BlackBerry PlayBook FAQ confirms native email, calendar and contacts apps, just not at launch

The native app situation on the BlackBerry PlayBook has been one point of contention since the device was first announced, and there’s still a fair bit of confusion even now, less than a month from launch. We now have a fairly definitive answer for one key question, however, although it may not be the one you were hoping for. According to an official FAQ provided for a Verizon webinar, the PlayBook will indeed be getting native email, calendar and contacts apps in a “future software update,” but you’ll have to make do without them initially. That means either relying on the PlayBook’s web browser, or using the “Bridge” mode to access the apps on your BlackBerry smartphone. So, the PlayBook may not technically be “reliant” on a BlackBerry, but it is certainly handy to have one around.

[Thanks, Tom]

BlackBerry PlayBook FAQ confirms native email, calendar and contacts apps, just not at launch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Ping killing iPhone and iPad battery life?

There’s anecdotal evidence to support the claim, which surfaced after the arrival of iOS 4.3. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to disable the service.

Originally posted at iPhone Atlas

Can digicams survive in the smartphone age?

Software and services are increasingly enticing new applications for consumer photography and creating new modes of sharing memories, but they’re also shutting out digital cameras.

Novatel’s USB551L 4G LTE modem hits Verizon March 31st

Samsung’s new LTE mobile hotspot may have managed to sneak out a bit early, but it looks like those opting for Novatel’s USB551L LTE modem instead will still have to wait a few days. Verizon has just confirmed today that the modem will be available on March 31st for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate (on a two-year contract). As expected, the modem packs both Windows and Mac support out of the box, and promises download speeds up to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 5 Mbps. Still no word on Novatel’s 4510L MiFi, though we presume it will be following shortly. Full press release is after the break.

Continue reading Novatel’s USB551L 4G LTE modem hits Verizon March 31st

Novatel’s USB551L 4G LTE modem hits Verizon March 31st originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujifilm resumes production on X100 cameras, new-age vintage is rolling again

Fujifilm resumes production on X100 cameras, new-age vintage is rolling again

Fujifilm has a hit on its hands with the retrotastic X100 camera, selling for a whopping $1,200 but still flying off shelves. That popularity resulted in some shortages, and a stoppage of production due to the disaster in Japan made that situation worse. Now the company is announcing a resumption of production, so the 12.3 megapixel compact with a 23mm fixed lens should be hitting store shelves again in the next week or so. Place your orders now, if you haven’t already, and get that sepia filter warmed up so that your pictures can look as vintage as what you’re shooting them with.

Fujifilm resumes production on X100 cameras, new-age vintage is rolling again originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad on the ceiling? RingO mounts it in a snap

The RingO Universal Tablet Mounting System from Vogel’s secures your iPad or Galaxy Tab to walls, cars, and even the ceiling.

27 Pictures Made of Other Pictures [Photography]

For thousands of years, Man made mosaics through shards of clay and ceramic, likely the artistic result of reusing broken pots. Today, we do the same thing, but with our leftover digital content: photos. More »

Angry Birds: The Movie

Angry Birds The Movie

If you’re not familiar with the folks at Rooster Teeth, now is as good a time as any to get acquainted. The crew is more commonly known for their hilarious Web comic and YouTube videos that describe how to unlock achievements and entertain us by re-enacting video game scenes in real life. This time however, they’re on the Angry Birds train with a trailer for Angry Birds: The Movie, a ridiculously funny war film based on the game that actually has more depth than a number of movies currently in theaters. 
Clearly it’s a film that will never get made, but the trailer looks fun: real pigs, animatronic birds, and lots of real human characters to identify with. Not to mention a high-tech slingshot. You have to wonder how many birds they went through just for the shoot, though. Check out the full trailer behind the jump.

Quadrocopter Ping Pong

Quadrocopter Ping Pong

A quadrocopter is, as it sounds, a four-rotored flying machine, much like the Parrot.AR Drone that you’ve seen here before. Well, they’re all the rage among a number of manufacturers and DIY enthusiasts, and a group of students at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have built a pair of quadrocopters and programmed them to play a friendly ping pong match. 
The two flying machines have a tennis racquet attached to them, and the programmers position the two copters perfectly to volley the ball back and forth between them with minimal adjustment. While watching the ball fly between the two copters is interesting enough, it’s almost more interesting to watch each quadrocopter compensate for its human partner in the initial set of tests. 
Check out the full video of the flying bots behind the jump.

LG Optimus Big leaked image reveals 4.3-inch Nova touch screen

We’ve seen 4.3-inch touch screens on other phones, but the Optimus Big’s screen uses LG’s Nova technology, which may make it stand out from the plus-sized crowd.