Hasta La Gadget!

Something big has been brewing at HTC, most often referred to as the DLX or by its less-than-flattering 6435LVW name. While there have been unconfirmed photos of prototypes floating around, a Sina Weibo user has posted what we have reason to believe is an authentic press image of the finished result: meet the One X 5. As the name and image suggest, the phablet-class device should be dominated by a 5-inch (and possibly 1080p) screen that makes even a regular One X look dainty. Internal details haven’t been nailed down alongside the looks, although previous benchmarks have had it using a Snapdragon S4 that might ultimately be a quad-core S4 Pro. There’s no immediate signs of a stylus or other tricks besides that sea of glass. We may not have long to wait before we find out, however. HTC just happens to have a New York City event planned for this Wednesday, and previously detected links between the 6435LVW and Verizon could see the One X 5 quickly reach the US if it’s meant to show at that gathering — although it might get another name change to fit into the Droid family.

Update: We’ve been given a heads-up that this is a device posted as a “concept” by Danny Tu on Flickr, which raises doubt that we’ll see exactly what’s on show here (or see that name). However, it still lines up with earlier photos and what we’ve heard. We’ll keep you posted as to whether or not it reflects reality in the end.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

HTC’s 5-inch behemoth phone spied in press render, may be called One X 5 (update: some caution) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You know for sure that the Tokyo Game Show which is happening next week will not be a tame one with slews of announcements ready to go, and one of them could very well usher in a new super slim PS3 model. After all, with phones getting slimmer and slimmer by the day while packing in more features, why not apply the same kind of thinking to consoles? If the super slim PS3 rumor were to be true, then this would mark the second major hardware redesign of the PS3.

Other rumored specifications of the super slim PS3 include Bluetooth and 802.11b/g connectivity, coming in a variety of capacities of up to 500GB while being believed to have a pocket friendly price of approximately $150 thereabouts. Assuming all of the above are true, it just goes to show that there are still plenty of miles left in the legs of the PS3, so you might want to shelve any thoughts of the Sony PS4 making an appearance anytime soon.

In fact, a Polish retail website (not the one that is being sued by Apple for sure) has teased that there will be a new PS3 variant available this coming September 28th, which is also the same day where Sony will hold their press conference at the Tokyo Game Show. Coincidence or just confirmation? You decide.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Polish retailer advertises unreleased super slim PS3, Sony and Bethesda scramble to get PS3 Dawnguard DLC working,

We first took a look at the ecoATM at Demo Spring 2011, which was an improvement over its predecessor while dispensing cash in exchange for old devices. Well, here we are with yet another look at the ecoATM which has been further improved, and we will talk more on how the ecoATM works. First of all, the ecoATM is a unique, automated system which allows consumers trade in old electronic devices for a cash reimbursement or recycling purposes. How does the ecoATM tell the difference and quality of your old device?

This automated system will use sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) which was developed to differentiate varied consumer electronics products while coming up with a final market value in the process. Should the value be acceptable to the end user, you can choose to receive cash or store credit for your trade. If you feel generous, then you are able to donate all or part of the compensation to one of several charities.

Up to 75% of phones the ecoATM collects will have a new owner soon, while the rest are recycled. In fact, the ecoATM is able to tell the difference between cracked glass on a phone or a broken display or bleeding pixels, letting it grade the device accordingly afterwards.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: ecoATM to go on display at CES 2012, EcoATM offers cash in return for your old phone,

Google makes a lot of acquisitions, some of them more important than others. Its latest purchase might skew towards the grander side, as it just bought imaging app developer Nik Software. While the company is known for pro photography apps like Capture NX and its Efex Pro series, the real prize might be Snapseed, Nik’s simpler image tool for desktop and iOS users. Both Nik and Google’s Senior Engineering VP Vic Gundotra are silent on the exact plans, but it doesn’t take much to imagine a parallel between Facebook’s buyout of Instagram and what Google is doing here: there’s no direct, Google-run equivalent to Instagram’s social photo service in Android or for Google+ users, and Nik’s technology might bridge the gap. Whether or not Googlegram becomes a reality, the deal is likely to create waves among photographers of all kinds — including those who’ve never bought a dedicated camera.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile

Google buys Snapseed developer Nik Software, raises the eyebrows of Instagram shutterbugs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mere minutes after the iPhone 5 was finally revealed to an upgrade-starved public, the case makers of the world started their barrage of pitches for new ways to protect the device. Most aren’t worth a second glance, but damned if Miniot has created an absolutely stunning book-type case that both protects and enhances the beauty of Apple’s latest handset. More »