Monday, August 08, 2011

BlackBerry Colt may be RIM's first QNX smartphone, will lack BES support out-of-box?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/08/blackberry-colt-may-be-rims-first-qnx-smartphone-will-lack-bes/

To many, a colt is a representation of rebirth and a symbol for youthfulness. Research in Motion appears to be in desperate need for exactly that -- a regeneration. It seems appropriate, then, that RIM may be launching the BlackBerry Colt, its first QNX-based "superphone," in the first quarter of 2012. This timeline will ensure the device launches at the expected time, according to rumors by BGR, but there's likely to be a few compromises to ensure it gets pushed out to market faster. The Colt is said to be undergoing internal testing with a single-core chip, contrary to promises of including dual-core CPUs. Additionally, the maiden voyage of the smartphone platform may be completely devoid of BES at the device's launch; it's taken longer than expected to rewrite the proper code to support QNX, and more time's necessary to bring it up to par with RIM's standards. What would the Enterprise customers do in the meantime? The alternative to BES is almost unthinkable: Exchange emails would be accessed by a preloaded version of Microsoft ActiveSync. Will the gamble yield greater returns in the long run, or will it remove the glue that still holds the company together?

BlackBerry Colt may be RIM's first QNX smartphone, will lack BES support out-of-box? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smart Modular's 1.6TB Optimus SSD reads up to 1GB/s, claims to be the largest and fastest

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/06/smart-modulars-1-6tb-optimus-ssd-reads-up-to-1gb-s-claims-to-b/

We love us a good speed record and today's comes paired with another superlative: biggest and baddest. Smart Modular Technologies just announced the Optimus SSD, a drive with up to a record 1.6TB in storage that can also read up to a gigabyte of data per second. The 2.5-inch drive also promises write speeds of 500MB/s and will be available in smaller 200GB, 400GB, and 800GB capacities, in addition to that 1.6TB monster. No word on pricing except that Smart Modular insists they'll be "cost-effective." Then again, the company expects IT departments will snap these up for corporate use, so your guess is as good as ours as to how accessible these will be for run-of-the-mill hobbyists.

Continue reading Smart Modular's 1.6TB Optimus SSD reads up to 1GB/s, claims to be the largest and fastest

Smart Modular's 1.6TB Optimus SSD reads up to 1GB/s, claims to be the largest and fastest originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Aug 2011 00:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android app tethers handsets to Canon cams, live view fanboys rejoice (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/06/android-app-tethers-handsets-to-canon-cams-live-view-fanboys-re/

We're living in a post-pc world, folks. High time you got with the program and junked that heavy and outmoded relic called the computer. But how does one take tethered snaps from a Canon, sans EOS Utility? Meet DSLR Controller, an Android app from Chainfire that turns your little green robot into an external live view monitor, and gives you complete control over your shooter's finer sensibilities. It lets you tweak exposure, aperture, shutter, white balance and focus with sensuous swipes of your fingertip. To make the whole shindig work, you'll need an Android device packing a USB host port and an "on-the-go" USB cable -- which lets your handset wear the pants in the phone / DSLR relationship. We should also warn you that the $8.51 application is currently still in beta and thus streams video in live view mode at a less than optimal 15fps. Those and other foibles may be remedied by the final release, but if you're looking to practice your tethering voodoo immediately, hit the source below, and watch a vid of your photographic future after the break.

Continue reading Android app tethers handsets to Canon cams, live view fanboys rejoice (video)

Android app tethers handsets to Canon cams, live view fanboys rejoice (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Aug 2011 04:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cheap, Scaled-Down iMac Being Readied For Students? [Unconfirmed]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5828596/cheap-scaled+down-imac-being-readied-for-students

Cheap, Scaled-Down iMac Being Readied For Students?Apple failed to introduce a new educational discount for iPads, but that doesn't mean they've forgotten about students altogether. 9to5Mac has heard that a new, more affordable iMac aimed at students will be released this month, maybe on August 16th.

According to their sources, it'll be a basic machine with a 3.1GHz dual-core processor and AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics card, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 250GB hard drive. While full details aren't obviously known yet (and indeed, this rumor could be nothing but hopeful speculation), it's very likely this iMac would cost under $1,000 when it's released.

So what say you, students? Apple's cheapest iMac is currently $1,199. Would you be willing to sacrifice specs for a sub-$1,000 price-tag, or is the extra few hundred dollars a worthwhile investment in your future? [9to5Mac]

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Friday, August 05, 2011

Motorola Droid 3 Lightning Review: Another Summer Sequel [Lightning Review]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5828038/motorola-droid-3-lightning-review-another-summer-sequel

Motorola Droid 3 Lightning Review: Another Summer SequelThe original Droid was the phone that put Android on the map. Two sequels later, here we are with the Droid 3. But is it more The Dark Knight Rises or Spiderman 3?

Like

The Droid 3 is solid. Like tank solid. Assembled from magnesium alloy and glass and a soft matte plastic, it won't have complaints of cheapness hurled at it like say, the Nexus S. The keyboard has a satisfying clickiness to it and the added row of number keys—five rows!—is an unexpected source of phone joy. The Droid 3 is le snappy. Motorola's custom UI is tastefully implemented and relatively unobtrusive. Though it makes some parts of Android—like the home screen—look chintzy, it makes other areas—like the messaging app—look less ugly and rudimentary than stock Android. And the screen improvement (now 4-inches with qHD resolution), is solid, if not quite jaw-dropping, when it comes to picture quality.

No Like

Carrying the Droid 3 around is not unlike lugging a rock around in your pocket. It's dense, it's bulky, it's covered with hard angles. It's a trade off you've gotta make for top-notch build quality and a keyboard, but it doesn't make it more enjoyable. The sliding mechanism is stiff and grating (just like the previous models). Apparently there are users out there who like it very much. I don't. And where's the 4G LTE?

The Droid 3 doesn't do anything new—it would've been nice if the Droid 3 was a bit slimmer and lighter, but for existing Droid owners who love what they have and just want the same thing, but faster, stronger and better, that's exactly what this is. For everybody else, if you need a keyboard—particularly a rare 5-row keyboard—and are on Verizon, this isn't a bad place to start.


Specs
Motorola Droid 3
Network: Verizon
Screen: 4-inch, 960x540 Gorilla Glass qHD Display
Weight: 6.0oz
Processor: 1GHz, Dual-Core TI OMAP4430
Storage: 16GB internal + up to 32GB SD Storage
OS: Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) + Custom Skin
Cameras: Rear 8-megapixel, Front 0.3-megapixel
Price: $200 with two-year contract

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