Hasta La Gadget!

We don’t need to tell you that we can’t go a step at CES without seeing a new e-reader device (see Spring Alex, Sprint Skiff, and Copia Ocean), but here comes along knfb’s Blio with Mac and PC compatible software saying you don’t need new fancy hardware to read the the printed page on a screen….or may be you do. Regardless, of where the Blio software ends up we really dig it and it approaches digital reading in a whole new way. In case you didn’t know the Blio software aims to preserve the traditional book or magazine format by keeping its layout, fonts, images, but also to meld it with digital interactivity. Sounds kind of confusing, but we got a sneak peak today of the PC software (in Microsoft’s Booth…perhaps, not a coincidence. Hmm…Courier?) Hit the break for impressions and full PR. Video is on the way.

Update: Video is up, after the break.

Continue reading Blio e-reader software hands-on (Update: video!)

Blio e-reader software hands-on (Update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve got another one, folks: Sony’s doing a tablet. The Dash Internet Viewer is a touchscreen WiFi device which can be propped up like a digital photo frame or toted around the home like… a tablet. Still, a Chumby comparison might be more appropriate: the 7-inch device can run Chumby apps (there are over 1,000 free ones out there already), to which Sony will be adding its own Sony Music and Sony Pictures properties for movie trailers, music videos and so forth. The $199 unit can be stood on end or tilted quasi-flat for a variety of hands-free viewing angles, and works as an alarm clock, waking users up to the sweet sounds and visuals of internet videos. The Dash ships in April.

Update: We just confirmed that this device runs Chumby OS and is not portable (as in, there’s no built-in battery). Rest assured, this is no slate / tablet rival — in fact, it’s more like a sophisticated alarm clock.

Sony introduces Dash Internet Viewer touchscreen tablet (Update: it runs Chumby OS!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo has just announced the LePhone for the Chinese WCDMA market, available in May this year. Notable features include a vibrant 3.7-inch 800×480 capacitive touchscreen (not OLED, sadly), 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon, 3.5mm headphone jack, a camera on both the front and back (3 megapixels for the latter), A-GPS, WiFi (but no WAPI, strangely), removable battery and a proprietary 9-pin dock connector. Lovers of physical keyboards may be interested in the optional external keyboard — the way the phone snaps onto it is very similar to the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid‘s. On the software front the LePhone will have Android 1.6 (yeah, we know) which is somewhat enhanced with accelerometer-based gesture control (read: tilting) and, dare we say, a few design cues from the iPhone OS — the voice-call interface shown in the presentation video is a perfect example. There will also be a carrier-specific application store which Lenovo couldn’t demo at the event. Similarly, details on prices, carriers and plans of international launch were missing. Presentation and hands-on videos after the break.

Continue reading Lenovo announces LePhone Android device for China (update: hands-on video!)

Lenovo announces LePhone Android device for China (update: hands-on video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading New Sony Blu-ray players do 3D, WiFi, iPhone remote, more

New Sony Blu-ray players do 3D, WiFi, iPhone remote, more originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And you thought that just because you are the home theater in a box type that you wouldn’t get to enjoy 3D — Sony announced a trio of Blu-ray home theater systems that feature wireless speakers and the same internet streaming features BRAVIA Internet Video, DNLA and the iPhone app remote that the stand-alone Blu-ray from Sony do. And the top of the line BDV-HZ970W (pictured above) also supports 3D Blu-ray Discs. The other two new systems, the BDV-E770W and BDV-E570, have most of the same features, but both lack 3D and the BDV-E570 doesn’t do DLNA. Check out the full release after the break if you are still left asking for more.

Continue reading Sony has some new Blu-ray home theater systems and yes, one does 3D

Sony has some new Blu-ray home theater systems and yes, one does 3D originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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