Thursday, October 09, 2008

Acer launches WiMAX-enabled Aspire 4930-6862 / 6930-6771 notebooks

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/415123161/

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Hot on the heels of Lenovo comes Acer, which is somehow claiming "first!11one!" in the US market with WiMAX-enabled laptops. Introduced today in Baltimore in conjunction with the formal unveiling of Sprint's XOHM network, the Aspire 4930-6862 and Aspire 6930-6771 both include the innate ability to hop on a WiMAX network and surf at 4G speeds. As for specs, the former packs a 14.1-inch WXGA panel, 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7350 CPU, 3GB of RAM, WiFi / WiMAX capability, integrated graphics, a dual-layer DVD writer, 320GB SATA HDD, 5-in-1 card reader, built-in webcam, Windows Vista Premium and an $899.99 sticker. The larger 6930 differs only in the 16-inch 1,366 x 768 resolution panel, as everything else (price included) remains the same. Charm City residents can snatch 'em up right now at NewEgg and TigerDirect.

[Via DigitalTrends]
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Posted by Augustine at 6:24 AM

Motorola's Q11 gets official: WinMo 6.1, WiFi, 3MP camera

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/415142758/

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Not that Motorola's Q11 comes as any big surprise, but it's nice to see the Windows Mobile 6.1-packin' smartphone get all official on us. Now boasting its very own dedicated page on Moto's website, the Q11 comes to us with quad-band GPRS / EDGE (no 3G, for whatever reason), a 3-megapixel camera with LED flash, 64MB of RAM, microSD card slot, Bluetooth 2.1, a 320 x 240 resolution display, integrated GPS and a multimedia player with support for all sorts of file formats. You can also expect up to 450 minutes of talk time and up to 195 hours in standby, but you won't be able to wrap your paws around it until December. As for carriers and pricing? Patience, friends, patience.

[Via UnwiredView]
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Posted by Augustine at 6:17 AM

Gigabyte M912X hack makes a smarter, cheaper Modbook

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/415339519/

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A fellow named Stuart Lowe installed Leopard on his Gigabyte M912X netbook / tablet hybrid, and we like the results. Though this isn't the first Mac tablet hack, it's a tightly wrapped little package: the interface seems smooth with either fingers or a stylus, and Inkwell's onscreen keyboard allows complete functionality when the computer is folded into its slate configuration. Much of the necessary software functionality existed in Leopard already, and since installing OS X on something other than a Mac isn't the challenge it used to be, we're envisioning a pretty smooth ride for other would-be-hackers. We've embedded a video on the other side of the jump -- take a look, and then cast your vote on what to call this niche category of netbook-like tablets.

[Via Slashgear]

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Posted by Augustine at 6:16 AM

Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD gets reviewed, all 15x of it

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/415400043/

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With a zoom this long, it has to be good, right? Evidently that's absolutely correct, as the critics over at PhotographyBLOG adored what the FinePix S2000HD was packin'. The camera wasn't the sharpest nor most evenly exposed megazoom they'd ever seen, but given the respectable asking price ($269), it was still deemed a winner. More specifically, reviewers found the image quality to be "perfectly acceptable given the build and asking price," and while the video wasn't true HD, it still trumped that of most rivals. In the end, the relatively compact 10-megapixel cam was seen as a perfect option for those not ready to splurge on a DSLR and a decent zoom lens, notching a very admirable 4 out of 5 overall rating.
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Posted by Augustine at 6:16 AM

Court bans sales of RealDVD indefinitely

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/415566087/

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It look like Hollywood's won the first round in court against RealNetworks' RealDVD DVD-ripping software -- Judge Maralyn Hall Patel (of Napster fame, remember her?) ruled yesterday that a temporary restraining order blocking sales of the software will stay in place indefinitely until she decides whether it violates the DMCA. The central issue is whether or not making a bit-for-bit copy of a DVD constitutes circumventing copy protection: the studios claim the encryption keys must be read off the disk under the terms of the license agreement, and RealNetworks obviously disagrees. There's a lot at play here, including the studios' argument that fair use doesn't serve as a defense to backing up DVDs, so we'll be tracking this one closely -- it's sadly clear to us that Hollywood's fight here is against consumers having flexibility with their media, since it lost the battle against actual piracy ages ago.
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Posted by Augustine at 6:13 AM

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

DPAC II -- Is The Widget The Future of Digital Advertising?

Advertiser Track: Is The Widget The Future of Digital Advertising? As Publishers, Media Companies, Networks, Bloggers and the long tail use and push the ad widget, will the marketers come rushing in? As widget companies abound and offer simple DIY design tools that make it possible for any size media company and agency to create customized and inexpensive widgets for their advertisers, will this be the next killer app for brands? And how are agencies and brands using them now? What type of communication strategies and approaches are marketers using to engage consumers? Where and how do widgets fit into media plans? And what metrics do you use to track their efficacy? Lastly, do they have the right stuff to be the future of digital advertising? Moderator:  Matt Goddard, CEO, R2integrated Speakers:  Christian Oestlien, Senior Product Manager, Google Content Network Dr. Augustine Fou, SVP Digital Strategist, MRM Worldwide Heidi Henson, Director, RockYou Advertising

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Posted by Augustine at 4:54 PM

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Light bulb networks could be the next WiFi

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/413679387/

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If researchers at Boston University's College of Engineering have their way, light bulbs of the future may be the highway your data gets carried along. A team at the school is working on low-power LEDs which could utilize an optical communication system to carry data wirelessly. Using a technique which rapidly switches the LEDs on and off data transmissions could be made via imperceptible -- yet undoubtedly brain-scrambling -- flickering patterns, and each light would be its own network entry point at speeds of 1 to 10Mbps. The concept is more secure than current RF techniques because it requires linked devices be in line-of-sight, and the technology would draw far less energy than conventional radios. Says professor Thomas Little, "Imagine if your computer, iPhone, TV, radio and thermostat could all communicate with you when you walked in a room just by flipping the wall light switch and without the usual cluster of wires." Yes... and talk about you behind your back. And plot your "accidental" death after taking out a large life insurance policy on you. You won't get away with this LED network!

[Thanks, Travis]
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Posted by Augustine at 3:40 AM

Microsoft set to launch Surface SDK this month

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/413773670/

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In a fashion not dissimilar from one tiny multitouch device (save the outcry), Microsoft's large multitouch device -- the Surface -- will be getting its very own SDK at Microsoft's Professional Developer Conference this month. The package, which the folks in Redmond have apparently been promising since April, will introduce developers to "vision-based object recognition" and something called ScatterView, and a session at the PDC will detail how the kit "aligns with the multitouch developer roadmap for Windows 7." All exciting stuff, but if we don't see a giant, multitouch version of FreeCell soon, we might just stop paying attention.
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Posted by Augustine at 3:39 AM

Nikon announces Media Port UP300x head-mounted PMP

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/413849020/

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Just when we were getting used to having most Nikon announcements thoroughly preceded by a flood of leaks, the company's managed to totally surprise us by introducing a new head-mounted display with PMP features -- and it actually looks pretty sweet. The WiFi-enabled 8GB Media Port UP UP300x has a .44-inch 640 x 480 screen that appears to be the equivalent of a 50-inch image viewed from about 10 feet away, and includes a motion sensor that allows media functions to be controlled through head movements. (There's also a "basic" 4GB UP300 that omits the motion control features.) Codec support is pretty slim, but there's a browser app and a new UP media store that allows for direct downloads. Two AA batteries will last for two hours of video or 270 minutes of audio, which should be enough time for you to look thoroughly like a dork, but we won't lie -- we'd buy one of these in a heartbeat if they ever make it out of Japan.

[Via Akihabara News]
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Posted by Augustine at 3:39 AM

Dell Mini 9 gets snug little GPS hack

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/413925613/

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Word is that Dell's Mini 9 is a modder's paradise, rife with precious little alcoves in which to squeeze teeny-tiny new stuff. The confirmation: MyDellMini forum user Tom Beauchamp bought a USB GPS receiver (not much larger than a quarter) and snugly fit it inside his Mini's case. He's provided images and instructions so you, too, can illegally navigate with your notebook computer in the passenger's seat of your car. We can't recommend that sort of irresponsibility, but if you want to mod it just because you can, hit the read link for the instructions and images. Beware, of course, that a minimum amount of technical savvy is required to avoid breaking a perfectly good little laptop. Like that was ever going to stop you.
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Posted by Augustine at 3:38 AM

HTC not bringing Touch HD to the States

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/413955697/

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This shouldn't be surprising at all to anyone even remotely familiar with HTC's tendencies, but the Touch HD is officially not ever shipping to America (unless you import, obviously). The news was dropped via a Tweet (of all things), but evidently, the outcry over what we figured was common knowledge has caused some windows to be rattled in the penthouse offices. Another official Tweet followed to thank everyone for "expressing their desire for the HD," with the author noting that "US management now knows there's a grassroots demand for high-end HTCs here." Really, HTC? You needed a flood of angry Twitter comments to understand that Americans would give their second born for a phone like the Touch HD?

[Via WMExperts, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: We've received official word from HTC that they've been really overwhelmed by the "strong" demand for the HD in the States and other markets where no launch has been planned (with that insane display, it seemed like a no-brainer to us!). Sadly, due to the engineering time required to get a North American 3G version in the pipeline, they say they're better off just waiting until the next round of products launches -- hopefully with some extra bands in the radio this time, eh?

Read - Touch HD not coming to the US
Read - Thanks for the concern
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Posted by Augustine at 3:37 AM

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