Speculation that Wal-Mart Stores would sell a $99 iPhone was put to rest on Friday when the official announcement came out sans the double digits.
However, all hope is not lost.
AT&T is selling a refurbished 8GB iPhone 3G in black for $99 with a two-year service contract …
Originally posted at News – Wireless
Apples for the masses
So the news of Apple selling the iPhone at Wal-Mart is being hyped as unbelievable. I mean, really, Wal-Mart? Apple? What is this, the Beverly Hillbillies? You know, I don’t think I would have ever guessed that any schmoe on the street could walk into their local Wal-Mart and buy a 12-pack of Old Milwaukee and an iPhone in the same visit. Really, the huge display of iPods in my local Wal-Mart never made the thought cross my mind. Completely blind-sided I tell you. Contrary to rumor, “everyday low prices” does not apply here. Apple would never stoop THAT low.
Androids will rule…maybe, someday
Google’s method of market-testing beta releases seems to be carrying over into the physical world with news coming out from HTC saying that they expect over 1 million phones to be sold by the end of the 2008. While these numbers pale in comparison to the iPhone (especially since you can now get one at Wal-Mart), the groundswell is growing and it won’t be too long before the market sees an influx of Android-powered devices. Other devices are on the way from other manufacturers and HTC is rumored to be releasing the G2 phone sometime, so we’ll see what happens.
Gas-free zone
Everyone likes lists, so here’s Gizmodo’s take on the best Android apps of 2008. I don’t care how cool those apps are, they still don’t have iFart. Move along, Android.
Photo credit: MShades via Flickr
While Panasonic’s two newest whiteboards lack those snazzy multitouch capabilities, they posses something only the true undercover FBI agent posing as a first grade teacher could appreciate. The film and steel boards look pretty traditional at first glance, but underneath of that plain jane facade is a highly advanced security system. You see, each board can accept passwords, which will in turn restrict the ability to transfer information from the board to USB flash memory. For those cleared for access, the whiteboards can transfer on-screen information to a PC via USB, though we suspect you’ll have to handle the encryption on your end. ‘Course, neither of these will run you cheap, but you know your underground supervisor won’t mind shelling out upwards of two large to make sure schematics to rule the world aren’t intercepted by meddling rivals.
Filed under: Displays, Misc. Gadgets
Panasonic debuts password-protected whiteboards originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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This article was written on October 09, 2006 by CyberNet.
Mozilla has returned from Microsoft’s headquarters after meeting with the Open Source Director regarding Windows Vista. There were several different things that Mozilla wanted to address especially concerning new security features and restrictions that Microsoft placed in Vista. Here are some of the things that Mozilla had wanted to discuss:
Topics for Firefox 2:
Topics for Firefox 3:
If you have started using Windows Vista then one thing you have surely noticed is the User Account Control (UAC). That is the thing that pops-up all of the time requesting permission to execute a file or perform some task. It quickly got annoying for me so I went ahead and disabled it because I believe that I can catch anything that will do malicious damage.
However, certain aspects of Firefox are still flawed because of the UAC. If you try and change your default browser or try to update Firefox you will not see a pop-up window asking for permission. Instead the system just rejects the request without ever notifying the user. A temporary solution to the problem would either be to disable UAC in the User Account Control Panel or to right-click on the Firefox shortcut and select “Run As Administrator.” Either of those options will grant Firefox the permissions that it needs to successfully perform the actions.
I’m sure things will start to come around for Firefox but I am just afraid that users who do not fully understand UAC will get frustrated and switch to IE7, since it works perfectly with the UAC system.
If you don’t want to completely disable UAC I at least recommend doing it for the first few days. That way you don’t have to deal with the hassle of the hundreds of prompts you’ll receive while setting up the computer. After you get everything exactly how you want then re-enable it. That is my biggest recommendation for new Vista users.
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The same wild and wacky Russians that demolished a Motorola ZN5 are showing the same courtesy to Nokia’s 5800 XpressMusic. The so-called Crash Test involves putting Nokia’s first Comes With Music-enabled handset through a litany of horrible scenes, including a stay in the local freezer, a fall from grace, a ride in the washing machine, a dip in a freshly brewed beer and, of course, a crushing blow from a vehicle. The preview video is hosted up in the read link, and the full results of how it fared are promised in the near future. Let’s just say we’re betting the farm it doesn’t handle unlimited downloads, calls nor texts very well (read: at all) after this hellish experience.
[Thanks, Adam]
Filed under: Cellphones
Nokia’s 5800 XpressMusic gets torture tested, succumbs to the pain originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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And I’m not talking politics.
My GPS Camera Phone has been going strong for well over a year now, much to my satisfaction. I’ve been able to exercise my right brain with photography while feeding my left brain with website management. While this worked for most of the time, I’ve noticed that my mind is looking for more. What started as a hobby has slowly become something bigger, causing both sides of my brain to look ahead for the next big thing. What that big thing is will be revealed in time, but maybe not on this blog.
Given this, I’ll be posting more mobile-related news and events, turning more to industry news, while keeping the original personality of the site intact. In other words, I’ll continue to post photos, albeit more selectively, while posting sarcasm-laden news about iPhones being sold at Wal-Mart. You get the picture. (Wow, a pun! Move along, nothing to see here…)
What does this mean to you? Well, it means that you might notice a little less of a personal feeling, but that’s about it. Even if My GPS Camera Phone did go all corporate, I’d still strive to keep it real. Anyway, look for more changes in the months ahead.
I welcome suggestions and guest posts (in the realm of mobile technology), so if you have something interesting you would like to share, just let me know and we’ll talk. Aside from that, I’d just like to thank everyone for helping me achieve something that I’ll never forget about, no matter what becomes of it.
[Thanks, Agustin; image courtesy of Business Pundit]
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Surprise! Retail sales abysmal this holiday season originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Eaton, which is better known for its involvement in supercharging muscle cars, has a thing for saving fuel, too. According to a writeup on the outfit’s website, it’s working up a series hybrid hydraulic system to replace the conventional driveline. The SHH system will wed a high-efficiency diesel engine and a custom hydraulic propulsion system, and by operating at its “sweet spot,” it stands to reason that lots of gasoline will be saved as it runs. Better still, the setup involves regenerative breaking in order to recover and reuse energy that’s typically wasted, and the engine can safely be shut off when not needed in order to save additional fuel when waiting at a stoplight. So, where is this stuff headed first? UPS trucks, naturally.
[Via Autoblog]
Filed under: Transportation
Eaton’s fuel saving hydraulic hybrid systems put traditional drivetrains in jeopardy originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 06:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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In the next couple of months, the NBA All-Star Game and the BCS championship game will be broadcast live in 3D in movie theaters. They will be among the first of several live events to be seen in the format.
According to Cinedigm and Sensio Tech, two of the companies behind the venture, over 80 theaters have been recently outfitted with satellite and 3D High-Def digital systems.
But executing this live event on a large scale involves more than a simple video feed from the event. It takes a few different companies and a 3D coding process.
Sensio Tech is a maker of stereoscopic 3D tech and provides the main innovation behind the theater broadcasts. Sensio’s sensor decodes the video stream from an HD DCP-200 playback server and produces the main 3D feed. This ‘sensor decoding’ is a detailed change in the depth perception of a video, a similar trick that’s expected to be used by video games in the next couple of years.
Before the feed is analyzed, it must be transmitted from the event in high-quality form. This is done by connecting the main HD feed with the 3D filter as it is sent through a DVB-S2 broadband IP transmission. It’s a key step that provides the maximum possible throughput on the satellite.
Otherwise, theatergoers might be forced to see a slow feed on a tape delay while it is being analyzed for 3D, and one that would result in an epic fail for the burgeoning tech. The IP transmission is mixed by IDC (International Datacasting Corporation).
By themselves, the broadband transmission and the 3D sensor might allow the viewing of an event at a single screen. But something else will allow theater owners to push the event to more than one screen and make it a more cost-effective technology. Streaming software by Doremi Digital will enable owners to send the signal to multiple screens in a single location, giving them the option to add more screens in case an event becomes a true must-see.
Two companies, Cinedigm and CineMedia, have been behind the inclusion of live events in major movie theaters over the last year. Cinedigm has brought several live sporting events, while CineMedia is behind the very successful broadcasts of several New York Metropolitan Opera productions.
So optimizing regular sports event for 3D appears to be a good idea but we’re skeptical that a lot of people will be willing to buy into it at the start.
For example, live sports events such as the BCS title game are usually available for free, and at this point, their depth perception can’t be optimized at the same level of detail as a multimillion-dollar production like Beowulf. In that movie, every scene that pops out is built around the technology’s maximum impact and takes months to perfect. We don’t know how Sension’s 3D theater clip will play, but the spontaneity of live action is bound to present significant depth perception problems.
And any downgrade from the good 3D tech people are used to might prove to be a disappointment.
The NFL tried out a 3D feed at a couple of locations three weeks ago and the result was not perfect. Two satellite glitches blacked out the game at times, and a camera refocus caused some people to remove the necessary headgear. Still, people at that screening appeared to be enthused about the innovation.
The NBA All-Star Game is on Valentine’s Day 2009, and tickets will run for $20.
What do you say? Are you willing to give 3D sports events a chance, or will you save your money for upcoming 3D-only movies like My Bloody Valentine?
Filed under: Desktops
Gingerbread Macintosh for serious gingerbread fanboys only originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 04:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
