Dell’s Stage UI headed to Streak, also unofficially works on EVO 4G (video)
November 6, 2010 No Comment
The first time the words “Stage UI” passed our lips, they were in relation to the Dell Thunder leak , but now we’re hearing that Dell’s custom Android user interface will actually appear alongside Android 2.2 when the update finally arrives on the five-inch Streak . We’ve just learned that’s going to happen this winter in Japan when the Streak launches on SoftBank at the very least, as both are advertised for early December there, but we expect we’ll see the updated OS even sooner in the US and Europe for obvious reasons . What’s more, an unofficial build of Froyo that leaked out for the Streak last month has since been found to have Stage UI on board. StreakSmart ‘s got a video of a custom ROM running a series of Dell-specific widgets on the Streak, and sister site Good and Evo managed to trick the very same software to run on a rooted HTC EVO 4G . You can see examples of both on video after the break, but here’s the basic idea behind the UI — giant panes of contacts, apps and shortcuts that fill an entire screen each, but leave your app drawer accessible at a swipe. If you’re feeling daring, you can try the ROM for yourself at our more coverage link. Just be careful flashing that new baseband, eh? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Continue reading Dell’s Stage UI headed to Streak, also unofficially works on EVO 4G (video) Dell’s Stage UI headed to Streak, also unofficially works on EVO 4G (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 19:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Apple is warning iPhone users that the daylight savings time glitch that plagued Europe affects US iPhones too, meaning you’ll wake up an hour late if you rely on the Clock app built into the device. Though Apple representatives say there’s a permanent fix in the works, it’s not due until iOS 4.2 , so the company suggests you set a new alarm today if you want to rise on time. Since the bug apparently only affects certain repeating alarms, you can create a new one-time alarm (i.e. with the repeat option set to “never”) instead, and the iPhone clock will take care of the rest. Don’t be the gal or guy blaming your tardiness on failed technology, folks, when it’s this easy to be able to point the finger at traffic, family, or spontaneous bouts of dance fever instead. PSA: Apple’s iPhone may not wake you up on time tomorrow morning originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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HTC HD2 owners have been trying to shoehorn Windows Phone 7 onto their hapless devices practically since day one , but it looks like a port won’t make it into the wild before the platform’s formal US launch. That doesn’t mean you should give up hope, however, because one variant seems to be at least partway done, winding its merry way from boot through the splash screen and deep into the speedy UI in a far more convincing video demo than the last one that hit our inbox . Though no apps are actually demonstrated nor so much as a basic phone call (pretty please?), multitouch pinch-to-zoom appears to work just fine, and we’ve little doubt any remaining quirks will be worked out in due time — if not nearly as soon as new HTC HD7 owners migrating from the HD2 might have liked. Video after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Continue reading HTC HD2 runs Windows Phone 7, makes us yearn for more (video) HTC HD2 runs Windows Phone 7, makes us yearn for more (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 16:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It’s the weekend, kids. You know what that means? Relaxation. And what could be more relaxing than a live Engadget Podcast? Sure, we might be filled with rage against The Man and stuff like that, but it’s in a, like, totally chill way. It’s like “dude, step off, The Man. Chill out. Have a PBR.” See what we mean? Relaxation. The podcast and chat are after the break. P.S. And don’t forget that Ustream has Android and iPhone clients as well, if you’re out and about and you can’t join in on the Flash-based fun below. Continue reading The Engadget Podcast, live at 4:15PM EDT! The Engadget Podcast, live at 4:15PM EDT! originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 16:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sprint axes Huawei, ZTE telecom bids due to security fears in Washington?
November 6, 2010 No Comment
Huawei might be making inroads into the US consumer smartphone market, but the Chinese telecom supplier’s attempts to break into big business have been stonewalled . Now, the Wall Street Journal reports that Sprint is excluding both Huawei and competitor ZTE from a multi-billion dollar contract — where they would have been the lowest bidders — primarily because of national security concerns. The US Secretary of Commerce reportedly called Sprint CEO Dan Hesse to voice concerns about letting firms with possible ties to the Chinese government supply local communications infrastructure, a perspective also penned by eight US senators back in August. “DoD is very concerned about China’s emerging cyber capabilities and any potential vulnerability within or threat to DoD networks,” the Department of Defense told the publication, without naming Huawei or ZTE directly. We’re not doctors, but it sounds like someone’s got a serious case of supercomputer envy . Sprint axes Huawei, ZTE telecom bids due to security fears in Washington? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 15:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Verizon trials unlimited text and data cellular plans for preferred customers, starting at $70 a month
November 6, 2010 No Comment
Sure, Verizon’s pushing tiered data plans in public, but it’s simultaneously expanding its unlimited offerings behind closed doors — yesterday, the wireless carrier launched a promotional plan with 450 minutes, unlimited text and unlimited data for $70 a month. Before you jump at the chance to lower your monthly bill, however, we should warn you that this is very much a limited trial: Verizon will check its computers to verify that you were sent a promotional email before letting you into the deal. Furthermore, the offer doesn’t ring up as a new plan in Verizon’s computer system, but rather an amalgam of the company’s existing $60 Talk and Text plan and its $30 unlimited data plan, with a $20 credit applied to your bill each and every month. The upside of that is that selected customers can basically add unlimited data to any Talk and Text plan they choose for an extra $10 monthly, but the downside is that it’s far too early to call the promotion a portent of things to come. See the full offer at our source link… or in your inbox, we suppose. [Thanks, Sam] Verizon trials unlimited text and data cellular plans for preferred customers, starting at $70 a month originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 14:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Indamixx 2 Atom-powered MeeGo tablet touts rockstar looks, $999 price tag
November 6, 2010 No Comment
Indamixx — get it?! — may be a relative dark horse in the race to tablet supremacy, but those looking for something a touch outlandish can’t possibly ignore the company’s latest. The self-titled Indamixx 2 slate has just recently broke cover, with a prototype boasting Intel’s single-core 1.66GHz Atom N450 (a dual-core chip is slated to hit the finalized version), 2GB of RAM, a trio of USB 2.0 ports, a VGA output, Ethernet socket and analog audio input / output jacks. There’s no exact word on the screen size or resolution, but the kicker is the software — this guy’s loaded with Transmission 5.0, a music-centric OS that’s actually built around MeeGo . The creators say that they chose MeeGo due to its fondness of multitouch inputs, and based on the videos we’ve seen of it running, it definitely looks like a wise choice. Moreover, those looking to use this for more traditional tasks will be thrilled to know that they still can, and considering that it’s Linux underneath, the limits are near-endless when it comes to tweaking options. For those in no position to wait for the final build, you can hit the source link in order to snag “beta hardware” for $999; we’re hoping that those who wait will be treated to far more sensible pricing, but there’s no question that we’re intrigued either way. Hop on past the break to see this bad boy get down. Continue reading Indamixx 2 Atom-powered MeeGo tablet touts rockstar looks, $999 price tag Indamixx 2 Atom-powered MeeGo tablet touts rockstar looks, $999 price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 12:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It was the halcyon summer of 2009. The Hubble Space Telescope was fixed, Helio Castroneves won the Indy 500, Somali pirates were really doing their thing, and Linksys decided it was time to pull the plug on its DMA2100 and DMA2200 Media Center Extenders . Production was ceased and that was that… or so we thought. Now we’re hearing dozens of reports that those extenders mysteriously stopped working over the past few days, and indeed a thread over at The Green Button is full of hundreds rightfully disgruntled users. Thanks to a lot of investigations by members it’s been determined that the boxes are trying to dial home to an address that no longer exists. Naturally this is causing wild speculation about DRM checks and the boxes being remotely disabled, but for now there are some manual work-arounds, including configuring your router to explicitly block any traffic from the Extender or simply assign an invalid gateway. This seems to work for many, but not for all. We’ve reached out to get an official word from Cisco on what’s up here, but until we hear back feel free to post your most alluring conspiracy theories in comments below. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Linksys Media Extenders suddenly stop working, did Cisco pull the plug? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 09:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …iControl and uControl engage in home automation merger, domestic disputes seem inevitable
November 6, 2010 No Comment
Come one, come all — we’re guessing you won’t want to miss the most comical business arrangement since the latter part of 2007, when ROK acquired a majority share of Rock . Believe it or not, iControl and uControl have somehow put their selfish ways aside to come together as one, but it’s pretty clear who’s really in control. The merged company will forge ahead as i Control Networks, leaving u with nothing but fading memories and half a bottle of Jack. In all seriousness, this melding of minds could definitely give the home automation world a boost it’s badly in need of; fragmentation and a lack of universal compatibility (not to mention stratospheric pricing) has severely hindered adoption in the consumer universe, and we’re hoping that these guys can somehow make ZigBee, Z-Wave and your ZR1 talk to each other sans any hoop jumping. ‘Course, we wouldn’t expect any sort of quick collaboration — these two have to get on speaking terms before any magic happens, you know? Continue reading iControl and uControl engage in home automation merger, domestic disputes seem inevitable iControl and uControl engage in home automation merger, domestic disputes seem inevitable originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 05:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …AT&T clarifies Windows Phone 7 launch parameters: no pre-orders, online sales are a go
November 6, 2010 No Comment
November 8th is creeping ever closer, and aside from it marking the beginning of yet another long, drawn-out week in the working world, it’s also the first day you can get your paws around a Windows Phone 7 device from AT&T. Much in the same way that it did before subsequent iPhone launches , the carrier has come forward with a few vital pieces of information to chew on before making any incorrect assumptions. Company representative Warner May confirmed to Phone Scoop that online sales for Windows Phone 7 devices (the Samsung Focus and HTC Surround ) would indeed go live on launch day, debunking rumors that the phones would only be available for the grabbing in retail locations. Furthermore, we’re told that no pre-orders are being accepted via B&M / online — a logical move given the chaos that ensued from the iPhone 4 pre-order rush. More on the launch as we get it. AT&T clarifies Windows Phone 7 launch parameters: no pre-orders, online sales are a go originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 02:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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