Hasta La Gadget!

Hang with us for a sec as we conjure up a speculative device from a sordid collection of rumors. By now we’ve all seen the leaked BlackBerry slider right? How about the “Mr. T” phone, heard of that? Maybe you’ve heard of it by its other codename of Talladega? The connection here is that all of these devices are thought to be one and the same although that’s definitely not confirmed by any stretch.

Things got a bit more interesting today after a loose-lipped CEO of a RIM parts supplier (Woojeon & Handan) mentioned a brand new BlackBerry “T” phone launching next month during an interview posted on joins.com (a popular Korean news site). According to our translation or the Korean jibba jabba:

“The Canadian company RIM famous for BlackBerry smartphones is releasing a new model next month. Known as the “T,” The new model is an ambitious product aimed at competing against iPhone’s storm of success. Rim will present it (“T”) as its flagship model to compete in global markets such as the U.S. and Europe.”

Funny, we thought that the original Storm was RIM’s answer to the iPhone. Anywho, Reuters picked up on the Woojeon & Handan interview today but shied away from mentioning the name or the “next month” timing, saying only that W&H would supply parts for a new RIM product to be released later this year. With any luck, we’ll get a full reveal of the mythical BB slider next week with the kickoff of the big CTIA show.

[Thanks, Frank]

Update: You know what’s next month? WES, RIM’s own trade show, which runs from the 27th to the 29th of April. Perfect timing for something like this, if we do say so ourselves.

RIM BlackBerry ‘T’ (Talladega?) slider launching next month? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameStop’s got BOGO fever, offering a free used game when you buy a used game. But don’t bother heading to your local store: this deal’s online only. pOriginally posted at a href=”http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-10469285-58.html” class=”origPostedBlog”The Cheapskate/a/p

Umang Dokey’s Windows 7 Phone Series tablet concept is rather enticing, and it even manages to feel genuinely like a Microsoft product, with its mixture of impossible sci-fi concepts (3D video conferencing) and gray office mundanity (a keyboard).

The (non-embeddable) video shows the slim device in action, though it’s all computer generated graphics, as the device doesn’t actually exist. The keyboard is also a fold-out stand, depending on how far you rotate it from its hole in the back (and if you do decide to go all QWERTY, the rest of the unit will surely just topple backwards). The two webcams sit far apart on either side of the 8-inch touch-screen, and when used to make 3D would probably give you the viewpoint of Admiral Ackbar. The Bezel is really too small to let you hold the device without covering the screen with a thumb, and around the back are a couple of recessed joysticks for gaming. It looks lovely, and would probably be awful to use.

But the biggest takeaway from the demo video is that Windows Mobile 7 (sorry, but the official name is too much of a mouthful: just look at that headline up there) is perfect for a touch-screen tablet, with all its floaty, scrolling UI elements. This is what Microsoft should be working on, not some awful Windows 7 tablet.

Tablet Concept [Umang Dokey via da Giz]

See Also:

• It's Not Easy to Make a Tablet, Stantum Slate PC Proves
• HP's Windows 7 Slate Strikes at the iPad

Canon’s latest firmware update for the 5D MkII (v2.0.3) which was pushed out earlier this month promised all sorts of new video functions, from proper a 24p frame-rate to manual control for audio level. For some owners, though, it has broken their cameras.

Canon has issued a warning that some users are “experiencing issues” and that it is “are working on a new firmware update to address these phenomena”. What phenomena? No audio. Specifically, if you have the audio levels set to manual control, nothing will be recorded in any of your custom exposure modes If you happen to turn the camera off (and on again, obviously). Canon has pulled the firmware update until further notice.

Also mentioned at the 5D Mark II Team blog are a few unconfirmed issues, from the return of the infamous black spots, through “inconsistent stuttering and/or dropped frames on 24p” to “weird noises coming from the lens”.

There is a workaround for the confirmed audio problems (set levels to automatic), and the other problems are under investigation. This is exactly why I hold off camera firmware updates for at least a few weeks before applying them.

Canon Official Update Information [5D Mark II Team blog via Canon Rumors]

Important Update Information for Firmware Update Version 2.0.3 [Canon]

See Also:

• Canon 5D MkII Update Cures Black Spots
• Canon Firmware Update Adds Manual Control to 5D MkII Video …
• 5D MkII Update Adds 24p Video, Sound Levels
• Magic Lantern Firmware Supercharges Canon 5D MkII

Winners of annual skyscraper contest include a “Vertical Prison” whose inmates work for the host city below, and a building that doubles as a water purification system for a polluted Indonesian river.