Archive for November 17th, 2009

Alienware M17x owners complaining of ‘skipping, stuttering audio,’ with no fix in sight

November 17, 2009
Sorry, dudes and dudettes: It seems that a number of you who’ve purchased Alienware M17x rigs are running into some serious latency issues, particularly skipping and stuttering audio. According to a reader named augur, he has pinged the company, from whom he has received “no positive response or resolution.” In addition, we’ve come across a number of detailed complaints from users all over the Interwebs, including postings on the Notebook Review and Dell Community forums. So what’s the deal, Dell? Are you on this, or what? And dear readers, have you been running into problems with your Alienware?

[Thanks, augur]

Read – My M17x and it’s DPC Latency, Stuttering, and Lock Ups
Read – Notebook Review: M17x and DPC Latency

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Alienware M17x owners complaining of ‘skipping, stuttering audio,’ with no fix in sight originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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South Korean researchers devise a safer lithium ion battery

November 17, 2009

While some researchers are focused on making batteries that are both safer and longer-lasting, it seems like the folks at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (or KAERI) are simply concerned with making ‘em really, really safe. To that end, they’ve now announced that they’ve managed to develop a new type of “separator” that is said to be far more resistant to heat and impact than traditional polyethylene separators. Made from a mix of polyethylene, nano-alumina and flourine-based resin that has been subjected to radiation, the new separator can supposedly hold up to temperatures of 150 degrees Celsius and “considerable outside impact,” and it can apparently be applied to all sorts of lithium-ion batteries — including everything from phones to laptops to electric cars. Of course, there’s no word as to when we might actually see the new and improved batteries, but KAERI has apparently already applied for the necessary patents for the new technique.

[Via Fareastgizmos.com]

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South Korean researchers devise a safer lithium ion battery originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canada gets International Kindle support, no longer feels inferior to Trinidad and Tobago

November 17, 2009
Good news for our Canadian brethren! While the realization that you’d been excluded from the International Kindle may have angered you, or frightened you, or engendered feelings of shame or lust, all hope is not lost! We have just got word that Amazon has added your fine nation to the list of countries it will now ship the beloved e-reader to. And if that ain’t enough, a smattering of your native content is being offered, included a couple of publications that sound exotic and fanciful to American ears: The Globe and Mail and The National Post. Sound like something you’d like to get into? Yours for $250 USD (roughly $275 CDN). Hit the read link to get started.

[Via Boy Genius Reports]

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Canada gets International Kindle support, no longer feels inferior to Trinidad and Tobago originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Magellan debuts GPS app / car kit for iPhone and iPod touch

November 17, 2009
Magellan’s new iPhone navigation app won’t do much for the iPod touch on its own, but it looks like the company’s forthcoming Premium Car Kit will in fact work just fine with the handheld out of the box, unlike TomTom’s similar Car Kit. Otherwise, there aren’t exactly a ton of surprises, but the cradle is fully adjustable to accommodate a range of sleeves or cases, and it’ll of course also charge your iPhone or iPod touch, and give it some amplified sound courtesy of the built-in speaker. The navigation app itself also seems to be more than ready to challenge the competition, with it boasting spoken street names, NAVTEQ maps, 3D landmarks, in-app music control, a pedestrian mode, and a price tag of $79.99. No word on a price or release date for the cradle just yet, but Magellan says it is “coming soon” — iPhone users can get the app from the App Store right now.

[Thanks, djphatjive]

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Magellan debuts GPS app / car kit for iPhone and iPod touch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Laptop reliability survey: ASUS and Toshiba win, HP fails

November 17, 2009

Boy, do we have a nice slab of data for you to sink your teeth into today. The 3-year service history of more than 30,000 laptops has been pored over, analyzed, and reduced to gorgeous comparative charts, which you know you’re dying to know more about. We should note, however, that the service was provided by SquareTrade, whose primary business is selling extended warranties, but that shouldn’t completely prejudice us against reaching conclusions on the basis of the presented facts. Firstly, netbooks have shown themselves to be on average 20 percent less reliable than entry-level laptops, which in turn are 10 percent more likely to break down than premium machines. In other words, you get what you pay for — shocking, right? The big talking point, though, will inevitably be the manufacturer comparison chart above: here ASUS and Toshiba (rather appropriately) share the winners’ spoils, while HP languishes in the ignominious last place, with more than a quarter of all laptops expected to suffer a hardware fault of some kind within three years. So, does your experience corroborate / refute this info? Keep it gentlemanly, okay?

[Via Electronista]

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Laptop reliability survey: ASUS and Toshiba win, HP fails originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PrimeDTV further saturates HD media streamer segment with PHD-HM5

November 17, 2009

Look, we’re all for competition, but it’s about time for some of these guys to stop copying and start innovating. As if your noggin’ wasn’t already spinning enough as you attempt to whittle down your laundry list of HD media streamers, in flies PrimeDTV with yet another hopeful. The PHD-HM5 looks to be fairly standard in terms of features, with HDMI / component outputs, a lengthy list of supported formats, an Ethernet socket and a pair of USB 2.0 ports. You won’t find WiFi or any internal hard drive, and you’ll have to live with the fact that this thing is akin to some lackluster AV component from the early 90s. Oh, and then there’s the chore of actually finding one for sale (not to mention an MSRP), which should probably be just enough to push you towards Popcorn Hour.

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PrimeDTV further saturates HD media streamer segment with PHD-HM5 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Evoluce ONE gives you 47 inches of multitouch surface to play with (video)

November 17, 2009

We’re kind of late to this party, but better late than never, right? At the end of last month, German company Evoluce announced its 47-inch multitouch display, touting Full HD (or 1920 x 1080) resolution and “Integrated-Through-Screen-Optics,” which allow it to recognize an unlimited number of simultaneous inputs. The ONE also features haptic feedback and is compatible with Windows 7′s multitouch features right out of the box, with support for some “other OS” also planned. If you’re thinking this looks like a legit competitor to Microsoft’s Surface, well, you’d be right. We’ve got the full PR for you after the break, as well as hands-on video of the (relatively) new device.

Continue reading Evoluce ONE gives you 47 inches of multitouch surface to play with (video)

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Evoluce ONE gives you 47 inches of multitouch surface to play with (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nook for sale at Barnes & Noble stores on November 30th?

November 17, 2009

If you’re looking to pre-order a Nook today you’ll be greeted with a December 18th ship date from Barnes & Noble’s on-line store. However, if you stop by your Barnes & Noble on November 30th, you might find the Android-based dual-screen ereader in stock and ready to take home for $259 plus the usual government tithe. This according to a B&N spokeswoman who told Computerworld that units will be for sale in stores on the 30th. Whether than means all 774 retail outlets or just the majors is still unclear but hey, at least you’ve got options.

[Via I4U News]

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Nook for sale at Barnes & Noble stores on November 30th? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Walky robot understands iPhone gestures, football fanaticism (video)

November 17, 2009

Hey there sailor, we imagine you’ve been doing your fair share of button mashing what with a certain new bit of software out and about, but how would you like a whole new control paradigm? Taking up Steve Jobs’ war on buttons, a group of grad students at Japan’s Keio University have put together a comprehensive robot control interface that relies solely on finger swipes, taps, and presses. By employing the iPhone’s built-in accelerometer and multitouch screen, the robot can replicate a humanistic walking motion, perform sidesteps and, when called upon, kick a football with gusto and presumed passion. Your destination is just past the break, where the video demo awaits.

[Via HDBlog.it]

Continue reading Walky robot understands iPhone gestures, football fanaticism (video)

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Walky robot understands iPhone gestures, football fanaticism (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and AIR 2 betas are out, multi-touch and video acceleration are in (video)

November 17, 2009

Here we go: Adobe just made its Flash 10.1 prerelease packages available for download in fulfillment of its Open Screen promise. The download is available for Windows, Intel-based Mac, and Linux systems with a smartphone version coming later; notably, while no other mobile OS is specifically mentioned, Adobe says that a beta for Palm webOS is slated for “later this year” on its Flash Player 10.1 page. At the moment, however, only the Windows release includes hardware-based video acceleration for H.264 video. And this is beta-ware kids, so there’s more than the usual level of hazard with installing. Then again, for those of you with Atom-based netbooks brought to their knees by full-screen HD video, well, the benefits likely outweigh the risk for you. Adobe also announced an AIR 2 beta which allows developers to build more feature-rich applications including multi-touch capabilities — see the unholy union demonstrated on an HP TouchSmart in the video after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Read — Press release
Read — About Flash Player 10.1

Continue reading Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and AIR 2 betas are out, multi-touch and video acceleration are in (video)

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Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and AIR 2 betas are out, multi-touch and video acceleration are in (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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