Aug 05

Sprint’s new mobile broadband routers pack WiMAX and 3G, MiFi looks on in jealousy

Posted in: Today's Chili

As if the MiFi hadn’t already piqued our interest, Sprint’s new foray into mobile broadband routers is downright riveting. The Sprint Personal Hotspot PH300s and Cradlepoint MBR-1000 Broadband Router (pictured) both do essentially the same thing, pulling down EV-DO Rev. A or WiMAX data and sharing it with your closest compatriots over WiFi — and finally sporting enough bandwidth to do it in style. The PH300s obviously has a more “personal” slant, with only four simultaneous 802.11g WiFi connections, while the MBR-1000 is meant for business use and can serve up to 32 users over 802.11n. They’re priced at $160 and $250, respectively, and the PHS300S should be showing up at Sprint stores in WiMAX-equipped areas — business users will have to track down the MBR-1000 through the appropriate channels.

[Via Phone Scoop]

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Sprint’s new mobile broadband routers pack WiMAX and 3G, MiFi looks on in jealousy originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 05

Windows 7 On The Toshiba mini NB205-N210 Netbook

Posted in: netbook, Today's Chili, Toshiba, windows 7

toshiba mini nb205.jpg

One of the first things we did when our copy of Windows 7 RTM arrived at PCMag Labs was to bring our array of netbooks out of the dark ages of Windows XP and into the next generation of Microsoft’s OS. The new Toshiba mini NB205-N210 was one of the first to receive the upgrade, and it handled the transition perfectly. Installing the OS was a breeze; drivers were automatically found for all of the hardware, giving it the same functionality coming out of the install as it had in Windows XP.
As our laptop expert Cisco Cheng noted in his review, the NB205-N210 is the vanilla ice-cream of netbooks: unexciting, but still pretty sweet. The generic netbook hardware isn’t a problem for Windows 7. It runs with the beautiful Aero interface looking almost as nice as it does on a desktop. Even features like Flip 3D work without many hiccups.
Like most netbooks, the Toshiba mini NB205-N210 can’t handle high-definition Flash video without making it look like a slideshow. Windows 7 does nothing to change that. But standard-def YouTube and Hulu videos ran well, with only the occasional stutter to detract from ultraportable viral videos. There seems to be very little performance overhead with the new OS; everything runs just as well as it did in XP.
Though Windows 7 doesn’t improve the netbook’s middle-of-the-road keyboard and lack of outstanding hardware, it manages to bring the dated interface and feature set of XP into the Aero-infused present, even with those constraints. The Toshiba mini NB205-N210 isn’t just a respectable netbook. Consider it Windows 7-ready as well. For an in depth look at the netbook, check out our full review and benchmarks here.
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Aug 05

NXG Technologies is first with HDMI 1.4 cables for the 3D HDTV you don’t own yet

Posted in: Today's Chili

Cancel that next-day air shipment from Panasonic Japan, those in need of cables today that are compatible with the 4K and 3D displays of tomorrow can get NXG Technologies Black Pearl Series HDMI v1.4 cables. Not installing cables inside a wall or under a floor? You can probably wait for more reasonably priced (or not so reasonable, if that’s what you prefer) alternatives. At around $44.95 for 1m up to $380 for a 20m cable, these available-to-dealers-only connectors promise (despite lacking certification, promised once testing is completed) to future proof custom home theater installations for beyond-1080p resolution, HDMI Ethernet Channel, Audio Return Channel and other HDMI 1.4-only features that should start rolling out in HDTVs, receivers and other equipment early next year.

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NXG Technologies is first with HDMI 1.4 cables for the 3D HDTV you don’t own yet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 05

Toshiba plans to launch fuel cell chargers in next two months, may be lying

Posted in: charger, PMP, Today's Chili, Toshiba

We’d love to believe you, Toshiba. Really, it would give us nothing but pleasure to sit expectantly for the next 60 days while you deliver wonderful, life-changing fuel cell technology to our front door. Unfortunately, we’ve been burned one too many times by your shattered promises, and we’ve developed a bit of a complex, to tell the truth. If you were being straight with us this time we suppose we’d be looking forward to a DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell) device capable of topping off small rechargeable devices like phones and PMPs, with extra juice just a cartridge replacement away. After that we could anticipate with bated breath your long awaited entry into directly DMFC-powered devices, claiming your rightful place as power generator for our phones and laptops. You tease.

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Toshiba plans to launch fuel cell chargers in next two months, may be lying originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 05

Averatec’s N3400 reviewed: looks good, performs well, dies early

Posted in: Today's Chili, ultraportable
Averatec's N3400 reviewed: looks good, performs well, dies early

Averatec probably isn’t the first name that pops into your head when you think of cleanly designed thin laptops, but if the $800 N3400 is any indication of things to come, that could change. Laptop had a chance to review the 13-inch machine and found its slim, aluminum body compares favorably to the MacBook Air — despite being nearly a full inch thick. The 1,280 x 800 glossy display was rated as “decent,” the dual-core 2.16GHz Intel T3400 processor paired with 3GB of RAM gave very good performance, but unplugged longevity was where it all went wrong. Just over three hours was the mark this machine achieved and, while the battery is replaceable, a screwdriver is required to do the deed, meaning it probably isn’t an operation you want to attempt whilst sitting in coach. So, if you need a powerful ultraportable that won’t break the bank, this looks to be it — so long as you aren’t planning any long trips.

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Averatec’s N3400 reviewed: looks good, performs well, dies early originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 05

Move Over Kindle: Sony Launching Cheap New eBook Readers

Posted in: amazon, kindle, sony, Today's Chili

sonyreaderpocketedition.jpg

Sony is hitting back against the Kindle this week with the launch of two new eBook readers shipping at the end of the month. The most enticing part about the devices? The cheap price tag. The Reader Pocket Edition and Reader Touch Edition are priced at $199 and $299, respectively.

Both devices have 512MB of built-in memory, get roughly two weeks of battery life (roughly 7,500 page turns), and ship with a protective sleeve and USB. Neither are wireless, but both support the eBook Store from Sony, which has access to more than one million free public domain books courtesy of Google.

The Reader Pocket Edition has a 5-inch screen and comes in blue, rose, and silver. The Reader Touch Edition features a 6-inch touch screen and ports for Memory Stick PRO Duo and SD card media. It will come in red, black and silver.

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Aug 05

Sony announces specs for 2TB Memory Stick XC

Posted in: sony, Today's Chili

Looks like those Sony 2TB memory sicks we warned you about way back in January are finally coming to pass, and Sony Insider has dug up the details. As appearing on Sony’s oss-formats.org site, the Memory Stick XC keeps the current form factor for memory sticks (most likely these guys will be backwards compatible) with the XC series (XC Duo, XC-HG Duo, XC Micro (M2 XC), XC-HG Micro (M2 XC-HG)) using the exFAT file system, and the PRO series (including the PRO Duo, PRO-HG Duo, Micro (M2), HG Micro (M2-HG)) using the tried and true FAT12/16/32. Memory freaks can thrill to the specifications for the new class after the break.

[Via Sony Insider]

Continue reading Sony announces specs for 2TB Memory Stick XC

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Sony announces specs for 2TB Memory Stick XC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 05

BlackBerry Onyx, desperate for attention, sells self on eBay

Posted in: RIM, Today's Chili
BlackBerry Onyx, desparate for attention, sells self on eBay

Still waiting for BlackBerry’s Onyx to hit the retail thoroughfares? You’re not alone. Despite this thing being spotted on the town months ago it’s still not available through proper channels — but then there’s always eBay, where a “pre-release” Onyx is now available for you bidding pleasure. The AT&T-bound smartphone sports a 3.2 megapixel camera, 480 x 360 display, GPS and WiFi, and a slinkier form factor. Bidding has just crossed the $600 mark on this “new, never opened” phone, but as it has in fact been opened (clearly shown in the auction’s terrible pictures) you might want to set that sniping ceiling just a little lower than your heart may call for.

[Thanks, Kenny]

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BlackBerry Onyx, desperate for attention, sells self on eBay originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 05

Upcoming Xbox 360 Netflix update is still gimped, Microsoft thinks you want it that way

Posted in: Microsoft, netflix, Today's Chili, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360
Upcoming Netflix update on Xbox 360 is still gimped, Microsoft thinks you want it that way
If you haven’t been lucky enough to preview the upcoming Xbox Live dashboard update like we did, there’s a good chance you’re eagerly awaiting its August 11 release so that you can finally modify your Netflix queue straight from the box. If so, prepare to be disappointed… or, uh, thrilled when you find out that the new experience isn’t quite as comprehensive as you might have expected. It restricts users to perusing the Top 50 films in any of a handful of categories, meaning no searching by title and no browsing alphabetically. Why? According to Microsoft’s Ben Smith, Director of Program Management for Xbox Live, that’s how you want it. He says: “I think when people come to Xbox they’re not really looking so much for functional, they really want to have fun, they want to be wowed.” We’re saying “wow,” all right, but for entirely different reasons. There is a morsel of good news, though: if enough people indicate they actually like function and want an honest-to-goodness, full-featured Netflix experience Microsoft is fully prepared to upgrade the service. Again. Eventually.

[Via Joystiq]

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Upcoming Xbox 360 Netflix update is still gimped, Microsoft thinks you want it that way originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 05

Patent Office rejects some of TiVo’s patent claims, battle vs. DISH to rage on

Posted in: dvr, lawsuit, patent, tivo, Today's Chili

You knew it couldn’t be over, right? The long running TiVo vs. DISH / Echostar patent case took a not-so-new twist yesterday when the Patent and Trademark Office issued a preliminary finding rejecting some of the claims of its Time Warp patent. While DISH was pleased, considering the PTO’s conclusions as “highly relevant” to its ongoing appeal, TiVo issued a statement calling this step “not unusual” pointing out that the exact same thing happened when its patent was reexamined in 2005 (and subsequently upheld in 2007,) and that the next step in the process is where it will be able to present its explanation for the first time. All you need to know is that it will still be a while before anyone involved (except the two company’s lawyers) are cashing any large checks, or gets their DVR taken away.

[Via Multichannel News]

Read – TiVo Statement on Developments in Lawsuit Against EchoStar
Read – DISH Network and EchoStar Statement Regarding Tivo

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Patent Office rejects some of TiVo’s patent claims, battle vs. DISH to rage on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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