Hasta La Gadget!

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist — er, make that a smartphone industry analyst — to figure out that Garmin’s been underperforming in the handset game since it tied up with ASUS early last year; notable missteps have included lackluster hardware, a hopelessly delayed first model, banking fortunes on WinMo in its twilight years, and a general failure to capture the kinds of blockbuster carrier deals that can prop up your bottom line. Indeed, it wasn’t long ago that the company went public with the fact that Garmin-Asus’ financials weren’t where they needed to be, but things are getting a little more serious now: CFO Kevin Rauckman has mentioned in an interview that they’ll need to decide “within the next couple of quarters whether [they] continue to invest or whether [they] pull back.” Of course, “pull back” is probably code for “cut and run,” since there’s really no good way to half-ass your smartphone presence and still earn customer loyalty and turn a profit. Looking at Garmin’s bigger picture, it still doesn’t really need to make smartphones to survive — the PND market remains healthy, and the company has a huge presence in the marine and aviation industries — but we’re sure they’d like a piece of the cellular pie. Touch nut to crack, isn’t it, guys?

Garmin: ‘we’ll have to make decisions within the next couple of quarters’ on future of phone business originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The way that rumors and Verizon’s statements have been lining up this year, you might’ve been under the impression that its upcoming Android tablets would be carrier exclusives — but maybe not: ye olde Wall Street Journal is citing “three people familiar with the matter” (it’s not often they give a quantity of familiar people!) as saying that Big Red, AT&T, and Sprint are all on tap to take delivery of the Galaxy Tab. In light of Samsung’s strategy in deploying the Galaxy S as far and wide (and with as little exclusivity) as possible, that’d certainly make sense — the company is comfortable switching between GSM, CDMA, and even WiMAX radios at this point without breaking a sweat.

Speaking of WiMAX, this rumor certainly lends credence to the possibility that the Sprint version will be 4G-equipped, giving the Epic a big brother in the carrier’s growing stable of sexy WiMAX hardware. Samsung has an event lined up in New York next Thursday, the 16th (which we’ll be attending, naturally) and the WSJ goes on to say that the Tab’s US unveil is going to go down there. Pricing remains an open question, but considering that the Tab’s a full-on cellphone in addition to a data device, it seems that American customers might need to be comfortable with another contract if they want in on this thing. Ouch.

Samsung Galaxy Tab heading to Verizon, AT&T, Sprint? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What a pair these two will make! HP’s Wireless HDMI TV adapter — both the transmitter and receiver, which we toyed with earlier this month — have hit the FCC’s database under two separate filings. The HM517 receiver and HM516 transmitter work in the 4.9THz to 5.9GHz unlicensed band and boasts a maximum video stream of 1080p 60Hz (but supports resolution upwards of 1600 x 1200) and up to 8PCM audio channels, S/PDIF DTS, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, and AC-3 (5.1 channel) — all HDCP 1.0 compliant. According to the paperwork, the couple can’t be more than 5 to 10 meters apart at any time. We’ve got a file on ’em… in the gallery below.

HP’s Wireless TV Connect transmitter and receiver hit FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 18:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What is this strange pendulum hanging below the camcorder? An external battery? Some eccentric fashion accessory from the Far East? Actually, this is the ReadySteady: a camera stabilizer (and potentially a stand) designed for use with various pocket camcorders such as the Flip Mino, Sony Bloggie, Sanyo Xacti (like our HD1010 here) and Kodak PlayTouch. The device really is as simple as it looks — it consists of just a two-part 3.5-ounce aluminum disc and a flexible camera stand, the latter of which can be stored within the disc. Likewise, the instructions are pretty straightforward: simply poke the stand through the disc, screw it into your camcorder, put a grip near your camcorder’s bottom, and then apply some force onto the disc with your other hand (as pictured). Voilà! So, does this $29.99 device work? And is it worth it? Read on to find out — an extensive test video awaits you after the break.

Continue reading ReadySteady pocket camcorder stabilizer review

ReadySteady pocket camcorder stabilizer review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPhone’s dead, long live the Windows Phone. That must be the genius proclamation that incited Microsoft to celebrate Windows Phone 7 reaching RTM status with the incomprehensible procession you see above. An elaborate parade, replete with hearses and black capes, was organized last week to denote the passing of the BlackBerry and iPhone into the land of unwanted gadgets. We’d say this is done in poor taste, but we don’t enjoy stating the obvious. We will, however, enjoy the fallout from this poorly judged stunt. See our favorite image after the break and lots more at the source.

Update: Apparently the team also engaged in a Thriller dance. Words are failing us, so just hop on past the break and mash play.

Continue reading Microsoft celebrates Windows Phone 7 RTM with funeral parade for BlackBerry and iPhone (update: Thriller video!)

Microsoft celebrates Windows Phone 7 RTM with funeral parade for BlackBerry and iPhone (update: Thriller video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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