We’re just getting accustomed to the HTC Wildfire S in the US, but the Taiwanese company appears to be prepping another device with similar specs for other parts of the world. The HTC Pico is a newcomer to the company’s healthy lexicon of codenames, yet from the images leaked to XDA China it seems almost ready to hit the market. A full list of device specs happened to be included as well: the Pico will run on a 600MHz single-core CPU and 384MB of RAM, and will use a 3.2-inch HVGA display. It’ll come with Android 2.3 underneath “HTC Sense Zero,” which we believe may be a streamlined version of the Sense UI designed for lower-end devices — perhaps in reaction to the Desire Gingerbread debacle . Curiously, the Pico may not be destined for North American shores, as it lacks 850 / 1900 WCDMA bands. There’s no word on exactly where, when or even if this stranger will appear, though it may very well be heading to Europe and emerging markets. If the blue hue sends chills up your spine, continue below the break to see the spec list in its full (midrange) glory. Continue reading HTC Pico gets pictured, looks like a Wildfire S with a case of the blues HTC Pico gets pictured, looks like a Wildfire S with a case of the blues originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Scosche BoomCan ups your mobile device’s sound for $25, annoys anyone near you
August 18, 2011 No Comment
Sure, you could use the built-in speaker on your tablet or cellphone to crank your tunes on the bus or at the office, but Scosche’s BoomCan may be the ticket for those looking to pump out a bit more volume. It’s not wireless like some other options , but twenty-five smackers gets you a 2 x 2.5-inch aluminum Can loaded with a 40mm driver, an audio / USB charging cable and a pouch for scratch-free traveling. You’ll have seven hours to rock on its internal battery, and although any chance of stereo separation looks pretty slim, you’ll be able to daisy chain a few of them together for a mini rig. The BoomCan is up for order now at Scosche’s website in red, blue, black or silver if you haven’t heard of the breakthrough in portable sound technology known as headphones . Full PR past the break. Continue reading Scosche BoomCan ups your mobile device’s sound for $25, annoys anyone near you Scosche BoomCan ups your mobile device’s sound for $25, annoys anyone near you originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Hitting a full hundred podcasts is certainly no small feat, and we have you — the listener — to thank for your continued support. And what better way to show gratitude than by giving out free stuff? Courtesy of HTC, we now have a Flyer — complete with Scribe pen — with one of your lucky names written on it (figuratively), and we’ll be drawing the winner live on the podcast. Want to be that fortunate dude or dudette that gets your name called? Besides the usual legaleze , there are a few rules you’ll need to follow in order to qualify. Here are the guidelines: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you’ll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you’ll be fine. Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. The winner will be chosen randomly. One winner will be chosen to receive the HTC Flyer with HTC Scribe pen. We can’t honor requests — sorry! The winner will be chosen live on our podcast. While you don’t have to be listening to the podcast to win, you must respond within three days of being chosen. If you do not respond, another winner will be picked. Entries can be submitted until Friday, August 19, 2011, at 4:59PM ET. Good luck!] Full rules can be found here . The 100th Engadget Mobile Podcast Giveaway: win an HTC Flyer! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Lenovo’s been playing coy with the A1-07, giving us little to go on since we first caught wind of it at the FCC last month. Well, it appears it’s time to ditch those Blurrycam photos for some real-deal promo stills, because this mysterious slate quietly made its debut in China earlier this week — and from the looks of things, it’s already got its mind set on a vacation. Along with a smattering of photographs that picture the slab kicking it seaside, the official LePad A1-07 page shows off some familiar looking specs. As we’d previously heard, this LePad sports a 7-inch, 1024 x 600 display and a microSD slot. Unfortunately, our instincts were also right about the A1-07 lacking Honeycomb; this one’s running Android 2.3. What’s more, it packs a 1GHz TI OMAP3622 processor — not the OMAP3621 previously reported — 512MB of RAM, 16GB of storage, front and back-facing cameras, and a micro-USB port. The LePad A1-07 will set our friends in China back
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With the Space Shuttle program now boldly going nowhere , it’s up to NASA partners like SpaceX to deliver on the interstellar milestones. Scheduled for a launch on November 30th of this year, the Elon Musk-funded Dragon spacecraft is set to dock for the first time with the International Space Station. The planned cargo delivery is expected to be a watershed moment for the space program, as it will cement the agency’s private-public commercial endeavors, heralding the “beginning of a new era in space travel.” NASA has already given the company conditional approval to merge its two planned test flights — COTS Demo 2 and COTS Demo 3 — into this singular mission, with formal authorization contingent upon the “resolution of any potential risks.” If all goes according to plan later this year, get set to embrace a brave new world of galactic travel — one where Musk ushers us into the stars . SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft to dock with the ISS later this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …AT&T streamlining individual messaging plans August 21st, leaving unlimited as the sole survivor
August 18, 2011 No Comment
Do not adjust your computer screen, because the screenshot you’re seeing above is real. Confirmed by multiple sources, we’ve exclusively learned that AT&T — the protagonist of choice — is trimming its individual messaging packages from two to one on August 21st. The remaining survivor? The Messaging Unlimited plan for $20, which means the $10 bundle that offers 1000 messages is riding into the sunset. If you aren’t keen to do much communicating within 160 characters, you’ll be left with no other choice besides the pay-per-message option at twenty cents each (thirty cents for MMS). Fortunately, the Family Unlimited Messaging is left unscathed, continuing to offer all-you-can-eat texts for $30. Tend to do only an average bit of texting and looking to move to Ma Bell? Our friend, you’d best be making that transition before the end of this week. Update : And just like that, AT&T has confirmed this report. A spokesperson for the carrier provided the following statement, while also affirming that “current customers can keep their texting plans even if switching handsets.” “We regularly evaluate our offers and are making some adjustments to our messaging lineup. Starting August 21, we’re streamlining our text messaging plans for new customers and will offer an unlimited plan for individuals for $20 per month and an unlimited plan for families of up to five lines for $30 per month. The vast majority of our messaging customers prefer unlimited plans and with text messaging growth stronger than ever, that number continues to climb among new customers. Existing customers don’t have to change any messaging plan they have today, even when changing handsets.” [Thanks, Anonymous] AT&T streamlining individual messaging plans August 21st, leaving unlimited as the sole survivor originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 23:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Lenovo nearly doubles net profits in Q1 earnings report, not so certain about ‘mainstream’ Ultrabooks by end of year
August 18, 2011 No Comment
Lenovo ‘s enjoying a bright and sunny Thursday in Hong Kong today, where the company has just unveiled a Q1 2011 / 2012 earnings report that’s full of rosy news. According to the report, Lenovo’s revenues jumped to $5.92 billion during the fiscal quarter, representing a 15 percent increase over last year’s figures , while net profits nearly doubled to $108 million (compared to $54.9 million last year). Global PC sales, meanwhile, nudged upward 23 percent — even at a time when most other manufacturers are seeing relatively sluggish growth . During an earnings conference call this morning, COO Rory Read provided a little insight into his company’s approach to the growing Ultrabook sector, while hinting at future price reductions. Speaking to reporters, Reed assured that Lenovo would “invest in innovation to be a leader” in the Ultrabook market, adding that prices for its MacBook Air competitors may reach “mainstream” (sub-$1,000) levels by 2012: “I wouldn’t say by the end of the year necessarily but…that’s definitely going to happen.” Head past the break for Lenovo’s financial summary, along with the full PR. [Original photo by Cory Grenier ] Continue reading Lenovo nearly doubles net profits in Q1 earnings report, not so certain about ‘mainstream’ Ultrabooks by end of year Lenovo nearly doubles net profits in Q1 earnings report, not so certain about ‘mainstream’ Ultrabooks by end of year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 05:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Guess it’s official, yanks: HP loves the old continent more than you . A mere 24 hours after beginning sales of the Pre 3 — still unavailable to US folk — comes wind of another treat for residents of the EU. Making an appearance on HP’s French website is a 64GB permutation of the WiFi TouchPad, which curiously makes do with the faster 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon we first saw in its 4G brother . The supercharged variant will set Europeans back €599 (or roughly $860 including tax) and will also be available in “lacquer white,” when it ships in “one to two weeks.” Will the company have the audacity to launch another Euro-first device tomorrow? It won’t take long to find out, but in hindsight, July’s leaked memo is looking pretty legitimate right about now. HP unveils 64GB TouchPad, spurns America (and freedom) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 07:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …ThinkFlood releases RedEye remote control app for Android, makes it even easier to sit around
August 18, 2011 No Comment
Nearly two years after releasing their Red Eye app for iOS users, the convenience enthusiasts over at ThinkFlood have now brought the universal remote control to the Android community, as well. The app, which was released in beta a few months ago, allows users to remotely control their non-networked home theater, lighting and air conditioning systems from the comfort of their tablets, laptops or smartphones. Version 2.7.0 also brings plenty of customizable graphics and layouts, for those looking to add a more personal touch to their lives of leisure. Compatible with any device running Android 1.6 or later (including tablets running Honeycomb), the app features a built-in TV program guide that can be used with any display, but in order to take advantage of its other home theater controls, you’ll have to purchase networked ThinkFlood hardware products like RedEye or RedEye Pro (it’s not compatible with RedEye mini ). If you’re interested in downloading the tool for free, check out the source links below, or click past the break for more details, in the full PR. Continue reading ThinkFlood releases RedEye remote control app for Android, makes it even easier to sit around ThinkFlood releases RedEye remote control app for Android, makes it even easier to sit around originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Pssssst… wanna buy some Kodak patents? The venerable photography firm has decided to unload a fair chunk of its IP — 1,100 patents, give or take — to boost its bottom line. You see, Kodak’s got cash flow problems, and it thinks selling a portion of its portfolio is part of the solution. The company must’ve seen dollar signs after Nortel made a mint selling its patents, as Kodak’s now marketing its IP merchandise using the same firm that helped Nortel do its record deal. Strong move Kodak, now if you can just settle up with Apple and RIM , you’ll really be in the money. Kodak shopping its IP wares, looks to cash in on the patent buying craze originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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