Hasta La Gadget!

Word on the street was Archos planned to give us a couple of new tablets at IFA this year, but it turns out the upscale Gen 9 hardware is coming a couple months prior to the September trade show. The new Honeycomb slates are set for a June 2011 release and pack a 1.6GHz ARM A9 dual-core chip (the prospect of which should get you spec-heads drooling), up to a 250GB HDD / 32GB SSD, and a patent-pending “disruptive 3G modem” — all for €400 (about $566). Archos’ fiendish plan is to steal some of the iPad 2’s thunder with its speedy processor and competitive price, but history tells us it’ll need more than “competitive” to truly yank any marketshare. Too bad the post-PC world can’t be bothered to care, right Steve?

Sneak peek at Archos Gen 9 tablets: 1.6 GHz dual-core A9 processor, 250GB HDD for €400 in June originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Mar 2011 09:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LetsTalk has this morning dropped its price for the HTC Thunderbolt from $200 all the way down to the so-far unmatched level of $175. This applies when bought with the obligatory two-year service plan and will be available to all willing customers, whether they be new to Verizon, adding an extra line, or upgrading their current phone. It also betters Amazon’s $180 price in one other important aspect: Amazon’s Thunderbolts are on back order at present, whereas LetsTalk has immediate stock and will even cover the cost of shipping. All good things must come to an end, however, and this discounted pricing will last only until Monday, at which point the cost will revert to a more sustainable point for the retailer. That said, we’d advise against rushing in unless you’re categorically sure — LetsTalk will ding you for $250 if you don’t stick to the contract that goes with this handset for at least 181 days.

HTC Thunderbolt hits $175 price point with LetsTalk — but only for this weekend originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Mar 2011 09:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A screen shot of part of the page you would see when visiting amazon.com/apps before it was taken down. Photo: androidnews.de

Retail giant Amazon is preparing to launch its own app store on the Android platform on Tuesday, March 22, a trusted source told Wired.com.

First leaked in September, Amazon’s Android app store will be a curated market, meaning Amazon reviewers will determine which apps are allowed inside, similar to Apple’s iTunes App Store. That’s a contrast to Google’s “anything goes” policy for apps that appear in the Android Marketplace.

Amazon has been less than discreet with its imminent app store. Earlier this week, an Android fan discovered that a webpage for the Amazon app store —http://www.amazon.com/apps — went live prematurely, revealing a horizontal sliding menu of about 48 apps and their prices.

Customers will be able to purchase apps through the Amazon.com website or directly through a native Amazon app on their Android devices, said our tipster, who is involved in the launch. Our source asked to remain anonymous due to a non-disclosure agreement.

For apps that have links to purchase and download other apps, those links must go through the Amazon market. They may not contain URLs to apps on the Android market, our source added.

An Amazon app store is possible on Android because, unlike Apple, Google allows third parties to set up their own software shops on the Android platform. Some critics point out that an Amazon app store in addition to an official Android app market may create confusion on the platform.

However, it’s worth noting that Amazon payment systems are deployed in more countries than Google Checkout, so an Amazon app store may pose serious competition to the Android Marketplace, and possibly even iTunes.

TechCrunch has speculated that the Amazon app store may precede an Amazon-made tablet powered by the Android OS, enabling Amazon to more directly compete with Apple and other tablet manufacturers.

Multiple reports claim that Amazon will focus on lower prices for apps to gain a competitive edge. Indeed, tech blog Android News looked through the 48 apps on the leaked webpage and found that prices of a few apps undercut the prices for the same respective apps listed on Google’s Marketplace.

See Also:

• Amazon Android App Store Apps and Prices Get Early Reveal
• Amazon to Launch Android App Store
• Everything We Know So Far About Amazon’s Android App Store …

An iPhone 4 with a third-party metal back sticker — not an iPhone 5. Photo: 9to5 Mac

Gadget Lab Notes is an eclectic roundup of gadget news briefs and intriguing products that catch our eye.

Foxconn Source Says iPhone 5 Will Have a Flat Metal Back
According to a source at Foxconn, the iPhone 5 is already in production, and it sports a flat metal back (as opposed to the iPhone 4’s glass back or a curved metal back like the original iPhone). It’s also expected to have a dual-core chip like the iPad 2. An image of the charging cable has surfaced, but not a finished product.

iPhone 5 Prototypes Spotted [9to5 Mac]

Details Announced for Toshiba’s 10.1-Inch Android Tablet
Toshiba’s second Android tablet, which is powered by a Tegra 2 processor, will include WiFi and Bluetooth, HDMI, and dual cameras—a 2-megapixel webcam on the front, and a 5-megapixel camera on the back. It’s got a USB 2.0 port, mini USB, SD card reader, and 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as a digital compass, GPS, and an accelerometer. The tablet, which may be released in June, also has a user-interchangeable battery and rubberized back covers.

Toshiba 10.1-Inch Android Tablet Gets Detailed [Android Community via Slashgear]

Verizon iPhone Takes Up 4.5% of Total iPhone Traffic Since its Debut
The iPhone 4 has been with Verizon a scant two weeks, and now makes up 4.5% of total iPhone related traffic, according to a study by Millennial Media. It doesn’t sound like much, but that’s almost 5% of an area AT&T has had exclusive rights to for over 3 years. Additionally, Apple continues to lead mobile device sales this month, with Samsung and HTC in a close second and more distant third.

Verizon Grabs 4.5% of iPhone Traffic [Mobile Burn via MobileCrunch]

Clever Home Mod Sends the Kitchen Island Out of Sight Using iPhone
Using an iPhone app and a lift that rises from a utility room below, this forward-thinking homeowner can lower his kitchen island level with the floor, or raise it to full height when cooking needs to be done. I would imagine the stove eyes are located on one of the surrounding countertops, as opposed to the island. This seems like a fantastic way to save space, and could possibly make cleaning more efficient. Flor unitscover the island’s surface when it’s level with the floor, so you’re not dicing tomatoes where someone tracked their muddy boots across the floor an hour before.

Retractable Kitchen Island [NotCot via Crunchgear]

Steampunk Cufflinks Hide 8GB of Flash Storage
So the steampunk thing has been done to death, but that doesn’t stop Etsy makers from continuing to create intricate, unique pieces in the style. These USB cufflinks can store 8GB of data and appear to be decorated with darkly-stained wood and metallic interlocking gears. I wonder if anyone wore these to San Francisco’s Edwardian Ball?

Steampunk USB Cufflinks Are As Awesome As They Are Pricey [Engadget]

At a quick glance, without any background information, your eyes might tell you that the HTC Thunderbolt is little more than a Verizon remake of Sprint’s EVO 4G and AT&T’s Inspire 4G. After all — like its contemporaries — the Thunderbolt features a spacious 4.3-inch WVGA display, 8 megapixel camera, and dual-LED flash. In reality, though, the Thunderbolt is something more: from the Inspire, it borrows a better, crisper display with a wider viewing angle and a newer-generation (though still single-core) Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. From the EVO 4G, meanwhile, it borrows a cool integrated kickstand and the addition of a second “4G” radio, making this a spec Frankenstein of sorts — the best of both worlds. Of course, instead of Sprint’s WiMAX for that 4G radio, the Thunderbolt grants you access to Verizon’s LTE network — a network so fresh, it still has that new-network smell. There’s a lot of horsepower here.

In other words, the Thunderbolt has a very real opportunity to be the finest 4.3-inch device HTC has ever made — for the moment, anyway. Let’s see how it fares.

Continue reading HTC Thunderbolt review

HTC Thunderbolt review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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