Hasta La Gadget!

Right on schedule, Taser’s launching the TASER X3 “force option,” which allows “peace officers” the ability to shoot up to three probes in quick succession in order to “incapacitate” their “targets.” Not only that, but the X3 can display a “warning arc” when loaded, allowing officers to “gain voluntary compliance” and “avert use-of-force” by putting on a light show. When it comes time to take down that unruly Trustafarian, however, it’ll get done with style — the probes are aimed with laser sights, and the new Pulse Calibration System actively monitors the perp to deliver a Precision Shaped Pulse(TM) that provides “consistent effects.” Yeah, we want one. Video after the break.

Continue reading TASER X3 triple-shot stunner arrives, subdues population

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

TASER X3 triple-shot stunner arrives, subdues population originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We don’t know if this is indicative of the company’s rumored plans to roll out LTE in Q1 2010 , but Verizon has announced that it’ll start running trials of its 4G network later this year, and the lucky cities to first get a stab at it are Seattle and Boston. In an earnings call today, CFO John Killian reiterated that the plan is to have a commercial launch in “up to 30 markets next year” (note he didn’t say when in 2010), with an expected 100 million points of presence for LTE by 2013. VZW COO Denny Strigl skirted by a few questions about any future Apple devices, but no surprise there, that’s been its modus operandi for some time now.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Verizon will run LTE trials in Seattle and Boston later this year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get used to seeing Sony’s new low-priced VAIO NW pop up all over the place: not only is Best Buy heavily promoting the $800 configuration as part of its Next Class campaign, but it’s a pretty great value in general — our $880 tester with Blu-ray basically has every feature you could want in a WIndows machine. We just got it unboxed and toyed around with it a little — it’s not the smallest 15.5-inch machine we’ve ever seen, but it’s not a clunker, either. There’s just… more of it to love. Unfortunately, it’s harder to love the goofy faux-wood texture that’s been baked into the plastic — it’s very much like bad 80s rec room wallpaper. If you do work up the arm strength and fashion courage to lug this thing outside, however, you’ll find that quick connectivity is greatly enhanced by Splashtop, which allows you to quickly boot to a Linux-based shell and run a browser. It’s a nice little perk, and it should help NW owners transition into the Chrome Age quite nicely — and speaking of which, Chrome is the default preinstalled browser once you boot back into Vista. Other quick notes: the screen has pretty dismal viewing angles and it’s crazy glossy, the trackpad is textured (which we love), and we have no idea why Sony can’t bother to at least properly align all the stickers on this thing — it looks a bit of a mess. That’s just sort of how it goes at this price point — if you can get past the minor flaws, though, the VAIO NW certainly has a lot to offer. Quick Slashtop video demo after the break.

Continue reading Sony VAIO NW unboxing and hands-on

Filed under: Laptops

Sony VAIO NW unboxing and hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Three days before the game’s official release date (July 26), anyone in the vicinity of Time Square on Thursday July 23rd had a chance to preview Nintendo’s newest game for the Wii, Sports Resort. (Check out our post on the best bargains on the game, too.)

Nintendo set up shop on the traffic island in the middle of Times Square, transforming the little piece of concrete into a sandy beach resort called Wuhu Island, complete with high-end chairs, a fountain, and sand… tons of sand. At one of the many kiosks shaded by inflatable trees, tourists and NYC residents got to test out one of the 12 games featured in Wii Sports Resort s. 

Take a look at the transformed Time Square after the jump.

I’m not what you call a Mac-head. I own an Apple iPod, but that’s as far as I’ve ever gone into Apple’s product line. But Apple fans have probably visited the Apple Store or shopped at Apple’s online store at least once.

When you buy things from the Apple Store, you’re probably not getting the lowest price on an item; it’s just “cool” to shop there. So it’s safe to assume that you can find that iPod or pair of headphones cheaper somewhere else. But I decided to give Apple a fighting chance anyway, by challenging the company to my TechSaver Test.

Today’s picks include the Wacom Bamboo, the MacBook 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo – Aluminum, the iHome iP9 Dual Alarm Clock Radio for iPhone and iPod, and Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac (Home and Student Edition).

Find out the results, after the jump.