It’s been more than a year since NVIDIA announced its Ion platform, promising to bring HD video and gaming to the underpowered Atom CPU. After all the hold ups, we started to wonder if we’d ever see the platform packed inside a netbook, so imagine our surprise when no less than four Ion-based machines launched in the past few months. With bigger screens, better specs, more graphics muscle and, of course, the resulting higher price tag, each of these Ion machines promises quite a bit, but which one lives up to the hype? We got them all together and spent the past few weeks testing the ASUS Eee PC 1201N, Lenovo IdeaPad S12, HP Mini 311 and the Samsung N510 — follow on past the break for our complete faceoff.
Continue reading Ion netbooks head-to-head: Atom, overcharged?
Ion netbooks head-to-head: Atom, overcharged? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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With Christmas out of the way and CES just around the corner we’re starting to see significant momentum in the
Pineview department (which is between HR and the Engadget Bouncy Moon Castle). Currently listed on Amazon.de as a pre-order item for €249 (roughly $360), the Asus Eee PC 1001P is a 10.1-inch clamshell PC featuring an Intel Atom N450 at 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM a 160GB HDD and Windows XP. Between this bad boy and that
1005P/PE we first set eyes on earlier this month, it sure looks like the next-gen processor will be available sooner rather than later. Wouldn’t that be… magical?
ASUS Eee PC 1001P with Atom N450 appears on Amazon.de originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We’ve alluded to this a couple times already, but Boy Genius Report is coming out today and saying that Verizon’s webOS launch devices early next year will indeed be called the “Pre Plus” and “Pixi Plus.” We’re able to independently confirm that this is the intel out in the field right now — so unless Big Red calls an audible, these are the names you should be keeping an eye on as you’re scanning the shelves. The report goes on to say that Verizon’s models are the same size as Sprint’s, but as we’ve already seen in the FCC, these new versions are going to be supercharged in one way or another — at the very least, the Pixi should have WiFi on board, a welcome boost. Any way you slice it, it sure looks like Sprint got the short end of this stick, doesn’t it?
Palm likely calling its new Verizon models Pre Plus and Pixi Plus originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Well, while some folks are busily working to revive the technology that made the Polaroid name what it is, it seems that company itself (now owned by Hilco and Gorden Brothers) is wasting no time in going down the potentially perilous path of licensing the brand for other companies to use. On that front, consumer electronics maker jWIN — responsible for the iLuv line of products — has now announced that it’s signed an exclusive agreement to produce and market a whole range of products under the Polaroid brand (which is actually just one of a number of licensing deals recently announced). While specifics are still a bit light, jWIN will apparently make an “extensive assortment” of peripherals for PCs, game consoles and cellphones, as well as other audio / video products, and even the odd laptop case and “cleaning care accessory,” among what’s sure to be countless other products. Full press release after the break.
Continue reading jWIN strikes deal to sell products under Polaroid name
jWIN strikes deal to sell products under Polaroid name originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Occasionally, a phone exists simply because it can. Not because it’s powerful; not because it offers amazing bang for the buck; not because the manufacturer negotiated some lucrative exclusivity agreement with a major carrier, and certainly not because it’s introducing some groundbreaking new smartphone operating system. Yeah — not even Sony Ericsson is attempting to frame or formulate a legitimate business case for the sinfully hedonistic Xperia Pureness, because they don’t have to. One look at that wild transparent display and you’ll either be smitten or confused and dismayed by the $1,000 sticker price. It’s that simple.
Anyhow, we’ve just taken delivery of a Pureness today and have had a few fleeting moments to check it out. If it weren’t for the screen, you’d be looking at a $30 prepaid candybar here — you don’t have a camera, a high-res display, or any sexy metal or soft-touch bits to give the phone a premium feel. The UI is about the simplest possible incarnation of Sony Ericsson’s typical dumbphone platform, owing largely to the fact that the display’s just grayscale; you’ve got an FM radio (with a headset attached) and a basic music player and browser, but if you’re in North America, don’t expect any 3G.
That said, seriously, look at that shot we took up there: the display is insane. We can’t quite get over it — it’s the ultimate conversation piece. Motorola Aura owners looking for a fresh way to draw a crowd might look at this as their next purchase, but if you’re looking to do anything but talk (and occasionally browse an eerily translucent version of Engadget), make no mistake, this isn’t your phone. Did we mention we want one really, really badly?
Sony Ericsson Xperia Pureness hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Occasionally, a phone exists simply because it can. Not because it’s powerful; not because it offers amazing bang for the buck; not because the manufacturer negotiated some lucrative exclusivity agreement with a major carrier, and certainly not because it’s introducing some groundbreaking new smartphone operating system. Yeah — not even Sony Ericsson is attempting to frame or formulate a legitimate business case for the sinfully hedonistic Xperia Pureness, because they don’t have to. One look at that wild transparent display and you’ll either be smitten or confused and dismayed by the $1,000 sticker price. It’s that simple.
Anyhow, we’ve just taken delivery of a Pureness today and have had a few fleeting moments to check it out. If it weren’t for the screen, you’d be looking at a $30 prepaid candybar here — you don’t have a camera, a high-res display, or any sexy metal or soft-touch bits to give the phone a premium feel. The UI is about the simplest possible incarnation of Sony Ericsson’s typical dumbphone platform, owing largely to the fact that the display’s just grayscale; you’ve got an FM radio (with a headset attached) and a basic music player and browser, but if you’re in North America, don’t expect any 3G.
That said, seriously, look at that shot we took up there: the display is insane. We can’t quite get over it — it’s the ultimate conversation piece. Motorola Aura owners looking for a fresh way to draw a crowd might look at this as their next purchase, but if you’re looking to do anything but talk (and occasionally browse an eerily translucent version of Engadget), make no mistake, this isn’t your phone. Did we mention we want one really, really badly?
Sony Ericsson Xperia Pureness hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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As 2009 winds down and we try to come up with new and clever ways of referring to the early years of this century, there’s really only one thing left to do: declare our ten favorite gadgets of the aughts and show them off in chronological order. It’s arguable that if this wasn’t the decade of gadgets, it was certainly a decade shaped by gadgets — one which saw the birth of a new kind of connectedness. In just ten years time, gadgets have touched almost every aspect of our daily lives, and personal technology has come into its own in a way never before seen. It’s a decade that’s been marked the ubiquity of the internet, the downfall of the desktop, and the series finale of Friends, but we’ve boiled it down to the ten devices we’ve loved the most and worked the hardest over the past ten years. We even had some of our friends in the tech community chime in with their picks on what they thought was the gadget or tech of the decade — so join us for a look back at the best (gadget) years ever!
Continue reading Ten gadgets that defined the decade
Ten gadgets that defined the decade originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Hey, if you’re in
New York City and bored on New Year’s Eve, well, maybe you feel like working?
Duracell’s set up its Smart Power Lab in the heart of Manhattan, along with several Power Rovers, which are stationery bikes that generate renewable energy when pedaled. You see where this is going, right? That energy is being stored up and harnessed by Duracell to power the ball we watch drop every year, which boasts about 9,500 LEDs. Fun times, if you’re not averse to the freezing cold, the screaming crowds, the garbage, and the awful music. Or you could always do what we do, and stay home in your jammies watching Twin Peaks — but it’s really up to you. Either way, we’re glad to see the ball is no longer powered by Dick Clark’s rage. There’s one more shot after the break.
Continue reading Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop brought to you by… some furiously pedaling tourists
Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop brought to you by… some furiously pedaling tourists originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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And what do we have here? HTC’s Russian contingent has been rather forthcoming with its Windows Mobile 7 plans this morning, which will please HD2 owners but disappoint many others. The good news is that HTC’s flagship WinMo handset is assured of getting Microsoft’s finest when it comes out, but the bad news is that the rest of the line will remain stuck at version 6.5 or below. Here’s the tweet in the Queen’s own tongue:
For Diamond 2 firmware is not planned. Of the existing communicators on the market, only the HD2 firmware to get WM7.
Keep in mind it’s still possible, though not altogether probable, that this statement refers only to the Russian market. In either case, if you were holding out hope for your Touch Pro 2 or Snap to keep updating all the way to 7, it seems the odds are now officially stacked against you.
HTC Russia says HD2 will get Windows Mobile 7 upgrade, but other ‘communicators’ won’t originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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And what do we have here? HTC’s Russian contingent has been rather forthcoming with its Windows Mobile 7 plans this morning, which will please HD2 owners but disappoint many others. The good news is that HTC’s flagship WinMo handset is assured of getting Microsoft’s finest when it comes out, but the bad news is that the rest of the line will remain stuck at version 6.5 or below. Here’s the tweet in the Queen’s own tongue:
For Diamond 2 firmware is not planned. Of the existing communicators on the market, only the HD2 firmware to get WM7.
Keep in mind it’s still possible, though not altogether probable, that this statement refers only to the Russian market. In either case, if you were holding out hope for your Touch Pro 2 or Snap to keep updating all the way to 7, it seems the odds are now officially stacked against you.
HTC Russia says HD2 will get Windows Mobile 7 upgrade, but other ‘communicators’ won’t originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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