Top Global announces 3GSpot USB modem / WiFi hotspot

It doesn’t exactly have a lot to show for itself just yet, but Top Global has just announced a reference design for what it claims is the world’s first dual mode 3G USB modem and WiFi hotspot combo. Dubbed the 3GSpot, the device is software configurable to support all cellular standards, and the basic design is able to support multiple bands to ensure compatibility with carriers around the world, which Top Global says will let OEMs have one design/SKU that simply requires different firmwares for different markets. The device will apparently even boast on-board GPS “at no extra cost,” not to mention all the usual security measures and, at just 2.5 x 4-inches, it’ll be able to be integrated or simply offered as a standalone device. All that, of course, depends on some OEMs hopping on board, and Top Global unfortunately doesn’t seem to be ready to announcing anything on that front just yet.

Filed under: ,

Top Global announces 3GSpot USB modem / WiFi hotspot originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Video: Mattel Mind Flex hands (and heads) on

Video: Mattel Mind Flex hands (and heads) on

Gamers have largely gotten a bad rep for being lazy, slothful people who spend their hours mindlessly pressing buttons. The Wii changed that a bit by getting kids (and their parents… and their parents) up off the couch, but what about giving their brains a workout too? For your family’s little mind freak to-be Mattel is introducing the Mind Flex, a brain-powered game that relies on your mental activity to control the height of a ball suspended in a column of air. Don the headset then start concentrating to make the purple orb rise; relax and it lowers. There are six total game types but all entail getting a ball over, under, and through a variety of hoops and the like, sometimes against a clock so that you can challenge your friends. Sadly you have to actually reach up and turn the dial to move the ball around the course, but in our heads on trial we found the thing to be impressively responsive, gently sinking down when we thought about getting some sleep — then shooting back up again when we pondered the number of posts left to write tonight. It was challenging for sure, and definitely turned a lot of heads, but we’re a little concerned that extended sessions could be headache inducing. Its $80 price tag might cause some temple pain too when the thing releases this fall, but we’ve certainly spent more money on things that were less fun — and mentally stimulating. Video of floaty balls and squinting players below.

Continue reading Video: Mattel Mind Flex hands (and heads) on

Filed under: , ,

Video: Mattel Mind Flex hands (and heads) on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Samsung LED monitor takes advantage

(Credit: Eric Franklin/CBS Interactive)

A few months ago I reviewed the Lenovo ThinkVision L2440p and L2440x.

Each has the same form factor however the “x” has LED backlighting while the “p” is backlit by CCFL. The problem I had with the x is that I felt it was not …

Originally posted at CES 2009

Eyes-on the Creative Zii (or parts of it, anyway)

We stopped by Creative’s booth to see what the haps was with the Zii earlier, and… well, there wasn’t a ton going on there, but we wanted to document the experience for you anyway. What we saw didn’t enhance our knowledge of what we learned earlier in the day: the system-on-chip architecture for media applications (the first part being the ZMO5 Media-Rich System-On-Chip which is apparently a newer version of 3DLABS’s DMS-02 chip) is touted as a springboard for commercial applications — and we hear that at least PowerLinux has signed on to use the platform for an advanced video conferencing system. Sounds exhaustingly exciting right? And it was. Creative doesn’t want anyone getting too close to their components — they were all encased in glass — but check the gallery after the break for what we did see.

Filed under: ,

Eyes-on the Creative Zii (or parts of it, anyway) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nokia 5710 XpressMusic leaked by none other than Nokia itself

You might remember (emphasis on “might”) that Nokia was rumored to have a 5700 XpressMusic upgrade in the works a few months back — 3.2 megapixel autofocus cam, larger microSD expansion limit, and that’s about it. Believable if not intensely boring, right? Well, a 5710 just showed up on Nokia’s US site that looks an awful lot like a black 5700, and let’s be real: 5710 sounds like the right model number for an ultra-mild 5700 upgrade. No official announcement yet, but yeah, we could totally see this showing up on T-Mobile at some point this year.

Filed under: ,

Nokia 5710 XpressMusic leaked by none other than Nokia itself originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iHome showcases iP29 / iP49 / iHMP5 iPod speaker systems

iLuv already dropped a bundle of iPod alarm clock / speaker systems here at CES, so it follows logic for yet another “i” company to dole out a helping of its own. Kicking things off is the iP29 portable speaker case, and stepping up the excitement level from zilch to one is the iP49 rechargeable audio system with alarm clock / FM radio for iPod and iPhone. Lastly, the iHMP5 two-in-one stereo speaker / headphone system enables users to listen in private or enter into “full speaker mode” for the posse to tune in. As with most everything else announced here at CES, pricing and availability have yet to be revealed.

Filed under: ,

iHome showcases iP29 / iP49 / iHMP5 iPod speaker systems originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

CES 2009: Pogoplug Lets You Access Your External Hard Drive Anywhere

We’re here at the Showstoppers event, wrapping up the first full day of CES 2009. Aomng the highlights at tonight’s show is the cool low-priced networking device, Pogoplug from CloudEngines.

The Pogoplug features a USB and Ethernet port. Plug it into an external hard drive and your Ethernet connection at home, and you can share files anywhere across the Internet. The device also offers iPhone access, so users can get all of their media from the comfort of their Apple handsets with a single click.

The Pogoplug is hitting retail outlets soon. In the meantime, you can preorder it from CloudEngine’s site for a low $79.

Grippity back-typing keyboard hands-on

We’ve seen the Grippity back-typing keyboard move from mere prototype to working, production model, so our interest was definitely piqued when we heard that the developer would be at CES with his one-of-a-kind QWERTY board. Well, he came by with the Grippity, and we got some finger-time with it. The keyboard’s certainly not an immediately comfortable or intuitive typing experience by any means, but it’s got a real charm to it. The designer also kindly did a demo for us, and even he — the creator of the device — wasn’t exactly what we’d call lightning fast on it, but see for yourself in the video (and gallery!) after the break.

P.S.- Yes, that’s the inside of the Engadget double-wide trailer in the video — we promise we’ll have some more pictures as soon as all the real CES news dies down!

Continue reading Grippity back-typing keyboard hands-on

Filed under:

Grippity back-typing keyboard hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

NIMBLe is MC Hammer-approved, brings Android to even the most boring of countertops

Unrelated candid photo aside… it’s no lie: if you’ve managed to load Android onto your device, no matter how lame it may seem, you’re probably a good looking person. Not only that, but you might’ve built Touch Revolution’s NIMBLe, which is a billed as a Home Touch Phone, but runs the Android OS and holds a full 7-inch touchscreen. The most basic functionality is that of a speakerphone, but obviously Android — along with the built-in WiFi, Bluetooth and Ethernet connectivity — opens this up to so much more functionality. Touch Revolution is actually dabbling in all sorts of hardware and software configurations, building a “Touch Device Development Platform” for farming out to companies for all sorts of purposes. Current builds include 600MHz StrongARM or greater processors, 128MB of RAM, 512MB of flash memory, SD card slots, 4.3-inch, 7-inch or 10-inch LCDs, 2 megapixel cameras and up to 800 x 480 resolutions. The unit we played with seemed responsive and only a little bit pointless, and we look forward to seeing this sort of thing hit the market — we know MC Hammer would agree. Action video is after the break.

Continue reading NIMBLe is MC Hammer-approved, brings Android to even the most boring of countertops

Filed under: ,

NIMBLe is MC Hammer-approved, brings Android to even the most boring of countertops originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fulton Innovation has a wireless power coming out party at CES

It was just a short year ago that we went to Fulton Innovation’s tiny booth at CES and failed to get a working wireless power demo, but a lot’s happened since then — the company is at CES 2009 in force, with a much larger, swanker booth, partners like Energizer and Motorola demoing working products, and tons of working real-world examples of the tech in action. We were particularly taken with the modded Dish DVR that automatically turned itself on and off when the remote was placed on top of it to charge up — oh, and the remote featured super-capacitors instead of batteries that charge fully in 10 seconds. There were also a ton of cell phones (including a modded iPhone, of course), new cooking demos featuring a blender, and a super cool Leggett & Pratt power tool charging workbench. Extremely impressive, all in all — we’re starting to think that 2009 could be the year that wireless power could really take off. Gallery below, video after the break!

P.S.- We asked if Fulton had anything to do with the Palm Pre’s sexy Touchstone wireless charger, but the guys in the booth didn’t know. We’ll let you know if we find anything out.

Continue reading Fulton Innovation has a wireless power coming out party at CES

Filed under:

Fulton Innovation has a wireless power coming out party at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments