Sony’s been mum on its Bloggie Duo HD for the better part of this year, teasing it once at CES and then crossing its fingers that we’d all come searching for it in Q2. Thankfully for those with chronic memory loss, we’ve got it on good authority that this very camcorder is all set to ship tomorrow. And by “good authority,” we mean a status update on Sony’s own e-shop. For those who’ve fallen behind, $169.99 grabs you a pocket-sized camcorder capable of logging two hours of HD video, a handful of 5 megapixel stills, a 2.7-inch LCD and an HDMI output. So, here’s the real question: violet, pink or green? Continue reading Sony’s Bloggie Duo HD camcorder ships this week for $170 Sony’s Bloggie Duo HD camcorder ships this week for $170 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …GoPro ships $200 3D Hero expansion kit, acquires CineForm in its spare time
April 5, 2011 No Comment
Remember that 3D Hero expansion kit we ogled back at CES? How would you forget is likely the superior question. At any rate, GoPro has just announced the general availability of that very module, with $99.99 getting you a waterproof 3D expansion kit for the insanely popular HD Hero camera . For those who’ve forgotten, the kit allows a pair of 1080p lenses to form a single 1080p 3D camera, and it’s waterproof to 180 feet, too. In related news, it seems as if GoPro has also taken this opportunity to snap up CineForm, and it’s wasting no time in putting the outfit’s compression and workflow technology to good use. Customers can surf over to to GoPro’s website in order to suck down a gratis copy of CinaForm Studio, which makes it easier on 3D shooters to create, watch and share their three-dee imagery. The app also converts 2D material into 3D H.264 files, and for the price mentioned here, it ain’t a half bad inclusion. PR’s after the break, if you’re so inclined to visit. Continue reading GoPro ships $200 3D Hero expansion kit, acquires CineForm in its spare time GoPro ships $200 3D Hero expansion kit, acquires CineForm in its spare time originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 06:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Xbox Development Kit arrives with ‘significantly reduced price,’ Sidecar attachment
April 5, 2011 No Comment
What’s this, you ask? The next generation of Xbox 360 development , that’s what. With a shockingly small amount of fanfare, Microsoft has ushered in a striking new Xbox Development Kit, which is purportedly designed to increase efficiency and reduce cost for Xbox 360 dev teams. Aside from boasting an undisclosed uptick in RAM, built-in flash memory, a more capacious hard drive and a slimmer form factor, this XDK will also be sold at a “significantly reduced price from its predecessor.” ‘Course, the folks in Redmond aren’t saying what exactly that sticker will look like, but those interested in taking the plunge regardless will also have the option to license a Sidecar attachment that enables debugging and disc emulation. We’re told that said accessory can be shared among multiple XDK consoles, and in turn, it should lower the overall price to create, test, debug, and release an Xbox 360 or Xbox Live Arcade game. It’s still a guessing game when it comes to an actual launch date, but it’ll become “the standard kit” when new orders are fulfilled in the future. Feel free to peruse the gallery below if you’re interested, and toss out a wild guess as to what that Sidecar will go for on eBay during the next century. Aim high, bub! Gallery: Xbox Development Kit and Sidecar: slimmer, sleeker, cheaper Continue reading Xbox Development Kit arrives with ‘significantly reduced price,’ Sidecar attachment Xbox Development Kit arrives with ‘significantly reduced price,’ Sidecar attachment originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 03:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Alienware’s M14x revealed: classic middle-child overachiever, none of the simmering sibling resentment
April 5, 2011 No Comment
First, Alienware’s M17x got a bit of spit and polish with a new Sandy Bridge CPU and a 3D display, then the M11x got Intel’s speedy new silicon too. Now, the middle alien child has gotten a similar makeover. Christened the M14x, Alienware’s newest portable rig has an Intel Core i7-2820QM 2.3 GHz CPU, up to a 750GB 7200RPM HDD, 256GB SATA2 or SATA3 SDD, a robust NVIDIA GT555M GPU, LTE or WiMAX connectivity, and your choice of 14-inch screens: either a 1366 x 768 display or a Full HD 1920 x 1080 LCD. Following its big brother’s lead , the M14x also packs a pair of Klipsch speakers for hi-fi fragging. No word on when this mothership lands, but with those specs, we wouldn’t mind making first contact — would you? Alienware’s M14x revealed: classic middle-child overachiever, none of the simmering sibling resentment originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 04:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Texas Instruments to acquire National Semiconductors for $6.5 billion in cash money
April 5, 2011 No Comment
As the saying goes, everything’s bigger in Texas, and that includes Texas Instruments’ (TI) share of the semiconductor market. The Dallas-based firm announced today that it will pay $6.5 billion for National Semiconductors . With the acquisition complete, National will become a branch of TI’s analog segment, which is now positioned to make up 50 percent of the company’s revenue. According to a joint press release, TI held the biggest chunk of the analog semiconductor market in 2010 at 14 percent, and with the new addition that number’s bound to get even bigger. Full PR after the break. Continue reading Texas Instruments to acquire National Semiconductors for $6.5 billion in cash money Texas Instruments to acquire National Semiconductors for $6.5 billion in cash money originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 03:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Federal prosecutors investigating Pandora, other smartphone apps over privacy concerns
April 4, 2011 No Comment
Apps collecting users’ information without their knowledge may not be anything new , but it’s not everyday we see things rise to the level of Federal Grand Jury investigation. That happened today, however, with Federal prosecutors in New Jersey launching a probe to determine whether smartphone apps have been collecting personal information like an individual’s location without being suitably up front about it. So far only Pandora and one independent developer have come forward and said they’ve received subpoenas, but Pandora says it believes the probe is an industry-wide one, and that it is “not a specific target of the investigation.” As the Wall Street Journal notes, the investigation is also still only in the early stages and may well not result in any actual charges, but it seems to be extending beyond just the app makers themselves. A “person familiar with the matter” has told the Wall Street Journal that both Apple and Google have been asked to provide information on the apps and app makers in question, although neither is commenting on the matter publicly at the moment. Federal prosecutors investigating Pandora, other smartphone apps over privacy concerns originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 22:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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If you dig the stylish look on the Linksys E4200 802.11n router but prefer something more wallet-friendly, then Cisco’s latest range of home routers and switches will likely suit your taste. Gone are the curved grooves and blinking LEDs on the top, but these routers — ranging from $59.99 to $159.99 — still go about their usual wireless business at up to 300Mbps, with additional simultaneous dual-band support on the pricier E2500 and E3200. Like their predecessors, you’ll also find a refreshed, feature-packed Cisco Connect software suite in the box, which promises to make installation and management a whole lot easier. Also notable is the upcoming virtual USB feature that connects printers and storage devices to the network — the E3200 and E4200 are expected to receive this update in the summer. As for the switches, you have a choice of three new models going from $29.99 for five 10/100Mbps ports, all the way up to $74.99 for eight gigabit connections. All these good-looking fellas are up for grabs starting today, and you can check out the spec sheets after the break for all the nitty-gritty. Continue reading Cisco goes minimalistic with new Linksys E-Series routers and switches Cisco goes minimalistic with new Linksys E-Series routers and switches originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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This isn’t our first encounter with the Nokia T7-00 , but this time around we’re getting a whole bunch more info thanks to some detailed pics leaked by PCPop . In a nutshell, the T7-00 appears to be a downgraded version of Nokia’s N8 imaging flagship for the Chinese market. The phone is identical to the N8 in appearance, except for the missing camera pod in the back. Gone is the phenomenal 12 megapixel autofocus Zeiss shooter with xenon flash — instead, you’ll find an 8 megapixel camera (likely EDoF , like its E7 and C7 cousins) with dual-LED flash mounted flush with the body. In addition, the micro-USB connector finds a new home behind the plastic door that normally conceals the mini-HDMI port on the N8. Under the hood, the existing pentaband 3G radio gives way to China’s proprietary TD-SCDMA standard, and the ARM 11 processor gets a 20MHz speed bump to 700MHz. Considering the vast numbers of mobile subscribers in China, the T7-00 is sure to help Nokia reach its goal of selling 150 million Symbian devices in the next few years. Follow the source link below for the complete set of pictures. Nokia T7-00 surfaces again, looks like N8 redux originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Nikon D5100 and ME-1 external mic coming April 21st, we go hands-on (video)
April 4, 2011 No Comment
Okay, so Nikon kind of spoiled the surprise with this one, but we can now enlighten you with the full details of its upcoming midrange (or “advanced beginner” as Nikon calls it) DSLR refresh. The D5100 takes the spot of the venerable D5000 , but follows the previous generation’s recipe for success pretty closely. The D5000 was a stripped-down D90 in a simpler, smaller package that came with an articulating LCD, and the D5100 just so happens to feature the same mighty 16.2 megapixel sensor as the D7000 (Nikon’s current high-end consumer DSLR) augmented with a flipout screen. Having the D7000′s internals helps the new shooter churn out 1080p video at 24fps, 25fps, or 30fps, depending on your preference for up to a maximum of 20 minutes. The D5000 is only capable of five-minute bursts of 720/24p video and isn’t able to continually autofocus, which the D5100 can. The D5100 also betters its predecessor in terms of physical fitness, coming in at a healthy 10 percent lighter and smaller, while a good number of the physical controls have been repositioned in order to allow for a new horizontal opening mechanism. That’ll be a well appreciated tweak for tripod users. The new screen’s also 17 percent thinner, we’re told, and steps up to a 3-inch diagonal with a 920k-dot resolution. Solid stuff. After the break you’ll find a full spec sheet along with some video action with the D5100. Pricing for this camera is set at €777 /
Continue reading …Verizon and MetroPCS objections to FCC net neutrality rules dismissed in case of premature litigation
April 4, 2011 No Comment
The FCC wants to put new rules in place ensuring access to the web is, like justice, blind to where a person is coming from and indifferent to where on the web he is going to. Verizon’s first reaction to these new directives was to publicly decry them as overreaching , and its second was to file a lawsuit, one that was swiftly echoed by MetroPCS. Only problem with their plans? The rules haven’t yet been published in the Federal Register, which renders the legal challenges from the two eager mobile carriers “incurably” premature. Such was the determination of the US Court of Appeals, which refused to make a substantive ruling and just threw the cases out due to the technicality. Verizon isn’t discouraged, however, and promises to bide its time until all the dominoes have fallen into place before launching another legal attack. Hey, whatever keeps those lawyers in their fancy suits. Verizon and MetroPCS objections to FCC net neutrality rules dismissed in case of premature litigation originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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