10/18 Engadget

Please add updates@feedmyinbox.com to your address book to make sure you receive these messages in the future. Engadget Dell's $2,000 Adamo XPS launching October 22 with heat-sensing opener October 18, 2009 at 12:57 am Dell has been teasing its ultrathin Adamo XPS for months now, but all that goofing off will come to a solemn end next Thursday. On the same day that we sit down with Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer (and a little OS by the name of Windows 7 hits store shelves), Dell will also fully reveal the planet's slimmest laptop. The 0.39-inch Adamo XPS will cost $2,000, and while the nitty-gritty details are still under wraps, a new Business Week article notes that it'll boast a "heat-sensing strip on the lip that, when swiped with a finger, glows white and automatically opens the aluminum lid." The glamorous machine is part of a larger effort within the Round Rock powerhouse to revitalize itself and get people talking once again, and while this particular slab will obviously not be a high volume product, it could very well get a few more eyes pointed in its direction. Call us crazy, but we're guessing next week is going to be a wee bit zany. [Via Pasta Tech] Filed under: Laptops Dell's $2,000 Adamo XPS launching October 22 with heat-sensing opener originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Verizon's anti-iPhone gets its first commercial: 'Droid Does' October 17, 2009 at 11:04 pm We knew Verizon Wireless would soon be throwing caution to the wind in an effort to sway uncommitted smartphone buyers towards Big Red, and it looks like the November-bound Motorola Droid will be VZW's anti-iPhone. The spot, which launched tonight and can be view in its entirety after the break, is a 30 second clip that begins by mocking Apple's cutesy music and iconic font typically seen in iPhone plugs. It reels off a number of things that the iPhone can't do, and then abruptly goes into full-on tease mode by flashing glimpses of a robot-controlled future and a tagline that simply states: "Droid Does." No shots of the actual Motorola Droid (or Sholes, as it was known in the past) are shown, but a dedicated teaser portal has already been erected; through that, we're told that the phone will boast Android 2.0 and a 5 megapixel camera. At this point, we'd say the gloves are definitely off -- AT&T, have anything to say for yourself, or is the iPhone doing just fine on its own? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Continue reading Verizon's anti-iPhone gets its first commercial: 'Droid Does' Filed under: Cellphones Verizon's anti-iPhone gets its first commercial: 'Droid Does' originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Mad scientists figure out how to write memories to brains, take over Earth October 17, 2009 at 10:11 pm Call us crazy, but we're guessing one Gero Miesenböck of the University of Oxford has been watching just a wee bit too much Fringe. Gero here, along with a few of his over-anxious colleagues, has seemingly figured out a way to actually write memories onto a fruit fly's brain using only a laser pen and three-fourths of a Ouija board. We know what you're thinking, and we're thinking the same. But all terrifying thoughts aside, what if boffins could burn memories of hard lessons learned into our minds without us having to suffer through them first? You know, like upgrading to Snow Leopard. Filed under: Science Mad scientists figure out how to write memories to brains, take over Earth originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Nokia's 5230 inches closer to release, gets spied along the way October 17, 2009 at 8:38 pm Nokia's 5230 isn't apt to blow any minds with the likes of the HD2, Droid and XPERIA X3 on the horizon, but for those perfectly content with a touchscreen-based Symbian S60 5th Edition handset, this one sure looks purty. After dipping its toes in the FCC's expansive database just last month, a crop of new in the wild shots have surfaced to show off its 3.2-inch display (640 x 360), 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR module and variety of colorful backs. Hit the read link for more pixels if you're so inclined, and feel free to take the "January 2010" release date in with a dose of NaCl. [Thanks, Daniel] Filed under: Cellphones Nokia's 5230 inches closer to release, gets spied along the way originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments MSI retools Wind Box DE200 and DC200, puts 'em up for pre-order October 17, 2009 at 7:03 pm Well, what do you know? Last we saw MSI's Wind Box DE200, it was sittin' pretty at a booth at CeBIT. Evidently it has seen quite the makeover since that debut, with the latest imagery showing it (alongside the DC200) with far edgier enclosures. We have to say we dig the new digs, but we're most excited about the US pricing and pre-order pages. Both units are still (under)powered by a 1.6GHz Atom CPU, and predictably, both feature 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and Windows XP Home running the show. No firm release date has been nailed down for the US market, but Amazon has 'em both up for pre-order right now at $249.99 (DC200) / $299.99 (DE200). [Via iTechNews] Read - MSI press release Read - Wind Box DC200 pre-order page Read - Wind Box DE200 pre-order page Filed under: Desktops MSI retools Wind Box DE200 and DC200, puts 'em up for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Caption contest: Palm strikes a pose in Spain October 17, 2009 at 5:38 pm There are three things in this crazy world that scare the living daylights out of us: poor battery life, scratched screens, and seven-foot tall she-bots wielding Pres like concealed weapons. This, it seems, was the nightmarish scenario facing Madrid as it launched Palm's first webOS-based phone this week. Chris: "I'm being treated well, but please, it's imperative that you buy this phone as expediently as possible." Richard Lai: "My other toy is the Pre." Ross: "It says if we don't do exactly as it commands, the Spiders from Mars will return and destroy us all." Darren: "Geordi La Forge and I are like this." Josh T.: "So far they have treated me well, but I fear that could change at any moment. If you comply with their demand for 300 pairs of leather pants, they say I will be released unharmed." Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds Caption contest: Palm strikes a pose in Spain originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Pixel Qi e-ink / LCD hybrid display to debut on tablet next month? October 17, 2009 at 4:11 pm It's been far, far too long (read: four months) since we've heard a peep from the gentle souls over at Pixel Qi, but it looks like the long, heart-wrenching wait for the hybrid display that's bound to revolutionize Western civilization is nearing an end. According to the startup's CEO herself, Mary Lou Jepsen, the primetime-ready 3Qi display should make its glorious debut on an undisclosed tablet to be announced next month. For those out of the loop, this transflective display contains both e-ink and LCD properties, one for outdoor reading scenarios and the other for multimedia viewing. The amazing part is that toggling between the two is as simple as flipping a switch, which obviously means great things for battery life on whatever device it's shoved into. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for more, but do us a favor and cross your fingers for good luck. Toes too, por favor. [Thanks, Tom] Filed under: Displays Pixel Qi e-ink / LCD hybrid display to debut on tablet next month? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Verizon asks 'if the iDoesn't, what does?' October 17, 2009 at 3:01 pm The "there's a map for that" ad was a pretty aggressive way to broadside AT&T and the iPhone, but it looks like Verizon's just getting warmed up. We're hearing that the carrier will be kicking off a major new campaign this evening during the Yankees-Angels game that'll feature "a very different look and a whole new attitude," calling out the "iDevice" (their words, not ours) for all the things it can't do. That's a bold offensive for a carrier that historically has lacked breadth and depth in its smartphone lineup, but with the big new Android releases coming down the pike, this might be perfect timing -- and a strong implication that we can seriously put those endless Verizon iPhone rumors to bed for a little while. Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds Verizon asks 'if the iDoesn't, what does?' originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Twitter founder Jack Dorsey's Squirrel project revealed... as the Square iPhone Payment System October 17, 2009 at 1:54 pm Remember the Square iPhone Payment System we told you about back in August? If you'll recall, the device -- which involves an iPhone app and associated dongle -- enables an iPhone or iPod touch to become a kind of mini credit card reader, allowing payments to be taken on the spot, no matter where you are or how big (or small) the transaction may be. When we'd first reported the device, word on the street was that it was only being alpha tested around New York City, and there wasn't much else to say. Now, we may have a little more insight on just where this device is headed, and who's behind the project. Jack Dorsey, the man who all but built Twitter in a matter of two weeks, has been working on a half-secret start-up project since around May. His new venture -- dubbed, funnily enough, Squirrel -- is based around the concept of using the iPhone as... yep, a portable, personal cash register; essentially the exact device which Square has created. And that's no accident. In the images we ran of the Square system, you can see a domain name on a receipt: squareup.com. Squareup.com is the domain of the Square System (obviously), and a casual investigation into the site's WHOIS profile reveals registrant info that points to an office in San Francisco, and a contact email address which reads... billing@paybysquirrel.com. Square, squirrel, square... are you getting it? So the cat, er, squirrel appears to be out of the bag. Now the question is whether or not Dorsey and co. can turn this fairly obscure piece of tech into the kind of firestorm which Twitter has become -- and who knows, maybe there'll even be a business model this time. [Thanks, Little Birdie] Filed under: Cellphones Twitter founder Jack Dorsey's Squirrel project revealed... as the Square iPhone Payment System originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Verizon confirms: Palm Pre hitting Big Red "early next year" October 17, 2009 at 12:41 pm Oftentimes a picture shouts a thousand words. Other times it belts out precisely a dozen. Straight from Verizon Wireless' official Twitter account comes this, a confirmation that the Palm Pre we knew was coming to Big Red, well, is coming to Big Red. If you can hold off through the tempting holiday rush, you'll find Palm's first-ever webOS device on VZW "early next year." Huzzah! [Via Boy Genius Report] Filed under: Cellphones Verizon confirms: Palm Pre hitting Big Red "early next year" originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments First electromagnetic 'black hole' built on earth, nobody raps about it October 17, 2009 at 11:24 am An electromagnetic black hole -- which sucks in the light surrounding it -- has been built at Southeast University in Nanjing, China for the first time. The device works like cosmological black holes in that it has gravity which is intense enough to bend the surrounding space-time, causing any matter in the neighborhood to spiral inward and create the hole itself. The earth-built 'black hole' for microwave frequencies is constructed of 60 annular strips of meta-materials (yes, that's the stuff of invisibility cloaks). Each strip is an intricately etched circuit board which seamlessly and smoothly connects to the strips next to it, creating both a shell and absorber section to the device. When an electromagnetic wave hits the device, it is trapped and guided through the shell region toward the core, where it is absorbed. The device, which was created by Tie Jun Cui and Qiang Cheng, converts that absorbed light into heat, meaning that future possible applications could include new ways of harvesting solar energy. Hit the read link for a fuller description of this truly bad dude. Filed under: Science First electromagnetic 'black hole' built on earth, nobody raps about it originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 10:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Garmin's nuvi 1450 GPS makes small, quiet blip on retail map October 17, 2009 at 9:26 am It's not that Garmin doesn't love the nuvi 1450 -- we're sure it loves each and every one one of its GPS units equally in their own special way or somesuch -- but it did release the device without so much as a press release or other typical fanfare. Bummer, but the 5-inch, 480 x 272 resolution touchscreen has now been unearthed and doesn't look too bad for its $449.99 price tag. Battery lasts up to three hours without charge and includes optional cityXplorer software for public transit listings and ecoRoute for fuel-conscious drivers. Available now if you're itching to take it with you on the next road trip. [Via Slashgear] Filed under: GPS Garmin's nuvi 1450 GPS makes small, quiet blip on retail map originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments PSP Go is $200 at Fry's this weekend... err, '$249.99 before $50 savings' October 17, 2009 at 7:31 am You could also say it's just the square root of 39,996, or maybe the circumference of a circle that's 63.66 units in diameter, but that's just plain silly. Alternatively, you could just save $30 and buy the chunkier model that still plays UMDs. [Via Joystiq] Filed under: Gaming PSP Go is $200 at Fry's this weekend... err, '$249.99 before $50 savings' originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 06:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments 2010 Olympic medals include material from recycled circuit boards October 17, 2009 at 4:47 am The just-unveiled medals for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver certainly break with a few conventions in terms of appearance, but it looks like they also contain a few surprises that aren't immediately apparent -- namely, they're all made at least partly from recycled circuit boards. Of course, the circuit boards have also been recycled beyond recognition, but each of the medals do apparently sport a one of a kind design, not to mention some considerable heft (weighing between 500 and 576 grams apiece). Sure, it's not enough to make a dent in the e-waste problem, but it's a heckuva way to kick start a trend. [Via Technabob] Filed under: Misc. Gadgets 2010 Olympic medals include material from recycled circuit boards originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments LG GD900 Crystal makes a very portable fish tank, PETA magnet October 17, 2009 at 2:42 am Remember the good old days with your virtual pets on your keyring? Well, how about an injection of life that actually roams around inside your phone? Some dude in China had this exact idea -- probably inspired by the waterproof LG GD900 Crystal in a fish tank -- and popped open the hollow keypad of his own Crystal, slapped in two unfortunate little neon tetras, squeezed in some water and snap! There's no mention on how long the poor things can survive in there for, but chances are PETA will be after your backside well before something goes wrong. We also went through the warranty paperwork, and honestly, we think this gentleman might be in a fishy area here. Video of the mod after the break, if you dare. Continue reading LG GD900 Crystal makes a very portable fish tank, PETA magnet Filed under: Cellphones LG GD900 Crystal makes a very portable fish tank, PETA magnet originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments   This email was sent to norol14@gmail.com.  Create Your Account Don't want to receive this feed any longer? Unsubscribe here.