Vonage Extensions makes mobile international calling a free-of-charge affair
July 27, 2011 No Comment
Hey Vonage customers, your VoIP service of choice is about to get a bit of a mobile value-add. Announced today, the company’s new Extensions service links your existing home internet calling plan to extra phone numbers — like a cellphone– for free, so you can make that long-distance call to Tante Lulu in Gstaad on-the-go. Okay, so the feature isn’t exactly gratis — you’re still required to sign up for an unlimited international calling plan , but the bucks literally stop there. All it takes to get started with this “virtual calling card” is an access number and some foreign digits. Sound too complicated for you? Don’t fret, official iPhone and Android-compatible apps are scheduled to hit their respective markets in the coming weeks. So, go ahead and ring ol’ Lu for her 89th birthday. She’ll be glad you called. Continue reading Vonage Extensions makes mobile international calling a free-of-charge affair Vonage Extensions makes mobile international calling a free-of-charge affair originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It’s not enough anymore to simply cram a single-octave keyboard into the bottom of a Nintendo DS , effective piano instruction requires at least twice as many keys — and an iPad. The Ion Piano Apprentice (when coupled with a compatible iDevice and companion app) offers aspiring Tchaikovskys octave-selectable free play, lessons on reading sheet music, and even a view of award-winning piano instructor Scott Houston’s handsome hands. If those mitts are too distracting for you, just follow along with the light-up keys, you’ll be fine. This mini keyboard / iPad dock will land this fall to the tune of $100 — – it’s either that, a real instructor, or a pair of haptic robot gloves. Your choice, really. Hit the PR after the break for a peek at Mr. Houston’s official nickname, if you’re into that sort of thing. Continue reading Ion Piano Apprentice plays nice with your iPad, lights up your life Ion Piano Apprentice plays nice with your iPad, lights up your life originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Looks like those skinny Ultrabooks Intel was trying to sell us on at Computex will all be hitting the market at roughly the same time. Despite earlier suggestions that HP would beat ASUS’s planned September launch, DigiTimes reports the Palo Alto company’s Air competitor may not actually ship until as late as Q1 of 2012, thanks to LCD supply issues. Those problems scoring enough panels are also holding up similar systems from Acer and Dell. To make matters worse, it seems those promised sub $1,000 price points were a bit optimistic. ASUS told the Taipei Times that its UX line would only be able to hit such a price using slower Core i3 chips — upgrading to a Core i5 and sticking in an SSD would push the price towards the $2,000 mark. [Thanks, Marco] Ultrabooks to start arriving in September, more expensive than expected originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Windows Phone developers are getting one step closer to the fresh, fruity tang of Mango’s RTM build with a newly released SDK update . The one month-in-the-making “Beta 2 Refresh” tweaks the previously issued Windows Phone SDK 7.1 and is available now for download, packing an improved profiler, the ability to lock application platform APIs, an emulator-based screen cap feature for your apps and a “peek at the Marketplace Test Kit.” Microsoft’s also thrown devs an extra bonus and will be pushing an OS update, Build 7712, to manually upgraded Mango phones. Sounds sweet, but it’s too bad this hot number won’t be ready in time for your app-building, beta hands. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in.] Microsoft releases Mango SDK Beta update for developers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It looks like Motorola might be prepping to give the Nike+ SportWatch a run for its money. An intrepid tipster sent along a screenshot from a recent survey showing off what looks like a tricked out nano watch . Described as an “all-in-one fitness and music personal fitness device” (redundant much?) that packs a GPS for “accurate performance tracking,” the as of yet unnamed gadget also sports a “smart music player” that compiles a list of songs based on the tunes that help you sweat your best. It also lets you wirelessly sync to your PC for workout analysis, and apparently does the same for Android devices. Among the possible names listed in the survey is the MotoActive, hinting at, but certainly not pinning down, Motorola branding. Of course this is just an online survey, so we wouldn’t get too excited about your new running mate just yet. [Thanks, Anon] Motorola considering Nike+ SportWatch contender? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Samsung to roll out Galaxy Tab 10.1 TouchWiz UX update on August 3rd in NYC, and NYC only
July 27, 2011 No Comment
Everyone else will get it eventually, of course, but Samsung is once again giving folks in New York City first dibs on its latest Galaxy Tab wares. In this case, it’s the previously announced update that brings the TouchWiz UX to the tablet, and adds things like Samsung’s Live Panel, Mini Apps, and a newly redesigned Media Hub interface. That will first be available to the press during a media event on August 3rd, after which Samsung will open the doors at its Samsung Experience store to the public from 1PM to 6PM, and let any Galaxy Tab 10.1 owner side-load the update onto their device. Needless to say, we’ll be there to bring you all the details if you aren’t able to make it yourself. Samsung to roll out Galaxy Tab 10.1 TouchWiz UX update on August 3rd in NYC, and NYC only originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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When a company sends a boatload of media players through the FCC, specs and all, it kinds of takes the punch out any official announcement, ya know? Still, it’s nice to finally see Sony’s spate of new Walkman players that we’ve been reading so much about. The company just announced updates to its A, S, and E series of players, all of which have a karaoke mode, language learning function, voice recording, and Sony’s station-creating SensMe feature. At the high-end, you’ve got the stereo Bluetooth-enabled A860, whose 2.8-inch touchscreen has already been splashed across the internets. The more diminutive S760BT has a 2-inch display and also gets Bluetooth, though it claims longer battery life — up to 50 hours of audio playback and up to ten for videos. Rounding out the low end, there’s the E460, which has the same 2-inch screen, but lacks Bluetooth and instead comes in five colors. All three models will go on sale in September, with the A series fetching $179 or $219 for the 8GB and 16GB models, the 8GB S series costing $149, and the E series ranging in price from $79 to $109 for 8GB to 16GB. Full PR after the break. Continue reading Sony officially outs new A, E, and S series Walkmans Sony officially outs new A, E, and S series Walkmans originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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I don’t like it. Not one iota. But frankly, it doesn’t much matter — Apple’s officially done with the optical drive, and there’s no evidence more strikingly clear than the mid 2011 refresh of its Mac mini. Last year, that bantam box arrived with a $699 price tag, pep in its step and a personality that could charm even the most hardened desktop owner. This year, a $599 model showed up on my doorstep promising the same, but instead it delivered a noticeable drop in actual functionality. Pundits have argued that you could tether a USB SuperDrive to the new mini and save $20 in the process compared to last year’s rig, but does relying on a cabled accessory go hand-in-hand with beauty and simplicity? No, and I’ve every reason to believe that Apple would agree. Despite the obvious — that consumers would buy a mini to reduce the sheer burden of operating a convoluted desktop setup — Apple’s gone and yanked what has become a staple in both Macs and PCs alike. For years, ODDs have been standard fare, spinning CDs, DVDs, HD-DVDs ( however briefly ) and Blu-ray Discs, not to mention a few other formats that didn’t do much to deserve a mention. Compared to most everything else in the technology universe, the tried-and-true optical drive has managed to hang around well beyond what it’s creator likely had in mind, but it’s pretty obvious that 2011 is to the ODD what 1998 was to the floppy drive. At least in the mind of one Steven P. Jobs. Continue reading Editorial: Apple’s officially over the optical drive, for better or worse Editorial: Apple’s officially over the optical drive, for better or worse originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sprint’s Assurant Advanced Protection Pack protects against theft and damage, not alliteration
July 27, 2011 No Comment
What’s the price of peace of mind, when it comes to the safety of your shiny new HTC EVO View 4G or Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 ? How does $13 a month sound? That price will get you a membership in Sprint’s not-so-exclusive Assurant Advanced Protection Pack club. Included in the cost are a device locator, malware protection, remote log-in help, and a replacement or repair, should a qualified netbook, notebook, or tablet suffer from mechanical or electric problems. Sprint will also help out if you accidentally damage it (i.e., not what’s happening in the image above), or get it lost or stolen — the last three do involve a $100 deductible, however. No one ever said protection was going to be cheap. Continue reading Sprint’s Assurant Advanced Protection Pack protects against theft and damage, not alliteration Sprint’s Assurant Advanced Protection Pack protects against theft and damage, not alliteration originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 09:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Gather round everyone, while you may have gotten used to accessing Engadget via the browser or any one of our mobile apps , starting today we’re ready to come home in one more way: on your TV. Launching on Boxee, Roku, Yahoo! Widgets and DivX is a new AOL HD package which includes a channel full of our videos ready for viewing on big screens. This way, when you want to kick back and enjoy a new hands-on video, The Engadget Show or any of our other content it’s only as far away as your remote control, which is probably also your phone, PC or tablet. There’s plenty more to come in the future — we’ll figure out an in-app Screen Grabs submission tool somehow — but for now we’re happy to have an official outlet on some of the most widely available connected TV platforms out there. The AOL HD app will begin showing up today, check out the gallery for a few screenshots of us on each of the platforms. Gallery: Engadget on AOL HD Continue reading Engadget comes to your TV on Boxee, Roku, Yahoo and DivX starting today Engadget comes to your TV on Boxee, Roku, Yahoo and DivX starting today originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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