May 13
Last week we gave gamers plenty of reasons to be excited about the month of May’s anticipated releases. Now we’re providing video sneak peeks at some
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May 13
MSI X-Slim X340 gets reviewed, loved on – despite the ‘flexy’ keyboard
Posted in: msi, review, Today's Chili, ultraportable
We’ve had our eyes on MSI’s answer to the MacBook Air (yeah, we said it!) for a while now — and that includes a shady, late night hands-on photo session live from the Neville Island Motel and a horrifying back-alley vivisection, to boot. Now it looks like the crazy kids at Laptop are dead set on having their say on the X340 13.4-inch ultra-portable — and why not? The more the merrier! According to the reviewer, what this character lacks in processing power, it more than makes up for in price, weight, and battery life — at 2.9 pounds the device is certainly lighter than the Air, and its over three hours on a single charge are none too shabby. Even the 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo processor (coupled here with 2GB memory and running Windows Vista) is characterized as “snappy.” Sadly, the keyboard is said to be flimsy and graphic performance pretty weak — but still, at $899 (price as reviewed) this is sure to be right up some of your proverbial alleys. Interested? Hit that read link for all the gory details.
Filed under: Laptops
MSI X-Slim X340 gets reviewed, loved on – despite the ‘flexy’ keyboard originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 May 2009 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 13
Palm Pre “real reviewer” units going out? Not so fast.
Posted in: leak, palm, palm pre, PalmPre, pre, Today's Chili
There’s been a lot of chatter on both blogs and forums as of late stating that those “real reviewer” units Palm was promising to prospective owners — essentially “everyman critics” — would be sent out some time this week. In fact, some folks have even been spouting off that they’ve received their devices (see the magic above, and one of the source photos which has been cropped and blurred after the break). Well here’s the deal: those units aren’t going out to “real reviewers” before they get into the hands of fake reviewers… namely, the press. In the words of a source at Palm:
We clearly said “we’ll provide you with a current-model phone and data-plan service for six months” and Pre only once it is available, we never said they would get early Pre units.
So, that’s something to consider before you jump the gun on the next Twitpic blast from Joe the Reviewer (though in this particular forum poster’s defense, he did recant). Still, the whole tone leading up to the Pre launch is starting to feel a bit chaotic — we know Palm has to pull the trigger soon, and we’ve heard lots of totally believable rumors, but it is beginning to feel like anything might happen. The basic question we’re turning over in our minds right now is this: does Palm know how to do this right?
Continue reading Palm Pre “real reviewer” units going out? Not so fast.
Filed under: Cellphones
Palm Pre “real reviewer” units going out? Not so fast. originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 May 2009 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 13
The dreamy, high gloss Crimson Red option for Dell’s XPS 16 — which appeared just a few short days ago to shock and beguile us — has seemingly disappeared into thin air already, leaving us to wonder… was it all just a dream? Will it return once again? Please let this be some sort of cruel, unfortunate mistake.
Filed under: Laptops
Dell seemingly cans sassy Crimson Red XPS 16 option originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 May 2009 16:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 13
This monitor has no soul…that we know of.
(Credit: CNET)
I’ll be completely honest: LCD computer monitors intended for graphics professionals are not my area of expertise. Most of the monitors I’ve reviewed have been consumer-focused.
Monitors like the Dell SP2309W and Samsung P2370, while great for …
May 13
Entelligence: Close to the edge
Posted in: column, Features, Today's ChiliEntelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he’ll explore where our industry is and where it’s going — on both micro and macro levels — with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.
There’s an interesting debate that I’ve had recently. Should product designers aim for the enthusiast or “edge” cases when designing products, or should they instead target mainstream users from day one? It’s an interesting discussion, but I believe that those that say “aim for the edge” and the enthusiast aren’t correct, at least in the long run.
Now if you’re reading this, chances are you’re a bit of an edge case — or at the very least a gadget enthusiast. That’s cool, I’m one as well. In fact, over the last few years I’ve coined three rules that I’ve come to refer to as Gartenberg’s Three Laws of Consumer Electronics. For those of you not familiar with them, they are:
- There’s a world wide market of 50,000 for any device sold to enthusiasts and early adopters.
- If Gartenberg sees a product at a demo and doesn’t offer his credit card for purchase immediately, the product is doomed.
- Even if Gartenberg does offer his credit card, the product may well still be doomed — as Gartenberg is part of the 50,000 enthusiasts that will buy (almost) anything.
(If you’re in the NY area, come on over some time and I’ll show you my collection)
Continue reading Entelligence: Close to the edge
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Entelligence: Close to the edge originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 May 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
May 13
Shiny and ready to grill.
(Credit: Blue Ember)
Sometimes it’s OK to show off. Certainly everybody does from time to time. I may not be qualified to give reasoned speculation as to why we do this, but I certainly understand that it goes better with food. The Blue Ember iQue …
Originally posted at Appliances & Kitchen Gadgets
May 13
Samsung’s SCH-W760 features night vision cam for Blair Witch-style video calls
Posted in: korea, samsung, slider, South Korea, SouthKorea, Today's Chili
On the surface, the new SCH-W760 looks like a totally typical midrange Korean domestic market slider: 3 megapixel camera, DMB reception, Bluetooth, and a semi-notable 2.8-inch AMOLED display. You know, the usual. A closer look reveals one very interesting feature, though — it features a front cam sensitive to infrared spectrum so that you can hold grayscale video calls in complete darkness. Beyond scaring the poo out of friends with your spooky, grainy, low-res visage and holding the occasional video conference from the confines of an unlit closet, we have absolutely no idea what practical value this offers — but look, ridiculous features are what exotic new handsets are all about. Well played, Samsung. The W760 hasn’t yet been officially announced, though it’ll apparently be coming to SKT, so keep an eye peeled (and bring a flashlight).
Filed under: Cellphones
Samsung’s SCH-W760 features night vision cam for Blair Witch-style video calls originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 May 2009 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 13
Analyst: No New iPhone at WWDC 2009
Posted in: Phones, Today's Chili
An analyst is naysaying popular speculation that Apple will announce a new iPhone at its World Wide Developer Conference next month.
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster on Wednesday issued a statement saying he does not expect an iPhone to be announced at the WWDC keynote scheduled for June 8. Rather, he expects Apple will devote a separate event for launching a family of new iPhones.
“We do not anticipate the launch in early June,” Munster said. “We continue to expect multiple models, possibly a high-end iPhone with improved specs from the current version and a low-end version with lower capacity and fewer features along with a reduced pricing plan. Such a model could also be used in Apple’s launch of the iPhone into China as soon as the end of summer ‘09.”
If Munster is correct, all that means is we’ll have to wait only two weeks longer to hear about Apple’s next iPhone. Munster’s speculation is based on what Apple stated in a press release, which says the event will focus on Mac OS X Snow Leopard and the iPhone 3.0 operating system, with no mention of a new handset. However, it’s worth noting Apple launched the iPhone 3G at WWDC 2008, and the press release for that event also did not hint at a hardware announcement.
Uh Oh: No New iPhone Or Steve Jobs At Apple’s WWDC [BusinessInsider]
See Also:
- Apple Bestows Cut-and-Paste, MMS on iPhone Users
- Steve Jobs’ Best Quotes Ever
- Apple CEO Steve Jobs Goes on Medical Leave
- Steve Jobs Cites Treatable Hormone Imbalance For Weight Loss
- Steve Jobs Probably Won’t Come Back to Apple
- Macworld Expo May Disappear, But Steve Jobs’ Keynotes Won’t
- Where Is Steve Jobs?
- WWDC Keynote: Steve Jobs Announces a $200, 3G iPhone
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
May 13
As of Tuesday, U.S. Cellular is offering a free Battery Swap program at its stores. All you need to do is bring a dead or dying battery to a U.S. Cellular store and you can change it out for a new charged one.
The carrier says it created …
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