Archive for October 29th, 2009

LG launches official site for GW620 Android phone, sort of

October 29, 2009
LG’s GW620 handset may be easy to miss among all the other current Android-based offerings, but it looks like LG is now starting to ramp things up a bit to help it get noticed, with it recently launching (inadvertently, judging from the copy) the official site for phone complete with some fresh new images and promo videos. While there’s expectedly not much in the way of new details, LG’s ads and promo videos (check one after the break) do seem to position the phone squarely in CLIQ territory, with LG even going so far as to dream up a series of mascots (including a “Social Butterfly”) to demo the phone’s social networking capabilities. Head on past the break to see for yourself, and keep an eye on the link below for what should soon be the “official” official website.

[Via Android-France]

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LG launches official site for GW620 Android phone, sort of originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DROID Phone Holder and Multimedia Station go for $30 apiece

October 29, 2009

Already got your DROID pre-order in and wonder what else you can blow your non-assured holiday bonus on? Well, that Phone Holder car dock and Multimedia Station home dock (pictured, our hands-on gallery is here) have just gotten price tags: $30 a pop. About in line with the general worldwide dock population, but horrifically overpriced in comparison with our own homebrew dual-purpose solution.

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DROID Phone Holder and Multimedia Station go for $30 apiece originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iTunes goes 9.0.2: adds support for Apple TV 3.0, kills Pre sync

October 29, 2009

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/iTunes_9_0_2_adds_support_for_Apple_TV_3_0_kills_Pre’;
First comes the Apple TV 3.0 update, and next comes the iTunes update to make the two play nice. It’s a beautiful thing, we tell ya. As of right now, iTunes 9.0.2 is available via Software Update, and with that comes compatibility with Apple TV 3.0, an “improved look and feel,” and an easier-to-explore iTunes Store. Hop on past the break for the full changelog, and feel free to get your download on now if you’re still not scared of blindly installing software from Cupertino.

Update: Looks like it killed Pre sync — now, act like you’re surprised!

Continue reading iTunes goes 9.0.2: adds support for Apple TV 3.0, kills Pre sync

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iTunes goes 9.0.2: adds support for Apple TV 3.0, kills Pre sync originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple TV 3.0 software update is out, with iTunes Extras, LP & Genius in tow

October 29, 2009

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/Apple_TV_3_0_software_update_hits_with_a_totally_new_look’;
Looks like Apple’s “hobby” is finally getting the iTunes Extra & LP features it was initially denied, as the Apple TV 3.0 software has just released, featuring a brand new main menu (above) plus Genius Mixes and internet radio access. It took a reboot and a few tries for units around here to start seeing the new software was available, so feel free to give that “check for updates” button a workout, ’til then the official PR is after the break describing what your box is missing.

Continue reading Apple TV 3.0 software update is out, with iTunes Extras, LP & Genius in tow

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Apple TV 3.0 software update is out, with iTunes Extras, LP & Genius in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ericsson’s Spider Computer makes portable computing downright creepy

October 29, 2009
It seems like the future, as it’s unveiled in prototypes, always seems much more exciting than the one we end up inheriting. Between Segway-esque unicycles, braille labelmakers, and Bluetooth-enabled gowns, the road ahead looks pretty sweet (if only in concept). Among the various ideas floated by Ericsson as part of its Life in 2020 project, the company has unveiled something called the Spider Computer. Named after the creepy spider-like legs of the initial design, the thing houses a PC, pico proj, a keyboard that’s projected onto your desk with a laser, and a memory card reader. According to Pocket-lint the device, shown here at the 2009 Taiwan Broadband show, has a rather poor battery life and lacks network connectivity, but once they figure out how to pack WiFi and some reasonable juice into the thing we might start seeing a few more ultraportables that look more like Maglites than netbooks. Peep the prototypes (and some renders) in the gallery below.

Gallery: Ericsson’s Spider Computer prototype

[Via Pocket-lint]

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Ericsson’s Spider Computer makes portable computing downright creepy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pavegen taps pedestrians for power in East London (video)

October 29, 2009
When we were kids, we assumed that in the future everything would be powered by tiny nuclear fusion reactors: automobiles, toothbrushes, time machines (apparently we read a lot of sci-fi from the 1950s). The truth, as usual, is more mundane than all that: some of the more promising advances we’ve seen in green energy has been kinetic, taking the movement of automobiles or the tides and converting it into electricity. Pavegen, for example, can be set in public walkways to generate as much as 2.1 watts of electricity per hour from the footsteps of grizzled pedestrians. Using marine grade stainless steel and recycled materials, just five of these bad boys distributed over a well-worn sidewalk should be able to generate enough energy to keep a bus stop going all night. If not put into nearby lighting, the units are equipped with lithium polymer batteries for storage. Currently being tested in East London, look for them throughout the UK in 2010. Video after the break.

[Via Inhabitat]

Continue reading Pavegen taps pedestrians for power in East London (video)

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Pavegen taps pedestrians for power in East London (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fuji Heavy Industries outs friendless, autonomous farming robot

October 29, 2009
Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan has announced what it’s calling ‘the first’ autonomous farming robot. This bot, which is about six and a half feet long and runs on gas, sends and receives laser signals to orient itself by way of reflective plates placed every 30 feet, using them to judge distances. This bad boy can grow fruits and veggies all by its lonesome, and can even operate in a greenhouse. The farming robot — which is expected early next year — will run about $100,000, but we’d suggest you buy two so he can have a buddy.

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Fuji Heavy Industries outs friendless, autonomous farming robot originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola posts small 3Q profit, picks new CFO

October 29, 2009

For Motorola, any profit at all is a Good Thing right now, so we’re sure there are a lot of smiling faces out in Schaumburg today on news that the company managed just a smidge of black ink in the third quarter. The Mobile Devices division specifically turned in $1.7 billion in revenue (about $100 million less than the quarter prior) and accounted for a $183 million loss, which was offset by wins in the company’s other divisions ultimately resulting in $12 million in bankable profit. The company says that it expects to push fewer handsets in the fourth quarter as it scales back “unprofitable” devices in favor of its new Android-based gear — which is just fine by us — and yes, indeed, it still intends to split the company into two entities when the time is right. In the meantime, the company has announced a permanent CFO — Edward Fitzpatrick, who was conveniently already appointed to the position on an interim basis — putting to bed some of the drama to bed that’s surrounded Paul Liska, who vacated the post months ago on bad terms. All told, the DROID and CLIQ launches have cast a rosy glow on Moto’s current situation, so now it’s time to put the nose to the grindstone and see if these guys can deliver financially through the end of the year.

Read – Earnings
Read – CFO announcement

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Motorola posts small 3Q profit, picks new CFO originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC CEO says he could but won’t make HD2 an Android phone, has to take care of Windows Mobile

October 29, 2009

In an interview given to Forbes, HTC CEO Peter Chou spoke pretty candidly about the widespread desire for an Android version of the HD2, and says the phone won’t be finagled thusly. “Technically, we could make the HD2 an Android phone, but I have to take care of Windows Mobile,” said Chou, after which we imagine popped in a stick of Juicy Fruit and didn’t offer to share any with the rest of the class. Of course, this doesn’t rule out a handset with similar specifications to the HD2, like the Dragon, matching DROID’s push toward Android 2.0 and modern hardware, but it seems to imply that at least it won’t be called “HD2,” and probably won’t look much like it either. Chou did admit that Windows Mobile innovation has been “a little slow” and that interest is declining, and says HTC is “working hard on these kinds of products to get excitement about Windows Mobile back.” He didn’t hold back on Google, however, saying that some of its actions can be “destructive” but that “we’ve worked with Microsoft for 13 years … I also believe we can work with Google for a long time.”

[Via SlashGear]

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HTC CEO says he could but won’t make HD2 an Android phone, has to take care of Windows Mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia vs. Apple: the in-depth analysis

October 29, 2009

There’s just something about Apple that makes people go crazy whenever the company’s lawyers do even the simplest things — whether it’s filing routine trademark oppositions, getting patents granted, or, uh, defending allegations that the company is in league with the Mafia, Steve and friends just seem to inspire some strong reactions whenever they end up in the courtroom. So of course things got a little wild last Thursday when Nokia announced it was suing Apple over ten patents related to GSM, UMTS (what you know as 3G) and WiFi — the pundit class immediately set upon the idea that the lawsuit was some sort of reaction to Nokia’s diminishing cellphone marketshare and the perceived dominance of the iPhone, perhaps best exemplified by John Gruber’s flippant “If you can’t beat ‘em, sue ‘em.” Nokia can’t compete against Apple, so obviously it’s abusing the hopelessly-broken patent system get a little payback, Espoo-style — right?

Well, wrong. As usual, the race to hype this dispute as a bitter standoff between two tech giants desperate to destroy one another has all but ignored the reality of how patents — especially wireless patents — are licensed, what Nokia’s actually asking for, and how it might go about getting it. And as you know, we just don’t do things that way, so we’ve asked our old friend Mathew Gavronski, a patent attorney in the Chicago office of Michael Best & Friedrich, to help us sort things out and figure out what’s really going on here — read on for more.

Continue reading Nokia vs. Apple: the in-depth analysis

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Nokia vs. Apple: the in-depth analysis originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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