Hasta La Gadget!

Do you text while driving? According to a recent study, if you live in the US, there’s a pretty good chance you do. Twenty-six percent of the 4,800 people surveyed admitted that they do in fact text while behind the wheel.

Admittedly, the study might be a touch biased: It was conducted by Vlingo, mobile app manufacturer, but the company claims a sampling error of 1.41 percent. The appropriate question here, I suppose, I whether they did the polling while driving.

Currently only seven states in the U.S. have banned the practice.

We already knew MSI’s Atom N280-powered Wind U123 netbook was grabbing placeholders at e-tailers across the web, but now we’re assured that they’re actually shipping to eager Americans. Unfortunately, the altogether more exciting U123T (which packs a TV tuner) and U123H (which includes a 3.5G HSDPA WWAN module) are still nowhere to be found, but we don’t expect ’em to be too far behind. Hop on past the break for links to all of MSI’s recommended partners, and be prepared to shell out at $350 to bring one home.

Continue reading MSI’s Wind U123 now shipping in US, U123H and U123T still on hold

Filed under: Laptops

MSI’s Wind U123 now shipping in US, U123H and U123T still on hold originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 May 2009 11:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That delay wasn’t too painful, we suppose. After slipping the US release of the Cupcake-rich Android 1.5 by just a handful of days, T-Mobile USA is starting to push it out to G1 users in the field. The company estimates everyone will have it by early June, so if you haven’t gotten the notification yet, hang tight, shake your fist at the sky, and scream a few choice obscenities for us. One more screencap is after the break, and it’s a real treat for the anti-Apple crowd.

[Thanks, Raymond and Jamie]

Update: We’re aware that the screen shot here shows a UK build — we’re currently awaiting official comment from T-Mobile USA on how the rollout is progressing over here. Stay tuned!

Update 2: So far, it seems like the only folks getting updates are those who’d previously installed a UK build on their US-spec G1, which means the good people playing by the rules and avoiding any firmware tomfoolery are still update-less. We’re still waiting on official comment from T-Mobile, but it’s not looking good.

Update 3: Indeed, the push hasn’t started. T-Mobile tells us that “nothing has changed… plans are still to roll it out this week” — so if you’re crazy anxious to get this installed, your best bet is probably still to install the ADP or UK build.

Continue reading T-Mobile USA starts pushing Android 1.5 to G1 owners (update: not yet)

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

T-Mobile USA starts pushing Android 1.5 to G1 owners (update: not yet) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 May 2009 11:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If it’s not a right angle, it’s a wrong angle. That’s exactly the ethos that has inspired the type of precise, structured and rigidly useful gadgetry that we highlight in today’s episode.

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EPISODE 138

The perfect father’s day gift for the Type A griller

Size your burgers your way

Cocoon’s laptop bag is perfect for type A personalities

Sensor-laden kokoro adjusts playlist to match the rhythm of your heart

GameDr destroys recreation of youth

Sony’s 400-disc BDP-CX7000ES Blu-ray Mega Changer reportedly coming soon

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Originally posted at Gadgettes, the blog

Netbooks: the next generation

(Credit: Asus)

Netbooks now comprise 8 percent of the laptop market, but are we satisfied? Intel says no: its “Pine Trail” roadmap (that’s the code name for its next-gen Atom processors) reveals plans for an integrated CPU/GPU, with claims of saving space as well as battery life. While the graphics power likely won’t be as impressive as an Nvidia ION processor, it will change the landscape of a pretty fast-growing field. Here’s what we’d like to see in the near-future of Netbooks. Sound off and tell us what you’re looking for–that is, if you’re looking for a Netbook at all.

1. Better video. While Atom processors can handle YouTube and some HD video streaming (kinda sorta), there are no DVD drives on these little guys. Video-playing (especially streaming) needs to be silky-smooth, even in HD. Until then, Netbooks will never be truly great portable media devices, which they ought to be. After all, Web browsing is most of what we do with computers.

2. Smaller, please! But with larger keyboards. The whole 11.6-inch and higher trend is disturbing because it’s making semi-bulky Netbooks even larger. While it’s nice for some applications and those who want an affordable 12-inch laptop, this whole XL Netbook trend takes away from the whole gee-whiz “look how small my notebook is!” appeal that made Netbooks an overnight hit in the first place. What we’re really saying is: make better use of the size. Edge-to-edge keyboards and edge-to-edge screens should become the norm, and with better engineering, we’d like to see 10-inch Netbooks become even thinner and more compact. A Netbook could feel like a small paperback book, not a portable VCR.
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