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Pandigital unveils Nova, Planet and Star Android tablets, 'flagship' device coming next month
It's shaping up to be a busy month for Pandigital. Two days after we spotted the Nova at Best Buy, the astronomically-inclined company has decided to officially unveil the Android tablet alongside the Planet and Star, with a fourth "flagship" device slated for release in September. Each of the three slates is powered by an A9 Cortex processor, and boasts a seven-inch touchscreen display (800x600 resolution on the Planet and Nova and 800x480 on the Star, pictured above). As far as storage goes, both the Planet and the Star offer 2GB of onboard memory, with the Nova packing 4GB, and all three offer WiFi and HDMI connectivity. The slabs also come preloaded with Barnes & Noble's eBookstore app and provide access to GetJar's app download store, rather than the Android Market. Honeycomb enthusiasts, however, should probably look elsewhere, as both the Planet and the Star run Android 2.2 Froyo, while the Nova ships with Gingerbread. But considering their prices, that shortcoming may be easy to overlook. The Planet, available now, will run you $189, as will the Nova, scheduled to ship later this week (though, again, you can also find it on Best Buy, for $170). The Star, meanwhile, will hit stores in mid-August, for a paltry $159. Rocket past the break for some photos of the Nova and Planet, along with more details, in the full press release.
EA CEO won't share Old Republic release date because of "principal competitor"
E3 usually isn't a big news get for us here at WoW Insider, as Blizzard does its own thing with its own announcements and showing up to conventions. However, one piece of news really stuck out as interesting in relation to Blizzard. EA's CEO John Riccitiello made some interesting statements regarding Star Wars: The Old Republic's release date. The Old Republic is EA's MMO set during the fan-favorite Old Republic era of the Star Wars franchise. Riccitiello said: Announcing a release date "would be irresponsible for two really good reasons", Riccitiello said. "One, the competitive marketplace. Putting a window out there creates a window of opportunity for our principal competitor to put out an expansion pack or an ad campaign et cetera around our launch window. Bad move at this point in time." Now, while Riccitiello does not name Blizzard specifically, there are only a few potential "principal competitors" in the MMO market. Blizzard is definitely the biggest name at the table. What Riccitiello is saying is that announcing a release date for their MMO would give Blizzard the opportunity to move in on EA's hype, move its own release dates around, or prepare a patch or game release for the same time frame that The Old Republic would launch.
Astronomers snap black hole murder in graphic detail (video)
We tend to imagine a black hole sucking everything around it straight into oblivion. The truth, however, is even more gruesome. Astronomers have just captured an ultra hi-res image of our neighbouring galaxy, Centaurus A, and it helps to reveal what actually happens. Matter is yanked helplessly towards a black hole at the galaxy's core, but it refuses to die quietly. For some unknown reason, it erupts as it falls, spewing out vast plumes of particles -- like blood from celestial murder. These death throes emit radio waves, allowing us to witness them using radio telescopes even though we are 12 million light-years away. If only we were closer; if only we could intervene. Alas, all we can do is watch the video after the break and hit the source links for a fuller explanation -- though, admittedly, none of those sound like awful options.
Hubble telescope sees furthest galaxy, 13.2 billion light years from Earth
If you think Star Wars took place in a galaxy far, far away, you should probably prepare to have your perceptions of distance rocked. NASA astronomers believe they've laid their eyes what appears to be the most distant object ever spotted by humans... in the history of mankind, no less. The galaxy was first peeked back in 2009, but NASA has just confirmed (via that trusty Hubble contraption) that what it saw is actually the oldest known galaxy in existence. At a distance of 13.2 billion light years away, this galaxy is a staggering 150 million years older than the previous record-setting collection of stars. The cluster of blue stars is just a tiny galaxy, though -- NASA says you'd need hundreds of these little groups to make up our Milky Way. Head past the break for a closer shot of the constellation, otherwise known as a nondescript red pixel.
Satarii Star camera base follows your every move, might exist if the money's raised
Looking a bit like a universal Sony Party-shot, the Satarii Star is up on fundraising site IndieGoGo right now with a simple goal: finding enough people who are willing to pay for an action-tracking base for their camera to get the thing produced. The concept is simple enough -- use the included iPhone and standard tripod mounts to insert the camera of your choice, grab the remote sensor and attach it to the object, animal, or human you want to track, and let 'er rip -- as long as you stay within 8 meters (roughly 26 feet), the base station with camera attached will rotate up to 180 degrees to keep the action in the frame. As of this writing they're about halfway to their goal to $20 grand -- and they've already slapped together a functional prototype, so you know you're not funding pure vaporware. Follow the break for a demo, and while you're at it, go ahead and tell off all your friends -- you won't need 'em to hold your camera while you film magic tricks for YouTube anymore. Score!
LG Optimus 2X coming to T-Mobile USA by March?
When the Optimus 2X was announced a few days ago, North America was conspicuously left out of the nebulous launch plans mentioned in the press release -- but that doesn't necessarily mean it's not coming. RCR Wireless says it has it on "rather good authority" that LG's beastly Tegra 2-powered Android phone will in fact see a US launch, and that said launch will be on T-Mobile in late February (which would be right after MWC) or early March. Considering how aggressively T-Mobile has been pushing Android dating all the way back to the G1, we tend to believe it -- and between the dual-core processor, HSPA+, and the promise of a Gingerbread update in the works, this could easily hang with the HTC Mechas and Motorola Olympuses of the world (likely launching on Verizon and AT&T, respectively) over the next few months.
LG Optimus 2X: first dual-core smartphone launches with Android, 4-inch display, 1080p video recording
That's right, it's official. Needless to say, that LG Star we recently got our paws on is very real, though it won't go by that name at retail -- just as LG's own release materials had suggested, this monster has picked up the Optimus 2X name as it morphs from a prototype into brutally fast, overpowered reality. At the phone's heart beats a dual-core Tegra 2 processor running at 1GHz, the first such configuration to be officially announced by any smartphone manufacturer (though we're expecting others any day now). In case you're wondering how such power might be used, well, for starters, you've got both full 1080p TV-out via HDMI and video capture through an 8 megapixel primary camera paired with a 1.3 megapixel cam up front for face-to-face calling. A 4-inch WVGA display is along for the ride along with 8GB of on-board storage (expandable with up to 32GB of microSD) and a 1,500mAh battery -- no larger than most single-core smartphones these days, so it'll be interesting to see if the final retail units hold up through a day of typical use. Unfortunately, the Optimus 2X is launching out of the gate with Android 2.2, but LG's already committing to releasing Gingerbread updates "in due course." It hits first in LG's home market of Korea next month, followed by Europe and other Asian locales in the coming weeks; we're sure you can hardly wait, so why don't you check out some eye candy from our preview while you pass the time? Follow the break for the press release. %Gallery-110305%
LG Optimus 2X looks like a dual-core Star, shows off HDMI-out while embarrassing the Galaxy S on video
LG has, in the most casual fashion possible, revealed the name of a new smartphone it intends to launch in the Korean market: the Optimus 2X. That brand name was buried deep in a release yesterday about exclusive Ennio Morricone content bundled with the Optimus Mach, though some studious folks have unearthed it and subsequently found YouTube content showing off the handset. Codenamed the SU660, the 2X looks almost identical to the LG Star we handled for ourselves recently, with the only differences being in product code (the Star was dubbed P990) and the button array at the bottom. Looking at the videos after the break, most of the onboard content bears LG's local branding of Cyon, leading us to suspect the 660 is just the Korean variant of the Star. Either way, that LG presser also notes that the Optimus 2X should be launching within the next couple of months -- just in time to take the Nexus S down a notch or two, eh LG?
LG Star preview
<div style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.engadget.com/lg-star/preview/"><img border="1" hspace="4" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x1210fbfu5xbd.jpg"/></a></div> The LG Star. The dual-core beast from the east that was once a mere <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/16/exclusive-lgs-4-inch-android-phone-with-dual-core-tegra-2-and/">twinkle in our eye</a> has managed to find its way to the Engadget mansions, having been lent to us by a very generous (and very anonymous) tipster. It's clearly a test device, as evidenced by its diagnostics menus and lack of a lockscreen, but there's no disguising the power that lies within it. We put the Star through a battery of common Android benchmarks and the results were, in a word, outstanding. Basically, <a href="http://www.engadget.com/all/tegra2">Tegra 2</a> will give anything your <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/10/smartphone-buyers-guide-the-best-phones-for-atandt-verizon-spr/">current phone</a>'s running an inferiority complex. Join us after the break as we delve deeper into this upcoming powerhouse of a handset from LG. One thing's for sure: CES 2011 can't come soon enough.<br /> %Gallery-110305%
LG Star struts its stuff on film, toys with an iPhone 4 (video)
We can't get enough of the world's first Tegra 2 smartphone, the LG Star, so if the 4-inch diva wants a closeup while parading about Tel Aviv, who are we to argue? GSM Israel somehow managed to obtain the same dual-core Android 2.2 handset we glimpsed earlier this morning, complete with 8 megapixel camera and HDMI port. Though we don't have the foggiest idea what they're saying in the video after the break, the LG-P990 certainly seems to be a speedy little machine in side-by-side webpage load tests with the fan-favorite iPhone 4, though we seem to detect a hint of hesitation when the Star's capacitive touchscreen gets brushed. Chalk it up to faux embarrassment, we suppose. Video after the break.
LG Star shows up again, flexes its Tegra 2 muscle for the camera
That high-end Android smartphone from LG seemingly destined for release early next year has made another appearance -- and this time, the UI's in full view and showing us a few tricks. Looks like the so-called Star will be running a variant of LG's usual Android skin, for better or worse, and the particular device shown off in Phandroid's forums here is loaded with Froyo -- a strange choice for a 4-inch beast launching in 2011 with Gingerbread around the corner, perhaps, but we certainly wouldn't put it past 'em. The owner (who actually claims to have two in his possession) was kind enough to run it through Quadrant, producing a score of 1759 -- fantastic for a stock device, and a score that'll undoubtedly go through the roof once hackers get their hands on these things and start trimming the fat. Between this, the LU3000, and that unnamed LTE device for Verizon, these guys could be a serious Android force in '11, couldn't they?
Exclusive: LG's 4-inch Android phone with dual-core Tegra 2 and 1080p video coming in early 2011
Wow. LG did say it'd bring some heat to its Android Optimus line and here's our first look at it, folks! An 8 megapixel camera-wearing, 1080p video-recording, dual-core superphone to appease all the spec fanatics out there. Aimed for release early next year, as the very first dual-core Android handset, this device will finally bring NVIDIA's Tegra 2 into the smartphone realm. Our tipster tells us it's codenamed Star internally, though that's certain to change in the final product nomenclature. You might think that massive Google logo on the back would imply stock Android and you'd be right -- we're told it'll be a nearly untouched representation of the Google OS, though it's still not clear which version it'll be. We've also spotted a front-facing camera on the front, while the innards are said to include microSD memory expandability, microUSB connectivity, and a 1500mAh battery. Nexus who?%Gallery-107512%
TUAW's Daily App: Star Dunk
Star Dunk is a strange little mix of online basketball (you can see the basic idea here) and an interesting cosmic aesthetic. To shoot the basketball, you just touch the screen and drag until your guideline is lined up, and then you fire away and try to drop in as many shots as possible. You get bonus points for extra nice shots, and if you hit all four targets on the "backboard," you can grab power-ups as well. High scores earn you Plus+ achievements and in-game rewards, like different balls (with various useful attributes) to use. The game is a ton of fun! It's got that perfect "just one more try" feeling to it that keeps you going back for another round. And the graphics are terrific for the game's simplicity; there are lots of sparkles, and even some fun zoom angles, interspersed with ambient background music and glossy sound effects. Star Dunk is a great little title, and it's only 99 cents. So, if that online basketball gameplay appeals to you, it's a no brainer.
New biggest star discovered, is not Justin Bieber
You know how sometimes you're just sitting out in a field with your homies, looking up at the stars and thinking man, the universe is so BIG... and I'm just so small! Thanks to the Very Large Telescope in Chile, Professor Paul Crowther at Sheffield University, and some good old-fashioned Hubble data, you can feel just a little bit smaller. Crowther and his team have measured the giant known as R136a1 to be 265 times the size of the sun. That's a pretty cool size, but not quite as cool as the 320 solar masses it was at birth -- nothing to sneeze at, since previous discoveries had the largest stars somewhere around 150 solar masses. It's also the most luminous star ever found, at 10 million times brighter than the sun. Even so, don't get your hopes up trying to see this with your telescope (unless it's, you know, Very Large) because it's a good 165,000 light years away. Doesn't mean you can't look in its direction and smile, though. [Image: ESO / M. Kornmesser]
Pulsar clocks spin closer to reality
Contrary to popular legend, Pulsar wristwatches don't use the light of dying stars to keep time. However, if researchers at the University of Manchester are correct, the strobe-like effect generated by a collapsed star's spin may indeed be the most accurate clock (sorry, atoms) available to mankind. While pulsars have long been studied for insight into the nature of time and gravity, their patterns weren't as regular as scientists would like, but the U of M team believe that's because the stars are actually swapping between two different states, each with their own rotation speed. By correcting for the difference when the hunk of burning gas puts on the brakes, they can make measurements far more precise -- meaning a greater understanding of the fabric of space-time for the brainiacs, and if we're lucky, reliable pulsar clocks within our lifetime.
You are not likely as hardcore as these Mario fans
You might have noticed a less than offensive Nintendo tattoo donning the image space above this sentence you're reading, and could very well be wondering why this is the case. As it turns out, the Super Mario Bros.-themed images of Princess Peach and a Star are a bit too graphic for use on Joystiq. They are, however, quite unique – rather than the ol' ink-permanently-embedded-in-skin treatment of traditional tattoos, the aforementioned two employ a method of tattooing that involves skin removal. Check out the original shots over at BodyMod.org if you want to see 'em, but click through at your own discretion. [Thanks Adam!] [Image credit: Drew Olanoff]
Samsung's S5230 Star gets a WiFi makeover
We can't think of a single phone on the face of the planet that doesn't look better wrapped a thick, rich, creamy layer of WiFi support, and non-3G phones in particular -- they've got no other way to push bits around at remotely reasonable speeds, after all. Take Samsung's S5230 Star, for example: it was a perfectly reasonable full-touch phone at its announcement back in spring, but with nothing but EDGE to its name, it's hamstrung for serious browsing duty. Sammy seems to have a solid understanding of the situation, moving quickly to re-release the Star in new S5230W and S5233W forms (for different regions), both of which are the same Star we already know and love but with a dash of WiFi thrown in for good measure. It's already shipping, so keep an eye on your local retailer for the lowdown -- and look carefully, because it'd suck at this point to get stuck with the EDGE-only version, wouldn't it? [Via GSMArena, thanks Craig]
ENESS Humble Telescope brings space to you, your ego down a notch
Think the world is your oyster? Think you've got it all figured out? Think again, bub. ENESS' appropriately named Humble Telescope is an interactive installation that presents a 3D simulation of our entire known universe to anyone who dares peer in. Viewers simply point the "telescope" in any direction, and instantaneously they're presented with what exists in that specific area of space. The sheer magnitude of it coupled with the views from beyond seek to remind us of just how small we are in the grand scheme of things, and quite honestly, we're tearing up just thinking about it. Grab a tissue and head past the break for a life-changing video.[Via OhGizmo]
HTC 2009 lineup gets spec'd in detail?
Other than a few desperately-needed in-the-wild shots, we're getting close to knowing everything we need to know about HTC's 2009 lineup of devices -- or much of it, anyway -- and the latest leak certainly fills in some holes for us. The big news here might be the NVIDIA-powered SuperStar, featuring 512MB of ROM, 256MB of RAM, and a whopping 3.7-inch WVGA display that should be ready to take full advantage of the high-octane 600MHz chipset. That sucker will be running WinMo 6.5 out of the gate, suggesting it won't be out until later in the year; we've also got a couple Qualcomm-powered 6.5 handsets in the mix along with a plethora of 6.1 units that -- if HTC's current strategy holds up -- should be upgradeable to 6.5 when the time comes. The authenticity of the leaked spec sheet can't be confirmed here, but it certainly seems believable, doesn't it?[Via wmpoweruser.com]
Two Karas Enter: Karathress vs Kara Thrace
Our weekly column "Two Bosses Enter" pits one boss against another in a do or die battle of force. You, the reader, decides who wins and who is banished to the pits of wowlolcats hell. However for today, I want expunge some of that nerd in me and do something different. Let's pit Karathress, the multi-mob boss fight from Serpentshrine Cavern again Kara Thrace, her namesake from Battlestar Galactica."Why on Azeroth are you having these two fictional characters fight each other, Adam?" you ask. Because tonight at 10:00 p.m. EDT the final season of Battlestar Galactica begins. There's a lot of fans, including the WoW developers, who are in love with this show. After a year's absence I think many of us are sitting on the edge of our seats to learn who the final Cylon is. (It's going to be Billy, by the way. You heard it here first.) But enough of my fan bois loving. Let's get down to these two bosses fighting it out.
