Hasta La Gadget!

China has launched a state-sponsored micro-blogging site which is apparently identical to Twitter, except that it’s run by the Chinese government, of course. The brand new social network, named Red Microblog, is run by a local propaganda department in Chongqing and its purpose is to promote the official revolutionary spirit of the Chinese government. So far, the messages seem to be living up to that ideal: “I really like the words by Chairman Mao that ‘the world is ours; we should work together’,” microblogged Bo Xilai, a local party secretary. Of course, Red Microblog does has not yet suffered from the inevitable influx of celebrities with inane aphorisms to dish out, b-listers hawking diet scams, and of course — people talking about their lunches, the weather, and whether or not Tron is going to totally rule. Come to thing of it, Red Microblog sounds pretty awesome. For now.

China launches state-sponsored, Twitter-esque Red Microblog, Kanye West already has the most followers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If the current crop of active shutter 3D televisions isn’t your style and you’d prefer some cheaper specs, say hello to VIZIO’s new 65-inch Theater 3D Razor XVT3D650SV LED set, its biggest TV yet. Previously spotted lurking about on the manufacturer’s website, this set uses cheap polarized glasses like the ones in most movie theaters unlike the more expensive (and, according to the press release, more prone to dimming and flickering) active shutter glasses used on most televisions today, including a few of VIZIO’s own. Beyond that, it’s a 120Hz edge lit LED LCD set that comes with four pairs of glasses and also includes VIZIO Internet Apps and SRS TruSurround integrated speakers. The downside for the cheap glasses however, is that most of the cost is in the display itself ratcheting the price up to $3,499 when it arrives on Sam’s Club shelves this month — until then, check the details in the press release after the break.

Continue reading VIZIO’s 65-inch Theater 3D TV with passive glasses is official, launches this month

VIZIO’s 65-inch Theater 3D TV with passive glasses is official, launches this month originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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are you passionate about photography? Would you die for the opportunity to shoot side-by-side with a National Geographic photographer? And would you break down in tears of joy if you were given a new Nikon D7000 camera? Well, then this contest is right for you.

Nikon and National Geographic are offering one lucky contestant the chance to win an exclusive photo excursion with Annie Griffiths, a world renowned National Geographic photographer and a new Nikon D7000 camera.  The winner will also receive a private tutorial from a Nikon product specialist.

This contest is part of a sereies that Nikon created to inspire users to capture their memorable moments and share their photos and videos. You can enter one time per day from December 15, 2010 to January 26, 2011 on the National Geographic website and the winner will be announced in February. Good Luck!

Ladies and gentlemen, it is that time again: Yes, the Engadget Show is back in a big way tomorrow, December 17th at 6:30pm at The Times Center in New York City! First up, Josh sits down with Mitsubishi product chief Frank DeMartin for a deep-dive into the future of televisions and a look ahead at what to expect at next month’s CES 2011. Nilay and Paul will be on hand for a raucous roundtable and the folks from Aldebaran Robotics are coming all the way from France to show off their NAO robot. Plus, we’ll have a never-before-seen tour of iRobot’s labs, an exclusive demo from Ubisoft, mind-bending music from Bit Shifter, and one lucky audience member will be walking away with a brand new 46-inch Mitsubishi LT-46164! What’s more, Google is hooking us up with five Cr-48 Chrome notebooks to give away in addition to some other special giveaway surprises. Trust us when we say that you really don’t want to miss this one! Remember, giveaways happen at the live show only, so make the trek and join us at The Times Center in person. We have a new ticketing policy, so if you’re coming to the live show, be sure to read about it below. If you’re geographically incapable of joining us in New York City, just tune into the stream right here on Engadget.

The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). Tickets are — as always — free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served… so get there early! Here’s the updated info on our new ticketing policy that you need to know:

• There is no admission fee — tickets are completely free
• The event is all ages
• Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 2:00PM on Friday, December 17th, doors will open for seating at 5:45PM, and the show begins at 6:30PM
• We now have assigned seating, so the first people to get their tickets — and the Sprint text-to-win winners (see below) — will get priority seating. This also means that once you get a ticket, your seat is guaranteed — you won’t have to get back in line to get a good seat.
• Ticketing will continue until all tickets are given away
• You cannot collect tickets for friends or family — anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket
• Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we’re full, we’re full
• The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break)
• The show length is around an hour

If you’re a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we’ll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com.

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Continue reading The Engadget Show returns tomorrow, December 17th with televisions, robots, giveaways, and more!

The Engadget Show returns tomorrow, December 17th with televisions, robots, giveaways, and more! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chumby isn’t just taking its platform to dedicated devices from other manufacturers, it’s also moving to software — a strategy that right out of Amazon’s playbook now that Kindle is available on just about every computer and handheld under the sun. The company’s new Android app simply connects to your Chumby account and lets you view and use the same Flash-based apps that you would on any other Chumby device, a testament to the fact that pretty much every Android handset hitting the market these days comes Flash-capable out of the box. Chumby says that the app works best for tablets and docked devices — which makes sense when you think of how you’d use a Sony Dash or Chumby One — and conveniently, you can set it to automatically show up as a screen saver whenever your phone is docked. Look for it in the Market right now for $4.99; follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Chumby releases Android app, not quite as plush as the original

Chumby releases Android app, not quite as plush as the original originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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