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Gaikai game streaming service on target to launch in December, with all ‘major publishers’ signed on

The OnLive gaming service may be free now , but that doesn’t mean that others aren’t gunning for its members. Similarly fee-free competitor Gaikai was announced back in July and was initially said to be launching in September. However, the plan apparently wasn’t to launch in September, rather to be done in September, which Dave Perry is insisting they are. The company is now just waiting to finalize some publishing deals before sending out invites to members in 60 days. Those won’t be a sort of public beta like OnLive went through , with Perry saying “There will be no ‘you’re in a beta.’ It’ll just be ‘go ahead and play.’” EA is still the only big fish the company has hooked thus far, but Gaikai officers expect to have “all the major games publishers” onboard by the end of the year. Say what you like, you can’t knock their optimism. Gaikai game streaming service on target to launch in December, with all ‘major publishers’ signed on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 14:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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JVC introduces SP-A230 and SP-A1M: portable speakers for portable players

We’d tell you these things are probably too easy to lose, but it probably matters not — after all, you’ve already been suckered into buying one based on how insanely janky / adorable it is. JVC has just introduced the SP-A230 and SP-A1M portable speakers , with the former being shown above. That guy is a bar-styled stereo unit with a pair of 30mm drivers, a brain-melting 160mW x 2 of power and a 3.5mm auxiliary cable for connecting to any ‘ole PMP. The A1M ships with a single 30mm driver and relies on a pair of AAA batteries, compared with a pair of AA batteries necessary on the larger A230. Pricing remains elusive, but you can expect ‘em in a variety of colors this November… well, in Japan at least. JVC introduces SP-A230 and SP-A1M: portable speakers for portable players originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Microsoft licenses dozens of patents from Access and Acacia, including some Palm inventions

Complete details on the deal are still a bit light, but it’s just been revealed today that Microsoft has licensed a total of 74 patents from Acacia Research Corp. and Access Co. Ltd, some of which come from PalmSource , the software company spun off from Palm Inc. in 2003. While Microsoft itself isn’t saying much on the matter beyond the usual formalities, Acacia CEO Paul Ryan says that the patents licensed by Microsoft are “foundational” in the smartphone market and, as The Wall Street Journal reports, they apparently include some of the very same patents that Acacia has sued other companies over, including Apple, RIM, Samsung and Motorola — those specific patents concern things like email synchronization and “providing phone capabilities from personal computer devices.” Guess that’s one potential patent lawsuit you can mark off your list. Microsoft licenses dozens of patents from Access and Acacia, including some Palm inventions originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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News publishers looking to the Galaxy Tab and BlackBerry PlayBook for refuge as well

In case you were worried that it was just Apple love that got major news outlets on the iPad so quickly, you should know that the general sense of desperation (or is it their never ending sense of adventure?) pervading the likes of the The New York Times , The Wall Street Journal , and USA Today has them building apps for the Galaxy Tab as well. The news comes courtesy of The Wall Street Journal , and has yet to be announced officially by the parties involved — though we have a hard time doubting any of it. It makes sense, of course: the big cost is producing content for a tablet form factor, not building the reader app, and the Galaxy Tab naturally won’t be the last of its Android kind. The WSJ and The Financial Times are also apparently some possible gets for RIM’s PlayBook, though less is known about those deals. On the Tab, The New York Times is supposed to be pre-loaded with some carrier’s versions of the device, and its app will be free until January of next year when The Times starts charging for its website. News publishers looking to the Galaxy Tab and BlackBerry PlayBook for refuge as well originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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SanDisk’s 32GB microSDHC card falls below $100, is actually in stock

Holding out on upgrading that paltry 2GB microSD card that shipped in your Android device of choice? Hold no longer. Amazon is now stocking SanDisk’s oh-so-capacious 32GB microSDHC card for just $89.73, which is notably lower than what it retailed for at launch. It’s also readily available elsewhere on the web for around the same amount, with the “readily available” part equally as impressive as the “for really cheap” part. Of course, it’s slower than molasses crawling uphill on a winter day (read: Class 2), but it’s not like you’ll be throwing this in your D3S and firing off 11 shots per second. Right ? SanDisk’s 32GB microSDHC card falls below $100, is actually in stock originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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HTC HD2 spotted running Windows Phone 7, for real this time?

After some initial waffling on the subject, Microsoft has pretty steadfastly denied that any older Windows Mobile devices would be able to run Windows Phone 7 — even the seemingly capable HTC HD2 . That hasn’t stopped folks from hoping and trying, however, and developer / hacker Cotulla has now produced a video that appears to show an HD2 booting and (briefly) running Windows Phone 7. While a 1:30 long boot process doesn’t exactly make for the most exciting video, it is at least a bit more convincing that the ones that cropped up in the early Windows Phone 7 days , which seemed just a bit too slick to be true. Head on past the break to see for yourself. Continue reading HTC HD2 spotted running Windows Phone 7, for real this time? HTC HD2 spotted running Windows Phone 7, for real this time? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Exolife Exogear iPhone 4 battery case review

You asked for it now here it is, part two of our iPhone 4 battery case review featuring fan-fave Exolife from Exogear. Like the Mophie Juice Pack Air and Mili PowerSpring 4 battery packs we already reviewed , the Exolife case promises to “virtually double” the life of your iPhone 4 — something neither the Mophie nor Mili could quite pull off. Exogear’s claim is even more bold given its additional boast about being the “world’s thinnest and lightest battery case” for the iPhone 4. Can it possibly compete and knock the Mophie Juice Pack Air out of its title position? Click through to find out. Gallery: Exolife Exogear iPhone 4 battery case review Continue reading Exolife Exogear iPhone 4 battery case review Exolife Exogear iPhone 4 battery case review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 11:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Apple in talks to launch iTunes subscription music service?

Rumors of an iTunes subscription service are nothing new, but it’s not every day they pop up in Reuters and the New York Post and CNET , so here we go again. The Reuters and NYP reports claim Apple’s Eddy Cue has been meeting with record execs to pitch a new $10-$15 monthly service that would offer unlimited access to music — the pricing would be tiered depending on the amount of music consumed and how long you’d get access to it. That goes hand in hand with the CNET piece, which says Apple’s trying to keep Spotify from getting US deals in place by telling the labels they’ll never make any money from the service — not the most chivalrous of moves, but no one ever said the music business was a friendly place. Of course, we’ve been hearing versions of these rumors for ages now and we’re sure there are always talks ongoing, so this could all be nothing, but we’d bet Apple’s trying to work something out ahead of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 launch and renewed Zune marketing push. We’ll see, we’ll see. Apple in talks to launch iTunes subscription music service? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 11:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Phosphor’s latest watch can E Ink its way through 24 time zones

Tired of waiting for Seiko to produce an E Ink watch that mere mortals can touch , much less afford? A little company by the name of Art Technology has been delivering mass-market wearables using the technology since 2007 — and its latest model dials up the functionality factor just a smidge by adding support for twenty-four time zones, two of which can be displayed simultaneously. Granted, it’s using a segmented display, not dot matrix — which means it bears a closer resemblance to that Timex you owned in the late ’80s than Seiko’s wild active matrix model — but again, like we said, this one’s actually quite affordable and it’s available right this second. Depending on your choice of band style, you’ll pay anywhere from $150 to $195; follow the break for the full press release. Continue reading Phosphor’s latest watch can E Ink its way through 24 time zones Phosphor’s latest watch can E Ink its way through 24 time zones originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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AT&T bumping its smartphone early upgrade price to $200

While the basics have stayed the same for a while — $200 for an annual iPhone sweetened by a slowly descending overall plan price — carriers like AT&T of course have a lot of maneuvering to do in the periphery to make sure they’re still getting their margins. Hefty ETFs have of course been the most egregious element of this, and now AT&T is bumping its smartphone early upgrade exception price from $75 to $200, which means if you lost or smashed your iPhone and decided to go Torch instead (we don’t know why, it’s AT&T’s suggestion), that Torch would cost you $400 instead of the $500 unsubsidized price or the $275 tag you could’ve gotten away with a week ago. This new price only applies only to smartphones, and only non-Apple ones at that, and of course there’s always the potential for flex based on how long you’ve been a customer and how far you are into your contract. So yeah, we doubt this will impact most users, but it’s a nice bit of sand in the eye for a select, unlucky few. AT&T bumping its smartphone early upgrade price to $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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