Those cursed limited supplies of the Nexus S have forced the Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy’s UK outlets to push back the phone’s retail debut by a couple of days . The Gingerbread flagship will now be sailing in on the 22nd of December and even then it’ll be available only in “key” stores. Online purchases are encouraged, with an “instant ship delivery” getting the phone out to your nearest Carphone Warehouse branch for collection. Pre-orderers should presumably be getting their handsets on Wednesday too, while the
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It’s oftentimes hard to gauge the proliferation of electronic devices into everyday life while looking at them from our little bubble of early adopter enthusiasm. A much better vantage point for these things can be provided from the arms of government , among the most change-resistant places on any planet, and American legislators are letting us know that tablets, not the children, are our future. Texas Representative Henry Cuellar recently took the House of Representatives floor with an iPad in tow, which broke with the chamber’s etiquette if not its rules. He’s not alone, however, in hoping that the House dispenses with its Omega Man -style prejudice against electronics and permits their widespread use by Representatives. If nothing else, distributing bills of law electronically should make a nice dent in the “multimillion” dollar budget currently set aside annually for printing. Let’s make it happen, guys. iPad comes knocking on House of Representatives’ door originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 07:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs and motherboards now on sale in Malaysia, what Consumer Electronics Show?
December 20, 2010 No Comment
Let us all warmly greet the Core i5-2300, the i5-2400, and the Core i7-2600, three desktop-bound members of Intel’s upcoming Sandy Bridge CPU brigade. You’ll note that all three are fully dressed in their retail attire in an image coming from Malaysian electronics store Compuzone, which also has a full pricing and speed breakdown for these central processing units. The 3.4GHz Core i7 part costs 939RM ($301), followed by 609RM ($195) for the 3.1GHz 2400, and 585RM ($188) for the 2.8GHz 2300. It seems like Intel’s up to its old tricks again, letting some stock roll out early in distant Asian locales. At least this should mean there’ll be plenty to go around once the CES 2011 launch of these chips is out of the way. Hit the source for more details and to scope out pricing for the new LGA1155 motherboards. [Thanks, Melantha ] Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs and motherboards now on sale in Malaysia, what Consumer Electronics Show? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 06:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Alienware M17x laptop said to be suffering from power-related GPU issues
December 20, 2010 No Comment
Well, it looks like at least some Alienware M17x laptop owners just can’t catch a break. While the previous so-called DPC latency issue has apparently finally been resolved, a number of users are now reporting another issue that’s only become apparent after the earlier problem was fixed. As it turns out, the symptoms are similar to the stuttering caused by the DPC latency issue (hence the confusion), but the new problems are being blamed on power issues — namely, that the GPU is drawing more power than the laptop can provide. Worse still is that it seems like those with the highest-end configuration are the most likely to experience the problem, as they’re effectively maxing out an already maxed-out system. For its part, Dell has apparently fixed the issue in the most recent revision of the laptop, but users on the Notebook Review forums are reporting that the company hasn’t exactly been eager to dish out replacements for everyone affected (which seems to be the only surefire “fix” available). [Thanks, Adam] Alienware M17x laptop said to be suffering from power-related GPU issues originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 05:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …British government wants all porn filtered out of the web, all fun sucked out of life
December 20, 2010 No Comment
You can’t be surprised at developments like these when you elect a political party whose very name is Conservative , but it’s still rather sad to hear that the current UK government is putting pressure on ISPs to “protect children” by universally blocking access to porn websites. It’s not outright censorship, you’ll be able to “opt in” and restore your freedom to explore adult content (or anything else that’s been inadvertently blocked), though it’s all a rather misguided effort in our eyes. Claire Perry, one of the leading voices behind this push, cites stats noting that 60 percent of nine- to 19-year olds have found pornography online, yet she fails to elaborate on what’s been so traumatizing or debilitating about the experience — or why violent content is getting a free pass. We still think good parenting — say, by using the local controls built into your OS or search engine — is a much cheaper option than some complex censorship wall , but that won’t prevent the Conservatives from pursuing legislation over the next couple of years if broadband providers don’t figure out blocking mechanisms of their own. For shame, Britain. British government wants all porn filtered out of the web, all fun sucked out of life originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 04:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Radio Shack’s $149 price for the 16GB iPhone 4 just got undercut by a whole two bucks. We’ve been tipped off to Sam’s Club planning to offer the AT&T-locked device for a $147 fee, subject to the usual two-year agreement. This offer will run all the way until Christmas day, so if you have to have the cheapest possible fourth-gen iPhone, this’ll probably be it. The 3GS is also up for grabs at a thrifty $47, emulating its younger sibling’s $52 price cut. Is there anyone left who isn’t discounting smartphones this month? [Thanks, Anonymous] iPhone 4 to hit new low of $147 on contract at Sam’s Club this week? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 04:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Energy conservation isn’t just good for the environment, it’s also good for the family budget. Being aware of your energy consumption can help you cut costs by as much as 5 to 15 percent, according to some estimates. One product that can help with real time power monitoring of your consumption habits is the Power Cost Monitor, a device we got to spend some quality time with over the summer after Blue Line Innovation kicked off a partnership with Microsoft HOHM . The partnerships are expected to widen today when BLI announces support for Google’s competing PowerMeter web monitoring solution. As such, owners of the $249ish PowerCost Monitor WiFi Edition kit will have yet another method for measuring their carbon footprint from a PC or smartphone — and that’s a good thing. Google PowerMeter comes to Blue Line Innovations’ PowerCost Monitor originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 03:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …CSIRO’s Ngara internet transmission project begins in Tasmania, shows hopes for rural broadband
December 20, 2010 No Comment
Hard to say if you’re aware, but Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (best known ’round these parts at CSIRO ) was the first to develop the WiFi transmission technologies that are widely used on Planet Earth today, and they’ve got stacks of infringement lawsuits to prove it. Now, the organization is testing out a radical new approach to solve the rural broadband problem , and rather than relying on newly opened spectrum or other forms of black magic, they’re simply tasking existing analog TV antennas to work a little overtime. Put simply, Ngara uses the broadcast towers that already exist in rural towns that receive television signals, and then with a new set-top box and a modified TV antenna, it’s able to funnel broadband internet into faraway homes. Recent tests in Tasmania — sections with higher populations of Devils than Earthlings — have shown the uplink working just fine, but they’re still a good ways out from getting data to download. Project manager David Robertson surmises that it’ll be around four years before the technology is ready for the commercial market, and you can bet your bottom (Australian) dollar that we’ll be counting down the days. And so will everyone else stuck in the Big Apple wondering why Jimmy McMillan didn’t get elected for mayor. [Image courtesy of Geoff Ambler / CSIRO] CSIRO’s Ngara internet transmission project begins in Tasmania, shows hopes for rural broadband originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 02:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Cricket launches new wireless plan with unlimited music for $55 a month
December 20, 2010 No Comment
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: a cell phone comes with an unlimited music subscription . Now, flip it on its head and say the cellular carrier was the one offering the all-you-can download audio buffet — built right into a totally unlimited data, text and voice monthly slate — and you’ve basically got the new $55 Muve Music plan from Cricket Wireless . Cricket doesn’t have the reach of the big four US carriers and may not even have coverage in your area, but that didn’t keep it from tempting Universal, Warner, Sony and EMI from signing over millions of songs. It’ll debut on the new Samsung Suede featurephone pictured at right, which comes with a “special” 4GB Sandisk encrypted flash memory card (et tu, slotRadio ?) that will likely protect the music from prying pirate claws… at least for the weeks or months it takes the open-source community to rip it a new one. The Suede will reportedly hold about 3,000 songs, which (barring antics) will be irrevocably tied to the phone and only play there, and disappear entirely if users stop paying for the Muve plan. PC Magazine got a brief hands-on with an early version, and says there’s a bit of irksome audio compression, but also some Zune-like social networking features, too. The service will debut at CES on January 6th, and spread to other devices and other markets over the course of 2011. PR after the break! Continue reading Cricket launches new wireless plan with unlimited music for $55 a month Cricket launches new wireless plan with unlimited music for $55 a month originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 01:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Amazon offers refunds or replacements for problem-causing Kindle covers
December 20, 2010 No Comment
It’s not often you hear of a case causing technical problems with an electronic device, but that’s just what a number users have been saying about Amazon’s own Kindle Leather Cover. Apparently, the problem stems from the metal hooks used in the case — they’re designed to conduct electricity in the lighted version of the case, but in the non-lighted version they’re reportedly causing Kindles to freeze or reboot. While the comapny hasn’t officially confirmed the problem, Amazon has told PC Magazine that its engineering team is looking into the issue, and that it will offer a refund or replacement to anyone experiencing a problem with the case, no matter when it was purchased. Those looking to take Amazon up on that offer can email kindle-response@amazon.com. Amazon offers refunds or replacements for problem-causing Kindle covers originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Dec 2010 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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