Well, wouldn’t you know it? Seems that tongue-in-cheek marketing campaign may actually be working. Way back in April of this year, Sprint decided it would begin offering its own iPad case , despite the fact that even today the iPad isn’t sold in Sprint stores. The reason? It’s the perfect opportunity to push the Overdrive , a 4G mobile hotspot that’s able to take the iPad (and any other WiFi-enabled device) to 4G speeds where available. In a recent interview with GigaOM , the carrier’s CEO (Dan Hesse) confirmed that most iPads being sold are of the WiFi variety, and due to that, “the company has seen an uptick in demand for its Overdrive (3G/4G) MiFi wireless-hotspot device, as people use it to connect their iPads to the Internet when on the go.” He failed to exaggerate on actual numbers, but it’s obvious he’s in favor of Apple’s darling tablet selling like hotcakes — after all, how else are you going to get an iDevice into 4G territory ? Sprint CEO thanks iPad for uptick in Overdrive demand originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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With Steorn’s track record , you’d think that the company wouldn’t be in such a hurry to put its “free energy” technology under a microscope. Then again, maybe once it has your €399 (roughly $550) your thoughts on the subject really aren’t that important anyways. Regardless, we’re a wee bit skeptical of anyone who claims to have made a miraculous scientific breakthrough, refuses to explain said scientific breakthrough, and then asks you to cut them a check. But maybe you’re a more trustworthy type: In that case, to build an Orbo device for yourself and access to the Steorn Knowledge Development Base, hit the source link. But don’t say we didn’t warn you. Steorn peddles Orbo development kit, snake oil optional originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 20:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Sure, different color options and various designer patterns are all well and good, but what gadgets really need more of is moustaches . Thankfully, Flip has now stepped in to fill that void with no less than eleven different moustache designs for the month of Movember. Available on the Flip UltraHD , MinoHD and SlideHD (and in various capacities), the moustachio’d offerings include handsome options like The Professor and The Auteur (pictured above) and, best of all, Flip will donate $10 from each purchase to the Movember Foundation, which raises funds and awareness for men’s health. Hit up the source link below to check out all the options available, and to place your order if you find one that suits your style. Flip offers moustachio’d cameras for Movember originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 19:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Samsung notches record profits, aims to sell ten million Galaxy S phones this year
October 29, 2010 No Comment
My, how a year changes things. Q3 2009 was a nightmare for mega-corps in terms of earnings , but things have definitely been on the up and up just 12 months later. After Sony pushed out a glowing quarterly report this morning , rival Samsung has done likewise. The company saw record breaking revenues of ₩40.23 trillion ($35.8 billion) as well as profits (₩4.46 trillion; $3.96 billion) in this most recent quarter, with Sammy crediting strong semiconductor performance for the bulk of its newfound fortune. A tip of the hat was also given to its mobile communications business, with the outfit moving a staggering 71.4 million phones during Q3 2010 (a 19 percent boost year-over-year). Reports are noting that between five and seven million of those were of the Galaxy S variety, and it’s hoping to sell ten million of ‘em before the close of this year. All that said, the firm isn’t expecting an equally rosy Q4, noting that a strengthening won and heightened price pressures around LCD panels and DRAM could put a damper on skyrocketing profits. So much for taking a day to celebrate, eh? [Thanks, Rajendra] Continue reading Samsung notches record profits, aims to sell ten million Galaxy S phones this year Samsung notches record profits, aims to sell ten million Galaxy S phones this year originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 19:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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If you’re interested in being an early adopter of Google TV , for now you can choose a separate passthrough box like the Logitech Revue or Sony’s Blu-ray player, or plop the whole experience into the display with Sony’s new Internet TV line. We spent some time with the Sony Internet TV NSX-32GT1 , and we’re a bit surprised to find that it could feature the best implementation of the Google TV experience of them all. But is that enough? After you’ve digested our impressions of the platform as a whole , check out our review of the Internet TV to find out. Gallery: Sony Google HDTV Gallery: Sony’s Google TV-powered Internet TV first hands-on! Continue reading Sony Internet TV with Google TV review Sony Internet TV with Google TV review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 17:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’ve gotten our hands on some more images of the PlayStation Phone , and gleaned a few more juicy details about the handset. Firstly, as you can see in the photos, the model in question does indeed seem to be codenamed “Zeus” (as we reported on the 27th ). Furthermore, the handset pictured is running Android 2.2, though apparently there are multiple devices out there with different versions on board (including at least one packed with Android 3.0). Based on what we know, there’s little chance the phone will launch with Froyo — but it’s clear these have been worked on for some time with various versions of the OS. The device appears to have an 8GB microSD card slotted, and at least 512MB of internal storage (though we’re hoping it’s the 1GB we’ve heard would be present). As you can see from the pictures in the gallery below, the device isn’t exactly thin — we surmise that the handset is around 17mm thick, or slightly thicker than HTC’s Touch Pro 2 (and funnily enough, about the same as the PSPgo ). From a design standpoint, the device seems to have more in common with BlackBerry handsets than previous Sony Ericsson phones; that smoky chrome bezel which surrounds the device is definitely giving us Torch flashbacks. As always, we’re hard at work digging up more info on the phone (and potentially more images), but for now, just sit tight and enjoy the exclusive photos in the gallery below. Gallery: Even more PlayStation Phone Gallery: The PlayStation Phone Gallery: PlayStation Phone details The PlayStation Phone: new photos, more details! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Though Verizon famously turned down the original iPhone before Apple ultimately signed a deal with AT&T, the company’s outspoken CEO — Ivan Seidenberg — has been very careful over the past couple years to note that he’d love to eventually have an iPhone in his lineup . With Verizon Wireless boss Lowell McAdam tapped to take over the top job next year, what’d be a better swan song for Seidenberg than to finally pull it off? Fortune ‘s new profile of the longstanding chief exec and elder statesman is reporting in very matter-of-fact terms that a CDMA version of the iPhone 4 will be a reality on Verizon in “early 2011,” lining up with most of the rumors the interwebs has been generating over the past few months. The piece details the phone as the culmination of literally years of careful discussions between Seidenberg, McAdams, and Steve Jobs; Verizon’s guys claim that Jobs acknowledged in late 2007 that the two companies had “missed something” by failing to partner up. The first visible fruit of those talks is the MiFi-bundled iPad that just launched, but that’s clearly a minor stepping stone on the way to an actual handset. Fortune reports that Jobs has voiced his concerns over CDMA in the past and the fact that it doesn’t work in nearly as many countries as GSM does, but the story goes on to say that the first model on Verizon’s shelves “probably” won’t be dual-mode and presumably won’t have compatibility with the company’s shiny new LTE network, either. If true, that’ll make for an interesting battle for the spotlight in the first few months of 2011 as an EV-DO iPhone wages war with a number of LTE phones — some of which look downright gorgeous — and might put Verizon in the awkward position of having to heavily push two almost diametrically opposed handset and platform initiatives. Furthermore, it’s hard to deny that a Verizon iPhone would stress the carrier’s network in ways it’s never been stressed before; they may be prepared for it, but there’s no way of knowing until it all goes down and they get a sense for uptake and conquests from AT&T. Translation: McAdam looks to have a busy 2011 ahead of him as he transitions into the new office. iPhone locked for early 2011 on Verizon, says Fortune originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Transparent material developed that’s twice as strong as Kevlar, infinitely weirder
October 29, 2010 No Comment
Scientists in Israel have developed a transparent material with “the hardest organic nanostructure known to man,” according to Discovery News . Based on artificial proteins similar to (and simpler than) the beta-amlyoid proteins that have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and covered with transparent nanospheres, the new material is very, very strong: in order to cut it, a diamond-tipped probe would have to apply twice the pressure it would take to cut Kevlar . Researchers see it being used for anything from bulletproof armor to reinforced steel — but don’t throw out your old body armor yet! It could be years (if not decades) before this comes to market. Transparent material developed that’s twice as strong as Kevlar, infinitely weirder originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It may not be quite the same obvious transition that Netflix made, but it looks like DVD kiosk company Redbox will soon be making a push of its own into the streaming business. That word comes straight from the CEO of parent company Coinstar, Paul Davis, who told listeners to the company’s recent earnings call that it is in “detailed negotiations with a number of highly interested parties” to launch a “Redbox-branded” streaming service sometime next year. That would seem to suggest that Redbox will be relying on a partner already established in the field rather than rolling its own service, but Davis was otherwise light on details, adding only that streaming represents a “significant opportunity” for the company. That doesn’t mean Redbox will be getting out of the kiosk business anytime soon, though — according to Davis, there’s still a “long, profitable life ahead” there. Redbox announces plans to enter streaming business next year originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sony earnings call entertains PlayStation Phone, reveals tablets are on the radar
October 29, 2010 No Comment
Earnings calls aren’t usually that interesting, and that’s doubly true when trying to listen via official translators. Still, we couldn’t help but give an ear to Sony’s fiscals, and sure enough, someone asked about our ( still real ) PlayStation Phone leak . We’re not sure who answered since it’s through interpreter, either Executive VP / CFO Masaru Kato or Senior General Manager of Investor Relations Division Gen Tsuchikawa (we’re assuming the former). Citing the aforementioned device, the curious party asked if such a product would come out of Sony or of Sony Ericsson, and no, it wasn’t a complete denial. Instead, we’re told just how such a device would happen, that a gaming phone would be planned and prototyped under the ( recently restructured ) Network Services umbrella. We’re also told how SCE’s move to Sony City headquarters now puts them closer to the planning and engineering group, meaning the company “can better incorporate all these capabilities better… so when the timing is right we can probably announce to you the new product we have.” Ericsson is later cited as a resource “on smartphone and for the games devices,” although this might be something peculiar with translation. Again, that’s far from a confirmation, but they’re certainly entertaining the notion in a very, very detailed response. But that’s not all; there’s also apparently a tablet brewing in the background, one that would obviously fall somewhere in between PC and Sony Ericsson’s efforts. There isn’t much else said, but if you’re up for psychoanalyzing executive commentary, we’ve transcribed and placed the full quote after the break. Continue reading Sony earnings call entertains PlayStation Phone, reveals tablets are on the radar Sony earnings call entertains PlayStation Phone, reveals tablets are on the radar originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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