Archive for September 17th, 2009

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/The_Engadget_Show_premieres’; Well it’s finally, really happened. The very first Engadget Show is done and ready for your viewing pleasure. First up, Josh sits down with Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein for an in-depth discussion, then Nilay and Paul join the fray for a dissection of recent news — including the recent Apple iPod event, the Motorola CLIQ, and a hands-on look at an early version of the as-yet-unreleased Nokia N900!

We’re still getting our T’s crossed and I’s dotted for the Zune and iTunes subscriptions, but you can download the full HD video below — or just sit back and watch the streaming file up above.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel
Special guest: Jon Rubinstein
Produced and directed by: Chad Mumm
Music by: Bit Shifter
Visuals by: Paris and outpt

Download the Show: The Engadget Show – 001 (HD) / The Engadget Show – 001 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) / The Engadget Show – 001 (Extra small – 319MB)

Update: Just a quick note — we know we’re having some bandwidth issues, both with the downloads below and Viddler. This is totally new ground for Engadget and the response has been a little overwhelming, so bear with us as we iron out these kinks. We’re working hard to make sure everyone can check out the video!

Update 2: There’s a torrent! http://nixil.net/engadget_show_001.torrent

Continue reading The Engadget Show – 001: Jon Rubinstein, Bit Shifter, iPod event, Moto CLIQ, N900

The Engadget Show – 001: Jon Rubinstein, Bit Shifter, iPod event, Moto CLIQ, N900 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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var digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/Palm_s_Q1_2010_Earnings_164_5m_net_loss_823k_phones_sold’; Palm just announced its first quarter results — the first to really include numbers from the Pre — and they’re positive (well, depending on how you look at things), with a $2.8m gross profit on $68m in revenue. Actually, that’s a little low, since Palm uses the same sort of subscription accounting for the Pre as Apple does for the iPhone, so the unofficial numbers are higher: $100.6m gross profit on $360.7m in revenue. Still, we should point out that according to GAAP (you know, the rules that matter), the outfit had a net loss in fiscal Q1 2010 of $164.5 million, while the non-GAAP net loss was pegged at $13.6 million. Although Palm wouldn’t include break out specific sales data, they did say that the “vast majority” of the 823,000 phones they sold in Q1 were Pres, so take that as you will. Oh, and if you were still holding out hope for more Palm WinMo phones, it’s all over — Palm is doing 100 percent webOS development from now on. (Shocker!).

Update 1: Rubinstein deftly sidestepped the question of why Pixi was launched on Sprint as opposed to another carrier, saying “They’re a great partner and we’re looking forward to a great holiday season.”

Update 2: Asked about MOTOBLUR, Jon said “I don’t know much about MOTOBLUR, but I think to build really great products, you have to control the entire experience — you have to own the OS and the services around it.”

Update 3: Jon just said “We’re on a web schedule with updates — you’ll see a steady stream of updates and features.”

Update 4: Revenue on accessories and anciliary products were “really very small, immaterial to overall trends.” When pressed if it was in the low, single-digit millions, CFO Doug Jeffries emphasized, “very, very small.”

Filed under: Cellphones

Palm announces first quarter results: $164.5m net loss, 823k phones sold originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rivalries. Controversy. Government intervention. The life of a light bulb isn’t easy these days, and it looks like things are about to get even more complicated. While CFLs and LEDs may now be fighting it out to replace traditional incandescent light bulbs, Seattle-based Vu1 Corporation says it has developed a new type of bulb that’s better than either of ‘em, and could hit the market by mid-2010. Making use of ESL technology (or electron stimulated luminescence), the new bulbs seem to be the cure-all many folks have been looking for, with them promising to provide a more natural light than CFLs or LEDs, turn on as quickly as an incandescent bulb, and eliminate some of the pesky problems associated with CFLs (like their use of mercury). According to the company, they’ll also be about as efficient as CFLs, although they will cost about $20 a pop to begin with, which Vu1 says is comparable to a dimmable CFL reflector bulb. Some bold claims to be sure — claims made even bolder by the must-see “documentary” after the break.

Continue reading Vu1 Corporation sees bright future for ESL light bulbs

Filed under: Household

Vu1 Corporation sees bright future for ESL light bulbs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oh, Dell. Oftentimes we wonder if you guys even want consumers to know that you’ve got new kit for them to ogle. Shortly after we discovered that the ST2410 LCD monitor was both a) real and b) on sale, we’re now having to turn to YouTube in order to catch wind that two smaller models have also been announced to accompany it. The ST2210 is a 21.5-inch panel with a 1080p resolution, 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio (we know, we know…), 250 nits of brightness, a five millisecond response time and HDMI / VGA / DVI inputs. The 23-inch ST2310 is essentially a larger version of the 2210, with screen size being the only real differentiating factor. We should note, however, that unlike many Dell LCDs of the past, these two go Apple-style and ditch the ability to adjust height up or down; you can angle the LCD forward and back, but that’s it. Both are available now for $259 and $229 in order of mention, and yes, that does mean that you can get more for less.

[Thanks, John]

Read – ST2210
Read – ST2310

Continue reading Dell curiously announces ST2210 and ST2310 LCD monitors

Filed under: Displays

Dell curiously announces ST2210 and ST2310 LCD monitors originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading OLPC’s XO Generation 1.5 Laptop dances from GNOME to Sugar, on video!

Filed under: Laptops

OLPC’s XO Generation 1.5 Laptop dances from GNOME to Sugar, on video! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

CM Storm’s Sentinel Advance gaming mouse features hardware profiles and OLED display originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For years now, Voodoo PC’s fearless leader (that’d be Rahul Sood) barely went a month without teasing this or that, or better yet, introducing the new hotness. In terms of cutting-edge design, these guys were at the front of the class. And then came the HP tie-in, along with the worry that the Voodoo name (and “DNA”) would eventually be swallowed whole. After dishing out a smattering of VoodooDNA machines under the HP label, Rahul and his company went radio silent. In fact, we haven’t heard a peep from Mr. Sood for nine whole months, and we really began to wonder what was going on when HP issued the new Envy 13 and Envy 15 with nary an official hint of Voodoo’s fingerprints.

Now, at long last, Rahul has emerged from hiding, and he’s got a story to tell. In short, Voodoo is still alive and well, but it’s certainly not the same company that shocked the world with its ENVY m:790 laptop in late 2004. In fact, Rahul’s been working on some pretty unorthodox projects, ranging from healthcare (okay?) to futuristic stuff for HP’s Innovation Program Office. In a lengthy letter to the world, he explains that the initial push to get Voodoo completely underneath HP’s wings was done in order to give Voodoo access to global partners, and in turn, to ship its products to every corner of the world. When speaking about the Envy 13 / 15, he proclaims that HP’s own laptop team simply lifted ideas from Voodoo prototypes and designed them internally; the truth is that Voodoo didn’t design either machine, it only influenced them. The removal of the “VoodooDNA” tagline — according to Rahul — has to do with “the overall design language, the target market, and the fact that [Voodoo] wasn’t directly involved in the design.”

In the end, Sood admits that there’s still a chance you’ll see another Voodoo-branded machine in your lifetime, but he also confesses that it has transitioned from a desktop and laptop company to “something beyond.” He also makes clear that he hasn’t forgotten about his promise to change the future of desktop gaming, and that new products from HP will continue to boast Voodoo’s fingerprints. Typical Rahul — it just wouldn’t be a formal conclusion without a tease or two, now would it?

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Voodoo’s Rahul Sood emerges from hiding, gives us all the low-down originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here’s one straight from the depths of left field. If you’ll recall, Microsoft’s co-founder Paul Allen was considering buying a bit of spectrum from the 700MHz auction after founding Vulcan Spectrum LLC. Evidently, the guy’s bid ended in a win, but he’s obviously not so keen on getting in on the flagging MVNO business. According to a document filed with the FCC, Allen has agreed to sell the licenses he owns — which cover sections of Oregon and Washington — to AT&T, though the carrier isn’t disclosing financial terms. According to AT&T spokesman Michael Coe, the company is making the purchase to “meet customer demand and to support its transition to LTE.” Unfortunately, Mr. Allen wasn’t available to say what he was planning to do with the proceeds, though we did hear that one Kayne West was available to reiterate his belief that LTE was the best of all time.

[Via phonescoop]

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen sells LTE spectrum to AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 has inspired an expected new model bonanza among PC manufacturers, and ASUS is no exception. Just for starters the new UL80 (pictured running Windows Vista) and N61Vg offer up some “mainstream” prices and performance up against that Win 7 hotness. The UL80 makes like a thin and light, with a new dual-core CULV SU7300 processor and a quoted 12 hours of battery life, but also works in switchable discreet graphics, Turbo33 tech for selective overclocking the processor, and a disc drive. It’s still relatively thin and light, and to our eyes has a pretty snazzy display. The N61Vg has a bit of a new design language for ASUS, with a pleasant rubberized palm rest. It also has a multi-touch trackpad, strong multimedia features and a decent size / weight for a 16-inch Core 2 Quad machine. The existing UL80 configuration, without the overclocking, goes for about $849, so we expect the new UL80 to be in that ballpark, while the N61Vg is slated for around $1,049.

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS UL80 and N61Vg hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re pleased to welcome back Jeremy Toeman’s Ins and Outs, a column on entertainment technology and broad trends impacting the future of consumer electronics.

Twitter, the 140-character “micro-blogging service,” is a great way for people to share wisdom, ask for advice, and inform lots of strangers about the phenomenal sandwich you are having for lunch. In the past year, Twitter’s grown from the playgrounds of the high-tech crowd in Silicon Valley to the likes of Oprah, Ashton Kutcher, Lance Armstrong, and Josh’s friend Jimmy Fallon. And now it’s coming to a gadget near you. Which prompts the question: should your gadget tweet, and if so, why?

Three of the more mainstream gadgets to gain Twitter integration include the Xbox 360 (coming this fall), the FiOS set-top box (pictured above), and the Sonos music system (now in beta testing). Each of these devices allows their users to send out updates via Twitter, and the Xbox 360 and FiOS box lets people see their friends’ tweets as well. While products like the SqueezeBox, Slingbox, and Nabaztag helped usher in the first generation of “connected” electronics, we’re clearly at the dawn of these devices as bi-directional connectivity and communication products.

Continue reading Ins and Outs: Should your gadget Tweet?

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Ins and Outs: Should your gadget Tweet? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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