Can This Insane Mirage of Buildings and Mountains Be Real?

This video is simply unbelievable: Buildings, mountains and trees materializing in the mist over the water, following a heavy downpour at dusk. Witnesses couldn’t believe their eyes. I couldn’t believe it either. But cameras don’t lie, right? More »

Nokia’s Android flirtations revealed

We don’t know if this device is “super confidential” or not, but we’ve just come across yet another Nokia N9 lookalike with a non-MeeGo operating system on board. Well, it looks that way, anyhow. There’s no way to verify that the Android homescreen we see above is a legitimate Gingerbread installation and not a mere screenshot (the resolution looks all wrong, for one thing), but the source of this image is the same Chinese fellow that posted a picture of Nokia’s Windows Phone prototype, the Sea Ray, way back in May, so we’re inclined to believe he’s got an inside line on these things. Additionally, the undersized Android UI elements on the screen actually encourage us to believe that this is indeed a Nokia testing device — if we were going to fake something like this, we’d use a regular screen grab for our tomfoolery — and Stephen Elop has openly admitted that Nokia spent a couple of wild seconds contemplating a switch to Android. Well, folks, here’s what that alternate future might have looked like.

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Nokia’s Android flirtations revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 03:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  source@codegeass (Weibo, 1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

Great Firewall of China getting a small cloud-based silver lining

China, it seems, is getting ready to punch a cloud-shaped hole in its infamous Great Firewall. A massive six square mile office park currently being built in the southwestern city of Chongqing is set to escape the filtering that dominates the rest of the company’s internet access. The area, affectionately known as the “Cloud Zone,” will be home to technology companies and Chinese startups that will presumably require free access to sites like Twitter and Facebook to do their jobs. Freedom, after all, is just another word for being able to update your status from your cubicle.

Great Firewall of China getting a small cloud-based silver lining originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 21:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Penn Olson  |  sourceSouthern Weekend (scan)  | Email this | Comments

Chinese UNISROBO KIRFbot is a not-so-cheap knockoff of NEC’s PaPeRo

UNISROBO

The KIRFs we normally see are of the cellphone and PMP variety, with the occasional laptop scattered here and there. In fact, this might be the first time we’ve seen a clone of a serious robot, and not just some remote-controlled toy. Above is the UNISROBO from a pair of Chinese companies, UNIS and Just Good Technology. Those of you with a strong memory may immediately notice its amazing resemblance to NEC’s PaPeRo and PaPeRo-mini. Outside of the bright job, the only major aesthetic difference is the LCD embedded in UNISROBO’s chest. Under the hood, however, is a different story — this Chinese knockoff is missing the stereoscopic cameras and ultrasonic sensors that helped its Japanese inspiration navigate. There’s one thing these copycats are not though — cheap. UNIS will be selling two models at 2,980 and 3,980 Yuan (about $460 and $615). One more picture after the break.

Continue reading Chinese UNISROBO KIRFbot is a not-so-cheap knockoff of NEC’s PaPeRo

Chinese UNISROBO KIRFbot is a not-so-cheap knockoff of NEC’s PaPeRo originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japan speeding ahead with 500km/h Maglev train


Traveling the 515 km (320 miles) from Tokyo to Osaka by Shinkansen bullet train currently requires 2 hours and 25 minutes (and costs a small fortune, too). Come 2045, travel between Japan’s two largest metro areas will take just over one hour, following the launch of the country’s longest maglev track, which just received construction approval from Tokyo. The nine trillion yen project (approximately $112 billion) was first proposed in the 1970s, but was tabled indefinitely due to its astronomical costs, most of which stem from an extensive network of tunnels that will represent 60 percent of the route. You’ll be able to get your Japanese Maglev fix beginning in 2027, when the Central Japan Railway launches its high-speed route between Tokyo and Nagoya. One notable neighbor to the west is already operating its own maglev train. China’s Shanghai Transrapid has been blasting riders to Pudong airport since 2004, and once achieved a top speed of 501km/h (311 mph). The country is also constructing a 1000km/h vacuum-based train that it plans to launch within the next few years.

Japan speeding ahead with 500km/h Maglev train originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Inhabitat  |  sourceEnvironment News Service  | Email this | Comments

China Is Cloning This Entire European City

Not happy with cloning watches, iPods, trains and even combat airplanes, the Chinese are now cloning an entire European city. And not any city, but the mountain town of Hallstatt, Austria, a UNESCO World Heritage site. More »

Motorola Droid 3 official in China under Milestone 3 moniker, packs 4-inch qHD display

The Droid 3 is upon us! Well, it is if you live in China and don’t mind calling it the Milestone 3. A new XT883 model has just been made official by Motorola during China Telecom’s CDMA Summit, touting the tagline “the third Milestone” and a new five-row slideout QWERTY keyboard. The salient specs include a 4-inch touchscreen with qHD (540 x 960) resolution, a dual-core Tegra 2 processor capable of driving 1080p video recording, an 8 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, up to 32GB of built-in storage, and of course, Android 2.3 as the shipping OS. A pretty compelling package, we think you’ll agree. It’s coming to China this summer, though Moto could still be crafty enough to squeeze the US launch in before actual units start shipping to Yao Ming’s homeland. Because, well, who’s ever heard of a Milestone coming before a Droid?

Continue reading Motorola Droid 3 official in China under Milestone 3 moniker, packs 4-inch qHD display

Motorola Droid 3 official in China under Milestone 3 moniker, packs 4-inch qHD display originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 03:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujitsu releases F-022 flip phone for women who like to smell good

Because they’re brutish and sweaty, most men don’t have a problem with their phone’s naturally metallic musk, but “20 to 40 year-old women with a well-developed sense of fashion” apparently do. That’s why Fujitsu has announced the F-022 — a glittery flip phone designed for females who demand slightly more from their handheld’s olfactory offerings. Developed in collaboration with Japanese accessory maker Folli Follie, this bejeweled little bauble comes with a “detachable fragrance chip” that allows users to mark their tech territory with the perfume of their choice. Just spray the chip with a dab of your scent, latch it on to the phone, and every conversation you have will end up smelling like roses. The F-022 goes on sale in China on June 24th, but for more information, just follow your nose to the PR, after the break.

[Thanks, Jeff]

Continue reading Fujitsu releases F-022 flip phone for women who like to smell good

Fujitsu releases F-022 flip phone for women who like to smell good originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prisoners For Your (iPad) Love

Three people in China are going to prison for leaking information about the iPad 2. It’s a sad and pathetic story, but also one that we’re going to be telling again and again in the coming years. More »

Shenzhen mobile phone market: going deeper inside Huaqiangbei

It’s safe to say that most of our readers are accustomed to phone shops that are well lit, fairly spacious, and not peppered with KIRF products. But if you’re feeling adventurous and want to take a dip in the deep end of the pool, then Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei district should satisfy your strange curiosity. As we’ve shown you in our previous trip, our gadget paradise covers an extensive range of products, including phones, computers, cameras, all the way down to circuitry components like LEDs, chips, and resistors. Our latest discovery, however, is an entire building dedicated to mostly mobile phone products. Read on to find out what this madness is all about — a video tour awaits after the break.

Continue reading Shenzhen mobile phone market: going deeper inside Huaqiangbei

Shenzhen mobile phone market: going deeper inside Huaqiangbei originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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