Unannounced Motorola Moto X likely spotted in the hands of Google’s Eric Schmidt

Motorola X likely spotted in the hands of Google's Eric Schmidt

During the winter, Sun Valley is known for its skiing. This time of the year, however, it’s quickly becoming a tech hotspot as some of the industry’s top execs gather together at the annual Allen and Co media conference. Among the attendees is Google’s Eric Schmidt, who brought along a mystery Motorola phone and couldn’t resist showing it off. While Schmidt couldn’t “comment on the nature of this phone,” according to Variety’s Rachel Abrams, it certainly didn’t stop him from giving everyone a sneak peek. Multiple images of the device, which appears to feature a carbon fiber-like back and sleek curves, popped up on Twitter from the likes of Gary He and Taylor Wimberly. As it doesn’t match the leaked pictures of the upcoming Droid Ultra or Maxx — but carries an uncanny resemblance to the leaks and FCC diagrams we’ve seen of the X already — we’re guessing this is the legendary smartphone in the flesh; and judging by Schmidt’s willingness to flaunt it, it’s quite likely that we won’t have to wait much longer before we see even more of it. There’s one more shot of the device from the top past the break.

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Moto X and HTC One get August street dates on Verizon in leaked roadmap

DNP Moto Droid X and HTC Hero street dates possibly leaked via Verizon road map

Verizon’s flagship Moto X will release on August 23rd, according to a leaked road map obtained by PhoneArena. The site also notes that Motorola’s first handset built in the US gives users who order online the choice of separate colors for the back cover and trim and can also be engraved a la iPods and Zune HDs of yore; brick and mortar retail models will be standard black. The document also lists an August 1st release date for the HTC One, a phone we still have a soft spot for. We’ve reached out to the Big Red carrier for confirmation and will update this post accordingly should we hear back.

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Source: PhoneArena

This week on gdgt: HX50V, Minx Air 100, and Moto X customization

Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their most recent picks. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt’s newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.

This week on gdgt

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The Daily Roundup for 07.03.2013

DNP The Daily RoundUp

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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Two mystery Motorola phones hit the FCC, likely headed for Verizon

Two Motorola phones hit the FCC, likely headed for Verizon

While we’re waiting (and rather impatiently, we might add) for Motorola to officially take the wraps off the Droid Ultra and Moto X, a pair of mystery devices from the company have popped up at the FCC. We can’t say for sure what the Motorola XT1030 and XT1080 are, but we can tell you these unannounced devices are likely headed for Verizon here in the US. Inside both handsets you’ll find support for LTE bands 4 and 13, along with EVDO Rev. A and WCDMA on 850/900/1900/2100. There’s even room for NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11ac radios as well.

The combination of practically every available wireless technology in a single handset has us pretty excited, but we’re also pretty confident that inside beats a beefy Qualcomm heart. The filings reveal little else, besides the fact that the XT1080 appears to be quite a bit larger than the XT1030. Is the 1030 the briefly leaked Droid Ultra? Could the XT1080 be Big Red’s variant of the Moto X? Who knows? Heck, the RAZR family is just about due for an update too. You know the drill: hit up the source if you like highly technical filings, or just sit and play the waiting game.

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Source: Motorola XT1080, Motorola XT1030

ABC: Moto X smartphone to ship with custom colors and engraving

ABC Moto X smartphone to ship with custom colors and engraving

We’ve heard few details about Motorola’s upcoming flagship smartphone since the firm’s CEO teased the device at D11, but a full-page advertisement in several of the country’s top newspapers today hinted at customizability, which ABC News has now confirmed. According to an article on the broadcaster’s website, the device will be available in different colors, with an optional engraving. And, since it’s due to be manufactured in Texas, the customized device will reach American consumers within a few days of an order.

Customers will be able to select colors for both the back panel and the smartphone’s side trim. Additionally, you’ll be prompted to upload a photo that’ll be used as the device’s default wallpaper. Like traditional handsets, Moto X will also be available in retail stores, according to ABC‘s sources, though you’ll need to order online if you want a non-standard configuration. We’re still waiting on specification details, pricing and availability, but if today’s ads are any indication, we can expect a formal launch soon.

Update: Wednesday is turning out to be a good day for Moto X leaks. Following news of customizable colors, we’ve just come upon a snapshot that purports to show off three of these options: teal, red and fushia. You can take a peek after the break, and we have a feeling these might be just the first of many colorful leaks to come.

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Source: ABC News

American redux: Apple, Motorola, Lenovo and the pulse of stateside manufacturing

Apple, Motorola, Lenovo and stateside manufacturing

Google introduced the Nexus Q close to a year ago. It was an intriguing device with a standout design, but its high asking price and limited functionality meant it wasn’t long before the Q was pulled from virtual shelves. A peculiar product and, perhaps, a cautionary tale, but the sphere was also interesting for another reason: it was manufactured in the USA. That credential is a rarity, and in the consumer technology business, almost an anomaly. It’s fast becoming a lot more common, however, with some big players setting up a stateside manufacturing presence. Awareness of the potential advantages of doing so can only increase, and serve to debunk the myth that future technology can’t be built on American soil.

After flirting with the idea, then committing to build a computer in the US, Apple chose its redesigned Mac Pro for assembly in the states. Lenovo has a PC production facility up and running in North Carolina, and Google-owned Motorola will be putting together its next flagship, the Moto X, in Texas. Time will tell whether other companies will follow suit, and to what extent, but if the arguments in favor of US manufacturing hold up, we could see the trend sustained in the long term, leading to many more gadgets bearing a US birthmark.

American redux Apple, Motorola, Lenovo and the pulse of stateside manufacturing

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Made in the USA: Four stories in four days

Made in the USA

Over the past two years, the United States has seen a return to American manufacturing by some of the biggest names in tech. In 2012, Google introduced the ultimately failed Nexus Q, while Apple’s Tim Cook teased an American-made Mac. One year later, Lenovo cut the ribbon on a new plant in North Carolina; Motorola announced plans for a Made in the USA flagship; and Apple made good on Cook’s promise with its latest Mac Pro. However, even with President Barack Obama backing a return to American production and moves from big players like Apple and Google, the fear of skilled labor shortages persists. In the lead-up to July 4th, we’ll bring you four stories in four days that explore what innovation in the United States looks like today and what that means for you.

In our first installment, Jason Hidalgo sits down with theoretical physicist Michio Kaku to talk about the dangers of a Silicon Valley brain drain and building the Death Star. On day two, Darren Murph takes a tour of Babcock Ranch, the once-hopeful site of “America’s most sustainable city.” On day three, we’ll bring you Jamie Rigg’s look at tech’s reshoring efforts. And on the Fourth, Brian Heater will explore how one non-profit harnessed the power of big names like Bill Gates and Jack Dorsey to help bring coding to classrooms nationwide.

For more from the field and the factory floor, keep it locked here as we explore what it means to be Made in the USA.

DNP Made in the USA Four stories in four daysDNP Made in the USA Four stories in four daysDNP Made in the USA Four stories in four daysDNP Made in the USA Four stories in four days
Future Soldier: Michio Kaku
A Green Dream Deferred
American Redux
Coding is Fundamental
....

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Motorola’s new smartphone leaked, reportedly being tested on Sprint 4G

Mystery Motorola smartphone appears for real, reportedly being tested on Sprint 4G

That long-teased Motorola X phone might be approaching an official release, if you believe what you’re staring at above. Phone Arena says it received the glare-heavy photo from a source that’s testing it for Sprint’s LTE network. We’ve already seen official FCC documents pointing to a Now Network future for the Motorola smartphone, while other filings tally with the shape of the device seen here. Aside from a first look at the device sans hardware-disguising casing, there’s nothing more to cement rumored specs, although it appears that it will arrive with a screen around the 4.5- to 4.7-inch region — a size that’s suddenly starting to look pretty middle-of-the-road.

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Source: Phone Arena

Editor’s Letter: Windows 8 gets its start back

In each issue of Distro, Editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news.

DNP Editor's Letter Windows 8  gets its start back

There are times when you need to stay strong, ignore the criticism and do what you know is right. Then, there are some times when the masses are right and listening is the smart thing. With Windows 8, Microsoft made many radical changes, not the least of which being the deletion of the fabled Start button. This week we got our first taste of that operating system’s first major update, Windows 8.1, and it includes a number of notable upgrades and improvements. Perhaps the most notable? The return of a Start button. Well, sort of.

It’s now called a “Start Tip” as it isn’t a proper button, but you can click on it and bring up the tiled Start Screen interface. So, the Start button is back, but not the Start menu. That’s fine by me, as I don’t think hidden, contextual elements make much sense in a keyboard-and-mouse environment. And the other tweaks are nice, including a far more comprehensive Settings section, a functional lock screen and, finally, the ability to adjust the size of applications that you’ve snapped to either side of your screen. Maybe in Windows 8.2 we’ll get fully resizable windows!

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