Samsung Galaxy S II: A First Draft of Your Next Android Phone [Lightning Review]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5818202/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-a-draft-of-your-next-android-phone

At this point, Android phones are officially being created faster than human babies. Samsung's Galaxy phones have been the blueprint for the last year, literally. The Galaxy S II is the new blueprint—and it's a very nice one.

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The fastestest Android phone I've ever used, bar none, no holds barred, etc., thanks to a crispy Gingerbread core and a 1.2 dual-core chip paired with 1GB of RAM. I can get used to this kind of whiplash. It's stupid thin, like thinner-than-an-iPhone-4 thin. The camera is like, good: the shots (though the iPhone 4's tweaks makes its photos more pleasant), the 1080p video (which murderfaces the iPhone 4's indoors) and Samsung's more camera-y interface. (Samples can be had in the gallery below, or here.) Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus display continues to be lovely, if slightly lacking for pixels.

If this is what we can expect as baseline for the next 6 months of Android phones, well, I can live with that.

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What I can't live with: Samsung's terribly gauche custom software/interface, TouchWiz. There isn't an Android phonemaker on the planet who outdoes what Google's already doing with Android. (Not to say that Android's interface is good: Watching a serious nerd / web developer friend struggle with a clean build of Android this past week was eye-opening in that regard. Normal people, sure, Android's confusing. But to a real nerd too? Hrm.) I really wish Samsung would figure out whatever alchemy is required to produce plastic that doesn't feel like a terribly mean joke. The incongruity is jarring: The best of technology, the worst of materials. Ugh.

This is the international version of the Galaxy S II, so it's not available in the US yet—and it'll probably carry a different name depending on your carrier, just like the original Galaxy. Update: I've confirmed I used the Exynos 4210-powered model, not the Tegra 2 variant.

Specs
Samsung Galaxy S II
Price: TBD (in the US)
Screen: 4.3-inch, 800x480 Super AMOLED Plus
Processor and RAM: Dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, 1GB RAM
Storage: 16GB/32GB
Camera: Rear: 8 megapixels, 1080p video Front: 2MP
Weight: ~ 116 grams
Battery: 1650 mAh

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Japanese scientists discover massive rare earth deposits, China bristles

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/04/japanese-scientists-discover-massive-rare-earth-deposits-china/

China's control over the rare earths market hasn't faced too many challenges over the past few years, but that may be changing, thanks to a major discovery in Japan. Geologists say they've uncovered expansive new deposits of rare earth minerals, buried within a seabed some 20,000 feet below the Pacific Ocean surface. Research leader Yasuhiro Kato estimates that the deposits contain anywhere from 80 to 100 billion metric tons of rare earths, which, if commercially viable, could pose a serious threat to China's global hegemony. Supply shortages and aggressive Chinese export controls have combined to raise global prices in recent years, much to the chagrin of manufacturers who rely upon the metals to produce smartphones, tablets and a wide variety of other gadgets. But with analysts predicting a rare earth surplus within the next few years and Japan's mining industry now poised for a potential resurgence, the outlook is certainly looking a lot brighter.

Japanese scientists discover massive rare earth deposits, China bristles originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 21:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google slides Prizes into beta, helps you get real paid

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/05/google-slides-prizes-into-beta-helps-you-get-real-paid/

Come on down! You can be the next contestant on the Prizes site. That was overkill, we know, but it's a necessary introduction into a new world of online solution-based social gaming pioneered by the Slide team. Acquired by the Goog back in 2010, the low profile entertainment-driven app developer has been hard at work making the web 'more social' and filling its Big Daddy's pockets. Debuting in classic Google beta form, Prizes takes your Twitter or Facebook accounts and signs you up for cash prize-winning, user-created contest shenanigans. In case you missed that fine point, we'll reiterate -- users design the challenges, you post a solution (or vice versa). Like the $40 "Give my Dad a makeover!" competition we're completely unqualified to enter, or the $30 "Comprehensive 'get healthy' plan for living in a large, polluted city" game we're sure Al Gore could win in his sleep. It's a kooky idea, but we can definitely see the service having widespread appeal. Let's be frank here: Google + social gaming + prize money = solid user gold.

Google slides Prizes into beta, helps you get real paid originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corsair's speedy, flaming red Force GT SSD goes on sale this month for $149 and up

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/05/corsairs-speedy-flaming-red-force-gt-ssd-goes-on-sale-this-mon/

Corsair's Force GT solid-state drives caught our eye earlier this year, and their fire engine-red shells were only half the reason. These bad boys also promise up to 85,000 random write IOPS and are rated for impressive read / write speeds of 550 MBps and 525 MBps -- a shade higher than the specs being bandied-about when Corsair showed it off back in March. The drive also supports SATA 3, is backward-compatible with SATA 2, and ships with a 3.5-inch adapter that'll work with both desktops and laptops. Look for it this month in two sizes: 60GB ($149) and 120GB ($279). No word, alas, on the 240GB version that was strutting its stuff on the show floor in Hanover, Germany. PR after the break.

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Corsair's speedy, flaming red Force GT SSD goes on sale this month for $149 and up originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 05:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Maps-powered training bike simulates Tour de France, refuses to speak English

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/05/google-maps-powered-training-bike-simulates-tour-de-france-refu/

Poor France. The nation known mostly for its food and wine only has a few major sporting events to call its own, yet we -- great, fat and lazy America -- have pwned its most iconic one for seven years. That legacy could still live on -- if you don't mind shelling out $1299 and sweating all over your living room floor, that is. Powered by Google Maps and touted as the official trainer of Le Tour de France, comes a Pro-Form training bike so hardcore, it even simulates potholes. Ok, we made that last part up, but it does allow you to feel the burn of 24 pre-set courses, or one of your own punishing design. For the ultra-committed indoor enthusiast, there's also Intelligent Wind Resistance and a 20 percent incline / decline feature that'll match the ups and downs of real life outdoor cycling without the hassle of the actual outdoors. Honestly, it's a bit much and we can't really see this thing taking off with the New Year's Eve resolution set, but if you've always wanted that biker's derriere, this is your trainer.

Google Maps-powered training bike simulates Tour de France, refuses to speak English originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 07:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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