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Apple's iBooks 2 e-textbooks

2012-01-21T22:05:00.002+03:00

Apple just got done unveiling its new iBooks 2 platform, letting us in on its plan to revamp education (in part) through its fancy new e-textbooks. These digital volumes look beautiful and come at a relatively meager monetary cost ($14.99), but a quick perusal of the textbooks available in iTunes reveals they'll take a sizable chunk of your iPad's memory. The current lineup of eight texts range in size from 800MB to 2.77GB, so folks looking to grab a full semester's worth of materials may have to carry an extra iPad or three to get the job done. Not an ideal solution, but a few Apple slates are still easier to schlep across campus than those massive texts you're used to, right?

Source Engadget

1 million Galaxy Notes shipped worldwide

2011-12-29T21:01:00.001+03:00

The Galaxy Note, Samsung's unconventional powerhouse, has managed to ship 1 million units in under two months. While eager US customers still wait for the 5.3-inch tabletphone hybrid to arrive on their shores, the Galaxy Note has apparently struck a chord in Europe and Asia. The number of units shipped is always more substantial than the number devices out there in end-users' (preferably large) hands, but it bodes well for the device's eventual reception in the US. Now, whether it will include an LTE radio, we'll have to wait and see.

Paul Allen-backed Stratolaunch Systems promises flexible, low-cost access to space

2011-12-15T20:07:00.001+03:00

When Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, legendary aerospace designer Burt Rutan and private spaceflight proponent Elon Musk team up on something, folks are bound to pay attention -- especially when they're promising nothing short of a "revolution in space transportation." At the center of that ambitious goal is a new company backed by Allen, Stratolaunch Systems, and a massive new aircraft to be designed and built by Rutan's Scaled Composites. If all goes as planned, it will be the size of two 747s (with a wingspan greater than the length of a football field), and it will be able to carry a 120 foot long rocket built by Musk's SpaceX to an altitude suitable for launch into orbit. Stratolaunch hopes to do that for a "fraction" of the cost of current launches, and it intends to eventually send everything from satellites to manned capsules into space.

As you might expect, however, all of that is still in the early stages. According to Spaceflight Now, Stratolaunch currently employs around 100 people (it says it plans a "significant ramp-up"), and complete details on the aircraft itself remain a bit murky (intentionally so, according to Allen). Flight testing is currently slated for the "2015 timeframe," though, with the first launch expected a year later. What's more, while it's not clear how much Allen plans to invest in the project, he has managed to attract some other big names to the project; former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin has joined as a board member, and Gary Wentz, a former chief engineer at NASA, will serve as President and CEO. Head on past the break for a teaser video of what they have planned.

Biscotti TV Phone

2011-11-15T23:31:00.001+03:00

Feel the need to video chat in higher resolution? Or maybe just take a break from the PC while you talk to your long-distance girlfriend you met at Comic Con? Well, we just got word that Biscotti, that TV phone we demoed last week, is on sale in the US and Canada for a princely $199. To recap, it's a camera that sits discreetly atop your TV and is, indeed, about as small and lightweight as that crunchy Italian cookie. The idea is pretty simple: it plugs into both your TV and set-top box, and makes free calls to other Biscotti owners, along with anyone using Google Talk. After our brief demo we were impressed enough with the easy setup and simple menus that layer on top of whatever you're watching, but then again, we were unaware of the price. So, is two hundred bucks worth a lifetime of seeing grandma in 1080p? That, friends, is a decision you'll have to make for yourself.

Dell Latitude ST tablet

2011-10-28T02:58:00.003+03:00

Remember that Latitude ST that Dell gave us a sneak peek at earlier in the week? Well it's slowly inching its way towards an official release, appearing on Dell's Corporate Blog early this morning. The Windows 7-based enterprise tablet is powered by an Intel Atom processor and includes a 10-inch multi-touch display with stylus, WiFi, mobile broadband options, front and rear webcams and a mic. There are also durability features like Gorilla Glass and a rubber bumper, enabling it to survive violent impacts with plush office carpeting. Port details are rather vague in the PR, though USB, HDMI and an SD card reader get their 15 seconds of fame in the promo video. There are also security features, like remote hard drive wipe, Microsoft Bitlocker support (this is a Windows 7 tablet, after all) and a Kensington Lock slot. Pricing details are absent and the product page isn't live quite yet (though that didn't stop Dell from linking to it from the blog post), but it looks like we could see these ship as soon as November 1st. Ready to get your tap and sketch on? Jump past the break for an enterprise montage, complete with doctors, educators and suit-sporting business pros.

Motorola Droid RAZR unveiled

2011-10-19T02:07:00.001+03:00

As far as secrets go, this one was not well kept. After a series of leaks that treated us to early images of the device, Motorola finally spilled the LTE beans with a teaser page reveal just yesterday. Now, we have official confirmation that the itsy bitsy 4G Spyder's on its Big Red way.

This newest addition to Verizon's Droid lineup boasts a Gorilla Glass coated, 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display -- a first for any mobile handset -- atop a dual-core 1.2GHz TI OMAP4430 processor. Although the RAZR may look like a Kevlar-wrapped, slightly warped Droid X with its 7.1mm skinny silhouette and familiar topside hump, the insides tell a different tale. Joining the list of well-heeled specs, are an 8 megapixel rear camera capable of 1080p HD video, 1GB RAM, 16GB of onboard storage with 16GB additional on the microSD card and an 1,800mAh battery. Moto's also included Lapdock 100 and 500 Pro compatibility, converting this latest red-eyed beastie into a power user's best friend.

To help you squeeze the most productivity out of its 21st century RAZR, Moto's also thrown in what it's calling SmartActions software to manage your phone's battery life. These user-determined settings can be programmed to shut off Bluetooth when you return home or slow down the processor speed while you're on the phone -- whatever your energy needs, the company's intent you make the most of this handset. A new personal cloud feature comes bundled with the device, dubbed MotoCast. Video, photos, documents and music can be streamed from your laptop straight to the handheld. And for the IT departments of the world, the RAZR comes business ready with Citrix Receiver, Motorola Webtop and videoconferencing abilities.

Of course, there are a slew of accessories you can pair up with that new Droid: two lapdocks, wireless keyboard options, HD docks and Bluetooth headsets. You can snatch up all the extra goods and, of course, that aluminum-accented smartphone on October 27th when Verizon begins accepting pre-orders. As for that hard street date, the network's being coy with a global release slated for November.

Update: Motorola has also confirmed that the phone will be exclusive to Rogers in Canada, where it will simply be known as the Motorola RAZR. Still no word on an exact release date, but the phone is now available for pre-order at $150 on a three-year contract, and Motorola says it will launch "in time for the holidays." Unfortunately, Canadians will have to make do without LTE, as Rogers' version will only do HSPA up to 14.4Mbps.

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs passes away

2011-10-06T03:53:00.002+03:00

Apple Inc co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs, counted among the greatest American CEOs of his generation, has died at the age of 56, after a years-long and highly public battle with cancer and other health issues.

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today," Apple's board of directors said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve."

The Silicon Valley icon who gave the world the iPod and the iPhone resigned as CEO of the world's largest technology corporation in August, handing the reins to current chief executive Tim Cook.

Jobs, who fought a rare form of pancreatic cancer, was deemed the heart and soul of a company that rivals Exxon Mobil as the most valuable in America.

Amazon Kindle Fire tablet unveiled: Android-based, 7-inch display, $199

2011-09-29T20:32:00.001+03:00

Okay, so it wasn't much of a surprise, but Amazon finally has a tablet, and as expected its name picks up where the Kindle left off: Fire. Of course, rumors of an Amazon tablet date back to this time last year (if not before), but it seems that Jeff and co. have wisely chosen to get this thing out on the open market before having yet another wild and wacky holiday quarter. Bloomberg has curiously reported on some of the details before the event itself kicks off, noting that the 7-inch device will run a version of Android while acting much like a "souped-up Kindle." The real kicker, however, is the price -- at just $199, it's bound to turn heads, regardless of whether you were interested in a slate before. Naturally, that bargain-bin sticker explains the lack of an embedded camera and microphone, though consumers will find WiFi (no 3G, sadly) and a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. It's also quite clear that Amazon's hoping to make a bigger splash on the content side of things than has been made already by Apple, and with the deals flowing like wine, we wouldn't be shocked if it does just that.

Update: Itching for specs? How's about a 7-inch IPS (!) panel, Gorilla Glass coating, a 1GHz TI OMAP dual-core CPU, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and a chassis that weighs 14.6 ounces. There's also access to things you'd expect to have access to: Android Appstore (though no access to Google's Android Market!), Kindle books, magazines, etc. -- all stored for free via Amazon Cloud Storage. Per Jeff: "Delete it and get it back when you want." Oh, and Whispersync now works with movies and TV shows! "When you get home, switch to your big screen TV. Your movie will be right where you left it." While it's clearly Android underneath, the actual UI looks effectively nothing like it -- consideringTechCrunch's intel that Amazon went and did its own thing without Google's blessing, we guess that makes some level of sense. Oh, and pre-orders are set to start today (but only for Americans... boo), with shipments heading out on November 15th.

Dublin City University adopts Chromebooks

2011-09-18T16:16:00.001+03:00

Instead of handing out cheap mugs (or iPads... or iPods) and sending students on their merry way, administrators at Dublin City University will be showering incoming freshmen with free Chromebooks -- in doing so, it'll become the first European higher-education institution to adopt the device. As you probably recall, Google's always-connected laptops have gone through various incarnations throughout the years, but they've always included a dash of WiFi or 3G and a pinch of hasty boot -- intentionally ditching local storage for the cloud. The Google Chromebooks for Education partnership is said to support DCU's commitment to make 80 percent of its classes partially or fully online by 2013, allowing coeds to stay in their Scooby Doo pajamas or attend class from Pi Kappa Delta HQ. Now, if only the dining hall supported online ordering...

Amazon to launch Netflix-style service for digital books?

2011-09-13T03:01:00.001+03:00

Details are still sketchy here, but the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Amazon's looking to launch a Netflix-like subscription service for digital books, much to the chagrin of some publishers. According to unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Amazon is currently "in talks" with several publishers about the program, which would provide access to an online library in exchange for an unspecified annual fee. The insiders also claim that the service would be available for Amazon Prime subscribers (who currently pay $79 per year for free shipping and access to shows and movies) and that the proposed library would feature primarily older works, with monthly restrictions on the number of books a subscriber could read for free. Publishers would reportedly pocket a "substantial fee" for signing on to the program, though some are reluctant to participate, for fear that doing so would "downgrade the value of the book business," according to one publishing exec. In fact, it remains unclear whether any publishers have thrown their hats in the ring, but we'll certainly be on the lookout for any developments.

Sony debuts the Handycam NEX-VG20

2011-08-27T01:18:00.001+03:00

Add another model to the gadget deluge that was last night's Sony camera announcements. The electronics giant debuted the NEX-VG20, the followup to the admittedly snazzy NEX-VG10. The new interchangeable lens camcorder does full HD video and can capture 16 megapixel stills (including RAW support). The Handycam also rocks a three-inch LCD that can be rotated 270 degrees and a mic that supports stereo and 5.1 channel surround recordings. The camcorder will hit stores in November for $2,199 with an SEL18-200 F3.5-6.3 E-mount lens and $1,599 for just the body.

ViewSonic ViewPad 10pro: a Windows 7 tablet that also runs Android

2011-08-16T18:31:00.001+03:00

Life would be so much easier if you could just switch operating systems depending on what you need, wouldn't it? That's the thinking behind ViewSonic's ViewPad 10pro, a "dual OS" tablet that runsWindows 7 and Android 2.3. The Wi-Fi enabled device comes with Intel's new 1.5 GHz Atom Z670 CPU, a 1024 x 600 display, 2GB of memory, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, HDMI capabilities and a microSD slot. We had a hands-on in May and found out that the 10.1-inch device runs Android with Bluestacks' virtualization layer for Windows, though we noticed that performance left a little to be desired. The base model comes with Windows 7 Home Premium and a 16GB SSD for $599, while an extra Benjamin gets you Windows 7 Professional and a 32GB SSD. If you want one soon, best get a move on, as "limited numbers" are currently available. For more information you can sonically viewViewSonic's press release, after the break.

Lenovo IdeaPad K1

2011-08-04T20:33:00.001+03:00

Let's do a roll call, shall we? Who doesn't have a Honeycomb tablet to shill in the states? Acer, ASUS, Motorola, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba all have something to their names, with Dell possibly bringing its China-only Dell Streak 10 Pro here too. Until now, Lenovo was one glaring exception. The company already had a head start selling the LePad tablet in China, but it was only last month that it announced not one, but two Honeycomb slates for the US market: the IdeaPad K1 for mainstream consumers, and the ThinkPad Tablet for business users (and a fair share of geeks, too). Now, we could easily roll our eyes at how saturated the market for Android tablets is becoming, but Lenovo isn't just any old OEM. The brand has won such an avid following that we bet the company could have essentially slapped its name on a plain-Jane black slab and waited for loyal fans to line up.

In fact, though, you're in for a bit more than name recognition. The K1 goes after mainstream consumers with a winsome design, sure, but also a software package designed to make Honeycomb easier to use, and to help ensure that flummoxed, low-tech users don't have to spend too much time downloading apps out of the box. What's more, it ships with Android 3.1 and has a two-cell battery that promises up to ten hours of battery life. Oh, and the 32GB model rings in $499, undercutting the 32GB iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 by $100. But is that enough for it to stand out? Let's see.

Acer Iconia Tab A100 finally available in August for $300

2011-07-30T15:23:00.001+03:00

It's been a long and twisted road for Acer's 7-inch Honeycomb tablet, but after all the starts and stops, we've finally got an ETA for the Iconia Tab A100. According to an email sent out to Acer retail partners today, the slab should land in stores sometime in early August with a suggested price tag of $300. The Tegra 2-powered device was originally slated for a mid-May launch, but was reportedly held up by Honeycomb compatibility issues. Also arriving early August, is a pair of new Aspire notebooks: the 15.6-inch 5750Z and the 17.3-inch 7739Z, ringing in at $475 a piece. Both laptops rock 4GB of DDR3 RAM (upgradable to 8GB), 500GB of storage, and Intel Pentium processors. Given the extra three months Acer's had to get the Iconia Tab A100 to market, that Honeycomb better taste extra sweet when it finally makes its debut.

Dell Streak 10 Pro

2011-07-30T15:16:00.002+03:00

Why look at this! Samsung's very own Galaxy Tab 10.1 decided to stop by in Beijing to greet Dell's latest tablet. As mentioned in our hands-on post, it's clear that the Streak 10 Pro would need to go on a little diet to match the Korean tablet's lovely figure and weight, though the latter won't be released in the country until some time next month. Also, there's no doubt that Sammy will continue to ask for a premium price in exchange for the better display and portability, so our wallets will be the final judge. For now, just enjoy our quick and dirty comparison photos in the gallery below. You're welcome.

It appears that some of our readers are missing the point: the 16GB WiFi Galaxy Tab 10.1 is being sold for $499 in the US, and it'll most likely be more expensive in China; whereas the Streak 10 Pro is priced at just ¥2,999 ($465). So again, you get what you pay for.

There's a Chinese saying that will suit most of our Western readers here: "quenching thirst by gazing at plums." Oh yes, we're talking about Dell's Streak 10 Pro alright. Just as promised, said US company has skipped its home country to debut its first 10.1-inch Honeycomb tablet in China (ka-ching!), and we happened to be at the Beijing press event for some intimate hands-on time. To be honest, you won't be needing many imaginary plums for this Android's rather mundane specs: it's equipped with the oh-so-familiar 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 T20 chip, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 1,280 x 800 LCD (with Corning's Gorilla Glass), 5 megapixel camera and 2 megapixel camera back and front, and regular-size SDHC expansion. That said, Chinese buyers can grab this 16GB WiFi tablet plus 2GB of cloud storage for just ¥2,999 ($465) a pop -- a slightly more attractive price compared to its competitors. Check out our impressions after the break.

Fujitsu TH40/D tablet

2011-07-16T21:18:00.002+03:00

Last thing we heard about the old TH40/D involved Fujitsu pushing back the sliding tablet's late-June release date. It's mid-July now, and things have been mostly quiet surrounding the 10-inch tablet's keyboard-packing goodness. The Windows 7 device, which debuted back in May, is now scheduled for a July 22nd release in its native Japan, according to new reports. Once that date rolls around, ¥80,000 (around $1,010) should buy you all the games of "hide-a-keyboard" that your heart desires.

Toshiba's 21.5-inch DX1215 all-in-one can accommodate even the largest fingers

2011-06-23T03:58:00.001+03:00

Clearly sick and tired of watching all of the fun other companies have been having with their all-in-ones, Toshiba this week announced the DX1215, the company's first entry in the space for the US market. The 21.5-inch touchscreen desktop has two USB 3.0 ports (and four of the boring old 2.0 variety), an HDMI port, 1TB of storage, and built-in Onkyo speakers. The system ships with a wireless mouse and keyboard, and will be hitting Best Buy's stores and website exclusively on July 3rd, starting at $930 -- just in time for your Independence Day ketchup-covered fingerprints.

HP TouchPad

2011-06-09T21:22:00.001+03:00

Amazon may not be shipping HP's first webOS tablet until July 17th, but why wait? The outfit itself just affirmed that the long-awaited TouchPad will go on sale to eager Americans on July 1st, with the UK, Ireland, France and Germany a few days later (and Canada in mid-July). Following that, a phased rollout will take it to Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore and Spain "later this year." It'll be on sale pretty much everywhere for $499.99 (16GB) / $599.99 (32GB) -- or £399 / £479 across the pond -- with pre-orders starting at your favorite e-tailer just ten days from today. For those looking for a highly connected version HP also made clear that it'll be partnering with AT&T for a 3G (or will it be "4G?") edition later in the summer. Head on past the break for a look at the full retail partner list, and yeah, yesterday would be a great time to start saving up.

LG V300 all-in-one hands-on at Computex 2011 (video)

2011-06-02T05:20:00.002+03:00

The eye-catching P220 ultraportable isn't the only system LG is showcasing at Computex -- the Korean manufacturer is also gracing Intel's booth with the V300, an all-in-one with a few tricks up its sleeve. Not only is that 23-inch display using a beautiful IPS panel (full HD), but it's even 3D-capable and includes a touchscreen in some versions. Yes, this isn't your father's PC. A variety of processors are available including Intel's Core i7 with room for up to 8 GB of DDR3 RAM. Some models are paired with AMD'sRadeon HD 6650M video card. Blu-ray is an option, and storage maxes out at 750GB. The computer takes some visual cues from Apple's iMac (the stand), but still manages to have its own personality. The display is quite thin, and while the model we played with didn't appear to offer the touchscreen option, it did feature a Core i5 CPU. Take a look at the gallery below, and hit the break for our hands-on video and LG's press release.

Mitsubishi officially prices 2011 HDTVs including a 92-inch DLP and 75-inch LaserVue

2011-06-02T05:14:00.001+03:00

Other manufacturers may say they're living large with their latest HDTVs, but Mitsubishi's "Go Big" slogan is supported by the biggest displays available for 2011. It's finally revealed details on the models, with new features including a clearer screen and 16 speaker soundbar with support for a wireless subwoofer on its top of the line 840-series that includes the 92-inch model (pictured above) we saw at CES. The other big addition for 2011 is support for Mitsubishi's iOS remote control app in the LaserVue TV as well as the 740 and 840 series DLPs. If you don't need those features, a built in IR emitter for 3D glasses or Stream TV Vudu Apps then look at the lower end 640-series rear projection sets. Still, no matter what the trim level, the new Mitsubishi is strictly a 73-inch and over TV manufacturer so it's definitely going to be big, whether it's the 840 series that ships in July or any of the other models that will be available this month. Specs and MSRPs are in the press release after the break, from the 73-inch 640 series for $1,599 all the way up to the $5,999 92-inch.

Solar Impulse completes first solar-powered international flight, Captain Piccard returns to earth

2011-05-15T17:05:00.001+03:00

We're big fans of charming, ungainly Solar Impulse, and of Captain Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg's quest to circumnavigate the globe in a solar-powered plane. In case you missed the live stream: the Swiss flier just got a little closer to that goal by completing its first international flight, taking off near Berne, Switzerland and landing in Brussels, Belgium, just under 13 hours later. That's half the flight time of an earlier test, in which the craft's 200-foot wingspan, covered with 12,000 photovoltaic solar cells, kept it aloft for 26 hours. Of course, a controlled test flight is one thing -- making solar-powered flight commercially viable means proving your plane can successfully navigate busy airspace. To see Solar Impulse come in for a smooth landing, peep the video after the break.

HTC Flyer up for preorder for $499 at Best Buy on April 24th

2011-04-25T00:14:00.002+03:00

Europeans have been able to preorder the HTC Flyer for months, and now curious Yanks are about to get their chance, too. The tablet will be available for preorder on April 24th (that's this Sunday) for $499 with Best Buy as the exclusive seller. Though our friends across the pond have been able to snag 3G versions, the one about to come stateside just has WiFi. The Flyer, as you'll remember, is the phone maker's first tablet, and has a 7-inch (1024 x 600) display, aluminum body, 1.5GHz Qualcomm chip, and a version of the company's Sense UI that was tweaked with slates in mind. Alas, It'll ship with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), but HTC is promising an eventual upgrade to 3.0 (Honeycomb) and all of the bigger-screen goodies that come with it.

Nokia W7 and W8 tipped as first Windows Phone models

2011-04-14T18:54:00.004+03:00

If you can accept what we're about to tell you as rumor, and nothing more, then we'd like to let you in on the latest scuttlebutt surrounding Nokia's first dip into the shallow Windows Phone waters. Eldar Murtazin, the eternal Nokia antagonist, claims to have the inside scoop on Nokia's current Windows Phone device plans while getting an early hands-on with a prototype. Besides demonstrating a natural extension of the Nokia naming strategy to accommodate the new Windows Phone devices, Eldar tells us that model W7 is built around an X7 hardware base while the new W8 handset is a variant of Nokia's N8 cameraphone (conceptualized in the above pic). According to Eldar, all of Nokia's WP prototypes are built upon Qualcomm chipsets per Microsoft's requirement (and Nokia's dismay). The W7 model is currently being used in-house for development purposes and will likely be the first to market, according to Eldar, with an 8 megapixel autofocus camera and flash. Murtazin claims that the W7 reminded him of the HTC Mozart without any noticeable customizations to the OS. If neither of these models appeal to you, hold tight -- Eldar says that Nokia has a dozen Windows Phone devices planed for 2012. Of course, it's early days so any, or all of this might change before Nokia ships its first device later this year or early twenty-twelve. Imagine it: Nokia hardware slathered in Mango -- mmm mmm good.

Kno promised to launch a double-screened Linux-based e-reader designed for students at D8, and the undercover startup didn't disappoint -- believe us

2011-04-14T06:51:00.001+03:00

Kno promised to launch a double-screened Linux-based e-reader designed for students at D8, and the undercover startup didn't disappoint -- believe us when we say it came out in a big way. That's big as infreaking big: the Kno reader features dual 14.1-inch capacitive IPS displays (1440 x 900 each), weighs 5.5 pounds, and offers six to eight hours of battery life, all in a package that's so comically large we thought it was a joke when we first saw the press shots. Kno says it'll offer both pen and touch support, and it'll come with a stylus out of the box. Under the hood, it's running a Tegra 2 chip with 16GB of storage, and the entire experience is essentially a WebKit instance. Yes, it's sort of like the Courier, but larger -- much, much larger.

We had a chance to go hands-on with the device as well as speak to some members of the team developing the Kno, and while it's clear that there are major bumps in the UI and user experience, it seems like the company is aware of them. What we saw today was clearly unfinished, with a lot of laggy, stuttery behavior in the interface, a crash or two, and some very inaccurate finger tracking, but Kno says it's hard at work on eradicating those issues. Even with the UI fixes, it's a hard sell at "under $1000," but Kno is putting together partnerships with publishers to make that a little easier to swallow, as they say ultimately it will be less expensive than buying regular old text books. It's an audacious idea, for sure... and we're still completely confused by one of the company's press pics featuring a bunch of dudesrunning around in their underwear, but we digress. Check out some shots from the demo, PR pics, and our hands-on with the device below.

Acer's Iconia Tab A500 soaks up the WiFi rays, hits shelves April 24th for $450

2011-04-08T22:41:00.001+03:00

Ladies and gentlemen, the days of spending $600 for an Android Honeycomb tablet are nearly done -- on April 24th, the Acer Iconia Tab A500 will wash that price away with waves of brushed aluminum. That's when the WiFi-only version of Acer's Android 3.0 tablet will hit Best Buy and online retail for $450 sans contract, but with the same basic raft of specs as the WiFi-only Motorola Xoom: a dual-core 1GHz Tegra 250 SOC, a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 LCD screen, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of flash storage, a 5 megapixel camera around back and a 2 megapixel imager up front, HDMI-out, not to mention a pair of 3260mAh batteries that Acer claims are capable of eight full hours of life while playing HD video. Sure, it's a wee bit thicker and heavier, too, but if you're attracted to shiny things, look for our review in the coming weeks -- or wait until this summer to get one with AT&T. PR after the break.

PogoPlug Video and Buffalo CloudStor now shipping, streaming your stuff all over the place

2011-04-07T13:11:00.001+03:00

Yes, you've seen these guys before, and now the latest PogoPlug offspring are ready to ship. Both PogoPlug Video and its storage-sporting cousin, the Buffalo CloudStor, put their own unique twist on the firm's remote access service. As you might recall, PogoPlug Video, which is now available exclusively from Best Buy for $200, allows you to hook up your external hard drives and share streaming video, music, and images to devices anywhere with internet access. Buffalo's CloudStor, on the other hand, provides the same cloud-based access, with a little something extra. It's the first PogoPlug branded gadget to sport integrated storage, and comes in three iterations, ringing in at $150 for 1TB, $210 for 2TB, and $250 for the 2TB Pro version. Now you can share all your favorite kitten clips, without ever uploading them to YouTube. Isn't that precious?

iPad 2 gets wireless 1080p mirroring, fattens up in the process (video)

2011-03-31T00:01:00.001+03:00

One might say that AirPlay is pretty nifty for shooting content from your iOS device to your TV, but it only works with a handful of apps, and worse still, maxes out at a paltry 720p. Apple offers an HDMI cable for the iPad that allows full 1080p mirroring, but let's face it: being wired is so 2009. One adventurous MacRumors Forums member was able to MacGyver a completely wire-free, completely HD solution using a wireless HDMI transmitter, USB battery pack, and a home-made enclosure that "only adds about two pounds of weight" to the otherwise portable device. Seems easy enough to put together on your own, but here's to hoping there's a Jailbreak solution soon enough that makes the same magic happen without the extra heft (and coin) in the first place.

Sprint's BlackBerry 4G PlayBook portal goes live, still on track for a summer release

2011-03-22T02:20:00.001+03:00

We knew good and well that the 4G version of RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook was on track for a summertime release on Sprint, and here at CTIA 2011, the carrier has launched a newfangled product portal confirming that things are still on lock. For those in need of a refresher, this guy will boast a 1GHz dual-core CPU, Adobe Flash / HTML 5 support, "true" multitasking, rear- and front-facing HD video cameras and a price that's still to be determined. What's most interesting here, however, is the dearth of information about a WiFi-only version -- we're hoping that it'll slip out a bit earlier than the WiMAX variant, but we're intentionally keeping our expectations on the low side. No one enjoys a bursting bubble, you know?

iPad 2

2011-03-19T07:05:00.001+03:00

To say Apple's iPad 2 is an easy tablet to review is somewhat of an understatement. The device, a follow up to last year's wildly successful (and currently market-defining) iPad, is nearly identical when it comes to software, and though improved, closely related on the hardware side as well. With a 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 display, the general size and shape of the device has remained the same, and though inside there's a new dual core A5 CPU, more memory, and a pair of new cameras, most of the iPad 2's changes are cosmetic. Still, the previous tablet soared far above most of its competitors when it came to the quality of both the hardware (if not its raw specs) and its software selection -- something Apple still stands head and shoulders over its adversaries on. So this new model, a thinner, sleeker, faster variant of the original may not be breaking lots of new ground, but it's already at the front of the pack. But is the iPad 2 worth an upgrade for those that took the plunge on the first generation? More importantly, does the device have what it takes to bring new owners into the fold? Those questions -- and more -- are all about to be answered in the full Engadget review, so read on!

Artega SE electric sports car lines up to challenge Tesla Roadster

2011-03-15T19:10:00.001+03:00

The Tesla Roadster may not have many competitors that you can actually buy at the moment, but it looks like it can count on a bit of a challenge from German automaker Artega. It debuted its new Artega SE (short for Sport Electric) at the Geneva Motor Show recently, and it says it plans to produce 500 of them a year starting in 2012 at a cost of €150,000 apiece, or just over $200,000. In addition to some good looks, that will buy you a pair of rear-mounted electric motors that combine for 375 horsepower and a top speed "well over" 155MPH, along with a 37 kW lithium polymer battery that promises to let you "comfortably achieve" 124 miles under normal driving conditions. Of particular note, Artega says that the battery can be fully recharged in just 90 minutes using a commercial charging station, although it can of course also be charged at a slower rate at home. Still no word on availability outside of Europe, although if you're dropping two hundred grand on a car we're guessing the import costs won't pose too much of a problem.

2011's new HDTVs from Samsung, Panasonic, LG start to arrive in stores, pricing leaks out

2011-02-27T19:49:00.001+03:00

After they strut their stuff on the CES runway the only thing left for 2011's latest & greatest HDTVs to do is take their act on the road and that's exactly what's happening. CNET's David Katzmaier has tweeted about finding a few Samsung and Panasonic models at various retailers already, though as usual it's the lower end models that are coming in first -- if you want a top of the line Panasonic VT30 instead of a 720p 3D Samsung D490 plasma (51-inch, $969), you'll have to wait. Still, it's good to ballpark what you'll have to budget and while HDGuru has followed up on previous Panasonic pricing leaks with MAP and specs for most of Samsung's line, cj1319 on AVSForum has early details on minimum advertised prices on LG's Nano LED lit LCDs & plasmas. Check the source links below for all the details,but don't expect any help from us while you're scraping together 10 g's for the 72-inch 72LZ9700 LG LCD pictured above.

Panasonic's Lumix DFC-GF2?

2011-02-27T19:44:00.001+03:00

We're drowning in interchangeable lens options, but that's far from being a bad thing. For those that finally caved and picked up Panasonic's Lumix DFC-GF2, we're interested to see how you'd change things if given that golden opportunity. Are you satisfied with the size, weight and design? How's the low-light performance? Would you alter anything about the lens selection? Introduce a version that changes colors with the seasons? Go on and get creative in comments below -- the GF3 needs some ideas, you know?

BMW to show a pair of EVs at Geneva, one rather more futuristic than the other

2011-02-16T03:13:00.002+03:00

The next major auto show is nearly upon us, and BMW is tipping its hat to reveal a few of its plans. The pride of Bavaria will show off a pair of EVs at the show, starting with the official debut of the ActiveE, an electrified version of the 1 Series coupe that has three battery packs (under the hood, in the transmission tunnel, and under the rear seats) for proper weight balance. With 168hp on tap it should be reasonably fun to drive, though a top speed of 90mph makes it a poor choice for Autobahning. Also on display will be the Vision ConnectedDrive, looking a little like a topless Vision EfficientDynamics and surely sparkling with concept tech that we won't see on the road for at least a decade -- if ever. Promo videos of both embedded below, perfect for spending a few minutes in automotive wonderland.

webOS on PCs will be an 'integrated experience

2011-02-16T03:06:00.001+03:00

HP closed its recent "Think Beyond" event with a remarkable announcement that webOS would becoming to PCs. How, exactly, the company planned on doing that has been a mystery. The Seattle Timesjust interviewed HP's CTO, Phil McKinney, who helped put to rest some premature speculation that HP would be dumping Microsoft Windows in favor of webOS while adding some clarity (though not much) to its webOS on everything strategy. According to Phil, people still want an OS appropriate to PCs, tablets, and smartphones with webOS pulling it all together by "taking the existing operating systems and bringing WebOS onto those platforms and making it universal across all of our footprint." That doesn't mean that webOS will run as a virtualized instance within Windows. Phil says, "it's not virtualization. It's an integrated WebOS experience we're looking to bring." He then adds, "We're working with Microsoft on the future of Windows and we're very optimistic on what that future is, but what we think is we can bring an enhancement to that." The goal is to create a large device footprint that makes webOS a very attractive platform to developers -- "you can develop your WebOS app that'll run on your phone, your slate and your PC," according to McKinney. Hmm, apparently HP didn't get the Elopcalypse memo about the "three-horse race" that considers HP's and RIM's ecosystems irrelevant.

Intel Core i7-990X stealthily hits shelves, Origin PC overclocks one to a lap-melting 4.6GHz

2011-02-16T03:00:00.002+03:00

These days it's less about the megahertz and more about the cores, but custom PC maker Origin isn't leaving either benchmark untouched. It's taken the as-yet-unannounced six-core, 3.46GHz Intel Core i7-990X processor and pushed it up to 4.6GHz -- a full 200 hertz more than the company's previous hotness, a 4.4GHZ Core i7-980X. The 990X is now available in the company's desktops as well as theEON-17 laptop -- which is honestly pushing the boundaries of lapablity. Think you can do better than that -- say, with a little LN2? You'll find the Core i7-990X at the likes of Mwave and Newegg for what we're sure is a perfectly reasonable $1,050 right now.

Green House reveals its first 15.6-inch USB monitor, lives large on small charge

2011-01-17T20:50:00.001+03:00

Just when MMT's 15.4-inch Monitor2Go was getting excited about its big USB display on campus title, Greenhouse Japan has strutted in and ruined the party with its 15.6-inch GH-USD16K USB secondary monitor. True, a resolution of 1366 x 768 won't give the screen bragging rights over Apple's 27-inch Cinema Display, but it should suffice for those on the move in desperate need of some quick dual-screen action. Especially since the accessory weighs less than 3 pounds, produces 18bit color depth and has a brightness of 220 nits while sipping just 5 watts of Serial Bus power. Speaking of dual-action, the monitor can also be set to clone or extend the connected computer's screen depending on user preference. Look for it to start shipping early next month to Japan for an estimated price of $214, glancing over its shoulder until an inevitable 15.8-inch newbie lopes onto the block.

Fujitsu unveils Esprimo FH99/CM, touts it as the world's first glasses-free 3D desktop

2011-01-17T20:47:00.001+03:00

After seeing Sharp's 10.6 glasses-free 3D display last September, we left convinced that parallax barrier 3D technology was a long way off from being ready for prime-time, and then we reached for a bottle of aspirin. Demonstrations by Intel and Sony at CES this year proved, however, that a lot can change in four months, and we hope for Japan's collective eye sight that Fujitsu's Esprimo FH99/CM desktop PC follows this trend. That's because Fujitsu claims it's the world's first glasses-free all-in-one, and it's scheduled to launch in the country on February 25th with a whopping $3,100 price tag. All that dough will get buyers a naked-eye 23-inch full HD 3D display plus top-of-the-line features such as a Blu-ray drive with 3D Blu-ray support, a 2Ghz Core i7 processor, 4GB of memory, a 2TB hard drive, and two USB 3.0 ports. There's no word whether the computer will land stateside, but if it doesn't, Toshiba has hinted they could fill the void with a glasses-free 3D PC of its own by late 2011. Still, we wouldn't recommend stomping your 3D glasses just yet.

Skype well on the road to recovery, group video calls restored

2010-12-25T17:24:00.002+03:00

We almost got to see what Christmas was like before Skype, and it wasn't pleasant. Of course, VOIP and videoconferencing will never replace Grandma Pat's pizzelles, but the technology sure does make pre-holiday planning a lot easier. For its part, Skype hasn't gone into too much detail regarding the nature ofits most recent outage (something about "mega-supernodes"), although as of this writing group video calling appears to be back and CEO Tony Bates has announced that customers will be compensated for the interruption of service with free and pay-as-you-go customers receiving credit for a free 30-minute SkypeOut call to landlines, while paid subscribers will get a free week of service. Keep an eye out on the Skype Blog for further updates, and we'll keep our fingers crossed that this year we won't have to learn what New Year's Eve is like without Chatroulette. As for Skype itself, with the way they've been courting enterprise customers they'll just be happy if this doesn't do too much damage to their impending IPO.

CSIRO's Ngara internet transmission project begins in Tanzania, shows hopes for rural broadband

2010-12-20T18:11:00.003+03:00

Hard to say if you're aware, but Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (best known 'round these parts at CSIRO) was the first to develop the WiFi transmission technologies that are widely used on Planet Earth today, and they've got stacks of infringement lawsuitsto prove it. Now, the organization is testing out a radical new approach to solve the rural broadband problem, and rather than relying on newly opened spectrum or other forms of black magic, they're simply tasking existing analog TV antennas to work a little overtime. Put simply, Ngara uses the broadcast towers that already exist in rural towns that receive television signals, and then with a new set-top box and a modified TV antenna, it's able to funnel broadband internet into faraway homes. Recent tests in Tanzania -- sections with higher populations of Devils than Earthlings -- have shown the uplink working just fine, but they're still a good ways out from getting data to download. Project manager David Robertson surmises that it'll be around four years before the technology is ready for the commercial market, and you can bet your bottom (Australian) dollar that we'll be counting down the days. And so will everyone else stuck in the Big Apple wondering why Jimmy McMillan didn't get elected for mayor.

LG launches first dual core smartphone with its Optimus 2X

2010-12-16T05:56:00.003+03:00

LG Electronics has unveiled the LG Optimus 2X, the world’s first smartphone with a dual-core processor. Along with more powerful multimedia features, the LG Optimus 2X’s high-performance Tegra 2 processor makes for faster, smoother web browsing and applications and lets users multitask with virtually no screen lag.

“Dual-core technology is the next leap forward in mobile technology so this is no small achievement to be the first to offer a smartphone utilizing this technology,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, CEO and President of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “With unique features such as HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) mirroring and exceptional graphics performance, the LG Optimus 2X is proof of LG’s commitment to high-end smartphones in 2011.”

Developed by graphics processor company NVIDIA, the dual-core Tegra 2 system-on-a-chip found in the LGOptimus 2X runs at a clock speed of 1GHz and boasts low power consumption and high performance for playing video and audio.

The LG Optimus 2X offers 1080p HD video playback and recording with HDMI mirroring that expands content on external displays to full HD quality. The LG Optimus 2X can connect wirelessly to any DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) compatible digital device such as HD TVs for a console-like gaming experience taking full advantage of the phone’s HDMI mirroring, accelerometer and gyro sensor.

The smartphone also includes both rear- and front-facing cameras, microSD memory expandability, Micro-USB port and a hefty 1500mAh battery.

The LG Optimus 2X will be available in Korea next month with countries in Europe and Asia to follow. The phone will initially be released with Android 2.2 (Froyo) and will be upgradeable to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). The upgrade schedule will be announced in local markets in due course.

The new handset comes with 4-inch WVGA screen, 8GB memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD, and 1,500 mAh battery.

Nokia to ship dual-core phones in 2011

2010-12-14T21:25:00.001+03:00

We don't have any hard details yet, but Computerworld reports that Nokia's planning a busy 2011, with four to five updates to the Symbian UI on tap, as well as dual-core phones. The information comes courtesy of Nokia senior manager Gunther Kottzieper, who gave a presentation at the 2010 Internation Mobile Internet Conference in Beijing earlier today -- a slide labeled "Nokia Symbian 2011 focus areas" indicated that a Q1 Symbian update will include over 50 features, including a more intuitive browser, while second- and third-quarter updates will add "a new look and feel for the user interface, a more flexible home screen, an updatable HTML5 browser and an easier software update experience." A hardware-related slide tipped upcoming 1GHz phones with more graphics memory in the second or third quarter, as well as dual-core phones and something called a "true zoom camera" in late 2011 or early 2012. (We're guessing that means an optical zoom, which would be just wild on a mobile phone.) Ignore this morning's E7 delay and all of that sounds like evidence of renewed focus at Nokia under new management -- and it also sounds like Nokia taking over Symbian development might have lit some serious fires. We're dying to look at these slides ourselves -- we'll keep digging and let you know.

Patriot intros Supersonic USB 3.0 flash drive, milks 100MB / sec from a single chip

2010-12-12T20:51:00.001+03:00

At present, there seem to be three strategies to embracing the potential of USB 3.0 -- go all out with an external SSD, introduce a hulking RAID-on-a-stick, or settle for a single-chip USB key with ho-hum maximum read/write speeds of roughly around 80MB / sec and 60MB / sec. There are a number of these barely-better-than-USB-2.0 flash drives floating about, but Patriot decided not to settle for that -- its new Supersonic flash drive uses the mythical "quad channel" technology (and a native USB 3.0 controller) to eke out some extra speed. That allows Patriot to beat down the USB 2.0 straw man with 70MB / sec writes and 100MB / sec reads, and possibly justify a pricing premium if the company can't manufacture them on the cheap. If the Supersonic sounds like the best of all worlds for your portable data, you'll find it in 32GB and 64GB configurations starting Q1 2011. No word on price quite yet.

Google unveils Cr-48, the first Chrome OS laptop

2010-12-08T01:39:00.001+03:00

We've had plenty of pre-knowledge on this, but surprisingly this is our first actual glimpse of Google's new unbranded "Cr-48," the very first Chrome OS laptop. Google will distribute the laptop through its Chrome OS Pilot Program, in a sort of public beta. You actually have to apply to join the program, and there are going to be a limited number of the laptops available -- retail Chrome OS models from Acer and Samsung will be available in the middle of 2011 for the masses. Google's doing a number of little promotions to give away the devices to interested users and businesses which will provide feedback, and it looks like there's no way to actually pay money for one right now. Now, for the specs:

12.1-inch screen.
Full size keyboard.
Oversized clickpad.
Qualcomm Gobi 3G chip for Verizon data in the US, your carrier of choice internationally.
802.11n dual-band WiFi.
8+ hours of active use.
8+ days of standby.
Webcam.
Flash storage.

The keyboard is the one we uncovered last week, with no function keys, but a full row of Apple Keyboard-style actions. The caps lock key has been replaced with a search button, which will enrage internet trolls and screenwriters alike. Branding-wise... there is none. The "Cr-48" refers to an isotope of the material chromium, there's no logo and no design frills on the laptop itself, and it only comes in black. It seems Google is going out of its way to make it clear that this isn't a mass market device, with Chrome OS still in the beta stage, and no apparent intentions to compete with third parties in the hardware space. Still, we gotta say: we wish more manufacturers would take a page out of this no-frills book. The murdered out Cr-48 looks like pure sex to us.

Viber VoIP iPhone app: 3G calling, no registration, and totally free

2010-12-05T17:49:00.002+03:00

You know those voice minutes you've been coaxed into buying for, like, ever? Now would be an awesome time to bid 'em adieu. Out of nowhere, Viber has swooped in to crush the dreams of Skype and every other VoIP provider out there, and if these guys can reach critical mass, avid iPhone users will certainly be able to buy a mobile plan with fewer minutes. It works as such: install the free app on your iPhone, provide just your phone number (no "registration" is necessary) and then fire it up. Viber uses your existing contact and favorites list, and you can make Viber or standard voice calls from within the app; naturally, a Viber logo pops up beside any contact who is also a user, making it easy to see who you can VoIP call for free. As our brethren over at TUAW point out, there's simply no catch to be found -- well, except for those of you counting your kilobytes on AT&T's newer, metered data plans. Call quality was said to be excellent over 3G and WiFi, and potentially best of all, gratis SMS and an Android version are both on the way. Head on past the break if you need any additional convincing, and tap that iTunes link to get your download on. So, AT&T, what's the value proposition on those "rollover minutes" again?

Google Editions launching in US before the end of the year, going international in Q1 2011

2010-12-01T23:06:00.001+03:00

Admit it, Google Editions wasn't exactly your highest priority item among the things promised for a2010 launch, but, according to Mountain View's Scott Dougall, the e-bookstore from the world's favorite search company will indeed make its debut before December's through. It's premised as a web-centric, buy-anywhere, read-anywhere platform, one that eschews the proprietary hardware and software model currently championed by the likes of Amazon for a more ubiquitous and accessible one (a humble web browser is all you'll need, which should make Tim Berners-Lee beam with pride). Small websites of all creeds, whether they be independent bookstores or book reviewers, will be encouraged to participate by linking their users to Google Editions of whatever scriptures they're discussing -- with an unannounced revenue sharing model keeping them interested. Retail pricing won't differ, we're told, from what Amazon and Barnes & Noble currently charge, which raises the question, what's the downside toEditions?

ASUS announces ultraportable U36 laptop (updated with specs)

2010-12-01T23:04:00.001+03:00

ASUS is still holding back some of the details on this one, but what it has revealed about its new U36 ultraportable is certainly enough to get us interested. Weighing in at just over three pounds, the laptop is said to pack your choice of a Core i3 or i5 processors, along with NVIDIA Optimus graphics, and a four-cell battery that promises ten hours of battery life -- all of which comes wrapped in a 0.75-inch magnesium shell that's apparently available in your choice of black or silver. Unfortunately, all other details, including the screen size (though 13.3-inch seems likely), remain a bit of a mystery, as does the pricing and launch details.

Update: We've come across a couple of Taiwanese listings for the U36 spilling the full specs: 13.3-inch LED-backlit screen, Intel Core i5-460M CPU, NVIDIA GeForce 310M graphics with 1GB of memory, 2GB of system RAM, a 500GB 7200RPM hard disk, HDMI output, one USB 3.0 port, a 1.66kg weight, and Windows 7 Home Premium as the OS. Pricing is less reliable, but we've seen a top MSRP of NT$41,900 ($1,375), which has invariably been discounted by local retailers to saner levels. Let's just wait and see how things turn out when the U36 makes its way westward.

HP dropping Windows Home Server to focus on WebOS, won't be hitting the slopes at Vail

2010-12-01T23:02:00.001+03:00

More bad news for fans of little Windows servers for home. HP, makers of the MediaSmart boxes that defined the first release of Windows Home Server, has confirmed that it is canceling plans to support the next major release of the OS, codenamed Vail. This comes hot on the heels of the removal of storage pooling from that release, an extremely unpopular move among the relatively few but ardent fans of WHS. HP is promising to continue support for its existing MediaSmart products but apparently has already redeployed development teams to focus on WebOS devices. For its part, Microsoft will be relying on Acer and Tranquil PC to hang the decorations for the Vail release party. Anyone still care to RSVP?

Hasselblad's Ferrari-branded H4D camera: now available for just €21,499

2010-11-28T17:34:00.001+03:00

Now that you've wasted precious moments of your life saving $10 here, $8 there and $6.23 in your local Target, how's about a Black Friday deal that you'll never forget. Hasselblad's Ferrari-branded H4D medium format camera, which we saw unveiled earlier this year at Photokina, is now shipping to the affluent, the zany, and the select few that happen to be both. So far as we can tell, this is just an H4D with a Ferrari-approved design scheme, and neither point helps to make this thing anywhere near affordable. A grand total of 499 are being made available today, with each one to run €21,499 ($28,425) + tax. Who knew you'd be buying something today that's only purchasable via your Centurion card -- puts a whole new spin on Black Friday, huh?

Acer reveals 4.8-inch Android smartphone with 1024x480 screen resolution

2010-11-24T23:59:00.001+03:00

Acer may be calling this "100 percent smartphone. 100 percent tablet," but something just doesn't add up there. That being said, we have to agree that a 1024x480 screen resolution on a 4.8-inch smartphone is downright drool-worthy. Clocking in at just a smidgen smaller than Dell's Streak, this here phone (no finalized name has been bestowed quite yet) was just revealed at Acer's Global press event in New York City. It was only shown briefly, demonstrating an unknown version of Android and the "evolution of Acer UI." Specs wise, there's a two megapixel front-facing camera, eight megapixel rear camera (with LED flash), 720p video recording, a six-axis Gyroscope + accelerometer package and LED edge lighting. Per usual, Acer's keeping a lid on any pricing estimates, but it'll be shipping out to gape-jawed customers everywhere in April 2011.

M55 Beast Electric Bike is quite appropriately named

2010-11-22T23:51:00.001+03:00

Say "electric bicycle" around here and visions of Sanyos with baskets go floating through our heads. The Beast from M55 is something rather different, rather more bodacious. It offers a 40mph top speed and a 75 mile range plus a construction featuring pieces hewn on CNC along with plenty of titanium and carbon fiber bits for good measure. The design is perhaps a bit too in your face for some, but for others is the perfect mix of 'tude and tech. It's been in design for some months now but recently made something of a debut at SEMA ahead of a forthcoming shipping date with pre-orders open now. Cost? If you have to ask...

Zaggmate iPad keyboard case saturates a market in record time

2010-11-10T04:29:00.002+03:00

Alright, folks -- we get it. There's a market for iPad cases with accompanying keyboards. If none of the other options that have emerged over the past few months tickled your fancy, Zagg is introducing yet another to mull over. The Zaggmate actually does manage to differentiate itself fairly well from the competition, with two models being available: one with a keyboard and one without. This clip-on stand can elevate your iPad (positioned horizontally or vertically) for easier viewing, and the "with keyboard" model obviously throws out a full QWERTY set to make those Pages creations somewhat easier to bang out. Currently, Zagg's got this one listed as 'Coming Soon,' with the standard model carrying a $69.99 price tag and the keyboard edition demanding an extra $30. Peek 'em both in their YouTube debuts just after the break.

Entourage Pocket Edge 'dualbook' up for $399.99

2010-11-02T02:01:00.002+03:00

So, the dual-screen (9.7-inch E Ink and 10.1-inch LCD) Entourage Edge was too big for you, eh? That's understandable. But what about the Pocket Edge, the self-described "world's first mini dualbook" with a 6-inch E Ink panel and 7-inch resistive touchscreen LCD. It's an eBook reader and 7-inch tablet all in one and it's up for a $399.99 pre-order on Amazon right now.

Wi-Fi Direct certification begins today, device-to-device transmission starting soon

2010-10-28T03:30:00.001+03:00

So, Bluetooth -- last fall didn't end up being as frightful as you had probably imagined, but this fall is bound to be different. Or so the Wi-Fi Alliance says. If you'll recall, Wi-Fi Direct promised to do what Bluetooth had been doing for years, but with far less fuss and on a protocol that's much more widespread. A solid year has come and gone, and we've heard nary a word from any company who plans on implementing it. Thankfully for us all, that changes today. Starting in mere moments, Wi-Fi Direct devices will begin the certification process, and while we couldn't extract exact product details or a release time frame for future wares on a media call regarding the announcement, we did get the impression that at least a few partners were trying to get Wi-Fi Direct wares onto shelves before Christmas.

As for functionality, the claims are fairly impressive. In order to make a direct device-to-device connection over WiFi, just one of the two need to be Wi-Fi Direct certified. In other words, a Wi-Fi Direct printer can recognize and interface with your Latitude D410 laptop from 1999, as all Wi-Fi Direct certified devices have to be able to control the one-to-one relationship. The goal here is pretty simple -- it's to create a protected connection between two devices over WiFi with as little hassle as possible. Think Bluetooth, but using WiFi. We also learned that "most" products certified will also support "one-to-many" connections, enabling a Wi-Fi Direct laptop to be in contact with a printer, connected HDTV and a tablet simultaneously, with no router in-between at any point. We should also point out that while 802.11a/g/n is supported over 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, there's no requirement for Wi-Fi Direct products to support 802.11b, so legacy users may want to pay attention to that quirk.

There's also no new hardware requirements here, so in theory, any existing WiFi chipset could be upgraded via firmware to handle Wi-Fi Direct -- whether or not that'll happen on a large scale was a question the Wi-Fi Alliance couldn't answer for us. Finally, they noted that the app ecosystem is likely to make this whole rollout a lot more interesting, particularly considering that Direct is simply a pipe that software can dictate as it sees fit. We'll be keeping a close eye on the developments here; we've waited way too long for this to blossom, but we're pretty jazzed about the possibilities. Head on past the break for a video overview of how Wi-Fi Direct works.

Barnes & Noble Nook Color revealed

2010-10-28T03:21:00.002+03:00

Barnes & Noble just unveiled its all-new Nook Color, an Android tablet fronted by a 7-inch color touchscreen... so long, e-ink! (Not really, the $149 original Nook is sticking around for now, owns 20 percent of the e-reader market, and is about to get a major software update). B&N is billing it as a hybrid of e-reader and tablet device, and has beefed up its software with a full-on tablet-style UI, along with Facebook and Twitter integration. There's built-in WiFi (802.11b/g/n) and 8GB of storage, but no 3G at this point. Thankfully, the price stays aggressive as a result: $249. You might think that means the screen is going to be weak, but B&N has managed to put an impressive-sounding "VividView," 16 million color, 1024 x 600 IPS display in this thing. Interestingly, there's a "full lamination screen film" on top of the LCD to reduce glare, apparently from the backlight, not just from external light sources.

Build-wise, there's that striking corner handle we saw before (smacks of the XO-3, doesn't it?) and a microSD slot, with a 0.48-inch thick body and a 15.6 ounce overall weight. Battery life takes a notable hit, of course, with a rating of 8 hours of reading with the WiFi off. Of course, underneath it all is still Android, and Barnes & Noble is launching the Nook Developer program to allow third party apps on the device, and it even ships with a few favorites like Pandora and Lonely Planet. The color screen also enables a new library of "Nook Kids" children books, full-color magazine and newspaper subscriptions, and video playback if you're in the mood. The Nook Color ships on November 19th, pre-orders are available now.

Verizon to sell Galaxy Tab starting November 11th for $599.99

2010-10-21T04:39:00.003+03:00

Well, we finally have a price on this thing! America's largest carrier has announced plans to sell Samsung's Galaxy Tab for... $599.99. The 3G, Android 2.2-based unit (which will be loaded with V CAST apps, of course) will hit retail on November 11th, and since it's being sold at full price, a data plan (which starts at $20 per month for 1GB) is completely optional. It looks like customers will have some fairly strong choices on Big Red, considering that the impossible-to-ignore iPad is being made available in Verizon's stores as well. Tough decisions are ahead for potential tablet buyers -- but we're sure you'll do what's right. Check out the full press release below, and good luck!

CTL 2go Pad SL10

2010-10-17T04:03:00.002+03:00

The tablet market is surely heating up, and the latest model from China, the CTL 2go Pad SL10 can already be pre-ordered. This 10.1-inch tablet will run on an Intel Atom processor and Windows 7 as the operating system of choice, bringing to the table a capacitive multitouch 1024 × 600 resolution LED-backlight display alongside 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, a built-in microphone, stereo speakers, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, an Ethernet LAN port, a couple of USB connectors, a microSD memory card reader and a mini VGA port. Your shoulders shouldn't buckle under the weight of the 2go Pad SL10 since it tips the scales at just 2.6 pounds, where its 4-cell battery can last up to 5 hours at any one go. Not exactly as long lasting as theiPad, that's for sure. Shipping commences from the middle of October onwards for $499. We do wonder how well devices such as this will fare in the open market.

Panasonic confirms December 27 ship date, $4,995 price for AG-AF100 Micro Four Thirds video camera

2010-10-14T21:56:00.001+03:00

The headline pretty much says it all here -- Panasonic has now finally cleared up that its AG-AF100 Micro Four Thirds video camera will begin shipping on December 27th, and pack a suitably professional price tag of $4,995. In case you've forgotten about it since it's debut way back in April, the camera offers a slew of fairly high-end features including native 1080/24p recording, variable frame rates, and professional audio capabilities -- and, while $5,000 isn't exactly cheap, it will let you keep costs down somewhat by supporting a whole range of standard Micro Four Thirds lenses, filters and adapters. Head on past the break for the complete press release.

WORLD'S FIRST INTERNET TV

2010-10-13T23:06:00.001+03:00

Straight from Sony's Google TV unveiling in New York we finally know the official details of its plans, which include four HDTVs (24-, 32- , 40- and 46-inch) with prices from $599 to $1,399, plus a funky white set-top box with built-in Blu-ray player for $399. The 24-inch is a CCFL backlit LCD, while the larger models all feature edge LED lighting, while all of them feature built in WiFi, so no need to go stringing any new network cables to the living room. The only custom app we're seeing among the preinstalled ones (Netflix, CNBC, Napster, Pandora and more) is a Sony Qriocity VOD player, for more you'll be waiting for the Android Market to hit in early 2011. If you want to be the first on your block with one, hit up the local Sony Style outlet when they go on sale this weekend, or Best Buy stores starting October 24, meanwhile, check the press release after the break for full specs and details.

Robot cars invade California, on orders from Google

2010-10-11T03:58:00.003+03:00

Google has been testing self-driving cars on roads in California, according to a report, and so far they've avoided everything but a minor fender bender--caused by a human-driven car.

The New York Times reports that seven test cars have traveled 1,000 miles without need for human intervention (a driver has been stationed behind the wheel just in case, accompanied by a technician to monitor the navigation system), and that they've covered more than 140,000 miles with the human chaperone stepping in only occasionally. One of the cars was even able to safely make its way down Lombard Street in San Francisco, the fabled "crookedest street in the world," the Times says.

Google's robot car is equipped with artificial-intelligence software; a rotating sensor on its roof, which can scan more than 200 feet in all directions to create a 3D map of the car's environs; a video camera mounted behind the windshield, which helps the navigation system spot pedestrians, bicyclists, and traffic lights; three radar devices on the front bumper, and one in the back; and a sensor on one of the wheels that allows the system to determine the car's position on the 3D map, the Times says. The car also features a GPS device and a motion sensor. The car follows a route programmed into the GPS system, and it can be instructed to drive cautiously, or more aggressively.

Engineers say robot cars aren't susceptible to drowsiness or driving under the influence, and that eventually they might allow for more cars on the road, because they can drive closer to other vehicles, and less fuel consumption, because their safety would allow them to be made lighter, with less defensive armor, the Times says.

The man behind the project, Sebastian Thrun, a Google engineer and co-inventor of Google's Street View mapping project, was also behind the autonomous auto that won the $2 million prize in the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency's 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge, a contest to see if a driverless vehicle could successfully navigate nearly 150 miles in the California desert.

The Google researchers said that at the moment they don't have a plan for marketing the system, the Times says. Thrun is a promoter of the idea of robot cars making roads safer and helping to cut down on energy costs, as is Google co-founder Larry Page, the Times reports.

Totota RAV4 EV on sale

2010-10-03T18:14:00.002+03:00

The RAV4 EV was an all-electric version of the popular RAV4 SUV produced by Toyota. It was leased from 1997 to 2003, and at the lessees request, many units were sold after the vehicle was discontinued.^[1] As of 2010 there are 800 units still in use.^[2] In July 2010 Toyota announced that is working together with Tesla Motors to develop a second generation RAV4 EV, and the companies expect the vehicle to be mass produced by 2012.^[2]^[3]

The first fleet version of the RAV4 EV became available on a limited basis in 1997. In 2001 it was possible for businesses, cities or utilities to lease one or two of these cars. Toyota then actually sold or leased 328 RAV4 EVs to the general public in 2003, at which time the program was terminated despite waiting lists of prospective customers.

The RAV4 EV closely resembles the regular internal combustion engine (ICE) version - without a tailpipe - and has a governed top speed of 78 mph (~126 km/h) with a range of 100 to 120 miles (160 to 190 km). The 95 amp-hour NiMH battery pack has a capacity of 27 kWh, charges inductively and has proven to be surprisingly durable. Some RAV4 EVs have achieved over 150,000 miles (240,000 km) on the original battery pack. It was also one of the few vehicles with a single speed automatic transmission at that time.

Besides the batteries, controller and motor, the remaining systems in the RAV4 EV are comparable to the gas-powered RAV4, such as power brakes, power steering, air conditioning, tire wear and suspension components except for the power sources involved. The power brakes use an electric pump to provide vacuum instead of deriving vacuum from the engine manifold while the power steering and air conditioning systems use electric motors instead of mechanical energy delivered by fan belts. The passenger compartment heater is electrical.

Facebook starts rolling out high resolution photo sharing to users

2010-10-03T02:38:00.001+03:00

Facebook is already a popular way to share photo with your 'friends,' but the quality leaves a little something to be desired, to say the least. Well, that's all about to change, as the company has announced that it'll be rolling out high resolution photo uploading to all of its users over the coming weeks. Users will be able to upload and store photos that are eight times larger than what the service now allows (720 pixels). At the same time, the photo viewer will be upgraded to have a lightbox feel -- black background -- for better viewing. Great news, no doubt, for those of us who just couldn't stand another low res shot of someone's baby doing something silly.

NOKIA N8 ON SALE

2010-10-01T01:52:00.006+03:00

The Nokia N8-00 is a powerful combination of internet, video, photos, music, maps with Symbian^3 operating system. With a large capacitive touch screen supporting pinch to zoom, social networking integration, a Carl Zeiss 12 megapixel camera with wide-angle lens and Xenon flash, shooting 720p HD video, on demand Web TV, HDMI connectivity and USB OTG, you can create, discover and share a world of creativity. Additionally, for the software developers, the device includes Qt 4.6.3, Java MIDP 2.1 and Flash Lite 4.0.

The Nokia N8-00 brings also compatibility with popular internet video formats and desktop Flash. With optimized video streaming and playback support, Nokia N8-00 provides a fantastic platform for bringing your favorite TV and other video services to a mobile computer. We have released a customizable open source Web TV app template. The template has been created and used in a collaboration with dozens of globally acclaimed broadcasters.

BlackBerry PlayBook vs. iPad

2010-09-29T01:13:00.004+03:00

What a day -- yesterday, that is. Research in Motion finally announced its long-awaited BlackBerry tablet, the 7-inch PlayBook (thankfully not named the BlackPad). While there's still quite a few missing details, and nary an unit in site for us to try first-hand, we've still got a sampling of specs for this little guy to go tête-à-tête on the quantitative field of proverbial battle, at least as it can be seen so far (that early 2011 release date is still a ways off). Looks very promising so far, lined up against Apple's iPad, Samsung's Galaxy Tab, and the Dell Streak, but our known unknowns -- i.e. price, app support, and overall feel of using the QNX-built operating system -- are what will really make or break the slate. Until that time, enjoy our number-crunching below:

Toshiba and Best Buy team up on the Satellite L635 Kids' PC, one-ups the kiddy netbooks

2010-09-24T03:10:00.001+03:00

If you're under the age of ten there probably isn't much that can top seeing the Jonas Brothers in concert, chasing after Justin Bieber or a new episode of iCarly, but Toshiba and Best Buy are hoping its new jointly created Kids PC can elicit similar feelings of excitement from them youngins. The 13.3-inch Satellite L635 Kid's PC, as you may have figured out by now, isn't a netbook -- no siree, it's a big kid system with a dual-core Intel Celeron P4600 processor, 2GB of RAM, a DVD drive, and 250GB of storage. But, of course, there are some aspects that set it apart from mommy and daddy's laptop -- in addition to the "gender neutral" gray and neon green coloring it's got a rubberized, wipeable keyboard that makes it easy to clean off the cookie crumbs and cooties. Toshiba's also gone and loaded the 4.2-pound machine up with loads of child friendly software; it comes with NetNanny parental controls, KidZui's web browser and games like Lego Batman. It isn't a bad package for $499, but it'll only available exclusively at Best Buy starting on September 26. Hit the break for the full release and the gallery below for some hands-on shots of the not-so-little guy.

Sony's VPL-VW90ES 3D projector priced and dated for the US

2010-09-24T03:07:00.002+03:00

Say hello to the latest additions to Sony's lineup of SXRD projectors announced at CEDIA 2010, the VPL-VW90ES and the VPL-VWPRO1. Previously introduced at IFA, the VPL-VW90ES is not only Sony's first projector to wear the Elevated Standard brand and include all the custom installer tidbits that go with that, but it's also the first to do 3D. The MSRP for all that high end construction, 240Hz framerate and 1,000 ANSI lumens brightness is a buck under $10,000 when it ships in November. Just in case you don't have that in your couch cushions, it's also introduced a new 2D-only model at the lower end of the line, the VPL-VWPRO1 has a higher brightness rating than its more expensive cousin, but a lower contrast ratio and price of $3,400, available in October. Check the press release after the break for all the specs available or just peek in the gallery for our hands-on pics.

WINDOWS 8 TO BE 128-BIT COMPATIBLE?

2010-09-20T01:47:00.004+03:00

As we’ve known for some time, Microsoft had already begun work on Windows 8 before Windows 7 was completed. The reason being that different teams work on different aspects of the operating system, which is why Microsoft was able to do this. Microsoft previously shed some light on what we can see in Windows 8 through a job description.

It appears though, that one specific Microsoft employee was not too careful with their LinkedIn profile, and had accidentally leaked some interesting details regarding Windows 8. According to his LinkedIn profile, which seems to have had many of its details removed, Robert Murdon has been working at Microsoft since January 2002.Windows 8 News managed to catch this on the Microsoft employee’s LinkedIn profile before it disappeared.

Murdon seems certain that we will see 128-bit compatibility with Windows 9, while it appears that whether we will see it in Windows 8 or not is still uncertain. Coincidentally, many do believe that Windows 7 will be Microsoft’s last 32-bit OS. So could this mean we will see Windows 8 come in 64-bit and 128-bit flavors? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Is Facebook working on a phone?

2010-09-20T01:25:00.001+03:00

A report from TechCrunch today claims that Facebook may be working on a phone of its own to compete in the ever-warming smartphone race. According to a "source who has knowledge of the project," the social networking site has put two high level employees to the task of creating a smartphone which will allow deep integration with Facebook contacts. Apparently, says the source, Facebook has been concerned that Apple and Google represent some kind of threat as competitors, though there is rather deep Facebook integration in the Android platform, and even the iPhone app allows for contact merging. Additionally, the site speculates that the device could be targeted at the low end of the market ($50 or less), which would not place it as a direct competitor to anything but featurephones. The article goes as far to suggest that Facebook and Spotify investor Li Ka-Shing (who apparently had a hand in the Spotify featurephone with INQ) may have started putting those efforts and relationships into the Facebook handset. But, INQ's been down this road with Facebook already -- take a look at the INQ1.

Still, TechCrunch says that Joe Hewitt and Matthew Papakipos are "secretly working on the project," which is being kept tightly under wraps; even Facebook employees are in the dark about the plan. Hewitt and Papakipos have certainly both worked in this space: the former created the Facebook iPhone app, and the latter was head of Google's Chrome OS team until June. But the article strangely leaves out what could be the most telling piece of the puzzle -- the departure of Android's lead project manager, Erick Tseng. After leaving the company in May, he went directly to Facebook to take on the job of head of mobile products. Keep in mind, Erick was high-up enough at Android to act as a spokesperson for the brand -- even appearing on the Engadget Show to talk about the platform.

But does this make for a Facebook Phone in our future? That's not so clear -- the idea that the company would see an opportunity in an already overcrowded smartphone marketplace is questionable, and if it's truly worried about the major players, it wouldn't be targeting a low end handset. We also may be giving the company a little too much credit to think that it can pull off being a heavy hitter in the social networking space (platform and all), and make a dent in the hardware and services game (remember, the competition is Microsoft, Apple, Google, RIM, and Nokia). Like all rumor and speculation in the gadget world, take it with a grain of salt, but you can be sure we'll be putting our feelers out to get a concrete answer on this one.

Update: Facebook wasted no time today shooting the idea down: "The story, which originated in Techcrunch, is not accurate," a spokesperson told Mashable. "Facebook is not building a phone." The company told the publication that it's focusing on "deep integration" with existing mobile platforms, but that "building phones is just not what we do."

Logitech Z506 review

2010-09-10T19:52:00.001+03:00

Audiophiles are quick to name the umpteen flavors of Dolby, but when you go back to basics, there are just three types of surround sound today -- each easily identified by their plug. Virtual surround uses just a single stereo jack, emulating multiple channels from two, while digital surround travels across optical or coaxial S/PDIF cables (or HDMI) and has to be decoded. Finally, there's analog surround sound -- the cheapest solution of all -- where you basically just plug a pair of dumb speakers into each of front, rear and center 3.5mm sockets on your existing PC sound card. Unsurprisingly, the $100 Logitech Z506 speakers use this last technique to deliver their true 5.1 sound, but that's no reason to count them out. The question is, do they deliver enough bang, boom and tweet for the buck? Read on to find out.

iLoveHandles turns nano iPods into oversized watches

2010-09-10T19:49:00.001+03:00

What happens when Apple introduces a square-shaped new iPod and adorns it with an analog watch face for a lock screen? A whole new cottage industry sprouts up, whereby entrepreneurial types dust off old and mostly worthless watch straps, cut out an iPod nano-shaped compartment in them, and charge you $19.99 for the privilege of turning your tiny PMP into a somewhat bulky wristwatch. The saddest part about this is that we've got a feeling they might be on to a winner here.

Looking back at Ford's EV past, forward to the 2012 Focus Electric and a 2013 plug-in hybrid

2010-09-07T17:56:00.001+03:00

Did you know that Ford's first electric car, the Comuta, was released way back in 1967? It was a perfectly goofy looking thing, with a top speed of 37mph and a range of 40 miles -- if you didn't go near that top speed. More of a concept than anything, only a handful were made available for sale, and at this point it certainly looks like the company's immediate plans for EVs are similarly conservative. DailyTech pulled together an analysis of Ford's future offerings in the electric and plug-in hybrid space and it's obvious the Blue Oval is taking its time making sure the EV water is warm before jumping in. First up is the Transit Connect, a 100 mile range electric van intended for fleet use and, with a price well north of $30,000, not expected to sell in droves. Next will be the Focus Electric, due next year and, while this one will be substantially cheaper and more consumer-friendly, Ford execs expect it too will have low demand.

The primary reason for this is that Ford still believes that pure EVs are not ready for mainstream adoption, with battery technology unable to provide reliable power at the range of temperatures people actually want to go somewhere. The Focus Electric mitigates this with both liquid heating and cooling, but for now the company thinks the best mix is a traditional, power-split hybrid, where the gas engine can drive the wheels if the batteries can't cope. That's unlike the Chevy Volt, which is only driven by batteries. To this end Ford has a new, mystery plug-in hybrid vehicle coming in 2012. What kind of car? All we know is it's "not a Focus." That can mean only one thing: F-350 Super Duty PHEV edition.

What is Cloud Hosting?

2010-09-02T19:59:00.001+03:00

When web hosting meets cloud computing, the result is a variety of hosting products that let businesses dynamically scale resources according as their business needs fluctuate. By adjusting their hosting packages on an as-needed basis, businesses can save money by paying only for what they need and still avoid any downtime caused by servers going over capacity. In general, there are three general kinds of cloud hosting technologies that businesses can leverage to reap the cost efficiencies of cloud computing.

Cloud Shared Hosting
For businesses whose hosting needs are small to moderate, there is cloud shared hosting. This kind of hosting is designed for those who are just starting out a new online business or website. As a rule, cloud shared hosting plans offer increased reliability, performance and security. In a nutshell, these are businesses who are just starting out with a blog, an online community, or basic e-commerce website, and cloud shared hosting offers a great balance between low costs and high uptime.

Cloud Servers
At the next level, cloud servers offer businesses all the benefits of dedicated servers, but at a fraction of the cost. With a cloud server product, you can get flexibility, convenience, and the enhanced performance offered by cloud computing. Your servers can be dynamically scaled to meet the changing needs of your online business, and that will significantly reduce the costs of doing business because you will only have to pay for the bandwidth and server space that you actually use.

Cloud Storage
When cloud computing meets data back-up, cloud storage is what you get. Cloud storage offers online businesses high performance, future-proof and highly-scalable online data storage so that their media and files can be hosted and/or accessed from anywhere. Often using storage area network (SAN) disks, cloud storage plans tend to feature faster data throughput and improved reliability. This lets you store media files (such a video) and serve them up on your various web properties. It is also great for backing up your internal network files, or giving employees access to those files from anywhere in the world.

Doing Business in the Cloud
In a nutshell, if you're a company can't afford to experience any significant down-time, but still has to be prudent to not invest in more in your hosting than is necessary, then some kind of cloud hosting package is probably what your business needs. Basically, with a cloud hosting package, your business can save money by not spending more than you need to, but still harness all the benefits of cloud computing â€” such as scalability and enhanced server performance. Such features are ideal for a company that's tech- and/or web-reliant, but doesn't have enough free resources to commit to something as comprehensive as a dedicated hosting package.

MIT Seaswarm autonomous robots coming soon to an oil spill near you (video)

2010-08-28T02:47:00.003+03:00

Think of it as an autonomous, swarming, photovoltaic legion of seagoing Roombas (or don't, if you're easily upset). The Seaswarm project at MIT takes a thin, hydrophobic material and drags it behind a robot outfitted with GPS and WiFi for determining its location and communicating within a swarm. When deployed, the group finds the outer edges of an oil spill, and works its way into the center, coordinating the cleanup with minimal human interference. The material itself can take on twenty times its weight in oil. And yes, the whole thing is re-usable. According to researchers, 5,000 of these relatively low cost devices could have cleaned up the BP oil disaster in a month -- which is more than we can say for Kevin Costner! See it in action after the break.

HP bringing dual-core Atom N550 to Mini 5103, other netbooks expected to follow

2010-08-28T02:41:00.002+03:00

HP only just rolled out its Mini 5103 business netbook earlier this month, but it looks like it might already be set to get an upgrade -- a newly-discovered support document on HP's own site clearly lists the new dual-core Atom N550 processor alongside the current Atom N455 and N475 options. No indication of any other changes beyond that, but this should only just be the beginning of broader rollout for the dual-core CPU -- CNET says it expects a full refresh to hit HP's consumer netbooks next month.

Dual SIM iPhone 4 case gives your multiple personality disorder a new lease on life

2010-08-28T02:37:00.001+03:00

There are any number of phones with dual SIM card slots, most of them built for Asian markets, but the iPhone 4 is about the furthest thing from dual SIM: in fact, it doesn't even have one Big Person SIM to call its own. Luckily, USBFever has a hacktastic solution to this problem (a followup to their iPhone 3G version), with a new $30 case that can host dual full size SIM cards on the back of an iPhone 4 (entombed in some classy clear plastic, naturally), while running an adapter to the iPhone 4's micro SIM slot. You can then switch between the two SIMs from the iPhone's own settings menu, though unfortunately you can't rock both SIMs simultaneously. Looking for a more DIY approach? Bust out your X-Acto and check out our SIM resizing guide!

Sanyo Xacti VPC-PD2BK 1080p pocket camcorder with 3x optical zoom

2010-08-23T04:28:00.001+03:00

With smartphones and point-n-shoot cameras doing most of our impromptu video recordings, it's getting harder and harder to justify the purchase of these pocket-sized camcorders. Perhaps that's why Sanyo is positioning its Flip competitor as a "dual camera" -- capable of capturing 10 megapixel stills or 1080p/30fps MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video with stereo audio. Model VPC-PD2BK features an integrated USB jack that swivels out for some hot laptop mating sessions, a 3X optical zoom, 37-mm wide-angle lens, mini-HDMI port, and support for SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards. Look for it in September with a suggest price of $169.99 in North America.

A first hand look at NVIDIA 3DTV Play and PowerDVD 3D

2010-08-23T04:21:00.001+03:00

Home theater PC fans will tell you that one of the reasons they do what they do is because of the flexibility that comes along with a roll your own home theater PC. And so of course the latest HTPCs need to be able to play 3D movies, games and broadcast content. Now NVIDIA has been bringing 3D to PCs for years but the latest 3DTVs don't share as much in common with 3D PC displays as you might think. Some think this is as simple as getting a video card with an HDMI 1.4 port, but in regards to 3D it is just a spec and your existing video card you've had for years might just work. In fact what HDMI 1.4 means to 3D is simply that a device is capable of outputting specific 3D formats (all common 3D formats used less bandwidth than 1080p60 2D). Sure the hardware must be physically capable of transmitting the signal, but what we're really talking about here is software, not hardware. That's where NVIDIA 3DTV Play comes in. This little piece of magic will be free for those who already own an NVIDIA 3D Vision kit, but for the rest of us with NVIDIA video cards, it'll be $40. What's interesting is that 3DTV Play doesn't really help those with the 3D Vision kits, because it is specifically for 3DTVs; which require their own 3D glasses. Now if you really want to know exactly what 3DTV Play does help with, and how well it works, well you'll just have to click on through for that part.

Murdoch plans digital-only paid newspaper for tablets and phones

2010-08-15T20:01:00.001+03:00

We can't honestly say whether The Wall Street Journal's laggy iPad rendition was a success at $17.29 per month, but either way Rupert Murdoch's News Corp is gearing up for another try at this whole digital news thing. The LA Times reports that Murdoch is planning an entirely new national publication for the iPad and other devices -- in other words, not just a print-to-digital conversion this time. "Unlike News Corp.'s business-centric Wall Street Journal, the new digital newspaper would target a more general readership, offering short, snappy stories that could be digested quickly," writes the Times, adding that sources say the digital paper could launch by the end of the year. Here's hoping it debuts alongside that Skiff Reader, eh?

Kuwait wants RIM to filter BlackBerry traffic, Saudi Arabia testing three servers

2010-08-10T02:05:00.001+03:00

The floodgates are open, and another country has washed in -- though unlike Saudi Arabia, India and the UAE, this one's not threatening a BlackBerry messaging ban... yet. Kuwait has publicly announced that it has requested RIM to deal with "moral and security concerns" -- namely, blocking pornographic websites -- and that RIM has requested four months to comply. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's deadline-driven local server tests are reportedly continuing apace; three servers, one for each national cellular carrier, must "meet the regulatory demands" of the country by Monday.

Researcher Releases Facebook Profile Data

2010-07-31T02:54:00.002+03:00

A security researcher on Wednesday released a file containing the names, profile addresses and unique identification numbers of more than 100 million Facebook users.

The information was corralled via a public directory Facebook makes available that lists users who are sharing at least some of their profile information with everyone on the Internet. It was collected and uploaded by Ron Bowes, a security researcher with Skull Security.

Although the information in the file is freely available online through search engines and Facebook’s own directory, the organized list of names and identification numbers in it could make it easier for others to compile users’ e-mail addresses, locations or other data they have made available. The 2.8-gigabyte BitTorrent file also includes the programming code that Mr. Bowes used to scan the directory list.

Facebook issued a statement via e-mail noting that the list of users’ names was not a threat to those who were comfortable sharing publicly:

People who use Facebook own their information and have the right to share only what they want, with whom they want, and when they want. Our responsibility is to respect their wishes. In this case, information that people have agreed to make public was collected by a single researcher. This information already exists in Google, Bing, other search engines, as well as on Facebook. No private data is available or has been compromised. Similar to the white pages of the phone book, this is the information available to enable people to find each other, which is the reason people join Facebook. If someone does not want to be found, we also offer a number of controls to enable people not to appear in search on Facebook, in search engines, or share any information with applications.

Facebook has said in the past that a large portion of its users change some of their privacy settings on the Web site. Some users choose not to change their privacy settings and happily share personal images and content with the whole Web. But some fail to change their settings due to a lack of understanding of the available options.

Mr. Bowes said in a blog post that he decided to compile the list of user information and share it online to show that there is “a scary privacy issue” at play with the way people share their information with the rest of the Web through Facebook. It was not clear what his motives were for publicly sharing the list online.

In the past, Mr. Bowes has also written about Facebook’s privacy policy and the ease with which hackers could find personal information through the site.

Facebook users who want to keep their information off of the wider Internet should go into the Facebook privacy settings tab and change the “Sharing on Facebook” options to “Friends only.” Those who want to keep their profiles from being found in search engines like Google should also click the “Edit your settings” link at lower left and change the setting for “Public Search.”

Toshiba's latest Cell Regza LCDs are Slim, but don't go calling them 2D

2010-07-28T15:45:00.001+03:00

Ready to climb Mount Fuji and see what the next top Japanese TV will look like? Toshiba has just outed its trio of flag-bearing displays for this fall: the Cell Regza Slim 55XE2 and 46XE2, and the full-bloodied 55X2. Inch-based dimensions are already given in their model names, but you'll also want to know they offer 240Hz refresh rates, 1,000 nits of brightness and 9,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratios on the chunkier X2 (augmented with local backlight dimming), and a 2D-to-3D conversion technology that'll translate your stale old 2D imagery into bodacious triple dimensionality. You're also keeping the 3terabytes of storage and the capability of time-shifting up to eight channels at a time from the older model, though you're no longer limited to a hard cap of 26 hours per channel. Connectivity is also rich, with options for DLNA and/or up to eight HDDs, while jacking in a Blu-ray recorder will permit you to record straight to the optical media the same way you can do to the Regzas' own storage. All these goodies won't come cheap, however, as the flagship 55X2 will retail for a well-rounded million Yen ($11,430) in late October, to be preceded by its Slim siblings with prices of ¥700,000 ($8,000) for the 55-inch and ¥600,000 ($6,858) for the 46-inch earlier that month. Full press release after the break.

Panasonic reveals HDC-SDT750 3D camcorder, is super proud of itself (updated with video)

2010-07-28T15:42:00.001+03:00

Never mind the extensive leaks, Panasonic, you've got a right to be proud about the HDC-SDT750. After crowing about its end-to-end 3D experience, Panasonic has finally made its HDC-SDT750 camcorder official, which looks like it will be the first of its kind to hit the market. Sure, this is just a baby step: the 3D mode is enabled by snapping on an included 3D conversion lens that splits the image in twain to be recorded as right and left images by the standard 1080p sensor. That means each side will only be 960 x 1080, so you can't quite shoot Avatar in your backyard just yet, but it should look fine on standard 3D televisions. Unfortunately, you can't do much more with the 3D video right now other than pump it out over HDMI straight from the camera -- at least with the 3D stills that you can snap you can load them onto an SD card and play them off of AVCHD-compatible Blu-ray players. Still, these are exciting times to be alive, and you can always shoot in 2D with the no-doubt great 3MOS camcorder underneath (which seems to be very similar to the HDC-HS700) while you wait for the rest of the planet to catch up. The SDT750 will be out in October for a hefty $1,399 asking price. PR is after the break.

Roehr Motorcycles releases the eSuperBike, the fastest electric motorcycle

2010-07-18T06:56:00.003+03:00

Impressed by the Brammo Empulse, which just became official earlier this week? Wait 'till you get a load of this. Roehr Motorcycles has just confirmed that its eRoehr line of bikes is now available for order, and they are quite a suite of machines. If you're not familiar with the company, they're about the only American manufacturer making a proper sportbike these days, and now they have a suite of electric offerings too. Full details after the break.

specification

Microsoft says 74 percent of work PCs still use Windows XP, extends downgrade rights (update 2)

2010-07-15T01:42:00.001+03:00

The latest Microsoft operating system may be selling seven copies a second, but it's no match for the behemoth Windows XP, still the most popular OS in the world despite recent nefarious attempts (we kid) to invoke spontaneous shutdowns, slow hard drives and trigger blue screens. In fact, a Microsoft exec admitted today that practically three-quarters of business computers still run the nine-year-old OS on hardware averaging 4.4 years old, and Computerworld's now reporting Microsoft will extend XP's lifespan ~~through 2020~~ as a result. "Going forward, businesses can continue to purchase new PCs and utilize end user downgrade rights to Windows XP or Windows Vista until they are ready to use Windows 7," an official Windows blog post reads. We've heard the reluctance to upgrade is due to a reliance on older software and the cost of additional IT, but it probably doesn't hurt that Microsoft doggedly keeps distributing the OS despite the other choices on offer. Perhaps the futuristic Windows 8 will finally win the workplace over, but it seems Redmond's hedging its bets on this one. Look on the bright side: this way, when intelligent robots battle for control of the moon, at least the wrathful victors will still be vulnerable to the blue screen of doom.

Update: So it seems as if that 2020 date is incorrect, according to Microsoft's PR team. We're presently waiting for an official update of some sort, and will let you know if / when we get it. Don't worry about the robots -- we've got top men working on Plan B.

Update 2: The official Windows Team Blog has stepped forward to reduce the confusion, but they've only toned it down a tad. Microsoft won't commit to an exact date for Windows XP downgrade availability, saying instead that you can trade in your OEM copy of Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate until the company stops selling it... which is presently slated to be two years after Windows 8 ships... whenever that is. Find the complete non-committal statement at the more coverage link.

China renews Google's license to host

2010-07-09T16:43:00.002+03:00

A little later than anticipated, Google is confirming that China has renewed its ICP license -- the rights one needs to host a site on its own domain in China. Without that Google would certainly be on the outs, but after resuming limited broadcasts there last month there was hope the two global powerhouses would work out their differences. And, it appears they have -- at least to some degree. We're not sure whether this means Google will resume full hosting in China or will keep redirecting some content to HK servers, but we were able to get a statement from the ICP on it's feelings on this development, which is embedded after the break.

HP ePrint really works: eMails and attachments printed from the cloud (video)

2010-07-03T20:36:00.002+03:00

We don't blame you if you missed this the first time round, but HP's ePrint service is probably best seen in action anyway. Fortunately, our brethren over at Engadget Chinese had the opportunity to play with these new web-connected printers recently. The idea is that each ePrint printer gets a unique email address, meaning you can send in a document from any email-enabled device to get it printed, thus eliminating the hassle of finding a computer and drivers or installing an app on certain smartphones and tablets. So how does one go about setting up this bad boy? According to our sister site, you must first register your printer on HP's ePrintCenter website to obtain a randomly-generated email address (don't worry, you can always get a new one if necessary), and then you're good to go, literally. Read on to find out if ePrint's as straightforward as it sounds.

Toshiba Book Place full-color e-book store is powered by Blio, launches soon

2010-07-01T16:17:00.001+03:00

And here we go, an honest to goodness book store built around Ray Kurzweil's Blio e-reader software. It's been a long time coming and still it's only a teaser page, but Toshiba is promising to unleash its Book Place store "in the coming weeks" stocked with "thousands" of full-color e-books. The Blio software, you might remember from our video hands-on, offers a fully interactive reading experience rich in multimedia capabilities and should run beautifully on oh, say, Toshiba's new dual-screen Libretto W100. Man, when did Toshiba suddenly become interesting? See it in a cheesy, promotional packaging rager (that hints at an iOS app at the 2.42 mark) after the break.

Samsung's Epic 4G for Sprint

2010-06-28T16:17:00.002+03:00

That rumored Galaxy S Pro is very real and very official for Sprint this evening, 'cept it's not actually called the Galaxy S Pro -- instead, it'll be known as the Epic 4G when it comes to market "in the coming months." Like the EVO 4G before it, the Epic 4G sort of blows everything out of the water on paper: 4-inch Super AMOLED display, 5 megapixel primary camera with LED flash and 720p video recording paired with a VGA front-facing cam for video calls, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, six-axis accelerometer, and a 1GHz Hummingbird core. Oh, and of course let's not forget those EV-DO Rev. A and WiMAX radios, the latter of which will earn you theoretical downlink speeds in excess of 10Mbps -- speeds that will work nicely with the phone's five-device mobile hotspot support (three devices fewer than the EVO 4G, interestingly).

As software goes, the Epic 4G will be running Samsung's reworked version of Android 2.1 offering features like DLNA support and Social Hub. In other words, this is the closest you're going to get to an EVO 4G with a landscape QWERTY slide -- and at 14.2mm thick, you're only about a millimeter and a half thicker than HTC's entry. Like AT&T's Captivate, the Epic 4G is being described as "a Galaxy S smartphone," so it's pretty clear that Samsung's looking to group all of these things under a global brand with big-time name recognition. Neither pricing nor a launch date have been announced -- but hey, the EVO deserves a few more days in the spotlight, wouldn't you say? Follow the break for Sprint's press release.

iPhone 4

2010-06-25T19:14:00.003+03:00

All about iPhone 4

Windows 7 hits 150 million licenses: that's seven copies a second

2010-06-24T05:36:00.001+03:00

If Steve Ballmer's still pumped eight months later, there's a good reason -- Windows 7 has reportedly sold its 150 millionth copy, just two months after crossing the 100 million mark. If you run the numbers -- and we have -- that translates to roughly seven licenses sold per second since launch, a very convenient number for Microsoft to tout in their marketing communications from here on out. Perhaps execs can celebrate with a nice Windows 7 Whopper, topped with a fresh .dll pickle.

Lenovo jumps on the 3D laptop train with the IdeaPad Y560d

2010-06-17T22:31:00.002+03:00

We're not sure there are any PC manufacturers without a 3D laptop in store at this point, but add Lenovo to the confirmed list! The 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560d poo poos NVIDIA's 3D Vision, and instead utilizesTriDef's 3D technology like Acer Aspire 5738DG. The solution, which combines a specially coated screen, software and special polarizing glasses, can convert 2D content to 3D content, but in our previous experience we've been less than impressed with the quality of the end result. And unlikeToshiba's Satellite A665, TriDef doesn't support 3D Blu-ray content. Yeah, so we're hesitant about all that three-dee stuff, but the rest of the machine looks mighty tempting. It'll be available with Intel Core i3 through Core i7 processors, an ATI Radeon HD5720 GPU, and up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM. It will also apparently have Lenovo's RapidDrive technology as an option, which marries a regular hard drive with an SSD for faster boot times. Just don't put on those 3D specs yet, the Y560d won't be available until the end of the month and will start at $1,200. Check out some of the press shots below and if you're still digging for some details the full press release is after the break.

Clearwire intros new WiMAX mobile hotspots

2010-06-17T22:23:00.002+03:00

Lookin' for yet another avenue to hop on the 4G superhighway? Fret not, as Clearwire has just doled out a trio of new products intended to help you do just that. Prior to today, you had only a smattering of options to actually tap into Clear's WiMAX network, but the Clear Spot 4G (WiMAX only), Clear Spot 4G+ (dual-mode with 3G / 4G support) and Clear 4G+ Mobile USB stick have all arrived to give choosy moms more choices. The prior two are simply mobile broadband hotspots (think MiFi, but for 4G), with the 4G+ offering support for Sprint's 3G network if you happen to leave one of those few WiMAX zones already lit. The USB stick is particularly interesting, as it's the first dual-mode device hawked by Clear that's fully compatible with Apple OS X. The Clear Spot 4G will be made by InfoMark and available to purchase for $99.99 next month; those who hate committing can also lease one for $4.99 per month. The Sierra Wireless-built Spot 4G+ (a rebadged Overdrive; shown left) demands a hefty premium for that 3G support, with an MSRP of $224.99 (or least for $5.99 per month) and a similar July ship date. The 4G+ Mobile USB stick (shown right) will support OS X 10.5.x and 10.6.x (along with Windows, of course), and can be snapped up today for $114.99 or leased monthly for $5.99. Head on past the break if you're thirsty for more.

ASUS Eee PAD

2010-06-03T07:47:00.001+03:00

Asus announced the EeePad at Computex to fight off iPad and take some market up. But the specs are rather let down at the moment. The 12-inch EeePad runs on Windows 7 Home Premium powered by an Intel CULV Core 2 Duo; while the 10-inch model runs on Windows Embedded Compact 7 powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 2.

- Both models run on a resolution of 1366 x 768. - Both support 802.11b/g/n with optional 3G. - 1080p H.264 decode acceleration is supported on both platform. - The 10-inch EeePad will not support MKV currently.

It’s a sad thing that MKV support is lacked in the 10-inch model. Though Asus mentioned that they might integrate support for it in the near future, though how near is that, we do not know.

Toshiba ships Core i7-equipped Satellite P505 gaming laptop, all 18.4-inches of it

2010-05-23T17:48:00.003+03:00

Looking for the most gargantuan laptop money can buy? How's about the biggest laptop that the least amount of money can buy? Toshiba's Satellite P505 -- a machine we spottedbriefly at CES this year -- has now been put on sale over at Microsoft's own webstore, complete with an 18.4-inch LCD (1,680 x 945), a 1.6GHz Core i7-720QM processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory, 500GB SATA hard drive, Windows 7 Home Premium, a DVD SuperMulti drive, ExpressCard slot, integrated memory card reader, NVIDIA's GeForce 310M (512MB), four USB 2.0 sockets and a beastly 12-cell Li-ion battery. Best of all, you can pop in a coupon (see the links below for details) in order to score this behemoth for $689, or just $687.95 more than freedom. Hop onpast the break if you need an explanation.

Fujitsu LifeBook T730

2010-05-18T05:03:00.002+03:00

It's good to have options, right? And, bam! Just like that, Fujitsu announces a little something called the LifeBook T730. Sporting the same Intel Core i5-520M, i5-540M, or i7-620M CPU available on theLifeBook T900, this bad boy packs up to 8GB RAM, 320GB HDD (or 128GBSSD with encryption), Bluetooth, HDMI output, pen input (with optional capacitive multitouch), and a Super-Multi DVD writer into a comparatively svelte, 12.1-inch LED backlit package. Prices start at a Rockefeller-esque $1,869 and move skyward ever-so-quickly depending on your needs and budget.

7 Things to Stop Doing Now on Facebook

2010-05-14T03:58:00.002+03:00

Using a Weak Password

Avoid simple names or words you can find in a dictionary, even with numbers tacked on the end. Instead, mix upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. A password should have at least eight characters. One good technique is to insert numbers or symbols in the middle of a word, such as this variant on the word "houses": hO27usEs!

Leaving Your Full Birth Date in Your Profile.

It's an ideal target for identity thieves, who could use it to obtain more information about you and potentially gain access to your bank or credit card account. If you've already entered a birth date, go to your profile page and click on the Info tab, then on Edit Information. Under the Basic Information section, choose to show only the month and day or no birthday at all.

Overlooking Useful Privacy Controls

For almost everything in your Facebook profile, you can limit access to only your friends, friends of friends, or yourself. Restrict access to photos, birth date, religious views, and family information, among other things. You can give only certain people or groups access to items such as photos, or block particular people from seeing them. Consider leaving out contact info, such as phone number and address, since you probably don't want anyone to have access to that information anyway..

Posting Your Child's Name in a Caption

Don't use a child's name in photo tags or captions. If someone else does, delete it by clicking on Remove Tag. If your child isn't on Facebook and someone includes his or her name in a caption, ask that person to remove the name.

Mentioning That You'll Be Away From Home

That's like putting a "no one's home" sign on your door. Wait until you get home to tell everyone how awesome your vacation was and be vague about the date of any trip.

Letting Search Engines Find You

To help prevent strangers from accessing your page, go to the Search section of Facebook's privacy controls and select Only Friends for Facebook search results. Be sure the box for public search results isn't checked.

Permitting Youngsters to Use Facebook Unsupervised

Facebook limits its members to ages 13 and over, but children younger than that do use it. If you have a young child or teenager on Facebook, the best way to provide oversight is to become one of their online friends. Use your e-mail address as the contact for their account so that you receive their notifications and monitor their activities. "What they think is nothing can actually be pretty serious," says Charles Pavelites, a supervisory special agent at the Internet Crime Complaint Center. For example, a child who posts the comment "Mom will be home soon, I need to do the dishes" every day at the same time is revealing too much about the parents' regular comings and goings.

Sony Vaio P Series

2010-05-10T19:10:00.002+03:00

In a day of $300 netbooks and $500 tablets, it sure is mystifying to see Sony still pushing a secondary, $700+ Atom-powered device. That's right, Sony hasn't given up on its 8-inch VAIO P Series, and has updated the 1.3-pound mini-laptop with a slightly different design, a faster Atom Z560 processor, touchpad, and last but not least, an accelerometer that lets you tilt the machine to the navigate the web. It's got some pretty cool tricks, that's for sure, and considering that our main complaints about the first generation included performance and desktop navigation we're certainty taken with this next iteration. So, does a mild retooling and a smattering of new abilities make the VAIO P a better product, or better yet, worth a lofty $800?

Thanko's Bracelet Battery is back, better and geekier than ever

2010-05-08T04:14:00.001+03:00

If 2007's Bracelet Battery from Thanko didn't match your lifestyle, there's a good chance 2010's model won't either. That's because it looks identical to the prior model, sporting the kind of style that would go perfectly with a Caped Crusader costume and virtually nothing else. New with this year's model is an adapter cable that enables it to work with an even greater variety of devices, a 1,500mAh lithium-ion battery, and (wonder of wonders) an on/off switch. Yours for just ¥3,980 -- about $40.

Google's New Search Interface

2010-05-06T02:46:00.004+03:00

The new search interface Google had been testing in beta since last fall finally has a broad release. Users will see it roll out globally across 37 languages today, along with an English language mobile version for the US.Not much has changed since we first reported on it back in November, but here's a video from Google to get you caught up on the new features included in the left-handed navigation menu:

LUXA2 H4 iPad Stand

2010-05-06T02:30:00.001+03:00

The LUXA2 H4 iPad Stand is a stand made of solid aluminum. It has a firm and strong bottom with 6 supporting arms with rubber pins, and silicone pad design. One of the best holders for reading, browsing and playing. It is available at $50. More pictures after the break.

BlackBerry Pearl 3G

2010-05-04T06:32:00.003+03:00

Check out the new BlackBerry Pearl 3G, for those who complaints Blackberry is too big here’s one suitable for you. The Blackberry Pearl 3G comes with small body, small screen and small keyboard with 802.11n Wi-Fi, GPS, a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, an optical trackpad, a microSD card slot, Bluetooth 2.1, and a 624 MHz processor with 256MB of RAM. Pricing is not available.