Recent Posts

1 - 20 of 416 Older >
4 months ago

Sony, Samsung both claim "world's first" 200Hz LCD TV, by feed - engadget

Filed under: HDTV


We already caught sight of Sony's Bravia Z4500 LCD TV with 200Hz "MotionFlow" before and after it was officially unveiled at IFA, but it wasn't the only such set on the scene, with Samsung also touting a "world's first" 200Hz LCD TV of its own. Apparently, the distinction is that Samsung supposedly had the world's first prototype, while Sony will actually be the first to market with one. All this is also slightly further complicated by the fact that Sony and Samsung have each also already introduced 240Hz LCD TVs in Japan, although we're chalking those up to the usual 50 / 60Hz, NTSC / PAL differences. One thing that is clear, however, is that both sets sure are impressive, and you can get a taste of each by checking out Engadget en Español's round-up at the link below.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

4 months ago

Sony VAIO Z: The Engadget Review, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Laptops


Here's the thing: Sony's VAIO Z series of ultraportables doesn't get to be a part of the X300 / Envy 133 / MacBook Air / X360 club. We like it, it's a great laptop, but it's just too chubby to count as a cake cutter. So that said, there's really little point in comparing this thing to that sort of computer -- we'll just have to judge it on its own merits.

The VAIO Z is the latest in Sony's long heritage of ultraportable computers, but lands itself decidedly on the beefy end of that spectrum. With discreet NVIDIA 9300M graphics and a Blu-ray drive, this is a full-fledged laptop (we've been testing out the $3,600-ish VGN-Z591U SKU). There's WWAN, SD and Memory Stick card readers, ExpressCard and an HDMI plug, and even the 16:9 13.1-inch screen is on the upper limit of Sony's ultraportable heritage. There's plenty of SSD inside, with dual SSD RAID option that makes no bones about this being a performer.

Continue reading Sony VAIO Z: The Engadget Review

Permalink | Email this | Comments

4 months ago

ATP PhotoFinder mini geotagger doesn't require software, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Digital Cameras, GPS


Most of the geotaggers we've seen have written location data to your photos using some fancy software on your machine after you've pulled images off your camera, but ATP's PhotoFinder mini moves the tagging step backwards in the process, writing geodata directly to images on your memory card. Like similar devices, the PhotoFinder mini records timelogged GPS data from a SiRF Star III chip while you shoot -- but when you're done, you insert your card into a base station, which tags your images using their EXIF timestamps. Sounds like a much simpler system than relying on third-party software to integrate with your photo-management apps -- we just wish the dock was also a card reader, which would make this a one-step process. No pricing info yet, but if this thing is reasonable, it'll certainly be tempting.

[Via Photography Blog, thanks Mark]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

4 months ago

Shure introduces $99 SE102MPA stereo headset, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio


Shure slipped under the $100 mark with its regular earphones some time ago, and it's now brought its stereo headsets into the more budget-friendly territory as well, with its new SE102MPA sound isolating headset boasting the magic price tag of $99.99. This set is actually a bundle of Shure's new SE102 earphones and its standard Music Phone Adapter (or MPA), which used to cost a hefty $40 on its own, making the set quite the bargain as far as Shure products go. As you'd expect, the phones also come with three interchangeable sleeves to ensure a proper fit, and a handy carrying pouch to keep everything neat and tidy. If the low-end's not your thing, you'll also be glad to know that Shure has a slew of other earphone / MPA bundles available as well, with them ranging in price from $130 to $470 for the top-end SE530MPA set.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

4 months ago

NEC debuts "premium" 22-inch EA221WM LCD monitor, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Displays


Impressed by the NEC EA261WM's frog-displaying abilities but think it's about four inches too much for you? Then good news! NEC has now introduced the MultiSync EA221WM, which boasts many of the same "premium" features in a slightly more desk-friendly 22-inch size. That includes a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, a 5 ms response time, a four port USB 2.0 hub, and NEC's trademark ECO Mode and carbon footprint meter, to name a few, although you will have to make do with a drop to 250 cd/m² brightness, and a 1680 x 1050 resolution instead of the full 1,920 x 1,200 on the 26-inch model. On the upside, the EA221WM's $390 price tag is a good deal more affordable than that of its larger counterpart, and you'll be able to get your hands on it sometime this month.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

4 months ago

Bacteria returns with "Mini-Platform" console mod, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Gaming


Console modder "Bacteria" sure managed to turn a few heads with his previous multi-platform console mod, and he's now done it again with his new so-called Mini-Platform Plug 'n' Play Console System, which boasts the same, uh, distinct look we've come to expect. At the moment, this one relies solely on a variety of TV plug 'n' play game systems for its gaming options, which Bacteria converted into a more convenient cart form, although he also promises to make a GBA add-on for the system "in due course." As you can see in the video after the break, despite appearances, the system appears to work quite well, and you can even find step-by-step plans for building your own by hitting up the read link below.

Continue reading Bacteria returns with "Mini-Platform" console mod

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

4 months ago

Apple event for next Tuesday, the 9th, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video


Looks like that Apple event for the Tuesday, the 9th of this month is on. We know it'll be new iPods (they always do iPods for the fall / holidays), but hopefully they'll have a little something special for us. Whatever, just as long as it's not that round, awful looking nano. Go on, hit the comments and get speculating.
Permalink | Email this | Comments

4 months ago

120GB Zune priced at $249, blue flash Zune in the works?, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video


It's no secret that a 120GB Zune is on the way, and thanks to B&H Photo, it looks like we also know how much it'll cost: $249. That's right in the range (and more bang for the buck than a certain fruit company's large-capacity player), so we can't say we're too surprised -- but what's this listed right under it? A blue flash Zune for $149? Indeed it is -- and with the most mythical of Zune colors about to make its debut along with those rumored media and software / social services updates, we're guessing the Zune Guy is rethinking that whole "f***ing bulls**t" assessment. Then again, probably not.

Update: More intrigue. Zunerama just posted this shot of a Wal-Mart stock system showing the 80GB and 4GB Zunes as discontinued. Yeah, something's up -- hopefully we'll find out soon.

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

4 months ago

Lexmark X7675 wireless printer giveaway reminder, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets


Don't forget kids, you could still win yourself a succulent Lexmark X7675 wireless printer and two cartridges by simply submitting a comment in the giveaway post here. What are you waiting for? C'mon, you have until 11:59PM tonight! The thing is free! Get!
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

4 months ago

Mythbusters RFID hacking episode canned by credit card company lawyers, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Although it's no secret that RFID is easily hacked (see: train passes, passports, credit cards, one billion other cards, etc.) it's still not necessarily common knowledge, and it sounds like the major credit card companies want to keep it that way -- according to Adam Savage, Mythbusters was all set to do a show exposing the weak security behind most RFID implementations but was shut down by lawyers from "American Express, Visa, Discover, and everybody else... [who] absolutely made it really clear to Discovery that they were not going to air this episode." Since Discovery is an ad-supported channel, it's not surprising that it backed down, but we'd say that the credit card industry would be far better served spending money on actually improving security rather than lawyering up and trying to keep consumers in the dark. Video after the break.

[Via Wired]

Continue reading Mythbusters RFID hacking episode canned by credit card company lawyers

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

4 months ago

Becker unveils the Crocodile Traffic Assist Z 100 GPS for motorcycles, by feed - engadget

Filed under: GPS


When you're cruising down the highway on your hog, wind in your face, hair trailing behind you, teeth covered with insects, you probably want a GPS unit that's as rugged and unafraid of dying as you are. That's where Becker's Crocodile (AKA Traffic Assist Z 100) comes in. Nothing says "fearless badass" like a crocodile-skin satnav, replete with a 4.3-inch touchscreen, 2GB on-board memory, 3D terrain and city views, and 42 country maps pre-installed. The device is rubber coated and water resistant, and features turn-by-turn directions optimized for motorcycles, making it ideal for your cross country biker gang meet-ups, or just long weekends cruising the coastlines. The Crocodile will be released in October for €300 (or around $438).
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

4 months ago

GamePark Wiz hands-on from Engadget Spanish, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds


We've already seen early pictures and heard a release date for GamePark's newest handheld -- the Wiz -- but now Engadget Spanish has gotten their hands and eyes all over the device, and they've brought back photos to prove it. As you can see from the pics, the portable console will be offered with more than one style of casing, and apparently the company is setting up some type of App Store-like service which will allow users to purchase and download software, as well as share their own homebrew apps. According to our team, it looks like that October 8th street date will be pushed back till sometime in November due to issues with the right control pad (which GamePark is working to correct). Until then, you can just feast your eyes on the gallery below.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

4 months ago

Intel talks up shape-shifting "programmable matter," bugs us out, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets


We've managed to somewhat wrap our brains around shape-shifting robots and printable circuits, but we're still working on fully understanding the latest Intel spill. As IDF came to a close, Justin Rattner, Intel's chief technology officer, presented a keynote speech in which he explained just how close the outfit was to realizing "programmable matter." Granted, he did confess that end products were still years away, but researchers have been looking at ways to "make an object of any imaginable shape," where users could simply hit a print button and watch the matter "take that shape." He also explained that the idea of programmable matter "revolves around tiny glass spheres with processing power and photovoltaic for generating electricity to run the tiny circuitry." For those now sitting with a blank stare on their face (read: that's pretty much all of you, no?), hit up the read link for even more mind-boggling "explanations."

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

4 months ago

Microsoft patents Page Up / Page Down functionality, April 1st seen lingering in the distance, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets


Here's one straight from the far left corner of left field. Microsoft has not only filed for, but actually received a patent that essentially amounts to Page Up / Page Down functionality. More specifically, the patent covers a "method and system for navigating paginated content in page-based increments," and it goes on to cite an example of "pressing a Page Down or Page Up keyboard key / button [that] allows a user to begin at any starting vertical location within a page, and navigate to that same location on the next or previous page." Brilliant, or just plain spiteful?

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

4 months ago

Avidyne's MLX770 provides pilots with two-way text messaging support, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation


It's not that texting from planes is currently impossible, it's just not terribly reliable. Thanks to Avidyne's Q4-bound MLX770, however, all that is about to change. The two-way datalink receiver will not only enable pilots to have access to the radar mosaic for most of the world along with weather conditions, but it will add support for text messaging right from the MFD. And we're not talking about CPLDC -- we're talking bona fide SMS. To keep pilots from chatting away too much unnecessarily, the system will limit messages to 32 characters, and beyond that, each message sent will run between $1 and $2. And to think, we actually have the nerve to gripe about $0.20 texts...

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

4 months ago

Zune updates, more than just capacity?, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video


For those of you concerned that Microsoft's seemingly imminent updates to the Zune will be limited to some glossy plastic and capacity bumps, lean in, we've got good news. Matt Rosoff over at cnet news offers this tease:
"I can't say much, but I've seen what Microsoft's planning, and befitting its status as a software plus services company, the real advances aren't going to be in the Zune hardware, but in the Zune software and associated services."
Sooner, rather than later though Microsoft, your target isn't standing still.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

4 months ago

Nokia's North American E66 shows up in flagship stores, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Cellphones

Barely a month after Nokia's North American E71 went on sale at the Chicago / New York flagship stores, we've received word that the QWERTY-less sibling (that'd be the E66) has now arrived at the same locales. The quad-band slider boasts support for AT&T's 3G network, and there's also a 3.2-megapixel camera, GPS, WiFi and all the other goodies you'd expect from another solid S60 contender. Snap it up now in Grey Steel for $540.

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

4 months ago

Sony's SOCOM PS3 Bluetooth headset gets official, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Gaming, Portable Audio, Wireless


Sony Computer Entertainment Japan just got official with its PlayStation-branded SOCOM Bluetooth headset (model CEJH-15002) we've seen bouncing around since June. Set for a ¥5,000 (about $46 tax inclusive) release on October 30th in Japan along side SOCOM:CONFRONTATION, the Bluetooth 2.1+EDR headset with noise cancellation will automatically pair with your PS3, making it ready for games supporting on-line chat like SOCOM and Resistance 2 coming November 13th. The bundled USB cradle will charge the headset for up to 8-hours of voice. As a bonus, when used with the PS3 you'll be treated to on-screen indicators showing your connection status, battery charge and speaker levels and microphone mute status all at the push of a button. And for those of you wondering, yes, it should pair just fine with your cellphone since it supports both the HSP and HFP Bluetooth profiles.

[Via I4U]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

4 months ago

Fingercams / brain scanners to make mice and multitouch displays seem archaic, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Displays, Misc. Gadgets


Oh sure, we've known that mice were going the way of the Dodo for eons now, but a nice compilation over at Wired details just how close we are to relying on brain scanners and fingercams (among other unorthodox input methods) to do everything from play games to flip through photo albums. For instance, at Drexel University's RePlay Lab, students are currently "trying to measure the level of neurotransmitters in a subject's brain to create games where mere thought controls gameplay." Another example of how fingers are better used away from the left / right click is FingerSight, a technology that would enable cursor inputs to be, um, inputted by simply waving one's hand around. Unfortunately, the reality of all of this fantastic research is that we're still years away from pushing the fabled keyboard / mouse combo aside, but you aren't apt to find any FPS fanatics kvetching about that.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

4 months ago

Logitech's Illuminated Keyboard: its thinnest keyboard ever, by feed - engadget

Filed under: Peripherals

Logitech just announced a trio of keyboards this morning starting with its thinnest keyboard ever, the 9.3-mm thin Illuminated Keyboard ($80 / October) pictured above. It features an adjustable backlight, soft-touch palm rest and dedicated multi-media keys for hot, one-handed night typing alone in the dark. Also announced is the portable, 2.4GHz wireless DiNovo Keyboard for Notebooks ($100 / October) with an unbelievable 3-year battery life followup by the Cordless Desktop S520 ($60 / September) keyboard and optical mouse combination. The latter features more of that same impressive power management capable of eking out 8 months of usage for the mouse and 15-months for the keyboard. Pictures of the other two just as soon as Logitech delivers 'em.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

1 - 20 of 416 Older >