Hasta La Gadget!

The story of the Galaxy Tab has been quite a saga, to say the least. In fact, it was actually back in May that we first heard rumblings of Samsung’s plans to unleash a 7-inch Android tablet much like its Galaxy S phones, but it was only after months of painful teasing — including a cruel look at just its packaging on the Engadget Show — that Sammy finally unveiled the Galaxy Tab to the world at IFA. The Tab certainly packed the specs — a 1GHz processor, full Flash support thanks to Android 2.2, dual cameras, support for up to 32GB of storage and WiFi / 3G connectivity — to put other Android tablets to shame, and our initial hands-on with it only had us yearning for more. Without pricing and availability, however, the story was at a cliffhanger. Of course, those details trickled out over the next few months, and here in the US, Samsung finally announced that all four major US carriers would be getting Tabs to call their own. Verizon then finally took the lead in announcing pricing, and revealed that its Tab would hit contract-free for $600 — Sprint followed with the same no-contract pricing along with a $400 two-year contract option.

Indeed, it’s been quite a long journey, but even after all of that, some of the major questions are still left unanswered. Does the Tab provide a more complete and polished experience than all the other Android tablets out there? How are Samsung’s specially tailored apps? And ultimately, has a tablet finally hit the market that can rival Apple’s iPad? We think it’s about time we answer those questions and finally open what might be the most important chapter of the Galaxy Tab story — the official Engadget review. We knew you’d agree, so join us after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab review

Samsung Galaxy Tab review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

We live in a world full of fabulous idle distractions — a million TV channels, videogames at our fingertips, the world’s greatest literature just a few menu selections away. Yet still we’re stuck cleaning the same floors more or less the same way our forefathers did, despite the fact that they had a lot less fun stuff they could be doing instead. The $249 Mint Automatic Floor Cleaner is another attempt to free us from that burdensome task and, like the Neato XV-11 we recently reviewed, it is quite clinical and comprehensive in the way that it does things. However, while this one is likewise a heck of a lot smarter than a Roomba, for some it’ll be of rather more limited usefulness. Why? Read on to find out.

Continue reading Mint Automatic Floor Cleaner review

Mint Automatic Floor Cleaner review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

The Brammo Enertia has the honor of being one of the first electric motorcycles released to the public and easily available at retail, and now it’s getting a heck of an upgrade. When we test-rode one last year it was a little thing with an $11,995 MSRP and a 40 mile range. Today Brammo is announcing its successor, the Enertia Plus. That bike will manage 80 miles to a charge and do so for $8,995. That’s $1,000 more than the normal Enertia sells for today, though specs other than range remain the same. That means a weight of 324lbs, 30lb/ft of torque, and performance better suited to leisurely commutes than canyon carving — though optional saddle bags (shown below) will let you do more with that extra stamina. The bike will be shipping sometime in 2011 and current Enertia owners will receive a very welcoming $2,500 rebate. You can’t buy love, but that kind of treatment certainly should help with loyalty.

Continue reading Brammo introduces the Enertia Plus electric motorcycle with double the range (video)

Brammo introduces the Enertia Plus electric motorcycle with double the range (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Brammo  | Email this | Comments

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Dylan, who needs a serious frame rate boost at a serious bargain. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I was wondering what the best video card would be that I could buy on the market for cheap (the highest I would be willing to go is $150, and that is if I absolutely need to). I’m trying to make Dead Rising 2 (and similar) look good. By the way, my computer is running a Biostar T-series TA785G3 motherboard with a AMD Phenom II processor on Windows 7, for what it’s worth. Thanks!”

Look, not everyone can just go blow $400 on the latest and greatest overclocked slab of silicon, and the lower-end market has definitely been heating up of late. Got any solid recommendations for this fellow? Recommended places to buy? Drop a note in comments below — we’re sure your next deathmatch can wait ten seconds.

Ask Engadget: best gaming graphics card for under $150? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 01:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

At Engadget, we tend not to make a big fuss about cleaning products, but this one deserves a little shout-out: Brasso, a well-established metal polish brand in good ol’ Blighty, is pushing out its Gadget Care polish gel to the masses tomorrow. What really caught our attention was the fact that this will be Brasso’s first new product for a whopping 110 years, but of course, at the end of the day it’s all about whether the polish does what it says on the bottle, and whether it’ll leave your gadgets’ paintwork unharmed. The selling point’s simple: not only does this gel clean your gadgets, but it also leaves a layer of silicone that’s supposedly both anti-static (or dust-hating) and smear-preventing. Well, ’tis certainly a very bold claim, so join us after the break to see if this new Brasso’s worth your money.

Continue reading Brasso Gadget Care polish review

Brasso Gadget Care polish review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Brasso  | Email this | Comments