Victorinox Swiss Army debuts Slim, Slim Duo and Secure SSD USB drives, we go hands-on

Victorinox has been putting a Swiss Army spin on USB drives for some time now, and it’s just rolled into CES with its latest batch: the Slim, Slim Duo and Secure SSD. In addition to being slim, the first two of those are also available in flight-friendly versions sans knife and, as you can probably discern from the name, the Duo actually packs two USB drives for up to 128GB of storage (compared to 64GB for the standard Slim). The Secure SSD, on the other hand, packs up 256GB of storage, an integrated Bistable LCD/e-Paper display, secure data encryption and, of course, a Swiss Army knife. Alongside those, Victornix has also announced its Apple Secure application for Mac users, and it’s once again kicked off its annual “Crack the Code” contest, which offers $250,000 and a trip to Switzerland to anyone able to crack the encryption on the drives. Hit up the galleries below for some more shots and our quick hands-on with the drives.

Continue reading Victorinox Swiss Army debuts Slim, Slim Duo and Secure SSD USB drives, we go hands-on

Victorinox Swiss Army debuts Slim, Slim Duo and Secure SSD USB drives, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

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

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…

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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Is this the Samsung SCH-i520 headed to 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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LG Optimus Black hands-on

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.

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

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

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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Ford Motor Company CEO Alan Mulally tells us why CES is important (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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Razer Switchblade: 7-inch pocket gaming concept blows our minds six ways from Sunday

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.

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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GoPro 3D Hero, Battery, and LCD BacPac hands-on

GoPro 3D Hero, battery, and LCD BacPac hands-on

Helmet cam user? Chances are you’ve suffered the extreme indignity of capturing footage of the sky or the ground but, sadly, nothing in between. They’re hard to aim. GoPro is tackling that issue with the LCD BacPack, a clip-on LCD that attaches on the back interface port on 1080p HD Hero cameras, showing you not only what the camera is looking at but also battery life and even a speaker. Then there’s the Battery BacPac, which is the same size but instead of a display makes room for a second battery and, thanks to its miniUSB port, doubles as an external battery charger. Neat! And, yes, there’s a new back cover needed to fit over the new bulge.

Finally there’s the egregious 3D Hero expansion, a revised version of what we saw in September. It comes with a cable to ensure that both start filming at the same time, though sadly it doesn’t come with any extra neck muscles to keep this thing aloft should you affix it to your helmet. We got a chance to look at some of the resulting footage and the results are compelling — not as clear as your average big-budget Hollywood summer release but, considering the size of the thing, quite compelling. All three devices are expected to launch in the next few months but, sadly, at undisclosed prices.

GoPro 3D Hero, Battery, and LCD BacPac hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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