Samsung’s Galaxy S II for T-Mobile proves that unicorns do exist (hands-on video)
September 26, 2011 No Comment
After eluding our grubby little paws at its launch in New York and again this morning at Mobilize 2011 , we’re happy to report that we’ve finally caught up with T-Mobile’s Galaxy S II. To recap, the carrier’s permutation rocks the same WVGA 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display as Sprint’s Epic 4G Touch , but replaces Samsung’s in-house 1.2GHz Exynos CPU with Qualcomm’s dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S3 processor. T-Mobile tells us the brain swap was necessary as it wanted its variant to support 42Mbps HSPA+ on the network’s AWS band. Oh, and like the AT&T’s variant it comes with a little NFC glitter sprinkled on top. So is it the same delectable Galaxy S II as its European and Sprint counterparts? From our brief time with the handset, the transplant doesn’t appear to have impacted performance at all. Check out our gallery below, and peek after the break for our hands-on video. Myriam Joire contributed to this report. Gallery: T-Mobile Galaxy S II hands-on Continue reading Samsung’s Galaxy S II for T-Mobile proves that unicorns do exist (hands-on video) Samsung’s Galaxy S II for T-Mobile proves that unicorns do exist (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 01:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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So how does HTC’s Amaze 4G stack up to its European counterpart, the Sensation XE ? Pretty well actually. The 4.3-inch qHD smartphone also features Qualcomm’s 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon CPU but bumps the RAM from 768MB to 1GB. It’s also HTC’s first NFC toting device and joins T-Mobile’s Galaxy S II as the other 42Mbps HSPA+ -capable handset on Little Magenta’s network. More noteworthy is its trick eight megapixel shooter, which features the same backside-illuminated sensor, f2.2 wide-angle optics and 1080p video recording capability as the myTouch 4G Slide . Much of the camera software and functionality carries over from that phone, but new is the ability to take five shots, which the phone automagically combines into one better shot. We also liked the addition of two physical camera buttons, one for stills and the other for video. First impressions of the Sense-ladden , Gingerbread smartphone? It’s very much like a Sensation on steroids, with a definite T-Mobile flavor. Take a look at our gallery and hit the break for our hands-on video. Myriam Joire contributed to this report. Gallery: HTC Amaze 4G hands-on Continue reading Hands-on with HTC’s Amaze 4G for T-Mobile (video) Hands-on with HTC’s Amaze 4G for T-Mobile (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Android powered 56 percent of smartphones sold in the last three months
September 26, 2011 No Comment
When last we checked in with Nielsen (which was earlier this month) Google’s mobile OS had a sizable lead, powering just under 42-percent of smartphones sold, while Apple had cornered a more than respectable 28-percent of the market. In the few short weeks since, Android has seen its share grow to 43-percent. More interestingly, of the over 25,500 surveyed who had purchased a smartphone in the last three months, a whopping 56-percent chose to go with the Goog. Apple held a steady 28-percent across the board. Big G’s gains came at the expense of RIM (only 9-percent of phones sold in the last three months were BlackBerries) and the ambiguous “other” (Symbian, Windows Phone 7, Bada, MeeGo, etc… accounted for 6-percent of sales). More important than choice of platform though, is that smartphone sales in general are climbing — accounting for 58-percent of all handsets sold in August and driving smartphone penetration to 43-percent. Android powered 56 percent of smartphones sold in the last three months originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’re sure that most inventors out there are genuinely looking to make the world a better place, but the best intentions don’t always produce the best inventions, and while the following gadgets will all likely appeal to someone, somewhere, we can’t exactly recommend, say, an ear-shaped iPhone case or a $300 toothpaste squeezer. But as the saying goes, “one man’s crapgadget is another man’s treasure.” Read – It’s like a beanbag chair for your iPad! For your lap! Read – At $300, this toothpaste tube squeezer should pay for itself exactly one day before the sun burns out. Read – How is this iPhone case different than all other iPhone cases? Simple: it makes it look like you’ve contracted some sort of engorged ear disease. Never get bothered during important phone calls again! Read – It’s a battery charger! For the ladies! View Poll Crapgadget: ‘it seemed like a good idea at the time’ edition originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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GeoCities may be no more, but, unlike some other bits of internet past, its entire contents were thoroughly archived before the site was completely shut down in 2009. That opened up some interesting possibilities for anyone interested in playing around with the 650 gigabyte archive, and this so-called “Deleted City” project may well be the most interesting yet. Described as a “digital archaeology of the world wide web as it exploded into the 21st century,” the project appropriately visualized GeoCities as one large city, which can be dived into and explored at will (complete with a soundtrack supplied by “nearby” MIDI files). Unfortunately, it’s not clear when or if folks will actually be able to try it out for themselves, but you can at least take a guided tour in the video after the break. Continue reading The Deleted City visualizes GeoCities as it was, today The Deleted City visualizes GeoCities as it was, today originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It may have gone MIA at IFA 2011 earlier this month due to an ongoing legal battle, but the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is certainly no figment of our imagination . Far from it: the device, dubbed the GT-P6810, just got put through its paces in the hallowed halls of the Federal Communications Commission , and came out unscathed and with some decent diagrams that actually show off the tablet in a somewhat flattering manner. The version seen going through the FCC is most likely a 16GB WiFi-only version, as no mention of wireless bands could be found. Whether or not it’ll hit US shores is an uncertainty, as passage through the government doesn’t guarantee it’ll actually be sold here, but the Galaxy Tab series has already had plenty of time to pick up a popularity point or two. Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 WiFi hits the FCC in tabtastic glory Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 WiFi hits the FCC in tabtastic glory originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The Ultrabooks are coming, and it looks like ASUS’ first foray into thin and light computing will officially arrive on October 11th in New York. According to a UX series landing page, we need only wait 15 more days before getting our hands the ASUS UX21 and its larger, but still svelte sibling, the UX31 , once again. Frankly, we can hardly wait for their arrival, but patience is a virtue, right? ASUS Ultrabooks to arrive in New York City on October 11 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Galaxy Tab 8.9 hits pre-order, ships October 2nd in US; Galaxy Player 5.0 and 4.0 shipping October 16th
September 26, 2011 No Comment
Hot on the heels of a UK release , Samsung has just announced that its long-awaited (and long-delayed ) Galaxy Player 4.0 ($229) and 5.0 ($269) will be available for pre-order starting September 27th, with US availability pegged for October 16th. Oddly enough, Samsung gave no reason behind the once-spring, now-autumn pushback, but at least we can finally stop wondering and instead start enjoying the spoils of an (almost) Galaxy Note -sans-phone . (Not like we haven’t heard a similar tune before). All that aside, the Player 5.0 and 4.0 weigh in at 6.4 and 4.2 ounces, respectively, and both are powered by Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread); other specs include 802.11b/g/n, WVGA Super Clear LCDs (800 x 480), Bluetooth 3.0, 8GB of onboard storage, a microSD expansion slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, voice recorder, mini-USB connectivity, front and rear cameras and support for Sammy’s Media Hub content service. The big fellow gets a 2,500mAh battery, whereas its little(r) brother is equipped with a 1,200mAh cell. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Tab 8.9 is available for pre-sale right now , with shipments to hit retail on October 2nd. Developing… Continue reading Galaxy Tab 8.9 hits pre-order, ships October 2nd in US; Galaxy Player 5.0 and 4.0 shipping October 16th Galaxy Tab 8.9 hits pre-order, ships October 2nd in US; Galaxy Player 5.0 and 4.0 shipping October 16th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Kindle Fire tablet purportedly on tap for Wednesday, set to ship in November
September 26, 2011 No Comment
“Kindle Fire.” Can’t say that’s the name we would’ve thrown together if given five minutes to dwell and assured that we’d take on absolutely no risk at all for it failing, but hey — who are we to question Jeff Bezos? TechCrunch is keeping the Kindle tablet rumors fresh with a new helping of intel, hitting the wires just two days prior to the outfit’s September 28th press event . According to the publication, “Fire” (mocked up above) was chosen in order to differentiate it from the e-ink siblings that’ll sell alongside of it, and we’re told to expect a mind-numbing amount of content deals to make it ever more attractive in a realm that iOS currently dominates. Moreover, a dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP chip is now being tipped, and if all goes well, the sub-$300 device should ship in November. Meanwhile, B&N engineers are reportedly toiling away on the Nook Color 2, and we wouldn’t be shocked in the least to see it hurry into an announcement just to phunk with Amazon’s flow. We’ll be there live on Wednesday to break it all down — water sprinklers in tow, naturally. Kindle Fire tablet purportedly on tap for Wednesday, set to ship in November originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Start your engines, open your wallets: Fanatec Forza Motorsport CSRs available for pre-ordering
September 26, 2011 No Comment
The green flag just waved on pre-orders for Fanatec’s line of Forza Motorsport accessories, including the CSR Wheel ($250), CSR Elite Pedal Set ($150) and CSR Shifter Set ($60). To refresh your memory: all feature metal construction that, as we noted , gives them a solid, rugged feel. The wheel’s force feedback is powered by a Mabuchi RS550 motor, with two additional actuators simulating motor and ABS vibration. The pedals are fully adjustable; a pressure-sensitive brake pedal can be tuned to mimic any car. Finally, the shifter set features a six-speed H-pattern design and can be mounted on either side of the steering wheel. There’s no word on when these will actually ship, and sadly for you big spenders, the CSR Wheel Elite isn’t yet available. But don’t let that keep you from getting revved up over the PR below. Continue reading Start your engines, open your wallets: Fanatec Forza Motorsport CSRs available for pre-ordering Start your engines, open your wallets: Fanatec Forza Motorsport CSRs available for pre-ordering originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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