To be a jailbreaker means different things depending on the device that you’re busy hacking preinstalled walls from. If you’re fiddling with consoles, a legal team would come highly recommended , but if you’re tweaking mobile code, at least Windows Phone mobile code, you’re in for a much sweeter ride. The ChevronWP7 guys that brought us the first jailbreak of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 are currently in Redmond having a sitdown and a frank exchange of views with WP7 dev experience director Brandon Watson, and the amicable nature of their discourse has been evidenced by the image above. Microsoft is clearly taking a light-hearted and community-friendly approach to handling the (now inevitable) efforts at disabling limitations to its software and we can only congratulate its mobile team for doing so. [Thanks, Tasos] Visualized: the glamorous lifestyles of WP7 jailbreakers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 03:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …iPad 2 cases surface, rekindle SD card slot fire and add a pinch of mystery with topside cutout
January 18, 2011 No Comment
There’s usually as much fun to be had before an Apple product launch as there is after, and this upcoming iPad 2 device is no exception . The latest scuttlebutt it has succumbed to comes courtesy of some cases that have cropped up in China — AppleInsider and MIC Gadget have independently found iPad 2 shells that feature nearly identical cutouts — with the resulting allegations pointing toward a rear-facing camera, an SD card slot, and perhaps even a Mini DisplayPort receptacle. Our own sources have confirmed the former two, but the latter, a miniaturized video output already featured in MacBooks, is a new development and less of a certainty. Then again, looking at the size of the hole leaves few alternative options (and a USB slot is extremely unlikely), so we’re willing to believe that a Mini DisplayPort will be an inclusion Apple makes for the sake of offering choice — even if it prefers you to send your video streams over an untethered AirPlay connection. Continue reading iPad 2 cases surface, rekindle SD card slot fire and add a pinch of mystery with topside cutout iPad 2 cases surface, rekindle SD card slot fire and add a pinch of mystery with topside cutout originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 02:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …T-Mobile G2 now free on contract, Android buyers have never had it so good
January 18, 2011 No Comment
Want one of the best Android handsets around, equipped with a dandy keyboard and some pseudo-4G internet connectivity? Taking the leap into Google’s mobile world just became that little bit easier as T-Mobile has decided to strip off the last remaining $50 on its G2 contract price and set it loose for free on two-year deals. This will be a quite familiar sight to our European readers, but premier Android handsets rarely, if ever, occupy such sweet price points in the US. Let’s hope it’s a harbinger of happy things to come. [Thanks, Dani S] Update: This pricing is only valid between now and January 20th , so if you want in, better do it soon. T-Mobile G2 now free on contract, Android buyers have never had it so good originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 01:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …14-year-old dev’s first game tops iOS free apps list (we’ll just say it: aww…)
January 18, 2011 No Comment
Eighth graders of the world: you’re not overachieving enough. Meet Robert Nay, the subject of today’s feel-good story. The 14-year old Utah native designed a simple-and-fun mobile game and managed to rack up a million downloads within two weeks of its December 29th launch. Which thrust his game to the top of the iTunes Free Apps list (and subsequently netted another 400,000 downloads, according to AllThingsD ). Bubble Ball’s the game, also available in the Android Market. Give it a shot, and then do more with yourself, k? 14-year-old dev’s first game tops iOS free apps list (we’ll just say it: aww…) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’re not sure what it is about the home theater, but one screen just isn’t enough. So we’ve tried for years to find another screen suitable to join our HDTV to enhance our viewing pleasure, but everything comes up short. The latest in the long line of touch screen remotes, tablet PCs, PDAs and smart phones is the iPad. Of course this device isn’t exactly designed to be a home theater device, so a little software is necessary to make it suitable. The latest attempt at said software is from TiVo which is designed to be a companion app for the TiVo Premier . It doesn’t let you stream video from your TiVo to your iPad, but it does have a few tricks we think you might find more useful, so go ahead and click on through to find out what those are. Gallery: TiVo Premiere App for iPad review Continue reading TiVo Premiere App for iPad review TiVo Premiere App for iPad review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It looks like our favorite PSP Fanboy, Obiwan222222, is up to his old tricks once again, and his latest video shows that he has finally eliminated the lag problem that plagued his first attempt to play Wii on a PSP four years ago . Using a Wii emulator on a PC, some custom firmware, and a program called PSPDisplay, he has managed to stream video and sound to his PSP Go in real time. He also mapped the Wii controls (Wiimote waving excluded, we presume) to the handheld to complete the full Wii-on-PSP gameplaying experience. To see the slick mod in action, check the video after the break. Continue reading Lag-free Wii on PSP episode II: Mario Kart strikes back Lag-free Wii on PSP episode II: Mario Kart strikes back originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 22:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Perhaps Samsung’s Vibrant 4G won’t be tied to Froyo, after all. Although the initial leak suggested Android 2.2 , Boy Genius Report’s managed to obtain what it suggests is an in-the-wild shot with a lock screen that looks remarkably reminiscent of the aesthetic touches from Android 2.3 Gingerbread . No TouchWiz UI here, but word on the street (i.e. from its source) is Sammy’s hard at work to remedy that disconnect and make the skin jibe with the new version. And if that’s not enough, TmoNews is claiming a leaked document that indicates Vibrant 4G will launch February 23rd. Back to the picture, though: if that timestamp is at all accurate, and this is really just hours fresh, perhaps that lucky right-handed gent can snap a few more convincing shots while it charges. Update: As a number of readers have pointed out, there’s some odd discrepancies between this image and the Gingerbread lock screen we all know, chief among them the inclusion of AM / PM in the top bar (that option doesn’t exist in actual 2.3. we just checked to be sure). Brief Mobile’s got a more nuanced breakdown, but the point is, this looks to be either a half-baked ROM or the work of a certain Robin Goodfellow. Samsung Vibrant 4G for T-Mobile in the wild? (Update) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 22:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …FastMac U-Socket now shipping out to the world, making it a better place
January 18, 2011 No Comment
Celebrate, oh U-Socket faithful, for thy object of convenient desire has finally started shipping. FastMac’s wall socket that serves up a pair of standard 110V power outlets alongside two USB juice ports is today taking the final steps to reaching its expectant owners’ homes. Confirmation emails have been sent out to those who ordered earliest (we’ve got one for your perusal after the break) and the retail site promises a three- to four-week delivery time for orders placed today. The price is still just under $20, while the utility of being able to plug your USB device directly into the wall has probably never been higher. [Thanks, Gareth] Continue reading FastMac U-Socket now shipping out to the world, making it a better place FastMac U-Socket now shipping out to the world, making it a better place originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Disney has decided to debut a new smartphone in Japan, and given Steve Jobs’ presence on the company’s board of directors, we are surprised to find that the handset will run Android instead of iOS. The phone is essentially a Sharp Galapagos 003SH with a Disney-fied version of Froyo that comes with a Disney email address, exclusive content, and optional custom Disney-themed cases for users who wish to broadcast their allegiance to Mickey Mouse and company. The device is slated for release next month at an undisclosed price, but is only available to our friends in Japan. There’s no scheduled US release, so stateside fans will have to look elsewhere for their Disney fix . Disney to sell Android phone in Japan, apparently Apple doesn’t care originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Last November Pentax’s mid-range front runner, the K-5 DSLR , got an upgrade , now the K-7 and K-x are following suit. New firmware updates for both cameras tout SDXC card compatibility, increasing memory, but failing to follow through on speed — Pentax notes transfer rates won’t hit UHS. Despite the company’s Japanese website listing the K-7 as a discontinued product, the camera also gets increased video editing functions in playback mode, as well as improved image sharpening settings. Now, follow the source links below, and let Pentax upgrade you. Pentax K-7 and K-x firmware upgrades pack SDXC compatibility originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 19:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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