Hasta La Gadget!

Samsung just grew its Bada line with a low-end foil to the original Wave, the so-called Wave 723 — and we just happened to catch it hanging out tucked away in a distributor’s booth at IFA this week. Though the leather-grain flip cover is a classy touch, make no mistake that this one is destined for the bottom bits of the full-touch featurephone market segment thanks to a middle-of-the-road TFT LCD that looks pretty washed out and low-res compared to the Wave’s Super AMOLED (interestingly, the 723 is the first Bada phone to use version 1.1 of the platform, whose major addition is support for auto-scaling between multiple resolutions). We were also surprised at how poorly responsive the screen was to touches and swipes; we even thought for a moment that it might be resistive, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Then again, 802.11n support ain’t bad, and Samsung certainly seems as committed to Bada as ever, so we imagine they’ll sell a few. Hit up the gallery!

Samsung Wave 723 flaunts Bada, little else at IFA originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Back in the early 90’s whilst playing our Atari Lynx — friendless and alone, of course — we couldn’t have imagined that a second-rate spinoff of the popular Gauntlet franchise would unlock the secrets behind the birth of Google’s Android OS. But, lo and behold, what has one of our faithful tipsters found down here, amongst the ruins of Gauntlet: The Third Encounter? That’s right, nearly irrefutable proof that the Android team (or at least its graphic designers) have plumbed the depths of Epyx’s not-quite-masterpiece for the iconic droid logo we’ve come to know and love. Sure, the top-down scroller provided all kinds of new character classes like the “Nerd,” “Punkrocker,” and “Pirate,” but only one of these fresh faces would provide the blueprint for Android’s public face. It’s hard to argue that there isn’t some level of appropriation here, given the multiple similarities between the two pieces of art, right down to the antennae, dotted eyes, general size and shape, and even the strip which cuts across the midsection of the bot. Oh yeah, and the character is named Android. We personally would like to hear what Google has to say for themselves in regards to this blatant theft of intellectual property, and as for the Epyx artists who slaved over a hot Amiga to bring this image to life — the taste of sweet justice is yours.

[Thanks, Davey]

Continue reading Shocker! Google’s Android logo boosted from Atari Lynx title ‘Gauntlet: The Third Encounter’

Shocker! Google’s Android logo boosted from Atari Lynx title ‘Gauntlet: The Third Encounter’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Timbuk2 is best known for its rugged and reliable messenger bags and backpacks, but the company announced three new iPad sleeves designed to keep your iPad safe and secure whether the sleeve is going into a bag or you’re just carrying your iPad from one place to another. The new Plush Sleeve for iPad features thick memory foam lining and a faux fur lining on the interior to prevent scratches and damage to your iPad, and comes in a bronze, black, and silver Velcro sleeves that secures over the top by three heavy Velcro straps.

The Scuba Sleeve for iPad is made of neoprene fabric that makes for a more snug fit around your iPad and a wrap-over Velcro closure that’s designed to keep it protected from rain or splashing. The Scuba Sleeve also has the same faux fur lining, and comes in black, with your choice of a gray or red design.
 
Finally, the Envelope Sleeve for iPad features Timbuk2’s trademark colorful three-panel style and the same memory foam protective exterior, faux fur lined interior, and heavy Velcro closure that the Plush Sleeve does, just with the three-panel design and many more color options and combinations. All three of Timbuk2’s new iPad sleeves are TSA compliant, and all three are available now. The Plush Sleeve is the most expensive, at $40 list, the Scuba Sleeve will set you back $35, and the Envelope Sleeve retails for $30. 

Yesterday it was Corsair, today it’s the turn of Antec to step into the world of PC audio components. Best known for building cases and power supplies, the company’s aiming to make a splash in this unexplored pool with its all-new soundscience brand and first product, the rockus 3D|2.1 speakers. We’re guessing capital letters weren’t high on the priority list here, with Antec instead opting to focus on delivering “immersive 3D soundscapes,” the supposed aural equivalent of three-dimensional visuals. Beyond the marketing exaggerations, you’ll find anodized aluminum satellite speakers, both digital and analog input options, and that cute little control pod for adjusting volume and toggling between stereo and Antec’s proprietary 3Dsst mode. This rockus 2.1 set certainly looks stylish enough, but the asking price of $250 makes us think we’ll probably have to make do without one this fall.

Continue reading Antec wants to rockus with its new soundscience 2.1 ‘3D’ speakers

Antec wants to rockus with its new soundscience 2.1 ‘3D’ speakers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Calling all Wii owners! WiiPhoto beams pics from your iPhone, iPod, or iPad straight to your console-connected TV. It can tap your Flickr and Facebook accounts, too. pOriginally posted at a href=”http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-20015477-233.html” class=”origPostedBlog”iPhone Atlas/a/p