LG Optimus Slider on Virgin Mobile at CTIA E&A 2011, we go hands-on (video)
October 13, 2011 No Comment
Curiously enough, the prepaid market had as much of a field day at this week’s CTIA Enterprise & Applications as anyone else; we already got our fair share of hands-on time with the Samsung Transfix for Cricket, and shortly afterward beheld our eyes (and mandibles) on the LG Optimus Slider , the latest beauty making a beeline to Virgin Mobile as early as this coming Monday. Aside from the obvious slide-out QWERTY, the Android 2.3.4 device will feature a 3.2-inch HVGA display, a 3.2MP camera and microSD support up to 32GB, and will be available without a contract for $200. Head underneath to take a look at the full image gallery and hands-on video. Gallery: LG Optimus Slider hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 Zachary Lutz contributed to this report. Continue reading LG Optimus Slider on Virgin Mobile at CTIA E&A 2011, we go hands-on (video) LG Optimus Slider on Virgin Mobile at CTIA E&A 2011, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Microsoft officially launches Windows Phone in India with trio of Mango devices
October 13, 2011 No Comment
You may have already been able to get a Windows Phone device in India without too much trouble, but Microsoft has only just now made things fully official — complete with Windows Phone Marketplace, voice recognition support, and a trio of Mango devices. That includes just the HTC Radar initially, which will be available next week for the local equivalent of $490, while the Samsung Omnia W and Acer Allegro (believed to be the same as the W4 ) are set to follow sometime in November. Of the three, the Allegro is said to be the cheapest of the lot, and there’s also some reports that it will launch in Europe for €299 (or roughly $400) off-contract. Those curious about the Radar can check out our review from a few days ago. Microsoft officially launches Windows Phone in India with trio of Mango devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 01:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Panasonic, Tesla rekindle romance, strike supply agreement for Model S batteries
October 13, 2011 No Comment
Panasonic and Tesla renewed their corporate wedding vows yesterday, with a new supply agreement on lithium-ion batteries. Under the accord, Panasonic will provide Tesla with cells for some 80,000 cars over the next four years, effectively ensuring that the manufacturer will meet its ramped-up production targets for 2012 — including more than 6,000 orders for its Model S EV. As for the batteries themselves, they’ll be made using Panasonic’s nickel-type cathode technology, which, according to the company, will offer the highest energy density known. Of course, we’re still awaiting for the Model S to actually enter full production, but you can whet your electric appetite with Panasonic’s full press release, available after the break. Continue reading Panasonic, Tesla rekindle romance, strike supply agreement for Model S batteries Panasonic, Tesla rekindle romance, strike supply agreement for Model S batteries originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …MobiUS smartphone ultrasound hits the market two years too late for relevancy
October 13, 2011 No Comment
Mobisante’s MobiUS smartphone ultrasound system scored FDA approval back in February, a big step towards getting the product out the door. Now the brainchild of former Microsoft bigwig Dr. Sailesh Chutani is finally available to order, the only problem is that it’s based around two-year-old tech. At the heart of the MobiUS system is a Toshiba TG01 (it of Windows Mobile 6.5 stock) a now hopelessly outdated handset. Still, the probe and phone together cost $7,495, just a tiny fraction of what traditional ultrasound systems cost. We’re sure there are small clinics, especially in poor and remote parts of the world, that are already eyeing Dr. Chutani’s solution and, if his company scores enough orders, he hopes to cut the price in half. Maybe they can put some of that money towards developing a system that works with smartphone platforms people actually use — like Android and iOS. Check out the demo video after the break. Continue reading MobiUS smartphone ultrasound hits the market two years too late for relevancy MobiUS smartphone ultrasound hits the market two years too late for relevancy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Dennis Ritchie, pioneer of C programming language and Unix, reported dead at age 70
October 13, 2011 No Comment
We’re getting reports today that Dennis Ritchie, the man who created the C programming language and spearheaded the development of Unix , has died at the age of 70. The sad news was first reported by Rob Pike, a Google engineer and former colleague of Ritchie’s, who confirmed via Google+ that the computer scientist passed away over the weekend, after a long battle with an unspecified illness. Ritchie’s illustrious career began in 1967, when he joined Bell Labs just one year before receiving a PhD in physics from Harvard University. It didn’t take long, however, for the Bronxville, NY native to have a major impact upon computer science. In 1969, he helped develop the Unix operating system alongside Ken Thompson, Brian Kernighan and other Bell colleagues. At around the same time, he began laying the groundwork for what would become the C programming language — a framework he and co-author Kernighan would later explain in their seminal 1978 book, The C Programming Language . Ritchie went on to earn several awards on the strength of these accomplishments, including the Turing Award in 1983, election to the National Academy of Engineering in 1988, and the National Medal of Technology in 1999. The precise circumstances surrounding his death are unclear at the moment, though news of his passing has already elicited an outpouring of tributes and remembrance for the man known to many as dmr (his e-mail address at Bell Labs). “He was a quiet and mostly private man,” Pike wrote his brief post, “but he was also my friend, colleague, and collaborator, and the world has lost a truly great mind.” Dennis Ritchie, pioneer of C programming language and Unix, reported dead at age 70 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Sure, plenty of folks are still waiting for their shipments to arrive, but Apple’s latest magical handset is already baring its innards, courtesy of the screwdriver-wielding mad scientists at iFixit . The teardown is still carrying the “In Progress” badge at the moment, but among the findings thus far is the discovery of a slightly larger battery. Can the stash of magic dust be too far behind? iPhone 4S gets teardown treatment, Siri gasps in terror originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sonim brings a trio of rugged devices to CTIA E&A 2011, we go hands-on (video)
October 13, 2011 No Comment
Sonim doesn’t crank out smartphones. It’s too busy flooding the earth with uber-rugged featurephones that would most likely withstand an actual flood, and it’s darn proud of that fact. That’s the impression we got, at least, after visiting the company’s booth at this week’s CTIA Enterprise & Applications. We had the opportunity to play around with Sonim’s three new devices : the XP1301 Core NFC, XP3340 Sentinel and XP1330 Core PTT. Announced on Monday, the first two phones are already available in the US while the third is targeted squarely at Latin America over the next two months. Quite frankly, the new GSM / EDGE lineup looks so similar that it’d be incredibly easy to forget which one was which — aside from having an appearance not unlike a tank, all three devices seem to come from the same mold. As similar as they are, each one has its own specialty: the XP1301 offers a Near-Field Communication tag reader, the XP1330 takes advantage of Push to Talk and the XP3340 Sentinel throws in a customizable man-down sensor that triggers an emergency alarm when something is awry. But we’ll tell you what won’t require emergency assistance — viewing the galleries and videos below. Gallery: Sonim XP1301 NFC hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 Gallery: Sonim XP3340 Sentinel hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 Gallery: Sonim XP1330 Core PTT hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 Zachary Lutz contributed to this report. Continue reading Sonim brings a trio of rugged devices to CTIA E&A 2011, we go hands-on (video) Sonim brings a trio of rugged devices to CTIA E&A 2011, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …EcoATM offers instant money for your old phone, we go hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)
October 13, 2011 No Comment
Old-fashioned ATM meets modern-day phone recycling program. That’s the idea behind EcoATM, a startup aimed to help reduce electronic waste and beef up your wallet at the same time. Of course, it’s not a new concept: phone recycling programs have been around for a while now, helping you stay green by giving you some green. Trading in an old phone for the almighty dollar, however, typically involves filling out paperwork, printing labels, shipping the device to the facility and waiting for four weeks for a check. EcoATM’s goal is to eliminate all of that in favor of a simple 5-minute process that ends with cash in-hand. The company has machines set up in popular shopping malls in various cities across the country, ready to help you part ways with your old device. Take a gander at a gallery and the full demonstration below. Gallery: EcoATM hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 Zachary Lutz contributed to this report. Continue reading EcoATM offers instant money for your old phone, we go hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video) EcoATM offers instant money for your old phone, we go hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Could this turn out to be a wireless case of the tortoise and the hare? According to Ralph de la Vega , that answer is a resounding yes. In his keynote address at CTIA , the AT&T Mobility CEO announced plans to bring a line of thinner, less power-intensive smartphones to its recently launched, true 4G network . How’s that possible? Utilizing a technology described as “circuit switch fallback,” phones running on the operator’s network will make use of a single radio to ride along the LTE waves, and default to a “circuit switch-based 3G” signal when out of range. If these claims pan out, it’d give the slow-to-market, second place operator a leg up on industry rivals Verizon and Sprint, which incorporate separately powered 3G / 4G radios in their next-gen handsets. We’ll know whether or not to call de la Vega’s bluff later this year when the first batch of LTE phones are destined for consumer release. Until then, it’s just executive grandstanding at its best. Handsets or it didn’t happen, Ralph. AT&T’s Ralph de la Vega: LTE phones to be leaner, retain charge longer originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Kickstarter hits a million backers, impoverished design students rejoice
October 13, 2011 No Comment
Despite these shaky economic times, people still have the time — and money — for modded Arduino kits , iPhone lens and air guitar mods . Kickstarter users have now pledged over $100 million to projects, with the number of backers leaping from around 250,000 in September last year to over one million. The crowd-funding site is marking the occasion with visualizations of its vital statistics, showing, among other things, that one-time backers make up the bulk of investment. With over 13,000 projects green-lighted so far, projects still vying for our investment dollars include a caterpillar-tracked smartphone robot , a bike light that attaches to your spokes generating an 8-bit light show and an energy recovery unit that picks up on heat from a dryer exhaust. If the idea of heat exchanges gets you all hot under the collar, check out Kickstarter to help give the creators a fiscal foothold. Kickstarter hits a million backers, impoverished design students rejoice originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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