Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve had our eye on Viliv’s X70 since it was nothing but a render… and a beautiful dream. Now it looks like the kids at jkOnTheRun have got their hands on one and have given it the what-for. The conclusion? If there is a MID in your future, you will want to give this thing some serious consideration. According to the reviewer, the 7-inch, 1024 × 600 display seems more than generous (especially after using the 4.8-inch S5 for any length of time), giving the user plenty of room for shuffling items around on the desktop with his or her phalanges. Besides looking good, this bad boy is also thinner than the aforementioned S5, even after throwing in a webcam. Other thoughts? “Reading e-books” in portrait mode is “awesome,” apparently, and the speed is “very fast,” as one would expect from a device with an SSD. He has yet to test the integrated 3G (yet), but rest assured that it is there. We’re still holding out for a release date and a price for this guy — but in the mean time, make sure you peep the video after the break.

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading Video: Viliv X70 MID gets some use, makes quite an impression

Filed under: Handhelds

Video: Viliv X70 MID gets some use, makes quite an impression originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s hard to say what changed between May 20th and today (any ideas, Verizon / AT&T?), but it seems that Sprint’s tone on the impending Pre launch has shifted just a bit. In a new report over at Bits, we’re told that both Sprint and Palm are informing the public to not expect lengthy lines on launch day. Naturally, both firms are spinning this like it’s a good thing, with Palm’s Lynn Fox proclaiming that “[Palm’s] not like Apple.” Mark Elliott, a spokesman for Sprint, even went so far as to say that it was actually attempting to “manage the exact opposite” of long lines, noting that Sprint wanted “each customer to get the experience” rather than being rushed in and out. Honestly, the spin factor was most obvious when he outed this line: “[Success] is not about having a line out the door; it’s about being able to treat each customer and make sure they’re happy with their decision.” Alrighty then.

[Image courtesy of IDR]

Filed under: Cellphones

Sprint and Palm admit that they don’t expect wild lines for Pre originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Ben Franklin founded this column, it was called “Poor Richard’s Reasonably-Priced Technological Enthusiasms.” It told where to buy a lightening rod for only a nickel.

1. Usually I feature inexpensive HDTVs that cost at least $500, but this one goes for $105.99 (with free shipping) from Buy.com. That’s because this Haier HLT71 LCD TV has a 7-inch screen and is portable. Put a TV anywhere you want one: on your treadmill, in the bathroom, or right next to the kitchen sink. It offers a sharp, clear picture and a compact remote.

2. Again with the inexpensive GPS navigators. If you have a car, but don’t have a GPS yet, what are you waiting for? NewEgg.com is selling a recertified TomTom XL 330 for $109.99, with free shipping. But wait, you also get a $20 mail-in rebate, bringing the price down to $89.99. That’s an outstanding price for a name brand navigator with a 4.3-inch screen.

3. Make your data portable with the Iomega Prestige Portable Hard Drive. You get 320GB of storage in an ultra-compact shape, all ready to pack in your bag. Buy.com has it for $69.99, with free shipping. I love that it doesn’t require an external power supply, and it features Iomega’s Drop Shock technology, making it extra-durable.

So what will happen to all of your old UMD games if you buy a PSP Go? You’ll be able to procure digital copies of those discs, maybe even for free.

I asked Sony’s John Koller, Director of Hardware Marketing for Sony, what the company planned to do for their most loyal fanbase—those who’d amassed a large collection of UMDs but who’d also like to play these games on the Go. His response:

We’re in the midst of putting together a good will program. We’ll be unveiling that soon [because] we actually think there’s a significant group that will be upgrading from the 1000…In the past, we’ve seen a 20-25% trade-up factor, and I assume that’s going to be the case here. We’ve modeled that. So we’re looking at a good-will program—a short term good-will program that would continue for years afterward.”

Short-term for years afterward? In other words, the program itself will last for years, but these digital game copies will be tied to either when you bought the UMD or the PSP Go—such specifics were not made clear.

Speaking more regarding the technical aspects of the good will program, Koller explained while the distribution model was still in the planning stages, the user’s experience would be similar to Portable Copy—a way in which Blu-ray movies can be ripped and converted from the PS3 to the PSP. However, Koller assured me that users would not be ripping their UMDs. Instead, it sounds like Sony will use a PSN-based digital distribution model will “encourage” users to sign up for the service.

But the neatest thing about Koller’s Portable Copy comparison? Portable Copy is free. So we’re doubting that Sony will charge for the service—though we have no confirmation. Unfortunately, Koller also slipped in that Sony’s “looking at what kind of games will be offered.” In other words, Sony’s good-will program will probably not apply to every title in the PSP’s library, but given that there are only a few that matter anyway, maybe this limitation isn’t such a big deal.