Hasta La Gadget!

While one consumer electronics giant is unceremoniously exiting the tablet wars, after many teaser trailers we’re hearing Sony is finally ready to reveal its entry. We uncovered the S1 PlayStation Tablet ahead of its official reveal earlier this year, and after getting our hands all over it we’ve got more details to report before it launches. The official name of the S1 is the Sony Tablet S, which is currently projected to bring its 9.4-inch (1280×768) screen to market in the first two weeks of September. It will ship with Android 3.1 with an eye towards upgrading to Ice Cream Sandwich once that’s available, and just as the company said many of the key features will revolve around using it to control all devices in the home, via the network or the integrated IR blaster, as well as having the ability to “Throw” media to other DLNA-compatible hardware, whether it’s made by Sony or someone else. The slate’s dual cameras come in at 3.0MP res up front and 5.0MP around the back, while it’s also expected to bring along accessories our source indicates are very similar to those for the iPad. In the images below you can check out a wireless keyboard and dock setup and micro-USB to USB host dongle, details on the “TruBlack” screen technology that’s supposed to provide better colors with less glare, and of course all of Sony’s preinstalled software bringing PlayStation Certified gaming plus its music, movie and book services. What we don’t know yet is its final price — we’d heard $599 previously — but there should be more to say about that and the clamshell S2 tablet soon.

Update: Eagle-eyed Daniel wrote in to let us know that it looks like Sony is rebranding its video service as “Video Unlimited,” which will make it a much nicer match for Music Unlimited.

[Thanks, J]

Sony’s S1 Android Tablet is the Tablet S, due to arrive in early September originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not too long ago, things were pretty simple in T-Mobile’s Android land. For us (the nerds, geeks, power users, early adopters, and other misbegotten social deviants) there was the G series of phones with plain Android, culminating recently with LG’s delightful G2x. If you wanted to buy your mom an Android smartphone, you’d point her at the myTouch series of handsets with custom HTC Sense-based skins, like last winter’s myTouch 4G. Life got a bit more complicated with the introduction of LG’s Optimus T, Samsung’s Galaxy S 4G, and other devices that don’t neatly fit into the carrier’s grand branding scheme. Well, fear not! T-Mobile and HTC went ahead and refreshed last summer’s lovely myTouch 3G Slide with a dash of dual-core tech lifted right from HTC’s Sensation flagship and a bespoke 8 megapixel shooter said to be “the most advanced camera of any smartphone”. Those are fighting words… so does the myTouch 4G Slide (as it’s called) beat the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S II, Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Arc, and Nokia’s N8 in terms of imaging performance? Is the sliding keyboard as pleasant to use as its predecessor? And most importantly, is this your mom’s next phone? Read on for our full review.

Continue reading T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide review

T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Speaker wire is expensive if you buy it at retail, cheap if you just use a spool of electrical cable, but always, always an eyesore. Sure, you can pull it through the drywall, hide it behind some curtains — or you can just go wireless. That’s the option Cue Acoustics will enable with its PS1 bookshelf speakers, shipping this August. They’re a high-end pair, each internally amplified and offering a 5-inch downward-firing woofer, 3.5-inch mid, and .75-inch tweeter, covering all the acoustic hotspots with fanfare. More important, though, is that each speaker can run with only one cable: power. Full details after the break.

Continue reading Cue Acoustics PS1 wireless speakers do audio over DLNA, we go hands-on

Cue Acoustics PS1 wireless speakers do audio over DLNA, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Much like the format war that once divided us between HD DVD and Blu-ray, a battle between two different types of 3D-capable HDTVs rages on while customers wait to be convinced that any of the new tech is worth the trouble. One of the first to enter the battlefield for the passive glasses side from LG is the LW5600, a slim edge-LED lit LCD model that is most notable for its extras. Besides featuring a Film Patterned Retarder (FPR) screen that plays back 3D viewable with the same RealD glasses you use at the movie theater, it’s a connected TV packing apps, Plex media streaming software and a “magic motion” gesture control remote. After perusing the spec list we couldn’t wait to see if more features actually made for a better HDTV experience and if passive 3D is a competitive option for home viewing, so check after the break to see how we felt about it after a few hours on the couch.

Continue reading LG LW5600 3D LCD HDTV review

LG LW5600 3D LCD HDTV review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Still rockin’ a Symbian phone from Nokia? Don’t let Android and WP7 owners hog all the media streaming fun. Nokia Play To brings DLNA’s push features to Symbian^3, albeit in beta form. Hit up the source link, install the app, and you’ll imbue your handset with the surprisingly rare ability to beam videos, photos, and music to any DLNA-capable receiving device jacked into your TV — heck, it could be your TV. Check out the video after the break if you want to see it in action before you click download.

Continue reading Nokia Play To adds DLNA streaming to waning Symbian (video)

Nokia Play To adds DLNA streaming to waning Symbian (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 03:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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