News

iPhone 3G lines start at the Apple Cube... one week early (Engadget)

Most dial-up users don't want to upgrade their connections — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:53:00+0100

var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/iPhone_3G_line_camping_begins_now'; So we heard some really over-eager folks have decided to get a jump on the iPhone 3G line -- a really, really big jump. Obviously, we had to head down and see if it was true... and it is. Right now, about ten people have started a line outside of Apple's flagship store on 5th Avenue in New York. Word is that the family at the head of the queue are attempting to break some kind of record which involves their baby -- which kind of sounds a little intense if you ask us. On the other hand, you didn't hear Greg Packer complaining, right? We're going to wrangle some of these cats for an interview and video, so stay tuned! For right now, check some more pics after the break.

Update: We got a chance to speak with group leader Daniel on video, who let us in the gang's desire to break the world record for waiting in line, as well as some... er, broad political ideas. We also learned that the baby probably won't be forced to stay outside of the Apple Store all week. See it for yourself in the clip after the break!

[Via GearDiary]

Continue reading iPhone 3G lines start at the Apple Cube... one week early

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Tokyoflash's Galaxy: a watch only a nerd could love (Engadget)

R/C Mini cars move beyond mini — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:00+0100

Filed under: Wearables

It's true. Any decent mother would wonder what on Earth her child was thinking rocking that thing you see above, and even though all those wonderful ladies of the world would be entirely entitled to that curiosity, we can understand the obsession. On its surface, this timepiece and its cryptic display is unquestionably ugly -- even the "stainless steel" band reeks of cereal box quality. But there's just something about those flashy lights that stirs the soul of nerds everywhere, making it seem quite the bargain at $132.85. It's okay, we won't tell mommy.

[Via BoingBoing]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sharp brings TV to the powerless (Engadget)

Tokyoflash's Galaxy: a watch only a nerd could love — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:50:00+0100

Filed under: Displays

Forget schools, forget lighting, forget easy access to drinking water... it's that sweet TV goodness that people living off the grid really need. Well, that and laptops. You're looking at Sharp's 26-inch LCD prototype which uses just a quarter of the power (or a third measured annually) of a conventional CRT with the same screen size. That's low enough to be suitably powered by a Sharp, triple-junction thin-film solar cell module whose surface area is roughly equivalent to that of the LCD screen. Sharp hopes to market the two items as a pair in a bid to "contribute to the environment." Good thing too, 'cause nothing fills a billion empty bellies like an eye-full of boob-candy.

[Via Impress]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Scientists train robots to love punk music (Engadget)

Laser-etched tattoos: don't try this at home, kids — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 03:29:00+0100

Filed under: Robots

We've seen plenty of robots that are capable of showing their appreciation for music, but few have as refined a taste as this trio of bots designed by a team of UK artists and scientists, which have been trained to like punk music and nothing else. That was apparently done by employing "adaptive resonance theory," which allows the robots to build up a history of patterns relating to different sounds, and analyze songs on the fly, matching the patterns against other types of music it has already listened to. As you can see in the BBC's video available at the read link below, the bot's were apparently easily able to recognize a band that they hadn't heard before and, if you hurry, you can actually check 'em out first hand, as they'll be doing their thing at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts until July 5th.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sanyo rolls out 1Seg-packing "Gorilla" NV-SD585DT GPS unit (Engadget)

Group Sense's Palm OS line-up give way to lone, Linux-based phone — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:34:00+0100

Filed under: GPS

Sanyo's Gorilla GPS devices are certainly never lacking when it comes to non-GPS-related features, and it looks like its new NV-SD585DT model is no exception. This one shrinks things down slightly from the last model we saw with a 5.8-inch touchscreen, although you'll still get a 1Seg mobile TV tuner, 4GB of solid state storage, an FM transmitter, an SD card slot, and that same ECO driving mode seen on previous Gorilla models -- not to mention all the usual GPS-related features like weather and traffic information. No word on a price just yet, but those in Japan will be able to get their hands on one starting July 18th.

[Via Slash Gear] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Samsung i900 Omnia vs. HTC Touch Diamond... fight! (Engadget)

Sanyo rolls out 1Seg-packing "Gorilla" NV-SD585DT GPS unit — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:36:00+0100

Filed under: Cellphones

At this point, neither the HTC Touch Diamond nor the Samsung i900 Omnia need any introduction, but we're happy to announce that these two have stepped into the squared circle and faced off in an epic nine-page battle. Reviewers manhandled both phones for an extended time and broke down the UI, hardware, features and overall usability, so if that sounds like something you'd be interested in, cover your face and head on down to the read link. We're warning you though, it gets ugly.

[Thanks, Chavdar]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Researchers boast of progress with printed electronics (Engadget)

Nintendo Game & Watch collectors poked, prodded, exposed — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:02:00+0100

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

There's certainly no shortage of researchers working on printable electronics these days, but a group from the EU-funded CONTACT project is now boasting of a "major step" towards being able to print electronics on everyday materials. At the moment, they seem to be focused primarily on printing organic TFT displays directly onto glass plates, which apparently required the use of some aggressive solvents that "attack" the organic materials between the TFT and liquid crystal layers. Their current Labratester 1 printer (pictured above) apparently still has some problems precisely lining up each layer, however, but they say that'll be fixed with the addition of some optical cameras in the Labratester 2 machine they're now working on. Eventually, they say the system could be used to easily and cheaply print displays directly on watch faces or glasses, or even print other electronics onto paper or other fabrics.

[Via Protein Feed, image courtesy of NSMZ]
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R/C Mini cars move beyond mini (Engadget)

MSI Wind gets reviewed — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:37:00+0100

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Wireless

Not bad eh? These tiny 35 x 25 x 20-mm remote controlled cars fit inside your choice of sport-themed balls which double as the controller. You can even dangle your ball from a lanyard... perfect for all you athletic supporters. While no real technical details are provided regarding battery life or RC range, for $13 you can afford the surprise. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Polymorph robot mimics human joints and muscles, puts curtain rings to good use (Engadget)

Researchers boast of progress with printed electronics — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:04:00+0100

Filed under: Robots

var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/Polymorph_Robot_Mimics_Human_Joints_And_Muscles'; Using polymorph plastic, some curtain rods, electric screwdrivers, motors, and a whole lot of mad-scientist creativity, an Xrobots hobbyist created this organic-looking robot base. By using wooden sockets and curtain rings as hip joints, the designer is clearly going for a human-like creature of doom here. Knee joints are kept moving with four motors each while a network of bungee cords and strings will act as muscles and tendons. Meanwhile, electric screwdrivers provide power for rotation. The legs measure 26-inches tall alone, so it looks like he's on his way to a real beast here. Hit the read link to see all the raw materials and sit in awe at this monster in the making.

[Via Hacked Gadgets]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Non-planar devices promise downloadable hardware, interactive soda cans (Engadget)

iPhone 3G lines start at the Apple Cube... one week early — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:04:00+0100

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Scientists have been up to some wacky (and amazing) stuff in the world of flexible computers and organic user interfaces. Putting our standard concept of computers aside, researches at the Human Media Laboratory at Queen's University in Canada are developing what are called "non-planar" devices: computers that can change shape while using three-dimensional and touch-driven interfaces. The "tank top" user interface is a smart fabric based around two-handed, multi-finger touch sensing. Paired with flexible displays and computers that can change shape to achieve different computing outcomes, you have what they call the computer of the future: computers that can download (and turn into) new hardware, foldable paper computers, and interactive / disposable product designs, because, you know, the advertisers won't be able to wait to get their hands on the first interactive soda can.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo Game & Watch collectors poked, prodded, exposed (Engadget)

3D mammograms increase breast cancer detection by 23 percent — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:20:00+0100

Filed under: Gaming

When their moms told them that they needed hobbies, collecting Nintendo Game & Watch machines was probably not what they had in mind. We're not about to judge Andy Cole or Michael Panayiotakis, two collectors who have all 60 Game & Watch handhelds ever produced. New in box. Untouched by human hands. So why did they do it? Because they could, we suppose. In an interview by DS Fanboy, the two Game & Watch collectors are deconstructed and investigated, revealing such nuggets as once spending $1,200 on a boxed Super Mario Bros. Special Edition, keeping their products out of the sun and air, and some advice on starting a collection of your own. Hit the read link to see the collectors in action.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

New solar sail aims to not repeat recent history (Engadget)

Non-planar devices promise downloadable hardware, interactive soda cans — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:41:00+0100

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Attempts to launch a solar sail into space haven't exactly been met with success in the past, but NASA now looks set to try to notch one up in the win column, with the agency reportedly on track for a launch of its own as soon as July 29th. As the name suggests, its new NanoSail-D is smaller than previous sails, with it consisting of four 3-meter wide sails made of a plastic film coated with aluminum. Also, like similar missions, this one is primarily a proof of concept one, which NASA hopes will demonstrate the feasibility of deploying sails in orbit, including the possibility of using them to bring satellites back down to Earth when they've outlived their usefulness to keep space a bit tidier. As NewScientist points out, however, NASA already has some of the odds stacked against it, with its launch craft, the Falcon 1, having failed on its two launch attempts so far.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

NVIDIA said to be dropping GeForce GTX 280 price in response to AMD (Engadget)

Is the BlackBerry KickStart getting a $50 price tag on T-Mobile? — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:19:00+0100

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

It only launched a few weeks ago, but it looks like NVIDA could already be set to cut the price of its top-end GeForce GTX 280 graphics card -- a move that would be prompted, as you might have guessed, by AMD's cheaper but powerful Radeon HD 4800 series. According to HotHardware, that word comes from "multiple NVIDIA board partners," who say that the card could be dropping to as low as $499 (the same as AMD's competing card). One board partner reportedly added that the price "may be a little higher, or potentially even a little lower." Obviously, all of that is still up in the air until we hear from NVIDIA itself but, as HotHardware points out, it could certainly pay off to hold out a couple of weeks if you've been considering taking the plunge on one of these. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola's worldly Q9: "Napoleon" breaks cover for Verizon (Engadget)

Hitachi and Seiyu develop light bulb with replaceable arc tube — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:14:00+0100

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

It looks like Motorola and Verizon are getting ready to take a third crack at the Q9 form factor, following up the Q9m and Q9c -- and this time around, there's a little something extra in store. On top of the EV-DO Rev. A radio, the so-called "Napoleon" (codename, of course) features GSM, because -- surprise, surprise -- businesspeople who use Windows Mobile devices tend to do just a bit of traveling. It looks like Moto has taken this opportunity to give the Q9 meme a little nip-tuck job, too, with a rounded body and a tastefully-applied ring of chrome around the top edge. They've even tossed in a fingerprint scanner for good measure, a tip o' the hat to the suits who'll undoubtedly populate the upper 90 percent of this sucker's client base. No word on a release date or price, but can we cautiously submit a thumbs-up for the design direction here?Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Most dial-up users don't want to upgrade their connections (Engadget)

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:41:00+0100

Filed under: Networking

So here's a bit of brilliant statistics work for you: The Pew Internet & American Life research project has determined after endless polling and number crunching that 62 percent of American dial-up users have no interest in upgrading their connections to something a bit more peppy. In fact, only 14 percent of them would upgrade if they could. They cite high prices, barrier to entry, and -- ooh, is Survivor on? We look at it this way: if you're not already on broadband with the multitude of options, and you can get broadband (i.e. you're not stranded out in the wilderness) in one way shape or form, you probably just don't really care, and we can make fun of you because you're not reading this post anyway.

[Via Switched]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Modular recorder concept gets down with homegrown sounds (Engadget)

Eee PC getting Ggg in September — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:33:00+0100

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Now here's an instrument you wouldn't have minded practicing as a tot. Alle Meine Klänge's AMK is a modular recorder (you know, those plastic flute wannabes) that pack an array of individual blocks which can hold any sound you like. Simply transfer homegrown beats / notes / tunes / etc. over to each block, connect 'em up and you've got yourself a instrument of cacophonic delight. 'Tis a shame it's still a concept -- Fisher-Price, you seeing this?

[Via BoingBoing]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Modder shoves NES into an NES cartridge, makes us feel sort of uneasy (Engadget)

HTC's NEON400: a CDMA Touch Dual? — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:31:00+0100

Filed under: Gaming

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/mods/Modder_shoves_NES_into_an_NES_cartridge'; Looking to put those dust-collecting tools of yours to use here on Independence Day? Then we've excellent news, you introvert you. Rather than grilling up some red meat (or chicken, or tofu, whatever) and handling highly volatile explosives, we have no doubt that modder "darkeru" is spending his day playing with his brand new toy: a Nintendo Entertainment System... crammed within an NES cartridge. We'll be honest, this one does feel a little incestuous for some odd reason, but we greatly appreciate the ingenuity. Hit up the read link for more pics.

[Via MAKE]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Matias Duarte, designer behind Sidekick and Helio, now developing Palm's next-gen UI (Engadget)

Ask Engadget: What's the best HDD-based portable media player out there? — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:31:00+0100

Filed under: Cellphones

So we heard from a very reliable source that mobile user interface guru Matias Duarte -- who you may know as the man behind the Sidekick and Helio UI / user experiences -- actually left Helio late last year to join up with Palm. Although no announcement was made, we hear he and his gang of designers jumped ship (well before Helio completely flooded) to take on the monumental task of designing the UI for Palm's next-gen mobile OS (aka "Palm OS 2.0 or II"). His resume online now lists him as "Senior Director, Human Interface and User Experience" doing "Something new..." since September 2007; we got in touch with Palm, who confirmed that he's now under the company's employ.

Of course, expectations should be pretty high -- Palm's only been promising this supposedly game-changing OS since around 2004, and the company's reputation and pedigree is (or at least it used to be) in groundbreaking mobile UI design. But this news also kind of makes us wonder: if they didn't have a killer UI and user experience team already in place and long-since working their asses off by late 2007, exactly how far along are they on this thing, anyway?Permalink | Email this | Comments

MSI Wind gets reviewed (Engadget)

ASUS' Eee 904 gets official. Officially boring. — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:24:00+0100

Filed under: Laptops

Hey USers -- we know where all those "delayed" Winds are. Just take a look across the pond. bit-tech managed to wrap their paws around a retail unit of MSI's Eee PC fighter, and while early reviews sang a lovely song, this one was just a bit flatter. All in all, reviewers found the machine to be useful and totally practical, but it was glaringly obvious that they were none too pleased about MSI jacking up the price of its own machine while the completely identical (save for branding) Advent 4211 was selling for less. If you're listening to these guys / gals, you'll gloss right over the Wind and nab yourself a rebadge, but whichever edition you end up getting, it's sure to be "great" in the grand scheme of things. Check the read link for the full spill.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Laser-etched tattoos: don't try this at home, kids (Engadget)

Polymorph robot mimics human joints and muscles, puts curtain rings to good use — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:32:00+0100

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

It's not too often case mods cross over into the world of body mods, but when you think about it, it was kind of only a matter of time before people started using laser-etchers to give themselves immaculately detailed burn "tattoos." It's unclear what kind of lasting effects using an Epilog on your own skin will have, but don't be too stunned if it just peels right off and eventually becomes some weird, blurry scar. In other words, attempt this dumbass feat at your own risk. Oh, and you didn't think we would let this one off without a video, did you? It's after the break -- too bad there's no smell-o-vision to give off the nauseating scent of precision-burnt human flesh.

Continue reading Laser-etched tattoos: don't try this at home, kids

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Is the BlackBerry KickStart getting a $50 price tag on T-Mobile? (Engadget)

Motorola's worldly Q9: "Napoleon" breaks cover for Verizon — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:47:00+0100

Filed under: Cellphones

We could tell by looking that RIM wouldn't think of charging too many hundies for its still unannounced BlackBerry KickStart, but $49.99? CrackBerry has it that said flip phone will be selling at T-Mobile for a penny under $50 on a two-year contract, which certainly seems smart given the competition. 'Course, we've nothing to substantiate this with just yet, but take one more look at that chubby side and tell us this thing deserves a triple digit price tag. That's right, you can't.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

How would you change Roku's Netflix Player? (Engadget)

Engadget HD goes hands-on with JVC's Everio HD40 camcorder — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:30:00+0100

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Now that you've had a little over a month to cram down popcorn while enjoying your shiny matte new Roku Netflix Player, we're interested to find just how pleased (or displeased) you are with the $99 purchase. Has it lived up to your expectations? Is the quality sufficient for you? How does it look on your HDTV? Is wireless performance up to par, or were you practically forced to run an Ethernet cable all the way downstairs? We already know what the paid professionals said -- we want the cold, hard facts straight from the users themselves. Let us have it comments below.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hitachi and Seiyu develop light bulb with replaceable arc tube (Engadget)

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:02:00+0100

Filed under: Household

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/Hitachi_Seiyu_develop_light_bulb_with_replaceable_arc_tube'; While the rest of the world goes off to win the hearts of environmentalists (and laypeople, too) with LED light bulbs, Hitachi Lighting and Seiyu are taking the road (way) less traveled. Reportedly, the duo has collaborated in order to pop out a "bulb-shaped fluorescent lamp that can be separated into a lighting circuit unit and an arc tube unit." What this means is that the lighting circuit can be used repeatedly (up to 30,000 hours) while the arc tube simply gets replaced every 10,000 hours. The pair is hoping that the bulbs will take the place of traditional 60-watt incandescents, and considering that these only draw around 13-watts each, it's fairly easy to see how Mother Earth would just love you for making the switch. As for pricing, we're hearing that these will sell for around ¥1,500 ($14) apiece when they launch this October in Japan, so don't plan on recouping your investment in energy savings right away or anything.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

HTC's NEON400: a CDMA Touch Dual? (Engadget)

Samsung i900 Omnia vs. HTC Touch Diamond... fight! — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:37:00+0100

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

In HTC parlance, the "Neon" codename denotes a device of the Touch Dual form factor -- original Touch styling plus a slider keypad, a drill we all know by now. This particular form factor seems to be a pretty popular one, too, considering the sheer number of variants HTC's turned out; at this point, we have one for Europe, one for North America, and one for Japan, and a new FCC filing suggests that there's still at least one more trick in that pony. The so-called NEON400 doesn't give much away from the ID label document that we see here, but test reports indicate that it's sporting CDMA 850 / 1900 -- just right for launching on Sprint, Verizon, Alltel -- you get the idea -- and obviously, we'll see EV-DO in there as well. Against the Touch Diamond, the Dual is starting to look just a little dated, but it gets that all-important keypad that the Diamond lacks -- so even networks that end up launching the Diamond can realistically make room for this one in the lineup when it's announced. By someone other than the FCC, that is.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Group Sense's Palm OS line-up give way to lone, Linux-based phone (Engadget)

New solar sail aims to not repeat recent history — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:37:00+0100

Filed under: Cellphones

Well, it looks like Group Sense's once mighty line-up of Palm OS-based handsets has finally been shown the door with the whole lot now replaced by a single, Linux-based device. From the looks of it though, it doesn't seem like the new handset is about to work any wonders for the company, with the "real smart" Xplore WF100 boasting only a 1.5-inch 128 x 128 display, and such exciting features as a built-in antenna, speed dial, and "call shock." No word on price or availability just yet, but we're guessing most folks won't have much trouble containing their excitement over this one.

[Via The Inquirer] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gigabyte gets official with 8.9-inch M912V swivel screen netbook (Engadget)

Engadget — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:04:00+0100

Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

It has taken long enough, but Gigabyte finally saw fit to make official its intriguing M912V. If you'll recall, this critter popped up and caught eyes at Computex, as it's essentially a netbook with a swivel screen -- think Tablet PC, but miniature. Specs wise, you're looking at an 8.9-inch WXGA (1,280 x 768) LED-backlit panel, Intel's 1.6GHz Atom processor, a 2.5-inch HDD (120/160/250GB), 1.3-megapixel camera, twin 1.5-watt speakers, 1GB of RAM and your choice of Windows XP, Vista or Linux. Furthermore, you'll find Bluetooth, WiFi, an ExpressCard slot, a wide of array of ports and even an option for HSDPA expansion. It should be noted that there's no internal optical drive (nor a price or release date just yet), but at least Gigabyte's offering up a netbook with some inkling of innovation, right?

[Via PCLaunches]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gateway's 17-inch P-6831FX gaming laptop gets reviewed (Engadget)

NVIDIA said to be dropping GeForce GTX 280 price in response to AMD — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:46:00+0100

Filed under: Laptops

Given that Gateway just pushed out a round of updates including the relatively ginormous P Series, we reckon it was only logical to expect a review shortly. To be frank, the P-6831FX critiqued over at HotHardware is far from being the most potent machine with a 17-inch panel, but unlike many of its luxurious competitors, this one is actually affordable. So, how much gaming joy can $1,349.99 bring you? Quite a bit when the 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS and 3GB of RAM are included. Reviewers found gaming performance to be downright remarkable, though the 1.67GHz CPU did hamper it a bit in other areas. It should be noted that the unit now arrives with a slightly faster CPU among other minor extras, so if it was good then, we're guessing it's a runaway winner now.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fujitsu Siemens' Lasso external graphics card get spotted, should hit retail soon (Engadget)

How would you change Roku's Netflix Player? — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:09:00+0100

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

An external graphics card that's actually nearing release? Be still our hearts! Fujitsu Siemens' recently leaked external unit, which will be based on ATI XGP technology, is actually really, really close to hitting retail -- according to a piece over at Fudzilla, anyway. Slated to be titled Lasso, the RV670-based device should be more than enough to handle basic tasks, but unfortunately, benchmarks were off limits. On the upside, digital photography was not, so head on down to the read link for a few more snaps.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Engadget HD goes hands-on with JVC's Everio HD40 camcorder (Engadget)

87% of PlayStation 3 owners watching Blu-ray movies? Survey says yes — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:03:00+0100

Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

Engadget HD managed to acquire one of JVC's Everio HD40 camcorders -- you know, that HD shooter with 120GB of onboard storage. If you're interested in seeing it get unboxed and manhandled (along with comparison shots with Samsung's delightful SC-HMX20C), click on over and enjoy. For those wanting some serious impressions, keep a check on this space -- we'll be forming some opinions and penning a review here shortly.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Eee PC getting Ggg in September (Engadget)

Budweiser telephone lets you drunk dial, like, for real — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:37:00+0100

Filed under: Laptops

Seems that just about anyone inside of Asus is authorized to discuss the Eee PC roadmap judging by the whirlwind of information we always get prior to an official launch. Case in point: an unnamed "company representative" says that a 3G version of the Eee PC will be launching as early as September in Europe. An alternative to the WiMax version already annouced and demonstrated on Sprint's Xohm. The prices for the presumed HSDPA/HSUPA enabled mini-laptops will of course vary depending upon contract. Can't wait? No worries, why not roll your own? Should be a snap now that the Eee is riding that bigger 9-inch chassis.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Condi Rice's custom DS lite: proof that G8 globalization is important (Engadget)

Sharp brings TV to the powerless — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:54:00+0100

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

It really does pay to be a foreign minister representing the 8 richest countries in the world. This Japanese-lacquered DS lite is just one of the items presented to the G8 ministers participating in last week's talks in Kyoto. The other items included a scented perfume ball and manga-styled stickers for each of the participant to attach to their diplomatic tricycles.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Budweiser telephone lets you drunk dial, like, for real (Engadget)

Acer's G24 gaming monitor with world's best contrast — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:03:00+0100

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

We can only hope that the makers of this beer bottle phone actually got Budweiser's permission before slapping its logo on there, but regardless of all that, who can deny the awesomeness here? Okay, so you've got to be "that guy" for it to take your breath away, but we know you're out there somewhere, that guy. Aside from looking like a cold one, it pretty much handles everything else a hamburger phone (or similar) would, but at least this one doesn't require prior knowledge of Juno to be appreciated by your tipsy pals. Get your inebriated dialing on now for just $16.99 delivered.

[Via CrunchGear]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ask Engadget: What's the best HDD-based portable media player out there? (Engadget)

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:30:00+0100

Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

These days, the cool kids are looking to do more than just play back the freshest jams on their portable media player. We're talking video, PVR, WiFi, the works. Have a listen at Marco's question, and if you think you could do one better, send in your inquiry to ask at engadget dawt com:

"I'm looking for a new PMP, but I want a unit that can do it all. A large screen, big hard drive, support for lots of codecs, PVR functionality, TV output, etc. I'd also like Bluetooth and / or WiFi if possible. I don't mind units that are somewhat bulky, but I want one with a great user interface and decent battery life. Any help here?"

Yeah, he totally just called the Archos / Cowon fanboys from the woodwork, but seriously, what would you recommend to this fellow? Is your current PMP a dream come true? Would you advise against getting whatever you've got? Spill your soul in comments below.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Anti-terrorist drill reveals Segway attack plan, legions of embarrassed patrolmen (Engadget)

22-foot tall robot crafted entirely from excess styrofoam — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:21:00+0100

Filed under: Transportation

Ah, ha! So, that Chinese S.W.A.T. team we caught ridin' dirty on Segways earlier this week actually had a reason to be carrying on like they were -- they were performing anti-terrorist drills in preparation for security during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Comically enough, the drill was said to be one of "rapid deployment," though we aren't told how many spills were taken when officers tried to actually maneuver one of these things around, aim at a target, pull a brown bag down around their head and keep it from spontaneously reversing. Just one question guys: what's with the tiny guns?

[Via CNET]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Acer's G24 gaming monitor with world's best contrast (Engadget)

Condi Rice's custom DS lite: proof that G8 globalization is important — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:22:00+0100

Filed under: Displays, Gaming

Clearly, Acer's G24 monitor is the only monitor capable of matching your high-performance Predator gaming rig. It's orange... or "metallic copper" if you work in Acer's arts and charts department. Bounced around trade shows for the last month, the 24-inch LCD is now officially featuring a proclaimed 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio which, according to a Acer, is a world's first for monitors. Now the specs: 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, 2-ms response, 400-nit brightness, and a host of Acer image tweaking and color management tech meant to brighten images and avoid ambient light reflection. Around back you'll find PC-friendly DVI and game-console/Blu-ray friendly HDMI too. Unfortunately, it's dateless and priceless just like Britney's little sister.
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Acer Aspire One available in Europe (Engadget)

Modder shoves NES into an NES cartridge, makes us feel sort of uneasy — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:02:00+0100

Filed under: Laptops

According to reports, Acer's tiny Aspire One laptop is now available in three breathtaking variations: the A110L, A150L, and A150X. The A110L sports an Atom N270 CPU, Intel's 946GSE chipset, 512MB or 1GB of RAM, 8GB of NAND flash storage, an 8.9-inch 1024 x 600 display, 802.11b/g, and three USB ports. The other two models come equipped with the same specs, save for a 120GB hard drive in place of the flash storage, and are offered with Linpus Linux, or Windows XP. Excited? Retailers in Germany already claim to have the A110L in stock now, selling for €329 (or about $518).

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ASUS' Eee 904 gets official. Officially boring. (Engadget)

Acer Aspire One available in Europe — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:51:00+0100

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS has apparently gotten totally, righteously official on its Eee 904, according to reports. Word on the street is that the new iteration of its overflowing line of micro-laptops will be headed to shelves very soon, though it won't exactly pack a groundbreaking set of features. As we previously reported, the system will feature an 8.9-inch 1024 x 600 display -- but now full specs include a 900MHz Celeron M CPU, 1GB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, and an install of Windows XP on board. Keep in mind the keyboard on this model mirrors the one used on the larger Eee 1000, though little else is different about this model versus the Eee 901 (which incidentally gets a price cut to £299, or about $595). The 904 will retail for £269 ($535), and will be available mid-July.

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87% of PlayStation 3 owners watching Blu-ray movies? Survey says yes (Engadget)

Scientists train robots to love punk music — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 02:09:00+0100

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Buried under predictions that 2012 will bring dominance for Blu-ray over DVD and breaking news that the PS3 just may have had a hand in winning the format war the Entertainment Merchant's Association 2008 Annual Report on the Home Entertainment Industry holds survey results showing 87% of PS3 owners reported they watch Blu-ray movies on their console. That's a stark contrast to last year's NPD survey indicating 60% of owners didn't even know it played them. We don't know what's behind the jump, be it better marketing/consumer education, or something wrong with how one the surveys were conducted. You can mull that one over during the fast money round while also peeping results that say 22% of HDTV owners think they're watching HD programming, but in fact are not -- not like we haven't heard that before.

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