” Soon ” just got a lot more explicit: May 26th. That’s when the HTC Trophy arrives on Verizon Wireless, finally bringing some Windows Phone to the carrier and setting up for what will be a very busy day. Do you want some dual-core hotness in the Droid X2 ? Maybe some LTE lovin’ with Netflix in the form of the LG Revolution ? Decisions, decisions, but those who go the way of Microsoft will find themselves touching a 3.8-inch WVGA display powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and 16GB of onboard storage. It’s $149.99 after the requisite contract fuss and mail-in rebate, small price for a phone that’s been officially deemed ready . Continue reading HTC Trophy officially set to launch on Verizon May 26th HTC Trophy officially set to launch on Verizon May 26th originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 10:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Color E Ink technology still has some kinks to work out, but Ricoh thinks it may have just taken a big step forward with its latest display. The company’s electronic paper, introduced at SID this week, promises to reproduce images that are 2.5 times brighter than competitors’ offerings, while covering a color range that’s four times wider. To achieve this, Ricoh used a simple lamination method, layering three strips of electrochromic material between two substrates. Unfortunately, however, there’s no indication that the technology will be commercially available anytime soon, as Ricoh still needs to incorporate its e-paper onto more practical screen sizes, as well as enhance the display’s durability — both of which sound like pretty major hurdles to us. Full press release after the break. Continue reading Ricoh’s new electronic paper promises greater brightness, enhanced color Ricoh’s new electronic paper promises greater brightness, enhanced color originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 08:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Until now, Verizon iPhone owners looking for the Mophie battery boost had three options: lugging around a Powerstation plug-in, settling for the Juice Pack Air’s measly 1500mAh battery, or slipping into an ill-fitting Juice Pack Plus AT&T case — an awkward fit, thanks to a slight difference in the handsets’ button placement. That long national nightmare is finally over, however, now that the 2000mAh Juice Pack Plus is compatible with both carriers, giving users up to eight more hours of 3G talk time and a few extra millimeters of thickness for around $100. The rubberized charging case is available in black, cyan, magenta, yellow, and a limited edition purple, of which only 2,000 were made. Oooh, exclusivity. Continue reading Mophie Juice Pack Plus iPhone charging case now Verizon-friendly Mophie Juice Pack Plus iPhone charging case now Verizon-friendly originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 08:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’re not dealing with price estimates anymore, here’s an honest-to-goodness pre-order for the HP Pre 3 . Amazon Germany, a traditionally quick retailer to put device listings up, has added the webOS 2.2 QWERTY slider to its online catalog at a price of €449 ($640) — though availability is predictably undefined for now. Lest your memory needs a refresher since the Pre 3′s announcement back in February, this is a 3.6-inch smartphone with a WVGA (800 x 480) resolution, a 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8x55 processor, 512MB of RAM, and a pair of cameras, the rear of which can record 720p video and 5 megapixel stills. To fill the time until a launch date is made known, why not consult our handy chart for a detailed look at how else the Pre 3 improves on its Pre-decessor. [Thanks, Timo] HP Pre 3 listed for pre-order on Amazon.de: €449 for the best of webOS originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 08:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’ve posted a fair share on bionic limbs and their advancements over the years, but rarely have we had the chance to see a video of one in real world use, on a real person. The BBC has shared a video of a man named Patrick using his bionic arm, which — long story short — was partially the result of being electrocuted at work. This is his second one to date and specifically, it’s a prototype Otto Bock mind-controlled prosthetic arm equipped with six nerve sensors that let him use the hand as if it were his own– it supports pinching and gripping with the fingers as well as lateral and circular movement of the wrist. Although the footage is a mundane roll of various day to day tasks — gripping a bottle to pour a glass of water for instance — it’s quite amazing to realize technology is helping him do things he’d otherwise be deprived of. We’d suggest checking it out at the BBC by clicking the source link below. Video shows a man and his bionic hand, makes us wish we had one too originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 08:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Intel admits Apple ‘helps shape’ its roadmap, keeps foot lodged firmly in mouth
May 19, 2011 No Comment
We knew Intel and Apple had a close working relationship when it came to developing Thunderbolt , but now an exec from Santa Clara has taken the declarations of mutual admiration to the next level. Tom Kilroy, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Intel’s Sales and Marketing Group, told a Reuters tech summit that Apple isn’t merely important to his company’s plans, it actually “helps shape [Intel's] roadmap.” Those are strong words coming from the world’s biggest maker of processor chips, one that you wouldn’t expect to be beholden to any hardware or software partner. Additionally, it marks the second time this week that Intel has indirectly slighted Microsoft , the first one being a damning analysis of Windows 8 on ARM by fellow Intel SVP Renee James. It’d be easy to conclude that we’re seeing cracks developing in the old Wintel bond, but we reckon it’s more likely that Chipzilla is simply finding the wrong words to express otherwise benign thoughts. Hit the source link for more from Mr. Kilroy. Intel admits Apple ‘helps shape’ its roadmap, keeps foot lodged firmly in mouth originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 07:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Gartner: 1.6 million Windows Phone 7 devices sold in Q1, consumer interest remains tepid
May 19, 2011 No Comment
Direct sales figures for Windows Phone 7 handsets have been remarkably difficult to come by since Microsoft’s OS reboot at the end of last year, but here come the stat gurus at Gartner to provide us with their best estimate. 3.6 million of the world’s smartphone sales in the past quarter were counted under the Microsoft mobile OS umbrella, of which 1.6 million featured the very latest WP7 software. That means Redmond partners sold more Windows Mobile devices in the first three months of 2011 than ones bearing the sparkling new operating system. Guess now we know what LG meant when it said the Windows Phone launch didn’t meet expectations . Gartner sees these numbers as evidencing a failure “to grow in consumer preference” by WP7′s launch devices, though it predicts better things ahead, with Nokia’s participation helping to accelerate the platform’s momentum. For more (much more!) stats relating to the global cellphone market in Q1 2011, click on the source link for Gartner’s full disclosure. Gartner: 1.6 million Windows Phone 7 devices sold in Q1, consumer interest remains tepid originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 06:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Microsoft rebuts Intel’s claims about Windows 8, calls them ‘factually inaccurate’
May 19, 2011 No Comment
Bad Intel! Microsoft has issued a strongly worded response to comments this week from Intel SVP Renee James describing the future of Windows 8 on ARM as fragmented and backwards-incompatible . Those statements, says Microsoft, were “factually inaccurate and unfortunately misleading,” though we’re left without clarification as to what specifically was untrue. James claimed that legacy x86 programs won’t be running on the ARM architecture, requiring a re-write for developers and probably a re-purchase for users. She also went on to suggest that each of the four hardware suppliers for Windows 8 systems-on-chip will have a different code stack, incompatible with the rest, which sounds like a far worse allegation to us. Now the issue is to try and figure out which of those two big accusations Microsoft has taken offense to. The Redmond team had nothing more to say on the matter, offering only a reminder that Windows 8 is still at the tech demo stage and there’s still a long way to go. Microsoft rebuts Intel’s claims about Windows 8, calls them ‘factually inaccurate’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 05:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sharp shows off the world’s first Super Hi-Vision LCD with 16x more detail than 1080p
May 19, 2011 No Comment
While Japan’s NHK has been working on the successor to HDTV, Super Hi-Vision , for years, there haven’t been any direct-view HDTVs capable of showing its full 7,680 x 4,320 pixel resolution until this prototype unveiled today by Sharp. Its 103 pixels per inch may be just a fraction of those found in some of the pocket displays we’ve seen at SID this week, but that’s still far more than the 36ppi of a 60-inch 1080p HDTV. If estimates are correct, we’ll still be waiting until around 2020 for that 33MP video and 22.2 channel sound to actually be broadcast, although there’s a possibility of some demonstrations happening during the 2012 Olympics . Skip past the break for the available specs and a video demonstration, or just head over to the NHK’s Science & Technology Research Laboratories in Tokyo between the 26th and 29th of this month. Continue reading Sharp shows off the world’s first Super Hi-Vision LCD with 16x more detail than 1080p Sharp shows off the world’s first Super Hi-Vision LCD with 16x more detail than 1080p originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 05:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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You can use these USB-powered UltraLink UCube speakers on a bus, on the beach, or on the table at your favorite McDonald’s, but please — for the love of god — don’t. Remember: with great convenience comes great responsibility, and if these speakers are as impressive as the dramatic marketing video below implies, disruption of the peace is about to know no bounds. At $150 per pair, these sleek sound machines aren’t cheap, but each speaker is able to pump out 15 watts of peak power — you won’t be filling a large room with crisp, distortion-free sound, but they’re probably loud enough to play your tunes or flicks for a group of friends, or to annoy strangers in a park. UltraLink claims that the speakers use DSP-controlled power supplies to “store energy during quiet passages,” allowing the 3.25 inch cubes to reach their 15 watt peak output with 170-degree listening angles. We haven’t had a chance to go hands on, but if these speakers sound half as good as they look, we may have a better solution for playing music in the CES trailer next year. Continue reading UCube speakers run off USB, are coming to an Amtrak quiet car near you UCube speakers run off USB, are coming to an Amtrak quiet car near you originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 04:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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