Don’t expect a lawsuit or two to keep a good chaebol down. Not if J.K. Shin has his way. The president of Samsung’s mobile communication division is telling us to expect an ” enhanced ” 4G Galaxy Tab (without providing any detail) sometime later this year, following the launch of the company’s 8.9- and 10.1-inch Tabs next month — the latter priced between $499 and $599 . He also teased a third version of the wildly popular Galaxy S handset series for the first half of 2012. A proclamation arriving on news that the delectabled Galaxy S II has just set a record for the fastest selling smartphone in Korea after unloading one million handsets in the first month of domestic sales. Naturally, Shin also had a bit to say about Samsung’s ongoing legal battle with Apple. “We didn’t copy Apple’s design,” he said bluntly, adding that Apple’s allegations “will not be legally problematic.” Sure Sammy, tell it to the judge . Samsung teases 4G tablet for 2011, Galaxy S III in first half of 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 May 2011 01:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It’s not the first time we’re run into CUPP Computing ‘s unique ability to blend the x86 and ARM platforms into one device — at least in prototype form — and just before the start of Computex 2011 here in Taipei we got a chance to experience the company’s latest iteration called PunkThis. The product is meant to replace your computer’s 2.5-inch SATA hard drive with a board featuring a complete ARM -based system along with a mini-PCIe socket — the latter capable of accommodating a physically smaller SATA SSD to handle the missing storage for the x86 host. PunkThis is built around a Texas Instruments DM3730 ARM CPU with 512 MB of RAM and includes a WiFi radio, as well as connectors and cables to interface the board with existing video, audio, and USB facilities on the host computer (no soldering required). The netbook we got to play with was running Android 2.3 ( Gingerbread ) but was lacking WiFi support. It ran perfectly alongside Windows 7 which was powered by the existing Atom processor. Switching OS-es is just a hotkey away, and battery life is supposedly doubled when the main x86 CPU is shut down and the only the daughter board is operational. PunkThis also provides two microSD card slots — one for system storage used by the ARM-based OS (Android in this case), the other for mass storage visible to both environments (shared space). Pricing is supposed to remain below $200 and availability is expected in 8 weeks. That’s pretty hardcore, but with a name like PunkThis would you expect anything less? Feast your eyes on our gallery and peek after the break for our hands-on video. Gallery: CUPP PunkThis hands-on Continue reading CUPP PunkThis hands-on (video) CUPP PunkThis hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Linaro and Samsung roll out Exynos 4210-based Origen development board for $199
May 29, 2011 No Comment
You may recall a little group of Linux-loving chums called Linaro, which was formed almost a year ago in the hopes of speeding up Linux development. Today at Computex, the company’s taking one step further with the announcement of the Origen development board. Based on Samsung’s beefy Exynos 4210 dual core chipset, the kit packs all the essential ports — including HDMI, USB 2.0 host, SD slot, etc. — for keen developers to get their hands dirty on, and its base board is also removable to accommodate future chipsets. Potential buyers are told to keep an eye on Insignal, which will soon be offering the basic Origen package for $199, along with optional parts at an extra cost. Continue reading Linaro and Samsung roll out Exynos 4210-based Origen development board for $199 Linaro and Samsung roll out Exynos 4210-based Origen development board for $199 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 23:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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NVIDIA has been pushing its 3D Vision platform for a couple of years and at this year’s Computex it is looking to pull in more PC users with new wired LCD active shutter glasses. The original wireless specs rely on the same IR sync tech and battery power seen in glasses for many HDTVs, but these get power and data over a 10-foot USB cable. While that might not work for living room viewing, a single user application like PC gaming or watching a Blu-ray 3D on a laptop doesn’t suffer for the cable restriction. Besides foregoing the sometimes finicky IR sync these are also cheaper, with a $99 MSRP when they go on sale in “late June” compared to $149 for the wireless version. The company hopes the combination of a lower entry price and ability to be secured to the PC make it a viable option for gamers who may already have a compatible LCD and GPU, or gaming cafes that want to run a few Starcraft II tournaments in 3D — check the rest of the details in the press release after the break. Continue reading NVIDIA’s new wired 3D Vision glasses give up some freedom for a lower price NVIDIA’s new wired 3D Vision glasses give up some freedom for a lower price originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 20:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On , a column about consumer technology. Industry conferences that include competitions among scores of startups generally don’t look too kindly upon companies producing hardware. Nonetheless, there were quite a few physical products shown off this week at TechCrunch Disrupt in New York. These were either the main offering of companies or complements to their service offering, and judging by their demo platform of choice, the iPhone appears to be a leading agent of disruption — the companies introducing hardware used Apple’s handset to do everything from avoiding stress to measuring its biological impact. Switched On will introduce four such products after the break. Continue reading Switched On: Devices designed to disrupt Switched On: Devices designed to disrupt originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 21:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …NVIDIA refreshes notebook graphics with GeForce GTX 560M, attracts ASUS, MSI, Toshiba and Alienware
May 29, 2011 No Comment
If you’ve enjoyed NVIDIA’s fine tradition of merely bumping along its GPUs time and again and affixing a new badge, you’ll like the GeForce GTX 560M — it’s much like last year’s GTX 460M , but with more bang for the buck than ever. ASUS, MSI, Alienware, Toshiba and Clevo have all committed to new notebooks bearing the graphics processor in light of the potent performance NVIDIA claims it will bring: Namely, those same 192 CUDA cores (now clocked at 1550MHz) and up to 3GB of GDDR5 memory (now clocked at 1250MHz, with a 192-bit bus) should enable the latest games to run at playable framerates on a 1080p screen with maximum detail — save antialiasing. Of course, that assumes you’ve also got a recent quad-core Sandy Bridge processor and gobs upon gobs of RAM, but NVIDIA also says that with the built-in Optimus switchable graphics, those same potent laptops should be able to manage five hours of battery life while idling. If you’re looking for some inexpensive discrete graphics, however, NVIDIA’s also got a refresh there, as the new GeForce GT 520MX bumps up all the clock speeds of the GT 520M. When can you expect a mobile GPU to knock the GTX 485M off its silicon throne , though? Glad you asked: a chart shows a “Next-gen GTX” coming late this year. Meanwhile, see what NVIDIA says the GTX 560M’s capable of in the gallery below and a video after the break. Gallery: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M brag sheets Continue reading NVIDIA refreshes notebook graphics with GeForce GTX 560M, attracts ASUS, MSI, Toshiba and Alienware NVIDIA refreshes notebook graphics with GeForce GTX 560M, attracts ASUS, MSI, Toshiba and Alienware originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …GTA’s Liberty City recreated in Google Street View, reveals your nearest Ammu-Nation
May 29, 2011 No Comment
Type “Liberty City” into Google Maps and it whisks you to some place east of Wichita, Kansas. Yup , Wichita , for Pete’s sake. No self-respecting Grand Theft Auto fan can stand for an omission like that, and thankfully now they don’t have to. Those hardcore Niko-lovers at gta4.net have not only recreated the real fictional Liberty City using the Google Maps API, they’ve even cobbled together 80,000 screenshots to provide full-blown Street View too. Man, we haven’t seen this much Gay Tony passion since the Trashmaster . Oh, wait a minute — apparently this so-called Street View leaves out a couple of ramps that gta4.net considered to be “not very interesting.” Hush, and you call yourselves fans? GTA’s Liberty City recreated in Google Street View, reveals your nearest Ammu-Nation originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 19:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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ASUS’ official Android 3.1 update should be coming soon enough , but Eee Pad Transformer users that just can’t wait now have another option at their disposal. A seemingly final version of the update leaked out over the weekend and, by all accounts, it appears to work just fine. Of course, there aren’t a ton of surprises considering that it’s stock Android 3.1, but the early reports suggest that performance and general responsiveness have been improved (with the exception of JavaScript performance, which has actually taken a bit of a hit), and the 3.1 upgrade also enables a new firmware update for the Transformer dock, which brings with it some bug fixes and a new power saving mode. Hit up the source link below for all the information you need to install it. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Android 3.1 update for ASUS Eee Pad Transformer leaks out originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 16:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Martin Jetpack hits the 5,000 feet milestone, could come to market within 18 months (video)
May 29, 2011 No Comment
OK, so the Martin Jetpack may not have gone into commercial production quite as soon as we’d anticipated , but there’s still hope on the horizon. Over the weekend, Glenn Martin’s flying machine successfully climbed some 5,000 feet above sea level, marking a new milestone in the 30-year, $12 million project. Remotely controlled by a tailing helicopter, the 250-pound craft used its two “superfans” to power itself skyward at about 800 feet per second minute, before safely parachuting back to Earth from a height of about 3,000 feet. As with its last test run , however, the Martin Jetpack was equipped not with a human being, but with a crash dummy. It may have been for the best, though, considering that the machine sustained some damage upon concluding the ten-minute flight. Nevertheless, Martin seems confident that yesterday’s test “brings the future another step closer,” and is hoping to deliver his brainchild to customers within the next 18 months — plenty of time for us to hawk enough family heirlooms to afford that $86,000 price tag. Soar past the break for a video of the jetpack’s big launch, or check out the source link for a more extensive interview with Martin and some background footage of his invention. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Continue reading Martin Jetpack hits the 5,000 feet milestone, could come to market within 18 months (video) Martin Jetpack hits the 5,000 feet milestone, could come to market within 18 months (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The Skype forums are a hive of panic and abuzz with accusations that either the company is bundling crapware with its VoIP app or has a serious security problem. Users are reporting that a strange, new, and difficult to uninstall program is finding its way on to their PCs called EasyBits GO. EasyBits is the company that has powered Skype’s games channel since 2006, but at least until now its wares have not been standalone software. One moderator has declared EasyBits Go is not part of Skype and suggested customers immediately run a malware scan, but mods are volunteers and not official representatives of the company, so we’re taking it with a grain of salt. Another (later) post from a forum admin simply states that Skype is looking into the issue and will release an official statement, though we have no idea when that might actually happen and we’re awaiting reply to our own request for comment. It appears that a rep from EasyBits Media has taken to the forums to quell some of the outrage, but to no avail. Posts from the team are painfully vague, saying that it was part of an update to the gaming platform and apologizing for the misunderstanding, before linking directly to an .exe that it claims will remove the offending software. To say that forum users are wary of the executable would be an understatement (most responses have involved torrents of profanity). Reports are that the suspicious app is installing itself without any approval from users, but we can’t confirm this since any attempts to install in our lab of doom resulted only in errors while downloading. For now, we’ll just have to wait for word from Skype, and the company better move quick — the pain of the recent outage is still fresh in many customers’ minds. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Skype taken to task by angry users over claimed crapware payload originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 14:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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