Hasta La Gadget!

It happened, did you feel it? A shockwave of nerdery so sublime that only a slot on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon could contain it. Josh and Jimmy mixed up a mean stew of gadget gusto last night which you can now watch after the break. It’s a two-parter ’cause even the boys in NBC post production couldn’t limit our man Toplotsky to a single cut.

Continue reading Jimmy and ‘the nerdy guy’ yuk it up Late Night style (video)

Jimmy and ‘the nerdy guy’ yuk it up Late Night style (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When we first caught wind of Barnes & Noble’s Nook — a device clearly positioned to give the Amazon Kindle and Sony’s options a run for their money — we were understandably interested. As voracious readers and lovers of fresh gadgetry, a new contender on the e-reader scene is more than welcome. When we discovered that Barnes & Noble’s offering would not only feature a full color touchscreen component, but would run Google’s Android OS as well… let’s just say we were pretty much in gadget-hog-heaven. We weren’t without our reservations, mind you; the appearance of this device made for some pretty heated conversations amongst the staff over whether or not we were seeing the dawn of a truly commercially viable e-reader. Of course, for us the proof is always in the pudding, and since B&N is about to launch a full assault against the current offerings, it’s our duty to turn over a report. Is the Nook the answer to our e-reader prayers, or just a stepping stone to greener pastures? We’ve taken a long, hard look at the device — so read on for the official Engadget review.

Continue reading Barnes & Noble Nook review

Barnes & Noble Nook review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look, sometimes show hosts can get a bit too excited, especially when it comes to Christmas giveaway segments behind a massive pile of gadgets — most of which they’ve probably never heard of until ten minutes before the show. If you were Ellen DeGeneres here with the upside-down Nook e-reader, what could possibly be going through your head? Video after the break.

Ross: “.ɹıɐɥɔ ǝɥʇ uı ʞɔɐq puɐ dn ǝɯ d1ǝɥ ǝsɐǝ1d ‘ʞoou sıɥʇ pɐǝɹ uɐɔ noʎ ɟı”
Chris: “Everyone gets a (deafening applause, people fainting).”
Joanna: “Oh cute, Ellen pulling a Michael Jackson. Where is the closest balcony?”
Vlad: “And with your purchase of the androgynous android, you get an added value ebook reader — absolutely free!”
Don: “The good news? B&N has settled its dispute with Spring Design. The bad news? You have to hold it this way.”
Richard Lawler: “Read this way, Twilight has an entirely different double meaning.”
Paul: “I’m holding it upside down because it’s a non-working dummy unit and it doesn’t matter.”
Nilay: “God I wish this was a car.”
Richard Lai: “Look!! It’s got the same smile as me! It’s just like a magical mirror.”
Ross Rubin: “Maybe one day, the Nook will be like me and finally come out.”

Continue reading Caption contest: Ellen DeGeneres and her ʞoou giveaway

Caption contest: Ellen DeGeneres and her ʞoou giveaway originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last night, we got a tip telling us that this morning, Barnes and Noble’s ship date for the Nook would slip further — from the previously known date of January 11th to January 15th. And hey, what do you know? The BN website is now showing an expected ship date of January 15th — though it seems this would be the shipping date for new pre-orders, not for pre-existing ones. Disappointing for all of us who are expectantly awaiting our units, no doubt, but there’s the possibility of further bad news. The last time we checked in, the Nook was expected in some Barnes and Noble retail stores on the 7th of December. This tipster, who as we’ve just mentioned proved spot on with the expected shipping date (and whose name we know, though they’ve asked us not to print it), also says that no Barnes and Noble stores will have actual Nooks on hand until after Christmas. Of course, we have no way of knowing if this information will turn out to be correct, but at this point, we thought it seemed a decent enough piece of “possible” to pass on.

Update: We’ve just spoken with a Barnes & Noble rep, and they say they will have the Nook in select stores on Monday, December 7th, so we’re just going to have to be patient and see.

Update 2: If it was not clear enough, this new date of January 15th (as well as the previous date of January 11th) seems to pertain ONLY to new pre-orders of the device — not orders placed before the initial run sold out.

Update 3: And the in-store delay is official… Barnes & Noble is now confirming that the Nook will NOT be available in stores on Monday, as it’s “intent on fulfilling earlier preorders.”

[Thanks, unnamed]

Nook ship date pushed back to January 15th for new pre-orders, no Nooks in stores before Christmas? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hardware construction is a funny thing. Sometimes, regardless of the money you throw at something, you just can’t get products to come together any quicker. Evidently that’s the case with Barnes & Noble’s Nook, which has seen its estimated ship date slip from today to sometime after the holidays, and now to January 11th. There’s still a sliver of hope that you’ll be able to snag one from a high-traffic retail location on December 7th, but unless you’re planning on abandoning ship and helping the Kindle have its new best month ever, the realistic choices are pretty clear: a) pay Tickle Me Elmo-like prices on eBay or b) drop an IOU in a nicely wrapped box, preferably with a cute puppy. We suggest the latter.

[Thanks, Dave and Wes]

P.S. – We’re also hearing that pre-orders (even those placed moments after it was announced) are also being pushed back, though hopefully they’ll still be received before December 25th.

Nook ship date slips to January 11th, supply chain managers weep originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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