Netflix plugin for ChromeOS hits v1.0.2, is an official release around the corner?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/31/netflix-plugin-for-chromeos-hits-v1-0-2-is-an-official-release/

When Google Chromebooks started arriving without the Netflix streaming we'd been promised we were predictably bummed, but that may be rectified soon. While Chromebook owners attuned to beta channel updates first noticed an entry for a Netflix plugin last month, it still couldn't actually play movies and didn't appear on older, single-core Atom powered Cr-48 laptops. Fast forward to the present, where one of our friendly comment moderators, masterofrandom has spotted this updated v1.0.2 plugin lurking in the depths of his murdered out 12-incher. There's still no playback to be had, but we're figuring Netflix didn't update the version number past 1.0 because it's finally figured out the perfect queue management system. Chromebook owners or prospective owners (and by extension, Linux users) still awaiting Watch Instantly streaming -- your alert level is at Vermilion.

[Thanks, masterofrandom]

Netflix plugin for ChromeOS hits v1.0.2, is an official release around the corner? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Logitech officially drops Revue price to $99 today, clarifies 'more returns than sales' remark

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/31/logitech-drops-revue-price-to-99/

Google TV not worth 300 bones to ya? How's about a cool Benjamin? As promised, Logitech has slashed the price of its Revue set-top box from $299 to $99 on its own site and at retailers like Best Buy, giving prospective customers something awfully tempting to consider alongside the prospect of running Honeycomb on their TV right away. Oh, and the much-reported nugget from its earnings about "returns exceeding sales"? It should probably be noted that wasn't about returns from end users, which the company claims "have averaged at levels comparable to other Logitech products", but from the distributors and retailers it sells most of its hardware to. So, you in, or are you still holding out for the 90 percent off sale that may or may not ever materialize?

Continue reading Logitech officially drops Revue price to $99 today, clarifies 'more returns than sales' remark

Logitech officially drops Revue price to $99 today, clarifies 'more returns than sales' remark originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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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