Jan 06

Xtrememac’s dual USB wall charger gets it right, car charger and battery pack ain’t bad either

Posted in: Apple, charger, charging, iPhone, ipod, Today's Chili

CES is most definitely in full swing, which means the wave of accessories is coming hot and heavy. Xtrememac has just revealed a trifecta of USB chargers, all of which seem to boast subtle changes from the norm that piqued our interest. First off, the universal dual USB wall charger has not one, but two USB charging ports, delivering a full ten watts of power (read: enough for the iPad) to a pair of your favorite gizmos. Moving on, there’s the universal USB car charger, which sadly doesn’t sport two USB ports. The universal USB battery pack and wall charger looks mighty similar to the PowerPak XT, doubling as a USB wall charger as well as a portable battery pack when it’s unplugged. As for pricing? Try $14.99, $24.99 and $59.99 in order of mention, with the whole lot being available now directly from the company.

Continue reading Xtrememac’s dual USB wall charger gets it right, car charger and battery pack ain’t bad either

Xtrememac’s dual USB wall charger gets it right, car charger and battery pack ain’t bad either originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 06

Skype video calling coming to Android, demoed on the Droid Bionic

Posted in: breaking news, BreakingNews, droid, hands-on, motorola, skype, Today's Chili, video

You know that front facing camera on Motorola’s LTE Droid Bionic? Well, it looks like you will be able to use it to make Skype video calls very soon. We were hanging around the Motorola booth early this morning and while playing around with the new 4.3-inch phone we noticed a “Skype demo” application. One click on the application revealed that the video calling capability, which just became available for the iPhone, will be heading to Android soon. There wasn’t a working app, but the video demo clearly showed how easy it will be to log into Skype, pull up your contact list, and make a video call over Verizon’s next generation network. We’ve got a few pictures below and a short video is on the way. Now we just need Skype to make this official at its press conference in just a few hours…

Gallery: Skype video calling demo on Droid Bionic

Skype video calling coming to Android, demoed on the Droid Bionic originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 06

Is this the Samsung SCH-i520 headed to Verizon?

Posted in: lte, samsung, Today's Chili, verizon
Is this the Samsung SCH-i520 you’ve been waiting for wrapped in a protective case? We can pretty much bank on the fact that the HTC Thunderbolt is getting outed today and with this pic slapped up by Offwire — which looks suspiciously like an unbranded version of this Verizon set we saw — we may well be looking at another of Verizon’s suite of new LTE sets. Nothing much is known about this 4G slate, aside from the obvious forward facing camera, but Verizon’s press event starts in the next little while and we hope we’ll learn more.

Is this the Samsung SCH-i520 headed to Verizon? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 06

Case Turns Your iPod Nano Into a Watch

Posted in: case, ipod, nano, Today's Chili, watch

spec nano.jpg

Your iPod nano has a clock. It’s roughly the size of a watch face. Can’t connect the dots? Don’t worry, Speck did it for you. The clever case design company has introduced the TimetoRock, a rubberized case that transforms a sixth generation nano into a wearable, adjustable wrist watch. Pretty neat, right? We approve.
The company recommends you wear it while walking/jogging, et al., though it’s easy to see how that could get a bit awkward, particularly with a short cord, though the case does come with adjustable headphone arm bands, so perhaps it’ll work out, after all.
The TimetoRock will come in a number of colors, including, Black, Raspberry, Lime, Aubergine and Mango. It’ll run you $24.99.

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Jan 06

LG Optimus Black hands-on

Posted in: hands-on, LG, Today's Chili
We were on-hand for a hands-on as LG threw itself a bash celebrating a couple swish Android sets: the Optimus 2X and the Optimus Black. We’ve seen plenty of the 2X already, but the Black is an entirely different creature. First off, the taper on the back that sees the set go from 9mm in the middle to 6mm on each side is both nice to look at and helps keep the set cradled in your hand. The 4-inch WVGA NOVA display is both bright — 700 nits, if you worry about that type of thing — and extremely legible in the glaring spotlights installed at the stand. LG was touting the addition of its Wi-Fi Direct feature — what at first sight seems like gimmickry — that allows direct file transfer between sets without the need for an access point, and hey, it worked — and might even be useful. We look forward to the Optimus Black crashing into our lives sometime in the first half of this year.

Gallery: LG Optimus Black hands-on

LG Optimus Black hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 06

Eye-Fi’s Direct Mode hands-on: from camera to tablet in seconds (video)

Posted in: Today's Chili, video, wifi, Wireless

We have to say, we’re pretty pumped about Eye-Fi’s new Direct Mode, and that’s not just because it’s free — CEO Jef Holove showed us how his wireless SD cards can fire snapshots from a point-and-shoot camera straight to a Samsung Galaxy Tab, and it looks like a breeze. Once the free update launches later this year, you’ll just need to download the Eye-Fi app, and select your Eye-Fi X2 card from a list to permanently pair them — much like Bluetooth or a WiFi access point — and then whenever you shoot within range, the pics will automatically spirit themselves to your Android, and can send them to Picasa or Eye-Fi View from there with an additional tap. See Direct Mode do its thing in the video above.

Eye-Fi’s Direct Mode hands-on: from camera to tablet in seconds (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 06

Glasses Focus Selves Electronically

Posted in: Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili

glasses elec.jpg

In a room full of aging nerds, you’ve pretty much got a surefire hit on your hands with a pair of electronic self-focusing glasses.With a touch of the frame, these electronic bi-focals from PixelOptics will automatically switch between reading mode and standard mode. There’s also an automode on the things, which, once enabled, utilizes the glasses’ built-in gyroscope to automatically switch between the two modes–look down, and they’ll switch to reading mode. Look up, and they switch back.
Pretty neat, and it sure beats standard bi-focals and progressive lenses, which require the user to look through a specific section of the glasses, thereby severely limited one’s peripheral vision. 
The glasses charge inductively, once placed on a stand. The built-in battery should last three or four days on a single charge.
The eyewear will be available around April. Not surprisingly, they’ll be a bit price–around $1,200, most likely, so you’ll want to take extra care not to sit on the things.

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Jan 06

Live from CES 2011’s opening keynote with Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg

Posted in: keynote, LiveBlog, Today's Chili, verizon

Ivan Seidenberg is passing the torch to current Verizon Wireless boss Lowell McAdam later this year after a long career with Verizon, so today’s keynote session starting at 8:30AM PT (11:30AM ET) should be a bit of a swan song for him. We don’t know what he’ll announce, if anything — Big Red’s official press conference is later today, where presenters are expected to offer more details on the carrier’s range of LTE handsets — but we’ll naturally be looking out for teasers and tidbits here this morning. Read on!

Continue reading Live from CES 2011’s opening keynote with Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg

Live from CES 2011’s opening keynote with Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 06

Ford Motor Company CEO Alan Mulally tells us why CES is important (video)

Posted in: breaking news, BreakingNews, exclusive, feature, Features, Ford, sync, Today's Chili, video

Each year we see more and more cars at CES, more and more infotainment systems, and more and more reasons to get excited about driving to work. But each time Ford is the company with the biggest presence, and this year there’s more Blue Oval than ever with the first CES unveil of a whole new car, the upcoming Focus Electric. Alan Mulally was kind enough to take a few minutes to speak with us about just what the heck the company is doing here and, more importantly, what kind of surprises are coming from his keynote speech on Friday. It’s all in the video below. And, yes, more of that Mustang too — which just so happens to be painted in our favorite color.

Continue reading Ford Motor Company CEO Alan Mulally tells us why CES is important (video)

Ford Motor Company CEO Alan Mulally tells us why CES is important (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 06

Razer Switchblade: 7-inch pocket gaming concept blows our minds six ways from Sunday

Posted in: awesome, breaking news, BreakingNews, concept, gaming, intel, intel atom, IntelAtom, multitouch, prototype, razer, Today's Chili, video

The most beautiful thing to come out of CES 2011? The show ain’t over yet, but we’re unafraid to say that Razer‘s Switchblade is the device to beat. Before you go getting your hopes up, we have to (regretfully) point out that this here gaming handheld is but a concept, but considering that Toshiba’s Libretto W105 made it to store shelves (if but for a moment), we’re hoping and praying that the Switchblade can also find its way to a production line. Little is known about the device itself, but Razer has imagined it using a pair of 7-inch multitouch displays as well as a layer of tactile, dynamic keys on the lower screen. Much like the Optimus Maximus of yesteryear, this keyboard would enable gamers to place different screens underneath depending on title, and even within a game, you could imagine the keys shifting to account for different POVs, levels, scenarios, etc. Internally, the concept is based around an Intel Atom processor, but there’s no word on what kind of GPU would work alongside of it. Sadly, Razer’s unwilling to talk pie-in-the-sky details when it comes to price and release, but if four million comments show up below begging and pleading for the company to take this commercial…

Update: Just to be clear, the keyboard on the bottom is a full-on LCD , but covered with physical keys. In contrast, the W105 had a flat touchpanel on the bottom.

Gallery: Razer Switchblade 7-inch gaming tablet concept at CES 2011

Continue reading Razer Switchblade: 7-inch pocket gaming concept blows our minds six ways from Sunday

Razer Switchblade: 7-inch pocket gaming concept blows our minds six ways from Sunday originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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