HTC's Mazaa Windows Phone spotted in the wild

HTC's Mazaa Windows Phone spotted in the wild: "

Remember that mysterious HTC Windows Phone we saw the other day? Well, Dmitriy Ryabinin got his hands on one and, according to his photos, the device is indeed a Mazaa. Similar in appearance to the HTC Trophy, the Mazaa appears to boast slightly less storage than its 7.2 GB cousin, runs on Windows 7 'Mango' and, as Ryabinin confirmed, features that 12 megapixel camera we noticed earlier. Of course, there's still a lot we don't know about this phone and its name could very well change by the time it's announced, but we'll let you know as soon as we find out more. For now, you can head past the break for an extra image, or check out the source link for even more eye candy.

Continue reading HTC's Mazaa Windows Phone spotted in the wild

HTC's Mazaa Windows Phone spotted in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 08:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android 2.1 update now available for AT&T Xperia X10

Android 2.1 update now available for AT&T Xperia X10: "

Sure, all your friends are rocking Android 2.3. But hey, quit complaining AT&T Xperia X10 owners, everyone knows that eclair is way better than vanilla froyo.

Android 2.1 update now available for AT&T Xperia X10 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 06:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pixel Qi takes aim at Android tablets with higher-res 10-inch and 7-inch reflective LCDs (hands-on)

Pixel Qi takes aim at Android tablets with higher-res 10-inch and 7-inch reflective LCDs (hands-on): "

We've been holding out hope for Pixel Qi devices for years, ever since we first heard that the OLPC spin-off would begin manufacturing its displays for use by any OEM looking for a battery-sipping LCD. Unfortunately, Mary Lou's LCDs, capable of switching between a sunlight-readable reflective mode and full-color transmissive state, have had limited uptake by some less than desirable partners. Still, the team has returned to Computex with the 7-inch (1024 x 600) panel that was teased in December last year and a new higher resolution 10-inch (1280 x 800) panels offering an 80 percent power savings over conventional LCDs, according to Pixel Qi. In fact, the 10-inch panel consumes just 2.7W in color mode or 0.4W in reflective 'eReader' mode.



We had the chance to see the new displays up close here at Computex and were immediately struck by the improvement in pixel density on the 10-inch panel. Making the leap to WVGA has been a major boon, as identical images looked sharper and better-defined than on the 1024 x 600 current-gen Pixel Qi display. The brightness on the new screen is lower than on its predecessor, but that's because the company still hasn't finalized things -- we're promised significantly better readability with the backlight off in the final product and brighter pictures when it's on. The 7-incher, originally intended for mass production in the second quarter will now sample in Q3, to be followed by the more pixel-dense 10-inch model, which will hit production in Q4. Scope out the newness in the gallery below or jump past the break for video.

Gallery: Pixel Qi 7-inch and 10-inch reflective LCDs at Computex 2011

Continue reading Pixel Qi takes aim at Android tablets with higher-res 10-inch and 7-inch reflective LCDs (hands-on)

Pixel Qi takes aim at Android tablets with higher-res 10-inch and 7-inch reflective LCDs (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 06:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP TouchPad available at OfficeMax on July 17th?

HP TouchPad available at OfficeMax on July 17th?: "

Here's something to add to your long list of webOS-related rumors: OfficeMax may be getting the HP TouchPad this July. If the above document is to be believed, HP's new 9.7-inch tablet will be available at the retailer on July 17th in both 3G and 4G versions -- which is a bit puzzling, considering the company hasn't made any mention of WiMAX or LTE compatibility. As for that earlier Walmart gossip, another tipster provided PreCentral with a screenshot of the big box's database (after the break), which corroborates the $600 price tag we've been hearing about for the 32GB model. If this proves true, it'll be another month before we find out whether the slate truly lives up to HP's exceedingly high expectations.

Continue reading HP TouchPad available at OfficeMax on July 17th?

HP TouchPad available at OfficeMax on July 17th? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 May 2011 09:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS outs UX21 ultrathin laptop with up to Core i7 CPUs (video hands-on!)

ASUS outs UX21 ultrathin laptop with up to Core i7 CPUs (video hands-on!): "

The thickest part of this new laptop is 17mm, its entire body is built from an aluminum alloy (weighs 1.1kg / 2.4lb), and the CPUs can be specced as high as Core i7. Anything else you need to know before drooling all over yourself? How about a two-second resume from sleep, thanks to ASUS' proprietary software, a SATA III SSD, USB 3.0 connectivity, and the ability to hybernate for up to one week? The trackpad is made out of glass, while the keyboard keys are all metal. ASUS projects the launch of its shiny new UX21 in September, and you can see more of it in the gallery below or video after the break.

Gallery: ASUS UX21 hands-on

Gallery: ASUS UX Series ultraportable notebooks

Continue reading ASUS outs UX21 ultrathin laptop with up to Core i7 CPUs (video hands-on!)

ASUS outs UX21 ultrathin laptop with up to Core i7 CPUs (video hands-on!) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 May 2011 03:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google flight schedule search takes off, helps you figure out when to get aboard

Google flight schedule search takes off, helps you figure out when to get aboard: "

Been wishing you could find flight information the same way you would for a bus or train? Now you're covered with the new flight schedule search feature Google launched last week. By simply typing 'flights from / to' a destination in the search bar, it displays specific flight routes or all routes from a particular airport, all of the airlines serving the locales along with flight numbers, and travel dates / times. The ITA travel search software which the DOJ finally allowed Google to purchase last month isn't powering the feature, although Google stated on its blog that the flight schedule search is a 'small step' in an overall effort to make finding flight information simpler. The service supports ten languages, and you'll find more info by hitting the source link below. Now if only it could tell us whether our flight has WiFi...

Google flight schedule search takes off, helps you figure out when to get aboard originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 May 2011 04:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Huffington Post | Google | Email this | Comments"

Alaska Airlines ditches paper flight manuals for iPads

Alaska Airlines ditches paper flight manuals for iPads: "

The iPad has already gotten the go-ahead from the FAA as a replacement for paper flight charts and maps, and now Alaska Airlines has become the first major US airline to hop on board the paperless bandwagon. While it's not quite ready to ditch paper navigation charts just yet (though that is under consideration), the airline has announced that it will be replacing its traditional flight manuals with iPads, which will be loaded up with the GoodReader app and PDFs of 41 different manuals and other materials. According to the airline, that change will result in savings of about 2.4 million pieces of paper, and it says the cost of the project will be offset by fuel savings from the reduced weight, and additional savings that are expected from 'fewer back and muscle injuries caused by pilots carrying flight bags,' which can weigh up to 50 pounds. Let's just hope those newly lightened flight bags still have room for a charging cable.

Continue reading Alaska Airlines ditches paper flight manuals for iPads

Alaska Airlines ditches paper flight manuals for iPads originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 May 2011 11:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS PadFone shown off in proper brightness ahead of launch?

ASUS PadFone shown off in proper brightness ahead of launch?: "

We've already seen a glimpse of ASUS' 'pad or phone' duo -- likely to be named PadFone -- hanging out in their latest teaser pic, and now thanks to the folks over at Notebook Italia, we can finally gaze at their much brighter, non-silhouette form. Despite the awkward cropping, the leaked product shot above echoes the same shape and set of Android soft keys as seen previously. Upon closer inspection, though, we believe that the newly-shown silver bar is just the phone's volume rocker, rather than a potential docking port. So how do the two physically bond together, if at all? Until tomorrow's launch event, your guess is just as good as ours.

ASUS PadFone shown off in proper brightness ahead of launch? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 08:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink NowhereElse | Notebook Italia | Email this | Comments"

Visualized: Samsung wants to see the iPhone 5 and iPad 3

Visualized: Samsung wants to see the iPhone 5 and iPad 3: "

Samsung lawyers recently asked the court to make Apple show them the as-yet-unannounced iPhone 5 and iPad 3, claiming that they need to know what Apple's products will look like ahead of time to avoid future lawsuits and uncanny similarities.



If only it were this easy.

Visualized: Samsung wants to see the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 May 2011 20:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | This is my next | Email this | Comments"

How would you change HTC's Thunderbolt?

How would you change HTC's Thunderbolt?: "

We know we're opening a can of worms that can never be resealed here, but it's true: we're desperate to know how you'd change HTC's Thunderbolt if given the chance. Verizon's LTE wunderchild has had all sorts of issues from the beginning, some of which are still ongoing. Tough battery life, random reboots, you name it. That said, it's still an imposing, beautiful device, and if those quirks ever get ironed out, it's easily one of the best 4G phones on the market. You know the deal -- toss your suggestions for reworking the Thunderbolt down in comments below, particularly if you're one of those early adopter types who've been saddled with said bugs from the start.

How would you change HTC's Thunderbolt? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 May 2011 23:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony says PlayStation Network will return to Asia, starting tomorrow

Sony says PlayStation Network will return to Asia, starting tomorrow: "

Good news, Asia -- the PlayStation Network is finally coming back. Today, Sony announced that it will restore its gaming network across the continent, more than a month after falling prey to a crippling data breach. The company's PSN services are already up and running across other parts of the world and, beginning tomorrow, will light up once again in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and even Japan, which had been harboring serious reservations about the network's security. Gamers in South Korea and Hong Kong, meanwhile, will have to wait a little longer before returning to normalcy, though Sony is hoping to completely resolve the issue by the end of the month. The company certainly seems eager to put this saga to bed, and for understandable reasons. The incident has already cost Sony an estimated $171 million in revenue -- not to mention the untold numbers of suddenly wary consumers.

Sony says PlayStation Network will return to Asia, starting tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 May 2011 06:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Bloomberg | Email this | Comments"

Smartphones, not DVRs, are the biggest threat to TV adverts

Smartphones, not DVRs, are the biggest threat to TV adverts: "

TV viewers are a famously fickle bunch, which tends to drive TV advertisers crazy. The prevalent theory remains that skipping past ads using a pesky DVR is the biggest enemy of marketers, but new research has once again contradicted that received wisdom. The IPG Media Lab in Los Angeles pulled together a representative group of 48 TV and online video viewers and asked them to sit through some programming while equipped with the usual 'devices or distractions' that accompany their viewing habits. Central to the study was the measurement of time each person spent facing the screen and how engaged they were with the content. The first thing noted was that 94 percent of TV viewers and 73 percent of online video consumers used some other form of media to augment their visual entertainment. Smartphones were the most common, with 60 percent of test subjects resorting to their handset while gawking at the TV. That's resulted in a mediocre 52 percent attention level during actual programs and 37 percent during ads. In other words, two thirds of the time, commercials are being ignored and smartphones are helping people with that heinous behavior. Ironically, fast-forwarding adverts using a DVR garnered attention levels that were 12 percent higher, mostly because people were trying to make sure they didn't skip too far ahead. Damn, why does reality have to be all complex and stuff?

Smartphones, not DVRs, are the biggest threat to TV adverts originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 May 2011 08:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Tech Dirt | Ad Age | Email this | Comments"

Xperia Play first in line for mobile Minecraft port (video)

Xperia Play first in line for mobile Minecraft port (video): "

If you want to be the first in your hood to take Minecraft with you wherever you go, you'll have to pick up an Xperia Play. The block-building game where cubed avatars hide from creepers and create virtual CPUs will land on the so-called PlayStation Phone before coming to other Android devices and iOS later this year. The Play version will have customized controls that take advantage of the gamepad and button layout found on the Sony Ericsson handheld, though when exactly it will launch or how much it will cost is still unknown. It's also unclear how long the title will be exclusive to the gamer-centric smartphone, but developer Mojang will be holding an event at E3 where, presumably, we'll be getting more details. Now is the time to wrap up any loose ends in your life before what little free time you have left gets buried beneath a pile of bricks and mobs -- even when your PC isn't handy.



Update: If that pic of Minecraft running on the Xperia Play wasn't doing for you, good news, we've got video of the title in action after the break.



[Thanks, stagueve]

Continue reading Xperia Play first in line for mobile Minecraft port (video)

Xperia Play first in line for mobile Minecraft port (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 May 2011 10:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq | Gamasutra, Minecraft (Facebook) | Email this | Comments"

Google gets creative, names new NFC payment system Google Wallet? (Updated)

Google gets creative, names new NFC payment system Google Wallet? (Updated): "Yesterday, anonymous sources said that El Goog and Sprint would debut a new NFC payment system on May 26th -- otherwise known as tomorrow. Today, a leak allegedly from The Container Store appears to have spilled the beans on the moniker for Mountain View's mobile money method: Google Wallet. Not the most creative cognomen, but at least it sums up the service succinctly. Still, it's no Ice Cream Sandwich, but we'll find out how it tastes live at tomorrow's event.



Update: Eagle-eyed reader Steve pointed out that looking up the WHOIS info for googlewallet.com does indeed lead you to Mountain View, though this was created way back in 2005. You may recall that Google Checkout was initially known as Google Wallet, as reminded by InformationWeek, but we just noticed that the URL is now plain dead instead of taking us to a Google error page, as it did minutes ago. Very intriguing.

Google gets creative, names new NFC payment system Google Wallet? (Updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 May 2011 21:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony makes good, doles out identity protection activation codes for PSN and Qriocity users

Sony makes good, doles out identity protection activation codes for PSN and Qriocity users: "

Still feeling burned by Sony's record-breaking PlayStation Network outage? Fret not, promised reparations have arrived: a short form on the PlayStation website is now distributing activation codes for a free year of Debix AllClear ID Plus identity theft protection. The offer is good for all US PSN and Qriocity account holders who activate before June 28th, netting users up to $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage. Feel better? Hit the source link below to get your redemption code.

Sony makes good, doles out identity protection activation codes for PSN and Qriocity users originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 00:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq | Sony | Email this | Comments"

Verizon bonanza: Droid X2, Revolution, Trophy, and Xperia Play hit Big Red today

Verizon bonanza: Droid X2, Revolution, Trophy, and Xperia Play hit Big Red today: "

Verizon is seriously diversifying its portfolio today with the official in-store launch of four new smartphones. Three of them roll up in Android gear, though they all have major selling points beyond Google's software. LG's Revolution is the sole LTE-capable handset of the bunch, bringing with it a 4.3-inch screen and pre-installed Netflix for $250. The Droid X2 undercuts it on price, at $200, but doubles the core count with its Tegra 2 processor and ramps up resolution to qHD (960 x 540). Gaming aficionados can spend the same amount on the Xperia Play from Sony Ericsson, which offers a slideout gamepad and unique PlayStation Certified status. Bringing up the rear is HTC's well-traveled Trophy, a 3.8-inch Windows Phone that accepts it's a little late to the party and therefore slices $50 off its asking price, with a $150 levy before the obligatory two-year contract. What say you -- buy, try, or keep waiting?

Verizon bonanza: Droid X2, Revolution, Trophy, and Xperia Play hit Big Red today originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 02:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Verizon (Droid X2), (Revolution), (Xperia Play), (Trophy) | Email this | Comments"

NASA abandons Mars rover Spirit, chooses to remember the good times

NASA abandons Mars rover Spirit, chooses to remember the good times: "

More than a year after it first lost contact with its Mars rover Spirit, NASA has finally decided to throw in the towel. Yesterday, the agency confirmed that it will end all planned communications with the robot on May 25th, effectively ending the craft's seven-year mission. NASA was hoping that the approaching Martian spring would allow the Spirit to recharge its solar panels and re-establish radio contact, but it now appears that the craft sustained irreparable damage last winter, when it was forced to endure brutally cold temperatures. NASA executive David Lavery, however, says the rover team will remember the Spirit more for its achievements than its slow demise:

'I think we'll all sit around and have a sip of Guinness and reminisce about when Spirit was a wee small little rover and look back at the accomplishments and successes rover had over its entire lifetime.'

So the Spirit's spirit will live on, but what about NASA's mission to Mars? Well, the Opportunity is still in good health and, later this year, will be joined by the next-generation, nuclear-powered rover Curiosity, which will investigate whether or not Mars ever supported life forms. Meanwhile, NASA's network of orbiting spacecraft will continue to passively listen for signals from the Spirit, just in case it miraculously comes back to life. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading NASA abandons Mars rover Spirit, chooses to remember the good times

NASA abandons Mars rover Spirit, chooses to remember the good times originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 May 2011 07:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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