Archive for December 13th, 2009

Remember that retro-looking PsiXpda UMPC we spotted earlier this month? Turns out it looks just as old school in person. That said, we’re still curiously attracted to the device, which sort of resembles an enlarged Touch Pro2 with a pinch of 1997 mixed in for good measure. The device was whipped out in the wild over at the LeWeb conference in Paris, and we were told that it was rocking Bluetooth, 3G WWAN, 1GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD, and we also learned that Windows XP was chosen due to its ease of integration within a corporate environment (though Ubuntu, Jolicloud and a host of other Linux-based operating systems can and will work). The QWERTY keyboard underneath is backlit in nature, the CPU is a 1.1GHz Atom and the removable battery is good for 2.5 hours of usage (with WiFi on) or 4 hours if using it offline. Hop on past the break for a peek of it in action, but keep the £500 price tag in mind before getting too excited.

[Thanks, Charbax]

Continue reading Atom-based PsiXpda UMPC gets handled on video

Atom-based PsiXpda UMPC gets handled on video originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We got a pretty good glimpse of HTC’s rumored Legend back in that huge roadmap leak a few days back, but now we’re circling back for a better shot (and a few more details) of the probable Hero successor in all its roughly-rendered glory. High-end aficionados are probably still going to want to set their sights on the Bravo (or the Google Phone, Nexus One, Passion, what have you), but this sucker won’t be a slouch, either — it looks like it’s signed up for a 600MHz MSM7227 and, more importantly, a WVGA display. We’d already known this from the last leak, but what’s new here is the presence of HTC People II and Footprints II, suggesting that Sense is going to get some sort of refresh to commemorate the launch. Add in the alleged metal casing, and we bet this thing’s gonna be a looker in the flesh; needless to say, March can’t come soon enough.

HTC Legend still looking good — as a render, anyway originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We got a pretty good glimpse of HTC’s rumored Legend back in that huge roadmap leak a few days back, but now we’re circling back for a better shot (and a few more details) of the probable Hero successor in all its roughly-rendered glory. High-end aficionados are probably still going to want to set their sights on the Bravo (or the Google Phone, Nexus One, Passion, what have you), but this sucker won’t be a slouch, either — it looks like it’s signed up for a 600MHz MSM7227 and, more importantly, a WVGA display. We’d already known this from the last leak, but what’s new here is the presence of HTC People II and Footprints II, suggesting that Sense is going to get some sort of refresh to commemorate the launch. Add in the alleged metal casing, and we bet this thing’s gonna be a looker in the flesh; needless to say, March can’t come soon enough.

HTC Legend still looking good — as a render, anyway originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you were looking for just one more reason to ditch Sprint then this could be it. A CDMA-flavored Palm Pixi just cleared the FCC — yes, another one — and we can say with confidence it’s not coming to Sprint this time around. Better yet, Palm’s model P121EWW matches up with that P121 code we saw leaked a while back for Big Red (Sprint’s model is P120EWW), and this sucker got tested for 802.11b/g WiFi. Looks like that Sprint ad touting the Pixi’s non-existent WiFi was more than just wishful thinking. With webOS-powered Palm gear already confirmed on Verizon for “early next year,” are you really going to make the jump to a WiFi-less Pixi on Sprint knowing what’s on the way? And more importantly, can we expect another terrifying series of ads targeting Sprint this time instead of AT&T?

Palm Pixi clears FCC with Verizon frequencies and WiFi in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 12:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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var digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/Google_Phone_Nexus_One_Makes_First_Real_Appearance’; Look familiar? For a story that broke on Twitter it’s only fitting that the first reported picture of the mythical, magical “Google Phone” (AKA, Nexus One) would appear there as well. The tweeted image above appears courtesy of one Cory O’Brien, an account manager at a San Francisco Bay Area marketing agency that does not list Google as a client. That note of caution aside, the image above is an exact match to that leaked HTC Passion / Bravo image from October, only this time lacking the HTC logo on the top-side bezel. Besides the pic, O’Brien tweets that the “Google Phone = iPhone + a little extra screen and a scroll wheel. Great touch screen, and Android.” Granted, none of this is confirmed yet, but with Google releasing so many of the devices as part of its “mobile lab” concept, well, we expect to see plenty more sightings in the run up to the rumored January launch.

Update: A quick search for “nexus one” on Google’s Picasa photo service reveals several pictures taken with a camera pegged as the HTC Nexus One in the EXIF data. The very first of these geotagged 2592×1944 pixel (that’s a 5 megapixel sensor folks, hardly “weirdly large” as described by TechCrunch) images were taken by user Bradley (who just happens to be a Picasa friend to Sergey… hint) in the SF Bay Area on November 27th. A few are clearly lit by an onboard flash as well. In fact, many of the pics appear to be taken from within Google’s offices and at Google sponsored events. The quality is not exactly spectacular and that won’t likely change in the final product because even Google’s bound by the laws of physics when it comes to tiny cellphone sensors.

Update 2: The device seems to have been around earlier with an EXIF identifier of “Phone88.” Fortunately, Google’s own employees have uploaded pics of the device, by the device, for us to marvel at — so meta. Check the gallery for the images or a quickie close-up posted after the break.

[Thanks, Alberto and Aaron C.]

Continue reading Google Phone / Nexus One makes first Twitter appearance? (update: new pics!)

Google Phone / Nexus One makes first Twitter appearance? (update: new pics!) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bank account not mighty enough to handle an underwater EOS 5D Mark II? Fret not, ’cause H2O Audio just made underwater Terminator captures a reality for a comparative pittance. Said outfit has been cranking out waterproof shells for Apple’s cash cows for awhile now, but the latest one is of particular interest due to the iPod nano 5G’s integrated video recorder. The $79.99 case enables you to capture video clips while under the sea, and considering the multitude of wild and wacky scene modes, we’d say next summer just got a lot more interesting. Just ask that dude up there if you don’t believe us.

H2O Audio case turns your iPod nano 5G into underwater camcorder originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been a hot minute since we’ve seen a new entrant in MyRacer’s lisse line of portable media players, but the H10 looks to be changing all that with its 16GB of internal storage space and expansive display. You’ll notice a familiar design here externally, and within you’ll find a 5-inch panel (1,280 x 720 resolution), an HDMI output, FM tuner / transmitter, a microSD expansion slot, voice recorder and support for just about any file format known to man. Mum’s the word on a price and release date, but we doubt it’ll be long before it’s roaming the streets of Seoul.

MyRacer serves up 5-inch Lisse H10 portable media player originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 09:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iriver’s E30 hasn’t shaken any trees since quietly launching in mid-August, but evidently the minuscule, no-frills player is shipping over in China. Available in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB flavors, the pocket-friendly DAP is currently selling for around $66 at the low-end, and if you’re eager to see precisely what it looks like in the wild, that source link down there has the goods you crave. Sadly, there’s still no definite word on a US release, but if you find yourself a few time zones over this holiday season, we’re certain it’d make for a great in-flight partner on the way back.

[Thanks, Gavin]

iriver E30 ships in China, gets handled in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks like Dell isn’t the only one who knows how to produce an ultrathin laptop, as LG’s latest concoction has just landed at the always-revealed database of the FCC. The XNote LGX30 (not to be confused with the Ion-based X30) is an 11.6-inch netbook with a 1,366 x 768 resolution panel, solid state drive, integrated webcam, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a multicard reader, GMA500 graphics set and a 3-cell battery. The machine weighs just 1.74 pounds and is based on some sort of Atom CPU, and as expected, it’s Windows 7 running the show. We’re hoping to hear a lot more about this thing when CES rolls around, but till then, feel free to peruse the user guide down there in the source link. It’s a riveting read, we tell ya.

Ultrathin LG XNote LGX30 surfaces at FCC rockin’ Windows 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve already seen Seagate tout the speed advantages of its SATA 6Gbps hard drive, but it’s the 6Gbps SSD that we’re really curious about. PC Perspective managed to snag itself a Marvell prototype drive, and even though they could only test the read capabilities of it, the results are nothing short of titillating. Reviewers pitted the Marvell drive against Intel’s well-respected X25-M G2, and their (admittedly limited) testing led them to discover a 33 percent increase in burst performance over one of the quickest SSDs on the market today. In case you’re still not impressed, you should know that they also saw a 27 percent uptick in sustained read performance (compared to the X25-M G2) and a 175 percent increase over the aforementioned SATA 6Gbps Seagate HDD. Obviously it’s still too early to tell whether the 6Gbps SSD really is the best thing since the vacuum tube, but if these ultra-early results are any indication of what’s to come, we suggest you start packing those pennies away right now to finance your next storage upgrade.

Prototype SATA 6Gbps SSD gets benchmarked: yessir, it’s hasty originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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