Archive for December, 2009
December 31, 2009
Will we be getting clearer and better quality call quality in the near future? The folks over at Orange UK certainly seem to think so, as the company is looking to be one of the first carriers to upgrade its call quality with the launch of HD Voice, using a technology known as Wideband Adaptive Multi-Rate (WB-AMR). This will actually allocate more bandwidth to a call than normal 3G voice uses, without increasing the amount of data used. You’ll probably need phones that support WB-AMR, and it’s not confirmed whether our current phones will be able to be upgraded to the new standard. Orange will start trials of HD Video in Jan 2010, so hopefully we’ll be staring at better call quality sometime real soon.
Permalink: Orange To Test HD Calls in 2010 from Ubergizmo | Hot: Blackberry Bold 9700 Review
December 31, 2009
Playing the Mario theme song will never be the same once you’ve plucked it away on the Koopa Troopa Guitar. Now we just need a 1Up Mushroom ukulele and our geeky instrumentation will be complete.
It’s now mandatory for everyone who reads our site to know the Super Mario Bros. theme song. If you don’t, please leave now. Thank you. OMG, PLEASE COME BACK! We were joking of course, but seriously, you should learn it. If you play the guitar, you should at least know how to play the opening line, that’s just how we roll.
December 31, 2009
A day without landline phones? Some may say that’s inevitable, but it looks like AT&T is now starting to try to speed things up a bit, with it recently responding to an FCC request for comments with a 32-page filing that details its position on the matter. That more or less boils down to two major requests: that the FCC eliminate the regulatory requirements that it support a landline network, and that it provide a firm deadline for phasing it out. To back up that request, AT&T has provided the FCC with a whole host of statistics that paint a bleak picture for landlines, including the fact that less than 20% of Americans rely exclusively on switched-access lines for voice service (though plenty more still use them as their primary voice service), that at least 18 million homes now use a VoIP service, and that those two numbers are fast growing in opposite directions. Needless to say, such a change would have a broad range of regulatory implications, and AT&T isn’t providing answers for everything — like exactly how it expects that last mile of users to transition away from landlines, or how to deal with issues of public safety or those with disabilities.
AT&T asks FCC to phase out landline regulations originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
December 30, 2009
Just when you thought you’d seen it all with Nexus One, along comes an old friend with some higher resolution shots of the handset (hooray!) and a pretty impressive 3D benchmark test using Qualcomm’s Neocore. Video’s after the break –that Snapdragon chip outputs a mean framerate, no?
Continue reading Nexus One trounces 3D benchmark, gets caught in high-res photoshoot
Nexus One trounces 3D benchmark, gets caught in high-res photoshoot originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 30, 2009
Occasionally, a phone exists simply because it can. Not because it’s powerful; not because it offers amazing bang for the buck; not because the manufacturer negotiated some lucrative exclusivity agreement with a major carrier, and certainly not because it’s introducing some groundbreaking new smartphone operating system. Yeah — not even Sony Ericsson is attempting to frame or formulate a legitimate business case for the sinfully hedonistic Xperia Pureness, because they don’t have to. One look at that wild transparent display and you’ll either be smitten or confused and dismayed by the $1,000 sticker price. It’s that simple.
Anyhow, we’ve just taken delivery of a Pureness today and have had a few fleeting moments to check it out. If it weren’t for the display, you’d be looking at a $30 prepaid candybar here — you don’t have a camera, a high-res display, or any sexy metal or soft-touch bits to give the phone a premium feel. The UI is about the simplest possible incarnation of Sony Ericsson’s typical dumbphone platform, owing largely to the fact that the display’s just grayscale; you’ve got an FM radio (with a headset attached) and a basic music player and browser, but if you’re in North America, don’t expect any 3G.
That said, seriously, look at that shot we took up there: the display is insane. We can’t quite get over it — it’s the ultimate conversation piece. Motorola Aura owners looking for a fresh way to draw a crowd might look at this as their next purchase, but if you’re looking to do anything but talk (and occasionally browse an eerily translucent version of Engadget), make no mistake, this isn’t your phone. Did we mention we want one really, really badly?
Sony Ericsson Xperia Pureness hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It has taken longer than anticipated, but the Boox e-reader that we toyed with at CeBIT earlier this year is finally available for order here in the US of A, with shipments expected to begin in a fortnight. Onyx International’s 6-inch reader — which features WiFi, a Vizplex e-ink display, a 532MHz processor, 512MB of memory, a 1,600mAh battery and an SD / SDHC expansion slot — is bring slung across the seas courtesy of Dulin’s Books, and while it won’t ship with integrated 3G support, it’s still coming here with a lofty $349 price tag affixed to it. Sure, that WebKit browser may impress some, and the bundled white leather cover is a pleasant touch, but we can only wish it luck as it tries to rival the (less expensive and more capable) Nook and Kindle.
[Thanks, Jorge]
Dulin’s Books brings Onxy’s 6-inch Boox 60 e-reader to US shores for $349 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 30, 2009
Gallery: Taser Axon head-mounted camera
Axon head-mounted camera records what police see when they keep an eye on Mayberry originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 29, 2009
We’ve been seeing a fair amount of netbooks equipped with Intel’s Pinetrail processors since they were announced early last week, and it looks like we’re going to be seeing at least one from Samsung in the very near future. This one — the N220 — was just spotted in France. The 10.1-incher packs (as you’d expect) an Atom N450 CPU, GMA 3150 graphics, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth, plus a webcam and a 6 cell battery which should supposedly get around eleven and a half hours of battery life. It comes with Windows 7 installed, and as you can see from the photo, one of the available colors will be glossy green. It’s going for 350 euros in France, so, if the price stays comparable when (and if it) hits North American soil, we can expect it to cost somewhere in the realm of $500.
Samsung’s Pinetrail-boasting N220 netbook spied in France originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 29, 2009
It certainly isn’t the best way for Palm to end the year, but that’s the way it is sometimes. Latest reports indicate that while 800,000 units of the Pixi were supposed to be shipped, part supplier Compal is only going to be shipping 600,000 as the device hasn’t passed Verizon’s software tests. It’s very likely that Verizon will be receiving an upgraded version of the Palm Pixi that will sport Wi-Fi, which is certainly a welcome addition. Now it remains to be seen how the dip in 200,000 units will affect Palm. Are you looking forward to a Palm Pixi with Wi-Fi, or are you quite satisfied without Wi-Fi? Check out our Palm Pixi Review here.
Permalink: 600k Palm Pixi Units Shipping Instead Of The Original 800k from Ubergizmo | Hot: Blackberry Bold 9700 Review
We’ve seen these miniature robots dance and wrestle aplenty, so it’s only a matter of time before they pick up weapons and murder us all for crafting their bulky looks and squeaky servos. Fortunately for now, this Takara Tomy i-SOBOT seems to be content enough with demolishing just balloons and polystyrene foam blocks, courtesy of its owner who blessed the bot with a range of “handmade” firearms and edged weapons. Don’t be so quick to laugh, though — that mini mini Gatling gun may be pointed squarely at your face one day. Until then, keep smiling and enjoy the video after the break.
Continue reading i-SOBOT goes haywire with stash of weapons, instills fear in mere mortals
i-SOBOT goes haywire with stash of weapons, instills fear in mere mortals originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
