Magnepan has finally, after 12 years, improved its Magneplanar 1.6 speaker, the best sub-$2,000 speaker I’d heard in 2008. Here’s hoping the new Magneplanar 1.7 sounds even better. pOriginally posted at a href=”http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-10422797-47.html” class=”origPostedBlog”The Audiophiliac/a/p
Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop brought to you by… some furiously pedaling tourists originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
And what do we have here? HTC’s Russian contingent has been rather forthcoming with its Windows Mobile 7 plans this morning, which will please HD2 owners but disappoint many others. The good news is that HTC’s flagship WinMo handset is assured of getting Microsoft’s finest when it comes out, but the bad news is that the rest of the line will remain stuck at version 6.5 or below. Here’s the tweet in the Queen’s own tongue:
For Diamond 2 firmware is not planned. Of the existing communicators on the market, only the HD2 firmware to get WM7.
Keep in mind it’s still possible, though not altogether probable, that this statement refers only to the Russian market. In either case, if you were holding out hope for your Touch Pro 2 or Snap to keep updating all the way to 7, it seems the odds are now officially stacked against you.
HTC Russia says HD2 will get Windows Mobile 7 upgrade, but other ‘communicators’ won’t originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Our friends at Macworld have a simple list of uses for a dead iPod. The suggestions include using the iPod as a car stereo (if the battery no longer charges), turning the iPod into a storage drive, or tethering the iPod to a computer as an always-plugged-in iTunes player.
Decent suggestions, but I had to chime in with my favorite use of an old iPod: Turning it into a bootable Mac OS X drive. Lifehacker posted a great guide on installing Mac OS X Leopard on your iPod. (The same steps work for Mac OS X Snow Leopard.) The process is really easy: You erase the iPod’s hard drive and then restore it with an OS X disc image.
An iPod containing Mac OS X will come useful for troubleshooting (booting up on the iPod and performing disc repair on your Mac hard drive) or performing a fresh installation if needed. I prefer the iPod method because I tend to get careless with discs; they end up scratched up within a few months. Also, installing from a hard drive is way faster than installing from a disc. (That’s assuming, of course, that the problem with your iPod is a broken screen or a depleted battery — not a dead drive.)
Got any better suggestions for using a dead iPod? Add them in the comments below.
See Also:
Photo: Elron6900/Flickr
I haven’t owned a lot of big-screen TVs in my life. In my basement there’s an old 19-inch Samsung CRT gifted to me in 1988. It still works. After I demoted that TV, I bought a 32-inch RCA tube TV. It lasted for about 12 years. In 2006 I bought my first HDTV–a 42-inch 1080i Plasma from Samsung. It didn’t make it through 2009.
It still runs, sort of. The screen turns on. I can change channels and the sound is fine, but the screen is a pixelated mess.The crazy thing is it started the day off fine. We all watched a movie on it in the morning, turned it off and when we turned it back on, it was a mess. I checked all inputs, everything looked the same. Then I went online.
The problem was not as uncommon as I thought. Other owners of the same and closely-related models reported a similar issue. Most narrowed it down to two circuit boards inside the display–upper and lower buffer boards. I also searched online for Samsung service centers. Samsung’s own site came up with zero options for plasma TVs and my area. My next step was to visit the Samsung’s parts site. The board coast about $130 each and a service manual cost around $30. I thought about ordering them and then hesitated.
Wiiwaa is a forthcoming Wii game which involves you cramming your Wiimote into the mouth of the bizarre stuffed animal you see… oh just watch the video after the break.
Continue reading Wiiwaa is the greatest Wii game ever made, we assume
Wiiwaa is the greatest Wii game ever made, we assume originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
This USB hub has 24 ports. Who could possibly use such a thing? I regularly have to re-jig my USB setup to fit in everything I use (not to mention the gear I test) and I can’t ever see myself needing almost a quarter-century of sockets.
We suppose it could be good for those who need to write a whole lot of thumb-drives at once, although there are purpose built devices for that which don’t make your peripherals radiate from the center like some demented electronic sunburst. The Super USB 24-Port Hub will set you back $70, and comes (of course) with a power adapter.
I have another concern about having so may gadgets hooked up to just one port on your computer. Unlike FireWire, USB communication is controlled by your computer and not the peripheral itself. Wouldn’t having 24 gizmos running concurrently drain the resources of even a powerful modern machine?
Super USB 24-Port Hub [USB Fever]
Following their hit military-themed FPS iPhone app Modern Combat: Sandstorm, Gameloft reloads and sets its sites on an all new threat-aliens!-in sci-fi fragger N.O.V.A.
As with their aforementioned Call of Duty clone, Gameloft’s latest shooter borrows from the best; while it’s unlikely we’ll see Master Chief’s shiny green armor splash across the iPhone’s slick display anytime soon, N.O.V.A. offers the next best thing.
Loved
Hand-held Halo: Give any of N.O.V.A.’s screenshots even a passing glance, and it’s immediately obvious where the developers gleaned their inspiration. From its Brute-like baddies to a sidearm that’d look right at home in Master Chief’s holster, this one’s busting with Halo call-outs. Dig a bit deeper and you’ll discover Warthog-wannabe vehicles and an intel-reporting cyber-hottie that shares more than a passing resemblance with a certain blue-beamed babe from Bungie’s franchise. Whether you see these similarities as respectful tributes or blatant ripoffs, you’ll be hard pressed to deny their appeal; coupled with amazing audio, visuals, animations and effects-weapon reloads are a highlight-they complement one of the platform’s most polished and engrossing experiences.
Lock, Load, Touch: Supporting N.O.V.A.’s excellent presentation are rock solid controls that keep things simple, satisfying, and super intuitive. A responsive virtual pad moves your character, while finger-swiping the screen controls the camera and your cross hairs. Additionally, a well balanced aim-assist ensures you’ll plug plenty of alien menaces between the eyes without ever feeling like the game’s doing it for you. Tossing grenades, using stasis power (Maybe the devs played some Dead Space, too?), and jumping also feel natural and never frustrating. While the Wii still struggles to find the FPS sweet spot with its unconventional controls, it seems the iPhone has already mastered this challenge.
Hated
Head-shot to Originality: From it’s generic name, which stands for Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance, to its forgettable sci-fi story, N.O.V.A. feels a bit uninspired. Objectives, such as activating computer terminals and clearing rooms of bad guys before proceeding, are things we’ve been doing for years. And, despite their stunning visuals, the levels continuously sting with deja vu as you trek across catwalks and ride elevators in familiar-feeling space stations. Although its production values are top notch and its gameplay engaging, N.O.V.A. sometimes feels like it fell off the “sc-fi shooter” assembly line.
While N.O.V.A. benefits by cribbing from some of the best console shooters, it also sticks too closely to many of the genre’s growing-stale conventions. Still, its excellent gameplay and polished presentation easily make it the premier FPS on the platform, and even a worthy competitor to the PSP’s and DS’s best shooters. A 13-chapter solo campaign-complete with three difficulty settings-and 4-player Wi-Fi and local multi-player also make it a steal at around seven space bucks.
N.O.V.A. was developed and published by Gameloft for iPhone on December 17th. Retails for $6.99. A code to download the game was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Completed the game’s campaign on medium, difficulty and participated in several multi-player matches over Wi-Fi.
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Of course, for you (and us) nothing much changes when it comes time to hit the floor at CES 2010: we don’t accept any hookups or editorial privileges from the CEA. Don’t get all worried that we’ve “sold out” or let “the man” take control of us, and don’t fret that we’re not “keeping it real” or “coming correct.” Just as usual, Engadget will be hammering away at CES coverage with the kind of unchecked ferocity you’re used to experiencing. Our crack team of gadget geniuses will — in fact — be storming the floor, bringing you the first and best product news, and generally wreaking havoc on the gadget-loving public just like the CESs of years past.
One more note — as you may have heard, we were voted Blog of the Decade in Adweek’s “Best of the 2000s” poll. We wanted to take a minute and thank the voters, as well as all of our readers (voters or not); without you guys, we couldn’t do what we do, and we’ll be working hard to make sure the next decade is even better!
Engadget: The Official Blog Partner of CES 2010! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Yet another consumer electronics segment is bouncing back from the recession–demand for LCD TVs is showing new signs of life.
Third-quarter shipments of LCD TVs rose for the first time in a year, according to DisplaySearch’s “Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report,” released Wednesday. That upward motion suggests …
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