Archive for May, 2009
When we had the downright magnificent opportunity to toy with Philips’ latest PMP line here in the States, we immediately noticed that the GoGear Opus stood out among the rest. The crew over at TrustedReviews recently spent some quality time with the 8GB version of that very unit, and while they found the audio quality to be “excellent,” they seemed rather disappointed — if not irked — by everything else in the package. For starters, the whole solution just felt boring, with critics noting that its biggest problem was a lack of “excitement.” Granted, none of this would matter at a rock-bottom price point, but for $100, there’s an awful lot of competition. As we found during our short time with the player, these folks also noticed that the user interface was simply “old-fashioned,” and that video playback was nothing to write home about. The bottom line? Unless you score some kind of spectacular deal, your PMP dollars are probably best spent elsewhere.
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
Philips GoGear Opus reviewed: solid audio, but painfully boring originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 May 2009 18:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We know the Mini 1101 is the more business-centric of the new HP netbooks, but unless the company has a sudden change of heart, it looks like you’ll be getting the base configuration or nothing at all. Starting today, HP is enabling eager consumers to purchase one of the $329 machines, but the only “customization” options are external accessories and peripherals. Hit the read link to see if what’s offered fits your bill, and if not, the Mini 110 XP and Mini 110 Mi alternatives should be popping up soon.
[Thanks, Richard]
Filed under: Laptops
HP’s Mini 1101 up for order, customizations nowhere to be found originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 May 2009 13:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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DuPont’s been dabbling in OLED advancement for years now, and while the world waits for the introduction of market-ready big-screen OLED HDTVs, engineers at the miracle-working company are toiling away to make sure those very sets last quite some time. For anyone following the OLED TV scene, you’ll know that luminance longevity has been a nagging issue, but if new developments pan out, stamina will be the least of our worries. In fact, the firm has crafted a green light-emitting material that can purportedly push onward for over a hundred years… continuously. Furthermore, the same scientists have engineered a new blue light-emitting material with a luminance half-life of 38,000 hours along with a red light-emitting material with a life of 62,000 hours. Unfortunately for the laypeople out there, we can’t imagine this stuff being even marginally affordable — but hey, it’s great news for the sybarites!
Filed under: Displays
DuPont crafts ultra longevous OLED materials, which likely won’t be affordable originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 May 2009 07:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Go on and file this one away in the folder of “awesome things that could, but won’t ever happen.” As the brilliant minds around the world figure out how to solve vicious diseases, move motorcars with peanut oil and send engineers to fix a telescope in outer space, we still can’t buy a pack of AA cells that last longer than a month or two in our favorite toy. Some call it a limit of physics, some deem it a conspiracy. Whatever the case, we’ve no doubt whatsoever that a new silicon-containing carbon material — designed by Dow Corning Toray to double the capacity of existing Li-ion batteries — won’t ever have a real impact in our lives. Of course, it’s not like any consumer would actually benefit from having a netbook battery good for 16 hours, nor would wedding photographers enjoy being able to shoot 1,000 indoor shots without cracking the battery door open on their SB-600. No — that’s just absurd. C’mon Dow, prove us wrong here.
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Science
More scientific black magic promises to double Li-ion battery capacity originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 May 2009 23:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We’d heard it through the grapevine that Microsoft was gearing up to right the wrong and nix that ludicrous three application limit for Windows 7 Starter Edition, and sure enough, it did just that via The Windows Blog. The company admitted that it was removing the three application at-a-time limit previously slated for inclusion in Win7 Starter “based on the feedback it has received from partners and customers.” (Psst… thanks for yelling, people!) That said, the OS is still severely gimped, with no multi-monitor support, DVD playback, Windows Media Center, remote media streaming, XP Mode or network connectivity. Just kidding on that last one… we think.
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
Microsoft confirms: no three app limit in Windows 7 Starter originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 May 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It’s not every day that we use “Ericsson,” “sexy,” and “3G router” all in the same sentence, so you can understand our excitement upon learning everything there is to know about the company’s new W30 and W35 models. Calling it “3G” might be an understatement, actually — these bad boys will do a purely theoretical 7.2Mbps down and 2.0Mbps up on three hair-raising HSPA bands in addition to quadband EDGE. Both models offer 802.11b / g and four Ethernet ports for routing that high-speed WWAN data however you see fit, and the W35 ups the ante by throwing two RJ11 ports on board for VoIP connectivity. The W35 looks to be shipping in early June, so clear a nice little feng shui spot on your kitchen counter where it can sit, get friendly compliments from the neighbors, and enhance your calm.
[Thanks, Scott H.]
Filed under: Wireless
Ericsson’s fashion-forward W30 series 3G routers get detailed originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 May 2009 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 30, 2009
Ah, Samsung’s Instinct s30. One step forward, three steps back — or something like that. Of course, we’re not out to remind you of what we thought of the next-gen Instinct, we’re here to find out what you think of it. If you plunked down the coin in order to grab yourself the Sprint-locked featurephone, have you been fully satisfied? Is life going alright without EV-DO Rev. A? How’s that web browser treating you? Are you wishing you would’ve held off for the Pre? Feel free to voice your opinion below, and remember, this chance won’t ever, ever come around again. Ever.
Filed under: Cellphones
How would you change Samsung’s Instinct s30? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 May 2009 04:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Another day, another laser… well, not so fast. This particular laser just so happens to officially carry the “world’s largest title.” Built at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, and housed in the National Ignition Facility — or NIF — it was completed at the end of March, and has just now been officially dedicated and opened for business. The laser inside the three-football field-sized building will aim to create a “star” on earth by focusing 162 beams at a pea-sized target, generating temperatures over 100 million degrees and pressure over 100 billion times the earth’s atmosphere. The process will create nuclear fusion — the reaction that powers the sun and the stars. it sounds pretty complicated, and we’d hate to be in town if something goes awry, but we’re crossing our fingers for the team! Hit the read link for much, much more information about the project.
[Via Physorg]
Filed under: Science
World’s largest laser opens for business in California originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 May 2009 21:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 29, 2009
Continue reading Foxconn shows off Moblin-running SZ901 netbook
Filed under: Laptops
Foxconn shows off Moblin-running SZ901 netbook originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 May 2009 13:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 29, 2009
Push up those Armani shades and tighten your white trousers, the Dustbot is coming to wash the scum off the streets like a Segway riding Travis Bickle. Give him a call from your mobile and the Dustbot will come to your house and dispose of the rubbish. At least that’s the plan for this Italian disposal-bot fitted with GPS navigation, gyroscope, and a bevy of sensors meant to keep it from crushing the innocents. Look, we get that it’s a prototype and is meant to traverse the narrow streets of ancient cities, but a trash collecting robot with the capacity of just two kitchen cans seems like a serious limitation. Watch the long slow ride after the break.
[Thanks, Craig]
Continue reading Video: Dustbot takes out the Eurotrash
Filed under: Robots
Video: Dustbot takes out the Eurotrash originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 May 2009 07:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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