WD's 9.5mm Scorpio Blue 1TB laptop hard drive gets benchmarked

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/31/wds-9-5mm-scorpio-blue-1tb-laptop-hard-drive-gets-benchmarked/

These days, it's hard to shake the urge to pop a solid state drive into your next laptop, but even if you're down with dropping the requisite coin, the restrictive capacity choices may make it darn near impossible for pack rats to bite. For those fitting squarely into that category, there's Western Digital's newest laptop drive: the 9.5mm 1TB Scorpio Blue. It's one of the first in this form factor (read: the one that slips into most everything smaller than a Clevo) to hit the 1TB milestone, and at just $99, it's a veritable bargain. The benchmarking gurus over at Hot Hardware threw it through the usual gauntlet of tests, pitting it against a 500GB Scorpio Black and a 640GB Seagate Momentus. As you'd likely expect, the 1TB spinner bested the competition in SiSoftware, ATTO and CrystalDiskMark tests, though not by a tremendous margin. Still, taking performance up a notch while also boasting a full terabyte of space makes it somewhat of a no-brainer for capacity freaks, and you can hit the source for a barrage of charts proving as much.

WD's 9.5mm Scorpio Blue 1TB laptop hard drive gets benchmarked originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 21:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyocera Echo Gingerbread update bringing WiFi calling, NFC support? (update: sadly not)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/31/kyocera-echo-gingerbread-update-bringing-wifi-calling-nfc-suppo/

Um, okay? Hot on the heels of rumors that Kyocera's Echo would see its first major Android update on August 1st, in flies an updated page over at the company's own website detailing the impending changes. Unless someone at Kyocera's pulling a fast one, it looks as if the imminent Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) update will bring a downright staggering list of new features, making an already unique handset capable of even rarer feats. Interest piqued? We're told that the refresh will provide pinch-to-zoom support in the browser, gallery, Maps and Sprint Navigation, an improved downloads app and an upgrade to the Swype 3.0 virtual keypad, with Tap Correction and Horizontal Word Choice list.

But that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg -- the real kicker is the addition of "internet calling over WiFi" as well as "an NFC reader to interact with posters, advertisements, products, etc." You heard right, WiFi calling and a previously unmentioned NFC chip -- hopefully of the UMA variety, rather than just SIP. As of now, the only major US carrier to support WiFi calling is T-Mobile, and neither Sprint nor Kyocera have mentioned any secretive Near Field Communications module to us. The luckiest of the early adopters should see their over-the-air update swing through as soon as a half-hour, so be sure to let us know if this all proves true in comments below. Naturally, we'll be watching for the update on our own set and updating accordingly.

Update: Bah, humbug! A Kyocera rep contacted Brief Mobile and explained that the feature page shown here went up prematurely, and that the WiFi calling and NFC support in particular weren't supposed to be listed. Consider our hopes dashed, and our dreams crushed.

[Thanks, Brain_ReCall]

Kyocera Echo Gingerbread update bringing WiFi calling, NFC support? (update: sadly not) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy launches Insignia connected TVs with DVR-less TiVo

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/01/best-buy-launches-insignia-connected-tvs-with-dvr-less-tivo/

Right on schedule, Best Buy's announced it's good and ready to ship two Insignia-branded connected televisions with TiVo's UI -- minus the whole DVR thing, that is. The two 1080p sets, available in 32- and 42-inch flavors, are landing months after the retailer said it was buddying up with TiVo to borrow its user interface -- and only that, there's no indication these will play nicely with Premiere DVRs and their multiroom streaming at launch -- for searching content and also just getting up and running easily. As you'd expect, folks perusing these sets can watch movies from Netflix, CinemaNow, and YouTube, as well as stream from Pandora and Napster. Rounding out the list of apps are Facebook, Twitter, Photobucket, and Chumby, with more to come, Best Buy tells us. In addition to the easy access to content, the story here is that the UI plays nice with existing cable boxes, making the installation easy even if the person holding the remote doesn't happen to have a lengthy serial number on hand. Look for the 32-inch number for $499, with the 42-incher fetching $699. Find the full PR and some b-roll video after the break, along with a smattering of hands-on shots of what should be an all-too-familiar interface.

Gallery: Insignia TVs with TiVo's UI

Continue reading Best Buy launches Insignia connected TVs with DVR-less TiVo

Best Buy launches Insignia connected TVs with DVR-less TiVo originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ViewSonic reveals 24-inch V3D245 3D monitor, ships this month for $500

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/01/viewsonic-reveals-24-inch-v3d245-3d-monitor-ships-this-month-fo/

Still lookin' for that perfect 3D display, are you? ViewSonic would be absolutely thrilled to make your short list, with the 24-inch V3D245 making its debut this morning. Unsurprisingly, this one's arriving with a 1080p LED-backlit panel, and it'll be joined by an inbuilt NVIDIA 3D Vision wireless emitter and a pair of 3D Vision glasses. You'll also get a 120Hz refresh rate, two millisecond response time, HDMI 1.4 socket and 300 nits of brightness, and the three-year limited warranty should help quell any fears about longevity. Of course, NVIDIA would prefer that focused on the 550 (and growing) 3D titles available on its Vision Live website, but at least you've got until "mid-to-late August" to determine if the whole shebang is worth your $499.

Continue reading ViewSonic reveals 24-inch V3D245 3D monitor, ships this month for $500

ViewSonic reveals 24-inch V3D245 3D monitor, ships this month for $500 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bedphones put tunes in your ears, won't come between you and your pillow

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/01/bedphones-put-tunes-in-your-ears-wont-come-between-you-and-your/

There are two types of people in this world -- those who need absolute silence to sleep, and those who need background noise to carry them off to sleepy land. Unfortunately, when these people share a room or, worse yet, a bed, wars can ensue. Sleeping with a pair of headphones on is, at best, uncomfortable. That is, unless you happen to own a pair of Bedphones -- or so its creator Eric Dubs claims. These ear-hook style buds are extremely thin and held in place by a length of moldable memory wire. There's even a Bedphones app that can turn the screen of your Android phone into a giant play/pause button, slowly lower the volume as a timer counts down, or shut off completely when you fall asleep (as determined by how much you move) in "smart mode." We wouldn't expect this tiny pair of phones to produce the greatest sound, but they're probably more than adequate for drifting off to an audiobook or podcast. They're available at the source link for $30.

Bedphones put tunes in your ears, won't come between you and your pillow originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 09:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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