Hasta La Gadget!

When Xbox Music goes live tomorrow on the Xbox 360, console owners will be the first to access the Spotify-esque service from Microsoft. Well, some of them will at least — existing Zune Pass subscribers (now an “Xbox Music Pass”) and folks willing to pony up $9.99/month or $99.90/year who also have an Xbox Live Gold account gain access to Xbox Music’s 30 million global song database via data stream (18 million songs for those of us in the US). Okay, okay, a free trial is available for 30 days. After that, though, 360 owners lose access unless they pay up.

Then, on October 26, Windows 8 PC and tablet users get the service for free — with or without the Xbox Music Pass — albeit with ads laced in. Windows Phone 8 is in the same boat with Xbox folks: no song-specific streaming without an Xbox Music Pass. That won’t arrive until some time “soon after” the PC/tablet version. Microsoft says the ad-supported free streaming is unlimited on PC and tablet, but that’s only for the first six months, after which it becomes time limited. A bummer for sure, but Microsoft’s banking on you digging the service enough to snag an Xbox Music Pass. But will you?

Like with Spotify and Pandora, some basic artist info, album/song info, and images garnish playing tracks, though not all artists are created equal — some artists had no images, while others had a detailed dossier. Microsoft says it’s adding more all the time, though. Xbox Music Pass holders can hang on to tracks for offline listening as well, which show up in your library and can be added to playlists. And should you wish to listen to a “Smart” radio station based on an artist/song/album, you can employ the “Smart DJ” (previously “Smart Playlist”) to create just such a station. The whole shebang is tied directly to your Microsoft login, mirroring settings and library data on all your devices (Xbox 360 included) accross the cloud. That same concept applies to playback, as you can pause a song on one device and pick it up right where you left off on another. Songs can also be purchased through the streaming service with or without the Xbox Music Pass, should you really want to hold onto that Barry Manilow track.

Continue reading Xbox Music heads to Xbox 360 first tomorrow, PC / tablets on Oct. 26, WP8 soon after; we go hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Gaming, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Alt, Microsoft

Xbox Music heads to Xbox 360 first tomorrow, PC / tablets on Oct. 26, WP8 soon after; we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re Toshiba, what do you do when you’re looking to goose interest in the Excite 10 tablet? Roll out a quick follow up, of course. Accordingly, the FCC has just recently cleared a refreshed tablet, the AT300SE, that the Bluetooth SIG suggests will be called the Excite 10SE in North America. As shown, it’s a European-spec WiFi model that gives away little by itself. It’s when we combine this with the Bluetooth listing and speed tests that a clearer picture of the upgrade emerges — there’s been an AT300SE in GLBenchmark’s performance charts that we’ve seen running Jelly Bean (unavailable to current Excites) on top of what looks to be the familiar 1,280 x 800 display and 1.3GHz Tegra 3. While there may be other surprises lurking in areas the tests can’t reach, the documents point to a quick nip-and-tuck from Toshiba to keep tablet sales afloat rather than a full overhaul.

Filed under: Tablets

Toshiba Excite 10SE / AT300SE gets caught visiting the FCC, may tout Jelly Bean originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Oct 2012 23:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The folks over at evLeaks have done it yet again, this time around it would be the Asus Padfone 2 that is under the focus of our microscope. The Padfone was first introduced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, earlier this year, where it played upon the concept of a phone that can be docked into a tablet-like contraption – something that Motorola did attempt in the not too distant past, although they did not manage to make a meal out of it. Asus’ attempt with a sequel could prove to be true, with what seems to be the Padfone 2 – or at least, press renders of it being leaked out to the masses.

The Padfone 2’s phone segment will be different from that of the Padfone, where it will no longer come enclosed fully in the tablet’s casing. The phone also does seem to come designed in a teardrop tapered shape, making it thinner towards the edges. Some of the rumored specifications include a more generous 4.7” display and a 13-megapixel shooter. Another confirmed specification would be the inclusion of LTE connectivity. All in all, we hope to know more about it this coming October 16th, which is the date where many widely anticipate Asus to make an official announcement on the Padfone 2.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Asus Padfone 2 confirmed to get LTE connectivity, Alleged ASUS Padfone 2 specs leaked ahead of announcement,

Transcend hits back by bringing you two new DDR3 memory modules, the 32GB TS4GKR72V3P and 16GB TS2GKR72V6PL. The 32GB TS4GKR72V3P works at 1.5V with 1333MHz speed and 9-9-9-24 latency. Meanwhile, the 16GB TS2GKR72V6PL works at 1.5V with 1600MHz speed and 11-11-11-28 latency. Not only that, both memory modules are also equipped with a built-in temperature sensor for thermal control system and better signal integrity. The 32GB TS4GKR72V3P and 16GB TS2GKR72V6PL will start shipping from mid-November, prices unannounced yet. [Transcend]

Turn your HD TV into an Android 4.0 powered SmartTV with Evergreen’s latest Android 4.0 media player ‘DN-82917′. Powered by a 1.2GHz Cortex processor, this compact device is equipped with a 512MB DDR3 RAM, an SD/SDHC card slot, two USB ports, an HDMI port, a LAN port and runs on Android 4.0 OS. The DN-82917 retails for 7,999 Yen (about $102) and comes bundled with a remote control. [Product Page]