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Philly newsies to offer Archos Arnova 10 G2 tablet for $99 with subscription bundle
Taking a cue from other publications pushing tablet content, two major Philadelphia newspapers are offering discounted subscriptions bundled with a discounted device to read it on -- the Android-based Arnova 10 G2. The Philadelphia Media Network and Arnova will offer the tablet for $99 when purchased with a two-year digital subscription to The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News for $9.99 a month, or $129 for the year. That tally is substantially lower than the HK $1,680 (around $250) mark that the slate alone hit when it launched last month, but it's not apt to attract too much attention outside of Brotherly Love's favorite locale. So... which paper's lined up to play copycat? Check out the more coverage link after the break for some hands-on video with the tablet.
Samsung, NTT DoCoMo to develop smartphone chips in proposed joint venture
Qualcomm may be facing some new competition in the mobile chip space, now that NTT DoCoMo and three other Japanese firms are looking to join forces with Samsung. According to Japan's Nikkei business daily, the quartet of firms (which includes Fujitsu, NEC and Panasonic's mobile unit) is currently finalizing negotiations with Samsung over a proposed joint venture that would design, develop and market smartphone chips. The partners are reportedly planning to incorporate the new chips into their own devices, while selling them to other handset manufacturers, as well. DoCoMo would hold a majority stake in the ¥30 billion (about $390 million) partnership, which could help lower procurement costs, while reducing the partners' dependency upon industry-leading Qualcomm. A DoCoMo spokesman acknowledged that the provider is exploring a variety of collaborations, but was quick to point out that nothing's been finalized. Samsung and Fujitsu, meanwhile, have yet to comment.
Samsung files French patent complaint against Apple, targets iPhone, iPad
Samsung has retaliated against Apple once again -- this time, in France, where the Korean manufacturer has filed a complaint alleging that Cupertino infringed upon a trio of its patents. Originally filed with a Paris district court in July and announced yesterday, the complaint claims that the UMTS technologies featured in the iPhone and 3G-enabled iPads violate three of Samsung's patents. Unlike a previous case in Germany, which recently resulted in a nationwide injunction against the Galaxy Tab 10.1, this filing "focuses on three technology patents, and not on the design of the tablets," as a Samsung spokesperson was quick to point out. Details on the patents in question remain blurry for the moment, but it'll probably be a while before the case progresses anyway, with the first hearing scheduled for December.
GameStop offers iPhone, iPod and iPad trade-ins at US stores, just in time for fall titles
Looking to get some green back for that aging iOS device? GameStop's looking to oblige. The famed retailer has announced that you'll be able to trade-in your infrequently used iPhone, iPod or iPad for store credit, starting today. Since these devices usually carry significantly higher value than most of the store's gently used items -- adjusted to merely higher given the outfit's historically laughable trade-in values -- Call of Duty addicts can now rejoice in having yet another source of funding for their fix. Also, this announcement comes just in time for you to get your assets in order for the fall slate of games -- specifically, the ones you were planning to a) order online or b) download. Well played, GameStop. If you're yearning for more info, check out the PR after the break.
ASUS Eee PC X101 now available for pre-order at CDW and Amazon
We've been waiting for ASUS to launch its Eee PC X101 for the better part of a year, and it looks like the wait is almost over. The slim, MeeGo-running netbook has popped up on two online retailers' sites with price tags just above the company's promised $199 positioning. Despite earlier rumors of a July launch, the ultraportable has managed to slip through the cracks of summer, and most likely will debut this fall -- although, no official release has been mentioned. If you're eager to get your pre-order on for this single-core 1.33GHz Atom N435 netbook, you can snag it at Amazon for $227, or CDW for a more attractive $210. Those holding out hope for its pricier, Windows 7 brother -- the X101H -- will just have to sit this one out. [Thanks, Andrew]
Pandora's song-finding flair comes to Spotify, IHeartRadio via separate initiatives
Ruh roh. That's the sound emanating from Pandora's stock price, which has taken a serious beating in the wake of two separate announcements in the past week. First off, Clear Channel and Echo Nest have teamed up to produce a self-proclaimed "Pandora killer," with a new technology enabling IHeartRadio users to build out customized radio stations right on the app. As you'd expect, folks will be able to construct a custom playlist "based off the selection of a single seed song or artist, both online and on mobile phones," and it'll be featured when the app relaunches in beta form this week. In related news, Echo Nest has also concocted a Pandora-esque streaming radio feature for use in the Spotify app; it's a gem called Echofi, and if you surf down to the source link, you'll be able to give it a whirl. Type in a single artist, mash go, and watch as Spotify is launched and related music is spun until you decide you've heard enough. Here's to competition... right?
Spotify to lay down beats for Ford (update: it's a hack)
It's only been two months since Spotify made its stateside debut, and it's already getting in bed with an American staple. No, it hasn't struck a deal with Beyonce or Britney, but the fine folks at Autoblog are reporting that the streaming music service will make its way into vehicles sporting the Ford SYNC AppLink system "in the near future." Details are otherwise vague, but we'd be interested to hear how the outfit's "exclusive automotive advertising partner" feels about the deal. Update: Turns out this partnership isn't of the official kind. The folks at Spotify were actually on hand at the TechCrunch Disrupt Hack-a-Thon to show off "how easy it is for developers to create voice-enabled smartphone apps using the SYNC API." Looks like Chevy's got nothing to be jealous about after all.
Viewsonic's $200 ViewPad 7e Android tablet now available for pre-order
Viewsonic has been at the low-cost Android tablet for some time now, and it showed no signs of letting up on that effort at IFA last week, where it debuted its new ViewPad 7e. If that managed to pique your interest, you'll be glad to know that the device is now available for pre-order for $199.99 (though there's still no promised ship date). That will buy you a 7-inch screen, a 1GHz Cortex-A8 processor, Android 2.3 for an OS, 4GB of built-in storage, a microSD card slot for further expansion, and even a mini HDMI port that will let you output full 1080p video. [Thanks, Peter]
NuForce's Icon iDo amp improves iPod sound, costs more than a Classic
Ever feel the temptation to run your iDevice straight into a set of 250-ohm Beyerdynamic or Sennheiser cans? You could, but the resulting sound would hardly rock you. Thankfully, NuForce's colorful Icon iDo is ready to assist in your iAudiophile needs for only $250. This headphone amp -- supporting sampling rates up to 48kHz, 24-bits of resolution and a 10-20kHz frequency -- cables into your iPod's 30-pin connector to bypass the digital audio converter and uses its own to amp up the quality of your audio. The iDo promises to drive headphones all the way up to 300-ohms with 12mW of power via its 3.5 jack, and it's also sporting digital / analog RCAs if you want to share the love with some speakers. You'll be at the whim of wall outlets as plug-in power is required for operation, but at least its built IR receiver will let you remote control your playlists from afar. It's available today if you're finding your HiFi bugged piqued, and a backside shot with PR is just past the break.
Adobe rolls out cloud-based Carousel photo service for Apple devices
Looking for another way to store your photos that doesn't involve a shoebox in your closet or a hard drive on your desk? Then you now also have Adobe's new cloud-based Carousel service to consider, which will initially come in the form of apps for iOS and Mac OS X Lion later this month (support for Windows and Android is apparently coming next year). The real selling point here is that your photos are instantly synced across said devices (and you can edit them on each), although that convenience comes at a cost -- the apps themselves are free but you'll be charged $60 a year or $6 per month until January, and $100 a year or $10 a month after that. Video is after the break.
Nike teases Back to the Future shoes, creepily leaks the contents of Marty McFly's closet (video)
What's this? Nike is rounding up shoe-nerds (and Back to the Future fans) to taunt them with futuristic metal shield glasses, 1980s candy, and a personal messages from Doc Brown? Could this shoe-filled YouTube tease (uploaded by DocEmmettBrown88) mean that Nike is bringing nerdom's coolest kicks back from the future? Probably. After all, you don't patent power-laces just to make a normal shoe, do you? [Thanks, Rob]
Steam Trading steams out of beta in a cloud of, er, water vapor
Steam Trading's emerged from the hot wet clouds of beta after more than a million in-game items were swapped in the first month of testing. Purchased in-game objects can now be bartered between all players of Team Fortress 2, Portal 2 or Spiral Knights and more games will be supported soon. The bigger news is that you can also exchange Steam gifts and extra copies of games you've got -- such as that spare edition of Half-Life 2 that you downloaded with the Orange Box bundle -- as long as they're unplayed. Hey, cash it in and go buy your avatar something nice.
Velocity Micro Cruz T408 8-inch tablet gets its FCC credentials, goes on sale at $240
The T408 has been loitering around pre-order pages for a while now, but without a nod from the FCC it was going nowhere. Fortunately, it's just been given a clean bill of 802.11 b/g/n health and can be yours for $240 from Best Buy Amazon. That outlay gets you an 8-incher with a front-facing camera, 4GB of built-in storage and a microSD slot. Watch out though: like previous Cruz tablets, it omits Android Market support out of the box, which tells you something about its target audience. Update: Looks like the T408 isn't available from Best Buy, at least not yet. But, you can put in your pre-order over at Amazon if you so desire. [Thanks, Nathaniel]
MSI's reverse fan tech keeps dust out, graphic cards chilled
We've all been there, trying in vain to remove dust caked onto the fans of componentry inside our rigs. It's mostly a fruitless endeavor, but here to save us from the horde of dust bunnies invading our graphics card is MSI's dust removal technology. Available on the company's "Lightning Xtreme" edition of the GTX580, soot is annihilated by spinning that card's fans at full throttle in reverse for thirty seconds after boot. That's apparently an effective method for flinging accumulated grime off the spinners and (hopefully) into a spot you can actually reach. Unconvinced it'll work? Well then, mosey on over to the source link bub, and prepare yourself for video proof of the fan-powered filth evisceration.
Angry Birds speakers are too adorable to slingshot
Okay, we admit it, we want one of these Angry Birds speaker docks from Gear4 seen on the floor of IFA here in Berlin. They're available in both iPod dock varieties (pigs) and as plug-and-play speakers (angry, angry birds). Both will begin shipping in the next few weeks in Europe and the US. The non-dock version should sell for around €69. They'll likely hit the spot for those casual gamers who aren't getting enough of the irate fowl between their web browser, set-top box, e-reader, university and local Philharmonic.%Gallery-132594%
Vizio rolls out Tablet software update, promises performance boosts aplenty
No, it's still not Honeycomb, but Vizio has just rolled out an update for its 8-inch Tablet that promises quite a few improvements, including better graphics performance, faster UI navigation, and better battery life. Home theater-minded folks will also no doubt be pleased with the updates to the company's Universal Remote Control app, which now boasts support for "up to 95 percent of all CE devices in North America."
Native Instruments Maschine Mikro just wants to make the world dance, forget about the price tag
Besides looking like the illuminated dance floor in our favorite club, the Maschine from Native Instruments also inspires envy among the MIDI brigade for its wealth of features and reasonable $600 price tag. Come October and the Maschine will be supplemented by an equally Tony Manero-tastic Mikro version, for those with even stricter spouses or bank managers. Despite the reduction in size, you'll still get the 16-key drum sequencer and the full version of the production software. Making its debut at the same time will be iMaschine -- an iOS app that helps you sketch out hooks and loops on the go. The Maschine Mikro arrives worldwide on October 1st for $400 and iMaschine will set you back $5.
Baidu, Dell join forces to produce line of smartphones and tablets in China
Just a few days after introducing its own Android-like OS, Baidu is now looking to expand its mobile reach to the hardware front, with the help of Dell. According to Reuters, the Chinese search giant has joined forces with the PC manufacturer to produce a line of tablets and smartphones within China, in the hopes of capitalizing on a market of more than 900 million mobile subscribers. A Dell spokeswoman declined to offer a launch date for the new line of products, but sources close to the matter say they could launch as early as November. Details on the devices remain equally opaque, though Dell seems intent on resurrecting its tablet / handset unit, following the demise of the Streak 5. "We have a partnership with Baidu and you know we have the Streak 5 tablet, so the partnership will be in that space," the company's rep explained, adding that future releases would involve Baidu's mobile app platform, as well. Today's announcement also comes after Dell's Chinese sales grew by 22 percent during the first quarter of this year, though it remains to be seen whether or not this alliance will have much affect on a market currently dominated by Apple and Lenovo.
Soulo karaoke mic for iPad coming to a thin partition wall near you
We've just seen First Act's wireless karaoke kit for the iPad passing through the FCC, suggesting it may be on track for a fall launch. The hardware will count for nothing if the accompanying app from sister company Seven45 Studios hits a dud note, but we guess it looks functional enough. The receiver makes up for its dock-hogging ways by providing a video output so you can check your lyrics on a bigger screen. It should also register your wails, screeches and caterwauls at a distance of up to 20 feet from the AA-powered mic. No word on pricing or availability just yet, but you can warble your interest at the second source link below.
Andy Pad, Andy Pad Pro now available within Europe, for not a lot of money
If you've been twiddling your thumbs in anticipation of the Andy Pad's arrival, twiddle no more, because the budget-friendly Android slate is now available across most of Europe. Both the 8GB model and its 16GB Andy Pad Pro counterpart appeared on the British manufacturer's website today, with the former priced at £129 (about $208) and the latter running for £179 (roughly $289). Both of the seven-inch tablets run on Gingerbread and offer up to six hours of battery life, though the Pro features a capacitive touchscreen (1024 x 600), compared with its little brother's 800 x 480 resistive display. If you need a little low-cost Android love in your life, hit up the source link to grab one for yourself.
