SanDisk launches Extreme SSDs: $190 for 120GB, $400 for 240GB

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/15/sandisk-launches-extreme-ssds/

SanDisk is hauling its consumer SSD range into the SATAIII era, offering a pair of Extreme branded drives that deliver performance broadly on-par with other 6Gbps rivals. The 120GB and 240GB variants are available now priced at $190 and $400, while a 480GB version will ship "later this year" with a $750 asking price. Random reads / writes are claimed to reach 83,000 / 44,000 IOPS, with 550MB/s and 520MB/s sequential speeds. The PR after the break also mentions a new X100 OEM drive for PC manufacturers, just any of them happen to read it.

Continue reading SanDisk launches Extreme SSDs: $190 for 120GB, $400 for 240GB

SanDisk launches Extreme SSDs: $190 for 120GB, $400 for 240GB originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon Wants to Recycle Your Old Phones [Wireless]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5885187/verizon-wants-to-recycle-your-old-phones

Valentine's Day seems an odd time to get environmentally responsible, but Verizon has done just that. The carrier has just announced a new nationwide trade-in disposal program for its old handsets and is giving away gift cards in exchange.

Any Verizon customer can turn in a used mobile at the company's stores or kiosks. There Verizon staff will evaluate the mobile for its make, model, and condition, then issue a Verizon gift card that can be used immediately. What's more, the card's balance can also be used to pay monthly bills, not just new merchandise. According to the carrier, certain phone models can fetch up to $300—though I doubt I'll get that much for my old StarTac. All trade-ins will be disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner, according to the company.

If you are feeling magnanimous, you can also donate the phone's value to Verizon's ongoing HopeLine project. This program redistributes used cellphones and unclaimed minutes to victims of domestic violence.

I'm curios as to how the valuation prices from Verizon stack up against those of online trade-in sites like Gazelle or Flipswap especially since it does have the advantage of immediate payouts rather than making you wait 2-4 weeks for a posted check. [VZW via IntoMobile]

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Time Warner Cable's TWC TV launches for PC, brings live TV streaming to the desktop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/14/time-warner-cables-twc-tv-launches-for-pc-brings-live-tv-strea/

After expanding its live TV streaming from iPads to iPhones, Time Warner Cable is going in the other direction and offering the service on PCs. The PC version of TWC TV launched today in beta -- still no word on streaming to Android devices or HDTVs yet -- but the Silverlight player will work on Windows and OS X, in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Chrome. According to the official blog it has more than just streaming, with remote control over compatible set-top boxes and DVR scheduling also included. Of course, the same restrictions still apply here as they have on tablets and phones, with playback only while connected to your home network. If you're a Time Warner customer, hit the link below to sign in and try it out, or hit the blog for more details on what works where.

Time Warner Cable's TWC TV launches for PC, brings live TV streaming to the desktop originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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H2O Bolt promises unlimited 4G internet for $50, pretends it's never heard of Clear

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/15/h2o-bolt-unlimited-4g-internet/

It's not everyday that an MVNO decides to offer up unlimited data courtesy of Clearwire's WiMAX network, but H2O's latest entrant known as Bolt makes us wish the practice were far less frequent. The $50 no-contract service essentially replicates Clear's own offering at the very same price point that's been available to customers for years. Furthermore, both companies share Best Buy as their most significant retail channel. Now, for whatever reason, H2O's Bolt Flash (the $100 USB modem) and Bolt Spider (the $150 mobile hotspot) will sit side-by-side Clear's own offerings at the big box retailer, where it'll be up to those in Smurf shirts to explain the difference -- there's none. You'll find the PR after the break, but if you're living in Detroit, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Louisville, New Orleans, Memphis or Albuquerque, none of this even remotely matters. Frustrating, isn't it?

Continue reading H2O Bolt promises unlimited 4G internet for $50, pretends it's never heard of Clear

H2O Bolt promises unlimited 4G internet for $50, pretends it's never heard of Clear originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect for Media Center released, why not wave and shout at your HTPC?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/15/kinect-for-media-center/

Kinect hacks previously brought gesture and voice control to Boxee and XBMC, and now that the Kinect for Windows hardware has been released we've got a solution for Windows Media Center. The aptly named Kinect for Media Center brings all the normal playback controls (for WMC and add-ins like Netflix) to your fingertips and lips, at the cost of $6.99. While its control scheme seems to be fully featured there are unfortunately some limitations -- it doesn't work with the Xbox 360 Kinect due to Microsoft's restrictions, and it also doesn't work with WMC extenders. What is included are filters to keep your content from accidentally triggering the voice controls (something some of us have had problems with on the Xbox 360), and configurable settings for right or left hand dominance or sensitivity. You can check out a video demo of the beta version (compare to a demo we saw last year from the makers of the Amulet voice control remotes) embedded after the break, or head directly to the site to try it out yourself if you're sure that finding the remote has simply become to much of a hassle.

Continue reading Kinect for Media Center released, why not wave and shout at your HTPC?

Kinect for Media Center released, ! why not wave and shout at your HTPC? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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