Video: Hanvon / Hanwang’s aluminum-clad tablet does Windows 7 multitouch

You know that tablet we keep waiting for? Well, here’s something that looks very much like it, but for the Windows 7 operating system and purported Atom processor inside. This 8.9-inch, two USB port-sporting device can pull off multi-touch pinching and zooming — albeit with a lag akin to wading through water — and is outfitted in a rather becoming all-aluminum case. It could make for a pretty desirable movie-playing machine on the go, provided it has the battery prowess for such tasks. Chinese folks will know for sure pretty soon, with the release coming before year’s end — presumably just as soon as the company figures out which westernized version of its name to use. Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Video: Hanvon / Hanwang’s aluminum-clad tablet does Windows 7 multitouch

Filed under:

Video: Hanvon / Hanwang’s aluminum-clad tablet does Windows 7 multitouch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Orbis Finally Adds Bracket to Ring Flash Adapter

orbis bracket

Enlight has finally gotten around to making a mounting bracket for its neat-o Orbis ring flash adapter. The Orbis is one of several plastic circles designed to redirect the light from the strobe you already own and give it that distinctive, flat and shadowless light characteristic of specialist purpose built ring units.

One of these, the Ray Flash, clamps on to your strobe while it sits up in the hotshoe. Neat, but also wobbly and huge. The Orbis was always a neater solution but you had to hand-hold, which is of course rather awkward.

Now, though, Enlight will sell you an aluminum bracket which screws into the tripod socket of the camera and secures the Orbis adapter. The Orbis sits under the camera, and usually you slide the flash into a the sleeve and hold it all so the donut of light surrounds the lens. As you would imagine, this makes zooming and manual focus almost impossible, unless you are some three-handed freak. The adapter bracket joins the flash to the camera and gives you a hand back, and is adjustable to fit most camera/flash combinations.

We’d argue that this should already be in the box, but instead it will cost you an extra $60. Available November.

Product page [Orbis. Thanks, Naomi!]

See Also:


Samsung’s 12 megapixel SCH-W880 made official

We might still have debates over whether the SCH-W880 represents a cameraphone or our newly minted category of phonecamera, but there’s no doubt about this: the Samsung AMOLED 12M is now official and coming to (at least) Korea in October. The specs align closely to yesterday’s info, with a 3x optical zoom, 720p video recording, dedicated camera controls, and a 800 x 480 3.3-inch AMOLED display grabbing the headlines. Touch AF makes use of the touchscreen to let you choose focus areas, while image stabilization and Smart Auto modes fill out the software side of the camera. That leaves us with scant little info on the actual phone, but you could probably fill those specs in yourself by now, right?

[Via Samsung Hub]

Show full PR text
The World’s First 12-megapixel Camera Phone with an Optical Zoom Is Launched in Korea

Following the launch of Pixon12, the first 12 megapixel camera phone in June, Samsung astonishes the world with the 12 megapixel camera phone featuring Optical Zoom.

Seoul, Korea, September 29th, 2009 – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today announced the launch of the ‘Samsung AMOLED 12M’ (Model Name: SCH-W880), the world’s first 12-megapixel camera phone with an optical zoom up to 3 times. The phone is going to be sold in Korean market from early October.

The ‘Samsung AMOLED 12M’ is incorporated with the latest camera technology and display technology – the world’s first 12-megapixel camera with an optical zoom and the world’s most advanced WVGA (800 x 480) AMOLED full touch screen.

As a response to one of the most demanding mobile consumers in Korea, the ‘Samsung AMOLED 12M’ comes packed with a host of functions which enable consumers to easily capture, browse and share their images on the move – all on a brilliant full-touch 3.3-inch WVGA AMOLED screen.

“Samsung has led the camera phone market introducing the very many first of its kind camera phone – the first 5-megapixel (SCH-V7800, June 2005), the first 7-megapixel with an optical zoom(SCH-V770, July 2005), the first 10-megapxel (SCH-B600, October 2006), and recently, the first 12-megapixel camera phone for global market(Samsung Pixon12, June 2009). The Samsung AMOLED 12M is a living proof of our continuous commitment to introduce the most up-to-date technology to enrich users’ mobile experience.” said Executive Vice President JK Shin, Head of Mobile Communication Division in Samsung Electronics.

The Samsung AMOLED 12M enables users to take perfect pictures quickly and easily, thanks to the Dedicated Camera Power Key which also provides a real digital camera-alike look and grip feeling. Samsung AMOLED 12M features fast image saving for next shot, so users can move to next shot within around 2 seconds. The phone also provides high quality video recording (1280 x 720) which offers 30 frames per second.

The phone provides the best photo quality by adopting innovative camera features. With Touch Auto-Focus (AF) tracking, users can simply select focus point with the touch of a finger, after which the AF function will automatically follow the object, keeping it in focus even as it moves across the screen. Moreover, Smart Auto feature allows users to capture the perfect images as the camera automatically changes the scene and mode based on its object, background and lighting. Images taken on the Samsung AMOLED 12M are worth showing off to friends and loved ones as they boast digital camera quality thanks to the phone camera’s superb lens and Xenon flash.

Filed under: ,

Samsung’s 12 megapixel SCH-W880 made official originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Vodafone nabs iPhone in prelude to UK price war

Now that O2 has lost exclusivity, everyone’s getting in on the iPhone action in the UK. First it was Orange, now Vodafone has inked a deal said to have been signed only last night as a defensive move to stave subscriber defections. The new agreement sees Vodafone selling the iPhone 3G and 3GS to the UK and Ireland in early 2010, a bit later than the Orange Apple expected before Christmas.

Update: Official Vodafone UK statement now live.

[Via Randomly Accessed and The Telegraph]

Filed under:

Vodafone nabs iPhone in prelude to UK price war originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Adafruit’s DIY ‘less lethal’ weapon looks cool, doesn’t really work

As you’re no doubt well aware, the government is always looking for new ways to make dissidents feel uncomfortable. In this space alone we’ve seen devices meant to cook folks with microwaves, zap ’em with electricity, and make ’em nauseous using light. Taking inspiration from the last one, the open source pranksters at Adafruit Industries have built a contraption of their own called the Bedazzler. It’s powered by an Arduino and, unlike the original, Adafruit’s version doesn’t seem to work for the purpose incapacitating no-goodniks — but that’s probably a good thing. For some background on this extremely less than lethal device, peep the the video after the break. And then hit the read link to build one yourself.

Continue reading Adafruit’s DIY ‘less lethal’ weapon looks cool, doesn’t really work

Filed under:

Adafruit’s DIY ‘less lethal’ weapon looks cool, doesn’t really work originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple store outage incites tipping riot

It’s Tuesday and the Apple Store is down — but only for North America at the moment. So hold tight, start sifting through the latest Apple rumors and check back with us at 0830 New York time when all (or nothing) will be revealed.

Update: ‘Twas nothing, but it sure was fun while it lasted.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under:

Apple store outage incites tipping riot originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Casio’s Poptone Cubic Puzzle watch is a riddle in an enigma wrapped around your wrist

Alright, so Casio’s new Poptone Cubic Puzzle watch may not actually contain any puzzles (or games of any sort, for that matter), but it does boasts some buttons that kind of, sort of resemble Tetris pieces, and it in comes in blue, which is good enough for us. Otherwise, it looks like you’ll get all the usual watch functions you’d expect from a watch, including 12 or 24 hour time settings, a stopwatch, an alarm clock, and a backlight — not to mention an “animated display,” which remains something of a puzzle. Sold? Then you can grab one right now in your choice of black or blue for just under $90.

[Via OhGizmo!]

Filed under:

Casio’s Poptone Cubic Puzzle watch is a riddle in an enigma wrapped around your wrist originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Zune Guy awarded worst political tattoo of all time

We can’t say we’re 100% certain it’s him, but damn if that faded Zune tattoo and beauty mark parked at 11 o’clock aren’t the tell-tale signs of the Zune Guy. The image was discovered in a piece on the Huffington Post titled Worst Political Tattoos of all Time.” Obscure, sure, but a third eye, Zune-enlightened devil-Cheney baby is hardly the worst politcal cover-up we’ve seen.

Update: Yup, it’s him. Enjoy your new HuffPost award Zune Guy, wherever you are.

[Thanks, Jesse]

Filed under:

Zune Guy awarded worst political tattoo of all time originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toshiba Satellite T100 series of thin-and-lights receive Windows 7 nod

Hope you’re ready for it ’cause a deluge of new computing hardware is coming with the launch of Windows 7. Here’s Toshiba’s T100 series with LED backlit displays, Intel CULV SU4100 processors, DDR3 memory, eSATA/USB combo ports, integrated webcams, 5-in-1 card readers, HDMI-out, a claimed 9-hours of life from 6-cell batteries, and multi-touch trackpads set for launch on October 22nd. The 13-inch, 3.88-pound T135 (pictured above, left) starts at $600 with 250GB 5400RPM disk, up to 8GB or memory, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. The T115 starts at $450 and brings an 11.6-inch display, up to 4GB of memory, and 3.49-pound heft. All Windows 7 all the time, just the way you want it.

Filed under:

Toshiba Satellite T100 series of thin-and-lights receive Windows 7 nod originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lighthouse SQ7 MID brings voice recognition to Facebook, Twitter

If you’re savvy enough to want to use the Facebook Mobile app, we’re guessing you’re savvy enough to get it up and running on your phone or portable — so buying an additional device for responding to friend requests seems a little silly. Hopefully, AdelaVoice (a company that develops voice-enabled apps for the Internet and social networks) has more plans for its Lighthouse SQ7 than what we see here. Based on the Linux-powered SmartQ7 Internet tablet, the heart of this bad boy is a UI that allows you access to Facebook, Twitter, the web, and an image slideshow. But that ain’t all! Taking advantage of Webkit’s integrated voice recognition, this thing will let you input text through the mic — perfect for posting to Facebook or tweeting sans stylus. Perhaps for some people these features might be a big deal, but we’ve been asking around — and we have yet to find anyone who’ll ‘fess up. We have to admit, though — what this thing does do, it seems to do pretty well. Tell you what, AdelaVoice — add JDate and Classmates.com and we’ll give the thing another shot, okay? Video after the break.

[Via Best Tablet Review]

Continue reading Lighthouse SQ7 MID brings voice recognition to Facebook, Twitter

Filed under: ,

Lighthouse SQ7 MID brings voice recognition to Facebook, Twitter originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments