Storage in the cloud has limited the appeal of previous-generation flash drives, but until we can beam 32GB video clips across the web in less than a minute, there’s always room for a USB 3.0 “traveling disk” on our key rings. Especially when it’s smaller than a key. The PQI U819V measures just 3.15cm long, but ships with a keyring and attached cap, so at least its accessories will be nearby when it gets misplaced in your desk drawer. We’re still waiting on pricing and availability information, but we do know that storage capacity ranges from 4GB to 32GB, and the drive is backwards-compatible with USB 2.0 ports. PQI says the drive’s cap also doubles as a cell phone ornament, but if you need a square silver USB cap to dress up your mobile, you may want to redirect some cash from your flash drive fund to upgrade your cell. Continue reading PQI USB 3.0 flash drive is world’s smallest, easiest to misplace PQI USB 3.0 flash drive is world’s smallest, easiest to misplace originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 May 2011 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Conde Nast brings The New Yorker to iPad, seven other magazines by month’s end
May 9, 2011 No Comment
Yet another print powerhouse is bringing its wares to the iPad , all lining up neatly ahead of Apple’s upcoming WWDC. First it was Time , then it was Hearst , and now Cond
Continue reading …CTA’s translucent Kinect steering wheel, for when you absolutely, positively must see the road
May 9, 2011 No Comment
Steering wheels: sure, they’re fun and functional, but why do they have to be so opaque ? It’s like you can’t see through them at all! Our friends at CTA Digital — purveyors of such fine gaming peripherals as the Wii bowling ball and the Nintendo DS/DSi Puppet Pouch — are thinking outside that particular box with the aptly named Transparent Steering Wheel. Looking like something pulled from the wreckage of Wonder Woman’s invisible plane, the TSW is nothing more than a transparent (well, translucent if we’re being nitpicky) piece of plastic shaped like a steering wheel, which promises more precise driving on the Kinect racetrack. The company’s apparently still perfecting the clear-plastic technology, which will ship June 5th, setting you back $12.99. CTA’s translucent Kinect steering wheel, for when you absolutely, positively must see the road originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 May 2011 07:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Nintendo 3DS users will soon have another way to extend their system’s notoriously limited battery life, thanks to Hyperkin ‘s new 3DS Powerplus. Slated for release this summer, the 2.2-ounce accessory slips on to the back of the console without obstructing the 3DS’ cartridge port, SD card and game controls, while adding an extra 1800mAh to the device’s standard 1300mAh battery. The Powerplus also features an enhanced grip, as well as an LED indicator that can give you an idea of how much gas you’ve got left in the tank. Hyperkin says its $19.99 appurtenance will more than double your 3DS’ battery life, but, as we learned from Nyko , seeing is believing. Head past the break for an extra image of the Powerplus, along with a full PR. Continue reading Hyperkin 3DS Powerplus covers your handheld in battery-extending goodness Hyperkin 3DS Powerplus covers your handheld in battery-extending goodness originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 May 2011 08:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …HTC’s Facebook phones, ChaCha and Salsa, get Amazon pre-order with June 26th delivery
May 9, 2011 No Comment
Feeling the need for a phone with a dedicated Facebook button ? HTC’s got two to offer you, and now Amazon’s UK bureau is ready to take pre-orders for the new Salsa and ChaCha handsets for a June 26th delivery. The ChaCha’s equipped with a portrait QWERTY keyboard and a 2.6-inch touchscreen, while the Salsa stretches out to 3.4 inches and eschews the physical keys. Both feature 600MHz Qualcomm MSM7227 processors and 512MB of RAM, which are used to run Android with Sense laid over the top. The unsubsidized prices are set at
Continue reading …
Are you nostalgic for a time when the word “zeppelin” stood for leisurely intercontinental travel for the rich and famous, rather than bass-heavy portable sound and MotoBlur phones ? Take heart, as Ukrainian entrepreneur Igor Pasternak claims to have solved the “buoyancy problem” that has long limited the usefulness of airships. The problem is that burning fuel or dropping cargo lightens the ship, which then needs to vent costly helium to return to earth; without a way to control buoyancy, take-offs and landings become complicated to the point of uselessness. Pasternak claims to have solved this sticking point by compressing the pricey gas, thereby conserving it for later use. The Defense Department (which loves its warblimps ) has contracted his company, Aeros, to provide a working demonstration by 2012-13. Dubbed Pelican, it will only fly without a payload at first — but if the technology proves feasible, we might just see a new Era of Airships. ‘Miraculous’ Aeros airship set to fly by 2013, thanks to DOD funding originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 May 2011 05:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
What is the world’s most valuable consumer-facing brand? If you’d asked the guys behind the BrandZ survey at any point over the last four years, they’d have told you ” Google ,” but in 2011 their answer has changed. Apple is now the hottest property in terms of consumer goodwill, earning an estimated valuation of $153.3 billion and leading a pack that includes the likes of Coca-Cola, BMW, HSBC, and Disney. The tech sector had a very strong year as a whole, with Facebook’s brand improving in value by a staggering 246 percent (to $19.1b) and Amazon becoming the world’s most valuable retailer (at $37.6b) in spite of having no actual stores. Sadly, there were some downers too, as Nintendo lost 37 percent of its brand worth over the past year, Nokia dropped by 28 percent, and the BlackBerry marque was considered 20 percent less awesome than before. Punch the source link to learn more. [Thanks, Bruce] Apple brand valued at $153 billion, scoots ahead of Google for first place originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 May 2011 03:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
There’s no denying the ASUS Sabertooth P67 motherboard looks fantastic, and The Tech Report didn’t spare praise for its military-grade components or five-year warranty in a recent review, but the publication also reports that the standout feature — that component-cooling “Tactical Jacket” — may hurt more than it helps. The plastic shroud has been re-dubbed “Thermal Armor” since our last run-in , but that doesn’t change the result: ASUS doesn’t ship the primo slab with a dedicated cooling fan, so component temperatures can actually go up ten degrees Celsius when wearing the shroud with a system under heavy load. Of course, cooling depends on a number of factors, but we were hoping the Sabertooth’s unique coat would be a positive one. Back to the drawing board. ASUS Sabertooth P67 motherboard sheds its skin, feels better without it originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 May 2011 03:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Brammo delays flagship Empulse electric motobike to 2012, teases new transmission tech
May 8, 2011 No Comment
Bad news for Brammo’s electric bikers: according to Asphalt and Rubber , word has it that the company’s flagship Empulse motorbike will now be delayed to 2012, citing CEO Craig Bramscher’s decision to integrate a certain new technology before launch. What could this be? Well, the site speculates that this has something to do with the six-speed Integrated Electric Transmission (IET) that Brammo recently licensed from Italian firm S.M.R.E., and this technology’s already featured on the company’s Engage and Encite dirt bikes announced last week. That said, there’s also a rumor that Brammo didn’t reach its pre-order goal of 1,000 units, which would certainly make sense for the company to delay the launch to pimp up its 100mph ride. We asked the Stig for a comment, and he wasn’t impressed. Brammo delays flagship Empulse electric motobike to 2012, teases new transmission tech originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 May 2011 02:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
3D is best served on a large plate, which is why Samsung’s latest HDTV got us all dribbling over our TV munchies. This 75-inch platter, dubbed D9500, has stolen the short-lived crown off LG’s 72-inch LZ9700 to become the world’s largest LED-backlit 3D LCD HDTV, and obviously Samsung’s still staying faithful to its active shutter 3D technology following its recent price drop on its glasses. The 240Hz display will also come with the usual Smart TV features, garnished by a QWERTY flip remote for your web-browsing and SNS needs on that large screen. Oddly enough, only an ex-factory price of a whooping ₩19,000,000 ($17,600) is quoted here, so customers will have to pay a bit more than that during the pre-sales at the end of the month. Alternatively, you can hold off your shopping spree until Samsung pushes out its 70-inch “Ultra Definition” 3DTV . Samsung’s 75-inch D9500 3D TV announced for Korea, doubles as wind shield originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 May 2011 01:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …