Archive for October, 2009
It’s hard to look at the DROID without looking at the company which brought the device to life. Motorola: for years the name has been synonymous with… well, disappointment. While the industry-stalwart made cellphones sexy with the RAZR, the days which followed have not been especially fruitful or compelling. Over the past year or so, we’ve seen Motorola beating its way back into the mainstream through a series of smart plays: first embracing Android as a platform, then shucking off the weight of Windows Mobile and finally bringing some desirable (and high profile) devices to market.
With the DROID, the company has perhaps created its most attractive and intriguing piece of technology yet. Forging an alliance with both Verizon and Google, Motorola has come up with a second compelling reason to count the phonemaker down, but certainly not out, while the other two giants have finally found a seemingly worthy device to position against the iPhone. So we must pose these questions: is this the phone which will catapult Android into the mainstream? Is it the device that will pull Motorola back from the brink? And — most importantly — is it the lynchpin Google and Verizon have needed to challenge the leader in mindshare in the smartphone market? After putting the device through its paces, we think we can give you the answers you seek — so read on to find out!
Gallery: Motorola DROID review hands-on
Continue reading Motorola DROID review
Filed under: Cellphones
Motorola DROID review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Two items of note for future owners of the DSi XL (aka, The Gigantic DSi) Nintendo has slated for a November launch in Japan (and Q1 2010 here in the US). First, if you’ve been wondering just how much bigger this thing is in comparison to the previous version of the handheld, wonder no more. The device has been spied in action on Japanese television, and it really is quite enormous. How big? Well luckily the folks at Joystiq have put together an awesome little FAQ about the handheld (including exact dimensions — 161 x 91.4 x 21.2mm for those keeping count) which addresses all the pressing issues and more. Check out the XL strutting its stuff on video after the break, the bop on over to the ‘Stiq to fill up on notable quotes and quotable notes.
[Via Kotaku]
Read – DSi XL FAQ: Sized up
Read – My Game News Flash on the DSi XL
Continue reading The DSi XL gets sized up, then Joystiq answers your nagging questions
Filed under: Gaming
The DSi XL gets sized up, then Joystiq answers your nagging questions originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Product: Droid
Manufacturer: Motorola
Wired Rating: 8
The Droid is Motorola’s second attempt at an Android phone but the first one they’ve actually gotten right. More importantly, it’s one of the first phones that can legitimately stand head-to-head with the iPhone — and come out ahead in some significant respects.
Like get decent reception! The Droid is offered by Verizon in the United States and enjoys all the benefits of their extensive network. In our tests around San Francisco the Droid rarely dropped a call, loaded web pages quickly, and pulled up navigation screens without an ounce of hesitation. Overall, network performance trumped our AT&T iPhone.
Physically the Droid is not much to look at because of its boxy, angular frame. Its hefty 6-ounce weight doesn’t make it especially pocket-friendly either. Think of it as The Hulk to the iPhone’s Spiderman. The 3.7-inch touchscreen display is a shade bigger than the iPhone 3G S, but it has much higher resolution, with 854 x 440 pixels compared to the iPhone’s 480 x 320. The virtual keyboard is fantastically responsive with very little input error.
The slide-out physical keyboard, though, is one of the few disappointments of the Droid. The small, flat buttons make it difficult to crank out text.
The home screen lets you access basics such as phone, contacts, browser and maps. But you can quickly customize it by adding your favorite apps such as Pandora and Google Voice to the mix.
The Droid runs Android 2.0 (aka Éclair) as its OS. It feels more refined than the first version of Android on T-Mobile’s G1 and it’s certainly better than the muddled interface on Motorola’s Cliq.
The Droid’s 5-megapixel camera has up to 4x digital zoom. It produces photos that aren’t too noisy and it does well even in low light, thanks to the built-in LED flash.
The most exciting feature of the phone, though, is the Google maps app — with built-in turn-by-turn, voice-guided navigation. Replete with text-to-speech features, the maps are layered with traffic data and a satellite view. But here’s the best part. It’s free! Hear that? You don’t have to pay $10 a month as subscription or buy a pricey $100 TomTom app. You can just zip around with the Droid and Google Maps.
Folks who would like to get their e-mail by intravenous drip can also rest easy. Out of the box, Droid syncs with Microsoft Exchange for e-mail, calendar, and contacts (making it business-friendly) plus it supports Gmail. And for those who don’t like to mix business and pleasure (eww), the Droid keeps the personal and corporate calendar apps separate.
That’s not to say that the Droid doesn’t like to mix it up. The integrated contacts display pulls together information from Facebook and your phonebook contacts, and the phone’s universal search makes it easy to sift through all of them.
The browser is excellent and displays web pages quickly (though Flash websites are still out of bounds), with a little help from Verizon’s 3G network. You can toggle through multiple windows and scan them in an easy list view. You double-tap the screen to zoom in and out — which works, but we miss the “pinch to zoom” gesture found on the Palm Pre and iPhone. Sadly, there’s no native multi-touch support in the Droid.
The Droid also does not provide an easy way to sync your music. Instead of iTunes, the phone connects to Amazon’s MP3 store and lets you browse tracks by genre or artist and buy them for a dollar apiece, all wirelessly. But there’s no software to sync your music to the PC and manage it easily.
Yet, the phone is endearingly quirky. Tweak the settings to turn on the haptic feedback and you can feel a nice rumble each time you press a button. And then there’s the squawking of the word ‘drooooiddd’ in a robotic monotone when you power up the phone or get a voice message.
Overall, Droid makes the iPhone 3G look a little tired, the BlackBerry boring, and the Palm Pre an after-thought. The Droid doesn’t have a single “wow” feature. Rather, it’s the combination of solid phone, smart user interface, and Verizon’s kick-ass network that makes the Droid a cut above most smartphones.
If it were 2 ounces lighter and had a better keyboard (or no keyboard at all), it would be hands-down the best smartphone on the market today. As it is, it’s a solid contender in a market that has too long been dominated by just one top-quality handset.
WIRED An awesome Android phone on the Verizon network — finally! Gorgeous, responsive touchscreen. Fast, fast processor. Excellent browser. User-replaceable battery.
TIRED We want our multitouch pinch! Difficult-to-use physical keyboard. Pocket-tearing heft.
If you thought the Segway was expensive, check out the Air Board that retails for $14,000. Although this personal hovercraft does have that hover board, Back to the Future feel to it, you could probably pick up a a pretty good used car for this sum of money.
The Air Board, which hovers 8-inches off the ground has a gasoline engine that runs through 1.3 gallons of fuel every hour, has a top speed of 15 mph and comes with two levers that control acceleration and break. Left and right turns on this personal vehicle are accomplished by shifting your body weight in one direction or the other and on the off chance that you fall off the Air Board, the safety switch will automatically engage to stop the vehicle.
The Air Board can be driven “over concrete, asphalt, grass or shallow wet areas, but you cannot hover over water, sand, stones or dirt-filled areas due to the bottomside vacuum.”
- Helmet Hummingbird Feeder
- Honda U3-X Personal Mobility Device
- Scoot Coupes To Hit Roads Near You – Or Not
- Solar Collapsible Traffic Cone
- T-Eye ADR3000 Is Your Silent Witness
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Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
The Air Board Personal Hovercraft |
Outdoor Gadgets | Post tags: hovercraft, outdoor, vehicle
A leak published on the Chinese forum PCzilla references the significant advances that NVIDIA has made with 3D graphics. Their new graphical processor known as Fermi (GeForce GT300) will add a whole new level of virtual reality to 3D rendered faces, adding such minute details as natural looking facial hair and skin glare.
The fastest model of GeForce 300 will contain as many 512 cores to bring this level of visual detail to the desktop computer. There will also be a notebook version of the Fermi processor (GTS 360 M) that will make it’s way into high performance units with an expectation that other chipsets will follow shortly.
It’s very possible that these new graphics cards will see the light of day by the end of the year which could result in a slew of new 3D computer games.
- The New Big Screen Nintendo DSi LL
- Acer Aspire 5738DG Notebook With 3D Display
- Xbox 360 Update Disables Unauthorized Memory Units
- Nintendo Wii Gets Full-Scale HK MP5 Submachine Gun Accessory
- Candy Colored Nyko Wii Wand Controllers
© Coated, 2009.
Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
Nvidia Fermi With Life Like 3D Rendering |
Gaming Gadgets | Post tags: 3D, gaming, graphics, Nvidia
It looks like Asus [ASUSTEK] will be releasing an ARM smartbook in the first quarter of 2010. This is contrary to what Asus CEO Jerry Shen had said in the past where he mentioned that there was no future in the smartbook market.
Obviously the tech company has had a change in mind and believe in their new product, expecting sales to be brisk, matching the same levels reached with the Asus Eee.
The Asus smartbook will most like include a 1GHz snapdragon processor, Google Android operating system and a decent internet browser. Priced at about $184, the basic idea of the smartbook is to have a highly portable device with multiple network connectivity options and be priced even cheaper then netbooks. If all indications are correct, it appears Shen and Asus will achieve these goals.
- ASUS Releases ESC 1000 Desktop Supercomputer
- Asus Eee Keyboard With October Release Date
- Asus Eee PC 1002 With Long Life Battery
- Haleron Swordfish 20 Netbook
- Acer Aspire One D250 Google Android Netbook
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Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
Asus ARM Smartbook Confirmed For 2010 |
Computer Gadgets | Post tags: Asus, Eee, netbook, smartbook
The latest version of Apple [AAPL] iTunes, version 9.0.2 is out and is said to contain many enhancements and “fixes”. Palm Pre owners that download the new version of iTunes will find that once again that they have lost the ability to synchronize their smartphones.
It’s been a back and forth battle between Apple and Palm in regards to this issue and it was only about a month ago that Palm was able to re-enable synchronization after the release of webOS 1.2.1. Apple’s official response to all of this has been that they simply do not support third party synchronization solutions.
It should only be a matter of time before Palm has an interim solution to this Apple update, but long term, there doesn’t appear to be anything promising on the horizon as Palm has taken the case to the USB Implementer’s Forum, only to have the USB-IF side with Apple indicating that the use of another members vendor ID is prohibited.
- iLuv iMM183 iPhone dual dock
- Apple App Store Hits A Milestone
- NASA Releases iPhone App
- Quad-core Apple Macbook Pros Coming?
- Microsoft Online Store Carries Windows 7 PCs
© Coated, 2009.
Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
Apple iTunes 9.0.2 Update Breaks Palm Pre Sync Feature |
Online News | Post tags: Apple, iTunes, Palm
If you’re a dog owner, you have certain basic responsibilities to ensure that you take care of your pet adequately, like feeding the dog, spending time with the dog as well as making sure that it gets plenty of exercise.
A few months back, we talked about the dog treadmill, which allowed pet owners to exercise their animals indoor and today we came across the autofetch perpetual motion pet ball.
The premise behind this device is to place dog treats in the interior of the ball, activate the internal gyro-drive, and let the ball spin randomly out of control, dropping rewards as it moves a long. In the process of course, the dog gets some exercise.
Obviously this is the lazy man’s method of playing fetch but one of the interesting discoveries made by Gizmodo was in the FAQ for this pet toy, where it mentions:
Can I use this motion ball with my pet Rabbit or Pig or Iguana?
Yes, it can be used with any pet, child, or adult human.
Bizarre!
- New AlterG Treadmill Lets You Exercise In Anti-Gravity
- Nintendo Wii Cyberbike
- Piano Stairs Will Motivate The Lazy People
- Loc8tor Plus Key, Pet and Child Tracking Device
- Perception Digital’s Live-Lite Pedometer For Heart Health
© Coated, 2009.
Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
Autofetch Perpetual Motion Pet Ball |
Pet Gadgets | Post tags: dog, exercise, perpetual, pet
There have been a few Apple [AAPL] iPhone docks unveiled as of late and what they have in common is that they are generally dual docks, recognizing the fact that many households are no longer just a one iPod or one iPhone family.
iLuv has come out with their own dual dock called the iMM183 that includes some interesting features. One of the standard features that we’ve come to expect on the docks in an alarm clock and that is present on this device. However, what’s interesting is that the unit also includes an integrated National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio that can provide you with current local weather conditions as well as approaching storm fronts, which could be handy in regions of the world where the weather can be volatile.
The dual dock includes a 3.5mm jack to connect external devices and the alarm clock itself can be setup to wake you in the morning using a buzzer sound, the FM radio or music from your Apple device.
The iLuv iMM183 will retail for $150.
- iHome iP88 Dual Dock For iPhones And iPods
- Parasync iPhone And iPod Dock
- The iPhone And iPod Touch Radio App – Finally, Some FM Music
- New Apple iPhone 3GS Patch Stops Jailbreakers
- SmartScreen iPhone Application With Widget Support
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Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
iLuv iMM183 iPhone dual dock |
Household Gadgets | Post tags: Apple, dock, iLuv, iphone, ipod
Bird lovers are always looking for a way to get up close and personal with our fine feathered friends without disturbing their natural behavior. Heatstick has created a wearable hummingbird feeder that will get you as close to the action as possible without getting your eyes poked out.
Known as the :–2<: (pronounced eye to eye ) Wearable Hummingbird Feeder, this unique bird feeder is a full face shield with a hummingbird feeder built in. Basically, you place the shield over your head, sit very still and wait for hummingbirds to drink from the feeding tube located between your eyes.
To allow the shield to blend in with the natural environment as well as make the birds feel a little more comfortable, a graphical inlay of red rhododendrons is included. In addition, the designers recommend leaving the feeder out where you plan to do your bird watching so that they can get accustomed to the device.
The :–2<: Wearable Hummingbird Feeder retails for £49 and yes, there is a video of its use in action.
- Chugulug Drink Factory
- Casio – Oceanus Line – The worlds first atomic solar powered watch
- ODNA Concept Urinal
- New HP Workstations With Six Core AMD Opteron Processor Promise A Greener, Cleaner And Speedier System
- Unusual Pillows – The Blood Puddle Pillow
© Coated, 2009.
Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
Helmet Hummingbird Feeder |
Outdoor Gadgets | Post tags: birds, feeder, hummingbird, outdoor
Just three days ago, there were rumors about Nintendo working on a big screen game console and today we’ve got confirmation that the Nintendo DSi LL will be available in Japan on November 21st.
The new Nintendo DSi LL will be available in three color choices, natural white, wine red or dark brown and will sport a 4.2-inch display screen, making it almost a full inch larger then the previous DSi and about 1.2-inches larger then the DSi lite. The larger screen size will definitely be a plus for surfing the internet.
The DSi LL will retail for $220 and it is expected to make its way into European markets in 2010.
- Nintendo Wii Gets Full-Scale HK MP5 Submachine Gun Accessory
- Candy Colored Nyko Wii Wand Controllers
- New Nintendo Wii HD Console By 2011
- Namco Launches DS Piano Peripheral
- EA’s Need For Speed Sales Surpass 100 Million Copies
© Coated, 2009.
Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
The New Big Screen Nintendo DSi LL |
Gaming Gadgets | Post tags: game console, gaming, nintendo
ASRock has confirmed the release of three new nettops, the Ion 330HT, Ion 330Pro and Ion 330HT-BD. The three nettops have a couple of commonalities amongst them including NVIDIA Ion graphics, a dual core Intel Atom 330 processor, support for up to 4GB RAM, gigabit ethernet, 7.1 channel audio as well as 6 USB ports and a single powered eSATA port.
The Ion 3300HT and the Ion 330HT-BD both include MCE remotes which is absent on the Ion 330Pro. The 330HT-BD also comes with a Blu-ray drive rather then a DVD burner, making this unit a nice home entertainment system.
Pricing details are not available, but will be forthcoming shortly.
- LaCie USB Powered Portable DVD Burner
- iConvert Offers VHS to Digital Conversion
- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Combo Packs
- Sony Multifunction VRD-MC6 DVDirect DVD Recorder
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Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
ASRock Ion Powered Nettops |
Computer Gadgets | Post tags: DVD, home entertainment, Ion, nettop
The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill has been around for a while, and it’s currently being used by professional sports teams and the super-rich. That leaves most of the rest of us with few options — exercising in a pool, for instance, or visiting the International Space Station. But now, AlterG is offering a “lite” version of its Anti-Gravity Treadmill in the M300, which costs a reachable $24,500.
The Anti-Gravity Treadmill works by creating air pressure strong enough to lift 400 pounds around the lower half of your body. This lets you jog and run at up to 20% less gravity. This is obviously great if you’re recovering from leg injuries, or if your legs aren’t what they used to be, but you still need a bit of exercise.
The Anti-Gravity Treadmill lets you exercise thoroughly and safely, without putting any stress on your bones, joints, and ligaments. While you may not be able to afford one for yourself at the moment, you may eventually get lucky and see one of these babies in a fancy gym or rehab center near you.
- Vioguard Self Sanitizing Keyboard
- Plasma Knife Tested By US Military
- Nintendo Wii Cyberbike
- Piano Stairs Will Motivate The Lazy People
- Microchip Implant Could Restore Vision
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Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
New AlterG Treadmill Lets You Exercise In Anti-Gravity |
Medical Gadgets | Post tags: exercise, gym, medical
Everybody knows what an EEE is — it was ASUS’s way of introducing the world to the netbook. Right now sales of netbooks are on the rise, and people love the idea of bringing a supercompact computer around that they can whip out whenever they need to. But for more hardcore users who like to stay in one place, ASUS has another treat — the ESC 1000.
The ASUS ESC 1000 is a supercomputer that offers a whopping speed of 1.1 teraflops. It boasts a 3.3 GHz Intel LGA1366 Xeon W3580 processor, three Nvidia Tesla c1060 graphics processing cards with 960 cores total, and a Quadro FX5800 GPU. The PC also has 24GB of DDR3 RAM, and 500GB of SATA hard drive.
This behemoth can be yours for only around $14,500.00, a good price for a PC with these specs. It’s a good thing ASUS knows how to reach across the performance spectrum and offer great PC’s at both ends.
- Asus Eee Keyboard With October Release Date
- Haleron Swordfish 20 Netbook
- Acer Aspire One D250 Google Android Netbook
- Nokia Booklet 3G Details Released
- HP Mini 311 – Nvidia Ion Netbook
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Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
ASUS Releases ESC 1000 Desktop Supercomputer |
Computer Gadgets | Post tags: Asus, hardcore, netbook
While the Internet and other global trends are fast making the world much smaller than it used to be, language differences still pose a considerable barrier between countries and peoples. This is obviously very important when it comes to political diplomacy and closing international business deals. NEC is well on its way to developing perhaps the first ever language-translating glasses, which may one day do away with the language barrier as we know it.
The concept is rather simple — you walk into a conference filled with people who don’t speak your language, but you’re wearing a nifty pair of sunglasses linked to a small computer around your waist. With the use of a microphone, the device translates any words said during the conference — in real-time — and projects them onto the retina display as subtitles in your own language.
Of course, in theory this doesn’t do much if you’re the only one wearing the glasses. But if every single person in conference room can get their hands on a pair one day, then language translators may need to look for new jobs in the near future.
- TRINVO TR01 Talking Translator
- Reduce Eye Strain With Wink Glasses
- Calvin Klein Sunglasses With USB Support
- Thanko All In One Media Player Sunglasses
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Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
NEC Developing Real-Time Language-Translating Retina-Display Glasses |
Concept Gadgets | Post tags: glasses, language, retina, sunglasses, translation
If you’re into role-playing games (video or otherwise), then you’ve likely had your own fond memories of your Dungeons And Dragons days. Dungeons And Dragons basically laid the foundation for most other RPG’s that we all know and love today. If you’re a die-hard D&D fan, here’s a bit of good news — it may be coming to the Microsoft Surface pretty soon.
Microsoft Surface offers multiple D&D players to play games created by dungeon masters. Using standard 20-sided and 6-sided dices, control objects, and character objects to play the game. The concept is being developed by the Surfacescapes team at the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University.
The game looks pretty fun at first glance, with touchscreen and other tools making for a truly unique gaming experience. It’s still a work in progress, and the game’s creators are welcoming any feedback D&D fans may have about the game, which promises to be a very vast one in terms of replay value.
- EA’s Need For Speed Sales Surpass 100 Million Copies
- Google Android Spring Design Alex eReader
- Sony Touch Vaio L Touchscreen All In One PC
- Wacom Launches Bamboo Touch Touchpad
- Marubot Football League – Robots With Faces!
© Coated, 2009.
Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
Dungeons And Dragons Coming To Microsoft Surface |
Gaming Gadgets | Post tags: games, rpg, touchscreen, video games
We’ve got the DROID in our hands… and it is sweet. Moto claims that this is the thinnest full QWERTY slider on the market, and we’re apt to believe it. The phone is incredibly slick and solid, and we’re definitely looking forward to putting it through its paces. We’ll have more photos, video, and a full review coming, so stay tuned!
Some quick observations on the phone:
- That big screen is killer. Bright, crisp, and tons of room for your icons and widgets.
- Speed is noticeably improved — particularly when moving from app to app. We did notice that some of the home screen scrolling looked laggy.
- Android 2.0 is definitely cleaned up — but it’s most definitely still Android
- The browser seems significantly improved — pages now load up in a fully zoomed-out mode, and the load times and scrolling are way snappier.
- The keyboard takes some getting used to, and it suffers from a similar hand-position issue as the G1, but it’s fairly usable. We think it’ll be second nature once we spend some time with it.
- Facebook is integrated into accounts, which means some of that BLUR functionality is here (though now it’s part of Android 2.0 natively). The good news is that when you add a Facebook account you can choose to pull all Facebook info and contacts, or just info related to your existing contacts — a real clutter buster.
Update: We’ve added a new gallery, and video is on the way!
Update 2: Video is up after the break! More coming too…
Update 3: And we’ve got a browser speed test to round things out.
Update 4: We’ve added another gallery of the car and home docks, which are pretty neat — the phone detects the dock magnetically, and switches to the appropriate mode. We’re told that there’ll also be third-party docks, and that Google’s the one behind the different interface modes, so this could be just the tip of the iceberg.
Gallery: Motorola DROID first hands-on
Gallery: Motorola DROID closer look
Continue reading Motorola DROID first hands-on! (update: video, impressions, more pics)
Filed under: Cellphones
Motorola DROID first hands-on! (update: video, impressions, more pics) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Product: Pavilion dm3
Manufacturer: HP
Wired Rating: 7
There’s so much to like in HP’s new Pavilion dm3 that it’s hard to know where to start. Perhaps with the looks: The aluminum and magnesium case looks cool, totally modern, and though it’s got some plastic components (most notably the underside), it feels quite durable. The Mac-style keyboard is spacious and comfortable, even though the unit’s got a 13.3-inch screen to keep things portable and svelte.
But looks aren’t everything. Outfitted with a poky 1.3-GHz Core 2 Duo microchip, the dm3 doesn’t win any benchmark contests, but performance is at least acceptable, somewhat bogged down only by HP’s add-on dock software that does nothing but get in the way. The machine could use more than the 2 GB of RAM it includes, but the 500-GB hard drive is generous and the screen quality (1366 x 768 pixel resolution) is good.
But the dm3 really earns its stripes with top-notch battery life. With well over five hours of running time under load, it runs circles around other machines in this class — and all without the eyesore of a mammoth battery pack jutting from the bottom or out the back of the laptop.
If there’s one serious failure on this notebook it’s the touchpad. While the multitouch features are appreciated, the material the pad is made from is decidedly not. Under the fingers of this reviewer, the glasslike pad exhibited a strong, tacky grip, causing fingertips to stick to it under even the lightest of pressure. It’s not just hard to use this touchpad accurately; it’s actually painful, as your fingers experience massively increased friction from the surface.
But all is not lost — especially for the cash-strapped. The price is just $815 as configured, so you’ll have plenty of cash left over to afford a killer external mouse.
WIRED Slim, stylish and sturdy. Outstanding keyboard. Four USB ports (plus HDMI and an SD card slot) is a rarity in a machine this portable. Battery is graced with amazing life.
TIRED Awful, awful touchpad (it’s an ongoing problem with HP Pavilion notebooks.) At 4.2 pounds, heavy for this category. Careful you don’t step in the shovelware.
Today happens to be the day that a new Sony Ericsson phone enters the US market with a name that few can pronounce. The Aino will be an unlocked phone that will retail for $600 which is quite a chunk of change.
Shelling out this wad of cash will get you the privilege of owning a slider phone that comes with a 3-inch 16 million color touchscreen display. Also included is an 8.1MP digital camera, remote play support, 1000mAh battery and WiFi and tri-band HSPA which means it would work on GSM carrier AT&T.
For $600, SE will also throw in a 8GB microSD, stereo Bluetooth headset and dock. The SonyStyle website still shows the Aino on backorder but you should be seeing available online and in Sony stores shortly.
- Motion Activated Headphones – Sony Ericsson MH907
- Sony Ericsson Smartphone – Xperia X2
- Sony Ericsson MS500 – Portable Bluetooth Speaker
- Netflix Instant HD Movie Streaming – Who’s Next?
- Motorola Unveils Aura Diamond Edition Luxury Phone
© Coated, 2009.
Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
Sony Ericsson Aino Arrives In The US |
Phone Gadgets | Post tags: Aino, Ericsson, Smartphone, Sony
Have you been to the Apple App store lately? It turns out that the site has hit a new milestone, 100,000 approved applications by Apple. According to the App Shopper site list, the exact number is 101,847, of which about 93,000 are currently available for download.
Having 100k applications means lots of software choices but it doesn’t mean that they are all great selections, after all, there are only so many applications with fart noises one can stand.
It was only about a month ago when Apple announced 2 billion downloads and just a year ago, the site had only 10k applications available. Congratulations to Apple for the milestone, it’s time to have a pint of fake beer. One only has to wonder what the next year will bring.
- NASA Releases iPhone App
- SmartScreen iPhone Application With Widget Support
- iPhone Thumbtacts Provides Easy Contact Access
- Rock Band Rocks The Iphone
- The iPhone And iPod Touch Radio App – Finally, Some FM Music
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Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
Apple App Store Hits A Milestone |
Phone Gadgets | Post tags: Apple, application, beer, iphone
Albatron Technology has launched a new 42-inch touch friendly display that can take advantage of the multi-touch and gesture features that are available in the newly available Microsoft Windows 7. In order to accomplish this, the Albatron display includes two mini-cameras, one on the left side and one on the right side. These two cameras are able to detect and track finger movements.
Other features of the Albatron monitor include a 16:9 screen ratio, 120Hz frame rate, and 1920×1080 HD screen resolution with HDMI support. There are also USB, RS232C, D-sub, DVI as well as other output ports for easy connectivity.
At this time, there is no indication of pricing.
- LG W30 Color Pop Monitors
- Mitsubishi RDT201WDL – USB PC Monitor
- Microsoft Online Store Carries Windows 7 PCs
- Burger King Windows 7 Whopper
- Lenovo IdeaPad U150 Laptop
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Albatron 42 Inch Optical Touchscreen Monitor |
Computer Gadgets | Post tags: Albatron, display, monitor, Windows 7
Dell has taken the wrapping off of it’s new rugged tablet PC called the Latitude XT2 XFR. The tablet pc comes with a 12.1-inch sunlight viewable, multi-touch interactive display and an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. There are a number of optional features available such as support for 5GB RAM, a choice of up to 128GB SSD or 160GB HDD, a hot swap GPS or webcam and Wifi, Bluetooth or 3G.
The tablet pc is compliant with MIL-810G standards and is resistant to dust and moisture damage and because of the built-in QuadCool Thermal Management System, it is also immune to extreme temperatures (-10 to +140 degrees Fahrenheit).
The Latitude XT2 XFR will retail for $3599 and will be available in North America and select European markets.
- Silicon Power Armor A50 Portable Hard Drive
- Dell Adamo XPS
- Dell Latitude Z Laptop With Wireless Charging
- Dell Discount On Zune HD Launch Tomorrow
- The Slim Dell Adamo Notebook
© Coated, 2009.
Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
Dell Latitute XT2 XFR Rugged Tablet PC |
Computer Gadgets | Post tags: Dell, latitude, rugged
On a conference call held yesterday discussing IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI.O) quarterly earnings, Barry Diller indicated that he would entertain the idea of selling the search engine Ask.com. Since it’s purchase in 2005, Ask.com has done little to capture a larger share of the lucrative search business. Currently, the online search site ranks a distant fourth behind Google, Yahoo and Microsoft with only a 4% share of the market.
According to Diller, there has been discussions pertaining to consolidation “and, it is unlikely that we would be the consolidator.” So Ask.com is for sale, the question now is who is going to buy it?
- Microsoft Bing To Feature Facebook And Twitter Streams
- Google Caffeine Gives Competitors The Jitters
- Microsoft Yahoo Online Search Deal Back On
- Google Strolls Down Memory Lane
- Google Maps With Turn By Turn Navigation
© Coated, 2009.
Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
Will Barry Diller Turn The lights Off On Ask.com? |
Online News | Post tags: Ask, google, MSN, Search Engine, Yahoo
Up until now, Google has not been able to offer turn by turn navigation on Google Maps Mobile because of the licensing fees that would have to be collected for each user. However, Google has confirmed today that they have moved away from TeleAtlas. This move has allowed the search engine giant to now offer Google Maps Navigation as a free beta service on Android 2.0 handheld devices. Over time, the service will also expand to include other carriers and phone makers.
Google hasn’t skimmed on features. With this service, you will have access to “3D views, turn-by-turn voice guidance and automatic rerouting”. These are all features that you’d expect from a paid GPS service, but Google will be offering this for free and without any ads.
Google Maps Navigation will only be available in the US until further map data becomes available in other countries, at which time you will see the service expand.
- Google Earth Captures People, Clouds, And Cars
- Magellan Launches 7-Inch RoadMate 1700 GPS Navigation System
- Will Barry Diller Turn The lights Off On Ask.com?
- Microsoft Bing To Feature Facebook And Twitter Streams
- Google Music Service On The Way
© Coated, 2009.
Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
Google Maps With Turn By Turn Navigation |
Phone Gadgets | Post tags: google, gps, map, navigation
The Revo Heritage is the latest DAB radio that blends modern technology with the look and feel of older radios of years gone by. The HERITAGE features a docking station that supports all current iPod models as well DAB, DAB+, FM radio and WiFi for internet streaming. There is also an OLED display screen that activates only when necessary, fading out and allowing the device to blend into it’s surroundings when not required.
The HERITAGE also offers a 30 day free trial of the online music service Last.fm that boasts a music selection of over 5 million tracks. If you wish to continue your service beyond the trial period, a monthly charge of £3.00 will be levied.
The Revo HERITAGE will go on sale this November for £229.95.
- Digital Peephole Viewer – A Clear Picture Of Who You Won’t Let In Anyway
- TDK Uses Blu-ray Technology To Create 320GB Disc
- PURE Sensia DAB Internet Radio
- Leica X1 Compact Digital Camera
- Philips GoGear Muse
© Coated, 2009.
Coated brings you the coolest gadgets and best geek toys.
Revo Heritage DAB Digital Radio |
Entertainment Gadgets | Post tags: audio, DAB, digital, radio, Revo
| Brand: | KJB Security | ||
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Introducing the world’s smallest GPS tracker. At an incredible 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick, this tracker is the perfect solution for your tracking needs. Being small in size doesn’t mean it lacks power. This tracking device is so powerful it doesn’t need a straight line-of-sight with an open sky to track, in fact, it can work indoors by using a combination of GPS technology and cellular signals. more info
If you’ve heard that the next Engadget Show will be featuring a live, one-on-one interview with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer (on the Windows 7 launch day, no less) — you’ve heard correctly. Additionally, our good friend Bit Shifter will be there providing chiptune jams, and Paris and Outpt will be on hand for some brain searing visual art. And of course, the editors of the site will sit down for a roundtable discussion of the week in news. If you’d like to join us for the live taping, you can — just check out the info below. If you can’t make it in the flesh, don’t worry. We’ll be livestreaming on the day-of, and we’ll also have a full, edited version of the Show available just a few days later for download via the site, iTunes, or the Zune Marketplace.
The Show 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. 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 12:30PM on Thursday, October 22nd, and the show begins at 2:30PM
- 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’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.
If you can’t make it to the live event, we’ll have a stream here on Engadget (provided by USTREAM) which coincides with the taping. Just tune your browser to Engadget at 2PM on the 22nd to catch it. You can also hit USTREAM proper, where the Show will be featured.
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.
Filed under: Announcements
The Engadget Show with Steve Ballmer tapes Thursday, October 22nd — here’s how to attend (or livestream it)! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Sure, you’ve seen the hands-on posts and the PR, but have you really gotten a look at Apple’s new gear? Join us for a quick and spirited walkthrough of the goods. You won’t be disappointed. Or you might be. It really depends on how picky you are.
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Peripherals
A video walkthrough of Apple’s newest additions (Unibody MacBook, iMac, Magic Mouse) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Like a bat out of hell, Apple has just shuttled a new, unibody MacBook in the gadget world’s direction. The new model — which looks like an arctic, glossy version of the familiar 13-inch MacBook Pro line — will be landing in stores today (yes, today), with a familiar price tag: $999. In terms of changes, besides the new, high-test plastic casing (built in the same fashion as the aluminum MacBook Pros) the 13-incher boasts a LED-backlit display, new glass multitouch trackpad, and a built-in, “7 hour” battery. Inside the single SKU will be a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM (upgradable to 4GB), an NVIDIA 9400M GPU, 250GB hard drive and the old standby SuperDrive. We had a chance to play around with the laptop, and it’s pretty snazzy for a hunk of plastic. The surface is super slick (AKA super fingerprint friendly), though the base of the laptop utilizes a soft-touch, non-slip surface that’s nice to handle. The display certainly is brighter and better looking than the previous model, though the one on the desk we saw was slightly dimmer than we would prefer — in its defense it was sitting right next to a super bright iMac. As stated, the new model can be picked up right this very second at stores around the globe, and we’ll have a much closer look very soon — so stay tuned! A full spec breakdown is after the break.
Update: Check out our hands-on!
Gallery: New MacBook unboxing and hands-on!
Gallery: MacBook goes unibody
Continue reading MacBook goes unibody, available today
Filed under: Laptops
MacBook goes unibody, available today originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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After months of speculation, Apple has unveiled some completely new iMacs, featuring 21.5-inch and 27-inch 16:9 displays and all-aluminum enclosures. The new widescreen IPS panels are LED-backlit and have 178-degree viewing angles — the 21.5-inch iMac has a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, while the 27-incher comes in at a staggering 2,560 x 1,440. Ports are the same as the outgoing model with the addition of an SD card slot and video-in on the 27-inch (via a special cable), and the wireless keyboard is now standard (as is the all-new Magic Mouse). Pricing tiers haven’t changed much: there’s a low-end $1,199 21.5-inch model with a 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB drive, a $1,499 model that bumps things up to 1TB of storage and ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics, while the base 27-inch config starts at $1,699 with the same bumped specs. All of those can be custom-configured with up to a 3.33GHz Core 2 Duo, but it’s the top-end $1,999 27-inch model that’ll bring the real heat when it ships in November; it’s packing a 2.66GHz quad-core Core i5 processor (with a 2.8GHz Core i7 available for $200 more) and Radeon HD 4850 graphics. Not a bad little refresh — but it looks like all you Blu-ray fans are going home alone again. Check the full specs list after the break.
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Continue reading iMac line updated with 16:9 displays, quad-core Core i5 / i7 model
Filed under: Desktops
iMac line updated with 16:9 displays, quad-core Core i5 / i7 model originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple’s high-noon extravaganza is touching just about every aspect of the company’s consumer lineup today, and considering just how long it’s been (okay, so maybe not that long) since the Mac mini saw any love, we’re thrilled that it’s amongst the crowd seeing updates today. The new $599 Mac mini configuration gets fitted with a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo CPU (up from 2GHz), 2GB of RAM (up from 1GB) and a 160GB hard drive (up from 120GB). The $799 build features a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB of memory (up from 2GB) and a 320GB hard drive (same as before), and both machines sport the same GeForce 9400M GPU and 8x SuperDrive as they did in March. The most intriguing news on the mini front, however, has nothing to do with the standard rigs.
Apple is today introducing an all new machine in the Mac mini server, a system that’s formed in the exact same enclosure as the standard mini but without an optical drive of any kind. Instead, there’s room for an additional hard drive, and the $999 model ships with two 500GB HDDs. It also includes Snow Leopard Server (unlimited clients), a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of RAM, a GeForce 9400M GPU and the same port assortment (meaning no mini-DisplayPort) as found on the other guys. It’s hard to say just how well something like this will do, but we’re guessing Apple doesn’t much mind if it remains a niche product. Catch Apple’s official blurb after the break.
Continue reading Apple gives Mac mini a spec bump, adds dual-HDD Mac mini server
Filed under: Desktops
Apple gives Mac mini a spec bump, adds dual-HDD Mac mini server originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Ready for some more Apple news? Good. Say goodbye to the Mighty Mouse (for reasons beyond those legal entanglements) — the Magic Mouse has arrived. Hate buttons or moving parts? So does Apple, and nothing exemplifies the company’s march towards a buttonless future more than this “two button” laser mouse, which has one button and no scroll wheel — just a multitouch surface (a hard acrylic) across the top. With the Magic Mouse you’re able to do familiar gestures from the Mac trackpad playbook such as two-finger swipes, but you can also do single-finger horizontal and vertical scrolling, complete with a software-based inertia (see a video here). Sorry kids, no pinch zoom. The wireless device boasts a four-month battery life, this cool gadget will be available today for $69. Full press release is after the break.
Update: Check out our hands-on!
Filed under: Peripherals
Apple’s Magic Mouse: one button, multitouch gestures, Bluetooth, four-month battery life originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Product: UN46B7000
Manufacturer: Samsung
Wired Rating: 8
Product: Bravia KDL- 52W5100 Television
Manufacturer: Sony
Wired Rating: 8
Product: TSX-130 Desktop Audio System
Manufacturer: Yamaha
Wired Rating: 6
Most bookshelf sound systems leave us chanting, “less dock, more rock!” Yamaha’s latest all-in-one delivers room-filling sound to small and medium-sized spaces, but admittedly, it isn’t boomin’ enough to satisfy a circa-’82 LL Cool J.
To be fair, this diminutive 9-pound, 15-watt noisebox pumps out sound that almost justifies its semi-hefty price tag. Tunes emanate from the speaker with great separation and acceptable mid-range, albeit with bass that’s less than bangin’. Then again, if you’re in the market for a dock in this price range, bumping big bass is probably not your bag.
So why bother? In addition to the prerequisite iPod dock, CD drive (physical media? As if!) FM radio (yawn) and DAB+ digital radio, this clock-stereo is primed for file-sharing, literally. The system has an easy-to-access topside USB port. Say a “friend” shows up with a thumb drive of Jonas Brother bootlegs. Rather than let him sully your HDD with petulant teen crooning, just pop that sucker into the speaker system for instant gratification (for him) and dry heaving (for you).
If you’ve got the cash, need a small unit that does more than simply pump iPod tunes, you could do a lot worse than this.
WIRED The “b” in USB here stands for “belongs on top, not in the back.” USB handles MP3 and WMA formats easily. Clean, understated design lines. Short and shallow enough to fit on many bookcases. Dimmable display perfect for bedtime “dance” parties. Perfectly acceptable mid-range.
TIRED Not loud enough for really big spaces (read anything larger than 20 x 20 feet). Remote control required to set time and date. Screwdriver required to change remote control’s batteries. A bit large for smaller bedside tables. Bass has enough kick to rattle granny, but certainly won’t raise LL Cool J’s eyebrows.
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