Hasta La Gadget!

We always knew Darren Murph had oodles of talent and was extremely prolific — but now the man has got the paper to seriously prove it. Our own Mr. Murph was just awarded the Guinness World Record for most posts ever by a blogger. Not only is this a first for Darren, it’s a first for Guinness as well, creating a new category for the group. Darren joined Engadget in July of 2006 (his first post is here), and almost four years to the day (when these numbers were submitted to Guinness) he’d arrived at 17,212 individual posts (since surpassed, of course). That’s single posts on Engadget, Engadget HD, and Engadget Mobile, not duplicated work. We obviously couldn’t be more proud of Darren and the work he’s done (and continues to do) here, and we think this is an amazing feat for one writer. Of course, this is the guy who did 59 posts in a single day at CES 2008. Seriously. To put it in perspective, his current word count is at 3,389,148. That’s War and Peace about six times over.

We asked Darren if he had anything to say, and he gave a nod to Ryan Block (our former editor-in-chief) for giving him the chance to start here (and “not killing me when I passed him early on”). Darren also told us that he intends to defend the title for the rest of his natural life. So would-be competitors, you’d better get started… right… now.

Engadget’s Darren Murph nabs Guinness World Record for most blog posts ever written! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Finally, at long last, after so much waiting, Skype has made its debut as a full-fledged Android app. There are no Verizon-related limitations anymore, but Android Police reports that calling through the app is only available via WiFi, you can’t use your mobile’s data connection — not yet, anyway. Another note they make is that Skype is using quite a few processing cycles to do its job, so much so that it introduced crackling on a call carried out with the EVO. You’ll need to have Android 2.1 installed to run this thing, but if you do, why aren’t you downloading it already? Let us know how your own ‘droid fares in the comments below.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

P.S. — Skype’s press release and video after the break have confirmed that 3G Skype calls will be available to all outside the US. Wow. Also, Skype’s acknowledged there are some incompatibilities with Samsung Galaxy S phones and is working to iron those out.

Continue reading Skype app arrives in Android Market, WiFi-only in the US

Skype app arrives in Android Market, WiFi-only in the US originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 05:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apparently Panasonic has been working itself into a frenzy over a new handheld video game console designed solely around the concept of taking MMORPGs with you everywhere you go — like you weren’t already wasting too much of your life. The makers of the ill-fated 3DO are returning to the gaming world with a portable system dubbed “The Jungle.” The clamshell device will allegedly sport a super high-resolution display, features a full QWERTY keyboard along with what looks like a touch sensitive d-pad and button arrangement, and may run atop a custom Linux build. The Jungle will also apparently sport a mini HDMI port, a micro USB port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. To our eyes, the system looks a little on the clunky side, with a definite air of something out of Nokia’s N-Gage line — not a good thing for a 2010 device. Alongside the system itself, Panasonic will launch a Battlestar Galactica title for the device, and a web show called Online Underground.

We’re digging up more details right now, but the company (actually an offshoot of Panasonic called Panasonic Cloud Entertainment) has already set up shop with a site and a few teaser videos. Check out the mysterious new handheld in another pic and some videos after the break (including a look at the Battlestar Galactica title), and stay tuned as we unearth the full story on the Jungle.

Update: Well that didn’t take long. We’d heard rumblings that the console would make its way to an MTV show, and sure enough, the Jungle has shown up on Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory. Rob apparently is making a “jingle” for the unreleased device, which looks rather huge in the hands of the skateboarder. Obviously Panasonic is desperately trying to create some viral hype around the device (leaks to a few blogs and this MTV appearance), but we’re pretty unimpressed thus far. Maybe the jingle will convince us. If you’ve got video — send it our way!

Continue reading Panasonic’s Jungle portable gaming system emerges, gets shown off on video (update: makes appearance on Rob Dyrdek’s MTV show)

Panasonic’s Jungle portable gaming system emerges, gets shown off on video (update: makes appearance on Rob Dyrdek’s MTV show) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 21:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking a bit like a myTouch 3G Slide sans slide, the newly-announced myTouch — yes, just “myTouch” — is the latest addition to the consumer-centric side of T-Mobile’s Android lineup, featuring a 3.8-inch WVGA display, 5 megapixel primary camera with 720p capture, and a next-gen MSM8255 Snapdragon core running at 1GHz. Notice how we said “primary camera”? Yep, it’s true: the myTouch features a second, front-facing cam as well, becoming just the second phone from T-Mobile (and one of the first in the States, of course) to offer video calling. Looks like it’ll be supported over both WiFi and 3G using Qik and Yahoo Messenger, so you’ll be able to see the beautiful faces of your EVO-sporting friends from afar. Like the G2, it’s got full support for T-Mobile’s up-and-coming HSPA+ network along with 802.11n and Android 2.2 out of the box. We don’t have pricing or a launch date yet, but we’re told it’ll be available “in time for the holidays” in your choice of four scintillating colors: white, black, plum, and red. Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading T-Mobile myTouch announced: Android 2.2, video calling, and HSPA+

T-Mobile myTouch announced: Android 2.2, video calling, and HSPA+ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did you have a Verizon phone sans data plan, but get billed for data anyhow? Verizon Wireless is dropping $90 million to make things right next month. The company will refund 15 million cellular customers who were wrongly charged for internet use, in the form of $2 to $6 credits on their next bill — unless the fiasco already caused you to leave, in which case you’ll get a similar check in the mail. The New York Times reports that the FCC pressured Verizon into this settlement following hundreds of complaints, so it looks like the squeaky wheel may have won this round. If you can call Verizon treating you to the equivalent of a latte a “win,” of course. Read Verizon’s full statement after the break.

Continue reading Verizon agrees to refund customers $90 million for wrongful data charges

Verizon agrees to refund customers $90 million for wrongful data charges originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Oct 2010 18:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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