China, but for the moment, Cupertino's anti-KIRF crusade seems focused squarely on New York City. According to Reuters, Apple has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against two stores in Queens, alleging that they sold unauthorized cases, headphones and other accessories for the iPhone, iPad and iPod. In the complaint, the company claims that the products in question were all emblazoned with its familiar fruit logo, along with the phrase, "Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in China." The suit also demands that one of the stores, called Apple Story (seriously), change its name to avoid confusion with the real retail outlet and that both vendors disclose full lists of people who both supplied and purchased the goods. It all began when company representatives visited the Chinatown-area stores on "multiple occasions over several weeks," where they bought and examined the items, described in court records as "exact duplicates" of their authentic counterparts. On July 27th, Apple executed a few ex parte seizure warrants, which allowed authorities to seize any goods bearing its logo. US District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto has already granted an injunction to stop the stores from selling the alleged knockoffs, but hasn't yet decided whether Apple Story will have to change its name. The complaint also seeks undisclosed monetary damages and asks that all existing counterfeit goods be destroyed, though court documents suggest that both sides are close to reaching a deal. Neither Apple nor the defendants have commented on the accusations, but we'll let you know as soon as we learn more. In the meantime, check out this KIRF "iPhone 5" we found in Beijing -- a Java-powered handset that's slimmer than the Galaxy S II and a bit laggy, but boasts a multitouch capacitive screen. Asking price? ¥680, or about $106. %Gallery-131124%
Keepin' it real fake: the iPhone 4 has a fan in China (video)
With competition like the Samsung Galaxy S II showing us just how thin a phone can be, the iPhone 4 isn't quite looking as svelte as it once did. How's an Apple-loving gadget fiend supposed to stay faithful in a time like this? Why, by holding their handset next to something much, much thicker. Enter the "iPhone 4," which actually isn't a phone, rather a powered fan that serves to keep you cool, not connected. As you can see after the break, the Home button won't kick you out of an app, instead kicking that ducted air-mover into high gear, and while you won't find it in your local Apple Store, stumble across one of these plastic bricks in Shenzhen and it'll only cost you $10 or so to take it home. Small price to keep your handset feeling good about itself -- until September, anyway.Update: Jasper wrote in with a link of where you can buy one for yourself, if you're still suffering from a heat wave.[Thanks, Chris]
