Price:
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Braun Syncro Shaver System Clean & Renew Refills
The replaceable cartridges for the Braun Syncro (models 7526, 7546, 7680), Activator (models 8585 and 8595), and Flex XP System (model 5790) Shavers.
Apples to Apples Party Box - The Game of Hilarious Comparisons
Apples to Apples is the wild, award-winning card game that provides instant fun for 4 to 10 players. Open the box, deal the cards, and you're ready to play! Select the card from your hand that you think is best described by a card played by the judge. If the judge picks your card, you win that round. Everyone gets a chance to be the judge.Price: $26.99
CTL 2goPad SL10 review
By Joanna Stern 
posted Oct 15th 2010 3:30PM 
Last time we left off in the tale of Windows 7 tablets, we'd taken a look at Netbook Navigator's Nav 9 slate, which by review's end had us not only wanting to send it back as soon as humanly possible, but concluding that something better just had to be on the horizon. Well, as luck would have it, just a few days later CTL's 10-inch 2goPad SL10 showed up on our doorstep with some very promising ingredients -- a capacitive touchscreen, accelerometer, front facing camera, and a Win 7 software layer. As we said in our early hands-on, we've been more impressed with the $499 (it will go up to $599 in late October) 2goPad than we ever thought we would be, but ultimately its Atom N450 processor and its software stand in its way of being the Win 7 tablet to kill 'em all. You'll want to hit the break to read all about it in our full review.
If you can get past the chrome and rather bling-like "2goPC" logo on its screen bezel, the SL10 isn't a bad looking piece of hardware. The edge-to-edge glass screen is reminiscent of the iPad and gives it a higher end look, but instead of an aluminum back, its edges and rear are coated in a rubber-feeling plastic. That happens to make the tablet comfortable to hold in hand, but the soft material can't make up for the fact that the size and weight of the device are still cumbersome.
Just like most netbooks out there, the 2goPad has a 1024x600-resolution, 10.1-inch display. The LCD is incredibly glossy (thankfully, it comes with a large cleaning cloth), but the actual quality isn't as bad as we expected it to be -- it's no IPS display, but the viewing angles aren't nearly as horrific as the ones we experienced on the Nav 9. (Yes, we're still recovering from that one!) With the tablet slightly tilted off-axis we were able to watch a few YouTube clips with little color distortion, and found the screen to be sufficiently bright. With that said, more pronounced horizontal viewing angles can be quite bad -- when set flat on a table it was hard to make out images in the Top 5 box on this very website. There's also an ambient light sensor on the bottom left bezel.
Of course, that touchscreen is only as good as the software that lies beneath it, and in the case of the 2goPad you're really dealing with "stock" Windows 7 Home Premium. Out of the box, CTL has configured the system to start-up its QuickBit's software overlay, and while upon first glance it's a nice shortcut menu, that's really all it is. We're into the animations of the software (when you click a shortcut it does a cute little flip), the ability to tweak the background color, and the option to customize what shortcuts appear, but there's no added software that allows you to take advantage of the touch capabilities. For instance, there's no drawing apps or even Microsoft's Surface Touch pack, like we've previously found in other skins like HP's TouchSmart overlay. Beyond that, we found it to be a bit sluggish to page through the other shortcut tabs. Don't get us wrong, it's certainly better than nothing -- we just wish there was more there in terms of applications and core functionality.
The SL10 is pretty much a netbook sans the keyboard half, and is outfitted with a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. As you would expect, it was capable of handling web surfing and standard definition video playback, but throwing a 720p YouTube clip on caused a large amount of stuttering. An episode of 30 Rock on Hulu played back smoothly within the window, but upping it to full screen caused some pauses. Also, as we mentioned above, the animation-heavy software was slow to load and transition to other panels. We also noticed the system stalling periodically -- we'd attempt to launch the battery manager or another desktop shortcut and it would take a few seconds for it to recognize the command. We're inclined to blame the underpowered processor here, but it could also be a combination of the touch and performance parts. Surprisingly, the tablet and its spinning 250GB hard drive didn't get all that warm during use. It stayed rather cool, but the fan noise that projects from the left side vent is noticeable.
We're going to start to sound like a broken record across these Atom-powered tablet reviews when it comes to the battery life, as the processor in combination with three- or four-cell batteries (in this case four), can't find the strength to churn out more than three hours of runtime. The 2goPad lasted only two hours and 11 minutes on our video rundown test, which loops the same standard definition video at 65 percent brightness. In our regular use of the tablet -- surfing the web and listening to music -- we got close to about 3 hours of runtime. That's less than any netbook out there these days and significantly less than any ARM-powered tablet that we've tested. We're certainty looking to Intel's next generation Oak Trail to mend the endurance issues here, and our guess is that a number of the other manufactures out there are doing the same thing. Also, we should mention there's no way to swap out the battery or actually open up the back as far as we can tell.
To be honest, we're a bit torn on the 2goPad SL10. The basic capacitive touch experience is solid and stable, however its chunky size, somewhat useless Windows skin, and its fairly terrible battery life are glaring issues. Some of those things -- notably the size of the tablet and software -- can be mended, and we're hopeful that future products like the ExoPC, Tega V2 and even the HP Slate will provide better experiences in that regard. On the other hand, battery life is going to be a consistent issue with all of these Atom tablets, at least until Intel is ready to release Oak Trail in early 2011. And, well, that's why we're ultimately starting to feel as if now is not the best time to buy a Windows 7 tablet -- there are better internal organs and software (hopefully!) on the way. But look, if you are in search of a capable slate running Microsoft's OS and must have it right now, we do have to say the $499 SL10 is one of the more decent and affordable choices out there... just keep in mind, that isn't really saying much. 
posted Oct 15th 2010 3:30PM Last time we left off in the tale of Windows 7 tablets, we'd taken a look at Netbook Navigator's Nav 9 slate, which by review's end had us not only wanting to send it back as soon as humanly possible, but concluding that something better just had to be on the horizon. Well, as luck would have it, just a few days later CTL's 10-inch 2goPad SL10 showed up on our doorstep with some very promising ingredients -- a capacitive touchscreen, accelerometer, front facing camera, and a Win 7 software layer. As we said in our early hands-on, we've been more impressed with the $499 (it will go up to $599 in late October) 2goPad than we ever thought we would be, but ultimately its Atom N450 processor and its software stand in its way of being the Win 7 tablet to kill 'em all. You'll want to hit the break to read all about it in our full review. If you can get past the chrome and rather bling-like "2goPC" logo on its screen bezel, the SL10 isn't a bad looking piece of hardware. The edge-to-edge glass screen is reminiscent of the iPad and gives it a higher end look, but instead of an aluminum back, its edges and rear are coated in a rubber-feeling plastic. That happens to make the tablet comfortable to hold in hand, but the soft material can't make up for the fact that the size and weight of the device are still cumbersome. At 0.72-inches thick and 2.6-pounds, the 10.1-inch slate is obviously heavier than the smaller 9.7-inch / 1.5-pound iPad and the 8.9-inch / 1.9-pound Nav 9, but it's even the chunkier than the 11.6-inch / 2.4-pound JooJoo and the 10.1-inch / 1.9-pound Tega v2. (The latter actually just landed in our newly erected tablet testing laboratory and is pretty slim for a Win7 tablet). As we've said previously, we think 7-inch devices are an ideal size for two-handed navigation -- the 10-inch 2goPad is best used when propped up in its included pleather case or against your thighs when lying in bed. Overall, the feel of the tablet is best described as really solid and certainly not cheap by any means. As for port selection, CTL's made room for two USB ports, an Ethernet socket, SD card reader as well as headphone and mic jacks. There's also a Mini VGA output; CTL kindly includes the adapter in the box.
Just like most netbooks out there, the 2goPad has a 1024x600-resolution, 10.1-inch display. The LCD is incredibly glossy (thankfully, it comes with a large cleaning cloth), but the actual quality isn't as bad as we expected it to be -- it's no IPS display, but the viewing angles aren't nearly as horrific as the ones we experienced on the Nav 9. (Yes, we're still recovering from that one!) With the tablet slightly tilted off-axis we were able to watch a few YouTube clips with little color distortion, and found the screen to be sufficiently bright. With that said, more pronounced horizontal viewing angles can be quite bad -- when set flat on a table it was hard to make out images in the Top 5 box on this very website. There's also an ambient light sensor on the bottom left bezel. Obviously, your biggest question right now is how is that touchscreen? Well, it's pretty much your standard capacitive display, which after working with the resistive screen on the Nav 9 is a total breath of fresh air for certain activities. Light taps and swipes is all it takes to make selections / scroll down pages. It also supports two points of input, so pinch-to-zoom worked quite well in Windows Photo Viewer. However, because Windows 7 wasn't necessarily built for finger navigation, we have to say there were times that we wish the tablet came with an active digitizer and a stylus, like that on the TouchSmart Tm2, for navigating through tighter menus. (We actually did test out the oStylus with this tablet, but found it really hard to use, not to mention it's terrible for handwriting recognition). CTL compensates slightly for that aspect of Windows navigation with the four touch buttons located to the right of the display -- you can use the up / down arrows to maneuver through narrow menus and then hit the "OK" button to make selections. The placement of the buttons is a bit odd, and at first we kept mistakenly hitting them, but we got used to it after awhile and actually put them to good use. There's a tools button as well that brings up a settings menu, which allows for easy access to the brightness, volume and camera controls.
Speaking of which, the 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera took some crisp shots of our mug and allowed us to do a two-way Skype call, where apparently we appeared clear and well-lit. Thankfully the tablet has a four-way accelerometer, which adjusted the orientation at a decent pace; it takes about 1.5 seconds for it to rotate, though the screen annoyingly turns black in between adjustments.
Of course, that touchscreen is only as good as the software that lies beneath it, and in the case of the 2goPad you're really dealing with "stock" Windows 7 Home Premium. Out of the box, CTL has configured the system to start-up its QuickBit's software overlay, and while upon first glance it's a nice shortcut menu, that's really all it is. We're into the animations of the software (when you click a shortcut it does a cute little flip), the ability to tweak the background color, and the option to customize what shortcuts appear, but there's no added software that allows you to take advantage of the touch capabilities. For instance, there's no drawing apps or even Microsoft's Surface Touch pack, like we've previously found in other skins like HP's TouchSmart overlay. Beyond that, we found it to be a bit sluggish to page through the other shortcut tabs. Don't get us wrong, it's certainly better than nothing -- we just wish there was more there in terms of applications and core functionality. Beyond QuickBits, you've got all the robustness and capabilities of Windows -- which we're not sure is a blessing or a curse when it comes to it being on a slate like this. We spent most of our time with the device surfing the web in Firefox, watching clips on YouTube, checking our Twitter stream in TweetDeck and reading a bit in Kindle for PC. All of those experiences were fairly pleasant on the device, though we did find ourselves mistakenly hitting commands with our fingers in some spots as those third party programs weren't built for finger navigation either. (We actually see the point of a Windows touch app store of some sort for that reason alone.) On a productivity end, we were fine using the on-screen keyboard for inputting URLs or firing off a quick tweet, but it's hard to position it correctly on the screen in horizontal mode, and then when flipped vertically the keys are rather cramped. Also, it doesn't always pop-up when you need it to in third party software, like Firefox or Tweetdeck. If you're looking to transform the tablet into a productivity system, you're best picking up and pairing a Bluetooth keyboard.
The SL10 is pretty much a netbook sans the keyboard half, and is outfitted with a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. As you would expect, it was capable of handling web surfing and standard definition video playback, but throwing a 720p YouTube clip on caused a large amount of stuttering. An episode of 30 Rock on Hulu played back smoothly within the window, but upping it to full screen caused some pauses. Also, as we mentioned above, the animation-heavy software was slow to load and transition to other panels. We also noticed the system stalling periodically -- we'd attempt to launch the battery manager or another desktop shortcut and it would take a few seconds for it to recognize the command. We're inclined to blame the underpowered processor here, but it could also be a combination of the touch and performance parts. Surprisingly, the tablet and its spinning 250GB hard drive didn't get all that warm during use. It stayed rather cool, but the fan noise that projects from the left side vent is noticeable. We're going to start to sound like a broken record across these Atom-powered tablet reviews when it comes to the battery life, as the processor in combination with three- or four-cell batteries (in this case four), can't find the strength to churn out more than three hours of runtime. The 2goPad lasted only two hours and 11 minutes on our video rundown test, which loops the same standard definition video at 65 percent brightness. In our regular use of the tablet -- surfing the web and listening to music -- we got close to about 3 hours of runtime. That's less than any netbook out there these days and significantly less than any ARM-powered tablet that we've tested. We're certainty looking to Intel's next generation Oak Trail to mend the endurance issues here, and our guess is that a number of the other manufactures out there are doing the same thing. Also, we should mention there's no way to swap out the battery or actually open up the back as far as we can tell.
To be honest, we're a bit torn on the 2goPad SL10. The basic capacitive touch experience is solid and stable, however its chunky size, somewhat useless Windows skin, and its fairly terrible battery life are glaring issues. Some of those things -- notably the size of the tablet and software -- can be mended, and we're hopeful that future products like the ExoPC, Tega V2 and even the HP Slate will provide better experiences in that regard. On the other hand, battery life is going to be a consistent issue with all of these Atom tablets, at least until Intel is ready to release Oak Trail in early 2011. And, well, that's why we're ultimately starting to feel as if now is not the best time to buy a Windows 7 tablet -- there are better internal organs and software (hopefully!) on the way. But look, if you are in search of a capable slate running Microsoft's OS and must have it right now, we do have to say the $499 SL10 is one of the more decent and affordable choices out there... just keep in mind, that isn't really saying much. RIM promises to soothe BlackBerry app developers' woes, says 'we're so there'
By Donald Melanson posted Oct 16th 2010 4:12AM 
There's no question that the BlackBerry App World hasn't been quite the runaway success RIM hoped it would be, but the company is far from ready to throw in the towel, and it's now promising some new measures to woo new developers and make the lives of current ones a bit easier. Some of those initiatives have already been rolled out -- like new payment options -- while others including a free analytics service will become available to developers in the coming weeks and months. As RIM's head of application development, Alan Brenner, explains to The Wall Street Journal, RIM has been working for the past two years to make BlackBerrys more developer friendly, and he now says that "we're so there." They may not be quite as close as they think, however, as the WSJ also spoke to a number of developers who used words like "horrible" to describe the current state of things, while leading mobile game developer PopCap Games even went so far as to say that "RIM today is not really on our radar."
posted Oct 16th 2010 4:12AM There's no question that the BlackBerry App World hasn't been quite the runaway success RIM hoped it would be, but the company is far from ready to throw in the towel, and it's now promising some new measures to woo new developers and make the lives of current ones a bit easier. Some of those initiatives have already been rolled out -- like new payment options -- while others including a free analytics service will become available to developers in the coming weeks and months. As RIM's head of application development, Alan Brenner, explains to The Wall Street Journal, RIM has been working for the past two years to make BlackBerrys more developer friendly, and he now says that "we're so there." They may not be quite as close as they think, however, as the WSJ also spoke to a number of developers who used words like "horrible" to describe the current state of things, while leading mobile game developer PopCap Games even went so far as to say that "RIM today is not really on our radar."Lexmark intros Genesis all-in-one printer with camera-based scanning, we go eyes-on
By Sean Hollister posted Oct 15th 2010 8:00AM 
You've probably seen quite a few flatbed scanner bars in your lifetime, but the $400 Lexmark Genesis printer doesn't have one of those -- it's got a 10 megapixel digital camera with a fish-eye lens that produces nigh-instant images. 750 milliseconds after you close its front-facing scan bay, the CMOS sensor generates a preview on the 4.3-inch color touchscreen, and 2.2 seconds after that, it's got a full 300 dpi image saved on your USB-connected computer or winging its way across 802.11n WiFi. The company's calling the system FlashScan, and the raw speed was definitely impressive when we saw it in San Francisco this week, even though other parts of the print system left something to be desired. 
posted Oct 15th 2010 8:00AM You've probably seen quite a few flatbed scanner bars in your lifetime, but the $400 Lexmark Genesis printer doesn't have one of those -- it's got a 10 megapixel digital camera with a fish-eye lens that produces nigh-instant images. 750 milliseconds after you close its front-facing scan bay, the CMOS sensor generates a preview on the 4.3-inch color touchscreen, and 2.2 seconds after that, it's got a full 300 dpi image saved on your USB-connected computer or winging its way across 802.11n WiFi. The company's calling the system FlashScan, and the raw speed was definitely impressive when we saw it in San Francisco this week, even though other parts of the print system left something to be desired. The printer uses special algorithms to translate the fish-eye image back into a flat sheet and reproduces text quite well, but the twin RGB flashes it fires to reproduce color didn't always do an accurate job, and we were disappointed to find a number of features (including some obvious oversights like image rotation for copies) weren't accessible via the touchscreen. It does have a number of neat web apps for completely untethered use, however, including the ability to scan right to Evernote and Photobucket and Box.net, and Lexmark told us it's working with a number major photo hosting services, Twitter and Facebook to let Genesis users directly upload. See it in action on video after the break, along with the full press release.
Lexmark Genesis: the industry's first AIO to deliver speed, style and SmartSolutions
Flash Scan technology, sleek vertical design and the new Twitter and Facebook SmartSolutions headline the printer category's latest, most innovative productLEXINGTON, Ky. and LAS VEGAS, Oct. 15, 2010 – Today from BlogWorld, Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE: LXK) launched the latest addition to its award-winning lineup of Web-connected, all-in-one (AIO) inkjet printers – Lexmark Genesis.
Last year, Lexmark introduced a line of inkjet AIOs that delivered powerful and robust printing technology designed for today's wireless, Web-connected workplace. The Lexmark Genesis, built on the same inkjet platform, extends the line and targets savvy professionals and small business and home office customers who are looking for a device that has innovative technology, is highly productive and is also bold and stylish.
"From its unique, sleek upright design to the broad range of SmartSolutions, the Lexmark Genesis is truly an innovative, one-of-a-kind product in today's AIO market," said Paul Rooke, Lexmark executive vice president and president of its Imaging Solutions Division. "Most importantly, after a quick and easy setup, busy professionals will immediately experience its time-saving instant preview, quick copies and unmatched speed when scanning content to the cloud." Through its built-in innovative camera technology, Flash Scan, which boasts a 10-megapixel imaging sensor, the Lexmark Genesis delivers blazing scanning speeds that enable the AIO to transfer a page from "document to digital" in as few as three seconds.
In addition to its innovative Flash Scan technology, the Lexmark Genesis comes equipped with sophisticated features and functionality, including the 4.3-inch capacitive color touch screen that is also available on Lexmark's other award-winning AIOs, the Platinum, Pinnacle and Interact. This touch screen serves as the gateway to Web-connected technology allowing busy professionals to access Lexmark's SmartSolutions, including well-known, cloud-based applications such as Stamps.com, Evernote, Box.net and TripIt.
Just announced today along with Lexmark Genesis are the Twitter and Facebook SmartSolutions. These SmartSolutions will enable users to scroll through and search their Twitter feeds as well as view their Facebook walls and print photos right from the device. Twitter is currently available for download. Facebook will be available next month.
iPad going on sale in Verizon Wireless and AT&T stores October 28 (update: Verizon data pricing)
It might not be the Apple-Verizon tie-in you are most anxious to see happen, but the big red network has gone official with its plans to offer the iPad in its brick-and-mortar stores starting on October 28. VZW will be bundling the WiFi-only iPads with its own MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot with pricing set at $630, $730 and $830 for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variants of Apple's tablet, respectively. There's only one access plan on offer for now, granting users 1GB of monthly data allowance in exchange for $20 and no contractual commitments. AT&T will match the release date and upfront prices for each model, although its iPads will be of the WiFi + 3G variety, eschewing the need for a bundled MiFi; plan pricing will continue at 200MB for $15 or 2GB for $25 monthly. Full press releases follow after the break. Update: According to an FAQ on Verizon's website, spotted by AppleInsider, there are a pair of other service plans after all: $35 for 3GB and $50 for 5GB, each with penalties of $10 per gigabyte of overage. As the publication notes, these are pretty nifty deals compared to Verizon's usual data rates, however the FAQ also stipulates that "customers will only be eligible for the new bundle data plans when purchasing the iPad and MiFi 2200 promotional bundle."
Verizon Wireless Offers iPad at Stores Nationwide on October 28BASKING RIDGE, N.J. & CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Verizon Wireless and Apple® today announced that iPad™ will be available at over 2,000 Verizon Wireless Stores nationwide beginning Thursday, October 28. Verizon Wireless will offer three bundles, all featuring an iPad Wi-Fi model and a Verizon MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, for a suggested retail price of $629.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 16GB + MiFi, $729.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 32GB + MiFi and $829.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 64GB + MiFi. Verizon Wireless is offering a monthly access plan to iPad customers of up to 1GB of data for just $20 a month. In addition, Verizon Wireless will also offer all three iPad Wi-Fi models on a stand-alone basis.
"This is the perfect pairing for holiday travels," said John Stratton, chief operating officer for Verizon Wireless. "iPad together with the nation's largest and most reliable 3G data network allows customers to easily connect on the go wherever they are."
"We're thrilled to be working with Verizon Wireless to get iPad into the hands of even more customers this holiday season," said Tim Cook, Apple's COO. "iPad allows users to connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before, and together with Verizon Wireless we're offering an easy way to stay connected wherever you go."
iPad allows users to browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, all using iPad's revolutionary Multi-Touch™ user interface. iPad Wi-Fi models are just 0.5 inches thick and weigh just 1.5 pounds-thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook-and deliver up to 10 hours of battery life.*
Apple's App Store? offers iPad users access to the world's largest catalog of apps with over 280,000 apps and more than 30,000 iPad specific apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. With Apple's iBookstore?, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile device, iPad users have access to more than 100,000 books from major and independent publishers.
MiFi 2200 is small enough to fit in a pocket and allows customers to create a personal Wi-Fi cloud capable of sharing the high-speed Internet connectivity of the Verizon Wireless 3G Mobile Broadband network with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices. The MiFi 2200's rechargeable battery provides up to four hours of active use and 40 hours of standby time on a single charge.
Customers can sign up for more information on Apple's iPad together with Verizon Wireless' MiFi 2200 at www.verizonwireless.com/iPad, at any Verizon Wireless Communications Store or by calling 1-800-2 JOIN IN.
*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 92 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 79,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com.
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple is reinventing the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.
Apple's iPad Coming to AT&T Stores on October 28DALLAS and CUPERTINO, California-October 14, 2010-AT&T* and Apple® today announced that all three iPad™ Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available at more than 2,200 AT&T Stores starting Thursday, October 28. AT&T will offer customers 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad, complete with Apple's easy on-device activation and management. All iPad data plans are available without a term contract and include unlimited access to AT&T's 23,000+ domestic Wi-Fi Hot Spots.
"We can't wait to showcase the amazing features of iPad Wi-Fi + 3G in our stores across the country just in time for the holidays," said Glenn Lurie, AT&T President of Emerging Devices, Resale and Partnerships, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "With our breakthrough iPad data plans starting at just $14.99 and access to AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots around the country at no extra cost, our customers will have the best of both worlds."
"We look forward to expanding the reach of iPad, allowing even more customers to experience the magic of iPad for themselves," said Tim Cook, Apple's COO. "As we approach the holiday season, we are very happy that customers will now be able to buy iPad Wi-Fi + 3G at AT&T Stores."
iPad allows users to connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before. Users can browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, all using iPad's revolutionary Multi-Touch™ user interface. iPad Wi-Fi + 3G models are just 0.5 inches thick and weigh just 1.6 pounds-thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook-and deliver up to 10 hours of battery life for surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching videos or listening to music, and up to nine hours of surfing the web using a 3G data network.**
Apple's App Store? offers iPad users access to the world's largest catalog of apps with over 280,000 apps, and more than 30,000 iPad specific apps in 20 categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. With Apple's iBookstore?, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile device, iPad users have access to more than 100,000 books from major and independent publishers.
Pricing and Availability
All iPad Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available beginning Thursday, October 28 in AT&T Stores across the US for a suggested retail price of $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. Domestic data plans for iPad are priced at $14.99 per month for 250MB and $25 per month for 2GB with no term contract. Both plans include unlimited access to AT&T's 23,000+ domestic Wi-Fi Hot Spots.*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
**Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
Friday, October 22, 2010
HTC 7 Pro and 7 Surround strut their stuff in official sizzle videos
By Sean Hollister posted Oct 16th 2010 3:03PM 
Want to see HTC's potential answer to your landscape physical QWERTY dreams slide itself open on video? How about the Windows Phone 7 handset with a hidden speaker bar? You won't have far to look -- both the HTC 7 Pro and 7 Surround star in their own CG clips on YouTube today, and you'll find both after the break. My, don't they look fun? The HTC 7 Pro's also got an official website now, though pricing and availability are still on the lam (save a mention of "early next year") and will likely elude us for months.
posted Oct 16th 2010 3:03PM Want to see HTC's potential answer to your landscape physical QWERTY dreams slide itself open on video? How about the Windows Phone 7 handset with a hidden speaker bar? You won't have far to look -- both the HTC 7 Pro and 7 Surround star in their own CG clips on YouTube today, and you'll find both after the break. My, don't they look fun? The HTC 7 Pro's also got an official website now, though pricing and availability are still on the lam (save a mention of "early next year") and will likely elude us for months. WD Live TV Hub media streamer / NAS leaks out of Best Buy with gigabit ethernet, 1TB hard drive
By Sean Hollister posted Oct 16th 2010 8:58PM 
Western Digital's got a few different media streamers to its name, but the only one with sizable internal storage was the pared-down Elements Play. No more, because the AVS Forums have stumbled upon a feature-packed alternative -- the WD TV Live Hub. Purchased at a Best Buy before the blue shirts realized their mistake, the slim new set-top comes with 1TB of storage, 1080p playback over HDMI 1.4, component and composite video out, optical S/PDIF, and all the internet connectivity you'd expect (including Netflix, Blockbuster, Pandora, YouTube and Facebook) over speedy gigabit ethernet. We don't know how robust the network-attached-storage functionality is, but the lucky owner of this box says it serves up iTunes and DLNA and can function as a network share, just like the My Book Live. Not too shabby for $229, eh? Find plenty more pics and a list of supported formats at our source link.
posted Oct 16th 2010 8:58PM Western Digital's got a few different media streamers to its name, but the only one with sizable internal storage was the pared-down Elements Play. No more, because the AVS Forums have stumbled upon a feature-packed alternative -- the WD TV Live Hub. Purchased at a Best Buy before the blue shirts realized their mistake, the slim new set-top comes with 1TB of storage, 1080p playback over HDMI 1.4, component and composite video out, optical S/PDIF, and all the internet connectivity you'd expect (including Netflix, Blockbuster, Pandora, YouTube and Facebook) over speedy gigabit ethernet. We don't know how robust the network-attached-storage functionality is, but the lucky owner of this box says it serves up iTunes and DLNA and can function as a network share, just like the My Book Live. Not too shabby for $229, eh? Find plenty more pics and a list of supported formats at our source link. [Thanks, Arjun]
Galaxy S Android 2.2 Froyo update begins to trickle out (update: official)
Samsung GALAXY S Offers New Android 2.2 Upgrade
New platform upgrade provides enhanced experience on the go
New platform upgrade provides enhanced experience on the go
SEOUL, Korea – October 18, 2010 – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today announced the Android™ 2.2 (Froyo) upgrade to the Samsung GALAXY S, giving users access to new features, enhanced navigation applications and improved performance.
The Android 2.2 upgrade will be available via Kies, Samsung's unique in-house software upgrade program. Kies can be downloaded at the Samsung mobile website (http://www.samsungmobile.com).
The GALAXY S is Samsung's cleverly designed smartphone with a bright 4-inch SUPER AMOLED screen and a 1 GHz application processor, giving users an intelligent, immersive and integrated mobile experience. The Android 2.2 upgrade offers voice-controlled GPS through Google MapsTM with Navigation, faster performance by JIT(Just in Time) compiler. Additionally, further functionalities including Search in-browser, Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1, improved customization options will be provided with OS upgrade.
- Google MapsTM with Navigation: GPS navigation system with voice guidance
- Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1: Allow the web browser to make full use of the whole web
- Setup Wizard: Quickly customize the GALAXY S and access networks with ease
- Home Screen/Menu Preview and Edit : Preview by pinch-zoom
- Search in-Browser : Google™, Translate, Wikipedia, Dictionary
The Android 2.2 upgrade will be available from the mid of October 2010 in the Nordic region and gradually rolled out to other European markets, Southeast Asia, the Middle East Asia, North America, Africa and rest of the world.
Turkey's $1 million humanoid SURALP robot gets a coming out party (video)
Yet another country has a walking humanoid robot to call its own, joining the illustrious league of nations that most recently added Iran to its ranks. Turkey is the lucky ducky this time, officially unveiling the SURALP robot to the world. Yeah, that's an acronym, "Sabanci University Robot Research Laboratory Platform," but after seeing him in action we've taken to calling him SHAKY. The University has been posting videos of his progress for many moons now, an eight year project that has cost $1 million total so far, but he was only recently officially revealed to the world at a demonstration, wowing the crowd by handing someone a can and then, later, throwing that very same can into the trash. Maybe SHAKY 2.0 will learn to recycle -- and to love. Canon's 60D impresses reviewers, but a challenger approaches (video)
Canon's prosumer line just got a little better, with the 18 megapixel, 1080p recording 60D hitting stores and, now, getting recommended reviews. Photo Blog and Camera Labs have weighed in so far, and both have positive conclusions, most notably regarding that movie mode. The camera will kindly record in 1080p24 in addition to 1080p30, but the autofocus while filming is panned, called "fairly useless" thanks to only happening when you half-press the shutter button, and then taking a few seconds to figure things out -- but that's just like the EOS 7D and T2i. Overall the 60D scores highly and easily bests the 50D it replaces, but the real competition is Nikon's D7000, which interestingly is busting out at retail already, offering a similar price point, similar capabilities, and a magnesium alloy chassis, versus the plastic one on the Canon. How will they compare? We'll just have to wait for the next round of reviews to find out. Thursday, October 21, 2010
Crapgadget: Animal House redux edition
By Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 15th 2010 5:20PM 
College: four (or five, or six) years of crackin' brews, listening to tunes, trippin' out to light shows, and snugglin' up to coeds at bonfires on the beach. Just in time for homecoming, we have an assemblage of crapgadets that should put you in good stead, including: iBottleopener (turns your iPhone into, well, a bottle opener, for a mere $20), the BONE iPhone portable amplifier (a large, ugly horn that essentially turns your handset into a Victor Talking Machine for $25), Glow In The Dark USB memory sticks (capacities up to 16GB for $90), and an honest-to-goodness lighter that does double duty as an 8GB flash drive ($37). Which one of these "party favors" isn't doing anybody any favors? Cast your vote below.
posted Oct 15th 2010 5:20PM College: four (or five, or six) years of crackin' brews, listening to tunes, trippin' out to light shows, and snugglin' up to coeds at bonfires on the beach. Just in time for homecoming, we have an assemblage of crapgadets that should put you in good stead, including: iBottleopener (turns your iPhone into, well, a bottle opener, for a mere $20), the BONE iPhone portable amplifier (a large, ugly horn that essentially turns your handset into a Victor Talking Machine for $25), Glow In The Dark USB memory sticks (capacities up to 16GB for $90), and an honest-to-goodness lighter that does double duty as an 8GB flash drive ($37). Which one of these "party favors" isn't doing anybody any favors? Cast your vote below. Read - iBottleOpener
Read - BONE iPhone Case Series
Read - Zip Zip Glow
Read - USB Flash Drive Lighter (8GB Edition)
MindScape's Karotz continues the proud Nabaztag lineage
By Paul Miller posted Oct 15th 2010 11:21AM 
It's been a while since we've heard anything on the Nabaztag front. Violet, the company that built the original "ambient" bunnies, went bankrupt but was snapped up by MindScape a year ago. Now MindScape is ready to show off the latest addition to the Nabaztag family, dubbed "Karotz." The WiFi rabbit runs on Linux, with a 400MHz ARM CPU, 64MB of RAM and 256MB of storage, so it should have plenty of headroom for that vibrant hacker community that sprung up around the first two Nabaztags. Karotz can also run off batteries or be plugged in via USB, and has the same RFID reader functionality of the Nabaztag/tag. The biggest new feature is a webcam, which will purportedly have face recognition (to be paired with Nabaztag's existing voice recognition), along with allowing you to check up on your home from a smartphone app. Karotz will retail in France starting in November for €150 (about $210 US), followed by the UK in December and February in the US. Hopefully Karotz can find a bit more market success than its ill-fated predecessors.
posted Oct 15th 2010 11:21AM It's been a while since we've heard anything on the Nabaztag front. Violet, the company that built the original "ambient" bunnies, went bankrupt but was snapped up by MindScape a year ago. Now MindScape is ready to show off the latest addition to the Nabaztag family, dubbed "Karotz." The WiFi rabbit runs on Linux, with a 400MHz ARM CPU, 64MB of RAM and 256MB of storage, so it should have plenty of headroom for that vibrant hacker community that sprung up around the first two Nabaztags. Karotz can also run off batteries or be plugged in via USB, and has the same RFID reader functionality of the Nabaztag/tag. The biggest new feature is a webcam, which will purportedly have face recognition (to be paired with Nabaztag's existing voice recognition), along with allowing you to check up on your home from a smartphone app. Karotz will retail in France starting in November for €150 (about $210 US), followed by the UK in December and February in the US. Hopefully Karotz can find a bit more market success than its ill-fated predecessors. Eizo rolls out 17-inch FlexScan T1751 multitouch monitor
EIZO Releases 17" Multitouch Monitor for Educational, Business, and Medical Use
Hakusan, Japan, October 5, 2010 – Eizo Nanao Corporation (TSE: 6737) today announced the 17-inch FlexScan T1751 LCD monitor. The FlexScan T1751 offers multitouch capabilities through Windows 7 for an intuitive way to use applications with two fingers on
the screen by tapping, scrolling, dragging, pinching, etc.
The FlexScan T1751 is the second multitouch offering from EIZO. It follows the FlexScan T2351W, a 23-inch widescreen monitor introduced in September. The FlexScan T1751 is ideal for schools and businesses that prefer a smaller screen in a standard 5:4 aspect ratio. Furthermore, it complies with leading medical standards including EN60601-1, UL60601-1, and the CE Medical Device Directive, making it suitable for use in hospitals and clinics.
The FlexScan T1751 features a VA (vertical alignment) panel with a native resolution of 1280 x 1024. The wide horizontal and vertical viewing angles of 178° ensure two people can comfortably view the screen while sitting side-by-side such as in a school setting. Brightness is 180 cd/m2 and contrast ratio is 1500:1.
The monitor comes with a unique stand called the "LaidBack" stand which was developed specifically for multitouch use. The LaidBack stand is short like a picture frame stand so the monitor bezel rests on the desktop and tilts back in six stages from 15° to 65°. This allows the user to look almost directly down at the screen and comfortably touch it without having to extend his/her arm.
The FlexScan T1751 uses optical imaging touch screen technology which accepts input from a bare or gloved hand as well as a touch pen. The non-scratch touch surface is made of reinforced glass with a hardness of 5.5 Mohs, to ensure it has the durability to withstand use in schools, hospitals, and public access areas.
Four preset modes are included to ensure the color settings are ideal for any application: Custom (user-determined settings), EyeCare, Text, and sRGB. EyeCare mode lowers brightness to a mere 3 cd/m2 to help reduce eye fatigue in environments with little or no ambient lighting.
With the bundled ScreenManager Pro for LCD utility software*, any preset mode can be assigned to an application so that when the application is opened, the screen automatically changes to its assigned mode.
A sensor on the front bezel called Auto EcoView reads the ambient lightning and adjusts the screen's brightness to the ideal level. A gauge on the screen called EcoView Index lights up to indicate the power savings that result from using Auto EcoView. The more EcoView lights up, the greater the savings.
For tasks where color display is critical, the FlexScan T1751 includes 10-bit gamma correction. This function uses a 10-bit look-up table with a palette of more than one billion colors to select the most appropriate 16.7 million colors for smooth display of color gradations without banding.
Additional Features
• Available with an all black cabinet or a two-tone cabinet where the front bezel is gray and the sides and rear are black.
• DVI-D and D-Sub for connecting to PCs with digital and analog graphics boards respectively. • Dual 0.5-watt internal speakers and a headphone jack. • Energy Star 5.0 compliance. • Three-year manufacturer's limited warranty.
• Compatibility with EIZO EcoView NET software (available through EIZO subsidiaries and distributors) which gives administrators centralized control over the power settings of all FlexScan monitors on a network.
Availability
The FlexScan T1751 is now shipping. Date of availability and pricing varies by country so please contact the EIZO subsidiary or distributor in your country for details.
About EIZO
Eizo Nanao Corporation is a leading global manufacturer of high-end visual display products with a wide range of LCD monitors. The image quality, long-term reliability, and innovative features of EIZO monitors make them the products of choice in many financial trading rooms, hospitals, back offices, and design studios throughout the world. EIZO is based in Japan and represented in over sixty countries by a network of exclusive distributors.
CyberPower gets diminutive with LAN Party EVO SFF desktop family
Look out, Shuttle -- CyberPower's getting all up in your territory with its new LAN Party EVO series. Introduced today, this foursome of minuscule monsters relies on mITX and mATX motherboards and plenty of high-end internals to deliver solid gaming performance in a desktop that's at least somewhat portable. The Party EVO Mini is wrapped in a Silverstone SG-07B enclosure, while the Xtreme, Commander, and Ultra tout In-Win's Dragonslayer. Aside from integrating its Max Airflow Package to keep things a couple of notches below "Molten Lava," the whole crew is equipped with a 64-bit copy of Windows 7, a three-year warranty and free lifetime phone support. As for specs, the Mini ($1,079) gets a Core i7-870 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5770 GPU and a 1TB HDD, while the Xtreme ($799) steps down (oddly enough) to a Core i5-760 and an HD 5670 on the graphics front. The Commander ($999) includes a Core i7-950, 6GB of DDR3 RAM and NVIDIA's GeForce GTS 450 (1GB), and finally, the Ultra ($759) branches out with an AMD Phenom II X4 955 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 memory, ATI's Radeon HD 5670 GPU (1GB) and a full terabyte of hard drive space. So, which is going to be, buster? CyberPower LAN Party EVO Series Offers Portability, Practicality and PowerBALDWIN PARK, CA (October 15, 2010) -- CyberPower Inc., a leader in custom desktop gaming PCs, today announced the perfect blend of portability, practicality and power with its LAN Party EVO (Evolution) series of Small Form Factor (SFF) desktop gaming systems.
The LAN Party EVO series is the embodiment of the perfect LAN gaming PC. CyberPower has managed to cram everything many LAN-going enthusiasts desire in a series of four compact and stylish gaming rigs that are lightweight, elegant and packed with immense cooling that will allow users to fry their enemies without frying their system.
The LAN Party EVO series is based on small form factor mITX and mATX motherboards that deliver big-sized motherboard features and performance in a small sized form. These motherboards support the latest processors from Intel and AMD, which can be combined with an array of the largest and most powerful graphics card choices from NVIDIA and ATI featuring Direct X 11 visuals.
Each LAN Party EVO gaming rig comes in a unique SFF chassis. The LAN Party EVO Mini is enclosed in a cube-like Silverstone SG-07B Mini ITX case. The LAN Party EVO Xtreme, Commander, and Ultra feature In-Win's chain-link armor inspired Dragonslayer mini tower case.
The LAN Party EVO Mini is known as one of the smallest footprint gaming systems but can accommodate even the monstrous ATI Radeon 5970 graphics card. All LAN Party EVO gaming PCs are installed with a liquid cooling solution to keep the CPU cooled.
CyberPower has also integrated its Max Airflow Package to provide maximum cooling with minimal noise by utilizing low dBA fans and touch screen, variable-speed fan controllers. Users can also give their LAN Party EVO the silent treatment with sound absorbing foam, anti-vibration fan mounts, and even power supply gaskets to mitigate system noise.
All CyberPower PC gaming systems are pre-loaded with Microsoft Windows 7 64-bit Operating System to enhance your gaming and multimedia experience. They also come with a 3-year limited warranty and free lifetime phone support.
The starting price for the new LAN Party EVO systems is $ 759. High performance memory upgrades, and other peripheral components options are available at the company website. http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/LandingPages/LANPartyEVO/
Shocker! Cellphone touchscreens are dirty
By Thomas Ricker posted Oct 15th 2010 5:53AM 
If you have even the slightest inclination towards Mysophobia then please, do yourself a favor and stop reading now. A Stanford University study found that if you put a virus on a touchscreen surface then about 30 percent of it will make the jump to the fingertips of anyone who touches it. From there it goes into the eyes, mouth, or nose -- whichever face-hole is in most urgent need of a rub. And just to drive the point home, the Sacramento Bee adds this little nugget from an unspecified British study: "Mobile phones harbor 18 times more bacteria than a flush handle in a typical men's restroom." Eww. You know, sometimes it's best not to know how the sausage is made.
posted Oct 15th 2010 5:53AM If you have even the slightest inclination towards Mysophobia then please, do yourself a favor and stop reading now. A Stanford University study found that if you put a virus on a touchscreen surface then about 30 percent of it will make the jump to the fingertips of anyone who touches it. From there it goes into the eyes, mouth, or nose -- whichever face-hole is in most urgent need of a rub. And just to drive the point home, the Sacramento Bee adds this little nugget from an unspecified British study: "Mobile phones harbor 18 times more bacteria than a flush handle in a typical men's restroom." Eww. You know, sometimes it's best not to know how the sausage is made. Study shocker: babies think friendly robots are sentient
By Donald Melanson posted Oct 16th 2010 10:10AM 
There's certainly been no shortage of studies involving humans' interaction with robots, but a team of researchers from the University of Washington's Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences have now made one of the most shocking discoveries to date: babies can be tricked into believing robots are sentient. They made this finding by acting out a skit with a remote-controlled robot in which the robot behaves friendly with its human counterpart. Following the skit, they left the baby alone with the robot and found that in 13 out of 16 cases the baby followed the robot's gaze, which suggests the baby believed it was sentient. In contrast, babies only interacted with the robot in 3 of 16 cases when they were simply left alone with it without first seeing it interact with a human. What does it all mean? Well, it seems that a robot's human-like appearance is less important than its behavior when it comes to establishing trust -- or that all the robots need to do to take over is get us while we're young. One of the two.
posted Oct 16th 2010 10:10AM There's certainly been no shortage of studies involving humans' interaction with robots, but a team of researchers from the University of Washington's Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences have now made one of the most shocking discoveries to date: babies can be tricked into believing robots are sentient. They made this finding by acting out a skit with a remote-controlled robot in which the robot behaves friendly with its human counterpart. Following the skit, they left the baby alone with the robot and found that in 13 out of 16 cases the baby followed the robot's gaze, which suggests the baby believed it was sentient. In contrast, babies only interacted with the robot in 3 of 16 cases when they were simply left alone with it without first seeing it interact with a human. What does it all mean? Well, it seems that a robot's human-like appearance is less important than its behavior when it comes to establishing trust -- or that all the robots need to do to take over is get us while we're young. One of the two.TomTom App for iPhone hits version 1.5, adds further iPhone 4 support and 'navigate-to-photo'
By Paul Miller posted Oct 16th 2010 6:02AM 
TomTom was quick off the mark with multitasking in its iPhone app -- and it's hard to think of an app other than Pandora that benefits more from its inclusion -- but TomTom isn't stopping there. The new 1.5 version adds enhanced graphics to match the new iPhone 4 screen resolution, along with "faster, more-responsive navigation" on that handset. Not good enough for you? Try the new navigate-to-photo feature, a not-a-gimmick-at-all addition that allows you to select a geotagged photo as your destination instead of messing around with pesky addresses and facts. The update is free for existing users, newcomers will have to shell out $50 for the US version.
posted Oct 16th 2010 6:02AM TomTom was quick off the mark with multitasking in its iPhone app -- and it's hard to think of an app other than Pandora that benefits more from its inclusion -- but TomTom isn't stopping there. The new 1.5 version adds enhanced graphics to match the new iPhone 4 screen resolution, along with "faster, more-responsive navigation" on that handset. Not good enough for you? Try the new navigate-to-photo feature, a not-a-gimmick-at-all addition that allows you to select a geotagged photo as your destination instead of messing around with pesky addresses and facts. The update is free for existing users, newcomers will have to shell out $50 for the US version. Wednesday, October 20, 2010
iPhone 4, EVO 4G Powermats arrive at Best Buy
By Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 15th 2010 4:22PM 
Well, ain't this exciting! If you own an iPhone 4 or EVO 4G, it looks like the tyranny of the charging cable is soon to be a distant memory. That's right: one of our moles at Best Buy has photographic evidence of new wireless charging systems, cases, and Powermats for both of the aforementioned handsets. Didn't know we had moles, did you? We also analyze 'chatter' and sniff out KIRFs. In fact, we're basically a full-blown Gadget Intelligence Agency -- SMERSH woulda been proud of us.
posted Oct 15th 2010 4:22PM Well, ain't this exciting! If you own an iPhone 4 or EVO 4G, it looks like the tyranny of the charging cable is soon to be a distant memory. That's right: one of our moles at Best Buy has photographic evidence of new wireless charging systems, cases, and Powermats for both of the aforementioned handsets. Didn't know we had moles, did you? We also analyze 'chatter' and sniff out KIRFs. In fact, we're basically a full-blown Gadget Intelligence Agency -- SMERSH woulda been proud of us.
[Thanks, Isaac]
Netflix on PS3 ready to download on some consoles, service starts Oct. 18th
By Sean Hollister posted Oct 16th 2010 5:41PM 
You can't really use it for anything for two more days, as Netflix will tell you "this product is not currently available in your location," but if you turn on your PlayStation 3, you might notice the disc-less, 1080p and 5.1 surround sound version of the instant movie streaming service is already available to download. The above install screen popped up on our console without even requiring a trip to the PlayStation Store, which suggests that 1.) Sony has decided that this is a big deal and 2.) should an evil force ever wrest control from the Japanese manufacturer, they'd have some pretty rad propaganda pushing power.
posted Oct 16th 2010 5:41PM You can't really use it for anything for two more days, as Netflix will tell you "this product is not currently available in your location," but if you turn on your PlayStation 3, you might notice the disc-less, 1080p and 5.1 surround sound version of the instant movie streaming service is already available to download. The above install screen popped up on our console without even requiring a trip to the PlayStation Store, which suggests that 1.) Sony has decided that this is a big deal and 2.) should an evil force ever wrest control from the Japanese manufacturer, they'd have some pretty rad propaganda pushing power. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
AppleInsider: New MacBook Air 'certain' to be 11.6-inches, may have flash-based instant-wake ability
By Nilay Patel posted Oct 15th 2010 4:47PM 
Rumors of an 11.6-inch MacBook Air refresh are nothing new at this point, but AppleInsider says it's confirmed a smaller version of Apple's ultraportable is coming at next week's "Back to the Mac" event, and that units are rolling off factory lines right now in preparation for near-immediate delivery. AI also says it's been told that the revised machine will feature a novel new storage system called "SSD Card" that looks like a stick of RAM -- a smaller form factor that would obviously allow the new Air to be even smaller, and possibly sport instant-on wake times, something that's been rumored from other sources this week as well. We'll be at the event live next week so we'll see what happens -- keep it locked right here.
Update: CNET's chiming in with rumors of a "significantly lower" price than the current model's $1,499 starting point, which is always fun to hear -- the catch is that it might still use an older Intel Core 2 Duo chip and NVIDIA chipset, which is far less fun. We'll see!
posted Oct 15th 2010 4:47PM Rumors of an 11.6-inch MacBook Air refresh are nothing new at this point, but AppleInsider says it's confirmed a smaller version of Apple's ultraportable is coming at next week's "Back to the Mac" event, and that units are rolling off factory lines right now in preparation for near-immediate delivery. AI also says it's been told that the revised machine will feature a novel new storage system called "SSD Card" that looks like a stick of RAM -- a smaller form factor that would obviously allow the new Air to be even smaller, and possibly sport instant-on wake times, something that's been rumored from other sources this week as well. We'll be at the event live next week so we'll see what happens -- keep it locked right here.Update: CNET's chiming in with rumors of a "significantly lower" price than the current model's $1,499 starting point, which is always fun to hear -- the catch is that it might still use an older Intel Core 2 Duo chip and NVIDIA chipset, which is far less fun. We'll see!
Lesance GSN801GAW gaming laptop packs 18.4-inch LCD, oodles of ugly and serious muscle
By Darren Murph posted Oct 15th 2010 10:55AM 
Is it actually possible to construct an 18.4-inch gaming laptop that isn't unsightly? Our bets are on no (unless HP's Envy line creeps up a bit in size), but as your mum always proclaimed, it's the beauty on the inside that truly counts. Following in the footsteps of Eurocom's frighteningly similar X8100 Leopard, the Lesance GSN801GAW packs an 18.4-inch display (1920 x 1080 resolution), a potent quad-core 1.73GHz Core i7 940XM Extreme Edition CPU, 8GB of DDR3-1333 memory and your choice of an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480M (2GB) or two ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870's in CrossFire. There's also a Blu-ray burner, 160GB worth of SSD (in a RAID 0 configuration), USB 3.0 sockets, Windows 7 Home Premium, an ExpressCard slot, multicard reader, HDMI / DVI output, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi and an inbuilt webcam. Naturally, an ideal runtime is but 1.5 hours, and it weighs just over a dozen pounds -- if neither of those tidbits faze you, it'll be topping out soon in Japan for ¥439,800 ($5,420).
posted Oct 15th 2010 10:55AM Is it actually possible to construct an 18.4-inch gaming laptop that isn't unsightly? Our bets are on no (unless HP's Envy line creeps up a bit in size), but as your mum always proclaimed, it's the beauty on the inside that truly counts. Following in the footsteps of Eurocom's frighteningly similar X8100 Leopard, the Lesance GSN801GAW packs an 18.4-inch display (1920 x 1080 resolution), a potent quad-core 1.73GHz Core i7 940XM Extreme Edition CPU, 8GB of DDR3-1333 memory and your choice of an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480M (2GB) or two ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870's in CrossFire. There's also a Blu-ray burner, 160GB worth of SSD (in a RAID 0 configuration), USB 3.0 sockets, Windows 7 Home Premium, an ExpressCard slot, multicard reader, HDMI / DVI output, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi and an inbuilt webcam. Naturally, an ideal runtime is but 1.5 hours, and it weighs just over a dozen pounds -- if neither of those tidbits faze you, it'll be topping out soon in Japan for ¥439,800 ($5,420). Android 'Ice Cream' the sweet toothed followup to Honeycomb?
By Paul Miller posted Oct 15th 2010 11:31PM 
Ah, the age old alphabetical dessert guessing game. Pretty soon we'll have more future Android versions named than existing ones on the market. And you know what? That's okay, because we're hungry. Apparently the President of ARM, Tudor Brown, spilled the vanilla beans to Elizabeth Woyke of Forbes, saying that Android 4.0 will be called "Ice Cream," and while it seems like a bit of an obvious choice for an "I" dessert, that's never stopped Google's crack naming crew before. (Donut, anybody?) Somehow we get the feeling that Google spends a lot less time thinking about potential names for desserts than we do, and that's alright: they've got a lot of OS work to do. Us? We just have to whine about Android fragmentation for an hour or so a week on the podcast. Hardly a full load.
posted Oct 15th 2010 11:31PM Ah, the age old alphabetical dessert guessing game. Pretty soon we'll have more future Android versions named than existing ones on the market. And you know what? That's okay, because we're hungry. Apparently the President of ARM, Tudor Brown, spilled the vanilla beans to Elizabeth Woyke of Forbes, saying that Android 4.0 will be called "Ice Cream," and while it seems like a bit of an obvious choice for an "I" dessert, that's never stopped Google's crack naming crew before. (Donut, anybody?) Somehow we get the feeling that Google spends a lot less time thinking about potential names for desserts than we do, and that's alright: they've got a lot of OS work to do. Us? We just have to whine about Android fragmentation for an hour or so a week on the podcast. Hardly a full load. AMD launching next generation of Radeon graphics cards next week, shipping by end of the year
By Vlad Savov posted Oct 15th 2010 2:56AM 
The attentive newshounds over at AnandTech have picked out a golden nugget of disclosure from AMD's earnings call last night, citing CEO Dirk Meyer as saying "we will be launching our second-generation DX11 graphics offerings next week." What he's talking about, of course, is the highly anticipated refresh of the Radeon HD 5000 series, which some recent spec leaks suggested would bring a healthy bump in performance. After announcing the new product line next week, AMD promises to flood the market with "hundreds of thousands of units," which will be shipping before the end of this quarter -- meaning you'll have a Radeon HD 6xxx in time for the holiday gaming craze if you really want it. Can't ask anymore than that, now can we?
posted Oct 15th 2010 2:56AM The attentive newshounds over at AnandTech have picked out a golden nugget of disclosure from AMD's earnings call last night, citing CEO Dirk Meyer as saying "we will be launching our second-generation DX11 graphics offerings next week." What he's talking about, of course, is the highly anticipated refresh of the Radeon HD 5000 series, which some recent spec leaks suggested would bring a healthy bump in performance. After announcing the new product line next week, AMD promises to flood the market with "hundreds of thousands of units," which will be shipping before the end of this quarter -- meaning you'll have a Radeon HD 6xxx in time for the holiday gaming craze if you really want it. Can't ask anymore than that, now can we? Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Borders enlists BookBrewer for its e-publishing portal, 'Time Cube' guy asks where to sign up
Borders and BookBrewer Provide Bloggers with New Monetization Platform for Content
eBook Publishing Service Gives Independent Writers a Voice with eBook Publishing Tools
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Borders® today announced that it has teamed with BookBrewer to launch BORDERS – GET PUBLISHED™ Powered by BookBrewer. The co-branded publishing service empowers independent authors to publish and sell eBooks through the Borders eBook store, powered by Kobo, as well as other eBook retailers. BORDERS - GET PUBLISHED™ Powered by BookBrewer makes it seamless for any writer or blogger to format, display and sell their content across a number of technology platforms including a variety of tablets and eReading devices. The service will be available at borders.bookbrewer.com beginning Oct. 25.
"We know many book lovers are also writers or aspiring authors who want to share their stories but do not want to invest the time and money to self publish in print," said Mike Edwards, CEO of Borders, Inc. "BORDERS – GET PUBLISHED™ Powered by BookBrewer offers the perfect solution - authors can quickly and easily load, format and publish content, which will then be available for sale within a few days on Borders.com and other major eBook outlets. We're excited to give new writers and bloggers an opportunity to reach an expanded audience as they make their foray into digital."
Users can develop and edit content regardless of length, set their own suggested price within bounds set by retailers, and publish via BookBrewer in the Borders' eBook store. Customers are provided with the option to purchase, download, and instantly read blogger and independent author content on several leading devices, including the iPhone®, iPad™, Android™-powered tablets as well as a variety of eReaders, notably the Kobo™ Wireless eReader, Kobo™ eReader, Aluratek Libre Pro and Velocity® Micro Cruz™ Reader.
Creating an eBook can be done in a few simple steps using the intuitive BookBrewer tools. Authors can add content by typing or copying and pasting it into an online form, or they can feed in their content from an existing Web site or blog. With the click of a button, they can arrange and edit content as they wish. The content is saved as an ePub file - the format most eBook stores require to sell a book.
"Everyone has a story to tell, pictures to share or advice to give. It turns out that those are exactly the kinds of things people want to buy and read as eBooks," said BookBrewer CEO Dan Pacheco. "We're thrilled to have the opportunity to work with an iconic brand like Borders, which not only has an incredible customer base, but also has a great local community focus."
BORDERS – GET PUBLISHED™ Powered by BookBrewer gives authors a choice of two publishing packages: the $89.99 basic package and the $199.99 advanced publishing package. Under the basic package, BookBrewer will assign the book an ISBN (a $125 value), and will make it available to all major eBook stores at a price set by the writer. Royalties will be based on sales and will vary with each retailer. Authors who choose the advanced package will receive a full version of their ePub file, which they will own and may share with friends, family or submit on their own to eBook stores.
Hammacher Schlemmer's tablet-controlled 'Emotive Robotic Avatar' captures your heart, nest egg
Yeah, it's almost time for the holidays, and smart busy-bodies are already checking items off their shopping lists. For that special someone, consider the most outrageously overpriced plastic toy we've ever seen. $65,000 buys you this "Emotive Robotic Avatar" from Hammacher Schlemmer, a little servo-actuated guy that can wave its arms around and go from looking happy (above) to evil (below). It's all controlled by a tablet PC with a 30 foot range that receives a real-time video feed, as we saw when we checked this guy out at the Toy Fair earlier this year, back when he was called Quasai. As shown in the video after the break, the "operator" can even speak through the robot, which will pitch shift his or her voice, a trick sure to give your children nightmares. If that doesn't work, just tell 'em you blew their college fund to buy the thing and they'll have to get work study jobs. That ought to send the shivers up their spines. [Thanks, Evan]
Samsung Transform review
With Epic 4G styling, a front-facing camera and a $150 post-rebate price, it's easy to mistake the Samsung Transform for a high-end phone. Don't. The reality is that it's a evolution of Samsung's mid-range Moment and Intercept more than anything else -- you're paying an additional $50 here to get a front-facing camera, an LED flash and a few welcome tweaks, but the same ho-hum performance plus a few new annoyances to boot. Where does it improve and where does it fail? Find out in our full review. There's really no faulting the Transform's design, assuming you're a fan of the Epic 4G -- it's a handsome phone done up in glossy black with a tastefully thin chrome band running down the center of the device. The Transform's just a little bit thicker and more squared off than its Galaxy S inspiration, and while it feels a good bit cheaper and more plasticky than some high-end Android devices, it's actually got a very solid build. The chassis has little creak, the spring-loaded sliding hinge is strong, the hardware buttons are lightly textured and easy to find and press one-handed, and the QWERTY keyboard may actually be the best we've seen on a mid-range Android device. Oh, and it's got a little sliding door for the micro-USB port -- always a nice touch.
Though the keys themselves are a little bit shallow and don't make a satisfying click, the layout here is very good, with the whole alphabet accessible in the familiar desktop arrangement rather than haphazardly rearranged around the space bar and function keys as it was with the Moment and Intercept keyboards. (Tween text fiends will be happy to hear the dedicated emoticon key returns.) In case it gives you any indication of how easy it is to learn and use, we just typed the last two paragraphs of this review on the Transform itself. If only the capacitive digitizer was as easy to like -- it's not bad, but a little bit laggy and occasionally missed our inputs. The rest of the Transform's components are decent for a mid-range device, though we wouldn't call any of them good -- like the 3.5-inch, 320 x 480 LCD screen, which is fairly bright and clear enough, but also a bit washed out. The 3.2 megapixel auto-focus imager in back took reasonably good shots outdoors, even as indoor snaps showed considerable noise, and the VGA webcam up front added a yellow tint to all the self-portraits we tried. Last but not least, if noise cancellation is present, it doesn't work very well -- though call quality was fine on our end, call recipients told us they could hear plenty of background noise while we spoke.
The Samsung Transform runs on Android 2.1 -- though Sprint promised us it would see Froyo later this year -- with a novel carrier feature called Sprint ID on top. Rather than covering the entire phone in a custom UI like Sense, TouchWiz or what have you, Sprint ID installs a custom button on the home screen (you can see it immediately above) which lets you swap between sponsored packs of applications, settings, wallpapers and widgets. While this was pitched to us as a reasonably compelling idea that would help newcomers to find some of the best Android has to offer, and let power users like us switch between multiple profiles on the go, that's not how it worked out in our tests. First off, the more Sprint ID packs we installed, the slower our phone got, because the system doesn't actually shut down apps from profiles not in use -- it just hides them from view while they continue to run in the background. Second, Sprint ID doesn't necessarily install and set up everything it suggests to the user, as certain packs will just dump a bunch of shortcuts on the screen, which lead you right back to the Android Market to install the app for yourself. Also, and this may be obvious, but don't expect companies to sponsor packages that give you paid apps for free -- the Games by EA pack, for instance, includes demo versions of Tetris and Scrabble, but it's primarily designed to advertise product for you to purchase later on. Carving down Sprint ID to its least intrusive state and nuking the remaining background apps, we found the Transform's Android experience to be decently speedy, though the data connection was relatively slow even over Sprint's typically excellent EV-DO Rev. A network; graphically intense web pages like Engadget took a fair bit of time to load. Battery life might also be a concern, as our device didn't last a full day on a charge with normal use. There's some sort of bug with the phone's landscape mode at present, as the home screen won't switch orientation even when the keyboard is slid out, and we had a few complete system freezes when typing text messages and email in that mode. (Sprint says fixes are on the way.) We also noticed that 3D apps chugged tremendously, and certain games (including Angry Birds) wouldn't run at all. We ran a few tests but soon got confirmation from Sprint itself: the Transform's S3C6410 processor doesn't support hardware acceleration for OpenGL.
Update: Angry Birds runs on the Transform as of 10/15/2010. [Thanks, Christopher K.]
Perhaps most confusingly, the front-facing camera totally failed to respond to any of the video chat applications we tried -- Qik, Fring and Tango all failed, and one of the three actually stated that required hardware wasn't present on the phone. Tango's a bit of a newcomer, sure, but Qik and Fring are de facto video chat applications of choice on Android, and we were shocked to see neither working on a front-facing camera device.
The Samsung Transform has the potential to be a solid Android device at $50 or perhaps even $100 if the issues get ironed out, but we can't imagine paying the $150 Sprint's presently asking for a buggy, hamstrung HVGA smartphone. As it stands the phone has the price, bullet points and styling to deceive customers into thinking they're getting something akin to an cheaper Galaxy S experience -- even if that isn't Sprint's intent -- but in its current state it's much, much farther than $50 behind the current crop of $200 smartphones, and we honestly believe you'd be better off saving those pennies rather than buying something you might regret. What does an Engadget score of 3 mean? Find out right here.
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