Hasta La Gadget!

Garmin probably realizes that as more and more cellphones pack GPS, less and less people will be buying units for their cars. Luckily, the company has a big hand in the outdoor market, where people want something more rugged and, more importantly, something that doesn’t rely on a monthly contract or weigh a ton.

The Edge 500 is an in-bike GPS, and while it won’t give you turn by turn directions to the nearest Dunkin’ Donuts, it will replace your cycle computer and do a whole lot more, all in a lightweight two ounces. It has all the expected measurements: speed, distance, altitude, but it will also connect wirelessly to compatible (ANT) power meters and cadence sensors, and will track your heart-rate for calorie counting purposes (so you will know the exact moment you can head to Dunkin’ Donuts).

When you get home the unit hooks up to a computer and charges via USB, and of course lets you upload all the data and study it the form of maps and charts. The Edge 500 will be $250, and $350 in a kit with a heart rate monitor and speed/cadence sensor. Available in the fall.

Press release [Garmin]

I had a feeling AT&T wouldn’t be the only carrier to begin requiring data plans. According to MediaPost, VZW will require the dreaded costly plans for “enhanced multimedia phones” that launch on or after September 8th, meaning those with HTML Web browsers, EV-DO wireless radios, and QWERTY keyboards. Interestingly, that means that VZW wouldn’t limit the requirement to actual smartphones, unlike AT&T.

The report sourced an internal Verizon slide deck first shown on Boy Genius Report, claiming that customers will have to choose between a $10/month plan for 25MB (which is, as you can imagine, virtually nothing) or $19.99 for 75MB (which is still nothing).

The report cited the Samsung Rogue as the first VZW handset to implement this policy, and said that the move should help VZW accelerate data revenue and overall wireless growth. V CAST, by the way, will remain separate and cost an additional $10 per month, and no longer provide unlimited data, so you’ll still need one of the other two plans on top of it now. Wow, it must feel great to be a wireless carrier and fiddle with spreadsheet numbers.

Sony Ericsson has officially unveiled the Xperia X2, the successor to the company’s expensive, unlocked Xperia X1 smartphone.

The X2 will feature an 8.1-megapixel camera, a bundled 4GB microSD card, and yet another refreshed UI for Windows Mobile (though this time, it will be a 6.5 device) including 13 pre-loaded “panels,” according to a company blog post.

There’s also a slide-out, four-row QWERTY keyboard with decidedly computer-like keys, and a vertical strip of icons running along the bottom of the screen in landscape mode. In portrait mode, the band of icons shrinks in width but stays at the bottom.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 will hit “selected markets” later this year. Here’s hoping the UI is more seamless and less buggy this time around. I’d also hope for a much lower price, but if anyone is good at overcharging, it’s Sony.

These two have been eying each other from opposite ends of the room for quite some time now, but at long last, we’re seeing the first semi-official word that HTC’s Hero is indeed coming to the Now Network. Planted over in the Android section of Sprint’s own Developer site, we’re greeted with this statement:

“Announcing the HTC Hero, which will be the first Android device running on the Sprint network.”

The brief post (copied in full after the break) goes on to inform readers that the Sprint developer program will deploy an Android development section by September’s close, and there’s even a direct link to begin downloading the Android 1.5 SDK immediately. Of course, this isn’t as good as a carefully worded press release from the bowels of Overland Park, but it’s certainly enough to whet our appetites. C’mon Sprint — out with the price and release date, pronto!

[Via Phandroid]

Continue reading Sprint developer site claims HTC Hero as network’s “first Android device”

Filed under: Cellphones

Sprint developer site claims HTC Hero as network’s “first Android device” originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hoo boy are we stoked on this one. Panasonic has really shown what micro four thirds is all about, with the retro good looks and strong performance of the new Lumix DMC-GF1. The camera is certainly a bit larger and heavier than it looks from a distance, but housed within the slightly oversized shell are some pretty good optics and some snappy performance. You can’t replicate the satisfying “kerklunk” of a real DSLR shutter, but the GF1 is responsive and clicky enough to give off a much better vibe than the standard camera in this size range. The few shots we took on auto looked quite vibrant in a variety of lighting conditions, though the close-ups showed a disturbingly shallow depth of field — though that could obviously be tweaked. Being the filthy non-purists that we are, we’re most excited by the camera’s 720p video mode, which offers decently fast autofocus with a half press of the shutter button, and zero jelly vision to worry about. The downsides of no line-in and a higher pricetag than the comparable E-P1 aren’t insignificant, but the GF1 will certainly put up a fight. Stick around for some in-camera test footage later on, test stills are below and there’s a hands-on video after the break.

Update: Sample footage is now posted after the break! It was ripped from an AVCHD file to H.264, so there’s been some generational quality loss, but you’ll get an idea of the colors and the motion. We also just got word that the camera is up for pre-order at Amazon. [Thanks, Ron]

Continue reading Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 hands-on, with 720p test footage!

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 hands-on, with 720p test footage! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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