Magnus
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Prototype electric plane crash kills two pilots
An electric plane powered by Siemens has crashed in southern Hungary, killing both pilots aboard, according to Siemens and local reports. The Magnus eFusion aircraft was flown as part of an inauguration for Magnus' new headquarters, but crashed near the airport after performing several circuits, police said. The eFusion is still a prototype, but Magnus, based in Hungary, plans to eventually commercialize and sell it for around $200,000.
AT&T Pantech Magnus (P9090) reappears after fall vacation
A blast from the recent past, Pantech's Magnus has leaked again -- this time with the screen switched on. We've already gleaned that a 8-megapixel, quad-band LTE, MSM8960 dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor and NFC are all part of the AT&T-bound package, while those onscreen buttons suggest Android 4.0 -- at the least. While the Twitter-based evleaks decided to obscure the calendar widget (and the probable launch date), we doubt it'll much longer before AT&T offers a full explanation.
Pantech Magnus pictured en route to AT&T
Pantech has been steadily building its relationship with AT&T over the past few years by supplying the carrier with a healthy dose of budget-friendly handsets. Could it be that the OEM has finally earned the opportunity to add a higher-end device to the GSM giant's lineup? It may very well be the case with the P9090, aka the Magnus. Our source has hooked us up with the first images of the smartphone, which confirms an 8MP camera with LED flash, front-facing cam and at least Ice Cream Sandwich (if not Jelly Bean). While the image doesn't reveal any other specs, we're expecting to see a 720p display, LTE connectivity and a Qualcomm MSM8960 dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor. We're still not sure what to think about the bumpy design on its back, though it does remind us a little bit of what Verizon has done on the HTC Incredible series. The specs may be quite similar to the Vega Racer 2, though the phone itself doesn't look anywhere close to the manufacturer's Korean flagship. AT&T still hasn't announced the Magnus, but we'll let you know pricing and availability as soon as we have it. [Thanks, Anonymous!]
Pantech P9090 Magnus swings by FCC with AT&T LTE
Despite cranking out plenty of high-end devices in Asia, Pantech has built itself a reputation in the US as a budget OEM -- but continues to improve its products regardless. Having already proven its ability to crank out LTE phones on the cheap with the Burst, it appears ready to follow up with another phone on AT&T's next-gen network, as evidenced by documents released by the FCC this afternoon. This particular handset, dubbed the Magnus on its WiFi certification paperwork, sports quad-band LTE (700 / 850 / 1700 / 1900), a radio combo that's starting to be quite the trend for AT&T-bound phones recently -- likely done to ensure the GSM carrier's refarming efforts go as smoothly as possible. The federal docs also reveal the presence of NFC (suggesting this will come with Android 4.x included), and Bluetooth certification tells us we can also expect it to offer the 4.0 standard. The paperwork is fuzzy on more details, but we hope its arrival is just around the corner.
Magnus magnetic stand has a hold on your iPad 2
Sometimes the most simple accessories can be the most effective. When I received a tiny box from Ten One Design claiming to hold a stand that would support an iPad 2 in an upright position, I scoffed. But it turns out that the Magnus magnetic stand (US$49.95) really does work. The Magnus is a tiny sculpted piece of aluminum with a very powerful magnetic strip at the bottom. When you place an iPad 2 onto it in the designated landscape orientation (with the home button on the right side), the Magnus and iPad click together. Held in the magnetic clutch of the Magnus, the iPad is nicely balanced and stays securely perched. This is one of the smallest iPad stands I've reviewed so far ... and I've reviewed a lot of 'em. For anyone who wants a stand that will hold an iPad in landscape orientation and is virtually invisible at the same time, the Magnus is your product. On the other hand, if you like your iPad in the full, upright position (portrait) look elsewhere. For movie viewing or using the iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard, the Magnus is perfect. At 4.6 ounces, the Magnus won't load down your favorite iPad bag while in transit. And dang, it just looks good. There's not much more to say than that, so I'll just let you take a look at the gallery for more views of what could become your favorite slab of aluminum ... other than your iPad 2. %Gallery-147817%
Ten One Design premieres Pogo Sketch Plus and Magnus iPad stand at CES
It's always great to see the guys from Ten One Design at various trade shows and conventions we cover here at TUAW and seeing them again at CES was no exception. This time around, in addition to displaying the popular Fling joystick for iPhone and iPad, Ten One had two new products on display. The first as the Pogo Sketch Plus stylus, which is an updating version of the popular Pogo Sketch featuring an all-new tip. Personally, I'm not a huge stylus fan (I agree with Steve Sande: "If you see a stylus, they blew it"), but I do agree that the Plus is more accurate and a little smoother than the previous version. I don't know that it'll convince you to use a stylus on the iPhone or iPad when you don't already, but if you use another stylus or the standard Pogo Sketch, the new version is worth checking out. Ten One was also showing off the Magnus, a new iPad stand they're making. iPad stands are so CES 2011, but this one is actually pretty innovative: It includes a strong metal base outfitted with a magnet, so the iPad not only stands in place, but is held there with a magnetic charge (on the same edge that Apple's Smart Cover uses to stay on. The design of the Magnus is really impressive -- the iPad would fall over without that magnet, so the whole thing looks quite magical. The Pogo Sketch Plus is available for $14.95, and the Magnus is available for $49.95. Of course, it only works with the iPad 2 and its embedded magnet. Ten One also says the Fling continues to sell well. There are a few other joysticks out there, but Ten One says that no other competitors have borrowed the Fling's patented twisty design yet. They did say that a few "counterfeit" copies have appeared, but not enough to cause issue with Ten One's sales. We asked if there have been any major customer complaints yet, or any big improvements in the product customers have asked for, but they say that customers have been happy overall with the Fling. The only real issue so far? "It's kid-proof, but not dog-proof," says Ten One.
GOA addresses WAR's EU issues
Apparently, folks aren't too pleased with the way GOA is handling Warhammer Online over in Europe. If this is news to you, welcome to two months ago. Yet, in their defense, GOA has been working to remedy these concerns and address many of the issues that have been alienating European WAR players since before launch.In a recent forum post, GOA's Community Manager, Magnus, confronted these problems and let players know that they're not only aware of what's going on, but they're working to fix it. This wasn't quite enough for one blogger at Books of Grudges who described their frustration at what they say "smacks of PR." If the on-going issues with GOA have been affecting you lately, check out the Magnus post and the Book of Grudges response. You may find that you share their opinion.
