LG gets official with WCP-700 Wireless Charging Pad, fails to provide pricing

So, there’s good news and bad. Naturally, we’re going to start with the former. A month after we spotted this character sneaking around at Mobile World Congress, LG has finally taken the (official) wraps off of its incoming WCP-700 Wireless Charging Pad. It’s a pretty familiar design — a slim (6.29- x 3.54- x 0.39-inch) inductive charging pad with a battery of LEDs to let you know the current status of things. We’re guessing this guy is designed to work initially with the Verizon-bound Revolution, but given that LG makes no mention of what phones / cases will eventually be compatible, it’ll have to remain just that for now. As for the bad news? Well, aside from not knowing what exactly this unit is for (in terms of compatibility), we’re also left in the dark when it comes to pricing and a ship date. But hey, at least we’ve got a trio of high resolution images to gawk at.

Update: Fulton Innovation has just confirmed that LG is using its Qi-compliant eCoupled technology for the charging pad.

Continue reading LG gets official with WCP-700 Wireless Charging Pad, fails to provide pricing

LG gets official with WCP-700 Wireless Charging Pad, fails to provide pricing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon and HTC offer Thunderbolt extended battery, give your phone dumps like a truck

Though never confirmed by Verizon, it seems likely that battery life (or more accurately, the lack thereof) played a part in the series of delays preceding the Thunderbolt’s launch. To combat this problem, Big Red and HTC are offering a rather unsightly extended battery pack that nearly doubles the handset’s capacity from 1400mAh to 2750mAh. All that extra juice will certainly come in handy for folks leaning heavily on the phone’s LTE radio. However, the device costs $50 and adds an ounce of junk in the trunk — on a device that isn’t svelte to begin with — so why not buy another standard battery for ten bucks less instead? Then you can use the Qi-compatible back and induction charging station Verizon’s releasing in April. It’s just under $100 ($29 for the back and $69 for the pad) for those who want to cut the cord and don’t mind the expanded waistline we assume comes with the privilege.

Verizon and HTC offer Thunderbolt extended battery, give your phone dumps like a truck originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Kinect on PS3 is Kevin Butler’s worst nightmare come true (video)

So here’s a dilemma that some gamers may have faced: do you want a console with great processing power but coupled with some glowing lollipops, or one with futuristic controller-free motion gaming at the cost of Blu-ray playback? Well, for us mere mortals it’s either one or the other, but Shantanu Goel went ahead to combine the best of both worlds: Xbox Kinect on a PS3. The video above is our man demonstrating his early software mod, which can currently recognize basic gestures like quickly pushing your hand towards the screen twice to activate the X button, as well as the usual waving around for navigation. While it’s obvious that this project is still at its infancy, Goel’s already working on beefing it up by adding full game profiles and skeletal tracking support, so with a bit of help from the community, hopefully it won’t be long before we get to liberally throw grenades in Killzone 3 without having to worry about damaging the TV. Maybe Kevin Butler will also see the lighter side of things, too.

Xbox Kinect on PS3 is Kevin Butler’s worst nightmare come true (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Visualized: Smart Cover magnets can turn your Apple tablet into a FridgePad

Has the iPad 2 not proven its versatility to you yet? Well, buy one of those “don’t call it a case” Smart Covers that Apple launched with it and you’ll be able to turn your new dual-core slate into a bona fide FridgePad. Just add fridge.

Visualized: Smart Cover magnets can turn your Apple tablet into a FridgePad originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 21:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gadget Lab Notes: An iPad 2 Accessory Only a Flava-Flav Fan Could Love

The Clik Clok lets you wear an iPad 2 around the neck

Clik Clok, the Worst iPad 2 Accessory I’ve Ever Seen
Clik Clok is an iPad 2 accessory only Flava Flav—and diehard fans—could love. It is a big gold (or silver or red) chain necklace that attaches to the new iPad through its magnetic points. As soon as it’s clicked in, the clock app automatically launches, so you can… look like Flava Flav. Except with a $500 tablet around your neck instead of a large plastic clock. With all of the potential, practical uses for a high quality tablet, this is what you come up with?

Clik Clok [Pensa via Core77]

Samsung Reveals Series 2, 4, 6, and 9 Laptops
The 13.3-inch Core i5 Series 9 laptop will be available tomorrow for $1,649, providing some competition for the MacBook Air in the ultra portable market. A 128GB SSD and 4GB of RAM come standard, and a scaled down 11-inch model will be available in April. If you’re on a tighter budget, the Series 2 could be up your alley, with 12.5 and 14-inch screen models and a Sandy Bridge Core i3 CPU. The Series 4 and Series 6 notebooks feature additional security features (such as a fingerprint sensor) aimed at business and IT managers and options of Core i3, i5, or i7 processors.

Samsung Series 2, Series 4, and Series 6 Laptops and Samsung Series 9 Laptop [Engadget]

iPad 2 Gets… Blended
While many are still waiting to get a hold of the new iPad 2, the folks at Blendtec got their destructive little hands on one and videoed the response to their eternal question: “Will it blend?” Yes, yes it does. Le sigh.

Video: iPad 2 Gets “Will It Blend” Treatment [Tom’s Guide]

iPhone 5 Cases Pop Up Online, Adding Heft to Larger Display Rumors
iPhone 5 cases have started showing up on online marketplace Alibaba, which previously listed accurate iPad 2 cases prior to its reveal. The cases show the iPhone 5 following the same form factor as the iPhone 4 (as the engineer drawings seen last week also showed), but with edge-to-edge glass and a larger screen.

Purported iPhone 5 Cases Point to iPhone 4 Design, Possibly Larger Screen [9to5 Mac]

“Tweener” Tablet Hinted At By Nokia Executive
Nokia EVP Tero Ojanperä believes in a smaller form factor for tablets, an in-between smartphone/tablet size, that will be “a big driver in mobile games.” The company recently received a patent for a 10-inch tablet design, but may be rethinking their strategy after getting a generally negative response from European carriers.

Nokia to create new form factor tablet [My Nokia Blog via Slashgear]


Nyko solves your 3DS battery concerns with Power Pak+

Nyko solves your 3DS battery concerns with Power Pak+

If you took the time to peruse our early review of the Nintendo 3DS, and it sure looks like a lot of you did, you’re probably well aware that battery life is a serious concern. We managed just over three hours on a charge, which is really bad for a handheld gaming console. Nyko is the first to offer a solution, the Power Pak+, which actually replaces the stock Nintendo pack, screwing on to the back and offering double the battery life — which still sadly doesn’t approach the longevity of the DS Lite. The company is also releasing a new charging stand that will let you juice up that pack just by setting it down, useful because once you affix this bump the stock charging pad won’t work. The Power Pak+ will cost $19.99 and ships on March 27, while the Charge Base is $29.99 and hits stores a week later. It’ll be up to you to provide the pants with bigger pockets necessary for the extra bulk added here.

Continue reading Nyko solves your 3DS battery concerns with Power Pak+

Nyko solves your 3DS battery concerns with Power Pak+ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: what’s the best iPad keyboard case?

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Courtney, who obviously thinks the virtual iOS keyboard isn’t svelte enough for her needs. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’m sort of overwhelmed by the amount of iPad keyboard cases on the market, and would love to hear opinions from owners. Which one feels most sturdy, and which has the nicest key travel? They’re all priced nearly the same, so it really comes down to quality, fit and finish. Thanks for any guidance!”

Ignore the fact that the iPad 2 is likely just a few weeks away — we’re talking about the here and now. You’ve read our $0.02 on a few of these, but why not throw a few opinions of your own in comments below?

Ask Engadget: what’s the best iPad keyboard case? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 22:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s Digital AV Adapter also works with iPhone 4, fourth-gen iPod touch, and first-gen iPad

In case you’re wondering whether Apple’s forthcoming Digital AV Adapter is worth your $39, you might be pleased to know that said HDMI dongle is also compatible with the latest crop of iOS devices before the iPad 2. This includes the iPhone 4, fourth-generation iPod touch, and even the first-generation iPad. Alas, both movies and slideshows will be capped at 720p output from these older devices, whereas the iPad 2 goes a little further with screen mirroring of up to 1080p — we’re guessing the beastly dual-core A5 chip is what makes the magic happen here, though movie output’s also limited to 720p. And hey, we’re only a few months away from finding out if the next iPhone will also get some 1080p love, so no pressure on buying this dongle just yet.

Apple’s Digital AV Adapter also works with iPhone 4, fourth-gen iPod touch, and first-gen iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Mac Daily News  |  sourceApple  | Email this | Comments

Timescape Sci-Fi watch makes you work for the time of day, looks good doing it (video)

If you’re like us, you don’t mind working that grey matter to tell the time, especially if the watch your wearing looks and acts like something ripped from the U.S.S. Enterprise. The Timescape Sci-Fi watch, thus named for its cryptic time telling interface, sports a chrome exterior and uses a series of blue LEDs to illuminate a rectangular grid, giving you unique temporal readouts. Each line contains a series of dots representing minutes or hours, with the vertical lines displaying hours, the first three horizontal lines showing five-minute increments, and the last row offering exact minutes. Sound complicated? Well it is, but sometimes looking good takes a little work — you think Uhura rolls out of bed looking like that? The Timescape Sci-Fi watch is now on sale exclusively from Gadgets and Gear for $70, but if you just like staring at shiny flashy things, we’ve got a video of the timepiece after the jump.

Continue reading Timescape Sci-Fi watch makes you work for the time of day, looks good doing it (video)

Timescape Sci-Fi watch makes you work for the time of day, looks good doing it (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gear Diary  |  sourceGadgets and Gear  | Email this | Comments

Scosche’s goBAT II portable battery pack handles two USB devices at once, including your iPad

We’ll just keep it real simple for you: the object you’re looking at above is the Revive II charger, but slimmer, and with a rechargeable battery pack thrown in rather than a wall / cigarette adapter. Got it? Good. The goBAT II contains a 5000mAh rechargeable lithium ion battery, and it offers a pair of USB ports for charging. One’s a 10-watt (2.1 Amp) port capable of handling high-maintenance devices like Apple’s iPad, while the other is a more conventional 5-watt (1 Amp) socket. Scosche is also throwing in a USB adapter for the Galaxy Tab, theoretically letting those with divided households charge both an iOS and Android tablet at the same time. Brain melting, we know. It also works with the company’s Revive charging app, which indicates how long a device will take to charge on any of Scosche’s chargers and can also be configured to send an email notification once a device has been fully charged. She’s all yours down at the source link for $89.99.

Continue reading Scosche’s goBAT II portable battery pack handles two USB devices at once, including your iPad

Scosche’s goBAT II portable battery pack handles two USB devices at once, including your iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceScosche  | Email this | Comments