Archive for August 20th, 2009

Always Innovating sure made good on the promise of removable tablet embedded in a netbook form factor and price — we’ve gone from hardly believable renders in March to a now-shipping $400 ($300 without the base) product as of now. The impressions are already trickling in, but our favorite observation so far is this fridge magnet implementation. The main complaint so far is that the machine altogether is rather heavy for a netbook. It makes sense given that all the computer internals are in the MID-style touchscreen, while the keyboard base adds on 7 hours of purported battery life. So far it doesn’t sound like this is the sexy-slim way to get into the netbook game if you’re not in it for the removable MID capabilities, but for the MID affectionate the Touch Book could provide a nice alternative to the same old same old.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Read – Touch Book first impressions
Read – Touch Book unboxing

Always Innovating Touch Book unboxed, previewed and stuck to a fridge for good measure originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s that time of year again — back to school has arrived. Plenty of you will be shoving off to college for the very first time, and Engadget’s here to help you out. In the emotionally uproarious time that is now, you’ve probably realized there’s truly an upside to higher education: it’s a great excuse to get some new gear. And that’s where we come in. No matter what your budget, we’ve got you covered, with recommendations and options galore. Whether you’re going to be a new student in the brilliant world that is academia, or you’re the proud parent / guardian of one, we’ve done some leg work to make the transition a little bit easier. We decided that choosing gadgets in three “budget” ranges would be most helpful to you, the reader, and we’ve chosen a kit of gear we think any student would do well to grab up for each — covering laptops, netbooks, mobile phones, e-readers, laptop bags, and so on. Knowing that our readers re not one-size-fits-all, however, we’ve also chosen some alternate options in the categories where choice makes sense — choice is, after all, part of what we love about gadgets — without providing an overwhelming list. Of course, our choices aren’t meant to be all-encompassing, but we think they’ll provide a pretty good place to start your shopping!

Read on for our recommendations — we promise, they’re very very, helpful. Oh — did we mention we’re going to be giving away a bunch of this gear, too? Keep your eyes on the site in the coming days for more on that, and hit the links below for our guide.

Back to school guide: on the cheap
Back to school guide: mid-range
Back to school guide: money’s no object

Engadget’s back to school guide originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is exactly what we need: a clock that politely dispenses with the math (no matter how simple) in favor of words. Biergert & Funk handmake this one, called the QLOCKTWO, with both German and English language faces — and there lots of color options. The price is a stunningly uncheap €1099 (about $1600), so get to saving your dollars and cents. There’s a video showing off the QLOCKTWO after the break, but you’d better speak German — or do what we did, and mute it and listen to AC / DC while you watch it.

Continue reading Biergert & Funk QLOCKTWO gets an English version, our sincerest admiration

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Biergert & Funk QLOCKTWO gets an English version, our sincerest admiration originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking for a way to liven up those house parties of yours? Winamp playlist feeling a little passe? iTunes “Genius” feature not really so smart? A company called DJ-Tech has got the answer, and it’s the DJ Mouse. What separates an input device for turntablists from one for the unwashed masses, you ask? Is it the “high-definition jog wheel,” the one that integrates with the Deckadance software to “let you spin platters intuitively?” Why, yes, it is! But it’s also so much more. Don’t forget the Scratch button, without which there would be no “direct scratch mode.” As the ad says, you too can “become a DJ in one minute, without the science of mixing music.” Available for $79 — but make sure you don’t go anywhere before you peep the truly amazing commercial after the break. And take that, Grandmaster Flash!

[Via OhGizmo!]

Continue reading DJ Mouse eliminates ‘the science of mixing music’ with a jog wheel

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

DJ Mouse eliminates ‘the science of mixing music’ with a jog wheel originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Software

Get your Windows 7 Release Candidate while you can (that means today) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve had a hole in our hearts ever since the original Polaroid company stopped manufacturing instant film, filed for Chapter 11, and sold off its brand name, but it looks like those crazy kids at The Impossible Project are making some small moves to turn things around after picking up the pieces last year: they’ll be selling the remaining stock of cameras and film at Urban Outfitters starting tomorrow. Sadly, that’s not much, as there are only 700 hand-numbered kits containing a deadstock Polaroid ONE600 Classic camera and a pack of Type 779 film available, but at least there’s more film to go around if you already have a camera — additional 779 packs will also be on sale until stock runs out. We’re not sure if this plan will raise enough cash to start the factory up again — or if anyone else even cares about Polaroid anymore — but you know where we’ll be standing in line tomorrow morning.

[Via OhGizmo!]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Last Polaroid cameras and film to be sold at Urban Outfitters tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know of precisely two types of radios going into Heros (or would that be Heroes?) right now: the 900 / 2100MHz 3G for global use that everyone’s using so far, and an 850 / 1900 version for North America that the FCC’s had the pleasure of using. Well, you know how FCC labs work — they get to play with all the toys before anyone else does — and now they’re checking out another version of HTC’s latest and greatest Android device with CDMA / EV-DO. This lends near-infinite credibility to the buzz that Sprint’s signed up to launch the phone this fall, presumably around the same time it drops the InstinctQ from Samsung, at which point it’ll have both the QWERTY and full-touch Android angles covered. Options are good, are they not?

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

HTC Hero earns FCC approval with CDMA, Sprint launch rumors more solid than ever originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Providing some competition for Sharp’s DX series, Mitsubishi has taken the wraps off of its REAL Series LCD HDTVs, including a set with built-in hard drives and Blu-ray recorders, plus a few more that lack the recording, but throw in super resolution upconversion that claims to make even the worst SD look better than ever. Even if that’s just hype, we hope it fares better than the company’s ill-fated 120Hz processing. The 37- (1080p) and 32-inch (720p) BHR300 models feature their disc drives in the stand, rather than back-mounted approach of the AQUOS, plus 320GB HDDs, SDHC slot, plus i.LINK and USB connectors that let owners edit video from a camcorder on the TV before saving to disc or hard drive. The MZW300 models are all 1080p, in 40-, 42- and 52-inch sizes, with Diamond Engine Pro IV HD super resolution tech, the latest and most power efficient Diamond panel with 20,000:1 contrast ratio, built in 5.1 Dolby Digital decoder, virtual surround speakers and a talking program guide feature. These hit shelves in Japan in late October ranging in price from ¥350,000 ($3,705) for the LCD-52MZW300 to ¥200,000 ($2,117) for the LCD-32BHR300.

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Mitsubishi unveils REAL line of Blu-ray burning, super upconverting LCDs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Nagano Japan shows off yet another contactless charging system originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi is back with a spec bump to last year’s well-received midrange HC6500 1080p projector with the HC6800. This model slots in below the king GT-styled HC7000 but increases its contrast ratio specs to 20,000:1 and does its big brother one better with a higher 1,300 lumens, apparently aimed at living rooms rather than the darker, more controlled home theater environment. Video processing is once again handled by the capable HQV Reon-VX chipset, this one is due in Japan September 15 for ¥250,000 ($2,647,) we don’t expect to wait long for a U.S. date & MSRP.

[Via AV Watch]

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Mitsubishi’s new 1080p midrange PJ contender is the HC6800 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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