Lately, anything goes when a RIM CEO gets in front of the media. Fortunately, it was the other CEO, Jim Balsillie, talking to Bloomberg this time delivering a calm, cool rebuttal to all the lukewarm PlayBook reviews . His consumer defense is largely based upon the PlayBook’s ability to receive software updates ( we received three in the brief time we had our review unit) throughout its lifetime. Jim, as you can imagine, preferred keeping the conversation focused on how the PlayBook is fully functional today when used in combination with a BlackBerry handset in business environments. Balsillie did seem to hint that the consumer experience could improve relatively quickly, saying, “We’ll have an over the air email client to announce very very soon. We have BlackBerry World — our user conference — in a couple weeks. Stay tuned for all capabilities we have coming out on this stuff.” See the man dance on the hotseat right after the break. Continue reading RIM: PlayBook email client ‘very very soon,’ 3G model this summer RIM: PlayBook email client ‘very very soon,’ 3G model this summer originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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T-Mobile’s Android roster is growing in number and sheer benchmarking virility today with the launch of the LG-produced G2X. This handset runs bone stock Android (Froyo today, Gingerbread in the future ) atop a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 system-on-chip, and just like its international twin the Optimus 2X , eschews the physical flair and focuses on being the best damn 4-inch smartphone that it can be. It costs $199.99 on a two-year contract and can be bought online today or in stores starting April 20th . Also scheduled for general availability on that date is the QWERTY slider-equipped Sidekick 4G , though that sleepyhead is missing out on any early web availability — it’s probably too busy adjusting its tricked-out Android skin and checking that its magenta accents are all spotless. Links are below, whether you’re feeling inquisitive or acquisitive. T-Mobile G2x now available online for $200, hitting stores April 20th originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 02:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Contract-free cellphones, declining marriage rates and car-sharing services all tell us you’re a bunch of commitmentphobes. Lucky for you the world is willing to oblige your wishy-washy ways, and for those who also happen to have a bit of a green streak, Connect by Hertz offers hourly rentals on electric cars. After launching its EV rental program here in New York last year , Hertz promised to expand to several other cities and countries by the end of 2011, with London being the next to go online this Friday. British urbanites averse to car ownership will be able to pick from a fleet of vehicles including the the iMieV , Nissan LEAF and Renault Kangoo , range anxiety diminished thanks to the city’s 16 charging stations. It’s not exactly the Jetsons, but if this is the future of transportation, we’re ok with that — we’re thinking Mother Earth is too. Hertz launches hourly EV rentals in London, self-satisfaction comes free originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Michael, who needs a physical keyboard with his next Android phone. Because she said so. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com . “My girlfriend is currently using the T-Mobile G1 . Her contract is up soon, and she’s looking for a new Android smartphone. Her requirements are that it should be Android-based with a physical keyboard, good battery life and the hardware shouldn’t be too out of date. My own research resulted in the HTC Desire Z, but isn’t there something similar (or upcoming) with more improved hardware (Tegra 2, perhaps)? Thank you in anticipation.” Alright, Android junkies — we know more than a handful of you rely heavily on a physical keyboard, so which one’s superior? Intelligent responses are encouraged in comments below. Ask Engadget: best Android smartphone with a physical keyboard? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 22:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Cisco’s axing of Flip had an additional casualty: the unnannounced FlipLive streaming camera
April 14, 2011 No Comment
So Flip Video’s last offering wasn’t terribly amazing, but we had faith that the USB pocket camcorder would get back to its simplistic roots — you know, until Cisco axed the whole division , along with 550 souls. Well, the truth is that the company was indeed working on something rather cool, and though we’d only heard whispers until now, the New York Times ‘ David Pogue says the day after Cisco brought down the guillotine is when the FlipLive was due to hit shelves. It would have been a livestreaming camera, connected with WiFi to the cloud, allowing users to share johnny-on-the-spot videos with the entire world in real time. Instead, the camera and its little red button are off to that great big server in the sky. Cisco’s axing of Flip had an additional casualty: the unnannounced FlipLive streaming camera originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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If you didn’t already have enough potential app privacy leaks to worry about, here’s one more — Android Police discovered that that Skype’s Android client leaves your personal data wide open to assault. The publication reports that the app has SQLite3 databases where all your info and chat logs are stored, and that Skype forgot to encrypt the files or enforce permissions, which seems to be a decision akin to leaving keys hanging out of the door. Basically, that means a rogue app could grab all your data and phone home — an app much like Skypwned. That’s a test program Android Police built to prove the vulnerability exists, and boy, oh boy does it work — despite only asking for basic Android storage and phone permissions, it instantly displayed our full name, phone number, email addresses and a list of all our contacts without requiring so much as a username to figure it out. Android Police says Skype is investigating the issue now, but if you want to give the VoIP company an extra little push we’re sure it couldn’t hurt. Skype for Android vulnerable to hack that compromises personal info originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 22:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Our friends at Joystiq have obtained screenshots showing off Hulu Plus in action on the console , as well as a shot of the Kinect Hub with Hulu and Netflix apps included. According to their tipster the Hulu (which looks similar to Zune Video as predicted ) and Avatar Kinect apps are “fully functional,” with good tracking of their movements similar to existing uses for the peripheral. there’s no word on whether or not members of the larger public preview will get an early peek at these features, but you can still hit the source link below for a better look. Hulu Plus, Kinect updates for Xbox 360 caught on camera originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Kyocera Echo available right now for Sprint Premier customers, tests your patience
April 14, 2011 No Comment
If you’re a Sprint Premier customer and are planning to purchase the company’s eccentric dual-screen Android smartphone , listen up. Yes, it’s due to launch in just three days , but the wireless company is now offering its loyal customers a chance to order the Echo right now. If you decide to jump the gun, you’ll be happy to know that Sprint is waiving upgrade fees and will ship you the device for zero bucks. So, if this offer sounds tempting — and you qualify — hit the source link to get a 72-hour advantage on everyone else. [Thanks, Eric] Kyocera Echo available right now for Sprint Premier customers, tests your patience originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Another year, another chance for Nintendo to deliver what it’s alternately denied and teased since day one — a successor to the Nintendo Wii capable of displaying games in high resolution. Will Nintendo finally make it happen? Multiple anonymous sources say yes: they told Game Informer , IGN and Kotaku that just such a system will debut at E3 2011 in June, possibly with a teaser of some sort next month. While the ninja moles didn’t provide many hard details — mostly just the typical iffy claim that the system will wipe the floor with competitors in terms of speeds and feeds — they told IGN that it will support 1080p resolutions and be backwards-compatible with games for the Wii. Naturally, we’ll believe it when we see it… so here’s hoping we see it fairly quickly. Wii HD rearing long-rumored head at E3 2011? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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You didn’t think Intel and Micron would just rest on their laurels after starting 25nm flash production last year, did you? The two are now back with an even more impressive 20nm process, and an 8GB MLC NAND device that measures just 118mm² and allows for a 30 to 40 percent reduction in board space. Of course, those 8GB chips can also be combined for far more storage, so you can count on seeing even higher capacity phones, tablets and SSDs sometime after production kicks off in the in second half of 2011. At that point, Intel and Micron also plan to show off a 16GB device that promises to allow for 128GB of storage in a solid-state storage solution smaller than a postage stamp. Full press release is after the break. Continue reading Intel and Micron announce new 20nm NAND Flash manufacturing process Intel and Micron announce new 20nm NAND Flash manufacturing process originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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