the gadget site

Viliv S5 unboxed and handled in Hong Kong

2009-04-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

by Laura June,
We've seen plenty of Viliv's S5 tablet PC, but the fine folks of Engadget Chinese have scored some precious unboxing time with the little dude, and it's looking pretty great. The XP-running MID has a 4.8-inch touchscreen, a 60GB hard disk, an Intel Silverthorne-class 1.33GHz Z520 CPU, GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, and 1GB of memory. It's available in Korea now, though it appears to have missed its European / U.S. shipping dates at the end of March -- but we'll let you know when we start seeing these babies hit the streets. They're supposed to be priced at $649 when they do become available in the States. There are a few more shots after the break, but hit the read link for the entire, stunningly awesome set.

engadget.com

Zero S electric motard set to scare commuters later this month

2009-04-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

by Tim Stevens,
In the world of motorcycling the motard is a bike for crazies -- not packing much power but offering plenty of grunt for wheelies and other urban antics, making them quite popular amongst those who ride the city streets. They're typically modified off-roaders, as is the case with Zero X's new Zero S. The company took its electric dirtbike, added some street-friendly tires, tweaked the suspension, and doubled the battery life to offer 60 miles to a charge despite keeping the weight down to just 225 pounds. While a zero-to-60 time of five seconds won't win any awards from two-wheeled afficionadoes, that's more than quick enough to ensure victory at stoplights. A top speed of just 60 mph means highways are to be avoided, but they're no fun anyway. You can throw your leg over your own later this month for $9,950, or catch a video of this near-silent screamer right now after the break.

engadget.com

Toshiba's Satellite Pro S300-EZ2521 is as bland as they come

2009-04-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

by Darren Murph,
Ready for one more excuse to snooze through hump day? Here you go. Toshiba's Satellite Pro S300-EZ2521, obviously the latest in its growing S300 line, is about as perfectly average as a 15.4-inch laptop can be. We're talking a 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 3GB of DDR2 RAM, a 250GB (5400RPM) hard drive, SuperMulti DVD burner, WXGA resolution panel, GMA 4500MHD graphics, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a built-in webcam. Furthermore, the actual enclosure just screams "Designed For Office Cubes," and while we don't have confirmation just yet, we'd wager that the 40 metric tons of bloatware would further substantiate that claim. There's no mention of a price, but those in the market for a strictly-business machine should find it shipping any day now.

engadget.com

New iPhone parts begin shipping from suppliers for June launch?

2009-04-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

by Thomas Ricker,
At this point there's little doubt that a new iPhone model (possibly two) will at least be announced in June. Now the Commercial Times have chimed in with a report saying that components from Taiwan-based suppliers have begun shipments as Apple (or its China-based assemblers, rather) readies for a "June launch" pegged by said suppliers to reach about 2-3 million units per quarter. A phone that looks to be fitted with a 3.2 megapixel still / video CMOS camera, digital compass (magnetometer), possibly 802.11n WiFi, more storage, and all the MMS, copy/paste, and push-notifications you can shake a gesticulating finger at. Assuming all the firmware sleuthing and rumors are true, of course.

engadget.com

2010 Range Rover gets 12-inch 'dual view' touchscreen

2009-04-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

by Darren Murph,
We've seen dual view prototypes for ages now, but you can bank on said technology (dubbed Parallax Barrier) being front and center on Land Rover's forthcoming flagship vehicle. Announced today at the New York Auto Show, the 2010 Range Rover will arrive with a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system that puts off different images depending on the viewing angle. In order words, the driver can check out the route to grandma's house while the lucky soul riding shotgun peeks a DVD -- in theory, at least. The navigation system is HDD-based and also includes a USB socket and a dedicated iPod port. Land Rover even spruced up the voice activation system, giving motorists the ability to voice their concerns about climate and volume (and get instant results). Check the full snippet just past the break.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

engadget.com

Amico's Android handset is decent, misbranded

2009-04-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

by Chris Ziegler,
Don't know who Amico is? That makes two of us -- but the beauty of Android is that it's free and open for anyone who wants to have a crack at wrapping the platform with custom hardware. The Taiwanese firm was showing off a reasonably nice-looking full touch set at CTIA this week running some post-Cupcake build, but there was one little issue: they'd decided to slap a fake Sony BRAVIA logo (with the "I" conveniently removed, naturally) along the left side of the face. We understand the desire to ride the coattails of a well-recognized brand, we totally do -- but we would've liked to see Amico have the self-confidence to say, "You know what? We made a pretty decent phone here, so let's let it stand on its own two feet." Just saying. Anyhow, we're told that the phone's gone back to the labs to be retooled with 3G (it's only doing triband EDGE right now), but the rest of the specs are pretty solid: 3 megapixel autofocus cam, 624MHz Marvell core, microSD expansion, and a 3-inch resistive WQVGA display. If Amico's got a level head on its shoulders, it'll kill the BRAVA noise and switch to capacitive while it's upgrading the radio.

engadget.com

Giant Nokia 5800 XpressMusic invades Antwerp

2009-04-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

by Nilay Patel,
We're not sure why giant phones are suddenly all the rage, but it seems to be a trend -- Nokia just put up this four-foot 5800 XpressMusic in Antwerp. Unlike the giant Samsung Messager that recently invaded Chicago, it's not actually a working phone, but the custom Flash interface designed by Create Multimedia is meant to mimic the OS as closely as possible -- so we're guessing it's just as frustrating as the real thing. Passerby can play with the Maps app, browse photos, and listen to music through some nifty through-the-glass speakers -- hit the read link for the video.

[Via Nokia Conversations]

engadget.com

Lenovo MRT800 touchscreen PMP unveiled, pities no fool

2009-04-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

by Ross Miller,
On the surface, Lenovo's MRT800 doesn't seem to have any surprises, but if you look closer... well, it's more or less the same. The touchscreen PMP's got a 4.3-inch TFT LCD with 480 x 272 resolution, a microSD expansion slot, FM tuner, and a voice recorder. Codec support includes RMVB, AVI, ASF, MP4, and FLV for video, and MP3, WMA, OGG, APE, FLAC, and WAV for audio. Mum's the word on pricing, release date, or if anyone else mispronounces its name and gets the urge to watch A-Team reruns.

[Via iTech News]

engadget.com

CTIA Roundup, Day Three

2009-04-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

by Chris Ziegler,
CTIA Wireless 2009 has drawn to an anticlimactic close today, concluding one of the less memorable, less action-packed CTIAs in recent memory. Friday was as much about skedaddlin' out of town as quickly as possible as it was about making news and launching new products for exhibitors, but that doesn't mean we didn't unearth a few gems for you. No need to thank us, seriously -- click on!


Wistron's Snapdragon-powered PurseBook gets demoed NVIDIA is showing that wacky Mini 1000 / Tegra mashup at CTIA, but Qualcomm's not far behind with its own creative ways to repurpose smartphone silicon into MID and netbook-class devices.		Inventec's mirasol-equipped V112 smartphone goes on display We couldn't get the thing to turn on -- prototype buffoonery, zapped battery, or a classic case of trade show jitters, we figure -- but Inventec's curious V112 was on display inside Qualcomm's booth at CTIA.
Nokia E71x struts its stuff on video We were never able to track down an E71x with a SIM and an active AT&T Navigator account, but it's pretty clear from our time with the device that AT&T has left its S60 3.2-based core pleasantly untouched.	Also check out: Kyocera G2GO and Laylo hands-on Jabra HALO hands-on engadget.com

Japan sending biped robots to conquer moon by 2020

2009-04-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

by Ross Miller,
Remember back in 2006 when we told you about Japan's goal to colonize the moon with robots? Some dreams don't seem to die, and the country's Strategic Headquarters for Space Development said recently that they expect a two-legged droid traversing the satellite's surface by 2020. Should that prove successful, it'll be followed later by a joint mission with humans -- that is, if the robots don't find a way to take over before then and deny the spacemen their planetary visas.

engadget.com

Power Glove granted infinitely more power, bluetooth, and accelerometer in honor of 20th birthday

2009-04-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

by Ross Miller,
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Nintendo PowerGlove, and yes, birthday cakes are in order. To celebrate, game designer Matt Mechtley has augmented it with Bluetooth and accelerometer chips for a more modern take on the hand peripheral -- think of it as a more assimilated version of the Wiimote-embedded glove we covered in 2006. If you're interested in following in his footsteps, instructions are available at Instructables and in the video form after the break -- jump to 10:50 if you want to see it in action both with a test program and a brief glimpse at virtual boxing.

engadget.com

LED-infused HDMI cables add some light to your home theater

2009-04-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

by Ross Miller,
We know what you're thinking: you've decked out your gaming rig with a translucent case and a string of LEDs inside, and gave similar treatment to the wall just behind your display ... so why not add that special glow to your connection, too? Enter these HDMI 1.3 cables from Donya, available in only the finest of patriotic colors -- red, white, and blue. It'll set you back 999 yen (about US $10) plus an unknown amount for shipping, but if you're impatient, we're sure there's a little DIY weekend project to take from this.

[Via Akihabara News]

engadget.com

How would you change Dell's Inspiron Mini 10?

2009-04-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

by Darren Murph,
After a rocky, if not comical launch, Dell's Inspiron Mini 10 is now shuffling out in full force to legions of soon-to-be netbook owners. For those of you who already bought in -- via QVC or the more traditional street corner vendor model -- we're wondering what you'd do differently if magically given a mythical Do Over token. Would you simply offer up the options (TV tuner, for one) promised during the machine's announcement? Would you tweak that trackpad at all? Add a little bulk in exchange for a beefier battery? Paint the whole thing fuschia and make it reek of week-old bananas? Feel free to get as crazy as you'd like in comments below; who knows, maybe Round Rock's tuning in to just see what you have to say.

engadget.com

HP TouchSmart tx2z with 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD now $450 off with coupon

2009-04-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

by Ross Miller,
In the market for a multitouch tablet? HP's TouchSmart tx2z, both the readers' and editors' choice for Tablet PC of the Year in the 2008 Engadget Awards, currently has two stackable discounts totaling $450, dropping the price here to a much more manageable $650. That includes an AMD Turion X2 Dual-core processor, 4GB RAM and a 320GB hard drive. Offer expires tomorrow, so hit up LogicBuy soon via the read link for details and the promo code.

engadget.com

Former Gizmondo chief Stefan Eriksson lands back in jail, in Sweden

2009-04-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

by Donald Melanson,

While there's been no shortage of fresh Gizmondo rumors over the past year or so, we haven't heard much of anything about former bigwig Stefan Eriksson, who's known as much for a little car crash as he is for the company he helped bring into infamy. That looks to have changed in a big way this week, however, as Herr Eriksson has now landed back in jail in Sweden, where he's facing a whole slew of new, very serious charges, including extortion, aggravated assault, grand theft, embezzlement, and a firearms violation. No word on a new trial date or anything just yet, but it looks like Eriksson won't be resting easy anytime soon, as a district judge has granted a request to keep him in jail pending an investigation.

[Thanks, JC]

engadget.com

Screen Grabs: Nikon D60 served up with standard lens, chocolate frosting

2009-04-04T10:28:00.000-07:00

by Ross Miller,

Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com.

Ace of Cake's Duff Goldman and his Charm City Cakes shop pulled out all the f-stops to recreate a (presumably) delicious Nikon D60-shaped pastry for one family to celebrate their photographer father's birthday. The first trial ended up being too small, but instead of turning it into a point-and-shoot or micro four thirds they scrapped that iteration altogether. There's some impressive details here, but best of all (and unfortunately not seen in the gallery below) is the picture of another birthday cake in the viewfinder. Seriously, the only thing that could make this better is if they baked it with a longer lens.

Gallery: Screen Grabs: Nikon D60 served up with standard lens, chocolate frosting

[Thanks, Susie]

engadget.com

Eyes-Free shell for Android actually delivers on its name

2009-04-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

by Donald Melanson,
There's certainly no shortage of means to customize your Android experience, but there's few tweaks as innovative as this new Eyes-Free shell developed by Charles Chen and T.V. Raman., which makes the handset more accessible to the blind, or anyone simply looking to make a call without having to divert their attention. As those following Android development may be aware, the underlying code for the shell has actually been available for some time, but it's only just now been made available to general G1-toting public on Android Marketplace. One of the stand-out components is the brilliantly simple dialer, which automatically brings up a 5 no matter where you touch the screen, from which you can then simply slide your finger to dial the rest of the numbers, with an audible click providing some added assurance as you move over the numbers. Things don't stop there, of course, with the shell also able to provide things like single-touch access for the current date and time, audible notifications of battery life and signal strength, and even a mini app that draws on the phone's GPS capabilities to announce your present location. Head on past the break for a quick video of dialer, and dive into the read link below for a more thorough overview.

engadget.com

Wii MotionPlus can be oversensitive to your needs, say EA devs

2009-04-04T10:25:00.001-07:00

by Ross Miller,
The jury's still out on whether or not Nintendo follows our logic and is gonna release the Wii MotionPlus attachment before June 18th, the day Electronic Arts debuts the first compatible game Grand Slam Tennis. Regardless, the developers of that game want you to know that they had to actually to tone down the touted 1:1 responsiveness to make the game playable. We can't say that we blame them -- after all, the air resistance of a Wii remote is slightly different than that of a full tennis racket -- but we'd love to have the option to crank up that sensitivity and see just how unstable it really is. So when do we a chance to find out for ourselves, eh Nintendo?

[Via Joystiq]

engadget.com

NEC turns your home into a carbon-tracking game controller

2009-04-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

by Joseph L. Flatley,

Are you bored with keeping tabs of your carbon emissions? NEC and BIGLOBE have developed a system that not only performs this odious task, but makes it "fun" to do so -- if you're generous as to what constitutes "fun." A WiFi-enabled device is attached to your circuit breaker, where it keeps track of your power consumption and later transmits it to your home computer via ZigBee. The data is then sent to a website, where you can use it to play games against other green households in such thrilling arenas as Carbon Diet (users score "eco-points" with which they can purchase virtual soil, water, flowers and grass) and Carbon Ball, in which Dung Beetles compete to see who can travel the farthest, with distance being determined by -- you guessed it -- how well the user reduces power consumption. But that ain't all -- the system also keeps tabs on daily and hourly energy consumption, your rank in comparison with other households, and more. A three-month trial service is underway in the homes of 100 NEC employees, after which the companies will analyze the data and develop a business model for unloading this bad boy on local governments and the private sector. One more pic after the break.

[Via Pink Tentacle]

engadget.com

Samsung's 2009 Blu-ray player lineup officially priced

2009-03-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

by Darren Murph,
When Samsung's 2009 Blu-ray player lineup was outed at CES this year, all pricing and release date information was conveniently omitted. At long last, Sammy has pushed out the details we've been waiting for at its Spring Fever event in New York City. Granted, the BD-P3600 and BD-P1600 are already on store shelves for $399.99 and $299.99, respectively, but we figured it prudent to pass along those official numbers straight from the source. Of note, we're also told that the ultrathin BD-P4600 will indeed be coming in April for $499.99, and if Best Buy's website is to be believed, it'll be April 19th if we're talking specifics.

engadget.com

Samsung HZ15W and hands-on, with friends

2009-03-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

by Paul Miller,
We're not exactly enthused at all the granularity makes up Samsung's wide assortment of digital compacts, but it's not like they're the only offenders in the industry. In the high end they've got the HZ15W and TL320 -- we've seen the TL320 and is marvelous analog dials in the wild before, but the HZ15W is a new one on us. Overall the camera is a bit bulky for this segment, and we'd have a hard time sticking it into a pants or jacket pocket without discomfort. That said, the camera is flush with functionality like HDMI out, 720p video recording and a wide view lens. The second look at the TL320 reminded us how completely in love we are its analog dials, though unfortunately the pre-production model we were looking at was having trouble with its OLED screen. The rest of the line, including the SL820, SL620 and SL202, was hanging out for the photo op, but there wasn't much that stood out.

engadget.com

19-Inch Touchscreen Wind Sips On Less Energy than Most Light Bulbs

2009-03-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

By Mark Wilson,

To be honest, netbooks scare me, but nettops scare me even more. Why do I need a neutered PC that isn't portable? Well, at least the platform doesn't need much power—even with a monitor.

The Wind Top AE1900 is an Atom 230-based system, supporting a max of 2GB of RAM on top of a 160GB hard drive, DVD burner, wireless n, card reader and webcam. But what makes it all exciting is the system's 18.5-inch WSXGA 16:9 touch screen LCD, complete with a quick 5ms response time. You see, even with this much screen space, the computer needs only 45W to operate. And yes, that factoid is totally worth regurgitating my headline to reinforce that 45W is less than many light bulbs need.

As Rob at bbGadgets points out, "Now, I'm almost certain I had an Apple monitor that looked just like this about 7 years ago..." We're pretty sure, too. The crazy thing is that this whole computer will cost thousand(s) less than that Apple Studio Display when it comes out to an undisclosed market at an undisclosed time. [MSI via bbGadgets]

gizmodo.com

Teenage Engineering's OP-1 synthesizer sure to entice Mark Mothersbaugh

2009-03-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

by Laura June,
We've been thinking about picking up our own little synth lately, so we were pretty stoked to see Teenage Engineering's OP-1 -- even if it's not near production yet. The pocket-sized synthesizer -- which will also double as a controller for a digital workstation -- is going to boast eight synth models and eight samplers, effects, a sequencer and an arpeggiator. There's a built-in mic, speaker, and, excitingly, an FM radio. On the controller side of the device, it's got transport controls, four rotary encoders, plus 16 quick keys. There's no word yet on when (if) this thing will hit the market, though they're taking volunteers for beta testing as of now. Sounds awesome, looks rad: sign us up!

Update: Video of a display test of the OP-1 after the break!

[Via Music Radar]

engadget.com

Lifepack 15 Defibrillator: So Cool, You'll Forget You're Having a Heart Attack

2009-03-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

By Sean Fallon,

When all that bacon and candy finally catches up to you, you will definitely want your paramedic shocking you back to life with the Lifepack 15 defibrillator. I mean, just look at it.

And yes, it does have some great high-tech features:

•Noninvasive and continuous detection of carbon monoxide (SpCO), oxygen saturation (SpO2), and methemoglobin (SpMET) through integrated Masimo Rainbow technology.
•The CPR Metronome with audible prompts has been proven to aid users in performing compressions and ventilations within the recommended range of AHA Guidelines.
•Energy dosing to 360J for difficult-to-defibrillate patients.
•Easy to acquire pre-medication 12-lead ECG and reliable, continuous monitoring of all 12 leads in the background to alert you to changes via our ST Trending feature.
•Large, high quality dual-mode color LCD screen with one touch switching to high-contrast SunVue™ mode for use in bright sunlight
•Advanced Lithium-ion battery technology to give you up to six hours of operating time-enough juice to run a shift
•A platform with a new state-of-the-art processor and more memory so the 15 can grow and adapt as your needs change

The Medtronic Lifepack 15 has just been given the go-ahead by the FDA—so treat yourself to another donut. Your gonna be just fine fatty. [Checkoutthefuture via Medgadget]

gizmodo.com

Samsung YP-Q2 and YP-U5 hands-on

2009-03-31T11:14:00.001-07:00

by Paul Miller,
Samsung has rounded out its line of DAPs with the new YP-U5 and YP-Q2, both squarely targeted at what have come to be well-defined DAP categories in recent years. The Q2 (pictured) has a friendly icon-based interface, with familiar touch-sensitive controls below the screen -- though we found ourselves futilely tapping at the large bright icons out of habit. The interface is fast, the screen is great, and the feature set builds on Samsung's typical kitchen sink, now including DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement -- though we'd say the 50 hour battery life steals the show. The U5 looks thoroughly dated, though it's more ergonomically friendly to those athletic types among us than some thumb daps. The teensy black and white OLED screen makes it a bit of a chore to run through the functions, but at least it's there.

engadget.com