Hasta La Gadget!

While some high-profile custom PC vendors are on their way out, Origin PC is just getting started. The company recently launched the Genesis, a desktop that melts gamers’ faces at the same time it incinerates their wallets, and the Eon18, a laptop that… honestly does just the same. Come to think of it, flame seems to be a recurring theme for the company, but before you work yourself into a burning hot rage because of your inability to afford Origin product, consider the new Eon15. With only room for a single powerful mobile graphics chip and a single storage drive, it won’t be setting new 3DMark or I/O benchmarks like its cousins, but it will let you get away with a 1080p screen, Core i7-820QM processor, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, a GeForce GTX 285M and even a snazzy paint job for a merely painful, rather than excruciating, price. Configurations start at $1,900 — hey, it’s not like you were gonna be using those paychecks for anything else, right?

Origin’s Eon15 gaming laptop offers less bang, saves more buck originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 23:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here she is, folks — Dell’s first-ever Android device destined for a Stateside release, and AT&T’s second overall handset (the first being the Backflip) with a Google-based operating system. At CTIA’s MobileFocus event, we were able to brush up against a fully functional Aero (shown beside a Mini 3, just for your information), but we left without seeing the actual home screen. The closest we came to witnessing Android 1.5 boot up was the typical AT&T intro screen, and once that popped up, our presenter promptly popped the battery out in order to stop what would’ve otherwise been a truly momentous occasion. We begged and pleaded for a few interface shots, but Dell insisted that AT&T was holding an invisible gun to its head in order to keep the screen dimmed. We were told that the interface was still being tweaked, and the carrier simply wasn’t ready for the world at large to take a peek.

Outside of that, we learned that this will indeed be the planet’s lightest Android phone ever when it ships (believe us, it was light), and while v1.5 will be onboard, Dell seemed confident that 2.1 (and beyond) would be made available shortly after launch. We were also told that it would ship with a 5 megapixel camera (a step up from the Mini 3’s 3 megapixel shooter), an undisclosed amount of internal storage, a new color / design scheme (the one you see here will be the only shade available at launch) and a 2GB microSD card bundled in at purchase. You’ll also find a good deal of AT&T baked into the OS, but it’s not like you should be surprised to hear of carrier meddling. Finally, we were informed that pricing would be set by AT&T, and that it would be shipping “soon” — far sooner than “six months from now” — from both AT&T and Dell channels (though not available unlocked from the latter). There’s also the possibility that Dell could arrange some sort of Aero / Mini 10 combo deal for those looking to really sink their teeth into a hefty AT&T contract, but there’s nothing substantial to go on just yet in that department. Enough chit-chat — give the gallery below a look to see what’s coming your way.

Dell Aero first hands-on! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 23:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Continue reading Switched on: Giving fax the axe

Switched on: Giving fax the axe originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And you thought the Bluetooth headset was gone forever. Samsung Mobile’s keeping the dream alive here at CTIA by introducing the “convertible-style” Modus — a noise cancelling BT headset that’s able to convert for Bluetooth stereo connectivity on a whim. It’s also equipped with a pair of microphones and multipoint technology, the latter of which enables users to have the device synced to two handsets and respond to whichever rings first. Samsung’s also tossing a stereo earbud headset in the box for those times when monaural just ain’t cuttin’ it, and the built-in rechargeable battery (which gets juiced via micro-USB) can go for six hours strong before petering out. Shame there’s no mention of a price or ship date, but it’s probably for the best — remember that pact you made with your SO to keep your ear free of foreign objects?

Samsung trots out Modus Bluetooth headset, complete with dual mics and multipoint originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD 12-core Opterons leaked ahead of launch? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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