Category Archives: News

Growing Up Geek: Zachary Lutz

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today, we have our very own Contributing Mobile Editor, Zachary Lutz.

Perhaps it requires a special breed to proudly wear the label of “geek.” No, I’m not talking about circus performers that bite heads off chickens (check the original meaning of the word), but about people like you and me, the folks who pursue their interests to a fantastic degree. It doesn’t matter whether your passion is knitting, fishing or kayaking; if you’re a curious individual who’s always thirsting to learn more, there’s a good chance we’ll get along. For me, my pigeonhole just so happens to be computers — and, more recently, mobile technology. Sure, you could blame it on way too many hours in front of the screen, but as a certain self-empowered pop star might say, I’d like to think I was born this way.

Continue reading Growing Up Geek: Zachary Lutz

Growing Up Geek: Zachary Lutz originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET!

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments
This week, we’re back to the normal bat time and bat channel, with no crazy late-night shenanigans. We’re also happy to have on another special guest, Christopher Trout, as he makes his Mobcast debut. Listen in as he joins Myriam Joire and Brad Molen to wax poetic about another wacky week in wireless. Catch us at the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET (2PM PT, 9PM UK)!

Continue reading The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET!

The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Angelbird’s Wings PCIe-based SSD preview and benchmarks

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

Storage enthusiasts (yeah, there is such a thing — what of it?) would probably tell you that PCIe-based SSDs are a dime a dozen these days. But in all seriousness, the prices we’re seeing are proof that a few more competitors wouldn’t hurt. A few weeks back, Austria’s own Angelbird started to ship a solution that we first heard about during 2010, and we were fortunate enough to pop a Wings PCIe SSD RAID card into our Mac Pro for testing. For years, we’ve been booting this up and running every single application off of its stock HDD — a 640GB Hitachi HDE721064SLA360 (7200RPM) — as we surmise many of you desktop owners might be. Anxious to see if these are the Wings your existing tower needs to soar? Head on past the break for our impressions.

Gallery: Angelbird’s Wings PCIe-based SSD

Continue reading Angelbird’s Wings PCIe-based SSD preview and benchmarks

Angelbird’s Wings PCIe-based SSD preview and benchmarks originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon press conference set for September 28th, could this be its long-awaited tablet?

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

Amazon’s been cooking something in a supposed Android-based oven for quite some rumored time. Now, an invite has gone out from the Bezos-backed company for an event on the 28th of this month at 10AM.

Developing…

Amazon press conference set for September 28th, could this be its long-awaited tablet? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel’s Skool software brings study materials to healthcare workers in developing countries

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

When we consider Intel’s contributions to developing nations, it’s hard not to hone in on the 5 million-plus Classmate PCs it’s shipped over the past four years. This time, at least, Intel is leaving the hardware part of the equation to the Lenovos and HPs of the world and focusing on the software instead. The company just announced the Skool Healthcare Education platform, a collection of online and offline educational materials designed to help healthcare workers in developing countries better treat women and children, tackling malnutrition, vaccination, communicable diseases and childbirth safety. To be clear, Intel isn’t getting into the medical content business — it didn’t write these resources but instead culled them from various third-party sources. The idea is that the company will provide the platform to governments and healthcare workers for free, forgoing what might otherwise be an opportunity to collect licensing fees. (It’ll be up to local governments to work with companies like Dell to secure low-cost PCs to run the software.) For now, Intel’s launching the program in Sri Lanka, where it already has a working history with the President and Minister of Health, but a rep tells us the outfit hopes to expand the program to sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Central Eastern Europe and parts of Asia, reaching 1 million healthcare workers by the end of 2015.

[Image courtesy of Intel]

Continue reading Intel’s Skool software brings study materials to healthcare workers in developing countries

Intel’s Skool software brings study materials to healthcare workers in developing countries originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FCC Fridays: September 23, 2011

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

We here at Engadget Mobile tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol’ Federal Communications Commission’s site. Since we couldn’t possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we’ve gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don’t need). Enjoy!

Phones

Read – Fujitsu F04D
Read – HTC PI06110 Radar (AWS)
Read – Huawei C2931
Read – Huawei C8511
Read – Huawei C8651
Read – Huawei G6050
Read – LG E510G
Read – LG L85C
Read – Motorola WX306
Read – Samsung GT-E2600
Read – Samsung SGH-I857
Read – Samsung SGH-I937 (Focus S)
Read – ZTE Movistar Vega
Read – ZTE V860

Tablets and peripherals

Read – Archos A100H
Read – Kobo Vox
Read – Motorola HZ720
Read – Motorola KZ500 bluetooth keyboard
Read – Samsung HM6000

FCC Fridays: September 23, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft patents modular Windows Phone with swappable batteries, keyboard, and gamepad

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

We’ve seen slider phones with speakers, gamepads, and of course, the standard keypad — but what if you want to swap out your slider accessory for something new? A new patent from Microsoft is exploring the possibility, showing off a concept smartphone with a sliding modular bay. Tired of that keyboard? Replace it with a gamepad, or a life-giving battery pack. According to the patent claims, some of the modular components would even function wirelessly, citing a touchscreen module which doubles as a wireless handset or a media remote. Neat? You bet, but we wouldn’t get our hopes up — Microsoft typically keeps out of the handset manufacturing game, and the last modular phone to pique our interest didn’t exactly make a splash.

Microsoft patents modular Windows Phone with swappable batteries, keyboard, and gamepad originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 09:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In-app purchasing fail on iTunes is starting to bug developers

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

In-app purchases via iTunes have apparently been failing in a big way for the last ten hours and app creators who depend on this heavily taxed income are getting antsy. We’re hearing unconfirmed speculation that the problem may be connected to fake purchase receipts getting into the system. Whatever the cause, one developer told us the failure is “losing lots of sales” and “threatening to more-or-less take down the entire IAP ecosystem.” Seeing as Apple insists on this being the only route for in-app purchasing, they’d better fix it pretty darned quick.

[Thanks, Tipster]

In-app purchasing fail on iTunes is starting to bug developers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 08:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola’s Atrix 2 (Edison) flaunts qHD display, hands-on reveals no PenTile matrix

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

It seems that Motorola’s successor to the original Atrix has emerged in the streets of Chicago prior to being officially unveiled by AT&T. The crew at The Verge recently scored some hands-on time with the device, and in the process, cleared up much of the speculation regarding Ma Bell’s upcoming Atrix 2 — also known as the Edison. First, we know the device will indeed have a qHD display, although unlike Moto’s other 960 x 540 screens, this one discards the PenTile matrix and features properly proportioned sub-pixels, which delivers crisper text in the process. Additionally, there’s now further evidence that the handset will not be a member of AT&T’s LTE lineup, and thus will be limited to its HSPA+ network. Notably, this revision adds a shutter button along the right edge of the handset, although like the Photon, it’s only a single-stage mechanism, which is quite a bummer. Similar to the Bionic, it features a dual-core 1GHz TI OMAP CPU and delivers comparable benchmarks in the process. Looks like it’ll be a fine contender for battle with the biggies from Samsung and Apple, eh?

Motorola’s Atrix 2 (Edison) flaunts qHD display, hands-on reveals no PenTile matrix originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 06:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Denon DNP-720AE does network audio and not much else for $660

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

The DNP-720AE has been hanging around at trade shows for a while, but it’s only just been tagged up with a price. And boy, what a price: £429 ($ 660) for a stereo box that snatches AirPlay, DLNA, Internet radio, Napster and Last.fm off your WiFi or wired network and outputs to your amp. Sure, it packs a decent 24-bit DAC and will no doubt deliver that sweet Denon sound when added to your stack — but if you don’t already own a bunch of same-brand components then there’s plenty of alternatives to consider. To pick a random example, even the ancient and infinitely cheaper Logitech Squeezebox Duet has similar functionality, without AirPlay or DLNA specifically but with basic iTunes compatibility and Spotify too. You could put those savings towards a networked AV receiver instead.

Denon DNP-720AE does network audio and not much else for $ 660 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amtrak to finally launch free WiFi on October 1st?

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

Rumor ’round the Twitterverse has it that Amtrak may finally be implementing free WiFi on October 1st — finally seeing the bet laid down by various plane and bus companies over the past couple years. The casual conversation between conductor and passenger yielded the information that the system is apparently “ready to roll and it’s [sic] just a matter of ‘flipping the on switch.’” This comes as great news for commuters who have heard rumblings of the allegedly forthcoming free WiFi since January of 2010. Unfortunately, other than the tweet, there’s no word (official or otherwise) whether net surfage will be possible beginning next month. Regardless, looks like the “I didn’t have internet access” excuse is still valid for a little while longer for all you nine to fivers.

[Thanks, @melanierenzulli]

Amtrak to finally launch free WiFi on October 1st? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 04:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint’s Motorola Admiral quietly displayed on YouTube as America watches dancing cats

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments
It may not have quite as many views as Admiral Ackbar, but a chieftan of Sprint’s CDMA-based Direct Connect service was officially outed by the carrier via YouTube earlier. Our device in question, the Motorola Admiral, has now been given a speedy lookover despite the fact that the company hasn’t even seen fit to acknowledge its existence otherwise. ‘Course, we don’t imagine this was accidental in the slightest — the video of the rugged Android device has been up for several hours without getting pulled — but it’s still a curious way to introduce one of the first phones featuring a brand new service. Regardless, we now have the clearest shots of the portrait QWERTY smartphone that we’ve seen yet; the two-and-a-half minute teaser didn’t list off a lot of specs, but it did confirm the handset’s 3.1-inch display and five megapixel camera with LED flash. That should count for something, right? Still, it likely won’t be long before we get a real announcement with the full rundown, so just keep yourself entertained by watching the “related videos” section in the meantime. Check out the vid after the break.

Continue reading Sprint’s Motorola Admiral quietly displayed on YouTube as America watches dancing cats

Sprint’s Motorola Admiral quietly displayed on YouTube as America watches dancing cats originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 02:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York City braces for Tuesday’s arrival of mobile service on subway platforms

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

It’s hardly a natural disaster, but the landscape of Manhattan is about to change once again with the arrival of cellular signal to a handful of the borough’s subway platforms. Both AT&T and T-Mobile are taking part in the pilot program, and the Metropolitan Transit Authority expects the service to begin rolling on Tuesday at several stations along the 14th Street corridor, including A, C, E, F, L and M, along with stops 1, 2 and 3. The 23rd Street line will also see part of the action, as coverage is expected for the C and E stations. Of course, straphangers are unlikely to receive signal once on-board the trains, as the tunnels themselves aren’t included in this rollout. Currently, the MTA expects all 277 underground platforms to be equipped for mobile chatter by 2016. Transit Wireless, the company responsible for the expansion, is said to be in talks with Sprint and Verizon for a similar introduction, although its customers must be content to listen in on the conversations other commuters for the time being.

[Image from SeanPavonePhoto/Shutterstock]

New York City braces for Tuesday’s arrival of mobile service on subway platforms originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wisconsin library loans iPads for at home e-reading

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

If you thought hitting up the local library was far too Web 1.0 for your avant-garde lifestyle, you may want to check out the Eau Claire public library in Wisconsin — it’s not only lending books, but also, iPads. Each one of the 44 available tablets will be stuffed to the digital gills with 1,000 books, ten audiobooks and various apps for your reading (or, not reading) pleasure. Although other houses of learning have launched similar programs, this is the first of note to go with Apple slates for its e-reading experiment. If you’re the proud owner of a library card and have less than $ 10 in fines, you too can get in line for one of the loaners. We wonder, does the old saying “you break it, you buy it” apply here?

Wisconsin library loans iPads for at home e-reading originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIA Technologies sues Apple for patent infringement

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

Seems like we can’t go a week without another patent infringement lawsuit being filed, and this one’s no different. Apparently, VIA Technologies, maker of fine computational processors, is mad as hell with Apple’s allegedly infringing ways, and it’s not gonna take it anymore. Filed in the US District Court in Delaware, VIA claims that Cupertino’s iThings and Apple TVs infringe patent numbers 6,253,312, 6,253,311 and 6,754,810, which cover various microprocessor functions. A complaint’s also been lodged with the ITC — in order to hasten the settlement talks, no doubt. So, all that’s left is the countdown until these two shake hands, exchange checks and go on about their business… preferably outside the courtroom.

VIA Technologies sues Apple for patent infringement originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 22:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PBS screens the cultural eye-candy early to Apple devices, ushers iOS users past the public velvet rope

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

If you’re a fan of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, you’ll probably want to tune in to PBS’ new Prohibition-era doc — on your iOS device. That’s right, the federally-funded public station’s hip to our digital distributing times, and is giving an early access viewing window to users of its PBS app across Apple’s iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The high-brow art’ll get its stream on September 23rd, with the full series to air on broadcast from October 2nd through the 4th. While the doc’s two subsequent episodes will also stream live day and date on PBS’ video hub, your mobile apps won’t get the visual goods until the day after air. Of course, if that bevy of options doesn’t jive with your busy schedule, you can always download the show direct from PBS or iTunes. Official PR awaits you after the break.

Continue reading PBS screens the cultural eye-candy early to Apple devices, ushers iOS users past the public velvet rope

PBS screens the cultural eye-candy early to Apple devices, ushers iOS users past the public velvet rope originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 21:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spotify opens up to all in the US with free, unlimited music streaming for six months

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

It’s only been a couple of months since Spotify kicked off its invite-only beta here in the US, but along with announcing new Facebook tie-ins it’s finally ready to let the masses into the party. As if lifting the velvet rope weren’t enough, Spotify has also seen fit to throw in unlimited streaming for six months on the free plan, instead of the usual ten hours. Click the source link below to grab your own account now (Facebook account required) but be warned: millions before you walked in for the free taste and ended up with a $ 10 / month premium service musical addiction.

Spotify opens up to all in the US with free, unlimited music streaming for six months originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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America may join the net neutrality parade on November 20th, if the courts let it

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments
Net Neutrality FCC

Well America, on November 20th you too will finally have net neutrality regulations all your own… provided the anticipated pile of lawsuits don’t derail the process. The FCC will publish its “open internet rules” in the Federal Register tomorrow, making the regulations official. These are the same fairly modest proposals that were passed nearly a year ago over Republican opposition and, on that fateful day in November, they’re scheduled to take effect. The rules have already faced challenges from congress, Verizon and MetroPCS, but those suits were dismissed since the regulations technically didn’t exist. After tomorrow though, any and all legal challenges will be fair game. Since the FCC is relying on its ancillary powers instead of reclassifying broadband as a Tier II service (similar to telephone landlines), those challenges could actually meet with success. If you need a refresher, just check out or guide to net neutrality as well as our interview with advocate and law professor Tim Wu. Now, we just have to wait and see what tomorrow will bring.

America may join the net neutrality parade on November 20th, if the courts let it originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cricket takes a great leap forward, expands footprint with a little help from retail friends

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments

After inking a wholesale spectrum agreement with Sprint last year, Leap’s going for broke and rolling its “value-driven” Cricket service out nationwide on September 25th. The expansion includes a sprinkling of Walmart stores, Dollar General and even cable-shopping channel HSN, but the majority of its new reach will come from a partnership with Best Buy. In addition to offering monthly plans for dumb and smartphones alike, the MVNO’s also serving up specific Muve Music service packages to play nice with three upcoming handsets. Along with the Samsung Vitality and ZTE Chorus (both to be available before the holidays), Cricket’s introducing its first ZTE smartphone — the Score. Don’t go looking for high-end specs here, as the 3.5-inch Android device runs Gingerbread atop a 600MHz processor and includes a 3.2 megapixel camera. Feature phone users will also get a couple of new options to choose, with the Huawei Pillar and Samsung Chrono offered on the provider’s PAYGo service. If you’re in the mood to dig through PR spiel, skip past the break for a trio of pressers.

Continue reading Cricket takes a great leap forward, expands footprint with a little help from retail friends

Cricket takes a great leap forward, expands footprint with a little help from retail friends originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Engadget Podcast, live at 5:00PM ET!

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments

Tim’s back from Germany, and we’ve just finished another fun-filled episode of the Engadget Show. It’s time to take a break, you say? Taking breaks is for suckers — we’ve got a podcast to do. And this week we’ve got out very own Dana Wollman here to help us out.

Continue reading The Engadget Podcast, live at 5:00PM ET!

The Engadget Podcast, live at 5:00PM ET! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volunteer scientists discover two possible planets, tell NASA it missed a spot

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments

Proving it’s not all about edu-mah-cation, a group of casual star-gazers has stumbled upon what might well be a pair of new planets. Following on from gamers’ success with complicated medical puzzles, an army of 40,000 online volunteer astronomy nerds signed up to the Planet Hunters project to help mine through NASA data. One of the possible planets they discovered is roughly two and a half times the size of Earth, while the other a whopping eight times bigger than this revolving ball of blue and green we call home. The project uses data from NASA’s Keppler telescope, which registers fluctuations in brightness as objects pass in front of distant stars — a setup that’s helped scientists discover 1,235 potential alien planets in its first four months. Obviously, though, the technology isn’t perfect, which is where the project’s muggle volunteers (assisted by Oxford and University of Chicago researchers) come in. They’ve been combing through NASA’s readings and are now sifting through the next 90 days of Keppler observations.

[Image credit: NASA]

Volunteer scientists discover two possible planets, tell NASA it missed a spot originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Color abandons app independence for Facebook, hopes you’ll pay someone a ‘visit’

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments
Color launched to a fair amount of fanfare back in March, and it’s not surprising, really — the company was spearheaded by Lala founder Bill Nguyen, with ten of millions in backing from some top venture capital firms. The hype surrounding the photo-sharing app didn’t take long to die down, however — over the past several months, we haven’t heard much from the startup. Turns out the Color team was rethinking the project from ground up. The company used f8 this week to launch a new version of the app built entirely around Facebook. The new Color harnesses updates to the social Network’s Open Graph protocol to introduce the concept of “visits,” a social gesture that prompts a user to request a live video feed from a Facebook friend upon seeing an interesting photo in their feeds on the social network or in the iPhone / Android app. The brief video stream can be attended by multiple users, becoming something of a mini UStream built into Facebook. The new Color is currently in a closed testing phase, though interested parties can sign up to take part below.

Color abandons app independence for Facebook, hopes you’ll pay someone a ‘visit’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re live from Facebook’s 2011 f8 developer conference!

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments

Oh yeah, we’re here, live at the f8 developers conference in San Francisco, and we’re going to give you a blow by blow of what’s in store for all you Facebook-loving folks. The streets is talking and the rumor mill’s churning at full bore about what we can expect, but Mark Zuckerberg’s keynote is mere minutes away, and all will be revealed soon. So, check back here to get the scoop on all the new social-networking goodies as he dishes them out.

We’re live from Facebook’s 2011 f8 developer conference! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RED CEO teases 4K 3D laser projector, bound for theaters and (millionaires’) homes

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments

Red LogoWe all love RED — the company puts out some of the best pro-quality digital video cameras on the market. But, what about the other side of that equation? All of that 4K footage is worthless without something to watch it on. CEO Jim Jannard, notorious for his ability to build hype and mystery, took to the REDUser Forums to tease some details about an upcoming 4K, 3D laser projection system that will be targeted at both homes (presumably well off ones) and theaters. Details about the projector are still scarce, but we do know it won’t be using TI’s 4K DLP chip, and that it will rely on passive 3D tech rather than active, which Jannard said “landed in the La Brea Tar Pits.” The image is apparently so bright and clear that it left Stephen Pizzo, co-founder Element Technica, “speechless.” We just have one question: when can we expect our review unit?

RED CEO teases 4K 3D laser projector, bound for theaters and (millionaires’) homes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink This is my next, SlashGear  |  sourceREDUser Forum  | Email this | Comments
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OpenMobile demos ACL for MeeGo, promises 100% compatibility with Android apps (video)

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments

OpenMobile is a new company on the application compatibility scene whose primary product, the Application Compatibility Layer, promises to bring Android’s large volume of apps to smaller platforms. In the following video, ACL is shown running on MeeGo, where the creators promise full compatibility with every Android app — without the need for developer modification — by leveraging Google’s runtime environment and Dalvik VM. While support for Intel and Nokia’s misbegotten lovechild is first out the door (along with Linux itself), the company plans to introduce similar versions for Bada, QNX, Symbian, WebOS and Windows. Like its competitor, Alien Dalvik, OpenMobile is positioning its Application Compatibility Layer to OEM manufacturers rather than consumers. Unfortunately, this eliminates any hope you might’ve had for installing Hanging with Friends on that N9 you’ve pre-ordered — unless OpenMobile’s able to convince the folks in Espoo with a mighty good sales pitch, anyway.

[Thanks, Mikko]

Continue reading OpenMobile demos ACL for MeeGo, promises 100% compatibility with Android apps (video)

OpenMobile demos ACL for MeeGo, promises 100% compatibility with Android apps (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Two megapixel mini-camera measures in at under a cubic inch, weighs under an ounce

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments

Remember that one-inch Chobi Cam One spotted in Japan earlier this year? Well, its tiny self has now reappeared on US shores, ready to be lost in a sofa or coat pocket near you. Unimaginatively titled “The World’s Smallest Camera,” it’s priced at $ 99.95 and packs a petite, two megapixel autofocus sensor capable of recording VGA video. Resembling a Lego Man’s DSLR, storage is done on a microSD card, though you’re more likely to run out of battery juice than space — the battery will give a maximum of 30 minutes use from one hour’s charge. “The world’s smallest” are words we hear a lot at Engadget, and we’re inclined to agree with CNET that JTT’s previous camera, the Chobi Cam, is actually smaller by volume. The Chobi Cam One arrived with extra detachable lenses, but there’s no word yet on whether these add-ons will appear in Hammacher Sclemmer’s online store — not that we really want to be lugging around a whole bunch of tiny lenses with us.

Continue reading Two megapixel mini-camera measures in at under a cubic inch, weighs under an ounce

Two megapixel mini-camera measures in at under a cubic inch, weighs under an ounce originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Install Windows 8 onto your HTC Shift today, give it a reason to wake up in the morning (video)

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments

If you’ve got an HTC Shift sitting around that’s collecting dust and not doing much else, it could find a new lease on life with the revelation of its (very unofficial) support for Windows 8. Like they did for Mac OS X previously, the folks at xda-developers have shoehorned Microsoft’s latest Developer Preview OS onto the dejected UMPC, and so long as you’ve got a bit of spare time, the right equipment and are good at following instructions, you can too. All the basic driver support appears to be in order, including support for video acceleration, the touchscreen and WiFi. Granted, you should keep in mind you’ll be installing pre-release software on unsupported hardware, but isn’t that half the fun? There’s a video after the break (heads-up: it’s in French), and if you’re looking to get started right away, you’ll find a full list of instructions in the source below.

[Thanks, M.]

Continue reading Install Windows 8 onto your HTC Shift today, give it a reason to wake up in the morning (video)

Install Windows 8 onto your HTC Shift today, give it a reason to wake up in the morning (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 07:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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4G variant of HTC’s Radar spotted in the wild, flying a magenta flag

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments

The Radar’s arrival in this world was overshadowed by the massive Titan released on the same day. But if a batch of spy shots sent to TmoNews is to be believed, then this mid-specced 3.8-inch Windows Phone could be about to get some much needed 4G pep on T-Mobile’s network. The photos also reveal plenty of magenta branding, Tango video calling and of course Mango running under the hood. Further corroboration probably won’t come til we detect an HSPA+ Radar at the FCC, but with some decent 6/7Mbps real-world download speeds and hopefully some mobile hotspot action this could well be a device worth having.

4G variant of HTC’s Radar spotted in the wild, flying a magenta flag originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 06:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Henry Tirri appointed CTO of Nokia, permanently replacing Rich Green

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments

Not much of a surprise here, but today it finally becomes official: Henry Tirri has been appointed CTO of Nokia, nearly four months after assuming the position on a temporary basis. Tirri, who joined the company in 2004 and previously served as head of its research center, will permanently replace former CTO Rich Green, who took an indefinite leave of absence from Espoo back in June, citing “personal reasons.” At the time, some local media outlets reported that Green’s absence would be permanent, due to disagreements over CEO Stephen Elop’s smartphone OS strategy. Reportedly a one-time Meego advocate, Green will now return to the US to “pursue new opportunities” and, as of today, is no longer a member of the Nokia Leadership Team. Tirri, meanwhile, will be responsible for designing “Nokia’s technology agenda both now and in the future, and driving core innovation to enable business development opportunities.” We’ll have to wait and see where that path leads, but you can find more details about the appointment in the full press release, after the break.

Continue reading Henry Tirri appointed CTO of Nokia, permanently replacing Rich Green

Henry Tirri appointed CTO of Nokia, permanently replacing Rich Green originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 05:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK gets first hydrogen refueling station, Honda lot graciously plays host

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments

UK-based treehuggers can bust out the internet high fives now. Merry ol’ Swindon just got the British isles’ first ever commercial hydrogen refueling station. Part of a collaborative effort between industrial gas company BOC (which built and maintains the pumps), the Forward Swindon economic initiative and Honda, owners can roll their clean energy machines into the automaker’s manufacturing lot for a fill-up. BOC’s hoping the experience, which reportedly looks and functions much like a traditional gas station, will serve as an example of the private – public partnerships required to rollout infrastructure for alternative energy adoption. So, it’s good news for the fuel cell-equipped handful of you cruising about Swindon town, or just passing through on a ’round the world tour. Of course, no official word as to whether Tilda Swinton plans to officiate the opening. Official PR after the break.

Continue reading UK gets first hydrogen refueling station, Honda lot graciously plays host

UK gets first hydrogen refueling station, Honda lot graciously plays host originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft boots Windows Phone manager following mini-review of Nokia’s Mango handset

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments

The man who previously led the development of IE Mobile for Windows Phone is no longer with Microsoft, whose termination followed a series of tweets regarding one of Nokia’s unreleased Mango handsets. A representative of Ballmer & Co. has confirmed to us “that Joe Marini no longer works at Microsoft,” and while the company refuses to discuss the details of his termination, you be the judge. In his first tweet, Mr. Marini expressed glowing enthusiasm for the device, having called it one of Nokia’s slickest ever. Then, however, he went on to give the phone an “8″ (to summarize his 144 character review), criticize the camera as being good, but not great, and bemoan its screen size. Oops. If anything, unbridled enthusiasm is encouraged at Microsoft (just think back to Steve Ballmer’s monkey dance if you had any doubt), but when sheer excitement erupts into stunning frankness regarding unreleased products from partner companies, perhaps this ex-Microsoftee should have kept his thoughts offline. We wish you luck, Joe, but next time, just remember that review scores are a relic of the past. Instead, just let the words speak for themselves.

Microsoft boots Windows Phone manager following mini-review of Nokia’s Mango handset originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 02:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink WPCentral, TNW, GeekWire  |  sourceTwitter  | Email this | Comments
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OCZ debuts Synapse Cache Series SSDs to compensate for your HDD’s shortcomings

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments

This really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, given some of OCZ’s other offerings, but the company has outed its Synapse Cache SSDs so you don’t have to suffer the speed limitations inherent in spinning disk storage. These 2.5-inch, 6 GB/s SATA drives come in 64 and 128GB flavors, and do the dual drive dance with your HDD of choice using the firms’ Dataplex caching software. That nifty bit of code hastens data retrieval by dynamically managing your data, placing frequently used info on the speedy SSD, and shoving the rest on your capacious, cheap-as-chips HDD. When can you up your storage speed limit and how much will it cost? OCZ’s not telling, but the drive’s full performance specs can be found in the PR and source below.

Continue reading OCZ debuts Synapse Cache Series SSDs to compensate for your HDD’s shortcomings

OCZ debuts Synapse Cache Series SSDs to compensate for your HDD’s shortcomings originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Splashtop Remote Desktop now available for Mac OS X, costs but $10

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments

Not content with creating the possibility of (emulated) Wii gaming on Android tablets, Splashtop continues to spread itself across pretty much anything with a screen, with a Mac-friendly version available now at the Mac App Store. This release allows both Mac OS X 10.6 and Windows to hold hands across the great OS divide — nice to see Splashtop is still beavering away at its “Bridge to Anywhere.” Desktop access to both your most intimate files and programs — through both local networks and the internet at large — are but a $ 9.99 payment away.

Continue reading Splashtop Remote Desktop now available for Mac OS X, costs but $ 10

Splashtop Remote Desktop now available for Mac OS X, costs but $ 10 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 23:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSplashtop, Mac App Store  | Email this | Comments
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LG Optimus EX bound for South Korea, still won’t pay alimony

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments
Despite its rather curious name, the LG Optimus EX (aka the LG SU-880) just might be your soulmate — provided you live in South Korea. The 9.5mm device appears ready to take SK Telecom by storm with a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU (with no indication of make or model), Android 2.3, 4-inch WVGA TFT-LCD display and five megapixel camera; it’s also said to be coming in black and white varieties. We admit, it’s not the type of spec sheet that induces a large amount of salivation, but we imagine many will be seduced by the new device — if the price is right, that is. No word on pricing or availability yet, but we’ll hopefully know more once we get officially introduced to the new handset.

LG Optimus EX bound for South Korea, still won’t pay alimony originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PocketNow, MovePlayer (translated)  |  sourcePopboy (translated)  | Email this | Comments
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DirecTV iPad app upgrade adds easy multiroom DVR control, HDUI compatibility

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments

A new update for DirecTV’s official iPad app just showed up in iTunes, adding the ability to manage recordings on all of your connected HD DVRs. As seen in the screenshot above, v1.2.6 ties into the company’s whole home DVR setup by letting a user control one box directly, then browse recordings stored elsewhere and play them in the room in the room where they are. Also new is the ability to delete DVR’d shows straight from the iPad, and readers tell us that after the upgrade the app has begun working with the revamped HDUI beta that DirecTV started testing a couple of weeks ago. Hit the source link below to grab it for yourself from iTunes.

[Thanks, SV & Stuart]

DirecTV iPad app upgrade adds easy multiroom DVR control, HDUI compatibility originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In case you didn’t know, PS Vita will play nice with PSP in ad-hoc mode

Posted by on September 22, 2011 No comments
Check out this tasty morsel of PS Vita info making the rounds: you’ll be able to face your PSP-totin’ friends via ad-hoc mode with games you’ve snagged from the PS Store (so long as the title supports it). We must’ve been so enamored by those vibrant PS Vitas at TGS that we missed this sweet bite courtesy of Sony PlayStation Japan. Sure, it doesn’t kill the sting of its three to five hour battery life, but hey, we’ll just consider it another justification for picking up the hot little number once it hits shelves.

In case you didn’t know, PS Vita will play nice with PSP in ad-hoc mode originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Technabob, Geeky Gadgets, Siliconera  |  sourcePlaystation Japan (Translated)  | Email this | Comments
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Samsung releases AT&T Galaxy S II kernel source far in advance of the phone’s release

Posted by on September 21, 2011 No comments


Whoever’s cranking out the kernel source in Samsung’s headquarters has some serious aspirations. Cooking it up for the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch the day it was released was a rather snappy process, but the manufacturer’s managed to one-up even itself by pushing out AT&T’s version a full week and a half early. Talk about an exciting deal for developers, who now have a sizable head start ahead of the Galaxy S II’s October 2nd launch. Not too shabby, right? Let’s see exactly what those with the know-how can build in the meantime — we predict customization options aplenty by the time the phone’s officially stocked on store shelves. How early can we expect to see the kernel for T-Mobile’s Galaxy S II? Hard to say, but for now you can grab the kernel source at… well, the source below.

Samsung releases AT&T Galaxy S II kernel source far in advance of the phone’s release originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AndroidCentral  |  sourceSamsung  | Email this | Comments
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Squid extract bridges human / machine divide, cyborgs to become very real

Posted by on September 21, 2011 No comments

If we ever manage to capture a live giant squid, researchers at the University of Washington are going to have a field day. Enterprising minds at the institution’s materials science and engineering department have discovered a use for chitosan — an extract made from squid pen or crab shells that could lead us down a cybernetic road to human / machine interfaces. The team incorporated the organic compound into their field-effect transistor prototype, and effectively created the first protonic circuitry “that’s completely analogous to [the way] an electronic current” can be manipulated. Naturally, the silicon-based tech isn’t ready (or safe) for implantation into humans just yet, but could one day be used to control biological functions, sending on / off commands to our bodies. Maybe we won’t have to fear that robot apocalypse, after all. You never know, give scientists ample time to fully flesh this advancement out and Spielberg’s next great cinematic, sci-fi opus could wind up becoming a cyborg rom-com. Stranger things have happened folks.

Squid extract bridges human / machine divide, cyborgs to become very real originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TG Daily  |  sourceUniversity of Washington  | Email this | Comments
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Twitter opens up photo sharing via text message on some carriers

Posted by on September 21, 2011 No comments

We’re not exactly lacking in ways to share a photo on Twitter these days, but one key area that has been left behind is the venerable text message — which is pretty important for the millions of people that don’t have smartphones. While tweets via text have been possible since day one, Twitter has only just now opened up the ability to post a photo via SMS. That service is only available on some carriers initially — AT&T, Verizon and Cellular South in the US, Vodafone, O2 and Orange in the UK, and Rogers in Canada, plus Vodafone Italy, VIVA Bahrain and TIM Brazil — but Twitter says that it’s working to bring the feature to additional carriers. Actually sending a photo via text is as simple as you’d expect (just attach it to your message and send it to the appropriate number for your country), but you’ll of course have to be aware of any additional charges your carrier might impose.

Twitter opens up photo sharing via text message on some carriers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Next Web  |  sourceTwitter  | Email this | Comments
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New RED Scarlet to be announced November 3rd

Posted by on September 21, 2011 No comments

Well, it looks like Canon won’t be the only company making a big camera announcement on November 3rd. RED CEO Jim Jannard has also now confirmed that it will also be officially announcing its “new” RED Scarlet camera on the very same day (no coincidence, it seems), at which point it will detail “all the changes” the company has made to it. Unfortunately, that’s about all the company is saying right now, although Jannard promises that “when we announce the changes, we will be ready to ship.”

[Thanks, Lucario]

New RED Scarlet to be announced November 3rd originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Poll: Spotify tops two million premium subscribers — are you one?

Posted by on September 21, 2011 No comments

The competition may be nabbing most of the headlines these days, but Spotify’s got some good news of its own to report. We just got word that the streaming music service has passed two million premium subscribers internationally. We attempted to get some clarification on just how many of those are based in the US, but the company doesn’t break down such numbers by country. Still, it’s a positive note for companies trying to monetize such services in the face of increasing free offerings. So, are you one in two million? Take the poll and tell us why — or why not — in the comments below.

View Poll

Poll: Spotify tops two million premium subscribers — are you one? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Willcom unveils its 33-gram WX03A, a phone-accessory phone?

Posted by on September 21, 2011 No comments

You can’t get more niche than a phone accessory that’s also a phone, but that’s exactly what Japanese network Willcom has got here in the miniscule WX03A “strap phone” — a candy-bar handset that attaches to another phone. The device weighs in just 33g, crammed in a 32 x 70mm frame boasting a thickness of 10.5mm — which, as you can see, compares favorably with a packet of curiously-named Japanese mints. With the space at a premium, features are very thin on the ground; no Bluetooth, memory card slot or even email functionality. There is, however, an infrared connection (for exchanging contacts), microUSB port, headphone socket and a battery capable of 300 hours standby. Those genuinely interested in carrying two handsets can pick one up in December, and we hope to see in-the-wild pictures of lop-sided, dual-phone nunchucks soon after.

Continue reading Willcom unveils its 33-gram WX03A, a phone-accessory phone?

Willcom unveils its 33-gram WX03A, a phone-accessory phone? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Engadget Japanese (translated)  |  sourceWillcom (translated)  | Email this | Comments
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Amazon lets you check out Kindle books from library websites, asks you to shush yourself at home

Posted by on September 21, 2011 No comments
Love libraries, but hate having to look at all of those dusty old books? Good news: following the recent Seattle-only launch, it’s now possible to check out Amazon Kindle books from some 11,000 library sites, as long as you have a valid library card and an Amazon account. You can check a library’s inventory (like their physical counterparts, the libraries only have a limited number of Kindle copies for each title) and download copies to your Kindle or Kindle app-enable device via WiFi or USB. Like the libraries’ physical books, Kindle copies will carry an expiration date — but after that time, they can either be renewed or purchase through Amazon, with all of your bookmarks and notations still in place. Press release after the break.

Continue reading Amazon lets you check out Kindle books from library websites, asks you to shush yourself at home

Amazon lets you check out Kindle books from library websites, asks you to shush yourself at home originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook opened up for the FCC, should have showered first

Posted by on September 21, 2011 No comments

Dark stains aside, it looks like the S3′s WiFi and Bluetooth credentials are all in order so we’ll hopefully see its skinny 17mm (0.67-inch) form stateside before too long. The regulatory teardown pics don’t tell us a great deal, but then we already know plenty from our earlier hands-on: a choice of Core i3, i5 and i7 processors, a 13.3-inch (1366 x 768) display and a competitive €799 European price tag, not to mention some heavy expectations from the Ultrabook promoters at Intel.

Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook opened up for the FCC, should have showered first originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook adds real-time ‘ticker’ to overhauled news feed, donates old layout to science (video)

Posted by on September 21, 2011 No comments
Facebook is about to turn your social life into an online newspaper. That’s the takeaway from a new slate of changes the company unveiled yesterday, ahead of its annual f8 developer conference in San Francisco. From now on, if you log in to Facebook after a lengthy hiatus, your news feed — much like the front page of a daily paper — will consist of a list of “top stories,” photos and updates that were posted while you were away, with each high-priority item tagged with a blue earmark. More frequent users, on the other hand, will find a list of most recent stories presented in chronological order, along with larger photos embedded directly within their news feed. The company has also introduced a new “ticker” feature that provides users with real-time updates on their friends’ activity, displayed along the right-hand side of the home page. Here, you’ll find the exact same updates you’d see on a real-time news feed, with the crucial difference being that you’ll be able to interact with each development without missing a beat. If you see that a friend comments on a cat video, for example, you’ll be able to click that item in the ticker and add your two cents, without having to navigate away from the home screen. Facebook will likely provide more details on these new features at its f8 tomorrow, but you can find more information in the demo video, after the break.

Continue reading Facebook adds real-time ‘ticker’ to overhauled news feed, donates old layout to science (video)

Facebook adds real-time ‘ticker’ to overhauled news feed, donates old layout to science (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PC Mag  |  sourceFacebook  | Email this | Comments
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Report: Apple to hold media event on October 4th, Tim Cook to unveil iPhone 5

Posted by on September 21, 2011 No comments

We have yet to receive official word on this, but All Things Digital is reporting today that Apple’s next big media event will be held on October 4th, where freshly minted CEO Tim Cook is expected to unveil the iPhone 5. Sources close to the situation say Cook will be the main presenter at the event, with execs Phil Schiller, Scott Forstall and Eddy Cue playing supporting roles. This would mark the first time that Cook has actually led an Apple event, adding an extra wrinkle of significance to an already highly anticipated occasion. The site’s sources went on to say that the next-gen iPhone will be available for purchase “within a few weeks” of the announcement, though All Things Digital acknowledges that the exact date of its unveiling is still subject to change. As always, we’ll be sure to keep you posted as soon as we hear more.

Report: Apple to hold media event on October 4th, Tim Cook to unveil iPhone 5 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft and Casio enter cross licensing agreement, world wonders if Casio actually makes Linux-based devices

Posted by on September 21, 2011 No comments
If you happen to be making devices that run on Linux — of which Android is a subset — odds are pretty good that you’ll be getting a phone call from Redmond at some point. And that’s just what happened to Casio, who’s joining existing licensees TomTom and Amazon in signing a cross license agreement with Microsoft for patents pertaining to the Tux-approved OS. Covering Linux on “certain Casio devices,” the joint statement was equally vague about how many greenbacks exchanged hands, simply stating: “[both] parties acknowledge that Microsoft is being compensated by Casio.” There ain’t much more to it, but folks looking to humor themselves can do so after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft and Casio enter cross licensing agreement, world wonders if Casio actually makes Linux-based devices

Microsoft and Casio enter cross licensing agreement, world wonders if Casio actually makes Linux-based devices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 05:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T launches new global messaging plans, lets you comfortably roam

Posted by on September 21, 2011 No comments

The largest GSM carrier in the country is popular amongst travelers because you can use nearly all of its phones anywhere in the world. Messaging whilst abroad, however, has always been an expensive headache since the best option on AT&T was a bundle of 50 SMS / MMS messages for $ 10. That’s a quaint number, to say the least, considering many of us can burn through that many messages in an hour. Beginning today, two more options are available for the more text-savvy roamers: you can get a package of 200 for $ 30, or 500 for $ 50. This number only reflects the number of messages you send, which means those received are counted against your US bucket of texts (if you’re on a pay-per-use messaging plan, they’ll cost 20 cents). Given the company’s recent history of streamlining, we applaud the additional choices global jetsetters now have. Enjoy the presser after the break.

Continue reading AT&T launches new global messaging plans, lets you comfortably roam

AT&T launches new global messaging plans, lets you comfortably roam originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 03:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There is now a $4.6 million Tata Nano made of gold

Posted by on September 21, 2011 No comments

There are people who ask why, and people who ask why not — and yet others who decide to turn a $ 2,500 car into a $ 4.6 million car by covering it with gold and jewels. Yes, that’s none other than a lowly Tata Nano in an extravagant disguise that you’re looking at, and, yes, it’s very much real — and apparently for sale if anyone’s interested, according to the Tata jewelery subsidiary responsible for it (at least once it’s done touring it around for a few months). Head on past the break for a video of the unveiling from ITN.

[Image credit: Megha Bahree / The Wall Street Journal]

Continue reading There is now a $ 4.6 million Tata Nano made of gold

There is now a $ 4.6 million Tata Nano made of gold originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 02:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Autoblog  |  sourceThe Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments
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Switchable graphics solutions duel it out, AMD ends up looking like a chump

Posted by on September 21, 2011 No comments
AMD Dynamic Switchable Graphics

At this point, NVIDIA’s Optimus switchable graphics are old hat, but AMD is relatively new to the game of packing dual GPUs in a single laptop. AnandTech decided to pit the two solutions against each other and, well, lets just say AMD doesn’t come out looking so great. The biggest problem appears to be stability. While performance is acceptable (though, not quite as good as it should be) the site had trouble getting four of the supposedly 16 supported games to switch between the integrated and discrete GPUs as advertised. Regular driver updates, not to mention a bit more testing, could solve the issues, but for now NVIDIA’s Optimus simply outclasses its AMD counterpart. Check out the video after the break and don’t forget to hit up the source link for all the details.

Continue reading Switchable graphics solutions duel it out, AMD ends up looking like a chump

Switchable graphics solutions duel it out, AMD ends up looking like a chump originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 01:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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