Archive for April 29th, 2009

As automobiles become more eco-friendly, they’re also becoming increasingly quieter… which is a good thing, if, like us, you want to live in a completely silent world (the blaring of Mastodon notwithstanding). The obvious problem with quieter vehicles is, of course that they can pose a real danger to unsuspecting pedestrians. To combat this terrifying prospect, Senators John Kerry (D, MA) and Arlen Spector (R, er… D, PA) have introduced The Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009. This bill requires the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a study on what effects of hybrid, electric and other silent engine vehicles are having on pedestrian injuries and deaths in the US. The bill specifically focuses on the perils of quiet engines to blind pedestrians, but notes that the dangers are likely wider spread than that. While there are no possible solutions mentioned, may we suggest writing into law that you have to have a bullhorn strapped to your car and yell “vroom vroom” the entire time you drive?

Filed under: Transportation

Pedestrian Safety Act of 2009 to investigate the dangers of silent automobile engines originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

HTPC fans were devastated when it was revealed that only OEM PC builders would have the privilege of building Vista Media Center PCs with CableCARD support, but hope is here: it looks like a few members of The Green Button forum have figured out how to build their own CableCARD ready HTPC. There’s two barriers to overcome, which unfortunately still make it more difficult than just picking up an internal or external ATI Digital Cable Tuner, but they’re not terrible: would-be system builders just need to score an OCUR tuner product ID number and use a BIOS contains the correct OSFR table. No one’s figured out how to tweak just any BIOS yet, but apparently most ASUS P5Q motherboards work fine — so really you just need to score some used CableCARD tuners off eBay and ask the seller for the PID from their computer. Or you could throw caution to the wind and plug in the generic PID of 263DJ-2Y9YT-6X9G6-W28DB-697TF, which may or may not work. Anyone feeling brave enough to grab a new mobo and CableCARD tuner and give this a shot?

Filed under: Home Entertainment

DIY’ers successfully build their own CableCARD equipped HTPC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

It’s been a while since we’ve seen a new Mio navi hit Stateside — Mitac seems to be concentrating on the Magellan brand here — but it looks like there’s still some kick left in those boots: say hello to the Moov S401 and S501. Baby brother 401 will sell for $129 and has a 4.3-inch screen and four million preloaded POIs, while the $169 501 bumps it up to 4.7 inches and 12 million. Both have Mio’s newish “Spirit” interface, but we’re most intrigued by the repeated mentions of gas price searching and Google Send to GPS in the docs we were leaked, which suggest integration with a service like MSN Direct. We’ll find out soon — these are set to land in Radio Shack in mid-May.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Filed under: GPS

Mio S401 and S501 nav units leak out, due in May originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sure, you’ve seen the alpha SDK, and you’ve even seen it in pre-alpha, but if you’re really serious about your Maemo 5 development you gotta check out the beta release. This should be music to the ears of all you crazy kids who are hard at work developing software for Nokia’s next-gen Internet tablets. And “Maemo 5 Beta SDK” is not only fun to say, but it also brings several new features to the table, including: support for widget development, a new version of the Modest open-source email app, OMAP3 support, HSPA data connectivity, hi-def camera support, and hardware-based graphics acceleration. Lastly (though certainly not leastly) you’ll finally be able to get your hands on a Maemo 5 Development Manual. We hear that one’s a real page-turner. Hit that read link and get to work.

[Via Brighthand]

Filed under: Handhelds

Maemo 5 Beta SDK released into the hands of an eagerly waiting world originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

We’re not sure why Android is suddenly the hottest netbook OS in town, but we’d guess it’s about to hit the scene in a big way at Computex next month. Today’s whispers? Averatec CEO Tae-Hyun Cho says his company will ship a new netbook with a “surprise” OS that blends “cell phone and PC technology” in August or September. Very mysterious. That’s literally all we know for now, but Cho’s comments about what consumers are willing to pay has us thinking this one’ll come in cheap — we’ll keep an eye out.

Filed under: Laptops

Averatec hints at an Android netbook originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Android and Google may seem inseparable to some, but Vodafone is apparently suggesting that some of its future Android-based phones could possibly pack a little less Google and a little more Vodafone. While the carrier unsurprisingly isn’t offering much in the way of specifics just yet, it did tell TechRadar that future Android phones could ditch some of the familiar Google services in favor of a more “basic package” that would let Vodafone (or other carriers following the same route) offer their own client software instead — a winning idea if there ever was one. And it seems that there will indeed be more Android phones in the offing from Vodafone sooner rather than later, with Vodafone’s Rachel William’s telling TechRadar that the carrier is “looking at other Android devices,” and that “by joining the Open Handset Alliance it shows our commitment.”

[Via Talk Android]

Filed under: Cellphones

Vodafone suggests future Android phones could have less Google originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola needed to release an Android set about six months ago, but we know these things take time — and if it’s any consolation, it sounds like the first fruits of the labor could be pretty awesome. Boy Genius Report now claims that the rumored landscape QWERTY slider Calgary will be the first Android-powered Moto device to go commercial, though it’s not clear when (or where) it’ll hit shelves; given the device’s seemingly unusual appearance and the possibility (foolish hope?) that they’ll be infusing some customizations into the UI, they might just have an angle to attack offerings from HTC and others. That’s not all for the Android department, though — it looks like there might also be a portrait QWERTY slider in the works for the third quarter codenamed “Ironman,” pictured, which will pack 3G, WiFi, and some sort of high-res camera. In other words, a solidly high-end device. Bring it on, guys.

Moving on, it seems the lovely full touchscreen Flash has been canned, along with the Krave’s successor, the Inferno — possibly further confirmation that Moto’s throwing virtually all its weight into the Android camp at this point. Finally, rumor has it that a device codenamed “Rolex” is in the labs — and as you might’ve guessed, it uses the Aura’s astonishingly awesome ultra-high-res circular display. Odds are this is another luxury phone given its aspirational name and the screen being used, but a poor guy can dream.

Read – Calgary, Inferno, Flash, and Rolex
Read – Ironman

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Motorola’s first Android phone(s) to have sliding QWERTY? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

We can’t quite recall if the last week in April of 2008 was jam packed with camera introductions, but you can go ahead and pencil this little stretch down as quite an important time in the lives of DSLR junkies. Nary 24 hours after we gave you our pair of pennies on Nikon’s D5000, Canon’s EOS Rebel T1i (its arch enemy, just so you know) has arrived. Based on specifications alone, the T1i looks like a much more serious shooter than the D5000, though its kit package — which also includes an 18-55mm IS EF-S lens — runs you $50 more and omits that all-too-intriguing articulating display.

Instead, you get a fixed 3-inch Live View display (like the more expensive D90 over on the Nikon front), a 1080p movie mode (which trumps all Nikon DSLRs at the moment and matches the mighty EOS 5D Mark II), a ISO sensitivity up to 12,800 (the D5000 tops out at 6,400) and a 15.1 megapixel sensor (compared to the 12.3MP sensor in the D90 and D5000). We’re going to run out and pit these two against each other in order to bring you a more thorough showdown soon, but for now, hop on past the break to see how the T1i — which is shipping to the public today as well — stacks up against the D5000 on paper. Oh, and check out the gallery if you’re intrigued by world class knock-down-drag-outs.

Continue reading Canon EOS Rebel T1i vs. Nikon D5000… fight!

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Canon EOS Rebel T1i vs. Nikon D5000… fight! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

At first glance, PeeWee PC’s Pivot Tablet Laptop is a formidable rival to the long-standing OLPC XO. Unfortunately, the lofty price tag puts it in a class of its own, but it’s still a solid machine for those looking to a learn a bit (or just give their kids a wholesome distraction). Debuting today, the three pound convertible tablet boasts a spill and drop-resistant shell, a carry handle, a presumed 10-inch touchscreen display and a 6-cell Li-ion battery. Within, you’ll find a 1.6GHz Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, two USB 2.0 ports, a 60GB HDD, 1.3 megapixel camera, Ethernet, WiFi, Windows XP Home, a proprietary security suite to keep kids from picking up a new favorite stalker and ten age appropriate software and game titles. If your kid’s been bugging you for a new netbook, you can quell the squealing by snapping one of these up today starting at $599.99. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading PeeWee debuts drop and spill-resistant Pivot Tablet Laptop

Filed under: Laptops

PeeWee debuts drop and spill-resistant Pivot Tablet Laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Okay, now we get it — the flood of Android phones we were expecting at MWC and CTIA this year are actually arriving a month or two late. Nice. Anywho, with Samsung just recently dishing out official dirt on its Google-fied I7500 and HTC pushing out its Magic overseas, Acer is making darn sure it’s not left out as the bandwagon cruises by. During the firm’s Q1 investor’s conference today, Gianfranco Lanci (President and CEO) noted that “the entire industry is looking at Android,” and that his company “is testing Android on a lot of different solutions.” Specifically, he stated that it was “working on an Android solution for the smartphone, but it’s too early to say if [Acer] is going to [put the OS] on a netbook in the near future.” ‘Course, he could be spitting out positive vibes to just make sure we don’t forget about ‘em, but here’s hoping Mr. Lanci takes him own quotes seriously. We’ll be watching — like Rockwell, minus the catchy chorus.

Filed under: Cellphones

Acer already working on “several Android devices,” smartphone included originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments