Hasta La Gadget!

Plantronics was proud to present its BackBeat Go Bluetooth in-ear headphones last year, but it’s also aware improvements are always welcome. To that end, the company’s ready to show off its second iteration: BackBeat Go 2. P2i moisture resistance and reworked internals for improved sound back up the sporty wire-behind-the-ear design and fit stabilizers — look out, Jaybird. Not only does the hardware remember up to eight devices, but a DeepSleep mode shuts it down if you walk out of range without turning the power off, allowing it to sleep for up to six months. The internal batteries squeeze out about 4.5 hours of playtime for music, and an optional microUSB charging case ($20) can provide about two and a half refills. As you’d expect, an inline remote keeps you in control of your playlists and calls, while DSP enhances incoming and outgoing sound. Ears perked? The headphones will be available starting today at various retailers in your choice of black or white for $80.

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video

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All you Sony Cyper-Shot (DSC-RX100) or Canon PowerShot (S110) users, Tokyo Sanko has a new waterproof (IPX8) housing case to get you down to 40 meters. For any recreational divers, this should be more depth than you’ll ever need. Looking like the housing straight out of a Jacques Cousteau episode, the hard case bodies just pop on around your existing camera, while still giving you access to shutter and additional camera controls. Retail price set for 19,800 yen, tax included.

Those of us picking budget smartphones in the US seldom have the choice of a toughened smartphone, and it’s even more of a challenge when we’re not signed on to one of the top four carriers. US Cellular is offering the cost-conscious a (hardened) olive branch by shipping the Alcatel One Touch Shockwave. Skip past the creaky Android 2.3, 800MHz processor, 3.2-megapixel camera and 3.5-inch, 480 x 320 display — a shock- and water-resistant shell as well as Dragontrail-based glass should keep the smartphone working through most forms of casual abuse. We also don’t mind having preloaded Amazon Appstore and media apps, although the frugal 2GB microSD card in the box won’t leave much room for any downloading. We’d at least keep the Shockwave on the short list when the $50 price and long-lasting design will leave ample funds for just about everything else.

Continue reading Alcatel One Touch Shockwave reaches US Cellular, takes your bumps and scrapes for $50

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Alcatel One Touch Shockwave reaches US Cellular, takes your bumps and scrapes for $50 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We were intrigued by Sony’s Xperia V back at IFA, but deals with specific carriers haven’t been very forthcoming. Japan’s KDDI is covering that gap by pledging to carry Sony’s mid-size Android 4.0 phone as the Xperia VL. Everything we know and (mostly) love about the dust- and water-resistant phone is intact, including that thin sensor-on-lens 720p display, the 13-megapixel camera, the 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4, NFC and LTE-based 4G. The one question remaining is a definitive release date: Sony will only promise an Xperia VL launch before the end of the year, although there’s talk at Impress Watch of a release on November 2nd for ¥30,000 ($381) after carrier discounts. Let’s hope for the company’s sake that other carriers sign up for the V and VL sooner rather than later.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony

Sony Xperia VL brings dash of toughened-up LTE to Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s Xperia Tablet in an interesting looking device that was billed as being more rugged than the typical tablet on the market today. One key factor in the marketing of the little tablet was that it was water-resistant. Unfortunately, Sony has realized that some versions of its little tablet aren’t actually water-resistant at all.

Sony has announced that it has stopped selling its new Xperia Tablet after discovering a manufacturing defect that causes a gap between the display and the case. That gap will allow water inside the tablet. Sony says that the reason for the defect is a manufacturing flaw at the Chinese plant with the tablet is constructed.

The tablet went on sale within United States on September 7 and Sony says that it shipped 100,000 of the tablets so far. Sony says that it will repair, replace or issue a refund for any of the tablets that have already been purchased by consumers. The company doesn’t believe the recall will have an effect on its earnings.

[via Yahoo]