Hasta La Gadget!

VIA has officially announced its Nano X2 low power dual-core chip. The chip comprises two of VIA‘s 64-bit Isaiah architecture cores, found in previous single-core Nano CPUs. The processors come with native 64-bit software support, VIA’s PadLock hardware security features, and VT CPU virtualization technology. The new Nano X2 chips are compatible with VIA’s previous processors, including the Nano, C7, C7-M, and Eden, facilitating easy upgrades. The VIA Nano X2 processors are already currently available for OEMs, with systems featuring the chips expected in the first quarter of this year. Full press release is after the break

Continue reading VIA Nano X2 low power, dual-core chip gets official

VIA Nano X2 low power, dual-core chip gets official originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sadly, no, we still haven’t seen a gadget that lets your smartphone drive. Maybe next year, but this year it’s the BHF-2000 letting your smartphone talk while you drive. It’s the latest TalkNDrive, a lineup that specializes in advanced hands-free kits, and the BHF-2000 is the furthest ahead of the bunch. Like the others it uses Bluetooth to connect to your phone and then voice-to-text to read e-mails or SMS messages to you and accepts simple voice commands, but this one also accepts simple hand gestures, so you can silence playback by making the classic “talk to the hand” gesture, and it has a solar panel so that it can try to stay charged while clipped to your visor. Naturally it will let you take calls, just like the lesser-expensive 700 and 800 also on display — but they’ll just ignore your hand waving. Finally there’s the KlaT 7, a little wireless remote control that can clip on your dash, if you still need buttons.

DriveNTalk BHF-2000 lets you drive while your smartphone talks, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Keepin’ it real fake: ‘iPad phone’ is the answer to a question no one asked (video)

Keepin’ it real fake: ‘iPad phone’ is the answer to a question no one asked (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LAS VEGAS — After weeks of leaked promo materials and screen shots, Sprint has introduced the EVO Shift, HTC’s latest carrier-exclusive 4G smartphone.

The phone is scheduled to be widely available to consumers on the last day of CES, January 9th.

As Sprint’s press release states, the EVO Shift follows in the speedy 4G footsteps of its mammoth-sized EVO predecessor, but comes in a smaller, tighter package. Highlights include a 3.6 inch capacitive-touch screen display, a slide out QWERTY keyboard, 5-megapixel back-facing camera, 720p HD camcorder and microSD slot for upgradable storage up to 32GB.The phone can also serve as a mobile hotspot, tethering up to eight wireless devices.

For the crowd that wants more power and more features from their phone, however, the EVO Shift may be lacking. The phone ships with Android 2.2. (Froyo, not the most recent version, Android 2.3, aka Gingerbread). It lacks a front facing camera, which means no video chatting either. The 5-megapixel back facing cameras is downgraded from the EVO’s 8 megapixels. The EVO has a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, while the Shift clocks in at 800 Mhz. Those that want larger screens like the former EVO (4.3 inches) may not be satisfied with the EVO Shift’s 3.6 inches.

Comparing the EVO Shift to the older, bigger EVO, the question comes down to this: Are you willing to sacrifice screen size, processor speed and other niceties for a slide out keyboard and easier pocketability?

The EVO Shift retails at $150 after a $100 mail-in rebate (with a two-year service contract).

Photo courtesy Sprint

Word on the street from Microsoft savant Paul Thurrott is that Windows Phone 7’s first update might go gold as early as this week — in time for Ballmer’s CES keynote, in fact, which means he might give it a mention and / or spend a few minutes showing it off. It’s said to be codenamed “NoDo,” short for “No Donuts” — a pretty obscure (and odd) reference to the fact that Redmond doesn’t want to release incremental, minor updates like Google did with Android 1.6 Donut. We’re not sure why they’d bother taking a swipe at an Android build that happened… oh, four versions ago, but Microsoft works in mysterious ways. Anyhow, it’ll apparently add copy / paste, CDMA location support (which might be the only thing holding up Verizon and Sprint from launching at this point), support for additional Qualcomm chipsets, and miscellaneous bug fixes.

Moving on, Thurrott says that the rumored Mango update isn’t the next update after NoDo, but it’s real — and it’s big. It’ll add Internet Explorer 9 with HTML 5 and Silverlight support, but notably, its code line is being referred to internally as the “entertainment branch,” so there might be some other magic in store. Current version numbers for Mango are in the 7.2 range, but builds are in the 7500 range, suggesting Windows Phone 7.5 branding is a possibility. An exciting 2011 for Microsoft on the mobile side? Looks like.

Update: Microsoft’s Charlie Kindel has chimed in on Twitter in direct response to Thurrott:

“BTW, a guy failed to bring donuts to a meeting after loosing [sic] a bet. The ‘nodo’ codename had nothing to do with Android.”

Makes a heck of a lot more sense — and it confirms the accuracy of the codename. Thanks, CrookedC!

Windows Phone 7 ‘NoDo’ update hitting phones in early February, ‘Mango’ coming later with IE9? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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