Engadget's Netflix HD streaming shootout

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/19/do-not-time-netflix-hd-streaming-shootout/

Netflix seems to be doing things right when it comes to the streaming game, partnering with several hardware companies in an attempt to make its service more or less ubiquitous -- a pretty sharp break from the proprietary hardware approach taken by most of its competitors. That means Netflix subscribers have quite a few choices when it comes to streaming, and we thought we'd put the ones available now head-to-head and try to crown a winner. The good news? There isn't a mediocre choice out there. The bad? Well, read on.

Update: We shot another video to answer some lingering questions about the Roku player, check it below.

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Engadget's Netflix HD streaming shootout originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia 5730 XpressMusic gets exhaustively previewed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/19/nokia-5730-xpressmusic-gets-exhaustively-previewed/

Well, hello there 5730 XpressMusic, so nice to finally meet you! This admittedly odd looking Nokia has been brought to our attention courtesy of Russia's own Mobile-Review, and while we're still trying to decide whether or not the QWERTY slide-out keyboard is a turn off or totally awesome (with its dot matrix-styled font), we figured it prudent to pass along the information, anyway. Said mobile sports a 2-inch QVGA screen, backlit keys, a 1,000mAh battery good for 4.5 hours of yappin', EDGE data, inbuilt GPS, 128MB of RAM, a microSD card slot, USB / Bluetooth and Symbian S60 running the show. We're told to expect it out in European markets this April for €220 ($289), though worldwide availability remains a mystery. Have a look in the read link for eleventy billion more images and a poorly translated preview.

[Thanks, momchil]

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia 5730 XpressMusic gets exhaustively previewed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Green House rolls out Kana Micro digital audio player

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/19/green-house-rolls-out-kana-micro-digital-audio-player/

It looks like anyone that wished their digital audio player looked more like a nondescript USB drive is now in luck, as Green House has just introduced its new Kana Micro player, which is far more likely to get lost than stolen. True to its barebones nature, it seems you'll also have to supply your own microSD card for storage with this one (up to 2GB is support), and you can apparently expect to get a whopping two hours of battery life before it needs to be recharged via the built-in USB connector. No word on a release 'round here just yet, as you might have guessed, but those in Japan can pick one up right now in their choice of seven different colors for a mere ¥1,480, or about $16.

[Via Akihabara News]

Filed under: Portable Audio

Green House rolls out Kana Micro digital audio player originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Display CEO says that LCD panel prices have "reached a bottom"

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/19/lg-display-ceo-says-that-lcd-panel-prices-have-reached-a-bottom/

The company may not exactly have the final say on the matter, but LG Display CEO Kwon Young-soo seems confident that the market for LCD panels is finally set to turn around, with him saying today that, "the good news is that we've reached a bottom," and that, "TV panel prices will likely stop the downward trend and recover." LG doesn't see things completely turning around overnight, however, and in the meantime it says it'll be pouring more than $400 million into a new production line designed to produce high-end LTPS LCD displays for mobile devices, which it apparently expects will be a more profitable area, and help it turn that frown upside down once more.

[Via DailyTech]

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

LG Display CEO says that LCD panel prices have "reached a bottom" originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 drives said to be failing at an alarming rate

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/seagate-barracuda-7200-11-drives-said-to-be-failing-at-an-alarmi/

Rumors flying, sensational headlines, dogs and cats living together. Yes, its another apparent rash of hard drive failures -- this one centered on Seagate's spacious 1TB Barracuda 7200.11 drives. Apparently, the problem lies in a faulty firmware found on drives manufactured in Thailand, which causes them to fail before they're even able to boot up and leaves them completely inoperable, with some extensive data recovery measures the only option for those looking to hang onto their data. What's more, while Seagate is now said to be updating the firmware on newly manufactured drives, it's apparently not possible to update the firmware on the toasted drives, as they're not even able to be detected by the BIOS once they fail. Seagate still doesn't seem to be addressing the issue publicly, however, and as Tom's Hardware points out, they haven't yet issued a recall on unsold drives, so anyone planning on upgrading or building a new PC may want to proceed with caution.

[Via The Register]

Filed under: Storage

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 drives said to be failing at an alarming rate originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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