Toshiba NB550D netbook spills specs, including 1GHz AMD Ontario APU and Harman Kardon sound
December 29, 2010 No Comment
Looks like the AMD Fusion netbook strategy may be to supplant Intel’s Atom wholesale in the leadup to CES, as Toshiba has just become the second manufacturer to swap out an Atom chip for a 1GHz AMD C-50 Ontario APU while leaving the rest of the design practically untouched. Notebook Italia just spotted this 10-inch Toshiba NB550D having a grand old time on the company’s German website, leisurely flexing its Harman Kardon speakers and newfound HDMI port, all the while dreaming about ways to upgrade its scant 1GB of DDR3 memory and 250GB of magnetic storage. Interestingly, Toshiba’s actually forecasting only 9.5 hours of battery life for the AMD version (compared to 10 hours with Intel’s 1.5GHz Atom N550 CPU), but we suppose that’s the price you pay to have Radeon HD 6250M graphics on board. We’ll try to get pricing and availability when we inevitably spot it at CES next week. Toshiba NB550D netbook spills specs, including 1GHz AMD Ontario APU and Harman Kardon sound originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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So you nabbed a webOS device over the holidays? Maybe you got yourself a Pixi or Pre Plus , or if you were really lucky, someone dropped a Pre 2 in your stocking. We know that Palm isn’t exactly ruling the roost when it comes to smartphones, but that doesn’t mean that your new device isn’t plenty powerful given the right apps and proper tweaks. In fact, webOS can stand toe-to-toe with the iOS and Android devices of the world, even if the selection of apps and hardware leaves something to be desired. So how do you turn your holiday cheer into a year-round workhorse? Read on after the break for the must-have apps, accessories, and more! Continue reading Just got a Palm phone? The best apps, accessories, and tips Just got a Palm phone? The best apps, accessories, and tips originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Barnes & Noble Nook trademark applications offer speculation fodder aplenty
December 29, 2010 No Comment
So you’re Barnes & Noble and you have a successful product like the Nook — what do you do? Trademark the heck out of the name, of course. As PocketNow has noted, the company’s filed a number of Nook-related trademark applications over the past few months, which may offer some hints of future Nook hardware, software, or both. That unsurprisingly includes an application for “Nook2,” which was first filed back in June, as well one for the name “Nook Smart” (possibly related to the existing Nook Study education platform?), and one for the impossibly catchy “Nook Cook.” Unfortunately, it’s not clear which (if any) of those might actually be the name of a new Nook device — there’s also a trademark application for “Nook Kids” with a description similar to “Nook2,” for instance, but it may well just be for the company’s Nook Kids store and iPad app. The most recent of all the filings is one for “Nooksellers,” which appears to be for a combination in-store kiosk and online service that would offer personalized recommendations and various social networking tie-ins. Of course, there’s nothing more than the trademark applications to go on at the moment, but it does certainly seem clear that the Nook name is here to stay. Barnes & Noble Nook trademark applications offer speculation fodder aplenty originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Intel 310 mSATA SSD knows that size matters, fits 80GB into less space than a credit card
December 29, 2010 No Comment
Watch out, Toshiba, your tiny SSD modules aren’t the only game in town for ludicrously small flash storage anymore. Intel’s just announced a new SSD 310 line that offers spectacularly minimal 51mm by 30mm by 5mm dimensions, while retaining X25 -class performance (up to 200MBps read and 80MBps write speeds). To give you an idea of what those measurements mean, the industry-standard 2.5-inch form factor, an already diminutive footprint, is eight times larger than these newfangled storage chips. 40GB and 80GB variants of the SSD 310 are shipping out to OEMs already and Lenovo has confirmed it plans to roll these into its next refresh of the venerable ThinkPad laptop line. Prices are set at $99 and $179 (depending on size) when bought in batches of 1,000, though direct sales to end users are predictably off the table for now. Better start saving up for that next ultrathin laptop if you want one. Continue reading Intel 310 mSATA SSD knows that size matters, fits 80GB into less space than a credit card Intel 310 mSATA SSD knows that size matters, fits 80GB into less space than a credit card originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Verizon to demo Home Monitoring and Control system at CES, launch pilot in Jersey next month
December 29, 2010 No Comment
Looks like home automation may finally be taking baby steps towards the mainstream — Verizon’s just announced that it’ll be demoing that long-rumored Home Monitoring and Control system at CES 2011, with a planned beta rollout in New Jersey to follow. The system will allow users to remotely view security cameras, lock doors, and control lights, thermostats, and appliances through their smartphones or FiOS TV boxes — the same capabilities most other automation systems offer, but with the added benefit of being integrated and installed by Verizon. The pilot homes in Jersey will receive an energy reader, smart appliance switches and thermostats, door and window locks, a power strip, motion sensors, an indoor pan-and-tilt camera, and a fixed indoor / outdoor camera when the system launches next month, but Verizon says that’s just the beginning. We’re told the system will use Z-Wave wireless control units and WiFi security cameras, so we’re guessing there’ll be a central box that integrates everything — and we’ve got a feeling this whole thing is based on 4Home (pictured above), which was just acquired by Motorola Mobility. We’ll find out more at CES — stay tuned. Continue reading Verizon to demo Home Monitoring and Control system at CES, launch pilot in Jersey next month Verizon to demo Home Monitoring and Control system at CES, launch pilot in Jersey next month originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Yes! Another reason to write about the darling and awesomely-named Wheego Whip LiFe! This time, it’s good news indeed, as the all electric micro-car has received EPA certification. The cars, which are priced at a reasonably affordable $32,995 (or $25,495 after the Federal tax credit), are now simply waiting for final approval from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration before they can roll into dealerships. It looks like the cars will ship at the beginning of the year now, with production well underway for the past few months. We’ll take two, please. Wheego Whip LiFe grabs up EPA certification originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Samsung’s phone division now also in charge of PMPs, Galaxy Player coming in Q2 2011
December 29, 2010 No Comment
Yes, CES 2011 will be graced by the presence of Samsung’s new 4-inch Galaxy Player , but our pockets, it would seem, might have to wait for it quite a bit longer. The Wall Street Journal today reports that, while Samsung intends to roll out the new Android PMP in its home market of Korea shortly after CES next week, the rest of the world is unlikely to be able to buy it until “the April to June period.” Aside from its lack of phone functionality and a Super AMOLED panel, the new Galaxy Player is an almost identical replica of the company’s wildly successful Galaxy S smartphone, which apparently has been no accident. The WSJ also lets us in on the knowledge that Samsung’s phone division has taken over responsibility for building and selling its portable media player range, hence why we’re now seeing such major overlaps between the two categories — something that might very well continue into the future. Samsung’s phone division now also in charge of PMPs, Galaxy Player coming in Q2 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …European standardization bodies formalize micro-USB cellphone charger standard
December 29, 2010 No Comment
It’s been more than a year since Nokia, Apple, RIM, Motorola and just about every other major cellphone manufacturer agreed on a micro-USB cellphone charger standard for Europe, but the two key European standards bodies have just now finally followed up on their end of the bargain. CEN-CENELEC and ETSI have today published harmonized standards for a universal cellphone charger based on micro-USB, which has now put the ball back in the manufacturers’ court to actually produce phones that rely on the newly standardized chargers. According to the European Commission, the first of those are expect to arrive sometime “in the first months of 2011,” and it expects the chargers to be ” predominant” within two years. Head on past the break for the official announcement. [Thanks, Pavel] Continue reading European standardization bodies formalize micro-USB cellphone charger standard European standardization bodies formalize micro-USB cellphone charger standard originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Huawei’s HIC tablet for Vodafone has all the beauty of an industrial-grade nav unit
December 29, 2010 No Comment
Considering the cheap plastics and giant white logos, our first thought when we saw this unflattering shot in the FCC’s filing system was that we were looking at some sort of connected navigation unit for delivery trucks — but alas, as far as we can tell, the so-called HIC is a “tablet” from Huawei that doubles as a phone for Vodafone. Besides a triband 3G radio, this hot mess gets you a 7-inch WVGA display, a front-facing camera for video calls, and an integrated kickstand around back for setting it on a countertop. The style of the power adapter leads us to believe that the HIC might be intended for permanent use in your home, which would explain why it bears so little resemblance with something we’d want to carry around — but still, couldn’t they have made it a little prettier? No word on when (or to which of Vodafone’s markets) it’ll be coming. Huawei’s HIC tablet for Vodafone has all the beauty of an industrial-grade nav unit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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