Hasta La Gadget!

LG‘s Optimus G smartphone was released last year for a variety of carriers, including AT&T, and enjoyed widespread success among consumers. Following it up, the phone maker created the Optimus G Pro, which we saw tipped in an FCC posting late last month. Now word has surfaced that this massive 5.5-inch phablet handset will be arriving at AT&T in May.

We saw LG’s giant Optimus G Pro handset earlier this year at the 2013 Mobile World Congress, and we got out hands on it back in February, giving it a quick review, which you can read here. Rumors concerning the handset have been swirling for awhile now, but we’re hearing that the smartphone will be finally hitting shelves via AT&T next month, replacing the current Optimus G offering.

Tips have been rolling in, and others are reporting the same thing as well, including the folks over at Android Central. The announcement could end up happening any time now, and according to the tips, the rollout date is said to be May 10, meaning there’s about a solid month of waiting left (assuming the rumors are true). Once available, this giant upgrade to an already popular handset could give HTC’s One quite a bit of competition.

The LG Optimus G Pro boasts a quad-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600-series processor, as well as 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage space. The battery is huge, not surprising given the 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 full HD display, which will use more than its fair share of power. There’s a rear 13-megapixel camera, as well, and 4G LTE support. No word has surfaced about the handset hitting other carriers, but so far it seems like an AT&T release is penciled in.

[via Android Community]

AT&T to offer LG Optimus G Pro next month is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Crucial has launched its M500 2.5-inch SSD drives, which are available in a wide variety of capacities with prices starting as low as $129.99. The drive is aimed at those looking for a solid-state drive that outpaces HDDs and doesn’t completely break the bank, with Crucial boasting that the M500 can easily take on modern computing and multitasking demands.

The drive is available in 120GB, 240Gb, 480GB, and 960GB capacities, with their respective prices (listed in order) being $129.99, $219.99, $399.99, and $599.99. The SSD uses 20nm MLC NAND Micron flash and a SATA 6GB/s controller, as well as custom firmware, all of this combining to offer an IOPS (input/oupt operations per second) of up to 80,000.

To keep data safe, there’s on-board hardware level encryption said to meet both IEEE 1667 and TCG Opal 2.0 standards, depending on software. In addition, the M500 also utilizes thermal management technology and offers power-loss protection. There are advanced recovery features against errors, and a device sleep option for improving battery life, which is reported as offering a 93-percent power improvement over the last Crucial line of SSDs.

Crucial’s Senior Worldwide Product Manager Robert Wheadon had this to say: “We designed the Crucial M500 to meet the reliability and performance expectations of today’s systems, and are thrilled to offer the first terabyte-class. SSD for under $600. The Crucial M500 is equipped with an impressive new set of features, making it a multifaceted solution for today and tomorrow.”

The M500 drives are available now.

[via Global Newswire]

Crucial launches 2.5″ M500 SSD starting at $130 is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Back in February, ASUS revealed the FonePad, a 7-inch tablet with smartphone functionality and a design similar to the Nexus 7 (which ASUS makes). If you’ve dreamt of the day you could merge your smartphone and tablet into a single too-big-for-the-hip-pocket device and you’re located in the UK, you’ll be able to grab this device on April 26 for £179.99.

Pre-orders for the FonePad (not to be confused with the PadFone) will begin this Friday, with the device hitting shelves in the United Kingdom a couple weeks later on April 26. The tablet/smartphone hybrid runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and sports a 7-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 framed in a body that weighs only 380 grams, a nice light weight for something this large.

Under the hood, users will find a single-core 1.2GHz Intel Atom processor and 1GB of RAM, as well as 16GB of internal storage space and a microSD slot for expansion. There’s 10-point touch support, as well as 3G and HSPA+ for the non-WiFi model. At some point we’ll be seeing an 8GB model hitting shelves, too. You can check out our hands-on review of the slate here.

And as we’re sure you noticed, the price is excellent, undercutting the newly announced Galaxy Note 8.0, which has a said price of $399 for the US. The ASUS FonePad 7, priced at £179.99, would be about $275 USD, a drop of more than $100 over Samsung’s competing device, making a pretty good deal for those in the market.

[via Android Community]

ASUS FonePad 7 opens to pre-orders in the UK on Friday is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Ford has unveiled the F-150 SVT Raptor, a special edition in its popular truck line that is touted as offering “unique touches” over the regular edition including a different color and interior upgrades. The truck is slated to go on sale some time this fall, although a specific date wasn’t given, and neither was a price. We’ve a gallery available after the jump.

The SVT Raptor will be available in two colors: Ruby Red Metallic and Tuxedo Black Metallic. The special edition boasts box-side graphics, and an interior upgrade to Brick Red seat bolsters, cloth honeycomb highlights, and black inserts, panel applique accents on the center stack and door panel, and a console top finish panel. This is on top of the luxury package already offered by the standard Raptor edition.

The F-150 SVT Raptor will only be offered with a 6.2-liter V8 engine, which offers 434lb-ft of torque and 411 horses under the hood. There’s also a 6-speed auto transmission that is accompanied by a tow and haul mode, as well as SelectShift Automatic technology. The truck is 4-wheel-drive and boasts electronic shifting. Because it is a 4WD model, it will also feature a Torsen limited-slip differential.

Ford’s Truck Group Marketing Manager Doug Scott had this to say: “Raptor owners are looking for a high-performing, uncompromising off-road pickup truck with the features and luxuries found in today’s premium trucks. Since its launch in 2009, we’ve continually moved Raptor forward in capability and design, and the 2014 Special Edition is the best Raptor yet.”

[via Ford]

2014 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Special Edition unveiled is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Liquid Robotics has introduced its Wave Glider SV3, which is touted as the first unmmaned ocean hybrid wave unmanned ocean robot that is solar-propelled. Because the ocean robot is unmanned, it can be sent out to areas that would be too tricky to send individuals, whether due to position or weather or some other factor. Because of the way the robot is powered, it can be used without stop for thousands of miles.

Liquid Robotics is hailing the Wave Glider SV3 as a technology that will help in the scientific research of climate change, ocean conditions, and more. The robot is capable of taking on harsh conditions, including hurricanes and cyclones, doldrums, and high currents, to name a few. As the name indicates, this latest edition builds upon the previous Wave Glider SV2.

The Wave Glider SV3 offers on-board processing, offering a way to collect and process data that wasn’t previously available. The ocean robot has a hybrid propulsion system composed of both solar and wave-powered energy generation, as well as an adaptable modular power system that can handle energy-intensive resources, such as running sonar. No word on how much this beast will cost you.

Liquid Robotics CEO Bill Gliders said: “The SV3 is a tremendous step forward in terms of what we can accomplish in the ocean and gives customers a competitive advantage to capture data in the most challenging ocean conditions. By providing the ability to deploy Wave Gliders across most of the planet and deliver ocean data in a new and cost-effective way, we’re enabling broad access to affordable ocean exploration.”

[via Liquidr]

Liquid Robotics unveils Wave Glider SV3 ocean robot is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.