Hasta La Gadget!

Not to be outdone by Motorola and Nokia, HTC’s quietly trying to steal some of the competition’s thunder by unexpectedly outing a not-for-sale, fashion-driven variant of the One X and now with the announcement that its 4.3-inch waterproof J handset will be heading to a couple more Asian markets. Of course, let’s not forget the Taiwanese outfit also has something else to show us at an upcoming special event in NYC. But, regardless of what we’ll “see next,” the J’s actually here — well, in Japan — and with eyes set on Hong Kong and Taiwan next, making this the first time that Sense 4-loaded device is headed outside the Land of the Rising Sun.

Just a quick recap: the HTC J comes with a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 MSM8660A, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, qHD PenTile OLED display, eight-megapixel camera and 1,810mAh battery. As for connectivity, you get quad-band GSM, WCDMA 2,100MHz, CDMA2000 800MHz and WiMAX 2.5-2.7GHz (for Japan and Taiwan only) radios, making it a fairly nice all-rounder albeit with limited regional compatibility for each of the faster connections. Oh, and about that waterproofing business: KDDI doesn’t actually list it as a waterproof device, but HTC informed us that while the J meets global standards for waterproofing, it is not marketed as such in Japan due to particular criteria required by said carrier. We shall add more info here if HTC has more to say about this.

At any rate, Hong Kong folks will be able to pick up this waterproof device for HK$4,498 (about $580) unsubsidized, whereas Taiwan will have to wait until the press event next Tuesday for tariff details on Taiwan Mobile. For now, we got you a video of the J going for a swim after the break. You know, just for kicks.

Richard Lai contributed to this report.

Continue reading HTC’s waterproof, WiMAX-capable J handset now available in Hong Kong and Taiwan

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

HTC’s waterproof, WiMAX-capable J handset now available in Hong Kong and Taiwan originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 11:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  ePrice  | Email this | Comments

During Motorola’s keynote on Wednesday, the company announced a nice little bonus for loyal fans — should your 2011-or-later handset not receive a Jelly Bean update, you’ll get $100 if you upgrade to one of its new models. Well, a website for the deal has gone live and the initial Ts&Cs don’t make it sound like an immediate discount, but that the Benjamin will instead be reimbursed as a gift card, carrier credit or a cash equivalent of Motorola’s choice. We’re still in the dark about which specific phones will be denied a taste of Android 4.1, although the list is expected “very soon.” In the meantime, you can sign up at the source link below to receive details of how to update, or how to claim the rebate once the fate of your old handset has been decided.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

Motorola’s rebate site goes live: $100 credit if you need to upgrade to get Jelly Bean originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 09:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Phone Arena  |  Motorola  | Email this | Comments

It’s hard to believe at times that the Voyager 1 probe is older than many of us reading this article, but it’s true. The official first part of NASA’s Voyager program launched just over 35 years ago on September 5th, 1977, carrying not just cameras and sensors to capture the trip but the famous Golden Record documenting humanity for any curious aliens. To mark the occasion, Wired has gathered together one heck of a photo album that covers both Voyager 1’s trip as well as that of Voyager 2, which technically launched earlier (August 20th the same year) but took a more roundabout route through the solar system. The gallery reminds us of the amazing scenery beyond Mars and puts our tiny blue ball of a planet in perspective; Earth was just a speck at best when photographed late into Voyager 2’s journey. Perhaps the best news surrounding the milestone is simply that both Voyager probes are still running. At 11 billion miles from the Sun, Voyager 1 may be on the cusp of interstellar space and easily represents the most distant human object ever made, not to mention a record-setter for signal transmissions. There’s even a chance we’ll still be hearing back from the probe for its 50th anniversary — its power could keep it chatting up to roughly 2025.

Filed under: Science, Alt

NASA’s Voyager 1 marks 35th anniversary of its launch, gets photo retrospective in tribute originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 02:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Wired  | Email this | Comments

Nettops and media-center PCs in many ways hang on opposite sides of the same saddle. MediawavePC’s new MW6110 “Ultra Small Media Player” tightens the straps between these two types of machines, and adds an extra satchel with it. The 7.87 x 7.28 x 1.57-inch form gives it a discreet footprint, and supports Intel’s Core i3- i5- and i7 chips. You can also add-in up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM, along with 1TB of storage. Connection-wise, you’re well looked after with 6 USB ports, HDMI, LAN, plus Audio in / out and WiFi. So, plenty of scope to configure to suit your needs — you’ll just need the $499 base price to get started.

Continue reading MediawavePC’s MW6110 is a multipurpose Intel Core i7-supporting media player

Filed under: Desktops, Home Entertainment, HD

MediawavePC’s MW6110 is a multipurpose Intel Core i7-supporting media player originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  MediawavePC  | Email this | Comments

At CEDIA 2012 JVC showed off its 2012 line of home theater projectors, most which feature its e-Shift2 technology, a new version of the “4K precision” upconversion it introduced last year. While they are not capable of accepting a 4K source (not that you have any 4K Blu-ray discs lying around anyway), they work by creating two 1080p frames from the HD source, shifting one down and to the right. e-Shift2 promises higher native contrast and improved processing over its predecessor thanks to a new polarizing wire grid engine and updated algorithms. All of the new projectors are 3D capable with RF-connected active shutter glasses, and there’s a new smartphone app available for controlling settings without interrupting viewing. Of course, a 130,000:1 native contrast ratio doesn’t come cheap and the top of the line DLA-X95R/DLA-RS66 models sporting the spec have a pricetag of $11,999. Of course, if you’re looking for the 4K upscaling for a (relative) bargain, the DLA-X55R/DLA-RS48 can be had for just a hair under $5,000.

That’s not all JVC had to display however, as it also brought along one “early pre-production model” of an 84-inch UHDTV it plans to release in the first quarter of 2013. Like its projectors, it will come in both home theater and professional trim branded the RS-840UD and PS-840UD. It may be a price beater as well since JVC is targeting a sub-$20k price tag for both models, which would be well shy of the $25k set Sony just announced. Unlike some of the other 4K screens we’ve seen it does not include any 3D support, which may be a part of the lower cost. We got a quick peek at the display and the picture looked as sharp and punchy as we’ve come to expect, and even had less glare than other displays we’ve seen. Check out all of the prices and specs after the break, and bring your wallet.

Continue reading JVC reveals e-Shift2 4K scaling projectors, promises true 4K LCDs for under $20k

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD

JVC reveals e-Shift2 4K scaling projectors, promises true 4K LCDs for under $20k originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 19:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments