Jun 25

Seagate and DensBits team up on solid-state drives for the home, call truce in the HDD versus SSD war

Posted in: Today's Chili

Seagate Pulsar XT 2It’s an understatement to say that Seagate started off on the wrong foot in its attitude towards solid-state drives: the company only slowly came around to embracing flash memory, and then mostly for the enterprise crowd and hybrid drive lovers. A newly-struck partnership between Seagate and controller maker DensBits is signalling a more serious attempt to offer SSDs to everyday users. Along with catering to the business folk, Seagate wants its new teammate’s help on building “low-cost, high-performance” consumer SSDs. Most of the drives for the plebeians will use slower but denser 3-bits-per-cell memory made on a process under 20 nanometers, while the suits will get faster 2-bits-per-cell flash for their servers. The deal doesn’t have any timetable attached, although Seagate’s decision to pour equity cash into DensBits suggests it’s not just a one-time fling.

Continue reading Seagate and DensBits team up on solid-state drives for the home, call truce in the HDD versus SSD war

Seagate and DensBits team up on solid-state drives for the home, call truce in the HDD versus SSD war originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 23:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 25

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 $99 on-contract deal expands to Best Buy, Gamestop

Posted in: Today's Chili

Microsoft's Xbox 360 $99 oncontract deal expands to Best Buy, Gamestop

The Xbox 360 pilot program’s breaking out of its Microsoft Store-only confines and heading to more ubiquitous electronics retailers Best Buy and GameStop starting today. If you’ll remember, Redmond intro’d this subsidized plan last month, giving prospective buyers within reach of one of its 16 participating locations the ability to purchase a 4GB version of the console for $99 with a two-year commitment. In exchange for those contract chains, gamers forking over the $15 monthly fee not only get the privilege of owning the console at a discounted, upfront cost, but also Gold level membership to Xbox Live. We’d caution you to think twice and do some hard math before you hand over the plastic, though. Tempting as that low-price barrier to entry is — in total, a $460 value — you might be better off grabbing this console outright at $420 or less.

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 $99 on-contract deal expands to Best Buy, Gamestop originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq  |  sourceMajor Nelson  | Email this | Comments

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Dec 12

FCC restarts review clock for AT&T’s spectrum purchase, gives itself 180 days

Posted in: att, business, carrier, deal, government, industry, lte, mobilepostcross, money, network, qualcomm, t-mobile, Today's Chili
Back in August, the FCC decided to freeze the 180-day review clock on AT&T’s proposed acquisition of Qualcomm’s 700 MHz spectrum, citing lingering concerns over the carrier’s ongoing T-Mobile saga. Now that AT&T and Deutsche Telekom have withdrawn their merger application, however, the Commission has decided to re-open the review period for the Qualcomm acquisition, giving itself a fresh 180 days to make a decision. In a letter published Friday, Wireless Bureau chief Rick Kaplan announced that the timetable would be reset, with a retroactive start date of November 29th — the very day that the FCC granted AT&T’s pullout from the T-Mobile deal. No word yet on when we can expect a decision, but we’ll be keeping an eye out for the latest developments. Read the letter in full at the source link below.

FCC restarts review clock for AT&T’s spectrum purchase, gives itself 180 days originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  sourceFCC (PDF)  | Email this | Comments

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Nov 02

ST-Ericsson’s NovaThor to power Nokia’s Windows Phone devices, loosens Qualcomm’s grip

Posted in: arm, business, deal, dual-core, mobilepostcross, nokia, processor, qualcomm, Today's Chili, windows phone, WindowsPhone
Earlier this year, as you may recall, we learned that at least some of Nokia’s Windows Phone devices would be powered by a dual-core chip from ST-Ericsson. At the time, this report came as something of a surprise, considering the fact that Qualcomm had long enjoyed hegemony over the Windows Phone market. Today, however, it becomes official, as Nokia has now selected ST-Ericsson’s NovaThor platform as its Windows Phone supplier. There is no sign, however, that this deal will be exclusive, so it’s likely that the manufacturer will continue to use Qualcomm silicon in addition to ST-Ericsson’s ARM-based line of U9500, U8500, and U5500 dual-core CPUs. We also have yet to hear any confirmation on the specific devices that these chips will power, or when they’ll go into production, though we’ll be sure to let you know as soon as we get word. Skip past the break for a really short press release.

Continue reading ST-Ericsson’s NovaThor to power Nokia’s Windows Phone devices, loosens Qualcomm’s grip

ST-Ericsson’s NovaThor to power Nokia’s Windows Phone devices, loosens Qualcomm’s grip originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 01

Amazon, Netflix ink licensing deals with ABC, add new content for you to munch on

Posted in: amazon, business, content, deal, hdpostmini, netflix, Television, Today's Chili, TV
It was a pretty busy day for the Disney-ABC Television Group yesterday, as the company announced a new licensing deal with Amazon, while renewing its pre-existing agreement with Netflix. The Amazon deal will allow Amazon Prime members to access all prior seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, every episode of Lost, and all previous seasons of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, among other series. Amazon expects to add a total of some 13,000 titles to Prime Instant Video by “early next year,” and just in time for the holiday season (as well as the release of the Kindle Fire). The renewal of Netflix’s deal, meanwhile, ensures that the company will continue to offer episodes of shows like Private Practice, Brothers and Sisters, and Ugly Betty, as well as new additions, including Switched at Birth, Kick Buttowski and Alias. Basically, though, it’s just more of the same. But at a time when Netflix is losing customers in the wake of its price hike and Qwikster debacle, maybe stability isn’t such a bad thing. Surf past the break for a pair of dueling PRs.

Continue reading Amazon, Netflix ink licensing deals with ABC, add new content for you to munch on

Amazon, Netflix ink licensing deals with ABC, add new content for you to munch on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 27

LSI acquires SandForce for $370 million, looks to step up its SSD game

Posted in: business, deal, flash, green, minipost, money, solid state drive, SolidStateDrive, SSD, Today's Chili

SandForce has been behind many an SSD in its day, but it looks like it’s finally about to settle down, and get hitched. Yesterday, LSI announced plans to acquire the flash storage company, as part of a $370 million agreement. The deal brings SandForce’s processors and energy efficient DuraClass technology under LSI’s roof, giving the semiconductor designer some new flash firepower and an extra boost into a burgeoning market. Tangible results, of course, remain to be seen, though it’s certainly not the first time these two have danced. SandForce, after all, provided the motor for LSI’s WarpDrive lineup, and will presumably do much more, once the deal goes through. Pending regulatory approval, the acquisition should be finalized by the first quarter of 2012. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading LSI acquires SandForce for $370 million, looks to step up its SSD game

LSI acquires SandForce for $370 million, looks to step up its SSD game originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 02:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 17

New PS3 and PS Move bundles leaked by box manufacturer, Black Friday deal evidently in tow (update)

Posted in: deal, leak, minipost, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, Today's Chili

There may be a healthy selection of new PlayStation kits coming your way in the near future. Images of unannounced bundle boxes have surfaced over at Slickdeals, courtesy of Scream777, who claims to work at a package production facility that makes ’em. Those include a previously unknown Mayhem Edition PS Move kit with a Sharpshooter peripheral and the newest Resistance and Killzone titles, while a Complete Entertainment Bundle packs a 160GB PS3 Slim with a free month of PlayStation Plus and the latest Little Big Planet and Ratchet and Clank. Gaming blog Gimme Gimme Games claims that the CEB will be $250, with Scream777 noting that its order invoice lists it as a Black Friday special. Adding credence to the leak, said poster also threw in box shots of the 320GB Uncharted 3 bundle and Goldeneye 007: Reloaded Sharpshooter set — both of which are currently available for pre-order. Here’s to hoping it all proves true, but in the meantime, you’ll find more details in the links below.

Update: We’ve received a few comments noting the typo of “stereoscopic” on the box. While all of the pictures in the source do seem like they could be valid (as we mentioned, the latter two can currently be pre-ordered), it’s certainly worth raising an eyebrow to.

New PS3 and PS Move bundles leaked by box manufacturer, Black Friday deal evidently in tow (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gimme Gimme Games (1), (2)  |  sourceScream777 (Slickdeals)  | Email this | Comments

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Oct 14

Microsoft finalizes acquisition of Skype, Tony Bates shares his thoughts (video)

Posted in: business, deal, industry, Microsoft, mobilepostcross, money, skype, steve ballmer, Today's Chili, video, VoIP
Well, it’s finally happened — Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype has just been finalized, a little more than five months after it was first announced. Under the $8.5 billion deal, Skype CEO Tony Bates will be named president of the new Skype Division of Microsoft, and will have to report directly to Steve Ballmer. Many Skype employees, meanwhile, will stay onboard at offices around the globe, including at outposts in Estonia, the Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden, the UK, Luxembourg, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and the US. In a post on the Official Microsoft Blog today, Bates seemed unsurprisingly enthusiastic about the acquisition, describing it as a marriage of two “disruptive, innovative, software-oriented companies.” The exec was less specific about the role his company would play within Redmond’s new architecture, but assured that Skype would be at the forefront of future communications initiatives across a variety of platforms. “Microsoft is committed to the ubiquity of the Skype experience – communication across every device and every platform will remain a primary focus,” Bates wrote. “And we’ve only scratched the surface.” Head past the break for Microsoft’s full PR, as well as the video address from Bates.

Continue reading Microsoft finalizes acquisition of Skype, Tony Bates shares his thoughts (video)

Microsoft finalizes acquisition of Skype, Tony Bates shares his thoughts (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 02:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 13

Box rides on iCloud’s coattails, offers 50GB of free cloud storage to iOS users

Posted in: airplay, app, Apple, AppStore, cellphone, cloud, deal, free, ios, ipad, ipad 2, Ipad2, iPhone, iphone 4s, mobile, mobilepostcross, phone, tablet, Today's Chili
No, your eyes don’t deceive you — Box is offering 50GBs of free storage inside its cloud for iOS users — just like it did for TouchPad owners back in June. Anyone who downloads the latest version of Box’s app for iPad and iPhone will receive their massive lot for data storage after registering a personal account (existing accounts can join in on the fun as well). To make better use of that extra space, Box will also be bumping upload capacity from 25MB to 100MB per file and baking in AirPlay support. Look, Box is obviously skitching on iCloud’s tail, but it sure seems like a crazy good deal considering that space is yours “forever.” The promotion will last for 50 days, officially starting at 12AM on October 14th — although, we’re already seeing the update on our end. Full details in the source link.

Box rides on iCloud’s coattails, offers 50GB of free cloud storage to iOS users originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 13

Panasonic, Tesla rekindle romance, strike supply agreement for Model S batteries

Posted in: car, deal, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, money, Panasonic, tesla, Today's Chili
Panasonic and Tesla renewed their corporate wedding vows yesterday, with a new supply agreement on lithium-ion batteries. Under the accord, Panasonic will provide Tesla with cells for some 80,000 cars over the next four years, effectively ensuring that the manufacturer will meet its ramped-up production targets for 2012 — including more than 6,000 orders for its Model S EV. As for the batteries themselves, they’ll be made using Panasonic’s nickel-type cathode technology, which, according to the company, will offer the highest energy density known. Of course, we’re still awaiting for the Model S to actually enter full production, but you can whet your electric appetite with Panasonic’s full press release, available after the break.

Continue reading Panasonic, Tesla rekindle romance, strike supply agreement for Model S batteries

Panasonic, Tesla rekindle romance, strike supply agreement for Model S batteries originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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