Disposable ‘Fleshkus’ drives ensure your memories some day hit the dump
February 15, 2011 No Comment
We’re a little less of a disposable society than we used to be, but that’s not to say we wouldn’t embrace an opportunity to get back into our formerly carefree and wasteful ways. This concept spotted over at Art Lebedev , designed by Alexei Lyapunov and Lena Ehrlich, could get us there, eight or 16GB thumb drives printed on cardboard and produced so inexpensively that you can simply tear one off, scribble on it, then give away to friends to share files — just a concept at this point, but this vision of tomorrow seems awfully likely to us. Disposable ‘Fleshkus’ drives ensure your memories some day hit the dump originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Well, this is certainly curious. If the tipster who sent us the image above is to be believed, you’re looking at HTC’s new flagship smartphone, the Revolver, which is supposedly headed to AT&T in the third quarter of this year. Things get curiouser still when it comes to the phone’s supposed specs (shown in the complete image after the break), which clearly list “Android Honeycomb” as the operating system — the same Honeycomb that’s supposedly only for tablets, which means that this is either a sign of some big changes coming for Android or a clear sign that it’s fake (or at least not completely accurate). As for the rest of the specs, they include a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen, 16GB of on-board storage, 1GB of memory, and an 8 megapixel camera ’round back that’s paired with a 3 megapixel front-facing cam. No indication of a price or exact release date, but the tipster did also mention that a “coming soon” image will be appearing on AT&T’s website this spring, so we may possibly get some confirmation sooner rather than later. Continue reading HTC Revolver: a flagship ‘Honeycomb’ phone for AT&T? HTC Revolver: a flagship ‘Honeycomb’ phone for AT&T? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 23:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Intivation intros Umeox Apollo smartphone: $100, solar-powered, Android 2.2 (hands-on)
February 15, 2011 No Comment
Rugged? Check. Built-in flashlight? Nod. Solar panel on the rear? Yep. Android 2.2? For sure. All of the essentials (and then a few extras) have been tossed onto the Umeox Apollo smartphone, shown off for the first time today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It’s hardly a high-end device — in fact, at just $100 off-contract, it’s bound to be one of the less-capable Froyo handsets on the market. But considering that this is positioned to put Android into the hands of those who aren’t exactly champing at the bit to spend a month’s wages on a phone, we’d say it’s a huge step in the right direction. When asking about specifications, we were told to expect a MediaTek processor, microSD card slot, rear-facing camera and a SIM card slot. The unit on display was a non-working mockup, with an on-site representative noting that shipments should begin to Europe, Latin America and India this May (with other nations to follow). The device felt satisfactorily solid, but unfortunately, no technical details were available regarding the solar panel on the rear. In related news, the company was also showcasing a couple of other innovations: a new solar cell microchip and its first solar cell. Prior to this week, Intivation only sold the microprocessors, forcing partners to go and find their own panel supplier. Now, it’s entering another business with the Sunboost3 all-in-one solar module, and if it’s hopes and dreams come true, you’ll start seeing these on a slew of upcoming handsets. Hit the PDFs below for more of the nitty-gritty, and peek the Apollo mockup in the gallery below. Gallery: Intivation Umeox Apollo smartphone hands-on at MWC 2011 Intivation intros Umeox Apollo smartphone: $100, solar-powered, Android 2.2 (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 23:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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What do you do with a phone that claims it can withstand anything you throw its way? Dip it in sub-zero temperatures, bang it against concrete, drop it from great heights, and then stand on it? That was the full extent of our imagination today when getting to grips with the Sonim XP3300 Force and the damn thing didn’t budge a millimeter, never mind an inch. It has a Gorilla Glass -protected screen and some rather self-apparent water- and impact-resistant hardware surrounding its soft electronic core. Changes in this latest model include the redesign of the Java-based OS, the internal power supply circuitry, the GPS module, and the antenna, all in the name of improving efficiency to a claimed 24 hours of talk time on a single charge. That’s quite the feat, even if you can’t exactly stream HD Flash videos using this chunky fella. The XP3300 Force is available in 50 countries around the world today, with pricing near $400 unsubsidized or between $50 and $150 on contract. Skip past the break for video of its endurance. Gallery: Sonim XP3300 Force hands-on Continue reading Sonim XP3300 Force hands-on (through insulating gloves) Sonim XP3300 Force hands-on (through insulating gloves) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Porsche unveils fully-electric Boxster E, a drop-top EV we can get behind
February 15, 2011 No Comment
They’re just prototypes at this point and number only three, but the trio of Boxster E convertibles Porsche has produced could be a sign of very good things to come from the company. Of course there’s the 918 RSR and 918 Spyder , but the former of those two is intended only for the track and the latter only for the incredibly wealthy. An EV Boxster could be attainable by the only moderately wealthy, though of course Porsche’s giving no indication of price for these yet. Nor range, sadly, nor performance — they’re simply “rolling laboratories” that will provide data for future models to come. Sweet, sweet data. Porsche unveils fully-electric Boxster E, a drop-top EV we can get behind originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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As you may be aware, ASUS was one of the first companies to officially hop on board with Windows Phone 7 , and it even produced some prototype devices (like the one pictured in the middle above) that were used by engineers and developers in the lead-up to the big launch (some 5,000 of them, apparently). As you may have also noticed, ASUS still hasn’t actually released a Windows Phone 7 device for consumers — although that may finally be set to change. Speaking with Forbes at Mobile World Congress, ASUS exec Benson Lin revealed that the company did actually have a first-generation product that it was ready to go market with, but it held back because it realized it “didn’t have the bandwidth” and lacked the carrier support it would need to support another new cellphone initiative. Lin went on to say that while ASUS is still assessing Windows Phone 7, the company feels ready for it, and he will personally be meeting with carriers at MWC over the rest of the week to gauge their interest, which he notes will be a “key factor” in determining ASUS’ strategy going forward. ASUS still considering Windows Phone 7 device, carriers ‘key factor’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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There comes a time in every computer user’s life when they want to step away from the machine — but still control it. The Engage WirelessLCD from uWrite Touch is one way of doing just that, even if you need to step so far away you can’t see a monitor any more. It’s a battery-powered LCD that makes a direct connection to a PC or Mac using a separate adapter, replicating the machine’s video output onto the 10.1-inch, 1024 x 600 wireless and touchable display. 30 feet of range and 3.5 hours of battery life are on offer and, while no pricing is available, given it’s intended for schools and businesses we’ll guess falls well outside of impulse buy territory. Engage wireless LCD is just a few letters short of a brand tie-in originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Just a few days ago we heard that HTC might be prepping some lower-end devices with dedicated Facebook widgets , and well, here they are. The two devices — one featuring a full keyboard and a less ugly one with full touchscreen — definitely have a Facebook button, and while we know nothing of specs yet, various sources have reported that Facebook updates will be streamed directly to the widget, the camera will upload directly to Facebook , and the phones, which will run a stripped down Android build, will have minimal storage. We’re not soothsayers, but we have a feeling we’ll know more tomorrow, when HTC’s MWC press event gets under way. Hit the source for a shot of the other phone. HTC’s Facebook-loving phones show up in a series of press shots originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Google rolls out Chrome extension that lets you block sites from search results
February 15, 2011 No Comment
Tired of waiting for Google and its algorithms to filter content farms and other shady sites out of your search results? Then you can now finally take things into your own hands thanks to an “experimental” extension that Google has just made available for its Chrome web browser. That works about as straightforwardly as you’d expect — once installed, you’ll simply see a link to block a site along with each search result, and you’ll also be able to unblock sites at any time if you go a bit overboard. What’s most interesting, however, is that Google says it’s going to study the feedback it gets from extension and that it will consider using it as a potential ranking signal for its search results. Google rolls out Chrome extension that lets you block sites from search results originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Legend has it that the ViewSonic V350 is one of the few dual-SIM Android 2.2 phones on the market. We got a chance to play with a pre-release unit today, and it works as advertised, serving simultaneous quadband GSM plus dualband UMTS (900 / 2100MHz HSPA) on the first SIM, and quadband GSM on the second. The 3.5-inch touchscreen was a little less responsive than we expected, probably on account of the prototype hardware. Otherwise, the device serves a decent mid-range Froyo experience in a friendly package. Sadly, Viewsonic was mum on pricing and availability. Take a look at our gallery and follow the break for a hands-on video. Gallery: ViewSonic V350 hands-on Continue reading ViewSonic V350 hands-on (video) ViewSonic V350 hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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