Engadget

Black Friday deals bonanza round up

by Laura June posted Nov 14th 2009 at 2:04PM

Thanksgiving is moving ever closer -- and we all know what that means: the day that comes after. That's right, there's nothing more American than following up a day of thanks with a day of hitting the malls, strip malls, big boxes, and virtual shops up for the hottest deals to be found this side of the Atlantic. We've rounded up a few of the more choice deals we've found on the 'net for you so you don't have to search all alone... and first up, Office Depot's got a 17.3-inch,Windows 7-boasting Toshiba Satellite L555D-S7930 for $649 and a 12 megapixel Nikon Coolipix S570 for $200, while over at Best Buy you can grab up a 120GB PS3 with three games for $300, with a host of cheap video games for Xbox 360 and PS3. Finally mammoth of the retail world Sears has a Canon EOS Rebel XS for $570, plus some of the cheapest digital photo frames around and a DVD player for $18. You're getting excited, aren't you?

Read - Best Buy Black Friday Ad
Read - Office Depot Black Friday Ad
Read - Sears Black Friday Ad

Cranberry DiamonDisc: the $35 DVD that'll last longer than your ghost

by Darren Murph posted Nov 14th 2009 at 11:40AM

We've seen outfit after outfit trumpet their long-lasting optical storage wares before, but Cranberry seems different. Rather than promising that whatever miracle they've just unearthed will be available "in the very near future," this company is selling its wonder product right now. The so-called DiamonDisc -- which is reportedly constructed from "diamond-hard stone" -- is designed to store precious memories for 1,000 years or more, and it's even built to withstand "temperatures extending up to 176 degrees Fahrenheit as well as UV rays that would destroy conventional DVD discs." Unfortunately, each disc holds just 4.7GB of information, and each one will run you $34.95 if purchased individually. Oh, and it's only playable on "most" regular DVD drives, so across-the-board compatibility seems less than likely. The more we think about it, the more sense that whole "just carve it into stone for future generations to see" mantra makes. Kudos, cavemen.

[Via DailyTech]

Archos 9 PMP sneaks into the FCC, gets dissected when caught

by Darren Murph posted Nov 14th 2009 at 9:43AM

Archos has already made it abundantly clear that its Windows 7-based Archos 9 media player is US-bound, but just in case you were worried over legalities, this FCC filing should crank your stress level down a notch. Best of all, this particular entry includes external and internal photographs, meaning that the camera-toting employees within the deep, dark FCC labs are actually credited with handling the (admittedly messy) dissection. Shocking pixels await you in the read link, so make sure you go in fully prepared.

[Via jkkmobile]

BBC redoubles its Wii efforts with dedicated iPlayer channel

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 14th 2009 at 7:17AM

The BBC's iPlayer streaming video / radio service has been available on the Wii in the form of a browser-based app for some time now, but it looks like it's now set to step up its game considerably with a full-fledged iPlayer Wii channel. Launching in the UK on November 18th, the new channel boasts a streamlined, Wii-friendly interface that was apparently the result of extensive testing, and includes a number of other smaller design touches, like some nifty background animations during radio programs, and some use of the Wiimote's rumble feature for added feedback. Best of all, the whole thing's completely free -- now, about that UK-only part...

[Via BBC News, thanks Lenny]

The daily roundup: here's what you might've missed

by Ross Miller posted Nov 14th 2009 at 4:11AM


	Editorial: Hey, AT&T -- drop lawsuits, not calls		Chumby One review
	YouTube begins streaming 1080p insecurities next week	Other news of import Google's Chrome OS just a week away from launch? Dell Mini 3i officially set for imminent launch in Brazil and China
	Sony's 2010/2011 OLED and flagship XBR series LCD roadmap leaked?		T-Mobile launching BlackBerry Bold 9700 on November 16 for $199.99
UK Channel 4 set to throw some 3D programming our way		Nokia rumored to be eyeing Palm buy yet again

How would you change Garmin-Asus' nuvifone G60?

by Darren Murph posted Nov 14th 2009 at 3:35AM

The nüvifone G60 took nearly two years to go from introduction to on sale at AT&T, and just weeks after its introduction, it has been nearly completely forgotten. Smartphones like Motorola's Droid and HTC's Droid Eris have already snagged the spotlight, and of course, that $300 (on contract) price tag that it debuted with didn't help attract any eyes, either. That said, we're sure at least a few (couple?) of you bit the bullet post-price drop, and now we're overly anxious to hear how you feel about it. After two years, does this thing really live up to the expectations? Are you satisfied with the navigation capabilities? Is the lackluster battery life worrying you yet? Should Garmin-Asus even bother with a second-gen device? Sound off in comments below!

Palm Pre WebOS 1.3.1 update available now

by Richard Lawler posted Nov 14th 2009 at 12:49AM

webOS 1.3.1 was always destined to come right around the launch of the Pixi, but it's surprised us by showing its face early. No app catalog bombshells here, but there are a slew of more minor fixes and updates that should make users experience a great deal smoother. Is this the update that finally unlocks access to the GPU and provides the speed boost Pre owners are waiting for / ~~advances the iTunes chess match another step~~? We'll let you know once our unit reboots, for now here are a few highlights from Palm's list of changes:

Update: Downloaded, applied and rebooted. iTunes still isn't spotting our Pre as a device to sync with, and at least for the moment there's no great speed increases to speak of, but we have noticed a few more key tweaks that owners are sure to like -- setting a specific ringtone for text messages is exactly what we've been looking for.

Yahoo! now appears as a Calendar/Contacts/instant messaging synchronization account.
You can forward a text or multimedia message by tapping the message > Forward.
A new option is available for restarting the phone: press and hold power > Power > Restart. The prior restart method (Device Info > Reset Options > Restart) is still available.
Widescreen videos (including YouTube) now display in widescreen mode on the phone by default, instead of being cropped.
If you tap to play a YouTube video embedded on a web page, the YouTube application launches and the video plays in the app.
You can select a unique ringtone for new message alerts: Open Messaging > application menu > Preferences & Accounts > Sound > Ringtone.
While listening to a song with album art displayed, you can tap the screen below the art to display a playback slider. Dragging the slider jumps forward or backward in the song.

ViewSonic heats up phone collection, V901 spotted on Microsoft China site

by Ross Miller posted Nov 13th 2009 at 11:58PM

In just one week, ViewSonic has gone from a glint of a 3G phone maker to having two models prominently on display. We've already seen VPC08 Windows XP phone, and now up to bat is the V901, found in the pages of Microsoft China's official site. The Windows Mobile 6.5, apparently TouchWiz-skinned device has a 3.6-inch, 480 x 800 touchscreen, a Marvell PXA310 processor, 128MB RAM and 256MB ROM storage with microSD expansion, 5 megapixel camera, GPS, Bluetooth, all hailing to the wavelengths we call CDMA EV-DO Rev. A. Launch is Q4 2009, so sometime very soon -- but we get the feeling this is China-only, at least for now.

[Via iTech News Net]

BrailleNote Apex claims to be the thinnest, lightest notetaker for the blind

by Paul Miller posted Nov 13th 2009 at 10:39PM

We don't know what it's like to be blind, but we often suffer from acute blogger's eye fatigue and would love nothing more to pound out our ramblings in a no-look manner -- if only we could read them back afterward without letting all those ultra-harsh light particles and / or waves back into our brains. Well, a Braille display and Braille keyboard obviously solves that problem, and the BrailleNote Apex from HumanWare is purportedly the thinnest and lightest notetaker for the blind yet. It runs Windows CE 6, with a decent variety of accessible software, and is targeted at serious students and professionals, with 8GB of built-in flash storage, an SD card slot, WiFi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, and a trio of USB ports. No word on a price or release date, but it sounds pretty kitted out, and these things typically don't come cheap.

ioSafe Solo hard drive places a 2TB bet on all kinds of disasters

by Richard Lai posted Nov 13th 2009 at 9:08PM

It's Friday the 13th, and ioSafe couldn't have chosen a better time to update their Solo fireproof and waterproof hard drive line with a 2TB model. Sure, it'll cost you $399 for a USB 2.0 connection instead of eSATA, FireWire 800 or USB 3.0, but you'll never know when your yacht sinks or burns down, sending that precious Kenny G collection to oblivion. Don't go thinking you can just get the $149 500GB model and upgrade it yourself either -- you'll have to destroy the waterproof seal to get to the hard drive, as demonstrated before. Yeah, life's tough.

Hikari to unleash iFrame Android tablet on Japan (video)

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 13th 2009 at 7:41PM

Hikari's iFrame (as opposed to the other, Ubuntu-sportin' iFrame from a while back) is an Android-powered tablet with a skin that's heavy on the widgets and -- in case you're still intimidated by its difficulty -- is also being touted as a photoframe for people who don't mind ugly photoframes. Ideally suited for the kitchen or living room (and, as such, is being marketed towards women -- which we find pretty condescending, truth be told) this bad boy features a 7-inch touchscreen display, SD memory card slot, and WiFi. Due out in Japan sometime next year (no word yet on a stateside release date) look to pay anywhere between $220 and $330 (with the company giving credit to the OS for the low price point). Video after the break.

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading Hikari to unleash iFrame Android tablet on Japan (video)

AdhocParty for PSP coming to North America 'soon'

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 13th 2009 at 6:49PM

Gamers in Japan with both a PSP and PS3 have been able to use the adhocParty service to expand their multiplayer gaming options for quite a while now, and it looks like folks in North America will soon finally be able to get in on the action as well. For those not up to speed on it, the service effectively lets you use your PS3 as a gateway to let you play PSP games with an ad hoc mode (like Gran Turismo or Monster Hunter) over the internet instead of simply with other PSP users near you. You'll also be able to make use of the PS3's wireless headset or PlayStation Eye for voice chat with the service, but you will have to make sure your PS3 is connected to the internet via Ethernet or a wireless bridge (since it makes use of the built-in WiFi to connect to the PSP). Still no firm word on a release date, but it will be a free download from the PlayStation Store.

T-Mobile launching BlackBerry Bold 9700 on November 16 for $199.99

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 13th 2009 at 5:57PM

Anyone looking for the hottest T-Mobile-powered BlackBerry experience that money can buy need only wait a few dozen hours now, because the carrier has just revealed that it'll be launching the latest rendition of the Bold -- the 9700 -- on Monday, November 16 for $200 on contract. Your hard-earned cash reels in T-Mobile's very first 3G BlackBerry underpinned by a 3.2 megapixel camera and 480 x 360 display, beating AT&T's launch by a solid six days. Enjoy, folks.

HP dm3t review

by Nilay Patel posted Nov 13th 2009 at 5:31PM

We're really into the new influx of inexpensive CULV-based laptops that's arrived with Windows 7, and just like the ASUS UL80Vt, we knew we had to check out the starts-at-$599 HP dm3t the second we saw the first leak. In many ways, it's the perfect throw-it-in-a-bag-and-go portable on paper, with a sleek and rigid case design, a 1.3GHz Intel SU7300 Core 2 Duo processor, and a 13.3-inch screen, but there's a big difference between loving a machine's spec sheets and reviews and loving it in real life, so we spent a couple days playing with a spec'd-up $819 model -- read on for our impressions.

Gallery: HP dm3t unboxing and hands-on

Continue reading HP dm3t review

Engadget Podcast 171 - 11.13.2009

by Trent Wolbe posted Nov 13th 2009 at 4:50PM

Hey there, web surfer. What's cracking? Us? Oh, not much, just listening to this side-splitting episode of the Engadget Podcast on our portable listening device. Yeah, it's the episode where Josh, Nilay and Paul find a purse on the sidewalk with $500 in it and debate whether or not to take it to the police or spend the money on pizza and arcade games. Or maybe they talk about gadgets. You should check it out! Alright, later on cool dude.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: Plush

Hear the podcast

00:04:00 - Zune HD Marketplace now loaded with free 3D games
00:05:18 - Zune HD 3D games video hands-on
00:23:22 - Dell's Inspiron Zino HD on sale now in America: starts at $229, doubles as an HTPC
00:30:46 - Palm Pixi review
00:35:08 - Walmart's $30 deal vaults Pixi from 'meh' to 'sure, I'll take three'
00:46:44 - Ricoh GXR camera system swaps out the sensor along with the lens
00:47:17 - NVIDIA tablet mystery solved: an ODM Tegra prototype
00:52:10 - Psystar founders claim they cracked OS X, hackintosh scene is 'all wrong'
00:59:00 - Mac OS X 10.6.2 update out on the prowl (update: Atom support is gone)
01:04:43 - Listener questions

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Contact the podcast

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Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget

Nokia rumored to be eyeing Palm buy yet again

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 13th 2009 at 4:28PM

We've been around this rumor pretty much since Palm started looking competitive again, so take it for what you will -- but a bunch of fat cats down on Wall Street have been going ape today over renewed "chatter" that Nokia might be taking an interest in acquiring Palm. Palm's share prices are up well over 5 percent on the day, though we wouldn't be the least bit surprised if there was some behind-the-scenes manipulation going on here -- an acquisition would make less sense now than ever with suitors on the hook for $2 billion or more, a hefty sum even for a giant like Nokia, never mind the fact that they've still got two smartphone platforms of their own in the mix. Licensing webOS is being floated as a possible alternative to an outright Palm purchase -- but we're having such an exceedingly difficult time picturing a 5800 running webOS that we'll put this one on ice until we get the joint press release.

The Engadget Show: Philippe Starck Q&A bonus round

by Joshua Topolsky posted Nov 13th 2009 at 3:51PM

If you've already watched our interview with Philippe Starck, you'll want to catch this quick game of word association we play as well!

Host: Thomas Ricker
Directed by: Daniel Gallenkamp
Edited by: Chad Mumm and Michael Slavens
Music by: Bit Shifter
Titles by: Julien Nantiec

Subscribe to the Show:

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Download the Show:

Starck Q&A
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Continue reading The Engadget Show: Philippe Starck Q&A bonus round

The Engadget Show: Inside the mind of designer Philippe Starck

by Joshua Topolsky posted Nov 13th 2009 at 3:50PM

If you care about design, then you know the name Philippe Starck. As an industrial designer, Starck has been responsible for some of the most groundbreaking -- and divisive -- products ever created. He's been both vilified and deified, and while there are solid arguments for both stances, there is no denying that he is a force to be reckoned with. Fresh off of his design of LaCie's new Mobile and Desktop drives, Engadget's Senior Editor Thomas Ricker had a chance to sit down with the man himself in Paris and hear his thoughts on life, love, and good design. What we learn will shock you, amaze you, warm your heart... and convince you that Starck is a serious Apple fanboy. The full video is after the break. Don't be a fool -- watch it now!

Bonus round: Catch a game of word association with Starck right here!

Host: Thomas Ricker
Directed by: Daniel Gallenkamp
Edited by: Chad Mumm and Michael Slavens
Music by: Bit Shifter
Titles by: Julien Nantiec

Subscribe to the Show:

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.

Download the Show:

Philippe Starck interview
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Download The Engadget Show formatted for iPod / iPhone

Continue reading The Engadget Show: Inside the mind of designer Philippe Starck

Sony's TransferJet-packin' Memory Stick Duo hits the FCC

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 13th 2009 at 3:21PM

If what we saw at CEATEC is any indication, we can all look forward to a future where damn near every new piece of Sony kit that we lay our hands on will support its fledgling wireless technology, TransferJet. As you might have guessed, we've been keeping our eyes on the usual channels in vain hopes of finding any gear sporting the new standard. So, what do we have here? Our friends at Sony Insider have spotted FCC paperwork for the MS-JX8G, which is apparently a Memory Stick Duo that sports the protocol -- and which (hopefully) means that someday soon we'll be able to grandfather TransferJet into all of our existing Memory Stick Duo-supporting devices. Pretty clever, Sony!

[Via Sony Insider]

Continue reading Sony's TransferJet-packin' Memory Stick Duo hits the FCC

Dress lit up with 24,000 LEDs, perfect for your next formal rave

by Laura June posted Nov 13th 2009 at 2:53PM

In general, we've found the whole LED dress craze to be kind of a snoozer -- after all, the results are usually pretty tacky, in our opinions. It seems, however, that all that has just changed -- with the introduction of Cute Circuit's Galaxy Dress, which is made of silk and has 24,000 LEDs measuring just 2 by 2-millimeters each embroidered onto its surface. As you can see from the photograph, the dress is also quite classic and beautiful -- not your usual raver's delight. To make the dress lighter and more flexible than your average light-enhanced couture, the designers used layers of organza crinoline and silk chiffon, and they power the dress with many small iPod batteries, which are light and easily hidden in the dress. The Galaxy Dress is currently on exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago -- but you can check it out for yourself in the video after the break.

[Via Wired]

Continue reading Dress lit up with 24,000 LEDs, perfect for your next formal rave

Gallery: HP dm3t unboxing and hands-on

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