Hasta La Gadget!

Unlike Nokia, all of HTC’s Windows Phone effort in the US this fall has been centered on the high-end, through the Windows Phone 8X. That makes the FCC appearance of its budget cousin, the 8S, borderline cruel for American fans of HTC’s hyper-colorized design. The phone getting clearance has support for both AT&T and T-Mobile HSPA bands without the LTE that either American carrier would want. Given that the 8S is officially destined for Canada (and not the US) without a named carrier, we’re most likely looking at an example for a budget Canuck provider such as Mobilicity or Wind. At least the frequencies will be a comfort to gray market US importers who want HTC’s Windows Phone aesthetic on the cheap.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC

HTC Windows Phone 8S hits the FCC with North American 3G, gives the US a horrible tease originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Nov 2012 20:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Music lovers will often tell you that Roland’s TR-808 gave birth to modern music. Acid house, rap, techno and other genres owe some of their original (and even current) sounds to that synthetic beat. Moritz Simon Geist appreciates the effort, but has built a solution for those who think the drum machine is a little too perfect: his MR-808 installation has robot limbs playing all the equivalent real-world instruments, right down to the cowbell. A laptop musician at the helm sends MIDI input to an Arduino controller that then triggers the robot’s instrument motors and matching lights. The effect is a unique mix of flawless cues with imprecise, almost organic sounds — imagine 808 State or Kanye West replacing each and every machine with a live band and you’ve got the idea. Although the sheer size of the MR-808 sadly nixes chances you’ll ever see one at the local nightclub, it could give any of Geist’s recorded music one of the more distinct vibes we’ve heard.

Continue reading MR-808 recreates Roland drum machine with robot instruments, puts them in an 808 State (video)

Filed under: Robots, Alt

MR-808 recreates Roland drum machine with robot instruments, puts them in an 808 State (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Nov 2012 18:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Like a sunny breeze after a brutal storm, the Engadget Mobile Podcast is back again to brighten your otherwise gloomy mobile news week with tales of new phones from different operational dimensions and more spectrum spectulation than you can shake a StarTAC at.

Hosts: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl), Brad Molen
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Tycho – Coastal Brake (Ghostly International)

00:01:44 – Nexus 4 review
00:12:25 – Nexus 10 review
01:09:56 – Nokia Lumia 920 review: Windows Phone 8 and (a little bit of) camera magic
01:30:00 – Windows Phone 8 review
01:42:15 – HTC 8X review: Windows Phone 8’s compact flagship
01:48:13 – HTC One X+ review: it’s the One X, and then some (video)
01:50:48 – Sony Xperia TL Review
01:54:42 – Apple Executive Shakeup: Scott Forstall and John Browett Out

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Filed under: Podcasts, Mobile

Engadget Mobile Podcast 157 – 11.07.2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iZettle has just launched its Android and iOS payment platform on EE in the UK, giving small businesses a cheap way to get paid through Visa, American Express, Diner’s Club and Mastercard. For a £20 fee in EE stores, you can grab the scanner (shown above) and start accepting charge card payments through your iPhone, iPad and certain Android devices with no other fees except for the usual merchant grab — 2.75 percent per transaction in this case. Sales can even be keyed in manually if you don’t want the scanner, and the company claims the system is quick and “totally secure.” So, if you’re tired of chasing down that deadbeat client who keeps saying “too bad you don’t take Amex,” hit the PR after the jump.

Continue reading iZettle launches on EE, aims to let UK merchants dabble in plastic

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Software

iZettle launches on EE, aims to let UK merchants dabble in plastic originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Nov 2012 11:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Only a few weeks have gone by since Rhapsody updated its Android app to v3.0, but today the self-titled number one music subscription service has announced an all-new version of its tune-streaming application. For starters, the most notable change here is a completely redesigned user interface that, according to Rhapsody, “brings music discovery to life.” That’s not it, however, as the Android app also sees the addition of a new feature dubbed Replay which will recommend tunes based on previous activity, plus a Featured Albums section tailored specifically by Rhapsody’s “world class editorial staff.” The overhauled app’s available for download now from Google Play — and, yes, there’s a free trial option for those who have yet to shell out cash on the paid subscription offering.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

Rhapsody announces redesigned Android app, adds new Replay feature originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Nov 2012 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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