Aug/100
Droid Pro is the global Droid 2: the evidence grows
We’d reported before our belief that the rumored Droid Pro is nothing more than the dual-mode version of the Droid 2, but the question remained: knowing that the Droid 2 has a model code of A955, what the heck is the difference between the model codes A956 and A957 that have been showing up in Verizon’s systems? Looks like we might have some clarification on that question this afternoon thanks to a new shot clearly calling out the A957 as the R2-D2 version of the Droid 2 that’s launching late next month. What does that mean? Well, it means that if the Droid Pro is a separate product with insane specs, it hasn’t shown up in any screen shots and we don’t have a model code for it. Our original tipster was pretty insistent that Verizon didn’t have any product on its 2010 phone roadmap with crazier specs than the Droid X — and besting it inside of six months would seem like an awful business move anyway — so now, the only question seems to be whether Big Red will go with the “Droid 2 World Edition” or “Droid Pro” branding when this thing launches in the coming weeks.
[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Droid Pro is the global Droid 2: the evidence grows originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
Windows Home Server ‘Vail’ sees new beta release, adds OS X support
It’s not the biggest of releases, but progress is progress at this point. Since launching in late April, Microsoft has been rather mum on the future of its latest Windows Home Server build. This week, however, the second major beta release has been let loose into the wilds, with Vail’s most recent build now available to download there in the source link. The Big M doesn’t go into great detail on what all has been added and / or changed, only saying that this new version has “plenty of enhancements and improvements over the original.” The so-called “Preview” also adds support for Mac OS X backups, though users should know that storage check and repair (among other things, most likely) aren’t exactly working seamlessly. But hey, that’s what you get for living on the beta, right?
Windows Home Server ‘Vail’ sees new beta release, adds OS X support originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Redbox rolling out $1.50 Blu-ray rentals at 13,000-plus kiosks, nationwide by fall
It’s really no surprise that Redbox is going nationwide with its $1.50 Blu-ray rentals, at every step along the way of its Hollwood dealmaking, the company has pointed out its aim towards procuring a supply of high definition movies, and now the day is finally here. The high definition disc packing kiosks currently number 13,300, and the plan is to have Blu-ray in all 26,000 locations by the fall. While we spotted plenty of Blu-ray enabled locations with a San Francisco zip code, other areas in the Midwest and East Coast weren’t so lucky. The site points out a few of the movies on offer, including Green Zone, Book of Eli and Bounty Hunter, but there’s no way to check which movies are in stock at each box. Of course, at this price, we might be willing to take our chances until Redbox gets things straightened out, or starts offering an online competitor to Netflix.
Continue reading Redbox rolling out $1.50 Blu-ray rentals at 13,000-plus kiosks, nationwide by fall
Redbox rolling out $1.50 Blu-ray rentals at 13,000-plus kiosks, nationwide by fall originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Parrot AR.Drone now available for pre-order, shipping September 3rd
Continue reading Parrot AR.Drone now available for pre-order, shipping September 3rd
Parrot AR.Drone now available for pre-order, shipping September 3rd originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Canadian iPhone 4 launch details emerge: Rogers offers 6GB for $30, iPad sharing for $20
The iPhone 4 may be launching on all the major Canadian carriers tomorrow, but we’re only just now starting to get the actual details on what they’ll be offering. Rogers is the first out of the gate and, for a change, it looks like folks in the US may just be a tad jealous of their northern neighbors. It’s not only offering the iPhone 4 for a further discounted price — $159 for the 16GB and $269 for the 32GB on a three-year contract (for both new and existing customers eligible for a hardware upgrade) — but it’s bringing back its 6GB data plan for $30 a month as well. What’s more, Rogers is also offering a new iPad sharing plan that will let you share those 6GB between the two devices for an extra $20 a month. Still no official word from the other carriers, but MobileSyrup has turned up a leak that suggests Bell will be offering 6GB for $30 as well, and iPad sharing for just $10 a month — although that’s yet to be confirmed. We’ll keep you posted as more plans are announced.
Canadian iPhone 4 launch details emerge: Rogers offers 6GB for $30, iPad sharing for $20 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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MobileSyrup | 
Rogers Redboard, MobileSyrup | Email this | Comments
Jul/100
EVO 4G’s Android 2.2 update starts trickling out tomorrow, loads of new features and fixes in store?
We’re not certain that this date is going to hold — things like this have an uncanny tendency to slip at the last possible moment — but we’re at least hopeful to see some internal Sprint communication that they’re trying to get the EVO 4G updated to Froyo as soon as tomorrow, July 30. It’d be the perfect way to kick off the weekend, wouldn’t it? Turns out this is no mere 2.2 upgrade, though — they’re making a bunch of changes, too, including a host of new preloaded widgets, a flashlight mode for the camera’s LED flash, light-assisted 720p video, and “improvement” to the quality of said video capture (something we specifically complained about in our review). Unfortunately, it looks like the hotspot hack might be sealed off with this update, but that really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. As we said, we’re hopefully the date sticks, because Sprint has identified it as a “high priority for competitive reasons” — in other words, these guys must be feeling the Droid heat — but the PR is apparently going to identify the week of August 1 as the first push, so the devices getting the OTA tomorrow might just be a very small, select group to ensure that nothing spectacularly bad happens. We’re pulling for you, EVO owners.
EVO 4G’s Android 2.2 update starts trickling out tomorrow, loads of new features and fixes in store? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
ASUS U33Jc-A1 Bamboo series review
Pandas, East Asia, wood. Nope, “laptop” hasn’t ever been on the list of words we typically associate with “bamboo,” but ASUS sure has us willing to tack it on with the introduction of its U Bamboo Series. The company’s newest 13-inch U33Jc is covered in one of the most durable and recyclable materials on earth, and its internals are made of equally strong parts. Sure, the laptop looks incredibly traditional, but the $999 machine actually packs an incredible amount of new technology, including a fresh Core i3 processor, NVIDIA Optimus enabled graphics, USB 3.0 and Intel’s wireless display technology. It’s truly one of the most impressive laptops we’ve heard about in the last few months, but a few gripes hold it back from being the killer laptop it could be. Intrigued? Bamboozled? Hit the break for our full review.
Gallery: ASUS Bamboo U33Jc review
Continue reading ASUS U33Jc-A1 Bamboo series review
ASUS U33Jc-A1 Bamboo series review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Lookout’s App Genome Project warns about sketchy apps you may have already downloaded
If you’re an iPhone user, the only privacy notice you’ll see from an app regards your current location — as much a warning about the associated battery hit from the GPS pinging as anything. If you’re an Android user, however, things are different, with a tap-through dialog showing you exactly what each app will access on your phone. But, do you read them? You should, with Lookout running a sort of survey across 300,000 apps on those two platforms, finding that many access personal information even though they seemingly don’t need to. One particularly scary instance, an app called Jackeey Wallpaper on Android, aggregates your browsing history, voicemail password, text messages, and even your SIM ID and beams it all to a server in China. That this app has been downloaded millions of times is a little disconcerting, but it’s not just Android users that have to fear, as even more iPhone than Android apps take a look through your contact infos. What to do? Well, be careful what you download to start, on Android read those privacy warnings… and we’re sure Lookout wouldn’t mind if you took this opportunity to download its security app.
Lookout’s App Genome Project warns about sketchy apps you may have already downloaded originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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MobileBeat, Yahoo! News | 
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Jul/100
New Kindles now available for pre-order
You might’ve heard about a new Kindle model or two this evening, and good news if they tickled your fancy — they’re now on Amazon and available for pre-order. Both the WiFi-only and WiFi / 3G models are shipping August 27th, the former in graphite and the latter in graphite and white options. Search your pocketbook, if you know it to be coveted.
New Kindles now available for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Amazon (WiFi), (WiFi + 3G) | Email this | Comments
Jul/100
Sprint reports $760 million net loss for Q2, slightly less than expected
Well, it looks like Verizon has a bit of company at the negative end of the earnings spectrum — Sprint has now also reported a loss for the second quarter, although it’s a slightly smaller one than expected. Specifically, the company posted a $760 million net loss for the quarter that’s just ended, or 15 cents a share, which isn’t exactly great, but is better than the 17 cent loss analysts had predicted. That gain is at least partly attributed to strong sales of the HTC EVO 4G, and by the company’s best ever year-over-year improvement in net postpaid subscribers, which helped boost the number of wireless subscribers by 110,000 (for a total 48.2 million customers). Looking for some more hard numbers There’s plenty to keep you busy at the link below.
Sprint reports $760 million net loss for Q2, slightly less than expected originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
NVIDIA’s refreshed Optimus interface sheds more light on what your GPU is doing
There’s no question that NVIDIA’s Optimus system — which enables a discrete GPU to operate when a machine is taxed and a power-sipping IGP to function when you’re involved in less strenuous tasks — has changed the way the world looks at laptop graphics, but it hasn’t been able to avoid a fair amount of criticism about the controlling interface. With the July release of the monthly Verde drivers, the company has just rolled out a revised UI that provides “even more visibility into how Optimus is working and allows you even more control over how Optimus operates.” The newest Optimus control panel, as well as a brief demonstration of what’s been tweaked, is available for viewing just after the break, but it’s on you to hunt down drivers for whatever rig you call your own.
Continue reading NVIDIA’s refreshed Optimus interface sheds more light on what your GPU is doing
NVIDIA’s refreshed Optimus interface sheds more light on what your GPU is doing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
HTC beginning Froyo rollout tomorrow? Maybe, maybe not
HTC Europe spokesperson Mark Moons caused quite a stir this morning when he tweeted that the company would begin rolling out Android Froyo updates to devices tomorrow, starting with the Desire, but we wouldn’t get too excited yet — HTC tells us that it’s possible a rollout will begin tomorrow, but nothing’s finalized yet pending some final testing. We’ve certainly got our fingers crossed — and we’re sure Desire owners the world over will be hitting that System Updates button nonstop for the next few days.
Continue reading HTC beginning Froyo rollout tomorrow? Maybe, maybe not
HTC beginning Froyo rollout tomorrow? Maybe, maybe not originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Kensington’s Laptop Locking Station is a thief’s worst nightmare… maybe
Make no mistake, this one’s no docking station — rather, it’s a locking station. Kensington, which has somehow managed to get a self-labeled lock slot embedded into nearly every modern Windows-based laptop, has just introduced a new duo meant to keep your lappie locked down and unavailable for thieves. The Kensington Laptop Locking Station ($79.99) boasts an all-steel backbone (one that resists cutting, drilling or prying), and ideally you’d mount it onto the desk or table where you typically leave your machine for extended periods of time. If you’re in need of a little extra reach, there’s an optional Tether Kit ($29.99) that keeps things secure regardless of where you’re at. Specific details on both — along with a video demonstration — are embedded after the break, with the whole shebang capable of handling laptops from 13.3- to 17-inches.
Continue reading Kensington’s Laptop Locking Station is a thief’s worst nightmare… maybe
Kensington’s Laptop Locking Station is a thief’s worst nightmare… maybe originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Apple releases Safari 5.0.1, Extensions Gallery now open
Safari 5’s extension support just got a whole lot more useful this morning, as Apple’s just released Safari 5.0.1, which enables the feature for end users, and opened its official Extension Gallery. Extensions can be installed from anywhere, but you might think of the Gallery as the App Store for browser add-ons — and it seems decently stocked at launch, with notable entries from Amazon, eBay, Bing, MLB.com, the New York Times, and Twitter. We’d expect that number to grow over time, as extensions are apparently quite simply built in HTML5, CSS and JavaScript. PR after the break.
Continue reading Apple releases Safari 5.0.1, Extensions Gallery now open
Apple releases Safari 5.0.1, Extensions Gallery now open originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Microsoft Street Slide: it’s electric! (video)
Remember the first time you used Google Street View? Amazing, right? Thing is, traversing a busy urban street in a 360-degree photographic bubble can be disorienting, especially when searching for a specific address or business. So check this: Microsoft Research has developed a rather nifty solution it calls Street Slide. Zoom out of your panoramic bubble and the street is presented as a dynamic, multi-perspective “strip” giving you an instant visual summary of the surroundings — similar to viewing the entire street from a distance. Fortunately, Microsoft took advantage of what would otherwise be the unused letterboxed screen above and below the strip to add navigational and informational aids like clickable business logos and building numbers. Pretty impressive, and Microsoft is already working on taking Street Slide mobile with an iPhone port, and no doubt a version for the upcoming Windows Phone 7 series of devices. Unfortunately, don’t expect this to be released anytime soon as the team has only processed about 2400 panoramas so far covering just 4 kilometers of streets. Check the video after the break, you’ll be glad you did.
Continue reading Microsoft Street Slide: it’s electric! (video)
Microsoft Street Slide: it’s electric! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Android 2.2 upgrade for Droid X may already be trickling out, other Droids shortly?
We’ve already gathered that Verizon, Moto, and HTC all seem to be pretty well committed to bumping most of their Droid models to Froyo (as well they should), but things are starting to get real — really real. First off, we’ve been fed a shot of a tipster’s Droid X that has apparently already been blessed with 2.2 over the air; the baseband version is a tick older than the one in a shot leaked over on My Droid Life, but it’s anyone’s guess how Motorola is staging this and what the final gold binary really contains. We’ve also seen a 2.2 ROM for the Droid Incredible leak recently (and the Droid before that), so uncorroborated rumors we’re seeing that three of the four retail Droids will be getting 2.2 by the 15th of next month aren’t necessarily crazy. Remember: think positive thoughts.
[Thanks, Shane]
Android 2.2 upgrade for Droid X may already be trickling out, other Droids shortly? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Droid Life | 
xda-developers, My Droid World, AndroidSPIN | Email this | Comments
Jul/100
Panasonic’s new DMP-BDT100 is a cheaper, slimmer choice for Blu-ray 3D playback
Panasonic’s not letting us know exactly how cheap it’s going with the new DMP-BDT100 Blu-ray player, but with an existing lineup that starts at $399 for the DMP-BDT300 it’s not hard to see why it would need a mainstream option to compete with Samsung, Sony and the rest. The DMP-BDT100 still promises high quality playback and Viera Cast features including Netflix, Amazon VOD and Pandora access, but it does it in a smaller, energy efficient package as Panasonic’s first single-HDMI out 3D Blu-ray player. It will ship in August, but we’ll have to wait for any pricing info or possible new Blu-ray 3D pack-in deals (c’mon Avatar.) Press release and one more pic from HDTV.com.pl are after the break.
Continue reading Panasonic’s new DMP-BDT100 is a cheaper, slimmer choice for Blu-ray 3D playback
Panasonic’s new DMP-BDT100 is a cheaper, slimmer choice for Blu-ray 3D playback originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 23:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Panasonic will offer interchangeable 3D lens for Micro Four Thirds by year’s end
Like Panasonic’s new 3D-capable HDC-SDT750 camcorder but don’t want to shell out $1,400 for a brand-new kit? Get a load of this Micro Four Thirds lens. That’s right, Panny’s just announced an interchangeable 3D lens that affixes to the standard Lumix G-series mount, meaning any of the company’s new sub-DSLR shooters could see in stereo with a firmware hack update. Sadly, compatible models are still “to be announced” and even the lens pictured above is just a prototype, but we won’t have too long to wait for the real deal — the Japanese manufacturer says it’ll be on sale by the end of the year. Press release after the break.
Continue reading Panasonic will offer interchangeable 3D lens for Micro Four Thirds by year’s end
Panasonic will offer interchangeable 3D lens for Micro Four Thirds by year’s end originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Netflix Watch Instantly title search flips on for all PS3 users
Being tied to a disc hasn’t made for the easiest Netflix Watch Instantly experience on the PlayStation 3, but it has its benefits, and now that includes the ability for all users to search its library directly on the console. This feature’s been available to some for months before it was even announced the Xbox 360 would get parity in a fall update, but we can confirm it’s currently rolling out to all PS3 users. It should automatically update the next time you’re watching, so just slide left from Instant Queue on the top bar to live the glorious life of title searching that you deserve.
Gallery: PlayStation 3 Netflix search
Netflix Watch Instantly title search flips on for all PS3 users originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
ECOtality and Frog Design debut eye-catching Blink EV chargers
Continue reading ECOtality and Frog Design debut eye-catching Blink EV chargers
ECOtality and Frog Design debut eye-catching Blink EV chargers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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