Hasta La Gadget!

The Evernote Smart Notebook is here! Well, almost here — it arrives on October 1 — but we got our Moleskin-lovin’ hands on the app/notebook combo a bit ahead of schedule this evening. The combination works by combining the drawings, notes, and whatever other Moleskin-bound scribblings you pen with Evernote’s iOS App (said to be headed to Android as well). Snap a pic of your best Mega Man sketch and see the Blue Bomber appear magically in your Evernote account and on your phone! If you’re way into archiving, a handy set of stickers allows for quick tagging. The tags can even be customized if you’re not into Evernote’s suggested categories.

The whole concept is very neat, and it works … sort of. An Evernote rep tried repeatedly to snag images from the page with varying results. One time a shadow interfered, and another time the lighting just didn’t work out, before it finally worked. We’re lending Evernote the benefit of the doubt for now as we were shown the whole shebang in the middle of a busy, dramatically lit show floor. That said, at $29.95, if it doesn’t work out great, the worst that happens is you’re stuck with a slightly more expensive Moleskin than a normal model (around $15 on Amazon); the iOS companion app is free. Head past the break for a hands-on video.

Continue reading Evernote Smart Notebook hands-on (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, Software, Mobile, Alt

Evernote Smart Notebook hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 20:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Back at IFA we spent most of our time handling new tablets and Win 8 devices, but, given that the show has grown into something of a mini-CES, there was news in almost every product category, portable audio included. TDK announced a trio of speakers that week, and though we didn’t get hands-on in Berlin, we got a second chance tonight at a New York City press event. In particular, the company is showing off its first ruggedized product, the Wireless Weatherproof Speaker. As you can see in those photos down there, it has all the stylings of a run-of-the-mill portable speaker, except it also happens to be IP64-certified against the elements. When TDK talks about its durability, it talks about liters of dousage, so a splash on your next beach vacation shouldn’t be an issue.

As for audio, it has two speakers up front, a subwoofer and two passive radiators ’round back. TDK declined to clarify the wattage, but we’ll say this: the little guy is powerful enough that we could hear it over the din at Pepcom, a local press event. And, TDK had a larger, more powerful speaker playing nearby, and we still had no problem hearing the song coming from the weatherproof model. Granted, then, this was hardly the best scenario to evaluate audio quality, but we did sense that the treble was a bit trapped compared to the bass, which came through loud and clear. Lastly, there’s a rechargeable battery inside, which TDK rates for up to six hours of runtime. It’ll go on sale in late October for $250, but in the meantime help yourself to some first-hand shots below.

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video

TDK preps its first weatherproof speaker, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metro PCS’ first American LTE phone may be fast when it comes to download speeds, but not so much when it comes to basic functionality. The ZTE-built Anthem arrives next week at MetroPCS providers for $249.99 ($219.99 after a mail-in rebate), and it comes with an aging OS — Gingerbread. Yes, when we got our hands on the device this evening, the very first thing we noticed was the decidedly elderly operating system that ships with it — so, it’s not the freshest Android device on the block.

The Anthem’s touch functionality didn’t give a good first impression either, not responding on the first try for a handful of basic functions, and slowly dragging from pane to pane. The phone sports a 4.3-inch WVGA display that’s decent enough, especially when compared with other recently introduced mid-range smartphones and runs on a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon CPU (the company wouldn’t specify which precisely). The phone itself is on the excessively chunky side, but given its off-contract berth and $249 pricing, that lack of design finesse is to be expected. MetroPCS reps wouldn’t confirm whether an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich is on the books for the Anthem, but if you’re plunking down for this clunker, it’s probably not much of a concern. Check out the gallery below for additional shots and head on past the break for a brief video tour.

Continue reading ZTE Anthem 4G hands-on (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Wireless, Mobile

ZTE Anthem 4G hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Considering the recent glut of smartphone announcements, news of yet another Galaxy S III variant shouldn’t have you tittering with glee. But for those of you tied to MetroPCS and hankering for a beastly mobile option, that 4.8-inch handset is almost ready to ship. Shown off at the carrier’s booth here at Pepcom, the designed by nature device is virtually unchanged, save for branding on the back that nods to the 4G network it runs on. Otherwise, it’s the same TouchWizzed Android ICS experience we’ve come to know and love. There’s no official word on pricing or a concrete release date — outside of a very vague end of Q4 bow. But still, if you want to take a sneak peek at this off-contract option, check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S III for MetroPCS hands-on (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Samsung Galaxy S III for MetroPCS hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo may be MIA at TGS this year (as usual), but that hasn’t stopped Turtle Beach — it brought a pair of Wii U headsets to the show anyway. We dropped by the outfit’s booth to take a peek, finding seemingly empty boxes in lieu of product. Turns out they weren’t so empty — the Ear Force N11 and NLa headsets are so lightweight, we didn’t even notice they were there. After a brief unboxing, this editor wrapped each set around his head, finding the headband tension of both the over-ear N11 and the on-ear NLa to be just as light as the accessories themselves, squeezing my skull with only the gentlest of pressure. The sets’ earmuffs seemed built for comfort as well, soft, and not the least bit irritating. Staff on hand told us that the internals weren’t quite final, but sound quality aside, we could easily see settling in with either of these products for a long, comfortable gaming session. Both sets arrive later this year — $35 for the white, on-ear Ear Force NLa cans, and $50 for its black over-ear cousin. See our impressions for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Turtle Beach Ear Force NLa and N11 stereo Wii U headsets hands-on (video)

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, Portable Audio/Video

Turtle Beach Ear Force NLa and N11 stereo Wii U headsets hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 23:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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