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Monday, November 16, 2009

Acer Aspire Timeline 1820PT convertible hits Australia, gets specs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/16/acer-aspire-timeline-1820pt-convertible-hits-australia-gets-spe/

Acer's Aspire Timeline 1820PT lit up our radar today after going official in Italy and arriving unheralded on the company's Australian site. Yet another 11.6-inch convertible notebook, this guy ships with Windows 7 Home Premium and features both multitouch display and touchpad, up to 1366 x 768 display resolution, an Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 (1.2GHz) processor, GMA X4500MHD, up to 8GB RAM and 320GB storage, 3G, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. In addition to all that, this bad boy sports the usual ins 'n outs, including HDMI and a card reader, and boasts an eight hour battery life. Sounds like the company's 1820P, eh? We thought so too. No word yet on price or stateside availability, but you can get a closer look in the gallery below, and be sure to peep the specs after the break.

Gallery: Acer Aspire Timeline 1820PT

[Via Netbooked]

Continue reading Acer Aspire Timeline 1820PT convertible hits Australia, gets specs

Filed under: Laptops

Acer Aspire Timeline 1820PT convertible hits Australia, gets specs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T adds Samsung Go to netbook lineup, dumbs it down with Windows 7 Starter

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/16/atandt-adds-samsung-go-to-netbook-lineup-dumbs-it-down-with-windo/

AT&T just added a pair of Windows 7 Starter netbooks to its stable, and while we've got nothing against the Samsung Go and the Acer Aspire One, we just can't help but feel preloading 7 Starter makes the already-dubious subsidized netbook value proposition even worse. Let's break it down: both the Go and the Aspire One will set you back $199 upfront (well, after mail-in rebate), and then you're on the hook for two-year data contract, which will cost you either $35 a month for a 200MB cap or $60 a month for a 5GB cap. Now, $35 a month for 200MB of data is basically worthless for a netbook -- that's what, a half-day of watching YouTube? -- so assuming you do what most people do and buy the $60 plan, you're out at least $1,639 over two years for last-gen netbook hardware running a gimped OS that doesn't even let you change the desktop wallpaper. Not exactly a screaming deal. We'd say you're much better off finding a netbook with XP on sale and just getting a regular free-on-contract USB data card, which you'll be able to use on multiple machines -- or, if you absolutely must have Windows 7, holding out for the coming flood of Pine Trail netbooks at CES, which we're hoping will come preloaded with 7 Home Premium.

Filed under: Laptops

AT&T adds Samsung Go to netbook lineup, dumbs it down with Windows 7 Starter originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook's gettin' uncool - http://bit.ly/1MHxhP; previously Facebook's going DOWN - http://bit.ly/l6Ljx

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Droid experiencing external speaker problems, could be a software issue?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/15/droid-experiencing-external-speaker-problems-could-be-a-softwar/

It's no reason to panic just yet, but apparently a good amount of people are having trouble with the external speaker on their Motorola Droid cutting out for no reason. It seems to be software-related, and sometimes a reboot fixes it temporarily, but it's a scary problem for people relying on the handset as an alarm clock (or, you know, to receive calls), since you never know when it will strike next. For its part it seems that Motorola is replacing handsets that have the issue, though that's no guarantee of escape from the clutches of silence. Let's hope Motorola updates us with a software patch or some other serious solution soon -- people need to hear that robotic "Droooiiid" alert sound -- and meanwhile let us know if you've been seeing a similar issue.

[Thanks, Bryan]

Filed under: Cellphones

Droid experiencing external speaker problems, could be a software issue? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Is How an Earthquake Propagates Through the Entire Planet [Graphics]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/0OJWDx6wJUI/this-is-how-an-earthquake-propagates-through-the-entire-planet

Wired thinks that Roy A. Gallant's 1950 classic science books need to be updated with 21st-Century style and information. They're right, but while their artwork may be flashier and more accurate, it is not necessarily clearer. Take these two examples.

In the first one, you can try to see how earthquakes propagate through the entire planet in three dimensions. I say "try" because, while the graphic looks very cool, the interpretation of all those information layers is not easy in 3D space. In this case, a classic bi-dimensional cut—using the latest scientific data—would do a much better job at explaining what is basically a symmetric movement through the planet's core. The only better technique would be to add time through animation.

The slicing of Earth's atmosphere has the same problems. It may be fun, but not necessarily clearer than the old 2D version:

The crosscut would show distances more accurately, and the whole representation would be easier to interpret than the fake 3D video. Not to talk about one undeniable fact: I like the Flash Gordon spaceships better. [Wired]

7 Ways for Best Buy to Make Its 24-Hour Store Kick the Apple Store's Ass [Advice]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/nXSmrUVR2uc/7-ways-for-best-buy-to-make-its-24+hour-store-kick-the-apple-stores-ass

So, Best Buy's new store in NYC is going to be open 24 hours during the week. Apple also has a 24-hour store in NYC, but this could be way better. I have some pitches for you, Best Buy.

1. Capsule Hotel
Say you're in Union Square, it's 4am, and you're drunk. Far too drunk to figure out how to get back to Queens on the subway. Well, why not go and crash in the capsule hotel at Best Buy for $15? And when you get up, you can make a quick video game impulse purchase to help nurse your hangover with.

2. Pay by the hour video games
Best Buy has tons of huge, beautiful TVs. They also have boatloads of video games and consoles. Why not use all that gear? If they set up Xboxes on those big TVs, they could charge people by the hour to play on them late at night. Say, from 11pm-6am. I'm sure they'd make a boatload of cash from semi-drunk people paying $20 to kill each other in Call of Duty before going home after the bars.

3. Food
Of course, you've gotta have food late at night. Might I suggest a make-your-own sundae bar? Just make sure you've got enough wet naps on hand to keep all of your nice products from being covered in sticky fingerprints.

4. Skee-ball
Everybody loves skee-ball!

5. Karaoke
Again, this would be a great way to showcase your TVs as well as the big musical instruments section that this new flagship Best Buy is going to have.

6. Hot Tubs
Look, if you want to get people into your store late at night, you've gotta offer incentives. And there are few better incenti! ves than a hot tub on a cold night. Combine this with #2 and I'd practically live there.

7. A Bar
Why only settle for people shopping after they've been out drinking when you can sell them their drinks as well? Do you know what the profit margins are on booze sales? Enough to make you rethink being an electronics retailer, that's what.

Editorial: Hey, AT&T -- drop lawsuits, not calls

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/13/editorial-hey-atandt-drop-lawsuits-not-calls/

AppleInsider published a piece this week that does a good job rounding up the latest counterarguments we've been hearing against Verizon's claims in its suddenly ultra-aggressive attacks on archrival AT&T's network -- attacks that have offended AT&T right into getting the legal team involved. Both sides are applying enough spin to make you dizzy at this point, so let's break down the latest round of pot shots, shall we?

Verbiage on Verizon's site suggests that swaths of its 3G network are still running at EV-DO Rev. 0 speed: false. In fact, 100 percent of Verizon's 3G coverage has been Rev. A since 2007 -- the wording refers to 1xRTT, which is the transport technology in use where EV-DO hasn't been deployed.
You can't distinguish between EV-DO and 1xRTT on Verizon's coverage map: false. Turns out Verizon has one of the more comprehensive coverage browsers among top-tier carriers. The technologies aren't called out by name, but they're there -- they list compatible features in different coverage zones, ostensibly to reduce customer confusion since your average Joe (not to be confused with our own Joe Flatley) doesn't know or care what "1xRTT" means.
EDGE approaches the "low end" of EV-DO Rev. A: false. At the top end of the specification, EDGE can theoretically approach 500kbps in a cleanroom environment -- but in reality, it runs at a fraction of that and suffers more severe latency issues in practice (which is sometimes a greater detriment to a mobile web browsing experience than raw speed) than UMTS and EV-DO. Heck, AT&T itself claims 75-135kbps. Meanwhile, we got 823kbps on the downlink in real-world modem use on Verizon's Rev. A.
AT&T's 3.6Mbps and 7.2Mbps deployments are significantly faster than EV-DO Rev. A: true, but only in theory. We're getting downlink speeds ranging from the low 100s -- yes, 100s -- to the high 800s in Chicago and New York; Chicago's got a trial 7.2Mbps network that's live, but even if we're not connected to it (hard to say), we should still be on 3.6. We seriously have no idea what AT&T's doing behind the scenes with these rollouts, but in urban areas, at least, they're not helping. At all. And that's assuming we can help ourselves from dropping down to EDGE.
AT&T's service is augmented by the nation's largest WiFi network: we won't even justify that with a rebuttal.
Verizon's gaming the system by comparing only their 3G networks: the truth hurts, AT&T. Verizon's commercials would have you believe that by comparing only 3G coverage, Verizon wins by a country mile. And guess what? They do. To AT&T's credit, the 3GPP's WCDMA technology path is considerably more advanced and extensible than EV-DO Rev. A is, but beyond UMTS's simultaneous voice / data capability, the end user's experience is pretty similar in day-to-day use. We go where the faster real-world speeds (and the reliable calls) are.
Verizon is "defending steep losses" with its anti-AT&T, anti-iPhone commercials: false. Verizon added 1.2 million net customers in the most recently reported quarter, excluding acquisitions.
LTE is "still years away from viable use" on Verizon: false. They'll have 20-30 markets commercially live in 2010, which is 20-30 more than AT&T will have. It's not nationwide coverage by a long shot, but it gives the carrier a notable lead in the 4G transition since AT&T has sparsely detailed its LTE plans and isn't expected to go live with any markets until 2011 at the earliest.

To be fair, Verizon's taking a questionable angle in its advertising by trying to associate 3G coverage with call reliability -- in AT&T's case, the two are totally, completely unrelated -- but the fact remains that for a bunch of New York, Chicago, and San Francisco-based Engadget editors, Verizon bests AT&T in both categories, and we're having a hard time arguing with personal experience.

So listen, AT&T, we're sorry Verizon made you upset, but the solution's actually pretty simple: compete. Fix your network, keep scoring hot exclusives, and get hungry again -- because in a year or two, no one's going to give a damn that you used to have an exclusive on the iPhone.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Editorial: Hey, AT&T -- drop lawsuits, not calls originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ION Cube case mod wins NVIDIA design contest

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/13/ion-cube-case-mod-wins-nvidia-design-contest/

We haven't seen a ton of ION-based case mods just yet, but it looks like NVIDIA itself has kick started the scene in a pretty big way with a case mod design contest, and it's now crowned a winner. Built by Bill Owen of Mnpctech.com, the so-called ION Cube draws on a few fairly obvious influences, and makes use of a combination of CNC milled sheets of aluminum and laser cut pieces of acrylic which, combined with the rest of the build, apparently took over a hundred hours to complete. On the inside, and one of the impetuses for the contest, is the ZOTAC ION ITX 330 motherboard, which is intended for small, low-power systems just like this (and less flashy ones, too). Head on past the break a video, and hit up the link below for a look at the build.

Continue reading ION Cube case mod wins NVIDIA design contest

Filed under: Desktops

ION Cube case mod wins NVIDIA design contest originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP dm3t review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/13/hp-dm3t-review/

We're really into the new influx of inexpensive CULV-based laptops that's arrived with Windows 7, and just like the ASUS UL80Vt, we knew we had to check out the starts-at-$599 HP dm3t the second we saw the first leak. In many ways, it's the perfect throw-it-in-a-bag-and-go portable on paper, with a sleek and rigid case design, a 1.3GHz Intel SU7300 Core 2 Duo processor, and a 13.3-inch screen, but there's a big difference between loving a machine's spec sheets and reviews and loving it in real life, so we spent a couple days playing with a spec'd-up $819 model -- read on for our impressions.

Gallery: HP dm3t unboxing and hands-on

Continue reading HP dm3t review

Filed under: Laptops

HP dm3t review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile launching BlackBerry Bold 9700 on November 16 for $199.99

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/13/t-mobile-launching-blackberry-bold-9700-on-november-16-for-199/

Anyone looking for the hottest T-Mobile-powered BlackBerry experience that money can buy need only wait a few dozen hours now, because the carrier has just revealed that it'll be launching the latest rendition of the Bold -- the 9700 -- on Monday, November 16 for $200 on contract. Your hard-earned cash reels in T-Mobile's very first 3G BlackBerry underpinned by a 3.2 megapixel camera and 480 x 360 display, beating AT&T's launch by a solid six days. Enjoy, folks.

Filed under: Cellphones

T-Mobile launching BlackBerry Bold 9700 on November 16 for $199.99 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ioSafe Solo hard drive places a 2TB bet on all kinds of disasters

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/13/iosafe-solo-hard-drive-places-a-2tb-bet-on-all-kinds-of-disaster/

It's Friday the 13th, and ioSafe couldn't have chosen a better time to update their Solo fireproof and waterproof hard drive line with a 2TB model. Sure, it'll cost you $399 for a USB 2.0 connection instead of eSATA, FireWire 800 or USB 3.0, but you'll never know when your yacht sinks or burns down, sending that precious Kenny G collection to oblivion. Don't go thinking you can just get the $149 500GB model and upgrade it yourself either -- you'll have to destroy the waterproof seal to get to the hard drive, as demonstrated before. Yeah, life's tough.

Filed under: Storage

ioSafe Solo hard drive places a 2TB bet on all kinds of disasters originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ViewSonic heats up phone collection, V901 spotted on Microsoft China site

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/13/viewsonic-heats-up-phone-collection-v901-spotted-on-microsoft-c/

In just one week, ViewSonic has gone from a glint of a 3G phone maker to having two models prominently on display. We've already seen VPC08 Windows XP phone, and now up to bat is the V901, found in the pages of Microsoft China's official site. The Windows Mobile 6.5, apparently TouchWiz-skinned device has a 3.6-inch, 480 x 800 touchscreen, a Marvell PXA310 processor, 128MB RAM and 256MB ROM storage with microSD expansion, 5 megapixel camera, GPS, Bluetooth, all hailing to the wavelengths we call CDMA EV-DO Rev. A. Launch is Q4 2009, so sometime very soon -- but we get the feeling this is China-only, at least for now.

[Via iTech News Net]

Filed under: Cellphones

ViewSonic heats up phone collection, V901 spotted on Microsoft China site originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you change Garmin-Asus' nuvifone G60?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/14/how-would-you-change-garmin-asus-nuvifone-g60/

The nüvifone G60 took nearly two years to go from introduction to on sale at AT&T, and just weeks after its introduction, it has been nearly completely forgotten. Smartphones like Motorola's Droid and HTC's Droid Eris have already snagged the spotlight, and of course, that $300 (on contract) price tag that it debuted with didn't help attract any eyes, either. That said, we're sure at least a few (couple?) of you bit the bullet post-price drop, and now we're overly anxious to hear how you feel about it. After two years, does this thing really live up to the expectations? Are you satisfied with the navigation capabilities? Is the lackluster battery life worrying you yet? Should Garmin-Asus even bother with a second-gen device? Sound off in comments below!

Filed under: Cellphones

How would you change Garmin-Asus' nuvifone G60? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix hitting internet-capable Sony BRAVIA sets today

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/14/netflix-hitting-internet-capable-sony-bravia-sets-today/

Good news for folks who against all odds don't have a home theater Netflix streaming option yet, and yet inexplicably own an internet-connected Sony BRAVIA TV: Netflix just went live. It just takes applying the latest software update and you're in business. BRAVIA owners were promised the update back in July, and let us be the first to point and laugh insensitively at PS3 owners who have use a "DVD" to get Netflix working on their Cell-powered supermachines.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Netflix hitting internet-capable Sony BRAVIA sets today originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hallods F43 MP4 player packs a 4.3-inch 720p screen, outed in Japan

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/14/hallods-f43-mp4-player-packs-a-4-3-inch-720p-screen-outed-in-ja/

Looks like the wait for a real HD PMP is finally over: Hallods of Japan has just released their F43 MP4 player featuring a 4.3-inch 1280x720 screen, easily beating other sub-5-inch, 480p screens found on big names like the Archos 5 and Viewsonic's VPD400. Under that sharp screen is 8GB of internal storage and a hot-swappable microSD slot, along with a battery life of about four hours and ten hours for video and music, respectively. Like many PMPs out there the F43 supports videos encoded in MPEG4, FLV, RMVB and DivX-WVGA. Sure, there's the ironic lack of HDMI output, but for ¥16,800 ($188) this is still a pretty good deal. Let's just hope Hallods will send them over to the US soon.

[Via i4u]

Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Video

Hallods F43 MP4 player packs a 4.3-inch 720p screen, outed in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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