Archive for October 30th, 2009

The Engadget Podcast, live…now!

October 30, 2009

It’s DROID week, and that means we’re doing the podcast live. Josh, Paul, and Nilay will be going on-air at 4:30PM EST to talk about what Motorola, Verizon, and Google’s impressive new smartphone, as well as the other big stories from the week. It’s all going down soon — and you can jump into the chatroom below right now.

P.S.- Leave your DROID questions in comments, and we’ll definitely try to get to them if we can!

Update:
Things got a little crazy at the end, but we definitely had a great time — check back tomorrow for the regular podcast post if you missed it!

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The Engadget Podcast, live…now! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HDI’s laser-driven 3D HDTV hits production, should ship next year

October 30, 2009

When we first caught wind of HDI’s “world’s first laser-based 3D HDTV,” we were cautiously hopeful that it’d be ready to go (at least as a prototype) at CES 2010. Looks like we may actually get our wish, as the company has today announced that its magical set has reached the manufacturing stage. What’s it all mean? It means that the set is being fast-tracked for release in 2010, meaning that you’re just months away from having stereoscopic 1,920 x 1,080 content in your living room… provided there’s actually any programming to view, that is. Of course, it’ll handle the 2D stuff too, and the twin RGP LCoS micro-display imagers in there ought to provide plenty of crisp imagery regardless of the source. We’re still not sure if the Woz-approved 100-inch version that’s being shown to curious onlookers is the size that’ll be pumped out to the mainstream, but we’re hoping for at least a few smaller siblings for those of us with last names other than Kennedy, Gates, Buffet and Ellison.

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HDI’s laser-driven 3D HDTV hits production, should ship next year originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon EOS-1D Mark IV lands for a pre-production hands-on

October 30, 2009

We’ve already seen some sample footage from Canon’s new professional EOS-1D Mark IV DSLR (and should be seeing plenty more come December), but a pre-production version of the camera has now turned up at the Canon Pro Photo Solutions 09 show in London, and TrustedReviews managed to get an early hands-on with it. As you might expect, the camera definitely seems to impress in person, with the 1.2 kilogram body providing a feeling of “solid reliability and competence,” while its ergonomics also apparently represent a more subtle but welcome improvement over previous Canon offerings. Unfortunately, the folks at TrustedReviews weren’t able to share any sample shots, but they did get a chance to try out the camera’s 45-point autofocus system, which is said to be “extremely fast,” and its tracking function reportedly had no trouble focusing even in dark, low contrast situations with a 400mm telephoto lens. Hit up the link below for a few more hands-on shots and impressions.

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Canon EOS-1D Mark IV lands for a pre-production hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xperia Pureness unboxed, performs for the camera (video)

October 30, 2009
As you are no doubt well aware, the launch date for the Xperia Pureness is looming. If you’ve been dying for a closer look, you’re in luck: the fashion icons over at MobileBurn have got their hands on one and have been kind enough to make us a short film of the reveal. At first blush, the phone doesn’t look any less impressive than it did in the shots and video we’ve seen before. There doesn’t appear to be any hint of a keypad before the thing when shut off, although that obviously changes once it’s powered on. As far as that transparent glass display goes, we can tell from here that it’s not likely to be visible in direct (or even some indirect) sunlight — but since you’re a jet-setting nightclub habitue’ who hasn’t been outside in the daylight in four years that probably shouldn’t bother you much. The UI is pretty much standard for an SE feature phone, and the battery is not removable. The price? Looks like it will run you a healthy £530 (about $875). Still interested? Peep the video in action after the break.

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Xperia Pureness unboxed, performs for the camera (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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November 6: stores open at 6AM for DROID, Droid Eris?

October 30, 2009
So, you’re a prospective Moto DROID customer. You’ve soaked up the review, studied the manual, and even built your own cardboard dock in anticipation of the big November 6 street date. What’s next, you ask? Well, set your alarm early — if the rumors are true, Verizon Wireless will be opening its retail shops at 6:00 AM sharp. Of course, all that is in addition to the Droid Eris, which is rumored to be making its debut on that auspicious date as well. So what’s the plan, guys — wake up early or camp out the night before?

[Via i4u]

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November 6: stores open at 6AM for DROID, Droid Eris? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia announces the end of its N-Gage gaming platform

October 30, 2009
Nokia has officially announced that it will put an end to its problem-plagued N-Gage gaming service, integrating it into its Ovi Store. The move isn’t really a shocker, and while Nokia has confirmed that no further games will be published, it’s also said that it will continue to sell currently available games in the Ovi Store (as of today) until the end of September 2010. The N-Gage website, which holds the Arena and community boards, will also continue until that time. Nokia says that any already purchased games will continue to run on the mobile device, but that any connected community features will be non-functional come 2010.

[Via Pocket Lint]

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Nokia announces the end of its N-Gage gaming platform originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola DROID review

October 30, 2009

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/Engadget_s_Detailed_Motorola_DROID_Review’; It’s hard to look at the DROID without looking at the company which brought the device to life. Motorola: for years the name has been synonymous with… well, disappointment. While the industry-stalwart made cellphones sexy with the RAZR, the days which followed have not been especially fruitful or compelling. Over the past year or so, we’ve seen Motorola beating its way back into the mainstream through a series of smart plays: first embracing Android as a platform, then shucking off the weight of Windows Mobile and finally bringing some desirable (and high profile) devices to market.

With the DROID, the company has perhaps created its most attractive and intriguing piece of technology yet. Forging an alliance with both Verizon and Google, Motorola has come up with a second compelling reason to count the phonemaker down, but certainly not out, while the other two giants have finally found a seemingly worthy device to position against the iPhone. So we must pose these questions: is this the phone which will catapult Android into the mainstream? Is it the device that will pull Motorola back from the brink? And — most importantly — is it the lynchpin Google and Verizon have needed to challenge the leader in mindshare in the smartphone market? After putting the device through its paces, we think we can give you the answers you seek — so read on to find out!

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Motorola DROID review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jibbigo iPhone app translates from English to Spanish and back again

October 30, 2009

Jibbigo is a recently released iPhone app which promises to help you out the next time you’re desperately trying to make yourself understood by your Spanish-speaking compadres. The app is capable of recording a sentence and translating it — essentially in real time — back to you. As you can see in the screencap above, you can speak either Spanish or English, and the translator will do its work, displaying both your original and a translation into the other language. The dictionary contains about 40,000 words, and the app is aimed at travelers. Jibbigo also requires the iPhone 3GS to make use of the bi-directional translation tools, and the app also reportedly functions a heck of a lot slower on anything other than the 3GS. The app is available now for $24.99.

[Via, iPodnn]

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Jibbigo iPhone app translates from English to Spanish and back again originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympus E-P2 tap keeps leaking, new viewfinder now on show

October 30, 2009

Now this is how you build up anticipation for a new product. Start off with just the name accidentally popping up on one of your corporate websites in order to get our imaginations flowing, then leak a teeny tiny image of the optional viewfinder. There’s actually a good bit of info here — you can tell the new attachment (titled VF-2) seems to be vertically adjustable, something missing from the previous generation, but there’s also the bogus news that it’ll fit only the forthcoming E-P2. The silver lining to that knowledge, though, is that the body we can only partially see must be the as yet unannounced E-P1 successor, which means the new Micro Four Thirds shooter will at least have the option of a black body… which some people care about. Deeply.

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Olympus E-P2 tap keeps leaking, new viewfinder now on show originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Telmap taps NAVTEQ for iPhone GPS solution, understands the inevitable

October 30, 2009

Man, talk about awful timing. At least TomTom and Navigon were able to sell a few rounds of their pricey iPhone GPS application before Google went and ruined everyone’s day (at least in the GPS biz), and now that Google Maps Navigation is but an approval away from hitting iPhone users for free, we’ve got serious doubts about Telmap’s ability to market its newest product. Utilizing NAVTEQ maps and familiar shells like MapQuest Navigation (in the US) and Orange Maps (in France), the company seems quite proud of its newest routing solutions. Oh sure — there’s live traffic, turn-by-turn guidance, in-car and pedestrian modes, etc., but is anyone really doling out cash for a phone-based routing system right now with Google at the wheel? Exactly.

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Telmap taps NAVTEQ for iPhone GPS solution, understands the inevitable originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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