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Nov 09

PowerGenix NiZn rechargeable AA batteries: finally, some cells worth buying

Posted in: Features, impressions, Today's Chili

It’s rare if a month flies by without some random university or DIYer proclaiming that the next major jump in battery technology is just over the horizon, and yet, here we are — in the year 2009 — still buying overpriced AA cells from Duracell and Energizer that deplete far too quickly given the technology available. Heck, even those standard rechargeable cells have seen their performance degrade hastily in our experiences, and we’ve been longing for a rechargeable cell that was actually worth its salt for a long, long time. Frankly, we passed off the PowerGenix NiZn battery as just another slice of vaporware when it was first uncovered in late 2008, but after they went on sale this summer, we decided to really put a set through the paces. Click on to find out how we feel about ’em after months and months of hardcore usage.

Continue reading PowerGenix NiZn rechargeable AA batteries: finally, some cells worth buying

Filed under: Peripherals

PowerGenix NiZn rechargeable AA batteries: finally, some cells worth buying originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 08

Entelligence: Heads I win, tails so do you

Posted in: column, Features, Today's Chili

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he’ll explore where our industry is and where it’s going — on both micro and macro levels — with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

That’s a pretty sappy title. It almost sounds like I’m talking about summer camp. You know, where everyone who goes to camp gets to have a part and everyone gets an award for something.

I think competition is good. I think healthy competition forces people and companies to push themselves further, innovate greater and drive products to the next level. Competition gave us Windows 7, the iPhone, and a host of other technologies and products as vendors looked to up their game and compete. While I don’t consider myself a fanboy of anything except perhaps Aaron Sorkin or NYC bagels, I also think fanboys (and fangirls) are good. I like people who are really passionate about the technology they buy and stand behind their passion. It’s good for people to be excited about tech. So if you’re a Windows 7, Snow Leopard or Ubuntu lover, I say. “Excellent!” Heck, if you’re a Newton, Amiga or Vectrex aficionado and hate anything created past 1995, that’s cool too. I’m talking about something else. I’m talking about a philosophy that says, If I win, then you must lose.

Continue reading Entelligence: Heads I win, tails so do you

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Entelligence: Heads I win, tails so do you originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 08

Engadget Podcast 170 – 11.08.2009

Posted in: engadget podcast, EngadgetPodcast, Features, podcast, Today's Chili

A bit of a wild podcast this week, as we recorded live on DROID launch day — and not just Motorola’s handset, but also the HTC DROID Eris. That’s not all that went down, though — the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 also launched this week, the Dell Adamo XPS got official, and everyone else sued each other. Yep, it’s action packed — get downloading!

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: Pistolwhip (James Talk‘s Arcade version)

Hear the podcast

00:00:35 – DROID mania sweeps the nation, so to speak
00:07:35 – Some more perspective on the DROID and multitouch
00:09:00 – iPhone vs DROID multitouch keyboard showdown (video)
00:15:05 – DROID ERIS hands-on and unboxing!
00:19:45 – Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 announced, we go hands-on
00:23:43 – HTC’s HD2 has landed at Engadget (hands-on)
00:29:45 – Josh reveals TwitterPeek on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Qlorigan** (video)
00:32:48 – Dell Adamo XPS coming ‘in time for the holidays’ for $1799 (unboxing and hands-on video!)
00:36:32 – Unused Adamo XPS prototypes reveal touchscreen trackpads, key-less keyboard
00:41:04 – NVIDIA takes its feud with Intel to cartoonish new levels
00:50:19 – AT&T sues Verizon over ‘there’s a map for that’ ads
01:01:24 – Spring Design sues Barnes & Noble over the Nook
01:02:50 – Spring Design vs. Barnes & Noble: all the nooks and crannies

Subscribe to the podcast

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).
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Download the podcast

LISTEN (MP3)
LISTEN (AAC)
LISTEN (OGG)

Contact the podcast

1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.

Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget

Filed under: Podcasts

Engadget Podcast 170 – 11.08.2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 07

Switched On: Developing a sense of rumor

Posted in: column, Features, switched on, SwitchedOn, Today's Chili

We’re proud to congratulate Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) on five years of Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Check out the first-ever Switched On right here — we’re looking forward to five more years!

Good morning, students. My name is Dr. John Fleming and I welcome you all to MKTG 503: Fictional Technology Product Development. Hopefully, you’ve all fulfilled the prerequisites to this class, MTG 324: New Product Development and any accredited undergraduate Government class in plausible deniability. As your professor this semester, I’d like to provide a brief overview of the material we will be covering in the emerging field of developing and marketing products that generate incredible amounts of media attention and consumer interest but do not actually exist.

Phase 1: Customer Requirements. Disciplined product development requires acute attention to addressing both stated and unstated customer needs and creating products that fulfill the promise of expectations while maximizing profitability for the organization. In our class, we will learn how to ignore these goals and create figments that have incredible gee-whiz factors that safely ignore considerations such as marketplace pricing and target demographics. Students will generate buzz for a three-paneled OLED ereader that is powered by solar energy while acting as a tanning bed for the burgeoning tween market.

Continue reading Switched On: Developing a sense of rumor

Switched On: Developing a sense of rumor originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 06

How would you change Windows Mobile 6.5?

Posted in: Features, HowWouldYouChange, HWYC, smartphone, Software, Today's Chili, Windows Mobile, windows mobile 6.5, WindowsMobile, WindowsMobile6.5, winmo

We know, today is totally Android 2.0’s day to shine, but what would a Friday night be without a little diversity? Windows Mobile 6.5 officially landed on a gaggle of Windows Phones back in early October (a month ago to the day, in fact), but by and large, all of ’em have seemingly drifted off into some forgotten corner while Motorola’s DROID has taken over the hype. Still, we’ve got a feeling at least a few of you loyalists went out and gave Sir Ballmer a few more of your nickles, and now we’re eager to hear if you’re loving or regretting that choice. Is 6.5 really a worthy update over 6.1? Are you waiting for WinMo 7 instead? What would you change about 6.5 in order to make 7 the best mobile OS of all time? Sound off in comments below!

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

How would you change Windows Mobile 6.5? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 06

HTC Hero / Eris mega faceoff on video

Posted in: Android, Features, hands-on, hero, HTC, Sprint, Today's Chili, verizon

Now that we’ve got the DROID Eris in the mix, we’re up to our ears in HTC Hero-derivative devices. We decided to sit the whole crew (GSM, Sprint and Verizon editions) down for a little modeling session, and we’re finding ourselves reticent to pick a favorite. There are really plusses and minuses to each of them, but any way you lean it’s a pretty good handset with some perhaps overly bulky software, a wonderful pricepoint (on Verizon, anyway) and probably a limited time in the sun with upcoming Android 2.0 devices, faster processors and wild new screens rolling on in. Check the video out after the break and you can make up your own mind.

Continue reading HTC Hero / Eris mega faceoff on video

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC Hero / Eris mega faceoff on video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 05

Ask Engadget: Best wireless touchpad / trackpad?

Posted in: AskEngadget, Features, multitouch, Today's Chili, touchpad

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Matt, who badly, badly needs to give his digits something to do on a trackpad whilst enjoying media from the couch.

“I’m looking for a wireless trackpad to use with my older (2.5 or so years old) C2D MacBook that’s perpetually docked to my home theater. Something sleek, thin, not too small, made of high quality materials. Ideally, it would natively support all of (Snow) Leopard’s multitouch inputs, and even more ideally, it would have a charging dock / base. I’m not a fan of using a mouse on my sofa, and this would be just the thing I’m looking for. The only problem is that I’m not sure that such a thing even exists. Think you can throw me a bone?”

Alright, so does such a thing really exist? Where can you procure one? Did Matt just give you the best DIY idea of all time?

Filed under: Ask Engadget

Ask Engadget: Best wireless touchpad / trackpad? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 05

iPhone vs DROID multitouch keyboard showdown (video)

Posted in: Android, droid, Features, iPhone, keyboard, multitouch, Today's Chili, video

I just dashed off this quick video for my Twitter followers to demonstrate that the DROID doesn’t have a multitouch soft keyboard, and pretty much instantly realized that I should probably share it with everyone else, since we’ve been getting a lot of questions about it. Long story short, while Android 2.0 and the DROID’s hardware support multitouch, the device itself doesn’t do multitouch out-of-the-box, and the soft keyboard suffers mightily for it. Why it’s missing is certainly open for debate, but for now just know that no amount of hoping, wishing, or booze is going to make the stock keyboard register more than one press at a time. Don’t despair, though — while I’m not a fan, Chris Ziegler absolutely flies on this same keyboard on his DROID. Videos after the break.

Continue reading iPhone vs DROID multitouch keyboard showdown (video)

Filed under: Cellphones

iPhone vs DROID multitouch keyboard showdown (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 05

TwitterPeek review

Posted in: feature, Features, handheld, hands-on, review, Reviews, Today's Chili, twitter

Peek is a company with ideas — but they like to tackle them one at a time. Last year, amid snickering and cries of uselessness from the gadget world, the tiny company launched an email-only handheld that’s attempted to bring the idea of email on the go to the smartphone fearing crowd… and we do know at least one avid user. Now the company has turned around and tried it again, this time with a seemingly even less essential device, the TwitterPeek.

The TwitterPeek works in conjunction with Twitter, and only with Twitter. It’s that simple. There’s nothing else to figure out or set up, so presumably, the idea is that the device, like the original Peek, is intended for the dumbphone lover who just can’t go without a constant stream of Tweets. So, fair enough — those of us who are more than a little tech savvy may find reason to smile at this, but supposedly this will be attractive to someone. Right?

So how did the TwitterPeek fare when we got our mitts on it? Read on to find out.

Gallery: TwitterPeek hands-on

Continue reading TwitterPeek review

Filed under: Handhelds

TwitterPeek review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 05

Verizon’s BlackBerry 8530 and LG Chocolate Touch go hands-on

Posted in: Features, hands-on, LG, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless

Rounding out the flurry of interesting Verizon Wireless launches today are the BlackBerry Curve 8530 and LG Chocolate Touch (pictured). The 8530 is pretty much just the Verizon edition of T-Mobile’s 8520, but the LG Chocolate Touch bears closer examination. Basically it’s just a war on the eyeballs of anyone who’s ever seen the BL40, with the front, back, materials and interface of the device all falling incredibly short of aesthetic pleasure. However, the $80 phone does have a relatively responsive and usable touchscreen interface for a “dumbphone,” and we’ve used worse touchscreen keyboards on Windows Mobile. So it’s not a complete tragedy, but we really feel sorry for someone who skips over the DROID ERIS for this just handset just to save $20.

Gallery: LG Chocolate Touch