LG Optimus Black hands-on

We were on-hand for a hands-on as LG threw itself a bash celebrating a couple swish Android sets: the Optimus 2X and the Optimus Black. We’ve seen plenty of the 2X already, but the Black is an entirely different creature. First off, the taper on the back that sees the set go from 9mm in the middle to 6mm on each side is both nice to look at and helps keep the set cradled in your hand. The 4-inch WVGA NOVA display is both bright — 700 nits, if you worry about that type of thing — and extremely legible in the glaring spotlights installed at the stand. LG was touting the addition of its Wi-Fi Direct feature — what at first sight seems like gimmickry — that allows direct file transfer between sets without the need for an access point, and hey, it worked — and might even be useful. We look forward to the Optimus Black crashing into our lives sometime in the first half of this year.

LG Optimus Black hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eye-Fi’s Direct Mode hands-on: from camera to tablet in seconds (video)

We have to say, we’re pretty pumped about Eye-Fi’s new Direct Mode, and that’s not just because it’s free — CEO Jef Holove showed us how his wireless SD cards can fire snapshots from a point-and-shoot camera straight to a Samsung Galaxy Tab, and it looks like a breeze. Once the free update launches later this year, you’ll just need to download the Eye-Fi app, and select your Eye-Fi X2 card from a list to permanently pair them — much like Bluetooth or a WiFi access point — and then whenever you shoot within range, the pics will automatically spirit themselves to your Android, and can send them to Picasa or Eye-Fi View from there with an additional tap. See Direct Mode do its thing in the video above.

Eye-Fi’s Direct Mode hands-on: from camera to tablet in seconds (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Glasses Focus Selves Electronically

glasses elec.jpg

In a room full of aging nerds, you’ve pretty much got a surefire hit on your hands with a pair of electronic self-focusing glasses.With a touch of the frame, these electronic bi-focals from PixelOptics will automatically switch between reading mode and standard mode. There’s also an automode on the things, which, once enabled, utilizes the glasses’ built-in gyroscope to automatically switch between the two modes–look down, and they’ll switch to reading mode. Look up, and they switch back.
Pretty neat, and it sure beats standard bi-focals and progressive lenses, which require the user to look through a specific section of the glasses, thereby severely limited one’s peripheral vision. 
The glasses charge inductively, once placed on a stand. The built-in battery should last three or four days on a single charge.
The eyewear will be available around April. Not surprisingly, they’ll be a bit price–around $1,200, most likely, so you’ll want to take extra care not to sit on the things.

Live from CES 2011’s opening keynote with Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg

Ivan Seidenberg is passing the torch to current Verizon Wireless boss Lowell McAdam later this year after a long career with Verizon, so today’s keynote session starting at 8:30AM PT (11:30AM ET) should be a bit of a swan song for him. We don’t know what he’ll announce, if anything — Big Red’s official press conference is later today, where presenters are expected to offer more details on the carrier’s range of LTE handsets — but we’ll naturally be looking out for teasers and tidbits here this morning. Read on!

Continue reading Live from CES 2011’s opening keynote with Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg

Live from CES 2011’s opening keynote with Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Motor Company CEO Alan Mulally tells us why CES is important (video)

Each year we see more and more cars at CES, more and more infotainment systems, and more and more reasons to get excited about driving to work. But each time Ford is the company with the biggest presence, and this year there’s more Blue Oval than ever with the first CES unveil of a whole new car, the upcoming Focus Electric. Alan Mulally was kind enough to take a few minutes to speak with us about just what the heck the company is doing here and, more importantly, what kind of surprises are coming from his keynote speech on Friday. It’s all in the video below. And, yes, more of that Mustang too — which just so happens to be painted in our favorite color.

Continue reading Ford Motor Company CEO Alan Mulally tells us why CES is important (video)

Ford Motor Company CEO Alan Mulally tells us why CES is important (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mac App Store generating error messages instead of app purchases? Here’s the fix

Oh, this ain’t cool. According to the roughly gazillion complaints we received this morning upon the launch of Apple’s Mac App Store, users are seeing the ol’ “unknown error occurred (100)” message when first launching the store after the upgrade. According to TUAW, it’s a problem with the iTunes Terms and Conditions — which some users aren’t getting prompted to accept, hence the error message. What should you do if you get the error? Quit the store and reload it. If that doesn’t work, folks are finding that rebooting and then launching the store again does the trick.

Mac App Store generating error messages instead of app purchases? Here’s the fix originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Razer Switchblade: 7-inch pocket gaming concept blows our minds six ways from Sunday

The most beautiful thing to come out of CES 2011? The show ain’t over yet, but we’re unafraid to say that Razer‘s Switchblade is the device to beat. Before you go getting your hopes up, we have to (regretfully) point out that this here gaming handheld is but a concept, but considering that Toshiba’s Libretto W105 made it to store shelves (if but for a moment), we’re hoping and praying that the Switchblade can also find its way to a production line. Little is known about the device itself, but Razer has imagined it using a pair of 7-inch multitouch displays as well as a layer of tactile, dynamic keys on the lower screen. Much like the Optimus Maximus of yesteryear, this keyboard would enable gamers to place different screens underneath depending on title, and even within a game, you could imagine the keys shifting to account for different POVs, levels, scenarios, etc. Internally, the concept is based around an Intel Atom processor, but there’s no word on what kind of GPU would work alongside of it. Sadly, Razer’s unwilling to talk pie-in-the-sky details when it comes to price and release, but if four million comments show up below begging and pleading for the company to take this commercial…

Update: Just to be clear, the keyboard on the bottom is a full-on LCD , but covered with physical keys. In contrast, the W105 had a flat touchpanel on the bottom.

Continue reading Razer Switchblade: 7-inch pocket gaming concept blows our minds six ways from Sunday

Razer Switchblade: 7-inch pocket gaming concept blows our minds six ways from Sunday originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES: Verbatim Titan XS: Super portable USB 3.0 external drive

Company introduces a portable hard drive that’s rugged and ultra compact.

Originally posted at CES 2011

Sony Ericsson: no OS updates for Xperia X10 beyond Android 2.1, it’s better than 2.2 anyway

The farce that has been Sony Ericsson’s bungled, delayed, and deservedly maligned Android upgrade story for the Xperia X10 family is coming to a fittingly silly end. Questioned by Android Community on the possibility of a Froyo (Android 2.2) upgrade for its initial set of Android handsets, the SE team has just come out and admitted that there’ll be no future OS upgrades, at least in terms of Android iterations. The X10, X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro are not being abandoned, not at all, but the only software enhancements you can look forward to will come directly from Sony Ericsson. The company hardly sees that as a bad thing, however, judging by a recent tweet announcing its belief that an SE-customized Eclair tastes better than Google’s untouched Froyo. We’d protest, but what’s the use?

Sony Ericsson: no OS updates for Xperia X10 beyond Android 2.1, it’s better than 2.2 anyway originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GoPro 3D Hero, Battery, and LCD BacPac hands-on

GoPro 3D Hero, battery, and LCD BacPac hands-on

Helmet cam user? Chances are you’ve suffered the extreme indignity of capturing footage of the sky or the ground but, sadly, nothing in between. They’re hard to aim. GoPro is tackling that issue with the LCD BacPack, a clip-on LCD that attaches on the back interface port on 1080p HD Hero cameras, showing you not only what the camera is looking at but also battery life and even a speaker. Then there’s the Battery BacPac, which is the same size but instead of a display makes room for a second battery and, thanks to its miniUSB port, doubles as an external battery charger. Neat! And, yes, there’s a new back cover needed to fit over the new bulge.

Finally there’s the egregious 3D Hero expansion, a revised version of what we saw in September. It comes with a cable to ensure that both start filming at the same time, though sadly it doesn’t come with any extra neck muscles to keep this thing aloft should you affix it to your helmet. We got a chance to look at some of the resulting footage and the results are compelling — not as clear as your average big-budget Hollywood summer release but, considering the size of the thing, quite compelling. All three devices are expected to launch in the next few months but, sadly, at undisclosed prices.

GoPro 3D Hero, Battery, and LCD BacPac hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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