Archive for December, 2008
December 28, 2008
Guess it is nigh impossible for companies to guard their products jealously before they are ready for an official realease these days - case in point, Microsoft’s Windows 7 Beta 1 is already leaked, and enterprising folks can get a copy on BitTorrent if they want to. The beta was originally scheduled to be released sometime in the middle of next month, but early birds benefitting from Torrent downloads will get a 2 week head start or so. The beta itself will expire on July 1, 2009, and folks who have tried it out claim that it is a wee bit more stable compared to previous iterations - hey, that’s to be expected, right?
Permalink: Windows 7 Beta 1 Leaked from Ubergizmo (US, FR) | Good deals | Hot: CES 2009, Jan 6-11
December 28, 2008
We’re getting way too many tips on AT&T being down for it to be a coincidence — how’s it going for you? Both EDGE and 3G are pretty spotty for us at the moment in Illinois, but they’re working in NYC, which jibes with reports of a Midwest-specific outage, but we’re also hearing there are troubles nationwide. We’ve pinged AT&T for an official statement, but in the meantime let us know if things are working for you wherever you are.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Filed under: Cellphones
Is AT&T down for you? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
December 28, 2008
While our vivid imaginations certainly had something more invigorating than this in mind, we suppose Creative could still surprise us at CES 2009. The curious Zii website we peeked a few days back is reportedly referring to an all new processing chip, and while eipZENter isn’t being too forthcoming with details just yet, we are told that it will likely be “one of the biggest projects Creative has invested in.” If that’s just too vague for your tastes, try this: “[Zii] is completely different from the X-Fi audio chip and it will be used in a variety of upcoming products.” Alrighty then.
[Thanks, Swild]
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
Creative’s Zii actually a CES-bound processing chip originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Before you get all “Oh, that comment was so heartless” on us, we will say that the spectacles you’re peeping above are still a concept for now, though we wouldn’t be surprised at all to hear that Kanye himself eventually funds their commercialization. At any rate, designers Hyun-Joong Kim and Kwang-Seok Jeong should be mighty proud of their concoction, which integrates dye solar cells into fashion-forward sunglasses in order to power your pocketable gadgets. Put simply, the SIG (Self-Energy Converting Sunglasses) convert the sunlight that they’ll obviously see into usable energy, though it should be understood that these could give the impression that you’re rockin’ a head-mounted display. And we wouldn’t want that, now would we?
[Via Engadget Polska]
Filed under: Wearables
Solar panel-packin’ sunglasses power your gizmos, make Kanye inordinately envious originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 27, 2008
Yes, it’s that time of year again. The end of the year. This is the final podcast of 2008, but just the tip of the iceberg in the world of Engadget podcasting. Cuddle up by the fireplace and listen in as Josh, Nilay, and Paul reminisce about their time at the reader meetup, pontificate on Apple’s exit from Macworld, speculate about the Adamo and VAIO P, and much, much more. Go on and listen — you know you want to.
Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: Jump
01:22 - Apple announces final MacWorld, Steve Jobs won’t deliver keynote
13:15 - Thank you NYC!
20:26 - Dell confirms shocking truth: Adamo to rival MacBook Air
27:34 - Sony P-series “netbook” unveiled, underwhelming
37:51 - HP Firebird 803 tower with VoodooDNA leaked!
51:32 - Editorial: All I wanted this year was the best smartphone ever
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Filed under: Podcasts
Engadget Podcast 123 - 12.27.2008: Goodbye 2008 edition originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
December 27, 2008
While Panasonic’s two newest whiteboards lack those snazzy multitouch capabilities, they posses something only the true undercover FBI agent posing as a first grade teacher could appreciate. The film and steel boards look pretty traditional at first glance, but underneath of that plain jane facade is a highly advanced security system. You see, each board can accept passwords, which will in turn restrict the ability to transfer information from the board to USB flash memory. For those cleared for access, the whiteboards can transfer on-screen information to a PC via USB, though we suspect you’ll have to handle the encryption on your end. ‘Course, neither of these will run you cheap, but you know your underground supervisor won’t mind shelling out upwards of two large to make sure schematics to rule the world aren’t intercepted by meddling rivals.
Filed under: Displays, Misc. Gadgets
Panasonic debuts password-protected whiteboards originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 27, 2008
Eaton, which is better known for its involvement in supercharging muscle cars, has a thing for saving fuel, too. According to a writeup on the outfit’s website, it’s working up a series hybrid hydraulic system to replace the conventional driveline. The SHH system will wed a high-efficiency diesel engine and a custom hydraulic propulsion system, and by operating at its “sweet spot,” it stands to reason that lots of gasoline will be saved as it runs. Better still, the setup involves regenerative breaking in order to recover and reuse energy that’s typically wasted, and the engine can safely be shut off when not needed in order to save additional fuel when waiting at a stoplight. So, where is this stuff headed first? UPS trucks, naturally.
[Via Autoblog]
Filed under: Transportation
Eaton’s fuel saving hydraulic hybrid systems put traditional drivetrains in jeopardy originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 06:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 27, 2008
Ben Heck’s apprentices are showing their true colors again, with modder SifuF churning out a real winner over the holidays. The Nintendo Sixtyfree Lite-R just might be the most elegant portable N64 that we’ve seen to date, with a clean, low-key design, beautifully integrated buttons and a cartridge slot that’s about as non-cumbersome as possible. Of note, there are no internal batteries to speak of, thus it’s forced to rely on an InfoLithium (or any 7.2v supply) clipped on the rear. Tap the read link for a pictorial look at the build and final product.
[Thanks, Adam]
Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds
Nintendo Sixtyfree Lite-R elegantly crams N64 into a luscious handheld originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 26, 2008
Ha, you or someone you love just paid full retail for an iPhone 3G a few days ago, didn’t you? We’ve always heard that the best deals come after Christmas, but people just never learn. All smack talk aside, those who didn’t get a new cellie under the tree, but did acquire a Benjamin or so courtesy of cash-stuffed holiday cards, can certainly score a big deal today. AT&T is now offering the 8GB iPhone 3G in refurbished form for just $99 with a two-year agreement, while the 16GB refurb is $199 on contract in either black or white. Call us crazy, but we don’t foresee these hanging around in stock for too awfully long.
[Thanks, Brenson]
Filed under: Cellphones
AT&T letting go of 8GB refurb iPhone 3Gs for $99 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 26, 2008
Look, we have no idea what’s going on here, and you know what? Maybe it’s better that way. Creative — a company always on the edge — has clearly gone off the deep end. A new teaser on its site promises that “Everything you know is about to change…” and forwards on to the dubious Zii.com — with a logo that couldn’t be more obvious about its Wii inspiration. Four leaf clovers shimmer and shake, and a trademarked term chills us to our very core: Stemcell Computing. Yeah, how about no. If this is at all interesting to you, we recommend registering for updates soon, before this company manages to implode the Earth with its mad, mad science.
[Thanks, Grayson S.]
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Creative’s Zii “Stemcell Computing” is not likely to be awesome originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 09:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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