January 27, 2012 • No Comments
If you ever thought remembering HTC’s titanic product line was like trying to recall the Greek alphabet, then it seems you’re not alone. Phil Roberson, head of the firm’s UK operations apparently thinks the display cabinet is getting a little crowded, too, telling Mobile Magazine “We have to get back to focusing on what made us great – amazing hardware.” No surprises that there’s been a tightening of focus after filing disappointing results just earlier this month. There’s already been the odd whisper of new directions for HTC, and this year’s phone roll-out is already under way, but with Roberson suggesting tablets aren’t high on its list of priorities this year, we’re banking on further details of 2012’s product plans at next month’s MWC.
HTC’s UK chief wants to ease off the new-product gas, focus on ‘amazing hardware’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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January 27, 2012 • No Comments
Kevlar-coated phones with a sprinkling of LTE sound like a pretty sweet proposition. Now the Droid Razr’s been further sweetened by its new Maxx recast, and Motorola appears to be pretty darn proud of its bordering-on-tablet-territory 3,300mAh battery. Those yearning for a smartphone that’ll last longer than daylight hours can hit up the source below — Verizon’s offering it up for $299 on contract, starting today.
Motorola Droid Razr Maxx available now: more battery, same shape originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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January 27, 2012 • No Comments
Nuclear fusion, like flying cars, is one of those transparent, dangling carrots that’ve been stymying the scientific community and tickling our collective noses for decades. But recent research out of the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory might help us inch a few baby steps closer to that Jetsonian future. The experiment, conducted by a group of Oxford University scientists, utilized the DOE’s Linac Coherent Light Source — an X-ray laser capable of pulsing “more than a billion times brighter” than current synchrotron sources — to transmute a piece of aluminum foil heated to 3.6 million degrees Fahrenheit (or 2 million degrees Celsius) into a cube of solid plasma. So, why go to such lengths to fry a tiny piece of metal at that extreme temperature? Simple: to replicate conditions found within stars and planets. Alright, so it’s not that easy and we’re still a ways off from actually duping celestial bodies, but the findings could help advance theories in the field and eventually unlock the powers of the Sun. Until that fateful day arrives, however, we’ll just have to let these pedigreed pyros continue to play with their high-tech toys.
Continue reading X-ray laser bakes solid plasma from aluminum foil, brings us closer to nuclear fusion
X-ray laser bakes solid plasma from aluminum foil, brings us closer to nuclear fusion originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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January 27, 2012 • No Comments
After having already
acquired Napster here in the US, Rhapsody has taken its expansion one step further, with the acquisition of Napster International. Under the deal, announced today, Rhapsody will continue to offer Napster-branded services across the UK and Germany,
as promised, and will eventually migrate Napster subscribers to its own infrastructure in March, with existing personal libraries remaining intact (Napster is already live in the UK, but has yet to make its official German launch). The move will also bring changes to Napster users’ mobile apps and web clients, with Rhapsody promising improved offline playback and enhanced library management tools “in the coming months.” For more details, check out the full PR after the break.
Continue reading Rhapsody officially acquires Napster International, eyes European launch
Rhapsody officially acquires Napster International, eyes European launch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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January 27, 2012 • No Comments
Logitech’s Q3 earnings for the 2012 fiscal year don’t have many surprises since the company already revealed it was dropping out of the Google TV team. In prepared remarks, company management confirmed it is completely sold out of new units, closing the door on any users still trying to nab a $99 Revue (who shouldn’t be too heartbroken, since Vizio is promising a second gen unit is on the way at the same price). There is promise however, if you’re looking for a new Harmony remote model, while interim CEO Guerrino De Luca says the company is late in providing a successor to the best selling Harmony One and other models, resulting in a 30 percent drop in sales, it plans to strengthen the lineup “in the coming months.” In other segments, it’s seeing growth in those iPad accessory keyboards, for more details check the press release embedded after the break or in the PDFs linked below.
Continue reading Logitech’s Q3 2012 report confirms Revue is sold out, Harmony remote refresh ‘in the coming months’
Logitech’s Q3 2012 report confirms Revue is sold out, Harmony remote refresh ‘in the coming months’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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January 27, 2012 • No Comments
Ready to make heads turn with its monochromatic stylings, LG and Prada’s latest baby is presumably putting on a night-mask, ready to be unleashed on well-heeled types in the UK on Friday. Alongside the aforementioned custom Android skin (atop a Gingerbread OS), the Prada Phone by LG 3.0 packs a respectable dual-core processor, 8 megapixel camera and LG’s NOVA display — stretching up to 4.3 inches on this fashionista phone. It’s set to launch on both Vodafone and O2, free on a £31 two-year contracts, while it’ll also be making an appearance on T-Mobile next month. We’re planning on getting these unmanicured paws on one for review very soon, but Prada fans will be able to queue up get their assistants to queue up for the handset at Phones 4u stores tomorrow.
Continue reading Prada phone by LG 3.0 gets VIP treatment from Phones 4u, launches in UK tomorrow
Prada phone by LG 3.0 gets VIP treatment from Phones 4u, launches in UK tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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January 27, 2012 • No Comments
As if capturing your downhill plunge in full HD and tracking your positioning coordinates wasn’t enough, Recon Instruments and Contour are teaming up to make their respective, extreme slope accessories work in tandem. Slated for release in the coming weeks, the Camera Connectivity app for MOD Live allows feeds sent from a Contour+ or ContourGPS helmet cam to display on the goggles’ 14-inch virtual 428 x 240 display, giving gnar enthusiasts easy access to recording and settings options. But that’s not the only cross-tech handshake being announced here. The company also plans to make the various info (altitude, speed, temperature, etc.) collected by its Android-powered mask available to iPhone 4S users, although you’ll have to wait until year-end for that feature to launch. So, if you fancy yourself a connoisseur of the powdery white stuff or even the ski slope version of Bond, be sure to pack these Q-approved goodies and download that app before your next trek to Vail. Official PR after the break.
Continue reading Recon Instruments partners with Contour, makes MOD Live into ski slope viewfinder
Recon Instruments partners with Contour, makes MOD Live into ski slope viewfinder originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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January 26, 2012 • No Comments
There are obvious stats, bizarre ones, and then the good old informative ones. New data from Google revealed by Ad Age, falls into the latter category. According to Goog’s numbers, more people have a mobile internet-capable device than a PC or laptop in the five key markets it tested (US, UK, Germany, France and Japan). In the US, this figure is nearly 10% more, some 76% against 68%. The numbers were taken in September and October last year, which means any impact Christmas may have had won’t be taken into account. The trend away from feature phones towards smartphones is also drilled home, but that won’t be news to many people ’round these parts. No matter how you connect these days, any savvy netizen will tell you: it’s quality, not quantity that counts anyway.
Update: The complete report is now up online and, while smartphone and tablet use is skyrocketing, it doesn’t appear to be eating into PC sales. Check out the more coverage link for all the slides.
Stat Alert: More connected phones than computers in key markets, says Google (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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January 26, 2012 • No Comments
Who knows why tech tinkerers do what they do. We’re just happy to see those idle hands try the untested. Like this latest Arduino hack from modder Michael of Nootropic Design, who’s seen fit to rig a 16 x 32 LED matrix up to an Android phone for use as a secondary display. The outputted video, downscaled via OpenCV software to an appropriate resolution and 12-bit color, is admittedly unimpressive, as it chugs along at a paltry four frames per second. But that’s not the point of this can-do experiment — it’s all about the possibilities, however blurry and pointless they may be (although, we’re sure Barbara Walters would beg to differ). Ready to see this modjob in motion? Then head on past the break for a brief video demo.
Continue reading Arduino hack gives a second screen to Android phones, isn’t very useful (video)
Arduino hack gives a second screen to Android phones, isn’t very useful (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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January 26, 2012 • No Comments
Remember the Pandora? Back when the likes of the PS Vita and the Nintendo 3DS remained conceptual sketches in top secret bunkers, this open-source handheld paired up a clamshell form factor with analogue game controls, a QWERTY keyboard and a dream. It’s been a slow-burning dream; last time we heard from the OpenPandora project, it had managed a limited (premium-priced) run, with manufacturing hobbled by problems. But, like its namesake, there was always hope and fans of the platform ponied up around half a million euros to bring the four-year-old project back to life. It’s now set to go into full production next month with a new manufacturer, but unfortunately the same specs. While the 4.3-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen sparkled a few years earlier, it’s now being supplanted by what we’re getting on our smartphones. However, those tempted by an open source OS, a battery life of over ten hours and a very faithful fanbase, can stake their claim to one at the source below. We’ve got our fingers crossed for you.
Pandora handheld approaches full production next month, never gave up hope originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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