Panasonic’s DMR-BF200 stuffs hard drive and Blu-ray burner into one tiny, magical box
October 21, 2010 No Comment
And this, friends, is why Japan is a marvelous place. Panasonic has just removed the wraps from its new DIGA DMR-BF200, which is being hailed as the planet’s smallest Blu-ray recorder. For all intents and purposes, this is simply an external hard drive with a slot-loading Blu-ray burner baked in, but there’s plenty more on the inside to pay attention to. It’ll stream DLNA content, interface with your other VIERA Link equipment, output content via HDMI and even access acTVila (a Japanese video-on-demand service). Users can also toss in an SD card for watching flicks stored on more portable media, and most anything housed on the 320GB internal hard drive can be toasted on BD-R/RE for playback elsewhere. It should be noted, however, that neither BDXL nor Blu-ray 3D are supported, but those still keenly interested can find it on November 15th for
Continue reading …
The screen that just keeps on going meets the OS that refuses to fit on a single display. Yes, Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7, like Windows Mobile 6.5 and Android before it, is getting treated with a 4.3-inch display from HTC for its launch party. The aptly titled HD7 is, by virtue of Microsoft’s stringent hardware requirements, mostly just a stretched-out version of its WP7 contemporaries: it offers the standard 800 x 480 res, 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon, 576MB of RAM, and a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with a 720p movie mode. So what sets it apart? HTC will have you believe its Hub enhances the buttery smooth WP7 software, while outside the shell there’s a handy kickstand for landscape lounging and you do of course benefit from an enlarged canvas for your finger inputs. Join us after the break to discover how much that matters in day-to-day use, along with the rest of our thoughts on the HTC HD7. This review is primarily of the HTC HD7 hardware. Check out our full review of Windows Phone 7 for our thoughts on the OS. Gallery: HTC HD7 review Gallery: Samsung Omnia 7 vs HTC HD7 and 7 Mozart Continue reading HTC HD7 review HTC HD7 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Lenovo’s ThinkCentre M75e destop range introduced, complete with business socks
October 21, 2010 No Comment
They ain’t much to gawk at, and they certainly won’t satisfy your craving for tomorrow’s best first-person shooter, but Lenovo’s newest ThinkCentre machines will undoubtedly tear through an Excel spreadsheet and block your access to any website deemed remotely entertaining. The M75e will be arriving in two versions: a small form factor mini-tower starting at $504, and a standard tower starting at $524. Both units ship with a baseline configuration that includes a 2.8GHz AMD Sempron 145 AM3 processor, Windows 7 Professional, 2GB of DDR3 memory, an integrated AMD GPU (capable of driving two displays by its lonesome), a 250GB hard drive and a three-year warranty. Big spenders can upgrade to an Athlon II or Phenom II CPU, up to 16GB of memory and a Haspel tuxedo. Or so we’re led to believe. Bonus video is after the break. Continue reading Lenovo’s ThinkCentre M75e destop range introduced, complete with business socks Lenovo’s ThinkCentre M75e destop range introduced, complete with business socks originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 20:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Apple quietly updates MacBook Pro with optional 2.8GHz Core i7 processor
October 21, 2010 No Comment
Sure, Apple’s ” Back to the Mac ” press conference was all about software and a manila envelope or two , but Cupertino also sent out a silent love letter to its MacBook Pro lineup. Specifically, the 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro laptops can now be configured with a 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 processor, up from the 2.66GHz model they were limited to before, for the primo price of $200 more. That’s a pretty penny to pay for a simple 140MHz boost, but base clockspeed is only part of the story — this is almost certainly the Core i7-640M that Intel owned up to just last month, which can turbo to a lap-scorching 3.4GHz under load. If you feel like buying one, do be a dear and let us know for sure? [Thanks, Steven H.] Apple quietly updates MacBook Pro with optional 2.8GHz Core i7 processor originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 20:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Have you been looking for the definitive review of Windows Phone 7 ? Well look no further. Microsoft’s next (and perhaps final) opportunity to break back into the smartphone race has officially begun, and Engadget has been cranking on a variety of launch devices across several continents to see if the platform holds water. Back in July we took a deep dive on Windows Phone 7 using a developer device that Microsoft handed out to journalists, and now we’re back for the full review. What we realized going into this process was that really very little had changed between the summertime preview and the new OS’ fall launch. Even though there have been tweaks and fixes in Microsoft’s mobile experience, there hasn’t been any addition so large that we felt the software required a completely fresh look. Instead, what we needed to do was go back to the observations made during our initial experience with the OS, compare it to the final product, and figure out where the company improved (or diminished) specific facets of the operating system. And of course, we finally had a real chance to use Xbox Live and third party applications — two of the crucial elements of this OS. So, below is our re-edited, refreshed take on Windows Phone 7, complete with real answers to nagging questions, and our definitive score of Microsoft’s great smartphone hope at version 1.0. Read on for the full story! Gallery: Windows Phone 7 interface Continue reading Windows Phone 7 review Windows Phone 7 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
We knew Samsung’s been in the Windows Phone 7 game pretty much since day one, but the Korean giant’s managed to keep its Europe-bound Omnia 7 under tight wraps until mid-summer this year. Two months onwards, we find ourselves cradling this macho-looking device, and giggly flicking through the various tiles in its newborn OS. Just to freshen up your memory, we’re looking at a 4-inch Super AMOLED-donning slate, garnished with a dash of Tyrian purple aluminum on the back, and capped with some dark gray polycarbonate at the top and bottom. Well, you know the drill — join us after the break to find out how the rest of this phone fares. Gallery: Samsung Omnia 7 with Windows Phone 7 review Continue reading Samsung Omnia 7 review Samsung Omnia 7 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
If the only thing holding you back from that new 3DTV purchase was the inconvenience of slipping the 3D glasses over the regular old 2D glasses you already wear, Samsung is the first major manufacturer with a solution now that it’s unveiled a prescription version in Korea. The SSG-R2200 models appear to be very similar to the company’s other active shutter 3D glasses in various shapes and sizes, but they’re made to order from an optometrist. We know this is something several companies have been working on and expect to see these available in the US eventually as well, but we’ll have to see a pricetag of some type before we decide if rocking the dual specs or just sticking with 2D is the best option. Gallery: Samsung Prescription 3D Glasses Samsung adds prescription lens option to its active shutter 3D glasses originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Oh yes, humans — it’s happening again! After a painfully long wait, we’re finally kicking our reader meetups back into gear. The first in the series will take place in New York City on October 21st (that’s tomorrow!) , and it’s going to be a killer. The all-ages event is sponsored by Sprint and will feature a slew of amazing companies in attendance. What companies, you ask? How about Sony PlayStation , Research In Motion , Palm , Sony VAIO , Bug Labs , Panasonic , Nokia , Sling , Roku , Sonos , Boxee , Peek , and many more (we’re adding names as we type)! In addition to the tons of gadgets and gear you’ll be able to get your hands on, we’ll have giveaways, demos, music, food, and drinks for everyone. The meetup takes place in NYC at Espace (635 W. 42nd St, New York, NY, between 11th and 12th Ave.), and will run from 6:30PM until 10:30PM . Capacity for the venue is around 1000, and we’ll likely fill up — so plan on getting there nice and early! We’ll be coming at you with more details and an updated partner list, but for now, mark the date down and get ready to party. You can sign up and discuss the event at our Facebook page, too. Note: The image above? Soon to be another limited edition T-shirt collaboration between eBoy and Engadget! Continue reading Engadget’s reader meetup happens tomorrow in NYC — be there! Engadget’s reader meetup happens tomorrow in NYC — be there! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Alright, I was wrong. On the Engadget Podcast I said that Samsung is capable of navigating to store.apple.com and checking out the iPad prices. I figured Samsung would see $500 as its maximum unsubsidized price for the Galaxy Tab, but apparently Samsung decided its competition was the iPad with 3G. Is a $600 Galaxy Tab a compelling offering up against a $630 3G iPad? Maybe, maybe not. But it’s not an insane proposition by any means. In fact, I think it could do pretty well. Continue reading Editorial: Why the Galaxy Tab’s price makes sense Editorial: Why the Galaxy Tab’s price makes sense originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Third World missionaries come to the US for low-tech training on cook stoves, water purification. (October 20)
Continue reading …