A tipster is shopping the above images around the tech blog circuit this morning claiming it’s the first of two “iPhone killer” Olympus Tegra 2 smartphones from Motorola. At first glance, it looks like a Motorola Defy . Closer inspection, however, reveals a slightly elongated speaker above the Motorola logo, different volume controls down the right-hand side, and possibly a front-facing camera top-left. We’ve already seen the words “Motorola” and “Olympus” cohabiting in the official UPnP Forum with bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi confirmed by the Bluetooth SIG and WiFi Alliance. What this is, we can only guess. See a second snap after the break. Continue reading Is this the Motorola Olympus Tegra 2 smartphone? Is this the Motorola Olympus Tegra 2 smartphone? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 04:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Microvision’s PicoP-based SHOWWX+ projector: twice as bright, zero percent larger
November 23, 2010 No Comment
Still holding out on nabbing a pico projector ? We know, we know — you’ll leap when there’s 1080p. But if you’re kosher with baby steps, Microvision’s newest entrant might just fit the bill. The SHOWWX+ is a revamped version of the ouftit’s original PicoP-based SHOWWX , and it seems that a full year in the engineering lab has enabled the company to pop out a device that’s 50 percent brighter, yet the exact same size. The internal battery can keep the 15 laser lumens shining for two solid hours, and there’s also a 5,000:1 native contrast ratio. iDevice users will be elated to know that this guy is a Made for iPod, iPhone and iPad product, enabling it to output Netflix content without any DRM issues (or so we’re told). The native resolution still checks in at 848 x 480, and if all that sounds just peachy, you can get one headed your way today for $449. Head on past the break for Netflix and Rage HD demos. Gallery: Microvision’s PicoP-based SHOWWX+ projector Continue reading Microvision’s PicoP-based SHOWWX+ projector: twice as bright, zero percent larger Microvision’s PicoP-based SHOWWX+ projector: twice as bright, zero percent larger originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 04:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Playing catchup, are we? Sony’s hot on the trail of Amazon and Barnes and Noble, who already have e-reading apps for the Android and iOS platforms, with its own freshly announced Reader offering set for release next month. The functionality in this upcoming slice of software will be familiar: you get to access books already purchased at the Reader Store or pony up cash for new ones, while making bookmarks, notes and highlights on your mobile device. Throw in adjustable fonts and you’ve got your boilerplate beginning to a decent mobile e-reader. Now you just need to pick your fave ebook purveyor. Sony Reader app hitting iPhone and Android devices in December originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 03:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …WiFi-only Galaxy Tab hits Best Buy for $499.99 only to be delayed by Samsung?
November 23, 2010 No Comment
Remember the leaked promo material for the $499.99 WiFi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab headed to Best Buy? Well, SKU 1409447 of the 7-inch Android tablet is being promoted right now in the weekly ads on Best Buy’s very own mobile site. Unfortunately, our urge to celebrate is tempered by a sneaky pic of a Best Buy “pullback” (found after the break) noting that the WiFi-only Galaxy Tab is not in fact available due to manufacturer delay. The whole Best Buy listing turns out to be an unhappy comedy of errors showing a non-existent “silver” 3G model on Sprint and wishful “Super AMOLED” display. Ugh. Continue reading WiFi-only Galaxy Tab hits Best Buy for $499.99 only to be delayed by Samsung? WiFi-only Galaxy Tab hits Best Buy for $499.99 only to be delayed by Samsung? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 02:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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You’ve seen it announced and teased on video , and you can now finally light up your own desk with Razer’s new Tron gaming mouse. It’s available right now for $100, which will buy you more what appears to be more than just a novelty mouse –you’ll get a 5600dpi 3.5g laser sensor, seven “Hyperesponse” buttons, an ambidextrous design and, yes, some Tron-inspired light and sound effects. Still no indication on a release for the accompanying Tron keyboard, unfortunately, nor is there any word on that matching mousepad, which will apparently be sold separately. Razer’s Tron gaming mouse now available for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 01:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Urban Ears Tanto multicolor headphones are a grab bag of ugly, but still cooler than you
November 23, 2010 No Comment
Everyone knows that the only way to prove your non-conformity is to wear multi-colored headphones . At least that seems to be the theme Urban Ears is hinting at via its Tanto headphones, which are assembled from randomly colored parts at the factory — if that somehow wasn’t clear enough from the image above. Besides a terrible aftertaste of the 80s , these cans feature handmade 40mm drivers, an inline remote with a multi-function button for answering calls / controlling music, and even a microphone — making them ironically friendly for modern-day smartphone owners. Urban Ears even includes a few additional cables to ensure the headsets work with stereo sources and Nokia phones . These vivacious fellows are on sale now for $47 in limited quantities — if you like what you see, grab a pair before the remainder-part supply bins run dry. Urban Ears Tanto multicolor headphones are a grab bag of ugly, but still cooler than you originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Here at the Engadget HQ we’re very serious about articulating the noise and action of a bow when it comes to our synthesized string instruments , and the O-Bow looks like it could be the low cost solution we were dreaming of. (No, Smule Magic Fiddle doesn’t count, it’s a devil “instrument” and it lies). Hacker / musician Dylan Menzies has devised a method using the optical sensor from a mouse for tracking anything with a grained surface, like a wooden stick, and using it to make a single sample synthesizer “sing” like a real bowed instrument. Unfortunately, that single sample sounds pretty terrible right now, but Dylan is working on a more sophisticated method of modeling the instrument. Until then, we’ll just have to resort to giving Smule dirty looks and messing around with our Korg joystick. There’s a video after the break, but don’t say we didn’t warn you about that sample. Continue reading O-Bow repurposes a mouse sensor for artificial bow tracking O-Bow repurposes a mouse sensor for artificial bow tracking originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 22:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Is the future of photography painted in Kubrick white? It is if you believe Nikon and Canon. We’ve seen the latter’s concept in much more detail , and now a handful of pics from the Nikon Sapporo Showroom have surfaced, showcasing at least one similarly unpigmented design. The other two models, snapped and found via burner-images , look like more run-of-the-mill DSLRs, but the one that’s causing a stir online is the all-white model that original from DCHome forums. The original poster chimes in to say it might be the EVIL camera , but we’re not exactly convinced. For starters, the body doesn’t look much smaller or different than the rest of its lineup — not exactly what we’d expect for a “new market” product, as the company reportedly wants its mirrorless shooter to be. Additionally, as noted by a number of Nikon Rumors commenters, that apparently 18-55mm lens implies it’s rocking an APS-C sensor. Of course, if we saw the other side, we could see whether or not it had a viewfinder, which does narrow down the possibilities. So in conclusion, we still don’t know what it is, or if we ever will with any certainty, but we’re making an educated guess as to what it isn’t . Got that? Good. Nikon concept cameras surface, spark rumor mill originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 21:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Some Apple TV users reporting wacky color problems with Sony, Philips TVs
November 23, 2010 No Comment
It doesn’t appear to be especially widespread, but a sizable number of reports are cropping up on the official Apple support forums of some pretty wild issues affecting the new Apple TV when paired with certain Sony and Philips TVs. As you can see above, those issues can include a rather unfortunate pastel color scheme (apparently common on Philips TVs), while others are also reporting inverted colors, and green or black screens. As for Apple, at least some users who’ve contact the company about the problem say it is aware of the issue, but early reports from those who’ve applied the Apple TV 4.1 update suggest they haven’t fixed the problem just yet. Has your Apple TV taken on a new hue? Let us know in comments, and check out a psychedelic video of the problem after the break. [Thanks, Bea] Continue reading Some Apple TV users reporting wacky color problems with Sony, Philips TVs Some Apple TV users reporting wacky color problems with Sony, Philips TVs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 21:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Here’s something you don’t see every day: Verizon just put out a press release titled “Congress Needs to Update the Nation’s Antiquated and Anti-Competitive Telecom Rules.” Yeah, no tip-toeing around here — Verizon public policy VP Tom Tauke straight-up says that the government should completely rewrite the Telecommunications Act, and give a single federal agency “clear jurisdiction” to enforce the law on a case-by-case basis. That’s a direct shot at the FCC, which lost the Comcast BitTorrent case when the court ruled it didn’t have the power to enforce net neutrality, and then provoked the ire of both industry and Congress alike when it tried to reclassify internet communications in a way that gave it the power it needed. That’s also way beyond the joint Google / Verizon net neutrality proposal from August — Verizon’s gone from suggesting that the FCC make some policy tweaks to demanding that Congress start over with the law that governs the FCC itself, which is something like the difference between a screwdriver and a sledgehammer. Now, Congress actually started to consider a revamp of telecom law in May after the FCC’s net neutrality plan backfired, and while we haven’t heard much about it, we’re certain Verizon’s emphatic support (and lobbying dollars) are sure to inject some momentum into the process. Truth be told, we’d actually welcome a wholesale rewrite of the current Telecom Act, which was last seriously revised in 1996 and in large part dates back to 1934. But why listen to us when we’ve got a pithy quote from Verizon? “The grinding you hear are the gears churning as policymakers try to fit fast-changing technologies and competitive markets into regulatory boxes built for analog technologies and monopoly markets.” Yeah, this one’s going to get good. Full PR after the break. P.S.- Still unclear on what net neutrality is and why it’s important? Check out our Engadget Show interview with Columbia professor Tim Wu and get up to speed. Continue reading Verizon proposes wholesale rewrite of US telecom law Verizon proposes wholesale rewrite of US telecom law originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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