When Dell told us of its plans to revive its tried and true XPS laptop line we were pretty darn excited. With so much brand dilution in the past few years — there’s been the Adamo XPS and the Studio XPS — the products have noticeably strayed from providing the rock solid gaming and multimedia experience they were once known for. There’s a reason XPS stand for Xtreme Performance System, right?! The new line, which includes 14-, 15-, 17-inch systems, has all the ingredients to set it back on track — including Core i5 / i7 processors, NVIDIA GeForce 400M graphics with Optimus, JBL speakers, a backlit keyboard, an HD webcam and a solid aluminum lid – but has Dell succeeded in creating a well-rounded multimedia machine? And does it rival our oh-so-adored HP Envy line ? We’ve spent the last week using the more mobile $899 XPS 14, so read on to find out in our full review! Gallery: Dell XPS 14 review Continue reading Dell XPS 14 review Dell XPS 14 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 14:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Skyfire being rereleased into App Store ‘in batches,’ coming to other nations in due time
November 5, 2010 No Comment
Good news, sick-and-tired Safari users — Skyfire ‘s back! Sort of. After hitting the App Store and subsequently crashing / burning under the load, the company yanked it in order to get its server situation under control. Now that it has had 48 hours to pony up for extra bandwidth (a wild guess, there), it looks as if it’s ready to cautiously let even more people join the fun. The CEO has confirmed via a blog post that Skyfire will “open batches of downloads for new users over the coming days,” with the first batch hitting right about now. It’ll be first come, first serve, so you know what to do there. In related news, he also affirmed that it’s still available to US downloaders for now, but that “additional country support” would follow shortly. Huzzah! [Thanks, Ankur] Continue reading Skyfire being rereleased into App Store ‘in batches,’ coming to other nations in due time Skyfire being rereleased into App Store ‘in batches,’ coming to other nations in due time originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 14:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Pandigital may have not exactly hit a home run with its first Novel e-reader , but it looks like it might already be coming back for another try with a new model. That device recently hit the FCC with the model name PRD09TW, and it seems to be mostly identical in appearance to the current Pandigital Novel, with the notable exception of four buttons along the bottom. Unfortunately, there’s no specs to be found, but it does appear to boast the same 7-inch screen size (here’s hoping for capacitive this time around), and the test reports do at least reveal the presence of WiFi. What’s more, as the folks at Wireless Goodness have noted, a 6-inch E Ink-based reader from Pandigital has also hit the FCC alongside this new Novel, although it’s not clear if it’s actually a new model or just an early version of the company’s Novel Personal reader (the only different is a slight change in button placement). In fact, the same could be said of the PRD09TW, but the current Novel did already hit the FCC back in May . Pandigital Novel PRD09TW e-reader hits the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 14:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Hello, trend. The Crux 360 is the third such device that we’ve seen in the past two months , and if we had to guess, we’d say it probably won’t be the last. That said, it’s easily the best looking of the bunch, and it’s available to pre-order beginning today. For all intents and purposes, this case transforms your iPad into a netbook (at least, a netbook sans a bona fide operating system), but it’s also capable of flipping back in order to become a kickstand. A Bluetooth keyboard is built right into the “lid,” and if you’re in need of little visual explanation, a video is waiting just after the break. $149 and she’s yours… someday. Continue reading Crux 360 case converts your iPad into a netbook for $149 (video) Crux 360 case converts your iPad into a netbook for $149 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 13:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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This, friends, is what happens when convergence is approached correctly. Rather than asking you to keep yet another remote in the hopper, one Phil Irey has crafted DVPRemote — a lovely iOS app that enables your iPhone or iPod touch to act as your main control mechanism for any Roku set-top box. The app itself has been floating around in the App Store for a tick, but its the newly released version 2.0 that’s really of interest. This build ushers in a completely overhauled user interface, and aside from providing the standard Roku shuffle controls, it actually goes above and beyond to make your night easier. There’s full integration with Netflix to support automated Instant Queue navigation, full keyboard support for any screen that requires text entry, direct navigation to user-organizable Channels, toolbars for added channel functionality within Netflix and support for the new “Instant Replay”, “Info”, and “Back” buttons. Heck, it’s even compatible with iOS 4′s background operation protocol. Head on past the break for a hearty demonstration, and tap that iTunes link when you’re ready to ditch Apple’s own Remote App and part ways with $2.99. Continue reading DVPRemote iOS app easily replaces your factory Roku remote (video) DVPRemote iOS app easily replaces your factory Roku remote (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 13:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Okay, we’re no Snake Plissken, but let’s just say that DC has become something of an interesting town lately, with mock-left and faux-right wing pundits holding giant rallies, Wiccan ladies with questionable sanity running for office, and various other signs of the apocalypse happening every day. We were glad to make it out with both eyes and we were glad to be doing so in the car of the future that’s finally a part of the present: Chevrolet’s $41,000 Volt . It’s actually (honestly) in proper production now, being delivered to select dealers soon, one of those production models given to us to drive from our great nation’s capital to the cultural capital of the world: New York City. We easily managed it on a single tank of gas, but what kind of mileage did we get? You’ll just have to read on to find out. Gallery: Chevrolet Volt DC test drive Continue reading Chevy Volt preview: escape from DC in today’s car of tomorrow Chevy Volt preview: escape from DC in today’s car of tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 12:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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T-Mobile USA has been an oft-rumored darkhorse to help kill off AT&T’s iPhone exclusivity in the country — and for the life of us, we can’t think of a good reason that the carrier’s corporate stores would be carrying iPhone charge / sync cables now other than in preparation for a launch. It’s interesting to note that Deutsche Telekom boss Rene Obermann in part blamed the lack of the iPhone in the States as a driving factor in its third quarter churn rate… a meaningless musing, perhaps, but it could’ve been a little bit of foreshadowing, too. It’s important to note that T-Mobile has carried Nexus One accessories this year, too, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility to think that they’re just trying to cater to the unlockers who are already using iPhones on T-Mobile — but then again, we’d argue that the people savvy enough to do that probably aren’t shopping for overpriced cables in carrier stores. It’s also important to note that T-Mobile literally just took a dig at FaceTime (while blasting AT&T’s network in the same breath), so it’s hard to say what this means, if anything. [Thanks, anonymous tipster] Why is T-Mobile selling an iPhone cable? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 11:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Parrot Minikit Smart windshield mount cradles your phone, caresses its Bluetooth, charges its battery
November 5, 2010 No Comment
Smartphones make great navigation devices (where still allowed by law), but trying to read the things while they slide about on the dash or peek out of a cupholder is hardly ideal. Universal windshield holders help, but none are as smart as the Parrot ‘s latest. How smart is it? Why, it’s right there in the title. The Minikit Smart will hold smartphones “whatever their size” — so long as that size is between 56 and 70mm in width. It has an integrated speaker and telescoping microphone that connects to your phone over Bluetooth, boosting your celly’s paltry internal speaker so that you can better hear directions and, of course, make hands-free calls. There’s also a USB pass-through, so that you can not only charge this unit while driving but charge your phone. Imagine how happy and secure your phone would feel when being spooned like this, but at $129 it had better be over the moon. Continue reading Parrot Minikit Smart windshield mount cradles your phone, caresses its Bluetooth, charges its battery Parrot Minikit Smart windshield mount cradles your phone, caresses its Bluetooth, charges its battery originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Oh, you know the bandwagon’s in full-on rampage mode now. How so? Because Planar — a company that generally strays far, far away from mere mortals in the consumer market — has just announced a new 23-inch 3D monitor. It’s represents a stark break from the company’s typical high-end-only approach, and it likely speaks volumes to just how quickly 3D is gaining steam in the PC gaming universe. The SA2311W display will boast a 120Hz refresh rate, 1920 x 1080 resolution, two millisecond response time, a height adjustable stand, VGA / dual-link DVI / HDMI inputs and support for NVIDIA’s 3D Vision system. Naturally, you’ll need a set of active shutter glasses to enjoy the eye-popping mayhem, and for those who’ve never tried ‘em, they’re a step below a welder’s mask in terms of exterior visibility. To that end, Planar is also introducing the first keyboard designed specifically for users rocking 3D active shutter glasses — the ProGlow (shown after the break) boasts seven adjustable light levels (plus off), enabling immersed gamers to still recognize which keys are which. Both devices are expected to ship in the US of A next month for $449 and $185, respectively, though we get the feeling those vicious 3D dinosaurs aren’t included. Which is a bummer of epic proportions, if we should say so ourselves. Continue reading Planar preps 23-inch SA2311W 1080p 3D monitor, backlit ProGlow keyboard Planar preps 23-inch SA2311W 1080p 3D monitor, backlit ProGlow keyboard originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 10:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Mercedes-Benz SLK gets Magic Sky Control roof, turns transparent at the touch of a button
November 5, 2010 No Comment
Put down those iPads , Mercedes owners, and look to the sky. There’s a word of wonder up there and, if you had yourself an SLK with the Magic Sky Control vario-roof, you could be looking at it. Well, of course, you could already be looking at the sky if you had an SLK because, you know, it’s a convertible. But, let’s say you want to do it without actually having to experience nature. Now we’re talking. The vario-roof is a glass panel in the center of the SLK’s retractable hardtop and now, if you tick the 2000 euro ($2,800) Magic Sky Control option, you can control that sky, tinting the glass panel at will by re-aligning the light-blocking crystals embedded within. It’s like a big pixel on an LCD with the whole sun as your backlight and a truly awful dot pitch. Gallery: SLK Magic Sky Control roof Mercedes-Benz SLK gets Magic Sky Control roof, turns transparent at the touch of a button originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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