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Tuesday, April 10, 2012

LG Optimus 4X HD holds its own against HTC One X in initial benchmarks

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/10/lg-optimus-4x-gets-benchmarks/

LG Optimus 4X HD gets initial benchmarks, holds its own against One X

When we first laid our hands on LG's Optimus 4X at Mobile World Congress, we were left with mixed impressions, which was due in part to its pre-release software. While the phone tore through web pages and pinch-to-zoom actions with 1080p video, it struggled to keep pace with LG's own custom UI -- an unfortunate echo of our experience with the Optimus 2X. Now, LG's latest superphone has been put through the rigors of a few popular benchmark tests, which confirm there's plenty of quad-core, Tegra 3 potential inside this beast. While the Optimus 4X HD was easily surpassed by the One X in Quadrant tests, it actually bested HTC's premiere handset in the similar AnTuTu benchmark. Keep in mind, these aren't final scores, as we'll perform our own tests with a retail unit, but if you'd like to see how everything unfolded, just hop the break.

Continue reading LG Optimus 4X HD holds its own against HTC One X in initial benchmarks

LG Optimus 4X HD holds its own against HTC One X in initial benchmarks originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 03:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, April 09, 2012

Flameless Smoker Ups Your Grill Game Without Fire [Daily Desired]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5900324/flameless-smoker-ups-your-grill-game-without-fire

Flameless Smoker Ups Your Grill Game Without Fire Smoked meat is delicious, but most people don't have the room in their homes, let alone their budgets, to buy a hefty smoker. But if you're jonesin' for that delicious flavor, Hammacher Shlemmer has your number, and you don't even have to slave away all afternoon building a fire or getting the grill to the perfect temperature.

The Flameless Grill Smoker ($39) can sit right on top of either a gas stove or hot coals. Its eight s-shaped vents let enough oxygen in to make smoke, but not enough to ignite flames, cooking your meat low and slow, infusing just the right flavor.

Made from 20-gauge 304 steel, it has a convenient 13-inch handle so you can easily remove it from the stove, and it can hold 8 oz of wood chips. At this point your mind should be wandering to thoughts of succulent cedar plank salmon. [Hammacher Schlemmer via 7Gadgets]

Mass Effect moaners kinda get their own way as people power strikes again

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/09/mass-effect-activism-kinda-wins/

SPOILERS. Who can't name a beloved TV series that didn't end the way you wanted? BSG? Lost? Sapphire and Steel? Blake's Seven? Quantum Leap? The Sopranos? All of which ended either with tear-inducing bum-notes or confusing conclusions that caused furious head scratching. Despite that, the traditional reaction is to say "Well, I didn't enjoy that, but I respect the writer's artistic decision." Not so for gamers who felt short-changed by the intentionally devastating conclusion to Mass Effect 3. Fans of the game poured their outrage online, developer BioWare saying that the feedback it had received was "incredibly painful." A fan campaign that raised $80,000 in under a fortnight for Child's Play was enough to make the team behind the title concede defeat against the geo-political disruptor that is the internet with a cause. The company is now devoting all of its efforts to producing an "extended cut" DLC for the summer, but fans expecting a fourth ending where they can watch Commander Shepard on a sun-lounger, margarita in hand had better start complaining now -- the new content will only offer more depth and an extended epilogue to those tragic scenes you've already witnessed. SPOILERS END

Continue reading Mass Effect moaners! kinda g et their own way as people power strikes again

Mass Effect moaners kinda get their own way as people power strikes again originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 08:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer's C120 pico projector goes on sale, ready to be powered by your PC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/09/acers-c120-pico-projector-goes-on-sale-ready-to-be-powered-by/

Unless you had a particularly keen eye for tiny projectors, you may well have missed the announcement of Acer's C120, back at CES. The palm-sized pico projector has now hit the market, weighing in at an ultraportable 6.34 ounces. The peripheral features a USB connection, which can be used to power the device when it's plugged into a PC. The C120's also got a quick-starting LED lamp, which can display presentations in WVGA or WXGA. Business people, teachers and lovers of tiny projectors alike can pick this guy up now for $259. Not sold? Watch a projection-worthy video presentation from CES, after the break.

Continue reading Acer's C120 pico projector goes on sale, ready to be powered by your PC

Acer's C120 pico projector goes on sale, ready to be powered by your PC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An early look at Ivy Bridge motherboards: or, the side order without the main

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/09/an-early-look-at-ivy-bridge-motherboards/

Ssshh. Ivy Bridge is officially still a mystery, remember? Nevertheless, through some quirk of chronology, the accompanying Z77 chipset for motherboards has already been announced. If there's a reason for this early entrance, it's probably because Z77 is backwards compatible with Sandy Bridge, which means that the latest crop of motherboards from Asus, Gigabyte, Intel and MSI can be considered fully-fledged products in their own right. Well, kind of, anyway. In reality, some of the key selling points of Z77 won't get activated until you clamp on Ivy Bridge silicon -- including PCIe 3.0 support (hitherto only found on X79 big-momma-boards), so the real testing can't begin in earnest until the new kid arrives. With that caveat out of the way, read on for a quick review round-up.

Continue reading An early look at Ivy Bridge motherboards: or, the side order without the main

An early look at Ivy Bridge motherboards: or, the side order without the main originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HotHardware, Tom's Hardware, ExtremeTech, The Tech Report | Email this | Comments