Dell intros slimmed-down Inspiron 13z and 14z laptops with aluminum lids, USB 3.0
August 11, 2011 No Comment
Can you blame Dell for deciding its laptops needed a makeover? After suffering some serious market share losses and earning a reputation for bland designs and questionable customer service, we can see why the company would be keen on revamping its lineup as a way of distancing itself from its not-so-sunny rap. That seems to be precisely what the outfit’s doing with the Inspiron 13z and 14z, which Dell unveiled today. Both laptops move to aluminum lids and palm rests, available in a small (and fairly toned-down) color selection, with black and red being your only choices. The two have also whittled to under an inch thick, with the beefier 14z leaving enough room for an optical drive. Not surprisingly, the resolution’s 1366 x 768 — precisely what you’d expect in a $600 laptop. Also predictable: this generation of Inspirons offers USB 3.0 and Sandy Bridge, with a choice of Core i3 and Core i5 processors. Both models start at $599.99, with the 14z available in the states today, and the 13z launching in “select” Asian countries. Curious? We’ve got a handful of hands-on shots below and the full PR after the break. Gallery: Dell Inspiron 13z / 14z hands-on Continue reading Dell intros slimmed-down Inspiron 13z and 14z laptops with aluminum lids, USB 3.0 Dell intros slimmed-down Inspiron 13z and 14z laptops with aluminum lids, USB 3.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Pandora connects to Sony’s in-dash receivers, adds iOS, Android and BlackBerry support
August 11, 2011 No Comment
Just two short years after announcing its plans for in-car music streaming , Pandora has finally begun to trickle its way into in-dash receivers . The digital music service can now be accessed through four of Sony’s latest connected car stereos — the DSX-S210X, DSX-S310BTX, and the SiriusXM-compatible CDX-GT660UP and CDX-GT565UP. The DSX units connect to Pandora’s smartphone app via “an integrated Tune Tray,” while the CDX models employ a no-frills USB solution, making your suite of personalized music stations an on-road reality. Although all of the receivers offer integration with the iPhone, only the Bluetooth-enabled DSX-S310BTX links Android and BlackBerry users to Pandora’s streaming cloud. Of course, if you’re looking for an additional means of accessing music on-the-go , you can always opt for FM radio. Full PR after the break. Continue reading Pandora connects to Sony’s in-dash receivers, adds iOS, Android and BlackBerry support Pandora connects to Sony’s in-dash receivers, adds iOS, Android and BlackBerry support originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 10:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …InteractiveTop brings tabletop gaming to SIGGRAPH, doubles as Inception token (video)
August 11, 2011 No Comment
MoleTop a little too passive for you? Fret not, as a team from The University of Electro-Communications popped by this year’s installment of SIGGRAPH in order to showcase something entirely more vicious. It’s air hockey meets bumper cars, and the InteractiveTop demo was certainly one of the stranger ones we came across here in Vancouver. Put simply, it’s a virtual game of spinning tops, where users use magnet-loaded controllers to shuffle tops across a board and into an opponent’s top. There’s an aural and haptic feedback mechanism to let you know when you’ve struck, and plenty of sensors loaded throughout to keep track of collisions, force and who’s hitting who. Pore over the links below for more technobabble, or just head past the break for an in-action video. Gallery: InteractiveTop brings tabletop gaming to SIGGRAPH 2011 Continue reading InteractiveTop brings tabletop gaming to SIGGRAPH, doubles as Inception token (video) InteractiveTop brings tabletop gaming to SIGGRAPH, doubles as Inception token (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …DARPA’s Falcon HTV-2 hypersonic aircraft launches today, does New York to LA in 12 minutes
August 11, 2011 No Comment
All eyes are on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California today, where DARPA ‘s Falcon HTV-2 unmanned aircraft is scheduled to launch into space at hypersonic speeds , as part of a critical test flight. Measuring just 12 feet in length, the HTV-2 maxes out at a speed of about 1300 miles per hour (22 times the speed of sound), theoretically allowing it to jet from New York to Los Angeles in just 12 minutes and to reach anywhere in the world in less than an hour. The main obstacle, however, has been transitioning from theory to practice. During its first test flight back in April, the craft lasted just nine minutes before intentionally crashing, due to technical failures. DARPA still doesn’t know what went wrong during that fateful test, though the agency speculates that the Falcon may have simply overheated. This time around, engineers have adjusted plane’s center of gravity and angle of descent, in the hopes that their creation will fare better when it launches on the back of a Minotaur IV rocket, later today. If the test proves successful, it may help fuel similarly inter-galactic defense projects that the Pentagon is exploring as a means to combat terrorism and enemy states. We’ll have to wait a little longer to find out whether this initiative actually takes off, but in the meantime, head past the break for a demo video from DARPA. Continue reading DARPA’s Falcon HTV-2 hypersonic aircraft launches today, does New York to LA in 12 minutes DARPA’s Falcon HTV-2 hypersonic aircraft launches today, does New York to LA in 12 minutes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Dell’s Latitude XT3 goes up for pre-order, swivels your way September 22nd
August 11, 2011 No Comment
Are you a fancy suit, known to occasionally dabble in the fine art of scribbling? Have a seat bud, because Dell’s gone and put up a pre-order page for the touchscreen convertible that you’ve been waiting for: the Latitude XT3 . When we last espied the drop-top in February, we came away mighty impressed with its spiffy 13.3-inch dual-digitizer display, which recognized the attached stylus in addition to three of our meaty digits. We also liked the inclusion of the Core i3 — upgradeable to an i5 or i7 — which packs a punch, unlike the miserly Core 2 Duo’s found in its predecessors. The magnesium-reinforced piece of kit starts at $1,789, unless you have it your way and toss in the optional $49 backlit keyboard or spring for the $100 outdoor-viewing display. We’ll take ours with both, and with a ship date of September 22nd, you’ve got plenty of time to get a customizin’ at the source below. Dell’s Latitude XT3 goes up for pre-order, swivels your way September 22nd originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 06:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …HTC Mazaa’s awarded in dev contest, winners promptly splay (and auction) them to world
August 11, 2011 No Comment
What would you do if you’d won an unannounced smartphone that sported Windows Phone Mango ? Naturally, we hope you’d first send us the dirt, but what if you were a college student and knew the weekend was rapidly approaching? Undergrad winners of Microsoft’s WPAppitUp competition are facing this smartphone / cheap beer conundrum, as they’re now holding HTC Mazaas as prizes, yet many are selling them for cash instead. If you’d like to adopt an orphan, the phones come with Qualcomm’s MSM8655 SoC — the same as the Thunderbolt and Droid Incredible 2 — which supports (but may not feature) dual mode GSM / CDMA for world roaming. A 1GHz Scorpion CPU and the Adreno 205 GPU are in the mix, and while the over-sized earpiece seems to indicate that this is the same 12-megapixel monster previously shown off by Eldar Murtazin, one of the contest winners, Heedeok Lee, informed us that the camera is actually of 5 megapixel resolution only. Frankly, it’s unclear whether the Mazaa is heading for retail shelves at all, but if you’re wanting an early taste of Mango, you should consider befriending a thirsty student developer. Gallery: HTC Mazaa HTC Mazaa’s awarded in dev contest, winners promptly splay (and auction) them to world originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 06:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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If you live in Japan and are looking to lower your household electricity bill, you might have to empty your bank account first. Sharp recently introduced its new line of ELM-branded LED ceiling lights and the highly energy-efficient, square-shaped bulbs won’t come cheap — retailing between 35,000 yen (about $456) and 55,000 yen (about $717). Pulling inspiration from the LEDs used in LCD televisions, the company was able to achieve an industry-leading 81.3 lumens per watt for the smallest of its three designs, and an average life of 40,000 hours for the entire lot . The energy-sipping set of overhead bulbs come housed in an insectproof shell, offering over 100-plus ambient light settings, controllable via remote . You can snag these utility-friendly lights on August 27th, just don’t complain at the checkout when you see the price — we warned you. Peep the video explanation after the break. Continue reading Sharp’s energy-efficient LED ceiling lights are hip to be square Sharp’s energy-efficient LED ceiling lights are hip to be square originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 05:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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There are certain things worth paying to upgrade: earbuds, perhaps, and maybe even Spotify . But when it comes to buying fancy 3D glasses for the sole purpose of looking cool in a pitch-black theater — well, aren’t we already spending enough on popcorn and Funyuns? EX3D doesn’t seem to think so. Starting August 13th, moviegoers in San Diego will be able to trade in those freebies for fashion at a 3D glasses vending machine . At $22 – $30 a pop, these “affordable” and “stylish” glasses may be a boon for those who wouldn’t be caught dead wearing the same specs as their friends. Of course, you can also use these babies out of the theater on a passive 3D TV . As for us? We’ll stick with the freebies, thank you very much. Jump past the break for the full PR. Continue reading 3D glasses vending machine lets you be fashionable in the dark 3D glasses vending machine lets you be fashionable in the dark originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 04:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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OnLive’s done pretty well here in the States, and we knew it would eventually venture across the ocean to merry old England. But, we didn’t know exactly when it would bring its streaming services, MicroConsole and catalog of over 100 titles to the UK. Well, turns out it’ll make the transatlantic trip on September 22nd, just in time for the 2011 Eurogamer Expo in London — so there’s just over a month to ready yourself for gaming-anywhere awesomeness. If you’re among those interested in being the first of the Queen’s subjects using the service that day, hit the source link below to sign up. Continue reading OnLive crosses the pond, lands in the UK September 22nd OnLive crosses the pond, lands in the UK September 22nd originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 03:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Say it isn’t so! T-Mobile, flooded by larger-than-expected demand on data, may be just a matter of days away from making a polarizing change to its 200MB internet plans. As the feature currently stands, going over your limit results in a throttling of broadband speeds , forcing your browser to surf and download at a ridiculously slow pace. The rumored adjustment to the plan, however, would take away the option completely and replace it with usage charges. Each additional MB used, according to the leaked docs, will tack an extra dime onto your monthly bill. Fortunately, the overage is capped at $30 — preventing several potential panic attacks at the mailbox — and only affects the lower plan; additionally, anyone currently on the 200MB plan will be grandfathered, thus retaining their unlimited (albeit throttled ) internet. Those on the 2GB plan can breathe easily for now, but there’s no telling when the policy will spread like wildfire throughout the remainder of T-Mobile’s data offerings. The change, slated to take place on August 14th, has yet to be officially confirmed by Bellevue. Meanwhile, we continue to watch as our options for limitless internet slowly fade away into the darkness. T-Mobile to begin charging overage on its 200MB plans on August 14th? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 02:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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