Hasta La Gadget!

What can we say — it’s a near final build of LG’s 15-inch OLED TV that’s set to go production in Korea before the baby New Year can suckle at the big one-oh. We could say it’s beautiful, that even motion looked good pushing genuine blacks on this razor thin panel. But we wouldn’t want to rub your noses in the fact that we’re at IFA and you’re not. Perhaps this will make you feel better: by the time it makes it Stateside in February or March it’ll be carrying a price tag right around $2,500. Really, but it’s Wireless TV-capable and that’s gotta be worth something.

Oh, and LG tells us that its 32- and 42-inch OLED panels are on schedule and due to be released sometime in 2010. Yes, 2010 contradicting what we’ve heard earlier. No word on price but it’s going to be tres, tres expensive.

Filed under: Displays

Eyes-on LG’s 15-inch OLED TV makes us want to punch an LCD originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You know the opening sequence of The Jetsons where George’s flying car folds right up into a briefcase, then he goes inside and kicks his feet up at the desk of the future? Well, we may not have flying cars — or moving walkways that sweep us to our office chairs for that matter — but soon we will have the YikeBike, an electric bicycle that tucks neatly into a bag little bigger than a briefcase. Its styling queues are decidedly futuristic penny-farthing, with the large front wheel, tiny rear, and little mustache handlebar, but that front wheel is driven by an electric motor giving a range of 9km and a top speed of 20km/h. No word on how long a full charge takes, but 80 percent requires only 20 minutes. It looks like fun (see for yourself after the break), and is due to start shipping by the middle of next year, but at a cost of €3,900 (over $5,500) it’s going to be something of a tall sale for a short ride.

[Via WOW-POW]

Continue reading Video: Electric folding YikeBike looks slightly ridiculous, totally practical

Filed under: Transportation

Video: Electric folding YikeBike looks slightly ridiculous, totally practical originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not that our Stateside T-Mobile needs much help scoring Android handsets, but this phone looks strictly reserved for our European brethren. The T-Mobile Pulse is actually Huawei’s U8220, which looks a little drab compared to its U8230 sibling, and works in what seems to be standard smartphone specs these days: 3.2 megapixel camera, 3.5-inch 320 x 480 screen, HSDPA, Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS. The 2GB SD card and mere 3.5 hours of talk time leave a bit to be desired, and the 13.5mm thickness is almost as beastly as Nokia’s latest, but we’re sure the Pulse means well. No word on a straight price, but in Germany with a two year agreement prices start at 5 Euro a month.

[Via Engadget German]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

T-Mobile Pulse runs Android, headed for Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We suppose we asked for it when we called the new X Series plastic “cheap” to Samsung’s face, but we got some wild build quality trust in return when the Samsung guy stood on his laptop for us. So, the plastic feels cheap, but at least it’ll hold up under (considerable) pressure, and the matte palm rest is certainly an improvement over the glossy overload of the competition. Upon closer inspection we’re still not really feeling the design of these laptops, and the port layout feels a little haphazard, but at least everything’s there and there’s no garishness to complain about. The X120’s side-button trackpad is a bit of a disappointment, though all three laptops do support multitouch for the all important two-finger scrolling. But enough blabber, check out the laptop standing stunt on video after the break!

Continue reading Samsung X Series withstands human weight test, other hands-on impressions

Filed under: Laptops

Samsung X Series withstands human weight test, other hands-on impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cricket has always had the lowest rates and most liberal policies of the 3G broadband providers. Their $40/month plan is $20 cheaper than most other carriers, and their 5GB/month data cap doesn’t result in high charges if you go over the limit (they just slow down your connection.) We tested their A600 USB modem, and although it isn’t perfect, it’s a great competitor in an industry that generally moves in lockstep.

For heavy users, Cricket is now trying out a 10GB plan. Cricket’s Greg Lund tells me that the new $60/month, 10GB plan is being “tested with a small customer group,” and Cricket hasn’t decided whether to make it fully public yet. Since the 5GB plan just slows you down at 5GB, what you’re getting for the extra $20 is another 5GB of high speed access.

The plot gets thicker when you realize Cricket has applied for federal funding as a subsidized broadband provider for low-income households.  While 5GB is plenty of data for most occasional, mobile users, it’s less than many home Internet users expect.

Put two and two together, and you might see those low-income households being put on Cricket’s new 10GB plan with the feds carrying 80% of the cost. That brings the $60/month price down to $12/month, which competes well both on speed and price with lower-end DSL offerings. And as Cricket’s system doesn’t require contracts, credit checks, or any actual wiring, it’s available to many families who can’t get DSL because of financial or living-situation reasons.