Hasta La Gadget!

It looks like Sony’s having a field day right now in Japan, making its official reveal of the NEX3 and NEX5 cameras, the “ultra-compact” DSLRs with interchangeable lenses we saw back at PMA. The presentation is going on as we speak, and the rumor sites seem to suggest Digital Photography School posted (and subsequently pulled) a review of the NEX3. Quesabesde, however, still has its preview of the not-quite-Micro Four Thirds shooters live, and is also listing some specs and prices. First with the technical details: the NEX3 has a 14.2 megapixel sensor, support for Memory Stick and SDXC media, 720p / 30fps video, and an articulating 2.95-inch LCD. The NEX5 boasts AVCHD 1080i video, and we’re not sure yet as to other differences between the pair. As for pricing, the bodies on their lonesome appear to be worth about €250 and €350, respectively — that’s $320 and $448 in US currency. Throw in a 16mm f2.8 lens for €250 and you’re now looking at a minimum of €500 (or $640) to join the fray. The kits are said to be going on sale in June. Sony’s official site hasn’t updated yet, but with any luck we’ll get the legit scoop in very short time.

Update: Sony made it official, says a firmware update will be released this summer to capture stereoscopic 3D sweep panoramas.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Sony’s NEX3 / 5 cameras priced, June release date leaked (update: official) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 20:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Sony Alpha Rumors, Photo Rumors  |  Unwire.hk  | Email this | Comments

With that hotly-anticipated May 12th release date just around the corner, you might be wondering how Steam on Mac will perform. You’re in luck, because some of our favorite Mac news sites have just finished testing the software’s closed beta. The verdict? It’s practically the exact same as the Windows version, except there’s almost nothing to buy. Save for the Growl-like notifications at the top of the screen, the UI is all but indistinguishable, and as promised,data and purchases (if playable) automatically carry over in their entirety from your Windows Steam account. Team Fortress 2 even has cross-platform capability, allowing Mac users to play online with their Windows counterparts, though several journalists noted you might want to invest in a two-button wheel mouse if you don’t want to be found out. Source Engine performance on Mac wasn’t quite as good as on Windows in tests using the exact same hardware (thanks, Boot Camp), but admirably comes close nonetheless; Electronista was able to maintain a similar framerate in Portal just by disabling two levels of anti-aliasing. Not all Mac users will be able to partake in these games, however; though a MacBook Pro with a discrete 512MB GeForce 8600M card could run them well and a GeForce 9400M laptop managed on low settings, those with only integrated Intel graphics chips might find themselves in for a painful surprise.

Read – Electronista
Read – MacRumors
Read – MacWorld
Read – AppleInsider

Steam on Mac preview roundup: all but identical to PC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A report byThe Examiner surfaced Monday, and here’s what it boils down to:

“An insider at HP tells us that a webOS tablet under the code name HP
Hurricane could be released the third quarter of this year.”

One insider. “Could”. Rumors are rumors, and the problem with them is that some are indeed plausible. So is this one. In fact, the odds are that it’s true.

The real story with this rumor is why HP won’t actually divulge what its plans are, and why the company won’t simply confirm or deny whether the Slate is alive or dead. In the announcement of HP’s acquisition of Palm, HP’s Todd Bradley made it very clear that HP had plans to run WebOS on other products besides tablets. Whether that tablet is named “Hurricane,” and whether it will roll out in the third quarter, however, is not known.

My guess is that the Slate is indeed dead, and Microsoft doesn’t want to sabotage its relationship by announcing this. Although HP will eventually have to confirm this fact, it will be able to save face if it can also point to a WebOS tablet on the roadmap.

Google Editions said to have backing of ‘almost all’ US publishers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 17:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The term of Apple and AT&T’s iPhone exclusivity deal has long been a mystery — although USA Today reported a five-year arrangement when the original iPhone came out in 2007, that number has never been independently confirmed, and it’s been looking suspect in recent weeks as Verizon iPhone chatter has gotten louder. But we’ve been doing some digging and we can now confirm that Apple and AT&T entered into a five-year iPhone exclusive in 2007, based on court documents filed by Apple in California. Read on!

Continue reading Confirmed: Apple and AT&T signed five-year iPhone exclusivity deal — but is it still valid?

Confirmed: Apple and AT&T signed five-year iPhone exclusivity deal — but is it still valid? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Apple Brief (PDF), Court Order (PDF)  | Email this | Comments