Nikon’s Coolpix S80 sure seemed like a worthy successor to the S70 on paper, but Photography Blog ‘s latest review sheds light on a couple of underlying issues that hinder it from being a runaway hit. The critics pretty much adored the sexy styling, but they noted that the all-touchscreen operations were a love-it-or-hate-it affair. Furthermore, the large OLED on the rear tended to inaccurately show how images were turning out, making it exceedingly difficult to know whether a shot was truly under or overexposed. The extra megapixels didn’t really help either, with reviewers calling the image quality “so-so” and pointing out that low-light shooting was far from being in this unit’s wheelhouse. That said, the camera was still recommended with a laundry list of caveats, so we’d give the source link a peek before aimlessly pulling the trigger. Nikon Coolpix S80 gets reviewed: loads of style, short on substance originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 04:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Alaska Airlines fires up in-flight WiFi between Anchorage and Fairbanks, promises more in 2011
October 23, 2010 No Comment
It’s hard to say if Alaska Airlines’ relationship with Row44 has fizzled, but unlike that WiFi’d route between San Jose and Seattle , the aforesaid airline is relying on Aircell to provide in-flight WiFi on flights between Anchorage and Fairbanks. Reportedly, Gogo service is live today for customers flying between those two locales, with it being completely gratis until the remainder of Aircell’s network in the state of Alaska goes live over the next few months. Best of all, Aircell has promised to “expand its network to include Southeast Alaska by the end of the year,” ensuring that it’s not The Last Frontier in absolutely every possible way. Continue reading Alaska Airlines fires up in-flight WiFi between Anchorage and Fairbanks, promises more in 2011 Alaska Airlines fires up in-flight WiFi between Anchorage and Fairbanks, promises more in 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 01:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We both know you didn’t need a Kindle with a 9.7-inch display, but you went and did the deed anyway. Now that you’re a proud owner of Amazon’s Kindle DX Graphite , you’re obligated to tell the world what exactly you’d change about it if given the ability to do so. We noted back in our review that the revised display was indeed a lovely extra, but is it enough to justify the lofty premium over the standard 6-inch model? Would you have changed up the keyboard? What about the enclosure? Thrown in a kickstand? Added a helmet mount? Go on and tell us how you’d make the Kindle DX Graphite an ideal device down in comments below. We’re all ears, you know. How would you change Amazon’s Kindle DX Graphite? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 22:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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If we didn’t know any better, we’d easily mistake Maingear’s newest duo as the sexiest portable duo we’ve seen today. And maybe it is. The up-and-coming pre-fab PC builder has just unleashed a new pair of laptops, the Clutch-13 and Clutch-15. Predictably, the former is a 13.3-incher while the latter clocks in at a more usual 15.6-inches, and both feature Intel’s newest Core 2010 CPUs and looks that (almost) kill. The smaller guys is equipped with a WXGA (1366 x 768) resolution panel, 1.2GHz Core 330UM, integrated Intel graphics, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, a 750GB HDD (or 512GB SSD if you’re feeling whimsical), 802.11g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet, an HDMI output, eSATA, ExpressCard slot and compatibility with an optional docking station that adds an ODD among other useful niceties. The Clutch-15 sticks with the same WXGA resolution (disappointingly, might we add), but offers up a choice of Core i3/i5/i7 CPU, NVIDIA’s GeForce GT 330M GPU (1GB), WiDi support and a full-size keyboard with number pad. They’re available as we speak starting at $1,099 and $899 in order of mention, so feel free to gloss over the next hour of work while configuring your own. Maingear slides out Clutch-13 and Clutch-15 gaming laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 21:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Even though we’ve seen a torrent of Windows Phone 7 devices, we couldn’t leave you hanging on a review of the Samsung Focus. In the last few days, a flurry of new Microsoft-powered devices have hit the market, boasting slight differences, but all looking and acting largely the same. We’ve taken a deep dive on the operating system itself, the Omnia 7 , Optimus 7 , Mozart , HD7 , and Surround (phew!) — now it’s time to focus on the, er… Focus. The device itself has a lot in common with its European brother, the Omnia 7, boasting the same 4-inch Super AMOLED display, 8GB of internal storage, 1GHz CPU, and 5 megapixel camera. The device will soon go on sale in America for $199.99 on AT&T’s network — in fact, it’s the only Windows Phone 7 device you’ll be able to buy when they go public on November 8th. But is it really worth your hard earned cash when there are so many other options in the market? Read on for the full Engadget review to find out! This review is primarily of the Samsung Focus hardware. Check out our full review of Windows Phone 7 for our thoughts on the OS. Gallery: Samsung Focus review hands-on Continue reading Samsung Focus review Samsung Focus review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sharp’s ultraslim BD-AV70 Blu-ray / BDXL player hitting Japan soon for over a grand
October 22, 2010 No Comment
Remember that slimmer-than-slim Blu-ray 3D / BDXL player that Sharp demonstrated at CEATEC? Looks like the world now has a ship date and price, though you aren’t likely to be keen on either. The unit itself — which measures but 35mm thick and looks eerily familiar to the slimmed-down PlayStation 2 — will tout a Blu-ray recorder while supporting BD 3D and BDXL playback, and there’s even compatibility with OTA broadcasts for those looking to toast television to blank Blu-ray media. Naturally, a contraption this awesome is going to be reserved for the Japanese market, with reports suggesting that it’ll ship anywhere between mid-December to early January. The real kicker, however, is the price — at
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Don’t take this as the gospel, but online retailer Expansys has gone ahead and listed Dell’s Venue Pro — affectionately known as “the Windows Phone 7 device with a portrait QWERTY slider” — with pricing and availability date in tow. Which, if you’re wondering, is
Continue reading …Amazon announces 14-day lending feature for Kindle books, newspapers and magazines for Kindle apps
October 22, 2010 No Comment
Nook users can already lend ebooks they’ve purchased to others, and it looks like Kindle users will soon be able to do the same. Amazon has just announced that it will be offering a similar feature “later this year” that will let folks lend books they’ve purchased to other Kindle users for a 14-day period, during which the person that actually purchased the book won’t be able to read it themselves. That feature won’t be available for all ebooks, however, as it will be up to individual publishers and rights holders to enable it for a particular book. What’s more, Amazon has also announced that Kindle newspapers and magazines will soon be readable on the various free Kindle apps available for other devices — look for that feature to launch in the “coming weeks.” Amazon announces 14-day lending feature for Kindle books, newspapers and magazines for Kindle apps originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The new MacBook Airs may have a lot of things going for them, but a matte screen unfortunately isn’t among them. The folks at TechRestore now say they have a solution to that shortcoming, however, and will gladly rip apart your shiny new Air and install a matte screen for $249. That screen will supposedly give you the same resolution, color depth and LED-backlighting as the factory installed one, and TechRestore promises to install a custom black bezel that “matches the look of the unibody MacBook Pro systems and looks, well, pretty awesome.” Of course, they don’t provide an actual image of the finished result, but they do promise a 24-hour turnaround time if you want to try it out yourself — the service will apparently be available “soon.” Head on past the break for the full press release. Continue reading TechRestore offers MacBook Air matte screen replacements for $249 TechRestore offers MacBook Air matte screen replacements for $249 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Honestly, while Apple’s Magic Mouse is a bit of a pioneer in its application of a multitouch surface on a “regular” tracking mouse, it’s not exactly easy or comfortable to perform multitouch gestures with it. Plus there’s the little problem of no official driver for Windows. Speedlink’s Cue mouse looks to be solving at least one of those problems, maybe even both. The wireless 1000 dpi optical mouse is naturally PC-compatible, with software to allow you to configure your own gestures, and it has a somewhat flatter and more extensive touch surface than the Magic Mouse, which might make gestures a bit more doable. Basically, it’s somewhere in between the Magic Mouse and the Magic Trackpad , minus the hyperbole, and plus clear demarcation of right and left click. It’ll retail for €40 when it ships in November (about $56 USD). Speedlink Cue does the multitouch hybrid mouse thing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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