Jun 30

Samsung announces 32GB microSD card capable of 12MBps write speeds

Posted in: samsung, Today's Chili
Go shopping online for a microSDHC card and you’ll find that while manufacturers don’t hide the speed specs, they’re not exactly crowing about ’em either. Make no mistake, though: Samsung is mighty proud of its new 32GB number, which boasts a class 10 speed rating and read / write rates of 24MBps and 12MBps — ideal numbers for those of you who plan on making good use of your phone’s 1080p camera. If you’re a storage buff, you know that class 10 is the highest speed category for SD cards at the moment, and that it sits above classes 4 and 6 — the tiers covering many other microSDHCs on the market. No word just yet on pricing, but we think it’s safe to say you’ll be dishing out a premium.

Continue reading Samsung announces 32GB microSD card capable of 12MBps write speeds

Samsung announces 32GB microSD card capable of 12MBps write speeds originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 30

The Devil Didn’t Invent the Fork

Posted in: Today's Chili, top

A silverware spoiler: People used to hate the fork. When first introduced in Italy, and then in France and England, it did not go over well. More »

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Jun 30

Nokia shutters online and retail stores in UK, US web store

Posted in: nokia, symbian, Today's Chili, uk, united kingdom, UnitedKingdom, us, usa


Nokia will be entering Q3 free of any direct-to-consumer sales channels in the US and UK. The Finnish smartphone maker shuttered its remaining UK retail stores earlier this month (with the exception of Heathrow Airport, which remains open), and also discontinued sales on its US and UK online stores — joining France, Spain, and The Netherlands, which all went offline last month. We spoke to a former Nokia UK retail employee, who cited poor marketing, high prices, slowing traffic and a high product return rate as a few of the reasons that the stores closed — returns of the N8 and E7 dominated other handsets, with customers complaining of device crashes and corruption, hardware failures, and usability issues. He reports that the stores were also only able to sell devices on Vodafone and T-Mobile, and only Vodafone allowed customers to upgrade in a Nokia store. The majority of customers came into the store for support, rather than to make a purchase.

“The last two months were particularly quiet. Even if the shopping centre was busy, the Nokia store would have perhaps no more than 30 people through the door a day, usually for technical assistance. And that was that, all stores were closed abruptly on June 20th.”

We imagine pricing played a large role in the decision to close the UK and US online stores, just as it did with UK retail and online stores in other countries. Both country’s online stores have been replaced with a closure notice, with the US store directing customers to Amazon, and the UK store referring visitors to eight retail partners, instead.

Gallery: Nokia Shutters UK Retail Stores

[Thanks, Karl]

Nokia shutters online and retail stores in UK, US web store originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 30

Moto mysteries abound: Droid HD posts to Flickr, new blurry cam pics

Posted in: Android, droid, Google, leak, leaked, leaks, lte, moto, motoblur, motorola, Today's Chili, verizon
Droid HD? Bionic? Targa?

Gadget news, like dating and crate digging, is all about the thrill of the hunt. Sure, big press events where you get to manhandle the objects of your desire are fun, but give us Mr. Blurry Cam and some EXIF data any day. With that in mind, we present to you an out of focus pic of what looks like that tweaked Bionic and a reference to the Droid HD on Flickr, coming straight out of the Motorola campus in Libertyville, Illinois (since removed). Now, the two things are not necessarily related, but it’s possible that the dual-core LTE handset is getting a new name to match its updated internals and redesigned exterior (though, if it’s different inside, outside, and has a new name, is it really the Droid Bionic any more?). We do know that, what began life as the Targa, can capture 1080p video, which matches up nicely with the HD moniker. It’s also possible that the pic taker is an as yet unseen device and our (moto)blurry friend above is simply a Bionic destined for another carrier. Either way, we’re hooked — at least until the PR hits our inbox, then it’s back in the Mystery Machine.

Continue reading Moto mysteries abound: Droid HD posts to Flickr, new blurry cam pics

Moto mysteries abound: Droid HD posts to Flickr, new blurry cam pics originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Central, Electronista  |  sourcePop Herald, PocketNow  | Email this | Comments

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Jun 30

VeriFone’s new Payware Mobile Enterprise for Tablets looks a little Square

Posted in: business, enterprise, money, peripheral, tablet, Today's Chili
VeriFone added a new wrinkle to its ongoing battle for mobile payment supremacy yesterday, with the announcement of Payware Mobile Enterprise for Tablets — a peripheral that will allow retailers to process transactions directly from any slate. Much like the company’s Payware Mobile system, VeriFone’s latest product involves a magnetic card reader and accompanying app that can turn any iPad or Android tablet into a handheld checkout unit. Geared toward larger enterprises, the new device also supports PIN verification for debit cards and NFC payments, rendering it compatible with Google Wallet, though it likely won’t see a widespread release until 2012. Perhaps more intriguing is what this move could mean for the company’s notoriously heated rivalry with Square. By explicitly targeting bigger retailers, VeriFone seems to be distinguishing itself from the small business-focused Square, despite the fact that its new product looks a lot like one of Jack Dorsey’s creations — or, as some CEOs would call them, “skimming devices.”

VeriFone’s new Payware Mobile Enterprise for Tablets looks a little Square originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  sourceBloomberg  | Email this | Comments

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Jun 30

Wii Cyberbike gives you a workout, costs more than the system itself

Posted in: bike, controller, nintendo, Today's Chili, wii

We’ve seen this sort of preposterousness before from BigBen, and we’re no closer to falling in love now than we were back in 2009. This behemoth allows you to get the full experience in the console’s Cyber Cycling Sports title, and the feeling of actually accomplishing something in the process? A presumably marketable side effect. The updated Cyberbike Magnetic Edition is available in North America this time around, relying on — surprise, surprise — magnetic resistance to offer a costly workout for those under 286 pounds. This oversized peripheral is available now for $199.99 (bike and game combo), which puts it a bit too far above the cost of an actual console ($150) for us to consider giving it a shot. Plus, we’ve already committed to biking downtown for our eventual Wii U pickup — and frankly, that’s enough to cover our yearly workout quota.

Continue reading Wii Cyberbike gives you a workout, costs more than the system itself

Wii Cyberbike gives you a workout, costs more than the system itself originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Kotaku  |  sourceBigBen  | Email this | Comments

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Jun 30

Five Seats to Save Your Penis From Your Bike

Posted in: bike, Today's Chili, top

Your bike is destroying your penis. Unless you are a woman. In which case it’s destroying your vagina. There is a solution. But nobody wants to use it because it’s embarrassing. It doesn’t have to be. We’re here to help. More »

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Jun 30

Tired of paying for Windows? Try Linux instead

Posted in: Today's Chili

Today’s “freebie” is nothing short of an entire operating system. It’s a great choice for old and/or slow PCs you’d written off as useless.

Originally posted at The Cheapskate

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Jun 30

Sexiest AA batteries ever

Posted in: Today's Chili

Sanyo XX batteries offer up good looks, low discharge, and high capacity for demanding electronics.

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Jun 30

Olympus PEN E-P3, PEN E-PL3, and PEN E-PM1 hands-on

Posted in: camera, dslr, hands-on, micro four thirds, MicroFourThirds, olympus, Today's Chili


Earlier today, Olympus announced its loosely veiled PEN E-PM1 (in the image above), along with the PEN E-P3 and PEN E-PL3. Our Chinese bureau had a chance to go hands-on with the trio of Micro Four Thirds cams at an event in Hong Kong, and walked away with some fairly positive impressions. The $900 E-P3 feels solidly built, and did appear to offer excellent autofocus performance, though we weren’t able to verify Olympus’s rather lofty claims that the new flagship model features “the world’s fastest autofocus.” We were able to capture an image within a second of tapping the shutter button, including the time required to refocus on a subject. The 3-inch OLED display was sufficiently bright for outdoor use, with noticeable improvements over its predecessor, and the touchscreen was a pleasure to use, offering three straightforward shooting functions — focus, focus and shoot, and enlarge. We’ll have additional details to share after spending more time with all three models, but our hands-on photos in the gallery below should help whet your appetite in the meantime.

Gallery: Olympus PEN E-P3, PEN E-PL3, and PEN E-PM1 Hands-On

Olympus PEN E-P3, PEN E-PL3, and PEN E-PM1 hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Engadget Chinese  |  sourceOlympus  | Email this | Comments

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