Samsung GT-i9023 hits FCC: a new version of the Nexus S with Android 2.4?
January 12, 2011 No Comment
FCC filings have a curious tendency to launch us into far-reaching bouts of speculation, but hear us out — we think we’re onto something here. A Samsung phone with model number GT-i9023 just passed the FCC with AWS 3G — T-Mobile’s band. If the outline of the device above looks familiar, it should; it looks exactly like the Nexus S , which happens to have a suspiciously similar model number of GT-i9020. Here’s where it gets interesting, though: German site BestBoyZ just reported a video of a Nexus S in the wild a few days ago that claimed to be running the rumored Android 2.4 release, and the baseband version in the About screen included the text “i9023.” This new model number also just very recently received both Wi-Fi Alliance and Bluetooth SIG certification, though there’s nothing particularly interesting in those filings. Oh, and one other random tidbit: a number of European retailers are listing the i9023 already as a “Black Silver” Nexus S, so it’s possible that this will simply be a new color scheme — but would that really necessitate a new FCC filing and model number? It’s also conceivable that Samsung is taking the occasion of 2.4′s release as an opportunity to tweak the Nexus S a bit — maybe add HSPA+ for T-Mobile, something to that effect — but at this point, it’s pure speculation on our part. Feel free to drop your conspiracy theories in comments, and while you’re at it, check out BestBoyZ ‘s video after the break. Note: The Vibrant 4G is a good thought, but this device seems too rounded — it matches up perfectly with the Nexus S. Continue reading Samsung GT-i9023 hits FCC: a new version of the Nexus S with Android 2.4? Samsung GT-i9023 hits FCC: a new version of the Nexus S with Android 2.4? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Remember those eccentric ASUS Android tablets at CES? Yeah, it’s all a bit of a blur for us as well, but turns out both the Eee Pad Transformer and Slider prototypes just made it to the BETT (British Educational Training and Technology) Show in London this morning, so we decided to wander along to get our hands dirty again . Sadly, the Transformer had a bit of a rough ride from Vegas and remained dormant, but we were still able to admire its sturdy keyboard dock with great key press travel. And in case you’ve forgotten, said dock is also an external battery that doubles the juice up to 16 hours. UK shoppers will see this slate popping up in the stores around May or June for
Continue reading …WebM VP8 specs ready for chip companies to start building hardware acceleration
January 12, 2011 No Comment
You know how long we’ve been waiting for Flash video to get decent hardware acceleration ? Well, it looks like the Google-backed WebM VP8 codec won’t take nearly so long. The WebM hardware development team just pushed out hardware decoder IP for VP8, which will let chip folks build WebM playback into their chipsets — most of which are currently oriented around accelerating H.Google’s-gunning-for it-264 and / or Flash. A VP8 hardware encoder IP will follow later in Q1. There’s nothing much more to it: it’s the same ol’ 720p and 1080p decoding we know and love, which will be possible on mobile devices (and already is with other codecs), but this time it’s open , remember? WebM VP8 specs ready for chip companies to start building hardware acceleration originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Exclusive: SwiftKey tweaks its Android keyboard for tablets (hands-on with video)
January 12, 2011 No Comment
SwiftKey for Android was one of the breakout stars in the virtual keyboard business last year, thanks to a unique predictive phrase system that learns how you talk (or write, as it were) and recommends entire words based on your personal style. It sounds weird, but it’s surprisingly helpful — and even if you don’t use the phrase prediction aspect at all, it’s simply a well laid-out, easy-to-use keyboard. The company has big plans for 2011 with talks of OEM deals in the pipeline, UI and functionality tweaks, new utilities for learning your writing habits by ingesting RSS feeds, Facebook posts, Gmail, and other sources… oh, and this: a new app customized for use on Android tablets. Text entry on tablets is a challenge that manufacturers and software vendors have been trying to solve for a long, long time , and one look in a busy airport with dozens of people trying to type on iPads carefully-balanced on their laps will tell you that we’ve still got a long way to go. We’re not sure how SwiftKey’s new version will work on 10-inch tablets (take the Xoom , for instance), but we had a chance to check it out on a Galaxy Tab — and we have to say that it’s probably the best landscape virtual keyboard we’ve used on a 7-inch tablet so far. Swype and other tracing keyboards seem out of place on a screen this big, but SwiftKey takes advantage of the fact that your thumbs are so far apart by splitting your QWERTY into two parts and placing the lesser-used numbers in the center. The keyboard isn’t ready for prime time just yet — SwiftKey still bills it as a prototype — but we imagine it’ll be available before too long. Follow the break for a hands-on video! Gallery: Exclusive: SwiftKey tweaks Android keyboard for tablets Continue reading Exclusive: SwiftKey tweaks its Android keyboard for tablets (hands-on with video) Exclusive: SwiftKey tweaks its Android keyboard for tablets (hands-on with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Although you’d think AT&T would be all over the Verizon iPhone ‘s new personal hotspot feature if only just to keep feature parity with its biggest competitor, the carrier is taking a more measured approach — an AT&T spokesperson just told us that they’re “evaluating the feature, but have no plans to announce at this time.” Given that the iOS 4.3 beta just brought hotspot support to the GSM iPhone, we’re guessing that the holdup is more tactical than technical — Verizon still hasn’t announced its iPhone data plan pricing or hotspot tax, and we’re assuming AT&T’s just waiting for some numbers before announcing support sometime around, say, February 10th. We’ll see. P.S.- We’re also thinking it would be sweet it AT&T supported WiFi hotspot with 3G iPad and its contract-free data plans, but we’re just wishing one wish at a time here. AT&T ‘evaluating’ support for iOS Personal Hotspot, no plans yet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Sony has a January 27th meeting in Tokyo to discuss “business [overview] and strategy.” That much is true (and confirmed by Joystiq to Sony). What we don’t know is whether MCV and VG247′s sources are worth their weight in Lucida Grande. Both sites claim to have heard this meeting will be the launch platform for the PSP2 . ( VG247 , for its part, has previously published pictures of an apparent PSP2 dev kit .) No major trade show debut, just a Tokyo meeting of unknown spectacle… then again, 3DS’ unveil was a random press release , so stranger things have happened. We’d wager on another PlayStation Phone non-confirmation at the very least, but we’ll have to wait and see. Sony to announce PSP2 at January 27th Tokyo meeting? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sprint drops Galaxy Tab down to $300, undercuts everyone but US Cellular
January 12, 2011 No Comment
What now, Verizon? Just a few days after Big Red lowered the price of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab to $500 off-contract , Sprint’s version has shed $100 — which means you can now score it for $300 on a two-year deal. As long as you’re willing to put your name on the dotted line, that now means that Sprint can put you into a Tab for less money than anyone but regional carrier US Cellular, which offers it for a bargain-basement $200. Interestingly, Sprint’s shift comes on the heels of an LTE-tweaked version of the Tab for Verizon with a faster processor and better camera, suggesting that a WiMAX model could definitely be in the works these guys — which might be what this “industry first” event is all about early next month. Pure speculation on our part, but it’d make some sense. Sprint drops Galaxy Tab down to $300, undercuts everyone but US Cellular originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Yes, this is definitely a post (and video!) about a hand-built, robotic head of author Philip K. Dick , who died in 1982, leaving the world a trove of literature which could be turned into films like Blade Runner , Total Recall , Minority Report and A Scanner Darkly . Sadly, he did not leave a robotic head of himself. It may surprise you to find out that this is actually not even the first robotic head of Philip K. Dick, it’s apparently the second. This newly-built robo-PKD is meant to replace one that was famously lost in 2006, and was built by Hanson Robotics and Dutch public broadcasters VPRO. The video after the break is creepy and amazing, but it’s nothing compared to the VALIS Trilogy . Continue reading Flow my tears, the newly-built robotic head of Philip K. Dick said Flow my tears, the newly-built robotic head of Philip K. Dick said originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …iOS 4.3 beta arrives for devs, brings AirPlay video support to apps (update: personal hotspot, too!)
January 12, 2011 No Comment
We’d been disappointed to find that iOS 4.2 only brought AirPlay video support to built-in Apple apps on the iPhone and iPad, but it looks like that’s changing soon — Apple just posted up the first iOS 4.3 beta, which allows devs to send video from apps or websites to an Apple TV. There’s also a new beta of the Apple TV software for testing it out — it doesn’t have any version notes, so we don’t know if it offers any additional features as well. One thing we’re not seeing explicitly listed is any mention of mobile hotspot functionality — and considering the Verizon iPhones we saw were running iOS 4.2.5, we’ve got a feeling everything still hasn’t been merged up. We’ll let you know if we find anything else — stay tuned. Update: What do you know — personal hotspot is indeed in there, although it needs to be enabled on the carrier side to work. We’re also told the iPad’s gained some additional multitouch gestures, so it’s quite a feature-party. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more. iOS 4.3 beta arrives for devs, brings AirPlay video support to apps (update: personal hotspot, too!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Are you a rabid ThinkPad fan? Does the sight of black plastic and a red nub in the center of the keyboard drive you into a frenzied gadget lust? You’ve seen the X201 (and even its sad, Atom-powered KIRF ) so how about a peek at its presumed followup? According to 51nb.com, the self-described “gate to the professional notebook users,” the ThinkPad X220t rocks a DisplayPort interface, VGA port, two USB 2.0 ports (although they could be upgraded to USB 3.0 as this thing gets ready for prime time), an SD card reader, capacitive touchscreen and stylus. And like its predecessor, it will flip ’round into slate mode. You know, for when you’re in that sort of a mood. But pictures speak louder than words — even pictures that have had the background cut out and rendered drop shadows thrown in for good measure. See for yourself after the break. Continue reading ThinkPad X220t images surface, look exactly as you’d imagine ThinkPad X220t images surface, look exactly as you’d imagine originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …