ASUS: Eee Pad Transformer delays due to demand, not component shortages

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/06/asus-eee-pad-transformer-delays-due-to-demand-not-component-sh/

We're sure you heard the rumors when hanging out in your ASUS fanboy haunts, wearing your ASUS logo hats and medallions, talking your crazy ASUS lingo with your fellow ASUS scenesters. Or maybe you thought something was up when Amazon sold out immediately. Either way, there has been plenty of chatter in the gadgetsphere as of late about the Eee Pad Transformer. Why is it so hard to find? Are component shortages to blame? Quality control issues? We've heard plenty of speculation, and now ASUSTek spokesperson David Chang is weighing in on the matter. According to Netbook News, the company has seen overwhelming demand for the device, and is currently planning to put 100,000 units on the street in May, followed by an additional 200,000-plus in June. "If the demand continues to increase substantially," said Chan, "then we will have to continue to ramp up production in order to fulfill our customers' demand." You know, that's exactly what we would do if we were in that situation!

ASUS: Eee Pad Transformer delays due to demand, not component shortages originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 May 2011 10:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Flyer stylus on sale at Best Buy for $80, because matching gadgets should cost more

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/06/htc-flyer-stylus-on-sale-at-best-buy-for-80-because-matching-g/

If you ordered the HTC Flyer because you're keen on scribbling notes and doodling over screenshots (and already misplaced the stylus that came with it), well, today's your lucky day -- it's now on sale by itself for a cool $80. That's fairly outrageous, given that you can buy the HP Slate 500's for well under that tally, and the Fujitsu LifeBook T580's for roughly $22... that is, if you lose the one included in the box. Plus, although these pens won't complement your Flyer's aluminum chassis, they should still work, as all of these tablets use N-Trig's DuoSense pen / capacitive touch technology. And particularly with a dearth in apps that can take advantage of pen input, you'd better be the next J.K. Rowling if you're looking to get your money's worth.

HTC Flyer stylus on sale at Best Buy for $80, because matching gadgets should cost more originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 May 2011 10:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Apps for Group Texting? [Hive Five Call For Contenders]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5799092/best-apps-for-group-texting

Sending SMS messages doesn't have to be a one-on-one affair anymore, and it definitely doesn't have to be expensive. A whole new category of apps and services have come to the rescue, offering conversational text messaging at low rates. This week, we want to know which you use.

Most group texting apps work best when all parties are signed up for the service. Others let you bring outsiders in on the conversation. Still, the biggest benefit to group texting apps is you can send the same message to everyone at the same time, and everyone can respond like you're all having a conversation.

This week we want to know which group texting app works best for you. Whether it's iOS, Android, or cross-platform, which app do you turn to when you need to organize a group or break some news? Let us know in the comments.

Hive Five nominations take place in the comments, where you post your favorite tool for the job. We get hundreds of comments, so to make your nomination clear, please include it at the top of your comment like so: VOTE: BEST GROUP TEXTING APP. Please don't include your vote in a reply to another commenter. Instead, make your vote and reply separate comments. If you don't follow this format, we may not count your vote. To prevent tampering with the results, votes from first-time commenters may not be counted. After you've made your nomination, let us know what makes it stand out from the competition.

About the Hive Five: The Hive Five feature series asks readers to answer the most frequently asked question we get: "Which tool is the best?" Once a week we'll put out a call for contenders looking for the best solution to a certain problem, then YOU tell us your favorite tools to get the job done. Every weekend, we'll report back with the top five recommendations and give you a chance to vote on which is best. For an example, check out last week's Five Best Video Services for Ditching Cable Without Losing Your Favorite TV Shows. Photo by Bryan Gosline.

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AT&T's Biggest (and Thinnest and Fastest) Phone [Smartphones]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/#!5799014/atts-biggest-and-thinnest-phone

The Infuse 4G doesn't feel quite as spectacular as I remember at CES—it's missing that feeling of heft, that feeling of quality construction, subbing in a less dense plastic—but the 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen is still a rich-hued stunner, and its 8.99mm of thinness effectively camouflages the serious size of the phone, which inches (literally) into mini-tablet territory.

It's all still powered by a single-core 1.2GHz processor, with an 8MP rear and 1.3MP front camera. The 4G on here is, um, more 4Ger than AT&T's other "4G" phones, with 21Mbps on the downstream, and HSUPA enabled from the get go, unlike the Atrix. On the downside, it's still running Android 2.2 with the older version of TouchWiz, same as the current Galaxy S variant on AT&T, the Captivate. But this thing massive thing's out May 15 for $200 w/ contract.

Expect more hands on time with this later. [AT&T]

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Footprints Is an Energy-Saving Location Tracker for iOS [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5799070/footprints-is-a-energy+saving-location-tracker-for-ios

Like Google Latitude (and other apps), Footprints tracks your location and shares it with others so you can find your friends or track your kids. What Footprints does better is provide easy sharing, less drain on your battery, and the ability to report your location to multiple sources.

While Footprints can eat up as much of your battery as Google Latitude (and others), it allows you to set the interval for when your location is reported so it reports less and therefore uses less of your battery. Sharing your location is also very simple, as you can sync up with Facebook or just select someone from your address book who's also using Footprints. The main downside is that they have to already be in your address book, as there doesn't seem to be an option to just add a contact, but chances are you're not going to want to share your location with someone you don't know so it's probably not a big deal. While Footprints is free to download, an in-app purchase is required to continue using it after the first three months. It's only $1 for three months, $3 for a year, and $5 for two years, so it's not terribly pricey but still obviously more expensive than its free competitors.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of location tracking apps and generally don't like to use them, but some people do and I do feel there are legitimate uses for them. If you're trying to meet up with people or want someone to know your location for safety (or other) purposes, Footprints is a good choice because it doesn't require much effort and you can share with just about anybody. It has a few drawbacks, but if you're sharing with other iOS users and want a low-battery, private option, it's a pretty good alternative to Google Latitude.

Footprints | iTunes App Store

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You can follow Adam Dachis, the author of this post, on Twitter and Facebook.  If you'd like to contact him, Twitter is the most effective means of doing so.

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