SanDisk Ultra SSD heading to retailers, brings youthful exuberance to aging PCs
July 26, 2011 No Comment
Who hasn’t needed to upgrade their personal workstation when running short on funds? We’ve definitely been there. As luck would have it, SanDisk offers all of us who are a bit strapped for cash an option for improving our aging PCs. The company announced today that its latest offerings, the Ultra SSDs, are heading out to retailers as we speak. Promising 280MB / sec reads coupled with 270MB / sec write speeds, the drives provide a welcome tune-up for, ahem, experienced machines. Random speeds on these disks clock in at up to 3Gb / sec with three sizes available: 60GB, 120GB, and 240GB, ranging from $130 to $450. So save up your extra lunch money, as this is certainly a nice way to breathe new life into your current set-up without going completely broke. Who knows, maybe you can use those dollars you’ll save on some of this . As for the full rundown, scope out the PR after the break. Continue reading SanDisk Ultra SSD heading to retailers, brings youthful exuberance to aging PCs SanDisk Ultra SSD heading to retailers, brings youthful exuberance to aging PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 03:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Amazon briefly pulls Cosmo Black Nintendo 3DS due to ‘inventory issues,’ reinstates it moments later
July 26, 2011 No Comment
Here’s a weird one. Earlier today, we heard (and confirmed) reports that the Cosmo Black Nintendo 3DS was unavailable for purchase directly through Amazon. We followed up with the company to get to the bottom of things, and were fed this explanation from a company spokesperson: “We received customer feedback that there may be an inventory issue with the Cosmo Black Nintendo 3DS. The integrity of the product is not under review. Customers are still able to purchase the Amazon.com offer of the Aqua Blue Nintendo 3DS, however the Amazon.com offer of [the] black Nintendo 3DS has been removed until the inventory issue is resolved. There is no problem with the Cosmo Black Nintendo 3DS units themselves. This is an internal inventory problem that was brought to our attention from customer feedback and we are looking into it and will resolve as soon as possible.” Turns out, “as soon as possible” meant “three minutes later.” As of this very moment in time, the handheld is available and in stock over at the world’s most recognized e-tailer, with the outfit confirming to us that sales “have been reinstated.” At any rate, we suppose this serves to clarify one thing while bringing about a totally separate question — there’s nothing physically wrong with the 3DS so far as Amazon’s concerned, but how on Earth is its inventory team reacting that quickly ? Amazon briefly pulls Cosmo Black Nintendo 3DS due to ‘inventory issues,’ reinstates it moments later originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Oh boy, we don’t envy the Verizon web admin who made this particular mis-click. If you go to VZW’s sales page for the Blackberry 9650 and click on the “Explore Features” video, you get an unexpected treat: a walkthrough not of the 9650, but of the unreleased Bold 9930 . The specs are familiar, like the 1.2GHz processor, 2.8-inch touchscreen and Blackberry 7 OS. But at least we now have it from the horse’s mouth that the new Bold Touch is indeed coming to Verizon. We’ve stuck our own rip of the video after the break, as the original will likely disappear any second — much like that poor web admin. [Thanks, TarunD] Continue reading Verizon’s Blackberry Bold 9930 unveiled early thanks to website blunder Verizon’s Blackberry Bold 9930 unveiled early thanks to website blunder originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 03:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Onkyo remote app ushers in a new area of losing Android phones in the couch
July 25, 2011 No Comment
Is the devoted remote going the way of dodo? HiFi audio manufacturer Onkyo is certainly hedging its bets with the release of its first Android app, which gives users the ability to control a number of its home theater systems. The Remote App, due out in August, makes it possible to browse content and stream audio from Android smartphones to the TX-8050 and all Onkyo A/V network receivers released this year. This isn’t the company’s first flirtation with the open world of Android. Late last year, Onkyo beat the competition to the punch by announcing a couple of Android tablets . Continue reading Onkyo remote app ushers in a new area of losing Android phones in the couch Onkyo remote app ushers in a new area of losing Android phones in the couch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Netflix rises to 25 million subscribers in Q2, thinks DVD business has already peaked
July 25, 2011 No Comment
If you were still wondering why Netflix chose right now to split apart its unlimited DVD and streaming movie plans you need look no further than the just released Q2 financial report. According to the numbers, 75 percent of new subscribers were picking streaming only plans, while the total number of people on the hybrid DVD / streaming plan had actually decreased slightly, even as it breached 25 million subscribers worldwide. Of course, it did notice the intense backlash to the new rates, but predicts that after the hit of cancellations by the end of the third quarter it will still have 22 million people subscribed to streaming, 15 million total subscribed to DVDs, and about 12 million customers with both. Waiting on that Facebook integration ? Don’t hold your breath, while the new features are due to launch soon in Canada and Latin America , it claims ambiguous wording in the Video Privacy Protection Act is holding things back domestically. Other details include confirmation it will not look into purchasing Hulu Plus , and that it’s still negotiating a renewal of its deal with Starz. While the DVD business may have peaked, it’s not quite dead yet and Netflix indicated it will start marketing that feature again in the fourth quarter. Click the source link to paw through the PDF yourself, we’ll be keeping an ear tuned to the investor call later to find out exactly what the company’s executives are thinking. Netflix rises to 25 million subscribers in Q2, thinks DVD business has already peaked originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Apple patent application takes the hard keys out of the keyboard, promises a flat surface solution
July 25, 2011 No Comment
Apple’s giving us a patent application peek into its post-PC future , and it looks like hard keys will be so 2008. The recently revelead filing shows off a virtual, flat keyboard concept for Cupertino’s line of non-iOS products that flirts with metal, plastic and glass form factors. Using a combination of piezoelectrics , haptic feedback and acoustic pulse recognition, these prospective designs will be able to detect your finger-pounding surface input. If you’re the fast-typing kind, you’re probably wondering how your digits will recognize the keys sight unseen. Well, there’s a few workarounds for that. In its metal and plastic iterations, Jobs and co. plan to stamp or micro-perforate the layout into place, while their glass counterpart would receive a graphical overlay. The application also promises an LED-lit display for hard to see conditions and the inclusion of capactive sensors to enable multi-touch functions, so you avoid e.e. cummings-style emails. Of course, applications aren’t necessarily indicative of a surefire product, but those interested in tickling their imagination can give the source link a look. Apple patent application takes the hard keys out of the keyboard, promises a flat surface solution originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Microsoft has been touting Avatar Kinect , since CES way back in January, and you can now finally it try out for yourself. The Kinect Fun Labs Gadget is available as a free download for all Xbox Live Gold members starting today, and even non-paying Live members can try it out during a limited trial that runs until September 8th. So just what is it? Partly a tech demo showing off things like new facial expression capabilities, but mostly another way for you to hangout with a few friends online — up to seven in this case, in your choice of 24 virtual environments. Those looking to try something else a little different with Kinect will also be able to download the Kinect Sparkler 3D finger painting application this Thursday, although it’ll cost you 240 Microsoft Points. Continue reading Avatar Kinect hits Xbox Live, your own virtual talk show starts today Avatar Kinect hits Xbox Live, your own virtual talk show starts today originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Scientists prove cosmological speed limit, time travel moves a little further out of reach
July 25, 2011 No Comment
The cosmological speed limit remains unbroken. A team of researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, led by Du Shengwang, claim to have proven that a single photon is incapable of traveling faster than light. The support for Einstein’s special theory of relativity all but rules out the simplest form of time travel — breaking the universe’s traffic laws to condense time within a vessel. Don’t get freaked out though, this doesn’t mean time travel is impossible, only that it will be much more difficult than firing up a warp drive. General relativity still holds hope for bending and ripping the space-time continuum to meet our eon-hopping desires. Looks like it’s time to get working on our flux capacitor technology. Scientists prove cosmological speed limit, time travel moves a little further out of reach originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Ripple updates its Look nettop with Fusion E-Series chip, leaves its handsome design alone
July 25, 2011 No Comment
We don’t cover nettops a whole lot around these parts, but we were powerless not to gawk when Ripple Korea unveiled the Look, a shapely nettop with a slick paintjob to match. At the time, it packed a dual-core Atom processor and integrated Intel graphics, in keeping with nettops’ reputation for not being the most powerful PCs on the shelf. The next generation might be a bit more capable, though — Ripple just refreshed it with an AMD Fusion E-350 (“Zacate”) chip, which means you can almost certainly expect a bump in graphics performance this go ’round. Other than that, the specs haven’t changed much: like the previous generation, it comes with 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. No word on pricing, though if the Fusion version is like its Atom-powered predecessor, you’ll have your best chances of nabbing one if you make the pilgrimage to Seoul. Ripple updates its Look nettop with Fusion E-Series chip, leaves its handsome design alone originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 19:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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