Wirefly: 'no Skype' on Thunderbolt, but simultaneous 3G voice and data is a go; ships on March 17th

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/14/wirefly-no-skype-on-thunderbolt-but-simultaneous-3g-voice-an/

Wireless retailer Wirefly is pushing ahead with pre-orders for the beleaguered HTC Thunderbolt starting at midnight Pacific Time this evening with the promise that they'll start shipping this Thursday, the 17th; that lines up with a whole lot of noise we've heard recently, so we can't really argue with it at this point. They're also confirming a couple rumors that have been floating around since the phone's January debut: first, they're saying "no Skype," which we're taking to mean that the promised Skype video calling app won't be installed out of the box. We're also assuming (or at least hoping) that you'll be able to install the standard voice-only version. Secondly, they're saying that the phone definitely does simultaneous voice and data over 3G, a feature that was just recently made possible on Verizon's CDMA network through software upgrades -- and the Thunderbolt, it seems, will be the first retail device to have the pleasure of taking it for a spin.

Wirefly: 'no Skype' on Thunderbolt, but simultaneous 3G voice and data is a go; ships on March 17th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad 2 specs discerned, 900MHz dual-core ARM CPU and PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU blow away graphical benchmarks

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/12/ipad-2-specs-discerned-900mhz-arm-cortex-a9-and-powervr-sgx543m/

iFixit may have physically uncovered Apple's latest silicon, but it's the processor gurus that have discovered what's truly inside -- using software benchmarks, they've unearthed the speeds and feeds of the Apple A5. As you'll no doubt be aware having read our headline above, there actually isn't a 1GHz CPU at the helm, as AnandTech and IOSnoops report the dual-core ARM chip is dynamically clocked around 900MHz, likely in search of reduced power consumption. Perhaps more interestingly for all you gamers in the audience, the iPad 2 reports that it has a dual-core PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU on the die as originally foretold -- and, spoiler alert -- it mops the floor with both the original iPad and the Motorola Xoom. Though the new chip didn't quite demonstrate 9X the graphical prowess of its predecessor, it rendered 57.6 frames per second in a GLBenchmark test where the (admittedly higher-res) Tegra 2 tablet managed only 26.7fps, and last year's iPad pulled only 17.6fps. That's some serious Tai Chi. Hit up our source links to see the difference it can make in games like Infinity Blade.

Update: Though it sure sounds like there's a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 in there, that's not yet a proven fact -- we only know that it's a dual-core ARM v7 chip which performs relatively similarly in non-graphical tests. [Thanks, Jim]

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

iPad 2 specs discerned, 900MHz dual-core ARM CPU and PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU blow away graphical benchmarks originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 20:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google ships last Cr-48 laptop 'for now,' partner Chrome OS devices still on track for summer

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/13/google-ships-last-cr-48-laptop-partner-chrome-os-devices-still/

The very same gentleman that introduced us to Google's Cr-48 laptop, Product Management VP Sundar Pichai, has disclosed the unfortunate news that Google has shipped the last of them, at least "for now." The next opportunity to catch a ticket to ride the Chrome OS bandwagon will come in the middle of this year, as promised, with devices from Acer and Samsung coming to market. Rumor had it that Google received about 60,000 Cr-48s from ODM Inventec back in December, though whatever the number of manufactured units was, the fact is that it's now been fully depleted. We'd urge Google's partners not to stray too far away from the Cr-48 template in the summer -- we're huge fans of its minimalist good looks, even if the OS itself could do with a few more layers of spit, polish and features.

Continue reading Google ships last Cr-48 laptop 'for now,' partner Chrome OS devices still on track for summer

Google ships last Cr-48 laptop 'for now,' partner Chrome OS devices still on track for summer originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 12:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 showcased on video, doesn't look all that inadequate to us

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/14/samsung-galaxy-tab-10-1-showcased-on-video-doesnt-look-all-tha/

We have no small amount of respect for Samsung for coming out and admitting that its Galaxy Tab 10.1 slate won't necessarily be the best thing since sliced Apples, but we wouldn't go so far as to describe it as "inadequate," which is what company VP Lee Don-Joo recently called it. It's a handsome, svelte and undeniably powerful device, a set of qualities that is in full show during AndroidHD's 11-minute long video of a day spent in the company of a Tab 10.1. Now, this isn't a hands-on video so much as a commercial made by someone other than Samsung. You can tell Sammy didn't author it because nobody tries to fit this Galaxy Tab inside a pocket. Jump after the break for the ocular feast.

[Thanks, Taylor]

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 showcased on video, doesn't look all that inadequate to us

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 showcased on video, doesn't look all that inadequate to us originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 04:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flash 10.2 beta hits Android Market on March 18th, only supports Honeycomb at release

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/11/flash-10-2-beta-hits-android-market-on-march-18th-only-supports/

Contrary to reports floating about the web, the Motorola Xoom isn't getting Adobe Flash Player 10.2 today -- rather, the tablet is getting updated to support Flash which will actually arrive in one week. Adobe now says that a beta of Flash Player 10.2 will be ready to download from the Android Market on March 18th, supporting only Honeycomb tablets (in other words, just the Xoom) to start, and will eventually be available for Android 2.2 smartphones -- again, contrary to what we'd been told, but we can't really complain on that count. Froyo devices won't get the full battery-friendly Stage Video rendering pipeline and deep browser integration like their Honeycomb tablet brethren, but dual-core phones will reportedly see a performance improvement nonetheless, and there's a new tweak that'll let Flash web apps pull up a virtual keyboard if needed for full functionality. PR after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Flash 10.2 beta hits Android Market on March 18th, only supports Honeycomb at release

Flash 10.2 beta hits Android Market on March 18th, only supports Honeycomb at release originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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