RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie actually declined to show off the his company’s tablet today on the Web 2.0 Summit stage , but in private he was more than kind, treating us to a nice long glimpse at the BlackBerry PlayBook in a quaint hotel hallway. We only got to heft the one-pound slate for a few seconds, but we got the basic feel of the device in the hand — warm to the touch, solid if a little plasticky, with a responsive glass touchscreen up top and a bottom that’s mildly rubberized. Balsillie didn’t bother to locate the ” module cavity ” for us, but he did try to explain where those 5300mAh lithium ion cells might hide — we suspect the CEO exaggerated only slightly when he told us “it’s all battery and glass inside.” He then wrenched the device forcefully from our unprepared hands (at least that’s how we like to think it went down) and proceeded to let us film a brief film showing off the QNX and Air-based OS juggling a spreadsheet, photo gallery and some beautiful underwater footage all at the same time. Hit the break for that hastily-shot video. Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook first hands-on! (video) BlackBerry PlayBook first hands-on! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Comcast Xfinity remote for iPad does streaming video, we record some for you (video)
November 16, 2010 No Comment
If you’ve got Comcast service and an iOS device, there’s no reason you can’t download the brand spanking new Xfinity TV DVR remote app right now, but it won’t have the software’s spiffiest feature — direct-to-device streaming video. That’s set to roll out in either “a couple of weeks” or “by the end of the year,” depending on which Comcast representative you ask, and we got to try it for ourselves (along with the rest of the app) at the Web 2.0 Summit this week. Right now the featureset is fairly limited — you just pick programs from a guide and either watch them, beam them to your TV, or tell your DVR to record — but what is there was leagues more intuitive than a physical remote and about as responsive as we could hope for. Comcast tells us that Apple itself helped insure the user experience was polished, and it showed in every swipe and tap we made. Find out more and watch the app in action after the break! Continue reading Comcast Xfinity remote for iPad does streaming video, we record some for you (video) Comcast Xfinity remote for iPad does streaming video, we record some for you (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 16:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Jim Balsillie says BlackBerry PlayBook has a ‘module cavity,’ hints at NFC capabilities
November 16, 2010 No CommentHe unfortunately didn’t have one on hand (or at least on stage), but RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie did make a bit of news about the BlackBerry PlayBook at the now-happening Web 2.0 Summit . The first is that the tablet packs what Balsillie described as a “module cavity” — the most obvious use for which would be to add WWAN capabilities to the WiFi-only model (something Balsillie himself suggested), although the possibilities certainly extend far beyond that. Balsillie also later mused a bit about NFC capabilities, stating that “we’d be fools not to have it in the near-term, and we are not fools.” That’s obviously in relation to BlackBerry phones in general and not just the PlayBook, but it does seem like a prime candidate for that aforementioned “module cavity,” which we really hope is not the final name. Jim Balsillie says BlackBerry PlayBook has a ‘module cavity,’ hints at NFC capabilities originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Dynamics’ credit card-based computing platform makes what little money you have more secure (video)
November 16, 2010 No Comment
Some folks are trying to replace your credit card with your cellphone , while Dynamics, Inc. is among those trying to make credit cards better. And you know what? We seldom get excited by such things, but this video from the CES New York press preview has us seriously itching to upgrade our plastic. Card 2.0 is the computing platform powering the new Citi cards that re-write the magnetic strip depending on whether you want to spend you cash or your rewards points. The technology fits snugly in your credit card, is waterproof, has a battery life upwards of four years, allows multiple accounts on a single card, and even can be used to require a PIN before displaying the card number. This is some pretty awesome stuff indeed — but don’t take our word for it! Get a peep yourself in the video after the break. Continue reading Dynamics’ credit card-based computing platform makes what little money you have more secure (video) Dynamics’ credit card-based computing platform makes what little money you have more secure (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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A few weeks after third-party apps started filtering in , Google’s launched its own Google Voice app for the iPhone, and it looks to have all the most important features: call and text support, push notifications, and voicemail access (including transcriptions). It’s available right now — US only at the moment — on iPhones with iOS 3.1 or higher as long as you’ve got a valid Google Voice account set up… so get to it. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Note: For some reason, you need to search the App Store for “googlevoice,” not “google voice.” Weird, we know. Official Google Voice app for iPhone hits the App Store originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Panasonic says it will start selling Android-based smartphones in Japan next year, overseas in 2012
November 16, 2010 No CommentPanasonic may not be new to cellphones, but it has sat out of the smartphone explosion of recent years — an oversight that it’s now apparently looking to correct. Speaking at a news conference today, the head of Panasonic’s mobile division, Osamu Waki, said flatly that the compmany ” misjudged the speed at which smartphones would be taken up in the Japanese market,” and that “with the rapid shift to Android, we want to catch up quickly.” Exact details on how it plans to catch up are expectedly still a bit light, but Panasonic’s phones will indeed be based on Android, and it apparently hopes to differentiate them by emphasizing their networking capabilities with other Panasonic products. As for when the first ones will roll out, Panasonic plans to kick off sales in Japan sometime next year, with overseas markets set to follow in 2012. Panasonic says it will start selling Android-based smartphones in Japan next year, overseas in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Creative hits 1080p with its Live! Cam Socialize HD webcam, launches 720p models too
November 16, 2010 No Comment
Today, if your webcam can’t do HD it might as well not even power up its sensor in the morning, and Creative is latest to join the full HD crowd with the $89 Live! Cam Socialize HD 1080 — an excessive title for the latest 1080p webcam to grace your USB ports. It joins the Microsoft LifeCam Studio and Logitech C910 in terms of resolution, but adds some interesting features, perhaps most notably being a dual-microphone array that can be adjusted to provide a field of 20 to 180 degrees, allowing you to control the amount of environmental sound that gets through. Also interesting is a cradle that “scans” in business cards, though we’re not sure you really need 1080p for that. Meanwhile, for those who don’t necessarily live life 1,980 pixels at a time, there’s the $69 Live! Cam Socialize HD AF model, which features a similar design but a 720p sensor, and the $39 Live! Cam Chat HD, which still does 720p but loses much of the other accoutrement. The 720p Socialize model looks to be available now, but no word on when the others will be perching themselves atop your display. Gallery: Creative Live! webcams Continue reading Creative hits 1080p with its Live! Cam Socialize HD webcam, launches 720p models too Creative hits 1080p with its Live! Cam Socialize HD webcam, launches 720p models too originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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One million units sold in the realm of smartphones isn’t quite as impressive of a feat as it once was — especially if your phone is available on numerous carriers around the world. Still, there’s something to be said for the pace at which it reaches the milestone, and for LG, the Optimus One managed Seven Digits in just 40 days after initial launch. Given that it’s still rolling out globally — Verizon’s about to pick it up November 18th as the Vortex — we doubt that number’s letting up anytime soon. On a related note, given the success of this budget-minded Android 2.2 phone, something tells us LG will be focusing much heavier on that market segment. Optimus One is LG’s fastest-selling phone ever: one million in 40 days originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Adobe CEO: Flash battery life depends on hardware acceleration, MacBook Air update in testing right now
November 16, 2010 No Comment
Getting a little more oomph out of your MacBook Air after giving Flash the boot ? Adobe’s Shantanu Narayen stopped just short of saying that’s Apple’s fault for not handing Adobe a device ahead of time. We asked the CEO what the greater battery life sans flash in Apple’s new laptop meant for the platform vis-a-vis HTML5 at the Web 2.0 Summit just a few minutes ago. He said it’s really all about optimizing for silicon: “When we have access to hardware acceleration, we’ve proven that Flash has equal or better performance on every platform.” You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that sentence a cop-out, but that’s actually not the case — the chief executive says they’ve presently got a Macbook Air in the labs and have an optimized beta of Flash for the device presently in testing. Adobe CEO: Flash battery life depends on hardware acceleration, MacBook Air update in testing right now originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Mimo Monitors isn’t exactly short on small USB monitors these days, but that hasn’t stopped it from rolling out yet another new model: the 9-inch iMo eye9. As with some of the company’s recent models, this one is a touchscreen monitor (resistive, as you might expect), but it takes things one step further than the rest by adding a less-than-discreet 1.3 megapixel webcam. Otherwise, you’ll get a basic 1,024 x 600 resolution, plus full Mac and PC compatibility, a detachable base that allows for both portrait and landscape viewing, and a built-in stylus that will also double as a stand. Look for this one to start shipping on November 20th, and you can get youpre-order in now for $229.99. Continue reading Mimo announces iMo eye9 USB touchscreen with built-in webcam Mimo announces iMo eye9 USB touchscreen with built-in webcam originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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