Posts from Engadget for 05/09/2010

Mobilicity gets the green light from CRTC, looks to launch in Toronto soon

May 09, 2010 04:32 am | Darren Murph

Right on cue, the artist formerly known as DAVE Wireless has been given approval to begin operations in Canada. Just as we heard earlier in the year, Mobilicity is looking to add some much-needed competition in the mobile operator space up north, and as predicted, the CRTC has given the initial stamp of approval needed for it to move forward with business operations. The company has to make a few minor changes up the ladder in order to appease the Canadian overlords that regulate this stuff, but the outfit's top brass have stated that they have "no issues" whatsoever in complying. If all goes well, the carrier plans to start up service in Toronto before the summer swings in, with Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa to get covered later in the year. Here's hoping those blasted three-year contracts vanish for good, eh?

[Thanks, Adam]

Mobilicity gets the green light from CRTC, looks to launch in Toronto soon originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 May 2010 03:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  CBC  | Email this | Comments

comments | read more

Wii Controller Demo gets active, Android and Wiimote handle Donkey Kong on video

May 09, 2010 02:15 am | Darren Murph

We knew the Wii Controller Demo app (now known as "Wii Controller IME") was close to being able to interact with Android in a meaningful way, but we certainly didn't expect to see Average Joes playing Donkey Kong on their Nexus One devices this soon. Not that we're kvetching or anything -- and in fact, we'd argue that this landed at a perfect time for you hard-workin' Android owners to give this all a spin over the weekend. Jump on past the break for a look at the setup procedure as well as bona fide proof that a Wiimote and Android can indeed work together for the greater good. Mind those coconuts, though.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Wii Controller Demo gets active, Android and Wiimote handle Donkey Kong on video

Wii Controller Demo gets active, Android and Wiimote handle Donkey Kong on video originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 May 2010 01:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Forums  |  YouTube (frankzua77)  | Email this | Comments

comments | read more

Motorola Droid solves Lego-encased Rubik's Cube in 24 mind-melting seconds (video)

May 09, 2010 12:12 am | Darren Murph

Oh sure, you've seen your disgustingly hairy cousin solve a Rubik's Cube in 3 minutes and 13.4 seconds, and we've seen quite a few sophisticated robots do it in far less time. But in the latest episode of "Yes, Droid Really Does," we've got Motorola's darling solving a Lego-encased Cube in just over 24 seconds. Let's recap: a Droid, a Mindstorms NXT monstrosity, a Rubik's Cube and faux techno. Is there any chance you aren't clicking through to watch this video?

Update: Whoops -- had the wrong image in there somehow. Fixed now!

Continue reading Motorola Droid solves Lego-encased Rubik's Cube in 24 mind-melting seconds (video)

Motorola Droid solves Lego-encased Rubik's Cube in 24 mind-melting seconds (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 May 2010 23:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Slashgear  |  YouTube (ARMflix)  | Email this | Comments

comments | read more

AmpliTube iRig brings axe slingers closer to their iPhone, creative side (video)

May 08, 2010 10:10 pm | Darren Murph

Oh sure, we've seen something similar from PRS, but the reviews on the Guitarbud were -- how do you say? -- less than stellar. For those looking high and low for a decent alternative, IK Multimedia has outed the equally seductive AmpliTube iRig, a software / hardware tandem that enables axe slingers to jack their guitar or bass into an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and tweak their sound with a variety of amps and effects (up to 10 stomps, 5 amps, 5 cabinets and 2 microphones). The dongle also has a headphone jack for keeping your wailing to yourself (read: it's mom and neighbor approved), and if you're sporting a jailbroken device, you could also record your newest masterpiece while this hums along in the background. It's a beautiful thought, no? It's up for pre-order right now at $39.99, and you can peek a video of the solution in action just after the break.

Continue reading AmpliTube iRig brings axe slingers closer to their iPhone, creative side (video)

AmpliTube iRig brings axe slingers closer to their iPhone, creative side (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 May 2010 21:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  IK Multimedia  | Email this | Comments

comments | read more

webOS-based HP Hurricane tablet rumored for Q3

May 08, 2010 08:05 pm | Darren Murph

Shortly after announcing a blockbuster deal to acquire Palm, HP confessed that it would be "doubling down on webOS," with near-term plans to "scale it across multiple connected devices." We took the liberty at that point to assume this meant that a larger webOS-based device was at least sitting around in the rear of someone's mind, and now it sounds as if Palm loyalists may actually have something tangible to look forward to. According to an unsubstantiated report over at the Examiner, an "insider at HP" has informed the site that "a webOS tablet under the code name HP Hurricane could be released the third quarter of this year." This all lines up well with what we've heard over the past few weeks: HP pledged to take webOS to places it has never been, strong whispers emerged that the HP Slate was being shelved, and now, people close to the HP camp have given a name to a purported webOS tablet slated for Q3. There's obviously no telling if this is simply hot air being blown, but we wouldn't be shocked to see HP nail down a webOS slate in time for the sure-to-be-rockin' 2010 holiday buying season. Or maybe we're just crossing our fingers, humming aloud and praying to our lucky stars that this all pans out.

[Thanks, Mike and Trever]

webOS-based HP Hurricane tablet rumored for Q3 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 May 2010 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Pre Central  |  Examiner  | Email this | Comments

comments | read more

Lenovo LePhone unboxed, exhaustively reviewed ahead of launch in China

May 08, 2010 06:13 pm | Richard Lai

We're not sure how we missed this one, but it's better late than never -- turns out some lucky jerks in China were given a Lenovo LePhone to play with back in mid-April, and the guys at Sooyuu have just finished the fifth and final part of their lengthy review, just in time for the May launch. We weren't expecting any changes since our last encounter at CES, but apparently the 3.7-inch screen's now been upgraded from LCD to AMOLED, and like the Palm Pre, the LePhone also sports a gesture area below the screen. Of course, there's also the never-before-seen packaging that we totally dig, not to mention the bundled goodies such as a leather case, a noise-isolation handsfree kit (but sans music and volume control), plus a magnetic dock adapter. As for software, the reviewer praises Lenovo's snappy, heavily customized Android with its vast Chinese social networking service integration, music store, video apps, and an impressive Chinese turn-by-turn navigation suite. We almost want to adopt this baby, only to be let down by its 3.2-megapixel camera's mediocre quality, lack of flash, and inability to autofocus. Anyhow, you can be the final judge -- head over to Sooyuu for plenty more pictures.

Lenovo LePhone unboxed, exhaustively reviewed ahead of launch in China originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 May 2010 17:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Sooyuu (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)  | Email this | Comments

comments | read more

Terahertz radiation and metamaterials combine to form super X-Ray specs

May 08, 2010 04:41 pm | Tim Stevens

It looks like somebody actually coughed up the extra dollar for the De Luxe model X-Ray specs in the back of Mad Magazine, then reverse-engineered 'em in the name of science. That somebody is Richard Averitt, whose team at Boston University has come up with a way to use metamaterials and terahertz transmissions to see through you. We've seen metamaterials plenty of times before, typically being used for nefarious deeds on the opposite end of the spectrum: invisibility cloaks. Here they form pixels for a digital imager that can be activated by THz radiation. If you're not familiar with THz radiation, it's a (supposedly perfectly safe) form of energy waves that pass through materials -- much like X-Rays but without all the nasty DNA-shattering effects on the way through. There's just one problem: nobody (not even this guy) has made a powerful enough THz emitter just yet, meaning we're all safely naked under our clothes for at least another few years.

Continue reading Terahertz radiation and metamaterials combine to form super X-Ray specs

Terahertz radiation and metamaterials combine to form super X-Ray specs originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 May 2010 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

comments | read more

Meizu M9 getting Android 2.1, possible August release?

May 08, 2010 03:02 pm | Joseph L. Flatley

Well, what do you know -- perhaps there is an M9 in your future (or someone's future) after all! After hearing the one and only Jack Wong detail the thing earlier this year, Beareyes.com is reporting that the device -- with the same 3.6-inch display, 1 GHz (Samsung S5PC110) CPU, HDMI 1.3 out and more -- may be out as early as this August. We think this is certainly do-able, although anything can happen -- as the drawn-out gestation of a certain Meizu M8 made painfully clear. The new news? Rather than KIRFin' up an Apple-esque interface, it looks like Android 2.1 might just be on tap. Sweet, eh? Look for it August 18, for around $350 depending on options... but don't be surprised if you're still looking long past the target date.

Meizu M9 getting Android 2.1, possible August release? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 May 2010 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink ChiniTech  |  Beareyes.com  | Email this | Comments

comments | read more

MacBook Pros with NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics get (unofficial) discrete switching utility

May 08, 2010 01:16 pm | Chris Ziegler

We've lamented the way Apple's latest MacBook Pros switch between their integrated Intel graphics and the NVIDIA-sourced, power-sapping discrete silicon pretty much since day one (we're sorry, but Tweetie just doesn't need all the horsepower our systems have to offer). Apple has yet to pony up an official solution, but a neat little utility -- Cody Krieger's gfxCardStatus -- has been quietly evolving over the past few weeks into a decent substitute. Originally designed simply to let you know which chipset's currently in use, the latest version, 1.6.1, now allows you to toggle amongst them by hand. It's said to still be a little bit on the buggy side, but we're delighted (and not really surprised) to see that the community came to the rescue in short order when Cupertino didn't.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

MacBook Pros with NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics get (unofficial) discrete switching utility originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 May 2010 12:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  gfxCardStatus  | Email this | Comments

comments | read more

TomTom slips out XL 350, XXL 550 nav units for the US

May 08, 2010 10:52 am | Donald Melanson

Intrigued by those XL IQ Routes edition 2 navigation units TomTom rolled out for Europe back in March? Then it looks like you'll soon be able to get your fix in the form of the XL 350 and XXL 550, which recently turned up on TomTom's US website. In line with TomTom's usual naming convention, the XL 350 and XXL 550 pack 4.3-inch and 5-inch touchscreens (non-capacitive), respectively, and are each available with your choice of lifetime maps and traffic options. You'll also get 7 million POIs on each, along with advanced lane guidance, spoken street names, maps of the US, Canada and Mexico, TomTom's EasyMenu interface and, of course, the company's IQ Routes technology. Look for these to set you back between $169.95 and $259.95 depending on the model and add-on options.

TomTom slips out XL 350, XXL 550 nav units for the US originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 May 2010 09:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  GPS Tracklog  | Email this | Comments

comments | read more

HP TouchSmart tm2 getting Core i3 and i5 this summer?

May 08, 2010 08:23 am | Joanna Stern

This is just a rumor at this point, but it's definitely one we'd file in the believable column. According to NewGadgets.de, HP's planning to update its 12.1-inch tm2 convertible tablet with Core i3 and i5 processors in June. Considering we've heard that Intel will be releasing its Core i5 ULV processors around then, this certainly makes sense --- after all, we'd expect HP to swap out the current Core 2 Duo ULV processors for something more powerful, yet power efficient. Time will tell if the new chips make it into the multitouch laptop, but it's good to know that HP's still working on at least some sort of Windows 7 tablet.

HP TouchSmart tm2 getting Core i3 and i5 this summer? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 May 2010 07:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  NewGadgets.de  | Email this | Comments

comments | read more

Phone guitar: iPhone OS, Windows Mobile and Android got all night to set the world right (video)

May 08, 2010 05:58 am | Richard Lai

What can you do when no one's got a phone to jam with you? Why, you can be a geeky one-man band, of course! Web developer Steffest (just one name, like Sting or Madonna) managed to do just that by strapping a couple of Android devices (possibly an Archos 5 and a HTC Desire), a couple of WinMo handhelds (looks like a HP iPAQ h1940 and a HTC Touch Diamond), and an iPod touch on top of a portable speaker. All this just for a forthcoming presentation on mobile cross development -- Steffest had to painstakingly write the same audio program "in Java for Android, in C# for Windows Mobile and in Objective-C for iPhone." Oh, and it doesn't just end there -- turns out this dude can also pluck tap away a good Neil Diamond classic on this five-way nerd-o-strummer. Get on board and check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Phone guitar: iPhone OS, Windows Mobile and Android got all night to set the world right (video)

Phone guitar: iPhone OS, Windows Mobile and Android got all night to set the world right (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 May 2010 04:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo  |  Steffest  | Email this | Comments

comments | read more

RIM's BlackBerry Bold slider with OS 6 does a little dance, gets down tonight (video)

May 08, 2010 04:35 am | Thomas Ricker

Pictures are great, but video's better. What holds true for salacious celebrity tattle is equally true for gadget gossip. So hold tight and prepare to leer, we've got the first quick and dirty video of RIM's new Bold slider running BlackBerry 6 after the break. Somebody alert TMZ.

Continue reading RIM's BlackBerry Bold slider with OS 6 does a little dance, gets down tonight (video)

RIM's BlackBerry Bold slider with OS 6 does a little dance, gets down tonight (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 May 2010 03:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  BGR  | Email this | Comments

comments | read more

Unsubscribe from this list.

| Forward to a Friend